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The Miscellany News

Volume CXLIX | Issue 6

October 27, 2016

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org

Chess club unites area amateurs

Outreach programs aid youth Clark Xu

Yifan Wang

Reporter

Contributing Editor

D

R Eilis Donohue/The Miscellany News

espite the New York Supreme Court’s decision last month that eight school districts, including the Poughkeepsie City School District (PCSD), received a level of funding adequate to provide students with a basic education, Vassar College outreach programs and the district teachers’ union find that resources in local schools remain sparse and place strains on the educational system that hit marginal groups the hardest. Both teachers and college students, however, are committed to young students’ success, hoping for more involvement from Vassar College and internal reforms in the district. The decision affirmed that PCSD provides sufficient basic education to its students, thus concluding the Maisto v. State of New York court case, which was decided three times by lower courts in 2015. In the final decision, Acting Supreme Court Justice Kimberly O’Connor wrote, “No funding mechanism will ever be perfect, and it is a laudable goal, but an impossible dream, to reach a one hundred percent success rate for students in all measurable areas ... In conjunction with the other sigSee SCHOOL on page 3

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

The Kamakura Daibutsu, a huge statute of the Buddha in Kamakura city southwest of Tokyo, is one of many popular destinations in and around Tokyo for foreign tourists and domestic weekenders alike.

Student taken with trip to Tokyo Eilis Donohue News Editor

I

f you have one week to go anywhere, halfway around the world may not be the most logical choice, but it certainly is an exciting one. Over October break, I went to visit my older sister in Tokyo, who, after

graduating college, decided to pick up and move to Japan to teach English. I had not seen her in nine months, and was excited to see both her and a city–and region of the world–that were completely new to me. I don’t think I was fully prepared for the unfamiliarity of it all. Not

since I was a toddler have I experienced such complete and utter ignorance when looking at a street sign or nutrition facts; yet in Japan, I found myself searching fruitlessly for meaning in the words all around me. My helplessness to communicate in most See TOKYO on page 6

ockefeller Hall cannot be more familiar to a Vassar student. Classes meet here. Student organizations hold activities here. Special lectures take place in the spacious rooms here. But perhaps few know that it is also the home base for many of the best chess players in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Every Monday evening, Rocky 104 turns from a regular seminar room to the battlefield of members of the Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club. During a recent double-robin tournament, eight participants took turns to play against each other. They had five minutes to outplay their opponents, or lose. The room was bright and quiet. Tensions were mounting. The only sound was that of pieces moving on the board and hands hitting the timer. In addition to robin tournaments, the club also offers nationally rated tournaments, team chess, as well as free lessons for youngsters up through college graduates. It also invites prestigious guest speakers and holds simultaneous chess exhibitions with grandmaster or international master level players. From photos documenting the club history, internationally renowned players such as See CHESS on page 5

Forgotten drama piece revived Men’s basketball set to tip-off 2016 season “T Kaitlin Prado

Guest Reporter

Olivia O’Loughlin Sports Editor

O

Courtesy of Kevin Johnson

his is a play written in anger. In the dead wasteland of male society—it seems to ask—isn’t it necessary for certain women, at least, to resort to murder?” –Nicholas Wright For a majority of this semester, a cast of eight people met for four hours a day, at least four days a week to feel their way through a challenging piece of drama. “Machinal,” a Drama Department senior project, opens this week in the Martel Theater. This fascinating expressionist show was playwright Sophie Treadwell’s most famous work, but it has been predominantly forgotten within the theater canon. Director Olivia Zerphy ’17 explained this unfamiliar work by saying, “‘Machinal’ is the story of a young woman who murders her husband. Saying that doesn’t necessarily give anything away, as it is not a plot-based drama.” While “Machinal” is loosely based on the life of Ruth Snyder, a woman who kills her husband, the play has a larger agenda which transcends plot to a point. The cast is confident in the creative ways they have chosen to represent the expressionist elements that dominate this play. Among these choices is the dedication to a movement-based communication of ideas. In effect, this production promises a highly physical style of theatre. Zerphy went as far as to say, “Some sections of the production begin to hint at dance theatre. While the text that Treadwell has writSee MACHINAL on page 15

“Machinal,” a Drama Department senior project directed by Olivia Zerphy ’17, reanimates a largely forgotten play by playwright Sophie Treadwell.

Inside this issue

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Social media in conflict with fair renderings OPINIONS of war

15 ARTS

Met exhibit sheds light on Baroque painter

n Oct. 15, as most students packed their bags for October break, the men’s basketball team took the court to start its 2016-2017 season. Throughout the week, the squad underwent tiresome days of practices, weight lifting, pool workouts and shooting sessions to prepare for the tough Liberty League competition ahead. With 10 returners and five freshmen, the men’s team looks to have success with upperclassmen leadership and the additions the freshmen bring to the program. The freshmen include Josh Brownridge, Hunter Gettings, Kyle Kappes, Mattie Mrlik and Owen Murray. The first-year crew brings impressive basketball IQ , high energy and enthusiasm. Head Coach BJ Dunne explained, “The freshmen are adjusting just fine. They have all great personalities that mesh well with the returners. They all possess a certain skillset that will positively affect our program on the court.” Nevertheless, the freshmen have had to undergo the difficulties that accompany the transition from high school to collegiate basketball. Murray stated, “Being a freshman and adjusting to a new system is always challenging because every team and coach has a certain way of doing things. So learning the plays, culture and rules of

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the basketball team here was difficult at first but the older guys really go out of their way to help the freshmen adjust.” To lead the way, the upperclassmen have set a competitive attitude and focused mindset for this season. Sophomore forward Stephen Palecki elaborated, “It feels great returning to the team this year. The rest of the returners and I came back to school this year hungry to win a Liberty League Championship after falling short in the semi-finals last year.” The team shares Palecki’s sentiments and looks to improve upon last season’s finish of 12-14. Last year, with a conference record of 8-7, the Brewers qualified for the fourth seed of the Liberty League tournament. In the playoffs, the Brewers ended their season as they fell to the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds with a score of 71-82. Ready for revenge, the men have been working endlessly to prepare for their Nov. 15 opener. For the past few weeks, the crew has participated in early morning workouts with varsity weight coach Cameron Williams. Every Wednesday and Friday, the men joined the women’s side for team lifts and conditioning. As the season started on Oct. 15, the squad continued team lifts while supplementing their schedule with two See BASKETBALL on page 18

Houston team kisses stereotypes SPORTS goodbye


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