Volume CXLVI, Issue 14

The Miscellany News

Volume CXLVI | Issue 14

February 14, 2013

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

WESTBORO BAPTIST TO PICKET VC Divestment News of protest ignites student activism proposal gains speed Bethan Johnson neWs editoR

L Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

Students convened last Monday night to discuss how the VC community should respond to the Westboro Baptist Church protest. CONTINUE TO PAGE 6

Seniors collaborate on final film projects Jack Owen aRts editoR

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courtesy of Framework Productions

or many Vassar film majors, senior year proves to be their chance to set themselves apart through their art, and at the same time to collaborate on projects and support each other.

“We make these films with the hope that they will be great material to showcase and show other film makers,” said Ashlei Hardenburg ’13, who is currently in Film 327: Narrative Workshop. “We’re also making connections with each other, and hopefully will be working together later too.”

Film majors who are particularly interested in directing, cinematography, and other technical aspects of film enroll in Film 326: Documentary Workshop, taught by Professor of Film Kenneth Robinson, in the fall, and then Film 327: NarraSee FILMS on page 15

Above, Gilad Thaler ’13 works on filming Fire on the Hudson, that details the quest of two organizations to shut down the nuclear power plant Indian Point. Seniors often explore issues of social and political import through films.

ast week, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign, an offshoot of the Vassar Greens, worked to increase its visibility by holding a teach-in and introducing a resolution to the VSA Council in the hopes of getting on the Board of Trustee’s agenda at its meeting this March. The proposal, titled, ‘A Resolution in Support of Divestment From Fossil Fuel Industries,’ advocated for the Council’s endorsement of a divestment proposal written by the campaign. The resolution, which was partially co-written by Davison President Kayla Abe ’15 and Ferry President Lanbo Yang ’15, was tabled to the Student Life Committee for the week, and will be reintroduced to Council this Sunday.

The Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign aims to see the college’s endowment portfolio slowly transition away from holdings in fossil fuel companies. “The Divestment Campaign works with Vassar’s student body, administration, and trustees to ensure a complete and timely divestment from the fossil fuel industry, as part of a broader movement to combat climate change and shape a sustainable economy, society, and environment,” Gabe Dunsmith ’15 explained in an emailed statement. [Full disclosure: Dunsmith is Assistant Opinions Editor for The Miscellany News.] Instead, the group hopes that the funds currently invested in fossil fuel companies will be diverted to more socially conscious companies.

Despite being a relatively new issue-driven group, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign has already engaged with students and the administration in a variety of ways. According to Dunsmith, the co-coordinaSee DIVESTMENT on page 4

Team chemistry helps Zeligs tapped for VSA Academics keep Iced Brew in sync Eloy Bleifuss Prados and Carrie Plover RepoRteRs

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Inside this issue

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FEATURES

Analysis of Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address

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OPINIONS

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n Feb. 10, in a unanimous decision, the VSA Council appointed Amanda Zeligs ‘13 the new Vice President of Academics, replacing Matt Harvey ’13 who stepped down from the position last month. The news comes a week after Dallas Robinson ’14 was tapped to succeed Michael Moore ’14 as VP of Student Life, another Executive Council seat vacated mid-year.

With her new position, Zeligs will be taking on a host of responsibilities. The VP of Academics works as a liaison with the various academic and offices and committees.

The VP must hold a seat on or be in contact with the Registrar, the Dean of the Faculty, the Dean of Strategic Planning and Academic Resources, the Library Committee, and the Committee on Curricular Policies with its five active subcomSee ACADEMICS on page 4

Staff Editorial: A compromise plan for Dutchess Jail overflow

Emily Lavieri-Scull/The Miscellany News

n a student body as diverse as Vassar’s, it is hardly a surprise to encounter students with unusual backgrounds. The members of one club in particular are able to encapsulate and utilize this diversity in a cooperative way. Meet Iced Brew: VC’s synchronized skating team.

Unlike most varsity teams who have a common background of playing their sport in high school, members of Iced Brew come from a wide range of skill levels. Freshman Drury McAlarney, for example, was a semi-professional dancer before coming to Vassar but had no experience skating. “It was kind of funny at the beginning of the year,” he wrote in an emailed statement. “[W]e’d go over some part of the routine and Lauren (the captain) would ask ‘any questions?’ and I’d say ‘yeah, how do you skate?’”

He does note that there are some similarities between synchronized skating and dancing, which is why he enjoys Iced Brew. “[S]ynchro skating is kind of like dancing on steroids: you have all the fun of dancing with the added thrill of flying across the ice. I also really like being part of a team: I’m not athletic and don’t really do sports, so I’ve never been on a team like this before.”

McAlarney’s teammate and captain, senior Lauren Chin, had a more extensive background in skating before joining Iced Brew. A competitive skater since the age of eight, Chin became a certified figure skating instructor in high school. She understands that Iced Brew has a variety of ability levels, but knows that this does not put her team at a disadvantage. “The best synchronized skater is not always the most advanced skater, but one who is consciSee ICED BREW on page 19

Amanda Zeligs ‘13 will serve as new Vice President of Academics for the VSA. Among her goals includes mandating coursework in social awareness.

15 ARTS

Learn how the FLLAC acquires its extensive collection

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The Miscellany News

February 14, 2013

Finally, the new

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Blogs Multimedia and so much more.

Welcome to the new online home of The Miscellany News.

This is a very exciting time.

—David Rosenkranz, Editor-in-Chief

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Editor-in-Chief

David Rosenkranz

Contributing Editors Hannah Blume Rachael Borné Adam Buchsbaum Aashim Usgaonkar

News Bethan Johnson Leighton Suen Features Chris Gonzalez Marie Solis Opinions Lane Kisonak Humor & Satire Jean-Luc Bouchard Arts Jack Owen Steven Williams Sports Meaghan Hughes Photography Katie de Heras Design Aja Brady-Saalfeld Online Alessandra Seiter Assistant Opinions Gabe Dunsmith Assistant Sports Chris Brown Assistant Photo Jacob Gorski Jiajing Sun Assistant Copy Farah Aziz Crossword Editor Jack Mullan Reporters Amreen Bhasin Charlacia Dent Noble Ingram Carrie Plover Eloy Bleifuss-Prados Columnists Zoe Dostal Luka Laden Zach Rippe Joshua Sherman Jill Stein Juan Thompson Eli J. Vargas I Photography Cassady Bergevin Jonah Bleckner Spencer Davis Emily Lavieri-Scull Palak Patel Design Bethany Terry Online Victoria Bachurska Rachel Dorn Youngeun “Ellis” Kim Copy Sophia Gonsalves-Brown Jacob ParkerBurgard LETTERS POLICY The Miscellany News is Vassar College’s weekly open forum for discussion of campus, local and national issues, and welcomes letters and opinions submissions from all readers.

Letters to the Editor should not exceed 450 words, and they usually respond to a particular item or debate from the previous week’s issue. Opinions articles are longer pieces, up to 800 words, and take the form of a longer column. No letter or opinions article may be printed anonymously. If you are interested in contributing, e-mail misc@vassar.edu.

ADVERTISING POLICY The Miscellany News (1) reserves the right to reject or edit any advertising copy at any time; (2) will not accept advertisements that promote discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex or sexual orientation, nor will it accept advertisements of a political nature or advertisements that promote products or services illegal in the State of New York: (3) will print every advertisement with the word “advertisement” above it; (4) shall not be liable for failure to print, publish or circulate all or any portion of any issue if such a failure is the result of circumstances beyond the paper’s control.

February 14, 2013

NEWS

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First Year Program highlights leadership in annual event Noble Ingram and Lena Josephs RepoRteR and Guest RepoRteR

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courtesy of Niki Alani Hrusa

n Monday, Feb. 11, Vassar’s student leaders came together in collaboration with Executive Director of the Campus Acitivites Office Terry Quinn and Assistant Director of Residential Wellness Terrence Hanlon, as well as freshmen class president Max Moran ’16, to host the 2013 Leadership 360 Conference. Held in the College Center Multi-Purpose Room, the conference was an opportunity for freshmen to talk and questions with their student leaders on campus.

“The event was made to highlight some of the different leadership positions and some of the opportunities for leadership that might not come to mind,” noted Terrence Hanlon, who is also the House Advisor for both Cushing and Noyes Houses.

The Leadership 360 conference is one component in the Vassar First Year Program. According to the Campus Life and Diversity Office, “The Vassar First Year Program (VFYP) seeks to ensure that each new student will feel welcomed into the Vassar community and encouraged to explore opportunities that will fulfill Vassar’s ideal of a richly satisfying personal and intellectual engagement.”

Other events that make up the First Year Program include Freshmen Orientation, Fall Convocation, and Freshmen 15. The Freshman 15 event, which is scheduled for April 24 and sponsored by the Freshman Class Council, will feature three fifteen-minute reflections on the first year experience at Vassar.

Terry Quinn stressed that the event was organized with the freshman class in mind. “It was created to give an opportunity to first year students to meet some of the students from all the other classes who were involved in leadership on campus,” she noted.

The conference included current student and a few alumnae/i leaders on campus from a wide range of pursuits and areas of the college. Speakers held positions in areas such as the VSA, Campus Patrol, sports teams, House Team, Deans’ offices, and off-campus organizations. Most student leaders held more than one position in different areas.

The conference was organized in two parts.

In the first, speakers sat in a semi-circle facing the students and answered question as a large group. Following a brief break for dinner, the conversation then moved to tables, where students had the opportunity to approach a few of the speakers at a time.

“I appreciated the dynamic of the event,” said Sarah King ’16. While she was expecting that panel speaking would take place, she valued being able to ask questions on a more personal level.

The goal of the program was to help students learn how they can become leaders on campus. Over the course of the night, freshmen learned many lessons directly from current and former leaders. Several speakers stressed the importance of pursuing one’s passions. Many also underlined the importance of staying committed to a cause and allowing oneself to make mistakes. Still others speakers spoke of the importance of checking in with oneself and making time for sleep and sanity.

King noted that she valued the tips offered by the speakers. She felt she could utilize the point that: it is okay to say ‘no.’ “A big thing that is forgotten is that you don’t have to do everything and that doesn’t make you a terrible person,” she stated.

One question about juggling double majors and leadership positions was discussed. Some speakers affirmed the importance of using calendars and making lists. Others asserted the importance of remaining calm under stress in order to complete tasks.

Matt Wheeler ‘12 mentioned the Academic Support and Learning Resources Specialist Karen Getter for students who need to improve their organization and time management. He suggested students make an appointment with Getter if they are struggling with completing daily assignments.

“If you care about everything that you are doing, academically and socially, you’ll be fine,” reassured Laura Kinter ’13, a double major in English and Film who spent one year abroad and has written a senior thesis.

A question about what qualities the student leaders should embody was also posed. Some student leaders listed passion, being able to take chances, persistence, and having the abil-

Above, freshman class president Max Moran ‘16, helped host the 2013 Leadership 360 Conference. A part of The Vassar First Year Program, the event aims to welcome new students into the college community. ity to step up to challenges as among the key traits required for roles of leadership.“If you put yourself in a leadership role you may find that you have the qualities [of a leader],” said Mariah Minigan ’13, who also works as an assistant to the Dean of the College.

President of the VSA, Jason Rubin ’13 admitted at one point, “It’s okay to be scared.” After this statement, students in the audience let out sighs of relief and some laughter.

The response to the night was markedly positive. One speaker, Zander Mrlik ’14, captain of the Men’s Soccer and Baseball teams and an assistant to the Office of the President, praised the event as a whole.

“It was terrific. They did a great job in bringing together people with a lot of different interests. Vassar is a school that fosters leaders in all aspects. I think continuing this process will continue that.”

President of the Class of 2015 Allison Ehrlich ’15, who was a member of the audience at the event the year before, said: “It was really ex-

citing to come back and see freshman excited about what is going on, on campus.”

Mrlik went on to echo a sentiment felt by many leaders at the conference. “Freshmen have a huge impact on campus. For changes to occur there needs to be a voice behind them.

I’m hoping that that voice will come from the people in this room.”

Ultimately, the conference generated excitement among attending first year students and served to demonstrate the seriousness with which Vassar takes student involvement.

First year student Lauren Garcia ’16, a writer for Contrast and member of Poder Latino, had a positive impression of the event. “I was president and leader of a lot of different organizations in high school,” she said. “Freshman year I was trying to get adjusted before getting super involved, so was is really nice to hear other people’s experiences. It seemed that if they can do it so can I.” Mrlik concluded, “This college is about the students. Everybody recognizes that.”

Council endorses proposal to expand Women’s Center

Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

The Women’s Center, now located in Strong House, will soon be moved to a more central location after last Sunday’s unanimous vote by the VSA, which hopes to have a proposal for a new space by March.

Leighton Suen neWs editoR

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n Sunday, Feb. 10, Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council unanimously voted to adopt a resolution supporting the establishment of a larger, more centralized Campus Life Women’s Center. The resolution maintains that the new center must meet the “needs and functions of an empowering and supportive place for students, faculty and staff around issues of gender.”

The resolution was presented by VP for Operations Deb Steinberg ’14 and Sitara Mahtani ’14, members on a subcommittee of the Student Advisory Board to the Women’s Center dedicated to proposing a better space. “Expanding

the Women’s Center’s space is a central goal of the Women’s Center staff and the Women’s Center Student Advisory Board,” wrote Assistant Director of Campus Life/LGBTQ and Gender Resources Judy Jarvis ’07 in an emailed statement. According to its official description, the Women’s Center Advisory Board acts as a “think tank and advisor to the Women’s Center staff, with the goals of expanding the Center’s capacity, increasing its visibility and furthering its mission.” The group is composed of four Women’s Center interns, female-identified student leaders, Jarvis, and Assistant Professor of English Molly McGlennen.

The physical space of the current Women’s Center is a major reason for this proposal. “The

current space is grossly ineffective for fulfilling the Women’s Center mission,” wrote Mahtani in an emailed statement. “For instance, the space is not large enough for student interns to hold their office hours; also, Strong is not accessible and we want to be open to people of all abilities.”

The resolution states plainly that compared to the sizes of the LGBTQ Center, the ALANA Center, and the Bayit, the Women’s Center is small. The former three spaces measure 542 square feet, 3,110 square feet, and 3,666 square feet respectively. “In its current form--measuring just 125 feet, which fits four people comfortably--the Women’s Center is not able to provide the functions that students need,” wrote Jarvis in an emailed statement. “The Women’s Center was established in 1978 by students who felt the need for a space that explicitly empowers women, that they could use as a lounge, meeting space and event space. Thirty-five years later, students have voiced to me that they still need a space like this, for many of the same reasons.”

During the presentation on Sunday, Steinberg noted that the women centers at peer institutions, such as Bowdoin College, Brown University, Haverford College, Middlebury College and Swarthmore College, were substantially larger than the Women’s Center at Vassar. “We had them there [on the resolution] partially for size comparisons,” she explained.

“Some of them have their own house kind of like we have the Bayit… Just the fact that they have that much space is something we like, and we want to be able to have that much space as well.”

During the meeting, Lathrop House President Sophia Wallach ’15 asked about the proposed physical locations for a new Women’s Center. Steinberg mentioned repurposing conference rooms in Main Building.

“We use conference rooms for different

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

meetings,” said Steinberg. “A lot of them are used by organizations, and female-identified individuals and organizations are also looking for meeting spaces. That could be one of the uses of the Women’s Center… Ideally, it wouldn’t be taking away a function that it already has…it would just be more deliberately for female-identified organizations.”

However, she cautions that this idea is simply being discussed and may not amount to anything. “We don’t have a concrete proposal, because we don’t know what spaces are available to us,” said Steinberg. “We haven’t met with administration yet, other than [Jarvis], so we don’t have any concrete plans yet. We’re meeting in the next couple of weeks with [Dean of the College Christopher Roellke] and other administrators, so hopefully, we can come up with a more concrete plan.”

The adoption of this resolution gives the members of the Women’s Center Student Advisory Board hope that a better space will found soon. “I’m very excited about the unanimous passing of this resolution, because it demonstrates that our elected VSA representatives sincerely care about improving awareness of gender issues on campus,” wrote Mahtani in an emailed statement. “Our next step will be to meet with the administration sometime in the next few weeks to discuss existing spaces that might be appropriate.”

Jarvis echoed Mahtani’s sentiments and the need for further discussion with other College administrators. “Dean Roellke and [Associate Dean of the College for Campus Life and Diversity] Pittman have been supportive of the effort to move the Women’s Center to a larger and more centralized space, and the next step is to partner with them both to see what creative solutions we can come up with.”

The subcommittee hopes to have a proposal ready to present at the next Board of Trustees meeting in March.

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News Briefs Tunisian Human Rights Lawyer Assassinated On Feb. 6, human rights lawyer and leader of the Tunisian Left, Chokri Belaid, was assassinated. The country of Tunisia is particularly known for being the birthplace of the ‘Arab Spring,’ a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and wars that began in 2010. In their first free election in 2011, the Tunisian people selected an assembly to rectify the nation’s constitution.

This assassination, however, has put a cloud over that progress. While Belaid’s political affiliation, the Democratic Patriot’s Movement, has not been so well received, Belaid himself was beloved. After his death, the people reacted with violent anti-government protests. Tunisians turned to attacking the offices of the ruling party, the Ennahda Party (The Hindu, “The assassination of hope,” 2.12.13). At Belaid’s funeral, which had over 120,000 in attendance, confrontations took place outside the cemetery (The Globe and Mail, “To avoid chaos, Tunisia needs stability before democracy,” 2.11.13).

Part of the chaos is due to the fact that Belaid’s assassin is unknown. Witnesses said that Belaid was shot point-black four times by a person who escaped on a Vespa. Belaid, an outspoken critic of the Ennahda government, often questioned the party’s apathy towards violent acts of extremists. Over the years, Belaid was subject to threats from such groups. Given Ennahda’s past unresponsivenesstowards these types of undertakings, Tunisians are calling for independent investigation (The New York Times, “An Assasination in Tunisia,” 2.8.13).

Some argue that the Ennahda Party could not have been involved because they do not have anything to gain from Belaid’s death. Political polarization and anti-government sentiments now permeate Tunisia—which actually hurts the party. Meanwhile the Salafists, a religious extremist group heavily opposed to the Ennahda, stands among the suspects because it abhors secularists such as Belaid. The Salafists, however, are just one of the accused. “The prime suspect is the old ruling elite” noted the Tehran Times. (“Murder mystery in Tunisia,” 2.11.13). This includes members of the Constitutional Democratic Rally, a party loyal to the former dictator of Tunisia. The former elite wants to see democracy fail so their power can be restored.

Nonetheless, Belaid’s wife has vowed to file murder charges against Ennahda and its leader (Tehran Times). With previous cases of politically charged violence and assassination threats, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali is taking action now that a crisis has actually occurred. He has declared that he will be “forming a new technocratic government composed of independent ministers” (The Globe and Mail).

Whether or not Tunisia will be able to hold on to its budding democracy, however, is undetermined.

—Anna Iovine, Guest Reporter

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns Pope Benedict XVI spoke in Latin to a small gathering of cardinals on Monday, announcing that he would step down from his position as head of the Catholic Church. His resignation will be effective on Feb. 28. (The New York Times, “A Statement Rocks Rome, Then Sends Shockwaves Around the World,” 2.11.2013) Benedict, now 85 years old, is the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. He was 78 when he was elected pope in 2005 after the death of John Paul II and was the oldest person ever chosen to head church since the eighteenth century. “After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” Benedict said in his statement on Monday. (The Washington Post, “Pope Benedict XVI to resign, citing age and waning energy.” 2.11.2013) While the pope had a very rigorous travel and speaking schedule, his resignation was a surprise to all, according to Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesperson. The pope will now move to a papal residence in Castel Gandolfo after his abdication and then return to Rome to live in a monastery inside the Vatican for prayer and reflection. (Washington Post) During his 8 years as pope, Benedict faced many challenges including sexual abuse and financial scandals. Most recently, his papacy was disturbed by the “Vatileaks” scandal in which his butler was convicted by a Vatican court of aggravated theft after he stole confidential documents which ended up in a tell all book regarding the Vatican. (The New York Times) Popes are allowed to resign, as long as the resignation be “freely made and properly manifested” according to church law.

—Emily Hoffman, Guest Reporter

NEWS

February 14, 2013

New VP inherits fall’s controversies ACADEMICS continued from page 1 mittees. Zeligs will be a member, along with the four other VP’s and the President, of the Executive Council, as well as chair of the VSA Academics Committee.

According to Operations Committee members, during the interview process, Zeligs stood out among her fellow applicants as someone who could aptly handle this multitude of obligations. Chaired by VP of Operations Deb Steinberg ‘14, the Operation Committee, along with a few at large students, met with each of the six students who applied for the position. Applicants answered questions about their ideas for the role, how they planned to work with other committee members, what relevant experiences that they had had, and if they were willing to make the position their top priority.

After their interviews, candidates left the room and committee members went around and discussed their favorites. Zeligs stood out in the discussions, and her experience with on- and off-campus organizations was key in the decision recommending her appointment to Council.

“While all of the candidates were great,” said Steinberg in an emailed statement, “everyone in the room was really excited about Amanda and they all listed her as one of their favorites. “Among her broad range of extracurricular experience, Zeligs has worked as a Research Assistant for the English and Africana Studies Department, a Student Fellow, a House Student Advisor, and a student teacher.”

This sweeping resume excited VP of Activities Doug Greer ’14, who, like every other member of the VSA Council, voted yes on

Zeligs.

“She’ll add a knowledge of how Residential Life works, being a student fellow and a house advisor, and she’ll know how academics and that meet,” said Greer. “She’s also been a research assistant, so she knows how to work with professors.”

Zeligs referenced her extracurricular experience, specifically with student teaching, as a reason she decided to apply for VP for Academics. “I spent last semester Student Teaching at a local private school and felt very removed from campus life” said Zeligs in an emailed statement. “Upon becoming a ‘regular’ college student again, I was looking for ways to get back involved.” She added, “when the position opened up, it felt like the perfect opportunity to reintegrate myself.”

The day after her appointment, Harvey met with Zeligs to discuss the transition and how she will handle her new responsibilities. Her arrival will be smoothed, says Harvey, because some members of the Academic Committee have in the interim period taken up additional responsibilities and committee positions.

“Where she goes from here will be entirely up to her,” said Harvey in an emailed statement,” I just wanted to make sure she had a sense of what the situation was that she was walking into.”

His impressions were wholly positive, and he added: “She seems personable, organized, and energetic, and has already displayed a better mind for management than I ever did.”

Zeligs can be assured that her tenure for the rest of the semester will be busy. Among her new responsibilities will be working with the administration as they seek poten-

tial changes in the curriculum. According to Steinberg, “Amanda said that she wants to get more information about [Dean and Acting President] Chenette’s curriculum suggestions before taking an official position on them.”

Zeligs, who has already started working, plans to continue Harvey’s initiatives while introducing those of her own. These initiatives include preparing the first academic newsletter, mandating coursework in social awareness as a part of every concentration and responding to the controversial curricular agenda that Acting President Chenette proposed last semester. Harvey considers the two subcommittees dedicated towards the first two issues to be self-sufficient.

Citing her desire to be realistic about her goals given her mid-year entry, Zeligs said, “I intend to continue along the path set forth by the previous VP.” In addition, said Steinberg, Zeligs does have her own project of expanding Field Work opportunities at the school she student taught.

Zeligs also expressed a positive perspective on her mid-year entry to the VP for Academics Position. “I am excited to be entering the position mid-year,” she said. “I feel like it gives me an opportunity to be an energizing force in both council and the various committees on which I serve.”

Harvey left Zeligs with one last piece of counsel. “Her biggest challenge,” said Harvey, “is going to be familiarizing herself with the college structure and the ongoing projects as fast as possible, not so that she can continue them necessarily, but so that she can make up her mind about how best to invest her effort and the efforts of the committee.”

Teach-in addresses divestment concerns DIVESTMENT continued from page 1

tor of the campaign, since its foundation in the first weeks of the fall semester, the campaign has held an action event in the Retreat, collected hundreds of student signatures and established and disseminated information through social media. The Campaign has also been working with the administration since its foundation. “We’ve been discussing divestment with President Hill, Acting President Chenette, Dean of Strategic Planning Marianne Begemann, and Director of Investments Stephen Dahnert, as well as the Campus Investor Responsibility Committee (CIRC),” Dunsmith explained. “Discussions have been very cordial on both sides; the Campaign has used many of the Administration’s suggestions to build a stronger divestment proposal…That doesn’t mean we agree on everything, but it means that we’re both open to discussion--and that’s really important.”

On Feb. 8 the divestment campaign hosted their teach-in, called ‘Go Fossil Free! A Teach-In on Divestment.’ The event, which the Divestment Campaign believes attracted over 40 students, featured presentations from three faculty members, Professor of Economics Paul Ruud, Professor of Earth Science and Geography Mary Ann Cunningham, and Professor of Geography and Earth Science Jill Schneiderman. Dunsmith explained, “With the teach-in, we wanted to give students an opportunity to hear from professors on an issue like divestment.”

Each professor presented information that they believed would prove beneficial to the proposal to the Board of Trustees, as well as dispelling common misconceptions about divestment and specicially Vassar’s campaign, before breaking into focus groups to answer more detailed questions and discuss the utility of the information in the coming weeks of the campaign.

Professor Ruud discussed one of the most important, and least understood, aspects of the divestment campaign: its economic viability. According to the professor, slowly transitioning the college away from investments in the fossil fuel industry will pose no significant threat to the stability or size of the endowment. While the precise percentage of the endowment invested in fossil fuels

has not yet been identified, he asserted that the number is most likely quite small. However, he was also quick to note that students should not anticipate the college’s divestment causing any significant damage to the fossil fuel industry; rather, he said the necessity of divestment stems from social or moral consciousness.

Professor Cunningham followed up by discussing presentation strategies. Cunningham wrote in an emailed statement, “My contribution was the argument that you need to understand the concerns and fears and motivations of your audience when you are trying to convince them to cooperate. Different people respond to different arguments: a lot of pro-divestment people are motivated by ethical arguments, but the financial officers will respond to instrumental (cost) arguments, mainly. You make progress by being specific about which arguments you choose.”

Professor Schneiderman then discussed the various environmental effects and dangers that the presence of fossil fuel companies have had on the island of Trinidad. This specific information and other examples like it, she believed, would help provide campaigners with strong evidence when they met with the Board.

Two days later, the Divestment Campaign officially brought its resolution to the VSA Council meeting. The resolution asked, “that the Council recognizes the detrimental effects of fossil fuel industries on the environment and human health, endorses the divestment proposal put forth by the Vassar College Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign, and the breadth of research, education, and outreach that the campaign has invested in the pursuit of a more sustainable and accountable use of endowment money, and strongly encourages the Board of Trustees to divest.”

One of the key components of the campaign’s resolution was its widespread support from a variety of student organizations, something that new VP for Student Life Dallas Robinson ’14 commended the group on when the resolution was introduced. The proposal of the draft was also witnessed by tens of students involved in the divestment campaign and Vassar Greens. Aside from the

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

joint drafting of the resolution by Abe, Yang, Dunsmith and campaign co-coordinater Noah Bogdonoff ’14, the Divestment Campaign spent weeks discussing the text with other students. According to the text of the resolution, the proposed resolution is supported by 9 student organizations including The Grassroots Alliance for Alternative Politics, Vassar Animal Rights Coalition, Slow Food, the Vassar Democrats and Feminist Alliance.

“Collaboration with other student organizations was very important for us because the Campaign wanted to create a united front for a sustainable endowment,” Dunsmith explained. “Vassar students’ interests are wide and varied, and so by appealing to multiple student organizations we hoped to reach more students and build a coalition that could take advantage of Vassar’s thriving orgs.”

Despite what Dunsmith characterized as significant support from the Council, the resolution was dealt a minor blow when the resolution was tabled, instead of opened up for a vote. Dunsmith explained, “Though the VSA tabling our resolution wasn’t ideal, it gives the Campaign another opportunity to communicate with the Student Life Office and allows members of the VSA to engage students in the issue of divestment…

However, since our immediate plans are to get on the agenda for the Board’s upcoming meeting, we would like to see the resolution passed at the upcoming VSA meeting.”

However, the delayed vote on the resolution has not dampened the resolve or optimism of the group. “I think there’s a lot of support in the VSA, and I’m very thankful that the VSA is so attentive to divestment. As such, I fully anticipate the resolution to pass at this next VSA meeting,” Dunsmith noted.

In spite its mounting efforts, the campaign remains unsure as to the future success of its endeavor to add the issue of divestment in to the Board of Trustees’ March agenda.

Dunsmith noted, “Right now the Campaign is engaging with trustees and other College representatives with close ties to the Board.

It’s hard to say how likely it is to get on their agenda, but whether or not we get on their agenda we want to show them that we’re doing this because we love Vassar.”

February 14, 2013

FEATURES

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Obama delivers 2013 State of the Union; focuses on economy, climate and education David Rosenkranz editoR-in-Chief

with additional reporting by

Marie Solis

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Hae Seo Kim

featuRes editoR

Guest RepoRteR

O courtesy of Charles Dharapak, AP Photo

onight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is much progress to report.”

Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama delivered the 2013 State of the Union address before Congress and an international television audience of millions.

He began with the economy.

“Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger. But we gather here knowing that there are millions of Americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. Our economy is adding jobs – but too many people still can’t find full-time employment.”

The debt-ceiling budget crisis is expected to arrive in late-February or March, and Obama was quick to address the issue. Just minutes into the State of the Union, he began outlining his plans to prevent the “sequestering” policies that many economists fear will cripple the nation’s economy. These policies were passed into law

by Congress, and include substantial cuts to defense, energy, and education spending, among others.

On Medicare, Obama will pursue the reforms suggested by the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission, which include lumping Medicare with other government health spending, and imposing a cap on its annual growth at the level of growth in GDP, plus 1 percent.

“Our government shouldn’t make promises we cannot keep – but we must keep the promises we’ve already made.”

To reach his goal of reducing the deficit, Obama went further, adding that he also hopes to work with Congress to close tax loopholes that cost the government billions and send American jobs overseas.

After outlining his plans to add new manufacturing and research jobs to the economy, Obama shifted to climate change.

Citing last year’s success of wind and solar energy, Obama urged Congress to seek bipartisan solutions for curbing pollution and investing in sustainable energy research. For Obama, keeping up with foreign countries on this issue is a priority.

“We can choose to believe that Superstorm

President Barack Obama speaks before Congress and millions of Americans. Climate change, education, the economy, immigration and international affairs featured prominently in his speech.

Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.”

Obama went on to announce the “Fix-it-First” program to improve America’s infrastructure, including ports, pipelines and schools. He hopes to attract private financing for these projects to ensure that taxpayers do not carry the full burden.

Next came education. Obama set a goal for the federal and state governments to develop effective preschool programs throughout the country, arguing that children who begin their education at a young age are more likely to graduate high school, and less likely to commit violent crimes.

Obama also urged Congress to reform the Higher Education Act so that affordability is included in determining which colleges receive federal aid.

After education, Obama briefly touched upon immigration and equal pay for equal work for women; and then returned to the economy. He announced his hope that the minimum wage be raised to $9.00 per hour, or tied to the cost of liv-

ing, as he and Governor Romney both suggested during last year’s presidential campaign.

He closed by outlining plans to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by 2014, strengthening diplomatic and military relationships with foreign countries, and reflecting on the recent gun violence tragedies in Aurora and Newton.

In Poughkeepsie, the Vassar Democrats hosted a live screening of Obama’s speech in Rockefeller Hall last Tuesday.

Alyssa Aquino ’15 approved of Obama’s plans to reform immigration, environmental and domestic violence law. However, she was disappointed that he did not mention drone warfare, saying that, “He didn’t really say he was going to stop it or build a legal framework. That’s not really addressing the fact that he’s used drones more than other presidents.”

Other students, such as President of the Vassar Democrats David Lopez ’13, were optimistic.

“What we saw was a President Obama who was now looking at a lot of big issues that people who voted for him in ’08 were waiting for and weren’t sure were going to happen. Now with his second election, he’s really confident now, he’s not cautious,” said Lopez.

ASA dinner celebrates Lunar New Year Carmen Reinicke Guest RepoRteR

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QPR method counteracts suicides

hile going off to college means having to leave behind friends, family and the familiarities of home, some traditions still hold true even in light of these changes.

The Lunar New Year, which the Vassar community celebrated on Feb. 10, gave some students the opportunity to continue their observance of one of China’s most important holidays while other students got a taste of the excitement for the first time.

Like many traditions that go along with the New Year, Lunar New Year centers on spending time with loved ones and looking forward to new beginnings. Here at Vassar, these values continue to resonate with students, who enjoyed food, music and friends during the Lunar New Year dinner hosted by the Asian Student Alliance (ASA).

For a couple of dollars, students indulged in an open buffet of Chinese food, some live entertainment, and this year, a photo booth to commemorate the event.

Students saw an opportunity to expand their horizons and diversify their pallet for cultural cuisine.

Maggie Shepherd ’15, said, “I am excited to learn about the year of the snake. But also to eat some awesome Chinese food!”

While the celebration was in full swing at Vassar, many students were stil thinking of home. Many said they would probably call their parents later and their own parties to wish them a happy New Year.

One of these students was Julia Chung ’13, who said her parents’ celebration is not that different from hers.

“My parents always celebrate the New Year better than I do! They go out with their friends and party,” she said.

Some students, travelers of and residents from different corners of the world, looked to the dinner for a reminder of what they like most about the holiday as its celebrated in the place from which they have returned.

Phil Chin ‘15, said, “I am from France, where this is the only Chinese holiday that is really celebrated. I miss the celebration!”

Likewise, Anastassisa Knight ‘14 who just returned from a semester abroad in Japan said, “[I’m] excited to celebrate, obviously! And eat food.”

In fact, a huge feast is typical of all kinds of new year’s celebrations and at Vassar can be a huge draw for many students who are looking for a change from their everyday dining experiences.

The food that everyone is most excited for is usually the dumplings, because they are on the menu every year and are particularly delicious. Thomas Hochla ’13 went back for seconds after saying, “This is my favorite event at Vassar!

Other than the dumplings, there were trays of orange slices, a food that is always served on Lunar New Year due to its symbolism. The word for “orange” in Chinese is a homophone for luck, so it is thought that eating orange slices will bring you luck in the New Year.

There was also sesame candy in red envelope packets, which combined two different traditional Chinese New Year traditions.

Candy is a big part of the new year’s feast, and the red envelopes are elders usually use to gift money to younger family members.

The amount of money can range from small to large amounts, but is always given in an even number. Even numbers are luckier because odd numbers are associated with cash given at funerals. Numbers that end in eight are also common because eight is considered the luckiest number.

Other traditions practiced to bring luck include throwing firecrackers which are meant toscare away the evil spirit of bad luck. The color red, too, is utilized to deter bad fortune and bring good spirits in to the New Year.

For that reason, it is quite ubiquitous when it comes to the decor of all celebrations, including ASA’s dinner.

It is thought that the brightness of the color would scare away evil spirits and bad fortune, keeping the wearer safe for the start of the New Year. At the New Year Celebration, many participants embraced this tradition and wore red.

Overall, the evening was full of friendly banter and food.

David Lopez ’13 commented, “I love being here with all my friends. It makes me feel great.” His table of friends agreed, saying that they were happy to be there sharing some great food with friends and celebrating the New Year.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ne of the numerous services provided by the college counseling service is the Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) Workshop, more commonly known as Suicide Prevention Workshop.

The one-day workshop is a nationally recognized certification program that confers practical knowledge and skills necessary for getting immediate help to students who may be considering suicide.

More specifically, it teaches its participants how to question a person about suicide, persuade the person to get help and refer the person to the appropriate resources.

Dr. Christopher St. Germain, the co-organizer of the workshop, said, “The workshop teaches the participants to recognize several warning signs of suicide, distinguish myths from facts around suicide, develop tips and strategies to ask someone about suicide and are provided with appropriate referrals and connections with local resources.”

The workshop provides the skills to be a good “gatekeeper,” who is anyone in a position to recognize a crisis and warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide.

At Vassar, QPR workshops are offered three times a semester—once for student leaders during typical training periods, once for any interested students, and once for faculty, administrators and staff. QPR is also available at the request of students or particular programs.

St. Germain said, “We are always willing to run QPR trainings and would love to have the opportunity to train as much of the campus as possible, including all students, faculty, and staff.”

St. Germain, who has started running the workshop at Vassar, stressed the importance of the workshop.

He said, “It is a relief for the students to know that there is a program that teaches them how to deal with others who are in potential danger.”

It is the job of the counseling service to increase the safety and support for its students, and QPR is an important part of it.

He said, “At Vassar, we really care about the students, and want to make sure that individuals who need help are provided with support, hope, and appropriate resources.

The most important thing, St. Germain said, is to remember that reaching out to someone and providing resources for them can only be helpful.

As for individuals having suicidal thoughts, there are behavioral clues (such as increased drug and alcohol use, and unexplained irritability or anger) and situational clues (such as a recent significant breakup, or failing several classes), but the QPR workshop insists that the most effective way to find out if someone is thinking about suicide is by asking them.

The QPR workshop encourages anyone who feels suicidal to meet with a counselor from the Vassar College Counselor Service so that they can receive professional care and support, even if that means escorting the student there.

He said the workshops have been successful in bringing help to students in danger and saving lives.

Vassar College offers many safety and support services, and St. Germain stresses that it is critical to talk to someone—house fellow, student fellow, house advisor, health service staff, a friend, a parent, roommate or health educator—in times of crisis.

According to the feedback provided after the workshops, the participants feel more confident in their ability to help those in danger and are excited to have new skills to deal effectively with stressful situations.

Gayhun Kim ’14, who attended the workshop last year said he now feels confident in his abilities to handle such a situation.

He said, “The workshop really equipped me with the subtleties of the skills in approaching someone who is in potential danger of harming themselves.”

FEATURES

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February 14, 2013

All-College Famously bigoted organization rallies Vassar around LGBTQ community Day to study race, privilege David Rosenkranz Editor-in-Chief

with additional reporting by

Chris Gonzalez and Marie Solis

Rachael Borné

A

Contributing Editor

nti-racist white activist Tim Wise instructs us, “Standing still is never an option so long as inequities remain embedded in the very fabric of the culture,” in his penultimate book, Colorblind: The Rise of Post-Racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity. Wise will present a lecture entitled Beyond Diversity: Challenging Racism in an Age of Backlash to the Vassar community this Monday, Feb. 18 at 5:00 p.m. in the Villard Room. The presentation kicks off programming for this year’s All College Day(s), a series of events, lectures, discussions and activities organized around the theme of race, privilege and power.

The roots of All College Day stem from a campus-wide conversation about a racial epithet used in a theater production back in 2000.

“The planning group agreed that every few years we should return to what is probably the most difficult conversation to have---race,” explained Edward Pittman ’86, the Associate Dean of the College.

Unlike previous years, the 13th anniversary of All College Day will be celebrated with both a keynote speaker and conversations facilitated by faculty, students and administrators.

Rather than doing traditional “tabling” to spread the message of the event, organizers hope a series of critical, blunt, deeply personal, and even uncomfortable discussions about race, privilege and power will help members of the Vassar community avoid the “standing still” that Wise advises us against. No doubt these are necessary platforms for helping us move forward in our collective thinking about race and difference, as Vassar Student Association President Jason ‘Rubin ’13 explained, “Based on conversation last semester, I think a lot of people are looking for different ways to approach, discuss, and tackle these issues.”

On Tuesday, Feb. 19 between 1:30 and 2:50 p.m. three campus discussions will be held in Main Building. Professor of Sociology Diane Harriford and the Tanebaum Inter-Religious Fellow Joseph Glick will facilitate a discussion on color-blindness, asking participants to consider whether “erasure of memory” is a progressive or regressive process.

Kate Dolson ’13 and Judy Jarvis ’07, the Assistant Director for Campus Life/LBGTQ and Gender Resources will lead a conversation about white privilege, anti-racist white allies, and the LGBTQ. Directory of Residential life Luis Iona will then help students consider the power of words and their influence on our individual and communal identities and expectations.

Later, Tuesday afternoon and evening, students and members of the Vassar community will have the opportunity to respond to Tim Wise’s lecture as well as think about race, privilege and power in the context of higher education. From 3:10 to 4:30, there will be four conversation lectures covering topics ranging from race and politics at Vassar, a session to examine race consciousness and college admissions policies, and a discussion of campus security and profiling, pulling its title from the works of W.E.B. DuBois, “What does it feel like to be a problem?”

In the evening, beginning at 6 p.m. students can debrief the Tim Wise lecture in the ACDC or engage in a brainstorm about how white people might better think about, discuss, and combat racism in the Faculty Parlor.

On Wednesday, Feb. 20th the Vassar community will have the opportunity to engage physically and intellectually with topics brought up during discussions on Tuesday with the Mural Project in the College Center Atrium by painting, writing, or drawing the images and words with which they have been grappling.

At noon on Wednesday the Faculty Commons will host an informal soup lunch for conversation, thoughts and reflections, and at 7:30 p.m. students and faculty alike with gather at the athletics and fitness center for the 4th annual Students vs. Old School Basketball Game.

O

Features Editors

n Sunday evening, social media networks erupted with the news that the Westboro Baptist Church plans to hold a rally at Vassar College to protest the institution’s open support of the LGBTQ community.

An announcement published on the Church’s website reads that, “WBC will picket Vassar College to warn the students, faculty, and alumni [sic] that the satanic policies of this nation, especially those of the colleges and universities, are causing God to pour His wrath out upon this nation. Doomed american [sic] academics fancy themselves to be smarter than God. They promote the fag agenda with all their might and mock the word of God and His messengers at every turn. Let’s see how that works out for them on the Judgment Day.” The Westboro Baptist Church went on to label Vassar an “Ivy League Whorehouse.”

Notorious for its incendiary rhetoric, extreme views on religion and sexuality, and zealous activism, the Kansas-based religious organization rose to national prominence several years ago when its members began disrupting the funerals of military personnel.

Two months ago, the Westboro Baptist Church also attempted to picket vigils for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. Margie Phelps, one of the Church’s leaders, tweeted that “God sent the shooter,” and that such tragedies are punishments for American liberalism. Once the Church’s intentions became national news, Connecticut residents formed a human wall to block out protesters.

The Westboro Baptist Church has been denounced by several international Baptist organizations, including the Southern Baptist Convention, which is the world’s largest Baptist

denomination. In 2008, members of the Westboro Baptist Church were also barred from entering Canada after threatening to protest the country’s abortion laws at a 22-year-old Winnipeg man’s funeral.

Most recently, the congregation was targeted by an official White House petition, asking that the Church be legally labeled as a hate group.

At press time, the petition has received over 330,000 signatures.

Although the Church’s anti-Vassar protest is set to take place two weeks from now on February 28, the Vassar community began making preparations as quickly as 24-hours after the news hit campus.

“The Vassar community is so creative and intelligent, and I look forward to working with students and staff to figure out a response that shows the strength and inclusiveness of our community,” wrote Assistant Director for Campus Life Judy Jarvis in an emailed statement.

On Monday February 11, over 200 students attended an all-campus meeting to share their reactions, and propose ways that Vassar can counter the Church’s rally.

Some of the most popular ideas include using the protest as a catalyst to spur LGBTQ awareness fundraising efforts; collaborating with West Point, which will be targeted by the Church the same day as Vassar; and “killing them with kindness.”

“It’s important that we don’t create a spectacle around them. Anything we do the day of the protest should focus on demonstrating our values and on creating something beautiful out of hatred and adversity, not on yelling back at [the Westboro Baptist Church],” said Daniel Polonsky ‘15.

VSA Vice President for Student Life Dallas Robinson ‘14 echoed Polonsky’s message, saying, “I don’t think people like [members of the Westboro Baptist Church] deserve the time of

day. They’re looking for publicity and attention...I think we’re going to turn this into something positive, something beautiful, and something full of love.”

Acting President Jonathan Chenette also hopes that Vassar will take a minimalist approach, writing in an emailed statement that “Part of me wishes we could just ignore this tiny fringe group devoted to propagating hate, and in fact, I think we should plan as if they won’t show up. They can do their thing, and we will do our better thing. I hope we can avoid the confrontation that such fringe groups thrive on and that give them whatever little power they have.”

Other students said Vassar should take this opportunity to look inward, and identify ways it can improve itself, particularly after last semester’s spree of racist, sexist and homophobic graffiti.

“I think we have this concept of ‘[homophobia] doesn’t [exist] here,’ and it makes it easier looking at Westboro Baptist Church because they seem so crazy and out there that we think [homophobia] couldn’t [exist] here. But, to a lesser extent, of course it does. I think we need to look at ourselves more carefully, to think about that. It would be nice if we could spontaneously have these conversations all the time,” said Katie Carpenter ’15, referring to the meeting at the UpC Cafe.

Soon after the Church’s announcement was made, Josh De Leeuw ‘08 launched an online fundraiser to benefit the Trevor Project, a charitable organization dedicated to suicide prevention among members of the LGBTQ community. After just twelve hours, the charity drive raised over $10,000, more than twice its goal. At press time, the donations from students, faculty, administrators, staff and alumnae/i totalled $35,000. “[This] kind of response shows Vassar values at their best,” concluded Chenette.

Cyclists carve out niche at bike shop; volunteer repair seen as job and hobby Juan Bautista Dominguez Guest Reporter

W

aking up for a 9:15 a.m. class is difficult as it is, but this already painful task is often worsened for some seniors who have to hoof it all the way to Kenyon Hall from the Town Houses. But while droves of us make the trek across campus every day on foot, some enjoy the efficiency, ease, and breeze that cycling to class can offer.

However, given the frequency with which students use their bikes to trek through all kinds of weather and terrain, students might find themselves requiring bike repairs big and small. The Bike Shop, located in the basement of Strong House, seeks to fill this need.

The Bike Shop is notoriously known for its inconsistent hours of operation. VC Bikes President Christopher Lloyd, offered a simple explanation.

“We are students too,” he said, “We hold shop hours when the mechanics are available. The best way to get work done on your bike is to contact one of the mechanics and make an appointment, then we know we’re not going to have to sit in Strong Basement for three hours and change one tire that day.”

The history of the Bike Shop, founded in 1978, he said, is as elusive as its business hours.

“Everything everyone knows about the shop is passed down through a very loose kind of oral history. About a decade ago we had a great, well-functioning shop and a legitimate cycling team that seemed to be centered around a rider who has now a professional cyclist,” he said.

Though the Shop’s business success fluctuates, Bike Shop mechanic Joe Wheeler ‘13 said the Shop does intend to have a schedule for the spring.

“The shop explodes in the fall and the spring and after the March break we’ll be

bumping again. When we’re really busy we’ll have one person come in every 20 minutes which can sometimes be more than we can handle in one day.”

In addition to doing repairs, the Bike Shop staff is more than willing and interested to teach basic mechanical skills, catering the Bike Shop to student response.

In fact, Jonathan Gorman ’13, like all of his fellow bike shop attendants, stumbled upon the chance to work in the shop when he encountered the need to learn how to fix his own bike and learned by way of a kind of apprenticeship. “I bought a cruddy bike from ‘Craigslist’ and had to work on it so I went in to learn some things from a friend who worked there. I didn’t have really any experience with bikes at all, but it came naturally to me because I like working with mechanical things and grew up fixing things,” Gorman said, Getting involved in the Bike Shop, he said, is not only a job, but also a hobby.

“It is unique as a work space because it isn’t a campus job, you need a certain skill set and aptitude to work there, and it’s all done really out of love for it,” said Gorman.

Caitrin Hall ’13, an avid cyclist who started Vassar’s first Cycling Facebook group, said she shares in this affection for the Bike Shop not only for what it accomplishes, but also for the kind of space it is.

She said, “The bike shop atmosphere is wonderful to me because the guys are supremely laid-back and friendly and genuinely want to help you out! The actual space of it, too, is thick with the art and graffiti and bike grease of many generations of Vassar kids who love to kick it and bike around.”

Wheeler agreed, stating, “There are a decent amount of nice-and-now-defaced memorabilia: flyers, photographs, and Lance posters. It’s the only honest place I can think of.

Paint, grease, grubby old long-johns—It defi-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

nitely has a lot of heart. You leave there, you know you did something productive because your hands are black.”

The good vibes of the Bike Shop, Wheeler said, are what makes the staff stick around even if there is no profit to be made from their labor. “More than anything, it’s nice to get your hands dirty on a Friday afternoon.

It’s a chance to improve my own bike capabilities and hopefully pass along some of my know-how so that they can fix it on their own next time.”

Zebulon Wimsatt ’14 affirmed that, in fact, they put little premium on increasing their profit margin.

“The prices we charge rip to the bottom of anything you’d get at another shop. And other bike shops, they’ll charge you twice as much as we do, and they sure won’t teach you how to do the work yourself,” Wimsatt said.

Usually the Bike Shop just breaks even, said Wheeler.

“I don’t think of it as my campus job since I’m not employed by Vassar to do this. Whatever we end up making is used to replace the parts we just sold to someone,” he said.

Lloyd stated that the workers at the Bike Shop are extremely resourceful when it comes to survivng on less-than-adequate resources. “With only $600 in funding a year, the mechanics are expected to supposed to keep an entire campus of bikes in working order. And while it may be a tall task, it’s amazing what we do on a regular basis with the resources we have. You’re like MacGyver in there,” he said.

In spite of these limitations, Gorman maintained there is still great satisfaction that comes from working in the Bike Shop.

He said, “If I can help someone get to class faster and stress less, or be able to get around Poughkeepsie more or just get some fresh air, I’m happy with that.”

February 14, 2013

FEATURES

Page 7

Professors disagree on benefits, drawbacks of technology

Cassady Bergevin/The Miscellany News

Senior Lecturer of English Karen Robertson, above, feels that Moodle and email should not replace in-person conversations. Other professors praise the potential of Moodle to enrich class discussion.

Chris Gonzalez and Marie Solis featuRes editoRs

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or students, new technologies typically present nothing but opportunities for increased efficiency in their daily lives, whether it is in the classroom or during their free time. However, every new technological advancement can be a source of added pressure for professors, whose responsibilities to their students have the potential to expand beyond their traditional scope.

Even something as miniscule as sending an email can change what students expect of their

professors, especially when it comes to availability outside of the classroom. “E-mail has made our jobs 24/7, which is difficult. Some of us like to be contacted by e-mail. I infinitely prefer the conversation that takes place during my office hours, because unexpected questions and areas arise. Students can sometimes avoid faculty members by using e-mail,” wrote Senior Lecturer of English Karen Robertson in an emailed statement.

Director of the Vassar College Writing Center Matthew Schultz, who has been teaching at the College since 2006, does not see much of

an issue in using email as a means of communication. “By [2006], email use was ubiquitous.

So, I’ve always had to answer a fair number of emailed questions and comments. I do try to set clear expectations, though. For instance, I might tell my students that I only respond to email between certain hours of the day. This isn’t necessarily to protect my time, but to get them thinking further in advance about a project,” Schultz wrote in an emailed statement.

However, he still believes it is important to establish a personal relationship with students.

“If a student stops by my office we talk about all their classes and how they intersect. We talk about residential life, plans for the future, and then the project at hand,” Schultz stated.

Robertson further explained that online interaction between teacher and students should not extend beyond its most basic purposes. “I don’t think that Moodle should be seen as the primary interface between the students and the faculty. It’s a mechanism for distributing readings and bibliography,” she said.

According to Associate Professor of Anthropology David Tavarez, while many professors enjoy using technology, some struggle.

“I believe that CIS should play a more effective role in terms of training instructors and providing adequate support for both teaching and research. At this point, CIS is understaffed, and therefore instructor performance in terms of new technologies is inextricably tied to the administration’s decisions in terms of providing or cutting resources to CIS,” Tavarez stated.

But technology does not rest only on the shoulders of the professors. Many students place much of their attention on laptops, e-readers and tablets, which some professors feel might be a distraction to the learning process.

“For discussion about literature, it is important that we all be on the same page in the same text. I think that people can get distracted when they are online and can wander far from of the class,” commented Robertson.

Tavarez, however, feels technology has a time and a place. “Personally, I allow electronic media use in classroom only to follow readings on PDF or for a collective viewing or discussion exercise. We all are human, and few can resist the temptation to check Facebook or their favorite newsfeed once the devices are out,” the linguistics professor wrote.

Conversely, Schultz does not think students having their devices out in class is necessarily a bad thing. “We’re there to learn as a group. I don’t have all the answers, and as a curious individual, I want to know certain obscure facts, or a word’s etymology, or other scholars’ perspectives when issues are raised in class discussion. Having technology in the classroom to help open up discussion rather than shut it down, I think, can be incredibly valuable. I also think that if students turn their attention to checking Facebook or online shopping that I’m not doing a very good job. I should be able to hold everyone’s attention for 75 minutes,” he wrote.

Indeed, embracing a technologically dependent world has definitely shifted both the classroom structure and the duties of being a professor.

Schultz concluded, “I think that students should be aware of the enormous workload shift onto faculty members at the College in the last few years. With the cuts in support staff, we are taking on more bureaucratic functions (as are the remaining employees.) We are all pushed and I don’t know how much more we can take on.”

For an ethical treat, make your own chocolate for V-day Alessandra Seiter online editoR

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courtesy of CookingAlamel.com

ith Valentine’s Day comes the annual resurgence of candy hearts, single-stemmed roses, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. While these cliché gifts may seem innocently romantic, the latter poses significant ethical concerns with which Vassar students, as conscious consumers, should familiarize themselves.

The chocolate bars and cocoa powder that we frequently encounter originate from the cacao bean—a large, pod-like seed that grows on the Theobroma cacao tree, which grows primarily in the tropical climates of West Africa and Latin America. Supplying 75 percent of the world’s cocoa market, two West African countries—Ghana and the Ivory Coast—have met the demands of a growing chocolate industry by resorting to the use of child labor to maintain competitive prices in a market of cheap cocoa. Often sold by their own relatives to traffickers or farm owners, the intensely impoverished children of West Africa face life-threatening work environments and educational deprivation upon entering the cocoa harvesting industry. Working from dawn until dusk, children climb to the tops of the cocoa trees, hack at the beans with a machete—which often results in slashes to the child’s appendages—and drag human-sized sacks of the pods through the forest. In addition, children as young as 12 years old spray the cacao trees with hazardous agricultural chemicals without donning protective equipment. Subsisting on corn paste and bananas, child laborers frequently lack access to portable water and may live in such conditions for months or even years, exposed to regular beatings and locked in their rooms at night to prevent them from escaping.

Recently, a handful of commendable organizations and journalists have worked to reveal the widespread use of child labor and slavery on West African cocoa farms, leading to an increase in secrecy on the part of the chocolate industry. Many major companies that offer chocolate products—including Clif Bar, Trader Joe’s and Vosges—refuse to disclose from which regions they source their cocoa, while in 2010 authorities of the Ivory Coast government detained three journalists who published a newspaper article regarding government corruption related to the cocoa industry.

I realize that abstaining from chocolate, especially with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, poses a near-impossible task for a great number of individuals. Luckily, we can still enjoy truffles and other chocolate goodies by employing a bit of mindfulness when choosing which cocoa products to purchase. While buying any chocolate sourced from West Africa essentially guarantees the unintended support of child labor, choosing cocoa grown in Latin America—where a majority of organic cocoa originates—results in less of a chance of backing a corrupt industry.

However, even many organic and Certified Fair Trade chocolate products have been documented to employ exploitative labor, and for this reason, the only current reliable list of truly ethical chocolate companies comes from a non-profit organization called the Food Empowerment Project (FEP). Committed FEP volunteers contact virtually every company that implements chocolate in their products to inquire as to from where they source their cocoa, and if they provide a satisfactory answer, FEP features them on their “chocolate we feel comfortable recommending” list. Including such companies as Whole Foods, Divine, Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, Nature’s Path and Taza, the list also highly recommends against purchasing chocolate from Hershey, Kirkland and Scharffen Berger. You can find the comprehensive list of ethically sourced chocolate online at http://www.foodispower. org/chocolatelist.php.

This Valentine’s Day, why not show affection toward your loved ones as well as unfortunate African children by purchasing choco-centric gifts from those on FEP’s list of ethical chocolate companies? Better yet, picking up a container of Equal Exchange cocoa powder at My Market or House of Nutrition can aid you in crafting delectable chocolate treats to impress your friends and sweetheart. One of my favorite decadent-tasting yet superbly nutritious and incredibly simple chocolate recipes is for a thick mousse that derives its creaminess from heart-healthy avocados and its sweetness from unprocessed ingredients—either dates, agave nectar or maple syrup, depending upon your preference. Topped with sliced strawberries or chopped almonds, this dessert will surely wow any and all of your Valentine’s Day companions.

The Recipe Chocolate Avocado Mousse Adapted from Gena Hamshaw Serves 2-4.

Ingredients: • 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled • 8 medjool dates, pitted and chopped or 1/3-1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 4 heaping tbsp cocoa powder • ½ cup plant-based milk or water Combine all of the ingredients except the water in the bowl of a food processor. Turn the motor on and drizzle the water in. Continue to blend the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the texture becomes thick and creamy. Serve.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

FEATURES

Page 8

February 14, 2013

Working off-campus presents double-edged opportunities Marie Solis

featuRes editoR

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While his internship gave him the chance to get a taste of life outside of Vassar, Ortile realized that being a Vassar student, too, is an opportunity not to be missed.

“One of my higher bosses was at Town & Country was aVassar alum and she said, ‘You’re doing really well, you have a long career ahead of you—but you have the rest of your life to do this. Enjoy your time at Vassar while you can.’” he said.

There is a balance to be struck, however, between on-campus and off-campus life. Fassa believes students do not all have to go as far as the city to experience what she described as a fresh outlook on Vassar.

“I think the Poughkeepsie community is a major untapped resource for practical and social connections. I was forced to talk about

things other than my current classes, professors, and this weekend’s all campus party. Although most of us working were students, a liberal arts college experience is radically different from that of a part-time community college student, or that of a specialized school like the CIA,” she said.

Of her overall work experience, Fassa said, “I think the benefits far outweighed the cost to my own free time. I learned what it was like to work in a restaurant, and now I always tip well.”

Though Ortile echoed her cost versus benefit attitude, but also advised, “If you do [take on a job or internship off campus], it’s worth it but be prepared to make a lot of sacrifices and work really hard. But if it’s what you want to do, it’s not going to hurt you in the end.”

Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

hile on any given Thursday evening, most students might be hanging out with friends, going to a jazz night in the mug, catching up on reading or just catching up on sleep, a typical Thursday night last semester for Matt Ortile ’14 consisted primarily of finding a place to sleep. Fall semester, Ortile left campus every Thursday and Friday to intern for Town & Country, a Manhattan magazine.

“Finding a place to sleep was really hard, but luckily I had friends in the city who let me crash on their couches,” said Ortile. He soon realized that not having a comfortable place to sleep would be only the beginning of a number of sacrifices he would make in the light of his new internship.

“I had to give up a class for my major to make sure my Thursdays and Fridays were free and I had to cut back on dancing with VRDT and FlyPeople and I had to leave the Miscellany News just so I could get some sleep. It was hard, but in the long run I told myself that it would be for the better,” he said.

Ortile, an aspiring writer, said he knew that taking the internship would be a great way to jumpstart his career, and for that reason he could not pass it up.

“I was able to liaison with PR companies, put together photo shoots, help with big projects that would go into print,” said Ortile.

This added pressure and responsibility, he said, is not necessarily a feature of many work study jobs. Ortile insisted that while having a work-study job can be the right thing for some students, there are things which cannot be learned within the confines of Vassar’s student employment opportunities.

Assistant Director of Financial Aid and Student Employment Brianne Balzer highlighted this benefit of off-campus work by drawing on her own experience. She wrote in an emailed statement, “...In college I had both a work study job and an off campus job; but my off campus

job working with taxes and financial aid is the reason I am where I am today. I saw both jobs as an opportunity to make money, but I saw the off campus job as a possible future opportunity and a great resume builder.” She continued, “[Another] benefit may be that a student who finds a job off campus does not have an earnings limit, and may have the opportunity to work all year, whereas campus employment has various restrictions.”

For Layla Fassa ’15, working at Babycakes gave her this kind of flexibility.

“I could make more money and work more hours than at my work-study job—tips provided instant cash every week. I usually stay on campus for breaks, and an off-campus job provided employment for those times. Mostly, I wanted to learn how to make delicious espresso drinks,” said Fassa. When she first began her employment last September, however, Fassa quickly realized her job would require more of her than just concocting high-caffeine beverages.

“I experienced difficulties for the first few weeks of my job because I bit off more than I could chew, working between 16 and 20 hours a week. I finally adjusted it to a more manageable 8-12 hours a week. It was much more taxing than my previous work-study job...because I was on my feet all day and always had something to do,” she said. Though Fassa ended up cutting back her work schedule to reflect something more comparable to a typical student’s work study timetable, she noted it was valuable for her to come this realization herself.

She said, “Although holding this job seriously reduced my free time, it was important that I discover those limits on my own, instead of having my time capped by the school.”

For Ortile, his time spent away from Vassar and his busy lifestyle came with its own pleasures. “The big benefit for me was that it was like my version of going abroad. I spent enough time away from Vassar to be apart from it and miss it,” he said.

Matt Ortile ’14, above, worked last semester at a Manhattan magazine. Given the extra strain despite the advantages. he urges students to ensure they are truly committed if they choose to work off-campus.

Committee brings together International Studies majors Dallas Robinson Guest RepoRteR

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new majors’ committee creates a support group and space for students dedicated to one of Vassar’s interdisciplinary majors programs. The International Studies (IS) Majors’ Committee was created last semester.

“The committee didn’t really get started until October when the applications to be an IS major were already due. The IS Majors committee is new this year, so I think we are still trying to find our place and our voice,” said Committee Chair Natalie Allen ’13 in an emailed statement.

Committee members and IS faculty are concerned with the lack of unity within the International Studies Department due to its interdisciplinary nature. Of this, junior International Studies major Janet Kanzawa ’14 said, “The one downfall about the interdisciplinary aspect of the major is that there is not much of a sense of community among majors, as there is no guaranteed coursework overlap until the fall semester of senior year.”

Though the committee just got its start recently, it immediately took action.

Kanzawa expressed satisfaction with last semester’s mixer. “I enjoyed meeting some of the sophomores who had just been accepted into the IS Major... it was well-attended by current IS Majors,” she said.

Already the committee has successfully gotten a number of IS majors in contact with one another. These type of events, which usually include food, provide not only a free meal, but also a chance for students to discuss their majors, correlates and general related interests.

This semester, Allen said, the Committee is hoping to come up with academic courses that would be required for all the IS majors.

“This semester we hope to look at the intro and seminar and try to make some recommendations to improve both classes; and perhaps recommend a third course that could bring IS majors together,” Allen stated.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Majors have the freedom to study whatever they like as long as they complete certain requirements: They must take an introduction to international studies course, travel abroad and complete the language requirement. This flexibility leads to many students taking a myriad of academic paths with little to no interaction with other members of the department.

“Because International Studies is as interdisciplinary as a program can be, it is really interesting to speak to other IS majors to find out what their interests are and how they have chosen to shape their study of the world,” said Kanzawa.

The Committee is leaning on the internet to unite the department, so the majors are able to share some of their experiences with one another, though the committee hopes to collaborate with the International Steering Committee to create events for the spring semester.

To inspire unity among its members, thecommittee organized a Junior Year Abroad panel for sophomores interested in going abroad last semester. Communication between upperclassmen and underclassmen can be extremely helpful within academic departments, especially those lacking connection between students. Allen stated, “Officially the committee started to handle some important, but fairly routine things, such as recruiting Peer Advisers for the peer advising system…”

Along with this communal level work the major has participated in outreach to the campus on a whole. She continued, “I would like to see them continue to work on building an IS community and to start working more closely with the Steering Committee to improve the major as a whole.”

Kanzawa is eager to connect with her IS classmates. She said, “I am looking forward to taking the required IS Senior Seminar to hopefully get to know my fellow IS majors in the ‘14 class and create a strong community that we can continue to be a part of as we embark on our diverse career paths.”

February 14, 2013

OPINIONS

Page 9

THE MISCELLANY NEWS STAFF EDITORIAL

Dutchess County Jail must be expanded, not replicated Last month, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced in his State of the County address that Dutchess will move forward with plans to construct a new correctional facility to accommodate an overflow of inmates in the Dutchess County Jail.

Although the project has only recently gained considerable press coverage and attention from local activists, the Dutchess County Jail has faced the issue of population overflow for nearly fifteen years.

As Rachael Borné reported in last week’s issue of The Miscellany News, the Dutchess County Jail is capable of housing 292 inmates; however, the County currently incarcerates over 450 people. The remaining prisoners are transported to jails in neighboring counties, costing Dutchess roughly $6 million per year.

According to Molinaro, these costs will continue to grow by $2 million annually if nothing is done to address the problem.

This inmate overflow is a serious issue for the Dutchess County community. Not only does transporting incarcerated people out of the area make it difficult for families to visit their loved ones, it also puts roadblocks between inmates and social services like rehabilitation programs and legal counseling.

Given these issues, it seems intuitive that the County should begin constructing a new jail.

However, opponents have raised several reasonable concerns with the new jail. Many community members believe in the “if they build it, they will fill it” mentality and argue

that Dutchess County should be pushing for more preventative measures rather than acting on the defensive.

Within the last few years, the local government has discontinued the GED program for inmates. There are few existing community re-entry programs; funding has been eliminated for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, the YMCA, the Green Teen Community Gardening Program, and the Youth Bureau and Project Return program. In addition, within the last three years the Poughkeepsie School District has moved from full day to half day kindergarten and has cut funding for music and art programs.

As a result, we at The Miscellany News feel that a compromise is necessary in order for progress to be made. We side with opponents of the jail in our support of public services, re-entry programs, and directing more money towards education in Dutchess County. However, we must acknowledge that the individuals currently incarcerated off site in counties spread far and wide are suffering. We cannot ignore the needs of either group.

We believe that any addition to the existing jail must increase the capacity for programs offered to those incarcerated, ones that are rams comparable to Newark’s Fraternity for Fathers Behind Bars, GED programs, and substance abuse treatment programs. We also encourage the addition of more visiting spaces, as the current jail has only one non-contact booth. These adjustments and renovations do

not necessitate an entirely new jail, especially considering the cost of a new jail would exceed $100 million.

By moving forward with a renovation of the existing jail in Dutchess County rather than the construction of an entirely new facility, men, women and young people arrested in Dutchess County will be able to complete their sentences in Dutchess County. Not only would this make it much easier for people behind bars to access important services offered in the local area, it would also keep inmates closer to their families.

With the money the criminal justice system would save by increased capacity for inmates and strictly in-house incarceration, we believe the local government must invest in programs for the mentally ill and those with substance abuse issues. According to a report published by the Dutchess County Criminal Justice Council, 80 percent of inmates have had a history of treatment for a substance abuse disorder, a mental health disorder, or both prior to incarceration. Such a compelling statistic must be taken into consideration when moving forward with any renovations to the jail.

Rehabilitative services are critical. We advocate a criminal justice system built on the philosophy of healing rather than punishing.

The same report also explains that the population of inmates under the age of 21 can be as high as 15 percent at times, and the female incarcerated population on average represents 10 percent of the inmate population.

Menstrual cups an affordable and empowering alternative Rachael Borné

ContRibutinG editoR

Despite the fact that women have experienced menstrual periods since the beginning of time, products associated with menstruation have received pitiful updates over the years.

Many women feel their only options are panty liners, pads or tampons, as these products are most widely represented in stores and through advertising. This, however, is not the case.

There are myriad convenient, comfortable, affordable and eco-friendly alternatives to these mainstays that deserve some serious attention.

As a diva cup convert for the last three years myself, I cannot help but spread the word about this technology that has revolutionized my thinking about periods, my body, and what it is ‘okay’ to talk about in public.

Let’s start with the basics. They have been called diva cups, moon cups, and the keeper cup among other brand names, but the form and function is basically the same. Menstrual cups are made of flexible material, usually medical grade silicone, that can be easily folded and inserted into the vagina to collect fluid.

The cone like shape of the cup creates a gentle seal to the vaginal wall, decreasing the likelihood of spills or leaks. In order to remove and empty the contents of the cup, you simply pull the small stem at the tapered end of the vessel and pour fluid into the toilet bowl. After emptying the cup, you simply wash it out (or if a public bathroom makes this difficult, just wipe well with toilet paper and save washing for later) and put it back in. Although inserting and removing menstrual cups takes a little getting used to, with practice and frequent use, putting in and taking out the cup can be easy and stress-free.

The advantages of menstrual cups to tampons, pads and pantyliners are infinite. For basic medical and safety reasons, menstrual cups are completely trustworthy. There is less risk of toxic shock syndrome or irritation, and all menstrual cups currently marketed in the United States have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as safe, as most are made of hypoallergenic, nontoxic materials. Because tampons and pads are absorbent in nature, they expose blood and menstrual fluid to the open air and as a result may change

the pH balance of the vagina and may even increase the presence of harmful bacteria or excessive yeast in the vagina (read: menstrual cups are essentially odor free!).

Menstrual cups come in a few different sizes, and can be safely worn by women who have never had sexual intercourse and by women who have had children. They can be worn during vigorous physical activity, while swimming, and overnight. On light flow days, menstrual cups can be worn for up to 12 hours, almost twice as long the wear time of tampons.

Financial benefits of the menstrual cups cannot be understated. A menstrual cup is a one time purchase usually ranging between $25-$35. I like to think about my diva cup as an investment. Sure, the overhead is more than I would pay for a single box of tampons each month, but over the ten years during which I hope to continue wearing my diva cup, the cost will be amortized and then some.

A one- or two- time life purchase is also incredibly convenient for traveling. A small, resilient cup can be easily placed in a suitcase, in your bag, your pocket, or even toted like a clutch for those so bold, as most menstrual cups come inside cute sewn drawstring sacks.

Plus, the menstrual cup is a nearly zero-waste product. In disposing of your menstrual fluid, you create no trash and burn through no natural resources. For the more adventurous readers out there, you can even recycle the menstrual fluid you would usually lose to absorbent tampons or pads--menstrual fluid is a great plant fertilizer. It’s nutrient rich!

Perhaps even more than the reasons I have stated above, using a menstrual cup has made me more comfortable with my myself and has inspired countless conversations with men and women alike about periods, vaginas, and how our bodies work. Experimenting with alternatives to mainstream menstrual products can be a true game changer, I promise you this.

It is due time that period talk reaches the public sphere, that it abandon the defunct private space of stress, worry, shame or humiliation.

—Rachael Borné ‘13 is an Anthropology major. She is a Contributing Editor for The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Again, the special needs of these groups must be met, and we urge members of the Dutchess County government to consider alternatives to incarceration (ATIs) as they progress with their decision.

We must ask ourselves why so many young people are incarcerated from Dutchess County, and why so many of them are people of color? These questions must figure prominently into any conversation about a jail expansion or renovation.

In addition to our plea to the local government, we also call on the Vassar student body to stay informed about the jail expansion debate. Prison programs and courses on mass incarceration, racism and the criminal justice system have enriched the educational and life experiences of many students on campus. With this critical framework, we must stay involved and informed about the criminal justice system and the needs of incarcerated people in our own college town.

Vassar College is a part of Dutchesßßs County, and our campus shares an definite bond with the local community. It is critical that Vassar students remain informed and engaged with everything going on outside its boundaries. Participating in this discussion about the Dutchess County Jail is a great place to start.

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

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OPINIONS

Page 10

Divestment economics good for VC Gabe Dunsmith

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Columnist

he economics of fossil fuel divestment show good signs for Vassar.

A recent report from the Aperio Group, an investment management firm, claims that the risk to colleges’ endowments from going “fossil-free” is negligible, meaning that Vassar should have no qualms about divesting from the fossil fuel industry. In fact, divestment could strengthen the endowment by pulling out of the turbulent coal, oil and natural gas markets and reinvesting in sustainable energy companies. As Vassar students, we are all rightfully concerned about the College’s financial security. We want to make sure that Vassar has enough money to continue its stellar financial aid program, pay its employees well, and foster its vibrant student body.

Encouraging Vassar to reinvest in sustainable companies and in local community development is one way that students can fight for a more just world and for Vassar’s well-being at the same time. Putting our endowment money towards wind and solar could bolster the size of the College’s endowment and ensure Vassar’s leadership for future generations.

As socially-conscious students, its is hard to stomach West Virginia’s blown-up mountaintops, BP’s oil spill, and the potential of hydrofracking rigs in New York. In addition to being morally indefensible, these extraction practices bring huge financial risks. Withdrawing our investments in coal, oil, and natural gas companies means that Vassar would no longer be hampered by the chaotic markets of these industries and could better pursue sustainable development. “[Divestment is] probably going to get us out ahead of the carbon bubble that’s coming,” said environmental activist Bill McKibben in an online address to Vassar.

The Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign is calling for a twelve (12)-year timeframe for divestment, giving the College plenty of time to reallocate its money to socially-equitable investment funds. Through the expertise of the college’s trustees, divestment can be a safe and meaningful avenue of social action.

At the campaign’s recent Go Fossil Free! teach-in, Professor of Economics Paul Ruud discussed the feasibility of divestment and endorsed transitioning the endowment away from fossil fuels. Divestment is catching on as a necessary environmental maneuver and as sound economic policy—just two weeks ago, Sterling College in Vermont announced its divestment strategy, making it the third college to divest (Unity and Hampshire are the other two). In addition, a bill in the Vermont House of Representatives would see the entire state’s portfolio divested—and the city of Seattle is already well on its way.

Through divesting with other schools,, Vassar can change the political landscape in Washington, D.C. to shift our economy towards community wind farms and green development which nurtures communities and promotes a conscious relationship with the land.

Right now, Vassar is invested in the very companies that undermine our future. But that can change—and the change starts with student support. Whether through signing a petition or reaching out to your VSA representatives, students can show solidarity for a green endowment. As such, I hope that the VSA will pass its divestment resolution at its upcoming meeting; this resolution will affirm that climate change is an issue of “overriding social concern” that Vassar must rally to stop. In acknowledging the economic import of divestment, the VSA can encourage the Board of Trustees to act.

In the end, divestment is something that students and administrators, faculty and trustees, alumni/ae and parents can all champion—because it is right for the planet, it is right for Vassar, and it is right for the next generation of students, who will know that their college has assured them a sustainable future.

—Gabe Dunsmith ‘15 is an Environmental Studies major.

February 14, 2013

Scouts must stand behind gay members Zack Struver

Guest Columnist

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was, am, and always will be, a Boy Scout. I make this statement not because I have any particular loyalty to any of the various organizations that operate under the moniker of the Boy Scouts of America (except for Troop 36, of Montrose, New York), nor because I subscribe to the proto-fascist, sexist, and homophobic dogma of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Council. I have no desire to affix arbitrary labels to myself; therefore, this way of referring to myself can only be described as deliberate and necessary. So, why should I affiliate myself with a culture that reveres moral stagnation and pledges obedience to the outdated catechisms of the Mormon and Catholic Churches?

Before I explain further, please grant me a brief moment to explain that I never was, nor am I currently, nor will I ever be, a perfect Boy Scout.

For the sake of veracity, I cannot claim that I have ever lived according to the tenets set out in the Oath that I took weekly as a Scout. This is true both because I am a terribly lazy human being, and my deepest and clearest convictions prevent me from ever meeting some of the various obligations that bind Scouts.

First, I hate America as much as I love it, and so fail in my duty to my country. Second, I’ve consistently failed to keep myself “physically strong.” In the course of my required middle school gym class, I perhaps deserved some sort of MVP award for most actively fleeing from the ball. Third, as an atheist, I certainly haven’t met my duty to God, and I’m what the Scouts would probably consider “morally deficient” in that I don’t generally subscribe to traditional American values. Finally—and I can say this with 100% certainty—especially this early in the morning, that it is not the case that I am “mentally awake.” And, to top

it all off, my final sin consists in failing to meet a promise that I made to my parents and Scout leaders, and—though I rarely admit it—a promise that I made to myself: I never attained the rank of Eagle.

“I never was, nor am I currently, nor will I ever be, a perfect Boy Scout.”

Zack Struver ’15 On top of all that, and as awful a Boy Scout as I was, it was basically guaranteed that had I actively pursued being an Eagle Scout, I would have obtained the rank. An out-ofshape atheist Jew who has major problems with the American society and culture that the Boy Scouts claim to defend would have been allowed, after interviews with adult troop leaders and community members, to attain Scouting’s Highest Honor. And yet, many individuals who are far better Scouts than I am, who fully aspire to many of the more noble values of the Boy Scouts of America and who work within their communities to effect incredible forms of change, will never have that same opportunity because of their sexuality.

The debate currently taking place at the national level of Scouting’s leadership on whether or not the BSA should lift the ban on allowing gay scouts and gay adult leaders was recently brought to the public’s attention after a leak from within the organization.

Although I’m optimistic that, by this May, the Scouts will announce that they will allow individual Troops to decide whether or

not they’ll allow gay members, I’m also very certain that many Troops will not choose to change. The Mormon Church and the Catholic Church, which both support the ban on gay Scouts and leaders, sponsor a large percentage of Boy Scout troops; many of those troops will likely continue to discriminate against individuals based on their sexual orientation.

In the face of continued discrimination, some see quitting the Boy Scouts as the only solution; 65,000 Scouts left the organization after the BSA reaffirmed its ban on gay members in the summer of 2011.

I made the mistake of quitting the Boy Scouts once. My senior year of high school, I stopped going to meetings. I felt disillusioned with the values promoted by the National Council and I felt that I couldn’t be part of an organization that wouldn’t accept me as an atheist. And, besides, I had just gotten in to Vassar, where Boy Scouts only come up in conversation when hipsters decide to wear an old thrift-shop Boy Scout uniform.

Now, more than ever, it is important that I continue to call myself a Boy Scout. I am a Boy Scout because there are Boy Scouts who fear that they will be bullied, harassed, and denied the ability to participate in their community simply because they are gay. I am a Boy Scout because those Scouts who live in fear have a right to be a member of an organization that promotes a variety of virtues that we can all agree with: environmental stewardship, community service, and a code of conduct that includes being trustworthy, loyal, and brave. Those Scouts who continue being Scouts in the face of discrimination and condemnation are far more brave than I, and I am a Scout for them.

—Zack Struver ‘15 is a Life Scout and Senior Editor of the Vassar Chronicle.

National high-speed rail poses problems Josh Sherman Columnist

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here’s been an image of a map rolling around Facebook and Tumblr recently, advertising an interesting take on the still-nascent high-speed rail initiative in the United States. It depicts the country dotted with various high-speed, 220 mph rail stops from east coast to west. According to the map, it would take only a matter of hours to zip along from Boston to Chicago, Orlando to Washington, D.C., and dozens of other popular destinations. As a fan both of trains and of high-speed rail, I’d love for this initiative to really happen. Sadly, it is never going to happen. The problem is economical, and while rail service is not entirely unfeasible in its own right, a project of this scale is flawed from the get-go.

As much as I love the idea of a one hour train to Boston, economics is what stands in the way of this high-speed dream, not government red-tape. To understand what’s actually at work here, let’s take a step back and learn a little bit about America’s railroads, and the failures and successes of our rail system.

Over the past 150 years, dozens of rail companies bought and laid track coast to coast, building the main arteries that goods and passengers have used to travel all over the country. In fact, for a time, Poughkeepsie itself was a major way station for for people and goods looking to travel to Albany, Manhattan, or across the Hudson. But by the 1970s, this great industry of rail had fallen into bankruptcy. Automobiles and airplanes had put the passenger railroad out of business. In response, President Nixon signed into law the Rail Passenger Service Act in 1970, establishing Amtrak to manage all the remaining passenger railways in the country. While freight rail still exists and is essential to the movement of goods, passenger rail has taken a back seat these days as a very expensive and unprofitable way to travel, as the majority of people use cars or airplanes. From day one Amtrak never actually ran a profit, and has always been subsidized as a service to the public. This very fact is due to the sheer amount of track involved, and the sheer few number of people interested in rail over cars or airplanes. While high-speed

rail may interest some, it’d likely be more expensive than air travel, and slower than it too.

Cars offer convenience far greater than rail services, and many other factors are at work against it. Quite frankly, it just cannot exist at such a large scale—there just aren’t enough people interested in it.

But as I discussed the failure of rail, I also left out one of its greatest successes: The MTA. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York is in charge of thousands of miles of track and rail service running from Poughkeepsie to Manhattan, Montauk, and all over the Tri-state area. It handles 160 million riders a year between Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North, and is one of the largest public transportation services in the country.

Unlike Amtrak, the MTA runs a profit, and is an extremely popular method of travel. I myself can travel in less than 2 hours from Poughkeepsie to my hometown on Long Island for less than what any other transportation company could come close to offering. LIRR and Metro-North is, however, not high-speed rail, it simply is an extended (150 mile or so radius) 60 mph rail service. It is, however, a great example of where the range of service and demand of customers are profitable.

“While freight rail still exists and is essential to the movement of goods, passenger rail has taken a back seat.”

Josh Sherman ’16 There are other problems I have not yet mentioned, and they contribute significantly to the risks and challenges of a high-speed service. For one, the ability to implement high speed rail nationwide at this speed requires an entire reconstruction of our track network nationwide, as most of it is not actually capable

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

of carrying 220 mph trains. To add, our continental track is not actually independently utilized by Amtrak, and in many areas a single rail of track is shared between various railway companies both passenger and freight based.

There are many occasions when switching problems delay trains, or two trains have to wait to use the same single line of track. To actually accomplish this we’d need to build more tracks and start over from scratch. It’s also worth mentioning that Acela, Amtrak’s current high speed service, only runs at about half its maximum speed due to a variety of safety and logistical issues that come from the ailing track service it runs on.

Amtrak actually proposed back in 2010 plans to start building 220 mph high speed rail and track starting in 2015, but so far they have yet to receive any of the private investments they’d need to do it. The reason is simple: it’s just not economical. While, with serious government initiative, we could perhaps build an impressive rail network much like the Federal Highway Act, it doesn’t change the economics at work here. In the 1950s the highway offered more avenues of travel and simplified the experience for people. This rail network may be faster, but its purpose is already served by both planes and cars.

Could high speed rail really happen? Perhaps. At a continental scale the concept is unfeasible and uneconomical. Flying (not including the waiting in line) is not only faster, but also cheaper and more effective for the U.S. given our sheer size as a country. If high speed rail were to become a reality—perhaps a more extended version of Amtrak’s Acela—then it would probably only exist in the Northeastern Corridor at best. Much like the MTA, there is a very small window of economic feasibility for high speed rail, and it exists as far south as Washington D.C., and as far north at Portland, Maine. Don’t get me wrong, I love high speed rail, but I am a realist. It’ll take a lot more than an act of Congress to get high-speed rail in the US, and at best it would only work in a few regions of our grand nation.

—Josh Sherman ‘16 is a student at Vassar College.

February 14, 2013

OPINIONS

Graffiti on campus shuts down discourse Jean-Luc Bouchard

humoR & satiRe editoR

A

bout two weeks ago, the words “War isn’t real, Apathy is freedom, Silence is strength” began to appear on buildings across campus, written in red paint. On February 4, the same words were posted anonymously on SayAnything. Unsurprisingly, both of these acts garnered a number of comments and reactionary posts on SayAnything as well as several heated real-world conversations with an equally unsurprising discrepancy in opinion among Vassar students. While several of the students have deemed the graffiti as an act of petty, potentially offensive vandalism, many others are either entirely apathetic to the matter or supportive of the graffiti author’s message. I’ve appreciated the discussions thus far on the topic and hope to add my own voice to the debate.

When I first saw the graffiti on my way to class, I was upset, more so by the act of vandalism itself than by its content. As I began to consider the graffiti’s message, however, I quickly became just as unsettled by the meaning of the words. And while I am fully aware that it’s responses such as this that the author desired in the first place—that the vandalism was probably carried out to elicit a reaction from the student body—that is no reason to keep silent on this matter. When discourse shuts down; when we feel compelled to keep our mouths shut because of the words crudely painted on the wall by an anonymous “V for Vendetta” fan; when communication takes a passenger seat to comfort and ease, then we cease to be a useful society.

It is communication and discourse that lie at the heart of this matter. On a very basic level, the author of these words must have desired to have his or her message read by the student body at large and therefore went about vandalizing buildings as a means of mass communication. Let’s momentarily ignore the fact that the words he or she chose to communicate were largely thoughtless and uninspiring and focus instead on the primary failure of the author: he or she chose vandalism over a peaceful means of communication. It’s impossible, for those

who have read “1984,” to miss the similarities between this graffiti and the slogans found on the wall of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel. Which author will be more successful in the long run, do you think? The one who placed his message into a well-crafted novel, or the one who vandalized buildings? Momentary shock and rage are never going to be a worthy competitor to intelligible, consumable discourse. I don’t care if the graffiti author is being ironic or serious in his or her message, and I would not care if these words happened to be the most important things to be written in the past one hundred years (they aren’t), because he or she chose to go about it through hurtful vandalism rather than peaceful discourse.

The graffiti author’s message has made life difficult for members of the Vassar community in more than one way. Vassar employees have had to waste time washing paint off of walls, administrative workers have had to waste time documenting and investigating the issue, and some Vassar students have been emotionally unsettled by the vandalism and its message. If it was the author’s desire to arouse anger and fear, or to simply make people’s lives harder, congratulations: you are a schoolyard bully.

What saddens me further about this entire issue is that the author also posted to SayAnything, but did not consider that a large enough platform for his or her message. For one thing, he or she must have thought very highly of his or her unoriginal three sentences to consider them worthy of vandalism. But what’s almost sadder, in my opinion, is that this also suggests a lack of faith in peaceful communication platforms like SayAnything. SayAnything has its issues, of course, but it is largely a tool for good. Through SayAnything, questions concerning campus life and administrative logistics are frequently raised and answered; concerns about campus climate are discussed (rarely resolved, but at least discussed); people reach out to others for emotional support, and often receive it; support groups for issues such as eating disorders are organized; and people just generally feel comfortable sharing thoughts, feelings, what-have-you. Most

importantly, their messages are all introduced through peaceful, voluntary discourse rather than egotistical vandalism. What makes the graffiti author’s message more important than organizing a support group? In what way is “Apathy is freedom” a more pressing topic to discuss than a student’s difficulty in transitioning back to campus life after JYA? And even if it is more pressing (in the author’s opinion), should it not be left to the reader to decide what is and is not important for him or her?

Lastly, I would like to briefly take a look at what has been the main topic of discussion on this issue: the content of the graffiti: “War isn’t real, Apathy is freedom, Silence is strength.”

If these words are meant to be taken at face value, which I doubt, then of course these are the opinions of the author and up for personal interpretation and consideration. Personally, I disagree with these phrases. War is quite real and it is offensive and possibly hurtful to claim that it isn’t, especially for those Vassar students from areas of the world hurt by war or with loved ones serving in an army. And as you can probably guess from my fixation on communication and discourse, I do not think apathy or silence are constructive solutions to any problem; they are instead quick and selfish solutions to short-term conflicts.

However, a number of students, myself included, believe instead that these words are meant to be taken ironically, and that the author is urging us to reconsider how disconnected to the world outside of Vassar we all are.

If that is so, I think it’s a message with some merit, but through its wording it is still a potentially offensive message to some students, and, more importantly, it was still forced upon us by vandalism. When you disrespect our environment and our will to choose what we consume as readers, you lose our respect and our long-term understanding of your message.

You generate a few days more discussion in exchange for making people’s lives more unpleasant—quite the selfish trade-off.

—Jean-Luc Bouchard ‘14 is an English major.

He is Humor and Satire Editor for The Miscellany News.

D.C. Democrats propose legal marijuana Angela Della Croce Guest Columnist

S

ure, supporters of recreational marijuana use probably cried victory when the states of Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of cannabis in 2012, a historic move. But as of February 5, 2013, advocates of marijuana legalization may have something to really celebrate about. On Tuesday, two Democratic members of the House of Representatives, Jared Polis (D-CO) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), introduced a pair of bills that, if passed, would dramatically alter our current policy on marijuana.

Polis presented the House with the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act. Just as the name suggests, it would end the federal prohibition on marijuana, whether for medical or recreational use. The decision to legalize it would thus fall in the hands of states and local governments. Though marijuana would be legalized at the federal level, states could still legalize it or not, at their leisure and without the interference of government agencies, notably the Drug Enforcement Agency. If marijuana were to be legalized in a state it would be federally regulated in a similar fashion to alcohol. Under the bill, federal permits would be administered to growers, for example.

Blumenauer, meanwhile, introduced the Marijuana Tax Equity Act. If passed, the taxation framework that currently applies to alcohol and tobacco will provide the template for the one applied to marijuana. A 50% excise tax would be put on the sale of marijuana from growers to distributors, and an annual fee would be demanded from producers and businesses profiting from marijuana. Though probably not a popular suggestion among the masses, this bill would definitely lend more traction and appeal to the pursuit of ending pot prohibition.

In fact, Blumenauer states, “[t]here is an opportunity for us to make, at a minimum, a

$100 billion difference over the next 10 years.”

That’s billions of dollars in revenue simply by legalizing a drug that—let’s face it—many of us enjoy regardless of its legality. If that wasn’t convincing enough, looking at how much money this country would save by decriminalizing marijuana use is simply astonishing. Of all of the drug arrests made in 2011, 44% of them were simply for marijuana possession. According to the Cato Institute, $5.5 billion is spent every year for the enforcement of this antiquated policy. So, not only would we gain billions from taxing pot but also get back billions by legalizing it.

“The polarization and gridlock we see in Congress will make the passage of these bills a long shot.” angela Della croce ’15 Non-monetary costs would concurrently be avoided. If convicted of misdemeanor possession of drugs, one could be sentenced to up to a year in jail, up to a 2,000-dollar fine, and a suspension of one’s driver’s license for up to 90 days. This will not only severely restrict your employment options, but the time spent in jail could be spent working or being a productive member of society, hindering the individual and depriving the community of possible benefits the individual could provide. Felony charges have even more far-reaching effects. This is certainly not to say that using substances will be completely accepted. Polis acknowledges that, “while substance abuse is a real problem we need

to address, we need to address it increasingly as a public-health issue more than a criminal issue.” In the process of making it a public-health issue, legalized pot would be regulated to ensure purity and safety; reliance on the dangerous black market for pot would no longer be necessary. This outlook towards decriminalization and legalization is not only economically beneficial but socially responsible.

Though the polarization and gridlock we see in Congress will make the passage of these two bills a long shot, Blumenauer assures us that this is only the beginning.

“These are the first two of what will probably be eight, 10 bills or more,” he says. And even though this is not the first time Congress has considered federal marijuana policy reform, the current strength of public support for legalization is unprecedented. The momentum to change the status quo is the strongest it has ever been and is fueled by an even stronger support base. A Gallup poll conducted in 2012 indicated that 50% of Americans believe pot should be permissible and 70% believe it should be able to be prescribed. These are record-high percentages for legalization; the scope of support has broadened to a point that Congress can no longer ignore.

I believe many Americans have deemed the “war against drugs” a failure, as evidenced by the growing congressional support for marijuana reform on both sides of the aisle.

There is no doubt that the public has spoken, as seen in Colorado and Washington. Perhaps Congress, albeit sluggish in meeting the needs of the people, will consider the growing advocacy for this change and reflect it in its decision-making. Even if Congress were to pass both bills, there would be many kinks to iron out. Still, it’s a start.

—Angela Della Croce ‘15 is an Economics major.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 11

Word

on the street

Who would you choose to star opposite you in a romantic comedy?

“Adrien Brody.”

—Zachary Kondak ’16

“Beyoncé.”

—Steven Juca ’15

“Maurissa Tomei.”

—Jasen Miyamoto ’16

“Oprah.”

—Grace Ashford ‘14

“Ryan Gosling.”

—Isabel Larrow ’16

“Sean Connery.”

—Maddy Boesche ‘13

Jean-Luc Bouchard, Humor & Satire Editor Katie de Heras, Photo Editor

OPINIONS

Page 12

February 14, 2013

Obama drone memo reveals war of laws in Washington Lane Kisonak

Opinions Editor

A

ll is fair in love and war, some say. But there is very little love lost in Washington, so let’s just talk about what’s fair in war.

As a society, we often equate fairness with adherence to a common set of rules. “[A] strong middle class can only exist in an economy where everyone plays by the same rules, from Wall Street to Main Street,” President Obama has often said, with some variation. The rule of law is fundamental to our country’s self-conception, and when people perceive it to be under attack—whether by Democrats, Republicans, or faceless bureaucracy—an alarm will sound.

On February 4, the Department of Justice leaked a white paper on the legal use of lethal force against Americans in foreign countries “outside the area of active hostilities”. NBC News’ Michael Isikoff, who obtained the document and shared it with the world, did so at a uniquely interesting moment. As the memo has caught fire over the past week, we have seen the media and Congress react in such a way as to demonstrate that the conjoined issues of administrative secrecy, drone strikes, and extra-judicial killing, have leapt to the top echelon of contested areas in American politics. As many observers would say, it’s about time.

A HuffPost/YouGov poll taken during the week after Obama’s second inauguration found that nearly half of Americans—45%— approved of Obama’s handling of his duties of commander-in-chief, while 40% disapproved.

This measure split cleanly along party lines, with 76% of Democrats approving and 76% of Republicans disapproving. The same poll asked whether Americans approved of the administration’s use of unmanned aerial drones to kill high-level terrorism suspects in foreign countries. Here still substantial majorities in both parties (66% of Democrat and 57% of Republicans) approved. Embrace of drones

“Famous Riters” ACROSS 1 It could be revolving 5 Heart of Paris 10 Delhi prince 14 Cornell University’s founding father 15 Edie of “The Sopranos” 16 The decisive state on Tuesday 17 Type of speech delivered on Tuesday 19 Robed man 20 Minneapolis suburb 21 UK News service 22 Stone used for chess sets 23 “You ain’t seen nothin’ ___!”

24 Legislative branch that stayed Democratic on Tuesday 25 Boat propellor 27 He said about an opponent “My main objective is to be professional but to kill

waned, however, when voters learned these suspects could be American citizens. 51% of Democrats and 43% of Republicans supported these strikes. There is a clear split in opinion that must be discussed, and recent developments are finally making this possible.

The white paper seems to give the administration latitude to carry out drone attacks anywhere it sees fit; “The Department [of Justice] has not found any authority for the proposition that...in a new nation, an operation to engage the enemy in that location cannot be part of the original armed conflict, and thus subject to the laws of war governing that conflict.” In other words, the sorts of drone strikes we have seen in Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen could occur anywhere else where the administration believes Al Qaeda or an affiliate may be operating. While the white paper justifies taking such steps with Supreme Court cases and a raft of literature on international law, it broadens its reach too far by asserting its right to conduct operations “with the consent of [a] host nation’s government or after a determination that the host nation is unable or unwilling to suppress the threat posed by the individual targeted.” In other words, consent is only consent at the administration’s convenience.

Then there’s the effort to divest “imminent” of any significant meaning. A drone strike can be carried out, according to the memo, if “an informed, high-level official of the U.S. government has determined that the targeted individual poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States.” But this official need not “have clear evidence that a specific attack...will take place in the immediate future.” The administration cites 9/11 as reason to discard a definition of “imminent” that allows preparations for an attack to conclude. Al Qaeda “demands a broader concept of imminence” because its operatives are “are continually plotting attacks against the United States.”

John Brennan, President Obama’s chief

The Miscellany Crossword

him” 31 Do or die 34 Facility 38 Maine college town 39 Greek theaters 40 From 26−down through 41−down, the President’s fate on Tuesday 42 Contemporary acronym meaning “seize the moment” 43 Words on a Spanish valentine 45 ___ vera 46 Kirk who played the first big−screen Superman 47 Greek name for Greece 48 Mafia leader 50 George Clooney, Val Kilmer or Michael Keaton, at some point 54 Dem’s foe 57 Setting for an Inaugural

Answers to last week’s puzzle

counter-terrorism advisor who is currently awaiting Senate confirmation as the next Director of the CIA, was among the most influential architects of this administration’s drone policy, and his confirmation hearings have tested his ability to defend them. Some of the rhetoric displayed by members of the Senate Intelligence Committee showed the kind of apprehension stirring up in the halls of Congress. “Every American has the right to know when their government believes it’s allowed to kill them,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) to Brennan last Thursday. The Committee’s chair, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), argued that the CIA’s drone strikes should at least be reviewed by an independent agency or secret court. This would reincorporate some shadow of checks and balances into the executive’s pursuit of drone warfare, and, for liberals, take some of the sting out of confirming Brennan, a man deeply connected to policy on drone strikes as well as interrogation techniques during the past decade.

But Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) has vowed to block Brennan’s confirmation (along with that of Chuck Hagel, nominated for Secretary of Defense), not owing to doubts about administrative secrecy regarding drone policy and belligerent engagement with other countries, but to his and other GOP members’ fixation on last year’s terrorist attack on Americans in Libya. The GOP has also devoted its energies to blocking Robert Cordray, the long-embattled nominee for (and current) director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). What makes all of these nomination fights related?

Republicans loathe many aspects of President Obama’s agenda, as well as the prospect of appearing weak to the most conservative elements of their party. Filibustering confirmations, from this perspective, is a great way to make a stand. Republicans are using Cordray’s nomination as leverage to revamp the CFPB’s regulatory powers and structure and put it un-

by Jack Mullan, Crossword Editor Address 59 Lawyers’ org.

60 World War II bomber ___ Gay 62 See 62−down 63 Type of chant heard on Tuesday 65 Unmoving 66 Singer Turner and others 67 General ___ chicken 68 Hoodlum 69 They may give you a lift 70 Eye sore

31 Action on Tuesday 32 Pulitzer−winning biographer Leon 33 True life 35 Pie ___ mode 36 Remote control button 37 Prefix with friendly

41 Lecture series with the slogan “ideas worth spreading” 44 Mother bears, in Spain 49 Comply with 51 Mrs. Eisenhower 52 “Throw me ___ here!”

DOWN

1 Go bad, as teeth 2 Atmosphere layer 3 Ripley’s last words?

4 Billiards equipment 5 Ty Cobb and Willie Mays, positionally: Abbr.

6 Local booze joint 7 The 1% 8 The Huskies of the NCAA 9 “Parks and Recreation” boss 10 The losing ticket on Tuesday 11 Matey’s salutation 12 Curse 13 Fine and dandy 18 “I could ___ horse!” (hungry) 22 “The Simpsons” bus driver 25 The winning ticket on Tuesdayqueen, informally 26 Mr. ___ (old detective board game) 28 Somalian territory 29 Just 30 Midday

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

der congressional oversight. Political scholars such as Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein have called such tactics a form of “new nullification” that removes the executive’s ability to implement law—a hostage-be-damned chokehold on the federal government. (Not much of an exaggeration in my view.)

Mann & Ornstein’s, however, is not the only kind of “new nullification”. The Obama administration has been extraordinarily successful at realizing its vision for war, but this has come at the expense of nullifying traditional checks on the executive, and is facilitated by forms of technology that the framers of the Constitution could never have seen coming.

The low cost of drone warfare, in dollars and in American lives, has made it a resoundingly popular option among Americans, and the government’s secrecy has protected it from becoming a mature issue in the mass media.

These conditions have allowed it to flourish.

No objective value judgment could weigh the nullification of war power limits against nullification of domestic policy initiatives, but both should be deeply concerning for those who regard the rule of law as key priorities at home and abroad. It is unlikely that anyone in Congress will publicly associate these issues with each other, or act on them as such, but they go hand in hand. Simply put: The executive needs more latitude in this country, and less overseas. If the fights against Cordray and Brennan were to be considered in the same terms, then they might no longer be lopsided, but fair contests. A broad re-allotment of political power might be made possible, and the rule of law—whether having force in an agency trying to hold down credit card interest rates or in a dark room housing a control panel attached to a flying drone—might find itself on more solid ground.

—Lane Kisonak ‘13 is a Political Science major. He is Opinions Editor of The Miscellany News.

Add one of the circled letters to the answers of the starred clues to complete the names of these famed novelists. (cut some slack) 53 Pro−choice org.

54 Comical tribute 55 The youngest Jetson 56 So last year 57 Queen of Carthage 58 Guthrie of folk

61 The new Brooklyn squad 62 Spontaneous 2012 campaign character 63 July holiday, with “the” 64 Problem for one with a lisp

February 14, 2013

HUMOR & SATIRE

Page 13

OPINIONS

Breaking News From the desk of Jean-Luc Bouchard, Humor & Satire Editor Humor Editor attempts to write joke about Westboro Baptist Church, but they are a joke unto themselves Creative Valentine’s Day Cappy on sabbatical: Around ideas for the brave of heart the world with eighty scarves Lily Doyle Guest Columnist

L

ady Macbeth is a badass. While watching her make weird faces and do her best to break glass using only her voice during the Italian opera version of “Macbeth”, I couldn’t help but admire the way she peer-pressured her husband into committing multiple homicides. As a member of a Highly Selective and Prestigious Liberal Arts College located in the Heart of the Hudson Valley, I recognize that Valentine’s Day sucks.

Hard. Until a few years ago, my most romantic Valentine’s Day experience had been something along the lines of the time that the little girl (demon) I babysat started stroking my cheek, which I thought was very sweet until she whispered in my ear that she was putting crumbs on my face so that ants would eat me in my sleep. This kind of occurrence made me both re-evaluate how I spend February 14th, and also whether or not I should be around small children without battle armor and a taser.

Now, regardless of my relationship status, I’ve started a new tradition of using Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to eat every piece of chocolate that the Heart of the Hudson Valley has to offer and pretend it’s socially acceptable. So, now I kind of like it. But most people still think it sucks.

You know, because it is heteronormative, a social construct, and also perpetuates the eternal question of what to do with stuffed animals holding hearts that say “I Love You” that your ex-boyfriend gave you when you were in 9th grade and only talked on AIM. So, around February 14th, while I am doing stretches and prepping for the incredible and other-worldly amounts of cocoa I am about to intake, considerations about how to make Valentine’s Day not suck might be on your mind. Here is where Lady Macbeth comes back in. Moral ambiguity aside, the woman knew how to get what she wanted. I mean, until she went off the deep end and ran around in her pajamas yelling about personal hygiene. Which, when it comes down to it, actually might be a good place to start. Romantic partners are often attracted to cleanliness.

To give yourself a particularly memorable Valentine’s Day (“memorable” being the key word), you could: 1. Start up a conversation with a random stranger on the subject of how Nelson Mandela watches “Toddlers and Tiaras.” Spend some time wondering if the man who spent over 25 years enduring prison to fight for the liberty of his people is also a fan of Honey Boo Boo. Does a

Jill Levine

dollar make Nelson Mandela holla’?

2. Find an empty room in Joss late at night, go in, lock the door, and then start making as much noise as possible. When someone comes to knock on the door and tell you to stop, refuse to unlock it and insist that you are the reincarnated ghost of Oliva Josselyn and will only leave in exchange for some lensless glasses and something called “an ironic turkey sandwich.”

3. Stand outside a movie theater before a screening of Les Mis and scream at the people who walk in that if they didn’t fight in the 1832 Paris Revolution they are not real fans.

4. Grab a stranger, hug them, and refuse to let go until they agree to be your friend. If you’re feeling extra ambitious and have a lot of time on your hands, commit and demand they be your significant other.

5. Go to any class of your choosing, raise your hand, and emphatically and passionately defend your stance on why “Clique” is actually a really sweet ballad about how Big Sean, Jay-Z and Kanye all really love their friends.

6. Wake your roommate up every 10 minutes the night before Valentine’s Day with questions such as: “Are tectonic plates dishwasher safe?”

7. Understand that in Russia they have juice boxes but instead of juice boxes they are vodka boxes that are 37.5% and comes with a straw (really) and that in Canada they have a $100 bill that smells like maple syrup when you scratch the leaf (really) and that no matter how you try to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the US you will have neither of those things and so competing is futile and be content with the Nildas Brownie you are demolishing.

8. Spice things up by going on a date! A real live date! Preferably to Billy Bobs on a Tuesday night, so that you can prove how spontaneous you are by standing on the table and performing a stirring rendition, complete with interpretive dance, of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song.

If all of this doesn’t work out for you and you still have had no fun on Valentine’s Day, there is the solid alternative plan of pulling a Boo Radley and not leaving your house for a solid 30 years.

(Hint: That’s my plan.)

Columnist

V

assar President Catherine “Cappy” Hill is on sabbatical and the finest reporters (hackers) of the Miscellany News have worked to uncover a complete compilation of her itinerary.

In the month of February, Cappy will begin traveling, both abroad and spiritually. She was overheard last weekend drinking homemade iced tea out of a mason jar at Ferry Haus jazz night saying, “This is an exciting time for me. I really want to explore the world...and my new hipster identity.” With her natural penchant towards both glasses and scarves, many Vassar students agree that this transition was a long time coming. “It seemed like she started dressing a little differently after she came back from October Break,” said Adrian Adams ’15. “I mean, does she even need those glasses?” “She’s really gotten into the Vassar music scene after she joined Sol as a back-up trombonist,” added Erica Hamilton ’13. “She rocked that Mug show last month. Her rendition of ‘Funky Uncle Pantsuit’ was incredible.”

Cappy will first take her street art talents to Europe over the month of February by accompanying elusive street artist Banksy to various cities focusing on the social, political, and puppet-related issues of Berlin, London and Copenhagen.

“Street art has become really important to me, like personally,” she said in an interview with the Vassar Alumni Quarterly. “When my posters on the TA Bridge barricade (not the expletive statements concerning the police force, but the cartoons about pipes) were painted over by B&G it was a very painful time for me. I feel that working with Banksy will give me a level of freedom I did not have at Vassar.” Cappy plans to show photos of her work next fall a series of “Late Night at the Loeb” events called “The Scarf and Me.” In the weeks after March break, she plans to go undercover as a senior Media Studies and Art History double major at Wesleyan University to “uncover their weaknesses and take them down from the inside.” Cappy will enroll at Wesleyan as a transfer student named Phoenix, live in junior housing and play on the Quidditch team, but “only if they let me be a Seeker, or else it’s not worth it.” “The best way to know your rival is from the inside,” said Vassar Director of Admissions Shira Huang. “The administration strongly support Cappy’s infiltration.” “I’m a little excited to go to football games, I’ll be honest,” said Cappy to Misc reporters. “It’s going to be very interesting to relive my college days; I’m sure hijinks will ensue. Can’t wait to beat up some nerds.”

Cappy then clenched her fists and screamed “NERDSSSSS” for 13 minutes.

In April, Cappy will pack her trombone and vintage French horn and climb on the tour bus on the Midwest leg of the Walker Family Band tour. As we all obviously know, the Vassar musical favorite made it big last month when a two second clip of their original song was used by recording artist Ke$ha in her hit song, “[Glitter] Party & Bluegrass.” “They are just amazing to work with,” said Ke$ha, before adding “No, I still won’t come play at your spring concert, can everyone at Vassar please get off my back.” “I am so excited for this amazing opportunity to take part on such a major tour,” said Cappy, “I’m especially excited for the Chicago and Madison shows where we perform on the same stage as Justin Bieber.” Avid readers of Cappy’s Twitter know that she is a self-diagnosed “Beliber,” and often retweets the intellectual musings of the young superstar. “He’s just been an inspiration,” said Cappy, “I don’t know if I will be able to keep it together when I meet him on tour. I think my dream would have him join the Board of Trustees to help guide the future of Vassar. More perfect hair, less science buildings!”

In related news, the skilled reporters (still hackers) from The Miscellany News team have recently uncovered the secret “Vassar President’s” contract. Vassar’s first president, Milo Jewett, protected his contract so well that when a band of students tried to steal it one infamous graduation day he stuffed the paper into his mouth rather than give it up. That’s how he died.

FACT. Now, one copy of the official President’s contract is hidden under lock and key in a crypt in a secret vault hidden behind a door submerged in Sunset Lake and the other is encrypted in that secret section of Ask Banner that used to show your grades like, five days early. Apparently, the contract includes a special “Streep Clause” that forces each Vassar president to work as Meryl’s personal assistant for at least two weeks a year.

Therefore, in the last weeks of April, Cappy will trek out to the filming site of Meryl’s latest film and deal with the star, her thirty kittens that she insists on at every film set (umm, wouldn’t you?), and her talent (which gets its own trailer).

Cappy reportedly told the Founder’s Day Merchandise Committee that she is purposefully returning early in May because she would “never ever ever miss Founder’s Day. Are you nuts? It’s like a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card.” She formally requested that the committee save her a sweatshirt but “only if it has Cheshire Cat ears on the hood because that is a super adorbz idea.”

The Misc’s Beside Astrologer

by Jean-Luc Bouchard, Humor & Satire Editor Aquarius (January 20-February 18): The stars predict a lot of good luck coming your way, Aquarius, assuming that you broaden your definition of “good” to include anything that isn’t scorpions in your hair or the plague.

Pisces (February 19-March 20): You lack motivation, Sagittarius. Good! Good! It’s about time you gave up on your delusions of basic human competency. You should be spending your largely-worthless time watching British sitcom after British sitcom on Netflix, eating Keebler Elf cookies and string cheese until the men come to take you away.

Aries (March 21-April 19): You’re going to get hit by a bus. Don’t act so surprised, we all saw

this coming—you’re just BEGGING to be hit by a bus.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Your homemade shampoo is attracting bees, because your homemade shampoo is literally just honey.

That’s why bees keep stinging you. How have you not made this connection yet?

Leo (July 23-August 22): Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings, Leo. However, every time you don’t respond to one of my emails, Dick Cheney gets five bucks. Think about it.

with you, OK? Period. I don’t care if your uncle is playing Jafar—wait, he’s playing Scar? That changes everything…PYSCHE I’m not going, stop asking you LOSER. LOSER. LOSER.

Virgo (August 23-September 22): No, my left, not your left.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21): You have never once used the word “logistically” correctly in a sentence, Pisces. It is not a synonym for “sexily.” It has never been a synonym for “sexily.”

Gemini (May 21-June 20): Gemini, you need to expand your perspective on life. Go travel to distant lands! Learn a new language! Or at least leave Cushing more than once a week…

Libra (September 23-October 22): You may want to reconsider naming your band something other than “Posthumous Anal Leakage,” Libra. It may not distinguish you enough from other barbershop quartets.

Cancer (June 21-July 22): No, Cancer, I don’t want to go see “Disney on Ice” with you, please stop asking.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21): Listen, Scorpio, I just told Cancer the exact same thing: I DO NOT want to see “Disney on Ice”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Capricorn (December 22-January 19): Hey, Capricorn, I was wondering...um...if you wanted to go out sometime. Yeah? Wow, great, cool!

Maybe we could do dinner and a movie and— what? No, anything but that. Please. Anything but “Disney on Ice,” I beg of you...

ARTS

Page 14

February 14, 2013

ViCE Valentine’s Day Concert outlet for lonely singles Yuhan Shui

Guest RepoRteR

A

courtesy of AllstonPudding.com

s Valentine’s Day approaches, two opposite poles emerge on Vassar’s campus: those who are wrapped up in romance, and those who reject the notion entirely. The Valentine’s Day Concert, presented by ViCE Student Music, will bring music ranging from garage punk, indie pop, to even some electronic music. Regardless of your predilection, the concert aims to satisfy either crowd.

On Feb. 14th, Thursday night, the Valentine’s Day Concert starts at 9pm in the Aula. The activity is free and open to all of the Vassar campus.

“As of right now, we’re planning to have one student musician performing solo, two different student bands, and a band from outside Vassar,” Marissa Lorusso ’13, one of the organizers in the concert, wrote in an emailed statement.

“The three bands have pretty distinct sounds, from funk to punk to post-rock, so there will be a little of something for everyone,” she added.

According to the organizers, most of the music performed will be original songs. “ViCE Student Music tries to support artists who write their own music, which most of these acts do,”Max Goldstein ’15, the drummer of punk/funk/jam band Mamojam, wrote in an emailed statement.

His band is very excited to perform in the show. The band consists of four people and has been together for five years. They will be performing all original pieces, with one special surprise cover featuring sophomore musicians Ben Parra ’15 and Jack Rowland ’15 on trumpet and tenor saxophone.

However, because the members of Mamojam all attend different schools, it is difficult for them to practice and perform together.

“Sam Brivic (guitar) and Andrew Jones (bass) go to Clark University and Boston College respectively, so they are situated close enough that we can sometimes get together to play a few times a semester,” Goldstein wrote in an emailed statement.

In fact, those three musicians have performed as an instrumental trio on campus

ViCE Student Music is putting up a Valentine’s Day Concert on Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. in the Aula. Pictured above, Strange Mangers, a band from Boston, will join Vassar bands in putting together the lineup. twice this past semester, once in The Mug for VC Punx, and once at Ferry House with Andrew Cedermark.

However, the vocalist and guitarist of Mamojam, Skyler Lloyd, attends the University of Southern California, so it is much more difficult to practice with him during the academic year.

Despite the geographical separation, they are trying their best to get together to practice and rehearse rigorously for the show on Thursday.

“We will all be together Thursday morning, so we will probably spend most of Thursday rehearsing for the concert that night,” Goldstein wrote.

“Ideally, we’d like to spend more time dusting off the cobwebs, but we think it will still be good,” she added.

Goldstein has great confidence in the upcoming concert and their band’s past performances.

“Both times we played here last semester, the concerts were very well organized and put together. The other bands on the bills have always been very impressive and talented, and the audience has always been very large and supportive,” he said.

Jaclyn Neudorf ’13 is also going to perform in the concert, with band members Talbot Schmidt ’13 on drums, and Kaylee Knowles ’13 on bass.

“Our sound has been described as poppy post-punk influenced rock, or alternatively teenage romantic angst music,” Neudorf explained.

Similar to Mamojam, Neudorf’s band will mostly play original songs, but they will feature one cover, their take on a song by the Indie cult favorite, Neutral Milk Hotel.

Neudorf wrote that she has enjoyed preparing for the concert ver4y much. “It’s nice having an event like this to look forward to give our practices a direction and goal to work to-

wards, and the process of tailoring a set list and making it sound tight is fun. Because of course performing live is what it’s all about, and we only played a couple small shows last semester. We’re hoping to get this semester off on the right start and play many more shows,” she said.

In the past, ViCE has hosted annual activities like Film League and ViCE Student Music; the Student Band Union has also put on Valentine’s Day shows, usually in Lathrop. It becomes a tradition that people want to follow.

“This year we decided that instead of our usual lovelorn whining we would throw a bigger event that’s actually for a good cause.” Joel Auerbach ’15 wrote in an emailed statement.

It was Emily Bernstein ’13, who ran Special Events, that approached the group with the idea of having the concert also encourage social awareness. at the behest of Lily Sloss ’14 Auerbach wrote, “We are putting on this concert in support of the One Billion Rising movement, which aims to raise awareness for and fight violence against women by gathering large groups of people to dance together in solidarity.”

The movement considers the disturbing fact that one third of women around the globe experience violence. This means that a striking one billion women will likely be affected.

As such, it calls for women to come together in response to this malady, regardless of socio-economic status, race, nationality, sexual orientation, or any other potentially divisive facets of identity.

The V-Day movement as a whole has expanded greatly in the past few years. V-Day is a nonprofit organization, with locations in over one hundred and sixty countries in four different continents, that allocates resources to a plethora of organiztions that all strive to end the violence against women. Since its founding fourteen years ago, V-Day has raised in excess of $90 million.

Lorusso also considers it good to make the concert have a cause of social responsibility: “We wanted to raise awareness about violence against women and take a stand as a community against it.”

Drama professor Shona Tucker found roots in television Nick Braun

Guest RepoRteR

F

Jiajing Sun/The Miscellany News

rom the bustle of Greenwich Village to crowded television studios, Assistant Professor of Drama Shona Tucker brings her varied experiences in the acting world to Vassar.

Her involvement with the performing arts started at the age of five when she sang in front of her church.

“I do not know when I wasn’t interested in drama,” said Tucker. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Speech at Northwestern University and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from New York University, eventually participating in the Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts.

She remembers the long hours associated with pursuing her degree. “I couldn’t tell you anything about Manhattan that wasn’t within a block of NYU campus,” she said.

One of the defining moments for her during her studying was when someone explained the practicality of acting. “I had someone explain that acting was practical,” she said. “It could be discerned and accomplished. It was not just some airy-fairy concept that was unattainable.

This helped me to break down my process a great deal.”

After college, Tucker played roles in several productions. She has appeared in television shows ranging from Law & Order to Trinity.

She has also collaborated with numerous theaters, including but not limited to The Acting Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Manhattan Theatre Club..

She has also collaborated with numerous theatres, including but not limited to The Acting Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, and several more.

Professor Tucker acknowledged that her participation in Shakespeare has significantly influenced her work, and has helped develop her talent.

Her transition to teaching was far from ex-

pected,as she started directly after a professional career in acting. The manner in which she started was equally spontaneous. “Friends got me involved in teaching. Two friends I knew, one from my graduate school and one from my professional life, approached me at random, at separate moments, and asked me to adjunct teach on the college level. I taught the classes they asked me—first Public Speaking and then a Voice and Speech class. I discovered that I appreciated the facility and agility of the young college mind,” she said.

She was also able to use her real life experience with acting in a professional environment to aid her teaching methods. This allows her to stay grounded. “It keeps me real. I draw from my life all the time when I give examples in class,” she said. “I don’t know any other way to teach.”

As the years have gone on, she has slowly combined her experience as an actress with skills and knowledge she has picked up during her academic career to gain a clearer perspective of the processes necessary to improve in drama. She says a liberal arts education lends itself perfectly to the study of drama due to its emphasis on varied concepts and different perspectives.

One thing she has learned from teaching itself is the importance of boundaries. “When I was acting, I was working eight-hour days and performing at night. Not much has changed.

Pursuing a career in acting requires making choices and saying no,” she said.

Professor Tucker explained that everyone she knew that was successful in the field of acting at one point or another had to choose between certain opportunities. Her perception of acting, she says, is still changing.

“People often think that it is super easy—until they are in it and realize that its difficulty is predicated on your ability to be honest and open with yourself. That is the hard part. That is where the best art originates. Drama is de-

Assistant Professor of Drama Shona Tucker cannot recall a time when she was not interested in drama. A BS in speech from Northwestern and MFA from NYU, Tucker started her career in television. manding,” she said.She explained that she now sees acting less as a pursuit and more as an exercise in being aware of not only the role you are trying to portray, but also how you personally can relate to that character.

Professor Tucker does indeed have a lot on her plate, juggling responsiblities in both residential and academic spheres. She is not only the house fellow of Strong House, which she has thoroughly enjoyed, but is also currently participating in Modfest, specifically helping produce two plays that will be performed during the event.

She also has continued to appear in local productions during her teaching career, including singing in the current production, Good People, produced by the Half Moon Theatre

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Company.

Not only that, she is currently in the early stages of writing a show dedicated to her mother with the tentative title Music From Around the World. In addition, she is researching the migration of African Americans to the North during World War 1 in order to write a one woman show.

Even after her busy days, she explains that the students make it all worthwhile. “The students. I love them. They are innovative and willing to try the strangest exercises in class. I enjoy it a great deal.”

Although Professor Tucker is scheduled to go on sabbatical next year, she says she is already looking forward to returning to the drama department the following year.

February 14, 2013

ARTS

Page 15

Behind Loeb acquistions: extensive research, curation John Plotz

Guest RepoRteR

I

t is commonly known among Vassar students—and among members of the surrounding community—that the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center has a magnificent collection on display, ranging from Picasso to Pollock. What is not that commonly known is how the College has come to acquire such an impressive array of art from so many genres and different periods.

The Loeb, as it is referred to by students, is as old as the College. Initially supplying it with paintings, drawings and prints, Matthew Vassar valued art so much that he incorporated the Art Center as part of the College’s original plan, making it the first college in the United States to do so.

Currently, it houses a diverse collection of over 18,000 works ranging from ancient sculpture to contemporary photography. To get such a wide-ranging collection, Vassar has had to cultivate a wide range of donors.

Many of the most active donors to the Loeb

are Vassar graduates who have retained loyalty to their alma mater over the years. In some cases, donors seek tax breaks by donating some of their collections, and in other cases, a donor will leave Vassar works of art in her will.

In either case, donations are discussed ahead of time to ensure that the piece benefits Vassar’s collection. James Mundy, the Director of the Loeb, emphasizes the importance of a consultation with a donor before a piece is donated.

“There’s a conversation about whether or not a gift can be a benefit for us, and sometimes it isn’t. It might be redundant [in the collection] or not of enough quality. The last thing we want to do is accept something and then store it away forever,” Mundy explained.

He noted that occasionally he has had to reject works left in wills that do not fit in with the collection.

Having these conversations with donors helps the Loeb plan how other resources are spent. For example, if the staff knows they are receiving a French impressionist painting from

Jonah Bleckner/The Miscellany News

Behind every Picasso and Pollock housed in Vassar’s Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, there exists a large amount of research and coordination led by a collections team, members of which are seen above.

a donor, they might not direct their funds towards that genre.

In addition to receiving works directly from donors, the Loeb is given endowment money that is bestowed to specific acquisition funds, which might stipulate the acquisition art before 1900, or towards the acquisition of photography, for example. However, Mundy explains that it is more efficient to work to find donors of works rather than rely on endowment funds.

“One hour spent on cultivation of a donor is worth a lot more than trying to get funds,” he said.

Mundy went on to say that working with donors is one of the highlights of the entire process because they often have very distinct perspectives.

“Working with collectors is one of the most interesting things you can do, because these passionate collectors are not like most people.

You have to be ready for that complete attention to the subject, the huge focus they have for the thing they love the most,” Mundy explained.

To illuminate the eccentricities he has encountered, Mundy described a rather morose collector of Medieval art with whom he recently worked. This man called art collection a disease, and amused himself by quizzing Mundy on the details of his collection.

On the other hand, Mundy also recounted his experience with a more ebullient German collector, who, in describing his approach to art collecting, explained that before purchasing anything, the piece needed to sing to him, and that he needed to have “Fingerspitzengefühl,” the German term denoting an intuitive feel for something.

While meeting with collectors is one of the more exciting aspects of the job, there are also many technical aspects of art acquisition.

When finalizing an acquisition, the Loeb must consult with outside committees and institutions according to the guidelines set by the American Association of Museums and the Association of Art Directors.

According to Joann Potter, the Registrar and Collections Manager, it must also ensure that it has been legally bought and can be safely transported to Vassar. Once that has been done, the work must be catalogued extensively to pre-

Current projects explore religion, family FILMS continued from page 1 tive Workshop, taught by Robinson as well as Visiting Instructor in Film Jason Fox, in the spring.

In these selective courses, which require permission for enrollment from the instructors, students work in crews on 20-25 minute films that they screen for the public at the end of the semester. The crews film every weekend, and show the class their progress weekly for group critique and feedback from the professor.

“We watch them in their progress every single week in class, and we give each other commentary throughout the entire process, so really the whole class is involved in every single project,” said Elena Gaby ’13.

This emphasis on group work is a pivotal aspect of the class, and helps to prepare students for work in a field where artistic partnership and networking is key. “It reinforces the idea of collaboration,” Hardenburg expounded. “It is really nice to have outside input, and fresh eyes seeing things.”

Hardenburg and Gaby have worked together both in the documentary workshop and in narratives this semester. Gaby directed the well-received documentary, Paper State: Undocumented, Unafraid, Undeterred, and Hardenburg was the producer. Paper State told the stories of several undocumented teenagers in Poughkeepsie and Saugerties, NY, and the barriers that they faced during the college application process and in their day-to-day lives.

“The film was special because we were having people who aren’t allowed to be in this country come out and tell their stories on camera, which is something that takes a lot of courage on their part and is also very empowering,” said Gaby.

Kelly Nguyen ’13, who edited the film, found the process to be a rewarding experience. “Paper State was one of the most inspiring projects that I have ever gotten the opportunity to be a part of,” she said in an emailed statement. “We spent a lot of time worrying about how to technically make the film, and then were totally blindsided by the intelligence, eloquence, and bravery of the students that we interviewed.”

Gilad Thaler ’13, like Gaby, also directed a hard-hitting documentary last semester.

Titled Fire on the Hudson, his piece details the quest of two grassroots organizations, Clearwater and Riverkeeper, to shut down Indian Point, a nuclear power plant just 45 miles north of Times Square.

“Indian Point is located on the intersection of two earthquake fault lines, making it vulnerable to a natural disaster,” explained Thaler in an emailed statement.

“It was also considered as a target in the 2001 September 11th attacks; these factors make local activists quite uneasy about the notion of keeping Indian Point for an additional 20 years,” he added.

As an environmentalist, Thaler feels that understanding the possible consequences of the power plant is important.

“I decided to choose the topic of Indian Point because of the environmental ramifications of a nuclear meltdown,” he said in an emailed statement. “I myself am an environmentalist and believe that more people should be aware of the pros and cons of nuclear energy.”

This semester’s narratives workshop contrasts starkly with the documentary class, and the students have had to take on a new form of film-making that highlights their diverse array of strengths. Hardenburg

is directing a narrative film from her own original script, with Gaby working on the cinematography, that tells the story of two brothers who try to overcome their resentment for one another to save their father.

“I learned a lot from Elena last semester, so it was nice being a part of that process,” said Hardenburg. “We’re still in preproduction phases right now. We have a great cast, and a great setting.” The film department holds open auditions for the narrative film projects, and actors from all over the Hudson Valley come to try out.

“Most of the actors are 40 years old and up, so it’s exciting to work with people much older than you who are trusting your judgments,” said Hardenburg. “It’s great to work with people who are already in the film industry. You have to make sure that you’re responsible and respectful because they are trusting you.”

Thaler is directing this semester again as well, this time working on a project that tells the story of an Orthodox Jewish grandfather who tries to reconnect with his secular family during a Passover Seder.

“The film has a great multicultural message and speaks to my religious Orthodox upbringing,” explained Thaler in an emailed statement. “While it is critical of closed-minded Orthodoxy that condemns intermarriage, it also speaks to the richness of Jewish culture, traditions, and stories.”

The senior films will be screened to the public in May during the exam period, and the Vassar community will get to see the products of these students’ collaborative efforts, who hope to publicize their work and get into the film industry after graduation.

“It’s so much more than a class,” reflected Gaby. “It’s your life. It becomes you.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

vent any bureaucratic errors.

“The assistant registrar [Karen Hines], preparator [Bruce Bundock] and I work as a team to make the new object accessible and the staff and college accountable for it,” she said. Mundy added that the college must be able to trace its ownership history, noting specifically that they ought to know where the work was during the Nazi era, as Germany looted a large body of artwork.

Despite the necessity of legal and organizational work, the acquisition of art in the Loeb relies on the extensive training and keen eyes of the staff. Mundy explains that he often finds that collectors have a more optimistic view of their collections than he and other curators might.

“It’s like having children: your children are always the brightest. Museum people are essentially objective arbiters of quality and sometimes authenticity,” he said.

In addition, art collectors often have to take strategic approaches to their purchases. In the 1960s, the director of the Loeb would buy art in a completely different area than where the art market was currently focused. In this way, he was often ahead of the curve and would by significant works when they were relatively inexpensive.

Other times, the Loeb acquires something noteworthy by sheer luck. In fact, the Art Center’s most commercially expensive piece was only originally worth a few thousand dollars when originally acquired in 1955.

“Study for Portrait IV,” painted by Francis Bacon in 1953, was bought by Blanchette Ferry Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller III’s wife, for a very small amount of money, when Bacon was relatively unknown.

Possibly due to the fact that it is a grim painting, Rockefeller, a Vassar graduate, donated it to Vassar two years later. Since then, however, this painting has been attached to the rise of Bacon’s classical style.

“This kind of painting [for Bacon] would last for another thirty years and become extremely popular, because he became recognized as a unique voice in the art making world,” Mundy explained. “No one else has anything like this for the most part, and there are very few of them.”

Hudson Valley

Arts

Beekman Library Through March 20 11 Town Center Blvd., Poughquag, NY 12570 Itching to get back to nature, but without working up a sweat? Check out wildlife photography by Tom McDowell at the Beekman Library. Exhibition hours on Monday, Wednesday 10am-8pm, Wednesday 3pm-8pm, Friday, Saturday 10am-4pm.

Pleasant Valley Library Through February 22 1554 Main St. (Route 44), Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 Support a local library by bidding on over 35 paintings by local artists. Or just come to see the works, mostly oil paintings of the locations around the Hudson Valley.

Hours are Monday-Thursday 10am-8:30pm, Friday 1pm-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm.

Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum Through February 28 94 Broadway, Newburgh, NY 12550 Experience a variety of works by artist Fred T. Mitchell. His exhibition, entitled “Up Close and Personal,” features both paintings and sculptures. Hours are Thursday-Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday noon4pm.

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Herwitz a thespian at early age

New political thriller House of Cards built upon growing TV ‘binge-watching’ trends House of Cards David Fincher Netflix

Maria Rose

Guest Reporter

I

t was really Frida Kahlo who inspired it all, said Zach Herwitz ’13.In his high school sophomore Spanish class, Herwitz’s teacher offered him extra credit for filling in for a speaker who cancelled last minute.

The presentation was about Frida Kahlo, and Herwitz took a rather minimalistic approach.

“It was a presentation on Frida Kahlo in front of the entire school. I did a really bad impression with some Wikipedia facts and just drew a unibrow,” Herwitz recalled. “I guess my teacher asked me because I was kind of the class clown.”

Herwitz participated in several high school plays after his debut as the famous Mexican painter, developing a love for film as well. His father was a film aficionado and had a large collection of films, which Herwitz enjoyed, watching a movie every single night, starting his freshman year.

Shawshank Redemption is one of his favorites.

“In retrospect, it might not have been the best idea,” Herwitz said. “But I have no regrets. I’m here now.”

Herwitz’s interests have carried through to Vassar; he is a film major and director, and part of the Woodshed Theater Ensemble, as well as the No Offense sketch comedy group. He came into Vassar wanting to pursue film, but required a little cajoling to join the acting world on campus. After acting in a play first semester freshman year on a whim, his friend convinced him to audition for Woodshed. He has played roles in several plays, including Jasper in The Aliens, a cat in Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, and his favorite, Dorine in Tartuffe.

“I wasn’t looking to do acting,” Herwitz said. “It was an impulsive thing, but I really like it now. [Likewise,] No Offense has opened up a whole new world for me, like Woodshed, and it’s good to be a part of extracurriculars.”

The combination of film and acting has allowed Herwitz to have an informed view on the two positions, with each influencing the other. To him, film is a much more collaborative process with multiple inputs which create a final project. Acting is a more internal process that, while individual, is still rewarding. Herwitz admits that, for him, acting can be a more difficult task.

“The diplomatic answer is that both film and acting have their challenges,” Herwitz said. “But acting requires more courage, because you’re on your own in front of an audience.”

Herwitz draws inspiration from both aspects to help with his projects. Directing has helped his experience as an actor, knowing the different positions needed for a film, as well as production requirements.

His experience as an actor has influenced his screenwriting; he now trusts his actors more and lets them develop their own characters. “Film and acting all absolutely reflect on one another,” Herwitz said.

Herwitz finds inspiration for film and acting in different ways. He likes to write funny pieces, and draws on past conversations. Acting, however, comes to him after watching movies and picking up characters’ subtleties. “Writing dialogue is hard to mimic that conversational rhythm,” Herwitz noted. “I like finding inspiration from things in the moment, what a friend said, and stuff. We’re so much wittier and funnier in real life.”

After graduation, Herwitz would ideally like to write for a comedy show like SNL or TV sitcoms. He is confident that he will find a way to do what he loves, even if it’s not exactly the way he imagines.

“There’s very little that matches the feeling of writing a really good one liner,” Herwitz said. “Getting a good joke and laugh is great.”

February 14, 2013

Max Rook

Guest Columnist

T

he release of Netflix’s new original series House of Cards is a potentially momentous event in television history. Based on the British miniseries of the same name, and adapted by Beau Willimon, House of Cards tells the story of Frank Underwood, a corrupt U.S. Representative played by Kevin Spacey, as he amasses power in Washington. Netflix released all thirteen episodes of the show’s first season on a single day, acknowledging that many viewers prefer the experience of “binge-watching” to waiting week-to-week for new episodes . This could be an indication of the future of television, but unfortunately the distribution model is much more innovative than the show itself.

House of Cards is a disappointingly formulaic show, but one buoyed by strong performances and direction.

People like to say we’re experiencing a “golden age of television,” and while the overall quality level of today’s dramas is certainly impressive, that golden age has been going on long enough that it has begun to stagnate. It has been fourteen years since the first episode of The Sopranos aired on HBO, and numerous shows since then have attempted to attain the same levels of critical acclaim by hewing a little too close to the model of that seminal show. We don’t need another show about a middle-aged white anti-hero with a dark secret life.

That isn’t to say the model is without warrant. Both Breaking Bad and Mad Men currently offer a twist on that archetype, and do so superbly. But the idea has been done to death,

and there isn’t much room left for new ideas in that space.

House of Cards is exactly that type of show.

Underwood appears to the public to be a respectable politician, but in actuality he is completely corrupt, willing to do anything to attain more power. Spacey tears into the role, and the first few episodes are full of entertaining scenes in which Underwood gleefully manipulates the people around him into doing exactly what he wants.

But over the course of the season, these scenes become rote. He’s so effective at his job that he seems almost superhuman, and even when the later episodes throw more substantial obstacles in his way, there never seems to be any real danger that he won’t come out ahead in the end.

The show inherits some of its other problems from the cable drama model as well. It makes some attempts to appear dark and edgy by including gratuitous nudity and drug use, the kinds of things you can’t show on network television, but they have long since stopped being shocking, and here just seem out of place.

Robin Wright plays Underwood’s wife, and the show struggles to find plots for her outside of her marriage. Her scenes with Spacey are generally quite good, but the storyline about the charity organization she runs drags compared to the high-stakes political maneuvering occurring in the storylines around it.

That isn’t to say House of Cards is entirely formulaic. From a technical perspective, it’s actually quite impressive. David Fincher, famed director of The Social Network and Fight Club, directs the first two episodes, and establishes a dark visual style that the show’s other directors continue. The direction is strong across the board, and that distinct style helps to distinguish the show when its stories are unable to do so.

Perhaps the only parts of the show that are truly innovative are the asides, where Spacey

turns to the camera and talks directly to the audience. It’s basically just a different way to deliver a voiceover monologue, but it’s a novel way to deliver exposition, and Spacey has fun with the disdainful commentary he is given to deliver.

Spacey and Wright both give good performances, as would be expected from two acclaimed actors moving to television for the first time, but the show also has some pleasantly surprising performances from its younger, secondary characters, played by Corey Stoll and Kate Mara. Stoll plays a rookie representative whom Frank begins grooming for higher office, and Mara plays a struggling reporter who turns to Frank for an inside source in the government.

A large part of the season’s progression is built on watching these two characters figure out how far they are willing to go to advance their careers, and both actors are up to the challenges presented to them. Even so, it takes a few episodes for their stories to kick off, as their introductions are somewhat lackluster: Stoll’s character has a drug problem that is handled in exactly the clichéd way you would expect, and Mara’s character has to deal with being the only person working at her paper young enough to know what Twitter is. It’s a little heavy-handed, but in both cases the stories eventually give way to more nuanced takes on modern politics.

Part of what makes House of Cards so disappointing is that it contains the elements of a much better show, but the writers are never willing to take the risks necessary to make it great. Netflix has already ordered a second season, and if the writers are willing to dismantle some of what the first season establishes, it could be a marked improvement. But if it drags on any longer than two years, and it seems likely Netflix would want it to, the formula it relies on will only become more and more transparent.

Mama makes for engrossing, jumpy watch Mama Andres Muschietti Toma 78

Lily Sloss Columnist

H

as anybody seen Mama? Heard of it? Not interested because you have “Mommy issues?” Regardless, let me lay out your Friday (post-Nemopocalypse) plans. You are finding a buddy/lover who will allow you to forcibly grip their arm and shriek in their ear. You will take a car, shuttle or fast-moving horse to Poughkeepsie Galleria. You will watch Mama.

You will be dumbfounded by its brilliance.

You may thank me later.

Mama, my new favorite horror movie, stars a pair of startling blonde children, Victoria and Lilly. Victoria, played by Megan Charpentier,is the elder, and wise beyond her years (indicated by her glasses, which only smart kids wear). The younger sister, Lilly, played by Isabelle Nélisse, is a moth-devouring, house-terrorizing, easily amused little girl. Incidentally, Jessica Chastain also “acts” in the film. She’s a rocker chick, and it’s unintentionally hilarious. She has dark hair and wears dark eyeliner and black bras, and therefore, is a badass. I just about died of laughter every time she played a guitar.

The film opens with Lilly and Victoria’s deranged father driving the two girls erratically on snowy roads in the Northwest. As he pops pills and drips blood all over the seat, a sense of foreboding sets in. Spoiler: Dad’s not going to make it, and this car ride isn’t going to end well. In the following scene, the father has the gun to Victoria’s head but the child is saved at the last possible moment by a mysterious witch-woman, or, Mama as the girls will come to call her. Five years later, a search party orchestrated by the girl’s uncle, Lucas, played by

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, finds the children in the same strange cabin. Unfortunately for Lucas, and his badass girlfriend Annabel, played

by Chastain, these girls are not the kids they used to be. Instead, the child-mongrels are eerily skinny, strange and unapproachable. Lilly runs around like a child version of Gollum, alternating between eating cherry pits and moth wings. Victoria, the elder sister, maneuvers the rooms of their new home like a ghost, self-alienated and exceptionally strange.

Raised by Mama, who coincidentally, is certifiable, the girls have developed odd habits and very poor social skills. Furthermore, crazy Mama herself has followed the little girls to their new home, which will lead to a host of problems larger than Lilly’s unwillingness to wear shoes. Following a series of foreboding events, Lucas suffers a coma, and Annabel is stuck with the kids.

Shockingly, Mama is not the biggest fan of Annabel’s mothering skills, or Jessica Chastain’s performance in general. Perhaps Mama saw Zero Dark Thirty and had the same feeling that I did: disappointment. Who knows, though. I’m no mind-reader. Regardless of the source, the tension between Mama and Annabel comes to a head. Drama ensues mainly because Mama wants to mother the kids, but since she is a fantastical monster and this is America, that cannot come to pass.

Also, since Annabel is in a band, she refuses to make friends.Mama, as a product of Hollywood cinema, must be criticized in some part for its plot line. Or lack thereof. It’s chock full of holes. There are several odd occurrences throughout the movie which remain unclarified. Also, Mama’s backstory is rather forced.

Does it matter that the plot makes no sense?

I’m glad you asked, because no, it does not.

Quick VC Anecdote: a student in my Asian Horror Cinema class said that there is an easy way to scare an audience, by filling the movie with moments that make people jump, and a more complex, strategic path to take which in-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

volves a lot more skill. Mama follows the former approach, by making audience members pop around like spider monkeys. Every couple of minutes another clichéd scary movie trope flashes across the screen, such as: people popping out, doors hiding characters, excessive dark spaces, wacky kids, etc. While I agree that often “jump” inducing films can be idiotic and lose intensity by resorting to age old scare tactics, Mama is not one of these movies.

It’s terrifying every single time. I was on edge the entire film. I was tense, I was sweating, I was climbing all over my friend. I couldn’t help myself. Mama combines my worst fears: children, forced motherhood, and a man who looks like the guy from “Monk” but is, tragically, not him.

As Lilly and Victoria terrorize Annabel, mainly by being so weird that she can’t communicate with them, and Mama starts emerging out of walls and flying moths all over the damn place, the audience panics. Usually scary movies build up anticipation for the first visual of the monster-character, and once you finally see them, you feel relieved because it isn’t scary. Once again, Mama supercedes other scary movies. The witch woman, CGI’d to great effect, was a monstrosity. Her whipping tendrils of hair, cirque du soleil-esque way of crawling around, and searing gaze will haunt my dreams.

I loved Mama because it succeeded in the ultimate horror movie quest: leave your audiences terrified. Sure, it uses less than unique scare tactics. Sure, Jessica Chastain is god awful as an emo-punk rocker. Sure, the plot line is exceptionally weak. However, I was so frightened after seeing the movie that I doubt I will ever be able to sleep properly in any room with closets, or walls again. At this point, witches, moths, and motherhood are all off the table for me. I just couldn’t bear to experience that type of emotional roller coaster again. But, you definitely should. Go see it, now. There’s no better birth control.

ARTS

February 14, 2013

Page 17

Loeb a treasure trove of masterworks Zoe Dostal Columnist

L

et’s play a game of free-association. I’m going to drop some names, and tell me what first comes to mind: Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Nicolas Poussin, Edvard Munch, Hubert Robert, Paul Cezanne, Jackson Pollock. Did you think of the MoMA or the Met, possibly Sotheby’s or Christie’s?

Maybe you thought of some JYA adventures in Europe. What you probably didn’t think of was Vassar, or more specifically the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (FLLAC).

These names automatically invoke images of the greatest art institutions and auction houses in the United States and Europe, but the common denominator is that works by each of these blockbusters are actually in the collection of the FLLAC. Just a few feet from where you are now, literally, you have an all-access pass to some of the greatest artistic minds in the history of Western Art. We’ve all been to the Lehman Loeb at some point, whether for a class, Late Nights, or to impress our visiting parents. But I think that we forget just how extraordinary the collection really is.

My re-awakening came just last week, as I gave a guided tour of the campus to a visiting lecturer from Paris, France. Let me tell you, those Frenchies really know their art- they grow up with the stuff from day one, surrounded by not only museums and galleries galore but the actual homes and inspirations of these great men and women.

Thus it was when I was showing this visitor around, and she was gasping with shock and delight around every bend of the FLLAC, that I remembered what all is in our not-sohumble collection.

Let’s start with the walk into the Loeb.

Before you even reach the lockers, where you are still allowed to sip wine and nibble cheese each Thursday night, there is currently on display a statue of a Degas dancer. Her figure is fully extended, gracefully arcing backwards in a pose of balanced elegance, welcoming you to the FLLAC. Here I must emphasize that before even entering the galleries, you are faced with nothing less than a Degas. Not impressive enough? Don’t worry, just around the corner to your right, you can greet your good friend Alexander Calder’s Mobile of 1934. This piece, like the

Campus Canvas

nantly black and white. Commemorating the Seige of Paris, 1870-71, the allegory of Liberty staunchly holds the Tricolour, the only bit of color in the scene. Surrounded by absolute horror as bodies of men, women and children despair and fade into the dirty snow, only Liberty and her flag offer a sense of hope. The scene immediately calls to mind what many consider the greatest French painting of all time, Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People,” which of course takes prominent place at the Louvre. But back in the FLLAC, to the right of Doré’s inspiring canvas is Edvard Munch’s “The Seine at St. Cloud” 1890.

Painted just twenty years later, the blue tonal view of Paris offers a tranquil contrast to the previous tragic scene. In this relatively early piece, Munch appears to be experimenting with flattening of planes that imitates Japanese prints, a movement known as Japonisme that was popular in Europe and the United States. To the left is a small Cezanne landscape from 1865, where he also flattens the planes of mountains, fields and rocks by experimenting with angles and perspective. Behind you is a Gérôme, “Camels at the Watering Place”, 1890, which is a perfect example of Orientalism – the European and American fascination with all things Middle Eastern. Within this one room, there is a wide representation of major 19th century movements, styles, genres, and nationalities. It’s a novel opportunity to perceive in sweep the dynamic developments of this vibrant epoch.

For the moment, this is where I’ll stop.

I must admit that it is not in the best taste that I drop names and commend the art of only those we recognize as superstars. I have also used a purely subjective method to pick which pieces are most admirable, and have left out a number of extraordinary works by names both well known and well deserving. But I think you understand what I want to convey – that the FLLAC demands to be re-examined and her majesties re-appreciated.

Taking a break to breathe this all in, I’ll resume our tour another time, reveling in the treasures of Renaissances, the Middle Ages and Antiquity. The bounty of the Lehman Loeb has only just been tasted, and there is much more to rediscover.

Degas, poses questions of balance and equilibrium. The individual components are unified not only by their juxtaposition to one another, but also the invisible elements of light and air that create shadows and movement of a whole.

But Degas, Calder – these guys are basically country bumpkins, right? I mean, we need some real heavy-hitters. Continuing straight into the 20th century gallery, what do we see on the left, but a Pablo Picasso?

“Tête de femme” 1953-54, is an intriguing portrait that plays with the tension between order and chaos. The repetitious stripes and contrasting planes in black and white emphasize elements of control and order, but purple, blue and green emerge, infiltrating the rigid array. Suddenly one notices the irregularities of the lines, the bouncing sprigs of hair, and the chaotic texture of the thickly applied paint that so delightfully enlivens the painting.

Unbelievably, this is just one of three Picasso paintings on display in this gallery.

Across from the portrait, I particularly enjoy the still life descriptively entitled, “Glass, Guitar, and Sheet Music”, 1922-23. It is especially fun to compare Picasso with his friend and rival, Matisse, in the neighboring still life, “Christmas Roses and Saxifrage”, 1944.

Two prime examples of defining artistic movements of the 20th century, cubism and fauvism, are hung side by side, automatically soliciting a comparison of the minimalist, distinct perspectives and dynamic use of color. What you might not realize is that behind the scenes, in the Prints and Drawings collection, are a variety of Picasso and Matisse works on paper. With its permanent collection alone, Vassar could literally host a Picasso and/or Matisse exhibit. Previously in this column I addressed the remarkable American Art collection at the Loeb, so this one time only we can shamefully skip those on our virtual tour. Furthermore, I will restrain myself to merely mentioning the large Juan Miró on the left as you enter the next gallery. Leaving this room and quickly veering to the right, you will enter the gallery dedicated to the 19th century. Immediately, a breath-taking canvas by Gustave Doré comes into view.

Like the Picasso portrait, “The Defense of Paris”, 1871 is a composition of predomi-

A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

Excuse me, What are you listening to today?

“‘Single Ladies’

by Beyoncé.”

—Olivia Hoch ‘16

“‘Sorry’ by The Dream.”

—Daniel Killian ‘15

“‘Moonlight Sonata’ by Beethoven.”

—Stacey Nieves ‘15

submit to misc@vassar.edu

“Just watching the 1+1 music video

by Beyoncé.”

—Lily Sabsowitz Silverman ‘16

“‘I can’t make you love me’

by Bon Iver.”

—Albin Pepe ‘16

“‘Birthday Sex’ by Jeremih.”

—Leigh Yakubowski ‘15

I

took this photo in the basement of my high school dormitory. It is of my friend Clare.

I would categorize it as a snapshot.

Snapshots are interesting because they enter into almost a hyper-reality for both subject and photographer. The subject is un-posed, allowing natural mannerisms to come out among familiar company. The in-

timacy of a snapshot cannot be overstated.

The snapshot for the photographer is like furniture for the architect.

It becomes a radical distillation of their idiosyncratic approach and style. There is not the time nor space to compose a masterwork. This is the moment where intuition and imagination sneak in, split second decision-making revealing far more than

traditional portraiture.

There’s something surreal about this photograph, with no clear pictorial plane.

Her bulb eyes do not allow the viewer to engage her as a human subject, she is somehow other. The photo is in black and white film, developed in a janky darkroom I made in a bathroom in the same basement.

—Alden Rose ‘14

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Steven Williams, Arts Editor Jack Owen, Arts Editor Jiajing Sun, Photo Editor

SPORTS

Page 18

February 14, 2013

From rookie to veteran: Cardona dives ahead in League Cristian La Du Guest RepoRteR

T

Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

he Vassar Swim and Dive program competed in the Skidmore Sprint Invitational this past weekend (2/9), and diver Jane Cardona ’15 dominated, winning both the 1 meter and 3 meter dives with scores of 212.65 and 229.55, beating out 8 other divers for the top spot overall. This was just another step forward in Cardona’s rapid ascension toward the top of the Liberty League.

Cardona had never participated in competitive diving before Vassar, but has quickly acclimated to the scene. “I have been diving for a year and a half now. I was originally a competitive gymnast, but I used to play on the diving boards at my local pool. I started diving my freshman year at Vassar to stay in shape and because I missed flipping around all the time,” shared Cardona. This positive attitude has helped Cardona achieve many great successes in League competition, including being named Liberty League Diver of the Week twice, for the weeks of 11/5/12 and 2/4/13, a feat only surpassed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute freshman Maggie Cullather who has received that honor three times.

Previous meets saw evidence of Cardona’s improvement. At the New York University meet in January, her score was a season best (239.71) for the three meter board, and her score of 214.42 on the one meter board earned her a second place finish.

Swim & Dive Head Coach Lisl Prater-Lee praised Cardona’s energy and work ethic. “Jane is very enthusiastic about diving and she applies consistent effort to achieve her full potential,” she shared. “Whether \her determination to achieve, learn new dives and perfect her list comes from her former athletic background or not, Jane has really taken off with diving while at Vassar.”

Beyond that, she believes Cardona is an example of the collective mentality the Swim & Dive program possesses. “She gets up and gives new dives a try, has the drive and determination to be better but, in so doing, she helps those around her be better, too; she is not in it for just her own accomplishment; we have a great diving group this year that is very supportive of one another and knows how to pull and push

each other along to help make each other better; one’s accomplishments are the group’s accomplishments,” continued Prater-Lee. Despite having never dove before college, Cardona believes that her previous experience with gymnastics has aided in her learning curve, saying “[t]hat it helped a lot with body awareness and strength.”

Additionally, both Cardona and Prater-Lee praise the work of Dive coaches Brian Bolstad and alum Greg Sullivan ’12. Prater-Lee shared that “[They] teamed up to coach the VC divers since late November. The swim/dive program certainly benefited by having both of them involved. More recently, Brian has been the lead coach and the divers are excelling, having fun while still very much achieving. We are fortunate that Brian has been able to join Vassar’s swim/dive program.” Cardona persisted with the praise of Bolstad, saying, “He’s extremely encouraging, I never come out of a practice upset because I messed up dives or anything.

But he’s also very constructive, and my dives have improved exponentially since I’ve started working with him.”

The feelings between the two are mutual, as Bolstad returned the praise, saying, “Jane sets a great example for the athletes around her; she brings a high level of positive energy and motivation to practice and competition.”

Bolstad and Prater-Lee agree that Cardona has yet to max out her skills, with Prater-Lee suggesting that “Jane is becoming an even higher top performer in Liberty League and UNYSCSA, our conference and association sport affiliations. She is working towards attaining NCAA qualification scores. With her getting another season of competitive diving in, it can be seen that Jane realizes that she can be a great competitor in collegiate diving. She has improved her championship meet performances which, most recently, resulted in a new 11-dive [Vassar] school record at Seven Sisters tournament.”

Diving is composed of two events, the one meter board and the three meter board, a difference for which Cardona has an evolving appreciation. “I originally preferred 1m because it was lower, but now that I’ve grown accustomed to 3m, I like it much more. There’s more time to do each dive, which allows for more grace

Jane Cardona ’15 pictured above is one of Vassar’s premiere athletes on the Women’s Diving Team.

Although she had no previous diving experience before Vassar, she has quickly climbed up the ranks. in the air, and more accuracy on lining up entries.”

The challenge of the dive and the work that goes into the preparation are motivation enough to continue, but diving means much more to Cardona’s Vassar experience than just a pastime. “A lot of my best friends are swimmers/divers, so half of the reason I dive is to spend time with them, and the other half because it’s genuinely fun.”

Despite having such a successful year on an individual level, Cardona’s favorite part of the season so far has had nothing to do with competition. “Our training trip this year was definitely a high point. It’s a great period of bonding for the team: none of us has any other commitments other than swimming/diving, so it’s an awesome way to spend time together both in and out of the pool.”

Though diving is an individual event, being a part of the Swimming and Diving program transcends class year, event, and even between sexes. “Although we don’t practice with the swimmers, we are very close with them. We

have team dinners at the Deece whenever our practices line up. We [also] have separate women’s and men’s pasta dinners about twice a semester, where we set goals and just chat.

The men’s and women’s diving team practice together, which is really nice.”

This is reflected in Cardona’s willingness to help her teammates, as Prater-Lee attests to her flexibility. “Jane is fun to have around. We enjoy watching her achieve on the diving end.

We’ve been thrilled when she has helped us out by swimming relays legs on the swimming end.”

With the season drawing to a close, the Men’s and Women’s Swim/Dive program gears up for the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association championships on Tuesday, February 19th. Hosted at Ithaca College, Coach Prater-Lee shared her thoughts on the occasion. “With 14 women’s teams and 13 men’s teams and hundreds of student-athletes, it’s a big event. Vassar divers, swimmers, coaches, and all will be very ready to get up and give it everything we have.”

Los Angeles’ “Dwightmare” only gets worse with time Luka Ladan Columnist

I

f you’re popular enough to have a nickname, try to do your absolute best to have it be a positive one. That’s the general rule of thumb in sports – don’t even allow outsiders to pounce on the opportunity to create something cruel, degrading, and catchy all at once. There are fitting examples of good ones, such as “The Truth” (Paul Pierce) and the “Black Mamba” (Kobe Bryant) of course. Even “Boogie Cousins” – a fitting descriptor of DeMarcus Cousins, perhaps the most perplexing basketball player in the world (at least, right up there with the enigmatic Rajon Rondos and Metta World Peaces) – isn’t that bad.

But, once Dwight Howard turns into “Dwightmare,” you’re in deep trouble. And, for the fabled Los Angeles Lakers, this 2012-13 NBA season has been nightmarish, pathetic, embarrassing, atrocious, and mind-boggling all at the same time. It has been a circus of inconsistency and mismatched parts, far from the sky-high expectations thrust upon the organization when Howard arrived at its doorstep this summer.

After falling to the well-oiled Miami “LeBrons” on national television this past weekend, the Los Angeles Lakers are clinging to a 24-28 overall record, which places them behind the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and Utah Jazz in the win-loss column. Yes, even the Utah Jazz. If the season were to end today, Kobe Bryant and what’s left of his big-name frontcourt weapons wouldn’t even be left sniffing the postseason fragrance – the undesirable chance to bow out at the hands of the impressive Oklahoma City Thunder wouldn’t even be theirs to claim.

As of now, the fans can express their sorrows and be sure to expect to #CountOnAnEarlyOffseason, to use Kobe Bryant’s signature hashtag.

Brief side note: Is there one side of Steve Nash’s psyche that isn’t exactly mourning his team’s current state of affairs, considering that he would almost certainly fall prey to a myriad of Russell Westbrook highlights in the first round? Closing out an illustrious career and guarding Westbrook for an entire series shouldn’t coincide, if you can help it. Steal. Alley-oop. Steal. Blow-by. Dunk.

The explosive shows of athleticism could and would prove to be a terrifying sight for an elder statesman who couldn’t even defend the league’s slowest guards about ten years ago, let alone in the twilight of his career. Steal. Blowby. Dunk. We’ve reached the point where the Los Angeles Lakers can’t hang with a team from Oklahoma City, small-market personified.

But, let’s put that aside.

Everything about the Lakers now seems forced – the collusion of talented pieces, Coach Mike D’Antoni’s signature offensive imprint, Howard’s superficial smiles, Bryant’s shot selection, Pau Gasol’s desire to actively participate. There’s no continuity, and injuries have unfortunately played a role.

Nash went down early on and couldn’t contribute until two months into the season. Gasol had been in and out of the ever-changing rotation – as well as the starting lineup, when he was healthy – and is now projected to sit out for a long, long while with a foot injury.

Oft-criticized for his pain threshold by all sorts of pundits, Dwight Howard hasn’t had much success in recovering from offseason back surgery and playing through a torn labrum in his right shoulder – a reality that has only compounded the team’s disturbing lack of offensive rhythm and abundance of lethargic defensive showings.

Don’t let the statistics fool you, for they are misleading; Dwight Howard isn’t anywhere near his optimal vertical explosiveness, lat-

eral quickness, and midseason stamina level.

This 2012-13 version is a remix-gone-wrong of “unable to dunk” and “rotating over a step too late.” Heck, even the perennial spark plug, Jordan Hill, is sidelined.

But the Lakers’ struggles aren’t all injury-induced, so don’t let that narrative tell the whole story. The “injury bug” has had particularly devastating consequences in Los Angeles this winter, but there’s much more to the disheartening puzzle. Coach D’Antoni hasn’t experienced sustained levels of comfort with any one particular lineup, and constant experimentation with his players has taken the place of rotational consistency, a must for the most successful teams in the league. For instance, Howard, Pau Gasol (pre-injury), World Peace (it’s still weird to write), Hill (pre-injury), Antawn Jamison, Devin Ebanks, Robert Sacre, and Earl Clark have all been plugged into a frontcourt slot at some point or another this season.

Even Kobe Bryant, a shooting guard first and foremost, has been used as the feature forward surrounded by a whole host of shooters – a la Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Night in and night out, nobody can form anything close to a solid guess with regard to who will play at the start of the fourth quarter or toward the end of the first half. A rotation guy could be struck with a DNP-Coach’s Decision one game, before being named a starter for the next.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a perpetual state of flux, and even past certainties aren’t so crystal clear anymore. Kobe Bryant – one of the game’s most notorious hoisters year in and year out, as he judiciously climbs the all-time FGA rankings – can’t even decide whether he needs to shoot or pass in order for the wins to start piling up. One Sunday afternoon in Toronto, Bryant will heave contested midrange jumper

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

after contested midrange jumper en route to a surefire game-high in field goal attempts. Then, one Friday night in Los Angeles, Bryant will reverse course without warning, forgoing his typical menu of fall-aways and contested chucks for a delicious appetite of precise bounce passes to a rolling Gasol and timely kick-outs to an all-too-eager Metta World Peace.

Entering each and every NBA season, one of the only certainties is Kobe Bryant shooting, shooting, shooting – and prompting the daily cries of selfishness, stubbornness, hubris. In 2012-13, even shooting, shooting, shooting isn’t so set in stone. Don’t get me wrong, the “Black Mamba” still has a venomous bite. But, where’s it coming from nowadays? Nobody knows.

When I watch this year’s rendition of the storied franchise, I’m almost saddened by the product on the floor – or what’s left in the heap of purple and gold rubble. And, I’m a diehard Boston Celtics fan. I see an unsure Kobe Bryant joined by an equally unsure Steve Nash, two transcendent icons of this young century who aren’t capable of letting the game come to them anymore because they’re stepping into uncharted, unprecedented territory.

I see a shell of Dwight Howard’s former self. What was once an imposing presence capable of batting away shot attempts like they personally insulted his mother is now nothing more than a distant memory at the glitzy Amway Center. I see a hobbled, bumbling former superstar who can’t quite cope with his elite athletic ability being stripped from him for the first time in his basketball career, by a busted back and bum shoulder. And, I see Pau Gasol – visibly frustrated that his trade value took a fatal hit when the plantar fascia tore in two – in a tailored suit and fancy tie.

Even as a Celtics fan with ulterior motives, I see an unrelenting saga – a “Dwightmare” – and I don’t like it one tiny bit.

February 14, 2013

SPORTS

Slam dunk contest commercialized farce Zach Rippe Columnist

F

or basketball fans around the globe, this weekend will be extremely special. It is the one weekend during the NBA season where no matter how terrible your team is, you have reason to enjoy yourself. This weekend, from Friday, February 15 through Sunday, February 17, is officially NBA All-Star Weekend. For those unfamiliar, the festivities begin on Friday with the “Rookie Challenge”, a game that pits this year’s top rookies against the best sophomore players. This is followed by the All-Star Celebrity game, an unusual “contest” (and I use that term loosely) that pits everyone’s favorite D-list celebrities like Pauly D and Michael Rappaport against one another.

Saturday, recently dubbed “NBA All- Star Saturday Night”, is a series of miniature contests like a shooting competition, a “skills” contest (it’s a bona fide obstacle course), the threepoint shoot out, and lastly, everyone’s favorite, the Slam-Dunk Competition. Everything that night is pretty much a lead up to the Dunk Contest. But the sad reality is, is the dunking even worth it anymore these days?

The Slam Dunk Contest has always been my favorite part of All-Star Weekend and it has been a mainstay. The tradition began way back when during the 1976 ABA All-Star weekend.

In the 1980’s the game’s biggest stars, including Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan, used to battle it out for dunking supremacy.

Later, however, the fans seemed to lose interest. Big stars no longer wanted to compete, leaving bench players and rookies to do most of the dunking. The contest seemed to get a facelift in 2000 when dunking phenom Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors entered. Along with him were his cousin, Tracy McGrady, and Steve Francis of the Rockets, this made for perhaps one of the most intense contests in history. Carter won and sealed his legacy as the greatest dunker of his generation.

The next few years saw a pair of Jason Richardson victories. Richardson was not a “star” but a good player in his own right who was able to improve upon Carter’s mastery and give the fans some dunks they had truly never seen before in the contest. That is when things began to go down hill. While wins from Nate Robinson of the Knicks and Dwight Howard of the Magic did prove exciting, they started the downward trend that continues today.

Perhaps the biggest blunder on the part of the NBA was their shake up of the rules.

Not wanting to allow a missed dunk to take a contestant completely out of the running, the NBA instituted a time limit for certain dunks, of which an unlimited number of misses were allowed. This may have seemed smart in theory as it could potentially get the best dunks out of players.

Fans, however, more likely will remember Nate Robinson missing well over 20 dunk attempts and still coming away with the title of Slam Dunk Champion. Recently, they also changed the title to a fan vote for the winner, making the contest more about popularity than true dunking ability. The other mistake, and this was more the fault of the players, was the inclusion and exploitation of props and gimmicks in the contest. Sure, everybody loved Dwight Howard pulling off his jersey and revealing a superman shirt and cape. They were thrilled to see him reprise his role the next year when he came out of a phone booth.

It was also pleasing to see Nate Robinson come out as “Krypto-Nate” and dunk over Howard to take home the crown. But some gimmicks did not quite work out the same way. Gerald Green, the 2007 winner, took off his shoes and signed them for some NBA legends including Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Dr. J. This arrogant act plus a “meh” dunk really did not bode well for Green. Sure Dwight Howard dunking on a 12-foot hoop is impressive, but isn’t the point of a dunk contest to show what

you can do with a basketball on a regulation NBA hoop?

The contest has become less about the dunk and more about the pizzazz. During last year’s contest, the winner, a bench player for the Utah Jazz named Jeremy Evans, attached a camera to his head and dunked. He then replayed the video for the fans. Sure this was neat, but the dunk itself was pretty average.

They cite creativity as part of a good dunk, but that creativity has to actually apply to the dunk, not a sideshow act that is being created simultaneously. The greatest stain on the once formerly great dunk contest was the 2011 victory of Blake Griffin. For his final dunk, the NBA rolled out a brand new Kia Optima and brought out a gospel choir to sing Blake to victory. He jumped over the car to thunderous applause. I vomited in my mouth. This was product placement and mockery at its finest.

Anyone else in that contest could have jumped over that car. It was more about the NBA making Griffin into a marketable star than it was about looking for the league’s best dunker.

Although the contest has become borderline unwatchable in past years, this year’s contest provides a chance for redemption. Although the field is made up of generally unknown and young players, there is a lot of potential for something spectacular. Yes, Jeremy Evans will be defending his crown and yes, Gerald Green will be competing, but this year’s main attraction will be James White. White, a 30-year-old journeyman, will be representing the Knicks.

He is well known on youtube and can do a between the legs dunk from the free-throw line.

Says White “Whatever I do is going to be new.

It’s not going to be seen in the NBA dunk contest.” “You’ve seen it maybe on YouTube, but you haven’t seen it on the NBA stage. You’ve seen windmills. Everything they do has to be with gimmicks, which is what’s making it corny.” I think we can all agree. Let’s just hope he’s right.

Post-season surprises reveal coastal shifts within major league baseball Eli J. Vargas I Columnist

A

s spring training begins this week, the accomplishments of last season are a thing of the past. Winter is coming to an end, and for new teams this new season provides a chance to turn it all around, and to build on last year and any offseason acquisitions. This is the time where chemistry is formed through long practices that re-establish fundamentals and cardio through tough drills and games.

For the fans, there are endless opportunities, and the most are already boasting that this is their team’s year. That is the beauty of spring training, because anything is possible, everything is new, even though much may have not changed at all. Nothing matters but the future.

Coming into this year’s spring training, there has been a power shift in the MLB. It has not been a sudden change, but one that has been months and years in the making.

From the high rolling Dodgers, dubbed the “New Yankees”, to the World Championships Giants, and the offseason active Angels, the MLB has been experiencing a renaissance in the West. No longer is the East Coast the sole abode of the most feared teams in baseball, but now the West has come into the picture.

It hasn’t just been the actions of West Coast teams that have lead to this shift in power, but the actions of East coast teams should be held just as accountable.

The Yankees are no longer leading the league in payroll, instead trying to get under the salary-cap to avoid the heightening luxury tax rates for repeat offenders. As a result of this, they have been absent in the offseason, taking a backseat, letting the Angels and Dodgers make big offseason splashes, which is what the Yankees are usually doing. So now instead of making headlines for signing the biggest fish in the free-agent market every offseason, the Yankees are now making headlines for doing the opposite of that. It seems

as if the biggest offseason news is the recent allegations targeted at Alex Rodriguez, who seems to be using steroids again, or may have never stopped.

With half of the Red Sox’s roster residing the Dodgers clubhouse now, it seems as if they have been following along the same lines as their arch-nemesis, the Yankees. No high profile signings have taken place for the Red Sox, as it seems they may be in rebuilding mode. The Red Sox and Yankees are known for big expenditures during the offseason, but they are straying from their familiar tendencies, instead opting to save money and rebuild their teams.

In an interesting turn of events, the Toronto Blue Jays, who have not made the post-season in twenty-years, have been the most active east coast team, acquiring all-stars Josh Johnson from the Miami Marlins, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes, also from the Marlins, and R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets. This trade makes the Blue Jays a serious contender, instantly providing them with a pitching staff to be reckoned with.

As a counter to all of this lack of activity from two of the highest spending franchises in baseball, West coast teams have made moves to create much buzz in the land of sunshine and Hollywood. Two Los Angeles baseball teams, the Dodgers and Angels, have decided that this lack of spending on the Yankees and Red Sox parts should be taken upon by the teams.

The Dodgers, now having the highest payroll in the Majors, have landed the biggest pitching free-agent in the market. A year before, with the Dodgers still under their previous owner, Frank McCourt who was notorious for limiting spending, this new Dodgers franchise is almost unrecognizable, with few of the same players on the roster. The future is looking bright for Dodgers fans.

Only a thirty minute drive down south, the Angels have been making splashes of their

own, choosing to land the biggest hitting free agent in the market in Josh Hamilton, once the biggest pitching free agent was taken by their freeway rivals, the Dodgers. With the addition of Albert Pujols the year before and now Josh Hamilton, the Angels are making a habit of shelling out the money for power hitting, creating an exciting environment for Los Angeles baseball fans and making it a yearly offseason habit.

A few hundred miles up north is another

“West coast teams have made moves to create much buzz in the land of sunshine and Hollywood” Eli J. Vargas I ’16 notable team, the San Francisco Giants, that may have not made any offseason splashes, but did win the World Series last year and have retained almost their entire core group of players that made the journey to the postseason possible. It is funny that people are talking about all of the activity of these other teams, yet it is the Giants who are the defending world champions with an established chemistry.

But this lack of attention to the defending world champions, winners of two championships in the past three years, just proves that the West is growing in baseball prowess, and all of the attention is on the West Coast, and not the East. This shift may not last for long, but coming from California, it sure is an exciting team to be a baseball fan on the West Coast.

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Despite tight resources, club skates on ICED BREW continued from page 1

entious of his/her surrounding teammates and can make sure they remain in sync on the ice,” she notes. “The sport is not about the individual, but what the team can accomplish together.”

In order for rookies to learn from more experienced skaters, the team meets weekly for three hours to practice. The first hour consists of off-ice practicing to develop the routine and perfect their timing. The team then travels to the McCann Arena to practice on the ice.

Members who were new to skating started the year working on the fundamentals, but were able to perform the routines alongside the other skaters as the season progressed. “It’s kind of crazy to think I can actually perform the routine now,” McAlarney commented.

The team also relies on the advice of their coach, Deirdre Bonanno. She has worked with Iced Brew for the past six years, and has enjoyed doing so. “My commitment is to the entire team, I consider them my second family,” she noted. “I make sure all members are in synch with each other.”

Since Iced Brew is not a varsity sport, they receive limited funds from the College. This means they must cover the remainder of the costs of the team on their own, including registration fees for competitions and transportation. To do this the team had bake sales, thus tabling in the retreat is another commitment for members.

But more important than finance is the cohesive nature of the team. Its members represent all four class years, and a wide geographic background. Yet this manages to work in their favor, Chin argues. “It surprises me how little we have in common yet how much fun we have together. But that’s the great thing about Iced Brew-our passion for skating brings us all together.”

For McAlarney the togetherness also allows the team’s focus to be on improvement rather than perfection. “I really like that the emphasis is really on enjoying skating and improving ourselves rather than the competitions...even though we do compete and we do try to do well...I think everyone on the team is there to have a good time rather than because we feel the need to win medals.”

Chin agrees and recognizes that the group must have faith in each other to be able to skate well. “Camaraderie is the most rewarding aspect of a synchronized skating team,” she notes. “Everyone is required to trust their teammates while we skate from formation to formation at a speedy pace and must remain connected throughout the majority of our moves.”

The end of Iced Brew’s season was for both Chin and McAlarney the highlight. The team qualified to compete in Easterns Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships on February 2. Though they did not place, Chin feels the day was certainly noteworthy. “Easterns was a great success, and was a personal best for the team,” she comments. “ We have made significant progress since the beginning of the year and made many changes to our program to showcase our advancement while challenging our skaters. Our clean and powerful performance at the [Easterns] was a great way to end the season.”

After a long day skating in the rink used for the 1980 Winter Olympics, the team headed back to their hotel for conversation. This was a great opportunity for the teammates to reflect on a great season. “I really enjoyed getting to know the entire team better and talking with them about things outside of skating,” McAlarney stated. “I felt like part of the iced brew family.”

At this time the purpose of Iced Brew was clear. “[A] skater casually articulated how this season was different from previous ones, in that the team had really bonded and had been closer than ever before,” Chin reported. “This was exactly what I had prioritized for the season: team unity...I am confident that the team spirit will carry into future seasons and will go a very long way-both on and off the ice.”

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February 14, 2013

Women’s Basketball in contention for League Finals Meaghan Hughes spoRts editoR

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courtesy of VC Athletics

ith just two games left in the regular season, the women’s basketball team is well on their way to earning a place in the Liberty League finals. This past weekend the Brewers managed to secure two league victories, in spite of the vicious blizzard.

On Friday, February 8 the women hosted the William Smith Herons in a back and forth contest between both teams. In the first half alone there were seven lead changes and five ties. The Brewers came back from an eight point deficit to take the lead at the twelve minute mark. William Smith had a strong scoring streak, until a three pointer from freshman guard Caitlin Drakeley created a tie. With only a few minutes left in the half, the Herons made three three pointers to take the lead.

The second half was similar to the first, though Vassar was able to keep William Smith shooting 8 of 22, and secured the win. After intermission the Brewers improved their scoring, and maintained a 50-40 lead with seven minutes remaining. The Herons were able to close the thirteen point gap in the final minutes of the game, but Vassar’s seven free throws kept them ahead for the final 80-70 win. Essential to this offensive push was sophomore forward Colleen O’Connell, whose nineteen points and fifth double-double of the season led her to be named to the Liberty League Honor Roll this week. Junior guard Cydni Matsuoka also had 23 points and five steals.

Saturday was senior night for the Brewers, and both Ali Higgins and Natalie Allen were honored. Rochester Institute of Technology, coming off three League wins, was prepared

for a win against the Brewers. Their immediate 10-2 lead in the first few minutes set the precedent for Vassar, as they continued tying up the score. After an 8-0 scoring surge led by O’Connell and Matsuoka, the Brewers took the lead and kept the game close. A few quick plays by junior forward Hannah Senftleber with sixteen minutes remaining gave Vassar their largest lead of thirteen points and kept RIT behind for the rest of the game.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Brewers’ 85-75 victory set a new record for most wins in school history. The nineteen wins, eleven of which are League wins, puts Vassar in a good position not only in the finals but also in hosting the Championship.

“One of our goals in the beginning of the season was to be Liberty League regular season champions,” sophomore guard Allyson Pemberton wrote in an emailed statement.

“The past two seasons we have won the Liberty League Tournament Championship but we have yet to host a playoff game. We need the 1st or 2nd seed to do this. Entering the second half of the season we made a goal to win-out the rest of our Liberty League games in order to secure one of these top seeds. So far we have accomplished this new goal, and we are looking to win 2 more games this weekend in order to host a playoff game.”

Senftleber concurred. “If everything falls into place, our team has a very good chance at [hosting finals]. We aren’t going to be able to take any team for granted down the stretch, and continue giving it our all when we step out onto the court.”

Reflecting on the past victories, Senftleber noted her team’s vast improvement. “Down

Forward Natalie Allen ’13 takes a shot in a close home game against R.I.T., which ended with an 85-75 victory for the Brewers. The unexpected win set a new record for most wins in school history. the stretch we have begun to peak at the right moment. By no means are we were we want to be, but we are buying into the system put forth by the coaches, and doing the little things that need to get done. We are really honing in on the defensive end, and limiting the scoring opportunities for opponents by securing the rebound. Every one of the past six wins have been crucial in its own way.”

Freshman guard Alex Moon agreed, noting the recent games were a time when “[w]e fi-

nally came together, as one team. Before every game in our pre-game huddle we always say ‘one heart, one dream, one team’ and these past few weeks I think we finally did justice to those words. We have a shot at being the #1 seed and hosting the LL tournament at home, which would be awesome so we can have one more chance to play in front of everyone who supports us the most. We’re just planning to go out there to have fun & keep doing what we’ve been doing. It’s been working this far!”

The Miscellany News’ Difficult week for Brewers highlights challenges of seasonal transitions Weekend Chris Brown

assistant spoRts editoR

Men’s Volleyball

This past Sunday, Feb. 10, men’s volleyball faced Hilbert College at a United Volleyball Conference crossover match at Medaille College. The Brewers made quick work of their opponents, winning 3-1. Vassar broke free from a 10-10 tie in the first set and surged ahead 21-14 on the strength of kills from junior outside hitter Joe Pyne and senior middle hitter Matt Elgin. Hilbert couldn’t close the gap, with Pyne earning Vassar’s last three kills. The second set was more competitive, tied five times in total. With freshman Kadeem Nibbs serving, Vassar won the next two points. A Hilbert attack error gave Vassar a 23-20 lead and attacks by sophomore Artie Blissert and freshman Erik Halbert secured the 21-25 win and a 2-0 lead for Vassar.

In the third set, Vassar suffered its worst attack set of the match, resulting in a 25-13 Hilbert victory. Yet Vassar rebounded nicely in the final set. Pyne’s serving, as well as senior Patrick Donohue and senior Christian La Du gave Vassar four aces. Vassar won this set 259, their biggest score gap of the match. Pyne lead the team with a total of 13 kills while sophomore setter Colin White-Dzuro recorded a career high of 21 assists. Vassar goes on to play its home opener on Friday, February 15 against Hunter College.

Men’s Basketball

Men’s Swimming and Diving

On Saturday, Feb. 9, the Vassar College men’s basketball team fell short in a 63-60 loss to RIT in the final seconds of play at the Athletics & Fitness Center. Down 53-40 with 9:35 left in the second half, the Brewers went on an 18-7 run in an effort to close the gap, 60-58 with 2:21 remaining.

RIT pulled further away with a free throw from Mike D’Amico and another pair from Eric Travis, making it a five-point game, 6358. Sophomore forward Alex Snyder drove to the basket for a layup on the next possession, bringing the Brewers within three. He then pulled down a defensive rebound off a missed RIT free throw. Snyder found sophomore guard Curtis Smith open near half court with the clock down to three seconds. Smith went to put up the game-tying 3-pointer but was called for traveling with .06 seconds remaining. The Brewers fall to 7-16 and 3-11 in the Liberty League, finishing their home schedule. They will next travel to Skidmore College on Friday, February 15 and then to Union College the next day.

On Friday, Feb. 9, the men’s swimming and diving team took third place out of five teams at the Vassar Sprint Invitational. The 200 Yard Medley Relay team of sophomore Luc Amodio, sophomore Matt Weiss, senior Mathúe Duhaney and freshman Greg Cristina broke the meet record with a time of 1:41.63.

Duhaney also won the 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of (22.72) and took second in the 50 Yard Butterfly (25.72).

Freshman Isaiah Hale finished first in the 400 Yard Individual Medley (4:40.87). Amodio claimed a first place finish in the 50 Yard Backstroke (25.66). Sophomore Jeffrey Fromm had a personal best in the 3-Meter Diving event with a score of 167.18 while senior Simon Whitelaw finished second in the event (239.40). Whitelaw also took second on the 1-Meter board (229.20). Skidmore College won the Invitational with a combined score of 495 while Vassar scored a 343. Vassar next will compete at the UNYSCSA Championships held at Ithaca College on February 20-23.

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Women’s Fencing

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MEN’S FENCING courtesy of Vassar Athletics

The Brewers traveled to NYC on Thursday, February 7 to compete against Columbia University and New York University. Though Vassar lost to both teams, there were several noteworthy individul performances. Together the epee squad had a 5-4 victory over NYU, including wins from senior Caitlin Clevenger and sophomore Megan Lewis. Sabre earned two wins from seniors Tracy Bratt and Jillian Josimovich. The final score against NYU was 8-19. Facing Columbia proved much more difficult, as Bratt earned one win for foil, and epee had three wins total from freshman Rachel Messbauer, who was 3-3 for the night, and Clevenger. The final score of 4-23 drops the Brewers 10-18 for the season. They will compete in the NEIFC Championships on February 23.

Scoreboard

Christian La Du ’15 gave Vassar four aces at last weekend’s match against Hilbert College at the United Vollyball Converence. Vassar will play its home opener this Friday against Hunter College.

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