The Miscellany News
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Symbiosis
Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866
April 7, 2022
shines
Leo Hickey
Guest Reporter
F
or most of Vassar’s history, there existed a small brick building that served as a receptacle for storing bulk amounts of coal awaiting distribution. In 1994, this building became the Shiva Theater. Perhaps even now, there are signs that the location is a former coal bin—its squat nature, dark walls and semi-industrial construction certainly render it distinct from the other theaters on campus. But on the night of April 2, the Shiva roared to life with the arrival of Coalesce Dance Ensembles’s spring showcase, a col-
in
Coalesce’s
lection of numbers performed and choreographed by the ensemble’s twelve members. Packed into one of the Shiva’s one hundred and twenty five seats, I was endlessly impressed by the dancers and the performance, and found the show to be absolutely fantastic. But I don’t say that with any degree of authority. I know nothing about dance, or choreography—I would even go so far as to say I have no rhythm. I couldn’t pretend to offer a single informed critique on the art form that I witnessed, as someone who undoubtedly falls into the lowest common denominator of dance exhibition attendees. Yet, the
spring
show undoubtedly impressed me, captured me and most importantly, made me think. I thought, specifically, about the following two questions. The first question, which arose as I absentmindedly re-read the front of the program between numbers, is: What is the significance of the name “Coalesce?” There is probably a correct answer to this were I to ask a member or two, but that isn’t exactly the point; rather I wondered how the performance itself expressed the idea of “coalescing,” a verb which represents the act of many disparate parts coming together to form a whole. The second question, a potentially
Volume 157 | Issue 8
showcase
more ambitious one which I hope to answer from my exploration of the first, is: What does the non-dancing layman get out of a dance show? That is to say, just as the aim of stand-up comedy shows are to make the audience laugh, is there a similar goal to dance showcases for those who are not invested in the medium? If I had to describe Coalesce’s spring showcase in one word, I would say that it’s raw. Very, very raw. The choice of venue, the most minimalist and unflashy that Vassar has to offer, I now understand was certainly on purpose. There is no set, and there is no See Coalesce on page 8
Hype showcase returns after three year pause Art exhibition janet song
impresses
Editor-in-chief
O
n April 2, HYPE, Vassar’s only non-audition hip hop group, hosted their 2022 showcase at Frances Daly Fergusson Dance Theater. The performance marks their first showcase since 2019, with the lessening of COVID restrictions on campus allowing HYPE to finally perform for a large audience. Indeed, excitement filled the air that night—students and families populated the auditorium, loved ones brought bouquets of flowers for the dancers and every piece was met with enthusiastic cheers and resounding applause. Rehearsing the showcase beforehand was an arduous process for HYPE. The group split practice into two phases, splitting which pieces to be taught before break and after break. HYPE President Onyinyechi Attah ’22, better known as “O,” recalled, “[Even] those two phases were not enough time. It was like four weeks, maybe for each piece. So we had to do two hour rehearsals so people [could] get it in their brains.” The first time HYPE actually got to practice their entire routine on stage was the day of the show. Members could be found going over dance
Ganesh Pillai Arts Editor
I
Photo courtesy of Angus Bernet ’22. routines on stage, working with the lighting team on how to best illuminate dancers, and even cutting shirts in the dressing room. Yet the hard work put in by HYPE members shone through with their performances. The show began with the turquoise curtains of the stage opening to reveal Creative Director Jancely Arias ’24 and Attah at stage
right and left, dancing to the program’s opening act, Doja Cat’s “Woman.” Choreographed by Treasurer Camille Donald ’22, the dance sees Arias and Attah dancing individually in their own spotlights before they are joined by fourteen other members. Watching the sea of purple t-shirts across See Hype on page 7
@id.films raises bar on sports content Jackie Molloy Sports Editor
I
t was the shot heard around the campus. With two seconds remaining and down one to league opponent Hobart College, men’s basketball guard Ben Freed ’23 inbounded a hail mary pass to teammate Jack Rothenberg ’23 who then hit the three of his life at the buzzer, sending the Brewers to the Liberty League semifinals. The bench exploded. Hobart players sank to the floor. Students crashed the court. Disbelief. Shock. Elation. One of the most memorable Vassar sports moments in recent memory. At first, Devin Lee ’22, one of the two Vassar content creators behind @id.films, wasn’t sure he caught Rothenberg’s shot on camera. Set up at half-court and poised to capture the pass from Freed, Lee prepared to follow the
miracle attempt. But once the ball was in the air, he admitted he looked up. “I remember the pass went in and I panned with the camera, and I’m usually good about watching the viewfinder, but I looked up and I was like, ‘I have no idea if I got that,’” he recalled. He immediately watched the film back, and after much anticipation, hope and worry, realized he did, indeed, have it all. Freed’s pass, the stretched finger tips of the Hobart player, Rothenberg’s falling three, the scoreboard running down and, of course, the reactions of an entire gym combusting. He quickly put an edit together and posted to @id.films’ Instagram account, while also sending out the video to various sports media accounts that a few of the basketball players had ties to. The next day, Overtime’s Instagram posted the footage on their own account, raking in over one million views and 165 thousand
Courtesy of @id.films. likes. SportsCenter’s Instagram DMed them three days later, with the post currently sitting at 15 million views and 1.6 million likes. And that’s only on Instagram. Millions more See Sports on page 15
t’s an unfortunate fact that one of art’s most inevitable associations, other than its own quality, and that of the artist, is its tendency to go unrecognized, and underappreciated. So much creativity is doomed to be experienced by its creator alone—and our very own Vassar student body is no different. Within a campus community of such diverse interests and skills, the artistic potential is infinite, but has thus far been contained, literally and figuratively, within our campus bounds. However, with the opening of the “Emerging Artists” student-led exhibition of Poughkeepsie’s local Cryptic Gallery, our friends and classmates will get the opportunity to display their work to the wider public. The Cryptic Gallery is located in downtown Poughkeepsie, about a 10 minute drive from campus. The venue has provided the stage for a variety of faces, from exhibitions on local murals, to highlighting up-and-coming musicians in the area. And from April 2 through May 7, the emerging faces are Vassar’s very own. I got the chance to visit the gallery on its opening night Saturday, and was able to see the culmination of about a month’s worth of careful planning and organizing—suffice to say the effort paid off. Upon entrance, both the left and right walls display an incredibly varied collection of Vassar’s own creations. Black and white portraits caught my eye on the right, each with an uncanny ability to communicate great depth of meaning through its detailed facial representation. In the middle of the hardwood floor rested a magnified cardboard tack replica, perfectly representing the importance of the humble tool in displays such as this one. On the left were smaller, pencil-drawn sketches, whose delicate touch was always a marvel to see. All in all, it was immediately clear the great diversity in both interest and skill among the artists featured. As I walked down the hallway, passing by See Exhibit on page 4
Inside this issue
5
ARTS
Hear Guest Columnist Emma Lawrence go “STARSICK” over Maude Latour.
9
HUMOR
Assistant Humor Editor Nicholas Tillinghast leaks info on his Main ceiling.
13
OPINIONS
VSA Judicial Board Clerk Sarah Kageyama explains Judicial Board.