The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Volume CL | Issue 6
October 19, 2017
Organization ‘CARES’ The scoop on Vassar’s Trustees for Vassar students Laurel Hennen Vigil, Dylan Smith and Clark Xu
Laila Volpe
Assistant Features Editor
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tudents might know CARES as the group of students that used to provide support over the phone to anonymous callers, but since being taken off call, the organization has been somewhat under the radar. As such, some students might not be familiar with CARES, either as the organization it used to be or the organization it is now. As their mission statement explains, “CARES is Vassar’s organization to provide peer-to-peer support for students affected by any sort of personal violation issue, no matter where it happened, when it happened or who it happened to” (Vassar Women’s Center, “Resources”).
Member Julie McInvale ’19 elaborated in an emailed statement, “CARES as a group was established in 1989 as a peer-listening group in response to growing recognition of sexual assault, both nationally and on Vassar’s campus.” Someone was on call 24/7 to provide listening support to callers until Spring 2016, when CARES, along with the The Listening Center, was taken off call in response to concerns from the administration about liability and the appropriateness of peer listening services. After CARES was taken off call, the members struggled to redefine the direction of the organization. Member Jemison Tipler ’20, who was trained just last semester, was unSee CARES on page 6
News Editor, Reporter & Assistant News Editor
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assar’s Board of Trustees holds more power than anyone at this college, but to many students, it can feel like there’s an air of mystery around who this group really is. The Trustees only visit campus for three weekends each year, and most students never catch sight of them. The only student invited to these meetings—the next of which takes place this weekend—is the student observer, VSA President Anish Kanoria ’18. “My primary responsibility is to make sure that student voices are heard and listened to,” said Kanoria. So just who are the Trustees? The Miscellany News set out to demystify the people who have the power to impact so much about our College and
our lives here, from financial aid policy to the appointment of administrators to decisions about building renovations. [Editor’s note: The Miscellany News is indebted to the Vassar Transparency Coalition for the inspiration for this article. In this piece, we seek to update and keep relevant the excellent information it compiled on the Board in 2015.] William A. Plapinger ’74, P’10, Chair William Plapinger has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2006.1 He graduated cum laude from Vassar with a history degree in 1974 before obtaining a law degree from New York University four years later.2 Plapinger has been employed as an attorney for Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP for several decades, during which time he’s worked on a number of merger and acquisition cases for prominent
mining, gas and oil companies such as BHP, BP and E.ON UK.3 Formerly residing in London, Plapinger now lives in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood.4 Since 2000, Plapinger has donated nearly $90,000 to Democratic candidates and political action committees (PACs).5 Elizabeth H. Bradley, ex officio; President of Vassar College Elizabeth Bradley started as President of Vassar College on July 1. Bradley is one of only two members of the Board who is not a graduate of Vassar. She studied economics and art history at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude in 1984. Bradley also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in health policy and health economics from Yale University.6 After earning her doctorate, See TRUSTEES on page 4
Philaletheis premieres new piece Courtesy of Julie McInvaleCrook
CARES members gather during their orientation. Although training has changed since being taken off call, they are prepared to give their all.
Kaitlin Prado Reporter
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his week, Vassar’s oldest student theatre organization, The Philaletheis Society, presents “The Moon is Red”, co-written and directed by Scott Szpisjak ’20, in the Susan Stein Shiva Theater. This student-written, student-produced and student-directed piece promises to be a combination of space, secretaries and socialism. Szpisjak and his co-writer, Aline Dolinh, a sophomore at the University of
Virginia, initially created the concept for this play based on an inside joke imagining a conspiracy theory that the moon didn’t exist. This joke soon developed and became more fleshed out. Once they brainstormed the plot point of the Soviet Union filming a propaganda video and hatching a plan to launch a satellite, the duo saw the potential for an exciting play. Caleb Featherstone ’18 plays one of the show’s principle characters and was attracted to the show from the start. He
said, “I was drawn to the play by the goofiness of the premise and the rapid-fire, self-aware comedy of the script.” Even while staring down a week of technical rehearsals, Featherstone recalled, “One of the highlights of the creative process thus far has been the open attitude towards experimenting with big, over-the-top choices, which has made the rehearsal process a lot more fun and less stressful than other productions have been for me and will make See MOON IS RED on page 15
Charli XCX defies norms of pop VC soccer moves up in Liberty League ranks S Patrick Tanella Arts Editor
Inside this issue
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Dress to impress! Take our Halloween FEATURES costume test
Robert Pinataro Sports Editor
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Patrick Tanella/The Miscellany News
ince her debut, Charli XCX has been a dynamic artist in the pop music industry, with her sound shifting based on passion and self-reflection. Her recent single “Boys” broke the Internet, with the video reversing the male gaze and featuring prominent male artists in pop culture today. Charli has not always had this party-girl or pop-music vibe, but it has brought her to the forefront of the experimental pop industry. She’s the Paris Hilton of 2017, just with less autotune and reality television features. I first discovered Charli in 2013 after hearing a friend talk about her debut album, “True Romance.” Following a great deal of success with this work in the alternative pop industry, Charli opened for the beautiful Marina and the Diamonds during her Electra Heart tour, and the two formed a close relationship, even collaborating on the brilliant not-on-iTunes single “Just Desserts.” “True Romance” is excellent alternative pop music, with a just-right combination of teen angst and romance. She quickly became one of my favorite artists, and her and Marina’s work defined the second half of my junior year in high school. Yes, I was that angsty teen. “True Romance” opens with “Nuclear Seasons,” which has an ominous, heartracing intro that still gets to me. The distorted lyrics “No one is forevSee CHARLI XCX on page 14
Pictured here is Charli XCX performing at this year’s Governors Ball Music Festival. She had a killer set and brought out the iconic Cupcakke.
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Free press jeopardized if media doesn’t OPINIONS decentralize
he Vassar College men’s soccer team is off to an incredible start to Liberty League play. After picking up two conference wins over the weekend, the Brewers have improved to an 8-3-2 overall record and an impressive 5-0-1 in the Liberty League. The Brewers’ successful weekend began with a 2-1 victory over Clarkson University on Friday, Oct. 13. The first half was scoreless, as both teams played an evenly-matched game. In the second half, Vassar took their lead. In the 62nd minute, senior Jose Novas scored the first goal of the game, coming off of a rebounded Mattie Mrlik shot. Shortly after, first-year Jonathon Bow scored the first goal of his collegiate career to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. Clarkson made a late push and scored a goal, but the Brewers came out on top 2-1. Coming off of Friday’s victory, the Brewers looked to continue their success on Saturday afternoon against Saint Lawrence University. Going into the game, the Brewers were ranked second in the league behind the Saint Lawrence Saints. Following the 2-1 victory in this game, Vassar overtook Saint Lawrence in the Liberty League standings and claiming the number one ranking.
19 SPORTS
The Brewers came out of the gate hot, as sophomore Henrik Olsson scored on a Novas assist just six minutes into the contest. “The key for us this weekend was getting off to a strong start, which we did in both games,” junior captain Tyler Gilmore said. “Despite conceding goals in the second half of both games, we kept pushing on and ended up with two great results.” The Brewers continued to shoot frequently throughout the game, but the score remained 1-0 until Saint Lawrence’s Jethro Dede scored with less than 15 minutes to play. With the game in a stalemate, Novas rose to the occasion, drilling a shot into the back of the net in the 85th minute off of a Mattie Mrlik assist. After wrapping up a strong weekend, Novas commented on the team’s play. He said, “I think the team played great this weekend. Everyone stepped up and showed a lot of desire, heart and determination.” The team’s excellent in-conference record this season has put them on a great trajectory for a deep playoff run. The Brewers have even bigger goals for this season, however, according to Gilmore. “Our goal is to host the weekend games in the Liberty League tournament and compete in the NCAA tournament,” he said. See SOCCER on page 18
Sad but no surprise as USMNT fails to qualify
The Miscellany News
Page 2
October 19, 2017
Editor-in-Chief
Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson
Senior Editor Noah Purdy
Contributing Editors Sarah Dolan Eilís Donohue Rhys Johnson Anika Lanser
News Laurel Hennen Vigil Humor and Satire Leah Cates Yesenia Garcia Arts Matt Stein Patrick Tanella Sports Mack Liederman Robert Pinataro Design Yoav Yaron Copy Tanya Kotru Gode Sumiko Neary
Courtesy of Chris McCann
Having visited the beautiful city of Venice, Chris McCann reflects, “I’m beyond grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Venice, a city filled with history and culture unlike any other anywhere in the world. It’s a trip that I would recommend to anybody because it offers so much that no matter what your interest, whether it be artistic, historic, cinematic, literary or anything really, Venice has a place for you.” To read more about Chris’ exciting JYA experience and read about other students’ travels, visit farandaway.miscellanynews.org!
The Miscellany News 19
October
Thursday
Where Hope Finds Home: Recognizing the Refugees of Lancaster County 10:00 a.m. | Palmer Gallery | Campus Activities
The Moon is Red
5:00 p.m. | Shiva Theater | Philaletheis
Paul Krietman
5:30 p.m. | TH 203 | History Dept. 5:30 p.m. | KH Gym | Athletics
Water Communion
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October
Friday
Rugby Practice M/W
2:00 p.m. | Rugby Field | Athletics
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October
Saturday
Huck for Red October
8:00 a.m. | Ballantine Field | Ultimate Frisbee
Field Hockey (W) vs. Ithaca College
Oral Histories Workshop
4:00 p.m. | Weinberg Field | Athletics
10:00 a.m. | RH 210 | Vassar Refugee Solidarity
The Moon is Red
Swimming (M/W) vs. Brandeis University
5:00 p.m. | Shiva Theater | Philaletheis
M/W Dive Practices
5:30 p.m. | Walker Field House Diving Well | Athletics
Rugby (M) vs. SUNY New Paltz
11:00 a.m. | Rugby Field | Athletics
Paper Critique
9:00 p.m. | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News
The Moon is Red
5:00 p.m. | Shiva Theater | Philaletheis
Numberhead Comedy
The Limit Presents: Reborn 9:00 p.m. | SC 212 | The Limit
8:00 p.m. | TH 203 | Happily Ever Laughter
Screening of “Get Out” with Q&A with Jason Blum
Make-Your-Own-Challah
Nitrous Oxide Show
7:00 p.m. | VCDF 109 | Film Dept.
Sunday
Reporters Talya Phelps Kaitlin Prado Dylan Smith Columnists Izzy Braham Jimmy Christon Jesser Horowitz Steven Park Sylvan Perlmutter Andrew Solender Blair Webber Design Maya Sterling Copy Isabel Bielat Natalie Bober James Bonanno Gabriela Calderon Teddy Chmyz Jillian Frechette Abigail Knuckles Jessica Moss Anna Wiley Andrea Yang
1:00 p.m. | Kresge Pool | Athletics
7:00 p.m. | Aula | Unitarian Universalists
9:00 p.m. | CC 223 | Big Night In
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October
Courtesy of Vassar College
Individual practice (WVB)
Weekender_
Assistant News Clark Xu Assistant Features Laila Volpe Assistant Arts Sasha Gopalakrishnan Assistant Online Kayla Holliday Jackson Ingram Abby Lass Assistant Copy Claire Baker Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice Web Master & Technical Advisor George Witteman
8:00 p.m. | TH 102 | Improv
Cheer on the Vassar swim team as they kick off their atheltic season this Saturday at 1 p.m.!
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed.
The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
NEWS
October 19, 2017
News Briefs Wildfires ravage northern California
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Po
Hundred of thousands of acres in northern California have been burned by the recent fires.
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l Roun a c i d lit
—Marusa Rus, Guest Reporter
Courtesy of Wikipedia
irefighters in Northern California have finally started to tame some of the wildfires that have been spreading around the Golden State since Sunday, Oct. 8. They are considered the worst fires California has seen in the past 80 years. 15 major wildfires are still in full swing, spread over 217,000 acres and destroying infrastructure. However, firefighters believe that falling temperatures and rain will help with fighting the flames. Another wildfire, in Orange County, near Los Angeles, destroyed 3,000 hectares of land between Monday, Oct. 9, and Wednesday, Oct. 11, when firefighters were able to get the fire mostly contained (OC Register, “Canyon Fire 2 at 60 percent containment; 9,217-acre blaze destroys 23 structures, damages 36,” 10.11.2017). Wednesday evening also brought colder and more humid weather and as a result the authorities withdrew the evacuation orders. The situation in Northern California is much more serious, with Governor Jerry Brown declaring a state of emergency in Sonoma, Napa and Yuba counties. The wine-growing Sonoma region has been affected the worst and the authorities have had to evacuate around 3,000 people. According to official numbers, the number of fatalities in California has risen to 41 (Los Angeles Times, “Death toll in wine country fires rises to 41 as driver of water truck dies in rollover accident,” 10.16.2017). The governor has called the fires one of the largest tragedies in the history of the United States and, when visiting the region, he urged people to take the situation seriously and follow the instructions given by the firefighters (San Francisco CBS, “Gov. Brown, Sens. Feinstein, Harris Vow To Find More Funds For Wildfire Relief,” 10.14.2017). There are still 10,000 firefighters out trying to fight the remaining 15 fires. According to official data, about 5,700 houses and other
buildings have been destroyed by fires and more than hundred people are still missing (The New York Times, “Northern California Fires Have Destroyed at Least 5,700 Buildings,” 10.14.2017). The fires have been extremely difficult to mitigate due to the strong wind, high temperatures and dry air. Questions of what caused the fires and whether officials did enough to alert the residents when the flames started approaching populated areas have started surfacing. Many people had to flee in panic, and the BBC reports that the firefighters have told them that they were astonished by the speed with which the fire was spreading. It was the individual local communities that were responsible for informing the public. However, local communities in Sonoma, the region that was hit hardest by the flames, say that they did not want to incite widespread panic and blocked roads. Investigators have also started looking into the reasons behind the start of the fire, some pointing to the possibility of the fires being started by the crashed electrical installation.
Talya Phelps
In our backyard... Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison announced on Oct. 10 that the city ended 2016 with a surplus of $873,904 and reduced its deficit to around $11.9 million. This represents an improvement from 2015, when Poughkeepsie ended the year with a deficit of around $1.9 million, on top of the already-multi-million dollar deficit that had rolled over from previous years. Currently, the city is facing a possible penalty of up to $1.9 million from the federal government for its failure to transfer bus assets to Dutchess County after the county expanded transport services (Poughkeepsie Journal, “The City of Poughkeepsie reduced deficit in 2016 with surplus,” 10.10.2017). Dutchess County, along with the Village of Pawling and the Village of Red Hook, is receiving around $8.3 million dollars in shared funding, which will defray the costs of improving water treatment facilities and infrastructure and constructing a new sewer system. The money comes from the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act and the Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants Program, and represents part of a total $255 million in statewide funding (Poughkeepsie Journal, “Dutchess: $8.3M in funding will aid local clean water projects,” 10.9.2017). On Oct. 11, Dutchess County Executive
Updates from the VSA Forum with Associate Dean Ed Pittman The Vassar Student Associate (VSA) Senate held a forum with Associate Dean of the College for Campus Life & Diversity Ed Pittman this past Sunday, Oct. 15. Here is what they discussed: —Mandatory facilitated screenings for firstyears of the documentary “I’m Not Racist… Am I?” start this week. This new program is meant to spark deeper and more informed conversations on campus about race, racism and privilege in the United States. The College plans to extend these screenings to faculty, administrators and eventually the entire student body. —Pittman addressed questions from the VSA about the functions of the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), including details of BIRT protocol, how reports are deemed bias incidents, the efficacy of the BIRT website and incident log, follow-up investigations of reported incidents, under what circumstances and in what manner all-campus emails are sent out following a bias report and questions of student involvement in these processes. Forum with the Traditions Committee The VSA also held a brief forum on Oct. 15 with a representative from the Traditions Committee to discuss Halloweekend. The Committee sent out a survey to students on Sept. 13 to gain feedback about the upcoming programming. The Halloween party this year will take place on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. in a large heated tent on Noyes Circle. Card access to Noyes will be limited to residents, and the designated bathrooms will be the ACDC’s, where Late Night at the Deece will still take place. Chair of Finance Robyn Lin
Marc Molinaro presented the county’s 2018 budget plan, which does not include a tax increase and aims to save more than $27 million through shared services over the next two years. The cost-saving shared-services plan was mandated by the state and comprises 37 projects, including a countywide Drug Task Force, a salt purchasing cooperative, a public transit consolidation and a shift in police staffing. Molinaro condemned New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state for making the plan obligatory, criticizing the fact that 70 percent of county costs are allocated to mandated services (Poughkeepsie Journal, “Dutchess: No tax increase in 2018, millions saved in shared services,” 10.11.2017). Spotlight on 2020 hopefuls... California Governor Jerry Brown Born in San Francisco in 1938, Brown did not always have political aspirations, despite the fact that his father, Edmund G. Brown Sr., served as both attorney general and governor of California. He attended the Sacred Heart Novitiate Jesuit Seminary and was prepared to become a priest before deciding to study classics at the University of California at Berkeley and earning his J.D. at Yale Law School. Brown worked as an attorney until his appointment as California’s secretary of state in 1970. Four years later, he replaced Ronald Reagan as the state’s governor and worked to further his progressive goals by setting statewide energy efficiency standards and creating the California Coastal Commission, as well as advocating for government funding of alternative energies research, education and small businesses. Brown made his first presidential bid in 1976, but failed to secure the nomination. He continued on as governor, earning the sobriquet Governor Moonbeam for his liberal policies. He made a second failed run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980, then a fruitless Senate run in 1982. Following these defeats, Brown left politics behind and traveled for five years, studying Spanish in Mexico and Zen Buddhism in Japan and working with Mother Teresa in India. In 1988, he returned to California and became chair of its Democratic Party before chasing a presidential nomination again in 1991 and losing to Bill Clinton. Brown focused his efforts in Oakland, found-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
’18 clarified that the decision not to serve alcohol at the Halloween event came about due to budgetary restraints on the part of the Senior Class Council. Executive Board updates Members of the VSA Exec Board will be attending meetings with the Board of Trustees as they convene on campus this Friday and Saturday. VSA President Anish Kanoria ’18 will attend as the student observer to the Board of Trustees, and the VSA Exec Board will meet with the Board’s student affairs committee. —Finance: There was mandatory Workday training for org treasurers held on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Finance restructuring will also be starting soon. —Equity & Inclusion: BIRT will be reviewing the incident that occurred in the Women’s Center to determine if it constitutes a bias incident. —Academics: The Academics Committee is compiling information about the burden of textbook costs on students and their academic success. General update Next week’s Senate meeting (Sunday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in New England 105) will include a forum with President Elizabeth Bradley, where she will discuss the College’s financial status and answer questions from VSA representatives. —Noah Purdy, Senior Editor
ing the grassroots activist group We the People and successfully running for mayor of the city in 1998. In this position, he worked to revitalize the downtown area, reduce the crime rate and found the Oakland School for the Arts and the Oakland Military Institute. In 2006, Brown was elected as California’s attorney general and used his post to push back against purveyors of risky loans, supporting workers’ rights and fighting against legislation that attempted to ban same-sex marriages. At the end of his term, he was reelected to the governorship, and then elected to a fourth term in 2014 (Biography.com, “Jerry Brown”). On Oct. 5, Brown signed a bill making California a “sanctuary state,” meaning that police will be restricted from questioning people about their citizenship and detaining foreign-born residents on immigration violations. This legislation hinders Trump’s deportation efforts by protecting the more than two million undocumented people in California, which represent almost a quarter of such immigrants in the country (The Guardian, “California adopts ‘sanctuary state’ immigration law in snub to Trump,” 10.05.2017). Speaking of a possible 2020 presidential run at a press conference in March, Brown noted that he would be 82 by then, but added, “Don’t rule it out” (The Hill, “Jerry Brown on running for president: ‘Don’t rule it out,’” 03.31.2017).
Courtesy of Wikipedia
In this week’s headlines... On Oct. 12, The White House announced President Trump’s decision to slash subsidies to health insurance companies that help cover out-of-pocket costs for low-income people. The loss of the subsidies could seriously destabilize insurance markets, but changes will likely not be implemented in time to affect coverage before 2019 (The New York Times, “Trump to Scrap Critical Health Care Subsidies, Hitting Obamacare Again,” 10.12.2017). Trump raised the possibility of withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after weeks of his administration proposing controversial changes to the deal. NAFTA has allowed Canada, the United States and Mexico to increase trade by utilizing each nation’s strengths, and a collapse of the agreement would affect industries throughout the global economy (The New York Times, “Trump’s Tough Talk on NAFTA Raises Prospects of Pact’s Demise,” 10.11.2017). Attorney General Jeff Sessions dispatched a federal hate crimes lawyer to Iowa to help prosecute the killer of 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson, a transgender student who was shot to death in March 2016. Sessions has previously spoken out against hate crimes but has also opposed samesex marriage and rolled back protections for transgender people (The New York Times, “Aiding Transgender Case, Sessions Defies His Image on Civil Rights,” 10.15.2017). The Trump Administration announced on Oct. 12 that it would no longer be a part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), citing the group’s “anti-Israel bias.” In 2015, Unesco criticized Israel for mishandling heritage sites in Jerusalem, and,
in July, it raised ire from Israel by designating Hebron—in the Israeli-occupied West Bank—an imperiled Palestinian World Heritage site (The New York Times, “U.S. Will Withdraw From Unesco, Citing Its ‘Anti-Israel Bias,’” 10.12.2017). On Oct. 12, Trump disparaged the leadership of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, pushing away blame for the crisis situation and warning that the U.S. government will not provide aid “forever.” Three weeks after the storm, 83 percent of the island remained without power (The New York Times, “Trump Warns Storm-Ravaged Puerto Rico That Aid Won’t Last ‘Forever,’” 10.12.2017). Trump announced on Oct. 13 his disavowal of the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement, warning that he would scrap the deal entirely if it was not renegotiated. By refusing to certify Iran’s compliance with sanctions, Trump would leave the fate of the deal to Congress (The New York Times, “Trump Disavows Nuclear Deal, but Doesn’t Scrap It,” 10.13.2017).
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Governor of California Jerry Brown has run for president several times, and may in 2020.
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NEWS
October 19, 2017
Who comprises Vassar College’s Board of Trustees? TRUSTEES continued from page 1
Bradley stayed on at Yale until this past spring, serving as Director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy, Faculty Director of the Yale Global Health Leadership Institute and Head of Branford College.7 Bradley and her husband John live on the Vassar campus in the President’s House. Karen Herskovitz Ackman ’88 Karen Herskovitz Ackman studied art at Vassar and earned a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Harvard in landscape architecture in 1993.8 In addition to Vassar’s Board of Trustees, Herskovitz Ackman also serves on the boards of Friends of the High Line and Human Rights Watch and formerly The Dalton School.9 Late last year, Herskovitz Ackman separated from her billionaire hedge fund manager husband, Bill Ackman, and reportedly stands to get half of his $1.4 billion fortune in the event of a divorce. The two own four homes in the New York area, worth $90 million, $35 million, $23.5 million and $22 million, respectively.10 Over the years, Herskovitz has donated tens of thousands of dollars to various campaigns and PACs, primarily—though not exclusively— Democratic.11 Eric H. Beringause ’80 Eric Beringause, a sociology and anthropology double-major at Vassar, also holds an M.B.A. with a concentration in commercial banking from Cornell University.12 Beringause is currently CEO of Gehl Foods, a dairy company with annual sales of $250 million.13 In May, nacho cheese sauce from Gehl was linked to a fatal botulism outbreak in California, though the company announced that the samples it tested were free of contamination and that it would not recall any products.14 15 Prior to working at Gehl Foods, Beringause was CEO or President of Private Equity Advisor; Advanced Refreshment LLC; Sturm Foods, Inc.; and Alcoa Consumer Products.16 He lives in Milwaukee, WI, where Gehl Foods is based. Jamshed J. Bharucha ’78 Jamshed Bharucha, who was an international student at Vassar from Mumbai, India, graduated with a degree in biopsychology and went on to receive an M.A. in Philosophy from Yale and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Harvard.17 From 2011 to 2015, Bharucha served as President of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. During his tenure, Cooper Union began charging tuition for the first time since its establishment in 1859, despite fervent student protests.18 Bharucha is currently a Distinguished Fellow at Dartmouth College.19 Jason Blum ’91 Jason Blum, one of the youngest members of the Board of Trustees, graduated from Vassar in 1991 with degrees in economics and film. In 2000, he founded Blumhouse Productions and has since become known for producing low-budget horror film franchises such as “Insidious,” “The Purge” and “Paranormal Activity.” [20] Some of his more recent projects include “Whiplash,” “Get Out” and an upcoming HBO adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s novel “Sharp Objects.”21 Estimates of Blum’s net worth range from $10 to 50 million.22 23 Beth Burnam ’77, P’10 Beth Burnam studied Science, Technology and Society at Vassar before earning an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. According to campaign donation records—since 2004, Burnam has donated about $235,000 to Democratic causes such as EMILY’s List and ActBlue—Burnam works as a self-employed investor.24 Burnam’s mother, Marcia Garbus Burnam ’49, and her son, Michael Burnam-Fink ’10, also attended Vassar.25 Along with her mother, she established the Burnam Summer Fellowships for Juniors, which provides grants for summer projects involving work with nonprofits or community-based agencies.26 Burnam resides in Topanga, CA.27 Mark Burstein ’84 Mark Burstein graduated from Vassar with degrees in history and independent studies and also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2013, he has served as President of Lawrence University in Appleton, WI and has previously worked at Princeton University and Columbia University.28 On Vassar’s Board of Trustees, Burstein chairs the Personnel and Compensation Committee, and he also serves on
the Board of ThedaCare, a Wisconsin health care provider.29
several small financial contributions to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign.49
lege and the University of California at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.72
Camilla Campbell P’17, P’19, P’22 The only Trustee aside from Bradley who didn’t attend Vassar, Camilla Campbell holds a B.A. from Boston University’s College of Communications.30 Campbell is married to actor Oliver Platt31, and their three children all either have or will attend Vassar. She is currently the Director of Admissions for the High School Division of Grace Church School, a Manhattan private school.32 Campbell resides in New York City.
Anthony J. Friscia ’78, P’15 Anthony Friscia is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Advanced Market Research, Inc. (AMR), and the Independent Director of Forrester Research, Inc. Friscia founded AMR in 1986. Friscia has previously served as the Director of Product Management at Concord Data Systems, Inc.; the President and Chief Executive Officer of Eduventures; the Director of the Integrated Manufacturing Research Service at Yankee Group, Inc.; and a Systems Developer at IBM.50 While at Vassar, Friscia studied English.51 Friscia has contributed to political campaigns in the past, including Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns, and the LAZIO 2000 PAC.52
Huang Hung ’84 Huang Hung is an Beijing-based fashion mogul, television host, publisher and media figure. Huang was listed in Time Magazine’s annual “TIME 100” list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011.73 Hung is the publisher and editor of iLook, a Chinese fashion magazine.74 Hung has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the China Interactive Media Group. She opened a Chinese designer boutique in Beijing in 2010. Before entering publishing, Hung was a socialist activist in China.75
Sharon Davidson Chang ’84, P’19 Sharon Davidson Chang studied English at Vassar and currently works as Vice President of Non-Scripted Television at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC (WME), a talent agency. Since graduating from Vassar, Davidson Chang has also held numerous positions at CBS Sports and IMG Worldwide, Inc., which is owned by WME.33 Davidson Chang also serves as Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College Alumnae/i Recognition Committee Chair.34 Leslie Jackson Chihuly ’83 Leslie Jackson Chihuly holds a B.A. from Vassar in English and an M.A. from the University of Washington in Russian Studies.35 She is married to glass sculptor Dale Chihuly and is CEO and President of Chihuly Studios. Jackson Chihuly is also the chair of the Seattle Symphony Board of Trustees and serves on the Board of the Pilchuck Glass School.36 Since 2000, Jackson Chihuly has donated almost $70,000 to Democratic PACs and candidates.37 Barbara Danz ’66 Barbara Danz graduated from Vassar in 1966 with a degree in mathematics and in 1992 earned a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Southern California. She worked as an associate attorney for Paul Hastings, LLC but is now retired and resides in Incline Village, NV.38 Linda Fairstein ’69 Linda Fairstein is a New York-based author and attorney. Former head prosecutor for the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, (the unit which purportedly inspired the popular “Law and Order: SVU”), Fairstein is the author of over 15 crime novels.39 Fairstein graduated from Vassar in 1969 and subsequently attended the University of Virginia’s School of Law, graduating with her J.D. in 1972. While working for the Manhattan DA, Fairstein oversaw the infamous 1990 “Central Park Jogger” case, which resulted in the false conviction and imprisonment of five young men, dubbed the “Central Park Five.”40 Fairstein has been accused of rushing the prosecution. During the investigation, Fairstein reportedly barred one of the defendants from seeing or speaking with friends and family members.41 The defendant’s convictions were vacated in 2002. Fairstein left the District Attorney’s office the same year. Richard Feitler ’85 Richard Feitler is the President and Chief Operating Officer of TPN, a marketing and advertising firm.42 TPN has done marketing for companies such as 7 Eleven, Tropicana, Hershey and Bank of America.43 Feitler attended Vassar College, where he studied political science, and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1990.44Feilter has made small financial contributions to Democratic candidates over the years and also contributed to the LAZIO Political Action Committee in 2000,45 which is affiliated with the Republican party.46 LAZIO was a political action committee that was the principal campaign committee for Rick Lazio’s 2000 Senatorial Campaign in New York against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Lazio is a member of Vassar’s Class of 1980. Robyn Field ’86 Robyn Field is a member of the Vassar Class of 1986. While at Vassar, Field studied history and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Field received her M.A. in architectural history and criticism in 1999 from the University of California, Los Angeles.47 Currently, Field serves as the Director of Field Family Real Estate in Beverly Hills. She served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Buckley School, a secondary school in Sherman Oaks, CA, from 2010 to 2015.48 Field has made
Jeffrey A. Goldstein ’77, P’12 Jeffrey Goldstein is currently the Managing Director at Hellman & Friedman, a private equity firm with offices in New York, San Francisco and London.53 He also serves on the Board of Directors of Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and Westfield Corporation. Goldstein temporarily left Hellman & Friedman from 2009 to 2011 to serve as Undersecretary of Domestic Finance for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Goldstein has also served as the Chief Financial Officer at World Bank.54 He received his B.A. in economics from Vassar and his M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Yale University.55 Lorna Bade Goodman ’63, P’88 Lorna Bade Goodman is a New York-based attorney. She studied English at Vassar College and graduated with her J.D. from Hofstra University.56 Bade Goodman has had a solo mediation practice since 2010 and is a member of the New York Supreme Court’s Corporate Mediation Panel and the Southern District of New York’s Federal Mediation Panel. In 2010, Bade Goodman served as the Executive Director of the New York City Charter Revision Commission. Prior to her work with the Commission, Bade Goodman was the Nassau County Attorney from 2002 to 2010.57 Bade Goodman has financially contributed to Democratic candidates during many of the last several major election cycles.58 Heather Sturt Haaga ’72 Heather Sturt Haaga is a California-based oil painter and philanthropist. While at Vassar, Sturt Hagga studied political science, and she has been on Vassar’s Board of Trustees since 2011.59 She is also the current chair of the Board of Directors of The Salzburg Global Seminar, a member of the Princeton Art Museum Advisory Council and a trustee of the African Wildlife Foundation, the Princeton Theological Seminary and the Descanso Gardens.60 Sturt Haaga was also closely involved in the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.61 Sturt Haaga has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and the Republican National Committee during many election cycles.62 Stephen Hankins ’85, P’13, P’17 Stephen Hankins is a trial attorney practicing law in the Bay Area, CA.63 Hankins studied English and art history while at Vassar and earned his J.D. from the University of California, Davis in 1991. Hankins has been admitted to eleven bar associations, including the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.64 He is a founding partner of the Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila, LLP (RSHC) national law firm, which mainly represents corporations in matters such as regulatory, employment and intellectual property disputes.65 Hankins is an adjunct professor at the University of California, Hastings Law School.66 Maryellen Cattani Herringer ’65 Maryellen Cattani Herringer graduated from Vassar with a degree in economics in 1965. She subsequently studied law at the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her J.D.67 Herringer is a member of the California State Bar Association.68 She served as the Non-Executive Chairman of ABM Industries, Inc. from 2006 until March 2017.69 She is also the retired former Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of APL Limited70 and the Interim Independent Lead Director of Pacific Gas and Electric Company.71 Cattani Herrington serves on the Board of Trustees of Vassar College, Mills Col-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Philip N. Jefferson ’83 Philip Jefferson is an economist and professor of economics at Swarthmore College. He has previously taught at Columbia University and the University of Virginia. Jefferson studied economics at Vassar, earning a B.A. in 1983. He subsequently earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Virginia. His research focuses on macroeconomics, poverty and applied econometrics.76 Jefferson served as the President of the National Economic Association in 2005.77 He is also a former research economist at the Federal Reserve Board, the main governing body of the United States’s Federal Reserve system.78 Henry P. Johnson ’88 Henry Johnson is the President of Wealth Manangement at the Northern Trust Corporation’s East Division. Prior to his his time at Northern Trust, Johnson served as the president and CEO of Fiduciary Trust International from 1994 to 2016. After receiving his B.A. from Vassar in 1988, Johnson went on to receive his MBA from the Yale School of Management.79 In addition to serving on Vassar’s Board of Trustees, where he oversees the College’s endowment, Johnson serves on the boards of the New York Botanical Garden, American Ballet Theatre, The Garden Conservancy, the Josiah H. Macy Jr. Foundation and Greenwood Gardens.80 Lisa Kudrow ’85 Lisa Kudrow graduated from Vassar College with a biology degree in 1985 and began a career as an actress, scriptwriter and film producer.81 82 Her performance on the American television sitcom “Friends” won the Primetime Emmy Award in 1998 and the Screen Actors Guild Award in 1996 and 2000.83 Kudrow ranks among the highest paid television stars, as she was paid $1 million per “Friends” episode during several seasons of the show.84 Geraldine Bond Laybourne ’69, P’93 Geraldine Bond Laybourne completed an art concentration at Vassar College before receiving his M.S. in Elementary Education at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.85 She currently serves on the Board of Symantec and acts as board chairperson for Alloy Inc. and Katapult. Symantec regularly contracts for data security projects with Euro-Atlantic gas and oil firms.86 In the past, Bond Laybourne led Nickelodeon under Viacom Media Networks from 1980 to 1996, the Disney-ABC Cable Networks from 1996 to 1998 and Oxygen Media from 1998 to 2007. During her time at Nickelodeon, the company developed an $8 billion business with 40 percent annual profit margins on selling advertisements targeted to children.87 Susan Zadek Mandel ’78 Susan Zadek Mandel studied mathematics at Vassar College, graduated in 1978 and went on to earn an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School in 1982.88 She is also a trustee of the Environmental Defense Fund, which seeks to use economic incentives to drive down global carbon emissions and represents environmental concerns to state and federal governments.89 90 Zadek Mandel co-produced the Showtime and National Geographic Channel television miniseries “The Years of Living Dangerously,”91 which provided extensive reports on biodiversity loss, deforestation and desertification, droughts, flooding and rising sea levels in various parts of the world impacted by climate change. The first episode had 290,000 live viewers and received glowing reviews by Time Magazine, The Guardian and the Yale Forum on Climate Change.92 Tanya M. Odom ’92
NEWS
October 19, 2017
Tanya Odom holds a M.Ed. from Harvard University and graduated from Vassar College with a dual concentration in anthropology and sociology.93 Odom is Director of Innovation and Executive Coach at The Futurework Institute.94 The organization consults with companies in finance and retail on sustainable growth and workplace diversity. Some of her work has been in the European Union with the European Peer Training Organization, and she was a delegate to the World Conference against Racism in South Africa. Odom coauthored a book on education in relation to human rights and democracy. Diversity Best Practices and the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia have cited Odom as a leading advocate for diversity in the workplace.95 Carol S. Ostrow ’77, P ’09, P ’15 Carol Ostrow studied drama at Vassar College and continued to earn a theatre arts M.F.A. at Yale University in 1980.96 Ostrow’s productions include “Berlin to Broadway,” “After-Play,” “Beau Jest” and “Elektra.”97 Since 2001, Ostrow has been a producing director at The Flea Theater in Tribeca, with season performances focused on new and experimental drama in off-Broadway stage settings.98 99 Over the years, Ostrow has also returned as an adjunct professor at Vassar College, as well as Chatman College and McGill University.100 In 1985, Ostrow helped found the Powerhouse Summer Theater Program with Leslie Urdang, Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer and Evert
Sprinchom,101 which today continues to welcome theatre students to campus with a six-week program fee of $5,000.102 Tamar Smith Pichette ’86 Tamar Smith Pichette continued from Vassar to study law at Oxford University and Osgoode Hall in Toronto.103 She also acts as the Board chairperson to JobTrain, an educational organization that trains and places unemployed individuals in Silicon Valley. In 2017, the program worked with 7,393 people at a job placement rate of 81 percent.104 105 Smith Pichette regularly donates to Engineers Without Borders Canada,106 a non-profit organization that seeks to foster social enterprise and sustainable growth.107 108 Before moving to California with her husband, Senior Vice President of Google Patrick Pichette, Tamar Smith Pichette practiced commercial litigation and contracts in Toronto.109 Kathy Zillweger Putnam ’75 Kathy Zillweger Putnam graduated from Vassar College with an art concentration in 1975. She went on to found the manufacturing firm Kathy Zillweger Associates and has now entered retirement.110 Her father-in-law George Putnam Sr. founded the financial company Putnam Investments in 1937.111 Zillweger Putnam donates to the Winchester Thurston School in Pennsylvania, where she graduated from high school in 1971.112 Eve E. Slater ’67
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Eve Slater became an M.D. in allopathic medicine from Columbia University after receiving a B.A. in chemistry from Vassar College.113 Slater is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Columbia University and holds a certification in internal medicine and cardiology.114 In 2001, President George Bush appointed Slater as the Assistant Secretary of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the first woman to hold this position.115 116
News Group since 2000 and was a CBS Executive Producer from 1990 to 2000.123 In 2011, Rennie Taylor received the AAVC 2011 Outstanding Service to Vassar award. Her contributions have been through office and fundraising work in the Vassar Club of New York, Vassar 150, President’s Advisory Council and the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center.124 Her work at CBS was recognized by eight Emmy Awards and the George Foster Peabody Award. She is currently AAVC President.125
Karen Strain Smythe ’82 Karen Strain Smythe graduated in 1982 from Vassar College with a B.A. in drama and later acquired an M.B.A. in 1987 from the University of Virginia.117 Strain Smythe is also President of the Board to the Bardavon Opera House118 and Executive Director at the Beatrix Farrand Garden Association.119 120 Beatrix Farrand was a landscape designer who worked on blueprints for Hyde Park, Morgan Library, the National Cathedral, the White House and Dumbarton Oaks. In the past, Strain Smythe served as Vice President and later President of mechanical contractor group C.B. Strain & Son and has worked for the real estate agency De Lisle Company, as well as food manufacturers such as Frito-Lay and the Dannon Company.121
Debra Fagel Treyz ’74 Debra Fagel Treyz earned her J.D. in 1977 from the Albany Law School after studying political science at Vassar College.126 127 128 Fagel Treyz retired in 2013 from J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where she had served as a vice chairman and CEO of the European, Mid-East and Africa division.129
Milbrey “Missie” Rennie Taylor ’68 Missie Rennie Taylor graduated from Vassar College in 1968 with a B.A. in political science.122 She has been a media consultant for the CBS
Christianna A. Wood ’81 Christianna Wood graduated with an economics degree from Vassar College in 1981 and later acquired an M.B.A. from New York University.130 131 Wood has served as chairman of the board of the Global Reporting Initiative, as CEO of Capital Z Asset Management and as senior investment officer to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.132 133 Her work was recognized for business ethics by the Ethisphere Institute and for corporate governance by the National Association of Corporate Directors.134 135 Her areas of expertise include risk management, portfolio construction and seeding investment.136
Sources 1 Sullivan and Cromwell, LLP “William A. Plapinger” 2 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “William A. Plapinger ’74” 3 Sullivan and Cromwell, LLP “William A. Plapinger” 4 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “William A. Plapinger ’74” 5 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: William Plapinger” 6 Vassar Stories, “Elizabeth Howe Bradley,” 01.017.2017 7 Vassar Stories, “Elizabeth Howe Bradley,” 01.017.2017 8 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Karen Herskovitz Ackman ‘88” 9 Human Rights Watch, “Karen Herskovitz Ackman” 10 Vanity Fair, “Billionaire Bill Ackman Reportedly Ends 2016 with a 9-Figure Divorce,” 12.23.2016 11 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Karen Ackman” 12 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Eric H. Beringause ‘80” 13 LinkedIn, “Eric Beringause” 14 U.S. News, “Gehl Foods Distributed Nacho Cheese Linked to Fatal Botulism,” 05.23.2017 15 Gehl Foods, “Statement of CEO Eric Beringause on Isolated Outbreak of Botulism in Walnut Grove, California,” 05.22.2017 16 LinkedIn, “Eric Beringause” 17 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Jamshed J. Bharucha ‘78” 18 The New York Times, “College Ends Free Tuition, and an Era,” 04.23.2017 19 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Jamshed J. Bharucha ‘78” 20 The New York Times Magazine, “The Scarily Profitable Hits of Jason Blum,” 05.11.2017 21 Vassar Stories, “Get Out’s Jason Blum ’91,” 03.23.2017 22 Top Celebrity Net Worths, “Jason Blum Net Worth” 23 Celebrity Net Worth, “Jason Blum Net Worth” 24 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Beth Burnam” 25 Vassar Quarterly, “The College’s history of multidisciplinary programs now encompasses two generations of Vassar students,” 03.01.2009 26 Vassar College, “Burnam Summer Fellowships for Juniors” 27 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Beth Burnam ’77” 28 Lawrence University, “President Mark Burstein, Biography” 29 Lawrence University, “President Mark Burstein, Biography” 30 Grace Church School News, “Senior Ad-
ministration Named,” 06.13.2011 31 The New York Times, “Weddings; Camilla Campbell, Oliver Platt,” 09.13.1992 32 Grace Church School News, “Senior Administration Named,” 06.13.2011 33 LinkedIn, “Sharon Chang” 34 Vassar Alumnae/i, “AAVC Trustee and Alumnae/i Recognition Committee Chair” 35 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Leslie Jackson Chihuly ‘83” 36 Seattle Symphony, “Leslie Jackson Chihuly Names President & CEO Position with $2.5M Gift to Seattle Symphony” 03.05.2015 37 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Leslie Chihuly” 38 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Barbara Ludlam Danz ‘66” 39 Linda Fairstein, “Novels” 40 The Village Voice, “A Journey Through the Tangled Case of the Central Park Jogger,” 11.19.2002 41 The Village Voice, “Ash-Blond Ambition,” 11.19.2002 42 LinkedIn, “Rich Feilter” 43 TPN Retail, “Clients” 44 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Richard Feilter ’85” 45 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Richard Feilter” 46 Federal Election Commission, “LAZIO 2000 INC” 47 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Robyn Field ’86” 48 LinkedIn, “Robyn Field” 49 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Robyn Field” 50 Bloomberg, “Company Overview of AMR Research, Inc.” 51 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Anthony J. Friscia ‘78” 52 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Anthony Friscia” 53 Hellman & Friedman, “About” 54 Hellman & Friedman, “Jeffrey Goldstein” 55 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Jeffrey Goldstein” 56 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Lorna Bade Goodman ‘63” 57 Mediation, “Lorna B. Goodman” 58 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Lorna Goodman” 59 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Heather Sturt Haaga ‘72” 60 LinkedIn, “Heather Sturt Haaga” 61 Association of Fundraising Professionals, “2014 Outstanding Philanthropists - Paul and Heather Haaga,” 2014 62 Campaign Money, “Political Campaign Contributors by Last Name: Heather Haaga” 63 LinkedIn, “Stephen Hankins” 64 Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila, “Stephen M.
Hankins” 65 Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila, “About RSHC” 66 LinkedIn, “Stephen Hankins” 67 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Maryellen Cattani Herringer ‘65” 68 Justia Lawyers, “Maryellen Cattani Herringer” 69 PG&E Corporation, “Board of Directors, Maryellen C. Herringer” 70 Direct Women, “Maryellen C. Herringer” 71 Bloomberg, “Company Overview of Mills College” 72 Direct Women, “Maryellen C. Herringer” 73 TIME, “The 2011 TIME 100: Hung Huang” 74 WNYC, “Huang Hung” 75 Business of Fashion, “Hung Huang” 76 Swarthmore College, “Profile: Philip Jefferson” 77 American Economic Association, “CSMGEP Profiles: Philip N. Jefferson, Swarthmore College” 78 Swarthmore College, “Profile: Philip Jefferson” 79 LinkedIn, “Henry P. Johnson” 80 Northern Trust, “Henry Johnson” 81 IMDB, “Lisa Kudrow - Biography” 82 Wikipedia, “Lisa Kudrow” 83 Wikipedia, “List of highest paid American television stars” 84 IMDB, “Lisa Kudrow - Biography” 85 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Geraldine Bond Laybourne ‘69” 86 Oil Price, “The U.S. Oil Patch Has A Serious Cybersecurity Problem,” 09.10.2017 87 Wikipedia, “Geraldine Laybourne” 88 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Susan Zadek Mandel ’78” 89 Environmental Defense Fund, “Our impact” 90 Environmental Defense Fund, “What we do” 91 Years of Living Dangerously, “Sue Mandel - Co-Producer” 92 Wikipedia, “Years of Living Dangerously” 93 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Tanya M. Odom ’92” 94 LinkedIn, “Tanya M. Odom” 95 Future Work Institute, “Tanya M. Odom” 96 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Carol S. Ostrow ’77” 97 Broadway World, “Carol Ostrow Broadway and Theatre Credits” 98 Women Around Town, “Carol Ostrow Many Lives,” 08.16.2010 99 The Flea Theater, “Carol Ostrow” 100 Wikipedia, “The Flea Theater” 101 Vassar Innovators, “The Power Behind Powerhouse,” 2004 102 Powerhouse Theater, “The Powerhouse
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Theater Training Program” 103 Wise SV, “Board” 104 JobTrain, “History and Mission” 105 JobTrain 106 Relationship Science, “Tamar Smith Pichette” 107 Wikipedia, “Engineers Without Borders (Canada)” 108 Engineers Without Borders Canada 109 The Washington Post, “This retirement letter from Google’s CFO is like few you’ll ever read,” 03.11.2015 110 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Kathy Zillweger Putnam ’75” 111 Wikipedia, “Putnam Investments” 112 Thistle Talk Magazine, “WT Fund Gifts: 07-08 School Year,” 2008 113 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Eve E. Slater ’67” 114 Columbia University, “Eve Slater, MD” 115 Synergy Partners, “Eve E. Slater, MD” 116 NewYork-Presbyterian, “Eve E. Slater, MD” 117 Vassar Alumnae/i Finder, “Karen Strain Smythe ’82” 118 Vassar Transparency Coalition, “Karen Strain Smythe” 119 Beatrix Farrand Garden Association, “Board and Staff” 120 Vassar Alumnae/i, “AAVC Trustee and Career Networking Committee Chair” 121 LinkedIn, “Karen Strain Smythe” 122 Vassar Quarterly, “Milbrey “Missie” Rennie Taylor ’68—Recipient of the AAVC 2011 Outstanding Service to Vassar Award” 123 Vassar Transparency Coalition, “Milbrey Rennie Taylor” 124 Give2Asia, “Missie Rennie, Director Emeritus” 125 Vassar Alumnae/i, “AAVC President and AAVC Trustee” 126 Vassar Alumnae/i, “Debra Fagel Treyz ’74” 127 Albany Law School, “Debra Treyz ‘77” 128 Who’s Who Legal, “Debra Treyz” 129 JPMorgan Chase and Co, “JPMorgan Private Bank names Debra Treyz head of business in Europe, Middle East, and Africa,” 06.30.2002 130 Global Philanthropy Forum, “Christianna Wood” 131 The Michel-Shaked Group, “Christianna Wood” 132 Vassar Info, “Trustee Christianna Wood to discuss institutional investing, Thursday, May 2, 2013,” 05.01.2013 133 Vassar Transparency Coalition, “Christianna A. Wood” 134 Bloomberg, “Company Overview of H&R Block, Inc.” 135 Global Reporting Initiative, “GRI appoints CSR leader Tim Mohin as new Chief Executive,” 12.14.2016 136 H&R Block, “Christianna Wood”
FEATURES
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CARES provides support, works to educate student body CARES continued from page 1
recently, they also organized a nature hike at the Vassar Farm, allowing students to temporarily escape the stress of school and focus on themselves. McInvale added that participants on these trips expressed how helpful it was to immerse themselves in nature and get off Vassar’s campus, even if just for a brief day-trip; escaping the Vassar bubble is always a nice change of pace. Tipler explained that CARES provided an escape for her own stressful life: “It became [a community] for me because the people who chose to become a part know how to truly care for others.” One of the aspects she appreciates most is how unselfish they are, willing to give up their time and energy to care for those who seek support. Now that they are finding their voice again, she and the other members are ready to work tirelessly to continue their role as peer listeners. CARES remains a non-hierarchical organization, emphasizing the equality of all members and valuing all contributions, regardless of how long the members have been a part of the org. However, they are still having trouble bridging the gap between their organization and the greater student body. In order to better reach Vassar students, CARES members will be publishing advice columns in The Miscellany News. While details of what the columns will entail are still in the works, the members are excited to become a more accessible resource and to be able to reach out to the community to provide support and education. CARES welcomes questions from any students who have specific concerns or who simply want to learn more and hope that students will contact them at jumcinvale[a]vassar.edu. Tipler added, “It’s this spirit of mutual support, understanding and a commitment to being people that truly listen to others that CARES members want to continue to embody in their future work.”
Courtesy of Julie McInvale
able to experience CARES when it was on call. However, she stated, “What I found when I was being trained was a group of people who were passionately working to rediscover their identity as an organization after having been unexpectedly uprooted from their original purpose.” She noted that, even though CARES is not actively using the phone, their training was centered around calls; they still put in the same amount of effort to train new members in order to remain a resource for others. Even without their phone service intact, the members still want to find ways to reach out to survivors. As McInvale explained, “CARES remains an empathetic, non-hierarchical, peerrun support group for survivors of interpersonal violation.” This group believes it can offer its services and remain active through other methods such as educating students or sponsoring various events taking place on campus. Instead of providing peer-to-peer support, CARES now strives to inform students about other available resources. As McInvale explained, “Today, we seek to educate the Vassar community about resources, self-care, the Title IX reporting process and violence prevention.” Some of these resources include Director of Vassar Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention (SAVP) Charlotte Strauss-Swanson, the Women’s Center, the LGBTQ Center, the ALANA Center and more identity-based organizations on campus. McInvale recently partnered with SAVP and the Women’s Center to create a larger coalition comprised of three anti-violence orgs. They plan to host an event with Vassar Voices for Planned Parenthood later on in the semester. CARES also stresses self-care, and has organized trips and events that provide safe spaces for survivors. For example, participants took a trip to New Paltz to either explore the town or simply walk around with CARES members. Just
Getting the scoop since 1866: a brief history of the Misc Talya Phelps Reporter
“All Vassar College once a week / Reads the MISC the truth to seek. It’s got the news, it’s got the style / But twice a week it’s got its trials. Chorus: (with feeling) Miscellany, Miscellany / You get no sleep with the Miscellany News. Wednesday comes that day of glee / The paper’s out for all to see; Our work’s well done, the paper’s read / Now all we do is head for bed... [CHORUS] If this you feel is the life for you / There’s plenty of things that you can do. Be an editory — handle news or features — Come down to see us and we will greetchas!”
O
the Misc received complaints from the Gay People’s Alliance (GPA) and the Student Afro-American Society (SAS) about articles of an “ignorant, racist, sexist, and homophobic nature.” The tension came to a head when Misc staffers invaded a SAS meeting, despite the group’s request that the press be kept out. SAS and GPA subsequently called for the resignation of the editors, but the matter was settled with a reprimand by the Students’ Association. Then, in 1994, the Misc published an advertisement for a Holocaust-denying organization, sparking outrage and leading to a revision of the paper’s ad policy (“The Modern Vassar Miscel-
lany News”). Today’s Miscellany News may be removed from the very first issue by more than 150 years, two world wars, five different titles and 10 font changes to the nameplate, but picking up the paper or flipping through the online archives still fosters a sense of connection to Vassar journalists of yore. By the time my class returns to Vassar for our 50th reunion, perhaps the The Miscellany News will be projected in hologram form into the College Center or will be exclusively available on Google Glass—but I, for one, will still be hanging onto the stack of Miscs beneath my bed.
Talya Phelps/The Miscellany News
ne might think that the editors of one of the nation’s oldest collegiate weeklies would have a strong enough allegiance to tradition and style that their signature song would not include made-up words. Yet, as hinted at by its 1953 anthem, The Miscellany News has never failed to push boundaries. The weekly iteration of the Misc, as it’s currently known, first appeared in February 1914 as a supplement to the Miscellany Monthly student literary magazine. For a few issues, they remained closely tied, with the editors of each publication working together. In the 10th issue, however, the Weekly made the bold move of publishing a review of the Monthly, signifying a step towards independence from its predecessor. Following the split, the Misc initially took an outward-looking eye towards content, working to cover national and international affairs, but it then returned to focusing chiefly on campus life during and after World War I. Despite this shift, the editors continued to experiment with the Misc’s image by renaming sections of the paper, such as changing “Letters to the Editor” to “The Growlery” and altering the humor section’s title to “Varieties” or “Campus Chat.” During the 1930s and leading up to World War II, the Misc settled on a consistent method of reporting, firmed up guidelines for staffing and began once more to explore global news. Mock
letters to drafted men in a 1940 issue saw a wide readership when they were republished in the Princetonian and the Harvard Crimson. In the 1960s, the Misc experienced a stylistic revitalization, beginning with the 1963 addition of paid classified ads. Then, in 1965, a change of printers allowed for a totally new look, including a more casual layout, longer pages, more pictures, the addition of cartoons and full columns allocated to humor and satire. Moreover, the Misc moved toward a role as the campus watchdog, seeking out debate with college and student institutions (Vassar Encyclopedia, “The Vassar Miscellany News to 1969”). In 1969, the paper underwent another metamorphosis, changing its official title from The Miscellany News to The Misc. This coincided with a shift towards less provocative reporting, and students reacted so poorly that the paper was forced to suspend publication for the semester in November 1970. The next spring, The Miscellany News returned with its former title and no mention of the debacle. In 1972, the Misc’s acquisition of a darkroom allowed it to publish more photos, and the layout moved again in a less formal direction, with a large entertainment section and the inclusion of Doonesbury comics. This time, students reacted enthusiastically, and recruitment among first-years soared. Another windfall came in 1984, when a $6,000 fundraising campaign allowed the Misc to purchase a Rainbow 100A computer for easier editing and typesetting. In 1996, the paper officially entered the digital age with the advent of its website at http:/misc.vassar.edu (Vassar Encyclopedia, “The Modern Vassar Miscellany News”). The Misc has never been a stranger to controversy, and the ups and downs of its relationships with the College and its students have shaped the paper’s evolution. In 1943, the Misc’s activist tones were quashed after a meeting with the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students, which concerned recent editorials about the loss of a scholarship; after that, the paper chose to experiment with visual style rather than touchy topics (“The Vassar Miscellany News to 1969”). In 1982,
The Miscellany News has changed over time when it comes to aspects like font—and even name!— but having learned from its predecessors, the Misc continues to strive for journalistic excellence.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
October 19, 2017
FEATURES
Page 7
Light dessert found to be less cheesy than this article Laila Volpe & Cassidy Nealon
Assistant Features Editor & Guest Columnist
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Courtesy of Cassidy Nealon
t’s rare, but sometimes you’ll see something and instantly you know it will play a role in your life. That happened to me earlier this semester. I was scrolling on Facebook to procrastinate, and I came across a video. As it began to play, my heart stopped. It was the most fluffy, beautiful, Insta-worthy cheesecakes I’ve ever seen. I immediately made this cheesecake my priority, and took it upon myself to enlighten as many people as I could by showing it to them as often and as randomly as possible. For some reason, people generally don’t seem to like having a screen shoved under their noses and listening as I drone on about making some random cake while they try to study for midterms. However, two of my friends seemed interested—they were not interested but they humored my obsession—and coincidentally we were staying together over October break, so this seemed like the perfect time to spring the prospect of making this beautiful dessert on them. Finally, after quite a lot of persistence, I convinced some friends to bake it with me. We followed the following instructions to the best of our ability, which, granted, was actually pretty pathetic after having our brains fried from taking too many tests. The resulting dessert may or may not have had two layers—one of cheesecake and another of some odd egg custard thing—but it was edible, which is all you can really ask for at the end of the day. Instructions from Buzzfeed, the clear authority on all things culinary: 1. Preheat oven to 320°F/160°C. 2. In a small pot over medium heat, whisk the milk, cream cheese and butter until smooth. Remove from heat and cool. 3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then slowly drizzle in the cream mixture, stirring until evenly combined.
4. Sift in the flour and the cornstarch, whisking to make sure there are no lumps. 5. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until you see soft peaks when lifting the mixer up from the egg whites. 6. Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat until you see hard peaks when lifting the mixer up. 7. Take about one-fourth of the egg whites and fold them into the egg yolk mixture, then repeat with the remaining egg whites until the batter is evenly combined. 8. Place a four-inch parchment paper strip around the edge of a 9x3-inch cake pan that is already lined with parchment at the bottom. If you are using a springform pan, make sure to wrap the bottom and sides completely in foil twice to prevent any leakage. 9. Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan and shake to release any large air bubbles. 10. Place the filled pan into a larger baking pan or dish lined with two paper towels at the bottom. The paper towels ensure that the heat is distributed evenly along the bottom of the pan. Fill the larger pan with about one inch of hot water. 11. Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 280°F/135°C and bake for another 55 minutes, until the cake has risen to almost double its height. 12. Remove from the oven, and carefully invert the cake onto your dominant hand and peel off the paper. Be extremely careful, as the cake will be hot. You can also invert the cake onto a plate, but this will cause the cake to deflate more. 13. Sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar, slice and serve with strawberries while still warm! For an extra twist, watch Wonder Woman at the same time and think about the fact that she’s out there kicking butt while you’re gorging yourself on cheesecake, but then remember that you created something today, and that’s kind of beautiful.
Ingredients 2/3 cup milk 4 ounces cream cheese 7 tablespoons butter 8 egg yolks 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup cornstarch 13 large egg whites 2/3 cup granulated sugar Parchment paper
Which spooky Halloween costume should you choose?
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
FEATURES
Page 8
October 19, 2017
Org of the Week: Card Sharks ‘ace’ student comradery Pazit Schrecker Guest Reporter
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Courtesy of Michael Oosterhout
ave you ever wanted to learn something new but been too stressed to add another class? Do you just want to relax and have fun on a Saturday afternoon? Maybe you’re just sick of playing the same four card games over and over again? If you answered yes to any of these questions, stop by the tables at the Retreat on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and join the members of Card Sharks to learn and play the Game of the Week. If you sit at the table, you’ll observe Michael Oosterhout ’18, Baian Liu ’18, Clara Berard ’18 and David Deng ’18 teach an eager group of students a new card game, which changes every week. As stated by these co-presidents via an email interview, “We co-founded the Vassar Card Sharks in Spring 2015 in order to provide an org at Vassar specifically devoted to playing card games, which is something a large portion of the student body enjoys.” The organization offers Vassar students a Members of Card Sharks meet on Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. in the Retreat to play their favorite chance to relax and learn something new, two card games and learn new ones. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend! Get A Room! concepts that don’t often seem to go together in college. It also provides an avenue for community as well. They founded Card Sharks coming, adding, “[I] love being able to bring students to meet new people, something that in 2015 to help fellow students connect with friends to meetings, whether they’re fellow becomes increasingly difficult as the semester each other. Vassar students or friends visiting from other DOWN ACROSS continues. This community-building aspect of the or- schools.” 1. A The saga or edda 1. Australian ostriches The card game could be Hearts, Speed, Pal- ganization was part of the reason that led Jawarm and kind atmosphere is also felt Walter White's product 5. Deep voice’20part ace, Capitalism, Landlord and Scotch Bridge, mie Greer to join Card Sharks during her2. by Madison Stiefel ’20, who, like Greer, signed which make up some of the co-presidents’ fa- first year at Vassar. up for Card Sharks during the activities fair at 3. Fertilizer ingredient 9. Belief system vorite games, or it could be something comGreer, who played card games daily with the beginning of her first year. wizards invokers 14. Nazca pletely new. friends country in high school, stated in email inter-4. Conjurers, Over an email interviewor Stiefel wrote about Card Sharks was founded after Oosterhout, presidents really cool her time in Card Sharks, explaining, Circumvent 15. I view, said “The young man, are there's no and very5. enjoying Liu, Berard and Deng spent their first year of patient when teaching games, and it’s great be- “The people are really nice and really welcomA friend, especially in to a play trio new card needing to able feeltodown college learning and playing different card meet new people who all love card6. ing. I also get to learn how games. all the time.” 7. games Analyze 16. Agames.” negative particle When their first year was up, the now She impressed that the Saturday meetings and Greer have been going to 8. A While baseStiefel umpire's call 17. A couple, or an object co-presidents realized that their weekly ac- are an effective form of stress relief and that the weekly Card Sharks meetings since they The X-Men train in this room 18. France's Edithitself is very warm and wel-9. started tivity could be fun for the rest of the Vassar the organization at Vassar, it’s easy to join at any point
19. Stylish and cool 20. Chris Rock says No Sex in this room 22. German invader of the Roman Empire by 23. Roughly, approximately ACROSS 41. Furiously angry 1. Australian ostriches 42. A single point 24. Japanese coinage 5. Deep voice part 43. Celtics’ Larry 25. Swan constellation 9. Belief system 44. Saved a topic for later 28. From a great distance 14. Nazca country 45. Titanic Morse message 30. Internet regulation agency (abbr.) 15. I said young man, there’s no need to feel down 46. The chicken of the sea 33. Cheered admiringly 16. A negative particle 47. Conical tent 34. Vomit forth 17. A couple, or an object 49. This room doomed Augustus Gloop 18. France’s Edith 54. Wall painting 35. Employ 19. Stylish and cool 55. Raucous kind of parade 36. Only Thomas, James, and 20. Chris Rock says no sex in this room 56. A symbol or idol Alexander were in this room 22. German invader of the Roman Empire 57. Comply with 39. Uncounted ages 23. Roughly, approximately 58. Second of six wives of Henry VIII 40. Worms 24. Japanese coinage 59. Remove or skin,lures for a snake 41. Furiously 25. Swan constellation 60. A stun gun angry 28. From a great distance A thin stalk 42. A61. single point 30. Internet regulation agency (abbr.) 62. Nugent, Cruz, Bundy, and Danson 43. Celtics' Larry 33. Cheered admiringly 44. Saved a topic for later 34. Vomit forth 45. Titanic Morse message 35. Employ DOWN chicken 36. Only Thomas, James, and Alexander were in this 46. The 1. A saga or edda of the sea 47. Conical tentproduct room 2. Walter White’s 39. Uncounted ages 3. Fertilizer ingredient 49. This room doomed Augustus 40. Worms or lures 4. Conjurers, wizards or invokers Gloop 5. Circumvent Answers to last week’s puzzle54. Wall painting I Smell A Rat 6. A friend, especially in a trio 55. Raucous kind of parade T E M P H A R E T H R E E 7. Analyze E V I L I M A M 56. A symbol or idol B O O R S 8. A base umpire’s call M I C A J U N E S P A N S 57. Comply with 9. The X-Men train in this room A C E R P I N E A P P L E S 10. A tearful vegetable Y U L E M I C K E Y 58. Second of six wives of Henry VIII 11. A present skin, for a snake A S K L E Y E M I R 59. Remove S T E M L I L T S R O D E Butterfly relative 60. A12. stun gun G A L I L E O R H E N I U M 13. -one, -body, -thing N O S E G O T O 61. A thin stalk S T E N O 21. A puritanical or moralizing person S N U G S K I A F T 62. Nugent, Bundy, and 24. A hoarse Cruz, cry T R U E M A R T I N Danson 25. What the rooster did at dawn S E M I P U B L I C I D E A
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in the semester, and attendance is certainly not mandatory or enforced. As explained by the presidents of the organization, “One simply shows up on a Saturday and comes ready to play cards!” While it was originally founded to teach new card games to members, the Card Sharks co-presidents are also open to learning new games themselves, stating, “[We] also love learning new games, so bring your favorites to share!” In the past, members have brought Pit, described as a fast-paced game of commodity trading, as well as the more classic card games of Euchre, Cribbage, Canasta and Bridge to Card Sharks. Greer elaborated, “You can email or message them on Facebook with game suggestions and they will play them! You can even teach card games you know to the group.” If you cannot make it to one of their weekly meetings, Cark Sharks also hosts some larger events each semester, including at least one poker night. Poker nights are about having fun and, while they don’t play for money, you can always win Costa bragging rights. These nights areBen held in the Retreat as well and, according to the presidents of the organization, serve as another way get to know new people on campus, eat 31. toThe Minotaur's homeland snacks and play cards together. 32. Surrendered and gave away In the past, the organization has also 34. The card center a solar co-hosted gameof nights with system Big Night In and the Noyes house team, further increasing 35. Medicinal plant expert the odds of making new friends from various 37. Sacred parts of campus.bird of Thoth AsAn stated by its founders, 38. instrument whichCard canSharks be is not just a place to learn new games, nor it is played it simply a'quietly' place to teach them. On Saturdays at 4:30 p.m., a is table in theinRetreat becomes a 43. Steam made this room community. It becomes a place for stressed44. What sheet corners are, in out students to relax, laugh, have a good time hospitals and make new friends.
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2017
October 19, 2017
OPINIONS
Page 9
The Miscellany News Staff Editorial
Media minimizes culpability of white male mass shooters [Content warning: This article discusses gun violence and mentions issues of mental health.]
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n Sunday, Oct. 1, a terrorist unleashed a firestorm of bullets of a magnitude never before seen by the United States. The shooter, who has been identified as Stephen Paddock, took the lives of 59 people and injured over 500 who were attending a country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. This act of terror constitutes the deadliest mass shooting ever committed by an individual in the United States, surpassing even the death toll of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, which claimed the lives of over 49 people. It is extremely disturbing to note that mass shootings are becoming increasingly common in our society; four out of five of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history have occurred over the past 10 years. The media portrayal of Paddock has quickly been buried and forgotten amidst more recent news, but is nonetheless problematic and highlights a larger issue in American society: the inability of the mainstream media to call out white male mass murderers as terrorists. Research shows that in the United States, middle-class Caucasian heterosexual males commit mass murder in numbers that are disproportionately high relative to their share of the population (Men and Masculinities, “Triple Entitlement and Homicidal Anger,” 03.24.2014). However, the popular media is unwilling to use the appropriate vocabulary when a white person is the one looking down the barrel of the gun. Nevada state law clearly defines an “act of terrorism” as any act that involves the use or attempted use of sabotage, coercion or violence that is intended to cause great bodily harm or death to the general population. Yet the incident was not publicly labeled as an act of terrorism, nor Paddock as a terrorist (Quartz, “‘Lone wolf’ vs ‘terrorist’: the vocabulary of mass shootings,” 10.02.2017).
This is in stark contrast to the treatment that shooters of an ethnic or religious minority receive. For example, in 2015 when the San Bernardino shooting occurred, there was no hesitation on the part of authorities nor the mainstream media to label the perpetrators as terrorists. The difference in treatment between Paddock and the couple behind the San Bernardino attack is that the latter happened to be Muslim. This shows the immense amount of privilege afforded to white male shooters in the public sphere. When the shooter is white, there is by and large an attempt to humanize them. They are often described as “loners” who “kept to themselves.” Oftentimes interviews with the immediate family of the shooter produce dumbstruck responses when they find out that their loved one has committed an atrocious act of violence. The interviews conducted with Paddock’s family exemplify this phenomenon, as they paint a picture of Paddock as an average man: His brother, for example, was astounded to hear the news, saying, “He’s just a guy who played video poker and took cruises and ate burritos at Taco Bell” (The Washington Post, “Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock was high-stakes gambler who ‘kept to himself’ before massacre,” 10.02.2017). Actor Jesse Williams critiqued this phenomenon, tweeting, “When an unarmed Black person gets killed, the 1st thing we learn are her/his vices. White guy slaughters people... Gosh, what did he enjoy?” (Twitter, 10.02.2017). In addition to portraying white perpetrators as otherwise typical people, the media looks to mental health status as an excusable explanation for their actions. For example, in 2015, after Adam Lanza took the lives of 20 children and six educators in the Sandy Hook massacre, he was described as an “isolated young man with deteriorating mental health” whose problems were “misunderstood and mistreated.” Attrib-
uting the actions he committed to his mental health takes the blame of his actions away from Lanza and renders him free of culpability (CNN, “Report finds missed chances to help Newtown shooter Adam Lanza, 11.23.2014). This labeling only fuels the stigma against people who are actually living with a mental illness. Contrary to what is said in the media, the reality is that the majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent, and only four percent of violent acts are committed by mentally ill people (American Journal of Public Health, “Mental Illness, Mass Shootings, and the Politics of American Firearms,” 01.2015). Investigating shooters’ mental illnesses—whether or not they are found to exist—equates violence with being mentally ill, and this speculation harms those with mental illnesses. No other country experiences mass shootings at such a frequency as the United States. The United States leads the world in number of mass shootings; its population makes up just five percent of the global population but is responsible for 31 percent of the world’s mass shooters since 1966 (Los Angeles Times, “Why the U.S. is No. 1—in mass shootings,” 08.24.2015). The prevalence of mass shootings has skewed our worldview so that these tragedies are normalized. It is no longer a matter of whether there will be another mass shooting, it has become a matter of when. Schools, hospitals and employers are actively taking measures to prepare their community members for this scenario, which speaks to the way in which our society has normalized gun violence. But as CNN columnist Sally Kohn tweeted, “What happened in Las Vegas is NOT NORMAL. In the US, we are 25 times more likely to die from gun violence compared to people from other industrialized countries. #GunControlNow” (Twitter, 10.02.2017). This problem is complicated by the fact that mainstream discourse places emphasis on in-
dividual shooters’ lives, motivations and intentions, not on systemic issues. But this phenomenon goes beyond individual cases; we live in a country and system that has normalized mass shootings and terrorism. Change must happen on a systemic level, taking the focus off of individual shooters and putting it onto the pattern of white men shooting at crowds of people, which they manage to do because of lax gun regulations. Paddock carried out his attack with the aid of bump stocks, pieces of equipment that allow semi-automatic guns to fire at a rate comparable to automatic guns—or roughly nine rounds a second. They are legal and largely unregulated in America, and although Congress recently proposed legislation to ban the production and sale of this equipment, the National Rifle Association has pushed back hard (CNN, “NRA opposes bump fire stocks bills in Congress,” 10.13.2017). Authorities also reported that they recovered 23 firearms in Paddock’s Las Vegas hotel room and found 19 more in his home in Mesquite, NV (The Economist, “The Las Vegas shooting has reinvigorated calls for gun control,” 10.05.2017). The fact that Paddock was able to purchase so many weapons without raising suspicion is alarming, to say the least. After every mass shooting, there are adamant calls for stronger background checks and other gun regulations, which are only met with heavy resistance from gun rights advocates. Ultimately, nothing productive is accomplished in Congress, and the problem is left unsolved until the next tragedy strikes and the cycle starts anew. This is inexcusable. Human lives are more valuable than gun ownership rights. The responsibility lies with lawmakers to end this vicious cycle so that no more lives are needlessly lost. —The Staff Editorial expresses the opinion of at least 2/3 of The Miscellany News Editorial Board.
Millennial mental health issues spike, prompt response Steven Park Columnist
[Content warning: This article discusses mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.]
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or a long time, teenagers have been characterized—generally by those older than them—as overly moody, self-centered and irrational. It’s not uncommon for adults to complain about how millennials are emotionally unstable, or to brush aside their problems as typical “teenage angst.” But in reality, these millennials have been rather upstanding. Illegal drug use among teens has been declining for several years, and far fewer adolescents are smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol than almost ever before (National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Teen Substance Use Shows Promising Decline,” 12.13.2016). Not only that, the National Center for Health Statistics has reported a record low in the teen birth rate in the U.S. (Pew Research Center, “Why Is the Teen Birth Rate Falling?,” 04.29.2016), while high school graduation rates reached an all-time high of 83.2 percent in 2015 (The Huffington Post, “United States High School Graduation Rate Reaches a Record High,” 10.17.2016). Yet despite all the good news, researchers have noticed a disturbing trend: American adolescents are developing serious mental health problems at an alarming rate. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, about three million teenagers ages 12 to 17 had at least one major depressive episode in 2015 alone, and more than two million teens reported experiencing depression that impairs their daily activities (Time, “Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why the Kids Are Not Alright,” 10.27.2016). What’s even more startling is that this number is predicted to increase. According to a study that tracked depression among young adults across the country, the number of teenagers who reported having symptoms of low self-esteem and problems with sleep and concentration rose by 37 percent just between 2015 to 2016 (Time, “There’s a Startling Increase in Major Depression Among Teens in the U.S.,” 11.15.2016). And it’s not just depression. Researchers have found that cases of anxiety have spiked in recent times. According to the Anxiety and Depression
Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders have become the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 18.1 percent of Americans every year (ADAA, “Facts & Statistics,” 08.2017). In fact, the National Institute of Mental Health reported that about 6.3 million teens in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder of some kind (Time, 10.27.2016). Unfortunately, this widespread phenomenon is not just affecting middleand high-school students. Anxiety has overtaken depression as the most common reason college students seek counseling services. According to the American College Health Association, the number of undergraduates reporting to have “overwhelming anxiety” increased significantly from 50 percent in 2011 to 62 percent in 2016 (The New York Times, “Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?,” 10.11.2017). It’s not normal “teen angst” anymore; it’s a full-scale epidemic that is bound to get worse over time if ignored. But what can be the cause of such a shocking national trend? Unfortunately, not even the researchers know for sure. Usually, there are several conspicuous reasons for adolescents to feel depressed or anxious. Being raised in abusive households, living in poverty or being surrounded by violence are all understandable causes of emotional instability. Yet, teenagers who live in well-off communities and who seemingly should have nothing to worry about tend to suffer the most. What could possibly be causing these adolescents such grief? Rather than one definite answer, it is most likely the result of several interwoven factors. For instance, anxiety and depression are shown to have a biological component. Scientists have already located several genes that may influence the risk of developing an anxiety disorder, such as variants of the GLRB gene, which has been linked to responses in the brain that cause us to become startled or overly fearful (ScienceDaily, “New Risk Factors for Anxiety Disorders,” 02.24.2017). However, there are other relevant biological factors besides genetics. Just recently, scientists have discovered that our gut bacteria may influence the functioning of brain regions such as the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex,
both of which are heavily linked to anxiety and depression (ScienceDaily, “New Light on Link Between Gut Bacteria and Anxiety,” 08.24.2017). These studies found that mice with an imbalance in their gut microbiome were more likely to display anxious and depressive behaviors. However, many experts agree that environment likely plays a larger role in the rise of mental health issues in adolescents than genetics or gut bacteria. More specifically, researchers suspect that this epidemic of intense anxiety and depression in teens may be caused by the overwhelming pressure placed on them not only to succeed but to perform better than everyone else. As a result of this pressure, both high school and college students have reported that their biggest stressor is the fact that no matter what they do, it’s never enough.
“It’s not normal ‘teen angst’ anymore; it’s a full-scale epidemic that is bound to get worse over time if ignored.” “Teenagers used to tell me, ‘I just need to get my parents off my back.’ [But now,] so many students have internalized the anxiety. The kids at this point are driving themselves crazy,” stated Madeline Levine, a practicing psychologist and a founder of a non-profit that works on school reform (NYT). This news probably comes as a surprise to no one. In 2013, the American Psychological Association reported that American teenagers have become the most stressed agegroup in the United States (The Huffington Post, “American Teens Are Even more Stressed Than Adults,” 02.11.2014). Various culprits are likely at fault, including sleep deprivation, the uncertainty surrounding job security and the fear of not living up to people’s expectations. Researchers have also assigned blame to the prevalence of social media and technology. With everyone connected on the internet, it’s difficult
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
for teens to avoid constantly comparing themselves with their peers and worrying about their digital image. Unsurprisingly, many anxious teenagers agree that social media has had a negative influence on their mental health. According to accounts by teenagers attending Mountain Valley, a residential treatment facility for adolescents suffering from severe anxiety disorder, social media played a large role in lowering self-esteem and provoking feelings of anxiety (NYT). Not only that, the students also talked about how their smartphones provided a false sense of control, which they could use to avoid talking to people and escape the stresses of school. As a result, several experts suspect that there may be a connection between the extreme spike in anxiety and depression in recent years and the widespread adoption of the iPhone. As Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, puts it, these dramatic trends in teen mental health issues started “exactly the moment when the proportion of Americans who owned a smartphone surpassed 50 percent” (The Atlantic, “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?,” 11.2017). In the end, researchers have yet to find a conclusive answer to this troubling phenomenon. However, they agree that there is a disturbing lack of resources available to help young adults who are currently struggling with these problems. Studies show that despite the rise in mental health issues, there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in mental health treatment for both teenagers and young adults (Time, 11.15.2016). Not only that, it’s highly likely that the number of adolescents who are actually struggling with anxiety and depression is greater than the reported figure since many people choose not seek help. In fact, the Child Mind Institute reported in 2015 that only 20 percent of young people with diagnosable anxiety disorder get treatment (Time, 10.27.2016). Thus, it is important to understand the true gravity of the situation and reach out to those who need help. During these times of uncertainty and hardship, it’s crucial for us to take the time to understand these individuals and aid them as best as we can rather than brush their problems aside as mere trivialities.
OPINIONS
Page 10
October 19, 2017
U.S. system of incarceration grossly neglects reform Jesser Horowitz Columnist
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he United States has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. Most Vassar students reading this are likely familiar with this fact. It’s very frequently thrown around by activists for a number of causes ranging from our country’s draconian drug laws to prison reform to even prison abolition. Regardless, this data clearly suggests that the United States relies much too heavily on prisons as a solution to societal problems. To Americans, they are the end all, be all of criminal justice. The majority of people accept, without question, that imprisonment is a fair consequence of most crimes. Why though? Why have we come to the conclusion that the response to almost every crime is to isolate the perpetrator from society, to separate them from their friends, family and loved ones? Why do we then often put them in a harsh and demeaning environment where they are forced to interact with people who have committed crimes a thousand times worse than theirs? And isn’t it comical that we do so under the guise of this being for their or society’s betterment? Note that I am not a prison abolitionist. I believe that there are people who commit acts of violence so terrible that they must be locked away for the betterment of society. I don’t look at someone like Jeffrey Dahmer or John Wayne Gacy and naively believe that they can be trusted to roam the streets. But what is the use of locking away someone who isn’t a violent criminal? The most common example cited is drug users. Why does society need to be protected from an addict? And, more importantly, how is locking that addict into a prison environment where they’re very unlikely to get the services they need to recover going to help them? How is isolating them from society going to benefit their lives at all? But why stop this conversation with drug users? Bernie Madoff’s actions made people homeless, and yet now he is fed and clothed and
housed with taxpayer money. Is this truly justice? But the American people approve of Bernie Madoff’s imprisonment because he’s an awful person, and people like it when awful people go to prison. I’m reminded of Howard Zinn, who once wrote that imprisonment “does nothing for the victims of crime, but perpetuates the idea of retribution, thus maintaining the endless cycle of violence in our culture.” Prison is meant to be both a form of punishment and rehabilitation; in truth it is far too often all of the former and virtually none of the latter. Imprisonment is used purely as a means by which society enacts its own twisted vengeance: occasionally on people who deserve it but overwhelmingly on people who don’t. It is no wonder, therefore, that recidivism rates are so high. According to a report by the United States Sentencing Commission, which, according to the Huffington Post, drew on the data of “more than 25,400 former inmates who were either released outright from federal prisons or placed on probation in 2005,” the recidivism rate among federal prisoners is 49.3 percent (The Huffington Post, “Report Documents U.S. Recidivism Rates for Federal Prisoners”, 03.25.2017). This number goes up to 67.6 percent when only looking at inmates under the age of 21 (The Huffington Post, “Report Documents U.S. Recidivism Rates for Federal Prisoners”, 03.25.2017). According to one study by the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, recidivism among state prisoners is 67.8 percent (Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 30 States In 2005: Patterns from 2005 To 2010 — Update”, 04.22.2014). This is because, upon being released from prisons, former inmates enter a drastically different society than that one they left behind: Technology has changed. Culture has changed. The workforce has changed. During this time, prisoners are separated from those who love them the most. They are forci-
bly deprived of those support systems while they undergo likely one of the worst experiences of their lives. More importantly, when they get out of prison, having lost contact with the people they loved for so long, they find themselves alone in the world. The only contacts they may still have are those they made while in prison— those that could realistically lead them back to a life of crime. For the staggering number of Americans in prison on drugs charges, that lack of a support system can lead right back to those practices that led them to prison in the first place. This is made worse by the fact that it is very likely that they did not receive the services they needed while incarcerated. Especially if they are poor, which many are, they find themselves no better off in terms of treatment, and oftentimes much worse off. This is because not only do these former prisoners find themselves alone, but they have considerable difficulty achieving gainful employment. Prison, no matter the offense, renders its victims nearly unemployable. Most potential employers, in addition to a fair amount of landlords and banks, ask applicants to disclose a criminal record. Even if no prison time results from it, merely being arrested could ruin a person’s life and career prospects. Therefore, with their only contacts being hardened criminals, they turn to a life of crime. The poor, including former inmates, determine that, if they are successful at crime, they at least will be able to pay their bills. If they are unsuccessful and are caught, then they are housed in a prison system and, for at least a while, no longer have to worry about bills. This puts America in an odd position, in which imprisonment is both one of the worst things a person could possibly go through and a cynical form of affordable housing. Such a system is inherently unfit to improve society, and results in increased recidivism and reduced social mobility. It enforces the cyclical nature of poverty. It acts as a bizarre form of vengeance that society
inflicts upon those not wealthy or lucky enough to avoid punishment. There are alternatives to mass incarceration. The overwhelming majority of people in prison for drug-related offenses should not be there at all. However, if the government is going to take the position that serious drug use should be discouraged, it would be infinitely more prudent to invest that money in programs focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. For other non-violent crimes that stem from poverty, the United States could benefit by looking towards creative solutions that give those who have resorted to a life of crime another chance to succeed and invest in programs that ensure these people have the training and education necessary to make it in the modern workforce. Moreover, the American justice system could emphasize probation, fines and community services over prison time. Nonviolent offenders can be made to serve society in a way that is not punitive, but rather makes them productive and useful to the lives of their communities. Therefore, even when their sentence is over, they have an opportunity to thrive. Even within our prisons, there should be more emphasis on programs that rehabilitate prisoners and help them make the all-important transition of re-entering society. Instead of being a complete time of isolation, prisons can ensure that their inmates are still able to improve valuable skills and keep in touch with their support system so that they are ready to one day re-enter society. While there are certainly those in the system who may be beyond rehabilitation, by emphasizing it anyway the justice system can adequately fulfill its dual role of protecting society and rehabilitating criminals. There is no sense in a system that is so intent on punishing people that it sacrifices important and benevolent opportunities in the process. It is more important to sacrifice society’s thirst for vengeance for its own benefit.
Jones should avoid red state trend, focus on local scale Andrew Solender Columnist
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n 2013, a young Texas state senator by the name of Wendy Davis made headlines when she filibustered a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This filibuster lasted an astounding 11 hours, and the move “went viral, giving her the celebrity and momentum to attract Democratic donors from coast to coast” (Austin American-Statesman, “Where Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott draw their fundraising support,” 10.25.2014)—emphasis on coast to coast. After her filibuster made headlines, Davis decided to run for governor of Texas. Davis was seen by national Democrats as the perfect candidate to finally capture a statewide office in Texas from Republicans. There was reason to be optimistic. In addition to increased support from minority and urban populations, Davis had a rags-to-riches story that might really appeal to working-class folks. Well, hers was more of a trailer-park-to-Harvard story, but you get the picture. Democrats were given every reason to be optimistic about her chances. As the campaign went on, however, this optimism disappeared. Stories about Davis raising huge sums of money at fundraisers and from donors outside of Texas, especially in more liberal states like New York and California, were a staple of the election. Davis reportedly collected “nearly $1.6 million from donors in California, about $1.1 million from New York and nearly $1 million from Massachusetts” compared to her opponent, Greg Abbott, to whom “donors in those states gave a total of about $345,000” (Austin American-Statesman, “Where Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott draw their fundraising support,” 10.25.2014). In the end, nearly a quarter of her funds came from out of state, while Abbott got only less than a tenth of his funds from out of state. This bad fundraising image was coupled with even worse policy messaging. Davis’s key issue, the crux of her rise to prominence in the first place, was abortion. Abortion is a controversial topic anywhere in America, but especially in Texas, where a 2013 poll showed that 59 percent of residents believed abortion should be restricted to some degree, while just “36 percent said that a
woman should always be able to get an abortion as a matter of personal choice” (Texas Tribune, “Texans Split on Permissibility of Abortions in State,” 06.30.2013). She also took liberal stances on other social issues such as gun control, a stance which is even more unpopular in Texas than abortions. All of this might have been fine if she hadn’t made these divisive social issues—important though they are—central to her campaign message. So, on Nov. 4, 2014, the once-great Democratic hope for Texas was defeated in a landslide with a worse electoral margin of defeat than the obscure Democrat who ran four years earlier. Davis’s run for governor should be looked upon as a failed southern experiment by the Democrats. Yet, it only took just over two years for Democrats to forget this failure and make the same mistakes all over again. By all measures, Jon Ossoff should’ve won in Georgia. He was a relatively moderate Democrat from the area, a protégé of civil rights icon John Lewis and an intelligent, well-spoken campaigner in a well-educated district in a purplish-red state trending blue. This is not to mention that the special election took place just after the 2016 general election, an eye-opener for many complacent and sedentary progressives. Additionally, “the scale of the Ossoff campaign was staggering, with dozens of staffers, a sophisticated voter-turnout operation, and six field offices” (The Atlantic, “Why Ossoff Lost,” 06.21.17). Yet, Ossoff made many of the same mistakes that Davis did. While both candidates received massive donations from outside groups, how that money was spent and raised was important. While most of the outside support for Karen Handel, the Republican contender, came in the form of attack ads taking shots at Ossoff as a liberal and tying him to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Ossoff used his money on ads that perpetuated that message more than shut it down. The message that brought Ossoff to national prominence in the first place was a promise to “make Trump furious.” In the end, Georgia’s 6th was made to be a symbol of the country at large, and a referendum on Trump. Whereas Handel resisted that and avoided tying herself to Trump for the most part, Ossoff
embraced an anti-Trump message, albeit in subtle calls for civility and kindness to be restored in Washington, and made himself a proxy for national Democrats and their Trump woes. In the end, he lost to Handel by close to the same margin as that by which Hillary Clinton lost the district to Donald Trump. The local race hinged on the sentiment of the locals towards national parties, and popular sentiment towards the Democratic Party in suburban Georgia is still highly unfavorable. The lesson to be learned from these cases is straightforward: If Democrats want to win in hostile territory like the deep South, they need to take a step back and allow their candidates to be local. On the same night that Ossoff was busy losing to Handel, Democrat Archie Parnell was losing by roughly the same four-percent margin to Republican Ralph Norman in the South Carolina 5th District special election. This race received basically no attention from the media, nor any from national Democrats. Parnell didn’t get a cent from the party. Most analyses considered Norman a safe bet in a District twice as red as Georgia’s 6th. So, despite Parnell being much less funded and favored than Ossoff, he pulled off the same margin in a much more conservative district. Parnell, like Ossoff, was a fine candidate. He ran a playful ad mimicking Frank Underwood from “House of Cards” and stuck to a localized, largely economic message of bringing jobs to the district and on himself as a mild-mannered and humble tax attorney. Most importantly, “Parnell never got blitzed by a multi-million dollar attack campaign. He was not yoked to Nancy Pelosi. He was not accused of being in league with Kathy Griffin and the congressional shooter” (Politico, “How Archie Parnell Ran the Best Democratic Campaign of 2017,” 06.21.2017). In short, Parnell ran a localized campaign in what was ultimately a local race. Wendy Davis, Jon Ossoff and Archie Parnell have many things in common. They are all smart, well-educated and likeable people with no major scandals who all could have won races in bluer areas. Only Parnell, however, demonstrated a truly strong campaign that defied the odds and nearly overcame a seemingly insurmountable partisan disadvantage. This is because he managed to rely on his strengths as a candidate, not the whims of
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
national political trends. Voters in South Carolina weren’t voting for a Democrat, they were voting for Archie Parnell. The same cannot be said for Ossoff and Davis. It is probably perplexing that I haven’t even mentioned the namesake of this column, Doug Jones, until now. However, there is a good reason for that; this article is not an appeal for people to give to and support Doug Jones. For those of you who do not know, Doug Jones is the Democratic nominee for Senate in Alabama and I personally support him. However, unlike the Daily Beast or Shareblue, I don’t think it’s necessarily a good idea for an army of progressive activists in the Northeast and West Coast to mobilize money and manpower for candidates in rural states hundreds of miles away. Rather, this column is an appeal for a strategy; that by decreasing the scope of elections in deep red states from national to statewide and local, we increase the chances of Democrats there. By not relying on out-of-state support, Jones will be free to tailor his message to the people of Alabama. Like Parnell, Jones greatly benefits from a race based on character rather than national sentiment. Jones, an articulate and composed former U.S. attorney and civil rights lawyer best known for prosecuting white supremacist murder cases, stacks up well against his opponent Roy Moore, an evangelical fundamentalist and former Alabama Supreme Court chief justice who was twice removed from his post for violating the U.S. Constitution. Moore spouts conspiratorial nonsense both on and off the campaign trail and even brandished a gun at one of his rallies to underscore his support of the Second Amendment. With Jones trailing Moore in the mid-single digits—an impressive feat for a Democrat in deep red Alabama right off the bat—there is some possibility that he could pull of an upset. The best way to help Jones win and provide a pivotal Democratic vote in the Senate is for outsiders and the Democratic Party to avoid creating a huge national movement on his behalf. While that strategy may seem counterintuitive, the numbers support it. In the end, Jones is running to be a Senator of Alabama, not the Democratic Party. We should all remember that come 2018.
October 19, 2017
OPINIONS
Google-Facebook duopoly imperils media Sylvan Perlmutter Columnist
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resident Donald Trump was roundly criticized last week for tweeting that “network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked” (Twitter, 10.11.2017). This tweet was written in response to NBC reporting that asserted that the president had pushed for a massive increase in the U.S. stockpile of nuclear weapons. Thankfully, U.S. media is not regulated in the hyper-centralized fashion that Trump so often imagines. Commercial broadcast channels like NBC, CNN and ABC are not granted single licenses. Rather, individual local stations are granted licenses to show NBC, CNN and ABC content. The Trump administration would have to move against thousands of separate entities instead of a handful of powerful large media companies, and the administration would be blocked anyway from revoking licenses for political reasons because of the protections of the First Amendment. Trump’s threat is, of course, little more than empty bluster, but since it came from the highest office in the land, it received frenzied coverage. Meanwhile, a much quieter but more insidious threat to the continuing vibrancy and freedom of the American press remains woefully under-reported. The greatest challenge today to the preservation of a free and active press is the unchecked power and all-encompassing reach of Facebook and Google. The rise of the internet was both a blessing and a curse to traditional media. Millions more potential readers could be reached online, but print circulation and, ultimately, revenue went down. Print advertisements did not yield the level of profit they had in their heyday, and so papers were forced to cut pay, lay off staff or shutter all together. Local and regional newspapers were hit particularly hard, and today millions of Americans outside of major metro-
politan areas plainly do not have access to the quality of local reportage they need to make informed political decisions and to hold the powerful to account. Although local news remains in crisis, major media sources like The New York Times and The Washington Post seemed to have successfully transitioned to the digital age and adapted to an online informational ecosystem alongside purely digital news outlets like Buzzfeed. However, the media outlets that have achieved success online have done so by subordinating themselves to the algorithms and search engine optimization (SEO) preferences of Facebook and Google, the two largest conduits of web traffic and recipients of over 60 percent of internet advertising revenue in the United States. The financial dependency on arbitrary and often changing algorithms fabricated by an outside—namely, private—party has had deep consequences for the overall quality of reporting and financial stability of news outlets. The wave of layoffs at Mic.com in August is a tragic case study of this phenomenon. Mic built its brand around a socially just political orientation and effective clickbaiting tactics. In a piece for The Outline, Adrienne Jeffries details how Mic.com—even though it occasionally tried to shift to more serious in-depth progressive reporting—kept having to move back to clickbait to avoid a fall in profits because clickbait was engineered towards mass dissemination on Facebook and higher results in Google search results. As Jeffries writes, “Mic’s fixation on traffic bothered reporters, who were sick of being forced into reductive headlines and catering to an echo chamber while being told they were changing the world.” Eventually, once this clickbait model was wrung dry, 20 reporters were fired as the company announced a “pivot to video.” Does the editorial leadership at Mic sincerely think their video operation is a better conduit for information than the hard-hitting journalism their former writers would have produced? I don’t think
so. Their motivation is simple: video boosts a website’s SEO for Google. Legacy media like The New York Times or The Nation, with their built-in name recognition and inherited following from the pre-digital age, are not as exposed to online precarity as Mic. They do, however, still lose a significant amount of potential revenue because of the duopoly of Facebook and Google. The two companies have become the two foremost sources of news distribution, so instead of going directly to The New York Times, people now access their stories through Facebook or Google News, and so tech companies take a slice of the revenue that would otherwise rightfully go to news companies, whose staffing and resources crucially depend on adequate funding to produce quality journalism. This dynamic shifts disproportionate power and influence to fringe outlets like Breitbart or The Daily Caller, since they do not require the same amount of resources as many other, more credible sources. Because they source their writing from their own paranoid fantasies rather than from proper investigation and evidence, and because they simply do not place a high premium on fact checking, the functionality of these fringe websites is not especially impaired by ceding advertising revenue to Facebook and Google. They do not need to make the same investments as do their more legitimate competitors. Already, a coalition of over 2,000 national and regional news outlets called the News Media Alliance is seeking the right to collectively bargain with Facebook and Google. This requires that they be granted a limited antitrust exemption from Congress. It is clearly in the interest of a truly free press and a healthy democracy that this antitrust exemption be granted, and it is high time that the duopoly of Google and Facebook be acknowledged as being no less harmful than the telecommunications, steel and oil monopolies of years past.
Eminem’s lyrics further national divide Roger Han
Guest Columnist
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s a huge fan of Eminem myself, I came out quite disappointed after listening to his freestyle, “The Storm,” at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Besides the underwhelming lyrical flow (which is an entirely different debate), what bothered me the most were his final lines: “And any fan of mine who’s a supporter of [Donald Trump], I’m drawing in the sand a line, you’re either for or against, and if you can’t decide who you like more and you’re split on who you should stand beside, I’ll do it for it for you with this. F*** you” (CNN, “Eminem unleashes on Trump: The 11 fiercest lines,” 10.12.2017). It’s not that Eminem does anything “wrong” here, legally nor morally; everyone has the right to express their opinions openly, and music generally strives to serve as a platform through which political critique can freely be asserted. Hip-hop is one such platform. That rappers old and new speak about political issues has been a norm for some time. So what’s the deal with Eminem? There’s a significant gap in degree between Eminem’s political commentary and that of other rappers. Take Kendrick Lamar, for example. Many of his albums, such as “To Pimp a Butterfly,” raise awareness of social issues and have become famous for resonating with those by whom the problems are most keenly felt. Nowhere in “To Pimp a Butterfly” does Kendrick Lamar take an explicit political stance, however. Compare that to Eminem’s freestyle, in which he viciously attacks those with opposing political opinions. All of his lyrics are aimed at one omnipresent Donald Trump, whom Eminem calls a “b**ch” (CNN, “The full lyrics to Eminem’s Trump-bashing freestyle ‘The Storm,’” 10.11.2017). You may say that Eminem is simply being direct and controversial, just as he always has been. Well, in this case, he is being direct, controversial and divisive. With the last “f*** you,” all Eminem does is add to the extreme ideological polarization existing in the United States today. Yet the main problem is not Eminem’s hateful language; the vulgarity is rather a “fitting weapon against a vulgar president” [The Atlantic, “What Makes Eminem’s Trump Diss Special (and What
Doesn’t),” 10.11.2017]. The problem lies in the way that the vulgarity is used to vilify half the country. Eminem’s hatred and anger by themselves may seem morally appropriate, given the administration’s inadequate response to the recent devastation in Puerto Rico and bizarre attacks on athletes protesting police brutality. However, the divisiveness with which the arguments are delivered harbors costs that far outweigh its benefits. Perhaps Eminem intended to use his platform to jolt his Trump-supporting fans. Perhaps Eminem wants to force those who have not yet, for whatever reason, confronted the true nature of the Trump administration. Indeed, he is “uniquely qualified” in this endeavor, not only because of his prominence but also because of his willingness to speak bluntly about real issues (The Independent, “Why Eminem’s rap about Donald Trump is resonating with millions of Americans,” 10.12.2017). His intentions, if true, are unquestionably benevolent and laudable. In fact, in general, the media praised Eminem for criticizing Donald Trump and standing up as the people’s voice, treating his freestyle as a fresh, enlightening commentary on the current state of affairs. The reality, however, is that there wasn’t much novelty behind his action, for similar messages have been repeated dozens of times before by other rappers (Billboard, “Does Eminem’s Rap Heroics Against Trump Deserve All the Praise?: OpEd,” 10.12.2017). The marginal benefit that comes from bashing Trump offers only a negligible addition to the existing pile. Take a look at the comedy industry to observe the impact of this repetitive “pile.” Almost all late night show hosts nowadays are expected to condemn Trump—so much so that Jimmy Fallon saw his ratings plummet after he interviewed then-candidate Trump with apolitical humor rather than sharp political bite (The Guardian, “How Fallon fell: why is the late-night host floundering in Trump’s America?,” 10.16.2017). It’s fine that we are pushing prominent comedians to become political watchdogs, yet surely it wouldn’t hurt to have more ideological perspectives in the mainstream media? The one-dimensional nature of today’s comedy industry means that “one-liners and impressions” can no longer instigate legitimate and impactful
change (The Guardian, “How late-night comedy went from political to politicized,” 05.05.17). Eminem pushes further this flatness by not only reverberating Trump critiques but also by categorizing Trump supporters as a singular group of people deserving of scorn, if not hatred. It adds too little nuance to bring about positive change, while it continues to create more animosity. At this point, there is no place in the current political dialogue for multiple sides to coexist. I am not exclusively supporting the right wing, nor am I discouraging protests. After all, uninhibited criticism of the government is a fundamental tenant of any functioning democracy. I am, however, discouraging unreasonably caustic rhetoric that contributes to polarization and staleness within the American media. We are free to voice our opinions, but we must also consider the consequences. That includes the artists, especially prominent musicians like Eminem, who hold considerable power and lead large crowds. There were more sensible approaches that Eminem could have taken for the benefit of the people. He could, for example, have called for Trump supporters to empathize with the victims of the administration. While doing so, he still could have incorporated inflammatory language. But he could have saved the “f*** you” for Donald Trump, not the supporters. Or he could have simply expressed disappointment with those the supporters, rather than denouncing them in such a senselessly direct manner. These are just a few of the numerous ways that Eminem could have improved the current situation rather than exacerbating it. Other artists could also do much more to stand in solidarity with victims of the Trump administration rather than simply attack political opponents. Tupac, for example, called for unity amongst—rather than division between—white and Black people, raising the issue in songs like “Changes.” In a way, Eminem’s freestyle exemplifies our tendencies to search for blame during times of angst rather than solutions. It’s easy to express our emotions in ways that are exciting and extreme, but it’s difficult to protest in ways that are inspiring, not antagonizing. I think all of us, including Eminem, could do better in this regard.
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Word on the street If you could start any org, what would it be? “Tea party club. Not political; there’s cheese and macaroons and tarts” — Chloe Crawford ’21
“Skydiving” — Charlie Waltz-Chesnaye ’20
“Ouija board” — Roayan Azanza ’20
“We co-parent a goldfish, so a goldfish daycare” — Ariana Salguero ’20 and Amanda Fassler ’20
“Taylor Swift fan club” — Bryan Fotino ’20
“Vocal lessons club” — Jordan Chin ’21
Leah Cates, Humor & Satire Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire
HUMOR & SATIRE
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October 19, 2017
Breaking News From the desk of Leah Cates and Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire Editors As temperature plummets, transfer applications to Claremont Colleges, Stanford, UC Berkeley skyrocket Student sues roommate for A heartwarming reunion: heinous breach of contract student and central heating Blair Webber
ResLife Private Investigator
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onday afternoon. 4:45 p.m. First-year Jen Anderson returns to her room, a comfortable double she shares with fellow first-year Caroline Jamison, as she always does before meeting her friends for an afternoon snack. But this Monday isn’t like other Mondays. Anderson is in for the shock of her life. On this Monday, Anderson’s roommate breaches their roommate contract. “I left the room at 11:15 today, like I usually do, so I have time to get breakfast and walk at a leisurely pace to my 12:00 class. I didn’t think twice about Caroline not being there. She usually leaves the room around 10:45 for her 11:30 class. We both hate being late to class. That’s what makes us such good roommates. Or, at least, I thought we were good roommates until this happened,” said Anderson. “I just...I feel so betrayed.” What did Anderson find that was so horrifying? She told the Miscellany News in her own words. “It was just out in the open, lying there, attracting flies. It...it was this cookie. From the Deece. And it wasn’t in a closed container,” Anderson sobbed. That open-air cookie was directly in violation of the pair’s roommate contract, which the Miscellany News was able to track down. “Article 4, Section VIII (b) Part 9: Clauses M through XX” in Anderson and Jamison’s accord states that all food in the room must remain in a closed, sealed container, such as a Tupperware or equivalent packaging material, out of sight of the inhabitants. Never one to leave a stone unturned, I, the intrepid Miscellany News reporter, tracked down Jamison to confront her about her gross act of negligence. “What? I didn’t bring a cookie back from the Deece last night. Anyway, I always keep our food in, like, a Tupperware, or something of equal sealed-ness. It’s in our roommate contract,” said Jamison. When presented with the idea that maybe she isn’t Miss Perfect all the time and could’ve forgotten to seal her food in a “Ziploc container or brand of equal integrity,” as per the same ordinance in their contract, Jamison quickly grew irate. “Oh, for Christ’s sake, does it really specify the brands we have to use? I didn’t want any of this in here, and I’m the one with the moderate peanut sensitivity! It doesn’t even affect her if there’s food out in the open. This is just like her, she’s always doing things like this!” Jamison
exclaimed. Jamison’s comments added insult to injury to her already distraught roommate. “She’s always throwing that peanut sensitivity in my face. This is just like her. Trying to blame her sloppiness and inability to read fine print because ‘she needs glasses’ or whatever on me. She’s not going to get away with it this time, that’s for sure,” Anderson said as she bravely wiped her tears and soldiered forward with her brave crusade for justice. Anderson scheduled a meeting with her StuFel to address the incident. “Well, Jen told me that Caroline left a cookie out on her desk, which is in violation of their roommate contract. Then she handed me this... this contract, and was like ‘It’s in Section 4, Article B-12, or something.’ I have a lot of problem sets to do for my calc class, and I don’t really have time to sort through her roommate contract, so I just listened to her patiently, then asked her if she’d talked to Caroline in person yet. She said she hadn’t, so I told her to try talking to Caroline in person. Can I just finish my homework?” the StuFel said. Unsatisfied with the StuFel’s negligence, Anderson decided to take matters into her own hands. “If she’s going to disrespect our roommate contract, I’m going to start disrespecting her,” Anderson stated as she prepared to unleash the hammer of justice. Evening. 6:45 p.m. First-year Caroline Jamison returns to her room after a long day of classes, prepared to have a meaningful discussion with her roommate, Jen Anderson. This time, Caroline is in for the shock of her life. “Where did she even get so many spiders?!” Jamison roared in fear and fury. “It says in Article 21, Section XVII (m) Part 4: Clauses H-PB” that at no given time shall there be more than 14 spiders, so long as two-thirds do not exceed a size of two centimeters! All of those were at least 25 to 30!” After another conversation with the StuFel, who had finished his practice problems but was apparently still too busy to comment, Jamison has been taking matters into her own hands and scouring campus for any posters from Big Time Rush’s 2012 tour, Big Time Summer Tour, of which Article 18 explicitly bans any iconography from entering the room. In the meantime, Anderson contacted the Miscellany News to let us know that she had actually brought the cookie back from the Deece and forgotten she’d left it on Jamison’s desk. She asked that we relay her apology to Jamison should we come into contact with her.
Tanya Kotru Gode Penguin Breeder
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fact about me is that I’m someone who feels extra cold. I grew up in India, and so obviously my body is designed to be able to handle heat as extreme as 110 degrees Fahrenheit and above. As everyone on campus knows, the weather in Poughkeepsie over the last few weeks has been ridiculously unpredictable. It seems almost analogous to my various moods during PMS week. Sometimes I lie in a fetal position and cry for an hour or two. Sometimes I stuff my face with ice cream. Sometimes I desperately seek physical human contact in the form of hugs. Sometimes I hate every human around me. You never know. There was a while when the temperature in Poughkeepsie dipped way below what you’d expect during summer. That was the week I lost it. I was freezing. F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G. There’s no other way to put it. I was pissed off because suddenly all my well-planned summer outfits were a waste, and my table fan became an obsolete piece of metal that sat in a desolate corner of my room, just gathering dust in the prime summer months of its life. I wasn’t ready to let go of summer just yet, but alas, Mother Nature snatched the beautiful heat away from our grasp. There was a day when I was just really, really determined to wear a new dress that I’d bought. And so I had to madly jump around in my room to warm up, just so that I could wear the dress and not have my body turn into a goosebump wonderland. And my room, being on the side of Strong that doesn’t get any sun, started feeling like Antarctica. I had to hurriedly change clothes every day so I wouldn’t get frostbite or something else in the process. It was so cold that I dressed like an Eskimo before sleeping so I wouldn’t die of hypothermia at night. I know it sounds like I’m exaggerating, but believe me–I could have tried breeding penguins in my room. Contrary to how the average Indian would feel, I started craving heat. Heat was the drug that kept me going. Heat was my mission in life. Heat became my love, my pain, my desire, my everything. During those cold days, I’d deliberately walk in the sunlight, in addition to finding tables at the Deece that got huge amounts of sun, to avoid turning into some kind of ice sculpture. I’d try to get even the tiniest ray of sunlight on my skin. I became the opposite of every vampire ever. I also started gazing longingly at the heater in my room, missing those beautiful days of central heating and not freezing to death. This became my new routine. Every day, my hands
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would lovingly hover over the heater, waiting for a sign from my beloved, waiting for the day when my room would be graced with its presence again. It was like waiting for my long-lost love to return to me, like some soldier’s wife waiting for her love to return from war (which I feel is a lot of sexist bullshit as women have better things to do than waiting around for men, but I’m trying to make a point here). I was waiting for that fateful day, when my love would come to me and end my misery. Did I mention that I can be very dramatic sometimes? And then one day, there were signs. I noticed that Strong’s MPR was warm and cozy, as if they’d turned on the heat. But I told myself not to get my hopes up. I noticed that the heating was on in the Misc office that night, but again, that didn’t mean dorms would get heating just yet. I somehow made it back to my room late that night, avoiding hypothermia and frostbite and goosebumps (you know the gist), and that’s when I heard it. A sound. A beautiful noise coming from the heater: the clanging of pipes. Could it be true? Was this what I thought it was, the sound of my beloved? Did this mean the heating was on? Was the universe sending me a message? Had my long-lost love returned? I gently approached the heater, reminding myself not to expect anything, and turned it on. And then the miracle happened. Heat. Beautiful heat. It was real. My love had returned. It was the miracle of life, like watching a baby being born. This is how OBGYNs must feel after delivering a baby. It was 2:30 a.m., but all my tiredness from the Misc’s grueling production night (just kidding, the Misc is great! Please join, and don’t judge me for my shameless plug) went away, as I beheld the beauty of central heating. My room was feeling warm again. Less Antarctica, more New Delhi. I could finally sleep in pajamas instead of my Eskimo clothes and not have a million goosebumps all over me. I was so happy that I was dancing and prancing through the Wellness Corridor of Strong House, trying to find people to share the news with at that strange hour. I did find someone. She laughed at my excitement. Some people just don’t understand true love. Now that I have been reunited with the love of my life, I shall be able to make it through the upcoming winter without succumbing to hypothermia in my own room. I guess I’ll stop feeling cold, but I’ll never stop being dramatic. Anyway, now I have to go. It’s time to deal with these penguins in my room. They don’t seem to like the heat.
Regretting all those stickers cluttering your laptop? Longing for the days of a blank computer canvas? Afraid of unsightly sticker residue? Try our sticker removing spray, and witness your laptop in its birthday suit at long last! MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
HUMOR & SATIRE
October 19, 2017
Page 13
Comparing colleges: furry mammals, topography, co-ops Albino Womp-Womp Enthusiast
Maya Sterling
When you live in a co-op, you eat a lot of lentils and rice, and who doesn’t love those?
s we return from a fall break that somehow escaped us in the blink of an eye and we see the leaves slowly turning to crimson and gold, I believe it is an appropriate time for us to reflect on some important questions that inevitably float across our minds: Just how, oh how, is Vassar so amazing? How is it that it feels like I have passed through a portal into another world when I step onto this campus? When, oh when, will we be blessed with a hot cocoa machine? I believe answers to these important questions (minus the hot cocoa machine) will be discussed below. Before we begin, I must pop your bubble: Vassar isn’t the best place on Earth. (“Whaaaaaat??!!” I know, I’ve now destroyed this central pillar of your belief system. Don’t worry, let me explain.) You see, the bubble that I just popped actually reveals a more concerning bubble: the “Vassar bubble”. I hear people speak of the Vassar bubble almost regularly, but not until taking a trip off the campus to visit friends at another college did I fully appreciate how much we drop the ball. The most important thing I learned from Oberlin is that Vassar has a wall problem. And when I say a wall problem, I mean a stack of stones problem. Luckily, it isn’t as bad as a bed bugs infestation, but we should be itching to make a change all the same. You see, you probably haven’t noticed (or maybe you have), but we have these sneaky little rocks stacked around our campus that physically separate us from us the “outside world.” For those who have had the courage to go beyond the gates, you will learn some important things: a. My Market is crazily overpriced. b. People still smoke. c. Walls are dumb. When I really started to think about that pesky
I think the most magical thing about Oberlin College is how psychic people are. It was like I had a sign on my forehead that said “Ask me about that friend that you have who goes to Vassar!” (Wait...was I wearing a hat..?) Anyway, we really have to beef up security around here because apparently all of our identities are known in Ohio! In conclusion, I think Vassar can learn some important lessons from Oberlin: 1. Carpeted floors in dorm hallways. Socks and slippers for the win! They’re perfect! Well, at least it works until someone throws up on them. 2. Not stealing bikes. At Oberlin, you can fail to lock your bike to something, and it won’t get stolen! 3. Flatness. While the whole town may be surrounded by corn, it is a huge perk to go to the gym without having to hike up a big hill. While there are clearly some great things Vassar can learn from Oberlin, Oberlin could use a few lessons of its own: 1. You can have dorms higher than three stories. If you have one with nine stories, it makes for great fall pictures of your quad. 2. Ease of getting to campus. Sorry not sorry, you guys don’t get to go to school near a real city. The city that never sleeps vs. the rock and roll capital of the world (wait, Cleveland is the rock and roll capital of the world?): You take your pick. 3. A nice library. Sure, the Mudd Library is large and square...and pure concrete and looks like a dungeon. So let me recommend a dose of Hogwarts to improve your look. So, Vassar and Oberlin, I think we can come out of this being friends. The only thing we need to truly settle our differences is a good old albino squirrel vs. albino womp-womp brawl.
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Courtesy of Wikipedia
Vassar’s latest plans for renovations include building a large moat around campus, designed to further isolate the college from the surrounding community. It is expected to be completed by 2025. Meanwhile, Oberlin students continue to enjoy enriching interactions with the locals. wall, I realized something: We complain about how isolated we are, but in reality, we are isolating ourselves. We have built a physical boundary between us and Poughkeepsie. Maybe that was necessary in the 1800s when the first Vassar students needed to be hidden away so they could run down the hallways in Main in their large skirts, but today it is just ridiculous. Oberlin, on the other hand, does it much better. There, the town is mixed in with the college. One building is the house of a local resident, and the next is student housing. The Conservatory of Music is on the same block as the local stores. The biggest square “on campus” is actually property of the town of Oberlin. Oberlin seems to be a pioneer of how community can be fostered simply by removing barriers. I know what you’re thinking: “Maya, now wait just a minute. We have great things like wompwomps, Sunset Lake, the Deece...I mean, come on, the Deece!”
While all those things are quite extraordinary, I am afraid to report that Oberlin outshines us in them all. They don’t have womp-womps, but they have squirrels, which, unlike womp-womps, you get to see all the time. They reportedly even have two albino squirrels. If you ask me, I think it’s time to start a rumor about an albino wompwomp. Like Vassar, Oberlin also has a lake, but even better than Vassar’s. At Oberlin, you can go swimming in the lake (or skinny-dipping if you are so inclined!). However, it’s probably good that we don’t swim in Sunset Lake. Have you seen those geese? Well, I’ve seen those geese. I do not recommend making that change. Somehow, Oberlin wins yet again in the dining competition. While they do have a dining service, students can also live and eat at co-ops, where they decide what they are going to buy and then cook for the others in their co-op. I’m sorry Ferry House, but you alone are not enough.
HOROSCOPES Theresa Law and Natasha Sanchez amateur astrologists
ARIES
March 21 | April 19
TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
CANCER
June 21 | July 22
LEO
July 23 | August 22
VIRGO
August 23 | September 22
Lately you’ve been trying to declutter your closet of irrelevant items. Well, stop right there, and do not throw anything away. The early 2000s are coming back, and we bet you wish you kept your camo pants and tiny sunglasses. When you’re post grad and think you have no use for your culotte jumpsuit, just bury it deep in the back. Everything comes back.
LIBRA
This is the week to do some organizing. Large projects that you’re working on may feel like they’re about to get out of hand and fall apart. Yes, you may be running a bit behind, but that can be fixed with a little bit of schmoozing. So get off your butt and email Bo about registering the ski team for races this year.
SCORPIO
If you’re about to hook up with someone, do not hand them a razor and shaving cream and ask them to shave first. This is a deplorable thing to do. You are not in charge of someone else’s body, and you are lucky that they are sharing it with you. This rule applies even if you are rich and famous.
SAGITTARIUS
Midterms can be a rough week for Cancers. Your sensitive nature means that you don’t like the possibility of being judged too harshly. But you made it through, and this week you should reward yourself and relax. Yes, we did just have break, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take break mentality back to school.
September 23 | October 22
October 23 | November 21
November 22 | December 21
CAPRICORN
December 22 | January 19
You feel excluded from your friend group. Decompress before doing something dramatic like unfollowing them on Insta even though they had no intention of hurting you. You may have already done this because you’re compulsive. Reach out to your friends. Let them know how you feel.
AQUARIUS
Wait until the last minute. You work best under pressure. Don’t fool yourself with getting an early start when you know you can bang out a paper a few hours before it’s due. Eat some food and take a nap before stressing yourself out. The organizational skills of a Virgo mean you’ve already got your ideas laid out nicely. That’s half the battle.
PISCES
January 20 | February 18
February 19 | March 20
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You’re not a good drunk. You think you’re a good drunk, but you’re not, and your friends are trying to tell you that in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. But dear, when you keep drunk-calling your exes and other people’s significant others saying that you want to hook up, your friends need to do something to save you from yourself. Recently, a great opportunity has made itself known to you, but you feel like it’s out of reach. Don’t take yourself out of the game. Never underestimate a Scorpio; their wild nature means there’s no telling what they’ll do to get what they want. Use that to your advantage. Scare your opponents. You’ve recently gotten a chance to get out and connect with nature more than you usually do. It was a lovely experience for you, and it felt great to be able to escape from technology and just live. Continue that feeling. Ditch all technology and live as a squirrel person for the remainder of your days. You’ll find it very enjoyable. You will do well in the spotlight this week. Though you often like attention, this in particular is a good week for you to raise your hand in class, or host a party, or put on a one person show. Everywhere you go is an opportunity for a bit of recognition, and right now is the time to embrace that. It’s time to satisfy your urge to snoop through other people’s things. This week started off strong for you in that regard with President Bradley’s kindness in opening up her house to visitors. But don’t let it end there. Go swing by all your friends’ houses and make sure to really check out every room in the house. Maybe try opening some closets or drawers. You haven’t been doing a good job communicating your intentions lately, Pisces. There’s someone who you’re pretty sure you’re into, and you’re pretty sure they’re into you, and you need to just go for it. Ask them out for a bite to eat. Maybe get a soft pretzel and mustard. A little dijon can spice up any relationship.
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ARTS
October 19, 2017
Why the world is ‘busy thinking about’ Charli XCX CHARLI XCX continued from page 1
With that said, Charli is still a fantastic songwriter, and the lyrics in “Break the Rules” “I’m such a star / Queen Boulevard / Blaze through the dark” are stellar. Just the instrumentals and vocals that accompany them need a ton of work. Charli has writing credits for some of the biggest songs in pop music in the last decade, including “I Love It,” “Fancy” and “Same Old Love.” She is a lot more capable than you might believe. Her sound took an electronic turn with the release of the EP “Vroom Vroom.” While it was quite different than her earlier music, I liked it a great deal more than “Sucker.” The title track is an absolute jam, and I’m still just as likely to bop to it as I was at its release in 2015. Its hook begins “Bubblegum-pink Ferrari, yeah I’m so bossy / Speeding like Alonso just to crash your party. People are going’ loco when I’m pullin’ up, taking’ your puppy / Don’t think about consequences, cause they’re never gonna stop me.” When driving my now-dead Volkswagen Beetle and blasting this song after it came out, the lyrics “Bitches know they can’t catch me / Cute, sexy and my ride’s sporty” had me living. While I was definitely ambivalent at first, Charli’s recent release of her mixtape “Number 1 Angel” has been my favorite work she has produced since “True Romance.” Its production, sound and all-female collaborations are brilliant, even featuring the iconic Cupcakke. The 10 songs go beyond the definition of experimental pop, and it does not feel as heavy as a fulllength album. “Dreamer,” “Roll With Me” and “White Roses” are noteworthy tracks. “Dreamer” opens with the lyrics, “I’m a dreamer / Step, step out the Beemer / ‘Bout to do it big / Stretch stretch limousine-uh.” I know it doesn’t seem like it has any substance, but the instrumentals and vocals are brilliant, and I am constantly bopping to this track whenever it comes on. I doubt that I can publish the lyrics in “Lipgloss,” Charli’s collaboration with Cupcakke, but give it a listen. Cupcakke is a legend.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
er” are uttered in the first few seconds. “Cause I didn’t burn my skin in a blaze of glory / I come out your hands, I won’t say I’m sorry” and the refrain “We survived nuclear seasons (Good times don’t last)” define the entire album. The track “Grins” reiterates these themes. “I can’t quite hear what you’re saying / Because my body started shaking. Beaches and oceans, earth is quaking / That’s my heart that you were breaking.” The outro echoes “Nuclear Seasons,” with “No one lives forever” repeating as the song fades out. Overall, “True Romance” is Charli’s best work, but it did not define her as an artist. Each subsequent work she has released has shifted her sound, but not for worse. Artists should produce music that they are proud of, and I can tell that Charli is really happy with where her sound and self-perception lie today. In 2014, Charli was featured on the soundtrack for “The Fault in Our Stars” with the single “Boom Clap,” in addition to a significant feature on Iggy (Igloo) Azalea’s “Fancy.” Both launched her to mainstream success, and suddenly people recognized the name Charli XCX and, unfortunately, had no idea who Marina and the Diamonds was. Any song my mom knows the lyrics to is automatically terrible, and thus I refuse to believe that “Boom Clap” exists. I don’t know it. But “Fancy” and its “Clueless”-themed music video will always be iconic. Charli released her second full-length album “Sucker” in 2014, and this continued her venturing into conventional dance pop. It’s definitely not the best album, and you could argue that it’s her worst, but I think it’s still noteworthy ,as its experimental nature allowed Charli to continue to find her sound. No song actually has depth, and at this point, I was definitely not a huge fan of Charli or her music. “Famous,” “Doing it” and “Break the Rules” are mediocre tracks at best, and I could probably last about a minute into each one before begging someone to skip to any other song. Sorry, Charli baby.
Charli has had an impact on the pop music industry since the release of her debut album “True Romance.” Her sound continues to grow with each subsequent work she releases, defying the norms of the male-heavy industry. Be sure to check out her newest single “Boys.” A few weeks ago, Charli released “Boys,” which has been her biggest hit since “Boom Clap.” The sound is dream pop and features instrumentals that sound like they were meant to be in a Super Mario video game. The music video was also self-directed by Charli, and I highly recommend checking it out. We’re all “busy dreaming about boys.” Charli XCX is currently touring with Halsey on her Hopeless Fountain Kingdom Tour and has had a string of festival performances over
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the past few months. I was lucky enough to finally see her live at Governors Ball Music Festival, and this party girl definitely knows how to perform. I cannot wait to see what she brings to her third album, as it really could sound similar to “Number 1 Angel” or head in a completely new direction. Although I still miss the old Charli and her friendship with Marina, making music you are proud of is the most important thing for an artist, and that is exactly what she’s doing. We’re all living in an XCX world.
October 19, 2017
ARTS
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Student-written play imagines Communist lunar mission MOON IS RED continued from page 1
I’ve been a part of that is both written by a student and written before the rehearsal process, since most of my student theater experience at Vassar has been with devised pieces. It’s also the most traditionally funny play I think I’ve been a part of, since other comedies I’ve done—like ‘The Sims’ last semester—have tended towards a kind of humor that constantly reminds the audience how bizarre the show is as a whole. In contrast, I think ‘The Moon is Red’ creates a very well-realized world and crisis in which the humor comes out of the characters’ very real desire to fix the central problem.” Last fall, Szpisjak directed an edited version of the play in Philaletheis’ 10-Minute Play Festival. After the growing number of conspiracy theories sprouting from last year’s presidential election, Szpisjak collaborated with Dolinh over the semester to expand the piece into a longer play, reflecting not only the current political environment, but also gender dynamics in the workplace and the hypocrisy and jingoism surrounding the myth of American exceptionalism. Beyond the play’s relevence, stagecraft gets its due spotlight in this performance. As Hamilton noted, “Firstly, we’ve spent a lot of time making sure the design for this show is good, and I feel that I can’t stress that enough. We’ve spent a lot of time on the set, sound and lights so that they add to the show as a whole. It’s funny, too, and I think that the actors are doing a great job—I would think that even if I wasn’t working on this show. Overall, it’s a short, sweet show that is super enjoyable and holds the audience’s interest.” While Szpisjak and Dolinh were making changes last semester, Szpisjak had a goal of proposing the production through Philaletheis. To prepare it for student theatre, for example, the cast numbers dropped to five. Because of the focus Szpisjak has put on their ambitious design and attention to detail, he assembled a design team last spring. Magdaleno spoke about the enhanced experience this production’s focus on technical elements has wielded: “Our set alone is a must-see, and it’s all come together so beautifully thanks to
everyone involved. This play is also really production-focused so there were a lot of opportunities to work with and learn about the tech aspect of theatre. I think the play gives the audience a lot to think about in terms of underlying concepts that the play explores, like gender dynamics in the workplace and propaganda and misinformation, both of which are topical.” Since this is the first play of the student theatre season, cast and crew have only had almost exactly one month from auditions to opening night to get this show together. Hamilton elaborated on how this rushed schedule impacted the production environment: “I think this piece stands out in how short of a time we have managed to get it done in (thus far, at least). We’re the first show going up in the Shiva, and as a
result, we are in a bit of a time crunch—but we are managing to live through it so far, in a way that I think is testament to how much work can actually get done on a show if you just really go ham on it.” “I think some of us on the production team have worked on shows before where the design took a back seat and only existed at the bare minimum needed for the show to function,” he elaborated, “and this is us stepping away from that and, I think, hoping the rest of student theater will step away from that. That isn’t to say all shows throw design in the trash, but I think it’s fair to say that there’s a lot of room for expanding the role of designers.” “The Moon is Red” is playing in the Shiva Theatre this weekend: Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 and 7 p.m.
Courtesy of The Philaletheis Society/Facebook
the show a lot stronger and more entertaining for an audience, for sure.” Stage manager Lisset Magdaleno ’19 became a member of this production for similar reasons. She remembered, “Scott asked if I’d like to be the stage manager and after reading the script, I thought it would be a fun show to be involved with and a good opportunity to be involved in theater with people I knew.” But what is the audience going to be in for when they show up to see this play? She illuminated, “This show is like an office comedy but with much more going on. There’s the Communist threat, there’s the moon, there’s the office relationships and dynamics. People should come to appreciate the moon, it’s truly beautiful. It’s a period piece that takes place in the ’50s, so it’s fun to see an interpretation of [that era] and America’s reaction to Communism in the play.” After the playwrights determined that they had a solid formulation, they proposed a 30-minute version for their high school’s one-act play festival. While only three productions were picked, Szpisjak and Dolinh were fortunate enough to have theirs approved. They initially wrote the play with a significant number of roles, casting 28 parts. Max Hamilton ’20 is working on sound design for the Vassar production of “The Moon is Red,” and while he had worked on sound before, he was particularly excited for this piece. He remarked, “I was incredibly excited to work on this show in particular—not just because I know most of the rest of the production team, but also because I think a lot can be said about the sound of this particular time period. I think there’s something about sounds and music from the 1950s that create an almost instant ambiance around them. The certain brand of post-war sentimentality in the music, along with the unique sound of phones, cars, sirens—it’s just a great period to find sounds for.” For many of the cast and crew of “The Moon is Red”, this production has been something special and unlike other theatre experiences at Vassar. Featherstone noted, “This show is the first show
This weekend in the Susan Stein Shiva Theater, The Philaletheis Society will be presenting “The Moon Is Red.” Scott Szpisjak ’20 directed this new comedy himself and co-wrote it.
Return of ‘Prison Break’ gladdens long-time viewer Eloudia Odamy Guest Columnist
Prison Break
Paul Scheuring Fox
I
Courtesy of Wikimedia
n tenth grade, I discovered the show that would change my life. I was in study hall when I heard two of my friends talking about a show called “Prison Break.” Being the curious person that I am, I decided that I would look up the show and start watching. I did, and that summer I pretty much binged the entire show like a frantic person. I woke up, and the first thing I would do is reach for my phone and watch an episode. It consumed my life. “Prison Break” is about a man named Michael Scofield who devises a plan to free his wrongly convicted brother, Lincoln Burrows, from jail. One thing that drew me to the show and makes the show worth watching was how incredibly brilliant Michael’s plan is. It is methodically prepared, and I was stunned as to how he even thinks of doing this. One part of the plan, which was the crux of it all, was weaving the blueprint of the jail into intricate, beautiful tattoos that cover his whole body. He studies the blueprint and draws all the pieces himself. To an outsider, it looked like regular tattoos, but to him and the audience, it was the map to escaping the jail. The next part of the plan was getting into jail to break Lincoln out, and he achieves this by robbing a bank. The story goes on from there as Michael realizes he will face numerous obstacles and the plan will not go as smoothly as he hopes it will be. One thing I did not really like about “Prison Break” was that it was repetitive. Michael got out of jail just to end up in a Panamanian jail called Sona in Season 3. I guess that is why it is called “Prison Break,” but it felt like Season 1 all over again. Nevertheless, the third season was filled with new plot details, as Michael now has to break out a man named James Whistler, and a new threat emerges named The Company.
Season 4 is all about Michael, Lincoln and their friends bringing down The Company. Season 4 was not my favorite season, as I like the episodes were lacking, and there weren’t as many plot twists as I hoped there would be. It was often boring, so it took me a while to finish. However, Prison Break ended on a sad and strong note, leaving mewishing that it hadn’t. But I went on with my life, and other than the small spin-off series that involved short clips posted to the Internet, “Prison Break” disappeared from reality. Unless you were watching it on Netflix of course. However, in March of this year, I was pleasantly surprised upon when hearing an announcement regarding a new season of Prison Break. I was surprised to hear about the fifth season of “Prison Break” because I thought there were literally no more stories to tell about Michael and Lincoln. I immediately tried to find all the information about the new season and when it would start. I was excited, and I think all fans were pretty excited, too, because that is how amazing the show was. Despite some of its falters, it was still one of the most captivating shows I had ever watched. Season 5 is essentially about Michael being held up in a prison in Yemen called Ogygia due to acts of terrorism. But the twists are that Michael was pronounced dead seven years ago, he does not know who Lincoln is when Lincoln goes to visit him and his name is Kaniel Outis. It was mind-blowing as I was trying to piece the puzzles together. Season 5 became my favorite season of all because it so well designed and different from the other seasons. The plot twists were incredibly huge, and the storyline was excellent. Although it was a repetition of another prison break, it was more than that in a single season. It was jam packed with so many turns, and I loved how the producers utilized another country, which allowed the viewer to have a glance at the differences between the prison system in the United States and those abroad. This allowed for one last amazing season of “Prison Break.” I also loved Season 5 because it really highlighted the ingenuity of Michael. He once again utilizes the power of tattoos as he has gotten new ones, although this time, we do not know why he has
“Prison Break” had disappeared from television for eight years following its four-season run. The announcement of a fifth season this year was a pleasant surprise for fans of the show. them. Eventually we find out, and it is really a skillful and intellectual idea that you have to watch to fully understand. “Prison Break,” especially Season 5, touched on sibling love, which provides another layer to the dramatic action of the dominant story line. I loved how the show explored the relationship between Michael and Lincoln when they are adults and even explored their childhood backstories. They are really different people, but they are always going to be there for each other no matter what. We also learn about both of them as individuals, which Season 5 does very well. We get to learn about the characters and who they are through their actions and the plot. I think this is why I am so attached to Michael Scofield, as he has a very unique personality, and this is what the producers wanted to question throughout the show’s run. Audiences had created an idea about who all the characters were, so they wanted to push
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back on this notion. I also loved the sprinkle of romance put into the show. Through the relationship between Michael and Dr. Sarah Tancredi, we learn about him and how he is willing to do anything to save the people he loves, which producers also dig into deeper in Season 5. Prison Break will not be revived for a sixth season, which is deeply upsetting to those who have been long-time fans of the show. I had hoped that the life of Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows would continue, but I feel okay with where the producers chose to end the show. “Prison Break” has taught me a lot about perseverance, love and survival. From Season 1 to 5, the characters have been through so much. If someone asks me who my biggest inspiration is, sometimes I say Michael Scofield because his brilliance cannot be matched, and even though he is in the dark, he always manages to find a light. He will always hold a special place in the hearts of viewers of the show.
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October 19, 2017
St. Vincent continues to grow, delight on newest work Izzy Braham Columnist
Masseduction
St. Vincent Loma Vista Recordings
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Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
veryone, it’s here! On Oct. 13, Annie Clark, known as alternative rock icon St. Vincent, released her new album “Masseduction,” which is pronounced “mass seduction.” The album is a diverse, climatic whirlwind of shocking electric guitar and electronic noise interwoven with heartfelt tracks. Mirroring its musical diversity, the album presents poetic lyrics about everything from love and sex to drugs, loss and New York City. For those of you who aren’t aware of the magnificent St. Vincent, she can be modestly described as a musical lesbian feminist legend with unbeatable hair and style. While starting her career as a guitarist for Sufjan Stevens, Clark has released five albums over her 10-year solo career. The type of music she creates is complex and hard to describe, with her originality often compared to David Bowie or David Byrne. She is a woman of many musical trades, as she mixes the electronic, rock and indie genres all the while showing off a remarkable feminine poeticism with her lyrics. Moreover, what is incredible about St. Vincent is that she varies her emphasis of each component of her musical repertoire from track to track so that, at the end of an album, the listener is left with a wondrous impression of her scope of talent. For instance, some tracks are quieter, darker and graced with well-curated references and flowing lyrics, while others are vibrant, unabashedly noisy and boldly worded. Obviously, there is always a lot to talk about— or listen to—with St. Vincent, and “Masseducation” doesn’t stray from utilizing her signature variety and complexity. The album begins with
With the release of her fifth studio album “Masseduction,” Sr. Vincent continues to experiment with her sound through electronics, with the result being a somewhat overwhelming but thrilling ride. the dark, industrial track “Hang On Me.” With a flickering beat that resembles the raw static of a crashed car or plane. Clark begins, “I know you’re probably sleepin’ / I got this thing I keep thinkin’ / Yeah, I admit I’ve been drinkin’ / The void is back and I’m blinking.” The song continues with a darker orchestral melody as Clark sings, “I cannot stop the aeroplane from crashin’ / And we circle down from the sky / Yeah, so hang on me / Hang on me, hang on me / ‘Cause you and me / We’re not meant for this world.” The lyrics explore Clark’s differences that mark her as an outsider in what she views as a worrisome, disastrous world, but then incorporates this relationship theme that dominates the album. Encouraging her lover who is different like her to “hang on” as the world plummets into destruction, she opens the album in a mysterious
way. The next song “Pills” is one of the catchier songs on the record and features her ex-girlfriend Cara Delevingne hastily back-up singing, “Pills to wake, pills to sleep / Pills, pills, pills every day of the week / Pills to walk, pills to think / Pills, pills, pills for the family.” The neurotic and chaotic vibe of the song is enhanced with a hectic electric guitar sequence. The song ends with a slower melody where St. Vincent proclaims “Everyone you know will all go away,” hinting at the darkness of pills and how they affect one’s relationships. The finality of the lyrics, paired with the sexual undertones of “Pills,” mesh well with the next song, the title track. The song is bold and begins with the lyrics “Black saint, sinner lady / Playin’ knockoff soul / A punk rock romantic / Slumped
on the kitchen floor / Nuns in stress position / Smokin’ Marlboros / Lolita is weeping / The bride is beautiful” and then transitions into the intense chorus that repeats “Masseduction / I can’t turn off what turns me on.” The song has a catchy beat and features harder rock and punk elements that mirror the kinkiness of the lyrics. Other highlights include “New York,” in which Clark laments losing close ones, singing, “I have lost a hero / I have lost a friend / But for you, darling / I’d do it all again.” Her song pins New York as a place that cradles her pain of loss. The song evokes both the sadness of loss as well as the quiet greatness of having a love that came and went—serving as a prime example of St. Vincent’s quintessential attraction to complexity. The album is electrifying, bold and captures feelings that may seem indescribable, but when St. Vincent lays them out, they are incredibly relatable. My only criticism of the album has to do with Clark’s more upbeat songs. While I understand that she is trying to venture into a new bold territory by mixing rock and electronic rhythms, sometimes I find these songs a little too overwhelming to listen to. For instance, in her song “Fear the Future,” Clark plays with multiple electronic tracks that are vaguely reminiscent of a video game and pairs them with a strong guitar melody that builds throughout the song. While I understand that the primary goal of many St. Vincent tracks is to be interesting musically, I couldn’t help but feel that some songs may have sacrificed their beauty or palatability for their quirkiness. Perhaps this is the point— the listener is supposed to feel overwhelmed, uncomfortable or trapped in a sea of noise for some of the songs in order to emphasize what Clark is singing about. Overall, “Masseducation” didn’t disappoint. However, it can be overwhelming at times, so I recommend that you listen to it when you feel like being loud in your room rather than with earphones. Moreover, you’ll get a peek into the life of the wondrous goddess that is St. Vincent— so do yourself a favor and check it out.
Remake of classic sci-fi film ‘Blade Runner’ disappoints Jimmy Christon Columnist
Blade Runner 2049
Denis Villeneuve Warner Bros. Pictures
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how ridiculous this is. There should be a reason that there’s katakana and mandarin plastered all over the buildings. People live in these cities that utilize these languages. But the film never shows us any indication that there are any Asians anywhere within its world. It’s cultural appropriation at its most blatant, and it completely took me out of the film. Additonally, there’s the other problem with this movie, with one of the more troubling being the way it treats women. I think this one is more of a misfire than it is a flaw fundamental to the movie’s DNA. The reason I think this is that there’s a lot of women in this movie, and not just that they’re there and have a neutered role, but these women are key players within the plot of the film. For each of the three male leads, there’s at least two female characters that seem to play a more important role than the males, despite not receiving due credit. I say “seem to” because the movie doesn’t re-
ally do this. This movie had female-identifying characters that were independent of a male presence and that the plot was aimed at deconstructing the misogyny of the first film. Instead of that, the female characters only seem to be there to denote the importance of the male characters. What I’m trying to get at with these points is that the remake of “Blade Runner” is just trying so hard that it’s essentially ineffective. It wants to live up to the overblown standards of the first film. It’s trying to be Andrei Tarkovsky with its meditative length and sci-fi concepts, and it’s also trying to be “Blade Runner” in a post-”Handmaiden’s Tale” world. With that said, it just doesn’t achieve any of this. “Blade Runner 2049” wants to be a thoughtful sci-fi film in the vein of Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” or Lizzie Borden’s “Born in Flames,” but it misses the critical step of turning its investigative eye back in on itself and perpetuates the issue of lack of representation and cultural appropriation in blockbuster films.
Courtesy of Vimeo
e live in a day and age where people obsess more than they appreciate. The original “Blade Runner” is a prime example of this troubling phenomenon. It’s a great film. It’s a slow film. And it’s also a very sexist film. But for all of its faults, which are many, everyone remembers the speech made by the antagonist at the end of the film. If you’re like me, you heard the phrase “like tears in the rain,” before you watched “Chinatown,” before you read “Camus” or even before you had heard of the brilliant Octavia Butler. And my problem with that movie is that this admittedly fantastic moment seems to overshadow all of the nauseating stuff that’s in the film. The original “Blade Runner” is great. It’s emotional, and it’s touching. But there’s just so much wrong with it that people ignore because of some truly fantastic moments spliced in throughout. In this regard, the new “Blade Runner 2049” exhibits more of the bad qualities of the first film because of its age. I really liked this movie, but there is just so much here that took me out of the experience that it is hard to give this film a good rating. To start with the positive aspects of the film, I thought this movie looked visually fantastic. “2049” isn’t just a sci-fi flick, but rather it’s a window into the year 2049, and it’s absolutely wild. My favorite visual aspect was the “beach” scene that happens in the third act. I also really loved Ryan Gosling’s character and how his narrative tied into the narrative repetition of the franchise through the use of Vladimir Nabokov’s novel “Pale Fire.” I also thought the use of an electronic girlfriend was a cool rehash of themes brought up in Spike Jonze’s impeccable film “Her,” but this time from a decidedly more depressing angle.
And now onto the aspects of the remake that were lacking. “2049” is plagued by the same problem as David Lynch’s return to “Twin Peaks”: These pieces appropriate Asian culture to the utmost degree. There is Asian art, Asian dress and Asian beliefs on very blatant display in these pieces, and while the art might be authentic and the beliefs genuine, the lack of any actual Asian representation within these pieces just pushes the use of Asian culture into bona fide appropriative territory. Hollywood must do better, there are no excuses. Why I’m bothered by this is that these pieces are trying to set up a feeling of otherworldliness and thoughtfulness within their worlds, and they do this through “othering” Asian culture. Instead of coming from, say, an Indian Buddhist perspective and embodying these beliefs through actors who come from this culture, these movies use these beliefs to display feelings of “weirdness” and “other-worldliness” that are removed from their real-world counterparts. What this leads to is us as viewers being okay with tons of white-on-white violence through the justification of the influence of an “Orientalized” other, which is an idea that originally come from Andre Seewood’s review on Shadow and Act of the film. Why this is so frustrating coming from a director like Dennis Villeneuve is that he was a director who has been very aware and vocal about issues of race and gender in his previous films. This was especially apparent in his film “Sicario.” At first, this film seemed great. It appeared to go down the path of a generic thriller with a white lead who solves all of the non-European problems. But then that white lead gets forcibly removed from the plot, and the movie pivots into a drama or a political commentary that is told through a completely Mexican lens. Villeneuve recognized that race was an critical part of that film and completely molded his film to tell that specific story. But now we have “2049” and the double threat of Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford going around this wacky future world where the only place Asian people are seen is on the sides of buildings. If you’ve been to San Francisco, you know
“Blade Runner 2049” was disappointing in its cultural appropriation and treatment of women in the film, failing to live up to the high cinematic standards of the original movie.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
ARTS
October 19, 2017
Campus Canvas
A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
Page 17 submit to misc@vassar.edu
Excuse me, What do you wish you were eating?
“Really good lemon Italian ice” — Emma Ratzman ’21
i like swimming. i like floating on water with my glasses off and watching the little waves that ricochet away from me, i like imagining myself a boat. a little vessel. a body that could carry other bodies, a thing capable of voyage. a thing that could leave. i like the cool. i like, too, being underwater. to tell the you the truth, i don’t know if i like being underwater more. maybe. and to tell you the truth, maybe i should feel guilty for admitting that but there is nothing that floats that does not also know what it is like to be underwater— i like the quiet. i like the way light doesn’t look straight. i feel like maybe i blend in more there. if i were to scream, no one would hear, not even me, and maybe that’s what i want. if i were to bleed, the red would only be visible for a moment before being dissolved by blue.
“Cooked tomatoes” — Sarah Marshall ’20
i remember that when i was a child i was never allowed to stay in a pool for more than an hour. when asked for a reason why, my mother pointed at my wrinkled fingers. today there is no one to tell me to get out and i wonder if i stayed underwater forever, or indefinitely, if i would dissolve. if i would sink until gravity and water molecules aching at my skin broke me apart. if particles of my body could mix with the contents of a pool until i was indistinguishable from the water itself i wonder if i could fill a sea, or an ocean. and if i did, i wonder if i would like evaporating and turning into rain and falling back to earth and if i did i wonder if i would still not want to be here as much as i don’t want to be here now today my body will not dissolve, today when i let my body loose, let it give up, just for the practice, the water slowly back up to the surface, an offering, maybe.
which is not me
“Some flavorful Chinese food” — Kevin Canas ’20
raises me
“Mozzie sticks” — Sharika Hasan ’19
i finish my thirty-three laps in the rec center pool, tell myself to stop composing poems in my head, and wonder if i’ll be sore tomorrow.
Helen Magowan is a sophomore filmmaker & poet from Boulder, CO.
“I like bread” — Mirit Elena Rutishauser ’19
“Chinese hot pot” — Ke Wang ’20
Leah Cates, Humor & Satire Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
SPORTS
Page 18
October 19, 2017
Men’s and women’s soccer rise in league standings SOCCER continued from page 1
Women’s Soccer
Vassar College 2, St. Lawrence 1
Vassar College 2, Clarkson University 1
October 15, 2017
October 13, 2017
#
Player
3 4 5 7 8 12 16 17 20 21 29 1 2 10 11 13 15 18 25 30
Aquilina Feeley Caveny Pope More Plante Sideleau Youse Young Pollotta Amico Amell Yacura Poehlein Studnitzer Palma Cubell Johnston Tavakkol Rotolo
Totals.......
Amico Rotolo
First-year forward Ally Thayer beats a defender downfield. Her performance this weekend helped lead the Vassar College women’s soccer team to a 2-1 win over Clarkson University.
Women’s Field Hockey
Vassar College
Goalie
Junior defender of the Vassar College men’s soccer team Tyler Gilmore clears the ball during Saturday’s game against Saint Lawrence. Vassar went on to win the contest 2-1.
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
with the offensive performance in this game. She said, “We continued to be creative in the attack which resulted in a great game winning goal by Ally Thayer against Clarkson.” Vassar held onto the 2-1 lead for the remainder of the game, improving to an 8-2-3 overall record and increasing their unbeaten streak to 10 games. The Brewers looked to continue their unbeaten streak and secure another conference win Saturday against Saint Lawrence, but fell in a close game, 1-0. The Saints controlled the ball for most of the game, taking 15 shots to the Brewers’ four in the first half alone. After a scoreless first half, Saint Lawrence’s Hannah Meriam gave her team the lead in the 54th minute. First-year goalie Fiona Walsh recorded 12 saves on the day, keeping the game within reach, but the Brewers fell to a tough Saint Lawrence team. Pillsbury felt that though they did not win, they were in the game until the very end. “Overall, it was a pretty even match,” she said. “It will be important for us to capitalize on early scoring opportunities in the upcoming games. It was a tough loss and end to a great winning streak, but we left with our heads held high and looking forward to possibly facing them again later on.” Junior captain Dahlia Chroscinski felt that while this weekend’s results were not ideal, it was a learning experience that will make the team better down the road. “This weekend was not one of our strongest performances and I think we all feel that we didn’t play the type of soccer we are capable of,” Chroscinski said. “We definitely played hard and had some moments of greatness on the field. Overall there’s a lot we can learn and build off of from our two games this weekend.” Pillsbury says the Brewers are ready for their next match, which is Oct. 21 against William Smith College. She said, “William Smith has always been a challenging team to play, but if we go into the match recognizing we have the drive and talent to compete with them I think there’s a good chance we can come out on top.”
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
Gilmore has high hopes for the rest of the season: “The most important thing going forward will be our confidence in each other to perform in every game, which I have always felt among us since coming to Vassar,” Gilmore said. “It is getting to that time in the season where we have our tactics down and it’s all about execution in key moments, something Jose Novas knows a lot about.” After his outstanding performance this weekend, Novas has become the team leader in goals and points with six and 16, respectively, while simultaneously leading the league in game-winning-goals with four. Even with such a great start to the season both personally and as a team, Novas said that he and the team will not settle. “The key to keeping our streak is to not get complacent,” Novas said. “We haven’t accomplished anything yet. There’s a lot more work to do and we need to stay focused and dedicated.” The Brewers hope to continue their outstanding season Saturday, Oct. 21, against Hobart College. Women’s soccer also had a solid weekend, which began with a 2-1 win over Clarkson on Friday. In this contest, the Brewers dominated the first half, taking five shots and two corner kicks compared to Clarkson’s three shots and zero corner kicks. Neither team was able to convert by halftime, however, and the game remained locked at 0-0 going into the second half. In the second half, senior Amanda McFarland connected for her fifth goal of the season, coming in the 53rd minute. Just 14 minutes later, Clarkson countered with a goal of their own, coming from sophomore Megan Murphy. With the game in its final minutes, first-year Ally Thayer came through in the clutch. In the 84th minute, she scored the game-winning-goal on an Amanda McFarland assist. Junior captain Audrey Pillsbury was happy
Minutes 35:00 39:30
St. Lawrence
Sh SOG G A
#
2 0 11 3 7 3 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 3 0 0 0
2 0 4 2 2 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 8 9 14 16 18 20 22 23 25 38 5 6 11 12 17
38
16
2
1
GA 0 1
Saves 0 1
Player
Vassar College
Sh SOG G A 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Grosshans Yates Burger Stillman Wood Wraight Rosenheimer MacKenzie Shaffer Clark Cardenali Sherwin Sandhu Houseman Pollard Reiss
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3
Totals.......
2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1
1
Goalie
Minutes
GA
Saves
Cardenali
74:30
2
12
#
Player
00 2 5 7 9 12 14 16 17 18 19 3 6 8 10 15 21 24
Sh SOG G A
Walsh Alvarez Thayer DeBenedictis Chroscinski Coughlan Seper Cutler Lavelle McFarland Ferry Trasatti Deitch McMannon Chernet Longo Moss Daley
Totals.......
Goalie Walsh
Clarkson University
0 0 3 0 0 0 3 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
14
8
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2
#
Player
2 5 6 10 14 18 19 20 24 25 30 4 7 8 11 23
Murphy Abel Spittler Goudreau Mahoney Strijek Kather Careccia Black Duhaime Green Coon Gruneisen Flaherty Gillespie Bushey
Sh SOG G
Totals.......
3 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
8
3
A
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1
0
Minutes
GA
Saves
Goalie
Minutes
GA
Saves
90:00
1
2
Weitzman
90:00
2
6
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
October 19, 2017
SPORTS
Page 19
U.S. World Cup failure Jones in the wrong with should come as no suprise remarks on player protest Desmond Curran Guest Columnist
I
t would be an understatement for me to say how gutted I am. The U.S. Men’s National Team’s (USMNT) failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup is a miserable pain, one that I will not enjoy next summer during the tournament. There will be outraged pundits, commentators, fans and players in the upcoming weeks. Taylor Twellman had a rant on live television the night of the USA’s loss to Trinidad & Tobago, and his blunt criticism of the team rings true. But for all the outrage and disappointment for USMNT fans, I would argue that those who understand the system of soccer in the United States are not at all surprised by this result. The turning point was Jurgen Klinsmann’s removal from the position of manager of the USMNT. This was the right decision: Klinsmann was out of his depth in managing the tactics of the team, leading to some poor results for the U.S. early on in qualification proceedings. However, up until that point, Klinsmann had been able to compensate for this with his selection of players. Unlike Arena, who favors players from Major League Soccer (MLS) for the national team, Klinsmann was hugely successful in finding American talent that played overseas in Europe. Arena’s choice to focus on homegrown talent should have been the warning sign. Any fan of soccer should know the huge gulf in quality between the MLS in the USA and any top-flight European league. Not only are the quality of play and competition significantly better in European leagues, but the development of youth players is vastly ahead of even the best developmental academies in the U.S. For example, Christian Pulisic has been playing for Borussia Dortmund since he was 16. Michael Bradley is an extraordinary example of a player who has played both in Europe and in the United States. Not too long ago, he was a starter for Roma in the Italian Serie A. Now he starts for
Toronto FC, after choosing to return to the MLS instead of staying in Italy. In my opinion, he has been one of the most consistently poor performers for the USMNT. Part of that, I believe, stems from his exit from European competition. Arena also notably left out Fabian Johnson, an American who plays consistently for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga. The departure from European talents has hurt the quality of the team drastically, and it was clearly apparent throughout the qualification process this past year. The issue of American talent goes even deeper, appearing throughout the developmental system of U.S. soccer. At the grassroots level, the opportunity for young, talented and passionate players to pursue soccer is quite exclusive. This is due to a pay-to-play model that prices many players out of pursuing the sport seriously. To play for competitive travel soccer and have access to trained coaches and skilled competition, families of players must pay for equipment, travel, and typically upwards of $2,000 for a whole year of participation on a select team. This expensive prerequisite to play soccer at a young age is certainly an obstacle to American youth development. It is likely that many talented athletes do not develop because of this barrier. This is detrimental to the progress of American soccer, and must change if the USMNT wishes not to repeat this debacle of a qualification run. The final hint that should have alerted American fans to the potential for failure was the attitude of our players. Too many of them simply assumed that the U.S. would qualify, enough for the team as a whole to lose any sense of urgency. It was evident in the final game with Trinidad & Tobago. The only players who showed any concern, any life about them among a drowsy U.S. team, were Christian Pulisic and Clint Dempsey. The rest of the team looked uninspired, almost uninterested. How, considering all these factors, could anyone be surprised by this failure?
Jonathan Levi-Minzi Guest Columnist
I
n the aftermath of the Dallas Cowboys’ crushing, last-second loss to the Green Bay Packers two weeks ago, it was actually a completely different kind of tumult which provoked owner Jerry Jones. “You understand? If we are disrespecting the flag, then we won’t play. Period,” he told reporters. A few weeks back, Jones was one of a series of NFL owners who, along with members of their families and front office staffs, joined players on the field in so-called unity. All locked arms and took a knee, but were back standing when the national anthem began to play. The demonstration was a response to Donald Trump’s public suggestion that NFL owners fire any “son of a bitch” who did not stand for the national anthem. In an interview with ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen, relayed to the public by Mortensen in a series of summarizing tweets, Jones expressed to Mortensen his surprise that players continued to kneel during the national anthem after the displays of unity (Twitter, 10.09.2017) The Cowboys’ owner apparently never considered the possibility that players were genuinely concerned with police brutality and structural racism, two of the key issues raised by the anthem-kneeling protests. Mortensen also tweeted that Jones saw “the policy [as being] in the best interest of players, who ‘need consequences’ to stand up to peer pressure” (Twitter, 10.09.2017).Jones’ language in this instance is plainly condescending, which is ridiculous because it is clear he who does not and apparently never did understand what is going on. Jones’ comments about “disrespecting the flag” come directly after two similarly hardline positions emerged from the White House. Vice President Mike Pence abruptly exited an NFL game in which players knelt during the national anthem, and President Trump followed up his own furor-initiating provocations from a few weeks ago
with a call to Jones in which he allegedly admonished the long-time Cowboys owner to get the NFL game manual updated with a requirement to stand for the national anthem. Jones was almost certainly feeling the pressure when he took his own strong stance, which itself was in response to a question about Pence’s actions earlier the same day. In a Cowboys team meeting the following Wednesday, though, and as ESPN’s Todd Archer reported, Jones “said his stance on the national anthem protests was rooted in a desire to play the bad guy and deflect attention from the players, according to a source” (ESPN, “Cowboys meet about Jones, anthem,” 10.11.2017). This comment also completely exposes Jones’ breathtaking ignorance regarding the dynamics of the issue. I always find it a shame when certain types of reporting have to be anonymously sourced. In this instance, especially, it would have been great to hear exactly how Jones spun this brutally unnatural justification. And the same way that sources of privileged information and access often cannot remain sources if they divulge their identities, players often cannot remain players if they publicly speak out against their employers. “It went well,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said of the meeting later the same day. Further demonstrating the passive nature of these comments, Archer added that another Cowboys player, cornerback Orlando Scandrick, “said ‘no comment’ seven different times to questions about Jones’ recent statements and the anthem controversy” when the media received access to the team’s players that same day (ESPN). That a billionaire owner of a sports franchise isn’t attuned to the gravity of the concerns his players are addressing in their protests is perhaps not altogether surprising. Nonetheless, Jerry Jones’ intransigent attitude stands in such stark contrast with the players’ kneeling gesture that it is hard not to grimace.
Vassar women’s rugby performs well at West Point Kelly Pushie
Guest Reporter
F
Courtesy of Karl Rabe
riday the 13th proved to be bad luck for the West Point JV rugby team, as they dropped their match to the Vassar College Brewers 61-26. The Brewers traveled to West Point for their sixth matchup of the fall season. Things started off well for the Brewers, who converted within the first few minutes of the match. Fullback senior Michelle Urrutia received the ball, maneuvered her way around the defense and ended up in Army territory. Vassar took advantage of their favorable placement and got the ball to junior Jennie To, who crossed the line easily due to a lack of defense at the side of the ruck. Vassar had the ball at the restart and began their movement up the field, but soon they turned the ball over in the center of the field. An Army defender took the ball from her 22 to the Vassar 22, and then dropped the ball off to a support player who ran it in to tie the score at 7-7. Vassar got back on the board soon with a great run by junior flanker Oshana Reich, who fought through from over 15 yards out. Another good run for the Brewers came from senior Kayla Lightner, who helped gain significant yardage. A few plays later, Urrutia scored for the Brewers, who then were up 17-7. However, when Army got the ball back, they jumped on the Brewers, who were looking disorganized following a penalty. Army stole a Vassar scrum put-in and converted, closing the gap to 17-12. Army soon scored again, making it 19-17 but Reich got the ball and gave the Brewers another score before halftime, pushing VC ahead 24-19 at the half. After the first 40 minutes, it was clear that the team needed to focus on their defensive effort throughout the second half. Coach Tony Brown, who has been with the program for 22 years, voiced the need for the Brewers to be smarter defensively. The Brewers had the ball for most of the first half, but West Point kept the score close. “In the first half we did not defend well. We have to be smarter setting up defensively. Army scored three tries and led after 30 minutes, yet we had monopolized possession,” Brown noted
Senior Alicia Menard-Livingston breaks a tackle and holds onto the ball as senior Kayla Lightner (left) and junior Jennie To look on. Vassar beat West Pont JV 61-26 last Friday. in an email response. However, he did applaud the offensive strength throughout the match: “We did establish our attacking pattern, and that allowed us to keep the ball for long periods.” The Brewers took their halftime chat to heart and played a more well-rounded second half. As they progressed, the Brewers’ level of play improved both individually and as a team. While the Army squad began losing steam, the Brewers kept piling on the pressure. Senior Sarah Mawhinney scored, along with Urrutia and To who both earned a hat trick. The Brewers finished the match with a significant point differential for the victory. However, the match also illuminated a necessary improvement in their defense. Consistent with Coach Brown’s comment on the lack of defensive cohesion, junior Makena
Emery commented on the team’s inability to play a solid full game. “I think the team did well this past weekend at West Point, but I’ll be honest, though, it wasn’t a great first half,” she said. “Unfortunately, this seems to be a tendency of the last few games, so one of the main things we definitely need to work on this week is not waiting until the second half to start playing good rugby.” However, Emery was happy with the offensive end of things. “A few things I thought we did do well on once we picked it up was staying composed and maintaining possession of the ball,” she commented. As for the rest of the season, the Brewers are heading into playoffs, meaning if they lose, their season is over. The Brewers play New Paltz in the first round next weekend. They are looking to learn from their mistakes from the West Point
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
match and focus on improving their defense in practice this week. “To prepare for the first round of conference playoffs on Sunday, we are definitely going to work on making our tackles and quickly setting up a defensive line,” Emery noted. “We’ve been challenged in these last few weeks by having to play more defense than we are used to.” Working on something that has clearly been an issue for the Brewers is only going to benefit the team, especially heading into tougher matches. Senior Sarah Mawhinney expressed the team’s enthusiasm going into their next match against New Paltz. Since it is single elimination, the stakes are high. “The New Paltz game is exciting because it’s the start of playoffs and we’re definitely starting to pump up the pressure. If we lose, we’re done for the season, so as a team we all really have to step up for each other at this point in the season,” Mawhinney said. Mawhinney also discussed her leadership role as a senior, along with her fellow seniors so far this season. “From a competitive standpoint, all of the seniors, as the most experienced players, really step up as leaders to make sure that we as a team compete at a high level. From a team standpoint, we always want to make sure that even if practice is hard, even if we’re tackling each other in the mud in pouring rain, we all show up for each other and work every day to make ourselves and each other better,” she commented. This relentless and determined attitude that the seniors demonstrate is evident in the fact that the Brewers have gone undefeated in their season thus far and don’t show any signs of stopping. Emery made this attitude clear by remarking that the end goal of this Brewers’ squad is to make another trip down to South Carolina for the Final Four. “We are taking that step by step, first with the Tri-State Conference, where we’re aiming to defend our championship title,” she explained. With a 6-0 record and a rock-solid offense, the Brewers are continually setting themselves up for yet another great fall season. The Brewers will host New Paltz at home on the Vassar Farm this coming Sunday, Oct. 22, in the first round of playoffs.
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October 19, 2017
Why we play: Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre Vassar is fortunate to have so many talented and dedicated student-athletes on campus. This year, The Miscellany News would like to highlight their stories. Although dance is not officially recognized as a varsity sport, this week’s special edition “Why we play” features Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre, with the stories of senior dancers Hannah Worby and Jade Direnfeld.
Hannah Worby, dancer Hannah Worby Guest Columnist
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Courtesy of Hannah Worby
quit when I was 16. Middle of high school, overworked, hormone driven, just starting to taste independence and tired. Ballet was losing its grip on me—it kept me from home until 10 p.m. each night and left me lethargic and insecure. I’d sprawl across my bed with my notebooks and dinner, finally getting to my hours of homework. It was all I could do to suppress the nagging thoughts: “Knees straighter. Leg higher. Lift from underneath! No, try again. Knees straighter. Straighter.” I started snapping at my parents. All the time. Then feigning sickness, injury, cramps, anything to get out of going to dance that day. Lost on me were the costs my parents were bearing to support my growing up in the dance world. The costs of class enrollment, company membership, attire and pointe shoes. The costs of driving 45 minutes each way for pick-up and drop-off, of hauling to the County Center for all-day tech and dress rehearsals. The costs of watching their daughter grow into a body she’s been told doesn’t move well enough, must be sucked in, stretched out, strengthened, worked on. Costs my parents bore so that I might fight through something they thought I still loved. I quit with the intention of finding my way back. I planned to take some open classes throughout the rest of high school, keep myself moving until I could fully commit in college. But in those first few months after quitting, I admitted to myself that I needed to put a full stop to dance and take a breath. And I had never felt so much freedom. Freedom from the time commitment, but mostly freedom from damaging hours spent in front of a mirror, grinding toward a perfection that would never be. I didn’t miss dance for a while. Two years later, as a high school senior, I peered into Kenyon Studio with my parents. We
ran into Steve Rooks, a Professor and Chair of Dance at Vassar, power-walking up the hallway toward the dance office. As he introduced himself to us, ushered us into the studio and chatted with my parents, I walked further into the space. I pictured myself: Finally out of high school and finding my way through college, dressed in the easy casual dancewear of layers and rips and pit stains and socks, moving across the floor, framed by the high windows and wall-mounted barres. In this picture, I was a year older, dripping with sweat and beaming. Absolutely radiating joy. I felt the corners of my mouth twinge. It took until second semester to timidly enroll in dance classes and until sophomore year to audition for Vassar Repertory Dance Theater. Throwing myself back into the grueling company life was electrifying. Each day, I was reminded of all the reasons I danced when I was a child, before perfectionism and company politics got in the way. I had a matured gratitude for the vigor and freedom that comes with melting your body into the music, grounded yet weightless, individual yet seamless with those sharing the beat. There’s a certain quality about committed dancers. Certain spatial awareness, kinesthetic awareness and rhythmic awareness that are products of an athletic art form. Dance straddles the performative discipline, with details of the movement, music and staging that create art to be engaged with and absorbed, and the bodily discipline, with technical details of musculature, strength and conditioning, and endurance that make the art so powerful. Dance is cerebral. Intensely physical. Inventive. Hard, hard work. And, when the music starts, freeing. I had to walk away for a few years to find a more powerful reason to dance than simple continuity since preschool. Coming back into the studio after time away,
Senior Hannah Worby capitaves the audience in a performance for Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre. Worby is a religion and cognitive science double major from New York. getting back on stage, I dance with a deeper, more profound understanding of what it does for me. Now, looking in the mirror, working through the choreography, I find ways to love what my body can do, to appreciate what it can’t and to be captivated by the energy pulsating within. My body hurts, my homework beckons and the walk from the THs to Kenyon is unappealing at best. But these are the minute costs I bear to do what I love, what helps me to love myself.
Senior year is not slowing down, yet the time I spend in the studios seems to invert the clocks if only temporarily. Time doesn’t pass by us in those sweaty studios—rather, we find new and beautiful ways to carve time up, throw it, push it, slice through it and slide under it. To embody the music and silence as they unfold, to be hands on a clock that turn in all directions. Dance is time made physical. I am grateful to my body for its timekeeping.
Jade Direnfeld, dancer Jade Direnfeld
Guest Columnist
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Courtesy of Jade Direnfeld
Senior Jade Direnfeld performs a grand jeté´ for the camera. Direnfeld is a senior from Hawaii double majoring in international studies and Russian. She is a member of VRDT and Fly People.
Courtesy of Hannah Worby
The seniors of VRDT pose for a group photo. Direnfeld, Worby and their fellow seniors will be featured performers in VRDT’s final showings the week of November 12.
dance 17 hours a week. I counted. So it’s a fair question to ask: Why do I make my way all the way from the THs to Kenyon at least once a day? Well, the simple answer is, I love it. I can’t imagine my life without it, but it didn’t start that way. My mom used to force me to go to ballet class, often bribing me with fast food (McDonald’s). Dance felt pointless and I really didn’t enjoy standing in different positions and listening to boring music. As I got older, I started to appreciate it more. I worked a lot harder, attended summer programs on the mainland and even started watching what I ate. Ballet became everything to me outside of school. I danced almost every day, and was fortunate enough to have a mom willing to drive hours to take me to dance! I took private lessons and became extremely competitive. By the end of classes I was dripping with sweat, often changing the color of my leotards. I had never worked that hard for anything in my life. It was my first true passion. I decided it was my dream to become a professional ballerina. North Carolina might seem like a random state to your average girl growing up in Hawaii, but sophomore year I moved there to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) in the high school division and pursue my passion professionally. I danced every day for four and a half hours. We dedicated everything to dance, and sometimes academics. Dance began to be a creative outlet and not just mastering steps. I began putting my feelings and thoughts into how I danced. As a high schooler, it was the only consistent relationship I had. Being far from home, having friend groups change on the daily and trying to keep up with my 8 a.m. physics class, dance kept me on track. Dance helped me grow up. My dream of dancing professionally grew along with the idea that I was doing it for my parents to make them proud. All their money,
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time and unwavering support was what drove me. But when senior year came around and it was time to audition for conservatories, apprenticeships and trainee positions, I couldn’t see myself chasing something that didn’t seem to make me happy. UNCSA was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world, yet once I fully emerged myself in the dance world I realized it wasn’t the right path for me. I hated my body every time I looked in the mirror, I ate half a bowl of fruit for meals, I felt competitive with friends, hoping they would fail and pushed my body to its limits. So I applied to colleges, feeling like it was the end of my dance career. It seemed to me that I had wasted so much of my young life and disappointed my parents. Once accepted at Vassar, I auditioned for and was accepted into the Vassar Repertory Dance Theater and Fly People. They have truly been some of the best parts of Vassar, but it’s still a complicated relationship. Some days I go into the studio dreading the barre warm-up and center allegro combinations, and some days it’s the only thing keeping me sane. VRDT has helped me explore contemporary dance, a more forgiving and expressive dance form, showing me that having a longer torso and less flexible hips is acceptable. I have learned to love my body again. My relationship with dance has taught me so much about myself. Every time I dance, I learn a little more about myself, how I’m feeling, how my body works and who I am as a person. Now when I look in the mirror, I see who I am, not what I look like. Dance gives me stability in my life, allowing me to have confidence in everything else I do. If you know me, you know I love to dance (especially on TH couches). When I hear music, I can’t help dancing, often bringing me to my feet so I can use my whole body. It’s just fun. It brings me joy. I dance because I really don’t know who I would be without it, and I couldn’t be more thankful to my mom for dragging me to class all those years ago.