The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Volume CL | Issue 13
February 15, 2018
Why do we bingewatch?
Professor revives epic poem
Abby Knuckles
Jimmy Christon
GUEST REPORTER
REPORTER
hile the use of escapism as a coping mechanism stretches far back into human history, and mass media consumption is certainly not a new phenomenon, the ability to binge-watch is a fairly recent development. For clarity, I define “binge-watching” as any instance wherein three or more episodes of a single show are watched in immediate succession. A decade ago, I definitely could not have watched three seasons of “Outlander,” a whopping 42 hours of television, during finals week. Now that whole seasons of television are often released at the same time and old favorites are consigned to easily accessible locations, series practically beg us to watch them all at once. As a chronic binge-watcher, I have a personal investment in answering the question of why we binge. Is it purely a malignant method of escapism designed to fill some void in the real world, or is it, as some have suggested, the new zeitgeist medium for storytelling? Can any viable middle ground be found? With these questions in mind, I set out to discover the benefits of binging, as well as its often-noted malicious See BINGE-WATCHING on page 6
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Chelsea Manning and fellow activist CeCe McDonald visited Vassar on Wednesday, Feb. 7 to participate in “No Prisons, No Wars: Setting a Trans Abolitionist Agenda,” an event hosted by several campus organizations.
Trans prison abolitionists visit VC Clark Xu
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
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n its mission to equip students with a profound and well-versed liberal arts education, Vassar makes an effort to foster political discourse that challenges societal injustices and rethinks American institutions. Inviting CeCe McDonald and Chelsea Manning as individuals who have experienced these injustices, the Vassar Student Association (VSA), the Women Studies’ Program, the Women’s Center, the Africana Studies Program, the ALANA
Courtesy of Mitch Davis
Dancers shined in VRDT’s ModFest performance on Feb. 9, which featured diverse types of dance from ballet to tango, capturing the theme of “adapting.”
VRDT performers embody ‘Adapting’ Izzy Braham
ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR
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ance is expression, passion and resistance. Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre (VRDT) made that loud and clear at their Feb. 9 ModFest performance. The show, featuring faculty-and-student-created works and new pieces by Adjunct Dance faculty member Leslie Sachs and returning alumna Alaina Wilson, presented a variety of different styles of dance, from classical ballet to Argentine tango. The performance gave the viewer a peek at the breadth of Vassar’s dance department while simultaneously expressing this year’s Modfest theme of “adapting” through different types of movement. The show, which ran for
Inside this issue
3
NEWS
Black history acknowledged by alumnae/i of College
a little over an hour, was composed of eight very diverse pieces. The performance began with a classical ballet piece choreographed by Assistant Professor of Dance Miriam Mahdaviani. The dance was the first work to include pointe in a VRDT ModFest show. Mahdaviani, a dancer and teacher trained at the New York City Ballet, commented, “What I really want people to take away from the piece is that even though it’s a classical ballet piece, I think it still resonates with people today. It’s not like an old-fashioned relic that belongs in a museum somewhere.” Mahdaviani emphasized that the beauty of ballet is timeless—it is a type of dance that audiences will alSee DANCE on page 15
15 ARTS
Center, the LGBTQ Center and other organizations supported a public conversation, “No Prisons, No Wars: Setting a Trans Abolitionist Agenda,” with the two activists in Taylor Hall on the evening of Feb. 7. The discussion centered on their responses to questions from the student hosts. One host, Sessi Blanchard ’18, noted, “The event was originally conceived as an intervention … Such [abolitionist] politics necessitates the creation of a new way of thinking that exceeds the current order of things.”
VSA President Anish Kanoria ’18 reflected, “McDonald and Manning are both inspiring people who are leaders and advocates in this country. Seeing them in conversation with each other promised to be a fundamentally interesting experience.” The event, which has been in the works for months, is part of an effort to widen the public visibility of LGBTQ identities and create space for reconsidering the legitimacy of the incarceration system and the military-industrial See DISCUSSION on page 3
27 for 270 raises over $190,000 for athletics Fiona MacLeod GUEST REPORTER
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n just over the span of one day, Vassar’s student-athlete community blew a novel athletic fundraising contest out of the water. The challenge played off of Vassar’s 27 athletic teams, attempting to collect 270 donations in 27 hours, starting on the morning of Feb. 7. The Brewers skyrocketed past this initial goal, collecting 3,595 donations and totaling over $190,000 in this short time. The Brewers Fund was launched in August 2016 with the main goal of enhancing the overall college experience for Vassar’s student-athletes. This movement allowed alumnae/i, parents and friends to donate exclusively to student-athletes at the college for the first time in history. “Launching this fund was an exciting step forwards for athletics at Vassar, as many of our peer institutions have a similar fund for their respective athletic programs,” the Director of Athletics and Physical Education Michelle Walsh said. “The 27 for 270 challenge was a natural next step in the evolution of the Brewers Fund, as crowdfunding has lately become a popular fundraising technique in higher education.” Once the clock struck 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning, donations came flooding in. Any gift of $5 of more counted as a donation towards the competition’s donor goal. In just one hour and
Theme of adaptation reflected in Vassar dance creations
two minutes, the Brewers fulfilled the challenge’s goal of 270 donations and showed no signs of slowing down. The efforts of the student-athletes were accompanied by the rallying of parents, family members, friends, alumni, Vassar faculty and coaches. These groups consistently pledged challenges, matched donations and advertised in order to help the community exceed all prior expectations. Upon reaching the initial goal of 270 donors, alumni Jim Citrin ’81 donated $10,000 to the challenge. Because the first goal was met so quickly, Vassar President Elizabeth Bradley then offered a new challenge to the Brewers. Raising the bar to 555 donors, one for each student-athlete, she promised to donate of $5,000 to the athletic community if the goal was met. Student-athletes rose to the occasion, meeting this second challenge in under a single hour, and earning the additional $5,000 by just 11 a.m. “Our students, alums, current and past athletes and their friends really came together,” said President Bradley. “In my experience, having proper coaching and programming makes a huge difference to the quality of athletes’ college experiences, so I’m happy to see some of the money my husband and I have donated to Vassar this year go towards athletics.” The donations from Citrin and PresSee FUNDRAISER on page 18
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“T
he Odyssey” is one of the best-known stories of all time; there’s no doubting that. But it might be hasty to call it the best-known book of all time. You’ve heard the story regardless of background or homeland. Centered in Greece, the story of “The Odyssey” has spread far away from the Western civilization that so happily claims it as its own. Indeed, the only thing to travel more than Odysseus is the story of “The Odyssey” itself. This very fact calls for a pause of appreciation, one that should be followed by excitement, as the next step in this legendary journey is taking place right here at Vassar. There is no need to slaughter any goats for this celebration or bring out prized swords to give as gifts. This Thursday, Feb. 15, at 5:30 p.m., University of Pennsylvania Professor of Classics Emily Wilson will be giving a talk on her newly released translation of “The Odyssey.” Wilson will read from her translation and talk about the experience of translating this daunting classic. Wilson is the first woman to ever translate “The Odyssey” into English. Regardless of whether or not we’ve read the translation, or are even familiar with “The Odyssey,” it is significant that we can all be here to celebrate a milestone like this on our campus. Case in point, I haven’t read this translation of “The Odyssey,” and I’m sure very few students have. However, a propensity for not doing the reading is something that all Vassar students have in common, and this event can serve as a valuable introduction to the world of Homer. Wilson’s translation has garnered much acclaim in a short amount of time. The professor has made the cover of The New York Times Magazine, with the byline, “The Classicist Emily Wilson has given Homer’s epic a radically contemporary voice,” (The New York Times Magazine, “The First Woman to Translate the ‘Odyssey’ into English,” 11.02.17). A month later, The New York Times Book Review gave Wilson a favorable appraisal as well, stating that she boldly dares to match Homer line for line (The New York Times, “A Version of Homer That Dares to Match Him Line for Line,” 12.05.17). What makes Wilson’s translation so noteworthy—enough for these reviews to frame her translation as a formidable combatant to Homer himself—is that it is one of the more distinctive translations to come out in quite some time. What makes Wilson’s translation stand out, in contrast to older ones, is its dedication to translating the original text line for line, and its strict adherence to iambic pentameter. What this means is that Wilson’s lines correspond exactly with the lines of the Greek original. This puts pressure on Wilson to act like Proteus and morph the language of the poem into a style suitable for See ODYSSEY on page 16
Vassar fencer reflects on sport’s SPORTS positive effects
The Miscellany News
Page 2
February 15, 2018
Editor-in-Chief Emma Jones Elena Schultz
Senior Editor Talya Phelps
Contributing Editors Eilís Donohue Rhys Johnson
News Laurel Hennen Vigil Humor and Satire Leah Cates Yesenia Garcia Arts Sasha Gopalakrishnan Sports Mack Liederman Photography Sumiko Neary Social Media Kimberly Nguyen
Courtesy of Chris Allen
Chris Allen is the sole Vassar student on his education-focused abroad program this spring, and he is working to make the most of his time in Ireland. He writes, “The bulk of my time is spent in the classrooms of Clifden Community School rather than in college lecture halls. In this capacity, I am trying to be the Teacher Assistant equivalent of a sponge—I want to observe and absorb as much knowledge and experience as I can in the day-to-day work of an educator.” Read more about Chris’ adventures, and those of other JYA-ers, at farandaway.miscellanynews.org!
The Miscellany News 15
February
Thursday
Weekender_ 16
February
Friday
Tennis (M) Individuals
Guest Event: Handel in Rome
10:00 a.m. | Walker Bay 2 | Athletics Dept.
8:00 p.m. | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Late Night at the Lehman Loeb
Escape the Mug Part 2
5:00 p.m. | Loeb Art Center Atrium | The Loeb
Emily Wilson Lecture
17
February
Saturday
Tennis (M) v Skidmore College 1:00 p.m. | Walker Bays | Athletics
8:00 p.m. | The Mug | Big Night In
Careers in Research/Science Alumnae/i Panel and Reception
Battle of the Bands
1:00 p.m. | Aula | CDO
8:00 p.m. | The Shiva | Joss HT
Indecent Exposure Stand Up Show
Alumnae/i Panel and Reception
9:00 p.m. | Sanders Classroom 212 | Indecent Exposure
Faculty Recital: Susan Rotholz, Flute, and, Todd Crow, Piano
Reporters Youngju Chang Kelly Pushie Marusa Rus Columnists Jimmy Christon Jesser Horowitz Steven Park Sylvan Perlmutter Blair Webber Design Maya Sterling Scarlett Neuberger Copy Isabel Bielat Natalie Bober James Bonanno Teddy Chmyz Jillian Frechette Abigail Knuckles Anna Wiley
3:00 p.m. | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Paper Critique 9:00 p.m. | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News
Senior Recital: Tonya Ingerson, Soprano 1:30 p.m. | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
7:00 p.m. | Aula | CDO
Senior Recital: Chiara Mannarino, Soprano
The LiMiT -- Welcome Back
4:00 p.m. | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
9:00 p.m. | Sanders Classroom 212 | The LiMiT
Sunday
Courtesy of 100 Nights Facebook
5:30 p.m. | Taylor Hall 203 | Library
18
February
Assistant News Clark Xu Assistant Features Imogen Wade Andrea Yang Assistant Arts Izzy Braham Matt Stein Assistant Online Jackson Ingram Abby Lass Assistant Design Rose Parker Assistant Copy Claire Baker Jessica Moss Web Master & George Witteman Technical Advisor
Lunar New Year Dinner 6:00 p.m. | Villard Room | Asian Students’ Alliance
100 Nights 8:00 p.m. | Alumnae/i House | Class of 2018
Vassar students carry the Daisy Chain for the Class of 1908. This weekend the senior class will uphold another tradition with 100 Nights.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
February 15, 2018
NEWS
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Students, alums celebrate Black History Month at Vassar Youngju Chang REPORTER
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Courtesy of Hannah Benton
ince 1976, February has been officially recognized as Black History Month. Throughout the month, people remember and celebrate the significant role of African Americans in U.S. history (History.com, “Black History Month,” 2010). Vassar College is not an exception to this tradition of celebration; several communities within the campus have been providing various opportunities to engage in Black History Month. Last Thursday, Feb. 8, the African American Alumnae/i of Vassar College held a multi-generational event called “A Celebration of Black History” in the Aula. Karen Valentia Clopton ’80 planned the event with the purpose of recreating and recollecting the atmosphere of Kendrick House. Kendrick House is on Raymond Avenue across from the Main Gate. The building was constructed in 1927 and served as the Afro-American Cultural Center from 1960 to 1975 (Vassar ALANA Center, “The Center’s History”). According to Clopton, Kendrick House was also a residential space for Black students to study and socialize together. However, on Dec. 11, 1974, the Board of Trustees decided to discontinue Kendrick House as an affinity space for Black students since the New York State Education Department accused the dormitory of violating anti-segregation laws (The New York Times, “Vassar to Close All-Black Dormitory,” 12.14.1974). Nevertheless, Kendrick House is remembered fondly by many of the alumnae/i who lived there during their time at the College. Clopton emphasized that Kendrick House’s safe and comfortable environment should be commemorated. Eric Wilson ’76, one of the former residents of Kendrick House, shared his memories with the audience: “Every afternoon I came back from the
lab, there was always Bid Whist going on … we have a little cocktail table with the house and there were four easy chairs sitting around, and always people were sitting on the chairs playing games and talking about other people’s businesses … It was just some of the wonderful times that I have in campus, social experiences,” he said. “Living in the house was wonderful in that on campus there was an influx in integrating campus, racially and gender-wise. It was warming to have a place to come to.” He went on, “I don’t really want to give this impression, but I’m kind of realizing the fact that every Vassar student didn’t have what we had during our years because it was incredibly warming to have a familiar home. We didn’t call it Kendrick. We called it House … It was one of the most loved places I’ve ever been privileged to live.” Clopton briefly talked about why remembering Kendrick House is so important. “We [have] embarked upon the project over the last six months called Buildings and Belonging, mapping African Americans’ experiences at Vassar College since 1861 … and we are really looking at how this sense of place can foster belongings. I heard so many current students saying ‘we do not belong here.’ In reality, [Vassar is] ours and it has always been ours.” Not only alumnae/i participate in creating an enthusiastic atmosphere for Black History Month; Vassar students are also putting their efforts toward providing opportunities for every student to learn about Black history. VSA Chair of Equity and Inclusion Tamar Ballard shared her view of students’ role in Black History Month. “It’s about an overall celebration of Blackness, especially Blackness at Vassar because that is something that doesn’t get celebrated a lot of times,” she said. “Especially during Black History Month, even right now, usually there is a Black person on the Vassar
On Thursday, Feb. 8, the African American Alumnae/i of Vassar College held “A Celebration of Black History.” The VSA also has some Black History Month events in the works. webpage, but there is not even that right now … I feel that is our role as students, picking up the slack where the school falls behind and just making sure that we are able to advocate as much as possible for the stuff that we deserved to have here.” Ballard also talked about a future plan organized by the VSA for Black History Month. First, cooperating with Paula Madison ’74, VSA is considering having a field trip to Harlem to visit notable sites related to African American History, such as the Studio Museum, which highlights the work of 19th- and 20th-century Black artists. Ballard also pointed out that strolling around the streets
in Harlem would be an insightful experience for students. Ballard said, “Just walking around Harlem, you are really getting to indulge in Blackness, because Harlem was one of the first fully Black [communities] and Black neighborhoods … Through this opportunity, students can interact with the past.” Furthermore, the Campus Life & Diversity Office and the VSA Committee on Equity and Inclusion are planning a talkback about Black representation in media, and to build on this event, students will have a chance to watch Marvel’s “Black Panther” the next day.
Political activists contemplate ‘No Prisons, No Wars’ from the referendum ballot, Manning started training at Fort Drum in August 2008 for her deployment to Iraq in November 2009. At this time, she also contacted a counselor for the first time to discuss her gender identity. Among the 750,000 classified or sensitive documents she provided to WikiLeaks, Manning saw evidence of military action that she did not believe to be just. Some of the documents recorded a Baghdad airstrike in 2007, in which U.S. helicopters killed bystanders, including journalists and children, during an engagement with insurgents. Manning said of the political implications of her life decisions, “Engaging with the state I think there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. We could talk theory all day … You have to be pragmatic, strategic, you have to be goal-oriented. As an activist, every time I’m doing activism, I’m not just saying what I think, but also doing what I think.” Her emphasis on tangible action as a complement to radical theoretical thinking resonated with on-campus activists who believe in making small, carefully considered changes to pave the way for a radical break from past institutions to a broad social vision. Blanchard responded, “I think incrementalism can be conflated with reformism—instead, you’re thinking pragmatically. Just because you’re going after small actions doesn’t mean that you don’t have big plans.” Incarceration was a turning point for these activists. McDonald decided to speak out after receiving letters of support from all over the country. She recounted, “I wasn’t really expecting people to support me in the situation ... After the letters came and people said that I was a leader or that I inspired them, that kind of sparked it. But then when people started sending me these really radical reading materials, the spark was there … Especially ‘The New Jim Crow,’ it’s very ironic reading about the prison-industrial complex while you’re in prison.” “The New Jim Crow,” by law historian Michelle Alexander, appeared in bookstores in 2010 and documents the discrimination against African Americans implicit in higher rates of incarceration for minority and low socioeconomic status populations. Alexander pointed out similarities between the Jim Crow laws during Reconstruction and segregation of African Americans by imprisonment in contemporary America. Taking this history into account, McDonald argued, “There is no way to reform something that is inherently toxic … I went into being an abolitionist because that’s the only way we’ll be able to move
on.” Manning agreed with McDonald’s argument that America would benefit from drastic cuts in prisons and prison populations, representing a new abolition to new forms of segregation. She elaborated, “I never really thought about it until I went to prison. I spent a year in solitary confinement, I spent six years in general population ... I learned that prison is the same everywhere ... At the bottom, seeing what it’s like, feeling what it’s like, living under the thumb of this system really just woke me up ... It doesn’t help anybody except the elite class. That’s what drove me down, this class; we can’t fix or repair these systems.” Compared to McDonald, who advocated an intersectional analysis that accounts for nuances of power in race, class and gender, Manning found that hegemonic institutions have entrenched intersectional discourse as a bastion of the status quo. She clarified, “Institutions of power, they want us to be arguing about the rights for a particular group, they want to have these categories. At a strategic level, in the conference rooms and golf courses, this is where billionaires divide up the world ... They use these as tools to divide us.” For this reason, abolitionists such as McDonald and Manning use open conversation to find similarity across difference in experiences of oppression. McDonald alluded to President
Trump’s popularity, saying, “Every time you see a white person with a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat on, that’s their idea of liberation.” Following Manning’s concern about elite appropriation of intersectional discourse, McDonald added, “If people are thinking about their battle as the most important, there will never be clear communication.” Among the most important questions to consider, McDonald cited, “How are you interrogating your privilege, and how are you interrogating other people’s privileges? How are we reaching out to other people to make sure that they’re feeling safe in their communities? … When we see these institutions telling us we need them, it’s hard for us to communicate ... All we need is each other, it starts with telling my neighbor not to call the police every time they see a Black or brown person in the neighborhood.” The event left students with tough questions to grapple with. Blanchard concluded, “Abolitionism has to be destructive, but what’s destructive about it is constructive ... By holding each other, the state will wither.” Seeing the event as a small step toward change, Kanoria suggested, “I think if it inspires, motivates or reinforces the beliefs of even one person, it will have a lasting impact on our community at Vassar and in the Hudson Valley.”
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
DISCUSSION continued from page 1 complex. McDonald was born in 1989 in Chicago and moved to Minneapolis to study fashion. In June 2011, a group of people McDonald and several of her friends passed on the street near Schooner Tavern confronted them with racial and homophobic comments. One woman, Molly Flaherty, hit McDonald in the face with a glass of alcohol. When Flaherty’s friend Dean Schmidt attempted to extricate her from the ensuing struggle, McDonald stabbed him in the chest with a pair of scissors. Following this incident, McDonald served 19 months in prison until her release in 2014. She gained public support when she received the Bayard Rustin Civil Rights Award and was featured in the documentary “FREE CeCe” (Rolling Stone, “The Transgender Crucible,” 2014). Manning, who was born in Crescent, Oklahoma in 1987, enlisted in the Army in 2007 to become an intelligence analyst. After sharing classified information on the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, Guantanamo Bay and U.S. State Department Cables to WikiLeaks in May 2010, Manning was sentenced to 35 years under the Espionage Act and served seven years in prison until former President Barack Obama commuted the sentence. Harvard University offered Manning a visiting fellowship in September 2017, which it subsequently cancelled after CIA Director Mike Pompeo cancelled an appearance at Harvard in response. Manning initiated a campaign in Maryland for the U.S. Senate in Jan. 2018 (BBC News, “Chelsea Manning: Wikileaks sources and her turbulent life,” 2017). Both McDonald and Manning found that their personal lives became controversial political issues. Reflecting on her early years, McDonald considered her trans identity and described, “I never really indulged in politics because I didn’t feel it was necessary or germane to my existence, but I had to navigate society with my existence because it is a topic for politicians.” Manning had a similar experience with the politicization of her LGBTQ identity and agreed, “I was never really political until [California] Proposition 8 passed in 2008 … I went to Iraq … It kind of shook me and I became more questioning. I started reading more history … I wanted to reconcile what I thought was true with what I was seeing.” While debates over the proposed ban on same-sex marriage in Proposition 8 began with a petition in July 2008 to remove the provision
CeCe McDonald spoke at Vassar, along with fellow activist Chelsea Manning, on Feb. 7, as part of an event titled, “No Prisons, No Wars,” a collaboration between many campus groups.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
NEWS
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February 15, 2018
Local progressives discuss political strategy in Trump era Pazit Schrecker GUEST REPORTER
O
ter One,” an article by Kate Aronoff, Paul Heideman, Doug Henwood and Kim Phillips-Fein, which was featured in an issue of Jacobin magazine this past January. DSA member Carlos described the group’s takeaway from the article, saying, “It would be nice to be able to find a way to move forward.” The topic of the meeting shifted once again as Dutchess County Legislator for District 11 Joel Tyner, who represents the people of Rhinebeck and Clinton, related his views and actions to those of the organizations. In doing so, Tyner, who is in his eighth two-year term as a legislator, told the table of his Senate campaign, which he announced on Dec. 3. He has been pushing for a single-payer healthcare system for over 20 years and describes himself as a longtime activist in Dutchess County. The end of his impromptu speech was a call for support, and he stated, “I
Courtesy of Hannah Benton
Editor’s Note: Throughout this piece, first names have been used in the place of full names, as some of those interviewed requested that their full names not be published. n Feb. 11, the Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists, a local branch of the national Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), held its first meeting in Poughkeepsie. At the meeting, members of the local DSA chapter as well as the Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance (DCPAA) discussed a possible agenda and collaborations between the two organizations. Unlike the DSA, the DCPAA is a purely local organization and contains many smaller teams within it that focus on environmentalism. It started during the 2016 election cycle when it was founded as a movement to elect Bernie Sanders. After his loss in the primaries, members were devastated, but decided to continue their activism and to keep pushing towards a progressive agenda. Today, resisting Trump is at the center of their agenda. Over pizza and soda in Pizzeria Bacio, the members of the two progressive groups shared their actions and invited one another to join in. Dean, who organizes DSA events and meetings in both Dutchess and Orange Counties, presented the main topic on the DSA’s agenda as “Medicare for All.” While universal healthcare is currently a national focus for the DSA, the Hudson Valley chapter is focusing on this at the state level because they believe that the New York Health Act will make this goal more attainable. This bill for the New York Health Act, or S4840, has been passed by the New York State Assembly for the past three years, but now a majority of the State Senate supports it. If passed in the Senate, the act will provide healthcare coverage for every New York resident and be paid for by the state. The group is currently collecting signatures in support of the New York Health Act and plans to make their next meeting a canvassing event. The DSA sent questionnaires to Hudson Valley residents in order to learn more about people’s
experiences with the healthcare system. Additionally, members of the group went door to door and asked questions aimed at finding out how people felt about the idea of healthcare for all. Peter, a DSA member since 1998, described his experience with canvassing and noted that even people on the political right acknowledge that the system is not working and needs to be improved, or even changed altogether. Peter made it clear that all are welcome at the canvassing event and noted that the DSA will train new canvassers. The event did not yet have a date at the time of the meeting, but this DSA-run canvassing was offered as an act of collaboration between the DSA and the DCPAA. After discussing possible methods of collaboration, the meeting moved onto the members’ takeaways from a suggested reading that had been distributed before the meeting, “Trump Af-
On Sunday, Feb. 11, members of the Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists and the Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance held a meeting to discuss their politics at Pizzeria Bacio near campus.
don’t have to do this, I don’t have to fight.” He’s looking for widespread support, and he told the group that he would gladly stand with the DSA, a known socialist organization, at a campaign rally. While Tyner was the only politician present, politics and political methods were discussed by members of both social organizations. One of the primary differences between the two groups emerged through their views of the two-party system. The DCPAA members’ approach seemed more radical, as voiced by Armstrong. While both groups want the Democratic Party to move left, they differ on strategy. While she wants to push the Democratic Party “to the left,” Armstrong explained that she is not preoccupied with thinking within the two-party system and asked, “Do you infiltrate the Democratic Party or start a new party?” Still, she does not wish to be an insurgent. Her hope is that the two-party system works, but has begun to accept that, from her vantage point, it does not. She stated, “I’d love nothing better than to not feel like I need to be an insurgent in the Democratic Party, because it sucks so much.” She demonstrated that she does not view herself so much as a member, but instead as an influencer of the party. She was not alone. Darrett, another member of the DCCPA, echoed this discontent with the Democratic Party. He explained, “I’m a Dem. But I’m not really a Dem. Because I don’t like that corporations have taken over.” DSA member Peter took a different approach. The DSA did not seem focused on disrupting the Democratic Party or changing the two-party system. In terms of political support, Peter said, “If you will accept DSA support, we will support you. We should be allies whether or not you call yourself a Socialist.” While Armstrong and Darrett of the DCPAA discussed infiltrating the Democratic Party, Peter stated, “We don’t care what ticket you run on.” For him it’s not about the labels, it’s the ideas and actions. As the pizza was cleared away, the discussion wound down. The participants exchanged contact information for future collaboration and the meeting came to a close.
News Briefs California may face new drought
could be coming back — this time they’ll be permanent,” 02.13.2018). In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where snow accumulated throughout the winter provides about one-third of California’s water supply, snowpack—or the mass of snow on the ground—is at 21 percent of its yearly average. This means that there is only about one-fifth of the snow that there would normally be at this point in the year (NPR, “California Appears Headed Back To Drought,” 02.01.2018) (Cali-
fornia Department of Water Resources, “Snow Water Equivalents,” 02.13.2018). One advantage California now has that it lacked in previous drought-ridden years is an abundance of water stored in the state’s reservoirs from last year’s heavy rains (NPR, “California Appears Headed Back To Drought,” 02.01.2018). It remains to be seen just how much this might help. —Laurel Hennen Vigil, News Editor
Courtesy of the U.S. Drought Monitor
Less than a year ago, California’s five-year drought—the worst in the state’s recorded history—was declared over. During the last three years of the drought, Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency and ordered a 25 percent cut in urban water usage statewide. A series of intense storms during the 2016-17 winter finally provided some respite, and in April 2017, Brown lifted the state of emergency. However, he warned, “This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner. Conservation must remain a way of life” (The Los Angeles Times, “Gov. Brown declares California drought emergency is over,” 04.07.2017). Now, even as the state is recovering from last autumn’s devastating wildfires and mudslides, scientists are worried that California may be headed back into drought conditions (The New York Times, “A Hot, Dry Winter in California. Could It Be Drought Again?” 02.13.2018). Due to a high-pressure air ridge situated near the state’s West Coast blocking storms that would otherwise come in off the Pacific Ocean, California has seen very little rain this winter (The New York Times). Los Angeles, for instance, has received only 1.96 inches of rain in the last seven months, a period in which the city would normally get an average of 8.54 inches of precipitation (The Los Angeles Times, “Dry, hot California winter closes ski resorts, stalls wildflower blooms and revives drought fears,” 02.13.2018). As of Feb. 6, 52 percent of California—including the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country—is currently classified as experiencing moderate or severe drought, up from 8 percent three months ago. Another 30 percent of California is considered abnormally dry (U.S. Drought Monitor, “California,” 02.06.2018). The state government has not issued an official proclamation of drought, but on Monday, Feb. 13, the State Water Resources Control
Board announced that it would permanently restrict wasteful water use, such as over-watering lawns, washing cars with hoses that lack an automatic shutoff nozzle and watering plants within two days of one-fourth of an inch or more of rainfall. These regulations are expected to take effect on April 1. Those who violate these rules will receive a letter of warning upon their first offense and be fined $500 upon their second (The Mercury News, “California’s drought restrictions on wasteful water habits
As of Feb. 6, 2018, 52 percent of California is classified as experiencing “moderate” to “severe drought” and another 30 percent of the state is “abnormally dry.” California’s historically-severe drought ended last year, but another water shortage may soon be declared.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
NEWS
February 15, 2018
Page 5
Updates from the VSA Social Consciousness Fund allocations —250/250 to BSU for Black Love event. BSU is putting on this event as a part of Black History Month to help celebrate Black people and all kinds of Black love. There will be arts and crafts, food, etc. Money is for snacks and art supplies. —900/900 to BSU for Whose Streets? documentary and producer talkback. Whose Streets is a documentary on Ferguson and police brutality in the Black community. Money is for honorarium and dinner with the producer. —1000/1000 to TBD for a screening of an episode of America in Transition, a documentary web series that takes a look at social change from the perspective of trans people in marginalized communities. TBD is planning on bringing Tiommi Luckett, a Black trans woman and activist associated with the series, to do a Q&A. Money is for honorarium and a dinner with students. —400/2000 to ASA for AC Dumlao event. AC is a trans, queer, non-binary former VC student. AC does work with connecting low-income trans people with legal resources and is coming to campus to house a workshop on what it means to be a trans/queer person of color and the intersections of identity and politics. Money is for food, hotel, and travel. Appointments —Ashley Hoyle as VSA Vice President —Alissa Bringas as 2018 Senator for Activities
Po
up
Roun l a c i d lit M arusa Rus
In this week’s headlines… Early Friday, Feb. 9, President Trump signed a budget deal, turning it into a law that will last for the next two years. Thursday night saw a brief government shutdown when Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) tried blocking the budget deal by holding the floor and preventing the bill from passing before Thursday’s midnight deadline. He blocked the deal on the grounds that the budget did not reflect fiscal austerity. However, the shutdown did not last long and Trump managed to sign the bill before the American people felt the consequences. The $300 billion bill, with an additional $90 billion for disaster relief, does not reflect any kind of fiscal austerity. It increases military funding, raises the debt ceiling and does not manage to cut any of the programs Trump has been trying to attack, such as environmental protection, health research and foreign aid (The New York Times, “Trump Signs Budget Deal to Raise Spending and Reopen Government,” 02.08.2018). On Monday, Feb. 5, the U.S. House Intelligence Committee voted to release a Democratic memo written as a rebuttal to the memo released by Republicans last week. However, Trump has refused to release the Democratic memo, arguing that it includes too many classified and sensitive passages (CNN, “Trump won’t release Democratic memo, sends back to committee,” 02.10.2018). The White House is once again surrounded by scandal, this time with White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly at the center. On Wednesday, Feb. 7, staff secretary Rob Porter stepped down after accusations of domestic violence by his two ex-wives. Kelly reportedly knew about the charges of domestic violence for several months and still kept Porter as part of the team. Kelly has told officials in the White House
Programming Committee —Programming has also considered contributing to Black History Month celebrations. The committee has a concert coming up and is putting in final offers for the major artist for the spring concert. Health and Wellness Committee —Health and Wellness is considering hosting a health day during the semester; plans are still in the works. —Project Period will be restocking on Tuesday. Committee on Equity and Inclusion —Equity and Inclusion is working on a dorm beautification project consisting of small projects in each dorm done in collaboration with house teams. Committee on Residential Affairs —Residential Affairs is considering how best to make use of the Board of Residential Affairs (BoRA), including how the board might be restructured to make it more effective. Chair of Finance Robyn Lin expressed concern that first-year students should have direct access to VSA Senate, something lost when house presidents are not required to attend. President Anish Kanoria said that BoRA has not developed into what the VSA expected it would during restruc-
that he is willing to step down, but he has made no formal offer of resignation yet. Trump has defended Kelly and Porter, noting that Porter has denied accusations (The New York Times, “Kelly Says He’s Willing to Resign as Abuse Scandal Roils White House,” 02.10.2018). Global stock markets have continued their downturn. Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index, the Dow Jones industrial average, and the Nasdaq composite index all fell, dropping by a record number of points. This caused the market to move into correction territory, meaning that it dropped at least 10 percent from a recent high. While corrections are not something very unusual and they usually occur once a year, this drop is unique in its volatility. The VIX index, a measure of market volatility—otherwise known as a fear index—has increased dramatically. One of the reasons for the extremely high volatility we are observing is the move in recent years toward depending on computer-based trading. The use of technology accelerates the upward and downward trends. While it is hard to pinpoint what exactly the reasons were for the sudden fall of the markets, one of the prevailing reasons is that investors were scared that the central bank will increase interest rates in an attempt to fight inflation and prevent overheating of the economy. This is aided by the banks’ efforts to move out of the recession by lowering interest rates, which are at the lowest level since World War II. This makes the safest investment less profitable and encourages investors to invest in the stock market (CNN, “Dow plunges 1,033 points and sinks into correction, 02.08.2018) (The New York Times, “Stocks Plunge as Market Enters ‘Correction’ Territory,” 02.08.2018). SpaceX, a company founded by Elon Musk, successfully launched its rocket, Falcon Heavy, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 6. The rocket traveled on a trajectory towards Mars and landed successfully. Despite the central booster rocket missing its target point for landing in the sea, the two side booster rockets both successfully landed back at the Kennedy Center, close to the launching pad. This marks another big success for the private space company and another important step toward the possibility of cheaper space travel (CNN, “SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy, the world’s most power-
turing in 2015-16. Conversations are underway about how to define the relationship between the student association and the house teams in advance of spring elections.
and location. The previous meeting was held last Sunday, Feb. 11, at noon in the Davison House MPR. The next meeting will be held at the same time and place on Sunday, Feb. 18.
Organizations Committee —Preliminary organization (pre-org) applications are currently being accepted. —Pre-org review is also underway; the results of that process will determine which pre-orgs advance towards full org status. Audits of full orgs are also continuing.
VSA 150 —The VSA will be reaching out to former VSA Presidents to compile a record of memories and experiences over the course of the VSA’s history. We are also exploring the possibility of doing a targeted VSA 150 fundraiser, with the direction of the funds raised to be decided. Thoughts include another VSA endowed fund, or a fund to sponsor students to travel to New York City for job/internship interviews. —President Anish Kanoria has been working with President Bradley’s office and the Engaged Pluralism Initiative to set up a panel discussion of what it means for Vassar to be a “global campus,” part of the 150th anniversary celebrations. —The Executive Board approved a $1,500 contribution to All College Days as part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary. —Senate adopted the logo below to mark the 150th anniversary of the VSA.
President —The President has been in touch with the administration about the reappointment of Dean of the College Chris Roellke; a survey was sent out to all students via email. —The President advocated for the creation of an Asian American Studies Department in response to the recent petition circulated by students. The organizers of the petition were put in touch with a Vassar alum who can help with the process of advocating for a new department. —The President also advocated for the creation of an international students alumnae/i association. —The VSA website has been made largely up to date; this process is almost complete. —The College is restructuring its sustainability committee such that it will now have more decision makers on it and include three student representatives (instead of just two). One of the student reps will be a senator from the VSA and the two others will be student leaders from sustainability orgs on campus. —Spring elections will be happening in six to eight weeks. Meeting Location and Time VSA has recently changed its meeting time
ful rocket,” 02.07.2018). An official case against Uber began this week. Wayamo, a self-driving car business, which is owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has accused Uber of stealing trade secrets. Uber’s ousted chief executive, Travis Kalanick, testified about acquiring Otto, a startup created by an engineer who was employed at Waymo. The company argues that the acquisition was made only to gain technical secrets, while Uber claims that it obtained Otto because driverless cars present a threat to Uber’s business model (CNN, “What we learned in the Waymo v. Uber case,” 02.10.2018). Around the world… The Maldives declared a state of emergency and suspended a large part of its constitution on Monday, Feb. 5. This came as a result of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s refusal to abide by the Supreme Court ruling calling for the release of opposing politicians. On Monday evening, soldiers took over the court building and arrested two of the five judges. Following the incident, the remaining three judges reversed their previous ruling (CNN, “What’s happening in the Maldives? All you need to know,” 02.07.2018). This week marked the beginning of the 23rd Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. The event was filled with diplomatic fireworks as the two Koreas marched under the same flag at the opening ceremony. Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is attending the games. Though she was seated close to Vice President Mike Pence, the two did not acknowledge each other. She also invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit his country’s northern neighbor. If the visit happens, it will be the first time in a decade that a South Korean president has visited North Korea (The New York Times, “Sister of North Korean Leader Arrives in South Korea for Highly Symbolic Trip,” 02.08.2018). On Tuesday, Feb. 6, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 struck Taiwan, 22 kilometers north of the city of Hualien. The earthquake killed at least nine people and injured around 270 people, while eight people are still unaccounted for. The island is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and thus experiences earthquakes regularly. The largest earthquake in past years occurred in 1999,
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
—Julian Corbett, VSA General Intern
Courtesy of the VSA
Defunct Org De-certifications —Body Positive —Episcopal Church of Vassar College —Knights of CommuKnitty —PEACE —Student Class Issues Alliance —VC Punx —Young Democratic Socialists
Black History Month —The VSA is considering sponsoring an event to mark Black History Month. Chair of Equity and Inclusion Tamar Ballard suggested sponsoring a group of students to visit an African American museum. The African American Alumnae/i of Vassar College (AAAVC) is helping to coordinate a “Vassar Day in Harlem” to see important sites from Black history.
when a 7.3-magnitude earthquake killed 2,400 people (CNN, “Search for missing in Taiwan after earthquake topples buildings,” 02.08.2018). In Iran, women are still protesting the law that requires them to cover their heads in public. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani released a report this week showing that almost half of Iranians are in favor of changing the current law (The Wall Street Journal, “‘I Have No Fear’: Iranian Women Cast Off Islamic Head Scarves in Protest,” 02.07.2018). In our backyard... The City of Poughkeepsie Common Council has appointed seven new members to the Industrial Development Agency (IDA). IDA promotes economic activity and private investment in Poughkeepsie with the mission of improving job opportunities in the city and the welfare of its residents. The council plays an especially important role, due to Poughkeepsie’s high level of unemployment and poverty (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Seven appointed to Poughkeepsie’s Industrial Development Agency,” 02.01.2018). Keeping up with 2020 hopefuls… Former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former mayor of San Antonio Julian Castro has expressed his interest in a 2020 presidential run. Castro said that he will make a final decision by the end of 2018 and that right now he is focusing on helping young Democrats win the midterm races. CNN has speculated that there is a place in the 2020 race for a Latino candidate, with Nevada being the third state to vote and with California moving its primary up to right after Super Tuesday (CNN, “#2020Vision: Castro: ‘Yeah, I’m interested’ in 2020; the Obamaworld primary; Gillibrand rejects Rubio-Ivanka family leave plan,” 02.09.2018). Former Attorney General Eric Holder indicated that he might be thinking of running in 2020. However, some Democratic strategists are suggesting that he is not thinking seriously about the elections and is only using the attention to increase the funding for his National Democratic Redistricting Committee (CNN, “#2020Vision: Castro: ‘Yeah, I’m interested’ in 2020; the Obamaworld primary; Gillibrand rejects Rubio-Ivanka family leave plan,” 02.09.2018).
FEATURES
Page 6
February 15, 2018
Current student fellow anticipates next year’s changes Ethan Pierce
GUEST REPORTER
A
Sumiko Neary/The Miscellany News
s one of the first big moves from our new administration, the student fellow program—specifically the stufel job description and responsibilities—underwent some major renovations. As a current student fellow and someone who spoke to President Bradley about the new program, I would like to help people better understand these changes and what they mean for our campus next year. What’s new? Let’s start with the elephant in the room: the student fellow position will now put (up to) $3000 in next year’s student fellows’ bank accounts. That makes the student fellow role a full Work-Study job, but with the caveat that you do not need to be Work-Study eligible to apply. Had I been chosen as a stufel for next year, I might be jumping for joy, but as one of this season’s cast I must say I’m not a huge fan. Every current student fellow applied because they wanted to be a student fellow and take on all the varied roles and responsibilities that come with the position; this year’s applicant pool (while potentially larger) has an extra $3000 encouraging them to make that decision. On the other hand, being a student fellow is one of the most demanding positions on campus, so it makes sense to provide adequate compensation. However, another side effect of this change makes me ultimately against the salary boost: Stufels are now considered employees of the Office of Residential Life, which will likely change their status as confidential resources to mandated reporters. This may just sound like a bunch of jargon, but it could be the most impactful change to the new position considering the sexual assault and sexual harassment disclosures that student fellows receive with horrifying frequency. Currently, student fellows are required to report any allegations that come through our door, but we are NOT required to provide any identifying information about the involved parties. However, mandated reporters must provide identifying details in their re-
Cushing house, where Ethan lives along with his student fellow group, is filled with a passionate and enthusiastic team of ResLife members—as are all the nine Vassar dorms. ports. This takes away the option of reporting to a student fellow without the college getting involved, which might discourage reporting. To my understanding, these changes are necessary now that student fellows will be official employees, which is my ultimate argument against the pay raise. The next big change to the student fellow position is the increased commitment, which includes: student fellow meetings lasting an hour longer, additional workshops throughout the semester, bi-weekly one on ones with the House
Advisor, weekend duties, office hours and additional days of training in spring and summer. That seems like a lot. It is a lot. However, you could take the stance that if you were a good stufel, you would probably be doing some of those things anyway. This perspective makes the extra work seem justified. Spending time with fellowees during the week and making yourself available and present in your hallway are incredibly important parts of establishing trust and rapport. Instead of figuring out how to build those important relationships on their
own, next year’s student fellows will have it all scheduled out ahead of time. I am not entirely against more training, as long as the time is used productively. This year as a student fellow, I was surprised and frankly overwhelmed at times by my job. It felt like I was in a position to help but sometimes lacked the tools to really be effective. More training could potentially fill that gap and produce a group of well-trained, effective, and prepared student fellows…but I’m not optimistic. The exercises that comprised the student fellow summer training were unanimously helpful, however in my opinion the winter retreat was poorly executed. This is where ResLife needs to significantly improve the student fellow program: by bringing in qualified individuals to cover the variety of topics student fellows must be comfortable with, alongside making training engaging and impactful. The last notable change to the student fellow program has to do with the infamous three B’s, or the rules that prohibit student fellows and first years in their house from engaging in the consumption of alcohol/drugs or sexual/amorous relationships together. These rules have now been expanded to cover the entire freshman class. This stringent rule largely limits the freedom of student fellows to socialize with new students. ResLife and the administration seem to be denying the inevitability of all those situations and creating more opportunities to discipline students for fabricated offences. In truth, we will not know how this new system will work out until next year. Having spoken to some of the applicants for the new position, I can’t help but feel a sense of optimism. As I write this, I feel confident that I can rely not on the new system, not on the training, but on what student fellows have always brought to the table themselves. The success of this program ultimately depends on the quality of the student fellows and on the Vassar tradition of students helping each other, and no amount of regulation or mandated programming will change that.
If television is art, is binge-watching going to a museum? BINGE-WATCHING continued from page 1
When we become part-time residents of a fictional world, returning to it again and again becomes soothing, and the characters start to seem like old friends. Other binge-watchers take further advantage of the almost social nature of immersive television. A natural extrovert, Professor Katie Gemmill of Vassar’s English Department told me that sometimes binging can act as a stand-in for needed social interaction. She elaborated, “If I have had a full day when I’ve just been doing research projects or grading or whatever and I haven’t had any sort of social time, I’ll start to feel really heavy. And if I watch a show with characters that I find appealing or interesting, it almost feels like company. I sort of get energy sometimes from filling my apartment with a sense of people conversing and having experiences and psychological issues and stuff. It’s a kind of engagement that I find energizing.” Another unexpected benefit of binging requires a bit more self-control than I possess, but Tanya Kotru Gode ’20 [Full Disclosure: Kotru Gode is Copy Editor of The Miscellany News] makes full use of it. As she stated in an email, “I do it to reward myself. I can’t find myself doing it as routine because I have too much work, but every once in a while when I’m done with work, I’m like, it’s time to reward myself, let’s watch a bunch of episodes.” Rather than binging to avoid work, as I so often do, Kotru Gode uses her craving for the next few episodes as motivation. Allen also uses her binging habit as a reward system. She described her method of moderation and motivation: “I’m pretty good at getting on with work when I need to, and binging a show tends to be more of a reward for already having worked that day rather than a distraction for getting stuff done. I’m a big believer in the idea that to work well, you have to be well-rested, and that means taking breaks whenever you need them.” I definitely envy such a productivity-minded approach; it seems a highly sensible way to incorporate a television addiction into an otherwise functional life. In contrast to the reward system strategy, Graham Ebbecke ’20 binges only in the absence of other tasks. Rather than merely wasting time,
Ebbecke sees binging as its own endeavor. He commented via email, “Sitting down for even a three-hour span of television watching is some kind of meaningful phenomenon. I think the reason I binge-watch television arises both from an existential sort of boredom, and a subconscious desire to stop actively thinking about anything else for a short while. Consequently, binge-watching is definitely the focus of my attention when I’m engaging in it, and not a source of background noise.” In this way, binging serves as an outlet for critical thinking. It involves an artistic appreciation of television, rather than mindless consumption. It seems that there are two binging styles: active and passive. Passive binging occurs when the show happens to be in on the background, but is not the primary focus, while active binging involves a deep engagement with the narrative and visual elements of the show. Gemmill advocated active binging, saying “The whole thing, the visual composition, is not missable. You really shouldn’t be looking away ... That’s basically not treating the art object with full respect. I do think that TV is art, and that people have crafted in it a very thoughtful way. It would be just like walking through a museum and breezing by the Picasso saying, ‘Okay, cool, that has some shapes,’ and then continuing to go on your way. So, I think it doesn’t do justice to the art. But also I think, just for yourself, you want to be able to do deep thinking and deep engagement with art, instead of surface level.” Her concept takes binging from mindless to mindful, which fundamentally alters the nature of the activity. As a parting thought, Gemmill offered her thoughts on the decreed dangers of binge-watching. She opined: “Binge-consumption of narrative is not new … Like, that’s why we have the three-volume novel in the nineteenth century ... People were just angling for more volumes because they wanted to immerse themselves in it. So an immersive artistic experience is not a new thing, and I don’t think we have to be afraid of it. People have always wanted that kind of outlet. We’re just basically getting a new one right now because TV is getting so good and it’s so omnipresent. I think it’s good to be aware of all these dynamics, but I don’t
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
think we have to be afraid of binge-watching as a mode.” Instead of a moral panic, Gemmill recommended, “Maybe [we should] just develop good practices around how we binge-watch, in order to do justice to the art and do justice to our own intention and critical faculties.” Those who see binge-watching as an unhealthy behavior are not completely wrong. Kotru Gode summed up this concept of moderation well: “Binge-watching is like alcohol. With limits, it’s amazing, but if you overdo it, I mean, you’ll go crazy.” I will admit that I have crossed the line from enjoying a healthy cathartic release and engaging with someone’s artistic creation critically to becoming an absurdly sedentary addict on more than one occasion. Deciding which of these behaviors to adopt makes all the difference. To borrow Kotru Gode’s analogy, binge-watching can be an enjoyable wine tasting in the company of high society, or it can be drinking a whole box of iffy red wine alone on a Wednesday night.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
side effects, to reach a greater understanding of the practice. In my experience, I binge much more when I am stressed or overwhelmed. It doesn’t take much self-awareness for me to recognize that I use television to avoid my real-world stressors (thus my well-timed introduction to “Outlander”). For me, engaging with a dramatic, often romantic, narrative provides catharsis; I enjoy shows that I know will have a predictable structure and tension with a clear resolution. Amongst other bingers, however, this experience is far from universal. Instead of emotionally-fraught tales, some favor lighthearted narratives. Sarah Allen ’19 explained in an emailed statement, “If I’m using [binge-watching] as an escape, I don’t want to spend my down time worrying. Sure, I like drama and tension, and watch heavy stuff too on and off, but specifically when it comes to binging, I tend to only binge comedies.” This still falls under the umbrella of escapism, but latches onto the fun often lacking in our daily lives. Lee Ann Bael ’21 called attention to a fringe benefit of binging: “There’s a mild sense of accomplishment to watching an entire season of America’s Next Top Model.” This illusion of productivity definitely draws people to binging; when completing an assignment is beyond reach, watching a bunch of episodes to get to the conclusion of a storyline is an attainable goal. Phoebe Lippe ’21 highlighted one of the implications of this type of binging, lamenting, “I definitely think there’s an immediate relief from stress, but then when I’m done and I realize how many hours I spent doing nothing whatsoever, it ends up being more stressful.” She also revealed another unfortunate side effect, which I call the post-binge haze: “When I’m done, I just feel out of it.” Often, after a particularly manic binge session, I feel almost trapped in the fictional world in which I’ve just spent so many hours. However, being trapped is not an altogether unpleasant feeling. Bael remarked, “If it’s a show that I’ve seen before like a million times, then I’ll be playing a crossword or something like that at the same time because I’ve memorized all the lines. [Watching the show] is comforting, like a blankie.”
A loveable dog living out our dreams, watching Netflix and chilling in bed on a school night. Perhaps he is appreciating TV as an art form?
February 15, 2018
FEATURES
Page 7
Chinese students offer views on liberal arts education Duncan Aronson GUEST REPORTER
I
t is nigh impossible to write an internationally focused series of articles and not write about China. The waves of Chinese students leaving China for locations as geographically and culturally diverse as Singapore, Korea, Australia, the U.K., Canada and the U.S. are only growing. The Chinese Ministry of Education reports that in 2015 alone, a whopping 523,700 students left China to study abroad, more than triple those of India, which ranked second. As my column in last week’s issue of The Miscellany News made clear, studying abroad is competitive for Korean students. However, it is even more so for Chinese students. Since around 2012, more than 90 percent of Chinese students studying abroad were self-sponsored and received no financial aid. Ivy Teng ’21 explained her hypothesis: “[I] don’t know any Chinese student who gets FA [financial aid]. There are so
many of us; you can always find another student with [the] same competence who doesn’t need financial [aid].” As a result, stakes are high and competition is fierce. Even though Korea packed a surprising international punch, in absolute terms it is no match for China due to its relative size. The sheer number of the 329,000 Chinese students coming to the U.S., coupled with their reluctance to apply for need-based financial aid, explains how Chinese students contribute more than 30 percent of the $30 billion and above spent by internationals in the U.S during 2014-2015. Xiaoting Hu ‘20, Alexandra Lau ‘21 and Teng believe that Chinese students are stereotyped to be good at sciences and math and to be shyer than their American counterparts. They also feel that Chinese education is test-based and memorization-oriented, focusing more on passive learning than the active and critical thinking expected at Vassar. Although they do agree on
Courtesy of the Chinese Students’ Community
Chinese international students often hang out in the Strong MPR. Featured above is one of their games nights, where they play “Werewolf,” a popular strategy game, among friends.
these aspects of Chinese education, they have a contrasting range of strong opinions when comparing Chinese universities to Vassar. Hu is very enthusiastic about Vassar’s education and critical of Chinese education: “Education here is all about real growth and ideas. I can go to office hours, have intellectual conversations with professors or just talk about life, fun and random ideas; professors challenge me to really think by myself and push me further. In China, extracurricular activities were just for the sake of formality, with no real content. The only grade that matters is the final exam result...including all of one’s subject scores and rankings.” The difference in structure may result from the relative availability of educational resources per student—Vassar is able to afford to foster a more holistic approach and provide ample access to academic resources compared to Chinese institutions. On the other side of the spectrum stands Lau. While not outright laudatory, she does see merit in the Chinese education system: “Memorization does have its uses, albeit limited; mapping out essays is easier when you have all the facts you need in your head. Grading criteria is also murkier here … The lack of clear guidelines makes studying more difficult as well...and questioning readings, critical thinking, etc. are some things I find difficult as well.” Teng looks at the two systems from a different standpoint: liberal arts vs. non-liberal arts. “In China, once a student enters a university— even for the best universities in China, they will be limited to only one decided major, and won’t have as [many] interesting classes to choose. Vassar provides free choices for students with different interests.” For Teng, who does not fit the mold of a student studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics, having plenty of choice and the freedom to explore is a big plus. Another salient aspect of Vassar’s liberal arts education is its progressive principles. After coming to Vassar, Teng has become more aware
of the difference in values between Vassar and China: “Vassar is definitely inclusive for people identifying in different ways; in China, however, people’s knowledge about gender is still simply binary. I pay more attention to certain languages and behaviors that contains biases that I didn’t realize before.” Although it might seem strange to think of Vassar as having a “culture,” its unique climate certainly invites comparison. Many agree that Vassar’s inclusive attitude is beneficial, yet Lau argues that it can be alienating in practice. She opined, “It can be sometimes tiring to be treated as a novelty...I found the ‘You Belong Here’ series [staged during orientation week to promote inclusion] well-meaning but frankly, a little patronizing—assuming we belong because the Vassar student body is willing to accept us.” It can be difficult to find a balance between celebrating differences and being treated equally. An additional point of contrast between Chinese and other international students is their likelihood of returning home after studying abroad. Whether it be right after college, graduate school or a few years of work experience, 80 percent of Chinese students returned to China, according to the recent statistics from the Ministry of Education. In this sense, foreign education is viewed as an investment to give them an edge in the job market in their own country as opposed to permanently immigrating abroad. However, Teng thinks this could change as the opportunities back home shrink: “[T]he market for econ students is getting more and more competitive, and almost filled, so for me and my peers, econ is no longer ‘the secure major that gets you [to] stay in the US.’ ” If Chinese students perceive fewer returns from the investment of studying abroad, it could tighten the belts of American colleges by over $10 billion. However, studying abroad is not only a financial investment: it is an investment in education, emotional growth and personal satisfaction. No student, even an Econ major, could put a price on those returns.
Org of the Week: Asian Students’ Alliance fosters inclusion Aidan Zola
GUEST REPORTER
A
Courtesy of Asian Students’ Alliance
s one of the largest student-run identity orgs on Vassar’s campus, the Asian Students’ Alliance (ASA) is not slowing down any time soon. From weekly General Body [GB] and Executive Board meetings to extensive campus-wide initiatives and programming, the ASA has been incredibly successful in reaching large portions of the Vassar community. Vassar’s ASA has been around for decades— at least since the early 1990s—though the organization grows and develops with each incoming class. Today, according to the org’s Facebook page, its mission is “to develop a strong sense of identity and to educate the larger community about the issues concerning Asians and Asian Americans.” The statement continues, “ASA will provide support to its members and serve as a body to represent, to the best of its ability, the distinct cultures of all of the members of ASA. ASA’s support extends to the community of color at large, as well as other social awareness groups.” This semester, the ASA plans to turn out several org- and campus-wide events. President Nicole Kormendi ’20 spoke on one of these programs in particular: “Our biggest event of the semester is Lunar New Year! ASA will be having a dinner, and we’re collaborating with the Chinese Students’ Community and the Southeast Asian Students’ Alliance to host it.” Treasurer Megan Wang ’20 expressed the personal meaning of this holiday, saying, “Lunar New Year has got just a special place in my heart because I celebrate it at home. And then when you can’t do it at home, it’s really, really nice to have that space here.” The dinner will take place on Feb. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Villard Room. Tickets are available in the Mug alcove this week. In addition to programs like the Lunar New Year celebration, the ASA has also been a part of a campus-wide movement actively working toward reforming the Asian Studies department at Vassar College. Kormendi explained the movement in more detail: “Currently, the Asian Studies department is very lacking in that
it has no Asian American Studies courses and very few non–East Asian focused courses.” She continued, “This is problematic because East Asian narratives are generally given more visibility than Southeast Asian and South Asian narratives, especially in the U.S. Also, a lack of Asian American Studies perpetuates the exclusion and silencing of these voices.” With a working group that meets every week and an online petition boasting over 700 signatures, this initiative has gained remarkable momentum. Wang stressed: “This is not something new, it’s been around. Students demanding Asian American Studies courses is not something that started just this year.” Outside of the ASA’s many events and initiatives, several Executive Board members expressed their desire to work more closely with other Asian identity groups in the coming months. Media Chair Heather Phan Nguyen ’20 elaborated: “Something we talk about a lot is how our title is the ‘umbrella org’ for Asian-identifying students.” She went on, “I feel like our org has somehow gotten the reputation of being the East Asian Students’ Alliance instead of the Asian Students’ Alliance, and so we’re trying really hard to be more inclusive with our programming and events that we put out.” Kormendi explained how the ASA is already working towards this goal: “Something we’ve done to start dialogue about this is have an umbrella-org meeting with other pan-Asian orgs like SEASA and SASA…just to think about the ways in which we can better support each other and communicate. We had some really good conversation at this meeting, and we’re actually having a dinner on Monday with everyone to foster more dialogue.” When asked about their reasons for being a part of the ASA’s Executive Board, all interviewees agreed: the community and passion behind the org’s members is what kept them coming back. Administrative Liaison Janrey Serapio ’20 explained: “I decided to come onto Executive Board this year because ASA was really just a home for me last year. I wanted to recreate that
Captured here are members of the Asian Students’ Alliance during one of their weekly General Board meetings, which are integral to planning the semester’s interesting events. for this year’s first-years.” Nguyen agreed that ASA is fundamentally a space of belonging and inclusion. She remarked: “I think the thing that keeps me coming back is getting to do things with people who are equally as passionate about it as I am. Also, just getting to know people through our GB meetings and working together with first-years to create a space that we all love and enjoy. It’s just so home-y!” Wang emphasised that managing ASA can be stressful. She commented, “Running an identity org is no walk in the park. But, it’s just so rewarding because at the end of the day it’s just so worth it. The work is so important.” Indeed,
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
between programming, academic initiatives and regular meetings, Vassar’s ASA has been working harder than ever, and this work has had a significant impact on Vassar’s community. Kormendi concluded: “My favorite part is that my job as president is to create a space in which students feel comfortable and feel at home. I think that’s really powerful because being a POC on this campus at times can feel pretty isolating. It’s just really nice to have a group of people who share similar experiences and who are supporting and friendly.” Ultimately, ASA’s blend of inclusive events and passionate leadership ensure that its members can truly call the org home.
FEATURES
Page 8
“The Light”
February 15, 2018
by Eden Forbes
submit to misc@vassar.edu
Star Crossed
Ben Costa
ACROSS 1. Morticia's true love 6. "Hey you!" 10. What lunches never are 14. Escape from 15. Left white rook's square 16. Tiniest amount 17. Tiny pebble-shaped candies 18. Injury indicator 19. Self-satisfied 20. Medical procedures 22. A prince or princess, to a monarch 23. One-ninth of 'the whole' by 24. Useless or impractical ACROSS 44. Arrange by kind 26. Snake deity 1. Morticia’s true love 46. A black cat walking by, for example 30. Big Bang Theory network 6. “Hey you!” 47. Family 31. Hermione's true love 10. What lunches never are 49. A slippery road 32. Star Wars'subjects McGregor 14. Escape from 50. Obituary 15. Left white rook’s square 51. Country north of waterbird Lake Victoria 33. Eerie-sounding 16. Tiniest amount 54. A gentle accent 35. Grapefruit-orange-tangerine 17. Tiny pebble-shaped candies 56. A company’s image hybrids 18. Injury indicator 57. Indicating ownership 39. Buttercup's true love 19. Self-satisfied 63. Tight necklace 20. Medical procedures 64. top Beersof a horse 41. On 22. A prince or princess, to a monarch 65. Birch relative brown 43. Photographic 23. One-ninth of ‘the whole’ 66. What a skunk can do 44. Arrange by kind 24. Useless or impractical 67. Instead of; in ____ 46. A68. black cat walking by, for 26. Snake deity Play parts example 30. Big Bang Theory network 69. Not nays 31. Hermione’s true love 70. Alterations (abbr.) 47. Family 32. Star Wars’ McGregor Brushed the floor clean 49. A71.slippery road 33. Eerie-sounding waterbird DOWN 50. Obituary subjects 35. Grapefruit-orange-tangerine hybrids 1. Fellow, bloke 51. Country 39. Buttercup’s true love 2. Above north of Lake Victoria 41. On top of a horse Female horse 54. A3.gentle accent 43. Photographic brown 4. One of a pair ofimage Norse epics 56. A company's 5. Spicy or citrus-y Answers to last week’s puzzle57. Indicating ownership 6. Delivery route riders 63. Tight necklaceperson (3 words) 7. An unspecified 64. Beers 8. A hissy fit 9. A stretching 65. Birch relativemuscle 10. Pole and a lure 66. What a skunk can do 11. Juliet’s true love 67. Instead of; in ____ 12. Clutches or compacts 68. Play 13. A parts gung-ho ‘beavre’ [sic] 21. Anays symmetrical diamond 69. Not 25. Advertise 70. Alterations aggressively (abbr.) 26. What 5 down delivers 71. Brushed the floor clean
“Star Crossed”
DOWN 36. Calcium product used in cement 1. Fellow, bloke 37. A noun that's not a person, 2. Above place, or thing 3. Female horse 38. Transmit an email 4. One of a pair of Norse epics 40. How bricks are assembled 5. Spicy or citrus-y 42. Shape one's hair 6. Delivery route riders 45. Peanut, soybean, or palm 7. An unspecified person (3 words) kernel 8. A hissy fit 48. Combustible chemical 9. A stretching muscle 51. MK mind control program 10. Pole and a lure 52. Good caramel or chocolate 11. Juliet's true love sauce 12. Clutches or compacts 53. Saying 69 across indicates that 13. A gung-ho 'beavre' [sic] you do this Benjamin Costa 21. A symmetrical diamond 55. Romanov rulers noises 42. Shape one’s hair that you do this 25. Advertise aggressively 58. A variety show 34. Narcissus’ true love 45. Peanut, soybean, or palm 55. Romanov rulers 26. What 5 down delivers kernel 59. Loser of a sprint 36. Calcium product used in 58. A variety show 27. cement A little, a tiny, _____ 60.chemical Wait without acting 48. Combustible 59. Loser of a sprint A nounof that’s not a person, 51. MK mind control program 28. 37. Sound shock 61. Julia-Louis Dreyfus or Joe 60. Wait without acting thing 52. Good caramel or chocolate 61. Julia-Louis Dreyfus or Joe 29. place, Fuel oradditives for reducing Biden 38. Transmit an email sauce Biden pinging noises 62. Long ago 40. How bricks are assembled 53. Saying 69 across indicates 62. Long ago 34. Narcissus' true love
The Miscellany Crossword
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February 15, 2018
OPINIONS
Page 9
The Miscellany news Staff Editorial
Stronger town-gown relations require shift in paradigm F
rom time to time, there are calls for Vassar students to break out of our bubble, get off campus into Poughkeepsie and engage with the local community. There are many ways we are encouraged to do this, including volunteer work and Community Engaged Learning credits. Most recently, there is Vassar’s new partnership with the Dutchess County bus system, which allows students and staff to ride for free, as Vassar will be reimbursing the county for each ride (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Vassar announces students can ride Dutchess buses at no cost,” 01.26.18). While we at The Miscellany News are strong advocates of improving town-gown relations, we feel that the prevailing discourse on this topic tends to disproportionately focus on the idea of students going into Poughkeepsie, rather than welcoming community members onto our campus. Some of Vassar’s isolation is unavoidable; the fact that our campus is located miles from downtown Poughkeepsie is not going to change. Nor will the relative lack of student vehicles on campus, since we come from all over the country and many cannot bring a car to school. However, there are still many ways for Vassar to integrate itself more fully into the Poughkeepsie community by making the space we occupy more open to Poughkeepsie residents. Though the Vassar campus is not technically closed to the outside world, it often feels like it is. The stone perimeter wall and wrought-iron gates, for instance, are not particularly welcoming. It’s far more common to see tour groups here than it is to see Poughkeepsie residents, and while non-dorm buildings are usually accessible without a Vassar ID, locals using those spaces can be, and often are, treated with distrust and suspicion. In fact, in April 2014, Vassar Safety and Security called the police on several local teenage boys in the library who were perceived to be
disrupting students’ studying (The Miscellany News, “Police respond to call from security,” 04.30.2014). While it is, of course, important for a college library to be a quiet environment, many who were present saw this as a blatant act of racial profiling, as the boys in question were Black. One student commented to The Miscellany News at the time, “Within the last [four] weeks, I have been distracted in the library by white children running and screaming through the library; not only was this incident not addressed by the police, but it was never addressed nor silenced” (The Miscellany News). Additionally, even when students do leave campus, it does not always have a particularly positive impact on Poughkeepsie or on its relationship with the Vassar community. The recent bus partnership is a telling example. While Vassar students now get a free ride—or at least a ride paid for by the school—there has been quite a bit of controversy over the lack of adequate public transportation for all members of Dutchess County (The Poughkeepsie Journal, “Getting around Dutchess without a car,” 02.07.2016). Our partnership with the county may also have unintended ramifications on relations with the community. When The Poughkeepsie Journal reported on the agreement, the headline it chose (“Vassar announces students can ride Dutchess buses at no cost”) did not give any indication that the College would be reimbursing the county and thus resulted in some backlash against Vassar on Facebook. As one commenter on The Poughkeepsie Journal’s Facebook post put it, “If they can afford to go [to Vassar], they should pay.” Another wrote, “Wow where[’s] my free ride[?]” It can also be problematic to so often encourage students to leave campus to volunteer or conduct field work, as it creates an impression that Vassar students have a duty to try to “save” Poughkeepsie, all while our own community remains uninviting to the outside. This is in-
creasingly reminiscent of a savior complex not uncommon among other elite institutions. That being said, there have been several events on campus that were advertised fairly well outside Vassar’s gates and that Poughkeepsie residents were encouraged to attend. For a large number of musical performances at Skinner Hall, audience members travel from as far off as the neighboring towns of Beacon and Fishkill to attend, indicating efforts by the Music Department to advertise in and engage with not just the Poughkeepsie area, but also the larger Hudson Valley. Similarly, and more recently, the series of events held over the past two weeks under the banner of Modfest 2018 have seen high attendance from community members, such as the opening reception held on Feb. 1 for the “First Comes Love: Portraits of Enduring LGBTQ+ Relationships” exhibition in the Palmer Gallery. As various administrative offices and departments are taking active steps to engage with our surroundings, it seems that the issue of drawing in audiences from the community in a collaborative, inviting and unpatronizing way perhaps lies more with student organizations. The wealth of student-run performances and productions that are present around campus are delightful to attend, yet only a restricted audience benefits from their presence. A chaste disclaimer that these events are “free and open to the public” does not necessarily encourage attendance, considering the lack of advertising. While this, of course, may be due to limited funding available to student orgs, an increased effort to spread the word outside of Vassar about events taking place here may be an avenue to consider, especially to boost their own attendance. The VSA’s event on Dec. 2, 2017, “Millennial Pink Masquerade,” at the Chance Theater, exemplified encouraging steps taken by students to host events in the community which don’t necessarily take over the space, but
invite students in the Poughkeepsie area to join. An additional “bubble” that may contribute to the lack of community engagement is Vassar’s nature as a small private school, in which it is easy to become isolated from the real world. With our pace of life as students, many of us tend to see college as the be-all and end-all of our existence. Combine this with the fact that most of us live on campus, exclusively amongst people at the same stage of life as us, and there can be found a cluster of people who do not necessarily see themselves as a real part of the town they reside in. In this way, many of us forego the need to engage with the world as most adults do—as active members of the community around them. Instead, we’ve created a sub-community within the boundaries of the College, one that acts as an elite space crowded with a large number of people who look down on the larger area of Poughkeepsie. We thus seem to reduce our own interest in exploring what the town has to offer, even minimizing our interaction with our local peer institutions. The lack of contact that Vassar has with Marist and Dutchess Community College is very unusual relative to the communication and synergy fostered between universities in other college towns across the United States, such as the Tri-College Consortium outside Philadelphia, which weds Haverford College, Swarthmore College and Bryn Mawr College. Our current level of inadequate support for and collaboration with our surrounding community is something that we should all actively make an effort to change. We must not only venture into the spaces outside of this college in an engaged manner, but also invite people in as members of a shared community. —The Staff Editorial expresses the opinion of at least 2/3 of The Miscellany News Editorial Board.
Claims by David Wolfe harmful, amount to pseudoscience Jesser Horowitz COLUMNIST
I
hesitate to write an article about David Wolfe, a man who thrives on attention. For months, I refrained from talking about him under some bizarre fear that it would just make him stronger, that it would just make more people aware of his sad little existence. But I am done ignoring him. David Wolfe is one of the most dangerous people alive and we as a society need to be aware of this if we want to curb his influence. Described on his website as “the rock star and Indiana Jones of the superfoods and longevity universe,” David Wolfe is an author and passionate advocate for “raw veganism,” a dietary practice in which people are encouraged to only eat raw, unprocessed, unheated and completely uncooked plant-based foods (David Wolfe, “About Me,” 2018). Many of you more likely know him from his click-baity, vaguely left-leaning Facebook page that, unfortunately, has almost 12 million followers. The page mostly shares inoffensive videos and memes alongside occasional posts about foods that are supposedly healthy for you or fighting cancer. There are a million other Facebook pages just like it, and it’s easy to share his content without coming across as hateful or out-of-touch. It paints a very appealing portrait of Wolfe. That’s what makes it so terrifying. I very frequently see friends share his more innocuous content online, oblivious to the caliber of the man who created it. This platform allows him to spread his—to put it lightly—unorthodox ideas. Wolfe once explained that “Chocolate is an octave of sun energy,” whatever that means (YouTube, “David ‘Avocado’ Wolfe Explains How Chocolate is an Octave of the Sun,” 04.18.2017). He also claimed that mushrooms grow in outer space (YouTube, “David Wolfe - Chaga and mushrooms - Interview at LONGEVITY 2015,” 05.13.2015) and promotes the idea that the earth is flat (YouTube, “David ‘Avocado Wolfe talks about Flat Earth!!,” 06.05.2016).
These ideas range from odd to bizarre to dangerous. Yet, they are not the target of my ire today—although those beliefs alone would be reason enough to fling him into the sun of which his chocolates are supposedly octaves. David Wolfe is a con man and a murderer who takes advantage of vulnerable people desperate for help in order to make a quick buck. He is the left’s Alex Jones combined with Mehmet Oz and just as dangerous as them both. David Wolfe attacks real medical science in order to sell his pseudoscientific medicine. For example, Wolfe advocates against chemotherapy, which his website claims is more deadly than cancer itself (David Wolfe, “Doctor States Patients Die from Chemo, Not Cancer, 07.16.2016”). Instead, Wolfe advocates that cancer patients should seek out Vitamin D in mushrooms, which he believes come from space and also happen to fight cancer (David Wolfe, “Mushrooms: 6 Surprising Health Benefits,” 01.26.2018). As a result, his website features the immuno mushrooms heart bar, a vegan and “organic” creation of Sacred Chocolate’s CEOs David Wolfe and Steve Adler (Sacred Chocolate, “Immuno Mushroom - 1.44oz Heart Bar,” 2018). While the website never makes the direct claim that this product cures or even helps treat cancer, it is the only product that comes up when you search for cancer cures at Longevity Warehouse, a website for which Wolfe is the spokesperson. In addition, Wolfe demonstrates a fairly dismal view of “big pharma.” For instance, Wolfe claims that antidepressants are not as effective at treating depression as psilocybin, “a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms” (David Wolfe, “Antidepressants Overshadowed By Controversial Substance That Reverses Depression,” 01.22.2018). Once again, Wolfe, Sacred Chocolates and Longevity Warehouse sell a wide variety of mushroom-related products, including something called the Goji Schizandra Drops. At no point does Wolfe explicitly claim
that these drops can be used to treat or cure depression. However, he does refer to it as “Happy Fruit” and he claims that “people who eat it regularly become happy and find themselves laughing all the time” (David Wolfe, “Goji Schizandra Drops,” 2018). He goes on to claim that a “research study conducted in England,” which he never cites, “has shown that consumption of Goji berries for several months significantly enhanced people’s moods” (David Wolfe). While he never plainly states that the drops were a cure for depression, he heavily implies it by arguing that they improve a person’s mood. Thus, Wolfe profits off of desperate people who, because of what Wolfe says, are distrustful of their antidepressants. This is not even the most flagrant example of what Wolfe does, however. As recently as October 2017, he has claimed that vaccines cause autism (David Wolfe, “Cover-Up Exposed: Medical Professionals Hide Evidence Linking Vaccines to Neurodevelopmental Disorders,” 10.14.2017). As a lifelong committed anti-vaxxer who believes, embraces and promotes the discredited theory that autism is really caused by vaccinations, Wolfe provides some solutions of his own. He sells a product called “Longevity Drops,” which are intended to support the “immune system” and the “body’s natural healing response,” although these claims have never been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (Longevity Warehouse, “Longevity Drops, 50 ML”). The pattern is clear: David Wolfe demonizes an accepted scientific practice, he promotes his own alternative and then he sells that alternative while keeping his language carefully within the law. His claims generally have no basis in scientific fact, and even when they do, they are significantly and inappropriately exaggerated. Whether David Wolfe truly believes in what he says is irrelevant: what matters is the impact. He encourages desperate people to forgo medicine in favor of pseudoscience. For many cancer patients, the alternative to chemotherapy is
death. For many suffering from severe chronic depression, the alternative to antidepressants is death. For many children, the alternative to vaccines is death. Yet, an alternative to all of those treatments are extremely appealing. Chemotherapy is not a pleasant process, antidepressants can have nasty, life-altering side effects and vaccines are scary-sounding shots that feel wrong. Wolfe supplies an alternative. Instead of going through valid yet unpleasant-sounding medical practice, you can go through David Wolfe, your friendly neighborhood vegan. Wolfe tells you that you don’t need to listen to big pharma, because there are other ways to get well. You don’t need to undergo chemotherapy, take antidepressants or get a nasty shot; you can get well by eating raw vegan chocolate and mushrooms. It’s appealing, it’s easy, it’s inexpensive and, most importantly, it’s natural. It’s so easy to trust Wolfe instead of your doctor because Wolfe provides easy solutions. But David Wolfe lies. Either he knows that what he says is a lie and he is continuing to say it because it makes him money, or he is just as convinced of the rightness of his beliefs as his followers are. The former makes him a murderer, while the latter makes him a dangerous idiot. Either way, he poses a serious risk to society and to everyone who comes in contact with him or his beliefs. Do not buy David Wolfe’s products. Do not share his content. Do not associate yourself with any business or individual who works alongside him. Do not go to his Facebook page or visit his website. By sharing his content, regardless of the topic matter, you are not only hurting yourself. Even if you would never buy into his lies, you are inadvertently introducing him to his next victim. David Wolfe spreads his ideology online by putting forward an appealing vision of himself that is left-wing, environmentally-friendly, and extremely relaxed. The reality is that he is a snake oil salesman on an international level.
The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
OPINIONS
Page 10
February 15, 2018
Urban agriculture promotes peace, engages community Catherine Bither GUEST COLUMNIST
F
arming. Given the snow and freezing temperatures we are experiencing here in New York, I doubt this subject has crossed many of your minds much; however, longing to retreat from the chill to my home state of sunny California, I’ve been thinking of it quite often. I miss gardening. I miss feeling the warm soil in my hands, smelling the deep, rich aroma of the earth and watching baby buds grow into beautiful organisms after much care and cultivation. I miss the fertile land of California. Though California’s Central Valley feeds two-thirds of the nation, numerous gardens and farms are also maintained in California’s cities, particularly in the temperate Bay Area. Urban farming not only feeds neighborhoods in the middle of food deserts, but also cultivates a cooperative, nurturing environment that is beneficial for all in the community. Urban farms cultivate a family of people who are engaged in their communities, care about the environment, and are dedicated to providing food security for their neighbors. One urban farm I have come back to again and again is Canticle Farm in Oakland, CA. Canticle Farm is a small, humble group of houses in East Oakland, forming an “intergenerational, interracial, interfaith community” (Canticle Farm, “About”). In the middle of a high-crime food desert, Canticle Farm sticks out as a haven for all in the area. In fact, the farm sits right in the middle of rival gang territory, yet has never experienced any sort of violence. The farm does not even have gates surrounding the area, unlike neighboring houses. Residents and workers are welcoming to everyone looking for a safe, peaceful, restorative space. Like many urban farms, Canticle Farm is not just a place to grow fruits and vegetables, but a socially just space. The farm prioritizes restorative justice and the breaking down of barriers
between people, in addition to education and service. Canticle Farm houses former inmates who are recovering from the trauma of incarceration, those without homes or families to which to return and all others who are seeking guidance and support. The farm opens itself to anyone seeking respite and looking to give back to their community. Though it was founded by Catholics, the farm community accepts and seeks to learn from people of any religious identification. The first time I visited Canticle Farm, I knew it was a place where I could be completely open and vulnerable. Upon entering, I was greeted with a sizeable, yet homely, kitchen filled with jars of grains, homemade medicines, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Residents cooking in the kitchen welcomed us warmly, treating us not like strangers or even as visitors, but as old friends. Immediately, I felt I was already a part of this community. Walking down the steps to the garden, I was greeted by groves of trees and growing strawberries, kale, chard, herbs and peppers. Surrounded by nature, I no longer felt as though I was in Oakland. I felt completely removed from city life, transported to a healing space abounding with nature, love, acceptance and opportunities for self-growth. I sat in the shade of an oak tree for an immeasurable period of time thinking about nature’s great capacity to care for us, our duty to care for nature, and nature’s call for us to take care of one another. At Canticle Farm, I encountered dreamers, realists and individuals still figuring out what they believe. Meeting people from a variety of backgrounds, I was able to connect with those fighting to stay in this country, those healing from former incarceration, those without homes, those without families and those who simply needed safe lodgings. Canticle Farm offers a safe space for people of completely different backgrounds who never would have been able to meet in daily life to relate to one another, and even to become friends.
Observing the real work that Canticle Farm does for my city inspires me to take part in the action. In addition to offering food security for the surrounding neighborhood and housing for those in need of solace and healing, Canticle Farm also offers meditation classes, workshops on non-violence and other spiritual experiences. Canticle Farm hosts students from nearby schools, allowing them to farm and connect with others on a spiritual level. The farm teaches students about overcoming racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia, as well as the social structures that must fundamentally change in order to accomplish this. Urban agriculture projects are rooted in egalitarian and equitable ideals. In favor of a cooperative, local economy, Canticle Farm recognizes the harm of modern capitalism and strives to serve as an example of the kind of peace and unity humans can form without greed and consumerism. These values are present in the residents and volunteers, all of whom strive to give back to their local community and beyond. Many of the residents with whom I spoke had gone back to school to pursue degrees, hoping to eventually help those suffering from the same experienced they had gone through. Canticle Farm is just one project that has helped many in my own community. There are countless other urban farms all over the country. The goals of urban agriculture are simple: to use abandoned or vacant land to grow crops and increase food security, to teach neighborhoods about health and wellness and to center communities around a mutual desire for justice. Urban agriculture combats a variety of problems plaguing communities, such as violence, food deserts, gentrification, mass incarceration and a lack of education. Though not the sole solution for these problems, urban farms serve as havens for individuals and for communities and act as beacons of peace in neighborhoods. Luckily, the Vassar community has a farm within walking distance of us: the Poughkeepsie Farm
Project on the Vassar Farm. Though not identical to Canticle Farm, the 12-acre Poughkeepsie Farm Project strives to “cultivate a just and sustainable food system in the mid-Hudson valley” (Poughkeepsie Farm Project, “About”). By producing food for the surrounding area, training future farmers, educating local students about wellness and sustainability and increasing access to locally grown food, the Poughkeepsie Farm Project does a lot of good for the local community. Farmers visit local schools and help them in establishing their own gardens and offer classes for children to learn how to grow and make their own food. In 2015, the farm donated nearly 20 percent of its 183,366 lbs of produce to the community. As a co-op, the farm provides subsidized Community Supported Agriculture shares for low-income families. The farm also offers workshops on a variety of topics and farm visits weekly (Poughkeepsie Farm Project). The Poughkeepsie Farm Project is always welcoming volunteers, especially in the warmer months. Volunteers can help with agriculture production but also to educate the local community about sustainable living practices, wellness and what it takes to create and maintain a just food system for all. Likewise, the farm has partnered with Vassar to offer work study and field work positions. A number of Vassar students have already gotten involved, working as crew members, garden assistants and garden educators. As Vassar students, Poughkeepsie residents and dwellers on Earth, we have a duty to care for give back to those in our community and to care for the environment. Whether you buy locally, have your own little garden or participate in cooperative urban farming, you are helping both the environment and your community thrive. Both here in Poughkeepsie and wherever else we call home, local community-building and economy-building are extremely important, not only to give back to where we come from, but to invest in where we are bound to go.
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The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
February 15, 2018
OPINIONS
Vassar student wages fail to meet standards Kimberly Nguyen
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
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n Dec. 31, 2017, the minimum wage for all non-exempt hourly workers in New York State—barring New York City, Long Island and Westchester County—went up to $10.40 per hour (New York State Department of Labor, “Minimum Wage”). This increase, according to the state government’s website, is part of a plan to increase the minimum wage annually “until the rate reaches $15” (New York State, “New York State’s Minimum Wage”) (New York State Department of Labor). However, Vassar students continue to receive paychecks of only $10 per hour. According to the New York Department of Labor’s website, there is an exemption from minimum wage regulations specifically for students at non-profit institutions. Their website states, “Students working in a non-profit-making institution are exempt from Minimum Wage regulations if that institution is set up and operates strictly for charitable, educational or religious purposes” (New State Department of Labor, “Division of Labor Standards”). Therefore, Vassar is legally exempt from paying student-workers the state minimum wage. To understand why this is unfair to students, we must first delve into the complexity of minimum wage regulations and understand how federal work study works. First of all, there is a difference between the federal and state minimum wage. The federal minimum wage for the United States is $7.25 per hour (United States Department of Labor, “Minimum Wage”). This means that all hourly, non-exempt workers in the United States, regardless of where they live, are entitled to at least $7.25 per hour. And if you’re on federal work study, you’re guaranteed at least $7.25 per hour as the federal minimum wage. However, states are free to set their own minimum wages based upon each state’s needs or cost of living as long as the state minimum wage
doesn’t fall below that of the fed. When that happens, all employers in that state are expected to comply with their state’s minimum wage. However, this provision, which specifically exempts students at non-profit institutions, excludes students from minimum wage increases, thus guaranteeing them only the federal minimum wage. Anything above that federal minimum wage is a courtesy. It is important to keep in mind that schools that are eligible to distribute federal work study are also receiving grants from which they pay their students. According to the Department of Education’s website, “the Department allocates funds based on the institution’s previous funding level and the aggregate need of eligible students in attendance in the prior year” (U.S. Department of Education, “Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program, 04.17.2014”). However, the website also indicates that schools are usually required to pay a 50 percent share in the students’ wages, so most student wages are not fully funded. Regardless, Vassar is using government grants to pay their students. They should, therefore, pay students the state minimum wage, like all the other employers in this state. I looked into several of our peer institutions to see whether or not they were taking advantage of this exemption and also paying their students below the state minimum wage. Our immediate neighbor, Marist, a college less than five miles away, pays their students the full state minimum wage, while Vassar does not (Marist College, “College Work Study/College Employment,” 2018). Marist, though also exempt from paying their students the state minimum wage, actively chooses to keep up with the state minimum wage. While the difference in the wages seems minuscule right now—let’s be honest, an extra forty cents an hour is not a whole lot—it is important to keep in mind that the state does plan to keep increasing the wage until all of New York is at $15
per hour. Thus, in a few years, if Vassar chooses not to increase student wages to match the state minimum, our wages could remain stagnant at $10 while the rest of the state goes up to $15. Of course, when that happens, students could always choose to work off campus, where employers are required to pay them the state minimum wage. With limited access to cars or reliable transportation, however, that may not be an option for a lot of students. Worse still, it’s no secret that our tuition isn’t going down. Each year, it goes up, as does the amount of student loans that students are taking out. In the 2015–2016 academic year, tuition alone was $51,300 (Financial Aid Letter, 03.26.2015). This academic year, the tuition is $55,210 (Financial Aid Letter, 06.08.2017). These figures do not even account for increases in room and board charges. Keeping our wages stagnant while the state minimum wage and cost of attendance increases does nothing to ease our financial situation as college students. It also bears mentioning that if, for whatever reason, students decided that they couldn’t afford to work at a lower wage with capped hours and the College had to hire outside people to replace them, Vassar would have to pay the workers they hire minimum wage for the exact same job that they would have paid a student less to do (Vassar Admissions, “Campus Employment”). Therefore, despite the legality of paying a student less than a non-student for the same labor, Vassar must keep up with the state minimum wage. The Administration uses government funds to pay students, and as the cost of going to Vassar continues to rise, they should help to offset that by paying us a corresponding wage. The law currently in place allows Vassar to exploit students as a cheaper labor source of labor than non-students. That is plainly unfair to us. Call and email the Office of Student Employment and urge them to pay you your fair due today.
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Word on the street What’s something you’ll never do again? “Leave food crumbs on the floor of my room in Main. There’s an obvious reason for that” — Rebeca Muresan ’19
“Get high with him” — Akshay Rana ’21
Letter to the Editor The Athletics Department needs a makeover. It is no secret on campus that there is a divide between the athlete community and the non-athlete community. While I personally think that the divide has in some part to do with various misunderstandings between these two communities, there are also structural and systemic issues within the campus, and within the Athletic Department, that contribute to this divide that need to be addressed. As a former Vassar athlete, I can attest to having witnessed many of the problems I’ve listed below. While the claims that I make in this piece are my own, and I do not cite any concrete evidence, I do not think they are far from the truth. First let’s talk about two major issues: class and race. From a quick peek at the Athletics website, the team rosters and the athletics staff, it is quickly apparent that things are pretty white. Vassar claims and strives to be a diverse and inclusive environment, yet somehow this goal does not seem to quite reach the Athletics Department. The lack of athletes of color ultimately comes down to recruitment. Why aren’t coaches recruiting fewer white athletes? Granted, generally there are fewer athletes of color present at recruiting events, but that is no excuse for coaches. They must make a conscious effort to recruit people of underrepresented identities rather than hide behind the “self-selection” excuse. After all, when an athlete is recruited, they get a little extra leg up on their application. This privilege should go towards promoting diversity, not helping people who could get in on their own. In my experience, athletes who play at the Division 3 level do so because they love the sport and because they can afford to. At Vassar, where there are no athletic scholarships, no one is playing a sport at this campus because they got a full ride. I would say that most of the varsity-level athletes come from middle class and above. Why? Sports are expensive. The amount of money and time that these athletes and their families have put in to get to this level is a lot. Driving, flying, traveling to tournaments and meets around the country, paying for meals and travel and
hotels—not to mention the gear. Even at the college level, every year players have to purchase team gear that can often be over $100. That’s a lot of money and often it is just assumed that everyone on the team can make the payment. I mean, full-paying students have to come from somewhere, right? But, I believe that there is a large concentration of them in athletics, and that in turn creates a space that is not welcoming to people who deviate from the class and racial norm and clearly divides the student body. Additionally, athletic teams typically form your primary social group. One of the draws of coming to Vassar is being exposed to different groups and opinions, but this does not happen when your primary social circle comes from cookie cutter backgrounds. Furthermore, while there has been immense pressure within Athletics to deal with sexual assault and abuse within the athlete community, there has been little discussion of other prevalent issues, such as racism, sexism and classism. This is largely due to the relative isolation of the Athletics Department from the rest of Vassar. Coaches do not regularly interact with professors or students outside of their teams, meaning that they do not have exposure to, or interaction with, many viewpoints that most Vassar students take for granted. This kind of isolation leads to the use of potentially harmful and even racist, classist and sexist language during practices, in the weight room and in other athlete-dominated spaces. This kind of isolation has led to inappropriate outbursts on Twitter by athletic staff and unequal representation and media coverage across teams by the department. There also needs to be a discussion of politics within the athletic community, especially when there is a nationwide movement going on. You would think that on a campus like Vassar where there are always discussions about the current state of politics and various events and protests taking place, that something similar would be happening in the athlete community. Au contraire, there is absolutely no discussion of the #takeaknee movement, or how the Athletics Department
and community could take part. This lack of political awareness is clearly connected to race and class issues and leads to people making insensitive comments about other teams and schools who do participate in these movements. This inequality within the Athletics Department can even be seen in some of the campaigns they run, such as the recent 27 for 270 Challenge. In this campaign, the 27 athletic teams had 27 hours to receive 270 or more “gifts” specifically for the department. The team that received the most donations relative to their roster size won $5,000 in funding in turn. To raise this money, athletes were supposed to reach out to their families and to team alums. This campaign is unfair in a few ways. For various reasons, certain teams have a much larger support network than others. This means that before the competition even started, it wasn’t hard to to guess which teams were most likely to win because of their larger support networks. While Women’s Golf took the grand prize (due to a mathematical advantage of a 6 person roster), the next few teams were exactly who you would expect: Baseball, Men’s Basketball, and Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse— teams that don’t need extra money because they already have alums and family members willing to donate. The money raised from this “challenge” should go to teams that are newer, have a smaller alum network and don’t have rich families supporting them. This kind of competition just reinforces existing structural barriers in our system, something that the Athletics Department might be more aware of if they interacted with the larger Vassar community on a more regular basis. The Athletics Department and athlete community need to be better. It would be beneficial to all of Vassar if the Athletics Department took this opportunity to reflect and reconsider the ways that they interact with the campus community as a whole. The entire Athletics Department itself is part of the problem, but it also can be part of the solution. This is an opportunity to learn and, hopefully, to make the Athletics Department a more inclusive space.
“I flushed my room key and my mail key down the toilet” — Jeremy Heiss ’21
“Take calculus” — Tarif Rose ’21
“Live on the fourth floor of Joss” — Mya Powell ’21
“I’ll never stay up all night again” — Anh Viet Do ’21
Leah Cates, Humor & Satire Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire Hannah Benton, Photography
The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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HUMOR & SATIRE
February 15, 2018
Breaking News From the desk of Leah Cates and Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire Editors Stellar Brewer Cup record qualifies Raymond House to compete in PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games ‘Hey, that’s great advice!’: Hookup from orientation Ask the two mice of Main remembers Valentine’s Day Josie Schermerhorn and Hannah Gaven CERTIFIED ADVICE-GIVERS
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ear Mice of Main, Help! Lately I’ve been using Tinder to try and find a date, but when I found a guy I really liked it turned out that he had the exact opposite political views. To prevent this from happening again, how do I find out a person’s political views over Tinder before getting emotionally invested? —Politically but not Sexually Charged Dear Politically but not Sexually Charged, We get it. Before you start discussing the schoolto-prison pipeline, you want to make sure your Tinder date is on the same page. Lucky for you, there are tons of ways to casually slip politics into conversation so you can figure out their political views without them knowing, and then ghost them when it turns out that you have incompatible opinions. Start with the basics: ask what their thoughts are on camo. After that, ask if they own any red baseball hats. They’ll think you’re talking about fashion. If these questions fail to get answers, it’s time to break out the big guns. Bring up the NFL or hunting, and by the end of a conversation about one of those topics, you’ll know where they lie on the political spectrum. Good luck finding a match! Dear Mice of Main, I’ve been really intrigued by the idea of starting up a coven on campus. How should I recruit people? And logistically, how does one run a séance? —Witch Wannabe Dear Witch Wannabe, We love that you’re interested in trying something new like witchcraft. College is a great time to experiment and discover unexpected interests! While recruiting people, make sure you’re clear about your passion for starting up a coven. People will pick up on that enthusiasm, and it’ll make them want to join. Perhaps mention that there are spells that ensure a good grade on a paper or slow down time when you’re napping. Once people join the coven with the intention of casting those spells, inform them that they must be advanced witches to cast them, and if they back out now, they’ll be cursed. As far as the logistics of a séance, we recommend visiting the Shakespeare garden at
midnight or the Raymond elevator for an extra air of spookiness. You’ll also need some spellbooks, which the research librarians will be more than happy to assist with. Before any séance, you need to determine everyone’s role in the coven. This can be done in a number of ways. The most popular test is figuring out who can catch the most toads in an hour. Once you’ve established a hierarchy, make sure everyone abides by it, and séances will run a lot smoother. We have learned that many spells involve blood sacrifice, and although there are a large number of deer around campus, we don’t advise trying to hunt them down for their blood. Next year, just stay on campus over winter break and participate in the deer cull like everyone else. Dear Mice of Main, My roommate has always talked in her sleep, but lately it seems to be happening every night. It’s usually just gibberish, but it’s hard to fall asleep when she’s mumbling the name of a random baby. Are there any ways to get her to stop sleep-talking so that I can get a good night’s rest? —Tired and Confused Dear Tired and Confused, First, realize that the sleep-talking may be a blessing in disguise if you use it to your advantage. When your roommate starts talking, prompt them to continue by asking questions. This is how you can find out if they really did use your hairbrush that one time and what their true opinions are about everyone else in your friend group. However, be careful not to take this too far, because you might discover what they really think of you. Maybe they will reveal that they love reading erotic novels about roommates and they’re secretly in love with you and have been the whole time. If you don’t have a desire to find out your roommate’s deepest, darkest secrets, invest in a pair of earplugs or a blanket that you can keep in your dorm’s MPR for when your roommate won’t stop talking. Feeling sleep-deprived, heartbroken, and/or generally disoriented? Send any and all questions you want answered to Hannah (hgaven[at] vassar.edu) and/or Josie (jschermerhorn[at] vassar.edu) with the subject “Mice Advice.” It’s guaranteed to help!
Blair Webber
INTRUSIVE INVESTIGATOR
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alentine’s Day: a day known for manufacturing disappointment and selling chocolate. Way more boring than Halloween, and with a looser religious basis than Easter, Valentine’s Day largely exists as a reminder that we’re all alone in the end. However, it is probably fun for people in committed relationships. Providing fodder for memes that are relevant for 24 hours once a year, Valentine’s Day is just something most people have to live through. First-year Gillian Scirrelli, on the other hand, was in for the surprise of her life. “It came out of nowhere. I never saw it coming,” said Scirrelli. Returning to her dorm for her usual between-classes nap, Scirrelli accidentally made eye contact with the young man with whom she hooked up during orientation as he too exited the stairwell into their hallway. “Usually I don’t look him in the eyes. Not that he tries to look me in the eyes. We just usually don’t look at each other anymore. I didn’t realize it was him until it was too late,” said Scirrelli. After their eyes connected, the young man opened his mouth to speak. Scirrelli described the moment that followed: “It just came right out into the open. I’ve never been more confused. It took me a long time to register what he had just said. He said, ‘Hey, happy Valentine’s Day.’ I didn’t know how to respond. What did he mean by that?” Throwing caution and personal privacy to the wind, the Miscellany managed to track down the young man with whom Scirrelli became intimate during her first week at Vassar: Michael Freeburg. Freeburg was reluctant to comment at first, feigning forgetfulness. “I said ‘happy Valentine’s Day’ to a lot of people. I feel like it’s a nice moment to acknowledge others and let them know you care, even in a non-romantic way,” said Freeburg. After tireless examination, Freeburg admitted that perhaps he did remember wishing his former flame a happy Valentine’s Day. Oh, yeah, I guess we were in the stairwell at the same time, I don’t know. I was late to meet my girlfriend for lunch, and I had to stop by my room to get her gift. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to what I was doing
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
or saying,” said Freeburg. Thinking this to be a “likely” story, the avid truth seekers at the Miscellany embarked on a mission to identify Freeburg’s so-called “girlfriend.” Utilizing advanced technologies such as Facebook and Instagram, the Miscellany discovered Freeburg tagged in fellow first-year Kate Declan’s photo of a gift she received for Valentine’s Day with the caption “from the Peeta to my Katniss...he’s not afraid of #strongwomen #neverthelessshepersisted #Oprah2020.” Declan was more than happy to confirm her relationship with Freeburg. “He’s truly bae. He gave me a cactus for Valentine’s Day. It’s prickly on the outside but smol on the inside, just like me!” said Declan. Declan seemed unaware of Freeburg’s tryst with Scirrelli. “No. He never mentioned hooking up with anyone during orientation. This proves that men are trash,” said Declan. Freeburg did not seem pleased with the stellar investigative journalism the Miscellany performed to contact his girlfriend. “Why would you tell her I hooked up with someone during orientation? How would that come up? I wasn’t hiding it, I hadn’t even met her yet. Jesus, I am so screwed,” said Freeburg. Enraged, Freeburg stopped by Scirrelli’s room to demand to know why she had even told the Miscellany about their interaction in the stairwell. When confronted with the fact that bringing up the exchange with Scirrelli was tantamount to admitting he remembered it, Freeburg slammed the door to Scirrelli’s room. Freeburg was unreceptive to the explanation that high-quality journalism never rests, perhaps because he could not hear it through the door. After a lengthy discussion, a sullen Freeburg stormed out of Scirrelli’s room. So did Declan, to the shock of this reporter, hand in hand with Scirrelli. “I messaged her after we talked, and I realized that girls are awesome and beautiful. I’d rather date her than him,” Declan said. Scirrelli and Declan have since requested to become roommates. Freeburg bought a small potted plant for his own room in the hopes that it would truly appreciate his love and affection.
February 15, 2018
HUMOR & SATIRE
Page 13
Which sin are you? Nine circles of group project hell Steven Park
VASSAR’S VIRGIL
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rannically govern the group so that everything conforms to their personal standards. These overly stubborn bullies who thirst for power and control will find themselves in a never-ending group project together in hell, where they will perpetually claw and scratch each other for dominance. In the second ring are students who commit violence against themselves by acting as dead weight because they don’t care about the project and seem perfectly content with bringing down their fellow group members with them. The punishment for these smug, slothful and self-destructive bastards is for the professor to give failing grades to only them while letting their group members pass with an A+. In the third ring are students who commit violence against nature by making a loud ruckus whenever they’re in the library or a quiet study area thus distracting everyone there, including their own group members. These obnoxious individuals who never shut up are doomed to lose their voice, much to everyone’s relief. 8. Fraud—In the eighth circle are a wide variety of duplicitous scumbags who weasel their way to a good grade despite not doing any work. These lowlifes include those who pressure the only responsible member of the group into doing all their work for them, those who lie on the peer review about how much work they’ve done, those who only pretend to care about the project and then make up a bunch of lazy excuses when confronted with their unfinished work, and those who never show up to any of the group meetings but then slap their name on the project at the last minute as if they had contributed something significant. All these crooked and deceitful scoundrels will find themselves redoing all their group projects by themselves while the fires of hell cook them alive. 9. Treachery—The ninth and final circle is re-
Courtesy of Pexels
rofessors love to think that assigning group projects allows students to bond over ideas, work tirelessly together outside class hours and come out in the end as more responsible individuals. But anyone who has ever been in a group project before knows that group work is less of a friendly collaboration and is more akin to forcing complete strangers to awkwardly interact with each other while holding their grades hostage. Some work out well, others do not. Here are the types of people who actively try to make this experience even more frustrating than it needs to be and where they would hypothetically belong in Dante’s nine circles of hell 1. Limbo—In the first circle are the students who ignore the text messages of their group members and make scheduling a group meeting an absolute pain by either responding three days late or by not responding at all. Their punishment for putting the group in a perpetual state of stagnation is to miss the phone interview for every internship or job they apply for. 2. Lust—In the second circle are the young couples who join a three-person group project as a single unit and spend so much time flirting with each other instead of actually working that they make the remaining group member feel like a total third wheel. Their punishment for shamelessly flaunting their love life during class is to never run into their significant other during meal times and have conflicting class schedules for the rest of their college years. 3. Gluttony—In the third circle are students who always eat a whole bunch of snack food as loudly as they can whenever their group meets and leave before everyone else without cleaning up the mess they made. The punishment for these slovenly miscreants is to suffer the eter-
nal pain of having bits of food stuck in between their teeth that they cannot clean out no matter how much they floss. 4. Greed—In the fourth circle are the excessive overachievers who are so obsessed with getting a perfect grade on their project that they constantly nag their group members about insignificant, trivial matters and prioritize the group project above all else without any regard to their group members’ own busy schedules. These thoughtless grade-grubbers who suck the fun out of the entire project will learn the hard way that grades don’t mean everything when they graduate with a perfect G.P.A. but still end up unemployed. 5. Wrath—In the fifth circle are the wrathful and the sullen, which consists of eternally resentful grumblers who always complain loudly about their group members, their group assignment or their professor and yet contribute nothing to actually resolve the issue that they’re moaning about. Their punishment is for their brain to be stuck in a hallucinatory echo chamber of their own loud complaints and never experience peace or quiet ever again. 6. Heresy—In the sixth circle are the brazen multi-taskers who have the gall to work on homework from their other classes during class time that is specifically reserved for group work. The punishment for these academic blasphemers is to misread their assignments for all eternity and become so confused that they either work on the wrong problem sets in their textbook or submit their homework way past their deadline without realizing it. 7. Violence—In the seventh circle, the sinners are divided into three rings. In the first ring are students who commit violence against their group members by forcefully asserting themselves as the de facto leader of the project, despite no one wanting that. These students ty-
Students in the second circle behave like the above couple, despite the fact that they are in the company of fellow group members. served for a special type of deplorable scum. In the deepest level of group project hell are students who view their classmates only as competition to destroy and who purposely try to sabotage their group members’ grades in order to “come out on top.” These self-righteous traitors are students who act friendly on the outside but attack their group members in the peer review, ditch their group members the moment a more talented group has an opening and lie to their professors during office hours about how much more work they have accomplished compared to their group members. And just like how Satan gnaws on Judas Iscariot’s frozen body in Dante’s Inferno, the punishment for selfishly backstabbing your group members is to be publicly “chewed out” by your professor in front of the entire class as he chastises you for being such a terrible human being. So, what is the moral of all this? It’s simple: Don’t be an asshole during group work.
HOROSCOPES Hannah Gaven
AMATEUR ASTROLOGIST
ARIES
March 21 | April 19
TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
CANCER
June 21 | July 22
LEO
July 23 | August 22
VIRGO
August 23 | September 22
Things seems to be piling up on you this week even though the second semester has only begun. Taking care of piles, especially laundry piles, will leave you looking and smelling good. Your peers and professors will notice your good smells, which will help you land in their good graces.
LIBRA
The waning moon leaves you with waning energy. You know going to bed at 3am isn’t helping anyone, but you can’t seem to shake these bad habits from last semester. Do us all a favor, Taurus, and take a nap.
SCORPIO
People may misjudge you as “two-faced” because you’re a Gemini. To those people I suggest you whip out your sassy, fabulous alter-ego and tell them how wrong they are. It’s a new year, so let the new you shine through. As they say in “Toddlers in Tiaras,” “sparkle baby!”
SAGITTARIUS
You may be looking for a fresh start this semester. As a water sign, your best course of action is to start carrying around a water bottle. Not only will drinking water help your brain function, but it will also give you an excuse to take a five minute pee break halfway through class.
September 23 | October 22
October 23 | November 21
November 22 | December 21
CAPRICORN
December 22 | January 19
You may feel some part of you telling you to explore. Follow that inner voice. Explore the Blodgett basement, look for a bathroom in the back of the library, try all the different butters at the Deece, walk through the Shakespeare garden at night, and communicate with the ghost haunting your room.
AQUARIUS
Virgo, you probably don’t lock your door. The start of the semester is a great time to change your habits to keep you and your favorite stuffed bear safe. Your lucky numbers this week are 1, 2, 3, and 4. Consider making that your new phone passcode. It’s super safe and unhackable.
PISCES
January 20 | February 18
February 19 | March 20
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
The start of the semester will bring many challenges. Most importantly, you won’t be able to casually flirt with your crush who traveled abroad this semester. No need to panic! Instead, get up the guts to friend them on Facebook, so you can continue the stalking.
You may have given up on your New Year’s resolution to work out daily because you are too busy. Don’t let your schedule keep you from the gym. Instead, don’t go to the gym because it’s too cold to walk there, the walk is a workout in itself, and the student-athletes are scary. Deece food may seem a little disappointing after eating home cooked meals for the last six weeks. You can spice up your meals by trying the sushi at The Retreat. Or you could actually try to cook something like gluten free vegan brownies. However, those are gross, so maybe don’t try that.
Capricorn, the start of the new semester can be a little stressful. You can destress by scrub-a-dubdubbing in one of the Raymond bathtubs. Remember to bring your rubber duckies! Anyways, as Hamlet would say, “there’s the rub.”
The cold may be getting to you Aquarius. The freezing air makes it impractical to walk to the Deece or even class. My recommendation: lock yourself in your room and never leave. If you get lonely, you can FaceTime your friends. It’s honestly better because you can continue playing solitaire the entire time you’re talking to them. You know what you need this next week? Alone time and a new show to start binge-watching. As I suspect, you may be falling behind on Netflixing since the start of school. Since you do have a busy schedule, I suggest investing your time in a screening of “Ella Enchanted” and the second season of “One Day at a Time.”
ARTS
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February 15, 2018
Examining autism in Freddie Highmore medical drama Eloudia Odamyl GUEST COLUMNIST
The Good Doctor
David Shore ABC
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serves the rave reviews he has received for the way he is able to bring Shaun Murphy to life. Playing an autistic person with savant syndrome seems hard, but he does it effortlessly. He is also able to capture the awkwardness and brilliance of Shaun in a way that makes you want to root for him. Shaun has a lot to learn and one thing that also makes the show interesting is that each episode seems to feature a teaching moment for Shaun. These moments include learning what sarcasm means, doing scut work, not being accepted, understanding transgender patients and dealing with an armed robber. “The Good Doctor” comes from David Shore, the creator of the medical drama “House,” which is about a doctor who is antisocial and an addict, but nonetheless, a genius. It seems that David Shore likes to make TV shows about unique doctors. However, de-
spite the fact that “The Good Doctor” has been criticized for being a “House” clone, this is not an accurate description; even though both are medical dramas, the protagonists of the two shows are dramatically different from each other in the experiences that shape their perspectives and approaches to medicine. Overall, “The Good Doctor” is a show that must be watched because it has the power to communicate to viewers that autistic people and people with savant syndrome can flourish in a demanding and competitive field like medicine. It is time for TV shows to incorporate issues that happen in real life because not everyone gets to experience or see them first-hand. “The Good Doctor” is progressing into a great show, and I am excited to keep watching to see what is in store for Shaun Murphy.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
rom “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Chicago Med” to “The Resident,” TV shows about doctors seem to be duplicates of one another. There is always the recurring theme of a hospital drama coupled with exploring the lives of the doctors. And at times, they can be superficial, as these TV shows do not really match up with what goes on in an actual hospital. One can get tired of them, preferring to watch medical dramas that explore new territory and go beyond the standard protocol of the genre. “The Good Doctor” is, in some ways, that TV show. Centered around Shaun Murphy, a resident surgeon at St. Bonaventure Hospital with autism and savant syndrome, the show depicts Murphy’s trajectory as he chooses to use his medical knowledge to save lives. Of course, this comes with challenges, as Shaun has to stand up and show his superiors that he belongs at St. Bonaventure. When I first saw the trailer for “The Good Doctor,” what caught my attention was the fact that Shaun Murphy has autism and savant syndrome. I have two autistic brothers, so I was immediately curious to see how Shaun was going to navigate the medical world. I was also curious to see how Freddie Highmore was going to handle the part. The pilot episode eventually aired and as soon as I started it, I was hooked. The first scene started out with the meticulous morning ritual Shaun has. He has to time everything he does, including brushing his teeth and taking a shower, which is a characteristic some autistic people have. He has to do everything neatly and perfectly. For a show that deals with autism, it is important to accurately depict the ways in which people who have it live, and this
sequence does a good job of that. Then, as the episode progresses, we are given glimpses of Shaun’s life as a child. He was bullied, had an abusive dad and had a mom who didn’t really care about him. The show explores the his relationship with his brother, who was the only person he could lean on. “The Good Doctor” also does a good job of slowly introducing us to the superiors at the hospital, both the ones who support Shaun’s residency at St. Bonaventure, and those who do not. The superiors who are against him include Dr. Neil Melendez and Dr. Marcus Andrews, who argue that Shaun will have a hard time communicating with patients. The episode that focuses on the meeting in which they discuss whether or not to allow him in gets a little tedious, as the same arguments are repeated over and over, going in circles. However, the president of the hospital and Shaun’s mentor, Dr. Aaron Glassman, knows Shaun is a genius and wants him to come to the hospital. We are also given flashbacks to Shaun’s introduction to Dr. Glassman, thus allowing us to see what a significant influence he has had on Shaun’s life. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic between the two progresses. The best part of “The Good Doctor” is when Shaun has to think about how to save a patient’s life and a visual of the patient’s body appears. This is a glimpse into how Shaun’s mind works. He is able to visualize what the problem is and as a result, always come to an accurate diagnosis. However, the show lags at certain points and the plot seems quite repetitive. Just like every medical drama, there are a couple of patients that need saving and some drama outside of the hospital room and that is it. Being that this show is a medical drama, it is still clichéd. The way the show approaches autism sets it apart from the competition, but the plot needs revamping and still is missing something fresh. It will be interesting to see the direction the show will take for the rest of season one, and hopefully season two. Freddie Highmore’s acting is superb. He de-
“The Good Doctor,” a medical drama developed by the creator of “House,” stars Freddie Highmore as the protagonist. Highmore plays a surgeon with autism and savant syndrome.
Love, loyalty permeate Stephen Chbosky’s ‘Wonder’ Sasha Gopalakrishnan ARTS EDITOR
Wonder
Stephen Chbosky Lionsgate
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also depicted in all their complexity, as their relationships with other people, and their perspectives and ways of seeing, adapt and transform due to Auggie’s presence and importance in their lives. Via, his sister, has a trying relationship with her mother, who unconsciously directs most of her attention towards Auggie. As the neglected child, Via’s story is a touching one, reminding us that Auggie is not a singular entity whose problems are his alone; it highlights the interconnectedness of human relationships, the way people affect each other and the poignant intricacies of family dynamics. Via’s acute observations regarding how her mother’s artwork seems to be inspired almost exclusively by Auggie, with Via’s own presence almost never featuring in it, pull at the viewer’s heartstrings. We observe Via’s character selflessly take a backseat, as she resigns to the fact that quality time with her mother is highly un-
Courtesy of Vimeo
he entire movie theater erupted in applause. A huge smile on my face, my cheeks wet with tears, I took a deep breath as I watched the credits roll on screen for Stephen Chbosky’s incredibly moving film, “Wonder.” Based on a children’s novel by R. J. Palacio of the same name, “Wonder” explores the journey of 10-year-old Auggie Pullman, played by exceedingly talented Jacob Tremblay—who also starred in the thriller “Room” and is, in my opinion, of unparalleled emotional intelligence for a child actor. Born with facial differences and having undergone 27 surgeries to help him see, breathe and hear without a hearing aid, Auggie grew up experiencing health issues and a fear of social stigmatization that prevented his parents from placing him in mainstream school until the fifth grade. However, feeling that home-schooling might not be a good escape route to continue pursuing, Auggie’s parents, played by Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, finally decide to enroll him in the local middle school. From there, the story is an inspiring, heart-wrenching and wholly uplifting account of loyalty, love, pain, rejection and unity, as the characters delve deep and explore themselves and their relationships. The story’s initial unraveling involves the realization that Auggie has been deeply impacted by this aspect of his identity. Instances when he talks of Halloween being his favorite holiday because it’s the one day where people don’t stare at him and treat him normally, to moments where he mentions that would choose invisibility as his superpower, combine the innocence of childhood with insecurities rooted in serious issues of stigmatization. However, as the story progresses, it delineates the complexity of his character, thus hu-
manizing him and indicating that while his life, his relationships and his self-esteem are very much influenced by the stares he gets and the snide comments he receives from your run-ofthe-mill preppy school-yard bullies, he is not defined simply by what happened to him. As a quick-witted Star Wars lover who dreams of being an astronaut and has a remarkable affinity for the sciences, Auggie is finally depicted for what he is, which is more than just his facial differences. The multidimensionality exemplified by Auggie’s character is not just limited to him, but rather, is a defining feature of the film. Told in chapters that highlight the perspectives of several different characters whose lives are intertwined, the film allows for the story to be not just about Auggie’s experiences, but also about how every significant person in his life is impacted by him. From his sister, Via, to his best friend, Jack Will, the people around him are
Stephen Chbosky’s “Wonder,” based on a book of the same name by R. J. Palacio, explores how 10-year-old Auggie Pullman, born with facial differences, navigates family, friendship and school.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
likely, yet she doesn’t feel that she has the right to complain because she actually believes her younger brother deserves more attention. The emotional dynamics in operation start to put strains on her relationship with Auggie, as well as cause her to minimize her own achievements and milestones, expecting her parents to not care about them anyway. Another relationship that touches audiences immensely is Auggie’s friendship with Jack Will. Jack is an instantly likeable character who treats Auggie nicely when he first joins school, creating the impression that they’re good friends. However, when Auggie overhears Jack bad-mouthing him, as he talks to the boys who regularly harrass Auggie at school, audiences are left deeply heartbroken, seeing the protagonist’s first real hope of adjusting at school fall apart. However, the story is later told from Jack’s perspective, and one sees this young 10-year-old boy display immense maturity when confronted with serious issues of stigmatization and bullying directed towards a friend. He forgoes a fairly common need to fit in—especially within the brutally judgmental environment of middle school—in order to exhibit real solidarity and loyalty towards Auggie. Watching such young children learn and grow, as they actively make choices regarding the kinds of people they want to be, is a poignant experience that reflects how people change and develop as a result of their relationships with others in their lives. The viscerally depicted personal struggles of these intimately connected characters adds a dimension of realism and relatability that truly makes one feel for all the people on screen. Viewers thus find it hard to blame anyone for their actions because one can see where each person is coming from throughout. The positive and uplifting message highlighted throughout is delivered via a candid emotional journey that moves you to tears, yet is punctured from time to time with incredibly honest and witty lines that cut the tension and have you laughing out loud even as tears stream down your face.
February 15, 2018
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Global fashion show game: addictive and aesthetic find Olivia Feltus COLUMNIST
Love Nikki Dress UP Queen
SuZhou Technology
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Courtesy of ELEX Wireless
f you are in the vicinity of a group of four of my friends and me at the right time of day, you might hear one of us say “collect that stamina!” and then proceed to talk about which outfit we are crafting. At first, you may be confused, but if you look closer, you will see that we are all playing an elaborate game of dressing anime-esque girls like smartphone paper dolls—we are playing Love Nikki Dress UP Queen, informally known as Love Nikki. When I first played Love Nikki, it instantly differentiated itself from other free-to-play phone games on two counts: firstly, no outside advertisements popped up, and secondly, I did not have to pay for in-app purchases to successfully move forward. Considering my past experiences with fashion show games, I was immediately confused. How did this game, apparently launched in the App Store in May of 2017, get by while being so…customer-centric? I did a little research via various video game guides and mediocre translations of Chinese Wikipedia pages and, while the origins of this app are rather ambiguous in the English market, it was developed by SuZhou Technology in China. In most countries, what I know as Love Nikki is the third or fourth iteration in a series of well-received “Nikki” games. As of now, within less than a year of the 2017 release, the English server’s Facebook page has over 450,000 likes, and the app store description notes that the game in its international iterations has over 100 million players—making it a global phenomenon of sorts. It’s not hard to find out why. The premise is simple: you are a pink-haired girl named Nikki who has travelled to a mysteri-
ous world with her talking (text as well as audial dialogue, as the entire main storyline features voice acting) cat, Momo, and you have to find a way back home. Sounds typical, right? Yes, besides the fact that the only way to battle in this world, and therefore the only way to advance through the stages of the game, is to perform styling battles against various characters. Nikki moves through the seven nations of the game, each encompassing a general aesthetic of clothing, while collecting clothes on the way and completing an epic fashion journey. There are currently 4436 unique items that you can use to dress up your avatar, or Nikki herself, from wedding gowns and platform heels to unicycling rabbits and snowball sceptres. Every item in the game is meticulously drawn and catalogued with different attributes and tags. Within each battle, Nikki’s outfit has to follow the attributes and tags required to rank above the in-game opponent. This carries over to the player vs. player aspect of the game as well, in which the player’s version of Nikki is dressed up according to specific attributes and is pitted against another Nikki, as they battle it out for “Starlight Coins” to buy dyes to customize clothing. The clever intricacies of the game, along with the artistic execution of the clothing, heighten the experience of playing it and act as the shining point of this game. One of the many triumphs of the game is that it incorporates clothing that mirrors history. While some of the tags for clothing are mundane, like “Pajamas” or “Sports,” a few more eclectic ones weasel their way in, such as “European” or “Chinese Classical.” While the former categories are beautiful in their own right, the latter categories are truly exceptional in both concept and execution. For example, a recently released “Chinese Classical” outfit, “Flower Song in Fan,” references ancient Chinese courtesan fashions. Many of the scarves included in the game are dead ringers for these fashions as well, flying well above the head in still grace. These are mostly included in the “Cloud Em-
“Love Nikki Dress UP Queen,” launched in May of 2017, is an international fashion show game, in which a player, taking on the avatar of Nikki, has to defeat opponents in styling battles. pire” category, featuring traditional East Asian clothing. Another notable piece of clothing, this time featured in the “Pigeon Kingdom,” is a rendering of an 1880s style dress, “Pigeon Manor,” with its matching coat, “Her Majesty.” These items are modelled after an authentic late-1880s European day dress and coat, with peach-colored flowers lining the contours of the lower dress. More recently, in the “Fast Food Waitress” category, a wider array of skin tones for Nikki have been added to the wardrobe in an attempt to further expand this primarily East Asian game to the Western market. Overall, the quality of illustration does not waver, even as the months go on and more outfits are released. A common post on the official English Facebook page is a zoomed-in photoset
featuring an outfit with a caption reading, “I bet no other dress up games can be zoomed in 600% and still be as stunning as ever before.” I believe that is a bet that will not be lost, as the immaculate details within each and every piece of clothing are miniscule to near ridiculousness. Furthermore, these images were meant to be viewed on a phone screen, making this game a testament to the value of craft. Though it seems like a lot to take in, I have not actually elaborated on much of the game at all, omitting some of its most prominent features. But, if any of this piqued your interest, I highly suggest downloading the game and seeing how you like it, or at least taking a moment to stare at some of the art that will appear on your screen. Who knows, you might love Nikki just as much as I do!
VRDT illuminates stage with student, faculty choreography DANCE continued from page 1 ways want to see and that dancers can always appreciate. “In fact, many of my ballet dancers here at Vassar love the classicism, precision and the overall line that ballet dancers make with their bodies,” she added. Other pieces captured the beauty of dance and the theme of “adapting” in different ways. Sachs, who received her formal training from the New York City Ballet, commented on how the theme developed in her piece, “The Inbetween.” Originally, she felt the theme meant “giving over” or “acquiescence.” However, as Sachs developed the work, she had a realization. She explained, “The idea of adaptation or adapting is so much more than the end result. ‘Adapting’ necessarily presupposes resistance, energy, shift, allowance and ultimately change which results in acceptance.” She added, “I titled my piece ‘The Inbetween’ as it is a reflection of the process, that in-between space, that holds the activity of shifting from one place
into another.” There were even pieces choreographed by students. Sophomore Henry Gilbert’s dance was dramatic and dark. The dancer saw direct links between his piece and the theme, commenting, “My piece ‘Wires’ was inspired by technology and how it succeeds human evolution. I think adaptation is a central theme in my piece as it concerns the balance between human and computer minds and how we must adapt to the digital age, as well as how we must adapt technology to suit our needs while simultaneously remaining in control of our own worlds. In other words, adaptation is necessary to maintain balance.” Senior Megan Jackson also saw a relevance of the theme to her work, “At Dusk,” a fragile and ethereal dance. “I think it connects to the ModFest theme of adapting because it takes place as the sun is going down and the landscape is morphing and changing.” The show also featured a longer piece called
Courtesy of Mark Sugino
Dancers Eliza Perkins and Turner Hitt strike a pose in Margaux Lieser’s Argentine tango–inspired piece during the VRDT show, showcasing the range of talent in the org.
“Marksman” that was created by guest choreographer Kate Weare. The work, which received much acclaim among the audience, could be described as primal with a very human grace to it. The dancers wore earth-toned costumes and played off of each other’s movements. With this assorted mix of different types of dance presented, the dancers and choreographers were pushed outside of their comfort zones. Margaux Lieser ’18 challenged herself to create a piece inspired by Argentine tango. “I’ve always been inspired by ballroom and Latin dance, but I’ve had no formal training in it. I’ve tried to pick it up and incorporate it into my dance vocabulary,” she said. “I wanted to do something different and I’m really proud of the result.” Moreover, the theme of “adapting” speaks to the nature of dance as a whole. Lieser commented, “As a dancer, you are always learning ways to adapt to new situations. If things go wrong, you are taught that the professional way to handle it is to pick yourself up and keep going.” For the most part, the dancers have been working on the pieces for the entire year. Each piece had been choreographed and developed in the fall, except for the two new pieces by Sachs and Wilson that were created for the event. The team is working towards presenting all of the works featured in the ModFest performance at their annual showcase at the Bardavon Opera House in March. “I pulled the piece together in three rehearsals—though much of the footprint was done in a couple of weeks in my head. The dancers were quick in picking up the material, and they had no choice, as we had five or six rehearsals total,” Sachs said of her piece that was added for the event. Regardless of rehearsal time, the creative process for developing the pieces remains consistent. Much of the choreography is created through interwoven factors such as inspiration from the music, group collaboration, and raw imagination on behalf of the choreographer. “My material is developed by movement play, vision and allowance. I work off of the dancers
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with set material but happily adopt nuance and error when they arise and work,” commented Sachs. “I like to operate by the rule that if I can’t do it myself, I shouldn’t expect other people to do it. I want to be able to demonstrate it for someone,” said Lieser, speaking to her choreographing process. “With the partner dancing, I came with ideas of lifts or steps I wanted to try and then from there it was a collaborative process.” Lieser also felt heavily influenced by the song, which she always picks before coming up with any choreography. “For me the music is everything. I feed off of it for my movement,” she explained. Mahdaviani agreed with the importance of music in a piece, commenting, “What is really most important is the music...the choreography [is] another layer of complexity to the overall picture. The dancing is another layer to a palette—it adds texture and context to the music. If you have a piece [of music] that is minimalist or a nice waltz, you can add dance to that to fill out the artistic picture.” Speaking to the importance of dance as an art form in general, Lieser commented, “There is no other way to express yourself better nonverbally than dancing. You can really express any feelings, emotion or message through movement and sometimes in more abstract ways than through any other medium, especially if the choreography is not so overt and literal. You can interpret it any way you feel. Dance does a wonderful job of exploring different messages, but also leaving room for audience interpretation.” The Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre will be preparing for their Bardavon performance on March 3 and 4. The tickets are $9 and will be sold in the College Center or can be purchased through the Dance Department a few weeks before the performance. A VRDT show is not something to miss. “There’s this live performing arts energy that just fills the theater,” Mahdaviani commented on watching dance. “There is such a great level of commitment and the dancers just give it their all. The audience definitely feels that energy.”
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February 15, 2018
Sketch comedy group embraces highly absurdist elan Matt Stein
ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR
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f all the records to hold within Vassar’s comedy scene, The Limit boasts the strangest one. They claim to use the most fake blood, even relying on their own special recipe. As President Aiden Lewy ’18 glamorizes this feat, “We really have it down to a science.” If you’ve never been to one of The Limit’s comedy shows before, consider that fun fact a brief introduction to their absurdist style. This Thursday, Feb. 15, at 9 p.m. in Sanders Auditorium, The Limit presents “Win a Pizza Party For Your Entire Class,” an hour-long sketch comedy show that promises to include the group’s eccentricity and possibly a few pizza-themed sketches. Returning from a semester abroad, ensemble
member Yael Haskal ’19 defined the trademark out-there style of the group: “I think The Limit is unique in that it often veers into the absurd. We love to take small situations and blow them up to the extreme. We like incorporating otherworldly or surrealist ideas into our sketches and we try to find a good balance between shock value and commentary. But absurd is definitely the word.” At the beginning of this academic year, The Limit only had two members on campus, Lewy and Sam Peterson ’20, due to the exodus of members who graduated or were studying abroad. This resulted in the group having to rebuild themselves from the ground up. Once comedy auditions were over in September, the group welcomed Amelia Carriere ’20, Sequoia Hatch ’20, Sophie Koreto ’18 and Jillian Van Siclen ’21. After performing together in the fall, the group
Courtesy of The Limit
The Limit will be presenting their comedy show, “Win a Pizza Party For Your Entire Class,” in Sanders Auditorium on Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. It will showcase their typical absurdist style.
has become an amalgam of the previous lineup, welcoming back returning members Ilan Berkman ’19, Ethan Fox ’19 and Haskal. Yvette Segan ’19 is abroad for the full year. Fox illustrated the spirit and energy that arose when the returning members met the new members: “It was instantaneous. I was really worried coming back with how I would fit in with this group with new dynamics. But I walked into the room, and probably Ilan and Yael feel similarly, and it was just like we were back with our family. Even though we hadn’t been there before, it was like we had and we just slipped right in.” Haskal added, “I was so excited to get to know them, as I still am. They each bring such a unique flavor of comedy and humor. And they all just feel fresh and full of ideas. We let in two sophomores and a senior who already have an idea of comedy on campus and are bringing their knowledge of what they’ve watched into their own creative work. And we have a lovely freshman too who is just wonderful.” Except for the groups that specialize in improv and stand-up, most of the sketch comedy groups don’t have a show so early in the semester. However, because of the surplus of sketches that each member brought, The Limit saw an opportunity. Van Siclen recounted how the show’s fast pace was established: “Three people came back from abroad so we spent some time getting to know each other. And then, the show’s just happened really fast. We haven’t been back even a month, but luckily the abroad people had some sketches to bring back and people had written stuff over break, and so we’ve definitely hit the ground running.” Fox provided additional details on how unusual this group’s situation is going into a show: “There were 30 sketches to pick from, which is the most in recent Limit memory. It actually took two and a half hours. It was so hard to cut sketches because there were so many good ones.” After selecting the sketches, the week of the show is when the group incorporates the tech-
nical elements with further rehearsals for the sketches. While Lewy serves as the president of the group, that title is more for organizational purposes. Through his time with The Limit, Lewy has observed how the inherent collaborative nature allows for all of the members to be involved: “You always feel like you have a say in the group and that everyone’s listened to and everyone has a chance to let their opinions be known. Even though this year I am the president, I try to make that position just one of organization. I’m getting the shows booked, figuring out the times and leading meetings, but I’m not the one making the shots on what our group’s going to be doing because ultimately we’re a group.” Lewy coyly added: “I did introduce the group to a whole new Google Drive system this year, which has really changed things up. So I am doing an effective job of the whole organization and leading point too.” Van Siclen elucidated on how each member’s unique personality enhances the group’s overall dynamic: “I think what’s really cool about our group is that each member has their own distinct style of comedy, so when you put a show together with so many different styles, I think it creates a really eclectic show that everyone can find something that rings with them, that makes them laugh or that they can relate to.” The Limit will most likely present another comedy show later this semester and will be hosting comedian Chris Fleming later this month. Fleming is best known for his YouTube series “Gayle.” Lewy ended with what he feels is the important role of the comedy group to Vassar’s community: “We’re all here to get degrees at the end of the day. We’re all here to study and do work. That’s what we pay money for. But this is more than just your school. It’s also your home. It’s fun to have programming and things to go to so when you are stressed out and taking life a little too seriously, you can just go and see people make a fool of themselves on stage and be able to, for an hour, put everything out of your mind.”
Vassar hosts first female translator of ‘The Odyssey’ ODYSSEY continued from page 1
had to write about what set it apart from other English versions. On display in the library are the many versions of “The Odyssey” that Vassar has in its collection, and above them are blurbs that these students wrote about the various editions. The students of this class will likely have a very rewarding experience of attending this talk, given their familiarity with English translations of “The Odyssey”; through this exhibit, Professors Friedman and Patkus have worked to help make this knowledge of English translation of “The Odyssey” common parlance. When asked about what guided the study of English versions of “The Odyssey,” Professor Friedman indicated that these translations represents a wealth of built-up knowledge, ripe with areas of potential study. Friedman stated, “It’s not that often we get to study a text with such a long history.” At first glance, this statement appears quite obvious, but when taken in combination with the fact that this class was concerned with English translations of the book, we realize that “The Odyssey” isn’t just a book with a long history, but one with many long histories. What the exhibit hopes to elucidate for campus is the idea that every translation has merit in its own right, and that translations are should be considered subjective works of art just as much as the original pieces they translate. Indeed, if there is any keyword that can be used to define the class, the talk and the exhibit about Homer’s epic poem, it would be the word “translation,” considering that it comes from the Latin verb translatione, which means “to carry over.” Surprisingly, the Greek word from which English derives the word “metaphor” is an analogue for the Latin translatione: that is, translations and metaphors are literally and linguistically linked to each another. To make the assumption that translations and translators are somehow removed from the creative process is to commit a cardinal sin of the arts— that of discarding a piece of art without due consideration; of judging something by its cover. Regarding the exhibition, Professor Friedman
elucidates, “I hope it forces us to think in a way that the translation is figurative too.” The exhibit shows us why we shouldn’t think of Wilson’s talk as simply a lecture justifying her “radical”
and challenging translation—as the New York Times’ articles would have us believe—but that we should see it as an artist giving us a window into her mind.
Courtesy of Imogen Roth via Vassar College
English while still matching up with the original. Wilson’s translation is noteworthy not only because she is a woman, but also because she tackles the translation in such a creative manner. The talk at Vassar will see Wilson describing the her process. There seems to be a great deal of stigma attached to the word “translation.” Literature, as a field, often has a toxic relationship with objectivity. This is a word that English majors tend to hate with a passion, but when the literature in question is a translation, English majors tear off their disguises and reveal their true identities as rational robots. One is able to see where this comes from—literature as an art form involves spending a great deal of time analyzing the words used by the creator. So it makes a certain amount of sense that you would want to read the original words and not play some weird game of telephone. But nobody’s perfect, and no matter how many languages you know, there will always be a book in a language you don’t know––that is, always a need for translation. Even Dante Alighieri never read Homer in the original form of Greek that he utilized. But this itself leads to the problem that plagues literature classrooms everywhere: the need for a translation creates the need for the “right” translation. The stigma attached to translated works tends to dictate that they shouldn’t be considered for their own merits, but instead be judged according to how true they are to the original piece. This is the environment in which the one-eyed monster that is the “literal” translation rears its head. In relation to this, Wilson’s talk serves as a monument to a class offered last semester that worked to fight against this cyclops of accurate representation. The class was taught by both Professor Rachel Friedman of the Greek and Roman Studies Department and Professor Ronald Patkus from Special Collections. They set out with the goal of teaching “The Odyssey” in English slowly and through its various textual incarnations. As a capstone project, each student was assigned a different English version of “The Odyssey” and
Emily Wilson, a Professor of Classics at The University of Pennsylvania, is the first woman to ever translate “The Odyssey” into English. She is set to lecture at Vassar this Thursday, Feb. 15, at 5:30 p.m.
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ARTS
February 15, 2018
Campus Canvas
A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
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Excuse me, What’s your most awkward dating experience?
“Saying no to someone when they ask if you want them to be your boyfriend” — Hannah Mittman ’19
“My guy yelled at a grandma on the first date because she bumped into our table. Needless to say there were no more dates after that” — Maliyah Faulstich ’21 “Freshman year of high school this boy took me on a movie date, and I got a neck ache from resting my head on his shoulder” — Mira MichelsGualtieri ’21
“Having too much popcorn and vomiting in the movie theater” — Nicholas Crooks ’18
“It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date” — Sam Chiou ’18
“I’ve accidentally called my girlfriend by my ex-girlfriend’s name” — Sohaib Nasir ’20 Anonymous Class of 2020 1. (top left) A venomless baby jellyfish swimming through the ocean: I shall call him Squishy 2. (bottom) Catching hot-pockets from the vending machine 3. (top right) Man reading Vassar catalogues. Medium: Vassar catalogues 4. (middle left) A mural based on the artist’s favorite origin story of the Philippines 5. (middle right) A city out of trash
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Leah Cates, Humor & Satire Yesenia Garcia, Humor & Satire Hannah Benton, Photography
SPORTS
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February 15, 2018
Big win on senior day keeps basketball in playoff hunt Lindsay Wolk
GUEST REPORTER
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he Vassar Men’s Basketball Team stormed the court last Friday and Saturday to split a pair of games in Liberty League play. The home double-header followed a huge win Tuesday night against Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, where first-year B.J. White hit three straight free throws after time had expired to push the Brewers to a 72-71 win over the Thoroughbreds. “After our Tuesday win, there was a lot of excitement in the locker room. That was a big sweep for us and put us in a good spot for playoffs,” junior center Paul Grinde said. “To get ready for this weekend, we just scouted each team really hard and went over a lot of personnel.” The Brewers started strong on Friday night, shooting fifty percent from the field and going into halftime tied at 34 with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tigers. Despite fighting hard and trading leads with RIT at the beginning of the game, Vassar struggled for much of the sec-
ond half, only scoring twenty points while shooting twenty-six percent from the field Grinde led all scorers with 17 points. He also picked up his sixth double-double of the season, gathering 13 rebounds. Senior Jesse Browne started his senior weekend on the right note, adding 11 points for the Brewers. Ultimately, the Tigers outplayed the Brewers, picking up a 63-54 win on the road. Vassar Head Coach B.J. Dunne stated, “Friday night we didn’t make enough plays down the stretch. We defended well but turned the ball over in crucial spots and missed a few good looks.” Though Vassar didn’t get the outcome they had hoped for on Friday night, Saturday was a new day, with a little extra motivation and meaning on the line. Browne ‘18 and Tony Caletti ‘18 celebrated their senior night surrounded by friends and family, as they were honored for their contributions to the Brewers athletic program over the past four years. Coach Dunne reflected on Caletti’s and
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
Senior Jesse Browne drives to the rim during a home game against Bard. Browne, a 1,000-point scorer, was one of two seniors honored before Vassar’s win against RPI on Saturday.
Browne’s careers, stating, “Jesse and Tony have meant so much to this program the past four years. They have made us better every day and are highly respected by their teammates.They were invested in Vassar basketball from day one and it was great to honor them with a win on senior day.” Dunne continued, “Jesse has been our leader on the floor, he will finish his career as one of the best players in program history and we will miss his scoring ability and work ethic. Tony has been our leader off the floor. He has a great ability to connect with everyone on the team and build trust amongst the group. We will miss his leadership and understanding of team dynamics.” Caletti got the start for the game, and connected on a three pointer with his first shot attempt. Calletti commented, “Saturday’s celebration was special to me, just being my senior day and my last home game. It was really fun to get a win and be celebrated for my 4 years playing basketball here. It was an exciting game and vital to get a win, as a loss would have ended our season.” Saturday’s game proved to be vital in terms of Liberty League standings, as the 70-62 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute put Vassar in a tie for fifth place. In addition, the Brewers hold an edge in key tiebreakers, as only the top six teams make Liberty League playoffs. “Saturday during shootaround we talked about when the moment arrives you have to go get it,” said Coach Dunne. “We can’t shy away from close games and big moments, we have to embrace them, and I thought our guys did that perfectly on Saturday. We built a lead and were able to withstand a RPI run late in the game. I was really proud of our mental toughness down the stretch.” Both Browne and Caletti showed well in their final home game. Caletti added two assists to his three points in his first start of the season, and Browne scored 16 points and picked up four rebounds. White topped his career high in points for the second time in three games as he scored 14 against the RPI Engineers. In addition, Grinde led Vassar
scorers for the second day in a row, again scoring 17 points while recording his second straight double-double as he also recovered ten rebounds. “Coach [Dunne] really put an emphasis on getting the ball down low this weekend, and when I got the ball I was just aggressive with it trying to get to the basket,” said Grinde. “Both teams are very good at rebounding, so I knew I needed to get on the glass if we were going to be successful.” Despite Tom Horvat of RPI giving a strong 31-point showing, the Brewers were able to pick up the win thanks to a full team effort. 10 of the Brewer’s 15 players recorded nine minutes or more in the win. Vassar’s shooting percentage also increased from Friday to Saturday, as the team shot forty-five percent from the field, including an impressive 59% on three-pointers. A week with two Liberty League wins and only one loss puts the Brewers in good standing heading into next weekend’s games, the final two of the regular season. The Brewers will first head to Geneva, NY, to face the Hobart Statesmen at 8:00 on Friday night, and will finish the season Saturday at 4 p.m. against the Ithaca College Bombers in Ithaca. These final two games will serve as make-it or break-it contests in terms of whether or not the team advances to playoffs. Despite the pressure, Coach Dunne is confident. “We need to focus on the things that lead to winning this week and prep with focus and urgency,” Dunne said. “We have been great all year in must-win games and we are ready and excited for the challenge.” Dunne has every right to feel positive this week, as the whole team hopes that the momentum from Saturday’s senior night win will carry over to next weekend. Grinde stated that one matter the outcome, he will miss his time sharing the court with Browne and Caletti. “They put so much work and effort in over their four years here and I want nothing more than to get these two to the playoffs,” Grinde said. “They’re two guys who have had a huge impact on me in my time at Vassar.”
27 for 270 challenge defies expections, raises over $190,000 mass attention. The offices of Sports Information Director Jamie Chagnon were responsible for all of the graphics seen throughout the day, the #27for270 logo and the challenge’s now famous introduction video. The posts circulated by each of the 27 teams were virtually all shared on every media platform, evoking responses from an even larger crowd of followers and supporters. “A lot of the content was generated by the teams that participated,” Chagnon saod. “That made things during the challenge much easier, because I was really just monitoring social media with the 27for270 hashtag.” Vassar teams, single players and supporters of the Brewer Fund eagerly embraced the challenge, continuously uploading and sharing media throughout multitudes of social platforms in order to rally support for the cause. Posts flooded social media for 27 full hours, bringing awareness to the challenge. Dozens of students, athletes and coaches enrolled as advocates for the challenge, posting personal appeal videos and accumulating thousands of dollars in donations. Head coach Marc Graham of the men’s lacrosse team thought to set some comical incentives for his own players, in order to inspire them to rally the maximum number of donors possible. “I set the team-based incentives to encourage participation,” he explained. “First, the class with the highest amount of donors was allowed one free pass from conditioning on a day of their choosing.” Graham didn’t stop there. His incentives set higher and higher goals, pushing his players to continue inspiring donors. At 150 donors, he vowed to jump off Vassar’s high dive. At 250 donors, he agreed to take a Gatorade jug full of ice water over his head, and at 300, he promised to run the team’s tough conditioning with the players at practice. As donations began to slow down on Thursday morning at 315 total donors, Graham and his players decided to make one last public incentive to generate one final push. “We posted a challenge on Instagram and Twitter that if we got to 400 donors we would all go off the high dive in our Vassar gear,” the head coach relayed. “In the last two minutes, we got 20 donations to get us to 409 donors and tie for the
highest number of donors, tied with the rugby teams!” The combined rugby teams and the men’s lacrosse team also raised the highest amounts of money out of all 27 teams respectively, with $26,256 and $14,652. Coach Graham and his boys will be recording and posting all of the challenges that they face on the team’s social media accounts to thank their supporters. Like any challenge, the 27 for 270 competition had a technical winner. The women’s golf team collected the highest number of donors compared to their alumnae base, with a total of 160 gifts, making up 432.4 percent of their alumni group. Because this percentage was the highest of any other team on campus, the women’s golf players won an extra $5,000. Each team will be given 80 percent of the total money that they raised, while 20 percent will go to general athletics at Vassar. “The money raised during the challenge will be used to address the highest priorities for each team, along with department-wide initiatives,” Michelle Walsh explained. Specific teams may use this money to help cover costs of equipment, travel, training trips and various other costs. Department-wide initiatives
include facets such as RISE programming, new equipment for the varsity weightlifting room and additional athletic training costs. As student-athletes, the group is clearly inspired by competition, and the lively nature of the challenge provided unbelievable returns for the community. “Of course, any time you add the spirit of competition to a group of competitive people, the results can be astounding,” Coach Graham said. “The amount of money we raised for each of the individual teams, as well as athletics as a whole, will only enhance the already strong athletic experience here at Vassar.” The outcome of the challenge certainly astounded everyone involved. While it can be difficult to predict the outcome of a fundraiser the first time, the Brewers breezed by the initial goal of 270 donors. Reaching 3,595 donors showed the overwhelming support that exists for this dedicated community, both on and off campus. This year, the student-athlete community has shown impressive ability past their respective courts, fields, greens and pools. Not only did Vassar College recently reveal that over half of all student-athletes hold a GPA of 3.5 or higher, but the Brewers also gathered just short of $200,000 in only 27 hours.
Courtesy of Karl Rabe
FUNDRAISER continued from page 1 ident Bradley inspired some Brewer parents, who in turn upped the bar with a generous challenge of their own. If the Brewers could encourage a total of 1,5000 donors to contribute to the fund, they agreed to contribute another $5,000. Donations continued to come pouring in, and in just over three hours, the 27 for 270 fund hit its new donor goal. Multitudes of challenges from Vassar faculty continued to roll in and kept student-athletes eager to rally for donors. Steve Hankins, Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College Vice President and Trustee, challenged the community to its next test. If the Brewers could keep the intensity coming until the fund collected 2,200 donors, he would contribute $2,700 to the organization. While student-athletes worked towards this goal, Michelle Walsh issued her own offer of $500 to whichever team first reached 250 donors. This was ultimately split between the men’s baseball team and the combined team of men and women’s rugby, both of which reached 250 donors at the same exact minute. This incentive helped the Brewers not only soar to 2,200 donors and earn Hankins’ contribution, but also quickly surge past 2,700 donors, over 10 times the quantity that the challenge initially aimed for. By midnight, the Vassar athletics community reached a milestone of 3,000 collected gifts. Throughout the night, the fund gained 595 additional donations. As noon rolled around, the Brewers had collected a total of 3,595 contributions from supporters of all different affiliations. This sum was equal to over 1330 percent of the original 270 donor goal, and resulted in a total of $190,284 donated to the Vassar Brewer Fund. “We really hit a home run,” commented President Bradley regarding the collective efforts and the outcome of the challenge. “The effort far surpassed its initial goals, gaining a lot of new supporters to Vassar Athletics.” Though individual teams and players asserted a vast media presence throughout the contest, the Vassar College Department of Athletic Communications seemed to lead the Brewers’ efforts. Posts flew through the Vassar Athletics’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, gathering
President Elizabeth Bradley poses with student-athletes across 27 varsity sports in a promotional photo for the 27 for 270 challenge. Bradley personally donated $5,000.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
February 15, 2018
SPORTS
Page 19
Surprising trade deadline NFL’s college coach carousel testament to NBA strength comes with condundrum Myles Olmsted GUEST COLUMNIST
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rofessional sports products are sold by businesses. (So are major college sports, by the way, but I’ll leave that for another day). Sure, professional sports are filled with passion and romance and sporting glory, but at the end of the day, the job of a league’s commissioner is to return profits to its shareholders. Thus, leagues generally strive to create the best product they can in order to sell it to consumers, like you and me. Right now, of all the major American sports, the NBA has the highest quality product. In the days preceding Thursday’s 4 p.m. NBA trade deadline, I consumed anticipatory NBA content ravenously. I scrolled through NBA Twitter with its hot takes and fake trades and overreactions to cryptic player quotes. I tore through my favorite basketball podcasts’ dissections of the drama in Cleveland and looked for more. And then Thursday arrived. As the league and its fans reacted to one dramatic domino after another—Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania being the ever-competing couriers—I sat in my first two-hour class of the day. Then another. I glanced at headlines as I walked between classes and during strategic bathroom breaks, but I ached to just fully immerse myself in the day’s developments. Then a third class, this one blissfully shorter. Finally I was free. Leaving class, I passed a friend who had the same idea as I: find a chair somewhere, pull out our phones and gulp down NBA news. What I eventually caught up on had been a historic day in the NBA. Storylines abounded (the Lakers creating cap space, Memphis hanging on to Tyreke Evans, etc.), but the headline was the Cavalier’s untested GM Koby Altman throwing a grenade at his aging, bickering, no-defense-playing roster. Isaiah Thomas tossed like scraps to the Lakers just one year removed from a 30-pointper-game season? Yeesh. Dwayne Wade’s non-existent knees headed back to Miami? Delicious. Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. as reinforcements for Lebron? Intriguing, but almost certainly insufficient against the Warriors. You can find specifics of the day’s deals elsewhere. My point here is that the NBA held my attention throughout the day and thus, directly or indirectly, gave me my money without anyone even picking up a basketball. What makes the NBA product so compel-
ling? Surely the reasons are many, and difficult to quantify, but a few stand out. For me, the biggest factor is that we care about the players. The NBA has stars that demand our attention. Case and point, Lebron James’ following on Twitter and Instagram is far more than any other athlete in American sports. With athletes we care about come storylines we care about. On a Lebron team, every loss screams crisis, every quote becomes talk-show fodder. When his Cavaliers trade away nearly half their roster, we care. The league has cultivated a product in which players can be themselves, which includes speaking out on political issues. Kyrie Irving’s (potentially sarcastic) flatearth nonsense, Joel Embiid’s Twitter trolling and Russell Westbrook’s bold fashion choices all matter. The players themselves become characters in the league’s spectacle. Secondly, the quality of play in the NBA is historically good. Fans get to watch Lebron, maybe the greatest player of all time. We also get to watch the Golden State Warriors, in the middle of one of the most dominating stretches for a franchise ever. We get to see the emergence of a brilliant generation of young stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, combining ridiculous basketball skill with never-before-seen physical tools. The increasingly dominant style of basketball is great to watch—fast and offensive, filled with lengthy wings and versatile bigs. The NBA has positioned itself to thrive in the internet age. Whereas the NFL has maintained firm control of its video content, the NBA has granted its fans far easier access to its video. I can scroll through Twitter and see all the dunks, crossovers, buzzer beaters, and shoving matches. Instagram accounts like House of Highlights are extremely popular and make the game more accessible, especially for younger generations. My story is obviously anecdotal and my explanation incomplete, but I believe the NBA is in a great place. By utilizing its greatest commodity—the players—the league has become exceptionally compelling both on and off the court. The 2018 trade deadline is just the latest testament to this. The product is good and the consumers are buying.
Robert Pinataro GUEST COLUMNIST
E
ric Mangini. Pat Shurmur. Rob Chudzinsk. Mike Pettine. Remember them? Neither do I. Forget the quarterback carousel, these are all the guys who have coached the Cleveland Browns in the last ten years. Out of all of them, it only looks like Hue Jackson is the only one who will last longer than 2 seasons (Sports Illustrated, “Why the Browns Made the Right Decision To Not Fire Hue Jackson,” 1.23.2018) So what is it that makes a great NFL coach? And why is it that college football’s coaching elite often finds it incredibly difficult to make the transition to pro ball? Time and time again, successful college coaches who attempt to upgrade to professional football find themselves returning to the college game after a few mediocre seasons. Even the greatest college football coach of all time, The University of Alabama’s Nick Saban did brief stints with the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins at different points in his career before taking his current position. The current poor standing of professional teams that college coaches find themselves in is at least partly responsible for lackluster performance. Simply put, good teams do not often hire new coaches. NFL teams that are putting college coaching successes at the helm are typically struggling teams looking for a turnaround. Furthermore, new coaches are in a race against time to improve the team before the management loses faith in their abilities. This is incredibly difficult given the additional responsibility of acquiring new talent. Recruiting at the professional level is an entirely different game than in college. For someone like Saban, it is very easy to recruit top-tier players into established collegiate programs like Louisiana State University and The University of Alabama, based on reputation. ] Talented high school players dream of playing for those programs and are honored to accept their scholarship offers. While most college players would be happy to have the opportunity to play professional football at all, teams like the Browns and the Dolphins are no one’s first choice. Players already in the NFL are even harder to pick up unless they have lost their starting job with another team. It takes a combination of charisma, clever trades and first-round draft picks for a coach to begin turning a program around. As for actual coaching, it is difficult to adjust
to the differences in the style of play between college and pro football, especially today. College football is fast-paced, with a high percentage of running plays. Many of the quarterbacks in college football are great runners and do not throw the ball nearly as often as their pocket-passer NFL counterparts. Adjusting to NFL means switching mindsets, in order to run an effective offense and a defense that is prepared to face other NFL teams. While the game is changing in the NFL as well, with several teams adopting the “hurry-up” offense and others using great rushing quarterbacks like Cam Newton, there is still a stark difference in this game play that makes the transition even more difficult. Despite these obstacles, there are collegiate coaches who have gone on to have very successful professional careers. Pete Carroll, for example, has had an amazing career as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks after nine years of excellence with the University of Southern California. Carroll’s initial success had a lot to do with the acquisition of powerhouse running back Marshawn Lynch in his first season and the selection of outstanding dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson in his second. The quality that has allowed his success to continue over the past eight seasons is emotion. He builds personal relationships with players and shows a level of passion that is rare in today’s game. This dynamic makes players happy to “go into battle” for him on any given Sunday. This does not just make him better, but improves his credibility around the league. In ESPN.com’s NFL Nation Confidential question, “Which head coach would you most like to play for?,” Carroll came out the clear favorite. Carroll’s team is already strong, but his reputation will make it easier for him to bring in new talent and continue to improve. Fostering a culture that players want to be a part of is a crucial factor to why coaches like Carroll have made the transition from collegiate to professional coaching so smoothly. College coaches certainly do not get enough credit for how difficult of a task they are given when they are hired by NFL teams. They are asked to balance recruiting, make changes to their playbooks where necessary and build relationships with their players, all while being on an incredibly short leash. This is near impossible to do, but those with the fortitude to do so go on to have incredible success on football’s biggest stage.
Thoughts from the editor: LeBron’s cult of personality Mack Liederman SPORTS EDITOR
I
n yet another annual installment of the thrilling NBA trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general management took a lighter to the piece of paper that presented the NBA’s best roster...in 2012. It was the Quicken Loans Arena equivalent of a brightly advertised “Everything Must Go” sale, the type usually found at a dusty discount furniture store. Scour the internet and it is easy to find other self-righteous writers with their own apocalyptic declarations for the Cavaliers’ roster overhaul. “Cleveland’s best impression of a drunk and stoned college student set loose in a gas station convenience store,” wrote Jack Hamilton in Slate. “This might be straight sabotage,” declared Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take. On a first take, the trades seem borderline comical. The moves look desperate, and unprecedented in the worst ways. Never before had a team still near the top of their conference given up on half of their roster. Never before had a front office so obviously pandered to their best player. Never before had an MVP-caliber point guard been so quickly devalued. “I’m tired of being traded,” said point guard Isaiah Thomas, a day before he was traded (Slam, “Isaiah Thomas: ‘I’m Tired of Being Traded,’ ” 2.08.2018). Laughing at Cleveland had been the flavor of the month at dinner tables and pundit desks, with the Cavs being profiled as fatally unstable.
LeBron James looked visibly unhappy in his own home state, frustrated with hobbled teammates that were underperforming their names. A championship season seemed like a lost cause. Most reporting coming out of Cleveland only linked the King to one improbable landing spot after the next. Something needed to be done. And it was Cavs General Manager Koby Altman who finally pressed the big red button. With one fell swoop, gone was LeBron’s washed-up all-star team, and in came a collection of athletic, yet unproven talent. In a league that has suffered from so much predictability at the top, the trades are a gamble that only creates uncertainty. Can Cleveland be competitive with such a new look? Last Sunday’s matchup against the Celtics might be the testament of hope so desperately needed for Cavs fans. In a dominating performance, the Cavs ran away with a 121-99 road win over divorcee Kyrie Irving. The new players added new dimensions to the team, with improved outside shooting and a greater athletic presence around the rim. The win is yet another reminder that the current state of the game demands youth and athleticism over IQ and experience. And above all, Cleveland looked like LeBron’s team again. “He’s the Batman, and we’ve got to be all Robins. We’ve got to figure it out,” said new acquisition George Hill about James before the game (ESPN, “New Cavs practice for first time as Ty Lue rolls out starting lineup,”
02.11.2018). This sentiment seemed to resonate. From the top down, the Cavs were willing to play through the King, letting him go to work at the top of the key while they spaced the floor, patiently waiting for him to give them a turn to score. It is a refreshing change of pace. For the first time in a long time, LeBron does not have to compete with another star for touches. It’s a real throwback to his first stint in Cleveland. On one highly documented play, newly acquired Jordan Clarkson knocked down a transition three with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the final dagger in the decisive victory. LeBron, in a welcoming sight, was grinning from ear to ear on the bench, pointing dramatically at his new teammate. It was a much-needed reassertion of his status. The King was in control, and he had the pieces to back him up. The moment is just another symbol in the dichotomy of LeBron’s coverage. If James had an approval rating, his chart would look like a heart rate monitor. When he is winning, the public loves to embrace him as the savior of a city, an indestructible and unstoppable force. During more trying times, James’ character is questioned, and the media clings upon his every word. Sports culture loves to build up and break down its superstars. It’s our way of pushing them to become better players, our way to search for humanity in unfathomable athletic feats. LeBron, more than any modern athlete,
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
has embraced this atmosphere. He builds his cult of personality through his highly publicized personal drive, and by means of his unprecedented candor with the media. In a locker room, this can make him an extremely polarizing figure. Isaiah Thomas attempted to use the same brand of candor as James, but LeBron did not respect him as a fellow superstar. As a result, Thomas ended up only straight-talking his way out of town, making statements that upset James and threatened his alpha-dog role. “I feel like I got my powers back,” said Thomas on his new Los Angeles Lakers, an upstart team of which he clearly is now the leader (Bleacher Report, “Isaiah Thomas on Scoring 22 in Lakers Debut,” 2.11.2018). The abrasive statement goes to show that Thomas did in fact feel undermined by Lebron’s personality. And it is that just high-status teammates like Thomas that LeBron finds himself in conflict with. His drive, and his endless commitment to chasing excellence, can create a hyper-demanding environment for his surrounding teammates. “I got back to having fun playing basketball with a great group of guys,” said Jae Crowder after his trade to the Utah Jazz (Complex, “Did Jae Crowder Shade the Cavaliers?” 2.12.2018). Playing with the modern LeBron can be difficult. As the King sees it, either you are with him, or you are against him. The real question is now, for how long will his new guys buy in?
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Why
we
Tom Racek
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Vassar is fortunate to have so many talented and dedicated student-athletes on campus. This year, The Miscellany News would like to highlight the voices and stories of these athletes. “Why We Play” will be a weekly installment in the Sports section where Vassar players will have the opportunity to speak about what their chosen sport means to them. This week, we are excited to feature senior men’s fencing captain Tom Racek, who writes about how he has overcome adversity to thrive in his sport.
I
notification from Vassar. For a brief moment I was frozen in disbelief. Dreams do come true. The hard work, sacrifice and many oil changes had paid off! Once the emotions thawed, I felt a sense of obligation to the Vassar Fencing team, even though at that point I hardly knew them. I wanted to enter in my best form, and with a bang. I set my eyes on the April National Tournament. Cue “Eye of the Tiger.” My memory is just one single blur from this point on, all the way up until the week of the National Tournament. I followed a routine: load the car, drive to New Jersey, work like hell, drive back, be home by 11 p.m., pass out. Next day, mom goes to work, I go to school, then repeat. Finally the week of the tournament arrived, but we hit another bump in the road. Our beloved dog Rocky was diagnosed with
Player
32 24 31 11 4 23 14 30 20 21 12
S. Nick M. Sussman A. Rosenthal S. Cook N. Teta K. Romanoff M. Leong R. DeOrio I. Peczuh J. Roellke J. Cenan
Totals.......
lymphoma on Christmas. This first week in April, he was making his last stand. I left for school on a Wednesday for a midterm examination; my Mom stayed home to be with him. Before I left, I kissed and hugged him; his big eyes were so expressive. I told him I loved him, and that I would see him again. While I was in math class, I broke down and tears poured out. I shielded them with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. Even though I was in the middle of a test, my mind floated elsewhere. Instinctively I felt that he was gone. When I came home after school there was no familiar bark, there were no clicking nails on the tile. Rock was gone. When I departed for the tournament on Friday, I felt cold and distant, but I knew what needed to be done. The tournament was being held at the Minneapolis Convention Center,
This week, senior fencing captain Tom Racek speaks about how he has overcome adversity through his love of sport. Racek has clocked 10 wins, in comparison to only three losses, this season.
which meant that I would see my dad for the first time in six months. It was great to see him, but there were many difficult feelings that came along with it. I ran into his attorney, who articulated to me his conviction that they would gouge my mom in the courtroom. On top of that, an overzealous aunt asked, “When are you selling the house?” My level of anger rivaled a Trump Twitter meltdown. But at the tournament I had something within my control. I vowed to make it count. I finished third out of 82 competitors, and I earned a new ranking and a Division 2 National Medal with it. As I stood on the podium, emotions warred inside me. The people that most deserved to see this moment could not be there: my mom, Coach Eric and all of the friends at the club. When it was over I went to my phone and found two unread messages. The first one from Mom: “Congratulations Tommy!!! I am so proud of you!!” The second from Vassar, my new coach, Bruce Gillman: “Congrats on the result, the team can’t wait to have you!” When I look at that medal from the meet, I don’t remember the moment of triumph. I remember the countless hours of work that it represents. Four years later, a similar feeling resonates. Sure, I remember the women’s team killing it at EWFC or the men’s team upsetting the defending National Champions on their home turf, but my nostalgia rests with the hours that the team spent together. The 5 a.m. wake up calls, the 7 a.m. lifts, the practices, the get-togethers and the travel with it. Through it all, the team has given me a reason to strive to become a better person, leader and athlete – even before I ever donned the burgundy and gray. These transformative experiences and the journey molded my college experience. The process is where the value is. Everything else comes and goes, but the memories stay. So why do I play? I don’t play for the championships or victories, I play for everything and everyone behind those successes. I play to respect the work of yesterday and how it got me here today. Tom and the fencing team will continue through his final season, heading to Baltimore this weekend to participate in the MACFA Invitational.
Women’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball
Vassar College 55, RPI 50
Vassar College 70, RPI 62
November 10, 2018
November 10, 2018
Vassar College #
Tom Racek, Fencing
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
love cheering for the underdog. In any competition, I’m always rooting for the ones with their backs to the wall, the ones who are simply chasing a dream. I so readily fall in love with such players, because I sympathize with their plight. My dream was to be a collegiate fencer, and in my senior year of high school I chased it down. I was in full swing with respect to training and recruitment, but I had to miss some time in September, as I had a run-in with a Rottweiler. Two weeks, 15 stitches and a mountain of antibiotics later, I was back at it. Little did I know that this hindrance foreshadowed more difficulties. At home, things reached a boiling point and my parents separated. I stayed with my mom as my dad left the state. Those days in October were so painful. I didn’t need a spoiler alert, I knew how the story would end. The house, the finances, the responsibilities, everything ruptured. Everything except a dream. I had lots of work to do, but with my Mom’s constant support, we worked together to ensure that it happened. We cut out everything unnecessary. We ended our cable services, bought food in bulk at a discount supermarket, rocked the prepaid phones and did not turn on the heat for the winter. If we sought relief from the Pennsylvanian cold, we would heat the electric oven and leave it open. We had one car with 200,000 miles, which we lovingly called “Big Blue.” Three times a week, “Big Blue,” my Mom and I would trek from Scranton to Lebanon, New Jersey, so I could train at Clinton Fencing Club. An hour-45 minute commute each way. The support given by owner Connie, coach Eric, and all our friends at the club was surreal. I was at the club when I received the acceptance
play
February 15, 2018
RPI
MIN TO AST STL PTS
33 36 32 30 10 22 3 12 11 7 4
2 3 1 3 1 2 0 1 2 1 1
1 4 4 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
0 22 1 11 2 10 2 5 0 3 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
200 17 14 7
55
# 20 5 44 10 15 2 34 24 22 21
Player E. Eckhardt S. Krumbhaar L. Martin S. O’Keefe K. Goodell C. Lewis S. Iton I. Ortea L. Stone S. Carr
Totals.......
Vassar College
MIN TO AST STL PTS
37 29 26 32 25 7 25 10 5 4
2 2 5 2 2 0 4 1 1 0
2 0 0 4 1 0 2 0 0 0
200 19 9
1 13 4 13 0 8 2 6 0 4 0 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
8
50
# 34 2 11 23 30 33 13 10 5 42
Player P. Grinde J. Browne B. J. White L. Tebay S. Palecki Z. Bromfeld T. Caletti A. Seff O. Murray M. Dyslin
Totals.......
RPI
MIN TO AST STL PTS
30 29 18 24 9 31 15 24 10 10
1 4 2 2 1 2 1 1 0 0
1 1 3 2 0 0 2 5 2 0
0 17 0 16 2 14 1 9 0 6 0 3 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 0
200 14 16 4
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
70
# 10 34 23 5 42 24 11 41
Player T. Horvat A. Kontopidis M. Wayand B. Featherston A. Barnhill K. Davis M. Giese P. Mahoney
Totals.......
MIN TO AST STL PTS
34 36 25 21 23 29 24 8
3 1 0 1 1 3 0 0
200 9 7
1 2 0 1 3 0 0 0
3 31 3 14 0 6 0 5 0 4 1 2 1 0 0 0
8
62