The Miscellany News
Volume CXLVIII | Issue 9
November 19, 2015
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Class echoes challenges of UN Top physician fosters empathy in medicine I Kaitlynn Vo
Guest Reporter
t can be hard, sometimes, to make certain decisions. There are choices such as not hitting the snooze button, getting out of bed, going to class. Some days are easier than others when it comes to deciding what to do. Ultimately, what motivates people to do things they may or may not feel inclined to do is whether or not it falls within their best interests.
As hard as this evaluation sounds for an individual, imagine applying it to an entire country. What would it be like to not only determine what is most beneficial to an entire sovereign nation, but to eloquize those points in front of a group of individuals just as familiar, maybe even more so, with this country? Then, inflate the crowd of observers to more than 4,000 peers from more than 40 countries and attach the stipulation that this exercise
would represent the final culmination of intense study and months of preparation. The resulting product is the course description for Vassar College’s own National Model United Nations course, INTL249. The National Model United Nations course is offered only in the spring. While it was originally hosted by the Political Science department, it remains a strongly multidisSee NMUN on page 7
Alan Hagins Reporter
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t some point, you’re bound to get sick. Your body will refuse to do the simple tasks it had no problem doing yesterday. If you make it to the doctor’s, it can be hard to say what went wrong when the rapid-fire list of diagnostic questions the physician asks don’t seem relevant. On Thursday, Nov. 19, celebrated literary scholar and physician Dr. Rita Charon will give a lecture on the rapidly growing field of Narrative
Medicine that she largely founded. Charon is the Founder and current Director of the Masters Program in Narrative Medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Literature and Medicine and has won numerous awards, including the Virginia Kneeland Frantz Award for Outstanding Woman Doctor of the Year. Charon’s lecture at 6:00 p.m. today in Taylor Hall will focus on writSee CHARON on page 6
VSA calls for gender neutral bathroom plan Eilis Donohue Reporter
V courtesy of Tanvi Jaluka
The INTL249 class offered during the spring semester takes a trip to the National Model United Nations - New York Conference as their final exam. Together with students from Dutchess Community College students will represent Cuba.
assar has been co-ed since 1969, and its dorms have been co-ed since the issue was put to a vote in the 1980s. One of today’s issues surrounding gender and space on campus is now equally as fundamental as dormitory space: accessible and safe bathroom facilities for all, including transgender and genderqueer students. Many in the Vassar community are now striving to move past acceptance of co-ed standards and on towards the adoption of standards that would create a safer space for students of all gender identities.
The Gender Neutral Bathroom Initiative, spearheaded by a group of students and staff and led by Director of the LGBTQ and Women’s Centers Judy Jarvis, is the community’s response to the lack of available, non-gendered restrooms in campus facilities. The initiative began in the spring of 2013, when there were about 13 public buildings on campus unequipped with gender neutral bathrooms, nine of which have now been outfitted with at least one. The four or so that remain include the Chapel and Sanders Physics, both of which have two each of men’s and women’s bathrooms. See GNB on page 4
Beal finds harmony of music, film Gallagher, Hallum highlight banner year T Sieu Nguyen Reporter
Winnie Yeates Reporter
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Inside this issue
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Campus Patrol dispels myths FEATURES regarding job
14 ARTS
he name of Jeff Beal may not be as well-known as “House of Cards,” the Netflix original series on Washington politics, but the show owes much of its popularity to its music composer. A graduate from the Eastman School of Music, recognized for his jazz career and television composing, Beal is a recipient of three Emmy Awards. Next Monday, Nov. 23, Beal will visit Vassar College to lecture on and explore music in film. He will also attend several classes and dance shows as a part of an overarching conversation about music’s presence in different artistic forms. Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance Miriam Mahdaviani was one of the organizers of this event. She met Beal this past summer when she attended a dance performance. “I had a chance to meet Jeff this summer through my work with the G. Schirmer music publishing company. We were both attending a performance of a dance piece which was choreographed to music that Jeff wrote specifically for that performance. I believe Jeff is delighted to be visiting Vassar. He is looking forward to seeing his music interpreted for dance at the VRDT performance and he responded enthusiastically when he heard that our students See BEAL on page 17
Collaboratory outfitted to record immigrant voices
courtesy of Jeff Beal
here are a host of ways to judge the success of a team’s season. The women’s volleyball team finished with a 14-15 record overall on the year, with a 5-7 record in the Liberty League. While they may not have won their division or the Liberty League Tournament, the team held a close bond throughout the year and looked to strong individual performances and dramatic matches as a measure of success. As the Brewers closed out their season, the team’s efforts and individual success lingered as two members of the Brewers earned conference accolades. This past Wednesday, Nov. 11, the Liberty League awarded freshman Devan Gallagher of the women’s volleyball team Rookie of the Year, as they announced their all-conference teams. Gallagher became the second Vassar College women’s volleyball player to earn Liberty League Rookie of the Year, joining Hillary Koenigs who earned the award back in the fall of 2009. Gallagher also earned All Liberty League second team while Senior captain libero Chloe Hallum was tabbed as second team all Liberty League honoree. Both players are entrenched in
Vassar lore as two of the greatest success stories in the history of the Vassar’s women’s volleyball program. Gallagher became the first Vassar College freshman to lead the team in kills since the 2009 season, posting 290 kills for the Brewers, averaging 3.09 terminations per set while leading them in attacking percentage with a .234 clip. Gallagher was named Liberty League Rookie of the Week twice this season, tied for the most of any conference newcomer. This is quite an impressive feat for a freshman to undertake. Sophomore Ashley Hoyle [Full Disclosure: Ashley Hoyle is a reporter for the Miscellany News] spoke of Gallagher’s talent, “I have been so impressed with Devan’s ability to come into the program as a rookie and really soak up all of our philosophies and grow to understand the ins and outs of our team so quickly. It has been a pleasure to see how hard she’s worked at opening herself up to all of the new experiences she’s had with Vassar volleyball, and its been even more of a pleasure to see how she’s obviously gotten so much out of her first season with us. It’s not always easy for rookies to adjust to our program—we do a lot of mental training, but Devan has been so committed to See VOLLEYBALL on page 18
Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal will deliver a lecture this Monday. He is known for his work on the popular shows House of Cards and Ugly Betty.
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VC XC takes on NCAA SPORTS Atlantic Regionals
The Miscellany News
Page 2
November 19, 2015
Editors-in-Chief Palak Patel Noble Ingram
Senior Editors Anika Lanser Rhys Johnson
Features Opinions Humor & Satire Arts courtesy of Kelsey Quinn
Sports Photography Design Online
Julia Cunningham Emily Sayer Zander Bashaw Connor McIlwain Yifan Wang Zach Rippe Sam Pianello Sarah Dolan Elizabeth Dean
Crossword Editors Alycia Beattie York Chen Collin KnoppJYA Blogger Kelsey Quinn just traveled to Amsterdam while studying abroad in York, England. To read more about Kelsey’s travels and JYA experience, visit farandaway.miscellanynews.org! Schwyn Assistant News Jeremy Middleman Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice Web Master Andy Carrera
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November
Thursday
Trans Allyship Training
1:30pm and 5:00pm | CCMPR | LGBTQ Center
Late Night at the Lehman Loeb
5:00pm| Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center Atrium | Art
Racial Democracy in Latin America: Lessons from the Cuban Revolution
5:30pm | Rocky 300 | History Dept.
Alejandro de la Fuente lectures. Rita Charon Lecture
6:00pm | Taylor 203 | English Dept.
Rita Charon, MD, Ph.D. will speak about writing as a healing art.
Formerly Known: A Devised Musical 6:00pm | Shiva | FWA
Trivia Night
6:00pm | Faculty Commons | Office of International Services
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November
Friday
Nature Illustration and Drawing Workshop
3:30am | Farm- Collins Field Station | Environmental Cooperative Join the Environmental Cooperative for a free drawing and illustration workshop with Rick Jones.
Critical Animal Studies Conference
5:00pm | Kenyon 131 & 132 | VARC
Basketball (W) vs. College of Mt. St. Vincent 6:00pm | Fit Center Gym | VC Athletics
Screening: Richard II
6:00pm | Rocky 300 | Merely Players
Formerly Known: A Devised Musical 6:00pm | Shiva | FWA
Kristina Wong Lecture
VRDT Final Showings
8:00pm | Kenyon Dance Theater | VRDT
7:00pm | Blodgett Audit. | ASA Kristina Wong, will be coming to Vassar to discuss struggles with mental health in specific regard to Asian American women in the US.
The Salon
VRDT Final Showings
8:00pm | Aula | Britomartis
Committed’s 2nd Show
8:00pm | Kenyon Dance Theater | VRDT
8:30pm | Rocky 200 | Committed
The Salon
The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged
Committed’s 2nd Show
10:00pm | Sanders 212 | Philalatheis
8:00pm | Aula | Britomartis
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November
Saturday
Critical Animal Studies Conference
8:00am | Kenyon 131 & 132 | VARC
Rugby (W) Fall Regional Championship
9:00am | Prentiss & Rugby Field | VC Athletics
Sunday
Vassar Fencing Invite
8:00am | Walker Field House | VC Athletics
Rugby (W) Fall Regional Championship
9:00am | Prentiss & Rugby Field | VC Athletics
Swimming (M/W) vs. NYU
Critical Animal Studies Conference
Fall Celebration
Cleveland Baroque Orchestra
Formerly Known: A Devised Musical
VSA Council
12:00pm | Walker Pool | VC Athletics
5:00pm | CCMPR | BSU Because this is intended to be a Black affinity space, this event is open to black-identified students and staff members only.
6:00pm | Shiva | FWA
The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged
7:30pm | Sanders 212 | Philalatheis
10:00am | Kenyon 131 & 132 | VARC
3:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music “The Power of Love: Fireworks from Handel & Vivaldi.” Jeannette Sorrell, conductor, and Amanda Forsythe ‘98, soprano.
7:00pm | Main MPR | VSA
Paper Critique
9:00pm | Rose Parlor | The Misc
Come tell us all about our typos!
VRDT Final Showings
8:00pm | Kenyon Dance Theater | VRDT
Vassar College Orchestra
8:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music
The Salon
8:00pm | Aula | Britomartis
HEL Winter Show
8:30pm | Rocky 200 | Committed
8:30pm & 10:00pm | Taylor 203 | HEL
The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged
Improv Show
10:00pm | Sanders 212 | Philalatheis
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November
Reporters Amreen Bhasin Eilis Donohue Ashley Hoyle Sieu Nguyen Sabrina Oh Matt Stein Winnie Yeates Columnists Nick Barone Penina Remler Sarah Sandler Josh Sherman Patrick Tanella Design Christa Haryanto Klara Kaufman Scarlett Neuberger Talya Phelps Samana Shrestha Charlotte VarcoeWolfson Copy Laura Wigginton Noah Purdy Claire Baker Jackson Ingram Steven Park Rebecca Weir Sophie Slater Sophie Deixel Jessica Roden
9:00pm | Rocky 200 | Improv
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only corrections for any misquotes, resentations or factual errors for ticle within the semester it is
accept misrepan arprinted.
November 19, 2015
NEWS
Page 3
Parlor Talk Mayor-elect Rob Rolison discusses local crime rates
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courtesy of Rob Rolison
n the last issue of The Miscellany News, an analysis of Mayor-Elect of the City of Poughkeepsie Rob Rolison’s policies and plans for Poughkeepsie’s future explored Vassar students and faculty’s’ reactions. Consideration of the discussions of the challenges facing Poughkeepsie was meant to raise further questions and awareness of some of the debates surrounding issues in Poughkeepsie. This interview was an opportunity for Rolison to respond to the opinions and discussions at Vassar. Questions were meant to both allow him to respond to opposing points of view and for him to offer his own ideas. Q: What are the main issues you think are important to address during your mayoral tenure?
Well I can tell you, not only from my own personal thoughts and understanding of the city that I live in, but also from what I heard on the campaign trail for all these months, is public safety...the fear of crime and just the fear of not feeling safe... The fiscal situation of the city...is dire... The relationship between the mayor and the city council, which in [Mayor John Tkazyik’s] administration has not been very good, and has really hampered a lot of the ability to work together on challenges and also move the city forward...The transparency and communication of city government and its residences and to residents and business owners. But also...the transparency between the administration and the city council...If you don’t feel safe in the community, it doesn’t really matter what else goes on. I made that point; I think it resonated with a lot of folks...We have to make sure that the public has that comfort level, that business people have that comfort level...It’s not a matter of just cops. It’s the community working together and addressing not only crime issues. You have to fight crime, but there’s also the other part of this–the prevention of crime–and there are all the things that go into making a community less safe or more safe. And it’s a very universal effort.
Q: Where would you like the relationship between Vassar and the community to be? What further actions or interactions would you like to see enacted by Vassar students?
We’ve got some of the finest higher education institutions in the country within a quarter of a mile of the City of Poughkeepsie. We have to make use of that...There’s no shortage of help that’s needed. There’s also no shortage of manpower here on this campus that could,...given the right circumstances and coordination, assist on a variety of levels. I see the natural link between the education that is going on here on this campus and how that can be brought into the City of Poughkeepsie, or the City of Poughkeepsie brought here. Either way, share those experiences...share your educational background and mentoring [with] younger people and...showcase higher education. Bringing people from the city, to Vassar, to Marist, to D.C.C., shows individuals [from the community] that there are other things that you can do. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a college; it could be employers; it could be other organizations.
Q: Some at Vassar see the new jail being built in the City of Poughkeepsie as an indication that Dutchess County is not moving toward alternative solutions to incarceration. Where do you stand on this issue?
The Dutchess County jail is undersized for the population that currently needs to reside in it. We have spent close to 40 million dollars in housing our inmates. The last time there was an expansion of the jail was in 1994, and it was overcrowded the day that they turned the key on the new facility. So we have been getting a variance from the state of New York from the Commission of Correction...They are the ultimate authority when it comes to jails, because jails are state mandates on counties... We’re spending seven, eight, nine million dollars a year on transportation, on housing out [of county]...They’re not getting the services that they deserve; they don’t have access to their lawyers; they don’t have access to their families. The court system slows down; the entire criminal justice system slows down; people could conceivably spend more time awaiting their fate in the criminal justice system...Given the sta-
tistics of the size of the county, we incarcerate less people in the jail per 100,000 [than] almost any county in the state of New York, so it’s not that people are just being locked up. It isn’t that way. So if you take that number–1,000 people in the system–which means this is 1,000 people who have been arrested and are now going through the court system. 500 of those people are on alternatives to incarceration. They’re out on A.T.I.s. Dutchess County has one of the most robust and nationally recognized alternatives to incarceration systems in the country. [The probation department] is nationally recognized... Our probation officers are in the [facility] gym every day looking to pull people out of it because we know it cuts down on costs. We can put people into programs and service, and then we can cut down on recidivism...It’s not a jail, it’s a correctional and transitional facility that is going to be the first of its kind in the state of New York. We’re in the process now of constructing a crisis diversion center to divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues before they even get to the jail...I would envision people from the colleges helping with things that go on inside that facility–especially when it comes to education. Q: Do you have any further comments?
One of the things that’s so important for government and a college campus is that dialogue: between the taxpayers [and government]...[and] the students with their government officials with the administrators of this campus. So you have dialogue. You make better decisions. Better public dialogue always leads to better public policy decisions. And it’s not always the case, because a lot of times dialogue is tough to come by; it’s sometimes tough to initiate. And one of the things I hope that we’re going to do in this city government moving forward is we’re going to have a lot more interaction with the public... For more information, check out the full interview transcript at www.miscellanynews.org
Disabilities expert urges greater openness on campus Derek Sonntag Guest Reporter
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Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News
o many at Vassar, constructive discussion on issues of disabilities and its social implications is lacking. On Nov. 12, however, the Office of Accessibility and Educational Opportunity’s 14th annual Steven ’71 and Susan Hirsch Disability Awareness Lecture sought to challenge this trend. This year’s speaker was Associate Professor of English at Spelman College Margaret Price. According to Director of the Accessibility and Educational Opportunity Office MaryJo Cavanaugh, Price was chosen to give this year’s lecture for her expertise and activism in the field of disabilities research. “Price’s scholarship, research— and lived experience as an individual with mental disabilities—provide an important foundation to how we discuss disability and access for both students and faculty in higher education,” Cavanaugh wrote in an emailed statement. “We wanted her presence to serve as a catalyst for campus conversation around mental health, wellness and disability and its impact on the classroom.” At her talk at Vassar, Price detailed the effects of a lack of discussion about disability on college campuses, particularly mental disabilities. As Associate Professor of English Leslie Dunn briefed, “Disability is too often the missing term in campus conversations about diversity and inclusion.” Price opened by reflecting on the fact that mental illnesses and cognitive disabilities are on a dramatic rise on college campuses. “A huge percent of college students with psychiatric disorders drop out of college,” Price said, with some studies reporting a record of 86 percent. In addition, she noted that large-scale studies on college campuses tend to separate mental illness from cognitive disorders, meaning that the actual rates of distress, help-seeking and dropping out are likely higher than studies conclude. In response to these results, Price argued that mental health is a question of urgent interest to everyone invested in higher education. “I encour-
age us to move away from the desire for a quick fix…and instead to think about what the experience of mental disability as a member of the academic community really entails,” she stated. Price focuses her current research on faculty and has conducted survey studies with various faculty members across the country who have a wide range of disabilities. She described that when she and her colleagues asked whether participants had requested accommodations for their mental disabilities, 87 percent of respondents had not. When they were asked why in the interview study, many participants answered that they did not need them or were unaware that they were available. When posed with an open-ended response, one participant wrote, “One word— STIGMA.” Another comment elaborated: “I do not think that the risk of serious reprisal is high, but I have seen a colleague with a serious mental health issue subjected to constant gossip, originating with administrators, and I believe such would seriously damage my ability to work.” After conducting these interviews, Price and her associates noticed patterns concerning all of the study’s participants. One covered a lack of specialized knowledge. “Almost all the faculty [we] have interviewed report that there is a gap in knowledge about disability in their workplaces,” she explained. People may learn how to interact with those with mental disabilities without making them feel uncomfortable, but that knowledge only comes after the person gets to know the other. Price remarked, “In other words, in addition to teaching their classes and doing all their work, [diagnosed faculty] are also teaching everyone around them how to work with/in the parameters of their everyday disabled selves. This is, as you can imagine, a highly complex endeavor, and takes a lot of energy.” Price also voiced concerns for the environment currently present in academic spaces. Her interviewees described very unwelcoming atmospheres towards disabled students and faculty in
Leading researcher Margaret Price gave this year’s Hirsch Disability Awareness lecture. Price posited that discussion of mental disabilities on college campuses is severely lacking. their schools. For example, a non-tenure-track faculty member did not seek accommodations for fear of having her contract revoked. In addition, Price asked a participant whether she talks about her disabilities at work. The participant replied, “There’s not a chance in hell.” Another participant explained her dilemma: “This school isn’t great about accommodations.” Language also contributed to this participant’s sense of unwelcome isolation; as Price said, “Among the language [the participant] recalled was a search committee’s use of the R-word during [her] interview.” Much of what Price said resonated with those who attended, as did the lecture’s welcoming atmosphere. Cece Babbitt ’19, who attended the talk, commented, “She made the lecture accessible
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
and...fostered an environment where individuals were not intimidated by the space and able to be comfortable while listening to the lecture.” Responses such as these may spur the types of conversations both Cavanaugh and Price strive for. Cavanaugh states, “Often people immediately think of disability as physical or sensory in nature when in fact the invisible or more hidden disabilities may have a greater impact on a student’s experience at college in and out of the classroom.” The Hirsch Disability Awareness Lecture is meant to reveal the truth behind such misinformation. “These conversations really have to take place in specific local contexts and there has to be a will to have the conversations as well as a space for them,” Price said.
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NEWS
November 19, 2015
Community revives gender neutral bathroom initiative GNB continued from page 1
marked, “I don’t think professor dissent will undo this work. My fear is that if a lot of negative information is around, then nobody will consider it for the future.” In order to stop the spread of false information and encourage the community to inform themselves about the issue, the LGBTQ Center debunked several myths about gender neutral bathrooms on their website. One such myth is that co-ed and gender neutral bathrooms are the same, and that the one should be an acceptable stand-in for the other. The site reads, “A co-ed bathroom acknowledges only male and female whereas a Gender Neutral Bathroom acknowledges the reality of multiple gender identities.” Members of the initiative want to see more positive and accurate information about gender neutral bathrooms disseminated. “Students, especially cis-gendered students, can help this process by making it aware to their professors and fellow
peers that [having] gender neutral bathrooms is not an oddity at Vassar, it is a necessity for many students and people in the world,” Brown stated. “Having productive discussions and learning about the implications and history behind gender neutral bathrooms is essential. An informed population is the best way to have a productive population.” Beyond the lack of information, another reason that the initiative has not yet been successful in converting at least one bathroom in each building is due to codes. The College has strict regulations, especially on the older buildings. Jarvis admitted, “There are some buildings that Vassar just won’t touch. That being said, we still were able to work pretty well. We were able to get folks on board to allow multi-stall bathrooms to be gender neutral. Any single occupancy bathroom is really easy.” She reiterated, “Mostly the resistance is coming
Spencer Davis/The Miscellany News
According to their website, the initiative’s goal is to make sure that all students feel safe in the basic necessity of restrooms. They intend to make at least one gender neutral bathroom available in every academic and administrative building. At a VSA Council meeting on Nov. 8, Jarvis affirmed, “We aren’t trying to change every single bathroom to be [a] gender neutral bathroom.” Rather, the reasoning behind the movement is to make many students feel more comfortable going about their daily routines and allow them freedom to participate fully in student activities. “To have to weigh whether you want to use a restroom means you are not at your best in the classroom,” Jarvis stressed. “It’s an additional stressor that not everyone has to deal with. It also goes with our non-discrimination factor.” The initiative’s website states that Vassar’s nondiscrimination policy includes gender and expression. During a VSA Council meeting on Nov. 15, President Ramy Abbady ’16 proposed a resolution pledging and renewing the VSA’s support for the initiative. The resolution passed unanimously, reaffirming the support that the initiative has in the student body’s representative arm. VP for Student Life Christopher Brown ’16 commented in an emailed statement after the council meeting, “The VSA created a resolution in support for this initiative two years ago when it first started to take shape. This year, the resolution’s purpose is mainly to reaffirm the VSA’s stance in saying that there is still much work to be done in terms of Gender Neutral Bathrooms, especially in regards to faculty and staff training.” In the past, the Vassar community has largely supported the initiative, but it has also encountered some resistance. Brown explained, “The resistance has come mainly from misinformation about what the initiative is and why it is important. The goal this year in terms of the initiative is to make sure the information about gender neutral bathrooms at Vassar out there is correct, and making sure people understand why this is still an issue we all need to be concerned about.” In last week’s VSA Council meeting, Jarvis re-
Some at Vassar believe that the campus gender neutral bathroom initiative has reached its goal. Many students and faculty, however, are seeking to finish what was started in the 1980s.
from misinformation.” While there has been progress since the initiative began, their work is not finished, as Jarvis reminded the VSA. “We are at a point where people think the initiative has been successful. That’s not true. We still have four-ish buildings that don’t have gender neutral bathrooms. I’ve had complaints from professors or staff members from three different buildings on campus. There has been vandalism on signs in Main and another sign was completely ripped down in Davison. What I need your help with is that we need to work to maintain these bathrooms on campus.” While there is a support base among the general student body and select administrators, Jarvis stressed the importance of garnering support from other members of the Vassar community. “Admin and students don’t stay here as long as faculty members and staff members. The main drivers here are the people who turn over the fastest.” However, she also recognized the work that needs to be done even within the student body. “In my experience, it hasn’t really been students with the issues. They get acclimated pretty well. It’s not to say that the students are all on board. Bias incidents say otherwise.” VSA members at last week’s Council meeting responded, offering suggestions for spreading the word about the initiative, including creating posters, providing information sessions during freshman orientation, and writing campus-wide emails and letters, such as the very one that the VSA approved on Tuesday night. Through continued collaboration with the VSA, Jarvis and the other initiative supporters intend to increase awareness and understanding of the issue and open more avenues for trans allyship. Brown summarized, “Vassar as an institution should be supporting the LGBTQ Center as well as other centers associated with Campus Life and Diversity in a more obvious and direct way. This not only takes a financial form, but an institutional support form as well... [especially] acknowledging the power disparities among different identities on this campus, and just showing a willingness to learn and listen when it comes to issues like this.”
Outside the Bubble ISIS Terrorists Assail Non-Combatants On Friday, Nov. 16, three teams of terrorists carried out a coordinated attack at six locations in and around Paris leaving 129 civilians dead and 352 wounded, 99 of whom were in critical condition (New York Times, “Three teams of coordinated attackers carried out assault on Paris,” 11.14.15). All of the attacks occurred within 20 minutes of each other between 9:20 and 9:40 P.M. The terrorists first hit the Stade de France, a soccer stadium, by method of suicide bombing. President Francois Hollande was attending the soccer game, yet was safely evacuated. Another bomb was later detonated near the stadium. Shortly after the first suicide bombing, a group of gunmen opened fire at the restaurants Le Carillon and Le Petit Cambodge. The gunmen also attacked the Café Bonne Bière and restaurant La Belle Equipe. A third suicide bombing occurred inside the Comptoir Voltaire restaurant, leaving one person wounded. At the same time of the third suicide bombing, attackers fired into the crowd of concertgoers at Bataclan, a concert hall where a rock concert was being held. The attackers started to round up hostages and had a standoff with the police that lasted almost two hours. Meanwhile, a fourth suicide bombing also took place near Stade de France (New York Times). Islamic extremist group, ISIS, has since claimed responsibility for the attacks. The mastermind behind the attacks is believed to be Beligan jihadist Abdelhamid Abaaoud (BBC News, “Paris attacks: manhunt for Salah Abdeslam and accomplices,” 11.16.15). French and Belgian security forces are also currently searching for key suspect Salah Abdeslam, a 26-year-old man from Brussels. Though French authorities have conducted over 160 raids across the country, with 23 arrests and 104 placed under house arrest, Abdeslam remains at large (New York Times, “Call to arms in France amid hunt for Belgian suspect in Paris attacks,” 11.16.15). One byproduct of the attacks was an initiation of dialogue between leaders of many European countries over the migration crisis facing Europe presently. One of the attackers allegedly got into France posing as a Syrian refugee. Currently, European countries that have free immigration policies for all refugees are starting to reconsider tighter security measures. The EU currently operates under the Schengen accord,
which allows for passport-free travel of the 26 signatory countries–but some politicians are proposing setting up strict temporary borders for the sake of national security (The Wall Street Journal, “Paris terror attacks transform debate on Europe’s migration crisis,” 11.16.15). This attack came just one day after a suicide bombing that killed 40 people in Beirut, Lebanon for which ISIS has since also taken responsibility. This attack on Paris is the most mass violence France has seen since World War II, and heavy bombing raids on ISIS strongholds are expected to continue in retaliation (ABC News, “120 Dead in Paris Attacks, Worst Since WWII,” 11.14.15). Protesting Mizzou Students Force University President’s Departure Tensions rose to a boiling point at the University of Missouri after a series of racial incidents on campus concluded with an unprecedented reconstitution of the school’s administration. The school’s administrators announced in August that they would be eliminating subsidies for graduate students’ healthcare plans and later announced the end of the school’s cooperation with Planned Parenthood (ABC News, “Timeline of recent events at University of Missouri,” 11.10.15), in light of recent controversy surrounding the supposed selling of organ tissue from aborted fetuses. In addition, racially-offensive, anti-gay and transphobic, and anti-Semitic incidences have occurred throughout campus in the past few months. The students of the university held several rallies and sit-ins in opposition to the administration’s changes and for raising awareness of racism on campus. The protests were organized by student activist group Concerned Student 1950. The name of the group refers to the year of admission of the first black student. The group created a list of demands of the university administrators, the second of which was the “immediate removal of Tim Wolfe as UM system president” (CNN, “University of Missouri campus protests: ‘This is just a beginning’,” 11.10.15). Students felt that Wolfe was inadequately addressing and handling these issues students of color reported facing regularly on campus among faculty as well as their peers. Institutionally, the University of Missouri has perpetuated a history of lack of diverse representation
of minorities in the administration. Students felt the administration neglected racism on a campus where African-Americans only make up eight percent of the undergraduate student body and three percent of the faculty (CNN). At one rally, police emerged and threatened with pepper spray demanding to speak to Wolfe (Daily News, “University of Missouri’s chaos on campus,” 11.14.15). On Nov. 2, graduate student and co-founder of Concerned Student 1950 Jonathan Butler went on a hunger strike. He indicated that he would not eat until Wolfe resigned his post (Los Angeles Times, “Hunger striker gives credit to fellow activists fighting racism at University of Missouri,” 11.10.15). That same week, athletes on the UM football team announced on social media that they would boycott all team activities, in alliance with Concerned Student 1950’s mission, until adequate action was taken by the university’s leadership. The Legion of Black Collegians, UM’s unreplicated all-black student government, stated that all athletes of color would not participate in any football-related activities until Wolfe resigned his post at the university. (NBC News, “#ConcernedStudent1950: Missouri Football Players Boycott in Protest of President,” 11.08.15). After months of protests and rallies, Wolfe resigned on Nov. 9, and the Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin also stepped down that same day. Butler ended his strike after one week and tweeted, “More change is to come!” Democratic Elections in Myanmar See High Participation On Sunday, Nov. 8, Myanmar held its first free general election since 1990. The National League for Democracy Party (NLDP), led by the popular Aung San Suu Kyi, was expected to claim many of the available legislative seats. The party expected to win more than 70 percent of seats in this election. Results were slowly released by Myanmar’s election commission, resulting in the party’s election to all seats in the lower house of Myanmar’s parliament, and three out of four seats for regional assemblies, suggesting that the NLD party is likely to come out victorious (The Guardian, “Myanmar election: Aung San Suu Kyi’s party heading for decisive victory,” 11.09.15). However, hundreds of results still needed to be announced before the results would become clear. Myanmar citizens were skeptical of whether results would be based on
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
the ballots or if the country’s high level of corruption would influence results. Myanmar, previously known as Burma, was under rule of a military junta from 1962 to 2011. The generals who ran the country were accused of a number of human rights abuses, including forced relocation of civilians and child labor. In 2011, current president Thein Sein took office after being elected by the Presidential Electoral College, a three-member committee, as part of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (BBC, “Profile: Myanmar President Thein Sein”, 11.10.14). Sein is known to have led a series of reforms in Myanmar since his presidency, including relaxing media censorship and creating peace deals with minority groups. One of the biggest steps he took was to meet Suu Kyi, the current leader of NLDP, and to bring her party back into the political game. In 1990, the junta allowed for a general, multi-party election and the NLD party (led by Suu Kyi then as well) won by a landslide to the surprise of the military generals. The military annulled the results and placed Suu Kyi and her colleagues under house arrest (CNN, “Myanmar election: Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition NLD wins early seats,” 11.09.15). While the NLD party was likely to win this historical election, it still took a significant amount of work on Suu Kyi’s part in opposition to the national military’s interests. According to the Constitution, 25 percent of seats in the parliament are reserved for the military, as well as three ministries that oversee the police, army and border affairs. In addition, even if the NLDP won the majority of seating in parliament, Suu Kyi could not become president. Myanmar’s constitution bans anyone married to a foreign citizen or whose children are foreigners from becoming president. Suu Kyi is thus ineligible because she is married to a British citizen and has two children with him (New York Times, “Myanmar’s people joyful in voting, even with final results days away,” 11.08.15). Despite general skepticism on surrounding the legitimacy of the election, around 32 million people were registered to vote. While they do not have direct say in who will become the next president (this will be determined by the parliament early next year), citizens are elated to finally have some influence on their country’s politics. —Shelia Hu, Guest Reporter
November 19, 2015
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Shadow Day gives high schoolers a taste of collegiate life Kayla Gonzalez Guest Reporter
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emember what it felt like to endure the dreaded college application season? Most likely, you don’t want to remember the pain and stress that came with all of the tests and forms. There was so much uncertainty during that time, which was why the Vassar College Urban Education Initiative established Exploring College. Through this program, current Vassar students guide local high school students through the process of finding and applying to their perfect school. This past Wednesday, Exploring College brought 10 Poughkeepsie High School students to campus for Shadow Day, an event that allowed them to attend classes and experience a day in the life of a college student.
The Exploring College Fellow and Vassar alum Weintana Abraha ’11 who coordinated the event stated, “What I think Shadow Day can offer them is the opportunity to spend a lot of one-on-one time with role models who have been through the college application process very recently.” She went on, “Exploring College provides after school tutoring twice a week, monthly Wednesday workshops for each grade (9-12), and biweekly writer’s workshops and SAT prep sessions.” Abraha said, “Many of our students are first-generation college bound and our Wednesday workshops educate them on the various resources available to them.” Most first-generation college students are never exposed to the opportunities awaiting
courtesy of Weintana Abraha
Students from Poughkeepsie High School attended Shadow Day, an event hosted by Exploring College. While here, they had their college-related questions answered by current Vassar students.
them at college. And unfortunately, once they get to college, they have not the slightest idea of what kind of environment awaits them. Besides attending classes, the students that participated in Shadow Day also visited the Career Development Office, toured the Ulysses Cylinders Exhibit in the library, and participated in a panel discussion about college expectations and experiences. Shadow Day definitely gave these students more hands-on experience on a college campus. One student, Maria Lopez, explained “I went to an Arabic class and a psych class, and the dynamic of the classes and conversations really opened my eyes. I really enjoyed the oneon-one aspect of the class and fact that the professor didn’t have to stick to a strict schedule.” Another student, Tamika Mincey, discussed all of the help Exploring College has provided her with since her freshman year. “This program definitely got me on the right track,” she stated. Along with the students, the Exploring College volunteers could also see the results this program has on its participants. Seung Hwun Baang ’18 said, “Poughkeepsie High is a really underfunded school. Unlike most of the students at Vassar who were motivated and exposed to resources during high school, the students I work with do not have the path paved for them.” Baang continued that the program provides a platform for students who otherwise wouldn’t have the same opportunities. “I see students who are so dedicated but don’t know how to reach their goal, and this program offers them an answer to all of their questions,” she said. All of these resources serve to prepare students for applying to college, but the panel discussion during Shadow Day served as a reminder of what to expect once they get there. Cody Harmon ’19, Roger Vera ’18 and Kayla Fisher ’17 sat as a part of the panel that gave students insight into what their college experience has been like, and broached topics that
many colleges don’t answer for applicants. The issue of feeling like these students belong on campus was a heavy topic during the panel. Harmon started off this discussion by saying, “It’s tough to get a letter that says you’re accepted, but then you get here and you realize you’re really not.” Fisher told the students, “There are so many issues that come along with being in an elite and predominantly white space. These places have explicitly limited people like me from attending, and in some ways, they still do.” She added, “However, being in this space has taught me how to express these feelings, and that’s something you should remember.” Vera stated, “The first day of orientation was the first day I felt unwelcomed. These institutions weren’t made for people like us, and that’s something you aren’t told when applying.” When it came to the issue of picking the right school, Fisher stated, “I can tell you all about my experiences, but in the end, you have to come to your own conclusions, and you should pick a place you know you’ll feel comfortable and happy.” All of the panelists emphasized the importance of asking questions because, as Abraha shared with the students, “It’s important to feel empowered and claim your school as your own.” The first step to doing this is to know what to expect once you get to school. This is the service that the Exploring College hopes to offer. Fisher stated, “It’s refreshing to know that you’re already asking these questions because that’s something so many of us didn’t do.” It is opportunities like Shadow Day that so many high school students are never exposed to before they step on a college campus, whether it’s Vassar’s campus or any of them across the country. Through the Exploring College program, Vassar is taking steps to change this problem in Poughkeepsie.
Martinez explores changing Caribbean cultural identity Aditi Chandna Reporter
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Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News
rofessor Martinez San Miguel is one of those rare scholars of broad thematic, geographical, linguistic and multi-disciplinary range whose books always force us to shift parameters and reconsider accepted interpretations of literary and cultural phenomena,” Professor of Hispanic Studies on the Rondolph Distinguished Professor Chair Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert said of the recent speaker. Not often do we encounter scholars whose studies encompass as wide a variety as those of Rutgers University Professor Yolanda Martinez-San Miguel Ph.D. As an author, Martinez brought together the fields of Feminism and Migration within the Caribbean. To best represent her, the Hispanic Studies, Urban Studies, Women Studies, French and Francophone Studies, Africana Studies and Latin American and Latino Studies departments collaborated to bring Martinez to Vassar to talk about the coloniality of diaspora in the Caribbean and feminist creolization in the Caribbean. At Rutgers, in New Brunswick, NJ, Martinez teaches Latino Studies and Comparative Literature. Her biography stated, “Her latest book, Coloniality of Diasporas: Rethinking Intra-Colonial Migrations in a Pan-Caribbean Context (Palgrave 2014), is a comparative study on internal Caribbean migrations between former/ actual metropolis and colonies, and questions transnational and postcolonial approaches to massive population displacements and their cultural productions.” Hispanic Studies professor Lyna Mancuso explained that Martinez’s visit to campus is an important occasion. “It is customary to say that it is a great pleasure to welcome someone to Vassar but this is really one of those rare times when I say that I am positively delighted to welcome Yolanda Martinez San Miguel here,” she said. She added, “She is a most prolific scholar and intellectual leader in the field of Pan-Caribbean studies.” In her lecture, Martinez spoke to the linguistic and cultural identity in the Caribbean that
is often up to debate. Creolization, the process by which geocultural formations are produced in the Caribbean, is often crucial to the formations of different identities. “In many cases this cultural formation is deprived of interaction and so creolization is an important cultural experience in the sense that it does not necessarily depend only on racial formations and it actually thinks about other forms of identity,” Martinez said. Her project is specifically focusing on the changes that took place in the Caribbean throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Martinez explained, “This also puts great detail on linguistic and cultural formations and the contact between various languages instead of the contact between races to think about how to define the various identities in the Caribbean.” Language and the mixing of languages also contributes to the loss of culture. Specifically, Martinez emphasized the language of “Spanglish.” She referenced works and authors such as Michelle Cliff’s Abeng and Ana Lydia Vega. She said, “The language displayed in more than one register signifies a particular definition of the title of the book Abeng, and how it has two different meanings in different languages. Even when Cliff writes in Standard English she is working with the idea that you have an understanding of more than one language.” Martinez went on, “The conversation that takes place in the pages of the book is a representation of local identities and the two Jamaican identities that are colliding, despite the two characters being friends. The many novels I have mentioned describe how Creole helps form the Caribbean identity.” She also touched upon the topic of the feminist Creole. “All of the women and protagonists of these novels speak about their cultural identity but they are not the mothers of their nations. There is a relation between their mother tongue and their cultural identity and shows how language can create and identity. This idea of language is a place where this idea of diaspora and the interactions between people and their linguistic practices show the permanency of the creation of an identity.”
Professor of Latino Studies and Comparative Literature at Rutgers University Yolanda Martinez San Miguel presented her project on the Coloniality of Diasporas focusing on the changing Caribbean. At Rutgers, Martinez teaches in the Department of Latino and Pan-Caribbean Studies and the Program of Comarative Literature. Along with her teaching, she is a renowned author. Paravisini-Gebert said of her works, “She has written many articles and made many other contributions to this field of study.” Her first book is often cited as her most popular book. “Saberes Americanos: subalternidad y epistemologia en los escritos de Sor Juana,” took a new stance on old issues. Paravisini-Gebert said, “It transformed the Sor Juana we thought we knew through a focus on her feminine condition in a colonial context in which her knowledge was produced at the emergence of a creole perspective during the second half of the 17th century.” Her second book, “Caribe Two Ways: cultura de la migracion en el caribe insular hispanico,” focuses on different interpretations of displacement and the reconfiguration of a
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
contemporary Caribbean identity in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean enclaves in New York City. Her third book, “From Lack to Excess: ‘Minor’ Readings of Latin American Discourse,” analyzes the narrative and rhetorical structures of Latin American colonial texts. It creates a dialogue for the contemporary studies on minority discourse, minor literatures and colonial and postcolonial theory. Her fourth book, “Coloniality of Diasporas: Rethinking Intra-colonial Migrations in a Pan-Caribbean context,” is a comparative study of an internal migration into the former and actual metropolis and colonies to question national and post colonial approaches to the massive population displacement. Paravisini-Gebert said, “Professor Martinez is a scholar in the broadest possible range whose work is always insightful. I feel the greatest respect and admiration for her.”
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November 19, 2015
Campus Patrol provides extra layer of support to students Maria Bell
Guest Reporter
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hile it’s probably true that getting through four years without needing personal help from Campus Patrol would be ideal, having an experience with Campus Patrol isn’t the catastrophe many students think it is. “You are probably reading this because you are on Patrol, in which case congrats—it’s one of the greatest jobs to have here at VC,” Senior Supervisor Gram Hill’s ’14 Campus Patrol bio reads as humorous as it is factual. Many students at Vassar may not know the depth of Campus Patrol’s role on campus. Of the student-run groups on campus, the one that acts most closely between students and the administration is Campus Patrol. Patrol works alongside the Offices of Safety & Secu-
rity and Residential Life, while the Evening Supervisor serves as a liaison between Patrol and the Campus Response Center (CRC.) Campus Patrol is a form of student-to-student conflict resolution that acts as another set of eyes for security. Patrol is primarily run by seven student supervisors, “senior supes,” who have worked their way up through the ranks of campus patrolling since the beginning of their freshman year. For senior supe Hunter Furnish ’14, Campus Patrol’s student aspect is an important distinction. “Even while working with ResLife, it remains students who supervise students, giving the job a young, fun atmosphere,” he wrote in his Campus Patrol bio. Despite the presence of student workers, Patrol retains a bad reputation among students. Evening Supervisor Tom Racek ‘18 is acutely
Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News
Campus Patrol is a student-run group that acts as the student eyes and ears of Safety & Security. Students’ distrust of Patrol may stem from their misunderstanding of Campus Patrol’s true goal.
aware of the divide between how students perceive patrol and its true purpose. Racek reflected, “The advantage of Campus Patrol is that the students who work for us know what it feels like or know someone who has been in a bad situation and in those situations they will have better judgment and will also act out of empathy.” Campus Patrol is now in the process of shifting to oversight from the Office of Residential Life rather than Security. Patrol’s focus on ensuring the health and well-being of the student body mirrors the intentions of other roles within the Office of Residential Life. Mark Derasmo ’16 is the link between the students and staff of Res Life and Security. “I went from patroller to mobile patroller to trainer,” Derasmo explained. “Finally, I was promoted to supervisor over the course of my junior year because I expressed interest and was known for writing thorough reports. I am responsible for communicating patrol’s role and services to the student body.” Derasmo, along with Eric Santacruz ’16, has weekly discussions with representatives of Residential Life and Security. The more well-known organization for helping students in emergency situations is Vassar Emergency Medical Service (EMS). EMS’s job is to respond to calls, while Campus Patrol’s is to look out for situations that could potentially lead to an EMS call. The link between Patrol and EMS often comes from Patrol informing security of medical distress situations that are then turned over to EMS. As the eyes and ears of campus, Campus Patrol witnesses a lot more than most people. Each of the supervisors on Campus Patrol has plenty of stories about situations they’ve had to take care of. As senior supe Graham Weston ’15 said, “The best thing about being a part of campus patrol is how engaging the job is. One night might be relatively uneventful while the next has you dealing with animals that have bro-
ken into dorms, restricted basement areas that have been opened or dealing with the chaos of a late night fire alarm.” Supervisor Emmanuel Ntow ’17 remembered a time his freshman year when he ran into a middle-aged man in Strong while on his shift. “He talked about looking for a screening of ‘Braveheart,’” Ntow recalled. “I called the Evening Supervisor first to report this and they told me to call Security to ask where this screening might be if it even existed. Security told me they had no records of such a screening, especially one that would be going on so late at night.” Ntow was left to deal with the man at his discretion. “I then decided to let him know that he was in the wrong place and escorted him towards security,” he said. “While on the way he spoke about being a part-time student and believing that one of the Political Science professors was a Communist.” Sometimes the situation calls for a more formal response. Racek remembers a time when he heard a loud noise as if something had fallen. When he entered the hallway he found a student on the floor. He wasn’t on duty at the time, but as a patroller he knew what to do. “I responded by comforting the individual, monitoring his breathing and making sure that his airway was clear,” Racek said. “A patroller arrived on location shortly after and I used his radio to call in the medical distress to the evening supervisor.” Racek went on, “Had someone found the individual later or Patrol not had performed the round...the situation would have been a lot more dire.” Campus Patrol plays another important role that many students don’t realize exists. Patrollers’ main goal is to prevent accidents before they even happen. Walking students across campus late at night is one way that they do this. Racek summed up his and other Patrollers’ main prerogative: “We don’t walk around the house looking for people doing the wrong things, but rather for students in need of help.”
Narrative medicine changes doctor-patient relationship al, he said, “It is always exciting to witness a live intelligence and active engagement in any field, and especially when it is so beautifully crafted as in Dr. Charon’s body of work (the pun only half-intended but almost inevitable).” English major Jocelyn Hassel ’16, who will attend the lecture as part of Joyce’s class, Narrative Healing, explained what the current standards of bedside manner were and how Dr. Charon is advocating to change them. She said, “There seems to be this objective way of looking at the patient. In other words, ‘I’ll tell you what I’m feeling and you’ll tell me what I have.’ So it’s sympathetic in a sense, like, ‘I know what your going through, but as a professional I’m going to tell you.’ Hassel made it clear that the current model of doctor-patient relationships was a sympathetic, not an empathetic one. Narrative medicine could create an entirely new type of relationship between doctors and their patients. She continued, “With Rita Charon and other writers that we’ve read, instead the idea is like, ‘tell me the underlying reasons for why these symptoms are happening,’ which produces empathy and strengthens the relationship.” Hassel said. Charon’s work is not purely theoretical. Women in Science at Vassar College (WSVC), a student group co-founded by Neila Kline ’16 and Emory Werner ’16, supported the event in part for Charon’s ideas about doctor-patient relationships. In the words of Kline, “Medicine is not limited to an objective interaction but can transcend to a more personalized form of care, both on the receiving and the giving ends. This style of practice helps to create mutual understanding and trust.” As a clinician, Charon has personal experience utilizing these techniques in addition to styling them. In a letter to me, Yang mentioned his excitement to hear from someone who has real experience, “I’m looking forward to the advice she has for students who are interested in the humanities and the sciences and want to synthesize them to create a more humanistic model of medicine.”
Joyce, who was the first to reach out to Dr. Charon about giving a lecture, underscored Yang’s hopes by his characterization of Dr. Charon’s work. He said, “Dr. Charon’s life work, both as a healer and a gifted reader and interpreter of literature, involves attending to the full being of others through their stories as well as—or, indeed, as constitutive of—their embodiment.” Joyce’s emphasis on Charon’s humanistic mode of being should give Yang and others like him hope for what advice they might receive at the lecture. Like Charon, Joyce both practices and teaches the multidisciplinary study of empathy. Recently in class, Joyce employed a series of exercises intended to help students build empathy with one another. One exercise involves building a conceptual map based on what one class member perceives of another. In a different exercise, students take turns holding each other’s
styloid bone on the wrist, while students write in the air. A member of his writing seminar, Sarah King ’16, found Joyce’s focus on empathy in the classroom very effective. She said, “Empathy asks a person to be in tune with what’s happening at that moment with another human or multiple humans or the self.” King sees also how the technique might be used outside of the classroom. She said, “The focus on empathy can help doctors retain their humanness in their work ethic.” For students interested in learning more about the role empathy and healing play in narrative and creative writing, Charon, with the help of Director of Fellowships and Prehealth Advising Lisa Kooperman and Director of Career Development Stacy Bingham, has offered a workshop on Friday, Nov. 19 entitled, “Doing Narrative Medicine: A Workshop in Close Reading & Creative Writing.”
courtesy of TEDxAtlanta
CHARON continued from page 1 ing as a healing art. She was invited to campus by Professor of English Michael Joyce. In reply to his invitation, Dr. Charon wrote, “What you are doing at Vassar...is exactly the kind of congruence and confluence that we find in Narrative Medicine, letting adjoining continents blur their boundaries.” Interdisciplinary study is at the center of Charon’s work, which seeks to alter the way medicine is taught and practiced. In her words, “The creative, the clinical, the private, the intersubjective, the aesthetic, the scientific are really, really all going on not just at the same time but beholden to one another.” Because Charon’s work blurs the boundaries between disciplines, she attracts a rather intellectually-diverse Vassar audience. Lanbo Yang ’15, who will attend today’s lecture, took the pre-med track while majoring in English with a minor in French. Yang’s interest in Dr. Charon’s work started with an independent study on Narrative Medicine with Professor of English Leslie Dunn. During the study, Yang had the chance to read Dr. Charon’s book on Narrative medicine, which he believed showed a new side to doctors. “I was not only moved by her sensitivity to patient narratives and her commitment to ethical and humanistic patient-centered care, but I also felt optimistic and hopeful that the field of medicine is changing,” Yang said after reading Dr. Charon’s book and watching one of her TED talks. Yang is seeking a degree in medicine, and Charon’s work is not only a positive force, but an inspiring one for him. Yang said, “It gave me hope that I had the ability to participate in that change, the push for narrative medicine, in medical school.” As the Founder of the Columbia Program in Narrative Medicine, Charon’s work is in many ways revolutionary to the field as a whole. Her lecture’s focus on narrative as healing highlights the importance of empathy in doctor-patient relationships. Joyce is currently teaching a seminar on narrative healing. In anticipation of Charon’s arriv-
Dr. Rita Charon presented her topic, Narrative Medicine, Nov. 19 in Taylor Hall. Doctors and patients will hopefully begin to have new dialogues that increase understanding on both sides.
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November 19, 2015
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Mentors in Violence Prevention leave lasting impact Sarah Sandler Columnist
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exual violence is not just an important subject for college students, it is a worldwide issue. Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) is an organization that has influenced military bases as well as athletic and student groups around the world to think about solving what are traditionally known as “women’s issues.” Throughout the weekend, Vassar will be hosting three MVP training sessions where students will spend time talking about and learning how to confront and prevent gender violence. The MVP program website states in its mission, “MVP provides the leadership necessary, within sport and beyond, to address the global issues of sexism, especially men’s violence against women. In our advocacy efforts and training programs, we educate, inspire, and
empower men and women to prevent, interrupt, and respond to sexist abuse.” The program was created in 1993 by Jackson Katz at Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society and the National Consortium for Academics & Sports. “MVP began as an initiative in the sports culture because of a perceived potential for male athletes’ leadership on issues of gender violence — not because of disproportionate perpetration by professionals or student-athletes,” the website states. Trey Cimorelli ’16 who is on Men’s Volleyball participated in the program last spring. He explained, “When I took it last spring, we talked a lot about gender binaries and gender roles in society and how the genders are perceived by society. We also talked a lot about sexual assault and the spectrum it exists within, as well as bystander prevention.”
courtesy of Anders Van Minter
The Mentors in Violence Prevention Training Program is an international program that offers training at Vassar to provide insight on gendered violence and methods to prevent it.
MVP was designed as a mechanism to train male college and high school student-athletes and other student leaders to use their status to speak out against rape, battering, sexual harassment, gay-bashing and all forms of sexist abuse and violence. “One of the most effective–and quickest–ways to achieve this peer culture climate would be to enlist as change agents men who already have credibility with and the respect of their fellow men,” The MVP website explains. While the program at Vassar is usually consistent, it is always open to suggestion. The Coordinator of the Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Program (SAVP) Charlotte Strauss Swanson explained that improvements and changes are made every year. “This year, with some wonderful student input, we have made specific changes to make the curriculum more inclusive of diverse groups. We know that LGBTQ folks and people of color experience sexual violence at high rates and that the intersections of one’s identity can greatly impact experiences of violence. We wanted the workshop to better address these topics.” The regular workshop discussion, Swanson said, discusses issues of gender-based violence and bystander intervention on campus. She said, “The topics are varied, but include debunking myths about sexual violence, what it means and looks like to be an active bystander, and the role that power and privilege play in this work.” While the program was initially geared towards audiences of men or athletes, everyone benefits from knowing about bystander prevention. Swanson added, “A large part of the program is also discussing risky situations and scenarios that come up on campus, and brainstorming ways that students can safely intervene to prevent a potentially violent situation from occurring.” This isn’t the first time a workshop of this sort will be occurring. Swanson said, “We were so excited to see that last semester student feedback indicated the program was very well received. In 12 hours we have a lot more time
to discuss what sexual violence looks like on and off campus, and I think students appreciated having this space to critically reflect on the topic and their experiences.” In addition to helping students learn how to prevent violence, Swanson continued, “The students who participated were also incredibly honest and open to sharing different perspectives with the group. It was very clear that they learned so much from one another and the conversations they had.” Taking what is learned in the workshop and implementing it in real life is easier said than done. Swanson said, “Intervening in potentially risky situations is tough! But our hope is that by talking ahead of time about the many different ways that folks can safely intervene, participants will feel more comfortable and prepared when these situations do come up.” The many issues discussed at the Mentors in Violence Prevention Training are relevant wherever you go. Swanson continued, “Sexual violence is an incredibly pervasive problem in this country, both on and off college campuses and Vassar is not exempt. Violence happens here. Engaging in critical discussions about power and privilege, the nature of sexual violence, bystander intervention and how we can support survivors is such an important part of preventing violence from happening.” In attempts to ameliorate these problems, Swanson added, “I see the MVP program as a workshop that helps to foster these dialogues and empower students to take leadership roles on campus around violence prevention.” Cimorelli said, “I felt that I learned a lot about the different ways in which society views genders and gender norms. I became aware of a lot in terms of sexual assault, and how to step in and act as a positive bystander.” He said he would recommend the program to everyone. Cimorelli concluded, “I think these are important programs to have at every school. These are prevalent issues with society that need to be addressed and talked about. The diversity at Vassar makes it extra important to have this program here.”
National Model UN course elicits collegiate cooperation NMUN continued from page 1
ciplinary course. Students who take the class also come from a wide range of backgrounds and intended majors. As Tanvi Jaluka ’16 explains, “The students that take this class are diverse with multifaceted interests. Certainly, we draw mainly from the political science and international studies discipline, but this class focuses as much on public speaking as it does on foreign policy.” Dutchess Community College co-teacher Professor Matt Murray had some additional insight as to the motivations of the class’s student demographic: “Most applicants tend to be interested in international affairs, political science, debate, government, or they have participated in past model UN or similar simulations.” Because of the course’s multidimensionality, students looking to satisfy all manner of interests are assured these needs will be met in the course. In addition to advancing public speaking skills in cooperation with foreign policy knowledge, students may potentially research different topics. Jaluka explained further: “Depending on the committee a student is assigned, they can engage in a myriad of topics like women’s rights, international security, poverty alleviation, climate change, technology transfer, and education etc.” Students in this course are not solely limited to an educational progression. Due to the course’s unique paradigm, Vassar College students are engaged in collaboration with Dutchess Community College students. Helped on by the establishment of the Hudson River Group (HRG) as a joint delegation between the communities of both Vassar and Dutchess Community College, students from both institutions are paired together. HRG is only one of a myriad of participating delegations at the National Model United Nations (NMUN) simulations held annually in New York City. As Adjunct Professor at Vassar and Professor of Government at Dutchess Community
College Richard Reitano explained, “NMUN New York (NMUN-NY) is the largest annual simulation of the United Nations; [it] is one of several Model UNs organized by The National Collegiate Conference Association (NCCA). The NCCA also conducts a Model UN annually in Washington, D.C. and one annually overseas. The HRG, for example, participated in the NMUN held in the Czech Republic several years ago. Country assignments for NMUN-NY have included China, the United States, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, the Russian Federation and many, many others.” It is of the utmost importance that students engaging in the simulation are prepared. The course itself is structured to teach students about the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies. Each student is assigned a country, and tasked with researching its history and foreign policy so that they can represent the country’s best interests. The pressure remains, as HRG has high standards. They have represented the United States, China, Brazil, Germany, the Russian Federation and many other nations for over 50 years. Recently, in preparation for the conference, the HRG delegation has held mock United Nation sessions with Marist as well. Due to the HRG’s distinguished past, this relationship has proven beneficial for everyone. After all, the HRG is hardly ill-qualified; in Murray’s words, “The HRG has won a number of Outstanding and Distinguished Delegation awards for its performance in past simulations, and we have been fortunate in the last few years to have represented Sweden, China, Australia and Cuba.” Formidable or intimidating as the course’s description may sound, both students and faculty extol the considerable value of participating in such a course. As someone involved in the NMUN course for well over 40 years, Reitano is one to know. Reitano explained, “The course, which prepares our delegation, is very intense because each delegate must learn about the assigned
nation’s foreign policy in general and specifically how it relates to the delegate’s assigned Model UN committee, which usually has three topics. Delegates must also learn negotiating skills, public speaking and how to work within the UN system. And, they must never lie, but they are to make the best case possible in their committees.” In light of all this, Reitano explained the course’s outputs relative to its inputs. “Students have often said that it is the ‘hardest course’ they have ever taken,” he said. He went on, “In any event, past Hudson River Group delegates have become U.S. diplomats, teachers, lawyers, physicians and government officials. Many have gone on to work for non-governmental organizations. One former Hudson River Group delegate even became a major Hollywood television producer.” One such student with first-hand experience of the difficulties of the NMUN course is Madeleine Cavanagh ’18. She said, “Having taken the MUN course last spring, I’d describe it as demanding and intense, but ultimately rewarding. Students are expected to become experts on a given topic within a relatively short period of time. Professors expect high-caliber work and the pressure to live up to these standards is high. But because of the time and energy students invest, the National Model United Nations Conference, with which the course culminates, is extremely satisfying. Vassar students come to the Conference exceptionally prepared, and our delegations are known to excel. Students who are interested in learning more about the UN, international affairs, or who are looking to strengthen their public speaking skills, will benefit greatly from this experience.” Maximilian Cordeiro ’16 further undergirds Cavanaugh’s statements, though his most derived benefit of the course comes from an unlikely aspect of the NMUN-NY conference. “The real appeal to the Model UN class is definitely the Model Conference in New York which serves as the class’s final,” he said.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
He went on, “The Conference is, of course, a rigorous academic space where students from all over the world gather to debate and negotiate according to their respective country’s policies; but by its very nature the Conference is also a performance.” Cordeiro explained that representing his country was not as interesting and as exciting as interacting with the many other countries. “Last year my partner Anish Kanoria ’18 and I represented Australia on the Security Council, and while it was easy enough to inject Australian foreign policy into our various Resolutions, much of the fun came when we engaged with other diplomats in the character of Australia,” he said. Holistically, it appears that there are innumerable facets of appeal to students of all types and inclinations to engage in this class. For those interested, the HRG will represent Cuba this upcoming spring. Potential participants in the conferences with lacking knowledge of Cuba should not fear having inadequate preparation. Professor Reitano promises this uncertainty’s assuagement with the inclusion of a briefing by the Cuban Mission to the United Nations before the event’s occurrence. Though the course requires its own separate application, the written application (to be completed by students from Dutchess and Vassar) generally consists of an essay about a student’s interest in taking the course, their intended contribution and their projected acquirement of learning and accomplishment. Jaluka observed the course’s robust reception, saying, “This course has been one of the oldest and most popular classes at Vassar.” Cordeiro went on to add that there are many possible reasons for this. He remarked, “At the end of the class, students are rewarded with not only a better understanding of the daily functions of the United Nations, but also with a reinforced belief that there truly are forces of good and evil at work in the universe.”
FEATURES
Page 8
November 19, 2015
Give this sweet and savory Thanksgiving side a chance Julia Cunningham Features Editor
I
courtesy of Buzzfeed
am not, by any means, a lover of sweet potatoes. I do, however, love Thanksgiving and all thefood that comes with it. Every year I have to try a little of each dish on the table, just to make sure my tastes haven’t changed. There’s the turkey and gravy, and while we’re at it we may a well include the stuffing. There, you can never go wrong. Then there’s the green vegetables all of which are fine except for the brussell sprouts. Even covered in bacon, I really can’t appreciate brussel sprouts. I have to convince myself that this is the year I will finally appreciate sweet potatoes. I mean, potatoes are amazing in every form: home fries, tater tots, French Fries, fried, boiled, stewed, I could go on. Sweet things, like candy, are also delicious. So why are sweet potatoes not the most amazing collaboration since peanuts and butter decided to join forces? (The crunchy kind, not the smooth.) Plus, there’re marshmallows on the top. Who doesn’t like food with marshmallows? Usually, once I realize that the marshmallows can’t completely cover the taste of sweet potatoes, I find myself just eating the marshmallows. I can’t let everything on my plate go to waste! In celebration of my inability to enjoy the sweet concoction that is sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, I decided to share BuzzFeed’s take on the matter. Here are some of mr first impressions: “Buzzfeed, don’t fail me now!” “Where is Thanksgiving...” “Is it Thanksgiving Break yet?”
“This isn’t just potatoes and marshmallows!” “Oooh, cheese and marshmallows? I don’t know, Buzzfeed…” “Cumin! Cinnamon! Pepper flakes!” “Maybe I’ll finally enjoy Sweet Potatoes.” “Who am I kidding, I don’t cook during Thanksgiving.” “Wow, I’m hungry…” “Why isn’t it Break yet??” For anyone who likes sweet potatoes, I give you a no-fail recipe. Since it is Buzzfeed, I have complete trust. Here is “The Only Way You Should Be Making Your Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving Dinner.” Carefully slice Sweet Potatoes into 1/8 inch slices—add to a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter, coconut oil, cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat potato slices. Mix in the parmesan cheese. In a greased cupcake tin stack the sweet potato chips to fill each cup. Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until tops and edges nicely brown. Remove from oven and top each stack with a marshmallow. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes— watching carefully—until the marshmallows have a light brown and have puffed up. Alternatively, broil for 30 seconds. Remove from oven—carefully pat down each marshmallow to form a nice dome over the stack. Let cool slightly before removing from pan. Enjoy! Preheat the oven and then mix up these ingredients and have yourself a Thanksgiving treat that makes approximately 12 stacks! - 4 Large Sweet Potatoes
The Recipe - 2 Tbsp Salted Butter - Melted - 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil - 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese - 3/4 tsp Ground Cumin - 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes - 12-15 Marshmallows
Change the Field creator opens intersectional dialogue Kaitlynn Vo
Guest Reporter
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courtesy of University of Wisconsin - Madison
o be Sheltreese McCoy is to be so many things: an educator, a social justice developer, an innovator, a speaker. McCoy does not identify herself in those same terms, however. “I am human,” she said. “But I’m not just any human; I am a fat, queer, African-American human being, and I know this. These are all things that carry stigma and negative connotation in our present society, but these are all things that I carry with me regardless wherever I go.” To be McCoy, then, is to be authentic, candid, cognizant. Through her bold and frank statements, McCoy embodies the very notion of reality she wants college campuses nationwide to face. As she describes so eloquently, her conception of perspective involves the utilization of different lenses unique to every individual. Through the development and experience of various formative moments in our lives, what we obtain is the ability to attribute to ourselves different characteristics, characteristics that are multiply realized and affect every aspect of our lives. In McCoy’s words, “Each of us lives intersectional lives.” We each have multiple identities, multiple self-characterizations, multiple internal perspectives that contribute to the multiplicity of self-distinctions that each one of us embodies. The interactions individuals share every day also go into creating the individual. As Cody Harmon ’19 reflected upon his brief interaction with Sheltreese McCoy, “Being a part of the interchange of ideas enacted by Sheltreese McCoy’s presence is truly something to behold. Just knowing that she is a guest here and is actively engaged in our community fostered this connection between us that I’m sure extended across the entire student community.” Matt Ford ’18 echoed this same sentiment. McCoy’s presence benefited the continuing of conversations on campus. To live life as each of us requires different obligations, each of which is not necessarily equivocal across all experience. Essentially, though we each approach life as distinctly and differently as each of us are, there remain common obtrusions we communally share. Some of these obtrusions are especially compounded on college campuses everywhere and must be addressed. It’s a good thing, then, that McCoy is no stranger to travel. As the Associate Student Services Coordinator at the University of Wisconson-Madison, the president and founder of Change the Field, and the coordinator of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Crossroads Initiative, McCoy’s recent activity has taken her on a tour of the entire country to speak of the state of affairs for marginalized minorities on college
Sheltreese McCoy took up residency at Vassar for a week to discuss growth and advocacy in the Black, LGBTQ community. McCoy believes that change will come from increased resources. campuses nationwide. Even as a student, McCoy moved around frequently. After obtaining her undergraduate degree at Bowling-Green State University in Ohio, McCoy was tapped by a friend to work in New York. Unhindered as she was by any significant responsibilities, rather than working at a mundane desk job, McCoy moved to Brooklyn to work in social justice. It wasn’t an easy transition. McCoy described her experience of Brooklyn as a culture shock. “The city was so dirty, and there were entirely novel phenomenon I witnessed for the first time, like putting garbage on the curb!” It was a new time in her life. McCoy developed a nuanced learning curve for her current environment which she attributes to her plasticity as an educator. Though moving to Brooklyn was the first culture shock Sheltreese McCoy experienced, it would not be the last. After acclimating to her new environment in New York, McCoy found further vocational opportunity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where McCoy currently works. At one time a graduate student in Educational Leadership and Policy, Sheltreese McCoy has introduced and development different initiatives to better address the needs of underrepresented students on her home campus. As the president and founder of various progressive programs, McCoy’s initial goals were to better accommodate the LGBTQ Students of Col-
or on the university’s campus. After identifying the need, McCoy’s solutions manifested themselves in Change the Field and the Crossroads Initiative. Change the Field is one of McCoy’s social justice development firms that aids queer people of color. Describing the motivations and background for this initiative, McCoy attributes significance to the idea of transmutating the scope of academic acknowledgment of how these students’ needs are addressed. In other words, McCoy delineates the necessity of a paradigm shift; one that not only is necessitated on her home campus, but across the wide range of academia in general. McCoy has a mind ahead of her time. When she coordinated the award-winning Crossroads Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, it became the first program of its kind in the entire country. Crossroads Initiative was created to serve LGBTQ students of color on her home campus. No other individual has impacted the realm of campus’ approaches and remedies to this idea of social injustice as much as she has. There are a few common identifications McCoy has determined substantially impact the general institution of secondary education in every state. For example, the refusal to acknowledge that types of social repression and ignorance exist on campuses of any size can become a distraction. It impedes students’ abilities to maintain their projection of self, and thus there
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
are ramifications on their mental states. Colleges have identified the necessity of a more pragmatic approach from administrators. Any approaches not currently implemented are due to administration committees’ trepidation in incorrectly executing change, and the student backlash that could be faced. This issue of administration belays the difficulty of resource allocation which acts as an obstruction with weighty impact on the breadth and scope of colleges’ ability to alleviate student concerns. One pointed example of this was McCoy’s presence on campus throughout the racial tension at the Mizzou University of Missouri. McCoy spoke to students as they sat in solidarity with those students in Missouri. As Harmon said, “Her presence here has made me feel like the actions and events taking place all around campus are even more impressive and considerable.” Despite these obstacles, McCoy maintains optimism in the ability of academic institutions to both approach and assuage these issues. The existence of the fact that her work has been identified and sought after by various institutions whether it is a lecture series at Vassar College, or her continued presence at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, bolsters the confidence placed in the current educational system’s attempts at inclusion. Following her week-long residency here at Vassar College, the robust student participation and progressive dialogue indicate the extent to which McCoy has affected the fundamental nature of discussion in this realm of social justice. McCoy herself identified the considerable development in administrative dialogues she’s witnessed with the passage of time: “These sorts of conversations and these types of topics would have never even been discussed to this extent 10 years ago.” She went on, “Even seven years ago, discussions of this nature weren’t even happening. A lot has changed since then; change in both how students approach their differences and in how administrations accommodate them.” McCoy had one thing to say about her weeklong residency at Vassar. “Even though there are many issues faced by the administration and the student body in attempts to accommodate the needs of both, there fundamentally remains one method towards achieving substantial progression: increasing resources.” Through that, McCoy said, those minorities will begin to get their voices heard. McCoy concluded, “Only with increased resources for programs and amenities for students of color, the LGBTQ community, and other departments involved with sections of the minority would the ideal of social justice be attained.”
November 19, 2015
OPINIONS
Page 9
The Miscellany News Staff Editorial
VSA initiative a step toward supporting student activism T
his past Sunday, the VSA proposed a reform initiative that is expected to both expedite the funding process for student protests and promote campuswide activism. The emergency funding plan that the Executive Board has established permits quick and informal interactions between org leaders and the VSA Executive Board. This system will allow activists to acquire financial support at the exact moment of need; normally, groups have to wait for their applications to be reviewed by the Finance Office before they received any money, a process that could take up to three weeks. Now the VSA either approves or denies the funding immediately after the request is made. Considering the ongoing campaign against racial inequality and the recent events at the University of Missouri and Yale University, this timely proposal will grant students the opportunity to react instantly and add to the momentum of social movements without any bureaucratic delay. While we at The Miscellany News applaud the VSA for prioritizing activism on campus, we believe that this initiative’s implementation is vague and requires closer examination. The arrangement will permit the Exec Board to communicate in the most efficient way possible over text, email or in person, to consider an organization’s request for aid. This sparks a number of criticisms. For one, the notion that the Exec Board will use their unchecked judgement to decide which causes are deserving of funds potentially leaves the process subject to personal biases or non-objective decision making. Without codified standards to outline the demonstrated needs of an organization or
an individual protestor, it’s possible that the VSA’s definition of activism will fluctuate and fail to accommodate all parties equally. These transactions will not be officially recorded, leading to a critical loss of accountability from the student government. We believe this proposal indicates larger institutional issues on campus. The reality that organizations and individuals don’t feel that they have adequate support to voice their convictions or challenge authority outweighs any doubts regarding the transparency or reliability of the funding process. Although the VSA’s methods can be improved to reduce anxieties surrounding the obscurity of this decision-making, it’s imperative that the Board continues to take steps toward enhancing student politics before re-evaluating its methods. We at the Miscellany News laud the VSA for changing their guiding principles to take a more active and productive stance on activism. The increased commitment to supporting marginalized voices on campus is an important message to send regardless of the state of the initiative itself. We understand that there are situations that transcend the typical formalities of the VSA’s existing structure. It is important that the VSA is taking a concrete step toward upholding their guiding principles, while still increasing and maintaining their commitment to aiding activist groups whose monetary needs aren’t always foreseen. Theoretically if a person or organization needs money, they can approach any VSA Exec Board member and explain their situation. The Exec Board member will then communicate with the other members and
attempt to come to a decision as soon as possible. The process will run through the operating budget, which the Executive Board uses to fund its own internal operations. Thus money will not be pulled from other pools like the social consciousness or discretionary funds that students may normally apply for. Effectively, this means the VSA will not be taking potential funding away from other orgs in this process. This also means that when students plan larger events through the typical financial procedures, the VSA will not tax those funds. We at The Miscellany News see this as a win-win situation, as the money used for these important, time-sensitive acts would not impact any plans students or orgs would implement. This money is available regardless and allocating it to help students who request emergency funds and resources for their organizations. The only ones impacted by this informal policy will be the Exec Board members themselves, as they have less money to spend on their own operation. We recognize there have been issues in the past where organizations did not get enough funding in time sensitive situations. Although it was not specifically mandated at the time, there was an instance last year in which the VSA Exec Board helped to fund a protest led at the Dutchess County Jail. They provided funding for megaphones and transportation to the jail. The VSA’s mission is to be more open and accessible to the student body and this policy adheres to those goals. We expect that with this new mission, more orgs will approach the VSA for help, starting a dialogue between activist orgs, the VSA and
the greater student body. We recognize that without funding and raising awareness, it is difficult to have these conversations. While we are concerned that this new policy shift will value accessibility over transparency, we also recognize that the details have not yet been ironed out. Thus, we hope that once the policy is solidified it will develop a better method through which to archive and distribute information. Last week’s VSA Council meeting seemed to reflect the notion that the intention to implement this policy was finalized, yet the specifics surrounding how it would be implemented were still to be discussed at a future setting. We at The Miscellany News hope for a clearer, more concrete system regarding how people and organizations can request this money. We also expect that the initiative will feature an ad-hoc design without dense, complex rules that bring a notion of red tape to the process, as this would be counter-intuitive. We expect that when this plan is finalized, the initiative will be widely publicized to individuals and groups via email and social media. We see the spirit of this proposal as an act that will increase the potential for engaging in meaningful dialogue about these events and moments that will break free of our Vassar bubble. We maintain our hope that the VSA will continue to refine this system in order to better support orgs that want to engage in and with activism, while also maintain their restructuring goals of increased transparency.
—The Staff Editorial represents the opinions of at least 2/3 of our Editorial Board.
Rhetoric on terrorism reveals underlying Islamophobia Jesse Horowitz Guest Columnist
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hroughout his administration, President Obama has come under fire both at home and abroad for refusing to call terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS “Islamic.” Conservative leaders, such as British Prime Minister David Cameron, have made a big deal about the need to “call it what it is.” In a news conference with President Obama addressing the state of terrorism, Cameron said, “Barack, you said it and you’re right— every religion has its extremists, but we have to be frank that the biggest problem we have today is the Islamist extremist violence that has given birth to ISIL, to al-Shabab, to al-Nusra, al Qaeda and so many other groups” (The Washington Times, “David Cameron slams Obama: ‘Barack, biggest problem we have is Islamist extremism,’” 2015). For them, it is the epitome of left-wing political correctness: liberals banning terms that portray harsh realities in order to save the feelings of minority groups. The political right may not be incorrect in its belief that “Islamic terrorism” is an appropriate description of the tactics of ISIS and Al Qaeda. These militant organizations’ beliefs are informed by their faith in the tenets of Islam as they understand them. It is unlikely that young, affluent men would willingly strap bombs to their chests if they did not harbor a strong belief that they would be rewarded for it in the afterlife. It is important to consider, however, that conservatives are often hypocritical in the application of this moniker. According to them, only terrorist acts motivated by Islam are characterized by faith. The Republic of Ireland has experienced a great deal of terrorist actions incited by a divide between Catholics and Protestants, but those acts are never deemed “Christian terrorism.” When a Muslim commits a terrorist act, there is an assumption that it’s indicative of the individual’s culture. When a Christian commits a terrorist act, there is an active attempt to deny
said person’s faith. A Christian who commits horrible atrocities is proclaimed to not really be a Christian. A Christian terrorist would be isolated from their faith. Labeling ISIS as Islamic is not acceptable if it is coupled with a fundamental ignorance of the realities of the situation. Most conservatives who insist on this term’s use are astoundingly ignorant regarding ISIS, beyond its strict adherence to the teachings of the Koran. Moreover, conservative assumptions about progressive motives for rejecting faith-based labels on terrorism are mostly inaccurate. Liberal unease with Islamic terrorism is far less concerned with the possibility of marginalizing American Muslims and far more concerned with preventing Islamophobic attacks against Muslim populations. The aftermath of terrorist acts often bring about waves of violence against people perceived to be Muslim.
“When a Christian commits a terrorist act, there is an active attempt to deny said person’s faith.” After Sept. 11th, Muslims in the United States faced a far greater risk of violence and discrimination. This pales in comparison to the situation in Europe today, where both Belgium and France have passed laws intending to limit Muslim women’s ability to practice their faith in public. Furthermore, the attacks in Paris put Muslims there in an especially precarious situation. France is an infamously xenophobic society that has already passed legislation curtailing the basic rights of its Muslim population. French political parties, such as the National Front, have gained considerable popularity through public xenophobia.
The introduction of Islamic terrorism into the public consciousness has put the entire Muslim community at risk. When liberals avoid characterizing terrorist actions by the faith that motivated them, it’s not so much an attempt to avoid offending American Muslims, but one to curtail the considerable violence that Muslims will face. The political left assumes that rejecting ISIS’s religious roots will reduce instances of violence against the Muslim community. This assumes that Islamophobia is situational. Instead, Islamophobia is based on a history of inter-religious tensions dating back to the Crusades. People don’t become Islamophobes because they associate Muslims with terrorism. People associate Muslims with terrorism because they’re already Islamophobic. Avoiding the use of terms such as “Islamic terrorism” would only prevent Islamophobic incidents if all Islamophobia were rooted in a fear that Muslims are all terrorists. But Islamophobic incidents come from an institutionalized belief that Muslim culture is violent and less civilized than American culture. Before terrorist acts even occur, people have already decided that they don’t trust Muslims. A liberal who preaches tolerance towards Muslims and then does nothing to combat Islamophobia in the United States is simply making an attempt to appease the sensitivities of the left. The concern over the terminology of terrorism distracts from the realities of the situation. Applying labels to terrorist acts based on faith does not further the public’s understanding of groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda. Likewise, insisting on a rejection of these labels does not further tolerance towards Muslims. This phrase has become a proxy debate on issues of Islamophobia. Instead of addressing the major issues that Muslim communities face, the media addresses proxies that give off the appearance of relevance but ultimately don’t have practical importance. An example of
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
proxy debate would be the issue of the Confederate flag.
“The concern over the terminology of terrorism distracts from the realities of the situation.” While it was clearly a racist symbol that needed to be removed from society, the media used it as an excuse to avoid deeper, more necessary introspections on race relations and gun control. While it was symbolically important, the removal of the Confederate flag from the state capitol didn’t improve the conditions of people of color. Politicians used it as a means of appearing tolerant without alienating voters. Important issues deserve more than proxy debates. Adherence to liberal or conservative rules on speech serves as a cover by which people feign understanding of complex historical and diplomatic issues without having to address them. Instead of having public debates on issues of terminology, the media should be engaging in deeper conversations on the roots of the issue. We need to rid ourselves of politicians who care more about appearing to be on the right side of whatever issue they think the public cares about than about taking concrete action to improve the conditions of their countrymen. The next time a conservative insists Obama call ISIS Islamic, the public should instead demand a deeper discussion over the issue of terrorism. The next time a liberal insists that ISIS isn’t Islamic, the public should insist that the government make real efforts to battle Islamophobia. — Jesse Horowitz ’19 is a student at Vassar College
OPINIONS
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November 19, 2015
Student indictment of free speech proves oversimplified Kyle Gray
Guest Columnist
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he most recent issue of the Vassar Chronicle contains many well written articles, and, if you haven’t grabbed a copy yet, is certainly worth the time. On my reading, one article in particular warranted a response. “Legality and Morality Must Be Distinct” (The Vassar Chronicle, 11.11.15) highlights the genuine and relevant differences between legal rights and moral ones, but wrongly relates these concepts to campus climate all the while displaying a dangerous perception of the nature of free speech. Let’s begin with what the article gets right. From the onset, Nichols focuses on the division between morality and legality. Their example, divorce, fits neatly into this framework: “[divorce was] the reason that I heard, growing up in a fundamentalist Christian household, that divorce was not criminalized.” Once again, when Nichols discusses guilt by association, their analysis of the situation is spot on. How individuals look at a situation from a moral perspective greatly differs from the legal system’s take on that same circumstance. Surely, there exists a distinction between what we as a society invoke as a legal definition and one which, depending on one’s moral inclination, we accept as a moral response. But Nichols soon turns to free speech, and here the argument derails. Nichols relies on the distinction between legality and morality and attempts to show that freedom of speech, while necessary to keep the state in check, holds no weight when viewed as personal right. Nichols casts out assumptions we often make about freedom of speech—namely that it is inalienable and beneficial to open discussions—and refuses to connect freedom of speech to a personal sense of morality. To defend their claims, Nichols states, “It is not a moral failing to reject, as a body, ideologies that have proven so harmful to many
Letter to the Editor
in our midst. It is not a breach of ethics to refuse to entertain notions that are responsible for so much oppression in the world.” I see no reason to disagree with Nichols here. No one is pushing for the exhalation of Nazism or Indonesian death squads; these thoughts are rightfully contradicted if and when they are expressed. Unfortunately, discourses on campus are rarely so polarized. In unpacking any complex concept, it is imperative to listen to others. Refusing to entertain various viewpoints is wrong, perhaps not in a moral sense, but certainly in an intellectual and politically aware sense. Neglecting to hear outside views of any kind on the ground that you feel no moral obligation to do so does not make for active or contributing members of a campus community.
“Refusing to hear outside views of any kind...does not make for active or contributing members of a campus community. It instead creates a climate of intolerance where the loudest voice drowns out all others. When John Stuart Mill wrote “On Liberty” he provided a four-part defense of free speech. His first principle is as follows: “...if any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may, for aught we can certainly know, be true. To deny this is to assume our own infallibility.” Mill furthers his opinion, stating, “...it is only by the collision of adverse opinions that the remainder of the truth has any chance of
-The Vassar Jewish Union Board 20152016
these days. Such is the case with the Wesleyan Argus. Where Nichols sees morality wrongly invoked, I see intolerance which frightens me to my core. Certainly, we do well by addressing hate speech and doing all we can to be inclusive and welcoming.
“Contrary to Nichols’ position, free speech does, in fact, apply to campus culture, and in a big way.” But venture too far in censoring speech and in marginalizing outside perspectives, and we may never arrive at the truth of any matter. Nichols believes we are right (perhaps morally) in refusing to entertain ideas which may “destroy several of us.” But I wonder, who are those several, and why are their feelings worth so much more than the benefits which arise from open and inclusive dialogue? Have we truly arrived at a point in time where we refuse to listen to one another based on feelings? These are questions which we, as a student body, must grapple with. The answers will not come easily and they will likely not be found in the prevailing views expressed on campus. At such a time as this, we must brush up on our Mill and ponder the merits of free speech, not discredit it as a faulty moral assumption. Without this, we will never arrive at the truth. But once we do, perhaps, some of us will find it to be a moral truth as well. —Kyle Gray ’18 is a student at Vassar College.
Recent violence requires critical response Nick Barone
In the November 12th, 2015 issue of The Miscellany News the article, “Dialogue delves into interreligious conflict,” says, “With Vassar organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine and Vassar Jewish Union, this conversation is not one that students are easily able to talk about on campus. ” While perhaps The Miscellany News brought up the Vassar Jewish Union because they associate either the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life or Israel with Judaism on campus, we do not think it was the correct choice to reference the Vassar Jewish Union in this article. Students for Justice in Palestine, the other organization mentioned and that was quoted in the article, is a political organization while Vassar Jewish Union is a religious and cultural organization. Our members have many different opinions about the conflict in Israel and Palestine. However, it is frustrating to see The Miscellany News politicize our organization and continue the narrative that Jews must have an opinion about Israel simply because of our Jewishness. Lastly, if The Miscellany News wanted to reference the Vassar Jewish Union in their article, they should have approached us for comment instead of assuming the kinds of conversations our organization has. We encourage The Miscellany News to ask the Vassar Jewish Union for comment about our events and Jewish life on campus in the future.
being supplied. “Thirdly, even if the received opinion be not only true, but the whole truth; unless it is suffered to be, and actually is, vigorously and earnestly contested, it will, by most of those who receive it, be held in the manner of a prejudice, with little comprehension or feeling of its rational grounds.” In other words, Mill champions open, active debate as the only way in which the truth may be uncovered. By acting as a medium which permits necessary discussions to take place, free speech ensures that the truth will surface, so long as the involved parties agree to a degree of open-mindedness. This was once the hallmark of a liberal arts curriculum; is it no longer? Nichols, as Editor-in-Chief of the Vassar Chronicle, should see the merit in such a position. The role of a campus newspaper is to provide a voice for students, independent of message or prevailing discourse. As editor, Nichols plays quite a large role in the selection of articles for publication and in setting the overall tone of the paper. This is a position which must be compromised, considering Nichols’ message on censorship and free speech. The editor of an inclusive publication cannot justly argue against portraying differing points of view. Nichols weakly defends this belief with the words, “Freedom of speech is not a reason why people should listen to you,” and is partly correct. Sure, Vassar and other student bodies do not have to “unconditionally tolerate all speech.” But they must tolerate speech. Contrary to Nichols’ position, free speech does, in fact, apply to campus culture, and in a big way. Nichols, in their article, signs a blank check and says it is okay for us as students, citizens and intellectuals to act against academic curiosity and to opt out of dialogue aimed at uncovering truth. This assumption is dangerous. Unfortunately, it appears prevalent on campuses
Columnist
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n Nov. 13, 2015, the deadliest attack on French soil since World War II was committed by agents and accomplices of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 132 innocent people died in a series of calculated terrorist actions across Paris, including a suicide bombing at the Stade de France, mass street-level shootings and a hostage situation at the Bataclan theatre where an Eagles of Death Metal concert was being held. 352 individuals were injured, with three dying in the hospital shortly after the attacks took place. The international community came together to express condolences and solidarity with France as the nation observed a period of intense mourning. Heads of state across the world offered words of unity and support. Soon after the shootings, President François Hollande authorized a heavy bombardment of the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria, the largest airstrike since the onset of Operation Chammal in late 2014. Hollande declared that the attacks were an act of war and that the perpetrators were to be treated accordingly. The use of the word “war” establishes and reinforces long-standing issues with how the West reacts to terrorist attacks. Conservative commentators in the United States expressed frustration with a perceived softness of President Obama’s treatment of ISIS and viewed the attacks as an administrative failure to contain the group. Rep. Peter King of New York argued, “We have to show more of an intensity.” Senator John McCain criticized the French bombing of Raqqa, saying “Frankly, I’m not overwhelmed with 20 airstrikes by the French.”(Fox News, “Obama: Paris terror rampage a ‘setback’,” 11.16.2015). Such responses underscore a deeply flawed approach to analyzing the Paris attacks. The call for immediate and aggressive military action appears to ignore the foreign relations catastrophe of the Iraq War, a conflict that cre-
ated the unstable climate in which ISIS was allowed to claim power. It is this exact historical reaction that led to further unrest and violence in the region, thus presenting an even greater threat to the West and the innocent civilians residing in nations plagued by terrorism. Republican presidential candidates were quick to comment on the attacks. Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the French reaction to the attack and Obama’s handling of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, saying, “If we just drop a few bombs on these guys and that’s it, they’ll be stronger than ever.” (Fox News). Others described the attack as “an organized attempt to destroy Western civilization” (The Hill, “Bush on Paris attacks: ‘This is the war of our time’,” 11.13.2015) and categorize the actions of ISIS as “not be[ing] deterred by targeted airstrikes with zero tolerance for civilian casualties” (Official statement of presidential candidate Ted Cruz). Ted Cruz’s insinuation that disregarding civilian casualties will somehow amount to more effective military policy in the United States particularly highlights how far and insidious political rhetoric can become in the wake of a horrific tragedy. This problematic line of thinking reflects the exact fear-mongering and horror-stricken reactions terrorists seek in order to inspire panic and knee-jerk, undeveloped action. As distinguished economist and writer Paul Krugman stated in his article “Fearing Fear Itself,” former Governor Jeb Bush’s logic fails to take into account the very nature of terrorism itself. Krugman notes that terrorism’s exact purpose is to goad the public into “panic mode” and supporting ill-advised policy that either appeases forces of extreme violence or aggressive attempts to suppress any and all threats (e.g. the mindset preceding the Iraq War), which only serves to strengthen or validate the terrorist force. Additionally, it is important to note that the West’s reactions to such atrocities will remain unchanged; “policing, precau-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
tion, and military action” will remain cornerstones (The New York Times, “Fearing Fear Itself,” 11.16.2015). The incessant calls for more action and aggression on the right do nothing to meaningfully alter the problems inherent in American foreign policy. Instead, it fosters panic and unrest among the populace To that end, hyper-heightened focus on the tragedy and senselessness of the act, though inevitable, only serves the purpose of weakening the resolve of societies and therefore giving ISIS exactly what it wants. Such terrorist attacks are rooted in a desire to spread instability and discord, which only breeds further disorder. It is easy to let the sheer evil and disgustingness of an act color political reactions to it. This sentiment is in no way advocating for the downplaying or diminishing of the tragedy and its victims. Mourning is an integral component of the international healing process. Additionally, such arguments should not be interpreted as advocating for “doing nothing” about terrorism and its aftershocks. The Paris attacks catalyze a number of contentious and painful issues, such as the increased adversity refugees will face, people who already traverse extreme examples of prejudice across Europe. The hurdle of bigotry will be larger than ever and must be dealt with. However, the crippling fear and anxiety that come with tragedy must not allow societies to react callously and unreasonably. Moreover, such notions should serve to shift focus from the “direct harm inflicted” of the attacks to the “wrong-headed response it can inspire” and the issues that arise when such responses become politically internalized. As Krugman so eloquently argues, “The goal of terrorists is to inspire terror, because that’s all they’re capable of. And the most important thing our societies can do in response is to refuse to give in to fear.” —Nick Barone ’19 is a student at Vassar College.
November 19, 2015
OPINIONS
Birthright program ignores Israeli conflict Noah Mlyn
Guest Columnist
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s we approach winter break, many Jewish Vassar students, along with Jewish young adults around the world, are considering taking advantage of what seems like an amazing opportunity: a completely free trip to Israel as a part of the Taglit-Birthright program. This program, using hefty donations from both the Israeli government and private Zionist organizations, offers an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel for Jewish people between the ages of 18 and 26. Once in Israel, students are treated to a wide variety of experiences, including nature excursions, visits to holy sites, and chances to meet and hang out with members of the Israeli Defense Force their own age. On the Taglit-Birthright Israel website in the FAQ section, a question many of you may have now is posed: “This gift sounds too good to be true— what’s the catch?” Unsurprisingly, Birthright’s answer is simple: there is none. In reality, the answer is a bit more complicated than that. The phenomenon that is Taglit-Birthright is part of a huge body of policies relating to and instituted by Israel which afford rights based solely on ethnic and religious grounds. Not only are Jews around the world allowed to take advantage of Birthright, but those wishing to become Israeli citizens need only to prove that they are Jewish to be welcomed into the country. At face value, this seems like a great thing–a no-questions asked safe haven for an ethnic group that has been repeatedly marginalized and attacked throughout history. But these rights and opportunities are only available at the cost of the rights of others. During the Israeli War of Independence in 1948, about 750,000 Palestinians were forced out of their homes and fled the country as refugees. Today, the number of Palestinian refugees has ballooned to about five million and their existence has been referred to by the UN High
Council on Refugees as “the largest of all refugee problems in the world today.” While Jews such as myself, who have no direct connection to Israel whatsoever, may “return” to the land deemed to be that of their people, these refugees may not. Young adults in Gaza, the West Bank and refugee camps across the Middle East pine to return to their parents’ homeland and struggle to survive and flourish in a world where they do not have freedom of movement and self-determination, while we, as young American Jews, are literally being paid to take their place.
“But it is our responsibility as informed, conscious young adults...to find the more complete and nuanced reality...” This is the catch Taglit-Birthright fails to mention, and this is the system you are taking advantage of by participating in their program. I know that many of my Jewish peers, including those who are sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians, feel a strong urge visit Israel. To you, I say this: travel to Israel in a different capacity. There are many different types of Taglit-Birthright trips to go on, but all are funded by the Israeli government and consequently will show you a biased picture of the situation in historic Palestine. I understand the desire to visit Jerusalem, to swim in the Dead Sea, to slip your prayers into the cracks of the Western Wall. But it is our responsibility as informed, conscious young adults, who have only gotten to Vassar because of our capacity for critical thinking, to find the more complete and nuanced reality in experiences that seems too good to be true.
Taglit-Birthright will show you the wonders of the state of Israel, but they will not show you its ugly side. You will not see the occupied territories. You will not see the millions of refugees. It is a crime to travel to one of the most conflict-ridden spaces of the modern world and see only the lives of the privileged. If you must travel to Israel, it is crucial that you get a more complete picture than Birthright will offer–options of trips that will allow you to do this include Birthright Unplugged, Interfaith Peace-Builders and Extend. Birthright Unplugged’s mission statement reads, “Israel has denied Palestinians the internationally recognized right of return for refugees... thereby excluding millions of Palestinians from living in the land in which they were born.” Over the past several years, we have focused our work in order to support Palestinian led non-violent campaigns that seek to pressure Israel to comply with international law. As Jews, we feel a strong pull to join our people in a country where we are welcome and feel like we belong. As college students, a free trip to the Mediterranean over winter break is nearly irresistible. But as Vassar students, I think we are smart enough to know better. Jewish young adults did not ask for this birthright, but we are granted it nonetheless. All we can be held responsible for are our own actions and decisions. In taking values of anti-racism and anti-imperialism seriously, I encourage fellow Jews to consider the implications of accepting this “gift.” The folks at renouncebirthright.org have an open letter to Taglit-Birthright that I encourage you to sign, and in doing so, renounce your racist birthright. If you are not ready to do this, please at least learn more about the program being offered and what you support by taking part in it.
Emma Jones
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he events of the past weeks at Yale and Mizzou have brought specific instances of racism to the nation’s attention. Such outbreaks are rooted, however, in a long-standing institution of racism that extends far beyond fraternity houses and classrooms. Despite their indisputable connection, each individual incident has its own distinct circumstances and deserves to be evaluated as such. Therefore, this article will mainly focus on recent occurrences at Yale University, in the context of similar issues elsewhere. Following a Halloween party hosted by Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), Yale student Neema Githere ’18 wrote a Facebook post expressing her disgust at an interaction she had witnessed in front of the house: as a group of young women approached the front door, an SAE member insisted that they leave, explaining that only white girls were permitted to enter. Githere added that she had personally experienced the same discrimination the previous year. Numerous students commented on her post, sharing similar stories of racism on the university’s campus. An anonymous freshman disclosed that a fraternity member had turned him away from the same party. As he approached the house, a man in the doorway shouted, “Who the [expletive] do you think you are–you’re clearly gay.” Another student claimed that SAE members had been going down the line of people outside of the house, picking out blonde girls and allowing them inside. The SAE president denied all accusations of systemic discrimination on behalf of the Yale chapter. The fraternity’s ongoing rejection of the experiences of minorities serves to perpetuate the enforcement of prejudice instead of prevent further issues. SAE has already been suspended based on a violation of Yale’s sexual misconduct policy, and scrambling to save face will only tarnish their reputation further at this point. This is certainly not the first time that SAE has fended off accusations of racism. Last spring, members of the Oklahoma University chapter posted a video featuring a group of SAE broth-
ers on a bus shouting a racist chant. The video spread across social media and was eventually brought to the attention of the university’s administrators, ultimately leading to the expulsion of two students. In May, SAE’s Stanford chapter was put on probation after incidences of cyberbullying, Title IX concerns and alcohol related issues. These recent problems are by no means isolated incidents. SAE, like many fraternities, has been found guilty on numerous occasions of directly engaging in discriminatory acts.
“An appallingly large portion of the student body has experienced harassment of some kind in a variety of locations...” Prior to Halloween, associate master of Silliman College Erika Christakis, a residential college at Yale, received backlash for an email she sent out in response to Dean Burgwell Howard’s encouragement of respectful behavior on Halloween. She urged students to dress however they liked, without concern for the cultures and identities that they may be appropriating, saying, “Is there no room anymore for a child or young person to be a little bit obnoxious... a little bit inappropriate or, yes, offensive?” Not surprisingly, the student body responded strongly to Christakis’ tactless approach to the matter, and more than 740 students signed an open letter confronting the offensive nature of the email. Since the pervasiveness of racism at the University has become common knowledge, more Yale students have opened up about their experiences with various sorts of prejudice on campus. An appallingly large portion of the student body has experienced harassment of some kind in a variety of locations, from dining halls, to class-
Word on the street What is your favorite Vassar tour lie? “That it’s easy to get into classes.” -Jordan Burns ’16
“That squirrels are English majors.” -Jennifer Ognibene ’16
—Noah Myln ’19 is a student at Vassar College.
Campus racism exposes cultural inequality Guest Columnist
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rooms, to the streets. In addition, many students have come forward lately about inadequate mental health resources, the inefficient process of filing sexual assault claims and the larger impact of these issues on minorities in the community. As more students begin to share their past experiences, it becomes clear that the University is not a safe space for a large portion of its inhabitants. Many victims of racism and prejudice evidently did not feel comfortable voicing their experiences and pushing for change. It is impossible to separate the racist practices of university administration from those of individual fraternities, the Greek system as a whole and the rest of the United States. The country must address the issue at every level, however, taking into account not just isolated issues, but the conception of racism on a larger scale. For those of us not at Yale, it is all too easy to let only the most blatant, absurd examples of racism shape our perceptions of what is really happening. We need to keep in mind that we are seeing these incidents from an outside perspective, and that they may look markedly different from the other side. Oversimplifying issues as complex as racism limits both the potential for positive change and the range of voices that are heard. Although what happened at Yale connects to a larger picture, the focus should remain on Yale students–those directly affected by these specific events–when determining the outcomes of the situation. The upheaval caused by these events will soon die down, but the nation needs to continue to address these issues, regardless of their prevalence in media and pop culture. Although the country’s overall indignation regarding the occurrences of the past few weeks indicates a positive development in public opinion, the nation should not wait until such an undeniable, conspicuous example as the fraternity controversy happens before we confront systemic discrimination. Not all instances of racism are as visible as mass emails and fraternity chants, something both colleges and the general public need to keep in mind moving forward. —Emma Jones ’19 is a student at Vassar College.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
“Meryl Streep died in the 4th floor bathroom in Davi.” -Ben Krantz ’18
“The fact that it’s 1000 acres made campus seem huge.” -Thedita Pedersen ’19
“That the fucking Deece is good.” -Nick Zarchen ’17
“The city is so close, and everyone goes there all the time!” -Chelsea Carter ’16 and Cady Cirbes ’16
Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor Sam Pianello, Photo Editor
OPINIONS
Page 12
November 19, 2015
Though inevitable, driverless cars raise serious concerns Joshua Sherman Columnist
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ou’ve probably heard much in the news lately about Google’s driverless cars. The souped-up Lexus cars look harmless enough at first glance—normal cars with a fancy dashboard in the front, Google logo on the side, and spinning camera up on the car’s roof. I got to see one parked at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View this past summer. They’ve been the talk of the town, whether it concerns Uber’s plan to buy thousands for their fleet, or that one Google driverless car that was pulled over for driving too slowly and calmly on a busy California road. Right now they seem like experimental novelties in the Bay Area, a far cry from Vassar’s campus, but this technology is closer than you think. Don’t believe those that tell you it’s impossible for driverless cars to become commonplace. Already, many cars on the road take advantage of semi-autonomous technology. Just a few weeks ago, Tesla turned on
“Don’t believe those that tell you it’s impossible for driverless cars to become commonplace.” semi-autonomous driving technology in thousands of its later model cars, without a single piece of new hardware. The software was updated to handle all sorts of driving conditions, including a busy New York City street. In dozens of other high-end model cars, you can use semi-autonomous
technology to parallel park, assist when changing lanes and even improve your already-existing cruise control functionality for driving on highways. In public transit, many of us have experienced the autonomous People Movers at JFK International Airport, or perhaps any one of the driverless lines on the Paris Metro. Now the London Underground and New York MTA are considering a plan for driverless operations. This is all just the beginning of autonomous driving technology, and quickly arriving to consumers. For those that think governments will stop these cars from hitting the road, there’s plenty of evidence to the contrary. In fact, one need only look at a similar time in history where technology trumped policy. NPR had a fascinating look at this transition. In a radio episode from “Planet Money,” Steve Henn looked back at the turn of the 20th century, back when elevators still needed operators. Henn notes, “So they added doors with safety bumpers, automatic stopping. And eventually, they created a driverless elevator. And this was in 1900. This was amazing. It was the Google car of its era. And people hated it.” (NPR, “Remembering When Driverless Elevators Drew Skepticism,” 07.31.15). If you lived in Raymond like me, you’re all too aware of this little piece of history. Henn noted that elevators drew a ton of criticism from governments, operators and passengers alike. At first, the elevators, much like Google’s driverless cars, showed you the machinery as it would lift you from one floor to the next. NPR goes on to explain how we shifted into accepting driverless elevators, so you should definitely listen to the podcast if you’re interested in that. As for driverless cars, we need to acknowledge and realize what kind of economic shift we’re on the verge of.
In a matter of years, we’ll see a massive shift in the millions of people who work in transport. I’m talking about more than just the taxi drivers and Uber drivers you’ll hail after a long night in New York. People forget about all the truck drivers, livery operators, delivery drivers, forklift drivers and countless laborers who spend their days in front of a steering wheel. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, there’s more than 10 million people in the United States who work in such transport roles. It’s astonishing and mind-boggling to wonder just how these people are going to find employment once we see autonomous driving come into full swing. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome the future of
“In a matter of years, we’ll see a massive shift in the millions of people who work in transport.” driverless cars. I think it’s an imminent change. There’s no reason to try and politically or economically delay its arrival. The same was said and done about the Industrial Revolution as a whole too. At the turn of the 20th century, countless summer builders spent their winters shoveling snow in cities like Chicago, New York and Boston. When snowblowers started throwing snow from the streets at a pace unlike any man, angry workers were known to throw crowbars to jam and disrupt the snowblowers. The same was said and done when automobiles replaced horse-drawn carriages, and so
on. We can trace every major technological innovation to its predecessor, and the people who were made unemployed by its arrival. What we need to be doing is not criticizing or blaming those displaced by the evolution of our technology. It’s our obligation, as a society, to ensure everyone can shift into a new field and form of labor and have a better means than their parents had. In addition to this, we need to acknowledge what technology inherently does: Jobs that we once needed humans to do are replaced by machines. Frankly, an entire half of our government fails to realize this. They think what’s at the core of our lives is a nation that works more than almost any other nation in Western Europe. We’re a nation that refuses to take time off, to work late, long hours, and deny ourselves paid family leave. Societally, an entire half of our American government more or less admits and acknowledges this as a core tenant, rather than increase social services. Of course, this is a tangent from driverless cars, but what I stand by is that we gain nothing by trying to delay the inevitable transition to a world powered by more driverless cars, meaning less accidents, less traffic, and more time spent doing the things we enjoy. We can’t forget the millions who will be impacted negatively by this shift, as much as we’ll point to the millions who will benefit from faster, safer driving. It’s on us to realize this as soon as possible, as we’re all students on the cusp of this next leap in technology. I can’t wait until we think about driverless cars just as we think about elevators today—well except for those in Raymond. —Joshua Sherman ’16 is an English major.
The Miscellany Crossword
“Gracias”
by Alycia Beattie, York Chen, and Collin Knopp-Schwyn Email coknoppschwyn@vassar.edu to contribute!
ACROSS
1 Solo pilot 4 Famous movie Christian 8 Another descriptor for tall Sarah 13 Kisser’s illness 14 Particule named for its “indivisibility” 15 “___ alla Turca” (Mozart) 16 Poachers’ targets 17 Off-limits, like a military base 18 8 piccoloists 19 Food eaten on 24-Across (2 words) 22 Coax 23 “Stirring ___ the break of day” (Shakespeare) 24 Holiday immediately preceding 48-Across 31 Beautiful for Italians 34 Blarter? 35 Who should not have all that power, apparently (2 words) 36 Roman odist 38 Question resp. 40 Lady of song? 41 Morning cocktail 44 Gel 47 Yoga pad 48 Days on which you might eat 56-Across as leftovers (2 words) 51 Suffix for a grandchild? 52 Big Indian bay
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56 Topping to be eaten with 19-Across (2 words) 61 Refrigerant chemical 62 Litigates 63 Butt toy 64 “Death Be Not Proud” poet John 65 “Prose ___” (Old Norse work of literature) 66 Play parts 67 Played a part 68 Roost 69 Important article
42 Got down to the meat 43 Rapid, irregular heart beats, for short 45 Snogged your highschool sweetheart on someone else’s couch? 46 Soul windows 49 German chewy chocolate-caramel 50 Send a timed message to? (2 words) 53 Galt’s hideaway 54 Below 90 degrees
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1 Incredible Hulk? 2 Moody teen’s emotion 3 Response to Sherlock? (2 words) 4 Strapless bikini top 5 At the pinnacle of 6 Golden arches, for one 7 Visibly feels 8 Swole supplement 9 El Pollo ___ (restaurant chain) 10 Pay in for poker 11 Beware these in March 12 “Psyche!” 13 youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ , for instance 20 Genuine and typical 21 Oscar-winning Affleck flick 25 Ballers’ grp. 26 Japanese characters paired with hirigana 27 With “out”, to relax 28 Leader of 5x-daily prayer 29 Hindu serpent class of deity 30 Bothersome little insect 31 With 14-Across, a dangerous weapon 32 Wicked 33 Peru’s largest city 37 Bugs’s pet name for Fudd 39 Civilization creator?
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
55 Humans have four, two, and three in their lives, if you trust the sphinx 56 “Fashionable footwear” -Collin, wrongly 57 Musical that taught us all how many minutes are in a year 58 Good grade 59 Like bad tippers 60 Amaranth, coquelicot, and vermilion 61 Pharmaceutical oversight org.
HUMOR & SATIRE
November 19, 2015
Page 13
Breaking News From the desk of Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor Athletic center plans to hire Batman to ensure that students change their shoes before entering the gym Aliens promise end to climate Stay Strong: insider reveals change after human extinction truth about enigmatic dorm Steven Park
Ancient Aliens Host
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Evelyn Frick A Chosen One
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rom the assassination of JFK, to the construction of Stonehenge, to the invention of whatever Furbies are, the world has always been filled with mysteries. Until I came to Vassar, however, I did not realize one such enigma was my dorm, Strong House. During the time of the year when freshmen try to catch friends like Pokémon (known in the common tongue as Orientation), I was often asked the holy trinity of conversation starters: What’s your name? Where are you from? And, what dorm do you live in? When it came to what dorm I live in, the reaction was always the same, “OH, what’s that like? Did you choose to live there?” Since this mystery seems to boggle the minds of multiple people on campus, I’ve decided to give you all the inside scoop. First of all, one does not simply choose to live in Strong House. Strong House chooses you. We all know that preference for all-female housing is included on the ResLife application form, but in reality that is a small factor in the selection process. Instead, Luis Inoa leaves it up to the Magical Sorting Tampon. Cousin to the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts, the Sorting Tampon is waved over the ResLife housing appli-
cations of female-identified students and sorts into Strong those who display qualities of intense feminism, a strong will and a love of cats. At this point, you might be thinking that it sounds like the women of Strong House aren’t so much assigned a dorm as initiated into a coven. And you would be correct. This is where I would like to dispel certain rumors, though. Women in Strong aren’t put off by guys. In fact, we encourage men to visit! First, it is indeed possible for women to live together and still know how to interact with men. But also, men are welcome because we need talismans for our ritual offerings! After all, the funds for study breaks always tend to be a little bit small. Every full moon, the women of Strong use our study break to go to Sunset Lake and perform what some would call witchcraft. While making a potion from the locks of a man bun, a bro’s snapback and a drop of the blood of the patriarchy, we dance to Beyoncé and T-Swift. What does this accomplish, you ask? Well, I’d like to think this magic is partially what keeps Cappy so young and vibrant. But mostly, this ritual is what keeps the ladies of Strong so cool and badass which is a good thing, because we need to be badass enough to be able to deal with frequent, foolish questions about our kickass dorm.
Samana Shrestha/The Miscellany News
he year was 20XX and it was an unremarkably normal Monday for planet Earth. Oil prices reached a record high of $20 per gallon due to scarcity, the Amazon rainforest was renamed the Amazon quagmire, the ice caps had all melted and submerged the proud state of Florida. The situation looked grim for Earth’s inhabitants, but human beings are an especially tenacious species when it came to things they don’t want to hear. So as everything crumbled around them, the humans chose to worry about who was going to be the next American Idol and if vending machines could stock cheeseburgers, hoping that someone else would eventually step up and save their planet. One day, that someone finally came. “Attention, attention,” loudly announced a sudden, chipper voice from the sky. “Can everyone hear me? Hello?” Some people looked up quizzically, but most of the busy inhabitants of Earth continued with their incredibly important daily routine. An audible sigh could be heard from the smog-covered sky, which was then followed by the blaring of an air horn. The shock induced by the abrupt noise startled everyone, and they immediately dropped whatever they were doing and ducked for cover. The inhabitants of Earth peeked at the gray clouds looming overhead through their fingers. Some took out their smartphones and started filming the sky. “Now listen, Homo sapiens, I have some big news for you! It is time that you learned the truth of your situation. We of the Cryexios System Federation have been carefully observing you and your planet for thousands and thousands of years. Yes, there is life outside of your galaxy, and yes, aliens exist. We’re happy to finally communicate with you.” Everyone was speechless. Aliens were real. After arduous decades of searching for some signs of primitive life on Mars, they were suddenly just having a friendly chat with an alien from a distant galaxy. Well, an alien voice that sounded weirdly sunny and buoyant, anyway. “Now, don’t be afraid. We have seen all that has happened here and we, too, believe that your world is in a bad state. You all should know better than to blindly exploit your planet’s resources
so quickly. Hopefully it was all worth it for what you have now, like your Slim Jims and your highheeled Crocs,” the voice added disdainfully. “Anyway, it’s become increasingly obvious to us that entrusting you to save the Earth is not going to work. When it comes to environmental causes, you humans never really went beyond liking a status or posting something on Facebook. But don’t worry! We will save the Earth out of the goodness of our hearts.” The inhabitants of Earth looked at each other with astonishment. The aliens would clean up their mess for them! It was a miracle of epic proportions. People in the streets started celebrating. No more breathing in dense layers of soot, no more toxic oceans full of sludge and no more having to eat only processed factory food. Maybe they could even convince the aliens to drag Florida out of the sea for retirement purposes. The President of the United States addressed the voice as diplomatically as possible. “We appreciate your help,” said The President. “Humankind will look forward to starting this clean-up process once and for all. We have all dreamt of getting rid of the smog and sludge.” The voice, having heard the President’s little speech, let out a booming laugh. “Get rid of it? Why would we do that? It’s a little too late now. The clean-up process has been going on for about 200 years now,” said the voice. The President froze. “200 years?” he asked. “But that can’t be. The rates of pollution had only gotten worse as years passed!” “Yeah, that’s our solution,” said the voice matter-of-factly. “Before we reinstall life on the planet, we have to get rid of the source of the destruction. We thought this would be the most humane way of eradicating your species. No need to directly destroy you with lasers or anything like that. Nope, we’re 100% organic.” “But what about the good news?” cried the President. “You got to meet us!” said the voice. “We wanted to let you know the truth!” The President was speechless as everyone else stood in shock. “Well, I’m glad we could have this chat,” said the voice pleasantly. “Isn’t this great? You don’t need to worry about the planet anymore! We’ll take good care of it after you’re gone.”
Google drive: thoughts on the human element of driving by Zander Bashaw, Prius drag racer
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ecently, a police officer pulled over a car on a California road only to find no driver at the wheel. It turned out it was a Google self-driving car that was clogging up the roads by driving under the speed limit. Google did not end up paying a fine and the car went on its slow, merry way, but it got me thinking about driving, and the relationship between people and machines. In a week’s time, we will all be on Thanksgiving break. Whether that means kicking it in Po town, traveling or returning home, a break is crucial right now. For those of us going home, we will enjoy some truly scrumptious non-Deece meals while cringing through the more awkward familial interactions. If you have a driver’s license and haven’t been sneaking alcohol to make it through family dinner, I suggest driving to a friend’s house or Taco Bell to escape personal questions about your career path, significant other or bedtime habits. Follow Rihanna’s advice here: shut up and drive.
Of all the things I didn’t expect to miss when I went to college, my family and driving are high on the list. After some truly demoralizing experiences at the DMV in southeastern Pennsylvania, it seemed like it was going to be a rough road ahead. However, I’ve found that I definitely enjoy driving. I liked it for all the practical benefits, yes, and the boring cliche ones as well such as having freedoms and responsibility. I had the power to drive myself to Hot Topic, or Wawa whenever I asked my parents nicely to borrow the car! But I like driving for more than just where I can go. I enjoy the physical actions of driving a car. Sadly, I don’t know how to drive stickshift, which means I haven’t ever really been able to connect with the transmission of a car the way a drag racer does. However, coaxing the Prius’ small whirring engine to make it up a hill means I have felt some connection to the vehicle. Both the Prius and I are kind of lame, so we have a good old time together. We are ready
to accept each other’s shortcomings; the Prius knows that I mostly use it to get food at inappropriate times, and I accept that flooring it has virtually no effect for six seconds. Still, we make a good man/machine hybrid. For some people, when they are alone in a car they sing or do other embarrassing stuff. I certainly partake in all of these activities, but I can easily reach my quota for embarrassing musical activity within a confined space during the school year. I’ll spare you the details, but if there is a hidden camera somewhere in the Davison elevator, I fully expect to receive an email from American Idol in the near future. So what really happens behind the wheel that is different than the elevator music? Is there some type of transformation? Louis CK certainly thinks so. He has a sketch about how much of an asshole he is when he is driving. He says, “I am the worst person I can be when I’m behind the wheel, which is when I’m at my most dangerous.” He goes on to elaborate the
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awful things he has said to drivers that only marginally piss him off, and how it is probably bad for the health and well-being of other drivers. I agree with Louis that driving definitely brings out some of the deepest characteristics in people, but I don’t think that just has to be road rage. I don’t have road rage, but I have road condescension. When drivers do stupid things around me, I don’t yell profanities out the window, but quietly mutter the reasons why they suck, and feel a surge of superiority that counteracts the annoyance. A transcription of my thoughts might be: “Of course you’re just going turn out into both lanes, I knew it,” or “Wow, I see now that you want to turn left, if only there had been some way of signaling that to me!” If Louis CK is right about how driving a car can reveal deep-seated monsters inside of us, maybe my fatal flaw is that I think that I am better than other people. I think it’s more accurate at face value: I think I’m a better driver than other people.
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November 19, 2015
Multimedia project shares narratives of immigrant families Yifan Wang Arts Editor
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Yifan Wang/The Miscellany News
itting in front of a vibrantly multicolored background board, Elliot Vo ’17 started talking to the camera. Hanna Jeong ’17 was behind the camera, attentively listening to Vo tell her story. They are inside the Collaboratory, a retrofitted trailer now on the lawn of College Center. The filming light source lit up the whole space. Among the topics Vo discussed were experiences as a child of immigrants, her identity as a queer woman of color and the division between Asian and Southeastern Asian communities. After filming this narrative, Jeong will incorporate it into stories of other children of immigration. Together, this footage will form the final product of Our Voices: Children of Immigration Narratives, the latest multi-media project of Creative Arts Across Disciplines (CAAD). Organizers will conduct in-site filming in the Collaboratory on Nov. 17 and 18 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The final footage will be shown both at the ALANA Center and in the Collaboratory until Nov. 21. “The project is a week-long project, and it is divided into phases,” Jeong explained in an emailed statement. “The first step is to collect the narratives from the members of our community. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be at the Collaboratory, and we are hoping people can walk in and be filmed and recorded. We have a list of themes and questions that the participants can refer to if they need some guidance. Thursday will be dedicated solely to editing the footages we collected... We are just compiling the footage together...The showing will be movie style.” “Our Voices” is a part of a series of programs focused on students from immigrant families. Jeong started thinking about a way to create more spaces for these students. “The Children of Immigration Series is something I came up with when I was a program assistant at the ALANA Center in fall 2014...I created it because I saw a lack of space, even within the ALANA community, for students who identify as immigrants/children of
Our Voices: Children of Immigration Narratives, is a Creative Arts Across Disciplines project in the Collaboratory. Filming students from immgranat families, the project will have a final showing on Friday. immigrants. Being an immigrant is a huge part of my identity that affects me everyday and is something I think about all the time, so it made sense for me to want to bring together a community that share that identity. The first two events of the Children of Immigration Series were focused on community building.” Vo participated in both events. She recounted, “Last year, there was a series of events and talks on children of immigration. And I’m a child of immigration, so it’s nice to have a place where that kind of dialogue can take place.” Associate Professor of Sociology Eréndira Rueda has been working with Jeong since the beginning of the programs. She echoed Jeong’s observation about the campus’ lack of conversation of the topic. “When Hanna and I started talking about
being children of immigrants last academic year, we noted that we don’t often hear that category of students discussed on campus. There didn’t seem to be much campus programming geared toward students who grew up in immigrant families and that seemed like such a shame, particularly because in office hours I often had such wonderful discussions with students about those experiences and how they shape the way they navigate college, what they aspire to afterwards, what their priorities are, what they miss from home, what they try to recreate at times here and oftentimes what they struggle with as they become young adults trying to figure out what comes next for them after college.” Having organized two events already, Rueda shared her envisions for the future. “We plan to
keep getting feedback from students to see what they’d like to see more of...We can even brainstorm ideas for more funding to bring some folks to campus who specialize in creating podcast type content, such as NPR’s StoryCorp or the Moth in NYC.” Our Voices is a step toward this future goal. As a multi-media project, it seeks to share and document the lived experiences of children of immigration. Rueda noted, “Vassar looks really different demographically today than it did even 20 years ago and certainly far different from how it started out. It would be nice to have Vassar archives reflect that change in economic and racial/ ethnic demographic.” She said that this is the case on a national scale as well. “Nationally, racial/ethnic minority populations are growing at a much faster rate than White populations, which is partly driven by immigration trends and partly driven by birth rates among racial/ethnic minorities. It’s important that institutions recognize how those national demographic shifts are reflected within their own walls...In my hometown of Alhambra in the San Gabriel Valley, Latinos/Hispanics made headlines last summer when they became the largest racial/ ethnic group in the state,” Rueda explained. But ultimately, both Jeong and Rueda agreed that these projects and conversations are highly intimate. Jeong said, “The goal of this project is to bring attention to our community, our voices. We want to share our stories and lived experiences and by doing so, we celebrate ourselves as well as find comfort and strength in hearing each other’s narratives. As for the greater campus, I hope that this project increases the school’s awareness of our existence, that first and second generation immigrants and the lives we lead here are complex and diverse. We want to broaden and challenge the greater narratives that exist at Vassar.” She concluded, “I want to make it clear I’m not doing this to educate or ‘enrich’ Vassar College, I’m doing this for me, for my community, and for my parents.”
Devised musical draws on past high school experiences Matt Stein Reporter
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courtesy of FWA
igh school: A time that feels lifetimes away but was only a few years ago. The person we once were is not who we are now. We’ve grown up, changed interests, developed beliefs and opinions and hopefully gathered a bit of responsibility. College is also a time of transition, but, whether or not we loved or hated high school, it still impacted who we are today. “Formerly Known: A Devised Musical,” presented by Future Waitstaff of America (FWA), Vassar’s musical theater organization, will be going up Thursday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20 at 9 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Susan Stein Shiva Theater. This show is directed by Ryan Eykholt ’17 and Naa Kuorkor Nikoi ’17, with Liv Rhodes ’18 as Stage Manager. The show explores eight high schoolers as they confront the themes of friendship, mental health and other topics that are important to developing one’s identity through those formative years. The soundtrack comprises popular songs as well as original music that the arrangers composed themselves. Devised was not always the plan for Eykholt and Nikoi. The original intentions were to put on “Heathers: The Musical,” based on the 1988 black comedy film, until issues occurred in the process of getting rights to the show from publishing company Samuel French. FWA’s other production, “Lemonade,” originally was supposed to be “Pippin” until similar performance rights issues arose. “Our team was originally planning on putting on ‘Heathers: The Musical,’ but due the rights being highly restricted, we were unable to. So we kind of had to scramble in a week to figure out what we were going to do. We realized that there was a lot of things that fascinated us about high school and some of the themes in the show of ‘Heathers’ that we really wanted to focus on could be expanded in a different story and a different narrative, with a different environment and location too. So we knew we wanted to focus on high school and also identity formation and mental health,”
Eykholt said. In the process of establishing the basis for the show, Eykholt and the rest of the production team devised a playlist of songs that they felt meant something to them while telling a story. From this set of songs, Michael Oosterhout ’18 and George Luton ’19 were brought in to arrange these songs in a theatrical style. “In a musical, certain ideas are represented by musical motifs threaded through a streamlined score. My role in this show has involved adapting popular songs to place them in a theatrical context in which they can carry along a story,” Luton said. “This production is based on a compilation of well-known songs that we’ve been weaving together to forge a story centered around the dreaded high school experience. These popular songs thread the work’s prominent themes throughout the show, hopefully providing a broader perspective on the familiar music and how it relates to memories of our own secondary education.” As a sample of what this show has in store, the cast gave a preview at the FWA Cabaret in October, performing “Under Pressure” by David Bowie & Queen while wearing backpacks. The rehearsal process has involved the ensemble members creating characters and character arcs influenced by a reflection on both their own and other’s high school experiences. Production Manager Lydia Wood ’17 detailed the approach this cast and crew took into shaping this devised piece, saying, “We started out doing a lot of character building. So each person in the ensemble sat down and we talked about our own high school experiences and we talked about how that has shaped our experiences now. And so they kind of developed characters of who they wanted to explore.” She continued, “Some of them are based partially on themselves or what they wanted to be in high school. Some are based on people they knew, taking ideas of that and putting together a composite character. And then we started improvising around with these characters that we’d created and put them to work and started writing.” Despite the inspiration that came from
Originally ‘Heathers: The Musical’, FWA’s ‘Formerly Known’ tackles similar topics of high school. The devised show looks into identity and mental health with both original and well-known songs. “Heathers,” the trajectory that this show has taken has altered tremendously, swapping some of the absurdist elements for a much better reflective tone, allowing the audience to see themselves in the characters that these actors portray. It also offers the cast and crew an opportunity to create art that stems from their own perspectives, adding a more personal quality that a standard musical might not provide as easily. Observing how they’ve seen this change occur and the greater importance this work can now have, ensemble member Imani Russell ’18 said, “I feel like we’re so separated from ‘Heathers’ at this point. At the beginning I guess it influenced in the ways [of themes it covered] like high school and relationships and how negative high school can be as an influence but also how positive it can be. But I think it’s such a separate show from ‘Heathers’ now because we created it on our own. The script is ours and something we can be proud
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of.” This production has truly been a collaborative effort of the cast and crew seeing how they’ve changed and grown since coming to college. We might try to forget that those years happened or regret what we did, but the person we are today, though it’s definitely not the final product, owes much to what we learned in those years. The people that passed through our lives and the experiences we felt shape us, and this show devises that before our eyes. In regard to how the process of devising “Formerly Known” has mirrored the themes it covers, Eykholt commented, “I would say what speaks most clearly to us is how it mirrors the process about how we’re never complete or finished. We’re constantly changing and evolving. And once we graduate from high school, even when we graduate from college, there are expectations for us to have everything figured out and to find yourself and have your identity solidified. And that just isn’t the case.”
November 19, 2015
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VRDT showcases student, staff choreographic evolution Connor McIlwain Arts editor
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courtesy of Vassar College Media Relations
raditionally, schools with strong dance programs offer the art form as a major. Students take classes, rehearse, perform and often live together. But Vassar’s program is different. Its company, the Vassar Repertory Dance Theater (VRDT), functions like many other extracurriculars on campus. But it also functions like many professional dance companies. The result is a dynamic company of student-performers, whose upcoming Final Showings explore a vast range of styles. For company member Anna Beeman ’18, this balance between dance and school drew her to the group. She explained, “I wanted to be at a school where I didn’t have to be a dance major, but still could take advantage of the resources of a dance program like those of more conservatory based schools. This means…I can freely be taking classes or doing anything I really want in the dance department without having to be a major.” Another company member Kibi Williams-Brown ’18 echoed Beeman’s appreciation of the program. “VRDT provides me with a space to pursue that passion [for dance] while still taking into account my academic studies. VRDT has gone above and beyond as to make me feel like I have a home at Vassar.” Not having a dance major with its own requirements, also creates a strong bond between dancers and allows for more student creativity. Beeman continued, “We’re in the company because we love to dance and we want to spend time doing it...So it generates a community that is really supportive and here for the same reason. We’re not all just here because we’re on a track… it’s more about us really wanting to be here, and we were here because we were volunteering ourselves to do this more than saying, ‘oh, we have to be in this piece because it’s a requirement’...It gives us a lot of freedom with what we get to do.” This freedom can be seen in the constantly-evolving company. Because members who go abroad can’t be a part of the company, VRDT’s
membership changes greatly each year. “There are always turn-arounds,” said Beeman. “There are always new people in the company...You get to see new talent and different kinds of movement. So I think that’s really a great thing that it’s a rotating company. It’s not like a real company where you get hired and stay for eight years...It’s always changing. And if you’re a choreographer and want to do a certain piece, every year is going to be different, so you can see who’s there and look at the new talent of freshmen and be like, ‘wow, I’d really like to do a piece based on this.’” For company member Kelsey Greenway ’16, having so many different dancers at her disposal was both a blessing and a curse when she set out to choreograph a piece for the upcoming Final Showings. She explained, “Choreographing for VRDT this year has been daunting and invigorating; daunting because we have a company of over 30 brilliant dancers at our disposal who we can choose to work with, and invigorating because they each bring such life and vigor to the work that they produce.” Coupled with an emphasis on student talent, the group’s dynamic makeup leads to very different showings each year. The company performs First Showings earlier in the year and then spends the semester tweaking routines and practicing for Final Showings. At the end of the year, the company performs at the Bardavon Theater as a final showcase of the year’s work For company member Juliet Weis ’18, VRDT’s showings provide a valuable opportunity for dancers and audience members to watch a piece come together. She explained, “In the First Showings, you just get a little taste at first and can really see the process. Continuing on with Final Showings and then going on to Bardavon next semester, you can really see a sort of evolution. People always say, ‘oh, you do the same pieces,’ but it’s actually a really great way to work on a piece and get it to a place where the choreographer wants it to be. With this showing, you can see it kind of three-fourths of the way there and then you’ll have the opportunity to see it even more finessed
VRDT will perform this semester’s Final Showings over the weekend. The show is the culmination of a semester of work and features student, faculty and guest choreographed pieces in a variety of genres. later on.” The upcoming Final Showings will feature, among many other acts, a Modern Rep piece and music composed by Emmy award-winning artist Jeff Beal, who is also set to lecture on campus. “Everyone has worked so hard to put on a fantastic show. We’ve been working since early September to choreograph and clean pieces to perform,” explained company member Turner Hitt ’18. Hitt continued, “Something different about this coming show is that because Steve Rooks is on sabbatical this semester, [Visiting Professor of Dance Miriam Mahdaviani-Goldstone] is choreographing the modern faculty piece alongside [Assistant Director of VRDT Katherine Wildberger], so that’s going to be something nice and unique about this show.” Each year the company invites a choreog-
rapher to set a piece. The dancers in this year’s spent the majority of October Break on campus rehearsing. “We rehearsed from 10:30 to about 4 or 5 every day straight, one 30-minute break for Monday through Sunday so basically seven days. It was really intense and a lot of work but it was a great experience,” said Beeman. “I wish I had stayed over break to be a part of it,” said Weis. “The Modern piece is really fascinating.” She joins performers in other faculty and student-choreographed pieces, ranging from contemporary ballet to hip-hop. For her piece, Greenway said, “My piece this year is quirky, primal, a little over the top...and my cast has been so willing to delve into the quirks and eccentricities. We created a little world together and I’m excited to share that world with the audience.”
Shakespeare abridged seeks inclusivity with comedy, fun Sabrina Oh Reporter
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omeo and Hamlet in a Midsummer Night’s Dream? Wherefore art thou Othello? Congruity can be comfortable, but incongruity can be light-hearted and funny. The College’s Philaletheis Society takes just that to heart. Collaging 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in less than two hours, the Society presents “The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged.” As its title suggests, the performance is, in every sense of the word, abridged. In midst of the medley, the performance brims with comedic value and pure fun. Discussing the premise of the event, stage manager Shai Karp ’18 wrote, “The premise of the play is condensing all of Shakespeare’s body of work into a short play. We do 37 plays in just over 90 minutes and there’s a lot of
humor and it’s a lot of fun. The whole idea is a little ridiculous (to cover so much in so little time), it ends up being pretty hilarious to watch the three actors play all these Shakespearean roles in creative and inventive ways.” Those with or without an affinity to Shakespeare’s works are welcomed. Actor Colby Byrne ’18 wrote, “The play is a comedy about three actors (who are basically playing themselves) attempting to accomplish the overwhelming task of condensing all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays into a more reasonable hour and 45 minutes or so. It’s full of jokes that people who are more familiar with Shakespeare would get a big kick out of, but knowing Shakespeare very well is in no way essential to appreciating the production. It’s fun for all.” In fact, the event inadvertently ousts the presumptive esotericism of Shakespearean
courtesy of Philaletheis
The Philetheis Society condensed Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays into one ninety minute piece. The group hopes the show entertains audiences and avoids many problematic Shakespearean themes.
studies. The play’s director, Tonya Ingerson ’18, wrote, “As a member of Shakespeare Troupe, which performs in the spring, I’m obviously an admirer of his plays—but I understand that it’s not easy for most people to grasp it. ‘Complete Works’ does a great job of making the stories more accessible, and also reminds us that while the language of Shakespeare’s plays are quite stunning, it’s easier than people often think to reduce these fancy characters and verses to simple, enjoyable and fun theatre.” The process seems as amusing as the concept of the play. Karp wrote, “The process has been a lot of fun. We’ve had some serious talks about content (Shakespeare can get pretty violent and the 1500s were not particularly progressive on issues like gender or race), but we’re also able to just have fun with the text and mess around in this play.” Working through these harsh themes has been difficult, at times, for the cast. The vehicle of dialogue has proven to be an optimal measure to overcome problematic nuances. Ingerson wrote, “The one thing that has been a little challenging though is that quite a few spots in the original script are quite problematic. Many words, slurs and ideas were used in the text that we as a team did not feel comfortable presenting on this campus or anywhere else for that matter.” She continued, “These all opened up a lot of opportunities for dialogue as a cast, asking ourselves why these things were or were not perceived as funny, what the audience’s potential reaction would be, who would feel marginalized if we kept it in the show, whether the show would change without it and most importantly what we could do to take out the possibility of someone no longer feeling safe or that they were having fun at our show.” Getting to this point hasn’t been easy–the production process has been demanding. Byrne wrote, “This rehearsal process has been going on since September, and began with us blocking the show and updating and revising a lot of its content so that the audience may have a fuller appreciation (something the
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original playwrights insisted on). Before going into tech week, we’re focusing on running the show, cleaning up scenes, and rehearsing with costume changes and props as this is a very prop/costume heavy show.” The cast’s enthusiasm has kept them going through the more grueling aspects of show preparations. Ingerson wrote, “The process has been quite a blast. The actors are phenomenal and not afraid of being laughed at. One really convenient aspect of this show is that the whole thing is based on an air of unprofessionalism and ‘what the hell are you/am I doing?!’ Nothing has to be perfect, streamlined, whatever: it just has to be fun to watch.” Cast and crew members hope audience members enjoy the play as much as they have enjoyed putting it on. Karp wrote, “A lot of what I have to say about the play really comes back to fun as our primary concept. It’s a really fun play and we’ve had a ton of fun making it and I really want [the] audience to just have a lot of fun seeing it. It’s really funny and entertaining and I think it’s great to just see a really funny play.” Ingerson anticipates a great turnout and captivated spectators. But more importantly, Ingerson simply hopes to put a smile on audience members’ faces via “The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged.” Ingerson wrote, “We wanted to give people a show where they could just come to laugh about the material and at the actors with no hard feelings. The great thing about this particular show though is that while it’s nonstop fun, it also does have a bit of educational merit...” She continued, “I want people to maybe learn a little bit more about some of Shakespeare’s plays and get excited about them–and why so many theatre-makers out there get excited about them (lookin’ at you, Shakespeare Troupe!). But even if that doesn’t happen, I just want audience members to have fun and enjoy themselves. I hope people know that basically the sole reason Julianne [Johnson ‘16], Jonah and Colby are on that stage is to entertain every butt in those seats. Laugh at them all you want! They’ll loooove it!”
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November 19, 2015
Drawing on influences, Logic raps to intergalactic story Jimmy Christonr Guest columnist
The Incredible True Story Logic Def Jam
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oncept albums are something of an oddity with hip-hop. They are an oddities anywhere, but especially so in the genre of hiphop. You’d think that the lyrical focus of most hip-hop songs would lend itself to telling a coherent story or exploring a particular concept/ theme, and sometimes it does. But other times, concept albums get too bogged down in the exploration of a theme that the music begins to suffer. Childish Gambino’s “Because the Internet” is one such album; the first half was killer, but the second half plodded far too long inside the psyche of the album’s main character, and the songs reflected it. So where does Logic’s new concept album, “The Incredible True Story,” land on this spectrum? “The Incredible True Story” is the second full-length release from Maryland rapper Logic. Logic’s first LP release, “Under Pressure,” came out last year. “Under Pressure” was a pretty solid commercial debut from Logic. He went back to his roots, taking cues from influences Lupe Fiasco, A Tribe Called Quest and Kendrick Lamar to name a few.
The result was an okay album. The recognition of his influences might have bordered on flat-out imitation in some cases, but Logic still made an effort to make each track sound like his own. With this second album, Logic got ambitious. “The Incredible True Story” is an 18-track concept album with some of the tracks being interlude-type skits that tell the story of two astronauts heading to a potentially habitable planet after humanity leaves Earth. (One of said astronauts is voiced by Steve Blum of Cowboy Bebop/Toonami fame.) “The Incredible True Story” is being played by one of the astronauts. So the interludes are supposed to be these conversations that these two astronauts are having while the album is playing. During these interludes we get to learn about some very vague stuff about humans leaving Earth and looking for a new home. On the actual songs, Logic raps mainly about himself: how he’s the greatest, how he can rap over anything, how he isn’t in love with someone and how he’s frustrated with rap fans and the culture behind rap music. It’s hard to say if this water-and-oil separation of story and songs hurts or helps the album. On one hand, it’s odd to have the interludes discuss events that have nothing to do with the actual songs. On the other hand, using the interludes to frame the setting in which the songs are being played give the al-
bum a very unique feeling. What is pretty clear, however, is when the interludes stops the album in its tracks and makes the listeners roll their eyes. Examples of this interruption are found wherever the characters in the story reference Logic and his music. On the eponymous final track, “The Incredible True Story,” one of the astronauts begins to compare Logic’s verses to the composition of shots in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” on the basis that there is “thought put into them.” Apparently Logic didn’t put any thought into how stupid that sounds, because it almost ruins the track. Speaking of tracks, the album has a ton of killer ones. Whatever faults result from the theme of this album, the songs themselves make up for it. The production of the album, and how Logic uses the production, is probably the album’s greatest strength. Produced by Logic, 6ix, and C-sick, the album is filled with boom-bap style drums that work wonders with Logic’s flow. Being one of the producers of the beats, Logic is able to fine-tune his verses to the intricacies of the beats. The best example of this is on “I Am The Greatest,” which is filled with high-hats and tone-shifted vocal samples. Logic times his verses perfectly so that the vocal samples and his verses never play over one another. Unfortunately, the same praise cannot be given to Logic’s lyrics. It’s not that the lyrics are bad; it’s just that they aren’t great either.
These lyrics could have been written by any other new-age hip-hop artist from Childish Gambino to J Cole. Fortunately, Logic’s delivery is able to save the lyrics and trick the listener into thinking they’re listening to something with a little bit more depth. Another oddity in an album that is the definition of a space oddity is Logic’s frustrating imitation of other rappers. The first track of the album “Contact” uses the exact same percussion as Kanye West’s “Amazing,” The “City of Stars” background vocals sound like they were copied and pasted from another Kanye track “Say You Will,” and the beat on the track “Stainless,” sounds suspiciously like the beat on Travis Scott’s “Backyard” only sped up and with more horns added on. There’s a fine line between being influenced by particular artists and copying exactly what they do. In these examples, Logic crosses this line, arguably plagiarizing. As a whole, it’s hard to tell whether the album would be stronger if it didn’t spend so much time telling a story in the interludes, especially when they take away from the listener’s experience. The songs themselves are stellar however, and it wouldn’t be fair to not give credit to the songs that make up the bulk of the album. If anything, while Logic doesn’t land the concept as well as other albums such as Deltron 3030 or Kendrick Lamar’s “Good kid M.a.a.d city,” Logic still manages to craft a solid batch of songs.
Girlhood’s identity-specific SOAK splashes onto scene focus counters stereotypes with depth, haunting voice Jillian Elkin
Guest Columnist
Girlhood Céline Sciamma Art France Cinema
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oming of age films are common and often predictable. They fetishize adolescence through rose-colored glasses or display the unsurprising pitfalls that young people fall into much to the chagrin of adults. Céline Sciamma’s “Girlhood” or, in French, “Bande de filles” (Gang of Girls), transcends the typical coming of age stereotypes and focuses on a subject that most films of this genre ignore. “Girlhood” debuted in France in 2014 and now comes to the U.S. in select cities and streaming on Netflix. This French language film follows Karidja Touré as Marieme, a 16-year-old African-French teenager from a poor Paris suburb. She struggles academically and drops out of school after middle school when she learns that her only option is a vocational track. At home, Marieme deals with an absent, hard-working mother and an abusive older brother. She also takes care of her two younger sisters and has a close relationship with the middle sister. A group of three girls approach Marieme and she joins their gang. Once in the gang, Marieme becomes more selfish, but also more self-assured. The gang’s leader gives her a new name too—Vic for victory. One might expect the gang of girls to corrupt Marieme and lead her down an illicit path. Like 2003’s “Thirteen,” many films about a young woman demonstrate how peer pressure from other struggling young women lead her to make poor choices. But “Girlhood” shows the importance of female friendship in Marieme’s development. The gang leads Marieme into a life of petty theft, intimidation and fist fights. But the four girls support each other. One scene depicts the four girls dancing in a hotel room, wearing stolen dresses and singing to Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” and then falling asleep together. Color plays a significant role in “Girlhood,” contributing to visually appealing, emotive, feminine shots. Cast in beautiful shades of blue, a color that symbolizes dreamlike happiness for Marieme, the girls appear simultaneously innocent and mature, but above all, carefree and fun. The scene captures female youth in all its glamorous, shallow glory. The film notably differs from most American films in its subtlety–it communicates the plot rather discretely. It is a great example of show-
ing instead of telling. For those raised on Hollywood films (like me), “Girlhood” may feel slow at times. It lacks big emotional breakdowns, a lot of screaming and confrontations. The softness is fitting since Marieme is not in a position to loudly rebel against her mother, her brother or any of the figures Marieme later answers to. The film requires the viewer to put the pieces of the narrative together with the clues Sciamma leaves—like a pair of shoes on the floor or a change in Touré’s posture. The details of the cinematography and acting are heavily considered and particularly important because there’s minimal dialogue and action. Complete silence and music leave room for Touré to convey her character’s state of mind through her acting choices. “Girlhood” has a relaxed energy, easing the viewer slowly into increasingly dark topics. Thematic connotations include sisterhood and personal agency. In contrast to many coming of age films with male protagonists, friends are an intrinsic part of Marieme’s bildungrsoman. In every one of Marieme’s circles, she grows close to the women. Marieme and the women in her life (sisters, friends, roommates) mutually nurture and protect each other. Also, even when personal circumstances and social structures limit the characters’ abilities to make decisions, Marieme and her friends still assert independence and control over their bodies. Though Marieme joins a gang, she remains fiercely independent and would rather struggle on her own than take a safer route that would force her to depend on her family or her boyfriend. Marieme also has power over her sexuality. She initiates her first sexual experience, even though she knows that her community will consequently shame her and label her a slut. Marieme goes through her coming of age as an already strong, intelligent girl, not an innocent blank slate. The increased freedom that comes from growing up provides her with opportunities to use her strength and intelligence to make decisions about her own life. “Girlhood” realistically depicts coming of age as a process. The film ends ambiguously because the transition from girl to woman is not an exact journey from one point to another. Marieme is a complex individual at the beginning of the film too. Childhood does not equate to innocence, especially considering Marieme’s class, race and gender. Films often leave out the fact that social oppressions affect children. “Girlhood” follows a character that films rarely depict: a strong, vulnerable black girl from a poor family. Sciamma treats this character with the elegance and subtlety that Marieme, and every character in a coming of age film, deserve.
Patrick Tanella Columnist
Before We Forget How To Dream
SOAK Rough Trade Records
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s I peruse Spotify and Pandora, I am constantly attempting to find new artists and songs. While browsing Troye Sivan’s Spotify playlist, I came across a beautifully haunting song called “Sea Creatures.” The song was like nothing I had ever heard before, with its soft beats and lamenting voice coming from a singer called SOAK. I had never heard of SOAK before and, after looking at her page on Spotify, I found out the artist only had 10,000 followers. However, just from that first song I knew that the entire world would eventually hear her unique voice from their headphones. Bridie-Monds Watson, better known as SOAK, is a 19-year-old Irish singer and songwriter that has emerged onto the music scene with her debut album, “Before We Forget How To Dream,” or BWFHTD. The album’s sound has been referred to as dream pop, which is a subtype of alternative rock that relies on melody and breathy vocals. SOAK successfully does this with her light voice and acoustic guitar. She is best when it is just her and her guitar. The singer demonstrates this vocal power in the unplugged Spotify Session she conducted for her most popular songs, “Sea Creatures,” “B a NoBody,” “Wait” and “Blind.” The session proves that her voice is truly astounding and that she deserves so much more recognition. While “Before We Forget How To Dream” didn’t debut at number one, it did give the singer a solid presence on the music scene, debuting at 19 on the Irish charts and 37 in the United Kingdom. Posters of the album and SOAK appeared throughout the United Kingdom and the United States, and I know I freaked out when I saw one in a subway station near Greenwich Village. The album contains 14 songs and is a mere 41 minutes long, but it leaves a dramatic impact on its listener. It opens with “My Brain,” which contains building instrumentals that make for a bold beginning. The first line from the album, “A teenage heart is an unguided dart,” is filled with sadness and wisdom that will guide the rest of the album. “B a NoBody,” the album’s most popular song, depicts a person that isn’t content with his or her life. SOAK urges them to stop obsessing over fame and following the crowd. She repeats, “Come on, come on (come on, come on). Be just
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
like me. Come on, come on (come on, come on), be a nobody.” The track has gained recognition from many artists, including artist Troye Sivan and music connoisseur Connor Franta. “Blud” describes the anguish the singer-songwriter felt about her parents’ divorce. She laments, “You’re in my blood, I’m in your blood. You’re in my blood, let’s just forget. Let’s just forget.” SOAK wants to forget that her father is a part of her biological traits due to their strained relationship and their difficulties while she was growing up. “Wait” describes someone who wastes their life waiting for someone. The singer warns, “You’ll be waiting your whole life, you’ll be wasting your time. You’ll be wasting all of your time on something that wanders.” She continues to write about the discontent people feel and how they need to move on from the things that hold them back, whether that be a lover or an ambition. My favorite track off the album, “Sea Creatures,” is the first song to contain a quicker and more lively beat. “I don’t think they know what they mean. I don’t think they know what love is. Throw it around like it’s worthless.” The people around the singer aren’t genuine and they do not comprehend what love truly means, but there is one person in her life that understands her. She tells them, “I don’t get this town. Neither do you. We should run away, just me and you.” Another moving track on the album, “Garden,” is a fast-paced song that deserves to be the head song in any teenage indie movie. The singer describes an unrequited love that she doesn’t want to give up on. “If you let me in, I’d take you everywhere.” One of the closing songs on the album, “Hailstones Don’t Hurt,” physically hurts the listener with its lyrics. She cries, “Hailstones don’t hurt, but your forget does. Does it sting to know that your voice is the only sound that can calm me down?” SOAK is describing the pain an ex-lover gives her with their neglect. The album heartbreakingly shows the trials the singer has already gone through in her youth and teenage years. SOAK is relatable to anyone going through tough times, whether that be alienation or struggling to find yourself in a superficial world. She has currently finished her tour for “Before We Forget How To Dream” and will be playing several festivals in the upcoming months. SOAK is also currently writing her second album, “We Made it Up,” which was revealed when she posted a teaser from the next album on Instagram. As a massive fan of the singer, I cannot wait to see what SOAK does next and I hope that the world sees her as the magical artist she is, capable of bringing anyone to tears through her soft-spoken vocals and gut-wrenching lyrics.
ARTS
November 19, 2015
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Composer dialogue reaches across arts BEAL continued from page 1
would relish an opportunity to learn directly from him about his work for film and television.” Before the lecture on Monday evening, Beal will attend Dance Composition, a class taught by Mahdaviani. The class visit will offer a space for both the composer and student dancers to discuss their respective art forms. This perspective will likely complement Beal seeing his music being performed on stage during VRDT’s Final Showings. Mahdaviani noted, “Students will have the rare opportunity to interact with a composer who is at the top of his field.” She continued, “They will share the dance works they’ve created this semester and discuss how the addition of music, or the type of music, informs a dance piece. Jeff will be joined by composer Howard Kilik. Howard periodically composes a score for the VRDT dance company and has done so again this year for faculty member Kathy Wildberger’s choreography. Jeff and Howard will speak about their collaborations with Kathy and me, and speak about how music and dance combine to produce a work of art.” Having little exposure to dance composition, Beal said that the experience will be new to him, while noting the similarities with his previous works. He explained, “I’m relatively new to the dance world, but I suppose we will talk about musical structure, form and narrative content. There is a very interesting relationship between ballet choreography and film music. Each of those pursuits involve working out a parallel structure (i.e. the film score, of the dance choreography) to a pre-existing one (i.e. the film, or the musical score to a ballet).” In addition to Dance Composition, Beal will also give a lecture about his work behind two episodes of “House of Cards” to students in the class, Music in Film. Chair of the Music Department, Professor Michael Pisani said, “As for what interests me most in Jeff Beal’s work, it is how he is able to develop his own personal voice as a compos-
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er in the midst of having to speak a largely formulaic language and of trying to meet what must surely be the heavy demands of directors and studio heads. My impression is that this is a balancing act each composer needs to find for him/herself. The corporate investment in mainstream cinema and major TV serials almost invariably leads to the establishment of and reliance upon successful formulas. How does one use the formulas–the expectations du jour–and still find something new to say?” After his visit to the two classes, Beal will deliver his lecture at 5:30 p.m. in the Rosenwald Screening Room, Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film. He aims not only to present and demonstrate his music, but also his creative methodology. “I’ll be showing lots of examples of my work from various films and TV shows (“House of Cards,” “Blackfish,” “The Queen Of Versailles,” etc.) and hopefully some works in progress to show how I get form point A to point B in working out a musical solution for a certain film sequence,” Beal elaborated. Chair of the Film Department and Professor of Film Sarah Kozloff holds high expectations of this lecture given her past experiences with Beal’s work. She said, “Previous to this event I knew of Jeff Beal primarily through his scoring of ‘House of Cards’; that opening title sequence provides the perfect feeling of fast-paced menace.” Kozloff continued, expressing her excitement, “I was delighted to learn that he has scored two highly-acclaimed recent documentaries: ‘Blackfish’ (2013) and ‘The Queen of Versailles’ (2012). ‘Blackfish’ is being held up as a social documentary that actually has prompted change (have you read the latest announcements about Seaworld?); ‘The Queen of Versailles’ is a complicated character study about wealth in America. I am eager now to rewatch the films and study how the music enhances these powerful documentaries.” For Beal, composing music for films and TV series were not so different from
playing in a Jazz band. Beal elaborated, “I grew up playing jazz trumpet. Playing jazz is a very collective creative experience. I feel working in film to be very similar, i.e. I draw a lot of inspiration from the actors and trying to work with their performances and embellish them, to play in their band, so to speak. One of the most important things is to really listen to and to observe what is happening on screen, and how music can affect and/or support that. I like to write to picture; I’ll work out a basic sense of the tempo that feels ‘right’ with a scene at the beginning. Dialog writing, and editing all have a certain rhythm to them, and I try to address that in the way the music folds into a scene.” Well-known for his role in the crew of “House of Cards,” Beal will discuss the series as a highlight of his lecture here. “I’ve loved doing ‘House Of Cards’ from the start. The tone was set by David Fincher. He is very creative and very obsessive (in a good way) with doing things with precision and style. He puts a lot of thought into incredible visual detail, blocking, setting up shots, all in service of a dramatic tone. As we found our way into the music, it became this wonderfully dark and sophisticated type of scoring that I love to do. Coming from jazz, the occasional touches of film noir type harmonies and slightly jazz and/ or dissonant type of textures is something I love to do,” Beal said. As a final note, Mahdaviani emphasized the opportunity Beal provides for film and music students and the campus at large. She explained, “Music adds immeasurably to our perception of the images and dialog on the screen. Jeff ’s lecture will give us insight into his creative process and explain some of the technical aspects of the ‘music for film’ industry. Students will also get a behind-the-scenes look at how Jeff ’s music grows from an original idea into the recording one hears when viewing his films. Students who wish to pursue this field will gain a deeper understanding of what is involved.”
A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
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In Fury, from my acrylic series, the use of a palette knife allowed me to paint without the constructions of a brush. The idea of breaking free from this restriction is connected with the freedom of self-expression in a world where individuals are strictly confined by gender roles. Although I am a visual creator, I also have social responsibility to use this passion to foster change. Hence, I create art to deconstruct social injustices to understand the underlying human connections and interactions. I use figures and faces as my main subject matter; however, I do not wish to create individual portraits, rather a generalization and exploration of female power. -Fanni Somogyi ’18 fannisomogyi.com
Excuse me, Act like your favorite emoji.
-Ernie Suarez ’18
-Caitlan Moore ’16
-Hallie Ayres ’18
-Alex Shashaty ’18
-Diego Encarnacion ’18
“Android user” -Aiden Lewy ’18
Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor Sam Pianello, Photo Editor
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
SPORTS
Page 18
November 19, 2015
Men’s basketball looks to rebound with youth, chemistry Ashley Hoyle Reporter
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courtesy of Vassar Athletics
wo seasons ago, the men’s basketball team was riding high off a dominant season, yet a disappointing campaign last year set them back. The Brewers are looking to turn the tides once more for the 2015-2016 season. The team is led by Head Coach BJ Dunne, who is starting his third year with the Brewers. Dunne will be aided by a three-chair-deep coaching staff. Recently-hired Michael McSloy in his first year as the Vassar Assistant Coach is coming out of a two-season career at Connecticut College. McSloy attended SUNY where he earned an All-Skyline designation and posted a 25th national slot performance in scoring his senior year. He also spent a year as their Assistant Coach. In addition, Michael Callahan has joined the VC Coaching Staff. Callahan is also the Director of Sports and Recreation at the College. He was a four-year letter-winner at Massachusetts College where he was named captain in his senior year and graduated in 2009. The final addition to the staff will be senior Jonny Mrlik. Mrlik, a three-year starter for the Brewers, was part of one of Vassar’s best basketball teams in program history. The team posted a record 19 wins and earned a spot in the Liberty League Championship. Last season’s disappointing finish at the ninth slot in the Liberty League saw the team fall to a losing record of 7-18. Now, the men hope to use their momentum built up clocking hours early this fall in the Athletic and Fitness Center to build on that significantly this year. Sophomore guard Anthony Caletti elaborated on the men’s off-season work, saying, “To prepare for the season we put in a lot of work this fall in the basketball gym and weight room. We broke our team into three groups and had a competition where you earned points for various activities such as lifting, getting shots up and playing pickup.” Junior forward and guard Mickey Adams was
also impressed by the team’s commitment to working hard this semester, saying, “We had a great off-season as a team. We have committed to getting up shots, doing skill work and playing pickup, and I have been very impressed with our team’s dedication to weight training this fall.” The squad is 13 total this season, split right down the middle between rookies and returners. Sophomore guard, Jesse Brown, commented on last season: “We had very high expectations going into last season, but we suffered injuries at almost every position and had trouble finding a groove once we had our full team back. We had a lot of talent and played well but had trouble closing out [the] game.” Caletti said, “Last season was a big learning experience for us as a team as we were talented but didn’t perform very well as indicated by our record.” Adams also was disappointed with the 2014-2015 campaign, saying, “Last season was tough for us. We came in with high expectations, but a long string of injuries decimated our ranks and we struggled to find much continuity or success in what amounted to be a disappointing season.” Seven experienced Brewers will be taking the court this season, all saying goodbye to five seniors that graduated at the end of the 2014-2015 season. Caletti said, “We lost a lot of seniors from that team but our chemistry this year is much better and it has shown on the court already this season.” With all the young talent coming in, the returners are going to have to step up their leadership. Brown said, “I am trying to step into more of a leadership role on the team this season. We are a really young team and need everyone to be locked in if we are going to be successful this year.” The Brewers are coming out strong this season. Caletti commented on this year’s squad’s greatest strengths, “Our biggest strengths as a team are our shooting ability and ball movement on offense. We have so many good shooters that we can space the floor allowing other players to drive our big men to post up and the
Men’s basketball is looking to rebound from a disappointing 2014-2015 season. Senior captain Erikson Wasyl is ready to help lead a team that has improved its chemistry on and off the court. defenses cannot pack it.” For Brown, the Brewers have three main advantages, “Our greatest strengths as a team are three-point shooting, having high basketball IQs and ball movement.” Adams believes the team has something to prove. “I am most excited to see how far we can go with this group. I think other teams in the Liberty League do not expect much from us this year, so we are looking to surprise some people and bounce back from a tough season last year,” he said. Their first game of the year was against SUNY-New Paltz on the Hawks’ home court on Nov. 13. Vassar took a 43-37 lead into the half, yet scored just 25 in the second half and fell 7068 in a close contest. The Brewers had several late chances in the back-and-forth affair, yet ultimately fell a bit short. Next up is the Chuck
Resler Tournament to be played in Rochester, N.Y. at Rochester University where they will play Ohio Northern University and the winners of a match-up between Rochester and Keystone College. The team will take a big trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico in the Puerto Rico Classic Tournament at the end of December. They’ll see Gustavus Adolpus College and Central College during their stay. Then it’s back home for 16 Liberty League competitions in January and February combined where they will enjoy a four-game home stretch. If all goes well, the team will advance to the first round of Liberty League playoffs at the end of February. The Brewers are hopeful for their chances. As Brown said, “Our team goal is to win the Liberty League Championship and advance to the NCAA tournament.”
Women’s volleyball season full of historic campaigns VOLLEYBALL continued from page 1
working towards understanding what we do. It makes us really excited about the future of the program.” Head coach Jonathan Penn agreed, “I love coaching Devan. She is tough and driven and wants to make herself and the team better, which is what any coach wants. As she continues to grow in the program and improve I expect her to have an ever-growing impact on the team, both as a player and a leader. She has an outstanding work ethic and is extremely committed to the highest standards and expectations both on the court and off.” Gallagher’s teammates are proud of their accomplishments and recognize their contribution to the team’s success. According to junior captain Sierra Tobin, “Devan is competitive and confident on the court, and we [the team] can always trust her to put the ball away. When she gets a kill, she recognizes that it was because of
a good set and pass as well.” Tobin also spoke highly of Gallagher’s work ethic, “Devan is a hard worker, and works to improve on whatever she can.” Hoyle echoed Tobin’s sentiments, “She is a kind teammate that really lights a fire in everyone on the court. She is always the one to say what needs to be said and who is pushing everyone to do more. She’s really exciting to be around and her genuine love for the game is actually just so endearing and fun to play around.” Gallagher reflected on her first year in the program, “I had a great first year. This volleyball program is vastly different than any other program/team I have ever been on because of the amount of work we put in off the court, but once I got used to everything I had a great time.” Despite her outstanding performance in the gym this semester, Gallagher was surprised and credited her teammates for her success, “I was not expecting it, but it was definitely a huge honor. Honestly, I think that it made me recog-
Leo Hilton/The Miscellany News
Freshman Devan Gallagher has had quite an impressive rookie campaign. Gallagher has been selected as Liberty League Rookie of the Year. Senior Chloe Hallum also had a record-breaking year.
nize how much the team helped me grow as a player. When I came into preseason I was a very different player than I am now, and so yes, the award is an honor, but it really would not have been achievable without my teammates. In particular, Sophia and Annie (our setters) worked incredibly hard. I think it’s easier to only look at the hitters on the team because they generally end each point, but really I could not have gotten any kills without their amazing setting.” Hallum just finished an incredible career this season with yet another standout campaign as she posted 4.77 digs per set, the second-best in the Liberty League. Hallum led the team with 404 total digs, and finished second in program history for career digs with 1,968 digs. Hallum also set the school record for digs per set for a career with a 4.77, besting the previous mark of 4.22. Penn commented on what it was like to coach Hallum for four years, “Chloe is one of the great success stories of this program, culminating with a great senior year. Beyond having a great career, a couple of fantastic career records! She has meant so much to the development of this team over her tenure it is hard to express what an amazing legacy she leaves as a teammate, player, leader and person. She epitomizes what we want student–athletes to become. We will miss her.” Tobin only had positive things to say of Hallum, “Chloe is very competitive, passionate, and hard-working. She constantly pushes us to be the best we can be because she knows that we can be great. Hoyle agreed, “Chloe is the best teammate I have ever played with. She has an undying commitment to insisting that everyone around her be giving maximum effort and a great success rate with helping people achieve their full potential. Chloe is the most hardworking, dedicated and inspirational player I’ve ever had the privilege of playing with and her leadership and presence in the program has changed me as a person—and I’m sure I’m not the only one.” For Gallagher, speaking of Hallum was bittersweet as she was only able to play one season alongside of the senior. She explained, “Chloe was an essential part of our team. Her intensity
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
and passion really fuels everyone else up. Every time she steps on the court her desire and energy is always there and it makes her such a reliable player. I don’t think I have ever played with someone with that much fire, but all of her intensity comes out because she believed in our team and I think that is what was really inspiring for us. I keep thinking how much I wish I could play all four years with her, because her talent and energy will be hard to play without.” It seems certain that even with the loss such key players and team leaders such as Hallum, their legacy and contributions will remain with the program. Newcomers such as Gallagher who have already proven themselves as team players and fierce competitors will return next season with fresh experience and will look to bolster the team’s success. As for now, they can only reflect on their season and their current and former teammates with fondness. When asked what their favorite memories from the season were, Tobin reflected on a special victory, “My favorite part of the season was beating Union in four sets the first time we played them because we really came together as a team. We need to work on capitalizing on the last few points of sets and matches to finish stronger.” Hoyle elaborated on a favorite team tradition, “We do something called ‘story time’ where one [of] us closes out the practice by telling a story. I love hearing bits and pieces about my teammates’ lives before Vassar and it always ends in a good laugh.” Gallagher was enthused about getting to know her new teammates and friends. She explained, “It is hard to remember specific moments, but I think I really valued the time we got to spend off of the court together. Having a week of preseason without any other distractions was really helpful in terms of getting to know everyone on the team.” Penn agreed, “The best part of this year was how a very young team grew and learned over the course of the season. We will be looking to step up our competitiveness and mental toughness moving forward, but have a lot of important pieces in place to come back strong next year.”
SPORTS
November 19, 2015
Why this Giants’ loss is actually a good thing Adam Joseph D’Agostino Sr. Guest Columnist
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iants fans the world over (yes, again I am one of them) felt the same heartbreak on Nov. 15 as the team fell to the Patriots 27-26 on a last second 54-yard field goal attempt. For the fourth time this season, the Giants let a game slip through their fingers with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, dropping their record to 5-5 with six games left to play. Should the Eagles or Redskins win next weekend during the bye week, the Giants will be tied for first in the NFC East. Almost every game from here on out is do or die for New York. Upsetting the undefeated Patriots could have gone a long way towards sealing the weak division. Now that the initial anger over a blown game to New England has subsided, it’s time to look at the positives that came out of the game. As much as I hate to say it, Tom Brady and the Evil Empire that is the Patriot organization are the best team in the business. It’s scary to think come February they could complete the perfect season the Giants prevented so many years ago. The Giants gave them their closest game of the season without a doubt, and that means a whole lot going into the end of the schedule. It means we can match up against anybody and take them the distance, and hopefully take a few games with us (let’s be honest, probably just the four anyone is going to need here). Eli Manning’s first throw, an 87-yard route to Odell Beckham Jr. for the touchdown, proved what this team is capable of. What the Patriots took half the quarter to do, Eli did in a single pass to the best receiver in the business. While Malcolm Butler did his job from that point on, the tone was set from the very beginning. Once Odell was relatively locked up, Manning started hitting every other receiver under the sun to put his team in position to win. There has been debate for years over where Eli ranks among the top quarterbacks in the
NFL, and sure he’s no brother Peyton (after his game against Kansas City, maybe that’s a good thing) but he still is a two-time Super Bowl MVP and arguably the best starting QB the Giants have ever had. Oh and the guy he beat in both those Super Bowls? That was current MVP front-runner Tom Brady. On Sunday, until the fourth quarter Eli outplayed his colleague and even now the stat lines are incredibly similar. Manning didn’t throw a pick while Brady nearly had two (yes, I know Eli did turn it over). Speaking of picks, let’s look at the defensive side of the ball. New York’s defense has been rated one of the worst in the NFL this year, having no pass rush and recording under 10 sacks heading into Sunday’s match up. The secondary hasn’t been anything to admire either. However, on Sunday they put in a playoff-caliber performance, getting to Brady for three sacks and making the Uggs model throw his first interception in the second half of any game this year! They might not be the greatest unit out there, and they certainly aren’t going to pitch any shut-outs but they made plays when it mattered on Sunday–except of course for dropping what would have been a game-winning interception. Jason Pierre-Paul is back and he looks ready to put the questions about his capabilities since the infamous fireworks incident out of everyone’s heads as he clubbed his way through the Patriots line and demanded they give him their undivided attention. It took big moves by the Patriots’ special teams to put them down field for their second TD of the night. It took a long review before Odell’s second TD was overturned because both feet weren’t firmly on the ground when Malcolm Butler swatted the ball out with two minutes left. It took a drop in the secondary that gave Brady a pulse on the final drive. It took one of the best kickers in the NFL to put the game to bed. It took all of that to pull out a one-point win against the 5-5 New York Giants.
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Page 19
Bash for Cash? Money’s impact on college football Anika Lanser Senior Editor
O
n Nov. 9, President of the University of Missouri Timothy Wolfe resigned from his post due to numerous racial protests. Perhaps the most significant influence impacting his action was the threatened boycotting of a football game by several African American football players, who were then joined by many of their teammates and their coach Gary Pinkel. Although other racial protests likely impacted Wolfe’s decision to resign, the boycott of the football game was announced on Sunday and Wolfe resigned on Monday. While in this instance, the actions of a Division I football team had a substantial and positive impact on their campus community and helped to spark nationwide discussions about race on campuses, the quick compliance with the singular demand of their boycott is also indicative of the tremendous influence football has within Division I schools. Prior to the resignation of Wolfe, racial protests had been materializing for months at University of Missouri. Sure, one graduate student had been on a hunger strike for several days by the time Wolfe resigned. But, according to the New York Times, forfeiting the game would have cost the University over $1 million. This seemingly spurred Wolfe’s resignation, but also helped to further unite campus activists and gave the movement a serious boost. Once again, money is the reason behind the immense power football teams wield on Division I campuses. In 2014, the football team brought $83,718,587 in revenue to the University. According to USA Today, the football program still received around $1.5 million in subsidies. The expenses of the team add up to about $80 million. Although this may seem like a lot of money, especially since this isn’t the NFL, Mizzou isn’t even the program that makes the most money. In fact University of Missouri is ranked No. 32
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in total revenue of Division I football teams in 2014. USA Today identifies that the team with the greatest revenue, Oregon, brought in close to $200 million. No wonder schools will do just about anything to keep their football programs happy and successful. The large amounts of money in Division I football programs across the country gives players and coaches a lot of heft with college administrations. Although in the case of Mizzou, football players used their power for good, so to speak, many football programs get away with a lot because of how much money the school receives from their sport. Past incidences of academic fraud have kept players eligible. Players get away with conduct infractions other students would be punished much more stringently for, all in the name of keeping the players on the field. To restore the integrity of football programs, we need to take the money out of the sport at the Division I level. Obviously as a nation we are way too invested in the spectacle of the game to deeply reduce the marketing and advertising that goes into each game. However, with the amount of money in football only increasing, institutions are essentially run by their sports programs. Allowing these athletes academic and behavioral leeway because of their involvement in a sport runs contrary to the values of both education and athletics. Sports programs, but especially football, have too much influence over the institutions that fund and support them. If all football teams used their influence to spark important discussions or as a platform for activism, the amount of money in football programs could be a positive thing. However, this is not the case. Playing football has become a type of privilege on college campuses that allows both the program and the player too much free reign. The ridiculous amount of money in football programs is bad for Division I institutions and bad for the nature of the sport itself.
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Page 20
November 19, 2015
XC conquers muddy finale at NCAA Atlantic Regionals Zach Rippe
Sports Editor
W
ith their season coming to a close this past Saturday, both the men and women’s cross country teams were eager and ready for their final race, a muddy contest at Letchworth State Park. Hosted by SUNY Geneseo, the NCAA Atlantic Regionals were a competitive affair. Despite weather conditions from the previous day that affected the course’s terrain, both Brewer teams fared well. The women’s team took the 14 spot out of 37 teams as five of their runners finished in the top 100. Senior captain Ava Farrell got off to a strong start as she was in 38th place at the 2k marker and catapulted the Brewers up to the 13 spot by the end of the 5k marker. Farrell fell further back in the pack as the race wore on and was even-
tually passed by freshman teammate Christiana Prater-Lee, who finished no. 60 overall. Farrell described her experience firsthand: “I went out pretty hard in the first mile, and unfortunately fell off that pace during mile two, but found motivation approaching the last thousand meters when my teammate Christiana and I worked off each other’s pace all the way through the finish. Having just the tiniest bit of motivation and inspiration from a teammate when you’re starting to check out mentally during a race can make all the difference.” Prater-Lee added, “My performance could not have been possible without having Ava in front of me and at my side through the race. She definitely inspired me to give everything I had.” The Brewers ran an average time of 23:48 on the day, posting 381 points. Despite their finish,
courtesy of Vassar Athletics
Senior Ava Farrell ran a strong race to close out her XC career this past Saturday. Both the men and women’s teams finished in the top half of the competition at the NCAA Atlantic Regionals.
they were one point behind Plattsburgh State and three behind Stevens Institute of Technology, which would have put them in 12th place. Farrell knew this would be her final race of the fall and an important one at that. While she was a bit nervous, her teammates and preparation helped quell those doubts. “I felt pretty confident stepping up to the line Saturday because I knew I had an incredibly solid group of women standing next to me. The ladies I raced with this past weekend have been training for months and months, and have consistently proven themselves to be talented runners,” she explained. Sophomore Meghan Willcoxon faced unique circumstances as an injury last March halted her running for around four months. “This season was really about re-introducing myself to running and working on adjusting my training and expectations when new challenges were presented. I began with really low mileage at the beginning of the season, supplementing most of my training by biking, swimming and using the elliptical,” she described. Willcoxon had expected to race at the Seven Sisters Championship back in mid-October but faced an unexpected flare-up of her injury. She continued, “A lot of this season involved trial and error: pushing myself to get back, but also figuring out what my body could tolerate in terms of intensity and volume. Going into Regionals with only one other race was certainly unexpected (at no point during the season did I think I would make it to Regionals), but it was also more than I could have hoped for.” The men’s team achieved similar success on the day, finishing at number 15 out of 40 teams, a seven-slot improvement from last year. Existing weather conditions had many thinking that times would come in a bit slower. This did not deter the team. Senior Colin Hepburn elaborated, “I think that the slow times actually helped me this weekend. My goal was to come through the two-mile mark in about 10:25-10:30, and when I heard my two mile split time, which was
just over 11 minutes, I knew I had to throw my time goals out the window. At that point I realized I could no longer worry about the time and needed to focus on racing: passing runners and helping my teammates move up.” Sophomore Michael Scarlett added simply, “Everyone runs on the same course so there are no excuses as far as conditions go.” The team was led by Scarlett, the first male Vassar runner since 2004 to pace the team in every race in a season. Scarlett finished in the 38 slot with a time of 26:19.3. He spoke to the team’s mindset going in. “We knew we were in a much better place than last year, so we just wanted to see improvement. We had been improving throughout the entire season so we knew we were capable of a solid performance,” he said. Sophomore Jesse Schatz proved an excellent example. Schatz was the number 10 runner for the Brewers in the second race of the season, yet climbed all the way to second slot in the Atlantic Regionals with a time of 27:12.8. Still, for both the male and female seniors, it was a strange moment as they reflected on what had passed and what potential the program’s young runners bring. “Because we are such a young team, a lot of groundwork was laid to pave the way for success in upcoming seasons. Additionally, both the women and men’s team were really close this year, making practice time together a lot of fun. From a competitive standpoint, it was my most successful season I’ve had at Vassar, which is a nice way to end my XC career,” Farrell reminisced. Hepburn echoed Farrell’s sentiment: “This season was somewhat bittersweet for me. I got to race with a great group of guys, I could not have asked for a better group to call my friends and teammates...I know we’ve got a lot of budding talent, and I believe that in the next two years our team will be doing big things. As for me, I am happy with the effort I put in this season. Am I hungry for more success, and to run faster and race harder? Absolutely. And that’s what track season is for.”
Indoors and out, Brewers up to challenge, win in rout Amreen Bhasin Reporter
Men’s Fencing
The Men’s fencing team started off their season at the Vassar College Invitational this past Sunday. The team went 6-1 on the day, their only loss a heartbreaker 14-13 to the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology. The team defeated Yeshiva 23-4, Hunter College 21-6, Haverford College 16-11, Lafayette University 19-8, Army 22-5 and University of Florida 16-11. Senior captain Elam Coalson went 17 out of 18 for the sabre squad, which won all seven rounds. The sabre squad also looked impressive against Stevens going 8-1 and against Florida going 7-2. Sophomore Eli Polston won 15 bouts for sabre as well. Junior captain Ry Farley had 13 wins in epee while sophomore Jonathan Alperstein had 14. Sophomore Tom Racek went 16-2 in men’s foil. The team will be back hosting Senior Day on Sunday for the Matt Lampell Invitational. Men’s Squash
The Men’s squash team traveled to Haverford College last Saturday to compete against their hosts as well as Dickinson College. Unfortunately the Brewers fell 9-0 to both teams in tough weekend. Sophomore Andrew Patton at No. 8 against Dickinson was competitive, falling 11-6, 11-4 and 11-6. Senior Tim Boycott at No. 5 went 11-6, 11-3 and 11-5. Against Haverford, Junior No. 1 Vincent Menotti started off with an 11-4 win, fell 12-10, fell 11-6 and then fell 11-4 for the rout. The Brewers are off until Dec. 5, when they travel to Connecticut.
The men competed against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) this past weekend up in Troy, NY. The Brewers couldn’t overcome the 11 event victories RPI picked up and they fell 194.5-100.5. The men are now 2-2 on the year. Junior Anthony Walker took first in the 200 fly as well as the 100 fly. Sophomore Luke Morrison swam season bests in both races taking second and fourth respectively. Sophomore Jonah Strand placed first in the 100 breaststrokes and second in the 200 IM. Freshman Alex May took
Women’s Collegiate Division II Fall Championship. The Brewers will be playing the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Saturday, time TBA. Women’s Squash
Women’s Basketball
The Brewer women had a tough opener this season against No. 12 Montclair State University. The Red Hawks knocked off the women 67-40 in the AFC. Sophomore Ariella Rosenthal led the Brewers with 10 points on the day. Seniors Rose Serafini and Caitlin Drakely both had 6 points each for the Brewers. Sophomore Samarah Cook had 8 and Serafini also added 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. The Brewers also shot 27.8 percent from the field (15-54). They will be back in action in the VC Tip-Off Tournament Friday and Saturday. They will play the College of Mount Saint Vincent at 6 p.m. on Friday. Women’s Rugby
After taking home the Tri-Conference Championship against Rutgers’ B-Side squad last weekend, the women’s rugby team played their first game of Nationals this past weekend. In the Round of 32, the team played a strong University of Delaware team and came away with a 50-12 win, which didn’t reflect the intensity of the game all day. While they finished third in their conference, the Blue Hens put up quite a fight as the first and second place teams, Kutztown and Bloomsburg, two eastern powerhouses. Despite the score disparity, the game was a hard-fought win for the women. It featured some of the most physical competition they have seen all season as Delaware constantly fought hard at the rucks and had the size and stamina to hang with the Vassar women. Senior Cierra Thomas scored the first try of the game and added one more later in the play. Freshman Rachel Elson added two as well as did junior Laila Blumenthal-Rothchild. Seniors Anne Fritzson and Taylor Nunley rounded out the scoring for the Brewers save for the 5 conversions Mary Margaret McElduff added. The women look ahead to playing host this weekend to eight teams qualified for two of the regional brackets of the USA Rugby National
The women’s team had a rough opening round against Dickinson College. They fell 9-0 but had some very strong games. No. 1 sophomore Hannah Nice forced her opponent to a fifth game but was unable to earn the win. At No. 2, freshman Fiona Agger took the first set but was unable to win anymore. In response, the women came back and played for a 9-0 win against Haverford. Nice went 11-5, 11-5 and 11-7. Agger went 11-7, 8-11, 11-2 and 11-6. At No. 3, freshman Jiamin Wu went 11-1, 11-5, 10-12 and 11-4 for the win. Senior captain Steph Zhu had another win at No. 7 going 11-4, 10-12, 12-10 and 11-4 after having just started to play last year. The Brewers will be going to Connecticut Dec. 5 to face Mount Holyoke and
Connecticut College. Women’s Swimming
The RPI Engineers took 11.5 event victories to top the Brewers 188.50-111.50 as a team, but the Brewers had some very strong performances. Junior Julia Cunningham posted an NCAA B-Cut qualifying mark in the 200 fly, posting her first B-cut of the season for the second straight year against RPI. Cunningham tied for first in the 100 fly with fellow 2015 NCAA qualifier Shanny Lin. She won the 200 IM outright. Freshman Kael Ragnini took first in the 1000 freestyle as fellow freshman Sammy Stone was first in the 200 free and 500 free, just four seconds away from a school record. Freshman Mia Moraru reset her school record in the 3-meter diving event, finishing second just a point off of an NCAA Regional qualifying berth. The women will be hosting NYU on Nov. 21 for the final home meet of the semester.
courtesy of Vassar Athletics
Men’s Swimming and Diving
first in the 1000 free and Junior Chris Cerutti had a season best in the 200 back, taking third. The Men will be back on Saturday against NYU for the last home meet of the semester.
Sophomore Annie Innes-Gold registered three victories in sabre this past weekend. The women’s fencing team is off to a successful start this season. Bolstered by a deep roster, they look to continue to win.
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