The Miscellany News | Sept. 16, 2010

The Miscellany News Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com

September 23, 2010

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Volume CXLIV | Issue 3

Class of 2014 gears up for fall elections Caitlin Clevenger News Editor

S

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

The Vassar Jewish Union starts building its Sukkah outside of the Bayit in preparation for Sukkot. The Vassar Jewish population recently finished celebrating Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and Rosh Hashanna, the lunar new year.

Jewish students run gamut of identities Mitchell Gilburne Features Editor

F

rom the days of the Pharaohs to the contemporary criticism of the conflicts in the Gaza strip, Jews have rarely come out on top in the proverbial playbook of history. Luckily, the great big melting pot of America decided that it could stand a few matzo balls in its stew, and before you could light a menorah, Jews began to make their mark in the fields of business, academia, art and, of

about 30 percent of Vassar students identifying as Jewish, one wonders just what the Vassar Jewish experience is and how it differs the Jewish experience at large.

Whether secular, devout or anywhere in between, the Jewish students at Vassar College play a large role in defining the campus, which in turn influences their own Judaism. The diverse perspectives of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (RSL), Vassar See JUDAISM on page 6

course, medicine and law. Before long the Jewish community was a thriving entity, especially in the North East, that had placed an indelible mark on the culture of the country. It has become clear that the religion and culture of Judaism have much to offer, even in an increasingly secular world.

Home to a hefty proportion of one of the planet’s smallest minorities, Vassar is in a unique position to examine Judaism as a religion, culture and identity. With

tarting on Friday, Sept.

24, the Class of 2014 will vote to determine their class officers, house representatives in the Vassar Student Association and committee appointees. All positions, with the exception of freshmen representative to the Committee on College Life, have candidates filed, and all positions with the exception of class secretary have more than one candidate.

The most highly-contested position is President of the Class of 2014, with eight candidates filed. The presidential candidates’ statements have a recurring theme of 2014 pride: as Michael Moore ’14 puts it, “Seriously, look in a mirror. You’re hot.” Candidates promised that under their leadership, class unity and good communication would help distinguish the

Raffo to perform ‘Sounds of Desire’ Connor O’Neill

VASSAR IMAGE

Guest Reporter

Responses vary to new Unigo rank

V

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

Mitchell Gilburne Features Editor

O

Inside this issue

3

NEWS

B&G assuages bedbug fears on campus

assar Visiting Artist Heather Raffo’s “Sounds of Desire” is anything but your typical theatrical production. It begins as a onewoman show depicting the lives of nine Iraqi women of various walks of life, then grows to include the musical counterpoints of maqam, a traditional Iraqi type of music. It then shifts again, with improvisation from maqam musicians and a vocalist improvising in counterpoint to the performance of the one

female actor. An upcoming performance of the production at Vassar serves as the cornerstone of Peace Week, sponsored by the Women’s Studies Department. The show will feature Raffo, who directed, produced and acts in the piece, composer Amir ElSaffar, and musicians Hadi el Debek, Johnny Farraj and Gaida Hinnawi. It will be in the Martel Theater tonight, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m.

By taking on the roles of a diverse group of characters, Raffo hopes to reconfigure See PEACE WEEK on page 16

Vassar Student Association Vice President for Finance Travis Edwards ’12 works at his desk in the VSA office in the College Center. Edwards has begun to clean up the VSA’s finances

VSA closes redundant, empty organization funds Aashim Usgaonkar

O

News Editor

n Tuesday, Sept. 14, Vassar Student Association (VSA) Vice President for Finance Travis Edwards ’12 closed 100 funds, a number that has been building up since 2004. The closed funds were mostly those set up by various student organizations for special programming, as supplements to their existing standard funds. Over time these funds—24 of which even had outstanding debt—accumulated to the point where Edwards felt that “it was time to clean up the house.”

Aside from standard funds that all

5

FEATURES

organizations have within the VSA, which serve as a store for the organization’s budgeted monetary allowance, “student organizations also come to the VSA to create funds for special events. However, over the course of time, these funds are forgotten, and so is their purpose,” commented Edwards on the nature of the 100 “side funds” that student organizations set up in order to plan for the entire year. Side funds are specifically created to help organizations budget fixed amounts for regularly-occurring expenditures.

An example Edwards See FINANCE on page 4

Professors’ picks: Books we should all read before class

Courtesy of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

n Sept. 1, 2010 the typical tropes of sexiness were redefined when Vassar found a place among the bikini babes, beach bods and frat parties that dominate the imagined reality of American college life. Unigo.com, a newcomer on the college rankings scene, crowned Vassar the ninth sexiest school in the country on its “Walk of Shame Hall of Fame” ranking list.

Yes, you read that correctly: While the list is not limited to private colleges, liberal arts institutions or former allwomen’s schools, the quite possibly all-too-watchful eyes at Unigo saw our small, secluded campus as a beacon of sexual activity.

The article, which was subtitled, “The Top 10 Schools Where Everybody Gets ‘Lucky,’” describes Vassar as a place where men “have a real leg up on their competitors at other schools.” A quote attributed to an anonymous female student proclaims, “Men are in high demand here since there are so few of them, even fewer that are straight, and even fewer that are single. Guys who fit this bill will have girls all over them.” Another beams, “Lust is simply in the air.” The article goes on to mention VasSee RANKING on page 5

Class of 2014 in its four years at Vassar.

Similarities in candidate statements indicate that firstyear students have encountered many of the same issues during their first month on campus, but differ in solutions. Emilia Petrarca ’14 raises the issue of campus dining in her candidate’s statement, saying, “When I eat at the Retreat my tummy is much happier than when I eat at the [All Campus Dinning Center], but ‘dining bucks’ don’t grow on trees.” Evan Lester ’14 proposes “longer hours for the [All Campus Dining Center] and other food establishments on campus,” while Willow Thompson ’14 plans to use the position she already has on the Food Committee to voice the concerns of her class.

Lester claims that he is running for president be See ELECTIONS on page 4

Heather Raffo perfoms her play, “Sounds of Desire.” She will perform the show at Vassar on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Martel Theater

14 ARTS

Night Owls keep up the crooning since 1942

The Miscellany News

Page 2

September 23, 2010

Editor in Chief Molly Turpin Senior Editors Angela Aiuto Matthew Brock

Contributing Editor Lillian Reuman Lila Teeters

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

Photo of the Week: As the semester progressives, students strolling to the Thompson Memorial Library are a more and more familiar night-time scene.

Miscellany News Staff Editorial

Audit of Campus Life and Learning a valuable documentation of concerns, leaves questions T

he Miscellany News commends the efforts of the Committee on Inclusion and Excellence (CIE) for the completion of their recent Audit of Campus Life and Learning, which asked students the question “What Would It Take For You to Thrive at Vassar?” The Audit included opinions gathered from focus groups composed of students who, for example, selfidentified as “Culturally Jewish” or “First Generation College Student” (see “CIE reveals cultural audit,” 9.16.10). The Audit not only represents the sincere feelings and experiences of students, but it was released back to students upon its completion.

After reading the resulting opinions shared by students who attended the Audit’s focus group sessions, we empathized with many of the concerns and issues that they raised. That we were not surprised by the results is largely a positive outcome; our familiarity with the variety of these issues demonstrates that the focus groups were in sync with the experiences of Vassar students. We are further pleased to see these written down because formal documentation of student concerns is a valuable starting place for self-reflection of campus life at Vassar.

Within our staff at least, the Audit has already stirred conversation. While determining the content of this week’s staff editorial, we, The Miscellany News Editorial Board, had a passionate debate about the role of diversity education on campus and whether it should be institutionally embraced or remain informally embedded in classroom discussions and the work of student organizations as it currently is. We took issue with the word “diversity” as a blanket term that may not properly describe the dynamics of the variety of groups represented in campus life, and as we talked about the vocabulary of the document and its suggestions, we found ourselves confused by where CIE means for the community to go with the information in the Audit. Our own circular conversation speaks to the ambiguity of the role that the Audit could play.

We appreciate that, in addition to outlin-

ing student concerns—most often in the language used by focus group students themselves—the CIE provided suggestions for moving forward with the findings of the audit. However, many of these proposals were vague, and to whom they are directed is unclear. We understand that the document has just been released, and so any suggestions and responses are preliminary. Therefore, we would like to suggest that all members of the community thoroughly review the audit and determine which recommendations are of the highest priority and deserving of immediate action.

One suggestion that the audit specifically puts forward is the possibility of an added “diversity” or social awareness requirement in the curriculum. After reading this suggestion, we could not help but ask what such a requirement would look like at Vassar given that the audit—and indeed our classroom conversations as Vassar students—provide varying definitions of “diversity.” We also wonder if a Vassar liberal arts education already provides ample academic discourse on diversity within its current course offerings and major requirements.

Before suggesting such a significant new curricular policy that would, in essence, change the tenor of the Vassar curriculum, the College should determine what a diverse campus looks and feels like. In particular, the College might consider one point raised by the students in the focus group sessions: There seems to be a discrepancy between how students experience diversity and how the College promotes it.

In the suggestions of focus group students, the audit alludes to how diversity could be achieved: “Some students feel marginalized due to aspects of their social identities or locations. In general, students—particularly those from underrepresented groups at Vassar—want formal, consistent, and affirmative acknowledgement of their presence on campus. They also seek genuine acknowledgment of how Vassar is enriched by—and benefits from—their presence as students, as

well as the realities and challenges they may face” (excerpted from the Audit on Campus Life and Learning, Section I).

This is a salient observation, though it loses applicability in its lack of precision. For example, the needs two groups identified by the audit for focus group sessions are varied; those of the LGBTIQ community may be very different from those of students living with a disability. It is more than likely that each group hopes to receive this genuine acknowledgment in a different manner. We appreciate that several themes were exposed across focus groups, but if diverse groups are concerned about having their identities acknowledged and concerns accounted for, the audit could have gone further by explicitly accompanying recurrent themes with focusgroup-specific needs.

We understand that the purpose of the document is as much to present the opinions provided by the focus groups as to make clear suggestions for improvement. If the goal of the audit was to point out room for improvement and to consolidate student experience up to this point, then it documents our current climate successfully. The presence of suggestions, however, hints that the document is also meant to foster change, but it leaves the logistics of that change in question. Our dialogue about the audit left us frustrated as well as stimulated. The document’s vagueness left us wondering where the community will take the conversation.

In our view, the intent of the Audit remains muddled. Is the function to merely stimulate new dialogue, or is it to actively drive the application of its suggestions? From reading the document we find that it begins to do both, though incompletely, and we challenge both CIE and the Vassar community to work to clarify its goals based on the Audit’s information.

—The Staff Editorial reflects the opinion of at least two-thirds of the 18-member Miscellany News Editorial Board.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

News Caitlin Clevenger Aashim Usgaonkar Features Mitchell Gilburne Opinions Joshua Rosen Juan Thompson Humor & Satire Alanna Okun Arts Erik Lorenzsonn Sports Andy Marmer Design Eric Estes Copy Gretchen Maslin Photography Juliana Halpert Online Carrie Hojnicki Social Media Marie Dugo

Assistant Features Matthew Bock Danielle Gensburg Assistant Arts Thea Ballard Rachael Borné Assistant Copy Sammy Creath Crossword Editor Jonathan Garfinkel

LETTERS POLICY The Miscellany News is Vassar College’s weekly open forum for discussion of campus, local and national issues, and welcomes letters and opinions submissions from all readers. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 450 words, and they usually respond to a particular item or debate from the previous week’s issue. Opinions articles are longer pieces, up to 800 words, and take the form of a longer column. No letter or opinions article may be printed anonymously. If you are interested in contributing, e-mail misc@vassar.edu.

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

The Editorial Board holds weekly meetings every Sunday at 9 p.m. in the Rose Parlor. All members of the Vassar community interested in joining the newspaper’s staff or in a critique of the current issue are welcome. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented in the Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board. The Miscellany News is published weekly by the students of Vassar College. The Miscellany News office is located in College Center Room 303, Vassar College.

September 23, 2010

NEWS

Page 3

Eleventh Arlington Street Fair Saturday Bedbugs not as prevalent T as once feared Caitlin Clevenger News Editor

Angela Aiuto Senior Editor

A

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

housands of students, faculty and Poughkeepsie residents alike will congregate on Raymond Avenue this Saturday, Sept. 25, for the 11th annual Arlington Street Fair. A collaborative event co-hosted by Vassar College, the Vassar Student Association (VSA), Arlington Business Improvement District and Clear Channel Radio of the Hudson Valley, the Arlington Street Fair will feature live entertainment, local vendors, a chili cook-off and carnival rides.

Fairgoers will be able to see musical performances from Vassar’s own Vassar Devils and Matthew’s Minstrels, dances from the Flypeople and Hype, the winning group of last year’s Vassar’s Best Dance Crew contest and demonstrations from the Barefoot Monkeys and the Aikido Club. Arlington School District students will also be performing.

Over 100 local vendors from area shops and restaurants will have booths at the fair, providing food, crafts and clothing for fairgoers to enjoy while adults and children alike play carnival games and bounce on the inflatable attractions. To add some practical fun to the fair, the Arlington Fire Department will teach fire safety techniques with a Smoke House and the Arlington Police Department will set up a fingerprinting identification station.

The fair can be a big boost for businesses.

Arlington businesses that are not visible from Vassar’s campus have the chance to increase their recognition among the college community as well as in greater Arlington.

According to an e-mailed statement from Director of International Services and Special Projects and Chair of Arlington Special Events Andrew Meade, “One of the original goals of the Fair was to help with efforts to revitalize the Arlington area, and that continues to be true. The event really helps shine a spotlight on the neighborhood.”

The Arlington Street Fair will also host the New York State Chili Cook-Off for the second time. Contestants in the Chili, Chili

Students, professors and local residents enjoy the tenth annual Arlington Street Fair, above, which brought the New York State Chili Cook-Off to Arlington for the first time.

Verde and Salsa categories will compete for a cash prize and the opportunity to represent the state at the World’s Championship Chili Cook-Off the next weekend in New Hampshire. The winning recipe will be chosen based on good flavor, texture of the meat, consistency, blend of spices, aroma and color by a panel of judges including Vassar Student Association (VSA) President Mat Leonard ’11 and Chief Judge Steve Falkowski, 1997 World Chili Champion. For a small fee, fairgoers can taste all of the contestants’ chilis and cast their votes for the People’s Choice Chili Contest. Proceeds from the cook-off go to Vassar’s Community Works campaign, which raised $700 at last year’s event.

According to VSA Vice President for Activities Tanay Tatum ’12, the Arlington Street

Fair is a great example of cooperation between Vassar and Poughkeepsie. “It’s one of the few events that’s hosted as a collaboration between the community and Vassar,” said Tatum. This year’s fair promises to be bigger than ever, for the first time incorporating the lawn of Vassar’s Alumnae and Alumni House and providing space for even more vendors. An expected 5,000 attendees will use the increased space to its fullest.

The event will take place, regardless of weather, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 25, between the Alumnae and Alumni House Lawn and the East-West Arterial on Raymond Avenue with free admission for all. Said Meade in an e-mailed statement, “Hopefully, one of the messages sent is this: Arlington is alive and well—come back and visit us again some time soon!”

ccording to Buildings and Grounds Manager of Custodial Services Cynthia VanTassell, recent reports of bedbugs on campus have turned out to be false.

In an all-campus e-mail sent out on Thursday, Sept. 16, Director of Residential Life Luis Inoa urged students to take precautions against bedbug infestation, announcing that two students had called the Residential Operations Center (ROC) that day concerning the suspected infestations.

These most recent bedbug reports came from the Terrace Apartments and Lathrop House.

“Craig Thomas Pest Control was contacted and arrived [that afternoon] to inspect the rooms,” wrote VanTassell in an e-mailed statement. “No bedbugs were found in either case.”

These cases are just two of several false alarms that have been issued this year. “Contrary to what you may have heard,” Inoa reassured in his e-mail, “since the beginning of this school year we have had only one confirmed case of bedbugs on campus.”

VanTassell has corroborated this information, noting that while nine complaints about bedbugs have been placed in the three and a half weeks since students returned to campus on Aug. 28, “only in one complaint were bedbugs discovered.” In this particular instance, the bedbugs were contained to a student’s suitcase. “That unit has received its initial treatment, with two treatments to go,” VanTassell concluded.

According to Inoa, rooms with confirmed bedbug infestations are treated three times using chemicals that are hazardous to bedbugs, with two weeks between each treatment. In addition to these treatments, “climb up cups” are installed at the base of the bed legs; these small, bowl-like traps are coated with talc, making the surface See BEDBUGS on page 4

ADVERTISEMENT

VSA, College consider new domestic violence regulation Matthew Brock Senior Editor

T

he Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council began its effort to create a domestic violence charge under College Regulations by holding a forum with Director of Health Education Renee Pabst and Charles Dobb ’12 and Zoe Levenson ’12 of CARES. According to a recent study published by the American College Health Association, the rate of incidence of sexual assault at Vassar is slightly above the national average. However, the incidence of domestic violence at Vassar is slightly below the national average, but according to Pabst, “It’s still happening too much.”

The College is considering a policy that would make domestic violence an independent punishable offense under College regulations.

If Vassar succeeds in enacting such a policy on relationship abuse, it will be the first college in the nation to enact such a policy. However, being first can be problematic. When constructing a policy the College would normally look to examples from peer institutions, but in this case “we’re working from scratch,” said Pabst. She contends that spearheading the creation of a domestic violence charge is a mixed blessing: “We’ll be trailblazers on this, but we have nothing to follow.”

According to Pabst, the first step in creating a policy regarding domestic violence is to devise an appropriate definition for the offense.

“We need to make it very clear because it’s a very hard thing to look at and define.”

Domestic violence is hard to define, in part, because it covers a wide range of actions. “It can arise from anything verbal, emotional [and] all the way to physical,” said Dobb.

“The pattern increases over time. It starts with emotional abuse and work its way up to psychological or physical abuse,” added Levenson.

To help with constructing a satisfactory definition, Pabst and the Sexual Assault Violence Prevention Committee are consulting with the local family court to “talk to them about the loopholes or problems or things they run into” when trying domestic violence cases.

However, even with a comprehensive definition of domestic violence, it can be difficult to enforce because victims may be unaware that they are in fact suffering domestic violence. As Dobb pointed out, a common misperception is that abusive relationships are abusive 100 percent of the time. “It happens in cycles. There’s a really, really great period, followed by a build-up, a release in something particularly traumatic and then a comedown,” he said.

Furthermore, “Domestic violence is made to be hidden,” said Pabst. “Someone who is in it has a hard time thinking what is happening is wrong because they are told that it’s not wrong, that it’s their fault.” She concluded, “We need to send the message that it is wrong and it’s not their fault.”

According to Pabst, Vassar needs a specific charge for domestic violence because, at present, the offense does not fall completely under any existing regulation. “We have assault, stalking, harassment and disorderly conduct,” said Pabst, but “unless there’s a sexual assault component to it, it’s going to be really hard for the case to come forward.”

Meanwhile, the VSA will be working in concert with Pabst and SAVP in order to put together this comprehensive policy. “I am currently helping in the creation and operation of a joint sub committee of the SAVP Committee and the VSA Student Life,” wrote VSA Vice President for Student Life Syed Samin Shehab ’11. “The VSA executive is very committed to this process and considers the establishment of the Relationship Abuse Charge as one of its priorities.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

NEWS

Page 4

September 23, 2010

Finance purges ‘side’ Record number of freshmen run funds, takes care of debt FINANCE continued from page 1 cited was “Billionaires for Bush”— an empty fund that the current VSA administration knew neither the origin nor purpose of, and one that was ultimately closedby Edwards. After contacting previous VSA administrations, Edwards concluded that “this fund was set up to pay for the transportation of a political theater group to campus.”

Such funds, those whose purpose was unknown, or those that have no use at this point in time and no foreseeable use in the future, were closed down in order to “increase the efficiency with which the VSA spends its money,” said Edwards.

More than half of the closed funds had no money in them, and the remaining either contained some money or were negative, reported Edwards. “While closing the funds, the little money left in some of the funds as well as surplus from last year’s budget was used to pay off all the outstanding debt that existed in 24 of the funds,” said Edwards, adding that “as far as the debt situation goes, we’re good.”

“There were only four [funds] that had any money. What was helpful was that these few funds compensated for a large amount of the outstanding debt,” said Edwards, explaining his optimism about the debt situation. He added, “The total debt was $11,241.87.

About $6,000 of that was covered by other closed funds.” The remaining amount of debt “was covered by the budget surplus from last year.” According to Section 6, K of the VSA’s bylaws, the surplus from the previous year is supposed to go towards the VSA’s discretionary budget, after funds are allocated to the Supplemental Budgeting Contingency Fund. However, Edwards “decided it was appropriate

to cover the debt after discussion with the [VSA Executive Board] and the realization that after covering these debts, the discretionary budget would be about the same as last year’s.” Edwards later concluded in an e-mailed statement, “We felt that it was a worthwhile expenditure as these debts would need to be handled eventually.”

As a part of his tenure, Edwards aims to avoid the building up of funds in the future. One of the ways Edwards plans to do this is to limit the number of side funds that student organizations can set up. “One of [my] goals this term is to firmly set up standard funds and heavily limit the side funds,” said Edwards. To that end, proposals to set up side funds will be looked at with increased scrutiny by the VSA’s Finance Committee, Executive Board and Council, and will only be passed if the organization’s programming would be significantly hindered if the side fund was not set up.

Another method Edwards will use to prevent this unhealthy mushrooming of funds from occurring in the future is to increase communication between incoming and outgoing VSA vice presidents for finance. “If such conversations could take the form of ‘these are the special funds and this is why we need them,’” Edwards feels that a situation of redundant funds like the current one would be avoided to a large degree.

Edwards also commented that the closing of funds is in tandem “with this [25th] VSA administration’s goal of streamlining itself and increasing its efficiency.”

“This cleaning up has never been done before, and it is time to do it now,” said Edwards, adding, “I feel that this is a very good use of the VSA’s and my time.”

ELECTIONS continued from page 1 cause of his “sincere interest in social action and the political system.” Actively involved in his high school’s student government as “press secretary,” as President Lester “will stop at nothing to ensure our happiness, whether that means ferociously fighting with the VSA Council to procure more funding for new clubs/events or projecting your wants/concerns/interests to the proper VSA vessel and then actively pursuing it until fruition.”

Moore cites his role as an Eagle Scout and “practice in student government,” in his statement. He “[plans] to streamline the way that the freshman representatives stay in contact with our class constituency, including quick online polls sent through V-Mail and an active Facebook group.”

Vivian Duygu Parlak ’14 would focus her energies as president on smoothing “our transition process

and integration into the Vassar community.” Originally from Turkey, Parlak promises to bring “the Mediterranean breeze and warmth to the student life.”

Angelica Perriera ’14 was also involved in student government in high school, culminating in a position as vice president of the student body. Perriera hopes to broaden the range of student activities, saying of events that have occurred thus far, “not all of them were enjoyable for a large number of people and I think we can do better.”

Describing herself as “addicted to student government,” Petrarca discusses her involvement in leadership positions throughout high school.

While experienced, Petrarca admits to “know only vaguely what can and can’t be improved on campus.” That said, she “[is] positive that with a little more time and experience with the VSA [she] will be able to acquire the knowledge that will allow [her] to take

the proper steps towards change.”

In his statement, Thomas Rafferty ’14 states that he tends to “spend a good deal of [his] time procrastinating, so [he] will have ample time to collect and deliver your ideas to the VSA and plan some sweet events for our class.” Rafferty also has prior experience in student government as a Head of House in high school. “Basically, I think I can represent you well, so vote for me,” concludes Rafferty.

Thompson has student government experience on the high school and college levels, having served as Class of 2013 president at Oberlin College last year. She plans to use her ties to Vassar in theater, debate and squash to give her a “perspective on multiple facets of campus life”.

Voting for the presidency as well as other positions will run online Sept. 24 through Sept. 26, and results of the fall elections will be announced at 9 p.m. at the Retreat on Sept. 27.

Bedbugs still common in New York BEDBUGS continued from page 3 slick enough to trap bedbugs climbing onto or off of the legs. Mattress covers are also installed to prevent the pests from nesting in beds.

There are also steps students can take to stave off infestation. “While the appearance of bedbugs has little to do with cleanliness, their persistence is aided by clutter,” wrote Inoa, advising students to “clear up the clutter.”

A tougher approach is taken for more severe infestations. “If it is deemed that the bedbugs are concentrated in a particular area,” wrote Inoa in his e-mail, “then pest control will inspect and treat rooms to the left and right, above and below of the initial room that had it.”

Vassar is no stranger to bedbug infestation. Reports of bedbugs first surfaced in Lathrop House in the fall of 2009, and it was later discovered

that the pests had infested the second and third floors of the dormitory. (“Bedbug infestation afflicts Lathrop House,” 10.01.09) While bedbugs are no longer plaguing the dormitories, the College’s emphasis on awareness and proaction is warranted given Vassar’s proximity to New York City, a well-known bedbug hub. The extermination company Terminix Pest Control, which operates nationwide, compiled a list in late August of the 15 most bedbug-infested cities in America. Based on the volume of calls to Terminix’s 350 service centers across the United States, neighboring New York City seems to face a larger bedbug infestation than any other city in the country.

While hardly scientific, Terminix’s conclusion is supported by recent local news reports. Over the summer, media outlets documented bedbug

infestations at major New York City retailers, businesses, and offices, including Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, Google’s New York City headquarters and the AMC Empire 25 movie theater in Times Square. Most recently, a Manhattan Niketown closed temporarily upon the discovery of bedbugs in its stores last week.

Infestations can be difficult to avoid given the miniscule size of the bugs. The pests might cling to clothing, furniture or other cloth surfaces, allowing them to travel easily to new locations without being noticed.

Symptoms of bedbug infestation include itchy, red welts on one’s arms, legs and face, as well as insomnia. Students who suspect that their rooms may be infested should contact the ROC in Josselyn House.

This Week in New york

This Week in Higher Ed

by Caitlin Clevenger, news editor

by Aashim Usgaonkar, news editor

Gubernatorial elections under way

NACE report says job-placement outlook will improve for Class of 2011

Primaries have revealed Democratic nominee Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Carl Paladino to be the main contenders in the race for New York Governor. Paladino proposes 20 percent tax cuts in his first year as governor and has become known as the “mad as Hell” candidate. Cuomo proposes a constitutional convention and a state spending cap. Though Paladino has challenged Cuomo to a debate, Cuomo has refused to respond. Vassar alumnus Rick Lazio ’80, who lost the Republican primary to Paladino, is expected to remain in the race as the Conservative Party candidate, a move that would split the Republican vote.

State senate candidates debate Incumbent Republican state Senator for New York’s 41st district Steve Saland faced Democratic candidate Didi Barrett in a debate in the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel Sep. 15. Both candidates discussed the need to eliminate the Metropolitan Transit Authority tax and restructure school funding.

Loyalty has been an issue in the campaign— Barrett, who has a second residency in Manhattan, promises to be a bridge between the district and the city, while Saland doubts her ties to the area.

Lieutenant Governor’s report calls for change in Medicaid In a report released Monday, New York Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch rec-

ommended that the state’s Medicaid health insurance program be significantly changed to ease burdens on the state budget. The program’s costs have doubled in the past 15 years; Medicaid now costs $50 billion annually. Nearly one in four New Yorkers benefit from the program. Ravitch calls for stricter rules on who can qualify for Medicaid and a limit on malpractice awards.

Public workers suffer layoffs, hiring freeze New York Governor David Paterson has renewed his promise to lay off thousands of state employees before he leaves office, prompting the Civil Service Employees Association to file an official grievance against the governor to the state Public Employment Relations Board. In New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed his decision to impose a hiring freeze on all city public officials on Monday as part of a plan to trim the city’s deficit. This decision follows 1,100 city layoffs and 4,200 jobs lost through attrition since June. The City of Poughkeepsie budget, due to be released in three weeks, is not expected to require any layoffs.

Bedbugs bite Entomologists holding a bedbug convention this week in Chicago identified New York City as the epicenter for a bedbug epidemic spreading throughout the nation. Recently, bedbugs have infested New York’s Niketown store.

A Sept. 16 report from the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) stated that job-placement prospects for the Class of 2011 have improved from the last year. On average, “employers will hire 13.5 percent more graduates than in 2010,” according to this report, which goes on to assert that the maximum projected increase in 2011 for hires is maximum in the West of the country (23.5 percent), followed by the Midwest (20.2 percent), the Northeast (13.1 percent) and finally, the Southwest (8.3 percent). The report also makes the claim the a majority of recruiting will occur in the fall, with “nearly two-thirds of their recruiting in the fall, and about one-third in the spring,” according to NACE Executive Director Marilyn Mackes. A follow-up on this report will be made available in November, according to NACE’s report summary.

University of Florida considers changes to traditional semester system In an attempt to “ease the strain on its crowded facilities,” the University of Florida (UF) considered a proposal presented by Provost Joseph Glover to allow students to bypass the fall semester and enter directly into the spring semester, completing the remaining coursework over the summer, reported Inside Higher Ed. “[The University of Florida] is a large institution and, basically, in the fall semester the Gainesville campus is full

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

to capacity,” said Glover. While the proposal is in its early stages, Glover is confident that incoming students will now be given the option of being “spring-summer only” or “fallspring only” students. This flexibility would allow for the incoming class to increase its numbers while avoiding further stress on campus facilities. In reference to the resultant increase of the incoming class size, spokesperson of the UF Board of Governors Kelly Laymon commented in support of the proposal, saying, “We need higher baccalaureate attainment in Florida,” continuing, “If this helps increase that, then the Board of Governors is for it.”

U.S. schools top list in Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the data collected to arrive at these rankings, released earlier this month, was mostly quantitative and not qualitative.

Time claims that these rankings are based on the schools’ achievement in teaching, research, citations (which measure the influence of the research), industry income and the international diversity in the university.

While the University of Cambridge tops the list at number one, the top 10 is composed of a majority of U.S. schools including—in order of the ranking—Harvard University, Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, the California Institute of Technology and Princeton University.

September 23, 2010

FEATURES

Page 5

What professors wish you were reading ‘Human tetris’ a complicated T diplomacy Danielle Bukowski Guest Reporter

Matthew Bock

Assistant Features Editor

E

Carlos Hernandez/The Miscellany News

he William Starr Annual Lecture is a constant source of literary excitement.

This past Wednesday, Sept. 22, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein treated the campus to a lecture detailing their unique take on the writing process. There is no better time than the present to capitalize on this literary fever, and there is no better resource than our own widely read and distinguished faculty to look towards when in need of a good read.

In this helpful guide for new Brewers and Brewers-to-be, professors weigh in on the books that any Vassar student can enjoy and that every prospective student would be well-served to read. This week’s list takes suggestions from from the History, Religion, Earth Science and Geography, Russian Studies and Education Departments.

Professor of History Nancy Bisaha recommended The Bible. Her colleague Leslie Offutt, Associate Professor of History and Chair of the Department, explained this choice, noting, “There are so many basic understandings within Western societies that are deeply rooted in a familiarity with this Christian text, and students who lack a familiarity with it miss the significance of those understandings.”

Adjunct Professor of History Michael Hanagan suggested The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White. The almost 100-year-old book is considered a sacred text of sorts among those interested in writing. “Every undergraduate, once a semester, should take an hour and read [The] Elements of Style,” Professor Hanagan said.

For students who have already read the texts of major Western religions, Associate Professor Michael Walsh of the Religion Department suggested The Heart Sutra. Considered “Buddhism in a nutshell,” the 35 lines are some of the most profound teachings of the Buddhist religion. Professor Walsh also suggested J.M. Coetzee’s Dusklands, a book comprised of two novellas examining scientific evangelism and imperialist violence in the Western world.

The Earth Science and Geography Department made numerous suggestions which, not surprisingly, deal with various issues facing our planet. Several professors put forward the recent best-seller The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which studies the way Americans’ eating habits are affecting the earth.

On issues of climate control, an earth science and geography professor suggested Field Notes From a Catastrophe: Man,

Professor of Education Christopher Bjork suggested students read Savage Inequalities, which he says “vividly captures the realities of life inside urban schools,” before taking Education classes.

Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert. For those interested in maps, one suggestion is How to Lie with Maps by Mark Monmonier. How to Lie with Maps deals with how cartographers use certain tricks to best represent an area on a map. Another suggestion, Invisible Cities, is an inventive book about cities and the imagination by Italo Calvino.

Professor of Russian Dan Ungurianu suggested two prominent works that anyone interested in the department should read.

The “inescapable” Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is “a spiritual thriller… that serves as a wonderful introduction to the Russian classical literature.” He also suggested Evgeny Zamiatin’s 1920’s novel We, which he calls “a haunting vision of a dystopian future that presages Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984.” We is considered the pioneer of satirical dystopian fiction, and was banned by the Soviet censorship bureau in 1921.

Associate Professor Christopher Bjork of the Education Department recommended two books dealing with inner-city public schools that should appeal to the more socially-conscious among us. Savage Inequalities by writer-activist Jonathan Kozol “draws

attention to the immense disparities in the opportunities and educational experiences provided to children in this country,” Professor Bjork said. “Kozol vividly captures the realities of life inside urban schools that lack the financial and moral support they need. When I use this book in my courses, it often motivates students to become more involved in local communities and schools.”

As a companion to Savage Inequalities, Professor Bjork suggested Deborah Meir’s The Power of Their Ideas. “Troubled by the savage inequalities documented by Kozol, Meier founded Central Park East, an alternative high school in Harlem. In this book, she describes how she created a learning environment that encouraged students previously neglected by the public school system to live up to their great potential.”

There is nothing like the sensation of bristling parchment across the fingertips as a tome holds the mind rapt in its knowing grasp, and there is no better way to achieve this end than to consult those who have made a career of procuring knowledge. Believe it or not, a professor’s value does not end in the classroom, so take them up on this advice, settle down, crack a spine and read.

Some concerned that rank is one-sided RANKING continued from page 1 sar’s very own Squirm as “a journal of smut and sensibility,” and concludes with a warning that Vassar’s small size will lead to inevitable awkward interactions with last weekend’s hook-up.

Reactions to this bit of news ranged from skeptical—“How is that even calculated?” asks a flabbergasted Noah Cogan ’13—to boastful, as some students were glad to see Vassar’s freak flag flying high. Other students wonder just how accurate the assessment is in light of both personal and observational data. Despite the article’s light tone and a subject matter that was clearly meant to be playful, the fact remains that this newfound title is an interpretation of Vassar College that will be riding the information super highway into eyes and minds around the globe. Whether the audience be a prospective student, a proud Vassar parent or a potential employer, for at least one academic year, Vassar is the ninth sexiest school in America and it’s up to this seventh sister’s sultry students to own or dismiss the title.

Haley Tanenbaum ’12 was glad to bring diversity to the list. “I was oddly proud,” she said. “I thought it was cool that we were the only liberal arts school on the list.”

Tanenbaum’s slight surprise over just how

happy she was that Vassar ranked on such a saucy spectrum inspired conversation to turn towards the potentially positive effects of this distinction on the psyches of Vassar students. “[The ranking] helped me feel better about my own sex appeal!” offered a giggling Tess Alpern ’12. While some were flattered and even encouraged by Vassar’s rank-worthy hook-up scene, others desired to distance themselves and the school from a list that values Vassar’s coital credentials over its academic excellence.

“I think it definitely has a negative connotation for the College,” remarks Cogan, “but as a current student I find it amusing,” he concedes. While Cogan acknowledges that the article is basing its information on an active stereotype, he is hesitant to apply such a description of love, life, and the pursuit of nookie at Vassar to every student’s experience. Sean Shoemaker ’12 is less concerned with the idea of a campus that gets along like a box full of bunnies than he is with the information used to substantiate Vassar’s claim to its position on Unigo’s list. “I was annoyed because it’s propagating a heteronormative, straight male dominated interpretation of what makes a campus sexy.” Shoemaker notes the vibrantly diverse array of sexual orientations, expressions and practices that

make for a truly titillating time at Vassar College, and laments their exclusion from the ranking process. When considering the reach of any digital message, but especially one on a popular website such as Unigo’s, it is important to note that the information acts as a representation of the subject. Vassar College’s image is no exception to this rule and many students like Shoemaker are riled by what they consider a tarnishing of Vassar students’ own impression of the campus as a haven for individuals regardless of how they play past bedtime.

Senior Max Ernst attempts to reconcile the tension that he feels with the ranking’s methodology by reinterpreting it to fit what truly is sexy about Vassar. Acknowledging the campus’s sexual diversity as well as a student body that appears, both through dress and genetics, somewhat removed from normalized conventions of physical allure, Ernst concludes, “it’s an alternative definition of sexy that we have here.” While Vassar College may never have paused from her academically and socially commendable exploits as she charged into the year 2010, it cannot be denied that somewhere along the way Vassar ditched the hoopskirt in favor of skinny jeans and came out looking sexier than she could have ever imagined.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ven in these difficult economic times, a substantial number of Vassar students are taking advantage of the opportunity to spend a semester or a year abroad. According to the Study Abroad office, 45 percent of the Class of 2012 chose to study abroad either this semester or next, up nine percent from the Class of 2011. The well-attended Junior Year Abroad (JYA) meetings for current sophomores demonstrates that the student body’s interest in exploring the world beyond Vassar is as strong as ever. Such a strong turnout, however, is much to the dismay of Associate Director of Residential Life, Housing and Student Conduct Rich Horowitz, who is responsible for navigating the game of “human tetris” (as he refers to it in an e-mailed statement) that the abroad situation creates for the Office of Residential Life.

While students juggle their American identity with their cultural experiences, the College prepares for their journey home.

Elaborating on the delicate shuffle involved in placing returning juniors into loving, preferably single, homes, Horowitz clarified, “We don’t have many open singles on campus over the course of the fall semester. Not including Strong, we probably have about 10-15 available spaces on campus. Some of these singles aren’t really available as we’re holding onto them just in case of emergency. For example, we try to keep a single available on the first floor of many houses so that if someone breaks their leg we can offer it to them instead of having them walk up the three flights of stairs to their room. So, it’s more like five to 10 single rooms.” With more students consistently choosing to go abroad during the fall semester rather than the spring, an average of 200 students are in need of housing at the onset of each spring semester, 90 to 95 percent of whom are returning from JYA programs. It is easy to understand the impact that the ever-mobile junior class has on the Office of Residential Life. Horowitz manages the chaos with persistent communication. “I start working with the fall JYAers as early as November,” he explains. “The first e-mail out to them is sent in October. I find that communication is key in that it really helps alleviate a lot of anxiety for our JYAers. Even if the news I share isn’t great, we’re all comforted by knowledge. Throughout the fall, I’ll let them know how many singles we expect to become available in each house, as well as spaces within suites and apartments.” Students are then asked to rank their preferred houses, and Horowitz reports that their wishes are granted with about 90 percent fidelity.

Despite the anxiety that accompanies this process, Horowitz remains cheerful and confident, boasting, “This is one of the experiences that annually reconfirms my convictions regarding how things have a natural tendency to fall right into place.”

Current juniors’ destinations are as varied as their purposes. According to Director of International Programs Susan Correll, 112 students are studying in Europe, 24 are studying in Latin America, 24 are studying in Australia, 22 are studying in Asia, 12 are studying in Africa, seven are studying in Russia and four are studying in the Middle East. Some, she explained, have opted for a language immersion program like the Vassar-sponsored programs in Madrid, Paris and Barcelona to achieve fluency in a language of interest, possibly in response to the discontinuation of summer programs, while others wish to broaden their academic horizons by meeting new students and professors in a larger university setting; yet others want hands-on field work experience that is facilitated exclusively by abroad programs.

(Volcanic exploration in New Zealand is one such example.)

Yet others do not have a specific purpose in mind.

Elizabeth Gile ’11, an urban studies major, spent her spring semester in Istanbul, Turkey taking classes at Bogazici University. Traveling—to Thessaloniki in Greece and to Cappadocia in central Turkey, to name a few destinations—was a central part of her experience. “It was unreal,” she wrote in an e-mailed statement, “but in different ways than I expected. I planned to be outgoing and make Turkish friends if not other European or international or American ones…but it ended up being much more about me adjusting to independence while being surrounded by people that I didn’t necessarily click with.”

See JYA on page 7

FEATURES

Page 6

September 23, 2010

Julia Van Develder: composing Vassar first impressions Mary Huber

B

Guest Reporter

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

etween a reorganizing of offices and planning her office’s activities for the year, Julie Van Develder of the Office of Communications is a busy woman. As the Acting Editorial Director of Communications, Van Develder serves as an intermediary between the geographical reach of Vassar College and its communication with the outside world.

Van Develder’s principal responsibilities at the moment are the upcoming Sesquicentennial—Vassar’s 150th birthday—and the Capital Campaign, which is still in its quiet stages.

Since this year’s campaign is dedicated to raising money for new and updated science facilities, Communications has been tracking down Vassar alumnae/i with interesting jobs in the sciences to feature on the campaign website and the Vassar Alumnae/i Quarterly. Among them are Eben Ostby ’77, the Vice President of Software at Pixar and Vassar’s first computer science major; Sandra Lawrence MD/ MBA ’78, CFO of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City; and Anna Young MD ’69, a highly-respected researcher of neurological disorders who, in her position at Massachusetts General Hospital, became the first female Head of Neurology at a major American teaching hospital. For the Sesquicentennial, Van Develder has also overseen the creation of a video featuring historic footage—some taken by students, others intended to be early promotional videos—of Vassar from as far back as the 1930s. The project involved quite a bit of digging through Vassar’s film archives, unearthing reels that haven’t been shown for decades.

The Office of Communications also has what might be one of the hardest jobs at Vassar—making college publications interesting.

Van Develder acknowledges that engaging college brochures and info sheets are difficult to come by, noting, “Other college publica-

The Office of Communications, most recently the Office of College Relations, is preparing for the Sesquicentennial year as well and the communications effort surrounding a large capital campaign for next year. tions can be very boring and pro forma. We take that as a challenge to ourselves to make our materials interesting. We try to think creatively about Vassar stories we can bring forward, and there are lots of ways to tell those stories.”

While the demands of her position may suggest that Van Develder is in the business of damage control in defense of the College’s reputation, nobody seems to worry about negative stereotypes. “I know I am the Public Relations Director, but I believe the information in the world about Vassar is largely positive. I believe our job is to communicate ac-

curately about what a strong institution this is, and that that consistent message is what people are getting,” says Vice President for Communications Susan Dekrey, who oversees the entire office. Van Develder also stresses the importance of showing the world Vassar’s true identity: “We want to present a true view of the College. We wouldn’t want anyone to come here who wouldn’t be happy here or do well here.”

That is why the Communications Office does more than make promotional brochures; they are also responsible for Vassar’s YouTube channel. “We created the YouTube Channel

long before other colleges started,” Van Develder remarks proudly, reflecting on Vassar’s innovative use of technology. The Office’s approach centers around potential applicants, and everyone at Communications takes into account the voice of current students. “We rely a lot on students to inform our progress.

I’ve been here 20 years, so students can really bring a fresh perspective,” says Van Develder.

She points out that student focus groups have helped shape Vassar’s online content, including encouraging more material about student life at Vassar. One particular interest group inspired a video series about student life which tries to create a fuller picture than a run-ofthe-mill brochure would. As Van Develder says, “videos on student life and organizations capture something important about Vassar in a way we couldn’t duplicate in print.”

When asked about the hardest aspect of her job, Dekrey regrets that Communications can’t do even more. “There are many opportunities for good communications on campus and many requests for the expertise and services of the people who work in the office— more than we can meet in as timely a way as we’d like…So we have to prioritize and then be willing to re-prioritize as circumstances change, to do those things that serve the College best at a given time. Some patience all around really helps.” Despite these difficulties, both Dekrey and Van Develder derive great satisfaction from their work. “No question about it—I love working with the creative people I get to work with. [They are] some of the most talented people I can imagine working anywhere. And that they are committed to supporting what Vassar does, that makes it even better,” says Dekrey. “I love Vassar; that’s the main thing. But it’s also fun to be charged with bringing Vassar’s stories forward,” says Van Develder. Their job is, after all, that of a storyteller, bringing Vassar out into the world through the stories of its students.

Campus Judaism not limited to practicing minority JUDAISM continued from page 1 Jewish Union (VJU), Challah for Hunger and unaffiliated members of the tribes of Israel coalesce to build an image of Jewish life at Vassar College.

While one’s explanation of the Jewish experience is likely to be as complex and extensive as the Torah itself, surely the difference between a Jewish life as it is lived in the home versus Jewish life as lived on campus is tangible. Rabbi Rena S. Blumenthal, Assistant Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and Advisor to Jewish Students, sees the greatest change in the added factor of responsibility. “I think first and foremost, being Jewish at Vassar means you get to run your own Jewish life in a way. The biggest differences are those that come from a board of students running the Vassar Jewish Union. It’s an opportunity to figure out how you want your Jewish life to look.”

Rachel Eisen ’11, President of the VJU, similarly attributes students’ agency in developing their culture as most impactful on Jewish life at Vassar. “You have to actively seek out the community which makes for more enthusiastic participation,” says Eisen, reflecting on the energy of her cohorts as they joined together in the construction of a sukkah in preparation for the upcoming holiday, Sukkot. Others, such as Benny Witkovsky ‘12 recognize the removal of the familial factor as the largest change in their practice, while Jacob Loeterman ‘12 uses his primary and secondary education as a counterpoint to his current experiences with his Judaism. “I grew up in a private Jewish schooling system,” Loeterman reveals, “Being here is obviously a lot more lax, and there’s also a fiery political component at home, but not here.” Regardless of personal experience, nearly all interviewed individuals cite the importance of community as a link defining the global Jewish experience.

Due to the thriving and integrated nature of the Jewish population at Vassar, it is easy to forget just how small of a minority Judaism is in the world at large. Witkovsky reflects, “I’m from Madison, Wisconsin. I’m used to being the small minority, so it’s been different for me to

be somewhere where there are so many Jewish people. I think in some ways it was good to grow up where being Jewish was different and I had to identify in reactionary manner.” Rabbi Blumenthal continues, “You also have the students where ‘of course school was closed for the high holidays’ and they get here and suddenly they feel very much like a minority.”

Noah Cogan ’13 adds, “Although there are a lot of Jews on campus, practicing Jews are a minority.”

It is this practicing minority that is often frustrated by the lack of general interest in Jewish programming on the part of Vassar’s vast array of seemingly ambivalent Jews. “As freshman representative of the VJU I tried to get other people involved,” sighed Andrea Sharavsky ’11, “and it was a struggle!” she concludes. Vice President of the VJU Daniel Gordan ‘11, in response to the drought of participation in religious activity in general, admits, “People’s lives here, for the most part, don’t revolve around religion, and it’s not unique to Judaism.” Rabbi Blumenthal, however, sees the situation with a silver lining. “Because there are a lot of Jewish students on campus,” she says, “a lot of students don’t feel the need to get officially involved in Jewish life. Many things happen on campus like Seders at the [Town Houses] or Shabbat in the parlor, so people don’t feel like they have to go to the official VJU event.”

Witkovsky, in a more ambivalent vein offered, “I don’t personally care. If Jews on campus don’t want to be involved, I have nothing invested in changing their minds. At the same time, if there were something RSL could do to engage more students on campus, I’d be happy to explore that, and they are exploring that,” he concludes with a spark of optimism. Bianca Pasternack ’11 offers an alternative to strictly Jewish programming via Challah for Hunger.

“Challah for Hunger is part of my Jewish life, but a secular Jewish life. Challah for Hunger might open the Jewish community up and make it so that it’s not based in religion, but rather so that it will provide a place for people who care about service, baking bread and having fun

regardless of religion.”

Although Vassar is a notoriously tolerant campus, it is still worth examining the perceptions that Vassar students have about their Jewish peers. While most students deny any negative impressions of Judaism on campus, Rabbi Blumenthal asserts that it is the Jewish students themselves who most critically internalize displays of Judaism. “The biggest misperception that people have is that the Bayit is for the religious group on Campus...Judaism is a very complicated mix of religion and culture,” she continues, “Now, some students are religious and I think it’s fair to say there’s a lot of stigma on this campus against religious activity. This is an obstacle for many students who care about being Jewish that inhibits them from getting involved.” She proceeds to paint what she considers a truer image of the VJU: “I most want to emphasize that we understand our role in the broadest possible terms. I am here to support, as is the VJU. In fact, we really do a wide range of things, and ideally we’d like to see ourselves as a resource for a people with a very wide range of Jewish backgrounds or even no Jewish background at all.”

Lane Kisonak ’13 reveals an appreciation of the services offered at the Bayit regardless of the state of his religion. “I only recently started being a regular member of the VJU last week.

The community really embraces everyone who wants to join. They combine tradition with open community participation. I follow a lot on the side of cultural Judaism,” he admits. “I am personally agnostic, but I get a lot of gratification from being a part of the Jewish community; there’s a powerful feeling when I go to services.” Loeterman furthers this sentiment noting, “Judaism here is a lot more cultural. People like associating themselves as culturally Jewish. I myself don’t feel a lot of pressure to ‘practice’ outside of cultural activity.”

Jewish life, however, is not limited to an internal experience, as both Witkovsky and Loeterman know personally. Jewish men and women, in the conservative and reform denominations, may choose to wear a circular head covering

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

called a yarmulke, or kippah, as an outward expression of their Judaism. Witkovsky and Loeterman offer two unique perspectives on this aspect of Judaism in that Witkovsky has decided to stop wearing his yarmulke while Loeterman has only just begun wearing his.

Witkovsky considers his decision a natural and casual process stating, “I had never worn a yarmulke on a regular basis before. I had worked at a camp where we had to the summer before coming to Vassar. I got done and realized that I had no good reason not to wear it, and I had no impetus to stop.” Witkovsky cites preference and personal development to explain his current yarmulke-less condition. Loeterman, on the hand, looks to self-exploration to explain his choice to don the kippah. “I’ve been thinking about religion in more experimental terms,” he says, “and the more I make it my own, the better I feel about it. I have to pull things from Judaism that make me feel good. I’m not wearing the kippah as a purely religious symbol.” Loeterman does recognize the attention-drawing power of his external identifier, admitting, “I usually just forget that I’m wearing it until strangers come up to me and say, ‘Shalom!’ But part of wearing the kippah is being open and willing to have a conversation about it.” Furthermore, Loeterman sees his yarmulke as a means by which he is bound to the Jewish community. “It reminds me not to make bad decisions in public because I’m not only representing myself, but also Judaism,” he says.

Ultimately it seems that Judaism at Vassar College is simply what one makes of it. Whether one feels most fulfilled attending services, saying silent prayers, baking for a cause or modeling the latest in Hebrew high fashion, it should come as no surprise that even Jews come in all shapes and sizes at the ever-eclectic Vassar College. If one thing can be said of all Jewish students at this institution, it is that they are content, comfortable and proud of their contributions to Jewish life on campus. Loeterman puts it best when he says with a smile, “I like the aesthetics of the yarmulke and I don’t have a problem with that!”

September 23, 2010

FEATURES

Page 7

Deconstructed stir-fry disassembles ACDC stereotypes Stephen Platz

Guest Columnist

T

Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

he frequency with which “eggs all day” appeared at the All College Dining Center (ACDC) grilling station last year sometimes drew complaints from the student body. Granted, Percy’s omelets are nothing to shake a whisk at, but the excitement I have for the idea of breakfast for dinner usually hinges upon the amount of bacon that will be served with the meal. (It was sadly absent on these occasions.) However, with more than a little creativity, the intrepid gourmet can use these days as an opportunity to craft a delicious and satisfying dinner at the stir-fry station.

It is surprising how the availability of a particular ingredient can vastly expand what is culinarily-feasible. Noodles of any sort, for example, can be transformed into a nearly limitless number of dishes inspired by a wide array of culinary traditions. Fresh eggs are another such ingredient. The diverse ways in which eggs can be flavored, prepared and utilized make them one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. With eggs on hand, making pasta carbonara, shakshuka—an Israeli dish comprised of eggs, tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices— and even eggs florentine at the ACDC are within the realm of possibility.

Although the practical limitations of the stirfry station will likely necessitate significant alterations to the recipe of any dish you plan to create, you can arrive at a close approximation of even the most elaborate recipe. The dish featured in today’s article calls for many ingredients that you are not likely to find on a normal day at the dining hall. The final result will not be impacted drastically, since the recipe is, like many stir fries, flexible to the substitution of similar ingredients. For this recipe especially, the focus is more on the method and technique used to prepare the dish and less on the constituent ingredients.

This week’s recipe is a French-inspired, “deconstructed” fried rice adapted from one of chef Mark Bittman’s recipes, who himself adapted it from a recipe by the famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It is deconstructed in the sense that, rather than cooking all the components together in a single pan, as you would a normal stir-fry, each element is cooked separately before it is elegantly brought together on the plate.

The effect is such that elements combine differently with each bite, creating unique flavors with every forkful. So work up the courage to stroll up to the front of the omelet line, ignoring the derisive looks of your peers, ask for a couple of eggs and give this recipe a shot.

Deconstructed Fried Rice Serves Two »» 5 tablespoons canola oil (or any other non-flavored oil available) divided »» 1 tablespoon minced garlic »» 1 cup onions »» 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger (optional) »» 2 cups cooked brown rice »» 2 eggs »» 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional) »» 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1. In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the canola oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring

occasionally until well browned and crisp.

Transfer the garlic chips to a plate lined with paper towels or napkins to drain.

2. Add two tablespoons of the remaining canola oil to the pan and let come to temperature. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they are translucent (about eight minutes).

3. When the onions have become translucent, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown (about 20 minutes).

4. Raise the heat to high and add the rice.

Reflections on travel abroad, impact on Residential Life JYA continued from page 5 A food lover, Gile created a blog while abroad to document the “culinary wealth and variety” of Istanbul and the surrounding region. The blog features highlights of her gastronomical experience in text and photo form: lamb meatballs with sour cherries in Ciya, making grape leaves with family friends in Tarabya, fried eggplant in Thessaloniki. “Meeting a new culinary culture and writing about it was just ideal—something so fun and interesting for me,” she remarked. In terms of its contribution to her academic focus, she explained, “My classes were intriguing and engaging but [they didn’t] change my life. It was really visiting a new city, especially one wrought with many of the issues I’ve discussed in class, that gave me so much to think about.”

Andrew Davidson ’11 honed his artistic and professional sensibilities closer to home during his semester at the National Theatre Institute (NTI) in New London, Conn. “Going [away] gave me a way to contextualize all of the knowledge, both personal and intellectual, I had accumulated during my first two years of college.” he says, “As a person I realized what values were closest to me and what things I wanted to get rid of, and as an artist, I found the reasons why I make art and the path that I want to pursue professionally.”

Davidson underscored the importance of the connections he made during his time at

NTI. “I worked with industry-level professionals there. It was through playwrite Jason Grote that I got an internship at a Manhattan-based playwriting organization, New Dramatists. I think going [away] should be as much about the experience as the people you meet.”

Sybil Johnson ’11, a Greek & Roman studies major, found similar prospects awaiting her at College Year in Athens, an Athensbased program popular with students who have a taste for antiquity. While abroad she was invited to spend a summer digging at an excavation on the Roman fort of Halmyris.

“It’s incredible that going abroad gave me that opportunity,” she said, adding that her abroad experience provided her “a tangible connection to [her] field of study.” She continued, “Being able to spend time with the ruins of ancient Greece let me get to know them in a way that I never could by studying them on a slide projector.”

Although the three students enjoyed their time away from Vassar, they all agreed that studying abroad is not for everyone. Davidson offered advice for those potentially interested in the experience. “Talk to people—Vassar students—who have gone somewhere that interests you,” he said. “And see how they liked it. And not just how they liked it, but find out what their biggest complaint is. You’ll know from that if it’s something you’re willing to risk.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Cook until the rice is nicely toasted (about five minutes). Season to taste. Divide the rice mixture between two serving plates.

5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil and let come to heat. Fry the eggs, sunny side up, until the whites have set. (If you prefer a firmer yolk, you can cover the frying pan for the duration of the cooking time.)

6. To serve, slide an egg on top of the rice and sprinkle the garlic chips over the egg.

Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce over each serving.

ADVERTISEMENT

OPINIONS

Page 8

September 23, 2010

Colorblind views detrimental to affirmative action debate Ocasio Wilson

A

Guest Columnist

fter reading “Socioeconomic diversity, lacking on college campuses, must be supported” (09.08.10) by Joshua Rosen ’13 in The Miscellany News, which discusses socioeconomic affirmative action, I felt compelled to bring a new understanding of race-based affirmative action to this debate. This is intended for proponents and opponents alike who subscribe to Rosen’s view on colorblindness and view affirmative action as racial preferences or quotas.

While Rosen says he is not a proponent of race-based affirmative action, he thinks the best version of affirmative action should be based on socioeconomic background. He argues, “since, in colleges, the ‘underrepresentation of low-income students is even greater’ than that of racial minorities, it would be better, in the interest of greater equality, for socioeconomic affirmative action, which does not discriminate based on race.” Rosen goes a step further and condemns affirmative action, through his quoting of Justice Lewis Powell’s opinion in the Supreme Court case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978), as “aiding victims at the expense of the innocent.”

The United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) defines affirmative action as “any measure…which permits the consideration of race, national origin, sex or disability, along with other criteria which is adopted to provide opportunities to a class of qualified individuals who have either historically or actually been denied those opportunities and to prevent the recurrence of discrimination in the future.” With this definition in mind, I’d like to consider how affirmative action serves to counteract the structural and institutional barriers that serve to suppress the opportunities and talents of people of color and women. At the heart of the misunderstandings of affirmative action policies, race-based ones in particular, are certain visions of American social history.

There are many people that believe we’ve transcended racism and therefore race-conscious policies are irrelevant. A great many people believe that treating people the same constitutes treating people equally. There are some who believe the best way of dealing with race issues is by having colorblind public policies— meaning all identity-conscious public policies are illegitimate initiatives for promoting equal citizenship and equal opportunity. This is partly due to the media’s crime of misinforming the American public about the disparate social realities of minorities and women today.

The argument today, espoused by Rosen, is that affirmative action should be rooted in socieconomic status. Race has been erased from both sides of the spectrum. A middle class or upper class minority has supposedly transcended the effects of racial discrimination. A working class or poor minority’s challenges are not about issues of black and brown, but green.

Many people unjustifiably assume that racism is a byproduct of class inequalities. If you eliminate class inequalities, racism somehow disappears. However, there is substantial evidence that race remains a significant factor that shapes everything from social networking to housing to jobs to health care, regardless of class. In fact, in a 2004 study cited by Harvard University professor David Williams, middle class blacks live in poorer areas than whites of similar socioeconomic status, and poor whites live in better areas than poor blacks. This is largely a function of the false stereotypes and negative biases concerning black people that prevent black people from receiving the financial resources that are necessary to purchase a home. In this same presentation, Williams cites a survey that shows a majority of whites believe blacks are lazy, prefer welfare and are prone to violence. Because blacks don’t have the same access to things like housing and education—their net-worth suffers.

Even the richest 20 percent have only 31 percent the same wealth as the richest 20 percent of

whites, according to a census cited in Williams’ presentation. It is wealth, not income or socioeconomic status, that transfers to generations and helps families get ahead.

Another common argument for classconscious policies instead of race-conscious policies is that race-consciousness divides the working class. Saying this is denying the fundamental history of the labor movement, which was that many achieved their aims by discriminating against women and people of color. If effectively contextualized in America’s social histories, not only should the working class unite behind race–based affirmative action programs, but all women and minorities should as well.

Undergirding many colorblind views about race-based affirmative action are three major misconceptions—that discrimination has ended, that we live in a meritocratic society and that the status quo is not socially engineered.

Colorblindness repudiates the idea that race should ever make a difference; however, we have discussed many ways in which it does make a significant difference, an example being the huge disparities in wealth among the races.To be colorblind is to be blind to reality.

The concept of colorblindness defends the status quo of white privilege under the guise of a post-racial vision of society. Proponents of colorblindness claim that to treat people equally is to treat all people the same. Not only is the idea of adopting colorblind policies disdainful, but it completely disregards the conditions of millions of America’s minorities. These individuals continue to go unnoticed because disingenuous, colorblind ideologues choose to treat our social histories in a vacuum, completely disconnected from today. This distortion of reality plagues many of the anti-race-based-affirmative action arguments. Colorblind attacks on race-based affirmative action programs have included everything from English as a Second Language Programs to breast cancer screenings, from mentoring and after school pro-

College needs to take steps to prevent student suicide John Kenney

Guest Columnist

T

ragic news broke at Wesleyan last week when students discovered their fellow classmate, junior Nora Miller, had committed suicide. Nora was a talented student and athlete who was expected to major in film.

Whenever any suicide occurs, it naturally causes people to raise the question of why. This question of why becomes even more pressing when the person who killed herself was a student who had achieved so much in life already and would have only continued to do wondrous things. An event like this is extremely unsettling, as it goes beyond the stereotypes people think of when they think of suicide.

This is not the first time a student has committed suicide. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst college students, and although no case is the same, one common theme that runs through many college suicides is a panicked feeling that one will never accomplish their goals, or that they have taken on far more in life than they can handle. It is an absolute shame that bright minds give up on life because they feel they have overloaded themselves, and it highlights a larger and more common college issue taken to its most depressing extreme: overworking.

A heavy workload and ridiculous amounts of stress are two staples of the average college life.

The amount of pages per class that must be read quickly pile up as a student must also keep track of his or her notes, write papers and study for tests.

On top of that there are always the looming midterms and finals that haunt the mind. Then there is the stress which comes from the world beyond the classroom. There is the social life, the laundry, the extracurriculars, figuring out what to eat, when to eat, and so on and so forth into infinity.

Unfortunately, there is no magic wand to automatically wipe away the workload of college, but that doesn’t mean college cannot be turned into something better than a workaholics ultimate fantasy.

So what are the solutions to this dilemma?

Even with the endless mantra of time management and organization which is presented to us from the moment we set foot on a college campus, it seems impossible to actually go ahead and put the advice into effect. If the College is going to make such a big deal about us both participating in the rigorous academics while at the same time going out and pursuing extracurricular activities to broaden our horizons, then it should make a serious attempt to show that it actually means what it says. One way to do this would to be to do away with deadlines as they currently exist. There is no way that I would actually suggest the College do away with their academic standards when the point of being here is to learn, but at the same time there is no reason why five equally important projects should be due on the same date. Instead of having mass due dates which apply to the entire class, classes could be structured in a way where assignments would still be due, but the due dates could be flexible, to some degree, to account for each student’s schedule. With this measure in place, ridiculous scheduling conflicts that would force students to choose between assignments would disappear and the stress load would be alleviated to much more reasonable levels.

One other idea that I think could be put into action so as to help students who are at serious risks would be to offer a short suicide awareness course to all students at the school so as to provide students with the knowledge on how to spot warning signs in their friends and report them to the proper health officials. Colleges should also make more of an effort to let students who suffer from depression or other mental health problems know that there will be no discrimination against them in disclosing this information. Education.com points out that these disorders are underreported to colleges because students are afraid the college will discriminate against them for these issues.

I would never be so idealistic as to claim that college can be turned into a place that is completely stress free; however I think schools can do more than is being done at the current moment to reduce stress amongst their student bodies.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

grams to magnet schools, from programs that require Asian-owned businesses to be advised of possible government contracts to battered women shelters that create a safe space for victims of domestic violence and their children.

In short, there are countless initiatives across the country that affirmatively uses race to address the unwarranted obstacles confronted by the beneficiaries of affirmative action. Because these vital programs are not colorblind they are all put at risk by attacks on affirmative action. Rosen brings up University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law to make his case against race-based affirmative action. He quotes UCLA law professor Richard Sander— who opposes race-based affirmative action—to support his case, but in the same article, law school Professor Jonathan Varat disagrees. He says “Social mobility is part of our mission,” and a class-based system “has been a good thing in its own right. But it has not been very effective at producing racial diversity. Class isn’t a real proxy for race.”

To be clear, I don’t think of affirmative action as the holy grail that will fix the enormous disparities between races, ethnicities and genders.

It is merely a modest mechanism to counteract some of the structural and institutional barriers that serve to suppress the opportunities and talents of people of color and women. It is neither a quota system nor an advantage. It neither excludes nor precludes more “qualified” people from an opportunity. There have been numerous studies that show affirmative action beneficiaries are just as qualified as white males. Even so, there have also been numerous studies to show that not all white males that have been admitted into an institution or accepted for a job are necessarily the most qualified, but rather are beneficiaries of the “old boy network.” It is my hope that through a better understanding of affirmative action’s purposes and practices, we may understand its value in promoting equality.

ADVERTISEMENT

September 23, 2010

OPINIONS

Page 9

Hook-up culture harmful to men, women Vassar students Juan Thompson

W

Opinions Editor

e’ve all heard about it or experienced it. The “it” in this case is casual sex, or the college hook-up, and according to the recently released Vassar Cultural Audit, the hook-up is a point of concern for Vassar students, specifically straight female students.

The audit said “Some students, especially (straight) female students, voiced concern with the ‘hook-up’ culture on campus, a culture of casual commitment-free sexual encounters with acquaintances or strangers, and the lack of dating. There is recognition that there is little modeling of healthy, sustaining, intimate relationships.”

Male and female students are just as responsible and willing to engage in drive-by sexual encounters. I do think, however, that straight women allow straight men to rule the straight scene. A picture is painted of men as quasi-predators who go around using female students; there is particularly the image of male upperclassmen who seek out freshman females under the received wisdom that freshman students will be easier hook-ups. And while all that may be entirely true, it takes two people to make it happen. The male is not forcing the female student to hook up with him; if he did, that would be considered sexual assault and should be dealt with in the appropriate manner. But why do some people expect more from casual hook-ups? How can one expect anything substantive when the two partners immediately engage in sex with one another?

Strong relationships are not based on casual sex. Male students, though, can be selfish and assume, because of our male-to-female ratio,

they can do whatever they wish. The female students nevertheless are willing to go along.

The hook-up also says something else about us as college students and the sexual inequality that exists. Following hook-ups there can be feelings of embarrassment and of being used and, in some cases, sexual diseases, since a lot of hook-ups involve oral sex. It seems, from observation, that a lot of people inexplicably don’t use any sort of contraception during oral sex with new partners whose sexual history they are more likely than not unaware of.

What fuels this hook-up culture? Our campus, like most campuses, is filled with alcohol and drugs—there’s a straight line of causality from drinking and drug use to hooking up.

But besides the drugs and alcohol, the hookup harms men and women both. It harms both women and men both in the emotional scarring some may experience from casual sex, and the dispassionate, shallow attitude it fosters toward sex.

Vassar, for all our talk of liberation and sexual feminism, has a straight socio-sexual environment dominated, for the most part, by men, which is why straight women in the Cultural Audit was the group most alarmed about our campus’s hook-up culture. How did a campus with such a rich feminist history come to let a male hierarchy dictate the dating and hooking-up scenes? And how could Vassar’s female students, many of whom consider themselves to be feminists, be so willing to participate in a hook-up culture that leaves them as unhappy as the audit states? Sexual feminism and liberation is a huge part of our campus culture, yet a lot of the hook-ups that occur often involve one-sided sexual activity.

In a study from the book Families As They Are, published by W.W. Norton in 2009, researchers from Stanford and Indiana University concluded that men are twice as likely to orgasm during casual hook-ups because in 80 percent of the cases the hook-up has the woman giving oral sex to the man without reciprocation.

Of course, there are some women who may get pleasure from giving pleasure, but the difference between giving and receiving is too vast to ignore. And the reciprocal gap doesn’t strike me as sexual feminism; it strikes me as the same male-dominated sexual paradigm that’s existed for years that we all are committed, supposedly, to dismantling.

There are two plans that come to mind for attacking Vassar’s sexist hook-up culture.

During New Student Orientation week there should be a greater emphasis on the hook-up culture and the troubles that can arise from casual sex; there are already presentations dealing with LGBTQ issues and sexual consent, so this would make a perfect addition.

Second, I think Vassar should have an internal discussion. We have to ask ourselves whether we are truly committed to sexual equality. Or is that something we only talk about in Women’s Studies classes and then forget when we head off to the Town Houses or Matthew’s Mug? The disparity between what we profess to believe when it comes equality and the reality of what our hook-up culture actually says about us has to be addressed, or another Cultural Audit in another year will be published with the same complaints.

—Juan Thompson ’13 is Opinions Editor of The Miscellany News

Alcohol, drugs detrimental to campus culture Kris Yim

Guest Columnist

D

uring the “I Am Vassar” presentation, the presenter informed us that 40 percent of Vassar students claimed to have not recently used drugs, while 10 percent abstained from alcohol completely up until graduation.

Those numbers tell us what we already know: Drugs, such as alcohol and marijuana, have an undeniable and unfortunate presence on the Vassar campus. There are innumerable reasons why we should avoid alcohol and drugs, which I will discuss below.

First, let’s look at alcohol’s place in the college setting. The school has certainly made more than one attempt in their predictable, ineffective anti-alcohol crusade to, at the least, instill an artificial sense of guilt for shameless alcohol consumption. It isn’t so much that the lame admonishments are entering one ear and exiting—quite the contrary—but the fact that a majority of students can raise their hands and regurgitate the same old reasons why one should not drink speaks negatively, I think, of the efforts to discourage alcohol and drugs. I can’t say I have seen any of these warnings actually convince any of my peers to refrain from using alcohol and drugs. Case in point: There’s vomit on the bathroom floor right now. It does no good to simply appear to know, or to “know” but not act accordingly.

These programs are never factually wrong, of course. Information on blood alcohol content is useful I suppose; okay, there’s the point at which I should stop drinking. In the end, the argument points to a “more responsible” use of alcohol, seemingly dismissing the idea of total alcohol abstinence as a lost cause. The “desirable effects” column overpowers the “undesirable effects” column in the eyes of its users. Why should we lay off of alcohol completely? We’ve all heard the “undesirable effects” many times. Alcohol impairs judgment, often leading to regretful actions. Binge drinking makes the user vulnerable, can cause a blackout or even obstruct basic functions like breathing. Of course, there’s the subsequent hangover. I needn’t expand, though I will say that, puzzlingly, liver damage and other long term health risks seem to speak to teenagers on the least relevant level. Each of these entirely valid consequences can be avoided with responsible drinking, right?

If such a fundamental falsehood is perpetu-

ated, let’s, for a moment, assume that each and every person who frequently drinks is perfectly responsible and that there are no longterm health risks to alcohol. Would there still be a reason not to drink? Yes, because when you’re drinking to get drunk, there is nothing actually going on except the drunkenness itself, no reaal meaningful activity. This central principle seems to be left unmentioned in the conventional alcohol education program. Ironically, the desirable effects of alcohol convey this. Alcohol acts as an effective social lubricant, lowering one’s inhibitions and making them more outgoing. It also instantly renders hilariously inane behavior completely socially acceptable; being drunk acts as an all-purpose excuse for aforementioned inanity, or any inappropriate sexual advances (more duplicitously, for sexual exploitations). All these makes for a more accepting environment for behavior that otherwise would not be accepted. Now, there’s a key difference between fun derived from an actual activity (examples being kadima, a beach game, or a barbecue) and fun derived from being drunk (sitting around, or spastically thrashing about while intoxicated). With the latter, subtract “drunk,” and what remains?

Forget the conventional consequences of alcohol and examine it at its heart: All it is, is a hollow stupor.

The use of marijuana similarly promotes a meaningless existence. The conventional consequences of marijuana is admittedly a more difficult subject; its illegal status says nothing about whether or not the law is just, and the “gateway drug theory” is just a mispronunciation of “slippery slope fallacy.” A number of scientific studies seem to be at odds on marijuana’s long-term mental and physical effects. But the idea that a psychoactive substance like cannabis can have no long-term mental health consequences is ridiculous. Somewhat tangentially, the single greatest pro-marijuana argument I’ve yet heard was that “weed is an herb that frees your soul.”

No other statement so artfully succinct in its beauty can so perfectly capture the ill effects of marijuana on one’s mental processes. With all that said, the marijuana usage at its core is more brainless than even alcohol, equally rendering the user incapable of any productive activity for an extended period of time.

Perhaps unrelated to the chemical makeup of these substances (but bolstered by their effects), habitual alcohol and marijuana usage can

foster strong psychological addiction through operant conditioning, as does any habit. In this sense, lives can be anchored by the prospect of either getting drunk or high in the near future.

The victim ends up incorporating more meaninglessness and emptiness into his or her life in place of fleeting instant gratification. Suppose she spent all that time learning to play an instrument, working out or reading a book?

My point is alcohol and marijuana are both substances that bring about irrational, artificial pleasure. These social tools act as gimmicky substitutes for true substantive interaction with other people. What else have users to reminisce—assuming their memory is still intact—other than their asinine behavior?

There are too many things to do at Vassar, too many activities, lectures, shows and weekend events; we’d be doing ourselves a great service if we made use of those events instead of alcohol and drugs.

ADVERTISEMENT

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

should help plan Sesqui activities Tanay Tatum

Guest Columnist

V

assar’s Sesquicentennial is coming up quickly! The Sesquicentennial celebration is one of the few opportunities Vassar students have to manifest our love for Vassar in a concrete way, therefore, it’s important that students take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As we enter 2011 we must do two things: use this year as an opportunity to learn more about Vassar’s history, and celebrate good times with Matthew Vassar, our official party captain.

Vassar is filled with a rich history; however, sometimes the origins and meanings of our traditions are not passed down to students. For example, why do we celebrate Founder’s Day? Is it Matthew Vassar’s birthday, or the day he founded the College? Unfortunately many students—including myself at one point—could not answer this question. Here’s another one to think about: Why do the Daisy Chain and African Violets participate in our commencement ceremony? Hmm…I’m waiting. In 2011 the Sesquicentennial will hopefully help merge the disconnection between the past and the present.

Through informative lectures, art exhibits that archive our history, and increased interactions with alumnae/i, we will be given the chance to truly learn what it means to be a Vassarite.

Also, lets not forget about the party! If you were turning 150 years old, wouldn’t you want to have the greatest birthday party of the millennium? The College plans on hosting birthday parties across the world for Vassar.

Even here on campus there are a few events planned. On Jan. 29, there will be a birthday party during the day that will include cake, refreshments, music, readings and much more to commemorate the founding of our College.

Later that night, Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE) will throw its own birthday party.

Although this all sounds great, there’s still one big component missing—the voice of the larger student body. In order for the Sesquicentennial to be a huge success we need all members of our community to participate in the festivities. The alumnae/i are doing their part in planning events and the College has started preparing for the year, so now it’s time for students to step up to the plate. Here are a few ways to get your grouped involved in Sesqui-festivities: 1) Reach out to alumnae/i who were former members of your organization. What event could you host that could include them?

Alumnae/i are ecstatic about the Sesquicentennial and would be extremely happy to come back to see what students from their former organizations are currently working on.

2) Discover the history of your organization.

How and when was your organization founded?

How does this relate to the history of Vassar?

Examining the history of your group is a great segue into learning more about the school.

3) Host Sesquicentennial-themed meetings.

What are some important historical dates and landmarks for the school? How does this relate to your organization?

4) Party like it’s 1861. Host a birthday party in the name of Matthew Vassar!

5) Put a Sesqui-twist on your annual event.

If you already have an event planned for this school year, why not make it Sesqui-themed?

Some student groups have already started incorporating the Sesquicentennial theme into their programming for this semester. Others have looked into creating photo exhibits, screening movies by alums, hosting historical plays and much more.

You can’t have a Sesquibration without student input. Vassar Student Association Vice President for Operations Ruby Cramer ’12, Michael Mestiz ’12, and I are the joint chairs of the Sesquicentennial Student Steering Committee.

We are always more than happy to meet with students to discuss ways that they can plan their own Sesquicentennial events.

—Tanay Tatum ’12 is the Vassar Student Association Vice President for Activities and the co-Chair of the Student Sesquicentennial Steering Committee.

OPINIONS

Page 10

September 23, 2010

Community center a symbol of American values and liberty Michael Brenner

I

Guest Columnist

work in downtown Manhattan, about a 10-minute walk from 51 Park Place, the site of the proposed Park51 community center. And having recently returned from a trip to South Africa, I can tell you that the controversy surrounding the proposed community center has become an international story.

What has happened is all too familiar. A group of extreme right-wing bloggers, aided by press pundits, created an issue where none existed around a project that had been approved by local government with little fanfare.

They began by deliberately attaching a false and incendiary label, dubbing the community center the “Ground Zero Mosque,� though the proposed center is neither at Ground Zero nor actually a mosque. Then they began to “investigate� the Imam behind the project, Imam Feisal Rauf, a man who has run a mosque in downtown Manhattan for decades and is well-known for his interfaith work. They began quoting him out of context and tried to cast him as an Islamic radical and a supporter of terrorism.

(The latest example is their characterization of his statements that quashing the project would breed resentment and possible violence against American troops in Muslim countries as a “threat.�) They also claimed, as Nick Campbell writes in his Miscellany News opinion column “Islamic Center overtly provocative�

(09.08.10), that the name “Cordoba House� was a provocation, when the fact was that it was chosen because Cordoba is an historic example

of Muslims, Christians and Jews living together in peace. I can speak to the effort of the those involved with the project to create a community center that serves everyone; friends of mine prominent in the New York Jewish community have been offered positions on the Board.

This is not, as Campbell and others have asserted, like the Catholic convent and cross controversy at Auschwitz in the 1980s. In these cases, the controversial structures were indeed built on the actual site of the massacre, a place where over one million Jews had been murdered, representing 90 percent of the victims. Most Catholic leaders stood with Jewish leaders and favored the removal, though the Polish Cardinal who supported the convent made antisemitic remarks about Jewish control over the media in reference to the controversy. This project is not in Ground Zero. It is not exclusively or even primarily a place of worship, though this hardly matters. And perhaps most importantly, it is being built in First Amendment America, not communist-era Poland, or, for that matter, totalitarian Saudi Arabia, bizarrely cited by some community center opponents as an example we should emulate because the Saudis do not allow the building of synagogues.

The deceitfulness of those behind the campaign against the community center is reminiscent of past campaigns against Muslim moderates, campaigns started by the same cast of characters. The last New York victim of such a campaign was Debbie Almontaser, the driving force behind the Arabic-language Khalil

Gibran Charter School in Brooklyn. Her secular public school was coined a “madrassa� by the opposition, and her statements were egregiously pulled out of context by the New York Post and others to cast her as a supporter of terrorism, eventually leading to her dismissal as the school’s principal. In 2007, She sued the city and the New York Post, and she won $300,000 in damages in addition to back wages and benefits in March 2010.

Sadly, where that story had little impact outside of New York, this one has ignited a nationwide anti-mosque movement and because this is election season, politicians have read the polls and fanned the flames. That embarrassment to Vassar’s name, Rick Lazio ‘85, released TV ads complete with disturbing Sept.

11 imagery criticizing Park51 and calling for an investigation. (He lost the GOP primary for NY Governor to an even more extreme opponent.) Republicans in general have joined the anti-community center extremists and Democrats have either gone along with them or otherwise remained quiet. Of the national leaders, few, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is a profile of courage for doing so, have issued a unequivocal endorsements. The president, unfortunately, has equivocated, endorsing the right to build the center, only to question its wisdom and otherwise remain silent afterward.

The First Amendment does not yield to popular passions. Those who care about First Amendment values of free expression and American values of pluralism should support

the project. And there are pragmatic reasons as well. Our country has distinguished itself with the way it has integrated Muslim immigrants into our society. We have not gone the way of the Europeans, who have openly discriminated against its Muslim minorities by banning burqas, as in France, and threatening to ban minarets in Switzerland, though the ban did not pass, and electing politicians who favor complete bans on Muslim immigration, such as Geert Wilders in the Netherlands. These policies have stoked anger and resentment, leading to riots and contributing to increased antisemitism. These countries are not lucky enough to have those traditions of free speech and expression which provide an outlet for newcomers to find their place and a forum to vent anger and counter bad ideas. Finally, we have an obvious interest in protecting the rights of minorities. Today, the rights of Muslims are abrogated. Tomorrow, it could be the rights of Jews or Catholics.

In America, we have a peaceful and patriotic Muslim population who feel that they have a stake in our society and contribute to it mightily. We have a pluralistic society which fosters the contributions of all to our melting pot.

Since Sept. 11, we have largely resisted those sectarian tendencies that can become destructive self-fulfilling prophecies. This is a moment where fear itself threatens to overrule the better angels of our nature. —Michael Brenner ’01 is an attorney and graduate of Vassar College.

“Mission accomplished� redux? Stewart march indictment Declaration of victory in Iraq premature Matthew Steinschneider Guest Columnist

A

ny declaration of the end of the War in Iraq will naturally invoke the cynical thought, “Mission Accomplished—again.�

President of the United States Barack Obama’s Aug. 31 speech announcing “the end of our combat mission in Iraq� anticipated this reaction by adopting a generally cautious tone, seeking to avoid an excess of triumph. Where he might have stated that Iraq has achieved a great victory, the president instead makes the ambiguous declaration, “Iraq has the opportunity to embrace a new destiny.�

Despite Obama’s careful attempt at avoiding the over-optimistic folly of his predecessor, he still manages to fall into similar pitfalls, albeit in a different style. His speech is certainly not the rhetorical equivalent of landing a jet on an aircraft carrier decked out with a “Mission Accomplished� banner; however, in places, it projects the same foolish optimism. For instance, Obama stated, “I encourage Iraq’s leaders to move forward with a sense of urgency to form an inclusive government that is just, representative, and accountable to the Iraqi people,� and goes on to suggest that this Iraqi government is not yet formed, suggesting actions to be taken “when that government is formed.�

Gushing over the virtue of a hypothetical government is risky. Obama’s use of “when� assumes that Iraqi democracy will ultimately be a success, in only a matter of time. The future of Iraqi democracy is in fact far from certain, as indicated by Iraq’s difficulty in forming a government almost a year-and-ahalf after its latest elections. The political sit-

uation in Iraq is a turbulent one, still plagued with questions such the Kurdish separationist movements, unresolved tensions between Sunnis and Shiites and a plethora of other problems. Were Iraqi democracy to fail, the president’s optimistic statements may prove just as embarrassing as former President of the United States George W. Bush’s stunts.

One has only to consider Iran to see the danger in assuming that an installed regime will take root in Iraq. In 1953, the pro-western dictator Reza Pahlavi Shah came into power in Iran as a result of an American and British intervention. Despite continued western support, the Shah’s regime was ultimately toppled and replaced by a radical Islamic “Republic� in 1979, which remains the anti-western, autocratic government of Iran to this day.

Many regimes established by foreign intervention, whatever the merits of the intervention, are placed in a precarious position once the intervening hand has been absent for long enough.

What is also troubling about Obama’s speech is the impression that the timelines for withdrawal are politically rather than strategically determined. The president reminds us that the withdrawal of combat brigades was his “pledge to the American people as candidate for this office.� It is refreshing to see a president keeping his promises, but the binding of military decisions to campaign promises made a year in advance is unwise and irresponsible. If strategic realities were to have changed since Obama’s promise, he would have been forced to either See IRAQ on page 12

of American discourse David Rosenkranz Guest Columnist

O

n Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010, Jon Stewart announced his “Rally to Restore Sanity� on his late night television program, “The Daily Show.� According to rallytorestoresanity.com, anyone “who feel[s] that the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard� should come to Washington, D.C. on Oct. 30. for some calm conversation. Stewart organized this event in response to the rise of political extremism in the news media, hoping that it will give moderate Americans a chance to voice their opinions.

It seems like the loudest and craziest public figures are now the only news-worthy members of society. In 2006, it was “Bush is Hitler� liberal protesters; in 2009 it was Sarah Palin and her death panels. Two weeks ago, both national and international cameras focused on a single, lunatic pastor from Florida instead of on one of the most heavily contested midterm elections in America’s history. The loudest minority always seems to dominate the majority of the political eye. I say it’s high time we end the tradition of giving a microphone to anyone who can scream, regardless of what it is they are screaming; the rally is a good place to start.

As college students, we have a particularly weak voice in politics. Many of us have neither the time nor the inclination to become politically active outside of campus. But why are so many college students apathetic towards politics? What is it about politics that discourages politically moderate college-age Americans from participating? The answer is loud, irrational, political extremism. It’s like standing next to somebody who is shrieking at the top of their lungs. You’re either really annoyed or really

intimidated. Either way, you certainly won’t be near them for very long.

The far left and far right dominate the political conversation and keep anybody with opinions in between out. The result of this polarization is an eternally deadlocked government. Now it is time to stand up and show our dissatisfaction with the status quo. It’s time to denounce the extremism that permeates the national stage. If logic and reason can reclaim politics, each and every American will have a stronger opportunity to impact government. Legislation comes from compromise, compromise comes from respect and respect comes from reason. The best way to bring reason back to the political conversation?

Listen. Think. Talk. In that order. Don’t ignore somebody because he’s a Republican and you’re a Democrat; don’t argue for lower taxes and national health care at the same time; and, most importantly, don’t shout—you could be wrong.

This rally is a good starting point. It’s a place for people on the left and on the right to share their opinions in a respectful environment.

Moderates don’t have homogeneous political beliefs—that’s why they’re so important. They don’t defend their beliefs on health care with “Obama is a god-hating Muslim!� Instead they argue, “The Internal Revenue Service is taking 30% of my income as it is!� Once both sides of the political spectrum understand each other’s needs, then effective policy will follow.

If you prefer calm conversation to political brawls, respectful disagreement to reactionary mudslinging or peaceable compromise to absolute self-righteousness then please, take one weekend to visit our nation’s capital. Join moderates everywhere and spread the timeless message: “Take it down a notch, for America.�

ADVERTISEMENT

MEMORY IMPROVEMENT SEMINAR ! presented by

Memory Renaissance Center

Improve Memory in 2 hours &MJNJOBUF &YBN 1BOJD t %FWFMPQ .FNPSZ 5FDIOJRVFT /PU 5BVHIU *O 4DIPPM 4BUVSEBZ 4FQUFNCFS th - choose a class: 10AM or 1PM For registration on line: memoryrenaissancecenter.com or call t Seating is limited.

Seminar location: .FSDVSZ (SBOE )PUFM 3UF 1PVHILFFQTJF /: A Seminar uniquely designed for students to:

Ronald Linchner, Director

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

September 23, 2010

OPINIONS

Page 11

American support for Israel unshakable Josh Rosen

Guest Columnist

I

n the United States, Jews represent less than two percent of the adult population, according to Census Bureau data, yet many figures in American political discourse charge that Jews exhibit a sinister influence over American public discourse concerning the Middle East.

Whether these views are couched in the technical language of academia—John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, both of Harvard University, expressed their perspectives in The Israel Lobby—or in vitriolic responses to interview questions—as with former megachurch pastor Jeremiah Wright’s comments to an interviewer in 2009—there is a unifying trend: American foreign policy is disproportionately influenced by the opinions of Jewish commentators. Of course, this is a patent lie, but it is certainly worthwhile to explore how very false it is.

Among the core aspects of this polemic are the canards that American Jews are often seen as voting solely with concern for Israel and supporting Israel at the expense of the United States. Two weeks ago, a Miscellany News column entitled “Jewish voters should think beyond Israel at the polls” (09.08.10) claimed that American Jews ought to ignore the American-Israeli alliance when choosing their candidates for public office.

Yet as a percentage of the adult—or voting—population, Jews represent just over 1.52 percent of eligible voters. Evidently, Jews cannot alone push the foreign policy of a nation—especially one of over 175 million registered votes—with less than 3 million votes. Absent some sort of worldwide Zionist conspiracy, why does the United States support a tiny nation in the Middle East? And, frankly, regardless of American Jewish opinion, the United States will remain a strong ally of Israel.

Public opinion polls suggest that a significant majority of American voters have a favorable view of Israel, and, in fact, view the Israeli more favorably than they do the Palestinian people. In the latest Gallup poll, 63 percent of respondents indicated that they had a favorable view of Israelis, while only 15 percent express even minimal support for the Palestinians. .

Since 63 percent of Americans are cer-

tainly not Jewish, there is another factor— Americans of all races, religions, and political affiliations support Israel because of Israel’s shared democratic, liberal values and its demonstrated support for the United States, particularly in the fight against Islamist terror.

In terms of political liberties, it suffices to say that Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East. The highly respected Freedom in the World Report—an annual ranking of the degree to which civil and political rights are protected in different nations—produced by the nongovernmental organization Freedom House— acknowledges Israel as the only “free” nation and “electoral democracy” in the entire Middle East. No such sort of functioning democracy would be possible in the authoritarian regimes of Iran, Hamascontrolled Gaza, Syria or even in the American-allied nation of Saudi Arabia.

Americans identify with Israel’s democratic values and respect for freedom of the press and freedom of speech, among other essential civil liberties. As Vice President Joseph Biden made clear in a May 2009 speech, the US and Israel share an “unyielding commitment to democracy,” which—above all else—motivates the American-Israeli alliance. American foreign policy is committed to maintaining the free democracies of the world, and Israel, without a doubt, qualifies as a liberal democratic state deserving of American support for this reason alone.

The fact that Israel is a democracy in a highly undemocratic region is reason enough to support Israel. But beyond this sense of values that the US and Israel share, there is a greater strategic interest that the United States and Israel have in concert.

This interest is perhaps best summarized

by President Barack Obama’s open letter of April 2010 to the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, in which he asserted “the same forces that threaten Israel also threaten the United States and our efforts to secure peace and stability in the Middle East.” More succinctly, both Israel and the United States have and will continue to face the threat of Islamist extremism, as well as the danger posed by an Iranian nuclear capability. In fact, Israeli-American cooperation on security issues has never been closer. Amer-

ican and Israeli forces train together on a regular basis, and even collaborate on the design of weapons systems. As the threat of an indigenous Iranian nuclear program grows, perhaps even blossoming into a full-fledged nuclear-armed Iran within the year , Israel and the United States will continue to become closer allies.

Both shared democratic values and a joint interest in stability in the Middle East inextricably link the United States and Israel. Yet the charges of a “Jewishcontrolled foreign policy” still exist, both in academia and the less rati0nal sides of the public discourse. But these charges are patently false: less than 2 percent of eligible voters cannot decide the foreign policy of a nation of 300 million, absent some sort of abnormally vast conspiracy.

Certainly, Americans of all stripes support Israel: It is truly a bipartisan issue.

There are very few topics on which a large majority of both houses of Congress can agree on, but when it comes to Israel, they do. In fact, 334 representatives and 76 senators were signatories to an April 2010 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which they expressed a commitment to “to the unbreakable bond that exists between our country and the State of Israel” . If Israel were not both a bipartisan and widely agreed-upon issue, it would have been quite miraculous to have obtained so many signatures. However, as the number of signatures makes clear, Israel is a consensus issue in the United States and will most certainly continue to remain an issue of agreement between Americans of all political affiliations.

As the alliance between the United States and Israel strengthens, and American public support for Israel continues to rise, particularly with the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, Israel’s detractors in the United States will only step up their rhetoric. However, if poll figures are to be believed, and an alliance of over 60 years holds, there is certainly no doubt that there will continue to be the political will and strategic sense for the United States and Israel to continue to advance their mutual security—and moral—interests in the Middle East.

Laura Smyth

T

ake a look around: aspartame is everywhere...why yes, even at Vassar.

While it’s well-known for being the artificial sweetener in Equal and NutraSweet, according to the Aspartame Information Center, it’s also in 6,000 other products ranging from certain brands of pudding, jam, cereal, ketchup, soda, fat-free yogurt, breath mints, to gum—as an avid gum fiend, I was disturbed to learn that aspartame is an ingredient in my favorite gum: Orbit Bubblemint. In our body-obsessed society, it makes sense that people gravitate towards products with the least calories. Aspartame has 90 percent fewer calories than regular sugar, and is much sweeter—clearly, an attractive premise.

So what’s all the fuss? Aspartame has been in a constant cloud of controversy— both because of safety concerns and the seemingly questionable circumstances surrounding its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). First the Department of Justice went after Searle, the manufacturer of NutraSweet, which contains aspartame, for fraud in one of its aspartame studies, and, as Dr. Christine Lydon noted in an article, even the National Soft Drink Association had been against the approval of aspartame in soft drinks.

The FDA had routinely denied aspartame approval for over a decade, until 1981, when a newly appointed commissioner of

the FDA, Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes, took office and ultimately overruled the decision.

There was never enough evidence for an official investigation—but just two years after this approval deal he left the FDA after allegations of impropriety and went to work for a public relations firm whose chief client was Searle, company that had patented aspartame in the first place.

According to the World Wide Health Center, David Reitz, founder of DORWay, a group of anti-aspartame activists, Dr. Betty Martini, creator of the Mission Possible World Health International organization, Dr. Janet Hull, the author of Sweet Poison and a direct report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among others, there are 92 established symptoms attributed to aspartame use.

The FDA report states that these symptoms range from headaches to hives to, yes, even changes in one’s menstrual pattern. If you were to Google “aspartame side effects”—do it, if you’re curious— you’d easily find an abundance of sources screaming that it can literally kill you, among other horrible things like render you blind, cause seizures or give you cancer. At this point in time there haven’t even been enough substantive studies published on the most horrible side effects of consuming too much aspartame, but the consumption of this sweetener over time, like the over consumption of many other things, can lead to noticeable damage.

“1920s, because there was an old tank on Joss field, and during prohibition they’d store alcohol there.”

Molly Kumar ’11

“The cusp of 1960s/1970s, the year the boys arrive at Vass.”

Sam Shin ’12

“I would’ve loved to go to Vassar in the ‘60s, they were having a lot of fun back then.”

Adam Steel ’12

—Joshua Rosen ’13 is Opinions editor of The Miscellany News.

Aspartame: the FDA’s dirty little secret Guest Columnist

What decade would you have liked to attend Vassar?

Moderation is the key.

It’s easy to see why people might bend the truth in order to keep aspartame on the market—it’s a multi-billion dollar industry in a faltering economy. But why would so many other people, who stand to gain nothing financially, invest themselves in a campaign against aspartame if there’s really nothing wrong with it?

So, hey—here we are at Vassar. If you try hard enough, you just might be able to hide from the majority of events making national news. But what about those things that don’t make the news, and furthermore, those which directly affect your health, which perhaps are even deliberately hiding from you? You (try) to find the time to work out consistently and consciously, and (genuinely attempt to) eat well, glancing at caloric information on packaging when available. Fat-free, nearly calorie free, SCORE? Just check the ingredients prior to prancing in glee.

Vassar can do everything possible to ensure that quality food is served at the All Campus Dining Center or sold at the Retreat, but that being said, it’s ultimately up to the student as to how he or she eats.

That’s us. As the poet Gerald Massey said: “They must find it hard, those who have taken authority as truth, rather than truth as authority.” Just because something’s legal and in front of you doesn’t mean you should put it on your mouth. Don’t blindly trust the FDA. Don’t eat aspartame.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“The 1980s because I love the music.”

Melanie Corrigan ’12

“The end of the 1960s because it goes co-ed.”

Chris Campbell-Orrock ’13

“The 1990s. I love the 90s best because everyone had a good, solid head on their shoulders”

Stephanie George ’14 —Joshua Rosen Opinions Editor

Page 12

Politics should not decide US withdrawal IRAQ continued from page 10 sacrifice his integrity or make the wrong decision.

Likewise, deadlines for withdrawal in Afghanistan are also being set in stone by political promises. In his speech, Obama stated that withdrawal and transition to Afghani responsibility will begin next August. Obama qualifies this with assurances that “the pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground,” but ultimately, the withdrawal will start in accordance with political promises made far in advance, rather than the latest military and strategic analysis.

The president asserts, “open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghani peoples’.”

War is of course always a tragedy: there is no doubt that the president has the best intentions in wanting to see it ended as soon as possible, but depending on the course of events in the next year, reductions in American troop levels may serve neither the interests of the Afghani people, nor the interests of American security. Obama ought to be more cautious with his promises.

These promises are not only dangerous but also miss the ultimate purpose of both the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. Until the two nations have been politically and socially transformed into stable, relatively moderate and friendly regimes, neither war can be said to have ended in a meaningful sense. This transformation has always been the underlying objective; the Iraq and Afghan wars will be over only once their new regimes have withstood the test of time.

Although the last American combat brigades are for the time being departed from Iraq, the war is far from over.’

OPINIONS September 23, 2010 Live life authentically, insecurity waste of time Brandon Densmore

M

Guest Columnist

y greatest goal in life is authenticity; to live a life by my design, to hold beliefs I deem to be valid, to embrace the moment, seize the day and accept myself as I am. Many people go through their lives in a state of fear.

This is akin to insecurity, falling upon one while in the presence of others. When two people meet both may worry what the other thinks. Each imagines himself or herself as being inferior in some way—lacking in some essential quality—whether it be prettiness, masculinity, femininity, intelligence, education, income or anything else.

This sense of fear or insecurity is a nagging, weary, scary inner voice; a shrill banshee whose scream can become so all-encompassing that we recoil in abject terror. We doubt ourselves; we form beliefs about what we should be like and begin to live inauthentically, through the perceptions of others.

Insecurity originates externally. Our parents may have held unrealistic expectations, teaching us that if we can’t do something perfect not to do it at all. Other times, television programs may send us the message that if we are not skinny, we are ugly. Or maybe it comes from a well-intentioned friend bragging about their recent acceptance to Oxford. Because of these signals, we begin to feel second-rate, as if we are less than others in some fundamental way. Through repeated exposure to this negative message we may form a false identity, a set of harmful beliefs about ourselves; we begin to live life on the sidelines, through the eyes and utterances of other people.

If you have insecurities, I want you to know you are not alone. Everyone feels insecure to varying degrees. As far as myself, I used to be consumed by such insecurities. But the insecurities we feel may be completely false and can be largely overcome. This realization, this truth, has set my life free. I have become free to be, more fully, me.

At 21, I was in a fistfight and almost died.

Though I do not remember, a friend informed me I made a rude comment about a young man’s girlfriend while intoxicated. This insulted young man hurt me, hitting me over and

over: I received many cuts and bruises, two broken ribs and a broken nose. More extreme, the worst blow—a kick to my head from steeltoed boots—fractured my left cheekbone and severed the nerve attaching to my front teeth.

With worry and concern, my doctor said if that kick to my head held three more pounds of pressure the young man’s boot would have gone directly into my brain, causing me to die instantly.

The realization of my finite existence taught me a priceless lesson: Don’t waste your life.

Prior to this violent altercation, I lived like a slave to a false self, an inauthentic, self-defeating personality.

My school experience was difficult. At 11, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Most of my peers played sports, but because I was unable to compete, I was seen as weak and was bullied continually.

To complicate matters, I was a Jehovah’s Witness. While this faith taught me wonderful values, it further disrupted my social interactions. Prohibited by my religion from saluting the flag or celebrating holidays, I had no chance to fit in.

Aside from becoming the target of harassment, I did not relate well with my teachers. I remember asking a question in second grade math to which my teacher snapped, “Don’t ask ridiculous questions, Branden. Just concentrate and learn the material.”

My false-self developed in response to many negative external messages; I came to believe I was an outsider, a loser, that I was fundamentally wrong. I genuinely thought I was stupid, academically hopeless and going nowhere in life. Taking on these beliefs, I dropped out of school in eighth grade. Yes, I am a middle school dropout.

My identity was based on what other people said to me; I lived inauthentically, through the words and perceptions of students and teachers. Realizing life is fragile, I vowed to trust in myself—to find out who I really was in spite of what others told me. As time went on, I found I possessed a deep passion for books.

While in the grips of my false self, I had read four or five books during my entire school ex-

perience. I believed I was stupid and acted like it. As I connected with my passion, I became a man obsessed for knowledge, reading 100 books within two years.

I earned my General Education Diploma, graduated from Kennebec Valley Community College with honors and won a generous scholarship to attend Vassar College.

The purpose of this article is not for me to boast about being accepted to Vassar College.

Remember, I am a middle school dropout. I believed I was an idiot. My academic success is a natural consequence of my authenticity, of trusting in myself, knowing and accepting my limitations and connecting with my true passion.

Facing my own mortality led me to question my life, and in so doing, to confront and examine my self-defeating personality. I found that beliefs, ones I adamantly believed—as in my academic hopelessness for instance—were completely false. My beliefs about myself held me back from being myself.

My message is that we may in fact have no reason to be insecure, we may hold limiting beliefs, false beliefs that hold us back from being who we really are. I am far from perfect, but I don’t have to live according to someone else’s idea of what a “perfect student” is.

We are not other people. This article is a call to arms. This is a call for everyone to be courageously authentic, in the face of fear about what others think of us. We are ourselves and should never be anything different. In all our faults and strengths, we are free to be.

My experiences may be unique. The lessons I learned from them are universal. All of our lives are finite; we are here today and may not be here tomorrow. Because of this fact, every student should share the same goal I have my self—to live authentically. Live life by your design, hold beliefs you deem valid, embrace every moment fully, seize the day and, above all, accept yourself as you are. The fears and insecurities we feel are not only a waste of life but may be founded on fallacious reasoning.

Let’s not live through the perceptions of other but through our own. In so doing, I believe we will live a fuller, independent and more authentic life.

Crossword by Jack Mullan Code of Hammurabeye ACROSS 1. Airbus parent co.

5. A corp.’s big day 8. Remote control button 11. Elite arms force 12. Research partner, briefly 13. Vassar house with a circle 15. Pedro’s appendage 16. Actor Bana 18. Advil competitor 19. 1934 novel about a

Roman Emperor 22. Dead heat 23. Metropolis’ ___-El 24. Org. issuing 9-digits per person 25. Commercial television channel 26. “Easy as ___” 29. Camera type, briefly 31. “So what ___ is new?”

33. Big name in ice cream

Answers to last week’s puzzle

34. 2010 Apple product 37. Open 40. Some valleys 42. Guillermo’s definite article 43. Hat feature, perhaps 44. Former pitcher Aaron 45. Scandinavian furniture giant 47. Tear 48. Someone to look up to 50. Take a break from standing 51. “Aye!” 52. Biblical floater 54. Harrison Ford’s “Solo” role 56. Lice egg 58. Word with bo or chi 59. Hammurabi’s rule... and a hint to this puzzle’s theme 65. More stoical 67. Roof edge 68. “Soon”, for Cummings 69. Black tea 70. Certain floral accessory 71. Passionate about 72. Title for Schumer and co.

73. Suffix with north or

south 74. “___ Wolf” DOWN 1. “For ___, with Love and Squalor” 2. Not here 3. A “great” friend, perhaps 4. NYSE part 5. “In a perfect world...”

6. Machu Pichu‚ Äôs home 7. “Metamorphoses” poet 8. “Fa” follower 9. Classic 1947 detective novel 10. Jeans brand 13. Whiney, perhaps 14. A child’s place, archaically 17. Computer SOS responder, perhaps 20. Hits with some intense light 21. Manipulated 26. Wooden fastners 27. Inactive 28. Bygone political slogan 30. Count (on) 32. “My Gal ___” 35. “The Raven” author

36. Interrogates 38. A friend of Pierre’s 39. Gym units 41. Simpsons neighbor Flanders 43. Many a BBQ site 45. Zeal 46. German’s reassuring

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

words 49. Chicago airport 52. What a detective may act on 53. What one may be off to 55. Word following a maiden name

57. Attribute 60. Vassar’s historical man-candy shop 61. At all 62. Frank with a diary 63. Post-it 64. Privy to 66. Ages and ages

HUMOR & SATIRE

September 23, 2010

Page 13

OPINIONS

An open letter to my Micro-Fridge

An open letter to the All-Campus Dining Center, circa 4:25 p.m.

Dear Micro-Fridge,

Dear All-Campus Dining Center,

I’ll confess, I never really wanted you to begin with. I would have preferred one of those cheap Target fridge-andmicrowave combos, the loyal kind that would have followed me throughout my four years at Vassar. However, cruel College “fire codes” dictated that you were my only option. And since my love of Ramen and sharp cheddar is greater than my hatred of paying $200 per anum for the privilege of renting a used appliance, I forked over.

Within a few hours of moving in, you showed your true nature: as a clanking, howling, out-of-control beast. The noises you make are not of this world, and the only way I can get any sleep at all is by hitting you repeatedly.

Once or twice I’ve actually had to unplug you for a few hours, leaving my poor Poland Spring bottles to grow ever more tepid. Let’s not pretend this is a healthy relationship.

I really don’t ask much of you, Micro-Fridge. All I ever need is some chilled hummus and maybe a mixer or two*. Your constant tantrums are totally unnecessary, and I’m seriously considering replacing you with a more docile piece of machinery. I have to admit, though, that there’s nothing that de-stresses me better than a roundhouse kick to your face.

Can I call you the DC? Is that too familiar? Aww, thanks, no YOU’RE the cutest!

I have a tale to tell you, the DC, and it is a tale of woe. Once upon a time there was a beautiful English-major-slash-princess. She lived a happy, carefree life on a magical campus where you could pee in any bathroom you wanted and everyone wore plaid. On one fateful Tuesday, the princess left her afternoon class with a terrible desire for some lunch/dinner/linner. She high-tailed it over to the dining center only to find that its doors were barred against her forevermore**. The princess wept.

Do you understand the allegory here?! I AM THE HUNGRY PRINCESS. You’re really cramping my style with this “closed between 3:30 and 5” business. I understand that something like .0000001 Vassar students actually used the dining services during these hours, but does that justify the marginalization—nay, the starvation —of said .0000001 students (i.e. me)? Look into your heart, the DC, and you will see what havoc your thoughtless actions wreaks on those you love (i.e. me). I don’t want a soggy sandwich from Express Lunch, I don’t want overpriced soup from the Retreat, I just want you.

With many yawns and room-temperature yogurt, Alanna * True story: Freshman spotted in the Retreat, asking his friend, “Can we not get soymilk as a mixer again? Please?”

With some affection but only because I live for Eggs All Day, Alanna ** Until 5 p.m., which is similar to forever.

Editor’s Note: Since submitting this exquisite piece of journalism, the good people at the MicroFridge corporation have heard my pleas and replaced my fridge. I won’t lie, though—that moment when they hauled it away definitely gave me a pang. This new guy lacks panache.

- Alanna Okun, Humor & Satire & Whining Editor

An announcement from the Office of Health Education* Tom Renjilian

Guest Columnist

L

et’s all play an imaginative game. Pretend you’re dancing at Matthew’s Mug with a female whose company you really enjoy. She has a Great Personality and she’s Really Smart. You just had a Stimulating Conversation about Judith Butler while you were doing the Charleston to “Pokerface.” You think it might be True Love. At the end of the song she turns to you and states, “Mark (imagine your name is Mark), I would really like to go back to your room so we can Hug and Kiss on your bed.”

Everyone pauses. The music stops. The camera zooms in on your face. You wish you were wearing concealer. You contemplate this request in your Perfectly Sober state, and alarms begin to go off.

“Drats, I’ve got bed bugs!” you remember.

“But I would really enjoy Hugging and Kissing with this girl on my bed.”

A slew of unpleasant thoughts runs through your mind like the men’s cross country team shuffling across campus in those uncomfortably short shorts that you want to look away from because you know it’s wrong. But you. Just. Can’t.

“I guess I don’t have to tell her.” “Maybe she won’t notice the repulsive sores on my body.”

“What are the chances she would actually catch my bedbugs?” “Maybe she’s one of those girls who doesn’t mind being really itchy.”

You know these are all lies, Mark. Cruel, unethical temptations. So, Marky Mark, whatcha gonna do? Well, here are some tips from The Office of Health Education which may or may not help you maintain a healthy Hugging and Kissing relationship, even with bed bugs.

1. Tell her that your gross red splotches are just a mild case of shingles. This is slightly

hotter than the truth.

2. If she sees the actual bugs, trust me, she won’t believe they’re “just crumbs from the granola bar you ate this morning.” You might as well not even bother. And even if she does believe you, that’s really disgusting. Don’t be so messy.

3. Tell the truth, but then lie. Say “Yes, I have bed bugs… but I’m just breeding them for my biology class.” This will confuse her.

“Because I’m Pre-Med!” This will make her English major tingle. She’ll ignore the little critters completely.

4. Hugging and Kissing with bedbugs might even be safe if you use protection. But before you check the condom envelope on your student fellow’s door, know this: the normal condoms won’t fit across your mattress. If you really stretch one, a dental dam

Weekly Calendar: 9/23 - 9/29

might work on a twin, but definitely not on a twin XL. I’ve never seen a female condom but…I guess you could try it?

Or you know, you can just grow up and wash your damn sheets, you lazy child.

Thank you, The Office of Health Education* P.S. I didn’t mean to stigmatize people with bed bugs. Or objectify women. Or straight people.

Or the Mug. * “The Office of Health Education” does not refer to the actual Vassar Office of Health Education. It is a common nickname for the author of this article, “Tom Renjilian,” because of his uncomfortably vast knowledge of birth control.

by Alanna Okun, Humor & Satire Editor

Thursday, 9/23

Saturday, 9/25

5:30 p.m. “A Cow at My Table” Screening. In the immortal

1 p.m. Zimbra Calendar Training. Have you guys noticed

8 a.m. Huck for Red October. The school year hasn’t really

how whenever there’s a date listed in an e-mail now, it’s all blue and clickable and stuff? Just one more way for Vassar to remind you that you’re a disorganized deadbeat. Mudd Chemistry.

started until you have to wait in line as thirty Frisbee team members are swiped into the DC. Prentiss Field.

words of Gretchen Weiners, “YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US!” Rocky 300.

11 a.m. Arlington Street Fair. Now’s the time to buy that

Tuesday, 9/28 3 p.m. Tea. JY-Risqué. Two words: “freshman boys.” Four more words: “living on your hall.” Three more: “pants are overrated.” Rose Parlor.

Parlor.

gold-chain-encrusted belly dancing outfit you’ve had your eye on at the Dreaming Goddess. Support local business!

The Streets of Arlington.

Friday, 9/24

6 p.m. Freshman Parents’ Weekend Fire Show. There’s no bet-

10 a.m. Music Workshop with Amir ElSaffar. The perfect

ter way to thank your folks for dropping two hundred grand on this fine institution than with third-degree facial burns. Quad.

Why would you want to waste time learning about “culture” with the “locals” when you could bar-hop with kids who go to Wesleyan? Chicago Hall.

3 p.m. Tea. Alternatives to Junior Year Abroad (JYA). Rose

way to recover from a Thursday-night NoVice concert.

Good morning, Main! Villard Room.

5:30 p.m. Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid Info Session.

Sunday, 9/26

Wednesday, 9/29

3 p.m. Tea. JY-Stay: Spend all your time on Facebook, click-

12 p.m. Lakefest. More like This-band-kinda-sucks-but-I-

ing through photo after photo of your abroad friends getting drunk legally and fondling Russian engineering students.

Pretend you’re totally reading their blogs. Don’t. Rose Parlor.

don’t-care-because-I’m-on-Mali-and-there’s-a-Soul-Dogvendor-ten-feet-away-fest, amirite? Sunset Lake.

2 p.m. Resident Computer Expert. “Thanks a heap for the popcorn, Chad. Now tell me, how might one get Four-Loko out of one’s hard drive? Just hypothetically speaking?” College Center Computer Store.

9:30 p.m. Night Owls Concert. Oh, so you’re already tired of

a cappella and you’re not feeling well and you have better things to do on a Friday night? I have just one thing to say to you, my friend: 20 boobs. Rocky 300.

Monday, 9/27 3 p.m. Tea. JY-Cray: Now that you have a single for the first time ever, make sure it’s well-stocked with Svedka, Ones stolen from the student fellow envelope across your hall, and Forever 21 tube tops. This is our year, you guys!! Rose Parlor.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

3 p.m. Tea. JY-Oy-Vey. Crack open the Manischevitz and

brush up on your hora skillz: Yom Kippur’s finally over, so it’s time to amass a whole new year’s worth of sins. Rose Parlor.

ARTS

Page 14

September 23, 2010

A night out in New Paltz showcases rising DIY label Thea Ballard

I

Assistant Arts Editor

Zoe Van Buren/The Miscellany News

t’s a noisy Saturday night in New Paltz. Up a narrow flight of stairs, kids crowd into an emptied living room, a sea of alterna-haircuts, muscle shirts, Pabst Blue Ribbons and DSLR cameras with fogged lenses spilling over into the kitchen and stairwell. Dean Engle and Steven Barry, together comprising Pizzza Time, crouch over their instruments; the somehow triumphant electro-fuzz they produce combines with the room’s sweaty haze and the eerie blue light cast by a television in the corner to create a moment that feels special, in a home-grown and messy sort of way.

Pizzza Time is but one of a number of Hudson River Valley-based bands involved with Responsible Records (RR), a cassette label run by Engle and Nolan Conaway, both State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz students with strong ties to the local music scene. A handful of their RR labelmates have joined them tonight for day one of Responsible Fest, a low-key but lively gathering of musicians involved with the burgeoning label.

By Engle’s approximation, the beginnings of RR can be chalked up to necessity, self-motivation and snacks. “Nolan and I were eating pizza over the summer (a frequent activity) and we started discussing New Paltz music,” he wrote in an e-mailed statement. “So many of the local bands were making really worthwhile music, but no one ever recorded their songs. We began lamenting the lack of a central group or label to catalog all of this impressive output. Then we realized that we should quit whining about it and start a label.”

As is evident from Responsible Fest’s packed line-up and enthusiastic showgoers, getting interest from bands was not difficult.

Engle alone is involved with Minor Constellations, QUARTERBACKS, Ken Griffey Junior and the aforementioned Pizzza Time; other acts include Tom Christie, cooltombs, Honor Roll Breakfast and Neato Fleets, the project of Vassar’s Frances Chang ’11. Wrote Engle, “The only unifying characteristic of the bands on Responsible Records is that they are all based in the Hudson Valley. Actually, there’s a second similarity, too. No one on the label is famous at all.”

Though there does seem to be some stylistic continuity between many RR acts, with a heavy emphasis on a college radio-friendly lo-fi aesthetic, there are no rules regarding the genres of bands involved. While Tom

Bands from across the Hudson River Valley journeyed to SUNY New Paltz for Responsible Fest, Responsible Records’ showcase of its new talent. Responsible Records is a DIY record label.

Christie plays charming acoustic indie-folk, Ken Griffey Junior, which features both Engle and Christie and describes itself as “StarWars themed hardcore,” played a set at Responsible Fest that was if anything reminiscent of basement hardcore shows I attended in middle school put on by bands with names like Arc of Vomit. When I failed to vacate the mosh pit in a timely fashion, I took a punch to the stomach from one of the many sweaty men in muscle shirts. However, Engle did add one stipulation: “Our only bias is against jam bands,” he stated. “There are a lot of boring New Paltz jam bands, but we ignore them.”

The choice to distribute releases via cassette may seem counterintuitive, given the impending obsolescence of music as a physical medium; you can’t even rip the damn thing to your iTunes library. But given that Responsible Records isn’t designed to accommodate wide releases or make that much money, this is part of the medium’s charm. Explained Engle, “We put the releases on tape because blank cassettes are fairly cheap to purchase

and the format is uniquely physical. We could burn the releases to CD-R, but then the purchaser would just pop the CD into his/her computer and rip the files.”

But, he continued, “We’re actually mostly a digital label. Our releases are available for free download from our website to ensure the best possible sound quality, but if people want a physical copy of an album they really like, they can purchase a tape.” Engle shies away from the notion that releasing on cassette lends a more authentic aesthetic; however, those possessing an affinity for all things analog or whose outdated car stereos only play tapes will be no doubt be pleased with the hand-drawn and surprisingly professional packaging the cassettes come in.

And no small amount of work goes into making those tapes. Whereas producing a CD-R can be as simple as burning something on iTunes while you update your Facebook, “We use the college’s one color printer to print the tape inserts and we use a single tape deck to make the cassettes one

by one,” stated Engle. “Making tapes for five hours is not a whole lot of fun.” DIY (that is, do it yourself), particularly as music geeks look back with a collective sigh of nostalgia on homegrown scenes like those formed around Olympia, Washington’s K Records and Washington, D.C.’S Dischord Records in the early 1980s, is not all lo-fi fun and games.

“DIY is a falsely romantic concept,” wrote Engle. “If these artists were not our friends and we did not really love their music, we’d do something else (like sleep! or exercise!).

We do it because we want to and we do it ourselves because it’s the only option.”

If the eager throngs of New Paltz music fans present at Responsible Fest can serve as any indication, Responsible Records is doing something right. And though currently the majority of the label’s attention is being focused on New Paltz groups already included in its lineup—as a goal, noted Engle, “I want to make SUNY New Paltz a really cool place to go to college to get back at Vassar for waitlisting me”—the community is by no means closed off at the city limits.

“Even though we’re based in New Paltz, we care more about the quality of the music than if someone is from [New Paltz] or not,” said Engle. “I grew up in Poughkeepsie and when I was in high school I went to a lot of NoVice shows, which is how I first heard Neato Fleets. Two years later, Frances is about to release a tape on RR.” He invites interested Vassar students to participate either as musicians or as listeners.

Though he and Conaway have their hands full with upcoming releases, “If a band has 25 minutes of solid material and wants to release a cassette,” he stated, “Nolan and I are always interested in taking a listen. The label is still really new, but I’m sure our geographic scope will widen as our catalog increases.”

If Vassar bands are interested in playing a show in New Paltz, or if a student is organizing an event and wants bands from New Paltz to play, Responsible Records can be reached at responsiblerecords@gmail.com. For those looking for a low-commitment introduction to the New Paltz scene, several RR acts, including Tom Christie, Pizzza Time and dalliances, will be performing at this Sunday’s Lakefest alongside Vassar performers. Additionally, showdates and a plethora of free downloads and some rather nifty posters can be found at the label’s website, www.responsiblerecords.com.

Night Owls oldest all-female a cappella group, some say Erik Lorenzsonn or an a cappella ensemble to stand out amongst the nine that exist at Vassar College is impressive, but the Night Owls pull it off. They wear only black dresses for their concerts, and unlike other ensembles that perform Lady Gaga and Regina Spektor, their repertoire consists of classics from the jazz age. But the Night Owls really set themselves apart thanks to a unique title: They claim to be the oldest all-female a cappella group in the country.

The Owl’s current pitch (whose responsibility is to hum a note from a song’s key before a performance), Becca Rose ’11, is unsure if the daring claim to fame is entirely accurate.

“When I was a freshman, I actually did research in the archives,” said Rose. “There’s actually another group from Smith that was founded in 1942 as well.”

1942 is the same year in which the Night Owls were established, or at least so the story goes. According to Night Owl legend, the organization emerged during wartime when there happened to be a polio outbreak at Vassar.

Throughout the epidemic, students were quarantined to Main Building; all classes and events were canceled, and no one was permitted to leave their room.

However, not all of the students were willing to stay confined. 16 students began routinely sneaking out of Main at night to sing in the

basement of the Thompson Memorial Library, eventually serenading their classmates from outside their windows.

“It’s why we wear all black still,” said Rose.

“We also sing a lot of jazz to reflect the era.”

The story may explain many of the group’s traditions, but Rose warns that it is most likely more legend than fact: “I can’t tell you how accurate this story actually is.” There are many reasons to doubt its validity, such as some given by first person accounts from graduates that Rose has witnessed.

“I went to an alumni reunion,” said Rose, “and the oldest member I found was from the class of ’52. And she said that she did not recall there being a polio outbreak at all.”

The claim to being the oldest female a cappella group is shared by a number of ensembles that all were founded around the same time.

The V8s of Mount Holyoke College say they were formed in 1942, while The Smiffenpoofs of Smith College actually claim to have formed in 1936, well before the Night Owls. If nothing else, the Night Owls can certainly say that they were one of the first few all-female a cappella groups in the country.

“When I was in the archives, there were letters between other groups and the Night Owls saying, ‘You can’t take that title, that’s our title!’” said Rose.

That the Night Owls’ origin story is more of a legend passed down by students rather than a

Dana Harris/The Miscellany News

F

Arts Editor

The Night Owls, pictured above, during one of their rehearsals in the Rose Parlor. The group claims to be the oldest all-female a capella group in the country, or at least on of the oldest. factual account reflects the spirit of a cappella: “It’s definitely an oral tradition,” said Rose.

“For example, we don’t have written music.”

Hannah Ellman ’14, a bass who just joined the Night Owls, is learning this firsthand. Instead of learning songs through self-practice, she must stand next to the current bass and pick up the part by ear.

The freshman’s first test will come this Friday, when the Night Owls give their first concert of the year. They will possibly be collaborating with another famous collegiate a cappella group, the Brown Derbies of Brown University.

The all-male ensemble is relatively young com-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

pared with the Night Owls (they were formed in 1982), but are nationally renowned, and have sung at venues like the White House, Carnegie Hall and Rockefeller Center.

“It will be fun, our sounds definitely go well with one another,” said Rose. “They tend to be a little more current, but it will still fit together.”

Whereas the Brown Derbies will probably play more contemporary music, the Night Owls will be performing covers of “Big Spender,” by Shirley Bassey and “Love Will Keep Us Together,”

by Captain and Tennille.

The concert will be in Rockefeller Hall, room 300 at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24.

September 23, 2010

ARTS

Page 15

ViCE Jazz Night guarantees ‘dance-ability’ Vassar alum to screen film on “M New Orleans Rachael Borné

Assistant Arts Editor

Evan Lestes

Guest Reporter

A

Rachael Borné/The Miscellany News

y first jazz night was hot and wet.

Densely-packed people sweated wildly in the basement sauna that the Mug so easily becomes. I remember not the music, but the crowds, the movement, and that energy that comes only from a good beat and a frolicking herd,” said loyal Jazz Night enthusiast Kristen Tonga ’12, reminiscing about her first experience.

For devoted live music fans and dance lovers at Vassar, Tuesday nights have become almost sacred—worries of homework, reading and papers are thrown to the wind to make room for everyone’s priority: the funky, energetic and carefree vibes that define Jazz Night.

Tobiah Sola ’13, President of Jazz Night, sees the event as a much-needed saving grace for the stressed out, overworked college student: “It’s one of the only organizations that has an event every week. Kids rely on the consistent relief they get from heading down to Matthew’s Mug every Tuesday night,” he said.

Live music no doubt does a number on that dreaded mid-week slump; however, what really draws the Jazz Night following is the dancing. “When you dance wildly enough, and with so little concern for what others think, you can lose yourself as well as all your worries in the beat, the gyration and the stomp,” said Tonga. “Dancing is good physically, mentally and spiritually,” explained Sola, adding, “Jazz Night focuses on 100 percent danceability!”

Because the Mug is such a small and intimate venue, bands and students get an opportunity to interact on a really personal level. Some musicians dance freely alongside their audience, some parade through the crowd, standing on chairs, blasting loud tunes, and some punctuate their set with a hilarious conversation with the students.

Chris Connors ’12, a Vassar jazz musician and devout Jazz Night fan, describes the event as a sort of communion between performer and audience: “At Jazz Night you get really hip musicians who work with the audience rather than just performing for the audience,” he said. “A good dance party is a dialogue between a band, a crowd and an individual,” added Tonga.

As a part of Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE), Jazz Night is allotted a healthy chunk of change to bring some seriously groovy and talented acts to campus: “Our musicianship is incredible,” said Sola.

In addition to a high level of skill, Sola also looks for diversity when it comes to booking Jazz Night bands. “My goal is to bring an eclectic line-up of bands. I started off the year with New Orleans funk and R&B, I want to get hip-hop, some more electronic-oriented stuff, bluegrass even,

Students crowd into Matthew’s Mug every Tuesday night for Jazz Night to rock out and get away from the week’s stresses. ViCE Jazz strives for a diversity in musical offerings each eweek. and reggae. I want to keep people excited about shuffling on down to the Mug every Tuesday night,” he explained.

Sola is particularly excited about bringing Mais Um to Jazz Night, a Brazilian percussion ensemble from New York. On Nov. 23, the band will rock out with drums, bells, tambourines, and guitars. To top the experience off, the group will bring with them a professional dancer to teach a dance class before the show, then dance with the crowd during the performance. Another act that Sola looks forward to bringing to Vassar is Holy Ghost Tent Revival, an Americana swing band form North Carolina. “It’s awesome because in the Americana swing genre, you rarely find acts that are really high energy and danceable. I’m really excited to see how they’ll rock us,” Sola said.

In the past, Jazz Night has brought back a handful of the same bands two or three years in a row. This year, however, Sola plans to mix it up with all new talent. “There are so many cool bands out there. I figure, why not switch it up? I’d much rather build attendance on people being impressed with what they’ve never heard before than just relying on previous experience,” he explained. “Not bringing back the same old

bands keeps people on their toes.”

There is one group of bands that Sola would never deny, and that is the jazz talent we have right here on Vassar’s campus.

“As a jazz musician, Jazz Night has been one of the most important performance opportunities to me and the groups I’m in— The Body Electric Afrofunk Band and Vassar Jazz Combo I,” said Connors. “At Jazz Night, I feel like I’m actually reaching people. I believe that when we play the Mug, people sincerely dig it,” he said.

Jazz Night is just as much an outlet for Vassar’s jazz musicians and as it is for the less musically-inclined. It’s the perfect bridge between manic Mondays and the downhill relief of hump days. “It has a cult following,” Sola said, adding, “There’s a solid crew that really values Jazz Night.”

In an environment where academia rules, stress flows abundantly and there are always a million things get done, having a mid-week, late-night event like Jazz Night is the light at the end of the tunnel. By coming out on Tuesday nights, students make a commitment to an inclusive and enthusiastic Jazz Night community, they get so have some booty-shakin’ fun, and reaching the weekend gets a whole lot easier.

s a former Miscellany News columnist, Evan Casper-Futterman ’07 has a knack for writing with activism in mind and style in his prose. While at the Miscellany he wrote numerous articles for the Opinions section, including blazing pieces on the role of marriage in society and on how Vassar’s walls separated the College from the community.

This Thursday, Evan will bring his activism back to campus with a screening of the film Land of Opportunity, for which he was an associate producer.

Casper-Futterman describes his project: “It’s a multi-platform documentary project that follows people from different walks of life through the first five years of post-Katrina New Orleans.“ The screening will start at 7 p.m. in Rockefeller Hall, room 200. Afterward, Casper-Futterman will give a discussion on the project.

Casper-Futterman’s activism was never based solely within the depths of his own character. He comes from a family with strong activist ties: His mother, Dr. Donna Futterman, has long been active in the fight against HIV and AIDS amongst adolescents in New York City. Her partner, and Casper-Futterman’s other mother, Virginia Casper, is a developmental psychologist for the LGBT Family Psychology Forum, and an “advocate for lesbian and gay-headed parents.”

The sense of activism that was fostered in CasperFutterman’s childhood emerged strongly after graduation, when he went to New Orleans to work on grassroot campaigns for public housing. Through his volunteer work there, he became involved in the Land of Opportunity project. The project is more than an assessment of post-Katrina New Orleans; it is a character study illustrating the resiliency of New Orleaners and the strong community that has grown out of sheer disaster.

Casper-Futterman has posted footage from the documentary on the blog Policy a la Carte, along with some of his own writing, both of which illustrate the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and local authorities’ misguided attempts to rebuild New Orleans. “What we end up seeing…is that policies…help those who are already most likely to be able to help themselves.”

Casper-Futterman explained: “The problem with the policies that have been adopted is that choice and mobility are not the most useful principles for people with generally very limited skill sets, and who in some cases are not high school graduates.” Currently, Casper-Futterman is working on his master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of New Orleans, while continuing his work on Land of Opportunity. He and the people who made the documentary are true activists, working non-stop until they reach their goals. Casper-Futterman is a reassuring testament to the success that many Vassar graduates find post-graduation.

Les Petits Chanteurs concert a reminder of Haiti’s plight Danielle Nedivi

T

Guest Reporter

he devastating earthquake that struck Haiti only eight months ago continues to affect thousands of lives; despite this, the news we receive on the situation is minimal.

“Haiti is now out of the media, but hundreds of tent cities will still be there five, 10, even 20 years from now,” said Lila Meade, co-chair of the Vassar Haiti Project (VHP). The VHP, one of the Vassar’s most prominent organizations, hopes an upcoming event this Freshman Parents’ Weekend will remind attendees of the ever-present difficulties caused by the natural disaster.

VHP will hold a benefit concert featuring Haiti’s acclaimed Les Petits Chanteurs at the Vassar Chapel this Friday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.

Les Petits Chanteurs is a 30-voice boys choir from the Holy Trinity Music School in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. They will be accompanied by a chamber orchestra and will perform many traditional Haitian songs, such as “Haiti Chéri,” a patriotic song considered the country’s second national anthem. The boys choir has toured the United States several times in

the past 10 years, performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1999, and at Vassar in 2006.

This time they tour the East Coast under more somber circumstances. The benefit concert will raise money for the reconstruction of Holy Trinity, which the earthquake completely decimated. Nearly all of their instruments were destroyed, as well as Salle St. Cecile, the school’s main performance space and the only concert hall in the country. The only music (and general education) school in Haiti, Holy Trinity, founded in 1963, is also one of the only schools to accept students of all socioeconomic levels, relying on donations to help pay students’ tuitions. It has over 1,000 students, a novelty in a country where less than half of school-aged students have access to formal education. The school now continues to function from a refugee tent village.

The concert will be free to students, yet Director of International Services and Special Projects at Vassar College Andrew Meade says that any amount of donation will be much appreciated. “Students are encouraged to donate whatever they can,” said the co-chair of

VHP and husband of Lila Meade, adding that 100 percent of proceeds will go straight to rebuilding the school. 30 members of the Project will help serve the young singers supper in the College Center Multi-Purpose Room: “We will try to welcome them with all our hearts,” said Lila Meade. She added that 20 people in the community volunteered to take in the singers at their homes for the night, before they continue on to Albany in their tour. “This way the money they’re raising is not going to traveling,” explained Andrew Meade.

“We had an event last April with the Vassar Music Department called Harmony and Hope, to raise money for the school,” said Lila Meade.

They ended up raising an impressive $4,500.

She added that two people in particular went above and beyond to donate more money.

“One incredible young man, Peter Enriquez at Poughkeepsie Day School, raised $1,500 with the help of his friend, Emma Roekkle. They decided to donate everything to the Holy Trinity Music School.” They will be on stage with VHP to present the total $6,000 check to the school. “We’ll add whatever amount we make at the benefit concert to that check last

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

second,” she added hopefully.

Andrew and Lila Meade started VHP in 2001.

They both have close personal connections to Haiti—Andrew Meade attended school in Haiti in the 1970s, Lila Meade’s mother spent her early childhood there, and they go back to visit often. The two have have made it their mission to educate students and the community about Haiti beyond what the media shows.

“We share an appreciation for the Haitian people and their art,” says Lila Meade. “The art reflects the people—their sense of joy and resilience that is really powerful.”

Andrew Meade added that some students in the Project asked why they chose to benefit a music school, of all the help needed in Haiti.

“Music and art is an incredibly important part of Haitian culture, and the school emphasizes academics just as strongly as music,” he explained. “Education is really the best way to help people help themselves. That’s why this is so important.” He added that Vassar students should attend the concert to enjoy the experience, and also to support the cause. “If students have wanted to directly connect to Haiti and help out, this is their chance.”

ARTS

Page 16

September 23, 2010

Show embodies spirit, purpose of Peace Week Couture a warbling wonder with Night Owls Adam Buchsbaum Guest Reporter

A

melia Couture ’12 was a freshman alone in the Cushing computer room when it happened: a “street-serenading,” courtesy of the Night Owls. “I had no idea that they ‘sang people in,’” said Couture, referring to the Night Owls’ tradition with newly-inducted members. “And all of a sudden there were people singing. And for a second, I was just like, ‘Are they really singing to me?’”

Now Couture, a two-year veteran of the Night Owls, is the one singing to new members. “Basically, we just go and surprise people wherever they are. We get their room number and their dorm from their audition sheet and they have no idea that it’s coming.

We knock on their door and sing them in,” she said. Couture is first soprano for the allfemale a cappella group, but is also on the diving team, does musical theater, dabbles in studio art and takes guitar lessons.

Couture’s decision to come to Vassar is a product of her background and interests.

She grew up in a small town in Alabama.

“Athletics are huge in my town,” Couture said. “Football is a pretty big deal.”

In her hometown she cultivated her interest in drama. “I’ve been doing drama for ages.” Couture said, “but then my drama program shut down in my community. All of our arts shut down.” She began looking at colleges with good performing arts programs, and found Vassar College. Since her arrival, Couture has participated in Future Waitstaff of America (FWA) shows, performing in “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Mistress Cycle.”

Closest to Couture’s heart is her involvement with the Night Owls. “I’ve never been able to join an a cappella group,” said Couture of her pre-Vassar singing experiences.

“My high school didn’t have one. We didn’t have a whole lot of arts in my high school.

So, I started hearing about them on-campus, heard a couple of songs, [and] thought it was really great,” Couture said. Couture tried out for many different a cappella organizations; for the Night Owls, she sang a personal favorite, “When You Believe,” from the movie The Prince of Egypt. And before she knew it, she was personally inducted into the group within the Cushing computer lab. “[It was] probably the best choice that I’ve made at Vassar,” Couture said. “It’s just a great group of girls.”

Dallas Robinson/The Miscellany News

PEACE WEEK continued from page 1 representations of women both in Iraq and in the U.S. Both Raffo and ElSaffar come from Iraqi-American families, and hope to create a hybrid sense of understanding in their work. Said Professor of History and Chair of Women’s Studies Lydia Murdoch, who organized the event, “This will be a performance that has evolved [and] changed over time through collaboration, as well as a performance that in its production and content represents multiple perspectives, multiple points of view, multiple voices.”

The multiplicity of identities and understanding is fleshed out not only in the roles that Raffo plays, but also in the ways that she engages with the other performers on stage. Based on improvisations within the traditional Iraqi maqam and reflecting the emotive performance of the actress, the musicians seek to provide a more complete and contoured vision of identity in Iraq. Said vocalist Gaida Hinnawi, “When [Raffo] speaks I have to interact with her through sounds. I have to be careful not to drown out, but interact in a way that enriches the piece, that highlights the conversation without overpowering her clarity.”

“Sounds of Desire” is an ideal event with which to center Peace Week; it was conceived as a cooperative performance in terms of form and through its content resisting a one-dimensional understanding of women, all while perhaps introducing a new form of music to the audience.

The work is particularly appropriate following the end of the United State’s combat mission in Iraq.

Raffo will return to campus this spring to grapple with this topic, once more re-working her performance through collaboration with the Vassar community to absorb and engage with the continued development of the situation.

Raffo cites the original inspiration for the project as a visit to an art museum in downtown Baghdad.

Overwhelmed with the number of portraits of thendictator Saddam Hussein, she stumbled across a painting of a nude woman clutching a tree in a back room of the gallery. “Her head was hanging, bowed, and there was a golden light behind her like a sun...I felt she had captured something within me. I took a photo of the painting, came back to America and over the last 10 years have been digesting this painting and what it must mean to be an Iraqi woman now,” wrote Raffo.

Although the project has blossomed to include live music and improvisation, at its heart it remains a willful resistance to a facile understanding of female identities, both Iraqi and American. This aspect of Raffo’s work is deemed crucial by Murdoch, who remarked, “It is largely this ability to bring our attention to the complexity of human experience, represented in Raffo’s play as a form of mosaic, while also unflinchingly bearing witness to the devastating effects of violence that makes her work so powerful.”

Part of the impact of the production is Raffo’s ability to integrate divergent identities into a larger human context through her improvised collaborations.

This dialogue in the performance is what appeals to Hinnewai. For the length of the show, she will be paying rapturously close attention to the other performers, synthesizing the emotions of the music and the performance of Raffo. “I’m not putting my voice on top of the music, I feed off the ideas, the overtones of the work...I channel everything.”

The multi-dimensional presentation is not meant to overwhelm, but instead is meant to foster an engaging environment in which each performer on stage and each member of the audience contributes an energy of understanding and attention that can produce a feeling of connection. Hinnewai likens it to the perfect cup of tea when the amount of sugar is adds sweetness but is not too overwhelming: “That equilibrium where the energy exchange is just right.”

Admission to “Sounds of Desire” is free of charge and reservations can be made by e-mailing boxoffice@vassar.edu. The following day will feature a lecture and a demonstration by Heather Raffo and Amir ElSaffar respectively. Raffo will give a talk entitled “Performing Multiple Truths against OneDimensional Representations” at 2 p.m. in Taylor Hall room 203, and on Friday, Sept. 24 ElSaffar will lead a work entitled “An Exploration of the Iraqi Maqam: Theory and Practice” at 10 a.m. in the Villard Room.

After her high school’s drama program shut down, Amelia Couture ’12 went in search of a college with a strong arts program. Couture has now been with the Night Owls for two years.

Couture is double-majoring in psychology and drama. She doesn’t see the two fields as completely distinct: “I feel like psychology is interesting for anybody that’s either interested in people, relationships or the arts,” Couture said. “Drama’s about relationships between people, in my opinion. And so, I figured that the better I could understand people the better I could present people.”

She has played softball, done cheerleading and even off-road motorcycle racing, uniquely named “hare scrambles.” She is very busy because of her interests. “If I’m not doing diving, I have a cappella or drama,” she said. Still, despite this she likes

ADVERTISEMENT

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

taking classes outside of her majors. She dabbles in studio art as a fun hobby, is taking Introductory Italian and is taking guitar lessons too.

When looking at Couture, it becomes clear how varied her interests are—but it’s the variety and uniting of these interests that makes her the Vassar student she is.

Couture still vividly remembers when she was sang into the Night Owls,and is glad for her decision to audition. “It’s just been a great experience and I would encourage anyone who sings and is interested to audition,” she said. “They’ve become some of my best friends at Vassar.”

ARTS

September 23, 2010

Page 17

Mystery Team: Hardy Boys with hilarity Mystery Team Dan Eckman [Roadside]

N

ow this is just getting silly. Not a single submission has been received from anyone interested in taking over the helm of Big Screen. Did you think I wasn’t being serious when I mentioned that my days as a critic were numbered? Facetiousness is not a word I’m familiar with, for your information, so please: E-mail me if you want to be the next Gene Siskel, A.O. Scott, or Leonard Maltin. Unfortunately, you will never be the next Erik Lorenzsonn: To reach that level of wisdom, insight and immaculate hygiene is beyond possible. But one can dream.

Speaking of silliness, I almost didn’t see a movie this week (again). All work and no play makes a movie-viewing at the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall a little difficult to work into my itinerary. This week, the shuttle ride via Route 9 was passed over in exchange for a cozy time on my futon, watching the movie Mystery Team. Best decision of my life? Pretty much.

But what is Mystery Team, you ask? It is a feature length film recently released on DVD, created by Derrick Comedy, a sketch comedy group perhaps best known for their viral internet videos “Bro Rape” and “Girls are not to be Trusted.” The three core members of the group started out small, but have since risen to stardom: The group standout Donald Glover has played a recurring role in the TV series 30 Rock and Community. He also auditioned for Saturday Night Live (SNL) with a Barack Obama impression, but didn’t make the cut. It’s probably a good thing, since being confined to

Saturday Night Live’s tired schticks would have disallowed Glover from making brilliant comedy such as that found in Mystery Team. No joke, this is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time.

The irony is that Mystery Team uses the mold of recent SNL alum-created films, such as Stepbrothers and The Brothers Solomon, in which 20 or 30-somethings have failed to mature past a pre-adolescent maturity level. This new iteration sees three seniors in high school who still haven’t grown past their elementary school vices.

Their favorite thing to drink is chocolate milk (“It tastes better than regular milk,” according to the trio), they use cusses like “Chinese checkers,” and they still run a small detective agency à la Encyclopedia Brown called the Mystery Team, which is operated from a wooden lemonade stand in their front yard. According to their frustrated parents and peers, the Mystery Team was cute when the boys were eight, but now it’s just awkward.

The boys have even retained their detective personas: Jason is the “master of disguise,” thanks to his old wardrobe of dress-up clothes, Duncan is the “boy genius” since he read a trivia book in second grade, and Charlie is “the strongest boy in town,” or at least he was before the rest of his grade hit puberty. The agency takes on cases consisting of stolen pies, teens sneaking into movie theaters and elementary school bullies, until a girl comes to them with something a little out of the ordinary: a murder mystery.

And absolute hilarity ensues. There are enough one-liners, situational gags and bathroom jokes in Mystery Team to fit the bill for any college movie, with the difference between it and a cesspit like Transylmania is that this comedy is done right. I can’t give examples of the top-notch humor,

as much as I would like to: my illustrations would just butcher the humor. But who gives a fiddler’s fart (my personal favorite cuss, courtesy of Frank McCourt). This is one of those movies for which I will reenact scenes to unwilling listeners, even if it’s super unfunny when it’s just me telling the jokes. I’m kind of a douchebag like that.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. So how about the scene where the mystery team deliberates amongst themselves over whether to take on the murder mystery? Jason reminds his partners of what they stand for as an agency by asking them what it says on their sign; Charlie hesitantly answers, “That we also work for fruit roll ups?” Or how about when Duncan suspects that one of their clients might have Alzheimers: “She bakes fifty pies a day. Most of them are filled with soap.” So funny, right? Huh huh huh?

Even when the movie uses horrible clichés, it mixes the sentimentality with a good dose of humor. Take the inevitable scene where the group fights amongst themselves and falls apart, but then subsequently reunites and make amends before the movie’s conclusion. There is a heartbreaking revelation for Jason when he realizes he’s the only one of the group who isn’t going to college. When asked what he thought he was doing when the trio was visiting colleges, he tearfully moans, “I thought we were working on a mystery together!” It’s genuinely sad, but somehow hilarious at the same time.

And guess what? You don’t even have to go to the movie theater to enjoy this delightful romp. Hilarity is only a Netflix order away...

—Erik Lorenzsonn ’12 is a political science major with correlate sequences in education and economics. He is the Arts Editor of The Miscellany News.

Campus Canvas A bi-weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

submit to misc@vassar.edu

William Russel Webner ’11 had an eventful summer, thanks to his receiving the Weitzel Barber Art Travel Prize. This Vassar grant provides juniors and seniors in the Art Department the opportunity to travel to study original works of art abroad; Webner opted to travel to Vietnam. One of Webner’s pieces, “521,” is a painting based on the design of an old U.S. Army helicopter Webner found there. It that remains in Vietnam outside of the Reunification Palace, the site where a North Vietnamese tank famously crashed through the gates during the fall of Saigon.

“In Vietnam, they really let you get up close to everything,” said Webner. “I first traced the helicopter, then made this painting.”

According to Webner, an untitled piece of his on display in the art gallery is also inspired by Vietnam. The painting shows a grid of squares, each with the name of a different U.S. city in the middle.

The western-most cities start in the upper left corner, and the eastern-most cities are found in the lower-right. “There [in Vietnam], everything is on a North-South axis, which made me think about America, which is on a West to East axis, ” he said.

“The painting is more about the cities that aren’t on it—like my hometown, Columbus, Ohio, than the ones that are,” added Webner. “It’s done in a playful way, though.”

The colors Webner used were colors of sports teams commonly associated with those cities, or colors that he thought were appropriate. “For [Washington] D.C., I chose black and white, which is kind of sarcastic.”

“I’m watching Jersey Shore!”

Shanaye Williams ’13

“I’m watching Sex and the City.”

Kaylen Jones ‘12 “I most recently watched Manhattan, and I’m about to go watch Project Runway with my roommate.”

Sammi Katz ’14

“Arrested Development is the best show ever!”

Austin William Cauldwell ’14

“I’ve been getting back into Freaks and Geeks.”

Jesse Greenberg ’13

Emma Daniels/The Miscellany News

— Erik Lorenzsonn, Arts Editor and Emma Daniels, Guest Reporter

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“What am I watching this week? Glee.”

Annie Furr ’11 —Erik Lorenzsonn Arts Editor

SPORTS

Page 18

September 23, 2010

Commercials A freshman’s journey to understand Rugby with a touch of C Sunday football Wilson Platt

Guest Reporter

Nik Trkulja

Guest Columnist

S

Courtesy of Sports Information

unday is my commercials day, plain and simple.

There’s nothing I enjoy doing more than sitting in front of the big screen and sampling all the latest offerings from Toyota, Old Spice and of course Geico. The only thing that bothers me is that pesky football that always manages to sneak its way in and break up my fun. As we all unfortunately know, commercials and football go hand-in-hand, but recently the situation seems to have gotten out of control.

At present the NFL has a domestic broadcasting agreement worth around $20.4 billion until 2011 and 2013 with three national television networks (CBS, NBC and Fox) and the basic cable behemoth ESPN respectively. It is, quite simply, the most lucrative and profitable agreement of its kind. Comparatively speaking it is far and away the biggest cash cow in sports. The NFL’s agreement fetches close to $8 billion a season; compare that with the NBA’s agreement with ABC and ESPN which fetches a mere $400 million a season—95 percent less—or MLB’s agreement with Fox and Turner Broadcasting System which brings in only around $428 million a season, or 94.7 percent less. Even England’s Premier League, the most commercially lucrative league outside of the U.S., doesn’t come close: Its richest broadcasting package only brings in around $697 million a season from a number of different networks worldwide, still 91 percent less than just the domestic revenue of the NFL. The result of this incredible, almost ridiculous expense is what we witness every Sunday and Monday; the commercial bonanza. Under the NFL’s agreement, network broadcasts are contractually obligated to have 22 commercial breaks every game. This means that a game, which should normally last 60 minutes, is actually supplanted with a staggering 50 minutes of pure advertisements. To make matters worse, these ads tend to appear more frequently towards the beginning of a game when the action is most intense, before fizzling out towards the end when the outcome tends to already be determined.

More specifically, networks have carved out an exact system of advertising that directly impacts the action on the field. Each half, broadcasters must have a total of 10 commercial breaks, with two more breaks during the half-time show. Out of these 10, two are pre-determined: the quarter break and the two-minute warning. The other eight are shown as soon as specific opportunities arise for them in the form of timeouts, scores, turnovers, punts or kickoffs, to name but a few. What happens is that when an opportunity for commercials arises, an official standing on the sideline wearing orange sleeves waves his hands to alert game officials that the broadcaster has cut to commercial. Game officials then proceed to call a two-minute time-out. When all 10 commercials have been fulfilled for a half, the orange-wearing official refrains from crossing his hands, prompting the game officials to call a 30-second time-out for each subsequent stoppage of play.

A little confusing, to say the least.

All these superfluous breaks are only compounded by the nature of football in that it is a stop and start game. Football is more than slow as things stand; each play is followed by a 40-second play calling period that almost every team tends to use, which means that a game lasts well over three hours instead of the prescribed 60 minutes, of which 50 to 60 minutes is filled with things that have nothing at all to do with the action on the field. It’s no wonder that outsiders just can’t get into it and regular viewers lose track of what is actually happening.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no remedy in sight. The NFL continues to be the only steady ratings machine in television, as the national obsession with the sport does not seem to be abating despite the commercial overkill. 2011 will see the end of the current national network deals, meaning that new contracts will almost certainly be negotiated for even more money as the networks scramble to retain NFL broadcasting rights. The predictable result will be even greater cost, resulting in undoubtedly more commercials to cover them, meaning that somewhere in the very near future we may actually begin watching football games that really feature more commercial time than sport. When that does happen, I just really hope I find the E-Trade baby as hilarious as I do now.

runch; that’s the sound you winced at when sixteen bodies collided grappling over the ball. Surprise; that’s what you felt when the ball suddenly sprang out of the pile into waiting hands. Triumph; that’s the spectacle you witnessed as the men or women of burgundy and gray celebrate their victory.

But there is one feeling we haven’t addressed, that, if you happen to be like me, comes with every rugby game. Confusion; why did they just kick the ball away, don’t they want to keep it? What is a scrum and when does it happen? And why are they suddenly standing on each other’s shoulders? Here at Vassar we have no football team, but we do have one of the best rugby teams, men’s and women’s, in the region.

With that in mind, I decided it was about time we as the Vassar community understood just a little bit more of what we are watching.

My journey began in the All Campus Dining Center, sitting down at that intimidatingly large table of rugby players who seem to be having way too good a time to be friendly to a mere freshman outsider.

Out of the raucous laughter the first thing I hear is, “Wait wait wait, what ARE the rules with that?” The question came from Dillon Tyksinski ’14. He’s been playing rugby for six years. With a sigh I realized this could be a very, very long meal. Turns out I was wrong on two accounts—one, the rugby players are ridiculously nice, and two, rugby’s not as baffling as it seems.

It started 187 years ago, in 1823, when legend has it William Webb Ellis completely shocked his ’mates and created the current sport by, ironically, breaking a rule at his public school in England. First, the basics, those (I think), we can grasp.

The game is played on a pitch roughly the size of a soccer field, and the purpose is to outscore the other team in one of three ways: a try, a conversion or a field goal. A try is similar to the touchdown in football; in order to score a player has to place the ball in the other teams goal area. This is worth five points. Afterwards, the team that scored gets to attempt to kick the ball through the goalposts for an additional two points—a conversion. Off of a penalty or dead ball situation, the team with the ball can choose to place and kick it through the uprights instead of continuing to move forward. This is called a penalty kick and is worth three points.

Now for playing. Since a try is worth the most points, the goal of every team is to end up with the ball in the opposing goal area. You can do this in two ways, most commonly by running with the ball, and alternatively by kicking the ball forward.

However, you can only kick to a teammate

Rugby Captain, Scrumhalf Garrett Montgomery ’11 played against Hofstra University at the MET NY Rugby Union, helping the Brewers win their first game of the season. if they started behind you when the ball was kicked. When you run, you can pass the ball to your other teammates, but only if you throw it behind you. Any way of moving the ball besides this results in a penalty and a turnover.

If you do get tackled, three things happen—first and foremost, the tackler must release the player with the ball and roll away or step back. Next the player with the ball gets one movement to then place the ball closer to his team. Finally, a ruck forms.

The ruck happens when two or more players from opposing teams are close enough to contest for the ball. To put it in the most basic terms possible, the teams form a shoving match, trying to push each other backward, so that at some point, a teammate can pick up the ball without coming under, over or from the side of the pushing line. Only a player who is not involved in the ruck, and is on their feet, can pick up the ball. In contrast, a scrum happens as a result of a turnover or penalty. The scrum is formal, and the teams line up eight big forwards against eight other forwards. The team with the advantage—the one who didn’t lose the ball—gets to have their specially-marked no. 9 player place the ball in the middle of the players, and then the forwards try to move it with their feet backwards to their teammates. The

advantage of being able to place the ball, as Dillon tells me, comes from the practice of playing with a teammate. “Your chances of knowing exactly how and where he places will be much higher [than the other team’s] The last—and by far the most—puzzling concept we will cover is throwing the ball in to people standing on others’ shoulders.

In reality, it has as much to do with strategy as quick reflexes. The team who kicked the ball out of bounds gets to throw it in.

The caveat is that the thrower has to place the ball equally between the two teams’ players. These players, one on top of the others’ shoulders, grapple for the ball until possession is taken and play resumes. The advantage here comes from the height at which the ball is thrown in, a connection similar to the scrum ball placement.

With the very basics of the game finally understood, I asked Dillon what his favorite thing about rugby was. His response was a picture that almost got me out on the pitch and in uniform. He talked of one continuous adrenaline rush, of tradition and camaraderie, where no one cares who scores but every piece, every player is vital. Because while I’m only just beginning to grasp what life here at Vassar is like, I do know one thing; I got this rugby thing dow… Wait, what are the rules again?

On the road: Brewers travel the East Coast Andy Marmer Sports Editor

T

he Brewers golf team saw their first action of the new year this past weekend, competing in the Dartmouth Invitational. The Brewers were led by Nicole Bronson ’13 with a two day score of 164 (85 on day one, 79 on day two); overall the team finished 19th out of 22 teams.

This fall’s version of the Brewers features a young but talented roster led by Alex Bello ’12. Fourth-year Head Coach Rhett Myers stated, “Our ringer, our number one player, all Division III, all Northeast Region is Alex Bello.”

Bello will lead a team of six golfers that features two juniors, three sophomores and a freshman. While this team may seem small in numbers, in golf only four player’s scores count towards the overall team score, a fact the Brewers hope to exploit. Myers noted, “I think our top four will come together.”

In addition to Bello, Vassar will be led

by Celynne Balatbat ’13, and classmate Ni-

cole Bronson ’13. Balatbat stormed onto the scene last year, winning the Vassar Invitational by conquering a 61-person field with a two-day score of 160, the best finish of her collegiate career.

Myers is optimistic about the season as a whole, noting, “We have a good nucleus with a lot of strong players.” He continued, “We’re going to surprise ourselves.”

At the Dartmouth Invitational, the Brewers faced a number of top golf programs, as 13 of the 22 entrants they faced were Division I programs. Despite the top competition, Vassar golfers still thrived.

Bronson finished tied for 30th, ousting golfers from all programs present except for two. Bello also thrived, accomplishing the same feat as Bronson and ending the tournament with a 168, four strokes behind her fellow Brewer.

Three of Vassar’s five competing golfers finished with better second day scores, while a fourth finished with identical scores on each days. Bronson cut her dayone score from an 85 to a 79, while Bello

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

dropped from an 85 to an 83. However, the most impressive improvement belonged to Candice Kwon ’12, who lowered her score a whopping twelve strokes on the second day.

This weekend, the Brewers will travel to the Mount Holyoke College Tournament in South Hadley, Mass.

Last Friday, the field hockey team dropped a 5-0 decision at Drew University.

Through the first half the two teams were evenly matched, with Vassar trailing by just a single goal at the intermission. However, in the second half, Drew struck four times, including three of senior Kati Eggert’s four goals.

Tuesday Sept. 21: Field Hockey at Western Connecticut State College On Tuesday, Vassar dropped a 2-0 decision on the road, dropping their record to 2-4.

This weekend, Vassar begins Liberty League play, traveling to Hamilton College on Friday and St. Lawrence University on Saturday.

September 23, 2010

SPORTS

Page 19

Women’s tennis prepares for strong season Volleyball wins three at T Union College Cory Cohn

Guest Reporter

Harrison Remler Guest Reporter

A

Courtesy of Sports Information

he Vassar women’s tennis program has been synonymous with success in recent decades, and they look to continue their run this season. Since 1985, the team has won over 70 percent of its matches, to go along with a slew of New York State titles, Liberty League conference championships and Seven Sisters championships.

Throughout that span, various individual players have played significant roles in carrying the team to glory. But only one name is constant from then to now: Kathy Campbell, who has been the head coach of the team for over 25 years.

Campbell knows as well as anyone that Vassar’s women’s tennis has earned a reputation for being a formidable Division III program, but she also understands a lot of that has to do with maintaining depth on the roster. That depth will be tested this year, as the team lost three-time All-American and three-time NCAA singles qualifier Nicole Pontee ’10 to graduation. Campbell acknowledges how difficult it is to see a star player leave, but she also sees the possibilities it opens up for those who are still here.

“Losing an impact player is a significant factor,” she says. “But it means there are new opportunities for other people.

I’m feeling very comfortable and confident with the team we have.”

There are other changes in the roster for at least the fall semester. Coach Campbell says frankly, “This is very much a year of transition. With one of the top players, Joy Backer ’12, studying abroad and another, Alyssa Roush ’11, rehabbing from shoulder surgery, there is a very different look to this team.”

She explains that while some players will have to compete in higher spots than they are accustomed to, there is no need to try to fill the void left by those who will not be on the court.

“There is no pressure [to replace them], really,” she says. “We have to focus on the present and do what we can to strengthen the team.

There is always a sense of self-imposed pressure, especially in a sport like tennis. With a lot of players playing higher than before, it’s only an opportunity to be challenged.”

Despite this focus on the individual, Coach Campbell continually emphasizes the importance of team chemistry. She mentions how

Team Captain Nicole Block ’12 was one of the five students from Vassar invited to participate in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association New England Regional Championship last weekend. she and the team recently attended the U.S. Open together for a bonding experience and for inspiration from the world’s best tennis players. Especially in the beginning of the season, she mentions, it’s vital for the girls to know and support one another.

“We’re really finding our stride with our training,” she says. “We take incredible pride in team dynamics—that really makes a big difference.” Coach Campbell adds that with two new players, freshman Lindsay Kantor and junior visiting student Meghan Smith, it’s especially important to make everyone a part of what has always been a very tight-knit group.

This past weekend, the team partook in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association New England Regional Championship in Babson Park, Mass. Only five players were invited, comprising three singles participants and two doubles pairs. Coach Campbell says it is one of the few times the team is split up.

In the singles bracket, junior captain Nicole Block and junior no. 9 seed Jennifer Beckerman advanced past the Round of 64. Each took her opening match in straight sets, Block

winning 6-4, 6-4 and Beckerman 6-1, 6-1. The two fought hard in their second matches, but were ultimately eliminated in the Round of 32.

Jennifer Ruther ’13 could not make it past the first round, losing a tough 7-5 tiebreaker in the first set and dropping the second set, 6-3.

In doubles, the two pairs representing Vassar were ousted in the first round. Block and Beckerman made up one pair and lost, 8-1.

Kantor and Natalie Santiago ’13 comprised the other pair and were beaten, 8-2.

The whole team will be reunited for their home-opening match against New York University on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. Whether her players are together or not, Coach Campbell likes to remind them to make the most out of every moment. “I like to tell them to stay positive and control what they can control.”

As for Coach Campbell herself, the journey is what matters most. “I have a processoriented focus, not a results-oriented focus.

Results speak for themselves,” she says.

This season, her players will try their hardest to ensure those results have a lot to say once again.

Promising finishes for Cross Country Kristine Olson Guest Reporter

A

Courtesy of Sports Information

t the Oneonta State Airfield Cross Country Invitational on Friday, the Brewers raced on the course that will host the NCAA Atlantic Regional on Nov. 13. The results reveal a promising outlook for the 2010 cross country season for both the men and women’s teams.

The women’s team took fourth place in their first 6k of the season, with its top five placing sixth, 14th, 28th, 40th and 67th, resulting in a team score of 155 points. Powerhouse St. Lawrence won with 50 team points.

Johanna Spangler ’12 led the Brewers with a sixth place finish, completing the course in 22 minutes and nine seconds (22:09.4) out of 246 runners. In second and third place for Vassar were Kelly Holmes ’13 (22:45.8) and Zoe Carpenter ’11 (23:12.2), demonstrating their consistency as team leaders.

Significant races include those of Elizabeth Forbes ’12 (fourth, 23:27), Chloe Williams ’14 (fifth, 24:11), Arial Shogren ’13 (sixth, 24:13.6) and Melissa McClung ’12 (seventh, 24:27).

Forbes is coming off an injury from last season, while Williams, only a freshman, is already establishing her place at the top of the pack. And Shogren and McClung both showed the team’s strength and depth with personal best times.

In its first 8k, the men’s team also showed their ability with a 12th place finish. Jonathan Erickson ’11, Zack Williams ’12 and Christopher Lloyd ’13 were withheld due to injuries. Sam Wagner ’13 dropped out due to leg cramps.

Even so, the top five placed 43rd, 54th, 74th, 82nd and 96th in a field of 288 runners, though

Sam Wagner ’13 races against a rival runner from SUNY New Paltz at the Oneonta State Airfield Cross Country Invitational on Friday Sept. 17. The team is now preparing for the Paul Short Invitational.

St. Lawrence won the meet with 42 points.

Leading the Brewers was Justin Rupert ‘12, setting a personal record of 26:25.9. Other personal records included Will Healy ’12 (26:38) who finished second for Vassar. Roni Teich ’13 (27:05.2) finished third for Vassar and close behind was Evan Russek ’12 (27:21.3). Harry Feigen ’14 rounded out Vassar’s top five with 27:40.9 in an impressive first 8k. Also in their first 8k races, William Schaeffer ’14 (28:11.4) and John Nguyen ’14

(28:35) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

The 2010 cross country season looks promising for the Vassar men and women’s teams.

They will have this next week off in preparation for the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University on Oct. 1. Featuring D-I and II runners, Paul Short will be excellent preparation for the more competitive races later in the season, most importantly the NCAA Atlantic Regional.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

sign once used during an on-campus construction project now hangs visibly in the corner of the volleyball court of Kenyon Hall. This year’s women’s volleyball team relates perfectly to the message of the burgundy sign overlooking the court. The final words on the sign are “Good things are brewing.”

One can sense the optimism and hope in Head Coach Jonathan Penn’s voice when he speaks of his team. With a young group this fall Coach Penn is excited to see his team grow and mature. “This team has unbelievable potential and is learning what it takes to win,” said Coach Penn.

Looking for their first Liberty League championship in four years, the Brewers fell to Clarkson University in the finals last November. “Last year we had a great run with a young team. We just simply ran out of gas as we had gone five games with Skidmore in the match before the loss to Clarkson,” added Penn.

“I think there is a certain amount of pressure on the seniors to win [the Liberty League Championship], especially after coming so close to winning last year. Personally, it would really complete my four years on the team to come out of this year with a Liberty League title, because each year that I have been here, I have seen the team grow and improve so much. The team that we have right now is a completely different team than my freshman year, physically and mentally. I think we have a good chance to take Liberty’s,” noted coCaptain Chelsea Mottern ‘11.

This pressure is further exacerbated by the fact that if they fail to win the title this November, the senior class, comprised of Julianna Simon, Mottern and Yevgeniya Sergeyenko, will graduate as the first class in 10 years without a Liberty League championship. Penn summarized, “There is undoubtedly a sense of urgency in their pursuit of the Liberty League title,” Penn says in reference to his senior class.

In addition to the seniors, a valuable trio of co-Captain Amy Bavosa ’12, Chloe McGuire ’13 and 2009 Liberty League Rookie of the Year Hilary Koenigs ’13 return for the Brewers.

For it all to come together, the Brewers will need their underclassmen to continue to progress quickly. “The freshman on our team are really stepping up and adjusting quite well to our complex offense. Jessie Ditmore and Rose Carman have contributed some substantial playing time and Megan Andersen has been serving well for us. This freshman class is one of the strongest classes we have had for a while and it is going to be exciting to see them develop as players,” said Simon.

11 matches into their season the team is currently 6-5, with an unbeaten home record.

“When we serve and pass well it makes a huge difference,” said Penn when asked what has been the key to the first few wins. He continued, “right now we are sorting out the intangibles and we are also playing a little bit shy.”

Heading into the Union Invitational, September 17-18, Penn was hoping to sweep through the field. The team fell one win short of their goal as they secured victory over Elms College (3-0), State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego (3-0), and Hartwick College (3-0) but fell to SUNY Cortland in four games. Vassar’s greatest challenge is still to come, “The biggest test for us will be the three-game stretch of New York University, Stevens Institute of Technology and Marietta College,” said Penn.

For Simon, she is looking to cherish her final season within the program. “My four years with Coach Penn have been amazing...

Coach Penn knows the game really well and it is evident in our game. He has built a great program that has grown over the years, which has resulted in our team being more like a family.” added Simon.

With 18 games left, good things are bound to come for this young team. Just let them “brew.”

SPORTS

Page 20

September 23, 2010

Back to back wins propel men’s soccer into League play Ethan Shanley Guest Reporter

T

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

he men’s soccer game ended its non-conference schedule with a pair of convincing wins this week, demolishing Bard College 5-0 on Wednesday and Drew University 2-0 on Sunday. With the wins, Vassar closes out a successful non-conference schedule 5-2 as they prepare for their upcoming conference opener against St. Lawrence at home at 4 p.m. on Friday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Brewers showcased a relentless, well-balanced offense that could really help carry them through the tough upcoming conference schedule. “Entering the Bard game, we were focused on building upon our performance at Mount Saint Mary College and using our pace to hopefully score some goals,” said Captain Marc Morelli ’11 coming into the game. The Brewers did just that, walloping Bard College, tallying four of their five goals in the first half and pummeling the Bard keeper with 36 total shots.

Ross Macklin ’12 almost got the first goal of the game in the 12th minute when he blasted a shot towards the net, only to watch helplessly as it careened off the left post to classmate Sam Erlichson-McCarthy ’12 who could not finish the follow. However, both players got their revenge only two minutes later when Macklin headed a beautiful cross from Erlichson-McCarthy into the back of the net.

The Brewers did not have to wait much longer to get on the board again. In the 21st minute, the ball bounced off of a Bard defender and out of bounds. Macklin calmly lined up to take the corner kick, and struck a gorgeous ball that landed right at the feet of Evan Seltzer ’14 who was standing just outside of the six-yard box.

Seltzer, in a move that was as crafty as it was skillful, tapped the ball with the back of his heel to an open Erlichson-McCarthy who drilled the ball into the net, making the score 2-0 Vassar.

Vassar had Bard on their heels all day and would not let up. The Brewer’s third goal came

Sam Erlichson-McCarthy ’12 helped score the first goal of the game against Bard College on Sept.

15, who they defeated 5-0. The Brewers went on to defeat Drew University the following Sunday. off a sublime cross from Zander Mrlik ’13. Once again, Erlichson-McCarthy was in on the action, neatly heading the cross to forward Eli London ’12 who easily kicked the ball past the keeper.

With fellow juniors Macklin and Erlichson-McCarthy doing work on helpless Bard defenders, junior Harrison Freund joined the party. With just three minutes left in the first half, Freund took a pass from Adam McCabe ’14 and would not be denied. He dribbled furiously through several Bard defenders, dodging and weaving

inside of the box before finishing the play off with a tremendous sliding, left-footed goal.

The score was 4-0 at half time and Vassar was still not done. After a nice set of passes, Seltzer sent a chip through ball just over the heads of a couple Bard defenders to Macklin.

Macklin passed the ball to a wide open Bryan English ’13, who tapped in the easy goal, his first of the season, increasing the score to 5-0.

Vassar dominated a very outmatched Bard team, letting up only one shot on goal the en-

tire game. Getting all of the team’s goals from different players, the victory was a complete team win. “We made use of our depth and there was no drop off in play. It was truly a full-team effort,” says Morelli. “As we come upon the Liberty League next weekend we need to start building confidence and scoring goals, which we did.”

After the huge victory against Bard, Vassar looked to build on their momentum against Drew University on Sunday. Drew was undefeated coming into the game and the Brewers knew they would have to play nearly mistakefree to come out with a win. “Drew is a strong, tenacious team,” said co-Captain Morelli prior to the contest. “We will need a focused effort in a game that should closely resemble Liberty League play.”

The game opened with 43 minutes of tough, physical, scoreless play. Neither team could break through. Finally, in the 44th minute, Ethan Hallberg ’14 chipped a pass to his classmate Adam McCabe who was making a run down the middle of the field. McCabe chested the pass out of the air just outside the 18 yard box, and smashed a spectacular volley into the upper corner of the net for his first ever collegiate goal.

The score remained 1-0 for most of the second half. The Brewers’ defense, led by veteran stalwarts co-Captains James Worboys ’11 and Morelli, withstood furious attacks by Drew in order to hold onto the slim lead. In the 89th minute, the defense finally got some help. Macklin crossed the ball to Seltzer who found an open Freund. Freund easily tapped the ball in from the six-yard mark to put the Brewers up 2-0, and seal the victory. This win was huge for the Brewers and should give them immense confidence going into the conference season on Friday.

This weekend, the Brewers will begin Liberty League play, hosting St. Lawrence University on Friday.

Women’s soccer succeeds with program’s first win over Violets Lillian Reuman

Contributing Editor

F

Carolyn Demougeot/The Miscellany News

BOX SCORES

Olivia Hunter ’14 protects the ball from her opponents, the NYU violets, on Sept. 17. The Brewers defeated the Violets 2-1, for the first time in team history.

SEPT 19 MEN’S RUGBY VASSAR COLLEGE

36

AT

riday afternoon marked a series of firsts for the women’s soccer team. Senior co-Captain Rachel Shea notched the first goal of her season, freshman Sheeyva Seyfi scored the first of her collegiate career, and the team as a whole defeated the New York University (NYU) Violets 2-1 for the first time in the history of the Vassar soccer program.

Gavriella Kaplan’s ’14 swift footwork and senior Captain Carolyn Demougeot’s aggressive defense kept the NYU opponents at bay for the majority of the first half. Despite sideline instructions from NYU Head Coach Werner Dasbach to “make [Kaplan] play backwards,” Alix Zongrone ’12 and her fellow Vassar midfielders contained the game in the middle of the field. After a series of shots from outside of the penalty area, the Brewers began to penetrate the NYU defense. With just 10 minutes left in the first half, Seyfi was denied on a pair of shots.

The first half concluded with two minutes of hair-raising excitement

in the penalty box as the two teams battled for the ball. To Vassar’s disappointment, the confusion ended with just seven seconds left in the half as NYU’s Leslie Smith ripped the ball past goalkeeper Alexandra Higgins ’13 to take a 1-0 lead over the Brewers.

With an urge to tie the score and soar past the Violets during the second half, the Brewers took to the field with renewed energy. After just 14 minutes of play, Demougeot took control of the ball and glided down the field for a breakaway. After passing multiple NYU defenders, Demougeot was taken down in the penalty box, thus drawing an indirect kick for Vassar. Tessa Verbanic ’12 tapped the ball to Shea for a beautiful kick powerfully launched into the top of the net.

With a tied score and less than 30 minutes left in the game, the Brewers conjured up momentum to crush the competition. Traveling back and forth between the goal lines, the ball teased both teams as they put each goalie to the test. As the clock ticked, the intensity mounted and the Vassar defense and midfield thwarted multi-

SEPT 19 MEN’S SOCCER

SEPT 19 WOMEN’S RUGBY

HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY

VASSAR COLLEGE

7

58

AT

HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY

VASSAR COLLEGE

10

2

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ple valiant NYU attempts. With 17:25 to go in the second half, Demougeot gained control and sent a strongfooted pass to Seyfi. With her eyes on the prize, Seyfi worked her way past two NYU defenders before sending the ball sailing to the left goal post and eventually into the back of the net. After securing the one-goal lead, Vassar primarily maintained possession for the remainder of the match.

Despite two direct kicks awarded to NYU, second-half goalkeeper Alexandra Hutton ’13 made four saves and allowed no goals.

With another win under their belts, the Brewers took to the road on Saturday to once again outshoot their opponent. While in Chicopee, Mass., the team combined for three goals in a shutout against Elms College. Seyfi planted the first goal just 17 minutes into the game. Seniors Elysa Greenberger and Lauren Bell each followed with a goal as well. With a winning weekend, the Brewers improved to 5-2 on the season. The women’s soccer team opens Liberty League play on Friday, Sept. 24 at St. Lawrence University.

AT

DREW UNIVERSITY

0