The Miscellany News | Dec. 3

The Miscellany News December 3, 2009

Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com

Volume CXLIII | Issue 10

Amidst controversy, VSA endorses memo about Nichols’ letter

Ten, not 30, sections to be dropped

Jillian Scharr

Curriculum to shrink by surprisingly low estimate of 10 sections, says Associate Dean

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Matthew Brock News Editor

Kathleen Mehocic/The Miscellany News

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espite the Office of the Dean of the Faculty’s initial estimate that upwards of 30 course sections would be cut from the 2010-2011 curriculum, more recent evidence suggests that this number will be closer to 10.

According to Associate Dean of the Faculty Marianne Begemann, the initial figure was “purely a projection based upon the predicted reduction in staffing.”

The original number of courses being cut, said Begemann, was the subject of a number of rumors. “When someone says that they are going to trim the curriculum, it means relative to something,” she said. For the 2010-2011 academic year, departments and programs requested 50 more course sections than are currently being offered. The administration is planning to cut 60 courses relative to the number of requests that they received, but only 10 courses relative to the number currently being offered. Earlier in the semester, the College’s Vassar and the Economy website (economy.vassar.edu) was claiming that closer to 70 courses would be cut from the current number offered.

Although the original numSee CURRICULUM on page 4

Cashier at the Retreat Nick Squillace waits for customers on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Dining Services reports that food theft on campus this fall is higher than ever.

Campus Dining reports record number of thefts Matthew Brock News Editor

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lthough food theft has always been a thorn in Vassar Campus Dining’s side, this year the number of students stealing from the All College Dining Center (ACDC) and the Retreat has reached new heights. “When someone steals furniture, the whole dorm pays,” said Vassar Student Association Vice President for Student Life Elizabeth Anderson ’11. “If people start stealing from ACDC, then the whole college pays.”

The issue, according to those pursu-

ing solutions to the issue, seems to be that students do not equate taking food from ACDC or the Retreat with stealing.

“Though students think there’s nothing wrong with [stealing from ACDC and the Retreat], if you went to a restaurant on Raymond Avenue and left without paying the check, there would be serious consequences,” said Senior Director of Campus Dining Maureen King.

According to King, the number of students stealing from Campus Dining has reached a critical mass that will cause See THEFT on page 3

Departments, programs reconsider theses, other senior-year capstones Molly Turpin Senior Editor

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complete their major by taking an additional 300-level seminar rather than writing a thesis. According to Narayan, the seminar could provide as much of a challenge as a thesis and offer the structure that some students need. “It wasn’t necessarily true that a thesis was different from writing three long, sustained papers,” Narayan said of the senior seminar option. “It’s already a pretty demanding major. There’s no desire to make it any easier.”

The Philosophy Department’s proposal, which the Department had been considering for several years following a re-evaluation of all of its major requirements, inspired lengthy CCP discussions about the role of Vassar’s senior academic requirements. “CCP had a vigorous discussion of what departments and programs do to distinguish the senior year for their majors. While we did not vote on anything, the pre-

Inside this issue

FEATURES

College expands student health insurance coverage

9

OPINIONS

vailing sense of the discussion was that there is value in building special experiences for seniors into the structure of the major. We thought such capstone experiences could take a variety of forms and didn’t necessarily have to be theses,” wrote Dean of the Faculty Jonathan Chenette in an e-mailed statement.

Chenette continued to write that, despite recent questioning of thesis requirements, most CCP members supported some kind of senior year major requirements. “I was fascinated to see how many members shared an interest in maintaining distinctive curricular elements to cap off a Vassar education,” wrote Chenette. “My sense of the discussion was that people are open to a variety of ways of accomplishing this goal: theses, seminars, performances, exhibitions, field work, etc.”

There has been a small trend away See THESES on page 5

Columnists discuss Working Group, VSA endorsement

News Editor

he Vassar Student Association (VSA) voted unanimously to endorse a memorandum drafted by the Academics Committee at its last Council meeting on Nov. 29. The memorandum, addressed to “The Board of Trustees and Students of Vassar College,” is intended to be sent to the Vassar community to clarify Council’s stance on a letter written by Adjunct Professor of English Judy Nichols’ letter on the recent changes to the faculty and curriculum.

“The point of the [memorandum] is we have a very diverse set of opinions,” clarified Noyes House President and member of the Academics Committee Han-

nah Groch-Begley. The academics memorandum itself explains, “After a heated discussion of nearly four hours, Council voted 15-6 to endorse the document.

We seek here to frame this endorsement in the context of our nuanced discussion.”

“The challenge that we faced …[was] to walk the line between supporting the sentiment that we [endorsed] last week…[and] mak[ing] sure that we didn’t imply that the administration is doing anything thoughtlessly or irresponsibly,” said VSA Vice President for Academics Stephanie Damon-Moore ’11. “Although I respect completely that many of the views on the council contradict those of the senior officers, See MEMORANDUM on page 3

‘Rent’ performance to be one of first off-Broadway Rachael Borné

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Reporter

o starving for attention, hating convention, hating pretension, not to mention, of course, hating dear old mom and dad... Sound familiar? Sure, plenty of hip Vassar kids might use this line as their mantra, but few have explored la vie Bohème like the cast and crew of “Rent.”

Vassar’s production of the iconic musical will be performed at the Martel Theater in the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film on Dec. 2, 3, 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.

“Rent” has created quite the buzz around campus, as Vassar will be hosting one of the firstever college productions of the musical. Chair of the Drama Department, Chris Grabowski, the director of Vassar’s staging of “Rent,” is no stranger to the mu-

sical. He directed the first staged reading of “Rent” with the New York Theater Workshop. That was in the ’90s, when Jonathan Larson, writer of the script, music and lyrics, was only a budding composer, and when “Rent” had not yet appeared on Broadway or had become a box office hit.

Now, “Rent” has garnered a handful of Tony Awards, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and just about every other person you know can recite the lyrics. So how will Vassar put an original spin on this famous musical?

According to Nate Silver ’10, who is associate directoring along with Julianna Gonzalez ’11, “For us to do this play justice, we had to leave our preconceptions at the door; we had to stop listening to the soundtrack, stop See RENT on page 16

Kathleen Mehocic/The Miscellany News

n Nov. 4 the Philosophy Department approached the Committee on Curricular Policies (CCP) with a proposal to drop its required senior thesis. The proposal, which is still in discussion, sparked a larger conversation about the function of senior requirements at Vassar.

“The main concern was whether or not [the senior thesis] works equally well for all of our majors,” said Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department Uma Narayan. “It’s a very individual project.”

According to Narayan, the senior thesis did not always reflect some students’ aptitude. “Students are very different.

Being smart is not cashable into doing well in your thesis,” said Narayan.

The Department proposed to make the thesis optional, allowing students to

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Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Joey Army ’10, Ricky Goldman ’12 and Maria Garcia ’10 rehearse for this weekend’s performance of the Broadway sensation “Rent.”

16 ARTS

Renowned photographer Cohen to give lecture

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The Miscellany News

December 3, 2009

Editor in Chief Ruby Cramer Senior Editor Molly Turpin

Contributing Editors Caitlin Halasz Chloe McConnell Elizabeth Pacheco

Kathleen Mehocic/The Miscellany News

Photo of the Week: Students buy food from local vendors on “Tasty Tueday” on Dec. 1. The popular program began last year and has since become a highlight of many students’ weekly schedule.

Staff Editorial | Rowing should be commended for spirit and commitment to future of club program I

t’s never easy to learn that a valued aspect of your college experience is about to undergo a drastic change. In the recent climate of the global recession this has become an all too familiar situation at Vassar and its peers.

While each reduction to the operating budget has seen notable reaction from students, not all have been the same. When Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs Rachel Kitzinger and Director of Athletics and Physical Education Sharon Beverly announced on Nov. 12 that the men’s and women’s rowing team was to transition from varsity to a club program, the reaction was swift and impassioned. Rowing team members—along with other students and alumnae/i affiliated with Vassar crew—have vehemently voiced their opposition to the announcement, citing numerous flaws in the decision making process: minimal transparency, a lack of input from rowers and an unfair singling-out of one sport with the cuts.

While the rowing teams have challenged the administration’s decision, they have also taken the transition in stride. Women’s rowing captain Christina Peltier ’10 wrote an 11.12.09 editorial in The Miscellany News stating that the teams “are focused on developing a club model to be implemented next year.” The teams also collaborated to hold a 120-hour ergathon in the College Center from Nov. 11 through Nov. 16 in order to raise money for the now-cut funding of the programs. During the five-day period, team members took shifts to keep two rowing machines in continuous use, racking up a collective total of 950 miles. The pledge money earned from individuals sponsoring the rowers, when combined with donations

and profits from selling baked goods and spandex, totaled well over the original goal of $10,000.

Both the men’s and women’s rowing teams should be commended for their proactive response to a disheartening situation. They were faced with the prospect of losing funding and their varsity status, and naturally challenged the contentious decision. But Vassar rowers demonstrated remarkable foresight and maturity by balancing its challenge with actions addressing the immediate reality of its situation. Moreover, what they achieved through the ergathon is inspiring. Their commitment during the fundraiser and their success is a testament to their passion, spirit and resilience. They have proved that rowing will be no less of a serious presence on campus as a club sport than it is now.

This commendation does not mean to imply that administrative decisions, such as the rowing cut, should be met with submission. It is always an integral responsibility of the student body to question such decisions, especially when the welfare of students and faculty are at stake. But during times of financial hardship like these, it is inevitable that sacrifices will have to be made. The rowing team’s constructive attitude should serve as a valuable reminder to find constructive action in the face of these cuts and to hit the grounding running (or in this case, rowing) when we suffer a blow.

—The Staff Editorial reflects the opinion of at least two-thirds of the 20-member Editorial Board.

Staff Editorial | Food theft on campus must end W

e at the Miscellany regret to hear from Vassar Campus Dining that nabbing a Nildas cookie from the Retreat and sneaking in a side door at the All Campus Dining Center (ACDC) have both become common practices amongst students. While it seems that this behavior is more or less morally acceptable among students, it is beginning to exert a serious economic strain on Vassar Dining Services, as recent reports reveal that theft from ACDC and the Retreat is at an all-time high.

In the current economic climate, with the College facing a seemingly never-ending series of difficult monetary decisions, it is as important as ever that our acts of theft are recognized as an additional, and an unnecessary, burden on the College.

As the fall semester nears to a close and students’ ACDC and Retreat points veer toward zero, the temptation to steal from either dining locale is especially high. However, what has become the most perplexing issue at hand is why students with adequate meal plan coverage have engaged in such thievery since the beginning of this year.

Whether an issue of ease or entitlement, students need to realize the extent to which they have been taking Dining Services for granted this semester. We should be ashamed, or at the very least, concerned, that Vassar’s Security Officers have been forced to add ACDC to their daily rounds. Students have expressed concern this semester about the lack of

security visibility on campus grounds and have asked for better patrolling. Why should these officers be spending their time inside a student building when their services are requested, by students, elsewhere?

If we do not reform our behaviors, more dramatic measures and subsequently, additional strain on the College’s ever-limited capital will result.

There has been discussion of reconfiguring ACDC, possibly adding turnstiles or even installing security cameras to reduce stealing. With far more pressing issues at hand in the realm of staff and faculty reduction, these are dramatic measure that the College shouldn’t be concerned with taking.

A reduction in our stealing from ACDC and the Retreat is an important gesture of respect to show the College that we do, in fact, care about its financial well being as well as an opportunity to respect the staff who works in these dinning facilities. For what Vassar gives us, why not show a little reciprocal respect?

It is unlikely that most of us would even dream of dining and dashing in an off-campus restaurant or walking out of a local grocery story while stuffing Nildas cookies in our bags. Why should our own dining facilities merit different treatment?

—The Staff Editorial reflects the opinion of at least two-thirds of the 20-member Editorial Board.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

News Matthew Brock Jillian Scharr Opinions Angela Aiuto Kelly Shortridge Features Emma Carmichael Kelly Stout Arts Carrie Hojnicki Erik Lorenzsonn Sports Lillian Reuman Design Eric Estes Online Elizabeth Jordan Copy Katie Cornish Lila Teeters Photography Kathleen Mehocic Managing Eliza Hartley Assistant News Assistant Opinions Assistant Online Assistant Copy Assistant Photo Crossword Editor Reporters

Columnists Photographers

Rose Hendricks Joshua Rosen Kara Voght Katharine Austin Sarah Marco Juliana Halpert Jonathan Garfinkel Thea Ballard Rachael Borné Caitlin Clevenger Esther Clowney Daniel Combs Mitchell Gilburne Wally Fisher Rose Hendricks David Lopez Andy Marmer Christie Musket Danielle Nedivi Alexandra Sarrigorgiou Martin Bergman Steve Keller Nik Trkulja Jared Saunders

LETTERS POLICY The Miscellany News is Vassar College’s weekly open forum for discussion of campus, local and national issues, and welcomes letters and opinions submissions from all readers.

Letters to the Editor should not exceed 450 words, and they usually respond to a particular item or debate from the previous week’s issue. Opinions articles are longer pieces, up to 800 words, and take the form of a longer column. No letter or opinions article may be printed anonymously. If you are interested in contributing, e-mail misc@vassar.edu.

The Editorial Board holds weekly meetings every Sunday at 9 p.m. in the Rose Parlor. All members of the Vassar community interested in joining the newspaper’s staff or in a critique of the current issue are welcome. The Miscellany News is not responsible for the views presented in the Opinions pages. The weekly staff editorial is the only article which reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board. The Miscellany News is published weekly by the students of Vassar College. The Miscellany News office is located in College Center Room 303, Vassar College.

December 3, 2009

NEWS

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‘Students think stealing is okay,’ says King of campus food theft phasizing that they would be a last resort.

In addition, the Department of Security has added ACDC to its regular rounds. “Security goes past ACDC anyway,” said Anderson, “and if they see people sneaking in they can say that it’s against the law.”

The College is also trying to publicize the negative consequences of stealing from the dining halls. “A student who steals is a thief,” wrote Parker. “Students may believe that taking food is no big deal, but students who have been caught find this is a major embarrassment for years afterward. It can become a significant blemish on an otherwise proud and honorable college career. Frankly, stealing food is just not worth it,” he continued.

Furthermore, if the thefts continue, the administration would be forced to raise the price of the meal plans in order to compensate for the cost of these stolen goods. Unfortunately, increased prices may lead to more stealing, creating what Director of Marketing and Sustainability Ken Oldehoff referred to as a vicious cycle.

Stealing from the Retreat is also a major concern for the College. “Students blatantly eat while they’re in there,” said Anderson of the Retreat. However, she does not want to see the College adding more security and policing students while they eat. “We don’t want to monitor students; we want to trust them,” she said.

Campus Dining, however, has not taken this issue off of the table.

According to King, the products being stolen from the Retreat include “most of the items in the coolers, which may affect the Local Foods Program,” which brings high quality, although somewhat expensive, local products to the

County cuts victim service agencies Caitlin Clevenger

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Reporter

he Dutchess County Legislature is currently reviewing a proposed budget, to be voted upon on Dec. 7, which will make significant spending cuts. One of the areas that may be hit hardest by budget cuts are agencies that provide aid to women and children affected by domestic abuse.

In an open letter to local residents, Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus summarized the proposed budget, writing, “We are in the midst of the most challenging budget and financial circumstances I have experienced in over 30 years of public service.”

The $7 million cut to the Health and Human Services department, as well as cuts in the District Attorney’s budget, will mean reduced or eliminated services to abuse victims.

Slated to lose $312,873 is the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART), a response unit that coordinates with the District Attorney’s Office, Police and Probation Departments, Battered Women’s Services and Domestic Abuse Awareness Classes for Men. Grace Smith House will also lose $338,250—more than half of its funding. The women’s and children’s

Kathleen Mehocic/The Miscellany News

THEFT continued from page 1 the College to take action. “Every time I walked into the building I saw [students] walk into the side doors,” she said. Initial estimates, calculated by ACDC cashiers, put the number of students sneaking into ACDC at nearly 100 per day, but since Dining Services has recently assigned someone to monitor this issue, it has become clear that the number is closer to 200.

A major problem with these statistics, said Anderson, is that the College does not know who is stealing food. “We’re trying to figure out if it’s students on the meal plan or off-campus [students],” said Anderson. The possible solutions differ depending on which group is stealing from ACDC. If the culprits are students who are already on the meal plan and have extra meals, then the food has technically been paid for. The real loss occurs when seniors and town students who are not on the meal plan sneak in to ACDC. To combat the latter case, Dean of the College Christopher Roellke suggested that it should be mandatory for all students, including seniors and town students, to be on a meal plan.

Anderson, however, opposes this possible solution, claiming that ACDC is too far from senior and off-campus housing, and that “seniors think it’s cheaper to [cook] on their own.”

A more viable solution, said Anderson, would be to install turnstiles at the exits of ACDC that would allow paying students to exit while preventing others from entering, and King suggested installing surveillance cameras. “While [turnstiles are] unattractive and costly, it may help to maintain the integrity of dining spaces,” wrote Senior Associate Dean of the College Raymon Parker in an e-mailed statement, em-

Kitchen Worker Jackie Freeman watches over the entrance of the All Campus Dining Center in order to prevent students from entering side doors without paying for their meals.

Retreat. The percent of goods stolen from the Retreat can be as high as 60 percent for some items, as was the case with Fage Total Greek Yogurt, which Campus Dining had to move to the Kiosk in order to prevent people from stealing it. The removal of Greek Yogurt may be the first of many cuts if this situation is not rectified in the immediate future. “What if we eliminated [bottled] Pepsi products and made students use fountain products?” suggested King, because while students can hide a sealed bottle in their bag, the open fountain cups would spill.

Although Campus Dining hasn’t removed most food products yet, they order food based on the number of paying customers that they receive on average, so if hundreds

of students start stealing from ACDC and the Retreat, then there will be food shortages.

In addition to having a negative effect on revenue, these thefts also hurt the College’s employees. Not only is stealing from ACDC and the Retreat bad for morale among the workers, but it carries “real consequences on how people’s yearly evaluations are made,” said Oldehoff. People whose job it is to maximize profits for the Retreat or ACDC, he explained, would receive a negative review if stealing were to cut into those profits. This negative review can in turn lead to financial consequences when it comes to yearly raises.

“Students think stealing is okay,” said King.

“We need them to know that it’s not okay.”

VSA and CSWG debate curriculum

shelter will be terminating its Divorce, Pro Bono and Family Court Legal Aid Programs as well as eliminating two positions. The county will no longer be funding the Crime Victims Assistance Program, which offers counseling and assistance in filing for compensation for medical bills. The program will now subsist on state funding, though the state of New York is making similar cuts.

Advocates for these organizations, including members of the Vassar community, have already reached out to the Dutchess County Legislature to protest the cuts and will be officially objecting at a public budget hearing on Dec. 3 at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

“Without the Crime Victims Assistance Program many victims would be left to navigate the complexity of the criminal justice system alone and without the support of skilled, caring and experienced advocates.

The loss of county funds and the associated leveraged state funds would result in the loss of a minimum of eight full time employees,” wrote Katherine Ullman ’11, an intern at Battered Women’s Services, in a form letter circulated to members of the Vassar community for them to send to local legislatures.

Kathleen Mehocic/The Miscellany News

Several members of he Working Group, which has had a consistently visible presence on campus, introduced a letter responding to changes in faculty and the curriculum at VSA Counci.

MEMORANDUM continued from page 1 I don’t think it’s within our area of expertise to imply that they’re doing their jobs thoughtlessly, [but] obviously this is open to discussions or amendments.”

The memorandum elaborates: “We admire the commitment of the students in the [Campus] Solidarity [Working] Group and appreciate their efforts to make Vassar a more conscientious, egalitarian institution. Nevertheless, we harbor no unrealistic expectations that Vassar can remain unchanged.” It continues, “As representatives of the student body, we cannot help but agree with the Solidarity Group’s sincere concern for the effect of the financial crisis on academic life and on the lives of community members.”

During the meeting, Council critiqued and edited everything from the letter’s grammar to its tone.

Ferry House President Briana Markoff ’11 opened the discussion: “The way this letter strikes me is, last week we endorsed a letter [saying that] overall, we were unhappy with the curricular change, and this letter says overall we are happy…I feel like we’re contradicting ourselves in a lot of places.” She urged the Council to “make sure the broad sense of [the letter] is really reflecting how the council feels.”

The VSA’s Nov. 29 memorandum criticizes the Nov. 22 letter on several specific points and pieces of data. A major concern debated at the Council meeting was whether, as the Nov. 22 letter alleges, faculty members feel pressure to retire. Forced retirement, explained Vice President for Operations Brian Farkas ’10, is illegal under Vassar’s tenure contract.

“It is troubling to us that the current administration seeks to save money by…reducing the number of faculty through pressuring faculty toward retirement and terminating or reducing non-tenure-track faculty contracts,” says the Nov. 22 letter.

The Nov. 29 letter reads in response, “we take issue with the letter’s baseless accusation that the administration has illegally forced faculty members to retire. While the College’s financial situation has no-doubt resulted in some retirement-age faculty feeling pressure to leave the institution, we have no reason to believe that the administration is the source of that pressure.”

Class of 2011 president Alejandro Calcaño

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

seemed to find this an inadequate response. “I understand how it’s really important for you guys to have this [above paragraph] in the letter, especially [considering] what the previous letter said regarding retirement plans…[but] as is right now, it seems that we’re just saying ‘this is not happening period,’ but the other letter is saying that it is.”

“It’s too easy to say ‘just because it’s illegal doesn’t mean the faculty aren’t feeling that pressure,’” observed Groch-Begley. “This needs to be addressed [in greater depth].”

“The administration is trying to get things achieved in the most responsible way possible,” said Damon-Moore.

“One of those is through voluntary resignation. If you are of retirement age and you’re worried about someone else in your department losing their job, you will feel pressure. So to say that nobody feels that pressure is inaccurate…but I think it comes more from the financial situation…not from some kind of animosity from the administration.”

Another issue raised at Council was the fact that, as the memorandum reads, “the [Nov. 22] letter conveys both implicitly and explicitly that decisions have been made by a small group of administrators without regard to community input. This is misleading…[Farkas and VSA President Caitlin Ly ’10] sit as full members on the Priorities and Planning Committee.”

The Council debated this claim; several members were skeptical that students on the committees actually influence policy.

“If [Farkas] and I weren’t on [the Priorities and Planning Committee], faculty members would easily trounce need-blind and other issues students care about,” Ly responded.

Discussion is ongoing within the VSA Council and between the VSA and the Working Group. “[The VSA] did a disservice to their endorsement of the [Nov. 22] letter, but also to their commitment to walking the middle ground,” said Jamie Stevenson ’10 of the memorandum.

Criticizing the facts presented in the Nov. 22 letter, Damon-Moore said, “We don’t say this assuming that people hadn’t checked the facts, but we can’t carry on as if the document was entirely accurate. After we endorsed it… [we] got more information and got a variety of people on campus…it would be irresponsible of us to pretend that we don’t have that information.”

NEWS Oldehoff, Greens plot greener future for Vassar

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Assistant News Editor

t the Vassar Student Association (VSA) meeting on Nov. 22, Director of Marketing and Sustainability for Campus Dining Kenneth Oldehoff and members of the Vassar Greens presented on the state of sustainability in Vassar’s dining services.

One of the year’s biggest changes has been the addition of compost bins and compostable disposables in the Retreat. Oldehoff explained that, in the beginning, the program “stumbled…

[It] started out slow but really has taken off” once the Retreat-goers became more familiar with what can be composted and what cannot.

In 2008, the average amount of waste taken from campus that was sent to be composted or recycled averaged at 559 pounds per day, for a total of 154,837 pounds for the whole year. Now, that number is up to an average of 704 pounds of waste removed per day. As of Oct. 31, 137,900 pounds have been removed from the garbage this year. Oldehoff was glad to say that it looks like the College will make 200,000 pounds by the end of the year.

During the last academic year, the Committee of Sustainability conducted a waste audit to calculate how much of the waste from the Retreat could potentially be recycled or composted and learned that 90 percent of the Retreat waste fit this category. Oldehoff explained that there will be a similar audit sometime in the future to “see how we’re doing.”

Another change to reduce waste this year has been the introduction of the plastic, reusable to-go boxes at ACDC. Last year, ACDC gave out about 300 disposable boxes each day. At this date a year ago, 23,100 of these boxes had been given out; so, Oldehoff stated, “there’s none of that now.”

Oldehoff explained that difficulties arise in trying to bring compost to other areas of campus, such as the Kiosk or Java City. One problem is that the items from those places are often taken away to be consumed, so compost bins at the locations would be ineffective.

The Kiosk’s Starbucks brand is also an obstacle for the idea of composting, as Starbucks bev-

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Guest Reporter

n Nov. 23, Forum for Political Thought sponsored a lecture by Johns Hopkins Professor of International Relations and Political Theory Siba Grovogui on the concerns and limits of human rights struggles—namely, the implied hierarchy of human rights. The lecture, co-sponsored by the Vassar Student Association, Political Science Department and Africana Studies Program, took place in a packed Sander Classroom Spitzer Auditorium.

Originally from Guinea, Grovogui focuses on race and self-determination in Africa, rethinking international law and morality, and different concepts of human rights, human order and human existence. His published works include Sovereigns, Quasi-Sovereigns, and Africans: Race and Self-Determination in International Law. “When Professor Grovogui suggested speaking on the topic of the implied hierarchy of human rights, the Forum felt that this was something which many of us at Vassar are deeply interested in,” said co-President of the Forum for Political Thought Quynh Pham ’10. “The struggles for ‘human dignity,’ as Professor Grovogui puts it, are happening all over the world, but unfortunately, in some places, these get reduced to mobilizations for citizen or individual rights with a very fixed notion of what these rights entail.”

Grovogui began the lecture by expanding upon the traditional notion of human rights.

“It’s necessary to make distinction between civil and political rights verses economical, social and sometimes cultural [ones],” he said.

“Tradition gives the West the authority to tell what human rights exactly are,” Grovogui said, “though Western theories and conceptions of human rights have discrepancies in the world.”

For instance, “[the] Cold War was two systems built around certain ideas of rights—one being political and civil rights, usually associ-

Noise in Noyes

—Rose Hendricks, Assistant News Editor

Marijuana Mishap On Nov. 30, a Security officer patrolling Cushing House discovered three students on the east side of the loading dock exit who appeared to be smoking marijuana.

The officer confiscated a pipe and small amounts of the drug.

—R.H.

For the 2009-2010 academic year thus far, 704 pounds of waste is composted per day across all campus dining locations. This is a marked increase from last year’s 559 pounds per day. erages must be served in a Starbucks cup, which cannot be replaced with a compostable one.

Oldehoff suggested that “it might be time for the VSA to look seriously” at eliminating the brand-name coffee. He hopes to reintroduce PuraVida, the coffee supplier for ACDC. He explained that PuraVida’s “social mission is unbelievable.” For example, one of their blends was called “Bus Blend” because the proceeds went to supplying buses to impoverished kids in Santa Anita, Guatemala so that they could go to school. However, certain members of the Council objected to this option due to the popularity of Starbucks as a brand.

On the topic of local foods, Oldehoff explained that we are “not [doing] so well,” seeing as the economy has created a tough business climate in the area. Vassar tries to support local businesses, such as Nilda’s Desserts, which is manufactured by Poughkeepsie Food Works. Oldehoff commented, however, that that company will not last much longer because of economic hardships, which will make buying locally difficult for Vassar. However, certain local products, like Nilda’s, may be able to switch to different

distributors. Oldehoff explained that “we bring in a lot of local foods that are fairly expensive.”

The high cost is further increased when students steal food. “Every time we have to bring 60 items [to the Retreat]…20 get sold and 40 get lost.” To make up for the loss in profit, Dining Services then has to raise the cost of its products. He noted that stealing is nothing new, but it “is going to be an issue.”

Another disadvantage of buying locally is that local farmers often do not have the time or resources to deliver the food, whereas large companies such as Cisco specialize in distribution.

Vassar also has a limited amount of food storage, as Oldehoff pointed out by stating that the storage today remains the same as when he came 30 years ago, when the Retreat catered to far fewer customers each day.

When asked about the possibility of starting a vegetable garden at Vassar, Oldehoff replied, “I would love to do an experimental rooftop garden on top of ACDC.” This garden would serve as a complement to Vassar’s greenhouses that produce seasonings such as basil and cilantro. He explained that a

Lecturer questions conceptions of human rights Xiaoyuan Ren

News Briefs On Nov. 27, a Security officer making rounds on the second floor of Noyes House heard loud music coming from a room. After the officer knocked repeatedly with no response, students opened the door and turned down the music.

Rose Hendricks

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December 3, 2009

ated to the West; the other, Soviet Union, being more of social and economical rights, which was enacted later. In the course of the Cold War, human right is the crucial dimension of the struggle.”

During this time, the European countries sent out Helsinki Watch Groups to monitor human rights in the two nations and to see whether rights had been violated. “This watch group gave such confidence that civil and political rights were all of their rights—it’s the first time human rights were so cruelly centralized,” said Grovogui, “taking this notion from version of ‘human dignity’ completely to a political weapon.” As the Charter of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, all human rights are of equal significance; that is to say, they are equally relevant to human dignity. As Grovogui put it, human dignity is one of the few original notions that didn’t belong to European origination and this basic concept was generally accepted long before “human rights” were defined. Since this case, it has started to be replaced by social and political hierarchy.

What people forget in a lot of discussions, in the academy in particular, is that “human right” is the work of academics and more specifically, the work of politicians. It’s usually in context and sometimes much more complex than the study of human rights itself. “Among all the Political struggles,” Grovogui added, “we can see that human rights have been used by many people, but these are not the people we should be accentuating human rights on.”

Opinions are split on the world’s recognition of “human rights,” according to Grovogui. The Relativists believe that the definition of human rights has a particular language and works in a particular context, meaning that it can differ from place to place. On the other side of the coin are the Universalists, who proclaim that human rights are restricted to one historical context, again a European idea, because it’s

said to have been proven to be the best for superior system, making those rights applicable to all situations, regardless of place or circumstance.

“The Universalists [usually] end up taking conservative positions. Relativists actually apply human rights to larger human circumstances than those who claim to be Universalist.” Grovogui explained, “The bogeymen of Universalism are those who maintain that global circumstances of context require certain laws, which requires legitimacy and certain authority.”

As Grovogui dug deeper into the intrinsic meaning of human rights, he showed that it’s not merely about people taking an active role in politics.

Grovogui gave the audience French and American Revolutions as the first two examples, where people were referred to as “citizens” or “individuals” accordingly, both of which are transportable ideas that many people see as key to being human.

Likewise, in Haitian society—where neither individual nor citizen was a choice, and where political common was not defined—the fact that the people there are not political, social or cultural didn’t make them less human. In fact, they’re more human in the sense that their choices involve the most primitive faculties, where the rights to be clothed, to be fed, to be sheltered all come before the right to speech.

“Human rights were supposed to give us dignity, whether it’s before or after political existence. That’s what makes social and political rights transportable, for example between the Haitian and the homeless here in New York,” he concluded. “When do we begin to be human? When does being a human matter the most? When do we need compassion the most?

When are people most vulnerable? Why does it matter to think about our institutions and beyond, in politics and beyond? Why is it always interesting to think about what it means to be human and what the purpose of life is?”

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summer internship would have to be set up for this project. Right now, stones occupy ACDC’s roof. If the stones were replaced with an equivalent amount of soil, the roof could support a garden.

Class of 2010 President Selina Strasburger asked if the Vassar Greens thought Vassar would ever become water bottle free. Chair of Vassar Greens Vanessa Raditz ’12 commented that they were unsure how the student body would react to that. Last year, there was a group on campus called Take Back the Tap, dedicated to the elimination of bottled water, and Raditz would like to see it recreated.

Oldehoff added that water bottles are frequently-bought items at the Retreat. He guessed that, when faced with other beverage options, bottled water appears to be the healthy choice.

He also added that the little tab on the soda machine makes getting free, non-bottled water almost a “secret.”

Vassar Greens member Xiaoyuan Ren ’13 spoke about a conference that she attended with the Greens, one that, she explained, instilled in the attendees the need to continue their work towards sustainability. At the forum, Ren said with resolve, “We were inspired to come back and try to create change.”

Early curriculum estimates off CURRICULUM continued from page 1 ber of non-tenure-track position eliminations still stands at approximately 14, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty was able to reduce the number of sections being cut “since we’ve done things like reduce release time,” said Begemann.

Release time refers to reductions in the regularly-required course load given to department chairs and faculty members who sit on committees, ostensibly to allow them to devote more time to their other commitments. Reducing the amount of release time requires these professors to teach more sections, thus reducing the number of cuts.

The course load was also bolstered by faculty members’ leave patterns. Faculty members who have been on leave this year will take over their sections again next year. However, Begemann cautioned that this figure is subject to change. “There is always this ebb and flow…faculty take medical leave, parental leave, unpaid leave because they received fellowships…and we don’t always know by Dec. 1,” she said.

“Even in the best of times, the curriculum is not static, nor should it be: unavoidable changes, both in size and scope, occur annually due to routine faculty leave patterns, rotations of course offerings, the evolution of faculty and student interests. We are now in the position of having to control the curriculum in a more concerted way than we have before, which runs counter to the way people are used to having things done,” Begemann added.

FEATURES

December 3, 2009

Page 5

National and College health Alrington Business District care undergo separate shifts thrives, survives Black Friday students are automatically enrolled in Vassar’s student health insurance plan through ast spring as Congress geared up for the the insurance company Gallagher Koster. Stucurrent battle over health care reform in dents are allowed to opt out of paying for the both the House and Senate, Vassar College Gallagher Koster plan if they can prove that expanded health insurance coverage for stu- they are enrolled in a comparable plan either dents who opt into Vassar’s Student Accident as dependents on their parents’ health insurand Sickness Insurance Plan. With the Nov. ance plan, or through another private source.

According to Eismeier, enrollment in Vas7 Congressional approval of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the Affordable Health Care for sar’s student health insurance plan is down somewhat from years America Act—also past—there are about known as simply “the 900 students enrolled health care bill”—the this semester—deissue of coverage for spite this year’s adopcertain procedures tion of an enhanced under a public insurplan for the 2009-2010 ance option came academic year. Enrollunder scrutiny. But ment in the plan costs as to whether coming students $934 for the developments in na—Dr. Irena Balawajder full year, and $556 for tional health care— Director of Health Services the spring semester. particularly limits to Eismeier anticipates the public option— will change health insurance coverage for an increased volume of students enrolling in Vassar students, Director of Health Services the plan for the spring semester.

Balawajder confirmed that “it typically Doctor Irena Balawajder could only say, “I reworks out so that about 45-50 percent of stually don’t know.”

“We will undoubtedly discuss the impact of dents over the years have the student health legislation with [our provider] Gallagher Ko- insurance, and slightly over 50 percent don’t ster in the spring term, when we consider our on an average.” renewal for 2010-2011,” wrote Vice President for Finance and Administration Elizabeth Eis- Major Changes in Coverage meier in an e-mailed statement. But for now, Neither Eismeier nor Balawajder could pinthe impact of this legislation is “very hard to point why a slight shift has taken place, in say.” spite of expansion of coverage. To give a Regardless of the outcome of the current clearer idea of the extent of the expansion in health care debate in Congress, in order to coverage, Balawajder said, “The biggest difattend Vassar, all students are and will be ference is that the previous plan had about a required to be enrolled in a health insurance $50,000 maximum and this one has $250,000. plan. At the beginning of every academic year, See HEALTH on page 8

Eliza Hartley

Kelly Stout

Managing Editor

Features Editor

L

“Some people say that student health insurance is a good model.”

T

he doors open at 5 a.m. People start lining up hours beforehand for absurdly good deals on whatever toy might be big this year, flat screen TVs, washers and dryers, vacuums, and so on. Finally, when a man in a red vest makes his way over to open the doors, the people, ravenous to save money while spending it, crash through the doors and quickly take over the store.

This is what Black Friday might have looked like at Target in the Poughkeepsie Galleria, but it couldn’t have been further from what the Arlington Business District, the boutique and café-lined neighborhood near Raymond and Collegeview Avenues, experienced.

“It’s not been busy,” said Walter Effron, who’s owned The Three Arts Bookshop for the last 27 years and whose family has owned the shop since it opened in 1946, in a phone interview. “I would think back on what Christmas business has been in the past—it hasn’t been that way in about 15 years. We couldn’t really expect to see the business that we used to see.” He was quick to add, however, that he has had a steady flow of customers and made a few nice sales on Friday.

Shops specializing in maternity, skiing, children’s clothing, books, candy and unique gifts characterize Arlington. “This type of business doesn’t attract the big crowds like some of the big-box stores and places like that,” said Ed Cooper, manager of Potter Brothers’ Ski Shop.

A few doors down, at Dreaming Goddess: Unique Gifts, owner Rhianna Mirabello prides herself on going against the traditionally frenzied Black Friday with her annual White Friday event. The store doesn’t open early, employees wear white outfits, white wine and white chocolate are served, and the deals offered are not

necessarily for her own store’s promotion but to promote a sense of community. For example, if you spend about $50, you get a discount at a local food vendor. “We offer a calm shopping experience,” explained Mirabello.

Black Friday was particularly calm in Arlington last year, when residents were still getting used to the replacement of the streetlight at the intersection of Raymond and Collegeview with a roundabout, among other changes.

There have been a few concerns regarding the changes in the area. “The biggest concern for the businesses in the area is parking,” said Cooper. “I’d bet at least a third of the parking spots are gone.” At Bittersweet: Chocolate, Candies, Gifts, owner Heather Lent attributed much of last year’s slow turnout to locals’ apprehension regarding the roundabouts, but expected this year to pick up again. “People have realized that the roundabouts [are] not actually horrible and they can still operate their vehicles,” Lent joked.

Business seemed to pick up this year for most vendors in the area. “We’re swamped,” said Jenn Sullivan, owner of Waddle & Swaddle on Raymond. The store, for the first time this year, made use of a Black Friday promotion, marking down their entire inventory at least 20 percent According to Sullivan, it was working.

Most stores put on sales, including Effron at The Three Arts. But at Elizabeth Boutique on Davis Avenue, owner Beth Madsen reported that she was busier than a normal Friday, even without Black Friday gimmicks.

Madsen said the sales and giveaways don’t fit the description of her shop, but her scarves and jewelry were popular among customers.

Regardless of whether it saw the same turnout as the Galleria, the district proved that the day after Thanksgiving is good for shopping.

Registrar shows slight, consistent decrease in theses THESES continued from page 1 from the requirement of a senior thesis in recent years. Today, out of the 46 majors offered at Vassar, 19 require a senior thesis or project.

Ten of those require a thesis specifically. Between 1989-1990 and 2009-2010, seven departments dropped the requirement of a thesis or project. However, doing away with the requirement is not the same as doing away with a thesis altogether. Many departments do not require a thesis for the completion of the major, but do give students the option of either writing a thesis or completing a project. Often the senior thesis or project is required to be considered for honors.

In the past five years, three majors have made previously required theses optional: the Geography and English Departments and the Latin American and Latino/a Studies (LALS) Program. Professor of Geography and Chair of the Geography Department Yu Zhou explained that, like the Philosophy Department, the Geography Department did not believe that the thesis was working well for all majors. Completing a thesis is still strongly encouraged, though, and all majors are required to take a senior seminar that includes a thesis preparation component.

“We’re still struggling in the sense that, as professors, we want to encourage students to do it,” said Zhou. “We regret every year that some students choose not to do it.”

Zhou expressed a preference for theses over seminars because of the research and writing skills that the process fosters, though she recognized that not all students feel that they can make the commitment. “A thesis has a somewhat different flavor. You have to capture the discipline of literature,” she said. “The question is whether we should twist their arms to do it.”

Associate Professor of Political Science and Latin American and Latino/a Studies (LALS) Program Chair Katherine Hite explained that students majoring in LALS now have a wide variety of senior capstone options beyond the traditional thesis. Students can elect to work on a traditional year-long written thesis under the direction of two program-affiliated faculty members, replace the thesis with an additional

300-level class, or do a senior project—which still requires a written component, but emphasizes community involvement rather than research.

“We have recently formalized an alternative to the traditional senior thesis that allows students to conduct a major project in the community, growing from work students have been involved in over the course of their years at Vassar in Poughkeepsie,” wrote Hite in an emailed statement. “U.S. Latino/a studies programs have their origins in the joining of university students with grassroots organizers to create multidisciplinary curricula recognizing the contributions of Latino communities. Our new senior project option reflects that spirit. So now, LALS students may attain honors through either an excellent thesis or [a less traditional] project.”

In both the LALS Program and the Geography Department, at least half of the majors still complete a senior thesis or project. Each major also requires the completion of the thesis or project for honors consideration.

Though the lack of a required traditional thesis could be viewed as a step away from serious intellectual achievement, many in the English Department have experienced the complete opposite. “There were people who were concerned that the majors were just going through the motions and that it wasn’t a big commitment, and we wanted to open up the range of possibilities,” said Professor of English and English Department Chair Michael Joyce. Joyce said that, before making the thesis optional, faculty members considered a variety of possibilities, finally settling on the current choice between a thesis and an extra seminar.

“We’ve had remarkable success just saying to people, ‘you can choose to do it,’” Joyce said.

According to Joyce, the percentage of majors who complete a thesis has steadily risen since the thesis became optional—65 percent of English majors graduated having completed a thesis in 2007; 69 percent in 2008; and 79 percent in 2009. Joyce expects an even greater percentage of majors to complete theses this year.

“I would emphasize in the larger campus dialogue, we come down strongly in favor of

Over the course of the last decade, the percent of graduating seniors completing theses and final projects has decreased steadily, but slightly, according to the Office of the Registrar. the capstone project, the capstone opportunity. We’re not retreating from the thesis, we’re re-energizing the thesis,” said Joyce. As part of the revival of the thesis, Joyce said that the Department has been encouraging students to approach the thesis in a variety of creative ways beyond the traditional piece of extended analytical writing—though many English majors do opt for a traditional thesis.

College-wide, the percentage of graduating seniors who complete either a senior thesis or project has declined slightly in the past decade.

In 1999-2000, a peak of 70 percent of students completed a thesis or senior project, while in both 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, 58 percent of students did. Chronologically, the decreasing trend roughly mirrors the shift away from the required thesis or project in these departments.

The Classics Department is also beginning to review its major requirements, including the senior project. Though the Department will still require the senior project, it is considering ways that it might be better connected with the curriculum. “Sometimes senior projects that exist as stand-alone projects can be hard for students to get started on, be hard for them to really get focused as to what they want to do, and don’t always provide that

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sense of completion, that sense of a capstone to our curriculum,” said Associate Professor of Classics and Chair of the Classics Department Bert Lott.

The Political Science Department’s thesis is well established as an optional undertaking, though it is, like the optional thesis in many departments, required to achieve honors upon graduation. Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Political Science Department Andrew Davison explained that the thesis works best for students when it is the result of an idea that a student has hoped to pursue even before senior year, and that the Department does not see the thesis as their primary senior capstone experience. “We require that all our majors take at least one seminar during their senior year,” he said. “That’s really how the Department views a ‘capstone’ experience.”

Some departments may have made theses optional for practical reasons. Davison suggested that it would be difficult for the faculty in the Political Science Department to serve as advisors and thesis readers for more than 50 senior majors. “It’s good that we have the optional thesis because it’s there for students who want to do it, and that includes students who may or See MAJORS on page 8

FEATURES December 3, 2009 Poughkeepsian pub crawl travels downhill with each pint Page 6

Daniel Combs

O

Reporter

h, Poughkeepsie drinking scene, oft you have tempted me with your erstwhile gaze.

As I toil endlessly in scholastic efforts—engaging in positively laborious, idealistic dialogues on Cartesian doubt and formless formalism— you wait in the shadows, tempting me with your promises of real-world people, drinking realworld beer, getting into real-world arguments.

Shall I compare thee to a breath of fresh air?

Nay. Perhaps a breath of stale grime, albeit a dependably consistent one—one that’s been lingering in the air since long before I came here and will remain long after my four-year tenure is complete.

All that poetry aside, I find myself remiss for never before taking the time to explore this particular cultural niche. I was never really into the bar scene at home, and Vassar doesn’t exactly push you out of the front gate with much force.

But a semester abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland radically and permanently reversed this particular character trait of mine.

When you live in a town that has more pubs per capita than anywhere else in Great Britain, you get inundated with pub culture pretty swiftly—having class only two days a week helps, too.

And so I was introduced to the many intricacies and customs that one finds in Scottish pub culture—most notably the pub crawl.

Before delving into the details of my Poughkeepsie version of the Scottish pub crawl, however, I should note that this all took place on a Wednesday night, and so it will differ from the same trip on a Friday or a Saturday. If you’re wondering why anyone would choose the dead middle of the week to experiment with new bars, I can’t really say that I have a good answer for that. I just know that in my three years at Vassar, I’ve often found myself drinking in the middle of the week. Maybe I’m simply ahead of the game when compared to the Thursdaynight partying that characterizes our life of leisure here at school. But then again, maybe this actually means that I’m several steps behind in the game that actually matters—that thing we call real life. Judging by the number of locals I encountered over the course of my night, however, it seems that I am not the only one in Poughkeepsie that enjoys a libation or two on “hump day.” Since it’s said that you can’t really be an alcoholic until you leave college—and because I seem to perpetually find myself on the path to Wednesday-night inebriation—I finally decided to spend an evening immersed in the truly enigmatic bar scene of downtown Poughkeepsie. And, seeing as my experience drinking in Poughkeepsie has been limited to afternoon drinks at Babycakes and foggy nights at The Dubliner and The Dutch Cabin, I decided to check out the “riverfront district” and really get into the nitty-gritty of drunk Po-Town.

The plan that my co-conspirators and I initially hatched was to hit five bars. We’d start at The Mad Hatter—which is next to the Bardavon on Market Street—and then work our way to the river, stopping at The Derby, Spanky’s and Mahoney’s. We planned to finish our trek at the fairly-hidden and relatively-unknown River Station. Of course, like most of my plans, this one was subject to many spur-of-the-moment transformations.

The Mad Hatter After parking the designated driver’s car by the train station, we walked all the way back uphill to The Mad Hatter on Market Street, all the while wondering why more Vassar students don’t come into downtown Poughkeepsie for these sorts of evenings—it’s a great way to get away from the repetitive party scene of Vassar.

In saying this, however, we already had the answer to our question—it really can be uncomfortable walking the streets of Poughkeepsie at night. It’s not that it feels dangerous, we agreed; it’s more that it doesn’t feel like a place for having fun. Why did we feel that way, though?

We all agreed that Poughkeepsie has so much promise. It almost seems like we live in a little European town after World War II—so much around us is harsh and uneasy, and yet a few wonderful beacons shine through as reminders of how good things used to be and how good they could be in the future. The present cityscape, however, is not a full actualization of the city’s potential. At this point of the walk, we looked to our left and right across Main Street and realized that we were standing next to a nursing home and across the street from a senior center. Collectively, these were the two buildings that took up most of the block on either side. It’s not that I have anything against old people, but the fact that these two buildings were protruding onto the sidewalk, forcing their unadorned splotchy brick presence upon anyone that walked by, suggested why Vassar students might stay closer to campus. Too many things are sucking away at the life of downtown with not enough to provide a spirit that might counteract this drain.

The slightly depressing bent of our conversation was only compounded when we arrived at the Mad Hatter, which was decidedly closed. It seems this dignified establishment (its slogan: “Where beautiful people go to get ugly!”) is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

No respect for midweek drinking.

Herein lies the first transformation of the aforementioned plan. Instead of stopping at the top of the hill and stumbling our way down to the bars by the river, we would do all our drinking at the same elevation, in the bars around the train station. Plodding back downhill, our spirits were actually pretty light despite the cold.

We never we had a good night was ahead of us, and we exchanged constant friendly banter as we traipsed back downhill. And this is what I would like anyone who made it through that rant to take away: Despite the apprehension that every Vassar student—myself included—seems to hold towards the notion of “Poughkeepsie,” it can’t hurt to explore some new digs in the company of good friends.

The Derby The Derby, on the corner of Main and South Clover, was the first place on our list that we were actually able to explore. The Derby is a

combination jazz club and restaurant, with the two sections separated by a wooden divide. If you go there for food, you won’t be disappointed—I peeked on the plates of some people sitting nearby and saw some big sandwiches, a nice looking fillet mignon and, my personal favorite, double fried fries—but we were there for the drinks. The Derby has a pretty good beer selection with a lot on tap, including some seasonal and local beers. If they still have it when you go, I recommend the Brooklyn Winter Ale, which is very malty in a “put hair on your chest, no fruity beers allowed” type of way. One point against The Derby, however, is that its drinks just aren’t the cheapest, and as my entire group was on the “I’ll starve if I don’t save a few bucks for tomorrow’s groceries” budget, we decided to leave after a few drinks. We concluded unanimously that The Derby deserves a rating of three and a half bowler hats.

Spanky’s We dodged cars to cross the street and entered Spanky’s, a Creole-themed restaurant and bar, where the owner informed me that he desperately wants Vassar students to start coming to his bar, which offers some pretty good drink deals on weekends. Two of my friends opted for the tempting Voodoo Martini, but I played it safe with some Bass on draught. After a few pints, my appetite and lowered inhibitions got the best of my wallet, and I ordered a small appetizer dish: spicy crawfish over rice. Something about the dish didn’t sit so well in my bulging stomach. Maybe it has something to do with my ravenously consuming it in under a minute, but it could also be that these shellfish most likely made their way here from the Gulf of Mexico in a truck. We were extensively entertained during our stay, however, by Little Sinatra—a puppeteer with a scarily good impression of the Rat Pack’s leader. We sang together as we walked out the door and decided that Spanky’s deserves a rating of seven little shrimp.

River Station Our third outing was, once again, a departure from the original plan of attack. We reasoned that Mahoney’s was probably best left for last, as the crowd would probably be more, well, exuberant later in the evening. So we marched past the train station to the hole-in-the-wall River Station. Stepping through the door here was pretty arresting. This place might be where you go to have a drink if you really don’t have anywhere else to go. Seven TVs all played the

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same channel, although no one was watching, and most people at the bar sat looking into their glasses. We noisily made our way to a booth and soon noticed that the bar had a surprisingly large selection of beers to choose from. Again, however, I played it safe for the sake of my queasy stomach and ordered the ginger ale of the beer world, a Blue Moon. At this point in the night, my memory begins to get a little foggy. I do recall that our conversation turned to topics that are best not published. I can assure you that while our boisterousness resulted in a wonderful hour for the four of us, the couple next to us trying to enjoy their evening was less than pleased. We soon stumbled out of the door, with the group verdict that River Station deserved twelve and a half empty pint glasses, including a half-eaten PB&J thrown in there.

Mahoney’s I am sorry to say that at this point my memory of the night faded and all I have to report about our time at Mahoney’s are the few legible notes that I can read in my notepad, which I will now transcribe: Bouncer is the biggest man I’ve ever seen—has a creepy lazy eye, but the cheesecake he’s eating looks DAMN good.

Who the fuck would pay $6 for a shot of Canadian Club?

There are more Marist students here than our entire senior class.

Strange that even though I spent a night here for Meet Me in Poughkeepsie, I never saw this because we were kept in that concrete room.

Stomach hurts, bathrooms are nice.

Mahoney’s chili—never try again.

Bearded man says he killed a shark in Miami last week—I can tell in his eyes he’s lying.

Overall rating—26 three-leaf clovers.

And there you have it, folks: a pub crawl through downtown Poughkeepsie. In keeping with the tradition of Scottish drinking, I got far too drunk to write a coherent article and for that reason would enthusiastically recommend exploring the area around the train station to anyone with a sense of adventure. I assure you that if you go with friends you will have more than a good time, and you may meet some new people, too. As an aside, the ratings above are entirely subjective and do not reflect the views of The Miscellany News or Vassar College.

FEATURES

December 3, 2009

Page 7

Risotto, short ribs warm up a frosty winter afternoon Nate Silver

I

Columnist

Matt Baron for The Miscellany News

t’s no coincidence that on the morning of the first frost I decided to prepare a hearty risotto for lunch. I know few things that warm up the soul on a chilly day as well as this creamy, authentic Italian rice dish. Risotto is one of the first dishes I learned to make (as a 13-year-old boy in an Italian cooking class standing among a dozen middle-aged women), and, though it may come with a hefty price tag at fancy restaurants, it’s very inexpensive to prepare and is a fantastic addition to anyone’s culinary memory bank.

Unlike most rice dishes, which involve adding rice to hot water or broth and letting it simmer until cooked, risotto is made by adding hot stock to the rice and stirring constantly. The stirring is crucial— try not stirring if you don’t believe me—because risotto is made with high-starch, short-grain rice, and the movement is what releases the starch and allows the risotto to become thick and creamy. Short-grain rice also absorbs liquid more easily than long-grain rice, which is another reason it creates the most velvety risotto. The most popular and easiest to find variety of good risotto rice in America is Arborio, though many chefs prefer to use Carnaroli.

Similar to polenta (if you’ve been a frequent reader), risotto should be viewed as a blank canvas on top of which to let loose. Beginning with a simple recipe of butter, shallots, rice and stock, you can really take your risotto in infinite directions. The idea to pair it with braised short ribs didn’t come to me until I was perusing the meat coolers at Adams and they caught my eye. I decided to make something braised. To braise means to cook using a combination of dry heat (think sear or sauté) and moist heat (think poach or steam).

Short ribs present a fascinating example of gastronomic trendiness, as until the early ’90s they were seen as undesirable and rarely eaten. Because they were so cheap, many chefs decided to buy them to experiment with and began to put them on their menus. Of course, they were delicious, became hugely popular and the price rose dramatically (though they are still available for a mere $5 or $7 per pound).

Today, short ribs are a relatively common item on restaurant menus, often put inside ravioli, barbequed, grilled or braised. If you’re an aspiring butcher, you should know that short ribs are cut from right behind the chuck, about halfway along the back of the beef. Most people are probably more familiar with the equivalent cut on a pig: spare ribs.

I want to return to braising for a quick moment, because I do find it to be an exceptionally delicious way to prepare many dishes. Searing a meat at a high temperature and then adding liquid and reducing the heat to low and continuing to cook for a couple of hours (as is the basic braising formula), does wonders to tenderize tougher cuts of meat—anyone who has prepared a pot roast knows what I mean.

Because short ribs have a large amount of tough connective tissue, braising is a great way to cook them because the slowly simmering liquid breaks this tissue down. I’m sure that in an upcoming column I’ll find a cost-effective way to prepare osso bucco (braised veal shank), my absolute favorite braised meal.

But enough about meat. It goes without saying— but I shall say it anyway—that I created this recipe with the intention of making it easy to transform into a vegetarian dish by not preparing the short ribs. The roasted vegetables provide enough depth and flavor to make the risotto completely satisfying on its own. I really just grabbed a few winter vegetables—squash, parsnips, turnips—but a horde of other vegetables would be delicious if added to the mix—such as beets, sweet potatoes, celeriac or carrots. You could also replace the butternut squash with any other winter squash, and adding mushrooms, fennel, peppers, asparagus or fresh peas to the risotto would make a wonderful meal.

Risotto with Roasted Winter Vegetables »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »»

1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 shallot, finely chopped 4 T butter 3 T olive oil 2 c. Arborio rice 5 c. vegetable stock 1/2 c. parmesan cheese Salt and pepper, to taste 2 turnips, diced 2 parsnips, diced 1 butternut squash, diced

1. Mix the turnips, parsnips, and squash with half of the oil and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a sheet tray and roast

2.

3.

4.

5.

in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until they are brown and tender.

Heat half of the butter and the rest of the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.

Sauté the onions, garlic, and shallots for 5-7 minutes until they are translucent.

Add the risotto and toast in the olive oil for 3 minutes.

Slowly add a couple ladle-fuls of hot stock to the rice (it’s important that the stock is heated in a pot on the stove, and not added at room temperature). Stir well.

When the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid, add more stock. Continue to stir constantly, adding more stock as

Braised Beef Short Ribs »» 1.5 lb short ribs, cut into individual ribs »» 1 T salt »» 1/2 t. garlic powder »» 1/2 t. chili powder »» 1 t. Italian seasoning »» 1 t. black pepper »» 2 T olive oil »» 1 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes »» 1 onion, roughly diced »» 1 carrot, roughly diced »» 1 stalk celery, roughly diced »» 1 clove garlic, chopped »» 3 T Worcestershire sauce »» 1 T soy sauce »» 3 T brown sugar »» Water 1. Combine the salt, garlic powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper.

2. Rub the spice mixture on all sides of the ribs.

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot with a

lid over medium-high heat.

4. Sear the short ribs on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side until it is golden brown all over.

5. Add the diced vegetables and let them sauté for a couple of minutes.

6. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar to the pot. Add enough water to cover the short ribs.

7. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and slowly simmer for 3 hours, until the meat has almost completely separated from the bone.

8. When done, remove the short ribs and set aside. When they have cooled slightly, shred the meat using two forks, so that it ends up in tender strips.

9. While the meat is resting, turn the heat back up on the pot and reduce the braising liquid into thick sauce.

10. Spoon some of the sauce on top of the short ribs to serve.

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

the liquid in the rice gets absorbed. Risotto should take about 20 minutes to get al dente and 2 cups of rice should use just about all of the 5 cups of stock to cook fully. When the risotto reaches the desired consistency (I prefer mine to be a bit loose, like oatmeal) taste it to adjust seasoning.

6. Finish the risotto by adding the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese.

7. Stir in half of the roasted vegetables, reserving half to serve on top.

8. Finish the dish by topping with more vegetables, some shredded short ribs and some mixed greens, tossed lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Grocery List Vegetable Stock Butternut Squash Parsnips Turnips Onion Shallot Beef Short Ribs Arborio Rice Mesclun 1 can crushed tomatoes

$2.99 $1.35 $1.55 $0.75 $0.81 $0.50 $6.70 $2.99 $1.05 $0.99

Total

$19.69

Products purchased at: Adams Fairacre Farms 765 Dutchess Turnpike Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 (845) 454-4330

Page 8

FEATURES

December 3, 2009

College expands insurance Discussion of senior-year coverage for its subscribers requirements to continue HEALTH continued from page 5 That is the single most important difference.”

The second major coverage increase is in the way the plan deals with prescription drugs. According to Balawajder, “The previous plan had no prescription drug benefits. But the change in the plan now that students have a prescription card means that they have a co-pay [at the pharmacy].”

Balawajder believes this is an improvement over the previous program, and now students obtaining coverage from Gallagher Koster through Vassar will have access to a wider variety of medications, and be responsible for only a small co-pay at the pharmacy, usually no more than $20 for a $90 drug.

Balawajder emphasized a third change that she considers an improvement to the student health insurance plan: referrals to outside specialists.

Before this semester, “there was quite a large cost if we referred people out to specialists. Now it’s really nice that we can refer people to specialists with practically no cost to the student. So they really do have access to some of the best care in Dutchess County” said Balawajder.

Health Services is able to refer students to specialists because Vassar’s student health insurance is now part of a “preferred provider” system called MultiPlan in which care from “in-network providers” is completely covered.

An in-network provider is a hospital, physician or specialist that agrees to accept a given insurance plan, so that students who are referred to their services will not be required to pay anything. When a student is referred to a provider who is “out-of-network,” the Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan will pay for 80 percent of the fees.

According to Balawajder, the shift in coverage appears not to have affected Baldwin’s operations, except that now “we’re writing more prescriptions and referring more people out to specialists.”

Student Experiences and Rationale Behind the Shift Five years ago Vassar conducted a review of its insurance coverage “and selected Koster— now Gallagher Koster—as the broker,” said Eismeier. She continued, “We recognized the limits of the past policy” and developed ways “to make sure that the student policy had higher limits and broader coverage.”

Part of the decision came from a review of the coverage at Vassar’s peer institutions. The New York State Council on Independent Colleges and Universities recommended Gallagher Koster to the College because it is the most favored insurance company for its member colleges and is considered a “high quality and cost effective” insurance carrier, according to Eismeier.

Balawajder praises Gallagher Koster for its accessibility to students and believes that may be part of the reason why it is so preferable for independent colleges such as Vassar. The company has a website (gallagherkoster.com) dedicated to Vassar’s plan in particular. It includes a “Frequently Asked Questions” section and a variety of resources and documents for help filing claims and understanding what procedures and medications are and are not covered by the plan.

However, that didn’t mean that students are always satisfied with their coverage. Last year Mandana Nakhai ’10 underwent a minor medical procedure with an off-campus provider,and she described her experience with Vassar’s insurance plan as “underwhelming.” Nakhai attempted to pay for the procedure using her student health insurance card, but received a confusing response from the specialist she saw.

“I got a call from the people at the doctor’s office off campus, and they said that Vassar’s insurance might not cover it and that I wouldn’t find out until afterwards,” said Nakhai. “It was a small procedure, but the hospital bills would have been huge.”

Nakhai, who is also enrolled as a dependent on her mother’s insurance through the University of Arizona was able to pay for the procedure with the University of Arizona in-

surance. Without her secondary plan, “I guess I just would have had to pay for it myself,” said Nakhai.

Nakhai has not had any problems with Vassar’s Gallagher Koster plan this year, although she admitted that this year she hasn’t required medical care the way she did the previous year.

Whether it’s an improvement, Nakhai wasn’t able to say, but she doesn’t consider it worse than last year’s coverage.

Every spring the office of Risk Management and Insurance—a subset of the office of Finance and Administration—meets to decide either to renew or to amend the insurance Vassar offers. The office of Risk Management and Insurance works with Health Services, Student Accounts, and the Benefits Manager in Human Resources to review the plan.

Additionally, according to Eismeier, the most recent changes to the coverage were decided in conjunction with the Dean of the College, the Dean of Students, and the Assistant Dean and Director of International Programs. When the committee met last spring, it decided to up Vassar’s revised coverage in part because of in-network issues like Nakhai’s in the spring of 2009.

The Role of Health Services Balawajder is the first to admit that the “world of insurance” is confusing and pointed out that part of why Baldwin Health Services exists is to work with students and insurance companies and help explain how it works to students.

We walk students through what health insurance is because [students] are health care consumers—but also health care learners—and this is part of an education.”

One of the primary health concerns for undergraduates is the fact that “unexpected things can happen, and they do happen,” said Balawajder. “The thing is about student health service is that we also try and educate students about what insurance means and how to work it.”

Health Services will provide students with guidance and aid filling out forms and learning how to make a claim, regardless of whether a student is enrolled in the Vassar plan or not.

When a student visits Baldwin and care is provided without aid from an outside provider—such as a specialist or hospital—the student incurs no fee. Students pay an annual health care fee to the College regardless of insurance enrollment, which goes toward care at Baldwin. Payment for medical treatment only becomes more complex when a student requires the joint care of Baldwin and an outside provider.

For example, suppose a student requires a blood test. The staff at Baldwin can collect the actual blood sample, but it then sends the sample to an outside lab for testing.

For a student on the Vassar insurance plan, all fees are covered, and the student will never see a bill for this service. Alternatively, a student covered under her home insurance plan will receive a bill for that service and will be responsible for filing a claim with her insurance company.

MAJORS continued from page 5 may not be eligible for honors,” he said. “I think people usually know right away if it’s something they want to do,” he continued.

“We usually ask our students to begin thinking about their thesis topic in the junior year.”

Mandana Nakhai ’10, a political science major who opted to write a thesis, said, “In some ways, it’s definitely more of a conceptual challenge than anything.” She continued, “Even as an undergrad just being able to work one on one with a faculty member and get a lot further into something than you would otherwise.”

“It’s kind of a nice thing just to do a thesis in general because you’re opting to complete this thing by yourself and coming up with it by yourself,” said Luke Stern ’10, an urban studies major. Stern, however, is happy with his decision to work on a senior project involving photography in Poughkeepsie rather than an extended written thesis. “Being able to hold something at the end of the year was important to me [when deciding to do a senior project],” he said. “And it’s nice to be able to show other people that. You know, you can’t really hand people a 40-page paper and be like, ‘check it out.’”

“I have a personal belief in the value of culminating experiences for seniors, as a way of helping students bring together the threads of their learning and prepare for the transition to post-graduation pursuits,” wrote Chenette.

“This seems particularly valuable at an institution like Vassar with relatively few requirements and a deep commitment to cultivating students’ independent creative and research capacities.”

Associate Professor of English Tyrone Simpson, who also sits on CCP, added that some might argue that an optional thesis or project was consistent with the openness of Vassar’s curriculum, though he fully supported a wide rand of projects. “[With] a liberal arts curriculum, one of the attractive features to students is its flexibility,” he said. “I think there is an interest on the part of the faculty as well as students to provide more flexibility as to what the culminating project could and would be.” One potential concern as departments move to making theses optional is its potential effect on other departments.

“I think there is a conception in the student mind—I may be wrong about it—that some

Lessons Larger than the College “Some people say that student health insurance is a good model, in some sense, for health care systems” said Balawajder, “because you have a good primary care service and easy access to appointment times, and then a good referral when necessary.” Despite any complaint Vassar students may have with Health Services, students are more likely to see medical staff more quickly at school than at home.

Getting an appointment at Baldwin is often easier than it would be to get an appointment with a primary care doctor outside of the College. Balawajder continued, “One of the things you have to realize is that the student health service really provides students with easy access to care.”

Balawajder considers the plan likewise cost –effective. “By having a sort of primary provider group [at Baldwin], that really lowers costs by having skilled staff who know where to make the referral that also cuts down on cost if you’re talking about health insurance costs, and also if you’re talking about good practice.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

students choose the path of least difficulty, so there might be the perception if most departments do not have the thesis requirement and your department does, you might discourage students from becoming a major,” said Zhou.

“There is a concern about the extent to which a thesis requirement may make majors or programs more attractive or less attractive based on that requirement, because students may enjoy the freedom of doing something more creative,” said Simpson. “So it definitely has something to do with producing majors, and sustaining majors, and retaining majors, and matriculating majors.”

However, in some departments, such as Classics, the thesis addresses disciplinary concerns and is therefore pedagogically indespensable. “I don’t think there’s any chance that we’re going to stop having some kind of senior requirement, some kind of capstone experience,” said Lott. “It’s hard for us to think that someone is well-trained in classics without that experience of putting their ideas and their conclusions down in the kind of writing we do as a discipline.”

Discussions about the goals of a senior year experience and the best way to achieve them are ongoing. Departments will be asked to consider their respective approaches in a set of questions included in the self-evaluation process. “This discussion at CCP took place on the same day we were considering questions to ask departments and programs to address when they undertake periodic self-studies and external reviews,” wrote Chenette. While CCP has yet to respond to Philosophy’s proposal, the question for all departmens that came from this discussion was: “Please describe the senior experience for your majors (i.e. thesis, project, seminar) and its relation to the major curriculum and to students’ lives after Vassar.

If you have no required senior capstone experience, please explain your thoughts about the way your majors experience their senior year in the major as summation and preparation.”

The discussion continues about the best way for senior year requirements to provide structure as well as room for creative, intellectual thought. “Every year it works substantially well for most of our students,” Narayan said. “The value of the thesis, when it is realized, is for a student to work on something they had a gleam in their eye about.”

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December 3, 2009

OPINIONS

Commentary on recent endorsement by the VSA: To learn more about the letter debated by the Council and Campus Solidarity Working Group, see “Amidst controversy, VSA endorses memorandum about Nichols’ letter” on page one.

Council’s endorsement of letter inappropriate and capricious Boyd Gardner

A

Guest Columnist

t the Nov. 22 Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council meeting, I was one of six student representatives to vote against the VSA’s proposed endorsement of a letter written by several faculty members, that was presented for endorsement by the Campus Solidarity Working Group. I’ll preface this by saying that I am not, in fact, an actual member of the VSA Council; rather, I attended the meeting as a proxy representative for Main House President Maureen Byrne ’11.

I had several reasons for voting not to endorse the letter. First and foremost, I was unconvinced that any members of the VSA Council had made a good faith effort to seek the opinions of their constituents in regard to the issues raised in the letter. It is the job of every member of the council, especially house and class presidents, to act as representatives of their constituents, and I felt that not enough work had been done for me, or anyone else, to endorse the letter that night. To make matters worse, the letter went beyond an expression of sentiment, and closed with an “operative clause” that essentially called for the Board of Trustees to force a halt to all contract cancellations and involuntary terminations. The significance of this section of the letter cannot be overstated, as a VSA endorsement of the letter would indicate that VSA policy seeks to tie the hands of our administrators in a time of unprecedented global economic crisis. For the VSA to endorse such strong language, I believed that a massive effort to determine student opinion should be undertaken. I remembered last year’s debate surrounding the VSA’s resolution supporting the Kick Coke campaign’s goal of banning Coca Cola products from campus, and how poorly represented I felt when I learned that both my house and my class presidents had voted without attempting to solicit my opinion.

Second, Vice President for Operations Brian Farkas ’10 highlighted several rather serious factual errors with the letter. It made a questionable comparison of Vassar’s lack of a full-time Islamic studies professor to peer institutions, misspelled the President of the College’s name, and frequently confused the words “operating budget” and “endowment.” This last area of

confusion was so significant, particularly in a discussion about the College’s financial health, that it raised serious doubts about the letter’s overall integrity and factual basis. I believed that it would be inappropriate for the VSA to endorse a document of questionable integrity, and so I voted no.

Third, I found that the approach the Working Group took to bring the letter through to endorsement by the VSA Council was unnecessarily antagonistic. The representatives stated throughout the three-hour debate that if the VSA wished to take action, the letter would have to be endorsed before its release on Wednesday, Nov. 25. This became a major point of contention, especially as several VSA Council members began to explore the possibility of drafting a stronger letter within the VSA that would be more representative of student opinion. The Working Group representatives all assured the Council that the Wednesday release date was set in stone (although it was later revealed that this was not, in fact, the correct date). I found the all-or-nothing approach of the Working Group to be troubling, especially coming from an organization that purportedly encourages community dialogue.

The VSA’s recent memorandum, which explains the context of the letter and seeks to address the factual errors contained in it, is a significant improvement. However, it does not address the underlying, fundamental disconnect that exists between house and class presidents and their constituents, and the unanimous vote to endorse the memorandum further demonstrates the capriciousness of many house and class presidents. The VSA Council should learn from this experience, and should remember that they are not in office to make shoot-fromthe-hip decisions on critical campus issues.

I still have faith in the ability of the VSA Council to act as a positive force to focus and project student voice on campus, just as I have faith in dedicated groups, such as the Working Group, to promote important debates on campus. My hope is that the VSA Council will act more responsibly in the future.

—Boyd Gardner ’12 is the Main House Vice President and served as a proxy representative during the Nov. 22 VSA Council Meeting.

Page 9

A defense of the endorsement: letter’s sentiment incontestable Riley Greene

T

Guest Columnist

wo Sundays ago, the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council voted in favor of endorsing a letter, written by faculty and presented by The Campus Solidarity Working Group, that spoke out both generally and specifically against the recent round of curricular and faculty cuts. The decision to endorse the letter was very controversial, and the resultant reaction from the student body reflects this contention.

As a Council member who voted in favor of the endorsement, I want to take a minute (or a column, I suppose) to speak about my decision.

First and foremost, the ideals of the letter are, in my opinion, incontestable. That we, the students of this college, cherish and respect our diverse and unique curriculum and the faculty that create and share such a curriculum, is beyond doubt. That we are affected, frustrated and saddened by the cuts of these classes and professors is certain. The letter embodies these sentiments fully, and takes brave and direct steps to articulate and convey them to the people who are charged with weighing the wants and needs of our community, and making decisions accordingly. I know, however, that while few people take issue with the sentiment of the letter, many are concerned with its substance, and, further, with Council’s apparent disregard for those substantive flaws.

The specific cuts critiqued in the letter have been called misleading, in that they are not presented in the context or process in which the decisions were made. I would think, though, that in an effort to contend certain decisions, citing the logic that produced them would be counter-productive and self-defeating. Furthermore, the decisions critiqued represent ones that, in the process of being made, were debated, and therefore are undoubtedly imperfect and genuinely problematic. More importantly, the terms of the debate around “fact-checking,” or the lack thereof, have taken on a very narrow definition that is limited and troublesome.

Critics of the letter and Council’s endorsement apply their critical thinking directly to the letter in question, but seemingly not to the source that is the “fact-checker,” namely the administration and the decision-making process that led to these choices. This critique denies the reality of existing alternatives to decisions that have been made, and creates a singular idea of the legitimate source—the very source of all of the controversial decisions. This one-way street of information is also a contributing factor to the few total inaccuracies of the letter.

That the very faculty (and students) directly affected by these decisions do not and can not know exactly what is happening to them until after it has happened reveals a disturbing lack of communication on all levels of this school.

These justifications, however, come in hindsight of council’s decision, and I would like to make another point regarding my positive vote and the supposed substantive flaws that was at play during the decision.

As a student representative, I view my role on Council as one of advocacy, not policing.

With that understanding, I would like to think that rather than skepticism, cynicism and suspicion, Council should greet student initiatives like that presented by the Working Group with respect, admiration and trust. As student representatives, we do not govern this college; rather, we represent student wants to those that do. In that capacity we have room, and perhaps even mandate, not to be well-behaved reiterations of top-down opinions, but rather a radical voice of student opinion.

Of course, I must defend my claim to be a student representative. A critique of council’s vote has been that constituents were not consulted before the vote was held. I will say first that, of course, my constituents’ opinions, just as my own, are varied and nuanced, so any decision I make on council, whether it be to fund an event or support a controversial letter, will never be supported by everyone I claim to represent. I regret, too, that I did not have time from when I received a copy of the letter to the council meeting to directly consult the people I represent. I know, however, that several council members did receive feedback on the letter, and so in their defense, I refute the claim that we were all acting without consultation directly regarding the letter. In my personal case as well, I was not acting without influence on the matter from those I represent. I have been in conversation with many of my neighbors and friends who are my constituents, and have heard expressions of frustration and anger regarding the cuts to the staff, the curriculum and faculty. I know many of my constituents to be members of The Working Group. Finally, the letter presented to us had at the time over 400, and now over 600, signatures from members of our community. At such a small school that number is significant, and said to me that our constituents had spoken. Fortunately, too, when I had a moment to share the letter and Council’s decision with members of my constituency, the feedback I received was mostly positive.

This brings me to a point where I must admit my own wariness of our endorsement. Many of my constituents were, justifiably, disappointed in the decision I had made. I was incredibly torn when I made that decision. There are more than two sides to every argument, and so to take a stand on such a controversial one is not easy. The controversy has thrown onto the table several overarching and pressing isSee COUNCIL on page 10

Solidarity Working Group must behave more professionally Angela Aiuto

M

Opinions Editor

embers of the Campus Solidarity Working Group have been catching a lot of flack this semester for criticizing the financial decisions of the College. The latest debate, sparked by the Vassar Student Administration’s (VSA) endorsement of a letter presented by the Working Group, is no different in this regard (“By a vote of 15 to 6, VSA endorses letter criticizing 2010-2011 curriculum plans,” 11.23.09).

While all students can agree or disagree with the Working Group’s specific goals, some members of the College community remain committed to questioning the right and ability of students to critique and challenge the financial decisions. As one anonymous commenter wrote on The Miscellany News’ website, “For those of

us who disagree with [the Working Group], we mostly want the group to be disbanded…The student body should just take action [through] the VSA (government), not the Working Group (union), and for the most part let the Senior Officers and Board of Trustees take the reigns on Vassar’s economy.” Another commenter, Aaron Biberstein ’06, put it more bluntly: “Stop making claims about the economy when you’re a SOPHOMORE.” While I personally don’t agree with all of the objectives listed on the Working Group’s list of demands, I feel they fill an important role on this campus in their criticisms of the College’s financial decisions. Students should absolutely support the faculty and workers who make their campus run, and are seemingly in a better position to do this than other actors in the college community. For example, such sup-

port of workers could hardly be expected of an administration that is more concerned with the economic rather than social consequences of their decisions. It can no more be expected of the student government that, while in theory representative of student opinion, works closely with administrators in a manner that may lead to the adoption of similar views. Simply put, student organizations like the Working Group focus our attention on legitimate issues that otherwise might go unaddressed. For that reason alone we should celebrate their presence, regardless of whether we agree with their specific politics.

At the same time, the Working Group should really anticipate criticisms—that they are unqualified, self-interested or manipulated by outside parties—that attempt to invalidate their positions and goals. This is simply a fact of sup-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

porting a cause that is, for whatever reason, generally unpopular. However, the way for the Working Group to combat these criticisms is not simply to vehemently deny their veracity, but rather to act more professionally.

In a climate where students are already suspicious or even dismissive of their intentions, tactics and objectives, it was downright foolish for the Working Group to present Judith Nichols’ letter for the VSA’s endorsement. While the intention was pure—to support faculty members and preserve the integrity of Vassar’s academics—the errors present in the piece detract from the legitimacy of the letter’s concerns.

For example, the confusion of the terms “operating budget” and “endowment” demonstrates a lack of understanding about the College’s finances See CSWG on page 11

Page 10

OPINIONS

Letter: Greek advocates argue case poorly F

rom the opening sentence of the recent column, “Greek life will not threaten character of College” (11.19.09), it is apparent that a rhetorical collapse is already underway: “We are writing this piece not to advocate the creation of a Greek system at Vassar, but rather to inform and open the minds of Vassar students to the notion that fraternities and sororities are not necessarily a detrimental presence on campus.” Whence the desire to “inform and open the minds of Vassar students” to such a “notion,” however, if not “to advocate the creation of a Greek system?” Inauspiciously, the first half of the piece busies itself with refuting stereotypical characterizations of fraternities and sororities. Instead, the reader is asked to consider an admirably Arcadian portrait of the ideal Vassar Greek system (guaranteed to be free of hazing, “discrimination” and “morally questionable” admittance requirements) that we have already been assured is not “necessarily” the authors’ wish to promote.

Thus assuaged, we read on to learn that there may be a favorable correlation between Greek participation and our chances of future employment in “the nation’s largest corporations,” those Holy Grails for so many Vassar diploma-holders. Greek life also comes recommended by fraternities’ and sororities’ dedication to their communities. “For example, the sorority Alpha Sigma Tau is well known for its participation in Habitat for Humanity.” I, personally, was unacquainted with Alpha Sigma Tau and their reputation of service. I am, however, familiar with the Vassar chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which perennially maintains a robust presence on campus and contributes materially to the communities its members serve, all while remaining unaffiliated with Alpha Sigma Tau or any other Greek organization.

The promise of the piece’s title—“Greek life will not threaten character of College”—is not convincingly demonstrated. The better question, left unaddressed until more than halfway through the piece, is in what ways Greek life might enhance the character of the College or the lives of those participating in it beyond potentially

expanding community service opportunities or advantaging graduates in the job market. “We feel that this is something that is missing from students’ time at Vassar,” the authors write, without identifying who these “students” might be or what this “something” is (although, in fairness, something about “bonds of friendship” not being as strong or enduring as they could be is glancingly alluded to).

Most unsuccessful of all, however, is the authors’ attempt to enlist notions of “diversity” to bolster their argument. I write “notions” because two are in fact presented here, and they are in competition with each other. On one hand, “diversity,” we are promised, is to be enshrined in any hypothetical Greek organization. Easily done; many organizations on campus explicitly encourage and achieve diversity in their memberships. On the other hand, students clamoring for Greek life are construed as a unique constituency on campus, asking—under the banner of “diversity—to “pursue” the Greek “experience” unimpeded. This last definition tautologically attempts to commandeer an understanding of diversity that is based on the very traits (“sexual orientation, religion, financial standing or physical characteristics”) that the advocates for Greek life claim will be celebrated within their own ranks. Those diverse ranks are, however, only identified by a shared feeling that “something...is missing.”

Neither existential emptiness nor a penchant for Greek life that might sooth it contribute to my understanding of “diversity.” In fact, the Greek systems the authors envision are, gladly, so open and inclusive it is difficult to determine what cohering “values,” beliefs or personal characteristics the members of these hypothetical organizations might share, other than being in Poughkeepsie at the same time. Providentially, the “Greek life [that] will not threaten [the] character of [the] College” and that is not “necessarily” “advocate[d]” for by the authors of the piece in question reminds me of an organization already in existence: Vassar College.

—Rich Bellis ’10

Despite accusations, health care reform plan is fiscally responsible T

he health care debate is almost over in this country, and, boy, have I got some news for you.

The political discourse started with throngs of people believing that the government was going to take over your health care. The teabaggers believed that the Republicans were the only thing standing in the way of President Barack Obama replacing their beloved health care system with government doctors. There was the fear that the President was going to force socialized medicine down our throats.

When it was finally explained what the public option was—not socialism, but merely choice and competition in the health care market—the debate turned to whether or not this was going to mean health care would be rationed. According to the Republicans, if the government was going to play a part in health care, this meant that the government was going to distribute care and decide who lives and who dies. Enter Sarah Palin, who introduced the false idea of “death panels” into the public discourse.

The Democrats eventually shot down her claims, pointing out that health care is already rationed by insurance companies and that under a government plan, profit would never be a reason to deny care to the sick.

After that there were fears of sex clinics, fears that the government would drive private health providers out of business, fears that the U.S. health care system would suddenly collapse because of a public option. “Do we really want France’s health care system?” conservatives asked, until it was pointed out to them that France’s health care system is routinely ranked among the best in the world, if not the best.

The only problem remaining was the debate about cutting costs­—a debate that I think is vital to the financial security of our republic. If we let federal spending spiral out of control, as we have with defense spending, it could cause further disaster for the dollar and mean that investors may not want to invest in the United States. It’s a legitimate fear­—far more real than the idea that Obama is going to use health care as platform to turn the United States into a Communist paradise.

In fact, the moderates who will filibuster cite increasing federal spending as a reason for blocking health care reform—Senator Joe Lieberman, an Independent from Connecticut, in fact said, “I am really worried about what

this could do to the deficit.” Opponents of the health care bill could use this bogeyman of increased federal spending to sway Blue Dog Democrats who are concerned about rising taxes on the rich to stall health care reform indefinitely. But now comes the news from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that the Senate health care bill will cost $849 billion over the next decade. That may seem like a large number, but it pales in comparison to the estimated $1 to $3 trillion we’re expected to have spent on the Iraq War mistake by the time we leave, according to The Economist, The Washington Post, and any other major news outlet.

Think about this: We have the largest military budget in the world. Now, I’m not someone who is opposed to having a military. I’m someone who believe the United States does need to have the strongest military in the world. I think we should be a leader in international politics, stop genocide, and provide an example for other democracies. However, we don’t need to spend more on arms than almost everyone else in the world combined­ —which we currently do. And one of the reasons for this is that it only increases the deficit—something that Republicans usually go mental about at every turn.

Here’s the thing: Unlike wars waged in Afghanistan or Iraq, the Senate health care bill is planned to reduce the deficit over the next ten years. That’s right. The health care bill will reduce the deficit over $200 billion over the next ten years, and $600 billion after that.

We have a bill that includes a public option, not socialism, or anything remotely close to it. This bill is going to bring the United States into the real world where the government provides for its citizens. But most importantly, it’s fiscally responsible according to the CBO— and once you sideline fears of the Soviet Socialist State of America and death panels, increased federal spending is still the foremost intellectual argument against health care reform.

The sad thing is, even though that argument no longer holds water, expect that it will still dominate the debate over the coming weeks. Logical abilities are not yet a requirement to serve in the Senate.

—Steve Keller ’11 is a political science major editorializing on American politics this semester.

December 3, 2009

Letter: With already existing organizations, Greek life an unneeded campus presence F acebook has been the forum of a vicious back and forth over whether or not to establish Greek life at Vassar. While Vassar students passionately fighting over a new issue is not surprising, I was shocked by the blatant reliance on stereotypes to bash the Greek system. While we do not have a Greek life, we should be able to discern that modern fraternities and sororities are not how the media portrays them in “Animal House” or ABC Family’s “Greek.” In order to have an intellectual discussion about this issue, we must put aside stereotypes and focus on one question: Would Greek life fulfill an important and necessary function on campus, or is it a redundant and unnecessary system that detracts from existing organizations?

I must admit, when I first saw the Facebook group advocating the creation of a Greek organization, I was excited. I was open to joining a sorority once I came to college; half of my family were members of Greek organizations. However, the more I looked into the realities of a Greek organization here, the less right it seemed to be for Vassar.

My first concern was that two fraternity organizations were selected by a couple of people, not by everyone interested. Choosing a fraternity or sorority is about selecting a personal fit—choosing a house with people of similar values. In order for a Greek system (it can only exist as a system, not one or two houses) to thrive, you need not just one, but several choices that cater to the many different people and interests on campus. The Greek system gets support from fellow houses, and the choices offered by different houses gives the system enough members to continue. Two houses cannot offer each other enough support, attract enough members, and build a solid foundation on which to build a Greek system. Even if these two houses managed to successfully get started and led to the appearance of more houses on campus, the odds that Greek life would ever be a dominant part of campus life (as it needs to be to thrive) are highly unlikely. As of right now, there are not enough people to support such a variety, but I feel that in a community where everything is decided democratically (for the most part), this was a grave oversight on the part of the people organizing this movement to not put this choice to a vote.

Another oversight in choosing a fraternity for Greek life at Vassar was the dismissal of co-educational fraternities. With a community that strives for equality and neutrality between the sexes and advocates a gender spectrum rather than a binary, a co-ed fraternity would seem like a better fit for this campus. Separating the genders seems to break up people who want Greek life rath-

er than bond them together.

Vassar’s current social scene precludes the need for a Greek system.

In peer institutions with Greek systems, it is the major social institution; the Greek organizations host most major campus parties. Greek life is not meant to be a couple houses on the fringe of campus life, but at the center of the school’s social life. At Vassar, this mantle has already been taken up by the houses.

The dorms also create a community among their inhabitants, which takes away the supposed benefit of Greek organizations for bonding with people you live with. This makes Greek life at Vassar redundant and unnecessary.

The major pillars of most Greek organizations today are scholarship and philanthropy. Your academic strength will be shown not through the minimum academic requirement of one organization, but your transcript and any academic honors you receive upon graduating. As for philanthropy, there are several organizations on campus that allow you to be a part of the outside world and support a wide variety of causes.

Field work is also another way to be involved off-campus.

As stated in a previous article (“Debate about Greek life at Vassar erupts on Facebook,” 11.20.09), any Greek organization would need to register with the Vassar Student Association (VSA) in order to use most campus resources. With already over 130 organizations and more being proposed practically every day, the VSA is already strained when it comes to its financial and other resources. While the Greek organizations would be mostly supported by dues, they would likely need some start-up money that the VSA cannot currently provide.

The final major reason that has been stated for instituting Greek organizations is networking and finding a job. While Greek organizations do have extensive alumni networks, so do colleges. Graduating from Vassar is just as, if not more useful and a far less cynical way of having an impressive resume and making a connection to places of employment.

Networking can be done anywhere and anytime, and being amiable will probably take you a lot further than being Greek. A majority of people on campuses with Greek systems are not Greek and find jobs just as well. If you need help networking, the CDO can connect you to thousands of Vassar alums who are ready and willing to help give a fellow Vassar grad a leg up.

Everyone here has chosen Vassar for many reasons, and has stayed because they like it here.

We lack a Greek system not because of stereotypes, but because it is simply unnecessary here; more inclusive and open organizations on campus serve the same roles as See GREEK on page 12

Vote raises issues of student gov’t.

COUNCIL continued from page 9 sues facing Council and this campus. What is the nature of communication and decision-making at this College? How much influence does student government actually have, and what role should we play? I am quite proud of the Council, its supporters and critics, the Miscellany, the Working Group and others be-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

cause it finally seems that an issue has come before us that shakes our apathy and demands our action. In regard to the letter and its endorsement, critical, supportive and progressive action has now been taken.

—Riley Greene ’10 serves as President of the Town Houses on the VSA Council.

OPINIONS Reputation of Lathrop House is changing December 3, 2009

Page 11

Julia Nethero

Guest Columnist

E

What is your favorite way to procrastinate?

Image courtesy of Julia Nethero

very house on campus tends to have a reputation, whether it’s good or bad. Lathrop House’s reputation for the last few years has been the dirty, old and disgusting dorm where no one cares if you vomit in the hallway. One of the main goals of the Lathrop House Team this year is to change that reputation, starting by encouraging Lathrop residents to love and respect their dorm. Once the residents respect the dorm, they will help spread this sentiment throughout the College. As this incident described below demonstrates, this is starting to happen already.

Two weeks ago on a Saturday night, my friend and I returned to Lathrop a few minutes after midnight, upon which we found our “Get to know the house team” board partially ripped down. We, the Lathrop House Team, created this board during training week and spent a lot of time on it. It had pictures of all the house team members and a little blurb about each one of us. My friend and I observed that on the board and the walls around it, someone had written nonsensical phrases such as “I am, am, am a marsupial.” We walked down the hallway and saw more graffiti on the walls. The graffiti continued down the first-floor, south hallway up the stairs by the MPR and into the annex. In the annex, we found two students in the act of writing on the walls. One student was a Lathrop resident; the other was not. The students seemed unfazed by our presence, so we took the markers from them and called Security. The students ran away but we were able to identify them for Security.

While the students seemed to be in an altered state and had not written offensive or malicious things on the walls, their act of vandalism represented their lack of respect for

Lathrop residents have responded to recent graffiti by posting notes expressing their disappointment and anger on the House Team’s board and the walls on the first floor. the dorm. As a member of the house team, I was really upset by the incident because it ruined our artwork on the board, and also made the house look run-down and sloppy. Another issue for the College at large is that Lathrop is the dorm that prospective students tour when visiting Vassar. Not only did this incident trouble the residents of Lathrop, but it also makes the College look bad in the eyes of prospective students and their parents.

The next day, Lathrop President Alessandra Schmidt ’12 made a few signs to put over the graffiti in the lobby expressing frustration about the act of vandalism. She left markers and paper on the table in the lobby. When I returned with her later that day, residents of Lathrop House had written more signs ex-

pressing their support and respect for the dorm and the Lathrop House Team. Other signs expressed anger and disappointment toward those who had vandalized the dorm.

By expressing their feelings about the event and showing their respect and love for the house, Lathrop residents demonstrated that they would not allow people to vandalize and destroy our dorm. This incident represents a turning point for the reputation of Lathrop House. No longer will our dorm be the place people come to vomit; it is beginning to be treated and thought of as a real home for those who live in it.

“Watching movies”

Zach Joseph ’13

“Getting Nildas Cookies at the Retreat”

Sarah Bannan ’12

—Julia Nethero ’12 is on the Lathrop house team.

“Take an OK Cupid test online”

Despite intent, homophobic phrase offensive I

n October, the Queer Coalition of Vassar College (QCVC) made a series of posters, hung in the College Center, to generate publicity for the organization. The poster depicted two members of QCVC holding each other. One of these posters was stolen and hung on the wall of a group of Vassar students’ private, off-campus residence. The residents altered the poster with the phrase “NO HOMO,” which was clearly visible, larger than the poster’s original text. The image that was present on the poster with the added, dangerous phrase, changed the message of the poster entirely and straddled the line between critique and hate speech. The residents took the poster because they support QCVC and appreciated its design, the members depicted and the message conveyed. The poster was both a symbol of pride in queer identity and representative of a portion of the queer community at

Difficult to trust CSWG

Vassar. While poster theft is itself a problem at Vassar, the addition of offensive language is the truly problematic issue at hand.

The phrase “no homo” is a colloquialism meant to keep the speaker’s actions from being perceived as “queer” in nature. If two straight males were photographed in a manner approximating the design of the poster, one may comment “no homo” to indicate that his behavior was not homosexual in nature. This is the type of language typically used by people who are uncomfortable with queer culture, and those who would not be vocal in their support of an organization like QCVC. The residents viewed the addition of “no homo” to the poster as an implicit criticism of communities who would use that language in response to such a poster. Students do not expect to encounter phrases See QCVC on page 12

Sophie Chambers ’10

“Reading about quantum physics”

ADVERTISEMENT Erin Clarke ’11

CSWG continued from page 9 that suggests that the Working Group either has chosen not to or is otherwise unable to consider in any meaningful way the financial alternatives open to the College.

Now, while the Working Group itself obviously did not write the piece in question, if they themselves support it, have helped circulate it amongst members of the college community for signatures and hope to present it to the administration as a testament to the college community’s commitment to certain values, they had better ensure that the arguments presented are as legitimate as possible. To do any less simply implies that the Working Group is not as serious about effecting real change as they would have us believe.

Moreover, the manner in which the Working Group gained the VSA’s endorsement appeared to be plainly deceptive. While a member of the Working Group, Nathan Orians ’10, insists that the Working Group’s promotion of an incorrect release date was an honest mistake, I remain skeptical. How is it that several of the most active members of an organization can fail to remember such an important detail at such a convenient time? And again, even if it was an honest mistake, this still demonstrates a lapse of responsibility by the Working Group. If the letter was intended to be an important demonstration of the college community’s commitment to certain values—which it certainly was—the Working Group should have absolutely been sure of the release date.

It makes no sense for the Working Group to expect to be taken seriously by fellow students, the VSA and administrators if they refuse to carry out their actions in a manner that demonstrates that they take their own cause seriously. If they hope to actually legitimize their cause, they had better get their act together by getting the details under control.

“Filling out Visa applications for Junior Year Abroad”

Liz Pugh ’11, Davis Wang ’11

“Facebook”

Andres Astoa ’13 —Kelly Shortridge, Opinions Editor Joshua Rosen, Assistant Opinions Editor

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

OPINIONS December 3, 2009 U.S. should introduce service requirement Greek life fitting for some, but not Vassar Page 12

Joshua Rosen

Assistant Opinions Editor

I

n a letter written to Alexander Hamilton penned just after the Revolutionary War, George Washington opined that “every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his [sic] personal services to the defense of it.” More and more, I find myself agreeing with this statement, for it seems that Americans of all stripes are moving away from the national service ethic— even though there are or would be many willing to participate in some form of national service, particularly if more options were available—despite the increased need for it in these times.At one point in time, the idea of civic duty was very much a part of the American social structure. As recently as 1971, the vast majority of senators and representatives had military experience, and going back to the first World War, it has been argued that the draft was instituted so as to prevent too many of the privileged class from running off to war.

Nevertheless, all the examples of national service related to combatant duties should not prejudice policymakers and voters against a twoyear national service requirement for every American over age 18, for this country is in need of more than just military service.

Today, there is great need for the redevelopment of civil and social services as well, whether in terms of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, public health services, educational system or otherwise. The infusion of hundreds of thousands of youths into the military, and civil and social services, much as many other countries require, would not only benefit the nation’s infrastructure and services, but also the individual, for a new ideal of civic duty and community pride would be created.

Additionally, I would charge that national service would serve as a social equalizer—Americans of different socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and religious

backgrounds would be able to work together in the pursuit of the common good. Another side benefit of a national service obligation is that it could be used to enable Americans of less privileged backgrounds to access advanced education. For example, for every year of national service committed to or performed in the past, the government could provide college scholarships or relieve student loans.

The myriad benefits to the nation and individual of national service, whether tangible, such as increased socioeconomic integration, particularly via providing educational opportunities for those who would not otherwise have

in 1820 to Rostker v. Goldberg in 1981, the constitutionality of a national service obligation has been questioned and reaffirmed time and again. As such, legally, a national service obligation is unquestionably constitutional. From the perspective of the intangible part of the common good, national service demonstrates a commitment to society as a whole, and an individual who wishes to participate in society ought to have to sacrifice for it in some manner—the rights of the citizen are balanced by his or her responsibilities to the nation as a whole. As such, it would be a positive step forward for the national good and that of the individual to introduce a national service obligation in the United States. Vassar is a place where the skills and civic pride of many students is tapped by various institutions, though not necessarily in all the ways it could be. In fact, according to a survey of the graduating class of 2007 conducted by the Career Development Office, more than a quarter of the individuals who had obtained jobs were planning to work in a civil or social service sector right out of college.

Though many Vassar graduates are employed in the civic or social services immediately after graduation, assuming this trend is fairly constant, comparatively few engage in volunteer work or military duty upon graduation.

While more data should be obtained before making a final judgement, it seems likely that fewer Vassar graduates are involved in national service after graduating than might be desirable, whether by my standards or Mr. Obama’s.

As this nation stands today, there are too few people willing to serve and far more than that who are able to. As such, the introduction of a national service obligation would serve to protect democracy, ensure the national welfare and serve the common good, reflective of the individual’s duty to serve, for, truly, in the words of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy, “responsibility is the greatest right of citizenship and service is the greatest of freedom’s privileges.”

In the words of Robert Kennedy, ‘responsibility is the greatest right of citizenship, and service is the greatest of freedom’s privileges.” them, or merely in terms of a new national ethic of service and community, are most certainly important. During Barack Obama’s run for the White House, his campaign made the claim that in an Obama presidency, he would work to “restore the ethic of public service to the agenda of today’s youth.” When there are millions of Americans graduating from higher educational institutions and high school every year, it is wasteful to let their skills and civic pride go untapped.

Asking these young Americans to serve their nation for a few years post-graduation in return for any number of benefits is a task incumbent upon Mr. Obama if he wishes to become the “service president.”

Much like being required to pay taxes or serve on a jury when called, a national service obligation is a responsibility incumbent upon every citizen. From the Supreme Court case Houston v. Morris

GREEK continued from page 10 Greek organizations at other institutions. To accept Greek life as a realistic option for Vassar is not to fall into evil hands, but to ignore the facts—Greek life is not needed here. To allow Greek life to enter our campus would be to squeeze in another unnecessary organization that sucks resources from already existing organizations and detracts from their benefits. Greek life is nice for some colleges, but has no place here. If Greek life is that important to you and that essential to your college experience, you probably should have picked a different school.

— Kathryn Bauder ’12

Poster’s phrase wrong QCVC continued from page 11 of this nature on a regular basis, and therefore the use of “no homo” in this context is jarring and, for many, unmistakably offensive. It is a risky criticism, and easily open to misinterpretation. It’s the type of critical humor that is either understood immediately or is otherwise ineffective, in which case it becomes provocative in an offensive rather than thought-provoking manner.

The intention was positive. However, seen from an outside perspective this action could only read as homophobic. The executive board of QCVC found the poster over October break and became enraged. Homophobic acts should not be tolerated on this campus, or anywhere for that matter. Many meetings followed, hour and a half long discussions ensued, trying to make sense of the situation. Eventually, a conclusion was made that QCVC would file a report of harassment. Reports of harassments are mediated by a faculty or administrator until a resolution is found. A discussion soon followed between members of the QCVC executive board and the residents where both perceptions were heard. This meeting allowed for the involved parties to reach a mutual understanding. These types of critiques are appropriate in settings reserved for criticism, where it is apparent to viewers that there is a critique underway. It is otherwise inappropriate. The incident brought to light the negative power that words can exert and how important it is to never forget and respect the diverse nature of Vassar’s community.

The issues raised by this controversy continue to be relevant both at Vassar and in the global community. We welcome any students who would like to provide additional input on the question of conflicting perspective and intention to join the authors of this article for a group discussion on Dec. 7 in the Rose Parlor from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

—QCVC, Ben Cole ’11, Jon Donaldson ’11 and Leander Brotz ’11

Obama’s China visit indicates more cooperative Sino-U.S. relations Yi Tan

Guest Columnist

T

o most Americans, the People’s Republic of China still appears to be an underdeveloped country packed with loads and loads of people, whose lives are impoverished by the scanty natural resources and whose freedom is suppressed by the Communist regime. Biased media portrayal further deepened the gap, resulting in popular conclusions that one, communism is evil; and two, China does not have human rights. Thus for the U.S. presidents who have visited or planned to visit China, it became reasonable to reinstate the core values of democracy and the “better” moral principles that came along with it, as if they could solve all the political and economic problems of China overnight, regardless of cultural differences, and eventually make the world a better place.

And unsurprisingly, the moral lectures were scarcely accepted. The Sino-U.S. relationship stayed on the ideological level for a long time, even though there were tons of more important and urgent issues that called for cooperation.

But certainly, times have changed. The U.S. economic recession of 2008 and the global disturbance it triggered have again put China back at the center of the world. Hardly damaged by the global recession, the Chinese economy seems to maintain a 2008 estimated growth rate of nine percent. With $426 billion of current account balance in pocket, China looms to be the only one who has the ability to save the world, financially speaking. As the world counted on China’s stimulus package of $586 billion, the U.S. and China have grown ever more intimate in their economic and financial exchanges. To-

day, China has become the United States’ biggest creditor, owning a daunting amount of U.S. treasury bonds worth upwards of $800 billion.

These are the questions that President Obama was faced with before his visit to China: What did he plan to say there? In what way should he present himself? Should he walk in as a debtor with apologetic manners, or as an arrogant critic who is ready to unleash all of his complaints? Moreover, what does the visit mean? What does it signify, if anything, in the long history of Sino-U.S. relations?

To answer the first half of the questions, we need to take a look at what President Obama has indeed accomplished in Shanghai and Beijing.

To answer the second half, it takes some time.

Besides all the formalities and dialogues with Chinese government leaders, what’s special in this trip is the well-organized town-hall meeting conducted in the Shanghai Museum of Science and Technology, where Obama answered questions from Chinese college students. As the questions were carefully pre-selected, and with the exception of the question, “Should we be able to use Twitter freely?,” the conversation turned out to be peaceful and uncontroversial.

Nor did President Obama seize the chance to take the stance of a moral preacher. Some commentators from the United States clearly expressed disappointment with Obama as he was too easy on the Chinese and did not try to push them on human rights issues. However, I felt Obama’s conduct was tactful. Having just undergone decades of ideological fights and in the face of more stable and promising bilateral cooperation, the last thing that the Sino-U.S. relationship needs is a human rights debate.

Countless former experiences have shown that the Chinese are hostile to foreign political pressure.

For the two global giants, the burning issues at hand are the state of the global economy and international security. President Obama was eager to press for the opening of Chinese markets to U.S. commodities, and encouraged China to join in the dialogue against Iran’s nuclear aspirations—perhaps even involving China in sanctions. Although these goals will prove equally difficult for the United States to meet—the first because the United States somehow has no financial leverage against China, the second because China has a tremendous energy interest in Iran—moving away from the human rights debate is the right decision. As the president of the greatest capitalist country in the world, President Obama knows better than anyone else that making your creditor unhappy is no good, even though the creditor is a communist.

But still, what does this trip mean? Will it have any historical significance? At this nascent stage it’s still hard to say, but one thing is for sure: Both sides have realized their interdependence and will start to act responsibly towards a healthier relationship. This certainly indicates that both China and the United States will evaluate each other realistically and objectively, and maybe further, learn something from each other. The U.S. media’s portrayal of China has lately taken a turn. In a recent issue of TIME, a featured article called “Five Things We Need to Learn from China” attracted my attention.

Equipped with an unprecedented modest attitude and unassuming tone, the article lists am-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

bition, education, looking after the elderly, saving more and looking over the horizon as the five most important things the United States can learn from China. Regardless of whether the United States has to learn and what to learn (in my opinion, it might well turn out that the United States probably does and there must be something to learn), Obama’s visit to China has offered wonderful opportunities for the United States to re-recognize and re-examine China, both politically and culturally. Along with the alignment of economic interest, a successful cultural recognition would contribute greatly toward the elimination of prejudices. The Chinese, too, need to learn from their American counterparts: how to build an innovative and vibrant society; how to deal with multi-ethnic problems; and how to improve the efficiency of political institutions.

The 21st century will be a great century. Not in the sense that the U.S. will lose all of its past glamour while the power gradually shifts to China for it to run the world, but in the sense that the two superpowers of the world—or in more politically correct terms, the two major players of the world—will learn to co-exist peacefully with each other. China and the United States should and will learn how to accommodate each other’s interests, while at the same time compromising some of their own. Instead of developing secret military programs against each other, the two countries will learn to treat each other openly, honestly and respectfully.

The curbing of human aggressiveness will be an improvement on human nature, and along with it other progress will come. In light of this, let this visit be remembered.

HUMOR & SATIRE

December 3, 2009

Page 13

OPINIONS

Thanksgiving Recap:

With a few staples, ‘dourmet’ Lies we told around the table is within in everyone’s grasp Kelly Stout

C

Featuers Editor

For freshmen: Question: So, how is Vassar treating you?

Real Answer: It would be awesome if I hadn’t accidentally lost my virginity on Halloween, failed my Art 105 midterm and gotten a roommate who, I’m pretty sure, has been borrowing my underwear.

Necessary Lie: I love it. I wish I were there right now! My roommate is a sweetie. We hang out every night and do wholesome college activities together, like prank the boys from down the hall.

For sophomores: Question: So, son, how’s that sophomore slump?

Real Answer: Still haven’t declared a major, probably failing ECON 100 and don’t know where—or even if—I’m going to go JYA, plus my single is so lonely I could die.

Molly Tuprin/The Miscellany News

an we just get a round of applause for Thanksgiving up in here? Thanksgiving’s the best. In terms of deadly sins, if Halloween is lust and Christmas is greed, then Thanksgiving is gluttony, and it definitely stacks up. Vegetarians are politely asked to suck it on this particular holiday, as are those who want to get all Debbie Downer about the Native American nations the Europeans systematically wiped out in their pursuit of wealth from the landing of Columbus to present. (Yeah, I said to present.) If you have an extra-specially enlightened and fun-hating person at the table he or she—zi?—might even remind everyone that this country still treats Native people with legislative disdain (cue sad trumpet noises). In short, it’s a great holiday.

If, for some reason, you were the only person at your Thanksgiving table last weekend who attends a [highly selective liberal arts college located in the scenic Hudson Valley], you might not have gotten a chance to show off all you learned in Intro Native American Studies. I know I didn’t. Perhaps the out-of-towners talked about how awesome the Republican health care plan is. (“What do you mean ‘What health care plan?’”) Or maybe you got to hear your unemployed (unemployment not recession-related) uncle tell you about his upcoming “project” that involves healing crystals. And maybe your eight-year-old Wunderkind of a cousin asked you if you had a boyfriend. When you offered a sheepish “no,” perhaps she said, “Gosh, even I have a boyfriend.” (Another blow for feminism.)

Good food aside, I did find myself repeatedly backed into the “whatareyougonnadonextyear?” corner and found myself finally simply answering, “plastics.” I know, it was a lame appropriation from my second-favorite Dustin Hoffman movie, and a lie. But we all tell them around Thanksgiving. All things being equal, I would argue that it’s the holiday that requires the most lying. Which I’ve devoted this installation of humor and satire to “the lies we told.”

Necessary Lie: It’s awesome. I feel like I really know the campus this year. I’m starting to develop relationships with my professors, and my group of friends is really funny.

Question: Any career plans yet?

Real Answer: I’m 19 years old and majoring in “media studies with a focus in anthropology and myth.” Are you sure you want to ask me that, Uncle Smitty?

Necessary Lie: Probably law school. But not for a few years.

For juniors: Question: Glad you decided not to go abroad?

Real Answer: Yeah, grandpa, it’s soooo fun to watch photos of my old friends getting hammered on Sangria in the Placa Real appear on my Facebook minifeed while I’m stuck in the periodical room hating life. You betcha.

Necessary Lie: It was the best decision for me right now. I want to take full advantage of Vassar while I’m here. I can always go abroad during the summer, but I won’t always have Vassar’s resources at my disposal.

Question: What ever happened to that great guy you were dating?

Real Answer: Oh, you mean that random dude who I met in the Mug, hooked up with once, then had to tell you about—“we’ve been dating for months, Mom”—because he gave me herpes and my health insurance wouldn’t cover treatment? Oh, he’s fine. Just out spreading STDs and failing to understand what the patriarchy is.

Necessary Lie: Our priorities are different right now. But we’re still friends.

For seniors: Question: So, what’s your thesis about?

Real Answer: The relationship between emerging concepts in theoretical physics and the notion of the poem as a cosmic “event” for which current theorizing frameworks no longer hold.

Necessary Lie: Uh, poetry.

Question: So, any plans for next year?

Real Answer: Well, Aunt Marion, I’ll probably spend my days wishing I had been an economics major while I watch reruns of “For the Love of Ray J” in my parents’ den while halfheartedly looking for minimum-wage jobs on Craigslist.

Necessary Lie: Well, Aunt Marion, I’m thinking about a PhD in neuroscience, but next year I’m going to take time off from school to gain more lab experience and be more competitive when I apply in two years.

Frankly, it’s good that we’re getting practice now. Next year the questions will be harder, and by the time we’re in our 50s and our artificially preserved, ancient relatives stare at us from across the freeze-dried stuffing of the future, we’ll be experts on making ourselves sound better than we actually are. For now, of course, you can always answer, “plastics” and sweep Mrs. Robinson off her feet. Maybe though, that should wait ’til May?

Chicken in a Vitamin Water Reduction:

Michael Mestitz

T

Guest Columnist

his past week, I found myself missing the homecooked cuisine I enjoyed over Thanksgiving break. It seems a long, cold three weeks before finals are over and I can return to having food that comes out of an intimate, personal kitchen. In order to fill the gap, I turned to this year’s archives of the Miscellany and examined some of the recipes Nate Silver has been thoughtfully presenting each week.

That’s where the trouble began. I’m not exactly a domestic god, here. Looking through his Thanksgiving recipe, for example, it occurred to me that I wouldn’t know a parsnip if it hit me in the face. I just Wikipedia’d the thing; it looks like a fat vampire carrot. I hate handling uncooked meat. I laugh at the word ‘spatula.’ If I ever “kick it up a notch,” the BAM you hear will be the stove exploding. On top of that, I don’t have a TA kitchen at my disposal. I’ve got a microwave, maybe an oven and a stove and a bowl that may or may not be microwaveable.

With that in mind, I’ve whipped up some gourmet dorm food (“dourmet?”) more suited to the ingredients, tools and skills at my disposal.* *The author is not liable for any grievous harm that may result from the below recipes.

Cup Noodles: The offensive saltiness of these dried and dehydrated noodles is like an attempt at mummifying your tongue. Nonetheless, this recipe is a classic staple of college student cuisine, with three easy steps: 1. Open top of cup 2. Put water in cup 3. Wait. If you’ve screwed up by this point, there is truly no hope for you.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese: This is another dietary staple, made ritzier by the fact that we will microwave it for a minute too long and call it ‘baked’ instead of ‘burned.’ The basis of this recipe is Easy Mac; you know what to do. [Pro-chef tip! Normal recipes will call for things like paprika. Instead, feel free to substitute the mix of spices that’s on top of the FritoLay BBQ chips; scrape it off and lightly sprinkle it over the noodles before microwaving.]

Weekly Calendar: 12/3 - 12/9 THURSDAY, 12/3

3 p.m. Tea. It’s that time of year again. I’ve got a one-way ticket to Procrastination Station. Rose Parlor.

SATURDAY, 12/5

1 p.m. Squash v. Amherst College. Throw some cinnamon and brown sugar on that baby and it’s a regular late autumn treat! Ah, I crack myself up. Kenyon Hall.

8 p.m. “Rent.” 525,600 drama students flocking. Dare I call it overrated? Naw, I’m just jealous ‘cause I didn’t get a ticket.

Vogelstein Center Martel Theater.

9 p.m. 99 Nights. A reminder that we’re closer to serenading than adulthood. Phew. The Mug.

FRIDAY, 12/4

SUNDAY, 12/6

3 p.m. Tea. First stop: spend so many hours on Facebook that you begin dreaming with blue and white boxes around everything. Get cramps in your thumb from clicking through.

Rose Parlor.

11 p.m. EuroPop Mug Night. Throw on your fave mesh tank top and get ready to boogie to post-Cold War jams from the Former Republic of Eastern Bezerkistan in a salute to the EU. The Mug. 11 p.m. Moulin Rouge Party. I will absolutely not sleep with you tonight, even in French! Well, ask me again tomorrow. I might be up for it then. Villard Room.

12 p.m. Helicon Scrabble Tournament Brunch. Bring that English major you slept with last night after 99 nights.

Maybe you’ll win, and it could even diffuse the crippling post-one night stand awkwardness! Rose Parlor.

7 p.m. Henry IV, Part 1. Turn it into a date! You and your highly literate 99 nights buddy are in it for the long hall if you adjourn to your TH to read Part 2 together. Villard Room.

MONDAY, 12/7

10 a.m. Potpourri. On my shopping list this week: ironically ugly pleather purse, overpriced chunky necklace I could get for 1/5 of the price in Chinatown. College Center North Atrium.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Yeah, now we’re getting fancy. Steal some chicken breast from ACDC and sneak it back to your dorm kitchen, stopping along the way to buy a bottle of Vitamin Water from the vending machine– that white lemonade flavor adds a nice tang. Now, according to Wikipedia, “reduction is the process of thickening or intensifying the flavor of a liquid mixture such as a soup, sauce, wine, or juice by evaporation.”

So we can totally do this! Just pour the Vitamin Water into a bowl and microwave until it looks like it’s about half gone, then pour it over your chicken and enjoy! Julia Child would be proud.

Dorm Bouillabaisse: Just kidding. That’s a one-way ticket to salmonella.

Vodka-Marinated Mystery Meat: If you’ve got some Cabernet lying around, aren’t you lucky. The rest of us will make do with what we have.

1. Acquire some form of raw meat. Buying it is probably the safest bet, but surely nobody would notice one less squirrel running around.

2. Bring a ziplock bag to the DC and throw in some seasonings from the stir fry station until you feel like a real chef.

3. Head back to your room and put the meat in, then cover the whole mess in vodka, sealing the bag and leaving it in your cute little dorm fridge for two or three days.

4. Open the bag and let the meat sit for a few hours while you try to find an oven. If you have one, preheat to 425 degrees and roast it for one and a half hours. If all you’ve got is a microwave, irradiate the hell out of it.

5. Before it finishes cooking/microwaving/ decaying, pour the marinade sauces over it in order to cook in some of the flavor.

6. Season and serve to taste.

If six steps are too many, there’s an alternative that preserves the intent and spirit of the recipe: 1a. Drink the vodka until you don’t know what you’re eating anymore.

Bon appétit!

by Kelly Stout

3 p.m. Tea. Next stop: Learn the names and capitals of all the countries in Africa. Giggle at “Djibouti.” Rose Parlor.

TUESDAY, 12/8

3 p.m. Tea. Next Stop: Read your moronic cousin’s blog about his study abroad adventure in the Netherlands. (“One thing I’ve noticed about Holland is that weed is legal. Its [sic] awesommmmeee.”) Rose Parlor.

7:30 p.m. Axies Concert. Nothing says almost-finals like off-key awkapella. Rocky 200.

WEDNESDAY, 12/9

3 p.m. Tea. Final stop: Spend 2+ hours watching videos of sleeping puppies on YouTube. Get weirdly jealous. Rose Parlor.

7 p.m. Matthews Minstrels Concert. There’s no such thing as too much a capella. Sanders Auditorium.

9 p.m. Vastards Concert. Blodgett Auditorium. Fucking Hell, how man goddamn a capella groups do we need at this school?

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December 3, 2009

Hitchcock thriller ‘Rear Window’ brought to life by Unbound Thea Ballard

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Reporter

Kathleen Mehocic/The Miscellany News

ax Fagin ’10 sat in his wheelchair by a desk, leg propped up, holding a telephone conversation with his editor. As he barked into a pantomime rotary phone with a voice reminiscent of Jimmy Stewart, delicately choreographed scenes silently unfolded around him to represent the lives of his neighbors, as seen from his window. This intricate scene took place in the chair-cluttered space of Rockefeller Hall 200, where the theater company Unbound held a rehearsal for their upcoming production of “Rear Window.”

The play, based on the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, has been a challenge to stage because of the difficulty of transitioning moments from the iconic film to a live set.

Director Lizy Yagoda ’10 described the show as “an experiment in transferring the film to the stage.” She is using a script she adapted herself, despite the fact that she has no previous experience with playwriting.

Yagoda has directed shows for Unbound three years in a row. “[Rear Window] was my favorite movie when I was, like, 10,” Yagoda said. “I watched it again when I was abroad, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I know what happens, but it’s still terrifying!’”

Her longtime affection for the thriller made the lengthy process of turning it into a script all the more worthwhile. She began work on it in February of this year and finished it at the beginning of the fall semester, finally bringing to fruition a long-term goal of hers. “I’d been planning on doing it for Unbound for about two years now,” she explained, “but it was just too big of an endeavor to really tackle until this year.”

The plot of the critically acclaimed film and its stage adaptation centers around photographer L.B. Jeffries, injured on assignment, who recuperates in his apartment in New York City. He watches his neighbors out of his rear window as a form of entertainment while he’s stuck inside and sees suspicious activity coming from one apartment in particular, that of salesman Lars Thorwald. Jeffries, along with his wife and nurse, becomes convinced that Thorwald is a murderer.

Fans of the original will be pleased to hear that little has changed in the adaptation. “The words themselves are about 95 percent the same as what’s in the screenplay,” she said.

Max Fagin ’10 and Arianna Gass ’13 rehearse on Tuesday, Dec. 1, for Unbound’s stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, Rear Window. The play, adapted and directed by Lizy Yagoda ’10, will show at the Susan Stein Shiva Theater at 8 p.m. on Dec. 3 and Dec. 5.

However, there are some necessary changes that come with staging a work over 50 years after it was made. “There’s going to be a little more acknowledgement of the humor,” noted Yagoda. Arianna Gass ’13, who plays Jeffries’ wife, agrees that the unintentionally comic elements of Rear Window come out more in the adaptation. She recalled a moment in the script that featured “the best anti-feminist joke,” involving, in true 1950s fashion, a woman and a kitchen. “Some of the lines are just funnier now that they’re outdated,” said Gass. “That kitchen line probably wouldn’t have been funny, but now I can’t say it with a straight face.”

The emphasis on humor in this production might make up for other elements that are diminished. “Because it’s on stage, the suspense and the drama [are] necessarily going to take a hit,” said Yagoda. “So if you tone down some of those elements, then the comedy is going to come out. It is very ironic. The characters just gloss over things that would make anyone in

today’s world laugh, statements that would immediately be construed as sexist or vulgar.”

Recreating the suspense of Hitchcock’s movie was more challenging than the humor, especially without the original’s masterful cinematography. Blocking in particular raises an issue for this production, as the plot depends on Fagin watching the actions of his neighbors, who are here situated behind him. Yagoda described the blocking as “a very different process than what a lot of the actors have done before.”

This unorthodox process is fitting for an Unbound production, as the group focuses on experimental theater. Said Yagoda, “It’s experimental because it really does take advantage of different types of acting. There’s a lot of silent acting. It’s very technically intensive. [There’s a lot of] taking cues from things you can’t see particularly well.”

Fagin noted an additional issue posed by this adaptation: “It was challenging for me not to

impersonate James Stewart. I’m not entirely sure who else on the cast has seen the movie, so they don’t have that problem—they’re coming into this fresh.”

Gass also had the original on her mind as she went about her role. She jokingly recalled her audition for the part, her first for Unbound, describing her mindset as, “Grace Kelly’s pretty!”

Yagoda is excited about the way the show has come together, despite these potential snags. Of her actors, she said, “I kind of never told them that it was a really difficult way to act. They’ve risen to the challenge amazingly.” She spoke with particular praise of Evan Kaplan ’10, who plays Thorwald: “He knocks it out of the park.

He gets that suspense; he gets how you should be acting and showing the anger.”

“Rear Window” will take place in the Susan Stein Shiva Theater at 8 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 5, a Thursday and a Saturday, respectively. Tickets are available at the College Center’s Information Desk.

Dvorak to dominate set list of upcoming Orchestra concert “The word seems overused nowadays, but there’s really no other way to describe performing a whole symphony as anything other than ‘epic.’” —Andrea Sisco ’12, clarinetist

Image courtesy of College Relations

The Vassar College Orchestra, directed by Lecturer in Music Eduardo Navega, will perform selections from Dvorak’s oeuvre on Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. in the Skinner Hall auditorium.

Alexandra Sarrigeorgiou Reporter

A

s the end of the first semester quickly approaches and we begin to feel the holidays in our bones, countless theater, dance and music groups on campus are giving their final performances. Before lowering the curtain on the semester, The Vassar College Orchestra is raising it for their final performance on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. in the Skinner Hall Mary Anna Fox Martel Recital Hall.

The orchestra is conducted by Lecturer in Music Eduardo Navega and will perform four pieces in the concert. The first is the “Valse Triste,” op. 44 by Jean Sibelius. “It’s a very interesting piece,” said Navega. “It’s a waltz, but it has a sadness to it.”

Next, the orchestra will play Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major. Every year, the orchestra includes faculty in one concert. So in this piece, four adjunct artists at Vassar will also perform: Cheryl Bishkoff on the oboe, Larry Guy on the clarinet, Peter Reit on the horn and Elizabeth Romano on the bassoon.

But the piece that will really be a testament to the orchestra’s ability is Symphony No. 7 by Antonín Dvorák. “This is a monumental piece,” exclaimed Navega, “and it’s a very hard piece.

It’s quite a challenge.”

Andrea Sisco ’12, a clarinetist in the orchestra, agreed: “The Dvorák is a monster of a piece for the orchestra as a whole, but it isn’t anything we can’t handle,” she said. “The word seems overused nowadays, but there’s really no other way to describe performing a whole symphony as anything other than ‘epic.’”

After the Dvorák symphony, the orchestra will end the concert with Brahms’ “Tragic Overture,” op. 81.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Every student is determined to do the music­ —and especially Dvorák’s symphony—justice.

“Preparing for the symphony has involved a lot of individual practicing and intense and uninterrupted focus during rehearsal,” said Sisco.

“We do our best to make the most of every minute [Navega] is on the podium.”

“In the final days it comes down to stamina,” remarked Sisco. “It’s a challenge to stay 100 percent on your game for that long.”

As difficult as this piece is, Navega feels confident the students can handle it. “Vassar College is very blessed to have very talented students,” he said. Sisco agreed, “Playing in orchestra has been a wonderful experience for me.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to play with such high-caliber musicians and so lucky to be exposed to great literature like the Dvorák.”

Even though most students in the orchestra are not music majors, they are absolutely committed to music and take advantage of not only the opportunity to play in a symphony orchestra, but also in the jazz ensemble, the opera workshops and other capacities. “The Music Department at Vassar College is extremely active,” said Navega, “probably much more than the average liberal arts college.”

Both he and the students in the orchestra are extremely excited for the upcoming concert.

“It should be a fantastic way to close out the semester,” said Sisco. “Seriously, what better way to spend your Saturday night? You know you want to listen to some Dvorák. We’ll even throw in some Mozart and Sibelius if you’re nice.”

For those who won’t be able to catch the concert live, fear not: Every orchestra concert is broadcast live online at music.vassar.edu/ concerts/webcast.

December 3, 2009

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Cohen’s eclectic work encapsulates folk culture Phil. brings an old school twist J on Shakespeare Esther Clowney Reporter

Danielle Nedivi Reporter

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johncohenworks.com

ohn Cohen photographed Bob Dylan before The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan ever came out.

He also took pictures of Beat poets Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, explored Appalachia while filming American folk musicians and studied basket weaving in Peru. “His art exists at an intersection of anthropology, sociology and musicology,” said Adjunct Art Instructor Judy Linn.

Cohen wouldn’t disagree with Linn’s assessment, but he qualifies it: “If you take into account the flow of my life and the interactions between the various mediums I work with, I think my art becomes more than a collection of ‘ologies,’” he said, speaking from his home in the lower Hudson Valley.

Cohen will be giving a lecture in Taylor Hall on Thursday, Dec. 3. When Linn approached him about talking to Vassar students, he first asked, “How much time do I have?” This is an important question given Cohen’s body of work, which extends from the ’50s to the present day and includes painting, photography, music and film. The lecture will feature screenings of Cohen’s film clips and photo stills, followed by a related open discussion.

According to Linn, Cohen’s way of shifting his artistic focus is one of the most striking aspects of his work. “He doesn’t project his personality on the world. Instead, he allows the world to influence his vision,” she said. “Instead of following a specific art path, he always followed what he was passionate about. He is curious and persistent, two of the most important qualities for an artist to have.”

“I’d gone to Yale [University] intending primarily to study painting,” Cohen said, “but I got caught up in photography. The fact that I could be outside, moving around, and observing the social landscape called me out of the studio and into the streets. Photography also allowed me to deal with music in a visual way.”

Cohen started making films when he became frustrated with the limitations of music and photography. “I was doing photography while also making musical recordings of both myself and others. I could always see more than I could hear, or hear more than I could see. That’s why I started making films. To bring both of those together,” said Cohen.

Credited as one of American folk music’s most important preservers, Cohen began traveling the country filming and recording obscure traditional folk artists as a reaction to the commercialization of the genre that began in the middle of the 20th century. In 1958, Cohen formed an old-time string band called The New Lost City Ramblers. “Commercial folk

John Cohen is famous for his work in numerous mediums, such as photography, film and music. Cohen’s 1962 photograph of singer Bob Dylan is among his most revered works. acts such as the Kingston Trio were cashing in, changing the music to sell records. The New Lost City Ramblers felt like we had to go back to the roots of the folk tradition. We invited everyone to play music and to listen to old music, rather than forgetting all that,” said Cohen.

The New Lost City Ramblers proved to be an influential precursor to the huge folk revival that swept the nation in the ’60s. Cohen and his band are believed to be the subject of the Grateful Dead song “Uncle John’s Band.” Cohen’s first film, The High Lonesome Road, was released in 1963. It is a 30 minute documentary of eastern Kentucky and is praised for its realistic depiction of life in Appalachia. The film is commonly shown in university courses.

“It could be considered ethnomusicology, though I don’t like that word,” Cohen said. “I prefer to think of it as an artistic analysis of my own knowledge of music and people.” During Thursday’s lecture, he plans on showing 30 minutes of a new composition composed of footage he shot in Kentucky that didn’t make it into the original film.

During this period, Cohen also spent time in Greenwich Village. “The photographer Robert Frank lived next door to me, and he asked me to take still photographs of a film about Kerouac and Ginsberg and other Beat writers. I lived in a block loaded with painters, dancers and gal-

leries. I didn’t plan it, but there I was. It was an amazing time to be in New York, with so many creative people descending on the Village.

Maybe it was the only place in America where they could feel free,” said Cohen.

Those photographs appear in Cohen’s recently published book, There is No Eye, which also includes photos taken in New Haven, Kentucky and Peru. Cohen took his first trip to Peru while working on his master’s degree in painting. He studied traditional weaving from the Indians and took photographs. He has returned 12 times since, making films, taking photographs and recording Peruvian music.

“Some of the music is very unique and ethnographic, but some of the people who play the flutes and panpipes have gotten radios and are being influenced by other genres. So there’s also a lot of hillbilly style shit-kicking pop music being played as well,” Cohen said.

The High Lonesome Road continues to introduce new generations to Appalachia and its distinctive music, but recently Cohen’s influence has reached new heights. His field recording of a Peruvian wedding song was included on the “golden record” that was launched with the Voyager space explorer. Hypothetically, alien life forms could be listening to it at this very moment. Presuming that they figure out how to reverse-engineer a record player.

Celebration unites Sistahs of all ages Carrie Hojnicki

T

Arts Editor

heories are one thing. Practice is another. Putting theories into practice is something entirely different, though. Such is the quest of the annual independent study program, Sistah Power! The program, a combined effort of the Womens Studies Program and the ALANA Center, seeks to bring Vassar students together with girls— aged from seven to 13 years—from the City of Poughkeepsie School District, with the ideal of empowering both parties. The program culminates in a Sistah Power! celebration, displaying the performance skills learned over the course of the semester.

This unique chance to put academic work in action is exactly what attracted Sistah Power! Intern Anastasia Hardin ’10. “As a student who had been taking classes in Africana Studies, Women’s Studies and the Education Departments, I was looking for a way to learn outside of the classroom and practice some of theories that I had been studying,” wrote Hardin in an e-mailed statement. “I was particularly interested in working with young girls because I have always found it to be an incredibly rewarding experience to work with children.” Al-

though the program and celebration are undeniably useful as a means of education for Vassar students the program, above all else, is about providing the necessary space and means for local girls to find empowerment through the arts.

“I believe that the arts are incredibly important to any community project because the arts provide a means of expression that is often lacking from schools,” explained Hardin. “It is incredibly important that they are provided with spaces in which they can feel empowered, in order to be able to access all of their talents and abilities.”

The program’s faculty coordinator, Professor of Sociology, Diane Harriford, echoes Hardin. “Arts are important because they involve the imagination and provide a linkage to a shared culture between the the big sistahs and the little sistahs,” explained Harriford in an emailed statement. It helps the little Sistahs understand who their ancestors are and who they can become. I want them to imagine themselves at Vassar.”

The celebration, as a culmination of the semester-long program, has become a much anticipated tradition since its inception in 2005. This year’s celebration will include an art exhibit, African drumming and dancing,

poetry readings, and step dancing. Hardin emphasized that the program is not community outreach, as its benefits are felt by both the participating girls and by the Vassar students involved. “I would not use the term ‘community outreach’ [to describe the program] because we are not reaching out to anyone; we are merely being involved in our community, the larger Vassar/Poughkeepsie community and receiving just as much as we give,” wrote Hardin. As the culminating celebration nears, Hardin is most excited for others—whether they be family members or friends of the girls, members of the Vassar Community or members of the Poughkeepsie community at large—to witness the girls’ incredible talent and energy.

“My favorite part of the planning the Sistah Power! celebration has been watching the girls get ready for their final performance. They are so brilliant and talented and full of energy; it’s exciting just to be in a room with them,” wrote Hardin. “I’ve gotten so much from the Sistah Power! girls, and I am excited for other people to be able to see how amazing they all are.”

The Sistah Power! celebration will be open to all on Friday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Students’ Building.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

assar has seen many creative interpretations of Shakespeare plays, the latest of which was last May’s darkly industrial presentation of “Richard III” by the Shakespeare Troupe. The upcoming Philaletheis production of “Henry IV, Part I” separates itself from the pack by taking the play back to its roots. The cast is sticking to Elizabethan theater practices as closely as they can.

“We’re doing it the way Shakespeare would have,” said Kevin Fulton ’12, who plays the Earl of Douglas. “We don’t have a director, and we don’t have set designers—everyone works collaboratively.”

Following Shakespeare’s method, Virginia Herbert ’12, Henry Behel ’10, and Fulton cast an ensemble of actors. “After that, we were all equal,” said Herbert, and they soon “spent one crazy night choosing roles together.”

There are many other parallels to Shakespearean production values with the Philaletheis production. “The lights never change, the actors interact directly with the audience and we’re using the Villard Room balcony,” said Fulton. The Globe Theater had a central balcony over its stage, something which the Villard Room balcony is reminiscent of. The set will also be very small—on a three-quarters thrust stage—meaning that the audience will sit on three sides of the stage, just as many of Shakespeare’s works were first performed at the Globe Theatre. The cast even rehearsed using cue scripts which show only their own lines and one line before theirs.

“That’s how they did it in Elizabethan theaters, because it was really common for people to steal scripts,” explained Fulton. He clarified, however, that there were some aspects of the original methods the ensemble chose to forgo: “We don’t have an all-male cast—we do have one female part played by a guy, but also several male parts played by girls.”

“Henry IV, Part I” is one of Shakespeare’s history plays and the second in a four-part series set in the late Middle Ages. The play tells the coming-of-age story of Hal (Riley King ’12), son of King Henry IV (Andy Weiner ’11). He is an irresponsible young prince who spends all of his time drinking with his rogue friend Falstaff (Yen Nguyen ’12), one of Shakespeare’s most famous and comical characters. A rebellion among the nobility suddenly threatens Henry IV’s power, and Prince Hal must gain responsibility and come to the rescue, thus proving to his father that he is the rightful heir to the throne.

“The idea to do original practices came because it’s something that hasn’t happened at Vassar in a long time—about 10 to 15 years,” said Fulton. Herbert, who plays Hal’s companion Poins, came up with the idea for staging the play with Fulton and Behel, who plays Hotspur.

“We wanted a different kind of Shakespeare play, one that people would be unfamiliar with,” said Herbert. “It’s a really fun play, which might be surprising considering it has such a boring name,” she laughed.

“It’s kind of underrepresented—not many people perform it,” said Fulton. “But it’s a very good play and there’s lots of political and action parts, as well as very funny parts.”

The authentic spin on the production has created its own set of challenges, however. “It can be kind of scary having no one in charge,” admitted Herbert. Nevertheless, she also added, “It’s liberating for an actor because you get to do what you want instead of what you’re told.”

“A lot of times Shakespeare is someone people avoid because his works are in Early Modern English and can be really confusing,” Fulton acknowledged, “but I think our method—Shakespeare’s original practices—will be a good way to be reintroduced to him. We’ve made it kind of apply to our era, and in a lot of ways it’s more relatable. People will get the humor, the tragedy, the excitement of it. It’s performed in a way that’s really accessible.”

Philaletheis’ “Henry IV, Part I” will be performed in the Villard Room on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 and 7 p.m.

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December 3, 2009

Goldman already boasts impressive theatrical, musical resume Erik Lorenzsonn

R

Arts Editor

Image courtesy of Kelley Van Dilla

icky Goldman ’12 never planned on snagging a role in the Drama Department’s biggest production of the year, much less a leading one. “I was in Vogelstein [Center of Drama and Film] when the auditions for ‘Rent’ were going on,” recounted Goldman. “But I didn’t think I was prepared to audition.” Thanks to the literal last-minute encouragement of a professor, the New York City native decided to give it a shot.

He added his name to the bottom of the tryout list for the popular Broadway musical and used the two hours he had before his audition to mold an impromptu monologue and song routine. As it turns out, the last-minute decision paid off. Goldman is taking on the role of Tom Collins in one of the first-ever college productions of “Rent” (see “‘Rent’ performance to be one of first off-Broadway”).

The character he portrays is a gay philosophy professor and anarchist who is also a victim of AIDS. “He is something of a dreamer, but he’s pretty grounded in reality,” said Goldman of his character.

“I’d like to think he’s an optimist. I find a lot of similarities between him and myself, actually. I don’t really believe in the form of government that we follow. I think we’d be better off if we were allowed to govern ourselves to a greater extent than we do.”

The production has been three months in the making and has been the root of much excitement around campus.

“My experience has been overwhelming in a good way,” said Goldman of the time he’s spent working on the play. “I don’t really know how to put it.” Goldman will add his role in “Rent” to

an already impressive dossier. Before attending Vassar, he attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City, one of the most prestigious public arts institutions in the country. During his senior year there, he starred in a production of the Broadway musical “Hair” and a stage adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

In his junior year, he was also cast in the feature-length film Were the World Mine. The movie has gone on to receive acclaim and accolades at various film festivals and was designated a New York Times Critic’s Choice upon its release. Goldman played the character of Max, the protagonist’s best friend who is experimented on with a magic love potion.

The movie is a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“My character of Max represents one of the lovers from the play, and lies somewhere between Lysander and Demetrius,” explained Goldman.

Goldman has had an upbringing immersed in not only acting, but in music as well. Starting from the age of 10, he learned to play clarinet and saxophone, and later took lessons in piano and modern dance at the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts for three years.

He performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra at the age of 13, playing a medley from “West Side Story.”

Goldman has involved himself in theater, music and other mediums. Last year he acted in Post-Doctoral Fellow Talya Delaney’s play, “A House in the North Country,” in which he played the ghost of a dead soldier. He is a member of the rock band he founded last year, The

Ricky Goldman ’12 rehearses for the Drama Department’s production of the Broadway musical “Rent.” Goldman dreams of starting his own theater and music company after graduating.

Facts and Figures, in which he covers saxophone and guitar. He also mentioned that he has recently taken up photography.

“I think that Vassar in general is an environment where you’re really allowed to become yourself,” said Goldman. “And when you discover that, it really helps you grow as an artist.”

Goldman is not entirely sure of what lies in store for him once he leaves Vassar. He plans

on traveling to an extent, as he has never ventured beyond U.S. borders, but also has dreams more deeply rooted in his art.

“I’d like to start up my own theater and music company,” said Goldman. “On the East Coast, or in Europe, maybe. But this is just speculation. The theater company is a plan I have with a fellow actor from back home. Right now I’m thinking of who I’d like to join once it gets rolling.”

Department’s production to be unique and diff-‘Rent’

Image courtesy of Kelley Van Dilla

RENT continued from page 1 watching the movie, stop remembering what the show was like on Broadway.”

Since Grabowski experienced “Rent”’s development from the beginning, his connection to the play is far different than that of most young adults these days. “Chris’s relationship to ‘Rent’ is an incredibly valuable one, but he relates to the play in a very different way than our generation—people that grew up listening to the music—do,” said Silver.

Both Silver and Gonzalez worked closely with Grabowski to create a “Rent” hybrid.

“Our role has been to help marry the original impulse behind the creation of the play in the early 1990s and what it means today, at Vassar in 2009,” explained Silver.

Putting a new spin on her character, the sultry exotic dancer Mimi, was no difficulty for actress Kate Thulin ’11, as she had little exposure to the musical before Vassar’s production.

“I was not and am not a ‘Rent-head’—I saw it on Broadway once when I was about 10, I never listened to the soundtrack or saw the film,” she said. “I just try to interpret the text as best I can, which involves infusing the role with pieces of myself.”

“Mimi is bold, courageous, and has an extreme sexual intensity and confidence,” said Thulin. “She’s also incredibly damaged, and that combined with her strong personality makes her a rather tragic character.” Mimi plays a central role in “Rent”—“She is very honest, and is representative of the fact that, though people aren’t always so great at dealing with their own problems, human beings have an intense drive to persevere,” explained Thulin.

To prepare for her role, Thulin has done far more than attend rehearsals. “Outside of rehearsal, I drill my songs and dance numbers, do visual research, and read personal accounts of young girls with AIDS and drug habits.”

Silver describes his interpretation of the musical: “‘Rent’ is very much a play about young people struggling to get by—attempting to overcome obstacles such as disease, addiction,

“Rent” is set to go up this weekend. Director Chris Grabowski has worked with students in all aspects of the production to modernize the musical with the Vassar context in mind. poverty, homelessness, depression, oppression—you name it.”

Although not everyone has experienced these difficulties, the emphasis on love in the play should hit audiences close to home. “It’s an inspiring story because, at its core, it’s a play

about love—about the power of love and of friendship to rise above the bullshit life puts in our way,” said Silver.

The plot and characters of “Rent” aren’t the only unique components of Vassar’s production.

The set design will also take an interesting ap-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

proach to the musical. According to Kelley Van Dilla ’12, the show’s set designer, “[Grabowski] was not interested in recreating the Broadway show. He wanted something rawer and closer to the initial readings done at New York Theatre Workshop.”

Van Dilla was inspired when Grabowski asked her, “What if [the set] was on a street?”

She describes the final set as “very minimal,” adding that “there is a lot of beat up furniture, as you might see on the side of the street waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck.”

“The actors interact with the set a lot—the furniture, a structure above the onstage band and even a real car,” explained Van Dilla.

Vassar’s production of “Rent” will be one of the first college adaptations of the musical, and both Silver and Thulin agree that it’s the right time and the right place. For example, Thulin argues that having the young artists in the story represented by college students adds to the play’s authenticity.

“It’s very agitating to watch people in their late 20s/early 30s portraying people 10 years their junior, especially since they, in my opinion, seem too jaded to relive the experience of finding yourself and your art during your teens/early 20s,” she said.

Silver believes the message behind “Rent” applies to many students at Vassar, something that makes the production even more appropriate. “It’s incredibly exciting to do ‘Rent’ at Vassar because in some ways, it’s the story of our lives as emerging artists trying to get our work out there,” he said.

“Though many of us do not personally struggle with the issues in the play, we have found ways to access the rebellious energy necessary to make this play successful and do its creators justice,” Silver explained.

According to Silver, knowing, understanding and appreciating Larson’s vision is something about “Rent” that everyone can unite around. The overarching themes of love and friendship continue to give us ways to measure a year.

December 3, 2009

ARTS

Page 17

Year in music winds down with a whimper A

s 2009—and the decade itself—winds down and the holiday season approaches, American popular music seems to be taking a big sigh. While 2009 has been an interesting year thus far for both underground and mainstream pop, little else is looming around the corner. Adult contemporary mainstay John Mayer has released a new album, but he’s still stuck on the same mushy pop-rock he’s been pandering since 2002. Indie stalwarts Animal Collective and Vampire Weekend have offered tantalizing tastes of their new material, but while the offerings are much appreciated, they have very few surprises. Gucci Mane is the latest southern hip-hop star with a rap sheet and a penchant for outsized synth-pop that has proven successful, yet sonically unambitious. But seriously, what were you expecting? At least it’s not Lady Gaga.

We start with John Mayer, at once the most intriguing and the most boring man in pop music. He is intriguing because behind those boyish good looks is an undeniable talent and a somewhat cynical bent, yet also boring because he still willingly churns out the kind of lazy soft-rock your little sister would listen to.

But Mayer is no fool, and he realizes that his appeal hits a note with the demographic of little sisters who still shops for CDs at Walmart.

So he presents us with another album of delicately-produced and musically-restrained guitar rock, Battle Studies, and with it the single “Who Says.” Right off the bat, Mayer gives the false hope that he might be going somewhere exciting, with the pseudo-controversial lyric, “Who says I can’t get stoned?” But don’t get too giddy, stoners; he’s just joshing you. “Who Says” is nothing more than a short, sweet, folk ditty, and—like any good Mayer song—it’s actually obsessed with himself and his women.

It’s always a shame to listen to Mayer scale

back his virtuosic guitar talent in favor of the easy pop hook, but all the money he makes from this kind of trash is what allows him to release blues records with The John Mayer Trio. Still, Jimi Hendrix knew how to write a rocking pop song and shred a mind blowing solo. Mayer better learn how to do this quick, or history might forget how good of a musician he really is.

Next up is Animal Collective, who has been the toast of indie rock in 2009 thanks to the band’s critically-acclaimed record Merriweather Post Pavilion. “What Would I Want?

Sky” comes off of their new EP, Fall Be Kind, and it demonstrates that although the group is constantly evolving, it still knows where it came from. “What Would I Want? Sky,” like much of their most recent music, is increasingly accessible (at least by Animal Collective’s standards). True, the track starts with three minutes of building noise before the meat of the song kicks in. But man, does it kick in or what. Supported by the first-ever licensed sample from The Grateful Dead, the Collective has created another stunningly beautiful sound collage, effortlessly mixing experimental sounds with pop sensibilities. It isn’t exactly anything new, but, honestly, where do these guys have to go? They’ve already done it all. And if they can keep this up, Animal Collective is poised to continue their hot streak for another full-length album, making them one of the most consistent bands of their generation.

Coming from the same galaxy—but a different planet all together—is Vampire Weekend, one of 2008’s breakout bands. These Ivy League hipsters got instant cred for incorporating African poly-rhythms into their self-titled debut, but their music lends itself much more to The Libertines and Paul Simon’s seminal record Graceland than it does

to any traditional African music. The band’s sophomore record Contra is due out in January, and first single “Cousins” has them continuing this trend. “Cousins” is a jumpy, jittery blast of guitar-based indie-pop, and it will not disappoint fans of the band’s previous material. Vocalist Ezra Koenig sings sweet nothings with his polite, affable voice, while the band propels him with a punchy bass line and a relentlessly frenetic drum beat. The key is Koenig’s pointed guitar, which pokes its head out in rhythmic counterpoint to his vocals.

It’s always good to see a band that knows its strengths, but Contra will need to show some sort of growth if Vampire Weekend is to remain a viable force in pop music.

Finally, we have Gucci Mane, whose current claim to fame is a dropped murder charge and a song with the startlingly unfunny lyric, “First you get her name / Then you get her number / Then you get some, get some in the front seat of a Hummer.” Gucci’s most recent album has already yielded two chart-topping singles, and “My Own Worst Enemy” will most likely do the same. On this track, Gucci plays the contemplative and remorseful gangsta, but only to an extent. He’s aware of the adage that “all publicity is good publicity,” and he makes this apparent by rapping that, “No mystery / My infamy / Got me in hip-hop history.” Unfortunately for Gucci, his troubles with the law do not make him his own worst enemy: Rather, his rhyming does. Sometimes rappers can rhyme about drugs, guns and gangs with sorrowful insight and stark fatalism, offering keen commentary on this country’s inability to deal with the cycle of poverty. Gucci cannot. He’s simply another grandstander, glorifying the type of violence that nearly got him locked up. With music like this, Gucci might become hip-hop’s worst enemy too.

Lecture considers architecture of Palladio Carrie Hojnicki Arts Editor

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Mariclare Dasigenis ’12

“Monkey. It’s a Chinese epic folktale”

Sierra Starr ’12

“The Golden Ass, one of the first novels ever written.”

Matt Elisofon ’13

“My psychology textbook, my chemistry text book and The New York Times”

Hannah Ziobrowski ’12 artstor.org

o name your lecture “Is Palladio Boring?” is a courageous maneuver. What if the subject matter of your lecture is indeed boring, inviting your listeners to affirm your contentious statement? Or what if the lecture itself is boring, transforming a potentially interesting subject into something obscured by the banality of your language? Guido Beltramini, the scholar who gave the Art Department’s Claflin Lecture, evaded such pitfalls as he delivered an insightful assessment of 16thcentury architect Andrea Palladio’s celebrated neo-classical work last Monday, Nov. 23.

Beltramini, Executive Director of the Centro Internazionale dei Studi Andrea Palladio in Vicenza, Italy, is an internationally acclaimed Palladio scholar with several books on the architect’s monumental works. Beltramini’s lecture considered Palladio’s ever-changing reputation in the public eye.

“Palladio is the God of Western architecture,” Beltramini stated at the beginning of his lecture, capturing the architect’s ceaseless influence over architecture, even today. Beltramini went beyond this familiar assertion to unearth facets of Palladio that are often overlooked in our modern conception of the architect.

Beltramini’s first consideration was of the relationship between the “paper Palladio” and the “built Palladio.” Mainly citing Palladio’s I Quattro Libri dell’Architettura (or The Four Books of Architecture), Beltramini named this treatise, as well as other books, to be a sort of glossary of Palladio’s fundamental architectural elements.

“For Palladio, architecture is like a language,” explained Beltramini. “The doors, windows, staircases are its words.”

This architectural language, the creation of a set of ideal forms that are easily reproduced, is precisely why Palladio’s architecture has come to possess such a global legacy. For this,

“Carl Jung’s The Redbook. It’s an illuminated manuscript redefining religion through psychoanalysis.”

“A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander. It’s about how to plan a society.”

Andrea Palladio, the subject of the recent Claflin Lecture “Is Palladio Boring,” completed the Villa Rotunda, which has four façades, in Vincenza, Italy between 1566-70.

Beltramini cited a recent Palestinian reproduction of Palldio’s illustrious Villa Rotunda.

Beltramini also explained that the homogeneity of Palladio’s architectural language has been a pivotal element in the conservation process of Palladio’s buildings.

“The ‘paper Palladio’ allows us to see Palladio’s real intentions,” said Beltramini.

The heart of Beltramini’s argument, however, was a well-researched refutation of the commonly circulated idea that Palladio disdained color—a belief causing centuries of artists and photographers to document Palladio’s buildings only in black and white. Beltramini named Palladio’s Church of San Giorgia Maggiore, now possessing an all-white interior, as the venue for this monumental research. Although forensic paint testing had previously led researchers to the conclusion that Palladio originally intended for there to be red detailing in the church’s interior, it was not until the recent unearthing of a 1652 document indicating that monks had ordered the repainting of the chapel in all white that this research was fully supported.

Alas, Palladio is not boring—he likes color!

Aside from this report of contemporary scholarship, Beltramini’s most fascinating moment was when he described the “laconic Palladio.” Beltramini again referenced Palladio’s iconic Villa Rotunda; however, this time, his focus was mainly on its subterranean elements. Beltramini explained that this archetypal structure actually possesses “a heart of darkness”—its basement.

Beltramini provided several images of the villa’s basement, each revealing a series of understated white vaults—a far cry from the highly decorated facades lying just above ground.

Unearthing the similarity between these forms and those of 20th-century modernists, Beltramini presented another Palladio—an architect with ideas centuries beyond his time.

“An image of the powerful forces that generate the upper harmony, these simple forms are the envy of 20th century expressionist architects.” Beltramini presented a view of Palladio transcendent of that with which we are familiar. Beltramini’s Palladio is the true father of Western architecture, in both a theoretical and a literal sense and, above all, not boring.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Justine Paradis ‘13

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer”

Laurie Dowad ’11 —Carrie Hojnicki, Arts Editor

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December 3, 2009

SPORTS

Co-Captain Emily Haeuser: taking names, breaking records

Page 19

Personal injuries should not destroy rest of team’s season T

Courtesy of Sports Information

Senior co-Captain Emily Haeuser led the Brewers to a 77-71 win over Thomas College at the Colby College Invitational. She scored a career-high of 34 points to lead the team.

Mitchell Gilburne

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Reporter

he date: Nov. 21, 2009. The place: the Colby College Invitational in Waterville, Maine.

It’s halftime, and the Brewers are down by 17 points. Tensions are high, and the team can barely manage to chip away at Thomas College’s lead. That is, until co-Captain Emily Haeuser ’10 descended onto the court like a battle-crazed goddess and scored 10 consecutive points against the enemy. Haeuser’s physical and tactical prowess decimated the opposing team, and with the help of her teammates, Haeuser led the Brewers to an inspiring comeback victory, scoring a career high 34 points in the process.

Haeuser, who has been dribbling on the court since she was drooling, was a captain and a senior all-star on her high school basketball team at South Portland High School. This tradition of excellence has continued as Haeuser was named to the Colby Invitational All-Tournament Team and received the honor of being named the Liberty League’s Forward of the Week last week.

Haeuser is a basketball machine. When speaking of her mindset during a game, Haeuser explains, “I kind of break things down and focus on the mechanics of the game.” Sitting with Haeuser, it becomes clear that her focus is entirely on her game. It’s not about awards or titles or even being named Athlete of the Week, the highest of honors. Haeuser simply loves playing basketball, improving her game and being a contributing member of her team.

Women’s basketball at Vassar has not seen

the easiest of times in recent memory. Haeuser shares that, “the team has been through a bunch of coaches, and we have a high turnover rate of players. We’re a young team.” However, Haeuser sees young talent on her team and is excited by the prospect of its growth and development.

She openly admits that basketball played a huge role in her decision to attend Vassar. After sending colleges footage of her playing in high school, Haeuser was brought to Vassar for a visit, during which time she was able to play with the team in an open gym. Haeuser looks fondly upon this memory and describes the experience as “awesome” and “fun.”

Haeuser cites the need for consistency and leadership in her own play. When speaking of her impressive run against Thomas College, Haeuser deflects a good deal of the glory onto her team, and even a bit of the credit, she says, goes to Lady Luck. Haeuser says that she hardly realized that she was approaching a career record until it had already happened. “The team’s strategy was to get the ball to the tallest players [Haeuser herself], so it was a combination of luck and skill” she says without a trace of pride playing on her features.

Haeuser is unsure what the future holds for her in terms of basketball, but she knows that the sport has played a large and defining role in her education as an athlete, a student and a teammate. If you want to catch Haeuser in action, head to the Athletics and Fitness Center on Dec. 5 and watch the Brewers obliterate Brooklyn College.

here is nothing more devastating to an athlete than missing a season due to an injury. It’s a terrible experience, especially after having worked so hard in the off-season and then having the opportunity to play taken away from you. However, this experience can be even worse when another person’s injury causes the end of your season. Although rare, this can happen, primarily in tandem sports.

Last week, however, it happened for an entire basketball team.

After injuries reduced their basketball roster to just six team members, the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, an all women’s school competing in NCAA Division III athletics, took the unprecedented step of canceling the remainder of the team’s 2009-2010 season.

To make matters worse, the cancellation came after the first game of the season, a 73-19 loss to Goucher College. The result is that what would have been a 24-game season has now been halted at 0-1, and whatever hopes these girls had of turning around their first game’s misfortune have been dashed by the College’s Athletic Department and administrators.

In an official statement on the basketball team’s website, the Director of Athletics Michael Spinner stated that “[injuries had] depleted [the roster] to the point where continuing the season would put the health and safety of our student-athletes at risk.” It’s an interesting statement seeing as the school had allowed their student-athletes to compete against Goucher and then suddenly did a double take. Moreover, the statement pledged that basketball would return for a full season in 2010-2011, despite the subsequent resignation of the head coach.

To this end, Notre Dame announced that Kristen Russell, the soccer team’s head coach, would be named the interim head basketball coach, as the team tries to reorganize and recruit for next year. Although such a move is potentially great for the future of the program, it seems like little thought was given to those who had currently fallen through the cracks.

Through all of this, two seniors have lost their final seasons, and several upperclassmen—who worked their tails off during last year’s season in preparation—will now also lose their only chance to play this year. And just to pour salt on an open wound, the administration responsible for the cancellation then stated that this was all done for the health and safety of the athletes involved.

As unfortunate as they might be, injuries are part of physical activity, and student-athletes who sign up to compete in any sort of athletic competition know full well what dan-

gers are associated with them. For Notre Dame to suddenly claim that injuries are a greater possibility because there are fewer athletes is nonsense. After all, last season no one came down from the administration to rule that all players would share equal playing time so as to limit the injury risks of the team. Similarly, nobody disagreed with the fact that just five players played all 25 games last season, thus putting the central players at much greater risk for injury due to the excess strain on their bodies. This season’s decision on behalf of the Athletic Department is bogus because if citing medical issues was the true concern, then why did some players play so much more last season and inherently put their bodies at a greater risk for injury?

This sudden decision, suspiciously following Notre Dame’s worst loss in years, makes no sense under the given explanation. After all, the team as it stands now has enough players to compete and register for competition, and the school owes it not only to the active players, but also to the injured ones for the season to go on as planned. Continuing the season is the only way that the Athletic Department can give the injured players an opportunity to return and play once again.

To make arbitrary and unsubstantiated decisions, with ramifications as serious as these, is wrong. If the administration turns its back on a team, like Notre Dame’s did, an ugly situation arises. Luckily, this has never been the case at Vassar. Although some of the Vassar Athletic Department’s cuts may not be in everyone’s best interest, we should at least respect the way it has stood by its teams throughout difficult seasons and trying times. The impact that these decisions have on the players—the message it sends to them—is so overwhelmingly negative. In essence, it becomes a statement that when times are tough and the odds are against them, it’s better to find a reason to quit then to persevere regardless. It also shows that the administration—those who are meant to fight for the student-athletes and stick by them—are more willing to let them sit out entirely than be there to support them.

These girls gave their all when they wore “Notre Dame” across their chests, injured or not; for the school to come and snatch that shirt right off their backs after just one game is both wrong and completely contrary to the very ideals that the Athletics Department tries to instill in its student-athletes.

—Nik Trkulja ’11 is editorializing on social issues surrounding sports outside of the Vassar athletics realm.

A fresh perspective on fencing Fencing falls at Harvard meet Mitchell Gilburne Guest Columnist

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he idea of fencing conjures up romantic images of gallant noblemen in tights dueling for the hearts of fair maidens, poised adversaries battling for honor, bell sleeves and corsets.

As a lover of fantasy and the sort of person who indulges in games of pretend every so often, I was naturally enchanted by the news that Vassar has a fencing team of its own. The very thought that I could witness a real, live sword fight was too good to leave unrealized, so I put on my favorite cap, gathered all of my preconceived notions, mashed them up into expectations and headed off towards Walker Field House.

The sleek glass tunnel that connects the Athletics and Fitness Center to the Field House served a prophetic role, for as soon as I turned the corner into the room where the dueling was occurring, I realized immediately that I had set the dial in the wrong direction on my time machine. Instead of being greeted with ruffled shirts, I found myself aboard the mother ship surrounded by a community of cyborgs. A quick trip to Wikipedia revealed that fencing and tech-

nology met in the 1950s and have been heading to infinity and beyond ever since.

Each fencer, in his or her not entirely flattering suit of armor, is tethered to a small box that, through this strange symbiotic relationship, detects when a hit is landed. This fascinating and savvy invention allows for electronic scoring that is so far superior to the abilities and biases of the human eye that it has literally revolutionized the sport. And, best of all, no more blood! (I hear cleanup was a pain back in the day.)

Each duel occupies about as much space as a shuffleboard court. Factor in the size of the Walker Field House, and you get a large white space filled with grey-clad, foil-wielding humanoids connected to machines. In other words, you have the makings of a science fiction epic.

The effect really was invigorating. I was curious, titillated and ready to move beyond the first impressions of a fan-boy to see the sport in action.

Fencing moves quickly and without mercy.

Combatants face each other and wiggle about their allotted space, punctuating the tension with brief scuffling clashes of silver. Each duel See FENCING on page 20

Andy Marmer

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Reporter

n Sunday, Nov. 29, the Vassar men’s and women’s fencing teams found themselves in Cambridge for the Harvard Multi-Meet. Despite a combined record of 1-11 over the course of the tournament, there were certainly bright spots for the Brewers.

The lone victory of the afternoon came for the men’s squad in a 14-13 decision over Sacred Heart University. The men’s team dropped matches to the University of North Carolina (UNC), Princeton University, New York University, Penn State University and host Harvard University. Although the team concluded the afternoon with a record of 1-5, Vassar boasted a number of accomplishments in the meet. Last year, Vassar lost to Harvard by a score of 21-6 and to Princeton with a score of 22-5; this year, the Brewers improved against both schools, tallying seven individual victories against each.

Two victorious Brewers finished the day with winning records. Senior captain John Rothman went 6-5 in the sabre, while team-

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

mate junior Andrew Fischl achieved an 11-7 record also in the sabre. Fischl managed two victories against UNC, Princeton and 11-time NCAA National Champion Penn State. He also had a perfect 3-0 record in the Sacred Heart victory.

While the women’s fencing team was not able to pull off any team victories, they, too, had numerous accomplishments of which to be proud. Junior Sophie Courser went 13-1 in the epee, while freshmen Caitlin Clevenger and Katie LeClair also turned in solid records at the end of the day.

Courser finished off opponents in undefeated matches and went 3-0 in the majority of her matches. Perhaps the highlight of the day for Vassar, other than Courser’s consistently strong performances, was LeClair’s 2-1 mark against defending NCAA National Champion Penn State.

Currently, the men’s team holds a winning record of 9-5, while the women’s team sits at 6-9. Both fencing teams will pause for winter break and return a tad early as they face Yale University on Monday, Jan. 18.

SPORTS

Page 20

December 3, 2009

Brandeis judges slam gavel on Brewers Andy Marmer Reporter

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Courtesy of Sports Information

s many of us were returning to Poughkeepsie from our turkey-induced stupors, a few Vassar student-athletes had already returned to resume their seasons. On Nov. 29, the men’s basketball team traveled to Waltham, Mass. to take on the Brandeis University Judges.

At the Brandeis Red Auerbach Arena, the Brewers fell 79-52 to the Judges. This loss dropped their young season record to 2-3. Despite 31 points scored by sophomore guard Caleb McGraw, the team could not manage to pull off a win. McGraw’s 17 first-half points played a key role in allowing the team to remain in close competition with the Judges throughout the beginning of the first half. Sunday also marked the second 30-point game of McGraw’s career, with his first coming in the season’s debut when he scored 37 against Endicott College in a Brewers win. So far this season, the sophomore guard is averaging 21.8 points per game and continues to play a key role in the team’s offensive force.

Although Vassar has its own basketball heroes, Brandeis’ basketball program is not without its high-status leadership. Brandeis is a school with a rich basketball heritage, boasting NBA Hall of Fame inductee K.C Jones as a former head coach. This legacy opposed the

Brewers, who kept the game close for the first several minutes, trailing just 25-21 with 6:15 to play in the first half. A 9-0 Judges run put the Brewers on their heels— a 13-point halftime deficit that the team could not recover from.

Furthermore, Sunday’s matchup against Brandeis was one of many challenging non-conference games for the Brewers this year. The Judges are currently ranked no. 22 nationally according to recent statistics. Additionally, Vassar has already dropped a 91-62 contest to defending runners-up for the National Championship, Richard Stockton College. Vassar still faces no. 25 Guard Caleb McGraw ’12 scored 31 points in a recent game Amherst College, Williams against the Brandeis Judges. The team has a record of 2-4.

College and Division I foe College of William and Mary. Head Coach ever NCAA tournament, and I think to do that Del Harris cited strategic reasons for playing we need to play teams that have been there,” a tough schedule, including the game against said Harris. Although the Brewers lost this Brandeis. “We want to win championships game, the experience will undoubtedly help now. We’re trying to get this school to its first the Brewers down the road.

Traditional fencing enters 21st century its foil counterpart and can be thrust at any part of an opponent’s body without shame or hesitation. Did I mention that double touches are considered fair play? Finally, there’s the exotic sabre. The sabre adds a slicing motion into the mix and targets the area from hip to hip and up called the “saddle line.”

Ilechko was entirely sympathetic with my slightly-unorthodox interpretation of the sport. “A lot of my friends, when I say I’m on the fencing team, mock it, but fencing is interesting and fun and slightly atypical. It’s a sport that plays out of the box, and people should and watch it.”

Ilechko continues, “When I’m fencing, I’m excited and nervous, and my adrenaline’s pumping and sometimes I catch myself thinking like I’m in The Princess Bride.” It’s just this sort of lighthearted interpretation coupled with competitive drive and swords that makes fencing a fun and exciting spectator event. One might even say that fencing is out of this world!

Sports Briefs

Courtesy of Sports Information

FENCING continued from page 19 is assigned a human judge as well as an electronic score box, and the whole business was all very somber and serious. Standard fencing protocol seems to call for a victory grunt that would put the Williams sisters (of tennis fame) to shame, and, don’t worry, despite protective masks that conceal the face, you’ll always know which one’s a Vassar player because of a bright pink sock that cheekily punctuates the ensemble.

Sometime after the match, after taking a moment to calm down after the thrill of watching storm troopers duke it out with medieval weaponry, I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with fencer extraordinaire Elizabeth Ilechko ’12. Ilechko explained that fencing is broken down into three categories based on the weapon used. First, there’s the familiar foil. It’s light and it’s meant to be thrust at torsos, chests, shoulders and backs, though the rules only permit single touches.

Next, there’s the épée, which is heavier than

Sabre Dennis D’Urso ’11 faces a Penn State opponent at a recent meet. The men’s team fell to 9-5 after competing at the Harvard Multi-Meet.

dec. 3 - dec. 9

Dec. 4-5 women’s Swimming Liberty Leagues at Rochester 4 p.m.

Dec. 4-5 men’s Swimming Liberty Leagues at Rochester 9 a.m.

Saturday , Dec. 5 men’s Squash vs. amherst 1 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 5 Women’s squash vs. Amherst 1 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Drops Game to Rutgers-Newark On Nov. 30, the women’s basketball team fell to 2-3 for the season in a close game against Rutgers University, Newark in New Jersey.

The teams began with back-and-forth action that paved the way for Vassar’s lead, which was passed between the Scarlet Raiders and the Brewers until the Radiers secured their 27-21 lead. After trailing by six points at the half, Vassar came within four points before Rutgers went on a rampage and racked up a series of points to secure the lead against the Brewers. Shortly after, the Brewers responded with an eight-point streak.

Several Brewers had impeccable performances, including Brittany Parks ’12 who tallied 14 points, five assists and five steals.

Freshman Tori Chaltain locked in 40 minutes of action and scored 11 points, a personal career high.

Saturday, Dec. 5 Men’s Basketball at Williams 7:30 p.m.

—Lillian Reuman, Sports Editor

Liberty League Football Season Concludes on Nov. 21 Courtesy of Sports Information

Brittany Parks ’12 tallied 14 points, five assists and five steals against Rutgers-Newark’s Scarlet Raiders. The Brewers lost the game, 55-48, falling to a 2-3 record for the season thus far.

Although Vassar does not have a football team, members of the Liberty League have successful teams that have boasted impressive records for the Fall 2009 season. Susquehanna University and Union College finished the season with a record of 6-1 and were both named Co-Champions of the Liberty League. Hobart College, University of Rochester and Rochester Polytechnic Institute finished in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively. St. Lawrence University and the United States Merchant Marine Academy tied for sixth place in the League. Worcester Polytechnic Institute finished in last place. A member of the Liberty League since 2007, Susquehanna University (6-1 in the League) continued on to the postseason and fell to Delaware Valley in the first round of the NCAA Championships. Union College beat Hartwick College 39-21 in the ECAC Div. III North Atlantic Bowl.

—L. R.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Saturday, Dec. 5 ball women’s Basket yn kl oo vs. Br 2 p.m.