The Miscellany News
Volume CXLVIII | Issue 21
May 5, 2016
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Rankine’s Divest VC sit-in influences administration words V resound Eilis Donohue News Editor
Alan Hagins
Assistant Features Editor
cclaimed author Claudia Rankine took the stage and the crowd in Taylor Hall burst into eager applause. An hour later when she stepped off the podium, the excitement and care-free anticipation which had filled the room had vanished. In its place, there entered a profound discomfort. Attendants slowly rose from their seats and soundlessly filtered out of the auditorium. Professor of English Amitava Kumar believed these feelings of discomfort stemmed from Rankine’s hard-hitting poetry. He said, “Rankine’s writings are meant to jostle us out of our complacency. You felt it in the air that night, the disturbance.” At the lecture, Rankine read from her most recent book of poetry, “Citizen: An American Lyric.” The work gives voice to the struggle of Black Americans confronted with white supremacy. American writer and theatre critic Hilton Als said of the work, “It’s the best note in the wrong song that is America. Its various realities, mistaken identity, social racism, the whole fabric of urban and suburban life are alSee RANKINE on page 8
Alec Ferretti/The Miscellany News
A
assar students have proved that they support fossil fuel divestment on paper and in practice. 91 percent of students voted in support of fossil fuel divestment in the recent referendum and more than 400 people showed up to the sit-in conducted by Vassar College Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign last week to lend their presence to the cause. Student protesters camped out for a week outside of President Catharine Bond Hill’s office, many even staying overnight to ensure that the hall was occupied every moment of each day of the week. According to Vassar College Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign member Sophie Cash ’19, at least 50 people were present every day at meetings with administrators. Member Martin Man See DIVESTMENT on page 3
Student activists take part in a week-long sit-in organized by Vassar College Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign. The demonstration is part of a nationwide student movement urging colleges and universities to divest from fossil fuels.
“Goodnight Moon” adapted for student tastes Matt Stein
Assistant Arts Editor
R
emember when you were a little kid, ready to go to bed, and one of your parents tucked you in. Before you could go to sleep though, you had to hear a story. So as you drifted off to sleep, images of optimistic train engines and wild things filled your head. What if you could return to that place of wonder and imagination with the stories you loved?
Unbound, Vassar’s experimental student theatre group, is producing “Goodnight Moon,” a devised piece inspired by Margaret Wise Brown’s classic 1947 children’s book. Facilitated by Colby Byrne ’18 and Delphine Douglas ’18, this special event will explore the world of that beloved story in the Kenyon Club Room on May 6 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The show will be around 30 minutes long and audience members are encour-
aged to bring blankets and pillows. “The process they went through to adapt a children’s book into a devised piece of theatre was very exploratory, with each member of the production investigating the text closely,” Byrne added in an emailed statement. “It started out by looking through the book, thinking about things that have struck us or are interesting. Then we had projects and assignments for each of the cast
members that people would present that were relating to these topics. Two weeks ago Delphine and I wrote the final script, and we’ve been cleaning that up and making changes/rehearsing ever since.” Practically every student theatre organization allows for special event proposals. Different from fulllengths, special events have looser guidelines and a smaller budget. AdSee MOON on page 7
Dance festival celebrates culture Knigge recognized as NCAA All-American W Elena Schultz Arts Editor
Jamie Anderson Guest Reporter
T
Courtesy of Vassar International Services
hile the International Dance Festival is relatively new to campus, the Office of International Services (OIS) has been laying the event’s groundwork for years. The festival celebrated its second annual year in UpC on Friday, April 29. The idea for the International Dance Festival was born out of the necessity to not only celebrate diversity within campus, as Kaleidoscope— the annual fall festival of culture and cuisine—has done for years, but also within the Poughkeepsie community as well. Director of International Services Andrew Meade remarked, “We actually had the idea for several years, but we didn’t have the courage to act on it right away ... It’s not just international students but it’s everybody in the space, and so we’ve been trying to have a spring counterpart to [Kaleidoscope] for a long time. This is an event around movement...and not just for dance organizations that are on campus, but also dance organizations that are off campus.” The overarching idea for this year’s International Dance Festival was to bring together both the Vassar and Poughkeepsie communities. As Post-Baccalaureate Fellow for International Services Shàni Cox expressed, “It’s a chance to show Poughkeepsie that there’s more to the people living at Vassar, this little bubble, and there’s more to the people in the community See DANCE on page 17
International Dance Festival highlights campus and community diversity. The event featured dances and performances from various cultural organizations.
Inside this issue
4
NEWS
Asbestos discovered in faculty housing
7
Monkeys fired up for circus FEATURES convention
he Vassar College men’s volleyball team had a banner season this spring. The men capped the year with 24 wins to only seven losses and several wins against not only top-15 teams in the country but also a pair of wins over top-10 nationally-ranked squads. Although their season ended in just the second round of the United Volleyball Conference playoff tournament, the Brewers still lay claim to a high degree of success, including national recognition as No. 8 in the country for Division III. One can look to several standout performers to explain why the Vassar men’s volleyball team had such a successful run this year. At the close of the season, the UVC recognized four members of the squad as some of the best and most outstanding performers in the UVC, without a doubt one of the most competitive conferences in Division III. Vassar men’s volleyball has never had this many players nab All-UVC in a single season. Junior Trey Cimorelli earned Libero of the Year for his defensive contributions, while senior rightside Reno Kriz was named to the All-UVC Second Team. Cimorelli notched further accolades as the UVC named gave him an Honorable
14 ARTS
Mention. Sophomore setter Zechariah Lee also received a All-UVC Honorable Mention for his dominant offensive play throughout the course of the season. The UVC awarded sophomore 6’9” middle-hitter Matthew Knigge with a spot on the All-UVC First Team for his noteworthy play for the Brewers. This recognition was just the start of a litany of awards Knigge would rack up after the conclusion of the season. In addition to earning a spot on the All-UVC First Team, the New Egypt, NJ native garnered a slot on the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) First Team. The American Volleyball Coaches Association also selected Knigge as a First-Team All-American for Division III, the highest accolade for an athlete. Knigge is the 10th Vassar student-athlete to earn this honor. He joins five other men’s volleyball alums, including John Kessenich and Phil Tully, who were named FirstTeam selections in 2008 and 2009. While the sophomore is the sole All-American on the current team, he downplays the individual nature of his accomplishments and credits this year’s strong play to his teammates. “[B]eing named an All-American See KNIGGE on page 18
Seniors fondly recount their hour on the stage