The Miscellany News, Volume CXLVII, Issue 16 (Feb. 27, 2014)

The Miscellany News

Volume CXLVII | Issue 16

February 27, 2014

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Snow crew surmounts harsh winter Vassar Jewish Union becomes Open Hillel O Eloy Bleifuss Prados FeAtures editor

VJU refuses to endorse any political view, will not exclude anyone based on partisan opinion

Eloy Bleufuss Prados/The Miscellany News

n days of ice and snow, it’s up to College Grounds employee Bill Ackert to clear the roadways. But the job of dealing with unforgiving winter weather is much bigger than just Ackert or his plow.

Clearing the College’s campus of snow involves dozens of personnel, heavy-duty gear and thousands of pounds of salt.

“It truly takes all of us. It’s not a one person thing,” said Ackert. “It virtually takes everybody here at Vassar grounds to do snow removal in order for it to be successful.”

According to Buildings and Grounds staff, Vassar contains approximately seven miles of roads and See PLOWERS on page 6

Anna Iovine

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Above are some members of the Buildings and Grounds staff in charge of snow removal on campus. They shared that this winter was the hardest in nearly 20 years.

Senior projects could be mandatory Meaghan Hughes senior editor

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n the past few weeks, the library has become a haven for stressedout seniors as they race toward thesis deadlines. Surrounded by books and multiple cups of coffee, they are often furiously typing away on their computers to finish their next draft. This experience, though common, is currently not a universal one for seniors at Vassar—but this may change in the coming years.

Currently, it is at the discretion of

each department to require senior majors to write a thesis. Of all 48 departments offering majors, only 20 require the production of a senior thesis or senior project. The reasons behind the departments’ decisions tend to be based in practicality and whether or not the major lends itself to the format of a thesis.

For economics majors, for example, a thesis is an optional project. Chair of the Economics Department Paul Ruud admitted that the project is not always the most effective way to demonstrate

expertise in a particular field; rather, it is one of many ways to display the knowledge gained in the course of four years. “The thesis is a good way to show mastery of the economics major,” he noted. “The thesis also suggests a taste for research and a passion for the subject of the thesis.”

Neuroscience and behavior major Rosemary Lopez ’15 will not be writing a thesis, because it is optional for her major. Nevertheless, she recognizes the value of the project. “I think a See IME on page 7

AssistAnt neWs editor

his semester, the Vassar Jewish Union (VJU) has decided to be an Open Hillel. This denotes an idealogical division from the International Hillel Foundation, Hillel International. In a statement on the VJU’s website, the organization explained, “As an Open Hillel, the Vassar Jewish Union will not endorse any particular political view. The Vassar Jewish Union will not exclude organizations, groups, speakers, individuals or events on the basis of political opinion.”

The VJU chose not to follow the standards set by Hillel International, instead choosing neutrality.

“Declaring ourselves to be an Open Hillel is a reaffirmation of the values of openness and inclusivity already held and practiced by the Vassar Jewish Union,” said President of the VJU Naomi Dann ’14.

Dann went on, “The Open Hillel Movement is a call for Hillel International to change its guidelines that limit acceptable conversation about Israel. We believe that the

existing Hillel policy censors, delegitimizes and demonizes diverse political beliefs, and we believe that to be a pluralistic and inclusive Jewish community, we need to allow the space for diversity. Joining this movement was an opportunity for the Vassar Jewish Union to clarify its position as a non-partisan organization whose members hold diverse views.”

Dann then spoke to the procedure of becoming an Open Hillel.

“This decision was reached in a multi-step, transparent and inclusive process. The Open Hillel movement was discussed by the Vassar Jewish Union (VJU) board at a planning retreat, a statement was drafted collaboratively over the course of several weeks, and was recommended to the wider VJU community by a super majority vote of the board,” he said.

Director of the Office of the Religious and Spiritual Life (RSL) Rev. Samuel Speers said, “The Vassar Jewish Union consulted with us in the RSL Office throughout their See VJU on page 4

Swim team breaks Alum perseveres through sickness numerous records D Samantha Kohl Arts editor

Jonathan Safir reporter

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rom Feb. 19 until Feb. 22, the men and women’s swimming and diving team took part in the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association (UNYSCSA) championships to end its season. The championship tournament was held in Ithaca, NY, and was a historic meet for the Brew-

ers. The team broke 19 school records and had numerous personal bests. Overall, the women’s team placed eighth out of the 15 competing teams. The 400-Meter Medley relay team of senior McKenzie Quinn, freshman Julia Cunningham and sophomores Lily Frye and Milee Nelson placed sixth and became the fastest 400-Meter MedSee SWIMMING on page 18

Inside this issue

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NEWS

College proposes new course of action for bookstore

13

Lily reveals her high school feat that shall HUMOR not be named

courtesy of Julia Sabagnan

courtesy of Vassar College Athletics

This past weekend, from February 19 to February 23, the women’s swimming and diving team took part in the Upper New York States Collegiate finals.

ancers require an immense strength, both physical and mental, to land a leap en l’air, remain on their toes for extended amounts of time and practice tedious exercises. Professional dancer and Vassar alumna Julia Sabangan ’05 possesses strength beyond measure. So when Sabangan was unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia in May 2012, she transferred the strength she exhibits onstage to assist her in her battle with cancer.

Sabangan always knew she wanted to dance professionally. Although she chose to study classics at Vassar, dance played a central role in her daily life. Outside her concentration, Sabangan joined Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre (VRDT) as a freshman and left an impression on all whom she encountered while onstage or in the studio.

Sabangan left a special impact on Kathy Wildberger, Senior Lecturer in Dance and Drama and Assistant Director of VRDT, which persists even ten years later. “She is so strong, and she showed that certain kind of strength while she was here...She was a very unusual girl, in that there was this core strength to her that was beautiful,” said Wildberger.

Immediately upon graduating from Vassar, Sabangan began to dance professionally with modern dance companies in New York City. In 2007, Sabangan and fellow VRDT alumna See SABANGNON on page 16

Julia Sabangan ’05 attests her strength, physical and mental, as a dancer allowed her to persevere through leukemia. Her bioposy came back clear two months ago.

15 ARTS

Three troupes facilitate marathon weekend of comedy

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The Miscellany News

February 27, 2014

Editor-in-Chief Chris Gonzalez

Senior Editors

Meaghan Hughes Marie Solis

Contributing Editors Ruth Bolster Jessica Tarantine

News Features Opinions Arts Humor & Satire Sports

It’s here. miscellanynews.org (For real this time)

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Noble Ingram Eloy Bleifuss Prados Joshua Sherman Samantha Kohl Lily Doyle Christopher Brown Tina Caso Spencer Davis Palak Patel Maddy Vogel Ashley Pecorelli

Crossword Editor Assistant News Assistant Opinions Assistant Sports Assistant Photo

Jack Mullan Anna Iovine Natasha Bertrand Luka Laden Jacob Heydorn Gorski Jiajing Sun Assistant Online Victoria Bachurska Reporters Julia Cunningham Emma Daniels Isabella DeLeo Emily Hoffman Maggie Jeffers Shannon Liao Jonathan Safir Columnists Delaney Fischer Zach Rippe Max Rook Lily Sloss Eli J. Vargas I Photography Alec Feretti Samantha Pianello Design Elizabeth Dean Bethany Terry Online Rachel Dorn Copy Hadley Atwood Daniel Foley Sophie Kosmacher Christian Lewis Macall McQueen Marya Pasciuto Camilla Pfeiffer Emma Roellke Rebecca Weir

LETTERS POLICY The Miscellany News is Vassar College’s weekly open forum for discussion of campus, local and national issues, and welcomes letters and opinions submissions from all readers.

Letters to the Editor should not exceed 450 words, and they usually respond to a particular item or debate from the previous week’s issue. Opinions articles are longer pieces, up to 800 words, and take the form of a longer column. No letter or opinions article may be printed anonymously. If you are interested in contributing, e-mail misc@vassar.edu.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

February 27, 2014

NEWS

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Power outage hits College, leaves half of campus in dark Noble Ingram neWs editor

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the dark dorms. In several of these houses, the power outage caused a failure of the buildings fire alarm system, and house team members were asked to make patrols, checking for fire risks like candles, smoking inside or doors left propped open.

Joss House Team member Arisa Gereda ’16 said, “House Team’s job during the blackout was essentially to be on fire watch, since the fire safety system was out as well. We all signed up for two-hour shifts, from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m., in which we would check out each floor and make sure nothing fishy was going on.”

She went on, describing the scene. “The people that we saw, although very few, were mostly unaffected by the power out and carried on with their nights, only bummed about Seven Deadly Sins. Joss House in general was quiet, empty and definitely creepy. Mainly in reference to the basement,” she explained.

Kpulun confirmed this, saying, “We quickly

switched from being party hosts to fire watch.”

Though the house team patrols were an ordeal for those involved, many appreciated the way in which both house teams and the Vassar community in general came together in response to the blackout.

As Gereda said, “Overall, I was very impressed with our House Team’s effective and quick response on a Saturday night. I was also impressed and very thankful for [the] Joss House community as a whole, respecting the seriousness of the power [outage] and keeping our home safe.”

Kpulun echoed this sentiment. “I am truly grateful to be working with such an amazing group of people who can adapt to anything life throws at them. I do not know what Jewett will be doing for the rest of the semester party-wise, but we are a resilient group of people and not having this party is not the worst thing that could happen,” she said.

Pavel Shchyhelski/The Miscellany News

his past Saturday, Feb. 22, a power outage took hold of half of campus, leaving several buildings and dorms in the dark throughout the night and into Sunday morning. Buildings and Grounds restored power to campus at 3 a.m. Sunday morning, citing a degraded piece in the electrical system as the cause.

The first signs of a power outage came at 5:22 p.m. Saturday evening. The fitness center was experiencing trouble with its air-conditioning system. Later, around 8 p.m., a string of lights went out along Kenyon Drive, including those in the Wimpfheimer Nursery on north campus.

Minutes later, calls flooded the Campus Response Center reporting a series of power outages that included Jewett, Noyes, Joss, Cushing, Main and the Terrace Apartments, among other buildings.

According to Manager of Mechanical Services and Building Trades David Bishop, Vassar’s electrical power is organized in a high-voltage loop that covers the entirety of campus including senior housing. The loop is designed to preserve as much electricity as possible on campus in the event of an emergency. If part of the system goes down, the rest of the campus is protected.

As Bishop explained, “Think of our high voltage loop as a circle with multiple switches—like a light switch, only much bigger. We can supply the entire loop through either of the two main switches from Central Hudson. We normally keep the loop open in the middle, but have about 30 places we can open the loop with the switches. This provides our electricians with a great deal of flexibility in being able to minimize the buildings affected if we have a component fail.”

Bishop continued, “We also have 16 emergency generators that supply electricity to some of the buildings on campus automatically when they sense a loss of electric power. This past weekend, emergency generators ran for our central heating plant, the computer center, Blodgett and Jewett Hall. The system is perfectly designed to optimize our response in

case of an emergency.”

This explains the result on Saturday night when many buildings retained power despite the blackout. During the incident, Acting Dean of the College Eve Dunbar sent out three emails to the campus explaining that the College was working to fix the problem and that students could find shelter in any of the remaining lit buildings.

At 3 a.m., Building and Grounds, in addition to the College’s electrical supervisors, discovered the cause of the blackout. The original failure in the system that caused the shutdown of the power system took place in-between electrical manholes 8 and 10, which are near Baldwin and Blodgett Buildings. The high-voltage loop that runs across campus that is made up of three cords and a degraded piece caused two of those three cords to become inoperable.

The broken piece had been degrading since the system was updated last in 2001.

Once the cause of the blackout had been identified, Buildings and Grounds isolated the problem area. The degraded piece was replaced the next day at 9 a.m.

The power outage coincided with several events on campus, most notably Jewett House’s all-campus event, Jewett House Presents: Seven Deadly Sins. The Facebook event listed over 400 people planning to attend. Because of the blackout, the event was cancelled. President of Jewett Tewa Kpulun ’15 spoke to the feelings of her house team in response to the cancellation.

“We were setting up last minute details when the power went out, and security was already there, being that the power went out 30 minutes before the event. We kept on setting up because the backup generator came on, however, we were soon notified that none of the upper level floors had power,” she said.

She continued, “We didn’t give up hope on the event until we were told by Residential Life, Kelly [Grab] our [House Adviser], that no power meant no party.”

In addition to Jewett, several other dorms lost power, including Joss, Noyes and Cushing.

For these buildings, house teams were on call in order to ensure the safety of students still in

Students gathered in the Retreat Saturday night when the college lost power to half of campus, including Main Building. The cause of the blackout was a degraded piece in the College’s electrical system.

Walton proposes new cooperative to replace bookstore Joshua Sherman opinions editor

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Joshua Sherman/The Miscellany News

t the Vassar Student’s Association (VSA) Council meeting on Sunday, Feb. 23, VSA President Deb Steinberg ’14 announced plans for the College’s VP of Finance, Bob Walton, to propose a new bookstore for the College that would operate in place of the Barnes & Noble Bookstore currently on campus. The plan also recommends the possibility of moving the new bookstore off campus to the former location of Juliet Theater to allow for more space in the College Center for students and faculty.

“I have put forward a proposal, which may or may not receive approval, that Vassar align with other independent college stores throughout the country and operate the Vassar College store as an independent store and textbook service to be affiliated with the 3,000+ members of the National Association of College Stores (NACS),” said Walton in an emailed statement.

“The primary goal of the overall project is to provide a better store and textbook service for students, faculty, staff and alumnae/i of the College.”

Student Kate Hennessey ’16 was optimistic about the plan. “That’s awesome. I think this will really help with textbook costs,” she said.

The plan itself, which will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees at this weekend’s meeting, recommends that Vassar College not pursue a renewal of its contract with Barnes & Noble College, a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble that operates college bookstores in more than 650 colleges and universities in the United States.

Barnes & Noble has been in control of the campus bookstore since July 2000, and sells not just textbooks to the campus but also Vassar-related merchandise, school supplies and other retail items.

Since the summer of 2013, Vassar has been out of contract with Barnes & Noble College, but operating in good faith with the company to continue running the bookstore while a new contract is negotiated. Walton had a number of

Vassar’s current bookstore has been contracted with Barnes and Noble College but a new proposal could put a less expensive cooperative in its place. In addtion, the store could relocate off campus. meetings with Barnes & Noble College representatives regarding contract renewal, but was not satisfied with what was offered. The new five-year contract proposed by Barnes and Noble included a significant reduction in financial terms to the College, though Walton noted concern of Barnes & Noble College’s ability to provide Vassar students the option to purchase books online and other more progressive textbook and college store practices.

The Barnes & Noble proposal also eliminates the consideration of union labor for staffing the bookstore, something Walton with which expressed concern. The College can still choose between the Barnes & Noble contract and a contract with an independent bookstore.

There is also a proposition with the bookstore to move it out of the basement of the Col-

lege Center and instead locate it in the former Juliet Theater property, a vacant storefront on the corner of Raymond & Collegeview Ave. that is owned by the College through its subsidiary, College Properties LLC. Although this is part of his recommendation, Walton said there is no guarantee that even with a new bookstore, the location will be moved off campus.

“In fairness to all concerned, this strategy does carry some financial risks and needs to be properly explored and vetted to determine if those risks are too great,” he said. It remains part of the recommendation, though it is something that may be excluded even if a new independent bookstore is created. Should the bookstore be moved into the Juliet Theater, it would require a renovation that would not only create a new bookstore space, but also a large café

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

space that a vendor could fill. This would also vacate space in the College Center, much-desired by students and faculty.

The discussion of a new location for the bookstore has been ongoing for some time before this latest proposal came forward. Last March, former VP of Administration & Finance Betsy Eismeier issued an email to the campus discussing the future of the Barnes & Noble bookstore and its space on campus.

At the time, a similar proposal was made to move the bookstore off campus to the former location of Juliet Theater; however, Barnes & Noble was unable to proceed for a number of reasons. In that proposal, Barnes & Noble, not the College, would have been responsible for renovating and managing the space, as well as accommodating the creation of a café on the premise. Though it was dicussed greatly last year, there has yet to be any recent discussion on how this move would affect local businesses in the area beyond campus, such as the Three Arts bookstore, with the current proposal.

In an emailed statement, Steinberg noted her faith in this project’s success, as well as the additional plan of moving the future bookstore to the former Juliet Theater. “I am definitely in favor of it. The move will provide students with much-needed centralized space on campus and open up new opportunities for bridging the gap between Vassar and the greater community. I think the Board will support it as well.”

Although it is the Board of Trustees that will ultimately decide what course of action to take, Walton reaffirms that it was the job of Vassar Administration to propose the best course of action. “The Trustees rely on the administration to plan and implement these types of programs for the College,” he said.

For now, students will not know the fate of the campus bookstore until after this weekend’s Trustee meeting. Specific details about what services the bookstore will provide, a specific timeline for implementation, and other information is not yet available.

NEWS

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Outside the Bubble Uganda’s Anti-Gay Bill On Monday, Feb. 24, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed an anti-gay bill that imposes harsh punishments, including life imprisonment, for homosexual acts. Homosexual activity was already illegal in Uganda, with a 14-year sentence for first time offenders, but this bill increases the possible penalties for all incidences. In addition, there are now punishments for people who provide counsel to people of the LGBTQ community, including equal rights organizations, NGOs and various companies, as well as individuals (NY Times, “Uganda’s President Signs Antigay Bill,” 2.24.14).

The bill was originally proposed in 2009 with the death penalty involved, but was temporarily set aside when Western powers threatened to withdraw aid from Uganda (CNN, “Uganda’s President Museveni signs controversial anti-gay bill into law,” 2.25.14). The bill was passed by Parliament in December without the death penalty provision. Until the signing on Monday, Museveni had changed his position multiple times on the issue. In January, he claimed that he wouldn’t sign the bill as he saw homosexuality as a sickness and they need to be treated, not imprisoned (Washington Post, “Ugandan leader signs harsh anti-gay bill, ignores warning from Obama,” 2.24.14).

After the announcement of the bill, President Obama made a statement saying that this bill is going to affect the relationship between the US and Uganda. Despite the US being one of the largest aid donors to Uganda, Museveni was not worried about the perception of Western countries, saying that “Africans never seek to impose our view on others; if only they could let us alone.”

The passing of the bill prompted a media witch hunt of sorts when a Ugandan newspaper published a list of the country’s top 200 homosexuals, including popular gay rights activists, pop stars and a Catholic priest. One of the prominent gay activists who was listed was Pepe Onziema, who claimed that many Ugandans have fled the country fearful of violence. Although being condemned all around the world, the bill is popular and accepted amongst Ugandans (Msn News, “Uganda tabloid prints list of ‘top’ homosexuals,” 2.25.14).

China’s Toxic Air Pollution

—Shelia Hu, Guest Reporter

Student forums assess VSA restructuring Elizabeth Dean stAFF desiGner

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n Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22, a group of students held forums in UpC to discuss with the student body a proposal for restructuring the VSA. The proposal was going to be voted on by the VSA Executive Board on March 2, but has now been tabled to the VSA Committee of Operations. The authors of the proposal, Raymond House President Ramy Abbady ’16, Cushing House President Ruby Pierce ’16 and Vice President for Activities Stephanie Goldberg ’14, summarized their goals on the forums.

They wrote in the amendment, “The VP for Activities would be split into a VP for Organizations and a VP for Programming. The former would deal with student organization certification and pre-orgs, and all issues related to orgs. The VP for Programming would deal with large-scale events such as Tasty Tuesday, Meet Me in Poughkeepsie, the Saturday Shuttle, Founder’s Day, Serenading, etc.”

They continued to outline their second major change, writing, “The VP for Student Life would be split into a VP for Student Life and Diversity and a VP for Campus Resources. The former would work with the Campus Life and Diversity Office (including the centers within; the ALANA Center, LGBTQ Center, Women’s Center, Office of International Services, and Religious and Spiritual Life), and help these students have a stronger voice at Vassar. The latter would work with the many offices that deeply affect students, including Accessibility, SAVP, Metcalf, Baldwin, ResLife, and many more.”

Pierce spoke to the reasoning behind the proposed changes. She said, “We took a list of the tasks VSA Executive Board does and we found a way to distribute them evenly, and hopefully in a way that makes more sense, and it ended up creating two more positions. ...We hope that if it is an idea that is adopted it would make the VSA more accessible, because there are more people on the exec board with more time, and also we hoped it could include more..diverse voices....[Students] don’t feel like they can be-

long to [VSA], they don’t feel like they can participate in it, it’s not a very open structure as it is now.”

Abbady added, “We also think [the changes] would increase efficiency a lot because right now tasks are allocated kind of strangely...Those two have disproportionately more work than any of the other exec board positions and it doesn’t make sense for it to be that way.”

Pierce said she hoped it would set a precedent: “If we get the VSA to do something in terms of restructuring it opens the floodgates for other changes, which I really hope will happen.”

While the Saturday forum only had a handful of attendees, the Friday forum attracted more voices. Pierce said, “It went really well [on Friday], we had a really productive conversation about what’s working, what’s not working, and got some student perspective on what we can do better, which would be great, and we got some feedback on the proposal. It was mostly just agreement with what was proposed.”

Abbady said that a member of the ALANA center attended the event and reported that many people in the ALANA center were strongly in favor of the changes. Abbady explained this was because “The splitting of the Student Life position is very much to give voice to the centers, because over the years, they’ve all been saying that they feel like they don’t have a voice in the student government.”

In terms of feedback, Pierce said, “From individuals, we’ve heard good things but also not good things. A lot of people on the VSA are worried that this is a plan that’s not well-developed. To that, we’ve been saying, we don’t know until we try.”

On of these concerned voices on the VSA is VSA President Deb Steinberg ’14. In an emailed statement, Steinberg said, “I do not support the proposed changes. I believe we can more effectively make these changes from within—by delegating more, doing a better job of reaching out to our constituents, and improving our institutional memory—rather than by creating new positions.”

Steinberg expressed concern that the changes would make the situation worse, saying, “I think these changes, and all of these discussions about our structure, are just distractions from the actual issues students want us to be addressing and they make us less accessible because no one has any idea what is going on.”

She attested to having a different experience with informal student feedback, saying, “I have heard very little feedback from students, which suggests to me that we are not actually solving any issues by making these changes. Most students I have spoken to believe there are more pressing issues on campus and these changes would have very little effect.”

On the other hand, the authors of the amendment have received positive feedback from the two students currently occupying the debated positions. Goldberg, listed above, is a co-author of the amendment and very in favor of its changes.

At this time, the amendment will not go to the students but is being dealt with by the VSA. Pierce said, “The reason it wouldn’t [be voted on by students] isn’t because we don’t want to know what the student body wants, because that’s what these forums are for...It’s just because of the time crunch because of the way elections are done.” She continued to explain that the election process for these new positions would have to begin immediately after students return from spring break.

Steinberg is not optimistic about the amendment’s chances, saying, “In Council [on Feb. 23], I got the feeling that others agreed that this amendment would not get passed and that there were better ways we could be spending our time.” She continued, “I do not think any changes to the amendment would make it easier to pass.”

Abbady exhorted students who are in favor of the amendment to contact their house president and class president and express their support of the bill. Pierce said that she wanted students to know that “the VSA is not an angry, ugly monster. We’re just a bunch of students like you...our goal is to help.”

After talks VJU votes to break tradition VJU continued from page 1

decision-making process. We support the student-run governance of VSA organizations, and the VJU’s decision is a good example of what a deliberative, democratic, student-initiated process looks like.”

“Our role was advisory: We did what we could to support the VJU Board’s efforts to make sure all voices were heard—within the Board membership and the broader VJU membership. We also made clear to the VJU leaders what they already knew: that the responsibility of the decision was theirs,” Speers confirmed.

The VJU also discussed this decision with the Assistant Director of RSL and Rose and

Irving Rachlin Adviser to Jewish Studies Rabbi Rena Blumenthal.

Blumenthal said, “The VJU leadership kept me informed throughout the process this semester...I respect and support its decision-making process.”

Speers echoed this message for the VJU, saying, “The Open Hillel vote does not really change anything for the structure and longstanding pluralistic practices of the VJU. The RSL Office continues to support the VJU as we do the other RSL-related student groups.”

“The VJU’s vote is generating considerable discussion on campus and with interested alumnae/i and media—because of the opposition the VJU is voicing to current Hillel

courtesy of the Vassar Jewish Union

Many major cities in China have endured weeks of the toxic smog that is now starting to resemble a nuclear winter, where photosynthesis has slowed down in crops which could affect the food supply in the whole country. Because the air pollutants are adhering to greenhouse surfaces, the plants are only receiving 50 percent of the sunlight they should be getting; many farms are now in panic because the heavy smog is affecting their crops and livelihoods. This is one of the many concerns China faces with the ongoing heavy pollution that is covering 10 percent of the country.

The smog is created by China’s rapid economic growth and industrial activity that is burning coal and releasing soot particles and sulfur dioxide. All the toxic particles, combined with the unfavorable meteorological conditions (heat plus lack of wind), are preventing the dispersion of the pollutants (CNN, “China looks for blue-sky solutions as smog worsens,” 2.25.14). In order to try to reduce the smog, around 150 industrial companies have slowed down or stopped production (LA Times, “Toxic smog hangs over large swatch of China but many ignore threat,” 2.25.14).

The concentration of PM 2.5 particles, particles small enough to enter the lungs and the bloodstream, has reached 505 micrograms per cubic meter in Beijing on Tuesday night. The World Health Organization recommends a safe level of 25 micrograms. This has caused the city to raise the smog alert to “orange,” the second highest level of pollution (NBC News, “Orange alert: Dangerous smog chokes Beijing,” 2.25.14). Should the alert be raised to “red,” the government would have to start shutting down schools and roads to avoid serious health repercussions.

Civilians have taken matters of their health into their own hands by wearing facemasks when going outside and buying air purifiers to cleanse the air at home.

The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study claimed that the China smog had caused 1.2 million premature deaths in China in 2010 (NY Times, “Air pollution linked to 1.2 million premature deaths in China,” 4.1.13).

February 27, 2014

The Bayit House is the Center for Jewish students at Vassar College. Recently, the Vassar Jewish Union voted to become an Open Hillel, dissassociating itself with Hillel International.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

International guidelines,” Speers said, “The VJU has announced their decision to Hillel International and plans are already underway for discussions between our students and Hillel leadership. I appreciate the respectful way this dialogue is being planned.”

Speers also commented on his outlook for the campus that now features an Open Hillel. “For the future of RSL and Jewish life on campus, we can expect more engagement on some vital questions—including the different ways our community understands Jewish identity and its relation to Israel, and what it means to be in community with people with whom we disagree,” he said.

Blumenthal also looked to the future of the VJU. “I think it remains to be seen how this will impact VJU programming. My sense is that VJU wanted to make a statement about its openness to a range of opinions, but whether this will result in a shift in programming priorities is unclear at this time,” she said.

Blumenthal, however, remains somewhat apprehensive for students, saying, “I do have a concern that some students who are supportive of Israel may misunderstand the Open Hillel stance to mean that their voices are not equally valued. I do hope that VJU will make it clear that being an Open Hillel means being open to all voices along the political spectrum of this complex issue.”

“Going forward, nothing will really change,” Dann concluded, “as this move was in line with the values that we already practiced. We look forward to engaging in more discussion and dialogue.”

According to the Open Hillel website, the VJU’s decision has made it the second Open Hillel in the world—the first being Swarthmore College’s Hillel. Other affiliates, such as the one at UC Berkeley, are working to declare themselves Open Hillels as well.

February 27, 2014

FEATURES

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NSO explores diversity, marginalization in nerd culture Bethany Terry stAFF desiGner

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Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

eaturing the theme “The Imperial Republic of the Cyber Age,” No Such Organization (NSO) held their 13th annual convention this past weekend. With video game tournaments, cosplaying events, tabletop and role playing games, improv shows and guest speakers, NSO hosts members of Vassar’s community as well as the greater Hudson Valley area.

One new addition to this year’s convention was a panel on diversity in nerd culture, something that has not been addressed in conventions past. With an assembly of alumnae/i from the Poughkeepsie area and guests from outside of the College, NSO facilitated a discussion ranging in topics from personal experiences with discrimination within nerd culture to gender and minority depictions in the media.

Featuring panelists Michael Mulat and Mary Ellen Iatropoulos from the Poughkeepsie Media Project, Director of the ALANA Center Luz Burgos-López, author Jim C. Hines, Cosplayer Elliot Henderson and Residence Director at Westfield State University Chris Richard, the forum attracted roughly 60 attendees.

Moderator Anveshi Guha ’15 asked this group of panelists to discuss how and why different marginalized groups are mistreated, and how this mistreatment can be addressed.

Explained Guha, “I wanted this panel to happen at No Such Convention this year for two reasons, the first being that I am a queer agender/woman of color interested in ‘nerd culture’ and working within No Such Organization, and so diversity in nerd culture is very relevant to me.”

They continued, “Secondly, Vassar spends a lot of time discussing issues without really getting anywhere; diversity and related buzzwords often float around campus, without there being deep criticism of how diversity is approached by different communities and without action being taken to encourage diversity.”

The panel discussed how being a part of a marginalized group can affects one’s percep-

tion of media and nerd culture.

Said Richard during the panel, “I think what that really speaks for me as an African American male [is] when I kind of jumped into nerd culture and experienced the facets for myself, there’s really a disconnect in terms of who I can level with, who I can see myself connecting with in these shows I love dearly.”

On the subject of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, he said, “For example, it’s that one moment where [I’m] invested in a movie and I’m looking around at, say, ‘The Two Towers,’ and I look around and say, ‘There’s not one black person in this entire army?’ And I start to think, ‘Why is that? Just at least one?’ It sends me down that pathway that severs the connection” He continued, “So it’s one of those things as an African American male I struggle with some elements even though I felt like I processed this when I was fourteen.”

Muat spoke of his own experiences with media, especially concerning the addition of people of color (POC) into minor roles in films. He expressed his exasperation with POC casting in an effort to attract certain demographics or make a claim to diversity. He used the example of the controversy surrounding the casting of Idris Elba in the “Thor” movies as the Norse God Hemidal.

“I wanted Idris Elba to be Black Panther,” he said, “or someone who was actually black, who could have his own story, as opposed to someone to bring black audiences to the movie.”

Others spoke to their experiences within nerd fandoms themselves, and the discrimination they have experienced based on their status in a marginalized group.

Iatropoulos was one speaker who recounted her experience as a woman at these conventions. People in the past have discounted or refused to believe what she has said simply because she is a woman. She points out the hypocrisy of these biases in a community such as the nerd culture.

The formation of a nerd culture intersects with broader questions of exclusion. She explained, “I think one of the things about trying

An assembly of speakers tackled the rarely broached subjects of race and minority representation in fandom media and nerd culture in a panel during the annual No Such Convention. to pin down a definition of nerd culture is that, especially within the larger context of diversity and social justice, is that a lot of folks identify with nerd culture through a sense of some sort of persecution or discrimination.”

She encouraged others to ask themselves the question, “Can we be part of a marginalized culture, that is in tension with mainstream culture, while also producing the same categories of exclusion that mainstream culture does?”

Burgos-López continued on that thought.

“We know what it feels like to be hurt, isolated, kept away from everything; so when we find a culture that welcomes us, or at least feels like welcomes us, we forget that we are doing that exact same thing for other people who are trying to get in,” she said.

She went on to speak about how this line of thinking has led to her own hesitancy in entering these nerd communities. She explained,

“Literally the idea of stepping into the realm, not so much because I might not be not familiar with a lot of things that are there, it’s just a community deciding whether I belong there or not, because I am a woman, but also because I am a woman of color.”

The panel lasted about an hour and a half with a half an hour for questions. The panelists spoke honestly about their own experiences within the fandom and with the media itself.

Moderator Guha was happy with the audience turn out, but was especially pleased by the conversations the panel engendered. Conversations which they hope will continue after No Such Convention.

Guha added, “More importantly than the numbers, though, I think the event was well attended in terms of engagement. The audience presented some really insightful questions and responses.”

Raucous annual events generate mixed legacy at Vassar Shannon Liao stAFF reporter

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Spencer Davis/The Miscellany News

t 10 p.m., hundreds rushed into the College Center, pushing and screaming to get in.

By 12 a.m., emergency rooms of three local hospitals bustled to the brim with Vassar students, driving the party to an end.

The year was 1999 , the last Vassar has seen of the Homo Hop, a legendary chaotic party hosted by Queer Coalition of Vassar College (QCVC), crashed by dozens from off campus, ranging from young kids to older grown-ups.

Extreme drug experimentation and 32 EMS calls marked the end of the event (The Miscellany News, “From Steamboat to Villard, a History of parties at Vassar,” 11.4.10).

Over the past two decades, multiple campus-sponsored parties have exploded to rival the ranks of the Homo Hop, including the Shiva Rave; Jewett’s annual Seven Deadly Sins, a night of revelry left unfulfilled this past Saturday; and Halloweekend.

A heavy drinking culture pervades these events, and, coupled with massive crowds, culminates in hospitalizations and vandalism.

Assistant Dean of Campus Activities Teresa Quinn outlined the College’s policy regarding campus events that attract notoriety.

“Our collective responsibility is first and foremost to provide a safe environment for the campus community. Any event which results in hospital transports will certainly come under the radar of the administration and VSA for discussion concerning what went wrong, if the event should continue and how best to plan for the future to avoid such situations,” wrote Quinn.

The trouble, according to Quinn, begins before the event itself.

“Drug-health issues are always a major concern when students arrive at an event having consumed too much alcohol,” wrote Quinn.

She then took up the example of the Shiva Rave. “[The Shiva Rave] was not necessarily the problem; clearly the pre-gaming activity in anticipation of the Rave was the issue.”

The College has, in its recent history, shut down campus-sponsored parties which they deemed as having acquired a significant party culture. When does a good time become a dangerous time?

Quinn said that student leaders with good intentions work hard to provide the campus with such diverse activities. She said, “It is the organizers who are most disappointed when an event is tainted by a few students whose inappropriate behavior overshadows the positive aspects of the activity [and bring] the event under scrutiny.”

EMT with Vassar EMS Joseph Tharakan ’17 agreed, saying, “I can’t really condone underage drinking but there are ways to safely enjoy it without an EMS call.”

He continued, “It’s important for everyone to realize that you don’t need to excessively drink in order to enjoy a night, because the best way to ruin a party is have someone go way above what they can handle.”

Meanwhile, reports of vandalism at Seven Deadly Sins surfaced in 2009 and 2012. In 2009,

a student’s iPod was allegedly stolen and her friend’s speaker wires were cut (The Miscellany News, “News Briefs: Security Run In,” 2.26.10).

Jewett House President Tewa Kpulun ’15 was a student fellow on the Jewett House Team last year. She recalled the problems Seven Deadly party in 2012 encountered.

“One of the floors did get out of hand. People’s personal items were messed with and the bathroom on that floor was trashed. To respond to that, Jewett house teams have no longer invited that organization to host a floor again,” she said in an emailed statement.

According to Kpulun, last year’s Seven Deadly suffered no damages. “Jewett House team does a really great job ensuring that our home is returned to the way it was after a party.”

Another notorious college event were the

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Shiva Raves, dance parties crowded in the Shiva Theater. In 2010, due to a lack of crowd control among other drug related issues, the Rave was shut down by Safety & Security and the Arlington Fire Department (The Miscellany News, “Student vigilance aids Safety and Security.” 12/9/10).

Director of Health Education Renee Pabst told that an event only merits cancellation if it gets substantially out of hand. “[Usually] if the College has seen that the event has posed a risk for students for health and safety, they will work with the group that hosted the event to address this,” wrote Pabst in an emailed statement. “Sometimes that may mean the event will not be able to occur again.”

Pabst added that canceling an event is a collective decision made by Campus Activities, the Dean of Students, D. B. Brown, and Dean of the College Chris Roellke.

At the same time, big events like Seven Deadly have tight security. Security, fire-watch personnel, food, water, people to check Vassar IDs and guest passes and an administrator are all required for an all-campus event to go on, according to Jewett and Lathrop House Advisor Kelly Grab.

“I haven’t really witnessed any catastrophes but I think, you know, if anything really happened, there would be plenty of people to back whoever it happened to up,” said President of Squirm Magazine Rachael Johnson ’15. Squirm had been slated to host the Lust floor of Seven Deadly before the blackout.

“These measures are not about the notoriety of any specific party, but merely ‘common sense’ safety measures,” said Grab in an emailed statement.

For what would have been this year’s Seven Deadly if not for the black-out, Johnson commented, “It’s one of the bigger parties of the year, but it’s also just another party. People are going to get EMS’d there and they’re going to get EMS’d at their own houses, probably, if they’re drinking, because it just happens all the time.”

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February 27, 2014

Diaspora dinner a gathering of ingredients, cultures Eloy Bleifuss Prados FeAtures editor

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courtesy of SASA

ixty seats to fill and 60 mouths to feed with home-cooked Indian and South Asian food.

This is the order the South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) had to deliver during their annual Diaspora Dinner on Saturday Feb. 22 in the Aula.

According to SASA Co-President Saumya Bhutani ‘14, the dinner was a way for SASA to celebrate the diversity of backgrounds of Vassar’s South Asian student community.

“We do this in the form of bringing together recipes from home for dishes we love and we find that although many of us grew up in different places we still grew up with the same food.

Given that food is such a large cultural experience it solidifies our connections with one another” wrote Bhutani in an emailed statement.

SASA Vice-President Divya Pathak ‘15 explained to the guests at a point during the evening, the diaspora in the dinner’s name refers to global population of people of South Asian heritage living outside the Indian subcontinent.

“Some are international students whose homes are currently in South Asia. Others are children of South Asian immigrants, either born there and immigrants themselves, or born here as full US citizens with South Asian heritage,” Pathak wrote in an emailed statement.

She added, “The significance of a ‘diaspora’ to us is in celebrating this mix of identities and recognizing the widespread presence of our South Asian-ness, both physically manifested in our embodiment and culturally manifested through food, movies, music, philosophies, etc.”

The Diaspora Dinner has been held at Vassar since the ’90s. Bhutani described how the idea of diaspora struck a chord with many South Asian students, she wrote, “As college students who have then left our parents’ homes, which are either in the mother countries or other countries as a result of immigration, we are furthering the

diaspora but still continue to maintain those same cultural ties and experiences we grew up with and bring them with us while at college.”

She went on to write, “We are now able to, besides bond with one another, share these cultural experiences by cooking for the Vassar community our favorite dishes from home.”

The cooking and preparing for the dinner began three days in advance on Wednesday evening and continued through Friday dinner.

SASA decided that in order to concentrate their attention on getting their homemade entrees right, some items, including the very basic staples like rice, salad and naan would be bought directly from a local caterer.

To prepate the home-cooked portion, a total of 12 SASA executive board members came to Bhutani’s Terrace Apartment kitchen.

“It was a pretty crazy couple of days in my kitchen. On Wednesday at one point there were 11 of us sprawled all over the floor peeling and cutting onions, potatoes, and cauliflower. We almost had an assembly line going,” wrote Bhutani.

SASA was anxious that not all the diners would get all they wanted to eat. Bhutani wrote, “We actually thought all the cooking was done Thursday night but then on Friday during tabling we got a tremendous rise in ticket sales.

I was concerned that there wouldn’t be enough food so on Friday evening we made more chole masala and halwa.”

Finding all the ingredients meant SASA members had to travel from store to store around the Mid-Hudson Valley. They made the rounds at supermarkets like Shop Rite, BJs, Adams, but also turned to Saraswati Groceries, an Indian store off Route 9 in Wappinger Falls.

Bhutani found Kashmiri Chilli powder, cumin seeds, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and paprika at Saraswati.

Some of the ingredients, on the other hand, like amchur (mango powder) and kesar (saffron) for the homemade dishes literally did come straight from home.

Members of the South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) arrayed in the Aula during their annual Diaspora Dinner, which seeks share a global heritage through fresh, homecooked food.

Bhutani wrote, “It also helped that for certain spices that we needed a small quantity of and are expensive and sometimes tricky to find, we were able to get some from my parents who actually live close by.”

SASA also purchased 32 onions for the dinner. The Chole Masala curry alone called for 20 onions. Cutting so many onions produced certain challenges, according to Bhutani.

“Everyone was in tears even if you weren’t actually cutting but just in the room. Actually, one of my housemates’ eyes were watering while she was sitting in her room upstairs,” she wrote.

Cooking continued right up to the moment as ticket holders began trailing in. The mango lassi was made and the samosas were fried the day the event, and midway through the dinner,

and SASA members went table to table with biscuits and hot chai tea.

Bhutani also described a little help she got.

She wrote, “To be honest, my mother came and helped us cook and that was a huge relief.

SASA still did most of the heavy lifting but it was reassuring to have her there to oversee everything and guide us,” she wrote, adding, “It eliminated a lot of insecurities that can arise during the cook process cause we’re a bunch of college kids that don’t cook for ourselves often...let alone 60 other people!”

For Pathak, the cooking and work was every bit worth it at the end of the day.

“Getting everything together on the day of the event was hectic, but so rewarding as it all pulled together and we got to see 60 people with happy faces and bellies,” she wrote.

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B&G workers plow through Faces of the toughest weather in 20 years Internship Grant Fund PLOWERS continued from page 1

eight miles of sidewalks, as well as nearly 40 parking lots, and all of these surfaces must be kept walkable in the event of a blizzard. Plowers and other Buildings and Grounds staff work long hours in fearsome weather. Sixteen hour shifts, Ackert said, are not unusual.

Grounds Manager Kevin Mercer keeps tabs on the weather reports whenever large weather systems pass through the area. When the storm of Feb. 14 was approaching, the plowers kicked in before the first snowflake hit the ground. The crews pretreated the paths and roads with a salt grind, which prevents snow from accumulating.

By that night, conditions were looking good. The snowfall had abated and the roads were clear.

“The day we went through and we were really clean as of nine to 10:00 p.m.,” said Mercer.

Wanting to give the Grounds staff a few hours of rest, he explained how he kept a bare-bones crew overnight, and sent the rest home.

It was then that the snowfall resurged.

According to Mercer, no one, not even the weather services, had anticipated so much snow to come down that night.

“They predicted six to seven inches. In reality, we got 12 to 14 inches,” he said. “So the crew could not possibly keep up with the snow accumulating up to three to four inches an hour.”

The winter of the past months has seen more than its typical share of blizzards. So when the last one hit, the campus had too much snow and not enough places to put it.

The equipment itself was pushed to a breaking point: Two of the snow blowers broke down, according to Mercer. Piles of snow grew so large that plows were physically incapable of moving them.

Mercer said that in times of overwhelming snowfall, Grounds will make clearing certain paths a priority. Snow removal will focus on the campus arteries that Mercer sees as most essential for the student welfare.

“My goal is to keep paths open from student dorms to the ACDC,” Mercer said. Also among

the top of his priorities is open access the other dining services like the Retreat, and pathways to the Baldwin Health Clinic and the Athletic and Fitness Center.

This year, the Grounds staff faced what they described as their toughest winter in almost 20 years. A staff member of Buildings and Grounds estimated that, in the last two weeks alone, Custodial Services has distributed almost five tons of salt and snow melt to the residential houses.

Mercer, meanwhile, said that so far this winter season, Grounds has used roughly 75 tons of salt on Vassar roadways.

“We did our very, very best to do what we could with limited equipment to help open up this college, but it was very challenging to say the least,” said Mercer.

“That day I worked 13 hours, went home, slept for three hours, and then came back and worked another 12 to 14 hours,” Ackert shared.

Ackert has been working at Vassar for 34 years, mechanic Mike Jobs for 33 years , while heavy-equipment operator Steve Bathrick is pushing 30. They all agree that this season has been the toughest since the winter of ’95 and ’96.

While Grounds clears the paths between the structures on campus, the department of Custodial Services removes snow around the entrances and exits.

Manager Cynthia VanTassel described how a crew of 47 janitors are responsible for clearing all entrances and exits of buildings, as well as the area immediately three feet beyond the buildings. Just like Grounds, the snowstorms of the last weeks have strained Custodial Services.

“This has been an absolute challenge. There is a lot of snow out there to remove,” said VanTassel.

The fluctuating temperatures offered no relief.

Snow melts and falls off the roofs to the ground only to refreeze at night, and janitors had to reclear entrances several times in one day.

“How long can you shovel in a day?” she asked.

“Can you shovel for ten hours? How effective are you? You just wear out physically.”

“The IGF allowed me to take what I studied at Vassar--Film and English-- and apply those skills and knowledge in the real world. The fund helped me to figure out what career paths I'm most passionate about and the direction that I should go in once I graduate from Vassar.”

-Charlacia Dent ‘14, Film and English double major

Give to the 2014 Student Gift today and help your fellow students fund an experience that they will benefit from for the rest of their lives!

February 27, 2014

FEATURES

Page 7

IME seeks to make cumulative senior work accessible IME continued from page 1

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

senior project can be beneficial if anything because it allows you as a student to really divest all your energy into something you’re really passionate about,” she wrote in an emailed statement. “I feel like a senior thesis gives you the liberty of finally focusing on a particular area of interest that might have gone unexplored your previous four years at Vassar.”

Recent measures, however, may be in place in coming years to make the departmental policies uniform throughout the College. In 2012, Dean of the Faculty Jonathan Chenette proposed the idea of a cumulative senior project as a way for students to compile the knowledge they have gained while at Vassar or as a means of exploring a theme of academic interests (“Chenette seeks new senior req,” 15.11.12). “Since my remarks in 2012 presenting the idea, the faculty have engaged in various related conversations at faculty meetings, at department and program meetings, and in other contexts,” Chenette wrote in an emailed statement.

The project has been a topic of discussion among the faculty for the past year and a half.

“Since my remarks in 2012 presenting the idea, the faculty have engaged in various related conversations at faculty meetings, at department and program meetings, and in other contexts,” Chenette wrote in an emailed statement. Out of these conversations, members of the faculty formed a subcommittee of the Committee on Curricular Policies to develop a proposal for what is being called Intensive Mentored Exploration (IME). The purpose of the IME is to engage students in their fields of interest while working closely with a faculty member. The project is similar to what are called capstone projects at peer institutions, but the IME is more focused on the interaction between a student and professor.

This past Sunday, Feb. 23, Professor of History and Chair of the Committee Rebecca Edwards and fellow Committee Member and Professor of Biology Meg Ronsheim presented the proposal to the Vassar Student Association (VSA). In their presentation, they discussed the research they have done on senior projects at Vassar.

They noted that among the class of 2013, approx-

imately 75 percent of white students chose to complete a senior project, while the number of African-American students who chose to do so was significantly lower. There were also more men than women who elected to take on a senior project. Statistics about differences among socioeconomic groups were unavailable. They were concerned that perhaps the opportunity to engage in senior work was not accessible to all students. “We’re not seeking to add more to your full academic year, but rather to reorient the senior year so everyone gets the opportunity,” Edwards said.

Edwards discussed the potential benefits to implementing IME at Vassar. “Students who undertake intensive mentored work report increased intellectual self confidence, skills in research and in time and project management, enhanced capacity to think creatively and critically, improved written and oral skills—all these have been reported from studies,” Edwards noted. She emphasized that if the proposal were to be accepted by the faculty, the process of putting IME into place would be gradual. Students would begin to see more opportunities for intensive mentored work, and experiences outside the classroom such as JYA and field work might be incorporated into the IME. Currently, the committee is finalizing their proposal and is seeking out opinions from the faculty and students alike. “We want to plan for impact and identify funds and resources to support initiative-address impact on curriculum,” Edwards said. “This needs to be a collective development; we talked with the VSA academic affairs, and we’re planning on reaching out to majors committee.”

In addition to the faculty members of the committee, Estello-Cisdre Raganit ’14 serves as a student representative. He has been responsible for reporting back to the VSA on the progress of the IME and is now looking to a larger portion of the student body. “I am now going to localize my efforts in soliciting input from students who are heavily involved in academic affairs (i.e. the majors committees) as well those in the periphery, as this is a requirement that will affect all incoming students,” he wrote in an emailed statement.

Raganit echoed Edwards’ concerns about ac-

cessibility of senior work. “[I]mplementation [of IME] ensures that all students have equal access in creating and claiming a work of which they can be proud,” he wrote. “Having completed a capstone project last semester, I also can understand the importance of working one-onone with faculty members who both validate and challenge your efforts.”

The main concerns with IME revolve around staffing and budgetary concerns. Neuroscience and Behavior Chair Kathleen Susman wrote in an emailed statement about the impacts IME might have on the program. “Our courses provide multiple opportunities for individual research projects and our senior seminar provides an intensive integrative culmination that also builds a strong research and intellectual community for our majors,” she explained. “If the College goes to the IME model as it is currently construed, we would need more resources: more faculty, more budgetary resources, more time, to accommodate such a large number of seniors each year in an independent project.”

Jacob Gorski ’15 [Full Disclosure: Gorski is Assistant Photo Editor for The Miscellany News] a psychology major, shared Susman’s worries about pressure on the faculty. “Rather than adding to the quality of our education, which I believe IME at its core hopes to do, it would subtract from the time and attention professors could give to their already-overflowing classes and to their existing responsibilities,” Gorski wrote in an emailed statement. “In order to even begin considering implementing a mandatory capstone project policy, I believe the psychology department (and likely other departments as well) would need additional professors and administrative resources.”

Gorski noted that the mandatory aspect of the IME might hinder true intellectual growth on the part of the students. “A capstone project— at least from having experienced it vicariously through my senior friends—is an immense commitment that requires dedication, enthusiasm, and self-initiative in a field of interest,” he wrote. “The current non-mandatory approach to capstone projects can be conveniently self-selective, I believe, because it only attracts to it those students who are most enthusiastic about

(or stand to benefit most from) completing a project. I would think it requires a huge amount of intrinsic motivation that wouldn’t necessarily be present for students who were pressured into completing a project.”

Susman also acknowledged that there are positive results that come from senior projects, but that making it a requirement might change the nature of the process. “There are enormous benefits to those who want to do it, but if you don’t want to do it and are forced to, is that a beneficial experience?” Susman wrote.

Yet for some, making IME a requirement for senior year may change the nature of education at Vassar. Chair of the Philosophy Department Giovanna Borradori discussed her reservations about mandatory senior work. “I’m concerned about totalization—the idea that a student career culminates in one thing for me raises worries about the exploratory nature of a liberal arts education,” she said. “I worry about unifying the plurality that defines the liberal arts.”

Borradori explained that the Philosophy Department has not come to a clear decision about the IME proposal itself. She emphasized that the frequent interactions between faculty and students at Vassar are one of its strengths. “I’m optimistic about the potential for a close relationship with faculty that could come from IME,” she said. On the other hand, Borradori noted that adding a strain to resources in academic departments brought on by the regulations of IME might hinder this. “We don’t want to take away from what we already give students in the classroom,” she said.

For now the IME proposal is still being discussed and has yet to be formally presented to the faculty. There is still much conversation to be had in order to ensure that its creation would be beneficial for students and for faculty. Susman noted that the IME may not be necessary to give students the opportunity to engage in senior work. “What if, instead, we as a faculty worked on ways to encourage and enhance independent experiences so that more of our students feel that embarking on an independent project is a good idea?” she offered. “Or perhaps we could work on ways to increase the visibility and access to those independent experiences?”

Salad dressing a crucial component of culinary experience Mary Talbot

Guest Columnist

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courtesy of foodfitnessfreshair

lthough I’ve been cooking and watching other people cook for as long as I can remember, I still feel my inexperience when I witness a culinary veteran, in whom years of kitchen fiddling have produced a set of ingrained skills and recipes, tricks always up their sleeves for display.

My toolbox of staple recipes, of things ‘every cook should know how to do,’ is still far from completion, and I love watching those more knowledgeable than I effortlessly pull meals together from thin air, combining skill and practice with delicious results.

The person whom I place most immediately in this category is my mother, who can make French bread, pizza dough, popovers and pie crusts without recipes or fuss. Homemade ice cream or pasta, perfect omelets or poached eggs? Done in the blink of an eye.

Her immeasurable repertoire of skills have always been a fascination, and I’ve been increasingly enticed by the idea of working towards a similar mastery. Building up such an impressive arsenal is obviously a gradual process, but small steps have been made.

I have a delicious yellow cake recipe that I can make in 20 minutes, minimal recipe-checking required. Substituting ingredients I have for those I don’t is coming more and more naturally, and I’ve made a few loaves of bread that looked, smelled and tasted as they should.

One of my recent goals has been to find the perfect salad dressing, one that is flexible and forgiving, can be made out of kitchen staples, and doesn’t have more ingredients than I can remember.

Making infinitely varying, consistently delicious salad dressings are one of many tasks my mom executes with impossible casualness.

A hundred distinct memories of this blur into one: she stands in front of our impossibly large wooden salad bowl, squeezing lemon halves,

adding shots of Tabasco and grinding black pepper, talking and whisking and tasting.

Of course, as a result of living with a Salad Dressing Queen I have turned into a supreme Salad Dressing Snob. Often, I find store bought dressing overwhelmingly acidic or unappealingly creamy, and am left halfheartedly poking at a drippy salad, picking out chickpeas and throwing half of it away. While at Vassar, I yearn for the dressings of home, notes of garlic, lemon or coarse black pepper with every bright crunchy bite.

All signs declared it was time to find a dressing I could make on my own, easily perfected and consistently delicious. Then I got Deb Perelman’s “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” for Christmas last year (if you’ve never heard of her or her incredible blog, run to your computer and look it up right now!), and this dressing just fell into my lap.

It whips up in five minutes, and after making it twice, I no longer use the recipe, just ‘measure’ imprecise quantities with a regular spoon and taste as I go. It requires no planning, no shopping and no technique.

It will not cause exclamations of shock and awe. It will not be the highlight of the meal— no. The purpose of a staple dressing is to be easy and tasty, and not to overwhelm the senses. Dressed lettuce, kale or arugula should still taste like lettuce, kale or arugula.

So I give you this salad dressing that Deb Perelman gave to me. If you’re in a dorm, you will almost certainly have to buy a few ingredients, but otherwise you just need a bowl, a fork and a jar.

Bring this salad dressing to the Deece or the Retreat. Turn spinach, mushrooms and cucumbers into spinach, mushrooms and cucumbers with honey mustard dressing on them. Eschew those plastic bottles of overly sharp balsamic and add something to your repertoire of culinary skills. Join me on this side of the homemade line.

The Recipe

“Smitten Kitchen’s Honey Mustard”

From “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” by Deb Perelman

I hesitate to call this honey mustard, which recalls mayonnaisey globs of cloying yellow sauce, ordered as complement to McDonald’s chicken nuggets. This is so, so far from that. This is a creamy, pale yellow dressing, warm, sweet and not at all overpowering. But let’s call a spade a spade: this is honey mustard, only the kind of honey mustard destined for greater things than hockey puck chicken or shoe string French fries. It’s not life-changing, but the purpose of the humble, staple dressing is not to change lives: it’s to be easy, and tasty, and to not make lettuce, or kale, or arugula taste too different from lettuce, or kale or arugula.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons white wine or apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard 3 teaspoons honey Salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients with a fork or whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed. Store in a jar or bottle in the fridge, dressing will keep for two or three months.

Note: I doubled the original recipe for ‘bulk’ use—consider cutting it back down if you’re using it for a single meal, or making even more if you want a longer supply. Deb’s recipe calls for white wine vinegar, I’ve always used apple cider because that’s what I’ve had on hand. Both are delicious!

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February 27, 2014

Awareness week aims to destigmatize eating disorders Justine Woods Guest reporter

espite being extremely dangerous and prevalent among people of all genders, eating disorders are too often a taboo subject, as are many mental health issues. This week, Vassar College is participating in National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW) to try to change that.

The week was first designated 27 years ago and has been promoted at Vassar as early as 1996. The Office of Health Education has run programs during EDAW since its formation in 2002, creating a multidimensional approach that incorporates both passive and active programming in order to best accommodate a variety of comfort levels. For example, of the two days of tabling during the week, one will be an un-personed table that will allow people to receive information anonymously.

Other events this year include a presentation on “How to Help a Friend” by Director of Health Education Renee Pabst and a study break discussion in Lathrop House.

Said Pabst in an emailed statement, “I think every year the main goal is to take away the shame that comes in struggling with these issues, raise awareness, offer support and assist students who are struggling to know they are not alone and there are many places on and off campus to seek assistance.”

It can be separate, the fact and the fiction of eating disorders. The truth is that at least 30 million people in the United States suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder. 20 percent of those with anorexia will eventually die from a problem caused by the disease, making it the most lethal psychiatric disorder.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health only dedicates 93 cents per person on research for eating disorders, compared to the $88 per person for autism.

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, eating disorders like anorexia,

courtesy of the National Eading Disorder Awareness Organization

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bulimia and binge eating disorders can cause extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.

President of Lathrop Logan Hill expressed that he and the rest of Lathrop House team wanted to get involved in NEDAW. He said in an emailed statement, “[We] believe study breaks and the residential system as a whole are often the easiest, most accessible place for a lot of people to engage in sometimes difficult conversations….[and] issues surrounding eating disorders aren’t often talked about here at Vassar or in our society as a whole.”

This year’s national NEDAW’s theme is “I Had No Idea.” As the association put it, the goal of this year is “[T]o address eating disorder misconceptions—as many individuals, families, and communities are not aware of the often devastating mental and physical consequences—and highlights available resources for treatment and support.”

The association emphasizes that eating disorders are serious illnesses, and not lifestyle choices. The association’s website contains online information sheets, articles about personal experiences and a quiz testing your knowledge of eating disorders. Fact sheets display startling statistics, such as the fact that 81 percent of ten year olds are afraid of being fat and that females ages 15 to 24 with anorexia are twelve times more likely to die from the illness than from any other cause of death.

Sara Abramson ‘16 explained why NEDAW is important for her. She wrote in an emailed statement, “Personally, I speak out because too many people in my life have suffered from this horrible disease.” It was Abramson who suggested that Lathrop participate in NEDAW. “Eating disorder awareness week is an attempt to bring an invisible illness to the forefront. It is a week that enables people to learn the truth about eating disorders, instead of falling prey to the stereotypes and stigmas that

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week kicked off last Sunday Feb. 23,. Vassar Health Education and Lathrop House are hosting events on how to be an ally to a to a peer in need. surround the illness,” she wrote.

According to Hill, Lathrop House team was immediately receptive to Abramson’s proposal.

“Everyone on House Team agreed it was a great idea and that issues surrounding eating disorders aren’t often talked about here at Vassar or in our society as a whole.”

Vassar’s goals for this week align with the goals of the national association and focus on helping your friends and family. The presentation “How to Help a Friend” aims to educate students on how to help those who struggle with an eating disorder.

Pabst asserted that her office does its best to be mindful of how the topic of eating disorders overlaps with issues of race and identity.

She said, “We try to be inclusive when

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talking about body image, disorder[ed] eating, and eating disorders. We know that this is not a ‘white straight women’s issue’ and that we see these issues in all populations and the intersection of identity and this issue is important to understand with education, resources, and supports. It is also important to address this in how it can limit certain populations from seeking help.”

The Office of Health Education said they are available for help for a student or their friends who are concerned. It also offers nutrition consultation once in a month in Health Services.

Meanwhile, Counseling Service provides safe and confidential support and counseling, while the Listening Center offers (845-235-2062) for 24 hour confidential counseling.

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

OPINIONS

February 27, 2014

THE MISCELLANY NEWS STAFF EDITORIAL

College should better address winter effects

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hile the Vassar community is still recovering from the copious amounts of snow that has fallen on campus during the past few weeks, we at The Miscellany News would like to offer some feedback on the College’s snow removal procedures and class cancellation policy. We believe that a few changes to the school’s policy would result in increased safety for members of the staff, administration and student body.

First, we would like to recognize the work of the Building and Grounds employees who were involved in snow removal and thank them for crucial work in keeping the school running during snow storms that resulted in Poughkeepsie issuing a sustained State of Emergency. Without their work we would likely still be unable to move around campus.

That being said, we do have some safety concerns regarding the campus’ response to the snowfall that went unaddressed by the College’s administration. Specifically, we question Vassar’s reluctance to cancel classes. Closing administrative office and allowing professors to cancel classes at their discretion misses the larger safety issues faced by students on and off campus. During both snow storms, many of the pathways and roads were extremely slippery and generally unsafe for travel. While it would have likely been safe for students in the residential quad to walk to classes in Rockefeller Hall, Taylor Hall or Chicago Hall, many students living in senior apartment areas or off campus had to travel much farther and those conditions were a great deal more unsafe.

While Vassar is predominantly a residential campus, it is important to remember that not all students live on campus. For these students, it was unsafe to travel to campus during the days the storms hit. Of course, these students could notify their professors of their inability to get to campus, but many students often feel pressure to attend classes regardless of the conditions outside. Therefore, we urge the Administration to consider these students

in the event of severe winter storms.

Either cancelling classes or suggesting that professors cancel their classes would not only be a safer response but also a more inclusive one. Additionally, we would urge the Administration to be more communicative in cases of winter storms that result in the closure of administrative offices. A campus-wide email stating that administrative offices are closed would alleviate confusion over what campus resources are still functioning.

We, as students, would also like to know the plan for snow removal from pathways. Many of the campus pathways were, and continue to be, incredibly icy. If we knew certain pathways would always be cleared first, we could reconsider our routes to classes and other activities. As The Miscellany News reported in the Feb. 27 article “Snow crew surmounts harsh winter,” the routes to the All Campus Dining Center, Baldwin and the Athletic Fitness Center from the residential halls are prioritized. While these are certainly important areas to be cleared, paths from senior housing to central campus are also essential, especially those that are popularly used by students. For example, although Buildings and Grounds created a path for South Commons residents toward campus along Raymond Avenue, a vast majority of these students travel to campus via the path by Skinner Hall. Since students did not know that an alternative path was cleared, they instead traveled on the unclear path.

Regardless of what paths are prioritized, however, we recommend that these plans are communicated to students. Since the school has a large number of paths, such communication would help students travel safely even when there is not time to clear all paths of snow and ice.

Lastly, the fact that the Campus Shuttle does not run when administrative offices are closed is alarming. In cases of winter storms, the Campus Shuttle allows students who live in non-central locations on campus

to safely return home from classes and other activities. It seems contradictory to stop running the Shuttle because staff cannot get to campus or because it is too unsafe to drive, yet still expect students to be able to go to class. This is made worse by the fact that there is no communication regarding whether the shuttle is running. Many students realize that the shuttle is no longer running only when they have stood out in the winter storm conditions for some time.

We implore the Office of Safety and Security to create a means of communicating the status of shuttle operation to the student body en masse. This could either be in the form of a regularly updated Facebook or Twitter account, as suggested by some of the Presidents of the apartment areas, or a voluntary email list. We would also recommend that this communication include real-time updates on shuttle delays.

Last week, for example, the shuttle was unable to run to the Town Houses due to city snow removal but there was no communication relaying this fact.

While we at The Miscellany News are aware that students can call the Campus Response Center at any time for a ride if they feel unsafe, many students are either unaware of this option or do not feel comfortable requesting a ride. The Campus Shuttle provides an invaluable service and it is important that students be regularly updated about delays or changes to its operating schedule even when the delays are not due to a winter storm.

We at The Miscellany News understand that the weather conditions over the past month have been particularly harsh and have put a strain on the entire campus community, especially the Buildings and Grounds staff. However, we believe that the changes we suggested would better provide for the safety of students in the event of future severe winter storms.

—Staff Editorial represents the opinions of at least 2/3 of the Editorial Board.

Proposed defense cuts challenged by GOP Lily Elbaum Columnist

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his week, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the Pentagon’s plans to cut the size of the military down to its smallest size since before World War II. In addition, there are plans to retire some jet fleets in service since the Cold War while limiting pay raises, lowering housing allowances and increasing healthcare premiums for soldiers. According to Hagel, the plans are in line with trying to curb the financial crisis that the United States currently finds itself in. Last year, the United States spent about six times more than the next highest-spending nation, China, on military and defense. The total budget came in at $672.9 billion, about 17 percent of the total United States budget, while China spent a little over $100 billion.

While the measures would help curb military spending, they won’t be popular in Congress. Republicans have already said they would fight against any measures which would severely shrink the military, claiming that the current world situation requires a large standing army. Currently there are 520,000 U.S. troops; the proposed cuts would shrink that number to between 440,000 and 450,000. Even though those numbers seem large, they are actually quite low compared to what they were during the Korean War and Vietnam War, when there were about 1.6 million active duty soldiers. The cuts come on the heels of President Obama’s promise to withdraw all troops from active duty in Afghanistan—a long-anticipated move.

The fact that Republicans are already promising to fight these budget cuts is not promising when the cuts do eventually make it to Congress for voting. If any make it through, the cuts will probably be severely reduced, in keeping with the Republican ideal of a large standing army. However, the

United States, once it withdraws from Afghanistan, will not be involved in any ongoing conflicts. It makes you wonder whether or not any country truly needs to spend so many resources on a relatively unused body.

This question will become even more prominent as robots and drones take on more of the functions and jobs that once had to be performed by humans, such as air strikes.

“The fact that Republicans are already promising to fight these budget cuts is not promising.”

So should the United States cut military spending, and should one of the ways to do that be with shrinking the overall number of our active troops? The short answer to both those questions is, in my opinion, yes. The United States spends more than six times the amount that a country with a population three times the size of it does on military and defense. A lot of that money goes toward research and development, but a lot of it also goes toward supporting those who make their livelihoods from the military. The amount of resources which go toward supporting more than half a million active duty soldiers is incredible. However, even though the United States is considered a superpower in the eyes of other nations, does it truly need to prove its dominance over the world through the size of its military? Do we need bases all over the world, and the hundreds of thousands of active troops needed to main-

tain such bases?

Although the military (officially the Department of Defense) used only 17.7 percent of the total budget for the United States in 2013, it was the third largest expenditure, behind only the Department of Health and Human Services (24.7 percent) and the Social Security Administration (23.2 percent).

In comparison, the Department of Education received only 1.9 percent of the budget, totaling $71.9 billion. If just a small portion of the money spent on the military was transferred to education, could you imagine the possibilities? But, of course, that is ignoring why the military cuts are being proposed in the first place—to reduce the total budget overall.

Merely moving money around will not solve the budget crisis, much as many would like to see a lot more money going toward education and public works and services.

Nonetheless, I think that reducing military and defense spending is taking a step in the right direction toward both solving the budget crisis, as well as moving into the modern military world. With the United States pulling out of the only conflict in which it is currently involved beyond regular deployments in many bases around the world, reducing the size of the army and active duty service members seems a natural, logical step.

Hopefully though, Congress will let through some of these budget cuts and reduce spending by enough of an amount to be significant and to show that being a superpower in the modern world isn’t all about having the biggest, best military. Perhaps the United States can start focusing its energies on education and innovation and join other modern nations who place their focus not on conflict, but on the future.

—Lily Elbaum ’16 is an international studies major.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 9

Apps should be accessible across OSes Joshua Sherman opinions editor

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hether it’s with a computer, tablet, smartphone or something in between, we all have our favorites—and it’s fine that we do. Mac vs PC, Android vs iOS, there’s nothing wrong with this. The problem, however, is that today we don’t just use the OSes that come with our devices as-is, we buy apps for them.

We buy tons and tons of apps, actually. Apple and Google have bragged a number of times over the last couple of years about the billions of apps that were downloaded on each company’s respective app store. It’s great to see a thriving app ecosystem, but any consumer knows the pain that comes when considering a new device. If you’ve been married to an OS for too long—be it PC, Android or otherwise—then you realize you have to buy more than just a new device, you have to repurchase your entire app collection. This problem is identical if you own a smartphone and choose to buy a tablet powered by a different OS. This presents a dilemma. Most customers will do one of two things: They will spend the money and buy the apps they want, whether they be identical apps ported to the new OS, or relatively similar apps available on the app store. Alternatively, they will choose to adopt software that is web-based, and by design compatible with any device that can handle rich HTML. In either case though, the customer is restricting the choices they may want because of the extra cost they will incur as a result.

The problem here is that the app stores, in this scenario, are built by the same companies that are making the OS. As a result, they expect Google Play Store users to stick to the Android platform, and the App Store’s users to iOS. It’s sort of a OS attrition fee that customers must pay, whether it be with buying apps they already own or suffering with free apps in lieu of spending money.

Independent digital content delivery networks like Steam and Humble Bundle, however, do not do this. On Steam, games and applications that work on different platforms are given automatic access to all compatible platforms, including Mac OS and Linux. Humble Bundle takes it a step further, and offers users DRM-free copies of all games on all compatible platforms, whether it is the PC trio or on mobile with Android. Whether it’s because they feel ethically inclined to, or it’s just their idea of good business, it’s great to see how accessible content can be if it’s not bound to the OS it comes with. Lifestyles change, OSes live and die. It may be a benefit to developers and OS makers to keep app stores to a single platform, but it’s bad for consumers. But I don’t see the harm in charging a small fee to gain access to a new platform version of your content. I do see the harm in repurchasing the game at retail price.

It may have cost time and money to port a game, but it didn’t require the recreation of an entire IP. I welcome developers to charge for bringing an Android app to iOS, but not the cost of repurchasing the app in full if I already own it.

This is why I think, in the long run, we need to start seeing third-party app stores on all platforms. I want to see Steam come to mobile. I definitely want to see Good Old Games come to mobile, too. I will admit, though, it looks like I am uncaring to the small developers out there. Let me reiterate that I have no qualms with charging a fair price for the time and effort it took porting and updating a game, but that there should be a clear distinction in price between what is paid the first time you buy a game, and the price for each subsequent device you buy it for.

In the long run, this is good for the app ecosystem as a whole, too. If we continue to force consumers to repurchase content, they’ll simply be less likely to adopt a new OS, or even worse, they’ll feel restricted with the kind of apps and content they want to purchase. They’ll choose either only free or web-based options that they know will last without the OS. We don’t see it as a big deal because iOS and Android are prevalent.

But it never takes too long for a successor to arrive, and when that day comes, I sure hope the content I paid for will survive.

—Joshua Sherman ’16 is an English major.

OPINIONS

Page 10

Letter to the Editor

On Feb. 12, 2014, Naomi Dann and Nicole Massad wrote an opinions piece in The Miscellany News. They condemned President Hill and Dean Chenette’s denouncement of the American Studies Association’s (ASA) endorsement of the Israeli academic institutional boycott. Dann and Massad first contend that Hill and Chenette’s position misunderstands the ASA’s position. Moreover, Dann and Massad argue that, “some faculty and students at Vassar feel that their own academic freedom to express support for the BDS movement is jeopardized by the College’s official position.”

We support Dann and Massad’s effort to raise awareness about the shortcomings of President Hill and Dean Chenette’s opposition to the American Studies Association’s endorsement of the Israeli academic institution boycott. Dann and Massad’s criticism of the Administration’s position is not motivated by animus towards Israelis or Jews.

Rather, their oped calls attention to Israeli academic institutional support for government policy that has resulted in human rights and international law violations. We stand behind their effort to highlight these issues and engage our community in critical thinking and open debate.

—Alison Abreu-Garcia ’08 —Rebecca Arian ’09 —Ally Barlow ’08 —Mariel Boyarsky ’09 —Sophia Chambers ’10 —Caitrin Hall, ’13 —Robert Mansfield Jennings III ’13 —Sarah Joseph ’05 —Rory Katz ’09 —Sasha Klimczak ’09 —Noor Mir ’12 —Colleen Normile ’06 —David Orkin ’13 —Adriana Pericchi ’13 —Jon M. Roth ’10 —Miriam Schuldenfrei ’13 —Lauren Sutherland ’09 —Andrew D. Tabenkin ’11 —Eliza C. Thompson ’09 —Ilana Yamin ’09 —Kyla Welch-Rubin ’05

Letter to the Editor I read with bewilderment Katherine Howard ’12´s article in the February 19th issue. Howard advances her arguments by appeal to undisclosed authority—an authority she wants her reader to believe is unimpeachable, but which clearly is not.

In the late 19th century, Jews saw an emergency situation in the making, and sought refuge in a place where they had historical roots. Howard might read “The Siege: The Saga of Israel and Zionism”

by Conor Cruise O’Brien, which provides substantial detail on the motives of those who migrated to present-day Israel.

Howard also describes Israel as an “apartheid state”—a gross mischaracterization. Many of those who make this allegation had the benefit of an Israeli education—one of them being BDS co-founder Barghouti, a graduate student at Tel Aviv University. Israel is the only state in the Middle East to grant both Arabs and Jews such educational rights.

Howard further claims that any two-state solution is “dead in the water.” Presidents Clinton and Obama, former Secretary of State Clinton, and Secretary of State Kerry do not think it is dead. Why, if the two state solution is dead, would your government waste its time and money to bring it about?

What Howard really means is that she opposes the two-state solution.

Let’s explore the idea of a single state solution.

Suppose the ruling party were Hama—not unthinkable, given current demographics. Hamas´covenant calls for genocide of the Jewish people.

Muslim Brotherhood rule—in Egypt as well as in Gaza—is an unmitigated tragedy for women, for gays, Copts and other minorities. Instead of building a vital civil society, Hamas prefers to educate children to be suicide-bombers for the purpose of killing Jews. Decency requires that we not be fooled by ideologues peddling seemingly utopian solutions that would, if implemented, create a dystopia. A single state would be a nightmare, not just for Jews. I´m a gay woman and a Christian; I would not choose to live there. Would you, Ms. Howard?

—Åse Margrethe Hansen, ’77

February 27, 2014

Howard’s opinion disregards academia Karen Rappaport & Laurie Josephs

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Guest Columnists

esponding to articles and letters from us and other alumnae/i, Katherine Howard ’12 purports to offer her own “case for academic freedom” (The Miscellany News, “Vassar BDS sentiments not shared by all,” 2.19.14). Thank you, Howard, for providing an excellent example of what the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement is actually about. As your letter makes clear, you are not concerned with Israel’s supposed wrongdoing—much less about trying to persuade Israel to correct alleged misdeeds—but with Israel’s “wrong-being”. For you and other BDS proponents, Israel has no right to exist.

It should be an uphill battle to convince the world that the only stable liberal democracy in the Middle East should dissolve itself. After all, it was almost 67 years ago that the UN recommended (through UN Resolution 181) partition of the land in order to create a Jewish state, and, thereafter admitted that state into the United Nations. But Howard shows us how surprisingly easy it can be, if one assumes the audience is intellectually lazy or already indoctrinated.

“It should be an uphill battle to convince the world that the only stable liberal democracy in the Middle East should dissolve itself.”

To begin with, let’s note Howard doesn’t address the facts that are inconvenient to her pet characterizations of “apartheid,” “racist” and “colonialist.” To add, Howard makes clear that she isn’t going to “go through and fact-check every statement” made in the piec-

es we submitted. Next, Howard proclaims as a fact, from her omniscient perch at Emory, that she hopes—specifically, that the twostate solution “is dead in the water.” Certainly the outcome of the current negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians is far from certain, but despite her remarks in favor of a one-state solution, Howard does not have a realistic proposal to resolve the dispute.

Her suggestion that under Hamas or even Fatah rule, Jews and Christians would be treated equally shows a shocking ignorance of history and current events. Christians living in the Palestinian territories are also subject to severe discrimination, as it has existed for many centuries. In 1995, when Bethlehem came under the control of the Palestinian Authority, Christians, who comprised twothirds of the population, left in droves in fear of persecution.

Now, less than 20 percent the population of Bethlehem is Christian. Critics, including Arab Israeli journalist Kahaled Abu Toameh, have written extensively of Hamas’s “Talibanization” of the Gaza Strip, where Christians under Hamas rule have been attacked, their churches and schools firebombed, leaders murdered and cemeteries dug up. Hamas leaders call for the genocide of all Jews. Do we need to wonder how Hamas would treat Jews under its rule?

Very little of Howard’s call for academic freedom is actually concerned with the topic. However, Howard alleges that Palestinian students and institutions do not have adequate resources­ —including water—due to the “Israeli occupation.” The water-theft accusation is a BDS favorite and false: not only has Israel helped to modernize the water systems in both the West Bank and Gaza, but it pumps its own water into the West Bank in amounts triple those agreed to in the Oslo accords.

And as for denying visas to foreign scholars wishing to study in Palestine, of the four examples cited in the Modern Language Association’s recent discussion of resolutions against Israel, three occurred many years ago.

The only recent incident involved an academic who refused to comply with security questioning.

“Very little of Howard’s call for academic freedom is actually concerned with the topic.”

Of course, if BDS proponents like Ms. Howard were actually concerned with academic freedom, one would expect them to rail against such nations as China, which fires and imprisons dissident scholars, or Iran, which also regularly imprisons scholars (and, just the other week, executed poet Hashem Shaabani who blasphemed by speaking against the repression of a minority group), or North Korea, which, as a UN report recently confirmed, is the worst human rights abuser of all. But that would not advance BDS’ aim of destroying the only Jewish state in the world.

Howard’s proposal for academic freedom is to demand that Vassar retract its denunciation of the ASA’s academic boycott. Here’s our counterproposal to BDS: Rather than trying to intimidate students into accepting your demonization of Israel by portraying non-BDS believers as racist sympathizers, and rather than seeking to cut off students from contact with Israeli scholars and institutions, why not call for open discussion and dialogue? Why is it so important to you, Ms. Howard, that only the pro-BDS voices speak? What is it that you do not want the Vassar students to hear?

—Karen Rappaport ’78 was a pre-med biology major and pursued a career in health care, first as a pathologist and subsequently as a health services researcher. Laurie Josephs ’78 was a political science major and attorney for a number of years in New York City.

Venezuela obscured by media prejudice Natasha Bertrand

Assistant Opinions Editor

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he crisis in the Ukraine became arguably the biggest news story in the world this past weekend, when a breakthrough deal was signed between protest leaders and President Viktor Yanukovych to end the violence in Kiev. Not 24 hours later, Yanukovych had fled the capital, leaving the Ukraine with dozens of dead anti-government protesters, three opposition parties with virtually nothing in common, and no active prime minister—I know this because the front page of virtually every major newspaper told me so.

Meanwhile, in Venezuela, the biggest protests since the death of Hugo Chavez are spreading across the country like wildfire.

President Nicolás Maduro has responded with brutal repression, and at least thirteen people have been killed already. I know this because I have a friend from Venezuela who has been supplying me with updates—were it up to the media alone, I might have never known of the violent unrest unfolding due south.

The Western media has largely ignored the eruption of this political crisis in Venezuela. Many claim that this blatant lack of coverage stems predominantly from the fact that Maduro’s government is doing everything in its power to restrict information about the protests from being released to the media. This is partially true–according to The New York Times, at least seven journalists for CNN International and CNN Español in Venezuela reported that their press credentials had been revoked, after Maduro reportedly attacked CNN for broadcasting “war propaganda” (“Venezuela Battles Media, Social and Otherwise, to Restrict Press Coverage,” 2.21.14). The fact that a single American broadcasting network has been limited in its ability to report from directly within the country, however, is not enough to justify the systematic exclusion of the cri-

sis in Venezuela from the pages of virtually every major newspaper.

Perhaps the explanation is as simple as news coverage being a zero-sum game: there is only so much room on the front page of a newspaper, so where one major story wins, another must lose. The images coming out of Kiev are much bloodier and more shocking than the reports of student protests and nameless victims flooding the streets of Caracas. The political turmoil in Venezuela has certainly taken a backseat to the events unfolding in the Ukraine, but to think that the media would be so easily quelled by a regime resistant to press coverage and/or a lack of paper space would be incredibly naïve. The crisis in Venezuela is being ignored because what is happening in Venezuela is far less critical to Western political and economic interests than what is happening in the Ukraine. And, deeper than this, the crisis in Venezuela is being ignored because the Western media is clearly more sympathetic to the disintegration of a capitalist, European democracy than a socialist, anti-American regime that has always identified more with the Third World than the First.

In this sense, the lack of press coverage of the events unfolding in Venezuela is largely the result of the internalization of the political animosity the United States has harbored against Venezuela since Chavez took office in 1998; an animosity that itself stems from the U.S. principled opposition to leaders that lean too left for its liking. For all of fifteen years, the United States has made every effort to marginalize Venezuela on the global stage, acknowledging it only long enough to greet bouts of social unrest with self-righteous statements about the inevitability of civic disillusionment in such a politically and economically backwards nation. After fifteen years of this, it is difficult to blame the media for internalizing this hostility and choosing to treat the crisis in Venezuela as just anoth-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

er negligible episode in a prolonged confrontation between pro- and anti-Chavismo forces in a politically tumultuous region with a history of coups and corruption–an episode to be expected, and therefore not worthy of renewed media attention.

The irony, however, is that the recent political unrest in Venezuela that the U.S. and the media has largely disregarded is a challenge to President Maduro’s dedication to Chavismo. According to The Atlantic, “Venezuela is now the world champion of inflation, homicide, insecurity, and shortages of essential goods.” With the largest oil reserves in the world, and absolute control over state institutions, Maduro’s government has used its immense wealth to push through “unsustainable populist policies, buy votes, and jail opposition leaders”–all at the expense of basic goods for its citizenry and efforts to reduce crime and inflation (“The Tragedy of Venezuela,” 2.25.14).

Over half of all Venezuelans, most of them youths, are opposed to the Chavismo that plunged their country into economic crisis and isolation, and it is this profound desire to loosen the grip of an abusive government and take the country back into their own hands that has driven the citizenry to face the soldiers and tanks of Maduro’s repressive regime head-on. When the media looks at Venezuela, it doesn’t see a story. If it were to look more closely, however, it would see a transformative social movement and momentous turning point in the political landscape of a nation that has long been wrongfully disparaged. My final word of advice to profit-hungry media outlets: Place the story beneath a photo of high-profile opposition leader and most eligible bachelor-dissident Leopoldo Lopez, and sit back as papers fly off the shelves.

—Natasha Bertrand ’14 is a political science and philosophy double major.

February 27, 2014

OPINIONS

Sept. 11 reveals shift in American pop culture Zach Sherman

Guest Columnist

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he events of Sept. 11 will certainly be remembered for the rest of our lives. Even many members of the freshman class, who were approximately seven years old at the time, can recall the events of the day, or where they were when they understood what was happening to our nation. Indeed, the effects of this tragedy are still visible today when we remove our shoes at the checkpoint before stepping onto an airplane, when we pass through a metal detector before entering a public building, when we fly in or out of a New York City airport and when we see the two great square pits that form the current Sept. 11 memorial at Ground Zero. But when the world witnessed this crime, it didn’t just affect the public’s sense of security; it extended into popular culture, and started a trend that was felt years afterwards.

My personal analysis of popular culture through music videos has taught me that there are two forces that interact with each other to form the cultural identity of an era. These two forces (I shall call them light and dark) are both constantly in existence, but change positions, with one dominating over the other.

The motion between light and dark periods is often dictated by economic prosperity and the beginning or end of a war. These light and dark periods of popular culture can be understood by simply observing media from a particular time period.

If I asked you to visualize the 1950s, you would probably think about flashy cars, neon signs, diners, chrome and early rock n’ roll.

This would be classified as a light period. On the other hand, reflecting on the 70s brings up images of beige, brown, wood paneled cars and televisions, and tacky plaid suits, an obvious dark period. Other bright periods include the 1920s, 60s, the early to mid-80s and (since about 2010) the present. Darker periods would be the Depression, the late ’80s to early ’90s and 2003-2009.

In the years prior to Sept. 11, starting around 1996, the United States began experi-

encing one of the greatest light periods of the century, perhaps second only to the Roaring ’20s. The booming economic growth and lack of major military action at the time fostered an optimism that hadn’t been seen in decades.

To understand this sort of optimistic attitude, simply watch some music videos from the time like “Who Let the Dogs Out?” by the Baha Men (I know, I know). The colors of the sky, the ocean, and the green trees are so saturated, almost to a fluorescent extent, that they just pop right out at you, not to mention that nearly half of the shots were done using a wide-angle lens, another hallmark of this light period. The Baha Men directly and visually address the camera, making funny faces with great joy, as if to say, “We are going to be silly, but we are having fun, and that’s what matters the most.”

Within weeks of the Sept. 11 attacks, America’s cultural institutions had already processed the change in mood. One of my favorite pieces of evidence for this is the video for “New York, New York” by Ryan Adams.

Amazingly, this video was shot in full view of the towers only four days before the attacks!

The single was released that November, and even then, the shots of Adams in front of the towers have been given a yellow or dark blue tint. The cover for this album, “Gold,” released on Sept. 25, shows Adams standing before an inverted American flag.

The qualities of the pre-9/11 bright period were still obvious as the country descended towards war. In “Sk8ter Boi,” Avril Lavigne is obviously acting pre-Sept. 11, visually addressing the camera, and the video consists of active and quick cuts between shots, but once again the colors in the video are extremely muted and dull.

By the time the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, the dark period had established itself. What punk band had achieved nationwide fame with its 2004 studio album? That would be Green Day with “American Idiot.”

Green Day’s music videos are an especially interesting example of how the transition be-

tween light and dark periods occurred. Earlier videos like “Basket Case,” “When I Come Around,” “Waiting” and “Redundant” do indeed show a punk band, but at the same time, utilize a very bright background and vivid colors. Overall, they give off a very positive vibe.

But around 2002, something happens and we get the decline of the punk rock genre into a previously unseen level of darkness in the music culture. The video for “American Idiot” is, with the exception of green, a very monochrome experience. The characters in “Jesus of Suburbia” are all wearing spiked clothing, dyed hair and eyeliner. Keep in mind that this change is only a few years after some of their brighter videos.

“By the time the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, the dark period had established itself.”

Page 11

Word

on the street

If you could only eat one Deece food forever, what would it be?

“Deece pizza is pretty rad.”

—Connor Martini ’14

Of course, Sept. 11 was not the sole reason for this change in cultural attitude. Blink-182 was getting darker before the attacks, but it can definitely be said that the attacks had a substantial impact on American lives, which in turn dictates culture. There is more to music videos than just the color scheme used; there’s the clothes, the plot and the overall mood of the video. The shift from pre- to post-Sept. 11 can be observed in movies and photographs from the time period, too. Just by watching music videos from this time, the obvious change in overall attitude can be observed. This has to do with the fact that culture is made up of people, and just as people have emotions, so too can a culture reflect that ongoing emotion.

—Zach Sherman ’16 is a biology major.

By the Numbers

“Mashed potatoes.”

—Brett Merrian ’15

“The rare buffalo wings.”

—Alex “Puka” Voynow ’15

“The McDonald’sesque chicken McNuggets.”

—Debbie Brown ’78

“Sometimes there are really good grapefruits.”

—Niccolo Porcyolo ’16

Editor’s Note: The Miscellany News has decided to begin publishing “By the Numbers,” which occasionally features a chart without additional analysis or opinions, allowing students to make their own interpretations.

The goal is to highlight information we think our readers will find interesting. We encourage you to share your thoughts on this chart either by writing a letter to us or posting your comments online. Readers may submit charts for consideration by contacting the Opinions Editor at josherman@vassar.edu.

This chart shows the average GPA calculated upon a Vassar Class’s graduation, ranging from the Class of 1989 to the Class of 2012. The chart does not include the Class of 2013 mean GPA, which is 3.50. This information was retrieved from page 45 of the Vassar 2013/14 Fact Book.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

“I don’t remember Deece food.”

—Caroline Maguire ’14

Lily Doyle, Humor & Satire Editor Spencer Davis, Photo Editor

OPINIONS

Page 12

February 27, 2014

IME proposal offers more options yet strains resources Danielle Bukowski Guest Columnist

A

t the most recent Vassar Student’s Association (VSA) meeting, Professor Rebecca Edwards came to discuss the implementation of Intensive Mentor Exploration (IME), a type of senior capstone project that would be required of all students prior to graduation. Many majors already require students to complete a senior project or thesis, while even those departments that have optional theses still have a long history of students choosing to work on intensive and interesting projects. In making the proposed IME a requirement for every student, the type of projects allowed will be subsequently expanded, affording even more creativity on the part of students taking part.

As a concept, I applaud the efforts of the school to make senior projects required; I completed a senior thesis for my English major last semester (which was not required), was excited by and now proud of the work I did, and encourage all students to consider tackling such a project. In reality, I do not think that a senior capstone requirement will ever be implemented successfully. The problems lie in the amount of extra work this requires of Vassar faculty and the realities of many students’ senior year requirements.

The openness of the requirements for an IME means that every student should be able to come up with a project that is of interest to them, and of this I have no doubt. By the second semester of junior year, I am sure that every student on this campus has at least one interest they would like to pursue more thoroughly. I have seen impressive and intensive projects by senior classmates that pushed the boundaries of what a “thesis” is, yet still fulfilled the requirements of academic culmination and innovative individual thought. But

a required thesis doesn’t just place an additional burden upon students who are already pressured by academic and non-academic factors alike.

Edwards emphasized—and the name implies—that the Intensive Mentor Exploration will require students to complete a project with at least one faculty mentor. This creates several problems. The first is the burden placed upon the individual professors, who will each be required to take on more advisees than in previous years. Many peers doing senior theses in the departments that currently require theses already lament that they are not as close to their advisors as they thought they would be, due to the fact that their advisor has so many other advisees and therefore cannot give them a great amount of attention.

I received a significant amount of help from my thesis advisor in the English Department, but I do not doubt that this would have perhaps been a different case had the professor had more advisees (and English theses are only one semester long, supposedly due to the fact that in a department with so many majors, it would be nearly impossible to require professors to work with students on year-long projects).

An additional problem arises with the issue of subject availability. Seniors decide which faculty they will be working with while they are juniors, based on the subject of their projects. If you want to complete a project on Italian opera, for example, you cannot just work with any music professor; your mentor should know a good deal about your subject so that they can best advise your research and your conclusions.

If every student is required to complete a senior project, I foresee many having to alter

their plans during their college career due to overcrowding in certain areas, or certain professors in popular areas perpetually working with a large number of mentees.

Perhaps I am not giving enough credit to the power of Vassar professors, and Edwards did note that faculty would get an additional “workload point” for advising IMEs. While this alleviates strain on professors, it does add a different level of work than professors have expected from this institution, and it does not solve the problem that students would each be individually given less attention overall. In fact, it creates another problem: if professors are using a workload point to advise senior projects, they are not using that point toward teaching classes.

“If every student is required to complete a senior project, I foresee many having to alter their plans.”

Students have already expressed concern that this would limit the already-small number of classes on offer each semester, especially for popular classes necessary for the major or courses only on offer every other year. Hiring more faculty would solve this problem, but this does not seem a likely conclusion, given Vassar’s recent economic focus.

Students who do complete theses have been thinking about their projects since well

before senior year, and have scheduled the work into their senior-year plans. But for many students, senior theses just do not fit into their prospective life goals. While the College has framed IMEs as an academically cumulative capstone—much as the College sees senior year—the reality for many students is that senior year is just preparation for life after Vassar. Taking MCATs, LSATs and GREs are time-consuming; applying to graduate school is time-consuming; working as a student teacher or volunteer or intern in your prospective field is time-consuming; but they are all necessary aspects of senior year.

For students who need the time to plan ahead, a senior project would be more burdensome than rewarding, just one more requirement to dread in an already heavily-loaded year.

Perhaps the College could figure out a way to make interning or volunteering or working into an IME, like an intensive Field Work.

I encourage every junior currently heading toward the thesis proposal deadline to consider the project not just in terms of an academic accumulation of their years here, but as a rewarding personal processes and final project to take pride in; and to think outside the box in terms of what constitutes a senior project, at least if your department allows for such flexibility in your thesis or final project.

For many students, the thesis will be the most academically rewarding paper or project they complete here, and I see why it appears advisable to require one of every student. But such a requirement would put additional burdens upon Vassar faculty and inconvenience those students that need to take senior year to look beyond the work completed in the classroom.

—Danielle Bukowski ’14 is an English major.

The Miscellany Crossword

by Jack Mullan, Crossword Editor

ACROSS 1 “That’s all ___ wrote” 4 Bryn ___ College 8 “Harold and Maude” director 13 One of the X-Men 16 Engage in calumny 17 Pareto or Stiglitz 18 “My bad” 19 Gold, to a chemist 20 Noted 1945 photo site, briefly 21 Channel host to “World’s Wildest Police Videos” and “Star Trek” reruns 23 Royal Society of Medicine: Abbr.

25 Rent The Runway: Abbr.

28 Mother of Horus 29 Kill it, as a

rapper 32 Teenage Mutant ___ Turtles 34 Not good with pitches 35 Elephant pols 36 Atlantic and Indian 37 Almost 40 Abbr. on a pill bottle 41 Perfume quantity 43 Home for alligators 46 Pair on a lobster or television set 47 Art Deco artist 48 French possessive 49 Investment info 50 What Taft, Hoover and Carter (but not Obama) served 53 Country on the Caspian Sea, for short

Answers to last week’s puzzle

56 “Racks” rapper 57 Small songbird 58 Morning co-host 62 Dutch painter Jan 63 Earl Scruggs’s genre 64 Vice follower 65 Burkina ___ 66 Word of resignation

31 With “Y,” popular fire-battling crew 33 12-21-2012, to the Mayans 37 Income statement figure 38 Univ. of London prog.

39 Attention-getting headline in a small

ad 42 SSW’s opposite 44 In Sicily it’s about 10,920 ft. high 45 The “p” in m.p.h.

50 Optician services 51 Nick at ___ 52 Dutch bank 54 Suitcase brand

DOWN 1 Guarantees (two wds.)

2 Trickery 3 “Evil Woman” grp.

4 Feline line 5 Military depots 6 Nintendo console 7 E.R. workers 8 Home of St. Francis 9 Damning bit of evidence 10 Classic Jack Nicholson line 11 Homer’s son 12 Tough scrabble draw 14 Visual Networking Index: Abbr.

15 U.F.O. crew 22 Askbanner login necessity 24 Time-wasting computer game with bombs, numbers, and flags 26 ___-la-la 27 Right a grounded ship 30 Groups battling big government

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

55 Fault 59 Will Ferrell titular role 60 Programming language 61 “Luke, ___ your father”

February 27, 2014

HUMOR & SATIRE

Page 13

Breaking News

From the desk of Lily Doyle, Humor & Satire Editor

High concentration of NSO Con participants wearing realistic “Pikachu” garb (probably) causes campus-wide power outage

It would be cool if no one The ’14 reasons why Lily mentioned this ever again Sloss is ‘#killing-it’ at VC

Lily Doyle Humor & Satire Editor spent the majority of my pre-Vassar life aggressively not caring about “popularity.”

For example, in 6th grade, everyone had to do a research project for a class literally titled Research and Presentation. Because we were 13, most people did their research on their favorite athlete or a TV show. I did mine on the Black Plague. I didn’t have a lot of friends.

I wish that I could say these tranquil days of obliviousness towards others lasted. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Due to some dedicated Facebook stalking on the part of my Editor-in-Chief, my dark secret has been uncovered and I’m being forced to write a tell-all.

I was once Homecoming Queen.

I know, I know. You’re disappointed in me.

You, Lily? Homecoming Queen? That seems odd, since you hide under a table at every given opportunity and can literally not restrain yourself from making jokes that people only find funny 42 percent of the time.

Yes, stranger (or, more likely, close personal friend or relation), yes. It happened. There was a tiara involved. Even worse, there was a sash. I had to stand in front of people and wave. I had to sit in a car and wave. I had to walk and wave. I did a lot of waving. My wrist strength improved ten-fold.

Being Homecoming Queen in a small town is a weird experience. In Coupeville, Washington, it is particularly strange, because there is a county-wide 5:1 cow to human ratio. The cows are allowed to vote. This is probably why I won.

Being Homecoming Queen is, essentially, a lose-lose situation. Much like any study abroad experience you have ever had, it’s not something you can causally mention without sounding like, for lack of a more delicate term, an asshole of epic proportions. Just as you can’t say, “Oh, I tried that type of pasta when I was in Italy,” without sounding pretentious, you can’t say, “Yeah, I was homecoming queen,” without sounding like you wore stilettos and lipstick to class while using subtle powers of manipulation to ruin the lives of everyone around you, a la Regina from “Mean Girls.”

Let’s all acknowledge for a second that high school is a weird time. You aren’t really a person yet, but you think that you are a person, and so that leads to making all sorts of crazy misinformed decisions, like the time I decided

I

that the Class Council’s need for tinsel to decorate a dance was so urgent that it would be a good idea to drive to a friend’s house at twenty miles per hour over the speed limit with a friend in the car, even though I only had my permit. I JUST HAD TO GET THAT TINSEL. This, naturally, resulted in a $300 ticket and another talk from my parents telling me that I was not, in fact, a person.

Because of this general lack of ability to “think,” if you happen to win Homecoming Queen, at first it seems like a great thing! What could possibly be the negative consequences of winning what is LITERALLY a popularity contest (Seriously though. high schools everywhere are just quantifying popularity. This is messed up and someone should write a thesis on that because I think that is how social change comes about, right?)!?

Unfortunately, high schools are not the havens of tolerance and acceptance that most people (read: no one) think they are. In the year above me, there was a group of girls led by one gem of a human who called herself “Queen B****.” You can’t make this shit up.

Therefore, winning Homecoming Queen is not all roses and puppies. There are actually very few roses and absolutely no puppies involved, and I should be clear that I am not down for anything unless there are puppies around. This should have been my first warning sign.

Turns out, when you are Homecoming Queen, there will, guaranteed, be at least five girls who are PISSED at you (this is a pun that you will understand in two sentences) and are positive that you cheated. I kid you not, a rumor went around the school that I peed in trashcans. Have you ever peed in a trashcan?

As a cis-woman, I can only assume that it would involve considerable flexibility that I do not possess.

This is not to say being Homecoming Queen is all bad. I got a pretty tiara. Some people were really nice (they obviously didn’t know that they should hide their trashcans from me lest I uncontrollably urinate in them). My mom gave me flowers. I got a free cow. Cat Fiore said “hi” to me the other day. Clearly, there are some bright sides. However, this is a cautionary tale.

Don’t win popularity contests, kids. Stick with Powerpoints about the Black Plague. Much safer.

Lily Sloss Columnist

1. People said nobody could do it. Live in the TA’s, TH’s, and the SoCo’s? What am I, a movie star? Or a trust fund kid who can bribe Residential Life (ha ha that never actually happens)?

No, I just do not have a convenient group of five and thus have chosen to leap miles of snowy field to live with whichever kind Neuroscience and Classics majors will let me share their fridge.

2. I had a “perfect 10” party and people totally enjoyed it, even though they did not understand the theme. I also showed a slideshow of boys I had dated and people cheered. It may have been the “perfect party.” (Disclaimer: there was free alcohol and judgement was likely impaired).

3. I have continued to wash my laundry approximately twice per quarter semester, and besides enduring the occasional comment that my towels smell like bananas (#excess-moisture-issues), I have yet to be called “the stinker” on campus, at least to my face.

4. I, or someone like me, has had sexual encounters in every academic building on campus.** 5. Despite being a non-athlete (read: I hang out with girls from HYPE who are cooler than both of us combined), I am still constantly invited to athlete parties. It’s as though by spending an excess amount of time at the gym, getting red faced after running on the treadmill for 34 seconds, the athletes think I am “one of them.”

Also, by constantly invited, I mean I attended at least one swimmer’s party with Lily Doyle and did not drink because I was feeling insecure (and underage!!!).

6. One time, I threw a prom-themed birthday party for myself and my freshman year roommate and SO MANY PEOPLE attended. We were, admittedly, both student fellows, and freshmen will do anything to feel included... but if you ask anybody (((class of 2015) (fellowee of mine)) (that still acknowledges my hellos))) from Lathrop, it was pretty wild.

7. I have been called a Deece rat every semester that I have attended Vassar, including the three semesters I have not been on a meal plan, and the semester I was abroad and literally only stepped foot on campus for three (Deeceheavy) days.

8. While a tour guide this summer, surrounded

by other students who had evenings and weekends free to be #wilingout, I consistently went to bed at 10 p.m. and did an entire half month of P90x. I know, I know, I should stop bragging about my intoxicating social life.

9. I attended a Vassar graduation at least once during my four years here. In addition to sitting alone at the ceremony, I also cried profusely, especially during Senator Gillibrand’s speech.

The tears were mainly due to my “allergies,” so don’t anyone pity me.

10. I have eaten dinner at Cappy’s house with other Admission’s folks, eaten free Twisted Soul, and gabbed with Cappy herself about my Super Successful Alumnae Informational Interviews! She was all, “tell me about giving tours,” and I was all, “what ins do you have at BuzzFeed,” and so on and so forth. Life-changing.

11. At not one, but TWO Founder’s Days, I have had (non-drug-induced) panic attacks. I have also given out a lot of hand rubs and “connected” with “friends” from “classes.”. I definitely didn’t remember you the next day, but these are the kinds of moments we will spend the rest of our lives trying to recreate, amirite!?

12. I have had the kind of Facebook traffic that many only dream of. From posting hard-hitting questions like, “How about that lecture, huh?” to statements scrutinizing life, i.e.: “winter break feels longer this year,” I have garnered between 5-1000 hits per day. Some could say, in addition to killing it at Vassar, I am killing it on Facebook. Here’s looking at you, Mr. Zuckerberg. Or, as I actually picture you, Jesse Eisenberg.

13. I am co-heading the Founder’s Day Merchandise Committee this year, and similar to previous years, I have about a 50% attendance rating. Which is a pretty big deal when you are emailing between 10-100 students. I also gathered a lot of feedback on my email style, which is to say my one friend told me that it is “sort of hard” to tell what I am saying because of how many letters are capitalized, bolded and italicized. I have also recently discovered the “color” font key, and it has revolutionized my emails #computer-science-skills #not-even-a-major.

14. In reviewing my BuzzFeed potential list which doubles as a journalism resumé, I realize that while I may not be #killing-it at Vassar College, at least I am not peaking now, and I certainly did not peak in high school, so I’m on the up and up!

This reporter highly recommends not living your life in the same way he does

by Eliot Marcus, Guest Columnist

S

o, I’ve been sitting here trying to think of something to write about for far too long. I straight up cannot think of a topic that will lend itself to a cohesive, funny column. Instead, you will get a bunch of unrelated observations and anecdotes.

If you would like to throw rocks at me, I live in TH 63 and will be taking Platform Nine and Three Quarters to Narnia on Feb. 29.

If you haven’t noticed, campus has been very, very icy. A good way to impress your crush would be to follow them at a distance of six inches until they inevitably slip.

This way you can catch them, be the hero, and live happily ever after. Let’s take a moment to visual—ABORT ABORT WORST IDEA EVER. LEAVE YOUR CRUSH ALONE! Last weekend, my friend decided to name

his fists “Early” and “Often.” I now have one less friend.

Using phrases from “Pitch Perfect” ironically can be a good way to get a cheap laugh.

Using phrases from “Pitch Perfect” can also be a good way to ensure that you eat alone next time you are in the Deece. The lesson: Irony is dangerous, be careful.

I was walking through the library and had to inch my way past a couple in deep conversation in the basement stacks. As I was passing through (read: eavesdropping), I overheard the guy say, “You know, I only like to make love under the crescent moon.”

Bravo, good sir, bravo.

I’d like to take some time out of this column to put an APB out for my winter coat. It is gray and black and was last seen in TH 48.

For those of you worried about my well-being, a housemate was nice enough to lend

me his coat in the meantime. This coat happens to be leather and oversized, so until I get mine back, I will be the kid on campus who looks like an elf dressing as James Dean. Please help me find my coat.

I was talking to a girl this weekend and joked that Taylor Swift is like the Bob Dylan of our generation. She didn’t get the joke, and instead of saving face, I just let it slide. I got some sort of sick satisfaction knowing I probably ruined her faith in humanity.

On Friday, I watched Canada face off against the United States in the Olympic Hockey semi-finals. I never knew I could summon such rage for a country known for being friendly and having universal health care.

I never thought I’d find myself screaming “F*ck you and your maple syrup” at one in the afternoon on a Friday. I don’t even watch hockey. I’ve gone to Canada twice and im-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

mensely enjoyed both visits. I think I take sports too seriously.

The other day, I brushed my teeth while listening to “Eye of the Tiger,” and it was a pure unadulterated adrenaline rush.

I am the one who knocks plaque! I am the one who knocks!

I eat a lot of sandwiches because I live in constant fear of setting off the fire alarm in my TH. I open the door to air out the steam that comes from my pasta even after it was scientifically explained to me that this could never set off the alarm.

I like to flirt with the cashiers at Stop ‘N Shop. I find it is much easier when you have a captive audience that is paid to be nice to you.

—Eliot Marcus ’14 is an English major who has yet to (and most liklely never will) figure out his life.

ARTS

Page 14

February 27, 2014

Howard embodies comedic and dramatic roles with gusto Samantha Kohl Arts editor

A

Jacob Gorski/The Miscellany News

s an only child, Asia Howard ’16 filled her adolescent world with characters taking the form of stuffed animals and imaginary friends. Things haven’t changed much—Howard spends much of her free time writing and assuming the roles of theatrical characters, comedic personas and the like.

Howard grew up in Atlanta and attended Dekalb School of the Arts, where she was able to study her art. But it was not until the summer after high school that Howard became passionate about something that would later become one of her largest commitments a few months later. “The summer after high school, I was obsessed with stand up comedians and saw on the VANS list that there were student comedy groups. I had to audition,” said Howard.

Now, Howard is a member of No Offense, one of Vassar’s co-ed comedy troupes, where she is able to collaborate with group members in writing and performing sketches. Although comedy brings Howard a great deal of joy, the quest for a laugh is not always an easy one. “I have a really hard time writing sketches, actually. I’m chock full of ideas, but in the execution, I struggle. It just takes me a while.”

But the payback is far worth the struggle.

Howard said, “It’s always awesome when we realize the pieces that we’ve created. Our audiences are wonderful and responsive, and they are always down for the crazy, twisted ride.”

Howard’s ability as a comedian is evident, according to fellow No Offense member Collin Knopp-Schwyn ’16. “She’s great. We’ve worked together mostly in comedy and some theater,” he said. “She has the most wonderful sense of humor and seemingly boundless friendliness, which together make her a fantastic collaborator.”

But Howard’s work with No Offense is only a small portion of Howard’s involvement on campus. Howard also sings with the Vassar College Mixed Choir, is a member of the Woodshed Theater Ensemble and has been a part of—and is currently a part of—a number

of student productions.

One of the many works of theatre Howard has been involved in this year is Not Anonymous, a collaborative performance piece that addressed a multitude of issues that plague today’s society. Howard said, “Not Anonymous was probably the most special experience I’ve had, because it was the first fully produced devised theatre that I had ever done—and it was very personal. So often as actors we can hide behind characters, but we had to be very honest and open with our stories.”

The behind-the-scenes action made Not Anonymous a particularly rewarding and exciting piece of theater for Howard to be involved with. “The process was so cool! Rehearsals consisted of us doing a lot of journal exercises, team challenges and games that didn’t seem like more than warm-ups at the time,” Howard said. “When we finally compiled all of the work that we’d done, we realized that we had a powerful piece of theatre on our hands. We had such a bond at the end because we had built such trust in each other to be able to share our stories and tie them into one another’s. It was very rewarding to have the talk back and hear that our stories resonated with the audience.”

While she is no stranger to the stage, “Beyond the Wall,” a play written by military veterans including Posse student Jack Eubanks ’17, was a completely new experience for Howard.

“The fact that so many of the people risking their lives for us are our age is mind blowing.

They have experienced things that I can only imagine, and because of it they have a certain maturity that would usually take years to attain,” she said. “I’m honored to have been involved with a production that will allow more people to come to these realizations and appreciate our service men and women.”

Continuing her involvement in theatre that encompasses hard-hitting issues, Howard was recently cast as Joanne in “Rent.” The social issues “Rent” addresses—AIDS, drugs, homosexuality and age, to name a few—make being part of the musical mean something more to Howard, beyond its performance value. “So

Asia Howard ’16 has taken on comedic, dramatic and musical roles, including her performances with No Offense and in the plays “Not Anonymous.” This spring, she plays Joanne in “Rent.” many students at our school are familiar with the show, and while it is a very fun show, it tells a very important story about the response to the AIDS epidemic in our society during the early 90’s,” said Howard. “There’s an element of reverence that Doug [Greer ‘14] intends to present. I really respect that. I’m so excited to sing with Brielle [Brook ‘16] and tango with Ryan! The cast is composed of amazing people, and we’re ready to put the work in.”

Soraya Perry ’17, who is cast as Mimi in “Rent,” finds Howard’s ability to take on a variety of characters remarkable. “I am so excited to work with Asia in ‘Rent.’ Asia has a particularly expressive and emotive face that makes her perfect to play a character that is very emotive and can fluctuate from being extremely happy to extremely upset,” Perry said. “She can act all of those emotions very well, not to mention she has a fantastic singing voice that’s both

very beautiful and very loud, which is perfect for the character. She’s awesome, and I can’t wait to work with her, and is one of the most talented and versatile people I’ve met here so far.”

Within the average week, Howard must take on comedic and dramatic roles and devote herself equally to each. “Each has elements of the other to create a bit of balance, but the way that you play with the audience’s expectation has a lot to do with it. Commitment is really important all of the time,” Howard said. “I think that comedy is best served straight. The audience doesn’t need a hint that what you’re doing is funny. Trust the reality that you’re in, and people will get it. As for dramatic pieces, it’s also very important to take hold of the moments of levity. We feel the more serious emotions so deeply, that it’s just good for you to provide some balance.”

Musical passions unite students from different disciplines Andrew Willet Guest reporter

F

majors and both feel that singing will always play an important role in their lives.

Similarities aside, the girls approach music differently from each other, and both of their experiences pursuing music at Vassar impart distinctive advice.

For Alquist, the recital provides a final opportunity to showcase her talent. Her impetus for organizing and performing in the recital goes back to her first year at Vassar. “I remember freshman year going to see the senior recitals of a few friends from Matthew’s Minstrels.

Since then, I’ve wanted have this experience— to have a chance to show everyone that I know what I’ve been doing in voice lessons all these years,” she said.

Alquist’s voice teacher, Rachel Rosales, recognizes Alquist’s capacities as a singer. In an emailed statement, Rosales said, “Alquist is a

courtesy of Miranda Alquist and Alice Thronburgh

or the most part, students’ majors reflect their greatest passions. But at Vassar, many students are greatly passionate about music, theatre, painting and a multitude of other pursuits completely out of their area of study. Both Miranda Alquist ’14, a political science major, and Alice Thornburgh ’14, a studio art major, exemplify how students can navigate musical studies without a formal concentration in it.

While neither Alquist nor Thornburgh are music majors, the two will be performing a repertoire they have worked towards over their four years of vocal study at Vassar. Alquist and Thornburgh will both sing seven solo pieces as well as five duets. The program includes works by Handel, Rameau, Carissimi, Strauss, Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Purcell, Britten, Debussy and Fauvré.

Thornburgh described the general array of pieces, saying, “I have a lot of sad love songs, which are very German Romantic period, and I have some very silly and frivolous pieces that are just like, ‘spring time!’”

Thornburgh views music as something that does not have to be so serious and can be shared with her close friends. “Most of my friends are in the singing community at Vassar, and we’re all looking forward to going to each others’ recitals. It’s going to be great to see how hard my friends have worked and to show off how hard I’ve worked,” she said.

While Thornburgh derives purpose from sharing her music with others, she primarily busies herself in non-musical endeavors. She said, “I’m a Studio Art major so I’m working on my senior thesis right now. I’m working on creating a series of paintings, which will be shown in the show at the end of the year. It’s a big, encompassing project, focusing [on] one idea.

I’m exploring the depiction of environments in traditional painting medium and also in digital media.”

For Thornburgh, her passion for music remains just as important as her love of studio

art. She said, “I certainly am not intending to be a singer when I leave school. I want to be an artist, but I never ever want to let go of singing.

I think I was hesitant about this when I first arrived at Vassar. Now I know I can’t not do this—that’s one of the things that shows how dedicated you’re to something—if you can’t imagine it not being a part of your life.”

Thornburgh finds music permeates through throughout seemingly disjunct sects of the Vassar community. She noted, “While people sometimes perceive the music and arts to be very aside from other stuff, a lot of Vassar’s identity comes from its artistic students.”

Thornburgh has grown more confident as a singer since getting to Vassar and is looking forward to performing in the recital with Alquist. The two singers share many qualities.

They both are sopranos pursuing non-musical

Alquist and Thornburgh exemplify the liberal arts ideal that one can pursue interests outside of their major. On March 1, the political science and studio art major join forces for their senior recital in Skinner Hall.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

joy to work with! Her growth, vocally and as a musician, is outstanding! I will certainly miss her as a student after graduation!”

Music, for Alquist, is both a meditative and helpful practice, which helps her handle her non-musical obligations. She said, “I sometimes walk to rehearsal thinking about all these things I have to be doing, but it is true that once I leave rehearsal, I am definitely less stressed. It is nice to have that built-in break from thinking about other things and to have this time designated to do something I really enjoy doing.”

Alquist’s participation in musical activity has been widespread throughout her years at Vassar. “I’ve been doing voice lessons since freshman year, except for the semester I was abroad in India. I didn’t sing at all when I was there, but I’m also in the women’s chorus, madrigal singers and an a cappella group [Matthew’s Minstrels]. All my extracurriculars are singing,” she said.

Fellow madrigal singer Ariana Sharma ’16 highlighted how Alquist has inspired her to continue studying music outside of a formal concentration. She said in an emailed statement, “Not only does Alquist have a beautiful voice, she is also just a sweet, caring person.

She made me feel welcome when I joined Women’s Choir and Madrigals, and she showed me that it’s possible to have music in my life even if I don’t want to be a music major. I’m really looking forward to attending Alquist and Thornburgh’s Senior Recital!”

The artistic community definitely has a lot to offer for Vassar students. Though it may be common sense, it is worth reinforcing that you do not have to be considering a career in the arts to get involved in music, theatre, painting, or any other artistic pursuit. They both encourage Vassar students to eagerly explore activities, music in their case, which may grow to complement primary interests; these might also sustain sanity and strengthen self-confidence.

Alquist and Thornburgh will perform on March 1 at 1:30 p.m. in Skinner’s Recital Hall.

February 27, 2014

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Comedygeddon weekend promises side-splitting laughs Essie Asan

Guest reporter

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courtesy of HEL

hree comedy troupes walk into a bar. But substitute the bar for Taylor Hall, Sanders Auditorium and the Shiva and add an audience of rowdy students. The punchline becomes Comedygeddon, which entails No Offense, The Limit and Happily Ever Laughter (HEL) all performing this Friday and Saturday nights.

Comedygeddon came about by accident, when all three groups scheduled shows for the same time. The scheduling conflict was initially problematic for the groups because members of all troupes enjoy seeing the other group’s shows. But the comedians soon found a way around the conflict. “Having all these shows on the same weekend initially seemed like a worst-case scenario,” said John DeLeonardis ’16. “But it’s stellar that we’ve been able to work with No Offense & HEL in staggering our shows so that people will be able to get to all three in one night. We want everyone to see everyone.”

Comedy groups collaborated to make sure that willing audience members can experience three hours filled with laughter spiraling out of control. No Offense Presents: American Fistory XXX will be at 8 p.m. in Blodgett Auditorium, with The Limit Presents: Christine starting at 9 p.m. in Sanders Auditorium and HEL Presents: World Wide International Global Federation of Championship Wrestling of Champions Television Show! at 10 p.m. in the Susan Stein Shiva Theater.

The groups found a way to turn the conflict into a fun occasion for everyone. Audience members will not only be rewarded by three hours of fun if they run around the campus from one show to another, but there is also more. President of HEL Nick Pearl ’14 wrote in an emailed statement, “If you get your #comedygeddon2014 passport stamped at all three shows on either Friday or Saturday, you will be entered into a raffle to win a $60 gift card to Bacio’s! THIS IS NOT A JOKE.” All of the troupes maintain the goal to entertain audience members to the best of their abilities, but each group approaches comedy

Comedygeddon will include three top comedic troupes on campus: The Limit, No Offense, and Happily Ever Laughter. They will perform this Friday and Saturday, beginning at 8 p.m. in various locations. differently. “HEL prides itself in having eclectic tastes. There’s something here for everyone.

Our sketches are game- and character-based.

Our subject matter tackles everything from race relations to baseball to high school popularity,” said Pearl.

The different writing styles enrich the group’s performances. James Pedersen ’17, a new member of HEL, described his method of writing. “[We] take well-known concepts from our lives and childhoods and then turn them on their sides to reveal uncomfortable or hilarious hidden truths,” he said. “We tackle everything from makeup to Marvin Gaye and that’s all because of everybody’s subjective and stylistic contributions.”

The Limit takes a more abstract method in writing their sketches. Aidan Kahn ’14 described The Limit’s central theme, or lack thereof, and said, “The Limit does not exist. If it did exist, it would be a little wacky, a little

absurd and very, very Christine.” John DeLeonardis chose to be precise in his explanation of The Limit’s mission statement. He said, “In three words: absurd, poignant, and tristesse.”

No Offense, on the other hand, has a more traditional approach to comedy. “It’s not overly avant-garde and it’s not extremely experimental. It’s a tried and true style of comedy. It is character and situational based, like everything else,” Albert Muzquiz ’17 said. “We try not to go for cheap laughs but well thought-out jokes, and if it occasionally ends up being a cheap, crude joke, it usually works; People like that.”

Muzquiz also commented on the preparation schedules of comedy groups, “For some reason, comedy groups like to make it a little harder for themselves by giving only a week for rehearsal.” Groups usually spend a lot of time writing and perfecting their sketches, and they use the week before the performance to thoroughly rehearse. Pedersen commented, “We have two

days to memorize the whole show and then we just put it on over and over until it’s perfect.

It’s a breakneck schedule, but that’s the cost of putting on a professional-grade show.”

Meetings are not only about memorization.

Group members also enjoy their time together and frequently play rounds of duck, duck, goose or all-around party games such as [redacted], and some Wooly Willys are not infrequent,” Kahn said in an emailed statement, “Most of [The Limit’s] preparation has been physical—push-ups, sit-ups, ice baths and kayaking. Other than that we’ve done a tiny bit of writing and re-writing, philosophical musings on ‘What is Ka’médie’, and finally, the conceptualization of sets and costumes. And prayer.”

So what is going to be different about this weekend’s shows? No Offense does what they haven’t done before. “This is our first themed show. The theme is American History,” said Muzquiz.

The Limit also has one focus; as DeLeonardis stated, “This show is substantially more Christine-oriented and focused on her.” He also added, “I’ve caught wind that the one-andonly Matrix is going to be here for these shows, so people definitely don’t want to miss that! It’s not often we get that kind of celebrity.”

HEL will take a different step by bringing a live band to their stage. Pedersen said, “Incorporating live music into both transitions and sketches adds a whole new energy and excitement,” he continued, “A HEL show is always a good way to start your night, but this weekend’s show is a party fans won’t want to leave.”

Pearl affirmed by saying, “this HEL show will definitely be completely different from any show we have ever done before and, I would even wager to say, has ever been done before at Vassar.”

The members of all groups are very supportive of one another, and Comedygeddon attests to the friendly atmosphere of comedy on campus. Kahn said, “Each of the comedy groups has a very different style. They evolve differently and choose members differently and therefore our material and performances vary wildly. We are all friends in the comedy community.”

Library showcases notable, rare books on architecture Jake Solomon Guest reporter

T

Alec Ferretti/The Miscellany News

he Art Library’s latest exhibit, “The Architect’s Library,” offers a glimpse into the minds and inspiration of world-renowned architects.

“The Architect’s Library” is a collection of books that have helped architects with their designs since as early as the Renaissance. The exhibit is currently on display at the Art Library, the Main Library, Special Collections and the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. Well-established architects published the rare books featured with the intention of aiding and inspiring other architects with their designs. Countless famous architects used these books over the years. The collection contains book by authors such as Sebastino Serlio, Italian Mannerist; architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi, an artist famous for his architectural etchings of Roman antiquities; and John Hejduk, Czech-American modern architect.

Along with those who donated the books to the school, Art History Professor Nicholas Adams brought the exhibit to Vassar.

The collection is especially beneficial for Vassar Art and Art History majors. For students interested in pursuing an art career or those who would like additional research in the field of architecture, Vassar’s art library is a renowned and historical resource, and this exhibit exemplifies the school’s commitment to giving art history students reference materials.

Art History major Ryder O’Dell ’14 attested to the value of these materials. He said, “The art reference library that we have, I believe, was the first undergrad art and architecture library in the country; it’s a really great resource for art history majors.”

The collection not only serves the college as a reference for art but also as a historical reference. Thomas Hill, the Librarian of Art at Vassar College, gave some insight to the historical relevance of the exhibit, “There’s no one narrative or thesis to be taken away from an exhibit

Books by notable architects and artists such as Sebastino Serlio and John Hejduk are on display in Vassar’s libraries until the end of the semester. Some date as far back as the Renissance. like this. That’s the beauty of a good exhibition really, that objects both in themselves and collected together are multivalent,” he said. “They can tell us all kinds of stories. In this case as I’ve said one of these stories is about the foundation of Vassar College and of the cultural conditions and influences that have engaged us over the years.”

Apart from its aesthetic value, the exhibit is entirely educational. O’Dell continued, “But besides the institutional history, there are histories of intellectual and social culture, of the migration of ideas, of the built environment, of book production, typography, illustration and printmaking, etc., that these books can recount.”

“The Architect’s Library” is also deeply rooted within the history of Vassar specifically. Hill

gave details regarding the connection between the exhibit and Vassar. He said, “It’s a collection that was hidden in a collection, so to speak.

Pieces of it have been noticed by many of us who have worked with it over the years. It’s the kind of notice we all take I think sometimes when we come across an unusual old book in the library stacks and wonder how it got there and what purpose it originally served.”

He continued, “The collection [Adams] and his students brought to the surface tells about the importance of the study of architectural history in the curriculum at Vassar from our very beginnings, and how this view of education continued to be supported over the years as the collection was nurtured and enlarged upon. It is also important, of course, because we have so many stunning examples of great

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

books about architecture.”

Hill also explained why students who are interested in books would love “The Architect’s Library.” He said, “I always enjoy looking at book exhibits because, as a reader, they force me to look at books as objects. And many of the narratives I mention have to do with what the books have to tell as objects, not as texts.”

Just as literary books have the power to transform their readers’ reality, architectural books work as vehicles to transport readers into the worlds featured in the texts.

Hill went on to reference a book by Serlio, a Renaissance architect whose book is featured in the exhibit, to describe the way the books of “The Architect’s Library” bring the past to life.

“When you look at an old book, for instance, Sebastiano Serlio’s ‘Libro primo d’architettvra’ (Venice, 1566), the book as a physical thing does present you with the actual past—it makes the past present and obviates historical time in a real way,” Hill said. “And that’s what I call going to the source—as astonishing, when you think about it, as it would be if you were to actually find Signore Serlio seated on a stool in front of the case to tell you about the book. Exhibits like this remind us that the past isn’t a dreamland impossibly unavailable to us, but that it is still in many ways present and actual, and asking for our attention.”

Even though the exhibit is about art history, it is easy for students of all majors and concentrations to find a point of interest in it.

Potential Psychology major Essie Asan ‘17 explained the wide-ranging appeal of the collection. She said, “I don’t plan on pursuing an Art History degree, but I still believe that visiting ‘The Architect’s Library’ is a valuable experience. Even without any background in the art field, the books can give students of any major an interesting look into the world of architecture and history.”

The exhibit is currently featured in the Art Library, the Main Library, Special Collections and the Loeb Art Center.

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Page 16

February 27, 2014

Dance offers ‘Rick and Morty’ successfully pushes limits strength for Sabangan Albert Muzquiz Guest Columnist

Rick and Morty Dan Harmon Starburns Industries

SABANGNON continued from page 1

Jessie Feller ’05 formed VaBang!, a bicoastal dance company based out of San Francisco and New York. Sabangan has performed twice at the historic dance venue and festival Jacob’s Pillow, and was asked to return for the 2012 festival but could not attend: Sabangan was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in May of 2012.

Due to years of training as a dancer, Sabangan was in top physical shape when diagnosed with leukemia. Because of her bodily strength, doctors were optimistic. “I withstood chemotherapy, radiation and even a bone marrow transplant. I went through all of those things, and they predicted that I would go quite well through all of them, by virtue of both my age and my physical strength,” said Sabangan. “I had to thank my body for that, after years of training, getting strong, and being strong helped me withstand all of that—not that it wasn’t still traumatic, but I can imagine how it could have been harder if I wasn’t strong.”

While bodily strength is one thing, Sabangan believes that it is immaterial, mental strength that is what got her through her sickness. She said, “I definitely attest my physical strength to helping me get through this. Another thing is my sense of discipline as a dancer. If there is anyone who has to do the things they have to do to get better, it’s a dancer who has the self-discipline to take care of themself.”

Sabangan recalls a day when she had to receive an intensely strong dose of chemotherapy that often results in patients contracting sores in their mouths. Her doctor told Sabangan sores can be prevented by keeping the mouth cool throughout the treatment. “I had to eat Popsicles for seven and a half hours straight, which turns a really fun activity into basically torture,” Sabangan said. “I wasn’t going to stop, not even for a second. And even on the doctor’s part, if he says you can’t stop chewing on these Popsicles for seven and a half hours they assume some people may take a break for five minutes now and then. But for a dancer, we are not going to cut any corners. Dancers aren’t going to cut any corners… That kind of discipline allowed me to do all of the things I had to do.”

Because of Sabangan’s determined spirit and tenacity, hearing of her sickness came as an absolute shock to those who know her. “It was just such a huge blow to hear about Julia contracting leukemia. I was just thinking about her so much. Everyday I would wake up, do a little meditation, and think about what she must be going through,” said Wildberger. “I’d go to her website and see what she was going through— her mother was keeping it up to date with all of the treatments, medications and incredible expenses of it all. All of these wonderful alumni were responding to her, even from different countries, and supporting Julia.”

Two months ago, Sabangan’s biopsy came back completely clear. “She’s doing it. If you go and read about the last steps of her recovery, her body has fought an amazing battle, and she’s winning that battle. It’s really a testimony for dance,” said Wildberger. “There is something that just empowers them to not only heal but also know what a struggle is.”

For Sabangan, however, the strenuous journey is not over. She said, “I really feel that I’m almost still in it...It feels like I’m on the pale-end of this story, but it’s not over yet.”

Hearing Sabangan’s story is particularly eye-opening for those who dance at Vassar.

VRDT member McClain Groff ’17 said, “Julia’s story is absolutely inspiring and will give an intense amount of meaning to our upcoming performance. We are all now so aware of what our bodies, and our minds, can do.”

Wildberger choreographed a piece dedicated to Sabangan for VRDT’s upcoming 32nd Annual Bardavon Gala Concert, titled “Joolia.” It will feature 17 dancers who come together to represent the healing powers of a community. Wildberger said, “It parallels the dance world looking in on Julia and keeping track of her progress and her journey.” The show will take place Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 2 at 3 p.m..

Sabangan herself is set to attend.

I

f I had a dollar for every time the human race was transformed into murderous praying mantis creatures in “Rick and Morty,” I’d have one dollar. But what a dollar. In this new animated series on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, all bets are off. “Rick and Morty” was created by Dan Harmon (the mad genius behind the very best seasons of “Community”) and Justin Roiland (best known for his voice work on “Adventure Time”) and follows the antics of alcoholic, abusive scientist, Rick, and his reluctant traveling companion and grandson, Morty.

In the very first episode, Rick shrinks Morty and sends him into the body of a dying and unwilling homeless man, in which he is attempting to create a microscopic theme park, “Anatomy Park.” The rest of the season is a rollercoaster, and while the quality and comedy sometimes fail to rise to the occasion, of the six episodes so far released, four are truly stellar.

Harmon, a parody-fiend, gets bogged down at times in the science-fiction tropes he works so hard to emulate, which harms the show every so often. But the titular characters don’t need a dream within a dream within a dream plot to keep the viewers’ attention. Their relationship—that is both tender and callous, both “Dr. Who” and “Back to the Future,” both raunchy and poignant—is what drew me to the series.

Rick and Morty’s adventures, while always macabre and discomfiting, showcase a camaraderie and chemistry, the likes of which is rarely seen on animated, let alone live-action television. From forcing his grandson to act as an intergalactic drug mule (“I’m gonna need

you to put them way up inside your butthole, Morty”) to overthrowing an evil anthropomorphic jelly-bean pedophile king, and using pheromones to seduce one of Morty’s classmates at the Flu-Season Dance, Rick and Morty travel through time and (mostly) space, wreaking terror and bloodshed wherever they go.

Beyond the science fiction madness, I applaud the writers for creating such compelling (and clueless) parents for Morty, who effortlessly complement Rick’s grandparently negligence. Even B-stories with Morty’s mom (and Rick’s daughter) toiling at the Horse Hospital and Morty’s dad facing endless existential crises ground the series in reality and keep the formula from becoming stale.

The series, with all its mayhem and madness,

“Rick and Morty travel through time and (mostly) space, wreaking terror and bloodshed wherever they go.” is not for the faint of heart. One particularly triggering scene, an altercation between the aforementioned jelly-bean-person and Morty in a men’s room seemed humorous at first but left me feeling a little queasy. Yet even this moment of uneasiness is transformed, when at the end of the episode, the often-careless Rick allows his paternal side to show and somehow, against all odds, this little moment remedies the earlier misstep.

But obviously men in the under-35 demographic forgive these indelicacies. That coveted age group is much sought after by the big studios, and Rick and Morty has proven itself a contender, even pulling ahead of its closest competition, “Archer.” Rick and Morty’s over-

night success has guaranteed it a second season, and social networks are already awash in praise for the show. Reddit in particular seems to have taken to the new show, and Adult Swim’s ingenious decision to release each episode for free on YouTube for a limited time helped to aid the spread of the show throughout the Internet.

The writing and character design spare no expense, and for this reason, we will have to wait for several months before the next episodes will be ready. I sincerely hope this time doesn’t diminish the quality of the new episodes or the viewership of the series. The Network didn’t realize the powerhouse they had on their hands and so only released a fraction of the total season.

Rick and Morty’s financial and critical success has set a high bar for the other top shows currently on the air. It is refreshing to know that even as CBS is preparing to resuscitate the tired formula of “How I Met Your Mother/ Father,” an underdog like Adult Swim can release material more than capable of contending with these nine-season giants.

Harmon and Roiland’s collaboration will hopefully set the tone for the new, thoughtful, artful shows that are premiering this year.

While historically these kinds of witty, carefully-crafted shows are financial failures (looking at you, “30 Rock”), “R&M” may have finally reversed this trend.

I know that when the show returns I will be in the Cushing MPR with popcorn in hand, helping the good people of Cartoon Network show the big companies that the young men’s demographic can appreciate clever, if crude, television.

I look forward to more of the same from Harmon and Roiland in the coming months, and I hope that they not only continue to replicate the formula that made them a success but accentuate the characteristics of the show that set them apart. I want to see Rick threaten his grandson with a knife more often!

In the words of Rick, “Go nuts Morty, it’s foolproof.”

Shosh outshines aimless gal pals in ‘Girls’ Taylor Thewes Columnist

Girls Lena Dunham HBO

J

ust like every other liberal arts student, I watch “Girls.” And just like every other liberal arts student, I seem to find complaints in almost everything and anything. No matter what it is, almost all conversations my peers or I take part in, seemingly without fail, gravitate toward negativity. That being said, I really hate everyone on the show “Girls.”

I know Lena Dunham is trying to represent a reality that should not be hated but, instead, embraced or, at the very least, accepted. But sorry, sweetie—every single character makes me want to go all Oedipal on my eyeballs.

I do feel bad for complaining, though. After all, I have seen every “Girls” episode to date, and I have done so with much excitement— not apathy—held for each upcoming episode.

So, from here on out, I am going to try my best to throw praise towards “Girls” instead of getting myself banned from writing for the Misc again because of my excessive use of swear words directed towards the girls of Dunham’s creation.

So without further ado, I’ll start by saying Shoshanna, girl, you rocking that Prada like no other. In episode seven, titled “Beach House,” my girl Shosh (Zosia Mamet) is by far the most fly of the main quartet of girls. But each of the gals serves to bring a sparkly and energetic, for a lack of better words, perspective to their circle of friendship that is fueled by the fusion of their unrelenting attitudes. Hannah is so incredibly proud of her successful work, which is completely understandable for a woman who has to overcome so many challenges, like narcissism and laziness. Epidemics such as these have been sweeping through upper-class descendants who now must fend for them-

selves, as the girls exemplify.

Marnie is perfectly organized for someone whose life is so out of control—the result of her forcing everyone out of her life because she knows, not thinks, that she is better than everyone else.

Jessa is rightfully happy, as she has nothing to worry about now that her husband, whom she married after meeting once, is gone. She has finally found her first real job that does not consist of watching children—which for Jessa entailed simply hanging out with the kids she was supposed to care for; she is only in her late twenties, for goodness’ sake.

“So without further ado, I’ll start by saying Shoshanna, girl, you rocking that Prada like no other.”

Shosh has her outstanding qualities as well.

Her elegant stutters that stammer at stupendous speeds have the harmonious pitch of a quaint little mouse. Her hairdos have been unrivaled by all on the show as well, and the recent Shosh-i Olympics memes that currently occupy my Facebook newsfeed are legendary.

These extraordinary qualities pale in comparison, however, with the one quality that the audience was made aware of in episode seven. Shosh is not afraid to speak the truth, and finally, the character channeled what I think every single viewer had been thinking for the past three seasons. She said how sick she was of everyone’s...qualities, as explained in the previous paragraph. She basically tells everyone that they need to grow up. Further, she gripes about she does not want to be friends with any of them anymore.

The show has finally acknowledged itself and its own faults. After seeing these characters portrayed as some honestly terrible peo-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ple—like when Hannah worries about a book deal at a publisher’s funeral—day after day, it is refreshing to see the recognition that these people need to suffer amongst each other instead of in meaningless jobs, that seem easily replaceable day after day or episode after episode. The audience has seen Hannah argue about how her parents do not give her enough allowance, but the audience had not seen someone complain about her, at least not on a level of importance to her.

Shosh is finally getting the attention she deserves. Often, in my opinion, the odd gal out, Shosh officially has her moment in the Brooklyn sun. Unfortunately, she doesn’t stick to her gut. As the episode ends with the four girls waiting for the bus as they sit on the curb, Hannah begins to mildly reenact the dance done earlier in the episode. Eventually, one by one, they begin to join in. This is the only cop out of the episode. This scene serves as an example of one benefit Dunham receives for writing her own show. Dunham’s Hannah gets to start the dance and reluctantly, her friends follow suit.

Even in its most tender moments, times when the show was so brilliant that it acknowledged its faults, those very faults seemed to fix everything. No apologies are given. The girls simply get what they want, which includes getting their friends back, before they move onward with their lives. Still, episode seven is monumental. When the eager freshman in my hall, eyes wide with the ignorance that the world can be something more beautiful than the depiction shown in “Girls,” bursts into my room without a knock, raving about the newest episode, I figure something different had happened—usually, the freshman knocks.

Finally, the show has become self-aware, or at least, someone at HBO is telling Dunham to bite reality. Whatever the case may be, “Girls” is a much better show when I am not the only one screaming at the characters to stop complaining, being annoying or simply being themselves, when the characters in the show can express my disdain for me.

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February 27, 2014

Page 17

Olson’s latest displays morose maturation Jack Conway

Guest Columnist

Burn Your Fire For No Wtness Angel Olsen Jagjaguwar Records

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or me, sadness and studying are inseparable, explaining why I’ve listened to Angel Olsen’s album, “Burn Your Fire For No Witness,” over twenty times. That, and because it’s really good.

I first heard Angel Olsen on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts series. If you don’t know what that is, it’s basically a series of online videos where artists—mostly indie-rock types—play acoustic sets. Olsen played five songs, all from “Burn Your Fire For No Witness,” and from that sample I made two observations: she looks paralyzed when she plays and her songs are quite sad. Before making the second observation, I was satisfied with myself for finding some chill study music. Angel Olsen, though, is better than that; she makes sad study music.

“Burn Your Fire For No Witness,” Angel Olsen’s second album, was touted to be her “rock” record. This is probably because, unlike with her debut “Half Way Home,” she now tours with a full band. Still, like with Courtney Barnett—and, to a lesser extent, Cate Le Bon—these extra instruments do not shift Olsen entirely into the realm of rock.

“Sadness and studying are inseperable, explaining why I’ve listened to Angel Olson’s album...over twenty times.”

As vague as the “rock” label may be, Olsen would be better described as a folk singer.

And on “Burn Your Fire For No Witness,” we’re given a folk album—one about relation-

Campus Canvas

ships, loneliness, even feeling lonely in relationships. Just as this theme is not anything novel, neither, necessarily, is the music that accompanies it.

Angel Olsen certainly draws influence from American singer-songwriters like Hank Williams or Townes van Zandt, and though you would have a hard time arguing that her guitar-playing is at either of their levels, that is okay; Olsen’s originality comes from her voice. Fiery at times, quavering at others, Angel Olsen’s vocals sounds one part Laura Marling, one part Joni Mitchell, and even one part Nico. While Olsen mixed in newly written material with older works (“Safe in the Womb” was actually the second she’d ever written), the album was met with critical praise for, among other things, Olsen’s lyrics and its cohesiveness.

On the album’s first track, “Unf***ktheworld,” we get Olsen’s voice at its most reserved. Over just three chords, Olsen sings, “Here’s to thinking that it all meant so much more.” While serving as a disclaimer for the album’s focus on being disappointed—with people, even life in general—it is telling, too, that Olsen sings this line calmly. She’s certainly disappointed but she seems used to it—not unfazed, but definitely not surprised.

It is with this droll, say, realistic tone that Olsen wins us over as chief narrator. She may be bored and disappointed at times, but she keeps her wit throughout. It is because of this that we are, in turn, not bored or disappointed with her songs.

Did I say that she could be fiery, too? Just after “Unf***ktheworld,” are the album’s two singles, also the heaviest songs on the album.

For one, they explain why people thought this album would be rooted in more rock than folk, but also, they show that Olsen is multifaceted.

While other artists have trouble making the leap from solo to full-band, Angel makes this shift naturally. In fact, on lead single “Forgiven/Forgotten,” it’d be hard to imagine the song with just Olsen and her acoustic. The harsh distorted guitars and industrially-tight rhythm section hit hard and even allow Angel to exhibit a new technique: yelling. Yelling, “All is forgiven, all right, you are forgiven,” Olsen again conveys her wariness in others.

She might forgive him, or maybe she won’t.

Regardless, she’d rather move on.

Keeping her usual skepticism, she now yells

it. These thoughts, her disappointments with those around her, can’t always just be said as mantras under her breath; sometimes Olsen has had enough. But at just over two minutes, “Forgiven/Forgotten” and its once-closeted anger are kept short.

Much of the album deals instead with what Angel keeps inside.

On my favorite track, “Enemy,” these internal thoughts are of, I presume, someone who knew her very well but is no longer around.

Whether this is a former lover, a mentor or a friend, Olsen’s sentiment is the same: We didn’t end things well and I still think about you. With lines like, “We might be older now but is it changing anything” and “I wish it were the same as it is in my mind,” Olsen wavers between questioning reality and just wishing circumstances were how she imagined them.

“She maybe bored and disappointed at times, but she keeps her wit throughout.”

To the tune of faint strumming, Olsen’s delivery on this track is notably breathy, like she just ran around the house a dozen times.

Olsen knows, though, that she wouldn’t have to move an inch to realize that whoever she is writing this track for isn’t around. We might expect this to frustrate Olsen, but she instead sings “I want the best for you, so I won’t look your way.” While in “Forgiven/Forgotten,” Olsen feigned forgiveness as a way to move on with the next day’s disappointment, here on “Enemy,” Olsen truly forgives and as a microcosm for her thoughts from album one to album two, we get a sense she has matured.

But maturation is specific to the person. I believe Olsen shows her maturation through forgiveness, but it is important to note that those she forgives aren’t always around to receive. Thus, her forgiveness is internal. But, as the album title states, that is just fine. Burn your fire for no witness, to deal with your problems no others are necessary. It is you who has these thoughts more than anybody; it is yourself you must forgive.

A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

Excuse me, What political drama would you like to live in?

“‘24’—as long as I’m Jack Bauer.”

—Jack Bauer (Chris Dietz) ’17

“Does ‘Game of Thrones’ count.”

—John Mason ’16

“‘Seinfeld’—it’s dramatic for the Jews.”

—Arden Shwayder ’16

submit to misc@vassar.edu

“‘Murder, She Wrote,’ obviously.”

—Talia Feldberg ’16

Blue Haze When I’m not taking photographs or sketching buildings, I can be spotted painting. I tend to focus on modern, geometric compositions. In this piece I attempted to address perspective and depth minimalistically.

The vanishing point implied by the corners of the colored rings and the depth implied by the shift in gradient suggest a three-dimensionality that is at the same time being called into question and counterbalanced by the dark void in the center. Are we entering into the painting or is it jumping out at us? The entire composition exudes ambiguity.

“‘House of Cards,’ because everybody talks about it.”

—Billy Pages ’17

— Jacob Gorski ’15

“‘The Golden Girls.’”

—Daniel Polonsky ’15

Spencer Davis, Photo Editor Samantha Kohl, Assistant Arts Editor MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

Page 18

February 27, 2014

International student Espinosa excels on squash team Chris Brown sports editor

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Jacob Gorski/The Miscellany News

ailing from Ecuador, Ricardo Espinosa is a senior at Vassar College and one of the co-captains of Vassar’s Squash team. Now in his fourth year as a player and member of the team, Espinosa plays singles and is one of the higher-ranked players on the team. He also has had the unique experience of being both an international student and an athlete on Vassar’s campus.

Espinosa did not come to Vassar with the expectation that joining would lead to being an integral member of the squash team. “When I came to Vassar, I actually did not think I was going to join the squash team. I had suffered a back injury in the previous summer, so I was unable to try out for some of the sports that had an early fall season,” Espinosa described in an emailed statement.

“I still wanted to play a competitive sport, and it was then that I met some international seniors who were members of the squash team, and convinced me to go practice with them one day. I did not really have any previous experience in squash, but knew about the sport because my dad used to play, and because I was able to see the Junior World Tournament 2010, which was held in Quito.

When I played with the VC squash team members, they noticed I had a tennis background, and that I could adapt well to the new racquet skills that squash demanded,” he said. At that point he met the team’s coach who asked him to train with them. ”After that, it was all a matter of hard work and training until I made the top 9 and was able to play in my first competitive match,” he said.

Espinosa said that his freshman year about half of the team was composed of international students, whereas this year most of them are American. “Obviously, the team dynamic is different when you have a more diverse group: You can have some people speaking in their own language and hanging out with each other, or others feeling a bit isolated and not relating to the rest’s culture.”

He went on, stating, “Yet, once you step in on court, it is just you and your opponent, and it really does not matter where either of you are from but a matter of who can outplay or outlast the other. If you are willing to learn from whichever person you play with and keep in

mind that you ultimately play squash because you love the sport, then you will improve. That is probably the most valuable lesson I have learnt. I have gone on court feeling really nervous, and lost a match in less than ten minutes because I was not able to handle the pressure, but I have also gone in on court trusting and enjoying my game, and won against opponents like Kincade.”

Now in his senior year, Espinosa serves as a role model to younger teammates.

Freshman squash player Carly Scher discussed her experience of having Espinosa as teammate to look up to. “As a freshman, it has been amazing having him on the team as a senior captain,” Scher explained in an emailed statement.

“I think I speak for all the freshmen when I say that we have been extremely spoiled having him this year and that we will miss him more than we could ever say next year. He is just such a good person all around, and always wants the best for the team, as well as for all of us individually. He genuinely cares about us, which is something really important in a captain and teammate. He brings such a great energy to the team and has been such a good role model for us to look up to. I think we will all really feel his absence a lot next year. I am honored to have been on a team with him.”

Scher also spoke to Espinosa’s overall quality as a captain of the co-ed squash team.

“Ricardo is an awesome captain,” Scher described. “I don’t think we could have asked for a better one. He sets such a good example for everyone on the team, and he believes so much in all of us. He always has good advice and encouraging words for any one of us at any given time. He is a great leader and is good at including everyone on the team and making them feel comfortable. He is extremely modest, when he has no reason to be, which makes him all the more likable as a captain.”

Scher continued, “He is really encouraging and truly believes in all of us, so it is easy for him to support us. His pre-game speeches are short and sweet but he says just enough to get us pumped up and ready, while also making sure not to put too much pressure on us. He always has kind words for everyone on the team, especially when we need them most. I think also just watching the way he presents and carries himself helps bring out the best in us all.”

Through his time on the Vassar team, Espi-

Ricardo Espinosa of the men’s squash team has had a unique experience at Vassar as an international student and athlete. In his senior year he has taken on a leadership role for the team. nosa developed a deep love for the sport and the school team. “It is hard to answer because many people don’t even know what squash is,” Espinosa expressed.

“So if you want to know what squash looks like, search for the Amr Shabana vs. Gregory Gaultier 2012 World Series Finals in your phone, and fast-forward up to the hour and fifteenth minute. I am serious, do it now and watch a couple of points! It looks as a hard sport, but honestly, squash is so easy to learn and so fast-paced that you end up loving it. If you have little time in your hands to do physical activity, you should probably play some squash instead of going running. You will burn almost twice as many calories in the same amount of time, and you will really understand what makes squash so amazing,” Espinosa said.

He added that if any students want to join him and his team on the court, they’re usually in Kenyon between 4 and 5 p.m.

As Espinosa looks towards graduating and ending his time at Vassar College, he is forever grateful for his time on the squash team.

“I have gathered some of my best memories by playing with the squash team,” wrote Espinosa. “It is hard to describe how amazing the

team environment is both on and off court, and I really think that is what allowed me to grow so much as a player in these four years. If I had to pick a single memory to highlight, it would be my win against the No. 1 from Fordham University, Kincade Webster, about two weeks ago in the Hudson Valley Tournament. I had played against him a week before the tournament, and lost in a tight match.”

Espinosa continued, “I really wanted to redeem myself in front of my home crowd and in my last competitive home match at Vassar. After pulling through a 14-12 win in the first set, I knew I could do it, and it was all going to be a matter of focus, and patience. I kept on playing my game, and in the end I was able to beat him in 4 games.”

He said his most memorable moment was when he scored the final point. He shook his opponent’s hand to the sound of his friends and teammates cheering for him.

“It is a really special memory for me because four years ago, I would never have thought that I would be able to pull off such a win against an experienced player,” said Espinosa. “Again, it just highlights how much one can grow as a player in such a supportive environment.”

Women’s swimming and diving finishes eighth overall SWIMMING continued from page 1

ley team in school history.

Senior co-captain Alison Burns was most impressed with the team’s performance and amount of record-breaking times. “I have never seen a more impressive States performance from the entire team in my four years at Vassar,” she wrote in an emailed statement. “With nearly 20 school records broken, and personal records across the board, it was a truly inspirational meet that we will remember for years to come,” she continued. Cunningham, who has already broken multiple records during her freshman year, expressed the same. “States was one of the most exciting meets I have been to in my swimming career,” she wrote. “Collectively, breaking almost 20 school records in four days of competition is crazy.”

In order to break so many records and personal bests, the team had weeks of hard work leading up to the championship. That process, also known as tapering, is often considered the hardest part of the season for swimmers.

According to junior Olivia Harries, “Based on the swimmer’s specialty, taper starts a couple weeks before the championship meet. Generally, it consists of less-yardage, with higher intensity, and more rest.” She continued, “It is individually tailored to set the swimmer up for racing.”

Junior Zoe Fullerton added, “The tapering process is slightly scary, but also fun. It is very hard to trust sometimes, because it is very counterintuitive and does not always work, but I guess that is just part of the sport.” Burns noted that the tapering strategy of the coaches was extremely successful for the different swimmers on the team. “After months of high-yardage practices and intense lifting, dry-land, and

swimming workouts, the weeks before a major meet—in this case States—we taper off in terms of practice yardage and intensity in order to be well-rested for the meet,” Burns explained in an emailed statement. “Tapering is different for sprinters, stroke swimmers, and distance swimmers, and each athlete responds very differently. Our coaches were successful in creating a taper program for each swimmer that catered to their swimming events and training needs.”

Cunningham also noted that, “A lot of people exceeded their expectations as a result of tapering. We had people jumping up a bunch of spots to top 24 to final and then passing even more people in the final. Towards the end of our duel meet season, we were getting tired and our enthusiasm was waning but we bounced back and trained hard and had a fantastic end of season.”

On the first day of the meet, the 200-Yard Medley squad of senior McKenzie Quinn, junior Elizabeth Balter, sophomore Lily Frye and freshman Julia Cunningham finished in eighth place, breaking a Vassar College swimming and diving record. Their official time was 1:52.18.

Harries also managed to earn a personal best in the 500-Yard Freestyle with an official time of 5:14.44.

In addition to this, Quinn had a lifetime best in the 200 IM, finishing in 22nd place. On Feb. 20, the team reached seventh out of the 15 participating teams. Cunningham took third place in the 400-Yard Individual Medley and fourth in the 100-Yard Butterfly.

Cunningham, along with senior McKenzie Quinn and sophomores Milee Nelson and Lily Frye finished sixth in the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay. Senior co-captain Robin Lam had a teambest split in the 200 Freestyle Relay at 25.09.

The next day, the women finished seventh

once again. Cunningham placed second in the 200-Yard Butterfly, and sixth in the 800-Yard Butterfly with teammate Nelson, junior Olivia Harries and sophomore Marie Schmidt. Nelson, Quinn and junior Elizabeth Balter each had lifetime bests in their events.

On the last day of the championships, the team finished in eighth place overall with 489.5 points. Host Ithaca College won with 1,443 points. Quinn finished the 200-Yard Backstroke in 24th place, while Harries managed to finish in sixth in the 1,650 Relay with an impressive time of 17:49.53. Burns and sophomore Marie Schmidt finished in 12th and 22nd place, respectively. In the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, Balter, Cunningham, Frye and Lam finished in 11th place to end the championship games.

Overall, it was an extremely successful four days for the team. “The meet went phenomenally well. I am unbelievably proud of what our team has accomplished in the past week and the entire season. I would not have wanted to end my swimming career with any other team,” explained Quinn in an emailed statement.

“It was the most successful states since I began swimming at Vassar,” she continued. “We came together as a team and really established ourselves as serious competitors.” Frye added, “The only word that can describe the meet is grueling. Two five-hour sessions every day, wake-up at 7:15, eat, swim, eat swim, dinner at 10:30 then repeat. A lot of people put pressure on themselves to do really well in the last meet, and most achieve those goals with a lot of personal bests!”

Frye continued to say that, “I am just so proud of myself and my team for surviving the season! Swimming is over 20 hours a week of training alone, and that does not include team

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

dinners, waking up super early, and traveling to away meets. No matter what, I am so proud of my team for being incredibly strong, ambitious, and fast!”

Besides grueling practices and hard work, the team’s success was in no small part due to the unique chemistry and camaraderie amongst the swimmers.

For example, the team made a video tribute while at the meet for freshman Julia Wieczorek who was sick and unable to attend the UNYSCSA championships. “The success of our season is measured not just in the races we have won and the times we have swam, but the growth of each swimmer contributing to the growth of the team – in strength, mentality, support, and sportsmanship,” Wieczorek wrote in an emailed statement. “In this way, our team has gone above and beyond what was expected, and we can look forward to even more successful seasons in the coming years.”

In addition to this, Fullerton wanted to make sure the seniors received due praise: “Shoutout to all the seniors for absolutely killing it with their last races/the entire last meet.”

Co-captain Burns also added, “The swim meet was an indescribable experience that I will never forget. I am most proud of the camaraderie we have developed this season and the support everyone showed each other throughout this season.”

She continued, “Our energy and drive carried through our final meet of the season, which, as a senior, was my final meet ever. I am very lucky to have ended my swimming career on such a positive note and could not have done so without my teammates around me. I am looking forward to the Vassar Swim program’s development and all it has in store.”

February 27, 2014

SPORTS

Page 19

NBA trading season fails Sochi Olympics conclude to deliver shocking moves without expected hooplah Zach Rippe Columnist

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very year, the NBA trade deadline seems to produce one of two outcomes. Either it ends up being exciting, eventful and unpredictable, or it proves to be one of the more anticlimactic days of the NBA season. This year definitely belonged in the latter category.

It is fair to say, however, that there was minimal buzz around the league. The Knicks were shopping players like Iman Shumpert, there had been rumors about Rajon Rondo’s future, and the Lakers perhaps wanted to move Gasol, yet his injury made those rumors a little less realistic. Perhaps some contending teams were poised to make some minor moves to bolster their bench, but otherwise, talk seemed quiet.

When 3 p.m. rolled around last Thursday, there were no earth shattering moves, and only a few minor surprises.

Perhaps the most intriguing deal of the season took place between Indiana and Philadelphia. The Pacers chose to ship Danny Granger, a former All-Star and the team’s leading scorer in past years, to the Sixers with a second round pick in return for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen.

Turner, originally seen as a potential bust, has slowly improved each year, bringing averages of 17.4 ppg, 3.7 apg, and 6.0 rpg to the table. Yet he will most likely still have to compete for a starting spot in Indiana as All-Star Paul George and the electrifying Lance Stephenson have been integral to the Pacers’ success. On the flip side, Danny Granger is pissed. Once seen as the future of the Pacers, Granger has had to fight his way back from injuries over the past few seasons, finally playing meaningful minutes off the bench this season. Although he still hasn’t looked like his former self, Granger had at least been somewhat productive for Indiana. Now, he has been separated from the only NBA team he’s ever played on. Granger had always been loved by not only Pacer fans, but the front office (including GM Larry Bird), fellow players like Paul George, and head coach Frank Vogel as well. He appeared at team practice last Friday to say his final teary goodbyes to teammates before moving on. Now, Granger will most probably be bought out by the Sixers and look to sign with a team like the Heat, making them even scarier than they already are. Still, a deal to obtain Turner made the Pacers even deeper and tougher, showcasing Larry Bird’s determined attitude and will to win.

Apart from the Pacers Sixers trade, not much happened around the league. The Lakers shipped point guard Steve Blake to the compet-

itive Warriors, who could have definitely used a seasoned veteran presence off the bench. In return, Los Angeles picked up Kent Bazemore and Marshon Brooks. Their potential was evident in the game against the Celtics last Friday, as the two combined for 29 points and helped lead LA to victory with a huge fourth quarter comeback, proving that this trade may work out quite well for both teams.

The deals don’t get any more exciting than that. Veteran Andre Miller was inevitably traded from the Nuggets after disagreements with new coach Brian Shaw led to him being separated from the team. Miller went to the Wizards in exchange for the so-far-disappointing, but still young Jan Vesely, and the Sixers again got in the mix as they received guard Eric Maynor and a couple second-round draft picks. The Nets also got rid of a few of their old men as the now sad Jason Terry and the rebounding, freethrow shanking Reggie Evans were shipped to the Kings in exchange for the younger Marcus Thornton.

The Cavs got Spencer Hawes for Earl Clark, Henry Sims and a pick, hoping that a veteran presence will help their young team that is supposedly full of potential yet has been drastically underachieving this season. And here the deals begin to go from “meh” to “would I have even noticed?” Roger Mason went to the Kings for a pick, the Bobcats got Luke Ridnour and Gary Neal (he can still shoot, right?), as Ramon Sessions was reunited with his former team (the Bucks) along with Jeff Adrien. Nando De Colo will be moving up north to Toronto in exchange for the seemingly obsolete Austin Daye, however, Greg Popovich will probably mold him into an effective role player. The Nuggets acquired Aaron Brooks to bolster their fragile back-court, the Hawks received Antawn Jamison for rights to a future pick, and in a move no one saw coming, Byron Mullens was “snagged” (in the words of NBA.com) by the Sixers for a pick. Thrilling.

Again, the Granger-Turner trade probably has the biggest impact on the league and may prove extremely entertaining if Granger does indeed sign with Miami, and the Heat and Pacers face off in the conference finals (both quite likely). Not every season will produce mind-blowing moves that reshape the league.

While it is easy to fall into the pattern of getting really excited for the NBA trade deadline just because it’s the NBA trade deadline, it is safe to say that this year, there were minimal expectations at best. The offseason, on the other hand: well, that’s a different story.

Clyff Young

Guest Columnist

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he Sochi Winter Olympic Games were undeniably fraught, at the start, with controversy. Despite all of the initial hubbub—the outrageous $51 billion cost, the police force (an equally startling 40-some-thousand law enforcement personnel), the homophobic overtones, the dogs, the toilets and the fifth Olympic ring that failed to open during the Opening Ceremony—once the events got underway, the Sochi Olympics seemed to go off without a hitch.

Certainly, the media lodging left some comfort to be desired, but the athlete accommodation was largely problem-free. Who knows, maybe Sochi did have to scramble to get the press quarters together, or maybe Putin did it on purpose. After all, he’s a leader that has never had an affinity for journalists of any type or nationality for that matter . It is also not hard to imagine that the American press’ immediate reactions to Sochi and Russia as a whole could have been exacerbated by lingering Cold War paranoia and animosity toward the nation that has been the United State’s sworn enemy since 1945.

None of that matters now. The final medal count for the Winter Olympics is in. Russia, who had the home turf advantage, came away with the highest count, bringing in 33 total medals, 13 of which were gold—the most for any country participating in the Games.

The United States came in second with 28 total medals, and Norway came in third place with 26. Russia more or less won the Olympic medal contest, which might be a new concept for an event that claims to celebrate individuals before nations.

For the big, competitive countries, both the winter and summer games have become about the medal count and exposure more than the individual achievements of the athletes who win medals. What was once a celebration of amateurism is now outright nationalism and consumerism, a money grab for TV networks and host cities and nations — and I am fine with it.

There’s an argument to be made that the Olympics should be held in the same place every four years: the Summer Games in Greece, and the Winter Games in the Alps, perhaps. If the venue didn’t change, maybe the financial burden put on host nations and cities could be minimized.

How serious the financial implications can be for some cities can’t be understated, either.

Lake Placid spent so much money on the Winter Olympics in 1980 that the town actually needed the New York State Legislature to give it a bailout so it could pay its creditors. Conversely, some say that the most recent Summer Games in London was more an attempt to renovate the eastern end of the city than to create effective Olympic infrastructure. But the ultra-costly traveling circus that is the Olympic Games is part of what makes it such a special event.

Cities and countries wouldn’t be throwing their names in the ring to host and shelling out millions and now billions of dollars on stadiums, transportation, lodging and otherwise if the Olympics weren’t a marquee affair that brought world-wide tourism, visibility and prestige. Empty, unused stadiums may remain, taking up space and tax dollars in post-Olympic cities, but the influx of money that makes airports, public transportation and accommodation better can encourage tourism for years to come.

The Olympics expose cities and countries to the world in a way that otherwise is impossible. The Beijing Opening Ceremony in 2008 was one of the most overpowering, awe-inspiring performances ever televised. It brought the world to China, and China to the world in one fell swoop. There is a great sense of pride, showing off one’s country to the millions of viewers tuning in across the globe. If we as viewers were just interested in watching individuals compete for themselves, we would watch the pro skiing or track circuits. Competing for one’s country is different, more interesting to watch.

Rooting for national glory above individual glory during the Olympics is not slovenly or ignorant, nor does it have anything to do with proving the merits of American capitalism or democracy. It is collective fun, and, really, one of the only ways to be fervently nationalistic peacefully. In fact, athletics are the closest the world gets to pure meritocracy. It is impossible to become a professional or Olympic-caliber athlete through people you know, family connections, your wife, husband, sister or acquaintances.

Never is that more apparent than on the Olympic stage, when the world gets together to compete. Sure, there is a correlation between the national medal count and economic power, but no one country can win all the medals.

The medal count is a funny metric, but it’s a concrete one, one from which it is possible to derive healthy national pride.

SportsCenter not worth the repetitive updates, hype Luka Ladan

Assistant Editor

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elevision leaves such a visible imprint on all of our lives, whether we choose to admit it or not. Just recalling my own personal experiences, I spend hours upon hours dissecting some random new mystery series—HBO’s “True Detective” is really, really good, by the way—or merely catching the end of the latest marquee sporting event, in the hope of staying connected with the world around me and relaxing. Flipping through some channels until something worthwhile pops up can be both informative and soothing at the same time.

But, I don’t really watch that much TV while I’m away at school because the constant access to it isn’t quite there. And so, I’m reminded of the kind of stuff that escapes my immediate consciousness nowadays—as I struggle through some homework and spend my free time exercising or whatever else. Just the other day, I watched some of ESPN’s daily SportsCenter telecast for what seemed to be the first time in months. Back home, I tune in pretty frequently so that I can be updated on the latest breaking news, trades and free agents, and the general sports landscape at the moment; yet, when I’m at school, the daily SportsCenter check-in seems to elude me.

So, as I watched the show for the first time in a while just a few days ago, a pretty basic question really struck me: SportsCenter is real-

ly cool and exciting in moderate doses, but am I really missing anything when I don’t watch it? Am I really missing out when I’m not being updated 24/7?

Truth be told, I don’t really miss SportsCenter—or any ESPN creation, for that matter— when I’m away from it for some time. It becomes overwhelmingly repetitive, to the point where each tidbit of relevant (or irrelevant) information overloads my mind. The steady flow of updates, minute after minute after minute, can quickly cause an overflow. Details are overanalyzed, while athletes, coaches and your team’s bumbling general manager are scrutinized twenty times too many just to fill the required time slot.

Every single little thing, talked about and talked about some more. One pundit here, the other coming on in thirty minutes. One topic here, the other in five seconds! Stay tuned!

I have to stay tuned to this guy and that guy and him and her–this minor development and that one—until, at some point, I just can’t take anymore.

I can’t hear about Johnny Manziel’s height and hand size one more time. What Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith think about that random football player’s minor misstep doesn’t really matter that much, after I listen to the “authentic” opinions of countless other pundits in repetitive cycles. Did LeBron James stare at his head coach the wrong way after that one pos-

session? Why does Bryce Harper flex his guns after making a big play? Who’s on the Mount Rushmore of basketball accomplishment? With so many questions comes so much cyclical discussion.

Valid subjects of discussion, maybe, but they don’t require hours of inspection and fiery debate. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN to you and me) derives its profit by dedicating coverage to anything and everything related to current events in sports and athletic competition at various levels—and this, precisely, leaves some wiggle room for overkill. By exposing all of us to everything that’s happening in the sports world, we are left with excess, regurgitation and a lot of loud noises.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re also exposed to all kinds of valuable content that sheds light on not only current events, but potential injustices and tragedies in the sports world—the 30 for 30 series of documentaries captivates me in particular. But, there’s a lot of extra fat there that needs some quick trimming. Jadeveon Clowney’s bench press mark at the annual NFL Scouting Combine may be interesting to some, but why repeat it a dozen times in a day and for three days a week? I can hear about the “225 for 21” once or maybe even twice, but listening to a broken track record does me no good.

Sometimes, enough is enough. I can take SportsCenter in a reasonable dosage because

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

it provides updates in rapid-fire succession, informs the viewer of all that’s significant at the time, and sheds some serious light on key issues–but when I fall prey to watching it one time too many, there’s really no point. The world of sports really isn’t that important, to the point where it overloads the mind and fills a day to its utmost capacity.

After a while, the pundits and the opinions and even the highlights just serve to hammer away at my willingness to absorb more–moreover, at my ability to consume, as a consumer in a capitalistic society. And they cast a grave dent in my finite patience.

So, yes, television brings us a lot of cool and interesting things. Yet, clicking the remote and flipping the channels and tuning in for a chunk at a time should only be done in steady moderation. Exposing oneself to excess by way of TV does absolutely no good in the long run—it’s not only a waster of time, but a killer of curiosity and mental capacity. Different people obviously watch different things, but SportsCenter is certainly a representation of television’s excess when taken in one dose after another.

I enjoy watching sometimes, but it gets to the point of too much. The sports world is a fascinating one­—and not many people out there are as fascinated by it as I am—but enough can just be enough after a period of time, simple as that.

Television is a powerful tool, but it can just as easily become a burdensome one.

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February 27, 2014

Men’s tennis strives for back-to-back championship title Sam Hammer Guest reporter

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Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

his past weekend, the Vassar men’s tennis team competed at the Mary Washington Tournament in Fredericksburg, Va. On Saturday, the men were shut out 9-0 by the host University of Mary Washington, who, at the time, was ranked #28 in the country. That same afternoon, the Brewers staged a 5-4 upset over #20 North Carolina Wesleyan College. The highlight of that match came when No. 3 Christian Phelps came back from being down 5-2 in the third set to win 6-3, 6-7, 7-5. On the second day of the tournament, the team lost to Denison University 8-1. Freshman Nick Litsky won the only match for the Brewers at number two singles 6-1, 6-4.

Sophomore captains Daniel Cooper and Christian Phelps lost a very close number one doubles match 9-8 (8-2).

“We had a successful tournament at Mary Washington. We were excited to play against some nationally ranked teams. We are obviously most thrilled with our win over NC Wesleyan, a nationally ranked opponent. The team came out playing great doubles and that carried into our singles,” wrote Head Coach Alex Wong. “Our top three players, Cooper, Litsky and Phelps came up with good singles wins, two of which were extremely close. Litsky set the tone with a decisive win, and Cooper and Phelps battled to win two close three set matches to give us the win.

We will look to continue to improve as we have tough matches against Brandeis and rival Skidmore upcoming.”

The other members of the team certainly share optimism for this year. “We have had a good start of the season,” wrote Coach Wong.

“The team has been working hard and the hard work paid off in our first two matches of the season. We obviously had to take a little time to adapt to the new circumstances with me coming in as the new coach but the team has responded well.”

Up until now, the team has faced relatively easy opponents and have performed well against

them, but the schedule is going to get significantly more difficult. The players are going to have to work extremely hard to finish the season strong, but if they can do so, the season could be a success, despite the lack of experience. Sophomore Sean Hoy-Skubik says, “This season is about growth. We lost four key seniors, our coach and assistant coach from last year and have no seniors this year. As a young, relatively inexperienced team we have to rely on hard work and team unity. Fortunately, everyone on the team is ready to step up and work hard and knows what needs to be done. We had relatively easy matches for our first four wins, but in the coming months, we start to come up against ranked teams and will be tested on how hard we are willing to work.”

Despite their inexperience, the team still holds itself to a high standard and has lofty goals for this spring. Cooper wants to see the team make it to post-season play; “Our primary goal is to get better every day and be able to see these improvements from week to week. Further down the road, our goal is to repeat as Liberty League champions and win a round in the NCAA tournament.”

Cooper’s teammates are all in agreement.

They see themselves repeating this year as Liberty League champions. Hoy-Skubik states, “Our goal is to repeat as liberty league champions.

Skidmore and RPI will pose big threats to our title defense, so what we do and how we improve in the coming months will be crucial.”

In order to achieve these end of season goals, the men’s tennis team must focus on gradually making improvements each week. Coach Wong says, “Having come off a lot of success last year, I know the team is eager to continue that success.

However, we try to stay focused on each practice and the next upcoming match as our goal is to improve each day. I personally do not have any individual goals. I am, however, always wanting for each player to achieve their own personal goals and I want to help them as much as possible to do that.”

Sophomore Shua Huang is a member of the Vassar men’s tennis team, which has a number of young players. The team will attempt to recapture the Liberty League Championship later in the season.

Tennis is an individual sport, so the players also set goals for themselves. Describing his individual goals, Cooper says, “Individually, I hope to get better every day and become more confident in my game. I want to knock off at least 1 nationally ranked opponent in both singles and doubles.”

Although the team is young this year, they have a solid dynamic.

Coach Wong describes this year’s group as one of the most closely-knit teams of which he has ever been a part; “The team dynamic is strong.

I have coached many tight teams but this is up there as one of the closest group that I have been a part of. They genuinely care about each other and about the success of the team. Since I have only been here since the start of this semester, I can only reference the two matches of this young

season. We have already had many contributors and we will continue to rely upon everybody to contribute to the success of the team.”

The players agree. Hoy-Skubik has enjoyed the team spirit at Vassar. “The team dynamic is incredible. Tennis is a very individualized sport, but our sense of family makes us aware that any improvements we make on our own game is for the benefit of the whole team. In high school, it often felt like you were out there battling by yourself, but here we all have each others back.”

Even though the team doesn’t have many upperclassmen to look up to, they have still managed to honor some of the bonding traditions from years past.

Sophomore Evan Udine says, “We like to uphold the social, spiritual, and physical aspects of team bonding.”

Men’s Basketball earns Liberty League playoff spot Tina Caso

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sports editor

Men’s Tennis

Men’s Basketball

Katie de Heras/The Miscellany News

On Feb. 21, the men’s basketball team clinched a Liberty League playoff spot, the first since 2007-08. The 76-58 win over St. Lawrence also marked the first time in program history that the team has won 10 league games. Sophomore Johnny Mrlik had a huge second half, scoring 12 of his 17 points. Sophomore Erikson Wasyl had 13 points, while senior Evan Carberry had 12. The next day, the team fell to Clarkson University in overtime with a final score of 77-75. However, the team still managed to clinch th No. 2 spot for league playoffs. The team will move into Liberty League playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The team will compete against Skidmore College at 8 p.m. in the AFC gym.

Women’s Basketball

On Feb. 20, the NCAA released its regional rankings, naming the women’s basketball team No. 2 in the East Region. At an away game vs.

St. Lawrence University on Feb. 21, the team fell 75-66. However, senior co-captain Cydni Matsuoka had a game-best of 27 points, while senior co-captain Hannah Senftleber had a team-high of three steals. One day later, the team came back in a match vs. Clarkson University, clinching its No. 2 spot. Matsuoka matched her game-best 27 points, and the final score of 66-60 marked the end of the team’s regular season. It also marked the team’s 20th victory of the year, for the second year in a row.

The Brewers will move into postseason play on Wednesday, Feb. 26 vs. William Smith College.

The game will take place in the AFC gym at 6 p.m.

Men’s Fencing

On Feb. 21, men’s fencing traveled to Madison, N.J. for a match vs. Drew University.

Senior John Arden has three wins for sabre, while senior Nico Mongillo and junior Rober-

Senior co-captain Evan Carberry is a member of the Vassar men’s basketball team. The team has earned a Liberty League playoff spot and will be vying for the championship later in the season. to Malocco led the Brewers past Drew in épée.

The next day, the team competed in the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference (NEIFC) championships on Feb. 22. The sabre squad took third place in the event, while senior John Arden and sophomores Zachary Wilson and Elam Coalson all qualified for semifinals. Coalson finished fourth in a pool of six fencers. The team will next compete in the Northeast Regional Qualifiers on March 9 in Wellesley, Mass.

Women’s Fencing

At the NEIFC championships on Feb. 22, freshman foil Elsa Stoff placed fifth in her weapon. Stoff holds the only winning record in her squad at 85-29. The women’s team will travel to Wellesley on March 9 for the Northeast Regional Qualifiers.

Men’s Swimming and Diving

On day two of the UNYSCSA championships on Feb. 20, the men’s swimming and diving team finished in 10th place out of 14 teams.

Junior Luc Amodio, sophomore Greg Cristina and freshmen Anthony Walker and Ian Quinn finished seventh in the 200 Freestyle Relay.

Amodio, Walker and Cristina also finished seventh, along with junior Matt Weiss, in the 400 Medley Relay. Walker finished 12th in the 100-Yard Butterfly. The next day, Amodio broke his school record in the 100 Backstroke and earned an NCAA B-Cut. Freshmen Anthony Walker, Vince Palladino and Chris Cerutti, along with sophomore Isaiah Hale, finished 10th in the 800-Yard Freestyle. On day three of the championships, the team finished in ninth place out of fourteen teams, and had 334 points.

Stevens Institute of Technology took first with

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

On Feb. 22, the men’s tennis team had a 5-4 win over No. 20 ranked North Carolina Wesleyan College. Sophomore co-captain Christian Phelps had a standout performance, ousting No. 3 Ben Tolhurst 6-3, 6-7 and 7-5. This win marks the first time the Brewers have beat out a national opponent since last year’s NCAA championships vs. Marywood University.

Phelps teamed up with sophomore co-captain Daniel Cooper to win 8-1 in No. 1 doubles. The team will next compete against Brandeis University on March 1 at 1 p.m. in Walker Field House.

Women’s Tennis

In an 8-1 win over Muhlenberg College on Feb. 22, sophomore Kelsey Van Noy beat Sharon Resnikoff in singles, leading the Brewers to the win. Van Noy and freshman Emily Hallewell won at No. 2 singles, winning 8-6. Junior Samantha Schapiro and freshman Shayna Becker had an 8-1 victory at for No. 1. Women’s tennis will next compete against Liberty League opponent Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs on March 1 at 2 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball

The men’s volleyball team won an easy match vs. Sage College on Feb. 21 3-0. Sophomore Reno Kriz had 14 kills, five service aces and four digs. Senior Joe Pyne had nine kills and six digs, while junior Colin White-Dzuro had three assisted blocks, five digs, nine kills and 15 helpers. Freshman Colin Peros added 21 assists off the bench, while freshman Trey Cimorelli had nine digs. On Feb. 22, the team moved on to play No. 10 MIT in Cambridge, Mass. The team ultimately fell 3-0. However, Pyne had 11 kills and 11 digs. White-Dzuro had a game-high of 34 assists, seven digs and four aces. Freshman Christian Lizana had three kills and six digs. The team will next play New York University in New York City on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.