Misc.02.16.23

The Miscellany News

miscellanynews.org

Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866

February 16, 2023

Volume 159 | Issue 4

Final MODfest Inclusive History Initiative sparks concerns concert stuns Janet Song, Jacques Abou-Rizk

sor of History Mita Choudhury; Dean of the College Carlos Alamo-Pastrana; and Head of Special Collections and Adjunct Associate Professor of History Ron Patkus, who also serves as College Historian.

Content of the initiative is still being decided. “As of right now, we are really open to what we might find. Ideally, we imagine that there will be a webpage off of the College’s main page where anyone can go and learn about past, present, and potential future areas of inquiry,” Dean Alamo-Pastrana stated in an email correspondence. “You could imagine a website that includes nuanced biographies, the history of buildings and [a] repository of larger class projects.

Kahn accredited multiple factors to his own involvement with the initiative, including his involvement with the Engaged Pluralism initiative and Race & Racism in the Historical Collections Project Group. “[The Historical Collections Project Group] began by wrestling with the sets of racist photos in our archives and, then, two of the librarians in that group, Deb Bucher and Melanie Maksin, and I co-taught an EPI Intensive in the fall of 2022, ‘Facing the Vassar Archive,’ where we delved deeply into this material,” Kahn explained in a written correspondence.

“At the same time, there have been others on campus working on other questions about Vassar’s history and its relationship to our present…This new initiative only takes form

Contributing Writer, news editor

Madi Donat Humor Editor

O

n Saturday, Feb. 3, I was fortunate enough to see “Welcome to Indian Country,” a musical, poetry and storytelling experience at Skinner Hall, as the closing act of the 2023 ModFest season. “Welcome to Indian Country” featured a band composed of incredible Indigenous activists and musicians who have already had successful solo careers: Diné trumpetist Delbert Anderson; fiddler Nokosee Fields of the Osage, Creek and Cherokee Nations; Peruvian and Spanish percussionist Nicholas Lucero; vocalist and drummer Charly Lowry of the Lumbee/Tuscarora People; and bassist Mali Obomsawin from the Abenaki First Nation at Odanak. In addition, the group was joined by Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest, a member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, who served as the night’s storyteller, providing program notes and reciting her own works in between songs. The show was put on by Indigenous Performance Productions, a group run by agent and Indigenous activist Andre Bouchard. The stated aim of the production was to increase visibility for Indigenous artists and to recontextualize what indigeneity See Concert on page 4

T

he Vassar Inclusive History initiative, announced by President Bradley on Feb. 7, is the College’s most recent commitment to reexamining its history as an institution.

While some members of the Vassar community see the initiative as an opportunity for Vassar to reconcile with its complicated history, others question how much student and alumni involvement will contribute to the initiative in order to address the College’s complicated legacy.

The initiative follows similar projects conducted by other higher education institutions, including Harvard University’s report, “Havard and the Legacy of Slavery.”

Bradley cited this as one of the inspirations behind Vassar’s initiative. In an email with The Miscellany News, Bradley stated, “I was impressed with its quality and thoroughness, and felt like institutions miss an opportunity if they do not examine and re-examine their history. This year, as we have committed to Engaged Pluralism and as several scholars have mentioned their excitement to do this work at Vassar, the time seemed right.”

According to Bradley’s announcement, the initiative contains a Commission of five members: Director of Engaged Pluralism and Professor of Religion Jonathon Kahn; Director of Africana Studies and Professor of Sociology Diane Harriford; Chair and Profes-

as the result of so many people’s work.”

Similarly, Alamo-Pastrana accredited the inspiration behind the initiative to efforts within the Vassar community. “Vassar students and employees have long pushed the institution forward to do and to be better, and they have asked us on many occasions to reckon with the history of this place that is a sort of home to us,” Alamo-Pastrana wrote.

“This project allows us to more directly confront this history in ways that are more engaging, inclusive and transparent.”

In her announcement, Bradley also noted the advocacy work of numerous groups in and outside Vassar. “Activism and energy put forth for decades [have] been vital to coming to this place for launching the Vassar Inclusive History initiative,” she wrote.

These groups included the African American Alumnae/i of Vassar College (AAVC) and the Native American Advisory Committee, as well as student organizations such as the Black Students’ Union, the Latinx Student Union and the Vassar Asian American Student Working Group (VASAM).

However, two primary concerns have emerged since the initiative’s announcement: whether the initiative will aptly represent student activism and address Vassar’s history of racism, as well as the extent of student and alumni involvement in the initiative.

For the Ad Hoc Committee of Black and See History on page 3

VSA reviews COVID policy Silent disco dazzles first-years Jacques Abou-Rizk News Editor

O

ver the last two weeks the College handled more than 140 new students and 15 employees testing positive for COVID-19—this semester’s largest outbreak. In the last week, President Elizabeth Bradley informed students in her Sunday email on Feb. 12 that only 12 students were currently positive on campus. As cases continue to fluctuate, the College asked the Vassar Student Association (VSA) to review COVID-19 policies.

According to a statement from President of the VSA Julián Aguilar ’23, “The recent spike in COVID-19 cases following several large-scale events has stirred renewed anxiety surrounding COVID-19 management, and thus requests from some students for a return to the types of policies imposed early in the then-pandemic stage of COVID-19— pods, mandatory testing and masking, daily symptom reporting, take-out dining, and off-campus isolation, among others.”

Responding to rising questions, Dean of the College Carlos Alamo said, “COVID-19 policy decisions are made by the senior leadership team in consultation with Health Services and state and federal public health guidelines for higher education.

Students, faculty, administrators, and staff regularly share their perspectives regarding

COVID-19 policies on campus, and these views along with the CDC and state public health guidelines for higher education, influence these decisions.” He added, “The president, Dean of College, and President of VSA meet regularly to discuss this and other issues to understand what is important to students.”

Karen Mogami/The Miscellany News.

See Covid on page 4

Carina Cole

W

Guest Columnist

ith promises of pizza, soda and curated tunes, first-years made their way down to The Mug for a silent disco orchestrated by First-Year Programming last weekend.

A silent disco—for those who don’t know—is an event where participants don bulky wireless headphones in order to have a quiet, yet still energetic, dance party alternative. Firstyear representatives were stationed at a makeshift DJ booth, eagerly manning three channels that participants could choose from by simply flicking a switch on their headphones.

With something for everyone, the event was a big hit.

Calder Beasley ’26, Noyes House first-year representative and novice DJ, gushed about working with fellow representatives: “Everyone really cares about their house and their fellow first-years. I am lucky to be a part of a passionate group of people that are very proactive planners.” Beasley explained that originally the representatives had planned on the disco being an entirely throwback, decades-themed function. But ultimately the group decided to have a mix of throwbacks, Latin music and modern pop, so as to please everyone. Main House First-Year Representative Claire Gallion ’26 collaborated with Beasley in curating an ’80s-themed playlist.

“For some ’80s inspiration, I texted my mom

and asked for the most fun, happening songs of her youth,” Beasley noted. The creation of other playlists, such as the pop channel, was more collaborative among all representatives.

Beasely was inspired by iconic women of pop from the years 2008 to 2014, which he personally thinks is the golden age of music, with songs that consist of bold, bombastic electronic influences paired with smooth, powerful vocals. Although this was his first time DJ-ing, Beasley said that he had a fabulous time and felt connected to the crowd: “I didn’t have headphones so I could only hear people singing. Playing off the energy was key.”

Iris Li ’26 emphasized how cheerful the atmosphere was: “I felt very comfortable. I was worried the disco would be a bit awkward, but I ended up having a fantastic time.” Beyond the environment of the disco, Li enjoyed how convenient it was to switch between channels.

“I loved how I could be listening to ABBA and then switch the channel to 2000s throwbacks and hear songs like ‘S&M’ by Rihanna in an instant,” she recounted. Li also explained that people were more focused on the music than the social aspect. She added that people bonded through the music, and groups connected through the shared experience of listening to the same channel. The headphones had lights that flashed either blue, green or red, depending on the channel being listened to, See Disco on page 7

Inside this issue

6

ARTS

New Loeb exhibit “What Now? (Or Not Yet)” examines art over time.

10

The harrowing tale of students starting loads of laundry—only FEATURES to realize dorm dryers had died .

15 SPORTS

With ambition and a strong season record, women's basketball looks ahead to the championships.

Page 2

February 16, 2023

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

Nina Ajemian Monika Sweeney Leila Raines Jacques Abou-Rizk Charlotte Robertson Ganesh Pillai ARTS EDITOR Kai Speirs FEATURES EDITOR Sufana Noorwez OPINIONS EDITOR Madi Donat HUMOR EDITORS Nicholas Tillinghast Nandini Likki ASSISTANT HUMOR EDITOR Doug Cobb SPORTS EDITOR Nick Villamil ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Tracy Cen SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Igor Martiniouk PHOTO EDITOR Maryam Bacchus DESIGN EDITOR Caris Lee COPY EDITOR Emma Goss ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Tiffany Kuo Julia Weinberg Sandro Lorenzo GRAPHICS EDITORS Karen Mogami Catherine Borthwick LIVE EVENTS CHAIR Ian Herz VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER Rohan Dutta WEBMASTERS Chloe Gjoka Phoebe DiLeo BUSINESS MANAGER Emma Adams REPORTERS, COLUMNISTS Carly D’Antonio Yaksha Gummadapu Allen Hale Jesse Koblin Anna Kozloski Richard Lu Gwen Ma Jyotsna Naidu Sam Patz Emma Raff Naima Saini Anna Terry Kathryn Carvel COPY STAFF Willa Jewitt Allison Lowe Ailynn O'Neill Emma San Filippo Meera Shroff Edward Welch Morgan Tori Kim GRAPHIC ARTIST

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 Lorenzo/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

February 16, 2023

NEWS

Page 3

Inclusive History initiative unearths complicated legacies Continued from History on page 1 African American Alumnae/i of Vassar College (AHC), the College’s announcement obscures the issues that those outside Vassar’s administration are trying to address. Most apparent to the AHC is the College’s failure to establish an Africana Studies Department, as Vassar currently only has an Africana Studies program.

On Jan. 26, in a letter addressed to the Vassar College Board of Trustees, Vassar College President, AAVC Board Members, Dean of the Faculty, and Chair of the FPCC, the AHC expressed their frustration regarding exchanges with Vassar’s administration over the course of six months. Paula Williams Madison ’74, speaking on behalf of AHC, said she is working to make Vassar’s anti-Black history more known to help instill a better community of learning.

The letter stated: “After 54 years of Vassar administrations claiming to support the demand for a Department, on May 21, 2022, President Bradley stated in an email to the emcee of the annual Kente Cloth Ceremony— Karen Clopton ’80 P’19 ’22—that there would be no Department. The President’s affront ignited a fire that will be quenched only with establishing an Africana Studies Department.”

Explaining the importance of an Africana Studies Department, the letter added, “We expect that the establishment of an Africana Studies Department steeped in academia, scholarship, and cultural competence with African American and Black departmental tenured faculty at the forefront will be essential to ensuring that a critical vestige of Vassar’s institutional anti-Black racism is removed.”

In an email correspondence, ALANA

Programming Intern Pandora Lewis ’23 expressed concern over the route of the initiative, as Bradley’s statement did not detail any specific timeline. “How will the students keep the administration accountable without knowing when goals are supposed to be met?” they wrote.

While Bradley’s announcement mentioned that the initiative would include the​​ Chair of the Council of ALANA Seniors, along with other students, faculty and administration, Lewis also noted the extra work that would be put on students working in the initiative’s committee. They stated, “I worry that this will result in yet another student of color taking on more of the College's work alongside their own classwork and other roles of leadership. Will students of color be asked to do more than they need to with the implementation of this initiative?”

Vassar Asian Students’ Alliance President Jillian Lin ’25 questioned the College’s ability to emphasize the student activist work within Vassar’s history. “I’m glad and happy that [the College] is trying to own this history, but how are they thinking about their position in all of it?” she said. “What does it mean for them to be trying to display student work [and] student labor, without including the current students that are still working on these projects [and who] are legacies of the spaces that they’re trying to display as Vassar’s Inclusive History, when the more nuanced and perhaps more accurate way of describing it is that of Vassar students’ history?”

Head of Special Collections and Adjunct Associate Professor of History noted the role of the College Archives to document both student life and Vassar history more generally.

“Over the years many students, alums, and

student organizations have transferred material to us, and we now have a wonderful collection for the community and researchers to use,” wrote Patkus in an email.

Patkus added that student organizations will still be able to attain records online and in-person after they are transferred to the College. He further noted, “Our work is ongoing, and we hope our partnerships will continue going forward. Through collaboration, the College Archives can grow and ensure that the stories of today will be known tomorrow.

Student Ann John ’23 countered against the notion of an institutionalized archive.

In an email correspondence, she wrote, “I wonder what is lost when history gets institutionalized. Even if student history is faithful and accurately told, its radical nature will be co-opted by the institution.” She emphasized how easily the history of student activism can be forgotten. “Since students cycle in and out, having knowledge of previous student activism that was or wasn’t successful is hard to pass down,” she noted. “I have concerns about how Vassar-centric the initiative will be and how Vassar will use its power to only preserve stories that reflect well for them.”

Among each interviewee, one question encompassed the initiative and the concerns that have emerged: who gets to own these narratives? Lewis highlighted the diverse perspectives that students provide in relation to institutional history, especially with primary sources by students and student organizations.“I personally believe that the administration should have the role of supporter and help to share the archives/narratives that students hold. By doing this, facts are less likely to be muddled or lost,” they stated. “The Vassar community has been made and continues

to be made by students and for students. So, by allowing students to have ownership of archives/narratives, we are upholding this type of community.”

In response to the question of ownership, Alamo-Pastrana wrote, “I might start by changing the frame from one based on ‘ownership’ to one that centers on partnership and collective knowledge. Ultimately, we are an academic institution tasked with engaging with many of the problems we see in our world and advancing knowledge production towards the creation of a just community.”

He added, “Accessing all the information possible will be instrumental towards documenting a more holistic picture of our campus community and the ways that different groups sought to be archived, remembered, and to transform this institution for the better.”

History major Pia Tate ’23 hopes that there will be more student involvement in the initiative towards the future, stating, “I hope that there would be transparency surrounding all these issues.” Recalling when Native remains were found in Blodgett Hall during her first year, she added, “I would hope that if something [like that] were to arise again, and that there were uncomfortable and disturbing things in the archives, that there would be community spaces for students to process that.”

Echoing Tate’s sentiments, Lewis emphasized the importance of student involvement and collaboration in the initiative. They wrote, “When it comes to the question of who gets to own certain narratives and archives, I believe it is up to the students to keep track of these things and up to the administration to listen to students about these things.”

Image courtesy of Janet Song '23.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

NEWS

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Campus

reacts,

Continued from Covid on page 1 In the VSA Senate meeting on Sunday, Feb. 12, members began discussing thoughts and questions on current policy, setting a tone for future discussions, but not reaching a recommendation. He said, “The College has asked the VSA, as the elected representative institution of the student body, to deliberate further on our current policies and make recommendations for any changes which may be deemed advisable.” He further mentioned, “Topics of discussion range from the COVID-19 dashboard to masking, distancing, isolation and testing.”

Sunday’s VSA meeting was the first step in demands for endemic policy changes, Aguilar said. His statement to The Miscellany News read, “Over the coming weeks, the VSA will hold more space in our meetings to thoroughly and intentionally approach student concerns and perspectives. It is our utmost priority to balance student health and student comfort in these spaces. The ultimate culmination of these discussions will be a written memo passed through the Senate, to be delivered to President Bradley.”

According to Alamo, “Cases are not increasing currently, and it is difficult to predict what might happen for the rest of the semester. At the moment, we do not have indications of changing policies.” He added that even when cases do increase, policy effects are considered in a variety of ways including the impact on the physical and mental health of the campus.

responds

Students are split between which path to take: one of stricter restrictions to prevent case flares or one of an “endemic” solution.

Riley Bates ’24 acknowledges this difficult juxtaposition. “I think we could have seen it coming given that there were no masks or testing requirements coming into the semester,” she said. “I'm happy that we have been able to resume ‘normal’ operations, but COVID is still a stressor. It's hard to find a middle ground between the right amount of restrictions to keep COVID from running rampant and not so many restrictions that people get frustrated with them. I don't think we have found that balance yet.”

Bates, along with many other students, recommend watching cases more closely.

She said, “I think if cases reach a certain threshold the college should require masking temporarily, at least in classes and large events. Just because the CDC doesn't recommend masking policy doesn't mean that it is no longer useful.” Bates added that the College making reliable KN95 masks available can help avoid more drastic measures like Deece takeout or limited capacities at events.

However, some students, like Natalia Fay ’24, hope the College does not ease restrictions when cases are high. She said, “I feel as if people are treating COVID as if it’s over and because of that it’s like a non-issue for most people, even though there are still immunocompromised people and COVID can still have long-term effects even if you’re not

to

February 16, 2023

COVID-19

immunocompromised.”

Fay added that more needs to be done by the administration, saying, “I don’t think the College is giving many resources anymore. I know the [COVID test] vending machine still exists but at least recently there have been times where it has been empty for an extended period of time which has made it difficult for people to get tests when they need them. I haven’t heard anything about College resources towards masking.”

One of the things up for consideration is the maintenance of the COVID-19 Dashboard Tracker, which, according to Aguilar, can spur inaccurate information. He said, “The College no longer imposes mandatory bi-weekly testing, nor does it require individuals to disclose positive test results (or otherwise manage a system of symptom reporting). Therefore, the numbers on the dashboard are a poor reflection of actually-existing COVID-19 cases, generating for many students additional and unneeded anxiety surrounding what the actual frequency of COVID-19 might be.”

Aguilar also pointed out that updating the COVID-19 Dashboard is strenuous for both Health Service and the Communications staff, who initially thought the Dashboard would be temporary. Aguilar wrote, “The removal of the dashboard would allow them to more effectively devote resources towards other pressing concerns (cases of other illnesses now actually surpass those of COVID-19 on campus, for example).”

COVID-19 AT VASSAR

outbreak

Fay agrees, citing that instead of harsh restrictions, the College should explore broader policies to battle the spread of general disease. “In policies versus harsh restrictions, I would be more on the policies side. This is because I feel like harsh restrictions will be viewed as an evil that the College is perpetuating while policies put systems in place so even if we get past the COVID pandemic and there are other diseases that spread easily on college campuses, those policies would already be there to deal with things other than COVID in the future.”

Bates said the vending machine in the Old Bookstore has been beneficial for students.

Though she added, “I was not super comfortable with having to go to shared bathroom spaces and into the Retreat while I had COVID, even with a KN95 on.”

In her Sunday email, Bradley encouraged students to utilize the services and make the College aware of any positive cases as soon as possible. “Numbers of cases have decreased substantially and are back down to much earlier levels,” she wrote. “If you have symptoms, please wear a mask and test immediately. Let Health Services know if you test positively. This helps us all be safer.”

In closing, Alamo made sure to note, “It is important to remember we continue to consider health broadly—physical, mental, and social health—when we consider COVID-19 responses, and we will continue to have processes that help students who Health Services determine are at higher risk.”

New Employee Cases:

—3— as of Feb. 15, 2023

Cumulative Employee Cases:

— 43 —

Spring Semester to date (beginning Jan. 3, 2023)

New Student Cases:

— 21 — as of Feb. 15, 2023

Cumulative Student Cases:

— 185 — Spring Semester to date (beginning Jan. 3, 2023) Image courtesy of The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

February 16, 2023

ARTS

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New Loeb exhibition on displacement asks critical questions Grace Fox

Guest Columnist

W

ater, for most of us on campus, is so taken for granted that when something impacts our access to it—for instance, the first floor water fountain in Strong breaking—we feel irritatingly inconvenienced. Maybe it’s time for those of us so disconnected from the process of receiving and disposing of potable water (like me!) to engage a bit more with the history of redirecting water in New York state. Luckily for us, we have until April 9 to do so at our very own on- campus museum! “Surface Tension: Displacement, Archeology, and Artistry of Urban Water” is the current Spotlight exhibit at the Loeb, and it contains pieces related to the interaction between human engineering, natural sources of water and culture, particularly in New York City and the Hudson Valley.

What first caught my eye was Salvador Dalí’s work “The Pool of Tears” from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll (1969). I was confused as to how this work related to the otherwise rather realistic and local depictions of water sources, but the more of the exhibit I saw, the more I began to understand the connections. Conceptually, these works all ask the viewer to consider humanity’s role in the creation of water sources and the sometimes detrimental impact these man-made water sources have. While Dalí’s piece of Alice crying a pool of tears she then worried she would drown in does not quite serve as the basis for direct socio-political commentary that the other pieces do, it does introduce the conflicting roles that water plays in our lives.

Artistically, this piece also echoes the rest of the gallery; the water is captured in vibrant blues and greens while Alice is a simplistic figure done in black. This contrast of color (nature) versus black-and-white (man-

made) is reflected in several other works on display as well.

Perhaps the best example of this contrast is Charles Sheeler’s “Steel, Croton” (1953).

Sheeler’s work is tempera on glass, composed of blues and grayscale. In my interpretation, Sheeler is juxtaposing the vivacity of the water with the muted strength of the engineered bridge. This contrast was personal to him; via the placard, “ in 1953, Sheeler depicted in tempera on glass, a steelspan bridge from 1931 located near his home in Croton-on-Hudson, which he described as a ‘beautiful combination of strength and beauty.’” Arnold Wilts’s black and white engraving entitled “Spillway” (1936) similarly explores the interaction of the natural and the unnatural in terms of water-related engineering through graphic lines and high contrast between light and dark. The perspective of this work places the viewer inside a dam’s spillway, looking up into a partly cloudy sky.

A particular focus of this exhibit is on the displacement of communities due to the construction of reservoirs in New York City.

According to the placard, “Starting in 1906, seventeen communities were destroyed to create seven city reservoirs. Approximately 4,500 people became homeless; abandoned cemeteries are now surrounded by forest.” Working with organizations such as the Olive Free Library and the Time and the Valleys Museum, Vassar anthropology students have studied these areas in the past ten years. I found this connection to regional research a particularly special aspect of this exhibit. The impact of this displacement is somewhat minimally examined in the selected pieces, which focuses more on placing water in a context (leisure, tourism, survival, etc.) that is then explored in the text on the placards. However, one exception to this is the photograph titled “Last Day at Van Sternburgh Home Before They

Flooded it for Reservoir,” in which two figures sit on the porch of, presumably, their home, and look directly into the camera. I found this piece perhaps the most intimate of the exhibit. It is placed alongside several Kingston News Service postcards depicting the Ashokan Reservoir as a tourist attraction. The pairing of these pieces almost made me feel as though I was showing these residents the postcards, telling them it was for the best that they were being relocated (read: displaced) and explaining how lovely the reservoir will be. These pieces make a powerful pair.

The linking of water and tourism is another theme of this exhibit, explored in photographs from a Hudson Valley family album and in Joseph Clayton Bentley’s steel engraving and hand coloring of a scene from the Catskills. Furthermore, the curators end the half circle of pieces with a couple photographs from New York City—a 2014 William Castellana of girls standing around a Brooklyn fire hydrant and a 1970 Garry Winogrand of people (and a dog) playing the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. The placard describes that “These black-and-white photographs show how intrinsic rural water is to life in New York City, both in Manhattan and the other boroughs,” connecting these urban images all the way back to the image of two people outside their soon-to-be-flooded home.

Although I’m not sure this is the intended order of viewing, I ended my perusal of the exhibit by peering into the glass display case, which houses Sanford Robinson Gifford’s “Marbletown, Catskills, Lake George” sketchbook, open to an Aug. 12, 1847 sketch of a serene body of water with ducks. I’m glad I saw this last, because it was quite different from the other pieces. I have a soft spot for sketchbooks, and this was no exception, especially because the spot depicted was so reminiscent of our very own Sunset

Lake. The scene is messy—there are branches half in the water, scribbled shrubbery and no sign of landscaping. Immediately, I was reminded of the postcards from earlier in the exhibit, one of which had depicted a little house and a mowed lawn right on the edge of the bright blue reservoir. I felt this striking contrast was an appropriate way to end the exhibit.

I am delighted to have explored this halfroom exhibit, and it left many questions in my mind. How is water central not only to our survival, but to our leisure? How do we access water? Historically (and presently), what has (does) this meant (mean) for marginalized and rural communities?

This exhibition invites the viewer into the line of inquiry of so many researchers at and around Vassar through a thoughtful curation of pieces whose connections are realized through the historical background given in the text alongside them.

“Surface Tension” is open now through April 9 in the Loeb’s Spotlight Gallery.

Image courtesy of Grace Fox '26.

Tori Kim/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

ARTS

Page 6

February 16, 2023

‘Welcome to Indian Country’ celebrates Indigenous art Continued from Concert on page 1 means today for those who may not know about or understand it.

A highlight of the concert was just how many styles of music were displayed. Each artist had the chance to showcase their work and connect it to their personal Indigenous identity. There was a celebration of the Indigenous influence on jazz with a cover of saxophonist Jim Pepper’s “Witchi Tai-To,” featuring the outstanding vocals of singer (and “American Idol” semifinalist!) Lowry. Fields

“It was in hearing these artists explain their own connections to these pieces and elaborate on how their Indigeneity relates to their art that the full scope of this show began to take place." performed a solo fiddle piece which was absolutely beautiful. Lowry showcased two original songs, “Backbone” and “Brown Skin,” exploring her relationship with her identity and those who came before her and accompanying herself on the hand-drum. Obomsawin also demonstrated their songwriting and vocal prowess with their song “White People,” which provided a hard-rock con-

trast to the instrumental and jazz segments.

The band also employed many musical techniques throughout the concert. For example, in one piece the group layered instrumental lines over a spoken word recording in a stunning and beautiful improvisation.

What really brought the show together was Priest as the storyteller. She opened the concert with her poem “Welcome to Indian Country,” after which the production was named. In between one set, Priest read an excerpt from her upcoming novel, which deals with adolescence, family, identity and the environment. In between other songs, she provided the background or historical information that influenced the creation of the songs or informed why the artists chose to perform them; in some cases, she provided only a brief introduction, giving the artists room to tell their own stories. It was in hearing these artists explain their own connections to these pieces and elaborate on how their Indigeneity relates to their art that the full scope of this show began to take place. Some of the program notes involved historical context, detailing important names and events which are an essential part of American history and which are rarely taught, if at all.

The following afternoon, Anderson, Lowry and Obomsawin returned to campus to engage in an informal discussion of the concert and their work as both artists and activists. This conversation delved more into the events and talking points brought up in the performance, such as treaty rights, food and resource sovereignty and the Land Back movement. The three artists described

their approaches to their art and how they relate to activism, explaining more of their creative process. They discussed the different approaches to showcasing one’s identity through art, especially since Bouchard’s aim for this project was for it to center around the artists’ relationship to Indigeneity and for the production’s works to emerge from that. The artists fielded questions about politics and artmaking, expanding on some of the stories told and pieces performed at the concert. It was wonderful to experience these amazing works in a performance setting and later be able to discuss them and understand the context and process behind them.

The artists were also given the opportu-

nity to plug their outside work at this talk, including the jazz group the Delbert Anderson Trio, Charly Lowry’s band Dark Water Rising and Obomsawin’s recently-released solo album, “Sweet Tooth.” Given the lack of knowledge and experience many Americans have with Indigenous cultures, this concert felt like a great way to connect identity with artmaking and activism. The performers were absolutely stellar, and joy seemed to radiate from them as they played, improvised, sang and spoke onstage. The performance was an unbelievable showcase of talent and culture, and I cannot thank Breton and the band enough for displaying their incredible art at Vassar.

Image courtesy of Christine Howlett.

Loeb exhibition analyzes art's relation to past, present, future Allison Lowe Copy Staff

T

he Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center recently unveiled “What Now? (Or Not Yet),” an exhibition that explores loans and artifacts spanning from Vassar’s founding through the present as a way to examine art’s role in shaping the past, present or future. “What Now? (Or Not Yet)” encourages critical reflection on our preconceptions of time, as well as how collections transform over the course of history. In order to emphasize this theme of transformation, the exhibition will be shown in two iterations.

The second iteration will be rebuilt by a group of Vassar students, who will re-conceptualize the layout, design and theme of the current exhibition. This second phase will be available for public viewing in May. The current exhibition is displayed in three rooms, each focusing on either the past, present or future. The first room examines works that were donated earlier in Vassar’s history and how modern artists work with and against these legacies.

Many of the pieces in this room can easily be compared and contrasted with one another, demonstrating the idea that modern artists must grapple with the legacies of those who came before them. For example, “Chocrua Lake and Mountain” (1855)

by Aaron Draper Shattuck is displayed next to “Anti-Retro” (2018) by Andrea Carlson.

According to the piece’s caption, written

by Ian Shelley ‘22, Draper Shattuck was a member of the 19th-century White Mountain School, which, like other schools of art at the time, displayed the American natural world as picturesque and free of conflict.

However, this mindset ignores and obscures the blood that was spilled due to colonialism in many of these so-called serene locations.

On the other hand, “Anti-Retro,” Carlson, as

cited by John P. Murphy on her work’s label, states, “‘Anti-Retro is about ‘reframing the past’ and a reminder that ‘landscapes are political.’”” By displaying these works together, “What Now? (Or Not Yet)” display how artistic messages communicate with one another through time, as well as how the legacies left behind by past artists affect the art we make today.

The second room of the exhibition focuses on the present. The exhibit wall explains, “Past and future meet in the embodied present, in the ongoing struggles around representation.” This room features many different works, exploring the concept of identity in the face of present-day oppression. One wall is covered by Andrea Geyer’s “Revolt, They Said” (2015 to ongoing). This piece is a wall-sized diagram tracing the histories and connections of 850 women in American modernism. It seeks to reimagine the concept of history as being based on personal friendships, alliances and solidarities. Visitors can take home a print of the diagram.

These prints also include information about how to contact the artist if you have an idea of another figure to add to the network, as the piece’s creation is still ongoing.

The exhibition’s third and final room examines the concept of the future. It features several pieces that highlight the power that text has in affecting the future, such as Jenny Holzer’s “Inflammatory Essays,” which is a series of 100-word panels that passionately interrogate viewers. The centerpiece of this section, following along with the theme of the power of text, is Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries' work “WHAT NOW?” This piece is a video installation featuring different snippets of text surrounding the question: What happens now? The video encourages viewers to rethink our ideas of what we should be doing. It asks viewers why we always seem to be thinking about

what happens next—as opposed to giving in to the possibility of oblivion. The text emphasizes, “End the madnss./ End the mindlessness./ End the discussion about the madness./ Shut everyone up.” It culminates by proclaiming, “Only one problem remains:/ How to put future oblivion into words./ How to package it,/ Present it,/ Promote it,/ And televise it.” As a whole, Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries encourages us to rethink our relationship with the

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

future, or rather, our desire to have a future in the first place.

The Loeb’s “What Now? (Or Not Yet)” is well worth a visit. It offers an exciting way to analyze how art can force us to reconceptualize our ideas of the past, present and future. This exhibition is also special because of how it focuses specifically on the lasting legacies of art that Vassar has possessed throughout its history. The exhibition will be open to the public until May.

Allison Lowe/The Miscellany News.

February 16, 2023

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First Year Experience unites students through music Continued from Disco on page 1 which made it easy to identify others who were listening to the same music. Overall, Li deemed the night a massive success. But still, there were some slight drawbacks of the experience. “It was rather sweaty. But that’s how The Mug always is. It was happy sweat.

‘Worth it’ sweat,” Li said with a laugh.

In fact, some aspects of the disco that could be potential drawbacks actually turned out to make the experience all the more memorable. Grace Montas ’26 enjoyed the “waiting room” space almost as much as the disco itself. There were only 50 headphone sets available for the night, so some students had to wait until other groups left in order to enter the event. “Despite having to wait outside The Mug for a few minutes before actually being able to go to the disco, people really made the waiting experience fun. We all enjoyed pizza

"People bonded through the music, and groups connected through the shared experience of listening to the same channel."

while socializing. Some people even started playing music,” Montas recalled. Once inside the disco, Montas enjoyed the high-energy songs that were being played consistently throughout the night: “‘Want You Back’ by Cher Lloyd was a personal highlight for me.

You could tell that everyone was screaming the lyrics and laughing even if you couldn’t hear it.”

There were even some comedic elements of the disco that heightened everyone’s enjoyment of the event. “I liked taking off my headphones and hearing everyone singing and dancing. It was quite silly how when my headphones were on it felt like I was at a lively party, but once they were off it was all squeaky and quiet,” Emma Goss ’26 [Disclaimer: Goss is Assistant Copy Editor for The Miscellany News] explained. She also agreed that the communal aspect of listening to the same channel was exciting. Goss added that she and her friends coordinated jumping from station to station together, so they knew they were all in sync listening to the same jams. “My only critique is that it could have been more crowded, but I also understand that they had limited headphones. Maybe we need to invest in more headphones,” Goss pointed out. In addition to dancing to throwback tunes, Goss said that a memorable moment was forming a conga line that every participant joined in on. “If there's anything to take away from this article… we need another disco!”

Emma Goss/The Miscellany News.

It’s cold but not snowing: The sky has betrayed me Max Norman

Guest Columnist

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n Saturday, the fourth day in that dastardly month we call “February,” I awoke at 10:15 a.m. I adore sleeping, particularly because I was isolating after a COVID-19 exposure and had nothing else to do. Out of curiosity, I checked the temperature outside, thinking it was chilly in my room—it was SIX degrees. Six. “0 °F, was established as the freezing temperature of a solution of brine made from a mixture of water, ice, and ammonium chloride (a salt),” Wikipedia informed me. Why the physicist in question chose a weird brine as the basis for temperature measurement, I have no idea. We should switch to Celsius, except for when it’s hot, because then Fahrenheit is more dramatic.

But I digress. On Feb. 4, I could count on my hands how many degrees above “brine freeze” the temperature in Poughkeepsie was. And yet I looked outside, not to a wintry New England wonderland blanketed in snow, but to a browned Joss Beach and the Sex Tree drooping like a sad Muppet. This is unacceptable, and here’s why.

I’m from Atlanta, a Georgian born and raised. The coldest winters I ever witnessed in childhood were generally above freezing, and the entire city shuts down for a week when the snow total reaches multiple inches. While the summers down South are a scalding, swampy nightmare vision of God’s armpits, the winters are generally pretty calm. Most days hover around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, if not warmer. My body has yet to adapt to the kind of regularly sub-freezing weather that New York experiences. As my list of colleges narrowed down years ago, and heading northward seemed more and more likely, I had to reckon with the reality of temperatures being much colder than I had ever lived through for extended periods. My dad, who grew up in New Jersey and worked in Boston for

some time, gravely informed me that the winters at Vassar would be unlike those I’d faced in the balmy climate of Georgia. So why brave the cold? Beyond the advantages of Vassar as a school (piddling in comparison to how inhospitable the environment is), what was the upside of going north?

Snow was the upside, and snow is the reason why I’m steaming mad at the kind of temperatures February has brought us. I believed Vassar was the place I’d sled with my pals down white-blanketed hills onto the glittering ice of frozen ponds, our laughter filling the air with plumes of steam. I believed in sipping warm mugs of hot chocolate with a legion of mini marshmallows adorning the top, looking at fat snowflakes drifting dizzily downward to the quad. I believed in lacing up the furlined snow boots I spent far too much money on before trekking to local restaurants, where I’d walk in the door and the beaming owner would greet me by name: “Hey, Jim,” they’d all say (my name is Jim in this fantasy), “You want your usual steak and eggs/ beef vindaloo/falafel bowl? We love you,” to which I’d respond, “You bet I do! It’s a real nor’easter out there!” I’ve always dreamt of saying nor’easter to describe the weather.

But the plunging temperatures this February has brought include no nor’easters, no howling blizzards nor gentle washes of snow. The only snow that’s fallen has come in sputtering flurries, impotently unsure of itself. It melts immediately upon hitting the ground, despite the temperature never getting above 30 degrees, because it’s ashamed of its performance. As well it should be.

Adding to my bitterness are the pictures I saw in mid-December of snow falling over our picturesque liberal arts college campus the day after I left for winter break. Are you fucking kidding me? I thought I was lucky that all my exams were essays; I thought I could get home to finish the semester in the comfort of my childhood bedroom. In-

stead, I woke up on my first morning home to discover my friends playing in a pristine wintry landscape while I stayed inside in 50-degree weather to write a six-page paper about transhumanism. I got the worst of both worlds then, and now the sky can’t even muster up a half-decent snowstorm to let those of us who simply wanted to see our families frolic in fields of white.

Forget April, T.S. Eliot; February is the cruelest month. And unlike most of the

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

people who say that, I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day. My relationship with my boyfriend isn’t the problem—it’s my relationship with the weather that’s the problem. We can’t take drinks with ice out of the Deece lest they freeze solid. We get halfway to frostbite on a walk to Blodgett. We look around us and see only steel-gray skies and tired bodies trudging their way to nowhere in particular. I, for one, feel betrayed by the troposphere. And I hope you all do, too.

Monika Sweeney/The Miscellany News.

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February 16, 2023

How to combat the cold from a part-Canadian’s perspective Kathryn Carvel Copy Staff

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et’s discuss the only thing we heard about the other week: the weather. It’s been cold. Even I can admit that. But with the right ways to combat the cold, it is actually quite enjoyable. To me, negative temperatures are not miserable; they are an exciting adventure that we Northerners like to call “an average winter day.”

Growing up in Canada and northern New York (which is basically Canada) means that I love the cold. I thrive in it. When winter lasts from November to May, you have to embrace the frigid temperatures.

To me, -20 degrees Fahrenheit is just a typical winter day. If it is not below 20 degrees and snowing on the regular by December, I am not a happy camper. Since moving to Massachusetts six years ago, the supposedly harsh New England winters have been an unacceptable, inaccurate representation of what real winter is. As my dad would say, “It’s downright balmy!” Climate change, am I right? I actually texted my grandmother to check in because where she lives in northern New York, the windchill made the temperatures feel like -40 degrees. She responded, “I don’t know what the big deal is.

When I was growing up it would be -30 for weeks at a time.” That is a real North Country response. These cold days bring me back to my childhood, waiting inside for the bus and staring out the window, ready to sprint because it was too cold to stand outside for more than five minutes. It makes me quite nostalgic. It was always cold and always snowy. I would go sledding in my front yard

because the snow banks would be above my head. Tell me, where is the snow now?

For all of you not as excited about the cold weather as me, I have some tips to survive the cold in style. For starters, your layers are crucial. You cannot go outside without at least two layers on. You know, I have worn multiple pairs of pants before—you do what you have to do. I am a huge fan of a shirt under a big sweater. Speaking of sweaters, if you live in the Northeast, your sweater game has to be top notch. You need to have sweaters for all occasions. I have specific sweaters for when it snows, when it is really cold out and when it is way too warm for a winter day. I have dress sweaters, and I have casual sweaters. The weather is constantly changing, so you have to be ready for anything. The right shoes are also crucial. I am a big believer in Uggs because no shoe has kept my feet warm like Uggs have. In style or out, Uggs have been my saving grace.

Along with boots and sweaters, you need to have a wide selection of winter gear. If you don’t have that one go-to hat that you just love to pull back out every winter, you haven’t found the right hat. It is always such an exciting feeling to be rummaging through your winter gear box and find a new scarf or pair of gloves you completely forgot about.

Putting on fun winter gear makes the cold weather so much more enjoyable. Not only does it provide an extra layer of warmth, but also an extra layer of fashion. Next time you see a really awesome hat in the Deece or around campus, tell the owner you like it.

They probably have some sort of emotional connection with that apparel and will ap-

preciate the compliment. I know that I have stories for every one of the hats I own.

Next up, the beverages you consume in the cold are extremely important. Hot chocolate is always a must. Hot chocolate just hits different when it is -10 degrees out.

Personally, I am a big fan of peppermint tea when it’s cold out because I associate peppermint with winter, and it is always so calming and comforting to drink. Avoid iced drinks except for ice in your water bottle and iced coffee, as those are always a must.

Along with your beverages, the food you eat in the cold is also crucial. Winter is for comfort food. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies never taste better than on snow days or days where you are forced inside by the cold weather. The oven heats up the house, and the cookies fresh out of the oven warm you up when you take that first, delicious bite. I also strongly associate pizza with cold weather. Though that might be because my family would have it almost every Friday or Saturday night before rushing off to hockey games, warm, cheesy pizza just tastes better in the cold. In the winter, you don’t

find comfort in the sun, so you have to seek it elsewhere: in food, tea, fun sweaters and more.

Lastly, the cold is all about your mindset. I was prancing around my Noyes hallway, as you do, thrilled about the cold when I ran into my neighbor, Julian Funaro ’25. Naturally, I told him how excited I was about the weather, and his response was, “It is so cold out, I almost cried.” One approach is to submit to the weather, which was a very popular approach that week. Or you can do what I do. Step outside and think to yourself how natural the cold is. Take a deep breath.

It clears out your lungs and your brain, giving you a sense of release you just don’t get in the heat. It is a beautiful feeling. The other night I sat outside on a bench on the phone with my mom in the cold—properly bundled, of course—and I felt the best I had in a while. It reminded me why I love winter.

Anyways, the groundhog saw his shadow this year, so we have six more weeks of winter. Why not savor it? Get those hats out, bake some cookies and enjoy the rest of winter. Let’s hope we get some more snow.

Kathryn Carvel/The Miscellany News.

Wandering through the day with an athlete at Vassar Nick Villamil

Assistant Sports Editor

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ollegiate student-athletes are often praised for their ability to skillfully manage a wide array of responsibilities.

To get a better understanding of this impressive ability, I spent the day with Gavin Akoto ’25, a player for the men’s volleyball team. While playing at Vassar, Akoto won a UVC Rookie of the Week recognition and contributed to his team’s 3.60 GPA in 2022.

I joined Akoto for an average Thursday in his life at Vassar.

I was afraid I’d have to wake up before the sun to accompany him to a practice or workout, but he instead scheduled us to meet just before his noon class at Blodgett Hall. I arrived at his room at 11:40 a.m., thinking it a pretty reasonable time to head over to class. I knocked once—no response.

I tried again. Nothing. I sat down outside of his room and texted him. He didn’t answer,

and wouldn’t, until he suddenly emerged from his room at 11:54 a.m. He had the look of someone who had woken up less than five minutes prior; the grogginess in his voice confirmed this.

“Sorry. But I’m gonna have to scooter,” he said as he headed towards the stairs. “We can meet again at the Deece after my class.”

I followed Akoto down the stairs and watched him unfold his scooter and fade into the distance. But just as he passed the Deece, I watched him step off his scooter.

He was preoccupied by something on his phone, though I couldn’t tell what. As I walked back towards my room at Noyes, I watched him step off his scooter again on two more occasions, all seeming to be for the same reason. I couldn’t tell what was on his phone, but I figured it to be important.

He was in a reasonable rush, after all.

When I arrived at the Deece at 1:30 p.m., Akoto was confidently seated at the end of one of the long tables in the center.

“Why’d you keep stopping on your way to Blodgett earlier today? Everything alright?”

“There was a Dratini outside of Noyes.

And a Magnemite in front of the Deece,” Akoto responded with noticeable confidence in his actions.

“Pokemon Go,” he added, once he noticed I was confused.

“So you were late to class because of Pokemons? I’m assuming you were late, right?”

“Only five minutes. And the Dratini was a three star. 100 percent worth it, if you ask me.”

“Doesn’t your professor care that you showed up late?”

“Eh, it's probably fine.”

I made sure to note when Akoto left the Deece for his 2 p.m. work shift: 1:56 p.m.

Even if his work was nearby, I wouldn’t bet on his timeliness.

We met again at Kenyon Hall after his

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

practice ended at 7 p.m., and I guess I was naive to assume he’d be in some kind of rush or that he’d have a significant amount of work to do.

“Nah. I don’t have class on Friday, so tonight’s not for homework,” he explained as we walked towards the quad. “Tonight is an Overwatch 2 night.”

I left the Davison basement at 2 a.m..

It's when I finally decided that my commitment to feature journalism ended and turned into writer abuse.

Akoto didn’t even notice I had left. After a trip to Late Night for fries, Akoto had set up his PlayStation and hopped into a game with his friends back home in Chicago, who were an hour behind, in Central Time.

“It’s perfect. They never get to complain about needing to go to sleep,” he told me after the fury of losing his first game had passed him.

“At least he gets enough sleep?” I thought to myself as I walked back to Noyes.

February 16, 2023

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For authentic Dongbei cuisine, try Palace Dumplings Tiffany Kuo

Assistant Copy Editor

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f you are a fan of Asian cuisine or have been to a catered event on campus, you’ve probably heard of Palace Dumplings. Located in Wappingers Falls, a town 15 minutes away from campus, sits the local favorite Chinese restaurant, a neon welcome sign awaiting your warm arrival.

I had first heard of Palace Dumplings from Sara Inoa ’20, the Exploring College Manager, who frequents the restaurant with her daughter. Hearing that the place offered authentic Chinese cuisine, I was suspicious.

Though I love American Chinese food, there is a large discrepancy between real Chinese food and what Americans think is Chinese food. Real Chinese food is characterized by finely-chopped ingredients and complex flavor profiles derived from a variety of sauces, whilst in my experience, American Chinese food emerged as chunks of vegetables mixed with overcooked noodles and too much soy sauce. Don’t even get me started on sweetand-sour sauce—that’s what you dip your McDonald’s nuggets in, not what you cook your chicken with!

Thankfully, Palace Dumplings trumped all my doubts—it is now my preferred restaurant for a satisfying weekend meal. My go-to order at Palace Dumplings is the chicken lo-mein with soy sauce and steamed dumplings. If you’ve only eaten the American version of chicken lo-mein, you’re in for a treat: The high-quality soy sauce gives the perfectly bouncy noodles a strong umami flavor. The vegetables are finely chopped, and the chicken is flavorful. I’ve also had the noodles with bean paste, which is a Chinese version of the Korean dish jajangmyeon. The noodles are covered with lots of meat, vegetables and bean paste to create an edible piece of heaven on Earth. Another recommendation is the noodles with peanut sauce—if you are a fan of Thai food, this Chinese version of the peanut noodle will bring that uniquely nutty yet fresh flavor to your palate.

But the real stars of Palace Dumplings are, obviously, the dumplings. And stars they are indeed. Eat them steamed, not pan-fried. Instead of your normal soy sauce, try the classic pairing—Chinese vinegar with some chili oil.

The dumplings are wrapped with dough of perfect thickness—not so thin that the fillings

fall out while cooking, but not thick enough to overshadow the fillings inside. When you bite into the dumplings, the filling is perfectly juicy and flavorful.

If you are vegan or have food restrictions, the vegetarian dumplings are deceptively simple but overwhelmingly delicious. The tiny ginger pieces add a surprising kick. As a meat lover, I still find myself ordering the vegetarian dumplings every time I visit. However, you truly can’t go wrong with the pork dumplings: Palace Dumplings offers pork with chives, cabbage, mushroom or Chinese pickled cabbage. While pork with cabbage dumplings have a light, refreshing flavor, pork with mushroom dumplings have a stronger, more umami flavor profile. Each one is great in its own way, though I have to say the pork dumplings with pickled cabbage was an unexpected favorite. Dip the dumplings in Chinese vinegar—it will be a pleasant surprise.

The owner of the restaurant, Zhang Wuyang, noted that Palace Dumplings has been open for over 13 years. Chef Jenny, the soul behind the dumplings, comes from Harbin, a city in northern China. Zhang says that Harbin dumplings follow the tradition of Dongbei

dumplings, which are characterized by thin wrappers and a lot of filling. I asked if they ever considered integrating American taste into their menu, or if they are insistent on authentic Chinese flavor. Zhang replied, “We don’t really consider changing the taste of our food. We focus on serving authentic Dongbei cuisine and dumplings, and Americans enjoy them anyway.” Perhaps this is why I’ve found so much comfort at Palace Dumplings as a kid missing flavors from home. There, I can speak Mandarin, my home language, and taste authentic Chinese food, its flavors untainted by outside influence.

If you do decide to visit (and you should!), take note: The restaurant is small, and it gets busy quickly. Quite a few people choose to order online and pick up their meals (they don’t deliver). I’ve also spotted some notable Vassar faculty there, so don’t be surprised if you run into your English professor with his entire family.

If you like Chinese food, or if you are just interested in trying restaurants in the Poughkeepsie area, I highly recommend Palace Dumplings—support a local business while satisfying your taste buds!

Weathering the seasonal changes with quality movies Richard Lu Columnist

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he 2022 to 2023 school year comes with several unique weather phenomena in its short five months. However, nothing compares to the frigid winds and soul-crushing cold on Feb. 4, 2023.

Temperatures teetered around 15 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the entire day and dipped into the negatives during the night.

Knowing the direness of the situation, most students chose to remain indoors and in the comfort of their own beds. To pass the time while stuck inside, I rewatched some of my favorite movies. In the spirit of sheltering from the cold, here are some cool movies to check out. Spoilers ahead!

1. “Frozen” (2013) Starting off this list is an all-time favorite Disney movie: “Frozen.” We enter the fantasy world of Arendelle and follow the stories of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, as they come face to face with their innermost demons and stark differences. Anna, a naive princess, is in pursuit of love and meaning in life. In contrast, Elsa, who has had magical powers since birth, has lived in fear her entire life and has to conceal her true self from her subjects, all while taking on the large responsibility of becoming queen one day. When she can’t conceal herself any longer, she runs away from her duties. Anna, who loves Elsa dearly, goes on an adventure to save her sister from her own self. “Frozen” played a large role in my childhood.

Whenever I went over to my aunt’s home, the TV would always have the movie on replay, so the scenes are ingrained in my mind. The movie flawlessly tackles themes such as self-discovery, loss, betrayal, young love and sisterhood. “Frozen” is a simple yet beautiful tale about learning to accept yourself and living your truth. It’s especially pertinent to Vassar students striving to find their own sense of self every day. “Frozen” may be a children’s film, but it’s one of the most memorable ones. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, comedic, rich story, this is the movie for you!

2. “Snowpiercer” (2013) Next is the post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film, “Snowpiercer,” directed by Bong Joonho. Best known for his Oscar-winning movie

“Parasite” (2019), Bong is a gifted filmmaker whose talent is also reflected in “Snowpiercer.” The movie takes place in a dystopian future where humanity has to take refuge in a train stuck on an infinite loop around the ice-barren Earth after a failed climate change experiment. We follow Curtis and his group of survivors as they attempt to take over the train from the corrupt upper classes in the train cars up ahead. The film a commentary on the harsh realities of class division and the misery that is brought upon humanity when those in power have free reign to do whatever they please. This theme of privilege is explored in the isolated setting of several train cars. The movie also forces the viewer to ask themselves morally challenging questions such as how does one decide who lives and who dies? “Snowpiercer” does a fantastic job of bringing an obscure

idea for a movie to life. If you fancy a darker movie with much more serious themes, then “Snowpiercer” is just the one to watch!

3. “Togo” (2019) Up next is a movie for all the dog lovers reading this: “Togo.” As someone who really loves animals, this film holds a very special place in my heart. The movie takes place in the Alaskan tundra during the diphtheria epidemic of 1925. We get a glimpse into the life of sled-dog musher Leonhard Seppala and his unique bond with his Siberian husky, Togo. First, we see the upbringing of Togo as a fragile puppy and the love-hate relationship between him and Seppala.

Then 13 years later, Togo and Seppala are challenged to deliver a crate of medicine to a small town in Alaska in the serum run of 1925. It’s a heroic story about determination, triumph and defying expectations. Since

“Togo” is based on real events from nearly 100 years ago, these themes are even more powerful. While watching the movie, I couldn’t help but pray for Togo and Seppala’s success as they went on their perilous adventure. I recall watching the movie on a cold December night two years ago during lockdowns and holding my breath every step of the journey. “Togo” succeeds at pulling at the heartstrings of all viewers, regardless of age or background. If you have a dog, then this movie is perfect for you and your companion. If not, then this movie will make you want a dog even more!

These are just some of the amazing movies that exist out there. There are many more movies that have yet to be discovered by you.

Use these suggestions to expand your own catalog of movies and defrost your desire to watch films!

Richard Lu/The Miscellany News.

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Student

laundry

Emma daRosa

Guest Columnist

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wo weeks ago, students across campus were left stranded with piles of sopping wet laundry and no way to dry them. The dryers in several residential houses went offline with no warning—on a weekend, no less. Saturday, Feb. 4, the dryers in Lathrop and Jewett stopped functioning. The next day, they were still down. This is an account of that dark weekend.

Saturdays and Sundays are prime time to do laundry at Vassar. It’s survival of the fittest to see who will be the first to claim a machine. You better be on time to switch your laundry, lest the next person waiting with a bag of dirty clothes strapped to their back takes the liberty of tossing your load out of the washer for you. This is no game—it is not for the weak of will, and there is absolutely no room for error.

This delicate system all came crashing down last weekend. As the laundry room began to fill up on Saturday morning with students dreaming of clean sheets and fresh clothes, all seemed well. 40 minutes later, though, the wind began to shift. Jewett resident Magda Sharff ’26 describes the crushing realization, saying: “I went to move my laundry from the washer to the dryer and that’s when I noticed that the little panels on all the dryers were completely dark, like little dead

left

eyes staring at me, mocking me.”

Mocking indeed. The hope of delightfully clean clothes was crushed immediately by the realization that there would be no warm and dry t-shirts. Instead, this hope was replaced by terrifying images of mildew ridden clothes, left to sit wet in their bag for hours, maybe even days. Sharff knew they had to act, and fast, so she marched off to Lathrop in search of a working dryer. Was she free at last from this ill-fated laundry excursion?

Certainly Lathrop was not their first choice, but at least they would be going home with dry clothes, right?

Oh, dear reader, you could not be more wrong. Sharff told me about the emotional turmoil this event brought, saying, “I begrudgingly packed up all my wet clothes and trudged over to Lath, wandering blindly through the basement until I stumbled upon their grimy little laundry room, only to find that their dryers were offline too. At this point I was basically on the verge of tears.”

She eventually found solace in the Strong House laundry room, but the excursion left a stain on what could’ve been an otherwise peaceful weekend.

Lathrop residents were not faring any better with their own laundry woes. One of these residents, Patrick Horiszny ’26, walked me through his decision to skip laundry altogether last weekend. He explained, “They

high

February 16, 2023

and

told us, if you want to do your laundry, just go to a nearby house. I’m thinking fuck no— I’m not walking my laundry, my fucking laundry basket, across the quad to another dorm. That would look so stupid. And there would probably be a gust of wind that would blow stuff out. That’s like my nightmare.”

Nightmare is putting it kindly. Two weekends ago, as some of you may recall, campus was devastatingly windy. I ask you, readers, who among us would want to risk our unmentionables being tossed out of a hamper, forcing us to abandon the rest of our clothes to chase after a rogue pair of skivvies? Certainly not me. Still, the decision to leave the laundry unwashed was not an easy one for Horiszny to make. In his words, “I usually like to do all my laundry on the weekends because it's just objectively the best time to do it.” With weekdays full of classes, org meetings, work and other obligations, the weekend does provide a perfect opportunity to freshen things up—an opportunity that was ripped from Horiszny’s grasp, along with countless other students.

Perhaps one of the most unsettling effects of this event was the uncertainty surrounding everything. When did the dryers break? Why did they break? Was this an act of malice? Perhaps an act of protest against the amount of energy dryers use? And when would they be working again? Students had

Doug Cobb/The Miscellany News.

(not)

dry

so many questions, and there were so few answers. This confusion was relayed to me by another Jewett resident, Isabelle Borgstedt ’26, who commented: “When I went to switch my laundry over to the dryer last weekend, I realized that the Jewett dryers weren't working, and my friend who lives on my floor confirmed that they had been offline since the day before. I found this pretty frustrating, since I had two loads of wet laundry and this issue came up without any warning.” Borgstedt had unknowingly set herself up for a walk to Davison House, lugging her soaking clothes behind her.

Horiszny concurred that the uncertainty was what caused him the most discomfort, saying: “Really, the most irritating part was I got an email saying the dryers were fucked, go elsewhere, but we never got an email saying they fixed them. It was just like one day I went down there, and everyone was using the dryer again. I would’ve liked to know.”

Sharff, Horiszny and Borgstedt represent but a small number of students who were caught blindsided by these technical difficulties and who ultimately were faced with the seemingly impossible decision: To wash or not to wash? One can only hope that this was a one-off occurrence for Vassar and that I won’t be coming back to you to report a serial-dryer destroyer. Whatever happens next, stay safe, stay aware, and above all, stay dry.

Nina Ajemian/The Miscellany News.

Igor Martinouk/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

HUMOR

February 16, 2023

Page 11

Breaking News

From the desk of Madi Donat, Humor Editor

Seniors prowl the halls of Alumnae House, remark, “Even if it is haunted, it’s better than the dorms” Thesis

writing

Alyssa Willeford Academic Weapon

A

re you a starry-eyed freshperson? Are you overwhelmed with the possibilities of your Vassar career, at the thought of eating Deece food for three more years and sleeping in the library and painting your nails black? And what about a thesis?

Vassarites flee theses left and right, trying desperately to avoid the necessity of writing yet another enormous paper, and yet why? The thesis doesn’t have to be so scary!

If you just approach the project right, you can complete it easily enough—and you might even have fun doing it! (Note that I said “might.”)

It’s true: Not every major requires a proper thesis. You could go into the arts, becoming one of the legion of Vassar drama majors who go on to work in a windowless office at a mortgage firm. You could go into biology or chemistry, spending hours a day in an endless quest to be one of the 30 people listed on a PubMed paper that will only ever be cited twice. Or you could even go into computer science and make some actual money! The possibilities are limit-

for

the

less. But the thesis is no reason to rule out social science! History, Anthropology, Geography—promising majors, all, especially if you’d like to become an underpaid adjunct professor at the University of Southern North Dakota. So read on for my Hot Thesis Tips!

"It is much less appealing to spend hours organizing citations than it is to spend that same amount of time hooking up with broccoli-haired Vassar men in filthy Joss doubles."

Tip Number One: Start early! One big mistake many Vassar students make with

intellectually their theses is that they start them too late—for example, on the night before they are due. This is understandable, as it is much less appealing to spend hours organizing citations than it is to spend that same amount of time hooking up with broccoli-haired Vassar men in filthy Joss doubles. But the earlier you get started, the less you’ll have to crunch at the end. A thesis in the History Department is required to be around 10,000 words, so my advice is to have written, at the bare minimum, 8,000 of those words by the time you graduate elementary school. Preparation never hurts!

Tip Number Two: Research it right! Of course, it wouldn’t matter if you started your thesis on your first birthday if you didn’t have a solid basis of research to write from. Luckily, Vassar has a wide variety of research resources available for you: thesis advisors, databases, helpful librarians and many more. So what you should do is ignore all of these resources and instead spend your time simply Googling dozens of different formulations of your research question. Just cite whatever comes up first, and you’re golden!

inadequate

Tip Number Three: Write like a pro! I cranked out another sterling article on the subject of paper-writing last year, so if you’re interested, I’d recommend checking it out on the Misc’s website. But if you’re pressed for time, my main Writing Tip is: pray. Simply by invoking the divine power of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, you can surely ace your paper, as well as line up a professorship in the field of Religious Studies. If you’re not the praying type, there’s still hope for you. When I have to turn out a paper quickly, the number one thing I always do, the thing which always gets me the A grade I crave, the hidden “lifehack” that lets me finish an academic-journal-level work in less than fifteen minutes flat, is— Oh, would you look at that! My editor is telling me that I’m out of space. So you’ll all just have to tune in next time for more Thesis Tips, or else whatever other BS I decide to chuck into this column. But if you only take one thing away from this column, let it be this: Your thesis will never be better than mine, you nerds! I’ve kept all the REAL tips to myself! Bahahahahahaha!

President Bradley to debut new ‘endless’ Sunday email Oliver Stewart

Investigative Journalist

I

nspired by the “infinite scroll” algorithms of social media sites like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, President of the College, Elizabeth Bradley announced plans on Tuesday to release a new “endless” version of the Sunday email starting next week.

According to the President, the change follows consistent feedback from Vassar students. Speaking to The Miscellany News, she said, “Every week I hear from students who love my Sunday emails, but wish they didn’t end so soon. This is a very serious issue, which is why we acted promptly to make this much-needed change.”

The emails will provide algorithmically selected information about events, organizations, jobs and other happenings on Vassar’s campus. Created with the help of students and faculty in the Computer Science department, the algorithm will analyze individual interests to provide a personalized Sunday email experience for every student.

“Ultimately,” Bradley continued, “we believe that this change brings us closer to the values and vision with which the college was founded. As Matthew Vassar once said, ‘No student should ever feel deprived of relevant, bite-sized content delivered directly to their inbox every Sunday.’”

After the announcement, some questioned whether enough actually happened

at Vassar to compose a truly endless scroll.

In response, Bradley noted that several popular existing email segments, including “Mystery Photo” and “Quote of the Week,” would be receiving spinoffs in the newly expanded Sunday email.

"As Matthew Vassar once said, ‘No student should ever feel deprived of relevant, bite-sized content delivered directly to their inbox every Sunday.’”

“Something students tell me a lot is that they relish the opportunity to answer questions about a blurry, cropped image of a beloved piece of our campus,” she said. “We wanted to take that idea and expand on it, which is why I’m excited to announce the creation of ‘Which Professor’s Toes Are Those?’ and ‘How Long Has This Deece Fry Been Sitting There?’”

Likewise, the much-loved “Quote of the Week” segment is getting an upgrade.

“Until now, we’ve really only done these

Nicholas Tillinghast/The Miscellany News. little snippets, a sentence or two at most,” President Bradley said. “With the new format, we’ll be able to include as much of the text as we want in order to really expose

Vassar students to great works of poetry and literature.

“Next week’s Quote of the Week will be ‘Moby Dick.’”

Madi Donat/The Miscellany News.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

HOROSCOPES

HUMOR

Page 12

February 16, 2023

Madi Donat

Astral Projector

ARIES

March 21 | April 19

TAURUS

April 20 | May 20

GEMINI

May 21 | June 20

CANCER

June 21 | July 22

LEO

July 23 | August 22

Getting wasted and feeling like death the next morning is OUT; refined, classy parties are IN! Next time you want to have a gathering, why not impress with some hand-crafted cocktails and organic small bites? Everyone will think you’re so cool and have it all together, even if you are currently losing it.

Are you feeling hotheaded this week?

Sometimes, it’s little, stupid things that make you mad. If you catch yourself near-tears with anger after, like, your laptop isn’t connecting to WiFi, take some deep breaths and make some tea.

I promise you will feel better. Better yet, just go to sleep. If you’re sleeping, you can’t be mad.

Talk about anything and everything this week. I love fun facts because they make you a hit at parties (if they don’t, you’re going to the wrong parties). But I think there are ways to do fun facts that aren’t all similar. Vary your library this week by gathering information from multiple subjects. No one wants a onetrick pony.

Things are hard. Even easy things are sometimes hard. And then, hard things become easy because, compared to the easy things, they aren’t that much harder. This is all to say that sometimes there will be weekends where you write two papers in two hours but your laundry is still sitting in a big gross pile, for example.

’Tis the season for the weather to really throw a wrench in your mood! It’s been sunny recently, but I can’t help feeling that the other shoe is going to drop, and Punxsutawney and his apprentices will have been correct all along. But isn’t there something neat about the thrill of that? Maybe it’s just me; I don’t know.

Examine thrill this week.

Do you have any hot takes this week?

Sometimes it seems that everyone has an opinion. Not that they shouldn’t; it’s just like, maybe they could do it a little quiVIRGO eter and further away. Instead of going August 23 | September 22 to Twitter or, worse, the dreaded class discussion, write your hottest takes on pieces of paper and blend them with oatmilk. Mmmmmm.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

LIBRA

September 23 | October 22

SCORPIO

October 23 | November 21

Our bodies are so powerful! They can do really cool things, like hurt really badly for no reason for exactly six seconds only. A Vine-length of hurt. Truly remarkable. Listen to your body this week, even when it goes, “Owowowowowowownevermind.” You never know what it’s trying to tell you.

You’re probably dehydrated, though.

Being able to find your way around a place you live is honestly a gift. I didn’t know what was two steps outside of campus for way too long, and now I feel like I’m a master of Poughkeepsie directions. Hone your directional abilities this week, and try not to rely on Google Maps. You are a pirate. Follow the North Star. Bring your astrolabe.

College is so scary because it’s like, you’re an adult but you aren’t? But also you kind of totally are. It’s really fun, SAGITTARIUS because you’re allowed to make mistakes November 22 | like accidentally creating toxic fumes in December 21 your kitchen twice, but it’s also terrible because you’re crying all the time.

When in doubt, remember that bleach does not mix with ANYTHING.

Don’t step on any sharp objects this week. There are many reasons for this: CAPRICORN Firstly, it will hurt you. A thorn or nail, December 22 | for example, is sharp and will cause you January 19 to be in pain. Secondly, it could make you bleed, and bleeding is annoying because you will have to change socks.

Thirdly, tetanus. I feel like that one’s self-explanatory.

AQUARIUS

January 20 | February 18

PISCES

February 19 | March 20

Aquarians are known for their charm, and one thing I’ve learned about charm is that it could be the key to easy money. Try out a lemonade stand this week, except lie to everyone and say that because it’s organic you have to sell each cup for $12.50. If they protest, simply bat your eyelashes at them. It literally will not fail.

Deece dinners love to play hard to get; it’s like they’re teasing us. Sometimes they’ll say they have my favorite pasta shape (linguine, obviously) at Home, but when I get there it’s just penne. I think that’s kind of cool, if disappointing. Begin to tell subtle lies to everyone this week so they’ll think you're aloof and very suave. Foolproof.

February 16, 2023

HUMOR

Page 13

No one is really that cool, therefore everyone is Carly D'antonio

I

Philosopher

t is no surprise that every college student deals with some sort of insecurity as they enter the early years of adulthood.

In your first year, when you are fresh out of high school and trying to find yourself, it is a struggle to find confidence in a new and scary place. But in the past four years, one thing has been made very clear to me.

No one thinks they're as cool as you think they are, and if they do…they probably still don’t.

Now this might sound a bit too general and sweeping of a statement, but I say this in the name of comfort. When I first

arrived at Vassar, I automatically thought that everyone was cooler than me. I mean how could I not? Everyone had cool thrifted outfits, random pieces of their hair dyed and helix piercings. In short, they were all cool. Yes, I know these assumptions may seem shallow, but what would you expect from an 18-year-old who had never been away from home before? Now, I say as someone who wears thrifted clothes, has random pieces of their hair dyed and has a helix piercing, these things do not make someone cool.

Yet, it seems to me that this is a trap that everyone at this godforsaken school falls into. So I propose this: No one is cool and,

therefore, everyone is. Now this might

"No one thinks they're as cool as you think they are, and if they do…they probably still don’t."

sound cheesy and genuine, but I assure you that it is not. This sentiment is meant

Poetry Corner Anna Kozloski

PRINCELY PERILS The shrieks of one puny Prince Gibb Roused a nurse to inspect the babe’s crib.

Her findings were shocking— A cradle still rocking A singular, semi-mauled rib.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

to be pessimistic and cynical, and I hope that my dearly beloved readers catch my drift.

This is not to say that coolness doesn’t exist. We live in a world with Liam and Noel Gallagher and where “Avatar” is the highest grossing movie of all time. If that world doesn't sound cool, I don't know what does.

I aim to say this: You are not cooler than anyone else, so therefore no one is cooler than you. No matter how much Carhartt you wear or how high your Doc Marten platforms are, coolness comes from within. Unless you are a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

OPINIONS

Page 14

February 16, 2023

Why you should care about avian flu in new animals Sufana Noorwez Opinions Editor

F

or most of us, the flu is not much more than an annoyance. Cold-like symptoms for a week, missing classes and then the worst of it is over. For those of us who are immunocompromised, more serious symptoms may occur, perhaps severely debilitating us and warranting a trip to the hospital. The word “flu” itself, though, does not evoke much more than a brief pause—it is a seasonal part of our lives today.

But the reality is that even in the most tame of flu seasons, some of our society’s most vulnerable people are killed by this illness. The CDC estimates that from 2010 to 2020, anywhere between 12,000 and 52,000 flu deaths occurred in the United States. This seasonal disease can be caused by several different variants of the influenza virus, differentiated by a tag such as “H3N2,” which refers to the specific configuration of proteins on the surface of the virus.

Some variants of influenza are rarer and mostly occur only in animals—for now.

One that comes to mind is H1N1, also called “swine flu,” which, according to the CDC, caused approximately 12,000 deaths in the United States when it peaked in 2009-2010.

Right now, a flu strain called H5N1—commonly referred to as avian influenza—is of particular concern. As the name suggests, it is particularly fatal to birds, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture reporting almost 59 million bird deaths since early 2022 as a result of the current spread of this particular flu strain.

Have you noticed the price of your eggs go up recently? That’s because poultry have been particularly affected by the current avian flu outbreak, with NPR reporting that millions of birds have been culled as a result of the highly infectious nature of the disease. As devastating as these statistics are, previously, the risk of avian flu jump-

ing into humans and transmitting between us had remained relatively low, with the World Health Organization reporting only 540 cases since 2003. Although the virus has crossed over into humans occasionally—particularly in the case of people who are in direct contact with the birds that carry this disease—outbreaks in humans were short-lived.

Recently, this has not been the case. According to The New York Times, scientists have increasingly detected the virus in wild migratory birds, which means it is able to be transported virtually anywhere in the world, infecting many other birds as it goes.

Most concerningly, the virus is affecting more and more mammals. There have been several isolated incidents over the years, including raccoons, bears, foxes, seals, dolphins and opossums, according to Science and Smithsonian Magazine.

But one recent incident of an outbreak on a mink farm in Spain has been the cause of particular concern. According to Science, transmission at this particular farm undoubtedly occurred through mink-tomink contact, suggesting that the virus is evolving in a way which makes it easier to spread between mammals. The previous form of avian influenza was particularly well-suited to infect birds, which have a different respiratory system than humans do, which may have been the reason why it was fairly difficult for humans to contract the disease from birds. But the respiratory systems of all the mammals that have recently been infected are much more similar to the human respiratory system, which could suggest that the virus is changing in ways which may make it easier to transmit from human-to-human.

Though it is still too early to know whether this current outbreak of avian influenza will hop into humans and become the next pandemic, it is clear that the virus

is trying to find new species to infect. Although the virus does not have the brainpower to decide who it wants to infect next, it is always evolving in ways that will allow it to spread as far as possible, and if humans are the best organism to help it do so, it will undoubtedly become well-suited to transmit between humans.

The scariest part about this current avian influenza outbreak is its mortality rate, almost 56 percent, according to the WHO. To compare this to the seasonal flu outbreak in 2019-2020, according to Statista, the death rate was as low as 0.3 percent for those who are at the least risk and as much as 22.1 percent for those at the highest risk.

A 56 percent death rate would be absolutely devastating to the human population.

We can sit here and wring our hands,

“We can sit here and wring our hands, waiting for the other shoe to drop—or we can act now.” waiting for the other shoe to drop—or we can act now. Though it is too early to panic about the spread of this disease, investing now may help us if this becomes a serious disease, or even if it is another disease that causes the next pandemic. On a global level, world organizations can do much more to prevent this disease from becoming a pandemic. This includes increasing surveillance and testing for the disease in both wildlife and humans who are most at risk (poultry workers, farm workers, etc.).

It also means international cooperation between nations and ensuring that data regarding the spread of avian influenza is shared. These are many of the missteps

from the early days of COVID-19 that can be rectified in order to prevent another pandemic.

On a personal level, there are a few steps that can be taken. First, we must prevent ourselves from minimizing the potential harm that this disease can cause if it takes off amongst humans. To do this, we must learn from our personal experiences in the early days of COVID-19. We all heard about, and may have even participated in, efforts to undermine the severity of the disease. All that got us was 1.1 million deaths in under three years, according to the CDC. Instead, we must be watchful and attempt to prevent the spread of misinformation as best we can. We must also invest in caring for our communities. With the spread of almost any disease, we—young adults—are usually the least affected population. But even amongst us, there are those who are immunocompromised who experience disease in radically different ways. Most of us have loved ones we care about who are older and may be more at risk for various diseases. Caring about the health and wellbeing of these people may very well be the difference between life and death.

We must take the lessons from the pandemic we just lived through and apply them to prevent future pandemics. Though avian influenza may not necessarily be next, another pandemic will happen inevitably, and we must be prepared when it does.

Image courtesy of The African Union Mission in Somalia via Wikimedia Commons.

State of the Union demonstrates progress, room for growth Britt Andrade Guest Columnist

T

his week, we heard from President of the United States Joe Biden in the annual State of the Union address. Many topics were covered, from transportation to the Chinese spy balloon. This article could be an A-to-Z list of topics discussed, but instead, I'm going to do the Sparknotes version. First, after greeting the staff and guests, Biden opened with a traditional statement about the progress and resilience of the United States. I agree that the United States is resilient, but I'm sure that Biden and I have different opinions on why the American people are resilient. Throughout his speech, we heard about economic resilience, managing the pandemic and the attack on the Capitol. There was no mention of the resilience needed to protest against police brutality, for reproductive rights or for the protection of voters’ rights. The American people are certainly resilient, but not just for economic reasons. Since Biden spent a large portion of his speech on the economic future of the country, this seems like a good place to start.

The United States has reached a 50-year low in unemployment. According to McKinsey & Company, “There are 1.9 open positions for every unemployed American, and employers are responding by raising wages and offering alternative working arrangements to attract and retain workers.”

That's fantastic news, so why are Americans struggling to find work? Part of the issue is geographic mismatch. As companies go back to expecting employees to work in person, prospective employees in rural and suburban areas find themselves with limited job opportunities. The cost of a move may be more than a new job is worth after taking into consideration the reasons people choose to live in non-urban communities. Urbanites aren't exempt from the struggles either. Per McKinsey’s data, city-dwellers are the most likely to express concern about job stability. Regardless of location, only 33 percent of employees are willing to move for work, so hopefully, companies are learning that productive, remote positions are much better than empty,

“All of this is to say, unemployment is low—now, let's make employment meaningful again.” in-person positions.

A mismatch of skills and education is also impacting Americans seeking new employment. Especially in the youngest employee demographics, there are over-qual-

ified candidates applying for entry-level positions. While everyone has to pay their dues, we have reached a point as a society where people can't afford to retire, and they are holding up the line of succession. I'm not going to spend 4 plus years in secondary education to work a job that, 20 years ago, would have been an internship. Bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States without raising the minimum wage to a living wage, or placing protections in place for unions, isn't going to be enough to keep unemployment down or to increase economic progress. It's a half measure. All of this is to say, unemployment is low—now, let's make employment meaningful again.

I'd also like to talk about the infrastructure law being implemented. The United States government is pouring billions of dollars into repairing highways, bridges, railroads, ports, tunnels and airports.

These projects are incredibly important because the infrastructure of this country has been failing for decades. I just hope we don't stop at repairing and improving already existing infrastructure. As we add Internet in rural areas, let's also add access to water and sewage sanitation. Let's add renewable energy to support the production of electric car charging stations. As we improve railways, we should be planning new hyperspeed systems to connect Americans in new, affordable ways. When cities are repairing public transportation, these im-

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

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

provements should include finding ways to reduce the need for personal vehicles and increasing the walkability of communities.

These changes are the tip of the iceberg— let's dive deep into real improvement.

These criticisms aren't personal or political. They come from a place of deep-seated hope for a nation that I believe can improve.

There were, of course, things I truly loved about the State of the Union. I loved how Biden responded to the dissenting crowd members during his segment on Social Security. His sharp, unscripted response shows that, for his age, he is still very capable of thinking on his feet. Hopefully, he makes a great advisor to future leaders some day, rather than continuing to run for office. Biden's push for corporate tax increases and price caps on life-saving medication like insulin are also welcome calls to action. Finally, as a veteran, I will always appreciate the support my community receives from Biden. Regardless of my feelings about the military, turbulent as they may be, the PACT Act is going to save the lives of my fellow service members. Access to better mental health means less families missing loved ones. As the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs improves, the next step should be extending its type of care into healthcare for all. I look forward to seeing how the next year plays out politically and how it compares the hopeful tone of our sitting President.

SPORTS

February 16, 2023

Page 15

Vassar Brewers Sports Roundup: Feb. 16, 2023

Doug Cobb

Sports Editor

Men's Tennis

Men’s and Women's Track and Field

Fasttrack National Invite

W 9-0 vs. RIT

Feb. 10 he men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled to Staten Island, NY, for the Fasttrack National Invite that included teams from Division I, Division II and Division III schools on Feb. 10. The Brewers saw strong performances across many events. In the women’s 200 meters, Ava Novak ’24 ran a personal best time of 26.09, good for 15th overall (third amongst DIII runners). In the men’s 800 meters, two Brewers nearly broke the two minute barrier, with Nick Redstone ’25 and Lukas Muzila ’23 running times of 2:00.54 and 2:00.69, good for 25th and 26th overall respectively. Augusta Stockman ’23 continued her dominant season with another personal best in the women’s mile of 5:08.19, which placed her 11th overall (second among DIII runners). On the longer distance side, Anika Mueller-Hickler ’26 hit the Liberty League qualifying standard with a time of 10:59.38 in the women’s 3K, as did Kai Chang ’25 and Davis Anderson ’26 in the men’s 5K with times of 15:44.20 and 15:20.23 respectively. Anderson’s time also qualified him for the All-Atlantic Regional Track and Field Championships (AARTFC). Jahmilia Dennis ’26 had a huge day for the Brewers, running a 9.33 in the women’s 60 meter hurdles prelims, then a 9.41 in the finals to finish seventh overall (top DIII finisher), a mark that hit both the Liberty League and AARTFC standards. Dennis also finished seventh overall in the women’s triple jump with a jump of 11.39 meters (the top jump from a DIII athlete in the event), hitting the qualifying mark for both the Liberty League and AARTFC. Up next for the Brewers is the West Point Tune-Up on Feb. 18.

Feb. 11 he Vassar men’s tennis team opened its season with a 9-0 sweep of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) on Saturday. The match, played at Vassar, improved the Brewers’ record to 1-0, and it was a league match, meaning their league record also starts out at 1-0. In doubles, Benjamin Almquist ’24 and Sigmund Winiecki ’26 won by default. Fernando Bauermeister ’26 and Nolan Kubiak ’26 won their doubles match by a score of 8-2, and Arnav Agostinho ’25 and Pedro Cattaruzzi ’26 won their match by a score of 8-4 to give Vassar the doubles sweep and a 3-0 lead. In singles, Cattaruzzi won by default to give Vassar a 4-0 lead. Bauermeister won his match 6-0, 6-0, and Kubiak won his match 6-0, 6-2 to move Vassar over the hump to a 6-0 lead and giving the Brewers the team victory. Ethan Mantell ’26 won his match 6-1, 6-0 and James Balon ’25 won 6-0, 6-1. Almquist closed it out with a 6-1, 6-2 victory to give Vassar the 9-0 sweep. The Brewers did not drop a set and outscored RIT 76-13 in games. Up next for Vassar is the University of Rochester at Walker Field House.

T

T

Nina Ajemian/The Miscellany News.

Women's basketball rides hot streak into tournament Nina Ajemian Editor-in-Chief

W

ith a third-place ranking in the Liberty League, a roster dominated by ambitious underclassmen and the third seed for the quarterfinals, the Vassar women’s basketball team is a force to be reckoned with this season.

Up until the team’s most recent 66-71 loss against Skidmore on Saturday, Feb. 11, Vassar was on an eight-game winning streak, Vassar Athletics reported. Prior to this, the team collected eight impressive, consecutive wins against Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) (71-50), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (85-68), Bard College (7041), St. Lawrence University (SLU) (75-57), Clarkson University (89-57), Bard (77-34), RPI (67-55) and RIT (86-73). The Brewers have a current overall record of 15-8 and a conference record of 12-4, according to Vassar Athletics.

The team’s standing is noteworthy, especially given the fact that nine of the 15 players are first-years, competing for the first time at the collegiate level. There are four sophomores on the roster as well as two seniors, team captains Eliza Srinivasan ’23 and Alex Lee ’23. Last season, Srinivasan

was named Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year, as reported by the League. Lee is the team’s top scorer this season, currently boasting 234 points, per Vassar Athletics.

Head Coach Anthony Mason told The Miscellany News, “We are extremely young, and our two captains have done an amazing job leading the team and helping to give them confidence and guidance on and off the court.” He commended the sophomores’ ability to adjust to a new playing style following such a significant roster change this season, as well as the first-years’ willingness to contribute and commit to the team, qualities that have been essential to its success this year.

First-year Kolby Davis commented on the team’s roster: “There’s been a lot of necessary growth for the team which makes sense since we only have two upperclassmen.”

Isabella Tawney ’26 echoed this sentiment, reflecting on how she has grown as a player this season: “For this year as a freshman it was definitely difficult adjusting to the level of play that’s expected in college.

[I’m n]ot saying it was easy or that I have it even figured out yet, but I will say the difficulty and level of expectations push me to become a more driven person.”

This sense of drive is just one of the team’s strengths this season. Lee asserted, “We all are a threat on the court in different ways. We take pride in ‘out efforting’ teams, and if one teammate is having an off day we pick each other up and focus on what we can control (such as communication or effort).”

Davis echoed the versatility of the team, noting, “Our biggest strength is definitely our numbers/depth. We are the type of team that strives on being unable to be consistently scouted since anyone can go off on any given night.”

Vassar entered this 2022 to 2023 season picked to finish second in the Liberty League’s preseason poll, with three-time League champions Ithaca College favored to take home another title, according to the League.

The Brewers finished its 2021 to 2022 season with 277 turnovers, the fewest in Division III women’s basketball that year, the Liberty League reported. The Brewers ended the regular season second in the League, with a conference record of 16-2 and an overall record of 17-8. They lost in the semifinals of last year’s conference tournament, per the League.

Mason spoke to the team’s current stand-

ing and promising prospects after securing the third seed as well as a quarterfinal home game. “For a young team this is huge,” he expressed. “One of the things we have done really well is committed ourselves to being the hardest working team in our league.

We have done a really nice job committing to being a good defensive team and working the ball inside out offensively.”

He also spoke to the team’s character, describing: “One of the best things about this team is how unselfish they are. They are generally excited for each other’s successes and they care for each other immensely.

I think it’s great to be around a group of young people who work so hard to make others feel cared for!”

Next up for Vassar is the team’s final games of the regular season, both to be played at home, per Vassar Athletics. On Friday, Feb. 17, the Brewers will face William Smith College, and the following day they will play Ithaca. The Liberty League Championship Tournament, locations to be announced, begins with the first round on Feb. 21. The semifinals will be held on Feb. 24, with the championship on Feb. 26.

The Brewers are on track for a strong finish to their season and have a real shot at the Liberty League championship title.

Images courtesy of Stockton Photo, Inc. MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 16

CROSSWORD The Miscellany Crossword “A Game Where...”

By Julia Barnett

ACROSS 4. Flexibility and endurance are key 5. A spaceship battles alien hoards 7. You play as the Ashen One (and die a lot) 9. You figure out whodunit 11. You can build anything (as long as it’s cubeshaped) 12. You eat pellets and run from ghosts 15. Link saves the land of Hyrule 16. Lara Croft looks for artifacts 18. Capitalism rules all and ruins your friendships 19. Disobeying traffic laws is the least of your problems 20. Unlike this crossword, you get to come up with the words

DOWN 1. In trying to destroy your friends, you might destroy the tower 2. Playing it is both entertainment and training for college-packing 3. Numbers and letters mean life or death (more likely, sink or float) 5. The dragonborn kills the dragon 6. You might get arrested for trespassing, but at least you caught an eevee 8. You have to save the princess from the dinosaur (and eat mushrooms for strength!)

10. You ignore reality to focus on virtual reality 13. Despite its name, the pieces are not sweet, but in fact taste like plastic 14. You trade resources to outbuild your opponents 17. A gorilla throws barrels at you

Answers to last week’s puzzle: "Rom-Com Classics"

By Monika Sweeney

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

February 16, 2023