The Miscellany News
Volume CXLVIII | Issue 11
February 4, 2016
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
OITNB author Kerman brings levity to dark subject Kaitlynn Vo
Guest Reporter
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courtesy of Huffington Post
t’s a premise almost too fantastic to be factual: girl meets girl and enters into a romantic relationship, only to find out her partner is a heroin-dealing West African kingpin. Committed to their relationship, she launders money for the drug operation; five years later, indicted and charged for money laundering and drug trafficking, she pleads guilty; all that she’s left with is herself and her prison term. As incredible as it sounds, for fans of long-running Netflix show “Orange Is the New Black,” this description will seem all too familiar. The most-watched show on the video streaming platform, “Orange Is the New Black” presents itself as a comedic drama based on Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name. While Kerman’s memoir is exceptional in itself, the reception of the
book’s television adaptation has received critical acclaim and reception that parallels and even surpasses its original. In its first season alone, the show was nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and ended up winning three: the awards for Outstanding Cast in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series. As its characters and plot progressed, so too did critical and public acceptance for the often controversial themes of the show and its characters. In fact, “Orange Is the New Black” is the sole series thus far to score nominations in both the comedy and drama categories of the Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to other accolades. And it isn’t just Hollywood that can’t get enough of the Kerman-inspired prison show. Vassar students See KERMAN on page 13
Celebrated author Piper Kerman will give her lecture on “Orange Is The New Black” this Monday. Her work aims to provide insight into the current prison system through the use of human narratives, including autobiography with humor.
Crafted Kup brews Maguire appointed VP for Finance enthusiastic response A Derek Sonntag Reporter
Kayla Gonzalez Reporter
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f you build it, they will come,” one Crafted Kup customer remarked to the coffee shop owner Tanner Townsend as he ordered his Mocha Coffeeshake. The customer was referring to the renovations that took place at the Crafted Kup
over winter break. These renovations included upgrading from 24 seats to 68, all of which were occupied on Sunday afternoon. “This has been in the works for about eight months,” shared Townsend when he took a moment to break away from the activity at See KUP on page 12
fter about a week of anarchy in the finance office of the VSA, Kaden Maguire ’16 assumed the post of Vice President for Finance. VSA President Ramy Abbady ’16 wrote in an emailed statement, “I’m excited to announce that Kaden Maguire has become the new VP for Finance. They are a senior STS major from Connecticut. Kaden has been in-
volved in VARC for four years and has previously served on Raymond House Team, QCVC’s executive board, and as the Ferry Representative to VSA Council. Congrats and welcome to Kaden!” Maguire was appointed by the Board of Elections and Appointments to fill the VSA position on Jan. 29. This decision was approved by the VSA Council two days later, where Maguire’s appointment was unanimously passed
Crossover novelist to stay at VC
Men’s Volleyball: hot start no fluke
Connor McIlwain Arts editor
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Winnie Yeates Reporter
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courtesy of Vassar College
rs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. Pity. A signature strike leveled the florist’s,” read one of Teju Cole’s tweets. The tweet was one of seven short stories on drones that he posted on Twitter. It wasn’t the first time he had used the medium to publish his writing and engage readers. He will give this year’s Writer-in-Residence reading on Feb. 8. Since 1979, the English Department has sponsored a writer-in-residence. Typically, this novelist or poet visits campus, hosts a reading, visits classes, holds workshops with students, and develops relationships with students in the Senior Composition Seminar. Oftentimes, these students receive advice on their senior theses and future endeavors. For Cole, this residency is the perfect opportunity to reach a modern audience. “A lot of the people I want to be read by, a lot of the people I want to speak to, are not people who have subscriptions to The New Yorker or The New York Times, so it’s important for me to speak to them in this way also,” he said in a 2014 interview with NPR. Three years earlier, he published his debut novel, “Open City” to widespread acclaim. Now he was telling a different story on Twitter. The story, “Hafiz,” was told through See TEJU COLE on page 17
Teju Cole will deliver this year’s writer-in-residence reading. His work on social media has sparked conversations on social issues and the future of literature.
Inside this issue
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Students fly to foreign lands for TRAVEL research, recreation
14 ARTS
MUSICAMBIA brings the arts behind bars
through the consensus agenda by council members. “I’m feeling happy that I am able to step into this position. It is really fun and interesting to get to see what all of the orgs are putting on,” Maguire said in an interview. “Most events that happen on campus that are run by students go through finance. It makes you feel really engaged with the student body.” See VSA on page 3
t may be winter, but the Vassar men’s volleyball team is red hot. Last year, the team finished with a formidable 18-13 record on the year, yet stumbled to a 3-5 record in the Liberty League. However, with another year of experience under their belts, the men were ready to take the leap in 2016. The Brewers’ preparation for their main season this spring began last October during what they call their “non-traditional” season. During this time the team had three practices a week for five weeks and participated in one tournament. Head Coach Robert Wolter explained, “During that time we focused a lot of our time on the basic fundamentals and our serving and passing game. We concluded the non-traditional season by hosting an eight-team tournament. The tournament consisted of two alumni teams, the Marist club team, Hunter College, Sage College, Lehman College and an adult USAV team.” The Brewers won the event, going 10-3 in total sets. Since the end of the team’s non-traditional season, the athletes have been hard at work for several weeks in preparation for their main season. They began their pre-sea-
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son training on January 11. Arriving at school two weeks early focused and determined, junior Christian Lizana further explained their intense pre-season schedule, “We train pretty much every day; either three practices a day or two practices and then a lift. Even though we are a spring sport, we are able to get to know everyone and play a little together throughout the fall, so in the spring we are able to get right to practicing hard because we are already familiar with everyone and their playing styles. Really just fitting about a month of practice into two weeks and getting ready for our first games.” In addition to putting time in on the court, the team participates in off-court activities together quite regularly. Coach Wolter explained, “Off the court the guys spend a lot of time together bonding and building relationships. They eat meals together and sometimes go bowling. We even drove to Albany, N.Y. for a team activity and took part in a Mystery Room. A Mystery Room is when you get locked in a room and you need to solve clues and riddles to figure out the combination to unlock the door. You have 45 minutes to solve the room. This was a great team building activity and the guys See VOLLEYBALL on page 18
Ski team prioritizes team bonding SPORTS over competition
The Miscellany News
Page 2
Want to learn more about working on the Misc?
Come to our general body meeting on Thursday, February 4 at 5:00pm in the Misc office (third floor of College Center)!
4
February
Thursday
5
February
Friday
Late Night at the Lehman Loeb
M/W Basketball vs. William Smith
Join the Loeb for their 9th anniversary of Late Night!
Modfest: Music in the Prisons
5:00pm| Frances Lehman loeb Art Center Atrium | Art
General Body Meeting
5:00pm | Misc Office (CC 303) | The Misc
Come learn about what it takes to work for the Misc and how you can get involved. What Happens Here: A Presentation of Findings of Vassar’s Title IX Survey 7:00pm| Rocky 300 |
The team that administered the Title IX survey will present the results to the campus community.
12:00pm | AFC Gym | VC Athletics
4:00pm | Sanders Audit. | Music
A presentation about MUSICAMBIA, a New York-based initiative working toward establishing a network of music programs within prisons and jails in the United States Modfest Cabaret Night
6:00pm | Villard Room & Rose Parlor | Vassar College Choirs
Members of the Vassar College Choirs hold a Cabaret Fundraiser to benefit their upcoming tour to Cuba. Among the attractions are a silent auction, tasty food, and music. Wordsmiths Grand Slam Final
8:00pm| Rocky 200 | Wordsmiths Come watch Vassar’s best slam poets duke it out for the chance to be on the team of five that will represent VC at CUPSI
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February
Saturday
Squash (W) Seven Sisters Championship
10:00am| Kenyon Squash Courts | VC Athletics
Modfest Open Rehearsal
11:00am| Skinner Recital Hall | Mahagonny Emsemble Composer Robin McClellan ’99 coaches the student-run group in the preparation of his new work entitled Abraham and Isaac.
ChoralFest
2:00pm| Skinner Recital Hall | Music
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February
Sunday
Modfest: Attaca Quartet
3:00pm| Skinner Recital Hall | Music
The prize-winning, internationally acclaimed young ensemble in works by Haydn, Richard Wilson, and John Adams. VSA Council
7:00pm | Main MPR | VSA
Paper Critique
9:00pm | Rose Parlor | The Misc
Come tell us all about our typos!
Cappella Festiva Treble Choir performs in a joint concert with the Vassar College Women’s Chorus. Modfest Concert: Vassar Emsembles
8:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music
Vassar College Orchestra and Mahagonny Ensemble perform.
ViCE Winter Concert
8:30pm| Shiva | ViCE Empress Of and Gemma perform in ViCE’s first Winter Concert.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
February 4, 2016
Editors-in-Chief Palak Patel Noble Ingram
Senior Editors Anika Lanser Rhys Johnson
News Humor & Satire Arts Sports Photography Design Online Copy
Jeremy Middleman Zander Bashaw Connor McIlwain Zach Rippe Sam Pianello Sarah Dolan Kelsey Quinn Jackson Ingram
Crossword Editors Alycia Beattie York Chen Collin KnoppSchwyn Assistant News Eilis Donohue Assistant Features Julia Cunningham Alan Hagins Assistant Design Talya Phelps Charlotte VarcoeWolfson Assistant Copy Claire Baker Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice Web Master Andy Carrera Reporters Amreen Bhasin Ashley Hoyle Sieu Nguyen Sabrina Oh Derek Sonntag Matt Stein Winnie Yeates Columnists Nick Barone Jimmy Christon Penina Remler Sarah Sandler Josh Sherman Patrick Tanella Photographer Alec Ferretti Design Christa Haryanto Klara Kaufman Scarlett Neuberger Samana Shrestha Copy Laura Wigginton Noah Purdy Steven Park Rebecca Weir Sophie Slater Sophie Deixel Jessica Roden CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only corrections for any misquotes, resentations or factual errors for ticle within the semester it is
accept misrepan arprinted.
February 4, 2016
NEWS
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Letter criticizes LGBTQ , Women’s Centers’ faculty fellow Noble Ingram and Jeremy Middleman Editor-in-Chief and News Editor
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n Jan. 31, the VSA endorsed a letter that marked a week’s worth of campus criticism. Days earlier, Dean of Campus Life and Diversity Ed Pittman announced that the LGBTQ and Women’s Centers would host a faculty fellow after the departure of the Centers’ former director, Judy Jarvis ’07. Pittman named Professor and Chair of the Drama Department Denise Walen as the new face of these community resources until the College finds a new director. Despite the Administration’s optimism, many students reacted to the news with serious concern. The charged response to this announcement stemmed from many students’ assertion that Walen has a problematic record dealing with transgender students. One of the letter’s central tenants is the lack of student consideration in the decision to appoint
Walen. As it reads, “The appointment of Denise A. Walen to the position of Faculty Fellow was done without student input, particularly the input of transgender students. Had such input been sought, those students would have told of the repeated misgendering and disrespect experienced in Professor Walen’s classes.” One student, M McKee ’17, was dismayed by the announcement of Walen’s appointment. Reflecting on the two courses they took with Walen, they wrote in an emailed statement, “I (along with at least two other trans drama majors) was disturbed when I heard Professor Walen had been appointed to this position...Throughout the whole semester, she used the wrong pronouns for me, even when corrected by other students.” McKee’s concerns were not isolated. JD Nichols ’17 wrote and presented the letter to the VSA. At this meeting, the VSA joined several Spec-
Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News
The Women’s and LGBTQ Centers have been without a Director since Judy Jarvis accepted a similar post at Princeton University. Denise Walen acts as Faculty Fellow until a new director is found.
trum-affiliated organization leaders and members in unanimously endorsing the letter and condemning Walen’s affiliation with the LGBTQ and Women’s Center. According to Pittman, administrators supported Walen’s appointment. He wrote in an emailed statement, “Professor Walen was chosen from a list of faculty members who have previous commitments to supporting and advising students and based on trusted feedback.” In conjunction with the Dean of Faculty Office, Walen will keep the position until a new Director is found. The Faculty Fellow is a non-administrative position. As Pittman explained in an emailed statement, the Faculty Fellow is more akin to a House Fellow than an Interim Director as the Fellow helps with programming and support. Nevertheless, critiques of Walen continue to ring out. Nichols was concerned with a message they felt the administration was sending. In response to their concerns they heard mostly a downplaying of Walen’s administrative authority. But as Nichols states, “The problem is administrative details are the least of our worries. It’s the support capacity that we are most worried about.” A leader of an identity-based student organization who wished to remain anonymous agreed with Nichols. They said in an emailed statement, “All LGBTQIA students, but especially trans students, already face exclusion and discrimination in every area of their lives and it’s insulting for the school to bring that exclusion into a space that is supposed to be for them.” McKee’s views echoed these frustrations. They explained an especially excruciating moment during which Walen led a discussion of McKee’s performance as a female character in a play. In their eyes, Walen’s words became invalidating when she emphasized her opinion that the play’s production “boldly put a male body in a dress” despite the fact that McKee had openly explained that they did not identify as male. As McKee recalled, “Her comments struck me as deeply transmisogynistic, and I reached a point where I felt neither respected nor safe in her classroom.” Walen’s only comment for this article was an
emailed statement that read, “I’m looking forward to working with students this semester.” While cognizant of this student backlash, Pittman’s response suggests that the administration will be cautious to embrace radical changes to their decision. As Pittman wrote, “There are certain opportunities for student input, but personnel decisions are made by administrators. When this decision was made we utilized available input and considered the benefits of Professor Walen’s experience as a faculty member and Class Advisor among other factors...I have confidence in Walen’s ability to support all students who see the centers as welcoming and inclusive spaces.” Nichols’ comments questioned this assertion. To them, the issue still spoke to a lack of consideration for a particular group the LGBTQ and Women’s Centers are meant to serve: transgender students. As they said, “Obviously the campus body loves [Jarvis]. I don’t think anybody believes that she would knowingly suggest someone who has disrespected transgender students but the problem is administrators aren’t all-knowing.” They continued, “Some things just won’t have been brought up. Some things can only be relayed by transgender students and when those students are left out of the discussion, stuff like this happens, good people get together and appoint someone who isn’t at all suited for the job.” Pittman notes that although there are certain limits to student involvement in administrative decisions, everyone may voice concern. As he explained, “I have invited students to meet with me and ultimately with Professor Walen to understand any concerns that exist...My hope is that we can create bridges for dialogue and open conversations where students concerns can be heard.” In the meantime, however, the fallout from this controversy has left a cloud of confusion hanging over the LGBTQ and Women’s Centers. As McKee expressed, “I expect empathy and respect for all students from anyone associated with the LGBT or Women’s Centers, let alone their leader. I found neither of those in Denise Walen’s classes, and I don’t expect to find them in what was once a safe place.”
VSA contends with low return rate in executive positions VSA continued from page 1
utives are required to learn how to complete jobs that are not taught in schools. Luckily, they are not without help. Other committee and non-committee members also take on some of the executive tasks, including helping incumbent VP’s transition to the job’s demands via training. Resignations around this time of year are not historically uncommon. Because VP’s are required to manage so many student organizations at Vassar—about 130—there have been resignations almost every year over and after winter break. “These are positions that just have way too much work for one person to be doing,” Abbady explained. Referring to Vice Presidents for Finance and Activities, he continued, “Those two positions are really tough. I’ve been on the Executive Board for two years now and have seen people struggle because there is so much work to do.” Having annual resignations, especially in positions like these which are integral for student orgs to function, is a serious problem for the VSA and student orgs alike. After VSA restructuring, students may notice a decrease in the number of resignations from executive positions. Both Abbady and Pierce are members of the Restructuring Committee, a group of students that have worked this year to revise how the VSA is structured. “The fact we have VPs resigning every year speaks to the issue that we need to reconsider our structure,” Abbady said. Pierce further explained, “The new structure we came up with was designed with the intent of spreading out the workload in a more realistic manner so that no one individual is overwhelmed.” In the meantime, Maguire will assume their responsibilities in the current VSA structure, and they are hopeful that restructuring will create positive changes for the VSA as a whole and for Finance. They commented, “If everything goes the way that the VSA would like to see it go, with a rewritten constitution and a reorganized student government, then Finance won’t look the way it looks this year.” In an interview, Maguire expressed confidence in their ability to fulfill the requirements
Ashley Pecorelli/The Miscellany News
Since the beginning of the new semester, several major positions have opened up in the VSA. Among these newly-opened positions is the VP for Activities. The VP’s for Finance and Activities are both highly involved and have critical roles in running Vassar’s student government system. Both sit on the Executive Board and both are prominent on VSA Council. Abbady assumed these two positions over the past two weeks, as tasked by his occupation as President in such circumstances. As someone who has temporarily worked in these key jobs, he explains why and how these jobs are important for student life at Vassar. “The VP for Finance is in charge of managing our $900,000 budget and runs Finance Committee, which allocates money to organizations that apply,” Abbady said. “Beyond that, it’s doing a lot of administrative work related to organizations and their finances.” The VP for Finance is thus the central figure in deciding and organizing whom the VSA will fund as well as how much will be allocated. Other functions of the VP of Finance include helping student organizations to find alternative financial resources from the college. Still awaiting an appointee is the VP for Activities position. According to Abbady, “The VP for Activities manages the non-financial things of all the organizations and pre-orgs.” While the VP for Finance helps student organizations to acquire funds, the VP for Activities oversees what these same organizations do with that money and how they carry out their events. Many students overlook the fact that these jobs demand a significant amount of time. “Realistically, we are working 25 hours per week, so that means more than half of our time is spent on this,” estimated Vice President for Operations Ruby Pierce ’16. The amount of time required is equivalent to a part-time job and proves challenging for VSA executives, as they must balance the responsibilities of their positions with their academic workloads. These are not light-hearted occupations. The tasks are carried out by these students alone with little administrative support, VSA exec-
This past Sunday, the VSA appointed Kaden Maguire ’16 to the position of VP for Finance. The VSA has consistently encountered openings in their executive board following winter break in recent years. of the position. They have experience with the VSA, having sat on the VSA as a representative for Ferry House and participated as a member of the Finance Committee last year. They said, “Having been in the position of applying for funds from the finance committee and also sitting on the finance committee and watching and participating in the process of allocating funds to all of the funds has helped me understand the relationship between the finance committee and the general student body who participate in orgs.” Maguire recognized that they face a challenge ahead. They said, “At this point in the year, I’m stepping into a full-year position halfway into the year, and I”m also stepping in at a time when the VSA is doing restructuring. If everything goes the way that the VSA wants it go, then Finance won’t look like it does this year and like it has for a number of years.” As such, Maguire feels it more important to adjust to the
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
current responsibilities of their position than to start new projects. Other members of VSA Council are also elated by Maguire stepping into the role. Noyes House President Ashley Hoyle ’18 stated, “We are very excited about Kaden filling the position. They are definitely a really qualified candidate and we are really excited to have their contribution in the spring semester.” Maguire has shown great interest in providing Finance Committee as a resource for funding the student body and helping students to find resources. “Hopefully I will be able to help treasurers out in understanding the process in a compassionate way and making sure I can make it accessible for them,” they said. The new Vice President will be announced on Feb. 7 at the next VSA Council meeting. Further information from Restructuring Committee and their final proposal will be made available in coming weeks.
NEWS
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Outside the Bubble
—Ethan Baratz, Guest Reporter Oregon Militants Arrested in Shoot-out On Jan. 26, police arrested five members of the Oregon Militants including a leader of their armed occupation Ammon Bundy en route to John Day, Ore. One militant was also fatally wounded during the arrests. On the same day, two militants faced arrest in Burns, Ore., and another militant submitted to law enforcement in Arizona. The FBI and Oregon State Police wanted the group for allegedly taking up armed occupation of federal property for 26 days, releasing cattle to illegally graze on refuge territory and dismantling fences and security cameras in Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. FBI Special Agent Katherine Armstrong submitted a criminal complaint and affidavit charging each of the eight defendants with conspiracy to block the work of federal officers, citing the group’s distributed media such as videos and Facebook (Oregon Public Broadcasting, “Militants Appear In Federal Court, Bundy Calls for End to Standoff,” 01.27.16). The militants’ occupation stemmed from their anger with federal policies restricting the usage of government-owned land. Bundy justified the group’s actions as an act of civil disobedience for the sake of defending common access to nature’s bounty (CNN, “Malheur refuge occupation arrests: What happened and what happens next?” 01.27.16). An aerial video of the scene shows their two vehicles stopped on a highway blocked by police SUVs. After a several-minute stand-off, the lead vehicle sped past the initial traffic stop. Law enforcement, however, was stationed before and behind the breakaway vehicle on the single road. The breakaway vehicle veered left to avoid a roadblock setup by several pickup trucks, but was mired in the snow flanking the highway. The driver of one vehicle exited and police fired shots when Finicum reached for the concealed handgun in his waistband. Law enforcement proceeded to subdue remaining occupants of the vehicle with flashbombs to daze the militants (ABC News, “FBI Shows Video of Tuesday Shooting of Occupier,” 01.28.16). The arrests left four militants in the Malheur reserve. Within 24 hours, Bundy relayed to remaining militants, “Go home and hug your families. This fight is ours for now in the courts” (BBC, “Oregon leader Bundy tells remaining protestors to go home,” 01.28.16). —Clark Xu, Guest Reporter
Sexual assault survey reveals Vassar trends Eilis Donohue and Hannah Mittman
Assistant News Editor and Guest Reporter
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n January of 2014, the White House published a memorandum introducing the Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. According to a statement on the Task Force’s website, “The prevalence of rape and sexual assault at our Nation’s institutions of higher education is both deeply troubling and a call to action.” This year, Vassar answered that call. On Jan. 26, President Catharine Hill announced in an emailed statement to the Vassar community that a collaboration of administrators and students had completed analyzing the results of the What Happens Here survey, an assessment of sexual assault on campus, which took 18 months to compile and analyze. In her email she wrote, “Last spring Vassar students were given the opportunity to participate in a survey focused on Title IX issues, specifically sexual assault and sexual misconduct on campus. I am very grateful that so many of our students were willing to share their experiences and perspectives.” The Survey Oversight Group, responsible for developing the survey in conjunction with peer colleges, was composed of Director of Institutional Research and Assessment David Davis-Van Atta, Director of Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action/Title IX Coordinator Rachel Pereira, Assistant Director of Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action/Title IX Investigator Kelly Grab, Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention (SAVP) Coordinator Charlotte Strauss-Swanson and former VP for Student Life Hannah Matsunaga ’16. In addition to the 1,171 students who responded, many administrators and faculty were eager to participate in the project. “It appears we have synergy. [We] have an administration that wants to take the lead on this, but we also obviously have the student body that was ready to fill out the survey,” commented Strauss-Swanson. The group developed the survey in collaboration with a set of regional peer colleges, each of whom was free to add questions as they saw fit. Commenting on the process, Pereira noted, “We are obligated starting July 2016. [W]hen I interviewed for this position, I was actually very excited to join a campus that had really seemed to take the initiative on this well in advance of this becoming a legal requirement. So to me that says that there really is a true investment in wanting to be a positive difference well in advance of legislative signing edicts.” Davis-Van Atta, along with the rest of the Survey Oversight Group presented the results of the survey to the campus on Feb. 1, with an additional presentation scheduled for Feb. 4. The respondents included 731 cis-women, 380 cis-men and 48 non-cis-identified individuals. Compared to other colleges that also administered the survey last spring, Vassar had one of the highest percentages of responses. Strauss-Swanson noted in an emailed statement, “In many ways the survey results confirmed what many have already suspected, but I am excited that we now have both quantitative and qualitative data regarding how sexual violence manifests on our campus. I’m also excited that we have more information, specifically from student narratives on the survey, to guide how we will continue to address this problem in our community.” The biggest problem with the outcome of the survey, explained Davis-Van Atta, was the low rate of non-cis-identifying respondents, which rendered the data statistically unreliable and more difficult to accurately analyze. Students at Monday’s presentation showed concern for the underrepresentation of non-cis students. Pereira responded, “That is certainly a concern of ours as well, and we do plan to have targeted efforts to look at the underrepresented groups that we saw in the survey, to figure out how we can get all students to really feel comfortable talking about this issue. No one thinks that just because they didn’t respond that nothing is going on.” Davis-Van Atta agreed, “That’s one of the disappointing outcomes, that the non-cis identifying populations in the survey were so low. It’s hard for us to know what we wanted to learn from this. The intent is to do this [again] in spring of 2017; every other year, perhaps, if New York and the federal government will let us keep doing our own.”
Jeremy Middleman/The Miscellany News
O’Malley Suspends Presidential Campaign Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley ended his Democratic presidential campaign midway through vote-counting in the Iowa caucuses. O’Malley’s decision on Monday, Feb. 1 marks an end to his eight-month long campaign that ultimately failed to gain traction against rival Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. “I want to thank everyone who came out to our events and lent me their ear and everyone who went out to caucus for me tonight,” O’Malley said in a farewell speech to his supporters in Des Moines, Iowa. “When I got into this 8 months ago, I had no doubt that it would be anything but a tough fight. And it is a tough fight. But I have always been drawn to a tough fight, no matter how insurmountable it may be” (ABC, “Martin O’Malley Suspends Presidential Campaign,” 02.01.16). As a former two-term governor and mayor of Baltimore, O’Malley sought to portray himself throughout his campaign as an experienced and capable executive that was successful in pushing through key parts of the Democratic agenda in Maryland, including gun control, support for gay marriage and an increase in the minimum wage (New York Post, “Martin O’Malley drops out of Democratic race for president,” 02.01.16). However, despite these efforts, the ex-governor struggled to raise money throughout his campaign, and ultimately failed to garner double-digit support from national polls – a trend that highlighted at the Iowa caucuses, where O’Malley registered support from a meager 0.6% of caucus-goers in comparison to Sanders’s 49.6% and Clinton’s 49.9% (Forbes, “The Iowa Caucus: Live Results,” 02.01.16). “It was a tough campaign,” O’Malley said. “We fought very, very hard in order to give the people a choice, and the people made their choice tonight” (CNN, “Martin O’Malley, Mike Huckabee end presidential campaign,” 02.01.16). Despite his resignation, O’Malley’s campaign team reflected positively on O’Malley’s presidential run, as well as the ex-governor’s role in the nominations. “He ran an energetic and honorable campaign – leading the field with the most bold progressive policy proposals,” said one campaign source. “He successfully pushed the other candidates on gun safety, immigration, and climate policy in ways few others could” (ABC).
February 4, 2016
On Sunday’s VSA Council Meeting, Director of Institutional Research, David Davis-Van Atta gave a presentation of the key points in the findings from the survey “What Happens Here”. Considering the small number of non-cis respondents, the data provided an even smaller sample size of non-cis participants who indicated on the survey that they have experienced sexual assault at Vassar. Non-cis data results were thus not included in the Personal Details of Incident Report. The report demonstrated that the majority of cis-women and cis-men who have been sexually assaulted accused fellow Vassar students. About 90 percent of cis-women reported that the accused were cis-men, while a more equal distribution of cis-men and cis-women were accused by cis-men 50 percent and 42 percent, respectively. The numbers for cis-men and cis-women accused by cis-men changed to 46 percent and 42 percent, respectively, depending on if the incident was penetrative or non-penetrative. Only about 10 percent of cis-women and about six percent of cis-men reported that they filed an official report with Vassar’s administration about the incidents they have experienced, which is on par with the national average. Seven to 10 percent of alleged incidents for U.S. college campuses are reported. No Vassar participants reported their incidents to local law enforcement. “The fact that students are choosing not to report any of these incidents to the police is concerning. I understand the fears and realities behind that choice and I believe completely that the [survivor] should have the option to report or not report to the police,” recognized Director of Safety and Security Arlene Sabo in an emailed statement. “However, at times taking steps which preserve evidence can assist prosecution efforts if a [survivor] finds they have progressed in the healing process and would like to see criminal charges filed at a later date.” Pereira later agreed, “It is my hope that the Vassar community will become more comfortable with filing reports with the Title IX office if they need. I hope that the community recognizes that we truly serve as an unbiased office that seeks to remedy injustice while ensuring the rights of both parties.” Assaulted students recorded a variety of reasons for not reporting the incidents, ranging from “Not clear that harm was intended” and “Did not think the accused would be found guilty” to “Wanted to forget it happened” and “Felt partly at fault.” The most common response for both cis-women and cis-men in non-penetrative incidents was, “Not serious enough to share.” The survey results may be particularly difficult to read for groups that try to prevent sexual assault. A CARES listener said in an emailed statement, “The findings of the survey are upsetting, and the administration needs to work considerably in supporting, believing in, and ensuring the safety and well-being of students. As a group that advocates for students affected by interpersonal violation... one positive aspect we learned was that, through the survey, many students were comfortable with expressing their personal experiences for the first time.” Additionally, the data collected shows an overall decrease in the annual reported or
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
experienced non-consensual penetrative or non-penetrative incidents for cis-women between freshman and senior year. “We know that a very high-risk time for students is during their first years, specifically their first semester, so we really focus a lot on our programming during orientation. We focus on online programs, an in-person event performance and then peer-to-peer workshops for all first-year students. Then we really like to focus on continuing education, so we really made it a priority to make sure that students in their four years at Vassar are continuing to receive workshops and trainings in addition to what they received during orientation,” said Strauss-Swanson. In fall of 2015 SAVP conducted Bystander Intervention Student Trainings for many Vassar students, including student athletes, House Team members and students registered to host prospective students. Other prevention programming this semester included awareness raising events and social media campaigning. These efforts are scheduled to continue this semester with the addition of focusing specific attention on the LGBTQ community at Vassar and initiatives to engage men in conversations about these issues. All involved with the survey project agreed that the most crucial outcome is the spread of both helpful and sobering information. Davis-Van Atta wrote, “Decisions made in the absence of good information can be dangerous.” He continued, “Prior to this survey, the campus community had little or no such comprehensive, reliable, all-campus data. Missing this information makes for a general environment in which good informed discussion, as well as effective preventative campus information, programming, and resource development, is difficult.” Strauss-Swanson agreed, “I think it is incredibly important to be 100% transparent about the results of this survey, to acknowledge ‘what happens here’ so that we can move forward towards improved prevention programming and services for our campus community.” “Some [responses] were disturbing, disappointing to discover, very poignant, not forgettable,” acknowledged Davis-Van Atta. “The information [the participants] provided, some of it surely not having been easy to recall or describe, I think must have been given in the hope that it would be informative...and in the hope of making a better campus environment for all, and a better college generally.” Grab added, “[D]oing the survey and analyzing the results is really just the beginning.” The members of the Survey Oversight Group urge students to continue speaking out about sexual assault and violence incidents on campus, and to take advantage of the resources available in SAVP and SART. Grab affirmed in her email, “All of our students have a right not just simply be here, but to thrive here. And when something happens that inhibits someone’s ability to thrive, the College must address it.” President Hill reaffirmed the College’s commitment to combating sexual violence, concluding, “No level of sexual violence is acceptable at Vassar, and we must do everything in our power to eradicate it.”
February 4, 2016
OPINIONS
Page 5
The Miscellany News Staff Editorial
College must heed student voices on community projects The day before classes resumed, Dean of the College Chris Roellke addressed recent changes to campus dining facilities in a school-wide email. It was one of the first times the changes were explained to the entire student body. Among the changes announced was the relocation of the Kiosk to the Bridge Building. UpC would become The Kiosk Late Night. We at The Miscellany News believe that, regardless of the pros and cons of the changes, the administration failed to adequately involve students in the decision-making process. We recognize that there is a need for more dining options at Vassar, especially those students can explore late at night, when the availability of food on campus quickly becomes very limited. Moving UpC to a more centralilzed location on campus and extending its hours could be an important step in improving late-night options for the community. These changes are refreshing and could turn out to be largely beneficial. Nevertheless, the Administration largely failed to effectively communicate them to students. And in some cases, they acted in direct opposition to students’ wishes. We at The Miscellany News believe that there are easy ways administrators can engage students in decision-making processes that would serve only to benefit the community as a whole, in addition to fostering a more ongoing discussion concerning community projects and goals. The changes that students had requested from the previous semester were for more late-night dining options, and more student spaces. The Administration’s actions does match those requests, an effort that ought to be recognized. Students can now go to the Kiosk every night from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and use meal swipes, dining bucks, v-cash or other
money to purchase snacks and beverages. This shift in hours will better serve those who are awake past the Retreat’s 11 p.m. closetime, one of the location’s more frequently mentioned shortcomings. The new dining options certainly have positives and negatives. One potential issue is the accessibility of the locations. The Bridge Cafe, located in the new science building offers coffee and other dining options that are more expanisve than the food options formerly offered by the Kiosk. The Bridge location is not as central physically to campus as the Kiosk was in its time. Also, the Kiosk late-night location is even farther from the dorms than the UpC Cafe had been. A new common space has been introduced to Main in the location of the old bookstore. As of now it is unclear whether or not students will actually remain interested in using the space, but it nonetheless represents how the Administration sought to meet student needs. However, the more important issue that we at The Miscellany News have with the changes relates not specifically the changes themselves, but rather the way the Administration has arrived at them. The way that the Administration sought student input on these changes was through presence in VSA town hall meetings, which were open to the whole student body. However, these styles of meeting are poorly attended and not at all well-advertised. Additionally, although concerns were voiced by students who did attend this meeting regarding the changes to campus dining locations, they did not lead to any concrete changes about the plans to alter dining options on campus. For the average student, a panel at an open VSA meeting can be hard to commit to because of busy schedules and schoolwork.
Vassar College should be looking for optimal ways to get students’ opinions, other than vague emails and meeting times that are hard for students to attend. The best form of communication is one that is convenient and accessible to students and administrators alike. We at The Miscellany News believe that online surveys could be a good solution to help students engage with administration and reach solutions that both parties both agree to and are aware of. The College has used surveys to successfully gauge students’ opinions on a wide variety of issues in the recent past. In April of last year, 1,171 out of 2,542 students responded to a Campus Climate survey regarding sexual assault and misconduct. Recently, 96 percent of sophomores asked responded to an emailed CDO survey about the Sophomore Career Connections program. These results show that the administration is capable of organizing a campus-wide survey and that students are willing to participate, especially if they are personally invested in the topic of the survey. The College even has an office dedicated to institutional research. Yet somehow, administrators appear to be missing a crucial yet simple means of communicating with the student body. Gathering this kind of empirical data engages a higher percentage of the student body than its alternatives (meetings, forums), and holds the Administration accountable to its students. The decision to relocate the Kiosk from Main to the Bridge Building was largely opposed by students in the VSA and on the Food Committee. Without concrete numbers that a survey can present, however, students have little opportunity to hold administrators accountable to their expressed interests. It is much harder to thwart a consensus when there is an irrefutable majority. Empirical surveys
could bolster this majority. Administrators need to foster an ongoing dialogue with students before making decisions that affect their daily life on campus. If students had a solid majority on an issue, they could have much more leverage in the decision-making process. Part of this dialogue should include some aggregate data on student opinion. When administrators appear at VSA meetings with proposals, they face little scrutiny from the greater student body. Gathering students’ opinions en masse can be useful in negotiations with administrators and can also engage the great numbers of students who are less connected to VSA-related happenings on campus. However, the ultimate success of these kinds of surveys hinges on meaningful student participation. The student body must be ready and enthusiastic to communicate with administrators about changes on campus, rather than simply complain about them after the fact. Students should take personal responsibility regarding their feelings about their surroundings and their community, but they must also have an effective feedback system in which to share these opinions with the College and its decision-makers. Although some students might miss grabbing coffee on their way through Main, many others will head just a little out of their way to the Bridge Building for their caffeinefix. But well after this adjustment takes place, we at The Miscellany News encourage students and administrators alike to communicate more democratically on issues that affect student life, and to work together to improve our shared quality of life at Vassar. —The staff editorial represents at least 2/3 opinions of the editorial board of the Miscellany News.
Accessibility of tampons, pads essential to basic health Emma Jones
Guest Columnist
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ote: This article refers to people who menstruate as women in order to emphasize the gender bias in healthcare and public policies. I recognize, however, that not all women menstruate, and that not all individuals who menstruate are women. At any given moment, there are about 334 million women in the world on their period; presented with the choice, however, it is highly likely that the vast majority of these women would opt out of the “luxury” of spotting, cramps and constant bleeding. Despite the inconvenience and discomfort of menstruation, all but five states–Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Jersey–consider feminine hygiene products a “luxury,” and tax them as such. The United States is not alone, however. Almost every country, with the exception of Canada, taxes menstrual products. The mere mention of subsidies for sanitary products, like the idea of insurance coverage for contraceptives, is often met with outrage. Washington Examiner contributor Jessica Valenti writes, “That, along with cries for free birth control or free whatever just because we’re women stops looking like equality and more like a new class of privilege.” Subsidized birth control and sanitary products, however, would not create a “new class of privilege,” but simply level the playing field. Women would not be paying less than men for health insurance; they merely would not be paying extra for being born female. However, while some health insurance providers do cover various forms of birth control, which are crucial for both male and female health, menstrual products, which are just as important to female health as contraceptives, are almost never considered essentials. Healthcare is, in theory, intended to cover all major aspects of an individual’s health, and the lack of regard for menstrual hygiene poses risks for all women, but particularly those with low incomes. Vassar’s readily available supply of free con-
doms is a huge step in terms of both physical well-being and the de-stigmatization of the subject of sexual health. But tampons are just as essential to women’s health, and should be equally accessible. On a campus as open and diverse as Vassar’s, menstruation ought to be discussed with the same ease and knowledgeability as sexuality. Although the plan is not yet in motion, the Vassar Student Association (VSA) is currently working toward the availability of free tampons and pads for students. VSA has expressed that it is difficult to find a company that fits the school’s needs, since the distribution of free sanitary products to an entire student body is rare. The issuing of tampons and pads will most likely be similar in nature to CHOICE. Eventually, with any luck, sanitary products will be as freely available as contraceptives. In the meantime, VSA is looking into the installation of vending machines dispensing essential supplies, including menstrual hygiene products, in all of the dorms on campus. Such a thing currently only exists in Main, as of the fall of 2015. While Vassar’s students, faculty and administration continuously work to ensure that individuals of all genders have the same opportunities, both in the classroom and outside of it, the topic of menstruation remains all but unbreached outside of VSA. The stigma surrounding menstruation in general, as well as the inaccessibility of sanitary products to trans individuals, is rarely addressed. Although Vassar strives to provide a safe space for students of all genders, our school, like every other, is far from perfect. It is a given that any public space or private business provides toilet paper and soap in their restrooms. When it comes to menstrual products, however, which are just as important to basic hygiene, free access is extremely uncommon. Although free sanitary products are almost unheard of in American colleges and universities, some public school districts have begun to look into the possibility of distributing tampons
and pads. New York Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras is currently drafting legislation that would provide free feminine hygiene products to all middle schools and high schools across New York City. Ferreras recently explained in an interview with Fusion, an online news source, that the legislation is about “bringing dignity to young girls.” She argues that, although “having a period has so much taboo attached to it, menstruating simply means that a person is “a wonderful, healthy woman.” Like many others who have made the case for subsidized sanitary products, Ferreras was confronted with an onslaught of backlash from conservative readers and New Yorkers. She reports receiving emails equating the distribution of free tampons to schoolgirls to handing out free cars. Ferreras replies to these charged remarks by pointing out that sanitary products, unlike cars, are not luxury items, and that we therefore should not limit public access to them. Providing these products in public bathrooms would also benefit women living off little or no income. Although this solution would not entirely solve the issue of unsubsidized sanitary products, it would at least reduce the cost and urgency of purchasing tampons and pads. Some public spaces and private businesses already supply these products, However, many such places charge 10–25 cents per product. This may seem inconsequential to most; to those without a consistent stream of income, however, small fees such as these begin to add up. Particularly in developing nations, the extra expense of sanitary products can affect not only women’s health, but their education and income as well. Many girls in developing countries, unable to afford menstrual products, are forced to miss a week of school every month. Similarly, working women risk missing a week’s worth of pay. While these women are punished for menstruating, they are simultaneously expected to produce healthy children, a contradiction that most governments gladly overlook.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
In Bangladesh, 73 percent of female factory workers miss approximately six days per month due to infections caused by the use of unclean rags instead of tampons or pads. This means that their pay is continuously limited, thus prolonging the cycle of poverty and health issues. Even in the developing world, access to menstrual hygiene products can be prohibitively expensive. Over 40 million women in the United States alone are living in poverty, and the cost of sanitary products can be hugely detrimental. Some women resort to selling their food stamps in order to pay for tampons and pads. The choice between nutrition and menstrual hygiene is a decision that no one should be forced to make. On average, a woman uses 11,000 tampons in her lifetime, costing her upwards of $70 a year. In particular for women with little to no income, this is a staggering price to pay for simply having a uterus. Greater accessibility of sanitary products would improve women’s health not only one week each month, but every day of the year as well. When living in fear of running out of menstrual care products, women are forced to use the same products for unhealthy periods of time, which puts them at risk for complications such as toxic shock syndrome and blood poisoning, which can permanently damage women’s lives. Menstrual hygiene is as essential to female health as contraception. The ability to move about freely in public spaces every day of the month should be a right, not a luxury. Menstrual care is health care, although it is rarely treated as such. The stigmatization of menstruation only serves to perpetuate our culture’s discomfort with the female body. Gloria Steinem once stated that if men could menstruate, they “would brag about how long and how much.” The “beginning of manhood” would be marked by “gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners and stag parties.” I’m sure most of us, however, would be willing to settle for some free tampons. —Emma Jones ‘19 is a columnist.
OPINIONS
Page 6
February 4, 2016
Media conjures false image of moderate Kasich campaign Nick Barone Columnist
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n Jan. 30, 2016, The New York Times “endorsed” (I use this term lightly) Governor John Kasich for the GOP presidential nomination. Though conceding that “Mr. Kasich is no moderate...he’s gone after public sector unions, fought to limit abortion rights and opposed same-sex marriage,” the Times nonetheless praised Kasich as a level-headed candidate whose positive and hopeful rhetoric stands in contrast to the many of the more inflammatory statements made by rivals Senator Ted Cruz and Donald Trump (The New York Times, “A Chance to Reset the Republican Race,” 01.30.2016). However, the paper grossly understated some of Kasich’s more unsavory policies while serving as governor of Ohio and ignored some of his extreme policy proposals during his presidential campaign. The omission of proper insight into Kasich’s career and his actual political agenda disregards the unpleasant reality that Kasich’s perceived moderation is, as Ohio Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni states, “just prettier packaging for the same right-wing agenda of the GOP presidential candidates” (The Washington Post, “Myth of the ‘moderate’ John Kasich,” 08.18.2015). The Times correctly cited John Kasich as both an experienced politician (once again, juxtaposed with the likes of Cruz, Trump and Carly Fiorina) and as one of the more centrist candidates running for the GOP nomination. In this election cycle, that’s not saying much. Nonetheless, Kasich’s compromises have included the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio and speaking out in favor of a path to citizenship for undocumented migrants. Lauding these compromises needs to come with a giant asterisk. Hailing Kasich as the best GOP nominee needs to come with a giant asterisk, too. As Senator Schiavoni described in his Washington Post column, Kasich spearheaded Ohio’s refusal to establish health insurance exchanges. The exchanges functioned as Internet-based markets where citizens could shop for insur-
ance subsidized by the federal government and served as one of Obamacare’s most significant provisions. In 2013, The New York Times discussed Ohio’s troubled relationship with Roe vs. Wade and Kasich’s stringent anti-abortion campaign, commenting that “Ohio has become a laboratory for what anti-abortion leaders call the incremental strategy—passing a web of rules designed to push the hazy boundaries of Supreme Court guidelines...Many of the rules, critics say, are designed to discourage women from getting abortions or to hamper clinic operations” (The New York Times, “With New Abortion Restrictions, Ohio Walks a Narrow Legal Line,” 10.09.2013). Kasich referred to these borderline-illegal restrictions as “reasonable.” Meanwhile, his administration significantly increased the pace at which these regulations were passed. His problematic relationship with Obamacare and women’s reproductive rights complicates the position of moderates who praise Kasich’s Medicaid expansion. A woman’s right to quality healthcare must encompass proper access to reproductive services as well, something that Kasich has not only opposed, but profoundly weakened in his state. As Schiavoni points out, Kasich’s curtailing of women’s health rights (which included cutting Medicare benefits for pregnant women and those with breast and cervical cancer making between $16,000 and $23,000 a year) is set against the tragic reality of Ohio’s extremely high infant mortality rate (The Washington Post, “Myth of the ‘moderate’ John Kasich,” 08.18.2015). Kasich’s policies not only contradict the narrative of his moderation, but also negatively impact the health of Ohio women and children. In the era of legislation as monumental as Obamacare, such attitudes towards healthcare should by no means be considered “moderate.” His legislative history speaks more than his words, emphasizing the reality that he is much more similar to his GOP counterparts than many pundits and media outlets are willing to admit. His demeanor and deliberately (and fallaciously) constructed rhetoric have fed the illusions of
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his moderation. He chooses his words carefully, ensures that he comes off as not too inflammatory and has emphasized the importance of government in bettering the lives of the sick and the poor. His service as governor contradicts such notions. Schiavoni further describes Kasich’s cutting of $1.8 billion of funding to public schools, which crippled dozens of schools with deficits. This occurred while “steering hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into a scandal-ridden charter school system, which has seen failing grades and has been called ‘the most troubled in the country’—a move pushed by charter-school operators who made the maximum legal contribution to Kasich’s political campaign along with his wife.” In a nation where financial crises involving higher education are currently plaguing students, Kasich’s record on education is not reflective of the type of candidate needed to properly address education at the federal level. On the campaign trail, Kasich’s policy proposals have ranged from sensible to downright absurd, the latter seemingly not affecting his image. In November 2015, Politico reported that Kasich spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, saying that the United States “must be more forceful in the battle of ideas.” He thereafter proposed a federal agency that would “promote the core, Judeo-Christian Western values that we and our friends and allies share: the values of human rights, the values of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association” (Politico, “Kasich calls for new federal agency to promote Judeo-Christian values,” 11.17.2015). The logistics of creating the agency were unelaborated, and Kasich has not addressed the proposal in full since the speech. This proposal went by relatively unscathed by the media. When asked about the atheists, Muslims and various other religious groups that constitute our country, Kasich gave a weak, unfocused response that barely answered the question. (He still did not address Eastern religious traditions,
atheists, agnostics, areligious people and others). Such a ridiculous proposition that undermines the inherent religious (or areligious) plurality of the country should have been torn apart by the media, pundits and other presidential candidates. The statement by its very nature excludes groups and individuals whose traditions and beliefs don’t fall under the arbitrary category of “Christian-Judaeo values” that Kasich vaguely outlined, while also failing to uphold the separation between religious dogma and political institutions as promised by the First Amendment. It’s nonsense. It undermines basic Constitutional principles. However, in the context of the offensive and astronomically outlandish statements made by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, the creation of such an agency doesn’t seem so ridiculous. Nonetheless, advocating for the creation of an agency to spread religiously established principles in the United States is incongruent with moderation. Once again, a giant asterisk. John Kasich is not the candidate he—and the media—wants you to think he is. In comparison with the other inexperienced extremists masquerading as legitimate candidates, he is the best shot that centrist Republicans have at instilling balance and sensibility into the GOP right now. However, it would be naive and intellectually dishonest to ignore Kasich’s political history and statements, which have been largely overlooked due to the fanatical ravings of the other candidates. The Ohio governor has proven to be a decently effective compromiser in terms of reaching across the aisle and making ideological sacrifices for the good of the state and his constituents. However, his pushes to erode women’s rights, his outlandish Judeo-Christian Values Agency proposal, his support for a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and his ineffective education policies must be noted at the forefront of public discourse about his campaign. —Nick Barone ’19 is a columnist.
#OscarsSoWhite overlooks underlying diversity issues Jesse Horowitz Columnist
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understand the outrage towards the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Hollywood’s record on diversity in film and television is seriously lacking. Producers segregate motion pictures by race, people of color face difficulty getting work and there continues to be a wage gap in the industry. Hollywood cares more about appearing progressive than increasing diversity. There is more than legitimate reason to be upset. However, none of these things are the fault of the Academy, which has faced significant backlash from both the public and the film industry after failing to nominate any non-white actors for the second year in a row. In particular, people were upset about the snubbing of “Creed” and “Straight Outta Compton” for Best Picture and Acting, “Beasts of No Nation” for Best Supporting Actor and “Concussion” for Best Actor. It’s not that I think that the lack of people of color nominated for an Oscar is okay. It isn’t. However, I don’t feel like it’s the Academy’s fault. The hashtag, as well as the proceeding boycott, appears to be far more concerned with the symptom than the cause. The Academy Awards are not racist; at least, no more so than Hollywood in general. And Hollywood is no more racist than the American public. When people accuse the film industry of racism or sexism or homophobia, it serves as a means by which we seek to absolve society. I pose that Hollywood doesn’t value diversity because the average moviegoer doesn’t value diversity. Hollywood pictures that stereotype homosexuals and people of color exist because the average moviegoer will reward those stereotypes with box office success. The reason so many African-American actors report being told that they should try playing their character more black is because there are actually people who’ll legitimately be confused by an African American who’s not a stereotype. And what’s particularly baffling is those who
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
could do the most to rectify this situation are neglecting to do so. How is it that Spike Lee and Will Smith can spend an entire year not fighting for more people of color in film, even though they are in positions where they can make a difference? I particularly question the actions of Will Smith, who was snubbed for Best Actor. He has said publicly that he would still have considered boycotting even if he received a nomination. While he might believe that is true, I doubt that this would even have been an issue were he nominated. I suspect that people’s standards for diversity are not particularly high. Some would be upset, but it likely wouldn’t have enjoyed mainstream support. All this outrage has done is embarrass the Academy, which would be effective if they were to blame, but they’re not. The truth is that the Academy could be completely comprised of people of color and it wouldn’t change anything. Until there is diversity within Hollywood, until the American people begin to value diversity, until society makes the changes necessary to promote racial harmony, nothing will change. The #OscarsSoWhite attitude towards diversity in Hollywood can do serious harm to the cause. What would happen if the Oscars changed to such an extent that African Americans were equally represented at the Academy Awards? Would that change the industry? Would it create more opportunities for people of color in Hollywood? Or would it set a dangerous precedent that the Academy Awards ought to be a litmus test for diversity in Hollywood, in which Hollywood can continue not casting African-American actors as long as a few get nominated for Oscars each year? What happens when people only blame the Academy rather than the film industry and, most importantly, at ourselves for allowing such a system to exist? We need to stop blaming the Academy for this situation. Award ceremonies are not a fair measurement of racial progress. —Jesse Horowitz ’19 is a columnist.
February 4, 2016
OPINIONS
GMO paranoia overshadows evidence Zander Bashaw
Humor and Satire Editor
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f you Google “Genetically Modified Organisms” (GMOs), the first thing you notice is an image of a tomato being pierced by three syringes. This seems to promote a fear of tampering with crops, and encourage us to distrust the food industry. The anti-GMO rhetoric doesn’t stop there. In 2015, the FDA approved the AquaAdvantage salmon, genetically designed by AquaBounty to grow faster than farm-raised Atlantic salmon so that it can reach customers more quickly. This is the first genetically-modified animal to be approved for consumption, and even though it has yet to hit the shelves, the criticism has been as bold as the tomato image. Anti-GMO sympathizers have christened the salmon “Frankenfish,” along with vague suppositions of its adverse affects on human health and the environment. For as long as science has existed, people have been wary of how far our knowledge and technology can take us. In my senior year of high school, we read multiple novels that were great literary tools, but also carried deep undertones of mistrusting science. We delved into the iconic Mary Shelley novel “Frankenstein” that is the forerunner of the entire “Mad Scientist” archetype, and also investigated its modern cousin “Oryx and Crake,” where Margaret Atwood destroys the world with Crake’s transgenic supervirus. Deep skepticism of the morality or unintended consequences of scientific advancements are universal to our culture, but I believe that we can’t rely on shouts of “Frankenfish” to dismiss GMOs. I do think it is extremely important to criticize and understand the deep relation between morality and scientific advancement; however, it needs to be done with a complete and thorough knowledge of the science itself. In November 2015, 17 European countries—including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland—announced bans on the cultivation of genetically-modified organisms. Many criticized the EU for turning
their backs on science with this ban. In response, the leader of the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon, conceded that nobody had consulted the first minister’s science adviser because the solution “wasn’t based on scientific evidence.” Rather, Scotland had made the decision in order to keep a green and wholesome reputation of the country. Banning an entire new enterprise in genetics without even consulting a scientist is indicative of the moral paranoia that surrounds GMOs. But are there any valid scientific criticisms of GMOs that could warrant these types of attitudes? In 2013, when a bill to ban genetically modified crops on the island of Hawaii was proposed, proponents of the ban referenced heightened allergies, “superweeds” and a study that showed that rats that ate genetically modified corn developed more tumors and died sooner than the controls. It turns out that at least two of those claims are pseudoscientific. “Superweeds” actually cannot be created from cross-pollination from the genetically modified crops, because differing species cannot hybridize in this way. The “superweeds” referenced can only come to being when weeds develop resistance to multiple pesticides, pesticides whose use many GMOs prevent through genetic resistance to pests. The allergies argument is simply the case of implying causality from correlation: Though allergies are on the rise in children, there is no evidence that this is caused by GMOs. In fact, GMO crops that contain genes from other crops in them are tested to ensure that the encoded extragenetic protein will not cause allergic reactions. As for the rats with the tumors, the study has been almost universally dismissed by the scientific community, due to the small sample size and the predisposition of this kind of rats to tumors. Despite the shaky scientific evidence behind it, the cry for universal bans of GMOs still rings out. Fascinatingly, scientists and lawmakers alike have actually found that the greatest demographic of anti-GMO activists are politically left-leaning. “Just as many on the political right discount
the broad scientific consensus that human activities contribute to global warming, many progressive advocacy groups disregard, reject or ignore the decades of scientific studies demonstrating the safety and wide-reaching benefits,” wrote Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of California Pamela Ronald. Some of the anti-GMO supporters stem their criticism from distrust of large agricultural companies that make the seeds. Regardless of the political identity of GMO critics, a blanket ban on these useful technologies would jeopardize the results of important research and endanger the livelihoods of many. I don’t believe that we can trust GMOs unconditionally, but they have provided extremely valuable solutions to the global food and health problems. Genetically-modified rice in Southeast Asia that contains genes from corn and bacteria can provide vitamin A, which is an extremely common deficiency among people for whom rice is a staple. In the case of Hawaii, papaya farmers had been using a genetically modified papaya that included part of the genome of the Ringspot virus to give the plant immunity to said virus. Instead of spraying cabbages in upstate New York with copious amounts of pesticides to protect them from the invasive Diamondback moths, researchers are working on developing a population of moths equipped with DNA that will kill larvae progeny and thus reduce the pest population. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains, “Different GM organisms include different genes inserted in different ways. This means that individual GM foods and their safety should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and that it is not possible to make general statements on the safety of all GM foods.” I believe that a scientifically grounded, case-by-case investigation of the potential benefits and drawbacks of GMOs is the best approach to solving global food issues.
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or someone used to seeing a campus take years to evolve, it’s kind of shocking to return from a six-week break and see a significantly different College Center. As I perused around the new computer store, late night eatery and to-benamed student space (do your part and vote for “The Old Bookstore,” by the way), it’s impressive to see what a few weeks of good elbow grease and money can do to a space more or less untouched since the 1970s. The need for more student meeting and workspaces in the College Center has been known for years, and bringing UpC and its facilities to a more central location is beneficial for students, unless you spend your evenings in Noyes or Cushing. All of this is good and on the right track to renovating the College Center, but it does fail to do some common sense improvements that I’m surprised Vassar has yet to address. I am aware that this is just the beginning for a multi-year project to reimagine the entire College Center, including potential structural changes to the central and rear areas of the building. Last spring Interboro Partners was brought in to collect input and present a new vision for the College Center, which included improving space and access to the Retreat, moving the mailroom, reimagining the Palmer Gallery, and potentially even adding a new rear access point to the building where the loading dock is currently placed. All of these improvements are interesting, but years away from implementation. I don’t know the exact timeline, but it’s safe to say most students currently here will not be around to see the reimagined College Center. What’s been done so far in the College Center is the very beginning of these improvements, but for the sake of this column, I’m going to consider them independently from what else is being planned for the College Center. Regarding what has changed so far, it’s disappointing to think about what could have been done, despite such a quick, winter break renovation. I want to frame this around the fact that I’m a member of the VSA Council, and very little input was asked from us during the weeks leading
up to this renovation. I’m sure the VSA Executive Board was aware of this, but the last I heard about this renovation was in September, when Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources Marianne Begemann visited VSA Council to talk about the plan. We were aware of a new student space, and that UpC was moving to where the Kiosk is now located, but beyond that little other feedback was given on the changes made. Let me note now that you can see a clear lack of specificity in what was going to be done to these spaces before the improvements began. My dissatisfaction begins with the new computer store. This is not necessarily about what has changed, but about what hasn’t. The computer store has an even larger space as it was integrated into the old SARC office and help desk area. However, it continues to sell a rather poorly priced and exclusionary collection of products. This is great if you own a Mac, or exclusively buy Apple accessories for your computers. But if you want an inexpensive keyboard, USB flash drive, or other general accessory, you’re better off heading online. Just about every college or university I’ve attended has done a better job stocking affordable computer parts for students. And after such a larger space was made, you’d think some effort would have been made to consider accessibility to low-income students who need such parts without waiting for a cheaper version in the mail. Second, I’m aware the unnamed student space hasn’t yet acquired all of its new furniture, but have there been any conversations about what we want that space to occupy? I’m not saying it has to be a foosball table, a kitchenette, TV lounge or the many other ideas that passed through the Student Space committee three years ago, but I am not sure if any of that information is in the hands of those currently in charge of furnishing this space, nor has there been any clarification to the VSA Council at large about how the space will be furnished with student input. The lack of any communication is what I’m pointing out here. Beyond the new name, it feels like very little general student input has gone into the new space. Last, but certainly not least, my concerns continue to be focused on dining. Of course, anyone
Word on the street How was your break? “I watched all of Scrubs.” -Miranda Kay ‘17
“Fuck off.” -Beatrice Land ‘18
—Zander Bashaw ’18 is the Humor and Satire Editor for The Miscellany News.
Shared spaces don’t reflect student input Joshua Sherman
Page 7
that knows me knows that I can’t go long in a conversation without bitterly remarking my disdain for Aramark, or probably whoever Vassar ends up having as a dining provider. The Kiosk’s hours remain disappointingly short, but the real surprise is the lack of any real late night food options that offer meal equivalency. Sure, if you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or cold chicken nuggets, the Late Night at the Kiosk has you covered. The experimental late night, hot food project seems more or less dead now. That’s a shame, given the cost equivalency to a meal swipe relative to the value you get from a milkshake and Nilda’s. At this point i think everyone is so used to having such a low quality dining experience that we just take it for granted. Late Night at the Kiosk was the one chance to see a real late night meal option emerge, and both Vassar and Aramark completely missed that opportunity–and that’s speaking as a senior willing to buy a senior meal plan if there was a viable late night option. I continue to believe we can do better than cold sandwiches, but if there’s a reason it’s logistically impossible to serve hot food, someone please enlighten me. All of this probably seems like I’m being very picky about how these renovations were done– renovations that happened over a very short amount of time, on a limited budget, and within a limited area of the campus. But let me assure you that if there’s one thing I’ll be picky about, it’s the future of our dedicated student spaces and dining services. For a campus that once had entire buildings dedicated to student use exclusively, it’s disappointing that I’ve heard so little from Dean Begemann, Dean Roellke or any administrators about a campus-wide opportunity for conversations and feedback this semester about finalizing changes to these spaces as renovations went underway. Above all, I’m really disappointed. It doesn’t take much to get a lot out of a campus renovation. It just has to start with actually talking to more students than the handful in a few joint committees. Maybe I’ve yet to see everything planned for these spaces this semester. I really hope that’s the case, but I’m not holding my breath. —Joshua Sherman ’16 is a columnist.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
“I got violently ill in San Diego.” -Alexandra Hottenrott ‘19
“How was your break, Zander?” -Gray Thurstone ‘18
“I don’t remember break.” -Nick Lee ‘19
“I awoke to a loud thunder.” Gileann Tan ‘17
Zander Bashaw Humor & Satire Editor Sam Pianello, Photo Editor
OPINIONS
Page 8
February 4, 2016
State of the Union warns of radicalism at home and abroad JD Nichols
Guest Columnist
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t appears that even when approaching the end of his term, President Obama continues to cling to his campaign’s famous motif of hope. On Jan. 12, Obama delivered his final State of the Union (SOTU) address after seven long years in the presidency. In general, the SOTU address is given every year before the entirety of the U.S. government to report the economic, political and social condition of the nation as well as outline the president’s agenda and national priorities. It’s one of the few times the president commands the attention of both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court, the President’s Cabinet and the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff all under one roof. Interestingly enough, this years’ SOTU address was surprisingly different from the rest. Rather than providing an objective viewpoint of the situation, President Obama focused primarily on how great and wonderful the United States is today. He went on to list all the major accomplishments that America has achieved over the past several years: the longest streak of job creation in history, halved unemployment rates with the creation of 14 million new jobs, a successful year for the American auto industry and a national deficit a quarter of its original size. He predicted a bright future awaiting the country. While the state of America is certainly improving, the President clearly embellished many aspects of the nation’s growth. The actual net number of jobs created during Obama’s presidency is just under 9.3 million, not 14 million. Obama just didn’t mention that more than four million jobs were lost during his first year (FactCheck. org). In addition, the President boasted about having created nearly 900,000 new manufacturing jobs. In truth, the U.S. actually suffered a
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“When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer. That’s not telling it like it is. It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. It makes it harder to achieve our goals. And it betrays who we are as a country,” stated Obama, making a clear reference to the anti-Muslim remarks of candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson. President Obama also criticized how immigrants and Food Stamp recipients were wrongly blamed for economic problems and warned people that exaggerated, fear-driven claims about ISIS only helped the radical caliphate. Despite not naming the candidates outright, the president’s words served to urge the people of the United States to reject any sort of political rhetoric that divided the nation. It’s a surprisingly bold move that many experts were startled to see, but it’s fitting for the president who once embodied hope and change for the American people. Unfortunately, words of hope may have a tough time reaching people during these times of deep cynicism and bitterness against America’s politics. It’s very likely that many voters will shrug off Obama’s vision as nonsensical fantasy. However, President Obama urges voters to remain hopeful: “It’s easier to be cynical; to accept that change isn’t possible, and politics is hopeless, and to believe that our voices and actions don’t matter. But if we give up now, then we forsake a better future.” America is steadily approaching a turning point in its path. The 2016 election is no longer something we can simply ignore or scoff. It’s finally time to decide. It may be just wishful thinking, but I say we give hope another chance. —JD Nichols ’17 is a history major at Vassar College.
by Alycia Beattie, York Chen, and Collin Knopp−-Schwyn
ACROSS 1 Snake, sometimes used for its 23− Across in Vietnam and China 6 Big lug 9 French montagne 12 Mixed, as in soft serve 14 Reason for a shot? 15 Actress Seydoux 16 Piggy 17 Flinching, with “up” 19 Less than a whole circle 20 Less than a whole lake 22 Dagga smoker, maybe 23 Food not for Mondays 25 Try to fuck 26 The 23−Across of adult sheep 27 Instruction before “repeat” 29 The DiFranco of music 30 Death−inducing 33 Man of comics 35 Undercooked, to some 39 Foul 23−Across? 41 Dear 23−Across? 43 Players 44 Pepe or how a dog would wear pants 46 Felt sore
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ed that the likes of ISIS were merely fanatics who have to be systematically rooted out and claimed that America stood on top of the world as the most powerful nation on Earth. Obama not only celebrated our victories in the Space Race against Russia in his speech, but he also proclaimed that the “spirit of discovery is in our DNA,” as if Americans are genetically destined for greatness. He even goes so far as to declare that America will be the country that cures cancer once and for all. These are inspirational assertions designed to exhilarate the people. The tone of the address is geared towards rousing the spirit of the people like a speech before war. It seems odd at first until you realize that Obama is doing all this to alter the path of the 2016 presidential election. Based on his speech, it’s evident that President Obama has grown worried about the direction that the 2016 election is headed. While elections often bring out the worst of their candidates, this presidential campaign completely baffled experts and voters alike over the immense success of Republican front-runner Donald Trump. While first taken as a joke, Trump’s antics only grew more worrying as time passed. By the time it became clear that Trump becoming president is a frighteningly possible reality, it was too late. Many Republican candidates had followed suit and cultivated similarly extremist views backed by tens of thousands of supporters. Now that 2016 has finally arrived with no signs of Trump’s campaign fading into oblivion, President Obama must have felt the need to do something about the situation. Thus, he used his State of the Union address to prevent further spread of radicalism among voters. President Obama’s speech was, above all, a plea for the nation to not lose hope in the face of growing fear and paranoia.
The Miscellany Crossword
“Just Offal!”
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net loss of 230,000 manufacturing jobs. Not only that, the president’s remark about the deficit ignores the context of the situation. Obama’s figure measures from the $1.4 trillion deficit run up in fiscal 2009. It overlooks the fact that Obama actually increased the deficit in 2009 by as much as $203 billion (FactCheck.org). Thus, the actual figure measured from the start of Obama’s presidency is closer to a two-thirds reduction than a three-quarters one. It should come to no one’s surprise that these half-truths were mixed in the SOTU address to cast President Obama’s presidency into a more positive light. It’s to be expected when a president is trying to solidify their legacy. During the 2000 State of the Union address, Bill Clinton expressed his pride in how much America had improved since 1992 and proclaimed that “the state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been.” During the 2008 State of the Union address, George W. Bush talked about the success of his No Child Left Behind Act and credited the invasion of Iraq for drastically weakening terrorist forces in the Middle East and helping the world be a better place. However, President Obama seems to have another reason for embellishing his achievements. Everything about this speech is strikingly different from past examples. Instead of being formal and straightforward, President Obama’s address was unusually relaxed and filled with jokes. Instead of building up to an emotional and solemn climax, it mostly remained charming and optimistic. Instead of providing an objective synopsis of the nation’s progress, Obama seemed fiercely determined to cast the state of America in the most positive light imaginable. Not only that, the State of the Union address seemed more like a rallying cry than a straightforward summary of the nation’s agenda. He assert-
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47 The Muhammad of boxing 49 Indoor football league 51 Frontier 23−Across, back in the days of frontiers 54 Like a shrinking violet 55 The 23−Across of baby sheep 59 Ely Hall room with an extra “l” after the first letter; or, a bird’s bastard wing 60 “___ Calm and Carry On” 62 Tell it like it isn’t 63 Famous sled 66 Abysmally bad migratory Atlantic herring 68 Philadelphia, vis−a−vis Baltimore 69 Tripping hazard 70 Populate with workers, once more 71 Life, to Inoa 72 What some do to 23−Across 73 Where to get on buses DOWN 1 Around, temporally 2 Lord of the Rings extra 3 Radar noise 4 Great fame 5 Purine attached to a ribose commonly found with 3 phosphates 6 Regularly, poetically 7 Warm fermented beer 8 An enjoyable 5K (2 words) 9 Top−tier celebrity 10 About as fast as largo 11 Heathen, perhaps insultingly 12 Mystery 23−Across 13 “Who ___ it better?” 18 Onion−like? 21 Mover and shaker 24 Easy to deal with 26 Big cat’s glorious hair
28 Kind 30 American censors 31 “Take on Me” band 32 Frank McCourt novel (1999) 34 Eavesdrops 36 Pokémon catcher Ketchum 37 Tiny tasty fish eggs 38 Story’s last word 40 Give off 42 Granny, to some 45 Commedia costume 48 Likely to
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
50 Metal clothing hole 51 More undercooked, to some 52 All by urself 53 School vehicles 56 Jessica Jones comic 57 Annoy 58 “Where’s the ___?” 61 Mex$ 64 Country of 12−Down 65 Eagle−killing pesticide 67 Eminem song about a shitty Caucasian shindig
February 4, 2016
HUMOR & SATIRE
Page 9
Breaking News From the desk of Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor Anxious house team member confesses despite hours of training she has no idea what “creating a space” means Winter storm Jonas much Managing familial tensions more chill than brothers through petty board games Evelyn Frick Snow Bottler
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Sophie Blumenstock Board of Winter Break
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aybe it’s uniting over a common activity, or, more likely, the competitive streak that we all share, but games have always been important to my family. However, familial tensions inevitably rear their ugly heads during these petty competitions. I noticed that we seem to play games in order to quell the effects of certain disputes. Yahtzee My brothers and I played Yahtzee before we knew how to write, evident by the several decade-old scorecards featuring my mother’s handwriting. This game is beloved because the player does not need any skill or to employ any strategy. My brother has refused to play for five years after a game when he scored a 712 (which he framed). Clue Suspicions, paranoia...Clue is not played nearly as often, nor is it taken so lightly. We seem to play it when we have particular, individual complaints with each other, enjoying the drama of accusing each other of murdering a man in the conservatory with the candlestick. How has nobody discussed the shame of death by candlestick?
Parcheesi Parcheesi is a heartbreaker, relatively new to the mix of standard games in my family and is occasionally referred to referred to as “Sorry on Steroids.” It can hurt more than it helps, what with family building petty blockades and landing on rival pawns with slightly too much gusto. Monopoly Familial Monopoly is a time-honored tradition, but one that none of us seem to enjoy very much. We all like the idea of Monopoly, but as the game wears on and on, both boredom and frustration rise, usually ending in some kind of emotional explosion. If we ever finish a game, it ends in a long and drawn out one-on-one, usually with both parties giving up and calling it a draw. Monopoly was irretrievably ruined for me at the end of high school. My calculus teacher decided to give us a treat by having us analyze Monopoly using Calculus, requiring us to play the game every day for two weeks for extra credit. I’ve never seen friends turn on each other so quickly. But hey, at least I understand the math, and can also be sure that familial squabbles over Boardwalk will never eclipse that hormone-induced bloodbath.
Samana Shrestha
nce upon a time, long, long, ago, like three weeks ago, in a place not so far away, there was a freshman neophyte enjoying her first winter break of college. For the sake of privacy in this tale, I will not share her name, but it definitely was not me. I mean, the identity does not matter. But it was not me. Really. It’s not a big deal. Anyway, this young plebeian had been excited for an opportunity to relax and see old friends since finals week. When the time came for her to return home, she packed her bags, even stopping to wish her shower shoes a sardonic goodbye. Then, she rode her valiant, reliable, and totally not lame steed Prius all the way home at a dignified canter of fifty-five miles an hour. The stables of Toyota had assured her that Prius was a specialized hybrid breed capable of this steady, unimpressive clip. Now, she was about two weeks into vacation and all was well. She had gotten used to spending all day laying in her bedchambers, being lulled into complacency by that seductive nymph, Netflix, and reveling in the bountiful glory of literally any food that is not from the Deece. One night, as the sun set on another day that was as unproductive as it was long, the young woman closed her eyes and whispered, “I wish break were just a little bit longer.” The words caught on a cobweb in a corner of the room left undusted and was blown out the window by the heavy snores of a middle-aged, slightly overweight dog. The cobweb drifted onto the street and began its long journey down the road. Which then ended after it boarded a city bus, borrowed some spare change from a stranger, had to sit next to some weirdo, experienced frustration over some light traffic, and arrived at its destination. The final resting place for the web was the home of my… I mean… the young woman’s high school acquaintance who had recently converted to Wicca because she “was really… could you pass the bong… feeling it.” The cobweb slipped under a crack in the door and onto the altar of the witch, who listened to the words, “I wish break were just a little bit longer.” Recognizing the voice of her friend, the witch decided to help her out. She gathered clouds together, gave the mass a side-swept haircut, and named it Jonas.
A few more weeks passed and break was nearly over for the young Vassar student. She had all but forgotten her sleepy wish for a longer time at home. But then, either due to her witchy friend’s spells or maybe a low-pressure weather system, snow began to cover the roads of her homeland, Central Pennsylvania. Not a single horse and buggy or even a John Deere tractor could make it through the snow. Despite the fact that she was unsure her majestic stallion Prius could make it through the weather, she was actually okay with it. After weeks of doing absolutely nothing, the idea of effort was extremely unappealing. The girl resigned herself to staying. “It will be all right,” she thought, “I can make use of the snow!” She made a few snowmen with undercuts that could substitute for her college friends and started to bottle snow in mason jars to sell on Etsy as “Melt-in-Your-Mouth Water.” “Who needs college!” she thought. But then she started to think about all the things she would miss about school. No more hanging out with friends. No more taking really interesting classes. No more chances to hang that Hieronymus Bosch print she got for Hanukkah in her room because after one semester of Art History she fancied herself a classy, connoisseur of the fine arts. Then it hit her: There would be no more Nilda’s. “I need to get back to Poughkeepsie!” She cried. Thinking that perhaps her newly-Wiccan friend might have been involved, the student stopped by the witch’s altar and begged for her to reverse the spell. “Why, Evelyn— Okay fine, this story is about me. I did absolutely nothing during winter break! I was a lethargic bum and I don’t care who knows. Hi Mom. Anyway, back to the story: “Why, Evelyn, you can break the spell anytime you want to! Just put on your iridescent Birkenstocks, click your heels three times, and say, “There’s no place like Vassar! There’s no place like Vassar!” So I did and much like the Disney Channel sitcom of the same name, the blizzard, Jonas, was short-lived. The roads cleared up and Prius was able to make the journey upstate, back to this wonderful place. As she turned onto Raymond Avenue, my spirited filly whinnied as if to announce, “The hipsters are coming! The hipsters are coming!” And surely they came: one if by land, two if by the new location of UpC.
Phony Holden Caulfield recounts his crumby winter break by Talya Phelps, J.D.’s Challenger If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is whether I applied for summer internships, and how my grades were, and all that CDO kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, you shouldn’t be asking anyway unless you want to be a nosy bastard. Besides, I’m not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. Where I want to start telling is the Friday when I had my last exam and I finally got to take it easy. The first thing I did when I got done with my test was try to celebrate. Let me tell you, “drunk Deece” sounds like a great idea until you run into people you know and have to pretend you’re not a crumby bastard using pineapple juice as a mixer at 6:00 in the afternoon. To make things worse, the waffle machine was already unplugged and cooled down and all. When I saw that, I wanted to get the hell out.
Once I got home, I right away had to go to the dentist and get my wisdom teeth out. I must’ve eaten about two hundred bowls of Wolfgang Puck squash soup that week. The can has this poor fool on the front who’s supposedly this famous chef Wolfgang Puck, but I certainly doubt old Wolfgang has the time to personally cook each one of those goddam cans. In fact, if he’s such an important chef and all, I can’t believe he’d want his soup recipe to be left on a shelf for about a year before it even got eaten. He’d probably only want it served fresh in a fancy white bowl with a goddam parsley garnish. I could’ve eaten regular food, but my mouth wouldn’t cooperate. The sonuvabitch wouldn’t close. And on top of all that, half my entire lip is still numb. The whole thing depressed the hell out of me. The first thing I did once I was recovered and all was try to make a little dough off the Vicodin I’d gotten prescribed by the dentist. I called up this moron I knew when I was at the
Whooton School, Thurston Becker. His family was loaded, of course. His dad was the CEO of some peanut butter company, and old Thurston simply wouldn’t shut up about it. Anyway, Thurston was the bastard to go to if you wanted drugs, but I figured I should be slick about it. What I did was, I didn’t come right out and say anything incriminating. I told him I wanted to make a little bargain with him. Naturally, he was about two hours late. He roared the hell up in his Porsche and hopped out like he was in a big damn hurry. As if he couldn’t just walk the three blocks, for Chrissake. He popped the trunk open and started hollering at me. “Start loading ‘er up, willya?” he said. I sort of sauntered over, casual as hell and all, so no one could tell I was drug dealing. “You’re a prince, Caulfield,” he said. “This is my first sale. Are you looking for crunchy or creamy?” It turned out Thurston had started working for his old man as a peanut butter salesman. Ap-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
parently he’d gotten in a helluva lot of trouble for dealing at Dartmouth, and Mr. Becker was trying to get him on the straight and narrow and all. I stayed around and shot the breeze for a while, but I couldn’t get a word in edgewise because old Thurston wouldn’t shut up about this frat he was in at school. Apparently he had to get hazed before he could join, and it sounded like the crumbiest time I could imagine. He said he had to sit in a pile of ice cubes for an hour, and then the frat gave him a homemade tattoo, right on his actual ass and all. The worst part was how proud he was about it. He even offered to show me, for Chrissakes. That’s when I decided I was ready to go back to Vassar. It may have a few phonies, and midterms are a lot of crap, but at least we don’t have frats and UpC is moving to Main. It’s funny. Don’t ever go five weeks without seeing your college friends. If you do, you start missing everybody.
Page 10
TRAVEL
February 4, 2016
Mexico and Oaxaca Cities “M
courtesy of Julia Pollack
e gustarían las champulines con avocate, por favor.” I muster whatever remaining energy my jetlagged self has in vocalizing my dinner order, hoping the waiter at least understands the gist of my rusty, elementary Spanish. It was our first night in Oaxaca City, Mexico. To say I was surprised would be an understatement when, thinking I had just ordered chips and guacamole, I instead received a heaping plate stacked full of “champulines” (with some guacamole, on the side) in front of me. It did not take long for me to discover that the overly salted dish in front of me was a pile of grasshoppers, one of Oaxaca’s most famous delicacies. During winter break, I was fortunate enough to take a family vacation to two of Mexico’s most famous, vibrant locations: Oaxaca and Mexico City. We spent the first four days of our trip in Oaxaca City, the capital of the state of Oaxaca, a city with cobblestone streets known for its food and artisan crafts. We stayed at a former convent-turned-hotel that sat four blocks from the Zócalo—the city center’s main square—and one block south of the Templo de Santo Domingo—one of the city’s main cathedrals. We spent the days exploring the streets, popping into local outdoor food and artisan craft markets. One day we took a guided tour just outside of Oaxaca City, where we explored Monte Albán, one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica, and visited the studios of artisan craft makers, who carved animal statues out of wood and threw black earthenware pottery on wheels. We spent the last days of our vacation in Mexico City, where the hustle and bustle of nine million inhabitants, occupying almost six hundred square miles, reminded me of Manhattan on steroids. Three days was not nearly enough to explore all that Mexico City had to offer, but some highlights included exploring the Anthropology Museum and touring Frida Kahlo’s house. While my family was a little nervous at first about visiting Mexico City, we found ourselves feeling safe for the majority of the time. Although we got sick from the water, and were more than once mocked as “gringos” as we clumsily navigated the city’s metro, we discovered many ways in which the city is improving its security (e.g. reserving specific cars on the metro for women and children at night). Both Mexico City and Oaxaca City proved to be exciting, eye-opening destinations that I hope to someday return to. —Julia Pollack ‘19
courtesy of Julia Pollack
courtesy of Julia Pollack
Nicaragua T
courtesy of Hannah Reynolds
courtesy of Hannah Reynolds
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
courtesy of Hannah Reynolds
he mango incident occurred right in the middle of the two weeks I spent in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. I was there on the Evelyn Clark Memorial Travel Fellowship through the history department to hear and record a few women’s stories for my thesis. The city of Matagalpa, I learned, is sometimes known as “the land of eternal spring.” Given that colloquial title, I suppose that I shouldn’t have been so surprised by the flying mango. I spent the first few days of my trip anxiously contemplating the inevitable failure of my project. I was worried about my lack of connections to women in the area, my highly imperfect Spanish language skills, and all the stresses that come from traveling in an unfamiliar place. Even after I braved the offices of the women’s organizations asking for interviews, and even after I conducted those interviews, the trip was clouded by the particular feelings of anxiety that any thesis-writing senior can identify with. It was only later that I realized what a rewarding and important experience it was to interview with seven different women who work for an array of women’s organizations. One day, however, I was jolted out of my self-prescribed misery by what looked like a green blur flying its way into my lower-abdomen. I managed to catch the projectile before it hit the ground, and looked up to see the shocked and concerned face of the man who had thrown the mango up the stairs just as I rounded the corner of the stairwell. As I walked out of the restaurant a few minutes later, still laughing and holding the mango I’d received as a peace offering, I was struck (this time metaphorically) by a wave of grateful relief. My post-mango gratitude came from the liberation that only mild public humiliation can bring. Despite all the pressure and self-importance I’d internalized and projected onto the trip, I was, after all, playing tourist in a fresh and exciting culture. Those very nice fruit vendors saw me only as an unobservant gringa with a sense of humor about getting pelted with fruit. —Hannah Reynolds ‘16
TRAVEL
February 4, 2016
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Azerbaijan H
ow can we reconcile our desires to see the world without being complicit in the crimes committed by the countries we visit, especially when those crimes include such massive injustices by governments against their own people? This was a recurring question on my mind this winter break as I traveled through Greece, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. The answer I came to was pretty unsatisfying. But I’m not convinced there is a right answer to that question anyway. I started thinking in earnest when I arrived to Azerbaijan. The country’s capital, Baku, is the model of a modern Western metropolis, with wide boulevards lined with luxury stores, clean and beautiful parks, big museums with interesting and varied collections and, most noticeably, prominent architecture. The recently opened Flame Towers, three massive glass skyscrapers in the shape of a flame, are the largest in the country and can be seen from anywhere in the city. All this outward beauty belies the real situation in Azerbaijan, which is ruled by corruption and plagued with inequality. Currently, Azerbaijan is effectively an autocracy ruled by the powerful Aliyev family, who has been in power since Soviet times. The country’s rapid development in modern times has been fueled by the abundant natural resources of oil and natural gas found in its territory. The Aliyev regime has used this recent influx of money and resources to both cement their power, and enrich themselves to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. The government is notorious for jailing journalists and activists and torturing those who have to endure long and politically motivated prison sentences. In an unfortunate trend, the situation in Azerbaijan continues to deteriorate. Giorgi Gorgia at the Human Rights Watch recently said, “The government’s crackdown is unprecedented in the country’s post-Soviet history.” None of this seems to bother the United States, a friendly ally of the regime, in large part because of oil politics. As a country, we are looking the other way for national gain. I came to the conclusion that, as a traveler, I wouldn’t. I realized that silence on the issues we come across while traveling abroad is actually the worst action we take. I arrived in Baku a few days after oil dropped to less than $30 a barrel, a new low in an increasingly volatile energy market. The new trend spells an uncertain future for oil exporters like Azerbaijan who rely so heavily on the commodity to finance their governments. With the instability sure to result from low oil prices, can corruption keep its grip on the nation? How will this effect the world’s perception of the Middle East, which is lenient largely due to the historical power of oil in diplomacy? Change lies ahead for Azerbaijan, and I hope the world is watching. —Max Moran ‘16
courtesy of Max Moran
courtesy of Max Moran
courtesy of Max Moran
courtesy of Max Moran
Katie de Heras/The courtesy ofMiscellany Max MoranNews
Prague T
courtesy of Joe DeGrand
he day I arrived in Prague to study film at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), I realized I knew nothing about Prague, the Czech Republic or Czech people. I only had vague notions of what to expect: cheap beer; churches everywhere; maybe I’d read Kafka. Despite my ignorance, the “City of 1000 Spires” quickly won me over. With unlimited access to the trams, subways and buses of Prague, my friends at the film school spent days exploring the churches, parks and tastes that Prague offered up. FAMU was located in a building just across from Narodni Divadlo (the national theater), on the banks of the Vlatava river. I thought that eventually the view of Prague Castle from school would grow old, but it did not, which made it much harder to concentrate during script critiques. Through my film program, I was able to get access to parts of Prague that few get to see, such as the Barrandov Studios, often called the Hollywood of Europe because of the enormous amount of Western blockbusters filmed there. Czech culture and language took a while to get used to: “no” in Czech literally means “yes”; there are no articles in Czech, so when trying to speak English my professors would insert “the” and “a” into sentences completely at random; but as a spoken aloud language, Czech was just as beautiful as it was confounding. Very few older Czechs spoke much English, which forced us all to become fluent in pantomime. Beer really was cheaper than water, which sounds thrilling at first, until you realize what this actually means is that water isn’t free and is by far the least popular drink in the Czech Republic. Even though what I miss most are the slow days of reading endlessly in smoky cafes, Prague did not lack adventure. I once spent the day with Elizabeth Fetterolf ’17 and some Prague friends sneaking into an abandoned Soviet military base, one of the only ones that is on (technically) public land. It took most of the day to get there, and the locals gave us plenty of suspicious looks, but it was entirely worth it. Although I’ve already enjoyed my time back at Vassar immensely, Prague left an indelible impression that I will not soon forget. Na shledanou, Praha! (See you later, Prague!) —Joe DeGrand ‘17
courtesy of Joe DeGrand
courtesy of Joe DeGrand
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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February 4, 2016
New Cooperative hopes to bring nature to Poughkeepsie Maria Bell
Guest Reporter
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cessible. “We want to reach more people from even within the city of Poughkeepsie because they often don’t have transportation to get out to our preserve even,” Opdahl explained. “So I know a big part too is just trying almost to bring the environment to them.” Garcia added, “You can find bits of wilderness and wildlife in the city. And I guess in terms of that we are bringing events to the city of Poughkeepsie, and we’re looking into getting lectures where people won’t have to drive.” The Vassar Environmental Cooperative could not have come into being without the visions and work put in by many different people in the Vassar community. Professor of Sociology Leonard Nevarez is also on the Environmental Cooperative steering committee. Nevarez said, “I’m hopeful the Environmental Cooperative can serve as a coordinating hub
courtesy of Maria Bell
ight about now, Vassar seniors are deep into their job hunts, searching for opportunities in their fields of interest as their college careers draw to a close. Last year, Education and Outreach Coordinator Maria Garcia ’15 and Research and Restoration Coordinator Ellie Opdahl ’15 were in the exact same position. Both biology majors, they learned through the department about the creation of a new Vassar organization: The Environmental Cooperative. Founded in June of 2015 with a grant received from the Helmsley Foundation, the Environmental Cooperative is a collaborative aimed at environmental education, research, outreach and engagement. “We are a Vassar organization but we also want to work largely with the community, so we want to bring Vassar students out into the community to do volunteer work that is environmentally related,” Garcia explained. She went on, “We also want to bring the community to Vassar and build better relationships, with environmentalism and environmental issues being the glue that keeps everything together— the point of interest.” Garcia and Opdahl were accepted for summer internship positions with the Cooperative following graduation, where they brought community members to the preserve as a destination point to get people engaged in the environment and in nature. They hosted a myriad of events, including a nature illustration workshop, outdoor yoga sessions, outdoor screenings of movies and nature walks on topics that ranged from the history of the preserve, to archeology, to frog species—often led by Vassar professors. After the summer, they were hired full-time for the rest of the year. “The Environmental Cooperative is an organization that is trying to create a stronger conservation ethic in the Hudson Valley by bringing together different partnerships that already exist in the area into one central place,” Opdahl said.
Using the money from the Helmsley Foundation grant, The Cooperative is renovating the barn at the Vassar Farm to make it into a multiuse space for conservation efforts. In addition to office space for the Cooperative, there will be areas available for anyone needing space for any presentation or meeting related to the environment. The Environmental Cooperative plans to create two new school programs for Poughkeepsie middle school students. The first, Healthy Habitats, encourages students to go on walks in the woods and learn to identify species. The other, Healthy Watersheds, is an initiative where students will go into streams and look for indicators of stream health. The Cooperative isn’t just about these new programs, however. Opdahl explained that they are trying to make the environment more ac-
Members of the Environmental Cooperative at the Vassar Farm. The Cooperative plans to bring two new programs for Poughkeepsie middle schoolers to improve awareness for the natural environment
and physical destination where researchers, students and community members can come together to advance awareness of our area’s natural environment and ecological systems.” Professor of Geography Mary Ann Cunningham reflected on the overall benefits of the Cooperative. “I think it’s valuable to have a group that can coordinate research and project opportunities, both for people at Vassar and in cooperation with groups in Poughkeepsie and research groups farther afield,” she said. “To get good coordination, you need someone whose job it is to help build and maintain relationships. And that helps develop opportunities for students, both on campus and off campus. Ultimately I think the point is to develop resources for students who are interested in environmental education, research opportunities, internships and ultimately jobs.” Garcia is hard at work trying to do just that. She’s looking into making the Cooperative a field work opportunity, and hunting for fellowships so that the Cooperative can pay students to work for them. “It’s all down to interest,” she said. “If you’re interested in the environment, if you’re interested in environmental education, it would be great if you came and talked to us about whether or not you are interested in these projects.” In preparation for Earth Day, the Cooperative is setting up a few events, one of which is a cleanup in Poughkeepsie. “We’re hoping we can draw a large volunteer base from Vassar students to participate in the cleanup.” Garcia explained. Opdahl summed up how she’s felt about her experience working for the newly formed Environmental Cooperative over the last eight months: “It’s fun to help build something off the ground. It’s sort of become this thing where you can see where it could go in the future and when you look back, there’s already been a lot of changes since you’ve started, and I really like that aspect of feeling like you’ve actually been contributing to something that’s growing at rates you can’t even comprehend.”
Cafe owner constructs new space and aethetics by hand KUP continued from page 1
also redid all the stairs, banisters and tilework.” Megan Nelson ’19, herself a Crafted Kup frequenter as well, mentioned the positive outcomes of the new layout. “Before the renovation, it wasn’t a particularly convenient hangout spot, but now there’s a lot more space,” she said. Townsend explained, “The new space can appeal to a wide variety, both those looking to study and those looking to just hang out. There’s a darker, cozy side where people can get together, but there’s also now the brighter side, which can be conducive to studying.” Magdaleno said she never personally used the space as a study spot before because she prefers a quieter space to do her work. Now, however, she noted that, “The renovations open the Crafted Kup up to be a better place to study.” But part of the appeal of the Crafted Kup is that it’s not only for Vassar students. “When I bought this place, my goal was to appeal to both Vassar and the community,” said Townsend. The Crafted Cup is within close proximity to Vassar on Raymond Avenue, which, Townsend believes is a very important street for the community. “In fact, the bulk of our morning business are commuters on their way to work, and they usually stop by again on their way home,” Townsend said. He continued, “It’s nice to be able to have something to offer to both aspects of Poughkeepsie.” Townsend also hopes to fill a void he feels the community has been missing for some time now. He said, “I built a small stage up in the front, and the plan is to do open mic once a week. I’d like to do a night of spoken word, and then also just book some local singer songwriter type acts.” Townsend believes the new open mic space is a rarity around here and fills a much needed role of cross-community building. Townsend believes his plans have the power to bring Vassar students and Poughkeepsie residents together. Magdaleno offered her own “two-cents” on
the addition. “I think the addition of the open mic nights makes this more than just a coffee place,” she said. Townsend sees the same vision for the Crafted Kup, and he has plans to make even more changes, this time to the menu. “We’ve got this demand for more substantial food items,” he elaborated in his WRRV interview, “and we hope to add breakfast sandwiches, as well as soup, salads and classic sandwiches to the menu in the coming months.” The beverage menu at the Crafted Kup will be sporting more than just fruit smoothies, lattes and chai tea. Townsend obtained his beer and wine license and plans to include those items to the shop very soon. Part of the appeal of the Crafted Kup to Vassar students is the fact that it is not directly on campus. Nelson explains, “I just like the act of getting off campus.” Before the expansion,
Nelson continues, “You were never guaranteed a seat once you got here. The new renovations, however, definitely facilitate the need to go somewhere else, even if it’s just across the street.” As we know, Sundays can be some of the busiest days at Crafted, and there is no doubt that was the case this week. Vassar students, young and old, were taking advantage of the new Crafted Kup this past Sunday. Many regulars from the Town of Poughkeepsie and Vassar gave kind congratulatory words to Townsend as they placed their orders. “People are excited and really happy for me,” shared Townsend as more customers filtered in. After almost a year of planning, building and finalizing this transformation, Townsend created a new space for everybody, and the Vassar and Poughkeepsie communities have both come out in full forces to enjoy it.
Leo Hilton/The Miscellany News
the front counter. “I definitely kept the renovation under wraps, but I had the new space for a while.” One of the major reasons for renovation was a lack of seating for the many customers constantly streaming in and out of the cafe. In an interview with the local radio station WRRV, Townsend stated that he would watch students and members of the community choose to go somewhere else for their coffee because there wasn’t enough space. On Sunday, Townsend was beaming because the expansion increased the number of seats by a factor of nearly three. The long-hidden plans in the space next door were unveiled with great success as people began pouring in. Along with seating quantity, one of Townsend’s major concerns in the renovation was quality. He remarked, “The previous aesthetic definitely was not mine, It sort of felt like somebody’s living room, and I wanted to make it more industrial and modern while still keeping it cozy.” Lisset Magdaleno ’19, a Crafted Kup regular, could feel the difference as soon as she walked in. “It’s a whole different atmosphere. Everything has changed and become more modern,” she noted. For Magdaleno, Crafted Kup has been a staple of her freshman year. “It’s a place where I do a lot of roommate bonding. We even have weekly dates here. It’s just such a nice place to hang out, and I was really excited to come back to school and see the changes,” she said. “Even though people were caught off-guard by the renovation, the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Townsend said. As he welcomed students and members of the community at the counter, people walked in with exclamations of “oohs” and “aahs” in admiration of the wide open space and new furniture. Not only does Townsend have an eye for aesthetics, he also has a hand for craft. “I built most of the furniture, art installations, benches, tables and bookshelves,” shared Townsend. “I
A student sits at the newly renovated Crafted Kup on Raymond Avenue. Owner, Tanner Townsend built much of the interior on his own, and has high hopes for building a community in the new space.
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February 4, 2016
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Boum reimagines religious exchange in familiar history Shelia Hu
Guest Reporter
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Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News
iven the almost constant news coverage about the prolonged conflict in Israel and Palestine, the underlying divisions between Jews and Muslims which perpetuates the conflict seems to be eternal. However, as the research Professor Aomar Boum recently presented shows, there have not always been strict divisions between these cultures. In fact, in many instances across the 20th century, Muslims and Jews have cooperated. On Thursday, Jan. 28, Professor Boum presented a lecture on a partnership between the North African Jews and Muslims, entitled, “The Anti-Fascist Alliance: North African Jews and Muslims Partner Against French and Nazi Anti-semitism, 1936-1940” regarding his research findings during his time spent at the United States Holocaust Museum. Boum is an anthropology professor at UCLA, specializing in “cultural, social, political and academic taboos in the Middle East and North Africa region” (info.vassar.edu, “Anthropologist Aomar Boum to discuss how North African Jews and Muslims partnered to fight anti-semitism in the late 1930s”, 01.28.16). He investigates the places of Jews within an Arab and Islamic monarchy, as well as historical shifts in respective opinions the two groups has on each other (Stanford University Press Online, “Memories of Absence”, 2013). This relationship is what he focused on for this research study. Boum spent six months at the United States Holocaust Museum researching the Holocaust in the context of North Africa, a relationship not widely discussed, focusing on the activities of International League Against Anti-semitism (LICA) between 1936 and 1940. For his research, Boum referred to Nazi-confiscated Jewish documents, currently housed in the United States Holocaust Museum, that were recovered after World War II by the Soviet army. Founded by French journalist Bernard Lecache in Paris of 1927, LICA focused on fighting against intolerance and anti-Semitism during Hitler’s rise to power by calling on all members to boycott businesses connected to Nazi Germany. The organization still exists today, focusing on awareness against neo-nazism and Holocaust denial. Over time by expanding social and political connections to non-jews, they gained wider support in the French population. With the spread of anti-Semitism through Nazi propa-
ganda, there were increased tensions between the Jews and Muslims in the North Africa region. The rise of anti-Semitic discourse in the French Algerian press ultimately led to the riots of Constantine in 1934 where 34 Jews were killed. The leaders of LICA opened chapters of LICA in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco as a result of the tension, hoping to facilitate peaceful living between the two groups. LICA was able to foster political mobilization and cooperation of Jews and Muslims against Nazi racism even during the heavy anti-Semitism during the Nazi era. Boum concluded that even though LICA was able to successfully facilitate these relations for a while, it did not last for long. The amount of Nazi propaganda present in North Africa along with persistent anti-Semitic environment among the French settlers in addition to the situation in Palestine ultimately prevented a longer lasting relationship. Essentially, though cohesian occurred in the relationship between the Jews and Muslims to form, it was short lived. Associate Professor of History Joshua Schreier wrote in an emailed statement that this lecture is the Dr. Maurice Sitomer Annual Lecture and explained why Boum was chosen to be this year’s speaker. He explained, “The Sitomer Lecture Fund was endowed in 1984 by Mrs. Arlene Sitomer to honor her husband Dr. Maurice Sitomer. It is intended to support speakers who enlighten, inspire, and encourage understanding of Jewish culture.” Schreir continued, speaking for the History Department, “We felt Professor Boum’s work, which has looked at how Muslims in Morocco remember their Jewish neighbors, most of whom left for Israel over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, would offer an unusual perspective and cover a subject with which few of us are very familiar. It would bring attention to what had been a very large, diverse and well-established Jewish community in the Arab-Berber world, as well as the complicated ways politics affects inter-communal relations.” As the Jewish-Muslim conflict is an ongoing issue, Schreier hoped that students who attended the lecture would understand the deeper historical intricacies of Jewish-Muslim relations. He explained, “I hoped that students would take away a sense that relations between Muslims and Jews cannot be reductively characterized as ‘bad’ or ‘good,’ but that specific historical contingencies can create divisions, inspire collaboration, or even lessen the importance of the borders between communities. On a more
Professor Aomar Boum gave a lecture on Thursday, Jan. 28 on the partnership between North African Jews and Muslims against French and Nazi German anti-Semitism from 1936-1940. basic level, I hoped students new to this topic would see how Jews were once understood (by Muslims, Jews, and Christians) as a fundamental component in the fabric of North African society. Even though prejudices existed, Jews were not seen as outside the community of ‘real’ Moroccans, nor was the term ‘minority’ applied to them until more recently.” He added, “It was wonderful to see so many students, faculty, and community members show up for a talk about North Africa, especially given the fact that Syria, Iraq, and the Israel/ Palestine conflict are currently (and understandably) dominating the headlines about the Middle East/North Africa region.” More recent developments have narrowed the causes of tension between Jews and Muslims to be caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, it is important to recognize the cultural, political, and historical contexts that have shaped this relationship over time. Carrie Coolidge ’16, commented that Boum’s lecture came at an important time for the current political climate on campus and in the public media. As she said, “Most mainstream media outlets portray conflict between Jews and Muslims as a force eternal. In reality, the two groups have a long history of cooperation. Boum highlighted how Muslim groups in North Africa and
France denounced anti-Semitism before and during the Holocaust. Boum’s point that peaceful relations between Jews and Muslims continued even during the era when the state of Israel was created.” In addition, Coolidge, who is currently writing her thesis on contemporary Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in France, felt grateful that the Jewish Studies department brought such an expert lecturer in the field. Boum’s expertise extends beyond his most recent research investigation at the United Holocaust Museum on LICA. Before this, Boum conducted in-depth research on a time-period much later. This research culminated in a book published in 2013 titled, “Memories of Absence, How Muslims remember Jews in Morrocco.” The book covers the depopulation of Jews in Morocco during the late 1970’s and 1980’s. To give some context, by 1980, 240,000 emigrated from Morocco, and today only 4,000 remain there. Similar to his work on LICA, Boum’s early research focused on the oral testimony of rumor and story. Central to all Boum’s research is a deep analytical understanding of the shift in opinion about anti-Semitic belief. This yearning for knowledge is something many were glad to witness with his visit to the College.
Writer presents lessons learned in prison in new context KERMAN continued from page 1
admit their own love for the now-famous characters. As Robin Carleto ’19 explained, thinking about Kermon’s impending appearance, “It’s the best thing Vassar has done. I haven’t read all of the book, but I like the show because it blends comedy and drama perfectly to reflect real-life situations. It has an outstanding cast who portray a lot of different races, beliefs, and perspectives. In all honesty, I love it.” Though media adapted for television may perpetuate and exaggerate factual circumstances to elicit more extensive exposure, in the case of Piper Kerman and Piper Chapman’s situations, not much else differs. Kerman’s book and her experiences themselves remain to be the most invaluable asset to the show. Kerman was hired as an on-set consultant for the show. Kerman’s descriptions of the various relationships and human interactions she encountered during her reduced 13-month prison sentence as translated on screen invoke a sense of solidarity that doubtless is at the source of the show’s success. While there has been careful curation to ensure Kerman’s experiences beneficially impact and inspire the show’s core direction, there remains one fundamental difference between Kerman and her on-screen representation: Kerman is no longer incarcerated. Instead, following her two-month early release from FCI Danbury, a minimum-security prison, Kerman has exerted herself immensely in as many public forums as possible. Kerman is a board member of the Women’s Prison Association (WPA), which provides preventative services for at-risk women, works to
create alternatives to incarceration, advocates against practices like shackling during childbirth and offers programs to aid re-entry into society. Though the WPA was founded in 1845, it didn’t expand its practice until the late 1990s. At the WPA, Kerman frequently speaks to students regarding gender and women’s studies, sociology, law, criminology and prison reform. In addition, Kerman teaches writing to current inmates through the Association. Her time within the reformational system has served to create first-hand experience which is beneficial in her role empathizing and reaching inmates. Kerman often identifies various ways that incarceration practices could be improved. She analyzes the problematic facets of the criminal justice system and offers strategies for reducing recidivism. It is these observations coupled with her personal experience that allows Kerman to speak on such an informed and expressive place. Currently, Kerman advances these important and incisive constructive-criticisms at public forums throughout the country. And as this year’s Alex Krieger Memorial Lecturer, it appears Kerman will have the opportunity to bring these ideas to Vassar’s intellectual community. The presentation, which will include a question and answer session and book signing following the event, is free and open to the public. Though Kerman has done extensive research on the criminal justice system, it is her personal experience which serves as a foundation for her message. In particular, Kerman’s experience in prison gave her a unique understanding of the resiliency of her fellow inmates. Through her lecture circuit and her role as a consultant on the adapted television series, “Orange is the
New Black,” Kerman hopes to promote a genuine portrayal of the prison system to the public, as she witnessed it. At first glance, it would seem rather odd that a presentation of such gravity and sobriety would be chosen as the subject matter of an annual lecture series dedicated to the incorporation of humor. The Alex Krieger ’95 Memorial Lecture, given in memory of Vassar student Alex Krieger, commemorates Krieger’s massive interest in the incorporation of humor as a primary element into distinguished American writing. That said, what could be so funny about going to prison on drug trafficking and money laundering charges? That’s where the celebrated comedic aspect of “Orange Is the New Black” comes in. As fans of both Kerman’s work and the show will quickly identify, comedy and humor in the face of adversity is one of the key tropes of the show. Alissa Bringas ’18 was ecstatic regarding Kerman’s upcoming arrival and presentation, declaring, “Oh yeah, I love that show. Piper isn’t really my favorite character, but she’s definitely someone that I really enjoy watching. When I saw the poster advertising the event, I actually was like, ‘Wow! That’s one of the few people I actually recognize.’” For as many fans of Piper Chapman and “Orange Is the New Black” that posit their love for the show on a daily basis, there are even more advocates and proponents of Piper Kerman and her work in activism. As Tamar Ballard ’19 expresses, “I’ve never watched ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ but I can still appreciate all the work Piper Kerman has done for prison reform and women in society. As someone interested in Urban and Africana studies, it’s always refreshing
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
to see individuals from all walks of life and life’s experiences validly contribute to societal issues, especially when it’s done in such a way that improvement can only occur as a result of their intervention.” Fellow class member Dimaris Santos-Bonilla ’19 agrees: “There seem to be so many issues plaguing humanity, and not even just on a North American scale. While I wouldn’t say all cultural and societal issues are replicated identically across continents, the fact that there are certain issues that immutably affect different countries and cultures despite decades of investigation and reform insinuate a question of the efficacy of certain practices. It’s a kind of ‘Through the Looking-Glass’ effect; most of us have never been to prison, so how can we possibly expect to understand it?” Only through the communication and expertise of individuals like Piper Kerman, individuals who have had these experiences, can we even attempt to comprehend these kinds of events. Likewise, it is only by the expression of Piper Kerman and those with mindsets and understanding like her that we can even hope to alleviate or even ameliorate these societal scourges.” In any case, while the context of the show may seem stark and immutable to average individual, Kerman’s true ability in describing and extending the circumstances of each person’s life story through her work has understandably created a cultural phenomenon. As Kerman so eloquently communicates, we as individuals are inherently intelligent, emotional, social and resilient and no degree of separation or obstruction could ever change this fact.
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February 4, 2016
Vassar alumna celebrates novel, reflects on college years Sophia Steinert-Evoy Guest Reporter
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t’s below freezing on a Thursday evening in January, and Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass. is full of activity. People are reading at the seats that line the front window and customers wait to order warm drinks to be shared over literary conversations. Three rows of metal fold-out chairs face two empty chairs and microphone stands; the mood is expectant and excited. As it gets closer to 7 p.m., the chairs fill up and the bookstore employees scramble to find and organize additional seating. About 30 people have arrived to see Tanwi Nandini Islam ’04 discuss her debut novel “Bright Lines”–a huge turnout for a new author and a cold weeknight. “Bright Lines” takes place over a year and two continents. The story centers around the Saleem
family: the father Anwar owns an apothecary, the mother, Hashi, runs a salon in the basement of their Brooklyn brownstone, NYU-bound Charu is itching to get out of the house and Ella, their niece and adopted daughter who is home from college for the summer, spends her nights awake observing the world around. As much as the story is about the characters, it is also about the space that they inhabit. Islam’s mentor and Associate Professor of English Kiese Laymon writes, “Tanwi Nandini Islam has created a fictive world where race, place, desire, violence and deception beautifully cling to nearly every page, and really every part of her Brooklyn and Bangladesh.” Grace Sparapani ’16 echoed Laymon’s sentiments. “[Islam] allows several different lines of narrative and identity to cross; coming of age is never easy and it’s never simple, but she captures
courtesy of Tanwi Nandini Islam
Tanwi Nandini Islam ‘04 is celebrating the release of her debut novel, Bright Lines. She wrote her first play at Vassar and credits her time on campus with helping develop her voice as an author.
the paradox of discovering yourself while feeling at odds with the markers of your former self– family, home, culture.” In her discussion of the book, Islam acknowledged that many people have deemed it a coming-of-age story. She accepts this categorization, yet thinks of it in broad terms. It is a coming-ofage story for the two college-aged daughters as much as it is for the middle-aged parents. The characters are all in the process of finding themselves and where they fit within their family and in the broader context of society. Throughout her talk, Islam discussed not only her book but also her process and her experience as an artist. She spoke in conversation with another debut novelist, and the two went back and forth about everything from their identities as women of color to the importance of their workshop group in their MFA program. In discussing the art of storytelling, Islam pronounced, “Truth is an illusion unless it’s an expression of how someone experienced something.” Moments like these had the small audience hanging on every word of these two brilliant women. Islam talked about how this book had been inside of her for a while, like an itch, but that it will never truly be finished and the characters live on inside her imagination. In fact, she cut around 150 pages from the end in the editing process. In an emailed statement, Islam discussed her beginnings as a writer. “Theater let me find my voice as a writer. I’ve always known that I wanted to write a novel, probably since the age of seven. But it’s hard to access the level of discipline it takes to sit and write a novel, especially in college.” During her sophomore year at Vassar, she wrote her first play–a big first step towards realizing her dream of writing a novel. She continued, “As a sophomore, I had something of a breakthrough during winter break, and wrote my first play, Mukti, the story of four South Asian women and a 12th century Indian poet, Mahadeviyakka, who are connected by identity politics, survivorship and suicide. These were the things that
I began exploring as a Women’s Studies major at Vassar–how do women of color build communities and survive collective trauma. My writing has evolved from that place, for sure, but it would take another couple years after graduating before I started BRIGHT LINES.” Laymon’s mentorship sustained this breakthrough with advice as a fellow writer. She explained, “Kiese Laymon understood the work I was trying to create right away. His advice was ‘let your characters live’–and to not cut down the energy of the prose with narratorial interjections. Academic language is antithetical to creative writing, and in Prof. Laymon’s class we could shed all of that dead language.” Laymon also instilled in Islam a sense of confidence in her creativity. “Under his guidance, I learned that crafting vivid fictive worlds required a level of fearless and time. Years, in fact, to reveal the story. And learning patience has been such a gift for me–especially in a time when content and sharing our lives is instantaneous.” But before she started working on “Bright Lines,” Islam worked as a youth organizer at a nonprofit called Make the Road by Walking in Bushwick. “I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do after I graduated, but I did know that it would be connected to community organizing and social justice,” she said. The experience was taxing but rewarding many of the skills she learned continue to benefit her in life. Islam continued, “My salary was $38K, tens of thousands less than fellow grads who’d gone into more lucrative careers. I think it’s important to realize the reward of activist work is that you have microlevel impact with the folks you work with directly on the ground–and that is priceless. After years of it, I started to feel my value and the cap on my salary was wearing down on me living in NYC–and that’s when I decided to shift into entrepreneurship. The skills you learn working with people, the compassion, the interpersonal connection, the administrative slog–it lends itself to a multitude of skills you can apply anywhere.”
Music program inspires creativity in prison reform Matt Stein reporter
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cused attention around contemporary music– and great programming and performances,” McClellan said of Modfest. Modfest also has the potential to reach audiences who were previously uninvolved in the music scene. With such a broad range of events, it can appeal to anyone. In many events like MUSICAMBIA, the themes transcend music and have a much greater resonance. McClellan continued, “I think Modfest provides people with a friendly but powerful introduction to current ‘classical’ composers and performers. The choice of composers is broad stylistically, so there is something for everyone, and the performing is top-notch so you get compelling presentations of the music that will draw in newcomers. And many of the concerts involve students, and they are happening just steps from the dorms, so it’s the ideal environment to hear some new things.” MUSICAMBIA offers a new side of the pris-
on reform movement that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves, the ability of rehabilitation and pride through creative expression. Hopefully, this presentation can inform and motivate students to notice the change that’s possible within these communities and the difference art can make. Currently, MUSICAMBIA has partnered with institutions like the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, the Polmont Young Offenders Institution in Scotland and the Instituto Nacional de Orientación Feminina in Venezuela, with intentions to expand domestically and internationally even further. Discussing the impact he hopes the presentation will have on Vassar students and staff, Schram said, “I’d like the artists to leave the presentation with a sense of the power their art has. Art is more powerful than ever thought, allowing ideas to be possibilities. In general, anything can impact the population.”
courtesy of Matthew Stein
or the last 37 years, Vassar students have made the 30-minute drive to Stormville, N.Y. each week. As part of the Green Haven Prison Program, students and inmates at the maximum-security prison gather to discuss a range of topics including current events, domestic violence, fatherhood and more. The program started in 1979 and has been credited with changing the lives of hundreds of Vassar students and inmates alike. This Friday, students will have the opportunity to learn about another life changing prison initiative–this time without the drive. The presentation is part of Modfest, the annual festival that celebrates and explores 20th and 21st-century music through a series of events, concerts and displays. According to organizers, this year’s schedule has particularly diverse offerings. On Friday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m., violist Nathan Schram will give a presentation on the MUSICAMBIA program in Spitzer Auditorium in Sanders Classroom. MUSICAMBIA is a prison reform program that establishes music programs within prisons and jails in which incarcerated people can participate. Schram is the executive director and founder of MUSICAMBIA. The presentation will consist of information regarding how the program started and will include pictures, videos and audio recordings showing the work that this program has accomplished. Explaining how MUSICAMBIA’s artistic focus differs from the traditional prison reform movement, Schram replied, “This way of prison reform is more grass roots and not focused on being political. It can mainly prove that there’s a way to build pride and community amongst the incarcerated people and administration by reminding everyone of their humanity.” This blend of activism and creativity is expected to resonate on campus. MUSICAMBIA, which is a portmanteau of the Spanish words “musica” and “cambia” to mean “music change,” began when Schram was in Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW and worked with the Rikers Island Correctional Facility in
2011. Modeled after Venezuela’s Penitentiary Orchestra Program, which Schram visited and studied, MUSICAMBIA provides an important opportunity for incarcerated people within these communities to develop a new skill that can improve their self-esteem and create a better lifestyle through creative expression. Schram’s presentation is part of Modfest, the two-week annual festival now in it’s 14th year. Modfest’s aims are to explore arts in the 20th and 21st centuries. Dee Wilson ’69 and her husband, music professor Richard Wilson, founded the festival with the intention of focusing in-depth on contemporary art from different fields to illuminate more modern artists that didn’t get the academic attention they deserve. This year’s Modfest includes Schram’s MUSICAMBIA presentation, a performance by the Mahagonny Ensemble featuring a newly-written piece by Robinson McClellan ’99 commissioned specifically for Modfest, as well as many Vassar students and local performers presenting all sorts of art. Talking about MUSICAMBIA’s message and what influenced her to invite Schram to participate in Modfest, Wilson said, “When I got to know Nathan and I found out about the program he’s running, I thought that this is what it’s really all about, also just learning for learning’s sake. But the arts also have been said many times to bring a sense of calm, a sense of organization and, I think for these men, a sense of pride in what they’re doing, which has to help get them through the day.” Schram’s program lies at the intersection of activism and art, which broadens its appeal. For Wilson, learning is appealing in its own right. She explained, “Even when learning appears to be in a vacuum or not having meaning to it, there’s the inner meaning for it. Learning a language because you’re going to go there is wonderful, but there’s also to learn it just because it’s really interesting. Modfest educates on what usually is not taught. Other art events, like the Fluid Ecologies exhibition, shed light on cultures and people that rarely get the attention they deserve. “It’s wonderful to see this unified and fo-
Violinist Nathan Schram will present on campus about the MUSICAMBIA program as part of the annual Modfest.The program uses music to empower and enrich the lives of convicted felons..
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
February 4, 2016
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Loeb exhibit celebrates Hudson River School works Sabrina Oh Reporter
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courtesy of Anthony Kim
rt has been central to Vassar since its inception. As the first school to include a museum in its original plan, Vassar’s art collections have charted American history for hundreds of years. The “American Stories” exhibition is a revitalization and expansion of Vassar’s American art collection. The exhibition attempts to aestheticize American history from 1800 to 1950 as a narrative, albeit an incomplete one. This visual anthropological exhibition also includes some of the Loeb’s unseen collection of American paintings. The exhibition was curated by James Mundy, the Anne Hendricks Bass Director of the Art Center. It features defining narrative paintings, portraits and landscapes by American artists from the Hudson River School and John Singleton Copley among others. Interestingly, the exhibition includes four pieces by C.K. Chatterton, the second professor of painting at Vassar College. Consisting of 59 works, “American Stories” is thematically and physically partitioned off into three sections. Multimedia assistant at the Loeb Delphine Douglas ’18 described, “The exhibit is called ‘American Stories’ and it’s split up into three rooms/sections: People, Places and Moments.” She continued, “The Loeb has a massive collection and a lot of really nice works don’t get displayed often because there’s so much. A lot of the exhibit isn’t usually on view, so it’s exciting to see it up. One of the Loeb’s strengths is its collection of Hudson River School paintings, and this exhibit features some more of those and the exhibit complements the Hudson River School collection that’s always on display.” In the first third of the 19th century, American artists supported themselves by producing pieces, such as portraits, as they worked neither under a system of royal patronage nor with an academy or the Church. As a result, many
works from this time period were portraits, hence the title ‘People.’ Time ran its course, and portraits alluded to literary references. For instance, Samuel Isham’s “Song of the Lark” depicts a single lovely young woman romantically posed half-length in profile looking upward, where there is no apparent lark, though it may be imagined by audience members. During the early 20th century, the Great Depression incepted the school of Social Realism, which influenced artists, including Milton Bellin, who painted a rather grotesquely obscure self-portrait. In terms of places, landscapes were the pinnacle of subject matter in the realm of American art. The Hudson River School is a paradigmatic group of artists, including Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, who defined Romantic Art primarily during the 19th and 20th centuries. Last but not least, the section entitled “Moments” in the exhibition highlights the visceral and the less obvious. Social Realist Bellin’s “Two Women” is a prime example of such a moment. Two women nonchalantly stroll by a legless pencil vendor–a jarring social critique of the inflictions brought about by the Depression during the 1930s. FLLAC Student Advisory Committee representative Nick Barone ’19 [Nick Barone is also a Miscellany News columnist] expressed his enthusiasm for the Bellin and, by and large, American art: “I think the exhibition is important because it’s highlighting a number of artists throughout American history, especially those that were lesser known or might’ve been otherwise overlooked. The Hudson River School has always deeply interested me and I’m excited to see how the painters selected reconcile what constitutes ‘American’ art when borrowing from or being influenced by different artistic movements and traditions.” For Barone, the social implications of the art are equally as interesting and important. He continued, “I also always think it’s significant
Many previously unseen works will be displayed in“American Stories.” The exhibition adds to an extensive collection of American works and continues a rich history that began many years ago. that showcased art carries a social message, so I’m looking forward to seeing works by Milton Bellin in particular. Also, I think it’s important to note that Native American/immigrant/Black art isn’t a part of something entitled ‘American Stories.’” Though the exhibition attempts to create a narrative of American art, Barone reminds us that this narrative is simply incomplete. Nevertheless, the Loeb can only exhibit so much art at a time, but the attempt to narrate and paint a story is in itself a manifestation of creativity and artistry that the Loeb ceaselessly brings to the Vassar Community. FLLAC docent Isa Pengsagun ’19 enthusiastically elaborated on the fascinating experiential nature of the exhibition, “‘American Lives’ is an interesting exhibition that showcases some of
Vassar’s unseen collection. Some of the pieces on show in the exhibition are cool specifically because you can compare them to the permanent collection. For example, there’s a portrait of Matthew Vassar that can be contrasted to the one that greets us at the entrance of the museum.” The collection is also an opportunity to see less popular historical paintings. Pengsagun continued, “There are also a lot of Hudson River school paintings that show the talent of some lesser-known names. The fact that the exhibit has pieces that range from the 1800s to the 1900s means that you can see a progression and change in style of American art as well. Besides that, the exhibition is great just because there are so many beautiful and interesting paintings!”
Fluid Ecologies highlights daily Caribbean life, heritage Patrick Tanella Reporter
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rt is often credited as an illuminating medium, a way to capture a scene, a theme or a truth. The Loeb’s newest exhibit, “Fluid Ecologies: Hispanic Caribbean Art” from the permanent collection is no exception. These 13 works on paper shed a much deeper light on Caribbean life, one that goes well beyond a typical tourist’s perspective. The collection will open on Tuesday, Jan. 26th at 10:00 a.m. and run until May 8th. The seven 20th-century artists featured in the exhibit are from Puerto Rico, Cuba and Colombia. Through the coordination of Lisa Paravisini and Elizabeth Nogrady, the Loeb is able to bring visibility to these important works of Caribbean art. Professor of Hispanic Studies Lisa Paravisini discussed with the Loeb’s curator of academic programs, Elizabeth Nogrady, about the Loeb
gallery’s holdings on Caribbean art. Paravisini was planning to teach a section of Environmental Studies/Africana Studies 258 (Caribbean Culture and the Environment) focused on environmental art and was looking for materials from Vassar’s own collection to use in class. The redesign of the class was aided by a grant from the CAAD (Creative Arts Across Disciplines) initiative that allowed the class to visit several museum exhibits and invite Mexican artist Alejandro Duran to class. According to Paravisini, “Given the depth and quality of Vassar’s collection of Caribbean art, Elizabeth Nogrady proposed the idea of organizing an exhibit. I was very eager to pursue it, although this is not something I’ve ever done before.” Nogrady helped Paravisini bring everything together and co-curate the collection. Her job is to suggest ideas and work with faculty to make use of our collections through teaching and public presentations.
Alec Ferretti/The Miscellany News
“Fluid Ecologies” features 13 works by seven Caribbean artists. The pieces, seemingly different, share themes about Caribbean life like the importance of preservation and fragility of the environment.
The Loeb’s coordinator of public education and information, Margaret Vetare, is especially excited for the exhibit primarily because it showcases works that usually cannot be displayed. She explained, “I’m very excited about this show because it gives us this opportunity to showcase part of our permanent collection that doesn’t get seen all that often partly because these are works on paper, which are very fragile and wouldn’t be on view for a long time the way other parts of our permanent collection are.” Since many of the artists are still living today and are from various parts of the Caribbean, the collection focuses on a part of this artistic heritage of the Americas that isn’t represented strongly in the Loeb’s permanent installation. Vetare is thankful for the work Paravisini did to make the exhibit come together in a cohesive way. She appreciates when faculty research can complement a museum collection. Vetare explained, “The work that Lisa Paravisini has done to place these works of art in context of Caribbean history and aesthetics is really important to us as a museum. It’s really great when faculty conduct research that contributes to the museum’s understanding of our own collection.” Vetare is excited for what the collection brings to the Loeb and the surrounding community as a whole. The museum staff’s language proficiency makes the exhibit particularly accessible to those in the community who are not native English speakers. She explained, “This is going to be fun for our visitors to see because it is different. We are excited that some of the docent staff who work here are fluent Spanish speakers, so I am going to be able to offer to group tours the exhibition in Spanish. This gives us an opportunity to link it with a language opportunity.” The works themselves are vibrant and incredibly varied. Although they’re all works on paper, their medium is still very diverse. They include charcoal work by Thomas Sanchez, which you can hold up against the colored pencil and pastel work of incredible detail and fineness by Marisol. The collection also show-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
cases screen-print techniques. Although the exhibit is relatively small, it speaks to a variety of Caribbean lives and experiences. All of these experiences were heavily influenced by their location. As a result, the seemingly disparate collection touches on many themes in Caribbean life like the environment and its role in everyday life. For Paravisini, uniting such disparate works was initially challenging. She explained, “The greatest difficulty I found as a beginner curator for an exhibit was finding a title, since it required a unifying concept bringing some very different art and artists together.” She returned to these themes in Caribbean life to look for the connection. She continued, “Here, I returned to the initial idea for the class, what art can teach us about living in the Caribbean environment, and found clear links between the works and artists through the fluidity of their movements across the Caribbean Sea (migration and sea-crossings as themes), their concerns for the vulnerability of the Caribbean environment and their sense of geography and place.” The collection as a whole is very different from what the Loeb normally showcases. The collection represents a different side of Caribbean art rather than the blue skies and clear water that is so prominently ingrained in Western ideas. While each work is very different, together they push against the identity imposed on them. Vetare hopes that the exhibit resonates beyond Vassar and allows the Loeb to reach local populations that may be from the Caribbean and have a specific interest in the exhibit. It also reaches out to school groups and communities, such as people in the Hudson Valley who may have a cultural interest in the collection. The Loeb staff is eager for this exhibit to include groups of people who might not otherwise feel a connection to the museum. For those who might already be familiar with the museum, the collection asks them to look at the world beyond the standard canon of Western art and to look in different directions, at which the Vassar community thrives.
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February 4, 2016
Daughter’s “Not to Disappear” lacks past works’ appeal Saachi Jain
Guest columnist
Not to Disappear Daughter 4AD
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discovered the London-based indie folk band Daughter in 2014, and their music immediately became some of my most played. I kept many of the songs on repeat for weeks. Their first studio album “If You Leave” was atmospheric and poignant, particularly because of Elena Tonra’s enchanting vocals, and it became my go-to for cold winter days or when I was feeling particularly low-spirited. My favorite tracks were “Shallows,” “Still,” “Human” and perhaps their best-known song, “Youth.” The song “Switzerland” from their EP “His Young Heart” is one of my favorite instrumental tracks. When their long-awaited second album “Not to Disappear” was released in mid-January, I immediately opened Spotify and listened to it all the way through. I had high expectations after the way the band’s previous music had resonated with me so deeply. During my first listen, I was instantly disap-
pointed, but it often takes multiple listens to get a feel for the album. After going through the album thoroughly, I definitely liked it more than I did initially. It has a few stellar songs that rival my older favorites and certainly includes more variety and experimentation, as well as stronger instrumentals. However, it didn’t quite measure up to the band’s previous work and the second half of the album in particular fell flat. “Not to Disappear” consists of 10 tracks and runs 47 minutes long. It opens with “New Ways,” a fitting introduction for the group’s attempt at taking their music in a different direction with the album. It begins slowly and the instrumentals are the star of the song, especially towards the end with intense and chaotic guitars. The album’s title is derived from the bridge: “I’m trying to get out / Find a subtle way out / Not to cross myself out / Not to disappear.” The feeling of the second track goes well with its title, “Numb,” with its repetitive lyrics and haunting instrumentals, though it is not a song that sticks out. “Doing The Right Thing” is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and the lyrics are dark and depressing–they are very reminiscent of “Smoke” from “If You Leave.” They describe the effect of Alzheimer’s and the major loss
that comes with it: “I’m just fearing one day soon / I’ll lose my mind / Then I’ll lose my children / Then I’ll lose my love / Then I’ll sit in silence.” “How” is another one of my favorites, though more because of the melody than the lyrics, and it is evocative of bands like The Innocence Mission. “Mothers” continues with the focus on loss and family, and speaks of unconditional love: “Oh love all you need to love before it goes / When your face becomes a stranger’s I don’t know / You will never remember who I love for you / Carried in the womb.” This is also the last song of the album that I really love, and the tracks after this all left me wanting in some way. “Alone / With You” is interesting in its structure and lyrics, describing the feeling of loneliness and isolation that one can feel when they’re both alone and in the company of others. The first and second parts mirror each other, showing that there is little discrepancy between the two types of solitude. But even though the lyrics are poignant, everything else about the song is fairly lacking and rather unimpressive. “No Care” is certainly the most imaginative of the songs and deviates from the band’s typical music. With fast, frenzied beats and hectic drums, it goes with the setting of the singer
dancing alone and wildly with no care in the world. This singer is part of a destructive and confusing relationship. The last three songs of the album are mostly one tone and uninspiring, both lyrically and instrumentally, and I got no lasting impression from them, especially “To Belong.” The first part of the album is definitely much stronger. There were some excellent songs that gave me the same sensations and feelings as some of the first songs I listened to by Daughter–the ones I had on repeat for days. The band’s lyrics as a whole tend to be mostly minimal and repetitive, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as they fit well with the haunting and melancholic vibe of their music. They touch on themes of grief, heartbreak and desolation. For fans of the band, “Not to Disappear” is worth listening to. But for those who are new to them, I would recommend their earlier music. It is a much better introduction and is overall superior. Those who are drawn to bands like The xx and The National–who Daughter toured with in 2014–would certainly find something worthwhile in any of Daughter’s music. “Not to Disappear” didn’t live up to admittedly high expectations as a whole, but there are beautiful gems in there that linger with you and have a lasting effect.
“The Boy” offers screams, Documentary focuses on builds slowly to horror vigilante justice, drug wars Jimmy Christon Columnist
The Boy William Brent Bell Lakeshore
“T
he Boy” is the best horror movie to come out in January in ages. Granted, that’s not praise of the highest caliber, but it is praise. The movie has some moments where it really does shine, and the whole movie is good more often than it is bad; which is more than most horror movies that come out today can say (i.e. “The Forest,” “Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension,” “The Gallows,” etc.). The movie stars Lauren Cohan–who plays Maggie on The Walking Dead–and Rupert Evans, who was in “Hellboy” and Amazon’s “The Man in the High Castle” series. One of the movie’s biggest strengths is actually the performance of these two stars. They aren’t Oscar-worthy performances, but they are well above par for a genre marred with bad performances. The movie is directed by William Brent Bell, who has only directed horror movies. Bell’s last outing, “The Devil Inside,” wasn’t great, and “The Boy” can be seen as an improvement in every way over Bell’s last project. The plot centers around Greta (played by Lauren Cohan), an American living in England who was hired as a nanny for a boy. Much to Greta’s surprise, the boy is actually a doll made of porcelain. Greta ignores the doll at first, but then some weird stuff starts happening with the doll, and with the house in general. Alongside this narrative, we also learn more of Greta’s backstory and what led her to be where she is. The two narratives, while far from perfect, do intersect in a cool way that leads to a great climax. The movie has moments that are genuinely scary, and not in a way that revolves around jump scares. In fact, the movie relies more on a slow building of dread than on cheap thrills. This slow building of dread and terror pays off greatly in the final act of the movie in a sequence that trades the slow build of fear with fast-paced terror that will get your pulse pounding. As mentioned above, the performances by the two leads in the movie are pretty solid for what the movie is. Sure, the script isn’t doing them any favors but Lauren Cohan and Rupert Evans both portray their respective characters accurately in regards to the situations they are in. Awkward moments between characters feel
awkward and tense moments feel tense. When the narrative comes to a head at the end of the film, Lauren Cohan’s performance really brings it home well. The supporting actors in this movie also give solid performances. Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle, who play the Heelshires (the family that hires Greta) put just the right amount of cheese into their performances to make the ridiculous premise of “The Boy” feel more realistic then it has any right to be. “The Boy” is not without fault, however; the movie is plentiful in this regard. For starters, some of the scenes towards the beginning feel a little stilted and awkward, but this issue is quickly resolved as the plot progresses. Probably the most aggravating issue I had with the movie was the use of dream sequences. Dream sequences in horror movies are either a hit or miss. When used effectively, dream sequences can show the viewer the inner psyche of a character while displaying imagery that is terrifying in a nightmarish sort of way such as Father Karras’ dream in the horror classic “The Exorcist.” In “The Boy” however, dream sequences don’t serve any other purpose than to show off some cheap scares that exist only in the dream because the scares wouldn’t make sense if they happened in reality. Another issue I had with the movie is that more than once, the tension in some scenes would be ruined by close-ups of stuffed animals hanging on the walls of the house. This could have been scary if the animals were something that inspired fear like a wolf baring its teeth or something like a bear, but no, they’re close-ups of owls staring off camera. It’s random, out of place and only hurts the tension the movie is trying to create. The ending of the movie is also flawed in that it just kind of ends. Some fairly big stuff happens in the end of the movie. What is bothersome is that the implications of these events aren’t really brought up in the movie’s final moments. All-in-all however, the faults in “The Boy” aren’t enough to wear down the movie as a whole. The movie is genuinely scary, the actors all give solid performances and the climax of the movie was actually one of the most intense horror scenes from a wide-release horror movie in recent memory. That being said, you should probably realize what you’re buying when you buy a ticket: this movie isn’t the next “Sinister,” “Babadook” or “It Follows.” This is a good horror movie from a director that respects the genre and is getting better with each stab he takes at making a horror genre film.
Jillian Elkin Columnist
Cartel Land Matthew Heineman Our Time Projects
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hough “Cartel Land” enjoyed a limited release in 2015, its recent acquisition by Netflix makes 2016 seem like the year it debuted. With premium channels, movies on demand and online streaming services, distribution becomes a series of premiers rather than a single set release date. No matter how one watches it, “Cartel Land” commands its viewer’s attention. It demands audible gasps and soft chuckles. Plus, in the case of “Cartel Land,” viewers benefit from the multiple opportunities to watch, discuss and repeat. Matthew Heineman’s documentary follows two stories of vigilante justice related to the War on Drugs. One story takes place in Michoacán, Mexico and the other occurs in Arizona. The film opens with masked members of a Mexican drug cartel cooking crystal meth. Plumes of smoke set a strikingly gorgeous scene. Throughout the film, the visual beauty works to pull the viewer into an oddly fantastical-looking world. Despite the gritty reality, the camera work offers enticing views. This beginning also establishes that Heineman isn’t messing around: he’s capturing the dangerous inner workings of the War on Drugs that we infrequently see. One of the documentary’s subjects is the leader of Arizona Border Recon, Tim Foley . This self-described NGO aims to work within the law—unlike the Oregon militia. The small group of armed volunteers that comprises the Arizona Border Recon traverses around the Mexico-U.S. border. They attempt to prevent drug cartels and illegal immigrants from entering America by handing people over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Foley admits that others in the U.S. view his group as a collection of racists. It’s the easiest conclusion to jump to and perhaps applicable to some of the other men in the Arizona Border Recon. In the more captivating storyline, the viewers meet Dr. José Manuel Mireles Valverde, the leader of los Grupos de Autodefensa Comunitaria. This paramilitary group of volunteers with regular day jobs successfully combats violent drug cartels throughout Michoacán. Though they operate in defiance of the law, communities rally around las Autodefensas for protecting them and express distrust toward the Mexican government. In his interviews with Heineman, Mireles explains that the group captures cartel leaders,
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
turns them into the authorities and does not raid any homes. Mireles is a medical doctor and national celebrity. Mireles has such an irresistible charm that you almost forget he acts as the public face of a massive, heavily armed operation interacting with the top leaders of Los Zetas and the Knights Templar Cartel. Foley is arguably charming, but in a smaller way. The moments that depict the men stripped of grandeur or pride come across as the most sincere and surprising. Whether you agree with it or not, Heineman forces a comparison between Foley and Mireles. Neither overly emotional, nor overtly factual, “Cartel Land” has the pacing and tension of a narrative action flick. Heineman daringly captures ground-level shootouts between las Autodefensas as they go after cartel leaders. Equally impressive footage reveals meetings of the leaders of las Autodefensas as they discuss major dilemmas and changes. The Michoacán storyline contains twists, turns, humor and intrigue. The Arizona storyline is less of a narrative arc and more like a traditional documentary snapshot. Both offer well-rounded pictures of the two men, empowering the viewer to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. One of the many compelling results from the comparison is a look at the birth of a vigilante movement. The Arizona Border Recon insists that they are not vigilantes. But their line of work meets the definition of vigilante justice, even if they have a healthy relationship with Border Patrol. (Meanwhile, the Mexican government and las Autodefensas are at odds.) One question that the film raises: What natural and manufactured forces are required for a thriving vigilante movement? The film also questions the negative connotations attached to frontier justice. The two movements aren’t too different from their legally authorized counterparts. In contemporary society, there may be room for civilians and government officials to collaborate. In fact, when “protecting one’s country” is a passion project instead of a paycheck, the civilians exercise great enthusiasm. Accountability appears difficult to control and maintain within vigilante movements, but one could say the same about the government too. Unlike other documentary styles, “Cartel Land” leaves out graphs and statistics in favor of an emphasis on the action at hand. It’s easy to forget that the events in the film are real because of how well they bring up the recurring theme of morality. The film offers a fascinating look at the War on Drugs from two rare perspectives. Additionally, it intimately acquaints the viewer with two charismatic leaders. This comes together as a thrilling documentary. Also, the ending will take your breath away.
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February 4, 2016
Page 17
Teju Cole brings novels, tweets to class Excuse me,
TEJU COLE continued from page 1
Campus Canvas
nation in The Atlantic. In these tweets, Cole coined the phrase “white-savior industrial complex.” “The white savior supports brutal policies in the morning, founds charities in the afternoon, and receives awards in the evening,” he tweeted. In an interview with Kumar, Cole discussed his work on different media. He explained, “All creative work, I feel, and all meaningful contributions that somebody can make creatively, only comes from here. [Points to heart.] It comes from something very deep, something very profound in you, from having an attentive attitude to life.” This emotional pull unites Cole’s social commentary, photography and novels. For English major Sarah Cohn ’18, the opportunity to meet an artist is exciting. “Just to be around someone who creates is really cool. That’s what I like about the artist in residence
position,” she explained. Many students in the English Department will read Cole’s works in the coming weeks. Kumar’s course on cities is set to read “Open Cities,” while his journalism course will read and study his Twitter and Instagram. Cole lends a contemporary perspective to the writer-in-residence position. He stands out among past residents by honing his craft and embracing new media’s role in cultivating art. Cole’s breadth of work and the way he pushes boundaries are especially interesting to Cohn. She continued, “It’s really interesting to learn from someone who works in the field-- both by writing articles in the New Yorker and The Atlantic and by writing novels. Also, he says some really cool things about like our hypocritical notions of free speech, so he’s sort of daring in that way.”
How have you taken advantage of McDonald’s all-day breakfast?
“I’m replacing all my buns with hash browns.” -Bernardo Jiménez ’17
courtesy of Guernica Magazine
a series of retweets on Cole’s account to his 100,000+ followers. According to Professor of English Amitava Kumar, “Cole is clearly one of the most inventive writers around. His work on social media is a part of it.” Kumar has worked closely with Cole in the past. “I have known and admired Teju Cole for some time,” he said. “I have interviewed him in the past and also had the pleasure of collaborating with him on an ekphrastic project Who’s Got the Address?” After writing “Hafiz,” Cole asked people on Twitter to tweet seemingly random sentences. It wasn’t until he retweeted them all that the story came together. “When I retweeted all of these things, in sequence, they all joined together to make a coherent story,” he explained. “The work he has done in the past on Twitter has given all of us a sense of the possibilities of social media,” explained Kumar. “Social media as a space for commentary and satire, sure, but also as a space for literary or artistic work.” Cole has embraced the medium as a form of expression. “Maybe it’s just a generational thing where I don’t think that print media has to be the be-all and end-all,” he explained. Nevertheless, he has had success beyond his work on social media. Open City won the 2012 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. The story centers on Julius, a Nigerian immigrant in New York City. It chronicles his relationships, inner musings and explorations outside of New York. Cole will read from the book during his campus visit. “Like many others, I think of Cole’s OPEN CITY as one of the most astonishing debut novels to be published in the US,” says Kumar. Cole’s work has also been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New Inquiry and more. He also serves as the New York Times Magazine’s photography critic. “There aren’t too many writers around who occupy such a prominent position in different fields,” says Kumar. As a crossover artist, his appeal spans media, creative fields and generations. Another series of tweets in response to the 2012 viral Kony video prompted a much larger expla-
Teju Cole is known for his novels, social media presence, photography, and more. This particular photo was shot by Cole as part of a collaboration with Professor of English Amitava Kumar.
A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
“It’s been almost as good as Taco Bell.” -Jack Yaworsky ‘18
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“I can get an egg McMuffin at 2:39 am and 2:39 pm and not feel bad.” -Roger Vera ‘18
“I wish it never happened.” -Sophia Burns ‘18
“You don’t even have McDelivery here!” -Christina Yang ‘17
This work is a sculpture piece made using wood and chopsticks. Still in progress, this piece is for an assignment of the sculpture class I am taking here at Vassar. The prompt asks us to use one kind of found materials for the entire piece. So I decided to use chopsticks and to organize them as if merging into a circle. The idea behind this design is to represent and recreate the intimate moment in my childhood when I shared meals with my family. Ultimately, I plan on using over a thousand chopsticks in total. -Diana Guo ’18
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor Sam Pianello, Photo Editor
SPORTS
Page 18
February 4, 2016
Learn the ropes, ski the slopes with Vassar Ski Team Anika Lanser
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Senior Editor
courtesy of Vassar Athletics
hile most sports teams tend to take training trips to warmer locations, the ski team is forced to go colder, in search of snow and ice. Over winter break, the Vassar ski team took a week-long trip to Sugarbush Mountain in Vermont. There, they skied the slopes during the day and spent their nights bonding in the warmth. The team prides itself on being open to skiers, or “brewskis” of all skill levels, from beginners to those who have been skiing long before their time at Vassar. About 50 Vassar ski team members attended the Sugarbush trip. While very much a real sport, the group’s non-varsity status means that the ski team does not recruit from pools of talented athletes, but rather from the Vassar student body. Most recruiting is done at the first activities fair, where first-year students sign up for the email list and are later invited to an all-team party. It is these acts of bonding that ski team members relish. Most members remember the first time they signed up for ski team. Senior captain Ted Marrinan recalled in an emailed statement, “I joined the ski team my very first activities fair, because Anna Been (then captain) was walking around with a ski, and I thought that was pretty cool.” Junior Gabby Pollack had a similar experience. She explained, “I first joined the ski team my freshman year at Vassar. I got involved at the club fair when I saw really cool people with lots of energy telling everyone to join the ski team!” In fact, many experiences of joining ski team seem to revolve around the positive energy and the laid-back attitude of the team. As freshman Allison Breeze exclaimed, “It’s one of the closest-knit groups I’ve ever been a part of. Regardless of class year, it feels like everyone is there to look after one another and make sure everyone has fun.” This thought is echoed by many other members of ski team who are grateful for the different opportunities to connect across ages. “Being on ski team gave me my first opportunity to interact with people in different grades in a
The Vassar Ski Team only meets for a few competitions each year. Yet the squad brings together a group of students with diverse backgrounds and interests who come together to form close bonds. setting other than on campus,” wrote freshman Vanessa Rosensweet. However, ski team is more than just bonding and trips to snowy lodges. The team also competes in the McBrine Division, along with schools like Wesleyan, Yale, Marist, Springfield College and University of Rhode Island. In a typical racing weekend, there is one day of slalom racing and one day of giant slalom racing. Sophomore Theresa Law explained, “You get one run down in the morning and one run down in the afternoon. Whoever has the fastest combined time of those two runs wins.” The typical racing day is a whirlwind in which both the men’s and women’s teams compete and cheer on their teammates. Marrinan added, “We arrive at the mountain at some ungodly hour, like 7, races usually start around 9 with either men’s or
women’s heats first, with the other group standing at the gate keeping track of the mechanics of the race. Then we switch, finish racing for the morning, ski a bit, grab lunch, and repeat.” Although other teams in the division are competitive and train to win their races, the Vassar ski team takes a more relaxed approach to race days. Senior captain Marya Pascuito joked about the team record, “We’re probably 0-500...We’re here to have fun!” “I like to tell new recruits that we’re the least competitive team in the least competitive league in the country,” Pascuito wrote. The Vassar ski team appears content to relax on race days and just enjoy the team aspect. Marrinan added, “The Vassar team usually turns up to 2 or 3 of the season’s 8 or so races.” Pollack agreed, “We have even had people who have never skied before race! The brewskis
are more about spirit and happiness than about competition.” One race in particular is a team favorite. “Our most special race is probably the alumni costume race at Magic Mountain at the end of the season; we dress up with themes like ‘denim’ or ‘space robots’ and have a blast for the goofiest race of the year,” Pascuito wrote. Although the Vassar ski team has an intense focus on accessibility, as a sport skiing has a history of being financially straining. Pascuito commented, “Our mission statement is mostly about our commitment to making skiing a more accessible sport, and I think we’ve done a particularly good job of that this year.” Law added, “Ski team gets a lot of funding from the VSA. I’m not sure exactly how much, but enough that we only have to pay $440 for 5 days and 5 nights in nice condos and lift passes that are good for 5 days of skiing.” Although the team’s focus seems to mostly center around fun and accessibility, some feel there is little support for the group as an athletic team on campus. Marrinan wrote, “We fall somewhere in the gray area between sports team and org., so we don’t get the athletic press we deserve, and we don’t have regular club meetings like many other groups.” Despite the lack of an athletic campus presence, some ski team members see the benefits of ski team having a different vibe than other athletic teams. Breeze wrote, “I don’t think that ski team is necessarily one clique, as it is with a lot of other sports teams. It’s more of a conglomeration of a bunch of different types of people, some who only come for one year, others who go to every race.” She continued, “However, that’s not to say they don’t have a presence on campus; there is definitely an underlying bond between everyone on ski team, just a different dynamic than would be expected.” As Pascuito wrote, “Ski team is probably the best thing I’ve done at Vassar, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of something so genuine and fun for the whole time I’ve been here!”
Kriz gets 1000 kills, Knigge notches Player of the Week VOLLEYBALL continued from page 1
playoff tournament. While the team’s overall ranking thus far, standing at number 15 in the nation, is certainly an impressive feat, Cimorelli stated that the team has even higher aspirations for this season. He offered his vision, explaining: “We are returning all of our starters from last year and we feel like we have a great core group of guys on the team. I really feel as though our chemistry on and off the court has improved from last year and I believe that is going to help propel our season. I think a big goal for us is to be ranked in the top 10 teams in the nation. After the first week we were ranked 15th, but I don’t see that as a huge accomplishment for us. I would really like to be ranked in the top 10 or even higher.” Still, the team’s goals do not stop with their ranking. Cimorelli added, “We also really want to compete deep into our conference playoffs this year and hopefully be in the Conference Championship.” Coach Wolter echoed Cimorelli’s sentiments: “Our main goal is to compete for a conference championship and eventually a National Championship! In order to do that, we must continue to compete on a daily basis during practices and matches.” For the team, this means a commitment on and off the court. Wolter continued, “Academically, we have a goal of a team GPA of 3.3 or higher and we have done that three out of the last four seasons. Lastly, we really want to get back to be recognized as a nationally-ranked program. The biggest thing we want to improve on from last season is making past the first round of the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) tournament. It’s been three years since we advanced to the semifinals.” But the Brewers will have to get past a few other teams before making it to the playoffs. According to Coach Wolter, the team has a few big rivalries, which they will look to beat this season, “I’d say one of our biggest rivals is NYU. We play them twice a year during the regular season and as of recent, each team wins a match. SUNY New Paltz is another rival, it’s always a great and exciting match when we play each other regardless who wins.” Lizana is very optimistic, “I think that our
biggest rivals are the teams that are very similar to us. There are the powerhouse programs such as Nazareth, Stevens, Springfield. But I feel that our biggest rivals are the teams that are scrappy and just pick away at you. NYU for example, we always go back and forth with and it would be awesome to get a conference win against them. The same goes for MIT and Elmira. These are teams that we know we can and should beat and teams we would hate to lose to.” Last January, the men bested NYU in a tight, five-set match. They lost their second match 1-3 half a month later. Lizana continued, “Another big rival is our neighbor SUNY New Paltz. They are always in the top five ranked teams nationally, but we play them hard every time, and I do think we could sneak a win there.” In their lone match against New Paltz last year, Vassar fell 0-3. Yet their sets were all close, with the first going all the way to 32-30 before being decided.
Coach Holton also remains optimistic and feels that all of their hard work will pay off, “I think we do a lot of things really well. We consistently put pressure on our opponents with our serving, and we are typically a team who has great ball control, but I think our biggest asset is our work ethic and determination to want to improve. Our athletes are coming in early or staying late to get extra reps. We are also committed to our strength and conditioning program with Coach Cam. He has done an amazing job making sure we are quick and explosive! Lastly, we also have great leadership from top to bottom.” The Brewers will look to continue to maintain their winning record throughout the spring season. With a strong, veteran core including strong, consistent play from Kriz and Knigge, the Brewers are poised for a big run that could end with an appearance and victory in the Liberty League Conference Championships.
courtesy of Vassar Athletics
had a great time. I am happy to say both groups each solved their respective rooms.” With such hard work and commitment, the team has set themselves up for a successful season, and they are already off to a great start. Since the beginning of their main season, the team holds a winning game record of 5-1. Their one loss was this past weekend against Springfield College. In addition to a great starting record, in the last two weeks alone two players achieved high accolades and accomplishments that extend beyond the team’s individual season. Sophomore Matthew Knigge was recently tabbed as United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Player of the Week before also receiving the Sports Import/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Player of the Week. It was Knigge’s first national award. The last time a Vassar player received the award was 2010. Additionally, senior captain Reno Kriz achieved an impressive career record of 1000 kills this past week. Kriz was only the seventh men’s volleyball athlete in Vassar’s program history to achieve such a feat. Junior co-captain Trey Cimorelli spoke of his teammate’s accomplishment, “This is an outstanding achievement for Reno. He is only the seventh person all time to reach 1000 kills. He has been a go-to hitter all four years of his career and is a very dependable teammate. Reno is a great leader on and off the court who leads by example. His hard work and dedication to the team over the four years has definitely contributed to the team’s success and also to his success as an individual player.” Coach Wolter added his take on Reno’s accomplishment, as well as his importance to the team and program: “This is a big deal in our sport and it is very difficult to do. Reno is a perfect example of the type of student athlete we desire to see in our program, excelling in the classroom and on the court. He has been an integral part of the success of Vassar volleyball over the past four years.” The team wants to continue their winning streak as they have high hopes this season despite falling last year in the first round of their
Senior Reno Kriz recently became the seventh Vassar player ever to record 1,000 kills in his career. Kriz, a consistent starter for years, leads by example and hopes to help lead Vassar to a strong season.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
February 4, 2016
SPORTS
All-Star contest reflects league-wide evolution Zach Rippe
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Sports Editor
his year’s NBA All-Star game falls on Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re single and sad, or just looking for that perfect activity to pass the time with your main squeeze, you’ll be in for a real treat. Sure, the game almost immediately devolves into a fast-break dunk-fest full of killer crossovers, ridiculous three-point displays and circus shots, maintaining that pace until the fourth quarter. But if things get close in the last five minutes, you’ll be sure to see some quality competition from some of the game’s most recognizable faces, with a bit of gritty defense sprinkled in. All sarcasm aside, the night is usually a fun way to cap off a fun-filled weekend full of celebrity games, skill competitions and grade-A commentary from the likes of Sir Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith. Sure, the buildup is almost always a bigger deal than the game itself, but this mid-season showcase provides the rest of the league a much needed break and gives its stars, new and old, an opportunity to shine on and off the court. One of the biggest stories of the season has revolved around Los Angeles Lakers’ perennial all-star Kobe Bryant. Before the season began, Kobe declared the 2015-2016 campaign to be his last. Yes, Kobe is averaging a pedestrian 15.9 points per game, 3.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds, down from career averages of 25.1, 4.7 and 5.3 respectively. Sure, his Lakers are a woeful 9-41, using their season as little more than a vehicle for the Kobe Bryant farewell tour (and what a tour it’s been!). But his name, brand and presence speak for themselves. Whether you love him or hate him, Bryant is a modern-day legend. He has five NBA championships to his name and is arguably the greatest Laker ever. While it can be argued that someone like James Harden or Chris Paul deserved a starting spot over him, Kobe is one of the legends who is deserving of this honor. Another big story that holds weight beyond this season’s contest is that of the voting shift from two guards, two forwards and one center to simply two guards and three forwards. This year the fans voted in LeBron James, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Kyle Lowry in the East. The West starters are of a similar stature, with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook rounding out the five. You may notice there is not a single power forward or center in either lineup. The shift was made due to a noticeable
lack of all-star caliber big men on competitive squads. Other than Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins and perhaps Anthony Davis, the NBA’s line of talented, marketable big men is awfully thin. Naturally this set up allows for a more perimeter-oriented game with more speed, handles, three-point barrages and acrobatic slams. Still, a game between two line-ups of five wing players seems a bit strange. This switch also reflects the evolution of the game in the 2010s that has seen a tremendous increase in threepoint shots and a transition to small ball. This has led to the development of more young big men looking to handle the ball on the perimeter, shoot threes and as a consequence boast an undeveloped interior post-game. But with young, more traditional big men stars just getting their feet wet (I’m looking at you Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor), perhaps there will be another class of great centers on its way. Yes, Demarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis were both selected as reserves along with Lamarcus Aldridge, and Andre Drummond, Chris Bosh and Paul Millsap in the East. Still, they exist in a small pool of big men that casual fans can get excited about. Sure, I love Lamarcus Aldridges’ barrage of mid-range jumpers, but they just don’t excite the crowd the same way a fast-break dunk from Russell Westbrook would. Demarcus Cousins is having a monster season, averaging a ridiculous 27.0 points to go along with 11.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. He is definitely exciting. But his Kings aren’t winning. Does he deserve a spot over Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard? What about the Kobe situation? These decisions are tough. A popular fan vote is a finite, democratic way to make them. Does the league need to revert back to a system that elects a center? Remember when Roy Hibbert was a 2x All-Star? Would you like to see Zaza Pachulia seriously compete for votes? The system reflects a change in the game that is exemplified perfectly by the high-octane Warrior and their star Stephen Curry, a player who has usurped LeBron James So what if the starting line-ups feature five wings playing each other? It’s up to the fans and it’s all in good fun. If we see a Shaq 2.0 and a host of other big men that once again become a focal point for entertaining, winning basketball, maybe the league will revert back. Not only is the league fun right now, it’s cool. The league’s marketers know this and will continue to build upon that trend. Besides, it’s not like this game decides home court advantage for the NBA Finals...
Page 19
The improbability of Leicester, Claudio Ranieri Desmond Curran Guest Columnist
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ad I been told this past August that Leicester would be on top of the British Premier League (BPL) by the end of January, I would have asked you who Leicester was and what team he played for. A team that had secured promotion only one year earlier is now closely competing with, and leading, gargantuan clubs such as Manchester City and Arsenal in the race for the coveted BPL title. With an unexpected series of successes, many fans and analysts are pondering whether Leicester can maintain their form to win the league. The man who holds the most power and control over Leicester’s title run is their manager, Claudio Ranieri. Though Ranieri has truly turned Leicester’s somewhat average team from previous years into terrifying club that plays beautiful counter-attacking soccer and has brought out the best from players like Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, it is simply too good to be true for Leicester. I have had the privilege of witnessing Jamie Vardy set his legendary record of 12 consecutive games scored in, as well as watching the fluid and beautiful play by Riyad Mahrez. There is no doubt that the key to the renaissance of these players has been the managing of Ranieri. I commend and thank him for that. But unfortunately Ranieri’s management talents end here. While he has been able to guide clubs to vast areas of improvement in the past and managed some spectacular performances, he has somehow managed to expertly avoid winning a major league title. I suspect he has been taking instruction from whoever is guiding Leonardo DiCaprio’s fantastic job of avoiding any Oscar awards. I do believe, however, that winning titles simply isn’t what Ranieri specializes in. He is not a “specialist in failure” like Arsene Wenger, according to Mourinho, the now twice sacked Chelsea manager, Ranieri’s skills just do not work with capturing championships. Ranieri is more of a “specialist in improvement” manager. To understand why, his managerial history must be examined. When hired by Chelsea in 2000, the club itself had not been achieving any of the high-level results that they have attained in more recent years. Chelsea wasn’t by any means a low achiever, in the years leading up to Ranieri’s appointment they had been comfortably finishing just around the top quarter of the table. Upon his appointment, however, the Chelsea team slowly became much more competitive in the league. In his final
season with Chelsea, Ranieri’s team finished second to “The Invincibles” Arsenal group in 2004. Another example of the prowess of Ranieri’s building capabilities is his early success with the Italian team Cagliari Calcio, also known simply as Cagliari. At the time that he was just beginning his managerial career, Cagliari occupied a shameful spot in the Serie C1, the third league level of Italian soccer. Under the helm of Ranieri, they were promoted over two consecutive seasons to regain a position in the Serie A, the top league of Italian soccer. Ranieri has also proven himself to have an acute eye for talent and then developing those talented players into superstar players. While in charge of the Italian club Napoli, Ranieri brought in a young player named Gianfranco Zola to replace the aging, legendary, madman, soccer player Diego Maradona. Following success in the Italian leagues, Zola followed Ranieri to Chelsea later on. Fans old enough to remember can recall that Ranieri then played a critical role in assembling and developing core of the Chelsea squad that Jose Mourinho would later lead to win two premier league titles. Some of the players that Ranieri brought in now include some household names for any casual soccer follower, such as John Terry and Frank Lampard. Ranieri was also responsible for targeting players such as Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba, the latter who became a club legend. If you look at the potential for success that Ranieri has created throughout his career, it would be easy to associate him as one of the greatest choke artists in soccer along with the Netherlands and AC Milan circa 2005. But I do not see Ranieri as someone who balks at the opportunity of massive success. Ranieri is a man who is very accomplished in one task–giving demoralized and low performing teams the ability to bounce back. For any Manchester United fans reading this, take note. Of course Ranieri has his sights set on winning the Barclays Premier League this season. In the past, he has managed to win a few bits of silverware from national tournaments such as the FA Cup in England and the Copa del Rey in Spain, but he has never won a league title. While it appears that he may have finally found the right formula to win a league, his situation is simply too delicate with a team like Leicester for this opportunity to come to fruition, bar the return of Jesus Christ once more to perform another series of miracles. Knowing Ranieri’s talents of revival, however, anything is possible.
Battle of Superbowl 50: The Sheriff versus Superman Adam Joseph D’Agostino Sr. Guest Columnist
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eyton Manning, the Sheriff, has an opportunity to do in his sport what most athletes, even the highest caliber ones, only dream of doing: going out in his last season a champion. Somehow, amidst Human Growth Hormone allegations and a partially torn plantar fascia that sidelined him for seven weeks, Manning is going to play in his fourth Superbowl on Feb. 7. The opponent? Cam Newton and a team that appears to have worked for this very opportunity ever since they were rebuilt around the now fifth-year quarterback.
“The odds are stacked against Peyton; this battle seems a lot more lopsided than when he went up against the Seahawks.” This game has all the headlines and matchups a football fan could want. Old vs. Young, running quarterback against the best game manager in the games history, number one defense going up against the second-ranked defense, a five-time MVP champion battling this year’s likely MVP.
This is going to be a knockdown, drag-out affair and neither leader is going to come out of it unscathed. The Panthers are the clear favorite going into the matchup and it’s no surprise why. They come into this game having run rampant on the Arizona Cardinals for the right to be here in the first place and putting up 35 in one half against Seattle the week before that. Denver’s road here, while it went through home, involved a run-heavy performance and a fumble recovery to beat Pittsburgh and one of the greatest pass-rushing performances ever to crush Brady and the Patriots in a classic matchup of two of the great QBs of their era. The odds are stacked against Peyton; this battle seems a lot more lopsided than when he went up against the Seahawks and Russell Wilson two years ago in New York, where Seattle wiped the floor with him. Sure it would have been rich for Peyton to get his revenge against Seattle in the Superbowl. Still, one final chance at a second championship is not a bad gig. It is only fitting that in the twilight of his career, he faces one of the best young quarterbacks who looks to be at the top of his game for quite a while. His stats this year are the worst of his career: nine touchdowns to 17 interceptions, leaving him in a position where he was playing back up for Brock Osweiler going into the regular season finale. One thing has been clear this season, as sad as it is, Manning’s best days are behind him at
this point in his career. There has been some upswing however. Since coming off the bench to replace Osweiler in that week 17 game, there hasn’t been a single pick (the only turnover has been that challenge play against New England where it was marginal as to being a forward pass or a lateral, ultimately resulting in an official fumble for Peyton).
“This is an angry Manning with critics to silence and something to prove.” In addition to this sudden renaissance, last week Peyton doubled the number of touchdowns he had at home all season by throwing a resounding two to Owen Daniels. The first half of the battle with the Patriots showed us that the legend still has some fight left in him, and it was enough to put the defense in a spot to carry him on to Superbowl 50. The two defenses in this game will look to make it a low-scoring affair. The Panthers shut down Carson Palmer last week and did enough to beat a dynamic Russell Wilson the week before. The Broncos, as mentioned before, have been the real reason Denver is where it is right now.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
It’s only natural that players like Luke Kuechly and Von Miller are going to be featured leading up to this game. But most of the talk is going to be focused on the legend everyone believes is retiring no matter the outcome of this game. This is a game that Manning can win if he plays at the level he has been playing the past two games. The outstanding play calling is the reason he is still under center while he shows signs of an ability to do much more than throw intermediate passes inside the numbers. In this game, Manning is going up against the best defense not from Denver and he is going to need to play not only smarter, but better than them to pull out this win. If Denver is bringing home this Lombardi trophy, the Sheriff needs to pull out all the stops and deliver a performance for the ages, the kind of thing his younger self did on the regular. Here’s why I’m betting on Denver: this isn’t just Peyton Manning, it’s a grizzled, older Manning who’s been here before and experienced the joys and woes of this game. It’s a Manning who has been through the most traumatic season of his career, battling injury and controversy. This is an angry Manning with critics to silence and something to prove. But most importantly, this is most likely the last time we will see Number 18 play football, and as soft spoken as he is, Manning is going to make a lot of noise before the curtain comes down.
SPORTS
Page 20
February 4, 2016
Busy break defined by record-breaking performances Zach Rippe
Sports Editor Women’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball
The men’s team traveled to Puerto Rico over break for the Puerto Rico Clasico. They defeated Gustavus Adolphus College on Dec. 28 behind 21 points from senior Erikson Wasyl and 20 points from sophomore Jesse Browne. The next day, they faced off against Central College in the championship contest and fell 62-55 in a tight contest. The team then faced St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University on back-toback days after a week break. Vassar was tied with St. Lawrence at the half. However, the Saints proved to be a tough opponent as they outscored the Brewers by 13 in the second half to take the contest. The next day, they fell in a closer contest to the Clarkson Golden Knights who went on a 6-0 run during the last 19 sec-
Women’s Fencing
Women’s fencing traveled to University of California-San Diego to take part in the West Invitational on January 18. They went 2-4 on the afternoon, defeating the University of Incarnate Word and California Institute of Technology. The teams were 22-5 and 21-6 respectively. The three teams Vassar faced were either ranked in the CollegeFencing360.com National Poll or received votes in their latest release. Vassar lost to Northwestern University, ranked No. 5 nationally, 21-6 in round four. Vassar also fell to Air Force 17-10, University of California-San Diego 17-10 and Stanford University 16-11. Sophomore foilist Kirsten Denman lost only three of her 17 bouts on the day. Junior open fencer Olivia Weiss totaled a 13-4 record on the day. On Jan. 23, the women traveled to their first Northeast Fencing Conference meet of the year, hosted by Boston College. They defeated Smith College handily by a score of 22-5 but lost to Tufts University in a narrow contest by a score of 13-14. The Brewers also lost 15-12 to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University and Boston College and Brown University by a score of 17-10. Denman and Weiss had strong performances, but it was sophomore Annie Innes-Gold who led the team with 16 wins. Last Saturday, the Brewers fell to Yale by a score of 17-10. The Brewers return to action next Saturday at Smith College to finish their Northeast Fencing Conference competition for the year. Men’s Fencing
The men’s team also went out to California
courtesy of Vassar Athletics
The Brewers kicked off their post-holiday action with a strong showing at the Salem State Holiday Tournament on Dec. 29. They defeated the Salem Vikings by a score of 66-49. The Brewers outscored Salem 19-4 in the second quarter to take control of the game. In the title game the next day, they took on Wheaton College and put up a fight before ultimately falling 65-59. The team had a week off before facing St. Lawrence University on Jan. 8. They fell 56-59 in a close contest as Colleen O’Connell’s three rimmed out at the buzzer. The next day, they headed to Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y. where they fell in yet another close contest to the Golden Knights. Sophomore Ariella Rosenthal scored a career-high 24 points, going 11-22 from the floor. The Brewers then returned home to face Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute on Jan. 12 and pulled out an impressive 72-58 win. Vassar outscored Rensselaer 21-9 in the fourth to seal the victory. The Brewers went on to lose their next four games to Skidmore College, Union College, Rochester Institute of Technology and William Smith College by scores of 54-61, 61-63, 62-65 and 69-74 respectively. While their record may reflect it, the Brewers are playing competitive basketball. Against RIT, ranked No. 23 in the nation at the time, the women put up a fight for the entire game. The Brewers had a threepoint lead after three quarters and came within one point with 18 seconds left to play. The women stopped their losing streak against Bard on Jan. 26 with a 71-59 victory. Freshman Nicole Teta exploded for 23 points and shot 58 percent from the field as the Brewers put Bard away in the third quarter. They faced another tough loss in their rematch against Clarkson University. After outscoring the Golden Knights 17-7 in the third quarter to take a 10-point lead, the Brewers got a taste of their own medicine as Clarkson outscored them 20-8 in the fourth to win the game. The women did manage to get revenge against St. Lawrence this past Saturday as they blew out the Saints at home to win the contest 76-60. Serafini became the Vassar women’s all-time leader in blocked shots over break as well. The Brewers now sit at 3-7 in the Liberty League and 6-13 overall.
onds of the half to gain a bit of momentum. Wasyl scored 16 points, but the Brewers ultimately fell 50-58. The men then came home where they rattled off two straight victories against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Skidmore College by scores of 70-62 and 69-64 respectively. On Jan. 15, they took on a Skidmore team that outscored them by five in the first half. Big man Paul Grinde scored 18 points, but the night belonged to Wasyl who became the 14th player in Vassar College men’s basketball history to score 1,000 career points. The basket couldn’t have been any bigger as he scored with 14.8 seconds left to make it a two-point game. The men fell to Union College on Jan. 16 74-78 in a close contest but battled back that Friday with a 74-63 win against Rochester Institute of Technology. They faced a tough Hobart College Squad the next afternoon that took them down 52-77. Still, the men bounced back with wins over Bard College and Clarkson University. Bard was a close contest that saw the Raptors almost come back in the second half. The men won 65-61. Clarkson was a different story as the Brewers outscored Clarkson by 16 in the first half. In their most recent game this past Saturday against St. Lawrence, the men fell in a tight overtime contest. The game was tied at 33 after the first half and 66 after the second. Still the Saints locked down the Brewers in overtime to win 80-73. The men now sit at 5-5 in the Liberty League and 9-10 overall.
Senior Erikson Wasyl scored his 1,000th point against Skidmore several weeks ago. Wasyl’s bucket couldn’t have been better as it made the contest a two-possession game with 14.8 seconds left. for the West Invitational on Jan. 19. The brewers faced off against No. 10 Stanford University and UC-SC who received votes in the CollegeFencing360.com National Polls. The team went 3-3 on the day, defeating University of Incarnate Word two times by identical scores of 234. They also defeated Cal Tech 21-6. The sabre squad helped carry the team as it went 37-17. Senior captain Elam Coalson went 10-4 on the day and junior Campbell Woods did the same. Men’s epee also picked up 28 wins, with nine coming from sophomore Jonathan Alperstein, who had at least one win in all six matches. He also went 3-0 against Stanford. In their conference play, the men traveled to Chestnut Hill, MA to take part in Northeast Fencing Conference competition. They defeated MIT 18-9, Boston College 16-11 and Tufts University 17-10 to start out the day strong, but fell to the conference leader Brandeis University 14-13. The match was close, but Brandeis went 8-1 in foil to take the victory. They then lost to Brown 15-12 in the final round. Sophomores Eli Polston, Tom Racek and Alperstein each posted 3-0 scores against the Eagles. Polston led all Vassar fencers with 13 total victories on the day. The men then fell to Yale last Saturday by a score of 15-12 as Racek was the only Vassar foil fencer to earn a victory on the day. Vassar looks to finish in the top three of the Northeast Fencing Conference as they face off against Smith College this Saturday. Women’s Squash
Their Saturday Trimatch may have been canceled due to the impending blizzard on Jan. 21, but the women’s squash team got right back to work with dominant 9-0 victories over both Georgetown and Boston University. Sophomore No. 1 Hannah Nice picked up a win against GU by scores of 11-5, 11-5 and 11-4. Freshman Jiamin Wu also had a strong performance at No. 3 winning 11-7 and 11-9 before dominating in her last set and winning 11-0. Against Boston University, Nice won easily by scores of 11-2, 11-0 and 11-1 and freshman Fiona Agger dominated similarly at No. 2 by scores of 11-4, 11-1 and 11-4. They look to continue their winning ways at the Seven Sisters Championships next Saturday. Men’s Squash
courtesy of Vassar Athletics
Junior All-American Julia Cunningham continued her dominant season this past weekend at the Sprint Invitational. Both the men and women’s teams finished first overall at the annual meet.
Men’s squash also dealt with a snow day on Jan. 21 and subsequently fell to Colgate and Boston University a week later. Colgate bested Vassar 7-2, though sophomore Andrew Patton had a hard-fought win at No. 8 and junior Richard Bryenton won at No. 9 by scores of 11-4, 11-9 and 11-4. Against BU, the men didn’t fare much better, falling 8-1. Bryenton earned a default victory at No. 9. This was also senior day for the men as seniors Tim Veit, Tim Boycott, Juan Fernandez, Michael Iselin and Ben Kurchin were each honored for their commitment. Women’s Swim and Dive
The women’s swim team went to Delray Beach, Fla. on Jan. 9 to compete in the Atomic Fireball long course meet. They competed mostly against themselves, but also faced tough
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training in a much longer 50-meter course. On Jan. 14, the team fell 163-136 to Mount Holyoke College, but defeated Trinity College handily 195-84. The women were led by two wins from Stone. The dive team saw big performances from freshman Mia Moraru, senior Maya Pruitt and sophomore Nora Kyrkiebo who finished first, second and third in the three-meter dive. They fell in two tough matches to Hamilton and RIT on Jan. 16, but bounced back in a big way at the Seven Sisters Championships on Jan. 24. The women finished in second place for the first time since the 2011-2012 season. The team scored 779.5 points on the afternoon. In the three-meter dive, Pruitt finished with an 11-dive score of 385.5, the best of her career. Freshman Sammy Stone was impressive again, finishing second overall in the mile swim with a time of 17:49.65. Sophomore Cali Corbett finished ninth in the 1650 to score nine points for the Brewers. Cunningham earned a first place finish with her 2:05.55 time in the 200 fly. Junior Zoe Kurtz picked up points in seventh place with a score of 2:51.72. The team’s final match of the year was this past Saturday as the Brewers finished first in the Sprint Invitational at Vassar. Cunningham broke two meet records as the team scored 642 points on the day. Stone also set a record for the day in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:59.37. They also took home first in the 200yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:45.29. The team now looks to the UNYSCSA Championships in two weeks. Men’s Swim and Dive
The men’s team also traveled to Florida to practice their strokes in a warmer climate. Junior Anthony Walker posted a 2:27.75 in the 200-meter IM and freshman Alex May swam a 2:16.9 in the 200-meter freestyle. The sprinters performed well as a whole on the day. Despite sophomore Jonah Strand’s strong performance that included a pair of victories, the men fell to Trinity College on Jan. 14 by a score of 174-113. Strand won the 100-yard breaststroke and 200yard breaststroke respectively. Freshman Alex May also won the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:38.70. Walker and Strand were again strong for the Brewers on Jan. 16, but the team ultimately fell to Hamilton College and Rochester Institute of Technology by scores of 202-92 and 201-94. The Brewers also fell to Montclair State on Jan. 27 by a score of 128-102, but they too bounced back in a huge way to take first in the Sprint Invitational. The team broke two meet records on the way to finish first out of four teams on the day. Freshman Michael Colletta and senior Greg Cristina joined Strand and Walker to finish first in the 200-yard medley relay . They finished with a time of 1:41.16 to set a meet record on the day. Strand then broke the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 27.81 to break the previous meet record for that event as well. The men also won the 200-yard freestyle relay. Both male and female seniors were honored before the event, making the teams’ first place finishes all the more satisfying.