The Miscellany News
Volume CXLIX | Issue 6
October 27, 2016
Since 1866 | miscellanynews.org
Chess club unites area amateurs
Outreach programs aid youth Clark Xu
Yifan Wang
Reporter
Contributing Editor
D
R Eilis Donohue/The Miscellany News
espite the New York Supreme Court’s decision last month that eight school districts, including the Poughkeepsie City School District (PCSD), received a level of funding adequate to provide students with a basic education, Vassar College outreach programs and the district teachers’ union find that resources in local schools remain sparse and place strains on the educational system that hit marginal groups the hardest. Both teachers and college students, however, are committed to young students’ success, hoping for more involvement from Vassar College and internal reforms in the district. The decision affirmed that PCSD provides sufficient basic education to its students, thus concluding the Maisto v. State of New York court case, which was decided three times by lower courts in 2015. In the final decision, Acting Supreme Court Justice Kimberly O’Connor wrote, “No funding mechanism will ever be perfect, and it is a laudable goal, but an impossible dream, to reach a one hundred percent success rate for students in all measurable areas ... In conjunction with the other sigSee SCHOOL on page 3
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
The Kamakura Daibutsu, a huge statute of the Buddha in Kamakura city southwest of Tokyo, is one of many popular destinations in and around Tokyo for foreign tourists and domestic weekenders alike.
Student taken with trip to Tokyo Eilis Donohue News Editor
I
f you have one week to go anywhere, halfway around the world may not be the most logical choice, but it certainly is an exciting one. Over October break, I went to visit my older sister in Tokyo, who, after
graduating college, decided to pick up and move to Japan to teach English. I had not seen her in nine months, and was excited to see both her and a city–and region of the world–that were completely new to me. I don’t think I was fully prepared for the unfamiliarity of it all. Not
since I was a toddler have I experienced such complete and utter ignorance when looking at a street sign or nutrition facts; yet in Japan, I found myself searching fruitlessly for meaning in the words all around me. My helplessness to communicate in most See TOKYO on page 6
ockefeller Hall cannot be more familiar to a Vassar student. Classes meet here. Student organizations hold activities here. Special lectures take place in the spacious rooms here. But perhaps few know that it is also the home base for many of the best chess players in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Every Monday evening, Rocky 104 turns from a regular seminar room to the battlefield of members of the Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club. During a recent double-robin tournament, eight participants took turns to play against each other. They had five minutes to outplay their opponents, or lose. The room was bright and quiet. Tensions were mounting. The only sound was that of pieces moving on the board and hands hitting the timer. In addition to robin tournaments, the club also offers nationally rated tournaments, team chess, as well as free lessons for youngsters up through college graduates. It also invites prestigious guest speakers and holds simultaneous chess exhibitions with grandmaster or international master level players. From photos documenting the club history, internationally renowned players such as See CHESS on page 5
Forgotten drama piece revived Men’s basketball set to tip-off 2016 season “T Kaitlin Prado
Guest Reporter
Olivia O’Loughlin Sports Editor
O
Courtesy of Kevin Johnson
his is a play written in anger. In the dead wasteland of male society—it seems to ask—isn’t it necessary for certain women, at least, to resort to murder?” –Nicholas Wright For a majority of this semester, a cast of eight people met for four hours a day, at least four days a week to feel their way through a challenging piece of drama. “Machinal,” a Drama Department senior project, opens this week in the Martel Theater. This fascinating expressionist show was playwright Sophie Treadwell’s most famous work, but it has been predominantly forgotten within the theater canon. Director Olivia Zerphy ’17 explained this unfamiliar work by saying, “‘Machinal’ is the story of a young woman who murders her husband. Saying that doesn’t necessarily give anything away, as it is not a plot-based drama.” While “Machinal” is loosely based on the life of Ruth Snyder, a woman who kills her husband, the play has a larger agenda which transcends plot to a point. The cast is confident in the creative ways they have chosen to represent the expressionist elements that dominate this play. Among these choices is the dedication to a movement-based communication of ideas. In effect, this production promises a highly physical style of theatre. Zerphy went as far as to say, “Some sections of the production begin to hint at dance theatre. While the text that Treadwell has writSee MACHINAL on page 15
“Machinal,” a Drama Department senior project directed by Olivia Zerphy ’17, reanimates a largely forgotten play by playwright Sophie Treadwell.
Inside this issue
11
Social media in conflict with fair renderings OPINIONS of war
15 ARTS
Met exhibit sheds light on Baroque painter
n Oct. 15, as most students packed their bags for October break, the men’s basketball team took the court to start its 2016-2017 season. Throughout the week, the squad underwent tiresome days of practices, weight lifting, pool workouts and shooting sessions to prepare for the tough Liberty League competition ahead. With 10 returners and five freshmen, the men’s team looks to have success with upperclassmen leadership and the additions the freshmen bring to the program. The freshmen include Josh Brownridge, Hunter Gettings, Kyle Kappes, Mattie Mrlik and Owen Murray. The first-year crew brings impressive basketball IQ , high energy and enthusiasm. Head Coach BJ Dunne explained, “The freshmen are adjusting just fine. They have all great personalities that mesh well with the returners. They all possess a certain skillset that will positively affect our program on the court.” Nevertheless, the freshmen have had to undergo the difficulties that accompany the transition from high school to collegiate basketball. Murray stated, “Being a freshman and adjusting to a new system is always challenging because every team and coach has a certain way of doing things. So learning the plays, culture and rules of
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the basketball team here was difficult at first but the older guys really go out of their way to help the freshmen adjust.” To lead the way, the upperclassmen have set a competitive attitude and focused mindset for this season. Sophomore forward Stephen Palecki elaborated, “It feels great returning to the team this year. The rest of the returners and I came back to school this year hungry to win a Liberty League Championship after falling short in the semi-finals last year.” The team shares Palecki’s sentiments and looks to improve upon last season’s finish of 12-14. Last year, with a conference record of 8-7, the Brewers qualified for the fourth seed of the Liberty League tournament. In the playoffs, the Brewers ended their season as they fell to the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds with a score of 71-82. Ready for revenge, the men have been working endlessly to prepare for their Nov. 15 opener. For the past few weeks, the crew has participated in early morning workouts with varsity weight coach Cameron Williams. Every Wednesday and Friday, the men joined the women’s side for team lifts and conditioning. As the season started on Oct. 15, the squad continued team lifts while supplementing their schedule with two See BASKETBALL on page 18
Houston team kisses stereotypes SPORTS goodbye
The Miscellany News
Page 2
October 27, 2016
Editor-in-Chief Rhys Johnson
Senior Editors Zander Bashaw Emma Jones
Contributing Editors Elizabeth Dean Yifan Wang
News Features Opinions Humor and Satire Arts Sports Design Courtesy of Claire Harper
Claire Harper is currently studying in India. She reflects on the Taj Majal: “What made the experience most meaningful to me was thinking about how many feet have walked on this marble, how many centuries and centuries this building has watched people from all over the world wander in and out its walls.” To read more about Claire’s JYA experience, visit farandaway.miscellanynews.org!
The Miscellany News 27
October
Thursday
“A Daring Journey: From Immigration to Education” A film by Dorothy Fadiman 5:30pm | Taylor 203 | Study Abroad/International Programs
Andrea Davis Pinkney Lecture
5:30pm | Villard Room | Education Dept
Representing Contemporary French Education: Julie Bertucelli’s documentary “La Cour de Babel” (2013) 5:30pm | Rocky 200 | French Dept
CAAD: Daniel Barbezat
5:30pm | Kenyon Club Room | CAAD
AAAVC Program: Strategies for Sanity and Success
6:30pm | The Aula | Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development
Frank Cassara, percussion. With Ralph Ferris, viola, and dancer Molissa Fenley 8:00pm | Skinner | Music Dept.
A Lion in Winter
8:00pm | The Shiva| Philaletheis
MACHINAL
8:00pm | Martel Theater | Drama Dept.
Weekender_ 28
October
Friday
Annual All Campus Children’s Halloween Party
12:00pm | The Aula | Wimpfheimer Nursery School
Take Back the Night Rally
12:00pm | CN Circle | Women’s Center
Owl Presentation with Glen Proudfoot
29
October
Saturday
Free Public Walking Tour of Vassar History and Architecture
10:00am and 1:00pm | Main Circle | Communications
5K Fun Run
11:00am | Outdoor Space Residential Quad | Health Education
7:00pm | The Environmental Cooperative Barn MPR | Vassar Conservation & Environmental Cooperative
Halloween Parade and Festival
Halloween Screening
Volleyball (W) vs. Ramapo Colleg/Lehman College
7:00pm | Taylor 203 | ViCE
A Lion in Winter
8:00pm | The Shiva| Philaletheis
MACHINAL
8:00pm | Martel Theater | Drama Dept.
Haunted House
8:00pm | Rocky | Traditions Committee
Vassar College Vassar Improv 10:00pm | Taylor 203 | Improv
11:30am | Joss Beach | Education Dept.
2:00pm | Kenyon Gym | Athletics
Antioch Chamber Ensemble 8:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
30
October
Sunday
Rugby (W) vs. Siena College Tri-State Semi-Finals
1:00pm | Rugby Field at the Farm | Athletics
Rugby (M) vs. Monroe College Tri-State Semi-Finals
2:30pm | Rugby Field at the Farm | Athletics
Learn to Fence
2:30pm | Villard Room | Athletics
Online Copy
Eilis Donohue Emily Sayer Nick Barone Evelyn Frick Noah Purdy Elena Schultz Olivia O’Loughlin Talya Phelps Charlotte VarcoeWolfson Kelsey Quinn Jackson Ingram
Assistant Arts Patrick Tanella Assistant Copy Claire Baker Laila Volpe Assistant Social Media Hannah Nice Web Designer George Witteman Web Master Andy Carrera Reporters Sasha Gopalakrishnan Saachi Jain Sieu Nguyen Sabrina Oh Clark Xu Andrea Yang Columnists Jimmy Christon Jillian Elkin Jesser Horowitz Steven Park Kirk Testa Design Scarlett Neuberger Yoav Yaron Copy James Bonanno Gabriela Calderon Leah Cates Diana Henry Sumiko Neary Jessica Roden Laura Wigginton
Mary Nessinger, mezzo-soprano, with Dominique Labelle and Sara Laimon 3:00pm | Skinner Recital Hall | Music Dept.
Know Your Rights
4:20pm | Student’s Building Second Floor MPR | Students for Sensible Drug Policy
A Lion in Winter
8:00pm | Shiva Theater | Philaletheis
MACHINAL
8:00pm | Martel Theater | Drama Dept.
Witching Hour
9:00pm | Aula | Traditions Committee
Halloween Party
11:00pm | Villard Room | Traditions Committee
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
CORRECTION POLICY The Miscellany News will only corrections for any misquotes, resentations or factual errors for ticle within the semester it is
accept misrepan arprinted.
October 27, 2016
NEWS
Page 3
Posters targeted identity groups Meg Howell
Guest Reporter
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n Oct. 18, politically charged posters slandering members of the Vassar community were found plastered throughout campus. Mere minutes after their discovery, the David Horowitz Freedom Center claimed responsibility in an unsolicited statement emailed to The Miscellany News and various administrative offices. “Vassar College is the latest of several campuses targeted by the Freedom Center’s poster campaign,” read one particularly concerning excerpt, revealing that the effort was a part of a national movement to denounce sympathizers of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement (BDS). Other targeted institutions ranged from the University of Chicago to San Francisco State University—all deemed “schools supporting terrorists” in a top-10 list published to the center’s website. David Horowitz founded his namesake organization in 1988. Throughout his time in the public eye, the pundit has championed conservative causes, primarily those concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He frequently speaks out against BDS advocates, whose core goals include ending Israeli occupation of disputed territories and protecting the civil rights of all Palestinians. During a polarizing talk at San Diego State University, Horowitz accused the 11-year-old grassroots campaign of being composed of ill-informed activists. “They support a movement to strangle Israel that was inspired by terrorist organizations...and is funded by a Hamas network,” he declared in front of students. Horowitz’s extremist tendencies have led the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to classify him as the leader of one of the 892 hate groups in its burgeoning “hatewatch” database, deeming his brainchild anti-Muslim. In an online dossier created by the SPLC cataloguing his problematic actions, Horowitz was quoted saying, “The problem is when you have a religion which preaches war and violence and hate, rationality is never gonna take over.” Aside from speaking
out against Islam, Horowitz is a fierce critic of President Obama, whom he accused of being racist in a Twitter post, and Black Lives Matter, an organization he has publicly dubbed a hate group (Southern Poverty Law Center, “David Horowitz”). In an effort to influence millennials, who, according to a Pew Research poll conducted in May, support Palestine in greater numbers than in 2006, the Maccabee Task Force was born. Supported by Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, the Horowitz Center and other influential donors, the group focuses on garnering the support of college students. In the past, they’ve hosted peace-tents on campuses to challenge pro-Palestinian events as well as cultural events and subsidized educational trips to the Jewish State. Horowitz, inspired by Maccabee’s executive director David Brog, created the poster campaign entitled “Stop the Jew Hatred.” “What the Maccabees are doing is an important service not just to Jews but to all Americans,” he said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “It’s the one hope we have. I wish there were more” (Los Angeles Times, “How a casino tycoon is trying to combat an exploding pro-Palestinian movement on campuses,” 08.21.2016). Last August, foreshadowing what would eventually befall Vassar, Horowitz Center members distributed posters throughout UCLA accusing its student chapter of BDS of “Jew hatred” (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “Anti-BDS group distances itself from conservative foundation’s poster campaign,” 08.23.2016). The extreme tactics of the campaign have made it a point of contention. Moderate Jewish student groups J Street U and Jewish Voice for Peace have both publicly condemned the more radical efforts of Horowitz and his cohorts. Jerry Kang, the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at University of California Los Angeles, called the poster campaigns of Horowitz and his cohorts “thuggish intimidation,” accusing the effort of utilizing “guilt by association, of using blacklists, of ethnic slander and sensational-
ized images engineered to trigger racially tinged fear.” Members of the Vassar community also expressed displeasure. “Those in our community who were singled out in these postings deserve our unconditional support,” wrote Vassar Interim President Jon Chenette in a campus-wide email a day after the posters had been taken down and destroyed. Dovetailing off of Chenette’s sentiments was the creation of an all-campus dialogue organized by Associate Dean of Campus Life and Diversity Ed Pittman, which will take place in two separate sessions, the first on Oct. 25 and the second on Nov. 1. Pittman explained how his office supports students, saying, “Our best approach in these situations is to stand ready to support those who are impacted. It’s such a politically fueled issue that words and sometimes images are used to hurt, threaten and intimidate others because of their views. In Campus Life and Diversity, our goal is to support students and to offer counter opportunities for discourse.” This is not the first time Vassar has been targeted by organizations such as the Horowitz Center. Instigated by the proposition and eventual passage of the BDS resolution last spring, the Canary Foundation, an extremist website that regularly defames critics of the Israeli government, began harassing the Vassar student chapter of BDS. Members were surprised to discover that their private information had been uploaded to a virtual blacklist–the same blacklists that orchestrators of the Oct. 8 poster campaign used to pick out professors. In a phone interview, one victim, a recent alum who chose to remain anonymous, expressed his frustration with the lack of support he and other victims received from Vassar’s administration in the wake of the cyber attack. After the radicalist group had publicized their social media accounts, members found themselves overwhelmed with death threats. “One of my friends was told to drown herself with bleach,” he said, referring to misogynistic messages female members were forced to endure. Rape threats became commonplace, of-
ten punctuated with racist and sexist epithets. Fearing the safety of himself and the group, the alum, then a student contending with a brimming course load and the looming prospect of post grad life, reported the worst harassers to one of Vassar’s Title IX coordinators. He called the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department at the behest of a lawyer for the college. Days passed. The police said there was nothing they could do. No arrests were made. No administrators sent emails directly denouncing the actions of Canary. “The administration is willing to defend its faculty, which is great,” said the alum. “But when it comes down to it, it won’t do the same for its students.” Thinking about the infamous VSA meeting on the resolution, during which BDS members were reported to have been laughing and showing disrespect to those with whom they disagreed, by one attendee in an interview, he paused. “The people who were laughing were people of color,” he mused, “people who come from marginalized identities who regularly experience occupation and oppression in their everyday lives...laughter became a sign of resignation of an absurd situation of people saying Palestinians were being treated fairly.” After learning of the events of Oct. 8, an anonymous Jewish Vassar student said in an online interview, “I don’t support the Horowitz Center at all. They’re too right-leaning.” The senior went on to explain his desire for more peaceful discourse, all the while detailing his support for a two-state solution and his displeasure with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When asked about his stance on the Vassar’s chapter of BDS, he took a brief moment to think. A pregnant moment passed by. “I don’t think it’s the answer considering that its members have bullied people and excused fashionable antisemitism among their ranks,” he went on. “They deny the existence of a Jewish culture, peoplehood and ethnicity too, which some people get irked by. And often they don’t actually know that much about Israel at all when you talk to them.”
PCSD strives to expand support services for students SCHOOL continued from page 1
nificant reforms to the standards in the State, the teacher performance tools and measures, and other non-fiscal reforms designed to assist these struggling school districts to achieve improved student performance, creates an environment that cannot truly be assessed yet.” Given O’Connor’s reference to non-fiscal reforms as part of the argument that PCSD is capable of providing a basic education, the college has an ethical stake as part of the local educational environment in providing PCSD students with the support they need (New York Law Journal, “Larry J. v. State of New York,” 09.22.16). The Poughkeepsie Public School Teachers’ Association (PPSTA) is the district teachers’ union and has historically represented teachers’ interests, until its contract was left to expire three years ago. In tandem with a lack of collective representation, local teachers face several systemic problems. President of PPSTA Stephanie Green wrote in an email, “While we hired approximately 40 new teachers this year, most of those were filling vacant positions from retirees and those who resigned from the district to accept positions in other districts. Our ESL teachers support both
students and teachers to the best of their ability, all while trying to do more with less.” With continuous demand for more teachers, ESL teachers hired to help non-native speakers of English develop their language skills often find themselves delegated to other roles such as filling in for substitute teachers and addressing behavioral or remedial issues. These roles aggravate existing conditions in institutions such as the local high school, where 87 percent of students are from minority groups and 81 percent of students are from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds (U.S. News, “Poughkeepsie High School,” 2014). PPSTA’s decline in bargaining power has been accompanied by inflation in administrator hires and administrative pay raises. Green commented, “The PCSD has hired and now employs more administrators in school buildings than we have in decades, if ever.” Listing other areas of concern, Green noted, “The biggest challenges facing the PCSD include: reduced and inequitably distributed state aid, teacher recruitment and retention, support services for students, lack of family/community involvement.” With a graduation rate of 52 percent in 2013, 58 percent in 2014 and 62.7 percent in 2015, Poughkeepsie High School has been rap-
Courtesy of Stephanie Green
Volunteers read to students at the Early Learning Center at Smith School for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, in a community engagement program organized by Heather Faircloth.
idly moving toward the target rate of 75 percent as numbers for this year are still being processed (New York Education State Department, “Poughkeepsie High School Graduation Rate Data,” 2016). The Vassar English Language Learners Outreach Program (VELLOP) seeks to address concerns about low community involvement in the local school district and to support the work of ESL teachers by engaging students and faculty in tutoring programs for PCSD students. VELLOP tutor Isabel Schneck ’19 reflected, “Working with PCSD students has been challenging because I’ve seen firsthand how the district’s struggles to have sufficient funding and resources affects the education students receive and can make it hard for them to feel confident or encouraged in school. But for that same reason, it’s been so inspiring to see how students dedicate themselves to their work in spite of the challenges and go above and beyond to get the most out of their education.” Vassar After School Tutoring (VAST) pursues a similar goal in Poughkeepsie Middle School. VAST Coordinator Maximilian Cordeiro ’15 wrote in an email, “Many of our applicants are middle schoolers who feel like they’ve either failed the education system, or more insightfully, the system has failed them. For these students, VAST aims to create a space that supports seemingly non-academic creative outlets that are absent from their normal curriculum.” Cordeiro reflected on his own experience as a student, recalling, “About ten years ago I was on the other end of the scholar-mentor equation in my own middle school, and I really do attribute my early academic successes to my connection with a local college student. It wasn’t necessarily the homework help or tutoring that stuck with me, but rather, that my mentor showed a profound interest in my future academic attainment. It was a relationship that relied on the sharing of personal experiences and finding the connections between us both that shortened the gap between middle schooler and college student.” The involvement of Vassar College influences the way the local community approaches and prioritizes educational issues. Reflecting on what she has seen of Vassar outreach programs
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
during her 18 years of teaching, Green corroborated, “The support provided to PCSD students by both the VAST and VELLOP programs have a very positive effect on our students. Most significant is the work done with our ELL [English Language-Learner] students and their families. The impact on these young children makes a huge difference in their academic success. Additionally, we find that their parents are much more comfortable with teachers, supportive, and involved in their educational programs. We would love to see [them] increased.” Systematic issues in PCSD have existed for a long time, however. Associate Dean of Campus Life and Diversity Edward Pittman noted, “When I served as a board member and President of the Poughkeepsie City School District in 1996 I faced similar inclusion and equity work ... Recruiting teachers of color was a big agenda item then and I believe it is similar today.” He continued, “Programs such as VCUEI [Vassar College Urban Education Initiative] can be part of the solution by supporting students where they can. Every contribution helps. At the same time, volunteers can’t be saviors. Listen to how students, administrators and parents want to be helped. They know best.” VAST and VELLOP are highly dependent on the volunteer work of students, as well as input from faculty advisors and local teachers. Faith in and commitment to students’ success come first in the minds of educators and tutors, often inspiring teacher and student alike to thrive in the face of tough circumstances. Schneck explained “I’ve gotten to know so many amazing students who push beyond the obstacles. There are students actively creating their own paths in spite of the bleak narratives that they might often receive about their schools and their futures.” Addressing herself to colleagues in PPTSA and VCUEI, Green concluded, “It is unfortunate that the challenges facing us...are driving some of the best teachers to leave the PCSD and the profession itself. It truly needs to be a collaborative effort, where all stakeholders are recognized, validated, supported, trusted and appreciated for their views and involvement. When this occurs, the sky is the limit for our students, our staff, our district and our community.”
NEWS
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News Briefs
-Emma Jones, Senior Editor Halloween display confronts real life terrors Detroit resident Larethia Haddon’s Halloween display takes horror to a new level, representing not monsters on her front lawn, but real-world frights like acts of police brutality, terrorism and murder. Haddon’s grandchildren proposed that she use the quirky platform to send a message. “[They said] ‘Well Grandma, if you’re going to get that much attention, we need to do things that’s gonna bring attention to the things going on in America right now.’ We already know about witches and this and that, but they’re not real. This is what kids are afraid of.” Effigies like a bloodstained stuffed dummy holding a sign reading “My hands were up!” and a knife-wielding likeness of a child predator force passersby to confront the reality that for many, fear strikes not only on All Hallow’s Eve (Washington Post, “Why a Detroit grandma’s Halloween display depicts police shootings and terrorist attacks,” 10.25.2016). The community has overwhelmed her with support. She explained, “One lady...said, ‘Thank you so much for doing this. I see it on the news all the time, but not like this.’ This is in your face. It really makes you think about what we need to be doing to try to stop these things.” The local police department also stated that they respect her exercise of free speech. (CBS News, “This Detroit grandma’s Halloween display takes on real-life horrors,” 10.25.2016). The scenes that the yard depicts are particularly salient for Detroit citizens. 40 percent of the city’s population is in poverty, and within the last year alone, there were nearly 300 reported murders. Nearby in Flint, Michigan, citizens fight for clean drinking water after a 2-year long issue with lead contamination. Haddon appropriately created a dummy begging for clean water (Al Jazeera, “Grisly Halloween display in Detroit decries US violence,” 10.20.2016). -Emily Sayer, Features Editor
Author to speak about engaging youth Jorge Gruber
Guest Reporter
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n Thursday, Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m., New York Times bestselling author Andrea Pinkney will deliver a lecture sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Faculty, the Africana Studies Program and the Education Department. Titled “Mirrors, Windows, Doors–and More!” the lecture will seek to shed light on the process by which books for young people are written and illustrated. Pinkney’s work and her lecture focus closely on diversity, representation and inclusion within children’s literature. The announcement from the Office of Communications reads, “[The talk] will provide an inside look at...how those who work with, or serve, children can help young people embrace the joy and power of reading.” An acclaimed author of over 30 books for children and young adults spanning a wide array of genres, Pinkney has devoted her career to centering the lives and voices of people of color within literary spaces that are prone to excluding them. Her recent works, including the nonfiction “Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound” and the novel “The Red Pencil,” which takes place in the South Darfur region of Sudan, are but a few in her extensive bibliography, which includes picture books, novels, historical fiction and narrative nonfiction. Over the course of her celebrated career, Pinkney has committed herself to improving the quality and increasing the breadth of literature available to Black children of all ages. The lecture will be held in the Villard Room as the 10th installment of the Vassar Education Department’s Bechtel Lectureship, which was named after Vassar alumna Louise Bechtel (Class of 1915), a pioneer in the field of children’s literature and the first children’s book editor at the publishing company Macmillan. In a joint email, Athena Wyatt ’17, Associate Professor of Anthropology Candice Lowe Swift, Associate Professor of Education Colette Cann, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life and Director of Transitions
Luis Inoa and Assistant Dean for Campus Life Sam Speers explained, “[T]he Bechtel Lectureship was established, to promote continued conversation and innovation in the field of children’s literature.” They explained why Pinkney was invited to campus, saying, “Pinkney has worked tirelessly to create and promote children’s books about people of color by people of color, establishing their place in the realm of popular, high-quality children’s literature and ensuring those books continue to make it from their initial, imagined stages to finished products for the youth reading community.” The lecture will also be the first of several in the newly crafted “Centering the Lives of Black Women” lecture series. “Vassar College, as one of the seven sisters, has a long history of being at the forefront of controversial and critical conversations about issues that confront women’s lives.
In line with that history, this lecture series will contribute to this important tradition by expanding and extending the historical and contemporary discourses on women and intersectionality that have become so vibrant on Vassar’s campus and beyond,” the hosting faculty and staff clarified. The significance of Pinkney’s lecture, however, goes beyond the continuation of an esteemed and long-standing scholarly tradition. The organizing committee was quick to underscore the urgency of promoting critical discussion about topics related to race and gender given the current social and political climate. “This series centers the lives of Black women at the very moment when the U.S. has turned its attention to the particular experiences of expression, oppression, and liberation of Black lives,” the press release emphasized (Office of Communications, 10.14.16).
Courtesy of Andrea Davis Pinkney
Masks trump Halloween sales What’s scarier than vampires, witches and ghosts appearing at your door on Oct. 31? Thousands of Donald Trumps flooding the streets throughout the country, complete with exaggeratedly ghoulish grins and neon yellow hair. Spirit Halloween, in a poll administered in conjunction with Harris Poll, found that the primary reason customers chose to dress up as Trump is to be funny, while the top reason people chose to be Clinton is because they like her as a candidate (The Washington Post, “People are hate-buying Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton masks for Halloween. Scary, Right?” 10.25.2016). In fact, twice as many people are going as Trump to mock him than those who are dressing as Hillary to ridicule her (The Washington Post). Trump masks sold in costume stores such as Spirit Halloween lend themselves easily to satirizing the GOP nominee. Spirit Halloween alone offers three options: “Loud Mouth Donald Trump Mask,” “Cry Baby Trump Mask” and “Tax Evasion Trump Mask.” Retailers are expecting record sales of candidate costumes and masks. The general manager of Halloween Superstore in Tampa, FL, reports that sales of candidate masks have “tripled or quadrupled” (The Boston Globe, “Demand for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump costumes are keeping Halloween shops busy,” 10.16.16). She adds that the store stocked twice as many Trump masks as Hillary masks this fall. Area manager for Spirit Halloween Mike Windsor comments, “‘The ongoing joke is that we predict the election by whatever mask sells more’” (The Boston Globe). In the past, however, this so-called joke has held a certain amount of truth: in 2008, buycostumes.com reported that 55 percent of candidate masks sold were Obama masks, while only 45 percent of those polled dressed as McCain; in 1988, “Ronald Reagan’s rubber likeness outsold Jimmy Carter’s” (Time, “Halloween Prognosticators,” 2008). While “The candidate whose Halloween mask sells the most is far more likely to win the election...there are of course many factors that set this year’s contest apart from previous elections” (AOL News, “Sales of Halloween masks point to ominous prediction for Hillary Clinton,” 10.24.2016). One can only hope that the current election is an exception to the rule.
October 27, 2016
Renowned children’s author Andrea Pinkney will come to Vassar on Oct. 27 to speak about her work. She strives to give voice to POC in young adult and children’s literature.
Fund activates discussion of crucial issues Eilis Donohue News Editor
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he Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences initiative was born in 2014, courtesy of an anonymous benefactor. According to Assistant to the President and Associate Professor of Chemistry Christopher Smart, “The gift was to be used to support talks, workshops, performances and the like, that would allow for productive discourse and exchange of ideas on contentious issues of importance to the campus.” However, being a gift, the fund was not intended to be a permanent resource. While many visions have been realized thanks to the fund, Smart explained in an email, “Originally, it was imagined that the funding would last for two years, and these would have been 2014-15 and 2015-16. The fund was not completely spent as of May 2016, and it was determined that another year(or until funds ran out) of Dialogue and Engagement activities could be supported.” Since there is sufficient funding remaining for the 2016-2017 academic year, the President’s Office sent out a campus-wide email on Oct. 12 asking for proposals for new programming. Aiming to spur participation, the email reads, “Would you like to create a campus-wide event, series of events, or residency that engages a potentially divisive social issue or provides opportunities to practice such engagement? Can you and your colleagues or group organize events or occasions for exploring issues constructively in the face of deep-rooted and intense disagreements?” According to Interim President Jonathan Chenette, a wide range of proposals will be considered, so students and staff should submit their ideas without inhibition. Chenette clarified the mission of the initiative in an email, explaining, “[T]he initiative is not intended as another source of funding for regular ‘one-off’ visiting lecturers but rather for events (including lectures that address directly ideas about engaging in difficult dialogues) that examine controversial issues facing the Vassar community and society at large in ways that promote conversation and engagement across differences.” Part of what distinguishes the programming that emerges from this initiative is
that event planners are encouraged to embrace longer forms, enabling sustained discussions of intricate topics that may be better served by a series of conversations, rather than one lecture. Past programming sponsored by the fund has included multi-part lectures and workshops, such as artist and activist Andrea Gibson’s performance and workshop in February 2016 and Frederick M. Lawrence’s live-streamed lecture “Free Speech vs. Hate Speech: The Changing Contours of Free Expression” and the follow-up campus discussion in March 2016. Programming can be any subject that promotes active discussion of crucial issues, and has included political, social and religious topics in the past. One of this semester’s events sponsored by the fund was Yavilah McCoy’s Sept. 15 lecture on “Faith, Race, Power and Privilege.” Chenette explained that her lecture was an example of successful programming, saying, “The visit of Yavilah McCoy earlier this semester seemed a perfect match for the goals of the Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences initiative. She brought together conversations around race and around Jewish identity in a way that contributed powerfully to dialogue between groups that seldom have occasion to face these issues together.” Students, faculty, administrators and staff are encouraged to submit ideas to the President’s Office. Their proposals should be well thought out, including a title for the proposed program, an abstract, a detailed description of the event or lecture, a budget plan and ideal outcomes and goals. The newly formed President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion will consider the proposals and decide where to allocate the initiative’s funds. The Council includes professors and administrators from several departments and offices, as well as student liaison VSA President Calvin Lamothe ’17. Despite the multiple requirements to submit an official proposal, Assistant Professor of Dance Miriam Mahdaviani assured in an email, “Proposing a project is fairly simple. I encourage anyone who is passionate about an issue to bring it to the President’s Office.” She and Associate Professor of History Leslie Offutt have organized two events funded by the initiative,
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
dealing specifically with racial divisions both on campus and nationwide. While the Dialogue fund provided the financial means to invite speakers to campus and put on the two events, the professors-turned-organizers also enjoyed the support of co-sponsoring colleagues and an abundance of student participants. “Their participation reflects Vassar’s commitment to exploring differing viewpoints, increasing awareness, and discovering ways to be respectful of each other,” Mahdaviani reflected. “Perhaps these programs will even challenge our own views, and help us to think in new ways about important issues.” Past participants in these programs are optimistic about the initiative’s potential to open up important conversations on campus. Jason Storch ’17, who has attended events sponsored by Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences in the past, remarked in an email, “[A]t Vassar, we strive to hear as diverse a spectrum of opinions as possible. [The initiative] enables that. If there is a position not being heard and there are not student groups or departments that will invest in programming or speakers, as was certainly the case with the Bret Stephens talk, it is important that students have the outlet of [the initiative] to have their opinions and narratives heard.” As the Council searches for programming for the rest of the year, there are already scheduled events to look forward to. One such event is transgender advocate and athlete Chris Mosier’s Nov. 14-15 visit to the campus. He will give a lecture entitled “Breaking Barriers: Trans Inclusion in Sports” and conduct a workshop about fostering inclusive climates. Because the initiative is so flexible and lends itself to a variety of program styles and topics, proposals can be imaginative. “As the Vassar community grows and evolves, it’s incredibly important to have support for ways in which to engage with the multiple perspectives on this campus,” Mahdaviani agreed. “The Dialogue and Engagement Across Differences initiative provides encouragement and facilitation of dialogue, an important first step to connecting with and understanding each other.”
October 27, 2016
FEATURES
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Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club creates space for enthusiasts CHESS continued from page 1
former World Champion Boris Spassky and former Russia and U.S. Champion Roman Dzindichasvilli have visited the club and played in Rocky. Members of the club come from all areas of the Dutchess County, Orange, Ulster and Putnam, and include players from nearly all ages and all walks of life. In the 1930s, the club was founded and named after Stanley Chadwick. Fisher recounted, “Stanley started it in his basement. He kept inviting the best players in Poughkeepsie to join them. Over time the club grew significantly and needed more room for their activities.” And this is how Vassar became involved in the club’s weekly meetings. Fisher continued, “Betty Daniels [a college historian and a long-time member of the English Department at Vassar] was our savior. Betty invited the club to play in Vassar College’s Rockefeller Hall in the late 1960s. We changed
the name of the club to Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club in recognition of this most generous action.” When Vassar started the Powerhouse Training Program and found other uses for the Rocky room in the summers, Fisher connected with Marist College and moved the summer meetings to the Lowell Thomas Building. Recounting his experiences at the Cardwick club, Fisher said: “I didn’t join the club until 1973 but I have played continuously ever since. I was president from 1973 until 1993 and again in 2015. “ Despite being a later comer in Fisher’s words, the club has given him a high level of recognition and appreciation. “Craig Fisher is the cornerstone of the Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club. No other individual–indeed, no other combination of individuals–has done as much for chess in the Mid-Hudson Valley in general and for the Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club as Craig.” Brooks is a young man in his 30’s. As the
club’s president, he is responsible for arranging for the space and letting people know of each week’s plans. He also works with other staff members to direct tournaments and coalesce schedules. “We need to make sure that there is a variety of forms and kinds. We are running a free tournament next week, and that’s something we’ve never done before.” For him, the planning, positioning, thinking and strategizing involved in playing chess is the most enjoyable. “It’s a mental game. It’s a mental challenge. And it does help keep your mind very very fresh,” said Brooks. As Brooks was explaining the photographs and club ratings, Ernest Johnson arrived in the room and introduced himself. Clearly passionate and enthusiastic about the game and the club, Johnson serves as the secretary of the club and has won seven club champion titles since joining the club in 1989. Looking back at how he started playing, Johnson said, “I was probably eight years old
when I first learned. And I played in primary school and junior high. Every place I went had a chess club. So I just kept playing.” Sitting next to Johnson was Trevor Brook. “Our chess prodigy,” as Fisher, his teacher here, describes him. “My dad first taught me [chess], but most of my study happens online; there are a lot of great resources like the chess.com. The tournament play is a recent occurrence for me. I’ve been playing chess here for about six months. [Playing chess] is really about the extended process of years and years of practicing.” And Brooks has never minded going up against people much older than him. “These are the greatest players in the area. If you were someone like me, you would want to compete against the best. That’s why I came here.” He continued, “As long as I can beat them in chess, it works. I think chess breaks boundaries in a way. I don’t feel any different ... Chess unites everyone.”
Courtesy of Jacob Gorski
Yifan Wang/The Miscellany News
Players enjoy tournaments at all skill and capability levels in Rockefeller Hall, as members of the club come from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.
Chess players young and old gather at the Vassar-Chadwick Chess Club for a battle of wits. Child “prodigy” Trevor Brook mulls over his next move, as pictured above.
New counselors face increasing demands, student needs Andrea Yang Reporter
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“With a more robust staff, we were also able to initiate a biofeedback stress management program and a transcare program to provide support for our trans and genderqueer students seeking letters of support for hormones and surgery,” wrote Freedman. However, Bowlin stated that it is still a national trend for counseling services to be understaffed. “It is unfeasible for universities and colleges to hire enough therapists that can provide weekly therapy options for all students at counseling centers.” She commented, “I definitely do not think that we are over-staffed. Some therapists are finding themselves booked up and in need of finding students therapists off-campus in order to meet their needs for weekly therapy.” She humorously confided, “I also know that Metcalf turned spare closets into counseling offices and our electrical outlets dislike the num-
Andrea Yang/The Miscellany News
his year, Vassar College Counseling Service (VCCS) welcomed three new counselors: permanent Staff Therapists Constanca Vescio, Jeremy Eggleston and 2016-2017 Post-doctoral Fellow Stephanie Bowlin. According to the Director of Psychological Services Wendy Freedman, “Constanca brings specialization in working with interpersonal dynamics, sexual assault, domestic violence and multicultural concerns. Jeremy’s professional interests include LGBTQIA related concerns, identity formation, substance use and spirituality. Stephanie is completing her post-doctoral fellowship with us this year to acquire her hours towards licensure. Her areas of interest include disordered eating and impulse control struggles, trauma, relational distress and group work.” Freedman noted that this is the largest staff they have had in her 14 years at Vassar—a center record. Counseling Services Post-Doctoral Fellow Stephanie Bowlin acknowledged that she came to Vassar because of the staff and students. “The Counseling Center staff is by far the most talented group of therapists I have worked with and welcomes authentic communication, diverse perspectives, difficult conversations and group-based problem solving,” said Bowlin. Bowlin is transitioning from working as an intern at Florida State University, which has a population of 41,473. “The student composition and personality are vastly different as well as the counseling center itself,” she recounted. Bowlin felt that in a small college like Vassar, offices matter. Bowlin said of her job responsibilities, “Being a staff therapist, I work with students, lead group therapy sessions, present and collaborate with campus partners regarding outreach services and regularly consult with staff.” Bowlin observed that there is a national trend that reports students are entering colleges with more mental health needs than ever before. She cited an example statistic from the Spring 2014 National College Health Assessment, “33 percent of students surveyed reported feeling so
depressed within the previous 12 months that it was difficult to function. Almost 55 percent reported feeling overwhelming anxiety, while 87 percent reported feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities. Almost nine percent seriously considered suicide over the past year.” Freedman agreed, “The increased staffing could not have occurred at a better time given that we have seen a 21 percent increase in new students seeking services and a 64 percent increase in students needing crisis support this year compared to last year.” How does new staffing translate into better care for our students? Freedman explained, “Immediate improvements include a shorter wait time for an initial appointment (now an average of six days), more consistent appointments and more effective crisis management with our higher risk students. ” New initiatives are also implemented around student health.
The new counseling hires, pictured above, hope to integrate new offerings such as group therapy and broadened clinician specialties into Metcalf’s student support system.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
ber of therapists in the building. For example, we can’t make coffee and turn on the microwave at the same time and therefore our communication as a group of therapists is on-point in order to handle such hurdles.” Bowlin suggested that group therapy options should be taken advantage of in order to meet students’ needs and provide weekly services. She reasoned that group therapy can be even more advantageous than individual therapy for some students, explaining, “We are social creatures who historically traveled in packs where we have diverse roles and perspectives, learning by witnessing others share their stories is something one therapist cannot provide.” She continued, “In addition, structured skillsbased group therapy can be helpful for students looking to learn coping strategies and develop emotional intelligence. Each therapist has a role as a liaison with different organizations or campus departments and we work as a team to get students ideas and needs communicated.” Freedman responded that in order to be more accessible and welcoming to all students, VCCS is shifting to a more preventative orientation by participating in wellness and resiliency building initiatives in partnership with offices across campus. “We are committed to partnering with offices that serve students from traditionally marginalized groups who may not be as comfortable accessing mental health support.” Bowlin seconded, “[Furthermore,] communication between the hospital and the college are critical if a student is hospitalized for mental health concerns. I have enjoyed partnering with Spiritual Life to provide daily meditation for students at the library at 3 p.m. in the quiet room.” Both Freedman and Bowlin expressed that they are grateful to the College for supporting the work of the Counseling Service and the mental health of our community. Bowlin concluded, “It is amazing that our new Dean of Students, Adriana diBartolo, has worked hard to create the space for administrators to gather and discuss our student’s needs in order to find the best solution.”
TRAVEL
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October 27, 2016
Festivals, food and foliage embody fall break experience TOKYO continued from page 1
to sample. One day we set out to climb up Mount Takao, just a short and scenic train ride from the city, with the intent of catching a glimpse of the famed Mount Fuji from the peak–the only way we, recreational hikers at best, would experience the highest mountain in the country (at least this time around). By the time we reached the summit, Fuji had receded into the clouds, but the view of the surrounding dusky blue mountain ranges was worth it. Trying to fit everything there is to do in Tokyo into one week was folly, but we did our best to hit the must-see destinations. On my second to last day, we took the Shinkansen, the so-called bullet train, through the countryside to Kyoto, a city famous for its abundance of Buddhist temples. It was a Friday, which in Japanese is translated as “gold day;” we joined the throngs of elementary schoolers and foreign visitors to see the Kinkakuji, the famous Golden Temple–a building completely gilded to its eaves, and set back from eager sightseers on a little island on a lake. I wish I had had longer to explore Tokyo, but I feel incredibly lucky to have had just a little taste of the most populated city in the world.
Eilis Donohue/The Miscellany News
situations was both scary and exhilarating. By the end of the week, however, I could find my way around on the subways and through the neighborhood where I was staying, and even recognize some words and characters. We spent much of the week wandering through different neighborhoods in and around the prefecture. There was no shortage of markets, gardens and festivals to explore. We ate taiyaki, a lightly sweet fish-shaped pancake filled with red beans, in the crowded market streets of Ameya Yokocho; explored vast, lush, manicured gardens tucked right into the cityscape; and learned about the birth of Zen Buddhism at the National Museum. We paid a visit to the Kamakura Daibutsu, the Great Buddha, a stately and serene statue in the center of a temple courtyard. We even spent a little time relaxing on a beach, wading in the suprisingly balmy Pacific. Shops were also gearing up for Halloween, excitedly advertising pastries shaped like ghosts and cats. The air was cool and the atmosphere celebratory; a lot of festivals take place in the fall, including one centered around pickled daikon radishes, which we made sure
Kinkakuji, or the Golden Temple, is one of the most famous temples in Kyoto, a city west of Tokyo known for its abundance of Buddhist temples and stunning nature.
Eilis Donohue/The Miscellany News
Eilis Donohue/The Miscellany News
Small shrines punctuate the landscape in gardens and residential neighborhoods. The architecture of Tokyo neighborhoods makes use of limited space, with bars and cafes tucked into every corner.
Locals and tourists browse food stalls at a street fair. Festivals in Tokyo are often centered around a temple or shrine, combining religious celebration, food, art and merchandise.
Escape to Lake George allows for post-midterm repose Dea Vazquez
Guest Reporter
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y family picked me up at the Fort Edward train station and, after some embracing, we got into a car and headed towards a small cabin some 20 minutes away at Diamond Point in Lake George, NY. For most of the car ride, I was bombarded with questions by my mother, my father and my grandfather. I hadn’t seen them in two months. As we rounded a curve, time seemed to stop. Pulled by the winds from the trees, flying rather than falling, yellow leaves rained. I vaguely remembered Gabriel García Márquez’s yellow butterflies from “100 Years of Solitude,” how their ethereal presence announced the rebirth of the spirit from the death of the material body, the transition from reality to fantasy. Then, in a moment, it was all gone. Not to get too cheesy, but nature has a way of
bringing out the poet in all of us. Like any exhausted college student on break, I spent most of my time sleeping, occasionally emerging from my slumber in search of food. My family brought some of my favorite foods with them from Mexico: raw tortillas de harina (to make REAL quesadillas), frijoles, tortillas de maíz (for breakfast chilaquiles with my mom’s salsa verde) and freshly made tamales. I was in Mexican heaven. Outside, the Adirondack Mountains displayed an explosion of color–amber, emerald, crimson, caramel and more. Different shades of colors for different stages in the foliage decay process. Here or there, a small chipmunk foraged for food. It would skip across the front lawn from the forest and into a burrow it dug into the ground near the house. I would go to it every morning, watching it go back and forth. Maybe Vassar’s squirrels left a hole in my heart
that needed filling (if only for the week). The town, though basically deserted (fall is Lake George’s offseason), has a bit of everything. Diamond Point’s main strip is lined with stores on both sides; anything from banks to antiques, Ben & Jerry’s to regional gift shops. For the naturalist, Lake George’s Million Dollar Beach provides another easy way to splurge a million or two bucks (kidding!). Spectacular views of the lake, its islets and the surrounding mountains are best appreciated during the off season, in my opinion, when the absence of tourists allows for peaceful and serene contemplation. Other attractions at Diamond Point include a champagne dinner on the Lac du Saint Sacrement steamboat–the largest inland-water cruise ship in New York–horse-drawn carriages around Downtown, the historical Fort William Henry Museum (which is also a hotel, and according to
Ghost Hunters, haunted) and a Six Flags. The last day of my stay, I noticed a barebranched tree that, not two days ago, was still covered in orange leaves. The beauty of autumn colors is truly short lived. That night, I joined my family on the lawn for a campfire. The flame was small, but it was enough to keep us warm. We made s’mores at my request (even though I was the only one in the mood for sweets), and roasted sausages over the fire. I returned to Vassar after a break stocked with souvenirs, food and much needed rest. My stay at Lake George, surrounded by the comforting presence of my family and the calm of nature, was just what I needed after a stressful week of midterms. At two hours away by train, it is definitely a trip I would recommend, if only as a weekend getaway, for those who are looking to get to know the region.
Courtesy of Dea Vazquez
Courtesy of Dea Vazquez
The Lac du Saint Sacrement gives tourists and locals a lakeside look at Lake George’s idyllic waterfront views. Dea appreciates the serenity of the islets and distant mountains this time of year.
Foliage in the Lake George region during the fall months paints the mountains a brilliant orange, yellow and red. The picturesque landscape lends itself well to hiking trips and weekend getaways.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
October 27, 2016
FEATURES
Page 7
Law student integrates time at Vassar into post-grad life Elizabeth Dean
Contributing Editor
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hris Brown is a Miscellany News alum who graduated in 2016 with a double major in Political Science and Mathematics. Less than a year out, Chris is living in California starting his first year at Berkeley Law School. Chris shares the challenges and highlights he’s facing in this stage of his life. Q: What are you up to now, and how do you like doing it? A: I’m currently a first-year student at
Berkeley Law School. I like law school, although it’s definitely not easy. It’s a lot more work than I’m used to at Vassar, and I really need to work hard to stay on top of it. But the material and the people are all really interesting and incredibly smart. I have a lot to learn from them. I always knew from a young age that I was interested in law and the reasons why rules are the way they are. During my last year at Vassar, it just felt like the right thing to do to apply to law school and pursue a career in law.
my senior year. I worked in Residential Life for 2 years, as a student fellow and then as a House Student Advisor for Jewett. I was a Q Center Tutor and SI Leader for 2 years. And of course, I was a proud and loving member to Beauty and the Beats, the only Disney a cappella group at Vassar, and dare I say the most attractive a cappella group in town.
a warm spring day, or under a full moon late at night, and just enjoying the company of other people. It’s those moments where you are truly able to get the most out of the college experience, at least in my opinion.
Q: Can you name one of your favorite memories on campus? A: Tough one, there are a lot. Some of my
have a couple of years to figure that out! I’m not sure where I’ll be in five years, but if everything falls into place, then I would love to come back to Vassar for the reunion. It’ll be fun to see what everyone has been up to and where everyone’s lives have gone. And I’ll definitely be visiting Vassar a few times between now and then!
favorite memories are from last year, sitting on the back step of my TH with some of my closest friends. I really made an effort to spend senior year enjoying the people I was around and having deep and meaningful conversations. There was nothing like sitting outside on
Q: Do you think you’ll come to your next reunion? A: Well seeing as though I just graduated, I
Q: In what ways have you stayed connected
dents at Vassar, and I do my best to stay in contact with them. I also have tried to keep in contact with some of the professors and administration that I was lucky enough to work closely with during my time in school. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in law school so far, it’s all about who you know! Q: What plans to you have for the future of your life and career? A: Well I don’t like to predict to future; the
unpredictability makes it exciting. I’ve got three years of school left before I start some kind of job. As of now, I’m probably going to be doing some work in the technology private sector on intellectual property rights through a big firm, making some money to pay back loans. But again, I really won’t know for another year or so what path I’ll be on immediately after law school. Q: What advice would you give to current Vassar students? A: I don’t want this answer to come off as
Q: What impact do you think Vassar has had on your life, and on your career now? A: Vassar changed my life so much. A lot
Courtesy of Chris Brown
of people here at law school have more experience than me from past jobs they had after school. But I think one place where I’m finding I have the advantage over some other people is the ability to approach a problem critically and thoughtfully and with a full understanding of what’s going on. A lot of my political science and theory classes at Vassar focused on learning not only how to solve a problem, but address why it’s a problem, how did we get here, and what are the alternatives. I thank Vassar and my professors so much for giving me the ability to have a deep understanding of the meaning of everything happening around me. Q: What were you involved with on campus while you were a student? A: Do we have enough room to answer this
question? Haha I was perpetually over-involved at Vassar. I was on The Miscellany News for 3 years and an editor for 2. I was the (final!) Vice President for Student Life during
to Vassar? A: I still have a lot of friends who are stu-
Alum Chris Brown ’16 was an incredibly active undergrad student, serving on the Editorial Board of The Miscellany News, working as the VP of Student Life, tutoring, singing a capella, and more.
don’t study and don’t worry about grades because you should. But be able to put things into perspective. The reality of the situation, which still makes me a little sad today, is that you have a limited time at this sort of secluded world called Vassar. You’re going to meet people that could change your life. You might fall in love, you might get your heart broken, you might discover something about yourself that you never knew was inside of you. Take time to stop and listen to yourself and everything around you. You don’t want to get to the end of your senior year and realize you sent all of your time studying alone or doing work in order to get a marginal advantage for whatever path you want to take after Vassar. I will always remember Vassar as the place where I met the best friends of my life and made memories I will never forget. And trust me, I’m not sure any of them happened in a classroom. So do something stupid with your friends, get off campus with people if you can, and take mental snapshots of those moments where you feel nothing but overwhelming happiness and love.
Homemade banana ice cream creates alt vegan dessert Brooke Thomas Guest Reporter
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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Charlotte Varcoe-Wolfson/The Miscellany News
ou know Veganism is catching on when Ben & Jerry’s starts making almond milkbased “frozen dessert.” (A note about that term: I hate it. Ice cream is ice cream even if it is made without any cows involved.) I’ve been known to indulge in some Chunky Monkey every now and then but like many vegan treats, the storebought version can be expensive and there are cost-effective homemade versions. In case anyone reading is not interested in making their own ice cream, doesn’t have a blender or isn’t familiar with the vegan ice creams on the market, I’d like to spend some time talking about the options you can find around Vassar before I get into the recipe. My favorite variety of vegan of ice cream is cashew-based. I find this to be the creamiest of all the nut varieties. So Delicious Dairy Free makes great cashew-based options and they are pretty easy to find at most grocery stores around here. Salted Caramel Cluster is definitely the best flavor in my book. If you are into coconut milk check out So Delicious and Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss for a coconut milk ice cream fix. Stop & Shop and House of Nutrition sell Luna & Larry’s. You can also find vegan ice cream made from soy, rice and almond milk. Another noteworthy brand is Tofutti. They make incredible ice cream sandwiches (called Tofutti Cuties, how great is that?) as well as cones with vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate cookie crunchies called Yours Truly. You can usually find the Cuties at My Market and I highly recommend them for essay writing sessions. If none of those options float your boat or you want a cheaper option I am pleased to introduce you to a couple forms of banana ice cream, sometimes known as nana ice cream or just nicecream. The concept is simple: freeze a banana and blend it with some non-dairy milk
and you are in magical soft serve heaven. Frozen bananas blend up to be incredibly creamy so this doesn’t taste like sorbet, it really tastes like and has the texture of soft serve. My favorite way to make this is in a copycat Frosty fashion. I add one frozen banana (if you are going to freeze bananas I recommend you peel them, slice them and put them in a sealed container before you put them in the freezer), three or four ice cubes, a teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of cocoa powder and about half a cup of non-dairy milk to a blender and blend until smooth. The ice cubes add the granulated texture that a Frosty has but if you want a more traditional milkshake leave them out. The amount of milk you use will depend on how thick or thin you want the drink to be. I highly recommend dipping French fries into this concoction (if you’ve never tried this please try it, you’re welcome for that great tip). If you want a more traditional soft-serve experience then you just need to blend a frozen banana with around 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk, a tablespoon of cocoa powder and around a teaspoon of sugar. You may need to blend for a while in order for this one to fully blend because it will be thick. These recipes are highly customizable. You can add peanut butter, vanilla extract, sea salt, chile powder or fruit. You can also choose not to add the sugar; I rarely add it because I think it is sweet enough without it but you could always try it without the sugar first and add it later. You can also make it without the cocoa powder! I prefer it with chocolate flavor because it tones down the banana flavor but if you add other things instead of chocolate you could make something great. This is also a great base for smoothies. Make the banana shake without chocolate and sugar and add a small handful of kale, some berries and some ice, or whatever else you want, and you have an awesome, creamy smoothie.
Ingredients Copycat Frosty
1 frozen banana 3-4 ice cubes 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1/2 cup (or more) non-dairy milk 1 tsp sugar (optional) Soft Serve Nicecream
1 frozen banana 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1/4 cup non-dairy milk 1 tsp sugar (optional)
OPINIONS
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October 27, 2016
The Miscellany News Staff Editorial
Harvard strikes model effective path to staff compensation
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his marks the third week of the Harvard dining staff’s strike for livable wages and increased benefits, the first halt in the University’s operations since 1983. In light of recent arrests and the 1,000body march on Cambridge City Hall, the union representing 750 Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) workers, Unite Here Local 26 and the University have at last settled contract negotiations. Protesters and supporters hope that this agreement will prove more satisfactory than the concessions offered at the strike’s advent. The strike also has implications that extend beyond the staff contracts. Harvard student Rob Hopkirk ’18 explained in an email that, as a result of the strikes, “The normal sense of community has been disrupted…the food now being served at the dining hall is well below the normal standard in terms of taste, nutrition, and hygiene.” Hopkirk noted that the relationship between the students and dining workers is strong, and that they are some of the more popular employees of the university. Despite the challenge the strike presents to students Hopkirk noted that they “are willing to live with the substandard food and dining services if it will help HUDS workers receive decent health care and a livable yearly income.” Harvard has maintained that HUDS workers are paid better than most cafeteria staff and dining service workers at other prestigious institutions, earning $21.89 an hour with 42 paid vacation days, among other benefits. President of the Local 26 Union Brian Long counters that employees’ wages are insufficient, arguing for a greater annual wage raise from $3000 to $3500. He believes the strikers’ demands to be reasonable, stating that employees are at the very least pushing for maintaining current health care costs. He
stated, “We have not said we want a decrease. We have just said no more extra costs” (The New York Times, “No End in Sight to Strike by Harvard’s Cafeteria Workers Over Wages,” 10.11.2016). HUDS workers lament their disappointing wages, telling community members and media of their poor treatment by the university administration. Dining worker at Harvard Aaron J. Duckett said at an Oct. 17 rally, “We used to get a turkey on Thanksgiving [from Harvard] but over the years that turkey got smaller and smaller and smaller until now we get no turkey,” Duckett said. “This is representative of Harvard’s attitude towards us, [but] now, instead of taking a turkey away from us, they want to take away our health care” (The Harvard Crimson, “Hundreds of Students Leave Class to Support HUDS Strike,” 10.18.2016). This past Tuesday, news broke that Harvard and HUDS had reached a tentative agreement, though the strike still had not ended. Even as workers and rallying students start to breathe a sigh of relief, Harvard and peer institutions like Vassar should not celebrate the outcome, but must instead look critically at our own campus workers and their conditions. Vassar is no stranger to staff disputes. In Feb. 2015, Safety and Security became the last department to unionize after two failed efforts since 2000 (The Miscellany News, “After months, Safety and Security unionizes,” 02.25.2015). Later in 2015, following a student-supported rally the previous year, ACDC dining staff filed grievances objecting to, among other things, the elimination of the short-order cook position amidst a downsizing effort by the College. In consequence, the ACDC workers had to do the work of both positions while still
maintaining their lower pay grade (The Miscellany News, “Staffing and work grievances define ongoing dining woes,” 04.29.2015). Vassar in many ways mirrors Harvard with respect to its staff, as both are elite institutions that generally hire local workers from relatively low-income backgrounds and thus carry an ingrained disconnect the wealth of the institutions and the economic realities of their workers. In fact, this disconnect is only exacerbated when one considers the endowments that Harvard and Vassar possess–$35.7 billion in 2016 and $983 million in 2015, respectively– and the median household incomes of their surrounding communities, Cambridge, MA, and Poughkeepsie, NY ($75,909 and $68,076 from 2010-2014, respectively, according to the Census Bureau). If, according to the Washington Post, Harvard dining workers make around $33,800 per year, it is safe to assume that Vassar’s dining staff makes a comparable annual wage, if not less, adjusting for Vassar and Poughkeepsie’s economic gap. On top of these financial realities, it is equally important to note that Vassar will be switching its food service provider starting in Fall 2017 from Aramark to Bon Appétit. In theory, the transition will not bring about any significant disruptions to the dining staff’s numbers or wages, as Bon Appétit will provide new managers while the staff will remain unionized Vassar employees. However, the difficulty of adapting to and creating a rapport with new management, coupled with mounting costs of the ongoing ACDC renovation, is a cause for concern. In fact, the University of Chicago made the same switch from Aramark to Bon Appétit starting this school year, and so far the quality of food has not suffered and all UChicago dining workers were retained in
the transition. However, when dining workers at the University of La Verne in California tried to unionize in 2012, they succeeded despite Bon Appétit’s minimal cooperation and seeming disregard for legitimate concerns about working conditions (Campus Times, “Bon Appétit food workers look to unionize,” 10.26.2012). The contract between Vassar and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 200 United, which represents our Vassar campus staff and which is available online, provides for a grievance and arbitration. However, it stipulates, “[T]here shall be no strike, lockout or stoppage of work,” which will remain true through June 30, 2018, the end of the first year of Bon Appétit’s management here. We at The Miscellany News offer our strong support for Harvard’s dining staff as the strike reaches its final days and we wish to express concern for our own dining workers at Vassar as the College transitions to Bon Appétit’s management. We maintain that strikes, as well as student involvement in demonstrations, are a viable means to improve the conditions of our dining workers. In the words of two former Vassar Student Labor Dialogue (SLD) members, “As students, we must challenge the very idea that students’ and workers’ interests are at odds. Those of us that live and work on this campus share a united interest, and we must uphold respect, dialogue, and mutual reciprocity as the basis of our community” (The Miscellany News, “Students and workers must create mutual discourse” 11.04.2013). — The Staff Editorial expresses the opinion of at least two-thirds of The Miscellany News Editorial Board
Student, faculty activists deserve full campus support Nick Barone
Opinions Editor
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n the morning of Oct. 18, over Vassar’s fall break, “[A]t least thirty posters appeared at various outdoor locations on campus targeting specific members of Vassar’s community ... The posters were immediately removed, and both campus security and Poughkeepsie police were called,” according to an all-campus e-mail that was sent out by Interim President Jon Chenette. The posters targeted student and faculty supporters of Vassar’s Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign (BDS) against Israel that took flight last semester. The name of the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s website was printed at the bottom of each poster. Given David Horowitz’s consistent and virulent criticisms of political correctness on college campuses and Palestinian solidarity efforts, this act, sadly, comes as no surprise. One poster likened campus activists to “Hamas terrorists” and listed their names and organizational affiliations. The full poster read, “Do you want to show your support for Hamas terrorists, whose stated goal is the elimination of the Jewish people and the Jewish state? Join us! Students for Justice in Palestine at Vassar College.” A drawing of a militant, dressed in a keffiyeh and armed with an AK-47, accompanies the text, pointing directly at the viewer. Some of the students listed on the poster graduated last May, and one of the professors listed no longer teaches at Vassar. Another poster personally attacked a Vassar history professor, bearing his caricatured likeness and the words, “SJP Supporter, BDS Supporter, Anti-Israel Activist, Vassar Professor, #JEWHATRED.” This professor teaches a popular class on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To be clear, I do not seek to make any statement supporting or condemning the BDS Movement, Vassar SJP/JVP or other critics of Israel in this piece. While I generally find the concept of being apolitical or neutral to be nonsense, I am not a member of any of these organizations and am not speaking on any of their behalves. If you care to know my (ever-evolving) beliefs about Palestine/Israel and the occupation, feel
free to send me an e-mail or flag me down in person–I’m never short of opinions. That being said, this type of McCarthyist persecution transcends any political inclinations. To single out students and faculty members for acting on their consciences and engaging with a complex international issue is antithetical to the notions of academic freedom that David Horowitz and his cronies claim to champion. The posters, instead, unjustly slander students and faculty for their human rights activism. They are meant to fear-monger and incite violence against the people listed. I cannot fathom the cowardice of the individuals who put up these signs while faculty and students were taking a much-deserved break from the academic year. Moreover, the laziness and investigative sloppiness of those engaged in this smear campaign imbues the posters with a layer of pathetic sensationalism. As stated above, many of the students listed graduated (or transferred) last spring, and one faculty member is no longer employed by the College. A simple Facebook search would have provided that information. This is not the first time campus activists were targeted by entities from outside the college. Last spring, conservative supporters of Israel created Canary Mission, a database of college-age SJP and JVP members across the country, as well as their faculty supporters. Many of the entries included personal information, amalgamations of social media posts and photos. In addition, various tidbits of an activists’ out-of-context quotes, often historically inaccurate information to “contradict” activist claims and the actions of the organizations with which they are affiliated accompany each entry. Each individual was sorted by institution, creating complex networks of stigmatization. The effect of this website is to essentially blacklist student activists in order to hinder their prospects for employment or graduate school. Several Vassar students and two faculty members are currently listed on Canary Mission. Those same individuals’ names were on the posters circulated around campus. The flyer campaign, therefore, fits into a larger narrative
of right-wing intimidation against campus critics of Israel. The sensationalized dissemination of personal information serves to mobilize and energize a fringe base of right-wing, pro-Israel advocates for purposes of harassment and intimidation. The website implicitly encourages all kinds of physical and intellectual violence to pressure activists to cease their solidarity work. This is unacceptable. Do Palestinian solidarity movements often cross into antisemitic territory? Absolutely. This deserves to be called out and reckoned with, just like the racism and Islamophobia that often mars pro-Israel and pro-occupation rhetoric. Social justice work is messy and riddled with rhetorical misfires, some grander and more harmful than others. However, to conflate all criticism of Israel or Zionism with antisemitism is intellectually dishonest and often weaponized by staunch pro-Israel advocates as a silencing tactic. It is deeply ironic that David Horowitz founded a national student organization called “Students for Academic Freedom” back in 2003. It is important to note that the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled Horowitz as a purveyor of hate speech. Moreover, to blacklist people you have never met with baseless accusations is violent. To liken a group of 18- to 22-year-old activists to Hamas is not only absurd, but deeply offensive. To illustrate the likeness of a Jewish professor with the hashtag “Jew Hatred” not only evokes antisemitic imagery from Nazi-era propaganda, but also perpetuates the toxic stereotype of Jewish critics of Israel as being “self-hating.” If you don’t like or agree with BDS or SJP or JVP, this isn’t the way. Towards the end of his email, Interim President Chenette further commented, “This was not an exercise of free speech – this was bullying and intimidation in its truest form and it will not be tolerated ... Those in our community who were singled out in these postings deserve our unconditional support.” We, as a campus, need to support and support unconditionally, as Interim President Chenette wrote, those in our community who are being
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
targeted for their beliefs. For one, Vassar faculty members can go to againstcanarymission.org and sign their names to take a stand against Canary Mission and David Horowitz-style intimidation tactics. This type of institutional support can go a long way, especially for students who now have a producible document that functions to delegitimate these public blacklists. For students, reach out to your friends, classmates and acquaintances whose names were listed. See if they’re doing okay. Offer them support. Ideological disagreements aside, no one deserves to be threatened in the way that our student activists have been. Take classes taught by our professors who are singled out by these hateful campaigns. Buy their books and support their scholarship. For administrators, a direct acknowledgment from the President’s Office was a productive first step in protecting the voices of student activists, especially considering the lack of institutional support for those who were threatened and harassed in the wake of last semester’s BDS campaign. Moving forward, ensuring the safety of student and faculty activists from outside threats must become a priority. We cease to be an academic community when those with controversial views are left to fend for themselves against hate-filled intimidation maneuvers. I do not consider myself an authority on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I don’t say this as a cop-out from taking a stance, for I am a work in progress who is still grappling with the nuances and complexities of this issue. However, I do know that controversial activism in all of its manifestations needs to be protected, especially on college campuses. Efforts to malign and silence students have become an ever-present trend in the realm of higher education. We need to actively combat bullying and fear-mongering in all of its ugliness. To those targeted by the posters, I offer my full and unequivocal support and solidarity. As long as I’m editor, your voices will always have a place in the Opinions section of The Miscellany News.
October 27, 2016
OPINIONS
Page 9
Science community must embrace gender equality Steven Park Columnist
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arlier this year, researchers from the University of Washington wanted to see how male and female students view each other in a science classroom setting. Using a total of 1,700 students enrolled in the same undergraduate biology course, the researchers surveyed each individual. One of the questions asked them to name the classmates they considered most knowledgeable in the subject. The result? Even after accounting for differences in GPA and outspokenness, the researchers found that male students are more likely to view other guys as top students even though other female students may have a higher GPA, while female students reported guys and girls almost equally (EurekAlert, “Male biology students consistently underestimate female peers, study finds,” 02.11.2016). As the published study describes it, “[F]or an outspoken female to be nominated by males at the same level as an outspoken male, her performance would need to be over three-quarters of a GPA point higher than the male’s” (PLOS, Males Under-Estimate Academic Performance of Their Female peers in Undergraduate Biology Classrooms, 02.10.2016). Clearly, whether unintentional or not, the belief that men are better and smarter than women in science and technology aggressively persists like cancer, even with the arrival of a new generation. In order to combat this dangerous way of thinking, institutions all across the United States, including the White House, have been encouraging young women more than ever to break free from negative cultural stereotypes and become more active in the STEM world. But despite the fact that women are known to earn more college and graduate degrees than men, the U.S. Census Bureau found in 2011 that women made up only 26 percent of the science workforce (National Geographic, “Why It’s Crucial to Get More Women Into Science,” 11.09.2014). Why aren’t more women participating in STEM? Unfortunately, some people are taking
this as a sign that women simply aren’t as biologically wired for science or math as men.
“Clearly, whether unintentional or not, the belief that men are better and smarter than women in science and technology aggressively persists...” Yes, that’s right. These people exist in 2016, and they say that science is on their side. You may not hear them make these claims publicly (besides that one presidential abomination that I refuse to name), but trust me, they can be found expressing their candid thoughts all over the internet. For the longest time, this mentality has utterly baffled me to no end. Who just writes off half of the entire world population as forever inferior in terms of scientific accomplishment? Essentially, their argument is that, due to inherent biological differences, women lack the drive and capacity to succeed in the “hard” sciences like physics and computer science. If that wasn’t enough, there’s this unpleasant ethos that often accompanies this type of argument wherein anyone who disagrees is someone who values political correctness over cold, hard facts. I don’t know why they believe that science is solely on their side, but I have some bones to pick with this type of nonsense. So, allow me to use some cold, hard facts to argue why this childish ego-boosting is seriously ill-founded. First of all, by the early 20th century, the scientific community had largely accepted that gender plays no role in intelligence. In fact, Lewis Terman, a pioneer in educational psychology who’s best known for his revision of the Stanford-Binet IQ test, stated in 1916 that he found
young girls just as smart and knowledgeable as young boys (Psychology Today, “The Equality of the Sexes I: Fact or Artefact?,” 01.19.2009). The notion that the male mind is smarter than the female mind wasn’t really reintroduced into the scientific community until 2005 when British psychologists Richard Lynn and Paul Irwing argued that men have higher general intelligence than women due to differences in brain physiology and IQ scores (ScienceDirect, “A conversation with Richard Lynn,” 02.02.2011). More specifically, Lynn and Irwing argued their case by stating that males have bigger brains than women and that males have consistently scored higher on IQ tests than women. This widely disputed research is most likely where those men-are-superior-to-women supporters picked up most of their “scientific facts.” However, years of research following this controversy have proven otherwise. For one thing, having a larger brain does not accurately reflect greater intelligence (Smithsonian, “Why Brain Size Doesn’t Correlate With Intelligence,” 12.2013). While differences in brain size do partially explain why men are generally taller than women, these differences do not determine which gender is smarter (Guardian, “Male brain versus female brain: How do they differ?,” 10.06.2013). On the topic of brain physiology, researchers from the University of Iowa actually found that female brains tend to have a slightly higher proportion of gray matter than male brains, a neurological component involved in memory, sensory perception and decision making. In other words, a female brain is no less capable of abstract analysis than a male brain. In terms of IQ scores, I’m even more skeptical. Despite how much they have been used over the past few decades, IQ tests have been criticized for not accurately reflecting the test-taker’s intelligence. In fact, a series of studies have recently casted doubt upon their validity. According to a 2012 study performed by a team of researchers from around the world, the IQ test fails to accurately predict people’s intelligence (Indepen-
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dent, “IQ tests are ‘fundamentally flawed’ and using them alone to measure intelligence is a ‘fallacy,’ study finds,” 12.20.2012). “It has always seemed to be odd that we like to call the human brain the most complex known object in the Universe, yet many of us are still prepared to accept that we can measure brain function by doing a few so-called IQ tests,” commented Dr. Roger Highfield, the director of external affairs at the Science Museum in London. Even if IQ tests are reliable, it wouldn’t matter anyway, because women have already scored higher on IQ tests than men as early as 2012 (Time, “Why Women Finally Have Higher IQs than Men,” 07.16.2012). Furthermore, a study published recently in 2015 discovered that there really is no such thing as a “male” or “female” brain (New Scientist, “Scans prove there’s no such thing as a ‘male’ or ‘female’ brain,” 11.30.2015). A team of scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel conducted the first ever search for sex difference across the entire human brain and found that most people have a mix of both “male” and “female” brain features. Essentially, the idea that human brains can be separated based on gender is largely a myth. So, can we stop saying that men are more biologically hardwired for STEM fields than women, because scientific research itself has shown that isn’t true. However, the most important thing to remember is that, even if gender differences do exist, we should NEVER discourage the pursuit of science in anyone. What can we possibly gain from doing that? In an era in which science and technology are dramatically shaping our society, we need as many people as possible, men and women alike, to become involved in the latest breakthroughs and discoveries. Shouldn’t the universal goal be for everyone to develop a passion or at least an appreciation for science, from biology to engineering? Enough with the embar76985 rassing playground squabbles. Let’s treat each other as equally respectable, bright and capable individuals.
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OPINIONS
Page 10
October 27, 2016
Hillary Clinton deserves disabled community’s support Jesser Horowitz Columnist
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his has been the strangest election cycle in my lifetime, although admittedly that is not particularly long. American optimism, usually critical to electoral success, has been overridden by a creeping pessimism. Eight years ago we united around a candidate who promised hope and change. Today, we stand divided between the mantras of disappointment or bitterness, both equally unfounded. We are convinced that no matter the route we are doomed to the status quo at best and disaster at worst. Autistics and the disabled, feeling lost in the fog, find ourselves forgotten as the public’s attention turns toward the frivolous and away from policy. There has been little to no discussion in the mainstream media regarding how this election will affect disability rights, and many have begun to lose hope. Yet, this lack of media coverage and public interest contradicts the true value this election has for those who identify as autistic or disabled, and its high value in the eyes of certain candidates. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has dedicated much of her life, on a political and personal level, to disability rights. Her policy positions on autism earned praise from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Her continued demonstrated interest in the cause of disability rights deserves to be a beacon of hope for those among us who have lost it. But it is oftentimes not the optimists that make the news. In the few times that disability rights and autism have earned attention, it has been a result of the horrid spectre of ableism rearing its ugly head, rather than because of statements of support. Take, for example, the Republican nominee. Yet, I have minimal interest in feeding the negativity and defeatism that has defined this election cycle. The American people deserve more than a campaign centered around lies, hatred, anger and bigotry. I fear that this debacle will turn my generation off from politics, and am convinced that regardless of the result it will do lasting damage to the American psyche.
Instead I seek to be a bearer of good news for autistic and disabled people across the country who find their voices lost amongst the sound and fury of an election season off the rails, who feel ignored by the major party candidates and by an American public who continue to focus on email scandals while disabled workers earn only 64 cents for every dollar their colleagues make, while the unemployment rate for the disabled is double the national percentage, while employers are still permitted to pay disabled workers below the minimum wage. I believe that Hillary Clinton can be the American president the disabled community of this country has been waiting for: a champion of disability rights that can finally bring our issues to the forefront of American politics where they belong. She, more than any other candidate in the history of America, shows a unique understanding of the struggles that disability poses. My connection with both of the Clintons is longstanding and deeply personal, beginning before I even knew who they were. A little before the age of three, I stopped speaking. The Yale Child Study Center, a place where a young Hillary Clinton worked and cultivated a lifelong interest in children’s rights, saved my life. If it weren’t for the help I received there, as well as the love and support of my family and community, I would likely not have ended up a high school graduate, let alone a college student. Even growing up in Westchester County, which has some of the best public schools in the country, it can oftentimes be humbling to remember how I close I was to a dramatically different, and likely worse, quality of life. I have many friends who attended some of the best and wealthiest public school districts in the country who have found themselves abandoned by administrators who seek to isolate and force them out of the student body rather than give them the help they need and education they deserve. Even at specialized schools, disabled students are often subject to restraint and seclusion. Hillary Clinton is the only presidential candidate to even acknowl-
edge these vital issues. As my voice slowly resurfaced, I relied heavily on my brother to serve as my interpreter. Through the sounds I would make he become a mediator between myself and the world. And yet, there are millions of autistic people across the country who are able to communicate but unable to be heard. This ranges from those who can express but cannot speak to those who can speak but are not understood to those who can be understood but are unable to find someone who will listen. It is as I began to recapture my voice that I first discovered the Clintons, then as a few pages in a children’s book on presidents my grandmother bought me for my birthday. I read that book with my mother almost every night for almost two years, cultivating in me a lifelong obsession with politics and a desire to one day seek public office. I felt a deeply personal connection with the Clintons, a connection even now I have difficulty expressing in words. I admired how, regardless of their struggles, they defied those who wished for their defeat and rose to the highest office in the land. I wanted to be like them and to emulate the compassion they showed for the people they served. Living in their hometown might not have hurt my devotion to them either, and certainly contributed to eventually meeting them in person. I first met Hillary Clinton around the age of five, right as my interest in politics was beginning to blossom. At the time she represented New York in the United States Senate. It was a book signing. I remember striking up a conversation with a member of her staff, relaying useless information about presidents she probably already knew, completely unfazed by the how busy she obviously was. For some reason, she took a liking to me and introduced me to Hillary Clinton. I remember my feeling of pride in being able to meet one of my personal heroes. I imagine that it might be comparable to what Christian children feel when they see Santa Claus. Here is a figure from my book, someone I idolized, there in front of me. This would be far from my last encounter with
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Letter to the Editor In response to Professor Joshua Schreier’s piece, “Israeli LGBTQ rights must not overshadow state violence” (Oct. 12, 2016) Joshua Schreier’s piece is full of flawed and misleading arguments. The “pinkwashing” argument itself—namely that drawing attention to LGBTQ rights in Israel distracts from the Occupation represents the “appeal to hypocrisy” fallacy, otherwise known as “whataboutism”; i.e., Thomas Jefferson had a lot to say about equality and but he owned slaves. Therefore, anything he said about equality must be dismissed. When Schreier describes Brett Stephens as a “conservative” who is “not working with...progressive groups or individuals,” he is making a more straightforward ad hominem argument. That is, one should reject any arguments made by those who are outside the in-group. The chances are that if you are reading this, you count yourself as a member of the progressive in-group. Are you sure? How does Schreier define the progressive in-group here? He adduces one passage from Rifa‘a Rafi‘ al-Tahtawi’s description of Paris from the 1820s as proof for the Third-Worldist idée fixe that all of the ills of the developing world were imposed upon it by colonizing villains. Of course, there are plenty of quotations in Arabic-Islamic literature and legal documents to suggest that homosexuals ought to be dealt with harshly, yet Schreier, who admonishes readers that there is “nothing eternal” when it comes to the analysis of the Middle East, proceeds to designate this single statement by Tahtawi as normative. Therefore, Michael Brenner’s suggestion that Schreier is beholden to “post-colonial political correctness” actually makes a great deal of sense. Is it possible to be a progressive without subscribing to the postcolonial fantasy that all of the horrors of the Middle East today are the fruits of Euro-American colonialism and Zionism? Quite a few liberals, like myself, would answer that question in the affirmative. It is also clear that we, and neither bona fide conserva-
the Clintons, and the staffer I had met then soon became a treasured friend and a very important part of my life. I soon began to be invited to book signings, events in the area and, when she first ran for president in 2008, campaign stops. I remember handing out fliers at my local train station reminding people to vote in the New York primary with my father and brother. This was more than people being nice to me. For one of the first times in my life, I felt like my passions mattered and were something to be taken seriously. I felt like I was really being listened to, like what I had to say and what felt was important. Living in a society that often tells autistic people that our voices don’t matter and aren’t important, this carries considerable weight. Most candidates for public office feel content addressing the major issues and ignoring the people that are impacted by them. They’re great at talking, but they’re terrible at listening. This becomes especially prominent when addressing issues of disability. Donald Trump doesn’t even mention the word disability on his website, yet he feels the need to comment about how vaccines cause autism on national television. Hillary Clinton differentiates herself from almost every other politician through her passion for listening. She has a unique ability to ensure that voices are heard, and she utilizes that ability when crafting policy. Hillary Clinton is the only candidate with an extensive, detailed plan on how promote disability rights. That is because she is the only candidate who truly appreciates the power of listening and learning from people. That quality is essential in performing the responsibilities of public office generally and addressing issues facing the disability community specifically. It is that ability that will make her the best advocate we have ever had in the White House. And so, I urge every person in America on the spectrum, every person in America living with disabilities, to go out and publicly support Hillary Clinton. We deserve to finally have our voices heard and we deserve a president who values our voices.
The English majors committee presents
tives nor marginal right-wing bogeymen, are the people he is trying to persuade. Furthermore, prioritizing the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, along with the problems faced by Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, above the unspeakable suffering visited daily upon families in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, or Libya, represents a morally-impoverished exercise in virtue-signaling. The fact that the Israeli Right makes a similar argument does not make it any less true. In the late 1990s an eminent Israeli Jewish Islamicist taught at Vassar for a year. When asked about the students she encountered there in her courses on Islam and the Middle East, she said: “Never have I heard young people speak so eloquently about matters about which they know so little.” In the American liberal arts college model, courses across the humanities and social sciences (and sometimes further afield) create a certain synergy, reinforcing one another in a unique manner. Perhaps that was part of what made these Vassar students willing to venture confidently into unknown territory. However, when the discussion of the Middle East reverberates only between a historian of French colonialism, critics of white supremacy in the United States, and a handful of others, the synergy that develops may be utterly disconnected from life. Worse still, these useless blinkers are passed like heirlooms to a new generation. This is what has happened at Vassar. If being a progressive (or a scholar of the Middle East for that matter) means applying postcolonial demonology to every imaginable situation, with or without reference to reality, as Joshua Schreier’s ostensible progressivism demands, then I, for one, am quite content to remain outside of this cramped and stifling tent. Mark Wagner Associate Professor of Arabic Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA Vassar Class of 1996
Join us on October 27th at 7 pm in the Jade Parlor for cider, sweets, and spooky readings. Costumes encouraged. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodation or info should call the office of campus activities at 845-437-5270
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
October 27, 2016
OPINIONS
Lockout threatens LIU campus community Gabi Anspach
Guest Columnist
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mployers should not be able to abruptly hang workers’ income and healthcare over their heads as a way to force them into worse working conditions. Unfortunately, this was exactly the case during Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus lockout last month, in what has become a stark example of how racist corporate interests in education threaten educators and students’ economic survival. “What the administration is doing, and has done from the first day of the current president’s administration, is gutting the university, and creating the archetype of the corporatization of the university,” Arthur Kimmel told the Atlantic last month. Kimmel is an adjunct professor who, along with 400 unionized faculty at the Brooklyn campus, lost his salary, healthcare, access to campus email and permission to enter campus facilities for 12 days starting on August 31, a week before the school year was set to start. (The Atlantic, “An Unprecedented Faculty Lockout,” 09.07.2016, The Nation, “Classes Start at LIU Brooklyn on September 7—But Faculty Are Locked Out,” 09.04.2016). In a lockout, employers force workers out of their jobs and often hire temporary replacements in order to gain contract leverage. The dispute between the LIU professors’ union and the school administration centered on the faculty’s demand for pay equal to that of their colleagues at LIU Post, LIU’s second, whiter campus located on a Long Island estate. Eight out of ten students at LIU Brooklyn identify as nonwhite. Many have working-class or immigrant backgrounds, and work full-time. In contrast, LIU Post is home to a majority white and relatively higher-income student body (The Nation, “Classes Start at LIU Brooklyn on September 7—But Faculty Are Locked Out,” 09.04.2016). While students at both campuses pay the same tuition, the starting salary at LIU Brooklyn is 16,000 dollars less than at LIU
Post (DNA Info, “Professors Locked Out of LIU Brooklyn Amid Contract Fight for More Pay,” 09.06.2016). Given that students pay equally, there is no reason that professor salaries should differ. The administration is relying on racism to save them money on faculty salaries. Unfortunately, in the past few decades, the National Labor Relations Board has loosened many restrictions on lockouts, making them an increasingly common tactic in labor disputes (The Century Foundation, “Is It Time for the Courts to End Labor Lockouts?” 06.30.2016). A lockout can be thought of as the opposite to a strike—instead of employees refusing to work, employers refuse to let them work, in both cases to push contract demands. But a lockout is vastly more threatening to workers than a strike is to employers. Employees often do not have the same financial assets to fall back on as those at the top of companies or administrations, and companies often impose lockouts at times difficult for workers to find new jobs. Between 2010 and 2014, the average lockout lasted 147 days, while the average strike lasted only 35 (The Century Foundation, “Is It Time for the Courts to End Labor Lockouts?” 06.30.2016). The university administration justified their extreme move as a preemptive measure against the “historical likelihood of a strike” by the faculty union (The Nation, “Classes Start at LIU Brooklyn on September 7—But Faculty Are Locked Out,” 09.04.2016). Their treatment of faculty falls in line with their dealings with other workers. Four other unions at the college—those of secretaries and clerks, carpenters, engineers and maintenance workers, and janitorial staff—have already been working without contracts since 2012 (The Nation, “Classes Start at LIU Brooklyn on September 7—But Faculty Are Locked Out,” 09.04.2016). Another point of dispute in the contract negotiations was the administration’s wish to lower adjunct professors’ salaries as part of their “commitment to affordability” (The Atlantic, “An
Unprecedented Faculty Lockout,” 09.07.2016). However, this excuse rang hollow after the many walkouts students performed in support of their professors during the lockout. “I selected certain professors because they’re very passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects,” one student criticized. “I expect to be taught by the guy I signed up for and not some guy who just popped up two weeks ago” (The Nation, “Classes Start at LIU Brooklyn on September 7—But Faculty Are Locked Out,” 09.04.2016). “So, I was supposed to have a sociology class this morning. Nobody showed up,” Virginia Rodriguez, another student, complained. “Every time I go into a class, they greet you for five to ten minutes, and they leave. I have no syllabus. They posted a fake syllabus on our Blackboard (similar to Moodle) system that’s from last summer. So, I mean, this is just really disappointing, because I pay a lot of money to come to this school. I have two children to support. I cannot afford to take off a whole other semester and keep continuing to put my life on hold” (Democracy Now!, “’Everything Was Cut Immediately:’ LIU Faculty and Students Protest Lockout and Class Cancellations,” 09.13.2016) That the administration so crassly threatened and continues to threaten the education and livelihood of its faculty, staff and students shows how corporate interests in education prioritize profit over all human concerns, such as people’s need for a secure job and living wage. “This is terrifying,” Associate Professor and Coordinator of Library Instruction at LIU Brooklyn Emily Drabinski wrote at the time of the lockout. “We talk a lot about privilege in my circles, and the way that privilege insulates people like me from encounters with raw, brutal power, how terrifying and total it is, how people in power can make the difference between living and dying in instants ... It’s a different thing to know in your body what that means. I am learning a lot this weekend” (Inside Higher Ed, “Labor Day Lockout,” 09.06.2016).
Depictions of war require more nuance Sylvan Calko Perlmutter Guest Columnist
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ast week, when the long-planned assault on the ISIS stronghold of Mosul was finally launched, anybody with a smartphone could have followed the ensuing events on Snapchat’s “Attack on ISIS” live feed or on Facebook, YouTube or Periscope’s livestream of the battle. I had originally made my Facebook account in seventh grade with the purpose of keeping up with my summer camp friends, and now in my sophomore year of college, I was using the same platform to watch a Kurdish Peshmerga soldier partake in the recapture of a city of over a million terrorized Iraqis. Social media has grown just as we have. However, while this is an important development in the way we consume images of war, it remains to be seen whether this will further democratize the process by which we construct the narratives that accompany armed conflict. The United States government was able to maintain an effective regime of censorship over war-related media during WWII and the Korean War. This was consented to by a press that justly recognized the necessity of controlling the flow of information in the war effort against the Nazis, Imperial Japan and later North Korea. During the latter conflict, this consent was more often driven by a fear of retribution from McCarthy and his inflamed followers than by a respect for state interests. But by the height of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the government could no longer rely on ideological conformity to bolster censorship efforts and the now ubiquitous TV set brought fresh images of conflict into the American home day after day for hours on end. Vietnam was dubbed the first “television war,” and editorial guidelines were driven by an all-consuming quest for ratings. Rarely was there ever any serious commentary. What brought in the money were action shots of burning villages, descending helicopters and firing soldiers. The government did not need to censor efforts to portray the Viet Cong in a more nuanced perspective because the logic of ratings and profit-seeking censored it for
them. The images tailored by television production companies aligned with the interests and desires of its consumers. It was only when anti-war sentiment had won over the U.S. population that the media, most famously exemplified by Walter Cronkite, adjusted its commentary accordingly. Nevertheless, despite the increased independence of broadcast media, it ultimately had to turn to the U.S. government to contextualize the footage filmed for TV. CBS or NBC had countless images of firefights and skirmishes but could not place them in an overall narrative without the intelligence supplied by the U.S. military and the State Department. Therefore, the narrative produced remained on the whole uncritical of the war effort. This brings to mind Susan Sontag’s statement, later contested by Butler, that “the image can only affect us, not provide us with an understanding of what we see.” The independence of the press by the end of the Vietnam War was only halfway realized; it could capture the images it desired but remained at a massive disadvantage against institutionalized interests in providing the frame of understanding. The Iraq War gave reason to hope for a more autonomous press in the field of combat. The increased use of embedded reporting, the entry of English-language non-American outlets like Al-Jazeera and most importantly the internet made it far easier to present dissenting perspectives to a large audience. Those critical of the war, in part or in whole, could construct an alternative discourse on the war by making the images of torture in Abu Ghraib or of murder in the Haditha Massacre central to their framing as opposed to incidental. Not everything in the U.S. government’s narrative was false, Saddam was still a murderous tyrant even though he had no WMDs, but it did unjustly demand that authentic “patriots” swallow it wholesale. Even if the diffusion of image production and the resultant democratization of the Iraq War narrative did not lead to any substantive change in policy towards Iraq, at the very least it fueled a strain of speculation about the validity of inter-
ventionism and the stability of an American-led world order that would have been unthinkable in the heady days of the 1990s. And it was in that critical spirit that I greeted the news that the Battle for Mosul would be livestreamed–only to be rather disappointed. Every segment picked by the Snapchat team contributed to a very intentional narrative of invincibility. Waving villagers, smiling soldiers and ISIS positions going up in smoke all contributed to a single movie-like portrayal of the battle. I could only imagine the Snapchat curating team at their desks, busily figuring out how to sanitize the realities of war for popular consumption. I will gladly admit that in this battle there are no shades of gray; ISIS is a threat to everything we stand for and therefore should be driven from the face of the earth, but the act of glorifying the war effort against them instead of simply acknowledging it as a grim necessity is unsettling. Ideally, social media would have been used to critically engage with the conflict in such a way that the heroism of those fighting against ISIS mingled with an acknowledgment of the horrors of battle itself, an approach that could foster an inclination towards pacifism. However, this was not the case. Perhaps this whitewashing of Mosul occurred because the companies engaged in sharing the battle had to protect their financial interests. Snapchat’s revenue would take a hit if it traumatized a bunch of teenagers with extended footage of those lying in a field hospital. There is a certain degree of disingenuous dehumanization in these types of betrayal. The best solution to the problem of portraying war honestly and non-hegemonically is the further democratization and diffusion in producing and sourcing images. When horizontal networks, such as those built around certain hashtags, come to the fore as the principle circulators of imagery rather than a few curators then perhaps we will understand wars as they are as opposed to how we are told to understand them. We need only to not flinch at what we witness.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
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Word on the street What’s your weirdest childhood Halloween costume? “I was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, which isn’t weird except it came with a hot air balloon.” — Olivia Price ’17
“I was the Empire State Building, complete with UNICEF box and glowstick.” — Sarah Mamlet ’20
“In second grade I was an upside down Jack-oLantern.” — Isabel Morrison ’19
“My brother was a Super Carrot for Halloween.” — Hollace Francy ’15
“My sister was a piggy bank, I was a BBQ.” — Mia Geiduschek ’20
“I was a bad school picture in eighth grade, definitely my peak.” — Mackenzie Nielsen ’20
Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor
HUMOR & SATIRE
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October 27, 2016
Breaking News From the desk of Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor Now that it’s too late to buy costumes on Amazon for Halloween, students “decide” to be artsy with DIY outfits Immature child terrible at Don’t believe the hype: real Mario Kart, blames system life scarier than Halloween Chris Allen
Onion Staff Writer
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n an early November afternoon in a suburban living room of Somerset, NJ, a bitter discourse raged between two middle schoolers. “It’s not fair!” screamed one of them, as he hurled his Wii controller at the wall. The winding turns, high speeds and randomly placed banana peels of “Mario Kart” had gotten the best of Daniel Trent. He had been struck by one too many projectile turtle shells. Though there were still two laps remaining, he was already expressing extreme frustration at his impending defeat. “I haven’t lost yet, but if and when I do, it will be only because the game is rigged! You’re cheating!” His chief opponent, sevenyear-old Harriet Carson, let out a chuckle and took a casual slurp of her Capri Sun before retorting, “Don’t be a sore loser! I’m beating you because you don’t have what it takes. Face it, you do not have the proper temperament for the challenges of Rainbow Road.” Without a doubt, Harriet knew exactly how to play the game. She had prepared for this race her whole life. In her formative Karting years, she mastered the GameCube version of the game. She had the layout of each track memorized before she could spell her own name. But this was 2016, an entirely new era with changing strategies and a more hostile atmosphere. She was surprised to be facing a player as unorthodox and unpredictable as “The Daniel,” but she enjoyed the thrill of the race nonetheless. Harriet knew all the rules of the road. She began her race against Daniel with a very calculated and strategic trick, the beginning-of-race speed boost that only pro Mario Karters know. Daniel, on the other hand, started the race with the strategy of declaring that all Mexicans were bad people. “Daniel, there is nothing ‘rigged’ about ‘Mario Kart,’” said Harriet. “You’re not losing because I systematically altered the game, you’re losing because you drove off the track five times.” Mr. Trent, who was now checking the batteries in his controller, was clearly not in agreement with her, but she continued. “‘Mario Kart’ is a pure
and democratic system that has been going on for centuries. The fact that you may not accept the results at the finish line is actually pretty terrifying, because it threatens a long-standing ‘Mario Kart’ tradition known as the peaceful transfer of power.” “Wrong,” interjected Daniel. Harriet continued, “You see, it all started back in 1800, when, in a very close match of ‘Mario Kart 64,’ Thomas Jefferson slayed John Adams with a perfectly timed green shell on the very last lap of Bowser’s Castle. Adams recognized the skill of his competitor, and conceded that old Tommy J. had won fair and square.” Unfortunately for Harriet, the end of the race would nfot be the end of Daniel’s grievances. She would hear about her alleged cheating for the rest of her days. All of Daniel’s friends in school hated her even more than homework. They were always trying to get her sent to the principal’s office, following her through the halls with chants of “Lock her up! Lock her up!” They blamed all of their inconveniences in school, from difficult quizzes to bad lunches in the cafeteria, on Harriet and her friends. For her, holding the title of Somerset Middle School Mario Kart Champion would be more uncompromising and brutally difficult than Rainbow Road itself, but she was crazy enough to want to do it. She had come too far to let an outsider defeat her at the last second with the lucky throw of a blue shell. Toward the end of the last lap, we reached out to Harriet and Daniel for final comments on the race. Harriet talked at length about how much prior experience she had in “Mario Kart.” Daniel went off on an incoherent tangent about ISIS before promising to “make ‘Mario Kart’ great again.” At this point, it is not completely certain who will win the race. Because of the crazy, anything-can-happen nature of “Mario Kart,” it could be a photo finish, or there may be a landslide victory. But whoever wins, there is sure to be one very upset racer and many angry friends. One can only hope that the students of Somerset Middle School will be able to find common ground when the dust settles and the banana peels are cleaned up.
Amanda Su Terrified
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is that time of year when people are either beginning to scour the Salvation Army, their wardrobe or local dumpsters for last-minute costume ideas. Some particularly prudent folks have already dropped 100 dollars on an intricately designed costume that they have been planning since January. Moreover, fear is a large component of life, but it is especially emphasized during Halloween. Rockefeller Hall is transformed into a haunted house that will make you scream in terror. People’s horrifically executed Halloween costumes will cause shivers down your spine. Strangely enough though, people’s idea of fear tends to revolve around very similar and supernatural entities. Ghosts, monsters, clowns, demons, vampires and that girl from “The Ring” that crawls out of your television are all commonly and collectively terrifying creatures that will keep you up at night. However, realistically speaking, there are far scarier things out there in the world—things that have a real and terrifying impact on our lives. I’m talking about the things that are not confined to the set of a horror movie or to the supernatural world, but those that exist within and around us. Why do we choose to dress up as conventional supernatural creatures when we can easily induce the same level of fear by pasting multiple tax return forms on our bodies (just the sight of one of those forms is enough to send a chill down my spine and a severe migraine to my perpetually confused head)? Instead of jumping out of closets holding a bloodied chainsaw and wearing an elaborately terrifying costume, we should just dress ourselves in professional clothing and remind students that they have a 20-page essay due the Monday after Halloweekend—that is some scary shit right there. Why spend exuberant amounts of money creating the perfect ambiance for a haunted house, when we can evoke the same (if not
more) fear by bringing students to the dentist’s office? Or we could easily recreate the atmosphere of a gym and have participants attempt to lift weights next to a jacked-out gym bro. The possibilities are endless! Horror movies such as “The Ring” and the “Paranormal Activities” series are indeed very scary, but do you know what is even more spine-chilling? The day-to-day humdrum routine of classwork, readings and Moodle assignments that a typical college student undergoes. Need more inspiration? Here are some realistically terrifying things that Halloween should revolve around: undercooked Deece meat, 39 unseen messages from Mom, 8:30 a.m. classes, professors that call out sleeping students (you know who you are), this year’s syllabus, the void, walking into a class full of people you hate and raw kale. The world is a terrifying place. Perhaps 100 years ago, entities such as ghosts, vampires and zombies were necessary to frighten people because the scariest part of real life was having to go to the bathroom outside. And sure, back in the day there were plagues and the threat of your city being sacked at any moment. But to be honest, I think I could have dealt with that. Yet if I forget to bring a charger with me on a 15-hour flight that’ll really getting me screaming in terror. So instead of turning to supernatural entities to evoke terror, let’s just observe how frightening our own lives are! Because if you’re not scared of real life you’re either wildly too confident or you’re doing life wrong. (Or maybe you’re doing life right?) Halloween is a wonderful time to indulge in fears that can’t really do anything to us. But it’s time to change that. It’s time to make Halloween scary again. (Because let’s be real, this will be as productive as “Make America Great Again.”) I’m tired of seeing zombies and sexy clowns; I want to see sexy FAFSA forms and professors holding my midterms to return to me. I want to see people dressed as kale and undercooked meat. That’s the kind of scary stuff that keeps me up at night!
Rad Brad’s Career Corner: Presidential Resume Edition Leela Stalzer and Gabi Anspach, “Brad”
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n this edition, we take on cover letters and resumes. Leveraging the experience and words of our amazingly qualified Republican and Democratic candidates in their bids for the presidency, we demonstrate how each format highlights your unique accomplishments. Donald “Actually Quite Great” Trump Fellow Americans, I humbly and gratefully accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States. Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich. I have a great company. I have a tremendous income. I say that not in a braggadocios way. Some of the greatest assets anywhere in the world. It’s an unbelievable company. I pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. But as soon as my routine audit is finished, I’ll release my returns. They’re actually quite great. I’ll go one step further. In Palm Beach, Florida, tough community, a brilliant community, a wealthy community, probably the wealthiest community there is, I opened a club, and really got great credit for it. No discrimination against African Americans, against Muslims, against anybody.
I am the law-and-order candidate. I will do more for African Americans and Latinos than she can ever do in 10 lifetimes. Stop and frisk worked very well in New York. Our great African-American President hasn’t exactly had a positive impact on the thugs who are happily destroying Baltimore! Our inner cities are a disaster. You get shot walking to the store. We have gangs roaming the street. They’re illegal immigrants. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. I love Hispanics! We are the greatest country the world has ever known. In the 1940s, we saved the world. Then we saved the world again from totalitarian Communism. Now we can talk about Putin. I don’t know Putin. This is not my best friend. I know nothing about the inner workings of Russia. I have no loans from Russia. No one has more respect for women than I do. I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, you can do anything. Grab ’em by the p****. As your president, I will be your greatest
champion. I will fight to ensure that every American is treated equally, protected equally and honored equally. And seek a new future built on our common culture and values as one American people. But we have some bad hombres here and we’re going to get them out. Beginning on Jan. 20, 2017, safety will be restored. Your champion, Donald Trump Hillary “Great Cuz We’re Good” Clinton Lifetime Member of the American Middle Class, 1947-present - Fathered by small-businessman, who worked really hard - Connects with everyday Americans through shared struggles, like choosing which $12,000 Armani jacket to wear during speeches on income inequality - Worths $31.3 million according to moneynation.com Experienced Imperialist, 1993-present - Heads foundation that receives millions from tyrannical governments - Supports Israeli occupation of Palestine
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
- Was willing to nuke Iran in 2008 (and spearheaded Iran Nuclear Deal so they couldn’t retaliate) Part-Time Racist, 2015-present - Enthusiastically says “Black Lives Matter” and uses the word “racism” - Has seven things in common with your abuela, including worrying about children everywhere Full-Time Racist, 1947-2015 - Not bothered by hundreds of thousands of civilians killed or children orphaned in “War on Terror” - Supported mass incarceration of Black and Latinx people - Dismantled welfare with husband in ’90s Last Thing Standing Between You and the Apocalypse, July 2016-present - Strongly endorsed non-binding Paris Climate agreement that does not prevent dangerous increases in global warming - Probably won’t use nuclear weapons - Appears to be better option than malevolent cheeto - Will try to maintain status quo through 2024
HUMOR & SATIRE
October 27, 2016
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Scientists, being cool for once, discourage homework Steven Park
Definitely Procrastinating
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“It Sure is Halloween” ACROSS
1 A place to cease online 6 Tiny, common bugs 10 The scariest thing to be 14 When you know what’s going on, generally 15 Tortise’s race pal 16 Round of bets 17 Fast car driver 18 “I’m __ __!” − accepting responsibility (2 words) 19 First name of famous Antony 20 30 Rock’s Werewolf Bar mitzvah 23 A school for chefs (abbr.) 24 Bigfoot costume option 25 Related to the main artery 27 Both a continent & an 80s band 31 What seven did to nine? 32 Expected 33 Jelly bracelets, Nike sandals, the Atkins diet 34 To give someone cheek 36 Default example of an acronym 40 Mexican walking fish 42 A solid C 44 Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s big hit 45 Small ornamental case 47 Yet another garden ruined by snakes 48 “Comedy Night Done Right” network
Answers to last week’s puzzle Those Lacking Faces
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and we chose to ignore them. We owe our children an apology,” said Dr. Henry Crawford from the World Health Organization. Crawford’s own two daughters are currently ill from a serious respiratory infection caused by their calculus homework. But many parents are wondering how this pathogenic substance works. In a recent interview, Eric Lander, the director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard provided an explanation after his team of scientists studied the matter further. “Homework contains microscopic homework agents that are highly contagious. Once an agent enters the body of a student, it wreaks havoc on their brain and immune system as it multiplies. But unlike most viruses, homework agents lay dormant in the body even after most of the symptoms have passed. They stay hidden until something triggers them to come out again. In that sense, homework is a lot like genital herpes,” he said.
But what causes those homework agents to reemerge? Scientists suspect that the answer might be teaching certifications. “The perfect opportunity for a homework agent to spread is when it’s traveling from a teacher to a student. Once inside a classroom, the host is suddenly overcome with an urge to give out an impractical amount of homework,” said Lander. Further investigations have shown that almost all teachers do indeed have an urge to give out a lot of homework. “It’s not the low pay or lack of benefits or even the stressful work environment that’s making our teachers sick and miserable all the time—it’s the pathogenic homework agent wreaking havoc in their body that’s harming their well-being,” stated Pennsburgh. But now that the problem has been revealed, what can we do about it? There have been rumors that there exists a rare handful of bizarre students who actually enjoy doing homework and rarely get sick during the workload-heavy school year. Researchers are currently investigating for leads, but none have been found so far. But until a solution can be found, a state of emergency has been issued and the scientific community has released a list of precautions for everyone to follow. “Homework is not to be assigned unless absolutely necessary. We must limit this contagion as best as we can. Furthermore, all teachers are obligated to head to the nearest healthcare facility to be examined,” said Lander in a public announcement. “Most importantly, always make sure you wash your hands after doing homework. They’re highly contagious and we recommend at least one minute of hand-washing under hot water.” With all these changes taking place, one can hope that, in the future, schools will find a much healthier and more sanitary way to promote learning and growth in their students.
Sanana Srestha/The Miscellany News
t may be time to burn those textbooks. Students across the world have always complained about how their workload is slowly killing them, but according to the latest findings, they’re not too far from the truth. Recently, scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that homework assignments actually serve as vectors to disease and illness, similar to viruses and other pathogens. During the research study, pathologist and NIH associate director Dr. Roger Pennsburgh, PhD, MD, and his team were tracking seasonal patterns of sickness across the United States when something very peculiar caught their attention. The team noticed a strong positive correlation between the rates of illness among high school and college students and the amount of homework assignments given out during the year. “We thought it was strange. The further the school year progressed and the amount of homework increased, the more we saw students showing symptoms of the common cold, the norovirus and influenza. This couldn’t be just a coincidence,” stated Dr. Pennsburgh in a recent interview. Excited that they had stumbled onto a revolutionary breakthrough, Pennsburgh and his team collected samples from classrooms of various high schools and colleges and examined them using state-of-the-art equipment at the NICHD Microscopy and Imaging Core facility. They were utterly shocked at what they found. “The samples we collected were composed of approximately 93 percent viral genomic material. These homework assignments, these ordinary sheets of paper that have questions written on them, are actually deadly biological vectors of pathological disease, much like a virus,” exclaimed Dr. Carolyn Lowe, a co-author
of the recent study and a member of Pennsburgh’s research team. Upon this realization, the team immediately brought out the hazmat suits to properly protect themselves. “It felt like we were in the pages of The Hot Zone,” commented Pennsburgh. He explained how he had to use tongs to turn the pages of a particularly infectious chemistry assignment that featured multiple homework sheets stapled together. This is shocking news for a nation so obsessed with assigning homework that schools wouldn’t hesitate to bury their students with it every day. Scientists are aghast at how society has been so lax about exposing children and teens to such dangerous levels of homework for such a long time. “It explains everything: the poor health conditions, the endless fatigue, the tendency to make terrible life decisions...all of it makes sense. There were warning signs everywhere
The Miscellany Crossword by Kim Carlson and Mackenzie Little
50 Created by the Refugee Act of 1980 (abbr.) 51 Old timey way to say “do” 52 Keeps the field aligned in generators, motors, and sirens 55 Pass one in class, maybe to your crush? 57 What excited tails do! 58 Remus Lupin, Scott McCall− during their youth 64 Can do 66ACROSS Italian greeting 67 Beat someone out (2 words) 1 1 A place to cease online 68 Metal band known for stop−motion music 6 Tiny, common bugs videos 14 10 The scariest thing to be 69 What having fun isn’t, if you’ve got a 14 When you know what’s library card going on, generally 17 70 From the Latin “I believe” 15 Tortise’s race pal 71 What 58−Across do at the moon 16 Round of bets 20 72 Multiple of the Ulmaceae Ulmus tree 17 Fast car driver 73 Skeletor’s main nemesis
It Sure Is Halloween
37 Lower part of a wall, above the skirting board 38 6, 12, and 17 are young ones 39 Musical that taught us how to measure a year 41 A U−shaped bend in a river or stream 43 Machiavellian blueprint for greatness 46 The arm on a record player 49 British nursery for young children 52 A vast strip 2 3 4 5 6 7
Mackenzie Little and Kim Carlson
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53 A topic not appropriate for the dinner table 54 Glowing 56 A marked division of time 59 Official currency of Iran 60 Cinnamon rolls as of 2014 memes 61 Literally just a thing 62 Old Norse literary works 63 In a short time (& an ominous word to see on its own) 65 L (elongated) 8 9 10 11 12 13
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18 "I’m __ __!" − accepting 24 25 responsibility (2 words) DOWN 19 First name of famous 1 Skeleton’s don’t have these cartilage bits Antony 31 32 27 28 29 30 2 Do this with two faces for some actual scary 20 30 Rock’s Werewolf Bar content mitzvah 33 34 35 3 Sold on Tuesdays in the Retreat 23 A school for chefs 4 Milk’s favorite cookie (abbr.) 5 Cheerful & lively 42 43 40 41 24 Bigfoot costume option 6 Spook story 25 Related to the main 7 Many Stranger Things ladies 45 46 44 artery 8 Sung by one person, typically in an opera 27 Both a continent & an 9 A set of four 80s band 48 49 50 10 Find the Hoover one in Nevada 31 What seven did to nine? 11 To put into place 32 Expected 55 52 53 54 12 33 Central spaces open Jellyliving bracelets, Niketo air & sky 13 Sticker for car, window, or laptop sandals, the Atkins diet 21 34 “Like but a bread−riser” 57 58 59 Tobed−riser, give someone cheek − Mackenzie 36 Default example of an 22 You are (1 word) acronym 66 64 65 26 “Jealousy ____ its ugly head” 40 Mexican walking fish 2742 NotAa−near solid C 69 68 2844 A light blue color Frankie Goeswith to a tiny of grey 29 The American one ended this year Hollywood’s big hit 3045 Tilted, angled 72 71 Small ornamental case 3547 Large, dinosaurs Yetherbivorous another garden ruined by snakes © 2016 (Published via Across Lite) 48 "Comedy Night Done MISCELLANY NEWS 70 From the| VASSAR Latin "I COLLEGE11 To put into place Right" network 12 Central living spaces believe" 50 Created by the Refugee open to air & sky 71 What 58−Across do at Act of 1980 (abbr.) 13 Sticker for car, window, the moon 51 Old timey way to say or laptop 72 Multiple of the
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October 27, 2016
Palmer show captures snapshots of global injustices Sasha Gopalakrishnan Reporter
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She further emphasized, “I think students are the essential audience—the people who are bound for fields in health, governance, economic development, entrepreneurship, the arts and beyond. People who are learning about ways they might impact the world. The exhibition has been physically displayed or projected on big screens [across America] and now Vassar, which is treating this show in a most remarkable way. I hope to spur lively conversation about the challenges and perhaps even commitment to be part of the solutions.” Monica Church, Associate Director of the Palmer Gallery and the installer of this exhibit, mentioned in an interview, “The Palmer Gallery is thrilled that the timing worked out and that the show was available to travel to Vassar. During the fall semester, exhibits range from faculty-based
Courtesy of Amy Kaslow
n Monday, Oct. 24, the Palmer Gallery in the College Center began its exhibition of “Victims, Perpetrators, Eyewitnesses and Survivors: Life After War,” featuring photography by Amy Kaslow ’81. A notable alumna, Kaslow has traveled the world for almost 30 years photographing and documenting the lives of those impacted by war and political upheaval, forced to leave their homes for safety and refuge. This exhibit, which will be displayed through November, is complemented by an Artist’s Reception on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., where Kaslow will be talking about her photography, as well as addressing any questions. Kaslow’s work starkly captures post-conflict zones all over the world, in the form of portraits of victims, perpetrators, eyewitnesses and survivors. These photographs are accompanied by captions that explore the stories of the featured individuals who have been personally impacted by the conflict, conveying from whence they’ve come, what has transpired since the image was taken and what the future might hold, socially and economically, for these people and their part of the globe. In Kaslow’s words, “These are the men, women and children moving on after living through one of an array of conflicts that have roared over the span of our lifetime: the Holocaust, the Gulag, the Cold War, Apartheid, the Khmer Rouge killing fields, eight years of hand-to-hand combat between Iran and Iraq, Argentina’s ‘Dirty War,’ ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, the Rwandan genocide, sub-Saharan Africa’s war on HIV-AIDS, gang control in Central America, the Drug War ‘pacification’ of Brazil’s favelas, endless conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.” She continued, “Fallout and opportunism are defining features of life, post-conflict ... This selection of portraits appreciates the integrity of those whom others sought to degrade and the grace of those who rebuild their lives.” In an interview, Kaslow elucidated what in-
spired her to pursue the theme of war in this series: “I have been covering at-risk communities in the United States and abroad for my entire professional career as a print, broadcast and online journalist. My subjects have moved through unspeakable degradation, and yet they carry the dignity and determination to live their lives as fully as they can.” When asked about the message she hopes to send across to her viewers, Kaslow expounded, “We have much to do in this world to help rebuild people, to help entire nations mired in the vestiges of conflict. Our challenges are constant: the absence of the rule of law...the marginalization of [and violence toward] women; children who become part of the lost generation; the bastardization of aid; endemic corruption that corrodes entire nations...I could go on and on...the list is long.”
Alumna Amy Kaslow ’81, who has been photographing around the world for 30 years, showcases her body of work in a Palmer Gallery exhibit, “Victims, Perpetrators, Eyewitnesses and Survivors.”
interests to alumnae/i works as well as showcasing work from the greater Vassar Community and beyond. Robert Brigham, Professor of History on the Shirley Ecker Boskey Chair, began the discussion with Amy about the possibility of bringing her exhibition, Life After War to Vassar because it ties in nicely with various curricula–she will be meeting with Brigham’s Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy course and his International Human Rights class.” Church also added, “Amy Kaslow is a photojournalist who is both a good photographer and an excellent storyteller. I am moved by her ability to navigate the spaces in which she works. While observing and listening to people in truly difficult and horrible situations she is able to find and make human connections that she then shares with her viewers.” Teresa Quinn, Assistant Dean of the College for Campus Activities, talked about her feelings towards Kaslow’s work as well: “This show, ‘Victims, Perpetrators, Witnesses and Survivors’ is important and timely, as the photographs and narrative in this exhibition shares the plight of refugees, displaced by war and in some cases facing slim chances for survival. Amy is extraordinary in her ability to portray the resilience of these individuals, who have been through horrific situations and live in dire conditions, yet they continue to persevere.” The beauty and relevance of this show is boundless, and Kaslow will expound on her work at the Artist’s Reception on Oct. 27. In relation to what she may address at the reception, Kaslow divulged, “Folks often ask how I can do this work. Isn’t it depressing, they ask? Quite the contrary. It is sobering, of course. But above all, it is inspiring. I am fortunate to capture people who are moving forward, despite the horrors they have experienced in the past and the obstacles that lay ahead. They are the very best of the human spirit.” So do take a few moments out of your day to stop by the Palmer Gallery and become immersed in the lives and stories of the individuals that Kaslow has so skillfully expressed.
Acclaimed ensemble to give noteworthy performance Sam O’Keefe
Guest Reporter
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o you love choruses and singing? Would you like to see one of the most prestigious singing groups in the country? If so, then there is good news for you! On Saturday, Oct. 29, a popular and unique group of talented singers will be performing on campus. This group is known as the Antioch Chamber Ensemble, which consists of 12 astute singers from the New York metropolitan area who perform an eclectic mix of musical pieces. Vassar is just one chosen venue of Antioch’s, out of many other notable performance locations. Based in New York City (NYC), the singers have performed at places such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Medium and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) and the Festival des Choeurs Lauréats in France. The group’s unquestionable skill and talent have garnered both national and international acclaim, as they have performed at various locations in the Northeast of the U.S. and in Europe including France and Spain. At the Tolosa Festival in Spain, 2008, they won first place in both the sacred and secular music categories, competing with choirs from all over the world, just one out of many accolades the choir has earned. Aside from the group’s more contemporary activities, one may ask how this musical force materialized in the first place, to evolve into such a powerful and refined collection of singers. A lot can be said about the group from its main artistic director Joshua Copeland, who has been with Antioch from its birth. In 1997, Copeland was one of the four co-founders who began Antioch as a quartet. The name “Antioch” was chosen as it is the tune name to the recognizable song “Joy to the World,” a message that founding soprano Kristin Sands, wife of Antioch’s Executive Director Stephen Sands, believes the singers strive to give their audiences. The four students, who attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, were the paid professional quartet at St. Bernard’s Episcopal Church in Bernardsville, NJ, a town about an hour from their now alma mater. Copeland amusingly recalled the commutes from
their home in Princeton to the church—during the car rides, the young singers would rehearse their songs to pass the time. Copeland explained how from that small, fledgling quartet, emerged an octet for about two years, and finally a collection of 12 polished singers, consisting of six male and six female members. Almost all of the eight unoriginal singers were recruited through recommendations and connections, illustrating the group’s selectivity and prestige. Indeed, the group has come a long way over the years, acquiring more singers, pieces and ideas, and has been referred to as one of the most exceptional choral ensembles in the country. Copeland remembers how the group formed and grew into what it is today. Reflecting on himself and the three other founding singers, he wrote, “We really had no idea where our singing would take us, but knew that we loved singing together and the joy we brought to others.” This echoes the meaning behind the group’s name. The actual formation and development of Antioch allowed the college students’ dreams of making choral singing their career become a reality. Copeland commented, “To still be doing this successfully twenty years later feels like an immense blessing.” Yet the choir’s irrefutable success has arisen from both Copeland’s and the group’s devotion to their music and work, which has only solidified over their nearly two decades of existence. Antioch upholds a thorough and rigorous rehearsal schedule in order to prepare for their performances. For a typical show with previously studied or familiar pieces, the group will rehearse on average for about five to six hours. New music that steps outside the singers’ repertoires will require either more intensive or lax rehearsal schedules, depending on the pieces’ length and complexity. Sands detailed the preparation sequence, which includes multiple three-hour practices and a dress rehearsal. She shared, “It’s as exciting to work together before the performance as it is to perform...the rehearsals are where the magic begins.” The veteran Antioch elaborated on the developed cognizance of each of the singers, who almost instinctually can anticipate the dynamics of a song and the coordination of breathing, skills that have become visceral over 19 years of dedica-
tion to the art. The singers present as a chamber choir, which is relatively small compared to other singing groups. This small size surprisingly renders it more powerful, as it endows the singers a greater degree of adaptability. They exhibit an enduring skill of being able to accommodate multiple different types of music. Copeland noted, “Our specialty has always been to present a diverse musical program to engage the listening audience.” Despite its foundation in religious music and hymnals, Antioch is unique in that it prioritizes tackling a diverse collection of music crossing multiple genres. In addition to the artists’ commitment to diversity, one of the main reasons for such a refined flexibility is the entry of the group into the world of recording. In fact, Antioch singers have been the targets of multiple composers from around the world who covet the group’s irreplaceable sound. Matthew Brown is a rising composer based in Los Angeles, whose choral works will be the first to be recorded and produced by Antioch. The young composer affirmed, “Having a choir that can adapt to different styles of music is very important because not every tone works with every kind of music.” This is a skill that Copeland and the other 11 singers have jointly honed over the years. While sought after by multiple composers, Antioch itself makes an effort to reach out to a wider audience, partially by using their YouTube channel. “I have received a lot of submissions from all around the world thanks to our presence on YouTube,” Copeland explained. Antioch also has utilized Facebook and Twitter to help propagate itself through the world of social media. It is through their online presence that the choir hopes to garner more supporters, awareness and success. Sands shed light on some of the logistical challenges that face the choir, one of them being sufficient funding, since they are not associated with a subsidizing institution. She wrote, “We rely on donations, grants, concert fees, and recording sales...developing a strong base of support is ongoing work.” This work is assisted by publicity efforts via technology and other various projects that are currently being planned. The performance at Vassar could be viewed as
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
one of those efforts, a pro for both the school and the choir. Both Sands and Copeland expressed their excitement for the performance, which will showcase a unique sequence of pieces. Copeland himself will be both a singer and director this Halloween weekend, alluding to his earlier days when he’d fulfill those two roles for every show. The concert will feature Jonathan Dove’s 2000 composition “The Passing of a Year,” which consists of a double choir song cycle with piano accompaniment provided by Christine Chang. The group will also be performing novel works by composers Brown, Ivo Antognini and Zachary Wadsworth. The program will include more traditional pieces to balance out the newer compositions, such as the “Trois Chansons Bretonnes” by Henk Badings. This piece is what Copeland describes as one of his favorite pieces that combines piano and voice. His enthusiasm certainly never wanes, and nor does that of Sands and the remaining 10 choir members, who have been able to pursue their passions for singing and music in such a rewarding and significant way. Indeed, for some members, Antioch means everything. Sands specified, unequivocally, “[Antioch] provides the greatest, deepest outlet to pour my soul into making music and communicating with people I cherish.” For her, the choir holds such a profound place in her heart because of its ability to satiate her passion and grace her with invaluable social experiences. She suggested that this combination could not have been replicated elsewhere. Sands also demonstrated the enlightened view she has cultivated throughout her years singing with Antioch, sharing an important lesson. “I want to encourage all of the musicians, actors, dancers, writers, and artists to stay bold and focused with your passion ... 20 years from now, will you still be true to your passion?” Sands’s statement and question begs Vassar students to never suppress or abandon their passion, a belief that the world needs people who have come alive through enacting their talents and creativity. Antioch stands as a prime example of the effects of such personal fulfillment. The performance will take place in Skinner Hall at 8 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 29. It is free and open to all members of the Vassar community.
October 27, 2016
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“Machinal” emphasizes production elements over plot MACHINAL continued from page 1
Sarnow recalled, “I was taken by the themes of isolation, disorientation and estrangement from society and expected familial bonds. In taking on this play, I understand that I had a responsibility in portraying these themes as didactic and palpable. These themes are important. The space to perform these themes is important and it must be done carefully, yet powerfully.” By dedicating themselves to this project, the entire cast committed to taking on the responsibility of presenting some very heavy themes to a live audience of people who are bound to come with their own sets of related experiences. Making choices under this kind of pressure is not the easiest thing to do either. Sarnow is one of five senior project members within the cast, and he explained, “Unlike other department shows I was in, there are different stakes. ‘Machinal’ is a direct channel for the culmination of my artistic voice as a drama major, so there was more compulsion and thought in my decision making.” Reflecting on the heavy themes, Rood explained, “I think I can speak for everyone in the cast when I say that dealing with some of the subject matter (sexism, misogyny, abuse, institutionalized religion, the justice system, the death penalty, etc.) was challenging at times. Those were probably the most difficult days of rehearsal, but I am eternally grateful for the safe space that was created, and I hope we can translate that vulnerability to our audiences as a diving-off point for analysis of the play.” Indeed, the dynamic of the group working on “Machinal” has served the production of the show well. As heavy and taxing as some of the days were, no one interviewed could recall a lowlight from the rehearsal process. Rood explained, “We all brought our own lens and experiences to the table as we teased out the most difficult scenes in the show. What we aim for in our performances is to present truth: to speak to the life of the Young Woman, as to any woman, to speak the truth about our society, religion, technology and relationships.”
Courtesy of Kevin Johnson
ten is absolutely stunning and most of her original words appear onstage, words are not paramount in this production, but are simply one tool among many (images, sounds, movements) that we use to evoke this story.” Connecting to “Machinal” throughout the creative process was not the easiest task. Lily Berman ’19, who will be playing Young Woman, arguably the only real character amongst caricatures of the mechanized world around her, described the challenge of making that connection, commenting, “Since the play is often abstract and the dialogue is so unnatural, it can be difficult to understand the play by just thinking, and hard to delve into the characters intellectually and psychologically. So a lot of the most challenging parts were figuring out how to build characters and the world of the play physically. We did a lot of improvisation, which got very wacky and weird and taught me a lot.” Berman continued, “A personal challenge that I faced was tapping into the religious themes in the play. I’m Jewish, so it has been challenging, but also really interesting and rewarding, to try to portray religious experience and reckoning with God onstage in the language of a religion I don’t know much about.” Senior project member Jessica Rood ’17 affirmed, “The most difficult part for me was definitely choosing to act instead of stage manage for my senior project! I’ve been stage managing for the Drama Department for the past few years, so...[this] has been a challenging but also incredibly rewarding experience. Especially at the beginning of the creative process, I had a hard time getting out of my head and into my body.” The challenges of putting on this play did not end at the intrapersonal understandings required of individual cast members, but extended out to each creative decision the group made for the whole of the show. Senior project member Lukas Sarnow ’17 was first introduced to “Machinal” in a Sources of World Drama class in his sophomore year, and he has loved the show ever since.
Zerphy’s direction tackles difficult subjects and complex themes, such as sexism, the death penalty and religion, through thoughtful stage direction and innovative design elements.
Met shines with exhibition of French Baroque master Kirk Patrick Testa Columnist
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his past October Break, I visited the Met on Fifth Ave. Every trip I make to the iconic museum is always full of new discoveries. My most recent visit, for example, surprised me with an artist that I’ve had no prior knowledge of. The artist is Valentin de Boulogne (15911632). The exhibit of his work, in the Met’s Gallery 999, is eponymously titled, “Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio.” The exhibition overview informs viewers that Valentin had a short-lived career (he died at age 41). Thus, his paintings are very rare. In fact, the overview states, “Around 60 paintings by Valentin survive, and this exhibition brings together 45 of them, with works coming from Rome, Vienna, Munich, Madrid, London, and Paris. Exceptionally, the Musée du Louvre, which possesses the most important and extensive body of Valentin’s works, is lending all of its
paintings by the artist.” I’ll say it now and say it later: Go see the exhibit. Though there is such a meager quantity of surviving works by Valentin, every single painting in the Met exhibit demonstrates his mastery and originality in experimenting with naturalistic painting, which was considered a new style in Valentin’s time. I’ll say it now and say it later: Go see the exhibit. It’s on view until the 16th of January. Valentin de Boulogne was a French painter of the Baroque period. He painted in the tenebrist style. The name of this style of painting is derived from the Italian word for murky, “tenebroso.” The style involves heavy use of chiaroscuro— strong contrasts between light and dark—to the point that paintings rendered in this style contain much more dark or dim spaces on the canvas. Tenebrism was widely used in the Baroque period.
Courtesy of Web Gallery of Art
Pictured above is Valentin de Boulogne’s 1627-29 “Judith and Holofernes,” now on view in an exhibit of the French painter’s work at the Met 5th Avenue which showcases his artistic bravado.
The artist most often associated with tenebrist style of painting is none other than Caravaggio. His dramatic use of lighting and realistic depictions of people, often in Biblical scenes, pushed the boundaries of how to paint the physical and emotional qualities of human figures. Caravaggio’s paintings were highly dramatized portrayals of events, always alive with action and emotion. It is this style that served as Valentin’s inspiration. One of the paintings that struck me the most from this exhibit was Valentin’s “Judith and Holofernes,” dated to around 1627-29. This painting features the Old Testament story in which a beautiful widow, Judith, beheads an Assyrian general, Holofernes, in order to save her city of Bethulia from conquest. This story has been depicted by a multitude of Renaissance and Baroque artists. What is striking in de Boulogne’s visual rendering of the story is the emotion and drama that he imbues in the figures of his painting. Judith is depicted as grabbing Holofernes by the hair with her left hand and slicing his head off holding a sword in her right hand. Her gaze pierces into the surprised eyes of her dying victim. Judith’s lips are firmly pressed together in concentration as if to imply a steadfast determination to the beheading. Valentin’s rendering of Judith’s face is very prosaic. No intense anger nor pride in her actions. Rather, the face of Judith conveys a collectedness needed to get the job done. This is in high contrast to the figure of Holofernes, whose mouth and eyes are wide open, conveying both surprise and a cry for help. The figure of Holofernes is also portrayed as reaching his left arm up towards the top left of the canvas, with the tip of his pointer finger cut off by the edge of the picture plane. This pose engages with the viewer because it appears as if Holofernes tries to reach out for help outside of the picture plane and into the space of the viewer. This drama is further heightened by the dark background and stage-like lighting cast upon the figures.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Another Valentin painting from the exhibit that depicted a commonly painted Biblical story was his “Last Supper,” dated around 1625-26. This painting is a hallmark of Valentin’s genius and talent because of the wide range of emotions that he renders within each disciple. The painting, overall, is a collection of the subjective visceral reactions of the Christ’s disciples at the news of His death, the following day. This is nothing like the Leonardo’s “Last Supper,” but is instead so much more. The intensity of the emotions visible in the faces, postures and overall atmosphere of the painting elicits a call for pity or sorrow at the impending Passion. The Christ figure sits behind a table covered by a white table cloth, looking directly at the viewer. The Christ figure is depicted with its left hand gesturing to his chest, while its right arm and hand is outstretched on the table top towards the Judas figure. Judas is shown seated across the table from Christ, positioned at the bottom left foreground of the canvas. He has his head turned away from Christ and clutches a pouch of coins (the price of Judas’ betrayal) behind his back. Another striking reaction depicted in a figure of the painting is that of St. Peter’s, which, to the right of Christ, raises a hand in disbelief. In all, the painting is an example of Valentin’s remarkable artistic ability as well as his awareness of the viewer’s reaction. As evidenced in the exhibit, Boulogne takes classical subjects of religious painting and reinterprets them in ways that invites the viewer into the picture plane to be moved by the emotion and human interactions distilled within the stage/diorama-like compositions of the artist’s canvases. I could go on endlessly about the striking imagery that Valentin de Boulogne has gifted to the world, but that would only spoil the show. If you find yourself in New York City anytime before mid-January, visit the Met on 5th Avenue and see the “Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio” exhibit. You will be surprised at the reactions that Valentin’s paintings are able to elicit.
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October 27, 2016
Knox doc Banks’s vulnerability shows on “The Altar” leaves trial a mystery Patrick Tanella
Assistant Arts Editor The Altar
Banks Harvest Records
Izzy Braham
Guest Columnist
Amanda Knox
Blackhurst, McGinn Netflix
Trigger warning: Please be advised that the following review covers sensitive topics, including death and violent imagery.
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s I was shuffling through a Spotify playlist in 2015, I came across a beautifully haunting sound that was none other than “Goddess,” the title song from Banks’s debut album. Now, I knew who Azealia Banks was, but I had never heard of this alternative R&B singer that conveyed so much emotion and heartbreak in a single lyric. After a thorough investigation, I became submerged in the world of this mysterious artist. “Goddess” contains a mixture of powerful mid-tempo R&B songs and slower instrumentals that highlight her vocal ability. Her sophomore album, “The Altar,” continues to show vulnerability through confessionals that arise from her darkest moments. Each track Jillian Banks has released has further illustrated her growth as an artist. From dropping “Before I Ever Met You” on Sound Cloud in 2013 to “The Altar,” she has only gotten better. Expansive singles and opening up for The Weeknd on two of his latest tours have resulted in a swift rise in acclaim for the alternative singer. Zane Lowe, radio host on BBC Radio 1, played “Before I Ever Met You” on the radio, and immediately Banks was signed to Harvest Records. In addition, many of her singles have been featured on “Grey’s Anatomy” and other popular dramas that crave her dark alternative vibe. Her music has reached acclaim from critics and other artists in the music industry, such as Ellie Goulding, The Weeknd and Fiona Apple. While one can definitely view “The Altar” as a sequel to “Goddess,” it does not feel repetitive. Rather, it serves as a continuation of Banks’s story. The songs are more varied and powerful, and she does not hold anything back, which can be seen in “Fuck With Myself,” the album’s debut single. In
Courtesy of hernameisbanks on Twiiter
etflix recently released “Amanda Knox,” a documentary about the infamous 2007 murder trial of Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. The movie documents every detail of the night of the killing and the convoluted eight-year trial, striving to highlight both the craziest twists and turns of the case and the media’s incredible sensationalization of the murder—all the while never dictating for the viewer whether “Foxy Knoxy” is innocent or guilty. In summary of the case, on Nov. 2, 2007, British college student Meredith Kercher was found brutally murdered in a house she shared with three other roommates in Perugia, Italy. The next day, after seeing blood in the sink and on a bath mat, Knox—one of Kercher’s roommates and exchange-student from Seattle—called the police after she was unable to open Kercher’s door. The police uncovered a most gruesome scene of Kercher, dead on the floor. The days that followed featured a chaotic whirlwind of press aggrandizement, intense investigation and finger-pointing. Police, growing suspicious of Knox, began to question her and Sollecito. The case dragged on for two years, until Knox and Sollecito were sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison, respectively. But it wasn’t over yet: Knox and her family fought back, and after a tumultuous legal battle, both Knox and Sollecito were acquitted in 2015. The documentary begins in an eye-catching fashion with live police footage of the crime scene with a voiceover by Knox. Two minutes in, there is a close-up shot of Knox alone facing the camera. Raw and vaguely teary-eyed, she says, “If I am guilty it means that I am the ultimate figure to fear because I am not the obvious one, but on the other hand if I am innocent it means that everyone is vulnerable and that’s everyone’s nightmare.” She then pauses and dramatically states, “Either I’m a psychopath in sheep’s clothing or I am you.” The film continues as the opening credits roll in, mysterious music plays and media soundbites call out Knox, labeling her as a “she-devil with an angel face,” or a “heartless manipulator.” From there, the documentary highlights the unbelievable twists of the story. While this mystique of the film seems like hard-hitting journalism, the documentary can be seen as slightly hypocritical—it aims to make a statement on the media’s hype over the case, but at the same time, plays up the film’s intensity. The nature of the case is no doubt intriguing by itself, but the documentary adds even more drama. However, there are ways in which this drama emphasizes other overlooked aspects of the case. For instance, there are many scenes in which the main prosecutor of the case, Giuliano Mignini, is portrayed as a corrupt authoritarian figure, malevolently smiling, powerfully commanding a sea of eager reporters or hinting that the trial wasn’t completely fair. The documentary ends on a comparably dramatic shot of Knox overlooking the ocean. She says, “I think people love monsters. So when they get the chance they want to see them ... So maybe that’s what it is—we’re all afraid and fear makes people crazy.” Overall, the documentary may be flashy, but it does tell the complete story of the case. It explains every breakthrough, gets viewpoints from all the key people involved and discusses the public’s opinions on Knox. The case is truly a real-life murder mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat and causes you to both question and sympathize with Knox. Check it out if you run out of “Criminal Minds” episodes.
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contrast to the loathing that was prevalent in “Goddess,” Banks asserts self-love. On the chorus, she chants, “I used to care what you think about me. Cause my love’s so good / So I fuck with myself more than anybody else.” In an interview, Banks explained that the song is about being there for yourself, and basically being your own best friend. The minimalist single reveals a more confident, realized Banks. Banks returns to her signature sound on “Gemini Feed,” the album’s second single. It references the altar in its lyrics, which may indicate a marriage proposal gone wrong. It details a particularly powerful relationship and its toxic nature. The track opens, “And to think you would get me to the altar, like I’d follow you around like a dog that needs water. But admit it, you just wanted me smaller. If you would’ve let me grow, you could’ve kept my love.” It is the first track on the album and it hurls the listener into Banks’s twisted world. Another promotional single, “Mind Games,” narrates Banks’s spiraling relationship and his inability to cope with his manipulative nature. She repeats “Do you see me now?” throughout the track, as she is pleading for him to fix their relationship. She opens, “I foresee it’s true, that you would love me better if I could unscrew / All your
Banks’s second album “The Altar” continues to unravel the darkest moments in her life.
moods that make me wanna run away. But I got stuck with faulty legs.” “The Altar” seems to possess a depth that was never reached on “Goddess.” Experimental songs such as “Poltergeist,” “Trainwreck” and “Haunt” deviate from the comfort of Banks’s characteristic brooding. The electronic-heavy “Trainwreck” provides a much-needed change in production, propelling her powerful vocals through the track. She describes the lyrics as streaming from her consciousness, and she angrily cries out, “Hey, I heard it from the state. They told me you were never gonna let me get away. And if you took me fishing you would never give me bait. I had to get away, I had to get away, I had to get away.” In similar fashion to “Goddess,” the album has its share of slower, instrumental tracks. “To the Hilt” is a beautiful alternative pop ballad that details Banks’s yearning for a past lover. She broods, “Hated you for leavin’ me. You were my muse for so long. Now I’m drained creatively, but I miss you on my team.” Banks expresses how difficult it is to maintain a relationship when you’re in the music industry, and how drained she feels without her partner. In addition to “To the Hilt,” “Mother Earth” is a stripped down track that was written as Banks was coming out of depression, and it details her healing process. Banks wrote it to discuss the feelings of powerlessness that accompany being a woman in the music industry and the need to be supportive of one another. She sings, “Follow me to my bed / ’Cause every time you fall, I’ll be holdin’ your head up. And when will you get tired of feeling bad? And every time you fall, follow me.” While “The Altar” continues to illustrate tremendous growth from this young artist, it does not fail to capture the essence of Banks through powerful, emotional tracks. Banks stated in a recent interview that she imagines her music as “a dark cave with a fire, and people dancing around it.” From the beginning of “Gemini Feed” to the end of “27 Hours,” Banks takes us through her dark mind. Yet I still yearn for more from the somber singer, and I cannot wait to see what she delivers in the future.
Scandal taints film’s important subject Jimmy Christon Columnist
Birth of a Nation
Nate Parker Fox Searchlight
Trigger warning: Please be advised that the following review covers sensitive topics, in cluding sexual assault.
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wish I could spend this review belittling Nate Parker and his pretentious movie “Birth of a Nation” with snarky comments about how this supposedly high-brow movie doesn’t handle a slave rebellion as well as “Django Unchained” did, but I can’t. Parker’s actions outside the film are disgusting and shouldn’t be celebrated in any fashion. Don’t waste your money buying a ticket to this film. That money will only go towards normalizing Nate Parker’s despicable actions. If you’re not in the know, Nate Parker and friend Jean McGianni Celestin were tried for sexual assault. While Parker was acquitted (which is in no way the same as being found innocent), Celestin (who participated with Parker in the crime) was found guilty. The evidence incriminating both Parker and Celestin doesn’t end there, however. During the trial, phone calls between the victim and Parker were brought in as evidence. I implore anyone who is on the fence about what to believe about this trial to look at the evidence, read the coverage and make their own opinions. I think it is clear from these phone calls that Parker did in fact take advantage of someone who was in no way able to give consent. Not only this, but Parker has actively denied any wrong on his part and has painted himself as the victim. Outside of this, the movie itself is disappointingly mediocre. The best thing the movie has going for it is how the rebellion is depicted. Instead of the plot solely serving to justify the
rebellion at the end, the rebellion is the logical consequence following the actions shown in the plot. With any type of film, it is always satisfying to have a movie successfully play off the buildup it has been creating throughout. I thought that the attention given to Armie Hammer’s character’s downward spiral into alcoholism and gradual growth into an abusive person was an effective way to make the events leading up to the rebellion feel relatable and human. We get to see that humans were involved in both sides of this conflict. That being said, way too little time is spent on the rebellion itself. There’s really only one fight scene, and it’s about 10 minutes long and isn’t particularly brutal. Don’t write this off as me just being a raving film-goer that needs guts in order to enjoy their movies, but when a movie is about the bloodiest slave revolt in American history, I feel like it is a failure on the creator’s part if I leave the film thinking, “Well, that was tame.” By contrast, the movie does try to portray the use of violence in a realistic manner, and I’d say it succeeds in that regard. But this isn’t a book; it isn’t enough to just talk about violence. If a film is about violence, then I’m going to be expecting to see some violence. In terms of acting, Parker completely hams up the role of Nat Turner. Parker’s depiction of Turner is the acting equivalent of what happens when you leave your eggs on the stove for a couple minutes too long: The dude is stiff. He can’t decide if he wants to deliver his lines with an almost Shakespearean type of cadence, or if he wants to make his lines seem grounded and realistic. The supporting cast, on the other hand, was very well acted. I never felt put off or let down by any of the supporting cast members. The actors who played the plantation owners, for example, all did a wonderful job at portraying really terrible people without being overly cartoonish. I would even argue that most of the supporting cast members did better jobs than Nate Parker himself.
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The female supporting cast especially deserves recognition. Nat Turner’s grandmother, played by Esther Scott, consistently stole the scene from Parker when the two shared the screen. This is surprising if you look at just how little these actresses were given to work with. The female characters in this film are simply cardboard caricatures for Turner to interact with. They don’t exist outside of scenes involving Turner. The worst example of this is towards the end of the movie where Turner goes to his mom and his wife telling them about his planned rebellion. They both just say something along the lines of, “I always knew you were going to do this” and then aren’t seen again until the rebellion ends. Part of me can’t help but wonder how much of this imbalanced portrayal of female characters comes from Parker himself. Although Parker credits himself as the lead writer for the film, he did not write this film entirely on his own. His friend Celestin (who committed the crime with Parker) has also been credited with writing the screenplay. This movie doesn’t deserve your support because Parker hasn’t recognized just how serious the consequences of his actions are. Not only this, but any support this movie does receive goes towards normalizing Parker’s atrocious behavior. Parker claims that this movie, though historical in nature, was made to create a discussion about race in America. I respond to this by saying that you don’t need a movie to have a discussion. If you want to watch a movie about a rebellious slave, go watch Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 film “Django Unchained.” It handles and depicts the act of rebellion so much better than Parker’s film, and it doesn’t include the pretentious use of religious allusions like “Birth of a Nation” does. Whatever you do, just don’t spend money on “Birth of a Nation.” Parker simply does not deserve any form of success after the way he has acted.
ARTS
October 27, 2016
Page 17
Witty play arrives in time for the holidays Lucy Ellman
Guest Reporter
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f you had a childhood, or have seen Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” you’ll know that nothing goes together quite like Christmas and Halloween. This Halloweekend, make sure to head over to the Shiva to check out Vassar’s take on a Christmas tale in Philatheis’s production of “The Lion in Winter,” this Thursday, Oct. 27 through Saturday, Oct. 29, with all three showings at 8 p.m. Set during the Christmas of 1183, “The Lion in Winter” tells the story of a royal family in turmoil. Eleanor, the wife of King Henry II, has recently been released from prison for the holiday and vows to ensure that her oldest son succeed her husband to the throne. Written by James Goldmann in 1966, “The Lion in Winter” first caught the eye of director Zeke Maben ’17 in high school. Maben said, “I first came across ‘The Lion in Winter’ when I saw a performance of it at the NJ Shakespeare Theater ... It immediately struck
me as an immensely moving and witty play and remained in my head ever since.” After seeing the 1968 film adaptation starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn during his sophomore year at Vassar, Maben knew he had to put it on. Struck by its notions of family and identity, Maben noted, “I feel it says things about the way power affects people’s relationships with each other and I hope to convey that in our production.” Claire Norden ’20 portrays Henry’s wife Eleanor and described her character as an extraordinarily determined woman: “She’ll do just about anything to see the son she wants on the throne. She’s a very interesting character to play because her motives are not always clear, which is also probably the hardest part of performing for me.” Matthew Brill-Carlat ’19 provides quite a few laughs in his portrayal of Prince John a character described as “smelling of compost.” As he explained, John is someone struggling to define himself: “Amidst all of Henry and Eleanor and Richard and Geoffrey’s machinations, John is des-
Courtesy of Avco Embassy Pictures via Wikimedia
The upcoming performance of “The Lion in Winter,” a royal Christmas drama directed by Zeke Maben ’17, is inspired by the movie version starring Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole.
Campus Canvas
perately trying to prove he can hang with the big kids. He isn’t too smart, he’s entitled and he picks awfully weird times to show his backbone.” Yet, Brill-Carlat does not wish to constrain his character to simply a role of comic relief. “John is a very comedic character. He is pretty dumb in a pretty funny way. But there are moments where I feel that selling out for the laughs would betray John.” While the play is certainly quite witty, Brill-Carlat also recognizes its thoughtfulness: “This play is very funny, and John plays his part in that, but there is a kernel of seriousness in it. Bringing out that kernel in John has been both my greatest challenge and my greatest pleasure.” Production Manager Elianna Scheide ’20 is looking forward to opening night, but she stressed that working backstage for this show presents particular challenges. “I think some of the biggest challenges I have seen are the quick pace and the changing technical aspects of the show...finding a happy medium of practical and artistic is always a challenge.” Yet her biggest joy is watching it all come together: “I am most excited for the audience to experience the communal work of the production!” Maben too brought up how integral the design is, noting, “I’m really excited for the audience to see our set, light, sound and costume design, and moreover see what our cast does with them. We’ve made what I think are really cool design choices...” “The Lion in Winter” is sure to be a Vassar event that should not be missed. Norden is eagerly awaiting the audience’s reaction to the many different characters. She stated, “I’m really excited to see which characters the audience roots for, if any. All of the characters are very deceitful and I will love to see the reactions they get.” Maben too hopes that audiences pay attention to all that the play has to offer, and reflected, “I feel that ‘The Lion in Winter’ has a lot of really interesting and often subtle things to say about how people can lose sight of what is important to them when distracted by other elements of their lives.” In a time (and election season) where we feel so divided, “The Lion in Winter” brings it back home. As Brill-Carlat said, “Deep down this is a play about a family. A funny play about a fictionalized medieval family, yes, but a play about a family nevertheless.”
A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists
Excuse me, What didn’t you do over October break?
“Sky-dive.” — Zane Diamond ’20
“I didn’t study...at all.” — Brian Haufler ’19
“Ride a roller coaster... I guess.” — Phillip Brown ’18
submit to misc@vassar.edu
“I didn’t get it together.” — Derek Bishop ’19
“I am ashamed to say.” — Sylvan Perlmutter ’19
“I don’t know... that about sums it up.” — Gabriel Dell’Accio ’18
Elise Ferguson is a senior environmental studies major. She enjoys creating art that is inspired by feminine energies, ancient mythology and folklore, and environmental issues.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
Evelyn Frick, Humor & Satire Editor
SPORTS
Page 18
October 27, 2016
Lacrosse fall ball shows victory on horizon in spring Lindsay Wolk
Guest Reporter
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Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
oming off of the best season in school history, the men’s lacrosse team is prepared to hit the ground running come the spring, following a productive fall season. During its non-traditional season, or fall ball, the men’s team completed their 16 allotted days in just four weeks, and ended the season with a scrimmage day. Sixth-year Head Coach Marc Graham elaborated, “Fall ball allows the coaches the opportunity to work together with our players to set goals and establish expectations for the upcoming season. We also analyze the performances of all of the players over four weeks and begin to establish a possible depth chart moving into the spring.” Another big impact for the fall season is that the coaches have the opportunity to include the upcoming freshmen in the team’s drills and team concepts, allowing them to adjust to both the college game and a new team with different expectations, goals and personnel. The inclusion of the freshmen also allows for the upperclassmen to develop an on-field bond with the newcomers, giving them a head start in terms of team cohesion come the spring. Even though the team only graduated three players in 2016, Graham welcomed 14 freshman for the 2017 season. After evaluating them during the 16 practices and scrimmage day, Graham states, “A couple of them [freshmen] will push to contribute on the field in various ways while the others will provide much needed depth. On offense we have some very talented young players.” Senior captain Brandon DeStasio agrees with Coach Graham stating, “The freshmen have integrated really well. They picked up on our system and plays very quickly, and some of them are going to be main contributors in the spring.” One place that the team looks to improve on its 2016 season is through face-off success. Last year, despite a final record of 8-8, the team won less than 40 percent of its face-offs. The team looks to increase its face-off percent-
Senior captain Brandon DeStasio looks to goal during a match-up during the team’s 2016 season. DeStasio will lead the team with three fellow captions for their 2017 spring season. age with the return of top face-off specialist Alex Georgalas, after he missed the entire 2016 season due to a knee injury. Georgalas stated, “I’m really excited for the upcoming season, I think it will Vassar’s most successful season yet. Improved face-offs will be crucial to win those close games late in the season.” Overcoming last year’s face-off struggle will not be the only battle that the Brewers will fight in 2017. Replacing the contribution of 2016 graduate and captain Noah Parson is no easy task. “You can never just replace a player like Noah, who is the all-time leader in every scoring category for the team. While we do feel good about a couple of the freshmen, we don’t need one guy to produce 60 points, rather we need our entire offense to make up those 60 points,” Graham remarked. Despite losing one of the best players in Vassar men’s lacrosse history, the Brewers succeeded in their fall ball scrimmage day, their first time playing without Parson in four years. On Oct. 8, the Brewers hosted Roger Williams
University and American International College (AIC) for their annual fall scrimmage day. The boys donned pink gear in support breast cancer awareness month. Roger Williams and Vassar have faced off in the fall season for the past three years. Since 2014 Roger Williams has averaged just over 12 wins a year and in the past two seasons they have finished in the top 20 percent of Division III teams. Each year, Graham uses the Roger Williams game as a benchmark to measure the development of the program. “I think we really took a step forward this fall. We performed well, especially in some key areas including: face-offs, ground balls, limiting turnovers and shooting accuracy,” Graham recalled. While the men battled Roger Williams, the game against AIC was much easier and Vassar won handedly. Coach Graham particularly enjoyed this game as it reminded him of just how far the Brewers have come in the past few years. One of the highlights of the fall season for all of
the boys and coaches is the inter-squad scrimmage in which the team was divided in half to play a full game with referees. The coaching staff split the players equally based on talent and position, with the purpose of all players getting significant playing time allowing the coaches to assess their ability. This allowed for different players to work together and it created a competitive atmosphere. “It is an opportunity for veteran players to show leadership, and to solidify their roles, as well as an opportunity for younger players to establish themselves as being ready to make a new or increased contribution,” said Graham. While the purpose of the game is to evaluate players and to have fun, the team gets incredibly competitive. While the coaches do not even remember which team won, the team remembers for the whole year. The final key aspect of fall ball is to acknowledge leadership and nominate captains accordingly. With a large team of 40 players, the captains play a huge role in communication both on and off the field. They also set the tone for work ethic in practice, games and in the weight room. DeStasio said, “We have a huge roster now so having four captains will definitely just help from a workload standpoint. Also, each of us is a different type of leader. For example, I tend to be a leader by example and I usually don’t say a lot. The other captains are more vocal.” The team, led by the captains, seniors and Coach Graham, looks to kick off what they hope to be a historic season on a high note when they play Drew University in the season opener on Feb. 25, 2017. “Four years ago, our current seniors made a commitment to come to Vassar to help us become a playoff team in the Liberty League. Over their careers we have worked hard to bring in talented players in each subsequent class to help us to achieve our goal. Last season we came within four goals of making the playoffs, and I know that we are all working hard to take the next step in 2017,” remarked Graham.
Basketball trains hard to climb leaderboards this season Adams elaborated, “We might be a bit undersized at times, but we have a ton of depth at a lot of positions and will be able to create mismatches with our speed and skill.” In fact, the Vassar squad has overcome height discrepancies in past seasons and continually proves to be a talented contender in conference play. Last season, the Brewers defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hobart College, Clarkson University and Skidmore College once apiece, while triumphing over Rochester Institute of Technology and Bard College twice each. The men hope to continue the victories this season in both conference and non-conference play. Adams said, “I think everyone is really looking forward to playing Skidmore again. They knocked us out of the playoffs last year on their way to winning the Liberty League, and we are all fired up for a chance to get them back.” Meanwhile, Coach Dunne is equally excited to play each league match-up and shared that the men go into every game with the same intensity and mentality, regardless of the name on their opponent’s jersey. Dunne explained, “We approach every team the same way and we look forward to taking it one game at a time but it would be hard for me not to note that I am excited to play against my college coach who is the head coach at Wesleyan University.” Although they are eager for game-play, the Brewers will continue practicing until its season opener in November. For the time being, the men have been developing chemistry as a unit, in addition to working towards individual and team goals. Palecki shared, “My individual goal for the season is to be a contributor to this team on and off the court, and a leader and mentor for the younger guys on the team. I am also hoping to contribute to the team’s goal of winning the Liberty League and progressing through the NCAA tournament until we are playing in Salem Virginia for the national title.” To reach such success, the men will continue pushing each other and fine-tuning their play. Additionally, the squad will practice their team plays and different game scenarios during two
scrimmages during preseason. For its first competition of the season, Vassar will face the Mount Saint Mary Knights this Saturday, Oct. 29 at home. The following weekend, the Brewers will travel to New York City to face off against the New York University Violets on Friday, Nov. 4. The men will then start their regular season with a string of non-league battles, a few of which take place during Vassar’s winter break. These opponents include Maritime College, Elmira College, Williams College and Wesleyan University. While a majority of the student body enjoys some rest and the snow, the men will continue working tirelessly. In fact, the crew is scheduled to return to campus on Dec. 26 and will play through the completion of break. This dedication and hard work are key components of Dunne’s crew. “Collectively, we strive to be the hardest working team in Division III each and every day
we step on the court,” Adams explained. “Obviously the end goal is to win the Liberty League championship, but Coach Dinne and Coach Fava have done a great job making sure we are locked in each day.” After a long month of non-conference play, the Brewers will begin conference play against this season’s notorious rival Skidmore College on Friday, Dec. 30. Against Skidmore and beyond, the team will look to improve upon its fourth place finish during the 2015-2016 season. Liberty League matches will then continue through late February. Until then, the Brewers will look to generate enthusiasm and camaraderie on Vassar’s campus. This Friday, the crew will host Brewer Madness, an event to join the team with fellow students and faculty for both basketball and non-basketball related events. The affair will be held in the Athletic Fitness Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24.
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
BASKETBALL continued from page 1 practices per day and pool workouts. “We wanted to take a new approach to take care of our bodies during the beginning of the season and senior Mickey Adams has implemented a great program for a warm up, cool down stretch and even a pool workout,” added Coach Dunne. “The pool workout not only is great for the body and mind but also is a fun team activity that can reinvigorate the players after a tough practice.” Senior captain Mickey Adams, who serves as a personal trainer, also serves as a team resource in terms of with nutrition and lifting. After several difficult practices, the team traveled to Clintondale, NY to have fun off campus. The Brewers were split until two groups and competed in nine paintball battles. This activity allowed the players to enjoy themselves and to continue developing friendships with each other. Since training started, the Brewers have formed strong relationships and a healthy team dynamic on and off the court. One special relationship on the team is between Palecki and fellow sophomore Alex Seff. “Coming into college, you always worry about finding friends and people that share your same interests, but being on the team really made that part easy for me,” described Murray. “We get along so well and do everything together, it creates a sense of family. So when I need to talk to someone or need help in a class, I have 15 guys who are always willing to go out of their way for me.” Coach Dunne agreed, “Our greatest strength is our love for each other. There is a special bond and commitment amongst the team members that will generate great success on the court and beyond. First and foremost we are a family who believe we can overcome any obstacle or challenge that we face.” Although optimistic, Adams and Coach Dunne agree that the team has room for improvement and that the squad will continue to work on specific assets of the game. Compared to other Liberty League teams, Vassar is a relatively young team and, surprisingly, lacks height.
Men’s basketball huddles together for guidance from Coach Dunne as they face League competition. The squad will eventually start their season home against SUNY New Paltz on Nov. 15.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
October 27, 2016
SPORTS
Page 19
The curse is broken, Cubs Houston introduces new head to 112th World Series system of love in football Robert Pinataro Guest Reporter
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n Saturday, Oct. 22, the Chicago Cubs made history. They won the National League Championship Series (NLCS), meaning that they will advance to the World Series for the first time since 1945. This 71-year dry spell is often attributed to “The Curse of the Billy Goat,” which took place in 1945. Billy Sianis, owner of the famous Billy Goat Tavern and well-known public figure in Chicago, brought his pet goat to Game 4 of the World Series that year. In the middle of the game, he was asked to leave because fans were complaining about the smell of the goat. As the legend goes, he left the stadium feeling offended and cursed the Cubs, saying, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” With Sianis’s social status, his curse was circulated rapidly, and in no time, all of Chicago knew what had been said. The Cubs ended up losing the World Series that year, and have not appeared in the World Series since. Over the years, Billy Sianis and his relatives have tried to take back the curse. His nephew even brought a pet goat to a Cubs game in an effort to reverse the curse. But all attempts were unsuccessful and the Cubs were deemed cursed. Year after year, hopeful Cubs fans watched their team struggle despite numerous trades and draft picks designed to improve the team’s odds. With a team full of young talent, this year’s Chicago Cubs finally broke the curse. In an interesting, yet extremely eerie coincidence, Sianis passed away on Oct. 22, 1970, precisely 46 years before the day the curse was broken. The game that sent the Cubs to the World Series was a phenomenal one. The Cubs were leading the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, three games to two. In game six, the Cubs were pitted against one of the best pitch-
ers in baseball, Clayton Kershaw. After a poor offensive performance and a loss in game two against Kershaw, it was expected that the Cubs would lose again in game six. Unexpectedly, the Cubs scored two runs in the first inning and continued to build upon their lead throughout the game. Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who is having the best season of his career, had a stellar outing, shutting the Dodgers out for eight innings. The Cubs then brought in their closer, Aroldis Chapman, who also had a great outing. With a final score of 5-0, Cubs fans and the city of Chicago are thrilled that their team is free of the curse that has hung over Chicago for so long. The 2016 Chicago Cubs are a unique team in many aspects, but their youth is one of the most notable. The position players on the team are among the youngest in baseball, and they believe that this helped them overcome the curse. When asked about the curse by Northeast Public Radio, third baseman Kris Bryant said, “We’re too young. We don’t care about it. We don’t look into it. This is a new team. This is a completely different time of our lives. We’re enjoying it and our work’s just getting started.” The Cubs are well equipped to take on the Cleveland Indians, with three excellent starting pitchers, a flame-throwing closer and a powerful run-scoring offense. The Indians will be a great challenge, but the Cubs are favored to win according to Odds Shark and nearly all other credible predictions. With this World Series berth, the Cubs will have the opportunity to win their first World Series in over a century. For the Cubs, there is much to be proud of, but there is still much more to be done. They will attempt to carry the momentum of their big win into Game 1 of the World Series, which takes place on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Hanna McGuire Reporter
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hen I think of football, I usually think of masculinity. Large, strong men suit up and tackle one another with the most power they can possibly muster. I like football, but it is definitely the epitome of machismo. As I read The New York Times last week, I was surprised to find that University of Houston head coach Tom Herman kisses his players on the cheek before each game. That definitely didn’t sound like your typical football displays of camaraderie to me. Apparently last season, Herman’s first with the team, he kissed strength coach Yancy McKnight during practice. While the players were shocked, they eventually grew accustomed to Herman’s behavior as he began to extend the same love towards them. It has since become tradition that Herman kisses each player as they gear up before every game. In the Times article, Herman spoke about his affection and explained, “How do you motivate a human being to do things against his own nature? There are two things: love and fear. And to me, love wins every time.” And love is definitely helping this Houston team. Last season, the Cougars finished eighth nationally, the best results the team has seen since 1980. With a 6-2 record this season, Houston even has high hopes of an invitation to the Big 12 Conference. Herman didn’t just start this tradition at Houston but has been integrating love into football since his days at Sam Houston State a decade ago. While he worked at Ohio State, the coaching staff also ingrained this message of brotherhood into players, which is where Herman got the idea to require athletes who score a touchdown to hug an offensive lineman. The Houston team not only receives love and support from coaches but also from each other, cre-
ating an unbreakable bond between teammates. Several psychologists cited in the Times article noted how sports teams built on love and compassion do best because they have a connected community. Humans, contrary to popular belief, are not driven by competition but instead by such strong friendships. It’s no surprise that in football emotions are silenced for fear of not being manly enough. Players assume emotional displays will make them appear feminine. But Houston players don’t think that way anymore. As Herman goes to kiss each man, they return the favor with a hug. Within the Houston squad, this emotional display is how you show you’re a man. It is rare for men, particularly male athletes, to show their feelings, which Herman regretted was true for so many of the Cougar players before joining the Houston squad. He said, “I can tell you I was disappointed–they said it was the first time they’ve ever been kissed by a man.” For many, if not all of his players, Herman debunked the stereotype that men cannot be affectionate towards other men. While team sports create a dynamic bigger than the individual, competition itself can only get players so far. Teams only become cohesive when athletes love one another. That’s when teams reach their full potential and Herman has undoubtedly achieved that with Houston. It’s sad that stereotypes of masculinity are so deeply embedded in male athletes that sports often do not create a safe space for emotion. Showing love and admiration should not be limited to women because men also need positive reinforcement to succeed on and off the field. It’s incredibly refreshing to hear that the Houston team embrace emotion, especially in such a masculine sport as football. If more male teams adopted Herman’s brotherhood philosophy then maybe this machismo would slowly start to dwindle, making room for more love.
Strong runners lead Vassar to league championships Fiona MacLeod Guest Reporter
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the region than they ever have before, and they don’t intend on letting their successful journey end soon. They recently ranked No. 7 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Atlantic Regional polls, the team’s best since 2013. “This season, we’ve seen huge advancements from everyone on the team, putting us in a great spot as we head into championship season.” Scarlett explained. “We’re really excited to put guys on the line for the ECAC and Regional Championships, and to see how we stack up against some of the best teams in the country.” Success at the Liberty League Championship is not out of reach for the Brewers. “The crowning race ahead is the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships, from which teams or individuals can advance to nationals, based on how well we finish,” McCowan stated. “At the Rowan Interregional Battle, the men finished seventh out of all the Atlantic Region teams, and ahead of
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
ed by head coach James McCowan, both the men and women of Vassar College’s cross country program are having remarkable seasons, proving their abilities in multitudes of races so far. Runners from each team hope to maintain their impressive times in order to reach success this weekend at the Liberty League Championships in Geneva, NY. Retaining its top seven runners from last year, the men’s team has been set up for success this season. The group has been victorious since the moment the season began, finishing first out of three teams at Vassar’s season starter in September. The Brewers have continued to keep their squad at the front as they finished with impressive ranks at four different invitationals. At their last meet, the Rowan University Interregional, the Brewers finished 13th out of an enormous 43 teams. Vital competitor, junior Michael Scarlett, has contributed greatly to Vassar’s success since his introduction to Vassar. Last season, in just his sophomore year, he placed first for the Brewers in every single race that he ran, and was awarded the spot of most valuable player. “Michael has been our first runner across the line since the start of the 2015 season,” McCowan explained. “He holds a long and consistent stretch at the front.” This year has proved to be the same, as Scarlett continues to lead the Brewers to success in each of their races. At the season starter, he earned the top spot for Vassar, finishing with a time of only 13:04.0, maintaining a 5:15.4 mile pace. Scarlett continued to upkeep his impressive pace through the next few meets as well. This impressive streak means that Scarlett has been the first runner across the finish line for the past 13 races in a row, the lengthiest streak for a runner since Avi Kramer, who did the same in Vassar’s 2003-2004 season. Freshmen have had a significant impact on the team already, pushing runners to lower their times while achieving outstanding feats themselves as well. McCowan said confidently. “While the middle of season is traditionally a
tough time for newcomers as they adjust to the training and work load, I’ve been really happy with their effort and contributions.” Freshman Adin Becker has exceeded all expectations, consistently placing in the top five spots for the Brewers. “He has handled the transition well, as he was used to running a higher volume in high school,” McCowan praised. Despite a long-lasting injury, he has raked in many awards in just his first year of collegiate athletics. Becker has won the Eastern College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week honors and Liberty League Rookie of the Week honors, three times each. “I’m ecstatic to have been named Rookie of the Week three times,” Becker comments. “At the start of the season, I was skeptical that I would be able to race at all since I had been injured for so long. But now it looks like I’m almost back at 100 percent.” This season, the men are ranked higher in
Senior Lucy Balcezak races to the finish line of the Seven Sisters Championships to be named fifth place. The team will next race at the Liberty League Championships on Friday, Oct. 29.
MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE
two national ranked programs. That is a perfect set up for the remainder of the season. Now it all comes down to how well we race at Regionals.” The women’s cross country team has been met with a season of success as well. They too have been finishing in the top places of their races, starting by finishing second of three teams at the Vassar season starter. Continuing on, they reached success at early invitationals and placed in second at the Seven Sisters Championships. “While we were not satisfied with placing second, we raced well and went for the goal.” The team acknowledges that this was an important learning experience for them however, learning what they need to work on in order to find success in upcoming championship races. Senior Lucy Balcezak had a standout performance at the Seven Sisters, as well as in the rest of her career. Despite missing her junior year, she has picked up her career right where she left it. She finished fifth for Vassar at Wellesley, running the course in a personal best, 22:51.1. “Junior year abroad returner Lucy Balcezak continued to be at the front of the races for our team, and seeing her continue to improve is fantastic.” Coach McCowan tells that every freshman is an excellent addition to the team, all stepping up significantly to contribute to the team since their arrival in the fall. “Meghan Cook, Caroline Hartman and Erin Clark have all been consistent top seven finishers,” he specifies, “which is admirable given the adjustments of freshman year. Continuing to transition to college level competition will be key to our team succeeding in the big races ahead.” All have achieved impressive times in the completed meets. While both the men’s and women’s teams have been to the course in Geneva before, it was many years ago. None of the present members of either team have ran on the course there in their time at Vassar. “Seven Sisters was excellent prep for that, as it gave us an opportunity to preview a new course the night before the race.” The Brewers will take on the same cast of teams, including RPI and Saint Louis University. The Brewers will contend for a winning place in the Liberty League Championship in Geneva, NY this Friday, Oct. 29.
SPORTS
Page 20
October 27, 2016
VC teams continue domination as they head to playoffs Jamie Anderson Guest Reporter
Women’s Volleyball
Men’s Soccer
Vassar saw the field three times during the break, at home against the Rochester Institute of Technology, Hobart College and University of Rochester, all at home on Gordon Field. First facing RIT on Friday, Oct. 14, the Brewers struck early and held on for a 1-0 win over the visiting Tigers. The eventual winning goal would come courtesy of junior Alex Gonzales in the eighth minute, chipping the RIT’s keep after being found by freshman Mattie Mrlik. The defensemen and junior Brewer goalkeeper Matt Marcelino were able to keep RIT out for the full 90 minutes. Next up, the Brewers fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Statesmen of Hobart, 3-2 in overtime. Gonzales again scored, this time with just two minutes gone, to put VC up 1-0. Hobart would equalize late in the first half and would make the score 2-1 with five minutes played in the second period of play. With a rebounded shot, junior Jose Novas found himself in position and was able to notch the second-half equalizer for the Brewers in the 58th minute of the matchup. The squads then headed to overtime. With 14 seconds left in the first period of OT, Vassar brought down a Hobart player in the box and the Statesmen were able to convert the ensuing penalty kick to come away with a 3-2 win. On Senior Day, the Brewers recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over No. 12 Rochester. Before the game, Vassar recognized seniors Noah Bloch, Matt Fields, Stephen Jennings, John Lopes and Adam Warner. The first goal of the game came from sophomore Tyler Gilmore, who was assisted by junior Hayden van Brewer.
Women’s Soccer
The women improved to a 5-0 record in conference play, marking the best Liberty League start in program history, with a 1-0 win at Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday. Sophomore Rebecca Andrews was again responsible for a goal, finding the back of the net in the 49th to give VC the edge over the Tigers. The Brewers’ win streak would be cut short quickly thereafter though, as they fell 4-0 to No. 1 William Smith College away at Cozzens Field on Saturday. Tapolsky registered 11 stops against a William Smith side that attempted a total of 30 shots. Vassar got back on track and cruised to a 4-0 win over visiting Ramapo College next out. Senior Jordyn Matthews recorded the brace, while sophomores Audrey Pillsbury and Rebecca Andrews added a goal each. Tapolsky and fellow senior Phoebe Reuben share credit for the shutout against the visitors. The Brewers play their last home game on Tuesday against Bard College at 3:30 p.m. Field Hockey
Brewer field hockey knocked off No. 11 Skidmore College on Senior Day at home on Weinberg Field. The Brewers honored Sophie Arnold, Hayley Beach, Emma Bracken, Flora Crichton-Stuart and Lauren Shumate before kicking things off. Vassar scored early on as sophomore Alyssa More found the back of the cage, with an assist provided by fellow sophomore Megan Caveny. Both More and Caveny have seven goals on the season. Skidmore was able to equalize in the 22nd and the teams went into the second half deadlocked. In the 47th minute junior Storm Sideleau beat two defenders to a loose ball in the circle, tipped it to sophomore Emily Poehlein, who was able to stretch and redirect the ball past Skid’s goalie to give VC the lead. The Brewers were able to ride their defense to the win, with sophomore Paige Amico making several key stops to preserve the result. The Brewers came up just short in their next outing, as they fell 1-0 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on the Engineers’ Senior Day at Harkness Field. Despite the loss, there is still a mathematical scenario in which Vassar could host a Liberty League tournament game. The Brewers will now travel to the University of Scranton on Wednesday evening for non-conference play. Men’s Rugby
The Vassar men rounded out their regular season in disappointing fashion, falling to cross-river rival SUNY New Paltz. It was a contest full of fouls and subsequent disciplinary measures, as the Brewers played the last 10 minutes down four players. Three
Courtesy of Carlisle Stockton
Brewer women’s volleyball had a busy October break, playing Sage College, Union College, St. Lawrence University, Clarkson University and Skidmore College in the span of a week. First VC swept non-conference opponent Sage in straights at home in Kenyon Hall, topping the Gators 25-12, 25-20 and 25-15. Sophomore Devan Gallagher finished with 14 kills and hit .591, junior Alex Sams tallied a career-best 11 kills and junior Bria Corham came off the bench to record a career-high 11 digs and four additional kills. Next up, the Brewers lost a marathon contest against Union, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21, 19-25 and 15-12, in which Gallagher recorded 13 kills and two blocks, while freshman Jane Mcleod got 15 kills. Vassar rebounded to take out St. Lawrence in four though, 25-18, 16-25, 25-18 and 25-14. In their next match, the Brewers outlasted Clarkson in five, 14-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-21 and 18-16, to not just record a victory over the Golden Knights, but also to clinch the regular season Liberty League title, despite their follow up loss to Skidmore, again in a tight five, 16-25, 23-25, 25-13, 25-19 and 15-13. With the conference title, the squad will host the Liberty League tournament on Nov. 4 in Kenyon Hall. The women will take on the RIT Tigers in the semi-finals in hopes to advance to the league championship. But first, Vassar will next take on the New Paltz Hawks on Wednesday, Oct. 26, away.
Freshmen Mattie Mrlik then grabbed a pair of goals. Mrlik’s first goal came with an assist from junior Reid Smith and while Mrlik scored his second after stealing the ball from a defender. Next out Vassar, will host Union in its last home game of the season at Gordon Field on Wednesday.
Junior Alex Gonzales looks towards teammates in game against University of Rochester. Gonzales was crucial for Brewers’ recent success with a game-winning goal against RIT. men were yellow carded and one received a red card. New Paltz got by the Brewers 44 to 12. Juniors Trevor Kennish and Joe Simon each recorded braces on the day and senior Seamus Taylor broke the try line once as well. Kennish added two cons and one penalty in the loss as well. Women’s Rugby
The women’s rugby team suffered their first setback of the season against visiting West Chester University on Oct. 14. Both teams scored six tries but the visitors were able to squeeze past the Brewers by four, 38 to 34. Senior Lauren Workman scored a try, while her classmates Mariah Ghant and Nathalie Freeman recorded a hat trick and a brace respectively. Senior Mary-Margaret McElduff added two conversions for the team. Vassar soon got back on track, thrashing Fairfield University 85 to 0 and locking up the number one seed in the upcoming tri-state conference playoffs. Sophomore Rachel Elson broke the tryline a jaw-dropping six times, while senior Mariah Ghant produced a hat trick. Senior Mary-Margaret McElduff, juniors Alicia Menard-Livingston, Kayla Lightner and Amanda Saich and sophomores Jennie To and Oshana Reich each broke the plane once, while McElduff also contributed 10 points from conversions. Women’s Golf
The VC women’s golf team ended its 2016-17 fall season on Sunday afternoon, placing sixth at the New York University Invitational, hosted at Forest Hill Field Club. Freshman Andrea Han rounded out her first season tied for 15th place, up seven positions from the first day of competition. Fellow freshman Qiwen Tan carded a 169, good for a share of 20th place. Senior Emily Prince finished in a tie for 26th place. Junior Annie Hsu took 42nd overall while sophomore Evon Shay notched a 48th place finish.
The Brewers are finished for the fall and will next host the Vassar College Invitational at Casperkill Golf Course April 8 and 9. Men’s Cross Country
The Brewers competed at the Rowan University Border Clash, a meet in which 10 nationally-ranked teams were represented. The Brewers finished 13th out of 43 schools. Junior Michael Scarlett was yet again the fastest for VC, finishing with a 24:36.9 putting him in 50th overall. Scarlett has paced the Brewers in 13 straight outings, the longest such streak for a Brewers since 2003-04. Freshman Adin Becker was the top freshman runner from the Liberty League on Saturday, coming in second across the line for VC with a 24:40.0, earning the 55th overall spot. Junior Philip Brown was six spots behind him, running a 24:43.6, good for a 61st place finish. The Brewers next travel to Geneva for the Liberty League Championships on Oct. 29. Women’s Cross Country
Vassar finished second out of seven teams at the 2016 Seven Sisters Cross Country Championships, hosted by Wellesley College. The hosts would take the win, clearing the Brewers by just 10 points. Vassar runners accounted for seven of the top 20 finishers, as Wellesley only had five runners inside the top 20. Senior Lucy Balcezak took fifth overall with personal-best time of 22:51.4. Freshman Meghan Cook crossed the line next for VC, chalking up a 23:05.8, followed close behind by sophomore Christiana Prater-Lee. Senior Laura MacDonald finished 13th for the Brewers, one spot above teammate and sophomore Cameron Daddis. All five runners walked away with All-Seven Sisters recognition for their performances. The women will also travel to the Liberty League Championships, hosted by Hobart and William Smith Colleges on Oct. 29.
In loving memory of A. Marshall Pregnall, professor of Biology. Courtesy of Vassar Communications
A memorial will take place on November 5th at 10:00am in the Vassar Chapel. The Miscellany News expresses our deepest condolences to Professor Pregnall’s family, collegues, and students.
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