The Miscellany News Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com
December 1, 2011
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
Volume CXLV | Issue 10
Vassar addresses Title IX with working group Dave Rosenkranz
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Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News
Four members of the Concern Students Coalition (CSC) meet in the Retreat to discuss the group’s agenda. CSC was formed this year to address issues of inclusivity and equality at Vassar, following problems with campus climate.
ast April, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Assistant Secretary Russlynn Ali wrote an open letter to the United States’ academic institutions, asking them to review and revise their Title IX related policies, which usually, but not exclusively, deal with sexual or gender-based misconduct and harassment. Although the letter, which is typically referred to as the “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL), didn’t substantially change any of the expectations described in OCR’s 2001 Revised Sexual Harassment Guidance, it did act as a wake-up call by reminding academic institutions of their responsibilities. Since then, Vassar has formed a joint administrative and student working group to ad-
Senior Editor
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n the wake of several heated Town Hall meetings and controversies on campus—from the gender gap in admissions to concerns over housing policy—some students have formed a new activist group, the Concerned Students Coalition (CSC), to confront issues regarding inclusivity and equality on campus. The CSC is new this year, and grew out of an event sponsored by
the Campus Life Resource Group. Member Tristan Feldman ’12 recounted its origin in an emailed statement. “I attended the first conversation dinner this year and in it the conversation centered around Vassar’s history as a women’s institution and whether or not it was still a women’s space. The answer was a resounding no,” he wrote. “The conversation also touched on how other people present were feeling disempowered, out of place
or outright rejected by the current campus climate.” Feldman continued, “Rachel Ritter [’12] and I had spoken about this before and afterwards … we decided that we needed to continue having these conversations but they needed to be productive. Thus she spearheaded emailing students who were at the dinner and heads of different orgs and we started meeting.” Ritter explained the organization’s See COALITION on page 8
dress how Vassar can improve itself by meeting state and federal Title IX standards, and move beyond them. The term “Title IX” comes from a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 which amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Later renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act (in honor of its principle author) Title IX states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance....” After it’s passage, President Nixon charged the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) to implement it with more specific guidelines. In 1975, HEW See TITLE IX on page 4
VSA, administration look to adapt Bookstore
Students form Coalition in response to current campus climate issues I Mary Huber
News Editor
Joey Rearick News Editor
n response to a shortage of space available for student use on campus, the Vassar Student Association (VSA) and the College administration are beginning to consider ways to rectify the issue. Student leaders and college officials involved in campus planning are particularly interested in adapting the space now occupied by the Bookstore, which could move to an off-campus location as early as next year. Additional space would be a welcome change for many student organizations that struggle to find locations suitable to their needs. “I’m aware that we have a need for
more rehearsal space at times to accommodate the number of student music and drama groups on campus,” wrote Vice President for Finance and Administration Betsy Eismeier in an emailed statement. She added that the locations student groups use now are often not suited to their needs. “Creating space designed for student groups to rehearse could also reduce conflicts when classrooms or parlors are used for this purpose,” she wrote. “At times, the furniture is not replaced in the standard format or there are noise conflicts.” Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs Rachel Kitzinger echoed See BOOKSTORE on page 4
Break the Silence Week increases awareness Reporter
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he recently launched website Break the Silence exposes and raises awareness of the reality of sexual violence at Vassar. Bringing these issues to the forefront of students’ consciousness has already provoked much campus discussion, but the creators of the website are hoping to push awareness further with Break the Silence Week from Dec. 5 to 9. Those involved with planning the events also hope to create a safer atmosphere for all students by the end of the week. Posts from the website serve as the basis for various discussions and presentations throughout the week. Events during Break the Silence Week are free, open to anyone and do not require ticketing or registration.
In an emailed statement, students involved in the events—Kaylee Knowles ’13, Faren Tang ’13, Rachel Ritter ’12, Tristan Feldman ’12, Zoe Levenson ’12, Julia Ding ’12 and Sydney Hessel ’12—wrote, “Break the Silence at Vassar hopes to empower people who have experienced personal violation to find their voices and to send a strong message that personal violation (including but not limited to rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and relationship abuse) is an unacceptable crime which the Vassar community needs to work together to end.” The success of the website prompted the planning of the events. “We’ve heard nothing but extremely positive feedback about Break the Silence, and it seems to have been very powerful for many people. The site has had over 30,000 See AWARENESS on page 8
Inside this issue
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FEATURES
Matthew’s Bean provides caffeine pick-me-ups
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FEATURES
Courtesy of Boogie Tochigi
Divya Pathak
Members of the Relationship Empowerment Affirmation Leadership Skills Network rehearse for their Hip Hop Theater production, “Wisdom in Power Kingdom.” They will perform “Wisdom” on Monday, Dec. 5 at the Family Partnership Center.
‘Wisdom in PK’ unites community Matthew Hauptman
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Reporter
assar’s relationship with the surrounding area is a topic that often gives way to pessimistic sentiments, but the College’s partnership with the Relationship Empowerment Affirmation Leadership (R.E.A.L.) Skills Network serves as a testament to the powerful collaborations ongo-
Wellness stigma focus of Council discussions
ing between students and the Poughkeepsie community. Founded in 2008, the R.E.A.L. Skills Network fills the need for after school and summer programs for elementary through high school students in Poughkeepsie and the greater Duchess County. One program for which R.E.A.L. Skills is responsible is Hip Hop Theater, whose
15 ARTS
cast members will be performing on Monday, Dec. 5 at the Family Partnership Center located downtown on North Hamilton Street. The upcoming production is an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland called “Wisdom in Power Kingdom,” and its central message will address the positive and negative uses of See HIP HOP on page 16
Madalengoita murals beautify Poughkeepsie
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The Miscellany News
December 1, 2011
Editors in Chief Molly Turpin Aashim Usgaonkar Senior Editors
Katharine Austin Mary Huber Erik Lorenzsonn
Contributing Editors Katie Cornish Carrie Hojnicki Jillian Scharr
News Joey Rearick Dave Rosenkranz Features Danielle Bukowski Mary Huber Opinions Hannah Blume Humor & Satire Alanna Okun Arts Rachael Borné Adam Buchsbaum Sports Corey Cohn Andy Marmer Photography Juliana Halpert Madeline Zappala Online Nathan Tauger Social Media Matt Ortile Managing Qian Xu
In December 1972, The Miscellany News dedicated several pages, including its front page, to address an ongoing dispsute between the newspaper and the Student Government Association, which led to an agreement between the two organizations about their respective responsibilties to the student body.
This Week in Vassar History 1903, Dec. 4 Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats lectured on “The Intellectual Revival in Ireland.” 1908, December Abby Leach ‘85 Professor of Greek, received a gold cup from the Emperor of Japan in recognition of her services to education, the first such presentation made to a woman. In May, she had been a guest of honor at a dinner at the Astor Hotel given by Japanese ConsulGeneral Midzuno. One of the other guests was Ambassador Takahira. The other guests were people who had received decorations from the Emperor, and Leach was told that he wished to recognize her similarly. “The cup is of solid gold, very heavy, and of graceful design. It came wrapped in a double square of Habutai silk, of a kind made only for imperial use, while the box is of chrysanthemum wood, which is also dedicated to imperial use. Inside the bowl is engraved a chrysanthemum, the imperial emblem.” The Evening Post (Wellington, NZ) 1914, Dec. 1 The faculty and the executive committee of
By Dean Emeritus Colton Johnson
the board of trustees, administering the College in the absence of a president, gave permission for a student Women’s Suffrage Club. 1915, Dec. 4 Members of industrialist Henry Ford’s Peace Expedition, seeking among Europe’s neutral nations a “Neutral Conference for Continuous Mediation” that would end the war, sailed from New York City for Oslo aboard the Oscar II. Led by Ford himself, the 150 pacifists included Inez Milholland Boissevain ’09 and Vassar student Katrina Brewster ’16. The College declined to send a formal representative, but President MacCracken proposed, with no success, that his father, the vice-president of the New York Peace Society, be among the delegates. The students in the delegation embarked for home on January 11, 1916, and the others followed four days later. Successful talks in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Holland established the conference, which worked for over a year to achieve its goals, ceasing on February 7, 1917, when Ford, apparently persuaded that his and other efforts had moved President Woodrow Wilson from an isolationist to a active pacifist position on the war, ordered the mission’s end.
1922, Dec. 4 Julia C. Lathrop ‘80, former chief of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, opened a series of four lectures with a talk on “Ellen Richards.” Lathrop, President MacCracken and trustee Minnie Cumnock Blodgett ’84 were developing a new Vassar program around the ideas of Richards ’70 in the multidisciplinary field she named Euthenics. Richards first used the term in The Cost of Shelter (1905), giving its definition as both “the science of better living” and “the art of better.” 1952, Dec. 5 Along with six members of the United States Olympic swimming and diving team, Vassar students, performing a water ballet, participated in the 3rd annual water carnival at Columbia University. 1968, Dec. 5 Twenty-some students staged a five-and-ahalf hour sit-in demonstration in the office of Nell Eurich, dean of the faculty, demanding the extension of professor Roger Katan’s contract to include the following semester. Katan, an architect and “advocacy planner,” was visiting professor in the political science department.
EDITOR’S NOTE On Nov. 16, The Miscellany News held its Executive Board elections for the spring semester. Aashim Usgaonkar ’13 will serve as Editor in Chief. Katharine Austin ’12, Mary Huber ’14 and Erik Lorenzsonn ’12 will serve as Senior Editors. Katie Cornish, Carrie Hojnicki, Jillian Scharr and Molly Turpin, all ’12, will serve in the position of Contributing Editor. Congratulations to the newly elected editors.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Assistant Features Ruth Bolster Jessica Tarantine Assistant Arts Charlacia Dent Shruti Manian Assistant Sports Kristine Olson Assistant Photo Carlos Hernandez Assistant Copy Jessica Grinnell Crossword Editor Jonathan Garfinkel Columnists Sarah Begley Brittany Hunt Michael Mestitz Tom Renjilian Sam Scarritt-Selman Andy Sussman Reporters Emma Daniels Jesse Hartman Matthew Hauptman Bethan Johnson Bobbie Lucas Burcu Noyan Jack Owen Alicia Salvino Leighton Suen Photographers Alex Schlesinger ADVERTISING POLICY
The Miscellany News (1) reserves the right to reject or edit any advertising copy at any time; (2) will not accept advertisements that promote discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex or sexual orientation, nor will it accept advertisements of a political nature or advertisements that promote products or services illegal in the State of New York: (3) will print every advertisement with the word “advertisement” above it; (4) shall not be liable for failure to print, publish or circulate all or any portion of any issue if such a failure is the result of circumstances beyond the paper’s control. The Editorial Board holds weekly meetings every Sunday at 9 p.m. in the Rose Parlor. All members of the Vassar community interested in joining the newspaper’s staff or in a critique of the current issue are welcome. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented in the Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board. The Miscellany News is published weekly by the students of Vassar College. The Miscellany News office is located in College Center Room 303, Vassar College.
NEWS
December 1, 2011
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Mayor Tkazyik re-elected for second term VSA votes on Leighton Suen
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Reporter
clause against discrimination Molly Turpin
Editor in Chief Courtesy of JayTowsend.com
ast Wednesday, City of Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik was re-elected for his second term in an extremely close electoral race in which over 5000 votes were cast. The election required the counting of absentee and affidavit ballots at the Dutchess County Board of Elections after it was determined that the machine ballot results from Election Day were too close. Tkazyik, a Republican with a significant fundraising advantage, ultimately defeated his opponent, Democrat Ken Levinson, by an estimated 95vote margin. “I look forward to getting back to work,” Tkazyik told The Poughkeepsie Journal. “The ballots today confirmed what we had said on Election Day… I want to thank the residents of the city again for their support.” Tkazyik first claimed victory at a Nov. 8 celebration at his family’s restaurant when the results for the machine ballots were announced, but the Board of Elections did not announce he had officially won the election until last Wednesday. Tkazyik began his political career at the age of 21, when he became the youngest elected member of the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council in 2001. After being re-elected to the Council twice, Tkazyik ran for and was elected as the second youngest mayor of the City of Poughkeepsie in 2008. Tkazyik currently assists the Marist College Campus/Community Coalition, which resolves issues concerning college students living off campus, and is a board
member of the Dutchess County Economic Development Zone and the City of Poughkeepsie Industrial Development Agency. He is also employed as a manager in his family’s restaurant, Andy’s Place. On Tkazyik’s official website, endorsements for his campaign come from Poughkeepsie residents from all walks of life. “Mayor Tkazyik has proven to be a very faithful supporter of so many...community events,” reads a quotation from the pastors of John 3:16 Christian Center, Wayne and Maryann Berry. “[This is] a key asset and foundational stone to excellent leadership…as it shows [that] love and concern for the people bypasses political motives!” During the campaign, Tkazyik cited his accomplishments with regard to crime, commercial development, and prudent economic management of city resources. For example, according to Tkazyik’s campaign website the number of policemen on foot patrol has increased under his governance and modern surveillance technology is now utilized in high-crime areas. His website also boasts that Tkaziyk transformed what was once a “ghost town” in the evenings into a cleaner city with busy storefronts, developed properties and improved medical centers. Students involved with political organizations on campus digested news of Tkazyik’s victory last week. “Considering his three-toone fundraising advantage, John Tkazyik survived a very close call to win a second term,” wrote Seth Warner ’14, the communications director for the Vassar Democrats.
Major John Tkazyik, above, was re-elected for his second term in the elections on Nov. 8. Tkazyik is also manager of his family’s restaurant, Andy’s Place. “The College Democrats congratulate John Tkazyik on his victory, and wish him luck with addressing the many unresolved issues Poughkeepsie faces, especially those affecting the city’s youth.” Warner asserted that Tkazyik needs to reflect upon his political record and alter his priorities moving forward. “Mentoring services, afterschool programs and summer activities were all cut from the budget when the mayor displaced $35,000 to hire another city attorney,” continued Warner in his emailed statement. “The public Poughkeepsie High School has failed to meet adequate yearly progress standards set by the federal government, and repeated studies have shown how youth activities can lead to lower juvenile crime rates. Mr. Tkazyik will have to refocus his policy objectives toward youth issues in or-
der to build a better future for the city and its people.” For the next two years, the Republican mayor of Poughkeepsie will have to work with a Common Council with a 7-1 Democratic majority. Nevertheless, Tkazyik is unfazed by these ominous numbers. “I have had a history of reaching across the aisle to get things done,” he said on Nov. 9, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. “I’m optimistic we can put politics aside.” In response to an emailed request for a statement, the mayor wrote: “I am filled with joy to know that the residents of the City have the faith and confidence in me to serve as mayor for another four years. I look forward to working with everyone in moving our city forward, including collaborating with Vassar College in many different ways to bring students to our wonderful city.”
Vogel shares expertise on China’s Deng Bethan Johnson Reporter
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Emily Lavieri-Scull/The Miscellany News
cclaimed author and former Harvard University professor Ezra Vogel gave a lecture on Tuesday night on his newly released book, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China—a biography on the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. The lecture focused on the political career of Deng Xiaoping and the ways in which his legacy still significantly influences modern China. Despite a busy touring schedule, Vogel decided to decline an honorarium out of friendship with the hosts of the event, the Vassar Asian Studies program. According to Professor of Geography Yo Zhou, Vogel epitomizes an admirable academic rebel. Despite the Cold War, Vogel lifted the “Bamboo Veil” that encompassed East Asia to both meticulously study Chinese and Japanese languages and culture and visit those nations to gain first-hand knowledge. Equipped with years of study and field experience, Vogel then forced Americans to notice and adjust to the rise of Japan in the global markets with his award-winning book Japan as Number One: Lessons for America , which is the all-time best-selling non-fiction book by a Western author in Japan. Although most famous for Japan as Number One, Vogel has published over 150 works during his career. He also taught at Harvard for almost 40 years, retiring in 2000. For two years, Vogel also worked as U.S. National Intelli-
gence Officer for East Asia. The breadth of his work has helped advance understanding in various fields of study relating to the nations of East Asia. “It’s fairly rare to come across a scholar like Dr. Vogel,” explained Zhou, “who has a defining influence in multiple disciplines in East Asian studies.” This relationship with a variety of academic fields, ranging from economics to anthropology, also motivated Vogel to write a book about the broad implications of the rise of modern China. “[I did this] partly because the book Japan as Number One… helped a lot of people prepare for the rise of Japan,” Vogel said. “I was concerned that we respond in a healthy way. As I was retiring, I thought by far the most important country for Americans to understand is China. I am concerned that we respond in a healthy way.” Vogel posits that the political career of Deng stood as a turning point in the rise of modern China. He divided Deng’s life into four major periods, and described how each determined Deng’s politics. Vogel argues that the residual effects of each period are still visible in China. For example, when he came to power in 1979, Deng began a period of political opening that forever altered the course of Chinese, and global, history. Valuing strong relations with Japan and the United States, Deng began a cultural process of appreciating, though not worshiping, foreign goods and cultures. Vogel’s presentation included a
Above, author and Harvard University professor Ezra Vogel speaks to listerners about his new book, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China. number of pictures of Deng’s visits with American presidents and major economic leaders. Deng’s mission was to learn and emulate the effective aspects of Western society while remaining semi-autonomous. “[Deng] was also very determined,” Vogel noted, “to get China into world economic organizations.” This determination paid off in the long run, as the relationships he cultivated have remained, despite his retirement. Vogel explained that Deng’s reforms have made China the economic and political power that it currently is. This lecture will be used to help enhance classroom discussions in a number of different departments. Amy Cao ’15 explained,
“I am writing a paper for my international studies class on postMao economic reformation under Deng Xiaoping … I’m going to use this in my paper.” Emily Blustein ’15 noted that students from the Chinese Politics and Economy class offered by the Political Science Department were also advised to attend the lecture. After studying Deng’s career for more than 10 years, Vogel offered advice to American students with regard to growing foreign powers like China. He emphasized that Deng believed in embracing, without conforming to, the knowledge of outsiders. Now, Vogel said, it is the United States’ turn to learn about other cultures, so that its citizens will be prepared for an increasingly interconnected world.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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t the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council meeting on Nov. 27, Vice President for Operations Jenna Konstantine ’13 presented a revised, much-expanded non-discrimination clause for the VSA Constitution. The Council will vote on the new language at its next meeting on Dec. 4. According to both Konstantine and VSA President Tanay Tatum ’12, the impetus for the revision came from a spate of discriminatory incidents this semester. “A lot of students have been worried, and administrators,” said Tatum. “[The Campus Life Response Team] has already convened more than they did last school year and it’s only first semester.” The current non-discrimination language in the VSA Constitution is very brief, especially compared to the revision. Article XII states, “The VSA shall not discriminate, nor by its actions encourage discrimination, based on race, color, religious belief, sex, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, or age.” Said Konstantine of the clause, “It basically says that we don’t discriminate against anything, but it doesn’t define what any of that means, isn’t that inclusive in language, doesn’t include harassment. It’s just kind of a throwaway clause it seems, so we decided in light of this it would be a relevant and necessary step to reexamine and redefine what the VSA says about non-discrimination.” The revised language significantly expands on the idea of non-discrimination and takes greater pains to define terms. Konstantine, along with other members of the VSA’s Operations and Student Life committees, looked to the College’s own regulations for guidance at the suggestion of President of the College Catharine Bond Hill. The addition closely mirrors the non-discrimination policy to which the College holds students accountable, but tweaks the language to be VSA-specific and to comply with the recent update of Title IX. (See “Vassar addresses Title IX with working group,” on page 1). According to Vice President for Student Life Charles Dobb ’12, the clause complies with an updated version of college regulations still pending the approval of the Committee on College Life at the time of print. The revised Article XII contains two sections. The first generally defines the VSA’s policy to not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of a greatly expanded list of identities. The second section defines the terms discrimination and harassment. Specifically, the VSA is concerned with holding student organizations and students acting in the capacity of organization leaders accountable, because all VSA organizations are answerable to the VSA. Detailed language on what constitutes discrimination provides the Council a constitutional basis on which to respond to incidents with such measures as a censure, impeachment or other action depending on the severity and context of the situation. “Something that we realized with the Serenading incident earlier this semester is that we really didn’t have any language in our constitution to address it,” said Tatum. “There was still nothing explicitly saying we do not tolerate these kinds of incidents, so by having something explicit, it allows us to justify actions.” Associate Dean of the College and Director of Equal Opportunity Belinda Guthrie added that there is a legal basis for having a more specific non-discrimination clause. According to Guthrie, private institutions like the VSA and recognized student organizations are still subject to federal and state non-discrimination statutes. She added that the parallel between College and VSA policy could also have the benefit of consistency in both interpretation and implementation. The new clause is expected to pass at the Council’s next meeting.
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NEWS
December 1, 2011
Vassar training programs expand Title IX awareness TITLE IX continued from page 1 published the first set of criteria that academic institutions must adhere to, and has updated it regularly until the department was split in 1980 into the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. At that point, Title IX policy fell to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, where it remains, but not unchanged. Before HEW was terminated, Title IX programs were almost exclusively focused on discrimination in college athletics. Since then, the Department of Education has determined that sexual or gender-based misconduct and harassment can create tense environments which can sometimes limit a person’s ability to receive the benefits of an education program. Thus, sexual or gender-based misconduct and harassment have become more prominent in Title IX regulations (although discrimination in athletics are also still a concern). To address problems of sexual or gender-based misconduct and harassment, the OCR has published several regulatory documents, the most recent of which was the 2001 Revised Sexual Harassment Guidance. Nevertheless, according to the National Institute of Justice, about one in five women, and about 6.1 percent of men, are victims of completed or attempted sexual assault while in college. “The statistics on sexual violence are both deeply troubling and a call to action for the nation,” wrote Ali in the DCL. Although most academic institutions have consistently revised their policies to meet the OCR’s expectations, these statistics have, in part, motivated the OCR to write the DCL which, in turn, spurred schools like Vassar to give sexual or gender-based misconduct and harassment issues greater attention. To this end, Vassar’s Title IX working committee (which is composed of Vassar Student Association [VSA] Vice President of Student Life Charlie Dobb ’12, Associate Director of
Security Kim Squillace, Assistant Director of Student Conduct Batia Epelbaum, Associate Director of Residential Life Richard Horowitz, Director of Health Education Renee Pabst, and Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Officer Belinda Guthrie) was formed last spring and has, since its formation, begun to address problems of clarity, efficiency and capability. In order to address problems of clarity in the College’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment and Grievance procedures, the working group has modeled Vassar’s documents after the National Center on Higher Education Risk Management’s example, which has been adopted by many academic institutions across the country, and accepted by the OCR. “We had a wonderful opportunity to make sure we did it the right way. And at the same time, also to make sure that it truly reflected Vassar’s approach to supporting victims, ensuring equal rights for the victim and the accused, and helping integrate that into our existing college regulations process,” said Guthrie. On Monday Nov. 28 the policy revisions were sent to the Committee on College Life for consideration, and Guthrie is confident they will pass. “There was overwhelming support for it. There is no concern that it won’t pass.” In an effort to address problems of efficiency in the College’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment and Grievance procedures, the working group has started from scratch. “We want to ensure that people understand their rights and resources, and to understand the scope of the policy and how it relates to academic freedom and responsibility,” wrote Guthrie in an emailed statement, explaining that, in the past, some students could have been discouraged by the cumbersome process of reporting a sexual or gender-based misconduct and harassment incident. “We want to create mechanisms for addressing harassment and
discrimination in a way that doesn’t inhibit somebody from wanting to come forward,” added Guthrie. In a related effort, the working group has also decided to extend the deadline for filing a formal grievance from the current deadline of 60 days to a recommended one year. According to Guthrie, the working group will forward the revised Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment to the faculty for consideration and vote sometime this winter. Vassar has also been expanding its training programs regarding Title IX to improve awareness and capability across the campus. According to Guthrie, many training efforts have been in place for several years. However, some parts of campus will receive more comprehensive training on a regular basis starting this year, inclusively including the Dean of the College Division’s deans and directors, Residential Life staff, house fellows, VSA Executive Board members and other student leaders, Safety and Security, and first-year students. “The nature and content of the training depends on the audience,” explained Guthrie, adding that, for example, members of the VSA Executive Board were trained to address Title IX issues within student organizations, and that Residential Life staff are being trained to understand their roles and responsibilities in the event that a student comes to them with information about sexual or gender-based harassment and misconduct. “Training is a big component,” emphasized Guthrie. Many of these changes with regards to clarity, efficiency and capability are being made as direct responses to the DCL letter and the 2001 Guidance. However, Vassar will also be moving beyond this foundational threshold of acceptability. The reinstatement of the Sexual Assault Violence Prevention (SAVP) Coordinator position, for example, is not mentioned by either document. Although the position hasn’t been filled yet, Vassar is actively seek-
ing to do so. “You’re not required to have an SAVP program on your campus, but certainly if you have someone who is dedicated to doing training and victim outreach, then students have access to more information and more support,” said Guthrie. (See “After two years, SAVP coordinator job reinstated” by Aja Brady-Saalfeld in the 10.27.11 edition of The Miscellany News for more information regarding the reinstatement and search for an SAVP coordinator.) A recent increase in Department of Education funding and staffing has enabled the OCR to conduct more audits on colleges and universities across the countries. These audits are meant to encourage academic institutions to adopt new policies and meet the best practice standards that the OCR sets. In fact, the OCR audited State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz just last year. According to the SUNY New Paltz website, the OCR asked to review all published New Paltz policies and procedures that related to Title IX issues of sexual or gender-based harassment and misconduct, as well as documentation from any sexual or gender-based harassment and misconduct incidents, and their subsequent investigations. OCR representatives also met with several student focus groups regarding Title IX awareness. After the audit was completed, the OCR recommended several small changes to New Paltz policy. These audits are usually random, but sometimes follow isolated or recurring incidents of administrative error. Thus far, Vassar has not been audited. Most official college regulations aren’t enacted until a new academic year has begun. However, these changes to Vassar’s Title IX policies and programs will begin as soon as they are approved. “We need to have legally sound policies, and policies that, when they are implemented, are effective,” concluded Guthrie.
Space could fill niche for org reheasal, storage space
Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News
BOOKSTORE continued from page 1 Eismeier’s concerns, adding that students need more places on campus to socialize. In a statement, she wrote, “I understand from many sources that additional space is needed for rehearsals, for informal student gatherings in a central location and for some organizations that currently do not have space.” At the Nov. 20 VSA Council meeting, Kitzinger and Eismeier discussed possible solutions to the lack of space currently open for student use, specifically voicing their excitement about possibilities for the future of the large bookstore facility. “It seems that there are some real opportunities to do some things that meet a variety of needs,” said Eismeier at the meeting. Her statement was met with resounding support from members of the Council. President of Raymond House Sam Brucker ’14 was enthusiastic about the implications of more student space for the campus community. “I’d love to see a space that was always filled with all different kinds of students meeting, studying, talking and relaxing,” he wrote in a statement. He added that a central location for student use might allow students to socialize beyond their respective groups of friends. “I think such a space would tighten the community at Vassar, and could even reignite the social proliferation that now seems to disappear two weeks after freshman orientation,” he wrote. VSA Vice President for Activities Mookie Thottham ’12 also thought more open student space could change Vassar social life for the better. “I’ve been concerned with the issue of student space since my freshman year. From both personal experience and accounts of other students, finding a social niche at Vassar can be difficult,” he said. “Many students would appreciate a social scenario that is less threatening than a rambunctious Mug Night but more lively than a hanging out in the hall night—a central, studentproduced space may provide this opportunity.” During a Campus Dining Review Committee (CDRC) trip to nearby colleges this fall, many Council members observed that Vassar’s peer institutions are more successful in creating central student space. While on that trip, VSA
Above, students browse the shelves of the Bookstore. Following the relocation of the Bookstore as early as Spring 2013, administrators hope to adapt the location in order to create a student space. representatives saw appealing spatial arrangements that could be employed in the current bookstore location. “During the CDRC peer review tour, we were really blown away by the impressive student spaces the campuses we visited had,” wrote VSA Vice President for Student Life Charlie Dobb ’12 in an emailed statement. “They were often spacious, well furnished and very centrally located. It was clear that these were convenient, comfortable places for students to just hang out in when they weren’t doing anything else, or when they wanted to study together, or grab a bite.” He hopes the current bookstore location could be renovated to create a similar environment. “Ideally, we’re hoping to see the front space (the well-lit area that actually makes up the Bookstore proper right now, with tall ceilings and skylights) become a lounge and cafe space; with late-night food available; large, comfortable seating, good lighting; and maybe pool, ping pong and similar games,” he wrote in an emailed statement. Kitzinger described a similar vision for the glass-covered front of the Bookstore location.
“The space under the skylights would be good, I think, for informal student meeting space,” she wrote in an emailed statement. “The access to natural light and its visibility make it ideal for a lively student space.” The second floor of the Student’s Building, known to students as UpC, was originally renovated to perform that function, but students have not utilized that location as a meeting place to a significant extent. “It’s clear to me that it’s not really being used that way for a variety of reasons that need to be explored further,” wrote Dobb. “I think perhaps the biggest detractor right now is that it’s not a very convenient space, it really is sort of a destination location, rather than somewhere you might pass through casually after class or rehearsal, see a friend and strike up a conversation.” The current bookstore space, located in the heart of the College Center, would be far more convenient for students passing through Main Building during the course of the day. In addition to meeting space, the Bookstore location could be renovated to include facilities for the practical needs of student organizations.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
“The VSA officers have also consulted me about creating storage space for equipment that student groups could share, rather than purchasing and storing separate pieces of equipment for each group,” wrote Eismeier. Other portions of the student space could be allocated for offices for organizations that regularly serve students. “Some have thought about office locations and whether certain offices should be located together for greater cooperation, greater visibility or some other program objective,” she wrote. Thottam has heard many requests during his work with student organizations, and he hopes the space will address the needs of his constituents. “Spaces such as a soundproofed band practice space and a publication lab, which several organizations have requested, may find a home in the space,” he wrote in an emailed statement. “Meeting/conference rooms would provide additional, and potentially more stable, options than those currently available in the College Center.” Both VSA leaders and administrators caution that their thoughts about student space solutions are entirely preliminary. Kitzinger will leave her position as dean of Planning and Academic Affairs next semester, so her involvement in specific planning for the space will be very limited moving forward. Dobb sees the VSA’s role in current discussions about the space as preparation for student involvement in more concrete stages of planning. “Right now our primary concern is just laying the groundwork for substantial student input on the eventual design of the space,” he said. “It’s important that the VSA start thinking now about how it wants to gather input and data on what the space should look like so that when Council needs to make recommendations.” Eismeier expressed that student space in the bookstore location would not be possible in the immediate future, but that serious planning could begin very soon. In an emailed statement, she wrote, “The move is not imminent (probably not until Spring term of 2013), but developing plans and working with an architect can take time. It’s something we should begin in a more formal way next semester.”
December 1, 2011
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Debate Society dispatches three to Worlds tournament Danielle Bukowski
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Features Editor
Jiajing Sun /The Miscellany News
hree Vassar students will be attending the 32nd World Universities Debating Championship this year, representing the College while debating against university teams from across the globe. Vassar Debate Society was given the opportunity to attend after showing solid records at tournaments last year. Although technically any team is welcome to attend, members of Vassar Debate noted that their association—the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA)—gave preference to those teams they thought would best represent the association. Due to a solid season last year, Vassar was approved to go. Ethan Madore ’12, Alex Koren ’13 and Tom Enering ’12 will be joining 10 other universities from the league in Manila from Dec. 27 to Jan. 4. The three representatives are all very excited. “If you win at Worlds you can’t go any higher, it’s basically the Olympics of debating,” said Koren. “It’s certainly a status symbol,” said Madore. “People in our debating circuit who go to Worlds definitely have some clout, and we’ve had that clout used against us from time to time … It’s in Manila, I’ve never been there before so we’ll get to see a cool new place.” Enering wrote in an emailed statement, “No other tournament assembles so many exceptional debaters in one location. Worlds provides American students with their only opportunity to debate against renowned foreign schools, including Oxford, Cambridge, LSE [London School of Economics] and the Australian National University.” The debating style at Worlds is different from the one in which the group typically debates. Worlds is based on British Parliamentary debate, while the APDA debates use American Parliamentary. Said Koren, “We thought it would be difficult but we sent the team to a tournament at Yale to practice and we ended up doing extremely well, better than we usually do. It’s a change, but I think we’ll do fine.” Instead of teams of two facing off one-on-one, British Parliamentary debate has four on four with two of the other members of the four not being part of your team. Explained Koren, “So let’s say our team is paired with two from Yale,
Debate Society members Ethan Madore ’13, Tom Enering ’12 and Alex Koren ’13, pictured left to right, strategize. The three students will attend the World Universities Debate Championship in Manila. against two people from Harvard and two from Oxford, so you have to work to beat Harvard and Oxford but our two people want to do better than Yale does.” As it wouldn’t be financially feasible to send the entire team to Worlds, the group held a debate to determine whether or not they would attend. “The vote went three-two in favor of the trip, but the decision regarding [which team members to send] is actually a debate constitution matter,” Secretary of Vassar Debate Society Arushi Raina ’14 wrote in an emailed statement, “The senior varsity debate members are given preference,” meaning Madore and Enering. “As for the judge, this was undertaken through a vote last semester after candidates were given the chance to speak for themselves. This vote was open to all the members of the debate team, and Alex Koren was voted for that position.” However, the group ran into budgetary issues in bringing even three people to the Philippines.
Said Koren, “We applied for $5000 [from the Vassar Student Association’s (VSA) discretionary fund] understanding that we would fundraise the additional $5000. They gave us $1500, which is not enough to send one person … they basically said go fundraise the rest. What most organizations fundraise in an entire year, we had to accomplish in a month.” The group was able to raise the money by hosting a tournament at Vassar that charged an entry fee, selling baked goods and sweatshirts, and soliciting family, friends and lawyers in the community. “But it was upsetting because we normally run tournaments at a zero sum and funnel the profits towards helping schools in the local area,” said Koren. “But we had to funnel the profit to send ourselves to Worlds.” VSA Vice President for Finance Jason Rubin ’13 said the concern with the Debate Society’s application towards the discretionary fund was the monetary amount and the fact that it would directly benefit only three people. “They requested $5000, which is the maximum amount
you can request under discretionary, and is over 10 percent of the current discretionary fund. Any application of this magnitude is a tough thing to grant, particularly given the fact that we get so many applications from so many different organizations. The big concern with this application was that there are three people attending the event. It’s obviously a great event and a very prestigious event, and will indirectly bring back prestige to the group, but there is only so much funding we can give to indirect benefits,” Rubin said. The group considers these indirect benefits to be worth the financial burden. “By attending this event, the Debate Society cements Vassar’s reputation as an elite college and enhances the school’s international profile. Since Vassar is not a massive research institution, it can sometimes feel that people neglect our outstanding academics. Attending international events like Worlds reminds the global academic community that Vassar is one of the best colleges in the nation,” Enering wrote in an emailed statement. The application for discretionary funds for the trip to Worlds was considered by the finance committee during a meeting earlier in the semester. “We had them present their application and then we ask them questions; they leave and then we discuss amongst ourselves,” said Rubin. “For Debate it was a two-hour meeting, which was the lengthiest discussion we’ve had regarding an organization, it was definitely a difficult decision.” Rubin acknowledged that once it was brought to the members of Council there was an objection, with the request to raise the amount from $1500 to $3000. There was another debate, this time in Council, but the amendment fell. “[The VSA] definitely did support this event in particular, but unfortunately there is only so much financial support that we could give to it.” As for the event itself, the three members attending hope that their abilities in the tournament will reflect Vassar’s prestige in debating back to the APDA as well as the College. “We’re really excited to have the opportunity to go and represent Vassar on the world stage,” said Koren.
Council explores Wellness beyond residential halls Ruth Bolster
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Assistant Features Editor
ith its increased effort to provide otheroption programming on campus, the Council for Residential Happiness aims to promote Wellness living beyond the residential halls. However, within the dormitories, some people claim that there is a stereotype associated with students who live in Wellness Housing, causing a tension between the Wellness and non-Wellness communities. The Council ultimately hopes to address these concerns while simultaneously integrating the concept of Wellness into the rest of the residential community. Started this year as an initiative under House Advisor for Cushing and Noyes Terrence Hanlon, the Council for Residential Happiness is comprised of roughly two volunteers from each house team. Zachary Hays ’14 is a student fellow in Jewett who lives with his freshmen on the fourth floor of the house, which is a designated Wellness hallway. He argues that because they live in substance-free housing, both he and his fellowees are often judged by their non-Wellness peers. “It’s easy to assume that individuals in Wellness Housing are prudish, don’t like to party, disapprove of drugs, etc. but what most people who express such stigma forget, or don’t know, is that Wellness students don’t live in total isolation,” wrote Hays in an emailed statement. “Many Wellness students (and student fellows) do party and enjoy the Vassar nightlife, but because the conversation on Wellness is often closed or derogatory, the fun side of Wellness students never gets a chance to be seen.” One of his freshmen, who wished to remain anonymous, added, “I do feel like we’re judged for the fact that we’re a Wellness Hall ... I remember meeting new people in [fifth floor] tower, and when I told them where I lived, they immediately replied, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ as if living
in four-trans is some kind of punishment that I’m receiving. So yeah, in that aspect I feel a bit judged.”The assumption seems to be that students who choose to live in Wellness hallways choose to not party at all, rather than that such activities, and the attendant noise level, will not happen on their own hallways. Approximately 140 people currently live in Wellness Housing, a program that aims to provide interested students with a substance-free living environment. Although those who live in Wellness hallways sign a contract in which they consciously agree not to possess elicit substances in their rooms, there is no stipulation in the contract that these students will not consume these substances at all. Although members of the Council for Residential Happiness recognize that there is a potential stigma associated with students living in Wellness Housing, the extent to which this is true continues to be debated. “It depends on who you’re talking to,” wrote Council for Residential Happiness co-Chair and Jewett House President Clayton Masterman ’13 in an emailed statement. “Sometimes people make assumptions about students that live on Wellness halls that don’t necessarily stem from the fact that they choose to live on a substance-free floor. Of course, not everyone makes those assumptions, but they definitely do exist.” Jewett House currently has four Wellness student fellow groups and the greatest concentration of Wellness upperclassmen of the houses. This makes Jewett the house with the largest Wellness community on campus. As President of Jewett, Masterman is in contact with a large number of Wellness students who choose this housing for various reasons. Masterman said, “Some people brush over the fact that students who live on a Wellness hall may choose to engage in the use of substances and simply don’t want it in their living spaces. “
“It’s worth noting that there are a lot of students living outside of Wellness halls that choose to abstain from substances. When students brush over those facts, they do attach a stigma of sorts to Wellness, and jump to conclusions about individuals and their behavior,” Masterman continued. Assistant Director of Residential Wellness Programs Terry Hanlon acknowledged that he has heard a number of concerns from Wellness students about a possible stigma, dealing with both how they are being perceived by their non-Wellness peers and by other Wellness students. He notes, however, that this stigma stems specifically from the fact that Wellness is understood to mean substance-free. “There are people who do drink, but keep to the standards of Wellness floors where they cannot have any alcohol or illicit substances on the floor. But they are concerned about when they come back about how they are being perceived. I’ve also heard the same on the other side of the coin, by people who don’t drink and how they are being perceived by the greater community,” stated Hanlon. Other members of the Council for Residential Happiness fear that such generalizations ultimately drive a wedge between Wellness students and the remainder of the residential community. “I worry that sometimes there is a nasty twoway feeling of being attacked between those who live on Wellness and those who don’t,” noted Council for Residential Happiness coChair Rose Connelly ’13. “Wellness people can sometimes assume that non-Wellness people automatically hate them and non-Wellness people can sometimes assume than Wellness people automatically hate them. And so even though the reality is generally nobody hates anybody, there is a defensiveness there that can cause isolation.”
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Although the full extent of these generalizations continues to be a topic of debate, the Council for Residential Happiness is continuing its discussion as to how best approach this lack of integration between Wellness and nonWellness communities. Before Thanksgiving, for example, the Committee fostered a dialogue between its members and student fellows living in Wellness hallways with the intention of pinpointing exactly how freshmen feelthey are being perceived by the greater community. In addition to this, the Council hopes that such generalizations associated with Wellness housing can be removed through a reconsideration of how the Vassar community defines Wellness. Currently, the Office of Residential Life limits the concept of Wellness to specifically that which is substance free. However, Hanlon argues that the College needs to adopt a more holistic approach that not only encompasses students’ physical and mental wellness, but also their spiritual, intellectual and even vocational well-beings. “What we are doing now is deciding if we expand what that means specifically on the designated Wellness floors, or do we keep those floors more substance-free and expand the concept of Wellness to the entire house,” stated Hanlon. This restricted definition of Wellness ultimately resulted in the name change that the Council for Residential Happiness underwent earlier in the school year. “The name ‘Wellness’ has a limited context here at Vassar and it has a different connotation. The discussion was that maybe happiness has a larger, more broad-reaching sense, and it can only have a positive connotation. While some people here may see Wellness as isolating or as only related to substance free things, so we were looking at it in a more holistic sense.”
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December 1, 2011
Matthew’s Bean: A well-hidden, student-run coffee oasis Jessica Tarantine
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Assistant Features Editor
Rachel Garbade/The Miscellany News
s the semester winds down, the coffee machines start to heat up, ready to splash the campus with a healthy dose of holiday infused mochas and enough caffeine to keep even the sleepiest elves awake during finals season. Inside the Library’s caffeine oasis, Matthew’s Bean, three student workers stand behind the bar to take orders and make drinks in their yellow-painted cubbyhole. While most students are just beginning to study this time of night, the Bean workers are just beginning their shifts at 7 p.m. “Students normally come in in waves,” said Bean employee Harrison Brody ’12, who has worked at the Bean for four years. “As for the exact number of students, who comes in it depends on the time of year,” Brody said. “During the normal year we have maybe one student every five minutes, but during finals it’s closer to two students every five minutes.” Final and study weeks are the busiest for the Bean, as students come in more frequently for warm beverages. “Normally, I have time to sit down and read,” Brody said, gesturing towards the books on the table, “but during finals it’s a constant flow.” Brody acknowledged in an emailed statement, “It’s especially hard [to work at the Bean] during the end of the semester when everyone, myself included, is swamped with work.” The correlation between flow of customers and the amount of work students have seems to have great results for the Bean’s business, but the fact that the Bean is entirely student-run often proves problematic for the students who have to work during the most hectic times. “I don’t think it conflicts with my studying [except] maybe during midterms and finals though,” said Bean worker Emma Bird ’15. Despite the less than perfect working hours, many Bean employees find the hours helpful during the less busy times of the years. “I find that I procrastinate less because I’ll have work later that night. Also, when it’s not busy I get a lot of homework done at the Bean,” said Bird. Other Bean workers also enjoy their job. “I like working here,” said Brody. “There is not a
Student employees of Matthew’s Bean chat while preparing a coffee order. The Bean, located in the Thompson Memorial Library’s basement, is a gift from the Class of 2002 and is completely student-run. lot of turnover. We’ve only had one employee who we had to let go and that was because of scheduling conflicts.” The idea that Matthew’s Bean is a campus dining facility by students for students is central to why it was created; while it is funded by Campus Dining, it is the only student-run dining location on campus. “It was a class gift. The Class of 0f 2002 was responsible for the funding of the construction of the actual room,” said Brody. The result of the gift was a coffee place that gave students a great deal of freedom in how it was run, but still retained the benefits of being overseen by the College. But this unique system of running the Bean causes some problems, in addition to conflicts in regards to hours of operation. When asked what they wanted to change the most, Bean employees said, “The lack of edible fruit. The Retreat never stocks us so that’s most likely our
largest complaint, especially at the end of the semester when volume is really high: We have fruit shortages.” Another issue surrounding the coffee shop seems to be the difficulty of finding the elusive Bean. “I’ve never gone to the Bean,” said Kyndra Adams ’14. “I’ve meant to go but one time I wasn’t able to find it and the other I found it but it was closed.” Vicky Que ’14 agreed, saying that the location and the hours it was open made making it there difficult. “I never go to the Bean … it’s annoying because they are never open when I need to go there. The coffee cart, when it’s there is more friendly to late-night studying.” The coffee cart run by Tree City opens at midnight when the Bean has already closed. “We’re open from 7 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and then also 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays.” said Brody, “And those are studying hours; I
wonder when [those people] are studying!” But regardless of when students chose to study, Bean employees do recognize that sometimes the Bean is a little hard to find. “You have to be the heir of Matthew Vassar to find the Bean, and get coffee. It’s like a reward. I even got lost getting here. Everyone does,” joked Bird, who had just joined the staff of the Bean at the time of the interview. Another Bean employee, Meropi Papastergiou ’15, offered some advice: “Follow the carpet. If you see flowers on the carpet you are most likely on the right path. “ Navigational difficulties aside, some students make it there regularly to enjoy their drinks any time of year, “I really like Matthew’s Bean. I think it’s a wonderful institution,” said Rachel Thompson ’14. “Since I mostly go there when I need caffeination, I normally go with a mocha with an extra short of espresso. It perks you right up,” said Thompson. While mocha’s were often the drink of choice in the years following the Bean’s opening in 2002, according to a Miscellany News article written in 2004, now customers favor lattes and chai lattes. But it is important to note that while either drink can be served cold, neither of these drinks can come with ice. “We don’t have ice,” said Brody, causing the Bean employees to lapse into a discussion over said lack of ice. “People do complain about that, but that’s not our policy, it’s a Library policy,” explained Bird. “It doesn’t really make sense,” said Papastergiou. “No I get it, ice tends to cause condensation and that’s the Library reasoning,” offered Bird, going on to state that condensation rings can often damage wooden tables. “But it still doesn’t make sense to not have ice because you can have sticky food but you can’t have condensation,” said Brody. Regardless of the existence of ice, the winding and perhaps challenging trip through the Library’s basement is often well warranted when met with a delicious cup of coffee and just enough cheer to get you through your final papers.
MedRen Studies program unpacks rarely explored era Thomas Lawler
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Guest Reporter
he appeal of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance goes beyond history standards like the Bubonic Plague and the Inquisition to include some of the great works of Western architecture and literature—like the Cathedral of Chartres and Beowulf. The Medieval and Renaissance Studies program allows students to study these topics and more. Completely interdisciplinary, the program at Vassar has only one official course: MRST-220. Students interested in the major may choose from a list of over 75 approved courses in a range of departments to fulfill their 12 credits. The program’s approved courses are divided into three groups: art and music; history, philosophy, religion; and language and literature. This interdisciplinary program is designed to offer students various ways to approach the time period that spans the fall of Rome to the 17th century. With so much history to cover, there are countless options for students interested in creating a program based on their own interests. Vassar’s connection to the Middle Ages and Renaissance period outdates the current program. In the 1940s, the College offered programs in both medieval studies and in Renaissance studies. “During the development of many multidisciplinary programs in the early 1980s, it seemed appropriate to revive and combine the former medieval and Renaissance programs,” said Karen Robertson, who has been coordinator of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies program since 1995. “The purpose of the program,” explained Michael Mestitz ’12, “is to allow students the unique ability to examine a largely unknown time in history.” Mestitz is one of three seniors currently majoring in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. (Disclosure: Mestitz is a Columnist for The Miscellany News.) The Medievel and Renaissance Studies Program’s one course, MRST-220, is a topic-based
class with yearly rotating focuses. The course for the current academic year is Detectives in the Archive: Reading Medieval and Renaissance Texts, which involves working with medieval manuscripts from Vassar’s own collection. The course is primarily taught in Vassar Library’s Special Collections Room. Past iterations of the 220 class have focused on topics like women writers of the Renaissance, the relationship between various texts and tapestries, and Muslim-Christian interactions in medieval Europe. “Medieval and Renaissance studies relies on the continuation of study and examination of the time period from other departments around campus,” said Robertson. Students majoring in medieval and Renaissance studies must take 12 credits, one being MRST-220, as well as two credits from within the three groups of disciplines. Majors must also complete two 200-level courses in a vernacular language of medieval and Renaissance Europe, such as French, Italian, Old English or Spanish. The coordinators of the program strongly recommend all majors to complete at least one year of Latin as a foundation for their studies as well. All majors must write a thesis. “The Medieval and Renaissance program was one of the reasons I was drawn to Vassar,” said Jillian Scharr ’12. (Disclosure: Scharr is a Contributing Editor for The Miscellany News.) “I’ve always loved myths and fairy tales, and this program let me shape a course of study that both encompasses the medieval and Renaissance period and allowed me to focus on medieval literature.” Lia Dykstra ’12 was drawn to the interdisciplinary study after taking The Dark Ages as her freshman writing seminar with Professor of History Nancy Bisaha, and listening to Assistant Professor of Art Andrew Tallon’s Art 105 lectures on medieval architecture. “I really liked that I would be able to take a variety of classes, from art history to History to French,
and have them all count towards my MRST major,” she wrote in an emailed statement. Bisaha, who teaches and advises in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies program, is quick to enumerate the benefits of a degree in medieval and Renaissance studies. “I think the degree has a surprising number of applications,” said Bisaha, “A student comes out of the program with great analytical and critical reading skills and strong, developed writing skills— all of which can be applied to an assortment of work fields.” In recent years, majors in medieval and Renaissance studies have gone on to graduate school for history, law and language; others have entered careers in architecture, publishing and teaching. Dykstra wrote, “I am hoping to get a Masters or a Ph.D. in architecture history. From there, I am not entirely sure what I will do, but I am interested in the conservation and restoration of historic monuments. The MRST program has definitely helped me to shape these goals, allowing me to explore my interests within the time period.” “My medieval and Renaissance classes always tie into seemingly unrelated classes, particularly my other major, media studies,” said Scharr. “I think an understanding of the medieval West helps us make sense of the present, gives us context for current trends. Just from a literary standpoint, knowing about the legacy of King Arthur folk tales provides a framework for understanding a lot of modern media such as novels, poetry and video games, and not just the ones with overtly medieval aesthetics.” In terms of number of majors, the Medieval and Renaissance Studies program is one of the smallest programs on campus. However, its size has allowed for an ongoing exchange of ideas and research between teachers and students to flourish. Schools comparable in size to Vassar often do not have enough courses within other departments focusing on the medieval or Renais-
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sance time periods to create a program. Larger universities do not have this problem, and Vassar is unique in its abundance of courses relating to medieval and Renaissance culture. “While it is not unusual for large universities to offer a degree in medieval and Renaissance studies, for small liberal arts colleges like Vassar to have an interdisciplinary program in this field is extremely rare,” Robertson said. “The faculty is genuinely committed to interdisciplinary thinking,” said Mestitz, “and I love how passionate they are when discussing their new research or paper. And being such a small program, the professors are interested in what us few majors think about a certain topic or what we are studying.” Dykstra noted, “Though small, [the program] has the support of an entire department that wouldn’t necessarily be there if it was just a self-designed major, for example. I feel that I have a much better understanding of the Middle Ages because of the classes I have been able to take than I would have if I had chosen a more traditional major like history or art history.” The program organizes a dinner—which in past years has included traditional food and drink, such as meade—once or twice a semester for faculty, declared majors and perspective majors. The Medieval and Renaissance Studies program, similar to other interdisciplinary study programs at Vassar, faces skepticism from students about the degree’s usefulness and worth. Bisaha encourages those students who may be considering majoring in the program to think outside the box. “There is too much emphasis today on what job one is going to get after graduation and not enough focus on students pursuing an area of study that fascinates them,” Bisaha said. The Medieval and Renaissance Studies program is constructed for those students interested in any component of the eight centuries covered, whether their passion is art or language or literature.
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December 1, 2011
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Organic turkeys make for ethical Thanksgiving meal Roxanne Ringer Guest Columnist
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Courtesy of golocalprov.com
Courtesy of biologybiozine.com
f you’re recuperating from another Thanksgiving and multiple helpings of turkey then you’re not alone. More than 244 million turkeys are raised in the United States and about 46 million of those turkeys are eaten at Thanksgiving. The average weight of turkeys purchased is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey was consumed in the United States during Thanksgiving. The mass production of domesticated turkey for food has greatly damaged the health of the bird. Tens of thousands of domestic turkeys are usually kept in windowless rooms with constant low light that encourages continuous eating. The poor lighting leads to blindness and the unnatural eating habits make the turkey so big that if kept longer than a year the males become too heavy to support their own weight. They are usually killed around 14 to 18 weeks old when they’ve become a mature weight of 20 kg. This is twice the weight of a wild turkey whose life span can be as long as 10 years. Hens—female turkeys—are artificially inseminated because the male turkeys are too large to mate naturally without injuring the females. This has cut the genetic diversity in half. The domestic turkey is twice as susceptible to disease and isn’t sustainable long term. But 88 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving. If raised organically, there are health benefits to the meat. Turkey is a good source of protein. Just one serving of turkey provides 65 percent of your recommended daily intake of protein but is naturally low in fat. It contains vitamins that lower blood cholesterol, are essential for healthy skin, help improve brain function and tone muscles. So if you can, buy chemical-free turkey. Grass-fed turkey raised under organic conditions offer higher nutrition and are superior to birds given antibiotics or raised without access to natural pasture.
Free-range heritage turkeys, left, live outside with plenty of exercise and organic feed. They also tend to live longer than the mass-produced turkeys, right, which are kept in windowless rooms with constant low light. While cheaper, factory turkeys offer fewer health benefits than organic ones.
Turkey and Black Bean Sloppy Joes Ingredients:
»» 19 ounces turkey (93 percent lean) »» 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed »» 1 medium onion, sliced »» 1 tsp minced garlic »» 1 6-oz can tomato paste
»» »» »» »» »» »» »»
Standard frozen turkeys cost $2 a pound. Free range start at $3 a pound and organic birds USDA certified for their chemical-free feed and processing are generally $4 a pound. Go a step further up and there are heritage turkeys. These birds are allowed to mate freely and naturally, live outside with plenty of exercise and organic feed, live longer, stress-free lives and have family lines that can be traced back a century. They are heirloom turkeys. 99 percent of all turkeys raised in the United States are Broad-Breasted Whites, the breed specially
12-oz low sodium tomato juice 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp paprika 2 tsp chili powder 1 can tomatoes and green chiles 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp Onion & Herb Ms. Dash
Directions:
Brown ground turkey and drain fat. Combine remaining ingredients and heat till hot and desired thickness. Serve on whole wheat hamburger buns or whole wheat bread. Number of Servings: 8
developed and mass produced to have a meaty breast. This makes the elite heritage turkeys the remaining one percent. They’re much more expensive to raise and despite costing as much as $12 a pound, farmers raising the “turkey one percent” work hard to break even. But these pampered birds offer a huge difference in taste, carry less disease and aren’t pumped full of antibiotics. Whenever possible try eating a healthier, organic, free-range turkey dinner. If you’re concerned about falling asleep after because of the tryptophan in turkey,
don’t worry. That’s a myth. Although there is tryptophan in turkey and tryptophan does make you sleepy, it needs to be ingested on an empty stomach to have any affect. If your Thanksgiving is anything like mine that’s very unlikely to have occurred. Turkey actually has similar levels of tryptophan to chicken and cheese. The more likely culprit of the post-Thanksgiving dinner naps is the overeating and carb heavy meal. So try this easy low carb, high flavor turkey and black bean sloppy Joes recipe.
Vassar Dogs breaks onto Poughkeepsie restaurant scene Juan Bautista-Dominguez
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Guest Reporter
Alex Schlesinger/The Miscellany News
assar Dogs promises to be one of Raymond Avenue’s most popular restaurants. The new, family owned and operated hot dog joint coalesces an affordable but delicious meal with original recipes and a homey atmosphere. Owners Ralph and Christine Nace introduced themselves to the community at the Arlington Street Fair and officially opened less than two months ago on Oct. 6. Christine Nace explains that they scoped out Dutchess County looking for the perfect location. “We drove around Rhinebeck, Red Hook, Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie but decided on this area. We loved it. It’s a nice and friendly community where you can step off the sidewalk and cars stop and where people wave and greet you.” Nace added, “The other restaurants have welcomed us. They’ve come in and eaten while we do the same for their places. It’s a very friendly and nice atmosphere.” She also feels that Vassar Hot Dog’s cuisine is original enough to join the bevy of food establishments. “Since it’s such a diverse collection of restaurants it all depends on the mood the person is in. It’s whether you want Indian, Middle Eastern, subs, pizza or hot dogs with specialty sauces. When we came in we tried to make sure we weren’t selling the same products. We didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes.” The menu is refreshingly simple. Besides sandwiches, salads and side orders, the main attractions are hot dogs and the soup or stew of the day, which are all under $4. Rob Manukyan ’14 said, “It’s a hefty meal that is light on the wallet.” The hot dogs with sauce come in three kinds: Lone Star, NYC or chili. The prices range from $2 to $3, perfect for a student’s wallet. According to Nace, the Lone Star sauce is a tad spicy but not lingering or fierce enough to bite, made with beef, raw onions and mustard. The NYC is “sweet and spicy onion with a tangy tinge, being the biggest hit because it is vegetarian.” Lastly, the homemade chili sauce with garlic and onion is made from scratch everyday. Said Nace, “At the Arlington Street Festival I just made the chili for the dogs. But when some
people from the chili cook off came over they told me it was delicious and that I was in the competition for next year.” She was certainly surprised her topping was up to par with their specialty chili. She added jokingly, “If had known I was in a cook off, I would have left with some bragging rights.” However, Nace gives credit where it’s due. “I’m from a big family and my mother used to make these sauces for us so she passed on the recipes to me. Anytime friends came over and I’d whip something up for them I would always hear the same suggestions of ‘Oh I like this, you should bottle this and sell it.’” Patron Aaron Steinberg ’13 said, “The chili was delicious but not heavy enough to smother the hot dog’s flavor. The meat itself was probably the best part.” This comes as no surprise, as the Naces’ purchase their dogs from a local distributor that produces an all beef product as well as a turkey and veggie dog. “The turkey and veggie are big hits for the health conscious who are coming from the yoga sessions just upstairs,” Christine Nace said. Vassar Dogs also offers Sabretts, a brand of hot dog that is renowned for the famous snapping sound it makes when bitten. However, the restaurant has found that few prefer these over the local meats. There is always a large demand for Nace’s soup or stew of the day. “People enjoy the homemade stew with your roll and crackers, which is a good meal under $5,” she said. “If I don’t have the stew because it’s run out, I hear it from my customers.” One of her regulars, a custodian at Vassar, makes sure to advertise the stew every time she stops by, announcing, “I love the stew here. Get it every time I come in.” She asked people sitting at the counter and those on the street outside, “Have you tried the stew?” The word of mouth regarding the menu seems to be effective, as many of her customers are Vassar workers. “A lot of the staff from Vassar comes in when we open at 10 a.m. because that is when their lunch break is. We are glad that we can
Above, Vassar Dogs co-owner Christine Nace prepares a hot dog for a customer. Vassar Dogs, which opened Oct. 6, offers three kinds of sauces for its hot dogs: Lone Star, NYC and Nace’s signature chili. accommodate to their needs. It’s a big deal. If you only have a half an hour for lunch you can come in here and get your meal, sit down, relax and get back to work soon,” said Nace. The busiest hours are early in the day. “There are droves from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. where there’s just standing room. On rainy days we are swamped when everyone wants a good stew or chili.” Although Vassar Dogs seems to be accommodating Vassar’s workers well, the Nace’s feel they can improve their accessibility to the student body. “We would like to find out more about what students need. Whether it be menu items or operation hour accommodation. We’ve had the college students come in but we still have to figure out the hours. We’ve heard that you guys come out at night because some classes don’t end until late.” Their free $20-or-
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
der-minimum delivery fits the bill, but more needs to be done in their eyes. Vassar Dogs’ owners seem willing to jump through our bureaucratic hoops as well. “We would like to speak to some student association to find out what the need is. We would love to open our doors up to a Vassar chess club looking for a place to meet at seven in the evening.” Said Nace, “We kept [Vassar Hot Dogs] homey and small so that we can get to know people. We would love to get on a first name basis with our customers so that they can feel as comfortable as possible.” Jamie Turak ’13 said, “I definitely felt like I was back in my local sit down. The congeniality made it seem as though I had been coming for years.” Their motto, “Come as our guests ... leave as our friends” synthesizes it all.
FEATURES
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March, panels contribute to ongoing campus discussion AWARENESS continued from page 1 hits since the site went up on Oct. 7,” they wrote. Students can go to the Kenyon Club Room during Break the Silence Week at 8:30 p.m. every night to engage in discussion. Topics will vary each night. Individuals can share thoughts, experiences, reflections and learn more about the discussion topic. Counseling and Assistance in Response to Rape and Exploitive Sexual Activity (CARES) listeners will be present at each of these discussions to provide support and resources. Monday’s topic will be consent, followed by spectrum of assault on Tuesday, relationship abuse on Wednesday and how to help a friend on Thursday. While Feminist Alliance is acting as a proxy for the event, formally sponsoring it in order to obtain funding and space, the event organizers hail from many different organizations, including SAVP, CARES, The Women’s Center, the LGBTQ Center, The Women’s Studies Program, Grassroots Alliance for Alternative Politics, Act Out, Queer Coalition of Vassar College, the ALANA Center and TransMission. None of the organizations are explicitly affiliated with the Break the Silence website, which its creators say is independently run. From Wednesday, Dec. 7 to Friday, Dec. 9, the involved organizations and individuals will present a public project in the College Center. It will resemble the format of All-College Day with a large, three-sided display with which viewers can interact. “One side will be a space for written reflections. Another will be a photo project, in which people can show their solidarity with ending personal violation by having their picture taken and added to a collage. The third side will be the beginning of an ongoing art project in the form of a multimedia quilt that will allow the expression of feelings in a collaborative, visual way. We will provide plenty of supplies, but people can feel free to bring their own as well, and we plan to have additional workshops and opportunities to contribute after the week has finished. Ultimately, the quilt will be permanently installed in a public location on campus,” wrote the group of organizers. During tabling hours, printed stories from the Break the Silence website will also be available for view. However, organizers stress that the students who post on Break the Silence always have the ability to request that their stories not be used in a public project,
and that stories for which this request has been made will not be included. Additionally, if any submitter decides at any time, including during Break the Silence Week, that they do not want their story included, they can comment anywhere on the Break the Silence site or email breakthesilenceatvassar@gmail.com and say so. Their story will be removed from the display immediately. The final event of the week will be a solidarity march on Friday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. The goal of this march is to reclaim Vassar as a safe place for students. Informal conversation, reflections, refreshments and live music will be in the Aula immediately after the march. Students involved wrote, “While this [march] is the official end of Break the Silence at Vassar Week, we hope that this event’s effect will be ongoing. The event’s intention is not only to raise awareness about issues of personal violation on campus and to empower and support individuals who have experienced personal violation, but also to inspire community members to consider the impact of their words and actions. Hopefully, participants in the events will feel equipped to advocate for greater respect and safety both on campus and in the world at large.” For students who have been affected by personal violation, there are resources available both at Vassar and off-campus. On-campus student services include CARES, a confidential peer-listening service, and Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), trained faculty and administrators who can provide support, advocacy and information for survivors of personal violation. To reach CARES or SART, call the CRC at (845) 437-7333 and ask to speak to the CARES or SART counselor on call or to a SART representative. CARES can also be reached by email at CARES@vassar.edu, and SART can be reached atsavp@vassar.edu. Offcampus resources include the Rape Crisis Hotline at (845) 452-7272 and The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network at www.rainn. org. For more resources, check out breakthesilenceatvassar.com/resources. As a final note as to the inspiration for hosting the event this week, students involved wrote, “We decided to have the event now as a culmination of a semester of working to raise awareness about and end personal violation on Vassar campus. However, we hope that the message of the event will continue to be powerful even after the event takes place.”
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December 1, 2011
CSC researches Admissions gender gap, SAVP abroad COALITION continued from page 1 goals in an emailed statement, “I’d say our goal is to improve student life, particularly to improve Vassar for students in marginalized groups. To do that, we’re trying to come up with some specific, affordable, concrete changes the College can make.” Once those changes are agreed upon, representatives will speak with members of the administration to institute certain changes, such as adding more social awareness programming to Freshman Orientation or ensuring that all Vassar Study Abroad programs have Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention resources available for students. Some issues require careful consideration and research, for example, when the group questions the way Admissions presents the school to prospective students, or asking whether men have an unfair advantage in the admissions process. At one meeting on Nov. 20, several attendees expressed concern that Vassar was being marketed to draw more male applicants, with an undue emphasis on sports and sciences, but not as a place that welcomes people of all genders, races and sexual orientations. The gender gap in Admissions was also a major point of discussion, and one that concerned several members. Research occasionally includes investigating personal anecdotes to determine if a problem actually exists. For example, some members had heard that financial aid was only guaranteed for eight consecutive semesters, which could cause problems for students who had to take a leave of absence. A few group members spoke with administrators in the Office of Financial Aid and discovered that aid is actually guaranteed for eight semesters, whether consecutive or not. This guarantee, for the most part, put the issue to rest. Though the group is concerned that future staffing changes in the department could result in changes to the current policy and would like the guarantee in writing, they recognized that it was not a major issue. Group members emphasized the usefulness of being well informed about current policy and issues on campus when suggesting changes to administrators. “It’s important to us that we enter the discussion with as much factual information as we can. We’re still adjusting the list of changes we’d like to see as more people come into the group and as we do more research about the official current policies,” wrote Ritter. The group’s strategy is largely based on consensus-building and positive change rather than acrimony. “We’re really trying to help create some productive dialogue between the administration and the student body,” claimed Ritter. “While the administration sometimes has different priorities than we do, they are not our enemies by any means.” She felt that often issues between the administration and students resulted from misunderstandings or administrators’ lack of awareness of problems among the student body. Ritter believed that these failures in communication make student input from groups like the CSC all the more important in helping the administration do their jobs. “We are all involved because we care about Vassar, and while we recognize that it is an amazing place as compared to many, this cannot be used as an excuse to let issues slide,” added Feldman. “Keeping Vassar wonderful takes work and we want to make sure that that work continues to happen ... I believe that we will have many productive meetings with administrators because we are coming not from a place of animosity but from a place of mutual concern and love for Vassar.” Ritter believed most of their interactions with the administration so far have been mutually beneficial, though admittedly limited. “The meetings we’ve had with administrators so far have been great, but we definitely need to continue the conversation,” she stated. Feldman explained further, “We have not specifically spoken to the administration as the Concerned Students Coalition but several of our members have begun conversations with administration as representatives of different orgs.”
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
For example, some members have already met with Dean of the College Chris Roellke and Director of Admissions and Financial Aid David Borus to discuss their concerns, though not officially as members of the CSC. Administrators agreed that the experience was a positive one. Said Borus of the meeting, “We talked about a few of the rumors that seem to be floating around campus, as well as some more substantive concerns which they had about how and why our office handles certain aspects of the admissions process. We covered quite a bit of ground and was a useful exchange for me and hopefully for them as well.” The CSC also wishes to work with other student groups, in addition to administrators, and many members already participate in student activist organizations. “The group consists of members of Fem Alliance, Transmissions, ACCESS and the JSU [Jewish Student Union],” wrote member Emily Goddard ’15. The Coalition has also reached out to activist and identity-based groups on campus in the hopes of drawing interested members. This might be more difficult than they had originally expected. “Our original email to the heads of a lot of related orgs wasn’t as successful as we hoped but we are working on publicizing our meetings and goals better and we have had new voices at every meeting,” admitted Feldman, though he remained confident that the group would expand its membership. Vassar Student Association (VSA) approval was not a priority for those Coalition members who were interviewed. Wrote Goddard, “The group exists as a means of bringing together people to work for a common cause in order to get something accomplished. I don’t think we expect the group to be very long term.” “Becoming certified takes time and effort that would be better used, I feel, working towards making improvements on campus. Additionally, we have no need for a budget and our members include representatives from many orgs that can stand in for us if we need to reserve a room to meet or the like,” explained Feldman. However, he was quick to point out that the organization wishes to work with the VSA, as well as faculty and alumnae/i to improve the College. One challenge that the Coalition has faced is that of diversity. While they wish to address issues that affect the entire student body, a meeting on Nov. 20 consisted mostly of white, female students. “We are still in the early phases, so our main challenge has been getting a wide range of voices represented,” stated Feldman. “We want our list of requests to be as inclusive as possible and to represent the needs of as wide a range of Vassar students as possible.” This made expanding the CSC’s membership especially important, as members ralized that not everyone may share their particular vision for Vassar. Member Faren Tang ’12 also recognized that her own interests affect the way she approaches issues, though she felt this was not restrictive. Speaking of issues that are particularly important to her, Tang said, “I want campus to be welcoming and safe for people of all genders. But of course, people of all genders fall into all kinds of identity categories. So it’s not a way of limiting a focus, but that is how I tend to come at things.” Given the group’s connections with activist groups, some members do worry about appearing as though they only care about certain students. “I think that some students might write us off as being radical feminists and while many of us are, our requests are actually moderate for the most part,” wrote Feldman. “We are mainly looking at ways to streamline services and policies that would help out all students.” For example, Member Hannah Groch-Begley ’12 said, “I’m particularly interested in making sure that there are resources in place for students in tricky financial situations. For instance, having a financial consultant come in once or twice a year to talk to students ... Someone who could help students with everything from financial aid to budgeting for groceries.” However, Feldman realized, “We recognize that we can only recognize the voices of those who attend,” and encouraged others to make their voices heard.
OPINIONS
December 1, 2011
Miscellany News Staff Editorial
Organized student response regarding concerns of inclusion encouraging F
rom the upsetting comments at Serenading to the graffiti in Davison, the Campus Life Response Team (CLRT) has reported receiving more calls so far this semester than in the whole of the previous academic year. But the Miscellany News Editorial Board is glad to see students taking a concrete first step in addressing issues that have troubled the entire campus, especially unelected ones from outside the Vassar Student Organization and its various committees. We urge these groups to engage with the administration and student body, and to adhere to their self-imposed mandates in the future. Moreover, we commend students for actively promoting causes, and hope that these conversations move forward in respectful and inclusive ways. The Concerned Students Coalition (CSC) is one such group. Its mission is to ensure the proper representation of all groups on campus by addressing issues of inclusion and transparency in College policy. Out of its discussions, the CSC plans to generate a list of specific, targeted changes to bring before the College [See “Students form Coalition in response to current campus climate issues” on Page 1]. While the CSC’s goals are themselves significant, we feel that the emphasis its members have placed on clearly communicating their objectives to the community is just as important. As the group’s conversation continues, therefore, we hope it will remain dedicated to connecting with the College at large. We commend the CSC for its commitment to approaching the administration with a viewpoint informed by careful research and
analysis. Its focus on research and informed action is laudable, and stands out in stark contrast to some previous attempts by student activist groups. We hope that this focus on educated discussion fosters productive conversations. As the actions of past groups have shown, such as the Campus Solidarity Working Group in the ’09-’10 academic year, reactionary measures are often more divisive than constructive, and the emergent acrimony often detracts from the groups’ own messages. We commend the CSC for attempting to work with the administration, beginning what we hope will be a fruitful discussion that leads to productive change. Additionally, as a body outside of the Vassar Student Association Council, the CSC is a powerful example of unelected students taking initiative in bringing their concerns before the campus. We also commend the CSC’s plan to educate the community about its goals through holding open meetings and tabling in the College Center. We hope that it remains committed to creating these teachable moments, which not only ensure that a large part of the community is involved in their initiatives but also that students will be informed about the issues that they might have previously ignored. Though they often start out as a small group of similarly-minded people, we urge all groups like these to actively collaborate with the community and work to acquire a sweeping understanding of the viewpoints of the general student body, as opposed to acting in isolation. We urge groups to make use of the surrounding resources; for example, fellow concerned students and members of the administration are good places to voice and
listen to concerns about issues of campus life. Such commitment to diverse viewpoints can only enhance the power and scope of a group’s mission. We urge all activist student groups to collect student opinions, collaborate with related student groups and conduct conversations with openness and respect. Town hall meetings are another avenue for these types of conversations. We urge all students to take advantage of these forums, which are integral links between the administration and the student body. For town hall meetings to be productive, however, it is crucial that they continue to be spaces in which respectful dialogue and conversation can occur. This respect has sometimes been lacking in the previous meetings, resulting in polarized conflicts between students and administrators. These are hindrances to the free flow of ideas between students and administrators. We hope that the CSC will be a catalyst for dialogue and change on campus and engage with the entire community and our diverse opinions and concerns. Likewise, we urge all students to be informed about the activist groups on campus. There is no excuse for students to passively ignore issues that matter so directly to them. Instead, we urge concerned students to be active participants, learning about groups on campus and fostering reasoned, respectful conversations among the community. —The Staff Editorial represents the opinion of at least two thirds of the 21-member Miscellany News Editorial Board.
‘Microaggression’ critique quells discourse Josh Solomon
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Guest Columnist
or me, the Sexism Teach-in—hosted by Vassar’s Feminist Alliance Nov. 3—was an extremely strange event. I completely agree with the sentiment that sexism is a problem on campus and that recent occurrences such as the Davison graffiti are extremely troubling and not acceptable. Yet, after listening to the panel’s articulate discussion of a wide variety of related topics, I felt I had to express a slight dissenting point in a respectful manner. I thought that they had neglected to take into account the importance of free speech in their comments on the power of language. However, my comment was dismissed as trivial by most of the respondents of the panel. Of course language has power, but I don’t think it excuses the silencing of thought that emerges from the strong emphasis on political correctness at Vassar. Hate speech, such as the Davison graffiti, is unacceptable. No one who cares deeply about Vassar as a community would disagree. There is no place for these incidents at Vassar. However, there is a clear difference between hate speech and free speech that may be controversial. One may feel prejudice towards a certain group and they have the right to express it as Americans. At Vassar, a casual conversation using muted terms is far more appropriate than a public message that is aimed directly at those who may be offended. Sadly, on a campus of 2600 students, some prejudice is bound to happen. This is not morally correct, but it is possible to be troubled by the prejudice while still allowing people their important constitutional right to speak freely in a way that does not infringe on the well-being of the campus. My bigger problem with the lack of understanding of free speech on campus emerges from the concept of microaggressions. The popular website Microaggressions.com defines microaggressions as “the subtle ways
in which body and verbal language convey oppressive ideology about power or privilege against marginalized identities.” This idea makes sense in theory, but its application among Vassar students and on the website is problematic. People on the panel used the term to describe both rape jokes and using the word “crazy” to refer to a person or action. Those two things are not equitable. Rape jokes make light of a serious issue and are not acceptable in the vast majority of conversations with intelligent individuals, while the word “crazy” has entered the casual lexicon and is almost never meant to actually belittle mental illness. Since microaggressions are defined differently by different people, changing one’s individual conversational patterns is almost impossible. This excessive self-regulation also potentially limits campus-wide discussion about controversial topics. Instead, a common consensus should be used to differentiate between the slight, unintended diversions from political correctness and language that is truly insensitive. I had a particular gripe with one panel member’s characterization of Vassar’s comedy scene as “sexist.” It would be unrealistic to claim that a sexist joke has never been publically performed on campus, but the vast majority of jokes and sketches that have been referred to as problematic are actually comments on said issues if you examine the content closely. For instance, one joke at a Comedy Normative show last semester about an Anorexia Teach-in’s poster that stated that “light refreshments will be served” was not making fun of eating disorders, but rather on the lack of care that went into advertising the event. The point of a large percentage of successful comedy (and this particular joke) is to satirically explore difficult topics and to create dialogue about them. If this
type of comedy is removed from Vassar, it not only diminishes the quality of entertainment on campus, but it also hurts the ability for these issues to be discussed in meaningful ways. This is where limiting free speech creates unintended negative consequences. This lack of discussion is also related to how terms like “feminist” and “liberal” are used in incorrect ways by certain groups. For instance, the Feminist Alliance aims to bring together a unified community of feminists at Vassar, but references to sexism and comments on the content of toy stores on their posters limit their inclusivity. The Feminist Alliance represents one strand of feminist thought and not the entire spectrum of Vassar students who reject gender inequality and stereotypes. Others are not as beholden to seeking out the aforementioned microaggressions and hope to attack sexism by listening to all of the perspectives on campus instead of critiquing those who disagree with minor points, but agree with the general message. This was the main problem I observed among the panel. Very few people wanted to listen to others’ concerns, but they were very comfortable expressing their passionate opinions. Passion is good, but it may not help in achieving a campus free of prejudice. If this is the aim, then letting people express their views, without feeling like they may be punished, is crucial. A strong emphasis on political correctness inhibits this idea and serves to further divide our campus. As an openminded campus, we should be embracing the idea of free speech and allowing people to express their views in a non-hateful manner, no matter how controversial they may be. However, as the Sexism Teach-in proved, this is not the reality in campus discourse. —Josh Solomon ’13 is a sociology major.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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Raw Milk Co-op disseminates dangerous info David Esteban
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Guest Columnist
recent article discussed the Vassar Raw Milk Co-op, which brings unpasteurized milk to Vassar College (“Co-op offers raw milk delivery service,” 11.10.11). The article raises several important questions about raw milk, pasteurization and sustainable agriculture, but some of the information presented is incorrect. Importantly, Vassar’s Raw Milk Co-op website, to which readers are directed, has a great deal of misleading, incorrect or unsubstantiated information. In the production and packaging of milk, it can become contaminated at virtually any stage of the process. That contamination, when it is by organisms like E. coli or Listeria, is what causes milkborne illness. Pasteurization, a process of heating milk to reduce the levels of microorganisms present, will kill those contaminating bacteria if they are present. The risk in drinking raw milk is due to the fact that if it does become contaminated, you will be consuming those pathogens. In a farm environment, it is safe to assume that contamination will, at some point, happen. Pasteurization is one check that we have to protect us from that. The majority of cases of milkborne illness result in diarrhea and/or vomiting. Occasionally the symptoms can be more severe, such as in last week’s outbreak in California, in which five children have become sick. Three have been sent to the hospital with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure. These cases have led to the recall of the organic raw milk, contaminated with E. coil 0157:H7, which has been linked to the outbreak. There are outbreaks associated with pasteurized milk as well, usually due to post-pasteurization contamination, such as at the packaging stage. However, it is estimated that only one percent of people consume raw milk, but from 2000 to 2007, 75 percent of outbreaks were associated with contaminated raw milk. In New York consumers can choose to buy raw milk from a farm if they determine that they are comfortable with the level of risk. But it is also important that they know the facts behind the reported benefits to balance their decision. Many proponents of raw milk claim that industrially raised, antibiotic-laden cattle given GMO corn feed produce milk that needs to be pasteurized because it is inherently of poor quality and unsafe, but that organically raised pasture fed cows produce milk that is safe. That is simply untrue. Pasteurization was developed in the mid 1800s to eliminate pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, not to fix the problems of industrialized agriculture. There is no credible scientific evidence to support the suggestion that organic pasture-fed cows generate safer milk than cows from industrial farms. Contamination by pathogenic organisms comes from fecal matter, the environment, the handlers, packaging, storage and undetected infections in the animals, and is unrelated to diet and housing conditions. Additional claims such as that pasteurized milk causes allergies, asthma or other conditions are not supported by the scientific literature. The claim that raw milk is better for individuals who are lactose intolerant is not supported by scientific data either, and represents a clear misinterpretation or misunderstanding of available information. The level of nutrients in raw compared to pasteurized milk is not significantly different, invalidating yet another central claim in support of raw milk. There is an abundance of misinformation on the topic of raw milk. Unfortunately, groups like Vassar’s Raw Milk Co-op perpetuate this misinformation. At Vassar, we often say “go to the source.” This is an opportunity to practice that principle. Rather than seeking confirmation of one’s beliefs in the websites of others, we must check the original research. What is actually supported by credible scientific investigations? Is the information you are reading being correctly interpreted? Are you getting the whole story or just fragments? In the end, if what you want is to support small local farms, humane treatment of animals, and to have the sense of community achieved from getting to know the farmer who raises your food, then by all means support those farms. These issues are distinct from the question of pasteurization. If you want, you can even get the raw milk and pasteurize it yourself. Just heat your milk on the stove to 63 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes before drinking it. —David Esteban is an assistant professor of biology at Vassar College.
OPINIONS
Page 10
December 1, 2011
Egyptian activism must persist in elections Bill Crane
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What are you thankful for at Vassar?
“Feminism.”
Callie Beusman’12
“That it’s still warm enough this year to wear this dress.”
Cara Chaudron ’14
“My roommate, for being awesome.”
Rory Moon ’15
“Departmental parties that possess exorbitant amounts of alcohol.”
JJ Cross ’12
“The culled deer.”
Sam Caravaglia ’12
“Friends who don’t steal other friends’ jackets.”
Andrew Culbreth ’12 —Juliana Halpert, Photography Editor Alanna Okun, Humor & Satire Editor
Guest Columnist
gyptians go to the polls on Monday and Tuesday this week, the first election since the departure of Hosni Mubarak, whose National Democratic Party ruled the country for decades through widespread corruption, cronyism and violence. The election, scheduled by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) that is currently the highest power in Egypt, has been called the country’s first “free and fair” election in decades. According to reports, most Egyptians have been enthusiastically participating, and are expected to vote in a lower house of parliament dominated by parties ranging from liberals to moderate Islamists to more conservative Salafi Islamists. The SCAF has hurried through elections that will, it hopes, give its regime some popular and international legitimacy. Foreign governments seem united in support of the SCAF, which claims that these elections mark the successful completion of the aims of the Jan. 25 revolution. This is also expected by prominent observers of the international scene, for example Thomas Friedman, who wrote in his column for the New York Times, “Egypt needs a peaceful democratic transition set in motion now.” From this perspective, the continued occupations of Tahrir Square in Cairo and of squares in Alexandria, Suez and other cities, the demonstrations that have rocked the SCAF government in the past week, the clashes with police that have left hundreds dead and injured since Mubarak left are so much annoyance in Egypt’s orderly,
democratic transition. Yet, even though the elections seem to be viewed as legitimate, there is reason to consider the other side, that of the activists in Cairo and elsewhere who are actually boycotting the elections. An Egyptian revolutionary, when considering the elections, might point out that even under the new civilian government, the SCAF is likely to retain most of the power. Under the constitutional framework established by the SCAF for these elections, the executive cabinet remains to be appointed by the military, and the elected parliament is not empowered to withdraw confidence from the cabinet or form its own government. Furthermore, the military exercises veto power over anything having to do with its own affairs, limiting severely civilian overview of the military’s crimes against protesters and prisoners occurring both under Mubarak and after Jan. 25 as well. Our revolutionary might continue by pointing out the continuities of the SCAF regime and Mubarak’s government. In the first place, the leaders of the current government supported Mubarak for 30 years until the revolution forced his ouster. The military profited massively from Mubarak’s rule, both in terms of the unpopular alliances with the United States and Israel (the former is the largest supporter of the Egyptian military, and revolutionaries have pointed out that tear gas used against protests comes from the United States) and its increasing capitalistic stake in agriculture and manufacturing. The SCAF itself drove the point home recently by appointing Kamel el-Ganzouri, a founder of Mubarak’s
NDP, as the new prime minister. More practically, Egyptians continue to suffer in the same ways they did under Mubarak. The Jan. 25 revolution would not have succeeded if it were not for millions of workers who struck for Mubarak’s departure, who formed independent trade unions and continue to demonstrate against SCAF for the right to strike. For these workers and most other ordinary Egyptians, the basic facts of their life in a time of low wages and mass unemployment make the revolution far from over. Arbitrary arrests and imprisonment and torture of activists against the regime have likewise continued. Whatever the results of the elections, it is hard to imagine that these people will continue to endure the rule they revolted against once this year already. As Mostafa Ali, journalist and member of the Egyptian Revolutionary Socialists has written, “pushing the military back into the barracks and having a constitution and parliament to make them accountable is much harder to achieve than making them sacrifice a Mubarak. They have so much more at stake economically and politically.” We can only hope that the people who deposed Mubarak, who occupy Tahrir and the other squares, who strike and demonstrate against autocratic rule and economic injustice, will continue to carry the revolution forward as far as necessary. That, and not relying on the benevolence of the military or the success of these elections, is the only way to ensure a just, free and fair Egypt. —Bill Crane ‘12 is an Asian studies major.
Congress’s ineptitude unacceptable Jack Mullen
L
Guest Columnist
ast Wednesday was the official deadline for any recommendations from the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, which you may better recognize by its more colloquial—and malapropos—title, the “supercommittee.” 12 members of Congress—six senators, six representatives, split equally by party—were tasked with finding at least $1.2 billion to reduce from our budget over 10 years by either raising taxes or reducing spending, or some combination of the two. As bipartisan and equitable as its composition may sound, the supercommittee was, of course, inexorably doomed for failure. Wednesday passed without any “super” deal having been reached, and consequently a barrage of spending cuts will be automatically triggered in 2013, effectively filling the void where the committee had fallen short. Now, instead of attributing the failure of the supercommittee to the capabilities of the individual actors involved, I would prefer to use this moment to take a step back and fully absorb the context in which this debacle unfolded. Rather than scrutinize Rep. Jeb Hensarling’s (R-TX) ability to compromise or lament President Obama’s lack of involvement during the negotiations, I see the supercommitee’s ineptitude as an unfortunate manifestation of today’s polarized political climate—and a symptom of Congress’ incorrigible nature. As the 112th Congress opened its legislative session to begin the year, insurgent Tea Party members were sworn in with the nation’s $14 trillion debt tattooed to their foreheads. They promised to end reckless government spending and vowed to veto any increase of the Treasury’s borrowing limit, known as the “debt ceiling,” that did not accompany commensurate spending cuts. Although threatening the payment of treasury bonds is, in my opinion, an ignoble bargaining strategy, I do believe that the United States’ unsustainable deficit trajectory was something worth addressing, especially given the current volatility among Europe’s debt-laden countries. Given this self-imposed mandate to confront our national debt, Congress devoted eight months to discussing deficit-reduction, squabbling in acrimony until an 11th-hour deal. In the past, these last-minute Congres-
sional productions can be embraced as transient moments of transcendental compromise (Bill Clinton’s reform of welfare and Ronald Reagan’s tax reform in 1986 come to mind); the “Budget Control Act of 2011,” however, was justifiably greeted with contempt. The bill was the culmination and crystallization of Congressional paralysis. For months, Republicans trifled over fractions of the discretionary budget while Democrats failed to coalesce behind the principles that the vast majority of the American public had been demanding—namely, a balanced approach of spending cuts and tax increases to reduce our deficit. And when it came time to act decisively in the face of sputtering markets, Congress remained entrenched in partisanship, offering only a slim sum of budget cuts, and outsourcing the rest of the responsibility to a supercommittee. Since the supercommittee then operated under virtually the same circumstances as Congress, was it any surprise that their failure was inevitable? As David Leonhardt recently put it, where debt meets politics is a tough place to be. Soaring deficit projections present our leaders with a formidable challenge—one that I’m afraid cannot be reconciled due to the rapidly growing chasm that separates our two parties’ ideologies. A sane and responsible polity would emphasize the need for shared sacrifice and recognize the public’s desire for a balanced approach (with poll after poll indicating a consensus on taxing the rich and wealthy, in addition to reigning in spending). But the fusion of the GOP’s fanatical anti-tax dogma and Democrats’ (including the president) incompetent messaging skills have come to render our political system obsolete. With Congress’s job approval mired in nigh-single digit territory, it is clear that Americans demand more from their elected officials. After the summer’s overextended budget deficit talks, Congress has at least redirected attention towards a deficit of greater magnitude—that of unemployment. Simply put, you cannot reduce deficits without economic growth, and given that unemployment figures remain alarmingly high, now is certainly an appropriate time to implement measures to improve our current economic state. The House and Senate indubitably have “bipartisan” instruments of growth at their disposal—extending unemployment
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benefits and the payroll tax cut, creating an infrastructure bank, providing tax incentives to employers who hire veterans or the longterm unemployed—these are things that are currently being championed by the president and have been embraced by members of both parties in the past. Or perhaps we’ll soon be introduced to a new gang of problem solvers to tackle our unemployment crisis—the media will herald the new and improved “powercommittee,” or maybe a “supersubcommittee,” will be conceived. But my suspicion remains that, no matter the kind of ornate title bestowed upon them, today’s officials in Washington have a chronic inability to function cooperatively. Congress has the impetus, and it has the ideas, but it eternally lacks the will. How long must we suffer before they decide to change? —Jack Mullen ’14 is a political science major.
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December 1, 2011
Police repression threatens free speech, democracy Jonathan Bix
T
Guest Columnist
he protection of freedom of speech is an absolutely essential part of any democracy. The United States usually prides itself on this First Amendment guarantee, and has a long history of protecting even disturbing free speech, such as anti-gay protests at military funerals, in its courts. It has traditionally separated itself in this regard from non-democratic nation-states which intimidate and suppress free speech through their military and police forces. However, the police response to Occupy Wall Street has begun to call the United States’ reputation into question. Occupy Wall Street began on Sept. 17 with little fanfare, and, by the third day, only dozens of activists remained. Then, police kenneled and pepper sprayed white women participating in the occupation, prompting public outcry. Two weeks later, nearly 3000 protestors marched down the Brooklyn Bridge, with 17,000 watching the march on a livestream. 700 marchers were beaten and arrested after police directed them onto the road. On Oct. 15, less than two weeks later, 10,000 to 15,000 protesters rallied in Times Square. Then police in Oakland beat ex-marine and Iraq veteran Scott Olsen so badly that he nearly lost his life and was hospitalized in the ICU. Occupy Wall Street was evicted from Zuccotti Park with sound cannons, pepper spray and gas, bulldozers, illegal suppression of the press and the most brutality the movement had yet experienced. It’s necessary to go into detail about the press suppression because of how important a free press is to free speech and it highlights just how much the First Amendment is under attack. The Society Of Professional Journalists has given its assessment that at the eviction many journalists were erroneously arrested and otherwise obstructed with a clear intent to restrict freedom of the press. Rosie Gray, a writer for The Village Voice, reported that in response to her not being allowed to report on the events taking place despite having the appropriate credentials, told an officer “I’m press!” The officer responded, “Not tonight.” NY1 TV reporter Lindsay Christ reported that police officers put a New York Post reporter into a chokehold. Josh Har-
kinson of Mother Jones reported that members of the press were prevented from entering the park and kenneled into areas where they could not see the eviction, and that those who were able to make it into the park, including himself, were quickly physically forced to leave when they were discovered. News helicopters were barred from flying over Zuccotti. The use of excessive force and aggressive behavior displayed by police in response to the Occupy movement over the past two months is inexcusable; however, it has also been one of the reasons the movement has grown so dramatically. Every time a person is subjected to dehumanizing police treatment, the story is shared, and it resonates with peers and community members—driving them to action. In response to the eviction, and also to celebrate the two-month anniversary of the movement, over 32,000 gathered at Foley square on Nov. 17 and once again marched across the Brooklyn Bridge. Among those who traveled to the city were 30 Vassar students who went to the Nov. 17 day of action at Wall Street. People began the day marching on Wall Street, and assembling peacefully outside of the New York Stock Exchange. One of our fellow Vassar students was among the 300 arrested for “disorderly conduct” and among the many mistreated by the police. As reported, “[she] was standing on the sidewalk near the front of the crowd, when a policeman reached into the group and pulled [her] down to the ground.” Despite being 5’4” and 120 lbs., and not resisting arrest, she reported that four officers surrounded and pinned her while putting on a pair of plastic ziptie cuffs. The zipties were cinched excessively tight and she soon began to lose feeling in one of her hands. After nearly an hour and a half waiting on the bus and standing in the jail yard, the student requested that the cuffs be loosened; however, she was told by an officer to “turn around and get back on the line.” Following the incident, another officer voiced concern to a lieutenant because the student’s hands were literally turning blue, but he denied the request. Almost a week later, she still has not regained feeling in part of her hand. Student free speech has played a particularly See OCCUPY on page 12
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Page 11
Second phase of Occupy Wall Street imminent Lane Kisonak
H
Guest Columnist
aving been in Scotland since before the beginning of the Occupy protests, it has sometimes been frustrating to be so removed from these places where conflicts between not just liberals and conservatives but also between young, nonviolent dissenters and an ever-more militarized, federalized police are unfolding. Early on, I wondered if the Occupy movement would have fizzled out before I could return to the States and see what it was all about firsthand. As the example of University of California (UC) Davis makes resoundingly clear, however, the struggle that is currently occurring is one that will not fizzle out. Indeed, it only seems to be commencing its next chapter, one less focused on the social and economic messages of Occupy than on the conflict arising between permanent occupiers and the public administrations ordering them to leave their sites. On Nov. 18 thousands of Americans clicked a link and found themselves on YouTube taking in what can only be described as the seminal political image of our times, broadcast from beside a sidewalk at the UC Davis. A line of young men and women sit on the concrete, arms linked and heads bowed to the ground. An officer in full riot gear strides coolly up and down the row, brandishing a canister of pepper spray. He sprays the students, who sit and take the punishment stoically. The crowd erupts in cries of “Shame on you!” and the police begin the heavy-handed business of extracting the pain-stricken students from the quad. That the crowd’s shouts all rang out in crystal-clear English made the video truly surreal and unsettling. For her part, UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi later apologized for the violence inflicted by officers on the passive demonstrators under her watch, saying that she had directed campus police to enforce the removal of tents from the quad but had given no direct order for pepper spray to be used. Katehi and the police are now taking steps to restore a semblance of trust between the student body and the administration, such as forming an investigative committee, placing officers on leave (albeit paid) and dropping charges for students arrested during the incident. These measures will hopefully go a small way toward clearing the air at UC Davis. Across the rest of the country, however, the pictures and video from UC Davis continue to provide ammunition for an already convincing case that police tactics have become too brutal to be tolerated. Many Occupy sites have witnessed eruptions of police violence, usually after the issuance of eviction orders and subsequent refusal to obey them. An octogenarian was pepper-sprayed in Seattle; a former U.S. Marine received a critical head wound in Oakland; young women on Wall Street were kettled behind orange police netting and hosed with mace. None of these victims were committing acts of violence. As these reports stack up, some have asked the question: Has the government begun to develop macro-level strategies and coordinate against the Occupy movement as a whole? The evidence over the past few weeks may affirm these suspicions; after the crackdown on Occupy Oakland, mayor Jean Quan told the BBC that she had been on a teleconference with the mayors of 18 other cities in order to address the question of how to deal with the permanent camps. While there is almost certainly not a grand conspiracy on the part of the federal government to quash the Occupy movement, as was suggested by Naomi Wolf last weekend in The Guardian, it is apparent that local police forces, even if they are just collaborating informally, are
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a few steps ahead of the Occupy movement in terms of implementing a broad strategy, perhaps simply one of attrition. This is a gap Occupy will have to narrow quickly if it wants to stay alive. Indeed, it often seems that the only thing keeping the Occupy movement in the news these days is the police brutality directed toward its members. Public support for the movement has fallen from highs of near 60 percent in October to roughly a third, with a plurality now disapproving, as shown in recent data from Public Policy Polling. The news isn’t all bad, though. A firm majority of Americans continue to support the core of Occupy’s original message, which is that income inequality is too high. In two months of operation, Occupy has succeeded in quintupling media coverage of inequality, according to research by Politico. This has led a number of commentators to suggest, in a semi-eulogistic manner, that Occupy has fulfilled its purpose—elevating equality into the public discourse—and that a fatal mix of public impatience, bitter winter col, and overall lack of momentum will bring Occupy to a quiet close. If the viability of a movement is to be assessed both on its public approval and on the message it is working to elevate, then Occupy must seize the opportunity that recent crackdowns have presented and reclaim control of the national discussion. Surprisingly, no scientific polling seems to have been conducted on the subject of police tactics in general since the start of Occupy in September, but the UC Davis incident seems to have brought the mass media to near-universal consensus that police officers are under-disciplined and over-weaponized (save for Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, who says pepper spray is food). But perhaps Occupy—as an organization using the tactics it uses—is no longer best suited to continue propagating the message it has been pushing to date; perhaps it is time for Occupy to begin its next peaceful battle: a focused and forceful message war against the militarization and brutality of police officers. A war waged only with the calm bravery and nonviolence shown by the UC Davis students, one that compels the country to reflect on why our police have become such an untrustworthy institution and what concrete steps might be taken to address this deterioration. Indeed, police brutality seems to be a much more manageable centerpiece than social inequality, with all of its complexities and moral dimensions. To be sure, the message of “We are the 99 percent” must not be lost in the shuffle, and such a strategy would be difficult to execute given the looseness of the Occupy movement. It should also be said that the problems endemic to Occupy—noise violations, unsanitary conditions on the street and actions which impede day-to-day life for the 99 percent, such as subway occupations— must be deeply minimized in the future. But the flexibility of Occupy may also prove useful here, as individual Occupy movements have demonstrated the ability to refocus themselves when they find themselves in danger of obsolescence. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, reports that several protests in the TriState area have shifted their messages to specific local concerns and have been successful. There is no reason why protests all around the country, in reaction to the injustices we see from Davis to Oakland to Seattle, could not point collectively toward a corrupted police system and make the case for a force that truly serves and protects. That is a national conversation worth having. —Lane Kisonak ’13 is a political science major.
OPINIONS
Page 12
Police brutality shines spotlight on Occupiers OCCUPY continued from page 11 important role in American history, for example in the Free Speech Movement at University of California (UC) Berkeley, where students protested to be allowed to participate in on-campus political activities. Yet recently, our collegiate peers at UC Davis who were protesting nonviolently on their campus were viciously dispersed with pepper spray. The students were sitting in a circle linking arms when a policeman walked up to them and methodically sprayed each of their faces at a distance of less than two feet. According to UC Davis Assistant Professor of English Nathan Brown, who was with the students, police officers later forced open some students’ mouths and sprayed pepper spray down their throats. As a result, several were hospitalized and were coughing up blood. Students and faculty at UC Berkeley, CUNY and other schools have also been beaten up by police during nonviolent protest. Unjustified police aggression is a threat to free speech, human rights and democracy itself. Physically harming people who are exercising free speech is a way of discouraging others from exercising speech, and allowing this type of behavior is not an option for any nation-state that wants to be a world leader. The arrests and brutalities that occurred on Thursday also testify to how our society values private property, profits and “business as usual” more than people and a serious democratic debate. As these acts of violence extend from Occupy protests to campuses across the country, as well as against members of our own campus community, Vassar students need to take action. It is important now, more than ever, that we show solidarity with the Occupy movement and our fellow students and demonstrate that we will not tolerate a police force which treats civilians as less than human. —Jonathan Bix ’14 is student at Vassar College.
December 1, 2011
Music industry should reconsider piracy Matthew Vassar
O
Best Founder Ever
ver the last few years, most music artists have shared the experience of watching their ticket costs rise sharply at a rate notably higher relative to other forms of entertainment. Compared to my own childhood musical heyday, concerts seem far less affordable. Before price increases across the board, shows could be attended mostly because of affordable prices that rendered them semi-frequent events rather than ultra-special occasions. On top of affordability, the process of musicgoing seems far more banal nowadays than past years. Returning once again to childhood, the price of whatever concert I sought on Ticketmaster remained fairly unpredictable. Tickets for the same show occasionally differed in cost themselves (even if slightly) depending upon time of purchase, specific distributor and will of the particular artist. Nowadays, however, it seems a price standard has been set: expect more rather than less. While I’m pleased in most cases with the direction of music as a live art form and its production, I am evermore disillusioned by its greed and perhaps—as it stands now— the industry’s current state of non-sustainability. Its fattening prices indicate either, if not both. Just recently a friend of mine mentioned he decided to go to a concert in New York City at a fairly intimate venue. He also mentioned that the asking price for general admission was set at $180. In disbelief, I hoped at least that at this venue he would have backstage access and unlimited eats and drinks to justify the monstrous price. For a long while I refused to imagine $180 equating to an ordinary show. Instead, I imagined him sillydancing a rave, nay, a small-scale music festival. Turns out, however, that the $180 price tag granted him only a three-hour acoustic session with Dave Matthews—something like an ordinary show. Expectedly, my friend contests that Matthews played a fantastic, if not utterly mind-blowing, show well worth the price. In this regard, it’s never only a show. Its worth was never questioned. There is doubt, however, as to whether or not cognitive dissonance affects retrospective evaluation of such prices: anyone who drops large bills intends to leave with no regrets. Just as easily, the evaluation could run the other way around. A steep $180 price
tag could challenge anyone to evaluate the entertainment worth, considering something like a daylong ski trip in its place. Therefore, perhaps high prices and evaluations of quality emerge in the era of increasing ticket costs to define a newer music industry grappling with music file sharing. The music industry can no longer rely solely on recorded work for revenue extraction due to widespread accessibility of free music online. File sharing emphasizes, if not resurrects entirely, an appreciation for the quality of the live show. Increased ticket costs seemingly come in response to the music industry’s file sharing war directly. Despite most artists’ pledge to uphold copyright policies and safeguard exclusive rights of their music, the ability of file-sharing websites, blogs and third-party programs to circumvent such exclusiveness is inescapable. As if subtly mocking such laws, most filesharing websites even sound a quick triumphant ding through the speakers upon completion of a download, matching music with more music. Music on the Internet is everywhere. Obtaining music either by pirating it or sharing it is something like a ubiquitous feature of the modern age. It’s difficult to imagine our society maintaining claims of minimal Internet censorship and simultaneously winning its war against anti-censorship Internet pirates. One would think that something has to give on either side. To me, anti-pirating laws can be best seen as a premature response to an increase of technological innovation. Such laws exist as an undying representation of musical nostalgia, where record labels and artists share in sizable profits of recorded studio albums so long as the same forms of recorded music once monopolized its distribution. Logically, the industry turns to other outlets of revenue extraction (live shows) to compensate for those outlets that take hits (studio albums). Measuring any band’s musical ability and profitable capacity increasingly comes under most scrutiny at live performances because today live shows suffice as a newer and more unexplored means to yield revenue. The development of annually organized music festivals, those that are limited to no singular genre and often include stand-up comedians, is only one testament to the expansion of this newer outlet.
Common sense sides with keeping music entirely accessible and free. Modulating the infinite spatiality of the Internet by way of more rigorous enforcement standards seems implausible. It also reveals that large industries and policy makers enact laws to maintain the profits of a past age. Regardless, surveillance of the Internet clashes with underlying societal values of freedom and movement on the Internet. Constricting such a musical overgrowth, therefore, should not be the focus of the music industry. If it is to continue this way, it will be depleting its funds attempting to immortalize the profit of its past. In this way, it’s unsustainable. Considering that it is in the benefit of most artists to keep music free for greater numbers of listeners, the industry’s war against music pirating seems almost to breed exclusive listening sentiments that are counter-productive to contemporary success of emerging artists. Regardless of such pirating woes, the industry’s demonstrated voracity towards keeping music exclusive helps explain why prices of live shows continue to steepen. They must, so long as the invested price of exclusiveness fails. It also explains that the industry is willing to spend large amounts of money and exercise lobbying power in support of complicating the Internet, rather than liberating it. To salvage something from the increase of prices, though, it will certainly challenge listeners to be much more evaluative at live performances. This will hopefully increase quality of shows as we become more critical critics. Higher prices also indicate that the industry is somewhat willing to adapt to newer means, despite its anti-piracy agenda. Higher prices imply that the industry, at least in part, turns its focus away from surveying Internet sharing and instead considers alternative means attempting to generate profit, even if involuntary. In coming years, the industry must embrace technological change rather than attempt to conquer it. Music moves in the direction of a fuller sound that includes active participation - dancing, whomping, jiving, and even living around – which reminds us it’s usually more fun to trip the light fantastic than Ipodically listen. —Jamie Turak ’13 is a political science and German double major.
Crossword by Jonathan Garfinkel, Crosswords Editor ACROSS 1. Where the rub is, perhaps
4. Roger Goodell’s org. 7. Certain malevolent A.I. 10. Sousa piece 12. Tic-tac-toe win 13. Rocky mountain native people 14. Loaded (with) 16. Childhood room feature 18. Heart line, briefly 19. “A ___ on you!” 20. Luau accessory 21. Guitarist Paul 22. Noble light, say 25. Hike 29. Move air 32. “Entourage” agent Gold
33. Wrath 35. Wicked wench, perhaps 37. Sheets, et. al. 40. Purpose 41. Underwater explorer Jacques ________ 44. They may be classified, briefly 45. Reason for a stop by the PD 46. Certain warriorwomen 49. Fill up 51. Italy’s ex? 52. Some window features, briefly 55. Ignited 58. Parisian summer 60. Creepermobile?
Answers to last week’s puzzle
61. Streep’s opposite in “Kramer Vs. Kramer” 65. Spillcam’s focus 67. Valuable rock 68. From ___ Z 69. Ian McEwan’s latest 70. Grad. sch. req. 71. Feline whine 72. Bug 72. Bug DOWN
1. Actor Mineo 2. School (of dress)? 3. Opening, perhaps 4. ___ Hill, San Francisco 5. Disgusting 6. Like a certain ranger, say 7. Center of activity 8. Consumed 9. Little light, abbr 10. Efficiency meas. 11. Curses 14. Fam. member 15. With “out”, just barely make it 17. Set of parts 23. Special ___ (SEAL’s purview) 24. Med. research agency 26. Techno scenes 27. “____ Go Bragh” 28. Highland attire 29. _____-wreck 30. Seattle-based outdoor equipment co. 31. Poet St. Vincent Millay and others 33. Parka wearing
indigenous 34. ___ judicata 36. Airport screen infobit (abbr.) 37. Some new TVs, briefly 38. Early caucus state 39. Acad. time unit 42. Carrier purporting to “know why you fly” (abbr.)
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43. Israeli weapon 47. Cookies-andcream ingredient 48. Early film “Birth of a ______” 50. Certain greenclad assistant 52. Allege 53. NCAA’s Bruins, briefly 54. Whence “Operaman” (abbr.)
56. Muslim holy man 57. ____ Modern, London 59. Jazzy Fitzgerald 61. Harley, say 62. Bruin Bobby ___ 63. Charge 64. 90’s-00’s pop album series 66. Do as a tail might
HUMOR & SATIRE
December 1, 2011
Page 13
OPINIONS
A visit to Vassar: One Mr. Bouchard’s guide to posthigh schooler’s journey registration fallout, angst, joy Arick Wong
Guest Columnist
D
ear Senior Year Diary,
OHMYGOD, I just spent the most amazing weekend at Vassar. It’s definitely my dream school, and I just submitted my Early Decision application yesterday. My application essay entailed a detailed narrative about my time at Fall Open House and how that one time I used “homosocial” as a word for hangman under the category “Words That Aren’t On Spell Check.” See? I just belong here. After returning home from Vassar, I bought a pack of American Spirits and indulged in thrift shopping. The cigarettes taste kind of gross, but I think they totally enhance my writing abilities. Also, my mother told me the sweater that I bought at the thrift store looks like Lupus, but I was like, “Whatever, mom. You’re just jealous because you went to state school.” I just feel so misunderstood in my hometown, Diary. People don’t understand my concerns. Like, the other day at the gas station my friend just expected her boyfriend to open all the doors for her, and I got so angry that I started yelling “STOP ABUSING YOUR GENDER NORMATIVE PRIVILEGES” at the top of my lungs. Everyone in the gas station stared blankly at me. I think the guy behind the counter almost called the cops, but the real crime here is that people are passively accepting these social constructs. UGH. Awkwardly, I walked to the counter, requested a bag of organic, free-trade Doritos and left before I got really emotional about the inherent binarization of public restrooms. I don’t think I can stand being here anymore. Anyways, during Fall Open House, I stayed with Drew, this sophomore in Joss. Word on the street and Collegeprowler says it’s the party dorm. (!) We went to this ironic-Pilgrim-and-NativeAmerican-themed party down the hall, and they had something called “Jungle Juice.” I figured since it’s just juice I’d drink a few cups of it, but then I started feeling funny and almost tried to take
my pants off. Later that night, some girl wearing a fringed poncho that she told me cost more than my house offered me what seemed like a drug cigarette. Now, I was a little nervous about trying this drug cigarette, but after a few hits I felt lightheaded and really wanted a sundae with banana, whipped cream, chocolate, bacon and pieces of lettuce. Is this what a drug cigarette does to you, Diary? After a few cans of some beverage called PBR, we left for this mysterious place called the “TAs.” I was not really sure what any of those letters stood for, but it was exciting walking along the dark path with a large group of people!@Like a real-life horror movie! All I remember from that party was that someone spilled beer on my Birkenstocks, and then I was swallowed into the crowd. My glasses fogged up for a minute, and I thought those were the last few minutes of my life. Thankfully, Drew dragged me away. Then, we went to Baccio’s (I’m not really sure how to spell it) for some pizza after hours. On our way back through campus to Bachio’s, I saw the longest suspending branch that I’ve seen on the tours! It was tempting to not climb this tree and also to not urinate on it. Going to Bauchio’s, I met what people referred to as “biddies.” They seemed really nice and just had a certain...energy to them. When I get to Vassar, I want to become the BEST BIDDY EVER. After eating Boughchio’s, I ended up falling asleep in the Joss multi-purpose room on top of the ping pong table. Oops! I woke up the next morning with a really bad headache and glitter all over my clothing. When my mother asked why I looked like shit, I just told her I spent the day working at Wimpfheimer—look how much I know already! Driving away from Vassar was painful, but I yearn to return next year to the Vassar bubble. Please accept me, Vassar!
Jean-Luc Bouchard
P
Guest Columnist
robably one of the most traumatic times your life, pre-registration has finally passed over us like a filthy black cloud filled with nightmares and unfulfilled academic dreams. But now that you have your schedule, what do you do? Find your place in the list and read up! If you’re a person who received all the classes they signed up for: You are the worst kind of student on campus, hands down. Having spent all of pre-registration complaining about your 568 draw number, the surprise caused by registration success will be quickly overrun by feelings of ultra-pride, megalomania and acute sadism. Everything you talk about for the next three weeks will be peppered with the loving seasoning of reminding others of your triumphant re-ordering of the pre-registration list at 11:58 p.m. Friday night. Do this: Drop all your classes at the start of next semester. You know as well as I do that anytime something as wonderful as this occurs, it’s because evil forces have willed it. This is a test: Don’t fail to do the right thing—give me your spot in Postmodern American Literature. There’s always room in Greek and Roman Studies. If you’re a person who got waitlisted: Not quite miserable, but not quite happy either, waitlisted people live a constant state of purgatory-esque numbness. You hate the students who received all their classes, but feel oddly superior and more deserving than the students who weren’t
waitlisted at all. In the end, you will curse your lack of pre-reg-list-ordering mastery, only to realize next semester that you didn’t really want to take Art of the Ancient Floridians after all. Do this: It’s your professor’s birthday every day, from now until you get into his/her class. Fill his/her life with nothing short of imported chocolates, back massages and “extra cruise tickets.” Email them from dawn until dusk requesting entrance into class—they rarely hear from students on such matters, and appreciate taking the time to consider your pleas. If you’re a person who didn’t get into any necessary courses: Let’s face it; you’re probably a psychology major. Try to fight the urge to stockpile vodka, crawl into a cave and watch Tim Burton movies on shuffle while wiping your tears with declaration forms. You’ll be fine…yeah…just, just fine. Look on the bright side—now you have the chance to meet all new professors! Professors whose interests differ sharply, almost traumatically, from your own! Do this: Time to declare a new major! Economics? Sounds like you’re really interested in the market. You know where there are some wonderful outdoor marketplaces? Spain. Hispanic studies major. You’re welcome. English? You know which professors use English? Every single one! Lucky, lucky. If you’re a person who was unable to sign up for pre-registration due to an unforeseen coma: Cut out the Deece food for a couple weeks.
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Thanks for being a pal, Diary, Arick P.S. What even is a hipster?
Weekly Calendar: 12/1-12/7 by Alanna Okun, Humor & Satire Editor Thursday, 12/1
Saturday, 12/3
Monday, 12/5
3 p.m. Tea. “Alright, alright, settle down! I hereby declare this meeting of the Miscellany News Editorial Board in session.” Rose Parlor.
6 p.m. Caribbean Holiday. Because in the real Caribbean it’s always 48 degrees, and you have to write three papers, and all the trees smell like human waste. Villard Room.
3 p.m. Tea. “Lars, we completely understand that you can’t make it; that Columbia School of Yellow Journalism retreat you’re attending sounds so worthwhile. Make sure you come back with lots of tips for the rest of us!” Rose Parlor.
7 p.m. CHOICE presents: Non-Conservative Sex. “Honey, I’m sick of always having to roleplay as John Boehner. Could we try something a little different this time, like Nancy Pelosi or even Bill Maher? And you don’t have to keep your grandmother’s pearls on all the time either.” Rocky 300.
10 p.m. Yule Ball. Or you could always just stay in your room and do Harry Potter Sporcles with nobody but your hermit crab and half a box of Franzia for company. (Everyone always forgets about Xenophilius Lovegood.) Aula.
Friday, 12/2 3 p.m. Tea. “First item on the agenda: It’s our upcoming mixer with the VSA this weekend. Have we decided who’s hosting? It should probably be in a TH, since we’ll need ample floor space so we can comfortably plan how best to misrepresent Vassar administrators.” Rose Parlor. 6 p.m. “Loose Knit.” I don’t care if I write the great American novel, or find my *~*one true love*~*, or even graduate from this glorified roach motel of an academic institution; by the time I leave Vassar, the only thing I care about doing is knitting myself a full-body Snuggie. Mug.
Sunday, 12/4 4 p.m. First Year Film Festival. “Thank you all so much for coming. I made this documentary about my sexual reawakening ever since I finally left my Midwestern Catholic high school, and also about how much my roommate sucks.” Blodgett Auditorium.* *Which I did not know existed until right this moment. 7 p.m. Lessons and Carols. Lesson #1: Highly flammable polyester choir gowns + candles = Lessons and Perils. Chapel. 8 p.m. Challah French Toast. Bonjour, mensches. Aula.
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Tuesday, 12/6 3 p.m. Tea. “Next item: Staff Editorial. Everyone please comb the Misc archive and find some scandal that none of the current board members were even around for, so we can remind our readership about it and subsequently tell them it’s time to forget the whole thing.” Rose Parlor. 10 p.m. Trivia Night. Question #$%&*: When the sesquicentennial is finally, blessedly over, what will Vassar students have to alternately mock/ignore in its place? Mug.
Wednesday, 12/7 3 p.m. Tea. “Great work on the most recent issue, everyone. But remember, until we’ve alienated every student, misquoted the entire faculty and ensured that none of our photo captions take up the whole line, WE WILL NOT REST.” Rose Parlor.
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Page 14
December 1, 2011
Film Fest to ‘For Colored Girls’ addresses race, gender capture the “S VC first year Charlacia Dent
Assistant Arts Editor
Adam Buchsbaum Arts Editor
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Kat Mehocic/The Miscellany News
Students rehearse for the upcoming Philaletheis production of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.” The performance will run Dec. 2 and 11 in Matthew’s Mug. There was even a false rumor circulating about an actor performing in black face. Raymon Azconza ’12, a Hispanic man in the production, addressed concerns about the play including men. “This is what I can offer: I have heard colored girl songs, and have been inspired,” Azconza wrote in an emailed statement. “Being a part of the Philaletheis production of ‘For Colored Girls’ is my attempt to sing my girls’ songs as best I can, and hope that it will inspire.” Hardenburg commented further on Azconza’s participation. “We are trying to tell stories and we don’t need limitations. I am not trying to define women by men, but separate that line between men and women with men in the show,” Hardenburg said. “Raymon Azconza wants to tell his mother’s story because she can’t do it herself. I don’t think we should
stop him because of his race or gender.” Shange’s play has strong ties to ethnicities other than the African-American experience. For example, some characters identify as Hispanic, and the play makes references to Cuban and Hispanic culture throughout. “While the show was originally written in the framework addressing people of color in America in the 1970s, as a South Asian from Southeast Asia I find that I can relate to many of the issues in the show,” Cherian said. “The pieces lend themselves to decontexualization and reintexulization of these stories into a broader, more global society of people of color, who have also dealt with racism and coming face-to-face with the color of their skin and what that means in the world.” (Disclosure: Charlicia Dent is Assistant Arts Editor for The Miscellany News.)
‘Process and Content’ explores layering Jack Owen Reporter
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any of us have little knowledge of the complex, multi-faceted process necessary to create abstract artwork. But contemporary artist Donise English’s exhibition, Process and Content, on display in the James W. Palmer Gallery from Dec. 1 to Jan. 6, will explore this rich process. English, a renowned artist from the Hudson River Valley, is currently an associate professor of studio art at Marist College, and serves as chair of Marist’s Art Department. Her pieces have been featured all over New York State and at many galleries throughout the nation. “The Vassar community will have the opportunity to see the work of a nationally recognized artist who happens to be local,” said Palmer Gallery coordinator Monica Church. “The content of the paintings emerges from the process from which she works.” Process and Content will be comprised of three related sections of work. English will feature brightly colored, encaustic paintings, which are all done on wood panels, as one section; smaller encaustic paintings in muted colors as another section; and then muted paper collages as another section. “If you see them all together you’ll see that I’m using all the same collage shapes,” English explained. “They’re almost like linear diagrams used over and over again, and you can see a connection among the three processes,” she furthered. Through these three distinct sections, English will highlight the significance of the artistic process itself and how it can be seen across different mediums. The pieces in each section rely on working off of the strengths and weaknesses from each layer as a compilation for the work as a whole. Repeating the same process in each section illustrates its applicability to varied mediums. Her pieces are more about the artistic process than any specific emotion or narrative. “There is no narrative or story or thing you can identify,” she said. “It’s really about the
Courtesy of Donise English
t’s your first year at Vassar. Try making a short film, in 48 hours, reflecting on your new experience—and there’s another catch. You must include five things, like a line of dialogue or location, within the film. Good luck. You’ll have to do just these things for the upcoming, inaugural 48 Hour First Year Film Festival. The Vassar First Year Program (VYFP) began the nascent festival as a way for students to express themselves through film and to talk about their personal experience. “We realized…that there hasn’t been a lot of ways for freshman to express what they’re going through during freshman year,” Stephanie George ’15, a member of the VYFP committee, explained. “At the end there’s this program called the Freshman 15...but never at the end of first semester.” Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Luis Inoa initiated the discussion leading to the event’s creation. “We were in the process of brainstorming ways to engage the first year class,” Inoa said. “The committee...[looks] at a long-term picture of first year activities and experiences. There was a recognition that places or forums for first-year students to engage in just should not exist in orientation alone.” The theme of the event is Life Changing, a theme students are free to interpret how they want. Only three restrictions are placed on participating students: make it in 48 hours, include the five prompts and keep it under seven minutes. “We thought 48 hours would be a good solid block of time to produce a quality work,” Nguyen said. “Also, it doesn’t take up too much of your time, so you can still get your homework done.” The prompts are along the lines of including a certain statue within the film or alluding to your freshman writing seminar. They ensure that groups adhere to the time limit, and provide a quirky, fun twist and commonality. Nicole Glantz ’15 has already signed up for the festival. “I think it’s a great chance to get to know people, especially those who are interested in film, like myself,” Glantz said. “I like the idea of collaborating, especially with other freshman.” Glantz hopes to incorporate as much of the freshman student body as possible. The film festival is not only for freshman filmmakers, as might be expected. Inexperienced would-be filmmakers and transfer, exchange and visiting students alike are participating in the festival. “I don’t have that much film experience,” said Nguyen. “The goal is to give us a chance to...reflect and also celebrate all the things that we’ve done.” The VYFP currently plans for the festival to feature a panel of judges that will determine the winners of the festival, and a student emcee to lead it along. As added incentive, the VFYP plans to award the first place winner with dinner to a restaurant of their choice on Raymond Avenue, and have their film play on the television above the Info Desk. Second place will receive free movie tickets. All participating groups will earn points for the Brewer House Cup. If the festival runs smoothly, Inoa plans to continue it. “I’m hoping next year we get double the amount of people who are coming, just because they heard the previous year was so much fun,” he said. “This is their home now, and I’d love to provide them an avenue to generate a voice for themselves about what it means to be here.” The festival will begin Friday, Dec. 2 at 11 a.m., with submissions due on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 12 p.m. The festival will go on at 6 p.m. that very same Sunday, in Blodgett Auditorium. “I think it’ll be a lot of fun seeing the films and seeing how our classmates have gone about the experience,” Nguyen said, “and hopefully it will provide some good conversation as we finish up the semester.”
omebody/anybody/sing a black girl’s song,” says the lady in brown in the opening monologue to Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem and play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.” It’s the phrase that director Ashlei Hardenburg ’13 and collaborators have carefully kept in the forefront while working to construct the pain-filled, experimental play. Its very label, choreopoem, means the play is a series of 20 poems, written out in free verse. The Philaletheis production will run Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. and 7 .m. and Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. in Matthew’s Mug. “The play is very minimalist, which is why we’ve decided to perform in the Mug. It’s also very intimate and intruding. We want the audience to be a part of [the characters’] lives.” Earlier this semester, Alisha Cherian ’14 and Marlena Crowell ’14 decided to propose “For Colored Girls” to the Philaletheis board in the hopes of enacting change. “We proposed it as a way to create space for artists of color and a means for these artists to explore and express issues dealing with color,” Cherian said. The play features seven African-American women characters, identified solely by their colors, like the aforementioned “lady in brown,” that deliver private monologues from their African-American and woman identity, confronting issues like rape, abortion and domestic violence. The words of the play are written experimentally, using words like “was” as “waz” as a means to assume a dialect of African-American women, hence the word “enuf” not “enough” in its title. The play ends with empowerment, as the women come together in its “laying on of hands.” The production has elicited concerns from the Vassar community. The concerns mostly revolve around its casting of male and non-African-American students in the production. There is a fear of having women defined and enacted by men, and having men pinpointed and victimized in the production.
Collages and encaustic paintings by Hudson River Valley contemporary artist Donise English, whose work is pictured above, will be on display in the James W. Palmer Gallery from Dec. 1 to Jan. 6. process and the things in between the words, rather than the words themselves.” Her art is about reacting to each step along the way to a finished piece. “There are multiple layers of information, and each layer of information responds to the previous layer, so it’s a formal and visual response to that information,” English explained. “I may do something to one layer and then add more to it, maybe with wax or drawing,” she furthered. Church explained the extremely tactile, textured nature of English’s work. “She creates a luscious surface by working in thin layers, etching marks into the wax and hand rubbing oil colors into them. English’s subject matter is the formal elements of painting mixed with wit. She is a painter’s painter.” Her wit lies in her self-awareness as an artist and ability to demonstrate such a cognizance, which in turn
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
causes other artists to appreciate her work and identify with it. English’s main goal is to touch many members of the Vassar community, not just artists. “My work is pretty intimate at times, and I hope someone will see it and gain something out of it that they didn’t expect,” she said. “You make things and hope you touch something within somebody that they didn’t know could be touched.” English frequently uses encaustic painting, a process in which wax and pigment are mixed on wood or canvas, to a similar goal. “You hope that there is some visual way that people get drawn in and feel something, that something within them is awakened,” English explained. An artist reception for the exhibition will take place on Dec. 1 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Palmer Gallery.
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December 1, 2011
Page 15
Muralist fosters creative expression, brightens streets Rachael Borné Arts Editor
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Courtesy of Mill Street Loft
hen navigating downtown Poughkeepsie, it’s hard to walk more than a block without stopping to admire the public murals of local artist Nestor Madalengoitia. His works punctuate the city with bold, vivid colors, paying homage to the area’s heroes and showcasing the beautiful landscapes of the Hudson Valley. Although he has called Poughkeepsie his home for only 13 years, Madalengoitia has become a mainstay in the community, respected for his subtle ability to brighten the streets and spearhead youth art initiatives. “It’s about the non-verbal, the surreptitious that you experience when you’re walking, driving or observing the town. You take in these things subliminally. His artwork is so many places with so many messages with so many themes,” explained Tree Arrington, founder and director of R.E.A.L. Skills Network Inc., a youth empowerment non-profit organization located in the Family Partnership Center of downtown Poughkeepsie. One of Madalengoitia’s most notable commissions is a strikingly realistic portrayal of Abdul Lateef Islam, who helped found the Family Partnership Center in 1997. The portrait serves as a monument at the entrance of the center; Islam stands tall, smiling upon all the youth who walk before him. Just last month Madalengoitia was honored at a memorial ceremony honoring Islam in which he was named a community “artivist” by Arrington. “Lateef is one of my main heroes, he did tremendous things for the community of Poughkeepsie. I’m still looking for heroes, and I think there
Above, a mural in Pershing Park by artist Nestor Madalengoitia involved the help of children from the adjacent Mill Street Loft, local community leaders and politicians. Madalengoitia’s murals are a common sight in downtown Poughkeepsie. are plenty of them in Poughkeepsie,” Madalengoitia said. In “The Hudson River School Then and Now,” Madalengoitia showcases a magnificent vista of the Hudson River juxtaposed with prominent actors in the political, social and educational sphere. Sojourner Truth wears a vibrant blue dress, Frederick Douglas walks across the center of the composition, Pete Seger strums a tune on the banjo and Matthew Vassar stands statuesquely in the basket of a hot air balloon. Many of the murals praise figures who have been historically influential within the area; however, they also spotlight individuals currently living in Poughkeepsie, oftentimes people who have worked on the paintings themselves. Such inclusion of familiar faces and community leaders
fosters a sense of pride in those who pass by the murals everyday. Director of The Art Institute and Junior Art Institute at Mill Street Loft Todd Poteet explained this phenomenon in Madalengoitia’s work: “People involved in his projects take ownership, they take pride in what they’re doing. The people in the mural are people from Poughkeepsie. Everybody connects to that. It adds an importance that wasn’t there before, it adds history.” What is perhaps most impressive about the place Madalengoitia has forged for himself as a local artist is the fact that he came to the city as an outsider. 25 years ago, he moved to New York City from Peru and 12 years later, made the move to Poughkeepsie. Despite this seemingly disadvantageous position as a newcom-
er, Madalengoitia was able to quickly integrate himself into the local community by simple virtue of his earnest, eager and affable personality. “I have a wide understanding of what happens in this community. I know that I have not lived their lives, but I am a friendly person and I converse with people,” he said. In fact, Madalengoitia sees parallels between many of the issues that currently plague Poughkeepsie and those ongoing in Peru. “There are some levels of comparison between the two. There is also oppression in Peru, I saw that reality there, too,” he explained. Arrington put this idea plan and simple when he asserted, “Struggle is struggle.” The huge mural that adorns the fence surrounding Pershing Park is emblematic of Madalengoitia’s ap-
proach to public artwork. Located directly adjacent to Mill Street Loft, the park has been completely revitalized with the mural’s addition. “It wasn’t a friendly or inviting place, but since the mural went up, it has added color, it has added energy and it has energy,” explained Poteet. He elaborated on the degree to which such a mural has the ability to inspire change: “You see far more kids hanging out in the park, you don’t see as much garbage, you don’t see graffiti in the park.” Not only were kids from Mill Street Loft involved with the project, but also politicians and community leaders such as Dutchess County Clerk Colette Lafuente and then Mayor Nancy Cozean. To everyone working on the mural, Poteet recounted Madalengoitia’s encouraging words: “This is your mural as much as it is mine. It belongs to everyone.” Madalengoitia has also worked extensively in the Poughkeepsie middle and high schools. Due to budget cuts and increased emphasis on math and the sciences, he sees making avenues for creative expression particularly important today. “It is really essential that we make a place for the arts,” he explained. “You use everything—all your academic education you use in making proportions, using colors, physics, we talk about the psychology of the colors and the associations and history of the art.” He stressed the oft-neglected, yet fundamental qualities of life for which art lays a firm foundation. “Everyone should have a way to express themselves. It will remind them that they’re human, “ he explained, adding, “We’re forgetting about simple values like talking to real people and developing real ideas. Art is a good introduction to those ideas.”
Harvest Ball overcomes challenges of dancing by art Erik Lorenzsonn
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Senior Editor
Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News
he Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (FLLAC) is closed by 5 p.m. on most Friday evenings, the galleries emptied and the front doors locked. At midnight on Nov. 18, however, students were only just arriving to a brightly lit building already teeming with party-goers. Bedecked in suit jackets and cocktail dresses, the throngs attending this year’s Harvest Ball spent the evening swing dancing to an 18-piece jazz band and admiring Pollacks and Picassos. But others in the crowd—namely, a team of FLLAC security guards, student docents and the Joss and Cushing House Teams that sponsored the event—had a more serious task at hand: ensuring the works of art on display went unharmed. “We spent lots of time walking in circles on patrol,” said Cushing Vice President Lily Doyle ’14. “It was really stressful, worrying about people touching art.” The patrollers’ vigilance ensured no art was damaged, much to the relief of the event organizers and the FLLAC staff. The concern for the welfare of artwork on display in the FLLAC means that all-campus events such as the Harvest Ball are an anomaly for the Art Center. Its usual programming encompasses Late Night at the Lehman Loeb on Thursday evenings, receptions for lectures and other smaller-scale annual events like the Vassarion Release Party; events involving large crowds are rarely taken into consideration. “We want students to be able to enjoy the resources we offer; but at the same time, it’s not an appropriate space for every event,” wrote the FLLAC’s Events Coordinator Francine Brown in an emailed statement. “The bottom line is, we must put the art first and there can’t be too much activity in the galleries.” Concerns regarding all-campus events in the gallery were realized at 2009’s Dormal Formal, the last all-campus event hosted at the FL-
LAC. When spaces in the building became too crowded, the dance had to be shut down early. “We had to empty the galleries and shut the gallery doors,” wrote Brown. “Going forward we learned that sort of event was not suitable for the Art Center.” Julia Fields ’12 is the chair of the FLLAC’s student advisory committee, a body concerned with increasing student attendance at the Art Center; she was also at Harvest Ball. “It’s very different holding an all-campus event in the Art Center than it is in the Villard Room,” she said. “The Art Center has its own governing body, and is subject to stricter rules.” The house teams for Cushing and Joss decided to pursue the FLLAC as a space for the Harvest Ball when forced to reconsider the dance’s traditional location on the second floor of the Student’s Building. The area was recently transformed into a space for other-option programming, making it off-bounds for the event. When Doyle asked about using the FLLAC for the dance with her Student Activities Resource Center (SARC) intern, she was advised against the idea. “I was told that there was no way we would get the space from our SARC,” said Doyle. “Their policy was strict against it.” Doyle persistently emailed Brown about the event, who warned her that the likelihood of getting approval from the FLLAC’s Anne Hendricks Bass Director James Mundy was low. Doyle assured her that she and the staff would have the total cooperation of the house teams to ensure an event that would not be a wild party. “I told her it was a sober event, and that there would be 40 house team members there all night,” said Doyle. “We said we would work with them and do what they needed, so long as we could use the space.” Brown met with Doyle and other members of the house teams to lay out expectations related to crowd control, vigilance and ensuring that alco-
The 2009 Dormal Formal, pictured above, was held in the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, but was shut down early when large crowds in the atrium caused concern for the welfare of the artwork. hol would not be present at the event. “We then brought the proposal to the director, who approved the event,” wrote Brown. “In approving the event, it was made clear to everyone involved: It was a privilege to have the event in this space.” For the night of the dance, the house teams and FLLAC staff worked diligently to ensure the event went smoothly. In addition to vigilant patrolling to ensure no works of art were touched, students were positioned at the doors to the building to ensure that all entrants were not intoxicated or carrying alcohol. The quantity of people allowed in the galleries was also controlled to prevent overcrowding. “[Dormal Formal’s lessons] made it a lot easier to plan Harvest Ball,” said Fields. “People were guiding students into rooms of the gallery so there wasn’t a bottleneck effect.”
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At one point, the decision was made to cap the number of students within the gallery. “It got complicated around midnight,” said Doyle. “We stopped people in the gallery, so there were people in the hallway and lots of people by the door.” Minor setbacks aside, the night is being hailed a success by both students and FLLAC staff—wrote Brown, “Nothing got out of hand; it was quite lovely.” The event’s success may open up new possibilities for future all-campus student programming at the FLLAC. The Art Center will nevertheless continue to schedule its programming as always: on a case-by-case basis. “Every event has its own unique flavor and mission,” wrote Brown. “You take each proposal, case by case, to see if it can work in the space, and will be a good fit for the Art Center.”
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R.E.A.L. Skills confronts use of technology
Ogundipe a master of raw, outsider art Burcu Noyan
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Reporter
ill Traylor suffered. A genuine, silent suffering, the kind that is so real and part of the cruel world, and just goes unnoticed. For those who don’t just look, but actually see, Traylor left a gift of phenomenal value. For art major Akinyemi “Tunji” Ogundipe ’12, Traylor’s authentic style and expression is particularly resonant. Ogundipe’s works have been inspired by the yearly 1500 drawings and paintings Traylor produced over a mere three years when he started drawing at age 84. Illiterate, born into slavery, homeless at his old age, Traylor (1856-1947) remains one of the most important contemporary American artists. He was self-taught. He made his drawings on found materials—paper, cardboard and sides of boxes. “I would say that the art that inspires me the most is contemporary art,” said Ogundipe. He also mentioned Henry Taylor (1958- ) as a notable influence. He worked on a variety of mediums, ranging from cereal boxes to cigarette packs and painted generalized narrative figures of individuals in their surroundings. “My teachers said that I have some qualities in my paintings that are similar to theirs,” said Ogundipe, explaining how he came to know these artists. “I usually try to look up to somebody with the same painting sensibilities that I have for inspiration,” he added. The comments and various understandings Ogundipe receives of his artwork are largely responsible for his love of the craft. He explained, “Many times I am surprised by how people
view and interpret some of my art pieces. I take their evaluation of my work and see how I can apply it to new art endeavors.” Figures drawn as silhouettes, the use of generalized yet distinct shapes and forms, and the mastery over open space versus the opaque are some of the links that bind Ogundipe and his influences together. Nowadays, Traylor and Taylor’s styles are considered to be outsider art, a movement started when artist Jean Dubuffet formed the Art Brut Society in 1948. Art Brut, or Raw Art, represented works that seemed to be in raw state, meaning artworks that exist outside of norms and previous cultural and artistic influences. Ogundipe’s works manage to reflect signs of outsider art through his raw and generalized shapes and figures. According to Ogundipe, these elements allow him to speak through his paintings in a way that transcends verbal communication. “Painting and drawing is a great way of self expression. I can convey thoughts and feelings with painting and drawing that I couldn’t convey with words,” he said. One of Ogundipe’s recent works is a self-portrait that he displayed at an art majors critique. “I was looking at Bill Traylor’s work and I realized he had a work that looked very similar to the one I did. Some shapes he had in his painting were similar to those in mine,” said Ogundipe. Ogundipe hadn’t seen that Traylor painting before making his own painting. According to Rachel Lenihan ’13, a fellow student in Ogundipe’s painting class, “I find his works interesting because they
Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News
HIP HOP continued from page 1 technology. Accordingly, “Wisdom in Power Kingdom” will show how students can use technology to cultivate invaluable academic and social skills, rather than using technology for cruel purposes (such as using cell phones to record fights or using social networks like Facebook and Myspace to bully and harass). The production will include live, original raps and songs, as well as original step and dance numbers. The set was designed by a student from Poughkeepsie and is peppered with whimsical eye-catching elements like birds’ nests and a giant, oversized computer. Unlike several other programs under the R.E.A.L. Skills Network umbrella, students from every grade work in one large group to develop each production aspect. There are countless ways to address the various discontents of technology, and hip hop is one such way. As Associate Professor of English and co-Director of Africana Studies Kiese Laymon suggested in an emailed statement, hip hop may actually be the art form most conducive to these topical themes. “Hip-hop music partially relied on technological advances such as scratching, sampling, the 808 machine,” he explained. Laymon added, “In contrast to other art forms, many artists in hip hop have used their music to critique these particular technological advances. For instance, a few years ago, Jay Z criticized the rampant use of auto-tune. So not only is hip hop reliant on technology and technological advances partially because its audience is so young, it’s also a site of these so-called innovations.” Several Vassar students are taking part in the production. Ruthie Bolotin ’13, one of the production’s coordinators, joined R.E.A.L. Skills as a sophomore, not least of which because she wanted to engage more with the Poughkeepsie community. But Bolotin has never seen her work as community service. “I wanted to do something that was with the community, not for the community,” said Bolotin, keeping with the collaborative nature of this production. The show’s costume designer, Mara Gerson ’13, joined R.E.A.L. Skills this semester for similar reasons. “[Field work] offers a connection to people that academic work does not always encourage,” reflected Gerson, whose primary interests lie in art and education. In creating costumes for the show, Gerson wanted to share with cast members the joys of creativity. “I wanted to do something that kids would get excited about,” she said. Bolotin, Gerson and others have fostered relationships with Poughkeepsie residents that Laymon deems indispensable to a Vassar education. “It’s important for Vassar students to know that collaboration can and often must extend beyond Vassar and beyond our typical understanding of ‘us/them.’ At Vassar, there’s a tendency to invest in this notion of innocence. And that innocence is most easily threatened by the so-called ‘them’ of Poughkeepsie. That kind of understanding is easy, dumb and, most importantly, it’s destructive,” wrote Laymon. But as Gerson observed, her engagement with R.E.A.L. Skills has blurred the all too common distinction between academic and extracurricular work. “Hip Hop Theater literally creates a multifaceted ‘we’ that actually attempts to confront much of what we run away from in our daily lives and/or in the theoretical musings of the classroom,” Laymon wrote. The relationship between Vassar and Poughkeepsie is far from perfect, but programs like R.E.A.L. Skills and Hip Hop Theater have helped bring the two communities together. “Honest imaginative confrontation in the form of art and/or conversation is the only way to understand the blind spots in the relationship. We’re often trying to improve a relationship without confronting the nature and contours of that relationship. But I do believe there’s a mass of students at Vassar and in Poughkeepsie schools leading us to and through that confrontation,” wrote Laymon. “Wisdom in Power Kingdom” is a production to which people of all ages can relate. The issues that the show addresses—relationships, academics, leadership—exemplify R.E.A.L. Skills Network’s efforts to empower members of the Poughkeepsie community. “We can all learn to develop those skills a little better,” Bolotin said.
December 1, 2011
Akinyemi “Tunji” Ogundipe ’12, pictured above in his major’s studio, is heavily influenced by the artwork of contemporary artist Bill Traylor. have a very raw, natural quality. He doesn’t get fussy with detail. It reminds me of childlike art, but in a good way, like free and not overly controlled,” Lenihan said. “Most of the time I paint and draw from imagination. Sometimes I successfully translate what’s in my head to paper and canvas, and other times what I end up with isn’t quite the same,” Ogundipe said. “These days, I am focusing on honing
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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
my skill at rendering objects from life.” When asked about his works outside of the academic curriculum and his plans for the future, Ogundipe shrugged. As reflected in the authentic and downto-earth quality of his artwork— his paintings and drawings—he isn’t one to claim wild dreams. His artworks, every year proudly hung in the Palmer Gallery art students’ exhibition, speak for themselves.
ARTS
December 1, 2011
Page 17
Breaking Dawn: a vampiric soap opera Katharine Austin Senior Editor
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Bill Condon [Summit]
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hen I went home for Thanksgiving, I had three goals: stuff myself on turkey and pie, finish a chapter of my thesis and see The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. I can only imagine what you must be thinking. I’ve heard enough hate about Twilight from my peers to last me for centuries. But as a lover of all things vampire, Twilight’s always held a soft spot in my heart, and I’ve made it my mission to see every film in the series despite their many flaws. Not to mention, their poor scripts, shoddy acting and excessive melodrama can often be a great source of entertainment. Breaking Dawn is no exception. Like Warner Brothers with the Harry Potter franchise, those at Summit Entertainment decided to split the final book of Stephenie Meyer’s teen vampire series into two movies. While I am not overjoyed that I must endure this film series and all the madness it produces for another year, Breaking Dawn the book, coming in at over 800 pages, lends itself to such action, perhaps even more so than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The plot of Breaking Dawn has a very natural stopping place in the middle. Breaking Dawn Part 1 sees Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cul-
Campus Canvas
len (Robert Pattinson) finally tie the knot. After an extravagant wedding at home, the couple departs for their Brazilian honeymoon where they consummate their relationship while Bella’s still a human. (So she can enjoy her honeymoon like any normal teenage bride, Bella saves her painful vampirization for later.) While Bella enjoys herself, Edward thinks it too dangerous to attempt again. Once is enough, however, and two weeks after her wedding Bella finds herself with a half-vampire bun in the oven. The Cullens don’t know what to make of Bella’s pregnancy, which progresses at lightning speed, or what kind of potentially demonic creature she’s carrying. The local werewolf pack, which includes Bella’s best friend and former love interest Jacob (Taylor Lautner), see the baby as a threat to the society they’ve sworn to protect, and tensions between the vampires and werewolves escalate as Bella’s health quickly deteriorates. Pretty melodramatic, no? Sounds like a very odd mixture of Rosemary’s Baby and Days of Our Lives. The quality of the script to Breaking Dawn is about as good as the other films in the series, which isn’t saying much. Corny dialogue abounds and the plot often lags. And given the serious turn of the subject matter, this film does not offer as many inappropriate laughs as previous installments. But Breaking Dawn has its moments. The honeymoon sequence is enjoyable, particularly after Edward decides to reinstate his celibacy, forcing Bella to spend the rest of their vacation time playing chess and unsuccessfully attempting to seduce him.
After watching Stewart’s acting consist of biting her lip for three movies, in Breaking Dawn she reveals herself to be a pretty decent actress. While many of the other actors fall flat in their character portrayal (whether that’s their fault of the script’s, I’m not sure), Stewart seems believable. The film once again fails to convey the splendor that is the Cullen family, who remain just anxious statues with bad hair, but Stewart—severely emaciated and with dark, hollow eyes—convinces us of just how much Bella’s pregnancy threatens her life. A thought that is only confirmed by the birth scene, or, as Roger Ebert calls it in his review, “without doubt the most bloodcurdling scene of live childbirth in a PG-13 movie.” My friend and I both partially covering our eyes, I turned to her and whispered, “This is worse than 127 Hours!” Horrifying to say the least. My final barometer for evaluating a film often relies on how much I liked its music. While every installment of The Twilight Saga makes this film major roll her eyes to some extent, one of the most redeeming qualities about these films are their soundtracks. For example, the soundtrack to Eclipse, the third film in the series, featured great original music by The Bravery, Florence and the Machine, The Black Keys and Vampire Weekend. Breaking Dawn’s, however, was mediocre at best. Going from mellow song to mellow song, the soundtrack doesn’t have any weight. While I continue to see the Twilight films for a vampire fix and mindless fun, I’m afraid they will never be very good movies. If that bothers you, by all means don’t see Breaking Dawn. But you’ll miss out on lots of giggles.
A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
Ulster Ballet Presents “A Christmas Carol” Ulster Performing Arts Center December 2nd and 3rd, 7:30 PM December 4th, 2:00 PM $15 Artistic Directors of the Ulster Ballet Company Scarlett Flero and Queido Carbone join forces with Woodstock resident, dancer and choreographer Sara Miot to create a play based off of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. The performance will include over 65 actors, dancers and stage performers.
“The Nutcracker” New Paltz Ballet Theater December 10th, 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM December 11th, 3:00 PM $25 Come watch a holiday classic with the New Paltz Vallet Theatre’s 14th season to present The Nutcracker. The performance will feature prominent dancers from the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.
Lessons and Carols Service Vassar Main Chapel December 4th, 7:00 PM Free
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Join in the holiday cheer for Vassar’s annual Service of Lessons and Carols. The service will include readings, choral anthems, congregational carols, and a candle lighting ceremony. Drew Minter, James Ruff, and Susan Bialek ’86 will conduct the service’s orchestra.
Celebration of Lights Parade & Fireworks December 2nd, 6:30 PM Free Kick off the season with a community wide event. Join the Mayor of Poughkeepsie, the Amerscott Highland Pipers, the Poughkeepsie High School Jazz Ensemble and Middle School Choir, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic brass ensemble. The parade will also include a performance by the Arm of the Sea Theatre and the Iabas all-female Brazilian country band.
Sinterkass! An Old Dutch Tradition Parade in Rhinebeck December 3rd, All day Free Sinterklaas, a traditional Dutch celebration of the precursor to Santa Claus, is heralded in Rhinebeck with a twist: Children are made “royalty” for the day. Check out this time-honored tradition that brings Dutch lore to the fore for the holidays with baked goods, music of all stripes, animals, comic theater and a parade imbued with history and love. I made this in response to a piece I’d done earlier illustrating the idea that children seem to be able to create imaginary worlds through things that, as we mature, find mundane (such as a cardboard box). As I thought about it more, I realized that I actually disagreed with that sentiment. At 21, I still love to escape into my head sometimes, so I tried to portray how adults create impossible spaces within their imaginations as well. While working on it, I tried to explore the theme
through the process I went through in creating it. Instead of doing any preliminary sketches, I started by putting down different photographs and connecting them through imagery and texture. I knew I wanted to leave a space blank to provide an entrance into the drawing/world, but I had no idea what would be beyond it or what that “world” would look like. —Sidra Tareen ’13
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
—Rachael Borné Arts Editor
SPORTS
Page 18
December 1, 2011
Sankovich brings new dimension to squash Alicia Salvino
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“Aquazumba.”
“Competitive eating (DC Fries).”
Sam Scarritt-Selman ’12
“Football!”
Andy Sussman ’12, David Reuss ’12 and Matt Blair ’12
t the No. 1 position on the men’s squash team, Michael Sankovich ’15 is off to an impressive start. After an 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 win over Andriy Kulak of Fordham University and an 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 win over John Levering of Bard College on Nov. 13, Sankovich was named Liberty League Rookie of the Week. Sankovich began playing at a very young age, writing in an emailed statement, “My dad got me into the game when I was a little kid.” The Short Hills, N.J. native continued throughout high school, playing varsity for four years at the Pingry School before being named captain in his senior year. As college approached, Sankovich made the decision to continue with squash at an NCAA varsity level. Sankovich explained, “I had a great time playing for my high school and figured that it would be a good experience in college as well. I felt that it would be a great way to get in touch with other students that I would otherwise never have met.” His experience playing for Vassar has not disappointed. Wrote Sankovich, “[The team is] a really great group of guys, and there has yet to be a dull moment.” Sankovich described the atmosphere of the team itself as his favorite aspect, and offered that squash has “kept me more than active in my day-to-day life, and has allowed me to meet quite a few interesting people both in and out of Vassar.”
So far, Sankovich’s proudest moment occurred during the match against Hobart College on Nov. 20 as part of the Liberty League Championships. Sankovich noted, “It was a match that I was expected to lose, but ended up winning after a two-game deficit.” Sankovich went 2-2 in the tournament, besting Corey Kabut of Hobart 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 118, 11-6 and Dylan Coburn of Bard 11-5, 11-2, 11-3. Against Andres Duany of defending champion University of Rochester, Sankovich lost in a valiant effort 11-8, 11-3, 11-5, the first defeat of his collegiate career. The freshman’s remarkable start to the season has not gone unnoticed by his teammates. Captain Marshall Daly ’12 has been impressed by Sankovich’s athletic makeup. Daly wrote in an emailed statement, “I would attribute Sankovich’s success to a combination of factors including, but not limited to, determination, natural talent and a militaristic metaphysics which governs all of his actions.” Daly added that, on the court, Sankovich is able to clear his mind of everything except the task at hand. “[He] is able to disconnect himself emotionally during play to an extent that can be slightly unsettling to those unfamiliar with this tactic,” he wrote. This reserve is accompanied by a quiet swagger with which Sankovich handles the No. 1 position. Daly wrote that his teammate carries himself “with the poise of one confident in his position.” Finally, Daly noted that, in
Rachel Garbade/The Miscellany News
Aaron Suzuka ’12
Reporter
Michael Sankovich ’15, seen above, was recently named Liberty League Rookie of the Week as the No. 1 position on the men’s squash team. addition to his superior skills, Sankovich’s physical build fills a major void on the men’s squash roster. “[He] brings height to a notoriously short team,” Daly wrote. He added, “While this may seem trite in an individual sport, the ability to intimidate an opposing team should not be undervalued. Sankovich is a symbol of our team’s towering ambitions, as well as a highly competent player.” The combination of youth and
early success has drawn attention to Sankovich this year, but the freshman is maintaining a set of simple goals. Sankovich’s major objectives are unrelated to scores and statistics. During the season, Sankovich stated, “My goal is to at least put up a decent fight in the [No. 1] spot no matter who the opponent is.” Sankovich’s long-term goal is in the same vein. By the time he graduates, he “hope[s] to come out a better player.”
Sports Calendar: 12/2-12/4 by Andy Marmer, Sports Editor
“Cricket.”
Friday, Dec. 2
Sanam Bajwa ’14
“Ping-Pong.”
Alex Weston ’13
“Nordic Skiing.”
Mariah Shones ’14
—Andy Marmer Sports Editor
4:00 p.m. Men’s Swimming and Diving at Liberty League Championships Boasting a 2-2 record on the season, the men’s swim team will travel to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for the first day of the Liberty League Championship meet. Last year, the Brewers finished sixth of seven teams, led by sprint specialist Mathue Duhaney ’13. Duhaney captured the 50 freestyle championship in a time of 21.81 seconds and also finished fourth in the 100 freestyle. Last year, the Brewers competed without Jack Smart ’12—who finished second in the 400 IM and 200 Breast as well as a fourth in the 200 IM and fifth in the 100 breast in 2010—and Greg Sullivan ’12, the 2010 1-meter and 3-meter diving runner-up, who both were completing semesters abroad. Both will be back with the Brewers this year. The diving competition will be hosted by Union College. 4:00 p.m. Women’s Swimming and Diving at Liberty League Championships Shannon Sara ’13 led the Brewers to a fifth place finish out of eight competitors at last year’s Liberty League Championships. Sara notched a fourth place finish in the 200 IM and a fifth place standing in the 400 IM in racking up a total of 44 points for the Vassar women. The Brewers enter the event with a 2-2 record, after a narrow defeat at the hands of cross-river rival State University of New York at New Paltz. RPI will host the swimming championships, while the diving competition will be held by Union College. 5:00 p.m. Men’s Squash vs. Tufts University
The Vassar men’s squash team will look to avenge last February’s 9-0 home loss to Tufts when the Jumbos travel to Poughkeepsie. Will English ’12 put up a strong fight in last year’s match before succumbing 12-10, 9-11, 11-8, 18-16 at the No. 7 spot.
TBA Men’s Swimming and Diving and Women’s Swimming and Diving at Liberty League Championships
Saturday, Dec. 3
4:00 p.m. vs. Sarah Lawrence College The Brewers welcome Sarah Lawrence to Poughkeepsie for the first meeting between the two schools in fourth-year Head Coach Del Harris’ tenure.
10:00 a.m. Women’s Fencing vs. Princeton University, Penn State University, Harvard University, Sacred Heart University, University of North Carolina at Penn State University Already sporting a 10-5 record, the women’s fencing team will spend the day at Penn State University taking on teams from five different schools. The Brewers enter the weekend of competition on a seven-match winning streak, after sweeping the field at the Matt Lampell Hudson Valley Fencing Invitational. Last year, the Brewers went 3-3 against those schools, vanquishing Sacred Heart twice, 21-6 both times, and UNC by a 17-10 margin. 10:00 a.m. Men’s Fencing vs. Princeton University, Penn State University, Harvard University, Sacred Heart University, University of North Carolina at Penn State University The men’s fencing team will look to build upon its strong 10-2 start as they travel to Penn State University. Last year, the Brewers went 1-5 against these schools (including two losses to Sacred Heart), with the lone win, a 15-12 decision over UNC, coming on the backs of a 7-2 performance by the epee squad. The Brewers enter this weekend’s competition after sweeping the Matt Lampell Hudson Valley Fencing Invitational.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will pick up where they left off the day prior at the Liberty League Championships.
Sunday, Dec. 4 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Men’s Squash vs. Bowdoin College and Connecticut College at Trinity College Round Robin Last year at the same event, the Brewers were swept 9-0 by then-No. 15 ranked Bowdoin College. No Vassar player captured a set in the match. The Brewers last faced Connecticut College in 2010 at the Vassar Team Challenge, a 9-0 sweep in favor of the visitors. 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Women’s Squash vs. Bowdoin College and Connecticut College at Trinity College Round Robin The Brewers dropped a tough 6-3 decision to Bowdoin College last year at Trinity. Despite wins at the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 spots, the top and bottom of the Vassar lineup were unable to overcome their foes. In 2010 at the Vassar Team Challenge, the Brewers swept Connecticut College in the last meeting between the two schools. Connecticut College failed to win a single set as every Vassar player earned 3-0 victories.
December 1, 2011
SPORTS
Page 19
New CBA adds two playoff teams, deserves a chance Corey Cohen Sports Editor
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Courtesy of Getty Images
t is often with great trepidation that fans view the radical changes implemented by professional sports leagues. This is especially true when it comes to Major League Baseball (MLB), given the strict and often restrictive relationship between baseball and tradition. It is especially important, therefore, that fans keep an open mind when it comes to MLB’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which represents a revolution of sorts for baseball’s playoff system. The new CBA features several new provisions, including the first-ever institution of blood testing for human growth hormone by a North American professional league, additional uses of instant replay, and revised rules surrounding amateur drafting and free agent signings. For the common fan, however, the most impactful change is the addition of two wild-card teams (one in each the American and National League) that will increase the number of playoff competitors to 10. The new postseason structure could be enacted as early as 2012. Although the reaction since the announcement of the finalized CBA has been somewhat limited, talks of the proposed changes sparked great debate throughout the 2011 season. The new playoff system marks the end of the first Wild Card Era, which for baseball fans collegeaged and younger represents the only postseason structure they have ever known. This point cannot be overlooked. The two new postseason entries, and the one-game playoff round between each league’s wild card teams that will open the postseason, mark a shift away from the stability firmly rooted in the three-round playoff system that began in 1995. The eight-team postseason structure is something with which fans have become comfortable. Newer baseball followers only know of this system, while longtime devotees have had 17 seasons in which they have become accustomed. For both groups, the stranglehold of tradition comes into play. More than any other sport, baseball falls victim to purists who believe that the game should
be played the way it’s always been played. This explains why several of the sport’s understood protocols have persisted throughout generations, like the retaliatory nature of beanballs (pitches that are thrown to intentionally hit batters). The debate surrounding postseason play is perhaps only a corollary of this traditionalist mantra of “Why change now?” because the structure has already been reformatted several times. In baseball’s early years and up until league expansion in 1969, the top two teams from the regular season competed in the World Series, with no additional playoff rounds preceding the championship. A two-round postseason existed from 1969 until 1995, when the three-round playoff system and two wild cards were implemented. Nevertheless, MLB and many baseball fans have always had trouble accepting any kind of change, even when said changes are only modifying what’s already been previously altered. This uneasiness, in all likelihood, stems from the appreciation directed towards the sport’s history and tradition. On the surface, there’s nothing wrong with that. Baseball has arguably lost its title as “America’s Pastime” to football, but many would agree that the sport boasts the richest collection of memories, anecdotes and famous figures among its North American counterparts. Baseball itself and the structure of its season lends itself readily to nostalgia. From its untimed nature (there is no running clock determining when the game ends) to its longstanding claim of the summer months to the familiarity of its faces on trading cards, there is a certain reverence and unadulterated infatuation associated with baseball that simply cannot be found in other sports. Nevertheless, this respect and passion are inappropriate reasons to condemn change for the sake of not changing. Upholding tradition is warranted in some cases, but in others it can serve as an unwelcome hindrance to progress. And, at least in baseball’s case, some confuse instituting new developments for sacrificing tradition, when this is in fact too far a leap to make.
Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Bud Selig, center, and other League executives recently announced a new five-year labor agreement between the MLB and the MLB Players Association. This is not to imply that the new playoff system is unworthy of criticism, however. One would be right to question, at the very least, the timing of such a revision. Coming off of one of baseball’s most deceptively exciting Septembers, in which a team in each league seemed assured of the lone wild card spot but ultimately failed to claim it on the last day of the season, it appears unnecessary to change things now. Another popular critique is that the extra wild card essentially assures that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, two of the sport’s more popular teams, who in recent memory have had to battle each other for postseason entry, will both be able to easily qualify for October baseball. These are among the justified concerns for modifying MLB’s postseason structure. Arguments that actually touch upon the nature of the changes themselves, rather than acknowledge they merely are changes, should be wel-
Questions about NBA’s return answered Andy Sussman
A
Columnist
fter several secret meetings between players and owners, both sides finally reached an agreement to end the NBA lockout that dragged on for over four months. Since so much time has already been missed, the NBA is speeding up the process of exhibition games and free agency so that a shortened 66-game season can begin on Christmas Day. With so much going on in such a short time, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about teams, players and personnel. Can the Dallas Mavericks repeat as NBA Champions this season? As long as Dirk Nowitzki stays healthy, the Mavericks are always at the very least a solid playoff team. The major thing to look out for over the next four weeks is the landing spot of Tyson Chandler, who after starting at center for Dallas last year is now a free agent. Chandler and Jason Terry were Nowitzki’s most important sidekicks last year, and it should be imperative that Dallas does everything it can to lock up Chandler going forward. Otherwise, we are likely looking at yet another Dallas playoff exit of which we had become so familiar. Who will be released under the new Amnesty Provision? One major result of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is an “Amnesty Provision,” which allows each team to release one player over the next two years and not have it count against its salary cap. While there are numerous ill-advised contracts that teams would love to get rid of, don’t expect each NBA team to cut someone, especially not right away. Some teams want to wait to use the Amnesty Provision to see if one contract becomes particularly onerous or to shed salary cap space during the 2012 free agency class, which is significantly more impressive than this year’s group. One player who will almost certainly be released at once, however, is Washington Wizards forward
Rashard Lewis, who is set to earn almost $44 million over the next two years even though, at this point in his career, he is merely a role player. Also keep in mind that even though the salaries of the released players do not count against the salary cap, the teams still need to buy out the contracts, so don’t expect Gilbert Arenas and his horrible contract to be bought out just yet, since the Orlando Magic would be spending so much money for dead weight (yes, you and I know that Arenas is dead weight even when he plays, but they didn’t trade for him for just this past season). Will LeBron James continue to be the most polarizing player in the NBA this season? Unless James sings a heartfelt apology song to Cleveland while curing cancer and kissing 10,000 orphans, yes. Even then, he would be no lower than the third most polarizing player. Where will free-agents-to-be Dwight Howard and Chris Paul play this year and next? While Howard and Paul are under contract to play with the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets, respectively, for the next season, it is clear that both players want to change scenery sooner rather than later. This is particularly true for Paul, whose Hornets are currently owned and operated by the NBA because of the team’s financial problems. Paul’s best teammate, David West, is a free agent and unlikely to re-sign with New Orleans this year, leaving Paul with a rather depleted team with little money in a smaller market. Due to the Hornets’ unique ownership situation, it is not as likely that Paul will be able to “pull a Carmelo Anthony” and force a trade to a larger market in the middle of this season. However, if the New York Knicks can create enough salary cap flexibility, they would almost certainly be Paul’s first choice as a free agent next season. As for Howard, his situation is more similar to James’ when he still played for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Magic has been willing to
spend money in an attempt to convince Howard to stay, but has not done so efficiently, and now have the worst salary cap situation in the NBA. Howard, who is one of the biggest personalities in professional sports, will almost certainly look at either of the Los Angeles franchises and the Brooklyn Nets as soon as he is a free agent, to expand his popularity and his marketability. How will Kobe Bryant handle more backto-back games? While Bryant continues to be a top player in the NBA, it is no secret that he has a ton of mileage on his body, as he has essentially played 100-game seasons for the past decade without much rest. Even though there are fewer games this season than usual, there will be more games played on backto-back nights, where Bryant will not have the recovery time that his knees are used to. Since the Lakers are so talented, new Head Coach Mike Brown should be able to limit Bryant’s minutes in the regular season and still make the playoffs rather easily. However, Commissioner David Stern has announced that, unlike in previous seasons, there will be back-to-back games once for each series in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Lakers clearly need Bryant healthy and ready to go come playoff time, but can his legs continue to hold on? Will the rookies make any impact this season? There are two primary reasons to argue that this rookie class will not be particularly successful this season: The class has been considered weak since leading up to the draft, and a shortened training camp could mean that coaches are more willing to put their trust in more veteran players. However, coaches may also have little choice but to play many of these rookies, since some players signed in Europe or Asia this season and do not necessarily have a buyout planned. Am I ready for some basketball? I couldn’t be more ready.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
comed in any discussion. Even so, the most prudent way for baseball fans to approach this playoff expansion is with an open mind. This doesn’t mean simply seeing how things work out next season; the race for the postseason varies from year to year in terms of how many teams are in contention. A few years of observation are necessary before an apt conclusion can be reached. More importantly, the pioneering CBA represents an opportunity for baseball to explore other possible changes to implement in the future. The recent sale of the Houston Astros and their impending move into the American League, for example, has spurred talk of further integration of the two leagues and elimination of the use of the designated hitter. While the latter has been the subject of debate ever since the DH was instituted in 1973, perhaps now is the most promising time for such a change to be discussed in earnest.
SCOREBOARD NOVEMBER 19 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CEDAR VASSAR VS CREST COLLEGE
87
40
NOVEMBER 20 WOMEN’S FENCING QUEENS VASSAR VS COLLEGE
21
6
NOVEMBER 20 MEN’S FENCING VASSAR VS MARIST
22
5
SPORTS
Page 20
December 1, 2011
With a strong start, Brewers look to maintain pace in winter Andy Marmer
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Sports Editor
assar athletics took a hiatus from competition with no games being played between Nov. 21 and Nov. 30. The break provided teams the opportunity to assess the beginning of their seasons and monitor their progress. In their self-reflection, the women’s basketball team must have liked what it saw. The Brewers won their first three games all by double-digit margins. After disposing of College of Mt. St. Vincent 74-54 in their first game, the Brewers opened their home campaign with the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament. Captain Cydni Matsuoka ’14 led the way in the tournament opener with 23 points, six assists and zero turnovers, as the Brewers defeated Cedar Crest College 87-40. Colleen O’Connell ’15 and Kristyn Tempora ’12 each contributed a double-double in the win. With Wellesley College overtaking Wilson College in the other opening round game, the Brewers and Blues squared off in the Championship. In the finals, it was Captain Brittany Parks ’12 taking charge, with 19 points and six assists, leading the Brewers to a 74-61 championship
win. O’Connell once again notched a doubledouble, the second in her young career. Matsuoka was named tournament MVP while Parks was named to the All-Tip-Off Team. Although the men’s team did not host a tournament of their own, they did face off against a number of local teams. The Brewers eked out a three-point win in their season opener against St. Joseph College in New York, but dropped back down to .500 with a 78-56 loss to Mt. St. Mary College. The Brewers rebounded in their final contest prior to break, dominating the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) 104-34. 14 of 15 Brewers scored in that contest as Vassar held a 52-14 lead at the half. The Brewers first pulled away with a 13-0 run just 5:08 into the contest, beginning when the score was tied at six. After the CIA cut the margin to 10 with a threepoint play with 10:17 remaining in the first half, an 11-0 Vassar run jumped the Brewers’ lead to 21. Luka Laden ’15 led all scorers with 16 points on perfect 5-5 shooting and 6-6 from the free throw line. While the winter season is still in its early stages, the men’s squash team traveled to St. Lawrence University for the Liberty League
Championships. The Brewers went 1-1 on the first day, dropping their initial match 9-0 to defending champion University of Rochester, but rebounded with an 8-0 victory over Bard College. On the second day, Vassar was overcome by Hobart College 8-1, with this week’s Miscellany News Athlete of the Week Michael Sankovich ’15 earning the lone victory. Sankovich, the top-seeded Vassar player, dropped the first two sets 7-11, 7-11, but roared back, capturing three straight sets for a 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 victory. The Brewers lost 9-0 to St. Lawrence in their final contest, finishing fourth in the event. Men’s and women’s swimming and diving each hosted cross-river rival State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz prior to the break. The men’s team was overcome 156-137, while the women’s team was denied in the final race of the meet, losing a tough 153-146 contest. With their final home meet already at hand, the men’s and women’s fencing teams honored their seniors at the Matt Lampell Hudson Valley Fencing Invitational. The women’s team swept a field composed of City College of New York, Queens College, Marist College,
Yeshiva College, Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Bard College. The men’s team also had a perfect day, overcoming RPI, SUNY Albany, Marist, Cornell University and SUNY New Paltz. For the women’s team, Brooke Schieffer ’12 went 17-0 in the sabre, while Veronica Weser ’12 (15-1 epee) and Katie LeClair ’13 (7-1 foil) also had strong days. The men’s team had a number of standouts as well. Alex Bue ’14 (150 foil), Nick Johnson ’12 (9-0 epee), Brian Rouse ’12 (9-0 epee) and John Arden ’14 (3-0 sabre) all went undefeated. Matt Steinschneider ’14 also turned in a good effort going 11-1 in the sabre. There was still one holdover from the fall season, however, as cross country runner Kelly Holmes ’13 traveled to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for the NCAA Division III Championship. In the 6k race, Holmes finished 227th in a time of 23:22. The race marked the second time Holmes qualified for a National Championship competition. This past spring, she was invited to compete in the 800-meter race at the NCAA Track and Field Championships but was unable to run due to departing for a semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jacob Gorski/The Miscellany News
Jacob Gorski/The Miscellany News
Jacob Gorski/The Miscellany News
Jiajing Sun/The Miscellany News
Jacob Gorski/The Miscellany News
From top to bottom, clockwise: The women’s swim team practices in Kresge Pool. This weekend the swimming team will head to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for the Liberty League Championship after finishing fifth of eight teams last year; Luka Laden ’15 wins the opening tip against the Culinary Institute of America. The men’s basketball team won that contest 104-34; Brittany Parks ’12 drives left on Wellesley defender Leslie Leong in the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament Championship Game. The Brewers won that contest 74-61 with Parks earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team; The Brewers diving squad practices prior to the Liberty League Championship Meet. The diving competition will be Friday Dec. 2 and Saturday Dec. 3 at Union College; The men’s squash team takes on Fordham, a 6-3 win.
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