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