The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Volume CLI | Issue 19
April 4, 2019
Talya Phelps/The Miscellany News
VSA funds disputed panelist Mack Liederman
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Senior Editor
reaking from the run-of-themill law and order of chair updates and speedy consensus agendas, all attending the March 24 VSA Senate paused to hone in on a series of images, projected loud and clear onto the wall of Rocky 112. In one, an illustrated bust of a Palestinian woman takes an impassive glare as silhouettes of men toting guns run down the length of her burqa. In another, a man is honored on the anniversary of his martyrdom. These images—initially shared by Palestinian activist Zachariah Barghouti on Facebook—raised concerns for members of VSA Finance, leading the committee to first withhold funding requested by Students For Justice in Palestine (SJP) to bring Barghouti to campus. SJP was planning on having Barghouti speak on a panel, “One Year Later,” scheduled for Thursday, April 4. See SJP SPEAKER on page 4
Pictured above is Professor and Chair of Computer Science Luke Hunsberger in his home. Come June, Hunsberger expects to be pushed out of his residence on College Avenue for the Inn and Institute.
Faculty housing to be demolished ley’s announcement on Dec. 21, 2018, alerting professors that the Williams faculty housing complex was to be torn down in order to construct a parking lot. This parking lot would complement the Inn and Institute—a building that will combine an inn with a space dedicated to conferences and other events that will, according to Bradley, “put Vassar on the map.” Originally, faculty members were instructed to vacate Williams by December 2019. However, in re-
Talya Phelps and Jessica Moss
Contributing Editor and News Editor
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n a letter early this February, Professor of Chemistry Miriam Rossi invited President of the College Elizabeth Bradley to read the lyrics of “Big Yellow Taxi,” by folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell: “Don’t it always seem to go/that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone/ They paved paradise/and put up a parking lot.” Rossi was responding to Brad-
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
sponse to criticism on the part of Williams residents and other empathetic residential faculty, the College moved the evacuation date to June of 2020, when Williams is scheduled to be demolished. The decision comes after a lengthy string of negotiations. According to Professor and Chair of Computer Science Luke Hunsberger, the proposal to tear down Williams—where he is a resident— was originally taken off the table by See HOUSING on page 3
RecWeek refocuses restfulness Lindsay Craig
“I
Guest Colunmist
am a sex addict,” declared a written statement on the dusty window of an abandoned storefront in Chinatown, Manhattan. While thousands of New Yorkers power walked past the dilapidated window daily, my group intentionally stopped and huddled around it. In our circle of six, we mourned and prayed in silence, and then out loud. Inside, I could vaguely envisage mats and posters traditionally found in a massage parlor, the remnants of a common site of sexual exploitation in this part of New York. This particular walk was dubbed the Jericho Walk, in reference to the biblical Battle of Jericho. In this powerful account, Joshua’s Israelite army crumbled the walls around enemy-city Jericho by simply blowing their trumpets. The walk was our version of the same battle: prayerful resistance against sexual See RECWEEK on page 10
Series explores ‘passing’ narratives Abby Tarwater Arts Editor
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Courtesy ofThe Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center The above photo is a still from visual artist Melanie Gutierrez’s video “Clubbing,” being screened in the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center exhibit “Quiet as It’s Kept: Passing Subjects, Contested Identities.”
Inside this issue
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Student models celebrate Asian cultural FEATURES diversity at ASA fashion show
In response to “A White Lie” and the 90th anniversary of the publication of Nella Larson’s seminal novel “Passing,” Professor of Film Mia Mask and Associate Professor of English Hiram Perez organized an event series that explores the topic. On Feb. 28, The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center opened the exhibit “Quiet as It’s Kept: Passing Subjects, Contested Identities,” which surveys art’s modern and historical engagement with passing through video, photography and paintings. The exhibit is supplemented by three presentations and panel discussions, a keynote address and a film screening and various corresponding conversations, all of which will take place from April 5 to 7. The art exhibit takes place in the Focus Gallery and the Hoene Hoy Photography Gallery. Curator Mary-Kay Lombino selected multimedia works by seven contemporary artists, as well as two historical examples, to provide varied perspectives on the topic of passing. In an email interview, Perez articulated the purpose of the exhibit: “[It] includes work by established as well as younger See PASSING on page 7
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Overlooking shooter manifestos exacerbates mass OPINIONS violence, white supremacy
Courtesy of Nick Jallat
he idea of “passing for white” has held historical significance for people of color in America since it emerged as a prominent literary theme during the abolitionist movement, the postbellum era and the Harlem Renaissance. However, the theme of passing remains prevalent in film, literature and art today, and it has expanded to include subversions of class, gender and sex-
uality. This continued relevance is especially palpable on Vassar’s campus in light of the upcoming Zendaya and Reese Witherspoon-produced film “A White Lie,” which tells the story of Anita Hemmings, the first known African-American woman to graduate from Vassar. The school accepted Hemmings under the impression that she was white, and her forthcoming biopic has renewed campus discussions of passing in its various forms.
Sophomore catcher Brent Shimoda slides into base during a recent game. Shimoda went 5-10 at the plate in four weekend games against Clarkson, but his play was one of only a few bright spots for Vassar.
Baseball drops first four in league play Jonah Frere-Holmes Guest Reporter
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aseball season is notoriously long. With their first home series of the 2019 campaign in the books, the Brewers of Vassar baseball are glad of that. After getting swept in four games by
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Clarkson, and outscored 49-17 in the process, the Brewers’ focus is perhaps more forward-facing than the average team. To their credit, Vassar isn’t hiding from its shortcomings. First-year second baseman Sam See BASEBALL on page 19
Relaxing spring break somehow leaves sleepy, HUMOR stressed, sullen student in its wake
The Miscellany News
Page 2
April 4, 2019
Editor-in-Chief Leah Cates
Senior Editors
Sasha Gopalakrishnan Mack Liederman
Contributing Editors
Talya Phelps Noah Purdy Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson Laila Volpe Jessica Moss Frankie Knuckles Steven Park Hannah Gaven Holly Shulman Abby Tarwater Sports Myles Olmsted Design Rose Parker Copy Teddy Chmyz
News Features Opinions Humor and Satire Arts
Courtesy of Thao Williams Thao Williams ’20 has been exploring the castellos and piazzas of Ferrara during her Bologna program, enjoying the landmarks, sights and cuisine of her Italian surroundings. But for Thao, as for many students, studying abroad is not always easy. In her second post for Far and Away, Thao discusses how the language barrier presents obstacles, even with her well-developed Italian language skills: “While I can have a great conversation on really serious topics like World War II, racism, sexism, or the Middle Ages, my basic communication often flounders. Ordering food becomes an anxiety-ridden process, and translating numbers to pay is way worse than any calculus class.” Read more about her experiences and challenges at http://farandaway.miscellanynews.org.
The Miscellany News 4
April
Thursday
2018 Pauline Newman ’47 Distinguished Lecture in Science, Technology, & Society, Peter Galison 5:00 p.m. | SC 212-Auditorium| Science, Technology, and Society Program
EPI World Cafe 5:o0 p.m. | Villard Room | Engaged Pluralism Initiative
Late Night at the Lehman Loeb: Art Talks by Art Majors 5:00 p.m. | The Loeb Atrium | The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
Volleyball (M) vs. UC Santa Cruz 7:00 p.m. | KH Gymnasium | Athletics
Environmental Studies Film Festival: First Reformed (2018) 7:00 p.m. | RH 200 | Environmental Studies Program
Weekender_ 5
April
Friday
Navigating Major Palooza and Keeping the Conversation Going 1:00 p.m. | RH 200 | Career Development Office
Photographing your Artwork 2:00 p.m. | TH 328 | Computing and Information Services
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April
Saturday
Back to Body Retreat
9:00 a.m. | The Loeb Atrium | Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development
9:00 a.m | KH 205 | Residential Life
Students of Sobriety Group 9:30 a.m. | RH 211 | AA Poughkeepsie
Sporting Events (All Day) 10:00 a.m. | Vaious locations on campus | Athletics
4:30 p.m. | TH 102 | Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development
Blood Symbolics: Fantasy and the Racial State
6:00 p.m. | RH 200 | Environmental Studies Program
The Seagull 7:30 p.m. | Black Box Theater | Drama Department
Sunday
Passing Conference
Quiet as It’s Kept: Celebrity, Gossip and Passing
Environmental Studies Film Festival: This Changes Everything (2015)
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April
11:00 a.m. | TH 102 | Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development
Senior Recital: Noah KayserHirsh, horn and piano 1:30 p.m. | SC Martel Recital Hall | Music Department
ENST Film Festival: WALL-E (2008)
Birdy delight: Birdsong from the 18th-century until the End of Time
6:00 p.m. | RH 200 | Environmental Studies Program
8:00 p.m. | SH Martel Recital Hall | Music Department
The Seagull
Remembering Anita Florence Hemmings: Writing a Life 10:30 a.m. | Alumnae/i House Living Room | Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development
Assistant Features Assistant Design Assistant Social Media Assistant Online Assistant Copy Web Master
Duncan Aronson Lilly Tipton Patrick Tanella Chris Allen Lucy Leonard Steven Park
Reporters Ariana Gravinese Tiana Headley 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 Adelaide Backhus Anna Blake Natalie Bober Samantha Cavagnolo Madeline Seibel Dean Amanda Herring Phoebe Jacoby Anastasia Koutavas Caitlin Patterson Gillian Redstone Mina Turunc Photo Yijia Hu Cartoonist Frank
Faculty Recital: Susan Rotholz, flute, and Todd Crow, piano 3:00 p.m. | SC Martel Recital Hall | Music Department
Racing Extinction Conversation with Lauren Kaye and Movie Screening 5:30 p.m. | RH 200 | Environmental Studies Program
Paper Critique 9:00 p.m. | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News
7:30 p.m. | Black Box Theater | Drama Department
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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.
April 4, 2019
NEWS
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Inn and Institute parking lot to replace faculty housing HOUSING continued
Board did not reach a conclusive decision. Given that the Trustees would not convene again until Feb. 2019, Bradley felt she should alert residents immediately. Following the December announcement, Hunsberger asked the Committee on Faculty Housing to call a meeting, during which 30 to 40 professors and staff strongly objected to the plan. Faculty raised the concern of ongoing infrastructure neglect, which, Hunsberger noted, has led to four or five faculty buildings along College Avenue standing empty and uninhabitable, thus restricting housing options for incoming faculty. Hunsberger noted, “Ever since the 2008 financial crisis, the trustees have held back the reins on the endowment”—a statement confirmed by Begemann, who explained that the College has instead prioritized financial aid to the greatest extent possible. On Feb. 22, the College held what Bradley characterized as “a large intervention,” resulting in the Trustees committing to prioritize investment in faculty housing, including constructing a new house to replace Williams. Still, for current Williams residents, concerns about deteriorating infrastructure pale in comparison to the reality of finding interim housing. Rossi, who has lived in Williams for 35 years, discussed during a phone interview the challenge of securing a suitable apartment on short notice, adding, “I haven’t been able to sleep...it’s just very disconcerting.” Although administrators have granted Williams residents two turnovers to relocate, faculty members with lower incomes question the accessibility of available housing in Poughkeepsie. According to Assistant Professor of Film Erica Stein, also a Williams resident, Poughkeepsie’s disproportionately high rental rates necessitate that younger faculty members, temporary faculty members and administrative staff—populations frequently residing in Williams—seek affordable on-campus housing. Stein noted, “Faculty housing has been a bulwark against Vassar faculty and staff having to bear the brunt of an unfair housing market.” Beyond logistical factors, faculty members expressed their disappointment at potentially relocating farther away from campus. In her letter—which she sent to Bradley and Begemann along with the faculty committee charged with meeting with the Board of Trustees—Rossi shared that she frequently works with students on research projects that require attention outside of normal work hours and also appreciates the opportunity to attend musical, theater and sporting events on campus. This paradigm is echoed by the website of the Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources,
Courtesy of Colin Knopp-Schwyn via Wikimedia Williams House currently occupies #163 to #171 College Avenue. Although the complex contains 21 apartment units, one is unusable due to its proximity to the furnace.
Sourced from Google Earth. Editing by Talya Phelps/The Miscellany News
from page 1 Bradley during a faculty meeting in Spring 2018 and replaced by a proposal to place the Inn and Institute at the corner of Fulton and Raymond Avenues. “I also objected to the second site pretty strongly because it was on top of the green space that is used for the weekly farmers’ market,” said Hunsberger in a phone interview. “It would totally change the character, basically putting up a wall to the adjacent Poughkeepsie community.” This proposal, however, had to be withdrawn due to parking codes and traffic regulations of the Town of Poughkeepsie and NY State Department of Transportation, as the Inn and Institute would infringe on the busy roundabout. At this point, Hunsberger explained, a variety of other options for placement—including in front of the Vassar Farm and behind the Josselyn House tennis courts along Collegeview Avenue—were floated and eventually rejected. In her December email, Bradley explained that the reasons for the decision were twofold: “1) other designs on this site were not feasible with existing constraints, and other sites on campus are not feasible or have other major disadvantages, and 2) the deferred maintenance of Williams makes its long-term viability very challenging.” Summarizing concerns raised by receipt of Bradley’s announcement, Associate Professor of Chemistry Stuart Belli, one of the three members of the Committee on Faculty Housing, said, “[T]he faculty all felt that, to get an email saying that you’re going to lose your apartment this summer was tough.” Belli explained that, once logistics were in place, the impulse was to move quickly: “So then it just felt like, well, the ball starts rolling, and it starts rolling over people.” Bradley agreed that, in retrospect, she could have delivered the news differently. She corroborated that her choice to announce the demolition in December was informed by a change in funding and uncertainty as to whether the Board of Trustees would approve the project. While the Trustees proposed the construction of an Inn under President Catharine Bond Hill’s tenure, acquiring the funding necessary to complete the project continued under Bradley, who refashioned the Inn to include an Institute dedicated to communal, pluralistic intellectual projects. Notably, the majority of funds necessary for the Inn’s construction were supplied by an anonymous donor, meaning the resources could not be delegated elsewhere. On Dec. 8 last year, the College received donations toward the Inn and Institute that would cover the remaining projected costs. Bradley then met with the Trustees, but the
The Inn and Institute will be situated on the south side of the Alumnae/i House lawn. One proposed alternative footprint for the project would have utilized the space currently occupied by the Josselyn tennis courts and adjacent green area. which states, “Vassar College...encourages members of the faculty to reside near the campus as a way to foster interactions with students beyond the formal classroom setting and to facilitate participation in campus activities” (Vassar DoSPAR, “Faculty Housing”). Stein also reflected on the College’s use of on-campus housing as a recruitment incentive, adding, “I probably wouldn’t have taken the job if I didn’t sort of have a way of securing reasonably priced accommodation on campus so I could be...really committed and involved during the semester.” The historical significance of Williams is another complicating factor: Rossi explained that the complex was built in the 1920s to house women faculty who had previously lived in Main. Having long lacked privacy in their quarters, Williams tenants viewed Harriet Williams—the alum who donated the funds to construct her eponymous building—as their fairy godmother. “It goes to show you just how important this whole complex was for the emancipation of women,” Rossi commented. “For a women’s college, you would think that they would be really interested in keeping that history alive.” Professor of Art Brian Lukacher elaborated that Williams’ Tudor revival and late Arts and Crafts style architecture complements the Alumnae House and expressed concern that its demolition may reflect disrespect toward the architectural integrity of the College: “One can only hope that the demolition of Williams...does not signal a new institutional disregard for safeguarding our architectural environment and the historical fabric of the campus.” While Belli noted that he will be sad to see Williams go, he acknowledged that adequately preserving it might not be feasible, commenting, “[I]t was designed and built in a time when things like accessibility weren’t important, and so to try to upgrade and keep Williams would be a really difficult thing to do.” Some faculty members shared their dissatisfaction with a perceived lack of involvement during the planning process. Stein shared, “[P]eople really felt that they weren’t being valued or respected.” Surveying the situation from his position on the Committee, Belli reflected, “Certainly the faculty would’ve liked to be involved in more of the decision-making, but on the other hand...the more people you involve in the decision, the harder it is to come to a decision.” Others viewed the dialogue between faculty and administrators as a promising sign for the future. Professor of Sociology and incoming Dean of the Faculty William Hoynes commented, “There was a robust discussion among the faculty about Williams and the Institute earlier this semester, and I think that discussion was very productive.” Praising recent additions to the administration, Belli opined, “President Bradley is new, we have a
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
new chairman of the Trustees ....[This might be] a new era we’re moving into where if we can speak with a voice, they’ll listen.” In addition to holding meetings with professors, administration has attempted to placate discomforts by allocating resources to preserving faculty housing. Begemann stated: “The number of apartments that will become available this year and next due to... natural turnover is sufficient to accommodate the continuing faculty who reside in Williams[.]” Further, Begemann relayed the College’s intention to replace the units lost when Williams is removed and increase the quality of housing it provides. While there are 20 usable units in Williams, Bradley indicated that the College plans to construct approximately 30 to 32 affordably priced units, ranging from studios to bedrooms. Constructing a new complex may also reduce the College’s carbon footprint. Bradley stated, “The opportunity that removing Williams gives us is to reinvest in faculty housing so that the new housing...is in fact accessible, sustainable, green building, made contemporary.” Belli also identified the new complex as a way to contribute to the environmental efforts of the Sustainability Committee: “If...nothing needed to be renovated, then you’d have a hard time putting money into carbon neutrality, but because it already needs something...we could have that money that we put into it sort of do two things.” Nevertheless, he acknowledged that construction plans often change, which could mean abandoning ideals of sustainability. Bradley also plans on including faculty housing as a line item in asset preservation, indicating a long-term maintenance strategy. She described her plans to repair other historical architecture, including Blodgett and the Old Laundry Building, before irreparable issues arise. Moreover, the College will begin routine maintenance on two residential houses each summer. Bradley summarized, “Anything I can turn around, I want to.” Despite efforts on the part of administration, some faculty members will doubtless come out of the situation feeling disillusioned and disenfranchised. Reflecting on the College’s stated goals of communication and making every voice heard, Rossi shared, “I just find it very ironic that something like this should happen at Vassar.” Nevertheless, administration hopes that faculty members impacted by the demolition will feel that the College did everything it could given the larger project of constructing the Inn and Institute, and that the Vassar community will recognize the need for intellectual engagement with the outside world that it fulfills. Bradley expressed, “I’d like to put Vassar on a path where we see the investment of faculty housing as an investment in the faculty who are key to making a really strong liberal arts college.”
NEWS
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April 4, 2019
After contention, VSA approves pro-Palestine speaker from page 1 In an emailed statement to The Miscellany News, the VSA executive board explained their discomfort with potential insinuations of violence implied by Barghouti’s shares. “Mindful of the great diversity of experiences represented on campus, we recognize that appeals to violence are counterproductive to dialogue and engagement across differences,” they wrote. “The Finance Committee was not comfortable funding this speaker without some kind of statement addressing the concerns with some of the content housed in Barghouti’s online presence.” Responding to a potential connection to a controversial lecture on hate speech delivered by Cornell Law Professor William Jacobson last year, the VSA indicated that precedent requires potentially contentious speakers to prepare a statement attesting to their “productive contribution” to campus. Following the VSA’s request for a statement from Barghouti on March 3, SJP agreed to solicit one, but first argued that the interpretation of Barghouti’s social media posts stemmed from his page on the pro-Israel website Canary Mission. The website, which also hosts pages for some Vassar students involved with SJP and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, wrote “Barghouti...has glorified violence, minimized Jewish persecution, spread religious anti-Zionism, defended terrorists and demonized Israel” (Canary Mission, “Zachariah Barghouti,” 02.17.2019). In his statement, Barghouti offered a rebuttal to this representation, which SJP representatives brought to the Senate meeting
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SJP SPEAKER continued
Ae n a K h a n In Our Headlines… President Donald Trump is currently fighting growing opposition to his administration’s announcement that a citizenship question will be added to the 2020 Census. He attacked Democrats via Twitter, stating that “[The] Report would be meaningless and a waste of the $Billions (ridiculous) that it costs to put together!” This upcoming decennial Census, planned for April 1, 2020, will be executed by sending letters or canvassers to every home in the United States. The Census is intended to alter the number of representative seats, political borders and funding allocated to areas at both local and federal levels based on population. Multiple states and civil rights groups have already filed against the addition since its announcement last March, on the basis that it would result in low response rates from those who fear their responses may be used to deport them. A federal judge in New York already argued that the question was discriminatory to noncitizens. The Trump administration’s move will be reviewed by the Supreme Court in April and decided upon by late June (Politico, “Trump calls Census ‘meaningless’ without citizenship question,” 04.01.2019). Former White House Personnel Security Officer-turned-whistleblower Tricia Newbold testified to the House Oversight and Reform Committee in a memo re-
on March 24. “Of course, people have a right to be angry when their family members are being shot and murdered in cold blood,” Barghouti wrote, referring to the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, which has been particularly fierce in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. He went on to attach two flyers for speeches he delivered on pinkwashing and queer Palestinian activism at the California Institute of Integral Studies and San Francisco State University. Also central to the statement, Barghouti condemned what he perceives as VSA’s legitimization of Canary Mission. “[I]t is important to note the irony in that the Vassar College community has been held hostage by the very same entities that attempt to smear my reputation as a human rights activist,” he wrote. “It is hard to imagine that the VSA would choose to believe the narrative of a non-transparent, unaccountable and secretive organization that has been condemned by hundreds of professors, students, and Jewish organizations across the country.” SJP rep Leanna Faimon ’22, who was in attendance at the VSA Senate meeting, further asserted, “The information received from Canary Mission is biased and is a blacklist.” Ensuing discussion at the meeting led some in attendance, including Chair of Finance Mendel Jimenéz—the point person in the initial decision to withhold funding—to question whether Barghouti had sufficiently addressed the concerns about endorsing martyrdom. Jimenéz did not respond to multiple requests for direct comment. 2019 Senator of Student Affairs Jesser
Horowitz [Full Disclosure: Horowitz is a columnist for The Miscellany News] was one of the more vocal VSA members at the meeting. “Zachariah Barghouti has a troubling association with an organization that has financed acts of violence against civilians; and his rhetoric invoking Jesus in his attacks on Israel are deeply troubling,” Horowitz wrote to The Misc in an emailed statement. “I believe that he is an anti-semite and I do not want him on this campus.”
leased on Monday that security clearances were granted to at least 25 Trump administration officials, despite the fact that their applications had been denied last month. Although Newbold did not identify the individuals, The New York Times reported in February that Trump ordered former Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to grant security clearances to White House Innovations Director Jared Kushner and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump. President Trump previously denied this allegation in a January interview. Newbold testified that various reasons, such as conflicts of interest, drug use and criminal conduct, contributed to the application denials, and that her attempts to raise concerns with the White House counsel were silenced. House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah E. Cummings (D-M.A.) demanded that the White House make the relevant personnel available for interviews and that all related files should be handed over for review. Cummings asserted that subpoenas will be issued if necessary. House Republicans accuse Cummings of overreach and claim that the executive branch alone possesses the authority to grant security clearances (The New York Times, “Whistle-Blower Tells Congress of Irregularities in White House Security Clearances,” 04.01.2019). Senate Democrats threaten to veto a disaster-relief bill for California, Florida and the Midwest, saying that aid should also be given to Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from various hurricanes that destroyed the island’s infrastructure and landscape in 2017. It is unlikely that the necessary 60 votes will be cast to advance the $13.5 billion bill, for as long as it doesn’t have an amendment for relief in Puerto Rico. Republicans, though the majority, are short the seven seats needed to advance the bill in the Senate. Republicans
and Trump oppose granting more aid to Puerto Rico under the claim that they already provided the island recovery funds, which were not properly spent. Democrats ask for $450 million more in new aid for Puerto Rico, while Republicans have called to either vote on the House disaster-aid package passed in January or start negotiations on a new bill (The Wall Street Journal, “Puerto Rico Finding Dispute Threatens to Derail Disaster-Aid Bill,” 04.01.2019).
“‘Of course, people have a right to be angry when their family members are being shot and murdered in cold blood,’ Barghouti wrote.” On the basis of free speech, however, Horowitz did not contest Barghouti coming to campus. After about 20 minutes of discussion, the VSA ultimately concurred with Horowitz, approving the remaining funding for SJP. “We were assured that the speaker would not include appeals to violence during the panel,” the VSA Executive Board wrote. “We are also mindful of the experience and perspectives he could bring to campus as a queer, Palestinian activist...the statement was considered with all of the information, context, and conversations that were involved in the process that started in late February. After the discussion, by consensus, the allocation was made.”
Around the World … In Turkey, general elections are underway but bode badly for current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK). Unofficial data shows that the party lost the country’s three largest cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir in an immense setback for Erdogan, who has been in power for nearly sixteen years. The mayoral candidates of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in these three cities won against the AK party; Ekrem Imamoglu won the race in Istanbul with a .3 percent margin against the AK party candidate; in Ankara, the nation’s capital, Mansur Yavas leads with over 50 percent of the vote; and in Izmir, Mustafa Tunc Soyer won nearly 60 percent of the vote. The AK party nevertheless contends that it won the Istanbul race, objecting to the results over “invalid votes.” Although the elections board recognized Imamoglu’s lead, it waited for objection period to end before declaring the official winner. Turkey faces its first recession in a decade under the ruling AK party, and the Turkish lira lost nearly 40 percent of its value against the American dollar by the end of last year. By February, inflation was just under 20 percent (Al Jazeera, “Erdogan’s AK Party ‘loses’ major Turkey cities in local elections,” 04.01.2019).
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Since Barghouti’s approval, other students and alumnae/i have raised concerns about his presence on campus, according to Vice President of Communications Amanita Duga-Carroll. “First, our team looked into the event, and at this time we do not believe Mr. Barghouti speaking here poses a threat to safety,” Duga-Carroll wrote in an email. “Second, as we have done in other instances, we have spoken with the event organizers about ways to reduce the likelihood of bias-related incidents and help the group have a successful event.” SJP rep Paul Kennedy ’19 implored the campus community to approach Barghouti’s panel with an open mind. “To any student who feels uncomfortable by Zachariah’s social media posts, I would encourage them to come to the event that Zachariah will be at, and to listen to Zachariah talk. If they do so, they will see that Zachariah is not anti-Semitic, but is coming from a place of passionately demanding justice for the Palestinian people.” When asked if he was surprised by the hesitation to fund Barghouti, Kennedy responded: “We were slightly taken aback, but at the same time not all that surprised, because it is common for Palestinian speakers to face an extra level of scrutiny.” He qualified, “But frankly, because it all went through, we’re thankful that the VSA handled it responsibly, and we have no beef with the VSA.” Barghouti’s appearance on campus will roughly correspond with the one-year anniversary of the 2018 Gaza border protests, or as Palestinian activists call it, the Great March of Return.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika bowed to the mass protests demanding his resignation and relinquished his position on April 2, 2019. His term was set to end on April 28, 2019. The 82-year-old had been in power for more than 20 years, and he previously announced that he would not seek reelection for a fifth term. Many Algerians believe the president was being used as a puppet by businessmen, politicians and the army, collectively referred to as le pouvoir, the power elite who dominate the National Liberation Front. Thus, the protests demand not only the president’s resignation, but also that of his entire political era and a new form of government that will serve the next generation of Algerians (BBC News, “Algeria protests: President Bouteflika to quit before 28 April,” 04.01.2019). The great turmoil in Great Britain continues over the inability of its Parliament and Prime Minister to reconcile an end for the long-awaited Brexit. Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 in 2017, setting the withdrawal date of the U.K. from the E.U. for March 29, 2019, but European officials extended the deadline to April 12 out of hopes that a deal would be reached. Members of Parliament failed to indicate on April 1 whether a soft Brexit or referendum would be a desirable alternative to the failed Theresa May deal they rejected once more on Monday night. They also chose not to support a bid by MP Joanna Cherry that would prevent a no-deal Brexit. It is likely that May will attempt to revive the deal and/or attempt to extend the deadline further, but there is a growing voice among the opposition Labor Party and fellow Conservatives that they will only support the deal if she resigns afterward (The Guardian, “Brexit deadlock continues as MPs fail to find compromise,” 04.01.2019).
April 4, 2019
NEWS
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Vigil grieves, honors victims of New Zealand shootings Aena Khan Reporter
[Content Warning: This article discusses mass violence.] remember where I was when the news first broke out. Ensconced in my comforter at 3 a.m. on a break-time television binge, I dimly registered the headline on the top of my phone screen: 41 confirmed dead, dozens more wounded in a New Zealand mosque. I remember the jolt that ran down my spine, and then suddenly feeling fully awakened. A white supremacist entered the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, and began firing upon those gathered for the weekly Friday prayer. In Islam, Jumu’ah is the holiest day of the week, akin to the Sabbath in Judaism, and millions of Mus-
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lims around the world attend the afternoon prayer. I remember thinking, this attack is deliberate. The shooter familiarized himself with Islam enough to plan his slaughter. In the morning, my mother’s sleepy smile was wiped off her face upon turning on the television to the update that more were attacked at a mosque in the nearby Linwood neighborhood—49 were now dead. My father did not go to mosque that Friday. I remember my ambivalence between wishing he had gone and fearing the repercussions of thereafter-emboldened individuals. Thus, when I returned to campus last week, the attack hung in the air like a storm. In response, Advisor for Muslim Life Nora Zaki organized a candlelight vigil—a tribute to the now 50 deceased and 50 wounded—
Jessica Moss/The Miscellany News Students, faculty and Poughkeepsie locals gathered on the Library Lawn to mourn the deaths of 50 Muslims killed in shootings taking place on March 15. Protecting their candles from blusterous winds, attendees participated in a moment of silence.
hosted on Tuesday, March 26 in coordination with the Religious and Spiritual Life Office. Fellow mourners from all areas of campus life, the Poughkeepsie community and faiths gathered in a large circle on the Library Lawn. Zaki began by greeting attendees with the custom Muslim hello: Assalamualaikum, peace be upon you. She laid out the event as gatherers received their candles. Various candles repeatedly lost their fire as she spoke, but the mourners often lent their flames to those alongside them. Director of Jewish Student Life and Assistant Director for the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life Elizabeth Aeschlimann stood at the makeshift podium after Zaki and began with the customary Muslim greeting. The atrocity, she said, was one seen before in Pittsburg, in Quebec, in Charleston and in so many other places. White supremacy took the lives of more than the 50 slain in those mosques. Aeschlimann recalled a Muslim proverb shared with her by Zaki that echoed her own studies of the Talmud: To take one life is to kill all of mankind; to save one life is to save mankind. The names of those killed were read aloud in a moment of silence. The circle quietly grew as the service continued, and the candles flickered in response to the raging wind. Zaki then called on two students to speak. Khadeejah Abdul Basser ’22 read a poem she wrote only minutes after the attack to help cope with the news. When later asked, she shared the line she felt is the most impactful: “I could not wrap my mind around it, I was left, freezing.” Furrukh Asif ’22 then read a prayer traditionally recited to purify one’s heart in Arabic. Zaki closed by reciting Surah Al-Fatihah, the first prayer of the Quran, a prayer used to welcome all.
Later in the week, Basser shared her thoughts on her poem: “I would say that my inspiration for the piece came directly from the intense emotions that I experienced right after reading about the Muslims who were murdered in New Zealand. I remember on that day I was enjoying the fact that the weather was so warm, bright and spring-like … Writing the poem was one way in which I could attempt to process and speak to the injustice of attack,” she explained. On the vigil, Basser expressed, “I feel that the vigil had a palpable effect on Vassar’s socio-political climate,” describing the sense of empathy and support she felt she received from the campus community. Although jarring, to many Muslims–atheist or devout, cultural or convert–and others targeted by white supremacy, the attack is not surprising. Another student who attended the event, Mina Turunc ’21, commented: “When I first heard the news, I was upset but not surprised by it … I wanted to pay my respects to the people in my community who died.” However, she shared similar sentiments to Bassar on the Vigil’s inclusive, respectful nature. “It was nice to see members from different Vassar communities present,” she shared. On March 28, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed thousands in a resounding memorial service: “As-salaam Alaikum. Peace be upon you. They were words spoken by a community who, in the face of hate and violence, had every right to express anger but instead opened their doors for all of us to grieve with them … These stories, they now form part of our collective memories. They will remain with us forever … The world has been stuck in a vicious cycle of extremism breeding extremism and it must end.”
Dutchess Toastmasters bond through public speaking Tiana Headley Reporter
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that my club could be flexible enough to help students who feel too shy to speak in class or have trouble expressing their thoughts.” New Paltz dominated the event. The team won the Parliamentary debate, and Walsh won both the Humor and Table Topics contests. However, following the award ceremony, the focus shifted from competition to companionship. The two teams shook hands and partook in friendly comradery, taking photos of themselves and others. Afterward, the two took turns addressing the judges, who prepared state-
ments on how each speaker can improve in skills such as vocal variety, body language, audience engagement and logical persuasion. Farley finds the development of these connections the most important goal of the organization. She hopes that no matter where in the United States, a Toastmaster can find their community. She explained: “That connectivity [and] that networking is important for our survival going into the future. You have no idea who has the information or who you can connect with that can benefit you. It can be a kindred spirit.”
Tiana Headley/The Miscellany News
hirty minutes before the first inter-collegiate Toastmasters event of its kind in Dutchess County, students from Marist College and SUNY New Paltz convened in a haphazard semi-circle in a New Paltz lecture hall to run through the rules of the day’s Parliamentary debate. Everything about the day’s competition would be on the fly, from the impromptu rule overview to the mere 15 minutes to prepare respective arguments, without prior knowledge of the prompt. While the traditional college debate scene emphasizes fierce competition within and among institutions, the Toastmasters International organization fosters professional leadership development at the college and post-collegiate levels, focusing on leadership training and networking while nurturing public speaking skills along the way. SUNY New Paltz club president Michael Walsh ’19 explained Toastmasters’ desire to foster confidence and create lasting connections: “We try to create a friendly environment. What you’ll find in clubs is that they generally have a familial feel, and you can definitely sense a level of comfort when you enter a well-prepped club.” Vassar’s Toastmasters club did not compete in this event due to a logistical change, yet the chosen prompt had a Vassar flare: “Should colleges and universities remove endowment investments in fossil fuel industries?” The topic was chosen by President of Vassar’s Toastmasters club and one of three debate judges, Leven Cai ’19. New Paltz’s argument in opposition fo-
cused on how fossil fuel companies contribute to climate change. Marist’s argument in support of the investments honed in on the fossil fuel companies’ research on renewable energy and how these investments fund students’ education. After listening to an impassioned debate about fossil fuels and climate change, the subsequent Humor contest ushered in a more laid-back environment. A student from each team delivered a prepared speech on the prompt, “Fear.” Kathleen Berenton ’20 of Marist spoke on young adults’ fear of loose change. Walsh described his fear of commitment to a significant other, a sentiment that transcended generational boundaries in the room. While the three judges analyzed each team’s arguments in another location, Marist club president Bobby Petrelli ’20 hosted the Table Topics contest, during which anyone in the room could volunteer to give an impromptu speech on a topic Petrelli presented. Toastmasters Program Director for District 53 Linda Farley shared why she is her own superhero, and Vassar’s Brandon Spears ’21 explained why he aspires to become a politician. Cai appreciates the storytelling aspect of Toastmasters the most. “My favorite thing about this organization is that it provides a chance for people to improve their speaking skills while also sharing stories about themselves,” he said. For Cai and the rest of this community, being a member of Toastmasters means applying skills learned in meetings and competitions to enhance other aspects of participants’ lives. He shared, “I also think
Pictured above, SUNY New Paltz Toastmaster Tariq Sanwarwalla shakes hands with Marist Toastmaster Kyle Adams. Following the Table Topics division, the two teams’ Parlamentary debate participants gathered for a congratulatory photograph.
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Musée d’Orsay retitles works to celebrate Black models Taylor Stewart Columnist
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modernism, says Murrell, but their identities were erased by “unnecessary racial references” and stereotypes like “bare-breasted” exoticized women in harem scenes and Orientalist art. “Art history … left them out. [These labels have] contributed to the construction of these figures as racial types as opposed to the individuals they were” (Smithsonian. com, “Musée d’Orsay Renames Manet’s ‘Olympia’ and Other Works in Honor of Their Little-Known Black Models,” 03.27.2019). Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s “Portrait of a Negress” was renamed “Portrait of Madeleine” in the Paris exhibition. Murrell pointed out that no one has attempted to find the subject’s identity, an issue emblematic of how art history—rather, all history—treats Black women. “Olympia” was seminal in that the Black woman was depicted with agency, as a part of Parisian life, rather than an exotic figure. No longer was the Black female muse an “other.” Murrell told The New York Times Arts Correspondent Hilarie M. Sheets, “She’s
Courtesy of Wikipedia
douard Manet’s painting “Olympia” depicts a naked woman. The artist drew inspiration from Titian’s “Venus of Urbino,” which depicts the recumbent nude goddess of love, and Goya’s “Maja desnuda,” in which a naked Venus lies on a green divan and pillows, smiling coyly. But the subject of Manet’s painting is not a goddess. She is a Parisian courtesan, and far more substantial than the female figures on which she was based—not because she is fatter or a prostitute, but in how she is rendered. While the Venuses of Titian and Goya stand out in frame, with narrow shadows on the fabric and their torso’s curves, Manet outlines his courtesan in near-black such that “Olympia” bears a graphic quality, like a pin-up drawing. This sexual suggestion explains the initial controversy of the work: Upper-class Parisians at the 1865 Salon were angry that Venus had become a prostitute, sporting heels, a neck ribbon and an indifferent expression despite her “salacious” position. Her hand clutches her thigh. To match the grittiness, Manet’s lines are dark, unlike those used for the cloudy, angelic Venuses. Shift your focus to the right side of the painting, however, and you see the courtesan’s Black servant. She is depicted as a background element, part of the scene rather than the subject of the portrait, posed in an openbody position and delineated in black. Like the nude goddesses of tradition, she has a softer expression and broader brushstrokes, her expression inquisitive. She is cloudier but commands as much space as her companion, despite viewers’ failure to acknowledge her. In a 2013 dissertation for Columbia University’s Department of Art History and Archaeology, Denise Murrell explains how the changing depictions of Black female models formed the foundations of modern art. She goes on to discuss interactions between the French avant-garde painters of the 19th cen-
tury and the free Black Parisian community (Columbia Academic Commons, “Seeing Laure: Race and Modernity from Manet’s Olympia to Matisse, Bearden and Beyond,” 2014). Leading into the 20th century, Murrell explores Henri Matisse’s visits to Harlem jazz clubs and the likes of Laura Wheeler and Charles Alston, American painters who challenged racial stereotypes during the Harlem Renaissance (Columbia Academic Commons, “Seeing Laure”). Murrell curated an exhibition similarly titled “Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet and Matisse to Today” at the Wallach Art Gallery in New York City. Alongside Cécile Debray and Stéphane Guégan, she co-curated a Paris iteration of the exhibition, called “Black models: From Géricault to Matisse,” which opened recently and will be on view until July. Not only is the Paris exhibition larger, but it also has temporarily retitled the works to feature the names of the Black models. These subjects contributed greatly to
This painting by Édouard Manet is traditionally titled “Olympia,” after the woman in the foreground. A new exhibit at Musée d’Orsay, curated specifically to highlight Black models in classic art, renames the piece “Laure,” after the woman in the back.
not bare-breasted or in the gorgeously rendered exotic attire of the harem servant. Here she almost seems to be a friend of the prostitute, maybe even advising her” (The New York Times, “New Attention for Figures in the Background,” 10.25.2018). The servant has an identity, an origin and an occupation, but she is constrained by a racist, sexist society. Her name was Laure. She was in two other Manet paintings, “Children in the Tuileries Gardens” and “La Négresse (Portrait of Laure).” The painter considered her “a very beautiful Black woman” and wrote her address in a notebook (Smithsonian.com, “d’Orsay”). “Black models” features portraits from Delacroix, Gauguin, Picasso, Bonnard and Cézanne (Hyperallergic, “Musée d’Orsay Puts Focus on Overlooked and Anonymous Black Models in French Masterpieces,” 03.27.2019). Entering the Harlem Renaissance and the latter half of the 20th century, we see Black artists depicting Black subjects. In his 1970 piece “Patchwork Quilt,” Romare Bearden renders a pictorial reclining nude. In her 2012 portrait “Din, Une Très Belle Négresse,” Mickalane Thomas paints a Black woman in blue lipstick, gazing powerfully out (Smithsonian.com, “Exhibition Re-Examines Modernism’s Black Models,” 11.06.2018). Murrell’s research, and the “Black models,” are especially pertinent considering France’s current color-blind politics. Although about five percent of France’s population is non-European and non-white, the country faces issues related to its multiethnic demographics. It has no race-conscious public policies that recognize groups as races, much less acknowledge racial disadvantage. While policymakers have attacked hate speech, they have not progressed to targeting discrimination in jobs and housing like the United States or Britain (Brookings, “Race Policy in France,” 05.01.2001). As “Black models” encourages consideration of long-overlooked subjects and artists in modern art; perhaps it is time to reexamine treatment of race by the state.
Spring break reads range from offensive to outstanding Jimmy Christon Columnist
Siddhartha
Hermann Hesse A New Directions Books
The Crying of Lot 49
Thomas Pynchon Harper Perennial
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hat did you do over spring break? I read. I went to the Bay Area to stay with my sister for a bit. I was struck by the place and decided to study up on stuff that happened there. Obviously, I read about Ken Kesey, acid, appropriated Buddhism and Thomas Pynchon. But by far the most enjoyable aspect of all was Oedipa Maas. I started by reading Tom Wolfe’s “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” on the journey back to Oregon. I live in Eugene, which is basically the town where Ken Kesey grew up, and the hippies and the acid and the whole Oregon connection really drew me in. I got 100 pages in, stopped, then picked it up again on the plane back to New York. I’ll let you know when I finish it. What I took away from this book were two quintessential ’60s texts: Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha” and Thomas Pynchon’s “The Crying of Lot 49” (admittedly, “Siddhartha” was written in the ’20s, but it
became popular in the ’60s). And while we’re on the subject of critiques of ’60s culture, let me add a brief aside: What the fuck was Timothy Leary on when he advocated for LSD as a personal growth tool? Like, I’ve read Nietzsche, I know what it’s like to question society. I’ve read “Dune,” I know what mind-bending drugs are like (and I’ve “heard from friends” that the stuff is pretty powerful). But, like, why did this man have to blend the two together so painfully? The best guide for the acid-trip, Leary writes somewhere, is Herman Hesse’s novel “Siddhartha.” Supposedly, this is the best guide for the acid-trip besides Leary’s own acid-Buddhist bullshit guide, “The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead.” If that last sentence didn’t make you cringe, “Siddhartha” will. It’s a novel that follows a character named Siddhartha as he searches for meaning after breaking away from the teachings of the Brahmins and the Buddha. “Siddhartha” has been likened to other spiritually-inclined coming-of-age texts, which I feel is a bit unfair. The book seems like a coming-of-age text, but its protagonist is a fully-grown man for much of the story—as in fully grown but completely irresponsible. This man makes so many poor decisions that it is utterly astounding. Like, yes, it is totally fine to leave your “wife” and child because you feel like your spirituality tells you to. What I hate the most about this book in terms of character and plot is that there is
never any genuine attempt to demonstrate how the main character has changed. He is a proud, pompous man from beginning to end. And I am not going to come up here and state what Buddhism is or isn’t because that isn’t something I can say with certainty. Hermann Hesse, at one point, seemed to be a Buddhist. “Siddhartha” at least tangentially connects with some core ideas of Buddhism. But, for the majority of this book, Buddhism is really only espoused as a sort of tool for Herman Hesse’s whiteness. It’s something that the character Siddhartha moves away from when it doesn’t help him anymore. Buddhism is seen as a fantasy to be enamored by, not a facet of life. Even worse, Hesse deploys “spirituality” as a tool to battle the all-important aspect of life: critical self-examination. Siddhartha searches so tirelessly to find a life that is his own. He struggles until his life is all but over, but I was always left with the feeling that he never really changed. Unlike the Dantes, Lao Tzus and Le Guins of the world, Siddhartha never fails; he never makes a mistake, because he never thinks. Mirroring its protagonist, “Siddhartha” is a book that will be forever comforting—as long as its reader forgets to question it. In this context, the protagonist of the next book I’ll review is refreshing. “The Crying of Lot 49” is a book about a character named Oedipa Maas who, after being named an executor in her ex-lover’s will, apparently discovers the existence of an alternative mail
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
system whose history extends far back into history. This is a novel that glares back at us with an uncomfortable sense of self-knowledge. Here is a plot of breadcrumbs we can follow down into the confusing, meaningfully meandering ends where the reveal of American Nazism is treated as back-handed facts. “Oh you didn’t know that Nazi intelligentsia immigrated into the U.S. after war?” the book seems to ask, “Well, consider that later. Right now we must stay focused. In front of us is evidence of the corruption embedded in alternative mail courier systems.” It is a book where all possibilities are open, where two women are given center stage (Oedipa Maas and Remedios Varo) while we are brought along to pounce around the literary aesthetics of this reality until we forget what part we read, and what part we saw beyond the page. It is a book that opens with the Bordando el Manto Terrestre and tactfully leaves out the black-clad figure, forcing the women to compose the regalia of the world’s mantle. Here is a book that forces you to consider just what it means for Pynchon to stage such an event at such a point. More importantly, here is a book that accomplishes this in a way that is engaging. If you aren’t already intrigued by Maas’ name, maybe you will be by a character named Genghis Cohen, or the mystery behind the enigmatic W.A.S.T.E. bins you’ve seen in cities before. This is a book where a painting is just as illuminating as the actions of the protagonist, and where insanity ramps up right until the last, beautiful page.
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‘Passing’ event subverts conventions of gender, race, class PASSING continued
Courtesy ofThe Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
from page 1 artists who are conceptualizing and representing the passing subject in surprising ways or otherwise speaking to related concerns, including how the miscegenous body figures historically in the American imagination.” Lombino explained her methodology for selecting the featured pieces. “Many of the artists in the exhibition are exploring their own personal identity and their place in the world, often making a statement about what art is, and who can be an artist,” she stated. “So much of the Western canon of art history represents the voices of white, European male artists until, in the second half of the 20th century, when American art began to reflect the struggle for human rights on the part of women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community.” The selected works vary in tone, subject and medium. For example, the featured paintings by mixed-race artist Lezey Saar, which are part of her series of works titled “Gender Renaissance,” focus not on her racial identity, but rather gender expression. The two pieces, “Vesta the Johnny” and “The Silent Woman,” are in response to her son’s journey as he transitioned from female to male. The exhibit also showcases artists who take a satirical approach to passing, such as videographers Adrian Piper and Martine Gutierrez. Piper’s “Funk Lessons” and Gutierrez’s “Clubbing” both depict people dancing, which brings a certain lightheartedness to their pieces while also delivering biting commentary on topics such as
The above image is a still from Howardena Pindell’s 1980 piece “Free, White and 21.” Pindell critiques America’s harsh racial divides by appearing as both herself and a white woman, which she accomplishes by wearing a blonde wig and a mask. cultural appropriation and exclusionism. The exhibition serves as a precursor to the conferences, so that viewers are prepared for weighty conversations. Lombino explained, “[H]aving the show open in advance of the conference allows people to come in before and think through some of the complexities of the topic … Looking at an exhibition is obviously different than listening to someone give a talk, so I think that having a combination of the two will allow us to have a more open, broader conversation.” The corresponding conferences begin
Friday, April 5 at 4:30 p.m. with the panel discussion “Celebrity, Gossip and Passing.” The event will continue on April 6 with the panel discussion “Blood Symbolics: Fantasy and the Racial State” at 11 a.m.; the Keynote Address “Can’t You See I’m White? Reading between the Sight Lines of Racial Difference” at 2:30 p.m.; and film screenings of “Little White Lie” (2014) and “Fuori” (1997) at 4 p.m. The weekend will conclude with the closing conversation “Writing a Life: Remembering Anita Florence Hemmings” on April 7 at 10 a.m. The speakers include numerous schol-
ars and writers from universities across the country with eclectic specialties. Participants include Assistant Professor of American Culture and Asian and Pacific Islander Studies at the University of Michigan Manan Desai, Associate Professor of Sociology at New York University Ann Morning, Professor of Film and Associate Chair of English at the University of South Carolina Susan Courtney and historical fiction author and Vassar alum Karin Tanabe ’02. The variety of the academics is intended to allow for multidisciplinary, nuanced considerations. Mask articulated what she believes attendees will learn from the exhibition, discourses and screenings: “I would like them to take away a realization of the fact that identities are constructed. They’re not necessarily real, biological categories,” she stated. “I would also like them to take away the fact that identities are fluid … people at different points of their lives may inhabit one identity category or may choose to pass into another.” According to Mask, the broad scope of the scholarship and art forms featured gives the event a broad appeal. “I think that learning about the life of Anita Hemmings here at Vassar is instructive for all students,” she asserted. “Whether it’s in the art exhibit, or in the panels and in the conversations that are happening in the panels, or if it’s in the film screenings, which encourage us to think about religion and passing, there’s definitely something for everyone to take away, and we can all benefit by dialoguing with one another about these subjects.”
Upcoming album release calls for AC/DC retrospective Alex Barnard
Guest Columnist Back in Black
AC/DC Atlantic Records
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gus’ fiery lead guitar playing, and this skill can be readily seen in these two songs. Similarly exhilarating are “You Shook Me All Night Long,” a fun and catchy pop rock tune, and “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution,” which seems to underscore the band’s blues rock influences. Yet, there is no song that better proves AC/DC’s legendary status as one of the greatest rock bands of all time than the title track. “Back in Black,” with its classic riff, thunderous drumming and fearsome vocals, is one of AC/DC’s finest offerings, and it would not have come about had it not been for Scott’s death. The lyrics, as
Johnson has stated in numerous interviews, pay tribute to the group’s original lead singer, while showing the world that the band could move forward and continue to make amazing music. It’s no wonder, with this collection of hits, why “Back in Black” is the third most-sold album of all time, just under the Eagle’s “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Therefore, as we wait for AC/DC’s new record, we can only hope that the band is able to deliver the same stunning results, all while facing the same personal losses and pressures that provided the impetus for the iconic “Back in Black.”
Courtesy of Wikipedia
he legendary band AC/DC has survived significant upheaval, especially in recent years. Despite releasing some of hard rock’s greatest hits in the 1970s and ’80s, the group has enjoyed only a modicum of success in the first two decades of the 21st century. Numerous events have placed the future of the band in doubt, including the conviction of drummer Phil Rudd on narcotics charges and the departure of vocalist Brian Johnson, attributed to hearing loss. Perhaps the most tragic of these events, however, was the 2017 death of founding member and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, who had retired from the band three years earlier while suffering from dementia. And yet, AC/DC has persevered, headlining tours and performing at major festivals almost every year, and even promising the release of a new album in 2019, for which New Musical Express Magazine reports, “All surviving members of the ‘classic’ lineup could be back in the fold” (New Musical Express, “Bassist Cliff Williams might be re-joining AC/DC for their rumoured new album,” 02.11.2019). The band’s ability to push forward in times of difficulty is indicative of a rigorous work ethic that is hardly seen in the music industry today. Bands like Linkin Park and Soundgarden, both of which recently lost their lead singers, have not yet made any plans to continue releasing new music, while other groups like Alice in Chains and
Stone Temple Pilots waited several years after their lead singers’ deaths to reunite. AC/DC is one of very few bands that has endured in the face of tragedy. Thus, as the world anticipates the release of AC/DC’s new album, I have decided to look back at the band’s seminal album, “Back in Black.” Released in 1980, “Back in Black” was the band’s first album with Brian Johnson singing lead vocals. Several months before, original lead vocalist Bon Scott passed away from alcohol poisoning. As the band’s previous album, “Highway to Hell,” had been a commercial breakthrough for AC/DC, the group decided to continue; they recruited Johnson, who had previously sung lead vocals for the relatively unknown group called Geordie. Enlisting the services of producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who would go on to make a name for himself as the producer for Def Leppard and Foreigner, the band recorded “Back in Black” in the Bahamas. The combination of Johnson’s powerful vocals and Lange’s maximalist production techniques gave the band the new sound they needed to make their comeback. The album’s opener, “Hell’s Bells,” is a plodding, head-banging anthem that serves as the perfect launching pad for the following track, “Shoot to Thrill.” The fast rock ’n roll guitars highlight Chuck Berry’s influence on the band, while Johnson’s screeching vocals fill out the mix in the most perfect way possible. The sexual innuendos in “What Do You Do For Money Honey” and “Let Me Put My Love Into You,” are so sophomoric and crude they made me chuckle, and yet the musicianship on these tracks is so tight that their artistry cannot be diminished. Malcolm Young’s greatest asset was his ability to hold down a steady groove as a complement to his brother An-
AC/DC has seen significant turbulance in recent years, including drummer Phil Rudd’s criminal conviction, vocalist Brian Johnson’s hearing loss and guitarist Malcolm Young’s death. In spite of these events, the group plans to release a new album in 2019.
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Kanye’s Korner Dean Kopitsky Columnist
The following is the third in an eight-part series documenting the discography of Kanye West. Each week, Arts will feature a piece detailing the merits of one of West’s albums, in chronological order. magine a 14-year-old white kid listening to “Good Morning” as he warms up for his track event—not the most novel thing in the world, but that was me a lot. “Graduation” is Kanye West’s third studio album, and it’s also his most masterful. It was the point where Kanye transitioned from gunning up-and-comer to hip-hop, and therefore pop, icon. It’s important to remember just how many great songs are on this album. Following a tour with U2, Kanye was inspired to make music that would move arenas: songs that weren’t just for the club or car, but for the swarm (Genius, “How Kanye West’s ‘Graduation’ Changed Music,” 09.08.2017). Capturing the artist’s moment is an accessible foundation to any album review. When it comes to Kanye, it’s even more tempting. What does it mean that Elton John, Chris Martin, John Mayer and Steely Dan (what!? Is this a rap album or an extra cheesy campfire sing along?) are all featured on this album? Besides being sampled for “Graduation,” those artists all share well-proven pop sensibilities. “Graduation” isn’t so much a stand-alone album as it is a transition album. The soulfulness of Late Registration and Dropout came from the music they sampled and their reflective tone. The stadium-inspired “Graduation” is a tabulation of anthems. Nearly every song on this album could be a single, and Kanye’s gravitation toward synthesizers further supports the point. More proof? I’m going to run out of ways to describe electronic noises by the end of this review.
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Installment III: ‘Graduation’
Kanye West earned his stripes producing for the biggest names in hip-hop. His lyrics have always brought fame and infamy, but his perfectionist ear also made his music stand apart. This special ear is evident in the masterful clash of electric and drum beats on the first track, “Good Morning.” It’s awash in wavy layers of synth, but measure is found in the thumping kick drum and reverb-soaked snare. It gives the song a marching beat feel, uniting the masses behind his iconoclast lyrics: “Look at the valedictorian/scared of the future while I hope in the DeLorean.” The lyrical repetition of “Stronger” lets his new influences shine. Prior to sampling them on this track, West had never heard of Daft Punk. He isn’t so much rapping but using his voice to match the single-note keyboard fills that ring out and give the song its futuristic feel. It’s the most popular song on the album. My two favorite songs from “Graduation” are also the most unique. The first is “Good Life.” T-Pain is featured on this track, and he adds a colorful punch to an already sing-songy song. T-Pain sings, “Now my grandma-ma ain’t the only one calling me baby.” (I mean, come on!) T-Pain’s feature is really noteworthy. His unapologetic love of autotune is credited with inspiring modern rappers like Migos, Lil Uzi Vert and Young Thug, who use their voices to drive melodies and fill the beat. Their mumble and glam rap is criticized for being inauthentic to a genre that’s all about the spoken word, but why should hip-hop have to play by different expectations than all other forms of music? My other favorite song is “Everything I Am.” It’s the most lyrically deep track on the album, and is also a return to his earlier work. There’s no noticeable synth, and the scratchy turntables are a welcome reprieve
from the futuristic sound of the rest of the album. The piano fills descend between the molasses-slow drum beats as Kanye raps, “I’ll never be as laid back as this beat was.” It’s relaxed, honest and self-aware: “Cause they want gun talk, or I don’t wear enough Baggy clothes, Reeboks, or A-di-dos/Can I add that he do spaz out at his shows/So say goodbye to the NAACP Award.” Again, there are a lot of incredible songs on this album. “Flashing Lights,” “Homecoming,” “Champion” and “I Wonder” all deserve deeper dives, but we’ve all heard “Graduation” enough times to know them well. “Homecoming” is a long letter back to a girl that taught Kanye how to grow up— in fact, it’s Chicago itself—interrupted by Chris Martin hooks. “Flashing Lights” is densely soaked in string instruments and club-like riffing synths. The rich backing track mirrors the high, fast-paced haze of wealth and fame. It’s also got the “I’m Kanye West, so I’m gonna shoot my shot,” lyric of the album: “My memory’s museum/I’m just sayin’, hey, Mona Lisa come home, you know you can’t roam without Caesar.” “I Wonder” and “Champion” are just plain fantastic songs. “Champion” flutters on a Steely Dan (!) beat and a pounding drum. It’s a song about responsibility: in hip-hop (“Lauryn Hill said her heart was in Zion I wish her heart still was in rhyming”), the kids (“They got the dropout keepin’ kids in the school/I guess I cleaned up my act like Prince’d do) and Kanye’s own father (“I don’t know what he did for dough/But he’d send me back to school with a new wardrobe.”) “Graduation” is part of early Kanye in more ways than the presence of the classic “College Dropout” bear from the first two album covers. Most would describe Kanye’s early work as authentic, which is to say, most representative of his own feelings and mind-
set, meanwhile subverting norms. In the arc of a long career, authenticity is something the artist sacrifices to sustain success. But when it comes to Kanye, his authenticity has run parallel to his propensity to self-destruct. And anyway, who’s to say that rapping about growing up in Chicago is any more groundbreaking than rapping about mental health issues, as he does in “Ye”? There is plenty of precedent for rapping about making it out of the streets, and not much when it comes to issues of mental health and vulnerability. Honesty doesn’t come without retribution. As Kanye puts it on “Good Morning,” “You graduate the moment you make it up out of the streets … haters saying you changed, now you’re doing your thing, good morning.” So, does “Graduation” enlighten anything about contemporary Kanye? A revisit 12 years later seems to require that analysis. But it’s hard to say. Can we really compare Kanye before and after his self-diagnosed, controversial claim that he has bipolar disorder (not even attempting to answer if it excuses his recent actions)? That declaration in itself reveals contemporary Kanye’s tendency towards insensitivity: in talking about bipolar disorder, he seemed to make strides toward destigmatizing that mental illness—but this was quickly reversed when the artist revealed, in a conversation with Donald Trump, no less, that his doctor actually specifically told him he did not meet the criteria for that diagnosis (NBC News, “Kanye unfiltered: Rapper talks mental illness, ‘the universe’ in Trump meeting,” 10.11.2018). Regardless, how can you evaluate a person who has so clearly abandoned his former self? And yet, who are we fooling, he’s still Kanye West. The perfectionist. The producer. By the way, I still warm up to “Good Morning.”
Jacklin reclaims her body, explores love in new album Meghan Hayfield Guest Columnist
J
ulia Jacklin’s second album, “Crushing,” is hypnotic and honest in its candid lyrics about self-discovery after heartbreak. The Australian singer-songwriter bares her nonlinear, turbulent moments of a breakup intimately, detailing her journey to take back agency of her body. Jacklin begins the album with “Body,” recounting the story of getting kicked off a domestic flight because her significant other was smoking on the plane. “Body” sets up the brutally candid album, detailing the moments she knew it was over. On the track, the artist sings, “Watch me turn my own head/ Heading to the city to get my body back.” But while Jacklin wonders whether a nude photograph taken years ago could be used against her, she finds liberation, singing, “I guess it’s just my life/And it’s just my body.” The open and honest stories Jacklin owns through her lyrics allow for an intimate connection between listener and artist. Jacklin continues to investigate the motif of her body in “Head Alone,” an upbeat guitar melody that features empowering lyrics about taking autonomy of her space. “I don’t want to be touched all the time/I raised my body up to be mine,” Jacklin sings. Her voice gains momentum as she chants, “So I’ll say it ‘til he understands/You can love somebody without using your hands.” Jacklin’s songs
are not a huge production, but her compelling lyrics and dreamy voice are enough to create the right atmosphere for the album. Third on the album comes “Pressure to Party,” a fast-moving and powerful song in which Jacklin explores coping with her heartbreak in public. Not wanting to be isolated, yet needing time to reorient, she sings, “I know I’ve locked myself in my room/But I’ll open up the door and try to love again soon.” The self-awareness that Jacklin displays in recognizing her need for time while remaining open to future love is admirable and mature. The energy of the song evokes the overthinking that takes place at a party, in a moment when the music is loud and you’re surrounded by bodies on all sides. It’s clear the waves of heartbreak are sweeping: Just when the wave recedes, it comes back to swallow you underneath the current. “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You” is carried by Jacklin’s haunting and melancholy voice. Jacklin seeks to hold on to the past as she sings, “I wanna feel it all every time that we kiss/I want your mother to stay friends with mine.” But she then diverges into doubtful longing, desperately looking for a way to salvage love: “What if I cleaned up?/What if I worked on my skin?/I could scrub until I am red, hot, weak and thin/Too tired to run away.” The crooning of her voice is distressing, the last call of a fading relationship you know you have to let go of, but
somehow long to save. “Convention” details the dysfunctional nature of Jacklin’s crumbling relationship: “We’ll have to pay to keep the lights on/And that bill will arrive just when all our savings have gone.” An acoustic guitar accompanies Jacklin’s assured voice as she assesses the relationship level-headedly, realizing it no longer fits. “Call me a ride, I can’t walk home/ Can’t stand the pain from these shoes I’ve now outgrown,” she sings coolly. Jacklin croons softly in “Good Guy”: “Tell me I’m the love of your life/just for a night/ even if you don’t feel it.” The lyrics embody a longing for temporary solace, making the song an honest take on loneliness after a breakup. Jacklin confronts every emotion that comes along with ending a relationship: the longing to recover lost love and the craving to sink into the sadness. But she finds her own forward momentum in her body. The second-to-last song of the album, “Turn Me Down,” is mellow and melancholy, building slowly in a climb to catharsis. Jacklin sings of her significant other’s mistrust as they drive along a highway. “Pulled off the highway/He took my hand, said I see a bright future/I’m just not sure that you’re in it,” Jacklin sings, and then the song falls completely silent two minutes in. Suddenly, the only sound is Jacklin’s voice, quietly chanting, “So please just turn me down,” over and over, growing in volume and in strength.
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Jacklin’s chilling tone sounds afraid at first but finds comfort in itself, becoming a roar of exhilarating freedom. “Maybe I’ll see you in a supermarket sometime,” she sings. In “Comfort,” Jacklin’s soothing voice sings as a refrain, “You’ll be okay, you’ll be alright.” The minimalism and quietude of the song allows Jacklin’s breathing to take up space, offering intimacy. “Comfort” is the conclusion of the ups and downs that accompanied moving on; the song finds Jacklin peacefully sure of her resolution. “You can’t be the one to hold him when you were the one/who left,” Jacklin sings throughout the song, at first sad and then accepting. “Crushing” is both the fleeting excitement of love and the visceral break that assumes moving on. It’s music you’ll cry to and feel re-energized by. It’s the moment you’re mindlessly dancing and then realize you want nothing more than to be alone. It’s the feeling of knowing you’re not right for someone and yet not quite ready to leave because, to quote Jacklin, “I was so happy all those years with you.” It’s the realization that your best memories can’t be recreated, and how, as Jacklin puts it, “When I can’t even promise/I’d do things differently next time.” It’s the moment you know your body is ready to move on, but your heart can’t cease relenting and reminiscing. It’s gut-wrenching and full of self-doubt, but Jacklin illustrates how the return to your body will prevail.
April 4, 2019
ARTS
Campus Canvas A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
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Excuse me, What is the best April Fools’ prank you’ve heard of?
“PB’s was the only one I heard all day.” — Dahlia Forte ’20
“The Facebook page daily update on Hildegard Von Bingen’s health condition, which usually posts ‘she’s dead’ daily, instead posted ‘she’s alive.’” —Scott Szpisjak ’20 “Groundhog’s Day was going to be a snow day. That morning, my friend’s mom ran into her room, telling her the snow day was cancelled. She said, ‘It’s Groundhog’s Day! Isn’t that when you play jokes on each other?’” — Juliana Sprague ’21 “It was April Fools’ at my friend’s high school. And they supposedly released four goats, but actually there was no number three.” — Mira MichelsGualtieri ’21 “My grandma told me a car ran into my favorite ice cream shop, and I thought it was a joke, but I visited later, and it turned out to be true.” — Olivia Feltus ’21
Kushin Mukherjee Cognitive Science and Japanese Major Class of 2019 He/Him/HIs “As an artist, I’ve mostly been inspired by young boys’s or Shounen manga, and I’m currently writing my own manga for my Japanese senior project that experiments with a female protagonist in a Shounen-style narrative. Sketching as a behavior itself is also incredibly interesting to me and I’m working on my Cognitive Science thesis, where I apply a mix of computational and behavioral methodologies to explain how people are able to understand and create sketches, and consequently manga.” MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
“I had a large buildup to an April Fools’ joke, and on April Fools’ day everyone was waiting for the joke. There was no joke.” — Antonio Luis Quevedo ’21
Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Izzy Migani, Columnist Hannah Benton, Photography
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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,
Columnist learns to root social justice in rest RECWEEK continued
from page 1 exploitation in Chinatown. Our prayers were our trumpets, and I wondered if the sex addict, and the victims of his addiction, heard them. The graffiti whispered on the dusty front hinted at greater injustices committed behind closed doors. This walk happened during Reconciliation Week (RecWeek), a project sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to engage with issues of national and global injustice. Over spring break, fifty-something college students and staff, including myself, met at the Overseas Chinese Mission to grapple with social issues which necessitate activism, such as sex trafficking. I had the privilege of meeting students from the University of Virginia, University of Tampa, Eastman School of
In the context of these harrowing struggles, Walton asked us to consider rest as radical resistance against our biggest local and global issues in an impatient world. As a framework, Walton introduced us to the 4 Rs: Rest, Restore, Resist, Repeat. Emotionally healthy activism springs from a healthy, reflective interior. He guided us through daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual rhythms of rest and restoration. Social activist groups are quick to emphasize action. Emotionally healthy activists are slower to act and quicker to decelerate. So, what would pursuing restful resistance look like? In the Judeo-Christian tradition, stopping for Sabbath is radical in a culture that disregards rest. Remember, “if you rest you rust” and “you can
Courtesy of Jonathon Walton
I love my close friends, who happen to be bro-ey, straight white men. Unfortunately, they are subscribers to the philosophy that Vassar is too “PC.” They often respond to pronoun issues with a glib attitude, and occasionally claim reverse racism on campus. Given the social climate/identity politics at Vassar, they feel judged and silenced for being athletic straight white dudes. I feel like I have some responsibility to educate them, but I often find myself grasping for words or pulled into heated exchanges when the subject comes up. Any suggestions on how to more effectively go about this? Sincerely, Hopeful Ally Dear Ally,
Q
Best Wishes, Frankie P.S. You can’t make someone change if they don’t want to. All you can do is try to provide them with a new perspective on their behavior.
Jonathan Walton (back, far left) poses with participants in RecWeek. Over the course of several teaching sessions, students learn to sustainably engage in social justice efforts. Music, Rochester Institute of Technology and other universities on the East Coast. We were led by author, speaker and activist Jonathan Walton, whose spoken word and written poetry eased us into these sensitive topics. Previously the director of the New York City Urban Project (NYCUP), Walton leads seven weeks of RecWeek during collegiate spring breaks and is the co-owner of a fair trade coffee shop called Bird & Branch on West 45th Street. Every morning, breakfast came from Bird & Branch. Walton once aptly quipped that the food “tastes like freedom” because the coffee and ingredients are all ethically and sustainably sourced. Walton changed the way I approach social justice work through the introduction of a personal, relational and systemic lens. Reconciliation happens when we wrestle with issues of injustice individually, partner with allies within a rich community atmosphere and fight for lasting legislative change on the national level. We focused on our personal roles in injustice as Walton constantly invited us to self-interrogate: How do I unconsciously add to environmental waste by investing in fast fashion industries? How does my rage toward Brett Kavanaugh and others hinder the advancement of the #MeToo movement? We grappled with sex trafficking, environmental exploitation, sexism, xenophobia and racism. Walton presented three documentaries to foster discussions on these sensitive topics. “The Mask You Live in” focused on toxic masculinity. “True Cost” discussed sweatshop labor in Bangladesh and the fast fashion industry. Lastly, we viewed “Documenting Hate,” a Frontline documentary on white supremacy. It was powerful to watch the latter documentary alongside University of Virginia students who were personally impacted by the Charlottesville marches last August. These issues hit close to home.
sleep when you’re dead.” I decided to introduce the ancient practice of Sabbath in resistance to the restlessness around me. The Hebrew word sabbat comes from the verb sabat, meaning to stop, to cease or to keep. Theologically, it is modeled after God’s rest following the six days of creation. Sabbath as a noun demarks a holy day, 24 hours set apart from the rest of the week. It exists not to make us more productive on the other six days, but to provide an ordained period of communal celebration of completed work. It reminds us that we are not people defined solely by performance and activity—human doings. We are simply human beings. A day of uninterrupted rest is a beautiful acknowledgment of my limitedness. Since dedicating Friday afternoons into Saturday afternoons to no school work and limited phone use, I have noticed a significant change in my mental wellbeing. I’m more patient with the guy in front of me checking every pocket in his backpack for his VCard. I’m more creative, and I have more space to process negative emotions and achieve catharsis. I drive better on the road and run faster during
the day. I empathize with my family and friends more deeply. When I rest, I don’t miss out on better projects. I am restored to love and lament well. Lamentation is a difficult yet foundational part of reconciliation—one I have vehemently avoided. RecWeek taught me the necessity of the process. I lamented the ways I consume commercial products, prioritizing price and convenience over the human price paid abroad. I lamented the culturally-ingrained message that men shouldn’t be emotionally vulnerable. I lamented the existence of human trafficking in Flushing, Queens, less than an hour from my house. It is sometimes easier to attend a protest or repost a compelling article than to weep and sit in the pain of how injustice hurts people. It’s easier to cite statistics like, “The United States makes up 5% of world’s population and consumes 35% of its resources” without grieving how I’m part of the problem with my tendency to buy cheap products that I will need to replace weeks later. While RecWeek was a deep dive into heavy systemic injustices, I left feeling painfully confronted with my own self: the person who couldn’t face the terrorizing thought that there is pain in the world in which I am complicit. Injustice persists when I don’t reconcile my personal failings with brokenness everywhere. But we can’t stop there in the muck and mire. We need people. There was beauty in our communal confession, hope in our prayers and our longing for change. While we couldn’t reverse the environmental damage of fast fashion, defeat sex trafficking, conquer white supremacy or make Trump’s wall and accompanying ideology collapse, at least we knew there were communities with which to weep. Walton modeled what it looks like to reduce clothing waste in community. He gives clothes away to friends to combat the pile-up at overstocked Salvation Armies. The owner of his local bagel shop admired his daughter’s clothing. In response, he gave the owner a bag of his daughter’s clothes, and she returned his generosity with free bagels. The goal was never free bagels, but giving produces some scrumptious rewards beyond unloading unwanted items and reducing global waste. He demonstrated that justice is futile in the absence of relationships. Systemic change is necessary, but it takes longer than a week to create. I will grapple with what it means to be a mindful consumer, emotionally healthy activist and prayerful resistor for the rest of my life. But for now, I need to renovate the broken parts in me.
Courtesy of Cathy Craig
uite frankly, relative to their pre-Vassar experience, they probably are being judged and silenced far more frequently here. I say that not to justify problematic behavior, but to remind you that going from the “most important” voice in a room to one amongst equals will feel like a downgrade to anyone. People aren’t likely to feel comfortable in an environment where others challenge their privilege—that’s just a fact. The best advice I can impart to you is that arguing with them about this is not likely to change this fact. Those with privilege blame “reverse racism” or misandry when they are forced to confront their own positionality. They’re right that being faced with your own complicity in others’ oppression is uncomfortable, but that doesn’t legitimize their defense mechanism. Discomfort is part of learning, and blaming that discomfort on others hinders learning. Also, I understand why you feel responsible for educating them, but at some point, this becomes a Sisyphean task. Unfortunately, some people will always prioritize their own comfort and privilege over the wellbeing of others. They may not even realize they’re doing this until and unless you point it out. Rather than wholesale ideological arguments, try respectfully calling them out about specific behaviors. Arguing with them in a more prolonged way will likely incense them and not lead to any productive conversations. This is, as you’ve no doubt realized, a tricky position for you. You care about these people; you don’t want to cut them off. They may even be really supportive in other ways. On the other hand, their behavior is not acceptable. We often feel obligated to educate those close to us about their problematic behavior, but constant pressure to curb their behavior is draining. Exactly how you want to reconcile these competing considerations is, necessarily, up to you.
April 4, 2019
Depicted here is a participant’s-eye view of RecWeek. Students listen attentively as Walton imparts knowledge and shares his experiences. During sessions like this, Craig contemplated her own approach to activism and learned to prioritize constructive rest.
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April 4, 2019
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Fashioning a sense of cultural identity
ASA’s recent fashion show featured a diverse range of colorful fashion sets donned by student models. They strutted their stuff along a brightly lit runway in the CCMPR, pausing to pose in front of a full house of spectators. Some models sported traditional clothing from various Asian cultures, while others rocked outfits inspired by various contemporary interpretations of Asian identity in its manifold forms. All photos courtesy of Alex Kim ’21.
ASA Fashion Show displays dazzling array of inspired attire Duncan Aronson
Assistant features editor
B
efore the doors opened at 6:30 p.m. last Saturday, March 30, the College Center Multi-Purpose Room (CCMPR) was populated with empty chairs and filled with silence, except for a few last-second preparations. By 7 p.m., the CCMPR buzzed with people; the space became a standing-room-only venue. The runway—a long, narrow strip of well-lit carpet—split the sea of chairs and people. The models waited anxiously in an adjacent room. The Asian Students’ Alliance (ASA) Fashion Show was about to start. The fashion show is just one example of ASA’s efforts to give a voice to Asian students and make their presence better known on Vassar’s campus. ASA hosted a similar fashion show nearly four years ago, but the event did not become a regular part of the org’s programming. Many of those who participated and spectated at the time have since graduated, leaving only a few who remember the original event. Saturday’s show marked the long-awaited revival of this ASA tradition, which the current ASA Executive Board hopes to continue in the future. This year’s show elicited a strong demonstration of support from students, even surpassing organizers’ expectations. “When we were planning it, we knew there weren’t going to be that many chairs, so we left a space for people to stand,” said ASA Treasurer Johnson Lin ’21 from the corner of a Gordon Commons booth. Even after creating the standing space, Lin did not expect it to be necessary. “I remember thinking, ‘Yeah, if that many people come.’ And people were there! People were on the couches, people were standing—it was crazy,” Lin
commented. The sheer number of attendees was either a source of anticipation, anxiety or both. Model Ceci Villaseñor ’22 fell in the former camp. She recalled via email, “Even before walking on, you could hear everyone cheering, and when you finally walked down the runway and saw how packed the room was, it was exciting to be in a crowd excited to be there.” Villaseñor’s relaxed attitude under the watchful eye of such a large audience highlighted an additional layer of her culture distinct from fashion. Performance in Villaseñor’s experience is not a one-off, but a familiar experience stemming from her hometown: “I was lucky enough to grow up in a very strong Filipino-American community that emphasized the performing arts, especially music and dance.” However, the ASA show provided an additional perspective. She elaborated, “I’ve been wearing Filipino costumes since I was old enough to perform in my Filipino school’s shows, but while I’ve always appreciated those costumes, I’ve never had an opportunity to showcase the clothing itself. I also think that fashion is often overlooked when learning about an ethnic group’s culture.” For the exhilarated group of observers, Villaseñor donned a Maria Clara gown, a Spanish twist on the national dress of the Philippines, during the traditional half of the show. Her dress powerfully embodied her Filipino culture and its past. She described her decision process: “I wanted to wear something that reflected the Philippines’ history of Spanish colonization, since it’s something that is unique to the Philippines. Maria Clara is also the name of a character from a novel by the national hero, José Rizal, so the dress is named after her.”
Villaseñor expressed that, relative to other facets of culture like food and holidays, fashion is an undervalued lens through which to understand ethnic groups and their daily lives. Being a Filipina who attended Filipino cultural school, Villaseñor found it difficult to connect to her roots at Vassar. “In the Asian community which can sometimes feel East Asian-dominated...I felt like I had to qualify my Asian-ness for the first time—I wasn’t Asian, I was Southeast Asian. So being part of a fashion show for overall Asian cultures and having Filipino culture celebrated and embraced was a really positive experience,” she reflected. Other models reacted differently to the crowd, as well as to the personal and collective significance of the event. In an emailed statement, model Weipeng Xie ’22 revealed that he found the large crowd rather daunting. This was primarily because he had stepped out of his comfort zone, not only by being present in front of such a huge gathering, but also by doing so with unfamiliar accessories, such as makeup and earrings, to pull off the look Lin wanted. When he did venture onto the runway, however, he found open arms. He described, “I was greeted by cheers and claps, which was very settling. It felt that I was not being judged by my inexperience. I felt encouraged to take another step forward into the spotlight.” Illuminated by the figurative light of the audience’s attentive gaze and the literal lights suspended above the runway, Xie displayed traditional Japanese garb. “The main piece I wore was a fireman’s undercoat dating back to the Edo Period of Japan. Underneath, I wore a more modern formal...black dress shirt tucked into a pair of black pants and black dress shoes,” he enumerated. The
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undercoat, the design of which dates back 300 years, was complemented with other traditional elements such as a handmade Japanese canvas bag with a happi belt tied to it. This is one example of the 12 modern models and fashion sets, all striving to represent a melange of traditional Asian fashions and more avant-garde elements. Cultivating a diverse environment to celebrate the broader Asian identity expanded beyond just fashion. Lin strove to structure the fashion show with careful attention to detail. “The modern show was all over the place in terms of themes—there wasn’t a very consistent style. That was intentional because I wanted to show that the Asian experience is very different, and we are all coming from different places. We are all still Asian, yet it is really hard to define an Asian experience,” Lin explained. He chose music from a broad swath of Asian identities, including artists such as Indian-American R&B singer Raveena, Indonesian artists Rich Bryan and Nik, Thai singer Phum Viphurit and Korean rapper Sik K, among others. While these components reinforced the inclusive atmosphere of the event, the momentous occasion ultimately focused on the power of fashion to represent individual and collective identities. The centrality of fashion was not lost on Xie. “Clothing is wearable art or wearable history,” he stated. “It could be a set of armor which people [use to] stay in their comfort zone and retains a certain value and shield[s] people from change; it could also be a gateway to express emotions, ideas, and stories to the world.” Fashion, Xie concluded, carries so much potential because “It invites other people into your mind, your background, and your perspective.”
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April 4, 2019
What’s the worst way to settle an argument?
Word
on the street
“Slap them with a glove, and start a duel. Or slap them with a salmon. Either way.” — Camilla Meeker ’22
“Probably physical violence. That’s pretty bad. ” — Charlie WaltzChesnaye ’20
“Setting something on fire. (It’s my first instinct, so I assume it’s the worst.)” — Gabriella Kimbrough ’22 Ben
“Square up.” — Sam Xu ’22
Shape Up
6. Give up ACROSS 7. "Red" confederation 1. Or should I go? 8. Not out and about 5. Shape of the Times 9. Inserted a new oboe 11. Little bit of baby frog mouthpiece 14. Game polyhedron “Google.” 10. fin. — Elliot 15. Stone Cold Jane Kleinman ’21 11. Right kind of shape 16. DNA's best friend 12. No name given 17. Clean as a whistle 13. Meme scent 19. Unbalanced atom 18. Whistl____ tour 20. R2D2 noises 22. Our universe's Hulk 21. Stepped down on 24. Hang ten 22. Handful of hair 26. -rosse, -onic, -erate 23. Skills or resources “Shape Up” Costa and Frank 28. Celtic sun god 25. Honeydew is the worst by oneBenjamin 27. The third asterisk on a page 29. Risking pant ignition 57. Worst kind of bean 48. Traiditional ACROSS 30. Night beforeJapanese entertainers 32. Predator's prize 60. Rice wine 49. Covered with crud 1. Or should I go? 31. Crimson color 33. Birth an iceberg 61. Rowing machineor cow 52. Set of beliefs 5. Shape of the Times 62. The state of disability 53. Technicalhat jargon 11. Little bit of baby frog 34. Women's based on beret 34. Spinning toys 64. Pride 54. Opposite of some glowing 14. Game polyhedron 35. Kenobi 38. Acrobatic stunts 65. Exhale in reverse red signs from far far away 15. Stone Cold Jane 66. Explorer’s descendant 16. DNA’s best friend 36. Militaristic polygon 41. Require 67. Harry’s arachnophobic friend 17. Clean as a whistle 42. Singular rayup 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 68. Stitched 19. Unbalanced atom 69. Love is an open one 20. R2D2 noises 44. California valley 21. Stepped down on 14 15 DOWN 46. Shakes up the brain 22. Handful of hair 1. Acronymic diving apparatus 23. Skills or resources 50. Macbeth's office 17 18 2. Looney songs 25. Honeydew is the worst one 3. French priests a drain 51. Shape around 27. The third asterisk on a page 20 21 4. Left an online review 32. Predator’s prize 55. Southern sweetheart 5. US Gov’t first name 33. Birth an iceberg or cow 6. Give up of bean 34. Spinning toys 57. Worst kind 23 24 7. “Red” confederation 38. Acrobatic stunts 60. Rice wine 8. Not out and about 41. Require 27 28 29 9. Inserted a new oboe 42. Singular ray 61. Rowing machine mouthpiece 44. California valley 62. The state of disability 32 10. fin. 46. Shakes up the brain 11. Right kind of shape 50. Macbeth’s office 64. Pride 12. No name given 34 35 36 37 38 51. Shape around a drain 65. Exhale inscent reverse 13. Meme 55. Southern sweetheart 18. Whistl____ tour 66. Explorer's descendant 42 43 44 Answer 22. Our universe’s Hulk Brave New Worlds to last week’s puzzle 67. Harry's arachnophobic friend 24. Hang ten F R E E R S L O W H A R E 46 47 48 26. -rosse, -onic, -erate R I D G E T O P I Y L E 68. M Stitched up 28. Celtic sun god O C E A N I C E S P I N E 29. Risking ignition Love is an pant open one 50 W O N D E R L A N D H E A 69. R
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37. Jain sage 39. Old buddy 40. Clean across a“Fighting? span Has to be.” 43. Wharton degree — Zak Willis ’22 45. Japanese cartoons 47. WiFi-accessible 48. Traiditional Japanese entertainers Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Migani, Columnist 49. Izzy Covered with crud Hannah Benton, Photography 52. Set of beliefs 53. Technical jargon 54. Opposite of some glowing red signs 55. Fermented barley 56. Therefore Fermented barley 58.55.Polite address 56. Therefore 59.58.Willing and Polite address Willing 62.59.City of and Hell 62. City of Hell 63.63.Glowing circuit Glowing circuit partpart
The Miscellany Crossword
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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
63
2019
OPINIONS
April 4, 2019
Page 13
The Miscellany News Staff Editorial
Campus Climate What’s one of the most important issues to you as we look ahead to the 2020 presidential elections?
“I’m focusing on women’s issues specifically, especially birth control and its accessibility. I’d like to see an increase in its availability. Stances on abortion need to be reworked.” –Kelsie Milburn ’21 “Criminal justice reform. A lot of the Democratic candidates have a bad record of criminal justice reform, including Biden and Harris. It’s concerning because this is supposed to be the liberal side of politics, not the law and order side.” –Jonas Trostle ’21 “Health care and the environment. I am interested in supporting candidates who support single-payer health care because people should have health care always. And we should take radical actions to fight climate change.” –Sam Cibula ’20
“Women’s rights because I’m a woman, and I deserve to be heard in this world.” –Heidi Zahnleuter ’22 “Asian-American representation in elected government positions—Congress, Senate, governors.” –Matthew Au ’19 “I’m not a U.S. citizen, so I’m looking to see if they’ll issue more visas for employment. That’s my number one issue.” –Wang Yunqiao ’20
“Health care, because they’re trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, leaving billions without health care, and that’s bullshit.” –Derek Sonntag ’19
“Getting back the legitimacy of what a U.S. president should be. I feel like Trump is abusing his power in multiple ways and ruining the role of the president.” –Naveen Chowdhury ’22
“Something that’s lately been in the news is the crisis in Puerto Rico. Trump has decreased funding. Having someone to take up the reins would be very important to me personally.” –Gabriela Mandeville ’19
“Gun legislation. Coming from a community that has experienced gun violence, it’s a tragedy that affects individuals, families and communities. It needs immediate action in order to make schools a safe place.” –Sami Hodes ’20
In loving memory of autistic lives lost to ableist violence Jesser Horowitz Columnist
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or the past two years, The Miscellany News has provided a space during Autism Acceptance Month to serve as a memorial for the autistic homicide victims over the years. Please read the following memorial, learn their names and honor their memories. Rest in Peace
Abdirahman Abdi, 37; Yonatan Aguilar, 11; Alexis Agyepong-Glover, 13; Samvith, 4; Majid Akhtar, 28; Neilbeth Albert, 19; Faryaal Akhter, 2; Zain Akhter, 5; Casey Albury, 17; Timothy Aleshire, 27; Angel Alicea-Estrada, 58; Liam Fee, 2; Stefanie Almer, 36; James Ecford, 25; Lindsey Angela Alvarez, 4; Joel Urhie, 7; Austin Anderson, 19; Jeffrey Bailey Jr., 13; Kaylina Anderson, 18; Adam Behan, 22; Jeff Antwis, 14; Aiden Archer, 3; Harry Aspley, 23 months; Harry Procko, 4; Tamiyah Audain, 12; Katie Lynn Baker, 10; Angelica Auriemma, 20; Ryan Birse, 22; Benjamin Barnhard, 13; James Boucher, 40; Randle Barrow, 8; Dale Bartolome, 27; Asher Bashir, 4; William Beals, 19; Michael Becht Jr., 10; Mason Bryan, 4; Stephanie Bincliffe, 25; Eric Bland, 38; Roland Campbell, 21; Brandon Beukers, 25; Nicole Beilman, 27; Erianna Beltran, 3; Sophie Bennett, 19; Max Benson, 13; Charles-Antoine Blais, 6; Gary Balton III, 5; Brendan Blum, 14; Jeffrey Bogrett, 9; Christopher Bosselman, 5; Daniel Corby, 4; Jeremy Bostick, 11; Coco Bradford, 6; Lucas Braman, 1; Steven Brazier, 19; Gabriel Britt, 6; Antonio Brooks, 14; Cameron Brookes, 16; Robin Callender, 53; Andromeda Brown, 21; Owen Collins, 3;
Asher Brown, 13; Deetrick Brown, 2; Michael Camberdella, 18; Willie Wright, 15; Maggie Caraballo, 38; Jaquez Carden, 14; Deonn Carter, 31 George Philip Carter, 59; Jonathan Carey, 13; Corey Carpenter, 27; Jose Castillo-Cisneros, 3; Ryan Davies, 12; James Casullo, 8; Kathleen Casullo, 12; Tyler Caudill, 6; Dillon Cearfoss, 20; Zachary Chambless, 17 Scarlett Chen, 4; Calvin Champion, 32; Sze-ming Chan, 10; Mohammad Usmad Chaudhry, 21; Paul Childs, 15; On-Yu Choy, 15; Johnny Churchi, 13; Patrick Clare, 35; Kayden Clarke, 24; Michael Clement, 15; Christopher Cline, 35; Damian Clough, 12; Kadyn Cockman, 8; Kevin Colindres, 18; Raashanai Coley, 11; Casey Collier, 17; Adrian Colon, 4; Maia Comas, 2; Joseph Conant, 1; Anthony Corona, 18; Linda Cornelison, 19; Carl DeBrodie, 31; Erin Crabtree, 18; Chelsea Craig, 14; Kristopher Crain, 22; Sarah Crider, 14; Taariq Cross, 7; Terrance Cottrell Jr., 8; Kenneth Countie, 24; Matthew Cox, 21; James Joseph Cummings Jr., 46; Hansel Cunningham, 30; Elric Eiffert, 34; Sanaa Cunningham, 7; Jack Ellis, 20; Je’Hyrah Daniels, 4; Joe Daniels, 5; Aja Dasa, 16; Jason Dawes, 10; Anthony Dawson, 64; John Davenport, 25; Sarah Davies, 24; Stephen Davies, 46 Dylan Davis, 11; Kevin DeAnda, 25 Christopher DeGroot, 19; Corey Foster, 16; David Dehmann, 33; Jeshiah DeJesus, 9; Michael DeLoge, 38; Ronnie Derrick, 47; Mitchell Dickson, 10; Mitchell Di Stasio, 4; Doherty, unknown; Gemma Dove, 33; Cory Dreiling, 26; Malik Drummond, 2; Brahim Dukes, 18; Hayden Dukes, 4; Brandon Earle, 18; Bijan Ebrahimi, 44;
Jaelen Edge, 13; Abdelkarim Elmezayen, 8; Joseph Edwards, 17; Stanley Edwards, 40; Elhassan Elmezayen, 13; Ryan Emory, 16; Jamie Fairclough, 26; Faheem Farook, 7; Timothy Ellis Jr., 2; Adrian Fierro, 20; Marcus Fiesel, 3; Gerard Fleming, 35; Christohper Fisher, 31; Fantasia Franklin, 21; Demykho Forbes, 30; Leylan Forte, 4; Jeffrey Franklin, 16; Heather Frans, 19; Jeremy Fraser, 9; Glen Freaney, 11; Justin Frey, Jr., 29; Dougie Gibson, 13; John Fulton, 12; Graham Gentles, 22; Paul Gianelos, 45; Sarah Gibbs, 34; Lilian Leilani Gill, 4; Carl Gregory, 20; Paul Gladwell, 38; Samson Goitom, 21; Jacob Grabe, 13; Matthew Graville, 27; Jonathan Grinstein-Camacho, 28; Rosario Gomez, 14; Matthew Goodman, 14; Shane Graham, 10; Jared Greenwood, 26; Robert Guinyard Jr., 4; Dameian Gulley, 14; Matthew Hafer, 28; Joseph Haines, 25; Garrett Halsey, 13; Cameron Hamilton, 2; Jake Harkins, 10; Rebekah Harkins, 57; Cole Hartman, 8; Antoin Hawes, Jr., 28; Jim Helm, 27; Chris Helmlinger, 24; Brian Goh Kah Heng, 19; Dustin Hicks, 14; Jon Henley, 14; Jawara Henry, 27; Carlos Herrera, 22; David Herrera Jr, 22; Walter Hildebrand Jr. 20; Chloe Hobbs, 11; George Hodgins, 22; Heddwyn Hughes, 67; Christopher Holliman, 24; Katlego Joja, 10; Kenneth Holmes, 12; Justin Huckins, 22; Chad Jackson, 25; William Lamson, 26; James Many White Horses, 2; Tia Jones, 12; Omarion Humphrey, 9; Sean Hurtt, 14; Miss John, unknown; Marquail Johnson, 8; Tony Khor, 15; Gulpreet Kumari, 12; Tammara Killam, 25; Darren King, 31; Ethan Scott Kirby, 3; Tianna Kirchner, 4; Ruby Knox, 20; Stephen Komninos, 22;
Giovanni Kopystenski, 5; Denis Maltez, 12; Montana Lance, 9; Bradley LaPointe, 22; William Lash IV, 12; Shane Laycock, 11; Jake Lasker, 19; Aaron Leafe, 15; Savannah Leckie, 16; Hun Joon Lee, 19; Ty Lee, 11; Kennedy LeRoy, 16; Lane Lesko, 19; Daniel Leubner, 13; Leung, 14; Jennifer Little, 2; Jade Norton, 10; Tyler Long, 17; Gordon Longphee, 56; Mariah Lopez, 13; Charles Mancill, 24; Matthew Lowry, 29; Paige Lunsford, 14; Joshua Maddox,15; Justin Malphus, 5; Elisa Manrique-Lutz, 11; Jude Mirra, 8; Martin Manrique-Lutz, 10; Taye Miles, 13; Patrick Markcrow, 36; Jeremy Mardis, 6 Melissa Mathieson, 18; Matthew Mirado, 17; Kristal Mayon-Ceniceros; Omar Omran, 3; Stephen McAfee, 20; London McCabe, 6 Katherine McCarron, 3; Sarah Naylor, 27; Marcus McGhee, 9; Jeremiah Moore, 19; Elspeth McKendrick, 16; Dante Mullinix, 2; Benjamin McLatchie, 22; Tine Nyes, 38; James McLaughlin, 20 ; Erick Oritz, 16; Christopher Melton, 18; Hiroki Naito, 36; Arye Miles, 10; Rylan Miles, 12; Richard Meredith, 82; Nhlanhla Mnguni, 4; Vincent Milletich, 22; Tristan Neiland, 6; Raymond Mitchell, 21; Bryan Nevins, 20; Mzee Mohammed, 18; Chase Ogden, 13; Abubakar Nadama, 5; Melissa Neyman, 19; Phillip Nicholson, 22; Richard Oland, 69; Gareth Oates, 18; Timothy O’Brien, 14 Ronald Wilderman, 57; Kevin Wilkes, 32 Ahziya Osceola, 3; Angela Owen, 45 Read more at https://autismmemorial. wordpress.com. We wish to extend a special thanks for the members of Autism Memorial for their hard work in giving a voice to the victims.
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
April 4, 2019
Israeli Apartheid Week highlights Palestinian oppression Students for Justice in Palestine Guest Columnists
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n the past year, over 250 non-violent Palestinian protesters in Gaza have been shot dead by Israeli soldiers, and at least another 6,500 have been maimed and wounded. These protestors were a part of “The Great March of Return,” a monumental mobilization of the Palestinian people to demand their right to return to the lands that they have been violently denied from since 1948 (Al Jazeera, “Gaza to Mark Anniversary of Great March of Return Protests,” 3.29.2019). While Israel’s acts in this case are horrific and have been labeled by the United Nations (UN) as possible war crimes, they are but expressions of Israel’s systemic denial of Palestinian human rights. Home demolitions, humiliating and dangerous checkpoints, lack of access to education and basic medical care, limited economic prospects and virtually no paths to a better life are facts of daily life for millions of Palestinians (Human Rights Watch, “Israel and Palestine,” 01.17.2019). Altogether, the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians amounts to apartheid: a legalized racial hierarchy that elevates white Jewish citizens and renders Palestinians second-class and sub-human. Zionism, the ideology of Jewish nationalism that has resulted in the Israeli state, is a form of Western settler colonialism and has always relied on the violent oppression of the indigenous Palestinian population. It is no secret that the United States allows and encourages the oppression of the Palestinian people through its unconditional diplomatic support of Israel, the $134 billion dollars it has given Israel in military aid and its embrace of Israel in the world capitalist economy (Congressional Research Service,”U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel,” 4.10.2018). In conjunction with its support for Israel, the United States launches
its own despicable attacks on Palestinian civilians. In the past year, the Trump Administration has cut hundreds of millions of dollars of life-sustaining aid for the Palestinians, forcing schools and hospitals to close down and leaving many more dead (BBC, “U.S. stops all aid to Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza,” 01.02.2019). Without U.S. support, Israel could not continue as an apartheid state. And without apartheid Israel, the United States would have a much harder time fracturing and exploiting the Arab world. While it is depressing that our taxpayer dollars are funding the murder of innocent Palestinians, it is also an opportunity—an opportunity to bring the system down. Israeli Apartheid Week, the yearly, weeklong campaign to call out Israel as an apartheid state, asks us to focus this year on the United States’ role in arming Israel, and in turn, Israel’s role in arming the world. For the many of us not familiar with Israel’s status as a global arms-dealer, let’s talk about Elbit Systems. Elbit Systems is an Israeli weapons manufacturer that has cut its teeth building drones and weapons systems for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands serves as a field laboratory for experimentation in technologies of weaponry and control. Elbit Systems then turns around and sells these technologies around the world. In 2014, Elbit Systems was awarded a $145 million contract to militarize the Mexico-United States border, where migrant families are currently being held in concentration camps (Reuters, “Elbit Systems wins homeland security contract,” 03.02.2014). In 2018, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) granted Elbit Systems a $68 million contract for maritime drones in order to identify “suspicious activities and suspected hazards” off Europe’s shores (The Times of Israel, “Elbit wins drone contract for up
to $68m to help monitor Europe coast,” 11.01.2018). The drone selected for use by the EMSA was sold based on its “combat tested” record of employment in Gaza, where it was armed with ballistics in wars that killed over 500 children and injured over 11,000 people overall (Human Rights Council, “Report of the detailed findings of the independent commission of inquiry established pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution S-21/1,” 4.24.2015). The occupations in Gaza and the West Bank have served as the primary testing grounds for advances in biometric security and large-scale surveillance technologies. Last year, Elbit Systems reported nearly $4 billion in revenues and $9.4 in backlogged orders (Elbit Systems, “Investor Relations,” 03.19.2019). The violence committed against the Palestinians is a part of a global system that goes far beyond any single weapons manufacturer. The same weapons the United States gives to Israel, the United States sells to Saudi Arabia, a country that continues to starve and bomb innocent civilians in Yemen (The New York Times, “Saudi Strikes, American Bombs, Yemeni Suffering,” 12.27.2018). The oppression of the Palestinians and the Yemenis exists together with the oppression of indigenous people, Muslims, people of color and other groups around the world. As Vassar students, it is crucial to understand that the intertwined systems of capitalism, white supremacy and colonialism that dominate and destroy Palestinian lives are at work all around us, in our personal lives and in the college we all attend. Even though Israel is thousands of miles away, institutions like Vassar provide significant support to the Israeli state. Through its refusal to let even the VSA divest from Israeli corporations and its ongoing willingness to falsely conflate anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism (a tactic designed to avoid the unconscionable crimes of Zionism)
Vassar—an institution that already upholds whiteness and colonial power dynamics in many ways—has taken a stand in support of apartheid (Times of Israel, “Vassar College student government passes BDS resolution,” 3.8.2016). We do not need to rely on abstractions to make this point. In 2018, President Elizabeth Bradley traveled to Israel where she met with high-ranking Israeli official Israel Nitzan, a man who spends much of his time on Twitter denouncing The Great March of Return as a “violent riot” (Twitter, @IsraelNitzan, 03.30.2019). She made introductions that are now resulting in efforts to establish greater economic collaborations between Dutchess County and Israel, including an “Innovation Quad” between Dutchess Community College, Marist College, Vassar College and IBM for the purposes of fostering startup ecosystems (Mid-Hudson News, “Dutchess officials further trade relationships with Israel,” 03.23.2019). While it is disappointing that the outwardly progressive President Bradley is perfectly happy doing business with an apartheid state, it is not surprising. As students, we must make the Vassar Administration understand that we will not tolerate this level of support. Join Students for Justice in Palestine in demanding, at a bare minimum, the Vassar Administration ceases all business travel to Israel and that Vassar plays no role in whatever economic partnership emerges between Israel and Dutchess County. At Vassar and in the United States, we have a profound responsibility to defeat Israeli apartheid. It will not be an easy path, as the forces of Zionism are deeply entrenched. However, change is possible, and it begins with all of us standing up and declaring that we will be complicit no longer. The silence is breaking, and now is the time to add your voice. None of us will be free until Palestine is free.
Censoring mass shooter manifestos ignores root of crisis Abram Gregory Guest Columnist
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n a time when perpetrators of mass violence have taken to delineating their motives in writing, it is easy to understand why governments and media outlets might want to restrain access to them. A prevalent attitude toward modern acts of mass violence is to console the victims, and then consider legislation to prevent another attack. However, limiting this responsive focus to the victims and not publicly scrutinizing the behavior of perpetrators places everyone at serious risk. For example, criminologist Adam Lankford suggests that giving focus to mass shooters inspires future attacks. “[I]t creates a kind of competition for mass shooters to maximize the number of victims they kill. The second is that it’s rewarding these offenders with fame and attention, which is often what they want – it serves to give them a legacy. Even if they die, they may be remembered, according to their distorted views, as someone who mattered, as a somebody rather than a nobody,” Lankford stated (Journalist’s Resource, ““Don’t name them” – Criminologist asks journalists to help stop mass shootings,’” 12.20.2017). However, when we restrict attention to mass shooters, we fail to fully recognize the immediate, pointed threat presented to our communities at large. When minorities are the specific targets of white supremacists and homophobic religious extremists—as
was the case in the recent Christchurch shooting—ignoring the shooters and their agendas allows the unaffected majority to ignore the threats facing these communities altogether. This is not to say that refusing to give attention to shooters and their manifestos is necessarily an act of ignorant cowardice. For example, specialists from the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University went into great detail explaining why the names of mass shooters should remain hidden. According to their website, the law enforcement experts reference the “Contagion Effect,” which links the publicized notoriety of mass shootings to copycat acts of violence (Texas State University, “Don’t Name Them.”) Physicist and statistician Sherry Towers corroborates this finding, explaining that the spread of violent ideation acts as a disease. She explained, “With a disease, you usually need close contact to spread it to someone else. In this case, the news media act as a “vector” that can transmit the infection across a very large area” (ASU Now, “Q&A: Sherry Towers on the contagion effect of mass shootings,” 10.5.2015). There is certainly legitimacy in the claim that public ignorance of the shooter’s entire identity can reduce the frequency of senseless violence—but only to a degree. Not every shooting happens randomly
or as a result of copycats seeking fame. We have so far witnessed many acts of violence heavily entrenched in extremist ideologies emphatic on targeting an “other.” The data shows that the majority of shooters are white men who aim to kill non-white targets (The Philadelphia Tribune, “Majority of mass shootings carried out by white men,” 2.23.2018). In the cases of the Pulse Nightclub shooting and the recent Christchurch shooting, the targets were often members of the LGBTQ+ or Muslim communities. When the media and general public write off white mass murderers as insane, they effectively hide the insidious yet calculated ideologies compelling these murderers, allowing their viewpoints to fester. As a result, unaffected communities are at risk of purposefully blinding themselves to the impending violence against their neighbors of a different creed, sexuality or gender. Moreover, when the media censors manifestos, as is the case in many news articles that paraphrase extremist documents but fail to cite them, the public is kept in the dark about the malicious forces at play. In addition, readers have to rely on the inherently biased summaries of journalists for information, losing the chance to arrive at their own conclusions regarding the tragedies that took place. Therefore, the danger is perhaps not in ignoring the names of mass shooters but in ignoring their ideologies. We must not turn
a blind eye to the manifestoes of these killers, because they give us the opportunity to actively study these ideologies in order to attack the root of the problem. Norwegian journalist Asne Seierstad is of the same conviction. She goes as far as to argue that we should, in fact, focus on the persons behind the slaughter, so as to humanize them. She stated, “I believed [Oslo shooter Anders Behring Breivik] was more dangerous as a symbol and less of an inspiration when seen with all his human failings … People like Mr. Breivik and Mr. Tarrant spread myths and conspiracies dressed up as facts … We need to expose the ideas and the lives of these white supremacists. Only then can we dissect them properly” (The New York Times, “The Anatomy of White Terror,” 3.18.2019). This dissection captures exactly this type of well-intended censorship prevents. Reducing the perception of potential shooters to mere copycats is just as dangerous as reducing the motives of white gunmen to insanity. Doing so euphemizes the ever-lingering pestilence of white supremacy and allows white nationalists’ less-violent counterparts to wash their hands of responsibility for violence against minority groups. If we want to extend a supporting hand to minorities affected by mass violence, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the ideologies of the mass shooters that infest our society.
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
April 4, 2019
OPINIONS
Page 15
Vassar College must adopt Green Building Guidelines Green Building Guidelines Working Group Guest Columnists
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Courtesy of Vassar College
n 2016, Vassar committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. However, the current building construction, maintenance and renovation process does not yet fully incorporate this goal. In order to meet carbon neutrality, Vassar must commit to being sustainable at every level of the building process. Establishing Green Building Guidelines will demonstrate what is possible for Vassar and set a standard for building efficiency and technological innovation. Green Building Guidelines are a set of recommendations that create a path for anyone working on an institutional building or renovation project. The group currently working on the guidelines for Vassar intends for these to be a more specific and effective set of standards that are more useful for the college than a general standard like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. These guidelines are also essential for creating buildings that meet sustainability goals while remaining cost efficient. In order to receive recognition for its efficiency and sustainability, a building must have specific certifications that require a variety of qualifications. While the most
steps to conserve energy and reach the energy and sustainability goals of the campus.” The energy conservation policy aims to ensure lights, heating/cooling elements and any other power drain on campus are turned off when the building is unoccupied. As a result, this protocol provides building heating and cooling set points for both daytime and nighttime, which vary between the residential, academic and administrative buildings. Another part of this policy discourages the use of personal space heaters. In addition, Facilities Operations has installed some low-flow toilets in several buildings on campus in order to reduce water usage. There are also plans to convert the central heating plant from natural gas to biofuel, which would lower the College’s carbon emissions. This particular project has a four-to-five year payback time and sets up the college for a gradual shift to a geothermal heating system. As a heating system that uses thermal energy stored in the earth as a renewable resource, a geothermal system would not contribute to Vassar’s emissions. Geothermal would ultimately lead Vassar’s transition from a traditional, centralized heating system to decentralized heating, where each new building would
Solar panels were installed on the roofs of the Vassar Barn in 2018 as a part of the College’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. These solar panels generate enough electricity to power the Barn, in addition to other buildings on the Ecological Preserve.
Courtesy of Vassar College
of mostly historic structures that lack ef- new buildings, highly efficient construction ficient envelopes, which shield the inside often costs just two to three percent more environment from the outside conditions. than conventional construction, while renBuilding envelopes help regulate the in- ovations of existing buildings can exhibit a door climate by enclosing the space inside much greater cost difference (Bard College, the building, controlling the airflow while “New Construction and Renovation Polistill taking the form and use of the build- cy,” 02.2017). Although a more sustainable ing into account. Historic buildings require building project might have higher upfront constant renovation to ensure they are fit costs, elements like tightly sealed buildfor use, yet they still lack effective insu- ing envelopes or highly efficient heating, lation. Thus, the College needs to focus ventilation and air conditioning systems on decreasing energy use in buildings by will contribute to reducing building operretrofitting and planning energy-efficient ating costs in the long term. On the other methods for all the buildings before con- hand, investments in the most cutting-edge, struction. More efficient energy processes green-building technologies don’t always and tighter insulation will allow the build- pay off. Conducting proper life cycle cost ings to operate on less energy. With clear analysis on sustainable building options goals and a streamlined planning process, will help Vassar maximize its green pobuilding projects can achieve sustainability tential within the parameters of its budget goals with little to no extra cost (Bard Col- when it comes to building renovation and lege, “New Construction and Renovation construction. Policy,” 02.2017). Thus, energy efficiency As a group of students concerned about and sustainable heating technology should the sustainability of Vassar’s campus, we be as high of a priority as other important created an independent study to further building considerations, like cost and de- develop the Green Building Guidelines for EVConnect charging stations located near Josselyn House provide free charging sign. the college. Our goal is to create a collabofor electric cars. With 85 percent of the equipment cost covered by NYSERDA, We encourage Facilities Operations to rative final document by the end of the sethese charging stations were implemented to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. take sustainable initiatives throughout the mester that is both attainable and meets the design process in all campus construction campus’ need for eliminating our carbon commonly known certification is the LEED generate its own renewable energy. This projects. For example, life cycle cost anal- footprint. Implementing Green Building standards, the more stringent Living Build- change would then reduce the burden on ysis can determine the costs and savings Guidelines is not only essential to create ing Challenge certification has a targeted a central heating plant as well as prevent a building will accrue both initially and truly sustainable buildings, but Vassar will approach to sustainability that establishes significant heat lost caused by distribution. across its entire lifespan. This is especially also benefit from taking a lead on environcarbon neutrality as a major goal. As a reMore recently, Vassar has been working important for building renovations. With mental stewardship. sult, it has recently grew in popularity due to purchase renewable electricity. Fifteen to its stricter regulations. At the moment, percent of the electricity (0.8 megawatts) Vassar has achieved a LEED Silver in The which the campus purchases comes from Bridge, New England and Sanders Physics. BQ Energy, a community solar project in We are hoping to build upon these achieve- Esopus, NY. Another ten percent of the ments by incorporating various aspects of electricity Vassar purchases is hydroelecthe LEED and Living Building Challenge tric, originating from Gravity Renewables standards into the Green Building Guide- in Beacon, NY. Additionally, solar panels lines. were installed during the summer of 2018 Over the past several years, Facilities on the roof of the Vassar barn, after being Operations has begun to implement sus- proposed by a group of students. These tainable practices throughout campus. Vas- panels completely meet all of the barn’s ensar has received grants from the New York ergy needs while providing energy to spare State Energy Research and Development for other buildings on the Ecological PreAuthority (NYSERDA) to replace all out- serve. The array of 290-watt panels will redoor lighting with LED bulbs. This switch duce our annual fossil fuel emissions by 24 will not only cut electricity usage in half, metric tons of carbon dioxide and produce but the new LED bulbs will last for fifteen about 33,000 kilowatt hours per year (Vasyears, compared to just six months with sar Stories, “The Barn Is Now Powered by conventional bulbs. Vassar has also worked the Sun,” 10.3.2018). with NYSERDA to build two public EVDespite progress on renewable electriciConnect electric vehicle charging stations ty purchases, building efficiency and emislocated by Josselyn House for anyone to sions reductions, there is still a lot of work The above image displays the breakdown of Vassar’s emissions as part of its use. Additionally, facilities now follow an that needs to be done for building sustain- Climate Action Plan in 2015. It serves to categorize the sources of the emissions to energy conservation policy which “outlines ability. Vassar’s building stock is comprised guide the College community in the proper direction for improving sustainability. Courtesy of Green Building Guidelines Working Group
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
April 4, 2019
Breaking News
From the desk of Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Editor
Student’s love of fire, which started by burning candles in dorm, escalated to setting fire extinguishers ablaze Stifling spring break stress produces squash(ed) student Addie Backhus
Your Average Spring Breaker
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Frank/The Miscellany News
h, spring break. A period of time set aside to be outside of the classroom. A time dedicated to rest and relaxation. A time often used to catch up both on sleep and the latest binge-worthy Netflix shows. To learn more about what students do during this restorative, serene two-week period, we turn to junior Abby Winters. “My spring break was great. It was definitely a time for me to unwind and get away from all things Vassar,” Winters told the Misc. When asked more specifically about what she did during this time, she casually responded, “Oh, not a lot. It was very peaceful. All of my midterms are actually taking place after break because my professors were feeling real, well, um, generous I guess. So I spent a lot of time studying for all of those. And then I had to catch up on a bunch of schoolwork that I got behind on. And then I read a couple of full-length novels that were assigned to me because my professors knew I would have all of this extra downtime anyway. So I read those. I mean, I guess they’re right. What else was I going to do? Take a nap? And then I had a couple of internships to apply to. And then I had a couple of breakdowns because I don’t think anyone is actually going to hire me. And then after I had those breakdowns, I decided I would try to take up something new like squash so that I could have a new activity to add to my resume. So I did that. And then I also went to the gym every single day because I wanted to ensure I could have my full spring break glow-up. That didn’t go too well. And then my mom made me walk the dog a lot since I was around and wasn’t doing anything else with my time...but it
was a great break! I definitely caught up on sleep—I think I averaged about six hours a night? Super restorative! I didn’t actually have any time to see any of my friends when I was home, because I was, you know, doing a lot. But I was able to hang out with my mom a bit! Or at least as much as I could in between her working and my squash-playing. So overall, it was a great break! I am coming back to Vassar feeling utterly overwhelmed and exhausted. I can’t wait for summer.” Despite concluding the interview with a smile, Winters’ eyes were devoid of happiness. She looked quite dead inside. Based on extensive interviews, I’ve complied the following spring break to-do list. The ultimate spring break to-do list: 1. Be quirky, and don’t submit any internship applications. 2. Refuse to get out of bed and see how few steps you can accumulate on your preferred fitness tracker. 3. Start therapy. (Trust me, you need it.) 4. Make a lifestyle change, but instead of doing something cliché like going vegan, do something unique like eating only red meat. 5. Don’t tell any of your friends that you’re coming home, and instead spend all of your time alone really getting to know yourself. After a semester at Vassar, I am sure you have a lot to unpack. 6. Stage a photoshoot for your Tinder profile so you can ensure it is well-curated for your return to Vassar. 7. While some people may try to achieve a “glow up” over break, you should try to achieve the opposite, so that when you get back to campus people look at you and say, “Gosh, she looks AWFUL.” How many were you able to complete?!?!
Womp-Womp World
Womp-womps are real jokesters. They womp around posing riddles. If the student can’t answer, the womp-womps eat their homework. Sadly, professors don’t believe students when they say a womp-womp ate their lab report.
Love letter mistakenly sent to professor earns failing grade Accidentally sent in by Blair Webber
T
he worst thing anyone can imagine is a deeply personal letter that was never intended to be sent falling into the hands of the wrong people, but that nightmare scenario is exactly what happened to senior Alix Canter this week. With two big midterm papers due (for reasons beyond anybody’s comprehension) in the two weeks after break, alongside the looming monster of graduation almost 50 nights away, Canter mistakenly handed in the page of notes she’d secretly written about the attractiveness of her philosophy professor, Avery Jones, rather than her treatise on whatever philosophy majors write about. Memes, maybe? Or amazing humor articles in the Misc? Who knows. Canter shared her embarrassment, crying, “I’ve never felt worse than when I arrived at the library after class to do homework, and my philosophy essay was still in my bag. My heart raced, try-
ing to figure out what I had turned in instead—and then it hit me. I’d grabbed the sonnets I’d written about Professor Jones, which I wrote on loose-leaf because I still need to buy a new journal. I almost had a heart attack.” In a panic, Canter ran back to Jones’ office hours to try and correct her mistake, only to find her pages already graded and placed in the box outside Jones’ office. “I did write a whole poem about how she promptly returns papers and her organizational skills, but I’ve never resented anyone’s acumen more than in that moment. How had she even graded it that fast?” Fortunately for Canter, Jones’s comments did not indicate she understood who the poems were addressed to. What Jones’ comments made amply clear was her distaste for Canter’s verse. “Obviously I didn’t intend for her—
or anyone else—to read these. But she didn’t have to be so mean about my writing. I bared my soul in those pages, and they weren’t supposed to be written or critiqued. I told her that I love her. I mean, it’s just an intellectual crush, like of course I’m not actually going to pursue my professor, that’s a creepy power dynamic. I really just admire her work on Nietzsche as applied to the marketing and advertising of modern candy bean companies. But wow she was harsh,” Canter shared. Jones’ notes include descriptors such as “trite” and “hackneyed,” and other notes such as “thesis?!?!?” “transition sentences?!?!” and “Why does this matter? Elaborate.” The visiting professor also wrote (after a certain line rhyming “Socrates” with “Our Destinies”), “Much less elegant than the work I usually expect from you. At least try to avoid these tacky cliches—also try to relate back to
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
thesis.” Canter read aloud Jones’ conclusion about her work. “Alix, I fail to see the relationship between what you’ve turned in and our recent discussion on the work of Merleau-Ponty, which is an integral part of the prompt. I admire the risk you took in your formatting, yet the poems you turned in are nonsensical and present no original argument. In the future, please adhere more closely to the prompt, or come talk to me to guide your thinking and formatting in a way that is comprehensible, even a little.” “I mean, could she have been more rude?” Canter asked, almost in disbelief. “It’s extremely upsetting that she was so harsh. They aren’t that bad. In the past week, Canter filed with the Dean of Studies Office for a late drop of Professor Jones’ class. She was last seen creating a collage of President Bradley’s tweets.
HUMOR & SATIRE
April 4, 2019
Page 17
Paris Hilton experiences life as Shakespeare character Izzy Migani
Paris Hilton/Shakespeare Fanfic Writer
H
Courtesy of Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons
ave you ever wondered if an iconic figure such as Paris Hilton could transcend the test of time? Well, now you don’t have to, because I asked the dangerous question and did the dangerous research to truly determine if, in fact, Paris Hilton could find her place in a Shakespearean play. Scene 1 (Enter King James) King James: Oh, what is the true relationship between beast and man? What is our eternal struggle? (Enter Paris) Paris: At which hour I wast young’r, mine own family wouldst wend camping and fishing on our ranches. Mine own father loves being ‘round all kinds of animals. That gent’s the one who is’t did get me to beest a very much big animal lov’r. (Paris looks into the sunset) Paris: I taketh mine own dog tink’rbell s’riously. I taketh mine own job s’riously. But I taketh not myself all yond s’riously. (King James is visibly shaken) King James: But pray tell, Paris, what of the markets? What of the economy of his great land? How do we undo what has been done? Paris: ‘twill w’rk. I am a marketing genius. I receiveth half a million just to showeth up at parties. Mine own life is, liketh, very much, very much excit’ment. I’ve madeth all mine own wage on mine own owneth without mine own family and
Above is a definitely-not-doctored photo of Paris Hilton in a Shakepeare play. I’m sure you noticed that all of the actors have the same wardrobes thanks to a wonderful costume designer. Catch the exclusive Netflix adaptation coming out this summer. I w’rk v’ry hard. King James: But Paris, how do you know you are capable? Paris: I’m v’ry intelligent. I’m capable of doing ev’rything putteth to me. I’ve launch’d a p’rfume and wanteth mine owneth hotel bilboes. I’m living proof blondes art not no more brain than stone. Being grown up and in a s’rious relationship, I’ve learn’d so much. I’m happi’r than I’ve ev’ry been. I’m the kind of p’rson who is’t, if ‘t be true I seeth a shooting star, I wouldn’t stayeth th’re and gaze’t. I’d runneth to mine own cater-cousins and bid those folk because i wouldst wanteth ev’ryone to seeth’t too. Addt’only, I misprise the gust of alcohol. At which hour I’m drink-
ing, I’m drinking r’d bull. King James: But Paris, are you truly serious? Paris: I very much liketh not going out anym’re. I hath used to loveth t, but anon t’s not excit’ment. I’d rath’r has’t cater-cousins cometh ov’r and hot has’t to w’rry about crazy people taking pictures. I traveleth ‘round the w’rld constantly promoting mine own projects and endeth’rsing products. Aye, I doth receiveth hath paid to wend to parties; in fact, I’m the p’rson who is’t did start the whole trend of hath paid compliment externs. But at which hour thee seeth me at a party, I’m at each moment w’rking ‘r promoting something. I’m not the same p’rson i wast. I hath used
HOROSCOPES
to act dumb. T’wast an act. I am 26 years fusty, and yond act is nay longeth’r cute. T is not who is’t i am, n’r doth i wanteth to beest yond p’rson f’r the young girls who is’t did look up to me. I knoweth anon yond i can maketh a diff’rence, yond i has’t the pow’r to doth yond. King James: And what of the great people of this country? What will happen to them? Paris: All British people has’t plain names, and yond w’rks quaint well ov’r th’re, but I’m the nicest, most loyal p’rson in the w’rld at which hour t’ cometh to mine own cater-cousins, except my betrothed. In regards to mine own ringeth, I liketh, but t’s yellow, and i’m liketh, i didn’t wanteth yellow f’r mine own engagement ringeth. King James: But Paris, what of the people? Paris: A true heiress is nev’r cullionly to anyone—except a wench who is’t steals thy boyfriend. King James: Do you have a message for the people, Paris? Paris: The only ruleth is beest not b’ring and dresseth cute wh’rev’r thee wend. Life is too sh’rt to blend in. (Paris moves toward the edge of the stage) Paris: I bethink t’s imp’rtant f’r people to beest confident. Believeth in yourself and… (Paris pauses at the edge of the stage) Paris: …and ev’rybody’s hot. (Paris exits) (King James exits)
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
The worst part about working out is that you get sweaty. This means that you already put up with the exercise but you also have to shower. Or I guess you could stink?
I never know whether to go to the bathroom during class or to just hold it, hoping I don’t piss myself halfway through the lecture. Your professors will judge you for leaving, so keep that in mind the next time you scuttle to the toilet. I like to lie to people about what time it is. I always tell them that it is later than it actually is, so when I tell them the real time, they feel relieved and excited about all of the extra time they have. I guess there are two lessons here: Never believe anything I say, and lying to your friends can make them feel better. The stars predict that people are in the early stages of planning a town uprising at your expense. Paying it forward is a kind gesture and is your only chance at preventing this coup. Good luck.
We all know you’re an alien, so just fess up already. Also, we would appreciate it if you could tell your family to stop abducting us and sticking implants up our noses. Thanks. Clean yourself. I suggest something with a gloss finish so you can shine like Edward Cullen. We all know a sparkly boi is a sexy boi. Perhaps you should use glitter hairspray to really outshine the rest and capture the gaze of a potential lover.
LIBRA
September 23 | October 22
SCORPIO
October 23 | November 21
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 | December 21
We all know that the day has come: The day you finally tell your parents about your sex life. Unfortunately, it’ll happen when you’re heavily intoxicated this weekend, and your friends stop you from calling your ex. In your saddened state, you’ll decide to call your mom for consolation. I’ve decided to go on a new diet. I am exclusively eating applesauce for every single meal. It led me to some gastrointestinal problems, but I think it’s worth it. It’s very cleansing, and you all need it. Danger lies ahead of you if you choose the easy path. I don’t know what the easy path is, and you probably don’t either. So I suggest that you take both paths because you don’t want to miss out on the easiest one.
It’s time to rekindle past flames. Perhaps
CAPRICORN you could set your ex on fire or maybe even
December 22 | explode a microwave. You know that’s what January 19 your heart desires. I know that’s what your heart desires because I desire your heart because I’m hungry.
AQUARIUS
If you’re an April Fool, lick children.
January 20 | February 18
PISCES
February 19 | March 20
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
You will make lots of money, but you’ll lose it when betting on your friend’s failure. Stop being such a bad friend. Just transfer, why don’t you. We don’t want you here.
Page 18
April 4, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT
Quiet as It’s Kept: Passing Subjects, Contested Identities VASSAR COLLEGE APRIL 5, 6 & 7, 2019
Quiet as It’s Kept: Passing Subjects, Contested Identities April 5 / Friday
VA S S A R C O L L E G E
4:30 p.m.
/ A P R I L 5, 6 & 7, 2 0 19
April 6 / Saturday continued 2:30 p.m.
Presentations and Discussion
Keynote Address
Quiet as It’s Kept: Celebrity, Gossip and Passing TAYLOR AUDITORIUM
Can’t You See I’m White? Reading between the Sight Lines of Racial Difference
Manan Desai
TAYLOR AUDITORIUM
Korla Pandit Plays America: Exotica, Race and the Cold War
Ann duCille
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, AMERICAN CULTURE / UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Susan Courtney
PROFESSOR EMERITA OF ENGLISH WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE CHAIR, ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Rewinding Colorblindness: Repurposing Media Archives of Segregation
LeiLani Nishime
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATIONS / UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
4:00 p.m.
Screenings and Discussion
Selling Merle: Passing, Branding and the Melodrama of Race
(Limited Seating)
Mia Mask, Moderator
ROSENWALD THEATER VOGELSTEIN CENTER FOR DRAMA AND FILM
PROFESSOR OF FILM ON THE MARY RIEPMA ROSS ’32 CHAIR
Little White Lie (2014, 66 minutes) April 6 / Saturday 10:00 a.m.
Exhibition Viewing Quiet as it’s Kept: Passing Subjects, Contested Identities FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER
Mary-Kay Lombino
CURATOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER / VASSAR COLLEGE
Hiram Perez
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH / VASSAR COLLEGE
The exhibition is open thru April 7.
Lacey Delgado, Director
Fuori / Outside (1997, 12 minutes) Kym L. Ragusa, Director Mia Mask, Moderator
April 7 / Sunday 10:00 a.m.
Closing Program Writing a Life: Remembering Anita Florence Hemmings ALUMNAE HOUSE LIVING ROOM
11:00 a.m.
Joyce Bickerstaff
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR EMERITA OF EDUCATION / VASSAR COLLEGE
Presentations and Discussion
Karin Tanabe ’02
Blood Symbolics: Fantasy and the Racial State
Eve Dunbar, Moderator
TAYLOR AUDITORIUM
AUTHOR, THE GILDED YEARS
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH / VASSAR COLLEGE
Elizabeth Bradley, Welcoming Remarks PRESIDENT
Arica Coleman AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN
Black Indians: A Conversation on Race and Passing Beyond Black and White
Allyson Hobbs
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN HISTORY DIRECTOR, AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES / STANFORD UNIVERSITY
A Chosen Exile: Racial Passing in the Age of Jim Crow
Ann Morning
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY / NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
These programs are inspired by the story of Anita Florence Hemmings, Vassar Class of 1897, whose life will be the subject of a film starring Zendaya and produced by Reese Witherspoon.
Kaleidoscope: Contested Identities and New Forms of Racial Membership
Tyrone Simpson, Moderator
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH / VASSAR COLLEGE
IMAGE: ANITA FLORENCE HEMMINGS
April 4, 2019
SPORTS
Page 19
Clarkson sweeps four-game series against Vassar baseball BASEBALL continued
their first five Liberty League games, the Brewers finished 11-10 and qualified for the conference postseason tournament. In matchups with traditional powerhouses like Williams and Babson, Vassar’s non-conference slate reflects a confidence that one rough series can’t shake. Martino spoke to his belief in the Brewers: “We know that we can compete with any team in the Liberty League on any given day, and we’ve seen that earlier in the year against really good teams from around the country.” Brinster, getting right to the point, promised, “We’ll bounce back.” While losing four straight games hurts, it’s the 16 games remaining in Liberty League play that will determine whether Vassar qualifies for the conference tournament, a tournament they’ve never won. The remaining Liberty League games will also speak to how the Brewers digest and move on from the past weekend, a true test of the team’s character. From an attitude standpoint, Vassar appears to be in the right place. The team also has the talent to put the Clarkson series in their rearview mirror. Seven Brewers are currently hitting .300 or better, including Shimoda, whose .537 on base percentage leads the team. Sophomore pitcher Matt McGannon has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 3:1, and junior Mitchell Mullock, second in innings pitched, boasts a ratio of 4.5:1.
Courtesy of Nick Jallat
from page 1 Brinster acknowledged the obvious disappointment of the series, saying, “It was a rough weekend. We didn’t play our best.” Junior third baseman Matt Martino added, “[We’re] not happy with our performance at all. We made a lot of mistakes that we need to clean up this upcoming week.” There is not much more that needs to be said about the outcome of the weekend’s four games, which the Brewers lost 13-3, 185, 7-1 and 11-8. All this is not to suggest that the weekend lacked any high points. Martino exploded for a pair of home runs in the final game, including a fourth-inning grand slam that knotted the score at six. Sophomore catcher Brent Shimoda finished 5-for-10 at the plate. Vassar’s pitchers struck out as many hitters as Clarkson’s, and the Brewers led for the first four innings of the weekend’s first game. As Martino acknowledged, “There were some bright spots in the series where [guys] stepped up in big ways to help us compete.” There is also good reason for the Brewers to be optimistic going forward. Coach Matthew Righter’s group started Liberty League play strong, taking three out of four games against nearby Bard, with the one loss coming by a single run. The Brewers are 3-5 in conference play, good for fifth in the Liberty League, and 8-11 overall. The team also has a knack for finishing stronger than it starts: in 2017, after losing
Vassar Head Coach Matthew Righter gestures in a game last year. His team’s thirdplace finish in the Liberty League last season was the best-ever for Vassar baseball, but Righter’s third campaign at the helm has gotten off to a rocky start in conference. Vassar’s baseball program started in 1992. From its inception to the turn of the century, the baseball team went a combined 56-162. They didn’t belong to a conference. The subsequent 16 years saw two fourth-place finishes as the highest in Vassar’s Liberty League tenure. The last two seasons, Head Coach Matthew Righter’s first, have been Vassar’s best in program
history. Last year, the Brewers finished third in the Liberty League—good for their highest rank ever. Vassar baseball, after decades of difficulty, is recovering nicely from that dismal start. If this year mirrors the program’s rise, the 2019 Brewers are primed to bounce back after a tough weekend at home to kick off Liberty League play.
Student-athletes laud invaluable Sports Medicine staff Kelly Pushie
Guest Reporter
M
arch, as you may not know, is National Athletic Training Month. With the calendar sliding into April, several Vassar student-athletes have weighed in on the positive impact that the Vassar athletic trainers have had on their careers and the success of their teams. The trainers—Suzi Higgins, Tabatha Santiago and Max Anderson—have been essential to both the success and safety of student-athletes across the numerous varsity teams at Vassar. Speaking with varsity athletes makes clear that the trainers work tirelessly to ensure that all Brewers under their care are receiving proper treatment for any injuries they may have sustained before, during and after practices and games. The work of the Sports Medicine team seems to extend beyond basic injury care and prevention, fostering a sense of comfort for the student-athletes at Vassar.
The athletic trainers offer appointment times throughout the day, including before and after practices. Their dedication to the student-athlete population helps to not only keep athletes physically healthy, but also in the right mental place to be able to perform. Sydney Nemphos, a junior on the women’s lacrosse team, praised the welcoming environment that the athletic trainers create, attributing her ability to perform on the field to the dedication trainers have put in to her treatment. “Personally, I’m in the training room every day when I’m in season,” Nemphos attested via email. “The trainers are extremely helpful in not only managing my injuries, but also making the training room as welcoming as possible; I’m never scared to tell them about my injuries or feel that I’m not being looked after or cared for!” Senior Tyler Gilmore has grown familiar with the athletic trainers not only as a men’s soccer player for the past four years but also
Mack Liederman/The Miscellany News A home away from home: Director of Sports Medicine Suzi Higgins (pictured right) catches up with field hockey senior Alyssa More (pictured left), who is currently one of many student-athletes undergoing physical therapy at the Walker training room..
as a worker for Vassar College Sports Medicine since the spring of 2017. Gilmore explained via email that the vibe of the training room during his first two years at Vassar was what pushed him to apply to the job in the first place. “As a member of the soccer team, I regularly noticed the positive environment created by the athletic trainers in the training room,” Gilmore remembered. “I reached out to Suzi and went through a series of interviews ... Luckily, I had taken a sports medicine course in high school and met the requirements to join the sports medicine team here at Vassar.” Another student worker, senior Nicole Teta, who has been working in the training room since she was a first-year, echoed Gilmore’s and Nemphos’ sentiments about the welcoming nature of the training room. “The athletic trainers have created a home away from home atmosphere,” Teta affirmed in an email. “They care about the students and truly want them to succeed. They do everything in their power to keep the players on the field and to help them get back out there in a timely manner.” Students that work in the athletic training room, such as Gilmore and Teta, are taught many practical sports medicine skills by the athletic trainers, such as CPR, basic first aid skills, patient care, taping injuries and injury prevention. Nemphos described how the rest of her team relies on the Sports Medicine staff as well. “I know [the trainers] are extremely important to my team’s well-being and making sure that we are feeling the best that we can, especially during league play,” Nemphos explained. Sports medicine, as anyone who’s been injured playing sports can attest, is vital to the well-being of athletes. Student-athletes at Vassar know that the athletic trainers are doing everything they can to ensure that those under their care are getting the proper treatment. Nemphos explained that this confidence is a common sentiment felt through-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
out the athletic community: “We know that they will and can take the best possible care of us if we are injured, and that they will work with us to get us back on track and ready to go as quickly as possible!”
“It is not easy to manage the well-being of hundreds of athletes each semester, and they all make it look effortless.” Gilmore also explained that trainers really do go above and beyond in their jobs and have helped student-athletes at Vassar when they deal with more significant injuries, such as a concussions or ACL tears. “In addition to the everyday care that the trainers provide, they have really stepped up in the presence of serious injuries,” Gilmore commented. “The immediate trauma and long-term rehab that come with these kinds of injuries is almost impossible to navigate alone. Luckily, our trainers are calm under pressure and make rehab an exciting experience. They’re simply the best!” According to Gilmore, he could not feel luckier to work with the athletic trainers on a daily basis. “They truly do not get enough recognition for how much effort and care they put into their jobs,” Gilmore said. “It is not easy to manage the well-being of hundreds of athletes each semester, and they all make it look effortless.” Talking to student-athletes at Vassar makes clear that all Brewers who’ve received medical treatment are indebted to the hard work, dedication and care that Higgins, Santiago and Anderson put into their jobs each and every day. Next time you watch a game on campus, spare a second to think of the athletic trainers, even if it isn’t March.
SPORTS
Page 20
April 4, 2019
Despite 15-62 record, Knicks’ rebuild looks close to over Jaan Choudhri
Guest Columnist
s the sun begins to set on yet another exciting NBA regular season and 16 teams gear up for the playoffs, the New York Knicks find themselves watching from the couch. Projected to finish with the fewest wins in franchise history, the organization finds itself at a crossroads. But have the Knicks secretly set themselves up for a successful offseason? It appears so. At the end of the 2012-2013 NBA season, Carmelo Anthony’s Knicks were eliminated in six games by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was the first time the Knicks had reached the semifinals in over 13 years, and it would be the last season they would make the playoffs to date. Over the last six years, the Knicks have had five different head coaches and have gone 131-326, the third-worst record in the NBA since then. In addition, in 2014 they hired Phil Jackson, an esteemed coach and player with a championship aura, to run the Knicks as general manager. Jackson drafted Kristaps Porzingis as his first move, one that was initially received with extremely harsh criticism. While Porzingis eventually blossomed into an NBA All-Star, Jackson’s other lottery pick, Frank Ntilikina, hasn’t shown the same promise. Jackson’s tenure also provided several strange contracts for players, most notably that of Joakim Noah. A dark cloud has hovered over Madison Square Garden since that fateful 2013 team. And yet somehow, the Knicks are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There have been three primary factors that have hindered the Knicks for the last 20 years: trading draft picks, giving out bad contracts and poor ownership. James Dolan,
Courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr
A
the owner of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden, has been painted as the reason the organization hasn’t had success in so long. But as of recently, Dolan has decided to take a backseat in basketball operations, only involving himself in the business aspects of the organization. The Knicks now make their decisions through the duo of President Steve Mills and General Manager Scott Perry. The two, along with new head coach David Fizdale, represent the NBA’s first all-Black front office. In their first few years together, the duo has made numerous moves in order to set the Knicks up for next season. Last year, they traded Anthony to the OKC Thunder, a move that netted a 2018 second-round draft pick, Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, the latter of whom would later be traded to the Denver Nuggets for Emmanuel Mudiay, the team’s current point guard. The second-round pick resulted in the Knicks drafting lengthy big man Mitchell Robinson to pair alongside lottery pick Kevin Knox and undrafted guard Allonzo Trier. When in January the team traded away superstar Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks many fans were left baffled; however, the trade has shown to be beneficial. Porzingis still hasn’t returned from his ACL tear and Tim Hardaway Jr. has been shut down for the remainder of the season. In the trade, the Knicks not only dumped Hardaway Jr.’s egregious contract (4 years, $70,950,000), but also received Dennis Smith Jr. and Deandre Jordan. Smith Jr. was drafted one spot after Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA draft, and he was seen at the time as someone the Knicks missed out on. Jordan, who is only contracted through the remainder of this season, has been a great locker-room presence and has mentored Robinson, the team’s center of the
The New York Knicks haven’t made the playoffs since their Carmelo Anthony-led team lost to the Pacers in 2013. The team currently boasts the league’s worst record at 15-62. future. After skipping out on his first year of college to train for the draft, the rookie has grown into the second-leading shot blocker (2.5 blocks per game, 150 total blocks) in the league despite playing ten minutes fewer on average compared to other elite shot-blocking centers. Not only have the Knicks recent moves netted solid assets, they’ve also freed up two spots for maximum-contract-level free agents this summer or moving forward, with big names like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard set for the market. As the season begins to close, many sources in the NBA believe that Durant will wind up in the Big Apple come summer, and some reports suggest that he wants Irving to join him to form the NBA’s next superteam. Although the team has endured a disappointing year, the Knicks faithful have found solace in watching the flashy play of Robinson and Trier. Knox has also shown some flashes, being named Rookie of the Month in December and participating in the Rising Stars Challenge. Second-year guard Dam-
Men’s Track and Field
yean Dotson has proved he belongs in the league, and many hope the Knicks hold on to him beyond next season. And although Ntilikina hasn’t shown the offensive growth for which fans have patiently waited, his prolific defense makes the neophyte a must-have if the Knicks hope to build a strong supporting cast for next year. What’s more, having the worst record in the league will actually help the Knicks in the long run. The NBA’s bottom team has a 14 percent chance of earning the number one pick in the draft, this year almost surely to be Zion Williamson (at the moment, the lowest the Knicks can fall in the draft lottery is fifth). The last time New York drafted first overall was in 1985, when they selected Patrick Ewing. Arguably, the Knicks haven’t ever had a chance at a player as lauded as Williamson. The possibility of landing Durant, Irving and Williamson has left Knicks fans salivating at the idea of a championship parade down Broadway. That dream may be an optimistic one, sure, but it looks increasingly realistic.
Women’s Rugby
Monmouth Invitational
Vassar College 75, Stony Brook University 5
March 30, 2019
March 30, 2019
Men’s track and field continued their Spring season at the Monmouth Invitational in New Jersey. The standout performance from the young Vassar squad came from sophomore Ayden Gann (pictured), who improved upon his 1500 meter time from a week earlier by 11 seconds, finishing in 3:59:68. Gann’s time was good for second overall and set a personal best. A few other Brewers set personal records, but none cracked the podium places. The group next competes in Princeton, NJ.
Coach Tony Brown’s team kicked off their spring season at home on the Vassar Farm, a winter removed from winning the USA Rugby Division II Fall National Championship. The Brewers led 44-0 over visiting Stony Brook University at halftime, prompting a host of Vassar changes, but even with substitutes, the onslaught continued. Sophomore Emma Manzella (pictured on the left) led the Brewers with three tries, while junior Aislinn Vences-Dimas had five conversions.
Women’s Tennis
Men’s Lacrosse
Vassar College 7, William Smith 2
Vassar College 14, Ithaca College 15
March 31, 2019
March 30, 2019
After dominating Ithaca College 9-0 on Saturday, the Brewers dispatched another Liberty League foe, William Smith, with almost-equal ease on Sunday. Vassar took two of three doubles matchups, getting wins from the duos of sophomore Frances Cornwall and junior Tara Edwards at #1 doubles, and senior Morgane Flournoy and junior Ashley Fair (pictured) at #3 doubles. Cornwall, Edwards and Flournoy also won their singles matches. Vassar has four more Liberty League duels ahead of them. Written by Myles Olmsted, Sports Editor Photos courtesy of Nick Jallat
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
On the back of four straight losses, Coach John McCreery’s team looked to right the ship in a conference battle with Ithaca College. Down 13-9 in the fourth period, the Brewers battled back to tie the game at 13 and then again at 14, thanks to three goals by sophomore Tomás Meade (pictured). But, with only nine seconds remaining, Ithaca’s Ryan Ozsvath scored his fourth of the game to break Brewer hearts. Firstyear Logan Hyde also scored three goals for Vassar, who sit at 2-6 on the year and 0-4 in the Liberty League.