Misc4 21 16

The Miscellany News

Volume CXLVIII | Issue 19

April 21, 2016

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

VSA backs Headliner EMPD to kick off Throwback Jam statement “T of inclusion Alan Hagins

Assistant Features Editor

Eilis Donohue News Editor

S

courtesy of Joseph Weiman

eeking to affirm the College’s commitment to building and maintaining a diverse community, the VSA passed a new diversity statement at the council meeting on April 13. The hope is that by next academic year the statement will be approved by all necessary bodies–the VSA, faculty, administration and the Board of Trustees. After approval from all parties, it will be put in place as Vassar’s public declaration of its commitment to fostering and supporting a diverse community.

A subcommittee of the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (CIE), led by subcommittee Chair and Professor of Physics David Bradley, has been drafting a diversity statement for the past two years. The statement is to accompany the College’s mission statement in online and print locations. The process began by examining diversity statements from peer institutions. The subcommittee then presented an early draft to the VSA executive board, and later to the entire school in March. They welcomed feedback via a phone hotline and an online forum. The most recent draft has incorporated as many of those comments as possible.

If the current trajectory continues, See DIVERSITY on page 3

hey are straight out of the golden age of hip hop, New York City, you know, real oldies,” co-president of Hip Hop 101 Elijah McDonnaugh ’16 said, talking about this year’s headliner for Throwback Jam. The yearly event brings Vassar and the Poughkeepsie community together to celebrate the roots of hip hop. The headliner McDonnaugh mentioned, EPMD (an acronym for “Erick and Parrish Making Dollars”), is on tour for the 20th anniversary of their best-selling album, “Strictly Business,” and will collaborate not just with rapper Kari Faux, but also with live-graffiti artists, a B-boy group followed by student performers, two DJ sets and Vassar’s own MC and grill-chef, TC Weaver this Saturday for a six-hour hip hop extravaganza on the residential quad.

In years past, the organization has brought artists like Talib Kwali, Raw See JAMS on page 7

EMPD will headline the annual Throwback Jam, hosted by Hip Hop 101. The event will connect Vassar students and the surrounding community in a celebration of hip hop. Throwback Jam will happen Saturday, April 23 on the Quad.

Students find comfort among the familiar Kaitlynn Vo and Alan Hagins

Reporter amd Assistant Features Editor

C

ontested as it might be, it’s inevitable for university students nationwide to have a hankering for home. At some point or another, in that interstitial space occurring before true comfort on campus and complete cognizance of social, academic and personal independence, students undeniably hope for the comforts of home-cooked meals, mu-

sic and culture. That’s why the Office of International Services (OIS) is sponsoring the event, Around the World Asia (ATW: Asia), a single stop in a series of featured regions of the world.

It can be hard to be away from the familiar and immersed in something that’s not, no matter how much we remind ourselves of the virtues of free play and discovery. Of all the demographics represented on cam-

pus, the one for which this assertion might most acutely resonate is probably the international students, who are usually the most geographically and culturally dislocated from their homes.

Fortunately, the Office of International Services has plenty of practice with the wide-eyed, wonder-filled class of new students. For faculty and students involved in the organization alike, this whole predicament

Alumna returns for cafe concert

Women Ruggers win Beast of East

Noah Purdy

Guest Reporter

“H

Annie Hsu Reporter

“R

courtesy of Phoebe Legere

ow many people can say they know a composer, steward of the environment, musician, poet, playwright, lecturer, champion for underserved children, artist and inventor, and oh, yes, they are all one person?

That’s Phoebe Legere,” wrote her best friend and business partner Susan Rakowski ’76.

She encapsulated the self-styled “transmedia” artist Phoebe Legere ’77/’81, who returned near her alma mater on Saturday, April 16, 2016, to play a show with her Bon Appétit Band at the Rosendale Cafe in Rosendale, NY. Among her many talents and accomplishments, Legere plays seven instruments, has sung at Lincoln Center, wrote three musicals (with a fourth one on the way), conducted the New York Film Orchestra and opened for David Bowie and sang with Joni Mitchell. She rode through the Rockies on Beat journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s motorcycle, sang with a village shaman atop a sacred Buddhist mountain on a National Geographic expedition in Tibet, helped invent both an eagle-topped and pedal-powered six-person bicycle made of reclaimed metal called the Shamancycle and shoes for disabled children that play music called Sneakers of SamoSee CONCERT on page 16

On April 16, 2016 Phoebe Legere ’77/’81 gave a concert in a Rosendale, NY cafe.

Legere is a multimedia artist currently performing with her Bon Appétit Band.

Inside this issue

8

FOOD

Choose between a deece stir fry or hummus dip

15 ARTS

Hark! Shakespeare comes to campus in festival form

makes sense and they have worked to provide a home away from home with ATW: Asia, an event which offers cultural cuisine and conversation for Vassar students.

Students must align to strict study schedules and are only encouraged to depart campus during breaks. This requires immense travel coordination between planes, cars, trains, the gambit, as well as an endSee ASIA on page 6

ugby is a sport that celebrates differences–in size, speed, strength–and gives everyone a place where they can give their all. Rugby brings out strength in people that they never knew they had. Whatever ‘strength’ means or looks like to you, that’s beautiful.” -Junior Elizabeth Bennet This past weekend the Vassar men’s and women’s rugby teams traveled to Middletown, RI to compete in the Beast of the East Tournament. The women came back with an incredible win as the champions of the Division II bracket. Both brackets consisted of 18 different schools from throughout the Northeast. The spring season holds a more developmental focus in that it is a time to start preparing for the competition in the fall. This results in giving some newer members more playing time while letting seniors take a step back and get some much needed rest.

Coach Tony Brown had confidence in his teams going into the tournament, fully expecting the women to win their division. Senior women’s captain Darienne Jones explained, “Our team has grown in size and spirit this year. Physicality is a crucial component of the game but it manifests itself mentally

18

even more so. This year my team really stepped up and I expect that sentiment to last.” Additionally Coach Brown added, “The incredible squad spirit is wonderful to see but what makes me most proud is that the teams play with such great pride and represent the college well. Both the men and women play fair and even when things don’t go their way they respond well and are a credit to Vassar College.”

A small hiccup came when senior captain Cierra Thomas broke her fibula in the quarterfinals against Springfield, however the team was quick to fill in the gap and go on winning. “My left fibula is broken along with a torn deltoid ligament. I’ll probably need surgery and I’m definitely out for the rest of the season, but it was a good one. I’m proud of myself and what I accomplished. I don’t have any regrets,” recounted Thomas. “When [Cierra] left the field, we all resolved to win the rest of the tournament for her. I love that. I love how much we care about one another,” said senior co-captain Taylor Nunley.

An advantage the Brewers have is the strategy that comes with experienced Coach Brown. “On the field we are extremely organized and do not play blindly. This is what helps keep See RUGBY on page 18

Track and Field returns to Silfen SPORTS Invitational

The Miscellany News

Page 2

April 21, 2016

The Miscellany News is electing its new Editorial Board for Fall 2016!

Apply at miscellanynews.org by April 24 at midnight.

Positions available for News, Features, Opinions, Humor & Satire, Arts, Sports, Design, Online, Social Media, Copy, and Photo Editors.

Anybody can apply to be an editor for The Miscellany News.

Have questions? Email Misc@vassar.edu!

The Miscellany News 21

April

Thursday

Late Night at the Loeb 5:00pm | Loeb | Art

Performance: Daniel Chavez 5;00pm | Villard Room | CAAD

Lecture: Andrew Wallace

5:30pm | Taylor 203 | GRST Dept.

Team Right vs. Team Left 6:00pm | Rocky 300 | VCLU

Weekender_ 22

April

Friday

Meet Me in Poughkeepsie

12:00pm | Main Lobby | Traditions Committee

Lacrosse (W) vs. RIT

4:00pm | Prentiss Field | Athletics

Senior Project: The Water Lords 7:30pm | Blodgett Aud. | ENST Dept.

Sleeping Beauty

Fly by Night

Worship Acoustics: The Sound of the Sacred

The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour

7:00m | Shiva | Dance

8:00pm | Chapel | Physics Dept.

Screening: Just Eat It

8:30pm | Taylor 203 | Slow Food

No-ViCE/ViCE Student Music 9:00pm | Mug | ViCE

Fly by Night

10:00pm | Rocky 200 | FWA

8:00pm | Rocky 200 | FWA

8:00pm | Taylor 102 | Davison

Cookie Decoration

7:00pm | CCMPR | Jewett

Pink Noises

9:00pm | Mug | ViCE

23

April

Saturday

24 April

Sunday

Rugby (W) Tri-State Collegiate Rugby Sevens Championships

Rugby (W) Tri-State Collegiate Rugby Sevens Championships

Record Fair

Spring 5K

9:00am | Rugby Field | Athletics

10:00am | College Center | WVKR

Lacrosse (W) vs. RIT

12:00pm | Prentiss Field | Athletics

Throwback Jam

12:00pm | Quad | Hip Hop 101

Baseball (M) vs. RIT

1:00pm | Prentiss Field | Athletics

Senior recital: Sarah Johnson, organ 1:30pm | Recital Hall | Music

9:00am | Rugby Field | Athletics 10:30am | Library Lawn | RunVassar

Shakespeare Festival

12:00pm | Shakespeare Garden | Merely Players

Holi

1:00pm | Quad | SASA

VSA Council

7:00pm | NE 206 | VSA

Paper Critique

9:00pm | Rose Parlor | The Misc

Magadalen Hsu-Li

Editors-in-Chief Palak Patel Noble Ingram

Senior Editors Anika Lanser Rhys Johnson

News Eilis Donohue Opinions Nick Barone Emma Jones Humor & Satire Zander Bashaw Arts Connor McIlwain Sports Zach Rippe Photography Sam Pianello Design Sarah Dolan Online Kelsey Quinn Copy Jackson Ingram

Crossword Editors Alycia Beattie York Chen Collin KnoppSchwyn Assistant Features Julia Cunningham Alan Hagins Assistant Arts Matt Stein Patrick Tanella Assistant Design Talya Phelps Charlotte VarcoeWolfson Assistant Copy Claire Baker Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice Web Master Andy Carrera Reporters Amreen Bhasin Ashley Hoyle Jeremy Middleman Sieu Nguyen Sabrina Oh Elena Schultz Clark Xu Columnists Jimmy Christon Jillian Elkin Saachi Jain Evelyn Frick Steven Park Penina Remler Josh Sherman Jesse Horowitz Photographers Alec Ferretti Ashley Pecorelli Design Christa Haryanto Klara Kaufman Scarlett Neuberger Samana Shrestha Copy Gabriela Calderon Sophie Deixel Noah Purdy Sophie Slater Laila Volpe Rebecca Weir Laura Wigginton

1:30pm | Villard Room | ASA

Fly by Night

2:00pm | Rocky 200 | FWA

Senior recital: Asia Howard, soprano 4:00pm | Recital Hall | Music

Fly by Night

8:00pm | Rocky 200 | FWA

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

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

accept misrepan arprinted.

April 21, 2016

NEWS

Spatial research expands Jewish studies Shelia Hu

Guest Reporter

O

n Thursday, April 14, the Jewish Studies Program invited Barbara Mann to lecture on the significance of space in Jewish culture.

Mann is an Associate Professor of Jewish Literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and is currently working as a guest lecturer here at Vassar for this semester. She is the author of “Space and Place in Jewish Studies,” “A Place in History: Modernism” and “The Creation of Jewish Urban Space,” among many other literary works.

Fishman’s work focuses on utilizing new research methods to delve deeper into spatial studies in order to expand the field of Jewish Studies. Her lecture, titled “Makom: The Place of Space in Jewish Cultures,” examined how

spatial practices play a role in historical and contemporary Jewish culture and communities. She expanded upon the common idea of the historical “placelessness” of Jews and how they have used their displacement and strong religious beliefs as a way to form community ties around the world. Mann also spoke about creating safe space. She commented, “[It’s] not so much physical geography but more about language and practice.” In her opinion, space can only be claimed to be important for a group of people if there exists specific elements that have cultural significance.

In her book “Space and Place in Jewish Studies,” Fishman explains that Jewish experiences can be lived through in a multitude of places.

She writes, “What makes each of these places potentially ‘Jewish’ is also what constitutes

Eilis Donohue/The Miscellany News

On April 14, Professor of Jewish Literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary Barbara Mann Fishman spoke at Vassar about her research in the field of spatial studies for Jewish culture.

them as places–memory, history and ritual” (Fishman 2012).

She contends that spatial significance depends on subjective experiences and the impact of one particular space will change between individuals and over time. New approaches to the concepts of space and place are allowing for a broader conceptualization of what it is to be Jewish. Henry Rosen ’17 corroborated in an emailed statement, “I think [Mann] was commenting on the ways in which various Jewish communities in disparate spaces across time have—by way of ritual artifacts and practices, literature, and legal discourses— conceptualized and defined space and place.”

In her lecture Mann drew on specific examples of places that Jewish people made their own in the past, connecting current experiences with the historical legacy of identifying with space. This idea contrasts with the common misconception that Jewish people are “placeless.” “[S]he discussed the mythology surrounding the Yiddish place name for contemporary Poland, Poyln (in Hebrew Po Lin means ‘Rest here’). Her example illustrated one way in which Polish Jews marked space as place retroactively by way of a pre-existing interpretive frame, namely the Rabbinic textual tradition,” explained Rosen. “By making myths that read significance into past encounters with space, Polish Jews (and according to Professor Mann, Jews in other times and spaces as well) defined for themselves a sense of place and rootedness, contrary to the idea that ‘placelessness’ historically characterized Jews.”

He added, “As a Jewish studies major, I find Professor Mann’s work on theories of space interesting in that it provides frameworks relevant to a broad array of fields and topics, from diaspora to urbanism to visual arts. I came away thinking about Jewish participation in the reconceptualization of social space in the early Soviet Union and more broadly about how Jews historically, in various places, understood and approached social space.”

Diversity pledge awaits faculty approval DIVERSITY continued from page 1 the Board of Trustees will review the statement at their meeting in May, one of their three yearly meetings. They will likely make edits, return the statement to the subcommittee and receive the second draft for a vote early next academic term. “The Board is the governing body for the institution, so they have to think about the statement from their perspective,” Bradley conceded.

He explained that the statement will have to be in accordance with their legal limitations and not interfere with the Board’s capacity to govern the college in order for it to pass. He recognized the challenge that the Board will face in maintaining its integrity as a governing body while satisfying the call of the community for a strong statement. “Let’s say I had a written a statement that said, ‘Vassar College must always have need-blind admissions.’

They would never accept that because they can’t guarantee that,” Bradley explained.

The faculty may also make changes to the document, despite having had the opportunity to participate in revisions in March. Chair of Academics elect JD Nichols ’17 explained, “[P] art of it is because they’re more comfortable exercising power over the things that they do have power over, and less inclined to just be handed a document and be told, ‘Endorse this without any changes.’”

After all of the rounds of revisions to the statement, its creators are satisfied with the current version and believe the constituencies should be too. “Personally, I feel like we worked really hard on this statement and it does what we want it to do and it balances those perspectives,” Bradley maintained. “I know that the committee is happy with where the statement is, so I don’t think that we would want the statement to move very far from where it is.”

While the hope is that the statement will be approved quickly and without major changes, it is difficult to foresee the fate of the statement as it passes through each group for approval. Each constituency has its own goals for such a statement and its own conception of

what a diverse campus ought to look like. VP for Student Life and subcommittee member Christopher Brown ’16 remarked, “I genuinely believe all the groups that we’re trying to pass this through want a diverse community, but just given the nature of positions and places on campus, the students are going to want something different from this than the faculty will want and both the faculty and the students will want something [different] from this than the Trustees want.”

The diversity statement will remain separate from the mission statement, according to Bradley, in part because the inclusion of such a complicated statement would further elongate an already lengthy original mission statement.

The previous version of the statement was too long to be practical and there were too many specifics about diversity to be included.

The general consensus is that the separation but complementary pairing of the statements is ideal for communicating what is necessary for each. Brown affirmed, “[T]here’s a lot of power in creating a separate statement that explicitly states our stance on diversity, because I think it’s extremely important given that we’re an institution where so many people of so many identities are part of this community, and it’s important that we acknowledge that within that there are inequalities, within that there is unfairness and we need to have something to combat that, in a philosophical sense.”

The nature of a statement on diversity is that the language is very difficult to choose; it must be precise and carefully phrased in order to incorporate as many perspectives and issues as possible without offending any group. Bradley acknowledged this difficulty, saying, “The process of writing this language is really difficult because you’re essentially writing a paragraph and that paragraph needs to say a lot of things, and it needs to do a good job of encapsulating a lot of different perspectives while at the same time not letting one perspective dominate.”

The subcommittee has listened to feedback about the language and taken into account the objections, writing several drafts of the document to ensure it sends the message they want

it to. “[A] lot of what we’ve been doing is really trying to choose precise, strong language that encompasses as much as we can from all the different constituencies,” affirmed Brown.

However, the language in the current draft is not satisfactory to all, a dilemma which is to be expected when there are so many groups and identities who ought to be included but perhaps are not. For example, the new statement does not make mention of specific identity groups. Nichols observed, “They dealt with that problem by taking out all of the specifics and couching it in very vague language, talking about ‘people from historically underrepresented and disadvantaged groups’ rather than actually talking about the legacies of slavery, of colonialism, that Vassar has benefited from.”

They explained, “Even though it’s impossible to get the level of comprehension that would be necessary, I think it’s essential for institutions to at least start being specific with what they’re talking about, being specific about the roles they themselves have played in the oppression and marginalization of these groups.”

While it is understandable that for the sake of clarity and brevity these omissions would be made, it does not feel sufficiently inclusive.

The statement will not be permanently in place, since the language will need to change with the times. “[W]hen we were talking about the groups that we wanted to include...we included things like gender identity, and five years ago that wouldn’t have been part of the vernacular. Five years from now we don’t know what the dynamic will be,” noted Bradley.

One of the most imperative aspects of the statement that both students and the committee agree on is that it must be a statement with a message, not merely a statement that will be easily approved. Bradley asserted, “I really think it’s about crafting a statement that isn’t [just] passable by the Board of Trustees, but that really is something that everyone can get behind but that it’s still a strong statement. Because you could say, the sky is blue, and everyone’s going to agree with you on that, but does it really matter? So that’s the really tough part, is saying something that matters.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 3 Outside the Bubble Second Earthquake Devastates Southern Japan A deadly magnitude-7.3 earthquake hit southern Japan last Saturday, killing 44, injuring over 1000 and displacing around 100,000 people (BBC News, “Japan quake relief work continues amid aftershocks,” 04.19.2016).

The earthquake was centered in the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, not far from the city of Kumamoto. It followed a magnitude-6.4 earthquake in the same area this past Thursday, which killed nine people, injured 800 and derailed a bullet train (CNN, “Japan earthquake kills nine; more aftershocks expected,” 04.16.2016).

The cleanup effort is well underway. None of the nation’s nuclear power plants were affected and strict Japanese building codes mitigated property damage, but many homes, schools, hospitals and businesses were damaged. Many residents who have been forced to leave their homes are staying in shelters, and the government has been slow to provide emergency relief in some cases.

The 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan have been able to assist in the recovery effort. Using their Osprey rotor-tilt aircraft, the U.S. forces have airlifted supplies to those most in need (BBC News). This has been especially useful in delivering aid to remote areas, which are even more difficult to reach since many of the roads, bridges and trains have been destroyed.

There have been several aftershocks to the Saturday quake, but none have resulted in any serious injuries. However, some experts say that it could signify a shift in the fault line that could prove a worrying trend (Nikkei Asian Review, “Unusual quake cluster worries Japan,” 04.18.2016).

—Christopher Kremer, Guest Reporter Zika Virus May Cause Microcephaly in Developing Brains Zika virus is rapidly becoming a world health concern, with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) citing over 40 countries and territories where the disease is present (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “All Countries and Territories with Active Zika Virus Transmission,” 04.18.2016).

The virus can be spread by mosquito bites or sexual contact. Though the virus may cause fever, rash and joint pain, the majority of infected individuals experience no symptoms at all. The fear and uncertainty surrounding Zika virus is largely due to its suspected role in birth defects such as microcephaly.

Microcephaly is a condition involving a reduced circumference of head resulting from incomplete or improper brain development (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Microcephaly,” 03.14.2016). The condition can result in seizures, developmental delays and intellectual impairments, sensory issues, and problems with movement and balance.

These disorders and issues are often lifelong, and since there is no cure or treatment for microcephaly itself, physicians can only attempt to alleviate the resultant effects.

There are many reasons to associate Zika virus infection in pregnant women with birth defects such as microcephaly. Regarding a study with mice, The New York Times reported, “That echoed the observations in humans: The infection causes grievous damage in newborns but not in adults” (The New York Times, “5 Reasons to Think Virus Causes Microcephaly,” 04.01.16).

There still is much to learn about how the virus kills cells and restricts development.

Scientists are looking to study normal brain development in addition to the unknown mechanisms behind Zika’s deleterious effects on fetal brains.

Others are seeking to reform and assist health care systems to provide lifelong care for affected individuals. However, many affected regions are ill-prepared to provide relief of this scale and duration.

This approach seeks to understand and prevent these serious birth defects, and administer a plan to combat Zika-induced microcephaly.

—Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor

NEWS

Page 4

April 21, 2016

Tuesday vote hits New York Clark Xu and Jeremy Middleman News Reporters

Mid-Hudson Civic Center

Poughkeepsie community

Trump came to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center on Sunday, April 17 to a packed audience of 3,200, with an extra 800 watching the rally from an ice-skating rink next door. Multiple local politicians were in attendance, including Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison. Following the tenor of his previous speeches, Trump promoted his plans for a border wall with Mexico and attacked opponents in the Republican primary. But the main message of his campaign was that of creating a political revolution. Addressing his supporters and expressing disdain for traditional Republican politicians, Trump said, “We are going to make it without relying on the political bosses— they call it a ‘phenomenon.’ This movement is about common sense.” Nearly 200 protesters from across Dutchess County and beyond—some from Vassar College—decried his message, holding up signs that urged onlookers to “Dump Trump,” protest “#Bigotbutch” and join the “#BlackLivesMatter” campaign (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Trump Promises Winning for Dutchess, America,” 04.17.16).

As Protest Organizer Natalie Ward said at the event, “I live in this community. Poughkeepsie is a primarily people of color city and we don’t feel safe. We’re here with our neighbors because we stand against everything that Trump stands for, racism, xenophobia, homophobia. We’re scared partially because the sheriff of our county is a supporter of Trump. And our organization, the people that we work with, have to deal with racism everyday and we can’t stand for that.” (Poughkeepsie Journal, “Nearly 200 protest Trump’s policies”, 4.17.16) The main goal of the rally at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center was to excite supporters into coming out for the primaries on Tuesday, April 19. Trump predicted, “We’re going to keep winning. We’re going to win, win, win and we’re going to make America great again.” And Trump is likely to continue winning as he accrues delegates for nomination by the Republican party. Heading into the primary, election polls indicated that a whopping total of 29 points distance Trump from Ohio Governor John Kasich among Republican voters in New York. Trump dominates the state with 54 percent of the vote against 25 percent for Kasich and 16 percent for Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

Trump is drawing votes from the same base with his own emphasis on controlling international trade and immigration. Comparing the political climate of Vassar College and the town of Poughkeepsie, Block noted, “The town is blue-collar, depressed, slightly depressed, a lot of ex-manufacturers. So this is Trump country.” Block continues, “They’re most likely Republicans or Reagan Democrats— Democrats that vote Republican because they like the second amendment, don’t really care about abortion, don’t really care about gay marriage either. Gun control, affirmative action, immigration and trade would probably be the big stuff here.”

“I think Trump largely appeals to the working class and those who have working class backgrounds,” iterated VCLU member Ian Vasily ’18. Vasily believes that Republican voters are united by similar experiences and values. He continued, “Statistically speaking, many of these people haven’t gone to college and they feel they don’t have a political voice...”

As with Trump rallies, the Sanders rally regularly raised uproar from the crowd. When Sanders mentioned opponent Hillary Clinton, the crowd booed; when he asserted that Trump insults women, the crowd booed. Many observers believe the excitement of it all is what draws millennial voters to Sanders. O’Malley disagreed, “The idea that young people support Bernie because of his energy and because he’s challenging the status quo—I think that’s a misconception.”

During the rally, Sanders cited income inequality as one of his primary targets for change. He argued, “Our people are working the longest hours of any people in the industrialized world. We have to fight for a nation where people earn enough income without working 50, 60, 70 hours a week.” The bustle of Sanders’ campaign rests on a unique sensitivity to the moral dimension of socioeconomic problems. O’Malley explained, “When he talks about the fact that the top one percent of Americans own 44 percent of the wealth, I see that as a problem. We’re the richest country ever and yet we have people who are struggling. And I also think that we’re a country that’s supposed to be striving towards freedom. I don’t think that somebody making eight bucks an hour and trying to feed two kids can really be free.”

Bringing the argument home to Vassar College, O’Malley concluded, “It’s transgenerational. If you look at Vassar, Vassar is supposed to be and is one of the top two schools in the country in terms of admitting students from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and having amazing financial aid. Nevertheless, we are not a proper representation of the American public. Kids from wealthier families do better in school and have more opportunities because there is a certain element of leisure involved in their lives.”

Marist College

courtesy of The Poughkeepsie Journal

Hillary Clinton has appeared in New York, with campaigns active across Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Rochester, New York City and Westchester County. Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Hillary Clinton, spoke in the town of Poughkeepsie on Sunday, April 17. Among Republicans, Kasich and Cruz have had numerous events around the state.

Recent polls suggest that Clinton maintains a significant lead in New York. Reflecting on the primary, Dean of Students D.B. Brown urged, “Because of the way that the Districts are defined in Dutchess County, it can be very confusing for students—different residence houses are in different Districts! That’s why we supply shuttles to the polls and provide information about which campus addresses are in which District. I don’t care how students vote, but I do want them to be able to vote if they wish to do so.”

Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware and Rhode Island hold their primaries on April 26.

Since the Democratic candidate requires 2,383 delegates to receive the nomination, both would be happy to win as many of New York’s 291 delegates as possible. O’Malley commented, “I don’t think [Bernie] has a real shot at the nomination, quite frankly. The next three states are New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Hillary is the favorite of those states by a wide margin and those are all heavy delegate states.

Bernie has won the last eight or nine states, but the eight states he has won combine to have about the same number of delegates as Florida, which is a state Hillary won. He would have to get 57 percent of the remaining delegates to get the majority for the nomination. I think that’s wildly unrealistic. So no. If he gets the nomination I would be really shocked.”

New York and Beyond Sanders addressed a gymnasium full of supporters at a rally at Marist College on April 12. Sanders announced, “What I have learned in this campaign is that, when there is a large voter turnout we win. When there is a low voter turnout, we lose. Next Tuesday, let’s see the largest voter turnout New York state has ever seen.” With this stop, Sanders became the first 2016 presidential candidate to visit Dutchess County (Syracuse, “Bernie Sanders’ plan to win New York: Get highest voter turnout in primary history, 04.12.16).

Compared to Trump, Sanders had an electrifying effect on Vassar students. VSA Freshman Representative Emmett O’Malley ’19 noted, “I like to think that the Sanders campaign is centered around a platform that is compassionate and that is empathic. It’s about caring for people who traditionally haven’t really been cared for or heard from in the political climate as is.” O’Malley summarized, “I think that the things Bernie sees as problems—income inequality, institutional racism, institutional sexism, inequality across the board—are really to a large extent plaguing this country.”

Sophia Burns ’18 agreed, “His stance on job creation and economic equality, among other things, are important to me, and I find his lack of adhesion to the Democratic party refreshing.”

During his speech, Sanders referred back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a model of leadership. “In my view, FDR was one of the greatest presidents,” Sanders exclaimed. “He was a great president because he came into office in 1933 in a nation which was experiencing the worst depression in the history of our country and he looked around him and he saw millions of people unemployed and hungry.”

O’Malley confirmed, “I think what Bernie is saying is the logical next step to what Obama’s saying.

People who are more to the Left than what Clinton has been, over the course of the last 20 years, have been saying, single payer national healthcare is not a new idea to the Left, raise the minimum wage is not a new idea to the Left.” He concluded, “I think the fact that he calls himself a socialist is what really throws people off, but I think ultimately he’s not a socialist. I think he’s a New Deal Democrat.”

courtesy of Sophia Burns

On Tuesday, April 12, Marist and Vassar students, along with the larger Poughkeepsie community gathered to hear Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speak about his campaign.

Bernie Sanders spoke in Poughkeepsie to rally New York State voters to participate in the primary on Tuesday, April 19. Sanders was the first of the presidential candidates to visit Poughkeepsie.

Vassar College Changing the world through knowledge and understanding is one of the core aspects of a liberal arts education. The faculty and administration generally believe that American society needs to discard the stereotype that liberal arts is good for nothing and pay more attention to the scholarly debate. Professor of Political Science Stephen Rock suggested, “In principle, there should be close connections between the study of politics and the practice of politics (and public policy).

Too often, politicians and policy makers ignore the work of political scientists because they think political scientists dabble in abstract theory while they are dealing with ‘the real world.’”

Unfortunately, some students believe that even the scholarly debate at Vassar does not offer enough diversity of opinion. Based on his experience as a student of political science at Vassar College, Block observed, “I think there are a lot of awesome kids here and a lot of awesome, even crazy liberals. I’m just sort of sad because they’re being taught to totally disregard the other side, because the norm has been moved so far Left here that when we present the middle and when we present the Right, the positions seem extreme when the reality is that they just aren’t.” Vasily agrees, “I would like to see more Right-wing voices, but the problem is that there simply aren’t many conservatives on campus, and the ones that do exist would often rather not speak up in fear of social ostracization.”

Addressing faculty and administration, Block concluded, “And it’s important; you can’t make political assumptions, particularly if you’re a professor—if you’re in a position of power—because then a lot of people here will walk away thinking, ‘Oh, that’s all I can think.’ And that’s really dangerous, if you don’t offer the alternative, regardless of how nasty the alternative is. We don’t not learn about Hitler; we don’t not learn about racism. We learn about these really tricky topics. We learn about both sides and for some reason we refuse to do it with politics in college anymore. We just sort of do these big brushstrokes without actually looking at the issue. Which is just sort of tragic because everyone loses out.”

Since political discourse has the potential to transform every aspect of our lives, Vassar students, faculty and administration have an obligation to fix it rather than leave it. Burns suggested, “I think that Vassar students can best contribute by getting out in the community more, which is something I also have yet to do. I think that if there were more organization to phone bank or canvas in the local neighborhood, we would have a bigger impact on the outcome of the race as well as on the political activity in Poughkeepsie.”

Another solution for improving the political climate at Vassar College is to commit to a broader perspective. O’Malley reflected, “I think we want to live in a compassionate country, I think we want to live in a place where we look after each other, I think we want to live in a place where we take care of each other and I think that comes when people don’t see themselves as the only reason why they want to vote one way or the other.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

April 21, 2016

FEATURES

Page 5

King weaves web, defines vulnerable spaces on campus Aditi Chandna Reporter

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Ashley Pecorelli/The Miscellany News

ost seniors at Vassar College embark on a project or thesis of some sort that integrates academics with something of interest to them. Environmental studies major Sarah King has done exactly that and created an extraordinary work that comes from the simple idea to enable communication and sharing on campus.

“I have learned that there is no division between humanity and the environment, and space is an environment just like anything else,” King said. She went on to explain that the idea for her project came from the idea of relationships, and peoples’ relationships with each other and the world around them. She said, “I wanted to study the people around me and how they converse with each other so that they can learn to engage with the earth. We’re already struggling to engage with each other and the earth is responding and suffering to that struggle.”

King used Vassar as her canvas when imagining the construction of her thesis. “My thesis is called ‘The Climate of Vulnerable Spaces.’ And I wanted to use Vassar as a case study of how conversation has developed and become more difficult over time and the campus climate at Vassar and how people talk about and are influenced by it. Coming from an environmental studies point of view I thought it integrates well with climate change and it’s an interesting overlap between the two,” she said. She went on, “I’ve always wondered at what it means for students at Vassar to engage in space and have a conversation. I think this is what Vassar is missing and that what is happening on campus is that it becomes hard for some people to open up and talk to each other.”

The form that it takes is one of the most unique parts of King’s thesis. She said, “I decided to condense this idea in the form of a quilt.

I got inspired by Lisa Cohen’s new seminar. It’s called Art in Activism: Women in Quilting and it’s the first quilting class that’s ever been at

Vassar. There has never been any talk of quilting in the Arts Department but it is a major part of American history.”

King hopes to combine all of the narratives and stories she’s collected, and exhibit them on the quilt as a form of storytelling. “I hope that the quilt itself provides space for people to confront what’s going on in their lives,” King concluded.

The process of turning her idea into a reality involved much more technology than one would expect for a quilting project. “VC++ helped me design an app. My thesis is supposed to be vulnerable to what the campus says because its about the campus and how could I gauge that physical understanding of how people see our campus. So I came up with the idea that there could be a program that could gauge the campus environment and where people could put in their spaces of vulnerability. I talked to VC++ and they built the app for me and they also helped me distribute it,” King said. She went on, “However it could only go to a limited amount of people because the app isn’t part of the app store so with that data I was given one dimension of how our campus looks to a certain number of people and then I started to approach other modes of hearing and other dimensions through which people see campus.”

The production of the technology wasn’t the only thing that King had to start from scratch.

She said, “I also started learning how to quilt because this seemed like a really good way of expressing the image that would provide a conversation of experiences at Vassar that could also live on to be it’s own object that would live on.”

King’s main barrier is the lack of physical material. “I’m trying to get people to have the time and space to contribute and feel like their voice is being heard,” she said. The contributions she has received around campus have gone beyond just voices as well. “At this point I don’t have enough fabric to make this possible

Environmental studies major Sarah King ’16 creates a quilt mapping vulnerable spaces on campus for her thesis. She enlisted the help of VC++ to create an app to track student voices and stories. so I use all kinds of fabric, basically anything that people give me and it should basically be clothing and fabric that represent your moment of vulnerability at Vassar.”

King described her end goal, “In the end it’s going to be a full instillation if I get enough fabric where I’m going to have the map of the entire campus with all the points of vulnerability on it. The physical space will be lined with all the stories I’ve experienced while writing it and all the stories people have given me.”

One surprising fact that King has discovered is the lack of a clear trend in the data points of vulnerable places on campus. “The whole campus is covered in points. There aren’t even concentrations of vulnerability, its clearly happening throughout campus and everywhere on campus and I feel like that has helped me un-

derstand that sometimes students need a break from Vassar and all the stress that comes with it,” King said.

She went on, “The ultimate goal is to have a quilt, have the instillation and then hopefully have a workshop that will enable people to use the quilt as a safe space or an object of comfort and sharing.”

King hopes her thesis will have bigger implications. She said, “I hope it’ll make people realize that their stories are valid and this will further help them engage with other people better. I hope that by doing this I can give people the space to feel supported and then also show Vassar that the way they’ve built this institution isn’t helping students and there aren’t enough structures in place that help students.

That there is more that can be done.”

Harbisson uses technology, vibrations to explore senses Kris Weber

Guest Reporter

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or the past two years, Vassar’s Creative Arts Across Disciplines Initiative (CAAD) has funded interdisciplinary lecture series and student projects exploring one of the five senses–vision, hearing, taste, touch and smell.

With “hearing” as the theme for the 2015-2016 academic year, Professor of Physics Jose Perillan and Professor of Music Justin Patch joined together to organize a series of lectures and events entitled “Sonic Cyborgs.”

“Sonic Cyborgs,” in short, refer to individuals who have incorporated cybernetic elements into their bodies that utilize soundwaves to produce perceptions beyond what average individual can experience. The first installment in the series occurred in February, with lectures by author Michael Chorost and Professor Trevor Pinch of Cornell University. The second

opened on April 11 with a lecture by British artist and activist Neil Harbisson, a self-identified sonic cyborg and co-founder of the Cyborg Foundation, an international organization that aims to help humans become cybernetic organisms.

Harbisson was born with achromatopsia, a complete inability to see color. Grayscale vision throughout his childhood never presented Harbisson with any significant problems–even today, he is appreciative of the fact that his grayscale vision allows him to see objects from greater distances and in conditions of lower light than can normal-sighted individuals. As a young adult, however, Harbisson began to realize the importance of color perception in daily life. In his lecture, Harbisson stated, “I couldn’t ignore color. So then, I started thinking that I should find a way of sensing color.”

Harbisson’s research soon led to the devel-

courtesy of TED Conference via Flickr

British artist and activist Neil Harbisson was the opening speaker for CAAD’s “Sonic Cyborg” lecture series. As a self-named “cyborg,” Harbisson is redefining what it means to be a human.

opment of an antenna capable of transducing color into physical vibrations within his skull.

The “color” of an object, as perceived by the human eye, is produced through the object’s reflection of light. When light hits an object, the amount of light that is reflected back and the amount of energy it contains, measured in wavelengths, produces the visual perception of color within the human brain. For Harbisson, each wavelength of light is detected by the antenna that was surgically implanted in his skull in 2004. The antenna then produces a particular frequency of auditory vibrations in his head.

High-energy wavelengths (i.e., blue and purple) emitted by an object correspond to vibrations of higher frequency and thus produce a high-pitched sound; lower-energy wavelengths (i.e., red and yellow) correspond to vibrations of lower frequency and thus produce a lower-pitched sound. In this way, Harbisson “hears,” rather than “sees,” color.

Using a smartphone app (aptly named “Eyeborg App”), people across the world can transmit pictures to Harbisson’s antenna, which is connected to the internet. When an image is transmitted, a distinct series of vibrations of different frequencies are produced within his skull. In this way, Harbisson says, he has “seen” an image of an Australian sunset from his home in London.

More recently, Harbisson has worked with NASA to virtually connect his antenna to the International Space Station, allowing him to actually sense colors (both visible and invisible, such as UV and infrared rays) from space. Harbisson said, “I’m actually training my brain to have this connection be permanent so that I can use the internet connection to sense the colors from space and to have the antenna to feel the colors from Earth.” Speaking for the Cyborg Foundation, he says, “Our aim is to have our senses in space...so that we can explore space without having to physically go there.”

Because of its high frequencies, UV light emits a high-pitched sound, so Harbisson said that he can only last two to three hours before becoming overwhelmed with the sensory in-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

put. “It’s overwhelming. There are so many ultraviolets out there, which are so noisy for me, that I have to train my brain to get used to the sound of the colors from space.” He estimates that he should be able to make this connection to the International Space Station permanent by 2019, giving his brain several more years to adapt to this new input.

While many individuals with technological implants (e.g., prosthetic legs, cochlear implants, pacemakers) continue to identify themselves as “human,” Harbisson has incorporated the technological features of his body into a novel conceptualization of his own identity. As articulated by Perillan in his introductory remarks to Harbisson’s lecture, “Neil Harbisson readily identifies himself as a psychological, as well as biological, cyborg. He feels both his mind and body are united with cybernetics. He doesn’t feel as though he is wearing or using technology–instead, he feels he is technology.”

Further nuance exists in Harbisson’s self-identification. While he refers to himself as a “cyborg,” or a technological being, he is resistant to the using the terms “bionic” or “superhuman.” “Becoming a cyborg is not becoming closer to a machine,” Harbisson emphasized in his lecture.

In fact, as described by Patch, “[Harbisson] likens more to being an insect than anything else.” Indeed, while some may describe his identification as a form of transhumanism, Harbisson insists that he is instead fundamentally “trans-species.” His antenna and his novel perception of color transcend the boundaries between human and non-human animals, and insects in particular.

He said, “Since I have an antenna, I feel a closer relationship with insects that also have antennas, because we share a body part. I also feel closer to animals that can sense infrareds and ultraviolets.” He added, “I feel a connection with other species that I didn’t have before.”

Perillan concluded, “[H]e’s making a statement about categories, and about how we think about the world in front of us.”

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April 21, 2016

Research methods reexamined by anthropologist Myer Matt Stein

Assistant Arts Editor

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reeing a culture from colonization doesn’t mean it has been liberated. The decolonized culture still holds the after-effects from the influence of their former empire. A study done on Aboriginal Australians in the 1970s

by NYU Silver Professor Fred R. Myers documented these after-effects.

In honor of Anthropology Professors Anne Pike-Tay and Judith Goldstein’s retirement at the end of the semester, Myers will hold the lecture “Whose Story is This?: Moving Culture between Regimes of Value.” The event, hosted primarily through the Anthropology Department as well as the Office of the Dean of Faculty, Political Science and Geography Departments, and Media Studies Program, will

kick-off on Thursday, April 28 in Taylor Hall.

In his lecture, Myers will discuss efforts to decolonize anthropology and return archival material back to its respective cultures in order to remove the lingering effects of colonization from the study of those cultures. He will also present his own personal account of working with an Indigenous Australian community to repatriate film footage, an experience which developed into a documentary archiving the community.

Within the Anthropology classes of Vassar, Myers’ work has been used to study issues of repatriation and indigenous cultures. Goldstein elaborated on the usefulness of Myers’ studies, “I have taught Fred Myers’ work on art, material culture and issues of Australian national identity for many years in senior seminar (his

courtesy of Vassar Media Relations

In honor of the retirement of Anthropology professors Anne Pike-Tay and Judisth Goldstein, NYU Silver Professor Fred R. Meyers will offer a lecture April 28 in Taylor Hall called “Whose Story is This?”.

book “Painting Culture”), in Consumer Culture (his edited book “The Empire of Things”) and in the Anthropology of Art (“The Traffic in Culture: Refiguring the Anthropology of Art”). He is one of the foremost anthropologists working on issues of art and cultural identity today, and has followed the development of Australian Aboriginal art and its entry into the world market since his initial fieldwork in Australia in the mid-’70s.”

Since 1973, Myers has worked with and archived the Pintupi people, an Aboriginal tribe considered the last group to live nomadically in Australia. He also documented their relocation to a government-supported outstation the following year. In 2006, he returned with the footage to the Pintupi and analyzed the evolution within the community since. This became a part of the 2006 documentary “Remembering Yayayi.” For his work, Myers was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1988.

In his 2002 book “Painting Culture: The Making of an Aboriginal High Art,” Meyers summarized the Euro-centric world Indigenous Australians live in. “However physically remote the people in Aboriginal communities may be, the relationship between them and the dominant society is mediated by Euro-Australian terms of Aboriginal self-determination, citizenship and welfare dependence in a liberal state. In Australia, as elsewhere, indigenous people are struggling to find a voice and to define the terms of their situation in ways that will strengthen their own sense of autonomy, their local traditions and histories,” said Myers.

Anthropology major Carlie Silva ’16 read Myers’ book “Painting Culture” in her senior seminar. Silva explained, “Myers’ work brought questions to our classroom about tradition versus social change, the politics of aesthetics and the relativism of art history, as well as the issues of ownership, global exchange, exhibition and the Western gaze. Most interesting to me was Myers’ conception of interculturalism and the idea that the world is currently made up of

circulating spaces, shifting variables of colonialism, globalization, movement and dissolution of boundaries.”

Myers’ lecture will also honor Goldstein and Pike-Tay’s retirements, who have both been involved in research having to do with interculturalism. Goldstein has done extensive archival research on the dissolution of boundaries between Iranian immigrants amidst the consumer culture of 19th-century Paris, and Pike-Tay has studied human evolution through the context of the natural world. In Goldstein’s time at Vassar, she has helped to found the Jewish Studies and Women’s Studies programs at Vassar. While, Pike-Tay expanded her research of paleoanthropology, discovering new information of flora found in prehistoric sites.

Silva reflected on her experience of having Goldstein as a professor: “Professor Goldstein always made our three-hour seminar sessions engaging. Each class, she made sure to make connections between dense theoretical material, current events and each of our individual interests within anthropology. I always appreciated her energy, enthusiasm and ability to make us laugh. Her passion for anthropology was truly contagious. Professor Goldstein is a wonderful professor and mentor and I feel honored to have been able to take one of her classes.”

Myers’ work has analyzed the uncertainty left for decolonized cultures and posed his own inquiries to lead towards progress: “The questions that ought to be asked about the politics of current forms of Aboriginal cultural production are whether and to what extent local (community-based) social orders are defining themselves—their meanings, values and impossible identities—autonomously in relation to external powers and processes; whether and how they are transformed in relation to new powers and discourses; and whether or how what had been local meanings are now being defined dialectically (or oppositionally) with respect to discourses available from the larger world.”

Around the World: Asia provides home away from home

ASIA continued from page 1 less ream of government documents to work through and strict regulations to attend.

This seemingly regular task can be daunting for many international students. As a result, a portion of students every year decide to stay on campus. International students are stranded– sometimes in a literal sense of the word since a very large number of students are here on F-1 and J-1 visas–in an entirely strange situation.

That’s part of the reason the OIS has worked so hard to put on programming and provide support for international students.

Around the World has been one of the more popular and well-attended events to arrive from the OIS. The event is conducted over about 80 days and is a means of cultural recognition of culinary and communal connection to students’ differing origins.

Around the World Asia is the last leg of that immersive four-part journey. Compared to

Around the World Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, ATW: Asia operated on the idea of indulging in another culture through culinary and linguistic culture.

Preparation for the day began nearly half a week in advance when student organizers Post-Bac Shani Cox and Nicole Shu ’16 sent out emails and forms for food preparation ideas and sign-ups. Distributed to all students with even a vague association to OIS, event coordinators Tyler Wen ’18 and Niki Hrusa ’16 censured as comprehensive a collection of students’ requests as possible.

For example, students were encouraged to submit dishes dear to their hearts to ensure that various regions were represented, as well as various distinctions within these areas. In this way, ATW: Asia included both a generalization of the notion of what is global infused with a local traditions from the regions represented by international students from Asia on campus.

courtesy of Office of International Services

Around the World: Asia is the last stop on a four-part journey of events featuring different regions of the world. This year there was a sense of meloncholy in international atendees who got a taste of home.

The old adage of “team work makes the dream work” proved especially applicable the night before the event in a joint effort in two different locations, where Cox and Shu spearheaded a student effort to create, compose and preserve dishes as much as possible before the actual event.

As OIS Student Intern Tyler Wen ’18 describes, “The dishes and various regions were volunteered by our students and they could choose whichever dish to cook. We organized a shopping trip on Monday to buy all the ingredients requested by the students and handed them out to everyone as soon as possible. The preparation events were really fun, because they’re great opportunities for bonding through food-making.”

In the wake of this occurrence, Wen and Hrusa prepared for the social climate of the event by organizing student performances and interactive discussion. The brainchild of both, ATW: Asia featured trivia based on topics from Asia, regionalized performances from provinces in China and extensive elaboration regarding nuanced practices in India and surrounding regions.

Hrusa recollected, “We had Patrick Wei perform the Erhu, which is a traditional Chinese instrument, as well as Esther Xu that performed a classic Cantonese pop song.”

While the event lasted only three hours, time itself seemed to seize with the sheer amount of student participation. Apart from the stellar food, the main highlight of the night was round-table discussion for students. The event provided an open space for students to chat about home, and their cultural differences and similarities. Wen noted, “ATW Asia is our most popular ATW event in terms of both food and participants–usually we expect around 20 to 30 participants for the other events, while ATW Asia can sometimes reach over 50 or 60 people.”

The event coordinators anticipated a wide demographic of student participants and tried to emphasize the value of listening. Wen elucidated: “This event is mainly designed for students from Asia to share their own personal

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

experiences and cultures with anyone who is willing to listen.”

Nicole Yaw ’18 affirmed, “It’s also a great way for others to better understand the culture, cuisine, etc. of Asia. The event was very successful, as we had a great turnout and the discussion/trivia portion of the event was very active. We were expecting primarily international students to come, as this event was largely designed for them. Usually a good amount of American students come as well, which is also our intention.”

Remarking on their culinary experience, Aditi Chandna ’19 [full disclosure: Chandna is a staff reporter for The Miscellany News] confessed, “The food here is nothing like back in India, but today I had a taste of authentic food for the first time in ages. It’s really good! Since it’s been so long since I’ve had authentic cuisine, I almost forgot what it tasted like!”

Continuing, Min Choung ’19 chimed in, “I forget sometimes that people here are just like me and can’t always go back home every break, so I’m just really glad that there are people who relate to me and understand what it’s like to be away from friends and family for a while.”

Amaesha Durazi ’19 quickly confirmed Choung’s feelings: “Unfortunately, Min, we wouldn’t know what that’s like since you’re always here! You never leave, so how can we miss you when you when you’re never gone?” All jest aside, Durazi continued in earnest, “But I do get what you mean. I miss my family back home, too; I wish I could see them more often.”

Despite the homesickness brought out by the event, coordinators considered ATW: Asia a great accomplishment precisely because of the due discourse it inspired.

As Wen noted, “We primarily use active discussion and turnout as baselines of success. In the case of Around the World: Asia, all markers measured an immense accomplishment of our goal of pulling off another great event.”

After all, despite all the boisterous banter befalling members throughout the event, students were quick to resonate upon the higher tones of the community in which they were currently a part of.

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April 21, 2016

Page 7

Hip Hop 101 returns to its roots with Throwback Jam JAMS continued from page 1

said Ballon.

Weaver will pull together the performance as MC this year as he has done in many years previous. For many in the group, Weaver brings an energy and history to the organization that can’t be found anywhere else. “TC Weaver was really the only one around for when Hip Hop 101 was founded and he is the only one who remembers what the org used to be. Hip Hop 101 emerged as a collective for artists and musicians. It was the merging of this graffiti and B-boy group that TC had been doing for years with this group of students that was doing rapping and DJing—those are the four elements of hip hop,” said Rosenberg.

Weaver has since stopped dancing, but he has consistently been responsible for many of the logistics: putting together the poster, MCing the event and bringing along artists in residence for live art shows. The artists in residence paint on wood canvas panels during

the show and give onlookers the opportunity to see graffiti art in action. Weaver’s career as a dancer on MTV has also been a source for numerous contacts in the hip hop world for the campus organization over the years.

A student DJ will warm up the stage at 12 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, and will be followed by two student performers, the b-boy group and EPMD’s opener, Kari Faux.

Jones is also the chair of ViCE film, which brought Faux to Hip Hop 101’s attention as a possible opener for EPMD. Jones said, “We’ve been trying to move away from mainstream straight-white-male cinema. So that’s part of the reason why we are so happy to bring the music-video artist Faux.” Faux is a female artist born in Atlanta but currently based out of LA and known primarily for her work as a music video artist.

Ballon added, “It’s always nice to add diversity along the lines of ethnicity, gender and geo-

courtesy of Joseph Weiman

Kim and Ghostface Killer to campus for Throwback Jam. While Hip Hop 101 has brought some big names to campus, the headliners only make up one part of what this event is all about: community. As treasurer of Hip Hop 101 Sam Rosenberg ’16 said, “Our mission statement is ‘to bridge the Vassar and the Poughkeepsie community through hip hop and artistic expression.’ I think that Throwback is oriented to being as inclusive and open as possible.”

The event takes place out on the residential quad, which stands as an open invitation for passers by to walk over and join the party.

In years past, members of the greater Poughkeepsie community have brought their family and friends to the event. “I’m excited for the Poughkeepsie community to enjoy the space, because it’s so beautiful here, it’s a great part of the Hudson Valley,” secretary of Hip Hop 101 Imara Jones ’16 said.

Inside of Vassar, there is a large community of hip hop lovers who come out to Throwback Jam and Four Pillars, Hip Hop 101’s other big event of the year. “There are so many kids on this campus who do love hip hop, whether they are listening to it on their headphones, or having discussions about it,” co-president of Hip Hop 101 Jason Ballon ’16 said. Throwback Jam provides an opportunity for all these hip hop heads in the region to come together for an event that reinvigorates the origins of the currently commercialized rap scene.

“Throwback Jam is a space where we can get back to the roots, what everything was born out of, where all this stuff like Future and Drake, Travis Scott, what they have capitalized off of,” said McDonnaugh. The event this Saturday will include all four pillars of hip hop, including graffiti and DJs, B-boying and rap, where hip hop originated.

Even though the headliners are a huge draw, the event is about more than big names. For six hours, artists and performers from all four pillars come out and exhibit their skills. “Our main events wouldn’t be what they are without the student performers, the MC and the live art,”

Throwback Jam offers opportunities for hip hop fans of any age to appreciate the sounds of both student groups and professionals on campus. The community aspect is the most important part of the event.

graphic location to our event especially because hip hop is such a male-centered industry.”

Not just the demographic, but also the type of talent found in the hip hop industry have changed dramatically through the years. “Over time the culture of hip hop has shifted towards what we are doing right now, towards the produced artist, rather than the experienced individual who grew up in that community tagging the walls and spinning with his friends,” said McDonnaugh.

Throwback Jam offers the opportunity for hip hop fans of all ages in the surrounding area to bridge the gap between the classic and cutting age, and for the Vassar and Poughkeepsie communities to come together. For the students of Hip Hop 101 involved in the production of the event, it is an opportunity to gain real world experience.

Hip Hop 101 has provided students like Ballon and Jones who are interested in the music industry to get their hands dirty with behind the scenes work including setting up the stage or working with artists or drawing up contracts. “All the managerial experience I have has come from me being at Vassar. One thing that would be good moving forward with the organization would be to get people involved in the business side of things, coordinating inclusive agreements with the artists, filling out W9’s, communicating with the VSA, applying for funds and managing a large budget, these are all invaluable experiences,” said Jones.

Ballon noted that, while over the last seven years Hip Hop 101’s funds have not been well accounted for, under he and McDonnaugh’s leadership, the organization has managed to stay out of debt and in the green.

All the while, the two have still been able to bring one of the top names in throwback hip hop to campus.

Above all, students involved in Hip Hop 101 can bring Vassar and the Poughkeepsie community together to celebrate the origins of hip hop at Throwback Jam. As Ballon said, “We have the unique opportunity to put on an event which makes people happy.”

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

FOOD

Page 8

April 21, 2016

Versatile hummus a satisfying smooth spread for summer Rafaela Vega del Castillo and Sarah Evans

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courtesy of Garden of Vegan

Ingredients 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 2 tbsp tahini 1 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 lemon, juiced pinch of sea salt, as desired

Guest Reporters

ummus. I love hummus. As I affirm my love, I admit that hummus has become a main food group of my college experience.

Hummus and I, we are not mutually exclusive, as is the case of many college relationships. I’m okay with sharing and letting other people experience hummus. This tasty spread, dip, whatever–I’m not placing it in a category–is too yummy and too versatile not to incorporate into your relationship with food.

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free! Hummus is an all-encompassing food and caters to a multiplicity of dietary restrictions. Because of the uncertainty surrounding which country hummus originated from, many battle for the rights to attain the title “the Inventors of Hummus”—my Lebanese step-mother being one of them. We may never know its geographical origination, but to whoever combined these ingredients, thank you.

Since its humble origins, hummus has perforated into global food culture, becoming increasingly popular in the health food scene. The most enticing thing about hummus is the pure simplicity of the ingredients.

Hummus is not only delicious, but also loaded with protein, fiber, vitamin C and many of other virtuous nutrients.

This refreshing snack is heavenly in the summer months when paired with carrots, broccoli, snap peas and many more tasty, crunchy veggies.

You may ask yourself, if I can buy this at the grocery, why would I make it? By making your own hummus, you eliminate the preservatives found in store-bought brands, it has more fiber, more protein and features a much lower calorie count. It only takes 10 minutes to make and the heaps and heaps of hummus you will be spooning into your mason jar will keep you grinning from ear to ear for more than a week—less if you are me or Rafaela!

But please, make sure your container isn’t too deep or your carrots will not reach the bottom. I assure you, the zesty freshness and light airy texture radiates authentic satisfaction and flavorful delight. So grab a blender or food processor, and we’ll talk making hummus.

First, drain one can of chickpeas and rinse with water. Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and pulse until smooth. You may notice some of the chickpea mixture sticking to the sides, so don’t be afraid to take it off the processor and move the mixture around a little bit. You want that perfect consistency throughout, Add a bit of water or olive oil (1 tsp or so) as needed to increase smoothness until the mixture reaches the desired texture. Your hummus should be think and creamy- like waffle batter..

Spoon your fresh hummus into a sealable container and place into the refrigerator.

Chill for 20 to 30 minutes for maximum hummus-eating contentment. Promptly enjoy with anything from the classic pita bread, carrots, in a salad, it’s up to you!

To further your hummus relationship, get adventurous and add your own flair! If you want spicy, my personal favorite is adding some sriracha to the mix–the flavor is just the right amount of kick to compliment the sweetness of a carrot.

If you really want to make a natural and nourishing hummus recipe you can cook your own garbanzo beans. This will take longer, but the final product is a tasty, rich hummus full of love and exceptional flavor.

Although I will admit that I mainly enjoy hummus for the purpose of a snack, it can also be incorporated into other dishes and meals. During the summer, hummus is great in a quinoa bowl with seasonal summer vegetables: combine quinoa, arugula, grilled eggplant, avocado, roasted pepper and feta cheese. And of course, don’t forget to add the hummus!

Necessary ingredients revealed for a perfect stir fry Julia Cunningham

Head Chef at The Miscellany News

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courtesy of All Recipes

hat is stir fry? According to my highly accurate and reliable source (Urban Dictionary), among many other definitions, “stir fry” is “an eastern food, usu. comprised of noodles, meat and vegetables.” Well, friends, I am here to debunk the mystery of what stir fry, specifically Deece stir fry, is and what it can be.

Stir fry originated in the 18th century, halfway across the globe, as a method of quickly preparing food that people were scared would go bad if unprepared. Has that broccoli been sitting in the back of the fridge for a week already? Great! Toss it in.

Stir fry was actually thought to be the most tasteful and classy way to dispose of leftovers, and people with better stir fry skills were considered to be wealthier and thus more eligible for marriage. It also helped, of course, that those people had access to a reliable stove, which was a rare commodity back then.

Original ingredients included corn, wheat, hawk meat, blades of grass and occasionally a few teeth. Or in otherwords, the quiet remains of pretty much the most badass fight nature has ever seen It wasn’t until 2001 that stir fry made its way to the Deece. The hawk escaped from the pan, bringing with it a few stray blades of grass two centuries worth of honed stir fry knowledge.

Since these discoveries, the Deece has tried many variations: tofu scramble, chickpea cauliflower stir fry, Indian spiced tofu saute, veggies soaked in too many spices, etc.

The list truly goes on.

They also, of course, invite you to design your own stiry fry masterpiece. Peppers, onions, carrots are always included in the usual layout, but sometimes there’s vegan chicken, or “toasted barley” or...God forbid...kale.

Don’t get me started on kale. I’m sure plenty of people are okay with this vegetable but I prefer it as a saying on Beyonce’s sweatshirt.

But I digress. I have seen people really whip out their Master Chef skills when they’re standing at the stir fry station. Granted, my idea of fancy is adding salt and pepper to the skillet. That being said, my life, at least the part of my life when I have to feed myself, revolves exclusively around stir fry.

The first time I stir fried was second semester sophomore year. Previously I had been too cowed to try my hand at such a (seemingly) complicated way to throw together my own dinner. I’m all about instant satisfaction sod heading straight to anything pre-prepared is my go-to method at feeding time.

One of my friends, however, was not to be deterred by my insistence that pizza was toatally a vegetable, and therefore healthy, and therefore a perfectly nutritious and defensible diet for the past year and a half. She was the savior who taught me the beautfiul ways of stir fry. How you pour the olive oil in and add onions first...gotta give them time to brown...and then you add peppers and, well, I’ll grant you insight into my practiced methods later on.

When I got home that summer, then, it was a good thing my friend had taught my how to stir fry because I quickly realized my parents were no longer willing to make my every meal.

I turned on my stove at home and sure shocked them (probably the main reason being that I hadn’t set off the fire alarm). The worst part of stir frying at home was that I had to chop my own vegetables–they didn’t come pre-chopped like they do at the Deece.

So, for once, I’ll hand it to you Deece. You sure know how to present small pieces of vegetable in an easily accesible way.

Basically, stir fry is a way of life. It’s a relatively painless way to create a warmed up salad. Actually, now that I think about it, have you noticed the ingredients at the salad bar and at the stir fry station are eerily similar?

There’s less kale at the salad bar, though...

Recipe Turn heat all the way up on the stove (I’m serious; I don’t like waiting for my food).

Sometimes at this point I’ll grab two plates: one of food to eat while I’m stir frying to hold me over until the stir fry is done, the other to collect my stir fry ingredients.

Pour enough olive oil in pan to coat the bottom and add onions.

Occasionally stir onions. Try to stay away from the stir fry area at this point because watched onions don’t cook. Seriously.

Add “harder” vegetables, like peppers,

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

Add “softer” vegetables later. Think mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, spinach...kale if you must...

Add your “base”: eggs, pasta, rice– whatever floats your boat. Sometimes I’ll add some sesame oil or soy sauce if I’m feeling ~fancy~.

Take pan off heat and pour contents carefully onto plate. Usually I’ve filled the pan with so many vegetables my plate overflows a little. I have trouble with proportions sometimes. Last but not least, consume your stir fry. One more step: enjoy!

April 21, 2016

OPINIONS

Page 9

The Miscellany News Staff Editorial

Career Development resources benefit some over others

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he privilege of attending an educational institution like Vassar College is presumably includes a virtual guarantee of employment upon successful completion of a degree.

The name and reputation of the school alone lend prestige to a résumé and put graduates ahead in the job market. However, those privileges are not always enough to ensure employment in students’ futures.

Undergraduate students often struggle to find jobs and internships in the semester interims, despite the resources that Vassar offers in the Career Development Office and Field Work Office.

We at The Miscellany News believe that Vassar students would benefit from alternative programming during the school year and additional support materials to encourage a successful search for both entry-level job and internship opportunities.

Vassar celebrates the diversity of its student body, but it does not accommodate the needs of many students once they have arrived on campus. While the CDO provides many useful resources, they are largely inaccessible to students who may not be aware of how to approach them.

For low-income and first-generation students, taking the first steps in the job or internship search can be incredibly difficult, especially since there is little outreach to these groups. Instead they are expected to take the initiative in kickstarting their own career development.

In recent semesters, the CDO has sponsored field work fairs and similar events for publicizing professional opportunities and we believe that more of these events would be helpful for guiding students on these initial steps.

While useful in theory, CDO resources such as VCLink sometimes fail the stu-

dents who stand to benefit from them the most. The listed job opportunities are geared mostly toward a select few majors or alumnae/i, and the positions offered are predominantly unpaid internships.

Not all students can afford the luxury of an entire summer of wageless work. It is an inherently classist concept, and the emphasis of the CDO on this system excludes students who rely on paid work to support themselves and finance their education. It would be useful if the College worked towards destigmatizing paying options like part-time and service jobs outside of students’ majors or desired careers.

Such jobs are a financial necessity for many people, and the college should focus on supplying a wider array of resources that would be beneficial to them. The Internship Grant Fund (IGF) is one example of Vassar’s commitment to making internship opportunities more accessible to students with financial need. But the IGF does not go far enough in offering a diverse array of career development options for low-income students.

The CDO needs to more fully embrace the world of wage labor and seek creative ways to give current students footholds into new fields without costing them all their savings.

Students who do accept unpaid internships may find it difficult to finance their living expenses, particularly since most opportunities publicized by the CDO are located in New York City and other large cities with high financial demands.

We believe that the College should provide more information on how to successfully balance an unpaid internship with living expenses. While the CDO offers many workshops for networking, interviewing,

and resume writing, in many ways the support stops once the job starts; there is little programming that offers advice for living in a city on a budget, which is just as much of a reality for thousands of college students.

In addition, the CDO could make a more concerted effort to expand its geographic reach in its career listings. Most people cannot afford rent or transportation in New York City but many more might be able to accommodate the costs of Denver, for example.

While there are certainly valuable employment and internship opportunities in large metropolitan areas across the country, the Hudson Valley also offers ample possibilities in a diverse range of career paths just beyond our walls.

However, the College does not always advertise these opportunities well enough, and VCLink notoriously offers job leads in disproportionate numbers for some fields over others.

A student who wants to work in law or finance or medicine can find relatively established infrastructure for pursuing their career dreams.

Students who are instead seeking futures in alternative careers, like psychology, art and music or journalism have far cloudier trajectories. In these cases, Vassar would benefit from bringing in career insiders who could offer the same kind of practical advice that representatives from law and medical schools provide.

We do acknowledge the College’s efforts on behalf of students seeking community field work. Vassar provides transportation during the school week to field work locations, and makes housing available on campus during the summer for students work-

ing at or near Vassar in that period. Those resources should be more publicized so that students do not feel they have to exclude possible employment opportunities for lack of transportation or a place to live.

Many students who approach the CDO at the beginning their job search find that the resources are difficult to use and the opportunities are sparse.

Some majors may experience more difficulty in securing professional opportunities in general, but the CDO should be able to better assist these students with increased support services. We suggest a more user-friendly alumnae/i directory, through which students may be able to connect with representatives from a variety of fields in a more reliable way.

Additionally, a periodic update of this stronger directory would avoid the frustration of attempting to contact alumni no longer involved alumnae/i activity or unwilling to assist current students. It should be more obvious which alumnae/i are active in the network, in order to facilitate better alumnae/i-student interactions and achieve real placements in internships and jobs.

There is no excuse for Vassar to continue to look away from its students’ needs. The College takes it upon itself to be aware of the identities and interests of its students, and should apply that information to its career programming and resources. We believe that students can be better served by the institution which aims to prepare them for life beyond college.

—The Staff Editorial expresses the opinion of at least two-thirds of the Miscellany News Editorial Board

United States in dire need of Sanders’ radical platform Nick Barone

Opinions Editor

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hen I was a junior in high school, I wrote an article for my high school’s newspaper entitled, “The American Plutocracy.” Even as a hormone-riddled, obnoxiously idealistic 16-year-old, I knew America was broken. I knew Americans, especially the poor and most at-risk citizens, needed a new New Deal. I knew that wages had to rise, college had to be made more accessible and mainstream officials on both sides of the aisle had to stop catering politically to the rich and privileged. I knew that radical transformations of American political and economic institutions were the only way to reverse decades of deregulatory legislation and trickle-down economics.

In May 2015, my longing for a revival of progressivism seemed to have come true.

Despite my pervasive pessimism regarding the state of establishment politics in the United States, I haven’t given up on you yet, Bernie.

While I have written before about the problematic political philosophies of certain Bernie supporters and the implicit and explicit sexism that permeates criticism of Hillary Clinton, that should not dilute the fact that I unequivocally believe Bernie Sanders is the best presidential candidate.

Bernie is not perfect. Bernie relies too heavily on economic vagaries and repetitious platitudes in his rhetoric. His attacks on Clinton, occasionally, are imbued with sexism or unfair double standards. His position on gun control, particularly his call for the legal protection of gun manufacturers, needs reconsideration. His campaign’s political platform has spawned the most obnoxious online fanbase since the invention of the internet.

However, Bernie’s vision for America is the only one that properly acknowledges how broken our political system really is. He is the only candidate who understands how deeply embedded income inequality is in the institutional framework of American society. He is the only candidate who unabashedly and effectively communicates a political platform that seeks to acknowledge, subvert and deconstruct the

plutocratic ideals that have dominated American politics, especially in the wake of Citizens United.

I will be the first to acknowledge that many of Bernie’s policy proposals are not feasible within the framework of America’s current political and economic establishment. My support for Sanders stems from the very fact that Sanders operates outside of and subverts that very framework. It is Bernie’s eloquent and revolutionary attacks on this very establishment that qualify him as the best candidate running for president.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the top one percent of earners in the United States make 225 times the national median income. The gap between the haves and havenots has not been this wide since the 1920s.

According to a study done at UC Berkeley, 58 percent of all new income since the 2008 recession has gone to the top one percent of earners.

Sanders’ platform of combating this pervasive inequality with a tax on trades of stocks, bonds and derivatives; a $15 minimum wage; a progressive estate tax; expanding Social Security; and investing in federal infrastructure programs, is lofty and overly idealistic. However, it is exactly these calls for radical, structural change that the country needs if we are to live up to the ideals our country was founded upon.

Radical demand for upheaval in the economic landscape of our nation is essential to reversing the damaging legacies of Reaganomics and deregulation.

While I’ve been generally disillusioned with the manner in which the presidential candidates have interacted with Black Lives Matter activists, Sanders’ platform is the only one that properly addresses the various forms of economic, political, physical and environmental violence Black Americans face on a day-to-day basis. Holding police forces accountable, demilitarizing the police, upholding and strengthening the Voting Rights Act, banning for-profit prisons, reversing the War on Drugs, encouraging federal legislation to ensure pay equity for women and investing in jobs for at-risk Americans are concrete and productive first steps

Sanders plans to take in order to heal a nation plagued by oppressive histories of racial and gendered violence.

Sanders articulates a strain of New Dealera progressivism that resonates strongly with liberal Americans, especially young people.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters pack his rallies to hear the Vermont senator decry institutional inequality, pervasive systematic racism, Wall Street and the fossil-fuel industry.

At the first Democratic debate, Sanders argued that climate change was America’s most pressing national security threat. Sanders is the only mainstream candidate to intersect the notions of national security, social justice and environmentalism in his political platform.

Sanders has accomplished all of these strides without the help of big money. Sanders does not have a super PAC, his campaign relying entirely on small donations. Over one million individuals have contributed to his campaign, breaking fundraising records while imbuing his radical message with an integrity unfamiliar to American politics.

Many criticize Sanders, from both the left and the right, for his repetitious fixations on income inequality and his overly idealistic vision for the future of the United States. Some, such as noted liberal economist Paul Krugman, lambast him for an apparent lack of detail in his policies and ignorance of the economic realities of our country.

But it is not his policy positions, not his lofty and rose-filtered aspirations, not his highly palpable and inspiring populism that drives me to support his campaign.

While Bernie certainly has fallen into the trap of vagaries and inspiring-but-shallow rhetoric, Krugman and other critics miss the mark.

As Sean Illing of Salon articulated, “Sanders has said from the beginning that it will take much more than a single election to accomplish meaningful change.

Is there a gap between Bernie’s goals and the political capital needed to accomplish those goals? Absolutely. But the only path forward involves greater participation and awareness (Salon, “We need to set Paul Krugman straight

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

about Bernie: Pundit’s latest Sanders hit job misses the entire point of his campaign,” 04.08.2016).

Yes, Bernie’s concrete steps are grandiose and occasionally lack the polished coherence of his rival. This does not change the fact that he is the only candidate going after the power structures that perpetuate inequality and oppression in our country.

As journalist Conor Lynch argues, “Sanders’ campaign is not about conjuring up the better angels of America’s nature. It is about creating a nationwide movement demanding real change.

Clinton is running to play within the current broken system—the system she has thrived in.

Sanders is running to overhaul it ... It should be noted that the last truly idealistic individual to become president was Ronald Reagan.

And guess what? Since the ‘Reagan revolution,’ American politics has shifted steadily to the right” (Salon, “What Paul Krugman gets wrong about Bernie Sanders,” 01.28.2016).

Sanders’ history as a civil rights activist and fringe political figure informs the direction of his campaign. His platforms are radical, impractical and unlikely to ever pass through the institutions that are currently in place. His campaign is designed to subvert these very institutions.

As public intellectual and famed academic Cornel West said, “My endorsement of Brother Bernie in the primaries is not an affirmation of the neo-liberal Democratic Party ... I do so because he is a long-distance runner with integrity in the struggle for justice for over 50 years. Now is the time for his prophetic voice to be heard across our crisis-ridden country, even as we push him with integrity toward a more comprehensive vision of freedom for all” (Facebook).

As a hormone-riddled, obnoxiously idealistic 16-year-old, I recognized that the current American establishment was in need of radical change. As a post-pubescent, obnoxiously idealistic 19-year-old, I believe that Senator Bernard Sanders is the only mainstream candidate who can deliver and articulate the call for this radical change.

OPINIONS

Page 10

April 21, 2016

Deep sea mining potentially detrimental to environment Steven Park Columnist

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hanks to our insatiable demand for Earth’s natural resources, science never fails to find new ways to take advantage of what the planet offers. From the sunlight to the bedrock, companies have been succeeding in extracting energy and materials from the Earth in the most creative and often destructive ways. This time, the Australian-Canadian company Nautilus Minerals Inc. claims that the next area of focus should be the bottom of the ocean.

The deep sea remains humankind’s last explored frontier on Earth, given how we know more about the surface of Mars than the bottom of the ocean. Hidden in the depths of the dark sea floor is an abundance of priceless metals more valuable than any treasure one may read about in a pirate book.

The ocean not only contains huge nodules of manganese, nickel and copper, but it also has rich deposits of high-grade zinc, gold and silver beneath its hydrothermal vents and mineral layers made out of cobalt and platinum (The Huffington Post, “Deep Sea Mining a New Ocean Threat,” 10.20.2015).

With such an immense collection of riches right in front of us, it’s no surprise that companies are racing to claim rights to these seafloor territories. The first to do so is Nautilus Minerals, a pioneer in what experts are calling “deep-sea mining.” Using its new and revolutionary underwater mining machines, the company plans on cutting up parts of the seafloor and using a collection machine to send them up to a ship on the ocean surface (CNBC, “Deep Sea Mining Company Reveals New Gear,” 11.11.2015).

There, the sediments are filtered to separate the precious minerals from seawater and other substances. Based on existing technology used to dig trenches for oil and gas pipelines, these 50-foot-long mining machines are remote-controlled, which allows the company to extract the ores without sending workers more than a

mile below the ocean surface (CNBC).

Unsurprisingly, the efforts of Nautilus Minerals have caught the attention of several environmental groups who denounced deep-sea mining as destructive to the entire marine ecosystem. While it’s true that deep-sea mining may lead to massive habitat destruction and species extinction, the greatest concern is the fact that no one knows exactly what will happen as a consequence of extracting energy and minerals from deep in the ocean.

“The truth is that we don’t know what the true environmental impacts of deep seabed mining are as yet. We know little about the ecology of the deep sea and the resilience of the system, and the effectiveness of the proposed efforts to assist natural recovery are unknown,” stated GreenPeace Oceans Campaigner Richard Page (The Huffington Post, “Mining Heads into the Deep Sea, Raising Environmental Concerns,” 07.07.2015).

“...no one knows exactly what will happen as a consequence of extracting energy and minerals from deep in the ocean.

The ocean is more than just an expansive body of water. It not only serves as one of the largest sinks for greenhouse gases on Earth, but it also holds some of the largest reservoirs of methane gas beneath the seafloor (The Conversation, “Before We Plunder the Deep Ocean Further We Must Take Stock of What Could Be Lost,” 07.31.2014).

If something went wrong with the carbon dioxide absorption or if the trapped methane escaped into the atmosphere, the effects of cli-

mate change would rapidly worsen and cause unimaginable harm to the planet’s atmosphere.

The bottom line is that Nautilus Minerals’ efforts to extract precious metals from the ocean floor will no doubt damage the ecosystem, but the scope of that damage remains frightfully unknown. Given the unique nature of the ocean floor, anything can happen in only a short amount of time.

Although deep-sea mining could potentially have a significant effect on the environment, Nautilus Minerals argues that the overall impact of deep-sea mining will not be as severe as that of a terrestrial mine. According to Chief Financial Officer Shontel Norgate, there won’t be issues involving community displacement, the use of freshwater supplies, erosion or loss of land (The Huffington Post, 07.07.2015). Not only is the procedure itself minimally disruptive, but the minerals that this project will collect, especially copper, are crucial for green energy technology like wind and solar energy and electric cars.

“If we’re saying no to fossil fuels, we’re effectively saying yes to more copper. Where is that copper coming from?” asked Norgate.

In addition, Nautilus Minerals stated that it wanted to pave a responsible path towards deep-sea mining by setting an example for other companies. The company asks for the global community and all the skeptics to give them a chance to prove themselves.

“I certainly believe that if we get this right... it does have the potential to start a new industry and change the way we’ve been mining copper for decades. We have a clean piece of paper here to decide how we want to do this, how we want this industry to be,” stated Norgate in a recent interview (The Huffington Post, 07.07.2015).

As well-intentioned as Nautilus Minerals might be, deep-sea mining just leaves open too many risks for unforeseen consequences.

After obtaining permission from the country’s government in 2014, the company expects to

BDS vital step toward colonial resistance Jewish Voice for Peace

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e, the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) affiliate at Vassar College, support voting yes on both of the BDS referenda that will come before the student body on April 26 through 28. We consider it our responsibility as American Jews both to voice our opposition to crimes committed by the Israeli government in our name, and to take productive action to stop these crimes and end our economic support of them.

In 2005, well over 100 Palestinian organizations representing the broadest cross-section of Palestinian civil society called for non-violent resistance to colonialism in the form of boycotts of, divestment from and sanctions against the Israeli government and its supporters. We feel compelled to respond

“We believe that attempts to construe the BDS movement as anti-Semitic exploit the existence of historic anti-Semitism... to and amplify this call.

The Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Resolution and Amendment call on Vassar College and student organizations to divest from and boycott several companies that fund and/or contribute to violence and oppression in Israel/Palestine. If this legislation passes, orgs will be prohibited from using VSA monies to purchase items from Ahava, for example, because the company produces cosmetics in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

These settlements, along with the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and annexation of East Jerusalem, are all illegal under international law (UN Resolution 478). No part of

either the resolution or the amendment attempts to control who can or cannot come to campus to speak, nor do they concern VSA allocation of funds to Vassar student organizations.

As a response to the Palestinian call for BDS, the proposed legislation would remain in place until the State of Israel meets the demands enumerated within the BDS call and respects Palestinians’ basic human rights.

According to the call, economic pressures are to remain in place until Israel: 1. Ends its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantles the Apartheid Wall that separates Jews and non-Jews in the West Bank, 2. Recognizes the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality and 3. Respects, protects and promotes the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.

The BDS Movement targets companies and institutions complicit in colonial violence in Israel/Palestine. Contrary to popular claims, it does not target solely Jewish-owned companies, nor does it target all Israeli companies.

We believe that attempts to construe the BDS movement as antisemitic exploit the existence of historic antisemitism, in our community and elsewhere, in order to support a political agenda. As Jewish activists working in solidarity with Palestinian civil society, we seek to ensure that antisemitism plays no role in our organizing and rhetoric, and to combat any instances of it where it may arise.

The BDS Movement combats anti-Arab racism inherent in Israel’s ongoing colonization of Arab lands. At Vassar, we see how some administrators and faculty privilege particular conversations about antisemitism while simultaneously turning face from real, immediate instances of other forms of oppression, particularly anti-Black racism and transphobia.

We hold an understanding of antisemitism that does not take an apocalyptic view of Jewish history and that does not occlude critical reflection on pressing, imminent issues in our community. Rather we acknowledge legacies of oppression and resistance in Jewish history and see them as sites from which our solidarities grow.

BDS is not only ethical, it is effective.

With support from both Palestinian and Israeli politicians and activists, the BDS Movement provides a growing threat against Israel’s discriminatory policies and racist violence. This rising pressure from abroad has shifted conversation significantly within Israel and though Israel and the United

“...the BDS Movement provides a growing threat against Israelís discriminatory policies and racist violence.

States are beginning to attempt to stifle and outlaw the BDS movement, we believe that its continued growth will make possible real and substantive policy changes both internationally and within Israel/Palestine. Vassar has a chance now to join the movement that will eventually lead to true peace and justice in the region.

Given that the BDS Movement seeks to challenge colonialism, that it is not antisemitic and that it is a grassroots, non-violent movement which affirms the right of the colonized to direct their own liberation, we firmly support BDS at Vassar and beyond.

JVP meets on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. There is no hierarchy and all students, regardless of identity, are welcome. And join us on Wednesday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. to learn more and make matzo pizza!

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

begin their mining project off the coast of Papua New Guinea in 2018 (The Huffington Post, “Mining Heads Into the Deep Sea, Raising Environmental Concerns,” 07.07.2015). If the project is successful, the company may collect at least 80,000 tons of copper and 150,000 ounces of gold per year.

In our market-driven world, the success of Nautilus Minerals will only provide an incentive for numerous other companies to do the same. Nautilus Minerals may be the first to experiment with deep-sea mining, but it certainly won’t be the last. After all, with the ocean floor rich with precious minerals, it’s only natural for people to want to take advantage of them before anyone else does first.

Already, other corporations, such as Lockheed Martin, are making plans to commercially explore the seafloor (CNBC). So far, the International Seabed Authority, the United Nations body regulating this growing industry, has issued a total of 19 licenses to different organizations (BBC, “Agreement Reached on Deep Sea Mining,” 04.25.2014). While the benefits of deep-sea mining may outweigh the costs momentarily, those costs will grow exponentially as more and more firms join the bandwagon.

As the industry grows, the possibility of things going wrong, like a disastrous chemical spill, will rapidly increase as well. Eventually, it will be an entire swarm of underwater mining machines drilling into the ocean floor, which will ravage the planet at an astronomical scale. Even Nautilus Minerals itself plans on expanding to other areas if the project is successful. What is to stop others from doing the same?

Deep-sea mining presents itself as a glittering, attractive new way to squeeze more natural resources from the environment. But, as with similar past endeavors, once the industry gathers enough momentum, it becomes almost impossible to stop and leaves behind a trail of destruction in its wake.

Letter to the Editor The vote in support of the referendum to divest from dirwect holdings in fossil fuel companies clearly shows the importance that Vassar students attach to taking action against global warming. As I have said previously, climate change is a critical issue and one that is best addressed through changes in policy and incentives at various governmental levels (“Shareholder role crucial in climate reform, Miscellany News, February 17, 2016).

However, the result of the referendum has no direct bearing on the College’s policy on investments, as it is the Board of Trustees that has sole authority on endowment investment matters. As outlined in the Governance, the Trustee Investor Responsibility Committee (TIRC) is charged by the Board of Trustees to hold discussions on divestment if that is the recommendation that they receive from the Campus Investor Responsibility Committee (CIRC), which on three separate occasions, including as recently as last fall, has declined to make such a recommendation.

The broad agreement on the importance of global warming that is illustrated by the outcome of the referendum should present an excellent opportunity to galvanize our efforts to make real progress by reducing Vassar’s greenhouse gas emissions and thus work together toward carbon neutrality. This work, and the work of effecting governmental changes that encourage the move to cleaner sources of energy, are the most important tasks before us.

—Catherine Bond Hill, President of the College

OPINIONS

April 21, 2016

ResLife must review housing sustainability Emma Jones

Opinions Editor

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s the academic year draws to a close, housing is fresh in everyone’s mind. As students navigate room draw and look ahead to next year’s living arrangements, it is important to consider what could use improvement.

Going into a new academic year, the College should reexamine aspects of residential life that are often overlooked or dismissed as inconsequential.

In light of the Climate Whiplash event that took place this Tuesday and Vassar’s plans for upcoming renovations, the College needs to take into account the environmental sustainability of Vassar housing. While the current residential system fosters community in many ways, it is crucial to consider the ecological aspects of the Vassar community as well.

Schools across the country have begun incorporating eco-friendly practices into dormitory renovations, and Vassar should follow suit moving forward. Environmental sustainability can be incorporated into everything from water usage, to lighting, to energy sources and while many of these changes require considerable time, money and planning, there are certainly ways in which to gradually implement eco-friendly living at Vassar.

Wake Forest University, for instance, has Energy Star appliances and water-saving shower heads and toilets throughout its student housing (NBC News, “More colleges redo dorms with green touches,” 07.16.2008). Vassar would be able to implement this change for a reasonable cost and would not only conserve water, but would also save money in the long run.

Pitzer College in Southern California constructed several of its housing facilities using building materials that mainly originated from areas within 200 miles of the school, which cut down on environmental damage inflicted in the process of transporting materials, as well as transportation costs (NPR, “Colleges Create Eco-Friendly Dorms,” 08.31.2007). In addition,

the rooftops of the buildings are insulated with gardens and incorporate photovoltaic panels, which generate renewable energy. The materials themselves include recycled concrete, carpeting and insulation. While it is obviously unrealistic to expect Vassar to implement these changes in the near future, it would be beneficial to keep options such as these in mind as the College gradually renovates and reconstructs houses and other buildings.

While some buildings across campus have energy-saving lights in the bathrooms that use motion sensors to ensure that the lights are not on unnecessarily, the College has yet to introduce this feature into dormitories. Although this is only a minor change, it would significantly cut down on energy usage over time.

Some schools, such as Colorado State University, have gone so far as to install solar plants on or near campus (Best Choice Schools, “50 Great Affordable Eco-Friendly Colleges”). Colorado State’s solar energy usage is projected to reduce greenhouse emissions by approximately 5.5 million pounds each year. Many colleges and universities are taking a more gradual approach to the integration of alternative power sources, such as installing solar panels on residential buildings over a projected period of time.

LEED, a building program that spurs sustainable building, design and construction, is becoming more common on college campuses.

The program provides “a framework that gives project teams the ability to choose solutions that contribute to aggregate environmental progress” (USGBC, “LEED Facts,” 08.07.2013).

Although the main purpose of LEED is to improve environmental sustainability, it also focuses on improving building performance. In fact, studies have shown that LEED-certified buildings not only conserves energy, and therefore money, but also rank among the highest performing buildings (USGBC).

Examples of environmentally friendly living exist within our own campus as well as outside it: Most Vassar students walk past Ferry

Letter to the Editor We learned yesterday that a swastika was placed on a sign outside the dorm room of a student living in Main. We also have seen the memo sent by the Office of Residential Life to students in Main. As far as we know, that memo is the only response made by Vassar to this incident. Other schools where anti-Semitic graffiti has been found - usually close in time to a vote on BDS - have publicly denounced similar acts. It is disturbing, although hardly surprising, that Vassar has not followed suit.

We understand that under certain circumstances, placing antii-Semitic graffiti on the door of another person’s dorm room may subject the perpetrator to charges of making graffiti, a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison. In effect, Vassar is trying to minimize what is potentially criminal behavior with an incredibly lame memo sent only to the residents of Main.

The letter is deficient in the following respects: 1. As far as we know, it was addressed to and sent only to residents of Main. Placing a swastika on the door of a dorm room is something that affects the entire school, not just students who happen to live in Main; 2. Nowhere does the letter acknowledge that placing a universally-recognized symbol of hatred towards the Jewish people is a quintessential act of anti-Semitism.

House on a regular basis, and yet few are actually aware of the effort that its inhabitants put into sustainable living each day. Those who live in Ferry have weekly meetings to discuss household responsibilities and goals, and each person plays a part in cooking, cleaning and keeping Ferry House running. The rest of Vassar could benefit from an increased awareness of the environmental efforts of their fellow students.

The College should also take into consideration the changes occurring in the surrounding area. The Vassar Brothers Medical Center, which is scheduled to open in January 2019, will “incorporate the latest in sustainable design and is expected to receive LEED certification” (Health Quest, “State approves Vassar Brothers Medical Center’s plan to build $466 million patient pavilion,” 10.15.2015). It is significant that the largest construction project in the history of the City of Poughkeepsie, which is a feat in itself, is placing premium on sustainability.

It is important, of course, to take into account the financial implications of environmentally sustainable refurbishments. Particularly in light of the new meal plan, which will go into effect in the fall of 2017, Vassar must be cautious about the financial burden that these changes place on low-income students.

The new meal plan, however, is also an opportunity to implement more environmentally friendly practices into student life. As the school attempts to transition upperclassmen to an all-inclusive meal plan rather than independently preparing food, Vassar should consider ways in which to limit food waste and implement sustainable methods of preparing food, cleaning dishes and maintaining dining facilities.

Vassar is fairly successful, for the most part, in creating a socially inclusive and community-oriented environment. The College needs to give just as much attention to the physical environment, however, in order to accommodate students in a sustainable manner.

3. The letter advises that if any students are concerned, they can contact the Rabbi of the Office of Residential Life. The only conclusion that can be drawn from the use of this phrasing is that overt displays of anti-Semitism may affect only individual students and not every single student attending Vassar.

4. The suggestion that a victim of a hate crime confront the perpetrator and remind them of our community values is ludicrous. If a perpetrator is sexually assaulting a student, should the victim caution the attacker to stop and remind him or her of Vassar’s community values?

The opening lines of the letter state that the presence of this kind of message creates the impression that Vassar is a community where this type of behavior is tolerated. But Vassar’s response to the swastika graffiti does precisely that. It suggests, all too accurately, that Vassar will in fact tolerate biased acts as long as they are committed against Jewish and/or pro-Israel students.

It is Vassar’s moral and legal obligation to create a safe environment for all students. Vassar can not escape this duty by placing the burden on the victim of a heinous act.

Page 11

Word on the street What do white people like?

“Themselves.”

— Sam Leftt ’19

“Instagram aesthetics.”

— Lorraine Jabouin ’19

“Keeping snap streaks.”

—Max CantyHilchey ’19

“Missionary.”

— Jaimeson Bukacek-Frazier ’19

Sincerely, Melissa Green, Class of 1978 Megan Tallmer, Class of 1973

“Olive Garden.”

— Kenny Lee ’18

Letter to the Editor According to the College Governance, the “campus investor responsibility committee [CIRC] recommends to the trustee investor responsibility committee [TIRC] votes on social action proxies being considered by shareholders of public companies represented in the college portfolio. It also studies broader investor responsibility issues and makes recommendations to the trustee committee”. The committee’s purpose in the second case is to consider investor responsibility issues, such as divestment, brought to it by the broader campus community. In this capacity CIRC has carefully studied and considered three fossil fuel divestment proposals since 2013, most recently this past fall. In all cases, the committee spent significant time studying the proposals and discussing the reasons for and against divestment from the identified companies, as well as divestment as a political and social statement more generally. We met with members of the Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign on multiple occasions and supported their meetings with the President and members of TIRC. Ultimately, after careful deliberation, a majority of the committee in each case voted not to support divestment from the companies identified in the proposals. In no case was the committee unanimous and specific reasons for supporting or opposing divestment were varied, ranging from beliefs about the moral bases for divestment to views on the economics of divestment and endowment management. The committee’s decision is not changed by the student referendum in support of divestment. The committee, as specified in the Governance, includes two students, two faculty members, two administrators and two alumnae/i, with the Chair of the committee serving as a non-voting member except in the case of a tie vote.

As a committee we do not support divestment as an institutional tactic in the movement against global climate change. Yet, all members of CIRC believe that global climate change threatens life on earth and that action which will slow global temperature rise needs to take place swiftly and globally. We encourage, and will join to support, student, faculty, administrator and alumnae/i activities that constructively and effectively further this agenda.

From: The Campus Investor Responsibility Committee

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“Iced beverages.” ­­—Rori Chuck ’19

Evelyn Frick, Columnist Sam Pianello, Photo Editor

OPINIONS

Page 12

April 21, 2016

Presidency needs, deserves Clinton’s political expertise Jesse Horrowitz Columnist

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here is more to leadership than just saying the right things. The ability to capture an audience through passionate speeches about a narrow range of issues does not qualify someone for the presidency. Nor should stubborn, unwavering ideological purity overrule the necessity of compromise.

Bernie Sanders is great at saying the right thing. He is great at capturing an audience through passionate speeches about income inequality, healthcare and free education. He has retained ideological purity, which, contrary to popular belief, is not the same as integrity, both during his campaign and throughout his career.

But none of these things qualify Senator Sanders to be President of the United States. His speaking ability has been undermined by frequent gaffes on important foreign policy issues, especially when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as by a basic lack of understanding of his own proposals, as revealed during an interview with the New York Daily News. His ideological purity has alienated his co-workers, and as a result the junior Senator from Vermont has experienced difficulty gaining endorsements even from Congress’ most progressive members.

Yes, there are many things Bernie Sanders and I agree upon. I admit that he appeals to my sense of progressive idealism. But there’s more to the presidency than holding the right views.

In 1976, Jimmy Carter held the right views. But four years later, foreign and domestic debacles, some of which were beyond his control and some of which were a direct result of his lack of preparation for the position, led to 12 years of Republican rule under Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. The presidency requires not only great ideas but knowhow to implement those ideas while simultaneously balancing whatever unforeseeable crisis is challenging the nation.

Hillary Clinton is the only candidate who can walk that thin line between idealism and pragmatism. Like Bernie Sanders, she has been a loud

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frequently claiming she didn’t have a super PAC even though that wasn’t true. I don’t remember Hillary Clinton claiming Bernie Sanders received considerably more money from oil companies than he actually did while receiving money from them herself.

There’s accusations that she changes her position too often. I suppose by that logic we’d be better off with President George W. Bush, who, according to Stephen Colbert, “Believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday, no matter what happened Tuesday. Events can change; this man’s beliefs never will.”

Yes, Hillary Clinton has changed her position.

In 2008, she supported civil unions for samesex couples, not marriage. By 2016, she supports marriage equality. It’s not like Bernie Sanders said he supported civil unions in 2006 and then changed his position later on. Inconsistencies in your statements don’t matter when you’re a man and a cult figure.

Regardless, Secretary Clinton is not perfect.

But we can’t let the perfect get in the way of the good. Make no mistake, Hillary Clinton is a progressive. But, as she said in the first Democratic Presidential Debate, she’s “a progressive who likes to get things done”.

And that is crucial. I don’t believe that Bernie Sanders will be able to do much as President, not just because it’s unlikely that the Democrats are going to take back the House, but because he’s too much of an ideologue and seems to believe that, as President, he gets more authority than he actually has. He can’t do everything by himself. He can’t overturn Citizens United without the Supreme Court and he can’t pass healthcare reform without Congress.

Hillary Clinton has worked with Republicans on meaningful legislation in the past and, I believe, will find a way to work with Republicans as President. She has the right balance between idealism and pragmatism, and her qualifications outshine any of her opponents. I believe, truly, that Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for President of the United States.

by Alycia Beattie, York Chen, and Collin Knopp-Schwyn

ACROSS

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curity funding in a way that’s completely equal regardless of need or population size?

Among his other shining moments was his flip flop on moving prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to civilian courts. In 2007 he voted against a bill barring the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to America, only to vote for a bill barring it in 2009 when Obama was in office. Not to mention that Bernie Sanders voted in favor of the 1994 Crime Bill he often attacks Secretary Clinton for, one that he justified by later lying about his reasons for voting for it. Not to mention his vote in favor of easing regulations on Wall Street with the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000.

As for his revolutionary ideas—free healthcare, free education, campaign finance reform— Bernie Sanders’ tenure has been relatively uneventful. I have yet to see many examples of his supposedly extraordinary efforts to change this country, far less any successes. No, Bernie Sanders doesn’t do. He talks.

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand is arguably the most qualified candidate for president in the history of the United States. She revolutionized the role of first lady, writing and attempting to push through comprehensive health care reform that, although it didn’t pass, paved the way for Obamacare. As Secretary of State, she received praise from members of both parties, many of whom would later run against her in 2016.

Of course, Hillary Clinton is not the perfect candidate. I, along with many Americans, was disappointed with her vote in favor of the Iraq War. Although she later regretted it, and she was misled by an administration that lied both to the public and Congress, it was an error in judgment on her part. I was disappointed with her vote on that issue, just as I imagine Bernie’s supporters were disappointed with his five votes against the Brady Bill and other gun control legislation.

There’s also been accusations that she’s not honest. I believe that she is. It bothers me, however, when people claim that Bernie Sanders is completely honest about everything while Hillary isn’t. I don’t remember Hillary Clinton

The Miscellany Crossword

“National Holiday”

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voice for progressivism in America, passionately pursuing health care and education reform. Unlike Bernie Sanders, she has a record of getting things done.

While Bernie Sanders has talked about health care reform, Hillary Clinton has worked tirelessly to get it passed through Congress, not only with Hillarycare, but with the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which currently provides healthcare to over 8 million children across the country.

While Bernie Sanders has talked about LGBT rights, Hillary Clinton lobbied for them abroad at a time when it was not popular to do so. While Bernie Sanders has voted against the Brady Bill five times, Hillary Clinton has been an active supporter of gun control. While Bernie Sanders has consistently been called out by the Anti-Defamation League for getting facts wrong on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Hillary Clinton, during her time as Secretary of State, negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that established relative quiet in the region for an entire year.

Hillary Clinton, while obviously not a native New Yorker, has done a great deal for the state.

As Senator, she helped secure $21 billion in federal funding to help rebuild after the events of Sept. 11. She prevented Corning, one of the largest employers in northern New York state, from going out of business. She played a large role in restoring the Long Island Sound. She helped guarantee federal funding for agricultural development in the region.

Of course, Bernie Sanders has not been without his passions in the Senate. There was, for example, the time he fought against legislation that would have allowed the Department of Homeland Security money to allocate money based on risk of a terrorist attack. After all, doesn’t Vermont have just as much a need to defend the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market from the threats on global terror as New York has need to defend one of the most populated cities on the planet?

Does it not make sense to allocate homeland se-

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HUMOR & SATIRE

April 21, 2016

Page 13

Breaking News From the desk of Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor After gratuitous 60 points in final game, Kobe Bryant assures media his ego won’t be retiring any time soon.

Matthew’s choice: construct Upperclassmen profit from your ideal Founder’s Day! version of Easy Bake Oven Talya Phelps Option 8

BEGIN HERE

You turn in early the night before Founder’s Day, visions of revelry dancing in your head, and are awakened bright and early by your student fellow. “LET’S RAGE,” she hollers, pushing entire handles of Fireball into your hands.

To refuse and return to bed, turn to option 1.

To accept a shot, turn to option 2.

OPTION 1

“Absolutely not,” you say firmly. “Have you no respect for the three B’s?” Your student fellow sheepishly stalks out of the room and you roll over and fall back asleep.

Turn to option 3.

OPTION 2

You partake in the festivities with your fellow group and then it’s time to get dressed and head outside. You poke your head out the window. The day is bright and beautiful, and the sun’s warmth hints at the endless summer that lies just beyond finals. Your phone lights up with a text from your bestie. Apparently your friends are already outside, and you’re missing a game of “Never Have I Ever.”

To put on your skimpiest outfit and dash out the door, turn to option 4.

To stop, hydrate and get something in your stomach first, turn to option 5.

OPTION 3

OPTION 5

You head to the Retreat, grab a cup of water and get in line for the Grill. It’s incredibly long; apparently everyone has the munchies.

To slip out of line and join your friends, turn to option 7.

To order pancakes, turn to option 6.

To give up and head back to your room, turn to option 3.

OPTION 6

Sadly, the pancakes have been contaminated with peanuts by an inebriated student worker and you’re allergic. You didn’t pack your EpiPen because your skimpy shorts don’t have pockets. All your friends give eulogies at your funeral and you get a bench dedicated to your memory outside the College Center.

THE END OPTION 7

You and your friends stampede into the library, stripping off your clothes as you go and tossing them at the librarians. As you’re making a loop around the Reading Room, hooting and hollering, you catch a glimpse of your upperclassman crush! He must have been doing some last-minute studying before joining in the festivities. You’re feeling a little sick from all that running, though.

To sneak away from him to go throw up in the bathroom, go to option 8.

To run up and flirt with him, go to option 9.

Connor McIlwain Delete Cookies?

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acing the prospect of the proposed mandatory meal plan, upperclassmen are thinking of new ways to use their TA and TH kitchens.

Future SoCo resident Blake Mack expressed frustration with the new plan. “I just don’t understand how I’m supposed to get all the way to the Deece everyday–especially now that I can’t ride my hoverboard on campus.” Mack and his housemates are considering investing in a Segway.

The dismay is unfortunately not confined to the SoCo’s. Sydney McCabe almost lost her spot in the TA’s because of the “VanMinter Mixup.”

Little did she know, an even bigger disaster was headed her way in the form of a new meal plan.

However, McCabe and her housemates put their heads together to defeat the ResLife/Dining patriarchy and decided to sublet their kitchen.

“You’d be surprised how many people in the area are looking to rent a kitchen,” said McCabe, who is deciding between offers from a group of Culinary Institute students and the incoming Raymond Post-Bac. “It really just comes down to getting the most bang for our buck, like taking tubs of cereal from the Deece,” McCabe added.

The subletting idea is spreading faster than Founder’s Day merch. Sean Smith and his TH housemates have recently reached an agreement with Nilda’s Desserts. Their kitchen will act as a

satellite location for the local business.

According to Nilda and Jim Milano, owners of Nilda’s Desserts, the partnership was only natural. “We started the business out of our home so it’s only natural to go in this direction–back to our roots, if you will,” said Nilda Milano (that’s actually her name) in an emailed statement.

“This partnership is sweet: we’re committed to bringing the freshest desserts to Vassar students and baking on-site really allows us to cut out the middle man.”

Unfortunately, campus administrators see a downside to this trend. “This is absolutely not what our campus housing is intended for,” wrote a senior administrator at the College who wished not to be named.

The administrator continued, “There is a great fear that we won’t be able to do anything to stop this. It’s just like the smoking ban: even if we condemn it, students will just continue but be slightly quieter about it. I have had some conversations with colleagues about getting on the right side of this thing–you know, maybe helping students build these partnerships for a small fee, but that is probably illegal.”

As of now nobody is certain what will happen to the remaining kitchens. But who can complain about getting fresher Nilda’s? Besides, if we have no idea how to cook when we graduate, at least we’ll have great problem-solving skills.

OPTION 8

You creep away, but he turns his head and sees you in your compromising state. You spend the rest of the day sitting by the lake, contemplating your life decisions and obsessively checking your Friendsy.

THE END

Samana Shrestha/The Miscellany News

You snooze alone in your room until the early afternoon, when your roommates bumble in the door. They entreat you to come have fun, but you shake your head and pull out your laptop. You work on your history paper for the rest of the day. When the sun sets, you try to head out for dinner, but you’re stopped in your tracks on the Deece path by a violently fornicating couple. You turn around and go back to bed, congratulating yourself on a Founder’s Day free of debauchery.

THE END

To join them, turn to option 7.

To stop and get something in your stomach, turn to option 5.

OPTION 9 OPTION 4

You pull on an ensemble consisting of approximately 2 grams of fabric (1 of those grams being pure lace), grab your sunglasses and race out to the quad, where your friends are just finishing the game and are now about to head to the library and go streaking through the stacks.

You run up and accost him, mesmerizing him with your best drunken flirting skills (which rely heavily on eyelash batting and crazed giggling). He’s totally into it! You spend the rest of the day making passionate love in the Vogelstein basement.

THE END

This spring, freshmen prematurely declare majors and stupidity Evelyn Frick, Majorly Undeclared

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ecently at Vassar College, a trend has developed among freshmen that does not involve binge-drinking or putting on experimental theater productions. Rather, the most in-vogue thing to do right now for freshmen has been to declare their majors. After pondering why a freshman would declare a major, I decided to consult my Vassar College Catalogue for answers. There, under the section entitled “Idiot Freshmen Moves,” I found this official list: 1. You’re a Drama Major Wow, look at you, you’re such a go-getter! Except if you were planning to be a drama major here, you needed to declare on Move-In Day and have Meryl on speed-dial. But never fear, at least you get some sort of priority for shows now! I mean sure, you’re probably still going to get cast as a doorknob in “Romeo and Juliet,”

but maybe one day Vassar will name an entire janitorial closet after you.

2. All-Hours Access to the Bridge Having a rave in the Bridge sounds like a great time and it’s actually super achievable.

All you have to do is create a shitty Facebook event titled BYOE (Bring Your Own Erlenmeyer Flask), cover yourself in glow paint and declare a major in the sciences! The glow paint will probably give you some pretty funky skin cancer, but at least in like a decade you can be more involved in curing yourself than walking a 5K. 3. You Declared By Accident We’ve all been there. You’re sitting in your pre-major advisor’s office after telling him that you are “considering” a Comp Sci major, suddenly you’re shaking hands with literally every-

one in the department like you’re the Obama of computer nerds, signing a bunch of paperwork, and BOOM! You’re a computer science major.

Okay, maybe we haven’t all been there. Some of us are a little more assertive than an adult-braces-wearing member of the Geek Squad. But this surely will make a funny anecdote one day when a little girl asks you to tell the awe-inspiring story of how you got into computer science.

4. You Can Always Change It All your friends are declaring right now and you don’t want to be the only member of your clique without a major to match your monthly horoscope, so why not? One week you could be really vibing with physics and declare, until you remember you left your graphing calculator back at home. It doesn’t matter! You can always change it to, say, the Self-Instructional

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Language Program. Or maybe you could decide by randomly pointing at a department listed in this thing, that has got to be comparable to an 18-year-old without a full year of college experience picking their major, right?

6. The “I Declared!” Button You lost it already, didn’t you? Goddammit, frosh. How are you ever going to prove to your friends and family that you’re a studio art major if you don’t post a picture with that over-hyped piece of plastic on Facebook? I mean, I guess you could do a charcoal pencil drawing. Or a sculpture. You made a sculpture, didn’t you? Oh my god, you declared, we get it, everyone already knows artists have the most social capital on this campus, stop bragging. Just go hang out with your other art major friends and jerk each other off, okay?

ARTS

Page 14

April 21, 2016

Culture, cultures explored in performance of Yogurt Elena Schultz Reporter

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s the waning sun’s reflection drifted languidly across Sunset Lake, a lone DJ stood watch under a tree festooned with pink feather boas. A siren’s call of warbling techno beckoned spectators to the Friday night performance of “Yogurt,” and gaggles of students trailed over the wooden bridge toward the music and a Seussian landscape of pom-pom webs and cellophane trees.

“Yogurt,” an experimental, devised piece, explored the complexities of human society within the framework of yogurt-making. “It’s emergent community-building modeled after yogurt cultures,” Stage manager Charlotte Foley ’18 explained.

The notion of community—or at the very

least, intimacy—was immediately evident. Performers swathed in iridescent fabric (think Ancient Greece in outer space) moved from one spectator to the next—one looked into my eyes, smiled and proceeded to finger paint my eyelids green and nose purple. Next to me were foreheads of gold and orange and David Bowie-esque streaks of blues and reds. A colorful crowd of nearly 100 people flocked to the lake, sitting cross-legged and waiting for the show to begin.

“It’s okay if you hate it,” assured set designer Gabby Miranda ’18. “Your feelings and opinions are nonnegotiable,” Foley added.

As performers drew what looked like water from the lake and poured it between cupped hands, a hush fell over the audience. With hesitancy and an occasional burst of laughter, the water was passed through the audience’s hands,

courtesy of Joey Boots-Ebenfield

Last weekend, students performed “Yogurt” near Sunset Lake. The production explored spiritual themes that parallel the yogurt making process and evoke community discussion.

and I realized, to my surprise, that it wasn’t water at all. It was simply air, and the whole crowd had known to play along.

The performance carried on with the same kind of unscripted whimsy as we were led underneath a bridge dangling with toy fish, through a twine web carefully strung with colorful pom-poms and into a tree wrapped in cellophane. Audience member Evelyn Frick ’19 [Full Disclosure: Evelyn is a staff columnist for the Miscellany News] noted, “I experienced it in a very childlike wonder—everything was very fascinating and very new, and part of me was trying to figure out what it all meant, but I think I realized very soon into it that that’s not what it was about ... It was about experiencing what they were giving to us.”

While “Yogurt” certainly followed a general path, it felt refreshingly unscripted, and the audience was welcome to treat the set as their playground. Miranda remarked, “There’s definitely a sequence of events that explain the village and its culture—pun intended—but it’s also obviously very organic and derived from the people who come and what they do.”

Frick appreciated the show’s flexibility and lack of concrete structure. She explained, “I remember it felt very warm and sensual—it was a very sensory experience ... I felt very close with the actors and the group around us, which I think was the goal.”

Audience member Jaimeson Bukacek Frazier ’19 agreed: “There was that whole sensual aspect, but the entire thing came off as playful and innocent, and it was this really weird juxtaposition...between the two that they pulled off well.”

Within the overarching metaphor of yogurt cultures, an independent community had miraculously formed as a byproduct. Miranda observed, “You know, communities take forever to emerge—the Vassar community is continuously emerging—so I think the act of creating a village is practically impossible in whatever definition we have of a village as a society. But that being said, I think one of the things that makes

me most proud of the experience...it’s a chance for people to really look at the Vassar community from within another community.”

Once the audience had reached the top of the hill, we found ourselves running back down again. Hand in hand with strangers and performers and friends, we spun in a wild, delightful frenzy. Breathless, I realized that I had forgotten about a botched statistics quiz and looming essays—and I think that was the point.

We were extended the offer to hold the hands of strangers and spin and whoop and holler at the moon and feel a kind of affinity for one another that tends to get lost in the everyday hustle and bustle.

Of course, participation was not mandatory, only encouraged. Since the production was completely wordless, participation hinged on the audience’s response to the cast. It certainly changed Bukacek Frazier’s experience. He explained, “Once I started participating in it, as opposed to just watching it, it became a lot more enjoyable.”

Despite initial reluctance from some, near the end of the performance, every spectator readily joined hands to form a massive circle encompassing the hill, running full force in some kind of reimagined schoolyard game toward the middle and imminent collision. “I think it would have been a mistake not to engage in it,” Frick commented.

Audience member Zoe Wiseman ’19 remarked, “I heard about it, I had no idea what it was ... But it was, in a way, spiritual.”

Unlike some more traditional productions with strict run times, Yogurt ended early on its debut night so audience members could make their way to the Chapel for a concert.

However, Friday night ended with a euphoric dance party under the stars. The same DJ who began the show sent pulsating, jubilant electronica into the night sky as the audience swayed and whirled, breaking away one-byone to walk back home again over the wooden bridge.

Blank canvas for FWA with production of Fly by Night Matt Stein

Assistant Arts Editor

C

Earlier in the semester, FWA held their semi-annual cabaret, which featured a preview of FWA’s roster of shows this spring. In the cabaret, the cast of “Fly By Night” performed the title song, which is also the opening number of the show.

Harold’s dad, Mr. McClam, is played by Nic Penn ’19. According to him, uniting the cast and crew of this show has made a tremendous difference. “Incorporating musicians has been a dream. Having Michael, our music director, at practically every rehearsal has been superbly helpful. It allows us to run things at our own pace from the get-go, rather than relying on a recording, a luxury I’ve never had. It’s also allowed for much more individual work.”

FWA’s other show will be “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the original musical which was eventually adapted into the popular 1975 film.

That show will be going up the week after “Fly

By Night.” Both of FWA’s shows provide rare

opportunities, one being a new show rarely performed and the other being a show wellknown but rarely seen in its original form.

“Rocky Horror” and “Fly By Night” are very different in their content, but there is something for everyone in each.

“This show is quirky, hilarious and also tragically sad. It’s a piece of goofy musical theatre that speaks to the truths of loss and sadness that we all experience. It balances melancholy emotions and humor in a wonderful, unique and balanced way, and that meaning made me really want to work on this show,” Rhodes said about the universal qualities of “Fly By Night,” transforming it into a glissando of emotions. “This exciting work is something that will touch all audiences. It speaks to family, to the importance of music and perhaps most importantly the impact of both love and loss.

Through these heavier moments, audiences are still sure to be laughing.”

courtesy of Liv Rhodes

hances are you’ve heard of “Wicked” or “Hamilton” or “The Book of Mormon.”

These were shows that exploded into the pop culture sphere; everyone from your parents to your teachers to even your deli guy knew at least one song. But they’ve probably never heard of or even seen a little show called “Fly

By Night.” However, everyone at Vassar has the opportunity to do so.

On April 22 and 23, Rocky 200 will be the platform for “Fly By Night,” the first show of the semester for Future Waitstaff of America (FWA), Vassar’s musical theatre student organization. The show is directed by Liv Rhodes ’18, music directed by Michael Oosterhout ’18 and stage managed by Lydia Wood ’17. There will also be an open dress rehearsal on April 21 for anyone to attend.

“Fly by Night,” which originally premiered Off-Broadway in 2014, follows two sisters, Miriam (Cyndi Bonacum ’16) and Daphne (Daisy Walker ’18), and a sandwich maker, Harold (Myles Olmsted ’19), caught in a love triangle in the Manhattan blackout of 1965. Running around two hours, this show is both funny and heartbreaking. With a beautiful soundtrack, “Fly By Night” gives the audience a full experience.

After stage-managing one of FWA’s shows in the fall, Rhodes decided to take on a more authoritative role for her next project: “Last semester, I knew I wanted to direct a musical.

So, I was looking into shows to do, and stumbled across this one. I had the requirements of something funny, something with a small cast and something with the rights easily accessible. This show kept coming up again and again.

There were a group of people already willing to do a project with me and my amazing stage manager, Lydia Wood, so we had to pick something. On a whim, I ordered the ‘Fly By Night’ script, read it and loved it. We decided to just go for it.”

Last Sunday, one of the writers of “Fly By Night,” Michael Mitnick, visited Vassar for a Q&A session. In the discussion, he talked about

his creative process behind writing the show as well as career advice for those wishing to have a life in theatre and media. Seeing Mitnick in person gave the cast insight into his creative processes and the vision he had for the show.

Mitnick wrote “Fly By Night” with Kim Rosenstock and Will Connolly when the three were grad students at Yale School of Drama in 2009. Mitnick also currently writes for HBO’s “Vinyl” and was the screenwriter for the film adaptation of “The Giver.”

Since “Fly by Night” is fairly new, this production has the rare opportunity of presenting a show without any preconceived notions on campus. Elaborating on this special situation, Oosterhout said, “The benefit of doing a relatively unknown Off-Broadway show is that the audience comes to it completely unknown, in the dark, so to speak. And our actors and musicians are the storytellers, the stars who light the way. The audience response in our previews so far has been incredibly heartening: laughter, weeping, thoughtfulness and more.

The characters in this show are fully fleshed human beings with deep emotions, whom our actors bring to life off the page through the power of music.”

One of the additional aspects of this show will be the band that will be playing alongside the actors, which will allow for more of a Broadway feel to the show. Oosterhout will also be playing piano in the pit band with three other musicians. He described the benefits of working with this small group: “Truly, there’s no more fun role in a show than being a pit musician. I have the pleasure of working with a small band of guitar, bass and drums, where my role is to play piano and conduct. Working with the pit is a completely different process than with the actors.”

In an active choice to draw more attention to the story, the set has been simplified. Rhodes elaborated, “As we are in an alternative space, and the show is very fast paced, I decided for a minimalist design scheme. It is a period piece, taking place in the year between 1964 and 1965, so we wanted to bring simplicity through retro design.”

On April 22 and 23, Future Waitstaff of America (FWA) will perform “Fly by Night” in Rocky 200. FWA is excited to gauge the reaction on campus of this relatively new musical production.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

April 21, 2016

ARTS

Page 15

Shakespeare Festival unites many orgs, literature lovers Saachi Jain Columnist

F

or the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Shakespeare Garden, multiple organizations are coming together for the Shakespeare Festival–the first of its kind and scale. The festival is taking place outdoors in the Shakespeare Garden on April 24 at 12 p.m., and consists of a variety of experiences such as performances, games, contests and much more.

The most unique aspect of the event, according to many of those involved in organizing it, is how it gave so many campus groups a chance to collaborate. The main organizations involved are Camerata, No Such Organization, Merely Players and the Barefoot Monkeys. Sarah Johnson ’16 of Camerata described the process of preparing for

the festival: “The leaders of Camerata, NSO and Merely Players met a few times to brainstorm ideas and discuss what would be logistically feasible (we decided that serving rabbit fricassee wouldn’t work out), as well as working out financial details with Chris Sundberg. We then set out on our own to pull together our groups’ contributions.” In addition to the various student organizations, Senior Lecturer in English Karen Robertson, Associate Professor of English on the Anne McNiff Tatlock Chair Leslie Dunn, Associate Professor of English Zoltan Markus and Professor of Drama Denise Walen will also give brief talks on a range of relevant topics.

According to Max Fine ’17, the complexity of the event inevitably brought along some challenges. He said, “I think the most difficult part of organizing the Festival is that there have been a

courtesy of Merely Players via Facebook

The Shakespeare Festival will unite a host of literary buffs and several organizations that are collaborating to fund and execute the festival. It celebrates the life of Shakespeare.

lot of moving parts, so to speak, so it’s sometimes been difficult keeping track of all of them.”

The event brings Shakespeare’s legacy to life in unique ways, and every aspect of the festival, from panels to the music, incorporates the dramatist and his influence to some extent. The theatre performances of scenes from Shakespeare’s works are the most obvious manifestations of this. Some of the performances include “The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged” as well as a preview of Merely Player’s full length show, “Arden of Faversham,” whose authorship is unknown but has been attributed by many scholars to Shakespeare. The cast of “Arden” also brings a musical component with a performance by the Faversham Band, which Zachary Boylan ’16 of Merely Players is particularly excited for.

He explained, “The music is really catchy and they have a lot of fun playing it.”

As for Camerata’s role in the festival, Talya Phelps ’19 [Full Disclosure: Talya Phelps is on the staff of the Miscellany News] and Isabel Morrison ’19 stated in an emailed interview: “The Camerata Orchestra will be performing a few pieces from Shakespeare’s time, including ‘Fantasia a 4 Viols’ by John Coperario and ‘Gagliarda del Principe di Venosa’ by Gesualdo di Venosa. There will also be individuals and smaller ensembles from our group playing duets and trios by John Coperario and William Byrd.

We’ll also be happy to talk to visitors about the role of music in the 1600s and show off our period instruments.” Sarah Johnson added that the music that the organization will be performing is music that Shakespeare might have heard during his time in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

She said, “Our program ranges from drinking songs to more serious topics, such as ‘Say love, if ever thou didst find’ by John Dowland (an ode to Queen Elizabeth I) and especially ‘April is in my Mistress’ face’ by Thomas Morley, which has a very Shakespearean themes: ‘April is in my mistress’ face. . . .But in her heart a cold December.’”

Along with musical performances, the Festival will include a number of activities for the partic-

Artist, activist to shed light on class work Connor McIlwain Arts Editor

W

context of a class that focuses in part of music performance, I believe the connection to sound will be clear to everyone who attends.”

According to Post-Baccalaureate Fellow of the LGBTQ and Women’s Centers Dallas Robinson ’14, classes like Krell’s and artists like Chávez give much-needed exposure to identity groups on campus. “Creating space on campus for outside artists and creators to share their work is a large strength of Vassar’s. Specifically, making it possible for LGBTQ+ artists of color to create and display work on this campus is powerful and impactful,” she said.

Robinson continued, “The importance of representation in hosting people with various identities is inspiring and engages the Vassar community in acknowledging minds beyond campus. I am excited for Daniel Chavez’s performance at the college, it has been incredible to see Black transmen interacting with Vassar communities through movement art and performance.”

courtesy of CAAD

hen life imitates art, people often think of museum selfies or posing next to a famous statue. But more often, these two parallel each other. Daniel B. Coleman Chávez’s works are no exception.

Chávez is a black, transgender artist, activist, scholar and pedagogue whose work crosses countries, disciplines and causes. They will debut “El Umbral: A Psychological-Spiritual Performance Encounter with the Demons Transition(s) – Wresting the In-Betweens” on campus.

Consortium for Faculty Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow Elías Krell is bringing Chávez to campus for their course “Race, Anti/Colonialisms, and Queering Music Performance.” They explained, “El Umbral is a new work being premiered at Vassar so I can’t speak to its content but the artist’s oeuvre speaks to issues of de/colonization, and race, class, gender/sexuality vis-à-vis the former, and engages performance as means of theorizing, understanding and embodying the intersections of power and resistance.”

Chávez was born in San Jose, CA and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. They have been involved with black, queer and LatinX-American communities around the world.

According to Krell, “Daniel works in a medium and disciplinary field that are interdisciplinary at their core, so their work has myriad in-roads for students with a wide variety of interests, especially those interested in social justice of any form.”

Interdisciplinary Arts Coordinator Tom Pacio echoed the importance of this broad appeal. “I believe that Vassar is a campus that thrives on bringing experts in their fields to share their knowledge with our community.”

Krell worked with Pacio to bring Chávez to campus through the CAAD Initiative. “Working with Tom Pacio has been wonderful, as with his assistant Sofia Benitez,” wrote Krell. “I applied for the funds to support this course which has a practical component (students perform, create sound pieces and visual art).”

The grant helped Krell hire a research assis-

tant and bring in six speakers. They explained, “The guest artists directly contribute to the pedagogical aims of the course in helping us theorize and perform the intersections of anti/ colonialisms, queer politics and identities, music and performance.”

Bringing in new voices is crucial to CAAD’s mission. According to Pacio, “I think CAAD allows the opportunity for students, faculty and members of the local community to challenge and stretch the boundaries of education in creative ways.”

Pacio continued, “This visit is specifically rewarding as it is the big public event for the guest artist series for this course.”

Pacio has spent the year organizing events, speakers and classes that relate to sound, CAAD’s 2015-2016 theme. Chávez’s visit fits nicely into the theme, especially because Krell’s class centers on music. Pacio explained, “As it is a live performance that will contain sound, and in the

Chávez is an artist and activist who will visit campus as the culminating lecturer in Professor Krell’s “Race, Anti/Colonialisms, and Queering Music Performance.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ipants. Some of them will be on the quirkier side.

Ezekiel Maben ’17 of NSO declared, “The NSO is going to be running a boffing tournament, which is basically a duel involving giant foam swords.”

Fine described some of the other games and activities, “We will be playing Kill Shakespeare, a board game about trying to stop the combined forces of Lady Macbeth and Iago from taking over the world. There will also be a Shakespeare Insult-off.” In addition to those attractions, there will be food appropriate to the time period and a photo booth with available costumes.”

The planners of the Shakespeare Festival are all excited about the many rewards and opportunities this occasion will bring. “I think meeting other enthusiasts of Shakespeare and early music will be exciting, since these are two topics that deserve a larger audience than they usually draw,” said Phelps. Fines echoed similar sentiments, “I think that this event will be a great opportunity to hangout and reconnect with other classical theatre enthusiasts and have a good time doing it.” On the other hand, Johnson is particularly looking forward to the cultural activities that will be available. “It isn’t often that you have a chance to hear Shakespeare’s works in combination with music and activities of the time period, so I hope it will help people to see Shakespeare in a new way.”

“I’m hoping that anyone who knows about our event or sees stuff happening in the Shakespeare Garden will at least stop by at some point during the day. I hope anyone who comes has a good time and gives us enough positive feedback to improve upon what we do this year and offer even better events in the future,” said Boylan of his hopes for the event. He also believes that the festival is a great and rare opportunity to connect with other classical theatre enthusiasts.

“This event is a celebration of Shakespeare’s works and influence throughout the ages. My high school has a yearly Shakespeare Festival that I did for two years and it was always a really great experience, and I’m excited to be celebrating Shakespeare in this way at Vassar.”

Hudson Valley

Arts

Hudson Valley Comic Con 2016 Gold’s Gym 258 Titusville Rd. Poughkeepsie, NY May 7, 2016—May 8, 2016 10 a.m.—7 p.m $20 (adult), $10 (children), 5 and under free 2nd Annual Short Play Festival Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck 661 Rte. 308 Rhinebeck, NY May 6, 2016—May 8, 2016 8 p.m.—10:30 p.m. $10 Cornelia Parker’s “Transitional Object (PsychoBarn)” Metropolitan Museum of Art (roof garden) 1000 5th Ave. New York, NY April 19, 2016 – Oct. 31, 2016 10 am – 5:30 am (10 am – 9 pm Friday and Saturday) $12 suggested admission for students Beacon Open Studios Weekend Various locations around Beacon, NY May 21-22, 2016 12:00 pm – 6 pm Free

ARTS

Page 16

April 21, 2016

Legere back Quirky series links apocalyptic stories in Hudson spotlight Jillian Elkin Columnist

You, Me and the Apocalypse

Iain Hollands NBC

CONCERT continued from page 1

thrace, and founded the New York Underground Museum to serve under-represented female, disabled, gay and Native American artists.

This absolutely dizzying artistic versatility may sound exaggerated, but she has successfully undertaken all of these astounding endeavors and more. As Rakowski stated, “Phoebe Legere has always lived her life with complete and total integrity. She was, and is, authentic and independent; these characteristics have set her on a path of groundbreaking experiences in art, music, writing and more.”

Legere’s artistic career took off during the 1980s after graduating from Vassar and from subsequent studies at the Juilliard School and New York University, and it has been evolving ever since. However, when Rakowski first met her at Vassar, Legere was primarily a painter. Inspired in part by a Reginald Marsh drawing she saw at the Loeb Art Center, for example, Legere adopted the nude as a common theme in her visual arts as a way to reclaim sexuality and give power to the female figure.

Vassar, however, was not always compatible with Legere’s tireless creativity. “My interdisciplinary, multi-talented personality,” she wrote, “was not appreciated by my teachers ... I was treated so harshly by the Classical Music Department that I ran to Jazz where I met ‘my people.’”

Her “people” congregated mostly in the underground music scene of New York City, where she was finally able to fully explore all the facets of her artistry. This musical background is reminiscent of the early careers of Madonna and Lady Gaga, to whom she has been compared numerous times. In fact, as the story goes, Madonna’s management once approached Legere and tried to convince her to drop her band for a solo act with back-up dancers, their vision of the future of musical acts. Legere staunchly refused.

This sense of loyalty and community is indicative not only of Legere’s personality, but also her family history. Her parents were painters and her grandparents musicians, but her artistic roots go even deeper than this.

According to Legere, “My music celebrates the North American experience. The music of my band Bon Appétit is rooted in the musical, shamanic, philosophic and aesthetic traditions here in the northeast of Turtle Island [an indigenous name for North America].”.

In her art, she explores her many identities, singing in French, English and Abenaki and often combining influences from Abenaki and Acadian music. By reclaiming these cultures, Legere has always adopted a forward-thinking attitude, one combining deep roots in the past with a resilience to constantly reinvent for the future. Legere is excited that interdisciplinary art, like her own, is becoming more and more widely accepted.

Legere has a positive attitude about the death of the industry. “Industrialized, corporatized, globalized, standardized, capitalist, sexist, druggist music is dying a natural death,” she wrote. An early proponent of democratizing music, she even visited Bell Labs multiple times to learn about emerging MP3 technology. “The way is clear for a new music, a new beauty,” she continued. “Artists have a moral duty to resist, question and smash the art agendas of corporations.”

All in all, Phoebe Legere is a wealth of contradictions—rooted in her personal history yet committed to the spiritual interconnectedness of the universe, a near-cult figure inseparable from her collaborators.

These contradictions complement her attitude toward art, shunning the compartmentalization of genres and emphasizing her personal and spiritual connections. “My brush is an extension of my brain,” she wrote, “my music is the music of the torque of my heart, the pulse of my blood, my poetry is the poetry of rivers, mountains and imagined lovers that glow in my inner eye.”

Legere’s eclectic style and creative impulses are nearly impossible to pin down, but her untiring pursuits of authenticity, exploration and versatility are inspiring no matter the field. “Create your own playbook,” Rakowski offered as a lesson everyone can learn from her best friend. “And if you are brave enough, like Phoebe Legere, live it.”

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eligion, technology, road trip and a meteor hurtling toward Earth sounds like a lot for one show. And it is. But the quirky British-American comedy-drama manages to cover all that and more. The result is satisfying and highly addictive–a show ripe for binge-watching. This show consists of one season, which finished airing on NBC at the end of March. It aired in the UK in the fall of 2015. Now, all ten episodes of “You, Me and the Apocalypse” are available on Hulu for free.

The show was originally created and written by Iain Hollands and adapted by NBC. The characters are described by IMDB as “Not the best. Not the brightest. But they’re our only hope.”

Each episode begins at the place where the season ends, working towards this final scene.

A comet is hurtling on a collision course towards Earth. Mankind will be wiped out, but our protagonist, a bank manager named Jamie, sits safely on a couch in a bunker.

Throughout the season, we see who makes it to the bunker and how the many characters and storylines connect to each other. “You, Me, and the Apocalypse” starts off with disjointed stories happening in the U.S., England and Vatican City.

In Slough, England, Jamie lives an average, suburban life. He has his best friend and his mother, but his wife disappeared seven years ago. Jamie eventually goes on to seek out and stumble upon more of his family. In New Mexico, Rhonda, an innocent woman, and Leanne, a white supremacist, manage to escape a maximum-security prison and set off to find their

respective families. In Washington D.C., Rhonda’s brother, Scotty, and U.S. General Gaines initiate a program, Operation Savior, to move the comet off its course and save the world. At the Vatican, Father Jude is the Devil’s Advocate, assisted by Sister Celine.

The series begins with a thick plot and a lot going on. Still, the plot continues to build and keeps the audience entertained throughout the series. There are endless plot twists and cliff-

“There are endless amounts of plot twists and cliffhangers, resulting in a fast-paced, chock-full piece.” hangers, resulting in a fast-paced, chocked-full piece. This is the kind of show that induces stomach lurches, heart poundings and conversations with those who’ve seen it. It’s also a good show to watch if you’re looking for something fun, yet compelling, but does not have too many episodes to suck you into a time warp.

Matthew Baynton does a brilliant job in the lead role. He also plays his twin brother White Horse, the leader of the cyber terrorist group, Deus Ex Machina. I know, long-lost evil twin brother sounds horrible and horribly cliché, but I swear it works and keeps with the show’s very distinct tone.

Baynton differentiates the characters well and conveys a likability to ensure the viewer roots for both Jamie, the protagonist and Baynton himself. A lot of the acting is standout, but Baynton gets the primary shout out for the difficulty of a dual role.

Megan Mullally exceeds expectations as she completely disappears into her character, the white supremacist, who is not one of

the villains, mind you. Mullally is borderline unrecognizable. A character that seems like it should not work in this show, especially in any comedic way, absolutely does, as Mullally traverses around and wreaks havoc with Jenna Fischer.

Mullally’s performance is arguably one of her strongest since her starring role as Karen Walker in “Will and Grace.” She was often criticized for peaking in this breakthrough series but her performance in “You, Me, and the Apocalypse” proves she has the talent to succeed elsewhere. Her talent is buoyed by an allaround stellar cast, which includes Rob Lowe as Father Jude Sutton.

Dialogue is sharp and occasionally funny. I’d say the show errs far more to the side of drama than comedy. The show feels refreshingly light, though not in a lofty way. I’m especially grateful for this when so many television dramas now are exhaustingly heavy.

Aside from the writing, the filmography is also quite beautiful. It benefits from a surprisingly high budget given the amount of risks that the creators take. Locations are beautiful and the framing looks so good that it’s hard to believe this aired on a major network.

The influences of religion in the show are open-minded and frequently surprising.

Throughout the show, there’s a mystery as to who the biblical savior, the second coming of Christ, will be when the apocalypse comes.

This sounds strange, and it is, but the show isn’t preachy.

“You, Me and the Apocalypse” references and incorporates Christian teachings in an accessible way with an emphasis on mythology and storytelling over anything too serious and detailed.

The sense of humor can take a bit of time to get used to. At times, it feels out of place, but in most situations the levity feels welcome when impending doom looms overhead for all of humankind. Above all else, the show is fun and worth the wild ride.

Kanye makes few real changes on reboot Jimmy Christon Columnist

The Life of Pablo Kanye West GOOD Music

“T

he Life of Pablo” has gone through quite the ordeal to be released. First it was called “So Help Me God” (with an apparent single “All Day”), then “Swish,” and then “Waves” for a little bit before being retitled to the title we have now. Along with this last-minute name changing, we also had some last-minute revisions. The supposed due date for the album was pushed back a week as Kanye and co. added track after track, and changed the tracks that were already there.

So why am I reviewing an album that came out last month for an issue in the middle of April? Well the album is actually on Spotify now and this new release is also a “different” version.

Kanye supposedly “fixed” some songs and added some changes to this album. Do these changes actually change anything? A most resounding “no” is the answer.

If you’ve ever gotten to that point when you’re writing a paper where you’re not really changing anything, but you still call it revising, you’re basically doing what Kanye did with this re-release. Sure, you’re adding a comma there, rearranging some sentences, maybe using some more colorful adjectives, but for the most part, the paper is the same. That’s exactly what happened with these changes.

The bad songs are still bad, the good songs are still good. Kanye added some backing vocals and rearranged some beats like on “Feedback.”

One change that I will give Kanye some credit on is actually mastering the album. All of the songs this time sound very intentional and less all-over-the-place. Like on the old version of the song “Highlights,” you couldn’t hear Young Thug’s vocals over the base, it was all out of whack. But now you actually hear both parts of the song. The problem is that it’s not really

worth the listen.

That’s my biggest complaint with this album: the bad outweighs the good. I’m especially repulsed with the stretch of songs from “Low Lights” (which is a vocal interlude) to “Waves” (which is a Chris Brown track with a Kanye West feature). It’s like Kanye needed more tracks to complete the album and just threw together as many mediocre songs as he could in the last five minutes (this might not be too far from the truth with all of those last-minute album changes).

But those bad tracks are simple to deal with; it’s called the skip button and you will be using it if you listen to this album in one sitting. (The “Low Lights” interlude brings nothing of value and the “Silver Surfer Intermission” is borderline unintelligible.) What leaves the worst taste in my mouth are the moments on the album that are almost good, but there’s just something so off or trashy about them that ruins whatever merit they had.

The track “Father Stretch my Hands pt. 1” is a good example of what I’m talking about. The song begins with a great tone-shifted vocal sample leading into a fantastic hook that I still find myself humming months after my first listen.

But then Kanye starts rapping.

The first line involving bleach, assholes and stained t-shirts is so crass and vulgar that it derails the song for me. Sure, vulgar lyrics have their place. Yeezus used vulgarity pretty well; it went with the violent tone of the album (or the vulgar lyrics on the sinister sounding “Freestyle 4”). On this song however, the indecency simply doesn’t work with this whole self-proclaimed “gospel” theme that Kanye set up with the opener and Kid Cudi’s gorgeous hook. To make matters worse, Kanye’s line isn’t funny, isn’t clever; it’s just plain stupid and would only make the album better if it weren’t on the song.

I wish I could say that this was just on one song, but it isn’t. This low-brow type of vulgarity is present throughout the album. Combine this with some of the just-plain-bad lines (a laughably bad sandwich metaphor on “Wolves”), and you have a recipe for an enjoyment-derailing experience.

I don’t want to be overly negative so I do

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

have to mention the truly great moments/tracks off this album. The album opener “Ultralight Beam” is an excellent example of what Kanye might have meant when he said that “The Life of Pablo” would be a “gospel” album. “Feedback” is the Yeezus-sound done to perfection. “FML” is a track that has grown on me over time, but this subtle, slow and understated song shows that Kanye can still make music that sounds completely fresh and unique. “Real Friends” is also an amazing reprise on the soulful sound that Kanye burst onto the scene with on his album “College Dropout.”

“Wolves” is one track that was changed drastically with this album, adding verses from Vic Mensa and Sia. I feel like the changes didn’t help this song. Vic Mensa and Sia make the song feel bloated, and the one thing that should have been changed (Kanye’s lyrics) were unfortunately left untouched.

Kanye was going for the sequel to his track “Blood on the Leaves” on this “Wolves” with the first part of the song being mostly autotuned singing culminating in a rap verse from Kanye.

But with “Blood on the Leaves” Kanye’s verse was actually good (the beat is also dope), but on “Wolves” Kanye rhymes “unfollow” with “unswallow” three times in a row and then goes on to compare himself and Kim Kardashian to Mary and Joseph (from the Bible). It’s tacky and just plain bad compared to Kanye’s other lyrics.

But after that, the album finishes somewhat strong. “30 Hours” is good for the first half when Kanye is actually rapping. “No More Parties in L.A.” starts off strong, but Kanye’s verse is way too long and monotonous. “Facts” has a great beat, and “Fade” sounds almost house-inspired with its repeating baseline over spacious vocals.

So if I had to recommend this album, I’d only recommend the noteworthy songs. As a whole, this album is disappointing. It is filled with filler tracks that you won’t remember minutes after listening to them. Or worse, the songs that you will remember because of something stupid/ gross. There are bright spots on this album; it’s just a shame that they aren’t bright enough to shine through the muck and detritus of this album.

ARTS

April 21, 2016

Page 17

Commercial success for 1D alum’s debut Patrick Tanella

Assistant Arts Editor

Mind of Mine Zayn Malik RCA Records

A

lmost one year ago, millions of fans around the world were shocked by the announcement that Zayn Malik was leaving One Direction. After the band had been together for four years, Zayn decided that he needed a break. Yet that cool-down turned into days in the studio, a breakup of his engagement and twitter fights with his former band members. Clearly Zayn just yearned to get out and become the solo artist he originally wanted to be. While One Direction has not been the same without him, Zayn has illustrated his ability to thrive as a solo artist with his debut album, “Mind of Mine.”

As with most boy bands, fans knew that it wasn’t going to last forever. With the average time a boy band stays together being less than five years, I had already prepared myself for a moment like this. Yet, I always assumed it would be Harry Styles, the group’s most popular member, who would leave the band first to pursue a career as a solo artist. Zayn had always been the most aloof member, who attempted to refrain from being in the public eye unless it was demanded. However, since the breakup, Zayn has talked about how this image was created by fans and his management, and he is welcoming his celebrity with shirtless, open arms. Appearing on the cover of numerous magazines half naked, the bad boy of One Direction is not afraid to speak up anymore, and especially in his album.

Zayn had always been an R&B artist.

He went into the “X Factor,” the show that brought One Direction together, hoping to become an artist like Usher. The music One Direction has produced is predominantly Top40 pop that appeals to adolescent and teenage girls, which Zayn now describes being embarrassed by. While he appreciates his years in One Direction, Zayn says that it is just not the

Campus Canvas

music he likes to listen to or wants to continue to produce.

In late January, Zayn announced that the lead single for his debut solo album, “Pillowtalk,” would be released the following week.

The hype surrounding it was huge, as many One Direction fans were eager to hear the sound Zayn would take with his music. When the song dropped with its music video, I hastily clicked the YouTube link and was surprised at what I heard. While it was not the same as a One Direction song, “Pillowtalk” still had a similar Top-40 feeling to it. I would not categorize it as R&B or as a dramatic change to what Zayn had previously produced. The single was clearly a marketing move to appeal to his previous audience and gain traction as a solo artist. While I can understand this and enjoyed the catchy track, I was disappointed.

“Pillowtalk” is about sex, which is something that Zayn isn’t trying to hide. He says that everybody does it and people are eager to hear about it. The music video features girlfriend and supermodel Gigi Hadid and is a sexual, conceptual film that confused many people. While the lyrics are simplistic and unoriginal, Zayn explores the physical and spiritual elements of sex. The most memorable lyrics of the track are its opening: “Climb on board, we’ll go slow and high tempo. Light and dark, hold me hard and mellow.”

The next single released, “It’s You,” was exactly what I wanted when I heard Zayn was dropping an album. The slow R&B ballad showcases Zayn’s vocal range and power as he croons about his ex, Perrie Edwards. Throughout the chorus, Zayn says, “It’s you, it’s you,” because although the person he loves causes him pain, he knows that she is the one for him.

Yet, he realizes that this pain is toxic and it is better for himself to leave the relationship.

“BeFour” is arguably the best song on the album. It perfectly showcases Zayn’s stylistic R&B and discusses Zayn’s feelings right before he left One Direction. The chorus: “So say what you wanna say, what you wanna. So say what you wanna say, what you gotta say now.

So say what you wanna, what you want. Shame is you won’t say that to my face” is directed towards his haters and his former bandmates,

who he claims did not acknowledge the problems that drove him to leave.

The upbeat R&B jam “Like I Would” has drawn comparisons to the One Direction song, “I Would.” Both detail how they would treat a partner better than their current lover. Instead of the 1D band chanting “I would, I would,” Zayn says “Like I would, Like I would.” This has been met with criticism from many fans, but Zayn is attempting to show his proposed ideas for songs were never accepted. He is straying away from their sound by being more sexual and creative in his music.

Hidden in the middle of the album, “Fool for You” has been compared to a Beatles pop ballad due to Zayn getting inspiration for the track from listening to John Lennon. The chorus repeats Zayn belting, “Cause I’m a fool for you, and the things you do,” further showcasing his remarkable vocal range and ability. It serves as something different from the various R&B songs packed into the album.

While many of the songs on the album are about being in love and falling in love, “She Don’t Love Me” is about unrequited love. While Zayn’s partner is content having a strictly sexual relationship, he is craving more. This last track on the album provides a catchy beat and an interesting conclusion to an album filled with sex, desire, sadness and frustration.

While “Mind of Mine” is a wonderful debut album as it showcases Zayn’s range and ability, it is safe. The album was produced in less than a year, which was probably due to his new management not wanting to lose the attention that the breakup provided. Many of the songs are similar and blend into each other with the same beats and connotations.

The record debuted at No. 1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom, making Zayn one of the few male artists to have a first album debut at No. 1. I have to question whether it would be as successful if Zayn did not already have an audience of eager fans willing to buy whatever he produced. However, I can see that it introduces the music industry to Zayn Malik, solo artist, rather than Zayn Malik, member of One Direction with his soulful, compelling voice.

A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

Excuse me, Who from history would you drunk text?

“Alexander Hamilton.”

— Gianna Samms ’19

“Teddy Roosevelt.”

— Anita Pilar Montero ’19

“Neil Degrasse Tyson.”

—Zoe Sweet ’18

submit to misc@vassar.edu

“Al Green...he’s like a singer/sex icon.”

— Ankoor Patel ’19

In recent work, I’ve been exploring the appearance of spacial relationships and experimenting with contrast between lights and darks as well as differences in mark-making.

Working with charcoal has allowed a flexibility on the page while also providing the means to make darker marks. I’ve also been thinking about the place a more unfinished mark has in the context of the drawings, while simultaneously considering more developed sections. The interplay between energy and matter has become a theme in recent works as well.

-Lily Carlsen ’19

“All the authors were drunks, they wouldn’t care...

Ernest Hemingway.”

— Dakota Peterson ’19

“Rasputin, I want to ask him about his dick.”

— Jimmy Pavlick ’18

Evelyn Frick, Columnist Sam Pianello, Photo Editor

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

Page 18

April 21, 2016

Track rewrites record books again at Silfen Invitational Olivia O’Loughlin Guest Reporter

I

courtesy of Vassar Athletics

n what proved to be a historic couple of days, the women and men’s track teams traveled to New London, CT to compete in the Silfen Invitational this past weekend. Vassar had a strong showing as many athletes chalked up personal bests and broke previous Vassar records. The women’s and men’s teams finished in 11th and 13th place respectively. Interim track coordinator James McCowan noted, “[I am] very proud of the team’s effort and focus. Liberty Leagues are next week and this shows we are poised to perform well.”

One of the standout performers of the invitational was freshman Sarah DeBenedictis. Transitioning from soccer to track, DeBenedictis did not lose any steam as she beat the school record in the high jump for the third week in a row.

DeBenedictis shared, “The transition [between sports] was definitely difficult just because soccer and track are such different sports.

But the people on the track team are so welcoming and friendly that it made the switch a lot easier than I had expected. Being a two-sport athlete is an amazing experience and I love being able to work with two different groups of people and experience two completely different sports and compete in both of them at a high level.”

DeBenedictis first broke the school record with fellow freshman Sophie Sharp as they finished the high jump at 1.38 meters at the Ramapo Invitational. Then at the Silfen Invitational, DeBenedictis beat her own record with a 1.43-meter jump. “Breaking a school record was something that I never really thought about when going into the season,” she disclosed. “It is surreal to have broken it. I’m using this record as a form of motivation to keep challenging myself to keep improving.”

Many other women excelled in Connecticut and contributed to the team’s impressive 11thplace finish. Senior captain Mollie Schear shined in competition as she earned 10th place in the 100-meter dash, while also setting new personal

records in the 100 and 200-meter races. Meanwhile, junior Molly Crowell ran a fast 26.98-second 200-meter dash, placing her on the leaderboard with a 12th place win.

Continuing the upperclassmen’s success, the freshman class climbed to the leaderboards with notable performances. Christiana Prater-Lee earned 19th place in the 5000-meter, while her fellow classmate Elise Matera finished at the 23rd seed. Sophie Sharp continued her exceptional jump success as she finished in 15th place for the long jump.

For the men’s team, senior Taylor Vann dominated the Silfen Invitational as he beat six school records and posted seven personal bests. Vann first shattered a Vassar decathlon record when he finished the 110 hurdles in only 15.99 seconds.

He then took home more Brewer records when he launched the disc 38.84 meters in the discus, finished with 3.45 meters in the pole vault and tossed the javelin 59.2 meters. Combined, Vann finished with a score of 6598, which is an all-time high for Vassar.

Vann gleamed, “This type of score has been something that I’ve been working towards throughout my four years on the track team, so I’m happy to have finally been able to make it happen. At the same time, this is just a starting point. There are many meets left, so I’m focusing on continuing to progress and improve in all of my events.”

Nevertheless, Vann’s success did not occur all in one day, as he continued his momentum throughout both days of competition to have such an extraordinary finish. Vann explained, “Friday went great and I was really excited about it, but I did my best to stay focused on the next day so that I could finish strong.”

In terms of keeping a positive mentality, Vann admitted, “I really have to attribute everything to the preparation that me and my coaches put into getting ready to compete. A lot of that mental toughness comes from having confidence in my preparation. We had a very specific plan for the whole two days, so whether things were going

Senior Taylor Vann broke six school records and recorded seven personal bests in the Silfen Invitational last weekend. Vann’s combined score of 6598 marked an all time high for Vassar. good or bad, we could just stick to the plan and be able to stay focused.”

Vann was not the only competitor to shine this weekend, as many other Brewers had very strong finishes. In the 1500-meter, Vassar’s sophomore class had a strong showing as Michael Scarlett finished in 20th, Philip Brown took 22nd place and Jared Freedman was awarded the 26th spot.

Like DeBenedicitis, junior Elijah Winston is a two-sport athlete for the Brewers as a member of both the men’s basketball team and the men’s track and field team. In his first season, Winston has already proven himself on the track as he finished 19th in the 200-meter in 23.09.

Also in the 200-meter, senior Peter Winkeller finished in 14th with a time of 22.80. Meanwhile, fellow senior Dylan Manning finished in sixth place as he completed he 400-meter dash in 51.13

seconds. The men’s 4x400 relay team consisting of seniors Morrie Lam, Peter Winkeller, Dylan Manning and sophomore Kyle Estrada in third to earn Vassar’s highest place on the leaderboards.

“Everyone had fantastic meet yesterday and it was a great way to prepare us for Liberty Leagues,” stated DeBenedicitis. “Being able to come off of some great performances and have that confidence going into conference is all we could have asked for. As an underclassman I am very fortunate to have the leadership from all of the upperclassmen. The support that they give you is so comforting and really makes you want to perform at your best. Our coaches have worked so hard to get us to the point that we are at now and have prepared us for every thing so I am very excited to see what we can bring to the table at the Liberty League Championships.”

Rugby teams display grit, youth, depth in Rhode Island RUGBY continued from page 1

weekend. Despite several tough knocks, the team came out on top 26-15 and received hats and a giant ball along with their championship trophy.

While the men’s team struggled on the scoreboard, their performance can be assessed by the commitment they bring to the team and the effort they put in each match. The team has dwindled in number over the past seasons, yet the core group of athletes holds a mix of experienced seniors, strong sophomores and exciting young freshmen.

The men faired quite well in their first game as they defeated Holy Cross 24-5 behind three tries from quick-tap specialist senior John Loree. The team fell big to a physical Salve Regina side in their next game and lost a tough, vindictive match to Molloy in the consolation bracket the next day.

“I think our depleted numbers got the best of us but we still played some outstanding phases of Rugby and were really physical in our defense, particularly in our last game. Our freshmen displayed some real grit this weekend. We just wanted to make some noise.”

Freshman speedster Stephen Kpunde had a particularly gutsy weekend. In addition to some lightening-quick runs, he took some rough hits from other schools. At one point, Kpunde was tackled out-of-bounds by Molloy’s wing, slammed into a garbage can and flipped over the medical kit. The winger shook it off, hopped up and made a huge tackle several phases later. Despite their losses, several young players stepped up and proved their worth, giving the team reasons to be optimistic about next fall.

The men’s and women’s rugby teams consider themselves one big family. It is the quality that sets Vassar apart from some other schools and also creates passion and memory for rugby within the players. “The people are hands-down my favorite part of the team. We work hard and we depend on each other so much. I couldn’t do this sport if we weren’t such a family,” said McConnell. Nunley shared, “Considering the way some of the teams would interact with one another, I’d say that one of our greatest strengths is how well we get along, both within the women’s team and in conjunction with our men’s team. Naturally, we get frustrated at times; it’s the nature of competition. But at the end of the day, our goal is to build each other up,

not break each other down. Such cohesion only benefits us on the field. It’s an honor to play alongside such a positive, encouraging group of people.” Thomas agreed with Nunley, adding, “The amount of love and camaraderie is unforgettable.

You can feel it on and off the field and it’s genuine.

That’s definitely one of the most memorable aspect of playing on the team.”

Similar sentiments echo through the men’s team. “My favorite part of rugby is easily the friends I’ve made on this team. These lifelong, ride-or-die friendships are a super big part of my time at Vassar. I can say with confidence that, if I have kids, some of my teammates will be my babies’ uncles. I think that’s pretty special,” said sophomore Joseph Simon.

Going forward, this year’s teams only have a few more opportunities to compete with one another. While the men’s team has one final traditional 15s matchup on April 30, the women’s team is down to a few alternative forms of the game.

“The only games we have left this season are 7s tournaments, so our goal as a team, I would say, is to win tri-state 7s and do really well at the West Point 7s tournament. We haven’t worked much on 7s skills but our team dynamic and ability in 15s has gotten even better this semester ... I can’t wait to see what happens in the next few weeks as well as next fall!” said junior Mary-Margaret McElduff.

Without a doubt, the Vassar rugby team makes an impression on both its competitors and the overall Vassar community. Nunley reminisced, “My favorite rugby experience would have to be the end of one of my first practices on the team.

We all sat in a huge circle on the Farm, introduced ourselves and set goals for the season. I was sitting there, every kind of unsure about my decision to join, looking around at all of those strong Vassar women and I could feel my fear melting away.

Sure, I still had to get over the fear of actually playing the sport, but I knew instantly that that was a tteam I wanted to be a part of.”

courtesy of Zach Rippe

the team together even if we have a less than optimal squad. We have a system that works so as long as we remain controlled, we can play our game cleanly,” explained Jones. Whether the team is large like the women’s team with 30-plus players or smaller like the mens team, smart plays are crucial. “We went into the tournament with confidence and strong game plan for how to attack our opponents in group play. By sticking to our pattern and communicating well with each other, we allow ourselves to stay in highly physical games by depriving opponents of possession, even though we might be the smaller team, we always give ourselves enough possession to compete,” elaborated senior Adam D’Agostino. “Our strength has always been in our style of play and our strength in the fundamentals of rugby. While Vassar is often outsized and out-manned, we are able to compete because of our highly disciplined pattern of play,” added senior captain John Winton.

The weekend went well for the women as they bested Southern Connecticut State University 39-5 on Saturday behind freshman scrumhalf Marron McConnell. The team’s depth allows for several younger players to get time at the quarterback-esque position behind junior starter Jyen Wong. It didn’t seem to matter who the Brewers threw into their starting lineup as the women defeated Amherst College handily by a score of 51-0 to advance to the championship round on Sunday.

Seeded first going into the day, the women defeated Springfield College by a decisive score of 29-0, yet lost the impactful Thomas in the process.

While this was a devastating blow to the team, they managed quite well in the semi-final game.

The women defeated SUNY-Buffalo 25-0 behind four tries from senior captain Darienne Jones.

The final was set to be a heated contest as several female players from other schools expressed their discontent to members of the Vassar men’s team in passing. Vassar did not disappoint, holding a consistent two-try lead throughout most of the game. The signature moment–a brilliant evaded tackle by Jones as she spun free of University of Albany’s largest forward and broke towards the in-goal to put Vassar ahead three tries late in the second half–was emblematic of the Brewers’

Freshman Stephen Kpundeh poses by the trash can he crashed into when a tackle sent him out of bounds. Kpundeh’s play was far from garbage; he made some fantastic runs in the loss.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

April 21, 2016

Panama Papers expose star-laden corruption

Hate him or love him: Assessing Kobe’s legacy Robin Drummond Guest Columnist

L

ast Wednesday marked the last time one of the greatest athletes ever will lace up his trademark sneakers, don his legendary purple and gold jersey and emerge out of the tunnel of the Staples Center to the roar of thousands of adoring fans.

Last Wednesday marked the last time Kobe Bryant would ever play in a professional basketball game.

Bryant accomplished virtually everything one could dream of during the course of his illustrious 20-year Laker career. The 18-time All-Star won the MVP award in 2008 and the NBA title on five separate occasions, being named Finals MVP twice. He ranks third all-time on both the NBA’s regular season scoring and post-season scoring lists.

While it is impossible to deny Bryant’s place as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, most people will admit this reluctantly.

If you support one of the 29 teams in the NBA who aren’t the Lakers, you probably detest Kobe and chances are there’s good reason behind your feelings of animosity. He could ruin your entire evening by draining a buzzer-beater after missing his last six shots or make your favorite players look stupid as he effortlessly dropped 45 points. He was a sharp shooter, a stone-cold assassin, the Black Mamba. Kobe Bryant, unapologetic for the havoc he wreaked on the rest of the NBA, was a villain.

Nike was well aware of where their superstar stood in the eyes of opposing players and fans.

In the days leading up to his retirement, they released a series of commercials that featured other athletes sharing their opinions on the Lakers legend. “He pissed me off a lot,” Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant said. “He happened to say, ‘You guys can’t even sit at the lunch table with me. I’ve got five championships.

What do you have?’” When asked to summarize Bryant in one word, Durant looked straight into the camera and said, “A**hole.”

It wasn’t just the opposition that had difficulty dealing with Bryant; most teammates also found him extremely challenging. The feud between Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal that led to O’Neal’s eventual departure from LA is now part of sports legend. Despite winning three consecutive titles together from 2000-2002, the two personalities were so toxic together that they couldn’t be on the same team. Los Angeles Clippers coach and former NBA player Doc Rivers called the Kobe/ Shaq breakup the “biggest travesty in sports.”

At least Shaq had some serious accolades to throw around when arguing with Bryant. Most players weren’t so lucky. Smush Parker, another one of Bryant’s former teammates, tried to speak with Bryant about NFL results on the first day of practice. Bryant responded, “You can’t talk to me. You need more accolades under your belt.”

While he is definitely arrogant and self-absorbed, Kobe did much more to garner hatred.

People despised him because he was better than everyone he went up against and he knew it. Everyone knew it. I hardly knew anything about basketball when I found out who Kobe Bryant was. However, I didn’t need an extensive knowledge of the game to recognize that Kobe Bryant wanted to win more than anyone I have ever seen. It was written all over his face every time he stepped back for his signature fade-away jumper. You could feel his intensity in your living room as he stared opponents down. “People just don’t understand how obsessed I am with winning,” he once said. “Winning takes precedence over all. There’s no gray area. No almost.” Kobe Bryant would do anything it took to win. He wasn’t joking either. This is a guy who completely tore his Achilles tendon after being fouled, got up and made both free throws. He simply refused to lose.

Most things people have to say about Kobe Bryant are negative, as well they should be.

However, at the end of the day, he has an NBA Championship ring for every finger on that right hand of his that caused so many people so much despair.

Page 19

Desmond Curran

T

Guest Columnist

he release of what is being heralded as the “WikiLeaks for rich people” has exposed a fresh batch of evidence implicating FIFA in more corruption. Specifically, tax evasion facilitated through the law firm Mossack Fonseca. These allegations emerged recently after the FBI launched an incredibly detailed investigation into FIFA in 2015. One of the confederations that FIFA consists of is the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and its former leader Michel Platini is the subject of most of the documents released.

So what did Mossack Fonseca do? It helped wealthy clients avoid paying taxes by hiding their money in “shell” companies. These companies would be based in countries with very friendly tax laws, thus providing a fairly easy process of tax evasion. Former UEFA president Michel Platini is implicated in taking part in this program. Unfortunately for FIFA, with Platini’s involvement indicated, there is now an important tie to its recently-appointed President, Gianni Infantino. As a former leader in the organization of UEFA, Infantino is also suspected of corruption.

Mossack Fonseca also housed documents showing an apparent case of bribery over television rights. The company Cross Trading allegedly bought off former FIFA Vice President Eugenio Figueredo. This case also ties in more members of FIFA, ironically those on the FIFA Ethics Committee.

What makes this so important is that the downfall of Platini could also trigger a domino ­effect among FIFA and UEFA officials over the coming years. This new motherlode of evidence from the Panama Papers will just add more strength to the existing FBI investigation into FIFA, as well as hopefully inspiring other investigations across Europe. This leak of documents has confirmed what most people in the world of soccer already believed: that FIFA was corrupt from top to bottom and replacing Sepp Blatter

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wouldn’t change a thing.

Unfortunately, FIFA officials were not the only individuals implicated in this release. Superstar Lionel Messi has also been revealed to have been avoiding Spanish taxes worth up to four million euros from 2007­to 2009. This is not a new issue; Messi has been involved with the Spanish authorities before regarding tax evasion,­but these documents add virtually all the evidence needed to prosecute both Messi and his father, Jorge.

Messi was not the only Barcelona player involved. His teammate and co­star Neymar has also been listed in this release. However, Neymar’s case seems to work on a much smaller scale as most of the issue revolves around his unreleased contract with Barcelona when he signed for the Catalan giant in 2013. Similarly to Messi, rumors have circulated about shady clauses in the contract that served to benefit Neymar’s father, but none have been confirmed.

As I write this article and learn more and more about both the corruption of FIFA and possibly even Lionel Messi and Neymar, my conscience is very divided. As a fan of the sport, I am hopeful that there are no major consequences for both Messi and Neymar. But I also wish that FIFA officials were harshly removed from governing the sport I love. This double standard is unpleasant. I hope that there is some opportunity for Messi and Neymar to take responsibility for their crimes, yet I do not hope for a similar blessing for FIFA members. With an objective opinion, it is very clear that all parties deserve severe repercussions.

The likely outcome will be that all parties will walk away unpunished. There will be some legal loophole that Messi, Neymar, their fathers and FIFA officials will discover and use to their benefit and just like that, business will continue as usual. What this reveals is an unfortunate truth about the world of professional soccer. Corruption is not limited to the suit­-and-­tie officials of 76251 FIFA. It expands farther than that. For there to be reform, it must expand farther than FIFA itself.

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Page 20

April 21, 2016

Bolstered staff leads to huge strides for growing rowing Jamie Anderson

T

Guest Reporter

his past weekend both the men’s and women’s rowing teams for Vassar traveled to the University of Albany to compete in a three-way meet against the hosting Great Danes, as well as the Thoroughbreds and Lady Thoroughbreds of Skidmore College. In their first competitive action since racing against Bowdoin College, Lawrence University and St. Thomas University on Lake Marion in Summerton, SC over spring break, both the men’s and women’s Brewer rowers–both varsity and novice–acquitted themselves quite well on the Albany waters.

In their first races of the Spring Season, the Vassar Rowing Teams posted strong times against the Great Dane boats. The Lady Brewers Varsity

8+ was steady, finishing in second place behind the winning Lady Thoroughbreds of Skidmore by a margin of just 10 seconds, with a time of 7:43.10.

This was a marked improvement since the last time the two 8+ teams faced off, when Skidmore pulled away from Vassar at the Head of the Fish Meet and finished with a time over a minute faster than that of the Brewers. VC’s second Women’s 8+ team came in third with a time of 8:13.39. In 4+ Varsity team competition, the Vassar women came up with another second place finish to Skidmore, finishing with a time of 8:43.12. They were behind the Thoroughbred contingent by 21 seconds. In an open water contest, the Brewer Novice 8+ women notched a comfortable win over the University at Albany women, pulling away to finish in 8:06.81, a full 45 seconds ahead of the Great Danes.

courtesy of Vassar Athletics

Freshman Julia Blass rows down the Hudson in the women’s three-way meet. The Lady Brewers Varsity finished in second place behind Skidmore by a slim margin of 10 seconds.

The Brewer men gave an equally strong performance on the waters of the Hudson throughout the course of the weekend’s races. Vassar Men’s Rowing took the top spot in the novice 8+ competition with a time of 7:17.13, finishing just ahead of the Great Dane 8+ rowers, who went under the wire after 7:23.42. Vassar’s varsity 4+ group nearly picked up another win as well: the Thoroughbred Men’s 8+ boat completed the 2000-meter course in 8:03.40. This was good for a competitive win over Vassar, whose men finished with a time of 8:09.32. Vassar’s rowers did not fare quite as well in the men’s varsity 8+, where Skidmore came away with the win in 6:30.02, with Albany taking second place with a 6:49.97 and the Brewer boat registering a 7:11.60 mark.

Reflecting on the team’s performance at Albany over the weekend, head coach for both the men’s and women’s teams Shawn Turner was pleased with his rowers’ performance. “At Albany all of the boats showed marked improvement in both speed and execution. The team is beginning to embrace the idea of challenging themselves by racing tough competition while keeping the ultimate measure of success internal. I am excited to see what the next few weeks bring,” he said in relation not just to the weekend’s meet at Albany, but also in relation to his expectations and goals for the team as the spring season progresses. The weekend’s meet surely produced some mixed feelings for Turner, as it gave him the chance to return to his alma mater (Albany).

Turner saw the weekend not just as an opportunity for his rowers to compete, but also as a means to prepare for what lies ahead. “Most of the team was able to race twice, which provided great experience for our crews given the young nature of the team. It also replicates the heat and final format of our championship events,” said Turner, who joined the Vassar staff in Summer 2015.

The remainder of the spring season will also provide the home stretch for the senior members of two predominantly young and inexperienced teams. On the women’s side, senior captains Maya Grunfeld and Elena Riecke, along with fel-

low seniors Cady Cirbes and Cristina Headrick, will look to lead their underclassmen teammates to a strong last month of competition and close out their athletic careers at Vassar in good form in their upcoming meets and regattas. For the men’s contingent, the lone senior rower is Clay Wash.

“We have a small senior class of...athletes [who] have seen a lot of change during their time rowing at Vassar. Their leadership and efforts have been immeasurable as Vassar Rowing looks to get a little bit faster every day,” Coach turner said.

Turner’s coaching staff was filled out over this past winter with the hiring of Assistant Marice Love, a master rower who has worked with rowing teams in the Poughkeepsie area for more than a decade. Love also serves as the Executive Director and President of Hudson Valley Rowing League, Inc. Another key addition is Assistant Coach Katherine Coffin, who rowed at the collegiate level for Division I University at Buffalo for four years, earning her degree in geology and environmental geoscience last year. The coaching staff, along with the seniors and captains, are making every effort to fine tune and focus on their training and preparation for upcoming events. “[P]ractice time on the Hudson is now as precious as ever. With the recent addition of a third coach’s launch, [we] can expect more individualized feedback out on the water. Practices will be geared towards race day with added emphasis on race starts and sprints,” assured junior men’s captain Andrew Wang.

The Brewers hope to build on their successful season in their busy slate of upcoming matchups. Vassar Rowing will take a short trip to New Rochelle to compete in the Spring Metropolitan Championships this coming Saturday. The Brewers waste no time in returning to competitive action, as they will also take to the water this coming Sunday here in Poughkeepsie, with the men’s and women’s sides facing off against Marist College and West Point, while the men’s team will additionally compete against Boston College for the President’s Cup.

Accolades abundant for star-studded Brewer athletes Winnie Yeates Reporter

Baseball

The baseball team fell behind in the second inning this past Saturday and were unable to rally back, falling 11-3 to non-conference action against Stevens Institute of Technology on Prentiss Field.

Then on Sunday, the Brewers were shut out in a 1-0 loss in game one to the Colonials of Western Connecticut State University, but came alive with a 17-5 win over the Colonials in game two to force a split in non-conference action on Prentiss Field.

The Brewers will return to Liberty League action with a crucial four-game set against Rochester Institute of Technology this coming Saturday and Sunday afternoons at home on Prentiss Field.

Men’s Fencing

The Northeast Fencing Conference announced Tuesday afternoon that sophomore sabre specialist Eli Polston was tabbed as the Northeast Fencing Conference’s Male Fencer of the Year while also earning NFC First-Team All-Star accolades.

Polston went 25-1 in men’s sabre action in the conference. He won 96.15 percent of his bouts in league play and totaled 128 total touches. In addition, sophomore Jonathan Alperstein was named as a NFC Second Team All-Star. Alperstein finished fourth in the conference in win percentage at épée, as he earned 76.92 percent of his league bouts. He finished 20-6 within the Northeast Fencing Conference.

Annie Hsu and Kristin Diep tied for 31st. The Brewers will return to central Massachusetts this weekend April 23-24 to play in the Liberty-League Championships.

Women’s Lacrosse

This past weekend, the women’s lacrosse team fell on the road 17-7 to St. Lawrence University.

Junior Brittany Botticelli led the defensive effort with a game ground-high five ground balls to go with a forced turnover and a draw control. Freshmen goalkeeper Kristen Caolo took the loss despite four saves, as the Saints outshot the Vassar 27-17. The Brewers also lost to Clarkson University on the road 13-9 Saturday. Sophomore Storm Sideleau, who leads Vassar with 30 goals on the season, scored a hat trick to lead the team. Seniors Isabelle Goldstein and Kim Mulvehill netted two goals a piece, while juniors Phoebe Hankins and Julia Trudell each had one. Caolo took the loss despite three saves. They will return to Poughkeep-

sie for their final two home games of the regular season against RIT and Rochester University.

Men’s Lacrosse

The men’s lacrosse team fell on the road this past Saturday 14-5 to St. Lawrence University. Junior Liam Moriarty posted three points against St. Lawrence notching 12 goals this season while junior Sam Houston-Read posted one goal and an assist; junior Brandon DeStasio posted one as did senior Noah Parson. Junior goalkeeper Brandon Crecco took the loss despite saving nine shots in 30 minutes. With the loss, the Brewers fell to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play. They will face Williams College in Williamstown, MA on Wednesday, April 20 at 6 p.m.

Women’s Tennis

The No. 38 Vassar women’s tennis team fell 9-0 to No. 14 nationally ranked MIT this past Saturday in Poughkeepsie. After a huge upset against

their rival Skidmore College on April 2, the Brewers went down 3-0 in doubles play. Senior captain Lauren Stauffer and sophomore Morgan Fitzgerald took a hard-fought 9-7 loss at the No. 2 spot.

Singles play was also tough for the Brewers on Saturday as they were unable to notch a single win throughout the match. However, two matches were decided in a super-tiebreaker; freshman Morgane Flournoy fell 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 at No. 5 singles, and junior Connie Yoo fell 6-3, 1-6, 10-6 at No. 6 singles. The Brewers will host William Smith College at home, Saturday April 23, at 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis

The men’s tennis team took on Rochester Polytechnic Institute this past Sunday on the road falling 5-4. With the loss the Brewers drop to 7-12 while the Engineers improve to 6-7. Junior Juan Felipe Laso was victorious in both singles and doubles play as he scored two wins for the Brewers that day. Laso teamed up with junior Alexander Luckmann to notch the lone doubles victory at No. 2. Laso also won his singles match at the No. 4 spot 6-4, 7-5. Two freshmen secured the final two points for the Brewers. Nick Lee had a comeback win at No. 6 singles 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Jamie Anderson won at the No. 5 spot 6-1, 7-6 (2).

Senior captain Evan Udine had a tough loss at No. 3 singles 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-2. Vassar will play The College of New Jersey this Wednesday, April 20 at 3:30 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball

Vassar’s senior women’s golfer Angela Mentel posted a team-best 85 this past Saturday to lead the Brewers in day one of the Jack Lehman Invitational. Her score had her tied for 16th place going into Sunday’s action. Vassar’s team score at the end of Saturday’s play was a 351. In Sunday action, the Brewers trimmed 10 shots off of their Saturday score to take sixth place. Mentel continued her hot-streak from Saturday, posting a season-best score on Sunday with a seven-over 79. She completed the weekend tied for either with a 36-hole total of 172. It was also her first top 10 finish of the 2015-2016 season. Junior Emily Prince took home 30th place at the Invitational while sophomores

courtesy of Vassar Athletics

Women’s Golf

Sophomore Matthew Knigge rises up for a kill. His stellar season resulted in selection as a FirstTeam All-American. Knigge is the sixth player in the program’s history to receive the award.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) named sophomore middle-hitter Matthew Knigge as a Division III First-Team All-American. Knigge’s selection as All-American marks the 10th time that a Vassar College athlete has been awarded the honor, while Knigge became the sixth player in program history to earn the accolade. Knigge is also only the third player in Vassar history to earn First-Team laurels. The 6’8” middle hitter earned UVC player of the week twice in addition to being awarded AVCA national player of the week. He is second in the UVC hitting percentage with a clip of .502. He ranks first in the UVC in blocks per set with 1.25 per game, while totaling 140 rejections on the year.