The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Volume CL | Issue 10
November 16, 2017
Vassar puts strain on Arlington Fire District budget Laurel Hennen Vigil News Editor
L
(PILOTs) to their local fire departments or host communities, Vassar does not regularly contribute financially to either AFD or to the Town of Poughkeepsie. “Vassar does impact our budget,” said AFD Chief Tory Gallante. “It costs money every time we roll out the door, whether it be for personnel or wear and tear on the fire vehicles. As far as tax-exempt institutions go, Vassar is the largest user of services in the district.” Like most nonprofits, including colleges and universities, the vast majority of Vassar’s property is tax exempt. Vassar does own several off-campus premises, together worth about $6.5 million, that it pays taxes on. Of this, a little over $40,000 goes to AFD each year. But, according to Town of Poughkeepsie Assessor Kathleen Tabor, the College’s tax-exempt property is worth far more, at nearly $185 million. See FIRE on page 4
Laurel Hennen Vigil/The Miscellany News
ights flash. An alarm blares. Students stumble out of bed, hastily pulling on shoes and jackets before heading down the dorm stairs and out into the frigid night. Many mutter, “Not again…” Every few seconds, the building lights up against the dark sky, the alarm strobing and emitting a piercing caterwaul. At the Arlington Fire District (AFD) headquarters on Burnett Boulevard, the firefighters and paramedics on duty are awoken by their own alarm. The crackling radio transmission causes a stir in the bunkhouse, where they sleep six to a room in twin beds, ready to be up at a moment’s notice for the multiple calls that come in each night. In the kitchen below, a Vassar campus map hangs on the wall. “We know every dorm,” laughed Lieutenant Louis Cassinelli.
“We have to.” When a call comes in, they hustle to their engines and race the 1.3 miles to Vassar, weaving around the cars that hastily pull over at the sound of their sirens. It’s a trip they make almost every day—or, more often, almost every night. AFD responds to just under 350 calls at Vassar each year. In 2016, these calls—about half fire alarms and half requests for emergency medical services (EMS)—outnumbered those of 15 of our peer liberal arts schools and the two other colleges in Poughkeepsie—Marist and Dutchess Community College (DCC)—both in number and in volume of calls per student. Measured in dollars, Vassar’s use of fire district services also costs more than its peers’, taking an estimated $1 million bite out of the AFD budget last year. But unlike many of the other schools, who make annual donations or payments in lieu of taxes
Firefighers, paramedics at the main AFD station. Left to right: Capt. George Finn, Dan Sylvester, Lt. Louis Cassinelli, Don Robison, Jason Fisch, Jasen West.
Spring Concert poll Living with diabetes: daily routine gives students a voice I Abby Knuckles Guest Columnist
Kelly Vinett
Guest Reporter
T
he Spring Concert Committee has been planning for what is arguably Vassar’s most well-attended event besides Founder’s Day. This year, the committee decided to become more transparent and inclusive. The preliminary stage has recently begun with sending out a poll to the student body consisting
of 23 artists ranging in genre from rap to indie rock. The committee consists of ViCE, VSA Programming and the Traditions Committee, all united to make Spring Concert 2018 the best in Vassar’s history. Reflecting on the joint collaboration effort, Traditions Committee Co-Chair Ashley Hoyle ’18 said, “Thus far it’s been a joy working with ViCE. See CONCERT on page 14
have this memory, though I believe it to be fabricated, of being seven years old and eating a chocolate bar. In my head, I eat the chocolate, savoring every moment of tasting it. Light filters into the mostly beige room through beige curtains, tinting everything golden. I sit on the old green carpet, looking out the sliding glass door. I see a bright backyard, and think about going out to the swingset. And, most importantly, I
don’t have an insulin pump making a bump in the sleeve of my t-shirt. I could probably write endless little stories about life with diabetes, but none of them can fully encapsulate how much I truly hate this disease. I hate that my body runs on two AAA batteries. I hate that I can never just eat a plateful of french fries when I feel like it without performing a million calculations about what my activities for the day will be, how stressed I am, whether something I ate earlier
might still be affecting my blood sugar, whether I will want another coffee after this one, whether this plate of fries could land me in the hospital if I get it wrong. And then after as many of these considerations as I can possibly do, sometimes my blood sugar still doesn’t do what it should. Sometimes I manage to forget this ritual anxiety for a few minutes or hours, but it always comes crashing back. My continuous glucose monitor See DIABETES on page 6
Dramedy confronts LGBTQ+ past Vassar basketball set to tip off new season W Matt Stein Arts Editor
Kelly Pushie
Guest Reporter
T
Courtesy of Liv Rhodes
hen Diana Son’s play “Stop Kiss” first premiered at New York’s Public Theater in December 1998, the world was very different. Only two months prior, Matthew Shepard was beaten to death in Laramie, WY, for being gay. Vermont wouldn’t become the first state to allow civil unions for two more years. Stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ community still lingered in the echoes of the AIDS pandemic’s zenith earlier in the decade. Despite the progress that has occurred in the last two decades, Son’s play exists now exists as a capsule for a bygone era. Presented by Unbound, “Stop Kiss” will be performed in The Mug on Nov. 16 at 9 p.m., and Nov. 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. Directed by Liv Rhodes ’18 and stage managed by Nina Zacharia ’20, Son’s dramedy centers on the main characters Sara and Callie’s relationship, starting from when they meet spontaneuosly and following them as it develops further, culminating in an angry bystander attacking them on a park bench after their first kiss. Told in a non-linear format, the play presents both the buildup to this action and the aftermath. Within the theatrical canon, female-centered plays are few and far between. Props designer Delaney Sears ’21 spoke about how “Stop Kiss” creates a spotlight for an underrepresented voice: “One thing that I always notice is with plays and musicals, having two See STOP KISS on page 14
Directed by Liv Rhodes ’18 and stage managed by Nina Zacharia ’20, Diana Son’s “Stop Kiss” will be performed in The Mug on Nov. `16, 17 and 18.
Inside this issue
3
NEWS
VC prof offers reflection upon winning county election
6
Seven Sisters peers offer insight into FEATURES journalism careers
he men’s and women’s basketball teams are getting ready for what should be yet another successful season. The men’s team has less than a week before they kick off the start of their games. The team will be traveling down to Memphis, TN, to face up against Rhodes College and Johns Hopkins University. Last season, the Brewers went 6-19 and 2-14 in conference. However, they are coming back with more firepower this season, having brought in four talented first-years as well as returning their top three scorers. Because of this, Vassar was picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches poll, ahead of Ithaca, RIT, Union, Clarkson and Bard. This past Saturday, the Brewers got one last chance at real game exposure with a scrimmage against New York University before they officially start their season on Nov. 18. Junior center captain Steve Palecki commented on the overall performance of the team, saying “The teamed performed well yesterday against NYU. I thought our team ran the floor well, pushing the pace at the right moments, and also executed our offensive sets at a higher percentage than our first scrimmage,” he mentioned. However, heading into their open-
9
ing weekend, Palecki said the team will be working on a few things. “One thing we could continue to focus on is our communication on defense, as communication is the backbone of any good team.” After about a month of preseason, Palecki is feeling good about the way the season is shaping up. “The team is looking great as we head into our last week before our first official game,” he said. “Guys have been competing hard in practice and developing at a fast pace. I am really excited for what this season holds for us as everyone is on the same page in the organization from top to bottom about our goals and how to achieve them.” Palecki explained that the main goal of the team this season is to make it to the Liberty League championship, and he plans on using his role as captain to help the team make that goal a reality. “I hope to help our team achieve this by continually bringing guys together, strengthening our bond, making us a better team and also by pushing my teammates to get better everyday,” he noted. The Brewers have a tough season ahead of them, but with all the work they have put in during the offseason and in preseason, they are bound to find success. Similar to the men’s team. the women’s team is feeling confident headSee BASKETBALL on page 18
In light of allegations, we must reckon with OPINIONS artist-artwork relation