The Miscellany News
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Guest Reporter
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ll Families Weekend is quickly approaching. Wondering where to go with your relatives and friends? Looking for new spots near campus? This guide offers something for everyone. For the Art Enthusiast
Dia:Beacon
Volume CLI | Issue 4
September 27, 2018
VC initiates forced migration study
Follow me around Dutchess County! Ariana Gravinese
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Sarah Kopp and Laila Volpe
Guest Reporter and Contributing Editor
3 Beekman Street, Beacon, NY Dia:Beacon is an art gallery nestled on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon, NY. Only a 30-minute drive from Vassar, Dia:Beacon is an inspiring place to spend an afternoon. The gallery features art from the 1960s to the present, including works by Andy Warhol, Dan Flavin and Richard SerSee HUDSON VALLEY on page 10
Courtesy of Sébastien Barré via Flickr
Minnewaska State Park Preserve (mentioned later on in the article) makes for a rejuvenating hike if you follow this scenic waterfall trail. You can also find a moment of tranquility amid an extensive chestnut forest.
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t the end of 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees counted a total of approximately 70 million forcibly displaced people all around the world, a combination of internally displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers. Refugees alone comprise 28 percent of that figure, over half of whom are under the age of 18 (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “UNHCR Statistics,” 2018). Though such a global crisis demands global solutions, members of our own campus community have taken an active role in aiding those included in such overwhelming statistics. Vassar Refugee
Solidarity (VRS), a campus organization that works to innovate solutions to alleviate some aspects of the global refugee crisis, aims to incorporate student, faculty and administrative voices in addressing these circumstances. Professor of History on the Marion Musser Lloyd ’32 Chair and Co-Founder of VRS Maria Höhn, along with VRS student leaders, founded the Consortium on Forced Migration, Displacement and Education after reaching out to other colleges to explore how liberal arts schools could educate their students on the challenges of forced migration. The Consortium is comprised of professors from Vassar, Bard College Annandale, Bard College Berlin, Bennington and Sarah Lawrence Colleges. On Sept. 6,
the Consortium received an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Implementation Grant of $2.5 million to be shared among the four schools over four years. The Consortium has also partnered with the Council for European Studies, whose digital platform EuropeNow will disseminate the Consortium’s research and pedagogical innovations. The Consortium will use the grant to create a shared curriculum between the affiliated schools and to develop a correlate sequence in Forced Migration. The grant will allow students to create their own initiatives to participate in community-engaged learning. This new method of hands-on education about forced migration will greatly See CONSORTIUM on page 4
Tatlock talk explores tech, design Chris Dillon
Guest Reporter
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ver the course of its six-decadelong history, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has come up with hundreds of acronyms to make rocket science less of a mouthful. NASA engineers were saying “LOL” long before the advent of the internet. During the Apollo program of the 1960s, “LOL” meant “little
old lady.” Last Wednesday, Sept. 19, Professor of Human Centered Design and Engineering at Washington University Daniela Rosner delivered the Tatlock Lecture in Taylor Hall, sponsored by the Tatlock Multidisciplinary Studies Initiative. She shared the story of the LOL Weavers, a group of women who contributed to the Apollo program by weaving the core rope memory
systems used in early missions. The story is one of the many lost histories retold in Rosner’s new book, “Critical Fabulations: Remaking the Margins of Design,” that she uses to consider how today’s culture interacts with technology and design. Rosner said that her fascination with the story began when she saw two seconds of footage in “Moon Machines,” a See TATLOCK on page 4
Paul Simon performs Field hockey topples Montclair nostalgic farewell tour Daniel Bonfiglio Guest Reporter
Dean Kopitsky
Guest Columnist
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Inside this issue
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ARTS
Royal Academy exhibition combats misogynist tradition
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he Vassar field hockey team has enjoyed an impressive start to its 2018 campaign, strong enough to see the Brewers rise to a #16 national ranking. However, a matchup against ninth-ranked Montclair State on Sept. 19 loomed large for the Brewers, and the team knew it was in for its biggest challenge yet. The squad prepared and practiced for the big game under Head Coach Michael Warari the same way that they would for any other opponent, according to senior Alyssa More. “We break down [our opponent’s] strengths, weaknesses and tendencies based on a scouting report,” said More, “and then execute those strategies in the practices leading up to the game.” The team, More added, limits time spent fretting about statistics or rankings, instead opting to focus on their own game. The players took to the Weinberg turf field for what was to be an intense, dramatic and hard-fought contest under the lights on a cool but pleasant Wednesday evening, in front of one of the biggest crowds of the year. Vassar showed right out of the gate that they were not fazed by the Red Hawks’ reputation; the action took place primarily on the Red Hawks’ side of the field early on, with Vassar’s strong attack applying constant
Prof talks cultural implications OPINIONS of manga creations
the game’s first—and ultimately only— goal. The crowd cheered at the thud of the ball hitting the back of the net, and the team erupted with energy. “We were so excited when Emily scored,” said senior midfielder Monica Feeley. “It was an awesome goal!” Poehlein’s strike left the Brewers feeling confident, recounted senior defender Molly Youse. “After the first goal was scored, I expected us to score at least one more time, Youse elaborated. “Usually after our first goal, See FIELD HOCKEY on page 18
Courtesy of Nick Jallat
hatever may happen to this world—political calamity, natural disaster, the sun swallowing the Earth itself—there will still be a place for Paul Simon’s fingerpicking guitar and Art Garfunkel’s lullaby voice. Simon and Garfunkel are widely considered to be the greatest recording duo in rock and roll history. But they aren’t. Like all the best music groups, they made their own type of sub-genre. No critic and no recording company could keep tabs on their sound. It just worked. Their partnership grew out of New York stages and echoed from the vinyl records of teenagers and from the protests of the Vietnam War era. As undefinable as it was and still may be, the music of Simon and Garfunkel became the soundtrack for the 1960s, a decade of so much change that it is best appreciated and not understood. I can’t describe Simon and Garfunkel’s music. Try describing the taste of a banana. You can’t. Beyond the obvious, its color and sweetness, you fall into a paradox of describing your own experiences with bananas. It never comes out the right way
because it’s in your soul. That’d be bananas. Instead, I’ll just describe an experience. Last Saturday, a friend and I took the train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central and then took New Jersey Transit to Newark. We were going to see Paul Simon on his farewell tour, “Homeward Bound.” We were too giddy to talk. It was a short sprint from Newark Penn Station to the Prudential Center. We arrived just in time for the end of “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover.” Simon and Garfunkel are two very special people to me. I recognize how weird that sounds given that they’re transcendent musicians and the closest I’ll come to meeting either of them is a poster of “Bookends” on my dorm wall. Yet many people feel the same way. In 1981, they played to a crowd of half a million people in Central Park. In a city of neuroticism and impatience, New Yorkers sat together in silent admiration of their homegrown rock stars. Simon and Garfunkel are adored by everyone except for themselves, it seems. They haven’t performed together in over a decade. The old friends occasionally trade See PAUL SIMON on page 7
pressure to the Montclair defense. VC fans sat uneasily, even as it became clear the Brewers would not be outplayed by their higher-seeded opponent. Eventually, in the 17th minute of play, Vassar’s pressure earned a deciding corner. Corners had already been a major story (Vassar forced six in the first half) when senior Mikayla Young stepped up in the 17th minute. Young crossed it to senior Megan Caveny at the top of the circle; Caveny passed it in front of the net, where senior Emily Poehlein scored
Senior Emily Poehlein scored the lone goal in Vassar’s 1-0 victory against ninthranked Montclair State. The red-hot Brewers have won five straight, moving to 7-1 with the upset win. Poehlein leads the team with eight goals this season.
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Vassar’s first quintuple-major student: Are his HUMOR choices prudent?
The Miscellany News
Page 2
September 27, 2018
Editor-in-Chief Talya Phelps
Senior Editor Leah Cates
Contributing Editors
Noah Purdy Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson Laila Volpe Features Opinions Humor and Satire Arts Sports Design Outreach Copy Courtesy of Elizabeth Robertson
Pictured above is St. Salvator’s quad on a rare sunny day in St Andrews, Scotland, where Elizabeth Robertson is currently studying abroad. Robertson relates: “I met a second-year student on the shuttle who promptly ‘adopted’ me ... She explained a system of ‘academic moms and dads,’ where returning students ‘adopt’ new students and take them under their wing for their time at St. Andrews. As we got on well, I was happy about my new ‘academic mom.’ After meeting plenty of other friendly and eager new and returning St. Andrews community members on the shuttle, I had finally relaxed. These weren’t people who were out to get me by any means. They were simply other students with different accents.” To read more about Robertson’s JYA experience and those of other world-traveling juniors, visit farandaway.miscellanynews.org!
The Miscellany News 27
September
Weekender_ 28
Thursday
September
Friday
Lecturers Elsbeth Pancrazi and Geoffrey Hilsabeck
Geology Walking Tour of Campus
6:00 p.m. | Taylor 203 | English Dept.
“Spacetime Functionalism” Dees Memorial Lecture 6:00 p.m. | RH 200 | Philosophy Dept.
Saturday
30
September
Baseball vs. DCC and Ulster
12:00 p.m. | Ely Hall Porch | The Loeb
9:00 a.m. | CC 223-Multi Purpose Room | Campus Activities
10:00 a.m. | Prentiss Baseball Field | Athletics
Vassar Haiti Project Art show
Arlington Street Fair
12:00 p.m. | CC 223-Multi Purpose Room | Campus Activities
12:00 p.m. | Raymond Avenue | Campus Activities
10:00 a.m. | CC 223-Multi Purpose Room | Campus Activities
Tennis (W) vs. Bard
Movie Night: Incredibles 2
First Year Families Brunch
4:00 p.m. | Blodgett Auditorium | Campus Activities
10:00 a.m. | ACDC 2nd Floor MPR | Campus Activities
Lacrosse (W) Alumni Game
Urban Wilderness Fair and Run
Volleyball (W) vs. Kean University
4:30 p.m. | Prentiss Turf Field | Athletics
Courtesy of Sam Pianello
11:30 a.m. | Vassar Barn MPR | Environmental Co-Op
Fall Fire Show
Shabbat at the Sukkah
7:30 p.m. | The Quad | Barefoot Monkeys
How We Gather: The Vassar Sukkah Project
6:00 p.m. | Library Lawn | Vassar Jewish Union
Dodgeball Tournament
Kahoot! Trivia Night
9:00 p.m. | Walker Field House Bays | Big Night In
12:00 p.m. | Library Lawn | Religious and Spiritual Life Office
9:00 p.m. | Rocky 200 | Big Night In
Disco-Tek Mug Night
Indecent Exposure Stand-Up Show 9:30 p.m. | Sanders 212 | Indecent Exposure
Reporters Duncan Aronson Columnists Catherine Bither Jimmy Christon Jesser Horowitz Izzy Migani Sylvan Perlmutter Blair Webber Copy Natalie Bober Frankie Knuckles
Vassar Haiti Project Art show
6:00 p.m. | Kenyon Hall Gym | Athletics
10:00 p.m. | The Mug | Latinx Student Union
Assistant Social Media Patrick Tanella Assistant Online Chris Allen
Sunday
Vassar Haiti Project Art show
4:30 p.m. | Joss Tennis Courts | Athletics
On Saturday, Sept. 29, the 18th annual Arlington Street Fair will fill the avenues surrounding Vassar’s campus with more than 100 vendors, plus rides, live entertainment, crafts and more.
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September
Andrea Yang Steven Park Hannah Gaven Izzy Braham Myles Olmsted Rose Parker Kimberly Nguyen Teddy Chmyz Jessica Moss
Roman Catholic Mass 1:30 p.m. | Main Chapel | Campus Activities
Paper Critique 9:00 p.m. | Rose Parlor | The Miscellany News
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Correction: Last week’s Staff Editorial stated that New York State laws provide equal or lesser protections than federal laws on sexual assault. This is incorrect; New York State laws provide equal or greater protections.
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
NEWS
September 27, 2018
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Ford symposium showcases student-faculty research Olivia Watson Guest Reporter
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In this week’s headlines... Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) agreed on the night of Friday, Sept. 21, to grant her an extension until Thursday, Sept. 27. Republican lawmakers, including Lindsey Graham (R-SC), have stated that this development will not impact their decision to nominate Kavanaugh, who has denied the allegations. Many analysts are now drawing comparisons to the mistreatment in 1991 of Anita Hill, who accused then-SCOTUS nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual assault (CNN, “Grassley agrees to give Ford more time to decide on Senate testimony,” 09.22.2018). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Sept. 17 that the United States is limiting the number of refugees that it will accept next year to 30,000, down from this year’s already reduced figure of 45,000. Only 20,918 refugees have been admitted thus far in 2018. Senior Policy Advisor Stephen Miller attempted to have the program capped at 25,000, disregarding calls from lawmakers and refugee rights activists to maintain this year’s number. Those seeking refuge will be weighed against the 320,000 who have already applied for asylum, and another 730,000 are currently waiting for their cases to be resolved in immigration court (The New York Times, “Trump to Cap Refugees Allowed Into U.S. at 30,000, a Record Low,” 09.17.2018). The White House is seeking to dramatically curb the number of legal migrants entering the
students. Professors act as mentors throughout the research process and lead students as they investigate their topics. McCloskey assumed this role for two students assisting with research on the way people with autism learn outside of the classroom. “This research was just at the beginning stages,” McCloskey explained, “and so my role was to give [student researchers] a little background information on how we had gotten to this point and trying to catch them up a little bit on some of the research that has been done historically in the field.” Elaborating on her research methods and the way in which she collaborated with the Ford Scholars, McCloskey continued, “I taught them first about taking field notes and all of the prior re-
country by proposing rules that would deny green cards to legal immigrants who receive public benefits, including food assistance and Medicare. The Department of Homeland Security attempted to justify the rule by stating on Sept. 22 that those receiving green card status should not rely upon public benefits (Slate, “White House Wants to Deny Green Cards to Immigrants Who Receive Public Benefits,” 09.23.2018). President Trump has intensified the trade war with China, and Chinese officials canceled trade talks with the United States after the Trump administration indicated on Sept. 17 that it would place tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. In retaliation, China placed tariffs on $60 billion worth of American goods, effective Sept. 24. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have raised concerns that the tariffs will harm the American economy, and both Trump and Pompeo have spoken out in support of the aggressive tactics (The Hill, “Pompeo: ‘We are determined to win’ trade war with China,” 09.23.2018).
to seven years, and her husband Muhammad Safdar Awan was sentenced to one. Sharif had begun his third non-consecutive term when revelations from the 2016 Panama Papers and a subsequent investigation appointed by the Pakistani Supreme Court revealed news of his financial dealings. Sharif has since been banned from public office, and his party lost control of the National Assembly and the prime minister position in July of this year (NPR, “Former Pakistani Prime Minister Released From Prison 2 Months Into 10-Year Sentence,” 09.19.2018). In Brazil, competition for the upcoming presidential election on Oct. 7 has become increasingly intense. Former Army Captain and current candidate Jair Bolsonaro has been called the Donald Trump of Brazil; he is a far-right populist who promises widespread, anti-establishment reform at a time when the presidency has been wracked with years of corruption. Bolsonaro leads the polls by 26 points after surviving an assassination attempt earlier this month, in which he was stabbed at a campaign rally. However, his misogynistic, racist and homophobic taunts during the campaign have motivated Brazilian women—who represent 52 percent of the electorate—to mobilize against him (The Guardian, “‘Stop this disaster’: Brazilian women mobilize against ‘misogynist’ far-right Bolsonaro,” 09.21.2018). Beginning on Sept. 18, North and South Korean leaders held a three-day summit, which culminated in an agreement to dismantle Pyongyang’s main nuclear complex, subject to American approval. Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un met with Trump earlier this year in Singapore, and the meeting with President of South Korea Moon Jae In marks the first steps taken toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Both sides are also committing to withdraw the 11 guard posts from the Demilitarized Zone and are working to open the border between the two nations. Kim has also agreed to meet with Trump for another round of talks (The Daily Beast, “North, South Korea Sign Agreement on Denuclearization,” 09.18.2018).
In international news... Twenty-nine people were killed and 70 were wounded during a military parade this past Saturday in the city of Ahvaz, in southwestern Iran. Four gunmen began firing at the procession, killing military personnel, civilians and one reporter. The city, located in the Khuzestan region, borders Iraq and has a large Sunni Arab population. Both the separatist Ahvaz National Resistance and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack; Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted on Sept. 22, “Iran holds regional terror sponsors and their U.S. masters accountable” (BBC, “Iran blames Gulf foes for deadly Ahvaz attack,” 09.22.2018). On Sept. 19, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was released from prison on bail. Sharif had served two months of his 10-year sentence after having been found guilty of corruption, a charge that he returned to Islamabad to appeal. His daughter Maryam Nawaz was sentenced
search...and we talked about talking to participants in the field and different ways of noticing learning... which may be oral responses when we are looking at people who don’t use oral language to communicate.” The Ford Scholars Program allows participating students them to delve deeper into topics of interest and to experience research first-hand, which may lead them to gauge what fields or areas of research they want to pursue in the future. As Lonchar reflected, “One of my goals in doing the Ford Scholars Program was to find out whether I enjoyed doing research. I found that I do, which makes me more optimistic for graduate school as a possibility for my future.”
Courtesy of Karl Rabe/Vassar College
esearching topics from profit gaps in female-owned businesses in Ghana to diversity in choral music repertoires, students in this past summer’s Ford Scholars Program were engaged in a host of fascinating projects. On Sept. 17, the 2018 Ford Scholars, who worked alongside Vassar professors on 19 projects, presented their research at the Ford Scholars Research Symposium in the Thompson Memorial Library. Associate Professor and Director of Africana Studies Quincy Mills, the Ford Scholars program director, described the intent of the 30-year-old initiative: “The Ford Scholars Program at Vassar College fosters student and faculty collaboration on research projects in the humanities and social sciences. The program encourages intensive academic mentoring relationships between faculty and undergraduate students, toward students imagining future lives in the professoriate.” Every year, the symposium affords the Ford Scholars a chance to practice formally presenting research. As Associate Professor of Education and Ford Scholars mentor Erin McCloskey described, “I think what makes the symposium here interesting and challenging is that usually at professional conferences, everyone...is already interested in that field, so it’s great when I go because you’re learning about all different kinds of research.” The symposium also provided an occasion to receive commentary from peers and professors alike. “Presenting at the symposium was a great experience, as it allowed me to discuss my research in a semi-formal setting,” said April Lonchar ’19. “I always love hearing thoughts and questions from people who are new to the project.” The symposium showcased the variety in this year’s Ford research topics, ranging from waste
systems to how people with autism learn outside of the classroom to the global transmission of the smallpox vaccine in the 19th century. As Lonchar elaborated, “Our research project centers around the bargaining behavior of garment-making micro-entrepreneurs in Hohoe, Ghana ... Our survey included a bargaining exercise to purchase a shirt from each micro-entrepreneur and looked at whether the household income of the garment-maker influenced what bargaining price they settled on.” Students expressed how the Ford program allowed them to explore their academic passions while also gaining practical research experience in their respective fields. For example, as Linda Liu ’19 expressed, her dual dedications in education and music greatly informed her summer project, enhancing both passions in a way she had not engaged with them before. “The program gave me the opportunity to critically analyze excluding practices within choir and to develop methods towards creating a more inclusive environment within choir,” Liu said. Liu also appreciated the personal insights her research produced. She explained, “Listening to music from Chinese and Chinese-American composers, as well as performances from Chinese choirs, granted me a sense of belonging within the choral arts that I had missed while growing up.” Speaking to the practical applications of the knowledge gained over the summer, Lonchar elucidated, “The Ford Scholars Program is very special in that it gives a glimpse into the day-to-day of research. My image of what research consists of has completely changed after this experience ... Seeing a project through over the summer makes writing my thesis this year feel much more manageable.” A key component of the Ford Scholars Program is fostering relationships between professors and
Linda Liu ’19, who participated in one of the 19 projects that made up this summer’s Ford Scholars Program, directs singers as part of her research into the diversity of choirs.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
In our backyard... New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign has aired television advertisements claiming that Corinne Adams, the wife of Cuomo’s Republican opponent Marc Molinaro, got a job employment from a construction firm in Dutchess County using her husband’s influence. Adams worked at Tinkelman Bros. Development Corporation from 2015 to 2018, and Cuomo claims that Tinkelman received tax breaks and contracts as a reward for hiring her. Molinaro angrily disputed the claims. The ads were first aired just as Cuomo’s aide Joseph Percoco was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption on Sept. 20 (Poughkeepsie Journal, “Marc Molinaro says his wife earned her job. Andrew Cuomo says it’s pay to play,” 09.21.2018). Radio Woodstock announced last week that it has discontinued some of the ads commissioned by the campaign of Congressman John Faso (R-NY) criticizing his Democratic congressional opponent Antonio Delgado. The ads referred to Harvard Law graduate, Rhodes Scholar and former President Barack Obama endorsee Delgado’s past as a rapper, claiming his song lyrics were hateful and anti-American, creating further turmoil in a race that has become one of the tightest in the nation (Poughkeepsie Journal, “Radio Woodstock announces it will no longer run political ads critical of Antonio Delgado,” 09.21.2018). 2020 hopefuls… Former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg has once again implied that he is considering running for president in 2020 and that his decision will come after midterm elections. “Right now I’m only focused on the midterms,” he stated on Sept. 23. “I believe that the Republicans have not done what they should have done in terms of providing some counterbalance to the executive branch.” Should he participate in the presidential race, the former Republican and Independent would run as a Democrat; he has committed $80 million to support various candidates in an effort to flip the House and Senate in November.
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NEWS
September 27, 2018
Lecturer illuminates role of women in Apollo missions TATLOCK continued from page 1
2008 documentary about the engineering challenges of the Apollo missions. Rosner said that in the footage, “You see two women with rolled-up sleeves passing a needle back and forth through a grid of eyelet holes.” Those women were wiring the computer memory of the Apollo navigation systems. In the ’60s, engineers needed codes of ones and zeros manually stitched into grids of magnets. This wiring had to survive the vibrations, massive temperature shifts and cramped spaces of the Apollo capsule. In effect, Neil Armstrong’s small step onto the moon in 1969 was made possible by the hundreds of small stitches made by women at NASA. According to Rosner, the women presented a new way to view the achievements of the Apollo missions as not just planned by engineers but also created by women’s hands. Though the women worked with materials such as wires, magnetic rings, ferrite plates and microscopes, the movements of their hands were informed by a tradition of weaving. “I’ve done a lot of textile work, and that’s what drew me to the ‘Moon Machines’ documentary,” Rosner explained. The technique these female NASA employees used represents a fascinating intersection between engineering, craftwork and design. “The core of the project,” Rosner began, referencing her book, “ [is] the notion of fabulation.” Fabulation is the process of retelling a myth to construct new possibilities for the exploring how we interact with the world. For Rosner, the power of storytelling stems from the legacy of such feminist scholars as Vinciane Despret, Saidiya Hartman and Lisa Nakamura. Retelling the story of the LOL Weavers required looking beyond what has been preserved
in public archives, Rosner illuminated. For example, the documentary Rosner referenced features the voice of Richard Battin, a NASA engineer, over the footage of the weavers, pointing to the dominant narratives of this particular history. Rosner thus wanted to explore the weaving process itself to find a “deeper recognition of women’s work, particularly women of color in the revolutions of engineering.” Having studied and worked in the world of design for over two decades, Rosner knew how to take up the task of deeply understanding the experience of the weavers. She started on eBay, where she found Apollo-era computer memory units. When the package, covered in Russian lettering, came to her door, she began to experiment hands-on with the core memory planes. “I started to hold them in my hands and think of them as a kind of memory quilt and think of core memory as a kind of gendered, feminized work of the hand,” she said. Rosner had the idea to turn the exploration into a workshop. Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team at the University of Washington, she invited groups of students, educators and members of the public to contribute to a quilt. Each was given what the team called a patch kit, a much larger version of the core memory planes used in the Apollo missions. When assembled properly, each patch would transmit a signal through the larger network of the quilt and send messages through Twitter. However, most patches resulted in a mess of tangled thread and beads spilled across the floor, Rosner recalled. At one of the workshops, an engineer on the Apollo missions asked incredulously, “Are we really going to do this?” Much of the documentation of the women’s work was “presenting the weavers as unthinking,
unskilled laborers, and those were perceptions we couldn’t hold after experiencing the precision process ourselves,” recounted Rosner. This observation worked against traditional narratives that favor focus on the work of genius innovators—often male—which closely tie power and cultural views of innovation. During the workshops, participation in design itself consequently became a tool to shift dominant narratives. After the lecture, students excitedly asked Rosner for her thoughts on issues of technology with which society is grappling today: facial recognition software used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to unlock phones, Airbnb as an extension of the landlord economy and what it means to be an engineering student in an age of automation. Luis Arguello ’22 said he came to the lecture because he wants to pursue the Dual-Degree Engineering Program with Dartmouth College and thought Rosner’s approach to engineering would be informative. He reflected, “She shed a light on how those technologies were approached back then,” but he is ultimately concerned that not much progress has been made in gender parity in STEM fields and histories. “Today,” Arguello continued, “we have machines and we still tend to not recognize women who have done that level of work.” Rosner noted how being able to hold and interact with the technology in the workshops blurred the lines between engineering and art. With microchips and precision machines, the primacy of the human touch is lost. Arguello, though, evoked the need to acknowledge the humans behind progresses in science, affirming, “It’s a community that built the Apollo, and it’s only a few that got the credit for it, let alone the women who built the circuits.” Students also inquired about how Rosner’s
research affects her work within the classroom. She responded that—more than they realize— teachers are storytellers. Her critical approach to understanding the history of design and technology has complicated the stories she tells. Vassar Professor of Urban and American Studies Lisa Brawley introduced Rosner at the lecture. Brawley first met Rosner when the two were attending a multidisciplinary workshop at Olin College of Engineering, which also examined the stories told by educators. In her introduction, she expressed her interest in works that “help us think about the kinds of questions that take place at the edges and intersections of more established modes of knowing.” Brawley’s work this year as the Anne McNiff Tatlock Class of ’61 Chair of Multidisciplinary Studies focuses on critical design as it relates to urbanism and the sociology of spaces. Brawley stated that Vassar promotes an environment in which collaborative work is recognized, pointing out that these opportunities are not always easy to find. Brawley added that she “was fortunate to have been able to participate in ‘Design and the Senses,’ in a four-week faculty-student research program,” and that “collaboration is at the heart of that initiative.” These ideas of collaboration and recognition are central to the work Rosner presented, as well as to the history of design and engineering she discussed in her talk. “Engineers tend not to see stories,” Rosner summed up, commenting on the interaction between storytelling, the knowledge of history and practical developments in technique. However, she continued, “Telling stories that awaken a silenced, subjugated past can deconstruct design methods that open different possibilities for the past to refigure the present and the future.”
Four-college consortium receives $2.5 million grant CONSORTIUM continued from page 1 expand the work in which Consortium participants and VRS members have engaged. As President of the College Elizabeth Bradley expressed in an email, “More than 1 billion people—fifteen percent of the global population—are migrant, with 30 percent of them relocating internationally and 70 percent moving within countries.” Bradley continued, “Developing models to address the educational needs of this population can improve their futures and allow them to engage meaningfully in their new homes. At the same time, the region benefits because displaced people bring with them enormous gifts and experiences from which we can all learn and benefit.” The idea of applying to the Mellon Foundation for a grant developed in Spring 2016, when Professor Höhn, VRS students and faculty members from the Consortium schools met to discuss how they could address the issue. Höhn elaborated, “We spoke about what our responsibilities as educators are to prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century.” Höhn, in close collaboration with the other schools and student leaders in VRS, wrote and submitted a Planning Grant in Fall 2016, which would allow them to plan a larger project; they received that grant of $137,000 in December of that year and spent the next year developing new classes and initiatives, essentially planning the creation of a correlate sequence across the Consortium schools. This curriculum will prepare students not only for graduate and law schools, but also for fields that deal with issues of migration and immigration. As Höhn explained, “[We] discussed what kind of projects can we do, what kinds of things we can do to help...the refugees themselves, refugee students but also refugee scholars.” Vassar students and faculty even incorporated the idea of using technology to connect refugee students in other countries with Vassar. Höhn explained, “[We discussed how we can] use digital
humanities to explore whether we can teach classes between Vassar and, say, students in a refugee camp in Africa or Jordan or in Lebanon.” In the Spring 2018 semester, Höhn taught a class involving a group of Vassar students along with six refugee high school students in Berlin, facilitated by a student organization in Berlin. Initiatives such as these will support the study of the complex and expanding issue of displacement as a way to contribute positively to those affected by it. Since funds from the Mellon Foundation cannot go directly to refugees, the colleges will use the grant to create a curriculum that helps students understand how people become forced migrants or refugees—one of the greatest challenges facing today’s generation. Höhn began working on the Implementation Grant in Spring 2018 and submitted it to the Mellon Foundation in July. VRS students played an important role in formulating ideas throughout the process: “I really tried to build this with students to get the student perspective,” Höhn stated. The students attended all of the Consortium meetings, presenting their own initiatives and ideas. The Student Coordinator of the Consortium for Vassar Matthew Brill-Carlat ’19, who took over for Co-Founder of VRS Anish Kanoria ’18, worked closely with Professor Höhn. Brill-Carlat explained that the grant is split up into multiple parts for every affiliated school, which includes a pool of money to which new projects can apply, a developed curriculum of courses and an overarching signature project. Vassar’s signature project, run by Director of the Urban Education Initiative John Bradley, is a threeweek residential pre-college program for Hudson Valley high school students who have been forcibly displaced. The students will take classes with Vassar professors, attend financial aid and application workshops and contribute to a final project. Positions will be available for Vassar students to work on this three-week program.
The grant will also allow students to work locally and overseas on research projects related to forced migration, partnering Vassar students with displaced students across the globe. These opportunities include, but are not limited to, potential study abroad programs. However, there is also a need for local work with displaced families in Dutchess County. “Forced migration is a part of our culture,” stated Höhn. “[We want to] devise ways to engage with displaced individuals in our own community.” Some of the local work in which VRS already engages is supplying local displaced families with clothing and household items, sometimes traveling to other cities to do so. Höhn explained, “Vassar Refugee Solidarity also frequently goes to Albany and Schenectady to meet with refugee families who arrived from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries. VRS also laid the foundation of the Mid-Hudson Refugee Solidarity Alliance (MHRSA). Most recently, VRS and MHRSA donated $10,000 to buy a used van for the refugee families in Albany.” Although it has been challenging to support refugee families with the current political climate, Vassar Refugee Solidarity is working diligently to help in any way it can. There are myriad avenues for interested students to get involved with the initiatives led by VRS. VRS subsections include Mid-Hudson Community Engagement, Digital Initiatives, the Rohingya Project, Resettlement and the Oral Histories project. Leader of Resettlement and VRS Treasurer Sabrina Surgil ’21 highlighted the Resettlement portion, explaining that it works with other organizations separate from the school in the region, such as New York for Syrian Refugees and the Islamic Center in Schenectady. In regard to the grant received by the Consortium, Surgil added, “The grant is definitely going to help students at Vassar and students at the other Consortium schools with educational opportunities and ways for the students to start their own initiatives.”
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
The grant received by the Consortium will significantly impact Vassar’s academic teaching on forced migration, with the goal of students eventually continuing on to work as policy makers, as legal specialists or in humanitarian fields. “I think it’s really wonderful that we have this chance... how many [student] organizations can actually say they’ve played [a role in changing] Vassar’s curriculum?” said Co-President and Head of Communications and Digital Initiatives of VRS Zoë Zahariadis ’21. According to Brill-Carlat, the first introductory class of the new correlate, entitled “Lexicon of Forced Migration,” will be available starting in Spring 2019. More immediately, the Consortium will hold a workshop on Oct. 26 and 27 in the College Center, which will gather students, faculty and some administrative offices to finalize the syllabus for the introductory class and discuss the way forward now that the Consortium has received the grant. Participants will also focus on student engagement across the Consortium schools, and local high school teachers will be attending to see how they can incorporate education on forced migration into their school curricula. Considering the enthusiasm for the creation of these new academic pathways, and members of the Consortium still recognize the need to center the viewpoints of those whom they will be studying. As Brill-Carlat stated, “We want to prioritize the writings and voices and research and theories of people who have experience in forced displacement, because if we’re going to be learning about something we should be learning from people who have first-hand knowledge of it.” For students seeking more information on how to get involved with Vassar Refugee Solidarity, contact Matthew Brill-Carlat at mabrillcarlat[at] vassar.edu or Zoë Zahariadis at zzahariadis[at]vassar.edu. For students interested in the Correlate Sequence in Forced Migration, please contact Professor Maria Höhn at mahoehn[at]vassar.edu.
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VSA Updates Finance Allocations • 19.99/19.99 for Quidditch • 31/31 for Bike Shop Executive Board Updates: Chair of Equity and Inclusion • The Equity and Inclusion Committee explored ideas for the forum. One idea that came up was the idea of gender inclusion, particularly given the recent changes to Strong’s mission statement. Chair of Residential Affairs • The Residential Affairs Committee discussed the pick-up project. Chair of Academics • Academics Committee formalized the data for the Senate forum on curricular
change: Oct. 28 in Rockefeller Hall. Faculty members will describe the new curriculum, which goes into effect in 2019. There will be a forum in November with Dean Lotto. Chair of Organizations • Organizations Committee has been reviewing orgs’ constitions. • The committee sent out a form for orgs to fill out for the orgs list on the updated VSA website. • Chair talked to Michelle Ransom about finding closet space for orgs. Chair of Finance • On Monday, Sept. 24, Chair and CoChair met with Board of Elections and Appointments to make a timeline for bringing in new Finance Committee
members. • Vice President • Elections for first-years are underway. The mandatory Candidates Meeting will be in Rockefeller Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 26. President • VSA President and Vice President sit on the Priorities and Planning Committee. President Bradley and Dean of Strategic Planning Marianne Begemann are coming to Senate on Oct. 7 to talk about the planning process. • This year is VSA’s 150th anniversary! President talked to Michelle Ransom about ways to celebrate. They might include the Poughkeepsie pick-up project as part of the celebration by reviving
Meet Me in Poughkeepsie. They also may take on an office revitalization project, as the office does not look great and not everybody feels comfortable going there.
Committee Chair Updates: Chair of Planning • Planning Committee met on Thursday, Sept. 20. They are trying to clarify the difference between Planning Committee and Operations Committee. Chair of Health and Wellness • Health and Wellness Committee will meet for the first time next week. —Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson, Contributing Editor
News Briefs Kavanaugh accuser set to testify [TW: This article includes graphic descriptions of sexual assault.] On Sept. 14, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) disclosed that she had referred a sexual assault allegation made by Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the F.B.I. for investigation. Ford first described the allegation in a letter to Feinstein, a ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Representative Anna Ashee (D-CA) in late July. Requesting anonymity, Ford claimed that Kavanaugh drunkenly pushed her into a bedroom and attempted to forcibly disrobe her at a party in the 1980s, when both parties were in high school. He allegedly covered her mouth with his hand when she attempted to scream. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. Ford also contacted The Washington Post in early July through a tip line when Kavanaugh was nominated to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. After consulting with Debra Katz, a lawyer known for her work on sexual harassment cases, Ford decided in August not to come forward, concluding that the story would negatively affect her life and would be ineffective in preventing Kavanaugh’s confirmation (The Washington Post, “California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault,” 09.16.2018). The story was soon leaked by online news publication The Intercept, which reported on Sept. 12 that Feinstein was withholding a document that the Senate Judiciary Committee requested describing a separate sexual assault incident involving Kavanaugh (United States Senator for California Dianne Feinstein Press Releases, “Feinstein Statement on Kavanaugh,” 09.13.2018). The FBI redacted Ford’s name and sent the letter to the White House for inclusion in Kavanaugh’s background file, as requested by the Senate
Judiciary Committee. After the White House sent the letter to the Committee, Ford began receiving inquiries about her involvement. Feeling that her privacy had been compromised, Ford decided to come forward on Sept. 16 via a story published by The Washington Post. In it, Ford said that she had forgotten some key details of the incident. Ford did, however, take a polygraph test administered by a former FBI agent in early August. The results concluded that Ford was truthful when stating her allegations. However, psychologists have widely criticized the validity of polygraph tests (American Psychological Association, “The Truth About Lie Detectors (aka Polygraph Tests),” 08.05.2004). Since coming forward, Ford has identified additional people at the party. Ford alleged that author and journalist Mark Judge, a former classmate of Kavanaugh, was in the bedroom at the time of the incident. She claimed that Judge encouraged Kavanaugh throughout the incident and that she was only able to escape when Judge jumped on top of the two, separating them. Judge denied the party and incident altogether in a statement via his lawyer. Patrick J. Smyth and Leland Keyser, two others identified by Ford as students at the party, have also denied her claims. A new allegation has arisen from a former peer of Kavanaugh’s, describing an assault that occurred while they were freshmen at Yale University. The accuser, Deborah Ramirez, said that she remembers Kavanaugh exposing himself at a dorm party and thrusting his penis in her face (The New Yorker, “Senate Democrats Investigate a New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct, from Brett Kavanaugh’s College Years,” 09.23.2018). According to a statement released by Ford’s lawyers on Sept. 23, Ford has committed to testifying in an open hearing on Sept. 27. Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley (R-IA) officially confirmed the hearing date later that day. The panel will hear Ford’s testimony,
followed by Kavanaugh’s. The hearing will start at 10 a.m. and will be open to the public (CNN, “Kavanaugh accuser will testify in open hearing on Thursday,” 09.23.2018). Florence ravages East Coast On the morning of Sept. 14, Hurricane Florence touched down near Wrightsville Beach, NC. A few miles east of Wilmington, SC, and not far from the South Carolina border, the storm came ashore with 90 miles per hour winds and life-threatening surges. What started out as a Category 1 hurricane continued to decrease in power, nevertheless resulting in widespread flooding, destruction and health hazards (The New York Times, “At Least 5 Deaths Reported as Storm Dumps Rain on Carolinas,” 09.14.2018). States of emergency had been declared in Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., North Carolina and South Carolina. Beforehand, the Carolinas issued mandatory evacuations to 1.7 million people on their coasts. Meteorologists downgraded the system to a tropical storm by the night of Sept. 14, but it was still slowly making its way through the Carolinas. As of Sept. 25, authorities have linked 42 deaths to the storm (CBS News, “Hurricane Florence death toll rises to 42 as South Carolina expects more record flooding,” 09.20.2018). By Sept. 15, Florence became a 350-mile-wide tropical storm. Some areas in the Carolinas experienced record rainfall and flooding, leading to eight deaths. Numerous roads were closed and North Carolina authorities warned of possible landslides, tornadoes and flash floods until Sept. 17. As rivers and creeks swelled, dams were increasingly at risk (CNBC, “Hurricane Florence hit 10 days ago and still hundreds of roads remain closed, thousands evacuated,” 09.24.2018). By Sept. 16, authorities downgraded the system to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour. Some areas received
as many as 34 inches of rain between Sept. 13 and 16. Forecasts predicted that rivers, including the Little, the Lumber, and the Pee Dee, would crest through Sept. 16–17 at record or near-record levels. The then-hurricane’s death toll in the Carolinas climbed to 17 lives. Around 15,000 people found refuge in temporary shelters and 760,000 people lost power (CNN, “Florence: Days of flooding ahead in the Carolinas as storm leaves at least 13 dead,” 09.15.2018). Though Florence has subsided, South Carolinians are left to cope with the destruction of much of their state and to mourn the loss of 42 lives. Around 400 roads remain closed (CNBC). According to Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan, floodwaters have breached the open-air dam at a hog lagoon in Duplin County, NC. The hog lagoon contains feces and urine from the animals. In addition, waters have entered the cooling lake at the LV Sutton natural gas plant on the Cape Fear River. Two coal ash basins are also at the site; one of the basins, according to the owner of the facility, Duke Energy, contains 400,000 cubic yards of the heavy metal ash. The company has stated that flooding of the river has not resulted in coal ash contamination, according to their lab results. However, a third-party analysis has yet to be conducted (Vox, “Hog manure is spilling out of lagoons because of Hurricane Florence’s floods,” 09.21.2018). In response to the structural damage caused by the system, Congress is currently considering allocating almost $1.7 billion to aid recovery efforts. According to Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), the money would be available as grants to states in order to help rebuild houses and public works and to assist recovering businesses (New York Post, “Hurricane Florence isn’t done with the Carolinas just yet,” 09.24.2018). —Tiana Headley, Guest Reporter
VC community participates in #BelieveSurvivors walkout
On Sept. 24 at 1 p.m., approximately 100 Vassar students, faculty, administrators and community members joined protesters across the United States in a walkout entitled #BelieveSurvivors. The walkout demonstrated support for survivors of sexual violence, including Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, who have recently come forward with accusations of sexual assault against Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh. At Vassar, members of the community gathered outside Main Building to stand in solidarity. President of the College Elizabeth Bradley thanked campus organizers for encouraging everyone to think through this issue. She stated, “Thank you for teaching us, thank you for convening us so we can really think deeply about this issue in its historical context, thinking about what it means for each of us in the culture we’re complicit with.” —Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson. Contributing Editor; Photo courtesy of Talya Phelps/The Miscellany News.
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Currently, Vassar’s Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center is featuring three distinct exhibits: ”Tim Youd: The Hudson Valley Retyped,” “Framing Space: Photography and Architecture” and “Past Time: Geology in European and American Art.” Tim Youd’s exhibit will be on display through Oct. 14, while “Framing Space” and “Past Time” will be shown through December. All photos courtesy of Izzy Braham/The Miscellany News.
ViCE introduces campus to varied, up-and-coming artists Abby Tarwater
Guest Columnist
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Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
assar students are treated to eclectic and high-quality live music throughout the school year—whether that takes the form of a steamy Mug concert or an electrifying show on the Vogelstein Quad. However, many remain unaware of the organization that is responsible for many aspects of the campus’ vibrant music scene. Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE) encompasses two sub-divisions: ViCE Music, which organizes the Welcome Back and spring concerts, and ViCE Weekly, which organizes smaller concerts roughly every other week throughout the year. One of the two co-presidents of ViCE Music, Josh Walley ’21, stated, “Our goal is to throw events, mainly concerts, that are inclusive of as much of the campus as possible—a nice break from constant studying and stress.” His sentiments echoed a defining statement on ViCE’s website by former ViCE Director Sarah King ’16. Speaking about the role the org plays at Vassar, Kang commented, “It is not just knowledge that makes up our campus, it is our ability to learn. Vassar College Entertainment is an organization that offers students a chance to enjoy campus: to actually engage with and see the physical spaces and emotional spaces of this college. Vassar is a bubble but one worth confronting, changing and exploring while here.” This year’s Welcome Back concert headliners, Junglepussy and IAN SWEET, performed on the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film quad on Saturday, Sept. 23. As relatively new artists, Junglepussy and IAN SWEET have gained a lot of attention this year over their new records. In particular, Junglepussy has made waves in the rap world, having been recognized by icons such as Nicki Minaj and Erykah Badu. Evidenced by this year’s concert and last year’s show, which featured J.I.D and EARTH-
ViCE intends to create a space for any student to feel comfortable discussing their music and aims to showcase artists that cater to campus tastes, such as Junglepussy, pictured here. GANG, ViCE Music has continually brought to campus artists that are both popular among young people and up-in-coming in their distinct genres. However, it hasn’t always been easy— ViCE accomplished the feat of booking this year’s headliners through extensive planning during the summer. All of the ViCE members had the opportunity to meet Junglepussy and IAN SWEET before the show. Walley reflected on talking to the star, stating, “She’s super friendly, and she had a great time. It went both ways—Vassar loved it, and she loved being here.” The other co-president of ViCE Music, Dane Marshall ’20, expressed a similar sentiment, commenting, “It was so fun seeing her have so much fun. That’s a great part of being in the ViCE org— although we’re co-chairs, all members could sign
up to do a meet and greet with the performers.” ViCE will now spend the majority of the school year planning the annual spring concert, which entails considerable interaction between ViCE members, other campus organizations and the student body. Marshall adds, “The purpose of the org throughout the year is to make the decision of what spring show would be the best on behalf of the student body and to decide how everyone can have the most fun.” Last year’s spring concert, featuring Flatbush Zombies, proved to be a huge success, and ViCE is optimistic about living up to that high standard for the 2019 iteration. ViCE has brought noteworthy acts such as Solange, the Clash, Ratatat and Mazzy Star to campus in the past, and the current ViCE leadership is determined to live up to the accomplishments of their predecessors.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Thinking about the impressive history of artists that have performed at Vassar, Walley said, “The pressure is definitely on for the spring concert, but I think it will live up to the hype.” Although the performer is yet to be determined, Vassar’s spring concert will take place on Saturday, April 13 in Noyes Circle. While ViCE Music aims to book big-name artists twice a year, ViCE Weekly organizes frequent shows that focus on tapping into the underground music scene. Co-presidents of ViCE Weekly for the 2018-19 school year, Paul An ’19 and Samuel Lim ’19, expressed the organization’s goal of bringing lesser-known artists that represent a wide variety of genres. They are currently looking into diversifying their typical genres of rap and indie by booking jazz and punk artists. Both ViCE Weekly and ViCE Music’s meetings primarily consist of members sharing artists to whom they have been listening, discussing music together and brainstorming potential performers for upcoming concerts. ViCE aims to create laidback spaces that are inviting to any students who wish to either help out with their shows or share music with them. ViCE is also open to suggestions for shows via email; they can be contacted through their Facebook page, @vassarcollegeentertainment, and their Instagram, @vicevassar. In addition to the spring concert, ViCE is getting ready for exciting happenings and considerable changes within the organization this year. ViCE Music and ViCE Weekly plan on collaborating more with each other as well as with other music orgs on campus, such as WVKR and Vassar College Sound System (VCSS). This collaboration has already been put into practice. With WVKR, the org plans to launch an hourly radio show and has helped plan ViCE Weekly’s first event of the year. The event, a concert, is in the Mug this Friday, Sept. 28. The show will feature experimental rock band Palm and will be opened by student band Earth Dad.
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Royal Academy exhibit prioritizes gender parity in art Taylor Stewart
Guest Columnist
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Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
ondon’s Royal Academy of Arts (RA), part conservatoire and part exhibition house, celebrated its 250th anniversary in the spring by expanding the campus to include more exhibitions, free art displays, architectural spaces and spots to eat. The revamp heralds a conscious move to modernize, and the 2019 program of exhibitions put forth by Artistic Director Tim Marlow, including one called “The Renaissance Nude” organized in collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum, shows this new direction. Marlow confirmed that “The Renaissance Nude,” which opens next March, purposely features near equal representations of the male and female form. The exhibition will include around 85 works, ranging from figurines to figure studies, from 15th- and 16th-century Europe. With the likes of Michelangelo, Raphael and Dürer in the lineup, “The Renaissance Nude” doubtless won’t depart from the Western fine arts canon. If anything, the pieces themselves will prove more or less orthodox, showing how the nude figure transformed Renaissance art both secular and religious. Take a 20-minute tube ride to the Tate Modern, and you’ll see a poster by the Guerrilla Girls titled “Do Women Have To Be Naked To Get Into the Met. Museum?” This is one of 50 by the anonymous all-female collective. The Guerrilla Girls formed in reaction to the Museum of Modern Art’s 1984 exhibition “An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture,” which featured less than 10 percent women artists. Their poster glaringly points out the fact that the naked female figure enjoys far more representation than do actual women artists in fine arts. The Guerrilla Girls have done activist work for decades now, but the RA’s announcement
about the nudes gender quota is timely. Alongside spotlighting abuse victims in film and television, the #MeToo movement spread to point out the mistreatment of visual artists who identify as female. Last October, over 2,000 women and gender nonconforming visual arts workers penned an open letter called “Not Surprised.” The authors condemned the same patriarchal power structures that facilitate misconduct by higher-ups in the entertainment industries. The group of artists, scholars, administrators, curators, assistants, editors and more garnered extensive media attention and even earned the signature of prolific conceptual artist Jenny Holzer. States one of Holzer’s truisms, “Abuse of power comes as no surprise.” Art enthusiasts have pointed out that “The Renaissance Nude” is a nod at the “male gaze” phenomenon, coined by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey in her essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Women are popularly depicted from a masculine, white, heterosexual point of view for the pleasure of masculine white heterosexuals. Mulvey argues that in visual media, women are made a spectacle and evaluated per their “to-belooked-at-ness” by men in the audience. Jill Burke, whose research focuses on the body in Italian Renaissance art, is another curator for the 2019 gallery opening. In an article for The Guardian, she argues with these claims surrounding “The Renaissance Nude,” writing that organizers went for “intellectual rigo[r] and artistic interest” rather than a #MeToo-inspired gender quota. Female nudes started enjoying popularity only in the 16th century, before which time scholars only accepted that looking at and drawing the naked male form was an intellectual enterprise. Burke also points out the complicated history of the male gaze in Renaissance art: long-standing discrimination against female artists, recognition of the male form as erotic,
Next March, London’s Royal Academy will be displaying a cutting-edge exhibit titled “The Renaissance Nude” that aims to show equal representations of the male and female forms. voyeuristic nobles’ buying female nudes for more fleshly purposes (The Guardian, “The Shock of the Nude: How Art Embraced Nakedness,” 09.6.2018). “The Renaissance Nude” might portend great change for British art, for the Western art world and for women working in it. Ideated around three years ago, the exhibition is one of the RA’s efforts to revitalize its image. Since the British contemporary art boom in the 1990s, the Academy has foregone a dusty-painting-school reputation in integrating different types of media, such as video and performance, into its curriculum. At the same time, the new program may reflect a shift in the Western art world toward greater gender parity. Temperately, Marlow described “The Renaissance Nude” as a “very interesting exercise” in today’s “cultural climate.” (The Sydney Morning Herald, “Royal Academy Nudes to Reach Gender Parity as Art World Grapples Equality,” 09.04.2018). Per Rumberg, who also curates at the RA, said in a Telegraph interview that not only did the gallery
aim for parity among the pieces, but it also sought to employ more women scholars (The Telegraph, “Royal Academy Nudes to Have ‘Gender Equality’ in New Post-#metoo Exhibition,” 09.03.2018). Abuse of power comes as no surprise, especially when institutions like the National Gallery in London display the work of less than one percent women artists. However bleak Holzer’s statement may be, we cannot expect powerful art dealers, gallery curators and academicians to stop abusing women if there are no women among them. It is difficult to tell whether the RA’s announcement is superficial—a palatable way to say “we’re a progressive institution!”—or just another rendering of our obsession with European art. Still, displaying the same number of male and female nudes, while not particularly bold, pushes us a bit closer to eliminating the male gaze among audiences and art authorities alike. Especially when accompanied by efforts to hire more gals in our galleries, any semblance of gender parity is better than none.
Paul Simon’s final tour evokes melancholic memories PAUL SIMON continued from page 1
jabs through the paper like two especially curmudgeonly pop stars might do. But I love them. It was just Paul that night in New Jersey. I slipped through the black curtain dividing the lobby and into the inky darkness of the Prudential Center. Small white points of light flashed every few seconds as longing fans snapped photos of Paul when he spoke. “So, this being my last go around,” he smiled. There were boos. One fan called out, “It doesn’t have to be this way, Paul!” He responded cheekily: “Of course I’ll still do private gigs.” The atmosphere was the same as that night
in 1981, silent, all of us on the edge of our seats, hanging on every word he spoke. I found myself reaching for my phone just to record his little rants. They were about growing up with his father, a bass player, in Newark and then in New York. He recounted playing the electric guitar and how he grew tired of it in the late 50s: “Rock was getting very weird, but maybe because it was so wonderful.” Not too different, I thought, from Paul, who was standing over a large Persian rug wearing a cardigan. “I think he was born to be this age,” I whispered to my friend. Paul seems to revel in the assumption that all old people are losing it. He’s endear-
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Sharing words of wisdom, Paul Simon parts ways with the concert scene, making fans feel sad to say goodbye, yet grateful for his powerful, poetic and memorable discography.
ing enough to write a ballad called “Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War” and pull it off. No young person would ever write a song like that; we take ourselves too seriously. Another experience I had with Simon and Garfunkel was in my senior year of high school. In the slow crawl to the end of 12th grade, I found myself listening to them whenever I could. Somewhere along the way, Paul Simon, who wrote all of Simon and Garfunkel’s music, became my idol. Maybe it was because his lyrics could take me away from the platitudes of second semester senior year, carry me from drives to school and long runs to a fantastic land of Mrs. Wagnar pies and trips to the zoo. I have never heard anything like it. Songs like “I Am A Rock” and “Baby Driver” are as bizarre as they are beautiful, small vignettes capturing family life and adolescence in catchy rock grooves. But Simon’s poetry and arrangements really shine in “The Boxer,” “America” and “The Sound of Silence,” massive melodies that deliver anthems of American introspection. Paul Simon played them all that night. He played everything the crowd needed to hear. Alluding to our political climate, which easily lends itself to parallels with the 60s, he said, “Weird times, huh?” and, “Don’t give up.” It was reassuring, but that night wasn’t about politics to me. When a couple splits up, who gets the possessions? Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s split was public and nasty. Their long friendship wasn’t enough to save them from the perils of rock stardom. In the divorce, Paul lost what he calls his child, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” “Bridge” is a song he wrote for Arty to sing. In his solo career Paul has rarely played it live. But on his final tour, he wanted his baby back. It was a different arrangement, but the words were there. While It was comfortable and heart-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
warming, Paul didn’t mention his old partner the whole night. Ever since I became a fan of Simon and Garfunkel, I’ve waited for the day when Arty and Paul would mend old wounds and play together. Sadly, this was Paul’s last tour, so that hope seems to be snuffed out.
“Songs like ‘I Am A Rock’ and ‘Baby Driver’ are as bizarre as they are beautiful, small vignettes capturing family life and adolescence in catchy rock grooves.” The next morning, I stopped by one of my favorite delis in New York. I ordered takeout and the guy behind the counter recommended I enjoy it at the park. I’m not going to try to describe how good the sandwich was. That’d be bananas. I brought my breakfast to a bench on a hill overlooking a birthday party. I plugged in my headphones and listened to “Old Friends,” pretty self-explanatory. Just a conversation between Arty and Paul about what old age would be like with each other. All around me were old friends, old couples, new friends and new couples, “sitting on a park bench like bookends,” but no Art and Paul to be found. I finally finished my sandwich, smiling. I got up from my park bench and tossed the wax-paper wrapper in a nearby trash bin. I was in a bit of a hurry to catch a train. I checked my watch. I still had time. So do Arty and Paul from the neighborhood.
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Artist Noname brings confidence, wit to new record Emma Bauchner Guest Columnist
Room 25
Noname
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hortly before “Room 25” was released, Noname expressed concern that some of her longtime fans might be frustrated with the album. “I feel like a lotta people are gonna be like, ‘Ughhh,’” she stated in a piece for The Fader. “A lot of my fans…I think they like me because they think I’m the anti-Cardi B. I’m not. I’m just Fatimah.” Fatimah ironically made quite a name for herself with her 2016 debut mixtape “Telefone,” but fans of the album need not worry that “Room 25” will be a disappointment. On the self-released project—technically her debut studio album—Noname stays true to the artistic vision she created on “Telefone” while pushing her lyricism, production and thematic material to stunning new levels. Noname is correct about one thing though: This album is proof that her music can’t be summed up by simple comparisons to other performers. She is indubitably an artist in her own right. The first thing that is striking about Noname’s music is her distinctive vocal delivery. While many of her peers tend to use their voices to exude as much volume and attention-grabbing confidence as possible, Noname’s soft, low-key style stands out in sharp contrast. Yet her tone is anything but weak. Her subdued delivery harnesses a unique power, the kind that captivates and makes you want to listen to what she’s saying very, very closely. She has a melodic and rhythmic flow; it’s not surprising that
she cut her teeth performing in the Chicago poetry scene. That she takes influence from poetry is just as apparent in her lyrics, which cover everything from her childhood in Chicago, to critiques of American society, to the details of her personal life. She tackles all of these subjects with just the right amount of seriousness and humor. Her smart lyricism pairs perfectly with her smooth style of production, which draws influence from jazz, R&B, neo soul and lo-fi hip-hop. “Room 25” proves more musically ambitious than its predecessor; particularly notable are the energetic samples and bassline on “Blaxploitation,” the poignant piano and guitar work on “no name” and especially the stunning string arrangements on “Window.” Noname’s newfound artistic confidence is just as present in her lyrics. She addresses her critics on album opener “Self”: “Y’all really thought a bitch couldn’t rap huh?/Maybe this your answer for that” (though a few bars later, she clarifies, “Nah actually this is for me”). She doesn’t stop there though: “My pussy teachin’ ninth grade English/My pussy wrote a thesis on colonialism/In conversation with a marginal system in love with Jesus/And y’all still thought a bitch couldn’t rap huh?” This line is a stunning example of Noname’s ability to balance real, serious topics with humor and wit, all while delivering infectiously catchy verses (“My pussy wrote a thesis on colonialism” went viral on Twitter just a few hours after the album’s release). And this is all in the album’s first two minutes. Backed by 1970s film samples and a driving bassline on “Blaxploitation,” Noname explores America’s perverse obsession with Blackness and the racist stereotypes it has propagated: “She paid to clean your house, power of Pine-
sol, baby/She the scrub tub lady/She that naked bitch in videos, that drunk club lady…Who chicken-boned, watermelon-ed/Traded hoodie for hipster, infatuated the minstrel/When we cool, they cool, we die as coon.” She continues her political commentary on “Prayer Song,” which features a haunting chorus by Adam Ness: “America the great, this grateful dead and life for me/Apple pie on Sunday morning, obesity and heart disease/Can you hear the freedom bells?/Can you see the rusty nails chip away on all the coffin?” Mesmeric beats back Noname as she delivers a cutting verse from the point of view of a white cop: “Put your hands behind your back, ante up all your crack bitch/I seen a cell phone/on the dash, could’ve sworn it’s a gun/I ain’t see a toddler in the back after firing seven shots/A demon ‘bout to get me, he watching me kill his mom.” Noname discusses more personal insights on “Window,” reflecting on a failed relationship over a tear-jerking string arrangement: “I knew you never loved me but I fucked you anyway/I guess a bitch like to gamble, I guess a bitch like to lonely…The way you struggling to love yourself, believe me that’s karma/You want a nasty bitch, psychiatrist that cook like your mama/ And all you got was me.” Other highlights include the witty, Caribbean-influenced “Montego Bae,” which features a chorus from Ravyn Lenae, and “Ace,” a carefree celebration of success including longtime collaborators/friends Smino and Saba. The album’s most heart-wrenching moments occur on centerpiece “Don’t Forget About Me,” a track that finds a much less self-assured Noname revealing insecurities surrounding her newfound success and image: “You title email ‘Noname thank you for your sweet ‘Telefone,’ it
saves lives’/The secret is I’m actually broken… Tell ’em Noname still don’t got no money/Tell ’em Noname almost passed out drinking.” On the second verse, she reflects on the realities of her recent move to Los Angeles: “Let’s get down to the nitty gritty, changed my city/Titties 13k, the pretty costs these days…Welcome to Beverly Hills/Welcome to Vicodin, I took the pills.” She delivers these lines in a near-whisper, but you can still hear the pain and vulnerability in her voice. It’s a striking moment, and a powerful affirmation of her humanity and integrity. “All I am is everything and nothing at all,” she chants with rising fervor, “All I am is shoulder for your heart to lean on/All I am is love.” Finally, she reminds us that our deepest and most personal fears are often the most universal: “I know everyone goes someday/I know my body’s fragile, know it’s made from clay/But if I have to go, I pray my soul is still eternal/And my momma don’t forget about me.” Noname may seem like an odd moniker for such a strong and distinctive artist, but on the album’s closing track, she points out its symbolic power: “No name for people to call small or colonize optimism/No name for inmate registries that they put me in prison…When labels ask me to sign, say my name don’t exist, so many names don’t exist.” And she’s right; with no name (and no label), she’s crafted a unique style and distinguished herself as one of the most talented voices in alternative hip hop, all while developing a dedicated following that will surely continue to grow. Besides being one of the strongest releases of the year, “Room 25” is a stunning personal snapshot of a young artist who is right where she wants to be, and who undoubtedly has more great things ahead of her.
Drama Department to showcase profound fall productions Jimmy Christon Columnist
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creation of hope. Even the title reinforces this, as it engenders the idea that the plants are growing and life is created—but they are affected by the world around them. The final production of this season, “Drums in the Night,” looks to be a play that, while not lacking artistic depth, does seem to have an added technical flourish thrown in for good measure. The play follows Anna Balicke as she struggles to maintain her passion for her lover Andreas, a soldier who goes missing in the midst of World War I. Also by no means a simple play, this production is based on four different translations. It also has a complex technical aspect that indicates it will be worth admission for the spectacle alone. Penn commented in an emailed statement on this unique facet: “I would say the technical work is a huge part of the pro-
duction (and in Brecht’s work in general), and our production will be doing some wonderful avant-garde things (‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ is a major inspiration).” Much of this technical prowess can be credited to James. Lee elucidated, “Darrell James has crazy ideas,” and explained that James always directs productions that combine spectacle with artistic depth. However, both Lee and Penn stressed that the play, bereft of the technical aspect, would still be worth the price of admission (or time spent in the theater). As with all of the other productions this fall season, “Drums in the Night” strives to tell an intensely human narrative—one that, when placed on stage, intends to pull at the heartstrings of those in attendance. Indeed, each of these plays will be felt for many days to come.
Courtesy of Powerhouse via Facebook
ne of the wonderful things about the fall season is the theater productions presented by Vassar’s Drama Department. Produced and acted by students, three shows are in the pipeline, and they promise to be profound, cutting-edge and thrilling. Without further fanfare, here is what will be coming to Vassar this fall: “Revolt. She Said, Revolt Again.,” “The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds” and “Drums in the Night.” Oct. 25, 26 and 27 will feature “Revolt. She Said, Revolt Again.” The play was written by Alice Birch and will be directed by Miranda Cornell ’19. It will also be the senior project of directors Samantha Leftt and Kaitlin Prado. The production will take place in the Powerhouse Theater and is sponsored in part by the E.J. Safirstein ’83 Memorial Fund. The second production, running from Nov. 15 to 17, is “The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-InThe-Moon Marigolds,” written by Paul Zindel. This play will be directed by Lily Berman ’19 and will be worked on by directors Katie Scibelli, Jake Shepherd and Yael Haskal as their senior projects. The production will also take place in the Powerhouse Theater. The final drama for the fall season is the play “Drums in the Night” by renowned German playwright Bertolt Brecht. This production will be staged in the Martel Theater in the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film from Dec. 6 to 8, and will be directed by Visiting Assistant Professor of Drama Darrell James. The work is based, in part, on the translation by Finegan Kruckemeyer. It is the senior project for Kevin Johnson, Sydney Lee, Philip Macaluso, Wesley Sheffield and Nic Penn. “Revolt. She Said, Revolt Again.” is sure to be anything but typical. Structured around a series of vignettes, the play asks us how we would
revolutionize language, relationships and life in general. While this production is, rule-breaking and energetic, it isn’t a manifesto; rather, it is a depiction. Playwright Alice Birch sets out with the aim of portraying the reality of the world as it truly is, and she molds this seemingly simple concept into something worthwhile. The play is known to be very intense, catching the light of the world through a magnifying glass and sparking a searing, bright fire. The idea behind this production is comparable to those presented on screen in Sam Esmail’s wonderful TV-show “Mr. Robot.” Both artistic pieces ostensibly deal with the idea of revolution, but their energy and life come from their depictions of a world so accurate that—paradoxically—they feel unreal. In a day and age when the iconography of revolution is routinely picked up for more mundane ends, it is always refreshing to see reminders of just how truly earth-shattering a revolution is when examined in the field of art. The season’s second production, “The Effects of Gamma Ray on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds,” is an imagining of an older play: Penned by Paul Zindel, it first premiered in the mid-1960s. The show focuses on a dysfunctional family run by mother Beatrice Hunsdorfer and her children, Tillie and Ruth. The play intends to be a gut-wrenching one, as the plot focuses on Beatrice’s constant attempts to dismantle the successes and inspirations of her daughters. The two children band together to find what comfort they can as they mount resistance against their mother. While the work will be powerful and affecting, it will not be hopeless. When asked about the play and its characters, director Lily Berman opined on the character of Tillie: “Tillie maintains a hopeful view of her world and the people in it.” The play is not one about the destruction of family life but rather an exploration of the
Three plays, titled “Revolt. She Said, Revolt Again.,” “The Effects of Gamma Rays on ManIn-The-Moon Marigolds” and “Drums in the Night” are set to take the stage this fall season.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
September 27, 2018
Campus Canvas
ARTS A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
Page 9 submit to misc@vassar.edu
Excuse me, If you could steal a body part, which body part would you steal? “The nose, because we’re reading an inspirational short story called ‘The Nose.’” — Clem Doucette ’22
“Eyes.” — Tiarra Rogers ’19
“A removable third eye to increase my reading endurance.” — Sam O’Keefe ’20
“Your heart.” — Karina Norton ’20
“Her heart.” — Madhavi Jere ’20
Elena Schultz is a senior English major + French correlate from Wisconsin. She’s at an interesting point in undergrad where she’s recklessly optimistic about life after graduation (maybe design? maybe writing? maybe tilling the earth at a farm back home?), but isn’t exactly sure how to get there yet. If anyone wants to give her advice, she can be reached at elschultz[at]vassar.edu or Box 1613.
“Head because I want to be a carrot top and half my face covered in freckles.” — Benjamin Kheyfets ’21
Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson, Contributing Hannah Benton, Photography
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First-year international reflects, ‘I wish I were homesick’ Nhan Nguyen Guest Reporter
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Courtesy of Sou Truong
he first week at Vassar was more jampacked than I ever could have imagined. Truthfully, I think I am deeply thankful for that. With all those activities, all the scheduled events occupying my mind, there was no room for nostalgia. During the day, I was always looking at my phone, not for text messages from my parents, but for the timing of orientation events. All the while, I tried to hide my jet lag in order to talk to as many people and make as many friends as possible. When the night came, I had to deal with a huge mess of unpacked clothes in my room. On my first night, instead of lying on my bed, crying, calling my mom and asking her why she would allow me to leave home to be here all alone by myself, I slept like a log due to exhaustion. In my mind, an angel’s voice warmly assured me that it was sensible for me not to think about home that much, since I already had enough challenges to overcome. Coming to the United States was the first time that I was actually on my own, far away from my family. It was my first time in the wild. My survival instinct prevented me from allowing my homesickness to get in the way of adjusting to this new environment. To be honest, adapting to life at Vassar was not as hard as I had expected. I found a little Vietnamese community in which I can always talk with in Vietnamese, so that I need never be afraid of neglecting my mother tongue. Moreover, the weather in Poughkeepsie during the first week surreally resembled the weather in Vietnam. Although I knew that it was partially due to the effect of climate change, I was somewhat guiltily grateful for it. It really helped me become accustomed to this town.
However, deep down in my mind, a devil kept whispering to me that, by not missing home, I was relinquishing my heritage: my Vietnamese roots. It goes without saying that cultivating one’s personal identity has always been an important aspect of Vassar culture. That being said, I felt like I was losing parts of my identity here. I didn’t notice that the pressure of adapting to a new culture was actually taking a heavy toll on me. During all those discussions about who we are, whether with my student fellow group or in the chapel, I was inadvertently afraid to speak up. I am an international student. I am one of the minorities here in the United States. I was supposed to be the one who had the most to tell about my identity and cultural heritage. Inexplicable as it was, I was at a loss for words during those discussions. I was at a loss for my personal and cultural identity. Looking back at those first few weeks, I recognize that this was all part of my mental defense mechanism. While I was still in Vietnam, my friends told me that I was not at all sensitive or emotionally available. Truth be told, I felt the same way about myself. I dealt with my unpleasant feelings by ignoring them, until I could not remember their existence. Try as I might, I have never been able to say “I love you” to my parents, even when I was saying my goodbyes to them at the airport. Thus, I told myself to abandon the feeling of homesickness because I knew that I would not be strong enough to deal with my emotions alone—that I would break down. As the semester progressed, I had more and more time by myself. Nevertheless, I kept avoiding my emotions. I couldn’t maintain that for long. Recently, I have immersed myself back in
Pictured here is Nhan with his high school teacher and classmates in Vietnam. The photo is a major source of nostalgia for the writer, who finds himself 8,000 miles away from home. Vietnamese indie music. It is an escape for me from all of the rap music present in America. More importantly, listening to that Vietnamese music brings me home. Sitting in my single-butwe-put-a-bunk-bed-here-so-now-it-becomesa-double dorm room with my earphones on, I enter an audiotopia. Suddenly, I am at my desk in my cozy room back home doing homework while listening to my favorite music. All these
familiarities surround me. I have found myself a balance. Now, I don’t have to worry that my yearning for home will interfere with my new life. I just need to put in my earphones, and I am at home. My journey to discover my own identity continues—but for now, I am glad that I am not avoiding homesickness anymore, that I still miss my family and continue to cherish my Vietnamese heritage.
Local student takes us on virtual tour of Hudson Valley Courtesy of Ron Gogswel via Flickr Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Pictured above is the stately Vanderbilt Mansion main entrance, an example of the Beaux-Arts architectural style. Below is an Italianate villa, home to the father of telegraphs and Morse Code. HUDSON VALLEY continued from page 1
ra, to name a few. Dia:Beacon is unique not only because of its art collection, but also its setting: The gallery is situated in Nabisco’s former carton and printing plant. For the History Buff
The Vanderbilt Mansion 119 Vanderbilt Park Road, Hyde Park, NY Built in 1896, the Vanderbilt Mansion is one of the oldest estates in the Hudson Valley. The 54-room mansion overlooking the Hudson River was originally home to Director of the New
York Central Railroad Frederick Vanderbilt and his wife, Louise. Hyde Park was attractive to the Vanderbilt family because Manhattan was easily accessible via the New York Central Railroad, which they owned. The estate, set on 600 acres, features an Italian-style garden and numerous auxiliary buildings in addition to the mansion. Only a 25-minute drive from campus, this national landmark is open to the public seven days a week for $10 per person, with guided tours offered throughout the day. Locust Grove (Samuel F. B. Morse House) 2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie, NY
Located on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River, the Samuel F. B. Morse House was home to Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, since 1851. The Italianate Villa treasures a collection of Hudson River School paintings, antiques and 19th-century American furniture. Locust Grove is a short 10-minute drive from Vassar. The home and gardens are open daily, with guided tours offered. For the Foodie
Millbrook Vineyards and Winery 26 Wing Road, Millbrook, NY A 30-minute drive from Vassar, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery is one of the top wineries in not only the Hudson Valley, but also in New York State. Millbrook is famous for its critically acclaimed selection of wines. Labeled “the Hudson Valley’s flagship winery” by The New York Times (millbrookwine.com, 2018), the 130-acre vineyard is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. for wine tastings and guided tours. The Culinary Institute of America 1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park, NY The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), one of the most renowned culinary schools in the United States, offers five eateries just 20 minutes from campus. The Apple Pie Bakery Cafe provides casual dining, serving delicious soups, salads and sandwiches, as well as homemade desserts. The American Bounty Restaurant brings all the best of the Hudson Valley to the table. Offering Hudson Valley wines as well as the best of the seasonal harvest in every meal, American Bounty fuses traditional and contemporary regional dishes to create a luxurious dining experience. Ristorante Caterina de’Medici & Al Forno Trattoria offer upscale and traditional Italian fine dining overlooking the Hudson River and the CIA’s herb and rose garden. The Bocuse Restaurant, named after famed French chef Paul Bocuse, offers traditional French cuisine and a
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
sophisticated dining experience. The Post Road Brew House presents a unique selection of the CIA’s own craft beers in a relaxed setting. Enjoy light appetizers and mouthwatering entrees while sipping the CIA’s finest brews. For the Adventure Seeker
Minnewaska State Park Preserve 5281 Route 44-55, Kerhonkson, NY Minnewaska State Park Preserve is comprised of 22,275 acres of land and is an idyllic place for a hike or a picnic. The park is known for its scenic views of the neighboring Catskill Mountains. Featuring both carriage roads and narrower hiking trails, Minnewaska is suitable for hikers of all levels. The preserve also contains three lakes, one of which is the well-known Lake Minnewaska, as well as various waterfalls. Just a 50-minute drive from Vassar, Minnewaska is a picturesque setting in which to view the Valley’s renowned fall foliage. Bear Mountain State Park US-9W, Bear Mountain, NY Climb to the top of Bear Mountain, stand on the the rocky bluff, enter the tower and appreciate panoramic views of the Hudson Valley. On the way, stop at Hessian Lake and have a picnic or rent a paddle boat and spend some time soaking up rays on the water. Bear Mountain State Park offers hiking trails for all levels and is situated just an hour from Vassar For the Shopper
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets 498 Red Apple Court, Central Valley, NY An hour-long drive from campus, Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is the ideal choice if you’re looking to go shopping and treat yourself. With over 200 outlets, Woodbury Common offers high-end designer brands as well as more affordable options. The outlet features labels such as Timberland, J. Crew and PacSun.
September 27, 2018
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Prof Spotlight: Rock explains illuminating nature of politics Duncan Aronson Reporter
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focused on things like same-sex marriage and abortion, which are domestic policy issues. But they’ve also had a profound influence on foreign policy, particularly foreign policy in the Middle East and American support for Israel, and in other areas as well that aren’t quite as widely recognized. The Misc: What important lessons from international politics should we keep in mind as Vassar students or just as citizens? Rock: I think at some level the most important lesson to keep in mind is to stay informed and to be active. While it’s hard as an individual to influence foreign policy in the same way that as far as to influence domestic policy, as groups of individuals, there’s a possibility for influence. This is one of the things I like about students... they haven’t become jaded in quite the same way as older people have. They recognize the possibilities of actually having an impact. It’s one of those things I really enjoy about teaching here. Students are fresh and they’re alive and it’s invigorating as a faculty member to work with students like that. The Misc: What would you like Vassar to know about your life outside of Vassar? Rock: I’ve been married for 35 years. I have two children, one of whom was a member of the Vassar Class of 2013. The other, a daughter, was admitted to Vassar and would have been in the Class of 2016, but she decided she wanted to go elsewhere because she’d lived in Poughkeepsie her entire life. When I’m not doing my research or teaching or committee service, I like to do things that are non-intellectual. A few years ago I built a deck on my house, and I love to tinker. I’m an amateur bicycle mechanic, so I love to tinker with bicycles. When you are using your
brain all the time, your brain gets tired, and when you want to relax, it helps to do [something] that’s not so taxing on the brain.
Courtesy of Buck Lewis/Vassar College
[Disclaimer: This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.] his week, we stopped by Rockefeller Hall to chat with Professor of Political Science Stephen Rock. A long-time Vassar faculty member with an extensive academic and administrative background, Rock offers an informed perspective rich with Vassar-specific and general life experience upon which students and colleagues alike can draw. The Miscellany News: What courses are you teaching this year? Stephen Rock: I’m teaching the introductory course in international politics and a senior seminar on the ethics of war piece, which is about Just war theory. And then in the spring I’m teaching a course on U.S. foreign policy. The Misc: How long have you been teaching at Vassar? Rock: Since 1987. This is my 33rd year, or 32nd, if I counted properly. That’s a long time. And I took a break from teaching for about fiveand-a-half years because I was acting Dean of the Faculty for a year, and then I was Associate Dean of the Faculty for two-and-a-half years, and then Acting Dean of the Faculty again for about another year. And then I spent a year on a paid sabbatical. The last time I taught regularly was the fall of 2012, so it’s actually very exciting for me to be back teaching regularly. The Misc: How did you get interested in political science? Rock: I got into political science when I went to college as an undergraduate because I thought I wanted to go to law school and I thought that was preparation for law school. At some point during my sophomore or junior
year...I really decided that I love politics for the sake of politics and that’s what I wanted to study and I didn’t want to go to law school. I had a couple of faculty members as an undergraduate who I just thought were amazing teachers, but also it was clear that they really loved what they were doing. I thought, “Wow, I could be like that.” They were kind of role models for me in a way. The Misc: It’s been five years since you last taught. How do you think that technology has changed the classroom? Rock: When I first started here and the Internet didn’t exist, data that you might get in book form or in U.S. government document form was two or three years out of date by the time you got it. Now everything is really current, which makes a huge difference. And you can get access now to the things that you could never get access to before. Government documents from all around the world and newspapers and journals and magazines that are from everywhere, as well as think tanks ... The proliferation of sources of information to which you can get electronic access has been fabulous. The Misc: Are you currently doing any research? Rock: I’m sort of in between projects. I finished the paper in the spring that was published in an online journal on evolving views of Christian intellectuals and church leaders regarding the nuclear weapons and nuclear war during the Cold War period. I’m not sure exactly where I’m headed next. I’m interested in generally religion and international relations and foreign policy … I got interested partly for [Just war theory] and partly because of the rise of the religious right in the United States. Of course, most of the religious right and its influence in policy has
Professor Rock specializes in international politics. His courses focus on U.S. foreign policy, defense policy and arms control, the causes of war and peace, and just war theory.
Insta Spotlight: Art105live channels artistic expressions Andrea Yang
Features Editor
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Courtesy of [at]art105live via Instagram
Art105live often features student submissions. The original caption reads, “A trio and a triptych! Yume ’20, Danielle ’20 and Kayla ’20 pay a visit to the M´érode Altarpiece at the Cloisters.”
The Misc: How do you design the posts? Art105live: Often, art history students and enthusiasts on campus—as well as many alumnae/i—submit posts from their art adventures, from summer internships and visits to their favorite museums to class field trips and snapshots from art history courses. Captions generally come naturally through the subjects and the submissions. I try to keep them short and sweet to let the images do the talking, since it is an art history account after all. The Misc: Do you have a favorite post? Art105live: I’ve only been running the account since the summer, but so far I’ve enjoyed the feedback from a post on the birthday of Eero Saarinen, the famous modern architect who designed Noyes. I also loved the post submitted by students who visited the Met Cloisters—it expressed a lot of the pure joy students feel seeing their favorite artworks they’ve studied in person. The Misc: Would you like to share an anecdote from running the account? Art105live: It’s always exciting when Vassar art history professors like our posts from their personal Instagrams. Art105live has also been featured in the introductory lectures in Art 105 in recent years as an example of the course adapting to modern technology and digital engagement with art, which is an interesting perspective and very gratifying. The Misc: What do you find most rewarding about your role? Art105live: I get to learn a lot about what other art history students are doing in their courses, personal visits, campus jobs, free time, etc., which is not only fun, but also a great way to further engage with a department I am extremely proud to be a part of. The Misc: Do you face any difficulties in running the account? How much of a time commitment is it?
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Courtesy of [at]art105live via Instagram
rt105live is one of the quintessential Vassar-related Instagram accounts that art lovers adore. Its bio links to the Art 105 course site, where students can readily access up-todate materials for class. Art105live is also a key attraction and source of artistic edification and enjoyment for those who haven’t taken art history at Vassar. This week, we’re happy to get in touch with the curator of the account and learn more about the behind-the-screen effort of managing an art Instagram. The Miscellany News: How long has art105live been alive? Art105live: The Art 105 Instagram account has been active since 2014, but Art 105/106 as a course has been around for 90 years as of this
fall! As far as I know, the Instagram has always been run by enthusiastic art history students and Art 105/106 course interns. The Misc: What’s the account’s main purpose and target audience? Art105live: The account mainly promotes enrollment in and engagement with Art 105 and 106 and the Art History Department as a whole, but it is also set up as a platform for showcasing Department events and for student art enthusiasts to share their discoveries and passions. The Misc: Who’s mainly responsible for managing the account? Art105live: As the Art 105 course intern, I am mainly responsible for the account, but posts are very often crowdsourced from 105/106 students past and present. At its core, the account is really meant to be a place for students to share their love of art!
A typical post from the account includes a thoughtful combination of graphics and words in order to both inform and entertain. Showcased here is one of the curator’s favorites. Art105live: Running the account is more of a perk of the Art 105 course intern position, since you can find a personal style in how you run the account while also engaging with other students and faculty. We’re always looking for new content to stay up to date with what Vassar art historians are pursuing, so we gladly welcome submissions by direct message! The Misc: How do you envision the future of art105live? Art105live: I imagine art105live will continue to evolve along with Art 105 and 106, courses that are ever-expanding. Hopefully the account will reflect students’ growing interests over the years, which shouldn’t be a problem since art will always be part of the human experience.
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Misc Comics by Natalie Bober
submit to misc@vassar.edu
Star Signs
Ben Costa
ACROSS DOWN 1. Pork leg 1. Floor-mounted lyre player 4. Princess of Arendelle 2. Assistant 8. Daisy's paramour, minus his last 3. Place to keep the post preposition 4. An eagle's nest 12. Hellenic earth goddess 5. Cloth for underwear 13. Whose this land is (as well as 6. What the soprano had done to the mine) 14 across 14. Long opera solo 7. Online LARP equivalent (abbr.) 15. Composer of 'La Traviata' and 8. Speakers of Irish, Scottish, and 'Rigoletto' Manx languages 16. Corkscrew-curled 9. Unit of newspaper 18. Driving, as a motor 10. Beam connecting rafters 20. A court excuse 11. Cruel torturers 21. Henry who preceded Catherine of 12. People with this sign should by Benjamin Aragon's spouse bedazzle theirCosta contact lenses. 22. Color brightlyFeb. and Apr. 15. Bright 43. Between 34. The and Blackbrilliant Death or Swine Flu ACROSS 44. A beaver’s curse 35. Makes a real splash 1. Pork leg 23. People with this sign should 17. Set down at another's feet 45. Unpopular decree 36. Raw fish cakes 4. Princess of Arendelle purchase slightly more than three 19. Cleaner, or flesh solvent 46. Factory standard 37. Liana or kudzu 8. Green light chaser large 48. bodies of water.state fish (and region) 23. Cooped (up) Massachusetts 40. Zebra pattern 12. Hellenic earth goddess 49. Bitter medicinal herb 41. People thisstate sign should bend into 13. Whose this land is (as well as mine) 24. Save 15% or more 25. Salt Lakewith City's a donut shape. 50. The most capable people 14. Long opera solo 26. What any of these predictions are 26. Olympian Lochte thinks this is his 42. Prepare tea 51. Temporary truce 15. Composer of “La Traviata” and 28. Back muscle (abbr.) “Rigoletto” 54. People with this sign should put pantssign. *Sigh*. onto yellow veggies 16. Corkscrew-curled 29. Copy mark 1 2 3 4 5 56. Clean a spill 18. Driving, as a motor 30. Raisin cereal 57. Often barked up 20. A court excuse 12 13 and diamonds 58. Bouncyrubies, stick 21. Henry who preceded Catherine of 31. Emeralds, Aragon’s spouse 59. Rage, wrath, and fury 32. Someone assigned to a position 15 16 22. Color brightly 60. Withered and dry 35. Something to scratch 23. People with this sign should buy 61. Burn medicine bird slightly more than three large bodies of38. 'Crazy' 62. Architecture software (abbr.) 18 19 water. 39. Gnats, rats, siblings 24. Save 15% or more DOWN 21 22 Feb. and Apr. 26. What any of these predictions are 43. Between 1. Floor-mounted lyre player 28. Back muscle (abbr.) 44. A 2.beaver's Assistant curse 24 25 26 29. Copy mark 3. Place in which to keep the post 45. Unpopular decree 30. Raisin cereal 4. An eagle’s nest 46. Factory standard 31. Emeralds, rubies, and diamonds 5. Cloth for underwear 29 30 32. Someone assigned to a position 48. Massachusetts state fish (and 6. What the soprano had done to the 14 35. Something to scratch across region) 32 33 38. ‘Crazy’ bird 7. Online LARP equivalent (abbr.) 49. Bitter medicinal herb 39. Gnats, rats, siblings 8. Speakers of Irish or Manx languages 35 36 37 38 50. The most capable people 9. Basic unit of a newspaper Answers to last week’s puzzle Fancy Fowl 10. Beam connecting rafters 51. Temporary truce G L O B B U B S S T E L A 11. Cruel torturers 43 44 with this sign put L E V I A B L Y 54. People N A M E D 12. People with this signshould should bedazzle A G E R R O A N pantstheir O P I N E ontocontact yellowlenses. veggies 46 47 C A N T B A T T L E D O R E 15. Bright and brilliant 56. Clean a spill I R E T H A T C H 17. Set down at another’s feet 50 51 52 57. Often barked T I M E R E S T E R 19. Cleaner, or up flesh solvent S O D A S M A C A R O N I S 23. Cooped (up) 58. Bouncy stick L O D E A U L D T O G A S 54 55 25. Saltwrath, Lake City’s 59. Rage, and state fury T R E A S U R E R E L I O T 26. Olympian Lochte thinks this is his G O N E R S M E L L 60. Withered and dry sign. *Sigh*. 57 58 F E M A L E T A P 27. Musician Aimee 61. Burn medicine L O V E L E T T E R E V E S 30. Tick tick E B O N R O W D Y 62. Architecture software (abbr.) T A L C 60 61
“Written in the Stars”
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27. Musician Aimee 30. Tick tick 31. A nerd or dork 33. Pt metal, informally 34. The Black Death or Swine Flu 35. Makes a real splash 36. Fish served raw, seasoned, and shaped into cakes 37. Liana or kudzu 40. Zebra pattern 41. People with this sign should bend into a donut shape. 42. Prepare tea 44. Kinda sorta 45. Not don'ts 47. Indian draped garment 48. 44.Boat Kindawith sortaone-bladed oars 45. Not dont’s 51. In vogue 47. Indian draped garment 52. Therefore, that is 48. Boat with one-bladed oars 53. 51. Roman In vogue message boards 52. Therefore, that is 55. Green visor-wearer (abbr.)
The Miscellany Crossword
31. A nerd or dork 33. Pt metal, informally
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
53. Roman message boards 55. Green visor-wearer (abbr.) 6
7
8
9
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14 17 20 23 27
28 31 34 39
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September 27, 2018
OPINIONS
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McConnell must prevent vote on Kavanaugh nomination Jesser Horowitz Columnist
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certainly hope that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has better things to do with his time than read my articles. However, in case you are Mitch and you are reading this, I have some free advice for you: Don’t let Brett Kavanaugh come to a vote. This isn’t for selfish reasons, mind you; I’m certain you won’t be swayed by my belief that Kavanaugh would make a terrible Justice. After all, we have very different political philosophies (I being a fairly progressive Democrat, and you being a fairly conservative Republican). No, this isn’t about me, it’s about you. Kavanaugh is dead weight, and this process looks bad for you, your party and the midterms. It would be in the best interest of the Republican Party to drop him and force the President to nominate someone else. Mitch, let’s, for a moment, ignore everything about which we may disagree on Kavanaugh. Let’s assume, for a moment, that I am a conservative, which, for the record, I am not, and that overall I find Judge Kavanaugh’s legal decisions agreeable and acceptable, which, for the record, I do not. Let’s also assume, for a moment, that Kavanaugh is truly innocent of both sexual harassment accusations that have been levied against him. Even then, letting his nomination go to a vote would be a dangerous risk, both for you and for the country. Confirming someone who has been accused by multiple people of sexual misconduct would be dangerous and immoral. In short, it would be complete dereliction of your responsibility as a senator. A lot of arguments has been made in the past few weeks about the legal concept of “innocent until proven guilty.” Senator David Perdue, for example, said of the accusations against Kavanaugh, “This is a democracy. We have a judicial system. But we also have innocent until proven guilty” (The Christian Science Monitor, “What
Kavanaugh Case means for innocent until proven guilty,” 09.24.2018). I believe in that idea, not only as it pertains to the law, but as it pertains to my personal life. I too have deep concern that defendants no longer have anyone to defend them and truly believe that it’s been a long time since the United States has adhered to that ideal. An accusation alone is not enough to throw Kavanaugh in prison. Still, the Senate is not a courtroom, and being denied one of the most sacred jobs in the republic is not the moral equivalent of a 30-year prison sentence, being a registered sex offender for the remainder of your life or even expulsion from your college or university. It does not prevent him from serving in his current position and does not prevent him from making a stable income. Brett Kavanaugh is not owed a job, and the standard for giving him a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States should not be the same as the standard for convicting him of a crime. The Senate is a partisan entity that is not well-equipped for fact-finding. It is reasonable for the Senate to decide that, in light of the accusations, they should deny Kavanaugh this position and force Trump to give it to someone equally qualified. But let’s, for a moment, discount morality. Considering the polls, it doesn’t make sense to move forward on Kavanaugh. The American people are split on who they believe: a Fox News poll showed that only 30 percent believe Kavanaugh, while 36 percent believe Ford. The rest aren’t sure (CNN, “Americans are split on whether they believe Christine Ford or Brett Kavanaugh,” 09.24.2018). Americans are somewhat more united in terms of where they stand on Kavanaugh as a nominee overall. A Fox News poll showed that only 40 percent of Americans would vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as of September 16, down from 45 percent in August. Fifty percent
of Americans would vote not to confirm Judge Kavanaugh, up from 46 percent in August. Most concerning for you, Mitch, is that in counties where Hillary Clinton and Trump were within 10 points, 35 percent would confirm him while 54 percent wouldn’t (Fox News, “Fox News Poll: Record numbers of voters oppose Kavanaugh nomination,” 09.23.2018). With the midterms a little more than a month away, the Republicans have very little to gain by allowing this go forward. Either Kavanaugh is confirmed, galvanizing progressives to vote out their local Republican in November, or Kavanaugh is rejected, in which case Trump loyalists blame Senate leadership and, frustrated, stay home—or worse, vote third-party. It would put you at a greater risk of losing the Senate this year, something you already think is likely to happen (Business Inside, “Mitch McConnell predicts Republicans will lose seats in the midterm elections,” 02.18.2018). This problem will only be compounded in the long term. Susan Collins, the Republican Senator from Maine, would suddenly find herself in serious danger come 2020 should she vote to confirm, as polls show 47 percent of her constituents would be less likely to vote for her if she does. That number jumps to 53 percent if Roe v. Wade is overturned (The Hill, “Poll: Voters less likely to support Collins if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh”, 8.21.2018). Lisa Murkowski would also be at risk next time she’s up for re-election, as 63 percent of Alaskans support Roe v. Wade, including 72 percent of the independent voters that generally provide her base support (Anchorage Daily News, “Pressure is on Murkowski over Kavanaugh vote”, 8.28.2018). Even if the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh to the court, he would be little more than another conservative vote, an advantage that the Republicans could achieve by nominating almost anyone else. Chief Justice John Roberts is infamous-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
ly concerned about the image of the Supreme Court (CNN, “In partisan times, chief justice worries about the court’s image,” 10.3.2017), dislikes ugly confirmation battles (The New York Times, “John Roberts Criticized Supreme Court Confirmation Process, Before There Was a Vacancy,” 03.21.2016) and pays such close attention to media coverage of court proceedings that some have said they influence his decisions (CBS News,”Roberts switched views to uphold health care law,” 07.02.2012). Roberts does not like it when the Supreme Court appears controversial, as he fears that it undermines the court’s integrity. Similar to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Kavanaugh would likely be sidelined in order to minimize the damage to the court’s image. Mitch, this is a lose-lose scenario for you, but there is a way out: Don’t let it come to a vote. By not allowing him to come to a vote, you would force Trump to pick someone who will likely be a more popular nominee and minimize the damage. Instead of blaming all Republicans, Kavanaugh’s supporters would only blame you, and while you have two years to explain your decision, it can put the Republicans in Congress on a better path for victory. It won’t be yet another issue for Democrats to use to mobilize our base, and it could motivate Trump voters to elect what they consider good Republicans who supported Kavanaugh and the President. Most importantly, you would be doing the right thing for this country. When all is said and done, Kavanaugh is a bad choice to be a Supreme Court Justice, even among possible conservative justices. You are not under any obligation to go with Kavanaugh, and your duty as a United States Senator compels you to ensure that we have the best candidate possible. You have a rare opportunity to do something that is honorable both for you and for your country. The only thing you have to do is take it.
OPINIONS
Page 14
September 27, 2018
Marijuana legalization prompts socioeconomic concerns Catherine Bither Columnist
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ike many California residents in November of 2016, I was happy to hear that marijuana would finally be legalized in early 2017. Around the same time, I, like many other Americans, felt demoralized following the news of the concurrent presidential election. Although Trump’s victory seemed imminent, I still could not help but feel discouraged watching his poll numbers climb higher and higher throughout the course of the night. The next morning, alongside a notification that Trump had won the presidency, I awoke to a text message from a friend saying, “Well, at least weed is legal.” I could not help but agree. I was happy for this small victory against the unjust and prolonged Reagan-era war on drugs. The disproportionate number of Black and brown humans who are not only fined, but also sent to jail for minor drug offenses exemplifies the legacy of slavery and the racial prejudice still rampant in our country. The decriminalization of an activity that has sent a few friends and multiple acquaintances to jail, for seemingly no justifiable reason, lightened my mood and gave me a sense of hope. Two years after the legalization of marijuana in California, and six years after its legalization in Colorado and Washington state, the legal marijuana business is booming. However, the effects of marijuana legalization are not exclusively beneficial. For example, although the net number of arrests for drug-related crimes has decreased, drug-related arrests for people of color have increased. The prevalence of drug-related violence in border states continues to decline, but cartels, receiving less and less business, have begun to resort to other crimes to produce profit. Additionally, since marijuana is not legal at a federal level, it is difficult for organizations to garner funding to test the drug. As of today, there are no standard, sustainable ways to commercially grow marijuana without substantial environmental consequences. Finally, without federal oversight, the growing cannabis business threatens to conform to the conventions of corrupt, corporate agribusiness. At first glance, it seems legal cannabis really marks the beginning of the end for the war on drugs. In Colorado between 2012 and 2015, arrests for cannabis possession dropped 88 percent (Colorlines, “Racial Disparities Persist Despite Marijuana Legalization Measures,” 01.23.2018). Unfortunately, this statistic does not represent the increased number of Black and brown humans arrested on drug charges in Colorado during the same time period. A 2016 study by the Colorado
Health Department shows a drop in the drug-related arrests of white teens, yet a rise in cannabis-related imprisonments of Hispanic teens by 20 percent and Black teens by 50 percent, although young people use the drug at similar rates. This evidence shows that, despite weed’s legalization, people of color continue to be profiled by law enforcement and arrested for petty drug-related crimes, in addition to receiving much higher fines and sentences than white people. It was naïve of us to have thought the decriminalization of marijuana would make a substantial difference. Despite what is legal and what is illegal, law enforcement always finds excuses to arrest people of color at a much higher rate than white people. To combat this, some states have begun to allocate tax dollars from the marijuana business for racial reparations. For example, California legislation promises $10 million each year to nonprofits serving communities historically affected by racial profiling and drug-related arrests. This amount is expected to increase by an additional $10 million annually until 2022. Although a step in the right direction, decriminalization and reparations are not enough if law enforcement simply finds other excuses to justify the disproportionate number of arrests of people of color. For drug-legalization measures to actually have an effect in decreasing the number of Black and brown people unjustly arrested for drug-related crimes, police departments must fundamentally alter their beliefs, prejudices and practices. The legalization of marijuana also came with an implicit promise to lessen drug-related criminal activity. Between 1994 and 2012, robbery in border states did drop by 19 percent (The Guardian, “Legal marijuana cuts violence says US study, as medical use laws see crime fall,” 01.13.2018). Murder decreased by 10 percent, and homicides directly related to drug trafficking declined a staggering 41 percent. Yet, after the legalization of cannabis in several states, drug cartels must now compete with local pot farmers. Marijuana dominates the illegal drug trafficking industry, and most marijuana, along with cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines, consumed in the United States comes from Mexico. Due to marijuana legalization in some states, drug cartels are receiving less and less business. In turn, cartels are turning toward human trafficking and kidnapping to bolster lost funds. Cartels are also beginning to grow marijuana in cannabis-legal states, particularly in the national forests of California (SF Chronicle, “Illegal pot grows spread deadly pesticides, other hazards, despite change in law,” 05.29.2018). Officials estimate that there are at least 400 sites of illegal marijuana growth hidden in the 20 million acres of Califor-
Please, Tell Us More! Prof. Peter Antelyes English Dept.
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on growers as well. Since its legalization is so recent, most marijuana farming remains small-scale (Humboldt State University Department of Anthropology, “America’s Largest Cannabis Labor Market,” 2016). However, many voice concerns that, with the legalization of marijuana, cannabis production will soon model corporate agribusiness. Historically, young people with little education make up the bulk of farm workers, along with a substantial population of migrant workers. Since a majority of cannabis businesses remain family-owned, local residents are often the sources of small-scale labor, reducing the amount of labor exploitation and providing local working families with a stable income. Additionally, most earnings are spent within the community, which contributes to the multiplier effect and in turn supports other local businesses. Due to the growing numbers of these types of pot farmers, adequate working conditions and wages are reported in the legal marijuana growing business. The marijuana industry is undoubtedly growing everyday. Global spending on legal cannabis is expected to reach $57 billion annually by 2027 (Forbes, “Legal Cannabis Industry Poised for Big Growth, In North America And Around The World,” 03.01.2018). If left unregulated, large-scale and commercial marijuana production could exploit labor, pay low wages and increase income inequality, as large-scale agribusiness has done in the past and continues to do today. Today, as much as 60 percent of the country believes that recreational marijuana should be legal, although only eight states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the recreational use of marijuana (Time, “U.S. Tried Decriminalizing Pot Before. Here’s Why It Didn’t Work,” 12.07.2017). The legalization of marijuana symbolizes progress in the decriminalization movement and works to de-stigmatize the use of natural drugs for medical and recreational purposes. Policymakers should not take the drug’s legalization lightly, especially due to its popularity. Since marijuana is indeed legal in some states, the federal government must take measures to further research the drug. In addition, the legalization of marijuana cannot be thought of as a singular remedy for ending racial profiling, or for curbing drug-related violent crime. Right now, the establishment threatens to use a drug that has so long symbolized anti-corporate sentiment for its own gain. Hopefully, however, the impacts of marijuana legalization will allow people to recognize the roots of racial injustice and criminal activity in America, giving Americans a chance to reform agribusiness and to regulate pot production in a sustainable and non-exploitative way.
Professors: What is a topic, idea, theory or breakthrough related to your field of study that you find absolutely fascinating or feel very passionate about? Explain why. stand the ways these young readers are engaging this play of gender roles, class restrictions and desire? Can we, in fact, generate a “general reader” in this context, or are there multiple ways in which these texts are being read, and even multiple responses within the minds of individual readers? Similarly, in what ways are these processes culturally specific to Japan, and how might we evaluate a foreign—say, American—readers’ responses to these conventions and codes? Remarkable works like “Ouran” and other texts of shojo manga have reignited my passions in teaching and scholarship. In reminding me of those basic questions that drew me to the field, and in challenging what I thought I had learned, they have made all the difference.
This segment is designed to be a space in which professors are invited to talk about any topic related to their work that they find fascinating. If you are interested in contributing, please write a ~~~~~300 or more word response to the question shown above and email your piece to Steven Park at eupark@@@ [at]@vassar.edu along with a picture of yourself or something relevant to your topic (examples include research projects, independent work or labs).
Courtesy of Peter Antelyes
he setting: an exclusive high school. The scenario: A young female scholarship student in glasses and unisex clothing stumbles into a club in which a “harem” of boys entertains female students by flirting with them. Comic events ensue: She is mistaken for a boy, she breaks a vase and thus become indentured to the club to pay it off, the leader of the club becomes enamored of her (as him), and she is introduced to the club members, including a pair of melodramatic twins who perform an incestuous desire for each other. What’s remarkable here is not the issues being raised—about class, gender, sexuality and the intersections among them—nor even the
comedic and melodramatic ways in which they are being addressed. No, what is remarkable is the form and intended audience of the text: this work, “Ouran High School Host Club” (20022010), is a common example of the genre of Japanese manga called shōjo (in English, “girls’”), a genre aimed at a demographic of young female readers roughly 10 to 18 years old. A number of basic questions come into focus, about the nature of reading and the workings of the imagination, the relations linking literary conventions, cultural codes and signifying systems and the forces and functions of the popular culture marketplace, among others. In this case, why would young women be drawn to stories about what is called, in Japan, bishōnen (beautiful boys) or “boys love”? How are we to under-
nia’s national forests. According to U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott, cartel growers poison wildlife and drain forests of their already scarce water supply. Illegal growers clear trees, remove native plants, cause erosion, shoot deer and other wildlife, litter and spread human waste. Additionally, cartels use illegal and highly toxic insecticides. The federally restricted insecticide carbofuran, a teaspoon of which could kill a 60-pound African lion, has been found in trace amounts in dead wildlife, creeks and runoff in California. In addition to wreaking havoc on California flora and fauna, cartel members have attacked hikers and law enforcement alike with booby traps and weapons. Reportedly, illegal growers have hung fish hooks from trees to prevent passers-by from entering illegal growth sites and have threatened and chased away hikers with knives and guns. In 2017, raids within California national parks found 1.4 million illegally grown cannabis plants, a much higher number than was found before the legalization of marijuana. Harmful and illegal pesticides are not only used by illegal growers, but also by licensed growers (The Atlantic, “The Wild West of Marijuana Pesticides,” 08.31.2015). Although weed is legal in several states, the Drug Enforcement Agency labels marijuana as a Schedule One drug, a classification otherwise reserved for the most dangerous drugs, including ecstasy and heroin. Since marijuana is federally illegal, the Environmental Protection Agency, which is tasked with approving specific pesticides for specific crops, cannot legally approve a pesticide for the use of marijuana growth. Due to this loophole, no approved pesticide exists within cannabis-legal states. Some states attempt to bypass federal approval by providing information on which pesticides are best for marijuana growers. However, due to the low toxicity of these recommended pesticides, such as petroleum oil, soap and sulfur, most are minimally effective. As a result, many growers turn to the illegal use of more harmful pesticides and chemicals. A study by The Oregonian found that medical marijuana in dispensaries labeled as pesticide-free actually contained traces of household roach killer, among other toxic chemicals. In response, the Cannabis Safety Institute released a statement claiming that many marijuana products contain much greater amounts of pesticides than is safe in edible or smokable products. This unhealthy amount of pesticides is particularly high in edibles, some of which contain hundreds of parts per million of toxic chemicals. However, since marijuana is not federally legal, it is difficult to receive funding to test the effects of pesticides not only on consumers, but
Peter Antelyes is a part partment, as well as the Jewish Studies programs, teaches courses in comics
of the English DeMedia Studies and in all of which he and graphic novels.
The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
September 27, 2018
OPINIONS
Wasteful, elitist, fading: Let golf die already Sylvan Perlmutter Columnist
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olf fans were overjoyed by Tiger Woods’ inspiring comeback from disgrace, rehab and injury to win the 2018 PGA Tour championship on Sunday, September 23 (ESPN, “How Tiger Woods improbably became Tiger Woods again,” 09.24.2018). The game was the highest-rated PGA Tour telecast of 2018, which comes as a welcome relief to fans of a sport that many people widely considered to be in decline (Golf, “Tiger Woods’s Sunday triumph at Tour Championship was highest-rated PGA Tour telecast of 2018,” 09.24.2018). For some years now, golf courses have been shuttering, golf equipment sales have dropped and TV ratings have slumped. One theory is that “the sport’s popularity…is merely taking a natural dip after soaring to unjustified heights during the ‘golf bubble’ brought on by the worldwide phenomenon that was Tiger Woods” (Time, “Fore! No, Make That Five! 5 Reasons Golf Is in a Hole,” 06.13.2014). It would follow that a Woods comeback could trigger another, although lesser, “golf bubble” and bring the money flowing in again. I say: “Why bother saving golf when you could just let golf die?” It would be in society’s best interest for golf players to transition to a less wasteful and exclusivist pastime like basketball, knitting or underwater aerobics—really anything that does not involve fencing off massive amounts of land for the benefit of old white men in carts. Allow me to provide some reasons for my pathological disdain for this “sport”: 1. Golf courses are often terrible for the environment. It is one thing to have golf courses in Scotland where turf managers do not have to radically reshape the terrain, and it is quite another to build golf courses in hot, dry parts
of the United States like Arizona, where massive amounts of water need to be used to create green pastures in the desert. VICE detailed how golf negatively impacts the residents of California, a state that suffers from chronic drought. In 2014, California’s 921 golf courses used about as much water as 2.8 million people (7 percent of the state’s population). While, the law fines Californians for using hoses without shut-off nozzles or for having non-recirculating water features in times of drought, golf courses can absorb any financial sanction and continue their environmentally disastrous industry practices (Vice, “Instead of Killing Lawns, We Should Be Banning Golf,” 08.15.2014). Research suggests that even “green” golf courses that seek to be environmentally sustainable drastically overwater their properties (GreenBiz, “Even ‘Green’ Golf Courses Waste Water,” 03.11.2011). 2. Golf courses are an inefficient use of space and impede greater urban density. Urban sprawl is a massive problem not only because it is bad for the environment but also because it lowers the quality of human life by prolonging commutes to work, school and recreation. It also exacerbates economic and racial disparities by creating isolated, cultureless McMansion suburbs for the white and well-todo (The Guardian, “The curse of urban sprawl: how cities grow, and why this has to change,” 07.12.2016). A large urban golf course attached to a country club is almost exclusively used for golf and is inaccessible for use as a public park for people who have no interest in or cannot afford to hit balls into holes for five hours. If golf courses cannot become true multi-purpose spaces accessible to the public, then it’s better to build public housing over every one of them. 3. The price of golf puts it out of the
reach of most people in the United States of America. Jason Scott Deegan of Golf Advisor estimated, “[T]he first year in the game can cost anywhere from $832 to $3,454 for juniors and $1,849 to $3,349 for adults” if the starting individual is playing year-round (Golf Advisor, “How much money does it cost to introduce a beginner to golf?” 03.31.2017). Since the median American household income is $56,516, the exorbitant cost of beginning to play golf makes it inaccessible to most people (CNBC, “Here’s how much the average American earns at every age,” 08.24.2017). The United States Golf Association and golf courses, in an effort to grow the sport, have tried to bolster the player base by offering substantial discounts and scholarships to young players, but the very fact that these efforts are necessary is an indictment of the sport. I would like to assure the readers of The Miscellany News that my passionate dislike of golf long predates Donald Trump’s presidency with all of its wasted weekends spent swinging clubs at Mar-a-Lago. I did not like watching Barack Obama or George W. Bush play golf on the news either. My anti-golf stance is nonpartisan. Furthermore, I am not calling for a ban on golf like James II in the Act of Parliament of 6 March 1457 (Golf in Scotland, “Banned by the authorities”), nor am I promoting a Chinese Communist Party–style “war on golf” and the forcible closure of golf courses (The Telegraph, “China driving against ‘millionaire’s sport’ with closure of 100 golf courses,” 01.23.2017). I am simply suggesting that we should not help golf recover as an industry or a sport by continuing to watch it or applauding any of its timid efforts to diversify or become more environmentally sustainable. Rather, we should just let golf die the ignominious death it deserves.
Millennials should ‘kill’ more industries Steven Park
Opinions Editor
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id you hear the terrifying news? The United States is under attack by a dangerous group of serial killers who are single-handedly crippling the economy and destroying the moral fiber of our nation. Their name? The media fearfully calls them “millennials.” It may sound ridiculous, but even after inflicting more than two decades of scorn and ridicule, many members of the older generations can’t seem to let go of their initial unfavorable impressions of America’s least popular demographic group. Commonly associated with the explosive development of the Internet and modern technology, the term “millennials” typically refers to those born anytime between the early 1980s to as late as the year 2000 (The Atlantic, “Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts,” 03.25.2014). So if you are a student attending Vassar College right now, then congratulations—you are likely part of what many call the worst generation, characterized by narcissism, laziness and entitlement. Wherever you look, this negative stigma toward millennials is almost impossible to avoid. As early as 2006, San Diego State University Professor of Psychology Jean Twenge classified millennials as fundamentally irresponsible and maladjusted in her book, titled “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled—and More Miserable Than Ever Before” (The New Yorker, “Where Millennials Come From,” 12.04.2017). According to Twenge, these deficiencies are due to children receiving too much positive feedback from their parents. As a result, she claims, millennials need to lower their expectations and degrade their self-image in order to become functional adults. Then, in 2013, Time Magazine published their
cover article about millennials called “The Me Me Me Generation,” which similarly blamed the narcissism and entitlement of the younger generation on parents instilling “too much self-esteem” in their children (Time Magazine, Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation,” 05.20.2013). Even now, we are bombarded with an influx of articles proclaiming that millennials are destroying the economy due to their lack of spending. So far, millennials are in the midst of killing everything from the diamond industry to Hooters (Business Insider, “‘Psychologically scarred’ millennials are killing countless industries from napkins to Applebee’s — here are the businesses they like the least,” 10.31.2017). Not only that, the beer industry (Business Insider, “Millennials are killing the beer industry,” 07.24.2017), the hotel industry (Mashable, “Millennials are allegedly ruining hotels for every other generation,” 03.04.2016), the wedding industry (Bloomberg, “Young Americans Are Killing Marriage,” 04.04.2017) and the designer handbag industry (Business Insider, “Women have abandoned a longtime wardrobe staple — and that’s terrifying news for Michael Kors, Coach, and Kate Spade,” 08.05.2015) have all suffered from the millennials’ frugal nature. Oh, the horror. The funny thing about all of these supposed tragedies is that we would probably be better off, or at least minimally affected, if most of these businesses and products actually disappeared. For instance, why should we be sad that the diamond industry is suffering because of millennials? The entire diamond industry is driven by a 150-year-old marketing scheme that controls the supply of diamonds in order to artificially hike up prices to ridiculous extremes (Waking Times, “When Ignorance Isn’t Bliss: the Truth About the Diamond Industry,” 02.13.2016). In fact, the De Beers diamond corporation, which com-
mands an overwhelming share of the market, spends $200 million every year on publicizing their “A Diamond is Forever” slogan, despite the fact that their chairman Nicky Oppenheimer has admitted that diamonds are intrinsically worthless (Independent, “The Gem Trail: Diamonds - From Angolan mine to third finger left hand,” 02.13.1999). It should be obvious that millennials aren’t seeking to destroy America’s economy—they just don’t have the money to buy all the luxuries that the previous generations did in their era. After the devastating effects of the Great Recession in 2008, the younger generation is struggling harder to earn money and find jobs than their parents despite being more highly trained (Financial Post, “The millennial disadvantage is real: Most millennials are worse off financially than parents,” 11.14.2017). This competitive and financially unstable environment has naturally made them much more stringent with their spending. According to a 2018 survey by the financial planning company Student Loan Hero, the biggest source of money stress is debt, especially from student loans (Student Loan Hero, “[Survey] No. 1 Source of Money Stress for Millennials Is Debt,” 03.13.2018). In fact, despite the common stereotype of young adults overspending money on frivolities like avocado toast, a nationwide study of 1,000 Americans found that millennials scored higher in financial knowledge and foresight than both Baby Boomers and Generation X (CNBC, “Younger people are actually better with money than Boomers and Generation X,” 09.14.2017). So yes, millennials are “killing” a whole lot of goods and services, but they’re largely remnants of a lavish and financially reckless era. Therefore, let’s give them a round of applause—the future is secure in their hands.
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Word on the street What’s the worst thing you’ve accidentally texted a friend? “Link your addy. Wrong peros on oops.” — Kaira Smith ’21
“Talking shit about your dad to your friend but not realizing your iClouds were connected...dad was not happy.” — Arisa Vithoontien ’19
“Took a screenshot of a conversation and sent it right back to that person.” — Mia Moraru ’19
“Accidentally sent a screenshot of a friend’s grades right back to him.” — Mafaz Chaudhry ’22
“It’s too bad to reveal.” — Happy Xu ’21
“Sent a message about my crush on a friend in the wrong chat and ended up crying a crepe shop.” — Tommy Tomikawa ’21 Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson, Contributing Hannah Benton, Photography
The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
HUMOR & SATIRE
Page 16
September 27, 2018
Breaking News
From the desk of Hannah Gaven, Humor & Satire Editor
Laundry machine card readers shut down, inciting campus panic as students rewear smelly underwear Stressed student decides to declare all majors at Vassar Blair Webber
Expert Schedule Organizer
F
or some, picking a major is as simple as telling everyone they’re pre-med all the time. For others, it’s an edifying journey filled with self-discovery and joy. For sophomore Eddie Turner, it’s a blank on the form he’s desperately trying to complete while he finishes his application to go abroad. “I think I can figure it out and everything. I just have to pick between math, education, film, physics, drama and poli sci,” said Turner, “and I think I want a creative writing correlate, but I’m not sure about that yet.” Turner’s pre-major advisor, Urban Studies Professor Dwayne Giles, worries a little bit about his advisee’s ability to make a definitive choice. “Eddie seems to be unable to settle on anything. I told him the idea of declaring a major is to simply dig deeply into one area of study in order to
prove to the whole entire world that that’s your life passion, and you’re never going to read about or learn or talk about anything else for the whole rest of your life. It’s not that huge of a deal,” said Giles. Following the advice of his peers, Turner sat down with the course catalogue to figure out what classes he would need to take and when in order to graduate in each of his majors of interest. “Ok, so I can take Film 210 next fall and 211 next spring. That’s only 9 more credits to a film major, but I need the full 11 if I want to throw English in there. I’m still not sure when I’d take africana studies 100 for the major, and that’s also an 11-credit requirement, so I’d have to figure out what could work for that and physics, which is definitely on the list. I’m not sure there are very many courses that could count toward both, though. If I could find a way to work astronomy in, too, that would be ideal, but that’s 10 units. Looks like Spring 2019 is going to be pretty crowded, I guess,” muttered
Turner to himself in the library. Eventually crossing music major off the list since he hadn’t played an instrument since a kindergarten recorder performance, Turner counted up the units he’d need to complete the college’s remaining majors. “So if I did all of the majors beginning with A, that’s only 77 credits, and I have five more semesters. I think I could overload and get it all done by 2021,” said Turner. After a trip to the Dean of Studies office, Turner was disappointed to find that the college only provides forms for students seeking to double major. “I think I’ll probably just white it out and copy it for as many majors as I want,” said Turner. “I can make a compelling case for why I need to major in geography, women’s studies, religion, Victorian studies and neuroscience.” After receiving what became a 95-page petition to major in everything, Vassar College released a statement explaining their reasoning behind ask-
ing students to pick no more than two areas of study and a correlate. “Even we don’t want your money that badly, Eddie,” the official statement read. “You have to graduate. Go get a life and a job and then donate like everyone else.” Undeterred, Turner presented what he claims to be a reasonable schedule to complete every course of study in five semesters. “I’ll have class from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. and just never sleep, and that’ll just be how my life is,” said Turner. “That way, I don’t miss out on anything, and I can do everything and never have made a difficult decision or regret my choices.” Finally sick of arguing about it, Vassar administrators decided to just let Turner do whatever he wants. “He’ll fail eventually, and that’s really the best way to learn that this is ridiculous,” said the College. At press time, Turner was seen at the Registrar’s Office carrying six boxes of Add/Drop forms in preparation for his coming semesters.
:P
:P Courtesy of Frank
After questioning side bangs, sophomore embraces new emo identity Narrative submitted by three-time Deece crier Izzy Migani
“W
a phase,” they say, “You’ll get over it eventually.” What if it’s not a phase, Mom? What if this is just my lifestyle now? I’ve cried in the Deece at least three times this semester, making solid progress on the emotional bit. The physical aspect is a little harder. There’s this specific moment where you think you are wearing the same shade of a dark color, but then you step out into the sun and realize all of your different articles of clothing are completely different colors. When your friends hand you the aux cord, it’s a pretty big deal. Recently, I had been granted this immense privilege (previously revoked because of my apparently garbage music taste). Thought I whipped on a banger, but apparently people no longer slap to “Mr. Brightside.” My aux cord privileges were again revoked. I am working on being silent and brooding, but so far the most metal thing I’ve done is jaywalked, only to almost be hit by a Domino’s delivery car. Maybe I should get an edgy tapestry, something with a vague mysterious pattern that makes me seem equally mysterious...and vague.
Entering this phase so late in the game has been weird, but I have learned to love and embrace my new emo self, if a decade too late. Unfortunately, I have yet to find others like me. Apparently I missed the 2005 peak heyday by about 13 years. Maybe I should learn how to properly rawr xD, or say “I wuv you in” dinosawr. Should I stan MCR and single-handedly try to bring back Myspace? Should I try to achieve that perfect side bang? I have instead decided to start an emo band. If you are reading this, this is an emo casting call to be in one of the best post-2005 emo bands that the world has ever seen. So far, there is only one member (me). If you can play the electric guitar, drums, the other guitar, the funky piano thing or all of the above, I want YOU for this band—help a girl’s emo dreams come true. Still needed, though, is someone to teach me how to emo scream. It is a lot harder than it looks, and I have the voice of a 13-year-old boy. Inquiries from anyone who can teach me how to emo scream are appreciated.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Courtesy of Jailyn Lopez
hat kind of music do you like?” they ask. “Have you heard the new Kanye collab?” they inquire. I don’t know what to tell them. They won’t understand. I exclusively listen to the same pop punk emo trash I’ve been listening to since 2008. I thought I had successfully avoided the emo phase, despite some questionable hair choices in the 2010s. Then, in my sophomore year of college, it snuck up on me. Knowing I was emotionally weak, it pounced. Outside, I seemed normal. Inside, I was experiencing everyone’s first year of high school. Bands started appearing: Motionless in White, My Chemical Romance, Sleeping With Sirens. I went into a Hot Topic for the first time in my life. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I think the people at the Hot Topic were very confused too. During first year of high school, I looked the part but did not feel the part. Sophomore year, I feel the part but do not look the part. Adapting to this lifestyle is hard work. My friends and family do not understand. “It’s just
September 27, 2018
HUMOR & SATIRE
Page 17
Deece-ent advice from some halfway Deece-ent students Jailyn Lopez and Josie Schermerhorn
to that. Or show them “The Ant Bully.”
A Couple of Deece-ent People
Dear Deece-ent,
Dear Deece-ent,
Dear Airing My Dirty Laundry,
Start scanning Free & For Sale. Over the next few weeks, you may see people offering to sell clothes that look suspiciously similar to yours. Ask to go and try on the underwear, and if it fits, then either it’s yours and you can buy it back from them, or this means that you’re the one who left the pair of underwear at Raymond Under the Stars and the princess of Genovia Anne Hathaway is searching for you in order to return your underwear. Reach out to Anne over social media and introduce yourself as the one who left their pink polka-dotted underwear at the ball. She’ll know what you’re talking about and will immediately set up a time to meet with you. This is your moment to woo the princess of a fake European country, so you’ll have to look your absolute best. Have one of your friends give you a haircut at 3 a.m. to make sure it’s looking fresh, bathe in Sunset Lake and then get dressed in the cutest outfit you own: a camo jumpsuit. Wear the underwear on the outside of your clothes so that the second she sees you she knows you’re
Courtesy of Keesler Air Force Base
The card reader for the laundry room stopped working, but I had to do my laundry immediately since I had already worn all my underwear twice (once the right way and once inside out). I carried all of my dirty laundry to three different dorms until I found a working card reader. In the process, I think I lost some of my clothes—it seems as though a couple pairs of my underwear are missing, along with a few shirts and socks. How do I go about getting back my clothing? —Airing My Dirty Laundry
Unicyclers are joining the Seven Wonders of the World in place of the Great Pyramid of Giza. If you are a unicycler or know one, beware. Preliminary statistics say it’ll take hours to go four blocks. telling the truth about being her true love. Please invite us to the wedding, but only if Julie Andrews RSVPs yes. Dear Deece-ent,
I recently decided to pursue my one true passion: I am starting an ant farm that, by the end of the year, will cover the entirety of my room with pipes for their habitat. I’m excited about this project, especially because I didn’t think I would figure out my passion so early into my first year of college. My roommate doesn’t understand my vision and has an unreasonable fear that the ants will escape and crawl into her mouth when she sleeps. This is ridiculous, as anyone who knows anything about insectology knows that ants would be more likely to crawl into your nose or ears. How do I convince my roommate to let me follow my dreams? —They’re Not Creepy, Just Crawly
Dear Not Creepy, Just Crawly,
As excited as we are about you discovering your dream of creating a giant, intricate ant farm, we think that your roommate may have a point. Even if they don’t fully understand into which crevices ants prefer to crawl, you still need to respect their wishes to not have ants anywhere near them. If you think that this is something on which you and your roommate can compromise, then start by taking turns presenting how you feel. Maybe your roommate will show you that episode of “Arthur” where he buys an ant farm and all the ants escape, which results in him having to lay traps to catch all of them. Your roommate may make the point that if this can happen to an aardvark, this could also happen to you. In response, you can look into the multitude of studies that show having insects in your life greatly improves your health and happiness, and maybe your roommate will respond well
HOROSCOPES
Two days a week, I have to get from Skinner to Kenyon in 15 minutes, and so far I have barely been able to make it to my second class in time. I don’t want to get a reputation as the person who is always late. Is there a faster way to get around campus? —Sweaty Dear Sweaty,
I’m so glad you asked this. We get a lot of random-ass questions here, so it’s nice to finally be able to give some actually helpful advice. Lucky for you, I’ve thought about this a lot, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to traverse the campus is via Heelys. My first thought was a unicycle, but I realized that wouldn’t be the best because a lot of people would end up stopping you along the way to class to tell you how cool they think you are. While that self-esteem boost would be greatly appreciated, you just don’t have that kind of time. Now I know what you’re thinking—“Oh, come on, Heelys aren’t even that much faster than speed walking”—but that’s why you have to take a page out of good ol’ Marty McFly’s book (from the hit 1980s film “Back to the Future”) and grab onto the back of a vehicle, like a Campus Security car, to get the speed boost you desire. Once you’re comfortable with that, you can get more creative with it by grabbing a rope and turning it into more of a wakeboarding-type situation and doing some tricks. The worst that’ll happen is you get injured, and in that case it won’t even matter that you’re late to class because you’ll have a trip to the hospital as a nice handy excuse.
Hannah Gaven
amateur astrologist
ARIES
March 21 | April 19
TAURUS
April 20 | May 20
GEMINI
May 21 | June 20
CANCER
June 21 | July 22
LEO
July 23 | August 22
VIRGO
August 23 | September 22
Perhaps you feel that you are coming down with a cold. I swear all of my friends have the Black Death. If you contract it as well, you’ll have about 2–4 days before you die. Wiping out one-third of Vassar College isn’t as horrendous as it sounds because the line for Express will be significantly shorter. Are you getting tired of drinking water, or are you just not willing to wait for someone to fill up their water bottle at the Deece? Either way, I suggest fueling up on Delsym instead because it tastes good and comes with cup for easy measuring.
I often suffer from headaches. I’m sure you do as well. I just can’t seem to figure out what is causing them. It can’t be the one glass of water I drink a day or the four hours of sleep I regularly get. Please let me know if you have any solutions or if you are also baffled by my headaches. I’m sure that you, just like the rest of us, had to fill out a bunch of medical forms and get tested for tuberculosis before coming to campus. I feel like I should warn you that when I did the TB skin test, the doctor thought I had a positive reaction. Anyway, I would recommend staying away from me because my condition seems suspicious at best. If you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to deal with the repercussions of skipping class, I would recommend pulling a Ferris Bueller and feigning sickness. I would suggest a hot shower and setting your room on fire in order to warm yourself up to fever level. Do you often feel plagued by fatigue and sleep deprivation? I have the solution for you: Vitamin B! My philosophy is that the more tired you are, the more pills you should take. So, if I slept only four hours, I’d take like 20 pills. Or, if I have an essay due in two hours and I haven’t started, I would just down the entire bottle.
LIBRA
September 23 | October 22
SCORPIO
October 23 | November 21
SAGITTARIUS
November 22 | December 21
CAPRICORN
December 22 | January 19
AQUARIUS
January 20 | February 18
PISCES
February 19 | March 20
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
I’m in love with ice cream. My biggest problem with my obsession is that I’m mom-diagnosed lactose-intolerant. I mean, she’s probably right, because eating ice cream causes me to cough and have bad gas. My mom is an expert at WebMD diagnoses, so if you have strange symptoms, let me know, and I’ll forward them on to my mom. Did you give up your place on a floating door in the Arctic waters after your boat hit an iceberg? I suspect you are slowly freezing to death. In order to stop your transformation into ice, you should pee in the water to warm it and yourself up. It’s time to borrow lotion from your friend. I suspect that your skin is sloughing off as the season turns to fall. There’s no reason to worry that your dead skin cells are going to waste because on average you’ll eat 30,000 of them a day.
Is the cough that you’ve had for two months getting annoying? One way to make life less miserable is to cough to the beat of “We Will Rock You.” This way others in the library won’t be annoyed with your constant hacking and will instead be jamming to your sick beats.
As flu season descends upon us, doctors recommend that you get your flu shot. I highly discourage flu shots because the shot causes me to faint. If I end up getting sick, you should get sick too. It’s only fair.
Sniffle, sniffle, I have allergies. My allergies are especially horrible because I often forget to take my medication. It’s your job this week to remind me. While a text might work, it’s way more effective to come to my room and assist me in taking it.
SPORTS
Page 18
September 27, 2018
Unjust Ronaldo red shows need for VAR Red-hot field hockey earns I big win Desmond Curran Guest Columnist
In smaller leagues like those of Turkey and Switzerland, however, where even the best teams are not guaranteed qualification for the Champions League every year, the cost of VAR and training may not be worth it. For clubs such as Galatasaray (Turkey) or Young Boys (Switzerland) to spend a sizeable amount of money (estimated at $6 million a year) on VAR, when it may not even be used in a given year, must be a tough sell. Unfortunately, if a competing club in the Champions League does not have VAR capabilities, it would be unfair to use it elsewhere. So until a solution is reached, perhaps one in which UEFA (the governing body of European soccer) helps mitigate the cost of VAR, the Champions League will remain without the technology. And that means, unfortunately, that touchline referees will continue to exist.
Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
f you ever feel inept, remember that touchline referees exist. Though touchline referees are easily forgotten, this past week soccer fans were all rudely reminded of their presence in perhaps the most conceited manner possible. In Juventus’ Champions League match against Valencia on Tuesday, Sept. 18, the head referee showed megastar Cristiano Ronaldo a direct red card. For what, exactly, he was penalized remains unclear. I’ve watched several clips of the preceding moments, closely examining Ronaldo’s movements and actions, and have found nothing. There didn’t seem to be any foul at all. As Ronaldo moves to position himself to receive the ball, the Valencia defender falls after minimal contact. Peeved, Ronaldo gently brushes his hand over the hair of the Valenciano. That is all. But after the play ends and the tempers flare, the touchline referee quietly emerges from beyond the far side of the goal, gesturing to the center referee. Ronaldo then receives a red card, and, in great distress and confusion, departs from the field. If you didn’t see the incident, but are frustrated or even confused by this description, you would not be the first. Who even knew that there were touchline referees? For those who did, could you recall a moment when a touchline referee actually made a call that impacted a game? I sure can’t. The events of last Tuesday were not only unexpected, but also entirely abnormal. And while Juventus still persisted and earned a 2-0 victory, fans cannot overlook the extraordinary actions of the referee. This past summer in the 2018 World Cup, we grew accustomed to the addition of new technology to the beautiful game. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology allowed a second team of referees, isolated separately in the stadium, to instantly watch replays of any questionable call or critical moment of a match. Upon the review, the replay crew could suggest to the center referee on the pitch that they take a quick look at a replay, pausing the game. While many were hesitant about VAR—thinking that the technology would ruin the flow of
games with its frequent pauses—its implementation in the World Cup was superb. It vastly reduced obvious errors (to which referees are always prone) to such a point that players and fans expected any questionable call to be decided by VAR review. Thankfully, several of Europe’s top leagues have implemented VAR, including Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga, but other leagues and cups, including the Premier League and the Champions League, have failed to adopt VAR, returning instead to standards of refereeing that now seem primitive. The high-profile incident with Ronaldo has only brought this topic back into the spotlight. In the early matches of the new Premier League season, players have frequently grumbled after calls with which they disagree. These sentiments will only be amplified by Ronaldo’s sending off, especially in the Champions League. I believe that it is always prudent to review the decisions made by referees on the field. VAR can help referees improve the quality of their officiating and ensures fairness on the field for all parties. However, now emboldened by the knowledge that VAR technology exists, players feel even more entitled to question the referee’s decisions during matches. What many fans and players initially feared about VAR—that it would greatly disrupt matches—is now happening and will increase, not so much due to VAR’s implementation, but rather its absence. Players contesting decisions is nothing new, but their protestations have now increased with any call they feel is unjust or incorrect. Their frustrations unfortunately have a tendency to spill over into games, resulting in more reckless tackles and challenges, and thus increasing the danger of the sport. This situation begs the question: Why is there no VAR in the Champions League? For a competition that draws from all over Europe, one reason may the financial disparities that exist between participants, for in some leagues, clubs must bear the brunt of the cost of VAR implementation. In leagues like the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1, it is feasible to implement the technology and provide adequate training to their domestic referees.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made its World Cup debut this summer in Russia. While many domestic leagues have implemented the technology, the Champions League has held out.
FIELD HOCKEY continued from page 1
we pick up momentum and energy for the rest of the game.” It seemed inevitable, however, that the talented Red Hawks squad would find some way to return the pressure and find a goal. Despite the early lead, the Brewers knew the game was far from over. Recollected Feeley of that moment, “We knew as soon as we scored that we had to play one of the best defensive games we ever played, as they are a very tough team to score on.” The Brewers were able to carry their strong momentum through to the end of the first half, but when the second half began, there was a momentum shift, and a Vassar defensive battle began. The pattern of the first half flipped in the second, as Montclair forced more corners than Vassar after halftime by a 6-3 margin, compiling seven total shots. However, despite a number of strong opportunities, the Red Hawks were never able to cash in and find the goal. Credit is due to the Brewer defense, who were able to prevent any formidable challenges from facing junior goalkeeper Liz Rotolo, as not a single of the seven shots was on goal. Vassar, on the other hand, totaled 12 shots in the match, with seven of them on target. As the clock continued to wind down, Vassar clung to its 1-0 lead. A very late corner for Montclair brought the game to its highest point of tension, but the Brewers were able to stop the attack and run out the clock to win the game 1-0. As the final buzzer sounded, the Vassar squad—having defended home turf and handed Montclair an upset loss— erupted and sprinted to mob each other in front of the goal. With Vassar having already won their Liberty League opener against RPI and proven their ability and potential against Montclair State, the team is confident, according to Youse. Emboldened, they have their sights set on what comes next. Said Feeley of the team’s mentality: “Our ultimate goal for the year is to win Liberty Leagues and make it to NCAAs.”
Vontae Davis’ retirement demonstrates merits of quitting Emmett O’Malley Guest Columnist
O
n Sunday, Sept. 16, Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis retired. It became national news immediately. It became national news because of a flaw in the way we understand productivity. It became national news because of a contemporary obsession with ceaseless activity. It became national news because NFL players are supposed to be manipulatable commodities. It became national news because Vontae Davis undermined how laborers in a market economy are supposed to behave. Davis, a 30-year-old cornerback, was beginning his 10th season in the most physically grueling league in the world. He had made two Pro Bowls and amassed over $35 million in nine-plus NFL seasons. In capitalist terms, Davis was a useful commodity. He helped stuff the coffers of the owners whose teams he played for, and he got a nice cut of the profits (thanks, in part, to the fact that professional sports are one of the few industries left in the United States with reasonably strong unions). Davis retired at halftime of the Bills’ second regular season game. More precisely, Davis decided to retire with 47 seconds left to play in the first half, with the Bills trailing 28-6. He went back to the locker room at halftime. He never came back out onto the field. He never completed the last game of his career. In a word, Davis quit. Responses ranged from shock to furor. Davis’ teammate Lorenzo Alexander ardently criticized
the cornerback’s decision: “I never have seen that … Never seen it ever. It’s just completely disrespectful.” Later, Alexander dismissed further questions. “I don’t have anything to say about Vontae. I’m going to give him a little bit more respect than he showed us today, as far as quitting on us in the middle of a game” (ABC News, “Bills’ Vontae Davis abruptly retires from football at halftime vs. Chargers,” 09.16.2018). Damien Woody, a two-time Super Bowl champion who now serves as a football analyst for ESPN, went on First Take, the network’s most popular talk show, and called what Davis did a “punk move.” When asked how he would react if he were one of Davis’ teammates, Woody was clear: “I would literally want to fight this cat.” It was not just teammates and former players who spoke out against Davis. Fans have called his actions, among other things, “akin to soldiers leaving their platoon mates to die in the middle of a battle” (The Undefeated, “Vontae Davis, in his own words,” 09.19.2018). Davis has heard these accusations. He defends his actions. His defense relies on the answer to a simple, profound question: “Do I want to keep sacrificing? … I do not because the season is long, and it’s more important for me and my family to walk away healthy than to willfully embrace the warrior mentality and limp away too late” (Twitter, NFL, 09.16.2018). The NFL, like almost any other profit-driven organization, is fairly explicit in its commodification of labor. When a player opts out of a contract with
one team, he hits the market. It is thus assumed that players should behave as tools of a larger machine of entertainment production. According to economic historian Karl Polanyi, writing in 1944, “Market economy implies a self-regulating system of markets; in slightly more technical terms, it is an economy directed by market prices and nothing but market prices” [emphasis added] (Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation, 1944). If NFL players are, in the eyes of the league, mere commodities, then in order for this commodity to properly function in a market, it must not factor in anything but the bottom line. That bottom line is defined by an ability to produce. The Buffalo Bills signed Davis to a twoyear contract because they believed that his labor power could be productive for them for two years. What the Bills did not factor in was the fact that Davis understood himself as more than a commodity. Commodities are not supposed to think about whether or not they are going to “limp away too late.” Davis did. Davis quitting is thus an act of empowerment because market economies persist, as Polanyi suggested, upon the myth that labor can be commodified. At halftime of the Bills vs. Chargers game, Davis momentarily decommodified himself. He shattered the myth that undergirds every NFL contract. Sure, his teammates could have legitimate qualms. There’s something to be said for loyalty. There’s something to be said for facing daunting challenges alongside a team. There’s something to
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
be said for, in NFL terms, brotherhood. But football—at least at the professional and collegiate level—sits within a web of oppressive practices. Who was Davis serving when he played through injuries earlier in his career? The answer, as any deconstruction of what it means to participate in a largely unfettered market economy shows us, is more complex than the platitudes that govern the public discussion of what it means to be an NFL player. There are plenty of examples of people who used a “warrior’s mentality” to further horrific causes. A little self-reflection like the kind that Davis has shown in the days following his retirement may bring us closer to our actual purpose as humans, which is not necessarily to produce. Sometimes it’s about family. Sometimes it’s about health. Sometimes it’s about being able to remember your own name when you turn 60. In an interview for The Undefeated, Davis spoke vulnerably to player-turned-writer Dominique Foxworth: “Leaving was therapeutic, bro. I left everything the league wanted me to be, playing for my teammates while injured, the gladiator mentality, it all just popped. And when it popped, I just wanted to leave it all behind. So that’s why I don’t care what people say. That experience was personal and not meant for anyone else to understand. It was me cold turkey leaving behind an identity that I carried with me for so long” (The Undefeated, “Vontae Davis, in his own words,” 09.19.2018). Vontae Davis is my hero because he quit. Maybe he should be yours, too.
September 27, 2018
SPORTS
Page 19
Brewers In Action
Courtesy of Joe Clifford
Courtesy of Nick Jallat
Senior setter Annie MacMillan’s 52 assists helped the women’s volleyball team to a weekend win against Union College in four sets. The team sits at 8-5 overall, 1-1 in the Liberty League.
Strong defending from senior captain Tyler Gilmore helped the men’s soccer team (5-2 overall) win its Liberty League opener at home vs. RIT. The Brewers outshot the Tigers 25-4 on the day.
Courtesy of Nick Jallat
Courtesy of Joe Clifford
The women’s golf team played to a solid seventh-place finish this past weekend at the Mount Holyoke Invitational. Junior Andrea Han led the Brewers, shooting a 72 on Sunday and 155 for the weekend.
In the team’s last race at the Bill Fritz/Charlie Way Invitational, sophomore Peter Ferretter (red headband) placed fourth with a time of 26:29:84, helping men’s cross country to a fourth-place finish.
Participants welcome back competitive intramural seasons Max Swan
Guest Reporter
S
ports for everyone—what’s not to love? For students, intramurals provide an opportunity to exercise amidst what can be a hectic school week, taking a study break to engage in healthy, athletic competition. According to sophomore Pablo Napoli Borrero, who is playing soccer, intramurals are a great creative escape. Added senior Emmett O’Malley, involved in soccer and volleyball, “[Intramurals are] a combination of having a good time and an outlet for competition.” While the games can get intense as the season progresses, at their core, intramurals are about having fun and forging friendships. Participants are happy to see intramurals return. On Sunday, Sept. 16, Vassar’s fall intramural season commenced, kicking off with outdoor soccer. The following day, intramural volleyball teams took the court for the first time. So, how did the first week shape up? Are there teams to look out for? And what does the season have in store? Let’s begin with outdoor soccer. Here are the teams to watch: Cactus Jack FC: If week one taught us anything, it was to watch out for powerhouse Cactus Jack FC. The team posted 15 goals in a mere 38 minutes with ease, dominating Vassar Soccer Squad by a score of 15-5. Within the first three minutes, Borrero’s squad jumped out to a 4-0 advantage, and while their opponents attempted to stop the bleeding, there was no coming back from this one. The team’s excellence, however, is no mystery, as the group is comprised of committed, lifelong soccer players, many of whom led their high school teams to league and even state championships. Two members of Cactus Jack, Borrero and junior Lou Karaiskos, played on the Vassar men’s team last year, and sophomore Stefano Rozental joined the Brewers varsi-
ty team for its spring season. First-year Christian Gehres showed off his promise in the opener as well, notching three goals, including a deep strike into the top right corner. In summary, Cactus Jack FC has the talent to make it all the way. The big question now is whether anyone will be able to eclipse their strong start. Central Receiving FC: While Cactus Jack began brightest, Central Receiving FC is not far behind, and quickly established themselves among the league’s upper echelon. Led by firstyear captain William Wells, the team toppled the Spitballers with a decisive 9-1 triumph. The group, which, like Cactus Jack, consists of many former high school soccer players, is strong from top to bottom, exhibited by their ability to advance the ball upfield and make the extra pass to set up easy goals. This is possible largely due to the team’s strong first-year class, including Dana McRae and Harrison Gable, each of whom had impressive high school careers, making allstate and all-league, respectively. This dynamic duo shined on the field, contributing more than half of the team’s scoring in the opener. Central Receiving FC’s young flair and team cohesion should take them far this season. Zizou: Another strong contender and talented squad, Zizou proved their merit with a resolute 8-3 victory over Unatletico Jewett. While Unatletico put up a fight early on, Zizou was able to break away immediately in the second half, primarily thanks to skilled goal scorer senior Daniel Elendu and tidy ball movement by senior captain Karam Al Rayess. The team is made up of 10 players—a rare feat in seven-on-seven intramural soccer—and their depth enables them to rest players throughout the game. While other teams experience fatigue come the second half, Zizou’s ability to substitute enables players to recover and enter the game energized, translating to higher goal scoring. This veteran squad has been here before and will be a tough matchup for
anyone trying to stand in their way. What to watch for in the week to come: Cactus Jack FC squares off against Central Receiving FC this week in a long-awaited match; the winner will move into first place. Zizou takes on Spud Cannon, hoping to extend their strong start as Spud Cannon hopes to remedy their early season struggles. Unatletico Jewett plays BDE, both teams vying for their first win on the season. Vassar Soccer Squad competes with Snappychat, the loser likely falling to the bottom of the IM rankings. Across campus in Kenyon Hall, the initial intramural volleyball games have also provided some idea of which teams will be toughest to beat: Wholesome Hitters: After only a few points, it became apparent that the adept Wholesome Hitters would be the team to beat for the year. Led by team captain and hard-hitter senior Paul An, the team easily vanquished Vassar Baseball by a margin of 2 sets to 0. Despite Baseball’s athleticism and distinct height advantage, the skilled play of the Wholesome Hitters combined with their unity and optimism made it difficult for Baseball to keep up. While intramural teams often boast one or two strong players, this troupe of six is solid throughout, each supplying clean strokes in conjunction with high volleyball IQ. Their love of the game and consistent talent will make this team extremely difficult to beat—so watch out. Prestige Worldwide: What do you get when you combine the assistant coaches of men’s soccer, women’s soccer, cross country, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball? Exactly what you would expect—a cohesive, multi-talented intramural squad. Led by spirited team captain Blayne Fuke, the group comfortably routed
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Transition Into the Best in their season opener in straight sets. Prestige Worldwide’s all-out hustle mentality, buoyancy and knowledge of the game make them arduous to defeat, and their communication and dedication to setting up teammates epitomize a formidable team dynamic. As Brewer coaches, this group’s experience and love of sports should precipitate a triumphant season and will render them a challenging opponent. Vassar Baseball: Despite their initial loss to Wholesome Hitters, Vassar Baseball’s ability to contend with such a talented opponent demonstrates their belonging amongst the league’s best. The squad is huge: Most of the players stand over six feet tall, including first-year Zach Magee, who towers at 6’7”. While the group lacks proper hitting technique, their immense length enables them to easily hit down on the ball and reach above the net for blocks. Led by sophomore captain Patrick Fitzgerald, the team is able to transfer their chemistry from the field to the court. This ability, fused with their their agility and persistent, hard-working attitude, means that the squad has playoffs written all over them. What to watch for in the week to come: Wholesome Hitters takes on Vol. Up as each team battles for their second win. Vassar baseball faces Prestige Worldwide, hoping to right the ship against their assistant coach after falling in their initial match. The Geckos compete with Transition Into the Best, hoping to extend their win streak as Transition aims to avoid slipping to the bottom seed. Very Much TBD battles Vassar Womp Womps, each searching for their first win. Wondering how to get involved? While sign-ups for fall intramurals have closed, registration for winter intramurals will open on Oct. 8. Sports on the roster for the winter season include both indoor soccer and floor hockey.
SPORTS
Page 20
Why
we
September 27, 2018
Sophie Nick
play
Sophie Nick
Guest Columnist
I
Courtesy of Sophie Nick
n my experience, the most successful sports teams experience a moment—usually during a game or practice—where something clicks and the pieces finally come together to create one cohesive unit. For us, this moment came on a snowy drive to the airport en route to play in a tournament in Puerto Rico. As a first-year, I had been thinking about the trip since I was a high school senior, and when I woke up on the day of our flight, Dec. 17, it felt like Christmas morning. Little did I know that the greatest gift of the trip would be the unexpected obstacles that shaped our team identity and created a bond that extended far beyond the basketball court. Every practice, Coach Candice Brown plans the drills down to the minute, and our travel schedule was mapped with similar precision. The plan was to leave at 5:30 a.m. for our 9:45 a.m. flight from John F. Kennedy Airport to San Juan. She scheduled an hour and a half to drive, 30 minutes to park the van and over two hours to check our bags and board the flight. Of course we knew that the itinerary might change; we had messed up too many drills to be unaware of the possibility of delay. However, nothing could prepare us for the trials to come. When our alarm clocks rang in the pitch-black early morning, there were already a few inches of snow on the ground, and it was still coming down hard. The storm had been forecast all week, but who really checks the weather report, anyway? We piled into the vans to escape the freezing morning temperatures and were greeted by the quiet clicking sound of a dead battery. It felt like when you airball a shot during warm ups; a part of you hopes you are just saving the swishes for the game, but deep down you fear more bad shots are coming. After we somehow found another van, we hit the road praying that our bad luck would stay in the Vassar parking lot. The roads were icy underneath, and a thick layer of snow was rapidly accumulating. As we reached
“Why We Play” is a weekly installment in which Vassar athletes write about what their sports and teams mean to them. This week, we feature junior women’s basketball player Sophie Nick, pictured above. the first tollbooth, the gate didn’t open, and the light stayed red. Our E-ZPass was out of money; we would have to pay in cash. Our stomachs dropped, as if we’d prepared all week for a man defense, and the other team suddenly switched to zone. Although we managed to scrounge up a 20 dollar bill, it was nowhere near as smooth as our man offense would have been. Suddenly we noticed our visibility getting worse and worse. Our wiper stopped working, the joint of its arm having broken. On the shoulder of the deserted highway we desperately tried to fix it with athletic training tape. Like any team, we had experienced injuries and knew it was “next man up.” For the rest of the journey, we had to stop every 10 minutes to adjust the tape and clean the snow by hand. The time lost by replacing the van, getting stuck at the toll, wiping our windshield and driving cautiously down the Taconic State Parkway put us hopelessly behind schedule. The shot clock was winding down, and we had to shoot or face the
Men’s Soccer
Women’s Volleyball
Vassar College 1, RIT 0
Vassar College 3, Union College 1
September 22, 2018
September 22, 2018
Vassar College #
consequences. When you are traveling with 17 people, a turnover is definitely not in the playbook. Three tense hours after leaving Poughkeepsie, we arrived at the airport parking lot. When you are down in the fourth quarter, you know every second counts if you are going to make up the deficit. The elation of surviving the drive temporarily distracted everyone from the unspoken fear that we were already too late. However, a comeback is always possible in basketball, motivating us to pile 17 people into the 10-passenger shuttle and plead with the driver to take us to the terminal. When we finally rolled into JFK a little after 9 a.m., what should have been a triumphant entrance instead resembled Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow. Despite our heroic efforts, we had missed our flight. On the inside, I was panicking. Grim scenarios raced through my head: Would we stay in the airport until all of us could get on the same flight, or split up with a few making it to glorious Puerto Rico while the others languished in JFK? Or would we just return to Vassar and forget about the trip
altogether? I knew there was one more flight to San Juan that day, but how could we book 17 seats the Saturday before Christmas? Fortunately, we live in a world of miraculous comebacks and half-court game winners. Before we knew it, somehow, we all had tickets for the noon flight to San Juan. We checked our bags, breezed through security and were in the air to Puerto Rico in no time. To this day, I do not know how it happened. Maybe fate, karma or divine intervention, combined with lots of no-shows from cancelled flights and missed connections. Some things are just meant to happen and this trip was one of them. Once in Puerto Rico, we got the chance to visit Old San Juan, explore El Yunque Rainforest and of course play some basketball! The day we finally played on (our opponents had missed their flight, too) was hot and humid and the court was slippery. I don’t think I’ve sweated more in my life. I missed a free throw because the ball literally slipped out of my hands. Despite the humidity and our eventual defeat, it was some of the best basketball we played all season. When we arrived at the airport for the flight home (on time, might I add) the airline attendant informed us that they did not have our reservation. There were not 17 seats on the 3 p.m. flight to JFK. Although we were slightly concerned, we could not help but see the humor in our situation. Who misses their flight on both directions of their trip? Although it would have been fun to stay a few more days in Puerto Rico, we soon found out it was a mistake, and the tickets were quickly recovered. It is safe to say that VCWB will probably not be taking too many flights in the near future. Despite everything that went wrong on this trip, it is one of the most memorable and happiest times I have had in college. The trials during the trip were symbolic of the unpredictable highs and unexpected lows of every season. However, it was through those moments we found our team identity. The shared experiences with teammates through the good and bad times are why I play basketball and why I will always be honored to rep Vassar College.
Player
RIT
S H SOG G A
#
Player
Vassar College
S H SOG G A
#
Player
Union College
K
A
DIG
#
Player
K
A
DIG
1
Marment
0
0
0
0
7
DeFeo
0
0
0
0
1
Schreeder
0
3
5
5
Gore
13
0
19
2
Bow
3
1
0
0
10
Garno
1
0
0
0
2
Ninkovich
10
0
9
6
Moss
11
0
1
3
Gilmore
2
1
0
0
11
Bem
0
0
0
0
4
MacMillan
0
52
7
9
Shimamoto
0
47
10
6
Goldsmith
0
0
0
0
12
Jackson
0
0
0
0
6
Ehnstrom
13
0
3
11
Louis
5
0
3
7
Stansell
3
1
0
0
13
Frenett
0
0
0
0
7
Gallagher
18
1
15
15
Libonati
10
3
2
8
Olsson
1
1
0
0
15
Simone
1
0
0
0
11
Kerbs
2
0
1
21
Atalay
16
0
17
15
Kissel
1
0
0
0
16
Benson
0
0
0
0
10
Zucchero
0
2
24
2
Velasquez
0
3
8
17
Baliat
6
3
0
0
17
Randrianarivelo 0
0
0
0
15
McLeod
19
0
4
16
Sprotbery
0
1
13
19
Collins
0
0
0
0
18
Short
1
0
0
0
8
Everts
0
0
4
21
Lukasik
1
0
0
0
28
Schiesswohl
0
0
0
0
22
Mrlik
4
1
0
1
31
Sokol
0
0
0
0
25
11
1
1
55
54
77
1
2
3
4
27
19
1 6
24
Totals.......
Goalie Marment
Minutes 90:00
GA
Saves
o
1
4
Totals.......
Goalie Sokol
Minutes 90:00
1
GA 1
0
0
Saves 9
62
Totals.......
Set:
58
68
1
2
3
25
25
25
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Totals.......
4 2 6
Set: