The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Volume CL | Issue 14
February 22, 2018
Burlesque empowers VC calls for Asian American Dept. student performers Mary Retta
GUEST REPORTER
Olivia Feltus
GUEST REPORTER
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“I
have never seen myself represented in my education. Ever,” said Megan Wang ’20. “When will I get to see myself, Vassar?” Wang is one of the organizing members of the movement to improve and expand the Asian American Studies Program at Vassar. Asian American Studies is currently only a correlate, and is understaffed, underfunded and lacking in courses. Although students have been appealing to the administration to obtain more courses and professors in Asian American Studies for years, the fight has been ultimately unsuccessful, as Vassar claims that the College does not have enough money to hire more See STUDIES on page 3
Courtesy of Megan Wang
urlesque, as an art, is a sensual and liberating form of self-expression and exploration. Involving a synchronized mind-body effort to find complete comfort with one’s sexuality in a world where it’s considered taboo, Burlesque is an incredibly empowering performing art. Whether presented solo or in a group, it is a bold act that involves subverting hegemonic structures that police one’s performativity of gender and sexuality. For students to take part in this beautifully rebellious theater tradition, dating back to the early twentieth century, is wholly awe-inspiring. On Feb. 9 and 10 in the Shiva, Vassar Burlesque, established in Fall 2016, put on its second annual show. Vassar Burlesque members are typically known by their stage names, and for the purposes of preserving their privacy, that’s how this article shall refer to them. New member Froot Tart ’21, explained how, when he first arrived, he was delighted to hear that there was a Burlesque group on campus. “I was extremely excited because I am a big fan of Burlesque and just the whole idea of
it,” stated Froot Tart. Enumerating several famous Burlesque artists who have inspired him, he continued, “I love Josephine Baker and what she stood for in the ’20s and am also a fan of Dita von Teese, but who isn’t?” As someone who had not staged an undressing before Burlesque, Froot Tart is convinced that he became more comfortable in his body after he joined. He elaborated, “That [kind of performance] would not be ‘allowed’ because I’m not really buff or really fit and it’s just nice to have an org where we are honest with our bodies and, even though I’m still working through issues, I feel confident with myself now.” Burlesque actively talks about body positivity and self-consciousness. Publicity Coordinator, Head of Special Events and the show’s Master of Ceremonies Mads Ouellette ’19 elucidated, “We don’t just focus on doing shows, we also have meetings every week and talk about a huge variety of topics: anything from intimacy to sexuality to how we feel about our bodies.” Performer Mopy Dick ’18 felt similarly: “Some of our meetings have covered heavy topics such as intimacy and body positivity and so it’s been importSee BURLESQUE on page 14
Megan Wang ’20, one of the students working to advocate for a more robust Asian American Studies department, illustrated the above images.
Zlotnick reflects on professorship Imogen Wade
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
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assar is small enough for students to recognize the faces they see around campus. However, even in an institution as small as Vassar, it is impossible for students to know every professor by name. By casting a spotlight on some of the teaching staff, The Miscellany News hopes to make students feel more connected to the
faculty and more aware of some of the classes offered at Vassar. This week, I interviewed Professor Susan Zlotnick via email. I was interested to find out more about her interests, classes and career path. Hopefully you will be inspired to take a class with her! The Miscellany News: What classes do you teach at Vassar? What do they involve? Susan Zlotnick: I teach in English
and Women’s Studies, and I participate in the Victorian Studies Program. I ordinarily teach courses in 19th-century British literature, with an emphasis on the novel—that includes 200-level courses on the 19-century British novel as well as (this semester) a course on Jane Austen. I also teach a 300-level seminar on the Gothic Novel and another on The Brontë Sisters... In See PROFESSOR on page 6
Academia, spirituality intersect Stats illuminate men’s basketball season Jimmy Christon REPORTER
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Reed Dolan
SPORTS STATISTICIAN
T Courtesy of Pexels
here is one question that I am plagued by continually as a religion studies student: “Wait, but you’re not religious?” This statement houses an odd bundle of implications. Foremost among these implications is the idea that religion and spiritual studies are somehow foreign to academic settings––or foreign to students in general. Religion studies isn’t the study of something locked away behind shrouds of expertise and knowledge, it’s the study of what many people simply live through. An event happening on campus aims to blur this boundary between capital-R “Religious” living and living in general. It isn’t enough to just be a person anymore, nor even just a student, but we also have to be students of something. I think that this type of labeling is extremely hurtful to communities such as Vassar, as they set up antagonistic relationships between sects of campus as well as setting up religion as something that only provides negatives for the world at large. People in general aren’t exactly allowed to go throughout their days without attaching themselves to a label at one point or another. The event happening on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., “The Art of Living,” aims to illu-
On Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., “The Art of Living: Practices for Flourishing in a Fractured World,” a lecture by Stephanie Paulsell, will take place in the Villard Room. minate how the act of living has many facets to it. It will be kicked off with a talk given by Harvard Divinity Professor Stephanie Paulsell, followed by a workshop of practices performed by faculty members from Vassar and beyond. While it does not have any religious affiliation, this event does aim to display how our very own community members strive to live around a center. This center comes in the form of the idea of “practice.” As event organizer Elizabeth Aeschlimann describes it,
“Everything that we do, from eating, to studying, to talking with friends, is an opportunity to practice.” This event aims to showcase how these practices can manifest within one’s life, and how community members employ this idea of practice. Professor Paulsell’s focus is the intersection between academic work and the lives we live; between intellectual work and spiritual practice, and between study and practices. Professor Paulstell See RELIGION on page 15
he regular season of the men’s basketball team concluded last Sunday, Feb. 17, following a major victory on the road against Ithaca college, 66-54. The win meant that the team avenged their close loss to Ithaca at home in December, and, more important, it ensured that the team would be heading to the Liberty League playoffs as the sixth seed. Ultimately, the game capped off a regular season that was marked by an equal share of impressive conference victories and close losses. After suffering a few early conference losses and a difficult out-of-conference schedule during the first half of the season, it was clear that VC’s road to a playoff bid would require a turnaround of sorts down the latter half of conference play. And while the team dropped its first seven games before the winter break, things changed when games picked up again in late December. After losing their first game back, the team won four out of the next five and never looked back after that
stretch. For any team, a winless eight-game stretch to start the season would make earning a playoff bid seem unlikely. But it was Vassar’s play in pivotal league games that would allow them to grab the final playoff spot. Ultimately, they won the games that mattered the most. Throughout the second half of the season, it became apparent that there would be multiple teams vying for the final two spots of the six-team league playoffs. Matchups against Skidmore, RPI, Clarkson and Bard would become increasingly crucial games with playoff implications. This is when the team played their best basketball. Vassar went an impressive 7-1, sweeping the season series against RPI, Skidmore and Bard. The only loss of these games was a close 7-point contest on the road against Clarkson. Vassar also posted a plus/minus differential of +27 in these contests (+3.375 per game). The team was unequivocally led by senior Captain Jesse Browne, Vassar men’s most recent 1,000-point scorer. At an average of 15.6 points per game, See BASKETBALL on page 18
Inside this issue
7
Lunar New Year celebrations unite cultures FEATURES and nations
9
Protecting bees from danger would OPINIONS be a gamechanger
16 ARTS
Seuss has sinister side, must not be glorified