Misc5 7 15

The Miscellany News

Volume CXLVII | Issue 22

May 7, 2015

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Social justice orgs unite for Israeli-Palestinian peace Bethan Johnson

Contributing Editor

“T

courtesy of Stephen Sizer via Flickr

he ongoing occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights, the ongoing oppression of Palestinian citizens inside Israel, and the many decades that Palestinian refugee rights have been ignored is completely unethical and completely unsustainable. Israel has been able to maintain these policies through the complicity and cooperation of other governments around the world, primarily our own, so we have a special responsibility and obligation to respond to that,” declared Executive Director of the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Rebecca Vilkomerson, who spoke to students about the importance of the movement for peace between Israel and Palestine on April 30.

Vilkomerson was joined by former

Coordinator of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee and current member of the steering committee of the Palestinian campaign for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel Hind Awwad in a panel hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine at Vassar and Jewish Voices for Peace at Vassar College.

The event included explanations of the BDS movement’s aims and political context, as well as an exploration of the current state of the movement in the United States, and comes just over one year after dozens of professors signed an open letter criticizing President Catharine Bond Hill and Dean of the Faculty Jonathan Chenette’s refusal to participate in the American Studies Association’s (ASA) resolution for an academic boycott of Israel until it complied with international law.

According to Awwad, the call for the See PANEL on page 4

Touching on the controversial climate at Vassar surrounding issues concerning Israeli-Palestinian relations, leaders of the BDS movement Rebecca Vilkomerson and Hind Awwad hosted a panel advocating for their cause and its goals on April 30.

Lecture emphasizes Report critiques VSA structure millennials in election O Rhys Johnson News Editor

Julia Cunningham

Assistant Features Editor

“I

solemnly swear not to talk about Hillary’s appearance, because that is not journalism.”

Cecily Strong had her right hand in the air as she prompted the journalists at the 2015 White House Correspondents Association Dinner to repeat after her. Media is an ever-growing aspect of political campaigning, and the increasing number of outlets creates a range

of opportunities for reporters and aspiring reporters. This new era of communication arises alongside another generational phenomenon, that of the Millennials.

“If we just stop for a moment and think about it, according to Pew, according to Gallup, according to every survey, millennials have overtaken, maybe even outnumber, baby boomers,” Civic educator, journalist and writer, Alexander Heffner, himSee MILLENNIALS on page 6

n Friday, April 20, the SG Consulting Group released their final report on their external review of the Vassar Student Association (VSA), which assessed the student representative body’s structural and bureaucratic capabilities.

According to outgoing VSA Vice President for Operations and President-elect Ramy Abbady ’16, who spearheaded the external review project, the VSA Council decided to seriously entertain the idea of an audit of the VSA early this year, shar-

ing many students’ concerns as to a growing rift between the student body and their elected officials, as well as a pervading feeling of stagnancy and opacity within the VSA. The student government training firm decided upon by an unofficial subcommittee of the VSA Operations Committee was SG Consulting, who has worked on similar projects at dozens of institutions across the United States.

From that firm, Operations Committee hired Managing Partner and Executive Director of the American Student Government Association

Lombardo chronicles, recites epic poetry Yifan Wang Reporter

W

Guest Reporter

T

Stanley Lombardo will be coming to Vassar to combine lecture with dramatic readings of Homer and other poets.

He will also bring in the subjects of Zen texts and Asian philosophy for a night of variety in art and academia.

Inside this issue

7

Waving goodbye to Czula Winnie Yeates

courtesy of Peter Bailley via Knox College

hat do the “Odyssey” of Homer and Zen practices have in common? You can find out on Thursday, May 7 when Professor Emeritus at the University of Kansas, Stanley Lombardo will give a presentation on Homer’s “Odyssey” and its sequel tradition among various poets including Dante, Tennyson, Pascoli and Kazantzakis.

The content will be presented as a case of Zen koan, a story, dialogue, question or statement that is used in Zen practice to provoke great doubt and test a student’s progress in Zen practice. The presentation will include dramatic readings of substantial passages from Homer and Dante, summaries of the epic poetry of Pascoli and Kazantzakis and references to Jacques Lusseyran, Mumun and Douglas Frame. It concludes with two koan questions and a Zen poem.

Lombardo is best known for his translations of Greek and Latin poetry, including Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey”, Virgil’s “Aeneid”, Dante’s “Inferno” and Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”. He maintains an interest in Asian philosophy and has co-edited an anthology of Zen texts. In 2010 he received the Umhoefer Humanities See LOMBARDO on page 16

(ASGA) W.H. “Butch” Oxendine to oversee the research for, and creation of, the final report.

The report itself details many of the issues within the VSA that some students have raised in recent years, such as a lack of the appropriate connection between a student government and its constituencies that Oxendine highlights as essential to a good, cooperative relationship between the two. “[T]here is no evidence that VSA engages in deliberate surveying or information-gathering as part of its See REPORT on page 3

College seeks to hault hazing FEATURES in its tracks

13

Former Humor & Satire editor HUMOR passes on quietly

15 ARTS

he Vassar community will be losing a very special member this year. Roman Czula will be retiring from his position as Director of Life Fitness at Vassar College.

He is the longest standing member of the Athletics Department here at Vassar, and he has been involved with the Department as well as the College as a whole for over 30 years.

Czula has worn many different shoes at Vassar. He served as a physical educator, the men’s basketball coach, men’s tennis coach and assistant squash coach. He has been Chair of the Physical Education Department, and has helped develop the facility and programming department. He set up the fitness room that is used by the entire Vassar community. He’s had a hand in the intramurals and recreation department, and he has even been involved with the Dance and Drama Departments here at Vassar. His more recent contributions to the Vassar community are Life Fitness and his well-known In-the-Pink.

Czula has been an integral part of Vassar for so long that he has coached both fathers See CZULA on page 18

Byrd’s 3D animations fly high, win annual title

Page 2

The Miscellany News

Congratulations to the Class of 2015 and a special thank you to our senior staff at The Miscellany News.

Good luck in all of your future endeavors!

Did you miss our alumni panel about careers in journalism?

Then check out our video interviews with the panelists, coming soon to miscellanynews.org!

May 7, 2015

Editor-in-Chief Palak Patel

Senior Editor Noble Ingram

Contributing Editors Bethan Johnson Meaghan Hughes Marie Solis

News Rhys Johnson Opinions Joshua Sherman Emily Sayer Arts Emma Rosenthal Humor & Satire Chris Gonzalez Zander Bashaw Sports Zach Rippe Erik Quinson Photography Samantha Pianello Design Sarah Dolan Online Gwendolyn Frenzel Elizabeth Dean Social Media Maddy Vogel Hannah Nice Copy Ashley Pecorelli Anika Lanser Crossword Editors Collin Knopp-Schwyn York Chen Alycia Beattie Assistant Features Julia Cunningham Claire Standaert Reporters Amreen Bhasin Eloy Bleifuss Prados Emily Hoffman Ashley Hoyle Charles Lyons-Burt Connor McIllwain Sieu Nguyen Yifan Wang Columnists Sophia Burns Delaney Fischer Sam Hammer Penina Remler Sarah Sandler Design Samana Shrestha Sixing Xu Photography Cassady Bergevin Alec Ferretti Emily Lavieri-Scull Copy Hallie Ayres Claire Baker Antigone Delton Christa Guild Alessandra Muccio Kelsey Quinn Jessica Roden Emma Roellke Sophia Slater Rebecca Weir Laura Wigginton LETTERS POLICY The Miscellany News is Vassar College’s weekly open forum for discussion of campus, local and national issues, and welcomes letters and opinions submissions from all readers.

Letters to the Editor should not exceed 350 words, and they usually respond to a particular item or debate from the previous week’s issue. Opinions articles are longer pieces, up to 800 words, and take the form of a longer column. No letter or opinions article may be printed anonymously. If you are interested in contributing, e-mail misc@vassar.edu.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

May 7, 2015

NEWS

Page 3

Vassar Greens, Dems host activists, promote sustainability Emily Hoffman

O

Reporter

n Friday, May 1, the Vassar Democrats and the Vassar Greens hosted a lecture entitled “The Ecological Citizen’s Project: Moving Towards Sustainability, Exploring Barriers to Individual and Societal Change,” given by Vassar alum and environmental activists Jason Angell ’00 and his wife Jocelyn Apicello.

After Vassar, Angell went on to work on policy change in the field of sustainability. As Director of the Center for Working Families in New York, he advocated for the passage of the Center’s Green Jobs-Green Homes NY program and the Fair Share tax reform model, and now teaches courses at Bronx Community College. Apicello teaches at Hunter College’s School of Public Health and in the New York State prison system through Bard

College’s Prison Initiative. She also participates in the revival of prison farms, overseeing the creation of gardens in correctional facilities. They live together on Longhaul Farm in the lower Hudson Valley, where they practice sustainable living and agriculture, including running a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and a diversified, free-range livestock program.

Their Ecological Citizen’s Project aims to create a movement of people with a greater sense of ecological consciousness and a willingness to change private behaviors to promote the public good. Angell and Apicello want to begin this movement with a retreat at Longhaul Farm in August. They are inviting schools from around the Hudson Valley including Vassar, Marist, SUNY New Paltz and Bard, among others, to participate.

During the talk, Angell discussed some of the

courtesy of Jason Angell

On May 1, the Vassar Democrats and the Vassar Greens hosted environmental activists Jason Angell ’00 and Jocelyn Apicello, who advocated for greater ecological consciousness and sustainability efforts.

core sustainability problems that America faces today, including the idea that the perpetual growth of the economy is intrinsically tied to the concept of the American Dream. He noted, “The American Dream is a false road to happiness and a core driver of our sustainability challenge.”

He posited that Americans have become obsessed with the idea of the American Dream: “The trickle down effect is not working. We are trying to keep up the pace of living a certain lifestyle and we are more stressed because of it. People are so rooted in the system they can’t even see it.”

Angell and Apicello asserted that today’s generation must confront sustainability issues, and that it must start shaping society around the idea of the pursuit of happiness. They suggested that individuals can help to resolve these issues through various means, like using vehicle charging stations, biking or walking, and supporting local producers and green businesses. Angell noted, “Twothirds of millennials believe that climate change is caused by human activity.” The challenge, she explained, is to convince them to do something about it by changing their lifestyles.

One student who enjoyed the lecture, Tonya Ingerson ’18, commented in an emailed statement, on the role of students in this effort. “I think college students are very good at thinking about their futures (that’s generally the source of a lot of our stress!). But we all have to learn to expand that vision of the future to encompass a larger lens. I also think that it’s important to build it into the campus atmospheres across the world, because schools foster incredibly tight, smart and active communities...Larger-scale collaboration can start on campuses and easily grow from there with a strong foundation; and there’s no better time to start this than right now,” she wrote.

Vassar Democrats secretary Mary Lesher ’16 pointed out the importance of the lecture’s topic beyond the issue of ecological preservation.

“Angell’s movement encompasses so much more than just sustainability,” she remarked. “Of course sustainability is the primary focus, but the project is also about issues of economic inequality, bud-

get reforms, and affordable housing. We think it’s really important to see the ways in which all of these issues are intertwined and to start looking for solutions that acknowledge and work with the interconnected nature of these policy areas.”

Vassar has recently been making strides in its own sustainability efforts as well. According to Sustainability Coordinator Alistair Hall, Vassar completed the new Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System report in 2014, which helped showcase the work it’s doing to reduce water usage, promote sustainability in the curriculum and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Hall noted, “Education and awareness is only one piece of the puzzle; what’s really needed is action.

Education efforts need to be framed around agency; helping people realize and own their potential, their ability to change the system.” This summer Vassar will work with the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps program for the second year. Two Climate Corps fellows, three Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI) students and two professors will research ways to account for the social cost of carbon on campus, manage sustainability data sets and exploring a possible Carbon Neutrality Plan for Vassar.

Furthermore, the Greens have been heavily involved with sustainability efforts on campus.

According to Co-President Karen Crook ’17, “One of the things we are constantly striving for in the Greens is emphasizing the connection between environmental and social justice.” Last year’s Tap That campaign successfully banned the sale of bottled water on campus. This year, the Greens have brought back The Free Market, an initiative that aims to promote recycling by providing a market where students can drop off things they don’t want and pick up new items. The Greens are also planning to start a free textbook swap in collaboration with the Student Class Issues Alliance.

Hall remarked, “Increasingly, campus sustainability is the new normal, which is great, but it also means that we need to keep challenging ourselves to raise the bar on what it means to be a sustainable campus.”

Student gov. consultant releases VSA external review

courtesy of Mark Taylor via Flickr

REPORT continued from page 1 normal operations or as part of any intentional constituent outreach,” Oxendine posited in the report. “VSA members usually form their opinions about what is important to students based on the comments of their friends or their own experiences, rather than on hard facts and empirical evidence.”

Abbady acknowledged the report’s assessment, suggesting that the VSA instead utilize a more direct, proactive method of communication between themselves and their constituencies. “Right now the VSA works through hearsay for the most part,” he noted. “We hear that something happened and then we try to talk about it, but it’s much easier to actually talk to people. Then you’ll really know what’s going on instead of relying on things like what’s being posted on Facebook.”

Noyes House Team member Hailey Steichen ’17 discussed her thoughts on the disconnect between students and the VSA, agreeing with the report’s diagnosis. “I feel that there is somewhat of a lack of a transparency regarding the actions of the VSA,” she remarked.

“There’s definitely some personal responsibility in that, but the only real thing where I really knew what was going on was whether the Executive Board should have paid positions, which was interesting in that that was the issue they chose to make very prevalent,” she went on to say.

In light of such concerns, Oxendine recommended not only that the VSA redouble its efforts to reach out to their constituencies on its own projects and initiatives, but that its officials regularly attend events sponsored by funded student organizations they fund and create public relations and outreach positions to bridge the gap.

Class of 2017 President Jonathan Nichols explained that the issue of transparency reflects a more fundamental structural problem within the VSA. “There’s very little centralization [in the VSA Council]. It’s hard for Council to be transparent about things that the larger Council doesn’t even know about. I think it goes deeper than just transparency issues, which we

After months of researching, interviewing and drafting, W.H. “Butch” Oxendine released his final report on the current state of affairs within the VSA, assessing their structural and operational abilities. definitely do have,” Nichols commented. “The communication methods that we have now are the website, which nobody ever goes to and never gets updated, and emails, which everybody stops reading about the second week into the school year. There definitely needs to be a better way of disseminating information, but even more than that there needs to be a better way of the VSA collecting its own information so that Council as a whole knows what each committee and each VP is doing.”

They continued, “I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve heard a proposal or a project talked about in a committee and heard nothing about it on the Council floor until the proposal was done or the project was finalized…It even goes beyond the VSA having transparency and a coherent message to send to the student body.

It’s about the VSA being able to understand what it’s doing.”

The report called the overarching structure

of the VSA in a number of ways, particularly that of the exact roles and functions of its Council members, into question. It spoke, more specifically, to a problematic imbalance between the work demanded of members of the Executive Board and other Council members, the House and Class Presidents. “VSA officers (President and Vice Presidents specifically) are overwhelmed by the workload required of them. On the other hand, Council members do very little.”

As a response, Oxendine recommended that the VSA adjust its structure to include new positions that would alleviate the workloads of its executive officers, such as a presidential cabinet, as well as a more sophisticated advisory system that would allow former Executive Board members and current administrators to provide guidance to new officers.

Nichols, however, took issue with that assertion, arguing that it was an oversimplification

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

of a far more complicated bureaucratic system.

“As far as widespread desire to do stuff goes, because half of the VSA Council are House Presidents and are preoccupied with other things, it’s very hard to shift the mentality of Council as a whole onto working on projects, which means that the only people who are working on projects are the people who are elected specifically to do that: the VPs.” Such was not, however, the only reservation held by those who have read the report, many of whom have expressed open disappointment with the overall quality of the report. Nichols remarked, “We were expecting the reviewer to be a little better than he was. We weren’t expecting him to use the report as a fundraising tool for ASGA things. Nobody on Operations Committee, and I don’t think anybody on the VSA, really believes that Butch fully understood Vassar.”

Abbady remarked, “There were a lot of things that Butch recommended that we already do, such as having student interns or having forums with administrators during Council meetings. It was a long report... but there were errors and I wish there weren’t.”

Nevertheless, many members of the VSA maintain that, regardless of the overall quality of the report, many of Oxendine’s judgments were valid and that the VSA would make addressing them a priority next year.

Outgoing-VSA President Carolina Gustafson ’15 remarked in an emailed statement, “As someone who took on the role of addressing these issues within the VSA I can attest that having in writing what upsets people about the VSA, and suggestions for how to address these issues, will hopefully be helpful…I do not think throwing out the whole report because people disagree with some of the suggestions or the way it is formatted is beneficial though when there are pieces of the report, particularly the peer data, that can beneficial.”

“I think students should know that the VSA is taking this report, and other suggestions for change to the VSA very seriously,” Gustafson went on to write. “I hope some positive change will result.”

NEWS

Page 4

May 7, 2015

BDS leaders seek to dismantle Middle East oppression PANEL continued from page 1

implementation of the BDS movement first came from Palestinian academics in 2004, with the entirety of Palestinian civil society following suit the subsequent year. The speaker explained that the movement demands the dismantling of the Israeli West Bank wall and other attempts at colonization, full equality for Palestinians living in Israel and the implementation of the right of return for Palestinian refugees based on UN Resolution 194.

Awwad said of the second condition, “There are about 1.5 million Palestinians in Israel, who live, at best, as second-class citizens. Currently there are about 50 laws in Israel that discriminate against non-Jews. That fits the definition of apartheid. When you say that Israel is an apartheid state, it’s not an analogy in that sense...There’s a UN definition of the crime of apartheid and Israel fits that very definition.” She also noted that the right to return, which she considers the most critical of the three demands of BDS, requires several shifts in Israeli policy. The policy would require that Palestinians be granted the right to return to their homes, be paid compensation for the crime that made them refugees and receive a guarantee of non-repetition, as well as a formal apology.

Awwad stated that, in order to achieve these aims, the movement calls upon citizens worldwide to boycott and divest themselves from organizations that financially or rhetorically support Israel. Both Awwad and Vilkomerson noted that the movement has recently won several key victories in its struggle, as businesses like security firm G4S, transportation company Veolia and tractor-producers Caterpillar have lost billions of dollars as institutions and local governments divest from these groups for their ties to Israel. Vilkomerson explained, “These companies are starting to have a bad name. They are having a bad name in terms of their moral complicity and they’re having a bad name in terms of being an economic investment that has long-term profitability.”

Both speakers insisted that claims of racism or antisemitism leveled against the BDS movement are unfounded, due to a fundamental misinter-

pretation of the movement’s goals and principles.

“The BDS call and the BDS movement are also based on principles of international law and human rights, which means that the movement, by definition, is against all forms of racism, whether it’s Islamophobia, antisemitism or any other kind of discrimination,” Awwad explained. Vilkomerson also argued, “It cannot be anti-Semitic, it is not anti-Semitic, to hold a state, any state including Israel, accountable for human rights violations, for enforcing inequality, or for its systems of oppression. In fact, the misuse of the term ‘antisemitism’ makes a mockery of truly anti-Semitic incidents and makes it dangerously possible for people to take true antisemitism less seriously.”

Such demands and methods, Awwad and Vilkomerson asserted, can be seen as the re-implementation of strategies used in apartheid-era South Africa. Awwad noted, “In South Africa, international isolation in the form of BDS was one of the four pillars that brought apartheid to an end...Israel is being given this status that’s above the law. It’s been given sort of a blank check to act as it pleases with full impunity. It’s in situations like these that the international community has, historically, shouldered the moral responsibility to fight injustice, as was the case in South Africa.”

Although they began their arguments with discussions of history, both noted that this protest has serious modern contexts. The summer 2014 Israeli military operation in Gaza, which led to the deaths of more than 2,000 Palestinians and almost 100 Israelis, reinforced supporters’ arguments against Israeli actions and, according to Vilkomerson, motivated Jewish Voices for Peace to align itself with the BDS movement. Awwad explained, “Despite Israel’s attack on Gaza this summer, but also its attack on Gaza in 2009, and the overwhelming international condemnation it received...nothing has been done to hold Israel accountable for the crimes that it committed in Gaza or to stop it from committing those crimes again.”

Vilkomerson went on to note BDS’s role in American struggles for equality. She remarked, “Fundamentally, JVP is an anti-racist organization,

so of course our members are going to be on the streets for Black Lives Matter just like they were for Gaza this summer. Our anti-racist principles make us part of a broader coalition, one that brings many movements together, whether fighting for immigrant rights, or against the prison industrial complex, or for justice in Palestine. They’re simply different facets of the same fight—for the full equality and dignity of all human beings.”

Awwad and Vilkomerson also argued that the United States government and American citizens are seriously implicated in the current struggle between Palestine and Israel, stating that BDS serves as one method for individuals to divest themselves from promoting oppression. Vilkomerson argued, “We [at JVP] see BDS as a vital and growing non-violent tool to pressure our government...and, in our political context, is a response to the US really using every aspect of its power—economic and political and diplomatic and everywhere—to make us all complicit in Israel’s policies of occupation, disenfranchisement and oppression of Palestinians.”

Aside from campaigns waged against companies aligned with Israel, Vilkomerson also noted other methods by which Americans can force change. The speaker described how grassroots lobbying of state and local laws against anti-BDS legislation and funding Israeli military actions is vital to disrupting the status quo that makes America complicit in Israeli oppression. Vilkomerson said, “What we’re starting to see is that politicians can no longer try to score political points by pushing through this kind of mindless pro-Israel legislation. We can impose a cost.”

Vilkomerson also stressed the need for college campuses to participate in the BDS movement.

She spoke about the growing number of divestment referendums placed before student bodies, as well as several colleges who have agreed to support the ASA’s call for an academic boycott; she also noted that she hoped to see Vassar take up this cause, despite Hill’s comments soon after.

On January 2, 2014, President Hill and Dean Chenette released a statement saying, “Vassar

on Friday that six police officers have been charged in the death of Gray, and that state prosecutors had sufficient evidence to file homicide, manslaughter and misconduct charges against the officers (The New York Times, “The Timeline of Freddie Gray’s Arrest and the Charges Filed,” 05.01.15).

This past Saturday, the turbulent weeks took a lighter tone as thousands rallied peacefully in front of Baltimore’s City Hall to call for an end to police mistreatment of black men. A participant explained the change in mood, “The public got an answer yesterday. I just hope that the changes stick. I’m really hopeful that it doesn’t turn” (The New York Times, “After Thousands Rally in Baltimore, Police Make Some Arrests as Curfew Takes Hold,” 05.02.15).

ny’s leadership announced last week that the transition may necessitate a minor raise in prices (The New York Times, “Chipotle to Stop Using Genetically Altered Ingredients,” 04.26.15).

Speculation in the business sector is that Chipotle’s decision to go GMO-free was a calculated move to appeal to its younger customer base. In the same vein, Chipotle was also the first restaurant chain to disclose to the public which of its menu items contained GMOs earlier in 2013. According to a recent Nielson report published by Fortune, attaining non-GMO foods is of high importance to almost half of the population sampled. However, similar studies have found that people are generally not willing to pay higher prices for those foods (Fortune, “Chipotle just went GMO-free – a savvy move to impress Millennials,” 04.27.15).

Although the Mexican-style chain will no longer directly sell food made with GMO-products, their pork and chicken continue to come from animals fed with GMO-grain, and many of its beverages will still contain sweeteners containing GMO-corn. The company’s other movements towards clean eating, however, include renouncing antibiotic-treated chicken and artificial colors, sweeteners, and preservatives.

Despite that Chipotle will not yet reach its goal of being completely GMO-free this year, it looks to be a trendsetter among other restaurants as a benchmark of cleaner, more natural food, and to live up to its slogan: “Food With Integrity.”

College is firmly committed to academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas. We are opposed to boycotts of scholars and academic institutions anywhere in the world, and we strongly reject the call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.”

In the aftermath, 39 professors from several departments wrote an open letter to the administration stating their belief in the need for an institutional boycott. The letter reads in part, “As faculty committed to academic freedom for all people everywhere, we wish to voice our dissent from the public statement by Vassar College President Catharine Bond Hill and Dean of Faculty Jonathan Chenette...We believe that a real threat to academic freedom lies in the recent frenzied campaign by journalists, universities, and lawmakers to censure or delegitimize the ASA. This campaign undermines academic freedom [which] protects faculty who wish to participate in thoughtful, ethical actions” (The Miscellany News, “Open letter in defense of academic freedom in Palestine/Israel and in the United States,” 03.01.14).

This decision sparked serious debates among alumnae/i as well as in the mainstream media. To date, Vassar has continued to ignore the ASA’s call for an academic boycott, a fact that Vilkomerson hopes will change as public sentiment towards and knowledge of the BDS movement evolve.

Although the BDS movement has failed to achieve any of its aims, both speakers argued that there is much to be optimistic about. Aside from its victories against corporations, Awwad and Vilkomerson said that the backlash from both the Israel and conservative Jewish organizations like Hillel International show the movement’s strength. Awwad cited the amount of money Israel spends on public relations campaigns to mask the occupation of Palestine and disrupt BDS efforts.

Vilkomerson also pointed to the money used

by Jewish organizations to silence pro-BDS institutions. According to Vilkomerson, “The cumulative result is that they’re not, anymore, trying to convince anyone by the power of their argument.

They are trying to ensure silence through fear and intimidation. That, to me, is progress.”

Outside the Bubble Baltimore Recovering in Wake of Freddie Gray Protests On May 3, after weeks of violent unrest spurred by the death of Freddie Gray, the latest national symbol of institutional discrimination and police brutality, Mayor of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings-Blake lifted the city’s recently enacted night curfew, and has begun efforts to withdraw the National Guard from the fray. Mondawmin Mall, where thousands of dollars of merchandise was looted during the unrest on April 27, also reopened for the first time on Sunday afternoon, indicating to many a potential return to normalcy (CNN, “National Guard plans exit from Baltimore,” 05.05.15).

While being chased and arrested by Baltimore police on the morning of April 12, 25-year-old Freddie Gray sustained critical injuries from what many have called unnecessary force on the part of the officers involved, and later died at hospital on April 19. According to his family, 80 percent of Gray’s spinal cord was severed and his larynx was crushed during his arrest. As shown in a cell phone video taken at the scene of the arrest, Gray was dragged into a police van, limp and in apparent pain.

Police officials have acknowledged that Gray should have received immediate medical treatment at the scene of the arrest and have also commented that he was unbuckled in the van, which may have worsened his initial injuries (The New York Times, “Baltimore Enlists National Guard and a Curfew to Fight Riots and Looting,” 04.27.15).

Gray’s untimely death spawned a week of protests that had been largely peaceful until the night of April 26, when scuffles took place between demonstrators and officers in riot gear. On the following Monday, after Gray’s funeral took place in the afternoon, violence swelled into open looting and rioting, with people throwing rocks and bottles at officers.

Pastor Jamal Bryant, who delivered Gray’s eulogy, appealed for calm and peace. “This is not what the family asked for, today of all days, for us to come out of the burial and walk into this is absolutely inexcusable.”

Bryant said (The New York Times, “Baltimore Enlists National Guard and a Curfew to Fight Riots and Looting,” 04.27.15).

As of May 3, officials have reported 486 arrests and 113 injured police offices (Los Angeles Times, “As Baltimore curfew ends, celebratory crowds peacefully gather,” 05.03.15). Peace began to be restored, however, as Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced

—Yifan Wang, Reporter Chipotle Cleans Menu of GMO Food On Monday, April 27, Mexican fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle officially marked its first day serving food free of genetically engineered ingredients, becoming the first major food chain in the United States to do so.

For years, GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, have been the source of heated controversy within the food industry. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture statistic published by CNN Money, at least 80 percent of all the food consumed in the United States, and over 90% of corn and soybeans, contain some form of GMO byproducts, figures that many have demanded must change (“Chipotle is now GMO-free,” 04.27.15).

The company cites it reasons for the ban as the limited scientific knowledge of long-term effects of consuming GMO foods and their potential for environmental damage. “There is a lot of debate about genetically modified foods,” remarked Chipotle Chairman and Co-CEO Steve Ells. “Though many countries have already restricted or banned the use of GMO crops, it’s clear that a lot of research is still needed before we can truly understand all of the implications of widespread GMO cultivation and consumption. While that debate continues, we decided to move on non-GMO ingredients” (USA Today, “Chipotle: GMOs gone from our food,” 04.27.15).

Although Chipotle has been enjoying great success among its competitors, particularly legacy chains like McDonald’s, who have experienced growth at a fraction of its rate both in stock and in sales, the compa-

— Eilis Donohue, Guest Reporter — Rhys Johnson, News Editor Two Gunmen Attack Anti-Islamic Art Show On Sunday, May 3, two armed men were shot and killed after they began shooting outside an art exhibit in Garland, Texas entitled, “Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest.”

The exhibit, which featured controversial depictions of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, was organized by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, an anti-Islam activist organization, in response to an anti-Islamophobia event held in the same location earlier that year (The Huffington Post, “2 Men Shot Dead After Opening Fire Outside Muhammad Art Exhibit in Garland, Texas,” 05.04.15).

Garland officials commented on the shooting in a recent Facebook post. They wrote, “As today’s Muhammad Art Exhibit event at the Curtis Culwell Center

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

was coming to an end, two males drove up to the front of the building in a car. Both males were armed and began shooting at a Garland ISD security officer. The GISD security officer’s injuries are not life-threatening.

Garland Police officers engaged the gunmen, who were both shot and killed” (The Slatest, “Two Gunmen, Security Guard Shot at Right-Wing ‘Muhammad Cartoon Contest’ in Texas,” 05.03.15). The only injury sustained during the incident, other than those given to the gunmen, was a minor gunshot wound to the leg of one of the event’s security officers, who has since been treated and discharged from a nearby hospital.

Because the exhibit was expected to attract much controversy, the event was staffed with additional security and local police officers, who responded to the initial shots immediately. “We were ready for this,” Garland police spokesman Joe Garn remarked (CNN, “Two men shot dead after they open fire at Mohammed cartoon event in Texas,” 05.04.15).

“The first suspect was shot immediately,” Garland Mayor Douglas Athas said of the incident. “The second suspect was wounded and reached for his backpack.

He was shot again...We have no other indication that anyone else was involved” (CNN, “Two men shot dead after they open fire at Mohammed cartoon event in Texas,” 05.14.15).

The Islamic State extremist group in Syria applauded the two men’s efforts, and one of the attackers, a late convert to Islam with a history of extremist sympathies, has been found to have promoted the Islamic State on Twitter, and to have had contacts with fighters in the group. “The brothers from the Charlie Hebdo attack did their part,” the gunman wrote online. “It’s time for brothers in the #US to do their part” (The New York Times, “Trail of Extremism on Twitter Led to Shootout in Texas,” 05.05.15).

Counterterrorism officials are continuing to study the two attackers’ backgrounds, while Garland looks to recover from the scare.

“Texas officials are actively investigating to determine the cause and scope of the senseless attack in Garland, Texas,” Governor of Texas Greg Abbott commented. “This is a crime that was quickly ended thanks to the swift action by Garland law enforcement. Our thoughts and prayers remain with all those affected tonight.”

— Rhys Johnson, News Editor — Maddy Vogel, Social Media Editor

May 7, 2015

FEATURES

Page 5

Ask a professor: What a thesis means at Vassar in 2015 Marie Solis

Contributing Editor

“Y

courtesy of Facebook

our thesis is like your first love: difficult to forget,” writes Umberto Eco in his manual “How To Write a Thesis.” If Vassar students were to write a similar guide, it might be a little less romantic and a little more like this: 1. Find an adviser with the same obscure interests as you.

2. Avoid said adviser when you’ve neglected to turn in any work to them.

3. Cry. 4. Fashion those tears into 40 or more pages of writing.

5. Take a selfie with the completed product.

(Bonus points if it’s taken outside of the library.)

Indeed, there are some parts of the process that have endured and some that have changed dramatically since Eco wrote his book in 1977. In his New Yorker piece, “A Guide to Thesis-Writing that is a Guide to Life,” Associate Professor of English Hua Hsu weighs these differences against the relative value of undertaking a semester–or year–long endeavor meant to represent the culmination of a college career. Is the stress worth it?

The long hours in the library? The writer’s block?

“Ultimately, it’s the process and struggle that make a thesis a formative experience,” writes Hsu. “When everything you learned in college is marooned in the past—when you happen upon an old notebook and wonder what you spent all your time doing, since you have no recollection whatsoever of a senior-year postmodernism seminar—it is the thesis that remains…”

Though for some seniors this may feel more like a threat than an offering of hope, in recalling their own theses and experiences as advisers, professors maintained there is something to be gained by writing a thesis.

Hsu recounted, “I loved the process because it was so independent. I spent a lot of time in college making zines and undertaking these independent projects, so it was like that, but for credit. I loved being in my own little world.” Hsu received his bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where it took meeting the right professor to convince him to pursue a thesis.

“I wrote my thesis on fantasies of race in American film under the guidance of the brilliant and kind professor Michael Rogin, perhaps the only person in my department (Political Science) I actually liked. To this day I still feel sad that I never discovered his courses until my senior year,” he wrote in an emailed statement.

On the first day of his senior year Hsu took his first-ever class with Rogin; 15 minutes into the session, he said, he was drafting a speech to persuade the highly lauded professor to work with him on a project—any project. “The thesis was more of an excuse to spend more time with him than anything,” joked Hsu. This professor-student bond can be as valuable for advisers as it is for advisees. Associate Professor of English and Director of Jewish Studies Peter Antelyes said he treats each of the theses he advises like a mini course, meeting with his students weekly to go over readings and materials. But while in the classroom setting Antelyes may be in charge, he finds that with theses he’s often right alongside his students, learning as they learn, discovering as they discover.

“The sense is that you’re working closely with someone and you’re thinking it through together,” he said. “Of course, the student has to do the work and we do the reading and commenting on it…But whoever I work with I end up having to read what they’re reading, because that’s part of the job.”

Though professors often act as living databases, referring students to texts helpful to their projects, at times thesis-writers may have a point of inquiry beyond the expertise of their advisers.

Post-doctoral Music fellow Justin Patch found this to be true when he was asked to co-advise a thesis on author Richard Wright. When exploring the issues of race Wright narrativizes in his novels, the student decided to examine a sect of hip hop dealing with some of the same issues.

That’s where Patch comes in: “If a student comes to me and wants to talk about something dance or cognitive science-related, I can guide them to someone who is specialized in those areas...That’s really key on this campus and I think it makes the thesis process a lot richer,” he said. “If, for example, you’ve never taken a biology class you get the chance to talk to a biologist one-on-one about something you’re really passionate about.”

For thesis writers, having the undivided attention of a professor is a major perk, and feeling as

though you’re on an equal playing field with them can be a rite of passage. But in the early tentative stages of their projects, or in times of crisis and uncertainty, students still need to lean on their advisers for guidance.

“Most of the time people come into it without really knowing what they’re going to do,” said Antelyes. He added that he often works with students over the summer or the semester before they’re writing their thesis to make sure they’re adequately prepared. Nonetheless, Antelyes admitted that there are some parts of the process that can’t be planned for. “What’s that old line?

‘The form is never more than an extension of the content,’” he recited. “When you decide what you’re going to explore, the form has to suit whatever that is. But sometimes it works in reverse: Form dictates content.”

Antelyes recalled working with Emma Gregoline ’15, whose thesis took the form of a graphic essay. He said this was one instance where, at times, the content had to follow the form and this was something he and Gregoline had to brainstorm together to make sense of.

“Sometimes she would literally redraw the image in order to recontextualize it and also to learn what the person was doing. Then she would draw herself into the image or talking to the image— that all happened organically when she was trying to think about how she was going to do this. And then she said, ‘What if I also want to do that with theorists?’ and so I said, ‘Do that—quote them, but have them speaking their theory and make it a conversation,’” said Antelyes. Amid this process, Antelyes said there was a moment when it occurred to him that Gregoline had found the voice of her thesis. In one panel of her comic, Gregoline as herself asks Judith Butler a question about gender performance and she replies, “I don’t know, I’m only a drawing of Judith Butler.”

“That’s when Emma became Emma,” he said.

In the process of writing her thesis, Gregoline contacted the comic artists she was writing about and met with them. She then drew these interactions into her graphic essay, and they became an important part of her project. While Gregoline literally entered a conversation with the subjects of her thesis, Patch asserted that this aspect is central to the thesis. “The thesis is about figuring out whose ideas resonate with you and why, and then to jump down the rabbit hole—though not too deep; after all they have to be done soon!—and to be able to see yourself in this larger context of a legacy of intellectual inquiry,” Patch said.

As Antelyes suggests, because we are all different thinkers, this intellectual inquiry may take different forms. And just as technological literacy becomes more important to employers, so it does to students completing theses. “I have one student who’s doing a series of podcasts on what makes music catchy,” said Patch. He continued, “Technology is becoming more and more a part of theses, if for no other reason than that it’s pragmatic given the amount of technology you have to deal with at the professional level. It’s important that students have hands-on experience because the days of handing in a writing sample, while not numbered, will start to apply to fewer fields.”

At Vassar, many of the changes impacting how students approach their theses come from larger questions of curricular and departmental policy.

In the works for over a year now, the proposed Intensive Mentored Exploration (IME) would require all students to complete a capstone project.

Antelyes is among those who have some concern about such an obligation, especially as a professor in a department that has an optional thesis.

“I love the fact that the people who write theses do it because they want to. It allows us to start with that energy and curiosity rather than start from the fact of, ‘Look, you’re going to have to do this.’ I don’t want to think from top-down requirements; I want to think of bottom-up interests,” said Antelyes, who had earlier laughed about the loose demands of his alma mater, Sarah Lawrence.

“I was there for two years and I think I wrote three papers. We did write long things for ourselves, because that’s what it was to be at Sarah Lawrence: You put on a leotard and found some dark place in the library and did your thing. But there was no big project and I’m sort of sorry because the people who I’ve been working with over the years really get something out of it,” he said.

Antelyes estimated that over the last four to five years, the English department has seen a drop-off from 75 to 40 percent of its students writing theses. He suspected that it might be the sheer length and seeming inutility of the traditional thesis that

Pictured above, seniors Alix Masters, Rachel Garbade, Emma Foley, Bethan Johnson, Sean Chang and Yasmeen Silva pose with the product of their semester- and year-long thesis endeavors. deters them. “Who’s written a 40-page paper? It’s a monstrous thing to contemplate. But if you think, ‘I can put three papers together and do it that way, or I can do something partly creative and critical, or I can do long-form journalism...’ suddenly they begin to loosen up a bit,” said Antelyes.

Patch echoed these concerns, stating that if Vassar moves forward with a universal thesis requirement, it should give students some breathing room. “There’s all of this other type of learning that happens on campus and when we look at the capstone and the [IME] policy, there should be flexibility for students...so they come out on the other side better off for it,” he said.

For his master’s thesis, Patch investigated the intersections of music and the anti-war movement in Austin, Texas, where he spent over a year working alongside a grassroots organization. “I wrote about the changing nature of music and protest, because I was always reading about how protest music had this political significance. But what I ended up finding is that, at least the organization I was working with, it wasn’t so much about the message in the music as it was about getting musicians who were famous, who people would come to the rally and see.”

But before he immersed himself in the field, Patch was in a music conservatory devoid of a formal thesis requirement. “We did recitals, which is a very different process. But in some ways there’s something similar happening where you’re going back to pieces: You learn theory, you learn music history, you learn about aesthetics and philosophy and context and so when you go back to play Bach or Mozart you understand them differently.”

Patch went on to say that this phenomenon is not unlike reading a book. The first time, he said, you might read it for a basic understanding of the plot and characters. The next time, you might look for metaphor, allusion and allegory.

“With music it’s much the same way. You don’t hear music the same way every time so even if

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

your phrase structure is the same, the character you articulate is different….I think that, like reading a text where you’re reading the same words and you grow older and your experience broadens and your knowledge deepens, you read those words very differently. With music, you don’t look at the notes the same way after you’ve learned all this other stuff,” said Patch.

This is the thesis as self-discovery: In returning to books, articles, musical scores, the thesis-writer inevitably ends up revealing just as much about themselves as they do their topic of exploration.

On a campus like Vassar’s, where the thesis can take the form of anything from a formal research paper to a play to an art installation, the significance of the thesis becomes multifaceted. It can stand for the peak of a student’s academic career, an end point, a neat encapsulation of themselves and what they care about. It might be exploratory and experimental, a piece of scholarship completely new to the field or perhaps technologically innovative. Or it might be just another paper, just another all-nighter, just another stressor.

“I think the thesis probably symbolizes something different at a big state school, where our opportunities to talk at length with our professors are relatively limited,” said Hsu. “I cherished every moment of it because it brought me closer to my thesis adviser and I never had anyone advise (or take interest in me) in that way.”

At its core, the thesis is a snapshot of who you were and how you thought when you were a senior in college. But for Antelyes, the thesis doesn’t so much look back as it does look ahead. “Maybe one way to think of the thesis is as this transitional thing: You’re transitioning to being one kind of student to being another kind of student. It’s not just looking back and culminating or correlating what you can do, it’s looking forward to what you can be,” he said. “The thesis is never unmixed with that sense of what it means to graduate and what it means to have gotten to where you are.”

FEATURES

Page 6

May 7, 2015

Janitors give voice to otherwise silent roles on campus Claire Standart

Assistant Features Editor

C

Joshua Sherman/The Miscellany News

ustodial workers at Vassar have cleaned, cut and scrubbed all year long. Now, as the school year comes to an end, it’s important to hear their personal stories in return.

For many, becoming janitors wasn’t planned.

Lamark Murray became a janitor at Vassar by chance. He said, “I ended up in my line of work by accident. I was actually going down the street to Pizza Hut, which used to be close to Vassar, because they wanted drivers. But I didn’t have my driver’s license at the time, so I came down to Vassar. It was not even planned.”

Similarly, for Venus Valera, who has been working at Vassar for nine years, custodial work wasn’t her original job. She said, “I pretty much just clean bathrooms all day now. I used to be a desk receptionist at the ROC. But they eliminated that position so this was the only other thing that was available within the union, so I ended up working here. So I’ve worked as a janitor for six years.” Cesar Jimenez, who works with Valera, laughed, “I married and my son was born. I needed a job with good benefits. I had two years of work in communication, but they don’t pay you that well in the beginning. My father always said, ‘Learn to do something else because you are never going to have the job you want’ and that’s true. In communications, I could go to many places looking for TV channels or whatever, but I have kids. I can’t go to New York City and leave my kids.”

Murray grew up in the Brooklyn side of town where baseball was big. He said, “When I was growing up, I thought I was going to be a baseball player for the Yankees. I was good. I got invited to a Philadelphia Phillies training camp when I was 17. And somehow when you get an invite like that at 17, you have to pay your own way. You need at least 5,000 dollars to travel to Florida and stay a whole month. But at 17, I didn’t have 5,000 dollars. So I couldn’t go.” To this day, if Murray could have his dream job, he said, “I would work for the Yankees. I actually tried to put in an application for the Yankees.

And I haven’t heard anything back, but that’s a job I would be happy to go to everyday. I would want to be a scout.”

That’s not to say these janitors don’t like their jobs. In fact, they find immense satisfaction in the respect of their work. Jimenez

A member of the custodial staff empties the trash in the Retreat. Many members of Vassar’s custodial staff have worked here for years and enjoy interacting with students on a regular basis. said, “People think that if you have this job, you are nothing. But you have this job because you want to make money decently. You want to show your kids that you need to work in a nice way and provide food to the house and not do stupid things like drugs, robbery and stealing. Any job, it doesn’t matter what it is, you do with respect and people need to respect that.”

It’s the simple things that make these custodial workers’ days. Murray remembered, “One time, when I first started, and I was doing kitchen floors in the THs—and I wasn’t even hired by Building and Grounds yet—I was just helping from the kitchen and a supervisor at the time said she only wanted me to touch the floors. And I was like ‘Oh, okay. I’m not even on the team yet, and you’re telling me that I’m the only one to touch the floors!’ That was a good moment when I’m satisfied with what I’m doing. I must be doing something right.” Valera smiled, “Sometimes the students give you a Christmas card or a little present or a little mug. Last year, they gave us all Starbucks gift cards.”

Students often come up to Valera and

Jimenez and say thank you. Jimenez said, “In the fifteen years I’ve worked here, I’ve never had a problem with a student. When the students see you do your job, they respond to you very well. When I was working in Main, the guys were very nice and helped sometimes.”

These custodial workers integrate what they have learned from their work to life outside of Vassar. Valera said, “I’ve learned to treat people with jobs like mine with dignity and respect.

So if I see somebody and I’m out shopping and they’re cleaning, I make sure to get out of their way and say thank you.” On the other hand, Murray learned a different lesson, “Stay to yourself. Don’t get in the in-crowd. Don’t do what everybody else is doing. Just do what you do and that’s it.

Perhaps one of the most satisfying parts of being a janitor is getting to know students over a long period of time. Murray said, “I like the communication between the workers and the students so that they get to see you on a daily basis and know who you are. They share their stories and you share your stories and somehow you find a bond within those four years

that they are here.”

Murray became lifelong friends with Asaf, a student who graduated a few years ago. He said, “I still talk to him this day. He graduated a couple of years ago. We still communicate and keep in touch. I visited him down in Atlanta and I went to his school where he teaches and helped him decorate his classroom. And the four years we were here, we were really good friends. And there are other cool guys I’m friends with, but Asaf stood out the most. He used to come in my house and we’d hang out all day. He was the DJ at the radio station too.”

Murray smiled, “He used to give me a shout out on the radio.”

Jimenez also remembers a student: “I forget her name, but I remember a girl who was very nice, but she was a lonely person and many times she cried. And you know, I have a daughter so every time I saw her I felt terrible. So you go and try to say, ‘Excuse me, do you need help?’ and she talked to me about many things.

She just needed to let it out. We all have problems and sometimes we just need to let them out. The students are very open with you.” He continued, ”And there was a boy too, poor guy.

Thank god he didn’t do anything stupid. I talked to him and told him to talk to his parents because I saw many occasions that he wanted to do something stupid. The students are very open with you. Like a family, actually.”

Valera also had a close friend. “Her name was Sarah and this was when I was a desk attendant. I saw her everyday and we started talking. She was such a nice girl and we used to go lunch. She was singing when she was here and now she is still singing and has her own record label. She is doing really well. She went for it and she inspires me to do something that I dream of. I will always remember her. That was six, seven years ago.” These janitors and students are not all that different: both are living out and sharing the stories of their lives.

As summer approaches, some will leave forever. But as shown by Murray, Jimenez, and Valera’s memories, they won’t be forgotten.

For now though, Murray plans on enjoying summer. “I always throw a big barbecue every year. I want to throw one this year, but not as big because I have my family reunion in August. But I still plan on barbecuing and playing softball all summer. I just want to enjoy life.”

Heffner downvotes political activism on social media MILLENNIALS continued from page 1

self a millennial, said. His presentation, “Millennials, Media and the 2016 Campaign,” took place on Monday in the Villard Room in front of an audience of whom the majority were not millennials. Heffner went on to say, “This 1830 demographic has evolved. It is now larger in size and scope, so therefore can make the decisive difference in the electoral output that we as a country experience in 2016.”

This younger generation was something President Obama relied heavily on during the 2008 elections. Heffner explained, “He certainly captured over a two-thirds margin of

millennials in the key, swing, battle-ground states, but it was not a historic event.” The millennial generation has only recently become another demographic for candidates to appeal to. “The promise of this election was great in terms of young peoples’ enthusiasm during the election and turning out at the polling station,” Heffner said. He explained that during the 2010, or even as recently as 2014 midterms, millennial voters were not at the polls. “And that was really what I covered for three presidential cycles, this 2016 being my third,” Heffner said. “It’s interesting to think about the millennials, media and the

Joshua Sherman/The Miscellany News

Alexander Heffner, civic educator and host of ‘Open Mind,’ addresses a mixed audience in the Villard Room on Monday about the intersection of the millennial generation, media presence, and politics.

2016 campaign, because the so-called millennials who are eligible voters this time around, they might have grown up with Wikipedia, they might have grown up with iPhones,” Heffner said. Millennials were the first generation with Facebook. He added, “I don’t think we have the Snapchat generation yet, going to the polls, but that just may be a good thing, because we ought to instill some values in the exclusively tech-immersed before they do execute their prerogatives.”

One thing Heffner consistently observed was that, among the 18-30 year-old range, younger, single women tended to make up the majority of voters. Regardless, he went on to say, “Certainly young people saw the embodiment of change in a candidate who was not white, who was not a typical Presidential candidate, therefore there was a historical barrier that young people were overcoming.”

In recent years, the Obama Administration has tended to steer away from its initial appeal to the younger generation, according to Heffner. “I think this year’s plan that has been announced by the White House of offering Community College for free, is maybe the most conspicuous, obvious and public example or acknowledging what has been the critical millennial constituency that has constantly reinforced the message that President Obama has been fighting for this emerging demographic,” Heffner said.

He added, “More than the extension of Pell Grants, maybe even more than the health care initiative...I think this was the moment that made the political media remember why President Obama was elected in the first place.”

In this upcoming election, there is a cyclical relationship between the media and politics. “Nearly seventy percent of millennials self-report that they read their news daily,”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Heffner reported. “But I think we can all testify to the fact that aggregated news via social media, whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, is largely dictated by the people you follow, your friends and recently, the advertisers that take up these sites that you have no opportunity to opt out of anymore.” It is important to understand what sort of bias is present, which can be done by knowing where you’re getting your news from and what sources you’re accessing.

Heffner admitted the difficulty of overcoming biased sources due to their size. “But I’m particularly keen on marrying the values of digital media with this emerging millennial demographic,” He said. “I think that it first means that we can never be a huge presence like CNN or BBC. But there is a new definition of a ‘vast sense’. A vast sense is Wikipedia, a vast sense is something that extends beyond faux activists.”

As for the future, Heffner said, the millennial vote may not come down to the youngest candidate. “Most surveys show that Hillary Clinton is generally an appealing candidate to most young people despite her age,” he said.

Despite having a Bush in a potential 2016 election, Heffner noted that voters don’t want a dynasty. He said, “Especially those who might believe that they’re being sold something from President Obama that they ultimately didn’t get.”

“A political election is a great example of a moment when you disprove the society status quo. And I think people protesting in the streets have done that,” Heffner said. “So I think we take for granted the broader world of social media, and I think you can see it in communities based on their degree of political capital, how social media can translate into activism, or protests, or violence.”

May 7, 2015

FEATURES

Page 7

Improv students’ probation calls hazing into question Zach Rippe

Sports Editor

L

Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News

ast fall, three improv students from the group Vassar College Vassar Improv were placed on probation for actions that the College deemed hazing, begging the question: is hazing a problem at Vassar College? According to the Vassar College Handbook, “Hazing is any reckless or intentional act, occurring on or off campus, that produces physical, mental or emotional pain, discomfort, humiliation, embarrassment, or ridicule directed toward other students or groups (regardless of willingness to participate), that is required or expected of new members and which is not related to the mission of the team, group, or organization. [It] is a fundamental violation of human dignity and is strictly prohibited by Vassar College, the VSA, and New York State law.”

September marks a period of transition here at Vassar. As freshmen arrive, many pre-existing teams, organizations and groups on campus begin to welcome in new members. Often, this welcoming is coupled with subsequent events titled anything from literal welcomings, to appreciations, to initiations. Many of these practices are considered traditions by their respective groups and have been in existence for many years.

One group, Vassar College Vassar Improv, accepted three new members after a lengthy audition process. Following their decision, they carried out their yearly tradition of welcoming new members. The tradition consists of picking up new members in the middle of the night, blindfolding them and driving them to the nearby McDonalds. According to the group, no alcohol is involved. Member Sam ‘16 discussed his experience. “My favorite part of it when it was happening to me, because they had this scary halloween music going and going, and you’re just going around and you don’t really know where you are and then all of a sudden you just hear McDonalds and you’re just like ‘ooh’ cause it’s kind of funny but then you’re also like, ‘Oh what’s happening’ and you realize that it’s all just like a farce.”

All of Vassar’s comedy congratulations took place the night of September 8, 2014. The events were described from the perspectives of four members, President Shira ’16, Sarah ’16, Sam and Carinn ’18. Carinn had already been accepted by several other groups earlier in the night and had answered her door at 12:30 and 1:30 a.m. Around 2 a.m., Vassar Improv came to her door dressed in elaborate costumes. In an interview, she expressed that she knew what was happening, “I had the other two acceptances and recognized [the members] because I had been to two previous auditions with them.” The group, including members Sarah and Sam, blindfolded Carinn and led her down the stairs. “It was great because they were yelling and like faking being aggressive but then they would laugh and say something really stupid and it was all really playful. I think that’s like the funniest.” The senior members led Carinn to their car.

Before leaving the Vassar campus, the group drove to pick up their second inductee at Noyes. There they were stopped by several security guards to which Sam replied, “Oh its fine, this is for improv. We’re just a comedy group.” According to Sam, the guards took down their 999 numbers and claimed that they were fine to keep going as long as the inductees knew what was happening and everyone was safe. As Sarah said, “So he saw what was happening and let us continue to do it.”

The group proceeded to the TA’s to pick up their last new member. They then headed off campus. The group did not know the McDonalds was under renovation at the time and thus was closed. Several members noticed that they were again being followed by two security cars. “Apparently that’s what tipped off the security guards because they were like ‘wait a minute, there is no McDonalds,’” explained Sam in a humorous tone.

The group pulled into a parking lot at nearby Dollar Tree. When stopped, they explained to the officers that they were inducting their new members into the group.

According to Sarah, security then informed them that the police had gotten a call about the group and were looking for them to make sure they were okay. While talking to the police, Sam claimed he was told that multiple calls had been placed and somebody called the police regarding the “abduction” of one of their new members in Noyes. Sam expressed his dismay stating, “Not only did several people in Noyes feel threatened enough to call security but one of them felt

threatened enough to call the police, which was awful.” The exact number of calls made was never made clear to the group.

According to Acting Director of Safety and Security Kim Squillace, there was a member of the Vassar community who had heard noise that sounded like fighting coming from outside the building. In their report, security indicated that this member was considered a victim. Squillace explained in an emailed statement, “Once the person(s) exited the building, we were informed that there was disturbance outside near a car. It was conveyed to our dispatcher that people were ‘yelling to get on the ground and telling someone not to look at them, to look away and close their eyes.’ At that time the ‘incident sounded like it could be a robbery in progress or an equally severe incident.’ The Town of Poughkeepsie Police were immediately contacted and responded.”

Squillace continued, “This incident affected at least one community member fearing that someone’s life was in grave danger, the Safety & Security officers responded to what appeared to be a very serious situation. The Town Police officers explained to one of the students involved how dangerous this situation could have been for them had they arrived when this was in progress.”

Immediately afterwards, the members realized the severity of the situation and all went independently to Associate Director of Residential Life Rich Horowitz to explain what happened from their perspective and apologize for the disruption. Horowitz serves in the role of investigative person and is responsible for gathering information about these incidents. In instances like this, he will reach out to those involved and ask them to meet with him so he can gather the necessary information. “The ultimate goal is to consolidate all of the information from all of the witnesses into one final set of investigation notes to provide to the panel,” he added.

This panel became the next step in the process for Vassar Improv. For Sarah, who was abroad and had only been visiting for auditions, this proved especially difficult. The event occurred the last night she was there. At the time she did not realize the extent of its severity and was informed later about the meetings with Rich and the eventual panel with Dean of Students DB Brown.

Shira commented further, questioning why this case, this decision had come to a panel over others. “If this is hazing and this is like hurting people, then doesn’t that imply that all of these years of improv doing this this exact same way, that this has been going on without being punished and that makes me wonder about the role of the police cause, is Vassar saying that regardless of the police, ‘had we known that ten years ago kids were being pulled out of their rooms and brought to get chicken nuggets that that also was hazing?’ And if that’s a priority, then why aren’t they doing anything active about it instead of waiting weeks after something like this happens to be like ‘oh let’s get em’ and not explore what’s going on in the sports teams or anything?”

Sarah frustratingly challenged the handbook’s definition of hazing: “They mention like very specific feelings that you must have. Like feeling threatened and endangered. And then in Rich Horowitz’s report it said that none of the victims felt and then quoted those words in the definition, so how were they hazed if they didn’t feel any of the things literally in the definition?”

The group suggested that perhaps the administration was attempting to set a precedent for future hazing cases. Sam added, “I hate that this is going to be down on the record. And of course 20 years from now the record is gonna be like a group hazed some kids and they only got probation... so like it’s not helping anybody. It hasn’t helped us.” In the end, the group was charged with disturbing the peace, which they owned up to, as well as hazing and endangerment. The explanation for the third charge, according to what the members of Vassar Improv believed was communicated to them, was that a police officer could have overreacted and held them at gunpoint. The punishments ranged from probation to expulsion.

The conduction of the hearings themselves also proved quite problematic for the group.

They mentioned that it was not clear whether the security officers who had interacted with them had been interviewed. Rich Horowitz confirmed this to an extent, explaining, “Normally security officers are not interviewed because the information that they have to offer is offered within the security report.” Sarah expressed how this may

Vassar Improv woke an inductee in Noyes last September as part of their induction, causing a noise disturbance. The ensuing hearing by the Administration brought to light questions regarding hazing. be problematic. “I mean in my argument I was like, ‘We were stopped once and they let us continue on like they said it was fine. They stopped us again and even when the police were after us they still let us continue let us get back in the car and keep going. So how is that possible that three separate security guards all came to the conclusion that we were fine, we were safe and then afterwards they said we were not being safe and they just didn’t, didn’t get that at all.” In addition, the group contended that Carinn and her fellow inductees’ testimonies were not included in the trial.

The group’s expedition was deemed an unauthorized road trip. Sam elaborated on why he felt this term was problematic. “They had some very specific qualifications for what makes an unauthorized road trip and that’s like subcategories of hazing which I think is one of the things they were saying like this is hazing because you took an unauthorized road trip… It’s like the same thing if you were taking a group of friends out to dinner or something, right? Like just last night we had the same number of people and we went to a Mexican restaurant off campus. Is that an unauthorized road trip and how much are you restricting students’ freedoms then if you’re saying that?”

In the end, the students were charged with probation, meaning, among other things, that they were penalized for housing next year.

Dean Brown, along with Horowitz and other administrators stressed that for confidentiality purposes, they could not speak to the specifics of this incident. However, they were happy to comment on aspects of hazing in general. Brown was concise regarding his definition of the term.

“Actually, the definitions of hazing in our College Regulations are pretty specific…not really gray.

However, I think at Vassar some students don’t see their ‘traditions,’ ‘culture,’ or ‘initiations’ as hazing, even though they meet the definition of the term.”

Brown explained that for all sections of the College Regulations there are sanction parameters that set the minimum and maximum sanctions for all violations. The exact sanction is dependent on a number of parameters that include severity and impact on the community. He stressed that Vassar’s definition of hazing is in line with other definitions across the country and close to NCAA definitions. This definition was added to College Regulations by the Office of Accessibility and Equal Opportunity after consultation with legal advisors. Regardless of how often it happens at Vassar, Brown feels that any hazing is a problem. In regards to the actual policy here at Vassar, Brown contended, “I don’t think the policy is the issue. I think there is a need for additional educational programming to help students understand that their ‘initiations’ may actually involve hazing. I think many of our students think hazing is something that only happens at other, bigger, schools.”

Still, many in the Vassar community feel that the term ‘hazing’ is not completely set in stone.

The Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) is representative of the Student Athlete body on campus and is in the process of putting together a comprehensive student-athlete anti-hazing pledge entitled “The Gray Zone” through its newly formed hazing committee.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

The policy draws from the existing hazing stipulations according to the student handbook. Luc Amodio ’15 heads the committee along with Assistant Women’s Volleyball coach Antonia Suite, Assistant Athletic Director Danielle Turner, Keith Sneddon of Sports Info, Assistant Women’s Basketball coach Caroline Crampton and student-athletes Lucy Brainerd ’16 and Lizzy Balter ’15. Amodio commented on the need for this comprehensive pledge. “The hard thing about hazing is that because of the social context of it its hard to say what is hazing and isn’t hazing. Like is someone feeling pressured into doing something or are they doing it because they want to do it.

And that’s what the grey zone is. They might find it funny, alumni might find it funny but its hazing then its bad. We have to be more aware. One of the things we’re working on putting together are hazing guidelines.”

As Acting Athletic Director Kim Culligan confirmed, this policy is mainly constructive and preventative. “I firmly believe that education is the key component along with a broadened awareness of what constitutes hazing. We want to stop it before it starts. Once individuals realize that the safety of all student-athletes is the core of any policy and especially this one, they can help each other to keep their fellow student-athletes safe. Many people simply are not aware what constitutes an act of hazing,” she elaborated. This would help student-athletes and coaches work together to build new traditions. According to Culligan, “[These would be traditions of] respect and dignity, pride in each team which will create a positive and shared experience among all for the good of the athletics program. Everyone in the program should feel safe, respected and special and know that they are critical to the success of the team, the Athletics & PE Department and Vassar College as a whole.”

Despite this progress in athletics, SAAC’s pledge would not extend beyond the realm of athletics. Culligan and Dean Brown confirmed this notion. However, SAAC’s model does signify an attempt at a more comprehensive approach that garners input from more than just the administration. Culligan explained, “The best part of how this policy was developed and the inclusion of student-athletes on the committee is that they (the committee) and not the administration have determined the Vassar College Athletics definition of hazing as well as any punitive actions.

Following the guidelines and directives they have established make it a transparent and easier process to follow for the administration.”

Vassar Improv never quite knew where they stood in their own case. Concluded Sarah, “Where do you draw the line between ‘hazing’ and actual hazing? And I don’t have a problem with them saying we have to address this because the police had gotten involved and this could have been a real situation. But to put us through a hearing and threaten us with endangerment charges and threaten us with expulsion, like that’s how far it could have gone, it just seems excessive to me. They could have just said ‘ok you had a noise complaint,’ which we copped to... Plus everything we did to say we were responsible, they could have just left it at that and we would have felt bad and we would have changed what we did because of that.”

FEATURES

Page 8

May 7, 2015

Life-changing opportunity: VHP meets Dr. Paul Farmer Julia Cunningham

L

Assistant Features Editor

courtesy of Vassar Haiti Project

ast Tuesday, members of Vassar Haiti Project (VHP) sat down with a man who many had only read about in textbooks. As an anthropologist, author and co-founder of Partners in Health, a social justice and health organization that does work in Haiti, Dr. Paul Farmer is a leading figure in many fields. It was with a hint of pride in her voice that the leader of the onthe-ground program management for the VHP, Tamsin Yee Lin Chen ‘15, recalled the moment.

“When you get to see someone in person that you’ve been studying in the classroom, that’s really an amazing experience,” Chen said. “For a lot of us, we were introduced to his work through the classroom. I remember reading one of his pieces in my Politics of Development seminar, and I have some friends who are in VHP leadership positions who are Anthropology majors, and so they’ve studied a lot of his work as well.”

They met with Farmer before his presentation on epidemics as part of the Longwood Seminars at Harvard. “We basically were explaining to him what Vassar Haiti Project is, what we do, with a special focus on our clinic at the base of the mountain where the village of Chermaitre is,” Chen explained.

This personal dialogue with Farmer was something the VHP had been working towards for a long time. Chair of the President’s Advisory Board Kathy Putnam ’75 had a big role in making the connection. She and her husband, Steve Putnam, of Putnam Investments, are big supporters of Vassar and VHP, Chen said. She added, “And their daughter, actually, is one of Dr. Farmer’s students at Harvard. So they put us in touch with Dr. Farmer’s people, and made it happen. They pulled the strings.”

Farmer’s involvement in Partners in Health makes him a standout figure in Haitian health care, and a useful resource for the VHP to learn more about what they can do for Chermaitre.

Partners in Health, Chen explained, is the largest non-governmental provider of healthcare in the country, and has several clinics and hospitals in Haiti. “In March 2013, we visited one of their hospitals, Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, which is actually also a teaching hospital,” Chen said. She added, “We read [Farmer’s] works in preparation for our trips to Haiti. He comes up a lot in discussion because he’s a really big figure in the health sphere in Haiti.”

The VHP’s interactions with Chermaitre began in 2001, 14 years ago, when Director of the Office of International Health Services, An-

drew Mede, and his wife Lila took the opportunity to support a village in Haiti. “It was right after 9/11 had happened, and they were trying to teach their children, who are college-aged right now, or probably older, how to be good citizens of the world, how to be global citizens,” Chen said.

She went on to say, “They sought some Vassar support as well...We got quite a few volunteers, not only students, but members of the community in Poughkeepsie started to do art sales to raise money. Really it started by, ‘hey, do you want to support a lunch program in this school of fewer than two-hundred students?’ It started with that, and now its expanded to a lot more, ranging from a clinic that’s now staffed by a Haitian doctor and nurse, to a new women’s cooperative of 75 women trying to supplement their income with small business.”

It was this village that the VHP hoped to gather some feedback from Farmer about on how to best continue aiding it. “He told us, it’s something that I think I’ll always remember, not to romanticize smallness,” Chen said. “We are small, but we shouldn’t be afraid of being ambitious. He said there’s a lot of benefits to being small, but it’s not romantic that we’re the only clinic for so many miles around.”

Farmer offered a straightforward path for VHP. “He said, don’t be content with being a small-sized, modest clinic. Move to being a moderate and modest clinic. And then move to be moderate and ambitious. And then move to being large.”

The VHP is not scared of dreaming big for Chermaitre. Because of its location in the rural, mountainous part of Haiti, Chen explained that they aren’t sure that the government is entirely aware of them. “We want to be part of national landscape. We want to be registered with the government, get the benefits that may or may not come with that, whether or not that is support for a vaccination program or something,” she said.

She added, “Just because in the very long run, it’s probably not ideal to have these new nonprofits operating their own little satellite clinics, when we really should be putting some faith in the prospect of a government, or one day being able to provide the services that a government should.”

She added, “Sometimes we hit a lot of dead ends. It’s hard working in a resource poor country. It’s hard working across language barriers and cultural barriers, and it’s also really hard to work as an all-volunteer organization.”

Funding is a major issue when the VHP

VHP traveled to a conference at Harvard Medical School last Tuesday where they were finally able to meet in person and speak in depth with their long-time mentor and role model, Dr. Paul Farmer. hopes to create such a large impact. During the actual lecture, Farmer mentioned what he calls the four S’s. “Farmer presented on what makes a good health system, and the intersection of poverty and epidemics, and really how poverty exacerbates epidemics,” Chen noted. “He emphasized the ‘four S’s’ he thought made up a good heath system.”

The four S’s, she added, are staff, stuff, safe space and systems. Chen went on, “And just that you need to have all four of those things to strengthen your health system, Those things are taken for granted in developed communities, and they just don’t exist in developing countries.”

In Chermaitre, specifically, there is a lack for any of the S’s. Chen mentioned, “The stuff part of the equation, for example, could be as simple as electricity. We don’t have electricity in Chermaitre, and that’s just something that’s really important to having a functional health system.” Without the proper resources and training then, much of the health care is left to the family members. “And so he’s saying that when you don’t have strong health systems, who fills in is the family members, and that’s why households get mowed down by epidemics in resource-poor countries,” Chen explained. “It just spreads so rapidly because its informal health care.”

Despite its lack of resources, Chermaitre is much more than a charity case. Chen has visited four times. She explained that she has discovered a sense of familiarity there. ”It’s not my place to call it home, I don’t think that I’m in a position to say that, but there’s definitely a sense of a homecoming almost because of genuine relationships I think I’ve made in the village,” she said.

She went on to say, “The students in the school who remember me, or women in the women’s cooperative who I’ve interviewed: there are real connections that I can’t dismiss.

And when I go back, we remember each other. We remember the time we’ve spent. It’s an impression that develops.” She added, “And there’s such cultural gaps that you just never get to bridge if you’re not even speaking the same language. I think its a very powerful gesture, and it makes VHP different from a large NGO that doesn’t really interact with people on the ground.”

Chen concluded, “So we hit a lot of dead ends, but Dr. Farmer said he’s been impressed by us. To be able to set up a clinic, have it be staffed and have it be very well received by the community is quite a feat, and I was really, really, really gratified to hear that. It gave us hope. We always know there’s always more to be done.”

Tired pizza toppings? Pineapple pulls flavors into Pacific Noble Ingram

P

Senior Editor

courtesy of SweetOmVeg via flickr

izza truly is a jack of all trades, or at least, of all price ranges. From the high-end brick-oven masterpiece to the lowly cardboard-packaged late-night delight, this Italian treat never fails to satisfy. But as summer rolls around and campus dining takes a spectacular dive into the world of left-overs, many may be turning to that familiar Bacio’s menu more frequently. Traditional pizza toppings just no longer suffice. Sure, a slice of pepperoni and bacon might be alright. Olives and Onions? Fine.* But what promises to truly whet the appetite? What topping will leave an unsuspecting hungry student amazed, shocked, perhaps even completely revolted? Enter, the pineapple.

I know what you are thinking. Pineapple?

Like on a Hawaiian pizza? How is that original? Just toss on some sliced ham and you are ready to go. ‘WRONG’ I scream over my tired keyboard. Forget the pig. Imagine a reality in which your beloved pie features only the juices of this ripe tropical fruit. As John Lennon wrote** it is easy if you try. You are swaying in a hammock resting just feet above white sands.

The ocean breeze lightly brushes your hair and you can see coconuts hanging above you. Dolphins are surfacing not far from the shore. Your crush offers you a slice of this cheesy treasure and you happily accept.

Ok so maybe this paradise lasts only for a few brief moments before the crushing reality of moodle posts and 100% humidity find their way back to you. Even so, pineapple pizza is a remedy that people should really try. Its

textural diversity is key. A meal that is composed entirely of soft bites or hard crunches feels too much like a foray into the rotten and stale, respectively. Pineapple pizza has a slew of textures, from the smooth sauce to the juicy fruit, to the tough crunch of the crust. Even Guy Fieri, the spiky-haired gremlin himself, would commend pineapple pizza on its pleasing ‘mouth-feel’. Flavor-wise it offers far more than your typical slice. Who doesn’t like mixing sweet with savory? Boring people and demons, probably.

But of course, I know there are many out there who still protest. If it were up to them, they would toss slices of ham across our creation like a farmer tossing feed to chickens. But we are not chickens. We deserve better.

Forgoing the meat allows scores more people access to our perfect pie and honestly, what is pizza about if not sharing? Not only is pineapple a great vegetarian alternative to meat, it also is far less offensive that olives or anchovies.

When has someone ever complained about bad breath from fruit? I don’t know but if the answer is yes, you are probably doing something wrong. Also, a note about everyone’s favorite Hawaiian variety. It is not actually from Hawaii.

Hawaiian pizza is a Canadian invention. An imposter. I am sorry to say you were duped. Except that I am not sorry at all. But don’t worry, if you write a couple moodle posts for me, I am sure we can find a hammock on the beach for you too.

The Recipe INGREDIENTS 1 refrigerated baked pizza dough (“12inch”) 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 cup pizza sauce 1(20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, well drained 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 cup shredded provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS Brush pizza crust with olive oil, and spread pizza sauce evenly over crust.

Top sauce evenly with pineapple; sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is lightly browned.

Recipe Courtesy of Food.com

*Just kidding it is super gross. ** This was not about pineapple pizza.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

May 7, 2015

OPINIONS

Page 9

The Miscellany News Staff Editorial

VSA external review methodology proves inconsistent

T

he Vassar Student Association (VSA) has spoken extensively on the issue of internal restructuring. The two former VSA VPs for Operations, Ramy Abbady ’16 and Ali Ehrlich ’15, have discussed restructuring in their respective committees and in the VSA as a whole. These conversations were brought to the fore this year when the VSA enlisted the help of W.H Butch Oxendine to generate a report on the VSA’s structure which was released in April after several delays. After reviewing Oxendine’s report, we at The Miscellany News believe this report to be unsatisfactory given the $7,000 expense, as it contains numerous errors both factually and grammatically, does not understand or differentiate Vassar’s culture from other institutions and ultimately fails to offer a holistic critical analysis of ongoing issues in the VSA’s structure.

Oxendine is the Executive Director of the American Student Government Association (ASGA) and has been publishing websites, books and magazines for student governments and campus leaders since 1983 according to the ASGA website. Even at a structural level his report did not meet these high level of qualifications. The report, which was intended to be completed in January, was not released until late April.

This delay, contrary to expectations, did not come as a result of careful proofreading and preparation. After many pages of information on peer institutions and their governing bodies, the report lists a string of sentence long complaints about the VSA, ranging from the insightful to the unnecessary. Oxendine only noted: “While most of these comments are negative, there were a few comments about VSA members and officers trying and working hard, being good

people, and trying to do their best” (ASGA, “Consulting Report” 4.20.15). This redundant, vague and virtually meaningless response is highly indicative of the nature of the report.

Though Oxendine does a decent job of summarizing the current issues with the VSA, chiefly the perception of VSA as merely another branch of the Administration and not an actual voice of the students, the report is hardly presenting new information.

Oxendine’s role as an external reporter does not provide much more than what could be discovered through an internal review system, like a survey, which would have cost much less money. This redundancy could be excused if the report offered specific issues within the VSA and step-by-step plans to overcome them, but it does not. Many of the notes provide no context, explanation or definition and thus make bold claims which are unsupported by fact. Perhaps the best example of this is the statement “VSA’s influence has diminished substantially over the past decade” (ASGA). This decontextualized point does not suggest any research backing the claim, nor any suggestions to restore VSA to this supposed former glory.

Through decontextualization, this report oversimplifies the problems of the VSA. Oxendine attributes most issues to be a result of VSA’s image within Vassar. He suggests a branded, almost marketed approach to the redefinition of the VSA, insisting that The Miscellany News promote the VSA through its articles, and that the VSA create a new position for Vice President of Student Activism. This claim overlooks the fact that The Miscellany News has agendas other than promoting the VSA. Also, assuming that activist groups on campus would be

immediately willing to work with the VSA is a glaring oversight.

In general, the report compartmentalizes large structural disconnects into something that can be solved all through improving VSA’s image. The report pushes for the VSA to make superficial changes to promote a more positive exterior perception without recognizing serious internal issues within the VSA structure.

And perhaps the most disheartening result of Oxendine’s study is the report’s total failure to incorporate valuable, campus-specific suggestions for reform within the VSA. Instead of offering coherent solutions to the myriad issues enumerated throughout his review, Oxendine provides the VSA with broad advice that can be applied to any of Vassar’s peer institutions, lazily diverting readers to the additional information offered on his website in a self-promotional gesture that not only speaks to his apathy for clientele, but also the overall inefficacy of the evaluation.

Even in his rambling critique of the VSA, Oxendine, for the most part, only vaguely locates the areas of our student government that he considers to be problematic and is inconsistent in directly calling attention to exact structural flaws. He writes on page 107 of the review, “Clearly now, though, there is far more need for direct mentoring and support. While this may be a generalization, it appears that Vassar students have changed over the last decade and seem to need, and even desire more professional, hands-on direction.” (ASGA) It’s true that students are seeking out professional direction-- direction that Oxendine was paid for, but neglected to give.

In fact, the preexisting frustrations re-

garding the operation of the VSA have been further exacerbated by Oxendine’s underwhelming analysis. We are already aware of issues such as the disconnect between representatives and the student body, the VSA’s unfavorable image and the weak effects of its work. The student body also already knows about the sweeping disparities between the efforts of presidents, vice presidents and council members, and inadequate communication; the insubstantial repetition of these truths and lack of a helpful diagnosis, then, is a discouraging blow to the association’s earnest yet misguided attempts to bolster its ties to students. Granted, Oxendine does advise that a constitutional amendment be made allowing an auditor to monitor the VSA’s funding and expenditures, a move that could help to smooth over any tensions concerning budget restraints, but this suggestion is left unsupported.

Considering the futility of this external review, we must consider new ways in which the VSA can progress towards meaningful reform. We are not denying the potential benefits of an honest third-party evaluation of our student government, but in the future it is critical that the VSA consult with multiple companies in order to guarantee an acceptable level of performance before selecting another under-qualified reviewer.

Butch Oxendine’s glaring ineptitude surely stalled immediate structural developments, but the overwhelmingly negative reaction that he has inspired can just as likely be used as incentive to improve the relationship between the VSA and the student body in the coming years.

—The Staff Editorial represents the opinions of at least 2/3 of our Editorial Board.

Supreme Court case weighs in on capital punishment Emily Sayer

Opinions Editor

L

ast April, Oklahoma death-row inmate Clayton Lockett was administered a sedative called midazolam that failed to subdue the painful effects of the drug cocktail used in his lethal injection, subjecting him to an agonizing 43 minutes on a prison gurney as the drugs slowly ran their course through his bloodstream.

Similar cases have occurred prior to Lockett’s in Ohio and Arizona in which midazolam did not render prisoners unconscious or at least sufficiently numb, leaving them writhing and breathless for executions that lasted nearly two hours. And now the Supreme Court, finally responding to the apparent hazard after a second Oklahoma inmate’s injection of the sedative was botched, is taking up the case of the state’s remaining death row occupants in Glossip v. Gross, both addressing the constitutionality of midazolam and facilitating a contentious debate regarding the Eighth Amendment and the subsequent ideological split in what is considered “cruel and unusual punishment.”

Although the case is not calling into question the overall constitutionality of capital punishment, conservative justices are blaming the issues with midazolam on the “abolitionists” who have supposedly pressured foreign and domestic sedative suppliers into withdrawing their provisions of the acceptable drugs that are customarily used with lethal injections.

CNN reports that “Justice Antonin Scalia continued the line of inquiry saying other drugs that states have used in the past have been ‘rendered unavailable by the abolitionist movement’ that puts pressure on companies that manufacture them” (“Supreme Court takes up death penalty drug case,” 05.01.15).

In 2008, the Court underwent an identical trial in Baze v. Rees, which stated that the sedative sodium thiopental was indeed a constitutional method of anesthetizing inmates, and without it, condemned prisoners could be subjected to “A substantial, constitutionally unacceptable risk of suffocation from the administration of pancuronium bromide and of

pain from potassium chloride” (The Atlantic, “Midazolam and the Supreme Court,” 01.23.15).

But in the years since, the drug’s manufacturers gradually responded to anti-death penalty sentiments by pulling sodium thiopental from the market, and by 2011, the last American supplier had stopped providing the drug, leaving death penalty states with no other option than to experiment with unfamiliar drug cocktails.

Midazolam, then, has come to the fore as a seemingly reasonable substitute for sodium thiopental. And yet, in the drug’s earliest applications, it has proven to be not even remotely successful at accomplishing a state of anesthesia necessary to counter the pain of the executions; Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire, who was injected last January with midazolam and hydromorphone, gasped as he was dying that he could “feel his whole body burning,” and Arizona inmate Joseph Wood, whose execution followed a few months after McGuire’s despite this, was visibly suffocating for an entire hour and 57 minutes before the injection finally killed him.

“Conservative justices are blaming the issues with midazolam on... ‘abolitionists.’”

In fact, the only instances in which midazolam hasn’t produced unfavorable effects were the few Florida executions that implemented the drug immediately after its initial adoption.

Regardless of the cause of midazolam’s inefficacy, whether or not it be rooted in differences in state procedures and administrations of injections, Justice Sotomayor noted that the absence of sodium thiopental “May have revealed pain and suffering that would otherwise be unobservable,”. Regarding Florida’s practices, a report by The Atlantic adds that “This possibility raises serious questions about all exe-

cutions performed with midazolam, including those carried out without incident in Florida” (“Midazolam and the Supreme Court,” 01.23.15).

As an opponent of the death penalty, I’m finding difficulty in separating the substance of Glossip v. Gross from the broader subject of capital punishment’s constitutionality. The most glaring contradiction within this case is the debate over whether or not midazolam subjects individuals to, as written in the eighth “cruel and unusual punishment”–an exceedingly subjective term that is problematic in itself–when the practice of the death penalty is already widely considered by organizations like Amnesty International, numerous public figures and even other states to be an unjust act of state-sanctioned murder.

Sure, the majority of U.S. states uphold the value of capital punishment and an estimated 70 percent of Americans do not identify it as “cruel and unusual punishment”; however, the fact remains that activists have had such a profound sway over the market for sedatives that these states’ acquisition of similar drugs has reduced executions to little more than perverse experiments reminiscent of history’s most detestable outdated medical practices, with little known beyond limited medical speculation of what these chemicals do to the human body.

How can the constitutionality of the death penalty persist if the only factor that justifies its legitimacy as an acceptable form of punishment, the presence of safe sedatives, is being quickly eradicated by its suppliers? And if the effectiveness of midazolam does not hold up in court, are prisoners to be treated as guinea pigs until stable replacements are found? It seems almost surprising that such a legal quandary continues and that these public authorities seem so set on enforcing death as a necessary consequence in the justice system.

What’s additionally surprising is that this would perhaps not even be permitted in our society if it weren’t for our ongoing complicated relationship between federal and states’ rights.

At its core, the premise of this lawsuit and numerous other suits is grounded on the concept that a state has the authority to decide

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

the matter of capital punishment, so long as it falls within the vague application of Gregg v. Georgia after capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. Some states chose to halt executions since the 1972 moratorium, and those that remain today seem to be focused on their state-level interpretation of justice being superior to a national rhetoric or opinion on the matter of capital punishment, something few peers deal with at a legal level.

In few other nations in the world today would such a state-level debate exist, as nationally it seems beyond federal crimes like treason and terrorism that many federal authorities seem interested in continuing the complexity of the death penalty? In a way, states are not afraid of losing the right to capital punishment, but rather the right to any state authorities they maintain in the status quo. Sadly, this debate seems to exist more with political power than the lives that lay in the balance.

Should the Court decide to strike down the use of midazolam as unconstitutional, Glossip v. Gross will arise as the only example of a case thus far in American history to denounce any method of capital punishment on the federal level. While this could be a resounding victory for anti-death penalty activists, such an outcome also carries grave implications for the future of the practice.

Forced to abandon lethal injection as a viable execution process, states could potentially return to more gruesome methods like firing squads and the electric chair–granted, these are legal in many states, but their inhumane and painful effects, which would not serve as an improvement upon the suffocation experienced during botched lethal injections, are considered the most objectionable and antiquated of the forms of capital punishment.

But in this vein, perhaps the lack of any remaining painless execution methods won’t encourage states to pick up old practices, but to eventually abandon the death penalty altogether.

—Emily Sayer ’18 is a student at Vassar College.

OPINIONS

Page 10

May 7, 2015

New enzyme Visibility a key goal for campus dining promotes F transfusions Sarah Sandler Columnist

Delaney Fisher Columnist

U

nfortunately, blood transfusions are commonly utilized in the United States. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, resulting in ~30 million blood components being transfused in the U.S. every year (American Red Cross, “Blood Facts and Statistics,” 2015).

Even with 38 percent of Americans being eligible to donate blood, there is often a blood supply shortage, specifically when it comes to certain blood types. There are four blood types, A, B, AB, and O, which can donate to all blood types. Ideally, if one were able to have an excess of a blood type available for transfusions, type O is best.

So how can the dream of type O blood being available on demand be achieved? Recently researchers have been working with a family of enzymes called 98 glycoside hydrolase, extracted from a strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The enzymes were created in lab over multiple enzymatic generations with small alterations occurring every generation to try and have the ability to alter blood types for transfusion, in case there is a shortage of a type in demand. By progressively selecting strains and altering aspects of certain enzymes that are the best at snipping away the blood antigens, researchers have been able to create an enzyme that’s 170 times more effective at it than its parent strain (Science Alert, Scientists discover an enzyme that can change a person’s blood type, 5.1.2015).

The actual process of changing blood types involves removing antigens, a substance that causes the body to produce an immune response.

With blood types, the antigen is simply an extra sugar molecule that is attached to the blood cell.

Type A has A-acetylgalactosamine, type B has galactose residue, and type AB has a little of both (Gazette Review, Enzyme That Can Change Blood Type Discovered, 5.4.15). Type O, the universal donor, has no antigen attachment. The enzyme under investigation actually removes the antigen, making any non-type O blood become type O. However, it should be noted that the blood type transformation is not perfect. Researchers have noted that the development of these enzymes is very progressive, but the enzymes cannot remove 100% of antigens, meaning it is still under investigation and cannot be used in clinical settings at this time. Hopefully with continuation of enzymatic modifications, researchers will be able to lessen the worry that certain types are going to be unavailable when needed.

Interestingly, when researching for this piece, I wondered why exactly researchers have turned to enzymes for the solution to blood shortages instead of searching for more donors. While 38 percent of Americans are eligible for donating, less than 10 percent actually donate. One of the reasons many people do not donate blood is a fear of needles. Knowing this, I thought an interesting solution to get more people to donate might be what I wrote about last week, the HemoLink blood sampler that withdraws blood via vacuum suction.

While the HemoLink is also in prototype, it has the potential to be a solution for more blood donations. The only alteration that would be needed to the device at this time is the collection container, which at this time only collects 0.15 cubic centimeters of blood (Gizmodo, New Self-Administered Blood Collection Device Could Replace Needles, 4.19.15). But, I truly believe that if this device could be implemented for donating blood, the percentage donating would rise drastically.

I am very intrigued by the enzymatic developments and believe that it could help save lives when there is a shortage in blood supply. However, I also urge that we not bank on the fact that we may be able to alter blood. In my opinion, the real deal is the best deal, and if we could get more blood donations, would we need the enzyme? I hope that researchers are seeing the cool medical developments that have been publicized recently and are able to put their heads together for the health of all.

—Delaney Fischer ’15 is a neuroscience major.

ood is a huge part of most college students’ lives, and it is no secret that food is my ultimate obsession. As an aspiring food journalist, I am always thinking about food, and I have become a resource to friends and family with any food related questions. As a result of this strong passion, I recently ran for and won the position of Food Committee chair at Vassar.

While I have been a member of the Food Committee for most of the year, a lot of people on campus don’t realize that it exists, and if they do, they don’t really know what exactly it is that we do. As next year’s chair, I am here to tell you what the Food Committee has done, will do and how we can help improve the dining scene at Vassar.

The Food Committee as it exists now meets a few times a month in the Dodge room at the Deece with Maureen King, Senior Director of Campus Dining, and Laura Leone, Director of Operations. At each meeting, which is about an hour long, Andrew Eslich, the current chair, takes us through a list of discussion points. These points tend to include general comments relating to the current state of the Deece’s food options, recommendations to improve on-campus dining and upcoming projects.

One of the Food Committee’s biggest projects recently has been to create a program during next year’s orientation that will aid in familiarizing freshmen with Vassar’s dining system. During previous meetings, we on the council have recalled that at the beginning of our own freshmen years, we were all confused by the offerings, hours, options and more at the Deece and the Retreat.

With the help of the Food Committee, Maureen and Laura have put an orientation program into action. This program will include a tour for each fellow group to see all the different stations and options at the Deece at a

time when it isn’t crowded, as well as a behind the scenes feature that will take freshmen into the kitchen to see how their food is prepared and stored.

A walk through the kitchen is one of the most important parts of the tour because it will kill the commonly held misconception that food served in a college dining hall is not fresh and prepared with care. As a part of the orientation program, Maureen and Laura also plan to create a more clear and explanatory information pamphlet or card detailing the college’s dining options, where and how you can use dining bucks and meal swipes, and hours of the various dining locations.

The Food Committee has also made some noticeable changes in the Deece’s operation that you probably use almost every day. When members make comments and suggestions, Maureen and Laura do their best to make adequate adjustments.

After students expressed frustration over not being able to toss a salad made on a plate, the Food Committee was successful in getting bowls to be used at the salad bar. We were also able to obtain pan covers for the stir-fry station to help speed up cooking and move the line along more quickly. If you’ve been enjoying the wider variety of cheese at the salad bar, such as feta, blue, Parmesan and cheddar, the Food Committee made the request that is responsible for this change.

Aside from continuing to make improvements at the Deece, as the next chair of the Food Committee, I want to make it more widely known to students that our committee exists and is here as a resource for them. I didn’t even realize the Food Committee existed until I heard through a friend and then emailed Andrew to see if I could join. Older students may know about the committee because they see the chair position on the ballot, but new students don’t see this.

To get the word out, especially for new students, I want the Food Committee to be

present at next year’s Activities Fair. This will help new students and current students who are just unaware of our existence to express their interest in getting involved with Vassar’s dining system. Before next year, I will also create Facebook and other social media pages for Vassar students to “like” or “follow”, keeping the campus updated on the changes that we have made and are trying to make in the future. Even if students don’t want to become members of the Food Committee and attend frequent meetings, I want everyone to know that we are here to take their requests and comments into account.

“I want to make it more widely known to students that our committee exists” As I mentioned previously, there is a common misconception that food served at the Deece is not fresh and is low quality. When I first joined the Food Committee, I took a tour of the entire facility where I got to meet some of the staff, see where fresh fruits and vegetables are stored, learn about the recipes the cooks use and became informed about which farms and distributors our food comes from.

Before doing so, I wasn’t aware of the fact that the food we are eating everyday is freshly made, the ingredients are as local as the budget will allow and how much work and material goes into serving thousands of students three meals a day. As the next Food Committee chair, I want to make other students aware of these things as well.

—Sarah Sandler ’18 is a student at Vassar College. She is incoming chair of the Food Committee.

Film trivializes realities of cyberbullying Sophia Burns Columnist

U

sually, innovation is a good thing, especially in modes of entertainment that can quickly become tired and banal. That being said, not all innovation is necessarily good innovation. A few weekends ago, I made the mistake of seeing “Unfriended” at the recommendation of a good friend. After being inundated with ads for the movie on YouTube and Pandora and reading some surprisingly good reviews for a horror film, I was excited to see something that looked different. Because the horror genre has been plagued with overused tropes and remakes in recent years, this movie seemed even more appealing to those who like a good scare every once in a while.

While television shows have toyed with the idea of “shooting” through a computer screen (“Web Therapy” is entirely in this format, and a recent episode of “Modern Family” experimented with it) and have been interesting, watching someone’s computer screen for over an hour is, to put it plainly, boring. Although I am no film expert, I find it shocking and strange that this movie has met a moderate amount of acclaim and has been called a forerunner as well as a nuanced critique of our technology-loving society.

Several commentators on this movie have pointed out that horror films play on our biggest fears; a praiseful Guardian piece noted that “More than any other genre, horror acts as a barometer on exterior fears. The bogeymen of our times are stumbling ciphers for outside concerns” (“I know who you Skyped last summer: how Hollywood plays on our darkest digital fears,” 04.23.15). While it is true that as we put more and more of our lives on the internet, the more we have to fear about it, a teen horror flick is absolutely the wrong way to address the threat of technology.

The more reviews I read, the more I come across this idea that “Unfriended” serves as a sort of social commentary, critiquing our reliance on technology and social networking and showing us what might happen if we continue this way. I think that this commentary is both necessary and do-able, but I do not think that

this comes through in a wacky, low-quality ghost story that relies on technology more as a gimmick than as a way of conveying a fault in our society.

The issue that lies at the premise of the film is a valid concern in our world today–cyberbullying is a real and serious problem with which many of us raised in the “Information Age,” sadly, have dealt. It is a truly disturbing and endemic problem, and one that should be addressed with teens in a way that will engage them (i.e. not health class PSAs à la ’80s after school specials), not turn them off to the subject by portraying it as a ridiculous joke.

“Cyberbullying is a real and serious problem... in the ‘Information Age’” While I will concede that I am not easily scared, I was not the only one in the theater who was overcome with laughter rather than fear each time one of the bullies was taught a lesson by the phantom ex-friend. Looking back on that, I really wonder what the filmmakers were thinking teens’ reactions would be to deaths via blender and Conair You Curl curling iron viewed through grainy Skype windows.

It seems as though the filmmakers were attempting to relate to teens through this method, but I had one question about 10 minutes in: If all these kids live in the same town, why are they in a five-person Skype instead of actually hanging out? Never in my life have I Skyped with my friends while we were all at home, and even now that we are all apart I have never been in a conversation with more than three people.

This, I believe, is one of the biggest flaws in this type of movie–we all use technology differently, and because of that, there is really no universal experience. Perhaps some teens do regularly have five-person Skype calls with their friends from school, but I don’t buy it.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Young people, it seems to me, are more likely to use FaceTime to make video calls, which are one-on-one conversations, if they use Apple devices. Those of us who have ever had the misfortune of being in a group chat will know that these communications can quickly become raucous, and assumedly this is only maximized when there are real voices (and unbelievably poor Wi-Fi) involved. While these much older critics and filmmakers think that this is how teenagers hang out nowadays, this only signifies a generational misunderstanding and an obsession with how young people connect through technology. In this, our relationship with technology is so blown out of proportion that it, like many other aspects of the film, appears ludicrous and overtly fictional. Therefore, the message is further garbled in this digital cacophony that fails at mirroring any real life experience.

The directors of this movie were obviously intent on showing us the dangers of an increasingly connected world. An NPR article lauded its ability to “manage a message about the dangers of cyberbullying that’s like a less preachy version of the 2011 documentary ‘Bully,’” but as a member of the targeted demographic who has experienced cyberbullying, I found it to be anything but educational or morally inspiring, and it definitely trivialized the issue (“The Internet Of Spooky Things Is Alive In ‘Unfriended,’” 04.16.15). Not even taking into account the fact that the characters reacted to losing a friend as they would to losing a file, this comment falls flat because the film totally neglects to address why the teens would bully their friend in the first place.

This film may have been more poignant had it not taken place inside of a computer, but also if the teens had not been faced with a cyber ghost but instead with something more realistic, like the legal implications of such a crime. Cyberbullying, like any other type of bullying, is something that can be discussed through film, but only if the filmmakers take the time and effort to understand the issue and convey it in a way that shows real consequences, not fantastical ones.

—Sophia Burns ’18 is a student at Vassar College.

May 7, 2015

OPINIONS

Violence inside, outside Mayweather fight Susie Martinez Guest Columnist

M

y brother is texting me from back in the Bronx. I am in Poughkeepsie, which is a two-hour train ride that shrinks into the two seconds it takes him to text me back. He and our father are having their weekly outing together, and sometimes my brother texts me during their outings. “Sometimes I wonder what abuse does to the children who grow up watching it.”

One of us texts this to the other, and we spend an hour discussing it. My brother and I are close, close enough that I felt obligated to tell him I was writing this column.

It’s fair to say that in writing this article, I am still protecting the people who have been victims of domestic violence and their abusers for reasons that I will elaborate upon later. I will be honest and say I do not think we have gotten to a place where victims can present their stories without criticism. Whenever people ask me why I began doing anti-violence work as a freshman, I say it is because I saw some things growing up that I hoped no one would ever go through or ever see someone go through. I have always been hesitant to reveal how deep the wounds left by domestic violence run in my life. For those purposes, I’ve chosen to focus on how my brother and I in particular have been affected.

My parents separated nine years ago, when I was old enough to understand power and abuse and my brother was young enough to be shielded from it. Sometimes my brother and I butt heads over how we both have dealt with our respective interactions with our parents throughout the last nine years. He goes on bike rides the day after. I write and write weeks after, especially when something on the news or on my news feed prompts me to write and reflect.

This week is one of those weeks.

This past weekend, the Internet was buzzing with news of the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Quite a few articles touched on Mayweather’s past as an

abusive partner. I am hesitant to refer to the history as his past—more often than not, abuser’s pasts are also their present realities, because it is uncommon that perpetrators of domestic violence have one partner. We also don’t talk about other people affected by domestic violence, and in Mayweather’s case, those affected are his and his partner’s children.

Despite multiple incidents of battery, the city of Las Vegas has managed to minimize Mayweather’s punishments. One instance of abuse in 2010 included a written testimony from Mayweather’s then-10 year old son, who witnessed his mother, Josie Harris, be physically assaulted

by Mayweather. Mayweather received a 90day jail sentence, which was delayed until after his Cinco de Mayo fight. Even then, he did not serve the entire 90 days, instead getting out a month early for good behavior.

After Mayweather came out on top this weekend, I scrolled down my social media feeds to read my friends’ commentary. Most were overjoyed, even dismissing any commentary about Mayweather’s history abusing women for “lack of proof.” “There are no pictures proving that he did anything” is a common statement, which points to the assumption that domestic violence is a purely physical act.

Victims of domestic violence suffer from different forms of violence, including emotional, psychological, financial and, yes, physical burdens. We do not see many of those wounds, but they are still there. Denial from larger institutions like the city of Las Vegas, or on an interpersonal level like a comment on social media, further reduce the value we place on people coming forward with their stories of abuse, whether first-hand or second-hand. We again refer to domestic violence as a private matter, only to be talked about in hushed whispers.

Here is where I should acknowledge some of the structures that have made talking about all interpersonal violence difficult for society.

Mayweather is a black man, and there is a pressure to protect men of color from the violence

of white supremacy. There is something scary about naming your perpetrator, in letting the world know who hurt you, especially when you still care for them. This is not to say that men of color are any less guilty of being violent towards their partners, but neither are white men.

We do not hear often about Sean Penn’s abuse towards Madonna. We do not blink twice when Eminem raps figuratively about killing his exwife in “Kill You”. These silences reinforce the idea that men of color are savages and reaffirm that the lives of women, particularly women of color, do not matter. Even though the example of Mayweather is a larger-than-life example, domestic violence does happen. Many people implicated, whether as producers of harm or receivers.

Abused partners seek some sort of witness, and sometimes that witness becomes the children involved. Years later, Koraun Mayweather, the son who wrote the testimony against his father, would stand by his mother and call his father a coward on television. Years later, Floyd Mayweather would step into the ring and win another match, media keeping hush about any “mess” earlier in his life.

This is where my heart aches for Josie Harris and Koraun Mayweather. Needless to say, interpersonal violence affects everyone, and shouldn’t only be delegated to the private sphere. By victim blaming and gas-lighting– which is essentially telling a victim what they experienced did not actually occur–we are again reaffirming that we shouldn’t talk about harm because it is “none of our business.”

How can we be honest with ourselves and with each other about the ways in which we hurt each other? How do we broaden our definitions of harm to recognize the ways in which we fail each other as a community? In doing so, we can come closer to finding a solution that holds survivors’ truths as valid and work to repair broken communities.

Sophie Koreto

I

n April of 2013, it was officially decided by the Committee on College Life that Vassar would ban smoking on its campus in June 2015. There is no doubt that the college’s ban on smoking is a sign of the changing times, as tobacco use among teenagers and young adults has been on a steady decline since the mid-’90s, a shift that is mainly attributed to ’80’s-era programs implemented in middle and high schools to discourage and even villainize tobacco smoking. However, as any Vassar student will tell you, it certainly doesn’t feel this way on campus.

At any given time of day, there is somebody smoking a cigarette outside of the library, Main building or any of the benches around campus.

In fact, a survey given out to students before the intended July 2015 ban of smoking on Vassar’s campus was implemented revealed that the majority of students on Vassar’s campus do not think that smoking should be banned on Vassar College property.

“The majority of students...do not think that smoking should be banned.”

So why, then, would the college go forth and enact a ban so clearly unwanted by its students? Health reasons are the obvious answer.

But how far should the college go in protecting the student’s health? We are, after all, a campus of adults. Should they next ban unhealthy snacks at the Retreat? Or force all students to take the stairs rather than the elevator?

The majority of our student body is over the age of eighteen, which means that the United States government has deemed us adults and, therefore, fit to make a conscious decision to smoke or not to smoke. While we know the risks, especially thanks to the various programs

such as D.A.R.E. and “Just Say No” that many of us were undoubtedly exposed to at some point growing up, we are still able to make these decisions. Smoking tobacco cigarettes at the age of eighteen or older is not illegal, and Vassar College should not implement a campus-wide smoking ban on college property.

Whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, you probably arrived on Vassar’s campus with at least some form of this health education regarding the dangers of smoking. These programs teach not only the risks of smoking, but also techniques to prevent starting or ways to say no. These programs, instituted in health classes as early as elementary school, have been a fixture in our society for nearly thirty years.

While correctly warning about the dangers that come from regularly smoking cigarettes, these programs almost villainize smoking and the smoker, which perhaps explains many institutions’ need to ban it in such an extreme manner. Since the rise in the implementation of these programs, smoking among young people has decreased significantly.

However, the fact still remains that approximately 30 percent of all college students regularly use some sort of tobacco product, and at Vassar, this number seems even higher. While second-hand smoke is a real concern for those of us on campus who choose not to smoke, this is addressed through the possibility of designated smoking areas and boundaries around buildings that are reserved as smoke-free spaces. Programs for those who want to quit are also being offered by the college.

However, the college heard the voices and opinions of the students and did not listen. A poll issued prior to the institution of the ban showed that the majority of Vassar students do not want a smoking ban on Vassar College property.

Despite this apparent attempt by the College to hear and respond to student input, the feedback that students gave was clearly ignored.

Yes, smoking cigarettes is unhealthy and has countless negative side effects on one’s body.

That is why educational programs instituted in

Word on the street What is your favorite planet and why?

“Earth. Because.”

—Sumaiya Miah ’18

“Earth because I’m here.”

— Guillermo Valdez ’15

—Susie Martinez ’15 is an urban studies major.

Ban places undue burden on student body Guest Columnist

Page 11

schools from a very young age are beneficial for children and society as a whole as they not only inform people of the health risks, but also serve to prevent teenagers and young adults from even beginning to smoke in the first place.

These tactics have proven to be effective as the number of young people who smoke has never been lower. For those who do choose to smoke, limits on where one can smoke outdoors and in specific smoking areas as well as programs for those looking to quit are also always a good idea.

“Venus, because it’s fiery, hot and passionate.”

— Frank Najarro ’18

“Probably Jupiter because it’s chill.”

— Ray Dominguez ’17

“... the feedback that students gave was clearly ignored.”

Despite all of these preventative measures both before and during a student’s time at Vassar, the fact is that cigarettes are legal to smoke at about the age of eighteen, and the college should not implement a ban on an activity that does not directly harm anyone else.

We are a student body of adults capable of making these decisions. As a society, we have decided that eighteen is the legal age of adulthood and, therefore, competent decision making. We should be able to choose to engage in a legal activity in a space that would not directly harm anyone else.

Before Vassar instates a policy that could so drastically affect such a large chunk of the student body, measures should be taken to determine that smoking on campus does present a definite and unavoidable threat to the health of the larger community. But with the current safety regulations in place ensuring that tobacco use remains contained, it is evident that, instead of protecting the rights of students, this step will only serve to unfairly inconvenience those who choose to smoke.

— Sophie Koreto ’18 is an art history major.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“Uranus because it’s Uranus.”

—Sophie Koreto ’18

“I like Venus because the lightning never touches the surface but is always striking.” ­­— Gabby Miranda ’18

Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor Sam Pianello, Photo Editor

OPINIONS

Page 12

May 7, 2015

Rhetoric on campus issues remains weak without context Robert Ronan

I’m mainly referring to are the rejection of “western” medicine, the embrace of “alternative” “medicine,” homeopathy, opposition to vaccines and blanket opposition to GMOs. At the heart of this is a paranoid fear of scientific authority, and the Dunning-Kruger effect– that is, people who lack skills in a certain area–tend to believe that they have a great understanding of said area, and also believe that they are particularly skilled in their field.

I’m referring specifically in this case to ongoing concerns about scientific-reading comprehension, i.e. the ability to swap pseudoscience for real science when reading. For instance, GMO websites frequently equate correlation and causation, frequently lack important citations, misinterpret studies they cite, cite single studies instead of meta studies, cite other conspiracy or fringe websites, claim things that are proven to be false, promote studies that have been later debunked or even go as far as to slander scientists and journalists who argue for the use of GMOs and other scientific innovations.

Let’s, for instance, take a brief detour and look at GMOs. Many of you probably oppose GMOs. In fact, 82 percent of Americans want food made with GMOs to be clearly labeled.

But 80 percent of Americans want food with DNA in it to be labeled, likely the same people as those who are conscious of GMO content. DNA: the building block of life you’d find in almost all the food we eat. Repeated studies have shown that many people answer yes to questions such as, “Ordinary tomatoes do not contain genes while genetically modified tomatoes do,” which is very much-so a false statement (Jayson Lusk, “DNA Labels”, 01.19.15). You’ve probably heard that Monsan-

Guest Columnist

T

he truth, unfortunately, is more complicated than Byrnes implies. And that truth is that Vassar as an institution isn’t responsible for the arts and sciences divide: Vassar’s humanities students are. Now, before you begin accusing me of things, let me state that I am math major who studies pure (read: useless, and non-applicable) math, and I’ve taken about fourteen classes outside the natural sciences. Most of my friends are nonSTEM majors. I don’t believe that the humanities are useless in education. I think they’re as important as the sciences, and definitely more important than pure mathematics.

“Vassar as an institution isn’t responsible for the arts and sciences divide...”

The truth is that this “failed relationship between letters and numbers,” as Byrnes calls it, is due to a number of students holding massively conspiracy-theory level pseudo-scientific views, and their rejection of a large number of scientific consensuses and practices (Boilerplate, “The sciences and humanities at Vassar: Are we building a better bridge?”, 04.20.15).

To the best of my knowledge these conspiracies mostly influence the progressive left (and radical right), and as a “progressive” this dismays me to no end. The issues

“Misfit Legends” ACROSS 1 Brief summary 6 First responder, abbr.

9 She is popular in “The Girls’ Room” 14 Sudden 15 “Paper Planes” artist 16 Site of intercontinental violence 17 The goddess of hair?

19 Traditional Xinjiang faith 20 “The cards you’ve been __” 21 Where “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” has been really unlucky, casually 22 A couple of cups 25 Pal 27 Knight 30 Silky hue 32 Filmed the girl with the Backpack and a Map? 35 “Chinese __,” according to the Olympics 37 “Erne” alternative 38 A warm liquid dinner, in The Hague 40 van Vogt original 41 What students should probably be finding for their papers instead of solving this crossword, but oh well 45 Colbert’s was named Jay 49 Policies created to protect the public against the side-effects of heartburn pills?

51 Joseph’s uncle 52 Famously before “turk” 53 Beverly Hills property 55 Popular Korean surname 56 Entreated 59 Stepped passage 61 Short snouted mammal 63 Mysterious “Angel Heart” character,

Answers to last week’s puzzle

Harry Potater

F

R

Y

I

N G

F

R O G M A N

L

I

E D

T

O

L

A C M

R

U

P

E

T

A

O

C

E

P

E W

H G

I

Y

D

I

O S

E

C

U

L

K

T

I

O

E

C

H O

D

E

R

D

E

V

E

O

A R

A

K

O

N

C U

N

Y

N W

E

U N R

S

T

R O

L

L

O

S

P

E

Y

L

U D G

E

R E

E

A

E

S

S

E

E

C

I

E

I

R

S

E

T

E

D

A

K

I

L

L

D

A

N

L

E

T

T

U

K

S

T

A

R

C

H

S

M D

F E

N

E D

I

R

E

T

U

B

C

E

I

T

R C

A

B

S W

E

N

D

L

A

E

R

P N O

E O

K I N

P

U S

A

E

R O W N

R

E

I

N

T O N

D A M A S F

B

V

B

F

F A

N

N O

H

E

E

O

T

S

R

T

D

T

F

A

N

Y

E D

I

U

G G O

I

B A W D R

P

E A

J

Y

P

T

R

G H P

E H

N

D O G

H U M B U G

H

T K

E M

U P

A

E

C K

A

A

L

N

I D

L B

T

A

T

R

A

T

T

O A

D

E

K

P

T

© 2015

E

S

A

B

R O O M S

E

B O G G

A

B

O O

S

A W R B

F

T

D

E

R

K S

to has sued farmers whose crops were cross pollinated with GMO plants. That’s not true either (New York Times, “A lonely quest for facts on genetically modified organisms,” 01.04.14).

Do GMOs increase pesticide use? Actually, they decrease pesticide use. You might have heard that there have been no independent studies on GMO safety, “But Biofortified, which received no funding from industry, listed more than a hundred such studies, including a 2010 comprehensive review sponsored by the European Union, that found “no scientific evidence associating G.M.O.s with higher risks for the environment or for food and feed safety than conventional plants and organisms.” It echoed similar statements by the World Health Organization, the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Medicine and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“It’s the pseudoscientific paranoia... that separates humanities... and science students.”

With this in mind, a study of more than 1 million animals over the course of 18 years found that GMO food did not have a negative effect on animals (IFL Science, “Study of 1 million cattle finds GMOs safe”, 09.19.14).

You might not know, but you’re probably already eating GMOs. GMOs are used to create insulin which treats diabetes, and clotting

medicine for people with hemophilia. Furthermore, there is a broad scientific consensus that GMO foods are not more dangerous than non-GMO foods.

The reason I told you all of these things about GMOs is because it’s the pseudoscientific paranoia about GMOs and other things that separates humanities students and science students. Ironically, progressives are quick to complain about the political right’s rejection of the broad consensus among climatologists that climate change is happening, and human-caused, but the left’s rejection of science probably eclipses the right’s in size. And for scientists this is infuriating.

Can you imagine a chemistry major walking around loudly declaring that Poland invaded Germany in WWII and that every historian who thinks otherwise is paid off by the Polish government? Or further, that every country’s historians are paid off by the Polish to lie?

Or a mathematics student with no neurology background declaring that all the neurologists are wrong, and that I actually know how the brain works? You probably wouldn’t spend too much time talking neurology with a person who rejected all of the neurology research that’s been done.

The mostly progressive student body’s obsession with pseudoscience is what keeps the humanities and the scientists apart. It’s not that, as Byrnes claims, “Vassar is definitely at fault in this failed relationship between letters and numbers,” but that the humanities students are (Boilerplate, “The sciences and humanities at Vassar: Are we building a better bridge?”, 04.20.15).

—Robert Ronan ’15 is a math major.

The Miscellany Crossword

by Tyler Fultz

familiarly 67 It really cleans you out 68 “No __, ands, or buts” 69 Whistleblower Edmonds 70 A group of a few, proud folks 71 Start to a hypothetical proposition 72 It’s in the water (but hopefully not) DOWN 1 WHAT DOES THE GOAT SAY?!

2 NAACP branch focusing on civil and human rights law 3 Watch, to a Hamburger 4 Crucifix 5 Top half of a treble (inclusive) 6 Iago’s wife 7 Everyone’s runaway cat :-( 8 Comment 9 Not about that base 10 Mid 11 The British __, Davey Boy Smith 12 7th of 24 13 Austin or Bailey 18 “I got my __ at Claire’s!”

21 Utopian 22 Raise 23 __ cables 24 Piven’s Gold 26 Winds blowing from Nash. to Det. 28 E-bar?

29 “The boyf ” 31 Shock 33 Headmaster 34 He described the flaming circles 36 Dept. at Vassar that deals with Title IX 39 The causes of many IR designations in the NFL 41 Wu-Tang leader that rapped “Gone” as a tribute to ODB 42 Nosh 43 Red fish 44 Congrats!

46 NASA counterpart 47 __ Digga 48 Whoopi pretended to be one 50 60’s dance craze courtesy of The Orlons 54 Tyra’s first third?

57 Weak

58 Ages 60 The Iliad, for instance 61 “Defiance” author Nechama 62 One revolution in Lima?

63 52 64 Oldest channel with a fee 65 Dalek time unit 66 Tom’s Giant leader 84 Small, cylindrical faves @ ACDC 85 One of Beedle’s, maybe 86 Potato, orange, or pizza 87 “Greek salad, please, but ___ ___” 88 “A League of Their ___” 90 Collection (abbr.)

91 Impaled or Al’ed 94 49-Across, slangily

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

95 Plastic wrap 97 Sometimes called... (abbr.)

98 Zamboni site 100 “You’ll ___ the day you were born!”

101 Spanish for “I gave to him” 104 Cop one rank below Sgt. 105 Effective Tax Rate (abbr.)

107 Child of 116-Down 109 Berkeley, Irvine, Davis 111 Old Line State (abbr.)

112 Old-time letter once in “encyclopedia” 113 Señor or Senior (abbr.)

There are two additional words in the grid that, when combined, can make an additional theme answer or “misfit legend.”

May 7, 2015

HUMOR & SATIRE

Page 13

Breaking News From the desk of Zander Bashaw, Humor & Satire Editor Mayweather fires powerful punches in latest victory, May weather fires Vassar buildings to boiling point Just below the limit: how to Former Humor Editor eaten forget your Founder’s Day by thesis, foul play suspected Kayla Lightner F-Day Veteran

F

or most first years entering Founder’s Day, very little is understood about the day. Here are some important tips to survive the day with most of your teeth, and some of your dignity.

1. Stay away from your professors

If you see one of your professors on Founder’s Day, LEAVE THEM ALONE. Avoid them the same way you avoid their eye contact in class when you haven’t done the reading. In all your drunken revelry, I guarantee that you will not be in any condition to challenge your professor about that B+ they gave you on that last project.

So if you see your professor during the festivities, run (or at least stagger) in the opposite direction.

The Editors

comes once a year.

Not Zander Bashaw

7. Don’t hole yourself up in the library

Please please please don’t condemn yourself to doing homework in the library on Founder’s Day. I totally understand that not everyone is into drinking, and that’s cool! But Founder’s Day should be a day of relaxation, whether or not you choose to get sloppy. I swear to God if I see you in the library, I will personally come get you.

8. Avoid getting on stage:

Slow Magic does not need your vocal skills and Le Youth does not need any back up dancers. Just stay in the audience and awkwardly sway–either from the drink or the music–like the rest of us.

9. Pace yourself with the shots

2. Drink fluids

I mean fluids other than beer. Or vodka, tequila, whiskey, hard cider, wine, wine coolers... just drink some water some point, okay?

3. Don’t beg the food-truck people for food

Just because it’s Founder’s Day and you get to stumble around wearing only a crop-top and a metallic speedo does not mean that the rest of the world has deteriorated into bacchanalian wasteland that works on the barter system. Besides, what the hell would you even trade with? That half-full beer can in your hand? Your charming personality?

4. Don’t try to crowd surf

Please, just don’t do it. Humans are heavy. I’m probably going to drop you. Besides, the slice of Bacio’s pizza I have in my hand takes precedence over your shitty, sweaty body.

5.Take a nap

No one is going to blame you if you decide to catch a few z’s in the middle of Founder’s Day. Hopefully you will be in a bed. Hopefully you will be in your bed. Passing out on the grass in the middle of the quad does not count as a nap.

6. Relax

Seriously, chill. Don’t worry about that psych paper; it will still be there tomorrow. However, the chance to be more plastered than a piece of drywall before noon with minimal judgment only

Founder’s day is a drunken marathon, not a sprint. You don’t want to go so hard in the first couple of hours that you’re too drunk to enjoy the rest of the day. That’s like going to Olive Garden and eating too many of the unlimited breadsticks before they bring out the entrée (I speak from experience and still have yet to learn).

10. Don’t ask alumni to buy you alcohol

That’s pretty pathetic; have some dignity.

11. Don’t ask alumni’s kids to ask their parents to buy you alcohol

This is next level creepy; hopefully during this academic year you have developed some loose understanding of boundaries.

12. Don’t laugh at other people’s pain

If you see some poor soul attempting to hit on the Matthew Vassar statue, or some random dude face down in a womp-womp hole, don’t laugh. A few more shots and that could be you. Maybe a couple of shots ago that was you. Regardless, you are in no position to judge.

13. Don’t be an asshole

This is a tip for life in general, but is especially important during Founder’s day. Don’t charge 80 dollars in food on an abandoned V-Card you found by sunset lake. Everyone will have a much better time if they aren’t constantly thinking about how they want to punch you in the throat.

It’s pretty simple, just don’t be yourself.

W

e gather here today to remember the late Humor and Satire editor Chris Gonzalez, who was consumed by his thesis on May 4th, 2015 in The Miscellany News’ office.

The offending document, which had allegedly been bullying him for months both online and in paper, has been sentenced to the shredder, and will be removed from Google drive as well.

The piece was detained before it could reach, and also attack, Chris’ senior thesis advisor.

But enough about the thesis, who was Chris, the man behind the Misc’s “Weekly” “Advice” Column? Chris as an editor was a charming and comical young man before his untimely consumption. “He just was really funny,” said a distraught Zander Bashaw, wiping one bloody tear from the corner of his eye. “Chris was the kind of guy that could email me a monosyllabic response to my article proposal, and just make it all seem so easy.”

As the Humor editor, Chris was mostly funny, but his later articles began to be laced with some darker jokes. These pieces provide an important window into Chris’ troubled relationship with his thesis. In an article detailing the struggles of emailing an advisor, Chris wrote “Why did I decide to do this?” Reading between the lines of this piece, he seems to be, for some reason troubled by a 215 page undertaking. Further on in the piece is perhaps the most disturbing and illuminating excerpt. Chris wrote “I are thesis.”

This simple, grammatically incorrect fragment that survived copy-editing serves as a great insight into his mind. As early as February, he was conflating his own existence with that of the thesis. It was as if Chris was pouring his own being into the pages of that cursed document, and as it grew stronger, he grew weaker, only to be devoured completely on that fateful May day.

Chris’ behavior also began to deteriorate towards his final weeks with the Misc. Oftentimes he was seen lying facedown on the floor of the Rose Parlor, or else on the quad, covered in scraps of paper, or Retreatza crust. So how come nobody saw what was going on and destroyed the thesis that drove our vivacious and beloved editor to such a place? Well, first of all, seeing as Chris wrote for the Humor section, his subconscious insecurities were merely mistaken

for witty self deprecation. This is a problem in general with writers: we are so misunderstood.

Also, since it has become warm, motionless food and homework laden figures upon the quad are quite common, and nothing to call the Campus Response Center about.

Chris is survived by rising humor editor, Zander Bashaw, who was sworn into office in the Deece minutes after the news broke that Chris had been eaten. Zander inherits full control of the page, and all of Chris’ unused jokes and ideas, and promises to take the role extremely seriously.

So far, there has been no reason to suspect foul play in the consumption, after all, Chris was alone with his thesis in the room when people in the College Center heard the colossal document roar “FEED ME SEYMOUR!” It should be noted, however, that Zander, the very man who stood the most to gain from Chris’ disappearance, was the last known person to have seen Chris alive.

That fateful day marked the final day of Zander’s editorial training. Did he perhaps feel that after this he no longer needed Chris around? Was he so eager for power that he set a booby trap for Chris to fall into the clutches of his thesis? We at the Misc think there is certainly something funny about this Alexander Bashaw, who operates under the bizarre “Zander” pseudonym.

Zander profusely denies any involvement in the event, continuing to appear devastated by the news, and crying blood whenever he is asked about it. However, just the other day, a banana peel was discovered in the corner where Chris’ massive thesis was detained on Sunday.

When asked quite bluntly if he had planted it there, Zander said “There are all kinds of stale comfort foods in the Misc office. I can’t believe people actually suspect that I made a Tom and Jerry-esque trap for my former editor.”

The jury is still out on whether or not Chris was brought to his end by a crude, cruel slapstick joke, but regardless he will forever be remembered for his excellent contributions to The Miscellany News. Chris lost himself among the pages that he so loved to work on, and will forever shine out as a beacon of hope for all of us miscunderstood writers.

–The Staff Obituary represents the feelings of at least 3/2 of our Editorial Board

Enduring the unbearable: surviving the summer with the people who love you most

by Lily Horner, Family Counselor

W

e are so close to leaving this place and getting a well-deserved break. This break comes at a price, however: we have to spend some time interacting with our families. Before you give me that crap about how “blood is thicker than water” or “your mother gave birth to you” let me say one thing. I love my family, but they just annoy me endlessly.

So here are some tips for not committing matricide/patricide/sororicide/fratricide over this three month stretch of endless time. Remember, these do not fit every family, so you should mix-and-match these tips to whatever best suits you.

Now, we all know moms love only one thing: the complex inner workings of a Fellini film. So here’s your chance to bond with your mom and use your expensive liberal arts education all in one go! Instead of discussing the many intricacies of his writing and directing, try acting the films out! Personally, I’ve never seen any of them but I hear they’re good, wholesome family

films. I fully intend on watching his whole Filmography with Marge (my mom) this summer, as I have nothing better to do.

I know that if I ever want to hang out with my lil bro, all I have to do is whip out his favorite Gloria Steinem coloring book and talk to him about the complex machinations of the patriarchy and how he can work to make society less threatening towards women. Sam is only 5, but I’m pretty sure he’s picking up what I’m putting down. If you have older siblings, I don’t know what to tell you. But if they’re reading this article, chances are that you’ll get a feminist coloring book in your Vassar mailbox. I’m not sure what to tell you if you have a sister, but as a sister myself, I will tell you what I like in a brother: the ability to shapeshift into a hedgehog.

Dads are a little bit more tricky. They don’t like movies or coloring books. Typically they are interested in boring things like golf and computers. I personally am only allowed to talk to Topher (my dad) in either binary or

golf lingo. A helpful phrase to know in binary is: “01001001 00100000 01101100”, which means, “I love you dad.” Using this will surely get you on your dad’s good side for a day or two. If you are not familiar with golf, don’t bother. It’s a waste of your time. But at least pretend to like it for your dad, because we all know that pretending to be someone else is the number one thing your family teaches you. Whenever your dad asks you about golf, just say “The par of the bogey was unbelievable! Don’t cut that into the green! Caddy that sucker to the hole!” He will totally buy it.

These tips should be easy to navigate, as long as you don’t let your family interact with you simultaneously. If you get your parents in the same room, there is a 60% chance that they will ask annoying questions that you don’t care about. “What’s your major, Lily?” “Was JFK’s assassination an inside job?” “What is the exchange rate of yen to pounds?” Come on, Mopher (my couple name for my parents), what’s

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

the point? If you insist on asking me these insane questions, at least give me the formula for calculating the exchange rate! The list of demands my parents give me is also ridonculous.

Not only do I need to do household chores like mowing the lawn and giving the dog a perm, but I also have to do things that aren’t humanly possible. They want me to run a 2 minute mile, live on a diet of only soylent (look it up, it’s horrifying) and get my driver’s license. I could most likely train myself to run a 2 minute mile before Pennsylvania would allow me to drive without a licensed driver in the passenger seat. If you were granted the gift of a sibling, you should collectively underachieve so that your parents don’t know who to be disappointed in more.

I hope these tips help with your family life.

Do not make my same mistakes in life by forgetting your brother’s blood type or your mom’s favorite soup. Make and study flashcards about your family before going home for break. It’s not like you have to study for finals or anything.

ARTS

Page 14

May 7, 2015

Media design course reimagines hidden spaces on campus Sieu Nguyen Reporter

W

hat if the basement in Main Building– the location of the old bookstore–is equipped with Mac computers, tripods, cameras, a green screen and other media production items? What if the old Reserves Room in the library is transferred into a centralized space for Graphic Design and App Development?

Those are some ideas proposed by students in MEDS 260–Media Theory–for a new Design and Digital Media Lab (DDM) on the Vassar campus. The presentation and screening of this project will tentatively take place on Friday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Rocky 300.

In their final project, MEDS 260 students are divided into different groups. Each group is creating a short film (four to six minutes) to present a proposal for designing a new DDM Lab on campus.

Regarding the principles and motivations behind this project, Professor Eva Woods, the instructor of MEDS 260, said, “The goal for our final project is to complete, via the principles of critical design, a digital video that conceptualizes the need for a DDM at Vassar. Such a lab could function as a classroom for digital media production courses, for class modules or whole courses from other departments that are engaged with the Digital Humanities, Data Visualization, Game Development, Web Design/Graphics and Mobile Media/App Development.”

She continued, “Critical Design involves radical collaboration, prefers showing to telling and focuses on experimentation, clarity, process and human values.”

The students in MEDS 260 started this project on April 17, and are currently in their last stages of production. Stressing the significance of a new DDM Lab, Danielle Winter ’18, a member of the class, says, “Compared to many other colleges of comparable size and merit, our DDM facilities are poor and decentralized.

Having a DDM will enrich the students by un-

locking programs that will elevate projects and serve students as they search for work. It will also offer assistance for the Poughkeepsie community—it can offer workshops on basic computer skills and resume building, thus bridging a long standing gap between Vassar and its surroundings.”

Commenting specifically on the benefit of a new DDM Lab for Media Studies students, Cristian Uriostegui ’17 noted, “Media Studies students (as well as, according to our interviews, students from larger departments such as Film and Music) have no unified space for accessing digital media. The spaces available are fragmented, inaccessible, cluttered or some combination of the three. Spaces outfitted with modern technologies are in Vogelstein (video), Skinner (audio), the WVKR studio in Main (audio), New Hackensack (video), Sander’s Physics (computational software).”

He continued, “However, access to these spaces is obstructed to Media Studies majors (and others) by the need for card access and some of them are cramped and cannot properly house their equipment. The most accessible space for Media Studies majors looking to use digital technology is the Library’s Digital Media Zone, which is notorious for being a very transitory, chaotic, and stressful space, which makes for a terrible learning environment. The DDM Lab would offer an alternative which isn’t transitory, is more technologically holistic (reflecting the state of our information-based society), and is centrally accessible to both Media Studies majors as well as other students.”

Each group in “Media Theory” has different visions for this new DDM Lab. Uriostegui talked about his group’s idea, which is proposed to take place in the Main basement. “The space would contain Mac desktops outfitted with digital software needed by students such as programs for video, audio, 3D rendering and editing. Utilizing the classroom spaces in the back, the space would also house courses both for the Media Studies department and beyond.

Using the smaller rooms existing in the center of the space, more exclusive and expensive technologies such as cameras, professional audio recording equipment, etc. could be housed and would require card swipe access,” said Uriostegui. Winter’s group, which imagines the Lab to occupy the old Reserves Room in the library, remarked, “It will feature movable workstations with convertible seating, short-term project storage, meeting and collaboration space, green screen/whitewall space, go-boxes for on the move filming essentials, work-study experts to consult on their program or skill of choice, frequent workshops, and essentially whatever the space turns into as it flourishes.”

To assists the students in “Media Theory” with their final project, the Media Studies department also invited a renowned digital media artist, Professor Ann Daly from CUNY State Island to coordinate this unit. Students are encouraged to work with Daly and interact with other students on campus, gathering information on the needs to have a space for Digital Media.

Professor Woods said, “Through intense collaboration with each other, interviews with members of the Vassar and nearby community, and incorporation of Critical Design techniques, students have been able to experience not only what it’s like to immerse oneself in a “d.school” environment, such as Stanford’s Hasso Platner Institute of Design, but also to get a taste of what many employers are looking for today, graduates with critical thinking skills, historical and hands-on knowledge of experimental aesthetics, and an ability to work collaboratively.”

Tackling a different aspect of the project, Uriostegui stresses the impact of this new space on low-income students. He said, “The construction of a DDM Lab is the perfect way for Vassar to follow up on the promise it has made (and is continually praised for) to low-income students. As a low-income student I have found myself at odds with higher-income stu-

dents with access to the latest hardware (Macbook Pros, iPads, Macbook Airs etc.) as well as software (video/audio editing programs and more). This discrepancy between my lack of access and their abundance of it has contributed to my (and others’) generalized anxiety which stems from the social navigation of socioeconomic difference.”

Continuing, Uriostegui commented, “As an underprivileged Media Studies major without access to these technologies, I am forced to utilize technologies in compromising spaces such as the DMZ which floods with students and is plagued by never-ending alarms while my financially privileged peers do the same work I do but from the comfort of their own rooms: the resulting discrepancy in technological access is ultimately alienating. Creating a DDM Lab would create a technologically accessible space which would better equalize technological access for all of its students, creating an environment which supports young academics irrespective of their family’s financial standing.”

With the presentation and the screening of this project on May 8, the students in “Media Theory” hope that their proposals will be considered by the Vassar administration. Soshyan Petrolaus ’17 said, “The best case scenario is that the administrators at Vassar, and whoever else is in charge of planning academic spaces here, will share our vision about the design and digital media lab so that it can actually materialize at some point in the (hopefully near) future.”

The students also acknowledge the practicality of these ideas, pointing out that funding might come up as one of the obstacles. Jake Ellis ’16 noted, “In order to make this proposal a reality, I think the administration would have to figure out how to properly fund such an endeavor.”

Winter agreed, “The project, primarily, requires funding and staffing. With those two things—there is nothing holding the proposal back.”

All-women theater troupe travels to Russia on Shiva stage Connor McIlwain Reporter

B

“a collaborative, non-hierarchical, all-female group of theater-makers,” serves as a creative outlet even beyond theater. “Idlewild takes pride in its mission statement,” said Trunnell.

Trunnell is grateful for the ability to collaborate and try out different roles in the theater. In addition to acting in the show, she is in charge of carpentry and stage management.

“Idlewild is all about learning and experiencing new things: as a member of Idlewild, I have had the opportunity to help with light design, set design, stage management, acting, carpentry and more — we are all part of the process, and we put on pieces of truly collaborative theater,” she said.

As set designer, Engleby has had to integrate the themes and feel of the show into its set. She explained, “In my set design, I am trying to incorporate these subtle fairytale

courtest of Idlewild

oyfriends, babushkas and border patrol might seem like an odd mix. But, the Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls, which premieres this Thursday, blends the curious with the common.

Idlewild’s yearly full-length spring show explores the underside of babushkas, boyfriends that may or may not be bears and other eccentricities. Set designer and actor Sybil Engleby ’16 explained, “FLORG combines fairytales and very real-life situations in a beautiful way.”

“FLORG is a whirlwind of fairytale, reality and everything in between, all set to the bass-thumping, high-heel wearing, fast paced culture of 2005 Russia. It’s an adventure that appeals to both theater buffs and those just looking for a fun show,” said another actress in the production, Alex Trunnell ’17. The show centers on the tale of Anya Rabinovitch (Annie), whose mother sends her to her birthland, Russia. But, she quickly learns that Russia is not everything she imagined it would be.

The upcoming show illustrates the lives of other young females living in Russia, through exaggeration and storytelling. “Each of the ‘Russian Girls’ experiences the reality of being a young female in Russia, while also dealing with sometimes-subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle, like having a bear for a boyfriend, fairytale stories every day.”

She continued, “The play weaves together fantasy and reality to create an amazing story-telling vibe.”

This story can be serious at times, too.

Engleby explained the added significance within the plot, “[T]he characters are caricatures on the surface, but in delving deep into this play we have discovered the very harsh realities that lie behind every fairytale.” In addition to designing the sets for the show, Engleby will play the role of Katya.

Another member of the group, Katherine Shelton ’15, plays many different characters in the show. She explained, “I get to play an

evil stepmother, sexy border patrol officer and a bear—it’s so much fun!” Shelton also served as costume designer for the show. In the last four years, she has served in a variety of capacities and played a host of roles for Idlewild.

She elaborated, “[O]ver the years we have put on pieces that have been scary, exciting and thought provoking, forcing me to examine more closely the world around me, and Fairy Tale Lives is no exception!” The ensemble was founded in 2007 and is comprised of nine women. They direct, design and act all of the shows themselves. Each year, the group puts on a small theatrical event and a full-length production in the spring. All of their works are by and about women.

“Having been a member of the ensemble for four years, I love that I get to try something new with every play we produce,” said Shelton. The group, which describes itself as

Idlewild’s cast and crew have performed as the only Vassar all-female theater ensemble since 2007. This year, they will be putting on “The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls,” beginning May 7th.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

aspects. The set is very natural; almost all set pieces are made up off hanging branches and stumps across the stage.”

Other members of the group helped her create a more interactive stage experience.

“We will be using fog as well, which I’m really excited about. In collaboration with our lighting designer (Ariel Atlas), I hope to create a visual world that is just as flexible in realities as the play,” she said.

These opportunities for creativity, say group members, are just one of the many aspects that make Idlewood special. “Honestly, the best part of being part of Idlewild is that I get to hang out with these incredibly smart, talented, confident ladies every night, and we get to make theater and plan out the destruction of the patriarchy all at the same time. They have been a huge part of my experience at Vassar and I wouldn’t be the same without them,” said Shelton.

The group has been eagerly preparing for opening night. They began auditioning right after Spring Break and having been getting ready ever since. As overwhelming as last-minute preparations can be, Trunnell says that with the right group of people, they can still be rewarding.

She explained, “Tech week is amazing: every tech week is itself both a high and a low.

It’s late nights, crazy time crunches, wild rehearsals, but it’s absolutely amazing. In three or four days, we come up with a beautiful space in which we will present a solid piece of theater.”

According to Trunnell, the preparations have paid off. “We’ve been working to create an incredible experience that blends fairytale and reality, and our designers have, in my opinion, succeeded with flying colors… the Shiva looks absolutely incredible,” she explained. With finals rapidly approaching, she added that the show is a perfect study break. Overall, the group cannot wait to share their work with the campus. “I am incredibly excited to open on Thursday,” said Trunnell, just about summing up the opinions of the group.

ARTS

May 7, 2015

Page 15

Byrd’s character illustrations lead to surreal senior project Emma Rosenthal Arts Editor

W

Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News

hen we see animated movies, like “Frozen”, we usually don’t think about the work that goes into creating characters like Olaf. Jalilah Byrd ’15, is able to explain how our frosty friend was created. She is creating two 3D animations for her senior art thesis, a passion she has gained while at Vassar, and gives an inside look at her work. “Initially when I got to Vassar, I wanted to be a comic book artist and maybe do my own graphic novels on the side or something. But the animation class sort of changed my career path. I want to go into video games or film or something like that,” said Byrd.

Before Vassar, and even before deciding to focus on creating comics and characters, Byrd had an art-filled upbringing. On the evolution of her art she wrote, “I started when I was about 4 [years old] just drawing. I drew horses non-stop when I was young–dragons, horses, those kinds of things.

And I just kept at it.”

A friend of Byrd’s who is familiar with her artwork, Wade Crouch ’16, commented in an emailed statement on her animation and art. He wrote, “Her artwork is incredible; she puts painstaking work–extensive research notwithstanding–into being as accurate as possible when she creates a model. Her focus is primarily in animation, where she pours countless hours into her projects, but this is reflective of her paintings and sculptures as well.”

Byrd’s Senior Project Advisor and Professor of Art on the Isabelle Hyman Chair, Harry Roseman, commented on Byrd’s work as well, as he has worked with her throughout the semester on her project. He wrote in an emailed statement, “Since Computer Animation this fall Jalilah’s interest and work has centered on computer animation.

Certainly in class, in Sculpture II she has been working to fulfill the conceptual constructs of the assignments. In order to do this she has been working across ideas in a variety of mediums. The

Jalilah Byrd ‘15 creates a unique Senior Art Project, inspired by her growing passion for animation.

She will focus on surreal and abstract themes when creating characters and narratives for her thesis. mediums chosen are geared to fulfilling the answers she has come up with for the assignments.

The materials and ideas are symbiotically related to the goals of each work and do not stand outside of those goals. This term for Jalilah they have included, clay, plaster and wire. Jalilah is working in computer animation for her senior project.”

While Byrd has taken many studio art classes, she focused on her Senior Art Project this semester, two 3D animations she will present at the end of the year. “I’m pretty much done with the first one–it has to render, which just means compile it, make it fancy. I’m still working on my second one and I have this little sculpture for it also. But senior project is kind of just a slightly related body of work that you just work on the entire semester.

So I’m coming to the end of that,” she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

While many of us are familiar with the final product of animations, the behind-the-scenes work is more complicated, and Byrd illuminated these details, saying, “It’s 3D animation so it’s with Maya–the [animation] program. And you pretty much just sculpt creatures then you rig them with a skeleton, then you move them around. I’m actually...trying to create a job for myself here to try to teach people how to use this program... [T]here’s a class for it, but there’s so much in the class and it’s really hard to learn this program, so I want to kind of stick around and do workshops for people.

It’s a horrible program to get used to, but if you want to, you just practice.”

Crouch gave testament to Byrd’s commitment to her art, and to other projects, like mastering the difficult animation program Maya. “When she

dedicates herself to a project, she is restless about it until she’s worked through every detail and has fine-tuned her work to perfection. She can at times get a sharp, singular mentality and can work with incredible efficiency,” he said.

Within the world of animation, there is a wide variety among subjects, characters and story lines, and Byrd chose a more abstract theme for her project. She explained her thesis further, “[The animation] is hard to explain, it’s very surreal. It’s kind of this dinner party of these bizarre creatures and I kind of imagine them as divinities of creatures we don’t really know about. And in one part, they slice a cake and there’s an elephant inside and there’s water inside.”

She described her second one in more detail, “The second one is a little more straightforward.

It’s this baby giraffe and it’s really sad because all of his toys are really small...So his mom goes out and just takes blocks from nature. It’ll go to a termite mound and pull out a cube from a termite mound, so you see all the little tunnels and everything. And then it’ll present it to it’s kid as it’s new blocks because they are all big and everything. So basically just surreal nature kind of things.”

With Byrd’s explanation of her work’s content, Crouch gave another assertion of Byrd’s skill, no matter what she is working on. He said, “Her skill and her creativity with attention to detail lead me to believe that she will go far as an artist and an animator, and be sure to keep an eye out for her work in the future, because her work just gets better with every project.”

While the narratives of these animations might seem simple, the work that goes into Byrd’s work is immense. She said, “Animation takes so much time...To give an example, one scene of one animation might be about 1400 frames. On my computer, one frame took about 20 minutes [to render]. So obviously it takes a huge amount of time...

I didn’t realize how much I would love spending so much time working. I love what I’m doing and that’s good because I’m spending an obscene amount of time doing it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Addspace Indoor Self Storage Summer, Semester and Yearly Storage Packages

Ask Us About Our Most Popular Deal On The Storage Locker!

Packages Include FREE Pick Up And Delivery!

We offer fast sign up on the internet. Just visit our website at ADDSPACE.COM and click on the Vassar link. It’s that easy!

YOU CAN ALSO RESERVE BY CALLING US AT 845-297-1500 MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ARTS

Page 16

May 7, 2015

Classicist In sea of mega-museums, Frick’s stands out bridges Zen with Homer Gwendolyn Frenzel Online Editor

The Frick Collection The Henry Clay Frick House New York City

LOMBARDO continued from page 1

Award for his work as a translator. He has given lectures and dramatic readings of his translations on campuses throughout the country, as well as at such venues as the Gety Villa and the Smithsonian Institution, and on C-SPAN and National Public Radio.

Blegen Professor of the Greek and Roman Studies Department, Anthony Corbeill, was the primary organizer of the event. Originally from the University of Kansas, Corbeill is visiting Vassar this year and is now teaching a seminar called the Power of the Poet. He decided to invite Lombardo to Vassar campus for his translation works and knowledge of the subject of poetry. He said, “The topic is the role of tradition and innovation in poetry, principally epic poetry, from Hesiod and Homer on through T.S. Eliot...We are reading a number of his translations–Hesiod, Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’, Vergil’s ‘Aeneid’...As you can imagine, he is the ideal person to come and speak with our class about both the craft of translation and on the relationship among some of the major poets of the Western tradition.”

Lombardo explained why he gives dramatic readings as a way of introducing and talking about these poets and their works. “Usually I just give dramatic readings, but sometimes my host wants a lecture so then I combine the forms.

Dramatic readings are direct presentation of the primary matter. Without that how could the audience understand what I am talking about in the lecture?”

Hoping to become a poet in college, Lombardo shared the origin of his passions in poetry and the classics. “When I began college I wanted to be a poet and took classical Greek and Latin as part of my training. The Greek course was based on Homer, and when I learned to read the opening lines of the ‘Odyssey’ metrically my whole world changed. I knew I had entered an immortal river of poetry,” he said.

Later, Lombardo discovered the practice and philosophy of Zen, and began to realize the connection between classical poetry and Zen. “My first encounter with Zen was reading two books on it during my honeymoon night shortly after getting an M.A. in classics. Now there’s a connection. It was after I had practiced Zen for several years that I began to see the commonality between koan practice and literary translation. And that Homer’s mind, with its extreme clarity and spaciousness, was Zen mind,” he explained.

This was also why he decided to present the case of “Odyssey” and its tradition as a form of koan. “Great poetry should always leave us with big questions. In this talk I present the ‘Odyssey’ and its entire sequel tradition as the statement of a koan, which also gives rise to big question,” he said.

Multiple students from Corbeill’s seminar talked about their specific interests in the presentation. Cady Cirbes ’16 is especially interested in the creative process of Lombardo’s translation.

She said, “We’ve been using Lombardo’s translations in class...It’s not often that you actually get to ask the author why they made the choices they made in their writing, so being able to hear his perspective firsthand when we’ve been analyzing his words and choices will be a good perspective.”

Cari Goldfine ’16, on the other hand, expects to learn more about how the “Odyssey” is framed in the lens of Zen. “It looks like it will frame Odysseus’ nostos (homecoming) in ways that I haven’t considered, and am excited to learn about!”

She continued, “Throughout the semester we have examined ways in which poets and authors have innovated within their respective traditions. This presentation examines the tradition descending from the Odyssey reframed by a Zen koan.”

Ultimately, the presentation addresses questions of classical poetry and its continuing impact in this era. Corbeill commented, “The lecture will make clear the continued relevance and dynamism of classical literature to our twenty-first century concerns.” Lombardo concluded, speaking of the poets across centuries he’s be discussing at Vassar, “What connects them is the great arc of Odyssean poetry across three millennia.”

T

he only thing better than a visit to the beautiful home of the late Henry Clay Frick is a chance to see the enormous collection of Old Master paintings within the Frick Collection museum.

The Henry Clay Frick House is one of the few mansions in New York City remaining from the Gilded Age of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Frick amassed his wealth as chairman for Carnegie Steel Company, a position that allowed him to invest in a massive art collection. Upon his death, Frick willed the house and its contents as a museum to the public.

Throughout the house, furniture from Frick’s home is scattered about, adding to the grandiose layout of the museum. Furniture on display includes 20th century pieces like chairs and tables as well as older items, like an 18th century oak veneered and bronze gilded longcase regulator clock, numerous extravagant commodes and built-in bookshelves housing hundreds of beautiful, old leather-bound books.

Frick’s collection includes masterpieces by numerous famous artists, including Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, Bellini, Degas, El Greco — you name an artist, and the museum is bound to have at least one piece.

I particularly enjoyed seeing Joseph Mallord William Turner’s “Cologne: The Arrival of a Packet-Boat: Evening.” Turner wonderfully displays Cologne in front of a sunset with beautiful colors and precision. I also was enamored by Monet’s “Vétheuil in Winter,” a piece in a collection of Monet’s paintings of

Vétheuil in all seasons painted from the Seine and riverbanks. This winter piece shows the cold blues of winter and highlights the ice on the banks of the Seine.

Until May 17th, the Frick Collection is housing an exhibition that I would highly recommend, “Coypel’s Don Quixote Tapestries: Illustrating a Spanish Novel in Eighteenth-Century France.”

Charles-Antoine Coypel, painter for Louis XV, painted 28 illustrations to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s “Don Quixote,” to be made into tapestries for the King to present as gifts to rulers of other nations. On view at the Frick are five original Coypel paintings and 18 prints and books, coupled with three original manufactured tapestries from Gobelin’s in Paris and two Finnish Coypel-inspired tapestries, allowing all 28 illustrations to be represented in the exhibit.

Cervantes’s “Don Quixote” is already a comedic work, outlining the antics of Don Quixote, who seeks to bring justice to the world with the help of his squire Sancho Panza. Don Quixote’s active imagination from reading far too many books about chivalry results in countless strange adventures, including an early attack on giants that turn out to be windmills. Don Quixote’s endeavors often leave Panza to clean up his mess, like when Don Quixote refuses to pay for their stay at an inn, leaving Panza behind to be literally thrown out by other inn guests.

Coypel’s illustrations bring some of Cervantes’s depictions of the reckless and unknowingly hilarious Don Quixote to life. One of my favorite pieces at the exhibit is the engraving of Don Quixote sitting proudly atop his horse with what appears to be a helmet on his head, titled “Don Quixote Mistakes the Basin of a Barber for the Helmet of a Mambrino.” The titles of Coypel’s pieces enlighten the viewer of the absurdity of Don Quixote and are the crux of comedic understanding in the collection.

Of course, the tapestries, too, are beautiful in their own respect, especially the 12 by 13 foot Gobelin tapestries. These wool and silk pieces are astoundingly vibrant and feature extravagant alentour borders.

I also found the titles of some sculptures in the main collection of the Frick unintentionally funny. One such sculpture is Riccio’s “Naked Youth with Raised Left Arm,” featuring a–you guessed it–naked man with his left arm raised. The hilarity of this title (which, upon reflection, may not actually seem funny to anyone other than me) was compounded when I took time to look at the piece for a few minutes and I started imagining that the man was dancing.

Although I enjoyed looking at many pieces in the Fritz, there were some parts of the Collection that I found, to be frank, quite boring.

There were many portraits of aristocrats that felt like unnecessary filler pieces, which also compounded the overwhelming sentiment that the museum is for the use of wealthy white patrons.

Overall, I think that it’s worth it to find time to visit the Frick, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a way to spend an hour or two in the City. It may not be as large and famous as the Met, MoMA or the Guggenheim, but the Frick packs in a lot of great art in the space.

Unfortunately, visiting the Collection is not free — student ticket price (with ID) is $10, but I recommend visiting during payas-you-wish hours on Sundays from 11 a.m. to one p.m. Included in admission prices is access to the audio tour with six languages, which I highly suggest, because most pieces in the museum are not labeled with information about the work other than artist and title.

Photography is prohibited in the Collection, with the exception of the Garden Court.

Be sure to look out of the west-facing windows of the house for beautiful views of Central Park.

‘What For’ plays down musical emotion Jack Conway

Guest Columnist

What For? Toro y Moi Carpark

“W

hat For?” is Toro y Moi’s fourth fulllength album and Chad Bundick’s second release in the past six months. The first release, “Michael,” was made under his Les Sins moniker and ranked on my list for 2014’s Best Electronic Albums alongside Andy Stott’s “Faith in Strangers” and “West Side” by Austin Cesear. Much of what made “Michael” enjoyable for me was the lack of questions I had for it.

That is, I wasn’t wondering what Bundick’s next move was. I wasn’t thinking about whether he would play vintage synths again, whether he had adopted a full band set-up. Because with Les Sins, the premise is clear: it’s Chad Bundick’s DJ project.

“I wasn’t wondering what Bundick’s next move was.”

With Toro y Moi on the other hand, Bundick seems to want to reinvent himself and revive a lost genre with each new album. After becoming a Chillwave pioneer with his debut, “Causers of This,” he made a mature and organ-heavy funk album, 2011’s “Underneath the Pine.” Next was “Anything in Return,” with 13 tracks that found their influences in ‘90s dance, ‘90s R&B and even disco. Out of Toro’s discography, “Anything in Return” felt least like an album and more like a collection of tracks unified by their “pretty chill” vibes.

With “What For?,” however, Toro y Moi has released a true album. That is, he has chosen

a vibe, maybe even a genre, and stuck with it–that vibe/genre being late ‘60s/early ‘70s psychedelic rock/pop. I acknowledge it seems odd that what I’m claiming to be a decisive sound should use so many slashes in being described, but I stand by this claim. “What For?” is cohesive, largely consistent and altogether well-planned.

Of course, none of these qualities guarantee a great album. Rather, “What For?” is an album full of songs that–while checking off all the boxes for what should make great, even amazing tracks–are only just “good” or “cool.”

To better express this idea, let me offer you some of the thoughts I had while listening: “That’s a nice sounding riff;” “I like that drum fill;” “His voice sounds good here.” Basically, I think the music is pretty pleasant; but while that’s generally a good thing, my engagement with the songs is stagnant, neutral. It has me thinking rather than feeling.

For example, with “Ratcliff,” I’m thinking Bundick has been reading fiction, and has been working on giving his lyrics a more literary quality. And this work isn’t fruitless; the song does seem to tell a Goodbye Columbus meets mid-life crisis type story. It’s just that, that’s all I can say about it. I don’t actually feel there to be a certain narrative within the song.

I much prefer the floaty one-liners Bundick sang on his debut. Lyrics like “I found a job/I do it fine/not what I want/but still I try” off “Blessa” and “I’m sorry I couldn’t name the color of your eyes” off “Fax Shadow” ran the risk of sounding cliché, but I could at least manage more emotion out of them.

On “Lilly,” Bundick sings, “Everyday’s like this/No one gets nowhere.” Behind these chorus vocals plays a steady hi-hat and kick beat, lilting ambient pads and a sweet electric-blue guitar lick. I picture Bundick looking over San Francisco Bay through some thick fog. He’s wearing a safari hat and has leather sandals on. He has no plans for the day, and he’s cool with that. It’s one of my favorite moments on the album. Still, I can’t help but think this second line–“No one gets nowhere”–is a kind of mantra for “What For?” Like, does this album

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

also go nowhere? And Is “What For?” supposed to be my general reaction?

The best songs on “What For?” then are the ones that don’t give you time to ponder.

Lead single “Empty Nesters” and penultimate track “Run Baby Run” rush in with Bundick’s highest vocals and retain themselves with glam-rock riffs matched with straightforward and grooving bass-lines. While “Empty Nesters” certainly wins the tempo race between these two tracks, both feel compact, filled to the brim with riff ideas and backing “ooh’s”.

With sugar-sweet lyrics about advisors and margins and references to Blue Album-era Weezer, these songs revel in schoolhouse nostalgia and keep you cozy with 90s indie-rock familiarity.

“The best songs...are the ones that don’t give you time to ponder.”

Now four albums in, Toro y Moi’s trajectory is unclear. I could sense this was the case after “Anything in Return,” but “What For?” has now cemented the following thought in my mind: Toro y Moi is a worthy artist who creates not so worthy albums. To me, beyond his debut and sophomore LPs, his work is more invested in building certain aesthetics than furthering quality songwriting. Perhaps it’s odd, but I am okay with this.

“What For?” could be a question posed in reference to art’s purpose. Is art supposed to make us feel or think? I’d argue both, and I would like to think Bundick feels the same way. And under that metric, this album—in my opinion—fails. To restate what I have said before, I find myself listening to this album knowing certain songs are meant to be emotive and relaxing, but don’t, in turn, feel either.

That is, on “What For?” there exists a gap between what is known and what is felt.

ARTS

May 7, 2015

Page 17

‘Mad Men’ ends with whimper, not bang Charles Lyons-Burt Columnist

Mad Men Matthew Weiner AMC

F

inal seasons of American television, as ordered by no one and yet repeated ad nauseam, tend to feature the same cinematic tropes: parades of misplaced pathos, the tiresome retreat of old characters or plot lines and an overestimation of what audiences “want to see”.

What’s worse—it’s generally brought forth with maximum joylessness by the shows’ creators. When showrunners are deciding how to conclude their series, the focus on fan-service and the strange audience/art relationship of a long-running program becomes glaring. Even series that captivate me for all of their airtime, like Vince Gilligan’s “Breaking Bad,” aren’t significant for their closing curtain moments.

“Final seasons...tend to feature the same cinematic tropes.”

The Gilligan show felt entirely too neat upon its conclusion, exhibiting the common problem of feeling too much like a self-conscious bow-wrapping. A far more preferable structural tactic would be for a series of television that I like to continue doing what it does well until it doesn’t anymore, rather than using its commemorative occasion to be something that it isn’t; the 2013 finale for “30 Rock” immediately comes to mind, which as it aired felt nothing like the tone or temperament of the (admittedly inconsistent) program I followed (intermittently).

The firmness of control Matthew Wein-

Campus Canvas

er, the creator and eight-year showrunner of “Mad Men,” demonstrates on his show is hardly different than Gilligan’s was with “Breaking Bad,” so I worried the ending of the latter will befall the same, all too scrupulous narrative ability.

The last seven episodes of “Mad Men” are being unveiled week by week throughout April and May in a truncated Part 2 of its seventh season—as of now, five have aired and two are still awaiting deployment.

The show is less narratively-propelled than “Breaking Bad”—a lean genre masterpiece at its heart—and as such its final strands of story can feel a little aimless.

As characters despair and question their worth on a continuum of life and death, it hasn’t become clear in which direction Weiner will finally guide ‘60s advertising creative director Don Draper (Jon Hamm), his caddish firm partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery), his progressive, headstrong protégé Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) or any other of the heavily metaphorical program’s ensemble and their ambitions in a culturally-shifting American landscape.

This critic has seen the first four episodes of Season 7 Part 2: “Severance,” “New Business,” “The Forecast” and “Time & Life,” as well as every episode of the show preceding them. This latest run of episodes has been very strong, except perhaps aspects of “Severance” and “New Business;” the feeling of necessity in regurgitating old characters and themes is present to a degree in the latest efforts of the show.

However, as many critics have noted, the motif is fully in accordance with “Mad Men’s” fascination with the past and its sneaky reappearances throughout the present, as well as its prevailing influence in the lives of the show’s characters.

Ghostly brushes with fragments of personal history are memorably evoked twice in the new season. First, in “Severance,” the half-season premiere, Don is enticed by two women he sees and thinks he knows: the spitting image of a past lover, Rachel Menken (Maggie Siff ) in front of his office mirror, and a waitress named Diana (Elizabeth Reaser). The latter is actually dead and the

former was an instance of mistaken recognition, both of which provide for suitably haunting, gloomy, existential mini-crises for our protagonist.

Weiner and episode director Scott Hornbacher’s ghostly masterstroke, however, comes in the first scene of Season 7, Episode 9. The episode opens with the classically, eerily (if you’re familiar with the show’s lineage) domestic image of Don preparing food in a kitchen with Betty (January Jones), now his ex-wife, and his children.

Excuse me, What’s your finals theme song?

“Ghostly brushes with fragments of personal history are memorably evoked.”

The immediacy and lack of context for the moment catches us off-guard, prompting us to wonder whether this is a flashback to happier days in this broken family unit or if this is a brief moment of timeless bliss amidst the wreckage. Betty’s current husband, Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley), enters the room midway through the scene and the latter option crystallizes as the former shatters. It’s a beautifully orchestrated reveal that makes privy the audience to the characters’ inability to filter the past from bleeding onto their current states of mind.

In the penultimate-of-airing, quite wry episode, “Time & Life,” Weiner takes pleasure wallowing in the chaos of the disenchanted. The final shot of the episode pulls back with melancholy until its characters are ants scurrying around in its petri dish of a frame—the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce employees, and the world at large, indifferent to the ostensible leaders lined at the background of the composition despite their heralding of supposedly good news.

This moment ensures that “Mad Men” is largely about the inevitable creep of irrelevance and ordinariness in one’s life and that Weiner and co. are unafraid to dabble in reservoirs of negativity and futile fatalism.

A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

“‘Since U Been Gone.’”

—Elyse Walczyk ’16

“‘Eye of the Tiger.’”

—Mathew Thomas ’18

“The Mario Kart theme song.”

—Nick Ginsburg ’18

submit to misc@vassar.edu

“‘Child’s Play’ by SZA.” —Colin Peros ’17

This piece was inspired by the art of the pre-Raphaelite era and my lifelong interest in the Arthurian legends. At this time of year, with all the flowers blooming on campus, I wanted to reenact (if only in art) the old practice of “maying,” when women went out to pick flowers and weave garlands to celebrate May Day. I tried to depict on Guinevere’s face the wonder that I feel when I go outside into the fragrant air, when only a month ago there was still snow on the ground. Our lives may be too busy to go maying, but we can still wonder at the beauty of the natural world coming back to life after a long winter.

-Rachel Cooper ‘18

“Mariah Carey’s ‘Touch My Body.’”

—Kenta Hasui ’15

“‘Barbie Girl.’”

—Ben Kurchin ’16

Marie Solis, Contributing Editor Chris Gonzalez, Humor & Satire Editor Sam Pianello, Photo Editor

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

Page 18

May 7, 2015

Tennis teams fall in semis after strong spring season Ashley Hoyle Reporter

T

courtesy of Vassar Athletics

he close of the 2014/15 season came somewhat unexpectedly this weekend to both Vassar’s men and women tennis teams. Both squads traveled to a neutral competition site in Ithaca, N.Y. to compete in the Liberty League Championship this past weekend. The structure of the tournament is new this year—only the top four teams from the Liberty League compete for the title, and it is hosted at a neutral location. Previously, all league teams were participants and matches were held in various locations until the finals were staged at a neutral site.

The men were coming into the tournament holding the number 19 ranking in the Northeast Regional Position. They secured their spot in the Liberty League tournament by winning a match against St. Lawrence at home on the Josselyn courts on Saturday, April 25. They had a fairly balanced record of 9-10 on the season overall, and a winning record in conference of 5-2. Going into the Liberty League Championship weekend, junior captain Christian Phelps of Eau Claire, Wis., was driven by memories of past title matches, “We won it in 2013, which was one of the highlights of my Vassar career. I know the team is hungry for another good result going into this weekend.”

He also described the momentum the men had coming out of regular season play, “The season has had a lot of ups and downs. We didn’t lose any players from last year’s young team, so it was right to work. We’ve moved a lot of things around throughout the season, to make sure we have had the best playing style, practice regimen, match mindset and lineup possible.

We’re definitely on a positive trajectory going into the conference tournament.”

Phelps went on to talk about the extent of the Brewers’ training that has not only been manifested on the court, but also in mental training. “We have focused a lot on mental toughness, making sure that everyone is ready

Sophomore Emily Hallewell seals the deal in her No.5 single match up with St. Lawrence’s Emily Wyman, winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. The Brewers beat St. Lawrence in the Liberty League semis. to compete their way through tough matches.

We’ve each had good conversations about our mental approach to matches, both as a group and individually with our coaches. That has definitely led to some good success this season,” he said.

Despite their positive mentality and hard work throughout the season, the men lost in the semi finals to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Sunday, May 3, 5-1, with junior Daniel Cooper picking up the Brewer’s lone win.

The women came into Liberty League play in the 21 seed in the Division III rankings. The women also secured their spot in the League Championships by beating St. Lawrence at home. Junior Winnie Yeates (full disclosure, Winnie Yeates is a reporter for The Miscellany News) remembers the win very fondly, “Last

weekend playing St. Lawrence at home outside for our senior day was another great moment in our season. I’m pretty close to the seniors they’ve been really great teammates and it was their last match on the court at Vassar, so it was great to watch. We played really well as a team and had an 8-1 decisive win over St. Lawrence. It was a beautiful day and a nice memory. We really came together as team and got the chance to honor our seniors.” She goes on to describe the women’s season, “This season was really good, it went really well. We moved up in the rankings quite a bit this year, we were somewhere around 30th at the beginning and now we’re 21 or 22. We’ve done really well overall and had a really successful spring break trip in CA. We beat La Verne while we were there, which was our big win of the year, since

they were a really strong team, ranked 17 or 13.

That victory helped us a lot as far as seeding goes. That was a good match. We’ve played really competitive teams all season.”

Going into the weekend’s event, Yeates was optimistic, “In the Liberty League Championships, we play two matches. In past we’ve won before, but in my three years here we’ve always made it to finals. We usually see Skidmore in the title match. They’re our big rival for tennis.

We played St. Lawrence last weekend and expect to see them on Saturday, we also expect to beat them. Hopefully we’ll then play Skidmore on Sunday in the finals. The team really wants to do well. We’ve been playing well and we’re really tough this year. Because of the rivalry we’re really driven to win that match, and it would also give is a big bump in the rankings which would take us to nationals. We haven’t been since the year before I was freshman, so hopefully this year we’ll make it again.”

One of her goals was met, on Saturday the women beat St. Lawrence again, this time in the Liberty League semi finals. The women won all three matches by at least three games.

And, as expected, the girls did see Skidmore on the court in the second day of play on Sunday.

Unfortunately, Skidmore beat out the Brewers.

This marks Skidmore’s fifth consecutive win of the Liberty League title, which qualifies them automatically for the NCAA tournament.

Yeates only had complimentary things to say about the women’s team, reflecting, “Definitely since I’ve been in the program, we’re the strongest team we’ve had. We have really strong freshmen recruits. We’re a pretty young team.

We’re losing two experienced senior starters who have been successful in doubles and singles. We have a freshman that plays one for us who has done incredibly well. Our team is really deep this year, we’re really tough. We’ve got a lot of talent and experience, which has really helped. We’ve definitely worked hard too, but we’re a group of the strongest players since I’ve been here.”

In-the-Pink: When at Vassar, live life as Roman would CZULA continued from page 1

ways been a great supporter of Athletics and PE at Vassar. He has always been willing to help anyone and everyone in the department and the Vassar community to the best of his ability.”

Outside of his contributions to Fitness and Athletics as well as other aspects of life at Vassar College, Czula has been a supportive and helpful mentor and friend to many fellow faculty members as well as students. Assistant Director of Athletics: Operations and varsity men’s lacrosse head coach, Marc Graham spoke of Czula’s receptiveness, “I have only been here for just over three years, and Roman has transitioned from sabbatical to part time. However, when I first arrived, Roman was always a supportive presence and wealth of knowledge when it came to questions about Vassar and Vassar Athletics. He is a man who genuinely cares about the lives of the members of the Vassar community as though they are his family.”

Gillman also spoke of Czula’s character, “Roman is a great guy and has always been ready to go the extra mile for anyone who needed help.”

The students also have positive things to say about Czula, Sophomore Stephen Jennings explained what he would miss most about him, “His presence. He is always smiling and makes people happier. Roman is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. I could talk to Roman about anything, and he will always put others before himself.” Junior Gavin Jennings, spoke of Roman’s cheerful demeanor and support, “Roman always brings a smile to everyone who comes in contact with him. He has a great sense of humor and an immense dedication to the college.

Roman is one of the best people I know. He has made me a better person and has always supported me and will continue to support me.”

Czula in his turn has only praise for the many students he’s worked with over the years, “As for what I w[ill] miss most, I would say that without a doubt it would be the brilliant, dedicated, talented, and sometimes pain in the butt, Vassar students.”

It is quite apparent that Czula will leave a lasting legacy on the Vassar community, especially the Athletics and Fitness department.

However, he will be remembered for far more

than just the fitness programs he has created.

He will be missed as a caring individual and as a vital and active member of the Vassar Community. Graham commented, “Roman’s efforts and initiatives in Life Fitness and Intramural activities has had a large impact that will live on long after he has left. These efforts have enriched the lives of the faculty, staff, and students that come over and take advantage of them. Last year he arranged to have free skin cancer screenings offered on campus, and then was very vocal in encouraging all of the coaches (who spend MANY hours exposed to the sun) to be sure to make an appointment. I know I am not alone in appreciating his concern and his efforts. I am confident that Life Fitness is something that will live on as a legacy for Roman, but his energy and enthusiasm for getting people involved will certainly be missed.” Campell reiterated these sentiments, “The growth and development of Vassar Athletics in his time here

has been phenomenal. He could probably give you figures of how many varsity teams were in place (and their state) when he came to Vassar compared to now which would be interesting information.”

Finally, Culligan spoke of what she will miss most about working with Czula, “I will personally miss his infectious love of fitness and keeping active. He is a legend here at Vassar and will be remembered as a pioneer in this department.

The Life Fitness Staff and those involved with Life Fitness will miss his smile and desire to offer as many programs as possible to keep Vassar healthy. While it is sad to see Roman retire, it is well deserved. I know he will continue to follow and be a part of the college and this program even though he may be retired as Vassar runs through and deep within him. We all wish him and his wife a very happy and healthy retirement and send a huge thank you to all he has done for all of us.”

courtesy of Vassar College

and sons. “In my later years, I have experienced the ultimate joy of coaching sons of my athletes. Being a ‘grand-father’ coach is a very special way to end a career.”

His program In-the-Pink emphasizes health and fitness in our daily lives, something that is easy to overlook for college students. Czula believes that fitness and exercise are vital to relieving stress and for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In-the-Pink provides various opportunities to try different types of fitness and to just have the opportunity to have a good time.

Because of his efforts, the program offers yoga, karate, aikido, kick boxing, scuba diving and more. His passion for the Vassar community is apparent. Varsity women’s tennis head coach, Kathy Campbell said of his dedication to the school and the Fitness Department, “His effort to reach out to the entire Vassar community and to involve them in any kind fitness endeavor is admirable. Providing so many on-campus opportunities for developing a healthy lifestyle is one that will have a lasting effect on participants. He is loyal and passionate about his work at Vassar whether it be teaching, coaching, department administration or fitness programming development. He is a ‘forward thinker’ and willing to take risks. Those traits have served the Department well and had a positive impact on the entire Vassar community.”

Interim Director of Athletics and Physical Education Kim Culligan echoed these sentiments as well. “Roman has always been a vital member of the Vassar community as well as the department. He has served in so many different and unique roles and the department has developed into what we are now due to his contributions and undying support of Vassar College, and he will be remembered for all the time and effort he contributed. His legacy is this department. He is the longest standing person in this department and has been here to see the evolution of the program and has a place in Vassar’s history for all time. I think people will remember him for his kindness and his empathy.” Assistant Director of Athletics: Facilities Bruce Gillman also remarked, “Roman has al-

Roman Czula enjoys the Spring weather on his bike. The Vassar community will be waving goodbye to Czula at the end of this semester. He has been an integral part of Vassar life for more than 30 years.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

May 7, 2015

SPORTS

Analytics key to modern NBA success Sam Hammer Columnist

S

everal weeks ago, basketball legend Charles Barkley decided to make it his mission to attack the growing emphasis on sports analytics in the modern NBA. At one point during his rant on live television, Barkley called out the personal qualities of the individuals who work with sports statistics saying: “Analytics don’t work at all. It’s just some crap that people who were really smart made up to try to get in the game because they had no talent. Because they had no talent to be able to play, so smart guys wanted to fit in, so they made up a term called analytics. Analytics don’t work” (Sports Illustrated, “TNT’s Charles Barkley rants about basketball analytics, jabs Rockets GM,” 02.11.15).

While sports analytics sounds like a fancy term, it is really just the work done by modern sports statisticians when they analyze game data beyond the box score. For decades, coaches, fans, players, and the media have looked at the data from box scores when evaluating players and teams.

In the case of basketball, a good player might average over 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while shooting above 80 percent from the free throw line, 38 percent from three-point territory, and 44 percent overall. When determining which players he should try to acquire, a team’s general manager might look at that stat line and decide that this is a player he should try to add to his team.

The problem with this simple analysis, is that it fails to account for other variables that might affect these numbers. While there are many different types of advanced statistical measures, perhaps the most widely recognized is player efficiency rating or PER. The process of calculating PER is quite complicated, and I will not attempt to explain it since I do not even understand it myself.

It suffices to say that PER is a measure of per-minute production for NBA players which is standardized so that league average is always

15. The actual numbers involved are somewhat arbitrary, but the resulting data can be used to describe how efficient a player is.

There are players who put up good box score numbers, yet are below the league average for PER. Various factors might account for this scenario including the percentage of offensive possessions that end with that player taking a shot, or the amount of points that player allows his opponent to score.

A perfect example of why sports analytics are useful is Dion Waiters of the Oklahoma City Thunder. By taking a quick glance at Waiters’s stats this season, you might decide that he is quite a talented player since he averaged about 12 points, two assists and two and half rebounds per game. Yet Waiters’s PER is only 10.93, which is over four points below the league average.

So while Waiters may put up decent box score numbers, he is an inefficient part of the Thunder. On the other hand, a player such as Shabazz Muhammad on the Minnesota Timberwolves averaged 13.5 points, about one assist and four rebounds per game this past season. While his numbers are similar to those of Dion Waiters, Muhammad has a PER of 19.99, which is about five points above the league average. So a team that is looking to maximize its efficiency, would rather have Shabazz Muhammad, than the relatively inefficient Dion Waiters.

When Charles Barkley criticized the use of advanced stats in basketball he is being ridiculous. All NBA teams utilize analytics in some way, and the most successful teams tend to be the ones with the best analytics departments as well. During his on-air rant, Barkley tried to suggest that some of the best teams in the NBA do not rely on analytics when analyzing player talent: “What analytics did the Miami Heat have? What analytics did the Chicago Bulls have? What analytics do the Spurs have? They have the best players, coaching staffs who make players better.

Like I say, the Rockets sucked for a long time.

So, they went out and paid James Harden a lot

of money. Then they went out and got Dwight Howard, they got better. They had Chandler Parsons, this year they got Ariza. The NBA is about talent” (Sports Illustrated, “TNT’s Charles Barkley rants about basketball analytics, jabs Rockets GM,” 02.11.15).

Yes Mr. Barkley, the NBA is all about talent, yet the franchises who are best at evaluating talent are also the ones with the strongest analytics departments. The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls all use advanced stats to make personnel related decisions.

Almost all of the Spurs’ starting lineup have PERs above the league average; 16.5 for Danny Green, 22.6 for Tim Duncan, 22.0 for Kawhi Leonard, and 16.2 for Manu Ginobili. Consistently successful teams such as the Spurs rely on various advanced statistical measures when determining which players to acquire. The Spurs obtain many of the players from overseas leagues where there is less information available. Yet despite what Charles Barkley says, the Spurs are so good at finding these players because they are expert at evaluating them.

Perhaps the most ridiculous point in Barkley’s criticism is when he suggests that analytics did not factor in to Houston’s decision to acquire James Harden and Dwight Howard. The Rocket’s general manager Daryl Morey is famous for his use of analytics. Data over the last decade has suggested that the most efficient NBA teams utilize a pace-and-space style offense that relies on three-point shooting, and playing inside to players can get fouled and take free-throws.

James Harden is the model of player efficiency with an incredible PER of 26.76. Teams value Harden because he is a great shooter, and he gets sent to the foul line at an absurd rate.

Harden is highly efficient according to advanced stats, and that is why Houston was able to acquire him from Oklahoma City back in 2012 since the Thunder undervalued Harden’s value.

Charles Barkley is simply wrong, all teams now rely on analytics, and they will continue to do so into the future.

Exercise linked to development of mind Elaina Peterkin Guest Columnist

T

here is admittedly a certain mental agility required for successful strategizing during games by athletes. In game situations, the athlete as an individual must apply prior knowledge of technique needed and memory of similar past experiences to make the most effective decision to better their team’s overall achievement in a game. But, how does this translate to an athlete’s overall mental capability?

It has already been found that there is a clear distinction between level of athletic performance and corresponding mental ability for learning dynamic scene tasks. Meaning athletes, especially those of a higher level of sporting ability, can more quickly assess and respond to dynamic visual situations, even without context. This, however, still says little about an athlete’s ability in real-world situations.

First, perhaps it’ll be easier with a clear definition of cognitive ability. In this column, the use of the term cognitive ability refers to the brain-based skills needed to complete any task, whether it be simple or highly complex, they are essentially the mechanisms for learning, memory and problem-solving. With this definition it becomes particularly clear that to be involved in any sport with some degree of success will require a good amount of cognitive ability.

“Athletes...can more quickly assess and respond to dynamic visual situations” It is well known that physical activity can, over a lifetime, improve cognitive functioning.

In a study from researchers at the University of Montana, participation in aerobic activities during the years of young adulthood aided in the preservation of memory and thinking in

middle age. 2,747 people in good health at an average age of twenty-five took part in a treadmill test and another one twenty years later, along with cognitive tests to measure verbal memory, psychomotor speed and executive function. Overall, it was found that better cognitive function was directly linked to better fitness twenty years later.

In a separate study done at the University of Eastern Finland, the researchers found that physical activity in midlife could protect from dementia in old age. The researchers found that staying physically active, or even becoming physically active, can greatly lessen the risk of dementia later in life, especially for those who were overweight in their midlife. This is caused by physical activities’ ability to stimulate new neuron growth through neurogenesis. Previously it was thought that the human brain was unable to produce new brain cells, however, in the late 1990s neural stem cells that can be regenerated into brain neurons were discovered. The process for neurogenesis is controlled by a gene code that causes the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf), a protein that plays a key role in making new neurons. The gene that activates bdnf is turned on many ways–one of which is physical activity. This is all excellent evidence of the effects of physical activity on cognitive ability, but this has been a precursor to athletes and cognitive ability.

Laura Chaddock and a team of several psychologists at the University of Illinois brought in 18 college athletes and 18 non-athletes into their lab. All of the student volunteers wore virtual reality glasses and in a simulated environment had to cross the street while listening to music or talking on the phone. To be deemed successful the participant had to cross the street without being hit. As expected the student athletes were more successful in crossing the street than the non-athletes.

This wasn’t due to speeding across the street or anything like that, the athletes just seemed to be more skilled in multitasking. With the lack of any physical differences in crossing the street, the athletes just appeared to be thinking

faster. This implies the importance of athletes’ abilities off of the playing field. For example, soccer players with better memory and attention spans score more goals and elite basketball players are better at reading plays and guessing their opponents decisions, which translates into better interactions with their surrounding enviornment than non-athletes. This ability is not limited to athletes in sports that require a lot of physical muscle and fitness, a recent study found karate experts have more white matter in their brains than novices, meaning they possibly have better motor control. And professional divers had larger orbitofrontal cortexes than novices, and longer careers corresponded to how large this cortex was.

“Even becoming physically active can greatly lessen the risk of dementia later in life.”

Further, higher level athletes scored higher on certain cognitive function tests than university students in a study from the University of Montreal. As stated before, athletes are better at comprehending complex, dynamic visual scenes. Participants watched a simulation of several objects moving in a 3D space and had to describe what they had seen. The movements were generated randomly to ensure they would bare no resemblance to a real sport. Though all participants improved over the course of the tests, the athletes were ultimately significantly better at tracking fast object movements. This excellent visual processing of athletes may be due to thicker cortexes in some areas in comparison to the average person. It must also be noted that the cognitive skills used in these tests are essential for everyday activities, like crossing the street and driving.

Overall, the enhanced cognitive abilities of athletes cannot be denied, especially in relation to real-world activities.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 19

Spurs’ fall means NBA reshuffle Rob Carpenter

Guest Columnist

H

obbling down the court with a pulled hamstring, guarded by one of the league’s stingiest defenses, Chris Paul, star point guard of the Los Angeles Clippers, made a play that Hollywood will never forget. In a super competitive first round playoff matchup between the Clippers and the defending champions, the San Antonio Spurs, Paul carved his name into the likes of basketball game seven legends.

With the game tied at 109, the series tied 3-3 and with only a few seconds left on the clock, Paul charged down the right side of the key, quickly shedding his defender Danny Green before banking a shot against the backboard over the arms of legendary center, Tim Duncan. The masterpiece of a shot put the Clips up 111-109 with a second left on the clock, securing Paul and his Los Angeles squad a trip to the second round.

Symbolically, the shot can be interpreted as a changing of the guard in the NBA. On Saturday night, the Clippers eliminated the era’s most dominant team. Under the leadership of Duncan and coach Greg Popovich, the Spurs have won five NBA Championships since 1999 and were in contention to add another ring to their blinged-out hands before the surging Clips sent the Spurs home in the first round. It was the first time the Spurs have been eliminated before Conference Championship round since 2011 when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks.

While the Clippers’ first round triumph may signal the beginning of their period of prominence, it may also be recalled as the end of the Spurs as we currently know them.

The future of San Antonio’s big three composed of Duncan, point guard Tony Parker and shooting guard Manu Ginobili is not clear especially as Duncan and Ginobili are 39 and 37 years old respectively and stand at the edge of retirement. Additionally threatening the Spurs’ future prospects is the fact that the three time NBA Coach of the Year, Greg Popovich claims that he will retire whenever Duncan chooses to.

Duncan and Ginobili both become free agents after this season requiring the Spurs to sign them to new contracts unless they want to see the two aging players in another team’s uniform. That is of course if the two do not decide to retire this offseason. With the fate of the Spurs destined to drastically change whenever Duncan chooses to retire, the role of NBA top dog will soon be up for grabs, leaving teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Paul’s Clippers primed to capture league dominance.

After the controversy surrounding the Clippers during last year’s playoff surrounding racist comments made by former team owner Donald Sterling, it is refreshing to see the Clips succeed. Under the leadership of new owner Steve Ballmer, who bought the Clippers for an estimated two billion dollars in 2014, the Clippers have not missed a beat and appear to be playoff juggernaut with excellent play coming from Paul, center Deandre Jordan and Mayor of Lob City, Blake Griffin.

When asked about retirement by ESPN, Ginobili seemed unsure stating, “I don’t know. It could happen easily. I still don’t know what I want to do and I don’t want to make decisions right after the disappointment [of] a game like this.” Despite uncertainty about returning, what is sure about the Spurs’ elder statesmen is that they can still play. During the seven game playoff series, Ginobili averaged 7.4 points and 4.6 assists a game and Duncan averaged an impressive double double with 17.9 points and 11.1 rebounds.

As Chris Paul and the Clippers take on the Houston Rockets in the second round of the playoffs and Duncan’s NBA future remains unsure, let’s remember Saturday’s game as a time when two of the NBA’s best shared the floor and reminded us how everything must come and go.

If that Clippers-Spurs showdown turns out to be Duncan’s game 7, I believe that as Duncan’s chapter in the NBA concludes, Paul’s chapter of dominance is just about to begin.

SPORTS

Page 20

May 7, 2015

Athletes of the year: Terenzi, Thomas win student vote Amreen Bhasin Reporter

T

Sam Pianello/The Miscellany News

he Miscellany News is proud to announce its selections for this year’s Athlete of the Year Award: junior women’s rugby player Cierra Thomas and senior men’s track and cross country runner Andrew Terenzi.

Thomas had another wildly successful season with the Brewers this year. After starting in all 14 fall games of her sophomore season and scoring 10 tries for the Brewers, Thomas continued to show dominance over opponents this year. She started in all 12 games this fall and despite playing two less games than the year before, she led the Brewers in scoring with 15 tries in her fall season. Capping off the successful fall, Thomas was awarded All-Tri-State Conference honors for her play. Thomas has continued this success in her spring season play, having scored 11 tries in 11 games.

Thomas’ success with rugby is even more impressive considering that she never played before coming to Vassar. “My friend and I were recruited by the women’s rugby captains when we were freshmen. They were really persistent about us playing so we just kept going to practices. For a while we had no idea what was going on but eventually we figured it out with the help of our coach Tony Brown. Initially, I played rugby simply for the exercise and because it was a new sport, but now I play because it’s genuinely fun and I love my teammates. The women’s team is so athletic, dedicated and inspiring. You can definitely learn a lot about yourself playing rugby.”

Thomas is full of positivity about her past three years with the team. “Being part of the women’s rugby team has truly been a fun and dynamic experience. I never thought I would’ve joined but I’m so glad I did. Being on the team can be intense especially for the rookies, but once you get used to it, it’s a lot of fun…Rugby is a means of expressing my aggression and athleticism. Playing on the women’s team has made me value the sport more than

ever because of all the memories we’ve made together. I definitely feel like I’ve made some life-long friends on the team.”

Senior captain Meg Slattery has had a chance to watch Thomas develop as a player the last three years and has been impressed with the improvement in Thomas’ game over the past year. “Cierra has always had a lot of raw talent; she’s extremely fast, and she figured out how to hit people pretty much right away...Cierra is incredibly exciting to watch. She’ll get the ball, bash through two girls, stiff arm a third, sprint 20 yards, stiff arm someone else and either score or eventually be brought down with people basically hanging off her while the rest of us try to catch up...Over the years she has become more confident in herself, and it has been inspiring to watch her develop as a player and a person. We are so, so lucky to have had her on the team.”

Looking at this year’s male selection, Terenzi is the cross country captain of this year’s men’s squad and a middle-distance track runner that has had an outstanding year for the Brewers. In cross country, Terenzi was one of the Brewers’ most consistent contributors. He was first for Vassar in five races and second in two. At this year’s Saratoga Invitational he finished first for the Brewers. He was also the Brewers’ top finisher at the Regional Championship. This year Terenzi reclaimed the Liberty League 800m individual title that he had previously won in 2013 and had finished as the runner-up twice.

He set a new personal best clocking a 1:55.46.

Terenzi also competed for the Brewers in the 2015 Penn Relays, running the 4x400m relay in the historic meet. He was also named Liberty League Track Athlete of the Week once this year for his success.

But more than just racking up wins during his time at Vassar, Terenzi has been engaged with the overall campus community and has aimed to help break down campus stereotypes to create a more inclusive community. “I’m gay and mixed, so sometimes when I meet people,

Junior Cierra Thomas and senior Andrew Terenzi are this year’s Athletes of the Year. Thomas has been a ferocious tackler on rugby, while Terenzi has been consistent for track and cross country. they brush over the fact that I’m an athlete because I’m not what they picture as an athlete on this campus. It’s weird. I feel like people assume that I’m slow, or that I don’t take it seriously...The percentage of queer people on sports teams at Vassar definitely seems smaller than the population as a whole. Last year there was an event where there was a panel of queer athletes talking about their experiences, and some discussion after–I think it’s important that that kind of dialogue continues.”

Senior cross country and track teammate, Brian Deer, has spent a lot of time with Terenzi in his athletic career and has seen Terenzi grow within the sport and as a presence on the team.

“He’s been a great runner ever since I’ve known him, very competitive and driven. Its been really cool being his teammate for the past four

years of track and three of cross country because I’ve seen him really take on the challenges of being a competitive runner all year round and come out very successful...Beyond just being a super competitive runner, he has become a strong leader, especially this past year.”

Looking back on his career, Terenzi had this to say about the reasoning behind his success as well as some advice for other runners. “Being a great runner takes perseverance, discipline, and mental toughness. Seriously though– running is absolutely terrible sometimes. Bad weather, hard workouts, being sick, being stressed, being sore, being run down...there’s a lot that can make a run absolutely awful, but you have to push through. Results aren’t going to come right away, but eventually the personal bests do come!”

Track shines bright at Vassar’s annual Twilight Meet Marie Solis and Chris Gonzalez

Contributing Editor and Humor & Satire Editor

bringing the final score to 9-8. The team completed the season with a record of 11-17.

Baseball

The team went up against City College of New York (CCNY) in a doubleheader on Sunday, May 3, ending their 2015 campaign. In the top of the third of the first game, CCNY took the lead, but senior Jason Garfinkel helped the Brewers even the scores in the bottom of the inning by hitting a line drive. Vassar overtook CCNY in the top of the next half, but fell back in line with CCNY when the visiting team scored its second run at the top of the fifth.

Shortly after, during the bottom half, Vassar made another two runs, sealing their victory 4-2. The Brewers took lead in the second game after a three-run streak in the bottom of the fourth. Vassar was reigning over the match at 6-2, but CCNY scored six runs in the sixth inning, tipping the game in their favor at 8-6. But after a close match, Vassar won with a walk-off,

Men and Women’s Track

On Friday, May 1, Vassar’s track teams competed in the Matthew Vassar Twilight Track Meet against Mount Saint Mary College, Marist College, Bard College, Stevens Institute, the Sage Colleges and Green Mountain. Senior Heather Ingraham and senior pole-vaulter Maria Rose were shining stars during the Twilight meet. Coming in first for the 400m dash, Ingraham’s time of 54.43 marked a personal and national Division III record for the season.

Breaking personal and school records, Rose achieved a distance of 2.75 meters, earning second place. The women’s team continued filling second place spots in the 4x100m, 200m dash and 100m dash, the latter of which saw a new personal best of 13.18 for sophomore Mollie Schear. The team smashed the leaderboard of

the 800m run by landing the first five places.

Senior Harper Cleves’ third place victory in the 1500m run earned her a new personal best of 4.56.6, and senior Cassidy Carpenter finished in a close second with a new personal time of 17:52.94 in the 5000m run.

Members of the men’s team saw a string of personal bests as well. Vassar finished the men’s 4x100m relay with a time of 43.14. Junior Kyle Dannenberg came in third during the 3000m steeplechase, boasting a personal best time of 11.16.14 seconds. Freshman Shigeru Kaneki came in second to Bard with a personal best of 1.02.16. The team continued earning top places in the 200m dash, 400m dash and 800m dash. Freshman Jared Freedman snagged first place in the 1500m run, finishing with a new best of 4.06.20. Vassar ended the day with third and fourth place slots in both the 5000m run and 4x400m relay. The teams are headed to Oneonta, N.Y. on Saturday, May 9, for the Oneonta Last Chance Meet.

Women’s Rugby

courtesy of Vassar Athletics

Senior Heather Ingraham was part of the 4x100m that took second in the Twilight Meet over the weekend. Ingraham set a new national Division III record in the 400m dash, posting an impressive 54.43.

At the end of their season, the Brewers attended the American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA) 7s Championship this past weekend. Saturday proved to be a disappointment for the team, but on Sunday the team played in the consolation bracket. Vassar played against Stony Brook University first. Due to a strong offense, Vassar was able to obtain control early and maintain it for the duration of the game, winning 24-0. Next the team played St. Anselm’s College, and the game started off rough.

But in the latter half of the game, sophomore Mary-Margaret McElduff sealed a win for the team 19-7.

Women’s Golf

This past weekend, junior captains Aimee Dubois and Angela Mentel finished out their seasons at the Liberty Leagues. Both Brewers received All-Liberty League Second Team honors, with Dubois finishing in sixth, just four shots short of her fifth-place competitor. Overall, Dubois posted an 83.0 and tied in Vassar’s low round with a 78. She had a stroke of good

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

fortune this season, representing the Brewers at all 17 competitive rounds of golf. Mentel also made it to these 17 rounds, clinching two finishes in the top 10 and four in the top 20.

Women’s Lacrosse

The Brewers lost in the semi-finals of the Liberty League Championship to Skidmore College on Friday, May 1. It was a defensive battle in the beginning, with the first goal coming from junior Isabelle Goldstein, but Skidmore answered back, which opened up a 4 goal streak from the Thoroughbreds, who went into the second half up 4-1. The teams would exchange goals for the next 20 minutes, with Skidmore coming up on top 10-5. In the last 10 minutes the Brewers rallied to score 3 goals, but Skidmore was able to keep their lead and ended the Brewers season.

Men’s Lacrosse

Head coach Marc Graham just saw the most All-Liberty League selections than he ever has in his four seasons with the Brewers. Senior Scott Brekne, junior Noah Parson and sophomore Liam Moriarty earned these titles, bringing Vassar’s all-time total to 16 since 2006.

Moriarty was the second Brewer ever to garner this selection in consecutive seasons. During his time on the team, Brekne brought the Brewers fame on the field, surpassing both 300 career faceoff wins, 300 career groundballs and 100 career points—the only player in Vassar history to accomplish this feat.

Men and Women’s Rowing

Both rowing teams competed at the Harry Emerson “Dad” Vall Regatta this past weekend—not so gently down the stream for a few stand-out Brewers. The men’s varsity 4+ boat finished sixth in their heat, but splashed ahead of competitors including Carnegie Mellon, William and Mary and Penn State. They were outshined by the women’s varsity 4+ vessel, which posted its best time of the season and placed fourth. Later in the final race for the women’s novice 8+, the Brewers finished with a time of 7:50:66, breaking the eight-minute barrier.