Misc2/9/17

The Miscellany News

Volume CXLIX | Issue 13

February 9, 2017

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

VC still prioritizes aid Refugee ban takes toll on local area after decline in funds Laurel Hennen Vigil News Editor

Andrea Yang

Staff Reporter

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Laurel Hennen Vigil/The Miscellany News

New York Times study shows that Vassar College ranks highest among the elite colleges and universities that enroll students from lower-income backgrounds.

Princeton Review ranked Vassar as #2 for “Colleges with Best Financial Aid.” These reports still ring true even though the Vassar endowment has declined in the past fiscal year.

During the academic 2015/16 year, approximately 60 percent of the student body received financial aid totaling more than $60 million awarded in the form of Vassar Scholarship assistance, all of which was based on financial need of the student.

62 percent of students received need-based financial aid in the 2016/17 academic year.

The average aid package is $50,820, which includes all grants, scholarships, loans and work-study.

Of this amount, the average Vassar Scholarship is $41,974. According to the Office of Financial Aid, the total aid budget is around $62 million.

But some have shown concern that need-blind admissions could be affected by the lack of funding because Vassar would, after all, have to regulate spending to make up for the loss.

Would financial aid plans change in the future for current and prospective students? To many, it seems that implementing need-aware admissions is

on the table.

Director of Student Financial Services Jessica Bernier answered these doubts: “At this point the Financial Aid budget will not change based on the endowment decline. Vassar is committed to meeting 100 percent of the demonstrated need for our students, therefore we continue to fund that at that rate.”

She continued, “The financial aid budget is set on a yearly basis with the current and future need of our students in mind.

Our financial aid programs are constantly being evaluated for a variety of reasons, from whether we are achieving the desired outcome from a policy change to the fiscal viability of maintaining the policy. A one year decline in the endowment income does not necessarily correlate with a change in our financial aid programs and policies.”

A decade ago, Vassar readapted to a need-blind admissions policy, which evaluates applicants strictly on their academic and extracurricular qualifications.

Additionally, Vassar announced in 2007 a policy to eliminate loans from the financial aid packages provided to students whose families earn $60,000 or less. This resulted in financial aid expenditures consuming a large part of the endowment.

Previous president Catharine Hill See FINANCIAL AID on page 6

[Editor’s note: This is a complex and rapidly changing issue. While the information in this article is accurate and up-to-date as of press time, it is possible that the details regarding the ban may change in the future.] n Wednesday, Jan. 25, President Donald Trump issued two executive orders, eliciting a nationwide outcry and sparking what many have called a humanitarian crisis. One order called for construction of a wall along the United States-Mexico border, while the other banned certain immigrants and refugees from entering the United States. The second order bans Syrian refugees indefinitely, bars refugees from all countries for 120 days, and blocks all travel to the United States from seven majority-Muslim nations—Iran, Iraq, Libya, See REFUGEES on page 4

Community members gathered in front of the Dutchess County Courthouse downtown at Hudson Valley NO Ban, NO Wall protest on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Exhibit honors famed Vassar alum Sam O’Keefe

Guest Reporter

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crystal songbird, paintings, gardening tools, poetry books, leather riding boots...These disparate objects display themselves in the Main and Art Libraries and in the Loeb Art Center. Encapsulated in the glass display cases, and by these seemingly timeless objects, are 25 years of a woman’s life, a life replete with passion, ingenuity and the flowering of a unique identity. Edna

St. Vincent Millay, a Vassar alumna from the class of 1917, was born in Rockland, ME, in 1892, and was destined for a career in the literary world as a revolutionary poet. The exhibit “Edna St. Vincent Millay: Treasures from Steepletop” allows Vassar students and faculty to appreciate meaningful pieces of the woman’s life from her bucolic home in Austerlitz, NY, gaining insight into her and her time at Steepletop.

Two separate exposition cases in the

Thompson Library and a glass case in the Art Library present artifacts and memorabilia covering the extensive routines and events that came to define Millay’s life at Steepletop, the name she gave to her home in upstate New York.

A concurrent photo exhibit in the Loeb Art Center includes solemn, elegant headshots taken by acclaimed international photographers. Adjacent to the exposition cases in the library, and See EXHIBIT on page 15

Broadway star graces Vassar stage VC Basketball honors memorable seniors F Tori Lafon

Guest Reporter

Inside this issue

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Staff calls out blue party; their efforts OPINIONS were tardy

Fiona MacLeod Guest Reporter

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Courtesy of Autumn de Wilde

rom the Great White Way to the White House, Audra McDonald has a number of impressive performance spaces in her repertoire, and as of this past Sunday, Feb. 5, she will be able to add Skinner Hall to this list.

The Broadway superstar performed in front of a sold-out recital hall full of eager Vassar students and faculty as part of the culminating event of Modfest 2017 entitled “Raising Voices: An Afternoon with Audra McDonald.”

The performance began with a brief introduction from Associate Professor and Chair of Drama Shona Tucker, followed by an approximately 45-minute concert comprised of some of McDonald’s personal favorites, chosen by the soprano herself. Consisting primarily of show tunes, the set list included classic, celebrated ballads such as “Maybe This Time” from “Cabaret” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from “The Sound of Music,” a song that McDonald performed during the live telecast of the wellloved musical.

She also included some less mainstream hits such as “The Glamorous Life” from “A Little Night Music” and “Stars and the Moon” from “Songs for a New World.”

Ever an advocate for new, original work, McDonald also featured “I’ll Be Here” from “Ordinary Days,” a song she also included in her fifth studio See MODFEST on page 15

Six-time Tony winner and Broadway great Audra McDonald came to perform and talk at Vassar’s Skinner Hall, the concluding event of Modfest 2017.

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No need to mope!

Check your HUMOR horoscope!

his past Friday, the Vassar men’s basketball team fell to the Union College Dutchmen by four points in a nail-biting contest with a final score of 79-75. Then, despite their best efforts, the Brewers were unable to make a comeback against the Skidmore Thoroughbreds on Saturday, and took their second loss of the weekend.

The team fought until the final buzzer against the Dutchmen, just barely missing their shot at victory.

Each team went on multiple scoring runs, both leading the scoreboard at multiple points in the game. Just minutes into the match, the Brewers found themselves in a 7-2 lead.

Although Union soon fought back to lead the game 17-16, they were matched by junior guard and captain Jesse Browne, who sunk a three-pointer to put Vassar on top once again at 19-17. Before the end of the first half, Browne scored eight more points for the Brewers alongside sophomore captain Alex Seff, who scored Vassar’s last four points of the half.

After halftime, both teams continued to wrestle for the lead, as Union went on an eight-point run at the opening of the second half. Though the scoreboard read 38-37 in the Dutchmen’s favor, Seff drained another four points, putting Vassar up

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41-38. But the next few minutes saw Union score ten unanswered points, securing a lead once again at 48-41. Junior guard Tony Caletti worked with freshman guard Owen Murray to sink a three-pointer, while also assisting multiple teammates as the game fired on, pulling Vassar within three points of Union at 52-49. VC battled to keep the gap from widening. In the last minute and 14 seconds of the game, the Brewers were only down by two points, following the Dutchmen 71-69.

Union pushed ahead as the end of the game neared, but Browne found the net on another three-pointer, putting Vassar behind only 75-72. Caletti followed his footsteps, sinking another three-pointer with only five seconds left in the match, pushing the Brewers to only one point behind their rivals. But in the final five seconds, the Dutchmen answered the shot, earning their own three points and winning the match by four.

Browne led the Brewers’ scoring efforts throughout the competition, earning 22 points for the Burgundy and Gray. He was joined by Seff and Murray, who earned 19 points and 11 points for the team respectively. “Jesse Browne and Alex Seff are reliable scorers for our team,” noted Head Coach Brian Dunne. “They were both really consistent forces against Union this past weekend.” Vassar outreSee BASKETBALL on page 19

Columnist fed up with expansion SPORTS of World Cup

The Miscellany News

Page 2

February 9, 2017

Editor-in-Chief Anika Lanser

Senior Editors Emma Jones Elena Schultz

Contributing Editor Yifan Wang

News Features Opinions Humor and Satire Arts Sports Design Online Copy

Zander Bashaw/The Miscellany News

Zander Bashaw ’18 is studying abroad in Italy. He is visiting hisotrical sites like San Pantronio Basilica and learning about Italy’s fascist history, which he feels we can look to for help in the age of Trump’s administration. To read more, visit farandaway.miscellanynews.org!

The Miscellany News 9

February

Thursday

Rugby Skills for All

4:30pm | Kenyon Gym | Athletics

Francofonia (Alexander Sokurov)

6:30pm | Taylor 203 | French and Francophone Studies Dept.

Bettering our Community, Using Resources Wisely 7:00pm | The Environmental Cooperative Barn MPR | The Enviromental Cooperative

Zadie Smith Lecture

8:00pm | UpC | Campus Activities

Weekender_ 10

February

Friday

VHP She Is...Gala

8:30am | Villard Room | International Services and Special Projects

Volleyball (M) Vassar Invitational

4:00pm | AFC 102 | Athletics

Resource Fair for Sexuality and Health

4:00pm | CC 223 | Women’s Center

The Miscellany News Open House

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February

Saturday

Volleyball (M) Vassar Invitational

10:00am | AFC 102 | Athletics

100 Nights

8:00pm | Alumnae/i House Dining Room | Class of 2017

Electric Lady

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February

Sunday

Laurel Hennen Vigil Emily Sayer Nick Barone Evelyn Frick Noah Purdy Patrick Tanella Olivia O’Loughlin Talya Phelps Charlotte VarcoeWolfson Sarah Dolan Kelsey Quinn Laila Volpe

Assistant Copy Claire Baker Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice Web Master & Technical Advisor George Witteman Reporters Sasha Gopalakrishnan Meg Howell Kaitlin Prado Andrea Yang Columnists Jimmy Christon Jesser Horowitz Steven Park Kirk Testa Design Scarlett Neuberger Maya Sterling Yoav Yaron Copy James Bonanno Gabriela Calderon Leah Cates Diana Henry Sumiko Neary Jessica Roden Laura Wigginton

Vassar Business Club Alumnae/i Panel

3:00pm | Rocky 300 | Vassar Business Club

Paper Critique

9:00pm | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News

8:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.

Comedy Normative Stand Up 9:00pm | Rocky 200 | Comedy Normative

5:00pm | CC 302 | The Misc

Shabbat On Campus

6:00pm | Rocky 203 | CJC

Piano and Cello Recital

Courtesy of Wikimedia

8:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.

Big Night In

8:00pm | CC 203 | Big Night In

The Limit Sketch Comedy

9:00pm | Sanders 212 | The Limit

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only corrections for any misquotes, resentations or factual errors for ticle within the semester it is

accept misrepan arprinted.

The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.

February 9, 2017

NEWS

Page 3

Writer-in-residence Ben Lerner gives novel reading Meg Howell Reporter

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Courtesy of Vassar College

his past Wednesday, Feb. 1, New York Times bestselling author Ben Lerner gave a reading of his works to the campus community in the Sanders Classroom Spitzer Auditorium. Audience members drew long, anticipatory breaths as the MacArthur genius interwove his musings on the writing process and politics with passages from his 2014 roman-à-clef “10:04” from behind a weathered podium.

Lerner’s passionate delivery was well-received.

In an email, English major and aspiring writer Noah Goldberg ’17 wrote, “His prose is lissome and flexible, radiant and understated. His ability to blur modes of writing with his poetic prose is reminiscent of his desire to fog the line of fiction and autobiography, and it lulls the reader in a curious limbo state, washed over by the writing. Fascinating!”

Lerner is Vassar College’s latest writer-in-residence, a role previously occupied by such esteemed literary luminaries as Teju Cole, Lydia Davis, Colson Whitehead, Francine Prose and Jhumpa Lahiri (Vassar Info, “Writer-in-Residence Ben Lerner to read from recent works, February 1, 2017,” 1.20.2017). Like his predecessors, he has enjoyed both critical and commercial success for his numerous publications.

His 2006 poetry collection “Angle of Yaw” was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Northern California Book Award; his 2004 sonnet sequence, “The Lichtenberg Figures,” won the Hayden Carruth Award, Lannan Literary Selection and was chosen by Library Journal as one of the year’s 12 best poetry books. His body of work has also appeared in the Best American Poetry anthology collection, the 2008 edition of New Voices, and University of Iowa’s 2009 12x12: Conversations in Poetry and Poetics. For his academic pursuits, the rising author won the Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowships in 2013 and 2015, respectively (Poetry Foundation, “Ben Lerner biography”).

Lerner’s second novel, “10:04,” tells the story of a man who, like himself, is a Brooklyn-based writer who often gets entangled in his own thoughts. It

received glowing reviews, winning The Paris Review’s 2012 Terry Southern Prize before making the shortlists of both the 2014 Folio Prize and the NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award.

Among the praisers was Hari Kunzru of the New York Times Book Review, who concluded his reflection on Lerner’s work by proclaiming, “Formally 10:04 belongs to an emerging genre, the novel after Sebald, its 19th-century furniture of plot and character dissolved into a series of passages, held together by occasional photographs and a subjectivity that hovers close to (but is never quite identical with) the subjectivity of the writer” (The New York Times, “Impossible Mirrors: ‘10:04’ by Ben Lerner,” 9.5.2014).

While many find his work engaging, Learner has also faced his fair share of criticisms, often accusing him of pretension and purple prose. Writing for Spectrum Culture, fellow creative Erica Peplin spoke negatively of his sprawling style. Criticizing the word choice of “10:04” that many had lauded, she stated, “When Lerner replaces ‘octopus’ with ‘cephalopod’ and ‘quinoa’ with ‘Andean chenopod,’ it disrupts the flow of the text and comes off as pretentious” (Spectrum Culture, “10:04 by Ben Lerner,” 10.25.2015).

Within the notoriously hermetic realm of literary fiction writers, critics and publishers, it is hard not to notice that Lerner is like many popular figures: white and esoteric. In an interview with Salon, author Bernice McFadden attributed racism in the publishing world to the high number of white writers who receive writing accolades and generous marketing from overwhelmingly white institutions. “The racism is often quite blatant,” she said.

“What will it take for people of color to get in and stay in, is like asking what will it take for cops to cease from stopping and frisking black men just because they’re black men? I don’t know the answer to either question” (Salon, “Bernice McFadden: Racism in publishing ‘is often quite blatant,’” 7.1.2014). Her observation comes at a time where, in Publishers Weekly 2015 annual salary survey, 89 percent of respondents within the publishing industry identify as white (Publisher’s Weekly, “Why

Ben Lerner, Vassar’s current writer-in-residence and recipient of the the MacArthur Genius Grant, gave a talk on Feb. 1, during which he read from his 2014 novel, “10:04.”

Publishing Is So White,” 3.11.2016). Such a trend proves devastating when placed in the context of a literary community that still upholds such views as those propagated by Jonathan Franzen’s “Why Bother?,” a 1996 Harper’s essay that abhors the idea of English majors who don’t study Shakespeare while partially attributing the use of identity politics in literature classes to the proliferation of fleeting, superfluous forms of entertainment.

“I think a lot of the time [“10:04”] is talked about, like, ‘Oh here’s another Brooklyn novel by a guy with glasses,’” Lerner said in an interview with the Guardian. Both he and his interviewer later go on to acknowledge the commonness of contemporary fiction centered around members of the American middle-class and their “first world problems” (The Guardian, “Ben Lerner: ‘People say, “Oh, here’s another Brooklyn novel by a guy with glasses,”’”

1.3.2015).

“While my main critique of Lerner’s writing is that it can sometimes feel a bit pretentious, in person I didn’t get this impression at all,” said Phoebe Shalloway ’17 in an emailed statement, having read 10:04 for a composition class. “I was impressed by his obvious intelligence and critical view of the world.”

Shalloway found Lerner’s commentary on the stylistically traitorous nature of Trump’s political rhetoric the most memorable, recalling how he’d highlighted Trump’s abandonment of traditional, Whitman-inspired speeches in favor of more inflammatory discourse. “It was interesting to hear a poet’s opinion on language in the political landscape and I always appreciate when events address the frightening time we’re living in right now, since to not do so leaves an elephant in the room.”

Rabbi calls for religious groups to unify, take action Hanna Stasiuk Guest Reporter

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narrow understanding of who is Jewish...In the 21st century, nobody looks Jewish. Nobody has a Jewish sounding last name. Judaism is a set of commitments. It’s not skin tone. It’s not ethnic background.”

Jacobs pointed out that people of color make up 10 to 20 percent of the Jewish community, a fact that goes widely unrecognized. He added that since people flock toward those who look and think like them, many are left on the outskirts of the Jewish community. Jacobs then asked the audience to shout out the groups that often get excluded. This part of the lecture really resonated with Kolbert, who commented, “It was great to hear [Jacobs] acknowledge those on the margins of Judaism. I come from a multi-faith, multi-racial family. My congregation brought my family in, and now my dad is president of my synagogue. Reaching out is so important.”

Reaching out is exactly what Jacobs wanted

Courtesy of Michael Chung

n Saturday, Jan. 29, a mosque burned down in Victoria, Texas, devastating the local Muslim community. Indiviuals from the nearby B’Nai Israel Temple decided to help, recognizing the Muslim community’s need for a place of worship. They offered a key to their synagogue to Dr. Shahid Hashmi, co-founder of the Victoria Islamic Center. Setting aside their religious differences, the B’Nai Israel temple goers reached out to those in need.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, told this story in a lecture at Vassar last Thursday, Feb. 2, titled, “Is Religion the Problem or Solution?” Jacobs’ talk highlighted issues plaguing the Jewish community and the larger world. While the Vassar Jewish Union (VJU), the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Office of the President, the Jewish Studies Program and the Religion Department all helped coordinate Jacobs’ appearance, VJU Secretary Matt Kolbert ’17 played a special role.

“As the President of the Union of Reform Judaism, I felt like Jacobs spoke to my values and the values of a lot of the Vassar community,” he said.

“With the tensions of last spring and the current political climate, I wanted him to come to campus, unite people and bring hope.” Kolbert therefore contacted his rabbi, who put him in touch with Jacobs. Kolbert and Jacobs spoke on the phone, and Jacobs happily agreed to come to Vassar.

During his talk, Jacobs emphasized the importance of “speaking truth to power.” He introduced this idea with a story about Elie Wiesel.

As Wiesel stood in the White House awaiting the Congressional Gold Medal for Achievement, President Ronald Reagan accepted an invitation to visit the military cemetery at Bitburg. “The staff of the White House tried to convince Weisel to remain silent,” Jacobs recounted. “They warned him not to challenge the President of the United States because it would be disrespectful. They tried and they tried, but Wiesel said ‘I will either speak my truth or I will leave.

I will not be silenced.’”

Jacobs asked the audience to reflect on times

that they had been called upon to speak truth to power. He then named several instances in which doing so was necessary in the current political climate. President Trump’s executive order on immigration plans to revoke the Johnson Amendment, and the White House’s failure to mention the death of six million Jews on the anniversary of the Holocaust were all occurrences that Jacobs believed required action. He maintained, “When hatred and bigotry are normalized and vocalized for the highest ranks of our community...it requires not simply a modest refute. It requires us to stand together and say that is not who we are.”

Jacobs then stepped back from the microphone to fully engage with the audience.

Switching gears, he told a story about Rabbi who identified him as Jewish just because of the way that he looked. This assumption did not please Jacobs, who said, “That Rabbi and too many in Jewish life have a very limited and

On Feb. 2, Rabbi Rick Jacobs gave a lecture titled, “Is Religion the Problem or the Solution?” During his talk, he advocated for cooperation among those of different faiths.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

people to do. Speaking out against marginalization, he introduced the idea of audacious hospitality. According to Jacobs, “Audacious hospitality is not about just being nice. It’s realizing that those who are oftentimes kept on the margins of our Jewish community, our American community and our world community are essential for us to be the people and communities that we ought to be. Audacious hospitality is asking: Who are those on the periphery, and how do we bring them close?”

For the last segment of his lecture, Jacobs addressed its title, “Is Religion the Problem or Solution?” Using the story of the mosque in Texas as an example, Jacobs declared that religion can be a solution if we make it one, saying, “Whether religion is the problem or part of our mission depends on us. It depends on how we practice, how we choose to embody the faith.

Can we stand for something without always standing against others? Can we find room to learn from that person who has a different world view, a different way of seeing things, whether it’s the way they see faith, or our country, or our world? It doesn’t mean that we are called to agree, it means we are called to see from others what God has planted there.”

Overall, students appreciated the inclusiveness of Jacobs’ talk. VJU President Abby Johnson ’17 admired how Jacobs engaged the entire crowd. She commented, “He really seemed to give something to everyone.”

As for how the VJU plans to put Jacobs’ words into action, Kolbert says that he would like the organization to get involved in the community in any way that it can. One current plan includes providing funding for students who wish to protest Jewish-related issues. The HIAS (formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), a Jewish refugee resettlement agency, is one group with which the VJU hopes to get involved in the future.

Kolbert says that no matter the results, it is most important that people stand up for what they believe in. He concluded, “We need to come together and see what we can do. We need to unite. If the best we can do is slow things down or make a scene, then either will be great.”

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NEWS

February 9, 2017

Community comes together to fight effects of refugee ban REFUGEES continued from page 1

nations (Project Atlas, “International Students in the United States,” 2015), the ban could have an enormous impact on foreign enrollment at American-based higher-learning institutions.

In large part, American colleges, including Vassar, have vowed to stand against Trump’s order. On Sunday, Jan. 29, Vassar’s Interim President, Jonathan Chenette, sent an email to the Vassar community announcing that he had signed the Academics Against Immigration Executive Order petition, which has been signed by more than 27,000 university administrators and faculty.

Chenette wrote via email, “The academic world thrives on free exchange of ideas and the influx of people crossing all sorts of boundaries, including national boundaries. Steps that shut down that exchange or cause people to withdraw from engaging with the world or a significant part of the world necessarily diminish the education we are able to offer.”

Despite the academic community’s anti-ban stance, many remain concerned. Vassar International Student Association (VISA) President Robyn Lin ’18 said in an email, “[Among VISA members] there is a general fear that the ban will spread to other countries and affect even those that are on legitimate F1 student visas, as well as a worry that prior travel history will affect entry into the States.”

VISA member Sule Marshall ’18, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, voiced the anxiety many international students around the country are feeling, saying, “They’re stopping people with Muslim-sounding names from my country even though they have green cards, and my country isn’t on the ban.”

Chenette said that if any Vassar students or employees were to be denied re-entry into the United States in the future, “We could mobilize lawyers among the Vassar alumnae/i body who have already reached out to me to offer their services in providing pro bono legal advice to students facing immigration or visa issues.”

He added that Vassar is looking into other ways to provide counseling and legal support for any students affected by this ban, or by future efforts of the Trump administration to deny entry (including re-entry) to foreigners.

Providing summer housing for international students whose re-entry into the United States could be at risk if they were to go home is one possible option, Chenette said. He went on to encourage students holding American citizenship who are looking to help effect change to lobby their elected representatives to fight the ban at the national, regional and local levels.

In addition to contacting government officials, many Vassar students have participated in local protests, including the Mid-Hudson Solidarity March that took place at Poughkeepsie’s Mansion Street Post Office on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and the Hudson Valley NO Ban, NO Wall demonstration on Saturday, Feb. 4. The latter event, held in front of the Dutchess County Courthouse in downtown Poughkeepsie, was organized primarily by students from the nearby Bard College—many of whom, they would go on to say in their speeches, are either immigrants themselves or are the children of immigrants.

Laurel Hennen Vigil/The Miscellany News

Attendees listen to speeches at Feb. 4’s Hudson Valley NO Ban, NO Wall protest. In her speech, organizer Abiba Salahou cautioned against complacency, saying, “Our work has just begun.”

Laurel Hennen Vigil/The Miscellany News

Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen—for 90 days.

Impacts of the ban were felt immediately in Poughkeepsie, the site of a new branch of Church World Service (CWS), a religious nonprofit that helps resettle refugees all over the United States. Before the ban, CWS had plans to resettle 80 refugees within 50 miles of its Poughkeepsie office in the next year. But only one group made it in before Trump’s order came down—a Congolese family of five: a father, Masumbuko, who had been a nurse in his home country; a mother, Roza, a former seamstress; and three children, Nathalie, 20, Kwizi, 13, and Leo, 8. They had been living in a refugee camp in Malawi for six long years after fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (New York Times, “Refugees Welcome.

Volunteers Embrace Congolese Family in the Hudson Valley,” 1.31.2017).

CWS Poughkeepsie Interim Office Director Roisin Ford, who has worked with refugees for over seven years, commented on the ban, saying, “The majority of all refugees coming to the United States are women and children...it deeply saddens me that refugees have been so mischaracterized and misunderstood and have been the target of such fixation with the new administration.”

Patrick DeYoung ’18, who works with CWS as the Chair of the Vassar Refugee Solidarity resettlement project, explained how this ban will impact the other Poughkeepsie-bound refugees now left in limbo. He said, “The process [to come to the United States] takes over two years, at a minimum, so all of this political rhetoric about extreme vetting is really counterfactual, because the process already in place takes so long and is so thorough.” When this process is frozen, vetting has to be started all over again, even if someone was a year or two into the process already. He added, “I know for a fact that there were people who sold all of their belongings, got on planes and were turned back. So now, not only are they refugees, but they’ve uprooted themselves from their situation in whichever refugee camp or area they were temporarily settled in order to come here permanently. Those people have to start from day one [again].”

Area-bound refugees aren’t the only ones whose lives the order has thrown into disarray.

Although no Vassar students or faculty have yet been caught in the ban, several foreign-born students from other schools were denied entry when they tried to return to the United States from their home countries for the start of the spring semester (USA Today, “An Iranian MIT student home for winter break is barred from returning to the United States,” 1.29.2015).

Though many of these students were later able to return due to subsequent federal court orders blocking Trump’s ban, these stays are temporary and there’s no guarantee that the orders will hold.

With more than one million international students at hundreds of United States-based colleges and universities (Vox, “Trump is driving some of the world’s brightest foreign students out of America,” 1.31.2017), including approximately 17,000 from the seven banned

Protestors at last Saturday’s Hudson Valley NO Ban, NO Wall demonstration hold handmade signs condemning both the ban itself and President Trump’s administration.

On Saturday afternoon, the crowd at the courthouse grew quickly. At 1:20 p.m., ten minutes before the official start time, only a few dozen people had gathered by the building’s front steps. By 1:40, a crowd of several hundred spilled out onto Market Street, filling the entire block between Main Street and Cannon Street.

Many of those assembled carried homemade signs proclaiming, “The history of liberty is a history of resistance,” “No human being is illegal,” and “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds,” among other slogans.

A few signs, such as one that read, “Never again. Jews against the ban,” explicitly referenced the United States’ history of turning away refugees. In one of the most infamous cases, in 1939, the United States denied entry to the 937 primarily Jewish passengers on the German ship the St. Louis. Hundreds of those refugees, as well as many others on different ships, had no choice but to return to Europe and were later murdered during the Holocaust (Smithsonian Magazine, “The United States Government Turned Away Thousands of Jewish Refugees, Fearing That They Were Nazi Spies,” 11.18.2015).

Before any speeches started, the group enthusiastically chanted, “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,” “Border walls are a crime, from Mexico to Palestine,” “When refugees are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back,” “The people, united, will never be defeated” and, of course, “No ban, no wall!”

Everywhere one looked, there were symbols of protest and the fight for equality, not only on the signs the protesters carried, but also in the way they dressed: A toddler perched atop her father’s shoulders wore a Statue of Liberty costume; a young girl wearing an American flag as a hijab carried the matching Shepard Fairey “We the People” poster; and a dozen or so women had on pink, hand-knitted “pussy hats” from the Women’s March two weeks earlier.

In addition to older residents of Poughkeepsie and nearby towns, there were many young people among the diverse crowd, primarily students from Vassar, Bard, Marist College and the State University of New York at New Paltz.

In an interview, primary organizer Abiba Salahou, a senior at Bard, explained why she coordinated the event, saying, “A lot of students in our Muslim Student Organization felt threatened and unsafe and fearful and confused after the recent election, and then even more so after the recent Executive Order. We felt that we needed to build a sense of solidarity among all of our community members. We wanted to have a call to action to local legislators and let them know that they have a duty to serve us all, and not just certain groups of the population.”

Another speaker, Beacon City Councilman Ali T. Muhammad, the first Muslim elected official in that city, commented in an interview, “We have to have endurance. This is going to be ongoing and long. We have to look inside ourselves and stand up, stand up for what we can and when we can.”

Vassar student Miriam Hoyt ’20 shared her reasoning for attending the protest. “The ban on these [majority-]Muslim countries, which gives partiality to Christian immigrants, is a fla-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

grant violation of everything America supposedly stands for,” she said. “I think it’s blatantly wrong to bar refugees from entering the country because of their faith.”

Zeke Maben ’17, added, “[In addition to marches and protests,] we need people canvassing, we need people going out and trying to change minds individually. If you have some family members who might be on the fence, work on them; it starts with the people around you.”

At 1:45 p.m., the speeches started and would continue until just before the event ended at 3 p.m. Salahou went first, cautioning protesters to remain vigilant despite the recent federal court orders that temporarily blocked the ban. “Let me be clear that I think we would be extremely mistaken if we think that the recent repeal of Trump’s executive order means that our work here is done and that we all get to go home,” she said before the enthusiastically cheering crowd.

“The issue is much bigger than the executive order itself; it’s the fact that there are people in this country, and even in the Hudson Valley, who are in support of the Muslim ban and who will be making sure that they’re out protesting on Monday to bring it back. Refugee programs around the country have already been shut down. Our work has just begun.”

Sana Mustafa, a Syrian refugee and a graduate of Bard, delivered a powerful speech illuminating her experience, saying, “I am a refugee because we, the Syrian people, rose up against our dictators in the Bashar al-Assad regime. I am a refugee because the international community did nothing when we are being killed in front of all of you. I am a refugee because we spoke up, we demanded freedom, and we were met by violence. I am a refugee because my father got detained three years ago for speaking up for freedom and we never heard anything about him. I am a refugee because the United States did not stand with us. I am a refugee because the United States actually bombed us. I am a refugee because the whole world did nothing and watched us being killed...I don’t see any difference between the Trump regime and the Assad regime...I am striving to be reunited with my family here and this was put on hold because the Trump regime decided so.”

The protest concluded with renditions of Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome,” before the organizers reminded the crowd to disperse peacefully. According to the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, there were no arrests or reports of violence.

Wyn Zenni ’20, who, along with another Vassar student, passed around a sign-up sheet for Vassar Refugee Solidarity at the protest, recommended ways for Vassar students to get involved and learn more, saying, “Try to immerse yourself in as many ways as you can: Watch the news, see what’s happening, join clubs that might have more information. There are ways to get involved all around campus.”

“The refugee [crisis] is one of the biggest global issues of our generation,” added DeYoung. “I hope people will keep active and put pressure on their elected representatives to hopefully force a movement on this issue.”

February 9, 2017

FEATURES

Page 5

VHP celebrates womanhood, nonprofit work with gala Emma Fiona Jones and Elena Schultz Senior Editors

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Courtesy of Benoit

n Friday, Feb. 10, the Vassar Haiti Project (VHP) will host She Is: A Gala in Honor of Women. Cofounder of VHP Lila Meade proudly explained, “A collaboration of the entire VHP leadership has birthed this wonderful event . . . all of us working together for a cause that is so important to us.”

“She Is” will take place in the Villard Room from 7 p.m.–11 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, or $10 at the door. The event will commence with a delicious dinner, including vegetarian and vegan options, and guests can enjoy a series of performances by Vass Shakers, the Barefoot Monkeys, Ujima and many more throughout the night, later to be followed by an open dance floor. Additionally, VHP will provide a photo booth, and photographers will be on hand to capture the event.

The proceeds from the event will go to the Women’s Cooperative in Chermaitre, Haiti, VHP’s partner village. The org planned the gala with the intent of raising awareness within Vassar’s campus of VHP’s initiatives in Haiti, as well as the goal of funding a program focused on improving women’s education. VHP member Keira Congo ’20 explained, “The gala is specially dedicated to the women in Haiti and the money we raise will help fund the most recent project of purchasing education materials for the women whose desire is to be literate in Creole and French.”

Lila Meade and her husband Andrew Meade, who is also the Director of International Students, initially founded the Project with the goal of funding a rural school’s lunch and education program in Chermaitre. Over the years, they have facilitated the construction of a school and a clinic, and a women’s cooperative center, which will double as a church, is in the process of being built. They have also planted more than 14,000 trees, and worked to bring purified water to Chermaitre.

Women in the Vassar Haiti Project’s sister village of Chermaitre, Haiti make jewlery and napkins (pictured above). The VHP works to benefit education and infrastructure in Chermaitre.

The gala had been in the works for a long time before it was made public to the rest of the student body. Lila Meade remarked in an email, “[Health Initiative Director] Clairiola Etienne ’18 has been dreaming about this for a year, wanting to empower the women of Chermaitre who work together in a cooperative in the rural mountains of Haiti.” Co-President of Haiti Operations Shiqi Lin ’17 elucidated, “[This] came out of the idea that Vassar students need to have a fun and inspiring space to develop meaningful relationships while appreciating women in the world. Our executive board was very excited to continue this commitment this year and thankfully every piece is put into place now.”

Although the event was planned far in advance of the election, Lin believes that it is par-

ticularly valuable in the present moment: “For us, given the current political climate, especially after the hostile speech and policies targeted towards women, migrants and racial minorities, we believe this event also plays an important role in raising social awareness on campus. After all, celebrating the feminine with care and happiness is the very way we want to respond to hostility against women.”

VHP created the event with the women of Chermaitre in mind. Congo, who is also involved in the planning of the gala, recalled fondly, “I was immediately drawn to the mission of the project that aims to achieve progress and development in the livelihood of the people in the village in Haiti. Before organizing the gala, we watched a recent video of the women in Haiti

singing and dancing in joy during a visit by the co-founders. It was a special moment to me . . .

I am humbled to be part of a family that seeks to encourage limitless possibilities and experiences by contributing to the improvement of the lives of people in Haiti.”

Meade spoke of their time in Chermaitre, explaining, “When we go to Haiti, we meet these wonderful women (about 35) who are actively seeking out ways to financially improve their lives. These women often have many children and no formal means of income to help feed and care for them.”

Although the Project continually strives to assist the Chermaitre community, it is equally important to them not to intrude on the vibrant culture of the village. Lin perfectly captured the careful balance that VHP seeks to achieve, explaining in an email, “By connecting Chermaitre with various international nonprofits based in the United States and providing necessary fundings for improving social infrastructure in Chermaitre, our goal is to promote self-sustainability of Chermaitre without interfering with the social dynamics there.

According to their website, in addition to the Women’s Initiative, VHP is also working toward more widespread medical access and education, water purification and reforestation. The nonprofit has also continued to focus on promoting local arts, which was part of the founders’ original purpose.

VHP hopes that “She Is” will revitalize the Project’s commitment to social equality, empowerment and justice which Lin identifies as a core element of the org. They welcome all Vassar students to attend, and has also invited guests from Bard, Marist and West Point. The Vassar Haiti Project looks forward to celebrating the various roles of women around the world with the College community. Meade added, “We have many initiatives to support and need the energy and care that Vassar students can share with us towards reaching our goals.”

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refugeesolidarity@vassar.edu General Body Meeting Wednesday, February 25th 7pm

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

FEATURES

Page 6

February 9, 2017

Professor Olsen illuminates histories of excluded women Imaan Lamba Guest Reporter

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Courtesy of Imaan Lamba

mid nationwide women’s marches, Associate Professor of Greek and Roman Studies and Director of Women’s Studies Barbara Olsen gave an enlightening talk on the female voice in another era: Bronze Age Greece.

This lecture, titled “Women at the Margins of Greek History: Documents and Archives from Bronze Age Greece,” focused on women and gender history in Ancient Greece, using tablets and artwork as well as myths of the time as sources of information.

Professor Olsen is an Aegean prehistorian who specializes in Greek archaeology and history. Her work predominantly focuses on women and gendered institutions in Greek history and she teaches classes in Greek History, Archaeology and Women in Antiquity, among other subjects.

Her other research interests include Greek historical memory and children in early Greek history.

Professor Olsen is the author of Women in Mycenaean Greece: The Linear B Tablets from Pylos and Knossos published by Routledge in 2014 and is the Editor of Routledge’s forthcoming 4-volume anthology series The Greek World: Critical Concepts in Classical Studies.

When asked about her interest in studying women in ancient Greece, Professor Olsen said she has been working on this area of research throughout her career.

She went on to explain, “I became interested in the evidence for real (rather than mythological) women in the ancient world when I was a senior at Cornell, and since then I’ve been committed to recovering archaeological, historical and literary evidence that would help re-center Greek women as central and important players in the ancient world. In graduate school, I became aware of administrative records written in an early version of Greek from approximately 1200 BCE and realized that no one had yet attempted to use them to think about the real-life women behind the stories of Greek mythology.”

This inspired her to combine two subjects that she is passionate about. She described this realization as an ideal opportunity to fuse her passion for Greek archaeology with her commitment to women’s studies.

Using the limited amounts of documentation

for women that existed 800 years ago, Professor Olsen’s goal is to find the real women behind the mythological stories of the time. Although female characters are fleshed out and developed in mythology, the real women of the time are barely documented and difficult to learn about.

To exemplify this, at the beginning of the lecture she asked, “Who is the most famous woman in Ancient Greece?”

The audience’s responses showed that mythological characters such as Helen and Athena are well known, while real women from this time remain obscured by the lack of remaining documentation centered on their lives. Due to this, historians often refer to mythological sources to decipher the mysteries of women’s lived experiences in ancient times.

However, this method of research poses several challenges. In Olsen’s words, “translation of political events into mythological yarn” is a source of good stories but not always of reality. Other challenges include the fact that most archaeological sources of the time discuss men.

City-states such as 5th Century Athens never mentioned the names of women in public, which resulted in the erasure of information about women and their contributions, despite their making up half the city’s population.

This gap is exacerbated by the legal invisibility of women in some city-states of the time, as they were unable to own property.

The documentation that does exist contains complex terminology which makes it difficult to decipher, and historical reality can easily be confused with myths, especially for the Heroic Age women of the Trojan War period.

Athens, while providing 70-90 percent of sources of documentation concerning women, is perhaps the most unique city-state to gather historical information about women of the time.

This is owing to the tradition of Athenian women only being named in public for performing scandalous activities such as adultery.

Under regular circumstances, women were seen only in domestic or familial roles, often identified as ‘wife of’ or ‘daughter of’ their male relatives.

This cultural seclusion of women involved their being allowed to leave their homes without approval on only three occasions, including their own wedding, funerals of family members and some religious festivals. During the most

Associate Professor of Greek and Roman Studies and Director of Women’s Studies Barbara Olsen discusses the erasure of real women from the histories of ancient cultures, as shown above. documented period, women are recorded as being wives, matrons and prostitutes, with mention of a few priestesses.

In 5th Century Sparta, women’s names were preserved when they died during childbirth while men’s names were preserved when they died in combat.

Due to the tradition of Spartan men enrolling in the army at a young age, girls received an education and were also trained to compete in athletic competitions.

In addition to this, women owned 40 percent of property in Sparta and were even entitled to criticize men for poor military or athletic performance.

To the surprise of historians, evidence from the Bronze age contains more information about women of lower classes than aristocratic women, which is different from the usual pattern.

Lower class women in Pylos worked in palace maintenance jobs or in major industries that were dependent on women for labor and historians have also found evidence for what could be the world’s oldest assembly line.

These women seem to have been treated as slaves, as evidenced by their titles and the palace records of the bare caloric rations that were given out to them. Occupations included spinning, weaving, head band making and flower grinding. Women also assumed the roles of cult

leaders, key bearers and priestesses, performing ceremonial functions and sometimes becoming property owners. Key bearers were also entrusted with bronze required for ceremonies and this was the first time we see women being in control of property and commodities such as bronze, which was not the case in Sparta or Athens. The oldest known European dispute can also be traced back to a woman in Pylos.

She also provided examples of women in Knossos who had ownership of property and had greater public access.

With respect to these changes, and when asked what she hopes people will take away from her lecture, Professor Olsen said, “I would hope the audience would take from my talk the idea that attention to time and place matter when we study women’s history and that even in cultures that decentered women from the public sphere, women could find ways to make their voices heard and their contributions known.”

She finished with a comment on the relationship between her research and recent politics: “As a classicist, I think a lot about how understanding the ancient world helps us come to understand our present. I think it’s of critical importance to understand that we have inherited a long tradition of women’s resistance and that we can choose to join that tradition -- marginalized people are not ever really without power”.

Students, faculty worry for future of need-blind admissions Need-blind admissions guarantees that all admitted students will have their full need met for all four years they attend, and many express that they are very much satisfied with their current financial aid package and have received as much as needed.

One student responded, “It is enough to take a lot of stress off of my family, and it was one of the best financial aid packages I received.” Another disclosed, “It’s almost a full scholarship, so I’m very glad that I’m able to go here!”

Students also voiced that work-study is extremely helpful for offsetting the costs of textbooks and other class materials. One contrib-

uted, “I like my job and the hours and pay are good.”

However, some have also established complaints that it isn’t always easy to locate a job; a student noted, “At first it was a little bit difficult to find a work-study position because there are many that are department-specific, or only intended for upperclassmen.”

Two freshmen revealed that they are still in the process of looking for jobs. But upperclassmen suggest that it will get easier through time.

One proposed that the student employment system, JobX, could be more precise in updating available position information. The “discontin-

Courtesy of Emily Sayer

FINANCIAL AID continued from page 1 has kept the policy in place, even during the 2008 economic downturn which led to major losses in college endowments and caused other liberal arts institutions to drop similar policies.

Journalist Malcolm Gladwell said in his podcast, “Revisionist History,” that Vassar “... Is the most open and accessible private school in the land... [because it] spent its marginal dollar on gathering the most interesting and diverse group of undergraduates possible.”

In the podcast, Hill talked about “making trade-offs on the margin” in order to increase the financial aid package for students. She explained that in order to make Vassar more accessible to all socioeconomic statuses, she has to maximize limited available financial resources. To ensure that students receive the best education, the school has to cut down extravagances like renovations and keep the need-blind admission policy in place.

Need-blind admission is crucial because it mixes students from all backgrounds. It spurs a diversity of viewpoints within the classroom and makes the student body less culturally and socially homogenous.

Vassar’s generous aid offer to admitted students attracts a lot of qualified applicants. Most of the students interviewed expressed that financial aid was indeed the deciding factor for them in choosing between Vassar and other communities. An anonymous freshman expressed that she is grateful to Vassar for increasing her financial aid due to her family’s financial situation changing at the end of her gap year.

Another first year added, “I think that I would have a very different mindset right now if I had chosen a school which had offered me less financial aid. It is a tremendous relief not to have to worry too much about finances so I can instead focus more on my education.”

The Admissions office, housed within Kautz Admission House (pictured above) makes decisons regarding financial aid. Some students worry need-blind admissions will be cut in coming years

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ued advertisement” has resulted in the inefficiency of communication.

Students also express expectations for VC’s financial aid future. Some suggest that additional scholarship should be rewarded based on academic performance in order to encourage students to strive for excellence, while some hope that the financial aid plan could also cover textbooks.

One student exposited, “I really hope that Vassar continues to provide such outstanding financial aid to its students; it is truly an institution which is serving the greater good and should be a model for other colleges across the country.”

Bernier said of the future prospect of VC financial aid, “Any new financial aid policy changes must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

If there will be a policy change regarding the financial aid program or need-aware admissions, then how these changes will affect all students are taken into consideration when/if any decision is made.”

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Art Rodriguez stated, “We continue to review first-year applications from US citizens and Permanent Residents to the College under a need-blind admissions policy. The investment return on the endowment was disappointing, but the return was negative for just about all colleges and universities last year. As we look to the future, the College will continue to have discussions about our operating budget and spending, and determine what policies continue to make sense for us. As we discuss possible solutions to reducing spending in the future, we will consider all the options available to us.”

In the coming years, it’ll become clear whether these “options” will truly threaten the College’s need-blind admissions, or if the Board of Trustees will find viable alternatives in order to alleviate the budget crisis.

princesses everywhere 14. Greek god of love and katsudon?

12. Volunteer student medical service 15. Long-necked animal (with a hat) 13. How a healthy dog's nose is 16. The non-protein part of hemoglobin supposed to be, according to popular 17. it's... a dick pic!!! culture 18. A group of eastern European 21. Whisper noise that indicates churches February 9, 2017 someone has a secret 19. "It is the ___, and Juliet is the sun" 22. The largest empire in pre-Columbian 20. Feeling superior to someone America 23. Stolen by the knave of hearts 25. Played frequently with a goldie 24. Portuguese address for a woman 26. Hold royal office 28. Compound used in synthetic

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FEATURES

“Pups a Plenty”

40. Big comfy chairs(2 words) 44. An emotional request 45. "____ nudes", as an example of 17-Across 49. A red variety of ocher 51. Spoken word poetry competitions Page 7 52. Where you get your hair styled 54. Alternate spelling for a cat noise 55. Sesame seeds 56. Turn in a certain direction 58. Forbidden actions, expressed to a child, maybe 59. What puppies eat (x2 for a fluffy 55. Sesame seeds breed) Turn in a certain direction 60.56.Like Sunday morning, according to 58. Forbidden actions, expressed to a child, themaybe Commodores 61.59.Predecessor to the NBA (abbr.)

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The Miscellany Crossword

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© 2017 (Published via Across Lite)

Quick dinner snafu? Shake things up with breaded tofu!

Anika Lanser

Editor-In-Chief

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Anika Lanser/The Miscellany News

ike most college students, stir-fry is my best friend. It’s easy to make, hard to mess up and easy to spice up when it’s the third time you’ve made it this week. There are so many easy ways to vary the stir fry you normally make: use different vegetables, substitute quinoa instead of rice, or in my case, add tofu that’s cooked a little bit differently than usual.

I recently made a stir-fry with spicy, breaded tofu. I got the idea after I made tofu burritos the night before. The recipe for the “Loaded Crispy Tofu Tacos” came from a blog called The Woks of Life. Their recipe for crispy tofu has just a bit of spice and a ton of flavor, so I was eager to reuse my tofu leftovers to make a stir fry bowl.

To make the tofu for the stir fry, start by cubing extra-firm tofu. I would recommend somewhere between half an inch and three-quarters of an inch in terms of dimension.

In one bowl mix Sriracha and honey. This will serve as the base layer to help the dry ingredients stick to the tofu. After rolling the tofu cubes around in the Siracha-honey mixture until they are fully coated, it’s time to add the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, combine cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Be sure to fully cover the tofu in the dry mixture. I recommend making twice as much of the dry mixture as of the base layer. Somehow it takes more of the dry mixture to coat the tofu. While coating the tofu, if the dry mixture becomes too stuck together to stick to the tofu, it helps to add more cornmeal to dry it out again.

After the tofu is coated, it’s time to fry it. Using a medium size sauce pan, pour enough vegetable oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan. It does not need to be a thick layer, but having oil across the whole pan makes it’s easier to fry the

tofu. Make sure to turn the tofu so that all the sides can get crispy. Once the tofu is ready, set it aside to use later or keep it covered on a very low heat so that it remains warm. Don’t forget if you made too much, you can always put it in the fridge and reheat it later for another recipe!

To make the stir fry, I usually use rice as a base. To make this process extra easy, I sometimes use the Minute White Rice. It takes only five minutes to microwave, making it a great choice if you are simply dying to eat dinner.

I have also used Seeds of Change Quinoa packs instead of white rice when I feel like I need to be healthier, although I honestly don’t know if quinoa is healthier than white rice.

While the quinoa or white rice is in the microwave, sauté some vegetables! This particular time I used spinach, onion, peppers, broccoli and tomato. I generally use olive oil when I saute veggies and also like to season with some salt and pepper.

Add the onions first since they take the longest to cook, followed by the broccoli, peppers and finally the spinach and tomato. Once the spinach starts to shrivel up, the vegetables can be added to the rice or quinoa.

To add even more variety to my stir fry, I whipped up a quick peanut sauce. Simply add soy sauce and a little bit of water to peanut butter and stir until smooth. To make a peanut sauce that’s a tad more adventurous (and also more effort), add some lime juice and red pepper flakes. Peanut sauce is another thing that can be made in advance and then stored for the next time you make an emergency stir fry dinner.

Personally, I like to layer my stir fry bowl and usually start by putting the rice at the bottom.

After the layer of grains, I typically add the vegetables and then top with the crispy tofu.

Finally, drizzle a little bit of peanut sauce on top to add a kick and create an insta-worthy stir fry bowl!

Ingredients

1 package extra firm tofu 1 tablespoon Sriracha 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 cup fine cornmeal 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon pepper Vegetable oil

OPINIONS

Page 8

February 9, 2017

The Miscellany News Staff Editorial

Resistance of Democrats must parallel Republicans’

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n Feb. 7, 2017, the United States Senate voted to approve Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. As the Editorial Board of the Miscellany News wrote last December, Betsy DeVos will be, by far, the most unqualified Secretary of Education in American history and a danger to the future of public education.

The Senate vote was significant in many ways: for one, 46 Democratic senators (along with two liberal independents and two Republican defectors) unified to oppose DeVos’s nomination. Because of the 50-50 split, Vice President Mike Pence had to break the tie. The New York Times reported, “It was the first time that a vice president has been summoned to the Capitol to break a tie on a cabinet nomination, according to the Senate historian” (“Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary; Pence Breaks Tie,” 02.07.2017).

Though the Democrats managed to oppose DeVos, their inability to halt this nomination underscores broader failures of resistance to Trump’s authoritarian agenda. For example, progressive heroine Senator Elizabeth Warren voted to approve Dr. Ben Carson for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Banking Committee. Warren claimed that Carson “made good, detailed promises” relating to housing policy (Politico, “Warren defends her vote for Carson amid liberal ire,” 01.25.2017).

And yet, Dr. Carson’s advisor, Armstrong Williams, previously stated that Carson took himself out of consideration “because Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he’s never run a federal agency...The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency” (LA Times, “Former presidential candidate Ben Carson says he won’t join Trump’s Cabinet because he has no government experience,” 11.30.2016). If Carson doesn’t

consider himself is qualified, why should any senator?

Though Warren’s vote can be traced to legitimate concerns about conservative backlash and pragmatic posturing, the lack of Democratic intransigence points to a larger history of reactive politics since the 1980s and 1990s. After the widespread popularity of Reagan’s economic policies in the 1980s, the Democrats, in their decision to nominate Bill Clinton for President in 1992, chose to embrace a platform of free trade, fiscal responsibility and budget deficit reduction—a near-mirror of Republican economic policy, as seen in the consequences of The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (The Atlantic, “The Worst Thing Bill Clinton Has Done”, 03.1997).

In the realm of foreign policy, Democrats and Republicans haven’t differed that greatly either– especially in the era of Obama’s drone strikes.

However, where Democrats and Republicans do radically diverge is on social issues–issues that can be as life-or-death as economics or foreign policy. And yet, despite this real danger, the Democrats have yet to fully show the determination necessary to fight it.

The Democratic party as we have seen it in the first weeks of the Trump presidency is one that is, overall, meek and complacent, particularly compared to the attitude of the Republicans during Obama’s time in office. For eight years, Republicans staunchly disregarded any political etiquette in order to attempt to block Obama in any way they could. Democrats under the Trump administration, in contrast, have thus far been criticized for a lot of talk with no action.

In the name of polite politics and out of fear, Democrats so far have more or less sat back and let Trump compile a completely inexperienced and dangerous Cabinet. Not a single Senate Democrat voted “no” on every one of Trump’s cabinet nominations (The New York

Times, How Each Senator Voted on Trump’s Cabinet and Administration Nominees,” 02.07.2017). This complacency is unacceptable when Trump’s political moves put so much of the nation in danger, and it cannot continue as Trump moves past initial nominations and executive orders into larger goals such as repealing the Affordable Care Act. In order to move forward with as little damage as possible under the Trump presidency, the Democrats need to assert that the Trump administration is not politics as usual and obstruct his agenda at every possible point.

With large public demonstrations all around the country such as the Women’s March and the airport protests against the Muslim ban executive order, there seems to be a disconnect between the vigor of the average citizen in the fight against Trump and those with substantial political power in Congress. However, the night before DeVos was confirmed, the Senate Democrats held the floor overnight in order to protest the nomination before the final vote on Tuesday afternoon. This is a sign of life for which many have been waiting. Democratic compliance thus far may have been strategic in order to prevent creating an image of total obstinance that the Trump administration could exploit. The DeVos protest, however, was a step in the right direction that must continue as the political battles become tougher and even higher-stakes, and Democrats must not be afraid to be relentless when necessary.

If the Republicans were able to make life as difficult as possible for the Democrats for eight years due to ideological difference, the Democrats are certainly justified in utilizing the same tactics to preserve justice and save lives. Former Deputy Chief of Staff to Harry Reid, Adam Jentleson, wrote for the Washington Post about the potential power for the Democrats of withholding consent (The Washington Post, “Senate

Democrats have the power to stop Trump. All they have to do is use it,” 01.27.2017). This requires at least one dissenting person to be on the floor at all times to withhold consent when the majority leader proposes to move forward on a matter. This tactic will involve the same dedication seen in the overnight DeVos protest.

The Democratic party failed by nominating Hillary Clinton, who was doomed to lose due to her lack of appeal to the average American.

But they must continue to be held accountable for what goes on under the Trump administration, regardless of whether or not one considers oneself to be a Democrat. Though it may seem like we are powerless, by refusing to remain silent we can light a fire under the Democrats by letting them know that complacency with this dangerous administration is not an option, that their actions during this time will be remembered when they are up for re-election.

As for us, as citizens and college students, one of the most important things we can do is to call our congressional representatives. This easy form of activism in large volumes encouraged two Republicans to flip on the DeVos vote.

Though in this case activists were just short of success, this is a sign of potential for the future.

In addition to contacting representatives, if you have the means to do so, donate to organizations with the power to pick up politicians’ slack.

These could include the ACLU, whose lawyers got the first temporary block of the Muslim ban, or Planned Parenthood which provides valuable services and will suffer under the current administration. Such efforts, hopefully together with the more systematic and institutional power of the Democratic Party, may go a long way in contributing to the fights against what are going on in this country at the moment.

— The Staff Editorial expresses the opinion of at least 2/3 of The Miscellany News Editorial Board.

Democratic Party needs to embrace grassroots organizing Andrew Solender Guest Columnist

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ith the various protests, marches and rallies following the election and inauguration of President Trump, young people and liberals have served notice they wish to be a vocal and active opposition. However, their chosen method may not be the best one for defeating Trump and putting power back into the hands of progressives. If that is what these protesters wish to accomplish, a course change must be made.

With Donald Trump as president, and Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate, the Democrats are fully in the minority for the first time since 2004 (and not, as claimed by conservative pundit Ann Coulter, 1928). With this status, liberals have a new role to play, and so far they are playing it with all the skill and finesse of a drunk Steven Seagal. It is understandable that it would take Democrats a while to find their feet after ten years of at least partial control over government; however, with the fast-paced vitriol of the Trump administration, there is no time to lose.

Three factors determine the effectiveness of political opposition: tactics, leadership and ideology. To explain how each of these factors can lead to success, I will describe several historical case studies.

The power of strong and coherent ideology and leadership can best be demonstrated by an example from Britain. From 1979 to 1996, Britain faced an unprecedentedly long stretch of one-party rule under the Conservative Thatcher and major governments. Meanwhile, the opposition Labour Party floundered on the backburner. Their extremely long tenure in the minority is widely attributed to their leadership, reputation and ruling ideology.

As for leadership, they consistently chose floundering, uncharismatic liberals from the party’s base regions: Scotland and Wales. These leaders, who were far to the left of the general public, failed to achieve broad appeal among the English electorate, especially when compared to the charismatic populist Margaret Thatcher.

So it was that the Labour Party remained in the minority for many years. That was, of course, until it made the brilliant decision to select Tony

Blair as its leader. By electing Blair, a centrist Englishman from a middle class family, the Labour party finally adopted an ideology with broad appeal. Throughout the world, the “Third Way” movement, a surge of centrist progressive leaders such as Bill Clinton, Paul Keating of Australia and Matteo Renzi of Italy, came to power. Labour watched this shift of global politics to the center and followed it.

Under the leadership of Tony Blair and his successor, Gordon Brown, the Labour party remained in power for 11 years and were only defeated after the leftward shift of the party under Brown and a disastrous financial crisis. They have since remained in the minority, elevating the uncharismatic Ed Miliband and the far left Jeremy Corbyn to leadership, both of whom have failed to effectively make labour’s case to the public.

So what does example this tell us? For one, an effective and charismatic leader can appeal to a broad electorate. These qualities can be said to be lacking in Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi (though the impact of an intrinsic societal bias against women leaders should not be easily discounted).

Then there is Bernie Sanders. I imagine that many Sanders supporters ask themselves why so many in the Democratic Party chose Hillary Clinton over their man who so clearly represented the ideals of true liberals and had the necessary charisma to be an effective leader. The answer is quite simple: Bernie Sanders was far left of center in the American electorate even in the Democratic party, and thus would have been neither electable in a general election nor effective as President. While some may dispute this, it must be noted that Hillary Clinton, who was to the right of Bernie Sanders, may have won many establishment Republican Trump detractors had it not been for her image as a “radical liberal” by many on the left.

How would a socialist have fared?

So who could lead a modern Democratic party in a country experiencing a strong rightward, or at least populist, shift in ideology? Some centrists like Cory Booker, Kamala Harris or Chuck Schumer have both the charisma and the ideology to appeal to a broader electorate, though Schumer and Booker may have unwanted baggage consid-

ering the lengths of their tenures. Joe Biden would also meet many of the requirements, though his age may make it difficult for him to appeal to the younger generations (although his status as a prominent meme may help).

Then we have the Senior Senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, who has the charisma and strong populist left-wing views. What she is missing is an ideology with the potential for broad electoral appeal. So far, however, she is looking like the frontrunner to be the Democratic standard bearer. This would be a monumental mistake. Compromises and concessions will have to be made to abate the evil that is Donald Trump, and they must be made soon.

An opposition party must be efficient in countering the agenda of the government and making the argument to the public why they would be more effective governors. Furthermore, it must be able to defeat the government in the political arena and in the eyes of the public.

The recent protests demonstrate just how lacking the opposition is in organizing to achieve this.

Protest movements have often been effective, and I in no way wish to disparage the gallant intentions and noble efforts of protesters. I myself have joined in protests to express my overwhelming opposition to our hateful new President. However, a movement cannot simply consist of a protest.

It has to stand for something, something that has broad appeal to the electorate.

Take, for example, the two major American protest movements of the 1960s: the opposition to the Vietnam war and the Civil Rights Movement.

The former galvanized the opposition to the war and gradually won over the public, but whatever impact it had in actually ending the war took very long to take hold. The latter changed the way the government treated an entire race of people, and gained them their much desired civil rights (at least technically), again however after a protracted struggle.

These movements, while both having large protest aspects about them, had crucial differences. The Vietnam War protesters were often disorganized bands of young baby boomers who came of age in a time marked by a liberation and revolution of ideas and ideology. However, they

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failed at least at the outset to communicate their message, did not organize a broad base of support and had only the backing of a few Senators and politicians, none of whom had the power to push the movement forward. After 11 grueling years, the war finally ground to a halt. While some historians consider the protests to be successful, nearly all agree what success they had was due to politicians sitting up and taking notice, thus affirming the point that political patronage is needed for a successful movement.

Civil Rights protesters under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP achieved an historic political victory against huge odds.

However, they only accomplished this because of King’s ability to work with and whip politicians such as Lyndon Johnson, formerly a Southern Democrat, somewhat sympathetic to segregationists, and Hubert Humphrey. In recruiting these charismatic and powerful politicians to their cause, the Civil Rights Protesters succeeded in both turning American opinion and legislation in their favor, and by the end of the ’60s the movement was deemed generally successful in its goals.

So far, the anti-Trump movement is shaping up to be a lot more like the Vietnam movement than the Civil Rights movement, and this could be very problematic. Though confidence in the government has declined since that era, the power of government has not. Sandernistas and Warrenites have generally expressed suspicion in mainstream media and establishment figures, particularly the ones that run the Democratic Party. This is a mistake, and I would advise those people to use their better judgment and work with the people with whom they have at least some common ground.

Even the Tea Party, though a radical movement, managed to seize significant power by backing and funding candidates for congress, many of whom went on to be elected and serve to this day.

Millennial liberals have, more and more, started to find their political voice, and have started registering to run for office, calling their congressmen and volunteering in campaigns. This is a positive step forward. Democrats must get back to grassroots organizing, fundraising and coalition building if they are to seize power from Trump in four years.

February 9, 2017

OPINIONS

Page 9

Freedom of speech under attack in the era of Trump Dea Oviedo Vasquez Guest Columnist

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n the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s controversial policies, I felt compelled to share some of the thoughts I’ve had since the President got elected into office and the first signs of resistance to his administration began to crop up.

I am an international student from Mexico.

I grew up in a country where children with cancer have been given water instead of chemotherapy authorized by shameless politicians looking to make a profit (BBC News, “Mexican governor: Cancer children given water instead of chemotherapy,” 01.19.2017). I grew up learning that a president can get elected with only 38 percent of the popular vote, and comes from a party that has dominated Mexican politics for over a century and is known for its repression and widespread electoral fraud (Encyclopedia Britannica, “Institutional Revolutionary Party,” 07.02.2012). I grew up in a society that constantly complains about a corrupt, ineffective government that operates with impunity, but that does little to resolve its issues. More on that last part later.

“I grew up in a society that constantly complains about a corrupt, ineffective government that operates with impunity, but that does little to resolve its issues.”

In the late 1960s, Mexico City was preparing for the 1968 Summer Olympics. Inspired by the recent successes of student-led movements in France, Mexican high school and university

students began a nation-wide strike demanding, among other things, a more transparent and open democracy (Global Nonviolent Action Database, “Mexican students protest for greater, 1968,” 08.1968–10.1968). It was believed, at the time, that the government–pressured and already under scrutiny by the international spotlight it was in–would listen to its people’s requests. Instead, President Diaz Ordaz issued a threat to punish dissent with violence on his Sept. 1st national address, while dismissing public unrest despite the massive and open protests taking place in Mexico City.

On Oct. 2nd, just ten days before the beginning of the Olympics, several armed military forces opened fire on thousands of protesters who had gathered near a housing project, Tlatelolco, to demonstrate peacefully. Among the protesters were children, women, elders, students, teachers and other civilians. The next day, as the sun rose in the sky and the morning papers were sent out to homes across the city. Not one of them mentioned the massacre at Tlatelolco. In fact, it would take almost three decades for the Mexican government to publicly recognize the event, and to persecute those responsible for the attack.

The man responsible for ordering the attack was never fully brought to justice. Current members of his party said people ought to “overcome the memory of history” (La Jornada, “Encarcelar a responsables de la masacre en Tlatelolco,” 10.02). The official government death toll was 30, but eyewitnesses and experts estimate the body count to be in the hundreds or even the thousands (UCSB Black Studies, “Tlatelolco Massacre”).

On the night of Sept. 26th, 2014, 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Normal School in the state of Guerrero disappeared. A group of over 100 students–who had, in the past, boycotted against several state and federal government officials– had been planning to travel to the state capital and subsequently to Mexico City to attend a march commemorating the anniversary of the

1968 massacre. The caravan was intercepted by corrupt municipal police forces (unfortunately, this was not an isolated case) presumed to have been working with the drug cartels (Vice News, “Mexico’s Efforts to Tackle Police Corruption Keep Failing,” 03.21.2016). The struggle left several dead or injured. 43 went missing. Because of technology, news of the event spread, and with it uncertainty. Even with tremendous pressure, both at home and from the international community, Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and his administration failed to hold those responsible–namely the governorship of Guerrero–accountable in their responsibility for the tragedy, even denying their involvement of any sort. After some mediocre efforts to locate the bodies of the missing students, the government largely forgot about the incident and moved on.

“Defend the right of others to voice their own concerns even if you donít agree with them.”

In the last 15 years, over a hundred journalists in Mexico have been abducted and killed by scorned and dangerous enemies (El Universal, “PGR: 103 periodistas asesinados en los últimos 15 años,” 02.24.2015). Drug cartels and corrupt politicians act with impunity against those few who still openly denounce them for their crimes.

This is not a new thing. Some newspapers, their owners bribed by–and perhaps, sometimes, in fear of–government officials or members of organized crime, have historically been known to refuse to publish anything that might incriminate any potential foe.

While in that respect, freedom of the press has made some strides–a number of political newscaster or commentators have gained notoriety and a certain degree of anonymity thanks to access to the Internet–the inadequate re-

sponse of the federal and local governments to the issue goes to show that dissent is still punishable.

Based on this history of violence and oppression against those who protest the authorities’ power, it may be easier to understand why Mexicans seldom take to the street and actively demand for justice. Just last week, I attended my first protest ever, and for the first 30 minutes of the event, I couldn’t shake off the nerves from the idea of anything going wrong.

When I first came to the United States for college, my mother was afraid that the posts I was sharing on Facebook, criticizing Trump during his candidacy, would get me deported and asked me to stop sharing them. It’s not that we don’t care when authorities abuse of their power, it’s just that it has become easier (and safer) to engage in a form of passive activism–to express our indignation through social media, in the form of memes–and to comfort ourselves with the idea that we have done our part in undoing what wrong has been done.

While this is in no way meant to claim that the current situation the United States is facing is anywhere near to what my country and many others have experienced, there is a thin line between the outright oppression of speech and expression, as it has happened and is happening in Mexico, and the belittling or trivialization by elected officials of the concerns being raised by its people.

The ignorance of, and propagation of, “alternative facts” is an old game played by authoritarian governments that we know, unfortunately, works. Read critically, go to the source, even if it’s from a newspaper or publication you trust.

Defend your right to voice your concerns.

Defend the right of others to voice their own concerns even if you don’t agree with them.

Open up a space for conversation and dialogue.

The only way the country will be able to get through this in one piece is through a united front against any injustice that may come its way.

Researchers illuminate the science of falling in love Steven Park Columnist

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he really cynical people in the world like to say that love is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed and then think to themselves how logical and scientific they are.

These people also tend to be in high school or just happen to be very lonely individuals. Either way, science is not that clean-cut about the topic of love. So, in acknowledgment that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, let’s see what science has uncovered so far about humanity’s oldest and most hackneyed phenomenon.

“Let’s see what science has uncovered so far about humanity’s oldest and most hackneyed phenomenon.”

Usually when the word love is brought up in a scientific setting, most people refer to the rules and reasoning behind romantic attraction: what physical properties makes a person desirable.

In regard to physical attractiveness, many researchers have concluded that symmetry plays the biggest role, a claimed backed by numerous studies and years of investigations. Scientists have found that this measurement of beauty holds true across various cultures and even in different species of animals (The Telegraph, “The Science of Sexiness: Why Some People are Just More Attractive,” 04.08.2015).

The general consensus appears to be that having a symmetrical-looking face serves as a good indicator of robust health and ideal genes, which prospective romantic partners subconsciously pick up on. Psychologist at Brunel University in the United Kingdom Dr. William Brown remarks, “In animals with two sides that were designed by natural selection to be symmetrical, subtle departures from symmetry may reflect poor development or exposure to environmental or genetic stress. In many species,

these departures are related to poor health, lower survival, and fewer offspring” (National Geographic News, “Symmetrical Bodies are More Beautiful to Humans,” 08.18.2008).

Interestingly, there has been some pushback against this consensus in recent times. Artist and photographer challenged this notion of symmetry as attractive by creating portraits of models whose faces have been photoshopped to be mirror images of the left and right sides of their faces (Time Magazine, “Here’s What Faces Would Look Like If They Were Perfectly Symmetrical,” 06.09.2014). In a study performed

by Nicholas Pound, another psychologist from Brunel University, results showed that facial symmetry in adolescents did not correlate with rates of childhood illness, as many researchers presumed (The Economist, “Facing the Facts,” 08.16.2014). However, the most interesting counter-argument insists that the perfect face doesn’t stem from symmetry but from the Golden Ratio, an ancient Greek mathematical ratio of 1.618:1 that has been observed in the proportions of flowers, spiral galaxies, famous Greek art and attractive faces (The Golden Ratio, “Beauty, the Perfect Face and the Golden Ratio, featuring Florence Colgate,” 09.01.2013).

But beyond just physical appearances, science has found other explanations behind why one person would fall in love with someone. For instance, how you smell could determine who you attract, that is to say, the pheromones you emit. Widely used in the Animal Kingdom, pheromones are scent-bearing chemicals that we secrete in sweat and other bodily fluids that influence the behavior of others. Humans also utilize pheromones and researchers believe that these chemical signals play an important role in sexual attraction (The Huffington Post, “The Strange Science of Sexual Attraction,”02.20.2015). In one study, researchers found that women who smelled sweaty undershirts worn by men could accurately judge their attractiveness. In a different study, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin discovered that men could determine when a woman was at her most fertile period in her menstrual cycle based on her pheromones. When these men were asked to

smell T-shirts worn by women, they judged the shirts worn by fertile women to be more “pleasant” and “sexy”–ugh, creepy (The Huffington Post). In both cases, it’s likely that these types of scent detection happens subconsciously.

However, it is important to note that the research into human pheromones is still incomplete. Researchers have yet to identify specific chemical compounds that spark physical attraction in people, at least not any with a reliable scientific foundation. The closest they got was with androstadienone, a steroid derived from testosterone that has been reported to “make women feel more relaxed” (Scientific American, “Do Pheromones Play a Role in Our Sex Lives?,” 02.12.2012). But the lack of solid evidence hasn’t stopped the perfume industry. You can find all sorts of “pheromone-based” perfumes on the Internet that claim to attract the opposite sex. The more expensive, popular ones have countless positive reviews that praise its effectiveness, but I’m more inclined to believe that this is because of the placebo effect.

“Science may explain what gives love its sparks but it can’t provide any real shortcuts.”

There are also theories floating around that romantic attraction is largely guided by genetics and the goal of finding a mate who will help produce healthier offspring. For instance, researchers from the University of Western Australia suspect that a person’s body odor could provide clues about that person’s immune system (NY Daily News, “Secrets of Attraction May Lie in Immune System DNA That’s Sensed Through Sweat,” 02.17.2010). According to their study, a woman’s sweat contains chemical information about her histocompatibility, or MHC, genes.

This information also subconsciously notifies embers of the opposite sex about the type of

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

immune system she has. To the researchers’ surprise, not only did the female participants with the most varied MHC genes appear more attractive to the male participants, but they also had the greatest number of sexual partners (NY Daily News). This is most likely because a person with varied MHC genes also has a diverse immune system, a trait associated with disease resistance.

So far, all these research studies seem to push the notion that romantic attraction is mainly outside of our control, which may dishearten several readers. However, all these studies have another common thread: They’re about infatuation, not love.

Everything from facial symmetry to pheromones to histocompatibility genes focuses on the love-at-first-sight aspect of romance, the instantaneous physical attraction that occurs when two people meet for the first time. These factors might answer why you have a premature crush on someone but say nothing about what helps a relationship survive conflict or last for a long time. Just because two people are biologically compatible doesn’t mean that their personalities will mesh well. How regrettable that science is not invulnerable to the “love at first sight” mentality that plague movies and literature.

Of course, I’m exaggerating: There are obviously some studies focused on maintaining a relationship, not just infatuation. However, the little that I could find was surrounded by an ocean of research on the immediate sensation of falling in love. That’s not surprising, since falling in love is easy and fun, while keeping a relationship together is stressful and aggravating. But even though your DNA or your immune system or your pheromones might determine who you choose as your significant other, those biological factors change over time. What will happen when you’re no longer biologically compatible with your partner? Ultimately, one must make an effort to truly understand the other person’s personality and values and build a foundation of trust and friendship beforehand. Science may explain what gives love its sparks but it can’t provide any real shortcuts.

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OPINIONS

February 9, 2017

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Call For Papers The Vassar College English Majors’ Committee is proud to announce the launch of the Vassar Critical Journal, a student-run publication sponsored by the English Department that publishes critical works on literary topics from Vassar undergraduate students. The goal of the Journal is to stimulate public intellectual discourse among students on literary topics, to acknowledge the high quality of the written work created by Vassar literature students, and to provide opportunities for Vassar students to learn about the academic publishing process.

For the inaugural 2017 issue of the Vassar Critical Journal, the English Majors’ Committee would like to invite the submission of papers on literary topics from all current Vassar students. Students from all disciplines are invited to participate, as long as their work focuses on some literary work or aspect of literature.

The papers should be academic in content, style, and tone, and should adhere to MLA guidelines for citation and formatting. In order to encourage the inclusion of underclassmen writers, the Journal will not be accepting full theses. However, thesis chapters which are edited to stand alone are acceptable.

Papers will be read and evaluated by a volunteer editorial board from the English Majors’ Committee, under the guidance of English Department faculty. Works will be selected for publication based on the originality of ideas, strength of argument, and effectiveness of academic techniques in the paper.

Submission guidelines: All papers should follow MLA style, focus on a work or works of literature or engage theoretical approaches to literature, and should be literary/critical in content, form, and style. Submissions should be at least five pages double-spaced, and no more than 20 pages (excluding Works Cited). All essays must be submitted in English, and any essays that analyze a text in a language other than English should provide translations for quoted material. Each student may submit up to two papers for consideration. All materials should be submitted online via the Vassar Critical Journal website no later than February 20, 2017.

For papers that focus more on philosophical ideas than the analysis of literature, we recommend that students submit to the The Vassar College Journal of Philosophy instead. We encourage students focusing on literature relating to Jewish Studies to consider submitting to Neshama, Vassar’s Jewish Studies journal, as well. If you are submitting the same piece to more than one journal, please indicate this on your submission.

No identifying information should appear on your document. Members of the The Vassar Critical Journal editorial board may submit their own work for consideration, but the Editor will ensure that any board member’s anonymized submission will be reviewed only by a different member of the board.

Visit pages.vassar.edu/VassarCriticalJournal for more information.

February 9, 2017

OPINIONS

Democrats must embrace working class Pieter Block

Guest Columnist

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n 2002, a book called “The Emerging Democratic Majority” was published by John Judis and Roy Teixeira. Its argument was simple: due to natural demographic shifts in the United States, primarily the increase in the non-white percentage of the electorate (as well as the increasing number of unwed women and the coming of age by millennials), the Democratic Party would be on the path towards becoming a majority party. The book was a hit, and deeply influential to political scientists, pundits and strategists. Although the 2010 and 2014 midterms, in which the Republican Party made generational gains in Congress, state legislatures and governors, raised numerous questions about the validity of this “majority,” the upcoming 2016 race seemed to promise presidential level turnout among core Democratic constituencies.

Not only had these groups combined to win the majority of votes at the national level in the previous five out of six elections (something that will almost always carry a candidate across the electoral college finish line), but previously pink and even red states such as Virginia, Colorado, Florida and North Carolina seemed to be slipping from the Grand Old Party’s grasp.

In November 2016 however, where at the supposed zenith of a successful Obama presidency and despite the Clinton operation having superior spending on data, a ground game and televised advertising, Trump won. While not a historically large win by any measure, it was a remarkable electoral success. Although Trump lost Virginia and Colorado, he cruised to victory in North Carolina all the while smashing through traditional Democratic working class bastions in the Midwest. Ohio’s Mahoning Valley; gone. South-Eastern Iowa was lit up by hues of pink.

The Fox Valley in Wisconsin turned blood red. Most impressive of all were the margins around the Pittsburgh/ Wilkes Barr/Scranton and Tampa media markets that allowed Trump

to survive general election turnout out of Philadelphia and South-East Florida.

With President Trump in office and governing, the makeup of either his re-election coalition or a successor’s is beginning to take shape. In the Wall Street Journal on January 26th columnist Peggy Noonan theorized about how President Trump might help his reelection odds. Noting that the presidential painting Trump chose for the Oval Office was a portrait of Andrew Jackson, she pointed out that Jackson was the “champion of the 19th century’s deplorables.” She went on to point out what in her opinion was the most important meeting President Trump had in his first week, a gathering glossed over even by more conservative media outlets.

“White working class voters only gave Trump 66 percent of their votes in 2016.”

On the Monday after the election, President Trump invited a group of union leaders to the White House and then, in the presence of not just the President himself but Vice-President Pence and other senior staffers, spoke with the labor activists for “almost an hour and a half.”

This move, although probably more symbolic than substantive, was nonetheless incredibly savvy, and plays to the heart of Trump’s seemingly improbable win.

The primary reason Trump was able to beat through a multi-million vote deficit to still overwhelmingly secure the Electoral College is electoral efficiency. 2016 Republican presidential voters were incredibly well distributed.

They were clustered so efficiently that states like Maine (not just the rural 2nd Congressional District), Minnesota, New Hampshire and Nevada could easily fall in 2020 even if Trump

should lose the popular vote by a greater margin (assuming he could boost support among certain constituencies).

Detractors will argue that states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania will return to the Democratic fold primarily due to some sort of backlash to the President.

Although this is entirely possible, Democrats should carefully consider the following points.

The Democratic coalition of 2016 was so geographically lopsided that a 2.1 percent popular vote lead lost them the Electoral College by 14 percent. One must also remind themselves that now-President Trump’s favorability going into the election was, according to Gallup, just 34 percent.

His current favorability, according to Gallup, is 42 percent.

Another point to consider: although exit poll data is somewhat suspect, given that they tend to oversample younger and better educated individuals than the electorate at large, union households went for Clinton only 51-42 (and these margins were worse for her in the Midwest).

Despite this representing a sizable closure in the union gap between Republicans and Democrats (it was 58-40 Obama in 2012), it should not be read as the absolute ceiling for Trump.

In a single tweet Nate Cohn, a writer for the New York Times Upshot column, summed up the post-election devastation. Cohn said ,“How to think about this election: white working class voters just decided to vote like a minority group.

They’re >40 percent of the electorate.”

He left out one important point, however.

White working class voters only gave Trump 66 percent of their votes in 2016. The obstacles keeping Trump from capturing 70 percent or 80 percent or higher are in short supply for Democrats.

Creating them should be a top priority if Democrats wish to remain competitive in the heartland and, by the extension, the rest of the country.

Public outrage requires nuanced critique Jesser Horowitz Columnist

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first became aware of “A Dog’s Purpose” after watching a trailer for the film at a nearby movie theater. A January release (which is always the mark of cinematic excellence), the film follows the story of a dog who continuously reincarnates and uses that experience to find meaning. At the time, I didn’t give it much thought. The trailer made the film look as schmaltzy and unimaginative as possible, and if you believe the critics that’s pretty accurate.

I had no interest in ever seeing it (and frankly I still don’t), so I just sat back and waited for it to inevitably be forgotten.

“This incident demonstrates the existence of an industry of outrage that profits from knee-jerk reactions to emotional stimulus.”

Yet something very different happened instead. Not long before it hit theaters, TMZ obtained a video of footage from the making of the film in which a trainer forcibly shoves a German Shepherd into water. The video also seemed to suggest that the dog almost drowned in the process. The article details, “The dog eventually got in the water -- or was forced in -- but was quickly submerged. It’s unclear if the dog going under was scripted, but someone immediately yelled, ‘Cut it!’” and handlers rushed to the animal” (TMZ, Terrified German Shepherd Forced Into Turbulent Water, 1.18.2017).

This was picked up by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). They urged the public to boycott the film and showed the video to whoever would listen. The video greatly hurt the box office results of a movie that had previously been expected to do quite well (Los Angeles Times, “A Dog’s Purpose was supposed to be a hit, until animal-abuse controversy threw the

studio’s plan out the window,” 1.26.2017).

Then, on Feb. 3rd, American Humane, the animal rights organization who facilitate the “No Animals Were Harmed” program, released an investigative report that essentially concluded that the video was highly edited in a way that mischaracterized what happened on the set.

According to the report, “The findings of the independent investigation confirm that no animals were harmed in those scenes and numerous preventative safety measures were in place.”

Moreover, American Humane found that, “The two scenes shown in the edited video were filmed at different times.

The first video was stopped after the dog showed signs of stress. The dog was not forced to swim in the water at any time.” This was also supported, as noted in the report, by the New York Times investigation (American Humane, “Independent Investigative Report on A Dog’s Purpose Finds Edited Video Mischaracterized What Happened on the Set,” 2.3.2017).

While I could very easily use this as an excuse to feel morally superior, it’s admittedly understandable why a lot of people fell for it. It’s video evidence. You can see what appears to be animal abuse yourself. And even though TMZ is far from a reputable news source, it did gain some credibility after exposing a video of Ray Rice attacking his then-fiancee Janay Palmer two years ago.

I’m not blaming people for believing it, especially after it starting being reported by legitimate, mainstream news media.

This incident demonstrates the existence of an industry of outrage that profits from kneejerk reactions to emotional stimulus. TMZ, as a source of something that could theoretically be described as news, had a journalistic obligation to investigate the video’s validity before posting it to their website.

Finding the unedited video would have been more accurate, but it also would not have been newsworthy.

TMZ didn’t pursue the truth because not pursuing the truth generated attention and therefore produced profit.

But, what makes this incident particularly

frightening is that it represents a failure to adapt based on necessity. We live in an political and cultural era that has come to be defined by the spread of misinformation and rise of outrage culture, a trend that I imagine most of Vassar’s population is astutely aware of. Even as we claim to be vigilant, we have dismissed the problem as exclusive to groups and systems of belief that conflict with our own. We choose to believe that news is fake when it conflicts with our beliefs and choose to believe that news is real when it doesn’t.

In this case, TMZ chose to believe the video because it profited them, PETA chose to believe the video because it confirmed their preconceived notions about the world and the public chose to believe the video because it allowed them to feel good about standing up for animal rights without actually doing anything.

“We, as a society, have to be more deliberate in directing our outrage and more discerning with our news sources.”

Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that this incident had a very real and very negative impact on people’s lives. Had it not been caught, those involved in the film could have lost their careers, and despite the video being disproved a project that presumably took a great deal of time and money has been relegated to be a financial failure (or at least less of a financial success then it likely would have been).

Fake news and outrage culture are not victimless.

Bringing attention to the cause of animal rights does not negate its negative impact on these people, nor does it counteract the growing trend towards fake news and impulsive thinking.

We, as a society, have to be more deliberate in directing our outrage and more discerning with our news sources.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 11

Word on the street What would you name Beyonce’s twins?

“Beyoncé 1 and Beyoncé” — Christiana Prater-Lee ’19

“Jaimeson Bukacek Frazier and Jaimeson Bukacek Frazier” — Jaimeson Bukacek Frazier ’19

“Thing 1 and Thing 2” — “Bob Smith” ’19

“Red and Yellow” — Abigail Pamenter ’19

“Prince and Princess B” — Matt Stein ’18

“Bad and Boujee, like the song” ­­— Megan Jackson ’18

Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Michael Chung, Photographer

HUMOR & SATIRE

Page 12

February 9, 2017

Breaking News From the desk of Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Under DeVos as Secretary of Education, dearth of Sex Ed will leave millions of bananas and zucchinis uncondomed

HOROSCOPES

ARIES

March 21 | April 19

It’s time to get involved in that thing that you’ve been sitting on the sidelines of forever. (You know exactly what I mean, don’t pretend you don’t!) It’s your turn to shine, sweet lightning bug. Don’t be afraid, you seriously have no reason to–you’ve got this!

We all believe in you!

TAURUS

April 20 | May 20 Beyonce is pregnant with twins and posted an absolutely slammin’ Instagram post; Pretty much everything is good in the world. Well that’s not really true… at all… shout out to Betsy DeVos... but at least you’re going to have a good week. Enjoy yourself and savor it!

GEMINI

May 21 | June 20 You may or may not be in store for some roommate/housemate/general personal drama. Don’t fret though, it’s going to be a-okay. Bake them something nice (regular or pot-filled), take out the trash, or water the plants to mend fences. Any spats that occur won’t last too long.

CANCER

June 21 | July 22 So sorry, but this is not going to be your week. You’re going to drop a plate at rush hour in the Deece and everyone is going to clap and stare. Like it’s going to be that bad.

Pick up that plate like a champ, move on, and be resilient!

LEO

July 23 | Aug. 22 I wouldn’t try to print anything at all this week. Fire signs and Vprint are notorious enemies, especially when the moon is full.

Technology is not going to be your friend so as hard as this may be, perhaps try staying off of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

VIRGO

Aug. 23 | Sept. 22 Don’t drown yourself in homework and readings. You’re already super motivated and brilliant, save some for the rest of us! Watch some Netflix, take a nap, treat yo’self 2017. And definitely don’t feel bad about it! Reenergize for the moments when you do have to work hard.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 | Oct. 22

Why go JYA when you can JY-stay at home and in bed Lily Horner

You will absolutely, undoubtedly find true love this week. (Just in time for Valentine’s Day! You’re so lucky! Hooray!) Hang around Tasty Tuesday, the Retreat, or the Old Bookstore. You never know who you might see eating an empanada, vegan noodles, or drinking a bubble tea.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23 | Nov. 21 Be very cautious this week. Make sure to look over your shoulder! Look out for network connectivity issues, bear sightings, icy patches on the campus paths, and even a missed homework assignment. Everything should be fine, just be as careful as possible.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22 | Dec. 21 Try something new! (No, this is not a trick) Check out an acapella show, try a new food at the Deece, or talk to the kid in class who sits next to you. Be as adventurous as possible this week, it just might pay off.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 | Jan. 19 Seriously, put your vape pen/piece down and do your homework. Your work is piling up and I can’t remember the last time I saw you in class. Maybe even take a minute to take a shower and change your clothes.

We’re all worried about you and don’t want to have to stage an intervention.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20 | Feb. 18 You’ve been dropping “subtle” hints about your birthday since we got back to campus from break. We really, really get it. Mentally and physically prepare yourself for the surprise party your friends are throwing. For the rest of Aquarius season make sure you save room for lots and lots of cake.

PISCES

Feb. 19 | March 20 You’re going to want to stay hydrated this week; remember, hydration is key.

Break out that Nalgene because dehydration is no joking matter. Stock up on infused cantaloupe water at the Deece, locate the water fountains nearest to all of your classes, and remember that coffee/ Monster doesn’t count as a hydrating fluid!

—Amy Lieber, Psychic

Cheez-it Fiend

H

ow’s school? Are y’all having a great time?

No? Not surprising. I, a free woman until March, am writing from my cozy comfy bed at home. It’s great. I can go downstairs and get some Cheez Its without using ANY dining bucks, and get wine drunk with my mom without getting carded. While you slave away writing papers about stuff nobody cares about, I am here slaving away over which tv show I should binge watch next. And while extended winter break is great, I have gone a little stir crazy.

Since my winter break is as long as summer, I have taken to treating this time like June through August instead of December through February.

Wearing shorts and tank tops outside has given me hypothermia but I do have fun playing beach volleyball and making sand castles out of snow.

Eating ice cream has gotten a little difficult, and my tongue has frozen on several occasions, but I am dedicated to my craft. When else will I get this fun and free summer vacation? By my calculations, never, since I come back from Germany in August and then am graduating and pulling out my hair the next year, so I am enjoying each breath of summer/ winter while I can.

But this break hasn’t been all carefree. I have been diligently practicing my German, doing guttural throat exercises every morning before I eat some sausage for breakfast. I have reenacted the fall of the Berlin Wall with pillows in my bedroom, and I now believe I was there at the actual fall. I have also been reading German newspapers. Now, I don’t understand a thing but the words are pretty funky looking, and I can’t wait to understand what is an Angela Merkel. No, I am not going to be wearing lederhosen in Berlin, but I have been breaking in a pair of my own that I wear under my pjs.

I definitely do not miss school. Honestly, I’m not

even sure where I go anymore. Vanderbilt? Vancouver? Vasculature? The jury is still out. I do get emails from time to time, and I have no idea what they are about, but I know that they annoy the crap out of me and that administrative emails should have an unsubscribe button. I was supposed to visit a week ago but I got lost and ended up at Marist. It was nice there. People were happy and they didn’t seem concerned that I was following them around.

The one thing I do miss about school is my friends. I have made cornhusk dolls to represent each of them and we have tea parties and ragers and do homework together. Sometimes I have to settle disputes between them, but what is life without a little drama? They have actually grown on me, and they are in some ways better than my real friends. For example, my dolls laugh at all my jokes, and tell me that I’m amazing all the time and have not once tried to kill me, which is good, because most cornhusk dolls are homicidal maniacs.

The only thing I’m really worried about over break is how much my brain has atrophied. I keep losing my keys and then I remember that I don’t have any keys to lose. It’s like I’m living in an M. Night Shyamalan movie except super boring. I have been trying to watch Jeopardy to keep my brain sharp, but I don’t remember what time or channel it’s on. One time I tried to do the crossword puzzle without a writing implement. I can’t remember the last time I left the house or took a shower, but I know that it has been a very long time since I’ve done either. Sometimes I feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway, with my cornhusk dolls acting as Wilson. But then I leave my room and see my parents, and I remember that they know how bad I smell and how many boxes of Cheez Its I have been eating. They look at me with disappointment, asking me how many more days until I leave. I tell them I have no clue. But really, the program started 2 weeks ago, and I am never leaving!!!!

To LARP or not to LARP, when academia gets odd Evelyn Frick

Mother of Dragons

I

have come across a lot of interesting courses during my year-and-a-half at Vassar. Some memorable ones from the course guide are “Sex Before, During and After the Nazis,” “The Art of Reading” and “How to Call Someone out in a Facebook Post 101.” But in my humble opinion, none can be as interesting or wild the English class I am taking this semester. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I decided to take Pre-Modern Drama this semester to fulfill a requirement for my English major. Originally I had wanted to take the assuredly riveting and high-octane class “Arthurian Literature” but unfortunately it clashed with the QA requirement I’m being forced to take this semester. (In case you’re wondering, I decided to fill it with Geography. How this equates to doing math is beyond me, but considering I didn’t even bring a calculator to college, I’ll take rock class.)

And so, I signed up for Pre-Modern Drama.

I walked into Kenyon that fateful first day of classes pretty sure I knew what to expect. My mother is an English professor and specializes in English Drama, so I figured I already had my bases covered. But five minutes into the class, something went horribly awry. Looking back it doesn’t seem that bad, but in the moment it was as if my professor had told me that instead of Pre-Modern Drama we would be studying Beevis and Butthead will being slimed. (Slime: verb, meaning to drop green slime on someone unexpectedly, popularized by the TV Channel

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Nickelodeon) In reality, my professor said, “Are you guys excited to LARP?!” For the uninformed peasants, LARP stands for Live Action Role Playing and was probably invented by Dungeons and Dragons players who tried coke for the first time. Basically what happens is a bunch of 30 year-old white men dress up as mystical creatures like Gandalf or Pinkie Pie from my Little Pony and run around in the middle of a field. Except in this context, it would be a bunch of faux-hipster college students running around in costumes and Doc Martens around Noyes Circle.

I froze when my professor asked this. In that moment I went through a list in my head of all the things I would rather do instead of LARP: trim my fingernails with a chainsaw, vote for Jill Stein in a General Election, never smoke dank kush ever again, etc.

Not only LARPing, but I would have to play Medieval video games for a grade too! While this might be someone’s dream scenario, the last time I played a videogame was when I played the Clifford the Big Red Dog CD-ROM game as a child.

But after the first class, I’ve started to become less skeptical. I don’t know what’s come over me... perhaps one of my classmates is going to LARP as a witch and put a spell on me.

Regardless, I’m starting to become excited about the prospects of this new adventure. I think I’ve decided that I want to LARP as a baby dragon named Gorlock who has the power to fly, breathe mighty fire and take bomb-ass selfies.

February 9, 2017

HUMOR & SATIRE

Page 13

How to discuss politics with Good idea or cat-astrophe?

Trump-worshipping family Kennel show features cats Leah Cates

Family Politics Pundit

N

o, I’m not a Republican, a masochist, nor even a pitiable election bet loser. It was kids’ movie night at my cousins’ church, and who better than bulgy-eyed baby Dory and my cousins’ cute kiddos to distract me from the reality that a sexist, racist, xenophobic, fear-mongering, egotistical, impulsive and ignorant reality TV star who believes that climate change is a hoax had been elected leader of the free world?

Despite the impulse you may feel to judge my relatives as mindless white supremacists, they are actually some of the most kindhearted, loyal, intelligent, hardworking, hilarious and loving people I know. But alas, they were born and raised in conservative Nebraska.

A celebratory atmosphere pervaded the conversation which, undeniably, had little to do with Nemo locating Dory; in the minds of my kin, America had, as of noon that day, officially re-embarked on its path to greatness.

Two of my cousins buoyantly exchanged stories about how they educated their children on the day’s “historical significance,” detailing their little ones’ priceless reactions.

Claire* proudly recounted, “I brought Noah over to the television. I pointed to the screen, and I said, ‘Do you see that man, Noah? He’s going to be the next President of the United States! Every four years, Americans vote, and we get a new president.’”

I’m curious as to whether, in two years, Claire will be as eager to plop Noah in front of the TV and explain impeachment proceedings.

Nancy responded by relating how her precocious three-year-old announced, “Mommy, when Trump comes to our house, I think I’ll just hide in my tent.” Thank you for your wisdom, Michaela. We might not all have stuffed animal-littered pink princess tents in which to

take refuge, but we could try pulling a Bert the Turtle (Was America “great” during the Cold War?) underneath those flip out desks in Rocky in the event that Trump launches a fiery tweet (at) Kim Jong Un, and the Dear Leader reciprocates by activating that intercontinental ballistic missile he’s been working on for so long.

At another point, Nancy reassured me, “Trump doesn’t want to get rid of all immigrants, just illegal ones.” How comforting! That must be why he issued an executive order banning refugees (refugees!) from all countries, and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

My cousins also believe that Trump’s administration will be “fun.” They’re “so excited!” for these next four years. At what point in the past 20 days has transpired the jolly good merriment?

When Trump blatantly lied about the number of inauguration attendees? When he blamed the ballots of undocumented immigrants (classic) for his losing the popular vote?

The low point came when Claire deemed the Women’s March “Lib crap,” prompting the rest of the family to nod sympathetically. But it’s not crap. Nor is it Liberal. The Women’s March transcended political parties, races, religions, social classes, nationalities, sexual orientations and even gender lines.

While we need to resist Trump’s discriminatory decisions and rhetoric, we also need to spend more time understanding the 62,979,879 citizens, including people I love, who voted for him. Many of them were sick of the status quo, craved real change, and viewed Trump as the solution. But bullying, bigotry and deceit are not acceptable avenues through which to effect change, regardless of political party. I hope that’s what my cousins teach their children. *I used aliases to protect my family members’ identities

Chris Allen

Best Editor Ever

A

ttention all fancy doggos, pooches, puppers, pupperoni pizzas and floofs: get ready for an awkward get-together with your estranged, meowier cousins. The weather forecast for this weekend in New York City indicates a 100 percent chance of raining cats and dogs, because the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has announced that for the first time in 140 years, they will be including cats in their annual, dog-centric event. The feline participants will not take part in the same programs as their canine friends. But the fact remains that there will be dogs and cats rubbing shoulders under the same roof. There are so many burning questions to address–are we indeed approaching the end times? Will Westminster 2017 be the next sign of our apocalyptic undoing? Or will the Westminster show play out like a live-action remake of Zootopia, demonstrating that species can overcome their differences to work together in harmony? And finally, who let the dogs out? Who? Who? Who? Who? The eyes of the world will be anxiously focused on Madison Square Garden this month, as we forget about our human prejudices for about three seconds in order to see if these trained animals can put aside theirs.

As one might expect, this change in programming has ignited a lot of controversy on social media. One Twitter user wrote, “Is nothing sacred anymore?!?! This makes no sense!!! But it’ll probably be super cute.” This kind of ambivalence is common. Many people must reconcile their shock regarding this unlikely pairing with the universal truth that puppies and kitties are both worthy of millions of YouTube views. But not everyone is so excited to make room on the show floor for furballs. Another Tweeter, identifying by the handle (at) SnoopDogg, asked, “Westminster Dog Show is allowing cats? What

will they be graded on, which cat can ignore their handler the longest?”

To answer your question, (at) SnoopDogg, the cats will not be judged, because they will not trot around the show floor with the dogs in the main pageant. If anything, it will actually be the cats that are judgmentally glaring at the humans around them. Instead, the kitty contestants will be taking part in a non-competitive event called “Meet the Breeds,” in which cats and dogs just sit there in booths as touchy-feely humans walk around and give them involuntary massages.

One can only imagine the disgruntled, Garfield-esque inner monologue that could be going through the feline mind as a Westminster cat observes its surroundings.

The “Meet the Breeds” event will also feature its own agility contest. If all goes as planned, this will entail cats zooming through hoops, tunnels and other obstacles to achieve the best time. But here’s where one of the major differences between dogs and cats comes into play.

Unlike the agility contests for dogs, this one will allow the trainers to dangle a mouse-like toy for the competitors to chase through the course, because the cats need to be tricked into thinking that they’re hunting in order to willingly take part in such a silly, useless game constructed by humans. Dogs will happily run over a see-saw simply because they want to please their owner and have fun. Cats, on the other paw, are fiercely independent. They answer to nobody, until somebody offers them food. Though dogs have been designated as our best friend, there are certain personality traits of both pets that we all can relate to, whether you’re a cat person, a dog person, a both person or a neither person. The 2017 Westminster “Dog” Show should go rather smoothly. It’ll be a grand celebration of the pets we love–but mostly the fancy, weird looking ones.

Founder’s Day themes problematic and also very bad Sylvan Perlmutter Opinions Writer

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“In typical fashion, Vassar College solved a problem only to erect an even more terrible one in its place.”

Furthermore, “Wildlife” is an incredibly speciesist term. The word wild carries negative connotations of violence and barbarity, and is used to buttress the claim that the lives of animals have less value than those of humans. The perceived wildness of a leopard makes it OK for the elder Trump sons to shoot one on safari (this actually happened) and, I assume, give its pelt to Steve Bannon as an offering.

Are we humans not the real wild, violent, and barbaric ones? Non-human animals do not pollute the seas and skies and endanger the future of all life on Earth by refusing to curtail their environmental impact; neither do they do have atomic bombs and kill millions in wars of imperialism and conquest. No, we are the “Wildlife” of which we speak. If we are to be true to the Founder’s Day theme, we should show up dressed in regular attire, self-conscious of the true nature of our species.

There is no point to reliving this farce by putting the remaining theme options up for another vote. All three choices: “Fruits and Veggies”, “Camp” and “Shapes” are irredeemably problematic as I will explain to those Misc. readers unversed in the ways of wokeness.

To start, if “Fruits and Veggies” were our theme many students would dress as out of sea-

son produce. To dress up as a pumpkin during the summer would promote an unnatural relationship to the rhythms of our beloved planet, and insult the hard work of our local farmers to keep the tradition of small scale agriculture alive. Fruits and Veggies are commonly picked by underpaid and marginalized migrant laborers. Furthermore, Monsanto provides much of the seed for such produce and regularly disenfranchises farmers or keeps them locked in a cycle of perpetual debt. Dressing up as a grape, as you all now understand, undoubtedly constitutes a wrathful endorsement of brutal neoliberal practices.

“Camp” is an outrageously classist theme.

Usually, only the socioeconomically privileged can afford to go to summer camps. Voluntarily spending nights outdoors in 2017 is abnormal.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors decided that

settling down and sleeping under roofs was a better way of life, and I wholeheartedly agree.

In addition, for those students with roots in the former USSR, the word camp will bring up uncomfortable generational trauma. I can not believe that nobody immediately thought about the Gulag the moment this theme came up. Let’s not normalize Stalinism, people.

Last but not least, “Shapes.” Personally, this theme evokes deep pain and discomfort on my part because I was often called a “square” in my youth. And don’t get me started on the inherent violence of corners.

My sincere suggestion to the Vassar Community is that we cancel themed celebrations altogether instead of continually jumping from one unacceptable theme to another. Clearly, the idea of an unproblematic Founder’s Day theme is a myth or fairytale.

Courtesy of PublicDomainPictures

n typical fashion, Vassar College solved a problem only to erect an even more terrible one in its place. The original theme chosen for this year’s Founder’s Day was “Myths and Fairytales.” Fortunately, after receiving feedback, the Traditions Committee was quick to disavow this deeply troubling proposal for our annual day of unofficially sanctioned debauchery. A “Myths and Fairytales” Founder’s Day, as the committee wrote in its statement, would have created an unsafe space on campus by “perpetuating narratives of violence... amongst other problematic themes.”

I for one salute the swift and decisive response to the potential scourge that “Myths and Fairytales” posed. The student body of an average college would have played on a mythological theme by dressing up as harmless fairies, unicorns, elves, dragons, toga wearing Greek deities, gainful employment after graduation, etc. But not the Students of Vassar College. We are famed for our perversion and depravity, having been dubbed an “Ivy League Whorehouse” by the Westboro Baptist Church. Surely, instead of dressing up in innocuous fantasy garb, Vassar students would have recreated the Trojan War by sieging and subsequently burning Main House to the ground (except for the retreat, of course), or perhaps a rag tag band of bro-dudes (genus bro, species dude) would have promoted the sexist trope of female fragility by sneaking peas under the mattress of every female-identified student.

However, the students that voted for the new theme,“Wildlife”, and the student government that permitted it as a choice, failed our school’s reputation as a progressive bastion yet again.

How will we ever compete with Wesleyan now?

As should be apparent to every socially-conscious individual on campus, “Wildlife” is arguably a more problematic theme than “Myths and Fairy Tales.”

Dressing in imitation of wildlife will lead many Vassar students to commit the unpardonable sin, and I shudder to type this, of wearing fur. Over 50 million animals are killed annually for their fur. If we keep this theme, our beloved

celebration will become a grotesque parade of mass slaughter. Now, some might retort that faux fur is an option as well, but this too is inexcusable. Faux fur, unlike that bewitching reefer, marijuana, is a true gateway drug. You begin by gleefully admiring yourself in that faux mink coat until the day you realize how its softness and luster is nothing compared to the real thing.

By that time, it’s too late, and you head straight to the Fendi store to overdraw your credit cards.

An ornately costumed Vassar student (in wildlife garb) prepares for Founder’s Day by dropping acid and molly and embarking on a naked spirit journey by Sunset Lake

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ARTS

Page 14

February 9, 2017

Gallery echoes discontent, unease of political climate Lucy Ellman

Guest Reporter

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Tatana Kellner via Palmer Gallery

s chants of “not my president” echo across the nation, millions gather around the globe to protest our new administration and hot pink yarn flies off the shelves of craft stores everywhere, Donald Trump is still the president of the United States. In the months since the election, and especially the two weeks after the inauguration, the entire planet has been reeling from the election of one of the most divisive leaders we have seen in the modern age, forced to come to terms with the reality that such a man has come to power. How can we attempt to process this dynamic shift, and where can we find the energy to keep us in the fight?

The James W. Palmer Gallery has provided one such answer in its new exhibition, “The World After January 20, 2017: Works by Contemporary Artists and Poets.” Come experience this multimedia exhibition, on view through Feb. 16, which features artists from a variety of backgrounds all searching to comprehend this strange new world, and through great pain find a sense of understanding.

The idea for such an exhibit came about through the collaboration of co-curators Associate Director of the Palmer Gallery Monica d. Church and Adjunct Associate Professor Judith Nichols, when they realized that they had a chance to create something extraordinarily current. Church explained how she introduced the idea to Professor Nichols: “I presented Judy, who I know as a poet and activist, with a loose idea that we may want to shift the focus of the exhibition we were working on to something more timely while I was at her home preparing tamales for a fundraiser for Artists for Soup. We felt that we might have an opportunity to organize an exhibition in reaction to the election, and have it take place within the first 100 days of the Trump presidency.”

Specifically addressing the original vision for the exhibition in its desire to be relevant and political, Church stated in an email, “The inspiration for the exhibition came about with the idea that

‘political and social upheavals can provide ripe environments for making art.’ We invited artists and poets to ‘consider sharing work that somehow addresses your sense of what this Presidential Inauguration might mean.’” In this way both the experience of creating the art, as well as observing the pieces as a viewer are rather cathartic experiences. In this tumultuous time, Hannah Nice ’18 [Disclaimer: Nice is the Assistant Social Media Editor at the Miscellany News] has come to value art more than ever, and talked about the thoughts she had while wandering through the exhibition: “The process of art making can be therapeutic, as it provides a way for artists to take action and translate internalized emotions into a tangible entity. On the other hand, art creates a platform for a community to be created; it acts as a physical manifestation of shared emotions. I find that this show beautifully highlights these aspects of art: the power that comes from both creating and displaying it.”

While clearly each artist in the exhibit views the election of Donald Trump (and his most recent policies) in a negative light, each work reflects a variety of reactions to his election, ranging from the darkly humorous to the quietly somber.

Church expanded upon the selection process for the artists themselves: “We invited artists and poets whose works normally have political underpinnings. Thus, none of the participants were making political works for the first time.

The artists/poets all responded positively to our invitation. They worked hard, over the holidays and with a very short turnaround to produce new works.”

Each work captures a variety of experiences, some quiet and reflective, and others more bombastic. While there was certainly a trend of depicting Donald Trump rodent-like and grotesque, others went for a subtler approach. The painting “A Dangerous Table” by Nichols was a favorite, blending tranquil, swirling colors with a darker, more sinister message. In a pose reminiscent of “The Last Supper”, the likenesses of Trump’s closest confidantes are seated around a table. Some

The James W. Palmer Gallery’s newest exhibition, “The World After January 20, 2017,” details the feeling of fear and dissatisfaction prevalent since the election of Donald J. Trump. are dressed in the white cloaks of KKK attire while others seated more centrally give off the Nazi salute. Perhaps most strikingly, the man with the orange hair is not seated at the table, but is placed off to the side, tripping over his own feet.

These works are meant to incite a dialogue, and Nichols puts it most eloquently: “The works in this show were created by artists who, in many cases, are in the cross-hairs of the new administration because of our queerness, color, gender, country of origin or religious affiliation. One non-violent response in these times of national crisis may be to invite dialogue with the huge number of North Americans who celebrate the direction our elected leaders seem to be taking the country.”

Professor Nichols emphasized the importance of this form of protest, stating: “The urgent work for citizens of conscience right now is to imagine

ways to build alliances that counter the initiatives coming out of Washington. This movement will benefit from the support of artists and writers and those of us who make their work possible. We need to fill public spaces, newspapers and classrooms with the language and vision required to sustain a just and unbreakable union.” It is clear that in times like these, filling every space with protest and dissent is the path to change, or at the very least the inhibition of the disastrous policies of our current government. While the exhibition “The World After January 20, 2017” does not give answers to every problem facing our nation at this very moment, through a variety of perspectives it offers the idea that unity does not mean disregarding the plights of individuals but embracing us all, that through mutual understanding of our unique struggles we might have a chance at progress.

Annual Cabaret Night reaffirms genre’s undying spirit Matt Stein Reporter

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ou’ll never find Drake on a standards album or a cabaret rendition of any Chainsmokers songs. Though while time still has yet to tell whether or not these musicians will retain a legacy, there already exists a collection of timeless music sung all over the world, from Broadway stages to school choirs to holiday CDs at Starbucks: The Great American Songbook.

On Saturday, Feb. 4th, at 8:30 p.m., Skinner Hall of Music turned back time to the 20th century for Cabaret Night, an annual Modfest performance dedicated to the Great American Songbook. With an opening concert of a string quartet comprised of Vassar sophomores, students from the Music Department were accompanied on piano by Music Department Accompanist David Alpher, with vocalist and lyricist Jennie Litt as the director.

The Great American Songbook refers to a

compilation of American composers from the 20th century that have remained cultural mainstays today. Some of the well-known songwriters include the Gershwin brothers, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington. Many of these songs originated as Broadway standards before gaining even more widespread significance.

“What [The Great American Songbook] means to me are songs written in what I believe to be the golden years of American music,” as Alpher described the appeal of the genre. “Essentially these were people who were specialists in writing songs. Today we have the singer-songwriters, but back then they were writing for others.”

For the audience, which included many Dutchess County community members, these songs hold a warm place in their hearts; those unfamiliar with these songs, on the other hand, were be able to connect with their universal themes.

Courtesy of Collin Knopp-Schwyn

This past Saturday, the Modfest’s annual Cabaret Night honored the Great American Songbook, American compositions from the 20th century who are still culturally prevalent in today’s society.

Litt talked about the importance of these songs in connecting the audience and the performers: “Well I think that a lot of the people that have attended these shows, in my experience, are members of the community of a certain age, familiar with the material, coming to hear songs they know and love and going to go on an emotional journey along with singers on stage.”

“What I hope is that the singers will help them to be expressive and inclusive in their performance, directly communicative,” she continued, “so audience members will not only enjoy music but come along for the emotional journey.”

Among the dozen performances from the night were “Goodnight, My Someone” from Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” performed by Sally Roberts ’17; “If Ever I Would Leave You” from Lerner & Loewe’s “Camelot,” performed by Ari Bell ’18; and “Wheels of a Dream” from Ahrens and Flaherty’s “Ragtime,” performed in a duet by Logan Pitts ’17 and Bianca Barragan ’19. In addition to the Music Department students performing, Senior Lecturer in Music and Director for the Madrigals Drew Minter made a surprise appearance, singing “The Cosmic Perspective,” which is a song written by Alpher and Litt.

Each performer found a song that personally meant something to them, with Vassar Music Department faculty helping them determine what piece to use.

For Pitts, his duet with Barragan in “Wheels of a Dream” had a tredmendous amount of relevance to today’s world, despite the song being written in the last century. “The theme of Modfest this year is Raising Voices,” he expressed.

“This theme directly calls me literally to sing out with power and metaphorically to seek justice in these turbulent and unsettling times.

‘Wheels of a Dream’ captured these ideas perfectly.”

The performance also held a lot of personal meaning for Pitts. As he described, “It was so special for me to sing with one of the most important people in my life, Bianca. We share a special connection and have helped each other grow in many ways over the years. Singing

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

together was very important to me. But it’s not even about the two of us. Its bigger than that. It was for all the unheard voices in America and the world. Like the opening lyrics to the song, ‘I looked in [her] eyes’ and saw such hope for our futures and knew we must all rise together to create the peace, love and equality that we so deserve.”

Cooperating with the disadvantageous schedule Winter Break created, Litt and Alpher explained their process for rehearsing this show.

“I meet with all the students individually for 30 minutes in November, then semester break happens. There’s six weeks off where Jenny talks to them,” Alpher explained, speaking of the initial stages for developing Cabaret Night.

Litt elaborated: “Last Saturday, we had individual sessions, with David at piano, me as director, and figured out what the order of the show will be,...coach the song as it’ll be appearing in the show, and work with each participant.

They might not be used to the conventions of cabaret, since it’s different from classical pieces or theatre, so we work with them to get more consistency, how they can make the song personal. Then we meet a week later and put it on its feet.”

Litt and Alpher have been the main proponents for Cabaret Night for the last several years, after Dee Wilson, the co-founder of Modfest, personally invited them to establish the annual performance. And every year, Vassar students and members of the community come together to hear the music of yesteryear, still potent today.

In the introduction to the event, Seamus Taylor ’17 and Cami Hippee ’17 expressed the contemporary message these songs still express, that the themes of love and hope never go out of style, even in today’s political climate, and that their timelessness proves the power they truly have.

Reflecting on the Cabaret Night as a whole, Alpher echoed these sentiments of the enduring nature and universal appeal of the genre, saying, “I hope the audience sees there is still tradition of musical theatre, of cabaret theatre, that has never stopped.”

February 9, 2017

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Poet’s life, work encapsulated in new library installation EXHIBIT continued from page 1

Courtesy of Edna St. Vincent Millay Society

in the Art Center as well, a black and white film captures scenes of Millay and her husband Eugen together on the farm.

The opportunity to absorb such an interesting and rich collection was made possible by Special Collections Librarian and Adjunct Professor of History Ronald Patkus, who recognized the upcoming 100th-anniversary celebration of Millay’s graduation and her 125th birthday. “The idea really surfaced after contacting the Millay Society, whose eager response confirmed the possibility,” Patkus explained. Vice President of the Millay Society Mark O’Berski confirmed the unprecedented nature of the exhibit, noting that aside from writings and photographs, few other belongings of Millay’s have been seen outside of the Society’s own exhibition gallery in Austerlitz, NY. Patkus affirmed that O’Berski and Millay’s literary executor Holly Peppe bore the brunt of the work in bringing the exhibition to fruition. Peppe wrote an essay for the exhibition catalogue and chose poems and other texts for the exhibit itself, while O’Berski chose the specific objects, books and photographs that would fill the glass cases.

“Assembling the collection, researching the history, creating a story and writing the words that accompany the artifacts took many months of intense collaboration,” O’Berski illuminated. The object placement is calculated: Each case contains objects representing the endeavors of Millay and her husband Eugen for the four seasons of the year, an organizational tactic that eased the selection of artifacts.

But the memories and experiences that the poet was to gain from her time on the farm were preceded by a first-rate education and a foray into the professional world of writing. After submitting her poem “Renascence” to a 1912 national poetry contest under the name of E. St. Vincent Millay to evade identification as a woman, Millay did not win a prize, but her recitation of the poem led to an offer for financial assistance that enabled her to attend Vassar. In this enriching academic environment, Millay wrote consistently and satiated her

A new exhibition in the Thompson and Art Libraries features objects from Vassar alumna and acclaimed poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, class of 1917, highlighting her life in upstate New York. longing to pursue drama and theater as she met other aspiring actors and artists and eventually wrote her first play. Peppe explained, “Millay was active in college activities—she acted in pageants and other productions and wrote plays, songs and poems for college events, including the Baccalaureate hymn for graduation.” Taking advantage of the enriching academic resources available to her, the young woman refined her writing, yet she yearned to escape the rules that she felt often confined her during her college studies.

Despite any disdain for the College’s regulations, Millay would eventually credit her Vassar education for giving her an invaluable academic background that she incorporated into her work.

Taking this education with her, she proceeded to her initial settling point, the enlivened Greenwich Village in New York City, where she led an epit-

omized bohemian lifestyle. There, she constantly wrote, explored and engaged with other writers who shared her dogged pursuit of the artistry of words and the desire to get published. Through her writing, Millay began to deconstruct gender norms and combat social injustice. “Poet, playwright, essayist and short story writer, she infused new life into traditional poetic forms and brought new hope to a generation of youth disillusioned by the political and social upheaval of the First World War,” wrote Peppe in an email.

Little did Millay know that Austerlitz, NY, would be her new home, which included a farmhouse, barns and 730 acres of land, and that she’d name it Steepletop after a steeplebush on the property. Here, her forward-thinking mindset would find nourishment: Removed from the hustle and bustle of an urban climate, the writer reveled in

her newfound peaceful haven, which continued to enhance her writing skills while encouraging her to seek novel tasks, activities and hobbies.

In the Art Library, clothing items and other objects bring the poet’s dynamic character to life, such as a long red dress and several chic hats and shoes situated next to her saddle and hunting rifle.

Swapping out shoes for her riding boots was just one example of the liberation concomitant with her agrarian lifestyle. “I just love how they’re so meshed in nature and evoke the notion of a ‘slow life,’” commented Laura Sorscher, a visitor from Philadelphia. The items, including sheet music, binoculars and wine bottles, attest to Millay’s rugged free spirit and inclination to learn and grow.

O’Berski opened, “The exhibit will help bring Millay to life for a new generation of students to discover.” Sophie Cash ’19 is one of those students.

She shared, “I hardly knew anything about Edna St. Vincent Millay...but I was attracted to the exhibit and learned a lot. It definitely made me want to read her poetry.” No doubt in the contemporary political climate, respect and recognition of the principles she furthered remains critical. “If she were still with us, I have no doubt she would have joined the recent Women’s March on Washington,” Peppe affirmed.

It is fortunate that “Treasures from Steepletop” can be unveiled at a college boasting a community that upholds the values which Millay exuded.

A literary phenom, Millay’s exceptional talent is irrefutable, yet her approach to life—to fulfill her desires, challenge the status quo and absorb all the knowledge that she could—illustrates the personal liberation that she embodied and promoted.

And each artifact at the exhibit is indicative of that spirit, culminating in a comprehensive display of her time at Steepletop and of her true self.

“Treasures from Steepletop” will be on display until June 11, while another exhibit, “Millay at Vassar,” will be on display at her Steepletop home in Austerlitz, NY, from May to October. On Saturday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m., a program honoring Millay will take place in the Alumnae House, and is open to all Vassar students, faculty and friends.

Audra McDonald brings dazzling end to Modfest 2017 also has this other voice she has used in the last couple years to talk about different things happening in the world, both political and otherwise. This idea of the discipline that goes into being a singer as well as the discipline that goes into being a voice that people listen to in every way has an interesting duality about it that really captures what Modfest is about.”

Besides activism, Audra McDonald has become an unstoppable force within the performance world, refusing to be limited. In 2014, her role as Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” netted her the Tony for Best Lead Actress in a Play, and, in doing so, she made history. Not only did she become the first person to win in all four performance categories, but she also broke the record for the most ever Tony Awards won by a performer. In her tearful acceptance speech, McDonald made special thanks to “all the shoulders of the strong and brave and courageous women” who helped pave her way.

Much like the legacies of the great African American women McDonald mentioned in her acceptance speech, such as Lena Horne and Ruby Dee, McDonald’s unrelenting work ethic, practiced technique and versatility as a performer has forever marked her as a trailblazer for both singers and actors alike of all genders and ethnicities.

Besides her sheer talent, McDonald is known for defying racial typecasting by portraying traditionally white roles in major Broadway productions such as Carrie Pipperidge in the 1996 revival of “Carousel” and Lizzie Curry in the 2007 revival of “110 in the Shade.” For McDonald, there is always a desire to push more, learn more and teach more, a notion that Modfest co-directors wanted to have showcased throughout the event.

“We have a lot of music that happens in this building and it is nice to see someone who is female, who is a woman of color, who is out there doing amazing work, really forging her own path, be in this space,” praised Howlett. He continued, “I think that is incredibly important for Vassar students to see.”

A force to be reckoned with, McDonald and

her illustrious career speaks to defying what is expected, the goals people aspire to reach both within and outside of their careers and the hard work it takes to get there. No doubt, through her example, more voices will continue to grow louder and stronger every day.

“I want students to be inspired and entertained by her prowess as a musician, but what I

want most of all is for them to be inspired and encouraged to identify the voices in themselves and look to the Vassar community for vehicles for these voices,” Pacio declared emphatically. “That is really what we have been trying to achieve with Modfest as a whole, as well as this event. I want students to have their voices heard.”

Courtesy of Karl Rabe/Vassar College

MODFEST continued from page 1 album “Go Back Home.” In the name of showcasing her classical training, McDonald included two pieces from Gabriel Kahane’s “Craigslistlieder,” a humorous take on traditional German lieder.

Interwoven throughout the concert, Audra talked briefly about her selections with a focus on motherhood and her performance history.

She also took time to interact with the small audience, exchanging light-hearted discourse with a man about the Super Bowl, asking what hair products two people sporting natural hair used and leading the audience in a brief singalong of “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady.”

The concert portion of the night was then followed by a short conversation with Professor of Film Mia Mask, who has written a book about prominent female African American television and movie stars entitled, “Divas on Screen: Black Women in American Film.”

Talking points included McDonald’s philosophy of never being reduced by race or gender, how she manages to balance being a performer, wife and mother, her path from Julliard to Broadway and her political activism.

“She is a rare talent. What’s more, we haven’t had a world-class performer of color on the Skinner stage in a very long time,” Mask observed.

She continues, “The Music Department admits as much. Kudos to Christine Howlett and Tom Pacio for rebranding Modfest and inviting Ms. McDonald. She is the jewel in the festival crown.”

When planning the final concert for Modfest, co-directors Interdisciplinary Arts Coordinator Tom Pacio and Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Christine Howlett immediately thought of McDonald as someone who truly exemplified the theme of “Raising Voices.” Not only a talented artist, she also encapsulated the unwavering strength and resistance that the present moment necessitates.

“As an accomplished actor and singer, she has the voice of an artist,” Pacio explained. “She

After a stunning musical performance by Audra McDonald this past Sunday, Professor of Film Mia Mask led a Q&A with the star, delving into her personal life, career and activism.

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February 9, 2017

‘Sense8’ breaks down borders, promotes inclusivity Kaitlin Prado Reporter

Sense8

Wachowski, Straczynski Netflix

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best actors.

Another special thing about this show is that it’s neither a sequel, nor a reboot of something any of us have seen before. There is a lot to this series that makes it feel so original. While a sizable part of the story is rooted in a science fiction-type plot, “Sense8” does not make the supernatural elements the sole appeal of the series.

Knowing that episode titles such as “I Am Also a We,” “Art is Like Religion” and “Death Doesn’t Let You Say Goodbye” exist, I would hope you believe me when I say that “Sense8” is a show that is as much about the human condition as it is the more-than-human connection between the eight main characters. Even though not all of us can claim that we are businesswomen by day and ultimate fighters by night, or closeted gay actors, or even German thieves, “Sense8” remains extremely relatable because of the true-to-life way these characters are written. I will admit that as much as I love the writing in this show, it can get

a bit corny at times.

I recommend downloading Shazam before watching this show. “Sense8” is so full of great music. I swear, if there was a CD of all of the music used in this show, I would buy it. There truly is a song for everything. Electronic tunes and instrumental scores alike find their way into scenes including (but in no way limited to): bloody fight sequences, eight-person orgies, raves, weddings, prison riots and international flights. Speaking of the wonderful variety of music-informed scenes, I have to take this moment to praise the way “Sense8” consistently balances what sometimes feels like a music video-esque compilation of very hot sex scenes with suspenseful chases, violent fights and heart-to-heart conversations.

The show was picked up for a second season, due in early May, but if you plow through the first season like I did, have no fear—they released the first episode of season two already, a whopping two-hour Christmas/New Year’s episode.

Courtesy of BagoGames on Flickr

ormally I am very hesitant to start a new show. It doesn’t matter if that means tuning in once a week at the same time and on a real television, or plugging in my headphones at the library to watch Netflix when I should be doing homework—I’m just skeptical of new things.

Recently, however, I decided to watch the first and only season of “Sense8.” Although I’m of the belief that it’s usually most satisfying to start a new series knowing it already has several seasons, I took comfort in the fact that each episode is about 50 minutes long. The first episode had me hooked.

Looking behind the scenes, it is clear that one of the obvious strengths of this show comes from its creative team which (for season one) was spearheaded by Lilly and Lana Wachowski.

These trans women are sisters who have both shared the roles of creator, showrunner, screenwriter and director for “Sense8’s” first season.

A not-so-short list of reasons to like (but most likely love) this show includes: “Sense8” is a poster child for diversity among both cast representation and narrative. Both the leading and the supporting actors all represent a large variety of identities. Unlike many other television series which typically focus on only a couple of main characters, “Sense8” balances the lives of eight leads. If you need another reason to love this show, just think about the casting.

For instance, I was beyond happy to see the character Nomi Marks, a trans woman, being played by an actual trans woman (American model and actress Jamie Clayton). In a number of recent films and television shows, trans people have been played by cis-gendered actors; in this case,

“Sense8” shows that the industry can and should do a better job with representation.

While a cast list isn’t typically the most exciting thing about a show, I think it is very important to know that the show also stars Spanish actor Miguel Ángel Silvestre; Aml Ameen and Tuppence Middleton, who are both from London; Indian actress and model Tina Desai; German actor Max Riemelt; Brian Smith, an American actor from Dallas, TX; and Bae Doona, who is an actress from South Korea. I think it is special that this show can boast not only an international cast, but also an international setting. The variety of identities represented is just as wonderful as the number of locations used for “Sense8” which range from Nairobi, Kenya, to Reykjavík, Iceland. Fun fact: because the main cast constantly traveled together to film in these locations, extras and crew were hired from all around the globe. For instance, scenes shot in South Korea were filled with some of Seoul’s

Since its inception, “Sense8” has highlighted Netflix’s role in the promotion of diversity in media. Its creativity, stellar cast and musical score make it enjoyable to all. If you want to get a realistic, poignant depiction of the human condition, this is your new must-watch show.

Gorillaz debut eerie, politically-charged song after hiatus Izzy Braham

Guest Columnist

“Hallelujah Money” Gorillaz Parlophone

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said, “[A]lmost none of the unique strengths of the band are highlighted” (Redbrick, “Single Review: Gorillaz – Hallelujah Money,” 01.25.2017).

As an avid fan, I was beyond excited for this release. Since I was a child, the Gorillaz has always been one of my favorite bands, and I emphatically believe that they have some of the most interesting music in the world. When “Hallelujah Money” came out I was ecstatic, but then after watching it, I was a little disappointed. Perhaps it was the fact that I have such high expectations for the band, but I couldn’t help but feel that I wanted more from their long-awaited comeback.

Most of my displeasure lied in the fact that I felt that “Hallelujah Money” wasn’t even a true

Courtesy of Gorllaz on Flickr

day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Gorillaz released a song and music video, “Hallelujah Money,” featuring British artist and musician Benjamin Clementine. The song, a slow-paced, majestic lamentation on America’s current political situation, has a profound, gloomy message and eerily alarming visuals.

Created by lead singer Damon Albarn, Gorillaz are a British band known for their indescribably cool, dark songs that come in the form of stunningly beautiful elegies to faster-paced raps with angst-filled lyrics. The band’s music is so diverse and unique that Gorillaz’s collection has been characterized as everything from hip-hop to indie. And their peculiarity doesn’t stop at their music—Gorillaz are a virtual band comprised of four animated characters named 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russell who each contribute different sounds, vocals and instruments to songs and are also featured in the band’s music videos. “Hallelujah Money” is the band’s latest release in six years—and it has been much anticipated. The song and video begin with a static beep and an odd, otherworldly tune. The camera zooms in on a golden hallway with elevators that resemble those of Trump Tower. In an elevator, Clementine stands facing the camera with wide, disappointed eyes, clenching his fists, and at some points hiding behind a book.

Behind him on a screen flashes cartoons of pigs, close-ups of eyes, horror-filled scenes of people screaming and even footage of the KKK. With lyrics that mention Jerry Brown and building walls, the song is clearly anti-Trump, making a statement on the president’s power-hungriness, greed and complete and utter lack of compassion. Making a play off the Bible passage that proclaims that money is the root of evil, Clementine cleverly remarks on Trump’s

antipathy, singing with his rich voice, “It is love, that is the root of all evil,” while the background church choir track echoes, “Hallelujah money.”

Indeed, the song is strikingly poignant, so there was no surprise when it sparked a huge reaction on Twitter and throughout social media. Gorillaz tweeted the day they dropped the single, “Here’s a lightning bolt of truth in a black night.” On board with that idea, many people applauded the track. An article in the UK Independent wrote, “A stuttering, ever-shifting return, Gorillaz’s first song in seven years is just as musically uncertain as the current outside world” (“Hallelujah Money: Gorillaz’s anti-Trump track puts a playful spin on dark times,” 01.19.2017).

However, others were unimpressed—one review

The January release of Gorillaz’s newest song and its accompanying music video, “Hallelujah Money,” diverges from the band’s previous music, since it serves as a form of election protest.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

taste of the Gorillaz. While I thought Clementine had a great voice and an eerie but powerful presence that matched the video’s ambiance, I missed Damon Albarn’s distant vocals, the beautiful but weird overlapping tunes and the intricate raps I always try to memorize but can never get exactly right. In other words, I wanted a fiery Gorillaz song and got a dirge starring someone else.

However, reflecting on this, I had to remind myself that the song was released a day before the inauguration, and therefore, it perhaps was not supposed to center solely around the Gorillaz and to merely serve as their brilliant comeback song. Instead, the song’s main purpose was to be a political statement. Taking this into account, I realized I was unfairly judging the track. The song isn’t only the Gorillaz’s new single—it’s protest art—which, to me, means it should be reviewed in a different context and not necessarily considered as a representation of the band’s collection.

Nevertheless, the way the song asserted its political dissent made me feel hopeless rather than riled up and ready for action. There is no doubt that the song is bold, disturbing and even beautiful. I loved that it attacked Trump so directly and featured distinctly rattling images and lyrics. However, I was taken aback by its slow, odd pace and sad vibe. In fact, Albarn drearily sings, “When the morning comes / We are still human / How will we know? / How will we dream? / How will we love?” The Gorillaz has always been a very critical band, but to me this song had more elements of grief than the outright sarcastic anger I was expecting from them. I wanted the song to cultivate more of a dynamic feeling of rebellion in me instead of a gloomy meditative mindset.

Regardless of the type of music you like, I would definitely give the song a listen. It has a firm anti-Trump sentiment and very bizarre, but interesting visuals that most people would find captivating. As for Gorillaz fans, I think we just need to wait a little longer, as excruciating as that is, until the new album comes out. Then, we can truly evaluate whether the band’s comeback is triumphant.

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February 9, 2017

Page 17

Migos disappoints, “Culturally” speaking Jimmy Christon Columnist

Culture

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Campus Canvas

“Big on Big” to “Brown Paper Bag.” These songs aren’t even that bad. They just commit the sin of taking up space and bloating up the album. Instead of having a tight and compact album with a reasonable runtime, we have a three-song stretch that doesn’t really bring much to the table.

All this being said, “Culture” isn’t a bad album by any stretch of the imagination. But it isn’t a good one either. There are high moments, mainly the tracks with featured MCs or where Migos try switching it up, and these are undeniable highs.

Then there’s the rest of the album. It isn’t really bad, but it’s just kind of derivative, the tracks blend together and are very samey-sounding.

This album is great for turning your brain off. Don’t expect to get much out of it in terms of fulfillment, but do expect to get a lot of mileage out of it. I can easily see myself coming back to this album when I have to kill an hour in the gym, clean my room or do any type of busy-work really. Migos didn’t raise the bar for trap-music with this album, they just gave a better picture of where the bar rests.

Excuse me, What have you given up on already this semester?

“Doing any of my readings” — Marc Milone ’20

Courtesy of Migos on Flickr

f I had to give the music Migos makes a movie equivalent, it’d be a big, dumb action flick.

Not a schlocky B-tier one, but not an excellent one either. “Culture” isn’t “The Raid” of hiphop, but it’s definitely above something like “Terminator Genysis” (for the sake of argument, I’m ignoring the Marvel movies).

I’d be happy putting them on the same level as something like “John Wick.” Both have undeniable high points and are pretty solid overall. But they are both far from flawless. Along with this, outside of a few standout moments, neither really demands your attention.

What I mean by “demands your attention” is that this album, for most of its run-time at least, just kind of blends into itself. You’re not listening to a collection of Migos songs on this album, you’re basically listening to one 58-minute song.

And what type of music do I mean when I say this album is 58-minute Migos song? That’s easy: trap music. The type of rap on this album is rap where the high-hats rumble and vocals mumble.

If you are not a fan of this type of music, you probably won’t like this album.

That being said, there’s a lot to like here, even for people that aren’t fans of this type of music. If you liked the single “Bad and Boujee” for this album, there’s a good chance you’ll find more to like on this album. And for fans of trap music, Migos displays on this album what separates them from the plethora of Atlanta-based trap-rappers out there: their delivery.

You want to know why an Atlanta-based trap trio is topping Ed Sheeran on the Billboard Top 100 with their hit “Bad and Boujee”? It’s because the delivery on the track is on point. Seriously, go

listen to this and pay attention to the hook.

You wouldn’t be wrong if you used “bored” to describe how Offset delivers this earworm. It sounds like he’s using as little effort as humanly possible to form these words. And yet this hook brings an insane amount of energy to the track.

He might sound bored, but there is an undeniable bite to how Offset spits out these words.

Migos has their delivery perfected to an art on this album: the staccato on “T-shirt,” the hilarious “splash” onomatopoeia on “Slippery” and the absurd use of ad-libs on “Call Casting,” to name a few. Migos put in a lot of effort into this album, and they bring charisma in spades.

Another noteworthy part of the album is obviously the production. Trap music in general just wouldn’t work if the beats are boring. Just look at Post Malone’s album “Stoney,” where the beats want to make you go to sleep on that album.

On “Culture” though, the beats meet the energy Migos brings to tracks pound for pound.

At the end of the day, I’m giving this album 3/5 stars, and I said earlier that the album had some flaws. I also compared the album to a big, dumb action flick. Dumb is a great word to describe the lyrics on this album.

“I’m young and rich and plus I’m Boujee/ I’m not stupid so I keep the Uzi,” Offset states on “Bad and Boujee.” “Free my partners (John Wick),” Takeoff demands on “Slippery.” Takeoff also lets us know that his “wrist is glass/ my neck is glass” on the track “All Ass.” These examples are pretty good indicators of the lyrical content of the album.

These lyrics aren’t ground-breaking, they aren’t even that clever. The most they got going for them is that sometimes they’re pretty funny in a “wait what are they saying” type of way (like come on, that John Wick line is its own sort of golden). But if you’ve listened to any sort of trap music before, you’ve heard these exact lyrics before.

This album, however, does not need to be 58 minutes long. Migos easily could have—and should have—cut the three-song stretch from

“Sleep, I think” — John Mernacaj ’19

Migos’s album “Culture” is nothing too special, featuring captivating yet monotonous beats.

A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

submit to misc@vassar.edu

“I almost passed out today… so breathing” — Andrea Everett ’20

You built your home like you built your heart: cold and uninviting, empty and solitary.

You chose its inhabitants like you choose who to love: latch on to anyone who might be willing to stay.

“My well-being” — Lucy Ellman ’19

I love you, but I’m packing my bags because it’s getting too lonely in your heart for love but too cluttered with things you substitute for love.

“Doing any of my work ever...”

— Emily Overman ’20

And I’m getting too lost in both.

Kimberly Nguyen ’19 is a poet and photographer originally from Omaha, Nebraska. She is a sophomore English major, and she hopes to be Michael Joyce when she grows up. In her free time, she writes and maintains a strong Instagram game. She just published her first book in print, “I Am Made of War.”

“Lent” — Jimmy Pavlick ’18

Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Michael Chung, Photographer

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

Page 18

February 9, 2017

En Garde! 2017 brings more success for women’s fencing Lindsay Wolk

Guest Reporter

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Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton

ollowing a seven-week hiatus from competition, the women’s fencing team had a huge day on Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Cleveland State Duals in Cleveland, OH. Despite the incredibly long bus ride to Cleveland and the long break to celebrate the holidays, the Brewers were able to finish undefeated against Cleveland State University, Detroit, McKendree University, Case Western Reserve University and The University of Michigan. The six victories on the day left Vassar with an overall record of 17-9.

The Brewers competed against Cleveland State in both their first and last matches of the competition earning wins with scores of 23-4 and 21-6. Vassar then had a perfect match against Detroit, winning all 27 matches played.

The Brewers then went on to win over the Bogeys of McKendree University and the Spartans of Case Western Reserve University with scores of 24-3 and 21-6 respectively. The closest match of the day, with a score of 19-8, was that against the Wolverines of the University of Michigan.

The sabre squad played particularly well in the final match against the host team, Cleveland State. Freshman Stephanie Gull and junior Annie Innes-Gold were both undefeated. This is especially impressive for Innes-Gold, as it was her fist time fencing this season following studying abroad in the fall.

In foil, sophomore Mirit Rutishauser had a career-best day, winning 12 out of 14 matches with her only two losses coming from Cleveland State. Weiss and sophomore Rose Hulsey-Vincent had strong days as well for the epee squad.

Weiss and Hulsey-Vincent went 8-2 and 9-1 respectively.

The trip to Brown University was the Brewers’ first opportunity of the season to fence against members of the Northeast Fencing Conference. Throughout the day, Vassar had a 2-3 record defeating Brown and Tufts University while falling to Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston Col-

lege. The day started with a loss to the Brandeis Judges with a score of 20-7. The Boston College Eagles then handed the Brewers their second loss of the day in a nail-baiting 14-13 match.

However, the Brewers came off these early losses to fight for the program’s first ever win against the Brown Bears, in which Weiss went undefeated for the epee squad. This victory was just as close as the one loss against the Eagles, however in the third match the score was 14-13 in favor of the Brewers.

The sabre team was especially strong in the match against the Engineers, but the MIT epee and foil squads proved too much for the Brewers to handle. Ultimately, Vassar fell by a score of 17-10.

In the final competition of the day, the foil and epee teams bounced back strong, handing Tufts a big loss. The Brewer sabre team almost defeated the Jumbos, but they were out-matched and fell 5-4. Thanks to the strong performances in epee and foil, however, the Brewers ended the day on a high note by beating the Tufts Jumbos by a score of 15-12.

Innes-Gold had the strongest weekend while fencing at sabre. She garnered a weekend record of 13 wins with only two losses, one of which was from Brandeis and the other from Tufts. She defeated all of her opponents, going 9-0 against Boston College, Brown University and MIT. The Brewers followed up their 2-3 weekend at Brown University by traveling to New Haven, CT just one week later. In New Haven, the Brewers were set to only face one non-conference opponent, Yale University.

Weiss commented, “The match at Yale is always challenging, but the team prepares by working on the mental aspect of fencing. Staying focused on each point is the key to fencing in a difficult match.” Despite the focus in practice, the Brewers fell to the Bulldogs by a score of 5-22. Although the overall outcome was not what the team had hoped for, many positive experiences came from the day of competition.

In sabre, Freshman Kati Kim won her first

Sophomore foil Sophie Blumenstock battles opponent in recent home match. Against Yale, Blumenstock recently collected 53rd career win. VC next faces seven opponents in Medford, MA. ever collegiate match by defeating Yale freshman Sam Wood by a score of 5-3. “Kati Kim started fencing just this past October. Her progress has been amazing in that short time. Her win against an experienced Division I sabre fencer is very encouraging,” stated Coach Gillman.

In epee, Weiss had a thrilling win in overtime against a Yale freshman. Weiss shared, “In the final women’s epee bout, I faced Yale’s Michelle Li. I scored the first touch, and then she tied it up at 1-1. My next action yielded a double touch, bringing the score to 2-2. With a single light, Li pulled ahead to 2-3, but I tied it up to 3-3. Another double touch made the score 4-4, with only a few seconds in regulation time remaining. When the time ran out a halt was called, and Yale was awarded priority with a coin toss: Yale would win the bout unless I scored a touch within the one-minute overtime period. I started to set up an attack to draw her forward and then suddenly dropped my point to hit her in the foot.”

In arguably the most notable performance of the day, Blumenstock picked up her 53rd career win, making her one of Vassar’s winningest current fencers.

Blumenstock humbly reflected, “I don’t really like to compare win-records with my teammates. It’s hard not to reduce fencing to numbers sometimes, but when you do you really ignore all of the different quirks and subtleties that come to play in a sport in which you compete one-on-one. We’re happy for each other when we win, especially at Yale and Columbia, and we support each other when we lose. It’s all part of being a team.”

Despite Blumenstock’s modesty, Coach Gillman gives her great credit. Coach Gillman commented, “Sophie has been fencing for a number of years and has worked very diligently to become better each year..”

As Yale is a Division I school, it is expected that the fencing will be a high level. Even though the team hoped for a win, they celebrated the little victories that came along with the day.

After their day of fun, the team is refocusing for a big day of competition ahead. On Saturday, Feb. 11 the squad will compete against Smith, the University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth, Boston University, Wellesley, Sacred Heart and the University of Massachusetts.

Swim and Dive plagued with illness, heads to UNYSCSA Kelly Pushie

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T

he Vassar men’s swimming team lost a tough battle to Montclair State on Wednesday, Feb. 1. With multiple swimmers unable to compete due to illness, the Brewers faltered against the Hawks and fell 3.5-126.5.

The night started off with a second place finish in the 200 medley relay from senior Anthony Walker. Walker had a great meet, posting incredible times in the 200 free and the 100 fly.

Continuing the success, fellow senior Chris Cerutti added a fourth place finish in the 200 free and earned second place in the 100 backstroke, with respective times of 1:55.91 and 58.74. In the 100 backstroke junior Luke Morrison and senior Patrick Lai finished behind Cerutti to clinch third and fourth place titles.

Junior Jonah Strand was another asset for Vassar, finishing the 200 IM in 1:59.97 and 100 breaststroke in 59.42, securing two first place

finishes for the Brewers. Strand was not alone in earning points for VC in these events, as Morrison and Lai collected points while finishing in third and second place, respectively.

For the 50 free, freshman Matthew Imiolek tied for second place with a time of 23.91 as fellow freshman Harrison Tyler finished right behind at 24.08 for third place.

In the final event, the 200 freestyle relay, the seniors finished out their final home meet on a strong note. The Vassar relay squad of Cerutti, Walker, Imiolek and freshman Yoav Yaron finished in 1:36.01. Following them, a team consisting of Morrison, Taylor, senior Walter Gabriel and sophomore Michael Colletta put up a time of 1:37.72.

Unfortunately, however, the Brewers were unable to collect enough points to secure the win in their last home meet of the season.

Head Coach Lisl Prater-Lee stated, “We knew going into the meet that they had a solid com-

Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton

Junior Jonah Strand leads efforts in Feb. 1 meet against Montclair State with wins in 200 IM and 100 breaststroke. Both swim and dive teams will compete in the UNYSCSA Championships on Feb. 15.

bination of strength and depth in many events.

That helped us prepare, though.”

Even though they did not emerge victorious, the Brewer squad still sees a lot of promise for the upcoming Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association (UNYSCSA) Championships in two weeks.

Walker was proud of the way several swimmers helped fill the void of those out for illness and injury. “I think that we did a pretty good job all around at Montclair State, considering how many fewer swimmers we had than they,” Walker noted.

Walker also specifically pointed out several swimmers who stepped up and performed admirably despite the team’s adversity. He mentioned, “Yoav Yaron swam the 500 freestyle and Walter Gabriel swam the 1000 freestyle. Matt Imiolek was asked to fill in some important roles as a sprint freestyler, even though he’s primarily a breaststroker.”

Walker continued, “All of them put out some great races despite the fact they had some really tough competition.”

Also highlighting Strand’s performance on Wednesday, Walker shared, “He had a great meet, breaking 2:00 in the 200 IM and 1:00 in the 100 breast, both enough to win the event.”

Although Walker was proud of the way the team stepped up under extenuating circumstances, he knows the team needs to put a lot of focus into their practices over the next two weeks in preparation for the UNYSCSA Championships. Walker said that the team is going to focus on race details, which means “making sure that our starts, turns and breakouts are as fast as possible.”

Walker also noted that the team has ample time to prepare, which allows the team to “rest a bit more and take especially good care of our bodies to prevent the possibility of illness or injury and to ensure we are at peak performance”.

Teammates join Walker in this optimism. Going into the UNYSCSA championships, Strand stated, “Our times are where they need to be going into our final two weeks of the season.”

The team has developed this confidence due to recent success, which the Brewers attribute

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

to their seniors. Strand shared, “Senior leadership has been really helpful during training this season. Anthony and Chris have stepped up as role models outside the pool and as team captains, and I wouldn’t be having the season I am without their support.”

Even with confidence, Vassar acknowledges that hard work and strong performances are needed for success at the UNYSCSA Championships. Strand believes that the squad must pay attention to detail in practice the next two weeks. “Our team really needs to focus on our finals details and race strategies going into States. We’ve been doing a lot of work on sprint kicking and turns, which will give us that extra edge,” explained Strand.

Leading into the final weeks of the season, Head Coach Prater-Lee cannot attribute the team’s success to any particular athletes. She has a lot of respect for the way the team has grown this season.

“I give a lot of credit to our men’s team, period. Yes, we’ve had some individuals who have been able to step into other events and individuals who have really grown in their more typical events. Either way, the men’s squad has grown through the season. They have a lot to be proud of, each of them,” Prater-Lee complimented.

In preparation for the UNYSCSA championships, Prater-Lee shortens practice to allow for higher intensity because she feels that the team has a lot of potential. “We know we have something bigger that we can accomplish as individuals and as a team just in front of us,” Prater-Lee shared.

Looking at last year for reference, the Brewers finished in eighth out of 15 teams at the 2016 UNYSCSA Championships. Two notable performances include those from recent graduate Alex May and senior Chris Cerutti, who both broke Vassar records. May rewrote the records for the 1000 free and 1650 free, finishing in mile in 16:37.68. Meanwhile, Cerutti replaced the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:58.45.

Looking to break more records, the Brewers head into their final meet of the season at Ithaca College on Feb. 15th in the UNYSCSA Championships.

February 9, 2017

SPORTS

Super Bowl LI comeback reflects more than football Mack Liederman Guest Columnist

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veryone thought it was over. In Super Bowl LI, the Patriots were down 28-3 with just over 23 minutes to play. Tom Brady dejected, eyes wide, shoulders on his knees, lifeless on the sideline. Even President Donald J. Trump left his Super Bowl party at his Florida golf club.

What happened next, however — we all know what happened next.

A couple marvelous drives later, a favorable overtime coin toss and some of the greatest catches in the game’s history, the confetti dropped on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for their fifth Super Bowl title.

This game will not be soon forgotten. I would not be surprised if people still remembered where they were during this historic event, even 20 years down the line. It was the kind of the game that might have saved the popularity of the NFL, which has seen low numbers in viewership this season.

This year’s Super Bowl was much more than just a game.

On one side of the field was the New England Patriots, a team whose name has become so intertwined with winning that it is almost nauseating. This year, the Pats came to represent the All-Americans. New England has the league’s most patriotic name and is the team who played like the typical All-American team they are, with the pure pocket-passing QB and the head coach who always made the old-school, boring, conservative decisions.

New England played the game the way it was originally decisioned. No flash. They always punted, and they always won.

Beyond that, the Pats also came to represent the alt-right. In fact, there has never been a team more closely linked to a political figure than the Pats have been to the newly minted President.

Team owner Robert Kraft has long been a

close personal friend of Mr. Trump and attended his inauguration in Washington. Although Head Coach Bill Bellichek has declared himself as apolitical to the press, he has also been linked to Trump.

Stir about Tom Brady’s relationship with Trump began last year, when a red “Make America Great Again” cap was spotted in his locker.

Since then, Brady has declined to answer any political questions, going so far to even dodge basic questions about immigrant rights at this year’s Super Bowl media day.

While Bellichek and Brady have been quiet about their support, President Trump has been much more vocal. Following the game, Trump tweeted, “What an amazing comeback and win by the Patriots. Tom Brady, Bob Kraft and Coach B are total winners. Wow!” It is easy to see the link between Patriots and the Trump, and their Super Bowl win played out very much like his election. Down 28-3, the Falcons were projected by the Wall Street Journal as having a 91.6% chance of winning. In response, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, “Where have I seen stats like this before???”

The Patriots’ unforeseen and almost unbelievable comeback is no doubt eerily allusive to that underdog who descended the escalator almost two years ago.

If the Patriots are this year’s “winners,” then the Falcons have come to represent America’s other half. Atlanta is the rags-to-riches, grind-itout city: the liberals who have fought through violence and poverty. If New England is the old school, Atlanta is the new wave, with their white t-shirts, gold-chains and rap music. New England has Mark Wahlberg; Atlanta has Migos.

From 6:30 p.m. to midnight on Sunday night, America tuned into the game that turned into the country’s year in review.

Cultures clashed, the right battled the left, and yeah, the Patriots beat the Falcons.

Page 19

New Year’s resolution for FIFA: ruin the World Cup Desmond Curran Guest Columnist

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f FIFA were a person, what would their New Year’s resolution be? Perhaps they would wish to turn a new page after multiple scandals gripped their organization by starting an investigation into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar or searching for alternative banking options that do not run through Panama. Much like you and me, however, FIFA’s resolutions, if they existed at all, went out the window fairly quickly.

2016 had its shares of highs and lows, well rather a few more lows than usual (except for Ludacris, he was just excited to see “how low” it could go).

FIFA had their fair share of these, and their members were looking forward for a fresh start. Yet soon after the turn of the year, the governing body of soccer chose to lose any sense of respectability.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced an “expansion” to the World Cup, the premier tournament that FIFA hosts every four years. While the current structure of the tournament includes the inclusion of 32 teams, FIFA looks to include 48 teams starting in 2026.

With this expansion, FIFA expects to turn over an additional $6.6 billion profit in 2026. In exchange for this hefty pay raise for the members of FIFA, however, many of the qualities that make the World Cup so unique and enjoyable for fans are being abandoned.

First of all, the general expansion to 48 teams is the most egregious aspect of the move. The World Cup is an elite tournament, and participating nations earn that badge of “eliteness” through a grueling qualification process. Adding an additional 16 teams will simply reduce the overall quality of the tournament. While the expansion will create more guaranteed qualifying positions, this will only resolve to dilute the competitiveness of the tournament.

European and South American teams have maintained domination of the World Cup and,

when faced against paltry token opposition that will be guaranteed qualification, will run them to the ground. The seeding system for the group stages will inevitably result in heavily lopsided matchups, such as four-time world champion Germany being grouped with a team like South Africa, who have only qualified for three World Cup tournaments. Care to imagine how that would go?

Restructuring the group stage to groups of three will also be incredibly detrimental to the quality of play in each group stage match. The new structure will allow the top two out of three advance. Therefore, a country doesn’t specifically have to be the best out of their group–they simply have to avoid being the worst.

In soccer it is much easier to avoid being the worst rather than being the best. By playing very defensive, yet boring and somewhat ugly soccer, an average team can get a result of in the form of a draw against a largely superior opponent. This pushes the World Cup into a competition of “getting by” not battling for a win.

As someone who enjoys watching top quality soccer, I believe the World Cup is the best opportunity to introduce the beautiful game to other people. The joy of seeing players play with passion for their countries is unmatched by professional club soccer. That passion will be corrupted, I’m afraid, by these changes. National teams will become more incentivized to play a dirty, ugly and scrappy style of the game that sucks the fun out of the sport. And what do we, the viewers and fans who make this game so special, get in return?

Nothing,the profits will be shared among a select few FIFA members. That is all.

Except, well, maybe not. There will be millions of people from countries like Indonesia, Morocco or even Tahiti (well maybe not million) that will be so incredibly overjoyed to see their nation represented at the World Cup. But regardless, FIFA needs to realize the effects of restricting the World Cup: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Brewers fall in nail-biting Liberty League match-up BASKETBALL continued from page 1

ample for everyone else in the weight room, practices and games.” But their impacts on the team do not necessarily end here. Browne said confidently, “They push themselves and others to be the best that they can be. That will have a lasting legacy on our team.”

Adams has been a consistent player for the Brewers throughout his tenure. He ranks fourth on the team in a multitude of statistics, including total points (107), average points per game (5.6), field goals scored (42), rebounds(63) and minutes played (370). Similarly, his 18 offensive rebounds earn him second best on the team.

“Mickey is somebody that the underclassmen always look up to on and off the court,” Seff disclosed. “He always shows a competitive spirit and pushes us to work as hard as we can.”

Winston and Huegel have strong, impactful roles on the team as well. Their teammates acknowledge that they have a presence that will not be unrecognized when they graduate. “Elijah is a constantly positive force on our team,” Caletti praised. “But he is also willing to tell the team the difficult things we need to hear, even when it is something we don’t want to hear.

Ryan brings the same attitude to practice and each of our games. Both of them have constantly given their all to our team.”

As the game against the Thoroughbreds began, Winston won the jump ball right off the bat.

Then as Skidmore tried to pull away with a 6-2 run, Adams reversed the efforts with a contribution of back-to-back layups. For the next seven minutes of the game, neither of the teams was able to gain a lead of greater than two points.

In the early beginning of the game, Vassar and Skidmore found themselves tied ten times, dispersed throughout six changes in the lead.

But the Brewers’ lead of 22-20 in the first half was the last time they were ahead in the match.

Despite the players’ best efforts, Skidmore maintained a double-digit lead throughout the entire second half.

In attempts to change the momentum, Seff scored two jump shots and a three-pointer, along with a jump shot by Caletti, to break up a 15-5 run by Skidmore. Seff won 14 out of the next 17 points for Vassar.

Seff has started in every one of the team’s 20 games so far his sophomore season, totaling 569 minutes. He is one of the most consistent scorers on the current roster. “Coming into this season, I’ve worked on my jump shot,” told Seff, “so that I could become more of an all-around player and a scoring threat from anywhere on the court.”

Seff is currently averaging 15.6 points per game and led the Brewers’ scoring efforts in their game against Skidmore, earning an impressive 31 points and 19 in their game against Union. Seff leads the team in scoring, assists, field goals, free throws, defensive rebounds and steals. “Alex plays hard each minute he is on the court,” Coach Dunne relayed. “He is our engine and makes plays that help us to succeed.”

Even with the strong performance from Seff, the Thoroughbreds eventually claimed a 97-73 win. After this Liberty League battle, Skidmore advanced its conference record to 10-2 and cur-

rently sits at the No. 2 spot. Meanwhile, Vassar fell to a 1-11 record in the league.

Despite the losses, the team remains confident and happily looks upon the seniors and their contribution to the program. Adams shared, “My four years at Vassar playing basketball have been some of the most rewarding of my life. Every year, I’ve met new and great people and have made friends that I know will be with me for the rest of my life.”

Adams continued, “Being a part of this program has taught me accountability, respect and love in a way that only sports can do. As we wind down here and I only have a few games left, I’m hoping to enjoy every second of this because I know when it’s over I’ll miss it more than I can imagine.”

The team is optimistic about their remaining games coming up. They will compete against Saint Lawrence for the second time this Friday, Feb. 10 away in Canton, NY.

Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton

bounded Union 39 to 35 and earned higher shot percentages, making 53.8 percent of two-point shots and 44.4 percent of three-point shots.

However, they fell to the opposing team in both turnover and steals statistics.

Despite not pulling out the win, the team recognized the game as a good stepping-stone in the right direction. “The team was definitely bummed that we lost,” conveyed Browne. “But we all recognize that we are taking steps in the right direction and continuing to get better with every game that we play.”

By losing so narrowly to such a competitive team, the Brewers believe they can use this opportunity to improve their play. Caletti also elaborated on using this game as an opportunity to drive the team. “Friday’s loss was a tough one, but I, along with the rest of our team, was really proud of our effort. We clawed back and stuck together through the adversity of the game. The team showed a lot of heart to come back and almost steal the win.”

Moving on from the game against Union, the entire team came out the next day ready to fight against the Skidmore Thoroughbreds and earn the win for Senior Day. Vassar honored its three seniors: captain Mickey Adams, Elijah Winston and Ryan Huegel. The ceremony opened with Winston’s sister singing in honor of their final year. “Each of these three seniors have shown strong consistency in their work over the past four years playing,” recalled Coach Dunne.

“They all have a strong passion for our program that truly shows.”

The seniors as a whole have been a hard-working, motivating class and have set the bar high for everybody else. “Having played with the seniors for the past three seasons, I have come to rely on them on and off the court,” Caletti shared. “Their leadership will be greatly missed next year. Each of them bring a very unique element to the team.”

The seniors have led their underclassmen throughout the past four years by example, demonstrating hard work, determination and grit. “The seniors have always worked the hardest,” Browne articulated. “They set a great ex-

Seniors Mickey Adams, Elijah Winston and Ryan Huegel smile for the camera. These three were honored for their contribution to the basketball program before recent home game against Skidmore.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

Page 20

February 9, 2017

Multiple Brewers earn accolades for notable performances Olivia O’Loughlin Sports Editor

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Volleyball

Continuing its strong season, the Vassar

Men’s Fencing

After a challenging first round of Northeast Fencing Conference last weekend, Vassar returned to play on Saturday, Feb. 4 as the men’s

Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton

This past weekend, the Brewers split the weekend 1-1 as they fell to Union College 5156 on Friday, but turned things around to beat Skidmore College 62-59 the next day.

Against the Dutchmen of Union, Vassar fell short shooting-wise as the team capitalized 26.8 percent for field goals, 21.7 percent for three-pointers and 66.7 percent from the foul line, compared to Union’s respective percentages of 43.8, 26.7 and 66.7.

Nevertheless, sophomore Nicole Teta and freshman Sophie Nick each scored double-digits as they both collected 10 points on the night.

Junior captain Ariella Rosenthal was close behind with eight points, followed by fellow junior captain Samarah Cook with seven points.

With postseason play approaching, VC needed to turn things around in hopes to earn a spot in the upcoming Liberty League playoffs. The Brewers did just that as they upset No. 2 Skidmore College on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Junior captain Ariella Rosenthal tallied a significant 25 points to lift Vassar over the Thoroughbreds of Skidmore College 62-59. As Rosenthal sunk her 24th point of the day, she collected her 1000th point of her collegiate career, a very impressive accolade, especially as a junior. Rosenthal was the 12th Brewer to earn this title, including recent graduate Caitlin Drakeley. In addition to points, Rosenthal contributed 11 rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Sophomore Nicole Teta was second highest scorer of the night as she added 13 points, including a game-changing three-point bucket to give the Brewers the 57-56 lead with a mere 1:10 left in the game.

Representing the strong freshmen class, Sophie Nick tabbed nine points while Isa Peczuh added eight. Junior captain Samarah Cook (4) and sophomores Maeve Sussman (2) and Sabrina Ulsh (1) rounded out the rest of the points for the Brewers.

With this impressive win, Vassar rests at No. 5 in Liberty League standings and looks to beat out No. 4 Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m.

men’s volleyball team, ranked No. 9, blew out No. 6 New York University in three sets, 2511, 25-13 and 25-15 on Friday, Feb. 3. This match marked round one of the two-round International Volleyball Hall of Fame Classic hosted by Springfield College.

To earn their win, the Brewers finished with a 0.431 hitting percentage, 9 aces and 12 blocks.

Leading the efforts, junior All-American Matt Knigge collected five kills, three aces and four blocks on the day. Meanwhile, sophomore George Diehl earned seven kills and six blocks as freshman Yoni Auerbach collected six kills and five blocks against the NYU Knights. Junior Zechariah Lee contributed by adding 25 assists.

The senior captains led the team both on and off the court against NYU as Trey Cimorelli tabbed nine digs and three assists, Quinn Rutledge had one ace and five digs and Christian Lizana finished with three aces and one assist.

Cimorelli’s nine digs constitute his match-best and add to his career total of 939.

Collectively, Vassar won nearly every statistical category, including digs (27-17), kills (2819), blocks (12-3) and aces (9-0).

On Saturday, the Brewers struggled as they faced top-ranked the Springfield College Pride for the Morgan Classic title. VC was unable to secure the win and the title as the men were topped 13-25, 13-25, 19-25.

Despite the loss, Rutledge, Knigge and Auerbach registered three kills each as Lee joined Knigge to finish with one ace apiece. For assists, Lee finished with 15 while Rutledge and freshman libero Kevin Ros finished with one each, Cimorelli continued his road to 1,000 digs as he notched another four against the Tribe, followed by Lee and Auerbach with three each.

With such impressive performances, Knigge and Lee earned All-Tournament Team honors.

With this 1-1 weekend, the Brewers record progresses to 6-5. The men will next host the Vassar College Invitational on Feb. 10 and 11. In the invitational, VC will face College of Mount Saint Vincent and Stevenson University on Friday, followed by Ramapo College and Johnson & Wales University on Saturday.

Junior captain Ariella Rosenthal scores 1000th career point in recent home match against Skidmore. The Brewers head into an important league weekend against St. Lawrence and Clarkson. fencing team competed against Yale University.

In this away match, the Brewers were bested by the Bulldogs 8-19.

Nevertheless, the team’s sabre and foil teams collected three wins each as epee finished with two victories.

Freshman sabre Graeme Mills was a standout performer for the day as he finished with a record of 2-1, defeating Yale’s senior Reed Srere 5-4 and blowing out senior Ian Richards 5-0. Also for the sabre team, senior Campbell Woods collected a win over Yale’s sophomore Arthur Befumo.

In foil, Vassar earned three victories thanks to junior Tom Racek, sophomore Michael Skolnick and freshman Noe Berger. Racek and Berger both clinched the 5-3 wins over their Yale opponents as Skolnick earned the 5-2 victory over Yale’s sophomore Lance Chantiles.

The final Vassar victories came at the hands of junior epee Jonathan Alperstein and senior epee Ry Farley. Alperstein defeated Bulldog junior Avery Vella 5-2, while Farley finished with a thrilling 5-4 win over sophomore Jonathan Xu. The team will continue play in the Northeast Fencing Conference on Saturday, Feb. 11. VC will travel to Medford, MA to face the University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, Boston University, Sacred Heart University and the University of Massachusetts.

Men’s Squash

Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton

Junior Matt Knigge returns from abroad to continue dominating competition. After beating No. 6 NYU, Vassar’s next competition will be in the Vassar College Invitational on Feb. 10 and 11.

The Vassar men’s squash team faced talented conference rivals: the University of Rochester, Bard College, St. Lawrence University and Hobart College at the Liberty League Championships on Feb. 4 and 5.

On Saturday Feb. 4, the squad unfortunately fell to both Rochester (0-9) and Bard (3-6).

Against the Rochester Yellow Jackets, Vassar staggered against the tough competition and was unable to secure any wins. However, seniors Vincent Mencotti and Lucas Fifer both put up good fights and scored at least 15 points in their matches.

Later in the day, the Brewers finally reached the scoreboard as Mencotti, junior Alex Riccio and sophomore Isaac Stuart defeated their Bard opponents. At the top spot, Mencotti defeated Bard sophomore Rhys Nordstrom 3-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 in five sets. Then at No. 7, Riccio earned the win in just three sets, beating freshman Theo Webb 11-9, 11-3, 11-7. Stuart rounded

out the wins at No. 9 with a win versus junior Simon DeBevoise 11-5, 14-12, 11-7.

The Brewers returned to the courts the very next day to take on St. Lawrence and Hobart.

To its dismay, the team was left scoreless over both series of matches and fell 0-9 to both opponents.

Nevertheless, Riccio, Stuart and freshman Viraj Nadkarni all scored at least 10 points against the Saints of St. Lawrence. Nadkarni also collected 10 points against the Statesman of Hobart, along with senior Richard Bryenton.

Looking to turn things around, Vassar will return to play in the College Squash Association (CSA) Championship from Feb. 17 through 19.

Women’s Rugby

Although the women’s squash team ended their season on Dec. 4, 2016, the Tri-State Rugby Conference announced the All-Conference Teams on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

After a very strong season and an appearance in the Elite Eight quarterfinal round, Vassar and three standout athletes earned recognition from the conference. Among those recognized, the Brewers claimed three spots on the All-Conference team, including senior flanker Nathalie Freeman, senior prop Mariah Ghant and senior flyhalf Mary Margaret McElduff.

During Vassar’s 2016 season, McElduff led the scoring efforts with nine tries and 59 cons for 163 total points, Freeman followed with 120 points off of 24 tries and Ghant clinched 55 points off of 11 tries. As these talented seniors graduate, they will add this achievement to their lists of accomplishments as members of Vassar rugby. The team will resume play on Mar. 15, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.

Men’s Rugby

Similar to the women’s squad, the Tri-State Rugby Conference released the picks for the All-Conference Teams, recognizing athletes for their impressive accomplishments during the 2016 season.

The men’s All-Conference Team features athletes from top-ranked Sacred Heart University and No. 2 William Patterson University.

Included in the bunch is senior center Seamus Taylor, who scored five tries for a total of 25 points during the 2016 season. The team will next compete internationally in Barcelona on Mar. 15, 2017.

Weekend Scoreboard MEN’S SQUASH VASSAR

3

VS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BARD

VASSAR

6

62

VS

MEN’S FENCING

SKIDMORE

VASSAR

59

8

VS

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

YALE

VASSAR

19

3

VS

NYU

0