The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Volume CXLIX | Issue 16
March 2, 2017
CHAS brings Crenshaw, ‘Hidden Figures’ to campus Emily Sayer
Features Editor
T
Courtesy of NASA Kennedy via Flickr
Courtesy of Clarke Forum
his Friday, seminal feminist thinker and legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw will be giving the Keynote Lecture for the Consortium on High Achievement and Success (CHAS) Women of Color conference: (Re)defining Women of Color: Raising our Voices, Sharing our Stories. Crenshaw is renowned in her field for revolutionizing the way academia perceives law, and, more specifically, its role in the lives of women and women of color. Co-editor of the volume Critical Race Theory: Key Documents That Shaped the Movement and co-founder of the African American Policy Forum, Crenshaw pioneered the fields
of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, working to raise awareness of and bolster advocacy for violence against women, structural racial inequality and affirmative action. The lecture will be held at 1:30 at the Student’s Building. The Vassar Conference Planning Committee said of the talk, “[We] decided that Professor Crenshaw’s lecture would be a campus-wide event. We recognize her broad appeal and welcome your attendance. The CHAS Women of Color Conference is a student-centered event focused on women-identified students of color. As a result, the remainder of the conference activities will be for registered participants.” While Vassar hosts Crenshaw and See CRENSHAW on page 5
Kimberlé Crenshaw is scheduled to speak at Vassar this Friday, March 3.
“Hidden Figures” focuses on the true story of female mathemeticians and rocket scientists at NASA who helped land men on the moon.
H2A rallies Vassar Racist hate speech jars community against oppression Sarah Dolan and Yifan Wang
Online Editor and Contributing Editor
Laurel Hennen Vigil News Editor
[Trigger warning: racist and anti-Semitic hate speech.]
O
n Saturday, Feb. 25, just over a month after Donald Trump’s inauguration and a day after the second of two consecutive incidents of racist hate speech at Vassar, more than 100 people gathered in the College Center Circle at noon for “Rally, Resist, Rise,” a solidarity event hosted by a
new preliminary organization called Healing to Action (H2A). H2A co-founder Maimuna Touray ’20 explained the rationale for the group’s creation in an interview, saying, “H2A came out of us feeling as though there wasn’t an outlet for our grief, an outlet for our healing, an outlet for us to come together—especially in the first year class—to discuss the issues that were affecting us.” After three consecutive police shootings of See RALLY on page 4
[Trigger warning: racist and anti-Semitic hate speech.]
O
n Tuesday, Feb. 21, Director of Safety and Security Arlene Sabo sent out an all-campus email informing the Vassar community that violent anti-Black graffiti was found written on the wall of a men’s bathroom in the Library lobby late Monday evening. In the early morning on Feb. 24, there was another report about a second anti-Black, anti-Semitic, hateful and offensive message written on a wall down a staircase
off the front entrance of the Library. The Town of Poughkeepsie Police were called in to assist with the investigation. According to the website of Vassar’s Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), “[The initial reports of these incidents were] reviewed by the BIRT core team, led by the Associate Dean of the College for Campus Life and Diversity and followed by meetings with the Dean of the College, the Director of Safety and Security and the College Information Officer. The President was also notified and updated periodically of discussions and assessments.” Following the notification emails, the
President’s Office also released statements in response to each incident, denouncing such hateful speech and calling for community solidarity. “While we at Vassar believe in open discourse amongst all groups, let me be very clear about this disgraceful threat–it and any message of hate are incompatible with our values at Vassar and will not be tolerated ... Now more than ever we need to be clear that if you are a purveyor of hate speech, you will find no home at Vassar,” Interim President John Chenette wrote in the email. In his statement following the secSee BIAS on page 3
Pokrywka chosen as guest expert Men’s lacrosse team looks forward to future “T Noah Purdy Arts Editor
Fiona MacLeod Guest Reporter
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Michael Chung/The Miscellany News
here is a scientist out there somewhere who is dedicating their entire life to just studying how ostriches make love. There’s another person studying what would happen if monkeys used bananas as currency. There’s a team of scientists in Japan investigating ‘whether things look different when you bend over and view them between your legs.’ How are those people not famous?! That’s all I ever want to talk about,” expressed NYC-based comedian and host of “You’re the Expert” Chris Duffy. Duffy will be gracing Vassar’s Skinner Hall stage on Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in a live recording of his acclaimed podcast, which tours the country challenging a panel of three comedians to figure out what exactly a special guest “expert” devotes their time to investigating and researching through a variety of games and question-and-answer segments. “[T]here’s a classic comedy setup of a ‘straight man’ and the comedian that’s been making people laugh for hundreds of years,” Duffy explained. “Scientists can serve up information and our comedians make it funny. It’s a classic comedy trope, just used in a new way.” The special guest on the upcoming episode of “You’re the Expert” will be Vassar’s own Professor of Biology & Director of Science, Technology and Society Nancy Pokrywka, and comedians Josh Sharp, Gary Richardson and Obehi See PODCAST on page 14
Chris Duffy, host of the podcast “You’re the Expert,” which approaches scientific research from a comedic perspective, will present a live recording of the show next Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in Skinner Hall.
Inside this issue
7
Editor-turnedattorney reflects on FEATURES Misc journey
8
Ferry students past and present find new meal OPINIONS plan unpleasant
fter a historic season in 2016, the Vassar College men’s lacrosse team looks to further improve its performance this upcoming spring. Last year, the Brewers performed the best in program history, finishing with an overall record of 8-8, and a conference record of 3-4. The season came to an end when the squad faced off against the Union Dutchmen in Schenectady, NY, for a spot in the Liberty League playoffs, narrowly losing the game 1713. In hopes to compensate for the loss of last year’s senior class, Head Coach Marc Graham recruited a freshman class of 13. Defensive midfielders TJ Morrow and Nick Page, as well as attacker Noah Parson, graduated this past spring. Parson, one of last year’s captains who hails from Cary, NC, holds a spot in the Vassar lacrosse program as the most outstanding attacker to date with 127 career goals combined with 52 career assists. In his last semester at Vassar, Parson led the team in goals with 42, as well as in overall points, earning 57. He also earned seven man-up goals, 15 assists and 19 groundballs in his senior season. “Replacing a player like Noah is not something that we can easily do,” admitted Graham, who is now leading the team for the sixth consecutive
15 ARTS
season. “But an advantage that we have this year is our increased depth. We have a larger number of players who can make contributions to our scoring.” Despite losing the influential captain Parson, the team welcomes back returning senior captain and midfielder Brandon DeStasio from West Hempstead, NY. He is joined this year by three new senior captains, including attacker Sam Houston-Read from Waban, MA, midfielder Liam Moriarty of New Fairfield, CT, and defender Matthew Altman who also hails from New Fairfield, CT. The current squad boasts nine senior players, compared to the three of last season. While the 2016 team consisted of 29 players, this season the roster appears significantly longer, listing 37 names. DeStasio explains that although the team felt a loss as it graduated three impactful players, he has high hopes for the upcoming season. “We lost our leading scorer and two strong defensive midfielders,” DeStasio explained. “They will be hard to replace, but we have many returning players from last year and a strong freshman class ready to step up.” As one of the leaders of this 37 player squad, DeStasio plans to steer the team to success by leading by example. “Whether it’s on the field or in the weight room, I just try to set the tone See LACROSSE on page 19
Theater tech and design are too often outshined
The Miscellany News
Page 2
March 2, 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 Courtesy of Zander Bashaw
Shown above is Parliament in Budapest, Hungary. Zander Bashaw recently took a short vacation from his studies in Bologna, Italy to visit Budapest for four days. To read more about what Zander has been up to in Europe, read his latest blog post at farandaway.miscellanynews.org!
The Miscellany News 2
March
Thursday
Rugby Skills For All
4:30pm | Kenyon Gym | Athletics
Late Night at the Loeb
5:00pm | The Loeb Atrium | The Loeb
Lecture: Moradewun Adejunmobi
5:30pm | Taylor 203 | Africana Studies Program
Hidden Figures
Weekender_ 3
March
Friday
Writing, Orality, Performance
10:00am | Maria Mitchell Observatory 212 | Africana Studies Program
CHAS Women of Color Conference Lecture
1:30pm | UpC | ALANA Center
ACS Workshop
2:00pm | Library 160 | CIS
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March
Saturday
Women in STEM Luncheon and Panel 10:00am | Aula | Women’s Center
Volleyball (M) Tri Match vs. MIT/Juniata
11:00am | Kenyon Gym | Athletics
INTERPHASE Art Market 12:00pm | Shiva | ViCE
Senior Recital: Ana Isabel Torruella Suarez, soprano
6:00pm | Rocky 300 | Women’s Center
Open Rugby (M/W)
5:00pm | Kenyon Gym | Athletics
1:30pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Panel Discussion with Local and National Activists or Organizers
Marcus Gardley Lecture
INTERPHASE workshops
6:00pm | Rocky 310 | Crafts Not Bombs
Careers in Publishing 6:30pm | CCMPR | CDO 7:00pm | Aula | BSU
“Spotlight” Screening
7:00pm | Rocky 303 | The Misc
Women in Science—MHACS 7:00pm | Rocky 200 | Chem Dept.
Queer Femme Social
6:00pm | Kenyon Club Room | LGBTQ Programs
Constellations
7:30pm | Mug | Philaletheis
3:00pm | Shiva | ViCE
March
Sunday
Hidden Figures Screening & Faculty Panel
3:00pm | Rocky 200 | Strong House Team
Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre 35th Annual Bardavon Gala
Claire Baker Hannah Nice Michael Chung George Witteman
Reporters Sasha Gopalakrishnan Meg Howell Kaitlin Prado Andrea Yang Columnists Jimmy Christon Jesser Horowitz Steven Park Design Scarlett Neuberger Maya Sterling Yoav Yaron Copy Adele Birkenes James Bonanno Gabriela Calderon Leah Cates Jillian Frechette Tanya Kotru Gode Sumiko Neary Jessica Roden
3:00pm | Bardavon | Dance Dept.
Ars Longa Gulumbá Gulumbé: Early vocal music 3:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Paper Critique
9:00pm | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News
Constellations
4:00pm | Mug | Philaletheis
Diaspora Dinner
6:30pm | Aula | SASA
Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre 35th Annual Bardavon Gala
8:00pm | Bardavon | Dance Dept.
Vassar College Orchestra
8:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Courtesy of Mark M. Sugino
Diaspora Dinner
5:15pm | Vogelstein 106 | Drama Dept.
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Assistant Copy Assistant Social Media Assistant Photographer Web Master & Technical Advisor
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
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
March 2, 2017
NEWS
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Vassar reeling from successive racist hate speech incidents BIAS continued from page 1
front of the library. During the sit-in, attendees were notified by Sabo that the fire inspector was on campus for a routine inspection of the campus and had raised concerns that occupying the steps in front of the library would pose a fire hazard by blocking the main exit. Sabo and Roellke then informed protesters that they had two options: move the sit-in to another location, or close the library for the duration of the protest. After the crowd responded with chants of “close the lib,” Sabo announced that the library would close. Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources Marianne Begemann sent out an all-campus email shortly after, stating that the library is closed by order of the Fire Marshal. Later in the evening, she informed the campus that the library would remain closed for the rest of the day and reopen on Saturday. “In talking with the students on the front steps they were clear that the violent racist messaging necessitated that our community stand together and send a strong message ... In discussing the closure of the library I would be remiss if I did not share the fact that the AAAVC alumnae, AAVC alumnae and the Board of Trustees members that were in town for a meeting were very impressed by our student body,” Sabo said in an emailed statement. Others have also observed that the Admissions Office had directed tour groups on campus away from the library, without explaining what was going on. Sumiko Neary ’20, an ALANA Center intern, expressed her opinions on the matter. “For safety purposes I understand the decision to steer groups away from the library. I speak only for myself when I share that I feel it is important for all to understand and acknowledge the hard work that is being done by students organizing and participating in protesting or rally events. It should be recognized that students are dedicating their time and energy into creating change; it should not brushed over by tour guides/the Admissions office. While prospective students and parents might be deterred from hearing of such horrific events on campus, transparency and accountability should be at the forefront of Vassar’s actions,”
she said in an interview via email. Moreover, students have also voiced concerns over why the initial notice of the first bias-based threat was issued from Safety and Security. Responding to these questions, Pittman noted, “The intent of that was to raise it to a level of threat so that people know it’s more than just a bias incident ... We may have missed a more clear way of communicating that, so I think I learned that students do appreciate hearing from BIRT directly.” Looking forward, Pittman emphasized the need to constantly improve administrative programs and procedures in relation to students’ needs and concerns. “Measure our responses, make sure that they are consistent with and supporting our values that are the foundation of this community. Sometimes values and actions don’t match, values and words don’t match ... When that inconsistency exists we have to find out why.” According to him, the Administration is seeking to stay more attuned to students’ voices, especially since the election and inauguration. “A lot of the events in the various Campus Life offices have been centered around supporting students and also looking to students to be a guide on what we have to talk about. We’ve been very connected to H2A [Healing to Action], and many of those students are also first year students, our first year program is trying to create a bridge to that work.” This semester, VSA has sought to increase its support for student activists as well, by providing supplies, food and drinks for protesters on Friday as well as after the election, and with the Social Consciousness Fund for financial support. But VSA President Calvin Lamothe ’17 acknowledges that much more is needed. “The VSA can always do more ... Like the VSA, the administration can always be doing more to support students and address their concerns, especially for Black students at a predominantly and historically white institution. As a college, we need to move beyond the desire to bring a ‘diverse’ student body to campus and talk about ways to better support the students for whom this institution was not originally built.” Echoing these sentiments of persistent inqui-
ry and action, Neary spoke of her concrete suggestions. “I question why there is no diversity requirement in our school curriculum ... There should be a baseline of education regarding diversity in our world; it is frightening that some students can undergo a Vassar college career without ever learning about real and oppressive issues in our societies.“ She continued, “The ALANA Center prioritizes serving POC students’ concerns. As an individual separate from the center, I feel it is important for non-POC-specific orgs to host events and facilitate conversations and hold people accountable. It is not only the job of POC-orgs to make this happen.”
Laurel Hennen Vigil/The Miscellany News
ond incident he noted, “At times such as these it is all too easy to feel powerless–as though there is nothing we can do to combat such despicable acts. But I say no...I am hopeful, as I wrote in my last message, that we will stand together as a community and stand up to those who would divide us. We are a community that is not just diverse, but that understands that our diversity is one of the things that defines us, that makes us the vibrant, challenging, fascinating, and inspiring place we are. And no small-minded provocateur can take that away from us.” Chenette, Dean of Students Adriana di Bartolo, Associate Dean of the College Ed Pittman, Director of the ALANA Center Wendy Maragh Taylor and the Dean of Studies Office opened extended office hours on Friday, hoping to provide a space for community members to discuss and reflect upon the incidents. Dean of the College Chris Roellke, Acting Dean of the Faculty Steve Rock and a number of other administrators and faculty members also held open office hours in the Library. Numerous student organizations also sent out statements speaking out against the incidents and standing in solidarity with the Black community. According to the statement from the Asian Students Alliance, “Often times, most of us, as Asian people, especially those of us who are East Asian and/or light-skinned, can blissfully ignore these problems, as we choose to associate more closely with whiteness, silence, and inaction. These days, it is not the time to choose to be complicit in our own ignorance. We must never forget that we are victims of oppression too BUT many of the rights afforded to us today are only so because of the efforts of black/brown/trans activists.” On Friday, Feb. 24, The ALANA Center hosted a sit-in at the library from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for the community to stand in solidarity and solid symbolic mass. Various identity-based organizations on campus as well as the VSA encouraged their members to show up to the protest. At noon, a large crowd of students, faculty members, administrators and staff members gathered together in
After two racist hate speech messages were found in the library within a few days, posters were put up proclaiming, “Libraries are for everyone.” A sit-in was held in front of the library on Feb. 25.
LiNK hosts benefit to support North Korean refugees Dylan Smith
Guest Reporter
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Courtesy of Kevin Lee
n Friday, Feb. 24, the Vassar chapter of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) put together its annual benefit concert at Vassar’s Aula theater. The event, as it has in previous years, featured performances from musical duos, a capella groups and other entertainers from the Vassar community. The concert went from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday evening. New to this year’s LiNK benefit concert was the addition of a flea market. Student organizers accepted donations of new and gently used clothing to be sold at the concert. Concert-goers raided the tables, off to the right of the concert stage, sorting through heaps of clothes for hidden gems to take home. Individual items were available for $2, small bags for $5 and large bags for $10. LiNK raises funds to provide aid for and help with the resettlement of refugees from North Korea. It also coordinates efforts to raise awareness of the ongoing human rights violations in that country. The members of LiNK wish to not only fund liberation of North Koreans, but also to reframe the crisis in North Korea from a political crisis to a humanitarian one. All of the money raised by LiNK goes directly to North Korean liberation and resettlement efforts. President of Vassar’s LiNK chapter Kevin Lee ’17 helped to organize the event and emceed Friday evening. Lee, who has been involved in LiNK his entire college career, said, “Our annual concert is one of our favorite events, because not only does it raise money, but it brings together all different groups of people from different parts of campus in support for North Korean refugees.” Having grown up in a South Korean family, Lee said he feels a personal connection to the goal of liberty in North Korea. “Countless times I have seen or heard stories of the conditions in North Korea, and felt utterly helpless,” he reflected. “LiNK offers an outlet for me and many others on this campus to make a small positive impact.” Lee hoped that the concert would serve another important purpose as well. “In our current
campus climate with the recent acts of hatred and racism, as well as the larger political climate full of xenophobia, it’s nice to have a night full of fun, compassion and hope,” he said. Friday night’s performers seemed to share Lee’s vision, providing a night of uplifting songs, poems and comedy acts. A diverse assortment of performers came together to echo Lee’s desire for fun, compassion and hope. Whether or not performers shared such a personal connection to the humanitarian crisis in North Korea, each used their own voice to make a difference. Eric Yoon ’17 sought to challenge hatred in his act, the second of the night. Yoon has performed at the last three LiNK benefit concerts. This year he performed a portion of Beethoven’s “Appassionata,” a fast-paced and jarring classical piano piece. “You can consider it a manifestation of the frustration and anger we feel toward injustice,” Yoon commented. Taking a brief break from music, spoken word poet Brandon Small ’19 added his voice to those combating hatred. As the night’s fourth act, Small directly addressed the racist messages left on campus last week. Reflecting on what impact the greater phenomenon of racism has had on him, Small read three of his original poems. “Are white people afraid of the word Black?” he asked, reading from his second poem, a piece called “Surprise,” in which he scrutinized the campus’s response to the anti-Black messages last week. “It’s as though they’re afraid to blacken their hands,” Small said of administrators who tiptoed around the content of the anti-Black hate speech messages. All three of his poems touched on what it means to be Black at Vassar. With Serena Lee ’18 and Grace Bae ’18, the evening’s music resumed. The duo, both hailing from South Korea, sang in their native language, enchanting those gathered with uplifting Korean tunes. Next, LiNK members Sandy Jiang ’19 and Elba Pascual ’19 talked briefly about LiNK’s goals. They presented a letter from a refugee named Shin Ae who was rescued using funds raised at Vassar. The letter thanked students at Vassar
Students entertainers performed at Liberty in North Korea’s (LiNK) annual benefit concert on Friday, Feb. 24 in the Aula. Proceeds will go to help resettle North Korean refugees. for their efforts and support. Shin Ae wrote in her letter, “It’s all thanks to you that I can go to South Korea. Thank you much for your help. I won’t forget you.” The next performer was Evelyn Frick ’19. [Full Disclosure: Evelyn Frick is the Humor and Satire Editor of The Miscellany News]. Frick, a member of Indecent Exposure, who showcased her comedic skills with an unapologetically funny stand up set. Though she is not a member of LiNK, Frick was enthusiastic about performing at the concert. “Contributing to their work, even in a small way, was wonderful,” she said. “The work they do in supporting Korean refugees is important, and I was especially glad to be a part of it.” Francis Kundi ’18, a member of LiNK, performed a rendition of Frank Ocean’s song “Ivy.” Kundi’s thought-provoking and emotive performance gave rise to one of the most enthusiastic ovations of the night. Kundi said, “I want-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
ed nothing more than to perform at this LiNK event.” He expressed that he was happy to be able to make a difference for those suffering in North Korea, with the added bonus of getting his cover of “Ivy”—a recording of which he anticipates releasing in the coming weeks—in people’s heads. Other performers included Andrew Wang ’17, Jana Chiu ‘17, Eunbee Kim ’19, Bianca Barragan ’19, the a cappella groups Homebrew and BAM and the K-Pop Dance group KoDC (pronounced “ko-deece”). Once the performances were over, Lee took the stage one last time to thank everyone for coming. With the help of Vassar College Refugee Solidarity, LiNk will be donating clothing left over from its flea market to various other causes, reflecting LiNK’s greater goal of not only helping the people of North Korea, but also bringing people together to help those in need, wherever they may be.
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NEWS
March 2, 2017
Healing to Action rally encourages campus to resist hate RALLY continued from page 1
While the bias incidents were on the forefront of many people’s minds, the rally featured speakers discussing the struggles of a variety of marginalized groups and the importance of coming together. Chung addressed Vassar’s Asian community later in his speech, saying, “Let us not forget that we have been here before in history. Last Sunday was the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which FDR signed, sending some 120,000 Japanese-Americans to internment camps. We can never forget that America will always perceive us as the ‘other,’ until further liberation of the other ‘others,’ whom we should always be looking to stand with.” Associate Professor of English Molly McGlennen, who helped found Native American Studies at Vassar (a correlate sequence in the American Studies Program), called on the audience to remember indigenous people like the Wappinger tribe of the Hudson Valley. She remarked, “I want to center indigenous peoples today in our resistance, because we cannot create these spaces to gather and organize without recognizing indigenous people’s histories of colonial violence and continued presence on this continent and on this very tract of land.” She then read a poem entitled “Vigilance” that she wrote for “The World After Jan. 20, 2017,” an exhibit at Vassar’s Palmer Gallery. President of the Disability Rights Coalition Anne Goss ’19 pointed out that many spaces at Vassar, including some dorms and academic buildings, are inaccessible to those with certain types of physical disabilities. She also said that although the treatment of mental and psychological disabilities available at Vassar has improved, it is not perfect. Disability is not talked about much on campus, but Goss argued that it is a vital concern. “Disability affects everybody, regardless of their other identities,” she said. Emmett Weiss ’19 read a poem he had written about the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms, a particularly poignant subject after the Trump administration’s Feb. 22 repeal of protections for transgender public school students. The protections, implemented by President Obama, allowed transgender and gender non-conforming students to use the bathroom of their choice. Weiss read, “Waiting in line, I look down. I don’t belong here, but I don’t belong there, and there’s nowhere in between but violence ... I walk into a women’s bathroom, but I am not a woman ... I’m only here because the line is shorter, because I can’t wait safely on the other side, because womanhood is actually a shield for me, although I hate to use it as protection, because we live in a world where femininity usually means oppression.” Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Jasmine Syedullah spoke about the nature—and difficulty—of intersectionality itself, observing,
“Part of the challenge of these particular confluences of intersecting struggles is that we get really siloed. We think that our own individual interest and investment in our own injuries and harm and risk to our bodies is what should be our reason for being present ... We are all in crisis, the crisis is pervasive. It has no borders. The more we respond to instances of harm as if they are individuated, the more harm we’re going to create ... Instances of violence that target particular people have immediate impacts on particular groups and are not equally felt by everyone in the same way, but they are felt by everyone.” Chair of the Bias Incident Response Team and Associate Dean of the College Edward Pittman noted the importance of student activism. “As an administrator, I have an obligation to justice and fairness. If I can’t fulfill [that obligation] through the means provided by Vassar College, then we have to find other means to do that work,” he commented. “[The student body is] the best judge of that. When the systems are not working on campus, it is important for you to stand and to voice that.” A little after 1 p.m., Fedenko concluded the rally by inviting the audience to a tabling event
Tea Taxes Like Coke,” 1.9.2017). Ideally, the 1.5 cents-per-ounce tax would push consumers away from drinking sugary drinks and, in the long-term, reduce the obesity in the city. The revenue gained from residents who cannot quit cold turkey would be used toward funding necessary education programs, specifically universal pre-kindergarten. The beverage industry, however, has been fighting the tax since its proposal in 2016. The American Beverage Association (ABA) lobbied intensively against it, spending approximately $10.6 million, and formed the predominant No Philly Grocery Tax coalition (BevNET, “ABA Spent $10.6 Million in Unsuccessful Fight Against Philadelphia Soda Tax”, 8.2.2016). Criticism includes the regressive nature of the tax, as poorer families are more likely to purchase sweetened drinks; its negative impact on local businesses; and the possible departure of Coca-Cola and Pepsi from Philadelphia, which would translate to lost jobs. The tax also seems to fall unevenly because it is based on volume, not on the extent of sugar within the product. Consumers will likely still buy expensive sweetened drinks packaged in small volumes, such as Red Bull, because, despite the increase, the price hike is only about 10 to 20 percent (The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Soda Tax: Will Your Favorite Beverage Cost More?”, 6.15.2017). On the other hand,
products like store-brand two-liter soda would nearly double in price. Furthermore, the ABA singled out what they feel is the unsound logic of the tax: if the point is to curtail obesity, then consumers will purchase less sweetened drinks over time. Subsequently, if tax revenue falls, they ask, what will the administration use to fund these new education programs they have started? Still, the ABA failed in preventing the Philadelphia City Council from passing the legislation in a 13-4 vote on July 16, 2016. Afterwards, in September, a coalition of the ABA and small businesses attempted to block the tax through the state Supreme Court, but their complaint was overturned (The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Soda Tax Lawsuit Dismissed,” 12.26.2016). Many feel tricked by Kenney’s claims, as only 49 percent of the soda tax revenue will actually be used to fund the educational programs he proposed earlier (The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Big Chunk of Soda Tax Money Not Going to Pre-K”, 6.16.2016). Not only that, even with higher-than-projected revenues, Kenney is still short of meeting the $7.6 million monthly average that would achieve his $91 million goal. Many wholesalers and distributors have decided to pass the cost onto their customers, and the price hike of drinks everywhere have led to a 30 to 50 percent fall in sales, affecting teamsters the most (Bloomberg, “Philadel-
Courtesy of Healing to Action
unarmed Black men in September and after President Trump’s election in November, Touray and co-founders Alan Vision ’20 and Micah Fedenko ’20 joined together to find an answer to the question, “‘How can we support each other in this community and how can we break the silence that so often happens in this Vassar bubble?’” Vision added, “The most important tenet on which H2A was founded was that what affects one individual on campus affects all of us.” Before the rally began, H2A members handed out informational zines entitled, “Read, Resist, Rise: A toolkit for collective resistance during the Trump administration.” The zines included explanations of phrases such as “executive order” and “sanctuary city,” summaries of executive orders and presidential memorandums President Trump has issued and contact information for Poughkeepsie’s congressional representatives. They also included a list of Vassar’s identity organizations, on-campus resources, local groups to get involved in and trustworthy news sources. Though the rally was planned weeks before they occurred, the recent bias incidents on Vassar’s campus were featured prominently in several speeches. In both cases, each occurring during the previous week, anti-Black graffiti was found in the library, reading, “Kill all the Blacks” and “Negro is the disease of our society. WHITE PRIDE,” followed by three swastikas. Touray commented that though the content of the rally changed somewhat in response to these incidents, the intention behind it—to create a platform for the voices of those who feel marginalized, unsafe or silenced—stayed the same. Jonathan Chung ’18, who spoke on behalf of the Asian Students Alliance, criticized the Admissions Office on its handling of tours for prospective students the day before, when there had been a solidarity gathering in front of the library. He said, “Admissions, you neglected to show what campus life is truly like for some people when you steered the tour groups away from the library ... They told tour groups that there was a protest, but they didn’t say why. I recognize the hard choice they had to make, but ultimately, they chose silence. They prioritized prospective rich white applicants who don’t even go here yet over our Black students.” Brandon Small ’19 read a poem he wrote titled, “Surprise,” about erasure of non-white students on Vassar’s campus. In it, he condemned the fact that Interim President Jonathan Chenette had failed to use the word “Black” or to address that the hate speech specifically targeted Vassar’s Black community in his email to the student body responding to the incident. He concluded, “Vassar is not a bubble where racism doesn’t exist. Vassar has never been a bubble for people of color.”
The Miscellany News chose to print the event poster rather than a photo from the rally in order to respect the organizers’ wishes. At the start of the rally, they stated, “We want to respect the speakers’ identities and bodies in this space and ask that there be no photos, Snapchats, or any other form of recordings taken. We want to protect the integrity of the space by being aware of how quickly social media can become a form of social capital in activism and how it co-opts initiatives intended to uplift the voices of marginalized identities.” directly afterward, at which they could speak to representatives from Vassar’s various identity organizations. They concluded, “This is a continuation of active solidarity. We did not start this work, and this is not where it will end. We must work together and never stop.” Discussing where H2A hopes to go in the future in an interview after the rally, Vision said the group is still figuring it out, but that they are committed to ensuring that H2A survives the next four years and beyond, unlike some past activist groups at Vassar that have dismantled. Fedenko added, “We’re hoping to make activism something that’s sustainable on this campus and that builds on the work of others.” Touray echoed Fedenko’s closing remark at the rally, saying, “This work isn’t done. Even on this seemingly progressive, liberal campus, we still have so much work to do. It’s really going to take everyone—everyone risking, everyone sacrificing, everyone willing to put the work in to dismantle oppression in our community. This is hard work. It’s taxing emotionally, physically and mentally, but if we can come together like we did today, it can be powerful, it can be healing and it can be active.”
News Briefs Philadelphia passes controversial soda tax
Philadelphia’s soda tax became effective on Jan. 1 of this year, gaining the already historic city recognition as one of only two places in the United States to successfully pass the controversial policy (The New Yorker, “There’s Now a Soda Tax in Philadelphia, but Not Because Sugar Is Bad for You,” 6.16.2016). Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has proudly claimed that revenues from the tax were nearly double city official estimates for the past month. A $5.7 million tax haul shows that some are more than willing to pay for their sugar cravings (6ABC, “Philadelphia Mayor: $5.7M Beverage Tax Haul Doubles Projection,” 2.23.2017). However, there has been massive pushback as well. Many local businesses, distributors and especially consumers—the ones feeling the brunt of the tax—still oppose it. During his 2015 campaign run, a cornerstone of Mayor Kenney’s proposed policies focused on addressing poverty and health problems, both of which are issues disproportionately impacting the youth. His new regulation is designed to hits two birds with one stone. A misnomer, the soda tax actually applies to any drink with added sugar or artificial sweetener such as diet sodas, sweetened teas, sports drinks and bottled lemonade—with the exception any milk products or fountain soda (Time, “Philadelphia Soda Tax: Gatorade, Iced
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
phia’s Soda Sellers Say Tax Has Reduced Sales by as Much as 50%,” 2.17.2017). There have also been rumors of distributors planning massive layoffs in response to the sales drops. Others even claim that the most desperate city residents have traveled out of Philadelphia to get their sugar fix (Forbes, “Philly Soda Tax News Just In—Shock, Horror, People Dodge Taxes,” 2.23.2017). However, Philadelphia’s soda tax might set the precedent for other major cities to follow. Though Berkeley, CA, was the first to successfully pass the same legislation, the city’s population of 115,000 pales in comparison to Philly’s 1.5 million. If the tax manages to cut soda consumption with few consequences, then it will not be long before other major cities follow suit. Three cities in the Bay Area have already passed the tax, though it has not yet been implemented (San Francisco Chronicle, “S.F., Oakland, Albany Voters Pass Soda Tax,” 11.8.2016). Currently, Maine has proposed a statewide legislation preventing SNAP recipients from spending food stamps on soda and candy (CBS Boston, “Maine Asks Feds to Allow Ban on Food Stamps for Candy, Soda,” 2.20.2017). Whether this anti-junk food movement traverses across the U.S. or fizzles out may depend on Philadelphia’s success. -Steven Huynh, Guest Reporter
March 2, 2017
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Celebrities flaunt designer Committee, WoCC aim to gowns, activism at Oscars highlight women in STEM Emma Jones and Emily Sayer
Senior Editor and Features Editor
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his awards season, celebrities are taking to the red carpet with unprecedented political fervor. Supporting the American Civil Liberties Union’s “Stand With the ACLU” campaign, stars like Ruth Negga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Busy Phillips, Karlie Kloss and best director nominee for “Moonlight” Barry Jenkins appeared wearing blue pins that signify opposition to the Trump Administration’s planned policy changes. The ACLU reached out to major nominees to wear these pins and, in doing so, sponsor its Constitution Defense Fund, which aims to enact a seven-point plan to combat Trump’s human and domestic rights platform. Executive Director of the ACLU David Romero stated in a blog detailing the major points of the plan that “[The ACLU] will be the David to the federal government’s Goliath.” He continues, “The first rock in our slingshot is a Freedom of Information Act request asking several government agencies to turn over documents relating to President Trump’s actual or potential conflicts of interest due to his business and family connections. The American people deserve to know their president will govern in the best interest of the nation and not his self-interest.” This step comprises the first point of the ACLU’s plan—demand government accountability and transparency. The other central objectives are to protect the rights of immigrants, defend reproductive rights, protect First Amendment rights and defend LGBT rights. The ACLU was not the only politicized organization represented at the Oscars. Emma Stone, clad in a gold, flapper-esque Givenchy dress, wore a Planned Parenthood pin fastened to her gown.
Dakota Johnson, wearing a cream-colored, high-necked Gucci gown, pinned the Planned Parenthood logo to her metallic Gucci clutch. Stone and Johnson are not the first to use fashion as a platform to support the women’s health organization: a few weeks ago, during New York Fashion Week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America provided hot pink pins for attendees to wear in support of Planned Parenthood. In addition to showing solidarity in the face of our turbulent political climate, attendees strived to minimize their ecological footprint when it came to clothing. Priyanka Bose wore a Vivienne Westwood couture dress that recycled archival fabric from a previous collection. This was done in collaboration with Suzy Amis Cameron, founder of Red Carpet Green Dress, a contest that challenges designers to create “green” designs. Giorgio Armani also took part in the challenge: Emma Roberts wore a cream gown embroidered w/ flowers and crystals with black spaghetti straps, which was originally in Armani’s January 2005 collection. While the movie mix-up with La La Land and Moonlight may have turned attention away from the Moonlight cast themselves, one designer is pulling them back into the spotlight. Calvin Klein’s new advertising campaign will feature the stars of Moonlight: Mahershala Ali, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex Hibbert. This will be only Raf Simons’ second ad campaign since he became chief creative officer in August 2016. Rhodes, Sanders and Hibbert wore dark wool tuxedos designed by the brand to the award ceremony as well. As we move forward, we can only hope that actors and designers alike will continue to take a stance.
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the CHAS WoCC, Women in STEM will be screening the 2016 film “Hidden Figures” on campus, supporting the conference’s themes of intersectionality and black feminism. One of the chief organizers of the screening, Visiting Assistant Professor in Mathematics and Statistics Moshe Cohen, shared, “The movie brings up several issues that impact departments and programs across campus: STEM fields, political science, history, education. Hopefully students from different majors and different backgrounds can use this shared experience as a way to engage with each other on some of these issues that are still relevant today. We can learn a lot from each other if we’re willing to listen.” Cohen noted that The Hidden Figures Committee, a group of faculty, staff and students responsible for bringing this film to campus, chose to screen the movie due to its positive portrayal of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers and, specifically, its treatment of the lived experiences of women and women of color in STEM careers. He added that these types of events are all the more integral to the wellbeing and culture of the Vassar student body, considering our origins as a women’s college. He continued, “Our committee includes faculty from several STEM departments, the director of the Women’s Center, students from organizations like Women in STEM, Women in CS [Computer Science], and the Association of Women in Mathematics, and faculty from Political Science, History, Education and STS who have arranged to include material from the movie in their courses this semester.” Collaborator and Director for the Campus Life LGBTQ Center and Women’s Center Jodie Castanza said the following of Cohen and the efforts to bring the screening to campus: “One
of my favorite things Dr. Cohen has said since the beginning of the planning for all the events around Women in STEM is that (and I’m paraphrasing a bit) ‘We cannot change the experience of Women and Femmes in STEM until we change the behavior of men in STEM.’ His energy, commitment and dedication have kept me motivated to make sure this happens. “This is why we are bringing the movie, hosting discussions after the showings, partnering with Strong House and the Women in STEM pre-org to support their events, collaborating with faculty to dialogue with students and also to do a faculty discussion among faculty, and others are planning more things throughout this semester and beyond. I have committed to the Women in STEM org that this is not a oneshot deal—this is a topic we are committed to continual work, education, programming and dialogue around, year after year.” The CHAS WoCC sponsors are: T he ALANA Center, Office of Residential Life, Women’s Center, and the Education Department, Physics Department, Political Science Department, Sociology Department, and the African Students’ Union (ASU), Asian Students’ Alliance (ASA), Black Students’ Union (BSU), Council of Black Seniors (CBS), Middle Eastern Students Collective (MESC), Multi-racial/Bi-racial Students Association (MBSA), SouthEast Asian Students’ Alliance (SEASA), UJIMA - a Groove Society, the VSA Social Consciousness Fund, and Dialogue and Engagement across Differences initiative. The conference and screenings come at a particularly fraught moment on campus. Holding these events just a week after the news of racist, hateful vandalism in the Thomson Library was publicized, CHAS and the Hidden Figures Committee offer a place of solidarity, comfort and learning in this of racial and political strife.
Oral Histories Project archives voices of refugee crisis Matt Stein
Assistant Features Editor
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Reflecting on the ever-changing political climate, both Vassar Refugee Solidarity and the Oral History Archive have had to alter their projects. Church World Service, the main resettlement agency, has been restricted by recent policies from bringing refugee families into the United States. Despite these obstructions, Vassar Refugee Solidarity and the Oral Histories Archive are continuing to fight for this cause and provide a platform for refugee voices. Student Leader and Coordinator Anish Kanoria ’18 has been involved with VC Solidarity from the beginning. “If you think about all the initiatives together that we have as Vassar Refugee Solidarity, we have the digital part of it, so anything we can’t do physically we can do digitally. We have the academic intellectual part of it, which is coming up with a radical pedagogy, which is more long-term. And then you have the Mid-Hudson Alliance, which is the local and immediate part of it. I think in totality, if you look at the initiative,
Courtesy of Vassar Refugee Solidarity
t the heart of any statistic is a unique experience or history that can’t be generalized to further a political agenda. When the White House makes claims regarding refugees, it is essential to acknowledge that people’s lives are at stake. At Vassar, students have been organizing to aid refugees in resettling and getting their voices heard. Vassar Refugee Solidarity is organizing an Oral Histories Archive. Joe DeGrand ’17, Jakob Strobel Eckstein ’19 and Zoe Wulff ’19 are documenting the stories of refugees that are living in the Hudson Valley community. In addition to working closely with the History Department, The Oral Histories Archive has reached out to other organizations, striving to give this message the platform it deserves. The initial intentions of the Oral Histories Archive differed drastically from the project’s current trajectory, though the general concept of the Archive has remained intact. DeGrand spoke of this evolution: “It’s gone through a lot of different phases for what we thought the best use of it would be. In the beginning, before the travel ban, it served a very different purpose. Now we’re working with the History Department and preparing for an exhibition. Our focus has changed a lot, regarding the people we were going to interview.” In October, the co-chairs of the Oral Histories Archive began planning this project through Vassar Refugee Solidarity. One of the group’s original goals was to contact incoming refugee families and, with their consent, share their stories, but recent government policies have hindered those plans. Because of the travel ban, refugee programs have halted indefinitely. As a result, the Oral Histories Archive is working with the refugees that are in the Hudson Valley area already. DeGrand elaborated on the process members of the Oral Histories Archive undertake: “A lot of the work that is going to come with this is transcription. It takes a lot of time and it’s a pretty tedious task. But we mostly want to keep it to a smallish number of people because these are very sensitive documents and we want to make sure that we can rely on the people who work with us.
Because these people we’re interviewing are being very open with us, it’s important. There’s also tons of opportunities to get involved with Vassar Refugee Solidarity.” Vassar Refugee Solidarity began in October 2015 when students collaborated with Professor and Chair of the History Department Maria Höhn, and originally culminated in a six-week course about the refugee crisis which ended last Spring. Now, in addition to the Oral Histories Archive, Vassar Refugee Solidarity has three other projects it’s working on: resettlement, a digital initiative and a consortium with Bard, Bennington and Sarah Lawrence. The organization has also designed workshops, classes and other events to increase awareness and provide ways for everybody in the community to get involved. The organization is also aiming to integrate advocacy in an academic setting. One potential plan is to have students taking Arabic conduct Skype sessions with refugees who get paid for their work.
VC Solidarity is teaming up with the Oral Histories Project to combat the travel ban enforced by the Trump Administration and protect displaced peoples in the Hudson Valley.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
[the refugee ban] makes our commitment stronger.” The new direction will address local needs of refugees resettling in the Hudson Valley and help connect them with other refugees in the area. Most importantly, the projects aim to remind American audiences of the refugees’ humanity. “The refugee crisis was very powerful and it started to lose some traction. I think a way for things to continue to gain traction in the quickpaced media world that we’re in is to be able to share personal stories.” Wulff said of the motive behind the Oral Histories Archive. She continued, “We believe in the power of a person’s story, no matter where it’s coming from and we don’t want to be in control of their story. We just want to be able to give them a place where these stories can be heard so they don’t get lost.” The Oral Histories Archive will be collaborating with the History Department for an exhibit in May on the history of refugees for Vassar and the Hudson Valley community. With no refugees arriving in the near future, Vassar Solidarity will focus on local needs in the area, helping undocumented migrants and other displaced people settle in the Hudson Valley. For more ways to get involved with solving the refugee crisis, Vassar Refugee Solidarity’s website provides numerous opportunities. At a crucial moment in our nation’s history, activism becomes an imperative for change. There are countless immediate opportunities for students to get involved, such as attending protests, writing to local legislators and generally staying informed. Strobel Eckstein, who became personally invested after living with a refugee in Berlin, described the fundamental tenet to his project: “We want to humanize this issue, because so often immigration and the refugee crisis is written in numbers. But these are people who have gone through a lot and have individual stories. If we can tell those stories and give these people a platform to tell these stories, we can create empathy for them. And I think that is our political goal, to create empathy for displaced people so we can garner political will and improve their lives.”
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March 2, 2017
I’m pretzel-ing you, you’re gonna love these pretzel bites Brooke Thomas Guest Colunmists
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Courtesy of Jenny Cu
Ingredients 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 1 cup warm water Toppings: 1 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons Baking Soda Optional: coarse salt ~6 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil cinnamon sugar
he TA ovens must have some kind of secret communication channel because many of them have decided to break this week. I guess the semester has been as rough for them as it has for the rest of us. Whatever the reason, my apartment does not have a working oven and it looks like we will continue to not have one for a while. You may think I’m leading you up to some cool raw recipe or something you can make on a stove top, but I’m not. I miss warm, fresh-baked, gluten-y goods, so I’m going to write about it and make myself feel better. Also maybe someone will make these and bring me some? Please. I haven’t taken a poll or anything but I feel like most college students aren’t baking their own bread. In my house though, we totally do; we even have a food scale. It’s a little out of control. Maybe it’s strange, but it’s delicious. One of our favorite bread-type snacks before our oven broke was pretzel bites! I was seriously surprised how easy they are to make the first time I helped my housemate with them. I don’t mean to fool you, they take around an hour and a half and involve quite a few steps, but it is totally worth it and a really fun study break. Instead of taking a trip to the mall for Auntie Anne’s, just do it yourself (it’s cheaper and more fun)! We took our recipe from the King Arthur Flour website with a few veganized alterations. Start by combining a cup of warm water with two and a fourth teaspoons of instant yeast (that is the amount that will come in a packet or if you are using a jar—yay less waste—just measure it out). The water should be warm enough to activate the yeast but not hot enough to kill it; it should feel around the same temperature as your skin when you dip your finger in it. Let this rest while you are mixing together the following ingredients: two and a half cups of all purpose flour, one teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of salt. When the yeast mixture
is foamy, mix this into the dry ingredients. Mix until it is mostly combined and then knead it with your hands for around five minutes. (Bonus: this is a great way to take out aggression.) It should be very smooth by the time you are done. Flour the dough a bit so it doesn’t stick and let it rest for 30 minutes in an airtight container or bag. While the dough is resting, boil a cup of water and add two tablespoons of baking soda. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved and then let the mixture cool. It should be cooler than lukewarm before you use it. You are going to dip the dough bites into this before baking them in order to make the chewy pretzel texture. If you don’t do this, they will just be normal bread. After the half hour is up, divide your dough into six equal(ish) pieces on a lightly greased work surface. Roll each piece of dough into a rope, about 12 inches in length. Cut each rope into about twelve pieces. These steps are really up to you, you can make your bites bigger, smaller or into actual pretzel shapes, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Next, place the bites into the cooled baking soda solution and leave them in for a minute, depending on how many can fit in your pan, continue this until all your bites are coated. Then place them on a greased piece of parchment paper, either sprinkling some salt on them while they are still wet or leaving them plain, and pop them in your 400° F oven for around 12 minutes. You might want to mix them around at the halfway point depending on how evenly your oven distributes heat. Once they are done you can dip them in the cheese sauce from my vegan mac and cheese recipe, mustard, or—my fave —coat them in vegan butter or coconut oil and roll them in cinnamon sugar. They are definitely best right out of the oven so eat them quickly! Be sure to check out the original recipe at kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pretzel-bites-recipe.
Now sushi me, now you donut; try this trend while it lasts! Penina Remler
Guest Colunmists
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Couresty of sobeautifullyraw
t all started with the cronut. The year was 2015 when big time baker, Dominque Ansel cross-bred a croissant with a donut and ultimately turned this innovative pastry into a phenomenon. As the cronut craze crossed all culinary borders, many argue that Ansel’s creation can be considered a turning point and catalyst for new-wave food trends. Later, devoted foodies swapped sweet for savory when they were introduced to another dynamic duo known as the ramen burger. The stars of Brooklyn’s Smorgasburg struck gold when they decided to transform the classic ramen bowl into a ramen burger and find a way to integrate cultures and cravings in more ways than one. Following the ramen burger came the infamous “sushiritto,” which instantly knocked the basic burrito out of the park. Tortilla wraps were out and rice rolls were in—or so we thought... Today, the latest craze and competitor which stems from culinary blogger Sam Murphy (known online as So Beautifully Raw) has caught our attention with the latest invention: the sushi donut. Murphy claims to have conceived of the idea while celebrating National Donut Day. Unlike some recent predecessors in food mash-ups— such as ramen pot pie, chocolate eclair hot dog, nacho lasagna, donut burger and cheese burger and chicken strip crust pizza, to name a few—critics are actually raving over this odd combination. Before jumping to assumptions, let me start off by stating that the sushi donut is only sweet in its creativity and no, it does not combine sashimi and sugar. While less clever food bloggers or food chains may have tried to merge the two, creating a Frankenstein’s monster in the kitchen, Sam Murphy knocked the recipe out of the park with a simple twist on the average roll. The sushi donut stays true to its name and is exactly what it sounds like: the combination of your favorite pieces of fish–just in the form
of a donut. As opposed to glazing, icing and sprinkling this unique commodity, the sushi donut takes on a different style: it swaps dough for rice, sprinkles for sesame seeds, frosting for ginger, wasabi and avocado and sashimi for its filling. A peculiar concoction, but try to picture a sushi roll in the shape of a circle which coincidentally, just happens to resemble a donut! The sushi donut strikes me as a radical remedy for those eager to go straight for dessert. This time, your sweet tooth is supplemented by a substantial meal so you can have your donut and then eat two (because no meal is complete without ending on a sweet note). Social media is swimming in a surplus of sushi donut photoshoots which may be pleasing to the eye but are an absolute tease to the taste buds. However, this does not mean we have to wait for Tasty to produce a short clip in order to replicate the recipe, in fact this masterpiece comes with a few simple steps making it easy to replicate for people like Lily Kitfield ’18 who states, “I DONUT WANT TO IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT A SUSHI DONUT.” Similar to the process of making classic donuts, the sushi donut calls for a donut mold, accompanied by some coconut oil to avoid stickiness, and sushi rice. Press the sushi rice into the greased mold and once the standard shape comes to life (by allowing the rice to cool), flip the pan upside down, lift the mold and the rest is up to you! The basic ingredients include wasabi, ginger, black sesame seeds, avocado and sashimi, but the display all comes down to your creativity. Plus, little can go wrong when the array of fresh ingredients stands in as a color palate that both figuratively and literally allow you to “taste the rainbow.” The protocol to eating this tasty treat is still in the works; some recommend chopsticks while the really brave souls just go on in like any typical donut. I’d recommend trying one of these trendy treats before the next big thing knocks it down the food chain.
Ingredients
Sushi rice Coconut oil
Toppings/Fillers of Choice: Tuna, salmon, eel, crab meat, etc. Avocado Ginger Wasabi Seaweed Sesame seeds
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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43. Letter 22 to the Greeks 45. Early 20th century crime novelist Dorothy 47. Daughter of King Harold and Queen Lillian, as stated in Shrek 2 48. What fear leads to, for a Jedi Page 7 49. World's fastest growing major religion 51. Rumor says it stays in your spine for 7 years 53. Less upsetting version of "moist" 55. Party-ending farm animals 56. Middle name of Moon Zappa 57.51.Goes beans Rumorwell says with it stays in your spine for 7 years 58.53.What Smash version Mouthofguy saw that Less upsetting “moist” 55. Party-ending farm animals made him a Believer Middle name of Moon Zappa 59.56.Rudy Tabootie's chalk best friend 57. Goes well with beans 62.8. High or lowMouth setting a that video or him What Smash guyon saw made a Believer picture
The Miscellany Crossword
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Alum reminisces on involvement with VSA and Misc Andrea Yang
Staff Reporter
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his week we are catching up with Brian Farkas ’10, former Editor-in-Chief of the Miscellany News and VP of VSA, now an attorney at Goetz Fitzpatrick LLP. Q: Why did you decide to write Covering the Campus and how was that experience?
Q: What do you love most about your cur-
rent job, and how does it connect to your Vassar experience?
A: Beyond my day job, I do pro bono mediation for the court system. This means that I serve as a third-party neutral, helping people to negotiate settlements and resolve their disputes. The best training for these mediations wasn’t law school; it was weekly Miscellany News Editorial Board meetings. Twelve super
Q: Do you have a favorite spot on campus?
A: I know everyone is supposed to say the Library. But my favorite spots on campus are College Center 303 and 207: The Miscellany News office and the VSA Office. Pathetic, I know. I spent ungodly amounts of time in those rooms. Both places are filled with memories of ridiculous stress and endless debate– usually over some absurd revision to the Bylaws. But they were also places where I made lifelong friendships. A: Take every class James Merrell offers. Even if American history isn’t your thing. Your essays will bleed with his merciless red pen. It won’t be pretty. But he’ll make you a better writer. He once wrote “Good” next to one of my paragraphs, a compliment I still treasure. Q: Could you share your favorite memory at the Misc?
Q: Could you describe a typical weekday in your job? What are some of your routines?
A: I’m a lawyer. I live in New York City, though I spend time in Washington, D.C., too. Mostly, I litigate business disputes. Often, these involve intellectual property (copyright, trademark, trade secret, etc.). One of the ex-
smart editors would argue for their vision of the staff editorial. Conversations sometimes got heated. My job was to moderate that conversation and forge a compromise–an editorial the whole group felt comfortable signing. I learned a great deal about listening and negotiating in those Editorial Board meetings.
Q: Favorite Vassar course/professor?
Courtesy of Brian Farkas
A: Vassar’s paper has an unusually long and accomplished history. It began as a literary magazine in 1866, then became a weekly newspaper, making it one of the oldest student publications in the United States. The paper has published interviews with some of the leading political, cultural and artistic figures in American history. When I was Editor-in-Chief, I wrote Covering the Campus to tell that story. I interviewed dozens of former editors, reporters, faculty members and administrators to weave together the 150-year narrative. The book’s broader goal was to help raise money for, and awareness of, the Library’s work in digitizing the paper’s archives, now available at newspaperarchives.vassar.edu. Those online archives are a treasure trove for researchers who want to study the history of higher education. Today, the Miscellany is one of the finest papers of any college in the country. Better writing, better design, better reporting. There are very few papers that play at our level. Piecing together the paper’s history was one of the highlights of my time at Vassar.
citing parts of being a lawyer is that there aren’t many “typical days” or “routines.” One day, you might spend 14 hours of uninterrupted writing. Another day, you might be traveling to a new city, or negotiating a deal on behalf of your client, or arguing in court. Serving on the Miscellany News and the VSA prepared me for the single most important skill in law: responding promptly to e-mails!
Former Editor-in-Chief of the Miscellany News and Vice President of the VSA Brian Farkas lives in NYC, litigating business disputes regarding intellectual property rights.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
A: Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2008. It was the night of President Obama’s election, and it also happened to be our Miscellany production night. The whole Editorial Board was huddled around the laptop of Eric Estes ’11, our Design & Production Editor, glued to CNN. I don’t think we moved an inch while the final results were tallied. We all watched his Chicago victory speech together, and then wrote the cover story about his election around 3 a.m. that night, before sending it to press. It’s rare to live through a moment that you know you’ll remember forever.
OPINIONS
Page 8
March 2, 2017
Letter to the Editor We are writing as current and past members of Vassar’s cooperative house, Ferry. We are greatly concerned by Vassar’s pending announcement that all Vassar students, including Ferry House members, will be required to join an all-campus meal plan come fall 2017. This action will prevent Ferry House from operating as a cohesive cooperative due to the inability of its members to double-fund two meal options: cooperatively-purchased groceries and a costly all-campus meal plan (likely between $2,000 and $3,000 per semester). Ferry has been operating as a cooperative living space at Vassar since 1951, but Ferry is not Vassar’s first cooperative space; in fact, cooperative spaces at Vassar have a long history rooted in assisting students who could not afford more expensive food. What happens to Vassar’s cooperative space is for all of us to decide as a community in consensus, not in a top-down financially-motivated decision. If the 21 students currently living in Ferry opted out of the meal plan, it would not have a significant impact on Vassar’s operating budget; however, if Vassar eliminated Ferry’s cooperative meal, it would diminish much of what makes this experiment in cooperative living unique and successful. If Ferry students were forced to pay for an expensive meal plan, most would not be able to afford to also purchase collective groceries for the house. We have only been offered a limited and short-term Residential Life budget that is significantly less than the cost of food for a semester and at least a tenth of the amount we would pay to the meal plan. Ferry House’s most unifying event is its weekday meal, which occurs five days a week, from Sunday to Thursday. Due to these meals, students learn cooperative planning, budgeting, shopping, baking, cooking and cleaning skills. These meals are the glue that holds the house together, offering the opportunity to break bread over hearty conversations that teach diversity, critical thought and civic participation—values Vassar holds dear. When in close contact with differing opinions over a home-cooked squash stew sourced
from the Vassar Farm CSA, open-mindedness only grows. “It is one thing to study environmental concerns, cooperative living and consensus making and politics in class. [But] Ferry is putting the theory into practice,” said Lee Perkins ’64. The effect of so many generations of Ferry members entering the world cannot be underestimated. We have become sustainable farmers, climate change activists, food editors, racial and social justice workers, teachers, non-profit Executive Directors and so much more. For many of us, Vassar’s central institutional life did not work, and ACDC was a lonely place. Many Ferries considered transferring to other schools, but found a home when we walked down that stone path and through that door into a glass oasis. Life changed irrevocably and wonderfully when we entered Ferry. Additionally, Ferry’s low costs, at about 10 percent of the cost of the dining hall, made Vassar more affordable for low-income students. Ferry has therefore served a retention function of keeping students at Vassar. Offering a diversity of housing options actually retains students. This is not the first time Ferry’s future has been threatened. We have heard rumblings of the possibility that Residential Life may want to use Ferry as a dorm to assist in its housing gaps and we would like to establish a written agreement with Vassar that Ferry will remain a cooperative in perpetuity. Ferry faced similar issues when Residential Life informed us that they wanted to close Ferry in 2002 while it was being renovated. We resisted and succeeded, and here we are advocating once more to keep Ferry a co-op. Marcel Breuer, Ferry’s architect, would not be pleased. He built Ferry House, with its bi-nuclear structure, specifically as a cooperative intended to foster a social community. At Ferry’s dedication ceremony on Oct. 5, 1951, Breuer said, “When you experience a building, its space, its walls, roof, windows, the brick, the stone, the glass, you probably never realize that it is the expression of many individual efforts, coordinated. And I mean this not in a technical sense ... That this ‘coopera-
tive house’ of Vassar stands now as it is, is actually a result of those human colors and social actions which you probably would never take into consideration when you think of architecture” (Vassar Quarterly, “Our House Is Bauhaus,” Winter 2006). With the social, psychological and intellectual welfare of its students in mind, Vassar might look toward institutions like Oberlin, which hosts an approximately 100-person dining cooperative, and consider opening more cooperative spaces, not closing its one existing space. Like the ALANA Center, the Bayit, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, and the Women’s Center, Ferry provides an atmosphere of community and works to extend its warmth and fellowship to the community at large via social gatherings and professor dinners. Ferries wish they could admit more students, and would be thrilled to have a sister cooperative or several on campus to extend cooperative living to more students. We have expressed our concerns in letters, emails and phone calls to the college. We have yet to receive a satisfactory response beyond the statement that this is a mandatory all-student meal plan due to a new food service provider. It is essential that we as a college community honor Ferry’s history and present, as well as Breuer’s intentions for Ferry. Some of us are exploring the possibility of having our alumnae/i donations be tied to supporting Ferry House as a full cooperative, and have asked our AAVC representatives to work with us to make this happen. Perhaps more permanent, large dining cooperatives, such as the very popular cooperatives at Oberlin, can be established eventually, positively influencing retention, diversity, rankings and reputation. Vassar might explore the possibility of a Vassar Cooperative Student Association similar to the student-owned non-profit corporation at Oberlin. Margaret Seligman Lewisohn, chair of the trustee committee on undergraduate life just before Ferry opened, affirmed, “I believe firmly that a cooperative house is a necessary addition to any American campus ... It can be an important and
living demonstration of democracy in action.” At a time when democracy is being threatened in our country, learning to foster consensus and participation, and go beyond “Bowling Alone,” is invaluable. Cooking, eating and living cooperatively together is an essential part of that experience, and a vital part of Vassar’s history as an innovative institution. Cooperative living is not just a Ferry tradition, but a Vassar tradition. Sincerely, Ferry Residents and Alumnae/i A. Dakota Kim 2002 Piper Dorrance 2002 Nikki Crook 2003 Noah Bogdonoff 2014 John Freese 1995 Melynda Barnhart 1994 Sarah Jane Muder 2018 Ilan Korman 2019 Anna Wiley 2019 Nada Beth Ellend Glick 1961 Joanna Horton McPherson 2004 Jennifer Cable 2007 Katherine Willard 2019 Curtis Eckley 2019 Mei Sun Li (“Dorothy” Li) 1960 Laura Gilmore 2007 Delyn Hall 1998 Joshua Baum 2006 Irene Tait 2016 David Jaeger 1998 Malian Lahey 2000 Diana Little 1998 Erin Edmison 1998 Amie Fishman 1998 Claire Brassil 2000 Scott Murray 2001 Tom Furtwangler 1992 Aram Rubenstein-Gillis 1997 Matthew Cartsonis 1984 Philip Korman and Nora Israeloff (parents) Wanda J. Walker 1984 Dara J. Lurie 1984 Tamara Chanmugam 1983
Talents may be dependent on individual genetic makeup Steven Park Columnist
W
hat if you were able to discover what your talents were the moment you were born? Would it have helped you at all in school if you knew that you were naturally gifted in sports or solving math problems or playing an instrument? According to certain health institutions in China, you no longer have to spend time wondering, thanks to the power of gene sequencing. According to a recent article by The Telegraph, China is seeing an incredible surge of these so-called “talent detection” facilities that claim to be able to sequence a person’s DNA and uncover that person’s natural talent for a fee of about $500. Despite the dubious nature of these businesses, this type of direct-to-consumer genetic testing has become so popular among competitive Chinese parents that thousands of children are dragged by their mothers to these institutes to have their genomes sequenced in order to gain an extra advantage in the already cut-throat academic environment (The Telegraph, “Anxious Chinese parents cause gene testing boom as they try to discover young children’s talents,” 02.11.2017). As a result, China is already seeing the rise of the “talent detecting” industry, with companies promising to predict the future potential of children as well as their general level of intelligence, their emotional understanding and even their personality. Wang Junyi, the president of the highly successful 1Gene health institute in Hangzhou, Zhejiang explains why these facilities are all the rage in China: “Many of my friends are anxious about deciding what their children should learn, as they fear making stupid decisions could result in lost opportunities. They will be wasting money and destroying their children’s confidence if they push them into something they are not good at, and this is where genetic testing can help” (The Telegraph). Of course, no matter how convincing they may sound, none of these claims are backed by actual scientific evidence. Genealogy expert Chang Zisong at the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine states that all these
predictions are ultimately meaningless and that the main reason why these institutions aren’t illegal is because banning them “would suggest that they have scientific value” (The Telegraph). But this opens up the question–how much impact does our DNA have on our talents? After all, the human genome is supposedly our body’s “blueprint.” While using gene sequencing to determine success in becoming the next Einstein or Mozart may be a farce today, would genetically detecting talent ever become standard practice in the future? Let’s first examine athletic ability. One of the more controversial arguments regarding this subject is the athletic prowess of Jamaican sprinters. For some reason, the world’s best sprinters seem to come from this island nation in the Caribbean. Both Usain Bolt and Elaine Thompson, two Olympic champions who hold the title of fastest man and woman in the world respectively, are Jamaican. In addition, Jamaican athletes make up 19 of the 26 fastest times ever recorded in 100 meter races (The New York Times, “The Secret of Jamaica’s Runners,” 08.13.2016). These numbers are a bit too bizarre to be mere coincidences, seeing how Jamaica has a population of only 2.8 million people. Many people have come up with different theories, from the diet of yams in local regions of the country to the island’s aluminum-rich soil (NPR, “A Surprising Theory About Jamaica’s Amazing Running Success,” 08.18.2016). However, scientists who examined the DNA of Jamaican sprinters have suggested the existence of a “speed gene” and located the ACE gene as the culprit (The Guardian, “Why are Jamaicans so good at sprinting?,” 07.21.2014). According to their explanations, this particular gene variant increases the chance of you developing a larger-than-average heart that can pump highly oxygenated blood to your muscles quicker than the average person’s (The Guardian). The data has shown that Jamaicans have a higher frequency of this gene variant than Europeans or even inhabitants of West Africa. Funnily enough, 75 percent of Jamaicans, both athletes and non-athletes, also possess
the ACTN3 gene, which helps develop muscle strength. In contrast, only 70 percent of U.S. international-standard athletes have this desirable variant (The Guardian). So is your potential athletic ability primarily determined by these two genes? It’s difficult to tell. For one thing, the genetics of sports is incredibly complicated, and it’s more likely that an entire pathway of genes is involved rather than a specific anomaly. In addition, Yannis Pitsilandis, a biologist at the University of Glasgow studied the genetics of Jamaican sprinters and could not genetically distinguish a subgroup that made them run faster than everyone else (The New York Times, “Talent Lies Within. But Where?,” 08.12.2013). Instead, Pitsilandis argues that Jamaica has a lot of fast sprinters because the entire country promotes the sport of running, similar to how the United States obsesses over the sport of football. If the data on athleticism is inconclusive, then let’s look at a different but equally desired talent–the ability to solve math problems easily. Unfortunately, there is even less conclusive data surrounding the genetics of academic success. According to a large twin study by researchers from King’s College in London, it may be possible that the genes for math and language skills are inherited from your parents (Tech Times, Are you a math wiz? Thank your genes,” 07.15.2014). However, the scientists were unable to determine the exact genes that may be responsible for these skills. But then what about musical abilities, like becoming a prodigy in playing the violin or piano? As expected, the situation remains murky. While no direct connections between genes and musical ability have been established, some scientists believe that musical accomplishment may actually stem from the desire to practice, which does have genetic ties. According to research led by psychologist David Hambrick from Michigan State University, a person’s genetics may influence their musical aptitude, musical enjoyment and motivation (Scientific American, “What Do Great Musicians Have in Common? DNA,” 08.05.2016).
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Similarly, a study of over 10,000 identical Swedish twins led by neuroscientist Miriam Mosing of Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute found that a person’s propensity to practice music may be inherited by their child by up to 70 percent (Scientific American). However, neither study can really be deemed conclusive, and connections to any specific gene variant have yet to be found. Based on all this research, it seems that we still have a long way to go before we can rely on gene sequencing technology to predict people’s futures. Even our knowledge on the link between genetics and talent appears shaky at best. Yet despite this, direct-to-consumer gene sequencing has become all the rage recently, and not only among uber-competitive parents in China. In the United States, countless genetic testing companies have found success by offering to read the customer’s DNA and revealing that person’s natural “disposition.” But instead of analyzing DNA to unveil a person’s natural talent, these companies promise to uncover the customer’s ideal diet and exercise regime, giving “reliable” genetic information on their genetic fitness (STAT, “Genetic tests promised to help me achieve peak fitness. What I got was a fiasco,” 11.03.2016). Even crazier is that these “lifestyle genetic tests” are offering to uncover more and more ridiculous information “buried” within our DNA. One company even wants to use gene sequencing to determine what comic superhero a customer would be, based on their genes (The Atlantic, “The DNA Test as Horoscope,” 01.25.2017). As the originator of the idea, Stephane Budel, explains: “It gives you your breakdown, like you’re 30 percent Superman, 20 percent Ironman and 50 percent the Hulk.” Clearly, the human genome is being treated less like a blueprint and more like a personality test on Facebook. I wonder if the next big gene sequencing company will use my DNA to determine whether I would have been sorted into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw? Nonetheless, I think it would be advisable for everyone to slow down, take a deep breath and follow what your brain tells you instead of relying on a genome report.
March 2, 2017
OPINIONS
Ableism neglected in popular organizing Jesser Horowitz Columnist
[Content warning: racist/ableist violence.]
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zell Ford was laying on the ground when Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas shot him three times through the back. A 25-year-old Black man living in Los Angeles, Ford was unarmed when he lost his life during what police later referred to as an investigative stop. According to one neighbor, “this wasn’t the first time the police had targeted Ford and harassed him while he was walking down the street”(The Huffington Post, “LAPD Shouted ‘Shoot Him’ Before Killing Unarmed, Mentally Ill Black Man: Witness, 8.13.2014). He died just days after Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. But Ezell Ford was schizophrenic. And Ezell Ford was bipolar. And Ezell Ford had depression. As such, unless you happen to be a resident of Los Angeles, you likely haven’t even heard his name. This may seem surprising during a time in which there appears to be a heightened awareness of police brutality. Considering all the press attention surrounding this issue, it must suggest that disabled bodies are less affected by it and thus are less deserving of attention. Those who subscribe to that viewpoint may be surprised to learn that, according to a report published by the Ruderman Family Foundation, disabled people account for up to half of those killed during interactions with the police. Yet, there has been a deafening silence from the left regarding the epidemic of state-sanctioned violence against the disabled, especially when disability intersects with race. This crisis has its origins in the process of deinstitutionalization. In response to widespread accusations of abuse in mental institutions, influenced by the enormous success of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” the United States government started to engage in reforms in order cut down on abuse and develop a system that was fairer to the mentally ill. In 1967, California
passed the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, which made it more difficult to involuntarily hospitalize mentally ill people, although that may have had the unintended impact of doubling the number of mentally ill people in the criminal justice system. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Mental Health Systems Act, which restructured mental health care in the United States so that it was aimed to provide better, more effective services (Mother Jones, “TIMELINE: Deinstitutionalization And Its Consequences,” 4.29.2013). However, for the most part the government decided to fix the problem by simply shutting down mental health institutions without providing adequate replacements. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan repealed the Mental Health Systems Act, ended the federal government’s role in providing mental health care and cut spending on mental health by 30 percent (Mother Jones, “TIMELINE: Deinstitutionalization And Its Consequences”, 4.29.2013). Throughout the 1980s, federal funding of mental health care continued to fall, and the responsibility for caring for the mentally ill was taken away from hospitals and mental health experts and given to the criminal justice system and police officers. Therein lies the problem: the appalling state of mental health care in this country is the inevitable result of forcing this responsibility upon people who are not adequately trained to deal with the mentally ill. It is understandable, considering the overwhelmingly negative views society holds against disabled and mentally ill people, that police officers, who are mere representations of the community they serve, would have difficulty dealing with these cases. And luckily, some police departments have started providing training to their officers or created special units with the intent of dealing with exactly these types of cases. If the federal government is to continue to ignore disability and mental illness, this ought to be considered an adequate, if incomplete, solution to this crisis. Yet, it occurs to me that Ezell Ford was face
down on the ground when he was murdered, and no reasonable person could conclude that he constituted a threat to the police officers’ safety. Or consider the case of Charles Kinsey, a therapist who was accidentally shot in the leg by police officers as he attempted to comfort his autistic patient, Arnaldo Rios. While many have heard the story, what the activists have ignored is that the officers were aiming for that patient, unarmed except for a toy truck that an officer apparently mistook for a gun (one must wonder why a person with such bad eyesight would be allowed to be a police officer in the first place). It also doesn’t explain state-sanctioned violence outside of police brutality, such as the government-funded residential facility in Canton, MA, that was the subject of considerable controversy after administering 31 electric shocks to an autistic student who had refused to take off his coat, leaving him catatonic (not to mention the six students who have died at that same institution over the years). But I have yet to see any real acknowledgment on this campus or by national activists of the injustices faced by the disabled community. Ezell Ford’s narrative is entirely neglected from the websites of civil rights groups. It also, considering the alarming rate at which disabled and mentally ill people are killed by police (especially those who are Black), is an unacceptable omission. Understanding deinstitutionalization and the fundamentally broken American mental health system is critical to understanding the larger issues within the criminal justice system, including police violence. Disability and mental health cannot be but a footnote within the larger progressive battle against police brutality. Forming effective policy solutions to issues of police violence necessitates the inclusion of disabled voices and a thorough understanding of the history of mental health in this country. Before change can even be hoped to be achieved, progressives must fully embrace the intersectionalism that we strive to obtain by including disabled voices.
North Korea distorted in policy, media Sylvan Calko Perlmutter Guest Columnist
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few weeks ago, the international community was in tumult as news of the latest North Korean missile launch was announced, and the 24-hour news cycle spun its usual stories of imminent nuclear catastrophe. However, this past week, reactions to the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-un’s older brother who until his death lived in exile in the semi-autonomous Chinese region of Macau, were relatively muted even though the news of his assassination might anticipate dreadfully turbulent times for North Korea in the near future. Kim Jong-nam’s life was as bizarre as it was ultimately tragic. Once the favorite son and proposed successor of the supreme leader Kim Jong-il, he publically fell from grace when he was arrested in Japan trying to go to Tokyo Disneyland on a forged Dominican passport. Ah yes, Disneyland, the scourge of any wouldbe dictator. And now, as the current consensus holds, he was ordered assassinated by his own brother, or at the very least somebody else highly placed within the North Korean government. As far a dictatorial or royal lines go, fratricide is not a historically rare occurrence. But in the case of North Korea the murder of a member of the Kim dynasty is unprecedented and carries deep implications. Kim Jong-un has already condemned many government officials to death, one for a crime as trivial as slouching in their chair during a meeting, but he followed the policy of avoiding killing any blood relatives. His powerful uncle Jang Sun-Taek, who until his execution many people thought was the power behind the throne, was only an uncle through marriage. If a member of the dynasty fell out of favor they would simply be sent into a long unofficial exile at foreign postings or be left to dissolutely loaf around like Kim Jongnam in Macau. This reticence to kill family members can be traced to the foundational mythology of North
Korea’s leadership regime, which claims for the Kim Dynasty miraculous life stories and powers. For example, Kim Jong-il’s official biography states that as he was born on the top of the Korean Peninsula’s highest mountain, Mt. Baekdu, winter suddenly gave way to spring and a double rainbow formed in the sky to celebrate his birth. In reality, Kim Jong-il was born in Siberia. Basically, members of the Kim Dynasty are presented to their people as gods or god-like figures. If it trickles down to the common people, or at least circles within the lower ranks of the ruling classes, that the deity-like status of the Kims is just a mirage, it could imperil Kim Jong-un’s rule by removing one of his most substantial cultural protections. These cultural protections underpin and inform his rule.
“If followers of foreign policy want to adequately understand... North Korea should go, they should devote far more attention to... [its] evolving dynastic intrigues.” Whatever risk that Kim Jong-nam could have posed as an outside tool does not seem to equal the newly assumed risk. Furthermore, this assassination is reported to have irked China, whose security services were said to have placed Kim Jong-nam under their protection. The irrational killing of Kim Jong-nam is likely an external sign of a growing instability and erratic tendency within the North Korean government. Regimes act with reckless aggressiveness when they are at their most internally endangered. For example, the Argentinian Junta, facing domestic discontent, thought it would be a good idea to go to war with Britain over the Falkland
Islands. It was not a good idea. If North Korea is in such a state, what inadvisable course will it pursue? The past missile test was not an irrational act in the same category as the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. It falls neatly into a pattern of North Korean brinkmanship and bargaining with Western powers and China. North Korea is often shown as a crazed country, but it acts with supreme rationality in regard to its nuclear weapons program. Once it has developed more advanced nuclear weapons capabilities, what power would ever risk invading it or attempting to destroy it from within? Its precisely because the assassination of Kim Jong-nam does not fit into this otherwise rational narrative, that its implications are so frightful. Now, admittedly, the evidence connecting Kim Jong-un to the assassination is circumstantial. The chemical used to kill Kim Jong-nam, VX, is one that North Korea is reported to have acquired in large amounts, and numerous North Koreans are suspected in the ongoing investigation. But the person who ultimately gave the order could have been someone else. Kim Jong Nam had no shortage of enemies. It was rumored that he was extensively involved with money laundering. But that being said, the effect of his murder would be similar because although it would not be a fratricide it would still show the mundane mortality of the Kim dynasty. The fraught nature of this mortality is often neglected in popular discussions of North Korea’s leadership. If followers of foreign policy want to adequately understand where diplomatic responses to North Korea should go, they should devote far more attention to the evolving dynastic intrigues of the North Korean leadership than they have previously. Fear and responses to nuclear weapons cannot be separated from an adequate understanding of the people in control of them.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Page 9
Word on the street What do you like most about yourself? “I am laid back” — Alisa Vithoontien ’19
“My pineapple bun” — Amanda Su ’19
“I was Main Freshman Rep last year” — Jordan Buhmann ’19
“I laugh a lot” — Jaewon Kang ’20
“My personality” — May Venkat ’20
“I don’t know” — Nick Williams ’19
Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Michael Chung, Photographer
OPINIONS
Page 10
March 2, 2017
A cloudy look into the mind of my identity by AnnaRose Broome ’17
Broken wings of free spirited bird
“Blacks” what does this mean?
It looks up at the sky with remorse
An identity that is hurt by violence?
Wondering about its own identity
Where history and present time still only wonder?
Am I a bird anymore?
It is an identity
I can no longer fly
Some label as stupid, some label as unnecessary protest and violence
I feel gravity finally pulling me down
“Blacks” (I feel the weight of labels and therefore try to change)
A few weeks goes by
It is actually many years now since my downfall
Wings are repaired but there is fear
Cultural Border-crossing occurs (I just want to fit in)
Fear abides in the heart of a non flying bird
I’ve lost a part of me, who am I now?
I’m a chicken. I’m a penguin. Yet...
Border-crossing doesn’t allow me in
My chicken friends don’t understand me
It just leaves me lost. Neither white nor black enough (Is this even possible?)
My penguin friends say I’m not a penguin
I’m in space. Darkness and confusion rise until I shrink in silence
Who am I? Who am I?
A lost non flying bird roams the forest floor looking for home, never looking up to the sky. Is it denial or lost of memory?
Identity is an important tool in life. One cannot safely move without their identity as a guide. Identity flows and is never static My black identity is sacred and ever changing. It guides me Sometimes through paths that are unknown Yet, like all identities of myself, my black identity will always guide me. Do not be like the bird with no identity. Find your identity and watch it grow and change with time.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
March 2, 2017
OPINIONS
The Miscellany News Staff Editorial This week, the Editorial Board has dedicated these pages of the paper to make space for members of the Black community at Vassar who may have been affected by the recent hate speech incidents and wanted to respond with art, poetry and other creative expressions. Normally, in this space we publish an op-ed, co-authored by the Editorial Board, in which we discuss campus events or recent global and national news. Considering the hateful events of this past week, we felt responsible as a student-run newspaper to highlight student voices in processing the deeply-rooted racism on campus, but recognized that it would be inappropriate to take ownership of experiences that we as a predominantly white Editorial Board have not felt firsthand. By leaving the content of the pages based entirely on the submissions we received, we aim to stand in solidarity with Black students and vow to continue to offer a space for healing and processing.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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HUMOR & SATIRE
March 2, 2017
Breaking News From the desk of Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor After Moonlight’s historic win, everyone’s least favorite aunt took to Facebook to soliloquize her racist complaints Humor writer discusses how The Vassar Plague strikes much he loves Evelyn Frick again, with some fatalities Jaimeson Bukacek Frazier My Favorite Humor Writer
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do not want to write this article. I do not want to write this article so very badly that I am refusing to use contractions. I have no time to write this article. I had three midterms and a tech week last week, and now I am behind in homework for my classes. Evelyn Frick, Humor and Satire editor for The Miscellany News, has forced me into writing an article. She tried appealing to my “duty” as a “friend,” but that did not work so now she is standing behind me holding a Large Brick. She is threatening to fly to Wisconsin and drop it on my beloved dog, Guinness, who is very sick. If you see her after this is published please tell her that my writing was very good and funny and worthy of keeping my diseased pup alive another day, but not so good and funny and worthy of keeping my diseased pup alive another day that I should be allowed to write for The Miscellany News again. This is the best-case scenario. Okay, she’s peeking over my shoulder now to make sure that I am writing an article so here is a list to make it look like I am being productive. Here is a list of things I could be doing instead of writing this article: 1. My homework 2. Getting a good night’s sleep 3. Talking to my friends who are not Evelyn about things that are not why I am not writing my article for The Miscellany News right now 4. Looking outside of a window in The Bridge for Laboratory Sciences in silent contemplation 5. Watching my corporeal form dissipate in the moonlight as I don prison shackles to rattle around the mansions of the wealthy (my on-campus job is the Ghost of Christmas Past). Full confession: the Ghost of Christmas Past is not the one who has chains around his body. The chain boy is Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner. I figured nobody would know him by name so I slandered the Ghost of Christmas Past’s good name for the sake of this joke. Also I had to google “which Ghost of Christmas wears the chains” and the answer is none of
them, which was pretty embarrassing. Okay I can end the short list, she is gone now. She has stepped out to take her Large Brick on a walk as part of a psychological game to remind me of the power of Life and Death she holds over my sweet canine with chronic illness. She took her time to attach the leash and offer it water before she left, dragging the brick and scuffing the hardwood floors behind her. Truly, she is evil personified. While she is gone I will tell you a true fact about Evelyn. She is attracted to lizards. Well, Benedict Cumberbatch. Same thing. (Editor’s Note: Benedict Cumberbatch is beautiful and had I not foolishly agreed to keep your bedridden pupper safe from the Large Brick for another week this would mean His End.) Oh dear. I can hear the menacing sound of her size 16 heels clacking ever closer and also the equally menacing sound a brick being dragged outside. She must be coming back. The door is opening, dear reader. The door is opening and Evelyn is standing at the entrance. She is grinning at me. She smiles from the mouth but not from the eyes. (Another one of her faults is that since she cannot smile, she will never make it on to America’s Next Top Model.) Her dead eyes glare at me. She is not blinking. The Large Brick dangles from its leash, coiled around her outstretched hand. She begins to speak. Her lips do not move, but the room shakes at the sound of her voice. “The humor article,” she shrieks. I turn my computer, shaking. I blink and suddenly she is before me. Her eyes scan the document, counting the words. “700 words. The agreement has been met,” she says. Her smile stretches inhumanly far, like the Joker. Her eyes remain emotionless. “Your ailing pooch is safe another day.” A hole opens up in the ground. Flames spiral out and the room starts to spin. Something hits my temple, and I fall unconscious. I awake on Ballantine Field. The sun is setting and in the distance I can see a small, really quite tiny figure flying away on huge batwings. My dog and I are safe for another day.
Evelyn Frick
Deathly Ill Drama Queen
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ot to be overdramatic, dear readers, but I am dying. In lieu of flowers, please send cute puppies to my family, because I know that’s what they would’ve wanted. (And I would want that too.) What am I dying of, you ask? To be quite candid, I’m not sure. I’m not a doctor. And neither are the people over at Baldwin. All I know is that I have transformed into a sleepy snot monster with a weird half-fever and a tongue burned from drinking so much orange juice and tea. Because of these symptoms I think it’s only right to assume that the end is nigh. I leave a lot of people and possessions behind. Obviously I will dearly miss my parents, my sister and my dog. (Although if you do anything to change my room into a home fitness center I will haunt your asses so hard.) In my possessions, I leave behind a lot of art history readings I have not yet done, some half-dead cacti on my windowsill and a small pile of mucus-y tissues by my bed. All of these things I bequeath to my nemesis, Paul Rudd. I would like my ashes to be scattered inside the Thompson Memorial Library for my final resting place; as many a time during finals or midterms I assumed I would die of exhaustion inside that hallowed hall of books. I know what you’re thinking, dear reader, that this is just a cold. That I will be fine. And despite that all my cells are currently working against me and I’m wearing a dirty pair of sweatpants, you are probably correct! But currently, I think I have the right to wallow because being sick, especially away from home, is some absolute bullshit. In case you doubt me further, here is a list of things I did (or rather didn’t do) today whilst on my sick day: 1. Woke up at 10 AM Even if I weren’t sick, please don’t judge me. On Tuesdays I don’t have class until noon so I try to catch up on as much sleep as possible. Also fuck you, I’m sick.
Quiz: What should you do for Spring Break?
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
2. Made a meme I don’t think making a meme is related to the fact that I am sick, although perhaps it is. The mind is a funny thing. Anyway I made a tag yourself meme for my friend group and I think it was pretty funny. But only a few people liked it on Facebook, so I’m a little pissed about it to be honest. 3. Emailed my professor to say I wouldn’t be in class I thought I might be able to make it to class at 8 AM, but then went back to sleep and woke up again around 11:59ish, which is when I promptly decided I would not make it to my noon class. 4. Fell asleep until 1:15 PM Usually I spend my sick days watching Netflix or reading in bed, but today I didn’t have energy to even procrastinate on the homework I should’ve been working on. (That’s how you know you’re really sick.) 5. Canceled my therapy session at 1:30 PM To clarify, I canceled the therapy session at 1:30 and my therapy session was also at 1:30 PM. It seemed a bit counterintuitive to me to cancel my therapy session just to stay in bed, but I had a really good reason this time. I promise, Dr. LaMothe! 6. Got a package at the Post Office! The only redeeming thing about this day was that lingerie I ordered literally months ago finally decided to show up. Despite sweating profusely while trying to do anything slightly physical, I made myself go to the post office, try my lingerie on, take multiple selfies in the public bathroom mirror, dash inside a bathroom stall anytime someone came into the bathroom and post said selfies on Instagram. (I surely hope my Geography Professor isn’t one of my followers, because he might think I’m well... when I clearly am I not... cough cough...) (Just to clarify I am actually sick. Come see me, if you see me you would say, “Wow you look sick!” I was making a joke, because I am a jokester.) Anyway, writing this article is exhausting my frail body. I’m going to go take a nap.
By Talya Phelps and Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson, aspiring BuzzFeed editors
HUMOR & SATIRE
March 2, 2017
Page 13
Admin prove to be as illogical as students imagine they are Steven Park
Critiquing Admin Like It’s Cool
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fter the latest in a series of long meetings regarding the administration’s unsustainably bloated size, the Vassar administration has finally come to the hard-won consensus that the administration must be made bigger in order to solve this longstanding issue. This bold, new decision will serve as the daring first step toward what many consider to be “the wrong direction.” Yesterday, Vassar’s Interim President Jonathan Chenette explained the reasoning behind Vassar’s latest proposal during a VSA meeting. “We have given this issue much thought and deliberation over numerous meetings within the administration. After many hours of discussions amongst ourselves, we have come to the agreement that the administration needs more people to think of an effective solution. Only then will we be able to resolve the problem with the administration’s size in a completely sensible and judicious manner,” stated Chenette with utmost poise and grace when asked by a student reporter from The Miscellany News. When confronted by angry critics who called his explanation “a load of absolute hogwash,” Chenette patiently explained the specific justifications behind this decision with all the dignity of a noble statesman. “The administration understands that this issue has been a source of contention for both students and faculty for many years. We understand more than anybody else why the current size of the administration is such a problem at Vassar. That’s why we want to be as careful as possible when forming a plan of action for this highly sensitive topic. But the problem is that, for an issue this serious and controversial, we need more people in order to think of a proper solution. We want to be able to carry out a decision that will appeal to everyone, and we just lack the manpower for that sort of conclusive di-
alog in the administration’s current state. Please try to understand!” he pleaded. “What about the severe shortage of professors in several academic departments? What about the need for new equipment for student and faculty research? What about the fact that Raymond house is literally uninhabitable???” one student challenged. In response, Jon Chenette nodded solemnly in complete understanding. “Yes, I am well-aware with all those issues on Vassar’s campus and we at the administration completely understand your frustration,” he said. “However, we must take a step back and view everything in its entirety from a more overarching point of view. The administration is like the head of Vassar College and the academic facilities and the student dorms are like the limbs. We can’t rush blindly and focus all our energy on fixing an arm or a leg when it’s broken. We must be rational and take the time to make our head bigger so that it has enough room for new ideas. Only when our heads become huge will we be able to think of the most effective solution on how to handle those injuries. The bigger our heads become, the more that Vassar will benefit as a whole.” As everyone else puzzled over Jon Chenette’s big-head analogy, the vice president of the VSA asked the ever-composed guest speaker exactly what aspect of the administration will be expanded upon. “Oh, only the most necessary enhancements will be made during this renovation,” he answered. “Wait, did you say renovation–?” “The administration has also given this specific aspect of the proposal much thought and we have decided to dedicate an entire wing of the administration toward handling this issue regarding the administration’s overwhelming size to show everyone just how much we care about this issue. We will also hire an expert to serve as
HOROSCOPES ARIES
March 21 | April 19
TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
CANCER
June 21 | July 22
LEO
July 23 | August 22
VIRGO
August 23 | September 22
The world will be blooming and blossoming into new life very soon! I get the sense that you’ve been spending a lot of time inside studying and/ or crying. Take time to smell the flowers and walk outside! Sunset Lake, while toxic, is still beautiful during this time of year.
Even though bees are endangered doesn’t make them any less scary. If you’re allergic I would highly recommend carrying your epi-pen with you at all times and be alert. You never know when a bee might be coming your way. (I’ll leave it up to interpretation to whether or not this refers to real bees or animated Bee Movie bees…) Spring looks are coming in and I’m sure you’ll be able to rock all of them. Treat yourself and splurge on the newest clothes from all of your favorite stores. You work so hard and you deserve it!
Spring is a time for love! You never know it but you just might have someone special coming into your life! If you’re uninterested in relationships right now, absolutely no worries! Just delete Tinder or Friendsy ASAP and don’t be afraid to firmly tell people to leave you alone if necessary!
Spring Break is coming up and it looks like you don’t have any plans… tragic. That’s okay though! There’s nothing wrong with snuggling at home with your parents, siblings, pets, and a big bowl of ice cream. You’re pretty low-key anyway so that sounds fine!
March is here and you know what that means? St. Patrick’s Day!! Try not to get super wasted and keep your composure… Wait are you even Irish? Oh well, have fun.
Vassar’s Dean of Administration expansion, who will dedicate their time towards finding a potential solution and listening to all your grievances about the ridiculous number of deans at this college,” Chenette said. “This is some Catch-22 bullshit,” one student muttered under his breath. “I’m sorry Jon Chenette, but did you say renovation beforehand?” asked the VSA vice president for the second time. “Hmm? I don’t think so. I don’t recall ever saying that word. But if you want to speak about renovations, we can discuss about the administration’s plans on renovating the Main Building so that it better serves our students,” said Chenette. “Why?” asked The Miscellany News reporter. “Why what?” responded Chenette with innocence. “Why renovate Main Building? If anything, the first building that should be renovated is Raymond. Someone already stated earlier that it’s steadily becoming a hazard on campus thanks to its numerous rat and cockroach infestations,” stated The Miscellany News reporter. “Well you see, we asked our consultants about which parts of the college to renovate and they said that Vassar needs renovations all over campus. Main Building was one of those places, so we decided to start with the building with the most historical significance,” answered Chenette. “When you say Main, do you mean all of Main or just the Administration wing?” asked the vice president with a scrutinizing look. “Well, I hardly see the difference, seeing how they’re both at the same location.” responded Chenette with a dismissive yet elegant shake of his hand. “We’re getting off topic again! Have we made any progress at all about the fact that the administration is just getting bigger and bigger?” com-
plained one of the students loudly. “On the contrary. The administration plans to make huge strides in shrinking the administration,” stated Chenette. “You just said that the administration’s solution to its huge size was to make it even bigger,” said the student reporter bluntly. “Well, relatively speaking, the bigger the administration becomes, the more money the college spends. And the more money the college spends, the less money we will have in the college budget. But the less money that the college has in its budget, the less money that will be available for the college to spend towards the administration! In that sense, isn’t that already an effective first step towards curtailing the growth of the administration?” Chenette explained with a grin. With that, the town hall meeting dissolved into a loud mess of chaos and bickering. The ensuing disarray grew so out of control that the VSA had to adjourn the meeting early after having accomplished none of what it set out to do that day. Meanwhile, Interim President Jonathan Chenette whistled as he left, feeling pretty content with all the progress he and the administration made in just one meeting. A week later, the administration issued another announcement that further expansion of the administration was needed to adequately handle the administration’s uncontrollable growth, and a similar declaration was made the following week afterward. As this pattern continued, the administration swelled up to the point where the number of deans on campus outnumbered those of the dwindling students and faculty. By 2020, only the deans and other members of the administration could be found at Vassar. At this point, the administration issued a statement claiming that it had finally fixed the problem with the administration’s size like they had promised, since all the complaints had mysteriously vanished.
It’s March now! Spring is nearly here! Have some spring-themed horoscopes! —Evelyn Frick
LIBRA
September 23 | October 22
SCORPIO
October 23 | November 21
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 | December 21
Some bad luck might be coming your way… Try to rally around your friends for support and keep on pushing! The semester is nearly over.
You’ve been working so hard on your summer plans. Good for you! Your resume and cover letter really will stand on their own, but if you don’t get the position you want, it’s really their loss. Good luck, you’re a super star.
The weather is getting slightly warmer, exercising outside might be a nice change of pace. Campus could be really beautiful on an afternoon run and I’m sure you’ll make a lot of people envious.
December 22 | January 19
Midterms are coming up and you seem a little stressed. I won’t hazard a guess as to how you’ll do them, but as long as you keep level-headed and study, you’ll be fine. Go into your midterms with unshakeable confidence because you really have no need to worry.
AQUARIUS
Honestly you’re killing it right now. I have very little advice for you. Could you actually give me some advice. You’re doing such a good job right now.
CAPRICORN
January 20 | February 18
PISCES
February 19 | March 20
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Your birthday already has, or is coming up!! That’s so exciting. You really ought to plan a big bash for your special day. Or perhaps hint to your friends that you’d like a surprise party. Either way, it’s your season and you really should get down.
ARTS
Page 14
March 2, 2017
Contemporary artist reconstrues Middle Eastern history Meg Howell Reporter
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ing miniaturized works from “The Atlas Group.” The political nature of Raad’s work is neither retroactive nor static. The artist lives out the political nature of his work. He is a member of Gulf Labor, a real-life organization whose mission is to end the human rights abuses against predominantly South Asian workers in the ongoing construction of Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, a man-made island that will include a campus for New York University and outposts of the Louvre, the MoMA and the Guggenheim. As the lecture drew to a close, Raad explained why Gulf Labor refused to sell art to the island’s up-and-coming museums. “Without a collection, there’s no program,” he said. “Because [the museums] were starting from scratch, it was a real advantage, one of the few instances where artists, by withholding sales, can affect things.” For seven
years, the coalition, made up of over 120 artists, worked with Human Rights Watch to find builders, contractors and moderators who don’t rely on slave labor. After years of negotiations between artists, art curators and NGOs, the Guggenheim eventually had to temporarily halt construction after a price shock for petroleum slowed down the nation’s oil-dependent economy. Raad concluded the lecture with a brief Q&A session. Among the topics audience members brought up for discussion was the prevalence of fake news in the Trump Era. Reconciling how, similarly to critiqued news sources, his work obscures with authorial subjectivity, Raad said, “It’s on my mind. [...] But it’s not like we were ever going to say, ‘Oh yeah, the media had always been completely fair and unbiased.’ It’s visual media 101. [Media is] inter-media-tion.”
Courtesy of Max Ronnersjö via Wikimedia Commons
onceptual artist Walid Raad grew up in Lebanon, his home being his greatest artistic influence. It was the 1970s, and a civil war that would last for well over a decade was raging throughout the country. Occupation by Israeli and then Syrian forces, massacres, bombings, Cold War tensions—geopolitical turmoil had come to reshape Lebanese lifestyle into something more militant and uncertain. After escaping this bedlam for the United States in his late teens, Raad studied photography and Middle Eastern studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology and, later, postcolonial theory in a doctoral program at the University of Rochester (The New York Times, “Walid Raad’s Unreality Show Spins Middle Eastern History as Art,” 01.07.2016). On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Raad presented his works to the campus community in Taylor 203. Introducing the esteemed lecturer was Professor of Art Molly Nesbit, who compared his artistic framing of Lebanon’s bloody civil war to the historical paintings of Revolutionary French artists Jacques-Louis David and Eugène Delacroix. Raad talked mostly about his 2004 project, “The Atlas Group.” A series of carefully curated journals, videos and photographs that all grapple with Lebanese identity and the arbitrary binary of fact and fiction, the project is multimedia’s answer to the roman-à-clef. In the late ’90s, wanting to humanize the civil war, Raad devised a fictional story around the collection. While accruing pieces over the course of 15 years, he invented not only an owner but also a historical society, “The Atlas Group,” the project’s namesake of which he claims to be the activist that happens upon the documents after searching for answers to Lebanon’s past. The result upends the viewer’s perception of truth, pegging fictitious stories based on personal experience to news clippings of car bombs and unexploded bullet collections—real records of human slaughter. Esteban Uribe ’17, an English major and studio art correlate, attended both the lecture as well
as a preceding, invitation-only dinner with Raad. Speaking on his views of the artist, Uribe stated, “Mr. Raad’s artistic practice is exciting because it combines artifice and hyper-realism, medium and message; his works remind us that the conditions that we live in are bent, (re)created and (re)imagined by material and immaterial forces, political agendas and nature [...] Listening to Walid Raad reminded me that, at its best, art is a poignant and effective way of conveying political messages.” Raad’s career is extensive. His work has been displayed in museums worldwide, from MoMA in New York City to the Hamburger Bahnhof museum in Berlin, Germany. His accolades include the Alpert Award in Visual Arts, the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize and the Camera Austria Award. Like many figures of the art world, he is somewhat of a paradoxical eccentric, both introverted and energetic. An established photojournalist, he is nonetheless camera shy, and though a reclusive Professor of Arts at the Cooper Union University, he was a vivacious speaker, engaging audience members with the intricately conceived misadventures of the imaginary Dr. Fakhouri of “The Atlas Group.” Citing the journals, Raad read the descriptions Fakhouri “wrote” of his scholarly friends, whom the fictive historian would accompany to horse races in the 1960s. “Vicious, mindless and totalitarian,” read one cited entry, eliciting peals of laughter from the crowd. Scathingly political (“He always pointed fingers at an assortment of rogues, morons and neo-colonialists in an imaginary conspiracy of Jewish currency traders, who he says are bent on keeping his country poor and servile”) and poignant (“He was 71. But for six years he was in prison and for ten years he was under house arrest as an exile, so those 16 years should be reduced”), Fakhouri’s pithy one-liners were well received. Among the other subjects Raad brought up was his 2005 project, “Scratching on Things I Could Disavow: A History of Modern and Contemporary Art in the Arab World/Part I_Volume 1_Chapter 1,” which lent its name as the lecture’s title. Included in it was a miniature model of a museum contain-
Contemporary artist and Cooper Union professor Walid Raad visited last Wednesday to deliver a talk on his work, especially “The Atlas Group” and “Scratching on Things I Could Disavow.”
Live game show recording bridges science and comedy
Courtesy of You’re the Expert via CAAD
PODCAST continued from page 1 Janice will be tasked with guessing what it is that she does every day. Just so the audience knows beforehand, here is how Pokrywka described her work: “In the Biology Department, I teach intro biology, genetics, cell biology and 300-level courses on topics like stem cells. My research uses genetic techniques to try and understand cells, using Drosophilia (fruit flies) as a model organism. In the STS program, I teach a course on the bioethics of reproductive technologies and also a course on the interplay between culture, society and the recent prominence of genetic information on our lives.” The idea to pair Duffy’s comedic and informative platform with one of Vassar’s professors was born when Duffy—a former fifth-grade teacher—visited as a guest artist last spring in the Creative Arts Across Disciplines (CAAD)-sponsored course FILM 283: Producing Audio Narratives. As Assistant Professor of Film Shane Slattery-Quintanilla, who taught FILM 283, described: “[None of] the other potential guest artists...had much live radio experience, and no one had developed their own successful show from scratch, as Chris did, so he brought a useful new perspective. Plus I immediately loved the show itself—the way it playfully uses comedy to celebrate important academic research...is delightful and satisfying and very ‘liberal arts’ in the best sense of the term.” Following Duffy’s hugely popular visit, a discussion was sparked with Interdisciplinary Arts Coordinator for CAAD Tom Pacio to bring “You’re the Expert” to Vassar, which was met with enthusiasm on all sides. An event like this is right on par with CAAD’s ever-evolving lineup of events that showcase intellectual pursuits in creative and engaging platforms. “My impression of Vassar students,” Duffy wrote in an email, “is that they think about the world in creative, cross-disciplinary ways ... That kind of wide-ranging curiosity is what I think will make the show fun for Vassar students. Also, it’s really funny. I hear you have good senses of humor.” Slattery-Quintanilla agreed, stating, “In addition to just being very entertaining, I feel like the
Host Chris Duffy will lead comedians Josh Sharp, Gary Richardson and Obehi Janice through a series of question-and-answer games in order to guess a Vassar professor’s area of expertise. show also champions the kind of curiosity and intellectual engagement that we value here on campus.” The next order of business was choosing who to interview on the show. For this, CAAD turned to the Asprey Center for Collaborative Approaches to Science (ACCAS). ACCAS representative and Assistant Professor of Physics and Science, Technology and Society Jose Perillan helped conduct a campus-wide nomination to narrow down one “expert,” starting with a large student and faculty poll. The producers of “You’re the Expert” interviewed the top five candidates and chose Nancy Pokrywka. Perillan stated that in Science, Technology and Society, “We are constantly talking about the fact that science is a human practice...not just this abstract, cold, robotic, logical procedure ... [‘You’re the Expert’ takes science] down a notch, it brings it out of the ivory tower a little bit.” “[A]t the end of the day,” he continued, “it gets
people talking about science in a very different way than we normally engage with it. So just even coming at science from a new perspective can really cause people to stop and think a little bit, and that’s always good.” The fresh comedic perspective that “You’re the Expert” presents is in many ways uniquely suited to exploring the many sides of science, a discipline that from the outside can be viewed as scary or unwelcoming to the uninitiated. “Most people don’t want to feel dumb and it can be intimidating to ask the basic questions,” Duffy explained. “But comedians don’t care about being laughed at—in fact, they want to be laughed at—so when we talk to a nuclear physicist, they’re totally comfortable saying ‘What IS nuclear power?’ and also ‘What is physics? I zoned out during most of high school.’” “On a higher level,” he went on, “I think scientists are almost never given a platform to speak for themselves. It’s so rare to hear directly from
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
them about what they do. But comedy can bring people in and keep things accessible. We try to do for science and research what ‘The Daily Show’ or John Oliver do for the news.” Pokrywka, especially due to her work in the STS Program, appreciates the transparency and openness that the podcast fosters. “I believe scientists need to be in conversation with the public, and that science really needs to be de-mystified ... I think it’s important to be informed and to understand the ramifications of the technologies we adopt and how they are regulated.” What’s more, Pokrywka expressed, increasing specialization within scientific research has barred even other scientists from closely following each other’s work, so any attempts at providing a clarity of information and a dismissal of the esotericism of the field is a step in the right direction. Moreover, Perillan pointed out, “Science has a public relations problem ... That’s what we’re facing politically, is this backlash against science ... The march on Washington in April is really critical, and this [podcast] resonates with that message that science is human and we should really be thinking about what science is, and not this mythological image of how science is portrayed.” Pokrywka spoke to these sentiments as well, saying, “It’s hard to get interested in a subject that feels incomprehensible,” Pokrywka said. “I hope I can show that science is not an elitist pursuit, that scientific issues are worth thinking about and that we need multifaceted, multidisciplinary approaches to answer the questions raised by scientific work.” Free tickets are available now at the Vassar Creative Arts website for this special event, a testament to the distinctive and interdisciplinary ways this campus approaches academics and to the hard work of CAAD and our faculty in promoting this engaging kind of learning. “The biggest misconception about science and researchers that we address,” Duffy summed up, “is that they’re boring or don’t know what they’re talking about. Every episode of our show shines a spotlight on the passionate, eccentric, brilliant people who are improving all of our lives with their knowledge.”
March 2, 2017
ARTS
Page 15
Student theatre’s production teams push for inclusivity Matt Stein
Assistant Features Editor
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Courtesy of Madeline Zappala via Shiva Theater
ehind every great actor, there are even greater designers and a stage manager that miraculously gets it all done in time. Currently at Vassar, student theatre is facing a lack of designers and stage managers within the community. As a result, many of the staple members of theatre production have taken on numerous projects. While this may give them plenty of experience, it can also lead to students taking on too many projects because of the demand. Whitney Brady ’18 has been one of the main lighting designers in both student theatre and Drama Department productions during the last three years, in addition to being a sound designer. Brady commented on the disposition of a designer’s schedule: “I think I’ve always felt overworked when I’m involved in student theatre, but that almost seems to be the nature of the beast. One of the most important things that I’ve learned in my time is that we as a community need to be very aware of people being overworked and exhausted—it’s so, so easy to burn out and never want to be involved in a show again.” “In my experience,” she continued, “that’s one of the biggest contributors to production team and cast shortages. We’re all responsible as a community to take care of each other and encourage each other to not overcommit.” One of the underlying problems with this dilemma is the lack of attention given to these roles. Through their involvement with student theatre, members of the community have more knowledge of the process that a production undergoes. But the general Vassar students might not. Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson ’19 [Full disclosure: Varcoe-Wolfson is the Design Editor for The Miscellany News], who has stage managed one show and assistant stage managed two, commented on this campus-wide phenomenon. She stated, “Even though everyone involved in student theatre productions, but especially directors and stage managers, spend upwards of 10 hours a week on their production, they receive no academic compensation or recognition on campus. While I choose to do student theatre instead of department productions, the disconnect between our work and the recognition can be frustrating.” Elianna Scheide ’20 has taken on the roles of production manager, set designer, props designer and stage manager. Scheide will be stage managing Merely Players’ upcoming production of W. S. Gilbert’s “The Palace of Truth.” Addressing the recognition given to the production side, Scheide said, “I feel that it’s always an issue. People who know theatre know that’s incredibly important. People not in theatre tend not realize how vital it is to have good technicians and good directors and good managers. It is integral to the process that all parts of the production team and the cast work together, but it shouldn’t be obvious. If it goes well you shouldn’t know that there was ever an issue. That’s the joy of theatre, that all you see is on the stage.”
Another aspect to the dilemma regards how inexperienced students can get involved. For many freshmen, acting seems like a plentiful opportunity that they need little background for. But the myth that production roles are reserved for experienced designers is a lie. There are always ways to be involved with the student theatre community, and production roles are the most consistent. To promote the message of inclusivity and educate, the Vassar College Tech Conglomerate (VCTC) reaches out to productions to find what roles are needed on their teams. They also hold workshops every semester to train new members for production roles. VCTC has recently become a full organization with the VSA. The tech organization is also working with the recently formed Student Theatre Alliance (STA) to create further dialogue between the various theatre groups on campus. Lindsay Matheos ’19 has been primarily a stage manager for both student theatre and the Drama Department, as well as being production manager, lighting designer and set designer, as well as acting as the education director of VCTC. Regarding VCTC’s future plans, Matheos said, “We just got promoted to a full organization, which means we can have a budget now and start these educational initiatives. We have lots of ideas for that. One of the things we were just talking about was working with Stephen Jones and the Drama Department on design salons where we all meet and talk about design for an hour every Wednesday. So we’re having Tech office hours so that if you’re working on a show, you can come by and people from Tech Conglomerate can be there to help you through the process.” One of the student theatre organizations that is combating this issue and including new members is Merely Players. The group mission has been to act as a teaching organization, facilitating roles for newcomers to the student theatre community and creating opportunities for anyone to try a new production role with guidance. President of Merely Players Max Fine ’17 has been a sound designer, assistant director, stage manager, director, music director, production manager and an actor in his time at Vassar. Currently he is sound designing Merely Player’s upcoming production of “Dr. Faustus” and production managing “The Palace of Truth:” Fine signified the importance of the group’s mission, stating, “Merely is a teaching organization. Different people have different ideas of what that means. I would not be where I am now without Merely being a teaching organization. I’m aware of how Merely’s teaching mission gave me my start in student theatre at Vassar. Merely really wants to make sure that people who are interested in theatre, but may not be experienced, get opportunities to participate, both from acting and design sides.” Unlike student theatre, the Drama Department handles their production roles differently. In addition to allowing students to apply for positions, the department assigns actors that have been cast in shows to production roles. This opportunity can get a student interested in a new area of design and avoid a deficiency of
Pictured above is the Susan Stein Shiva Theater, the site of many Vassar student theatre shows, which face the challenge of overworked and underappreciated production teams. designers. A challenge within the Drama Department is creating courses that focus on these production roles. Some courses touch on these roles, but there is still no stage management class within the department. Leo Hilton ’19 has been one of the central lighting designers on campus, in addition to being a set designer, electrics operator, sound designer and master electricians work for the Drama Department. He is also the Equipment Manager and Treasurer for VCTC. “With the facilities and the funding the Department receives,” Hilton commented, “they do a fantastic job. Generally speaking, the Department is doing what they can. It’s not so much that the Department is the problem. It feels like a lack of understanding from the College administration that there is serious interest in theatre technology and design. That is something special about the Drama Department at Vassar. They treat designers as part of the team along with the director and actors and creators of the show on a more equal theatre-making model. I think the more that we can develop the design side of theatre-making, that’s just a plus for Vassar’s theatre education.” Many designers and managers also mentor their undergraduates by giving them assistant roles. This allows students to shadow the trained technicians through the most ideal setting: experience. Hilton spoke of the importance in giving new students opportunities in design roles: “I feel like I do a pretty good job at limiting my involvement. I feel overwhelmed by the requests I get for participation in shows. I try to do what I can to get good designers for shows.” Hilton elaborated on how he encourages directors to work with new designers: “Somebody asks me to be part of their proposal and I’m already signed on for two shows this semester. That’s already a lot of work. So I say, ‘Unfortunately, I’m fully committed but I have a bunch
of people who are first-time designers. Let me hook you up with one of them and I’d be more than glad to mentor them through the process if they have any questions.’” Varcoe-Wolfson spoke to her experience as an assistant-turned-stage manager. She stated, “Had it not been for my experience assistant stage managing as a freshman ‘Fly By Night,’ I would not have been able to take on the job of stage manager for ‘Grey Gardens: The Musical’ this year. Working under a seasoned stage manager gave me confidence in my abilities to manage a production on my own. I’m so appreciative of these mentors.” While there is always a surplus of production roles, the Vassar student theatre community is taking the initiative to spread a message of inclusivity and allow more students to explore the powerful and essential duty designers get to participate in. Communicating with the Vassar community at-large has always been a struggle but it is also something VCTC and the STA aims to resolve. Getting involved with the design elements of a show is an enriching experience. When someone attends a show, they may be able to take away a brilliant performance given by an actor. But when someone can notice the intricate lighting or the effects of an elaborate set, it only adds to a greater appreciation of theatre as an art. A masterpiece exists beyond a few features, instead relying on every element working off together. As a stage manager, Matheos pieces all the different roles in a production to form the final piece. She spoke of the unity each person has in the show, stating, “Everything should be collaborative. Student theatre can be hierarchical and everyone has set roles, but in the end, you’re all working towards this final goal. I just think you can’t have a show without performers. And I think to the same degree you can’t have a full show without design, and certainly not without management.”
Courtesy of Vassar Student Theater Tech Conglomerate
Courtesy Katie Scibelli via Merely Players
The Vassar College Tech Conglomerate is one group addressing student theatre concerns on campus, including reaching out to groups to see what roles they are lacking on their teams.
Merely Players, pictured above from their production of “Antony and Cleopatra” last semester, has made efforts to open production opportunities to people wanting to try out these roles.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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March 2, 2017
Belated ‘Office’ binge much needed during midterms Lucy Ellman Reporter
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Courtesy of Justiny8s on Flickr
ome crazy things happened this past week: “Moonlight” won Best Picture at the Oscars, I learned to stir-fry at the Deece oh and JIM AND PAM GOT ENGAGED! What a ride it’s been. You may be wondering why I am reviewing a television show that had its debut in 2005 and ended in 2013. I’m wondering that too, as I sit here consumed by midterms and the dread of finding spring break plans. “The Office” has become a sanctuary for me, where I can drown my sorrows in Jim and Pam’s heteronormatively beautiful love and Michael’s horrendously funny but terrible humor. As Netflix asks me if I’m still alive 10-episodes deep into a new season, I glance up to wonder the same thing. You may ask, why on earth did it take you so long to start this show? Obviously the answer is it’s way too mainstream for my tastes. I was much too busy watching other, lesser known works like “Gilmore Girls” or “Game of Thrones” to bother with a series so entrenched in popular culture. Truthfully, I, like so many others who are told by all of their friends, family and semi-acquaintances that a certain television show is a “must-see,” had my doubts. “Is it really that good?” I would ask. “I heard it gets bad at the end.” Like an emo eighth grader that screams at their mother that this isn’t a phase, I strived to continue being that person that had just never seen “The Office.” Eventually it just takes some wearing down and a good case of Netflix not adding anything new in days to make you finally click “watch first episode.” In case you didn’t know, “The Office” is really good. Like, really good. Better than I expected and then some. The show somehow manages to take a concept so seemingly boring and menial—office workers in a Pennsylvanian paper company—and turn it into something vibrant and joyous and utterly hilarious. Why would somebody want to watch a show
Cult Netflix show “The Office” is the perfect binge-watching show while you suffer through midterms and life regrets. Pictured here are the eternally happy Jim and Pam Halpert. that details minute activities that many Americans work during the day doing? Because it’s about those special relationships that are formed during those coffee breaks and the beautiful people that you may find to be sitting at the desk right next to yours (Jim and Pam, I see you). Watching Steve Carell have the time of his life riffing with Rainn Wilson or seeing Mindy Kaling go from a background character to one of the funniest people on the show has been a complete joy. I thought I would get tired of it, but every time John Krasinski stares into the camera I burst out laughing. Do yourself a favor and rewatch the scenes where he is in the background, preferably out of focus. Chances are you can just make out his smug eyes staring right back at you. (Aside: Is there a count some-
where of how many times Jim Halpert looks into the camera in all nine seasons? C’mon internet, help a girl out here.) As a massive fan of “Parks and Recreation,” I thought I had seen all that could be done with the mockumentary formula, but “The Office” takes it a step further. The series relishes in its genre, coming up with new and innovative ways to work within the style each episode. Unlike other comedy series in the fly-on-a-wall genre, the camera is a vital participant on the show, and some of the best jokes are ones inspired by camera/character mishaps. Of course, the show is by no means perfect. Some of the episodes are duds. I have a personal vendetta against Andy Bernard, who could never replace the impeccably terrible Michael Scott, and while Jim and Pam are adorable and perfect
for each other, they are one of the whitest, most heterosexual couples I have ever seen on television. As sitcoms go it’s basically healthy junk food, like choosing Chipotle over McDonald’s. But “The Office” is also the kind of show that I think we all need right now. At its core, it is a series about people finding the light in the messy parts of life. Like when Oscar offers Angela a place to stay after her gay senator husband announces his affair on live television, or when Jim makes Pam that video that had all of our hearts melting to pieces. Suffice to say, the next four years in politics will be, at the very least, messy. There are only so many times I can pick up my phone to read a CNN notification that the world is about to end before I start to officially lose it. As soon as I open up Google to search for supplies for my underground bunker I know it’s time to take a break, turn off my brain for 22 minutes and watch some amusing hijinks by Dwight Schrute, or see what disgustingly romantic Jim and Pam moments will be conjured up this week. “The Office” truly is in itself a form of comfort, and especially for a distraught, perpetually stressed college student. It is imperative that every citizen stay engaged, alert and angry about the state of our nation and the rise of hatred around the world. But sometimes we all need a little break. Whether that break for you is an episode of your favorite TV show, catching that award-winning film you’ve been meaning to see or grabbing a pint of Ben & Jerry’s from the retreat, be sure to give yourself the chance to breathe. Read a New York Times article about how Congress is gearing up to abolish The Affordable Care Act, and then wash it down with some nice Kurt Vonnegut. It’s going to be a long road ahead. (If you haven’t seen it go watch “Moonlight.” Stop reading this article right now and see it. Go. “The Office” came out 15 years ago why are you still here.) With that, dear reader. I bid you adieu, grab my pint of Ben & Jerry’s and click play on the next episode.
Breakout horror movie uses genre to explore racism Jimmy Christon Columnist
Get Out
Jordan Peele Blumhouse Productions
et Out” is the directorial debut of Jordan Peele, of “Key & Peele” fame. You might have heard that this multifaceted film is not actually a horror movie, and this isn’t entirely true. It isn’t so much a horror movie as it is an exercise in the uncanny. “Get Out” is the best sort of directorial debut: it’s idiosyncratic, it’s engaging and it’s one of the best in a series of great movies that have come out this month. I’m going to do my best to avoid spoilers with this review, but this review will inevitably fire off some spoilers in regards to the plot of the movie. They’re not movie-ruining, but they do allude to how the movie progresses. This is one of those movies that is really hard to talk about without giving away some details. This also one of those movies that is much, much better if you go in with only a vague idea of what’s about to happen. So if you’re interested in this movie, go see it instead of reading this review. First off, the good. I found the way this movie handles its depiction of race relations as a brilliant use of horror as a genre. “Get Out” really hits the nail on the head with how Black bodies are seen within liberal America. This isn’t a dry sort of depiction either; Peele uses the genre of horror to make this depiction as entertaining and imaginative as possible (this movie gets absolutely wild by the end of its runtime). The type of racism depicted in the film, and the message behind this depiction, is one that I found entirely relevant to the atmosphere on campus. Instead of the broad sort of racial prejudices that are so prevalent within movies about race, “Get Out” is more concerned with the aspects of racism that exist everywhere in America (and especially within liberal places such as Vassar’s campus). These sort of behaviors aren’t hidden in day-to-day experiences by any stretch
“ ‘Get Out’ gets its horror from its manifestation of these ugly aspects of society that are all too real and all too silent.” That’s as much as I feel comfortable saying about the spoilable stuff in this movie. So now I’m going to move on to aspects of the movie that are more removed from content. The performances across the board were fantastic. Bradley Whitford’s (who you might recog-
Courtesy of Kevin Edwards/Wikimedia Commons
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of the imagination, but they never seem to get discussed within the very circles where they happen the most. And this is why this movie is a horror movie. “Get Out” gets its horror from its manifestation of these ugly aspects of society that are all too real and all too silent. I loved this. This is something that only horror movies can do. It’s a sort of depiction that takes one aspect of our world and magnifies it until we can’t help but see just how scary and ugly they really are. Sure, the way this aspect gets depicted isn’t realistic, but what it is depicting is anything but. This isn’t to say that “Get Out” is terrifying like “The Witch” or “Alien,” or that it’s going to make you scared to be on your own in the dark—it’s not that type of horror. Instead, “Get Out” focuses on creating a deep feeling of uncanniness—that something isn’t right—and lets this feeling erupt into violence. This unsettling element is artfully executed, and I found it to be absolutely stellar. No, this movie isn’t a comedy, but the uncanny stuff that happens in this movie made me laugh, and that was Peele’s intent. But this sort of humor is just a way of our brains telling us that something is wrong, and this is the movie’s bread and butter. Developing this idea that things just aren’t right. Our initial reaction to things like this is to laugh at them, but as things get weirder, we start to panic more than we laugh.
Marking the directorial debut of Jordan Peele, of “Key & Peele” fame, “Get Out” transcends the norms of the horror genre by focusing on real-life issues such as racism. nize from “Cabin in the Woods”) Steve Jobs-esque dad was great at making me and the rest of the audience uncomfortable. Daniel Kaluuya as protagonist Chris was a solid anchor as the centerpoint of the film and brought the emotional depth that helps keep this movie anchored in reality. Oddly enough, the place where I found the most fault with the movie was where it was trying to be funny. These scenes involve Chris’ TSA-agent friend. Some, but not all, of this character’s jokes fell flat for me. For the jokes that land, they land gracefully and effectively. The jokes that don’t land well however, took me away from the other excellent parts of this film. I saw these as growing pains on Peele’s part; he’s trying to balance his comedic flair, something he developed with his noteworthy
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
work on “Key & Peele” and “MADtv,” with its more serious counterparts. But other than that, there really isn’t much else that I saw as being glaringly ineffective. There were some parts that I thought were a little problematic regarding one of the female characters, but the problem solved itself in a way that I found really cool within the confines of the plot. “Get Out” is one of those movies that I can tell will be a sort of yardstick that others will have to stack up against. This movie was one of the most refreshing experiences I’ve had at the theaters since last summer’s “The Nice Guys.” Not only this, but “Get Out” proves that horror is not only a genre with an unmeasurable amount of potential, but is a genre that can help us (or at least help me) see the world for all its craziness.
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Indie film artfully renders relationships Izzy Braham Columnist
20th Century Women
Mike Mills Annapurna Pictures
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f you are into cute indie movies, here’s a good one for you. “20th Century Women” is an endearing comedy and drama film set in 1970s Santa Barbara. The movie stars a lost but caring Dorothea Fields, played by Annette Bening. She tries to figure out how to raise her 15-year-old son who is just beginning to involve himself in ’70s teen culture. Having trouble connecting with her son Jamie, Dorothea employs the help of their feminist roommate Abbie and Jamie’s shy yet mysterious best friend Julie in influencing her son’s personal and social development. The movie is sentimental, sweet and left me in tears by the end. Written and directed by the director of “The Beginners,” Mike Mills, the movie was inspired by the indie director’s young life and his relationship with his single mother. Situated in a culturally rich and historically chaotic time in America, the movie explores a young boy’s development as influenced by both general ’70s culture and the women in his life. While it may appear that the story centers around a young boy, the movie really revolves around the women characters. Greta Gerwig, Annette Bening and Elle Fanning comprise the film’s dream cast. They depict thoughtful, quirky and tasteful women with complex inner lives and struggles. Each female character helps Jamie foster a specific awareness for important aspects of womanhood, from sex to dealing with emotions to friendship. I especially loved the Greta Gerwig character, Abbie, because she had this endearing, subtle sense of humor to her, a deep love for the Women’s Movement and the coolest pink hair. The movie is also extremely aesthetically
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charming. The house it is set at is a worn-down mansion filled with visually appealing ’70s furniture, lush, spilling plants and pastel-colored decor. The film’s beautiful cinematography bears a heavy resemblance to Mill’s other movie “The Beginners.” In fact, “20th Century Women” even has cinematic techniques that are identical to “The Beginners.” Both films feature quick montages of historical and cultural tidbits of the time periods they are set in, as well as brief clips that focus on one character’s life. These moments in the film are used as ways of fast-forwarding through time or to give the audience quick summations of a character’s personality. What I loved about the movie was its general essence. It definitely had some heavier themes embedded in it, but it dealt with them in a humorous, lighthearted way. Like many indie movies, it wasn’t extremely action-packed, but I wouldn’t call it lackluster—it was rather subtle, sweet and even poetic in some places. I think what gave it these qualities were the casual conversations the characters had with each other concerning their feelings, growing up and the nature of their relationships—things that are not always very concrete, but still very emotionally-charged and relatable. I also thought the affection the characters had for one another was one of the main reasons the movie was so heartwarming and beautiful, especially when this tenderness was expressed by the male characters. The eagerness of young Jamie to learn about feminism and be sensitive to his mother’s needs, or the other male character William’s enthrallment by the beauty and grace of all the women he had relationships with was heartening. It was something you don’t see every day in movies or television or life, for that matter—this genuine male sensitivity and concern for understanding a women’s perspective above asserting his own. In addition to the caring regard the characters had for one another, I also loved the film’s fashion and soundtrack. Elle Fanning’s corduroy pants and tiny wristwatch made me want to copy her
vintage style. The soundtrack was also beautiful—the movie had instrumental songs that added intensity, as well as a few casual dance scenes where the characters were blasting the Talking Heads or David Bowie. One of my criticisms of the movie centers around one of the defining features of Mills’ work—those fast-paced montages about the world or certain characters. Undoubtedly, these scenes added a lot of flavor to the movie, but I didn’t like the way they were conducted. Instead of having more deeply sentimental moments between characters, I felt that the director would simply throw in one of these narrated montages of the climate of the United States or what’s happening in the life of a character. I viewed this filmmaking strategy as a short-cut to provoke a response from the audience. Instead of having characters act out certain things the director wanted the audience to know about, he would more simply just tell us what was going on using these clips. While this aspect of the film did give it a bittersweet finality that made me tear up, I felt like the movie was more clear-cut because of it. It didn’t leave any room for interpretation of specific character dynamics or of the ending. Another aspect of the movie I thought was lacking was the diversity of the women portrayed. While there is no doubt that the characters were distinct individuals, I felt that it could have included more women of color or women with different sexual orientations, especially since the film was so broadly titled “20th Century Women.” “20th Century Women” was nominated for one Academy Award, best original screenplay. It was a cute, sweet movie, and I think that Annette Bening could have been nominated for best actress, but that overall it may not have had the depth to be nominated for other categories. I would recommend it to anyone who likes lighthearted, aesthetically-pleasing indie movies with fun, old-school soundtracks, or, more precisely, any Vassar student who subscribes to the ’70s mom jeans aesthetic.
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Excuse me, What are your spring break plans? “I’m going home” — Sharika Hasan ’19
“I’m going to Barcelona with the rugby team. We’re going to kick Spanish ass” — Oshana Reich ’19
“I’m going home and seeing shows in San Francisco” — Maya MoiseyevFoster ’20
[Trigger warning: body image and eating disorders.]
Thoughts from inside the MEAT section of a southeast side Walmart “I’m going to the city for a couple days” — Dakota Lee ’19
If only I was by design: extra lean, and grounded until all the fat was marbled into something pretty, marketable. What life would my legs know if they were as boneless and skinless as the chickens I eat— if we could package the parts I did not like, and sell them separately: both thighs Saran-wrapped and proud? I have to remind myself that while you can stare and prod and poke at this tender flesh, with unsavory compliments and sample sized promises, your rotten love could never afford me by the pound.
“I’m going to see Hamilton and Amelie” — Megan Jackson ’18
“I’m going on a road trip with Nina!” — Diana Henry ’20
By Kaitlin Prado ’19 It's National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and I think we all deserve a moment or two of body neutrality amidst the constant pressure to be positive. This week and always let's do our best to take care of ourselves, and to remember that our awareness must outlive this week.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Michael Chung, Photographer
SPORTS
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March 2, 2017
Vassar women’s tennis back(h)and better than ever Kelly Pushie
Guest Reporter
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in order to get a stronger start in future matches.” Nevertheless, Christensen knows the team can improve and looks forward to what is it store for Vassar this season. Collectively, the team attributes its recent success to the strong leadership of the senior class, Becker and Connie Yoo. Under Becker and Yoo, VC has developed a close-knit bond and team dynamic of support and accountability. Coach Campbell explained, “There is great respect among team members and we have done a lot of things to empower each team member and embrace her contributions. The senior captains, Shayna Becker and Connie Yoo, are great role models and quiet, yet very effective leaders.” Christensen added that the team captains are very supportive and push everyone to improve every day as well as get excited for matches.
Coach Campbell also pointed out that there is a sense of happiness radiating through the team. “Everyone is enjoying ‘the journey’ and that will help to guide us to continued improvement,” she stated Speaking to what is to come, Christensen believes the team’s hard work will pay off in the long run. Christensen, as well as the rest of the VC squad, look towards a winning season and taking home first in the Liberty League Championships in May. The Brewers are clearly ready for another great season and under the team’s strong leadership a winning season looks likely. Up next, VC will travel to Geneva, NY on Saturday, Mar. 4 to take on William Smith College before heading out to California to compete in a tournament over spring break.
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
he Vassar women’s tennis team is off to a strong 2-1 start as they begin their spring season. Securing wins against Muhlenberg College and RPI, the Brewers have only lost to Army, a Division I team. With a very solid team of talented returners and impressive freshmen, the Brewers will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Other teams in the Liberty League are taking note of their strength this year as well. Vassar was picked to finish second in the Liberty League pre-season poll, only falling a few points behind Skidmore College. This past weekend, the Brewers took on the RPI Engineers and, although they had a slow start, they were able to come out on top and secure their first Liberty League win. Some of the days most competitive matches came from the singles positions. No. 1 junior Kate Christensen knocked off RPI’s regionally ranked Allie Kallish as freshman Tara Edwards picked up a win against Tess Lubin. Edwards lost the first set, but was not deterred by the loss and fought back to win the second two sets in a close match. With some help from senior Shayna Becker at No. 2 singles spot and Flournoy and Christensen at the No. 2 doubles spot, Vassar ended up walking away with a convincing 7-2 win against the Engineers. Coach Kathy Campbell has been a staple in the women’s tennis team for years and has helped guide the Brewers to achieve countless accolades. In terms of this season, Coach Campbell has high hopes for the season. In terms of team goals, Coach Campbell hopes to create a well-rounded team which has a very diverse skill set. She explained, “[I coach] from a very ‘process-oriented’ approach. We talk about and guide ourselves based on how we can continue to improve daily much more than outcome goals.” Additional goals include: “high energy and work ethic in practice to push each other, composure in competition, continue to raise our fitness level, united team effort and accountability to the team, positive team dynamic [and a] united team effort
and [perseverance, resilience and confidence] in competition,” explained Coach Campbell. While VC has many long-term goals to work towards throughout the season, the team also has many immediate focuses. Coach Campbell noted, “We are devoting a lot of practice time to doubles tactics and point construction in general.” She continued, “Composure in competition (learning to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations) is an ongoing goal.” Although the team is always striving for improvement, the Brewers are pleased with their recent results. Specifically, they express excitement about the team’s overall fitness level, determination and hard work, especially during tough matches. The team also smiles upon its attitude, as each Brewer brings a positive attitude and love for the game to the court. Against RPI and Muhlenberd especially, the collective team effort was apparent. While Vassar is a very talented team as whole, the squad also has its share of standout performers, particularly Christensen. Christensen is one of the strongest singles players in the Liberty League. She has shown her prowess on the court since her rookie season, in which she earned Liberty League Rookie of the Year. Christensen has also been named Liberty League Singles Performer of the Week during the 2015-2016 season and All-Liberty League First Team Singles for two consecutive seasons. Continuing her success, she has 10 victories on the season and has been consistently strong at the No. 1 singles position and at the No. 2 doubles position. Christensen is very happy with the way the team performed this past weekend. She particularly pointed to the team’s grit and undying determination. Speaking of the match against the Engineers, Christensen noted, “Our play was reflected by the decisive win. Everyone fought really hard, especially in the second sets.” However, sharing Coach Campbell’s sentiments, Christensen acknowledges that the team has room for improvement. Specifically, she stated, “Our doubles could use a little improvement
Junior Kate Christensen holds the No. 1 spot on the women’s tennis team. The Brewers are shaping up to be well-rounded and poised to win the Liberty League Championship.
Squash waves goodbye to season after CSA championships Lindsay Wolk
Guest Reporter
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Prior to Nemphos’ match, the score was tied 4-4, and her game would decide whether the Brewers would win or lose the game. Despite only being a freshman, Vassar’s No. 4 rose to the challenge and beat her opponent in four sets with scores of 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6. Nemphos reflected, “Going into my last game, I found out we were tied 4-4, so I just tried to take a deep breath before every point and focus on playing my game, and not get in my head if I lost a point.” The 5-4 win against Bucknell proved to be historic as it tallied the 11th victory for VC, matching the program’s record for most wins in a season. The Brewers season culminated with a 3-6 loss against Connecticut College. Earlier in the season on Nov. 19 Vassar defeated Connecticut College by the same score. Nice rounded out the weekend with a perfect record after winning her third match of the tournament against Mawa Ballo 11-1, 11-7, 11-7. “For me, it’s all about being as present as possible. I work
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
his past weekend, after competing in the College Squash Association (CSA) Championships in Lawrenceville, NJ, the women’s squash team concluded its 2016-2017 season. At the championships, the Brewers went 1-2 as they faced Mount Holyoke College (2-7), Bucknell University (5-4) and Connecticut College (3-6). Interim Head Coach David Ames explained, “The CSA Nationals is open to any team that plays 10 matches against at least six different teams. It is broken down into groups of eight teams who play for rankings within that bracket. Vassar ended up No. 6 in our bracket.” Junior captain Hannah Nice [Full Disclosure: Nice is the Assistant Social Media Editor of The Miscellany News] added, “This weekend was jam-packed with squash, but in the best way possible. There are 39 different women’s teams playing over the course of three days, and each team is guaranteed three matches. The results of the tournament help determine the final national rankings of all of the teams. Thus, the stakes are a little higher and the energy at the courts is revved up a few notches, as compared to that of a typical tournament.” The weekend began with a late afternoon match against Mount Holyoke, a team that beat the Brewers 1-8 two weeks prior at the Seven Sisters Championships in South Hadley, MA. This time around, however, the Brewers chalked up one more win for a final score of 2-7 against the Lyons. Nice defeated Mount Holyoke’s No. 1 Brandy Williamson for the second time this season. Two weekends ago Nice was able to win in three sets, while this past weekend Williamson was able to hold her off for an extra set as the scores were 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6. Meanwhile, senior Diana Howland defeated her opponent Tanishka Sachidanand in the No. 7 spot with scores of 11-7, 11-8, 11-5. Freshmen Sydney Nemphos and Samantha Henderson took their opponents to four and five sets respectively, before ultimately taking the loss. Five other Brewers who competed against Mount Holyoke fell to their opponents in just three sets. Vassar’s most exciting match of the weekend
came against the Bucknell University Bison. The Brewers defeated Bucknell in a back-and-forth nail baiter with a final score of 5-4. Nice chalked up her second win as she defeated Bucknell’s No. 1 in three straight sets. Howland also had a repeat performance of the day before, winning her second match of the tournament, this time pulling out a win in the fifth set. Senior Isabelle Bertram, sophomore Julia Pollak and Nemphos rounded out Vassar’s wins in the match. Pollak, who represents Vassar’s ninth spot, cleanly swept her opponent in only three sets. Adding another victory, No. 3 Bertram defeated her opponent, Anna Hart, in five sets with scores of 5-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10. “Individually the best part about this weekend was playing some great squash. My favorite game was against the Bucknell opponent as it went to five games and really challenged the limits of my fitness and my ability to compete under pressure, and ultimately I was able to pull through and win the match,” reflected Bertram.
The College Squash Association (CSA) Championships signaled the end of the women’s squash season. The Brewers ended their season with a winning record of 11-6 overall.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
really hard at practice, but ultimately, if I’m not mentally ready to compete on a match day, all of my hard work could be thrown out the door. Thus, this weekend especially, I had to make sure I felt calm, yet confident, as I stepped onto the court, if I wanted to excel against my opponents,” Nice commented. Fittingly, for the top player on the team, Nice finished with the highest overall record, only dropping one match to her 15 wins. Bertram and Pilkington were also able to record wins against an improved Connecticut College team. After defeating her opponent, Bucknell’s No. 6 Jacqueline Chu, in four sets with scores of 116, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, Pilkington ended the season with the second highest overall record on the team. The freshman ended her rookie campaign with 13 wins and only four losses to her name. Bertram’s win was especially significant in that she ended her college squash career on a high note. In just three close sets, No. 3 Bertram knocked off Davis Lemay with scores of 11-9, 11-8, 11-7. Betram smiled upon the milestone stating, “The Conn College opponent was very tough, I was a bit nervous as it was the last squash game of my college career, but I stayed calm and played my game and ultimately beat her in 3 games.” Bertram’s senior year ended with an 11-6 record. Seniors Carly Scher and Howland rounded out their careers with final records of 9-8 and 12-4 respectively. Impressively, holding the No. 4 spot throughout the season, Nemphos chalked up 12 wins and only five losses in her freshman season. After multiple hard-fought battles, Coach Ames commented, “This weekend was a great experience. Emotions ran very high, but in the end all went well. Everyone on the team gave it their all and their play exceeded my expectations. They played with heart and integrity despite much controversy and strife from some of the opposing players.” Reflecting on his first season with Vassar squash, Coach Ames stated, “My position is as Interim Coach and I sincerely hope to be here next year. It has been a wonderful season, I could not ask for a better team. Everyone improved tremendously and I am very proud of all of my players.”
March 2, 2017
SPORTS
Page 19
Trans athletes succeed Sacking of Premier League despite restrictive policies manager misguided, early Mack Liederman Guest Columnist
O
n Feb. 25, a new champion of Texas girls’ high school wrestling stood on top of the highest podium. His name is Mack Beggs. Beggs is a 17-year-old transgender boy and a junior at Euless Trinity high school in Cypress, Texas. Much criticism has clouded Beggs’ championship win, as many believe the testosterone shots he has been taking for his transition gave him an unfair advantage over girls in the competition. The Beggs’ family has made it clear he would much rather be wrestling boys, but state athletic rules state that high schoolers can only compete with the sex assigned on their birth certificate. Beggs dominated his competition, beating Chelsea Sanchez in the girls’ 110 pound weight class to win the championship. Beggs reached the championship after two opponents forfeited. His final victory on the mat received mixed reactions from the crowd. This wrestling championship furthers a growing debate: Where do trans athletes fit in athletics? Is a trans woman at a biological advantage in competition against other women? Can a trans man compete against other men? These questions struggle to find a balance between personal gender rights and “fair competition.” Recent policy has seemed to favor the latter. The University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body for Texas high school wrestling, enacted the rule that prevented Beggs from competing with boys on Aug. 1, 2016 (University Interscholastic League, “UIL Statement Regarding 2017 Wrestling State Tournament,” 02.22.17). “Ninety-five percent of the school superintendents in Texas voted for the rule as it was proposed, which was to use birth certificates,” said UIL Deputy Director Jamey Harrison(ESPN, “Transgender boy Mack Beggs wins Texas state girl’s wrestling title,” 02.26.17). Texas is also considering a bill similar to North
Carolina’s HB2, which would prevent people from using a bathroom other than that of their sex assigned at birth. Last week, the Trump administration announced an end to federal protections that allowed transgender folks to use the bathroom based on personal identity. Policies like these can have a tremendous impact on athletics, as trans athletes will be unable to use locker rooms that identify with their gender. However, some progress has been made for trans inclusion in sports. Chris Mosier, who spoke at Vassar in November, is the first openly trans man to make a men’s national team. Mosier was a key player in changing the International Olympic Committee rules so that trans people can compete with their identifying gender without a sex change. In June 2016, Mosier became the first trans person to compete in a world championship race. The NCAA also revised its polices, which now allow trans men taking testosterone enhancement to compete with men and trans women taking testosterone suppression to compete with women. Although trans athletic inclusion has been debated and analyzed a lot closer recently, it is by no means a new issue. Back in 1975, Renee Richards was a tennis player who underwent sex reassignment surgery. Richards had a desire to be a professional women’s tennis player and was eventually allowed to compete after the New York Supreme Court ruled in her favor in 1977. Under much scrutiny and criticism for having an unfair advantage, Richards would go on to compete in the U.S. Open and be ranked as high as 20th in the world in women’s tennis. Caitlyn Jenner, who was once regarded by many as the greatest male athlete ever after winning an Olympic gold medal in the decathlon, revealed that she was a trans woman in April of 2015. As notability of trans athletes continues to grow, hopefully so will acceptance. Trans athletes are not changing genders to gain athletic advantages. It’s time everyone gains a fair chance to play.
Desmond Curran Guest Reporter
I
n 2016, one of the greatest miracles in sports was achieved. And no, it wasn’t the Chicago Cubs winning the world series, the Cavaliers coming back from a 3-1 deficit to the Warriors, or even the Patriots comeback in the Super Bowl. It was the Tigers of Leicester City, who won the British Premier League, overcoming odds of 5,000-to-1. Their rise can be attributed to a number of individuals. Jamie Vardy captured the most headlines, but so did Riyad Mahrez, Wes Morgan and N’golo Kante. The man who guided each of these stars to success, however, deserves most of the praise. That man is Claudio Ranieri. In one of my first columns last spring, I unapologetically predicted that Leicester would fail to win the Premier League. I believed that Ranieri would not be able to push his team to continue their success until the end of the season. I am happy to now admit that I was wrong. Despite his previous rates of success at other clubs, Ranieri pulled off an almost impossible achievement. Leicester City is stuck in an uncontrollable downward spin toward the bottom of the Premier League table, and they are only one point clear of the relegation zone, which means if they finish the season at that level, they will be relegated to the second tier of British soccer, called “The Championship.” Despite winning their group in the group stage of the Champions League, the most elite tournament in Europe, and suffering a respectable 2-1 loss to Spanish side Sevilla in the first leg of the elimination round, Ranieri has been given the axe. Outrage does not fully capture the common sentiments in the global soccer community upon hearing this news. Some of this is absolutely justified. Several players on the Leicester squad had become completely disillusioned with Ranieri. The phrase to best describe the situation is that Ranieri “lost the locker room.” He no longer had
the trust or the confidence of his players. He could no longer motivate them to go out and play the way that had made them champions. What factors could have led to this situation? Ranieri has certainly taken some of the blame, admitting that his coaching decisions have been poor this season in regards to tactical approaches to games, as well as player rotation. But what many believe to be the real root of Leicester’s performance this season are the inflated expectations set by the players and executive board of the club. Before 2016, Leicester was a completely mediocre club. They had just achieved promotion from the Championship at the end of the 2013-2014 season, and had finished No. 14 in the Premier League in 2014-2015. There were never any expectations of finishing in the top four, let alone winning. And then it happened. While the achievement is incredible, it is important to remember that Leicester’s success in 2016 was a fluke. Leicester could not hope to regularly compete at the top level. Perhaps the Executive Board thought otherwise. They could have expected Ranieri to be fighting for a top 10 finish, rather than fighting to escape relegation. And the players probably let their expectations grow beyond reality, in terms of success, or even financial gains in the form of contracts or sponsorships. At its best, this situation can be described as the players, and Ranieri, resting on their laurels. At this rate it may actually be more fitting for Ranieri’s legacy that his time at Leicester has ended in this manner. He will not be remembered as the man who failed so miserably to keep Leicester in the Premier League. Ranieri will be remembered as the manager who was cut off too soon, and that forces beyond his reach were the source of his demise. There is hope, though, that Ranieri will soon be able to repeat his successes. As he enters the market as a manager, it is likely that he will be picked up by another team, and given another chance at a miracle.
Lacrosse builds upon past success, appreciates freshmen ers who are working hard to crack the lineup.” In their season opener against the Rangers of Drew University, the freshmen showed their skill and ability to compete at the collegiate level. Freshman midfielder and face-off specialist Matthew Lowery from Bel Air, MD earned the Vassar Featured Athlete of the Week for his 10-4 faceoff record, as well as his one goal on one shot again, this past Saturday for the Brewers. He also scooped eight groundballs for the team in the same game. Meanwhile, freshman attacker Michael Mullen from Dresher, PA tabbed the first Liberty League Rookie of the Week honor for his memorable performance against Drew University. Mullen earned a total of four points off of two goals and two assists. He scored both the Brewers’ first and last goal of the game, earning the game-winning goal in just his first collegiate lacrosse game. The Brewers took home a victory in this first game against Drew University, narrowly winning 6-5. Although the Brewers led the game 6-1 in the first half of the game, the Rangers were able to find the back of the net and answer with three more goals of their own, almost tying up the game. Houston-Read joined Mullen in the offensive efforts, similarly earning four points on two goals and two assists. Lowery and sophomore attacker Drew Adams of Westwood, MA scored the team’s remaining two goals. Sophomore attacker Patrick Gibbons from Garden City, NY also earned himself one point from an assist to Houston-Read. Vassar beat out the Drew University Rangers in almost all team statistics. The Brewers not only had fewer personal turnovers on both the offensive and defensive ends, but also caused more turnovers for their opponents with strong work on the defensive end. They outshot their competitors 37-17, won 39-24 in groundballs and went 10-5 on the circle. Sophomore goalkeeper Matthew Boyd of Essex Fells, NJ took the win for the Brewers, making five saves over the first 30 minutes of the game. Junior goalie Erik Mikelinich from Dix Hills, NY continued Boyd’s impressive goaltending efforts,
making three saves during the second half. Although Vassar pulled out a win over their competitors, they are looking to improve their play as the season continues. “While a win is a win, we are not satisfied with our game against Drew,” DeStasio relayed. “Our defense played really well, only allowing five goals, but we know that our offense is much better than what we showed. Drew played a very strong game, but we can perform much better than the way we did on Saturday.” Despite their historic performance last season, the team is not content with their fifth place standing. The players are aiming to secure a spot in the Liberty League playoffs this season, which requires finishing in the top four spots of the league. With such a large, experienced group of returners as well as skillful newcomers, the Brewers believe they have what it takes to accomplish this goal, which would be an unprecedented achievement for the team.
“There is no question that our team goal is to make it to the playoffs in 2017,” conveyed Graham. “In 2016, we got close, and this year we want to take the next step. It is something that has never been done, and it will certainly not be easy, but our guys have been working hard and are determined to make it happen,” Graham asserted, echoing his embattled players’ sentiments. This season, the men will travel to Florida for training and games during their spring break period. There, the team will take on Wesleyan University at Lynn University in Boca Raton and Salve Regina at the University of Tampa in hopes of playing against aggressive competition before beginning their regular season. The first Liberty League game for the Brewers will take place on Mar. 25 against Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. The team will play their next game home against Oneonta on Mar. 1 at 7 p.m. on Gordon Field.
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
LACROSSE continued from page 1 for the rest of the guys. Overall, my goal is to get everyone to buy into our team’s system and our collective goals.” Returning midfielder sophomore James Thomas of Manhasset, NY, came out strong his freshman year for the Brewers. Thomas emerged as a tenacious scorer for the Brewers in his rookie season, ranking as the third leading scorer with 24 goals. His 12 assists earned him 36 total points, ranking him third place on the team in overall points as well. Thomas also contributed 18 groundballs to the Brewers’ total during the 2016 season. After snagging Liberty League Rookie of the Week four times throughout last season, Thomas was named Liberty League Rookie of the Year. Collecting even more accolades, Thomas also took home a Liberty League Second Team honor and Vassar College Male Rookie of the Year. “James is tenacious and the kind of player that does anything he can to help the team win,” Graham stated about the returner. “He has scored some impressive goals in our scrimmages so far and moves the ball well, which contributes largely to the success of our team offense. I expect more of the same from him in the 2017 season.” To continue his strong contribution to the team, Thomas has been working hard to improve. He explained, “I’m looking to work on the accuracy of my shot and also using both of my hands more in order to keep the defense guessing.” The team’s newest and largest class includes four attackers, seven midfielders and two defenders. They have pushed the team’s 24 returners to improve in positions all over the field. “All of the incoming freshmen are talented,” noted Graham. “They were each brought here to help add different skills sets to our program. We have a very talented group of attack men, each of whom has their own specialty. All of them could contribute to our scoring early and often.” Graham spoke highly of the integration of the freshmen into the team’s playing dynamic on the field: “Our young midfielders and face-off guys are all finding roles that help us everyday in practice, and we have a couple of young defend-
Sophomore James Thomas is a key part of the men’s lacrosse team. In 2016, Thomas won both Vassar College Male Rookie of the Year and Liberty League Rookie of the Year.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
SPORTS
Page 20
March 2, 2017
The sun is a’shining, spring teams’ wins are aligning Olivia O’Loughlin Sports Editor
Men’s Volleyball
Men’s Tennis
It was a shot by senior Alexander Luckmann that solidified the nail-biting 5-4 win over the University of Rochester on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Brewers found themselves in an early 0-4 deficit, but turned things around to recover and earn the win after strong singles play. VC had a bumpy start to their first conference game as they fell in all doubles matches. At No. 1, senior Nick Litsky and Luckmann fell 3-8 against their Yellowjackets opponents, Aaron Mevorach and Masaru Fujimaki. Up next, senior Juan Felipe Laso and freshman Dom Demeterfi were bested at No. 3 doubles 8-4. The closest doubles match was at No. 2; freshmen Jeremy Auh and Allen Sokolov battled back-and-forth and eventually forced a 7-7 tie. Nevertheless, Rochester pulled away with another win after scoring the eighth point. Sophomores Nick Zuczek and Jamie Anderson handedly won their match 8-1, but because it was an exhibition match, Vassar did not earn any points with the victory. At No. 5, Auh was unfortunately unable to turn things around in singles play as he fell 4-6, 5-7. However, this loss would spark momentum for VC as the team clinched the next five victories and their first conference win.
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
On Wednesday, Feb. 22, the Vassar men’s volleyball team had a chance of redemption against top-ranked Springfield College, who defeated the Brewers 3-0 a few weeks earlier. Unfortunately, history repeated itself and VC fell again 0-3. However, VC showed significant improvement, and finished two of the three sets with more points on the scoreboard than those played on Feb. 4. In fact, the Brewers finished in second set 23-25, making the Pride fight hard to earn the win. Junior Matt Knigge continued his strong season by posting nine kills, four blocks and an ace. Meanwhile, fellow junior Zechariah Lee added 21 assists, eight digs and a block as senior captain tallied seven digs and two assists. After losing 16-25 in the first set, VC came out with energy and earned a 5-3 lead in the second set. After Springfield climbed back to take a 10-7 lead, the Brewers kept fighting and with a 4-1 run, tied the game at 22 apiece. Following two more points from the Pride, a kill from freshman Yoni Auerbach pushed the score to 23-24. However, a Springfield termination allowed the team to run away with the second set of the night. After a tight battle, the Brewers lost some steam and were defeated 13-25 in the last set. Yet, the third set still involved three ties and two lead changes. With this loss, Vassar unfortunately ended its six-game winning streak. On Thursday, Feb. 23, VC regained momentum and defeated The Sage Colleges 3-0 with set scores of 25-13, 25-22, 25-18. This victory was highlighted by senior captain Trey Cimorelli, who earned his monumental 1000th dig of his collegiate career. Cimorelli is the second Brewer to ever earn this accolade in program history. Recent graduate Christian La Du was the first Brewer to reach this accomplishment. Although he only needed two to reach this benchmark, Cimorelli did not lighten up his
dominance and tallied 11 digs against the Gators. Continuing strong performances for the Burgundy and Gray, fellow senior captain Quinn Rutledge posted eight kills while Knigge added eight kills, five blocks and two aces. Sophomore George Diehl contributed seven kills, two blocks and two aces as senior captain Christian Lizana ended with six kills, six blocks and an ace. Looking towards more accomplishments, Knigge sits just four assisted blocks away from rewriting the Vassar record set in YEAR by graduate Matt Elgin ’13. After such a strong performance, the Brewers will practice for the next week before resuming play in a tri-match against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Juniata College on Saturday, Mar. 4 at home.
This week the men’s volleyball team competed against Springfield College and The Sage Colleges. The Brewers also witnessed the 1000th dig of senior captain Trey Cimorelli. Facing Fujimaki once more, Litsky was ready for revenge and ran away victorious at No. 1 singles with scores of 7-5, 6-2. At No. 3, Laso earned the second win as he bested Rochester’s Sam Leeman 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. The wins kept rolling in thanks to Anderson, who emerged victorious 7-5, 7-6 at No. 4. Sokolov tied the match as he secured a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot. With the teams tied with four points apiece, it was all down to the No. 6 singles match. Luckmann faced Yellowjackets Yifan Shen in three sets. After winning the first set 6-4, Luckmann experienced some difficulty and faltered 5-7 in the second. However, Luckmann answered with a 7-5 win of his own to earn the victory for the Brewers. With this win, the team moves to a 5-2 overall record and a 3-1 conference record. Up next, the team will travel to Ewing, NJ to face The College of New Jersey on Sunday, Mar. 5. Women’s Lacrosse
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
Men’s tennis faced the University of Rochester with key performances from seniors Alexander Luckmann, Nick Litsky, and Juan Felipe Laso. Their next match will be this Sunday.
The Vassar lacrosse team started its 2017 spring season with a home scrimmage against New Paltz on Saturday, Feb. 25. Due to its non-official manner, the teams faced off in two separate halves, setting the score to zero before each half. Nevertheless, the Brewers ended each period with an advantage, with respective scores of 7-5 and 7-1. Therefore, VC claimed the victory with an overall score of 14-6. Vassar started the day strong, earning a quick 3-0 lead. Senior captain Julia Trudell was the first to get on the scoreboards after maneuvering around the New Paltz goalkeeper to reach the back of the net. Shortly after, freshman midfielder Tessa Waters added another goal for the Brewers as she scored off of a free position. Minutes later, with another penalty shot, junior midfielder Olivia O’Loughlin tallied another goal to round out VC’s early run. However, the Hawks quickly answered with two goals to shorten the margin to one. Up next, sophomore midfielder Fiona Ma-
cLeod tallied another one for the Burgundy and Gray, with the assist coming from sophomore attacker Lindsay Wolk. The team then earned another three-goal lead as freshman Kelly Pushie tossed the ball to Trudell for her second goal. Continuing the back-and-forth nature of the scrimmage, New Paltz scored twice more to narrow the score to 5-4. One of the Hawk’s goals resulted from a free position due to a Vassar foul. The teams then went goal-for-goal as senior captain Brittany Botticelli launched the ball in the net, followed by another Hawk goal. Freshman midfielder Adele MacEwen wrapped up the scoring efforts for the half as she scored Vassar’s third free position of the afternoon. With MacEwen’s contribution, the teams finished the first half with Vassar up 7-5. With an blank slate and scoreboard, the Brewers entered the second half ready to assert more dominance. Quickly into the first half, senior attacker Phoebe Hankins scored to lifted Vassar to a 1-0 lead. The next goal would come after an impressive save from junior goalkeeper Emily Chancey. After saving a New Paltz shot, Chancey launched the ball down the field, where it eventually found MacLeod. After this speedy transition, MacLeod contributed her second goal against the Hawks. Junior attacker Storm Sideleau then scored an impressive left-handed shot to give Vassar another 3-0 lead. However, New Paltz then scored its lone goal of the half to make the score 3-1. Following a second goal from Waters, MacLeod scored off of a free position to earn a hattrick. Sideleau then earned her second goal with a behind-the-goal assist from sophomore attacker Gabi Patick. Joining the two-goal club against the Hawks, Botticelli scored the final goal of the contest. In the scrimmage, both Chancey and sophomore Kristin Caolo found home in the Vassar net. Caolo served as goalie in the first half as Chancey took the field during the second period. As Chancey tallied six back-to-back saves to start the second half, the goalies collectively finished with a save percentage of 53 percent.
Weekend Scoreboard WOMEN’S LACROSSE VASSAR
14
VS
MEN’S TENNIS
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
NEW PALTZ
VASSAR
6
0
VS
SPRINGFIELD
3
VASSAR
VS
5
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
MEN’S LACROSSE
ROCHESTER
VASSAR
4
6
VS
DREW
5