The Miscellany News | Feb 17, 2011

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The Miscellany News Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com

February 17, 2011

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Volume CXLIV | Issue 15

Faculty host teach-in on Egyptian protests Joey Rearick Reporter

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ust hours after Hosni Mubarak resigned the presidency of Egypt after three decades in power, hundreds of students gathered to participate in a teach-in about the struggle for democratic reform fomenting across the Middle East. Led by a panel of experts that included Vassar faculty and distinguished guests—the gathering on Friday, Feb. 11 was an optimistic celebration of solidarity with the popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Hosted in the packed Spitzer Auditorium in the Sanders Classroom building, the teach-in represented the culmination of extensive collaboration between several academic departments and student organizations. Nine departments, ranging from Africana Studies to Education, were attached to the project in some way, and just as many student clubs

helped plan programming and publicize the event. This widespread communal involvement helped explain the unexpectedly high attendance, which had students sitting against walls and in aisles just to be a part of the moment. The event started with a presentation with several students reading passages from a blog written by Professor at American University of Cairo Dina Bassiouny, a close friend to Assistant Professor of Education Maria Hantzopoulos, who coordinated the event. Bassiouny had been writing movingly of the massive protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square for more than two weeks, posting updates about the revolution faithfully since the event started getting attention in national and international media. As students recited her work, the audience gleaned compelling details about the See TEACH-IN on page 4

The Higher Education Research Institute Faculty Survey indicates that in 2008, Vassar faculty spent 41.9 percent more time in committee work than they spent in 2005. This data emerges in the context of a re-evaluation of the College’s Governance.

Dallas Robinson/The Miscellany News

HERI survey raises questions Faculty indicate more time in committees Molly Turpin, Editor in Chief Angela Aiuto, Senior Editor

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ecent data from the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) Faculty survey indicating that Vassar faculty may be spending more time than ever in committee and administrative work raises as many questions as it answers. The emerging data fits squarely within a

Vassar considers image

larger discussion and review of the College’s committee structure and of its Governance as a whole. The survey, which is conducted every three years, demonstrates that between 2004-2005 and 2007-2008, the amount of time faculty spent weekly on committee work on average rose from 3.32 to 4.71 hours, a change of 41.9 percent. The increase

Emma Daniels Reporter

Mary Huber

Features Editor

s students, we are all intimately familiar with what it means to go to Vassar. Vassar students are privileged in that they get to experience the College first hand. From the rigor of the College’s academics to the timbre of its social life, members of Vassar’s distinct community are among the few who can say with confidence that they truly “know” Vassar. For the world at large, Vassar’s identity is comprised of the information that is produced and distributed primarily by the College’s Admissions and Communications Offices. Now, in Vassar’s sesquicentennial year, the College’s emphasis on the face it presents to prospective students, alumnae/i and those with collegiate curiosities is increasingly prominent. Between published material, traveling shows and the See GAY LIFE on page 8

Assistant Features Editor

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nyone familiar with the Greenhaven Prison Internship probably knows that Vassar has some unique interactions with local prisons and prisoners, but there are other, less obvious connections between Vassar and the local prison population. Vassar’s very own radio station WVKR, for instance, has a significant prison listenership. The main attraction is likely the Fancy Broccoli Show, a withstanding program described as, “definitely before my time,” by WVKR General Manager Leander Brotz ’11. The prison and jazz themed radio show, according to Brotz, “Gets a lot of mail from prisons,” he adds, “If it’s appropriate we’ll read some of it on the air. We also have parolees and ex-cons interviewed on the show sometimes.” See WVKR on page 6

Inside this issue

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FEATURES

Sanders Classroom’s Spitzer Auditorium was packed last Friday as students and faculty attended a teach-in on the struggle for democratic reform in Egypt.

Prisoners Weekend of laughs on horizon tune in to T WVKR

Mitchell Gilburne

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was even more marked for other administrative work, where the survey indicates that the average time spent on other administrative work rose from 2.21 to 4.06 hours, a shift of 83.7 percent. At the same time, the amount of time spent in teaching fell slightly, but not significantly, and the See HERI on page 7

Mathematicians on the cutting edge at Vassar

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FEATURES

his Sunday, Vassar students won’t need to get their comedy fix by watching Saturday Night Live clips on Hulu. Instead, with three comedy groups performing this weekend, they can satisfy their humor cravings on Friday and Saturday nights by going out and about

right here on Vassar’s campus. Each group will showcase a different form of comedy: No Offense will be doing sketch, Indecent Exposure will be doing stand up and Improv will be doing, well, improvisation. Not only will each group bring their distinct personality to their performances, but the vast array of comedic genres will also keep

the shows unique and exciting. On Friday in Rockefeller Hall 300 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., Indecent Exposure, Vassar’s only all-female comedy troupe, will take the stage. “It’s a way to dip our toes back in the water this semester,” said Leonard, “and doing an all stand up show is fun because its not as much work See COMEDY on page 16

No Offense, Indecent Exposure and Improv will be performing in separate shows this Friday and Saturday evenings. Sketch comedy group No Offense, pictured performing above, will perform on Friday and Saturday night at 9 p.m. in Sanders Auditorium.

Vassar steps into spotlight of popular culture

14 ARTS

Theory of Flight a thoroughly student-made album


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