The Miscellany News
Volume CXLIX | Issue 15
February 23, 2017
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Nature mag to debut
WVKR confronts inequality Izzy Braham
Emily Sayer
Guest Reporter
Features Editor
“M
A
Courtesy of Ella Baum
usic is a very lopsided field in general—it’s extremely male-dominated,” feminist Laura Pfeifer said, casually sitting at a sunny desk in Rockefeller Hall to the few nodding women who gathered to talk about women in radio. On Feb. 18, the Feminist Action Collective held a Women and Femmes in Radio Podcasting Workshop with Laura Pfeifer, a NYU graduate and WNYU radio show host. The workshop was an open forum for Vassar women in the radio scene to ask questions about anything from editing podcasts to jobs in the music and radio industry. In the end, however, it evolved from a more specific conversation about podcasting into a larger discussion about gender politics at WVKR, Vassar’s longstanding, student-run radio station. The workshop’s guest of honor, Laura Pfeifer, has special insight into the issues facing the world of radio. During her time at NYU, Pfeifer hosted a postpunk, new wave, experimental radio show featuring underground artists. Her show eventually grew into a threehour punk marathon on afternoons. As a recent graduate, she is considering applying to host shows on renowned See RADIO on page 15
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
At the Planned Parenthood benefit concert on Thursday, Feb. 16, students expressed why Planned Parenthood is important to them. The event was organized by students Lucy Ellman ’19 and Isabel Furman ’19.
Students orchestrate PP benefit Hanna Stasiuk Guest Reporter
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n the Sunday after the presidential election, Lucy Ellman ’19 had an idea. She raced to her friend Isabel Furman ’19, who, like many Vassar students, was attempting to process the election’s results. “Both of us were overcome with a feeling of helplessness and knew that we want-
ed to do something,” Furman remembered. “Lucy suggested that since we were both passionate about music and Planned Parenthood, we combine these two things...and help.” For three months, the two planned their “Your Body Your Voice: A Benefit Concert for Planned Parenthood,” which occurred last Thursday, Feb. 16 in the Villard Room. This event treated students
to a night of good food, empowering performances and information about an important cause. At the door, representatives from various student organizations collected a three dollar minimum donation from students who wished to enter. All proceeds went directly to Planned Parenthood (PP), a non-profit organizaSee BENEFIT on page 4
side from the occasional deer or “womp womp” spotting, Vassar students often fail to take note of the diversity of our surrounding ecosystems. To remedy this, Stephen Kovari ’19 is bringing to light the array of lesser-known critters around campus and the work that the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve (VFEP) does to sustain these creaturesí living conditions with VC Nature, a new wildlife newsletter. Kovari said of his mission, “In terms of wildlife, people have a lot of neighbors that they are completely unaware ofó Iíve photographed bobcats and coyotes on the Vassar Ecological Preserve, and we get photos of them on our motion activated trail cameras all the time at the preserve. To some, itís a bit unnerving having bobcats and coyotes in their yards or their campus. We want people to embrace the fact that they are here, and the best way to do that is to raise awareness and educate people about how important they are to our ecosystem.” The newsletter will focus on sightings, encouraging students to submit photographs or contribute in any possible way to the goal of broadenSee NATURE on page 5
Winter concert captivates campus Swim and Dive make UNYSCSAs splashes T Kaitlin Prado Reporter
Fiona MacLeod Guest Reporter
I
Courtesy of Kaitlin Prado
his past weekend Helado Negro and Xenia Rubinos performed for Vassar’s winter concert, and we have WVKR DJs Jonathan Rodriguez ’19 and Paul Kennedy ’19 to thank for it. Latinx radio station Valentina Gansito + Friends organized an amazing event. Rodriguez explained, “We didn’t try to cater it as a Latinx showcase, but both of their art and both of their work really focuses on identity-based work and work that supports the experiences of Latinidad, Latinx folk. We wanted to be able to reach a bunch of people who haven’t been able to have that connection with performances on campus yet and I think it was the first of its kind in terms of centering non-white folks and understanding the implications that go with art and your identity.” This concert was unlike anything I have ever experienced at Vassar. It was clear that the entire crowd was captivated by Helado’s soft tunes and Xenia’s powerful energy, but it wasn’t just the exceptional musical talent of these artists that made this concert so unique. Larissa Archondo ’20 offered an explanation as to what really made this an exceptional event: “It was important that the event was being organized by Latinx students for Latinx students, so I didn’t feel like Latinidad was being exploited or appropriated. Saturday night I saw myself and See CONCERT on page 15
Brought to Vassar by the WVKR station Valentina Gansito and Friends, singer Helado Negro (Roberto Lange)—pictured above—transformed the Shiva Theater into an intimate space for POC and allies alike.
Inside this issue
10
Runways are newest solution to spur on OPINIONS revolution
13
Writer reviews Space Jam without having HUMOR watched it
n an intense four-day affair, both the men and women of Vassar College’s swimming and diving teams faced off against fierce competition in the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming and Diving Association (UNYSCSA) Championships. The meet was held at Ithaca College, where both teams resumed competition after a few weeks without any official races. The men concluded their season by finishing in 11th place out of 14 total teams, while the women snagged 10th. The men’s first day of the UNYSCSAs started off with a bang, as junior Jonah Strand broke a Vassar school record in the 200 yard individual medley. Swimming a 1:57.51 in the preliminary round, Strand qualified for the “A” final round. There, he worked to improve his time, earning a 1:55.63 to finish in fourth. With this time, Strand broke the school record, held by himself, a time of 1:56.56 from last year’s championship round. “It feels great to break school records, mainly because it means the hard work has finally paid off,” Strand recognized. “I was most pleased with breaking this record specifically, because I have been trying to do so since my freshman year.” The team has been practicing for this exact scenario: reaching their potential and breaking many personal bests, season bests and school records during the championships. “The men knew we
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had the capacity to achieve such things during this meet,” reported Coach Lisl Prater-Lee, who heads both the male and female teams. “Many things lined up for us throughout the championships, and we were able to achieve a lot of the records we worked for.” Due to both having a few weeks without formal competition and their strong determination, the swimmers have been putting in overtime work for weeks. “We have had double and triple practices every day for almost a month to prepare for these championships,” Strand relayed. The 200 yard medley relay, swam by Strand, seniors Chris Cerutti and Anthony Walker, as well as freshman Harrison Taylor, marked a huge success for the Brewers. The team beat their collective season-best time, earning a 1:37.47 in the finals. Walker’s stretch of the race marked the fastest of all of the swimmers, clocking in at just 21.48. Walker continued his impressive performances into the next day of competition. He proved to break a Vassar school record not just once, but twice. Walker earned a time of 51.03 in the 100 yard butterfly in the morning, beating the record, and then beat his own time in the afternoon by .01 second. Both times brought Walker into third place, an improvement from the sixth-place finishes he has earned during his past two seasons. See SWIMMING on page 18
On home turf once more, volleyball has SPORTS wins galore
The Miscellany News
Page 2
February 23, 2017
Editor-in-Chief Anika Lanser
Senior Editors Emma Jones Elena Schultz
Contributing Editor Yifan Wang
Courtesy of Jackson Ingram
One of Jackson Ingram’s most poignant experiences in Granada, Spain was seeing the Alhambra. “After centuries of religious warfare, the Alhambra bears the weight of each transition of power. Now, the intricate Islamic art and sprawling gardens have been restored, but...I felt the pull between Granada’s rich history and the tourism that dominates the Spanish economy.” You can read Jackson’s full post at farandaway.miscellanynews.org.
The Miscellany News 23
February
Thursday
Russian Maslenitsa Bonfire 4:00pm | Joss Beach | Russian Studies Dept.
Kim Foster Lecture and Dialogue
4:30pm | Villard Room | Women’s Center
Elayne Seaman Reception
5:00pm | Palmer Gallery | Campus Activities
Tourneé Reception
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Friday
25
February
Saturday
Patricia Smith Workshop
Measuring the Shape of Data
CAPPYNY Festival
Vassar College and Community Wind Ensemble
3:00pm | Rocky 300 | Mathematics Dept.
Open Rugby (M/W)
5:00pm | Kenyon Gym | Athletics
LiNK Benefit Concert 7:00pm | Aula | LiNK
9:00am | Walker Bays | Athletics
10:00am | Villard Room | Vassar Greens
Rally, Resist, and Rise
11:30am | College Center Circle | LGBTQ Programs
Patricia Smith Workshop 12:00pm | Blodgett 305 | Wordsmiths
Barefoot Monkeys Shiva Show: Pirates!
Topological Data Modeling
No Offense Show
1:00pm | CC 204 | Vassar Smash Club
Big Night In
Senior Recital: Camilla Hippee, soprano
Two Days, One Night (Dardenne Brothers)
8:00pm | Shiva | Barefoot Monkeys 8:00pm | Sanders 212 | No Offense 8:00pm | CCMPR | Big Night In
6:30pm | Taylor 203 | French and Francophone Studies Dept.
Student Music Showcase
Volleyball (M) vs. Sage College
Seven Deadly Sins
7:00pm | Kenyon Gym | Athletics
9:00pm | Mug | ViCE
9:30pm | Rocky & Villard Room | Jewett House
Vassar Smashers #2
Online Copy
Reporters Sasha Gopalakrishnan Meg Howell Kaitlin Prado Andrea Yang Columnists Jimmy Christon Jesser Horowitz Steven Park Design Scarlett Neuberger Maya Sterling Yoav Yaron Copy Adele Birkenes James Bonanno Gabriela Calderon Leah Cates Jillian Frechette Tanya Kotru Gode Sumiko Neary Jessica Roden
Sunday
Tennis (M) vs. University of Rochester
5:00pm | Taylor Hall Jade Room | French and Francophone Studies Dept. 5:00pm | Rocky 300 | Mathematics Dept.
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February
PHYS-245-51 Intro Stat Mech Thermody
10:30pm | Sanders 206 | Registrar
Sports Design
Laurel Hennen Vigil Emily Sayer Nick Barone Evelyn Frick Noah Purdy Patrick Tanella Olivia O’Loughlin Talya Phelps Charlotte VarcoeWolfson Sarah Dolan Kelsey Quinn Laila Volpe
Assistant Copy Claire Baker Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice Web Master & Technical Advisor George Witteman
Weekender_ February
News Features Opinions Humor and Satire Arts
12:00pm | Blodgett 305 | Wordsmiths
3:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Screening of Drunktown’s Finest 4:00pm | Rocky 200 | ViCE
Paper Critique
9:00pm | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News
1:30pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Basketball (W) vs. Liberty League Championships 2:00pm | AFC 102 | Athletics
The Poetry Gods Podcast ft. Patricia Smith 5:00pm | Blodgett Auditorium | Wordsmiths
Dinner Party
Brian Mann & Friends: Jazz Concert 8:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Wicker
9:00pm | UpC | Philaletheis
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Courtesy of Jewett House Team
5:30pm | Aula | Davison House
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
February 23, 2017
NEWS
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Lecturer advocates recognition of Russian democracy Laurel Hennen Vigil News Editor
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alking into Nicolai Petro’s lecture, “Are We Reading Russia Correctly?” on Thursday, Feb. 16, many students expected to leave with a better understanding of Russia’s role in the United States’ 2016 presidential election and the resulting state of U.S.-Russia relations. Shiv Ruparell ’19 commented, “I think that especially with everything going on in the election, [knowledge of] Russian geopolitics is increasingly important for American security.” However, Petro, who stated that he didn’t want to get into the usual discourse on Russia, avoided mention of the election almost entirely. Instead, the University of Rhode Island Political Science professor and former U.S. State Department special assistant for policy under President George H.W. Bush, chose to discuss Russia’s credentials as a democracy. He particularly focused on the part Russian president Vladimir Putin has played in what Petro argued has been a “democratization” of the post-Cold War superpower. This was also the subject of Petro’s book, “The Rebirth of Russian Democracy: An Interpretation of Political Culture” (Harvard University Press, 1995). The lecture, which was sponsored by Vassar’s Russian Studies Department, took place in Rockefeller Hall and was attended by several dozen people, a large portion of whom were professors. Petro began his lecture by pointing out that though many in the U.S. believe Russia does not understand the West, it is in fact we who misunderstand Russia. “The West’s longstanding hostility toward Russia has established it quite firmly in the public mind as a nation incapable of democracy,” he said. The more time that has passed since the Cold War, Petro continued, the more its revival seems imminent, despite his belief that Russians and Americans share many of the same political, economic and social values. He attributed this to what he said is the American news media’s
obsession with portraying Putin in a negative light. “It is impossible to see Russia clearly when it is presented to us in fragments. These fragments represent only a small part of the Russian reality, just as they would of America if the story of America were only soaring murder rates, a collapsing middle class, race hatred and, of course, Donald Trump. These are all part of America, but the full picture is more complicated,” Petro argued. Putin’s detractors, of course, have noted that this method of countering criticism of Russia by pointing out flaws in the U.S. is a tactic Putin himself often utilizes in interviews and is something President Trump has started doing, as well. Petro condemned President Obama’s lack of praise for Russia during his tenure and defended Trump’s controversial statements calling for improved relations with Russia, saying, “We can only imagine how different it might have been if President Obama had said a few kind words about Russia’s progress.” He went on to detail Russia’s democratic successes that he believed the Bush and Obama administrations had overlooked: The large number of political parties competing in Russian elections, the increase in the number of non-governmental agencies under Putin, that 99.7 percent of Russian internet users are active in social networks and that 95 percent of Russian media companies are privately owned. Petro went into further detail about his disagreement with the commonly held belief that Russians only have access to state-controlled news, pointing out that a mere two percent of Russians get their news from only one source. The most common news source in Russia is now the Internet, he said, which is more popular than television for those under the age of 34. However, during the question-and-answer session that followed Petro’s lecture, one student pointed out that this statistic was itself misleading, as state-owned outlets like Russia Today and Sputnik publish news stories on the
Internet, as well as on television or radio, so getting one’s news online does not mean that it isn’t state-controlled. In fact, Reporters Without Borders, a nonprofit that monitors freedom of the press, ranked Russia 148 out of 180 countries in its 2016 World Free Press Index (Reporters Without Borders, “2016 World Free Press Index” 1.2016). Petro explained that he believes Americans— and in particular American journalists—often suffer from “paradigm blindness” with regard to Russia. Paradigm blindness, a social psychology term, refers to an instance in which an observer cannot comprehend a certain event because they have no context for it. He painted a picture of journalists unable to grasp the idea of Russia as a democracy, saying, “A journalist’s desire to report accurately gives them no special preparation for the uncomfortable task of constructing an entirely new intellectual framework. As a result, most simply fall back into old stereotypes.” Petro concluded his lecture by commenting that it would be unwise for the U.S. to maintain Cold War-era attitudes about Russia, whose global power and influence, he predicts, will increase over the next decade. He maintained, “Our failure to come up with an alternative to [the policy of] containment more than a quarter century after the collapse of the Soviet Union is rooted in a perception of Russians as beasts. Little will change until we confront our historical Russophobia and talk candidly about how it impacts U.S. foreign policy.” In the discussion following the lecture, many audience members brought up some of the more prevalent questions about Russia that Petro had not addressed at length in his talk. One attendee asked, “There have been a lot of high-profile murders [of journalists, politicians, activists and lawyers critical of Putin]. It would be difficult to prove without a doubt that Putin was behind it, but at the very least, it points to a dangerous atmosphere where political opponents are killed. What does that say about the
political situation [in Russia]?” In response, Petro brushed off the inquiry, saying that he found the idea of Putin murdering his critics far-fetched. A student in attendance remarked, “I think you glossed over some very real reasons to distrust Putin—the main one being gross human rights abuses in the Second Chechen War.” During that conflict, Russian troops bombed, murdered and raped civilians, a violation of the Geneva Convention. They also prevented Chechen refugees from fleeing the country and barred humanitarian organizations from entering the area to aid refugees (Human Rights Watch, “War Crimes in Chechnya and the Response of the West,” 2.29.2000). Surprisingly, Petro replied that it was his intention to gloss over “unpleasant aspects” of Russia in order to provide a different perspective. When the questioning student answered that many of these war crimes are not common knowledge and that it seemed dishonest not to discuss such things, Petro disagreed before moving on. Another attendee asked why politicians on opposite sides of the aisle, including Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Marco Rubio all agree that Russia poses a threat to the U.S., particularly in light of U.S. intelligence agencies’ conclusion that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Petro again refused to give those concerns credence, alleging that most politicians know very little about Russia. He continued, “[Within the intelligence community], the decision about what to reveal, how to reveal it and how to make [information] public is always a political decision.” The talk had gone on for an hour longer than intended at that point and much of the audience had left, so the question-and-answer was cut off as Petro invited the remaining crowd to a reception the next day at which he would discuss the Ukraine, promising to answer any remaining questions there.
Botanist and author discusses human-plant relationships Yifan Wang
Contributing Editor
F
Yifan Wang/The Miscellany News
or Robin W Kimmerer, plants are some of her oldest friends and wisest teachers. Growing up in upstate New York as a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer’s childhood memories were marked by her friendships and interactions with plants. “I grew up with plants. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t hanging out with plants, learning from them and having fun with them. And so when it was time to go to college, I knew I had to study botany,” she shared with the Vassar community during her lecture last Wednesday, Feb. 15. In the dim classroom, an image of braided sweet grass was illuminated on the screen. Everyone seemed intrigued by Kimmerer’s story. She continued, “I walked into my freshman interview and my advisor asked me why I wanted to study botany. I said I want to know why asters and goldenrod look so beautiful together. But he told me that this is not science, and if I wanted to know about such things, I should go to art school...I was crushed. It was my life-long dream to study botany, but I was told on day one, ‘you don’t belong here; the questions that you think are important don’t belong here.’” Nonetheless, Kimmerer completed her degree, mastered the vocabulary and methodology of Western sciences, and became a distinguished botanist and professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. While she deeply appreciates and acknowledges the value and significance of sciences, she never forgot the other kind of wisdom she learned from her elders, her land and her plants. “From the indigenous paradigm, I learned to understand plants as persons, as beings and as companions, as relatives, as family, relate to nature as a subject relates to another subject, and think of the ecosystem as a community of sovereign persons,” Kimmerer said. While Western sciences remain the dominant and privileged mode of knowledge in the field of environmental studies, botany and many other disciplines, the uncovering and inclusion of other ways of thinking and being is receiving increasing attention in the academic landscape. Director of
Environmental Studies and Associate Professor of Chemistry Stuart Belli pointed to the meaning and significance of such alternatives. “I believe Robbin’s views are still very much outside the mainstream of ‘Western science.’ But that is where environmental studies has a role (in my opinion)–to bridge between the perspective of Western science and a deeper consciousness that is excluded from our perspective. Her writing, her book, ‘Braiding Sweetgrass,’ takes us out of the dominant perspective so we can then see that there are other ways of thinking about nature,” Belli commented. With a conception of plants and living beings drastically distinct and unfamiliar, it’s perhaps not surprising that Kimmerer also has in mind an understanding of human-nature relationship that is radically different and inspiring. “How many of you are familiar with the ways in which people and nature are a bad mix, their negative interactions?” She asked. Almost everyone raised their hands. “How many of you, then, are fluent with the mutually beneficial relationship between people and the land?” Far fewer hands were up. “How is it that we have arrived at this state of inability that we can’t even imagine what a truly mutualistic relationship between people and the rest of beings? If we can’t imagine what it would be like to be givers and not just consumers, the question becomes how do we enact our material and spiritual responsibility to reciprocate the gift nature has given us?” “One of the ways to do that is to pay attention to plants,” Kimmerer suggested. According to her, paying attention to plants means respecting them as an active, moral being with agency, rather than objectifying them with strictly scientific terms and excluding them from moral considerations. In certain parts of the world, people are already living out such principles. Kimmerer noted, “The indigenous government of both Bolivia and Ecuador translated their indigenous worldview into the law and into constitutions of those countries: Mother Nature has rights.” She also pointed to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth as a gesture that recognizes the personhood of non-human beings.
SUNY ESF botany professor and author of “Braided Sweetgrass” Robin W Kimmerer gave a lecture at Vassar on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Ultimately, Kimmerer would like to see a braiding of scientific knowledge and indigenous knowledge, a symbiosis of two different, yet complementary ways of thinking, living and being. “Through science, through the act of looking into a microscope and finding out what went on inside these plants, I came to love and honor them even more now. [For me,] science magnified the beauty of plants, and deepened my relationship with them ... The traditional knowledge and the scientific knowledge are like the purple and gold of asters and goldenrod. We learn so much more when the two come together.” she said. Lydia Gold ’17, one of the organizers who invited Kimmerer to campus, read her work in a seminar last semester and became especially interested in how she deconstructs the frequently stark contrast between science and narratives within environmental studies. “In light of standing rock and Cochabamba water wars and things like that, there’s not really narratives behind that scientific side of climate change ... In order to get more people interested and to have more voices heard, we felt that hearing stories...would really be more powerful
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
and help make the scientific aspect more salient,” she shared her thoughts after the talk. Gold continued, “Her work really shatters the view that science is always more important than narratives, humanities and social dimensions of environmental issues. Although scientific work is important, it is also really significant to pay attention to the aspects that you can’t exactly quantify in numbers.” Beyond the field of environmental studies, the lecture is endeavored to establish and promote a stronger Native presence on campus. Co-President of Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance Monica Martinez thinks that a lecture about environmental studies may have helped increase people’s awareness of indigenous communities. “That’s important since most of those students aren’t really exposed to indigenous studies, especially not indigenous scientific knowledge. I hope that lectures like this will help change the way that people view Native issues and peoples.” She continued, “There’s a tendency to dismiss indigenous knowledge as ‘hippy’ but I think Kimmerer’s lecture disproved that and showed how indigenous scientific knowledge can actually work alongside western science in a way that’s beneficial for everyone ... It also think it helped get NAISA and NAS on more people’s radar. Hopefully more collaborations and Native-centered events will come in the future.” According to Martinez, Vassar’s effort to recruit and admit greater numbers of indigenous students has been wanting. “[We hope to] make Vassar and the Admissions more aware of how important and urgent it is for them to admit more Native students. Right now for Class of 2017, there are zero listed Native students even though Brennan [McDaniel ’17] and I both checked the Native box (and always have)...there’s one student in ’18, one in ’19, and one in ’20. That’s it.” Later in the evening, Kimmerer concluded her talk by giving thanks in the language of Potawatomi, perhaps reminding us of not only the responsibility to appreciate and respect the gifts we receive from nature, and to contribute our parts back to the land, but also the significance to recognize and promote the presence of Native culture in academia and beyond.
NEWS
Page 4
February 23, 2017
Vassar comes together to support Planned Parenthood BENEFIT continued from page 1
male-identifying artists filled the setlist, an important aspect of the evening for Furman. “[Ellman and I] wanted all of the performers to be femme or female-identifying to promote women’s solidarity,” she explained. “As a female in the music industry, I feel like women often do not have enough voice in music on this campus. This concert was meant to simultaneously promote women in music and reproductive rights.” Furman kicked off the performances, playing a few songs. As she leaped onto the stage, her awe at the crowd’s enthusiasm was apparent. “Thank you so much for coming,” she said. “Lucy and I have been planning this event since November and it’s crazy that it is actually happening.” When asked why she to chose to perform at the concert, Furman explained that it was not her original plan. “[Ellman and I] considered performing for a while,” she remembered. “We asked ourselves, ‘do we want to have roles of musicians in this?’ I originally didn’t...I wanted to give others a chance. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, though, I woke up Thursday morning and found out that I needed to perform. I didn’t even have a chance to rehearse
my set...I’m glad that it worked out...It was an incredibly gratifying feeling.” After Furman sang, she announced that there would be five minute breaks between each performance. During this time, students could stop at the informational tables, grab a slice a pizza or a garlic knot or visit the photo booth. Many students wandered around and chatted with friends, enjoying the concert’s relaxed atmosphere. After the break, the Vassar Night Owls took the stage, performing three pieces including Doris Day’s “Dream a Little Dream of me.” Following them, Vanessa Achoy ’19 sang four songs, two originals and two covers. The group Townsperson B performed a set. Vanessa Rosensweet ’19 read three original poems. Measure 4 Measure then performed. One of their songs was Queen’s “I Want to Break Free.” Furman then invited Casale up to the microphone to speak to students about Planned Parenthood. In her talk, Casale emphasized ways that students could get involved with the organization. She began by reminding the audience that leaders in Washington are attempting to
Courtesy of Ella Baum
tion that provides reproductive health services to over 2.5 million people each year. Once inside, students visited informational booths, grabbed a bite to eat or sat back, soaked in the ambiance of the dimly lit room and enjoyed their peers’ performances. Public Affairs Coordinator for Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley Ashley Casale operated one of the booths. At her table, students could write thank you notes to Planned Parenthood’s Health Center staff. They could also take free drink covers, condoms, magnets and “I Stand With Planned Parenthood” buttons. Casale said that she was very excited to be at Vassar, commenting, “When [Furman] contacted me, I immediately agreed to come. I wanted to set up a table to provide students with information about Planned Parenthood Mid Hudson Valley...I hope that students [signed]-up with their email addresses and [learned] about different ways to get involved.” Vassar’s Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Program (SAVP) and CARES also ran booths. At the SAVP booth, representatives from the organization led an activity that they offered at the previous week’s YES! Resource fair. During this activity, SAVP leaders read students a consent-related scenario and asked them to classify it as either “red light,” “green light” or “yellow light.” Students discussed their answers and received aromatherapy Play-Doh for participating. At the CARES booth, org leaders had students brainstorm what they value in a relationship. Students wrote their answers on paper hearts that will eventually hang in the Old Bookstore. Furman expressed her appreciation for the involvement of organizations such as CARES and SAVP in planning the event. She commented, “At first [Ellman and I] wondered if we could organize the concert ourselves. Very quickly, we realized that we couldn’t. We contacted [the Campus Health Organization for Information, Contraception, and Education] (CHOICE), CARES, SAVP, Feminist Alliance, the Women’s Center and the Women’s Studies Department. We wanted to work with our peers...All of the orgs really took to the project ... I am proud how passionately people rose to the occasion.” Student performers also contributed to the concert’s success. Vassar femme and fe-
Student groups performed at the Planned Parenthood benefit concert on Thursday, Feb. 16. The student organizers created the event in collaboration with Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley.
defund Planned Parenthood. She then said that people must resist. “When Planned Parenthood is under attack,” she asked, “What do we do? We fight back.” She added, “This concert is an excellent way of fighting back...Now, I’m here to tell you other about ways to help.” Casale urged students to donate to Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley, wear Planned Parenthood gear around campus, participate in events such as last weekend’s counter protest and schedule their health care visits at PP. Most importantly, Casale encouraged students to share their Planned Parenthood stories. She said, “We need to destigmatize abortion. It’s really important that you get your stories out there about why Planned Parenthood is important to you.” After Casale, the night concluded with performances by Nicole Lipman ’19 and the a cappella group Home Brewed. Students who attended the show were blown away by their peers’ work. Emma Butensky ’18 commented, “I came to this event because I really appreciate the work that Planned Parenthood does and the services that it provides. I’ve been really impressed by the tables that students put together and all of the performances.” Matthew Brill-Carlat ’19 echoed Butensky’s thoughts, remarking, “It’s nice to be reminded how talented everybody is.” After the concert, Furman experienced many emotions. She mused, “It was the most exhilarating, exhausting and overwhelming thing that I have ever done. I collapsed on the Villard Room floor when it was finished.” After a moment of reflection she added, “The biggest feeling that I’m experiencing right now is pride. I didn’t expect to be this proud, not just of myself, but of the community who came out to support. I’m proud of the response we got. I’m proud of the musicians...I’m proud of all the people that we worked with.” Furman hopes that this concert will not be the last time Vassar works with Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley. “I would definitely love to see more local engagement,” she commented. “We talk about feminism, women’s health, sexual health and reproductive rights, and a lot of orgs do amazing work, but I would love to see less talk and more action. I see this concert as the beginning of a relationship between Vassar and Planned Parenthood. We are popping the Vassar bubble. I hope members of the community become more active, including myself.”
News Briefs Trump remains fixated on “fake news”
President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House on Thursday, Feb 16. Prior to opening the floor to questions, Mr. Trump gave a lengthy address, touching on topics ranging from his nominee for Secretary of Labor and job creation, to his approval rating and the media. The conference lasted about one hour and fifteen minutes. President Trump opened by stating his purpose for the conference, saying, “I’m here today to update the American people on the incredible progress that has been made in the last four weeks since [his] inauguration.” However, two minutes into his initial address, he shifted focus to the national media. President Trump has been vocally critical in the past of the news media, and Thursday’s conference was no exception. “The press has become so dishonest that if we don’t talk about it,” he said, “we are doing a tremendous disservice to the American people.” Despite President Trump’s efforts to focus on his administration’s accomplishments, reporters barraged the President with questions regarding Russia, following the resignation of National Security Advisor Mike Flynn last week. Mr. Flynn’s resignation only added to the speculation regarding President Trump’s ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid evidence of attempted Russian interference in November’s election. President Trump was quick to dismiss the issue, saying, “[It’s] fake news, [a] fabricated deal to try and make up for the loss of the Democrats.” In response to another question, Trump repeated himself: “Russia is fake news. Russia—this is fake news put out by the media ... Russia is a ruse. I have nothing to do with Russia.” These comments from the President are the most recent example of what he called a “back-
and-forth” between the media and himself. President Trump refused to take a question from CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta during his Jan. 11 press conference. “Your organization is terrible,” he said to Mr. Acosta in January. “You are fake news.” Mr. Acosta attended Thursday’s conference as well. When called on by the President, Acosta began, “Thank you very much Mr. President. And just for the record we don’t hate you. I don’t hate you.” Acosta asked President Trump if he is concerned that he is undermining the people’s faith in the first amendment. Trump answered, “I’d be a pretty good reporter. Not as good as you. But I know what’s good. I know what’s bad.” He continued, “You’re CNN, I mean, it’s story after story after story is bad.” The President gave no answer on whether he was concerned about undermining the first amendment by dismissing stories as “fake news.” On Friday afternoon, President Trump followed up his press conference with a public statement from his personal Twitter account. The tweet read: “The FAKE NEWS media (failing [at]nytimes, [at]NBCNews, [at]ABC, [at]CBS, [at]CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!” Jim Acosta tweeted on Friday as well, saying “We are real news Mr. President. #realnews.” –Dylan Smith, Guest Reporter Investors take stand against climate change
Earlier this week, investors holding assets worth nearly $2.8 trillion dollars penned a letter criticizing the reliance on and support of the fossil fuel industry by the world’s leading economies (The Independent, “Investors with $2.8 Trillion in Assets Unite against Donald Trump’s Climate Denial,” 2.15.2017). Specifi-
cally, they demanded that fossil fuel subsidies end within three years’ time, feeling that government-funded protection of fossil fuels is an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars, especially in an industry that may be defunct in less than a decade (Business Green, “End Fossil Fuel Subsidies by 2020, Insurers and Investors Tell G20,” 2.15.17). Besides the fact that they are an incredibly risky investment, the investors’ most significant concern is that these subsidies prolong the degradation of our environment with lasting damage. Surprisingly, these investors represent companies, such as Aegon Asset management, Aviva Investors and Legal and General and Trillium, that have large holdings in fossil fuels, revealing the severity of the climate change problem. The Group of Twenty (G20) foreign ministers received the letter this past Thursday, Feb. 16, right before their meeting. At every annual forum, leaders from the twenty leading economies around the world meet to discuss international problems, spanning from financial crises to human rights violations. With the July climate change summit approaching fast, this declaration serves as an important reminder for these representatives to collaborate towards a greener future. Cutting out fossil fuel subsidies is an integral part of this future. In 2015, the International Monetary Fund estimated that governments around the world spent nearly $5.3 trillion dollars on preserving the fossil fuel industry—nearly twice the investors’ worth (IMF, “IMF Survey: Counting the Cost of Energy Subsidies,” 7.17.2015). These actions directly contrast what G20 countries have promised since 2009: “to make the best possible use of investment funded by fiscal stimulus programmes towards the goal of building a resilient, sustainable, and green recovery” (IMF, “Annual Report: Fighting the Global Crisis,” 7.31.2009). Last year, at the G20
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
summit in Beijing, representatives from the United Nations and European Union as well as 200 non-governmental organizations attacked energy ministers for failing to even set a deadline for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies (Reuters, “Pressure Mounts on G20 for Fossil Fuel Subsidies Deadline,” 6.28.2016). The preferred deadline seems to be 2020, yet others have pushed it back as far as 2025. The current frustration may have been magnified by other recent events. During this past week, the European Commission has given the United Kingdom a “final warning” over violating air pollution quotas, leaving the country only two months to take actions before consequences occur (BBC, “Air Pollution ‘Final Warning’ from European Commission to UK,” 2.15.2017). Germany, France, Italy and Spain have also received the same caution. A recently published study revealed a frightening decline in the amount of oxygen dissolved in oceans across the world, which would cause disastrous damage to marine ecosystems—affecting fisheries and coastal economies (Nature, “Decline in Global Oceanic Oxygen Content During the Past Five Decades,” 2.15.2017). Undoubtedly, the election of climate change skeptic, President Donald Trump, has evoked massive fear for environmentalists and climate change advocates everywhere. Trump’s recent nomination of Scott Pruitt, who has been tied closely to various fossil fuel companies, to head of the Environmental Protection Agency may spell the end of pollution regulation (The New York Times, “Senate Confirms Scott Pruitt as E.P.A. Head,” 2.17.2017). Still, it seems that members within the industry itself see fossil fuels as part of the past and they will not stand by as government spend trillions creating irreparable damage. –Steven Huynh, Guest Reporter
February 23, 2017
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Page 5
VCNature encourages immersion in ecology, conservation problems. However, the scale of these problems is often too large for us to manage. There are many things that we could do to better manage the land if we had more people to help. My SCA intern, Kathryn Davison, and I are currently working on developing a volunteer program to get people involved with stewardship on the preserve. If people are interested in helping take care of the preserve and really making a difference, they should contact us.” The idea for VC Nature was conceived of by Professor of Biology David Jemiolo as a campus-specific version of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservationís Hudson River Almanac. Jemiolo said of the newsletter’s origins, “I ran into Carlie Graves (who is married to John McCleary in the math department) in the fitness center early one morning. We were talking about seeing foxes on the golf course and she asked me if I knew about the Hudson River Almanac, which I did not but immediately subscribed to it. After seeing it I thought it would be great if we had something similar for Vassar community members to report wildlife sightings on Vassar property, not just the farm but the farm and golf course and surrounding woods and the wetlands behind my house at 75 Raymond.” The Almanac is a catalogue of wildlife sightings and natural history news and events in the Hudson River Valley, and VC Nature will likely follow its precedent but with an educational bent. And for those who want to take up an active role with the newsletter, Kovari and his administrative associates offer up some tips for successful wildlife-spotting. Professor Lois Horst of the Earth Science and Geography Department said of the newsletter’s format, “People may submit sightings–and they don’t need to include photos, it can just be descriptions of what they’ve seen–and the editor (at the moment Stephen Kovari ’19) will put together the information in a chronological order, adding explanatory notes as needed. We are hoping people will mention where on campus, or nearby, they saw whatever they are reporting and we are working on a map of the campus with designated areas (such as the Vassar Lake area, the TH area, the dorm quad, etc.), so that people can indicate where they saw something.” Kovari elaborated on this: “The final format
Courtesy of Stephan Kovari
NATURE continued from page 1 ing community awareness. Kovari noted, with regard to bobcats and coyotes, that predators that we don’t commonly recognize as a part of the immediate ecosystem play an integral role in maintaining the conditions that affect not only the lives of other animals, but the resident humans as well. He elaborated: “Predators exhibit strong top down controls on an ecosystem and can drastically change the structure (usually by keeping herbivore populations in check and introducing “the ecology of fear” (how herbivores change their behavior in the presence of carnivores) and health of an ecosystem for the better. When considering things like Lyme disease, predator communities can be vital in keeping infection rates down because they reduce small rodent populations.” Collaborating with Kovari and serving as a supervisor on the project is Manager of the Field Station and Ecological Preserve Keri VanCamp. VanCamp, like Kovari (who hopes that the newsletter will feature topics ranging from weather and climate to botany and geology) is excited to have students of disparate interests get a feel for phenology, geology and weather. In addition to improving students’ respect for/knowledge of the local wildlife, VanCamp expects VC Nature to showcase all of the work that the Farm and Ecological Preserve puts into preservation efforts and educational pursuits. She also believes that the Farm/Preserve could benefit from an influx in volunteers, and hopes that the newsletter will assist in mobilizing student activists. She said, “I think that the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve (VFEP) is a wonderful resource for our campus community. We actively maintain a variety of habitats to try and support a diversity of organisms. For example, we mow the fields in the central area to keep them as early successional habitat. Old fields are important habitats for birds and pollinators and are rapidly disappearing from the landscape in the northeast. It was not that long ago that the VFEP was a working farm. The signs of the recent disturbance, past land use, and current human impact can be seen almost everywhere you look. Some of the biggest challenges we face are from invasive species and degradation from overuse/misuse.” She noted, “We do our best to prioritize issues and try to strategically manage
During his time here, Stephen Kovari ’19 says he’s spotted barred owls, great horned owls, bald eagles, red foxes, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, Virginia opossums, minks, muskrats and more. of VCNature will end up being a banner photo which will change with every issue, a few ‘featured observations,’ and then a list of the submissions we have received, with locations for each of the observations specific to an area of campus (eg. ‘TAs,’ ‘Golf Course,’ ‘Farm- North Wetlands’ and so on. Locations of sensitive species will be withheld). There will also be different sections, alternating between botany, geology, mushrooms, and whatever else is submitted. We also hope to have a section with relevant events. I’m willing to let the newsletter go where people want it to, though, and the organizational format will largely depend on the things people submit and ask to have included.” Horst and Jemiolo both hope that VC Nature will serve as an outlet for those interested in the work done on the Farm and Preserve who havenít yet found an opportunity to get involved. Kovari remarked, “Dawn and dusk and the surrounding hour on either side are almost always the best. On the farm, the beaver pond is a great place to see a lot of wildlife. The old fields provide good vistas in the winter, so you
can more easily spot an animal. Look for predators on the edges of forest and field or forest and wetland. In the summer, the beavers usually come out about an hour before sunset, providing a great opportunity to observe and photograph them and still be out of the preserve by the time it closes at dusk. Horst echoes this, advising students to keep their eyes peeled in the early morning and around nightfall. She added, “As far as best times to see wildlife, that would be soon after dawn and just around dusk. That’s when there is the most activity among mammals and some of the birds. But, honestly, just keeping your eyes open whenever you move around campus will afford the best chance. There are always the happy surprises, like the time I was out walking during lunch and saw a couple of fox kits playing on the grass lawn to the south of Blodgett. Nature is everywhere! We just need to notice it.” Professor Jemiolo agrees that the campus critters are all around us and easy to spot, as long as we put our screens away, look up and wait.
Battle of the Bands highlights student talent, passion Andrea Yang
Staff Reporter
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riday evening, the Susan Stein Shiva Theater was packed with avid music fans rooting for their favorite student bands and cheering on their friends. It’s Josselyn House’s tradition to host a yearly Battle of the Bands, where student musicians gather in a crowded theater to flaunt their talents and let loose. The event coordinator from Josselyn House, Sophia Yoo ’19 described her role in organizing the event. She contributed, “We, as Joss House Team, got a lot of help from other groups of people (mainly VICE Student Music) to put on this event. While
Student Music was able to provide technical help with providing equipments and setting them up, we worked a lot on organizing the logistics of the event, from reserving the space, renting certain equipment, to facilitating communications between the groups. As far as programming the actual event, we created an application online where student musicians on campus could apply. We were also responsible for creating posters and Facebook events publicizing the audition and the actual event.” Since it wouldn’t be ethical for those who did auditions to also serve as judges, the crew was divided into two separate committees. The judging panel is comprised of members of the Joss House
Courtesy of Sophia Yoo
Hosted by Josselyn House at the Susan Stein Shiva Theater, Battle of the Bands featured original student groups performing an array of genres, ranging from indie to American Heartland.
Team and Student Music. Yoo stated, “I was a part of auditions committee, and we reviewed the applicants and selected the performers for the show. We were able to accommodate five, due to the limited time we had planned in the space. We then reached out to the bands, confirmed the lineup, and created schedules for the sound checks, etc. ... Even though Joss HT members did not have the specific knowledge like technical set-up, we communicated between different aspects of the event like sound, light and space.” The five featured bands were Lathrop Underground, Townperson B, Nichols Franzen, Spud Cannon and Cole Turkey, performing a mix of styles consisting of indie-pop, alternative rock and acoustic American Heartland. The final winners were: Spud Cannon (first), Cole Turkey (second) and Lathrop Underground (third). Member of Cole Turkey Cole Fisher ’18 shared his excitement regarding the event’s outcome, saying, “Battle of the Bands was an absolute blast this year, honestly. Each of the acts was fantastic and we’re lucky enough to be playing during a surge of new, really friendly talent in the Vassar student music scene. I’m glad that people like Paper Dots and Townsperson B are getting some of the attention they deserve for their originality.” Fisher also expressed concerns that music, as an art form, shouldn’t be evaluated and graded based on one competition. It is especially hard to compare when every band’s style varies. He argued, “As for the competitive aspect, I gotta say that I (and my band mates) don’t particularly agree with the format. Ranking musicians—who often differ in style a great deal—as better/worse than one another is an unnecessarily toxic practice. I understand the pop appeal of a “battle” as opposed to just a showcase, but frankly this school does a very poor job of providing performance opportunities or creative spaces to
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
student musicians and when the biggest show of the year is a “battle” it can become problematic. Luckily, every performer in attendance was entirely supportive of one another and the whole show had a very nice vibe. It’s just a shame that you gotta pit artists against one another to draw a crowd at Vassar.” Despite the competitive nature of the event, Battle of the Bands does afford groups the opportunity to showcase their development for an audience of supportive and passionate peers. Keyboardist of Spud Cannon Ariana Bowe ’20 described the type of sound the band was pursuing at the show and in practice, saying, “We draw our inspiration primarily from The Strokes, but our sound is also influenced by Cage the Elephant, other alternative/indie bands and more recently the Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ album.” The overall atmosphere of the night was exhilarating. Dark silhouettes bobbed against light patches on the wall. Audiences swayed to the rhythm of the songs. Katherine Niu ’20 commented, “I really enjoyed Battle of the Bands. I mainly came to see Lathrop Underground perform because I’ve seen them perform previously and they never fail to impress. However, I also loved seeing the other bands perform. Spud Cannon brought an especially vibrant energy into the room, [getting everyone] dancing. Overall, good vibes, good times. I hope Stu Mu puts on more events like this one in the future!” Bowe concluded, “Playing the Battle of the Bands has been our most fun and engaging show yet. The Shiva was filled with supportive, fun, and all around good vibes–it was an honor just to play in the venue alongside such talented bands, and it was thrilling to see so many familiar faces in the audience. It was so low-key and fun that I found myself forgetting the competitive aspect. Overall it was an incredibly positive experience, and I’d play the show ten times over if I could.”
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February 23, 2017
Alum settles down in California, bemoans San Fran hills Emily Sayer
working there?
Features Editor Q: What are you doing?
A: Working for the world’s largest social media network. Q: Where are you living?
A: San Francisco, CA. Q: Why are you working at Facebook?
A: I’m working at Facebook because I interned there during my senior year and decided to go back. It was a fun summer working on interesting support projects. I really liked the team I was on and took the opportunity to move across the country to a new city with all sorts of new and exciting opportunities. Q: How did you snag the internship?
A: An alum who works at Facebook emailed the Misc staff about internships and I applied on the website, then interviewed a few weeks later. Q: Were there any resources at Vassar that prepared you for the application/interview process?
A: I feel like doing your best during interviews for any kind of job comes from knowing yourself and your experience, not from any particular tips and tricks. Being confident in yourself and your work can really shine in the interviewing process and I really think just being at Vassar and doing what I enjoyed helped develop that confidence.
A: I worked at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, CA and on a team called Content Operations, which handles support experiences and support content on Facebook’s family of applications. In general we create content and launch projects that help people better use Facebook’s products and features, as well as receive help when they need it. Q: Can you just describe roughly what adjustments you had to make after you started
the event, only to have something like that happen at the last minute. (The power went out a lot in 2014. Vassar should pay its bills.) Q: Describe Late Night at the Deece for the sad souls here who haven’t experienced it.
A: Vassar never had good late night options
(thanks, Aramark) but one semester they tried turning the Deece at night into a hoppin’ place for hot food and moved UpC downstairs, served party food that you could get for meal swipes and it was pretty good. Then they moved it to the retreat and made it cost dining bucks. RIP.
Q: Is there anything you’ve done so far in your time there that you’re proud of/feel is worth noting?
A: I’m 1/120th of the way through my student loans, so I’ve got that going for me, which is nice. Q: Is your favorite day of the week the same now as it was in undergrad, or did it change and why?
A: I still like the weekend, but appreciate it even more now that I have to work 40+ hours a week like a normal person. Q: What’s your favorite San Francisco eatery?
A: There’s this little spot called the Taraval Cafe about ten minutes from my apartment that has an awesome $6 breakfast which is a crazy deal for SF. Q: Have you experienced an earthquake yet?
A: No (fingers crossed), but watch me have one between now and Thursday when you publish.
Courtesy of Joshua Sherman
Q: What city were you working in? What sorts of projects were you working on?
A: I’d say the biggest change is scheduling. At Vassar you can get away with a lot on short notice. Last minute essays, extensions from professors and pretty flexible hours except for the few hours a week you’re in class. Even working at a fairly laid-back company like Facebook, a lot of planning has to go into what you prepare, propose and write about to be successful in your work.
Q: How’re your calves holding up with all those hills?
A: Not well. I didn’t like hills before moving to SF. Still don’t like them. Q: Seven Deadly Sins is coming up. Did you ever attend/have any memories of it that you’re particularly fond of?
A: The power went out and the snacks ran out, so a group of us went to the World Famous Late Night at the Deece instead. Though I do feel bad for all the hard work that Joss put into
Former member of The Miscellany News’ editorial staff and editor of the Opinions section Joshua Sherman ’16 is currently working for Facebook out of San Francisco, CA.
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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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FEATURES
“This Time It’s CATS”
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The Miscellany Crossword
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refugeesolidarity@vassar.edu General Body Meeting Wednesday, March 1st 7pm MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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February 23, 2017
Ill-lemon-ate your kitchen with these bright, tasty cookies! Elena Schultz Senior Editor
H
Courtesy of Two Peas & Their Pod
aving grown up in the bitter cold tundra of the Midwest, I had learned two important lessons from an early age—first, finding any excuse to turn on the oven is the best way to stay warm throughout the winter, and second, even if a recipe features flavors traditionally associated with summer, it can still be worth making even when it’s chilly out. I make these glazed lemon cookies whenever I’m in the mood for light, simple sweets that take little time to make, and I’ve slowly adapted my recipe over the years from its original iteration on the blog Two Peas & Their Pod. It’s a quick and easy recipe, and it yields approximately 3 dozen cookies—perfect for sharing with family and friends or whipping out for a last-minute party, but even better for when you’ve binge-watched one too many episodes of the Great British Bake Off and suddenly need to satiate your craving for something sweet and homemade. To begin your cookie-making adventure, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While I wait for it to warm up, I usually line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and set those aside—my future, hungrier self usually thanks me for making the final steps of the bake as easy and quick as possible. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk well and set aside to save for later. In another bowl—a large bowl tends to be best for thorough mixing later on—combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. The original recipe calls for two tablespoons of lemon zest, but I’ve found that by using whatever you can from the rind of one large lemon, it should nearly always suffice for this recipe. Next comes my favorite step of the process! With clean hands, rub the sugar and lemon zest between your fingers and let the mixture fall back into the bowl—you’ll know you’re done with this step when the combination of the sugar and lemon becomes fragrant. The mixture will be sweet and fluffy and your kitchen should smell lovely after this step! In the same large bowl, beat room temperature butter into the sugar and lemon zest.
When the mixture becomes airy and light, add in the egg and vanilla extract and combine the two until the batter becomes smooth and lumpfree. Through trial and error, I’ve come to realize that the final product of these cookies can err on the side of becoming too dry and crumbly upon baking, so to remedy this, I’ve begun adding a second egg during this step and it’s tended to help. Batches with two eggs tend to be chewier and softer and generally require a little extra time in the oven, but at the end of the day, it’s just a matter of personal preference and finding which variation on the recipe you like best! Once you’ve finished the steps up to this point, use your beater to slowly incorporate the flour mixture you had previously set aside into the batter. The final product of the dough should be soft and easy to work with, and once you’re ready, measure it into tablespoons–although you can always add a little more or less depending on how large you’d like the final product to be– and drop these onto your baking sheets. Leave a couple of inches between each ball of dough, and gently press your palm onto each to flatten them prior to popping them in the oven. Allow each batch to sit in the oven for approximately 12-14 minutes—although any changes to the recipe may require slightly more or less time—and remove the cookies to cool when they’ve started to set and have become golden brown around the edges. While your cookies are setting on a cooling rack, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze. Again, the original recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, but whatever you can squeeze from one large lemon is nearly always enough. To keep the glaze as smooth as possible, it’s helpful to filter the lemon juice through a sieve or strainer before mixing it with the powdered sugar. When each cookie has cooled completely, dip them into the lemon glaze and allow the icing to set—or eat them right away! Life is short and winter is long, so enjoy making these sweet treats on a cold night and dig in!
Ingredients 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 granulated sugar 2 tablespoons lemon zest 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
French toast, shmench toast? Not with these variations! Penina Remler
Guest Colunmists
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Courtesy of Garrett Ziegler via Flikr
Ingredients 2 eggs 1/3 cup buttermilk 1 splash vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 2-4 (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick) slices of bread Butter, as needed (for frying)
he best kind of breakfasts are the meals you can somehow get away with eating at any time of day. One can argue that this can be said about any breakfast dish, but I’ve recently found myself thinking—what type of meal do I , myself, crave whether it be 12 p.m. or 12 a.m.? After some deliberation, fresh toast quickly came to mind. Don’t get me wrong, it’s almost impossible to mess up pancakes or Belgium waffles, but there’s something crunchy and crispy yet sweet and almost salty about french toast that far surpasses any other breakfast dish, and keep in mind that this is coming from a serious avocado enthusiast. Suddenly all this French toast talk has me perplexed. Where can I order some decent French toast in Poughkeepsie? Am I up for the challenge to replicate this recipe in the deece? One of the best parts about this breakfast staple is that, for a recipe with few ingredients, there is a lot of room for imagination. You’d be surprised at the extent to which a few slices of bread and eggs can evolve into different dishes. For me, I think it’s probably the sprinkled white sugar and strawberries that makes the dish such a consistent classic, whereas sophomore and sous chef, Emmett O’Malley admits, “I love the sweet, succulent, sensational, sometimes slightly sour, superlatively splendid, soft, syrup-soaked superbness of French toast!” To each his own, I suppose. But anyway, the point of this article isn’t to discuss my food philosophy, but rather how to up the French toast game and make our way into the breakfast club of 2017. Before we jump ahead, let’s jump back to the fact that French toast is certainly acceptable to consume at any time of day, which is why switching things up from the standard recipe is a must. Let’s start with coconut and sesame; proba-
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bly not the first two ingredients that pop into your head when prepping French toast, but it’s time to crunch things up. Before you doubt me, just try to envision fresh bread layered with cereal crunch, coconut, some sesame seeds and note that this is before we take things to the frying pan and throw in some butter. Ever considered converting your French toast into a sweet and savory “Monte Cristo” sandwich? Me neither, until stumbling upon a recipe that rings in raspberry jam, Gruyere cheese, thin sliced ham and brown mustard all between two toasted yet thick slices of bread. So maybe monte isn’t your thing, but what about transforming the classic into a parfait? Add a little trifle to your toast by layering bites of French toast with fruit, yogurt and/or whipped cream. There’s something about incorporating fruit and probiotics that makes this recipe nearly sound healthy—key word: nearly. Now if you’re serious about getting healthy, there is a way to sneak some salad into this sweet treat. It starts with cutting your French toast into small bites and lining them up on a baking sheet to be placed in the oven until classically crispy and golden brown. At the same time, throw together some sweet greens (spinach? Arugula? Up to you!) and top off the French toast as croutons! Ok, the breakfast salad is a bit of a stretch, which is why I’ll end with a safer spin off: French toast cereal and no, I’m not talking about Cinnamon Toast Crunch. What I’m talking about is cooking up French toast like you normally would and later slicing it into cubes over some warm milk and optional brown sugar and cinnamon. The options are endless, which is why you should know that beyond a snack, dessert or late night munchie, French toast can always be stored away in the freezer and saved for later, just be sure to label it before you lose it to hungry visitors.
February 23, 2017
OPINIONS
Page 9
The Miscellany News Staff Editorial
Student journalism crucial in current political state
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n the era of Trump, a time of extreme political polarization, the line between fact and fiction has blurred. From Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway advocating the Trump Administration’s use of “alternative facts,” to Press Secretary Sean Spicer purposefully propagating untruths about the Trump Inauguration, to the President himself tweeting brazen and outrageous claims without restraint on his personal Twitter account, the trust that elected officials would not lie to the American people seems to no longer exist. In spite of this egregious behavior, the Trump administration seems to have few qualms about deflecting these concerns onto reputable news agencies. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump famously questioned the credibility of The Washington Post, labeling it “phony and dishonest” (The Washington Post, “Trump revokes Post press credentials, calling the paper ‘dishonest’ and ‘phony,’ 06.13.2016). Further, just a few days ago, Donald Trump called The New York Times, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC “fake news” and went on to call them “enemies of the American people” (ThinkProgress.Org, “Trump calls media ‘enemy’ of Americans, then launches survey to see who agrees,” 02.18.2017). Through denouncing private news corporations who report dissent against him, Donald Trump’s goal seems to be the delegitimization of critiques of his administration, which means that journalism is seen as–and can serve as–a serious challenge and watchdog to the value and quality of his presidency. In the broader historical context of American journalism, reporting has been recognized as an important center of political discourse since the foundation of this country. For this reason, the First Amendment reserves the right to freedom of the press, a key component of our democratic state. Student journalism serves a similar role
on a smaller scale: while mainstream journalism can provide transparency of government, world politics, the environment, etc., only student publications can wholly provide insight into the opinions of college students in the United States. Student publications at Vassar College such as The Miscellany News and Boilerplate Magazine center the voices of students on issues that matter to them, whether that be the price of tuition, how federal- and state-level policies will affect college campuses, the state of Title IX and Affirmative Action, and beyond. Although millennials may feel that their voices are unheard in the general political scheme of the United States, student-run publications provide a platform to share ideas and disseminate important information. Furthermore, publications such as The Miscellany News and Boilerplate Magazine receive no funding from Vassar College directly, meaning that we are able to report as freely as we wish, without fear of repercussions from the College. Still, like mainstream journalism, student journalism has also received some pushback in the last few years. Last year, The Miscellany News reported on an incident in which the University of Kentucky intended to sue its own student-run newspaper over records being published which stated that a University of Kentucky professor had been accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault (“In silencing survivors, UKentucky threatens free speech,” 09.14.16). In a recent decision, a Circuit Court Judge in Kentucky sided with the University in not allowing the paper to publish the records, though the newspaper has stated its plans to appeal this decision (InsideHigherEd.com, “Protecting Student Privacy, or Reputation?”, 01.25.2017). In an era where student voices are suppressed under federal law, it is crucial to utilize platforms
that are not yet under fire to center the voices of survivors and marginalized students. Similar incidents have occurred closer to our campus as well, such as a petition by students at Wesleyan University to defund its newspaper, The Argus, in 2015 following the publication of a student’s op-ed criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement. As the Student Press Law Center reported, about 500 issues of the paper were thrown away in protest and a petition was drafted to defund The Argus if specific demands were not met, such as publicizing the inner functions and budget of the paper and committing to feature marginalized voices (“Op-ed in Wesleyan Argus sparks outrage, petition to defund newspaper,” 09.23.2017). In the spring of 2016, the Wesleyan Student Assembly took steps to remove all of The Argus’s unused funding for the rest of the semester–some of it raised by the newspaper itself or donated to the organization–without engaging in any form of dialogue with the newspaper staff (The Wesleyan Argus, “Editorial: We Need to Protect Publication Finances From WSA Politics,” 03.21.16). We at The Miscellany News disagree with the ways in which the student government thus delegitimized the importance of publishing diverse voices and opinions. While it is undoubtedly important to turn a critical eye to the content and operations of student publications, we must also continually strive to improve these publications. We therefore wish to recognize the importance of student journalism on campuses around the country as not only a source of reliable information for students, but also as a necessary platform for the exchange of ideas, public debate and discussion. Though Vassar may seem like a politically homogenous campus to some, those of us on campus know that this is not always the case. The Miscellany News, like all student publi-
cations, has a duty, in times of political turbulence and always, to act as a resource for whoever wishes to express their opinion to do so freely. We strive to uphold this role on campus, as well as to publish a wide variety of opinions in the spirit of broad representation and impartiality, though this does exclude content that is libel, slander or identity-based attacks. To this end, we necessarily rely on submissions and participation on the part of the student body in order to best present all sides of a particular issue. There are a number of avenues through which to voice your opinion on an issue utilizing The Miscellany News’ unique position on campus. Submissions or tips through our website are always welcome, and we recognize the necessity of publishing all opinions as long as they are constructive and factual, and not actively harmful. We also offer a weekly Paper Critique, open to the Vassar community on Sundays at 9 p.m. in the Rose Parlor, as a way to reflect on the previous week’s issue and raise any criticisms or concerns going forward. In a time when journalism is under consistent censure by the government, it is imperative to defend the institutions committed to reporting facts and representing the people. As a student journalism organization, The Miscellany News also feels a responsibility to look introspectively at our role on campus. We strongly encourage the campus community to utilize this platform in order to voice opinions and to better represent both shared and individual experiences. We at The Miscellany News strive to uphold the ideal on our campus that a free press is a crucial resource for the community it serves. –– The Staff Editorial expresses the opinion of at least 2/3 of The Miscellany News Editorial Board.
Trump not pro-business, instead pro-Trump’s business Drew Solender Guest Columnist
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t a meeting of the Vassar Democrats, it was suggested that Donald Trump is a “pro-business conservative.” While it is laughable to describe Trump as a conservative, it is astronomically impossible for him to truly be “pro-business.” The Vassar Democrats are not alone in this notion: it has been suggested by various liberal politicians that Trump falls into the same category as the other corporate Republicans. It is this type of generalization that national Democrats must cast off if they wish to best adapt to the political environment, oppose the government and win over the electorate. First off, let’s hastily draw the distinction between the business community and Trump’s businesses. It would take someone better than the likes of Kellyanne Conway to convince people that Trump isn’t in the business of boosting his own assets or those of his family. He literally plugged his daughter’s products on Twitter and had Conway go onto cable news to endorse them. However, wanting to help the Trump brand is not the same as wanting to benefit the business community at large. If anything, with the wide range of markets in which Trump has invested and the many competitors that has given him, Trump’s desire to benefit his own businesses may serve as a reason for him to hinder other businesses. Once we have cleared that roadblock, we must then look at Trump’s policies and policy proposals and how they might affect businesses and the business community as a whole. According to CNN, “Donald Trump doesn’t sound like a friend of big business, much less Wall Street,” because he “antagonizes long-time trading partners. His anti-immigration rhetoric also puts him at odds with many in the C-suite” (CNN Money, “Is Donald Trump Anti-Business?” 05.10.2016). That’s just the summation; what about the specifics? I organized Trump’s policies into three different classifications. First, there are risky policies, which have the potential to help businesses but also potential to crush businesses and/or the economy. The second type are deceptive, which appear to help businesses but will likely hurt them instead. The third are hazardous, which would
very directly hurt businesses and/or the economy. One example of a risky policy Trump has proposed is tax cuts. Trump’s policy on tax cuts is probably the only obviously business friendly one he has proposed. However, this policy is offset by the massive damage it would do to the overall US economy when his large scale spending plans on things like a border wall and increased military size, as well as his very few proposed spending cuts, are considered. Based on this and other factors, the Wall Street Journal suggests “Trump’s fiscal plans would sharply boost deficits and the debt over the next decade” (“Donald Trump Would Boost Debt More Than Hillary Clinton,” 09.26.2016). This would hurt the US economy by driving up interest rates and impeding business activity. He has also committed to “closing unspecified tax loopholes,” (CNN Money 10.08.15) which is one of the primary ways in which the rich avoid paying high tax rates, something that tax cuts would not offset. So, while this policy could be described as merely risky, it is really a disguised hazardous policy. Let’s talk about a deceptive proposal of Trump’s: scaling back economic regulations. Ignoring the fact that this could help facilitate a 2008-like recession and definitely hurt many voters in the populist wave that swept him into office, this plan would actually be bad for banks and funds as well. It must come as a surprise that deregulation, particularly the scaling back of DoddFrank (a bill that banks fiercely opposed when it was first passed) is opposed by banks, but there’s a good reason for this opposition–it will actually cost banks more money. The reason is that big changes in laws and regulation, such as the repeal of Dodd Frank, can be even worse for banks than the laws and regulations themselves because the changes create uncertainty and can cost billions to implement. According to Business Insider, “[t] o comply with... Dodd-Frank... U.S. banks hired tens of thousands of staffers, built new technology systems, hived off businesses, simplified corporate structures and doubled the amount of capital they hold” (Business Insider, “Bankers are worried that Trump will scrap Wall Street regulation,” 11.28.2016). Now bankers say “any big
rollback in rulemaking could take several years to implement and may introduce more costs” (Business Insider). Essentially, they changed their entire structure to comply with Dodd Frank and are now at a comfortable place where they are adapted to the current regulatory system. The possible gains banks would get from deregulation (not considering the damage a sharp recession might do to all, including banks), might easily pale in comparison to the costs required to adapt to deregulated market. While bankers and economists have differing opinions over whether or not Dodd Frank should be scaled back, many agree that it would cause a burden. So here, liberals and the banks actually agree on something.
“Trump’s desire to benefit his own businesses may serve as a reason for him to hinder other businesses.” Then there is the third classification, hazardous. These policies would, directly or indirectly, blatantly damage US business interests or the economy. Ironically, the majority of Trump’s economic policies, and even some of his social policies, fall into this category. Trump’s whole attitude towards international trade is seriously detrimental to US business interests. Trump “seems genuinely to believe that trade impoverishes us, which is odd for a businessman, because ‘trade’ is really just another word for business” (Real Clear Politics, “The Anti-Business Businessman,” 01.19.2017). Indeed, this attitude seeps into his policies on free trade and immigration. Trump has argued for putting tariffs (taxes) on goods imported from other countries. He has argued that we should scrap proposed trade deals and coalitions and pull out of others including North American Free Trade Agreement. He has said that we need to coerce American businesses into only hiring and manufacturing in America by imposing harsh
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
penalties on those that choose to take business elsewhere. His stern policy on immigration, favoring deportation and a wall to keep out illegal immigrants, would also hurt businesses, many of whom rely on cheap immigrant labor. Note here the many farms around the country suffering labor shortages due to immigration obstacles. Thus, a large part of Trump’s policies that pertain in some way to businesses or the economy would hurt US business interests. Some may argue that Trump’s cabinet, with an unprecedented number of bankers, specifically Goldman Sachs bankers, CEOs and assorted billionaires is a sign that the administration plans to make every action as business and bank friendly as possible. While this is possible, it does not seem the case for now. The evidence is, at best, mixed on whether or not cabinet members act in the interest of their previous employers. Furthermore, Trump has proven that, even while his administration has been in chaos, he is inclined to keep as many of his campaign promises as possible. His posturing about Wall Street has been mostly negative, accusing Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton of corruption for their connections to Goldman Sachs and stirring anti-corporation sentiments amongst his supporters by accusing business owners of selfishly moving jobs abroad. Some may complain that this article reads as though we should all feel sympathetic towards businesses who may feel the sting under Trump. My arguments are not motivated by sympathy or sentiment. What I am simply arguing is that while Trump poses dangers for people of color, women, LGBT individuals and the poor, as well as others, this is not necessarily to the benefit of businesses either. They too may well be hurt and aggrieved. While it may feel right for liberals to rail against corporate Democrats and moderate Republicans in their anti-Trump crusade, they must remember it takes a broad coalition to defeat a President–even if that means working with folks you wouldn’t normally work with. Now is not the time to pick fights among those opposing Trump, thus benefiting our common enemy. Now is not the time for division amongst the opposition. Remember the Democratic slogan touted by Clinton, Sanders and Warren alike–stronger together!
OPINIONS
Page 10
February 23, 2017
Fashion industry should highlight activism, inclusivity Emma Jones Senior Editor
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hile millions of protesters across the United States are taking to the streets to express their anger at the changes that are already beginning to take shape under Trump, others are taking to the runways. On Sunday morning, Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow, co-designers of the line Public School, debuted their Fall 2017 collection for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) to a soundtrack that included new takes on classic ballads such as, “This Land is Your Land.” The clothing itself, which was overtly street style-inspired as usual, featured slogans such as, “We need leaders,” “Make America New York” and “44 1/2,” assumedly a nod to Trump’s position in the presidential lineup. While the fashion industry has always been inescapably political, this spring’s New York Fashion Week, which ran from Feb. 9 to Feb. 16, displayed political turbulence such as the New York runways haven’t seen in decades. This is far from the first time that fashion has been used a platform for activism: flapper dresses in the ’20s, Chanel’s two-piece suits in the ’30s, mini skirts in the ’60s. Fashion has the capacity to be empowering, although it frequently leaves many women–queer women, lower-income women, women of color and plus-size women– out of its scope. This spring’s NYFW appears to be a step in the right direction; whether or not this momentum will die down as Trump’s presidency drags on is yet to be seen. Public School was not the only line to make an explicit political statement. Mara Hoffman invited the founders of the Women’s March, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, Tamika D. Mallory and Bob Bland to open her show. Hoffman explained that the soft denim, knits and jumpsuits that made up the collection were “inspired by the women whose songs are not yet sung, the allies, the named and the nameless” (Refinery 29, “This NYFW Show’s Opening was Nothing Short of Inspirational,” 2.14.2017).
Alexander Wang chose the abandoned RKO Hamilton Theater in Harlem for the presentation of his collection, packing the audience into a small, standing-room-only space centering around a raised runway featuring models in blackon-black ensembles (The New York Times, “With Everything About Trump, What’s a Designer to Do?” 2.12.2017). He sent Bella Hadid down the runway in a white knit shirt that read, “NIGHT OF TREASON,” while guests helped themselves to Peroni from kegs sprinkled throughout the space. The wristbands presented to guests at the door, as well as the t-shirt Wang himself sported, announced, “No after party.” This would not seem unusual from any other designer, but coming from Wang, who last fall hosted an after party involving a 7-11 slurpee bar, several McDonald’s trucks and endless candy all night long, it was clearly a statement.
“This spring’s NYFW appears to be a step in the right direction; whether or not this momentum will die down...is yet to be seen.” The runway at Prabal Gurung presented t-shirts with logos such as, “Our minds, our bodies, our power,” “Revolution has no borders,” “The future is female,” “Stronger than fear” and “Awake” (U.S. Magazine, “From Planned Parenthood Pins to Revamping Trump Hats, New York Fashion Week’s Top 7 Political Moments,” 2.15.2017). While the runways overwhelmingly featured positive political statements, a few trends and concepts did not align with the general message. The focus on Wall Street banker-style suits, for instance, which were presented on the runways of Raf Simons, Calvin Klein, Victoria Beckham
and many more, was a bizarre choice considering the implications of “big business” under the current administration (Vogue, “New York Fashion Week: Vogue Runway’s Editors React,” 2.17.2017). Marc Jacobs responded to the widespread backlash that followed last season’s rave-inspired collection, in which he sent white models down the runway with candy-colored dreadlocks, with neutral colors and styles and a refusal to answer interview questions. However, while this collection also loosely drew inspiration from hip-hop, he at least employed a more racially diverse group of models. Although fashion’s insular nature can be–and usually is–incredibly toxic, it is conceivable for the industry to use this penchant for exclusivity toward positive ends: at the beginning of NYFW, the industry banded together to boycott Trump’s modelling agency, Trump Models. The boycott does not stop with designers: “Casting directors, stylists, makeup artists and more fashion week pillars have had just about enough of the tumbleweed-adorned orange flubber and have pledged not to work with the company both now and (hopefully) forever” (Paper Magazine, “Fashion Has Called for an Industry-Wide Boycott of Trump’s Modelling Agency,” 2.10.2017). Whether or not the boycott will make a difference is hard to gauge. Trump Models is not a particularly prominent agency, and will likely not significantly affect the industry. Additionally, the boycott could backfire on the models that the agency represents, who are already subjected to substandard working conditions. The ability of the industry to band together against Trump in some capacity, however, is a hopeful sign. While NYFW exhibited some unexpectedly positive changes, the language used to report on the events needs serious reform. Fashion News Writer for Vogue Janelle Okwodu described the increasingly diverse group of models employed by designers as “a series of attractive outsiders of varying backgrounds” and introduced model Odette Pavlova as a “Russian transplant” who served the role of “underscor[ing] the collection’s
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anti-discrimination message” (Vogue, “Model Castings Anti-Trump Protest Designers at New York Fashion Week,” 2.17.2017). Harper’s Bazaar, among other publications, lauded designers for exhibiting more body diversity in their shows, literally counting the number of plus-size bodies on each runway. While on the surface the increasing inclusivity and subsequent reporting is a promising sign, improving the inclusivity of the industry is not a numbers game, and running off a list of statistics is not an effective way to start a dialogue about the body image misconceptions perpetuated in fashion. Numerous reporters praised Michael Kors for including a single plus-size model, although just last season, he dismissed the idea of hiring plus-size women, claiming that it would be too difficult to make clothing for models in a range of sizes.
“[F]ashion has the potential to redefine and mobilize “femaleness,” if it could only stop agonizing over airport style and fad diets long enough to realize it.” One can only hope that in coming months the fashion industry will not only continue to convey disgust at the current political climate, but offer an inclusive alternative as well. Throughout the 20th century, fashion has proven its capacity to catalyze political change; a few feminist logo tees are not going to start a revolution, although their ubiquity shows potential for much-needed reform. As one of the only industries truly centered around women, fashion has the potential to redefine and mobilize “femaleness,” if it could only stop agonizing over airport style and fad diets long enough to realize it.
February 23, 2017
OPINIONS
Anti-vaccination movements must stop Jesse Horowitz Columnist
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ast year, Robert De Niro decided to screen a documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival that purported to have found a connection between vaccines and autism. The film, “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe,” claims to unearth a cover-up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a direct link between the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The film follows the narrative of a “whistleblower” from the CDC claimed that the agency manipulated and destroyed data relating to a study of this link. The film was directed by the widely discredited former doctor, Andrew Wakefield (who was struck off the British medical register for a fraudulent 1998 research paper about vaccines and autism), and was subsequently condemned as propaganda.
“As such, ableism underlies the antivaccine movement, despite its professed interest in ‘protecting’ children.” While he initially defended this decision, De Niro quickly changed course and withdrew the film after “reviewing it...with the Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientific community” (Page Six, “Filmmakers accuse Robert De Niro of ‘censorship’, 3.28.2016). De Niro did receive some criticism for censorship from some people, the incident was mostly forgotten. That was until recently, when the actor appeared alongside environmental activist, and longtime vaccine oppositionist, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to offer $100,000 to anyone who could prove that vaccines using thimerosal are safe with a peer-reviewed study (Daily News, “Robert De Niro, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offer $100G
for proof vaccines are safe,” 02.15.17). Presumably, this is not counting the large number of individuals who have already proved this over a number of decades, I guess. This article is not my bid for that money. I’ll leave that to the actual scientists. Instead, I seek to examine the problematic nature of the anti-vaccine movement and the very real damage that people like Mr. Kennedy and Mr. De Niro can cause. Let’s assume, for a moment, that vaccines do cause autism. Even then, vaccines are much safer than the alternative. Let’s consider first the consequences of vaccines if this is accepted, namely autism. Contrary to what anti-vaccine activists may claim, autism is not a death sentence. Many autistic people have lived happy, full lives with successful careers. Temple Grandin, Albert Einstein and Thomas Jefferson come to mind. Yet let’s for a moment concede that these cases are exceptional, and that for “low-functioning” autistics, life is hard (although note that this statement is extraordinarily reductionist and frankly, wholly inaccurate). Even in those cases, it is a stretch to claim that their conditions are so terrible as to be worth risking their deaths. Believing otherwise has serious consequences as it opens the door to mercy killings (and if you don’t believe me I’d recommend googling Austin Anderson, George Hodges, Daniel Corby, Jude Mirra, Issy Stapleton, London McCabe or Alex Spourdalakis). As such, ableism underlies the anti-vaccine movement, despite its professed interest in “protecting” children. The consequences of not getting vaccinated are of considerably greater significance. Let’s look at one of the more controversial vaccines, those for measles. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention prior to the development of a vaccine in 1963, there were an estimated 450 to 500 deaths as the result of measles in the United States per year. In 2015, the United States experienced its first measles death in 12 years. That means from the entire period between 2003 and 2015 not one person died of measles (USA Today, “Measles kills first patient in 12 years”, 7.2.2015). Yet many anti-vaccine activists have gone
so far as to become literal measles apologists. Stephanie Messenger, an Australian lecturer and anti-vaxxer, went so far as to write “Melanie’s Marvelous Measles,” a children’s book about how wonderful measles are and how awful vaccines are (yes, this is a real book).
“At the center...is a dangerous philosophy, one based upon the privilege of being wealthy enough to have access to high quality health care.” Considering that 367 people die of measles every day around the globe, this seems to be in particularly bad taste. It’s very easy to say measles are harmless when you’re a wealthy American or Austrailian with easy access to quality health care. However, it’s not so easy to say measles are harmless when you’re living in area with little access to vaccines or quality health care (World Health Organization, “Measles Fact Sheet”). The anti-vaccine movement is not just scientifically inaccurate, although this is certainly the case as well (CNN, “Childhood vaccines are safe. Seriously.” 07.01.14). At the center of the anti-vaccine movement is a dangerous philosophy, one based upon the privilege of being wealthy enough to have access to high-quality health care. It poses an additional danger to autistic communities, who are traditionally looked down upon as the result of attitudes that are reflected in this movement. Robert de Niro and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. aren’t just wrong, they’re ignorant, and that ignorance endangers the lives of millions of children. For someone with a cultural platform as broad and far-reaching as De Niro’s, the deliberate propagation of such anti-scientific, ableist rhetoric is disappointing and harmful.
An obituary of Campus Patrol, 1969-2017 Thomas Racek
Guest Columnist, Patrol Supervisor
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ince 1969, Campus Patrol has been one of the longest running and largest student run organizations in Vassar’s history. Yet in May of 2017, after 48 years of history and service, Patrol will be laid to rest.
“Patrollers are not concerned with the sleep deprivation, the social martyrdom of weekend exclusion, or the lack of appreciation.” Patrol was birthed in the fall of 1969 after members of the Vassar Community expressed concern that the campus was not secure. The student body felt there needed to be a group of vigilant students to help ensure the safety of others. Campus Patrol filled the void and adopted its unofficial motto, “to protect people like you from people like us.” The isolationist mentality aptly describes the social status of Patrol for 2017. Patrol has been criticized by some members of the student body for seeming unapproachable. The criticism is valid; Patrol was created to serve the Vassar community at its deficits, and no community wants to be reminded of its faults, especially not when the reminder manifests itself at a Patrol desk every Thursday through Sunday holding a radio and performing rounds. There are some students in favor of Patrol and some against it, but every community member has an opinion about it. Patrol at its core was to serve as a liaison between students and security, and to be a watchdog for other students. Campus Patrol has been most for reporting medical emergencies, responding to disruptions and addressing safety concerns within the dorms. Through their diligent actions, they
have found individuals that were in critical condition–conditions severe enough that if the patrollers had not located them, some would not be with us today. The Patrollers rarely receive proper recognition from the greater community for their efforts. Patrollers simply trudge ahead with their jobs. They are not relieved of their responsibilities either. In a sense, a Patroller will always act as a Patroller, even after they turn in their radios for the night. The job instills a sense of responsibility that remains with the individual long past their tenure at Vassar. Often times when the evening Supervisor (Unit 5) signs off for the night, the feeling of isolation further hits home. At 2:00 in the morning, the Unit walks alone back to their dorm. Patrollers are not concerned with the sleep deprivation, the social martyrdom of weekend exclusion or the lack of appreciation. Instead, they focus their energy on ensuring the continued wellbeing of others. Patrollers are trained to not be concerned with the social consequences, their own reputation or preserving a relationship, but instead are trained to make the hard decisions. A Patroller will never hesitate to call EMS if an individual is severely intoxicated, or hesitate to perform a noise complaint, even though many members of the student body would. The elimination of Patrol and the creation of the new Community Fellows Position is something that the Office of Residential Life has pushed on the current Patrol employees. The current Student Supervisors were informed of Patrol’s termination in a meeting that lasted an hour. When the Supervisors left, it was painfully clear to them that the decision of Patrol’s future was made without them. In a world without Patrol, will Vassar students feel comfortable if Security walks through the bathrooms in search of individuals in medical need? How is a diminished Security force supposed to pick up the loose ends, such as dorm presence, that Patrol will leave behind? Will the individuals serving as Community Fellows hesitate to make the tough decisions out of social fear and anxi-
ety that comes with knowing that there will be future interactions with the individual? These questions lead to a larger realization within the Vassar Community. It is because Patrol masquerades as the “bad guy” that everyone else can serve as the “good guys,” including the administration. Instead of fostering a culture of peer to peer accountability, the administration should demonstrate their willingness to crack down on unwanted and damaging behaviors with new policies and procedures. With peer to peer accountability, the administration strategically passes off the responsibility (and the liability) to the student body at Vassar and liberates themselves from those tasks. Despite these concerns, the wheels are set in motion and Patrollers must face the fact that Campus Patrol will be no more.
“When the Supervisors left, it was painfully clear to [the Student Supervisors] that the decision of Patrol’s future was made without them.” In May of this year, the Patrol Office will close down permanently but the memories will still live on. Patrol would like to thank all of the Supervisors that came before us. You all have taught us everything that we know and one article will never do justice to the amount of hours and work you all have dedicated to this organization. In a final endearing note to your service, the final radio transmission may sound something like this, “Unit 5 to all past and present Patrollers, we thank you for your service and we are signing out for the rest of our nights. How do you all read this transmission?” “5 by(e) 5.”
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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Word on the street Who would win in a fight between Baby Mario and Count Chocula? “Baby Mario, because he grows up to be Mario and has smashing powers” — Rebecca Andrews ’19
“Count Chocula, because of the power of chocolate” — Sarah Dolan ’18
“Baby Mario would win because chocolate is not good for dogs” — Shorty
“Baby Mario, because at least when he’s grown up he’s got this strong fist to hit rocks with” — Catherine Gladstone ’20
“Count Chocula’s got huge hands and they shower chocolate and Mario eats too much and drowns” — Caleb Featherstone ’18
“Baby Mario because he has a lot of friends” — Yina Wang ’19
Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Talya Phelps, Design Editor Michael Chung, Photographer
HUMOR & SATIRE
Page 12
February 23, 2017
Breaking News From the desk of Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Students comment on how lovely the weather has been while Mother Earth pleads to be put down like a pet rat Talk dirty to me: an analysis A plea to Kim Kardashian: of gross dorm laundry rooms expose these ‘celebrities’ Leah Cates
Launderer Extraordinaire
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live in Jewett, and I’d be willing to bet a pack of mini Tide pods that my clothes are infested with more grungy filth when they exit the fingerprint-smudged laundry room door than when they enter it. I understand why the laundry room increasingly resembles your local dumping ground—our lives are darn hectic. We’re too busy contemplating a new hideaway at the Deece for misanthropes (Why’d they tear down the quiet/study room doors?!) to ensure that all of the dryer screen lint makes its way into the trash bin, and that all of our unwashed socks make their respective ways into the washer, as opposed to right smack dab in the center of the floor. The following are a sampling of times that I (who has undoubtedly contributed to some of the grime) have emerged from the laundry room carrying a basket of freshly washed clothes that wouldn’t pass inspection by the fraternity brothers from Animal House. 1. The top of the machines is coated in a sticky blue detergent glaze, to which strands of hair cling. This Fuzzy Wuzzy (was a bear) coating is littered with a hodgepodge of abandoned, sad-looking objects. As of last Friday, these included a drenched paper towel ball; a moist rag; an inside out, graying sock; a lint-infested sock (not the match of the former) and a dirt-encrusted, lidless plastic container filled one-third of the way with murky green water. Theoretically, this shouldn’t be a problem—after all, clothes go inside of the machine, and not on top. But consider the following: My hamper and I enter the laundry room to retrieve my (hopefully) clean clothes, and I’m greeted by a colorful, soggy mound piled clumsily atop the machines. Initially, I sigh for the poor chump whose freshly bathed clothes are swimming in a sticky blue sea of strangers’ hairs. But then I realize that those green and purple-striped socks look all too familiar, and, because I’m an hour late to pick up my laundry, some self-centered nuisance savagely yanked out my clothes to stick in their own (which is probably karma, since said nuisance is often my im-
patient self.) 2. I once misplaced a just-washed sweater. After triple-checking my hamper, I hopped atop the washer and peered behind the row of machines. And that’s when I discovered it. The Jewett Laundry Room Cemetery. It’s a dark, dismal place of mourning. Beneath a convoluted maze of dusty pipes lie decaying clothing carcasses, all caked in a thick layer of dust and grime. I performed a brief eulogy (“Oh Reebok sock, I’m sure that you once expertly wicked moisture from a sweaty foot”), rescued my sweater using the tips of my pinkie and thumb, and inaugurated my laundry pile for the following week. 3. Oftentimes, I walk into the laundry room and encounter a student staring in horror at an open machine. Before I can inquire as to whether a garment ghost has at last arisen from the cemetery, the launderer advises me, “I wouldn’t use A2. It seems like there’s been some kind of an... umm…” Inevitably, they are staring at a puddle of cloudy liquid at the base of the machine. It’s kind of like a bucketful of mop-wrung water, and it’s best if you are warned about it and/or notice it prior to absentmindedly tossing your clothes into the murky mess like I once did. 4. If the puddle doesn’t drown my laundry, then its pint-sized, detergent container counterpart is liable to bespatter me. Opening the container necessitates a forceful yank, since it’s practically glued shut with soap residue. So I tug it open, and a cloudy liquid splatters everywhere. 5. Then there’s the powdery floor (run your fingertips across it—you’ll see what I mean), which is home to dried out Clorox wipes, squashed gum wrappers, toppled hampers, tissue balls, lint balls and hairballs. As I pull my newly laundered sheets out of the washing machine, they inevitably sag onto the dusty hairiness. Desperate to escape from the sauna (How is the laundry room 80-something degrees when it’s 20-something outside with a foot of snow on the ground?!), I pretend like it never happened, shove them back into my laundry basket (where they effectively contaminate my still-soaked towels, bathrobe and the like), and cuddle up in them every night.
Nick Barone
Highly Opinionated Opinions Editor
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n July 17, 2017 (otherwise known as my own personal Christmas), Kim Kardashian exposed Taylor Swift via SnapChat. In an act of pure justice, Kardashian released a recording of a phone call between her husband, Kanye West, and Swift which ultimately refuted Swift’s claim that she never signed off on West’s song “Famous”–specifically, a lyric where West asserts that he and Taylor might “still” engage in sexual intercourse despite their long-standing feud. As a critic of Taylor Swift and a Kim K apologist, I was ecstatic. Shortly before releasing the phone call on SnapChat, Kim tweeted, “Wait it’s legit National Snake Day?!?!? They have holidays for everybody, I mean everything these days!,” followed by 37 snake emojis. Amazing. I still look back on that tweet when I’m feeling down and out. I stayed up literally (literally) all night scrolling through my Twitter feed, eager to consume more Kim/Taylor content. As a product of a household where father/son bonding constituted watching E! True Hollywood Stories and Access Hollywood, I began to envision a world where even more of my least favorite celebrities got exposed for being very bad. In the spirit of July 17, I compiled an extensive list of celebrities I want Kim to expose next. Here are just a few: 1. Chris Martin of Coldplay My dude, all of your songs sound exactly the same and you came off as kind of smug in this interview I watched once. 2. Jesse Ventura Nobody in the WWE Hall of Fame should be allowed to be governor of anything, never mind the great state of Minnesota. (As a side note, Ventura co-starred in the 1987 film Predator with Arnold Schwarzenegger. That’s right, TWO future governors were in this movie. That’s fucking dumb.) 3. Vince Vaughn I have seen nearly every movie you’ve ever
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been in. Your presence has never once made me laugh, or even smile. How do you keep getting roles? Literally, how? Also, you’re a literal libertarian and backed BOTH PAULS in the last three presidential elections. 4. Whoever was Dumbledore in films 3-8 In the books, Dumbledore was a kind, gentle sage who guided Harry and his pals through the tumults of adolescence (while also helping them defeat evil and inspiring queer kids for generations to come). Why the fuck was this dude cast? Dumbledore’s textually placid, collected behavior somehow translates to a old curmudgeon prone to intense bouts of anger. Who could forget the infamous, “DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE?!” My guy, the plot’s major crisis is still, like, an hour and a half away from being revealed. Why are you so angry? What’s with the histrionics? Did you even read the books? OH WAIT YOU DIDN’T! The Telegraph reported in Sept. 2009 that you NEVER READ THE DAMN BOOKS. “If you are an actor all you have is the script you are given. If you read the book you might get disappointed about what’s been left out,” you said. This has been well-documented in the Harry Potter fandom, of course. But someone with the platform of Kim K could bring this travesty to light. 5. Carrie Underwood I actually really like you, Carrie Underwood. “Before He Cheats” is one of the great anthems of our time. But your talents were simply not suited for “The Sound of Music.” I really wanted to like it. I did. But I didn’t. And, for that, I cannot forgive you. 6. The former cast of “Dog with a Blog” Okay, I’ll admit, I did kind of enjoy this show. But why did it have to exist? If you actually watch the show, Stan’s (the eponymous dog with a blog) blog is pretty much a non-factor. It’s pretty much a normal kid-friendly family sitcom. The central conceit of the program is relegated to throwaway references and, occasionally, an arc or two. What gives?
HUMOR & SATIRE
February 23, 2017
Page 13
After twenty years, ‘Space Jam’ is still a uniquely bad movie Evelyn Frick
Roger Ebert’s Ghost
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HOROSCOPES ARIES
March 21 | April 19
TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
CANCER
June 21 | July 22
LEO
July 23 | August 22
VIRGO
August 23 | September 22
delphia 76ers, Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets and Muggsy Bogues of the Charlotte Hornets co-starred. They are all basketball stars and this movie is clearly about Michael Jordan’s post-basketball, baseball career. Watching basketball players playing baseball on a basketball court with aliens was really not that believable to me. I’m not sure how this seemingly gaping flaw could have gotten past the directorial team on this movie, but to each their own I suppose. I am not one to shame artists for their artistic choices. The most intriguing thing about this movie was how much it reminded me of “Breathless” by Jean-Luc Godard; another movie I have not seen. Both made me ponder about the complexities of human emotion and feeling and condemnation of the world-at-large. It also occurred to
Evelyn Frick/The Miscellany News
need to preface this article by saying that I have never seen the classic docudrama “Space Jam.” That being said, this is a review, and I give “Space Jam” three and a half stars. I know, dear reader, you must have a lot of questions right now. But bear with me. Or raccoon with me. Or Bugs Bunny with me. Whatever, you get the gist, just keep reading. I guess to answer what inevitably is your first question: yes I am single and ready to mingle. As for your other questions, yes I have really never seen “Space Jam.” I’m not quite sure why my childhood was robbed of this delight; my sister and I loved watching the Looney Tunes gang when we were younger. And we are true ’90s kids, I promise. Like many other things (proper sex education, going to the dentist, my current sleep schedule, to name a few), I guess watching this movie slipped through the cracks. Also, yes I realize that I am perfectly capable of taking the time to watch the movie now and then review it. But, here, dear reader is where we disagree. It is one thing to watch cartoon characters and Michael Jordan do some jammin’ up in space when you are a small, hopeful child. It is something completely different to watch your heroes of old and Michael Jordan get into some classic shenanigans when you are a nineteen-year-old on antidepressants. Not that it would be any less fun! However, I think my worldview has substantially shifted over the course of these years. And thus, I think it is only fair, to myself and to you, that I review this movie without having ever seen it. (To clarify, I will be reviewing this movie based on my assumptions, any anecdotal information I have about it and a quick perusal of the movie’s Wikipedia page. Without looking at the plot section, of course.) So here we go. One of my favorite things about
this movie was the soundtrack. I didn’t think it was possible to make “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber any more beautiful than it already is, but the slow-motion compilation of Looney Tunes completely destroying some Martians during their game, was enough to make me tenderly weep. I also thought it was an interesting choice to pair such a beautiful piece with the likes of MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This,” but shockingly it really worked. The yearning of the strings in Barber’s piece meshed with the synthetic beat of Hammer’s pop ballad. Kudos producers. I’ll have to make sure to put both of those songs on my pump-up jam playlist. Although, I am a bit confused why Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns, Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, Patrick Ewing of the New York Knickerbockers, Shawn Bradley of the Phila-
This is a picture of the author’s grandmother with Michael Jordan. This is completely irrelevant to the article other than that the author’s grandmother met Michael Jordan once.
I foresee a fight in your future. Unclear whether or not you’re going to butt heads with family, friends, professors, or a significant other, but either way tensions are rising. Things like this happen; let the fight happen and move forward from it a stronger person!
I think this is a good platform to remind you that mixing alcohol with Red Bull (or any other energy drink) is a super bad idea. But I get the sense that you already know that…
You’re going to get a slight cough and go to Baldwin for some advice. Naturally, they’ll make you take a pregnancy test (regardless of gender) and who knows, you might be surprised! It might even be a double surprise!
Stay on the safe side and avoid going to Sunset Lake—there might be some giant, mutated crabs on the prowl for you!
You’ve been keeping something from dear friends and have the urge to keep lying to them. Don’t follow that urge. You’re friends for a reason! Be yourself with them and they will reciprocate the same love back to you.
I would try to dress as nicely as you can and put your best foot forward this week. Otherwise I get the sense that you might not have sexy times any time soon.
me that “Space Jam” is another perfect example of French New Wave cinema. Despite that this movie was not made in France, written in French and that closest francophone connection in the film is that Pepé Le Pew is one of the characters, both films express an interesting experimentation with the film genre. They are both trailblazers for their cinematic time and as a movie viewer, I owe a lot to the genius of “Space Jam” and “Breathless.” Finally, they are also similar in that they are, in fact, both movies. All-in-all, “Space Jam” was marketed as a children’s movie, but in reality I see it more as an existential journey through space and time as a crude allegory for the female orgasm. The sensuality and blatant eroticism of the Looney Tunes characters permeate every aspect of the movie. It left me aroused in ways I never knew I could be. It is more than a children’s movie–it is a wisely informed soft porn. And yet, I was left wanting more; I needed more emotion from the Tasmanian Devil and Michael Jordan could’ve worn tighter gym shorts. Also, they definitely had the budget to film in outer space and despite a slightly convincing extraterrestrial set, they clearly did not. I expected higher quality production value from Warner Bros. and was let down. I’m truly baffled how a movie company could hit and miss with a movie mixing cartoon and real-life characters who team up to play sports in a place without gravity. That seems like a slam dunk to me. (Too bad this film isn’t about basketball, otherwise that would’ve been a solid pun!) For these reasons, I have decided to give “Space Jam” three and a half stars. However, check back in in this series of articles for another review of “Space Jam.” I haven’t decided whether or not I will review it after watching it while high or while suspended upside down, but either way, I’m willing to see if the change in perception changes my opinion.
This week, the horoscopes are taking a minimalist/back-to-basics approach! Please enjoy some free advice from someone who knows very little about star signs. —Evelyn Frick
LIBRA
September 23 | October 22
SCORPIO
October 23 | November 21
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 | December 21
CAPRICORN
December 22 | January 19
AQUARIUS
January 20 | February 18
PISCES
February 19 | March 20
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Be particularly careful and discerning this week. Not that anything bad will happen, but it’s always a good practice to be in. Make sure to take your time, think things through, and weigh your options as carefully as possible.
Your roommate is probably going to get some sort of pet lizard very soon. If that’s your thing, good for you! If it isn’t, you might want to consider a room change otherwise get used to the mason jar of dead flies that will soon be on your roommate’s desk.
Try a new sport! Even if you don’t think you’re not the most athletic, you never know! Vassar has a really nice and out-of-the-way archery field, perhaps try that? That way if you fail, no one will see you. And you probably won’t hurt anyone!
Okay literally I don’t have any advice for you, I’m just trying to figure out what the h*ck a Capricorn is. A mountain sea-goat literally doesn’t make any sense. You can’t have a sea on top of a mountain. I would know, I’m in a geography class right now.
Winter weather is breaking into spring. The sun will come out soon and the cold will melt away. Whether it be at the Vassar pool, that weird Raymond bathtub, or the watering hole, this seems like as good a time as any to go for a swim!
Something fishy might be going on with your friends this week… but never fear! I sense that this will be a fun and rewarding surprise. Don’t try to work this out on your own. Things will be revealed in their own time.
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February 23, 2017
‘Wherefore tap thou Romeo?’ asks collaborative show Sasha Gopalakrishnan Reporter
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Courtesy of Katie Scibelli
erhaps one of the most well-known pieces of English literature in history, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” has been adapted for many stages since time immemorial. Yet theatre students never fail to incorporate curious twists to their adaptations. From Feb. 16 to 18, Merely Players, Vassar’s Shakespearean theater organization, and Vassar On Tap, the college’s only tap-dancing group, put on a special event: Tap dancing “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Cassidy Nealon ’19. The show was performed at 8 p.m. in UpC on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with an immense turnout on all three days. Vassar On Tap has proven to have a formidable presence on campus. The organization continues to flourish with more and more dancers coming to tap along each year. Their collaboration in “Romeo and Juliet” illustrates the club’s longevity at Vassar, and the endurance of tap dancing as a whole.. The show resembled a musical in many ways, with tap dancing scenes assimilated into the larger plot. Despite being a tragedy, the director decided to put a comedic spin on the play. As a special event, the show’s run time was fairly short, around one and a half hours, so Nealon distilled the original script of the play down to its most important events, as well as looked for scenes into which tap dancing could easily be integrated.. Furthermore, the show is set in the 1920s, calling for some fairly modern costume choices. Romeo sported a vibrant red beanie while Mercutio, his best friend, complemented this with some rouge lipstick of his own. The play started off with an evocative tap dancing piece with the show’s entire tap ensemble, and, from there, dove right into the plot. For the majority of the show, the mood adopted a light-hearted tone, with ample comic relief provided throughout the production, particularly whenever Mercutio appeared on stage. From
lewd jokes in Shakespearean language to a fumbling, alcoholic priest who gives rather terrible advice and an excessively frivolous Lady Capulet, the audience was chuckling consistently during the performance. In fact, the show portrayed some of the deaths comically toward the end as well, drawing laughs from the viewers even at Juliet’s grave. Julie Sandler ’20, who played Juliet, joked, “During Thursday’s show, people were laughing hysterically during a scene where, like, four people died, which is quite uncommon. We really made this piece our own.” While overall amusing, the actors still conveyed the beauty of some of the deeper moments, even in the dances. The second piece was an elegant and formal dance party at Lady Capulet’s house involving the tap ensemble, while the third one was a jazzy and upbeat couple dance between Romeo and Juliet as soon as they decided to get married. Yet as tragedy loomed towards the end of the play, the final tap piece, “Juliet’s Breakdown,” was moving, performed to haunting French music. It involved angry, fast taps, with beats and movements spinning out of control to reflect Juliet’s mental state. The show’s choreographer and member of On Tap Ellena Nador ’18 explained some of these choices. She commented, “I made sure to choreograph specific steps into the dances that are associated with the 1920s, the time period in which the show is set. I tried to create a specific mood within each dance that corresponded to the scenes surrounding it. For example, in Juliet’s breakdown scene, the tappers enter after Juliet has become drunk. She is scared and confused, and so the tappers play off of this by circling around her, dragging her around and tapping furiously.” Yet comedy and tragedy are hardly an easy blend, which is expressed by the performers. “I struggled with perfecting some of the iconic Juliet lines. I felt the pressure to live up to them, yet, given the comedic aspect of the show, I found it
In a stunning portrayal of the profoundly lauded tragedy “Romeo and Juliet,” Vassar On Tap and Merely Players came together to create a spectacle to tap your feet to. hard to do that without making a mockery of it,” Sandler explained. Livia Bartels ’20, who played Romeo, expressed a similar sentiment : “The rehearsals were so much fun, and even though this is a tragedy, we’ve played with the genre to make the show really entertaining and easy-going. So I struggled with making some of the really serious elements comedic. It’s challenging to bring humor into grim moments like, say, when you’re killing people on stage. It was also difficult to switch into a very somber attitude towards the end of the play, after being in such a high-energy place for so long.” The show was a real success, but more importantly, the community that this cast created for themselves within just a couple of weeks of rehearsal was truly inspiring. Sandler, Bartels and Nador all emphasized that their favorite part
about this experience was getting to work with such talented people who meshed really well together and whom they might not have otherwise met. Bartels added, “Give a shout out to the production team for me. They were absolutely amazing. They coordinated everything, and we couldn’t have done it without them.” This collaboration between Merely Players and Vassar on Tap was a true feat, reflected in the dynamism of many of the scenes. As Nador reflected, “My goal was to incorporate the dance pieces into the show as naturally and cohesively as possible. Usually when I choreograph for Vassar On Tap shows, each dance is independent. So getting to choreograph within the context of a plot was really cool. However, this was also definitely the biggest challenge since, after all, Shakespeare does not normally involve tap dancing!”
Tournées Film Fest brings francophone world to Vassar Lucy Ellman
Guest Reporter
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deliberately invited faculty from across campus in order to enrich and vary our perspectives on the films.” The diverse film selections allow for these varied conversations, which are integral to the festival itself. Swamy elaborated: “The format of this festival is meant to foster conversation between students, faculty, staff and the local community—unlike other film festivals in which filmgoers do not have the occasion to process collectively their response to the film, one of the main goals of Tournées at Vassar is to engender discussion and debate about the issues explored in the films.” This year, many of the films selected have a particular relevance to our current political climate, both within our borders and around the world. Professor Swamy explained how the messages of these films are not strictly for French speakers, but rather address many of the challenges facing individuals and commu-
Courtesy of Vpower/Wikimedia Commons
ow that the snow is beginning to melt, the roads are clear and everyone’s Netflix queue has been entirely drained (is anything good ever released in February?), why not spend an evening cozying up in Taylor Hall to catch a film? From Feb. 1-23, Vassar is the host of Tournées French Film Festival, a month-long event free and open to the public and featuring a wide variety of recently released and critically-acclaimed French-language films. The last two screenings will be “Two Days, One Night” (2014, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) on Thursday, Feb. 23 and “Francofonia” on Tuesday, Feb. 28. All screenings will be held in Taylor Hall, room 203, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Now in its third year, the Tournées French Film Festival is a huge collaborative effort, supported in part by FACE (French American Cultural Exchange) Foundation of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy of New York and a Humanities New York Action Grant. Professor and Chair of French and Francophone Studies Vinay Swamy explained: “The cultural services of the French embassy is very active in promoting Francophone culture in the US. Tournées is one of their initiatives [through the French American Cultural Exchange foundation] to help bring French cinema to campuses across the US.” Professor Swamy organized the first festival in 2011 to great success, and it has since expanded to include the greater Hudson Valley community. Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies Anne Brancky explained the exciting changes in this year’s festival: “Since then, we have grown the festival in part thanks to more outside funding from Humanities New York, and in part because of our extensive outreach efforts to include members of the Hudson Valley community as well as faculty from other institutions. This year is particularly exciting because we have Matthew Amos, Assistant Professor of French at Bard College, and Charles Batson, Professor of French and Francophone Studies at
Union College, joining us.” Each film will be introduced by a faculty member, in order to provide context for the feature presentation as well as increase accessibility. Professor Brancky described the purpose of these introductions: “Faculty participation in the screenings is intended to make the screenings as accessible as possible to a broad audience. The brief introduction that precedes each film provides some aesthetic and cultural context for the film and raises a few main questions to keep in mind during the screening, which helps to frame a discussion afterwards.” Additionally, the faculty members provide key insight into the diverse and important issues presented in the films, as Professor Swamy explained: “They [faculty members] also allow us to have a conversation about the films and the important topics they touch upon or develop, be they about migration, race relations, gender or sexual orientation or class-related issues. We
In its third year, the French film festival, put on by the French Department in collaboration with the French Embassy of New York, has compiled a diverse assortment of francophone films.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
nities worldwide. He stated, “Just as [the] United States is grappling with the implications of rapidly changing demographics...Europe too has had to contend with the fact that the face of Europe is not as homogeneous as it was imagined...The films that we have brought together in this edition of Tournées reflect on the challenges brought about in such political and cultural spaces and allow us to see how they affect us as much on a local as on a national and even continental scale.” Films at this year’s “Tournées French Film Festival” offer intensely personal and specific stories that have the ability to transcend borders, and are just as relatable in the French-speaking world as they are in a college campus in upstate New York. To this point, French 106 student and Media Studies major Dana Chang ’19 commented, “The festival provided a space for community members to engage with the films outside of the U.S. landscape, leading to insightful perspectives and a chance to exit the bubble that I typically find myself engaged with when consuming media.” Professor Brancky offered her take on the experience, stating, “Films like these also offer personal and intimate access into individual lives that are affected by sweeping policies and broad cultural attitudes. These sorts of humanist ‘case studies’ allow for a deeper understanding of what is at stake in what can sometimes feel like abstract political discourse.” In many ways, our political climate seems more abstract than ever. We struggle to decipher fact from fiction, and all too often truth gets lost among the noise. Perhaps reaching outside our own bubble of information could be the best way to engage with new ideas, seek out new perspectives, and find our own voice. Professor Swamy said it best: “Watching French movies is not just about bringing a foreign language and culture to Vassar students and the local community. It is also about giving ourselves the opportunity to reflect on our own political situations and cultural crises. Observing how others approach such questions elsewhere, across the Atlantic in this instance, might give us a new perspective on our own challenges.”
February 23, 2017
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Helado: ‘It’s your brown skin, it will keep you safe’ CONCERT continued from page 1
Courtesy of Kaitlin Prado
so many of my friends understand what it was like to feel like there was a space made for us on campus.” Archondo hadn’t heard of Xenia Rubinos prior to the announcement of the lineup, but has been a fan of Helado Negro for a while. They continued, “His music means a lot to me as a Latinx person because it’s not easy to find Latinx artists in contemporary alt/indie genres that are overwhelmingly dominated by white artists.” They added, “It’s inspiring to see a Latinx POC musician creating music that’s extremely beautiful and mesmerizing to all audiences, but especially meaningful in the clear Latin influences and songs centered around Latinidad and brownness.” Looking back on the concert experience as a whole, Kennedy recalled, “What was really a highlight for me was being able to watch Helado Negro and Xenia Rubinos work throughout the day before the concert, and to see the kind of dedication they put into making their concerts good: making it look right, and sound right, and the high level of professional artistic quality control, and like how throughout all of that they were also really kind people to everyone involved, from us to everyone like the production team, the dancers—I think everyone had a positive interaction with them.” Both artists made it a point to engage with the audience in the intimate Shiva theatre space. The performers reached for the crowd with both their hands and their words. Helado even wrapped his arms around a person while singing, and Xenia stepped down into the audience to start a mosh pit of sorts. Some of the lyrics in Xenia’s song “I Won’t Say” come from the essay “Who Will Revere the Black Woman?” by Abbey Lincoln. The audience roared as she powerfully questioned, “Whose hair is compulsively bleached...Whose nose is too big? Whose mouth is too loud?... Whose face is too black?”
Self-described Afro-Latina artist Xenia Rubinos followed Helado Negro with high-energy numbers that unapologetically reminded us, “It’s a party across America, bachata in the back.” I was especially taken by one moment when Helado welcomed the audience to sing along at one point. Many of us joined him in repeating the lines that serve as the title of the song: “Young Latin & Proud.” The softness of that line was not sung as a wilting apology—we all took that quiet moment to be careful with ourselves. Rodriguez recalled his personal favorite moments of the show: “I think he [Helado Negro] was having technical difficulties with ‘It’s My Brown Skin’ (that’s a personal favorite of mine because it’s really empowering), and when he performed it, he decided to sing it a capella— just his vocals and it was really interesting to see that because it was like impromptu, but also the song really came through and the lyrics that are the most important part of that song in
my opinion really came through, and that was really exciting to watch. For Xenia—she really brought the energy up. She gave the crowd energy that I was could not even fathom.” He added, “Half the crowd didn’t know the lyrics and the other half didn’t know Xenia at all but it was wonderful to see that energy come through not only through her but the entire band and through her as well.” While some of the audience hadn’t heard of either artist before attending the concert, it was clear that both artists have a diverse fan base. Mixed into the Vassar crowd were non-Vassar college students and even younger teens with their mom! Speaking to the way in which the concert brought people together, Kennedy added, “It was great to see that on this campus and that’s a
good thing, there needs to be more of it. I guess that was one thing that I was really inspired by—when I looked into that crowd I saw like a bunch of different kinds of people having a good time. That’s how, on this campus, a lot of things will get better.” Looking towards future events on this campus, hopefully student organizations can continue to find ways to recreate these same kinds of space for people of color on campus. Vassar has to work together in order to make events like this happen while paying special attention to the constant load of labor people of color students often shoulder in order to create these spaces all by themselves. Kennedy wanted to make sure he gave credit where it was due, saying, “There are definitely a lot of POC on this campus that are doing really cool shit and making good spaces.” He also remarked, “This campus talks the talk, but time and time again it doesn’t follow through on that kind of rhetoric of wokeness.” Thinking about how this concert fit into a bigger picture, Archondo said, “While I know that the concert was an abnormality, and that I’ll probably never experience another concert at Vassar centered around the needs and art of Latinx people, it was so special that I did get to experience what that feels like for one night, to feel seen, heard and cared for. It was especially valuable because events centered around POC/ other marginalized identity often focus on discussion and more explicit forms of activism, which are crucial and I also enjoy participating in, but it was a relief how this night was just plain old fun.” This event scrubbed me clean if only for a night, and served as an important reminder of Audre Lorde’s famous words: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Make sure to tune in to Valentina Gansito which airs at 2 a.m. on Friday mornings at WVKR.org or 91.3 FM Poughkeepsie independent radio!
Workshop delves into gender divide in radio industry RADIO continued from page 1
on girls’ “complex, messy dues on air,” but rather empowering women’s voices. Lena Redford ’18 saw merit in this sentiment as well. She started her show, “Girlelectra,” freshman year after realizing how historically underrepresented females were in electronic music. She decided, “I’m only playing female-identified artists from here on out.” While the conversation started off centered around the attendees’ love of music and various editing techniques, the discussion opened up into a broader conversation about gender politics at the station. The consensus seemed to be that WVKR is very male-dominated. “Do you think there is a specific dynamic between the men’s shows and the women’s shows?” Pfeifer asked about WVKR. From her time at NYU, Pfeifer remarked that she had dealt with a lot of male hosts with very specific music interests, saying, “There were a lot of opinionated males at the station, but that is not to say that they actively didn’t include women.”
Courtesy of Alexia Garcia
Vassar’s Feminist Action Collective invited NYU grad and WNYU host Laura Pfeifer to lead a workshop on women in radio podcasting, a group generally underrepresented in the industry.
WVKR executive board member Alexia Garcia ’18 understood where Pfeiffer was coming from. Garcia agreed that WVKR can appear to exclude women, as an overwhelming majority of its shows are run by men, and the board, which decides what shows are selected, is disproportionately male. This is not to say that these men actively disapprove of women-run shows; however. to a female outsider, the station might appear exclusionary. Sammy Storz ’20 said that she didn’t apply for a show because she thought that she didn’t have the proper skills to have her own show and that the process of applying to the radio and maintaining a show was “a little intimidating.” In response to the evident gender imbalance, the station has been working hard to include more women. “I think there has been a lot more focus on female voices lately. Especially since the station is very lopsided with its amount of men,” responded Garcia, host of “Girls’ Night Out.” The station recently added a show put on by the Feminist Action Collective that features female artists in genres ranging from jazz to hard rock to indie. When asked how they were going to get more women involved, the workshop attendees agreed that their first task should be to get WVKR more well-known on campus. Globig commented, “We all know about The Misc and Boilerplate, but I think it is important for people to know that WVKR is a creative resource on campus too.” Some other ideas the women and femmes discussed in promoting WVKR on campus included having local bands come and perform live on radio shows, getting the Deece to play WVKR tunes and also holding an open house after the station gets renovated during spring break. While there is a push for more female involvement overall, one collaborative show in particular, the pre-org Audio Picnic, is mostly comprised of female members. Audio Picnic is a podcast show that airs on Thursday nights from 8 to 9 p.m. and is open to anyone who wants to contribute a short podcast or interview, or just wants to listen to creative and interesting conversations. Storz commented about the podcast show: “Audio Picnic is a great space, and I always feel like my thoughts are valued. I also don’t feel like it’s a boys’ club.”
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Courtesy of Alexia Garcia
radio stations such as punk London radio NTS or the freeform Los Angeles radio KCHUNG. Pfeifer is also thinking about working for the Monorail Trespassing Music Label, among others. “For me it is fundamentally about music and the radio is my way of fostering that interest,” the punk pundit commented, starting off the conversation. Saskia Globig ’19 responded, “For me, it’s the opposite. I like radio as an activity. It’s a very community-centered hobby.” Most of the women at the meeting agreed that the radio was more of a hobby than a career path, but a great way to pursue interests in music and journalism. The women in attendance recognized that a lot of their goals were to spread feminist ideas and also to make sure that underrepresented groups are heard. “I try to delve into femmes’ stories for most of the pieces I make because I think it’s easy to get excited about feminism,” Globig said. She also commented that she didn’t want to impinge
Above is Alexia Garcia ’18 working on Audacity, utilized by many members of Vassar’s WVKR radio station. The femmes in radio workshop delved into the station’s inequalities. In addition to Audio Picnic, WVKR has launched Pink Noises, a series of workshops, discussions and live shows by and about women, femmes, non-cis people and non-binary people in hip-hop and electronic music. The aim of Pink Noises is to empower a hugely underrepresented group in music, and also to encourage more people who identify as female or non-binary to get involved in the Vassar music scene. The showcase hosted several widely successful events last spring and is planning another one in early March. At the end of the day, the workshop didn’t so much focus on defining the female voice in radio, but rather centered on the need to get more women involved in the Vassar music scene. “We should just have witching hours,” Garcia smiled. “Or maybe we can just turn Audio Picnic into a whistle-blowing platform,” Redford and Garcia joked. “That will get people involved.”
ARTS
Page 16
February 23, 2017
Harry Potter world reinvigorated in West End production Matt Stein Columnist
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two
Jack Thorne
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Matt Stein/The Miscellany News
ince J. K. Rowling released “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” in 2007, the future fate of her beloved characters has been unknown. She’s written a bit on Pottermore, the official Harry Potter website, but her loyal fanbase has not received much more. Despite saying that “Deathly Hallows” would be the last in the “Harry Potter” series, she changed her mind and now we have “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two.” “Cursed Child” is currently showing at the Palace Theater in London. While both travel and ticket prices impose difficulties in attending the West End production, The Lyric Theatre in New York City intends to begin performances for the Broadway production by Spring 2018. Directed by John Tiffany and starring Jamie Parker in the eponymous role, “Cursed Child” creates a different world onstage while working with a script that comes across as artificial fan fiction. This full-day theatrical experience is magical, to say the least. But you don’t need much knowledge of the Wizarding World to understand what’s going on. Perhaps it’s from the exposition-rich text, but though being a Potterhead will only enhance the audience experience, it’s not essential. Despite none of the film actors appearing, the performances were solid. It felt a bit awkward at first to hear a 30-something non-Daniel Radcliffe call himself Harry Potter. After the first few minutes, however, that effect wore away. The standout performances were Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Weasley and Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy. Dumezweni initially got unjustified backlash due to her race, but she
The West End production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” revived the Harry Potter series in a theatrical format, illustrating the series’ lasting influence on global culture. was the most grounded performer in this play. Now the Minister of Magic, Hermione carries on from the books as the voice of reason and Dumezweni’s performance is that of a well-seasoned actor, a genuine interpretation that doesn’t get hampered by previous incarnations. Boyle presents a character that’s only briefly mentioned in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and he makes use of the lack of expectations other roles are subjected to. As funny as Rowling would like Ron to be, it’s Scorpius that becomes the comic relief. Boyle gives the character a very distinct voice, almost like a mix between Gilbert Gottfried and Hugh Grant. As crucial as Harry Potter is to the story, Jamie Parker just feels angry in the role, like the character was in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”
Besides the featured roles, “Cursed Child” frequently relies on its ensemble to create the world. One great example is when two characters are conversing on the moving stairways of Hogwarts. The two actors walk up separate flights but no special effects are used, instead the ensemble moves them around to create the moving effect. For the most part, the stage is left bare. The ensemble moves with precision and objective, which allows the audience to believe in the world that they create. Despite Rowling co-writing the original story that playwright Jack Thorne developed the play into, moreover, the magic is not in the text. Instead, it feels as if Thorne was given a checklist of Harry Potter fun facts and loose ends and tried to see how many he could cover. As referential as Rowling was in the novel, this play is
exposition until the final act. If someone wasn’t familiar with Harry Potter, they’d assume the ending was a deus ex machina. Thorne has also written for other British staples, like “Skins” and the “This Is England” miniseries, but he does not fit the vast world of Harry Potter. Luckily, this play has more than one horcrux to live off of. The saving grace of this production is what the Harry Potter world is about: magic. With a lackluster text, the show fulfills the question of “Why do a Harry Potter play onstage?” At this point, anybody can see a movie and be able to understand how a world can appear before their eyes but theatre relies on the imagination. In a Peter Pan-like moment, this play convinces the audience to believe in magic. At the end of the second part, audience members had to swear to “keep the secrets,” and so only limited details can be given sadly. Different fantastic beasts find their way into the play through the innovation of brilliant designers. In two parts, the run time is around five hours, with an hour break between. Part One ends on a very striking cliffhanger for both the diegesis and stage design. It’s very easy to question why Rowling felt the need to produce two separate plays, but she was never subtle in her love for detail. The characters remember everything. Some characters come across as chiding because of their need to constantly warn other characters about previous actions. This can feel very repetitive, as if the audience doesn’t even know who Harry Potter is and just wandered into the theatre by accident. Actually, it detracts from the story and half the lines are what a Potterhead would be whispering to their neighbor if things seemed unclear. There were high hopes coming into this production and the lasting effect is a mixed bag. Is the show perfect? No. But for fans of Harry Potter and great theatre, this play is more than enough. Still, it is impossible to leave this show without cherishing the initial feelings of first meeting Harry Potter on Privet Drive all those years ago.
‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ season 2 still searching for voice Tori Lafon
Guest Reporter
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Bloom, McKenna The CW
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mate self-discovery will surely be all the more rewarding. While the dramatic elements of the show may seem at the forefront, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is, at heart, a comedy and wows with its irreverent and face-paced humor. What really sets it apart, though, is its hilarious, wacky and sometimes even quite touching musical numbers that borrow from a number of music genres and artist parodies. Highlights from this season include a triangle-pun-filled riff on “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” called “The Math of Love Triangles,” an uproarious Disney-inspired ballad called “Maybe this Dream,” an R. Kelly parody called “Stuck in the Bathroom” and the hilariously raunchy “Period Sex,” a running joke reprised several times throughout the season. Other high points include anytime Tovah Feldshuh makes an appearance as Rebecca’s inattentive mother and a guest appearance from
Courtesy of CleftClips/Vimeo
’m just a girl in love. I can’t be held responsible for my actions,” Rachel Bloom, as the title character Rebecca Bunch, sings in the season two opening sequence of The CW’s hit series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” When I was first introduced to the new opening, I was admittedly disappointed that I would no longer get to hear the catchy, expository theme song poking fun at the very un-nuanced title. However, the new theme song was perhaps one of the best decisions the show could have made, as “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” has become a completely different show. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” follows Rebecca Bunch, a hot-shot New York lawyer who impulsively uproots her life to follow her summer camp ex-boyfriend Josh to his hometown of West Covina, CA, in an attempt to find happiness. While the first season focused on Rebecca’s unhealthy fixation with her strikingly dull ex to an almost obsessive level of its own, the show’s sophomore season has made it obvious that this route was setting the stones for a more complex portrait of its protagonist. While the focus is still on Rebecca’s preoccupation with Josh, the second season dives into Rebecca’s underlying emotional problems and is primarily concerned with showing the effect her erratic behavior has on the world around her. Rebecca continues in the new theme song, “I have no underlying issues to address, I’m certifiably cute and adorably obsessed.” Having revealed that the musical numbers are a product of Rebecca’s untreated mental illness (she threw out her pills when she moved to West Covina), the audience knows by now that the musical theater elements take place entirely inside Rebecca’s head. So, of course, they reflect what
Rebecca believes, and what she believes in most of all is the idea that love conquers all, and as long as someone loves her (specifically the boy who called her “dramatic and, like, weird”) everything will be alright. What has been most interesting about this season is how the show has used Rebecca’s dubious actions to destroy this rom-com fantasy. What the audience quickly realizes is that this show is not trying to tell yet another story of fated lovers that will surely end in a happily ever after. Instead, Rebecca’s endgame will only come when she finally accepts that true happiness will only come if she addresses her own problems. Part of the fun is watching Rebecca come closer to this realization, fall back into her own ways and slowly work her way back to a breakthrough. While the simple matter of how easy everything could be if she just got out of her own head can feel irritating at points, her ulti-
The changing tone of the second season of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is embodied in its new theme song, delving into a dizzying array of aspects of main character Rebecca Bunch’s emotional states.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
none other than Broadway legend Patti LuPone as Rebecca’s childhood rabbi. However, the show is still far from perfect. With a whirlwind of plotlines, sometimes storylines seem rushed or forced. Particularly, the effect that Rebecca’s disrespect of Paula has on their friendship is a plotline built throughout the majority of the season. However, as soon as tensions burst and their friendship seems to be destroyed, the two make up throughout the span of only one episode. With the introduction of a new character, the new boss of Whitefeather & Associates Nathaniel Plimpton III, a new conflict is introduced and their fight is hardly mentioned again. The show then shifts focus to the sexual tension between Rebecca and Nathaniel, which ultimately results in her kissing him due to a lapse in judgment caused by the Santa Ana winds. However, this storyline is also immediately dropped, with the only repercussions being that Rebecca moves her and Josh’s wedding to a sooner date. While the whirlwind of plotlines may be indicative of the manic behavior of the protagonist, this leaves the show feeling cluttered. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” could bear to slow down and flesh out its storylines before it runs out of steam. In the climatic moments of the theme song, the chorus sings, “They say love makes you crazy, therefore you can’t call her crazy, ’cause when you call her crazy, you’re calling her in love.” This is an illusion that Rebecca has held throughout the entirety of the show’s run, and in the final moments of this season, this has never seemed more true. In the season’s final and perhaps best episode, Rebecca gets hit with a lot of hard truths and shattered dreams, and rather than confirming her illusion of storybook happiness, she takes on a new side of the title’s trope as the scorned woman bent on destroying her ex for leaving her. As “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” continues to find its voice, I am excited to see what the next season, and the inevitable new theme song, will have in store.
ARTS
February 23, 2017
Page 17
Lego aesthetic built upon in new film Jimmy Christon Columnist
The Lego Batman Movie
Chris McKay Warner Bros.
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Campus Canvas
Courtesy of Jeremy London/Vimeo
’m going to start this review by saying that if you missed 2014’s “Lego Movie,” you missed out on one of the best movies in recent years. That movie was one of the funniest, happiest and just most joyful films to come out since...Well, just pick your favorite Pixar flick, and you’ll get the gist of what I’m trying to say. You shouldn’t feel bad if you missed it, as “The Lego Batman Movie” captures that same magic and is an absolute treat. At the same time, “Lego Batman” isn’t just “The Lego Movie: the Do-Over,” but is its own film that stands apart from the other movie made with Legos (excluding all movies made with Legos on YouTube). It was playful, simply told and was delivered with a ton of heart. There are two particular types of movies that are hard to do well: children’s movies and Batman movies. Children’s movies need to balance jokes with story, as well as jokes for children with jokes for everyone else. Bad children’s movies deserve the label of “children’s movie”—as in only children could enjoy it. But good children’s movies really are just good movies. Batman movies also reside on a precarious cliff top, so to speak. Too much gruff and not enough self-awareness, and you’ll get overly serious movies like “Batman v. Superman” or “Batman Begins.” Too much comic-book wackiness and you end up with nipples on your bat suit. Even the absolute hands-down best Batman movie, “The Dark Knight,” still suffers from the sheer ridiculousness a realistic Batman . Just listen to Christian Bale’s Batman voice (or any of those College Humor videos making fun of the voice), and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
“Lego Batman” makes an excellent move in this respect. Instead of trying to keep up with this challenging balancing act, it points out just how generic and absurd Batman movies can be. It’s not just self-aware, it’s series-aware. This movie’s Batman isn’t just “Lego Batman,” he is every single filmic iteration of Batman rolled into one, and not only does the movie play with it, it makes it a critical part of the story. Everything about this Batman is Batman turned to 11, and it is absolutely wonderful. The character is obsessed with his abs, loves to make heavy metal rap and adores the color black. But these are all just kinda quirky character traits; like I said, this Batman is every single other version of Batman that’s ever been on screen before. This means is that this Batman is a supremely narcissistic jerk who’s scared of attachment. The film revolves around Batman’s crippling loneliness. Batman is both the protagonist and the antag-
The new “Lego Batman Movie,” a delight for all ages, stands apart from the first Lego-based movie in its superhero-centric focus, while still maintaining the playful and fun tones its predecessor is known for.
onist of this film. The story deals with both his search for a family and his relationships and is told with the biggest bricks possible. There’s no way anyone could walk out of this film and not pick up on these themes. Sometimes the movie even stops to have a character lecture Batman about his relationship issues. And you know what? The movie gets away with it. Not because it is made for children, but because the whole movie is about doing things in broad strokes: The story is simple, it’s told with Legos and it’s about a narcissistic man in a batsuit. And just because the story is told in bold text doesn’t mean that it lacks subtlety. I thought that the way it presented “ideal” relationships was way more thoughtful than one might suspect a movie made with Legos would be. This sort of self-awareness for a film is so refreshing. This movie knows exactly what it is and what story it wants to tell. It’s about Lego Batman, and it’s about his issues. So the story is all well and good, but what about the rest of the film? Does the Lego aesthetic hold up for a second film? I will say that if you liked the first “Lego Movie” you will certainly enjoy this film. The movie doesn’t repeat the idea of the world being a kid’s imagination, but it still playfully pulls characters and objects from all sorts of different fictional series (with some characters who showed up in the last film). And the jokes? I know it’s not original to say that a movie like this has jokes for audience members who are over 12, but this movie was hilarious outside of its more gag-based jokes. Going back to something I said earlier in this review, this movie is fun. It feels like it wasn’t just made for children, but made by children (this is a compliment). This movie, like the first “Lego Movie” before it, captures that sense of childish storytelling that is exceedingly simple and infinitely charismatic. I also love that it was able to not only be this simple and fun, but also to tell such a heartfelt story about such an overdone character. Even though this movie is made out of plastic, it’s anything but lifeless.
A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
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Excuse me, What will be the hardest part about becoming a Russian colony?
“Being from two colonies at once would suck” — Ally Fernandez ’18
“The hardest thing would be all the STEM classes because they’re really into computer science and stuff” — Miranda Amey ’19 “The best part would probably be more access to vodka; the hardest part would be seeing Vladimir Putin more often” — Sophie Kennen ’20
“‘Putin’ it all together” — Carson Packer ’17
“I think Russian food kind of sucks...but doesn’t everybody ride a bear in Russia?” — Emmett O’Malley ’19
“Learning to like borscht” — Natalia Santos ’20
Tianna Shockley is a senior psychology major and studio art correlate at Vassar College. Throughout her time at Vassar, she has dabbled in a few different mediums including drawing and printmaking, but mainly focuses on painting. These two oil paintings are a part of a monochrome self-portrait series that explore ideas of self-representation of sexuality while also working with different ways of manipulating paint to achieve different textures. Both paintings are quite large, standing at around 4x3 ft and 6x4 ft.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Talya Phelps, Design Editor Michael Chung, Photographer
SPORTS
Page 18
February 23, 2017
Men’s tennis takes the court to begin spring season Kelly Pushie
Guest Reporter
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the team’s two main focuses are its doubles play and confidence. “One thing that we have been working on throughout the spring season and something that Coach Wong has been emphasizing every day at practice are our doubles and confidence. Our doubles have developed a lot and gotten much stronger, but I still believe there is plenty of work still to be done,” Auh stated. Additionally, Auh pointed out, “Confidence is something that we have been talking about a lot over the past month or so. It is the confidence to be able to play and believe that we belong on the court with the best teams in the region and nation.” He believes that this newfound sense of confidence is what will help the men’s tennis team reach major feats this season. According to Coach Alex Wong, the team
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
he Vassar men’s tennis team is already off to a solid start with one win and one loss this past weekend against RIT and Skidmore respectively, putting their record at 2-1 this season. Coming off a successful fall season in which the squad secured two wins and only lost one contest, the Brewers are already in motion for a spring better than last year’s. In the 2016 spring season, the Vassar men’s tennis team posted a record of 6-12. As a result, the team was anticipated to finish in fourth in a preseason poll. The poll surveys all Liberty League men’s tennis coaches to predict the order in which the teams will end up. However, the Brewers are refining their skills and continuing their hard work to help them take that next step and become a force to be reckoned with in the Liberty League. This past weekend, the Brewers stepped up and secured a 9-0 win against RIT. Not one Brewer lost a match on their first home court match of the season. Unfortunately, however, the trip to Saratoga Springs proved to be detrimental to the team, as they fell 0-9 to the Skidmore Thoroughbreds. Reflecting upon polar opposite finishes, the team points to pace of play and confidence to explain the difference in results. Acknowledging the difficulties, Vassar looks to learn from its performance against Skidmore to propel the team to success in the future. Freshman Jeremy Auh has been a solid contributor to the men’s team in his first season as a Brewer. Against RIT, Auh felt that the team was very confident going into their matches, but against Skidmore he noted a difference in attitude. Auh explained, “I thought that we had a little bit of a slow start in doubles which made things difficult for us.” However, their mental toughness allowed the Brewers to put up a strong fight against the Thoroughbreds. When looking at what keeps the team going strong, Auh points to the leadership of the
upperclassmen. “All three seniors, Alexander Luckmann, Nick Litsky and Juan Fe, make up huge roles in our starting lineup and they bring fire and intensity to practice and matches,” Auh continued. “In addition, with them on the team, they bring a lot of experience to our team.” At the reins, the team’s three seniors lead by example, provide the team with motivation and push VC to get them through practice every day. Keeping the team in check and making sure that everyone is working his hardest each and every day is a role that these three seniors have adopted, and it is what will keep the Brewers focused and confident during the entirety of the spring season. After their matches this weekend, the Brewers are already looking to improve and prepare for their upcoming matches. Moving forward,
Freshman Jeremy Auh winds up during a fall match at the Josselyn tennis courts. After the season openers, the Brewers will next face the University of Rochester on Saturday, Feb. 25.
has already shown improvement in the first few weeks of the spring season. He was very pleased with the win against RIT, and specifically pointed out that he was happy to see the doubles matches being won more decisively in comparison to last year. However, against Skidmore, Coach Wong shared, “I was disappointed in the way that we came out in doubles, but the team showed a lot of character by fighting hard in the singles.” Focusing on singles play, Coach Wong also notes the positives that emerged out of the matches against the Thoroughbreds. This season, he is not looking toward one person in particular to carry the team. “We are a team that is going to need every single one of our players to contribute,” Coach Wong stated. In a short span of time, Coach Wong is already happy with the way the lineup is shaping up for the rest of the season. “Through just the first few matches, we have used a different lineup each time, and started nearly every player on the roster,” Coach Wong iterated. “I am happy with the hard work that each player has been putting in. I think that each of the singles starters have been playing quite well, especially the top five.” He pointed out specific players such as Litsky, Laso, Luckmann, Auh and freshman Allen Sokolov who have stepped up and played some great matches so far. The determination and the grit with which they played their first few matches is a good sign for what is to come for the rest of the season. With much positivity, the Vassar men’s tennis team looks forward to the remainder of its spring season. VC has a lot in store for them this season with 15 matches before the Liberty League Championships in May. Coming up, the team will face the University of Rochester and The College of New Jersey before taking off to Claremont, CA for spring break. Vassar will face Rochester at home this Saturday, Feb. 25 and will travel to Ewing, NJ to face TCNJ on Sunday, March 5.
Records, personal bests shattered at championships SWIMMING continued from page 1
help push us forward.” Despite missing one of their best swimmers, sophomore Sammy Stone, the women of Vassar swimming and diving thrived to perform as successfully as the men. The Brewers came out of the gates on fire in the first day of the finals. Senior team captain and All-American Julia Cunningham eased her way into the “A” finals in the 200 yard individual medley. Sophomore Haley Schultz, who has been ridden with injury all season, came out during the 50 yard freestyle, just missing qualification for the finals with a personal best time of 25:87. “Although I was injured for most of the season, I earned season-bests in most of my races,” shared Schultz. “As a breaststroker, I never had the opportunity to swim sprint freestyle, but was surprised and excited with the time that I earned in the freestyle on the first day.” Schultz continued to thrive, earning a faster split than any other “B” finalist in the breaststroke relays. The second day of finals found the Brewers just as victorious as the first. In the 400 yard individual medley, Cunningham won an NCAA “B” cut time with a final time of 4:35.12. This brought her the fifth fastest time in the preliminaries. Junior Emily McDaniels finished with an extremely strong season-best of 5:02.49, compared to her previous 5:17.82, earning her a spot in the “C” finals. “Last year I had issues with sickness and injury leading up to States, so I was really excited to get the chance to race this year,” McDaniels explained. “I’m very happy with how I swam this week.” Senior Kayla Schwab just missed beating her season best of 5:20.72 in the 400 yard individual medley, with a time of 5:21.19. The Brewers earned the top seed in the “B” final, due to the strong efforts by Schultz, Cunningham, sophomore Megan Harrington and freshman Sarah Boese. The Brewers won the consolation final of the 400 yard medley relay, the last event of the second day, with a season best time of 4:05.96. The team recovered from their second day of championships to push forward once again in the third day of UNYSCSAs. Cunningham earned the third-best time in the 200 yard butterfly preliminary swim. She also took third place in the finals
at night, securing a mass of points for the Brewers. Cunningham listed 27th on the top NCAA listing for this race, giving her a possibility to be selected for the NCAA championships this Wednesday. All the while, senior Zoe Kurtz broke her season-best time in the same race with a time of 2:41.63, skimming off almost six seconds from her time. Schultz had one of the most impressive feats of the day, earning a 1:09.58 in the 100 yard breaststroke, beating her previous personal best of 1:10.10 and earning a spot in the “B” finals. On the final day of the championships, Schwab posted a personal-best 2:45.78 in the 200 yard breaststroke, while McDaniels tapped in a 2:45.02 to claim 33rd place and freshman Abigail Kirsch earned a season-best of 2:48.50. Junior Cali Corbett completed the 1650 yard freestyle in 18:49.04, missing her personal-best by less than two seconds. Schultz took second place in the “C” final, finishing 18th overall. The Brewers on both swimming and diving teams have had impressive seasons full of determination and effort. While the journey for most seniors ends here, their contributions to their teams will not be forgotten. “I can’t begin to ex-
plain how much the team has shaped my life at Vassar,” Cerutti reflected. “I will never forget finishing my last race ever, seeing my entire team standing at the other end of the pool cheering me on and ending my career with a smile on my face. The unwavering dedication and loyalty of the team is something I will miss the most and will not ever forget.” Cunningham may be able to continue her career for a while longer if she is chosen to compete in the NCAA championships. Cunningham is the holder of eight different school records individually and in relays at Vassar. She is also a two-time All-American and has qualified for the NCAAs in both 2015 and 2016. “When I came into the team as a freshman, I already knew I had a strong support group,” Cunningham recalled. “The team has been more than a family. There were many amazing, record-breaking swims. There were a few disappointing swims. But our team was fully supportive through all the ups and downs. I have full confidence that the team will continue to improve once I graduate. I owe all of my success to the team that has surrounded me for the past four years.”
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
Many Brewers continued to take home personal, season and lifetime bests from the 200 yard freestyle, although none qualified for the finals in this category. Freshman Jordan Kalina skimmed multiple seconds off of his previous season-best of 1:54.26 with a time of 1:50.13. Meanwhile, fellow freshman Yoav Yaron slashed over 10 remarkable seconds off of his lifetime-best time. He earned a time of 1:59.83 to finish the race in less than two minutes for the first time in his life. These feats persisted on into the third day of championships, where Walker began the day by finishing fifth in the 200 yard butterfly with a speedy 1:54.83, his season-best. Freshman Harrison Taylor swam a strong lifetime-best in the 200 yard fly, finishing in 27th overall, narrowly missing qualification for the evening finals. “I am proud of what I accomplished this weekend,” Taylor shared. “I think the fly was my best race throughout the weekend. I have been working extremely hard on my butterfly all season, and to post a lifetime best was amazing.” In his final collegiate 200 yard fly, Walker beat a school record of 1:54.33 with a time of 1:54.02, finishing in fifth place overall for the Brewers. Strand joined Walker in beating a second school record as well. He won a spot in the “A” finals with a time of 57.63 in the 100 yard breaststroke. Also in the 100 breaststroke, Cerutti broke his lifetime-best and clocked in for 22nd place. He earned a Liberty League weekly honor for this performance. The fourth and final day of the finals saw Cerutti post a lifetime-best in the 100 yard backstroke, finishing 15th overall for the team. “It was definitely a highlight of my meet,” Cerutti recalled. “I was really excited that I could go for a lifetime best during my senior year. We prepared well and worked extremely hard. It definitely paid off.” The Brewers are content with their overall standings from the meet, recalling the heaps of time, hard work and energy they put into their training. “We had a tough season with much illness and injury, but we were able to prepare well by pushing each other to be better mentally and physically,” reported junior Luke Morrison. “Continuing and building upon this mentality will be super important moving forward. It will really
Junior Jonah Strand races through the 200 individual medley at the UNYSCSA Championships to beat the school record. After the championships, the teams will toss in the towel for the winter season.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
February 23, 2017
SPORTS
Page 19
Sports relocate from North Potential trades cause stir Carolina in protest of HB2 as NBA deadline approaches Mack Liederman Guest Columnist
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ou see the dunks, the knock-down shooters and the stars. It’s the NBA’s most high profile and flashy weekend. What many forget, however, is what the All-Star game means to New Orleans this year in the first place. After a name change and rebranding for the Hornets two years ago, Charlotte seemed like the ideal city for the NBA to highlight with the 2017 All-Star game. The stage was set, the plans were announced. Then came HB2. On Mar. 23, 2016, North Carolina passed a landslide legislation that reverses a Charlotte anti-discrimination ordinance that gave rights and protections to gay and transgender people. The Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, or HB2, prevents transgender people from using a public bathroom that does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. In an act of defiance of the new law, the NBA moved the game from Charlotte to New Orleans. The league has discussed dismissing the law with state officials, and hopes the game can be played in Charlotte in 2019, given that HB2 is reversed. The All-Star game move is by far the strongest opposition shown against the Carolina legislation. “Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand,” said the NBA league office in a statement issued on July 21, 2016. “While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.” North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, who was one of the leading signers of the bill, was quick to fire back. “The sports and entertainment elite, Attorney General Roy Cooper and the liberal media have
for months misrepresented our laws and maligned the people of North Carolina,” said McCrory in a statement. “Simply because most people believe boys and girls should be able to use school bathrooms, locker rooms and showers without the opposite sex present.” Others in the entertainment industry have followed suit with the NBA in boycotting events in North Carolina. Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Pearl Jame, Cirque du Soleil, Bruce Springsteen and Bryan Adams are some of many notable artists who have canceled plans to perform in North Carolina. On Feb. 6, the NCAA, in a rare political move, announced North Carolina will not host any March Madness games until 2022 unless HB2 is repealed by the end of month. Back in September, the Atlantic Coastal Conference moved their football championship from North Carolina to Orlando. Since Adam Silver has taken over as NBA commissioner, the league has continued to become more active on social issues, putting them steps ahead of other leagues like the NFL, MLB and NHL, who have remained relatively neutral politically. Starting around Christmas, the NBA began producing and airing anti-gun violence PSAs feating some the leagues most notable players. At last year’s ESPYS, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwayne Wade took the stage to urge athletes to be active socially following a string of high profile mass-shootings in Dallas, Orlando and Baton Rouge. Back in 2014, the NBA chose not to fine players who wore “I can’t breathe” t-shirts before games. The political actions of the NBA seem to be more morally driven rather than public image driven. Although no change has been made in North Carolina yet, big league sports seem to have a large enough influence to sway political opinions moving forward.
Robert Pinataro Guest Columnist
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he NBA trade deadline is tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. This year’s trade deadline was not initially expected to be nearly as exciting as it was. Less than two weeks ago, most thought that few, if any, trades would be made. These sentiments developed because there are so many teams with the potential to make the playoffs, and therefore focused solely on winning games in the present. While trading may seem like it would help, since teams acquire new players that could help them win, it actually takes quite a bit of time for a recently traded player to adjust to his new team, and for the team to adjust to him. On Tuesday, the Sacramento Kings made one of the worst trades of all time. They sent center Demarcus Cousins and forward Omri Casspi to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for three guards,in addition to the New Orleans first-round pick and a future second-round pick in the NBA draft. The big loss in this trade was Demarcus Cousins. Cousins is above and away the best center in the NBA, and an integral part of Sacramento’s team. Without him, the Kings will be significantly less effective on both sides of the ball. Most trades involving a player of this caliber would provide proper compensation in the form of another star player or several young players with great potential. In this trade, the three guards the Kings received are not nearly good enough to be considered equal to Cousins in value. The first- and second-round picks are nice, but the first-round pick excludes picks one through three, meaning that if the Pelicans’ first-round pick is the first, second or third pick of the draft, the Kings will not get that pick. This makes it more difficult to land high profile stars and gives the Kings no guarantee of an incoming superstar during the NBA draft. On the other hand, the Pelicans could not have asked for a better deal. They gave up very little to acquire the
best center in the NBA, and they already have Anthony Davis, arguably the best power forward in the NBA. Davis and Cousins excel both offensively and defensively as the star players of their teams, and when put together, they could be incredible. Another big trade that occurred just over a week before the deadline was the Serge Ibaka trade between the Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are already a playoff-caliber team, and by acquiring a player like Ibaka they become even stronger. In turn, the Raptors lost Terrence Ross, a bench player with a very good shot and high energy, who certainly has sixth man potential for the Magic. This trade certainly benefits the Raptors more than the Magic, but it does help both teams. As the deadline approaches, the circulating trade rumors are cause for excitement. One big trade that is in the works would sent the talented Jimmy Butler to the Boston Celtics. This would make for an interesting trade, as the Chicago Bulls will not be eager to give away their best player, Butler. It will likely require the Celtics to give up some of their better players to actually seal the deal on Butler. It will be interesting to see whether these teams can reach an agreement on Butler in time for the deadline. The other major trade rumor is one of Ricky Rubio in exchange for Derrick Rose. Both players are point guards with opposite strengths and weaknesses: Rubio is a very good defender, but does not do a lot of scoring, while Rose is a much better offensive player, but lacks Rubio’s defensive prowess. The Minnesota Timberwolves could use the additional offense, as well as the salary cap space that would come from getting rid of Rubio. The Knicks are in need of defense, something that Rubio can supply. As the minutes until the trade deadline wind down, there are certainly plenty of exciting opportunities for teams to make moves that could change the course of this NBA season.
Volleyball continues remarkable season with home sweep Lindsay Wolk
Guest Reporter
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Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
he Vassar men’s volleyball team has strung together multiple dominant performances to secure a 7-1 record over the past three weeks. The team often credits its recent success to the challenges faced against strong competition on its West Coast trip, as well as the leadership of first-year Head Coach Richard Gary and the new system that he brought with him. Junior Matt Knigge, a pre-season all-American, stated, “I think we had a very tough schedule from the start, so coming back from winter break with a short pre-season its always hard to get into your groove right away. Especially with a new coach there are some inevitable growing pains. So I think that we have just gotten our act together and gotten used to a new coach and new system.” After a long string of away matches, the Brewers finally hosted their first home games of the season on Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11. Over the weekend, Vassar defeated all four of their opponents, leaving their home record unscathed. Vassar first took on Johnson and Wales University, winning decisively in only three sets with scores of 25-14, 25-16 and 25-12. The Brewers hit at .343 percent while stifling the Wildcats to a -0.29 hitting percentage. Notably, freshman Ghali Khalil notched his first career kill in the third set. Later that day, the Stevenson Mustangs were able to take Vassar to a fourth set as they won the third set narrowly by a score of 26-24. Despite the falter in the third round, the Brewers contained Stevenson much more easily in the other sets with scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-13 in the first, second and fourth sets respectively. With this win, the team moved to 2-0 on the day. Lee was especially important in this match as he dished out 45 assists. Lee had a hand in nearly half of the points scored against Stevenson. The Brewers came out firing on Saturday morning after their two wins the previous day. They took down the Ramapo Roadrunners in three sets. While sophomore George Diehl had a great match offensively with nine kills, the
Senior player Christian Lizana leaps to return a hit in a recent home match in Kenyon Hall. Vassar will rematch the nationally-ranked Springfield College on Feb. 22; the game will be at home. Vassar defense stole the show. Knigge and Lee led the court in blocks with eight and seven respectively. Senior Quinn Rutledge gave his best performance of the season to lead the Brewers to their fourth win of the weekend. Saturday afternoon Vassar beat the Dolphins of Mount St. Vincent 3-1 with scores of 25-21, 25-17, 22-25 and 25-19. Rutledge had 11 kills, one ace, three blocks and six digs in the effort. While many of the statistical categories were relatively even between the Brewers and Dolphins, Vassar had a major edge in aces and blocks. Much of the Brewer’s success throughout their first home weekend can be attributed to the home atmosphere and fans that came to support the team. “Finally playing at home after a month on the road was great. We weren’t even in our usual gym but I think we all had a great time. The energy the fans brought was amazing and we
really fed off their excitement. It always helps to have a great home crowd because it sets the other team back a bit while picking us up and I think that played a bit part in our dominance during that weekend,” Lizana commented. Also thrilled with the crowd, Coach Gary smiled, “This has been the most supportive and friendly community I’ve encountered, from the students, faculty and the incredible athletics department staff. I continue to marvel at the hard working, positive and actively engaged community here, and helping our team to bring their best to the home crowd was very, very special.” The following Saturday, the Brewers were on the road again in Elmira, NY, to play both the hosts Elmira College and No. 2 Stevens Institute of Technology. After dropping the first set 19-25, the Brewers successfully pulled off the upset of the No.2 ranked team with scores of 25-18, 25-20 and 25-22 in the remaining rounds.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Lizana, Rutledge and Knigge led the offensive effort with 13, 12 and 10 kills respectively. The three hitters combined for 35 of the teams’ 47 total kills. Defensively, Vassar’s 18 kills tied for the second-most in a game ever at Vassar. “The win against Stevens was incredible. I had never beaten Stevens in my time here. We were able to find our groove and everything just clicked and it felt great. We passed very well which allowed Zech to run our offense with very little problems,” Lizana explained. “Stevens never knew where the ball was going to go, which gave all our hitters great opportunities to score and continued the excitement we were feeling,” Lizana continued, “Our great blocking challenged their hitters and they could not figure out a way to get passed us. Overall it was just a great team effort in which everyone stepped up in the area in which we needed them to excel.” Also reflecting on the match, Knigge stated, “It was a great win. We had 18 total team blocks which is almost unheard of in men’s volleyball. But that was our strategy coming in and we were able to find our groove and come through when we needed it.” Just hours after their monumental win over Stevens, the Brewers easily defeated Elmira in three sets. Rutledge, Diehl and Knigge tied for a team-high seven kills, as the offense was well-balanced with the help of Lee’s 28 assists. This win gives VC a 2-0 start in their United Volleyball Conference action. Vassar faces its next game, arguably the toughest of the season, in the form of a rematch with No. 1 Springfield on Feb. 22 in Kenyon Hall. “Our team culture is getting stronger every day, and we continue to develop the confidence and focus to play to our potential. This match will be another great opportunity to see an offense unlike any in DIII men’s volleyball and to respond by playing our own unique style of play,” shared Coach Gary. He continued, “I would expect nothing less than a war, and the tougher it is for us, the more it will feed our resolve to have a deep run this season where we might be able to face them again in the NCAA’s.”
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February 23, 2017
Winter sports handed disappointing season endings Olivia O’Loughlin Sports Editor
Women’s Tennis
Men’s Basketball
On Friday, Feb. 17, the Brewers faced a tough 5373 loss against the RPI Engineers during their last game of the season. As sophomore captain Alex Seff scored the game’s first layup, Vassar earned its lone advantage of the night. Less than a minute later RPI reciprocated with a basket and later ran away with the game. Vassar was bested due to turnovers and shot differential, as the squad tallied 14 turnovers and scored 37.3 percent for field goals and 25.9 percent for three-pointers in comparison to RPI’s 45.3 and 40.9 respective shot percentages. Nevertheless, multiple Brewers contributed to the team’s efforts on the night. Seff lead the team with 12 points, while freshman Hunter Gettings tallied eight and junior captain Jesse Browne and junior Tony Caletti each added five points. In terms of rebounds, Murray tallied a gamebest 10 rebounds, followed by Caletti with five and sophomores Steve Palecki and Chris Gallivan with three apiece. Browne led the squads in assists with five, followed by Murray (4), Caletti (1), Gallivan (1) and freshman Kyle Kappes (1). In terms of efficiency, standout performers of
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
VC started its spring season on a very strong note as the team topped Muhlenberg College 9-0 on Saturday, Feb. 18. However, the Brewers lost their footing against Division I opponent Army West Point and fell 0-7 the next day. Beginning the day on Saturday, the doubles squads surpassed their competition unscathed. At No. 3 senior Connie Yoo and junior Dasha earned the 8-0 win against the Mules. Up next, senior Shayna Becker and freshman Tara Edwards captured a 8-1 victory at No. 1, soon followed by a third win by No. 2 by junior Kate Christensen and sophomore Morgane Flournoy. After the team’s very strong showing in doubles, Vassar headed to singles play. Yoo finished the day holding her opponents scoreless as she topped Hannah Bobker 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5. Edwards also continued her success as she earned a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 3. At No. 1, Christensen cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory to collect her ninth win of the season. Right behind Christensen, Becker also finished with a strong 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2. Flournoy then picked up a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 4. To wrap up the day, Ivenitsky claimed another 6-0, 6-0 win for VC against Muhlenberg’s Shelby Knafo. The next day, the Brewers hit the road to travel to West Point, NY for another string of matches. Unfortunately, the Brewers were bested by Army and were unable to claim any wins on the day. Nevertheless, Vassar held strong against their opponents. At No. 6, Ivenitsky forced her match to a super-tiebreaker against Stella Fedele. Christensen also fought hard against Army as she took a 3-2 lead in the first set to later fall 4-6, 5-7. Unfortunately, doubles play did not end any better for Vassar, and Army was able to claim the shoutout. The Brewers will look to turn things around for their first conference match of 2017 against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday, Feb. 25.
the night were Gettings and senior Elijah Winston. While on the court for 11 minutes, Gettings scored three impressive three-pointers and shot a perfect two from the foul line. Meanwhile, Winston played for five minutes and scored a bucket in addition to grabbing an offensive rebound. With these results, Vassar and RPI both finished their seasons. Although they finished victorious, the Engineers are seated at No. 5, just out of reach for the playoffs. As the season comes to a close, the team will say goodbye to a very influential trio: Mickey Adams, Ryan Huegel and Winston. During their tenures, Adams tallied 323 total points, while Winston contributed 12 and Huegel added 47 total points. Despite graduating their seniors, the Brewers will look forward to a strong season starting in October 2017. Women’s Basketball
Despite having a successful season, the women’s basketball team ended on an unfortunate note falling to RPI 64-62 due to a last minute buzzer-beater from the Engineers. This upset ended the Brewers season, as they needed to top the RPI in hopes to reach postseason play. This battle saw 13 lead changes and 12 ties during the 40 minutes of play. The final tie came with only four seconds on the clock as sophomore Nicole Teta scored an unbelievable three-point shot. However, RPI’s Sam Krumbhaar answered with a layup with one second on the clock, securing the win for the Liberty League foes. Against RPI, Teta matched her career-high 23 points while also contributing three steals, a block, two assists and four rebounds. Behind Teta, junior captain Samarah Cook and freshman Sophie Nick tabbed nine points each. Continuing the freshmen success, freshmen Isa Peczuh and Jackie Cenan added six points apiece. VC’s scoring efforts were rounded out by junior captain Ariella Rosenthal (5) and sophomore Sabrina Ulsh (4). The entire match-up was a nail-biter, as each of the four quarters ended with very close scores. Teta initiated the day’s buckets as she sunk a three-pointer just 16 seconds into the contest. With this momentum, the Brewers were able to keep the lead for the first quarter, with the Engineers close behind 17-16. However, RPI fought back in the remaining three quarters and forced the game to a more backand-forth chase. While Vassar shot 35.3 percent for field goals, 36.8 percent for three-pointers and 100 percent from the line, RPI executed on 44.4 percent, 11.1 percent and 63.6 percent respectively. Despite the Brewers’ higher conversion rates, the Engineers put up a fight and took a critical 6259 lead with less than a minute left of play. After a strategic time-out, Cook handed the ball off to Teta, who drained the three-pointer with ease. The game was tied for a final time at 62 apiece. Then, with one second left, RPI earned two more points to push VC out of playoffs. While the team hoped for a more positive end to their strong 12-13 season, the senior-less team will return its full squad next fall for even more success. Men’s Fencing
This past weekend, the Brewers traveled to New York City to face New York University and nation-
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
Senior Shayna Becker slams ball passed her opponent during 2016 home match. Becker and the team will look to find success in their upcoming conference matches against RPI on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Freshman Graeme Mills celebrates after win against Haverford College. Graeme recently earned impressive wins against opponents of No. 2 Columbia University on Wednesday, Feb. 15. ally-ranked Columbia University. VC first faced the hosting NYU Violets and were topped 6-21. The epee squad racked up multiple wins to put Vassar on the scoreboards and even earn the 5-4 squad win. Junior Daniel Swerzenski led the epee team’s efforts as he defeated both NYU’s Alexandre Czepeaux (5-4) and Blake Xia (53). Shortly after, juniors George Whiteside and Jonathan Alperstein each claimed 5-2 victories as well. Vassar’s foil team faltered a bit against the NYU Violets as the only member to earn a win was freshman Jack Holmes, who earned a 5-4 win over NYU’s Eric Zobel. Less than an hour later, Vassar faced No. 2 Columbia and was unable to capture the win, falling 10-17 against the Lions. Nonetheless, the epee squad earned another group victory, sabre scooped up three bout wins and foil collected two bout wins as well. To earn the epee win, Whiteside and Alperstein finished with two victories and senior Jackson Damman collected a 5-3 win over Columbia’s Jarett Poliner. In sabre, freshman Graeme Mills also collected a pair of wins for VC as junior Eli Polston tallied a win himself. The freshmen class continued the success as sabre Aaron Choi defeated Albert Zhang 5-4 and Noe Berger clinched a strong 5-1 win over Columbia’s Mack Berghouse. After this challenging weekend, the Brewers will have some much deserved time off before competing in the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Championships on Mar. 4 at the University of Vermont. Men’s Squash
In its season close, the Vassar men’s squash squad faced some difficulty at the CSA Championships against Duke University, Boston University and Lehigh University. The competition-filled weekend took place in Cambridge, MA and lasted from Friday, Feb. 17 to Sunday, Feb. 19. On Friday, the Brewers were knocked off by the Duke Blue Devils 2-7. Despite the result, junior Alex Riccio and sophomore Isaac Stuart emerged victorious. At No. 7, Riccio topped Duke’s Sam Kahane 5-11, 11-7, 13-15, 11-6, 11-2. Meanwhile at No. 9, Stuart earned the win in five sets 5-11, 11-7, 13-15, 11-6, 11-2. Tough competition prevailed during day two of the championships as BU defeated Vassar 1-8. Freshman Viraj Nadkarni clinched the sole win for the Burgundy and Gray. Nadkarni battled against BU’s Parker Tonissi and eventually earned the fiveset victory 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 5-11, 11-8. Then on the last day of the season, Vassar was outplayed by the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 2-7. Nevertheless, the team smiles upon multiple accomplishments of both the weekend and the season. Wearing his VC uniform for the very last time, senior Vincent Mencotti earned his final win at No. 1 against Lehigh’s Gordon Newell in three sets 11-2, 11-6, 11-5. Meanwhile, Nadkarni claimed another victory of the weekend at No. 2 with scores of 13-11, 15-13, 11-2. With these results, Mencotti closed the season with a team-high 12 wins, holding a 12-7 record as Nadkarni held the second highest amount of wins with a 8-10 record. Right behind Nadkarni, sophomore Caden Gruber and Riccio wrapped up the season with sev-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
en victories each, while senior Richard Bryenton, senior Lucas Fifer and Stuart claimed five wins apiece. As the team wraps up the season, Vassar will wave goodbye to its memorable seniors: Samuel Hammer, Bryenton, Fifer and Mencotti. The rest of the squad will have the rest of the year off and will resume play in the fall. Women’s Fencing
On Sunday, Feb. 19, VC hosted the Eastern Women’s Fencing Conference (EWFC) Dual Meet Championships. The team finished in fourth place out of eight teams: defeating Haverford College (18-9), City College of New York University (23-4), Yeshiva University (26-1) and Hunter College (234), while losing to Drew University (13-14), Stevens Institute of Technology (11-16) and Johns Hopkins University (12-15). While the team collectively secured fourth place, individual fencers earned impressive accolades as well. Six Brewers were named EWFC AllStar Honors, including four First Team titles and two for Second Team. Senior foilist Elsa Stoff, sophomore foilist Sophie Blumenstock, senior epee Olivia Weiss and junior sabre Annie Innes-Gold were all named First Team All-Stars after strong performances in the championships. Meanwhile, sophomore foilist Mirit Rutishauser and sophomore epee Rose Hulsey-Vincent were given Second Team All-Star Honors. The day consisted of both Dual Meet and Individual Tournaments, made up of elimination rounds in each of the three weapons. Multiple Brewers earned individual victories and survived several elimination rounds. Stoff, Rutishauser and Blumenstock of the foil team held spots in the elimination bracket, and Stoff and Blumenstock even earned spots in the quarterfinal rounds. Stoff surpassed two rounds of competition before falling in a very close 15-14 loss to Stevens’ Allison Urban-Spillane. In a similar manner, Blumenstock reached the round of four to eventually fall to later-crowned champion Steven’s Abigail Kaye. Weiss also made it to the semifinal round in epee as she topped Yeshiva’s Jamie Baum 15-4 and CCNY’s Judine Watkis. However, Weiss fell at the hands of another Steven’s fencer, Amanda Choy. Also in epee, Hulsey-Vincent survived the first round with a 15-8 victory. Innes-Gold had the strongest finish of the championships, lasting until the sabre finals. To reach the finals, Innes-Gold collected a 15-7 win in the first round, a 15-11 victory in the second and a 15-13 win in the semifinals. Despite her greatest efforts, Innes-Gold was unfortunately bested 12-15 in the finals against Johns Hopkins’ Erin Chen. To earn their honors, Stoff finished with a 19-2 record, Blumenstock claimed a 17-4 finish and Rutishauser was 14-7. In epee, Weiss collected a weapon-high touch count with 91 and secured a 15-4 record. Hulsey-Vincent also finished with a 15-4 record. Innes-Gold finished above all sabre competitors in the championships in terms of touches and victories as she finished with 94 touches and 19 wins. From one championship to another, VC will next compete in the NEIFC Championships on Saturday, Mar. 4.