Contrast Vol 5 Issue 2 by Vassar Contrast

CONTRAST VA S S A R ’ S A R T A N D S T Y L E M AGA Z I N E VO L . 5 , I S S U E 2

A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS As the year draws to a close, everyone’s feeling a little nostalgic. Like the wise Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Like most seniors, we especially felt the need to explore aspects of Vassar that we had previously overlooked. After four years with the magazine, we still had some items left on our Contrast “bucket list.” Many of the features in this issue fulfilled our lingering goals. We bonded early on over our mutual love of kitsch and knew we wanted to do something with tchotchkes and accessories. We feel that you can learn a lot about a person through the items that occupy the nooks and crannies of one’s life. These little trinkets and innocuous objects are often overlooked, but nevertheless hold great personal significance. In the “It’s the Little Things” photo spread, we acknowledged that attachment and found beauty in the clutter. For years, we’ve talked about collaborating with Phocus and this semester, it finally happened. We teamed up with their incredible photographers to host the “Faces of Vassar” photo shoot. Inspired by Richard Avedon, we wanted to see the Vassar community at their most natural, without our styling or posing. It’s always a little nerve-wracking to be in front of the camera; under the lights, you are exposed. We didn’t know if students would be willing to put themselves in such a vulnerable position. However, we were blown away by the enthusiasm and openness of our participants. We feel that all the photographers did a wonderful job capturing the personal expressions, and beautiful faces, that are the essence of Vassar. Athletes are a thriving part of this campus and we thought it was high time they had a spotlight in Contrast. Therefore, we asked competitive athletes to step forward and represent five different sports; swimming, weight lifting, fencing, squash and rugby. We gave them cool threads and some extreme hair-dos, but the action is all their own. One thing’s for sure- VC athletes don’t mess around and are not afraid of getting a little sweaty. These athletes worked the camera hard, and we were extremely impressed by their eagerness and willingness. The architecture editorial, “The New Ruins,” moves beyond Vassar campus to consider urban decay and monumentality, using Poughkeepsie as a prime example. Take advantage of the warm weather and see if you can track down these postindustrial gems scattered through out the city. And finally, we want to wish Contrast a very happy 5th birthday! We are so proud of how much the magazine has grown over the years. It was a big part of our Vassar experiences and we have loved being a part of this community of stylish, talented individuals. It’s sad to leave, but we have never been so confident in Contrast’s future. xx,

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Caroline and Hannah

CONTENTS We Got 99 Problems but Rhyming Ain’t One.........................................................................................................................4 It’s the Little Things: Photographed Still Lives.........................................................................................................................8 All in a Day’s Work.................................................................................................................................................................10 Don’t Sweat It: Photographs of Vassar Athletes.....................................................................................................................12 A Conversation with Tobias Armorst.....................................................................................................................................20 The New Ruins........................................................................................................................................................................22 Faces of Vassar: Photographs Inspired by Richard Avedon....................................................................................................26 The Liberal Arts Graduate Cover Letter.................................................................................................................................32 Contrast’s Fifth Birthday .......................................................................................................................................................34

Photo Credits: Nicole Glantz 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 - Hannah Tatar 2 - Kelley Van Dilla 6 - Margot Beauchamp 8

We Got 99 Problems but Rhymin’ Ain’t One

A Showcase of Rhymes from the Shawn Carter Class Article by Hadiya Shire - Photographs by Alex Schlesinger and Hannah Ryan

Featured emcees Raymon Azcona ’12 - Luna Garzon-Mantano ’14 Isobel Nash ’14 - Gabriel Ross ’14 - Hadiya Shire ’14 The genre of Hip Hop that is now arguably the most popular form of musical expression of our generation emerged in the late 1970’s from Black and Latino youth’s attempt to take responsibility for the space and sound of the South Bronx. It’s an artistic culture created in response to an overwhelming presence of gang violence. DJ’s, graffiti artists, breakdancers and emcees responsibly ushered in “more beauty” to a South Bronx community already suffering under unfair housing conditions and the eradication of local municipalities. Over the last thirty-five years, Hip Hop has all at once, appropriated and been appropriated by almost every musical genre. Its strong presence in mainstream music can be seen on the Billboard charts. Hip Hop culture is everywhere from commercials and movie scores to runway fashion, and in 2008 as part of the Broadway musical In the Heights. Today, this form of musical expression has been brought to the classroom here at Vassar College. Lead by Professor Kiese Laymon, Vassar premiered a new class last semester entitled, “Shawn Carter: Autobiography of an Autobiographer.” Professor Laymon and his students used Hip Hop/Rap as a lens through which

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they could explore their own autobiographies, the autobiography of cultural phenomenon Jay-Z, and numerous other Black writers. Having completed the Shawn Carter course, I can fervently preach it as a “must take” for those interested in learning more about the history of Hip Hop music, Hip Hop culture and Black writers while critiquing the sociological implications involved. But most importantly, I believe this class is for writers wishing to expand their knowledge of the world and of themselves through Hip Hop/Rap. “This course came into existence partially because I was always amazed at how Jay-Z has literally used his autobiography to become the most successful male artist in the world,” wrote Professor Laymon in an emailed statement. “I read something from him where he said, ‘identity is a prison you can never escape, but the way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it, and use it as a foundation to grow.’ And I thought I needed to see what he could teach my students and me about identity, autobiography and performance.” Hip Hop is no longer limited to a single place or peoples but has come to represent a universal form

Raymon Azcona

of expression – its scope of audience expanding exponentially. “The form, content and culture of Hip Hop pushed my students in ways that traditional texts simply didn’t.” “I always thought that one of the wonders of most emcees is that they aren’t claiming innocence in the ways that most supposed intellectuals can and sadly do,” Laymon wrote. With the explosion of Hip Hop in American culture, its relevance within the mass media continues to grow. It seemed only logical that Hip Hop should next be used as a tool in the classroom. Professor Laymon asked us to focus on the effect that emcees can have on local culture so that we could begin to revise our own

understandings of “what it means to be human” and “universal art.” In doing so, we questioned the norms of the language, rhythm and the significance of literature. The effect of Hip Hop culture can be seen and heard in countless places on Vassar’s Campus, whether it’s a DJ spinning his favorite track at a Friday night rager, making it his own, or the eclectic music taste of a Lathrop inhabitant blasting his impressively loud speakers out the window. But my personal favorite would have to be the posh hipster, rocking a pair of Timberlands far from the street corners on which they were made famous. True fans can find camaraderie in Hip Hop 101, a

Luna Garzon-Mantano

Isobel Nash

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club that provides a space where one can speak freely of their undying love for Hip Hop, but also of their apprehensions with it. “Meetings are more of a conversation between students, where everyone is open to learn something new about Hip Hop and appreciate its culture as a whole,” said Hip Hop 101 campus liaison Tiarra Dickens ‘14. “We also plan events for the campus that are based in Hip Hop music. At times there seems to be a deficit of Hip Hop performers that are brought on campus by student organizations. I feel we fill that void and adhere to a Hip Hop fan base.” This semester Hip Hop 101 did more than merely filling a void – they brought Hip Hop to the forefront by collaborating

with ViCE to bring headliner Das Racist to Vassar for our annual spring concert. If I had to share only the most important lesson I learned from taking “Shawn Carter: Autobiography of an Autobiographer,” it would be that regardless of the way Hip-Hop has found its way into your iTunes library, it is important to respect the art form for its roots and its ability to make a powerful statement, to speak the truth and implement personal, and possibly social change. To see the complete rhymes, check out our blog at contrastvassar.blogspot.com

Hadiya Shire

Gabriel Ross

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Little Things...

Photograph by Kelley Van Dilla

5 Photo Credits: Jiajing Sun 1, 4 - Kelley Van Dilla 2, 5 - Rachel Garbade 3, 6

all in a day’s work Compiled by Catherine Zhou, Byron Todman and Chelsea Peterson-Salahuddin.

As college students, we’ve all been forced to work those “dirty jobs” that no one wants, or that no one will pay you for, either for financial reasons or just to have something to do. Jobs on campus can give us a glimpse of the real-world craziness that people encounter during internships or in the office. From circus-like encounters to embarassing experiences, we dug-up as many funny/terrible/ weird stories we could from inside and outside the Vassar bubble.

department office assistant “Every so often someone from the cleaning crew comes into to the office to take out the trash for us. This really lovely guy normally comes and chats with us for a few minutes. On this particular day though, in the middle of the conversation, his walkie-talkie starts blaring and a woman on the other end is going, “yes, yes, ooh yes,” in a very…explicit manner. ‘These people,’ he says, shaking his head trying to laugh off what is clearly very embarrassing for him. To make matters worse the walkie-talkie starts blaring again, this time the woman going, “shhhhhhh.” He quickly reaches for his belt to turn it off and explains that he hears all sorts of things because the walkie-talkie sometimes picks up other frequencies that aren’t from Vassar. I can only imagine the things he’s heard…

patrol “So I go in one day – it was Monday. I make my round immediately upon arriving at Cushing. I take my seat. I wait for the hopefully uneventful hour to pass. I do some homework. Suddenly, I hear laughing. Laughing is not bad. The worst that can come of laughing (for me, at least) is a noise complaint, but I’m a little on edge anyway, because you never know. I tense-up and watch the hall for a moment when the source appears. A guy. Just a guy…on a unicycle. I’m so floored watching him ride the thing down the hall, as if it were the most natural thing in the world that I don’t even laugh until he’s long gone. The rest of my shift goes without event, but when I pack to leave and report back, I step outside the door to find another guy, walking up to get in while juggling. Just juggling. I let out a tiny laugh, but he doesn’t even look at me, just keeps walking right on into Cushing. I’m left outside, looking in thinking “Cushing is a circus” and really, what else could I conclude?”

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tour guides “I had one mom come up to me after the tour and say “I hear Vassar is a safe place for a lot of different people. My son – being a heterosexual male – do you think he’ll be able to fit in?” and I was like “Are you serious???” “I had one mom who asked me, “will my daughter be able to find her boyfriend or her husband?” and I was like “Maybe…” And then the mother said, “Look at her! Look at her!” and she had me observe her daughter and look at her profile to assess her and asked me “Will she find her husband here?!?” and I was like “this is absurd!” “One time I was walking with a cup, and I spilt water all over a girl right in front of me. I guess that wasn’t so great…” “There is always that one mom who thinks she’s being super slick and she says “so tell me what really happens with the parties, where is the alcohol? Where do the drugs come from?” and I’m like “wwwhhhoooaaaa.” And then you have to do that awkward thing where you say, “If you want to speak to me about this after the tour, come see me privately…”’ “For whatever reason, I don’t know if it was April fools day, or 4/20, but students threw water balloons out of Main building – and they had to be athletes because they went far across the parking lot. Maybe they were on the 4th floor, I don’t know, I thought they were in the trees. They hit our tour with water balloons, and I didn’t know where they came from. And I was like “Whoa! Where did they come from, are they in the trees?!?...Oh, here’s the library…” and I just kind of scooted us away from it.”

boutique intern “I was interning in an expensive store in NYC and an older woman came in to try on shoes. She was all dressed up and carrying a Birkin bag and tried on a couple of pairs of shoes and ended up buying two pairs. I brought out her receipt for her to sign, which was over $1000. As she signed it, she looked down and saw my shoes and told me how much she liked them. She asked where I got them. They were a pair of black strappy wedges I had bought at Target in the Poughkeepsie Galleria and I told her I got them at Target. “Tar-what?” She asked. She didn’t know what Target was. “Its kind of like Wal Mart” I told her, “They sell all kinds of things.” She asked me, “Where is it?” I told her that they were all over. She told me to write down the address. I wrote down on a post-it ‘FDR and 116th St’ – the address of the new Target in Harlem and gave it to her along with her purchase.” Illustrations by sasha zwiebel

Don‘ t Sweat It Vassar athletes try on a new uniform

Photo Credits: Kelley Van Dilla 1, 2, 8 - Caroline Mills 3, 4 - Jiajing Sun 5, 6

CONTRAST SPRING 2012 Hannah Tatar 7, 10, 12 - Rachel Garbade 9, 11 - Emilia Petrarca 13, 14, 15 - Alex Schlesinger 16

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a conversation with

Tobias Armborst

Interview by Zoey Peresman - Photographs by Kelley Van Dilla

A welcome emissary from outside the “Vassar bubble” with formidable accomplishments in the field of architecture, art and urban studies professor Tobias Armborst’s classes in architectural design expose students to a design-minded education. Armborst, who commutes between Poughkeepsie and Brooklyn, is also a principal and co-founder of Interboro Partners (a New York-based architecture, planning, and research firm), a recipient of the New Practices New York Award in 2006, the Architectural League’s Young Architects Award in 2005, and is an active member of New York’s art and architecture communities. Armborst’s interest in and experience with architectural history, theory, and the Vassar community helped inform a conversation with Contrast in his antique-laden office in Taylor Hall.

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CONTRAST: Is there anything you can tell us about your office’s history? ARMBOST: When it was built it was an apartment; it was a two-bedroom with a living room. For me as an architect it’s always interesting to be in spaces that had different meaning or meanings that have changed. It’s nice to have a space with such history. C: When you walk in this room as opposed to more modern rooms, do you feel a connection to Vassar’s history? It’s easy to imagine the original Vassar Girls sitting at this antique desk. A: This is a really interesting moment in the history of Taylor Hall… above this apartment the stair is more modern and curved, so its architectural language comes from the 1930s… It’s interesting to think of the art library as this modern space which was actually too radical or too modern for its time and setting, since a different architect designed its exterior… It was actually at the same time that two different architects built the exterior and the interior, so there’s a very radical, modern interior and a more traditional, collegiate exterior. C: That really underscores how Vassar has so many different types of design, from the futuristic Noyes to the majestic Taylor. A: I always use the campus as a site in my studios, so last semester students designed small architectural interventions around the campus that related to the existing space in some way that developed an attitude towards the existing architecture. C: This relates to the debate about whether college should be vocational or educational. How do you see the practice of teaching architecture at Vassar as negotiating between those two ideas? A: That’s exactly the point of what I’m dealing with: how do you really find a position for architecture within the context of a liberal arts education? It’s not about educating architects but thinking about architecture more broadly in a way that’s useful for people who then decide to go to architecture school, but also in a way for people who just want to learn about what architecture is. So I help students think about problems from an architectural perspective. I call what I teach “design thinking.” This doesn’t always mean designing buildings, but to be able to

look at a situation and draw a spatial diagram of it; to think about problems in a spatial way. In itself it’s an interesting design problem: how to design a syllabus that works for these different groups? Because every year there are students who are very clear that they want to design architecture and those who aren’t as clear. C: What are your specific interests in architecture? A: My interests are very much on the urban level; urban research projects. C: Do you find a disconnect while at Vassar between teaching about urban life and space and then walking outside and encountering beautiful trees and peaceful spaces? A: It’s a funny situation. I always make that a topic of my course in Urban Studies. I always send people out into Poughkeepsie, because it’s a good example of many of the issues in American cities. It demonstrates many of the topics of American cities on a small scale, so it’s really useful. But then there’s always the topic of this incredible difference between what happens inside of campus and outside in the city of Poughkeepsie—it’s the perfect material for thinking about what’s going on in American cities. In my architectural course, I use campus and sites outside of the city to look at, because thinking about space starts with looking around and observing the spaces immediately surrounding us. In the liberal arts it’s especially important not to start out with abstract theories but with what we have.

A: A lot of the answers are very local. Sometimes it’s a traffic pattern that prevents people from crossing the street, or something that causes disorientation. C: Since you teach and study modern urban life and space, does it feel incongruous coming back to this very antique office? A: Well I’m interested, both in my research and practice, not in designing from scratch or developing some great idea of what a building should be out of my head, but looking at what’s already going on and how people reuse the same spaces. I look at how furniture and urban spaces changed over time and are transformed by use. The building itself creates certain obstacles that people have to make do with, but also, by using it, they turn it into something else. There’s an interesting dialogue between built structure and use.

C: Are there any architectural sites in Poughkeepsie that you find especially historically rich or visually interesting? A: It’s just such an interesting site because there are many traces… in my class we’re dealing with the area around the train station, which is a collage of different ideas of how to deal with urban space. In that sense, it’s so different from campus. It’s about conflict and collage, and competing ideas about what a city is and should be… it’s all these strange fragments coexisting, so it’s rich for analysis. C: What would you say makes a particular space in Poughkeepsie successful or problematic?

THE NEW RUINS everyday monumentality in poughkeepsie

Article by Nick Burrell - Photographs by Julianna Halpert

When we speak of architecture, we often are speaking of two, very different, yet interrelated things: a) “Architecture,” with a capital A: the grand structures created by great architects and planners that are symbols of civic power, and b) “architecture” in the most vernacular sense of the word: the collection of everyday structures and artifices that organize the physical space, wherein we find the realm of everyday life. “Architecture” is best understood as that which is particular and monumental in the conventional sense. It offers a break from everyday reality and announces to the world, “I AM A MONUMENT.” In the words of Francesco Proto, it represents “the most dazzling and, for this reason, almost invisible body of evidence left by technological society in its attempt to get rid of reality.” Has the sweet scent of decay begun to envelop this singular object that we define as “Architecture”?

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It would seem, from an analysis of history, that buildings do not immediately “rise” into monumentality from the moment they are constructed, but rather, they “fall” into monumentality as they begin to efface themselves. Monumentality can only be acquired with age – with decay. These greatest monuments the world has ever known – the pyramids of Giza, the Coliseum, even the grand skyscrapers of New York – have become monumental not just through their grand scale, their contextual prominence or their cultural significance. Though no doubt those forces are important factors, the great monuments could not have acquired true greatness without their descent into ruin – their allusion to a romanticized past. The Empire State Building through the layers of “patina” it has acquired over decades from layers of urban smog and dirt and the pyramids and the Coliseum through their processes of inevitable decay, have

become monuments to eras of history, symbols of past eras and the spirits that defined them. Even the most monumental glass skyscrapers are those that have fallen into ruin: the Twin Towers. Although they were always a symbol of the city, they did not achieve true greatness until they were destroyed. To quote Baudrillard, “the architectural object was destroyed, but it was the symbolic object which was targeted and which it was intended to demolish… the effigy of the capitalist system, by the grace of terrorism, has become the world’s most beautiful building – the eighth wonder of the world!” But what of architecture? That “lower-case cousin” that is often overshadowed by its more prominent neighbor? Can’t it too rise into being and then fall into monumentality? The answer is yes, of course it can. But more compelling than the answer is the ways in which these structures, which were NOT intended to be monuments per se

by their creators, are elevated into monumental status by their physical decline. In other words, when “architecture,” rather than “Architecture,” achieves this goal, it is all the more compelling. Instead of the grand schemes of planners and architects deciding the monumental status of buildings, everyday social, political and economic forces are deciding this status. Average citizens, through the ways in which they interact with spaces, are deciding this status. Thus, we begin to see the city as something shaped not by its physical creators, but by its inhabitants. Meaning becomes invested in ways that planners could never foresee, and citizens begin to exercise their own agency over the places in which they live. So where are the monuments of Poughkeepsie, that so-called “Jewel on the Hudson” that, like so many industrial American cities, has fallen into that certain kind of decay that elevates “architecture” into “Architecture”? As a city whose greatness was determined by industry, it seems logical to start with sites of industrial activity. The most obvious monument of this form is the Walkway Over the Hudson. In its state of decay, the former railroad bridge became the most prominent symbol of Poughkeepsie’s grand past. Like the ruins of the Roman aqueducts – another everyday structure that was a site of production and transportation – the bridge became monumental as its ruination progressed. It became the symbol of Poughkeepsie’s former greatness. In its descent into ruin, the old rail bridge was lifted into the status of “Architecture,” of monumentality. All of a sudden, big local figures like Andy Warhol protege Billy Name were calling for its preservation, and ultimately the Walkway over the

Hudson was created, turning a decaying monument into a locus of cultural and commercial activity. Now the Walkway is one of the biggest boons for the city, capitalizing on the romanticization of the industrial past and an increasing desire amongst Americans to occupy and restore the romantic ruins of that past. In many ways it has become the city’s saving grace. There are other sites of everyday monumentality in Poughkeepsie. The Sedgwick Machine Works, for example, on the waterfront at the south end of the city is a favorite destination of urban explorers. Although difficult to access since Route 9 severed

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it from the rest of the city, it is a space that embodies the memory of the city’s past, and it is a favored destination for local photographers. The crumbling tower at the center of the compound recalls the ancient obelisks, their monumental form imitated by these “new ruins.” All along the Fallkill, Poughkeepsie’s main tributary, old factories either exist in a state of ruin, or have risen from ruin, like the Walkway, to become cherished architectural symbols. The old piano factory at the base of the Fallkill has been restored into loft apartments. As it fell into ruin, it also fell into the status of monument. Savvy

real estate developers took advantage of this and refurbished the building. The same desire that fuels people to live in the hearts of historic European villages encouraged newcomers to move there. Further up the creek, on the dead-end street of Cherry Street, one finds the last and most poignant monuments of Poughkeepsie. Two old mills, side by side, their windows either smashed in or boarded up. Although, like the Machine Works, they lie in a state of ruin and abandonment, they are unlike the Machine Works because they exist in the heart of milieu, a constant reminder of what once was and is now lost.

Perhaps in a decade or two, they too shall be restored. Nonetheless, they are still “Architecture.” They are still monuments. Their gothic, cathedrallike proportions and vines crawling up their sides recall Antoni Gaudi’s statement that good Gothic Architecture must efface itself a little to become great. Poughkeepsie’s everyday ruins and monuments are the American Gothic. Just as Rome’s ruins betray a history of grandeur lost to the fall of an empire, America’s ruins will do the same.

FACES OF

VASSAR Portraits inspired by Richard Avedon For half a century, Avedon captured the essence of American style and culture in his iconic photographs of everyone from Marilyn Monroe to anonymous farmers. Contrast teamed up with Phocus to host an event that would continue the tradition of black and white portraiture and celebrate our talented student photographers. During the three hour shoot, more than eighty people stepped into the spotlight. We were blown away by their beauty.

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Photo Credits: Kelley Van Dilla 1, 6, 8 - Margot Beauchamp 2, 3 - Briana Blackwood-Mallory 4, 20 - Nicole Glantz 9, 13, 16 - Katherine Stegmann 5 Hannah Tatar 7, 12, 15 - Ricky Goldman 10 - Rachel Garbade 11 - Jiajing Sun 14 - Emilia Petrarca 17, 21, 22 - Hannah Ryan 18 - Caroline Mills 19

the liberal arts graduate (where brooklyn at?)

Article by Matthew Elisofon - Photographs by Kelley Van Dilla

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Cover Letter To Whom It May Concern: My name is **** ********* and I’m writing in response to a job listing you posted on the World Wide Web. I’m a twentythree-year-old Vassar College grad and have decided to throw the old summer stocking hat into the employment ring. Although I think joining the workforce is problematic for many reasons that I am completely aware of but will not specify, my progenitors have seen it fit to suspend my trust fund until I get a “reality check,” which I think is ridiculous because I’ve been to the bank a number of times and reality checks aren’t even a tthing. Anyway, since this personal financial crisis, I’ve been populating a number of different couches in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and think that it might be time to put my Vassar College education to good use and give the corporate world the shot of life that it needs but doesn’t deserve. So, I guess you must have some questions about me, but first I want to get a few things off my chest: I’d like to talk to you about the online form we were made to fill out, which I found offensive, obtuse and disgusting. I saw that you asked what our gender was and then there was just a pull down of only TWO choices: “male” or “female”. Only two different words to define such a complex question such as that? Really? Well I have two words: “Fuck. You.” Seriously, how can you be so reductive? Male or female? Just because I happen have a penis doesn’t necessarily mean that I identify with said penis. I mean coincidentally I have a penis, although it’s small and misshapen which doesn’t matter or bother me at all, but it’s more complicated than that. Because of your insensitive application, I feel that you are doing your damndest to uphold the gender binary. Gender binary. Boy, that sounds good to say; it just rolls off the tongue, you know? Gender binary. You must be wondering at this point how and why I might be the ideal candidate for a position at your company. Well, for starters, I graduated from Vassar College in 2011. I don’t think I should have to say more but I will anyway. Vassar College has an acceptance rate of only 23 percent currently, but when I got in, after what can only be described as an application processing error at Brown, the acceptance rate was hovering just above 22 percent. I got a 710 on the reading section of the SAT’s a 720 on the writing and, well…I just can’t remember for the life of me what I got in the math. Whatever, math isn’t important. Anyway, I know that you must be skeptical of my elite, albeit vague and inapplicable, education. You must be wondering if my focuses were specific enough at a liberal arts school. Well, to head off employers at the pass on that question I created my own major: Media Studies of American Culture During the Victorian Era Studies. Is that specific enough for you? I thought so. I also minored in French New Wave Film Theory. I think of myself as being a real film aficionado – a “cinefile,” if you will – with an eclectic and sophisticated palate. I pride myself in having seen Truffaut’s 400 Blows 400 times and I haven’t seen Star Wars (any of them) or Die Hard once because they just suck and are too commercial. Also, fuck Avatar. Just fuck it. But I don’t just study things. I do things. I made my own films at Vassar College, which is where I attended school, that were really fulfilling. Two films I made that I am very proud of are a series of avant-garde movies, the first of which is called Blackout, which is 4.5 minutes of a white screen, and the second is called Whiteout, which is 4.5 minutes of a completely black screen. These films symbolize how overly inundated society is with media and the hyperbolic dichotomies that are found within it. Dichotomy. Gender Binary. Yumm. Anyway, look out for those two films that are now doing the festival thing. Don’t ask where though. Oh, and fuck the Hunger Games too. Anyway, I have to stop writing, seeing as I injured my hand after shattering a mason jar full of scalding hot coffee.But I think I could learn a lot from working at your company, and, more importantly, you can learn a lot from me. I can even help you with your corporate structure (I took a semester of Macro so, you know, I get it). In conclusion, despite my lack of experience in the field, I really think I can bring a lot to the Papa Johns pizza chain. Gender Binary. Sincerely, **** ********* P.S I have my own fixie so making deliveries shouldn’t be a problem.

Happy Fifth Birthda 34

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Birthday Contrast ! 35

CONTRIBUTERS editors-in-chief

Caroline Mills and Hannah Tatar editorial

Emilia Petrarca, Editor

Nick Burrell Matt Elisofon Hadiya Shire Byron Todman Zoey Peresman Chelsea Peterson-Salahuddin Catherine Zhou

style

Emily Selter, Women’s Editor Jonathan Ruiz, Men’s Editor

Alycia Anderson Emma Bird Taylor Pratt Byron Todman Christina Torres Katy Walter

photo

Kelley Van Dilla, Editor Margot Beauchamp Rachel Garbade Nicole Glantz Richard Goldman Hannah Ryan Alex Schlesinger Jiajing Sun

layout

Alison Dillulio, Co-Editor Aaron Green, Co-Editor

Mara Gerson Christine Torres Sasha Zwiebel

blog

Emilia Petrarca, Editor

Margot Beauchamp Rachel Garbade Gretchen Hienel Cara Hunt Sammi Katz Zoey Peresman Alex Schlesinger Katy Walter

treasurer

Logan Falk-Woodruff

publicity

Carlos Hernandez

Contrast Magazine, Spring 2012 contrastvassar.blogspot.com Cover photo by Caroline Mills and back photo by Kelley Van Dilla

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special thanks to our donors

Sarah Bartlett Mary-Jean Eastman Bernice Garbade Terre Maher Selina Strasburger ‘10

models

contents

Andrew Reed Kristen Tivey Kylie Sale Meaghan Hughes Xiaolu Yu Alexander Holodny Ethan Slater Kate Dolson Rachel Lenihan

rugby

Barrington Archer Tyler Blake Dan Flynn Nich Graham Joe Karpman Hayden Moon Nic Placeres Jehan Shams Adam Steel Ian Tanner

squash

Riley McCabe Amanda Scott

fencing

Tracy Bratt Alia Heinz Anastasia Stevens

swimming Lilian Doyle

fitness

Rose Carman

avedon

Jeremy Bloom Rachel Clarckin-Breslin Patrick Chabot Olaf Carlson-Wee Emma Bird Maximiliano Astruc Aashim Usgaonkar Nana Baffour-Awuah Maddy Boesche Roku Fukui Carlyn Attman Madeleine Little Olivia McGiff Andrew Rovner Nich Graham Fiona Koch The Hojairi Family Rachel Vogel Mike Henrich Brandon Logans Logan Woodruff Nicole Wood Duong Chu Daniel Lempert Gabriel Kelly-Ramirez