The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
May 27, 2018
Volume CL | Issue 22
H. Chang says, ‘Get outside’
Seniors explore art via theses Courtesy of Vassar College/Karl Rabe
Izzy Braham ARTS EDITOR
O
ne of the most wonderful qualities about art is its ability to express complexity. Whether we are using it to convey an unfamiliar idea, combine multiple concepts or deconstruct ways of thinking, art can highlight a world of emotions, tensions and intricacies unlike anything else. Two seniors, Vasundhara Mathur and Sixing Xu, used art to explore the multidimensional ideas that comprised their senior thesis. Centering the discussion on art, both students talked about everything from how they envisioned their thesis, their creative processes and how others influenced their creativity. “I started with this poem because I just wanted to let go of the idea of the thesis from the very beginning,” Mathur commented on the opening page of her work. “It just came out of me and it has bits and pieces of conversations I’ve had with my professors. Every little word comes from somewhere and from other poems See THESES on page 7
Mack Liederman
F
or student-athletes ranging from the 1,000-point scorer to the walk-on trying out a new sport, varsity athletics signifies a crucial aspect of the Vassar experience. Juggling problem sets and essays with 9 a.m. lifts and lengthy road trips, the Class of 2018 student-athletes continued to strive. During their all-too-
Engaged Pluralism World Café addresses VC community climate Talya Phelps
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
V
assar’s Engaged Pluralism Initiative (EPI) is incorporating as many voices as possible in the ongoing journey toward a stronger and more inclusive community. Creating substantive, enduring change in campus culture is undeniably a lofty goal, and
short time donning the burgundy and grey, there are no college scholarships or television appearances. Rather, they are motivated simply by a pure love of the game. This Sunday, many student-athletes will walk across the stage in front of Sunset Lake and receive their diplomas. In their honor, The Miscellany News would like to highlight just a few of
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
Seniors Kim Romanoff, Ariella Rosenthal and Samarah Cook celebrate four years at Vassar during Women’s Basketball Senior Day. Inside: Studentathletes’ stories on and off the court and a glimpse at where they’re headed next.
Inside this issue
4
Duncan Aronson REPORTER
T
his week, we had the pleasure of getting to know English Professor Heesok Chang over email. Aside from looking snazzy in his suit vest and glasses, he is part of the English, Media Studies and Urban Studies departments and loves British Literature. The Miscellany News: How did you
On May 10, a semester’s worth of work by Vassar community members culminated in the Engaged Pluralism Initiative World Café, which showcased a range of ideas geared toward strengthening the inclusivity of the College.
one multifaceted enough to preclude viewing it from any singular angle or through any one lens, as was clear at a recent EPI World Café event. EPI, first announced in March 2017, is a $1.6 million, four-year initiative, supported in part by an $800,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (Vassar Info, “Vassar announces $1.6 million ini-
Brewer grads reflect, look to future OUTGOING SPORTS EDITOR
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Senior gift provides aid; grads’ gratitude conveyed
8
Brewers’ experiences and memories. Jesse Schatz, of Mount Joy, PA, was a four-year member of both the men’s cross country and track teams. A twotime Liberty League All-Academic selection, the senior leader was a consistent and energetic presence for the team. Known for his humor and wit, Schatz believes his experience has meant more than just the milestones. “I think athletically I will be proudest of the races where I ran a personal best time or beat people I was not expecting to, but there are other races that stand out more in my memory,” Schatz said. “Such as the time I lost a shoe in the first 400 meters, or more recently my last 10k which was run into a 40 mph headwind.” When Schatz wasn’t busy losing his shoes or bracing himself against strong gusts, he was in the classroom. Schatz will graduate with an Africana Studies major, and next year will work in Washington, D.C., at the Gulf International Forum, a foreign policy think tank focused on the Arab Gulf region. He emphasized that he owes a debt of gratitude to the team, which he believes has helped him reach this next chapter of his life. “Being a student and [an] athlete worked in tandem to better my Vassar experience,” Schatz said. “The stress of See ATHLETES on page 8
Are you a language nerd? Try our Commencement Crossword!
tiative to advance the college’s mission as an inclusive and affirming learning community,” 03.27.2017). Summing up the mission of the project, the EPI website states, “By ‘engaged pluralism,’ we mean viewing all manner of social differences as essential components of a strong community, rather See WORLD CAFE on page 13
first become interested in English Literature?
Heesok Chang: I’ll answer the “how” as a “when”—more specifically, with an anecdote about when I declared my major. My favorite book about the profession is John Williams’s campus novel Stoner, set in early 20th-century rural Missouri. There is a scene early on in which the protagonist William Stoner must tell his parents, who have sent him to university to study Agriculture so he can rescue their livelihood from ever-worsening drought, that he won’t be returning to the farm with them. It’s graduation day. He must See PROF SPOTLIGHT on page 6
Meal plan triples summer housing cost Clark Xu
OUGOING ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
T
his summer, students staying on campus will pay $25 per day for room and board, a 257 percent increase from last year’s cost of $7 per day for summer housing. While college administrators maintain that the decision to add a set meal plan addresses food insecurity at Vassar, some students and faculty members have disagreed with the mandatory nature of the meal plan. The Office of Residential Life first communicated the decision to students staying for the summer via email in early May, four weeks before students were expected to pay the new fee. President Elizabeth Bradley explained, “We had become aware that there was food insecurity among some of our students on campus over the summer. This is a significant concern and so we worked on putting in place a meal plan to ensure all students have access to the nutrition they need. Our goal was to provide two meals a day.” Bradley emphasized that the price increase for summer housing this year is entirely due to the introduction of a meal plan that did not exist last year. Vice President for Finance Bryan
14
Swarthout elaborated, “This decision was not a result of a financial consideration …We calculated the cost of the meal plan and that is the price that we are charging.” The policy change affects students participating in the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI), the Ford Scholars Program or summer break jobs, as well as others with a summer housing assignment. For 2018, URSI is comprised of 53 students, and Ford Scholars includes 19 students. This represents a decrease from 63 students in URSI and 20 students in Ford Scholars in 2017. When URSI and Ford Scholars assignments were announced in March, the College had not yet informed students about the price increase. URSI student researcher Jesse Lin ’20 stated, “I did not find out about the mandatory summer meal plan until sometime during the spring semester, when I overheard some faculty and students expressing their opinion in regards to this recent change. One faculty even advised students not to apply for URSI this year out of concern that students may not be able to fulfill their expected contribution after subtracting See SUMMER on page 4
From triumphs to tears, a glimpse at college careers