Misc 2.21.19

The Miscellany News

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Volume CLI | Issue 16

February 21, 2019

Inter-institutional dialogue fosters student leadership Jessica Moss News Editor

onversation catalyzes crosscultural and experiential connection, which are critical skills for leaders to develop in an increasingly diversified world.

On Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 5-7 p.m. in the Aula, SUNY New Paltz and Vassar collaboratively hosted “Building Community Connections—One Story at a Time,” a dinner which aimed to connect student leaders across institutions through dialogue and storytelling to refine these pertinent leadership skills.

Yijia Hu/The Miscellany News

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SUNY New Paltz organizers included Chief Diversity Officer/ Title IX Coordinator Tanhena Pacheco Dunn (co-author of the Stepping Into Diversity Grant that funds the program), Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Eaton, Program Coordinator of Stepping into Diversity Diana Suarez and Complex Director of Residential Life Kyleen Martin. According to Suarez, the organizers contacted Vassar because they already had connections established with the college, and, “[they] wanted to develop a See COMMUNITY on page 5

Vassar and SUNY New Paltz collaborated to host the community dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 13 in the Aula. SUNY New Paltz and Vassar students, including Antonella DeCicci ‘20 (above), bonded at the event.

‘Portrait’ showcases ‘beginnings’ Uber, Lyft devastate local taxi companies Duncan Aronson

Assistant Features Editor

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hen mired in the present, it may be easy to become myopic. It may be easy to not see how the foundations laid by prior generations contributed to today, and in turn how the projects we start today contribute to the future. The importance of beginnings has been brought to the forefront by the Asian Student Committee’s (ASC) maga-

zine, “Portrait.” The magazine, which debuted on Feb. 7 at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, focuses on the theme of origins.

Like a campfire on a cold night, the magazine and its theme drew Asian and Asian-American students together to share stories.

But what exactly is the Asian Student Committee? If it sounds unfamiliar, it is because ASC is a sub-group nested within the Asian Students’ Alliance (ASA). “ASC has

been around for a long time—it’s the magazine that is new,” former ASA president Nicole Kormendi ’20 explained over the phone. Komendi continued, “ASC is an opportunity for general body members to be involved in planning their own events. For example, there used to be an ‘Asian Quilt’ literary magazine that almost digitized but didn’t.”

Current ASC chair and Editor-in-Chief of “Portrait” Alex Kim See MAGAZINE on page 11

Producer takes walk into wild

hen Uber and Lyft launched statewide, New York City was the only area in which they operated. After the companies expanded upstate in June of 2017, Poughkeepsie residents readily took advantage of the apps’ convenience and affordability. Ever since

Columnist

[Full Disclosure: Subjects of this article include Senior Editor of The Miscellany News Mack Liederman, Sports Editor Myles Olmsted and Columnist Emmett O’Malley.]

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Yijia Hu/The Miscellany News

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Dean Kopitsky

Yijia Hu

Inside this issue

Guest Reporter

then, taxi companies in Poughkeepsie and elsewhere have struggled to keep up with the competition.

B & B Taxi owner Robert Brower, who had to downsize his business because of these developments, stressed: “I’d say [I’ve seen a] 50 to 75 percent drop [in customers], maybe even more. I used to have See UBER on page 4

Fiery 3-on-3 basketball tourney unfolds in AFC

Photo Staff

he photo exhibition “Endangered Life in Distant Terrains,” on display in the Old Bookstore through March 17, attempts to draw attention to the beauty and magnificence of wildlife in China, hoping to help the audience understand the difficulty of practicing photography in some of the world’s least inhabited and most inaccessible terrains.

The series features the works of world-renowned wildlife photographer and Chinese environmental activist, Xi Zhinong (奚志农) and is a project under the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment (LIASE). LIASE co-sponsored an opening reception on Thursday, Feb. 14, with the departments of Earth Science and Geography, Biology, Political Science, Environmental Studies, Asian Studies and Science, Technology and Society (STS).

See EXHIBIT on page 7

Tiana Headley

The photo exhibit “Endangered Life in Distant Terrains” opened in the Old Bookstore on Thursday, Feb. 14. with a reception, including a Skype session with featured photographer Xi Zhinong.

Baking bonds sophomore and family, inspires FEATURES zuchinni bread recipe

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Questioning cuteness: Is saying “That’s OPINIONS adorable!” actually deplorable?

tanding just behind the threepoint line, junior Mack Liederman readied himself to shoot.

Somehow in the swarm of five other bodies, the ball found Liederman in the corner, standing more open than Acrop. He collected the pass, loaded and launched for the game winner.

Two hours earlier, six teams warmed up in the AFC, but four wouldn’t make it past 5 p.m. Brown paper bags from Express lay scattered on the gymnasium floor, bounce passes ran errant and wayward jump shots built brick houses. In just a few short hours, one of these teams would be crowned champion of the fourth Vassar Intramural 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

From Harlem’s famous Rucker Park to Vassar’s AFC, pick-up is the lifeblood of basketball. With three

16 HUMOR

players operating in the tight geometry of half-court sets, there is little need or room for specialization. In these make-it-take-it streets, each possession could be your last with the ball. Hustle and rebounding are placed at a premium. If you get outworked, you’ll soon find yourself out of the competition.

The tournament ran by classic pick-up rules: make-it-take-it after baskets, 1’s and 2’s and call your own fouls. The six teams—Subtle Asian Traits (SATs), Stay Humble, All Hail Zion (named after the future chosen son of the NBA), FanTAstic, BIGBALLERZ and Woha—would need to survive a double-elimination gauntlet. One loss would send them to the loser’s bracket, where if they staved off another defeat, they could work their way all the way back to the championship game.

There were no refs in this tournament, and it showed. Two failed alley-oops by Subtle Asians Traits turned into leisurely strolls that went uncalled. Shoes crossed the two-point line more readily than attempts were made. One egregious late-round travel, a dribble-gathSee 3-ON-3 on page 19

Student who is definitely not a JYA fraud enjoys stupendous time abroad

The Miscellany News

Page 2

February 21, 2019

Editor-in-Chief Leah Cates

Senior Editors

Sasha Gopalakrishnan Mack Liederman

Contributing Editors

Talya Phelps Noah Purdy Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson Laila Volpe News Features Opinions Humor and Satire Arts

Jessica Moss Frankie Knuckles Steven Park Hannah Gaven Holly Shulman Abby Tarwater Sports Myles Olmsted Design Rose Parker Copy Teddy Chmyz

Assistant Features Assistant Design Assistant Social Media Assistant Online

Sumiko Neary ’20 celebrated her 21st birthday at the renowned Taj Mahal. India is the first stop in a study abroad program that will span four countries and four continents. Currently based in Delhi, Neary’s program is centered around a comparative study of global public health. According to Neary, in addition to visiting important landmarks, “Our school day often includes field trips to super cool public health organizations or meetings with people who have done very cool things, so I’m rarely bored.” Read more about the adventures of Neary and other JYA-ers at farandaway.miscellanynews.org.

The Miscellany News 21

February

Thursday

Weekender_ 22

February

Friday

Late Night at the Lehman Loeb

Tennis (W) vs. Seven Sisters Championships

5:00 p.m. | The Loeb Atrium | The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

9:00 a.m. | Walker Field House | Athletics

5:30 p.m. | TH 203 -Auditorium | History Dept.

The art of translation: An experiential workshop for activists, writers, yogis, and hopeful travelers

Volleyball (M) vs. Sage

12:00 p.m. | NE 206- Lecture Room | Africana Studies Dept.

Marta Hanson Lecture

6:00 p.m. | KH Gym | Athletics

Budgeting for Life After Vassar with Alex Burke ‘07 6:30 p.m. | RH 200-Auditorium| CDO

8:00 p.m. | KH Gym | Athletics

StuMu Goes to the Moon Ft. Spud Cannon, BEL, and Odds and Ends 9:00 p.m. | The Mug | Student Muscian’s Union

February

Saturday

Students of Sobriety Group 9:30 a.m. | RH 211 | AA Pougkeepsie

Tennis (W) vs. Seven Sisters Championships 9:00 a.m. | Walker Field House | Athletics

24-hour Harry Potter Reada-Thon 5:00 p.m. | ACDC | Quidditch

From the Big Apple to La La Land: Renting in Cities `12:00 p.m. | RH 200-Auditorium | CDO

A Dialogue with Sherrilyn Ifill ‘84 4:00 p.m. | Vogelstein CenterMartel Theater | Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development

Brew’s Clues 8:00 p.m. | SC-Auditorium | Barefoot Monkeys

Basketball (W) Liberty League Championships

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February

Sunday

Tennis (W) vs. Seven Sisters Championships 9:00 a.m. | Walker Field House | Athletics

3:00 p.m. | SH Martel Recital Hall | Music Dept.

Paper Critique 9:00 p.m. | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News

5:30 p.m. | AFC 102-Fit Center Gymnasium | Athletics

Guest Concert: ACRONYM 8:00 p.m. | SH Martel Recital Hall | Music Dept.

Brew’s Clues 8:00 p.m. | SC-Auditorium | Barefoot Monkeys

Reporters Ariana Gravinese Aena Khan Columnists Catherine Bither Jimmy Christon Christian Flemm Jesser Horowitz Dean Kopitsky Izzy Migani Emmett O’Malley Sylvan Perlmutter Taylor Stewart Blair Webber Copy Anna Blake Natalie Bober Samantha Cavagnolo Madeline Seibel Dean Amanda Herring Phoebe Jacoby Anastasia Koutavas Lucy Leonard Caitlin Patterson Gillian Redstone Mina Turunc Photo Yijia Hu Cartoonist Frank

Vassar College & Community Wind Ensemble

Courtesy of BFM

Volleyball (M) vs. Augustana

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Duncan Aronson Lilly Tipton Patrick Tanella Chris Allen

Bear witness to the Barefoot Monkeys’ search for clues in their spring indoor show, “Brew’s Clues,” this weekend.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

CORRECTIONS An arts article from Thursday, Feb. 14, misspelled the name of the hip-hop orchestra ensemble Mik Nawooj as Mic Nawooj in the article headline, which read “Ensemble Mic Nawooj defies genre, promotes unity.” In fact, the headline should have read “Ensemble Mik Nawooj defies genre, promotes unity.”

CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed.

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

February 21, 2019

NEWS

Page 3

Vassar exhibits roots of contemporary anti-Semitism Frankie Knuckles and Jessica Moss Features Editor and News Editor

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hibit depicted how anti-Semitic thought has transformed—not disappeared “Talking about contemporary anti-Semitism is a way to get people out of a mid-20th-century view of anti-Semitism; to understand that it’s still relevant...because all forms of oppression and prejudice transform with the times,” said Perlmutter. While the manifestations have changed, anti-Semitism’s presence remains, and not just superficially. Perlmutter commented, “It’s not just a joke about a nose here, a joke about banks [t]here, but something that is actually embedded in our culture.”

Perlmutter acknowledged the importance

of healing and reconciliation in overcoming acts of prejudice within a community, but emphasized that healing is only possible once individuals have confronted the prejudice and questioned their own role in enabling it. “In places like Vassar, people just skip to the healing and reconciliation element far too quickly … Individuals might not want to interrogate themselves on how they are complicit in certain systems of oppression, or how they are ignorant about certain issues.”

Perlmutter concluded, “It’s important to get to a place where you can heal, but you need to do work first.”

Courtesy of Anna Rothenberg

here’s never been a Jewish community that I’ve been a part of that hasn’t been vandalized with swastikas at some point … This is what happens to Jews in America,” Vassar Chabad Jewish Community (CJC) Board President Sylvan Perlmutter ’20 [full disclosure: Perlmutter is a columnist for the Miscellany News] shared in response to the question of why the organization planned an exhibition on contemporary anti-Semitism— broadly, prejudice directed toward Jews in recent times.

From Feb. 2 to 11, the CJC explored anti-Semitism across the political spectrum via an exhibition in the Old Bookstore. The exhibit offered students an opportunity to educate themselves about hate speech and marginalized communities through pictures.

According to an emailed statement from CJC Vice President Yoni Auerbach ’20, “[The exhibit’s purpose] was to spark a much-needed conversation on our campus about the wide range of anti-Semitic tropes and recent incidents,” alluding to when a Dutchess County resident posted incendiary anti-Semitic posters on campus just last year, and other recent occurrences (“Dutchess local who posted anti-Semitic flyers at colleges banned,” The Poughkeepsie Journal, 09.10.2018).

The images displayed anti-Semitic comments and acts in the United States, the Middle East and Europe through tweets, articles and photographs. A highly visible space, The Old Bookstore provided exposure for the topic. Such a conspicuous display proved a key goal of CJC’s project in curating this exhibit. Perlmutter spoke to this point: “Ap-

pealing to people visually is important … [H] aving these images there, making everything accessible, vivid and in a place where people pass through [is] a way to integrate education pretty seamlessly into people’s routines.” Auerbach added that, with such visibility, “We can make [Vassar] a more welcoming environment for Jewish students who feel their difficulties are not addressed.”

Along with the space’s visual appeal, holding the exhibit in the Old Bookstore placed it among past notable political displays. CJC Board Member Alice Marbach ’21 commented via email, “We thought the Old Bookstore was a really important place, because we’d seen exhibits on political topics in the past there.” By existing in this location, the exhibit aligned anti-Semitism’s severitywith that of other forms of pernicious oppression.

CJC focused not only on the placement of the exhibit but also its content. Marbach highlighted the importance of depicting the discrimination that Jews face, which may be misunderstood by non-Jews. In reference to the stereotype of Jews as benefactors of white hegemony, Marbach stated: “Ironically, I think the conception of Jews as privileged can be a discrimination in itself—think about Soros being seen as ‘running the world’ with his money. It also seriously erases the experience of Jews of Color.” To avoid this misstep, CJC chose images to reflect the spectrum of discrimination that Jewish people face, regardless of the socioeconomic group to which they may belong.

The theme of countering misconceptions formed the core of this project. By subverting the perception of anti-Semitism as an isolated incident of the WWII era, the ex-

Pictured above, students attend The Old Bookstore’s exhibition of various media forms, including photographs, protests and presidential tweets depicting antiSemitism. The showcase portrayed both explicit and implicit forms of prejudice.

Lecture celebrates Vassar computer science history, APL Griffin Trayner Guest Reporter

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work required to keep APL modern over five decades, as hardware and computer science have evolved dramatically. Although much of his talk was technical, even those in the audience with little coding experience could understand the importance of APL in the future of computing.

Student attendee Steven Park ’19 [Full Disclosure: Park is the Opinions Editor of the Misc], has done extensive research on the department’s history and discussed it in an email interview. Focusing on Asprey, he said, “She really had her ear to the ground about the developing technology at the time and knew that computers were growing into this really big deal. She pioneered the first CMPU course where she worked together with researchers from IBM to teach computation to students.” Asprey was a main force in bringing computer science to Vassar, which was a hard-won victory: “Interest in computer science kept growing and at this point, the administration was just being stubborn in refusing to bring a computer to Vassar ... the administration and other faculty, particularly non-STEM faculty, tried really hard to dissuade her, but they somehow got through it with sheer force of will.” Her efforts eventually culminated in the purchase of an IBM 360 Model E computer in 1967, which ran on punch cards and took up an entire floor of the Old Laundry Building. In 1969, Asprey established the Computer Science Studies program, which was one of the first of its kind at a liberal arts college. Park added, “Honestly, if it wasn’t for Asprey, I bet that Vassar would... have been one of the last schools to teach computer science due to how stubborn her opposition was.”

Establishing Computer Science at Vassar was an uphill battle for Asprey. Park spoke about the CMPU’s fascinating history at

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Courtesy of Vassar College Encyclopedia

rofessor Emeritus of Computer Science Winifred Asprey ’38 established Vassar’s Computer Science department in 1969, when APL was a programming language taught in the curriculum. In honor of her contribution to Vassar, women in computing, APL’s 50th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Mathematics/Computer Science Major, the Department of Computer Science has hosted the Winifred Asprey Lecture Series—a collection of lectures highlighting the discipline’s history and significance at Vassar.

One talk in the series, titled “Miss Asprey, Vassar Computer Science, and APL: a Historical Perspective,” focused on exposing Asprey’s personal qualities and outlining APL’s past and future. Co-lecturer Ray Polivka, a retired “IBMer” and promoter of APL worldwide who taught with Asprey at Vassar in the 1960s and 1970s, recalled some of his memories of her, while the Chief Experience Officer of Dyalog—a company specializing in modern APL applications—Morten Kromberg traced the language’s evolution. The lecture took place on Tuesday, Feb. 12 in Sanders Physics. About 20 people attended, several of whom were professors or friends of the lecturers, with students comprising the rest of the audience. According to Associate Professor of Computer Science Marc L. Smith, “Our department has a proud history in computing and women in computing, and this talk was an opportunity for our students and faculty alike to hear some of these stories.”

Polivka began the lecture with a flashback to the 1960s: IBM and its 30,000 Hudson Valley employees were pumping out computers.

At the time, Asprey was head of the Mathematics department and was pushing for more

computer classes at Vassar. Polivka recalled the close relationship Vassar had with IBM, from the first APL classes at Vassar which he taught with “Tim” (as Asprey is called by her peers), to the students that crossed the street each day to work at IBM. He recounted memories he shared with her, saying, “Teaching with Asprey was really a lot of fun,” and, “Her enthusiasm was contagious.” He also recalled some of her personal qualities, such as the two things nobody should say in front of her: “You never spoke badly about Vassar, and [you never said] ‘women don’t need to know much mathematics,’” which was a prevailing sentiment at the time. He also remembered Asprey as Vassar to her core: when asked by her high school counselor to write down three colleges she wanted to attend, she wrote Vassar three times. After that, he gave a brief history of APL, shorthand for “A Programming Language,” and was conceived in the 1960s. Polivka worked with IBM mathematician and researcher Ken Iverson, who wanted to revamp mathematical notation to be more accessible for even the most basic arithmeticians. Iverson’s ideas for a new system of mathematical notation eventually gave way to the language. He then introduced Kromberg, whom he said would talk about the future, rather than the past, of APL. Kromberg introduced himself and his history with the programming language, telling the audience that he’s been using APL since age 15 and still hasn’t gotten tired of it. He stressed that APL is still modern, comparing it to other programming concepts like functional programming and object-oriented programming, which were ahead of their time at their creation and are only recently being fully utilized. He emphasized the programming language’s uniqueness in its functionality and syntax. Kromberg also talked about the

Pictured above is Professor Emeritus of Computer Science ’38 Winifred “Tim” Asprey, founder of Vassar’s Mathematics and Computer Science majors and mentee of States Navy rear admiral Grace Hopper.

Vassar, even characterizing it as “the underdogs of underdogs at Vassar.” “It wasn’t like it was smooth sailing after the CMPU studies were established. There were so many problems with equipment failure, funding issues, administration screw-ups, a lot of misconstrued negative press, the whole gauntlet,” Park shared. Because of the difficulties the department faced at its foundation, Park was especially moved by the personal recollections of Asprey and APL’s evolution during the lecture. He concluded, “It’s important for every CMPU major to know the history behind their department and just the immense amount of time and energy it took to make it a reality.”

NEWS

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Ae n a K h a n In our headlines …

President Trump declared a national emergency on Friday, Feb. 15, less than 24 hours after both chambers of Congress approved a bill that allotted only $1.3 billion for his infamous border wall. He defended himself and his intention to divert nearly $8 billion to the wall, despite acknowledging that the situation did not constitute an emergency when he stated, “I didn’t need to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster. I just want to get it done faster, that’s all.” Democrats have unanimously denounced the action as a waste of resources and a blatant attempt at executive overreach to circumvent Congress. Republican reaction is split between those who worry about the precedent this could potentially set for future presidents—especially those with liberal agendas such as universal healthcare—while others’ sentiments reflect that of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y.), who privately tried to sway the president’s decision while publicly supporting him.

Many Republicans blame Democrats for refusing to acknowledge the “crisis” along the southern border, despite the net decrease in crossings from over one million to a quarter of that since 2000 (The New York Times, “Trump Declares a National Emergency, and Provokes a Constitutional Clash,” 02.15.2019).

Freshman Democratic Representative from Minnesota Ilhan Omar came under fire twice this week from establishment Democrats. First, Omar was accused of anti-Semitism for tweeting that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) funds members of Congress, feeding into the stereotype that Jews are massively influential because of monetary wealth.

Others believe she is being unfairly criticized for calling out the largest pro-Israel lobbying firm on Capitol Hill. Omar apologized for giving into the trope and maintained that she separates the Jewish people from the Israeli government—the latter of which Omar renounces for its human rights violations against Arabs. The second controversy came when Omar grilled nominee for U.S. envoy to Venezuela Elliot Abrams over his record of lying about complicity in the Iran-Contra scandal and various incidents of mass killings in Central America.

Institutional Democrats defended Abrams to protect American interests abroad. However, various polls show that Omar’s views on both events align with those of the American people more than those of establishment Democrats (The Guardian, “Democratic party elites silence Ilhan Omar at their peril,” 02.16.2019).

Trump’s nominee for U.N. ambassador Heather Nauert withdrew from consideration for the position after it was revealed that she failed to pay taxes some years and hired a nanny who was not legally authorized to work in the country. Nauert, a former Fox & Friends host and State Department spokeswoman, stated, “The past two months have been grueling for my family and therefore it is in the best interest of my family that I withdraw my name from consideration.” The formal paperwork was nev-

er submitted to the Senate, in spite of open declarations about her nomination (CNN, “Heather Nauert withdraws from consideration as UN ambassador,” 02.17.2019).

Around the world …

The Munich Security Conference proved to decades-old allies that the United States no longer shares their priorities. The conference report stated that the Trump administration, represented by Vice President Mike Pence, displayed a “disdain for international institutions and agreements.” Prior to the event, Pence organized a meeting in Warsaw to ask France, Germany and the U.K. to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal—all declined the invitation. Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel publicly rebuked the United States’ decision to do just that and withdraw troops from Syria and Afghanistan. She received a sustained ovation, one which then-present Ivanka Trump did not join. Pence defended the Trump administration’s foreign policy decisions, citing the increased contributions to NATO by member nations as evidence (NPR, “Munich Security Conference Reveals A Growing Rift Between U.S. And Its Allies,” 02.16.2019).

Pope Francis defrocked, for the first time in history, an American cardinal for his rampant solicitation of sex from minors.

Theodore McCarrick was the Archbishop of Washington D.C. and served as a symbol of power in the American Catholic Diocese.

The decision came after years of allegations against Catholic priests surfaced; the chief pontiff was criticized for moving slowly on an issue that plagues his followers. Hundreds of priests and several ranking members of the Church were defrocked or removed from their positions, and last year the Pope convened in a bishop’s conference to

February 21, 2019 discuss the crisis. Survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests hailed the landmark decision, one of whom, James Grein, told The New York Times, “It is with profound sadness that I have had to participate in the canonical trial of my abuser ...With that said, today I am happy that the Pope believed me” (The New York Times, “Pope Defrocks Theodore McCarrick, Ex-Cardinal Accused of Sexual Abuse,” 02.16.2019).

Indian officials struggle to respond to an attack against a paramilitary convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir, reported to be the deadliest suicide-bombing in decades, killing 44 of India’s Central Reserve Police Force personnel. The armed Jaish-e-Mohammed group, a separatist Pakistani jihadi organization based in Azad-e-Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the incident months after historic protests against the Indian government by Kashmiris who were seeking either self-determination or a merger with Pakistan. India’s first order was to withdraw Most-Favored Nation status from Pakistan, then publicly state its intention to isolate its rival from the international community. Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua rejected New Delhi’s claims that the former’s government was involved in the attacks. Human rights groups have criticized the Indian government for using excessive force in Kashmir as a proxy for war with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ascension bolstered Hindu Nationalism and further frustrated the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir. Both sides privately prepare for armed conflict, though recently-elected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan offered to host talks with Indian officials after the upcoming general election (Al Jazeera, “What are Indiaís options against Pakistan after Kashmir attack?,” 02.16.2019).

Rideshare apps dominate Poughkeepsie transportation UBER continued

act legislation that explicitly outlaws TNCs (Luxury Coach and Transportation, “New York Operators Dismayed Over New TNC Law,” 04.19.2017).

Given Dutchess County’s ability to reject TNCs, Poughkeepsie taxi drivers are disappointed that the county created what they say is an unfair system. Hudson Valley Taxi owner Garfield Dyer listed a long set of requirements to which taxi services must adhere in order to operate. These regulations include background checks for the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, drug screening tests, a taxi driver’s license and a fingerprint test.

He stated, “All of that costs like $400. We [then] have to get an abstract from the DMV to show you that we haven’t been involved in any major accidents and spend $525 [on insurance] a month per vehicle.”

Upstate taxi companies fought for the state to require TNCs to put potential drivers through fingerprint background checks (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Cuomo to unveil Uber plan for upstate New York,” 01.27.2017). Uber and Lyft pushed back by pulling out of cities such as Austin that required them (CNBC, “Uber and Lyft hate fingerprinting drivers, but new data show why they might be wrong,” 08.23.2016). The current law requires that potential drivers own a state driver’s license and undergo a background check, but it does not require fingerprinting. Dyer believes the current system is unsafe: “I think that’s why they put us through all of that, to make sure that the passengers are safe. Either level the playing field, or don’t do it at all. If you charge us that much money to operate, then we have to charge the customer even more.”

Although Uber and Lyft may not require fingerprinting, they do expect a similar set

of requirements in the hiring process, such as proof of insurance. Lyft drivers must undergo a driving record check by a third-party company for past major accidents and driving violations. To be background checked, Lyft drivers must present their social security number, and Lyft uses a third-party company to screen drivers for criminal violations such as violent crime, sexual offenses and theft/property damage offenses (Lyft, “Driver requirements”). Ubers and Lyfts can charge competitive prices due to their lower sales tax—the amount of money the state charges consumers of the transportation service. TNCs collect a four-percent state sales tax while taxis collect an eight point sixty-five percent state sales tax (Luxury Coach and Transportation, Dismayed,” 04.19.2017).

Contrary to taxi drivers’ complaints about TNC safety, students like Morgan Hayman ’21 tend to be more comfortable riding in Lyfts and Ubers than in taxis. “Whenever I’m at the train station, [taxi drivers] aggressively call at me,” Hayman said. “You come back [from the station] around midnight, and you’re bombarded by people you don’t know. With Uber, you know the name of the

person [on the app].”

A barber in the Town of Poughkeepsie, Steven Pinaud, 33, has also had negative experiences with taxi services. He believes taxi drivers should have anticipated competition.

“They had a good amount of time to adapt.

They saw it coming. [With Uber and Lyft], you see your driver, [and] you see how much you’re gonna pay. It’s technology. Either you get with it or get lost,” he said. Pinaud also indicated that taxi drivers didn’t treat passengers well, emphasizing, “They say [they’ll arrive] in 15 minutes, and then they come in 45 minutes. I don’t feel sorry for them.”

For people like Haley Kardek ’19, using taxi services is about supporting local business and those who better understand the community. “Uber and Lyft are [usually] just another source of income, [but] taxi drivers train and do this for a living,” Kardek said.

“They usually seem very eager and desperate for my business, but it also just shows how much they’re hurting from the lack of business, which contributes to that anxiety of not wanting someone to hassle us. We’ve created that sense of desperation to make a livelihood.”

Courtesy of Robert Brower

from page 1 three or four vehicles, but now I’m down to two. I’ve been losing a lot of money. They took over.”

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft have been running in NYC under the city’s taxi laws. Back in 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo and state legislatures negotiated for three months before reaching consensus on a law that would allow TNCs to expand statewide (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Tentative deal puts Uber, Lyft on fast lane to NY,” 03.30.2017).

Central points of conflict in the deliberations included insurance-coverage limits and local governments’ ability to regulate the industry (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Tentative deal,” 03.30.2017). The law requires TNCs to provide “group policy” insurance, which covers passenger and driver injuries, as well as motor vehicle damage.

Coverage is only in effect while the driver has the app open, is on their way to pick up someone and while driving a passenger (Kenney Shelton Liptak Nowak LLP, “The New “Ride Sharing” Law in New York State,” 12.31.2017). Cuomo and GOP senators also disagreed with Democrats on the monetary limit of insurance coverage to which drivers and passengers could be entitled, eventually reaching a middle ground between their proposal (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Tentative deal,” 03.30.2017).

They also agreed on an opt-out system, which allows counties to ban TNCs within their boundaries. Assembly Democrats proposed that local governments be allowed to regulate the industry themselves, whereas Cuomo and the Senate GOP pushed for state regulation (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Tentative deal,” 03.30.2017). A county has to en-

Pictured above is a vehicle from Poughkeepsie’s local company, B & B Taxi, which is owned by Robert Brower. Brower downsized the company as a result of the expansion of Lyft and Uber out of New York City and into New York State.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

February 21, 2019

NEWS

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Dinner connects Vassar, SUNY New Paltz COMMUNITY continued

VSA Updates Updates from the VSA meeting of Feb. 17, 2019

Yijia Hu/The Miscellany News

from page 1 partnership with other institutions so that students from different colleges can gather and talk about issues of diversity and inclusion.”

Vassar and SUNY New Paltz organizers acknowledged that higher education institutions tend to be insular, leaving students fairly inexperienced in interacting with the world outside of it. This feature is particularly salient at Vassar, causing the phenomenon to be dubbed the “Vassar bubble.” Vassar’s Associate Dean of the College for Student Growth and Engagement Wendy Maragh Taylor, a key organizer who has worked in Student Affairs at institutions such as Marist, NYU, Adelphi and Dutchess Community College prior to her tenure at Vassar, indicated that this isolation deprives students of both personal and career-related growth. “What a rich set of experiences students miss out on when they don’t engage in cross-campus collaborations,” she wrote in an email interview.

The organizers hoped the dinner would serve as a means of escape from this institutional insularity and create a community outside of it. “We wanted to give students a chance to connect and share experiences with other students from other institutions,” Suarez shared. Dunn added that dialogue helps break assumptions that students make about one another, emphasizing the importance of leaning in when presented with unfamiliar views. “It helps to foster understanding about the culture and values of a different campus,” she said. “We

The Building Community Connections dinner facilitated dialogue between Vassar and SUNY New Paltz attendees through prompts discussing inclusion and exclusion. The resulting conversations followed a Think, Write, Speak format. can appreciate common ground as well as help develop skills that promote engagement even when someone’s perspective is different or at odds with your own.”

As a component of SUNY New Paltz’s Stepping into Diversity programming—a program aimed at building students’ leadership skills with a focus on diversity, inclusion and conversation about each—the dinner used prompts about feelings of inclusion or exclusion to facilitate conversation between students of both schools, who mingled at their cross-institutional dinner

Yijia Hu/The Miscellany News

tables. Students generally had the opportunity to speak with someone outside of their school because the schools were fairly evenly matched: According to Taylor, there were 18 Vassar students and 20 SUNY New Paltz students present. However, Vassar attendee Ivanna Guerra ’20 noticed that New Paltz students outnumbered Vassar students, since some Vassar participants were unable to attend last minute. “More students should look out for these events,” she wrote in an email interview.

The conversations took place in small groups. Participants reflected on the prompts, then wrote down their thoughts prior to sharing with the rest of the table. “[This format] allow[ed] space for those who need a little more time to process and also allow[ed] for equity in sharing—[so that] those who are more extroverted or verbal don’t end up monopolizing the conversation,” Taylor described of the Think, Write, Speak modality.

Associate Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life and Contemplative Practice Samuel Speers, who helped organize Vassar’s side of the event, elaborated on the narrative format. “[It] is one way of incorporating some of the different learning styles people bring to these kinds of discussions,” he noted. Guerra agreed that storytelling made the conversation accessible to different personalities, writing, “Sharing allows everyone with different forms of thinking to approach the question in whatever way they feel more comfortable.”

Although SUNY New Paltz spearheaded the initiative, Speers and Taylor hope to host such events again soon to continue honing students’ leadership skills, particularly after witnessing the impression this cross-institutional interaction left on Vassar students. “We’ve talked over the years about doing this kind [of] thing,” Speers wrote. “I’m hopeful we’ll be able to build on this effort in ways that will make such gatherings an ongoing thing for our Hudson Valley campuses.”

The SUNY New Paltz team shared similar sentiments, planning on developing similar events in other Hudson Valley schools, including Dutchess Community College, and hoping to invite Vassar student leaders to New Paltz for a similar evening.

Reflecting on the importance of advancing this initiative, Dunn concluded, “The work of diversity and inclusion is work Vassar and SUNY New Paltz students help themselves to dinner before returning to that involves passion and sustained eftheir respective tables. According to Tanhena Pacheco Dunn, “Food inspires dialogue forts ... relationships and common purpose and curiosity, two important ingredients in fostering inclusion and community.” made this a really unique opportunity.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Consensus Agenda – Passed Pre-Approved Allocations: 397.94/397.94 from Capital to Future Waitstaff of America 150/150 from Pre-Organizations to VC Doubletime 1000/1000 from Capital to VSA Operating Allocations 900/2400 from Community to Caribbean Students’ Alliance 8,000/10,000 from Discretionary to Traditions 3050/3100 from Speakers to Latinx Student Union 750/750 from Community to Philaletheis Society 2405.22/2405.22 from Capital to Barefoot Monkeys 2500/3000 from Speakers to ASA 750/750 from Social Consciousness to EPI Arts Working Group Fund Finance Committee The Board of Elections and Appointments (BoEA) will be sending out applications for new members of Finance Committee in the coming week.

Programming Committee The committee will be running shuttles to New York City on two dates: March 30 and April 27.

Academics Committee The committee will be holding a majors fair on Monday, April 18.

Operations Committee Filing to run in VSA elections for the upcoming academic year will begin on March 7 and be open until the end of spring break. Elections are tentatively planned for the end of March.

President Upcoming forums with College administrators are as follows. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend this forums and to come with questions for the administrators.

Feb. 24 — Associate Dean of the College for Residential Life and Wellness Luis Inoa and Associate Dean of the College for Student Growth and Engagement Wendy Maragh Taylor March 3 — Director of Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action and Title IX Officer Rachel Pereira, Professors Rueda and Cohen March 31— President Elizabeth Bradley and Interim Dean of the College Carlos Alamo April 7 — Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct and Housing Rich Horowitz April 21 — Director of SAVP Nicole Wong and Director of Health Promotion and Education Andrea Pesavento —Julian Corbett, VSA General Intern

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February 21, 2019

Steve Roach albums walk line of cultural appropriation Jimmy Christon Columnist

Molecules of Motion Steve Roach Soleilmoon Recordings

Dreamtime Return Steve Roach Soleilmoon Recordings

Return to the Dreamtime Steve Roach Soleilmoon Recordings

The Grammys are filled with a lot of bullshit. Somehow, they’re still kinda fun.

They’re fun in the way that dumpster fires are fun. The New Age music category of the Grammys is honestly my favorite part of the whole shebang. This genre of music is itself pretty bad––it’s probably the epitome of cultural appropriation and commodification of other cultures by white artists. The man I am reviewing is no exception. Even one of the albums I am reviewing is a prime example of New Age malarky.

This may sound trite and flippant, especially giving the sensitive subject matter that I’m going to broach, but I think that compared to the other New Age Grammy nominees Steve Roach was by far the best, least culturally insensitive nominee this year. This is the best that the New Age

Grammy category can hope for.

The album that Steve Roach was nominated for this year was a throwback homage to old, Berlin School-style electronic music, called “Molecules of Motion.” I think this album is great. It’s much better than the mom-and-pop jam band that the award went to this year––more on them later. I honestly think that Roach is only getting nominations now as a sort of tribute to what he has done for the genre, especially given the context of where he is in his career.

Because 2018 was the 30th anniversary of the magnificent “Dreamtime Return,” Roach released a re-imagining of the album under the title “Return to the Dreamtime.” More so than being the great musical achievements that they are, these albums stand for a more positive version of New Age music–something this year’s Grammys were sorely lacking.

Let’s get the bad out of the way first.

The title of these albums should make you cringe. “Dreamtime” is a term crafted by white Europeans to describe a facet of mythology that the people of an indigenous, Australian culture, Arrernte, tried to explain to dull European anthropologists. The term has some basis in mythology, but there’s a lot of evidence that it is a mistranslation and hasty academic work. As time went on, some Arrernte people adopted the word: on the Arrernte-run website aboriginalart. com, there’s a whole section dedicated to dreamtime. However, the term has mainly fallen out of academic use.

The title is the first indication that we should be pretty suspicious of Roach on this album. The figure of the white man

going to indigenous people to create art has a very high chance of being damaging, white-washing, and inaccurate when it comes to the lived experience of the indigenous people––something neither Roach nor I have any experience with.

So what’s the deal? Why defend these albums if I think they are so appropriative?

Why am I giving these albums such high ratings? Music aside, the reason is because it is collaborative—an aspect not usually realized given that Steve Roach is the only listed artist when, in reality, he worked with a plethora of Arrernte men and women in crafting this work. This is by far the worst thing about the album and once again exemplifies its appropriative nature.

“While Roach does credit the people he worked with, I find it shady that he lists the album as solely his own...”

“Dreamtime Return” started as music that would accompany a documentary about the history of the term “dreamtime.” But when Roach got to Australia with the film crew, he decided he wanted to make his own project to more accurately capture the lived experience of the awkward word “dreamtime.” So on tracks like “Red Twilight With The Old Ones,” “A Circular Ceremony” and “The Ancient Day,” we really don’t see much of Roach at all. He really only served as a cura-

tor to get this album created and produced.

Looking at the liner notes, it’s pretty clear that Roach was far from working alone on this 2-hour beast. By my research, at least 18 people with some connection to Arrernte people and culture––be it ancestry or actual lived experience–contributed. But of course this isn’t perfect. While Roach does credit the people he worked with, I find it shady that he lists the album as solely his own, especially considering that going forward in his career, he really prioritizes giving credit to his collaborators.

In an odd way, I don’t want to talk about the actual music here. Like, it’s great, go listen to it, but I think that this album’s value resides in what it does for the New Age genre. No other groups nominated for Grammys this year (or in the last three years) have presented collaboration like this.

What inspired me to write this was just how aggressively trashy the winner of this year’s New Age Grammy was. The band is a group of all-white people from L.A. The head of the group is a violinist who is classically trained and is trying to switch over to more “soulful” music. The first thing you read on their website, after the label of “2019 Grammy winner,” is “this is Kama Sutra music.” The next thing you read is a poem by famous Sufi poet Rumi, a Muslim. And, of course, the music is lead by a classically trained violinist––the whitest instrument I can think of. It’s just a mess of cultural illiteracy and blatant appropriation. While Roach’s music isn’t perfect by any stretch, at least giving him the win would define what attitudes the Grammys want to endorse.

Advertising goes high-art with aesthetic, polemical vision Taylor Stewart Columnist

I

ing women’s autonomy, but she also created a commercial with the same playful, hazy, dreamlike quality as her photographs. When I see brands seeking the artistic direction of people like her, those with a decided aesthetic and polemical vision, I get excited for the future of advertising and commercial art.

“We knew that the best thing we could do would be to keep the film as intact as we could,” said Marcelo Pascoa, Burger King’s global head of brand marketing, of the Warhol ad—that is, preserve the video’s original intent. Leth meant to capture the equalizing effect of the fast food and consumer culture—how in America, a beggar eats the same Whopper as Andy Warhol. Warhol, an enthusiast of consumer products, would’ve

enjoyed Burger King’s rendition of the video, I think (“Why Burger King Showed Andy Warhol Eating a Burger it its Super Bowl Commercial,” 02.03.19). Leth’s idea about Whoppers and egalitarianism also relates to the importance of ads today, as the social equalizer of art: commercials are delivered to the masses the same way all of America can eat burgers.

Burger King took a gamble at the Super Bowl this year, but I appreciate the message behind the ideo, and it publicized a film largely unknown outside of art circles. We’re barraged with ads every day, so inevitably we start to pick up their values and appreciate their artistic qualities. I welcome a new age of artsy commercials.

Courtesy of Filmoteca de Catalunya via Flickr

was in Lower Manhattan last weekend facing the likeness of Andy Warhol about to eat a burger. The burger was half-wrapped in aluminum, and the iconic artist rested his elbows on a table. Next to him was a crumpled Burger King to-go bag and a bottle of ketchup. His expression was blank, as if the meal was a somber ritual.

In 1982, Danish experimental documentarian Jørgen Leth released “66 scener fra Amerika” (“66 Scenes from America”), a series of tableaus forming its own picture of the U.S. (Internet Movie Database, “66 scener fra Amerika” 2019). One of these is a hypnotizing four-and-a-half-minute-long shot of Warhol chowing down: he slowly unwraps a Whopper, struggles to shake ketchup out of the bottle, taps his burger on the ketchup, chews, fiddles with a napkin and, when done, declares to the camera, “My name is Andy Warhol, and I just finished eating a hamburger.”

The agency David Miami, which boasts clients like Burger King, Coca-Cola and Heinz, used 45 seconds of the footage for the fast food chain’s Super Bowl ad campaign this year. It seems an odd choice—even the clipped-down version, with its fashionable order to “#EATLIKEANDY,” differs from Super Bowl commercials of the past decade, which tend to be funny, sappy or sporty. At this point, the ads have become a spectacle of their own, as anticipated as the game itself.

Thanks to the limitations of a medium intended to sell products as efficiently as possible, the public has been fed many quippy, saturated, easily consumable commercials over the years. So the Warhol ad surprised me.

In 2016, David Miami released another ad with a culinary motif: “Wiener Stampede,” which advertised Heinz. Dachshunds in hot

dog costumes run in slow motion to a group of people, also dressed as condiments. To think up such a concept requires great inventiveness, but it is still an easily-likeable, cute dog video. Although it is customary for advertisers to recruit celebrities (alongside Warhol at the Super Bowl this year were Harrison Ford and Forest Whitaker for Amazon and Serena Williams for Bumble), Leth’s esoteric work doesn’t have the same universal appeal as cute, funny dogs (It’s Nice That, “Burger King recruits a Whopper-chomping Andy Warhol for weirdest Super Bowl ad of 2019,” 02.04.19). Right now “66 Scenes” is in the Whitney Museum of Art’s Warhol exhibit. As the film remains largely unknown outside of art circles, much of the target demographic for #EATLIKEANDY—SuperBowl watchers—might not respond to the weird burger video or recognize the reference.

Another example of high-brow advertising came last June, when Chicago-based photographer Ashley Armitage directed a video for Billie, a self-described “female-first” shaving company. “Project Body Hair,” her directorial debut, surpassed the conventions of beauty-brand marketing, featuring women both hairy and hairless, as well as an unusual specificity of design. A group of girls get ready in colorful bathrooms, lounge in bed and celebrate their beauty. They paint their toes orange and comb or shave their underarm hair and smile satisfactorily. Armitage said, “We wanted our campaign to be different. We wanted to show a variety of bodies with a variety of hair. Some girls we cast liked to shave, some didn’t, and we wanted to represent this choice” (It’s Nice That, “Photographer Ashley Armitage directs the first-ever shaving advert to feature female body hair,” 06.29.18).

Not only did Armitage succeed in capturing a range of approaches to beauty and celebrat-

Advertising campaigns like Burger King’s Super Bowl commercial “#EATLIKEANDY,” which borrows from an art piece in which Andy Warhol eats a hamburger, demonstrate a trend toward increasingly challenging, artistic marketing techniques.

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New dance group Doubletime values synergy, variety Abby Tarwater Arts Editor

D

Yijia Hu/The Miscellany News

ance is an eclectic art form that encompasses a wide range of skills, methodologies and genres. Six Vassar students founded the new pre-org VC Doubletime as a space in which dancers with varying levels of experience and specialties could collaborate and grow as performers. Their Inaugural Spring Show on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Villard Room featured seven pieces that manifested their vision of diversity and inclusivity.

There is no shortage of dance organizations on campus: VRDT, Vass Shakers and Hype, just to name a few. However, the Doubletime’s executive board created the group out of frustration over limitations in Vassar’s dance culture. Doubletime Co-Social Media Chair Erin Byrne ’20 articulated the founders’ motivations: “[W]e felt there wasn’t a space on campus that would allow both new and experienced dancers to grow and improve as dancers. Basically, the other dance orgs are either audition based, and therefore exclusive, or are completely geared towards beginners, or only do a specific type of dance.”

Doubletime President Taylor Lodise ’19 further expounded on why their org is necessary. She explained: “[W]hat makes us unique is the opportunity for choreographers to create anything they imagine, ranging from a solo to a duo, trio, small group or even a huge group piece..”

This feature of Doubletime was evident throughout their performance. Lodise choreographed and starred in a duet with Byrne titled “Always,” which was accompanied by Lady Gaga’s “Is That Alright?” Eric Feeney ’22 also took advantage of the group’s openness;

New dance pre-org “Doubletime” was founded as a space in which choreographers could create pieces of any style, size or difficulty level, from a solo hip-hop piece to a Contemporary duet. Their inagural performance was on Feb. 16 in the Villard Room. he choreographed a solo titled “Hold My Heart” set to Ed Sheeran’s “Grade 8.”

Feeney shared his experience in an email interview: “The Doubletime Exec Board has been very helpful and accommodating with whatever I needed to make my solo successful. I would say my dance is really about looking for something or someone that makes you happy amid the stress of life.

Other choreographers included Julia Martinez Franks ’19, Cait Lewis ’21 and Anna Sesonske ’21; their pieces were respectively titled “Black and Gold,” “Favorite Color is Blue” and “Eluded.” In addition to “Always,” Lodise

composed “Kommt ein Vogel geflogen” and “Way Down Low.” In an email interview, attendee Zoe Camhi ’21 complimented the dedication and ardor of the dancers: “I was impressed by all of the pieces. The choreography was really interesting and fun to watch, but what I really noticed was the passion that all of the dancers clearly expressed during the pieces. Everything was very powerful and a lot of work clearly went into the production of the show.

The executive board urges all curious students to attend their General Body meetings, which occur every Wednesday in Kenyon

Studio 2 from 7-8 p.m. “I would tell anyone who is interested to stop by and give it a try,” Lodise exclaimed. “[We’ve] been working on org bonding and planning optional time to spend with each other as a group beyond the weekly dance time; we really love getting to know our members and are aiming for a strong sense of community.”

This stated goal of a Doubletime family is already developing. For example, despite the group’s novelty, it already has unique and established traditions. One of them involves the name “Doubletime,” which refers to a common exercise of dancers to experiment with movement by counting the music at half-time. Although Lodise described their naming process as fairly spontaneous, the group has taken the name to heart and now concludes their General Body meetings by practicing choreography at twice the speed.

Feeney believes the executive board succeeded in forging an accessible yet challenging space. “I’ve had a lot of fun learning so many choreographies of different styles, and I’m glad that I joined in the fall,” he stated.

The executive board believed the inaugural performance to be an auspicious indication of Doubletime’s future. Although three board members are seniors, they trust that the group will continue to flourish. Byrne explained, “We’re hoping to expand our org in the years to come and have it continue to be a supportive and inclusive environment that brings people together through a shared love of dance.” Lodise echoed this sentiment: “We would love for the org’s vibrancy and enthusiasm to live on in the years to come, as well as the endless creativity that its choreographers and dancers bring to the table.”

Photography exhibit illustrates China’s environmental crisis EXHIBIT continued

cesses he witnessed. During the shooting, Zhinong saw a wild bird sweeping through the sky and urged the photographer to capture the image. Yet to his great confusion, the photographer refused. It was then that Zhinong became intent on learning photography, determined to film actual soaring birds. He has now been working in the field for more than 30 years.

When asked how he feels about the future of the animals he dedicated his life to photograph and preserve, Zhinong described himself as a “pessimistic optimist.” On one hand, he noticed that an awareness of and interest in environmental protection among the Chinese public has been sharply on the rise in the past two decades, from the Golden Monkey Movement in 1995 to the most current Green Peacock Movement. He was particularly glad to see more environmental activists from younger generations. But in terms of the broader environment in China, he remains pessimistic due to the numerous ongoing expansion projects.

While Zhinong’s photography illuminates the public’s appreciation of wildlife and nature, Zhou expressed concern about how the medium might encourage people to visit the shooting spot and disturb the wildlife. Zhinong responded by stressing the importance of building an emotional attachment to the wildlife in order to foster awareness of preservation. His photos aim to establish civilian interest in Chinese environmental protection; in the past, China’s environmental preservation was executed in either a top-down approach or in the form of propaganda.

In the past few decades, many international NGOs, as well as Zhinong and his organization, have been working coop-

Yijia Hu/The Miscellany News

from page 1 Director of LIASE and Professor of Geography Yu Zhou founded the program, aiming to organize a series of activities that promote the study and understanding of Asian culture and geography through an environmental lens. With this photo exhibition in particular, Zhinong also aimed to create awareness regarding how people in China, undaunted by the high complexity of the task, are working to preserve endangered animals.

The reception began with four of Zhinong’s documentary clips, which featured black snub-nosed monkeys, Tibetan antelopes, snow leopards and green peacocks.

Zhou translated the aside and introduced audiences to both the animals’ beauty and the fact that they are endangered. Afterwards, Zhinong himself connected with the audience via Skype and answered a series of questions. Students described Zhinong’s photos and talk as inspiring. Alice Fan ’22 commented, “[I came] to realize that animals are just like us. They risk everything to protect their children from danger, show love towards each other, [and] hang out together as a group, just as humans do.”

Zhinong first encountered wildlife photography in 1983 when he served as a teacher’s assistant in the shooting of a film. At the time, people making the movie did not know how to photograph birds without disturbing them. Zhingong recalled, “For most of the time when the crew got to a new spot, they rallied the villagers to help them catch the birds, fed them for a few days to calm them down, tied up their legs with nylon ropes and then put them back on tree branches before shooting.”

Zhinong was not satisfied with the pro-

Activist and photographer Xi Zhinong uses art to spread knowledge about the beauty of China’s natural environment and the predicament of endangered animals there. This exhibit is designed to bring that awareness to people around the world. eratively with local villagers to preserve the habitats of wildlife in China. However, the persistent construction of power plants and dams has imposed multiple obstacles. For instance, when a company issues a new project, its own consulting wing evaluates the location and makes the environmental statement. As a result, the final decision always gives power to the company, placing the environment at the mercy of corporations. Such is the case of the rainforest, which is home to the endangered green peacock and numerous other rare species in the Yunnan Province of China. Companies sacrifice the lives of the green peacock for profits even though the economic efficiency of this strategy is questionable, as the power plant operates at low capacity and lacks sufficient management.

Zhinong’s fight for wildlife is ongoing.

His latest project involves training the local Tibetans to assist in filming snow leopards. By providing equipment and

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

training, he aims to supply local people with the skills, knowledge and artistic capacity to photograph the animals in their homelands. In this way, protecting them becomes an integral part of the interests and livelihood of the photographers themselves.

In an email interview, Laboratory Coordinator Richard Jones, who curated “Endangered Life in Distant Terrains”, explained his design of the space: “The show kind of curated itself, really. There were three ecosystems—the Tibetan plateau, a rainforest and grasslands—where the animals already had a relationship. I hope I placed the images so that the viewer gets a sense of the specific natures of the wildlife that the photographer has captured: the soul of a snub-nosed monkey, the alertness of a green peacock, and the power of a yak.” In this way, just as Zhinong’s work aims to bring environmental appreciation to China, so this exhibit brings the country’s beauty and biodiversity to Vassar.

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February 21, 2019

2019 Academy Awards incite controversy, as per usual Madeline Seibel Dean Copy Staffer

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“In other promising news, the 2019 Academy recognized more LGBTQ+ movies than in any past year.”

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The Academy Awards nominated renowned filmmaker Spike Lee, above, for Best Director for his work in “BlacKkKlansman.” This is the first time Lee has received this honor. The movie is also included in the category of Adapted Screenplay.

Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” made history this year as the first superhero movie ever nominated for Best Picture. The film is one of three nominees of the category to feature a Black leading actor. It is also the highest-grossing movie of 2018.

“Oscars: Foreign Language Film Nominees Populate Key Categories In Crossover Year,” 01.22.2019).

Netflix has been campaigning extensively for its movie. The company seems to see an Oscar win as their ticket into the film establishment, hoping this recognition will finally end the dispute over whether the Academy would consider a movie only available online true cinema (The New York Times, “In Bid to Conquer Oscars, Netflix Mobilizes Savvy Campaigner and Huge Budget,” 02.17.2019).

Similarly, Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” has made headlines as the first superhero movie ever nominated for Best Picture. It was also the highest-grossing film of 2018, earning $700 million domestically (Box Office Mojo, “2018 Domestic Grosses,” 02.17.2019). Many Oscars voters have listed the film’s cultural contributions as a reason it should win (New York Times, “What Will Win Best Picture? 20 Oscar Voters Spill Their Secrets,” 02.14.2010).

Such nominations might be a sign that the Academy is determined to become more down-to-earth by focusing on movies that better represent the public, rewarding accessibility and popularity more than it has in years past.

Another example of this shift came last August when the Academy announced a new category, Best Popular Film, to ensure that the TV-broadcasted awards include at least some films with which the audience is familiar (BBC, “Which Films Could Win the New Oscar?” 08.09.2018).

However, this idea received backlash after many critics pointed out that the Popular Film category would never receive the same prestige as Best Picture, thereby heightening the difference between the movies people are watching and the ones that the Academy actually wants to win.

Many others saw it as pandering to the audience in order to raise the award show’s ratings, which have been falling in recent years, dropping 23 percent last year alone.

In September, the Academy stated it would not instate the new category in 2019 (BBC, “Oscars Postpone Plans for New Popular Film Category,” 09.06.2018).

In a further attempt to increase the show’s audience, the Academy decided to cut the broadcast down to three hours by rewarding some awards during commercial breaks. The Academy waited a few days before announcing which categories they would leave out. The list included important awards such as Cinematography and Editing, along with less-anticipated

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ones like Makeup and Hairstyling and Live Action Short Film. Although the awards would be rotated every year, and the winners’ speeches would be later edited into the broadcast, the move was met with wide protest. Fifty prominent filmmakers wrote an open letter to the Academy, complaining that “[Their exclusion was] relegating these essential crafts to lesser status” (The New York Times, “Clooney, Pitt Among Hollywood Actors Yelling ‘Cut’ Over Oscar Award Changes,” 02.14.2019). Eventually, the Academy reneged (The New York Times, “Inside the Scramble to Make the Oscars Shorter,” 02.17.2019).

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The academy’s penchant for arty, obscure movies has contributed to its reputation of exclusivity. However, the Academy Awards have additionally long been at the center of discussions about race in filmmaking. Moviegoers, critics and actors protested the 2015 and 2016 awards with the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, which Lawyer and Advocate April Reign created when not a single actor of color was nominated for an award in 2015 (The New Yorker, “Is the Era of #OscarsSoWhite Over?” 01.23.2018). 2016 saw some more representation, with Mahershala Ali winning Best Supporting Actor, Viola Davis winning Best Supporting Actress and Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” taking home Best Picture, albeit after Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” was mistakenly announced the winner (ABC, “Oscar Winners 2017: See the Complete List!” 02.27.2017). The trend

Courtesy of junaidrao via Flickr

ome award shows, like the Grammys, tend to honor popular art, rendering any top-selling artists who fail to win “snubbed.” In contrast, the Oscars, which will air this Sunday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. EST, usually award movies that very few people have actually seen. Take last year’s Best Picture winner, Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.” The film grossed almost $64 million–not bad for a movie about a woman and a fish-man falling in love (Box Office Mojo, “The Shape of Water,” 02.14.2018). However, that figure comes in at just 15 percent of the earnings made by the year’s top grossing film, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which brought in $517 million. “The Shape of Water” did not even place in the twenty-five highest grossing movies of the year (IMDb, “Top 25 Highest Grossing Movies of 2017,” 02.12.2018).

Similarly, the movie did not receive a wide release until Dec. 22, 2017, which allowed the audience had only a month and a half to watch the film before it won the Academy’s most prestigious award (Box Office Mojo).

toward diversity continued in 2017. Jordan Peele won Best Original Screenplay for “Get Out” (also nominated for Best Picture), Guillermo del Toro won Best Director for “The Shape of Water” (which, as mentioned, later took home Best Picture) and “Coco,” a children’s film celebrating Mexican culture, won Best Animated Feature.

This year, too, the Academy Awards feature more accurate representation. Several actors and actresses of color received top tier nominations. For example, Yalitza Aparicio is nominated for Best Actress for her role in “Roma”; she is the first Native American and second Mexican person ever in the category (Time, “Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 Oscars,” 02.14.2019). Additionally, Spike Lee is nominated for Best Director for the first time in his three-decade career (Time, “2019 Oscars”).

In other promising news, the 2018 Academy recognized more LGBTQ+ movies than in any past year: There is a film which features queer plots or subplots nominated for almost every award, and five in the Best Picture category. (Time, “This Year’s Oscars Will Be the Queerest Ever,” 01.23.2019).

Of course, the Oscars could still further diversify its nominees. Although Black men star in three of the eight Best Picture nominees, the Academy did not recognize any actors of color for Actor in a Leading Role. While it is wonderful that the talented Aparicio is nominated, she is the only actress of color vying for Best Actress.

“Crazy Rich Asians” was ignored altogether, which, while disappointing, is not terribly surprising; romantic comedies rarely garner significant attention at the Oscars.

“Roma,” nominated for five awards including Best Picture and Actress in a Leading Role, is historic in many ways (Time, “2019 Oscars). As the first movie produced

by Netflix to be nominated for an Academy Award, the company released the movie on its streaming website on Dec. 14, which overlapped with its tenure in theaters (Vox, “‘Roma’ is now on Netflix. You should still see it in a theater,” 12.15.2018). In a way, the many nominations “Roma” collected may be seen as a response to complaints about Oscar nominees that had limited releases. “Roma,” which is in Spanish and Mixtec, has the distinction of being also one of only 11 foreign language films to ever be nominated for Best Picture. As of yet, not one has ever won the award (Deadline,

The Oscars recognized Yalitza Aparicio this year with a Best Actress nomination for her performance in “Roma.” She is the first Native American ever in the category.

Following that mishap, the Oscars have scurried to shorten the ceremony in other ways, most notably through the omission of the role of host (The New York Times, “Inside the Scramble”). Organizers originally announced that Kevin Hart would serve in the position, but he resigned following public outrage about several old homophobic tweets. Rather than selecting someone else, ABC chose to place more emphasis on the groups of celebrities that will present individual awards. The Oscars used a similar format in 1989, but every year since then has featured a host (BBC, “Oscars 2019 Show to Go Without Host After Kevin Hart Row,” 06.02.2019).

Whether the network’s efforts to increase viewership will be successful–along with the Academy’s answer to the question of who is allowed into the gilded halls of Hollywood–will be determined only when the ceremony is broadcasted on ABC.

February 21, 2019

Campus Canvas

ARTS A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

Page 9 submit to misc@vassar.edu

Excuse me, What’s the most outrageous thing in your closet?

“Empty wine bottle that’s been there for four or five months.”

— Jaan Choudhri ’21

“Cagebras.”

— Lucy Posner ’21

“Baby teeth.”

— Jed Christie ’22 and Max Roberts ’22

“Body con patent leather (plastic) pink dress from free and for sale.”

—Cassie Jain ’20

“A haunted doll.”

— Walker Kelly ’19

Andrew Handrea Class of 2021 Economics and Art Major He/him/his “I often focus on the interactions between humans and their built environments in my art; I like to compare and contrast the organic curves of the body with the rigidity and linearity of architecture.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“A replica of a human skull.”

— Abigail Pamenter ’19

Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Hannah Benton, Photography

FEATURES

Page 10

Quite Frankly Frankie Knuckles

Features Editor Quality Advice-Giver

Have a question you want answered? Submit your quandaries at http://bit.ly/2RFnXfk Hey Frankie,

Show us your best stickers!

By Duncan Aronson The mosaic of colorful stickers on students’ laptops radiate personality through study-spaces like the Bridge, Deece and library. Such beauty brightens even the bleakest study session. These small tokens of individuality affixed to our belongings, be they MacBooks or HydroFlasks, offer microcosmic glimpses into the minds of Vassar students. This week, we Features Editors decided to shine a spotlight on these small, though mighty, artistic statements. Below, six students show off their finest aesthetic adhesive arrangements, ranging from literary gems to pop culture icons.

Sincerely, Uncomfy and Unamused Dear Uncomfy,

Q

“This is my favorite sticker because it’s a Sunrise sticker about a movement of young people working to stop climate change.”

-Melissa Hoffmann ’21

“I love reading.” -Cassidy Kuebbeler ’21

“This is a quote from ‘Slaughterhouse Five,’ one of my favorite books ever.” -Eli Wassertzug ’22

Duncan Aronson/The Miscellany News

Duncan Aronson/The Miscellany News “I need more laptop space.” -Annika Rowland ’20

Best Wishes, Frankie P.S. If this escalates or you hear about more unsavory conversations between your friend and your classmate, you might consider talking to your professor or another trusted “real” adult about the situation.

“Live your best life with your best spuddies.” -Annie Xu ’19

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Duncan Aronson/The Miscellany News

Duncan Aronson/The Miscellany News

uite frankly, the heterosexist paradigm is alive and well here at Vassar College.

Its disgustingness never ceases to amaze me, in the worst possible way. Of course you feel uncomfortable; this is an awful situation to find yourself in. I think such a thing is particularly upsetting because it forces you and your S.O. into this gross, misogynistic mold (mold in the sense of form, and mold in the sense of decayed).

Especially for a non-hetero couple, this sort of homonormativity is jarring. By homonormativity, I mean the attempt to fit queer relationships into a straight schema, where one member is the masculine, and therefore dominant, party, while you as the feminized member of the relationship become objectified and subordinated. Of course, even if you guys were in a heterosexual relationship, this commodification of your bodily appearance would be completely unacceptable and sickening.

All of this to put a finer point on exactly why I think you feel uncomfortable. As far as what you should do, though, I have less of an answer. The unfortunate truth is that these kinds of interactions are somewhat unavoidable, and handling them can be quite taxing, both for you and your relationship. I don’t get the sense that you want to directly confront the person in your class, as that could just lead to more difficulty down the line. However, I do think being in open communication with your S.O. will be important as you process this, as it concerns both of you.

Your S.O. likely also takes issue with this classmate inviting them to the boys’ club of misogynistic sexualization and tokenization of your body, which is another reason that a conversation could benefit both of you. I’m sure they also have some emotions about the situation that they’d like to unpack with your support.

Duncan Aronson/The Miscellany News

Duncan Aronson/The Miscellany News

So I’m kinda uncomfortable because this weird thing happened...A friend of mine mentioned that somebody in one of my classes was talking to him about me and my S.O. (who’s genderqueer, btw), and it started out positive. The person in my class apparently said that he respected my S.O. because, and I quote, “They have a hot girlfriend.” That’s me. Like, thanks for calling me hot, I guess. I’ll take that scrap, but also it makes me uncomfortable that somebody would use me, more specifically my physical appearance, as a metric for my S.O’s worth. My S.O. totally is with me here that it’s not okay. I’m just uncomfortable, especially in my class with the person who said this about us. Help?

February 21, 2019

“I would die for Zuko.” -Heather Nguyen ’20

February 21, 2019

FEATURES

Page 11

ASC magazine centers Asian and Asian-American voices MAGAZINE continued

Duncan Aronson/Miscellany News

from page 1 ’21 shared via email how she was inspired to head an ASC project: “I had a chance to take a look at the old archives compiled by old ASA Executive Board members. While flipping through old posters, letters, meeting agendas, pictures and documents from 1970s to early 2000s, I felt like I was reliving their times, and it made me feel emotional.�

Kim expanded, revealing how these artifacts inspired the project. “I wanted to continue the legacy so that future generations...look at them and understand the history of the Asian community at Vassar.� So, her decision to create the beginning-themed magazine makes sense: It promises to leave a tangible, creative and vibrant snapshot of the Asian community for Vassar’s posterity, while also paying homage to ASA’s long history.

Kim described the undertakings of past committee chairs, who focused on specific themes and raised funds toward organizations like Mental Health America. To follow in those predeccssors’ footsteps and build a lasting legacy, Kim said, “I decided to publish the very first magazine that addresses issues about Asian/Asian-American identities and cultures at Vassar...I have some previous experience in magazine making, and I wanted to do something more visual and aesthetic than a newspaper. The magazine medium gives us more flexibility to experiment with designs and content as well.�

Lead designer Am Chunananda ’22 came to the interview more than ready to discuss

Above, Lead Designer Am Chunanada ’22 proudly showcases the Migration Stories page of “Portrait,� on which she focused particular design attention. She drew inspiration for the visual style from well-known magazines of Asia and the stories told within. the magazine’s design. Armed with a hard copy of the magazine to physically demonstrate her points, she explained, “It’s worth noting that Alex came with a certain visual style that I think was largely inspired by some of the other magazines she’s read, like Korean magazines or other Asian magazines. When I was trying to draw inspiration, I was referring to Nylon Japan, the Japanese version of Nylon magazine, and other stu-

dent-made magazines.�

Later in the conversation, Chunanada opened the magazine and flipped through until she found the Migration Stories section. Divulging what she referred to as a “spoiler,� she explained, alluding to writers featured in the article, “The imagery of the migration stories was symbolic ... I decided to incorporate elements from each person’s portrait. For example, like Rachel’s rectan-

gular shirt pattern—I pulled that out ‌ this ruffle is from Kelly [Zhang ’21]’s top...Spencer [McGrath ’21]’s flannel...and so it goes on for every person. Then, in the title page, that’s when they’re all brought together with the footsteps as well. And the timeline color scheme is mostly from Johnson [Lin ’21]’s and Spencer’s color scheme as well.� Her elucidation of the cultural and aesthetic aspects behind her design choices showcased the power of the magazine medium.

All the planning culminated in the official launch of “Portrait� at the Loeb. Kormendi commented, “The vibes were energetic and positive, even a little bit overwhelming. It was super powerful for Asians and Asian Americans to be given the space to express themselves and have their voices heard.�

Speaking about the magazine’s broader purpose, Komendi added, “Beginnings are valuable for connections to history. We all have histories going back through generations, and it’s important to remember and draw on that our experiences don’t start with us and we are contributing to those experiences.�

Following the success of the first issue of “Portrait,� Kim hopes to publish a second edition that connects Vassar Asian Pacific Islander alumni with Vassar’s current Asian student community. She and the rest of ASC remain optimistic despite uncertainty about high costs and future ASC leadership. At this pivotal point, the magazine will function not as the beginning of a stale end, but as the culmination of a meaningful beginning.

Celebratory baking yields tangible, tasty reminder of home Tamika Whitenack Guest Colunmist

T

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Courtesy of Tamika Whitenack

he familiar smell of butter and cocoa wafts through the air as I pull the loaf of chocolate zucchini bread out of the oven. After waiting for it to cool and taking a satisfactory number of photos, I cut a thick slice, smiling at the soft crumbs that indicate a tender cake.

How did we get here? Like many of my Vassar baking projects, this loaf is a variation on a recipe from home. When I’m in the mood to bake, I often turn to my group chat aptly labeled đ&#x;Ľ§đ&#x;‘Šđ&#x;?ťâ€?đ&#x;?ł. Created during my first year at Vassar, the chat consists of my mother, aunt, older sister and cousin.

Scrolling through the chat reveals a collection of recipes, food photos and tidbits of culinary advice.

In my pursuit of chocolate zucchini bread, I queried the chat, and shortly after, my mother sent a photo of our old recipe card. This is the typical routine for communication in our group chat—someone wants to make something, they ask for advice or recipe suggestions, everyone else chimes in with their contributions. Later, we share photos of the finished product.

For me, this chat functions as a treasure trove of delicious information and a meaningful link to far-away family.

People often ask me if I like to bake in order to destress. Rather, I choose to bake as a way to celebrate. Growing up in a family of proud bakers, I associate confectionary creation with happiness and accomplishment. Continuing my culinary habits at Vassar has allowed me to recreate the joy that I find in producing and sharing cookies, cakes and muffins.

Baking reminds me of home—childhood afternoons helping mix chocolate chip cookie dough, countless birthdays marked by strawberry shortcake and hours spent crafting hundreds of holiday cookies. I credit my family for my baking skills, and

each time I make something new at Vassar, it feels a little like a badge of family honor.

My mother takes her reputation as a good baker very seriously, and I’m trying my best to emulate her talents. Beyond the sense of pride I garner through baking, I cherish the tender sentimentality it evokes. The simple act of mixing butter and sugar, or of measuring flour and cocoa, reminds me of home and my role as a daughter, niece, sister and cousin. It can be easy to become caught up in my role as a student and allow my family to slide to the back of my mind. Baking is a means of maintaining that familial connection. Silly as it may sound, I believe I can capture their spirits, memories and love in a slice of chocolate zucchini bread.

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350ËšF. Grease and flour two loaf pans.

2. Cream the butter, then slowly add the sugar. Mix until combined. Beat in the eggs.

3. Stir in the vanilla and zucchini. The batter might look curdled; this is okay.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter, egg and zucchini mixture in alternating additions with the milk (add some of the dry ingredients, then some of the milk, then some of the dry ingredients, etc.).

If choosing to use chocolate chips, stir them in.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

7. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Enjoy!

Ingredients 12 tablespoons butter 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups grated zucchini 2 3/4 cups flour 1/2 cup cocoa 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

FEATURES

Page 12

Misc Quiz by Frankie Knuckles

submit to misc@vassar.edu

What kind of flatware are you?

February 21, 2019

Word

What organ would on the street you be willing to sell?

1. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Mostly A’s: Fork. You’re to a. I go brush my teeth. tally Type A, the person every b. I check the weather and plan my outfit. one comes to when they need

c. I troll the internet for the dankest memes. an opinion about any given “The skin is

d. I press snooze a time or two. topic. You’re somewhat utilitechnically an 2. How long does it take you to respond to a text/ tarian, but you also like to have organ, right?” email? fun when your work is done.

— Josie

a. Less than two minutes.

Focus your mental efforts on Schermerhorn ’21

b. Whenever I see it. occasionally chilling out.

c. Instantly if I like the sender. Like three weeks if Mostly B’s: Spoon. You’ve

ever, otherwise. got a well-rounded personality.

d. Long enough to formulate a thoughtful response.

You might not be the most pop3. If you could choose Global Kitchen’s menu, what ular person around, but you sort of cuisine would you want? are amazing, and we’d all be

a. Eating at Global takes too long, so I don’t really lucky to have you as a friend.

have an opinion.

You could improve your social

b. Whatever they called it with all the soups. skills a bit to connect more “Baroque organ.”

c. As many kinds of pasta as we can afford. with others.

— Paige

d. All breakfast all the time.

Mostly C’s: Knife. You really Anschutz ’21 4. How far in advance do you start doing your roasting people and makA Pirate's Life enjoy For Me homework? ing sarcastic, witty remarks.

a. The day it’s assigned or maybe the day after.

You tend to use brute force and

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Heart attacker(and fun, in the right context), 4. Rice-straw mat

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b. 5 p.m., the very beginning of the — Benji Mathot ’22 window. fact, you have a hard time with 16. Simmering rage 8. The best of the best

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Fast-talking salespeople 9. Blackcurrant liqueur and white

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

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February 21, 2019

OPINIONS

Page 13

The Miscellany News Staff Editorial

Project.Period integral in fight against prevailing pink tax I

magine finding out that, for the entirety of your adult life—and even before— you’ve been paying an invisible tax. This particular tax is unique: You don’t have to file a tax return or earn money to be required to pay it. All it takes is membership in a group you had no say in joining. While this mystery tax sounds invasive, even preposterous, it is in fact a painful reality for about half of the population.

The so-called pink tax refers to the extra charge levied against a myriad of products or services marketed for women—overall, about $1,351 more per year than men, accrued through the 42 percent of transactions that are unequal along gender lines (Listen Money Matters, “The Pink Tax– The Cost of Being a Female Consumer”).

A study by the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs found that products marketed to women or girls were seven percent more expensive than comparable products for men and boys (NYC Consumer Affairs, “From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer,” 12.2015). Fortunately, most products are almost indistinguishable regardless of the gender to which they are marketed. As a result, simply purchasing “men’s” products can help female consumers bypass the pitfalls of the pink tax.

There is one cost, however, that this strategy cannot resolve: the price of menstrual products.

For people who experience periods, these necessities can present a significant and inevitable financial burden. Thirty-six states charge between four and 10 percent

sales tax on these essential products, because they are considered “luxury items” (Boxed Wholesale, “What is Tampon Tax?”). Yet as anyone with a period knows, pads and tampons are hardly dispensable, and a lack of access can seriously disrupt daily life. Even purely on principle, the tax appears sexist and unjust, particularly when the law exempts vasectomies from sales tax (The Guardian, “The case for free tampons,” 08.11.2014). Moreover, the U.S. lags behind other developed countries on this issue. Canada nixed the tampon tax in 2015, sacrificing around $40,000 in annual tax revenue after a private bill received all-party support (SBS News, “Canada scraps ‘tampon tax,’” 07.01.2015), and countries around the world—including India, Australia and Colombia in 2018 alone— have done the same. Yet in the U.S., only nine states have outlawed the tax.

Even without the tax, the cost of menstrual products is steep, adding up over the approximately 500 periods that a menstruating person has in their lifetime (NetDoctor, “The menstrual cycle,” 10.03.2015).

Luckily, students at Vassar are ahead of the curve. Since 2016, Project.Period (P.P) has made free pads and tampons available to the campus with goals of increasing accessibility, relieving financial stress for low-income students and normalizing menstrual product use (The Miscellany News, “Project Period promotes menstrual product accessibility,” 04.12.2017).

According to Co-President Nitasha Giran ’20, P.P has experienced significant

change since its inception, when it was a project under VSA’s Health and Wellness Committee. Now a VSA org, P.P has expanded from stocking products only in residential houses to covering the entire campus, restocking on a weekly basis. In its newest development, P.P is working to become a chapter of PERIOD—a network of activists advocating for access to menstrual care—and is pursuing the possibility of sourcing products from the non-profit.

We at the Misc commend Project.Period’s continued efforts to ease monetary and logistical stressors for all menstruating students. In particular, P.P has been doing an excellent job keeping all of its bins stocked, even with over 40 distribution locations ranging from dorms and academic buildings to Baldwin and the AFC. Each bin features an appropriate mix of pads and tampons to cater to various preferences, and the products are high quality. For those who prefer a more sustainable solution, P.P debuted its menstrual cup initiative in 2018, during which they provided “pay what you wish” cups with a recommended price of $8 and subsidized the difference from their own budget. Students who missed the first call for cups can look forward to more opportunities to come: According to Giran, the org’s goal is to have a sale every semester, with one upcoming after spring break.

Although P.P is making impressive strides, one potential area to further improve accessibility is implementing bins in all bathrooms, including those designated as men’s. Giran recalled that P.P tried leav-

ing a bin in men’s bathrooms in Rocky and the Library, but the latter went missing and the former was never used. Nevertheless, we feel it would be beneficial to add a small supply of products in men’s bathrooms, as trans or gender-nonconforming students who menstruate may face discomfort looking for pads and tampons in buildings without gender-neutral bathrooms.

With schools such as Cornell and Brown also distributing free menstrual products and students at UPenn pushing for similar initiatives, its an exciting time for nationwide progress on this issue, and P.P represents an avenue for continued advancement in our own backyard (The Daily Pennsylvanian, “Penn lags behind in access to menstrual products. The UA wants to fix that,” 01.21.2019). As the org continues its efforts, we hope to see it maintain top-quality service at Vassar and deepen its connections to nationwide non-profits such as PERIOD. Beyond Vassar, we encourage students to push for abolition of menstrual product taxation by contacting their representatives. Most important, we urge everyone to bring light to the pink tax by circulating information and refusing to purchase products marked up along gender lines. Perhaps, with concerted efforts, we can someday live in a world where neither biology nor gender identity dictates the numbers on our supermarket bill.

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

New term dates burden traveling low-income students Kimberly Nguyen Guest Columnist

Y

Courtesy of Kimberly Nguyen

ou may have noticed a slight shift in the start and end dates of the last fall semester. To be exact, last semester began and finished exactly one week later than in previous years. This one week bump has forced students who live farther away to book tickets to and from Vassar during two major travel holidays. As a result, many students faced an increased cost of travel in the form of more expensive plane ticket prices, which may pose significant financial challenges.

For example, at the start of the 2017/2018 academic year, classes began one week before Labor Day (Vassar College Catalogue, “Academic Calendar,” 2017/2018). Since move-in weekend for upperclassmen is always the weekend before the start of classes, move-in weekend that year was also one week before Labor Day. This year, however, students were expected to move in during Labor Day weekend instead, as the first day of classes was also pushed one week later to the Tuesday after Labor Day. Pushing the date forward also meant that the last day of final exams for fall semester was Dec. 21, a mere four days before Christmas. Therefore, if you had a final on the very last day, your flight would have had to be booked on Dec. 22 or, at the earliest, the evening of Dec. 21. Finding an available ticket three days before Christmas is already a nightmare, but finding an affordable ticket is even worse.

Labor Day Weekend and Christmas are two major travel holidays for Americans.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), 35 million Americans were projected to have traveled on Labor Day in

The above table compares one-way plane ticket prices between the week before Labor Day and Labor Day Weekend as well as prices during dates approaching Christmas.

2018 (News 12 Long Island, “AAA: 35M Americans to travel for Labor Day weekend,” 08.21.2018). The AAA also estimated that 112.5 million Americans were projected to travel for Christmas 2018 (U.S. News & World Report, “112M Americans Expected to Travel for Christmas Season,” 12.19.2018). Being two of the busiest travel holidays of the year, prices for plane tickets during both of those times are more expensive than during non-peak travel times.

The cost of flights generally increase around the holidays, because airlines want to sell as many seats at the highest price possible. During the holidays, an increased number of people are trying to get home to loved ones and generally have time to do so. Not only does the demand for tickets increase, but travelers are also willing to pay more for

a ticket. As a result, airlines increase their prices to take advantage of these prime selling conditions to bring in maximum revenue (Cheap Air, “Air Fares 101 - Why do fares change all the time?” 04.19.2011).

I’ll use the next academic year as an example. As of Feb. 15, the lowest cost of a one-way ticket from my home in Omaha to New York the weekend before Labor Day weekend is $107. The lowest cost of a ticket during Labor Day weekend is $137. Similarly, a flight home for winter break also increases the closer you book to Christmas. In 2017/2018, the final exam period ended on Dec. 15. Next academic year, fall semester finals will end on Dec. 20. The cost of a flight on Dec. 16 from New York to Omaha as of Feb. 15 is $117, while a flight on the Feb. 21 costs $277. This problem is not a one-time occurrence. According

to the Vassar Academic Calendar, the same issue will occur next year as well. And if the College allows term dates that force students to purchase higher-priced tickets, this problem may become more frequent in the future.

The Vassar Financial Aid Office (FinAid) is unable to do anything about this issue as well. Last semester, I approached them to obtain additional aid for the cost of travel due to the semester dates, but they stated that they were unable to help, stating that the cost of travel is already budgeted in the financial aid award. However, while FinAid does figure travel into their calculation of your financial need, they did not account for this year’s increased cost of travel. The travel budget for my 2016/2017 aid award letter was the exact same as my travel budget for 2018/2019. If the College continues to burden students with increased cost of travel due to term dates, then they need to administer aid to those who cannot afford that extra expense.

The College is not unaware of the issue, either. In an email to the college on Sept. 13, 2018, Dean of Studies Ben Lotto even went so far as to bold “In particular, we will not reschedule any exams due to the increased cost of travel as we approach the holidays.”

Apparently, the College is aware of the increased cost to students but is unwilling to do anything about it.

Vassar cannot change the term dates without accounting for the jump in travel costs. If the College decides to start and end the term during expensive travel dates, then FinAid must accommodate the higher cost of traveling in their award calculations. And if FinAid is unwilling to accommodate the increased cost of travel, the college needs to consider more accessible start and end dates.

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

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

OPINIONS

Page 14

February 21, 2019

Dr. Phil peddles lies, manipulates guests for TV fame Jesser Horowitz Columnist

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and advertising dollars,” argued Mahaffa.

Her lawyers also stated, “Any reasonable person—let alone a clinical psychologist like Defendant McGraw—would immediately recognize that Ms. Mahaffa was a mentally-ill individual in crisis, not someone to be exploited on a national TV show” (Courthouse News).

This blunder is bad, but it is far from the most high-profile case of Phil McGraw exploiting someone’s mental health disability for his own benefit. In 2016, McGraw’s show tracked down famed actress Shelley Duvall, most well known for her work on films such as “The Shining” and “Popeye.” However, it became clear during their conversation that Duvall’s mental health had been deteriorating. The interview got slammed by the public for exploiting her mental illness for cheap laughs and ratings, and many people demanded that McGraw apologize to Duvall and her family. Vivian Kubrick, the daughter of Stanley Kubrick, wrote that the show was, “purely a form of lurid and exploitive entertainment.” Journalist Ronan Farrow tweeted seven times about the interview, which he called “shameless” (Variety, “Dr. Phil Shelley Duvall Interview Prompts Criticism for Ex-

Courtesy of Jerry Avenaim/Wikimedia Commons

s Phillip McGraw, or Dr. Phil, once stated, “Every choice you make—including the thoughts you think—has consequences. When you choose the behavior or thought, you choose the consequences.

If you choose to stay with a destructive partner, then you choose the consequences of pain and suffering. If you choose thoughts contaminated with anger and bitterness, then you will create an experience of alienation and hostility. When you start choosing the right behavior and thoughts—which take a lot of discipline— you’ll get the right consequences” (DrPhil. com, “Dr. Phil’s Ten Life Laws,” 07.13.2003).

McGraw is a television personality, selfhelp guru, author, entrepreneur and selfstyled mental health expert. Currently in its 16th season, the TV series that bears his name has aired well over 2,000 episodes and has gained immense popularity over the years. In August, his show celebrated a major achievement: It has ran 100 straight weeks as the number-one rated daytime talk show on television (Broadcasting Cable, “Syndication Ratings: Dr. Phil Hits 100 Straight Weeks as Top Talker,” 08.14.2018).

McGraw is, if nothing else, influential. And for good reason: He’s charming, down to earth, a straight shooter and has a talent for discussing difficult and upsetting topics, ranging from addiction to mental illness to crime, in a way that the layman can understand. He has built an incredible persona.

Sadly for Phil McGraw, however, every choice you make has consequences. If you drive drunk, you do so knowing full well that the risk is that you could get into an accident and seriously hurt someone. If you don’t study for an exam, then you implicitly accept the possible consequence of failing the course. And, if you run a beloved television series—one that provides to its viewers advice on a variety of mental health issues—and you choose to break the basic ethical code of your occupation, promote bad psychology, publicly humiliate vulnerable people and willfully put your guests’ health and safety at risk, then you choose the consequences of these actions. Specifically, you choose to be “Dr.” Phil McGraw, a fake psychologist and host of a pop-psychology program that actively hurts its guests and its viewers. Like McGraw, I believe you choose the consequences of your actions—he has made his bed; now the time has finally come for him to lie in it.

First, it’s important to understand that Dr. Phil is not a real doctor. While he does have a Ph.D. in psychology and used to have a license, he is no longer a licensed psychologist and cannot legally practice in the state of California, where he lives and films his show (Everyday Psychology, “Is Dr. Phil actually a psychologist?” 01.29.2008). Why did he leave the profession? We’re not sure, but his career was marred in 1988 by serious scandal. Sara Jane Morrison, a 19-year-old client of McGraw, alleged that he carried on an unprofessional sexual relationship with her, would touch her inappropriately and intentionally kept her “totally dependent” on him (Salon, “Who’s your daddy?” 11.25.2003).

The Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists investigated the accusations, along with claims that McGraw inappropriately provided her with part-time temporary employment while still carrying on a therapeutic relationship. Their findings never referenced the accusations of sexual misconduct, but they did discover that McGraw sustained an improper dual relationship

with Morrison by acting both as her therapist and employer. The Board issued him a letter of reprimand, assigned a psychologist to monitor his practice and required him to take an ethics class and a complete psychological evaluation (Casewatch, “Disciplinary Action against Phillip McGraw, Ph.D.,” 12.12.2009).

Whatever the reason may be, Phil McGraw is no longer a licensed psychologist, nor has he been for some time. McGraw told the American Psychological Association that he does not see himself as his guests’ therapist, and he does not consider what he does on his show to be psychology. He also doesn’t claim that his show is a serious substitute for therapy. He acknowledged, “We do not labor under the false impression that we are doing an eight-minute cure.” Instead, he believes that the series’ primary goal is to let people know that it’s okay to treat problems and get help and deliver understable information about how to live one’s life (American Psychological Association, “Behind the scenes of the Dr. Phil show,” 10.2006). That’s a fine goal, but Dr. Phil’s show regularly exploits people with serious mental illnesses and disabilities for financial and entertainment

Phil McGraw, or Dr. Phil, has committed various acts of deception throughout his career as a popular talk show host, such as setting up guests for public ridicule, promoting con artists and endorsing false advertisements for weight loss supplements. purposes. He humiliates his guests, many of whom he and his staff put in physical danger, as exemplified by the case of Kaden Mahaffa.

In 2019, Mahaffa filed a lawsuit against Phil McGraw and CBS after what she deemed to be a disastrous appearance on the show. According to the lawsuit, Mahaffa appeared on “Dr. Phil” in 2017 to seek help for her boyfriend, who had been abused by his family. Instead, after finding out in a preshow interview that she had been suffering from significant mental health disabilities, the show spent much of its time making fun of her mental health issues. Mahaffa now accuses McGraw of aggressively interrogating her and inviting the audience to laugh and jeer at her, causing such a significant mental breakdown backstage that she was involuntarily committed to a mental health facility.

Mahaffa claims that she still deals with harassment as result of the show to this day (Courthouse News, “Dr. Phil Guest Claims He Exploited Her Mental Illness for Profit,” 02.08.2019). “[Mr. McGraw is a] powerful Hollywood celebrity who uses his fame and credibility as a mental health professional to gain the trust of mentally-ill psychiatric patients, only to turn around and publicly humiliate them for the sake of good television ratings

ploitative Entertainment,” 11.18.2016).

In addition, his treatment of addiction is also horrendous. In one instance, Todd Herzog, a former winner of the hit reality television series “Survivor,” appeared on McGraw’s show in 2013 to discuss his drinking problem. However, he was so drunk that he had to be carried onto the set and lifted into a chair. Before you wonder why a supposedly trained psychologist did something so cruel as to put a man too drunk to walk on national television, first consider the horrendously immoral and unethical actions that led to this situation. According to Herzog, he was set up: His dressing room came with a full bottle of vodka. After drinking all of it, a staff member supposedly handed him a Xanax, which he took before he came on stage. Herzog also claimed that, when he appeared on the show again in 2014, he once again found vodka placed in his dressing room (STAT, “Dr. Phil says he rescues people from addiction. Others say his show puts guests’ health at risk,” 12.28.2017).

McGraw, of course, denied the allegations, but the claims are backed up by staff accounts. Leah Rothman, who accused McGraw of locking employees in rooms and screaming at them over leaks to the media, said that, “His primary interest was not

about helping people on the show, but rather, done for the sake of ratings and making money. Dr. Phil often embarrassed guests on his show in their darkest hour, leaving the staff to pick up the pieces of the broken people who had put their trust in Dr. Phil” (STAT).

In another case, Kaitlin King-Parrish appeared on the show in 2016, hoping that McGraw would help her with her heroin addiction. As a six-months pregnant mother, she expected the show to provide her with medical supervision for her detox. Instead, she was left to fend for herself. When Kaitlin tried to go to the hospital, she didn’t receive any attention from medical personnel, and ultimately left after waiting for four hours.

Then, a “Dr. Phil” staffer accompanied Kaitlin as she went into the city to buy heroin.

Before the show, staffers told Kaitlin’s mother not to question what McGraw tells her.

If she did, they warned her that McGraw may not provide her daughter the services she needed to recover. So, she shut up and let herself, her daughter and her unborn granddaughter be manipulated by a predator (STAT). McGraw abused his power over an addict and her family for ratings, and in doing so put not just Kaitlin’s life in danger but also the life of her unborn daughter.

That doesn’t even scrape the surface of the accusations of misconduct and bad psychology that have followed this man throughout his career. In 2012, he promoted the “psychic medium”—otherwise known as a fraud who exploits grieving people, kind of like our good friend Phil—John Edward on his show (Dr. Phil, Skeptics Beware: The Psychic Intuitives Are Here,” 08.02.2012). In 2003, his weight loss supplement line, “Shape Up,” resulted in a class-action lawsuit against him as well as an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for false-advertising (Los Angeles Times, “Class Status Sought for Dr. Phil Diet Case,” 08.03.2005). In 2008, a staffer for his show bailed out a Florida teeanger who brutally beat up another girl and posted the video on YouTube, just so that she could appear on his program (NY Daily News, “Dr. Phil staff bails out Florida girl charged in videotaped teen beating,” 04.14.2008).

In the era of of the #MeToo movement, it is time to call out all kinds of predators. McGraw is a predator, one who preys on vulnerable people who look to him for guidance.

He likes to tell his guests that they choose the consequences that come with their actions. Well, Phil, let’s look at your choices and your behavior throughout your long career. You chose to engage in an inappropriate relationship with a client, and thus, the consequence of getting yourself in serious trouble with Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. You chose to make a career humiliating mentally ill people on live television, and therefore chose the consequence of leaving them with emotional scars that may never heal. You chose to put addicts in serious danger, and chose the consequence of causing them severe injury. You chose to feature John Edward on your show, and thus the consequence of supporting a known swindler. You chose to peddle a fake weightloss supplement, and thus chose the consequence of a class-action lawsuit and federal investigation.

Phil McGraw has chosen to make the world a worse place. He has chosen to make a career exploiting and hurting people. In turn, we need to choose what the consequence for his actions will be. Will it be 16 more years of success, fame and money? Or, will it be finally getting what has been coming to him for a long, long time?

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

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

February 21, 2019

OPINIONS

Page 15

“How cute”: Obsessive infatuation promotes disrespect Steven Park

Opinions Editor [TW: This piece contains discussion of animal cruelty and abuse.]

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iven the current state of the world, things look rather bleak. The bad news never seems to end as stories about Washington’s noxious political gridlock dividing the nation or the latest act of violence tearing families apart continue to saturate the media and pile on top of each other like a towering mountain of garbage inside a landfill of misery. Meanwhile, the fear of unemployment and student debt likely looms over every anxious college student’s head like a thick, suffocating fog, reminding them of the painful uncertainty that awaits them after graduation. When the world seems daunting and too frightening to confront, many people will turn to one sure-fire remedy that will ease their worries: cute animals doing cute things.

In today’s troubling times, cuteness has dominated our society as a universal panacea for human distrust and bitterness. Whether it’s cute animals, cute babies or cute inanimate objects, countless people have flocked towards these simple comforts to drown themselves in that warm, fuzzy feeling. One of the most-watched videos on Facebook is a compilation from 2016 that features clips of cute babies playing with even cuter puppies.

That 52-second video has amassed over 360 million viewers to date—that’s more than the entire population of the United States (NBR, “Animal videos rule the internet, and are getting tons of views on Facebook,” 09.27.2017).

But despite how warm and cuddly we feel from this cuteness overload, a sinister darkness surrounds our obsession with “cute.”

We love seeing cute things, because they make us feel happy and safe. Sometimes, cuteness distracts us from the suffering and torment we experience in our lives. However, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of reality as we plunge into our own self-gratification. This is because perceiving something as cute is inherently condescending. It doesn’t matter if it’s done unintentionally or without any malicious intent—the perception of cute immediately establishes an unequal power dynamic in which one party finds amusement in the simplicity, naiveté or helplessness of the other party. By its very definition, “cute” serves as a label that characterizes the target as non-threatening or defenseless.

Speaking from a biological perspective, there is likely an evolutionary reason why we even experience this love of cuteness.

According to anthropologist Doug Jones, the common features that define cuteness—small snouts, high foreheads and large eyes—are associated with the facial features of juvenile animals caused by the natural arrangement of their soft and hard tissues.

Jones found that simply adjusting the shape of the face to fit this criteria made pictures of humans, animals and even cars look younger and cuter (ResearchGate, “Sexual Selection, Physical Attractiveness, and Facial Neoteny: Cross-cultural Evidence and Implications,” 12.1995).

In fact, zoologist Konrad Lorenz had introduced the term “baby schema” all the way back in 1943 to describe the facial features associated with cuteness. In his research paper, Lorenz argued that these characteristics trigger an innate biological mechanism within animals and humans that promotes caregiving and affection toward infants, a claim that has been backed by neuroimaging technology in 2009 (NCBI, “Baby schema in human and animal faces induces cuteness perception and gaze allocation in children,” 05.07.2014).

“So what?” you may ask. What’s the problem with calling cute things cute? A multitude of issues, actually. Because cuteness is directly linked with the image of juvenile helplessness, we are more likely to treat cute things carelessly without the serious respect that they deserve. As a result, “cute” fosters an arrogant sense of comfort and familiarity that erases all other attributes such as respect, recognition and dignity. In other words, we

“By its very definition, ‘cute’ serves as a label that characterizes the target as nonthreatening or defenseless.” end up treating cute things like toys.

Consider all the cute videos of exotic animals that you have seen online. Chances are that most of these animals suffer from abuse at the hands of their owners. For example, popular videos of slow lorises getting tickled on YouTube have garnered more than a million views, but those slow lorises are actually terrified and raising their arms in self-defense to expose the poisonous glands under their armpit, which lorises lick to deliver a toxic bite. Unfortunately, their teeth have been clipped out, leaving them helpless.

Furthermore, the demand for slow lorises as pets may drive them to extinction in five years (The Guardian, “There’s nothing cute about it. The animal stars of viral videos are being abused,” 10.30.2017).

There are countless other animals who suffer a similar fate: Bears who have likely been trained to walk like humans in inhumane “crush” farms, frogs and geckos photographed in funny poses but actually tied up in unnatural contortions using string, young dolphins dying from trauma due to being separated from their families in the wild, adorable tiger cubs locked up in freezers to sedate them...the list goes on (Independent, “Abused Tigers and Orphaned Elephants: The Cruel Truth Behind Animal Selfies,” 03.13.2017).

The popularity of these cute animals also fuels a huge network of illegal pet trades that kidnap exotic animals from the wild and place them into the hands of giddy owners, only to be tossed out a few months later. For instance, cute videos of mini teacup pigs have caused a tremendous rise of people buying them as pets, only for them to grow too big to handle. As a result, these wildly sought-after miniature pigs are dropped off at animal shelters that can’t reasonably take care of them (CBS 4, “Mini pigs seem cute at first, but they’re becoming a big problem for animal rescues,” 02.08.2019).

Right now, the Internet is going crazy over pet otters after one in Japan became a social media sensation. Their cuteness has sparked a mad rush for otter pets, with customers willing to pay thousands of dollars just to own one. According to a report on illegal pet trades by conservation organization TRAFFIC, smugglers sold at least 700 otters between January and May of 2018. One woman was detained at Thailand’s Don Mueang International Airport for attempting to smuggle 10 baby otters to Japan. Experts say that most of these pet otters will likely be poorly fed, forced to wear doll clothes and grow into aggressive adults that become destructive (National Geographic, “Wild otters are the latest exotic pet trend,” 01.10.2019).

And before you think that this gross mistreatment only happens to exotic animals,

consider the frightening number of animal cruelty investigations performed after footage of dog and cat abuse is revealed on social media. In one viral video, a dog dressed as a schoolgirl walking on its hind legs made tens of thousands of people coo as they retweeted the video with captions like “[T]his is the best thing I’ve seen today wow” (Buzzfeed News, “A Video Of A Dog Walking Like A Little Person Went Viral And Now Everyone’s Freaking Out,” 05.19.2017). Little did they know that the owner was secretly training the dog to stand on its hind legs by repeatedly beating it with a shoe (The Guardian).

But our obsession with cuteness doesn’t only affect animals; it influences how we view children, especially when we raise them. While many of us can’t help but say “aww” or “that’s so cute” when we see a young child stumble, hold hands, cry or ask a question, this mindset conveys to the child that we don’t view them with respect or as someone worthy of our serious attention.

Despite their carefreeness and innocence, children are humans who desire the same amount of dignity that we give to other adults. “Cute” sends them a disheartening message: Your passion, curiosity, kindness, intelligence, trust, anger and sadness will always be overshadowed by how ignorant and helpless you look. As educator John Holt states, “Much of what we respond to in children as cute is not strength or virtue, real or imagined, but weakness, a quality which gives us power over them or helps us to feel superior...Children understand this very well.

They are not at all sentimental about their own littleness. They would rather be big than little, and they want to get big as soon as they can” (The Natural Child Project, “On Seeing Children as ‘Cute,” 1974).

Unfortunately, our infatuation with cuteness can blind us to all the virtuous qualities of a child, focusing only on their physical appearance. According to a 1990 study by psychologists Katherine Karraker and Marilyn Stern, adults viewed cute infants much more positively than less-cute infants, making them vulnerable to biases in treatment and care (ResearchGate, “Infant Physical Attractiveness and Facial Expression: Effects on Adult Perceptions,” 12.1990).

“As a result, ‘cute’ fosters an arrogant sense of comfort and familiarity that erases all other attributes such as respect, recognition and dignity.”

Other researchers have pointed out that “cuteness discrimination” is a serious issue.

Studies have shown that cute babies are more likely to be adopted, receive preferential treatment and obtain maternal love than those born with a physical anomaly like a cleft chin. As a result, the infants deemed less cute are more likely to experience adverse outcomes in child development, including cognitive problems (Vox, “Babies’ cuteness is key to their survival. What happens when they’re not that cute?” 06.08.2016). This problem negatively impacts children with Down syndrome in particular, who receive less favorable treatment as they grow up and lose the cuteness that had shielded them from ridicule (The Washington Post, “What happens when my child with Down syndrome isn’t cute anymore?” 10.25.2016). Cuteness defines

the children who are cute and brutalizes the children who are not.

But this begs the question: Where will our obsession with cuteness take us if we don’t stop it? Surprisingly, an answer may already exist in plain sight. Japan, the island country responsible for the aforementioned otter pet craze, has a complicated relationship with the concept of cuteness. In Japan, much of what you see is dominated in “kawaii” culture—everything from pink stationary to maid cafes is drenched in the country’s reverence for everything adorable. For some, this element of their culture represents a celebration of positivity and youth. As one female Japanese bar owner attests, “It’s never bad...Kawaii is kind of the best compliment around Japanese people, especially girls and women. They really like kawaii stuff and things” (Digg, “What’s Behind Japan’s Obsession With Cuteness?”

07.19.2016). However, many others have criticized a major flaw with the country’s infatuation with cuteness: its extremely lopsided treatment of women.

According to the 2017 World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 114 out of 144 countries in terms of gender equality, largely due to the low proportion of women in the workforce (World Economic Forum, “The Global Gender Gap Report,” 2017). But despite the economic problems caused by this unequal power dynamic, Japan’s “kawaii” culture actively hinders progress in this front because “kawaii” has come to define femininity: vulnerable, weak and powerless...but cute.

Above all, it forbids a woman from challenging the authority of a man. As a result, many Japanese women have ultimately embraced this unfortunate worldview by playing dumb, clumsy and clueless to gain approval. A third of Japanese women aspire to be housewives, and over 70 percent quit their jobs once they have children (Medium, “Japan Has a Cute Problem,” 12.11.2014).

During one interview, Akie Abe, the 54-year-old wife of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stressed how pressure from men to prioritize cuteness over capability is currently holding back Japanese women.

She stated, “Men’s thinking has not changed.

Japanese men tend to prefer cute women over capable and hardworking women. So women try to appear to be the type that men like. Even very talented women put on cutesy ways” (Bloomberg, “Cute ‘Kawaii’ Culture May Be Holding Back Japan’s Women,” 12.07.2016).

Abe’s words may strike a chord with many working Japanese women. Across all fields, including the social sciences, a measly 15.3 percent of Japanese researchers are women.

Parents actively discourage their daughters from pursuing science because it would lead to reduced job and relationship opportunities. In 2011, it was revealed that Tokyo Medical University had purposefully deducted exam marks from female applicants to keep them out (Nature Index, “Lost in Japan, a generation of brilliant women,” 08.24.2018).

While widely celebrated, the country’s obsession with cuteness has done its fair share of harm to its inhabitants as well. The same may happen in the United States if we similarly choose to overindulge in cuteness.

Ultimately, the perception of cuteness is too nebulous and intertwined with personal circumstances for one to judge objectively.

Depending on each person’s interpretation, “cute” can be a harmless term of endearment or a condescending, patronizing label that perpetuates a mindset of severe inequality.

However, whether we like it or not, we cannot ignore the lasting damages that its extensive use may cause.

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

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

HUMOR & SATIRE

Page 16

February 21, 2019

Breaking News

From the desk of Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Editor

Sex dungeon found in Main: Security has yet to identify participants, but they know elbow fetishes were involved Epic poem consisting of epic(?) Donald Trump Tweets Izzy Migani

Tariffs will make our country much richer than it is today. Only fools would disagree They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people, she correctly said no Collusion is not a crime, but that doesn’t matter because there was no collusion End this nightmare of poverty, hunger and death. LET YOUR PEOPLE GO The Democrats in Congress yesterday were vicious and totally showed their cards This Witch Hunt must end!

The United States has a great economic story to tell very proud To start off, here’s a list of criminals that law enforcement has to apprehend Will be going to Iowa tonight for Rally, and more- the farmers (and all) are very happy Thank you Minnesota - I love you!

Jobless Claims fell to their lowest level in 49 years!

It was my great honor to host today’s Inaugural Meeting and happy constitution day too!

The Wall Street Journal has it wrong, we are under no pressure The Economy is soooo good, perhaps the Nation’s best Wow, NFL first game ratings are way down over an already really bad last year The Fake News gets crazier and crazier take some days off and get some rest!

I have arrived in Scotland A recent Emerson College ePoll said we are better off under Trump I am in Brussels, but always thinking about our farmers The United States has never been a dump!

Twitter, @ @@ realDonaldTrump

Twitter Analyst

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Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

hey should not have taken large amounts of money from a Crooked Hillary source When Clinton was under investigation by the FBI I never called his wife a loser to him (another McCabe made up lie) The Washington Post is a Fact Checker only for the Democrats You can’t trust the media at all Democrats are becoming the Party of Open Borders and Crime BUILDING THE WALL! The Left has become totally unhinged. They no longer care what is Right!

There are now 77 major or significant walls built Love our farmers, love Tennessee - a great combination!

People are spending so much time on Presidential Harassment and political guilt The United States loses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA Close the Southern Border. Bring our car industry back This isn’t about the Wall, everybody knows that a Wall will work perfectly CNN & others within the Fake News Universe were going wild about my signing a MAGA hat The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax started as the “insurance policy” A REAL scandal is the one sided coverage of Saturday Night Live For the record, there were MANY people who wanted to be the Chief of Staff In the world. I want clean air and clean water We need to put that wall in overdrive!

Oh, I get it! I am a very good developer, happily living my life I decide to run for President & continue to run my business-very legal & very cool While the disgusting Fake News is doing everything within their power not to report it that way Very disappointed with General Motors and their CEO, Mary Barra, for closing plants in Ohio like a fool The New York Times did a phony story, as usual I can’t imagine any President having a better or closer relationship with their Vice President than us two A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN HISTORY! Facebook has just stated that they are setting up a system to “purge” themselves of Fake News Democrats feeling blue!

The radical left lawyers want the FBI to get involved NOW When will Republican leadership learn that they are being played like a fiddle The White House is running beautifully. We are making some of the greatest and most important deals Pictured above is Donald Trump. He is speaking, which is very interesting because I don’t think the Border Committee is being allowed by their leaders to make a deal- the Trump normally tweets his policies. It is important to note that everything in money they are being offered is very little this picture is on fire. That is because the world is on fire. Climate change is real.

“JYA-er” divulges how “great” it is to “actually” be abroad Submitted by Blair Webber over email from a faraway place

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very week, a different student writes about their incredible experiences studying abroad. Living in a foreign country, or even just leaving Vassar for another part of the United States, seems to give everyone so much perspective and so many great opportunities or whatever. Well, I’m facing new challenges and growing and changing, too, because I’m also abroad this semester, and it’s wonderful and everything is perfect. It’s PERFECT. It’s possible that many of you read my articles every week and are wondering why I didn’t mention this sooner. The answer is: I don’t need to tell everybody I’m abroad to feel validated in my experiences.

I know my time abroad is happening because I’m living it vicariously and freely, so suck it to all of you still stuck at school.

My study abroad experience is completely flawless, and I’m going to return to campus a completely changed person and make everything better at Vassar because of it.

Those of you who are claiming that you’ve seen me at the Goose (Gordon Commons? Deece?) this semester are probably wondering where exactly in the world I am. That’s not really any of your business, but let me tell you it’s the most beautiful, secluded, scenic farm wilderness retreat within a ten-minute walk of a major metropolis/world-renowned city. I spend my days with my host family tending to the crops and livestock and climbing through the snow-filled mountains to find waterfalls that overlook the warm, inviting ocean, but I’m still close enough to other university students that I never feel alone and always have people to go out with on the weekends.

Speaking of friends, I’ve made so many friends that you wouldn’t believe it. I’ve fallen in love with seven different people, and we’re all going to get married to each other and live happily ever freaking after.

So yeah, I’d say my semester away is pretty

darn great. I am never lonely.

I’ve achieved so many of my linguistic goals because I’ve been extremely close to a major urban area. Not only have I learned to speak every single language in the world, but I also haven’t spoken a word of English since I arrived. What’s more, I’m not even tired of not speaking English.

Living my whole entire day in my second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelvefth and so on languages is easy and not even a little exhausting. I feel so cosmopolitan, and I’m such a good citizen of the world that it doesn’t bother me to completely abandon my native language forever. Look how much I’ve broadened my horizons.

You’re probably wondering why I have not included any pictures with this article.

If the place where I’m studying abroad is so amazing, why would I not take any pictures? It’s definitely because I value experiencing life through the lenses of my eyes

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

and not the lens of my phone or camera, and it’s not because I’m still at Vassar trying really hard to write a compelling thesis statement for my German Cinema paper. I just like to live in the world.

It feels more authentic to remember it and tell you all about it with my words rather than in pictures that are basically processed reality. Why do you want to see where I’m studying abroad so badly anyway? Get your own incredible place to study abroad.

Well, that’s about as much time as I have to write this. I’m too busy going on life-altering adventures to spend more time on this article. In the meantime, if anyone who’s still on campus has seen my VCard, I definitely didn’t lose it myself because I’m not there, but the last place someone who isn’t me remembers having it is between Main and the Goose, so if you find it please return it.

Much love, Blair

February 21, 2019

HUMOR & SATIRE

Page 17

Hot take: College kids are babies who need help pooping Ivanna Guerra

Ultimate Giant Baby

I

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

know what you were thinking right before you came to Vassar: “I’m an adult with adult responsibilities and adult stamina! I can handle anything!” You thought that you had the world at your feet and that you were capable of handling anything— even those stressful midterms and finals.

You really thought you were above the legendary test anxiety, but as soon as the tide got a bit too strong, you wished you can take back those comments and return to childhood—protected in the arms of your parents.

In reality, college is not a time to grow, but a time to long for a much simpler time, where all we had to worry about was eating, sleeping and pooping. College, although a pivotal period in our lives, can make the strongest of us a bunch of giant babies. I have proof.

First of all, we are always crying. We need a hug; we cry. We are hungry; we cry. We need to be burped; we cry. We are frustrated; we cry. Point is, we cry all the time! (I’m clearly using “we” because I don’t want to admit “we” is actually “I,” but I will overlook that.) To be honest, I don’t think any of us have cried so much, even when we were babies! We even host our own crying parties, bottles included! Tears are scientifically proven to be great stress relievers. They release toxins that make us feel all icky and gross. That is why many of us prefer to cry instead of doing yoga.

Second, if we are not in public, then we

Here is Francis Frankold Fulger ’21, your basic Vasssar College student. He has resorted back to his childlike state after a really tough midterm. Now he poops his pants and has constant temper tantrums, just like the rest of the student body. are surely in our jammies. There is really no need to go out in actual pants if we are not seeing important adults. If you are anything like me, you actually wear onesies— the more children’s characters on them, the better! Also, it sometimes becomes so cold in our dorm rooms that we need attire that will keep us from losing a toe or two. From experience, I can tell you that onesies are perfect for insulating heat. They are also so cozy, almost like getting a big bear hug!

Speaking of hugs, we really need to be

cradled and held. I read on Facebook the other day—so it has to be true—that we need about four hugs a day to survive. Just like we need to eat good food, we need good hugs, because it is good for our mental health to be physically close to people.

Thus, next time you see someone struggling in the library, ask them if they want a hug, and just hold them for a little bit. Give them a giant cuddle equivalent to four cuddles!

“All-nighters,” you ask? We practically

HOROSCOPES

invented them at birth. Like babies, we are often up all night, planning mischievous antics. To be honest, most of the time, we just need something, like food. Our student fellows often find us banging the walls of our enclosures, wailing for attention. They have to bring us food and wave a nice stuffed animal to get us to relax and calm down (Student fellows are just great caretakers. We don’t deserve them).

To avoid waking up early in the morning, we like to have storytime right before bed, because why do your readings in the middle of the day when you can do them in the middle of the night?! They are often just as terrifying as the Grimm fairy tales. We really like to dial up the scary factor by waiting just before the night the readings are due to complete them!

But if we do have to stay up all night, there is nothing that a nap can’t do to make us feel better. Truth is, college students usually get the recommended three naps a day for newborns. You can catch us snoozing all over campus. Just wait until it gets warm enough outside, and you will see all of campus catching some zzz’s on the quad!

Thus, these and many more factors make us abnormally large babies. College teaches us that we must return to the basics of survival, like remembering to sleep and eat (and poop). Self-care in college is really about learning to baby-sit yourself. So remember that the next time you are freaking out over assignments! Ask yourself, “If I were a newborn, what would I need right now?” And then just do that!

Hannah Gaven

amateur astrologist

ARIES

March 21 | April 19

TAURUS

April 20 | May 20

GEMINI

May 21 | June 20

CANCER

June 21 | July 22

LEO

July 23 | August 22

VIRGO

August 23 | September 22

I’ve become addicted to almond milk in hopes of bonding with my sister, but she still doesn’t call me…Unrequited love sucks.

Don’t put up with it. Steal all of their underwear so they have to pay attention to you.

I like shaving my legs. They are all soft and smooth. When I stroke them, it’s like petting an eel who is my best friend. I recommend shaving your legs and then rubbing them against all of the furniture in your room.

Papers often have vague prompts. Take advantage of this by writing your snazzy opinion on BDSM, Amy Schumer, pudding or pillow princesses like I did. I follow the philosophy that if it’s memorable enough you’ll pass.

If you feel the need to cheat on a test, then do it. What’s the worst that will happen? Maybe you’ll be kicked out of school. Oh well. At least you didn’t waste a bunch of time studying.

Sometimes you need a good cry. Just let it out on the Misc. This issue was made to be your tissue. Wipe that snot away. People will judge you, but at least it’s relatable.

Washington state is the best state. You can fight me about it. We legalized marijuana, wear Birkenstocks with socks and have a measles outbreak. If you’re vaccinated, come visit over spring break.

LIBRA

September 23 | October 22

SCORPIO

October 23 | November 21

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 | December 21

I’m kind of busy, so you’ll just get a basic horoscope this week. If you search, you will find what you truly desire. Be conscious about money this week because you mayight have intrapersonal struggles.

The Rorschach inkblot test tells me everything I need to know about someone. Take some time looking at inkblots this week. My grading scheme is if you see people, you will join a cult. If you see weapons, you probably have a foot fetish.

I’m a big fan of the wall twerk. Not only does it take significant skill, but it’s also probably the coolest mating dance I’ve seen. Spend time watching other species’ mating dances, and then use those to create your own. It’ll be a big hit at parties.

Unfollow everyone you dislike on social

CAPRICORN media but are usually too lazy to unfollow.

December 22 | Make sure you comment on their most recent January 19 post that you no longer care to see their dumb post, so they can feel your wrath.

AQUARIUS

January 20 | February 18

PISCES

February 19 | March 20

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

It’s time to smile because things are looking up for you. I told you to smile. Why aren’t you smiling? If you don’t smile, you will be smited.

Shout your worries into the wind. It won’t actually do anything, but at least you tried.

Maybe the wind will shout back at you.

Wouldn’t that be scary if the wind became conscious?

SPORTS

Page 18

February 21, 2019

Why We Play Special Edition: Louie Brown of men’s rugby Louie Brown

Guest Contributor

I

“When I play rugby, every part of my body is in perfect communication, with the world thundering on around me.”

In high school, when I was a wrestler, my dad was the parent who came to see me wrestle. My mom always said that it would have scared her too much to watch (I love my mom so much), but my dad would come and see me be a competitor and an athlete every now and again. He never got to see me play rugby, outside of a few highlights and a recording of one game I showed him from freshman year to help teach him the game. I think that he really would have loved to see me play. I would have loved to play for him, but it just didn’t work out.

It didn’t even occur to me during freshman year to ask my parents to come up from Philly to watch me play, and in sophomore fall they never had the free time. In sophomore spring my dad was too deep into chemo to make the four-hour trip from Philly to Vassar. In junior fall we’d already abandoned chemo and had gone all-in on a

Courtesy of Louie Brown

used to have this daydream all the time over this past summer, the summer before my last Fall season with Vassar Rugby.

I think it was one of those things that any competitive person can’t help but think about. Sitting outside in an Adirondack chair at the summer camp where I was working, I’d drift forward a few months from the sweet, soft grass under my toes to the crunch of a cold rugby pitch collapsing under my cleats. I’d picture myself and my team playing in our conference championships, burning for a repeat win from last year.

The game would be close. Really close.

So close that I’d end up making some miracle, game-winning play. It didn’t matter what that play was, just that it would be glorious. And after scoring the game-winning try or tackle or whatever, I’d picture myself dropping to my knees and weeping—because I won it all for my dad.

clinical trial. He was struggling just to get out of the house. In junior year, before the spring season started, he died—exactly a year ago, on Feb 21, 2018.

I like to think that my dad was the same kind of athlete that I am. The Larry Brown that I knew was the most patient and kind man that I’ve ever known, but I like to imagine that when he played basketball at Caltech, he’d unleash himself in the same way that I do when I play rugby. I picture him finishing his pregame warmups with the same gentle smile that I spent 21 years seeing on his face. The moment the game begins, he drops the smile and taps into an intense power planted somewhere deep in his core. He forgets about everything outside the court and just plays. This is the sort of athlete that I am, so I like to think that this is the sort of athlete that he was, but I don’t think I’m right.

Feb. 21, 2018 was the warmest February day ever recorded in Philly—the high was 77 degrees. The warm asphalt of our driveway soothed my bare feet as my family and I stood together while the funeral drivers arrived, zipped him up, and took my dad away from his home of 21 years for the last time. I waited until the hearse had made its clunky K-turn out of our driveway and disappeared down the street. And when it had gone past I turned my inner-eye to see its path and lost myself in the fearsome wave of emotion that I saw.

That night, I wrote the eulogy that I’d been holding in my head for years. Words that I’d worked so hard to ignore after each moment in the onslaught of bad news and failed medicine and declining conditions flowed out of my head and down my spine.

The words came rushing out of my hands and onto the computer keys. The words fled out of my eyes in my tears and my snot and my slobber. The words descended into the earth out of my footsteps—footsteps that were the footsteps of someone who mourned for the end of the world which was his father, but that were also the footsteps of someone who would never again have to see his father alive but decayed.

When I write, I think of my dad.

When I play rugby, I forget about my dad.

I don’t really remember any of the games of rugby that I’ve played, not for the most part. I’m pretty sure that’s got nothing to do with the game itself: I’ve never even

Senior rugby player Louie Brown (Philadelphia, PA) fights through a tackle in a game last year against Union College. In a special edition of the Misc’s “Why We Play” feature, Brown reflects on playing rugby after the passing of a loved one. been officially concussed! Every game of rugby is eighty minutes of my life that are too intense to be recorded into memory, so instead I have the privilege of knowing how those eighty minutes make me feel.

When I play rugby, every part of my body is in perfect communication, with the world thundering on around me. My interactions with the planet are more honest: Every tackle makes me appreciate how soft the ground can feel or curse how much it hurts to land the wrong way. My energy is sucked up and shared with the energy of my teammates. We are all giving everything that we have for each other, and in the polymerization of our spirits while our bodies scrum and ruck and tackle and stumble around, we turn emotion into energy, all working to push the ball forward one meter at a time.

When I play rugby, I forget about my dad.

I have been dreading this week for a year, and I think that I will dread it again every year for the rest of my life. But I wanted to write something for my dad to mark the occasion. I’d been thinking about writing a submission for the Misc’s “Why We Play” series on student-athletes, and so I got to thinking about why I play rugby, and so I got to where we are now, on this page. For as much as I daydreamed about the Hol-

lywood moment, winning the championship “for” my dad, that is not the kind of competitor that I am. I don’t play rugby because it makes me forget about my dad, and I don’t play rugby because I want to forget about him.

The best thing that I got from my Virginia Woolf seminar last semester was a little quote I copied down from her autobiography, “A Sketch of the Past.” “We—all human beings,” she wrote, “are connected with this; that the whole world is a work of art; that we are parts of the work of art. We are the words; we are the music; we are the thing itself.”

When I play rugby, I am the thing itself.

The vibrancy of the work of art that is the world erupts around me in thuds and grunts and gushes through me in my blood.

It builds and builds and builds, thriving off of the pain and the exhaustion and the fear and the pleasure. The life of the game envelops me, and it is more beautiful because this world is also the dulled world that my dad does not live in. When the final whistle is blown and the world outside of the field rematerializes, it always feels more alive.

I don’t play rugby because it makes me forget about my dad. I don’t want to forget about my dad. I just play rugby because it makes me feel good.

Brewers basketball programs honor graduating seniors Kelly Pushie

Guest Reporter

E

Courtesy of Nick Jallat

ight Vassar basketball seniors played their final regular season games in the AFC this past weekend. For the men’s team seniors, games on Friday and Saturday would be the last two games of their careers, while the women’s team, despite dropping both their games, have earned a spot in the Liberty League postseason.

Both Brewers teams celebrated their seniors, honoring the leaders who have put in countless hours of work and dedication to their respective programs over the past four years. On the women’s team, three seniors—Julia Roellke, Maddie Leong and Maeve Sussman—were honored before their game against Ithaca. The men’s squad celebrated their five seniors—Steve Palecki, Paul Grinde, Mason Dyslin, Chris Gallivan and Alex Seff—before the final game of their collegiate careers.

Vassar men’s basketball’s Class of 2019, from left to right: Chris Gallivan, Mason The women’s team has performed stelDyslin, Alex Seff, Steve Palecki and Paul Grinde, alongside Head Coach Ryan Mee. larly all season, much of which is owed to the dedication of its seniors. Senior Maddie

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Leong, who leads the team in assists, reflected over email on her time wearing the burgundy and grey: “Playing basketball at Vassar has taught me so much. It has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but so worth it,” Leong said. “I have never been closer to one group of people than my teammates here.”

Leong explained that her Vassar basketball career was so much more than just playing in games or practices. “Some of my favorite memories are getting ice cream on Sundays after we sweep the weekend, our 16-game winning streak, and 7 a.m, lifts.”

For Leong and her senior teammates, however, the season isn’t over yet. Coach Candace Signor-Brown’s team is still in contention for the Liberty League title after beating Skidmore on Tuesday, Feb. 19 in the first round of the conference tournament.

The Brewers had bested Skidmore in both previous matchups this season, and Leong was confident in the team. “[We’re just] focusing on ourselves and doing all the little See SENIOR DAY on page 19

February 21, 2019

SPORTS

Page 19

On Senior Day, graduating bball players reflect on careers [reaching 1,000 points] that much better because they’re a very good team with another really good senior class. We’ve been competing with those guys since freshman year, and it was good to get two wins this year against them,” Grinde said.

Fellow senior Steve Palecki explained in an email why his experience as a student-athlete at Vassar has been incredible.

“Playing basketball at Vassar has meant everything to me. It has taught me so many life values that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” Palecki noted. “The bonds I have formed with my teammates by going through shared experiences on and off the court is the best thing that could have happened to me. I have formed lifelong friends through Vassar basketball and owe it to the journey we have been on these past four years.”

Grinde reiterated this sentiment.“I’ve made memories that will last me a lifetime.

There have been some serious ups and downs in my basketball career here, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates and coaches over my four years,” Grinde noted. “I couldn’t have asked for a better class to be a part of than the class of 2019. Those guys are my brothers and will be friends for life.”

Both Palecki and Grinde cited team trips (to Puerto Rico, Memphis and Barcelona) that the team embarked upon as some of their favorite memories from their time as Brewers. However, it is not just these unforgettable trips that will stick. Palecki explained that some of the images he’ll remember most are less remarkable and more quotidian, such as spending time

Courtesy of Nick Jallat

SENIOR DAY continued from page 18 things we can control to get the dub.” It is clear that Leong is not ready to hang up her Brewers uniform just yet, and she is planning on leaving it all on the court with the rest of her teammates.

Another senior, Sussman—a consistent performer for the Brewers who appeared in every game last year—suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the season.

Although Sussman was unable to compete in her final season, she still found ways to contribute to the success of the group.

“Staying an active member of the team with my injury has been a really difficult task. I’ve had to adjust the way I see myself and lead,” Sussman admitted. To remain involved, Sussman has been tracking statistics in practices, using that information to figure out areas in which the team needs to improve. The senior also works with other members of the team on a more personal level, giving them feedback and encouraging them. “As hard as it’s been, I’m still so invested in my team’s success, and it’s great to see it from a new perspective,” Sussman commented.

The men’s team, led by first-year Head Coach Ryan Mee, got off to an exciting start to the weekend, winning an exciting and high-scoring double overtime win against Hobart. The Brewers put up 104 points in the victory and displayed enough resilience to secure the back-and-forth game.

In an email, senior Paul Grinde, who joined the coveted 1,000-point club during the Hobart game, cited the win as one of his favorite memories from his four years with the Brewer program. “Beating Hobart made

Women’s basketball seniors (from left to right: Maddie Leong, Julia Roellke and Maeve Sussman) pose with their families and Vassar Head Coach Candace SignorBrown before their Senior Day game against Ithaca. Ithaca would win, 64-55. with the team in the locker room before practice or going to the Deece together. “It is in these little moments where you realize just how much you appreciate the people around you and have the ability to grow closer together,” Palecki stated.

The forward continued to explain that it was the people who made his experience so memorable. “The four other seniors have allowed me to grow more as a person—[they] maybe annoy me a little sometimes, but [they’ve] been there with me as I have developed into a person I am happy to be,” Palecki said. “At the end of my bas-

ketball career with them, I know they have cared for me when I needed it just as I have for them. That is what’s important to me. I wouldn’t change a thing about my past four years.”

The life of a student-athlete can be a difficult one, but for these eight members of the class of 2019, all the late-night practices, early morning lifts and hours upon hours of extra time put in were completely worth it.

Listening to the seniors, it is clear that they have made memories that will last them a lifetime and that they have gained lifelong friendships along the way.

FanTAstic rises victorious from rubble of 3-0n-3 tourney

Talya Phelps/The Miscellany News

3-ON-3 continued from page 1 er hop step followed by a gather jump and then a pivot—committed by senior Emmett O’Malley of Stay Humble—went unnoticed.

(Rumor has it NBA Referee Twitter has already supported the no-call.) Finally, consumed by the frenetic, entropic play, junior Hunter Gettings of FanTAstic screamed out, “Love the intensity but if we don’t tone it down, we’re gonna have a problem!”

There was plenty of reason to tone it down. Before the tournament started, Assistant Athletic Director Mike Callahan warned the mostly first-year intramural supervisors that, “In the semi-finals last year, we had guys basically tackling each other.” Even after being eliminated, junior Dane Marshall of SATs stayed close by to prevent things from getting testy. “Yeah, Mike wanted me to stick around should that situation present itself again. I brought my whistle just in case.”

This is where I point out that I was practically living out every sports journalist’s dream. Button-up professionals like Zach Lowe or Kevin Arnovitz may claim to prefer breaking down how the finer points of attacking weak side help defense with the pick and roll, but I promise you they’d rather cover the fight seen from Slap Shot or scream the poetically alliterative damnation, “DOUBLE DOINK!” Around 4:15 p.m., the action began. SAT’s took the early win over first-year-laden squad BIGBALLERZ. However, both found early exits in the loser’s bracket. FanTAstic won their first bout over Woha but was overpowered by All Hail Zion. In the loser’s bracket, FanTAstic found their groove. They rattled off three straight wins, defeating BB’s, Woha and, avenging their earlier loss, All Hail Zion. Their perfect record in the loser’s bracket secured them a spot in the champi-

Junior Mack Liederman of FanTAstick drives against Stay Humble’s Winston Bailey in the finals of the intramural 3-on-3 basketball tournament. FanTAsticks would win the intense final match up, 11-8. onship game against Stay Humble.

This is, dear reader of DIII intramural drama, where we enter into a little bit of faux journalistic paradoxia. Stay Humble, the favored and even feared number one seed, included two Miscellany News staff members: columnist, Emmett O’Malley and my sports editor, Myles Olmsted. You would think it would be in my interest to root for the team whose player is editing the piece you are

reading at this moment. However, Mack Liederman, Senior Editor of the paper, was on opposing FanTAstic. The true trial that day was maintaining my journalistic empiricism with so much on the line.

The action was tight from the gates.

O’Malley shot one from deep and got the friendly roll to tie it up 4-4. From there, scoring ground to a halt. Olmsted got a timely steal but Stay Humble couldn’t capitalize.

After a series of errant plays, an unidentified spectator heckled, “Y’all tired? that must be it.” The teams battled their way to 11 when, finally, junior Owen Murray of FanTAstic got a strong lay-up to win it.

The action wasn’t over. Stay Humble hadn’t lost a match-up yet, so FanTAstic had to win twice to earn the title. The stage was set for the championship game. “This [is] all the excitement you could ever dream of,” exclaimed first-year Sulekh Fernando-Peiris.

“Now it’s the actual championship game,” veteran first-year intramural referee Max Swan noticed insightfully.

Game two began with a reverse layup

by Liederman, who followed the bucket up with a nasty steal off the inbound, which he turned into a pocket pass assist to Murray.

Stay Humble responded with a corner two coming off a half-spinning O’Malley chest past. They promptly followed it up with a two from Olmsted. After answering with a two-point bucket, Liederman yelled, “Who’s on the fucking court now!” Evidently, not Liederman, who called for a sub just after.

Stay Humble responded with a now-patented Olmsted corner two. Murray came back with a strong drive but got hacked on the way. Someone from the crowd yelled out, “He need some milk!” The will to win was infinite on both sides. At one critical point, Vassar faculty partner and Old School leg-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

end Winston Bailey took it to the hoop. FanTAstic called a travel on the play, Stay Humble disputed, and the tension boiled. Bailey wasn’t satisfied: “Where am I traveling to?” he probed.

Down 9-8, Liederman stepped back in with his team up one. At the top of the key, O’Malley had the ball matched up on Murray.

He drove hard to the rim but coughed up the ball. It bounced amid the scrum, but Winston pounced on it and called a timeout. Up one and playing to 11, FanTAstic needed just one two-pointer to end it. Twice they dished to an open Liederman, but he couldn’t hit the dagger. “I was a little cold, they were begging me to shoot...but I missed a couple.”

So there he was, standing precariously between out of bounds and the two-point line.

Liederman collected the ball, let it fly and watched his uncontested game winner sink through the hoop. FanTAstic were champions.

Liederman went to shake his fellow writer O’Malley’s hand. Maybe there was smack talk exchanged, maybe there wasn’t. Someone thought they heard Liederman say, “See you next year,” striking a chord with the senior O’Malley, and in the agony of defeat, a hold-me-back moment ensued. O’Malley gave Liederman an open-palm shiver, and the two were separated.

After the fallout, the champions rejoiced.

“We came here for one thing. I think everyone knows what that one is,” Liederman boasted. “I put in too many hours of work to miss three straight threes, and we’re champions.” I asked Murray, a former Vassar varsity athlete, where this placed in his athletic accomplishments. “Is this the pinnacle of your athletic achievement?” I inquired. He responded, “By far, no question, no further questions.”

SPORTS

Page 20

February 21, 2019

Amanda Su, Rowing

Why We Play Amanda Su

Guest Contributor

A

Courtesy of Haley Kardek

s a born and raised city girl, I never imagined myself to be a collegiate rower at Vassar College. Coming from Jakarta, Indonesia, I had lived most of my life in a concrete jungle where my landscape consisted of skyscrapers and villages scattered across a congested metropolis. Much of the population did not have access to clean water, let alone rivers and natural lakes to engage in recreational sports. Ironically, living in the largest archipelago in the world offered little to no access to water sports such as crew.

I found out about crew during my firstyear activities fair. As a walk-on member of the team, I had virtually no knowledge or experience with rowing. Prior to my introduction to the sport, I had never seen someone row in person or even on television. In fact, like many rookies, I was shocked to find out that rowing had little to do with the arms, and that the seat slides in the boat with every stroke you take. During my first row on the water, I mistakenly locked my oar on the oarlock in such a way that risked capsizing the entire boat. I assure you that my coach at the time was very disgruntled with me.

As a young novice, I watched the varsity boat glide over the (uncommonly) still Hudson water with grace and control. It was only after being thrown into a boat for the first time that I realized that the ease and serenity that I had witnessed did not come without pain and frustration. The struggle of setting the boat in rough waters while also trying to keep in time with seven other members of the team is a physical and mental exercise that is not experienced in any other sport.

Hence why we are swole as heck.

“Why We Play” is a weekly installment in which VC athletes write about what their sports mean to them. This week, we feature senior rower Amanda Su, pictured above.

Rowing for Vassar has become a crucial part of my college experience. As a seasoned four-year rower, I have learned so much about myself and my teammates. In a sport where every movement and every stroke demands perfect synchronization, I believe that rowing is the ultimate team sport, testing both mental and physical limitations. In a grueling head race or a 2k sprint, we are able to push harder than we believe we are capable of pushing. We are able to push ourselves beyond the lactic acid build-up because, including the coxswain, there are eight other people in the boat who are counting on you, and you are counting on them to do the same. Giving up is not an option when there are eight other people fighting to win.

While we practice and compete like other varsity sports on campus, Vassar Rowing is actually a club varsity sport. As a club varsity sport, the team faces unique challenges that

other varsity sports on campus do not. We receive less funding and less attention from the Athletics Department. For example, we will often compete successfully in major races across the state yet receive virtually no recognition for this. As a club varsity sport that often gets left in the shadows of the school’s varsity teams, rowing at Vassar calls for a unique level of commitment. Every member of the rowing team has faced challenges ranging from the unpredictable Hudson waters to the sudden and tumultuous changes in leadership we have experienced.

Despite these challenges, one thing that remains constant is our integrity and sense of community.

Recently, our team participated in the annual Ergathon during the 27Brew2 challenge.

The team rallied together to reach over 600 donors and raise over $25,000. As a club varsity sport that is trying to rebuild itself and

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Volleyball

Vassar College 71, Skidmore 53

Vassar College 0, MIT 3 February 1, 2019

February 19, 2019

Vassar College

Skidmore

Vassar College

# Player

M

26

4

Centore

27 9-15

1

0

19

3

21

15

Ong

39 3-9

3

2

8

0

10

24 English

26 4-10

2

28 1-3

5

7

3

32 Berg

24 1-7

14 Leong

19 0-0

2

4

0

10 Tsutsui

3

23 2-5

1

4

6

3

22 Schmid

11

2-3

2

0

4

Gillooly

12

0-1

2

15

Mousley

8

0-0

21

Roellke

8

0-0

# Player

M

20 Peczuh

35 8-12 5

2

32 Nick

31 10-16 5

34 Pettirossi

25 4-5

30 DeOrio

Douglas

Totals.......

Quarter:

FG REB A PTS

gain recognition from the athletics community, it was important for us to approach our fundraiser through fair and ethical means.

While we did not receive the award for most donors accumulated, the money we worked hard to raise will not only improve a rowing program that many of us feel committed to but create a moral standard that will hopefully exemplify good sportsmanship (both in the boat and in the larger community).

When I am asked why I row, I can list many reasons. The Hudson River at dawn is a beautiful sight to see. The motion of a set boat gliding across still water is a special feeling that cannot be described. The strength and endurance that the sport forces us to build is a great physical benefit. But the most important reason I row is my team.

Being a part of the women’s rowing team at Vassar has given me the opportunity to meet a group of wonderful and strong women. We have shared countless experiences: from the morning Deeces to miserable 6 a.m. practices on the cold and unforgiving Hudson River, and everything in between. These are moments that I will remember fondly.

I am proud to witness the development I have seen in the Vassar rowing program, as well as the growth I see in my teammates.

Being able to watch the development of my rowing family, and also share my growth with them, is the reason I have continued to row after almost four years.

My time as a rower has challenged both my mental and physical limitations. Thanks to the support of my team, I have been able to push myself to do better and be stronger.

Through shared experiences and shared boats, I have been lucky enough to forge lasting bonds with my teammates that will extend beyond the water.

FG REB A PTS

MIT K

A B A DIG

Albright

6

0

1

3

9

Linnus

2

0

2

0

4

10

Nelson

13

0

1

3

1

4

12

Dong

0

26

4

7

10 1

0

1

14

Timberman

5

0

1

0

Hendrickson 0

1

2

0

16

Kaufman

8

1

3

0

Usui

0

1

0

6

8

Streans

0

1

0

3

4

Hsu

0

0

0

0

11

Wang

0

1

0

5

2

6

Hoppenjans

0

5

0

0

20

Pasko

0

0

0

0

0

0

11

Olstad

0

0

0

0

0

0

14

Brody

0

0

0

0

16

Khalil

1

0

0

0

Totals.......

35

34

9

23

12

21

K

A BA

1

Duchemin

5

0

2

0

3

8

7

Diehl

7

0

3

8

0

8

8

Ros

5

26

1

5

2

2

12

Waters

7

0

17 0-4

1

1

0

17

Kaplan

22 2-4

3

4

6

19

4

22 Merguerian 18 2-4

1

0

6

10

3

1

12

Mitchell

8

0-0

0

0

2

1

0

0

14 Koleoso

3

1-1

1

0

1

2

0

23 Driscoll

12 0-3

1

21

2

0

200 27-45 38 25 71

1

2

3

4

20

17

17

17

Ratte

Totals.......

Quarter:

0-0

200 22-57 20 9

53

1

2

3

4

11

19

11

12

Set:

1 15

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

DIG

#

Player

McCarney

#

Player

Totals.......

2

3

20

18

Set:

34 29

1

2

3

25

25

25