Misc.04.22.2021

The Miscellany News April 22, 2021

miscellanynews.org

Activists Alex Wilson

lose

FOIL

dispute

Volume 155 | Issue 8

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Assistant News Editor

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ver five months ago, Poughkeepsie resident and activist Bill Rubin filed what could have been a routine Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department (CPPD) on behalf of multiple local civil rights activist groups. But in a situation that proved to be anything but routine, Rubin ended up facing a three-month legal battle over policing data that held the potential to reshape standards of transparency and accountability within the city government. Mayor Rob Rolison was contacted by The Miscellany News for this story but said that he would let the judge’s ruling speak for itself, declining to comment further.

Rubin filed suit in June 2020, when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Executive Order No. 203 in response to mass calls for police reform in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths. The order required that each local police agency submit plans to “reform and reinvent” themselves according to the individualized needs of communities. In order to develop such a

Inside this issue

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State legalizes marijuana Carolyn Patterson Guest Reporter

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The Dutchess County Courthouse. Courtesy of Alexius Horatius via Wikimedia Commons. plan, the chief executive of each applicable local government had to meet with the chief of police and “stakeholders in the community.”

Loeb W

Rubin sought the information within his FOIL request for use with both the End the New Jim Crow Action Network (ENJAN) and the Poughkeepsie Com-

unveils

Massimo Tarridas

Audio Editor Alex Barnard reflects on the iconic New ARTS Oreleans sludge metal scene and his tenure at the Miscellany News. Yes they're related.

Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866

Columnist

hat is “the ongoing moment?” It’s a phrase, coined

by Geoff Dyer, that contrasts with Henri Cartier-Bresson’s iconic “the decisive moment.” Dyer proposes that photographs add on to a collective unconscious that extends time, rather than capture it, because each image contains immediately recognizable material. Cartier-Bresson’s line implies that the image is singular

new

and separate from the moments before and after it was taken. The ongoing moment is one where the same symbols and structures repeat themselves, with each repetition acquiring new meanings, both intentional and accidental.

To explore this dynamic, “The Ongoing Moment: Recent Acquisitions of Photography at the Loeb” is anchored in two works, “Three Women at a Parade, Harlem, NY” by Dawoud Bey and “Untitled (Eating Lobster)” by Carrie

munity Action Collaborative (PCAC), two of these aforementioned stakeholders who would be meeting with Rolison and See FOIL on page 3

n March 31, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation legalizing recreational marijuana in New York State, making New York the 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana use. New Yorkers aged 21 and over are now legally allowed to possess up to three ounces of cannabis for recreational use.

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act will also automatically expunge the records of people convicted of marijuana-related charges that are now legal.

However, the first legal sales of marijuana are expected to be many months away. Before dispensaries are approved to begin selling recreational marijuana, the State will create an Office of Cannabis Management, composed of a five-member board, to regulate and oversee the industry. Sales of recreational marijuana are expected to beSee Marijuana on page 3

photography Mae Weems. They set the formal boundaries of the exhibit: staged photography and documentary photography, respectively. Every other work fluctuates and complicates this binary—like most other binaries, it doesn’t really exist, but it does help frame the context and content of the work presented.

Bey’s photograph depicts three elderly ladies standing in front of a police barricade. As the title describes, they’re at a parade, but the inclusion of a police barricade,

exhibit

plus the time period, plus the location, plus their race, all bring to mind the recent Black Lives Matter protests. We see the titular ongoing moment materialize as the subject represents itself and an unintentional contemporary reference. The details might change, but one can easily imagine the same composition occurring just last year.

Weems’ work arrives to a similar conclusion using a completely See Loeb on page 6

Students run small handicraft businesses Gwen Ma

Guest Reporter

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Guest Reporter Sofia Baah and Professor Justin Touchon explain FEATURES how pantless tree frogs are prepared to survive the next mass extinction.

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Blair Webber tells the harrowing tale of one student's paper HUMOR on the Church of Satan, which stuck on 666 words despite a 750-word minimum.

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t’s spring and the weather is perfect for outdoor activities. Many of us are shopping for accessories to style our clothes. Some Vassar students have launched on-campus artsy shops, selling handcrafted cute jewelry, lovely beaded necklaces and aesthetically pleasant stickers. These shops are not only creative outlets, but also bring a little ray of sunshine to the Vassar community.

Julie Geller ’24 got a beading kit for Christmas and has since been making beaded accessories for friends. Inspired by the beaded flower trend on social media, Geller began by making beaded flower rings, necklaces and bracelets. At first, Geller made these accessories as free gifts for friends, but many of her friends wanted to pay her for her work. “I thought it would be cool to make some

money at the same time doing what I enjoy,” Geller said. Catching the entrepreneurial spirit she launched @juliesbeadingshop with her roommate Marlee Reinmuth ’24. Reinmuth designed the shop’s logo and made it into stickers, and Geller created an Instagram account to market her products.

Geller recalled being quite excited when the business first started. Her posts on Instagram were frequently shared by friends and buyers, and she was receiving a lot of queries on her phone.

She often stayed ready to hear the buzzing notification of text messages from buyers and checked her phone constantly. "We would be screaming, ‘An order, another order!’" Geller recalled cheerfully.

Running a business is a challenge, but Geller faced it head-on.

"Things always come in waves and See Businesses on page 8

Courtesy of Julie Geller '24.

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April 22, 2021

THE MISCELLANY NEWS Ted Chmyz Taylor Stewart Tiana Headley Dean Kopitsky Olivia Watson CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Aena Khan Jessica Moss Holly Schulman Abby Tarwater NEWS EDITORS Lucille Brewster Annabelle Wang ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS Sara Lawler Alex Wilson FEATURES EDITOR Janet Song OPINIONS EDITOR Sawyer Bush ARTS EDITORS Nina Ajemian Leila Raines HUMOR EDITOR Isabella Migani ASSISTANT HUMOR EDITOR Madi Donat SPORTS EDITOR Alex Eisert ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Jackie Molloy SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Natalie Bober ASSISTANT SOCIAL MEDIA Alison Carranza ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS Sherry Liao Grace Rousell COPY EDITORS Jacqueline Gill Phoebe Jacoby Caitlin Patterson GRAPHICS EDITOR Juliette Pope AUDIO EDITOR Alex Barnard ASSISTANT AUDIO EDITOR Mrin Somani LIVE EVENTS CHAIRPERSON Ben Scharf BUSINESS MANAGER Emma Tanner ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Logan Hyde WEBMASTER Chloe Gjoka EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR EDITORS

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

April 22, 2021

NEWS

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NY State legalizes marijuana for recreational use Continued from Marijuana on page 1 gin in 12-18 months. Localities will also be able to opt out of retail sales.

Vassar’s policies on student use of marijuana are not expected to change, as Vassar will remain a smoke-free campus, explained Dean of the College Carlos Alamo-Pastrana. Vassar is also unlikely to make significant changes to current hiring practices, as the College does not currently drug test employees unless they are suspected of being under the influence of drugs at work. Additionally, Chief Information Officer Carlos Garcia shared that the College only conducts background checks for employees responsible for handling sensitive data or processes. “Our assumption is, if charges are expunged, they wouldn't show on the background check,” explained Garcia.

The bill also includes specific provisions aimed to improve issues associated with racial and socioeconomic disparities in marijuana related arrests. State officials have set a goal to offer half of business licenses to women, people of color, distressed farmers or disabled veterans.

Additionally, taxes generated by cannabis sales will be directed towards communities negatively affected by policing of drugs.

Sales of cannabis at dispensaries will be subject to a 13 percent tax, including a nine percent state tax and a four percent locality tax. Once the costs of implementing recreational marijuana regulations are covered, 40 percent of taxes generated by cannabis sales will be placed in the Community Grant Reinvestment Fund. This fund will be allocated through grants to qualifying community-based organizations and local government entities in communities disproportionate-

Courtesy of TechPhotoGal via Pixabay. ly affected by past federal and state drug policies. An additional 40 percent will go to the State Lottery Fund for Education, and the remaining 20 percent will be allocated to the Drug Treatment and Public Education Fund, which will finance drug treatment programs as well as early intervention and prevention initiatives.

State Senator Liz Krueger, who sponsored the bill legalizing recreational marijuana, emphasized the importance of racial justice in guiding legislation.

“My goal in carrying this legislation has always been to end the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana prohibition that has taken such a toll on communi-

ties of color across our state, and to use the economic windfall of legalization to help heal and repair those same communities. I believe we have achieved that in this bill,“ said Krueger.

The Act has received praise from activists opposed to the War on Drugs and racially targeted policing. “By placing community reinvestment, social equity, and justice front and center, this law is the new gold standard for reform efforts nationwide,” said Melissa Moore, New York State Director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

The recreational marijuana industry has the potential to significantly impact New York’s economy; one study by the

Center for New York City Affairs found that in six years, the recreational marijuana industry could generate $2.6 billion in sales and create over 50,000 jobs.

Andrew Cuomo’s administration has estimated that eventually, legalization could bring in an additional $350 million in state revenue.

Griffin Wells ’22 explained that living in California has shown him the economic benefits of recreational marijuanna legalization. “The weed culture on campus is already pretty relaxed, but having legal weed in New York now is good because it means more sales tax is going towards our school and infrastructure,” said Wells.

PK activists lose legal battle with city over policing records

Continued from FOIL on page 1 Police Chief Thomas Pape to discuss plans for police reform. ENJAN is a Poughkeepsie-based criminal justice advocacy group, and “membership includes many inner city residents who are people of color with firsthand experience with the City of Poughkeepsie Police, as well as allies residing in neighboring towns.” The PCAC, made up of local organizations and nonprofits, was formed in response to Executive Order No. 203.

In this FOIL request, which Rubin submitted on Nov. 13, he sought CPPD records for the past decade on 10 items including crimes reported, arrests, disciplinary records and complaints lodged against the department. He also asked for records pertaining to current police training programs and protocol.

Brian Robinson, a fellow PCAC member who worked with Rubin on the request, explained that obtaining this kind of data is especially important in communities such as Poughkeepsie, where an overwhelmingly white police force polices a majority Black and brown population. Robinson emphasized that data can elucidate the more qualitative measures necessary to evaluate the relationship between the police force and community. “The numbers represent lives, that is, lived experience. If you’re arrested for anything, that’s a lived experience, and when we’re talking about 1,500 arrests per year, that’s a lot of lived experience,” he said. “How much contact are the police having with the community? Can we ascertain from the data whether that is what many would consider largely unnecessary contact?”

Within a week of filing the request, Rubin had confirmed with the Deputy City Chamberlain Donna DeLuca that the requested records would be provided within 30 days and emphasized the urgent and timely nature of the request. But Police Administrative Sergeant Joseph Herring advised him on Nov. 23 that this request would require 90 days to process—a reversal that Rubin alleges was unlawful. When the original 30-day deadline passed and Rubin did not receive the requested documentation, he appealed what he deemed as a denial of his FOIL request to Rolison twice, on Dec. 17 and Jan. 5. In the latter appeal, he raised the prospect of taking legal action and underscored that the delay was limiting the community’s ability to participate in conversations stemming from Executive Order No. 203. Neither appeal received a response.

On Jan. 13, Rubin filed a lawsuit in the Dutchess Supreme and County Court against the city and Rolison, asserting that CPPD constructively denied his FOIL request by: “Failing to produce responsive documents and by constructively denying a timely administrative appeal.” At the heart of the suit were questions regarding whether the change to a 90-day timeline was both lawful and reasonable, and whether the city’s unresponsiveness to Rubin’s multiple appeals constituted a denial of these appeals.

The day after the suit was filed, CPPD provided Rubin with documentation partially satisfying the first part of his FOIL request, while requesting more information that was needed in order to fulfill the rest. The city’s legal defense asserted that Administrative Sergeant Herring had the authority

to reverse the original 30-day deadline and that Rubin had addressed his appeals to the incorrect entity, therefore, those appeals were invalid. Additionally, the city stated that the city’s partial fulfillment of the request on Jan. 14 happened before Rubin filed his suit, despite the filing date of Jan. 13.

Rubin subsequently disputed the city’s timeline while also noting that timestamps on the documents that he was provided by the city on Jan. 14 showed that the process of compiling these documents did not begin until after his second appeal was sent on Jan. 5—almost two months after his initial request. Thus, Rubin asserted that, in reality, the collection process only took nine days, and for that reason, the original 30day deadline was plenty of time to fulfill his request and that the city had not made a good-faith effort to provide him with the requested documentation in a timely manner.

In the end, Supreme Court Justice Christi Acker dismissed Rubin’s suit in a victory for Rolison and the city. Acker held that Rubin’s administrative appeals were defective, meaning that he had not actually exhausted administrative remedies, and cited the city’s timeline—wrongly stating that Rubin filed his suit after his request was partially fulfilled—to claim that he had no basis to file the suit in the first place.

Rubin lamented that Acker ignored his argument that the 90-day deadline was unreasonable, as well as that the city only took nine days to compile this documentation in a process that seemingly began only after he raised the prospect of legal action. “The most blatant lapse is that the judge asserted as fact that I filed the lawsuit the day after

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

receiving documents from the city, rather than the day before,” he said in a written statement, citing the proof that the original filing date of his suit occurred before the fulfillment of his request.

Despite a disappointing result, Rubin believes that the city will be more responsive to future records requests. “The City went to a great deal of trouble to defend my lawsuit.

The City may wish to avoid the expense and the time required of many City officials to prepare a defense. So ENJAN and other activist organizations may now be better positioned to obtain public records from the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department,” he explained.

In an interview for Mid Hudson News, Mayor Rolison asserted that the city “takes our responsibility with FOIL requests very seriously. We do the very best we can with limited resources, especially because of the COVID-19 public health crisis. We respond to these in a quick manner, and I am appreciative the judge saw that and ruled in favor of the City of Poughkeepsie.”

At the end of the day, Robinson said, “Nobody should be proud of what happened here, no matter what side you’re on.”

For Robinson, the case demonstrated a lack of commitment to transparency from the city. “I think the common council knows that, I think the mayor knows that, the police department knows that,” he explained. “And there have been verbal commitments of greater transparency. Now, there were also verbal commitments to greater transparency before and during all of this. Whether those commitments evaporate in the air or whether something actually comes of that is up to the city entirely.”

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April 22, 2021

Loeb exhibit captures ‘the ongoing moment’ in photography Continued from Loeb on page 1 different technique. To an unsuspecting audience, it’s easy to confuse Weems’ staged dinner scene between a man and a woman as a documentary work (I know I did). The woman sits before a full plate of lobster and a cup of wine, caressing the top of the man’s head. His head is bowed, his hand brings food to his lips and he has consumed all that is before him.

The pair could be wife and husband, mother and son, brother and sister. Despite this ambiguity, the gesture and the setting exist in every household, raising the question: Can truthful re-enactment be considered documentary?

After all, when working with such quintessential elements, the simultaneous specificity and generality make the image function as a veritable document of millions of people’s lives. A maternal figure is eternal.

However, this dichotomy of staged and documentary photography is not the only one at play, especially within two works from Aaron Turner’s “Black Alchemy Vol. 1,” titled “Georgia (1892)” and “Untitled (looking for self-preservation).” Notions of representation versus abstraction and revealing versus obscuring present themselves, as documents from the past are intervened in order to question the levels, and the intent, of mediation which history passes through before it reaches us. “Georgia (1892)” captures a rough sketch of a lynching, half-hidden by the artist’s hand. The sketch lays on a lightbox, with charcoal residue at the foot of the paper. The residue calls attention to previous revisions of the past; the obfuscation calls attention to the accuracy of the revision which is currently in front of us.

“Untitled (looking for self-preservation)” is a portrait of a Black Civil War soldier projected onto a mirror and some wooden blocks.

It looks like cubism brought into the third dimension, as the work reconstructs the surfaces of its subject so that they all appear on a flat plane. Turner’s reconstruction is necessary, as the true emotional weight of the term “Black Civil War soldier” is otherwise impossible to conceptualize. Deknatel Curatorial Fellow in Photography Jessica Brier states

Courtesy of Al Nowak, On Location Studios.

“Photography - at its core a medium consisting of light and shadow - has so many built-in metaphors for visible and invisible phenomena and human experiences, and as such it has been a powerful tool for artists including Turner to visualize the continuities (and disjunctures) of racialized experience in the United States.” In other words, Turner must intervene in the original event, because sometimes the horrors of history are too great to be processed directly. The ongoing moment exists to challenge the idea that photography is objective, in the sense that a photograph only represents what is directly a part of the photograph. Here, the soldier references many other soldiers, the lynching references many other lynchings.

Turner continues exploring race through the very medium in which he works. Black and white occur literally, as the sole colors employed, and metaphorically, as the high contrast between them relates to racial divide.

Turner’s process of seeking out a special fiber paper in order to print extremely rich, deep blacks mirrors the difficulties of representing Black experiences—the bright whiteness of the paper is the default space. The title of the series also recalls the history of color and black and white photography, where rolls of film were designed to depict white skin tones with nuance, and darker skin tones without.

The exhibit also features works by Ray K. Metzker and Mary Ellen Mark. Out of the exhibit, Mark’s photographs are the ones which most clearly fit into the documentary mode. Metzker is a perfect example of the grey area between staged and documentary, as his photographs are technically documentary. They’re taken on the street, but editorialized in the darkroom via dodging (lightening), burning (darkening) and cropping. Brier describes the importance of all of these works for the Loeb: “The recent acquisitions currently on view in the Hoene Hoy

Gallery feature examples of three major areas of strength in the Loeb's collection of approximately 4,800 photographs: work made by women; documentary or ‘street’ photography; and the integration of photography into contemporary art practices.” And as much as they are important to the Loeb, they’re also important works to anyone interested in art, or interested in learning more about how photography makes meaning. The exhibit is an introduction to a pliable photographic approach, pliable because it breaks with the rigidity of the decisive moment. As we scroll through digital feeds—which hold a different kind of sensuous connection between one post and the next— exploring photography physically is a very visceral way to connect with the ongoing moment.

“The Ongoing Moment: Recent Acquisitions of Photography at the Loeb” is on view upstairs in the Hoene Hoy Gallery for Photography at the Loeb Art Center until June 27.

Highs and lows of YSL’s second studio album ‘Slime Language 2’ Ganesh Pillai

Guest Columnist

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idnight April 15th could have been, without hyperbole, the most anticipated drop day of 2021 for hip hop fans.

For the first time in months, a big-name artist—namely Young Thug—was set to premiere new music. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on musicians, preventing them from engaging in their most profitable activity, touring. As a result, since the beginning of 2020, very few rappers have decided to drop new music for fear that the songs would be old and forgotten by the time the world opened up again. Young Thug served as a bit of an exception to this rule. He released his collaboration with Chris Brown, “Slime & B,” on May 8, 2020, and followed up with Young Stoner Life’s (His record label) second studio album, “Slime Language 2,” less than 12 months later. But after this novelty wears off, is it still a quality album?

Young Stoner Life, often referred to as YSL, is a record label headed by Jeffrey Lamar Williams, a.k.a. Young Thug. Other notable names on the label include Gunna and Lil Keed. While “Slime Language 2” is a collaborative effort between all the label’s artists, Young Thug and Gunna are listed as the central contributors. While the talent on the label is certainly there, and does lead to some standout moments on “Slime Language 2,” the relative result is questionable

considering the immense potential it had.

One of the most significant strengths of “Slime Language 2” broadly speaking, is the production and beat selection. The likes of producers such as Wheezy and Southside ensure that each song on the album has the potential to be a hit, provided the artists deliver in equal capacity. The delicate piano notes on “Slatty” or the infectious guitar riff on “Real” are examples of the subtle but significant touches that pop up all over the album. It is impossible not to feel uplifted with the triumphant horns on “Came and Saw.” The dominant and atmospheric 808 pattern on “Wokstar” complements the style of London rapper Skepta perfectly and allows him to deliver yet another great feature. In these cases, the beat and artists complement one another perfectly, representing some of the high points of the album.

Another highlight of the album is the head honcho of YSL himself, Young Thug.

The difference in the quality of the songs that he appears on compared to those without him is more than noticeable—it is glaringly apparent. There is a reason why he is the most popular and renowned artist on the album, and the vocalist displays that very well. On songs such as “That Go!” and “Paid the Fine,” Thug sets himself apart from the talent on his label, delivering crisp lines with his characteristic vocal acrobatics. His flow on these beats is impeccable,

and leaves me wanting a Young Thug solo project above all else.

There are two standout aspects of the album that I feel deserve special attention.

The first is Drizzy Drake, who provides the best verse of the whole album on the song “Solid.” As soon as Gunna’s hook concludes, Drake dominates the rest of the track, coming in with the braggadocious and swagger-filled, “Revin’ the engine, woah/ city dependin’, I gotta finish it.” He demonstrates incredible vocal control, spitting his bars with the measure and confidence that only someone with such a legacy can. It is the perfect song to put on in the car for a late-night drive. The other standout to mention is “Ski.” The snippet of this beat had been leaked a week prior to the album’s release, so the surprise factor was sadly a wash. However, the song delivered and then some. The initial beat is simply beautiful, invoking a tropical and fun feeling that Thug and Gunna famously capitalized on in past songs like “Surf” and “Hot.” The beat develops with more and more background additions that build and mesh into one cohesive, transportive experience.

Oh, and Thug and Gunna killed their verses too.

Where this album seriously lacks is consistency. On a 23-track album, low points and lulls are inevitable, but unfortunately for “Slime Language 2,” the last 18 songs lose the initial grandeur of the album. In a

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

questionable decision, YSL decided to put the majority of its notable features in the first few tracks of the album (Drake, Travis Scott, Lil Duke) and the album is never able to reclaim the highs that it achieves in this first batch of songs. As Young Thug begins to appear less and less—he is in the first five, while only in eight of the next 18—the quality takes a precipitous decline. From Uzi’s lackluster contribution in “Proud of You” to the horrendous and seriously disappointing Future feature on “Superstar,” the latter part of this album grows boring and tedious. It becomes a chore to finish the project. Kid Cudi’s verse in “Moon Man” is the only contribution from this part of the album that I believe deserves recognition.

As a whole, “Slime Language 2” boasts soaring highs, however it is weighed down by a bloated tracklist that quickly drops in quality. While this is not Thug’s best musical contribution by a long shot, hopefully the album serves as the basis for more rap albums to come out in the near future.

For the first anticipatory night in a while, I can’t say I am entirely satisfied, but not wholly disappointed either.

5.6 /10

Best Songs: "Ski", "Slatty," "Diamonds Dancing," "Solid," "Come and See" Best Feature: Drake ("Solid")

April 22, 2021

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New Orleans sludge metal embodies the spirit of collaboration Alex Barnard Audio Editor

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f you know anything about me, you know I love metal. As an explorer of the genre and connoisseur of all things heavy, one of the things that truly fascinates me about metal is how location can become associated with genre. Of course, this connection between genre and place is not limited to metal; there's West and East Coast hip-hop, New York and London punk rock and the nearly universal association of the Netherlands and Sweden with EDM. But metal, more than anything, seems to be associated with local scenes generating massive movements within the genre as a whole. One need only look to the San Francisco Bay Area as a quintessential example. Whereas the UK (specifically Birmingham) is often cited as the birthplace of heavy metal as a whole, some of metal’s biggest bands got their start in the Bay Area in the early ʼ80s, as groups like Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer cut their teeth playing crushingly fast metal and birthed the subgenre known as “thrash.”

But as with all music, various metal subgenres were not limited to one local scene.

Again, thrash serves as a great example: while San Francisco undoubtedly spawned the most important thrash scene, New York, Germany and Switzerland all created their own versions of the subgenre. Death metal not only flourished in Tampa Bay, FL, but also Sweden. Even black metal, which has firm roots in Norwegian culture, originated outside its biggest local scene, with bands

doom-offshoot “stoner metal” (and yes, weed does figure as an important lyrical subject in certain sludge metal songs), instead of aiming to create a cannabis-like haze in music, sludge metal fixated on aggression, depression and frustration, taking significant cues from hardcore punk bands like Black Flag.

Whereas stoner metal frequently praises pot, references to marijuana in sludge often contribute to the depression found in the lyrics. A perfect example of this can be found in the ironically titled “Hail the Leaf”

by DOWN, in which lead singer Phil Anselmo sings: “And I cower / in reality’s eyes / so I just smoke.” For stoner metal, weed is medicinal, life-giving and practically sacred; for sludge metal, weed is a crutch, a demon that merely distracts from (or worse, exacerbates) the singer’s feelings of despair.

In this way, while doom, stoner and sludge metal are all subsumed under the category of extreme metal, I would argue that sludge metal is the doom-subgenre that best fits the

Additionally, while local scenes will sometimes foster rivalries between bands (Metallica vs. Megadeth, Sepultura vs.

Sarcófago, Mayhem vs. Burzum), the collaborative spirit within the New Orleans metal scene is so pervasive that many of the biggest sludge bands share members. Of course, sharing band members is not just restricted to NOLA. The most famous example of this is that Dave Mustaine’s dismissal from Metallica served as the catalyst for his forming Megadeth, and his replacement, Kirk Hammett, was originally the lead guitarist for fellow Bay-Area-thrashers Exodus. But let’s take the New Orleans supergroup DOWN as but one example. Lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Anselmo (whose main claim to fame is having been the lead singer for one of the biggest metal bands of the ’90s, Texas groove metal band Pantera) is a member of a wide variety of NOLA bands, from black metal outfit Viking Crown to sludge/ hardcore band Superjoint. Guitarist Pepper

Ben Falgoust II also sings for Soilent Green, which features Eyehategod’s Brian Patton on guitars. Phil Anselmo has even filled in for Eyehategod vocalist Mike IX Williams at live shows, and the two collaborated in the crust punk group Arson Anthem as well.

My point is that whereas other subgenres of metal developed through (mostly) friendly competition between bands over the title of “heaviest band in town,” New Orleans was able to foster a unique genre unto itself because members of the city’s local bands worked together to create a common sound: sludge metal.

The spirit of collaboration in the New Orleans’ metal scene has been particularly poignant to me recently, now that my time as not only a member of The Miscellany News, but also of the Vassar student body, winds down. As an only child, I was often dismissive of teamwork as a kid. In my mind, it had to be my way or the highway, and group projects were often a nightmare

“Now you're probably wondering, 'Sludge metal? What the hell is that? And also, what is it with these goofy names for metal subgenres?'” like Newcastle's Venom and Brazil's Sarcófago laying the blueprints for what is often considered one of metal’s most evil genres.

However, there is one local metal movement that indisputably created a genre unique to its home city: the New Orleans metal scene.

One of the most interesting aspects of New Orleans metal is that the city is not often associated with metal. When one thinks of New Orleans’ connection to music, one unsurprisingly thinks of jazz, as NOLA is the hometown of Louis Armstrong and the Marsalis family, among others. But New Orleans’ impact on metal is substantial—the city is the breeding ground for the ultra-heavy subgenre known as “sludge metal.”

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Sludge metal? What the hell is that? And also, what is it with these goofy names for metal subgenres?” Well, since I’m not a member of the mythical metal-subgenre-naming-committee, I couldn’t possibly answer your last question. However, a definition of sludge metal is crucial to understand the rest of this article. Whereas other extreme metal subgenres like death, thrash and black metal focus on brutality, speed and lyrical themes of death and destruction, the heaviness of sludge metal is derived from its (mostly) slow, melodic and brooding guitar riffs, creating an atmosphere of extreme depression. Sludge metal itself is an off-shoot of the larger genre of doom metal, a style of metal pioneered by heavy metal forefather Black Sabbath and further developed by bands like Pentagram, Trouble and Saint Vitus. While sludge developed alongside the other main

Courtesy of Mario via Wikimedia Commons. “extreme” label.

On the one hand, you might be saying to yourself, “Cool (what a nerd).” If, on the other hand, you are curious, you might be saying, “Why is the genre so unique to New Orleans? What is it about sludge that makes New Orleans so important to metal?” Well, for one, NOLA is regarded as one of the largest epicenters of doom-styled metal in the United States. Stoner and doom bands pop up all over America with local scenes that take some inspiration from sludge metal, but the sheer amount of sludge bands in New Orleans compared to bands playing other styles is unbelievable. Even local bands like Goatwhore and Soilent Green (which play death metal and grindcore, respectively) channel sludge metal in their music, incorporating slower, doomy passages within a barrage of speedy riffs and death growls.

Sludge metal is New Orleans metal; the two are so synonymous that, at this point, they mean the same thing.

Keenan (who also sings and plays guitar for North Carolina metal group Corrosion of Conformity) built up his chops while playing with sludge-originators Graveyard Rodeo. Second guitarist Kirk Windstein continues to be the main creative force behind one of my personal favorites of the NOLA scene, Crowbar. Original bassist Todd Strange was also a founding member of Crowbar, and his two replacements, Pantera’s Rex Brown and Goatwhore’s Pat Bruders, have both recorded and toured with Crowbar as well.

Finally, drummer Jimmy Bower not only played drums on two Crowbar albums and every Superjoint release, but also founded and continues to play guitar for Eyehategod, one of the biggest bands to emerge from this scene.

Countless other examples abound. Sammy Pierre Duet, current guitarist for Goatwhore, got his start in Acid Bath (another personal favorite) before playing guitar on three Crowbar records. Goatwhore singer L.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

for me. As I got older and entered college, my outlook changed; I became more receptive to working with others and functioning within a larger organization, and boy, am I ever thankful that I did. During my time at Vassar, I have had the immense privilege of working with ultra-talented musicians in my various bands, incredibly intelligent classmates on group projects and of course, my wonderful family at the Misc. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be able to prattle on about my favorite genre of music without someone interrupting me to change the subject, let alone go on to help develop the podcasting branch of the newspaper. Working with others, whether through the Misc or through the Vassar band scene, has allowed me to foster lasting friendships, and for that I am truly grateful. So, if you are a loner and think that collaboration is futile, take a page out of the NOLA metal/my playbook; it might just be the best decision you ever make.

FEATURES

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April 22, 2021

How pantless tree frogs are withstanding extinction Sofia Baah

Guest Reporter

A

s ecosystems across the globe transform due to climate change, the resilience of organisms is being put to the test. Fluctuations in atmospheric composition, global temperature and other climatic measures are just a few of the changes to which species must adapt. As a result of this phenomenon, many animals have been eradicated over the last few centuries at alarming rates and continue to be threatened by extinction.

Some biologists and paleontologists have even referred to the current time period as the sixth mass extinction.

While evolution occurs much too slowly to save many of the species at risk today, there is still hope for some flora and fauna.

Phenotypic plasticity, evolution’s less popular associate, may be the reason certain species are more suited to survive widespread climate change.

Justin Touchon, an Assistant Professor of Biology at Vassar, described phenotypic plasticity as “The idea that an organism’s single set of genes...can be expressed in different ways in response to the environment.” What makes this particularly interesting is that some environmental cues may prompt a different phenotypic expression during life history events, such as embryonic development, than other cues. In other words, the same genotype might produce different morphological characteristics in an organism based on external signals.

The complex and sometimes misleading nature of plasticity meant that it was regarded as unimportant and a potential nuisance in the 20th century. Only in recent years has it become a less disputed area of study.

Touchon is one of the biologists committed to elucidating some of its mysteries.

Touchon combines his love of herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles) with his interest in predator and prey interactions in his research. As a self-proclaimed “herpdork,” his species of interest is the pantless tree frog, or Dendropsophus ebraccatus.

“Since coming to Vassar I have primarily focused on the tadpoles of [D. ebraccatus],” he

said. “Before coming to Vassar…I studied the plasticity of all three life stages of this frog.”

Plasticity applies to both behavior and morphology, making it highly important for different elements of an organism’s survival and reproduction. According to Touchon, “[A species] can be flexible in aspects of their life history—[such as] when [they] hatch, or when [they] metamorphose.”

“The eggs of [D. ebraccatus] have plasticity when they hatch,” Touchon explained.

“They can detect the vibrations of a predator that is trying to eat them.” The frog eggs will hatch earlier if they detect an ant or other predator on the leaf where they were laid.

Once hatched, they are able to fall into the water below and escape the predator.

In the case of the developing tadpoles, they detect chemical cues from the predators which affect the nature of their tails.

Touchon’s research showed that in the presence of fish, the tadpoles grow a long slender tail. The long tail allows them to out-swim the fish pursuing them. In the presence of invertebrate predators like dragonflies, however, the tadpoles grow a large paddle-like tail with a large red spot at the end.

The paddle allows for quick turns to evade the invertebrates, while the spot tricks the predators to target the tail rather than the head. This increases the probability of the tadpoles to survive an attack, since they are able to survive if some of their tail is ripped off.

The specificities of phenotypic plasticity have yet to be determined, and Touchon hopes to make headway in future studies of his tadpoles. One potential study might address the ability of tadpoles to adapt to the presence of invertebrate predators after only being in the presence of fish predators for multiple generations.

After multiple generations of isolated exposure to a particular predator, the gene expression of the tadpole will be adjusted to living alongside one type of threat. This may impede its ability to shift in response to another predator, or revert to a more neutral phenotype. Touchon described this as two distinct layers of a species’ flexibility:

Courtesy of Justin Touchon.

“So you have plasticity, [which] is changes in gene expression, and then you have evolution of that by changing the baseline that an organism is expressing.”

Phenotypic plasticity offers a potential solution to conservation efforts in the face of climate change, with climates becoming more and more extreme. Species that are able to physically adapt to certain predators, such as pantless tree frogs, may be more fit to survive in a volatile world.

Another example of the pantless tree frog’s grit is their ability to lay eggs in multiple locations. As explained by Touchon, they can lay their eggs both in a pond and outside of the pond depending on the level of shade available. This is significant because the tree frogs are able to fully develop in both locations. While ponds offer greater risk of predation, they eliminate the risk of drying out. On the other hand, shaded terrestrial locations offer the opportunity for safer eggs. Touchon explained: “While those eggs are developing they are going to be shaded, they are going to be protected from the sun and be more likely to survive.”

Without shade, however, laying eggs on land can be catastrophic. “If there’s no shade, they would die,” Touchon explained. “They

would dry out from the sun.” Fortunately, female pantless tree frogs are somehow able to predict the appropriate place to lay eggs.

On the other hand, red-eyed tree frogs are not as versatile. Instead, they evolved to lay entirely terrestrial eggs. The intensely humid climate of the tropics allowed for egg development on land, avoiding the predation of ponds. Red-eyed tree frogs would be unable to adapt to a dry climate because of this.

Thus, an intermediate stage characterized by phenotypic plasticity may be the key to witnessing the complexity behind evolution. Animals such as pantless tree frogs may stand the test of time more readily than their red-eyed counterparts. From their propensity for survival against the deadly chytrid fungus ravaging amphibian populations around the world, to their knack for growing predator-dependent tails specialized for evasion, pantless frogs may be an indicator of the resilience required to survive the sixth mass extinction.

Professor Touchon’s humble Vassar lab may hold the key to discovering the intricacies of plasticity and what it takes to survive—all by studying our (very) distantly related scantily clothed cousins, the pantless tree frogs.

VassarHacks seeks to welcome computer science enthusiasts Janet Song

Features Editor

F

ive years ago, Jayce Rudig-Leathers ’16 and Tim Brown ’16 created VC++, a group that sought to cover ground on more practical components of computer science that got little attention in Vassar’s Computer Science Department. VC++ is now a bubbling community that aims to assist students at any level of computer science, from building websites and apps to preparing for the interview process in the professional world. With its virtual Hackathon, VassarHacks, coming up the weekend of May 1, VC++ hopes to foster and broaden a space for all students looking to delve into the world of tech.

Meetings at VC++ typically go between 45 minutes to an hour, often with a set theme, according to Nadim Majumder ’22, VC++’s president. “In the first half of the meeting, we present some material/watch something/do an activity centered around our theme,” said Majumder. “And in the second half, we usually have a discussion about what we just presented. In the fall semester—which is recruiting season for tech jobs—we focus on more practical themes.”

Some of the themes in these meetings include startups and the different kinds of jobs available in tech.

When asked about the job-centric aspects of VC++, Nick Weiner ’22, the orga-

nization’s treasurer, distinguished VC++ from the Career Development Office. “The CDO is very good with helping you find opportunities in computer science, but for computer science, there are certain parts of the interview process that aren't really covered by the CDO,” Weiner clarified. “So we're helping to fill that niche. And we're also helping to build a niche that [Vassar’s] Computer Science Department also doesn't cover some of the essential parts of the interview process. So we're trying to build a niche [combining] the two of them.”

For this niche, VC++ has offered study groups for problems that would show up in interviews, as well as mock interviews and tips from upperclassmen to lowerclassmen.

They also carry out semester-long projects where students work on building things such as web apps and 3D models, and teach certain tools such as GitHub or Leetcode, as well as other tools that may not be explicitly featured in the Computer Science curriculum. Additionally, VC++ hosts fireside chats with alumnae/i in the tech industry, as well as game nights during midterms and finals season to relieve stress among students.

This year VC++ has joined with the Computer Science Committee to organize VassarHacks, Vassar’s first Hackathon. According to David David ’22, a hackathon is a non-stop programming competition that

can run for 24, 48 or 72 hours. “It is meant to be an environment where programmers, software developers, graphic designers and others can start and finish an innovative project,” David explained. “In CS, hacking is the process of exploring new ways to approach a problem, often by way of trial and error; hence the word ‘hacking’ as in the act of roughly cutting—wood for example —and then roughly putting the pieces together to obtain a functional prototype.”

The two themes for the Hackathon this year will be online learning and public health. Participants will be tasked with creating anything—such as an app or a website—within the span of 24 hours. On the decision behind the two themes, Weiner commented on their relevance to today’s world. “We sort of thought [both themes were] very universal, given the current pandemic that we're going through,” he stated.

Participants will have a chance to construct projects designed to assist virtual learning and/or public health, such as an app that might help prevent future pandemics Olivia Gotsch ’22, a member of VC++, shared her excitement for the upcoming event. “I think it's a great way to bring people together, virtually or in person, to come up with creative solutions to issues that have come up in a really difficult year and celebrate these shared interests,” she said.

Gotsch described the overall VC++ com-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

munity as warm and inviting. “I think I was hesitant because I didn't think I was ‘STEM enough’ as an anthro major and I got interested in coding and computer science late,” she recalled. “But I felt welcomed at the first meeting, and that definitely changed my mind.” Gotsch’s insight of VC++ nods to how the club also welcomes those willing to just dabble and be among people with similar interests in tech. Members don’t have to be Computer Science majors going in; as long as they want to share their passion and curiosity for the field, they are welcome to join.

On a similar vein, Majumder commented: “The VC++ community is super supportive and welcoming. A lot of our programming discussions in meetings involve sharing our experiences which I think helps make us tight-knit. ” He also made note of how VC++ has helped marginalized students find new opportunities in tech. “I think our focus on helping members prepare for the internship search by sharing resources/experiences has the biggest impact on underrepresented minorities since they are the least likely to have prior exposure to them,” he affirmed.

Those looking to venture into the tech world can register for VassarHacks from April 1st to April 30th at the official VassarHacks website. Everyone—experienced and inexperienced—is welcome to attend.

April 22, 2021

FEATURES

Page 7

Students find self-expression in running their own businesses Continued from Businessses on page 1 people want it all at once, so I have to work hard on making the jewelry and handing them to buyers in time," Geller said. A way that she solved this problem was by inviting her roommate Reinmuth and friends to bead with her to increase productivity. She also managed her business by having a Google Sheet to keep track of the cost and revenue, making sure she is at least breaking even.

Geller felt rewarded seeing people wearing her necklaces and sending her messages about how much they love her accessories.

"I'm glad to have met many nice, kind and supportive people,” Geller said. “I'm also very happy to make someone else feel good about themselves."

Hannah Raizman ’24 started her jewelry store, Strawbarbyshop, just this spring. Being remote, she had easy access to art supplies at home. Therefore, she had a lot of fun creating art crafts and drawing and thought a hobby that pays for itself would be a great idea. On Strawbarbyshop’s Instagram page you'll find adorable clay earrings made by Raizman, from cute frogs to bananas in a donut. "Art and painting has always been some-

thing that's been a big stress reliever of mine, and turning that into something that feels more meaningful has really helped with my ADHD. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media, I'm spending more free time creating, without the time feeling mentally drained," Raizman shared.

Since the shop just launched a few weeks ago, Raizman has found it hard to advertise her work. She has been posting on Instagram and relying on hashtags and asking friends to promote her art on social media. Raizman also mentioned that she might try streaming on Twitch to show people her creative process as another way to promote her business in the future.

Raizman was glad to have support from her family, friends and boyfriend, who helped her make some of the earrings. "Definitely put yourself out there and don't be afraid to make something controversial. Follow the trend but at the same time add your own twist to it," Raizman said to encourage anyone with the intention to start a small business.

Caeli Porette ’22 opened a sticker and print shop after her meme drawings went viral on

Courtesy of Caeli Porette ’22.

Courtesy of Hannah Raizman ’24.

Twitter. After posting her drawings of some popular memes, people on social media bombarded her with messages wanting her drawings on shirts and stickers. Flattered by the amount of likes she received, Porette decided to open up a sticker shop to satisfy her fans. = Porette started with recreating popular memes before going on to create stickers in her own art style. Her stickers became so popular that she had customers from all over the United States and the world. Porette shared that someone from South Africa wanted to order her stickers, but she had to decline their order because shipping to a country that far away involves complex procedures. However, she was able to send orders to her customers in Canada.

Many of Porette’s customers buy her work to tattoo it on themselves. "One time I posted a drawing, and someone asked if they could tattoo it on themselves,” Porette recounted.

“I thought they weren’t serious, but twenty minutes later they sent me a photo of my art already being tattooed on them. I was so shocked."

Porette explained that she really enjoys creating cute drawings that are fully her own and seeing couples buying her art for their loved ones. She has made friends with other artists in the Twitter art community and learned art techniques from other users.

After the success of her sticker business, Porette has branched out to printing. “The big goal is to open up a print shop, and I finally got it done now,” she said. She now sells prints out on the Quad so Vassar students can purchase her works with more ease. She also sells her arts for cheaper here on campus compared to her online store because she doesn’t need to charge a delivery fee.

It’s not at all easy to start a small business.

Geller, Raizman and Porette all emphasized that they didn’t realize how much work goes into a small business because everything is handmade. All of them struggled with different things when it comes to running a business. Nevertheless, they overcame the obstacles and found this experience fulfilling. They encourage students who also want to start their own businesses to just do it and not be afraid to express themselves.

Outdoor music events take ‘Spring Break’ by storm Tabby Hannam Guest Reporter

W

ith magnolia trees blooming on campus amid patches of sunshine, Vassar students took advantage of the warm weather to relax and spend time with their friends outside, attending a variety of outdoor events that were put on for “spring break.”

Confined to campus during the five-day recess, students were compelled to find alternative, COVID-safe activities to occupy their time. One of the biggest student events during Spring break was “Quadchella,” a socially-distanced festival of sorts on Saturday, April 3, hosted by Vassar College DJs (VCDJ). With a theme of “Celestial Hotties,” the series of DJ performances on the Quad was the latest in a string of socially distanced Roller Discos that are normally held every weekend outside the Athletics and Fitness Center for the past two semesters. Lucy Posner ’21, co-chair of VCDJ, emphasised the importance of these events in the restoration of campus morale whilst still adhering to the guidelines: “Campus Activities and VCDJ wanted to have a

fun, outdoor, masked and distanced event during spring break. We both have been working hard to make campus feel more 'normal' this semester.”

VCDJ works closely with Assistant Director of Campus Activities Will Rush , campus security and the Student Activities Office to organize these events. Posner stressed that they adapted their usual stage layout to foster social distancing, eliminating the stage because it encourages crowding towards the front, and placing speakers in a way that ensures the people can spread out as far as possible. Claire Pfister ’23 enthused, “It was just really nice to have a large group of students gather outside together, whilst still being safe.” She added, “I’d love to go to another outdoor concert featuring some of the student bands and musicians.”

Over on the Vassar Ecological Preserve at the same time, yarn, Vassar’s indie-soulpop/ cat-rock band, had organized a small concert with The Morning Moon, Vassar’s three piece folk band. Nestled in between the co-operative buildings to create a natural theatre space, the area was pretty much full of people social distancing. “Way more

people turned up than I expected, I guess people need somewhere to be these days,” admitted Claire Furtwangler ’21, a member of The Morning Moon. Furtwangler and her fellow band members Lily Moriarty ’21 and Max Elliot ’21, relished the opportunity to perform together during their final semester at Vassar. “I was just euphoric the whole time, it was so sunny and I hadn’t gotten to do something like that for a long time,” Furtwangler continued. When asked about plans for another concert experience, Furtwangler replied that The Morning Moon just wanted to get a chance to perform together again, citing the TH lawn as a potential next venue.

The “Career Development Office” (a name that is still being trialed by Adam Buchmueller ’22 and his band members Clarke Hallum, Jack Leddy, Jaime Aguayo and Wyatt Carey, all ’21) had the same idea for their Saturday night. After a two year hiatus, due to semesters abroad and COVID-19, the “CDO” decided to have a chill, lowkey jam session outside one of the members' TA. However, the live music drew more people than they had anticipated, and the event

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

was shut down by campus security after a few songs.

Looking toward upcoming outdoor events, the Vassar Outing Club has organized a folk festival for April 23 on Graduation Hill from 2 to 8 pm, and this weekend VCDJ are hosting another event on Graduation Hill as well.

Courtesy of VCDJ via Instagram.

HUMOR

Page 8

April 22, 2021

Breaking News

From the desk of Izzy Migani, Humor Editor

This just in: Recipients of J&J vaccine report side effects like super strength, levitation Student's 750-word essay on Church of Satan gets stuck at 666 Blair Webber

Not A Satanist

M

idterms (or is it finals? It feels like finals, but the semester doesn’t end until June so maybe it’s midterms) are upon us and for many students this means writing several dry, obligatory, 750 to 1000 word essays. While these essays probably serve some purpose other than taking up the time I could be spending watching “Regular Show” and eating vegan mac and cheese in bed, I am yet to discover one. I am not alone in my exhaustion; many students struggle with the workload.

One student, sophomore Tracy Beach, has encountered a particularly puzzling snag while completing her History of World Religions midterm paper.

“I chose to write about The Church of Satan’s involvement in Poughkeepsie because I thought it would be interesting to research a national phenomenon that is also extremely local, but I really regret it now.” said Beach, “The minimum word count for the paper is 750 words and I’m stuck at 666.”

At first, Beach assumed this was a classic case of writer’s block.

“I started the paper early because I thought it would mean I wouldn’t have to scramble to finish it,” she explained. “So when I started having trouble articulating my argument, I thought ‘That’s ok. I’ll put

it away for a few days, come back to it, and I’ll be over this hump.’”

When Beach suddenly came up with the perfect conclusion for her argument at the stroke of midnight one night, she raced to her computer to finish her paper only to find Google Docs stubbornly refusing to process her words.

“I thought ‘Freaking eduroam has screwed me for the last time,’ so I fired up my phone’s personal hotspot and it still didn’t work,” she detailed. “So then I thought, ‘freaking Google Docs has screwed me for the last time,’ and copied and pasted everything to Microsoft Word and still... nothing. At that point, I thought, ‘This freaking laptop has screwed me for the last time,’ but I was desperate so I grabbed a pen and paper and tried to write the rest of my argument out. That’s when things got really weird.”

Beach described the scene that followed.

At first, the pen barely made an indent on the paper, with Beach’s hand just hovering above it.

“I figured my pen was just out of ink, so I pressed really hard down on the paper but it wouldn’t even make a scratch. Then ink just started shooting out of the pen, like there was way more ink coming out of it than the pen could even hold. That was pretty upsetting. I permanently stained a table in the library,” Beach commented.

As the pen ink poured over the edge of the table and toward the ground, it began to change from blue to black, glow with what Beach could only describe as “anti-light,” and float back upward. Midair above the library table, it began to twist itself into indiscernible runes.

“That’s when I thought ‘Ok, something’s really not right here,’” Beach shared. “So I pulled out my laptop and tried to email my professor for an extension.”

Eyewitness accounts from the library are hard to come by as many of those students are still in the hospital, but those who are on campus and able to speak describe the sound that came out of Beach’s laptop as “earth-shattering.” Stacks of books fell, trapping some students for hours. Decorative flourishes on the library’s exterior crumbled away to reveal concealed carvings of gargoyles and nightmarish scenes of lost souls doomed for eternity.

“That was a little much, I thought,” Beach said. “People have insisted this was all some sort of demonic possession of my essay by The Prince Of Darkness or whatever but I mean I’m still 84 words short on my essay.”

Beach reached out to her professor for an extension but received no response. His colleagues say he was swallowed into an abyss that “radiated darkness.” His family is asking for any information regarding his whereabouts.

Courtesy of Andy Blak via Wikimedia Commons.

WORD ON THE STREET

What’s the most creative way to rob a bank?

Reporting and photos by Madi Donat

“You could eat the money and then poop it out when you get home.”

- Susanna Shull ’23

“Sneak in through the air vents and the pipes!”

- Yvonne Hunter ’21

“Starting a flash mob in the lobby as a distraction.”

- Sophie Ewing ’23

“A fun disguise!”

- Shai Wexler ’23

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

HUMOR

HOROSCOPES

April 22, 2021

Page 9

Madi Donat

Astral Projector

I joke that I’m an astral projector but honestly I’ve never tried. Do you think if we both astral proARIES jected at the same time we could hang out on the March 21 | astral plane?

That’d be cool. In my mind it looks April 19 like a Vaporwave dancefloor. That makes sense, right? I’ll take pictures when I go.

TAURUS

April 20 | May 20

Catch up with an old friend this week, or maybe a place on campus that you used to go to all the time but don’t anymore. Lovingly run your fingers across its walls in a tender caress and whisper how much you miss it … ok actually never mind that’s getting creepy. Do the first thing.

Sometimes we forget how much human contact we’ve been missing these past months. HopeSeptember 23 | fully there is someone here that you can safely hug (or high five, or fist bump, or elbow tap, or October 22 just have a deep convo with). If there is, do it!!

Loving other people is so cool :) LIBRA

SCORPIO

October 23 | November 21

There are times when you just feel the need to assault your senses—but there are tons of ways to do it in a safe, fun way! Eat some super spicy ramen or drink some ice-cold water. Lie in the sun, or laugh until it hurts, or blast music so loud that your neighbors complain.

I’ve been finding ladybugs in my bathroom recently. They’re supposed to be good luck, but a lot of times they’re dead, so that may be bad luck instead. Regardless, I think they’re neat. This week you should look at bugs. Even if you don’t like them, look from afar and give a wave.

Lofty goals are great but you know what’s better?

Borderline impossible goals. I want to sit in SAGITTARIUS every chair on campus. Will it happen? Probably November 22 | not.

But every time I sit in a new chair I tick off a December 21 little box in my head. The rush is so good, it’s like free drugs.

We might be able to see the bottom of each other’s faces soon! This is a reminder that lip balm is CANCER very important, but what’s more important against June 21 | dry lips and/or that pesky maskcne is to STAY HYJuly 22 DRATED! Drink a ridiculous amount of water. It’s not a cure-all, but it’s a cure-some!

Misplaced anger is rough. Instead of doing all CAPRICORN of the boring, healthy things when you need to December 22 | get your rage out, instead try the new, cool thing January 19 that all the teens do: smash plates! (No other kitchenware.) Ok, you caught me; I just made that up. But what are you if not a trendsetter?

GEMINI

May 21 | June 20

We as a society underestimate the importance of small insignificant objects that do nothing but July 23 | sit there and look cute. If you see a cool rock, you August 22 should pick it up and put it on your nightstand. If you see a funny pamphlet, put it on your wall! Life is full of little joys!

LEO

AQUARIUS

What’s your favorite small thing that immediately makes your day better? Be it seeing your friend’s August 23 | dog, drinking chocolate milk or laying in the grass, September find time to do it this week! Do it every day if you 22 can! Enough small happies added together = big happy. Or something.

PISCES

VIRGO

January 20 | February 18

February 19 | March 20

“I’ll open that text and then respond later.” NO YOU WON’T. STOP LYING. YOU’LL FORGET ABOUT IT AND THEN FEEL BAD. Either respond or block their number!!! I mostly think text etiquette is dumb but as someone who accidentally does this all the time, just trust me.

Fun fact: I do some of my best work when I’m very close to falling asleep; no idea why. Maybe my overthinking editing brain turns off then. Try doing some (unimportant, ungraded) work right before you conk out and see how it goes! It’ll be a learning experience either way.

FROG AND TOAD ARE FRENEMIES

by Toad

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Page 10

HUMOR

April 22, 2021

Top ten totally true tips for your first sexcapade Dear Dr. G, I’m nervous to write in because I’ve actually never had sex before… But my partner and I are really close, so I think I’m ready.

Do you have any tips for the big day?

-Star Trek: Voyager Dear Voyager, Different members of the Vassar community are certainly at different stages when it comes to the personal journey. I’ll admit that I’m just like you; I scroll through @Vassar.Confessions on Insta for 45 minutes before getting out of bed, I pull up to Zoom class three minutes late with my camera off and I put my thong on one leg at a time... And, I was nervous before my first time, too. However, I will share some expertise that I have developed over the years of depraved sexual activity on how to make your first time happy and comfortable.

It’s really all about communication! For example, people actually really like it when you say their name in bed, it makes things more intimate. It’s actually even better if you say their entire name, full first and last, especially while they’re inside of you (or you inside of them). Nothing turns me on quite as much as my partner moaning my family name in my ear, so be sure to say it at least two times every minute, or just about every time you think they’ve forgotten their entire legal name (but no dead-naming!). Also, I’m not sure if you’ve consumed much pornography in the past, but it is totally unrealistic; the actors don’t moan and scream nearly as much as you should in bed. If your neighbors don’t know that you two are f*cking, you’re not being loud enough, so try moaning/screaming just a bit louder, people love that. When in doubt, communicate more! If there is even a moment of silence, be sure to fill it to keep things interesting. Don’t be afraid to propose a word game or an ice breaker if you want to get to know them a little better, there’s never a wrong time for fun get-to-

Juliette Pope/The Miscellany News. know-you games.

Your first time can always feel a little awkward, but I think that’s a somewhat universal experience for the first time. For example, many people don’t know that it can actually be really awkward if you don’t pee during sex (which is why people tend to put out a towel before doing the deed), so be sure to fit that in before you and your partner reach a full climax. It also sometimes will turn your partner on to cough right in their face during sex; in our time of COVID-19, it can be a show of deep intimacy to spew germs all over your partner’s face during the act, so be sure to pull down your mask and give them a few good hearty coughs. There is also a HUGE turn-on that I always do during sex that you can feel free to use. Try to fit your mouth over your partner’s entire nose, and blow hard into it, and you can actually feel your breath blowing back at you through their mouth. Huge turn-on, helps to clear their sinuses, and is

great practice for your EMT practical this weekend (probably)! Hickeys are something everyone should also try at least once, so here is a list of hot places to leave hickeys if your partner is down for that: along the underside of their forearms and triceps, right in the middle of their bicep, six on their stomach so it looks like they have a six-pack and on their calves and shins. This will give you a great chance to explore your partner’s body more intimately.

All that’s left to do is to prepare. I think it would be a good idea to invite your partner over, order an entire pizza from Baccio’s (at least a medium), and eat the entire thing in front of them before you get started. This shows that you can eat a lot, which is kind of cool and impressive, plus pizza reminds your partner of fun memories, like eating pizza, or going to Chuck-E-Cheese, which will get them in a fun and playful mood for the night. It can also be fun for you to paint your genitals before they come over

B’S CORNER

BY B GOMEZ

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

(or even try Vajazzling yourself if you’re down for new and fun experiences!) so they can have a fun and surprising experience.

Finally, you can save a lot of time during the hook up if you prepare by covering all of your orifices in a nice water based lube, as well as preparing a small charcuterie board of condoms and small sex toys for you to make use of during the act. Oh, and I almost forgot, it can be overwhelming to have two other people over at once your first time, so try to keep it to just even numbers, like four or six total. Having five or seven people there can just sort of kill the vibe.

Okay, I hope this has been helpful! If you have any more questions about how to get it on in a safe and fun way your first time, hit up the CRC non-emergency number or just ask your partner (unless it’s also their first time, in which case I recommend you both invest in some blindfolds so you can capitalize on the whole flying blind thing).

April 22, 2021

OPINIONS

Page 11

Private corporations threaten checks on military power Helen Johnson Columnist

This is the second article in a five-part series about the military-industrial-media complex. The first article, “Why you should care about the Military-Industrial-Media Complex, ” can be found here. n order to grasp the complexity and impact of the military-industrial-media complex, one must first have a basic understanding of the military-industrial complex (MIC) itself.

The modern day MIC has grown into a monster beyond what even Eisenhower (who originated the term; see the first article in this series for more information) would have envisioned. It is an extensive web of inter-tangled connections, a multi-layer tapestry of overlapping industries and a maze of powerful people and companies with invisible influence and iniquitous interests.

The MIC today includes not only the military and the industry of arms manufacturers, but Congress (as Eisenhower recognized before scratching ‘congressional’ from his final speech), officials in various government posts and administrations, Big Oil, providers of services and equipment to oil companies and defense contractors, surveillance and technology companies, service sector companies that contract with the military, and think tanks—to name a few.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), founded in 1966, is an independent international institute dedicated to research about conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.

SIPRI compiles annual lists of the top arms-producing and military services companies in the world. In 2019, the top United States arms companies were (numbers preceding names are international ranking): 1. Lockheed Martin Corp; 2. Boeing; 3.

Northrop Grumman Corp; 4. Raytheon; 5.

General Dynamics Corp; 10. L3Harris Technologies; 11. United Technologies Corp; 16.

Huntington Ingalls Industries; 18. Honeywell International; 19. Leidos; 20. Booz Allen Hamilton; and 21. General Electric.

According to SIPRI, the arms sales of the United States’ top 43 arms companies were worth a combined $246 billion in 2018. That number had increased 7.2 percent from 2017. In 2018, the USA’s share of total arms

I

sales from the Top 100 arms companies in the world was 59 percent.

The influence of these massive weapons contractors is exerted first and foremost on members of Congress. Congress controls the purse of the national government, and the massive budgets for defense spending need votes to pass. The arms companies thus embark on massive lobbying campaigns to push their programs.

Jobs are at the heart of every lobbying campaign regarding military spending. For a member of Congress, defense spending means jobs—and the weapons contractors milk that fact for all it's worth. Northrop Grumman’s B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber even has a piece of it manufactured in every one of the fifty states, to ensure that any attempt to end the Bomber’s program would meet extreme resistance from all members of Congress, left or right.

This means that massive defense spending is extremely bipartisan, and it is almost impossible to make cuts no matter which party controls Congress or the White House. Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii was legendary for “bringing home the bacon” from defense spending, and from 2007 to 2011 he received over $117,000 in campaign contributions from the companies that benefited from his earmarks—over half of which came from Lockheed Martin (William D. Hartung, “Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex,” 2011).

Congress is only one way the profiteers of the MIC exert their influence. The notorious revolving door creates an exchange of top officials back and forth between the government, the Pentagon and the companies that do business with each. Although ethics laws exist to try and deter this kind of conflict of interest, they are weak, unenforced and not specific enough to stop the flow through the revolving door. The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) documents instances of the revolving door and has created a database to track movement of former government officials who join the defense industry as executives, lobbyists or other positions.

POGO’s 2018 report found that “there were 645 instances of the top 20 defense contractors in fiscal year 2016 hiring former senior government officials, military

officers, Members of Congress, and senior legislative staff as lobbyists, board members, or senior executives in 2018.” However, even this number isn’t a comprehensive account of the phenomenon, because POGO’s report only documents one direction of movement; it does not address instances of the “reverse revolving door,” when officials from the defense industry join the government. Additionally, POGO relies on publicly available sources and self-reporting by companies and individuals—so the actual number of revolving door instances is most definitely higher than their findings.

This is the epitome of Eisenhower’s fear about the MIC: Government officials going on to lobby for or serve on the executive boards of giant defense contractors—the very companies they used to oversee and which hold contracts sometimes worth billions—produces an undeniable conflict of interest, as does officials from these companies going on to serve in the government.

It would be a mistake to assume that the only instances of personnel exchange between the MIC and the government that result in a conflict of interest are with arms contractors. Today’s MIC is so expansive that there are countless industries and companies involved in “national defense” and war-waging, many of which, at first glance, may not appear to have direct ties to the military. Big Oil is unquestionably implicated in the MIC, as are companies such as Halliburton, an oil services and engineering company, and its subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, a contractor that does service work for the military. Dick Cheney was the chairman and CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000 before being elected Vice President.

In 2000, Halliburton was only the 22nd-largest military contractor, but rose to 7th-largest by 2003. By September 2004, Cheney had received $1,997,525 from Halliburton since becoming vice president-elect.

Halliburton won a $5 billion contract in 2001 to provide support for troops in the Middle East, and in 2003, Kellogg Brown & Root received a sole-source contract from the Pentagon—meaning it was awarded without bidding—to restore and operate Iraqi oil wells. The contract was classified but could have been worth as much as $7 billion.

Big Oil is also deeply intertwined with the

MIC. Oil drives the war machine, fueling planes, ships, tanks, trucks, you name it.

Not only that, but control of Iraqi oil revenues was a driving force behind the war in Iraq. President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney had their eyes on Iraq from the moment they entered the White House; plans to seize Iraq’s oil were underway several months before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Additionally, there is evidence that a meeting took place between Cheney’s staff and executives from the oil industry, including representatives from ExxonMobil Corp, ChevronTexaco Corp, ConocoPhillips and Halliburton, although the parties involved denied this ever happened.

In addition to weapons manufacturers, Big Oil and service contractors like Kellogg Brown & Root, think tanks constitute another arm of the MIC. Contrary to popular belief, much of public policy isn’t actually written in Congress, but by outside groups eager to promote their agendas and who have close ties to those working in government. One such think tank was the Project for a New American Century (PNAC), a neoconservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. and founded in 1997. PNAC had been advocating for a regime change in Iraq as early as 1998, and PNAC initiated an open letter to President Bill Clinton on Jan. 26, 1998 calling for the removal of Saddam Hussein. PNAC’s membership included several people who would go on to fill high-level national security jobs in the Bush administration, including Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.

It is beyond the scope of this article to include every industry and company implicated in the MIC, but the current state of the MIC—including arms manufacturers, the military and the Pentagon, Congress and government administrations, Big Oil, service contractors like Kellogg Brown & Root and think tanks—led Joseph Cirincione to declare, “I would think Eisenhower must be rolling over in his grave.” The corporate dominance of Pentagon contractors and oil interests has corrupted the ability of the government to hold military power in check, which is exactly what Eisenhower was talking about when he warned against the “acquisition of unwarranted influence.”

Billionaire philanthropy priotizes elite agenda over real needs Karina Burnett Columnist

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t’s astonishing how even at this point, when multibillionaires have reached apocalyptic levels of wealth and power, “philanthropy” is still seen as a valid form of charity.

Both Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are on track to become the world’s first trillionaires in the next 25 years—an unimaginable amount of money that would take 16 million years to amass with the U.S. median income of just under 60,000 dollars without any spending.

The idea of one person holding that amount of wealth is so inconceivable that it’s hard to contextualize the significance of philanthropy among the ultra-rich within their actual material resources. In actuality, the philanthropic efforts of the extremely rich just function to distract the public from the devastatingly absurd amounts of wealth they’ve accrued, not to mention the fact that this class also created most of the problems they now claim to address. The optics of goodwill and generosity are simply easier for people to accept than the ultra-rich’s inconceivable, morally reprehensible accumulation of wealth.

The modern term of philanthropy refers

to helping others through monetary donations, generally seen as a top-down system.

The actual process of philanthropy isn’t as simple as just giving money away—the inner machinations of “charitable” foundations generally safeguard money and offer lower tax liabilities for the donors. Even further, these foundations reflect the private interests of their donors, exerting undue influence on the world and not necessarily addressing the issues that are most important to the people who supposedly benefit from philanthropy.

Personally, I think it’s pretty ridiculous to assume that someone who has built a career off of exploitation and the unethical accruition of wealth has others’ best interests at heart. But these philanthropists continue to be praised in the media for their generosity. These acts of charity are barely that. As the philosopher Slavoj Zizek describes the billionaire philanthropist George Soros in “The Reality of the Virtual”: “half the day he engages in the most ruthless financial exploitations, ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands, even millions. The other half [of the day] he just gives part of it back.”

The Gates Foundation is another clear example of influence without accountability,

although there’s rarely anything but praise for Bill Gates’ philanthropy. In his efforts to curb the impacts of infectious diseases and bolster worldwide immunization rates, his foundation spends more money on global health causes than the World Health Organization. Any private interest that has this amount of power should cause concern.

Some experts have expressed concern over both Gates’ outsized influence and the priorities of his foundation, citing that most of its grants go to rich countries or don’t reflect the most pressing issues of the population. Even Gates’ popular fight against polio deserves a reassessment; Vox describes that “key stakeholders” in some of the countries impacted express that the issue of polio eradication was “a priority for wealthy nations and not necessarily developing ones,” which were focused on other, more locally pressing health crises. If communities aren’t being included in the process of aid, their priorities will be misconstrued. Another damning example of this arrogant approach to aid came at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gates Foundation got involved in the race for a vaccine and discouraged any open, collective research and resource pooling to instead main-

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

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

tain exclusive rights. This refusal to let go of intellectual property for the greater good has led to limited access for poorer countries and thus a much longer global timeline for the pandemic, a predictable catastrophe that could have been curbed if it wasn’t for capitalist ego and profit. It’s telling that even for one of the largest and most venerated philanthropic foundations in the world, personal interest comes before genuine aid.

The efficacy of philanthropy is similar to that of trickle-down economics. Instead of redistributing wealth, private philanthropy often prioritizes elite issues, thus further strengthening existing structures. Even if these efforts actually benefit society in meaningful ways, the process creates a worrying dependency on wealthy donors and ignores the structural problems that allow millionaires to exert influence like this in the first place. At its core, philanthropy is about exerting power and disguising the ultra-rich’s role in the problems they address. In the context of a billionaire’s actual wealth, philanthropy is barely substantial—only genuine wealth redistribution and toppling the systems that support them can achieve the goals they claim to strive for.

Page 12

OPINIONS

April 22, 2021

Letter to the Editor: Disclose, Divest, Reinvest

To the Vassar Community, The recent state-sanctioned murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others at the hands of police officers have prompted a global response. The Prison Industrial Complex (PIC), and policing as an extension, plagues every crevice of American society.

We are all implicated, and this includes the higher education system. The Vassar student body, and specifically Black and Indigenous Vassar students, are directly affected by the PIC. Vassar is not only complicit, but also further perpetuates harm against communities of color and its BIPOC students, staff, and faculty. Through Vassar’s lack of financial transparency, its decision on how to spend and invest its money, and its hiring and admission restrictions for people with criminal histories, Vassar makes clear its reliance on and support of the PIC. Following the ‘War on Drugs’ and other politically charged decisions, the U.S. prison population has increased tenfold. Now, the U.S. —with only 5% of the world’s population— houses almost 25% of the world's prisoners. Due to more restrictive policies, more people are being convicted, serving longer sentences, and recidivism rates are higher than ever. Additionally, prison privatization has dramatically increased, quickly becoming a multi-billion dollar industry. In 2016 alone, the California Prison Industry Authority (CALPIA) brought in over 250 million dollars, all while paying the inmates housed in their prisons wages only 32 cents to a dollar on the hour. The PIC has slowly become a modern day system to promote slave labor, that is again built upon the backs of minority men and women. These changes directly correlate to mass incarceration and have radically affected the larger BIPOC community, contributing to a rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States where millions have permanently become labeled as second class citizens. The PIC and everything that is associated with it is an active participant in the formation of a modern-day slave labor system. Vassar cannot continue, in good conscience, to invest in this system which oppresses, exploits, and marginalizes so many communities of color.

Vassar has a history of ignoring or opposing student-led movements, particularly surrounding divestment. The Student Coalition Against Apartheid was a student anti-apartheid group at Vassar College that campaigned to get the school to divest from companies doing business in South Africa. In February 1986 the Student Coalition Against Apartheid staged a sit-in in President Smith's office, claiming that Vassar, instead of divesting, had increased the amount of stock it held in apartheid-supportive companies. After a five-year campaign organized across multiple classes of student environmental leaders by SEED, for the first time, the demand to divest Vassar’s endowment from fossil fuels reached the board’s Trustee Investor Responsibility Committee (TIRC) for formal consideration. After one day of deliberations at the November Board of Trustees meeting, TIRC voted unanimously against the recommendation to divest. During the pandemic, Vassar showed its disapproval of student movements with its lackluster response to the No Fail Policy efforts.

By setting the precedent of not considering student voices in the college’s financial decisions, Vassar actively sends a message of money over morality.

In response to Columbia University’s campaign to divest from private prisons in 2015, Christianna A. Wood, a member of the Vassar Board of Trustees, adamantly opposed divestment as a vehicle for social change. This response is mirrored in Vassar’s rejection of the campaign to divest from the fossil fuel industry. In 2019, the Board of Trustees released a statement saying that “the board believes that the endowment of the college exists solely to support the mission of the college and that it is the fiduciary duty of the board, derived from our founding documents, governance, and the state law, to preserve the endowment solely for achieving the best risk-adjusted return.” The hesitancy for Vassar to divest at all, highlights its deep involvement in systems that perpetuate harm to vulnerable communities. Specifically, Vassar’s association with the PIC is concerning in regards to the well being of its students, as it shows a blatant disregard to the lives of so many marginalized folks that look like many of the students Vassar continually puts on their pamphlets and advertisement campaigns. Vassar continues to foreground their support for numerous systems of oppression by claiming it is their ‘fiduciary duty’. The deployment of Vassar’s money to the PIC as a means of profit is deeply embedded in many of the college’s financial endeavours.

Examples of Vassar’s involvement with the Prison Industrial Complex: • Vassar pays 6 million dollars a year to our food service provider Bon Appetite’s parent company, Compass Group, which used to be the largest food provider in prisons, and continues to hold stake in the PIC. • Until 2017, Vassar used food service provider Aramark, a 16.2 billion dollar company, that also provides food to prisons. Aramark is now being sued for not paying any of the inmates that worked for them.

• Vassar profited off the sale and retention of substantial shares of Trinity Services Group, a food service provider to prisons and jails.

• The school has a close relationship with IBM, a company that has used prison labor.

• The school’s payroll used to include someone whose title was “warden.” Before then, a “lady principal” referred to students as “inmates.” The use of this language directly contributes to the traumatization of black and brown students on campus.

The college’s ignorance to the harmful nature of this work perfectly exemplifies the reckless disregard and lack of concern for the wellbeing of their POC students.

• Vassar had a speaker slated to come present last year to talk about the “mathematics of policing,” with a racially charged “predictive policing computer program,” which directly puts BIPOC in danger.

• Linda Fairstein, the lead prosecutor of the Central Park 5 case, served on Vassar’s board of trustees for numerous years, and only resigned after recent publicity from the Netflix series.

• Vassar has not yet “banned the box,” meaning they still require professional and student applicants to answer questions about felony convictions. While Duke, the UC’s, and the SUNY’s have all banned the box and hire formerly incarcerated people.

• Vassar’s lack of response to police brutality in our own Poughkeepsie community

highlights the institution’s lack of care.

The Vassar mission statement says: “Vassar is now open to all and strives to pursue diversity, inclusion, and equity as essential components of a rich intellectual and cultural environment in which all members, including those from underrepresented and marginalized groups, are valued and empowered to thrive.” This language is inherently political.

As stated in a recent student publication, “The fight for equity and the empowerment of marginalized groups will never be apolitical acts and if the college really sought to align itself with the mission statement,” it would divest from the PIC. Vassar’s attempts to depoliticize the endowment are in an effort to continue to mystify the effects that Vassar’s money has on our society. All investments are political. Therefore, Vassar’s endowment is already a political vehicle that directly impacts the lives of its students, whose families are active contributors to the endowment itself, as well as communities surrounding the college. By having financial ties to the PIC, Vassar College directly contradicts their goal to create a community “in which all members, including those from underrepresented and marginalized groups, are empowered to thrive.”

Vassar’s hesitance to divest is not only a contradiction of its mission statement, but also its financial well-being. Through research done at Freecap Financial, it is clear that having prison labor in a company’s supply chain, or having an active role in the PIC, poses a huge risk to businesses. Companies like Victoria’s Secret have recently faced backlash for their involvement with the prison system due to increased political awareness, which has had negative financial consequences. Their business and reputation has not been able to recover since this scandal, and L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, had to go so far as to spin off the company to mitigate losses that it created. The board and financial overseers of the Vassar portfolio are not properly assessing the risk that the PIC poses to companies’ performance and, thus, the Vassar portfolio’s performance. Investing in companies whose business models center the exploitation of black and brown communities is not only morally wrong, but also financially irresponsible. Divesting from the prison industrial complex not only strengthens Vassar's commitment to “diversity, inclusion, and equity,” but also decreases the risk of the school’s portfolio.

Due to the current pandemic, Vassar has recently advertised itself as an institution that wants students to embrace a “we before me” attitude. We ask that Vassar share the same enthusiasm with their monetary decisions. Vassar promotes an idea of a community through “Vassar Together”, which asks community members to act outside of their own self interest, and instead towards the communal goal of shared safety and respect for one another. President Bradley in her recent article in Forbes titled “Higher Ed’s Role In Tackling Two Pandemics, Covid-19 And Racism,” powerfully states that in order to transform racism, “The more potent strategy would recognize that racism is systemic, entrenched in all facets of life: housing, education, health care, employment, the criminal justice system and more. Addressing these roots of racism requires not only a deep belief that all people are created equal and that our futures are dependent on each other, but also consistent investments in and expressed commitment to anti-racism.” We hope Vassar as an institution will recognize systemic racism and choose to commit itself to the strategy that President Bradley has expressed. Students are financially tied to Vassar by the money they give for their education as well as through their family members who are active contributors to the Vassar Endowment. Vassar has refused to disclose any financial holdings, even though the community deserves to be aware of the management of its financial contributions.

Therefore, Vassar has a responsibility to value student voices in monetary decisions and be forthcoming about where money is going. Vassar needs to be cognizant of the institution’s fiduciary responsibility to Vassar families, and be transparent about what Vassar money is contributing to.

As a pioneer in higher education Vassar must be held responsible and accountable for its ongoing contributions to the marginalization and dehumanization of black and brown bodies. Financially supporting the prison complex is against the core values that Vassar claims to hold so dearly. Vassar is in a situation to be on the forefront of racial justice in America and we, as a group of students, alumni, faculty, and community members, believe that Vassar must agree to the demands we have laid out to take accountability for the institution's role in the Prison Industrial Complex.

List of Demands 1. DISCLOSE- provide transparency about what companies and funds we are currently invested in, as well as our admission rates for students who were formerly incarcerated, and our current relationship and ties (monetary or non) to local law enforcement agencies.

2. Pledge to create more student representation in CIRC and value student voices in monetary decisions - redoing student conduct system.

3. DIVEST from Private Prisons.

4. DIVEST from companies that use prison labor-companies that are the middleman.

5. DIVEST from companies who hold a monopoly on the captive market of prisons and charge predatory prices for under quality services to incarcerated people and their families.

6. DIVEST from companies that don’t hire formerly incarcerated employees.

7. Pledge to increase the amount of formerly incarcerated employees at Vassar College.

8. REINVEST in companies who hire formerly incarcerated individuals (eg. Slack) 9. REINVEST in programs that aid minority communities in Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County.

10. REINVEST in transformative/restorative justice (healing communal practices that allow perpetrators of violence to be held accountable with actionable solutions that do not involve punitive justice/the carceral state).

Signed, Black Student Union, Gradient, Vassar Prison Initiative

To share your name in support, please sign here. To share your organization’s name in support, please sign here. To see a list of signatories, see here.

To see a list of organizational Co-Sponsors click here. Reach out to vassarprisondivestment@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

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

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

April 22, 2021

Page 13

Well-intentioned MLB All-Star move manages to disappoint Alex Eisert

Sports Editor

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n April 2, Major League Baseball (MLB) decided to move this summer’s All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver in response to outcry over new voting restrictions passed along party lines by Georgia’s majority-Republican legislature. But the MLB should have done much more.

In an egregious affront to American democracy masquerading as an election security law, limits were placed on access

undoubtedly agreed that the Republican legislature shared the brunt of the blame, she seemed to question the MLB’s logic as well: “I am disappointed that the MLB is relocating the All-Star game...I respect boycotts, although I don’t want to see Georgia families hurt by lost events and jobs.”

What the Senator failed to acknowledge, and what Abrams alluded to, is an option that could have saved the city’s revenue and punished the state at the same time: Rather than just adopting a stance towards

voter suppression on the back of every ticket. Envision Stacey Abrams throwing out the first pitch and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff coming to speak in the days leading up to and following the game. I’m sure they would have come for free, but if not, baseball has plenty of monetary capital too.

Now let’s zoom in a little. This was supposed to be a truly special All-Star Game for Atlanta, the metro-area home to the second-largest Black population in the

Truist Park, where the All-Star Game was to be held. Courtesy of Thechased via Wikimedia Commons. to absentee, early voting and ballot drop boxes. Provisional ballots will be easier to disqualify, and organizers are no longer allowed to offer food or drink to voters standing in line. Accordingly, many voting rights organizations filed suit, describing the law as imposing “unjustifiable burdens disproportionately on the State’s minority, young, poor, and disabled citizens.”

In backing up their own response, the MLB cited past moves by the NBA in 2017 and the NFL in 1993 to move their All-Star Game and Super Bowl, respectively, over civil rights concerns of their own. The NBA swapped Charlotte, North Carolina for New Orleans, Louisiana, due to North Carolina’s passage of a bill that erased protections for the LGBTQ+ community. The NFL traded Phoenix, Arizona, for Pasadena, California, due to Arizona’s failure to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The tragedy of these decisions is that they are largely punishing left-leaning cities because of actions that their Republican state officials are responsible for—in Charlotte’s case, state officials were reversing an extension of rights that the city itself instituted. Further, some of the revenue that these events bring in goes to the state. But the money is likely most impactful for the host city.

In 2017, state Senator Jeff Jackson (DNC) voiced his support for the NBA’s move and framed the revenue loss as a necessary consequence of his governor’s actions: “100 million hit to the city of Charlotte and the state. A lot of that money would go to schools, health care and roads. We’ve sacrificed all of that for Gov. McCrory’s [R-NC] social agenda.”

Stacey Abrams, former gubernatorial candidate in Georgia and now the state’s foremost voting rights activist, expressed a similar sentiment in a Twitter statement.

Echoing Jackson, she noted that Republicans “prioritized making it harder for people of color to vote over the economic well-being of all Georgians.” But while she

the issue and withholding its business, the league could have actively worked to advance civil rights from within the state itself.

In a recent op-ed, acclaimed journalist Jeff Greenfield wrote that while “the decision of MLB to act was right, in an abstract, pro-democracy moral sense,” the league also chose “to ignore a heaven-sent op-

“The tragedy of these decisions is that they are largely punishing leftleaning cities because of actions that their Republican state officials are responsible for.” portunity to actually do something concrete.” Don’t get him wrong, he’s not hung up on the money (even though he notes that Cobb County will miss out on a $100 million opportunity). What really gets on Greenfield’s nerves is the failure to “Bring the full force of baseball’s celebrity power to bear on Georgia itself.”

Baseball has vast amounts of social capital at its disposal. Speaking out and withholding business, as the MLB has done, is one way to spend that capital and encourage others, especially their myriad fans, to fight authoritarian policies. But they just as easily could have utilized their influence by keeping the All-Star Game in Atlanta and employing all-star weekend as a full-court press to advance voting rights. Widespread ballot access is slipping through Georgians’ fingers, despite historic and hard-won victories in the January Senate runoffs. Imagine if, at the same time, Atlanta’s All-Star Game had voter registration booths next to concession stands and infographics about

country. The voting laws are horrifying and targeted, yes, but they still could have been passed in many states. However, no other city was more fit to honor the late great Hank Aaron during this Midsummer Classic. Hammerin’ Hank played for the Braves for 21 years, nine of which came after the club moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Aaron, who passed away in January, hit the second-most home runs of all-time and walked more often than he struck out, a rarity especially by today’s standards. His feats are all the more impressive considering he did it as a Black player throughout the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s; Aaron debuted just seven years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, and, like Robinson, he was subject to death threats and constant verbal abuse by fans and the press, documented in hundreds of thousands of letters that he saved as a reminder of how far our country still has to go in the ever elusive quest for racial equality.

After retiring, Aaron became one of the first Black individuals to work in the upper echelons of a baseball front office, serving the Braves for many years. His wife, Billye Aaron, continues to break barriers entering her 45th year on the board of directors for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Aaron maintained strong ties to the NAACP as well, and he and Billye joined other civil rights icons shortly before his passing to demonstrate the safety of the new COVID-19 vaccines.

A proponent of justice until his dying day, Aaron deserved an all-star sendoff on his home turf. His lack of one can and should be attributed to Georgia’s Republican legislators, but the MLB shouldn’t get off scot-free. They should not be absolved of their racist past by virtue of a virtue-signalling boycott they rolled out at little personal expense. They need to do more.

Cleveland’s team, still called the Indians, only announced plans to change their name by 2022 this past December. While Aaron and Robinson at least made the

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Hall of Fame easily and in their lifetimes, their contemporary Dick Allen, who endured racial derision from fans of his own team, was not so lucky. His candidacy has

“Envision Stacey Abrams throwing out the first pitch and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff coming to speak in the days leading up to and following the game.” been considered many times already, but Allen passed away in December, just before it could be weighed once more; while it seems he will finally be inducted, it will have to be posthumously.

I began this article by sticking to facts and reason. Allow me to make an emotional appeal here: the MLB’s decision has clear shortcomings, but not just on a leaguewide, state-wide level. Their oversight is a personal insult to one of their all-time greats. And Hank Aaron wasn’t just a oneof-a-kind player; he was an exceptional human being, as his resolve to pursue glory in the sport he loved helped him withstand years of bigotry. While boycotting does have its merits, had Aaron walked away, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to change the game from the inside out. If the MLB truly wished to honor him, they would have kept the All-Star Game in Georgia and, like Hank, sought to effect change from within.

Juliette Pope/The Miscellany News.

April 22, 2021

CROSSWORD The Miscellany Crossword

“International Studies” ACROSS 1. Jaden, to Will 4. London soccer club 11. Weed 14. # of Q tiles in Scrabble 15. Garvey's home country 16. In debt to 17. *What did you do over Thanksgiving break?

19. Perfect rating, sometimes 20. Reunion divs.

21. Word after fresh or before Jordan 22. "We're getting the ___ back together!"

23. Team, perhaps 26. Play part 27. Disagreer's interjection 28. 901 in ancient Rome 29. *Are you going to the lecture?

34. Hard HS classes 35. Play part 36. Deleted 37. Huuuge!

39. Irk 40. Satisfy 41. Rachel Wood of “Westworld” 42. Wgts.

43. *Are you doing the reading?

45. Some batteries 46. Computer addresses 47. Letter add-ons 48. Old Icelandic poetry 49. Block 51. Amaze 52. Video game character 54. Mathematician Lovelace

Page 14

By Reese Collins

55. *How did you leave class?

60. Boob 61. Medical graspers 62. "Skinny ___ rail" 63. Gobbled up 64. Tallied on 65. Kurosawa epic

DOWN 1. Amour de ___ (self-love in French) 2. "Stop ___ dime" 3. Basketball swish maker 4. Open door policy?

5. Traitors 6. Dallas school 7. Otalgia 8. 1990 movie "La Femme ______" 9. Laptop brand 10. Put bricks down 11. Picnic food, maybe 12. Actor Clive 13. Work a garden 18. Looker 22. 1/100 of a Dalasi (variation) 23. Prawn dish 24. Tame ______ 25. Broadcast 26. Everybody, in Essen 27. Sea off Alaska 29. Flowers named after Greek word for rainbow 30. Sexual partner 31. Like many environmental studies majors, I assume 32. Worsen

33. Ukrainian port 38. Overly sentimental 39. Car rental service 41. Soul, in a way 44. Onward and ______ 48. Music related to goth 49. Info 50. Proof

51. Newly single ex-Yankee 52. Sch. district boss 53. "You never had ____ good!"

55. "___ tree falls in the forest..."

56. UK ref. work 57. Out there 58. "Life ___ highway" (Cars song) 59. Sunbathe

Answers to last week’s puzzles: “Shots! Shots! Shots!”

“Crossword 1”

By Reese Collins

By Adam Buchmueller

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE