Misc.02.03.22

The Miscellany News February 3, 2022

miscellanynews.org

Exploration of through ongoing

Volume 157 | Issue 2

arts encouraged MODfest events

Cryosphere Exhibit

Jacques Abou-Rizk

Naima Saini

News Editor

Guest reporter

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or the College’s 20th annual exploration of the arts, this year’s MODfest will feature a series of events over two weeks allowing students and community members to learn the practices and missions of various artists. This year’s theme, “Kaleidoscope,” attempts to collect, reflect, overlap and share a variety of perspectives much in the way a traditional kaleidoscope does.

Following last year’s fully virtual festival, MODfest co-directors Thomas Pacio, the Director of Creative Arts, and Christine Howlett, the Chair of Music and Director of Choral Activities, in collaboration with the Music Department and the College’s Creative Arts Across Disciplines, have organized an array of both in-person and virtual events this year.

Over the last week, there have been a handful of in-person events, including a performance by the Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble in Skinner, a workshop in the Library where the same Ensemble talked about linking the arts with social justice and a Voice Recital in the Loeb by the award-winning duo of Jacquelyn Matava See Modfest on page 3

Deer culling controversy Will Sorge News Editor

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ver winter break, the College conducted a mass killing, or culling, of deer on the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve (VFEP) between Dec. 18 and Jan. 18. The periodic cullings have sparked controversy over their ethics and practicality for the campus, with students and community members asserting that they are unnecessary given the deer population is not an ecological threat. Others, however, maintain that the cullings are essential to the ecological health of the campus and to the safety of Poughkeepsie community members.

This is not the first time that the College has conducted a deer culling at the VFEP. The first one was carried out in 2010, with subsequent cullings in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020. In every case, the College hired a team of professional sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to perform them.

The College’s deer management plan incited some protests from Vassar students who questioned the ethics of the deer culling practice. Back in 2017, members of the then-active Vassar Animal Rights Coalition (VARC) spoke out against the killing taking place that year and called on the College to find more humane alternatives.

See Deer on page 3

Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866

ccording to the poster on the wall of “Cryosphere: Humans and Climate in Art” from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, the Oxford English Dictionary defines “cryosphere” as “The part of the earth's surface where water exists as ice; the entire region of the natural environment that is below 0°C, especially permanently.” If you first thought, as I did, that the weather we’ve been experiencing lately would make it hard to appreciate an entire exhibit on snow and ice, think again. “Cryosphere” is a charming, fascinating and terrifying look at humans’ relationship to the coldest parts of our planet and our impact on them.

Based on the brief description that I read before I trekked across a snowy campus to the Loeb, I thought this was an art exhibit about climate change. When I got there, though, I found out that I had only been partially correct. This is absolutely an exhibit about climate change, but most of the art being showcased was never meant as an exploration of that theme. The pieces include photos of snow-capped mountains, scenes of people braving the cold in their See Cryosphere on page 5

Photo Courtesy of The Kaleidescope Vocal Ensamble.

Senior day offers opportunity for reflection Jackie Molloy Sports Editor

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or any team, senior days mark a memorable date in the season. They are events to spotlight, remember and thank the graduating class for their contributions to athletics. The celebration is something athletes prepare for their entire collegiate careers, when their four long years of sweat, tears and aches are formally honored. Once the fateful day arrives for each season’s seniors, it is a day they have long been preparing for but maybe not yet ready for. Vassar’s Swimming and Diving (VCSD) programs celebrated their seniors at the Vassar Sprint Invitational this past Saturday, Jan. 29, with both the women’s and men’s sides coming out on top with a combined score of 1239 points. After four years with the team, Jesse Ecklund ’22, Abby Jenkins ’22, Sam Fujikawa ’22, Brandon Li ’22, Jake Mier ’22, Nikolas Pham ’22 and Max White ’22 were ready to reflect on their Vassar careers.

For all the seniors involved, their experiences as student athletes have differed from any other alums for one reason: COVID-19.

For these swimmers and divers (as well as the classes of 2023 and 2024), the COVID-19 pandemic stripped them of one of their collegiate seasons. This meant they went over a year without official competition, had to

restructure practices and were not able to connect with the teammates as they once could have. For the Class of 2022, their move into the role of upperclassmen coincided with the emergence of COVID-19, posing not only difficulties for their experiences as athletes but also as leaders on the team.

“Junior year saw my class suddenly thrust into a leadership role and having to manage those challenges amidst a global pandemic in which no one from the department to the coaches really ever had a firm grasp on how to handle the situation,” reflected Li. He further elaborated on the impact of COVID-19 on their team experience, noting how the Class of 2021 and Class of 2024 missed out on competing with each other: “we would have accomplished a tremendous amount results-wise, but even more unfortunate to me were the missed opportunities to cement more lifelong bonds and create incredible memories as a large group.” Jenkins also commented on how their leadership roles changed during the times of COVID-19, especially: “With COVID, a lot of the team had never had a collegiate season before, so it has been really exciting to experience their first season with them and be an outlet for the support they may need at different points.

Connecting with and guiding underclassmen is a large part of what it means to be a senior even without the hurdles of COVID-19, and each of the swimmers and

Courtesy of @vassarswimdive. divers noted how they strived to cultivate a leadership style that is unique to them. For Pham, he expressed how he sought to be someone approachable in his guidance: “Adjusting to college swimming is a hard transition so I try to help my teammates when possible, knowing that I was once in their shoes.” Fujikawa knew he wanted to occupy a leadership position when he joined VCSD, and noted how grateful he was for the experience to lead, saying, “Being a team leader this year has helped me learn important communication and organizational skills, but more importantly, it's helped me connect with my fellow divers, the coaches, and other VCSD members in a way that I had not done before. I'll forever be grateful for this experience.”

Ecklund and Li remarked on how it is sometimes surreal that they are now leaders on their team, but embrace the new responsibilities. “There is a new pressure involved when you are a senior but it is good presSee Sports on page 15

Inside this issue

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ARTS

Guest Columnist Sam Hurwitz analyzes eight of his favorite albums.

9

FEATURES

Learn about Grey Matters, Vassar’s neuroscience journal, and their recent third issue!

10 HUMOR

Tragedy strikes in Columnist Nick Tillinghast’s new nature report.

February 3, 2022

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THE MISCELLANY NEWS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Janet Song Sawyer Bush Annabelle Wang Olivia Watson Dean Kopitsky Alex Eisert Lucille Brewster Caitlin Patterson Will Sorge NEWS EDITOR Jacques Abou-Rizk Ben Goth ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITORS Ganesh Pillai ARTS EDITORS Massimo Tarridas ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Monika Sweeney FEATURES EDITOR Doug Cobb SPORTS EDITORS Jackie Molloy Madi Donat HUMOR EDITOR Alison Carranza SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Acadia Case ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Charlotte Robertson ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Sashinka Poor Sandro Luis Lorenzo GRAPHICS EDITOR Seowon Back GRAPHIC ARTISTS Tori Kim Aryn Lee Ben Scharf LIVE EVENTS CHAIRPERSON Will Hwang BUSINESS MANAGER Jack Rothenberg ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Chloe Gjoka WEBMASTER Rohan Dutta Ian Herz VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER Grace Willoughby DESIGN EDITOR Danielle Recco COLUMNISTS Carly D’Antonio Arlene Chen Katie Gebbia Gwen Ma Sam Patz Naima Saini Ben Goth Nicholas Tillinghast Anica Acuna COPY STAFF Glenna Gomez Jason Han Sophia Jahadhmy Tori Lubin Bryn Marling Claire Miller Melissa Roybal Emma San Filippo Hadley Sparks Mia Stein Simon Goldsmith Ruby Funfrock DESIGN STAFF Maryam Bacchus Reese Collins CROSSWORD

CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only accept corrections for any misquotes, misrepresentations or factual errors for an article within the semester it is printed.

The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented within its Opinions pages. Staff editorials are the only articles that reflect the opinion of a two-thirds majority of the Editorial Board.

Sandro Luis Lorenzo/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

NEWS

February 3, 2022

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MODfest brings in-person and virtual art experiences Continued from Modfest on page 1 ’09 and pianist Samuel Gaskin.

Lori Beth Sussman ’23 has been to MODfest every year it has been in-person since her first year. She said, “I think MODfest is a great way to showcase creativity and evolving technology.” Sussman added, “It’s great for showing students innovative ways to apply certain fields of study and to open eyes for new styles, essentially fueling creativity by experiencing creativity.”

A member of the Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble, Jonathan Woody, said, “As African American classical musicians, we’ve had a set of experiences that can sometimes really be jarring.” He added, “We wondered if we could make some art out of these experiences.”

The concert and workshop led by the Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble exceeded expectations according to Howlett. She said, “The concert was inspiring, melding together early music from the 17th and 18th centuries with contemporary works by Caroline Shaw, Reena Esmail and others.”

She added, “The following morning, to have the entire ensemble assembled to discuss questions about their work as classical musicians, their mission, challenges and successes—it was an inspiring two days, and we are already plotting to bring them back to campus.”

In addition to these in-person events,

Deer

there have already been a number of virtual events, including an Instagram Live with WAMC radio’s Sarah LaDuke, where she interviewed artists participating in this year’s MODfest, and a “Virtual Sunday In the Park” webinar event, where students and faculty from the Drama and Music Departments shared their creative process for the upcoming production of “Sunday In the Park with George.”

There’s a lot to explore and enjoy during MODfest’s two weeks on campus. In a Jan. 14 Vassar press release, Pacio said, “The goal every year is to develop a program that feels simultaneously familiar and brand new. My secret hope is that people walk away from this collection of events and exhibits with diverse and rich experiences, but also saying to themselves and each other, ‘That was so Vassar.’”

There are also a number of ongoing exhibitions aimed at teaching American Impressions in the Loeb, the art of photography with “Women R Beautiful” in the Palmer Gallery and the reliability of media in the Trolley Barn Gallery in Poughkeepsie.

Tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m., the Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre (VRDT) will perform select works. This free, but ticketed, event will take place in the Frances Daly Fergusson Dance Theatre in Kenyon Hall, and reservations can be made

culling

Continued from Deer on page 1 These previous killings also prompted the creation of Save Our Deer (SOD), an organization of Poughkeepsie residents advocating against the College’s culling practices. According to SOD, Vassar classifies the VFEP as a forest to justify deer culling and maintains that the deer population exceeds these numbers. SOD points out that the VFEP is not a forest in its entirety, meaning that the optimal number of deer is actually higher. Another objection is the killing method, which is deemed to be inhumane: baiting deer, they contend, is an illegal hunting practice in New York State.

Deer cullings are not just a Vassar occurrence—other areas, such as Syracuse, Fayetteville, Ithaca and Fire Island, have also used sharpshooting over bait as a method of deer management. This method, as Vassar’s website states, is usually seen as the safest method of managing deer within urban areas. Vassar is also not the only school that has a deer management program. Other schools that have implemented them include Swarthmore College, Binghamton University, Yale University, Harvard University and Cornell University.

Several of the claims made by SOD were refuted by Dean Marianne Begemann in an e-mail correspondence with The Miscellany News. When asked about the forest classification, she responded, “The mission of the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve is to protect and preserve the ecological diversity of the land,” she said. “To succeed in our mission a variety of habitats, including forests, are managed on the site.”

Begemann said that analyses had shown that deer were overpopulating the VFEP: “Infrared flyover data shows that the density of deer at the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve exceeds the density that is considered the maximum allowable for forest regeneration to occur. Also, direct observation of the impact of deer on the landscape using a paired plot method is evidence of the negative impact that deer overbrowsing is having on the site.”

SOD president Marcy Schwartz spoke to The Miscellany News about the organization,

online at https://vassardance.tix.com.

This weekend, there will be a closing reception for American Impressions in the Loeb on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. Afterwards, MODfests’s founders, Adene “Dee” Wilson ’69 and her husband, former Professor of Music Richard Wilson, will be honored in a closing concert featuring the Decoda Ensemble that will premiere new pieces by Wilson on Saturday at 8 p.m. in

Photo Courtesy of The Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble.

stirs

which was newly galvanized by a surge in killings over the College’s most recent winter break. She spoke about the beginnings of her activism. “In late 2009, the Poughkeepsie Journal ran a story that Vassar College would be shooting deer at Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve in January 2010, because of ‘deer overpopulation,’” recounted Schwartz. “My first reaction was ‘Who the hell is Vassar College?’ It made no sense that a private school could be empowered to mass-kill wildlife that is a public resource and belongs to us all.”

The College has stated that deer overpopulation causes long-term ecological damage, as well as damage to the surrounding neighborhoods. The College’s website reads, “The overpopulation of deer is dramatically altering the entire forest structure of the VFEP… Due to the deer’s intensive winter browse, forest regeneration is hindered and the future of balanced plant communities at the VFEP is placed at great risk.”

Additionally, the College’s website states that the overpopulation of deer not only impacts the ecological life on the Farm but also has implications on the local Poughkeepsie community: “High densities of deer are cor-

Skinner.

“As for this upcoming weekend, I am excited to be able to see and support VRDT as well as the concert the following day,” Sussman said.

She added, “Being surrounded by like-minded people with similar appreciations, as any festival does, is a great way to feel connected to one another in a time where we are so disconnected.”

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related to higher incidence of tick borne diseases. Collisions between cars and deer cause property damage and personal injury.”

Schwartz has contested claims of deer overpopulation. “We were able to obtain a 15page memorandum recommending the kill to President [Catharine] Hill from the Vassar Farm Oversight Committee,” she recalled.

According to her, the memorandum did not contain evidence to support deer overpopulation on the VFEP. SOD had some success stopping the culling in January 2021. “Vassar decided to call off its kill, because the Town of Poughkeepsie was not willing to give Vassar a waiver of its noise ordinance, which, under DEC [Department of Environmental Conservation] regulations, Vassar needs in order to shoot off rifles within Town bounds,” said Schwartz. However, she noted that the situation has not improved since then, commenting, “Our focus remains on getting the City of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Poughkeepsie to enforce their own ordinances, which would prevent Vassar from mass-firing rifles in the midst of residential neighborhoods.”

She said the killings, in addition to their

controversy inhumanity, pose a risk to nearby residents, since rifle bullets can travel up to two miles generally and the farm is only 1.5 miles wide.

This has served as an important angle from which she has opposed the killings. “SOD is now retrenching to consider the most effective way to stop Vassar’s onslaught on our local wildlife, which in fact interferes in nature in the saddest way,” said Schwartz of continuing efforts against the killings. “We will continue to fight Vassar’s irrational deadly attacks on nature on various fronts. We will continue our demonstrations, during which we will also hand out information on the kills, and for which we seek media coverage. We will consider further legal action.”

When asked what evidence SOD could provide for the College to end its deer culling practice, Begemann replied, “The College will continue to monitor the number of deer and their impact on the landscape annually, and manage the deer population accordingly with the approval of the Department of Environmental Conservation.”

Additional reporting by Jacques Abou-Rizk and Annabelle Wang.

Photo Courtesy of Save Our Deer.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

NEWS

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February 3, 2022

Towed cars on campus emphasize parking problems Olivia Gross

Guest Columnist

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n Jan. 26, 2022, three cars were towed from a fire lane near the Town Houses (THs). Five days later, Safety and Security Lieutenant Salvatore Incorvaia sent an email to the student body reminding them of the College’s parking policies. The correspondence ended in an underlined sentence: “If you are parked in any of the restricted areas listed during the hours noted, your vehicle will be towed at your expense.”

Despite the clear guidelines noted in this situation, parking has been a point of contention and confusion for students. Students are required to pay $140 per semester to register their car, with the price adjusted according to how much financial aid they are given. Underclassmen who live in the dormitories are often given spots in the South Lot, which is at least a 10-minute walk from their dormitory. The Safety and Security website is outdated and difficult to navigate. Skylar Huebner ’24, a student who owns a car on campus, said, “It’s difficult to find many of the answers you look for from the parking regulations section of the Vassar website. The fee per semester for car registration is a steep price to pay that I don’t personally understand where it could

be going to warrant the price.”

Director of the Campus Response Center (CRC) Arlene Sabo said the three cars towed on Sunday violated multiple regulations.

She said, “All three were on the tow list for having received numerous tickets throughout the year, for being unregistered and for parking in unauthorized spaces such as fire lanes.” Students who have received violations on their unregistered cars can register their vehicles and the violations will be waived, unless the violation is for parking in an unauthorized space, such as a fire lane. However, there is not much signage relaying the information at many campus parking lots. Huebner once received a $25 charge to her school account with no information stating the cause of the fine.

She assumed it was for parking in the Josselyn House parking lot and said, “I don’t remember getting a physical ticket for that, so it’s fishy, but I just paid it and moved on.”

Vassar’s parking regulations are strict.

Students cannot park on the main campus on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. and can be fined for forgetting to report changed license plates or exceeding 15 miles per hour at any time. Sabo stated, “We've towed a total of five cars this academic year.

Receiving numerous tickets (one previously unidentified vehicle had 25 tickets), parking in fire lanes, not moving for snow

events are many of the violations that result in towing.” She further emphasized the importance of keeping fire lanes clear, as they are for life and death situations.

Associate Dean of the College for Residential Life and Wellness Luis Inoa clarified, “[T]he intent of allowing students to have a car on campus is to provide a means for students to get off-campus for a variety of needs. It is not meant for students to use their cars to commute around campus. We are chiefly a pedestrian campus.” However, few students know about the late night safety shuttles that run every night. The information is at the bottom of the parking page on the website. The nighttime campus

"[T]he intent of allowing students to have a car on campus is to provide a means for students to get off-campus...

It is not meant for students to use their cars to commute around campus."

Courtesy of Witchcraft District Bazaar.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

safety shuttle runs 6 p.m.—12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 p.m.—2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

On top of the $140 fee, the financial stressors of tickets and fines can be a hardship for members of the campus community. When asked about considering these hardships, Sabo said, “The best course of action is to register their car so that all unregistered violations are removed. Next I would suggest appealing tickets if there was some emergency reason they had to park in an unauthorized parking space/reserved space, etc. Even if it is that one was initially unaware I would appeal it.” Inoa acknowledged the vast room for improvement of on campus transportation, which would help the parking situation. He said, “The need to improve campus transportation has come up in a variety of settings including the Committee on College Life and the Campus Master Planning Committee.

We welcome any ideas to address concerns and needs.”

Vassar’s cost of parking is higher than comparable institutions, such as Wesleyan University, which charges $125, and Middlebury College, which charges $50.

According to Huebner, parking causes an extra burden of stress on students while living here: “Vassar doesn’t make it very easy to have a car here.”

Grace Willoughby/ Miscellany News.

ARTS

February 3, 2022

Disney’s

“Encanto”:

Justyn Cooke

Guest Columnist

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alt Disney Animation Studios’ recent feature “Encanto” has received extensive praise for nearly every aspect of its creation; its music, animation, story, representation and themes have set it above Disney’s more recent and less-stellar releases like “Frozen II,” “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” But the film is not notable just for being good: it’s a uniquely realistic piece in Disney’s repertoire. While the studio’s best-known works have been overt fairytales, fantasies or other iterations of folklore, “Encanto” tells a deeply relatable story in a realistic setting. Even the less-realistic components of the film, its inclusion of magic—a hallmark of Disney films—does not spoil the realism; in fact, the magical element works with the realism to help achieve the film’s distinct identity as a piece of magic realism.

Magic realism, an underrepresented genre in popular culture, works for “Encanto” on multiple levels. Typical works of this genre are believable, detailed, set in the real world and feature some significant element of fantasy that serves to clarify or intensify the expression of its themes (those aren’t the only things the magic in this genre can accomplish, but they’re the most relevant regarding “Encanto”). The film is about a magical Colombian family blessed with a “miracle” that gives each member a unique “gift”—some supernatural power—at a young age; but the protagonist, Mirabel, receives no power and struggles to be of use to her family. She tries to save the magic when it begins fading for unclear reasons, and that uncertainty of cause is the source of much of the film’s conflict.

The film features each characteristic of magic realism: it has conflicts focused on nuanced and genuine family issues, proud representations of its setting’s real-world culture and magic in the form of the Madrigal family’s collective “miracle.” This miracle both clarifies and intensifies the film’s themes, the two big jobs of magic in this genre. Finally, the magic realism genre is heavily associated with Latin-American literature and was, in fact, deeply influenced by the novel “Cien años de soledad (One Hundred Years of Sol-

Neither

itude)” by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez—some have even suggested “Encanto” itself was directly inspired by the novel— which is all to say that the film’s representation of Colombian culture extends to its very genre.

While the magic in “Encanto” is obvious, the makeup of its realism is a bit more subtle. I have already referenced how its conflict and setting are steeped in real-world considerations, but they involve deeper levels of realism than a passing suggestion would convey. Indeed, labelling “Encanto” as “realistic” just for taking place in a real-world country would be like calling “Frozen” realistic because it’s technically set in Denmark. Where the two differ is in the representation of those settings. “Encanto” is filled to the brim with natural references to Colombia’s culture that make the audience extremely aware of its real-world setting (and which also hold great value as cultural representation). For one, the opening number, “The Family Madrigal,” is in the Colombian music style of Vallenato (though with some added Disney flair), which, according to UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization), is a genre of “narrative style which, expresses daily life,” a perfect choice for a number meant to establish both the setting and the characters’ lives. Meanwhile, one could watch “Frozen” a hundred times and be content in the assumption that it takes place in some undefined fairytale world—it could be set in some far corner of Narnia and the plot would be no different. If “Encanto” wasn’t in Colombia, you would notice. The representation of its setting does the fundamental job of fixing the film’s place in our real world.

The way the film develops its characters is perhaps its strongest piece of realism—even if they are often singing, which is something that makes musicals seem unrealistic to many. Every important character has nuanced, believable motivations and perspectives. A great example is the relationship between Mirabel, the protagonist, and her sister Isabela. Their shared wish to bring pride to their family combines with Mirabel’s inability to live up to the expectations of her siblings and cousins (because she has no “gift”), making for an antagonistic dynamic

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Fairytale

between the two. Mirabel helps as much as she can while Isabela does what is expected of her effortlessly. This makes Mirabel frustrated with the apparent unfairness in their different treatment. Indeed, it is unfair how the family silently shuns Mirabel, but Isabela is also mistreated—though it’s not initially apparent to the audience. It’s revealed late in the film that she lives her life how she is expected to rather than how she actually wants, even to the point of accepting an arranged marriage. In all of this, Isabela sees Mirabel as being always and unnecessarily in the way.

Both deeply misunderstand each other, and the source of misunderstanding is natural.

Some audience members may have lived with the same sort of relationship, as the expectations these characters live with do not need literal magic to develop. It’s a realistic dynamic.

As a side note, Isabela is also a critique of Disney’s classic princess archetype— characters whom pop culture has flattened into images of perfection, though some were originally interesting and flawed. Isabela exemplifies how the film likes to shirk its studio’s norms, something it did through realism rather than parody. If someone wants to criticize the princess archetype, the most obvious way to do so is through caricature; instead, “Encanto” used that archetype directly and then asked how that person might feel about needing to maintain that image. We can also see this trend of trope rejection with Mirabel, who, despite being the hero, does not have much in common with the princesses of old, which was done intentionally to help give her a unique identity (just like the film!).

This direction also involves a lack of naivety in the story. The conflict is not created by some external source that imposes itself on this otherwise-happy family. Instead, the Madrigals’ issues are internal and subtle, with believable dynamics and tensions between different family members, no singular source of trouble and no definitive villain.

For example, it would be incredibly cliché if Abuela, the closest thing to a villain this film has, were made to be outright malicious, as if she were the evil stepmother from Disney’s “Cinderella.” But she’s not; and her motivations, while misguided, are believable and incredibly sympathetic.

nor

Fantasy

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Returning to the narrative purpose of magic, I should explain what I mean by “clarification and intensity.” It may be quite clear by now that the magical abilities of the Madrigals are allegories for “gifted” kids in real life. Just as Isabela must always stay perfect, a gifted high school student must always get straight A’s, or a talented athlete must always do well at practice and proper games. Of course, not every family imposes such expectations on their children, but it is a common phenomenon worth representing in such a film.

But unlike most allegories, this film’s is not meant to provide commentary. While the film most definitely provides commentary on its subject, it’s not accomplished by the allegory—the commentary is very direct and undisguised. Instead, the allegory here is used for exaggeration. The film’s “gifts”— these magical equivalents to being smart or athletic—are loud and obvious. They are eye-catching and avoid any confusion over why these characters would have such heavy expectations set upon them. This is partly done because “Encanto” is a family movie, and so a large portion of the audience will be kids who will not be able to appreciate all the details of every character’s dynamic; what they will understand is that the pretty flower lady is happy as she starts to grow things besides flowers. That is the purpose of magic within this realism.

“Encanto” is a super fun and touching movie. It has a whole lot more going for it than just its use of magic realism—after all, that only describes the genre, not the deeper details—but understanding this big piece of the film’s wonderful, distinct identity is important if one wishes to dive even deeper.

Cryosphere Exhibit provides chilling portrait of warming planet Continued from Cryosphere on page 1 everyday lives, depictions of animals who rely on frigid climates for survival and records of Arctic expeditions.

One of the first works I saw was “Winter Afternoon (Winter in the Catskills),” a 1936 print by Doris Lee. The piece depicts a group of ice skaters frolicking on a river, while quaint houses and dependable evergreen trees pepper the hills in the background.

It’s enough to make even me—someone who will not shut up about wanting winter to be over—feel warm and fuzzy inside.

And I’m not the only one—according to the caption next to the print, the piece appeared in a coffee advertisement in 1947.

Now, though, the scene represents something more complex—as the caption also explains, “Outdoor ice skating as depicted in this picture is, however, increasingly becoming a memory, rather than a reality, of winter in New York. Not far in the future, the planet will warm beyond a point where snow can accumulate.”

Doris Lee didn’t intend “Winter Afternoon” to be a sobering reminder that the seasons as we know them are changing shape before our eyes. However, put into

Looking through the Snow Tunnel above Goat Lake, Sawtooth Range, Idaho, 1981

by Mark Klett. Courtesy of The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. the context of the world we live in today, that’s what it has become. Despite the fact that climate change is already displacing millions(according to the UNHCR), it can be all too easy for those of us who haven’t had to face those realities head on to forget the immediacy of the manmade crisis that is unfolding before us.

Another image that caught my eye was Mark Klett’s photograph, “Looking North Through the Snow Tunnel above Goat Lake, Sawtooth Range, Idaho.” This

is simply a gorgeous image, showcasing the striking beauty of ice. The subjects of the photo, a person and a dog, are seen through the aforementioned snow tunnel.

The snow and ice on the ground resemble a glass sculpture, while the tunnel’s icy ceiling is reminiscent of other natural patterns—dunes, craters, waves. Yet again, while nothing in the serene and steady atmosphere of the photo itself suggests that something might be amiss, the context of “Cryosphere” makes the viewer consider

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

the photo in a more complicated light. To me, Klett’s photo feels like a love letter to a landscape in danger.

It can feel all too easy to fall into climate despair and climate anxiety when faced with the realities of what humans have done to our planet, and I won’t pretend that this exhibit didn’t bring any of those feelings up for me. But that wasn’t all it did.

The art in “Cryosphere” serves as not just a historical record of what we’re losing, but as a heartening reminder of what we still have. In this way, it serves as a call to action: to preserve and protect as much of it as we can. One part of what can make the climate crisis feel so daunting is the perception that only people with specific scientific knowledge are equipped to handle it. However, “Cryosphere” challenges that assumption, asserting, as the poster describing the exhibit does: “Neither the visual language of art nor science can confront the complexity of the climate crisis alone.

Instead, thinking must expand beyond discreet disciplines as humanity employs every possible means—scientific, artistic, and beyond—to address our geological moment in time.”

ARTS

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“A Hard Rain’s Finding resolutions in Kai Speirs

Guest Columnist

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t a party in the early 1960s, Allen Ginsberg heard a new song by an up-andcoming folk singer named Bob Dylan. The song was called “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” and it moved the poet to tears. “It seemed the torch had been passed to another generation,” said Ginsberg, who had been a part of the groundbreaking literary and cultural movement known as the Beat Generation just a decade before. “I was knocked out by the eloquence . . . Poetry is words that are empowered to make your hair stand on end,” he said in an interview for Martin Scorsese’s documentary, “No Direction Home.”

When my dad played Bob Dylan for my brother and I as young kids, I didn’t think much of it and was even turned off by his raspy voice and antiquated sound. Nonetheless, I could not resist Dylan forever and have since become an avid listener of his music. In fact, he’s my current number two on Spotify Wrapped! Admittedly, I have also become an occasional skimmer of the many books written about him that line the shelves of my home. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” however, was a recent discovery for me.

The song opens as most older Dylan songs do, with the mellow strumming of an acoustic guitar and an introduction to that iconic voice of his. The first two lines of the song are questions: “Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?” and “Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?” The following five lines act as responses and this pattern of call-and-response continues throughout the entire song. This structure is an appropriation of the old Scottish ballad, “Lord Randall,”

from which Dylan took inspiration. “Oh where ha'e ye been, Lord Randall my son?” mirrors Dylan’s “Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?” By opening verses with questions like these, Dylan not only sets up for a response to what he has seen, who he has met, what he has heard and what he will do now, but also allows for those responses to sound like the echoes of a traveler who's seen it all. The circular nature of this question and answer pattern allows for the responses to cement in the listener's heads.

These responses are chock full of symbolic and often apocalyptic lyrics that seem to cover so much; each line seems to speak to a different issue, anxiety or tragedy. “Hard Rain's is a desperate kind of song. Every line in it is actually the start of a whole song. But when I wrote it, I thought I wouldn't have enough time alive to write all those songs so I put all I could into this one,” Dylan wrote in the liner notes to “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall.”

(Dylan).

The lyrics fluctuate between the abstract—“I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it”—and the intensely real—“I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children”. The song dives from symbolism about slavery—“I met a white man who walked a black dog”—to the impossiblity of social mobility—“I saw a white ladder all covered with water”. I was especially moved by two lines—“I met one man who was wounded in love,” followed by, “I met another man who was wounded with hatred”—which are also worthy of entire essays on Genius’ lyric annotations.

From looking at the lyrics alone, the song seems depressing. I sometimes imagine a weary son who recalls heartbreaking trage-

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February 3, 2022

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dy and the vices of humankind to his parental figure with whom he is finally reunited.

Yet, the song sounds uplifting, filling me with the same feeling as some of Dylan’s finger-pointing protest songs like “Masters of War'' and “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”

The end of “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall'' feels triumphant. In the liner notes to the album Dylan writes, “The way I think about the blues comes from what I learned from Big Joe Williams. The blues is more than something to sit home and arrange. What made the real blues singers so great is that they were able to state all the problems they had; but at the same time, they were standing outside them and could look at them. And in that way, they had them beat” (Dylan).

Does Dylan have the problems that he states in the song beat simply because he wrote about them? No, of course not; but by writing about them, by speaking and feeling them he is, in a way, protesting them. “And I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,” he writes near the end of the song. “And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it/ Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’/ But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’,” he finishes.

I think Dylan was well aware of the song’s acute blend of protest and pain. In one rendition, he plays alongside an orchestra complete with blaring horns and dramatic violins that make the song sound like it belongs at the end credits of a glorious action movie.

In his Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1975, he played it like a bar song, creating the happy-sad blend of a drinking song. His most common, and in my opinion best, way to play the song is with one acoustic guitar and the raspy voice of a weary traveler. It sounds

Fall”: classic

raw and a bit rough around the edges—the authentic Dylan that I enjoy the most.

One especially beautiful rendition of the song was performed by Patti Smith for part of the ceremonies in Stockholm where Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. Smith got tripped up a couple of minutes into her performance, but the audience gave her a warm applause after she apologized and continued on. In a candid, poetic piece for the New Yorker she explained, “I hadn't forgotten the words that were now a part of me, I was simply unable to draw them out.” Many of the audience members received her kindly, telling her that the performance seemed a metaphor for their own struggles. “It was not lost on me that the narrative of the song begins with the words ‘I stumbled alongside twelve misty mountains,’ and ends with the line ‘And I’ll know my song well before I start singing,’” Smith wrote. “I felt the humiliating sting of failure, but also the strange realization that I had somehow entered and truly lived the world of the lyrics,” she shared.

It’s that last line, “And I’ll know my song well before I start singing,” that strikes me the hardest. To me it's a clarion call for other writers, singers, artists and anyone with something to say to take up the mantle and speak from their hearts. It speaks to having confidence in one's own work, one's own creed, without the need for affirmation from commercial success, critics or anyone else.

It’s this line that brought Ginsberg to tears of joy—he came to the realization that new poets had taken up the mantle. Dylan was confident in his craft and ready to tell his stories before he even started singing. “I’ll know my song well before I start singing;” perhaps that’s a resolution I’ll take into 2022.

Plug in your headphones: Eight albums to listen to Sam Hurwitz

Guest Columnist

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A black vinyl record spinning under a needle. A CD playing in the car on a long road trip. A digitized collection of tunes resting in your Spotify library. The album has taken on many forms over the years, but one thing has remained constant; it is a cornerstone of music creation and consumption.

It is an art form that celebrates the additive quality of music, the way that songs can take on new meanings when grouped with others, creating an auditory expression of the artist’s life and experience at that time.

It seems to me, however, that with the rise of streaming services there has also come a decline in the popularity of the album. I love Spotify’s tailored playlists as much as the next person, but I have also realized that a lot of the new music I consume comes in the form of individual songs handed to me by the algorithm, stripped from their collective story. So in an ode to the album, here are eight albums that you should listen to from start to finish, with a good pair of headphones and without that shuffle feature. I will do my best to group these records together to spare you eight paragraphs, but each of these albums are entirely their own.

My first grouping of recommendations are the albums “Ghosteen” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and “Illinois” by Sufjan Stevens.

While very different, I suggest these albums if you are interested in a longer, immersive experience brimming with lush, orchestral instrumentation. “Ghosteen” was created several years after the tragic passing of Nick Cave’s son, and you can feel the grief, processing and

glimmers of hope throughout this musical journey. It contains beautiful lyrics rooted in repeated imagery that pops up throughout the album, such as the chorus of the haunting track “Galleon Ship”, which describes “a thousand galleon ships [sailing] / ghostly around the morning sun.” Production-wise, “Ghosteen” thrives in minimalism, often pairing Cave’s meditative voice with synth pads, haunting voices and strings. “Illinois” utilizes similarly lush instrumentation, but is far less minimalist. Strings, horns, guitars, drums, banjo and many more instruments guide the listener through this musical tribute to the titular state, weaving together stories from both Stevens’ life and the history of Illinois in a profound way. The album is sequenced wonderfully, with an hour flying by like 10 minutes, and it dabbles in many different genres and musical styles. By the end of it, you’ll feel fulfilled, inspired and a little more curious about obscure Illinoian history.

The albums “IGOR” by Tyler, the Creator and “22, A Million” by Bon Iver both shine in their concise storytelling, brilliant use of electronic synthesizers, and excellent sequencing. Both of these albums employ great transitions between songs, which is one of the most satisfying parts of listening to an album in its intended order. “IGOR” is much more (purposefully) jarring and heavy in its transitions, often cutting between songs very suddenly with hardly any spacing. It’s a musical push-pull between songs that makes the overall narrative feel like a fast-paced rollercoaster through Tyler’s head. The variety in the instrumentation is exciting, the melodies are addictive, and it truly thrives as a cohesive story. “22, A Million” is generally smoother and

more abstract in its storytelling, with songs transitioning into each other languidly instead of abruptly and flourishing with triumphant horns, autotuned vocals and ghostly pianos. Every song is different on this album, from the hard-hitting drone of “10 d E A T h b R E a s T” to the folksy but orchestral swoon of “29 #Strafford APTS”. As always with Bon Iver, you may listen and feel that you’ve never been so heard in your life, even though you can’t decipher half of what he is saying.

My next batch of albums are indie rock staples, Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (my personal favorite album) and Modest Mouse’s “The Moon & Antarctica.” Wilco’s 2002 magnum opus traverses so many moods and sounds while remaining coherent, floating through a spacy, moody void filled with yearning, frustration, doubt and above all, the desire to connect with both oneself and someone else. Jeff Tweedy’s lyrics paint this picture of isolation and failed communication wonderfully, and Wilco uses the instrument that is the studio to bend the band’s expertly crafted songs into something even better. Modest Mouse’s “The Moon & Antarctica” occupies a different space within the indie rock pantheon, feeling more raw and hopeless. Whereas “Yankee” perhaps fit better within the “indie” part of the label, “Moon” shows off the “rock,” with more of an emphasis on electric guitars, groovy basslines and anthemic choruses.

Still, “Moon” has that same early 2000s cosmic angst that “Yankee” has, thriving within thought-provoking imagery of space, gravity and isolation. The album’s genius transitions make the 15 songs feel like a breeze.

In a different vein, two albums that I recommend for a stripped-down folk experience

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with masterful lyrics are “Southeastern” by Jason Isbell and “Benji” by Sun Kil Moon. Jason Isbell is one of the sharpest lyricists and singer-songwriters out there. On “Southeastern,” he compiles 12 tightly-written songs filled with anecdotes, personal narratives and stark lines that will make you think (such as “If there’s one thing that’s real clear to me / no one dies with dignity” off the harrowing track “Elephant”); when put together, this batch of songs only become more profound, representing a very important time in Isbell’s life. This album varies wonderfully in its musicality, with songs falling all along a spectrum of soft and contemplative to rockin’ and rollin’ (in a folksy manner). Sun Kil Moon’s “Benji” takes the autobiographical to the extreme, piecing together 11 songs that feel plucked straight out of the artist’s life with no filter and no detail left out. It feels especially poignant when listened to together that these many stories and random-seeming details add up to a wonderful expression of the human experience, with musings on childhood, mortality and family that will leave you poring over the lyrics. It’s an album that’s often bleak, but in the end, incredibly life-affirming in its illustration of life’s many nuances and complexities.

So there you have it, my personal take on eight albums that you should listen to in full.

Of course, I’dalso recommend classic albums such as “Abbey Road” and “The Wall”, but I thought it would be fun to write about some more personal picks or some that may be lesser-known. With just a pair of headphones or even a phone’s speaker, a batch of songs can transport you to new worlds, new experiences and new emotions. A journey, a story… an album.

ARTS

February 3, 2022

“Licorice Cíara McIntyre

Guest Columnist

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f nothing else, you return to your routine after an Omicron-impacted winter break having seen the ever-marketable “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in some streaming locale. But maybe alternatively—or perhaps corequisitely—you experienced Paul Thomas Anderson’s (PTA’s) newest and most aesthetically refined love letter to the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.

“Licorice Pizza”—named for the SoCal record store in the late ‘70s and ‘80s and its eponymous dub-term for black vinyl records—follows precocious 15-year-old Gary Valentine and the regal, dazed and confused Alana Kane on their respective and interwoven journeys in American suburbia over the hill, at the height of popular culture itself.

It is inspired by and loosely based on the young-actor life of PTA’s pal Gary Goetsmen, which was, as you may have guessed, full of crazy Valley experiences.

To start, the movie’s title does not formalize any kind of thematic object or titular concept about “Licorice Pizza” in particular. They do not even talk about music or venture into a record store, but rather the characters just exist in the ‘70s and the film expects you to have the historical consciousness of that market being on the rise and talent rising to the occasion.

We meet 15-year-old Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman, son of late Philip Seymour Hoffman) in his “Almost Famous” moment; the men’s bathroom charts a row of mid-pubescent boys, among them a portly, acne-spotted adolescent fervently fixating on his appearance. We meet 25-year-old Alana Kane (Alana Haim, musician and performer in her acting debut) in the same setting. The mysterious woman is at high-school picture day because she works for the photographer.

To follow is a blur of events, including ones providing somewhat anthropological commentary on the oil crisis, Nixon, political organizing, stardom and the closetting of queer politicians. Gary and Alana do not grow up, but grow into. The bourgeois of the entertainment industry (including Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits, Sean Penn, and of course PTA’s wife Maya Rudolph) are cast as minor characters who engrave new places, predicaments, and feelings on the map of an

Pizza,”

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area to which the two central characters are otherwise native.

PTA films generally lack overall structure but master a sound algorithm in the romantic storyline which runs parallel with the general plot. A traditional love story plot is constructed in three definable acts; there is love at first sight with an inciting event, then a harsh cut to Act Two beginning with the couple “getting together” in some way (be it through a realization of syncing wavelength or a direct conversation), then a seamless transition into Act Three with literal running or another physical portrayal of methodical escalation, maybe best expressed in the camera work. For years, filmmakers have pursued projects which challenge and extricate that blueprint. Not Paul Thomas Anderson: he diligently fulfills the archetypal expectations in his otherwise plotless narratives.

Without giving anything explicitly away, I will vaguely confirm that “Licorice Pizza” has all of those elements from the very first inciting event (which occurs after about 12 minutes of screentime) to the excessive use of running. A deep musing I have is on whether the running is really symbolic or not. When considering the script, perhaps the only thing the excessive use of running symbolizes is, unfortunately, creative laziness.

What makes “Licorice Pizza'' interesting (and potentially frustrating) is how the main love story is developing in the background of various short stories. My view is that the historically conscious plots and circumstances resting in the margins of the main story are what make it so culturally enticing as a period piece. I also think PTA had to script a story of geopolitical and socioeconomic counternarratives to distract from what today is a risky and, admittedly, disturbing age-gap that has disengaged many of today’s romance critics from otherwise successful and well-crafted relationship stories in films such as “Dirty Dancing” and the more recent “Call Me By Your Name.” As with most relationship-centered films, there is also the question of who is the protagonist. Alana and Gary do get proportional screen time and classic PTA closeup shots, so that makes the conclusion quite difficult to make. The story is built around Gary until Act Three in “Licorice Pizza,” but the strongest epiphany happens to Alana.

She is the one who needs to decide she’s ready

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for something in the relationship that Gary has known and wanted all along.

What IndieWire calls Paul Thomas Anderson’s “most lovable and magical work to date” is to me his most immaterial. “Licorice Pizza” has the universality that “Spencer,” even “Nightmare Alley” with its reputation-preceding cast, lacked at the end of the 2021 movie season. “Licorice Pizza” has a distinct 70s look, though the formalization to 70mm makes it not too grainy. And even with its generally enjoyable projection of life, “Licorice Pizza” is a provocatively unorthodox commentary on modernity as much as it is a time capsule of a place in a coveted time for culture and politics. Gary is an aging child actor who will learn to gain economic status by responding to the juvenile demands of the American market and adapting to the socio-political constraints of production in the ‘70s. He is a funny, funny character. Alana is perceptive and simultaneously indicative of the everyday people we look up to and we mentor ourselves.

“Licorice Pizza” is rabble-rousing. It is uncomfortable. It is comedic. It is flat, yet cyclical while still without structure. Shot on location, it is a cinematographic homage to the San Fernando Valley that PTA called home which shaped his groundbreaking, order-disturbing previous work that is “Boogie Nights.” The reason why some like his films and others do not is because of the hit-ormiss creative process he uses. The social engineering in “Phantom Thread” with Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Crieps is apparent in “Licorice Pizza” with Bradley Cooper and the

record gang of newbies in the position previously held by Crieps. The directorial choice of not introducing actors beforehand certainly had an impact on the film’s results. Rookie actors seeing A-listers in the flesh for the first time on film will obviously impact authenticity as well as speed and consistency. The acting performances in general are what most broadly shape the perception of a film. So, if someone does not like the scene being influenced by starstruckenness, they may not appreciate the collective art, the project as a whole.

Moreover, one could argue the aestheticism of California-centric PTA films are just not for every viewer.

Variety has “Licorice Pizza” third in their predicted rankings for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, following “Belfast,” “The Power of the Dog” and by “CODA” and “Dune”. I respect the art, though “Licorice Pizza” is by no means my favorite movie of 2021. In the process of reflection and criticism, however, I was able to develop an understanding of PTA’s merit and acclaim.

Every component of the production, from the original soundtrack—consisting of some groovy ‘70s-adjacent tunes from Bowie’s prime to the stone cold, reserved sensuality that is Nina Simone’s “July Tree” to the masked vulgarity of Chuck Berry’s “My Ding-A-Ling-A-Ling” that parallels the surprising and frankly hilarious sexual prowess of the young Hoffman’s character—to the unpretentious casting choices to the moments where the cinematography is clearly just a result of the crew having fun with the hue of the sky, is honorable.

Photo Courtesy of Cíara McIntyre ’25.

Juliette Pope/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

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Stories

worth

Kai Speirs

Guest reporter

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veryone knows the famous Vassar alum—Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Jane Fonda—but I found that there are many lesser-known Vassar alums that have interesting lives worth highlighting, some of which I would like to introduce to you, dear reader. Since I spent this much time on Wikipedia, I think it should go to something at least half worthwhile.

The first Vassar alum worthy of introduction is Elizabeth Terrill Bentley ’30. Bently was an accomplished student at Vassar College majoring in English, French and Italian before attending Columbia University for graduate school. It’s a path I can imagine many of us current students desire to take in the future. As for everything about her life after that, I don’t know if I share the same sentiment.

While studying abroad in Italy, she enjoyed Italian culture and cuisine—as an international student does—and joined the local student fascist group, the Gruppo Universitario Fascista. After conversing with her left-leaning professor, Mario Casella (with whom she also had an affair!), she switched political views before returning to New York. In fact, she pulled such a political 180, that in 1935 she joined the espionage branch of the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA). In 1935, she obtained a job at the Italian Library of Information in New York City, also known as fascist Italy's propaganda bureau in the United States. She began reporting her spy work to the CPUSA and was so effective that she caught the attention of the top Soviet spymaster, Jacob Golos who worked for the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD), or, the precursor to the Committee for State Security (KGB). Bently and Golos soon became lovers, but she only learned his true name and occupation two years into the relationship. Bently climbed the ranks and took on many of Golos’ duties as he went deeper into hiding due to some instances of close contact with the authorities. By 1940, she was making nearly $200,000 a year in today’s money for spy work.

When Golos died in 1943, all of his con-

sharing:

Lesser-known

American citizens in the CPUSA. In 1944, Bently conceded to the NKVD’s demands, but the move left her disillusioned with the Soviet Union. In a tense meeting with her immediate superior, Anatoly Gorsky, she threatened to turn him in to the FBI. According to author Allen Weinstein in “The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America,” when Gorsky reported this behavior to Moscow, his recommendation was to “get rid of her.” Aware that her life was in danger, she defected to the FBI on Nov. 7, 1945.

J. Edgar Hoover himself ordered the strictest secrecy measures be taken to hide Bently’s identity immediately. In a series of testimonies Bently implicated nearly 150 people in spying for the Soviet Union, including 37 federal employees.

There’s really so much to unpack in this lady’s life journey—if you’re looking to get into the espionage industry post-Vassar, Elizabeth Terrill Bentley should be your inspiration and if studying abroad in Italy is your thing, maybe stick to the museums and avoid the youth fascist groups, though a hot professor could change your politics with the drop of a hat!

Lilli Cooper. Courtesy of Marisa Chafetz.

Elizabeth Bentley. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. tacts were handed to Bently who briefly found herself in control of an intricate and expansive spy network on the east coast. By this point, the NKVD had been watching carefully and demanded that Bently transfer control of all her contacts, all of whom were

February 3, 2022

Our next Vassar alum story is a double feature of two film majors, Lili Cooper ’12 and Ethan Slater ’12. Both Cooper and Slater would find work on Broadway, specifically on the set of “Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical.” As we all know, Vassar students excel beyond the competition— Cooper played the role of Sandy and Slater played Spongebob—that’s two Vassar alums on the same Broadway stage acting in very important roles in a culturally groundbreaking and critically acclaimed musical.

I’m not even kidding about critical acclaim, “Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical” was nominated for 38 awards, 12 of which were Tony’s! Slater was nominated for the Tony award’s Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and both Slater and Cooper received explicit praise for their skills by the Chicago Tribune in an article titled, “Young Spongebob Saves the Day, In a Big, Loud Way.” “One of the most fun, well produced, and best acted shows Chicago has seen in a long time,” wrote chief theater critic Chris Jones.

The New York Times also praised Slater explicitly and called the show a ginormous giggle of a show in their article, “Spongebob Squarepants the Musical: A Watery Wonderland on Broadway '' by Ben Brantly.

Vassar

alums

Ethan Slater. Courtesy of Marc J. Franklin.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to introduce Alice Huyler Ramsey (born Alice Huyler), Class of 1905. In 1908, Ramsey’s husband, John Ramsey, bought her a new Maxwell Runabout. For those who don’t know, Maxwell was a car brand that ran from 1904 to 1925 and Runabout is an old type of automobile that was light, had no windshield, top, or doors and had only a single row of seats. It was basically a decorated, expensive golf cart. She quickly became an avid car enthusiast, entering in many competitions, most notably, the American Automobile Association's (AAA) Montauk Point Endurance Race in 1908. She was one of two women to compete. She drew attention from Carl Kelsey, a fellow racer who did publicity for the manufacturer of Ramsey’s car, Maxwell. Through Kelsey, the company agreed to supply a 1909 tutoring car for Ms. Ramsey, hoping to set up a publicity stunt and get more women to buy cars. While not explicitly banned from driving, women were highly discouraged from driving at this time. Nonetheless, Maxwell saw potential in marketing towards women and they saw Ramsey as the face of their new marketing scheme. So, on June 9, 1909, this 22-yearold housewife and mother began a 3,800mile journey from Hell Gate in Manhattan, N.Y., to San Francisco, Calif., in a green, four-cylinder, 30-horsepower Maxwell DA. For comparison, most cars nowadays have between 100 and 300 horsepower.

She traveled with companions, three other women, none of which could drive a car.

But boy did these ladies have some tenacity.

Of the 3,800 miles traveled, only 152 were paved (0.04 percent of their journey). Yes, that's 3,648 miles of unpaved roads in what is essentially a golf cart. Over the course of the drive, Ramsey and her crew changed 11 tires, cleaned the spark plugs on more than

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

one occasion, repaired a broken brake pedal and had to sleep in the car when it was stuck in mud. Their journey also had some notable moments which she describes in her book, “Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron.” Some of my favorite ones include the time where they crossed the trail for the manhunt of a murderer in Nebraska, when they recived a case of bed bugs at a hotel in Wyoming and nearly brought them in her suitcase and when they were surrounded by a Native American hunting party with bows and arrows drawn in Nevada. Finally, after 59 days on the road they pulled into Saint James hotel in San Francisco to a crowd of supporters who had been told Ramsey would arrive three weeks earlier. “People thought I was crazy,” Ramsey wrote in her book. While Columbia may lay claim to having Amelia Earhart as an alum, we can proudly say Alice Ramsey, the Amelia Earhart of cars, graduated from Vassar College.

Well, three stories in and I’ve only scratched the surface of Vassar alums with weird and interesting life stories. I’m thinking this could be an ongoing series because, after all, people like me have been kicking around in Main Building for over 150 years, so I’m sure there are more stories worthy of uncovering and sharing. Maybe I’ll even find some alum stories that would tarnish the school’s eccentric and quirky image—oil moguls or something. Yes, we have some, look up Yannis Vardinoyannis, he’s an example of what econ majors turn out to be.

All jokes aside, there are wonderful stories about what people did with their lives after Vassar, all very unique, some exceptionally noteworthy. So, no pressure, but the world awaits us! If you need inspiration for what to do with your life, I’ll be here churning out stories of inspirational, or at least interesting, Vassar alum.

Alice Huyler Ramsey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

February 3, 2022

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Vassar College publishes third issue of Grey Matters Gari Puckrein Guest reporter

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o commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vassar College’s Neuroscience and Behavior Department, students and faculty published their third issue of Grey Matters.

Grey Matters, a national neuroscience journal run by undergraduates, exists at many colleges and universities across the country, such as Washington University and Columbia. Its presence at Vassar is fairly new, as it was started in 2021. This recent issue was a much greater undertaking for the staff of the journal because it was much longer than previous issues. Generations of Vassar students came together to contribute to the field of neuroscience.

The issue included the work of over 100 current Vassar students and over 15 alumni.

It took nearly an entire semester to create.

According to Anjali Krishna ’23, a member of the lay review team, Grey Matters prides itself on mentoring writers. As a result, they work closely with authors throughout the entire process, from creating outlines to polishing off the final draft. In other words, the journal guides students along the writing process, rather than editing final drafts.

Vassar’s division of Grey Matters approaches article selection differently from other undergraduate journals across the country. Instead of accepting articles from any student interested in getting published, there is a more rigorous process required.

To get published in Grey Matters, students must summarize their topic of interest in the form of an article proposal. Once the Leadership Team reviews and accepts proposals, writers are paired with editors from each of the three divisions to assist with the writing process. In addition to their team of editors, artists coordinate with writers to produce illustrations to accompany their articles. “This model allows us to mentor every student who contributes to the journal, helping them develop their skills and become better writers, editors, artists, and members of the scientific community,” Lorman explained.

In an email correspondence, Editor-in-Chief Daniella Lorman ’22 wrote, “Each article team is comprised of an author, an artist, and editors in each of our 3

divisions (General Editing, Lay Review, and Scientific Review).” Article teams attend workshops to approach accessibility in science by learning to report and edit complex phenomena in a way that is accessible to the general public.

The role of the Lay Review team is to ensure accessibility and clarity in articles, specifically so that readers without a science background are able to understand and comprehend the topics being covered.

“Our articles lure you in like a pop culture Buzzfeed article, but are just as credible as scientific journals on Pubmed,” Lorman exclaimed. Lay editors, who typically have a strong humanities background, work closely with scientific editors, who usually have a strong STEM background.

Those working in the scientific review division focus on upholding the scientific integrity of the articles. Specifically, these editors work to ensure that physiological processes and studies are represented accurately. Additionally, they work closely with authors during the early stages of writing to serve as research aids. General editors aim to provide authors with concrete feedback on grammar, clarity, tone, organization and word choice. Each editor works in tandem with members of other divisions, in addition to authors and artists, to create accurate and accessible scientific literature.

Artwork is also a large part of the journal’s allure. The students that work on Grey Matters recruit student artists to create pieces to go alongside the articles. These pieces can range from scientific diagrams to portraits.

Mara Russell ’22, Grey Matters’ Arts Executive, reflects on her experience with the journal. “Working with all these talented artists with different viewpoints and art experience has taught me so much about my own work and process. I’m always so humbled and impressed when I see the finished products,” she explained.

Grey Matters was excited to publish in-person this year. This has been a very exciting experience for many of the students involved, especially amidst COVID-19 limitations. “Things are just developing,” said Krishna. “We got the chance to finally work with people in person,” Krishna said, referring to the current COVID-19 climate and

Courtesy of Grey Matters VC. limitations. This article was even more special for senior editors, as they were the ones who got to reach out to alumni. This project helped to create generational connections between Vassar students, both current and graduated.

What makes Grey Matters special is that it works to be accessible to everyone. Even though it presents itself as a science journal, many of the students involved in the writing and creation of the journal are not even involved in the sciences. In fact, over 60 percent of contributors are not majoring in any of the sciences. According to Lorman, the

articles in each issue are diverse in thought.

People have written on topics ranging from the neuroaesthetics of dance to the science behind lucid dreaming. “Any article topic is an excellent article topic…We encourage students to write about what interests them, as long as they make an effort to weave in some neurophysiology,” Lorman shared.

For those looking to contribute to this project’s Spring 2022 cycle, applications are due on Feb. 7, 2022.

Additional reporting by Janet Song and Monika Sweeney.

Courtesy of Tori Kim ’25.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

HUMOR

Page 10

February 3, 2022

Breaking News

From the desk of Madi Donat, Humor Editor

These ferret images won’t make you less sad, but may make you go “Ferrets are silly!” instead of “Oh god oh god oh god oh god” The Nature Report: Mel, the greenhouse bird, has passed Nicholas Tillinghast Man in Mourning

W

ednesday,Jan. 25, 9:30 a.m.: It had been a good four weeks since I last stepped foot in the Skinner Greenhouse office. It looked about as disheveled and dusty as it had four weeks prior, but there was one noticeable difference––a little green bird was no longer there. His cage was gone too.

My boss found him at the bottom of the cage one day over break. He was 18 years old. As a journalist, I’ll admit I have pre-written obituaries for the eventual passing of Denzel Washington and the Philly Phanatic, but this particular loss of life came out of nowhere for me and I was in no means prepared for it.

For as long as I had been there, the greenhouse had two birds, one named Mel and the other named OB (Other Bird). Even during my interview process, those two were integral, as they were screeching during most of it. The truth is that after the first week working at the greenhouse I had completely forgotten the birds’ names––I eventually just thought of them as the one that could whistle back to me and the stupid one that unapologeticly wanted to bite my finger.

The stupid one was Mel. Now that Mel is gone, we just have Other Bird, now alone in a plant world. When I came in on that first day after break, Other Bird was sitting on top of his cage with the door open. They liked to let him out once in

a while so Other Bird could look out across his small domain without any pesky bars getting in the way. I think they were treating Other Bird better than usual that day after the passing of his close friend and neighbor.

He even got to sit on a shoulder for a bit. I guess you gotta treat a bird right while it's mourning.

Jan. 28: Once in a while, the greenhouse gives me a task that I have absolutely no frame of reference on how to do. This was one of those days. That morning, I was handed a few gym towels and a bucket of soapy water and was told to clean two large plants in the library. Apparently, some of them have parasitic bugs that you can remove with about the same tools as an amateur car wash. So, as requested, I walked into the library and started scraping a wet towel over the potted palm by the infodesk. I learned that day that cleaning a plant is a task you can get paid to do and also that you can just walk into the library and start cleaning their plants, and nobody will question it. I have to admit, after a while, cleaning each of the individual fronds of the potted palm began to feel like an intimate experience between me and the plant, sort of like consoling your horse after she lost the county fair.

The second plant in the library I cleaned that day was the rubber tree by the window.

It was a bit of a challenge because the plant was very much covered in scales––these little bugs that look like pencil dots and just kind of sit on the plant like barnacles. Clean-

ing them off felt a lot more like the work of a doctor curing a diseased patient. Maybe I can finally change my title to tree surgeon.

I’d like to think this plant was quite thankful for my help, and if he could, he would send me a mid-range fountain pen with a handwritten note: “Thanks Doc.” Lastly, I’d like to share that I have expanded my plant operation to two. I bought a bamboo plant and have named it Mambo.

When I saw Mambo, I was hoping he would do the thing that feral bamboo does where it

just grows really fast and then suddenly I’d have a beautiful centerpiece for the dorm, but it’s been two weeks and very little has happened. Mambo appears to be very well trained. My other plant, Lottie, did not take the trip back from home particularly well and lost some stems because of it, but she’s recovered just fine now. While I have lost a bird friend this past week, I have gained a pretty solid plant. Mel, I’ll see you down the road. I hope you're biting every finger in the bird afterlife.

Nicholas Tillinghast/The Miscellany News.

Vassar Bitch Chronicles

by Emily Lesorogol

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

HOROSCOPES

HUMOR

February 3, 2022

Page 11

Madi Donat

Astral Projector

Right now it feels like it’s too cold to hear yourself think. If you step outside and feel the ARIES overwhelming urge to hibernate like a bear, March 21 | take my advice: Do it. No, literally. Who’s gonApril 19 na stop you? Sleep the day away safe and cozy in your room and hope that no one wakes you up or emails you.

TAURUS

April 20 | May 20

GEMINI

May 21 | June 20

The world is scary, so write down a list of all the things you’re scared of. Then rip it up into tiny pieces and throw it in the creek. Maybe it made you stressed out and sad, but maybe the ducks will find it a welcome gift and try to put it back together. I’ve been told that ducks really like lists.

I think we’ve been polite for too long. It’s time to start acting on our urges. I want to bite into a bell pepper like it’s an apple. Maybe you want to slide on the ice (safely, of course). Pick one thing that your brain won’t shut up about and just go for it. Life is short, but the joy of biting into a bell pepper like it’s an apple lasts forever.

Sometimes I feel like I only have 20 minutes to do everything I need to do. Like right now, I have CANCER to write these but I have an imminent date with a June 21 | Skinner practice room that I can’t miss. But then July 22 I remember that nothing is permanent and time is fake. 20 minutes could easily be an hour—who cares?

Puzzles are good for the brain. Over break, I became absolutely unable to stop doing NYT July 23 | crosswords, but just the Mondays because they August 22 make me feel smart. This week, do puzzles that make you feel smart, like easy geography quizzes on Sporcle or gingerly telling your friend to drop her Tinder hookup.

LEO

The weather is wreaking havoc on my skin and body, and I feel like it’s doing it on purpose.

August 23 | Everything hurts––my elbows, my cuticles, my September back… This week, don’t let dry skin stop you.

22 Live life to the fullest even though your hands feel like sandpaper. Who cares; put on more hand sanitizer. Enjoy it.

VIRGO

Raised

September 23 | October 22

SCORPIO

October 23 | November 21

SAGITTARIUS

November 22 | December 21

CAPRICORN

December 22 | January 19

AQUARIUS

January 20 | February 18

PISCES

February 19 | March 20

It’s always good to shake things up. Last night I made my bed and my comforter is reversible so guess what? I REVERSED IT! I’ve never had it this way ever in my life, so it’s a fun change. Find little things to do differently this week, though I can’t guarantee they’ll all be as exciting as my comforter change.

Conspiracies are cool until they lead into dangerous, upsetting, human-rights-violating territory. But what harm could a silly little conspiracy do? What if birds really AREN’T real? Shouldn’t it be our duty, as liberal arts students amidst this arboretum, to find out once and for all? Send all data to me by email.

CDs really were a short-lived innovation, huh? Truly reminds you about the fragility of life. One day we’re the next big thing, the next, Apple and Spotify and Justin Timberlake from “The Social Network” have ruined it all. Treasure today like you treasured CDs fifteen years ago. JT could be right around the corner.

Taking care of yourself can be EXHAUSTING. You’re telling me I have to do my regular life AND be nice to myself? Unbelievable. But we all have to do it, even when we’re tired or sad. Awful, I know, but what can I say; I’m a certified horoscope-writer which means I’m probably always right.

Did you know that rubber bands can expire?

Neither did I, until I encountered it for the first time. They get dry and gross like spaghetti. And that’s what could happen to YOU if you don’t work out your brain! This horoscope has been brought to you by Skillshare. Use the code “Horoscope” to get—

laundry prices: A comprehensive investigation

Madi Donat

Running out of Socks

D

LIBRA

We should probably all get tested every week, for the general health and safety for the student body, sure, but mostly just because it’s great to feel like a scientist every once in a while. Wow. Look at how I swab my nose. I place the specimen in the serum. I twist (THREE TIMES!). I am a woman in STEM.

ear readers, How lovely to write to you again.

How long the days since we last spoke. Alas, I am afraid I must break even more devastating news.

Here’s the thing: The laundry prices have gone up by 10 cents.

Now, I have been unable to verify this information for myself yet, so I must rely on my source. This has nothing to do with the fact that I have not yet done laundry this semester and everything to do with literally any other reason you could think of.

The problem, dear readers, as I’m sure by now you know, is that 10 cents every week is a lot of cents. Let’s just say, for example, that one were to do laundry 13 times a semester, at a rate of about once per week. That would come out to about $1.30 extra that that student will have paid by the end of this semester compared to last. And, to be fair, let’s knock off a cent just for averages’ sake: $1.29.

That number is completely arbitrary,

but it just so happens that $1.29 is still the amount that your standard song will sell for on iTunes. Granted, I do not use iTunes and I know no one in my life that does, but let’s say that one did. And let’s say that one person had been robbed of their $1.29. What would they miss out on?

“Believe” by Cher, for one. Probably a Coldplay song. A six-minute track called “Mouth Sounds & Massaging” by GiBi ASMR. These are real hits, people. A very long time ago, Steve Jobs decided that music had a cost, and the cost was a little under the amount of money we would save per semester had the College not raised the laundry prices by 10 cents. He was a very bright man. He knew this future.

For once, on this front I don’t claim conspiracy. Firstly, I still have yet to meet a single individual who actively uses the iTunes store like it’s 2014 and we all need to feverishly purchase “Cups” by Anna Kendrick.

Our institution has not robbed us of our iTunes tracks on purpose––it was simply an unfortunate consequence of the real culprit: Those creatures that live in the washers and eat at least one sock without fail every

time you wash anything have demanded more payment. They claim inflation.

The unfortunate reality is, whatever the reason, these prices are here to stay. I know we’d all much prefer dancing to Cher’s dulcet, autotuned voice or hearing Chris Martin say some lyrics maybe (I’m still not quite sure what Coldplay does). Or, who knows––maybe we’d all be gettin’ down

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

to the sweet sweet smacks and slops that “Mouth Sounds” has to offer. But this is a future that cannot be. Much like how iTunes as a business model has been long dead for many years now, so too are our dreams of rockin’ out to these and other delectable tunes. Like our $1.29, we send this grief out into the universe and hope it brings some good. At least our shirts will be clean.

Annabelle Wang/The Miscellany News.

HUMOR

Page 12

February 3, 2022

Going outside and other extreme winter sports Alyssa Willeford

Frostbite Awareness Advocate

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inter, huh? Whereas spring is the preferred season of boring people, summer the preferred season of those who like having sweat pool in unmentionable places and fall the preferred season of basic white girls, winter is the favorite season of the clinically insane. It’s quite a time of year, sporting many memorable qualities that keep us coming back—which is good, because, while the other seasons last for about three months each, the average winter lasts, by my estimate, for an entire decade.

Since I’m from Seattle, I never even knew what winter was before I came to Vassar. In Seattle, the weather has enough self-respect not to dip below freezing in the daytime, and snow is a cute thing that comes once or twice a year and then melts right away.

The rest of the time, of course, it rains, but that’s nothing new. It may be miserable, but it’s a familiar kind of miserable, like eating unflavored oatmeal or listening to the One Direction song “Story of My Life.” It’s a kind of miserable that becomes comforting after a while.

Compared with that, winter in Poughkeepsie is a blast of polar death. Call me old-fashioned, but when I go out for my morning run, I like the temperature to not be a number that I can count on my fingers.

What’s more, snow keeps falling all winter long, so that if you dig down you can find

deep layers of fossilized ice containing the blast-chilled bodies of frostbitten sports bros who, despite the Antarctic weather, insisted on wearing shorts to the Deece.

And you know what? I had no idea that snot could freeze! It was all quite an adjustment for me.

Of course, I know that I have it easier than some. Many Vassar students have arrived to our lovely campus from exotic locales, such as Florida, where it rarely gets cooler than a relaxing subtropical breeze. Clearly, these students need help, and while I may not be the best qualified to offer advice about cold weather, well, I’ve never let that stop me before, have I? My Top Tip for surviving the winter freeze is: wear more clothes. Maybe you don’t have the most cutting-edge Arctic survival gear, but you probably do have a lot of cheap schlock. As I write this, I’m wearing two pairs of pants, two shirts, a hat and roughly 730 pairs of socks—and while my toes still feel like they’re going to fall off from frostbite within the next hour or so, they lasted longer than they would have otherwise!

There is one great thing about winter, though: It ends, although far too slowly for my liking. Soon, temperatures will begin to climb above freezing (although you should never take such a luxury for granted) and we’ll be able to go outside again. Until then, you can always light an unauthorized fire in your dorm room, right? I recommend burning math homework first.

Ruby Funfrock/The Miscellany News.

The trials and tribulations of trying to follow trends Carly D'Antonio Not Your Bestie

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owadays, being trendy is not only a norm, but it is also a necessity, atleast at Vassar. If you are insulted by this statement, don't be. It is a completely normal feeling to want to keep up with all the latest trends that seem to be floating around campus and change every two weeks.

I will admit I am guilty of this habit from time to time. With apps like TikTok and Instagram, it is hard to ignore the latest fashion and entertainment trends.

However, this is my column so I get to and will act like I am original and better than

everybody even though I am most certainly not. I think we can all admit there are quite a few Vassar students who follow said trends, and I am completely okay with that and this is a judgment-free zone. However, for the sake of comedy, I will be judging and I will be enjoying it.

Let's start with the clothes. The amount of fashion trends I have seen rise and fall in the past year is enough to fill an entire issue of The Misc. It was almost overnight that I saw at least 30 of my peers as well as many people scattered over TikTok adorned with their new Balaclavas.

To me, it was almost comical the speed at which these people obtained this “quirky

new look.” Now I must make it clear that I am not hating on Balaclavas. I just think if these people gave the same urgency they did to following trends to finding the carnivorous crabs that allegedly ate Amilia Earhart, we might have some answers by now.

Sometimes I wonder how these people acquire this clothing so fast. Do they stay up night and day trying to predict what the latest trends will be and pay for next-day shipping? Are there twenty missed guesses for everyone that is correct? Or is it just dumb luck?

It's even worse when it creeps into your vernacular. The number of times in the

Poetry Corner Anna Kozloski

A Lovesick Lobster There once was a man whose vocation Was to therapize lonely crustaceans, But one day defiant, He boiled is client In a barbarous fit of frustration.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

past week I have had someone say “okay bestie” to me is truly astonishing. The number of times I have to listen to conversations debriefing last night's episode of “Euphoria.” I wonder how many people know that Carhartt and Dickies are literally made for farmers and not just fun and quirky outfits.

And again, I am not saying any of these things are bad, but I am saying that they annoy me and I am sick of them.

Okay, okay, maybe I am being a bit harsh, I just don't have the energy to keep up anymore. I will simply be lost and wear the same t-shirt and jeans every day, like Steve Jobs.

OPINIONS

February 3, 2022

Page 13

Texas synagogue hostage crisis: A microcosm of antisemitism Ben Goth

Opinions Editor

O

n Jan. 15, 2022, a man appearing to be homeless gained entry into a synagogue before Shabbat services, where he held the rabbi and four others hostage for nearly 11 hours demanding the release of a convicted terrorist. A witness who viewed the event on a livestream overheard the man ranting about Jews and Israel while stating that he chose his target because, in his words, "America only cares about Jewish lives." It would seem evident that this attack was openly antisemitic at its core. However, much unnecessary misdirection perpetuated by the media needed to be cleared before the public generally agreed upon the assailant’s motive.

Shortly after the standoff, FBI agent Matthew DeSarno said, "[The gunman] was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not

Courtesy of Quinn Dombrowski via Flickr.

Addressing Sufana Noorwez Guest Columnist

A

mong the multitude of health crises that face our world today, one that is not more widely regarded as an urgent threat is the rise of antimicrobial resistance.

Since Alexander Fleming’s 1929 discovery of penicillin, a naturally occurring substance with inherent antibacterial properties, the use of antimicrobial agents in the healthcare industry has grown exponentially. Bacterial diseases that were considered fatal a century ago are no longer in the public mind because of their widespread eradication through the use of antibiotics. Gone are the days when a simple case of strep throat could kill you.

Although antibiotic resistance is a natural evolutionary process in which bacteria select for traits that help them survive within hostile environments, this resistance can have devastating consequences on human health.

According to the book, Guns, Germs, and Steel, World War II was the first major war in which the majority of casualties did not come from microbes, but instead from actual battle wounds. According to React, World War II occurred after the discovery of penicillin and during “the golden era of antibiotics.” Harvard estimates that antibiotics save up to 200,000 lives annually in the United States alone, and their widespread use has increased life expectancy by 5-10 years. Nature also states that deaths caused by infectious disease have fallen 70% since the advent of antibiotics. Given this information, it is clear that antibiotics have been one of the most important medical developments of all time.

However, in the face of growing antibiotic misuse and the discovery void, antibiotics are rapidly becoming useless as bacteria evolve and mutate in ways that confer immunity against antimicrobial agents. Bacteria have an extremely short life span and they reproduce quickly. They also have sophisticated,

specifically related to the Jewish community, but we are continuing to work to find a motive." The BBC echoed this sentiment with a tweet stating, "Texas synagogue hostage standoff not related to the Jewish community", citing claims from the FBI. The Associated Press tweeted a similar claim but deleted it soon after posting. Five days following the attack, the FBI amended its original claim, finally acknowledging that the attack was antisemitic. The only major American news organization that initially cited the attack to be antisemitic was The Washington Post; other news companies initially focused on the assailant's supposed mental illnesses or the need to increase security throughout synagogues nationwide.

How can it be that the media, in a period of heightened alertness to biases and stereotypes, is in denial about such concepts when they are aimed towards Jews?

The answer begins with antisemitism in its various forms. The term “antisemitism” was coined in the 19th century to transform religious hatred into racial hatred. After World War II, when racial hatred was finally considered uncivil, anti-Zionism emerged as a more ‘acceptable’ measure to oppose and denigrate Jews and their interests. Anti-Zionism refers to the blanket opposition of the Jewish state, not just superficial criticisms of Israeli policies. Should the dissolution of Israel take place, more dangerous variations of antisemitism are sure to develop.

A common denominator of antisemitism

antibiotic

is the fantasy of power that Jews possess.

Religious anti-semites believed that Jews could kill Christ in ancient and medieval times. In the 19th century, forerunners to the Nazis considered Jews capable of starting wars and manipulating leaders. Today, anti-Zionists attribute Israel and its American supporters to powers they cannot attain, like drawing the United States into war. On the far-right, anti-semites like FOX News host Tucker Carlson believe that Jews are creating a scheme to replace white Americans with immigrant labor, even though his statements do not explicitly mention Jews.

This delusion about Jewish power may appear nonsensical, but it is much more pervasive than many think. There are times when Americans participate in antisemitism without consciously being aware of it.

For example, some Americans might think that Israel gains support in Congress due to the influence of pro-Israel lobbyists. They would be surprised to learn that pro-Israel interest groups donate roughly $5.7 million, a relatively small amount compared to the $100 million that retiree interest groups donate.

A contemporary moral conviction that we all face is that the powerful are inherently wrong while the powerless are intrinsically good. This conviction is the reason for many conversations surrounding the concept of privilege, which removes presumptive merit from those who possess it and stigmatizes failure from those who do

resistance

efficient ways of exchanging DNA material. Both of these characteristics ensure that when a trait for antibiotic resistance arises in bacteria, it spreads throughout a population, since it benefits bacteria to be resistant against a deadly agent.

Antibiotic misuse includes overprescription by medical professionals and the failure on the part of individuals in finishing their course of antibiotics when prescribed. Other sources include the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria through water and sanitation systems in areas with poor water quality. All of these issues have allowed for the rise of new bacteria, called “superbugs,” which are highly resistant to antimicrobial agents. Some of these bacteria, including MRSA and antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis, have had devastating effects on humans. In 2017 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 20,000 deaths occurred in the United States as a result of bloodstream infections with MRSA. Thus, it is of essence that this problem is stopped immediately.

Another issue contributing to the widespread problem of antibiotic resistance is the “discovery void.” There have been very few new antibiotics developed since 1967, and without the circulation of new classes of drugs, bacteria have grown resistant to the treatments already present in the medical field, building up immunity and creating the aforementioned “superbugs.”

However, this pause in novel drug manufacturing is not a result of a lack of innovation or an absence of knowledge on the part of the scientific community. It is instead a result of the decreased profitability of developing and manufacturing antibiotics. On the scale of medical innovations, antibiotics are not especially profitable in the present day, and this has caused pharmaceutical companies to withdraw from the endeavor. In a 2017 study, it was found that the average cost of developing a new antibiotic is $1.5 billion

is

not. This conviction is the likeliest reason for media hesitancy to refer to the attack as antisemitic. Unlike the white, conservative, Christian protesters in Charlottesville nearly five years ago, the gunman in Texas is a British Muslim of Pakistani descent. He is not white or right-wing. In the contemporary narrative of privilege, demographics of the perpetrator become irrelevant in the deeply-rooted aspects of antisemitism throughout modern society.

Jewish Americans should understand that the media's hesitancy was not a lapse in journalistic judgment; it should be viewed as a warning sign. The Jewish state, which gained its power through constant threats of dissolution, is treated as a pariah. Moreover, its supporters risk social ostracism by mere association. A growing sector of the progressive left decries the concept of privilege as one of guilt, and that the powerful must be stripped of it if they do not utilize their privilege to aid the less fortunate. An individual with an understanding of Jewish history should know that social privilege can turn into personal ruin, as evidenced by the contradiction of their professional success and simultaneous social discrimination.

There is much to be thankful for about the outcome of the attack, but it would be wise to also view it as a warning that not much luck is left. Antisemitism has mutated before, and it will again; Jewish Americans need to be prepared for the new variant and the methods to cope with it.

multifaceted

Courtesy of Adam Nieścioruk on Unsplash.

U.S. dollars, but the average yearly revenue is only around $46 million dollars. Other drugs, especially those which treat chronic conditions, guarantee repeated customers, which is a much more sound business model for pharmaceutical companies.

This paints a dire picture for the future.

According to Nature, drug-resistant diseases currently cause around 700,000 deaths a year, and some models show that by 2050, it is expected that 10 million people a year will die as a result of antibiotic-resistant infections. These statistics are staggering, and it can be prevented if pharmaceutical companies were to use their time and resources to develop new drugs. If they are not self-motivated, pharmaceutical companies must be incentivized in some way to produce new antibiotics, most likely through government motivation and funding. Their present failure to do so is ethically wrong, and will prove to cost millions of lives if left unchecked.

However, another part of the issue is the lack of clear information available to inform people about the risks of antibiotic resistance.

The public attitude towards antibiotics is entirely too relaxed. In addition, a study found that antibiotics are prescribed for a wide range of ailments that are not bacterial in

The opinions expressed above do not represent those of The Miscellany News as a whole.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

nature such as the flu and the common cold.

Using antibiotics when they are not needed is one of the biggest contributors to growing resistance, which must be stopped. Public health departments and organizations must prioritize better public education about the topic to push this agenda. Similarly, the easiest way to address the risks of discontinuing antibiotics is by spreading information about its risks through local public health departments. If people begin to treat antibiotics like the treasure that they are, it will help combat the spread of antibiotic resistance. This will then allow medical professionals to continue their use in treatment.

Pharmaceutical companies and public health organizations around the world must be called to action on the subject of antibiotic resistance. If new antibiotics are not developed and their misuse is not stopped immediately, then the world faces a dismal future in terms of available medical treatments.

Bacteria are evolutionarily equipped to fight anything that attempts to kill them, but they do not have the capacity for rational thought.

Only humans coming together will overcome any future negative effects of antibiotic resistance, and action must be taken immediately.

OPINIONS

Page 14

February 3, 2022

Sandro Luis Lorenzo/ Miscellany News.

A primer on “vaccine hesitation”: It’s not so simple Joseph Cocozza

Guest Columnist

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his article is not an attempt to support so-called “anti-vaxxers” who oppose using time-tested vaccines on various grounds.

This article is an effort to broaden the very narrow conversation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. There are people with legitimate concerns—on scientific and moral levels— about COVID-19 vaccines. Moreover, this is not a clear, black-and-white issue. As with everything, there is nuance and complexity to it.

Two primary categories drive vaccine hesitation. First are the moral and ethical issues that have arisen during the pandemic. And second, there are scientific objections to the vaccine—especially Pfizer’s variant. Addressing the moral and ethical issues first might help contextualize scientific objections to the COVID-19 vaccine.

If we return to the beginning of the pandemic’s beginning, a source of contention was the use of masks and the mandated use of them to reduce the spread of COVID-19. To many Americans, this change was the first of multiple transgressions that further degraded their faith in the government. In many ways, Chief Medical Advisor to the President Dr. Anthony Fauci has been the face of the scientific discussion involving the pandemic and came to represent the federal government in their response to the pandemic.

Early on, as reported from a June 15, 2020 Insider article, Americans were told that masks were not a necessity and that they would do very little to reduce the spread of the virus.

Currently, if we look around, everyone is wearing masks. Later, it seemedwas elucidated that the general public was misled by medical experts to avoid a mask shortage for healthcare workers. Regardless of the intent of this deception, it was a deception nonetheless; a deception that practically destroyed their trust in the federal government’s pandemic response.

A second major element of vaccine hesitation is a deeply-rooted mistrust in pharmaceutical companies. The opioid crisis is still fresh in the minds of many who lost loved ones, not to an external virus, but to the horrors of addiction that were packaged and stamped by the same companies that

have produced the vaccines. Pfizer is a company that has paid the most significant criminal fine in history (2009)- for misbranding a painkiller with the intent to “defraud or mislead.” In 2004 Pfizer paid $430 million in fines for marketing a drug for unapproved uses—even after scientific evidence showed the drug to be ineffective. Suddenly, Americans are being asked to trust these companies despite their history of lying and manipulation.

Even to this day, a cloud of deception lingers around ‘Big Pharma.’ Though a judge struck down this action, the FDA attempted to delay the release of the Pfizer vaccine safety data by 75 years—not to be seen by the public until 2097. Even more recently, Pfizer has attempted to support the FDA in the delay to protect trade secrets and business proprietary information. As of this writing, that lawsuit is still being reviewed. Even to a non-skeptic, this information seems suspicious. It is very difficult to justify the delayed release of safety data under any circumstances, particularly given the widespread use of the vaccine.

Now, let us turn to potential scientific objections to the vaccine. One of the mantras of the vaccine has been “safe and effective.”

Many people know that the vaccine is 95 percent effective, as indicated in a December 2020 study by The New England Journal of Medicine. Here is our first issue. The original Pfizer trial report data said that the vaccine was safe and had a 95 percent efficacy rate seven days after the second dose. What does that 95 percent mean? 95 percent represents that relative risk reduction. That is to say, the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the time of that trial was 0.88 percent if one was unvaccinated. The risk then fell to 0.04 percent when vaccinated. That 95 percent is the relative difference between 0.88 percent and 0.04 percent. Absolute risk reduction was 0.84 percent (0.88 percent minus 0.04 percent). This means the Pfizer vaccine’s net benefit is 0.84 percent, not 95 percent. In fact, the FDA recommends using absolute risk reduction instead of relative risk reduction. The fact that so many overlook these statistics is yet another reason why many in the general public feel they are being misled and manipulated. This data drastically changes the analysis involved in the vaccine and should beg the question ‘how many would have taken the vaccine

with the knowledge of a less than 1 percent overall benefit’?

There are also serious concerns about data integrity and research processes in Pfizer’s trials, according to one whistleblower from a Nov. 2 article published by The BMJ. There have been claims of falsified data, unblinded patients, inadequately trained vaccinators, and delayed follow-up on adverse events reported in the third vaccine phase III trial. In addition, there were also claims of quality control check staff being overwhelmed by the volume of problems they were finding.

The story of 12-year-old Maddie de Garay is perhaps one of the most troubling stories.

After taking the vaccine during the trials, this healthy adolescent reported having abdominal pain. The reality of the situation was more unsettling. Twenty-four hours after she arrived at the trial site, she developed crippling pain—abdominal, muscle and nerve pain. It was described as if someone was “ripping [her] heart out through [her] neck.” The 12-year-old has now been admitted to the hospital three times, developing a host of issues including: “gastroparesis, erratic blood pressure, erratic heart rate, memory loss, brain fog, dizziness, fainting, seizures, verbal tics, motor tics, loss of feeling from her waist through her toes, muscle weakness, drastic and adverse changes in her vision, urinary retention, loss of bladder control, and the start of and severely irregular menstrual cycles”. De Garay is currently confined to a wheelchair; yet she experienced merely abdominal pain in the trial study.

Many Americans have already had COVID-19, with some estimates being around 1 in 3. Because of this, many wonder why vaccine mandates still apply to them.

Natural immunity has been proven to be successful with many studies demonstrating at least as much protection and durability as vaccination. In addition, more attention should be paid to the slogan “A pandemic of the unvaccinated.” People hear this slogan and are left more confused than ever. Despite 75 percent of the US having received one dose and 64 percent being fully vaccinated, the past few weeks have had the most extensive caseload since the pandemic began. Something doesn’t seem to be adding up.

Finally, I’d like to talk about the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

The opinions expressed above do not represent those of The Miscellany News as a whole.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

(VAERS). Many discredit the VAERS data because of claims it is highly susceptible to manipulation by malicious actors. On the flip side, a report from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care says that VAERS underreports adverse vaccine events by a large margin—only 1 percent of events are reported. No matter how one views the data, a few things are clear: there are potentially dangerous and harmful side effects to this vaccine. Even the producers of the vaccine admit to this. There is no getting around that. If the data is bad, then the CDC failed in providing the American people the ability to make informed decisions. If the data is good, then it speaks for itself—27,000 counts of myocarditis and pericarditis, 22,000 deaths, 11,000 heart attacks after receiving the vaccine. And what happens if only 1 percent of events are actually being reported? Either way, here is another nail in the coffin of public trust. As safe as vaccines are, they are not perfect. This is an issue that stems back decades, most notably in 1955 when 200 children were left paralyzed and ten were killed after receiving the Polio vaccine at Cutter Laboratories—what would become the “Cutter Incident.”

It is important to keep an open mind about COVID-19 vaccination. Frankly, there are many more, like the increasingly alarming data on children—particularly in regard to heart inflammation in young boys after receiving the vaccine. To many, the question of whether to get vaccinated is not an easy one. No matter how safe it is now, there is no knowing what five, 10, 15 or 50 years will bring. That uncertainty alone is enough for some. Though one can debate if it’s directly applicable, the Nuremberg code tells us that,​​ “The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential.” Some have given their consent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, which is perfectly fine. However, there are some who do not want to make that choice.

They are tired of a series of lies and deceptions from companies and the federal government.

They yearn for the right of personal freedom to bear the consequences of those decisions.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “No man is good enough to govern another man without his consent.” If we forget the dignity and respect that we owe each other as human beings, the miraculous accomplishment of this vaccine will have been for nothing.

SPORTS

February 3, 2022

Senior

day

Continued from SPORTS on page 1 sure,” indicated Ecklund. She continued, “I remember thinking that my upperclassmen were way smarter than me, but I find it hard to believe my underclassmen feel the same way. I think there is less distinction between upperclassmen and underclassmen on our team now. Everyone helps everyone and there isn't really any seniority stuff.”

In a similar sentiment, Li stated, “There are still moments where I feel daunted and even times where I get imposter syndrome having to address the whole team as one of their leaders, but at the same time I also channel some of my own unique attributes to put my own spin on the role, mainly by creating a lighthearted environment where people can feel comfortable being themselves, even if it is often a bit silly.”

Meanwhile, White was reluctant to think of himself as a leader, but rather someone that can share his experience with others. He said, “I learn and grow just as much from the underclassmen's help. I had amazing relationships with my upperclassmen and those friendships motivate me now to do the best I can to recreate similar relationships with my underclassmen.”

Another bittersweet aspect of being a senior is the ability to look in retrospect. There was almost consensus across the teammates that if they could talk to their younger selves, they would tell them to embrace the small moments and to remember the joy from their sport. “I would tell myself to not worry so much about how fast your times are and that overthinking your times can hurt your

Analyzing Frank Zhu

Guest Columnist

I

t is getting close to that time of year again: the NBA All-Star Game. This mid-season showdown,which dates all the way back to 1951, features the best players of each conference and showcases 24 of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s biggest stars.

And despite being an almost century-old routine, the only change to the competition was back in 2017, when the NBA commissioners decided to revamp the format of the game by adding the All-Stars Draft and changing the East versus West teams to teams named after the captains. The new changes also gave players and media the ability to add their votes to the All-Stars (before this, the selections were entirely fan-based), and the All-Star Draft allowed for the mixing of players between conferences. These led to a renewed excitement and intensity of competition. Other than that, it is still the familiar game that we all love to see: an exciting and competitive match among some of the all-time greats.

The NBA announced last Thursday, Jan. 27, that the results for the 2022 All-Star Game have been confirmed. The game will be on Sunday, Feb. 20, in Cleveland, and the AllStar Draft Show will go live on Thursday, Feb. 10. And this year, fans will be able to attend the event, as opposed to the TV-only form last year, and the game will bring new excitement and intensity as new faces join the existing roster. Now, let’s take a look at the starters of each conference: Western Conference: Lebron James, Captain and Starter: Widely regarded as one of the NBA's greatest players, James, who began his NBA career back in 2003, has been chosen as an All-Star for the 18th straight year. Tying with Kobe Bryant for the most consecutive selections to the All-Stars, and one away from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's most All-Star

offers

opportunity

performance. I would say just to try to have fun, and that good performances will come with having a good time,” explained Pham.

White additionally emphasized how swimming is, first and foremost, a game: “The effort and commitment you have to give will come along if you're willing to do the work because it's fun.” Jenkins further expanded on these little moments: “It’s always good to work towards the final outcome you want, but the last four years have gone by so fast.

It’s important to take in the smaller moments because ultimately, those are what will stick with me in the long run.” For Fujikawa, he reflected on whether he should’ve joined VCSD earlier (as he joined his sophomore year), but ultimately recognized that timing was right: “As much as I would've gained from that, I don't regret taking the path that I did. If I could go back and say something to myself, I would say this: ‘Trust your instincts, and always remember that you've surrounded yourself with good people.’”

There are plenty of memories that the athletes shared throughout their years, from bonding in the Deece with teammates, to winning awards, to creating team handshakes and beating Montclair State in 2020 for the first time in 20 years in the last relay of the meet. It is these shared experiences that make competing on a team worth it, even when you’re spending hours at the pool, rebounding from missed goals and dealing with unprecedented times. “The most challenging thing about competing in three collegiate seasons has been finding ways to stay motivated through all of the ups [and] downs

the

Page 15

that are inherent with any type of collegiate athletics,” elaborated Jenkins. “I’ve found that the best way for me to get through those harder times when I may want to give up is to think about how I can be there for my team and also let them be there for me.”

Adding onto Jenkins’ statement, White further explained how the support system and bond of the team has helped him through his toughest times: “Early on, I struggled to emotionally handle failures because I was so competitive and only cared about winning. This team, specifically the people on the team this year, have helped me remember what matters most; enjoying being with my teammates and getting up and racing with them.”

The Vassar Sprint Invitational was the last

reflection

competition for both sides before the Liberty League Championships, which will take place at Ithaca College from Feb. 16 to 19.

From there on, NCAA Diving Regionals and NCAA DIII Championships will await. If the Invitational is any indicator, where VCSD broke multiple meet records, VCSD is ready to shine. After the season ends though, there is just one thing left for these Vassar seniors: retirement. While Pham, Fujikawa, White, Li and Jenkins mentioned how excited they are to explore other hobbies, exercises and new experiences, I think Ecklund hit on the most important benefit: “No more 6 a.m. morning practices! I am gonna sleep in every day that I can.” It’s safe to say that they deserve it. Cheers to being the new “washed up.”

Courtesy of Abby Whittington.

NBA

selections of 19. He was selected as an AllStar back in 2005 and immediately earned an All-Star MVP the following year. This year also marks his fifth consecutive game as an All-Star captain, and he has won all of them up till now. We will have to see if he can continue his reign this year, or if he will finally lose this year to the new additions.

Nikola Jokić, Starter: As the reigning Kia MVP from last year, Jokić "The Joker" is the first Center to earn the award in 20 years: the previous being Shaquille O'Neal back in 2000. He is also one of only two players selected in the second round of the NBA draft to win the award.

This year will be his fourth consecutive game as an All-Star starter, and it will be intriguing to see how he goes into the game as an MVP. Andrew Wiggins, Starter: Wiggins was drafted into the NBA back in 2014, selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as their first draft pick. He then went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2015, along with being named to the All-Rookie First Team. This year will be his first time being selected to a part of the NBA All-Stars, and it will be a spectacle to see how he handles the stress of being a starter.

Stephen Curry, Starter: As one of the greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history, it is not surprising to see Curry as a starter yet again, selected as All-Star for the eighth consecutive time. A mere two months ago, he broke the NBA record for the most career 3-pointers with 3366, surpassing Ray Allen's record of 2973. However, he seems to be in a shooting slump ever since breaking the record, averaging only 25.7 points per game right now, compared to his 2020 record of 32.0 points per game.

It is unclear whether it was the stress that got to him or if it was due to some unknown injury that caused this shooting slump. All we know is that Curry will need to get back in his best form to perform well during the

for

2022

All-Star Game and the Championships.

Ja Morant, Starter: Morant was the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2020. This year, he has helped the Grizzlies reach a surprising third place in the Western Conference, and has been rewarded for his efforts by being selected as an All-Star starter, joining Marc Gasol as the only Grizzlies player selected as All-Stars. This year marks his first time as an All-Star Starter, alongside Andrew Wiggins, and it will be very intriguing to see how they perform.

Eastern Conference: Kevin Durant, Captain and Starter: Durant has been widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, along with James, and it is no surprise to see him at the All-Stars again for the 12th consecutive year. And as the captain of last year's Eastern Conference All-Star Team, despite losing to James' team 150-170, it would be extremely exciting to see if he can make a comeback this year. However, Durant's participation in the game is currently in doubt since he is suffering from a sprained ligament in his knee.

Hopefully, he can still recover and make it to the All-Star game for an exciting match-up.

Joel Embiid, Starter: "The Process" will be experiencing a return to the All-Star game after missing last year's.

Embiid was the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, even though multiple injuries plagued him and delayed his rookie season until 2016-2017, in which he was immediately named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team despite playing only 31 games. This year is his fifth straight season being selected as an All-Star Starter and is the longest streak held by a 76ers player since Allen Iverson (2000-2006). As a promising pick, we will surely see some action from him once again.

Trae Young, Starter: Young was drafted in the 2018 NBA Draft,

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

All-Stars with a fifth pick by the Dallas Mavericks, though he was later traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Just one year after the draft, he was named to the All-Rookie First Team, along with the subsequent All-Stars team in 2020. This year will be his second year as an All-Star Starter, and we can look forward to his performance on game night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Starter: The captain of the 2019 and 2020 All-Star Eastern Conference teams, Giannis "Greek Freak" Antetokounmpo is an All-Star Starter once again, marking his sixth consecutive year. Drafted in 2013 and receiving the Most Improved Player Award in 2017, Antetokounmpo has won back-to-back NBA MVP Awards in 2019 and 2020 (alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and Lebron James as the only players to achieve this) and a Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 (joining Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to earn both the MVP and Defensive Player Award in the same season). All of these achievements show just how amazing of a player he is, and we will have to see if he manages to earn the All-Star MVP once again, just like last year.

Demar Derozan, Starter: Derozan was drafted in 2009, by the Toronto Raptors. Since then, he has gone on to be selected as a two-time All-NBA Team member and a five-time All-Star. He has also played for the United States National Team in the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. Right now, he is averaging 26.5 points, 5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, and it will be exciting to see if he can maintain his performance going into the All-Star Game.

What do you think about the Starter roster this year? Any bets on which team will win?

I personally want to see Lebron James continue his undefeated reign in the All-Stars, though I would also like to see Durant win as well. Thanks for reading up to this point, and see you at the All-Stars.

CROSSWORD

Page 16

February 3, 2022

The Miscellany Crossword “Crosswordle” ACROSS 1. Items found in cars without an aux 4. Spiritual cause and effect 9. Mr. Claus 14. Storyline's shape 15. *Holy item, and in the theme of this puzzle, second & third letter boxes are green 16. General locations 17. "Seinfeld" uncle 18. Yet 19. *On the right... well, fourth box is now yellow...

20. Actor Nathan of "The Producers" 22. "______ drink!"

24. Sigur ___ (Icelandic rock band) 25. Odors and such 27. Five rivers in the UK, not just the Shakespeare one 29. Consume 30. Tom Collins alcohol 31. Electric fishes 35. *Ok, ok, first three boxes are all green...

38. Valjean of "Les Miserables" 39. Very much 40. Snaps out of it 42. 2010 Disney animated film 44. Scottish family grouping 45. "...gyre and gimble in the ____" 47. *Nope, didn't get it, first three still green...

48. ____-up (suppressed) 49. Demon of Japanese folklore 50. One of the major Hollywood talent companies 51. Type of sailboat 53. Whiteside of the Jazz

By Reese Collins

57. "The Bachelor" network 60. "Go ______ tangent" 62. Pizza party drink, usually 63. *Hey! Fourth box now green, now you just need that last letter...

65. "_____ Supreme" Coltrane album 67. Basketball hoop 68. "I can _____ hint" 69. Reviews, say 70. Golf peg 71. Strong substance 72. *Boom! All green!

73. Slangy adjective used while playing "Among Us"

DOWN

1. Phones 2. Aspiration 3. Tea food 4. British weight units, abbr.

5. Painter or sculptor 6. Drizzle or downpour 7. Fuel efficiency 8. Lessen, ease 9. Beelzebub 10. Dep. partner, in an airport 11. Not far 12. Tuesday's food 13. Inquires 21. Periodic table things 23. Singer Summer, the "Queen of Disco" 26. 19-across distances 28. Only flowering plant species underwater 32. Lorde's first name 33. Gallery at Vassar 34. Health class topics 35. Letters on USSR hockey uniforms

36. Part 37. "Don't kick ____ when he's down" 38. French martyr 41. "_____ a kind" (pair) 43. March madness org.

46. Like many magnets 50. Labor leader Cesar 52. Faithful 54. Ilks 55. Good guess in Wordle

Answers to last week’s puzzle: “Winter Weather Talk”

By Reese Collins

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

56. "Kim Kardashian always tells me to never drop _____" 57. Play dividers 58. Grilled sausage 59. Birthday treat 61. "____ chance!"

64. Tappan ___ Bridge 66. Vietnam or Nepal ending