Misc.05.20.22

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The Miscellany News May 20, 2022

miscellanynews.org

Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866 Volume 157 | Issue 12

Congratulations, Class of 2022! Parents return to campus for Class of 2022 Commencement Jacques Abou-Rizk, Leila Raines

News Editor, Editor-in-Chief

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Leila Raines/The Miscellany News.

or the first time since before the pandemic, Vassar’s graduating seniors and their families will have a ceremony without many restrictions to celebrate the accomplishments of the departing Class of 2022. “For seniors, their families and Vassar, Commencement not only celebrates students’ achievements and their resiliency in overcoming the numerous obstacles presented by the pandemic, [but] it also marks the transition into the next phase of their lives as global citizens,” Associate Vice President for Communications Gladwyn Lopez said in a written correspondence. Natalie Habaybeh ’22 is excited that the time to graduate has finally come, though feeling bittersweet about leaving her friends. “I feel really fortunate that my senior year has been more ‘normal’ than previous years,” she wrote in an email. “I am super excited to have my family come and see me walk the stage. I am a little

nervous about my grandparents coming and how that will be like, both COVID-wise and logistically, in terms of seating on graduation hill, but I feel really fortunate to have my family come and see me graduate in person.” Many seniors share Habaybeh’s sentiments, both regarding the uncertainty of COVID-19 exposure at the ceremony and an excitement to be in-person. James Grosjean ’22 said in a written correspondence, “To be honest, a lot of the reality of it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. Especially after COVID.” Though he has expressed concern for possible graduation-related spreads. Grosjean added, “On one hand, I am very excited that guests are going to be able to attend…I am glad at least that because Commencement is after finals, most of the Vassar community will be out of harm’s way in the event of a graduation-related spread.” According to Lopez, the College has taken steps to prevent spreading at the event with certain policies, including barring guests and family of graduates from staying See Parents on page 3

COVID cases Vigil for lost Asian American lives Janet Song

Charlotte Robertson

Contributing Editor

Guest Reporter

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ince mid-April, Vassar College has seen a large spike in COVID-19 cases on campus. According to the COVID-19 dashboard, active cases have increased from 22 cases on April 24 to 111 active cases on April 30. While the number of cases has declined with the reinstatement of the mask mandate in all indoor spaces, the spring semester still dates as having the highest number of on-campus cases ever, with 568 students infected and 145 employees. The College’s COVID-19 policies have become subsequently overwhelmed, according to many students. Preston Bowe ’24, a student who tested positive for COVID-19 recently on May 12, explained: “There were no hotel rooms left, so I’m isolating in my own room. I feel a little weird about it, because I still share a bathroom with all the people on my floor, and I still have to leave the room to get food.” He added, “It’s been really weird having [COVID] at the end of the year, because I can hear everyone moving out, but I don't get to See COVID on page 3

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onded together by grief and hope, members of Vassar’s Asian and Asian American student body gathered in the stony Shakespeare Garden on May 7 for a vigil honoring the lives of Asian Americans lost to anti-Asian violence. Attended along with supporting faculty and friends, the vigil allowed students to share a sense of community, as well as bring attention to the lack of attention on campus surrounding Asian American issues. The vigil came as a response to the rise of anti-Asian racism in the country, which has persisted throughout American history but continues to prevail since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet for the vigil’s student organizers, the gathering also served as a response to the erasure felt among Vassar’s Asian and Asian American community. “[It] emerged from many students’ shared and obvious frustration with the Vassar administration’s lack of care, attention and accountability for the Asian community on-campus,” Stephen Han ’23, who photo-

graphed the event, explained in a written correspondence. “The vigil, in a way, became a sort of a celebration, a declaration, and an assertion of our community’s agency, presence, and identity—a space created for ourselves, by ourselves. We knew that we could not wait any longer for institutions and authority figures to see or validate our humanity and personhood.” Planning for the event began as early as February. On February 21, Alysa Chen ’23, member of the Vassar Asian American Working Group (VASAM), sent out an email to Asian-idenitifying ALANA organizations as well as some of her Asian American peers to start planning the vigil. In an email correspondence, Chen recalled the difficulty of coordinating the event. “It was tough to find times that worked for everyone, given how busy the spring semester was for everyone, as well as other responsibilities, clubs, work-study, [COVID], etc.,” she wrote. “Because it was a student-run initiative, it was difficult to get support from admin and faculty and we relied on student See Vigil on page 5

Photo courtesy of Stephen Han '23.

Inside this issue

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ARTS

Need a good book, movie, TV show to dive into? Check out these recs from the Editorial Board!

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HUMOR

Breaking news! John Leguizamo may back out of speaking at graduation... for the Cheesecake Factory?

Graduating seniors from the past and present of The Miscellany News reflect on SENIORS their time at Vassar.

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