The Miscellany News | April 28, 2011

The Miscellany News Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com

April 28, 2011

Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY

Volume CXLIV | Issue 22

Bus line to extend to campus

2010 survey spurs sports reflections

Caitlin Clevenger

Sports Editor

Corey Cohn

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News Editor

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Madeline Zappala/The Miscellany News

he City of Poughkeepsie Transit System will adjust its Shopper’s Special Bus Line to include a stop at Vassar beginning June 1, 2011. This bus line will replace Vassar’s weekday Poughkeepsie Shuttle service.

The Shopper’s Special line, which runs Monday through Friday, will stop at Vassar hourly starting at 10:05 a.m. and ending at 5:05 p.m.

The bus will enter the College from the North Gate and stop at a bus shelter in the North Parking Lot, then leave through the North Gate without passing through campus.

The Poughkeepsie Shuttle currently stops in front of Main Building. “In some sense that’s a really valuable route for the bus to take because it makes the bus extremely visible on campus,” said Director of Media Relations & Public Affairs and co-Chair of the Campus-Community Advisory Committee Jeff Kosmacher. However, the Campus Master Plan dictates the reduction of vehicular traffic on campus, and so the addition of a large vehicle passing several times daily through the central campus would not complement that plan.

The Shopper’s Special makes stops within walking distances of the Shuttle’s destinations, including the Poughkeepsie Middle School and Poughkeepsie High School, the Family Partnership Center, Poughkeepsie City Hall and the Poughkeepsie Train Station. In addition, it stops at Stop & Shop and K-Mart, destinations to which the current weekday shuttle does not provide transportation.

Another City of Poughkeepsie Bus already makes a stop near campus.

The Main Street bus line stops at the See BUS on page 3

Vasssar Student Association (VSA) Vice President for Activities Tanay Tatum ’12, pictured above, was elected as the 26th VSA President last Sunday. Tatum received 1,009 votes in her favor, a record-high number for this position.

Tatum elected VSA president Class of 2012 faces tied vote Joey Rearick

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Assistant News Editor

t midnight on Monday, a host of candidates and wellwishers gathered in the Retreat to learn the results of Vassar Student Association (VSA) elections for the 2011-2012 school year. In a year when several important races went uncontested, many expected few close competitions for VSA positions. But the night produced some exciting results, including two ties

Greens seek new VSA Policy on bottled water Guest Reporter

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n Sunday, April 24, as part of its Tap That initiative, the Vassar Greens proposed a policy to the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council, which would ban VSA organizations from buying bottled water for their events with VSA funds.

The proposal capped off Earth Week, hosted by The Vassar Greens. One of Earth Week’s most notable events was the Water Forum last Thursday, hosted in the All Campus Dining Center, featuring Professor of Economics Paul Ruud, Associate Professor of Geography Joe Nevins, Professor of Anthropology and Director of Asian Studies Martha Kaplan, Jillian Guenther ’13 and Liz Jones ’11. Tap That’s campaign coordinator Eliza Gercke ’13 said that this event, along with an editorial piece in the 4.21.11 issue of The Miscellany News last week, “were specific tactics to gain support in the lead-

up to the VSA proposal.” In addition, the Greens have subsidized the price of reusable water bottles for students this semester, selling more than 150 by tabling twice weekly since February; received almost 400 pledges from people to use water fountains, use reusable water bottles and to stop drinking bottled water; and posted water facts all around campus, to name just a few actions.

The proposal itself creates an VSA policy about expenditure, which in its current draft reads, “VSA money cannot be used to purchase bottled water under any circumstances. Tap water is to be used at all events where water is needed.” The Greens believe See WATER on page 4

Inside this issue

3

NEWS

VSA decertifies Shared Bike Program

5

FEATURES

top position. Initially, she was worried that the absence of an opponent would hinder enthusiasm for her campaign. But when current VSA President Mat Leonard ‘11 announced her as the winner of the See ELECTIONS on page 4

Matthew’s Follies brings back traditional Vassar variety show Adam Buchsbaum

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Arts Editor

hy is Dean of the College Chris Roellke singing this Friday? And why is Professor of Psychology Abigail Baird doing stand-up comedy? And why are both the Vastards and Hype performing? It’s a variety show, simply: Matthew’s Follies. Students, faculty and alumnae/i alike will all perform this April 29, the day before Founder’s Day, at the Martel Theater from 6-7:15 p.m. in a both silly, serious and somewhat slapdash show.

The Sesquicentennial Steering Committee hatched the idea for this event from the Faculty Follies, a formerly annual tradition in which the Vassar faculty did all sorts of lighthearted, fun acts. Susan Kuretsky ’63, the co-chair of the Committee, wrote in an emailed statement, “I remember these performances vividly from my early years of teaching here—people reading comic poems, giving mock lectures, etc.”

The Follies faded away over time, but with the sesquicentennial, the Committee saw an oppor-

Vassar blogs create space for anonymity

Courtesy of the Roundabout Ramblers

Breanna Amorde

and arguably the most convincing mandate a VSA presidential candidate has ever received.

The recipient of the latter honor was current VSA Vice President for Activities Tanay Tatum ’12, who ran unopposed in her bid for the VSA’s

esults from the 2010 Senior Survey administered by the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE) indicated that Vassar students are more satisfied with the athletic facilities on campus as compared to the other COFHE co-ed college participants, while they are significantly unhappier with the present opportunities to get involved with various athletics programs.

The biggest discrepancy found in the survey results pertained to recreational/intramural athletics opportunities, where Vassar students’ satisfaction level was approximately 15 percent below the norm value for the other COFHE schools. Students’ satisfaction levels with regards to club sport and intercollegiate athletics opportunities were eight and seven percent lower, respectively, than the norm.

Director of Institutional Research David Davis-Van Atta said these findings are important in indicating where potential problems lie. “[The survey] provides kind of a road map,” he remarked. “There might be some things you’d want to look into.”

Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs Rachel Kitzinger agreed wholeheartedly. Although she was not pleased to see these trends in the athletics program, she said it was a “good thing we’re confronted with the need to figure this out.” She was also somewhat puzzled by the results, adding, “The picture you get is very See SURVEY on page 18

The Roundabout Ramblers—composed of faculty and students‚—will perform at Matthew’s Follies this Friday, April 29 in the Martell Theater. tunity to revive them: “It’s fun to be able to bring a tradition back,” said Student co-Chair of the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee Ruby Cramer ’11. The Committee has been planning the event since late last summer to early fall, with concrete detailing beginning this semester.

14 ARTS

And, by the nature of Matthew’s Follies, students will likely see a few familiar faces. “I hope everyone will see either their friend or professor they love or administrator they know up on stage doing something fun or doing something silly,” Cramer said. “I hope it’s a good See FOLLIES on page 16

Toro y Moi to perform at Founder’s Day

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The Miscellany News

April 28, 2011

Editor in Chief Molly Turpin Senior Editors

Angela Aiuto Katharine Austin Erik Lorenzsonn Aashim Usgaonkar

Contributing Editors Matthew Brock Carrie Hojnicki Mitchell Gilburne Jillian Scharr Lila Teeters

News Opinions Humor & Satire Arts Sports Design Photography Online Social Media Managing

In 1944, Vassar celebrated Founder’s Day with another version of the Vintage Vassar—Gay Nineties, based on Vassar life in the 1890s. The day featured similar events to current Founder’s Days, including a visit to Matthew Vassar’s grave at the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery, a trip that has been a Founder’s Day mainstay for years.

This Week in Vassar History 1792, April 29 Matthew Vassar, founder of the college, was born in East Dereham, parish of Tuddingham, Norfolk County, England, the son of Ann Bennett and James Vassar, farmers and dissenters.

1866, April 30 Escorted by President Raymond, Matthew Vassar drove under a triumphal archway of evergreens designed by Henry Van Ingen, Professor of Art. Lines of students on either side of the driveway greeted the Founder.

The birthday celebration was a complete surprise to Matthew Vassar, who is reported to have said to Dr. Raymond “This one event has repaid me for every cent I have spent for the college.”

1867, April 29 Founder’s Day was observed for the second time. The Muse of the Past, the Genius of Progress and her attendants, Science, Art, Religion, and Music appeared in a student play, and as ”the Genius of Progress alluded to Vassar College and spoke of the Founder she exclaimed, ‘Behold his features!’ the signal for the curtain at the rear of the stage to be parted, revealing [his marble] bust against a background of evergreens.” Frances A. Wood, Earliest Years at Vassar 1868, April 29 This was the last Founder’s Day with Matthew Vassar present. The Class of 1868 planted a

By Dean Emeritus Colton Johnson

swamp white oak as their class tree, on the south side of the driveway west of Main. This was the first class tree.

1869, April 29 The first Founder’s Day following Matthew Vassar’s death was a subdued and moving memorial to him.

1870, April 29 Founder’s Day continued to be observed on Vassar’s birthday, but the music, collation and promenade, augmented with a guest speaker, were moved to the evening.

1895, April 26 An exhibit of various items from the early days of the college, presented by the Society of Granddaughters of the College, was a novel feature at the 30th Founder’s Day celebration.

The New York Times 1899, April 29 At the 34th Founder’s Day, President Taylor announced that two alumnae, Mary Thaw Thompson ’77 and Mary Seymour Pratt ’80, had written to the college to say that they would fund the building of a new Chapel on the campus. Josiah Royce, Professor of History and Philosophy at Harvard University, gave a lengthy Founder’s Day address on “Some Limitations of Our Thinking Public. “ He lectured again at the college in 1907 and 1909.

1911, April 28-29 Founder’s Day was observed with a special celebration in honor of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Granting of Vassar’s charter, on January 18, 1861. The events of the first Founder’s Day were portrayed, and a pageant, Women of Culture in Five Ages, was presented.

1918, May 4 The Thompson Library addition opened to the Vassar community on Founder’s Day. 1920, April 30 President MacCracken eulogized Matthew Vassar and scenes of its first observance were reenacted for Founder’s Day. 1926, April 30 The faculty won the Founder’s Day student-faculty baseball game by the score of 19 to 18, but they lost their star left fielder, Professor of Political Science Emerson David Fite, who suffered a broken ankle sliding into third base. The New York Times 1946, May 4 President MacCracken’s retirement was the theme for Founder’s Day. In the afternoon, students presented “Vassaga, Dedicated to Prexy,” a series of skits dramatizing significant periods in MacCracken’s presidency.

In recognition of the president’s engagement with international education, students raised $8,000 for the Henry Noble MacCracken Foreign Student Scholarship Fund.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Caitlin Clevenger Joshua Rosen Alanna Okun Rachael Borné Adam Buchsbaum Corey Cohn Andy Marmer Eric Estes Juliana Halpert Madeline Zappala Nathan Tauger Marie Dugo Qian Xu

Assistant News Joey Rearick Dave Rosenkranz Assistant Features Matthew Bock Ruth Bolster Danielle Bukowski Mary Huber Jessica Tarantine Assistant Opinions Hannah Blume Assistant Arts Charlacia Dent Shruti Manian Connor O’Neill Assistant Sports Kristine Olson Assistant Copy Katie Cornish Alexandra King Stephen Loder Gretchen Maslin Assistant Photo Carlos Hernandez Crossword Editor Jonathan Garfinkel Reporters Vee Benard Ruth Bolster Adam Buchsbaum Emma Daniels Laci Dent Shruti Manian Kristine Olson Connor O’Neill Jack Owen Chelsea Peterson- Salahuddin Jessica Tarantine Nathan Tauger Columnists Brittany Hunt Michael Mestitz Tom Renjilian Andy Sussman Nik Trkulja Photographers Christie Chea Katie de Heras Jared Saunders Eric Schuman 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.

April 28, 2011

NEWS

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VSA decertifies Shared Bike organization Week looks at sexual assault T issues at VC Chelsea Petersen-Salahuddin Reporter

Edith Iyer-Hernandez Reporter

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

he pink bikes visible around Vassar’s campus will soon undergo a change in stewardship. At the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council meeting on Sunday, April 24, the student group Vassar Shared Bikes was decertified per the request of the organization’s president, Adam Russin ’11.

Members of Vassar Shared Bikes oversaw the Shared Bike Program, which allows students who pay a small fee to use any of Vassar’s fleet of 30 pink bikes.

The Shared Bike Program began in 2007 and was funded by a sophomore class gift from the Class of 2009 in conjunction with Paul Lehman ’86. Lehman created the stickers on each of the bicycles in memory to his friend and freshman year roommate Tom Tsao ’86 who died shortly after graduating from Vassar. Since its inception four years ago, the program has been well received and had high membership rates from Vassar students.

“The program has definitely been a wonderful benefit to the Vassar community. We have had the bikes used in everything from class field trips to student plays. We sold keys to students, professors, Vassar staff, everyone,” wrote Russin in an emailed statement. “While we have never seen the campus overflowing with bikes, people seemed to like knowing they were there—just another little personal aspect of the school that set us apart.”

However, according to Russin, the problems now facing the Shared Bike Program stem from economic difficulties as well as a lack of student support. Russin wrote that although student interest in using the shared bikes has grown, “Student interest in helping to run the program has been dwindling, and we simply no longer have the manpower to run the program. In addition, the VSA did not fund us once in the three or so years.”

Vassar’s pink bikes, shown above, will no longer be managed by the Shared Bike Program. The organization was decertified at last Sunday’s VSA Council due to lack of future leadership interest.

Yet this decertification does not mean an end to the program. The program will be put under the direction of the Vassar Transportation department, headed by Associate Director of Security Dennis Cody. By putting the program under the direction of a Vassar administrative department, which has access to a wide range of funds for transportation purposes, Russin said he can now ensure that the program will be able to exist in some form in the future.

This decertification and change of power will, however, mean major changes to the program in the future. In its current structure, students pay a $10 fee in exchange for a key that can be used to unlock any pink bike. According to Russin, “The program will no longer be able to act in its current form (bikes out for open use across the campus). Instead some form of rental system will be implemented so

that students have personal accountability for the bike they use. This is surely not what the alumnus who launched the program had in mind and I think it is a real loss for the community, but the lack of interest in running the program and waning funding have kind of forced our hand,” he wrote. Russin added that this decertification will probably be permanent.

“I’m sorry to see it go,” concluded Russin.

“A lot of hard work went into this program, but we just ran into a free-rider problem. Everyone wants the bikes around but it is hard to find people willing to spend time collecting them and fixing them up. With the school budget the way it is, the only real way to ensure that the program survives in any form is to integrate it into a more stable school budget,” he wrote. “Is it worth losing the openness of the program in the transfer? Well we don’t really have much of a choice.”

Switch from shuttle to bus will save money BUS continued from page 1 intersection of Raymond Avenue and Fulton Avenue Monday through Saturday every hour between 6:25 a.m. and 5:35 p.m. This line also makes stops at the train station, Stop & Shop, K-Mart and downtown destinations, but is little used by Vassar College students currently. According to Kosmacher, inconvenience and lack of motivation prevent students from making use of this bus line. However, when the Shopper’s Special line includes an on-campus stop, the Main Street line will likely also see increased use from members of the Vassar community.

When the campus stop is added for the Shopper’s Special line, between the two lines there will be 20 runs to the train station and back each weekday and eight runs on Saturdays.

The College will subsidize the costs for students and employees to ride on both the Shopper’s Special line and the Main Street line, providing the $1.50 fee per rider for at least the fall semester of the 2011-2012 year. “In the same way that the Poughkeepsie Shuttle was run as a free service to get people in the habit of using it, and becoming comfortable with traveling on mass transit between campus and the city, the senior officers decided it was a good idea for the short term for the College to underwrite the cost of an employee or a student to ride these two bus routes,” said Kosmacher.

Riders who show a Vassar identification card will ride for free, though they will be required to pay a $0.30 transfer fee if they transfer to another bus line. Bus drivers will take note of the number of Vassar riders, and the City will bill the College.

Though the Poughkeepsie bus lines run on hourly loops, while the shuttle returns to campus every half-hour, the bus lines have longer hours than the current shuttle, which runs on weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“That’s one of the biggest reasons why we’ve been pushing so hard with the City” said Kosmacher of the longer hours. “Probably the most common request we’ve had for the Poughkeepsie Shuttle is to start earlier in the day,” he explained. In particular, students with

full-day fieldwork and internships will benefit from transportation in the mornings, according to Kosmacher.

The Campus-Community Advisory Committee began discussions with the City of Poughkeepsie about a campus bus stop in the fall of 2008, after the Shuttle had been running for three semesters. “There was demonstrable demand for transportation between campus and downtown. The whole reason the Shuttle was begun was because there was not any mass transit connection either on campus or reliably near campus,” said Kosmacher. The Shuttle served this need, but due to funding constraints it could only provide transportation to four stops during a four-hour period on weekdays.

Initially, “We couldn’t demonstrate to the city that the effort to adjust a route to stop on campus was worth their effort. It basically took us three years of running the Shuttle and accumulating all these statistics,” said Kosmacher. The Shuttle now has nearly 250 riders per week, a potential income of nearly $10,000 a year in $1.50 fees for the Transit System, more when the buses’ additional hours and bus use during break periods are accounted for. “We’ve done rough estimates that we could be bringing in at least $30,000 in new fare revenue to the city bus service each year. This is a bus service that runs at a deficit, so any new ridership of that magnitude is really going to be a shot in the arm,” said Kosmacher.

The substitution of the bus for the Shuttle makes financial sense for Vassar as well. Subsidizing the cost of riders will cost the College significantly less than hiring Leprechaun Lines, as it currently does for the Poughkeepsie Shuttle, because the College pays Leprechaun Lines for the costs of gasoline, personel and vehicle maintenance, all costs already built into the City of Poughkeepsie Transit System’s budget.

About a year ago, the City of Poughkeepsie agreed to make a change to its current route system, and the College and the City have been working together since then to make the adjustment. “Fortunately we were able to get [Mayor John Tkazyik] aware of what we

were doing pretty early on. Once he showed his enthusiasm for trying to find a way for the campus to be more officially connected into the city bus system, it helped the mayor’s staff move the process forward, in particular City Administrator Michael Long,” said Kosmacher.

This fall, the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council sent a letter to the mayor encouraging him and the City of Poughkeepsie to finalize the partnership with Vassar. In the letter, the Council wrote, “The creation of this route would mean much more than convenient access to a train station or grocery store or restaurant; for us, the establishment of this partnership would get to the heart of Vassar’s mission to maintain a consistent, fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship with the area surrounding it.”

The Campus-Community Advisory Committee also believes that strengthening bus service between campus and greater Poughkeepsie is important as an educational tool.

“It’s important for the College to be encouraging people to use mass transit. The city needs less car traffic. Like all municipalities, it needs its bus service used as much as possible,” Kosmacher said.

The Poughkeepsie Shuttle will continue to run on weekends, funded by the VSA. VSA Vice President for Operations Ruby Cramer ’12 has been pursuing a consolidation with the weekend shuttle offered by Marist College.

“We would both save a considerable amount of money on the service and, more important, we would get Vassar students interacting with Marist students in a way in which we’ve never had access to before,” wrote Cramer in an emailed statement. Though the Marist Student Government Association has shown interest in collaborating with Vassar, no partnership has yet been put into place and the Poughkeepsie Shuttle will continue to run on Saturdays and Sundays as it has in the past.

The City of Poughkeepsie offers a downloadable schedule and map of its bus lines on its website, but when the new bus route begins, Vassar will provide its own map and schedule designed for students.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

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assar College’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week kicked off on Monday, an extension of the National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center has dedicated the month of April to raising awareness about sexual violence and preventative measures. CARES and the Office of Health Education both sponsor events to educate the Vassar community about issues of sexual assault and sexual violence.

Vassar is holding several events this week to support the cause and CARES is tabling all week to give out T-shirts for Thursday’s event. On Monday, CARES handed out White Ribbons during their tabling to promote the White Ribbon Campaign (WRC). The WRC, which is spread throughout 55 countries, is composed of men working to end violence by men against women.

On Monday night, CARES hosted a SpeakOut at the Mug. According to an emailed statement by Laura Green ’13, the “SpeakOuts provide a safe space for people to speak out about and against personal violation.” This event occurs a few times a year.

On Tuesday evening, there was a talk by Andrea Smith entitled “Decolonizing the Anti-Violence Movement.” Smith is a Native American activist and author of Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide, Native Americans, and The Christian Right: The Gendered Politics of Unlikely Alliances. She is a co-founder of a direct action grassroots organization called INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence as well as the Boarding School Healing Project, which documents abuses in Native American boarding schools. Smith’s talk focused mainly on INCITE!’s work to structure their movement separately from the state.

Afterwards there was a screening of a short documentary called “Rape”, which was followed by a discussion with Assistant Professor of English Molly McGlennon.

Wednesday’s event was a talk by Michael Kimmel ’72, the author of Guyland: The Perilous World Where Young Boys Become Men. Written from information he gathered from interviewing more than 400 young people around the country, Green describes the book as “a glimpse of why so many guys are adrift through their 20s, and offers a road map towards a more conscious adulthood.”

On Thursday, students will wear T-shirts CARES handed out throughout the week. The shirts are a statement, with one of two statistics on them: 1-in-4, or 1-in-7. 1-in-4 supports the 1 in 4 college-aged women who have experienced rape or attempted rape and 1-in-7 supports the 1 in 7 men who experience sexual assault at some point in their lifetime.

In the past, this week has benefited from a large amount of community involvement. In general, sexual assault is not discussed openly and, according to Green, “There is much silencing and marginalizing of people who are affected by interpersonal violence and violation.” So engaging the community and creating open discussion is a rare yet valued occurrence.

This year, CARES and the Office of Health Education worked to maintain the high amounts of community participation. They also tried to incorporate men’s voices more into the discussion with the WRC and the Kimmel events. The two groups are interested in inspiring thought more about “masculinity” and the intersection of it with power relations and gender roles.

The week provides ways to engage with these issues in many different and accessible ways. Intern for the Office of Health Education, and member of CARES, Zoe Levenson ‘12 wrote in an emailed statement, “[This week is] about a community-wide recognition of the violence that occurs on this campus and off. It’s an opportunity for every office, every department and every student to come together and speak out against sexual assault.”

NEWS

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News Briefs

Council to choose between Vogel, Schmidt

CCL considers policy to ban kegs The College Regulations Sub-Committee has proposed a policy to the Committee on College Life (CCL) that would disallow students from having beer kegs at registered parties. The Drug and Alcohol Education Committee has recommended such policy for several years. According to an emailed statement by Dean of the College Chris Roellke, “A key component in educating students about alcohol use and abuse includes informing students about alcohol content and volumes and common containers, like kegs, make it more difficult for drinkers to monitor their own intake. Common containers also increase the likelihood of not knowing precisely the ingredients.” For this reason, many other colleges have banned kegs from their campuses. “Vassar is very unusual among our peers in having a process for approving kegs,” wrote Roellke. Wesleyan University allows its students to register kegs, while Colby College only allows kegs at all-campus events, and Smith College does not allow any kegs on campus. CCL, which is composed of 12 students and 10 faculty and administrators, will vote electronically this week.

—Caitlin Clevenger, News Editor

Hateful Graffiti Outside Blodgett On April 23 at 2:18 p.m., a student reported a bench outside Blodgett Hall had been marked with offensive graffiti. Officers responded, and found the bench had been marked with swastikas in pencil. Buildings and Grounds was contacted immediately, and quickly removed all traces of the vandalism.

—Joey Rearick, Assistant News Editor

Vending Machine Theft Continues On April 20 at 3:30 p.m., the Triple J Vending Company reported the latest in a string of incidents in which students have stolen items from basement vending machines. This theft took place in Lathrop, where similar violations occurred earlier this year. Security would like to remind students that the company may withdraw its business from the College if its machines continue to be violated. —JR

Door Vandalized in Main On April 22, Security discovered that a door on the fourth floor of Main Building had been damaged in a count of criminal mischief. The door’s window had been knocked out, and a wooden portion had also been forcibly removed.

—JR

ELECTIONS continued from page 1 election, co-Chair of the Board of Elections Samantha Allen ‘11 added an astounding fact: She had received the highest number of votes of any presidential candidate in the VSA’s history. Just 119 of the 1128 voters selected “No” on the presidential ballot.

“I was running unopposed, so I was worried about the legitimacy of the support for me,” said Tatum. “So it was really nice to see that so few people voted ‘No.’ It made me more confident knowing that so many people in the student body wanted me to be VSA president. It makes me a bit more confident for the upcoming year.”

She also expressed enthusiasm for the candidates who will join her on next year’s Executive Board, though she remained diplomatic about the results of those races. “I think all the candidates who ran were awesome. I’m looking forward to working with the group we have,” she said.

That group will include a number of current VSA stalwarts, many of whom who serve by Tatum’s side on this year’s Council. Jenna Konstantine ’13 will move from her position as Noyes president to vice president for operations. She hopes to focus on improving the accessibility of the VSA for students, an issue that Tatum has raised as key to her plans for next year.

Kate Dolson ’13 served as Ferry House’s representative to the VSA this year, and will take on vice president for academics in 2011. Davidson President Michael Thottam ’12 won his unopposed bid for vice president for activities, as did Jason Rubin ’13 for vice president for finance.

Rubin and Charlie Dobb ’12, who won vice president for student life, bring experience from within their houses, as Lathrop House treasurer and Davison House student advisor, respectively.

The races for class president positions also involved those who already work within the VSA structure. Michael

Moore ’14 retained his position as president of the Class of 2014, despite a late bid by Jacob Greenburg ’14, who emphasized environmental issues. Because many house presidents from the Class of 2013 chose to pursue Executive Board positions, the opportunity arose for a relative outsider to join the Council.

Vincent Marchetta ’13 became class president after serving as a student fellow in Noyes this year. He focused on the issue of fostering class unity, despite the difficulty of reaching juniors who go abroad.

“A big part of the junior year experience is the abroad programs that leave only a portion of the class on campus each semester,” he wrote in an emailed statement. “I would like to establish an open line of communication between those abroad and those at Vassar by setting up an interactive 2013 Abroad blog.”

The biggest surprise of the night came when the results for the presidential race for the Class of 2012 were announced: Pam Vogel ’12 and Zan Schmidt ’12 had tied, each receiving 155 votes. The result shocked even those who knew the race would be tight. “Everyone was saying that that election was going to be the closest race,” reflected Tatum. “But for them to tie was bizarre.” The candidates will go before the 2010-2011 VSA Council on Sunday, and Council members will vote on the candidates to determine who will assume the position.

“I am in a unique position when coming before Council this Sunday, as I am also a current member of Council,” Vogel wrote in an emailed statement. “I will obviously not act as a member of Council during this portion of the meeting, but it still puts me in a very strange, difficult-to-navigate space. I plan on addressing Council as any other student, stating why I believe I would be the best candidate for the position, and asking them to consider what is best for the student body and for the 2012

Greens aim to educate campus on bottled water WATER continued from page 1 that bottled water is a waste of student money, is detrimental to the environment, undermines public water supplies and harms the source communities. In their proposal to the VSA, the Greens included some interesting statistics. For example, Bottled water is 10,000 times more expensive then tap water. A Vassar study completed as a class project showed that water at Vassar is just as safe, by EPA standards, as bottled water. In addition, only one in five bottles are recycled, which means three billion pounds of additional waste are sent to land fills each year.

In order to achieve this change with as few problems as possible, the Greens plan to work with the Campus Activities Office to purchase more water coolers that can be filled with tap water for student organizations to use, as well as continue to provide students with subsidized reusable water bottles. The Greens firmly believe that the proposal will reduce financial waste and strengthen Vassar’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

When asked about opposition to the proposal, Gercke stated, “Though we’ve heard of a few disapprovals through the grapevine, we have not faced any strong opposition to any of our work so far. But to be transparent, we are ultimately working toward eventually banning all bottled water on campus,” she said. “And we do anticipate some stronger opposition from the administration and likely students as well, so this may not come into fruition anytime terribly soon.” One of the biggest users of bottled water for campus events is Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE). At large campus event, such as a ViCE concert, can spend up to $75 on bottled water. In their

April 28, 2011

proposal presentation, the Greens cited ViCE support, Director of ViCE quoting Allie St. Jules, who said, “ViCE completely supports the bottled water policy, and we would love to work with the Greens and/or Campus Activities Office on finding more sustainable ways to provide water during the setup/breakdown of our events.”

The Greens’ main concern is gaining support and educating the campus. As Gercke said, “It is very important to us to gain support from those who will be affected before implementing anything, so we are trying to educate people on the issue as much as possible so they understand why we are doing what we are doing. We hope that if this new VSA policy is implemented, people will see an example being set by their student government, and be given the chance to see how easy it is to function without bottled water—and we will continue to work to make it ever-easier.” Greens member and speaker at the Water Forum Guenther echoed this sentiment. “We are really excited to have the whole campus know about (and support!) what we’re trying to do,” she wrote in an emailed statement.

So far, there seems to be a large amount of VSA approval. The Operations and Finance Committees had a joint meeting on Monday to edit the proposal, and came up with the provision that the only occasion where bottled water might be acceptable would be if it were written into a previously existing contract, such as that of a band ViCE was hosting. Regarding this provision, Gercke responded, “Even in that instance, we would ask if it were really necessary and see if we could negotiate a way around it.”

The VSA Council will vote on the policy in its next meeting.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

constituency.”

Schmidt is also planning her case for the Council’s deliberation. “I am enthusiastic and willing to put my all into the senior class president position, and therefore am putting together a fresh and challenging platform to present to the VSA on Sunday night,” she said. “Although [Vogel] and I are both qualified, I want to demonstrate to the VSA that I have put significant time and thoughtfulness into the senior class position and the myriad of creative initiatives that senior class council can develop.”

Also going before the Council are Erina Kii ’14 and Aoife Feighery ’14, who tied for sophomore representative of Lathrop, each receiving 24 votes.

The winners of the house president races are all rising sophomores, with the exception of Jewett’s Clayton Masterman ’13.

Most have limited experience within the VSA’s governing structure because few positions are available to entering freshman.

Daniel Shaw ’14 was elected president of Cushing, Doug Greer ’14 won in Davidson, Michael Kiel ’14 in Joss, Dallas Robinson ’14 in Lathrop, Sienna Brown ’14 in Main, Sam Brucker ’14 in Raymond and Manning Wu ’14 in Strong. Senior housing will be represented by Alejandro Montoya ’12 in the Town Houses and April Cha ’12 in the Terrace Apartments. The South Commons will be represented by Matthew Wheeler ’12.

Brucker, like many of the newly elected officials, doesn’t know many of his fellow house presidents on a familiar basis, but is confident they can form a strong partnership in advancing the needs of the student body. “I’m very excited about the individuals that were elected to represent the different residential areas,” he said. “Though I don’t know many of them well, from meeting them and reading their candidate statements, they seem like very impressive people.”

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April 28, 2011

Page 5

Hill’s husband flies under radar no more Student blogs make unique T social spaces Samantha Thompson Guest Reporter

Q: How have you managed to remain under the radar at Vassar?

Was this a conscious decision?

A: Actually, I try to be around VC as much as I can. It’s just that I work 60 hours a week, and often on Saturdays too, in NYC. But I think I am above the ra-

Jessica Tarantine

Courtesy of Catharine Bond Hill

he name Kent J. Kildahl is probably unfamiliar to most Vassar students, many of whom may only refer to this elusive figure as “Cappy’s husband.” Since President Catharine Bond Hill stepped into her role in 2006, Kildahl has unintentionally managed to fly under student radar—until now.

An interview with Kildahl finally gives a voice to the man behind the president of Vassar College.

A native of New York City and graduate of Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, N.Y., Kildahl spent his undergraduate years at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., before finishing off his education with graduate work at Oxford and Yale Universities, accompanied by none other than Hill. With a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in English, he has an impressive and extensive resume, teaching English and serving as a college counselor at St. Albans School for Boys in Washington, D.C. in 1981, acting as the English Department chair at Miss Hall’s School for Girls in Pittsfield, Mass. in 1985 and even serving as principal at the International School of Lusaka in Zambia.

His is presently head of the Upper School at Riverdale Country School, in Riverdale N.Y., a position he has held for 13 years.

I sat down with Kildahl in the College Center to get to know the First Gentleman a little better.

dar actually, and I wish I could be more so.

Q: Do you help Cappy on any decisions she has to make at Vassar? Do you find you have similar problems at your respective schools that help you confer on issues together?

A: I help her to the degree that any good spouse tries to help. I don’t ever butt in—I hope—and when she needs a sounding board I try to be there. Yes, institutions like Vassar and Riverdale School do have lots of overlapping issues.

Keeping one’s eye on the true and essential mission of a school or college, in the face of all sorts of conflicting noise and fog, is probably the biggest challenge to both of us.

Q: What is your role as head of the Upper School at Riverdale Country School?

A: I am responsible for all the functions of a high school with 500 students and about 110 faculty. I have three groups to serve: students, faculty and parents. Riverdale also has a middle school with 250 kids and a lower school with 450. I work closely with the heads of those two divisions also.

Q: What are the challenges of living on the campus?

A: The only challenge of living at Vassar is that it’s 66 miles from home to work. But I do have a house on the Riverdale campus that makes it possible to be down in NYC many nights every week and also be in Poughkeepsie as often as I can.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Vassar/to do at Vassar?

A: Who doesn’t love the beauty of the place? I get to live in a really cool house in the middle of it, to listen to the bells of the Cha-

President of the College Catharine Bond Hill’s husband Kent J. Kidhal, above, is presently head of the Upper School at Riverdale Country School. pel while I lie in bed, walk our dog Nelly all over, play golf on the golf course and enjoy many of the things that make weekend life especially rich at VC. Special favorites of mine are the Orchestra (I try never to miss a concert) and the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

I am an old lacrosse coach, so I try to catch a lot of those games too. And I enjoy just walking around Sunset Lake or going to the [Beechtree].

Q: I know you have expressed your love for high school, but do you ever think about teaching at college? And did you ever send anyone to Vassar when you were a college counselor?

A: I think there are four students at Vassar right now who went to Riverdale. About a dozen or so have graduated in the last decade. About. It’s a tough place to get admitted to, very tough, but I sell Vas-

sar to lots of kids at Riverdale for whom I sense it would be a good fit. I realized when I was in the Ph.D. program at Yale that what I really wanted, and what I thought I would be good at, would be the life of a high school teacher. I haven’t changed my mind.

Q: How did you meet Cappy? Did you to plan to go to Oxford and Yale together?

A: We met each other in England, at graduate school in Oxford. Our parents’ homes in Westchester were about five miles apart and we went to rival high schools, but it was a happy accident 3,000 miles from home that we met.

I changed my plans to go to the University of Chicago so I could be in New Haven with Cappy. That was 30 years and three kids ago. Meeting Cappy was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Tenure maintains place in academia Mitchell Gilburne

C

Contributing Editor

ollege students are no strangers to the term tenure. In fact, it touches almost every aspect of the College. Though students are largely immune to the stress and uneasiness that may plague a professor on their journey down the tenure track, our education is largely influenced by the academic philosophies that govern the tenure process.

The tenure track is an eight-year adventure that begins before the professor in question is ever hired. Annually, the various academic departments are awarded open tenure track positions based upon demonstrated need to bring additional perspectives across academic focuses. The number of tenure track positions are regulated to ensure a fair distribution of tenured faculty members as well as to best manage the College’s monetary resources.

Selected faculty are then hired on a probationary three-year term which can be extended into a fifth and then an eighth year after a series of reviews. During this time, candidates for tenure are expected to exhibit their value as an instructor and scholar, with the minimum requirement for receiving tenure to be distinction in at least one, but preferably both, of these categories of evaluation.

To kick off the tenure review process, the professor in question must submit a teaching and a scholarly portfolio, which is reviewed by both their department and a group of four peer evaluators from outside of the College. Pending a favorable letter of recommendation, the candidate is then evaluated by the Faculty Appointments and Salary Committee (FASC), which is comprised of two full and three associate professors with one member rotating out each year. Faculty who sit on FASC do not benefit from any monetary incentive, but are given a course release in order tio lighten their load. FASC then pens a letter of

the percieved strengths and weaknesses of the candidate to the dean of faculty who in turn discusses and revises the letter with the committee before sending it forward to the president of the College. Following this step, FASC, the dean of faculty and the president discuss the candidate together, make a decision and then put it in front of the Board of Trustees for approval.

Perhaps most striking about this process is the fact that the Board of Trustees is given the final vote towards awarding tenure to Vassar’s faculty. Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs M. Rachel Kitzinger insists that this methodology is in fact compatible with the motivating forces behind the tenure process, explaining, “It’s consistent with the role of the trustees, which I think is consistent with Vassar’s philosophy in that their job is fiscal responsibility for the College.”

To illustrate her point, Kitzinger recalls the imposition of a tenure cap, which prohibited more than 60 percent of Vassar’s professors to be tenured at any given time. A gesture noble in intentions b ut flawed in execution.

“That was a terrible, terrible system,” said Kitzinger, “because you could have the best person in the world coming up for tenure and if the cap was met you’d have to fire them.”

Following the dissolution of the tenure cap, the trustees implemented a tenure review system that, although unable to terminate a tenured position, could act as a control on the salary of tenured professors. She concluded, “If you accept the fiducial role of the trustees, I think their oversight of how the College awards tenure is appropriate. It would become inappropriate if they questioned the decisions or second-guessed the process. I don’t think it’s inappropriate for there to be a symbolic gesture of acceptance.” With Dean of Faculty Jonathan Chenette, adding, “[The trustees] should not be looking at the cases with the de-

gree of scrutiny to the degree that the members of FASC, myself, and the president do.”

When considering the benefits of the tenure system, Chenette offered, “It gives us a faculty that has then carefully selected nurtured supported to be really top notch scholars and creative artists and the faculty bring the excitement of that work to their teaching and very often engage students in their research in some ways.”

Often faculty members’ scholarly pursuits are addressed during a period of sabbatical. With entitlement to one semester of sabbatical for every six semesters of service, Vassar is very clear in expressing the degree to which faculty members’ independent work is valued. To Kitzinger, the sabbatical system may be practically linked with the pursuit of tenure, but maintains a value outside of the pursuit of career stability. She noted, “I think [sabbatical] is very important for the faculty and for the College, because we do believe and try to live up to the belief that the best teachers are people who are actively pursuing their own research, i.e. people who have kept their intellectual connection to the field alive not just through teaching but through the kind of work that scholars do, which is lonely and requires a lot of empty time to think and to write and to visit libraries,” Kitzinger said. “So that system is central to Vassar’s mission, but not because of tenure. Tenure mirrors those values.”

Kitzinger further praises the tenure system for the stability it provides during times of economic crisis, explaining, “Interestingly in the current financial times tenure matters because it becomes much harder for an academic institution to say ‘oh we don’t need this field anymore,’ and what stops that from happening is the fact that it’s hard to eliminate a field if you have tenured faculty in it,” she said.

“Though the recent curricular cuts at [State University of New York] Albany bear witness See TENURE on page 8

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

O

Reporter

ffering the frequent laugh, occasional moment of concern and endless opportunity for procrastination, the Vassar College blogosphere provides not only entertainment but also a communal experience and emotional support for students across campus.

Some are maintained and used exclusively

by Vassar students; other websites like RateMyProfessor and CollegeACB, have pages for various institutions to communicate with and about their community. However, the anonymous nature of many of these blogs still causes a great deal of unease. However, such anonymity is often integral to the character and continued development of such venues as individuals who choose to engage with these spaces must feel secure that their information and opinions are protected and confidential.

It was the idea of connecting students who may not be friends that caused the formation of the Word Press blog Say Anything Vassar (SA). “SA was started because Vassar just seemed like it could use a forum where all students could communicate and share info even if they’re not friends,” explained the founder of the blog in an emailed statement, whose cites anonymity as integral to the continued success of the blog and wished to remain anonymous.

The result of the desire to connect students has been a slew of posts, ranging from laments of hectic test schedules to idle curiosities to personal accounts of depression and joy.

Associate Dean of the College for Campus Life and Diversity Edward Pittman ’82, however, cautioned against online anonymity.

“People often don’t use the same thoughtful process in anonymous speech and that’s where most harm is found,” he wrote in an emailed statement.

I posed the question on Say Anything: “Why do you post on Say Anything Vassar?” I posted anonymously (or not so anonymously anymore). Some users agree with Pittman’s distinction between face-to-face and anonymous communication. They argued, however, that anonymity can be a benefit.

Even in only four responses, the answers ranged from heartfelt to heartless, with some relishing in the wickedness they felt no guilt expressing in an anonymous forum while others sought the comfort of an anonymous forum to be able to speak with strength and without hesitation.

I only got four responses to my post, but all four agreed that this sharing of secrets, facilitated by the online disinhibition effect, in which people feel free to divulge personal information under the veil of anonymity, leads to a feeling of solidarity in the student body.

The author of the blog VC Hot Mess which chronicles the sexual misadventures of a busy Vassar student, said that he felt the stories he blogged helped encourage unity on campus, stating, “everyone has those awful, awkward hookups, especially at such a crazy place like Vassar.

I guess VC students can laugh with the experiences I share and realize they are not alone.” The author also requested anonymity in this article.

He also acknowledged that he benefits greatly from anonymous posting. “I definitely get a feeling of catharsis when blogging. I think that feeling was actually the reason I started the blog,” he said. “I felt very ashamed and embarrassed about many of my relationships and sexual encounters at Vassar. The blog was made to kind of cleanse my guilt and secrecy and just laugh at myself.”

Senior Academic Computing Consultant Cristian Opazo-Castillo felt the anonymous nature of these sites could be helpful. “Of course there’s the potential for verbal abuse, bullying and simply inconsequential or nasty content, but there’s also plenty of candid opinions and points of view that ultimately serve us all to broaden our awareness of certain situations, conflicts, etc. within Vassar.”

He went on to opine that the harms linked to online sites were not unique to virtual situations; gossip has been harmful long before the See BLOGS on page 8

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April 28, 2011

Mettle and metal meet in CDO critiques, defends annual robot competition unpaid internship programs Mary Huber

Assistant Features Editor

I

Kat Mehocic/The Miscellany News

Above, students work together to build their project for the annual Cognitive Science Department’s annual robot competition. The Vassar Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Lab arranges the contest.

Nathan Tauger Online Editor

E

ver think about thinking? Or about how to program a robot the size of a rabbit to collect seeds and bring them back to a garbage can? Maybe how synchronized behavior affects feelings of mutual support in humans?

There’s a department for that.

Cognitive science, the multidisciplinary field about the nature of thinking, is busy.

Soon the annual robot competition, a contest set up by the Vassar Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Lab (IRRL), will occur. Professor of Psychology and member of Steering Committee for Cognitive Science Ken Livingston explained in an emailed statement, “This year’s task involves building a robot that leaves a nest area and forages for seeds that have to be returned to the nest, much as real ants do.”

The rest is left to the students’ cognitive powers, as Jamee Bateau ’12 wrote in an emailed statement. “There is no formal teaching aspect involved. We just delve right into the project, asking questions and researching equipment along the way. The essence of the competition is as follows: Students are put into groups of four (each relatively matched in programming/hardware/cog-sci experience), given an objective...given the necessary hardware...and given access to the robot lab in the basement of Olmstead [Hall].”

But cognitive science is much more than building robots. According to the Department’s website, cognitive science is “a broadly multidisciplinary field in which philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists, linguists, neuroscientists, biologists and computer scientists, among others, combine their respective expertise in the service of a unified exploration of mind.” After being introduced as the first undergraduate degree granting program of its kind in the United States, the Cognitive Science Department at Vassar not only engages in a variety of projects like the robot contest, but also fosters an important dialogue between disciplines.

Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Cognitive Science Department Gwen Broude shared in an emailed statement why the multidisciplinary approach to cognitive science works. “Among the benefits of the multidisciplinary strategy are the following: The strategy allows us to make use of all of the ideas and methods used by people interested in the mind. We imagine that there is strength in variety,” Broude stated. “The strategy keeps you honest. When you have a variety of theories and methods all taking on the same questions, there is a greater likelihood, we believe, that

weaknesses in any specific perspective will be discovered by other disciplines.”

The robot competition also illuminates this multi-disciplinary approach to the science of thinking. “Building simple robots establishes and reinforces certain key ideas that have come to be very important to contemporary theories of mind and behavior,” wrote Livingston. About the questions that cognitive science attempts to address, Broude added, “We ask questions about the nature and role of perception and action or remembering or decision-making or communication as these contribute to how agents (systems that autonomously act in the world) function in the world,” she wrote. “What is a mind? Can you have a mind in some entity that is not biological? Is a mind defined by what it can do instead of what it is made of?”

Cognitive science majors show how the multidisciplinary approach works. Katie Hoople ’11 wrote her thesis on “effects of genderbased language on gender-related attitudes” and studied the human psychology aspect of cognitive science. “I am planning on getting a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. People can really do anything with a [cognitive science] degree,” she wrote in an emailed statement.

Jackie Kory ’11, who also is pursuing a computer science correlate, wrote her thesis on a very different topic. “I designed a biologically inspired predator-prey model to investigate the effects of emotion and communication on prey group behavior, implementing the model in a set of simulated robots,” she wrote. “My experience working with robots extends beyond the [annual IRRL] competition. I did URSI twice, working on autonomous learning algorithms in both simulated and real robots.

Last summer I interned at NASA Langley, helping establish an autonomous vehicle lab.”

Evan Waldron ’11, a biochemistry major, also participated in the robot contest last year, calling it “one of the greatest experiences of his time at Vassar.”

And although he does not major in cognitive science, Waldron holds the program in high esteem. “I grew up wondering about things like [artificial intelligence], robots and my own mind and I think a lot of other people did as well. So when you start taking a class that addresses those issues head on from a scientific (and philosophical) perspective, its pretty awe inspiring,” he said. “In cog sci I’ve always felt as if I was on the verge of realizing some fundamental secret of the mind.”

For those interested in watching robots, the annual robot competition will be on Monday, May 9 at 12 p.m. in the Villard Room.

n a New York Times op-ed (“Unpaid Interns, Complicit Colleges,” 4.2.11), Ross Perlin claimed that many unpaid internships in fact do not live up to students’ expectations and accused American colleges and universities of having “become cheerleaders and enablers of the unpaid internship boom, failing to inform young people of their rights or protect them from the miserly calculus of employers.” At Vassar, unpaid internships are a fairly common way to build one’s resume, but student and adminnistrator feeling toward them is decidedly complex.

Director of Career Development at Vassar Mary Raymond opined in an emailed statement, “I do think unpaid internships offer students a good opportunity to gain exposure [to and] experience of a particular industry, and are critical for certain fields which do not provide alternatives for resume building experience. However, if the student is not involved with a project or substantive work for at least part of the time, this compromises the intentions of such an arrangement.”

The challenge for the Career Development Office (CDO) is to screen potential internships to make sure they offer a quality experience.

Assistant Director for Employer Relations Susan Smith explained that she screened all internships offered through the CDO. “When I come across something that seems too good to be true, or is commission-based, fee-based or perhaps is very ‘sales oriented,’ I do question it,” wrote Smith, “Sometimes I run it by the CDO staff, sometimes I pose a question to the [Liberal Arts Career NetWORK] or to the Selective Liberal Arts Consortium.” If the answers she receives aren’t satisfactory, Smith doesn’t post the internship.

Raymond also praised the CDO’s possible role in ensuring students get the most out of their internships, unpaid or not. “We can step in, and have done so to advocate for students in the past. In addition, should there not be

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

compliance on the employer’s end, we have the ability to inform our colleagues at other colleges so they can remove this listing from their database,” Raymond wrote.

Raymond also acknowledged this problem, stating, “If the employer does not provide any sort of transportation/lunch stipend, and the student is not getting institutional or family assistance, this creates enormous financial challenges.” Raymond claimed, “Absolutely lower income students are at a disadvantage, and that is why we, the CDO, have been championing this issue for many years. Fortunately we have loyal alumnae/i and have received class gifts also to support the Internship Grant Fund.” The Internship Grant Fund offers stipends of $250 to $2,000 for necessities like food and housing to about 40 students who pursue unpaid internships over the summer, however its limited resources were only able to meet a fraction of the need expressed through applications to the fund.

Raymond adds, “For credit bearing opportunities pursued over the summer [students] can apply for credit through the Field Work Office without having to pay additional tuition.”

Raymond approves of the U.S. Department of Labor’s guidelines, but noted, “If it becomes too restrictive some employers will be unable to hire interns.”

Not all college administrations, however, support such guidelines. 13 college presidents wrote a letter protesting the guidelines, claiming that the government risked scaring off companies by clarifying existing legislation, and might do best to leave the topic alone.

The letter elicited a sharp response in which the Economic Policy Institute claimed educators were asking them to, “look the other way and condone violations of the law.” Whatever the outcome of the confrontation, the debate about unpaid internships is clearly far from over. How critics, and colleges’ rising concern over unpaid internships will affect college students has yet to be seen.

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Page 7

Raymond, Strong establish Vassar living beyond Main Jessica Tarantine

A

Assistant Features Editor

Christie Chea/The Miscellany News

s the first two dorms built on campus after Main Building, just four years apart, Strong and Raymond Houses share a long and intertwining history beginning in 1889 and continuing to today with events from the all-campus Roaring Twenties Dance to alternative programming offered jointly by the dorms on Friday evenings, aptly called “Super-Fun Nights.”

While originally the entire campus was housed in Main Building, an influx of students made apparent the need for expansion.

“The problem of the accommodation of students is...a pressing one. [Main] building is practically full; it will never again be possible to require students to room as they did in the early days of the College,” reported President of the College James Monroe Taylor to the Board of Trustees in 1889. “Whatever may be the disadvantages of the so-called ‘cottage system,’ it is now in favor, and we must in some way meet the popular want.”

With the petition to the board successful, the Trustees allocated $75,000 to President Taylor for the construction of a new dormitory.

“But it wasn’t before long after [the architect Frances] Allen finished plans for the dormitory that a shortage of $35,00 was discovered,” wrote Vassar Historian Elizabeth Daniels in her book Main to Mudd, and More.

“Taylor sent a telegraph to trustee John D. Rockefeller pleading dire need,” Daniels continued. Rockefeller then agreed to provide the additional funding needed for the project. As a result, the building was named after his daughter Bessie Rockefeller Strong ’88.

Explaining the layout of the dorm Daniels wrote, “The modified Elizabethan brick building provided single rooms for 100 students,” and continued, “which seemed about right—a good number to live in one house as long as the dining room ceilings were kept high enough to afford quiet at meals times.”

Built in 1889, Strong House—its parlor pictured above—was the only single-sex dorm after Vassar went co-ed in 1969. Beginning in 1975, Raymond House temporarily became the only all-female dorm.

But even this new dormitory was not enough to meet the growing demands for living space, and so Raymond House was built in 1897, named after second president of the College John H. Raymond.

Moving into the future, Raymond and Strong would come to provide unique offerings to the College. In the fall of 1954, Raymond House began to fill a need of the College by offering for the first time a laundry room for those students who preferred to do their own laundry.

The new space offered four washers, two dryers and one extractor; and it featured low rates: 25 cents for the washer, 20 cents for the drier and 10 cents for the extractor, not including a 25 cent service charge if you asked the supervisor to load or unload the machine. In the early days

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of the College, students had their laundry sent to what is now the Old Laundry Building to be cleaned and then returned to Main.

Strong contributed a great deal to campus culture in 1969 when it stayed single-sex while the rest of the campus went co-educational.

“Living in a co-ed dorm was a bit of a rambunctious experience in the early days in a way that, I believe, would not be the case now. There was some exuberant characters and some turmoil, not involving me personally, but it was just part of the package, as having men there was so new,” wrote Mendez Hodes ’72 in the Vassar Quarterly, describing her freshman year spent in Raymond, where many of the College’s first men were housed. Hodes would in the following year move to Strong. Current house presi-

dent Sophia Wasserman ’13 offered some perspective on the shifting popularity of what is today a less sought-after dorm, “Some students (in the ’70s), as they do today, wished to stay in an all-female environment. The ’70s were also at the height of the women’s liberation movement and there may have been an added sense of commitment to creating a unified female force on campus.”

But the continued status of Strong as the College’s exclusive all-female dorm hasn’t gone without some debate or interruption. In 1975, Raymond was designated as an all-womens’ dorm. Dean of Residence Elizabeth Drouihet made the decision as the demands for all-female living space was almost overwhelming the open space in Strong.

“Last year I almost wasn’t able to grant rooms in Strong to all of those who wanted them,” she was quoted as saying in an 1975 Miscellany News article. “This year I can’t take the chance of coming that close again. (“Raymond Chosen Women’s Dorm; Cushing Dropped,” 2.3.75). While Strong would be reverted back to the exclusive women’s dorm and Raymond would return to its former co-ed status, the two would maintain a strong relationship continuing to present day.

It also appears that both houses share a strong sense of community within their walls.

Wasserman noted of her dorm, “Our atmosphere is quiet and homey. The community is small enough that we all know or at least recognize each other.”

Sacks described Raymond’s dorm culture: “There are groups of Raymondites who play poker, play football, have Nerf wars and watch sports religiously... A good chunk of the quidditch team is made up of people from Raymond so we also have a slight Hogwarts vibe.

“This year, Raymond and Strong started a group called Superfun that organizes alternative programming every Friday or Saturday in one of the houses,” she added.

The College Center effect draws out student instincts Ruth Bolster

Assistant Features Editor

W

hile for most people any time spent at the College Center is simply a fleeting, transient aspect of the day, the College Center’s sheer volume of traffic makes the space an interesting laboratory when observing the behaviors of others. Just what do Vassar students do in the College Center?

On Monday, for example, Hunger Action was tabling to raise money for local efforts to fight hunger in the greater Poughkeepsie community. Wednesday, representatives from the Choir were selling candy to raise money.

“A good tabler is someone who is friendly, personable and is not afraid to yell at people when they walk by,” said Hunger Action member Hillary Frame ’14. “But if we have cookies out in the open, we are more likely to get people.”

So why is it that cookies are an effective means of attracting people to Hunger Action’s table? Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Patricia Cole attributed people’s draw to tables offering sweets to the time of day.

“If people are walking through the College Center around noon, they are probably on their way to get lunch, and they are probably already hungry. Maybe they pass by a table that has something tasty looking, even if they know they are already on their way to get a nutritious meal, they see the cookie and they get veered off course,” stated Cole. “And if the cookie is available in return for not much effort...it is an easy, quick, falsely satisfying answer for what they might have gone into that building to get.”

Cole also noted that humans are attracted to certain foods, particularly those with a high sugar or fat content. “You have people who are a little bit hungry, and out pops this super normal stimulus that activates their smells and tastes and attraction to an extent where they just can’t seem to resist,” she said.

Cookie peddling aside, the College Center is

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

perhaps best known for the crowds of people who congregate there between classes—and particularly for the cacophony of sound they produce. Yet when conversing, these distractions seem to fade into the background.

“Even though as humans, we think we are absolutely amazing and that we are the most intelligent and incredible creatures on the earth, the fact still exists that we have a very limited channel or broadcast capacity for attention and focus,” noted Cole. “And I think that we are just limited in how much we can see, hear, process and respond to appropriately at any given time. “ She likened this to the Cocktail Party Effect, a psychological theory that states that people can essentially acquire the ability to hear selectively when conversing in a crowded room.

Cole also noted that some people seem more comfortable in crowds. “The potential answer of why this might be is a bit complex.

I believe there could be a potential evolutionary substrate going on, which in our past has told us that being around others is a good thing because there we get cooperation, reciprocity and safety in numbers,” explained Cole. “But there is a maximum density value there that potentially sends us in the other direction. When we are in the midst of a large crush or individuals, our sense of self can be threatened and our sense of sanitaryness can be threatened... So there is probably a part of us as well that says having some people around is a good thing, but having a large number of people around can be dangerous,” she said.

Whether one looks at how people react to crowds or how they react toward tablers with cookies, the College Center is evidently an interesting microcosm in which to observe the ways in which students behave. Undeniably, these observations as well as their psychological explanations provide intriguing insight into the minds of Vassar students.

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April 28, 2011

Pucker up for refreshing pickled vegetables for summer Samantha Loewen

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Guest Columnist

hough winter at Vassar is delightful, it’s easy to tell that the student body is ready for the warmer months. It’s clear kids are getting desperate when, no matter the temperature, if the sun is out so are droves of T-shirt-clad boys with Frisbees and picnickers by Sunset Lake. Whether we are yearning for finals to be over, the summer to start, or just for the beer cart at Founder’s Day, there is definitely an itch for spring circulating around campus.

But before we get too lazy, sunburned and inebriated, let’s give one last nod to the dull winter. Before the freaky science that is modern food technology existed, folks had to can or pickle fresh foods in order to have some sort of produce in the winter. We used to not be able to go to Whole Foods in December and pick up a pint of raspberries and a few mangos to cure our winter blahs. If our ancestors didn’t want to subsist solely on meat and root vegetables all winter they had to start canning their fresh produce in the summer.

Pickling, canning foods in brine, was another way to keep vegetables fresh and tasty. Today though it is more about taste than preservation.

Pickled cucumbers, simply pickles to us, are a mainstay in the United States. They are put on sandwiches and burgers, incorporated into relish on hot dogs, wonderfully deep fried in the south, and put on sticks at state fairs and country club snack bars. But even though the versatility of our simple pickle is pretty impressive, we Americans are somewhat lame in the world of pickling, rarely venturing out beyond the cucumber.

So here is an idea to combat our pickle lameness: try pickled radishes and cucumbers for a bright and beautiful salad that is just right for summer. It is light and refreshing but also extremely flavorful. This is another one of those deceptively easy recipes.

While the salad looks impressive and tastes fantastic, it is almost laughably simple. As in only four ingredients simple: radishes, cucumbers, vinegar and sugar. After the vegetables are sliced it takes all of 30 seconds to prepare, and the flavor only gets better the longer the salad sits. It is tangy and acidic from the vinegar but slightly sweet and syrupy from the sugar. After about a day in the brine the salad becomes intense and complex, while taking on a bright pink hue from the radishes.

This recipe does not use the true pickling process; it is more like a quick pickle. Perhaps the technical term should be brined radishes and cucumbers, but that does not quite have the same ring to it. The traditional method is a bit labor intensive.

It involves boiling the cans and lids to sterilize them, cooking the brine, sealing the jars and a several week wait time. This is basically the college student’s pickled vegetable recipe, which you probably didn’t even know you needed.

So as the semester winds down, the temperatures go up and we all start to work and play a bit harder, pickled vegetables can be an easy go-to snack.

This dish is cheap and healthy, which means there is no reason not to make it over and over. It is portable and easy to eat, so you can take it to the 24-hour room to power you through your workload without violating the sticky, smelly, messy library food rule.

But what’s most important is that it is delicious; the perfect snack to revive and invigorate after long Saturdays in the sun.

Pickled Radishes and Cucumbers »» »» »» »»

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced 2 bunches of radishes, thinly sliced 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup sugar

Place the sliced vegetables in a ball jar or any other container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the vinegar and sugar and shake to combine. The amount of water and sugar can be adjusted

to fit the size of the container; the vegetables should be mostly covered by the brine. Let sit for a few hours to a day and enjoy. Refrigerated salad should last about a week.

Anonymity has pros, Tenure continues to cons in online forums safeguard freedoms BLOGS continued from page 5 Internet. “The old ‘gossip servers’ ultimately served that purpose as well, and no matter how many of them get blocked, because many others will rise up to fill up the void—if the need exists,” OpazoCastillo said.

“From that perspective, I believe there is no fundamental difference between online life and real life: Both have the potential for risky interactions, as well as rewarding ones. Conflict is not necessarily a negative thing,” he concluded.

Perhaps arguing even more strongly for online websites was Professor of English Amitava Kumar, who stated, “I do want to say that I encourage students to put their words out in the blogosphere.”

“There’s much to lament about the opinions, and worse, the pure unadulterated malice, that is out there on the Internet; at the same time, that is where a lot of the action is, certainly so much of the conversation is taking place right there,” he wrote. “There is no turning back, or switching off, or pretending that you are living in a cabin beside Walden Pond.”

But the feeling of catharsis when fully expressing oneself doesn’t come without some risks. Said VC Hot Mess’s author, “I was very hesitant [about starting the site] however because with anonymity can come cruelty. I have many friends who felt personally attacked and abused from some comments made on blogs, especially on CollegeACB.” In the past, Vassar has had problems with unmoderated anonymous sites, such as BoredatVassar, which was similar to Say Anything Vassar in format but was ultimately taken down in May 2008 due to the administration’s

concerns about the proliferation of negative gossip. Therefore, some sites today have taken to not only moderating comments, but also enforcing a strict policy against negativity. In fact, to encourage these benefits without the negative consequences, some sites, like SA, have taken to moderating all posts to allow for a positive, beneficial environment.

However, as the online disinhibition phenomenon shows, negative, hurtful and even belligerent comments are still easy to make in an anonymous setting. “The challenge of these sites has been the oftentimes anonymous nature where offensive words and messages take shape,” wrote Pittman. “A site such as [SA] can be harmful if offensive or hateful speech is used and cannot be connected to anyone.”

Pittman also noted that to correct the problem, a solution external to the sites may be needed. “As a community, it’s important for us to have high standards and ethics for all speech whether in person, online or in print,” he wrote.

To address these concerns on campus he explained the College’s approach: “The Committee on College Life is working on a ‘Cyberethics, Internet Safety and Community Standards’ statement to educate the campus about the benefits and risks of social media communications.

The statement will be for the Student Handbook, but we hope the awareness efforts will take many shapes across campus,” Pittman wrote. “In the past, harmful words have been used—name-calling, ugly rumors, homophobic, racist, sexist remarks, etc.—and no one to claim those words. This doesn’t happen often, but enough to warrant concern.”

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

TENURE continued from page 15 to a vulnerability within the tenure system, it is the breach of academia’s greatest institution for stability that highlights the severity of the state’s actions.

Despite its virtues, the tenure system is not beyond scrutiny. In fact, those who question the value of the tenure system within the modern world of academia are not without a few strong points. Chenette explained, “If you don’t have tenure you have a lot more flexibility in your staffing, so if you’re seeing a great upsurge of interest in one area or a decline in another you can make decisions to shift staffing.

That’s an advantage from an institutional flexibility point of view.”

Kitzinger added, “The other problem is that the job security can shield faculty from realities that I actually think they’d be better teachers if they weren’t shielded. There are very few professions anymore that have that absolute security and if people start to think it’s their right I think you can really get very disconnected from the way the world actually functions.”

In addition to criticisms of the system itself, it is worth noting the immense psychological pressure that tenure track professors must cope with for the entire eight-year duration of their application period. In sympathy with those faculty members who are pursuing tenure, Chenette admitted, “The most frustrating thing is the difference in power and security associated with that one decision that happens in the seventh year of your employment here.” He added, “I think before that time some faculty feel insecure. They feel less inclined to express views openly. I think that’s

very unfortunate because I think our community should be able to have a wide range of opinions voiced.”

Kitzinger too sees room for error within the process of awarding tenure. She worries that a faculty member’s department may, for fear of discomfort, slide people through the evaluation, while the FASC board may grow to suspect such tactics and thus discount the recommendations from various departments. “There’s the possibility of FASC being given more power by the department then they already have or of taking more power by making the decision.” She continued, “Although I think the process in the department is very open, the deliberations of FASC are fairly hidden so I think it causes a lot of paranoia in a process where there is already a lot of paranoia.”

Despite the concerns surrounding the tenure system, Vassar’s administrators are confident that the current system best addresses the College’s needs. Chenette explained, “We are extremely committed to tenure at Vassar as the proper mode of employment for our faculty in the intensive educational environment and research-intensive teaching style that we pride ourselves on.” Kitzinger emphasized the emphasis that tenure places on academic freedom, concluding, “The issue with tenure in my view has to do with whether it’s original reasons for being established still hold today. The original reason was to protect academic freedom and I think that having that protection is really, really important I don’t think anyone can figure out how to give that protection through another system.” Thus, the tenure system remains firm, but not unchallenged, as the standard to which all academic exploits are held.

OPINIONS

April 28, 2011

Page 9

Miscellany News Staff Editorial

Greens engage campus in thoughtful dialogue T

he Vassar Greens approached the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council on April 24 in hopes of enacting campus-wide changes in accordance with its current Tap That campaign. Tap That looks to raise awareness about the environmental and financial benefits of choosing tap over bottled water and to encourage students to forsake the bottle in favor of a more eco-friendly option available at every tap, spigot and fountain across campus.

The Vassar Greens proposed an amendment to VSA Policies that would prohibit VSA-certified organizations from using VSA funding to purchase bottled water.

While this initiative is still a work in progress, the intention and energy behind it is honorable. The changes proposed via the Tap That campaign are both fiscally and environmentally responsible. Moreover, their intentions set a precedent that we feel is representative of the direction in which we would like to see the VSA engaging with itself and its organizations in the future.

It is no secret that bottled water is no better than the water that flows from our sinks. In fact, the tap water in the state of New York is known to be a standout in both taste and health benefits. Bottled water is not only unable to compete with the advantageous qualities of tap water, but it is also more costly and its plastic packaging is potentially carcinogenic. Additionally, the small plastic bottles that tempt us with their immediate convenience and optimistic packaging litter our earth, especially when only one fifth of all bottles make it to recycling. Thus, plastic bottles can harm not only the environment, but also humans.

Prohibiting VSA funding from be-

ing spent on bottled water is a fiscally responsible option that would encourage the VSA and its organizations to look more carefully at the use of organizations’ budgets. Regardless of the economic climate, the cost of bottled water compared to its alternative is enormous, and its consumption on the Student Activities Fee’s dime is worth examining through a critical lens.

Of course, the proposed changes must be carefully considered and implemented with care and foresight in order to be as effective as they seem on paper as well as to not have undue negative effects. While it is a noble idea to ban the use of VSA money to purchase bottled water, tap water alternatives must be sufficiently accessible, including the means to distribute tap water at events. Though the monetary advantages of tap water are great, in order to provide for the success of the Tap That campaign, a greater number of water coolers and a whole slew of compostable cups must be purchased and made available to all VSA organizations. In the long run, these investments will be both more sustainable and cheaper to maintain.

In addition to our support of the content of the Vassar Greens’ campaign, we are thrilled by the precedent of communication between VSA Council and organizations that these actions have set.

We eagerly anticipate the thoughts and initiatives that will spring forth from a renewed focus on the VSA’s organizations instead of solely its Council and to future, exciting collaborations between the two. Holding the entirety of the Vassar student body to an ethical standard is a bold and important decision that underscores the ideology that has historically governed Vassar College.

The Miscellany News supports the VSA asserting their right to review the spending of the organizations that they fund. While the decision to remove bottled water from campus entirely will have to be a larger and lengthier allCollege discussion—and one on which the Editorial Board could not reach a consensus—there is no doubt that this move would be a significant gesture indicating student ideals and priorities to the larger community.

Furthermore, the proposed changes reflect a shift in the way the VSA contemplates itself that we are glad to see. Instead of focusing on their internal structure or their capacity to govern, through the Tap That initiative, the VSA is instead examining the relationship between its Council and its organizations. While we have heard much about Council’s relationship with itself and with its constituents over the past year, we have seen little interaction between the VSA and the organizations that it funds and certifies beyond those necessary functions. It is important to clarify that we are not looking for the VSA to insert itself into the minutia of every organization’s spending habits, but to enact a blanket policy that takes a moral stance is consistent with a thoughtful and responsible Council and in conversation with other student groups.

We would like to thank both the Vassar Greens and the VSA for their thoughtful work concerning multiple facets of our campus’s health and sustainability, and encourage both Council members and organizations to continue to use their relationship to consider thoughtful policy.

Guest Columnists

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n May Day, around the world, we celebrate the struggle, effort and ingenuity of working people, whose labor and creativity have generated the prosperity that so many of us enjoy and whose struggles have ensured that our work places are safe, our medical bills are paid and our wages and salaries reflect our productive contributions. There is much to celebrate and much to be proud of.

This said, many American families find themselves under intense economic pressure these days. Despite relatively solid economic growth, the American economy has experienced troubling increases in inequality over the past few decades. The average incomes of the “bottom 80 percent” of American families have grown slowly; workers with a high school education or less have seen their wages fall. Pensions, health care coverage, employment security and the right to collective bargaining are all under assault. 25 years ago, the top one percent claimed an eighth of the nation’s income; in 2007, the top one percent walked off with nearly a quarter of all income. The pressure on most families has intensified over the past few years as a consequence of foreclosures, high rates of unemployment, stagnant wages, diminishing housing prices, shrinking retirement accounts and an uncertain economic future.

Corporate profits, on the other hand, are way up.

U.S. government policy in the last 30 years has made the world more comfortable for rich people. Effective tax rates on the top 1o percent—and, especially, the top 0.1 percent— have been cut substantially. In the midst of the current economic malaise, many legislators, governors and some so-called experts have, remarkably, called for more of the same.

In December, the United States Congress voted to extend President George W. Bush’s tax breaks for the top one percent. The House of

Representatives recently passed Representative Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, which calls for further cuts in taxes on the rich, the privatization of Medicare and cuts in education and social spending. Meanwhile, well-funded, conservative think tanks insist that we “can’t afford” economic security. And, from Wisconsin to Ohio to Maine, state legislators have been voting to disempower labor unions.

Along with all of this, there has been an aggressive and angry scapegoating of foreign born residents of the United States, who are accused by many of taking away our jobs and draining public health and education coffers.

This sort of xenophobia has a long, ugly history in the United States—especially during economic downturns, during which nativism often rises to accuse and to criminalize recent and not-so-recent immigrant populations.

Today’s target is Latinos. Since the 1980s, Latin American immigrants have accounted for over two-thirds of the immigration wave; more than half come from our closest neighbor, Mexico. Dramatic transformations in the Mexican economy have diminished opportunities for many Mexicans. Many—especially those at the bottom of the income distribution—have been hit hard by these changes.

The flood of American agricultural exports, especially since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994, has swept many Mexicans off the land in search of employment, toward Mexico’s cities and export factories, and into the United States. A three-decades-long commitment to neoliberalism has left Mexico with a flimsy, tattered social safety net.

Immigration is not the cause of the deep economic hardship being felt by many Americans. Workers of all sorts—middle class, blue collar, immigrants, native born, white, black, Latino, women and men—share an interest in safe work places, decent wages, decent health care and good schools, affordable energy, peace, safe neighborhoods and a

“Alumnae brunch!”

Caroline Kessler ’12, Yelay Zaw Myint ’11, Andrea Banks ’11

“Writing a paper about sexuality and gender identity in post-communist Chinese drama.”

Sean Shoemaker ’12

“Fried pickles.”

—The Staff Editorial represents the opinion of at least two thirds of the 18-member Miscellany News Editorial Board.

May Day celebrations deserve our support Tim Koechlin and Katherine Hite

What are you doing the day after Founder’s Day?

political system that is responsive to everyone, including the “bottom 80 percent.”

American labor unions increasingly recognize that American workers’ interests are intimately tied to the wages, working conditions and rights of their Mexican and Central American counterparts. New alliances have been forged with workers across borders as well as with Latino immigrant workers in the United States.

It is worth noting that May Day commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, exactly 125 years ago this month, in which workers organized and struck for an eighthour day. In the immediate aftermath of the strike and crackdown, eight workers went on trial, accused of inciting the violence that led to the deaths of both workers and police officers. Seven labor organizers were sentenced to death—all German immigrants—while the eighth, an American–born organizer, received a 15–year sentence. Four of the immigrant labor activists were hung. Their trial and the hanging of the workers continue to be characterized as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in U.S. history. In 1893, the Illinois governor issued official pardons to all eight men, and today they are recognized as martyrs and champions of workers’ rights.

As we approach Sunday, May 1, we urge you to join the student organization Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan of Vassar College and the May Day Coalition at Vassar College as we walk in solidarity with working people and in support of immigrants, who throughout our history have struggled so that we all may live and labor in safety and security. The march will begin at 1 p.m. at Vassar and proceed down Poughkeepsie’s Main Street to Waryas Park.

—Katherine Hite and Tim Koechlin are Associate Professor of Political Science and Director, Program in Latin American and Latino/a Studies, and Senior Lecturer and Director, Program in International Studies, respectively.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Madeleine Little ’12

“Going to the May Day rally.”

Brandon Logans ’12 “Starting—and finishing—a 15-page research paper.”

Aoife Feighery ’14

“Cuddling with Mat Leonard.”

Steve Keller ’11 —Juliana Halpert, Photography Editor Alanna Okun, Humor & Satire Editor

OPINIONS

Page 10

April 28, 2011

Food-justice movement misses root causes of hunger Ariel Diliberto

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Guest Columnist

n my four years at Vassar, food issues have gained considerable momentum. Consider the following as a few examples: the establishment of the Vassar Experimental Garden in 2009 and the Slow Food student organization this academic year, the increasing course offerings on foodrelated topics, and, most recently, a motion to establish a student-run farm. Vassar is not alone in this respect; growing attention to food issues—by which I mean local food, ecological farming, urban agriculture, food access, hunger, farmworkers rights and others—is a nationwide trend, particularly among college students. Much campus activism has centered on these food-based concerns, both at Vassar and other institutions.

To a certain extent, I see this budding, diversified movement as a sign of hope, imbuing a renewed sense of activist spirit among college students and drawing attention to pertinent issues such as the environmental injustice of ecologically harmful farming practices and the lack of food access that arises from private food retail industry redlining. However, many college students engage with food activism under the moniker of “food justice.” It is the discourse and practices of this movement with which I take issue.

Food justice generally implies the fair distribution of the costs and benefits of food production across all social, economic and cultural strata. In practice, food justice is most often employed in the context local food and farming by recognizing the prevalence of food insecurity in United States and proffering local agriculture as

a remedy to the problem. Even in its basic definition, food justice operationalizes a discursive foreclosure in the consideration of hunger. It is axiomatic that hunger is caused by poverty, yet by focusing on solving hunger (and hunger alone) through local farming—which does not create jobs for the food insecure communities it intends to serve, and more generally, does not lift people out of poverty—food justice avoids the underlying issues of hunger: unemployment, homelessness, unequal distribution of wealth and an increasingly dismantled social safety net.

While the glossy rhetoric of Michael Pollan and that of his ilk provides pseudo-structural explanations for food injustice, what such local food advocacy lacks is teeth to sink into the political economic factors at the heart of the issue.

Thus food justice has been founded on a series of problematic assumptions, including the absolutist “local is good, global is bad” framework, the championing of food as the lynchpin of social change—as an end rather than a means, and the assumption that the best solution to food insecurity is always local food distribution or self-provisioning models (e.g. community gardens and kitchens). It is myopic to maintain that local is always superior to nonlocal, particularly when nothing is truly local in our highly interconnected, globalized, 21stcentury world.

Local food provisioning will not always be the most appropriate solution to hunger or poverty, and to assert otherwise is to preclude the consideration of geographically, culturally and economically specific solutions to specific problems.

To consider localism as panacea is shortsighted, mistaking enclosure for justice, and fundamentally misunderstanding how deeply interlaced the global political economy is, at every level of circumscription. For example, the highly protectionist nature of food and farm policy in the United States has fostered a form of uneven neoliberalization across economic sectors in the United States and the global North-South gradient.

Food localization needs to be considered in the context of these slanted, free-trade policies that have fostered huge resource endowments in industrialized countries and a resource dearth in industrializing countries. What does American “locavore-ism” mean for the latter nations, where post-colonial dependencies on export markets prevail?

That said, I am by no means condemning food justice and local food projects as worthless or detrimental. The movement has made hunger, the despicable practice of commercial redlining and the dangerous human and environmental effects of industrial farming more visible in the United States. It has also created important projects and experiments in mitigating the worst effects of uneven neoliberal development. In some cases, food justice efforts have contributed substantially to preventing people from going hungry, but as I mentioned above, I fear the focus on hunger will allow such projects to become institutionalized as emergency food assistance establishments, such as food pantries and soup kitchens have, tacitly permitting the neglect of the public and private spheres to adequately address hunger.

I truly believe food justice is only a breath

Recent QCVC drag show not the safe space it should be Magnolia Swanson Guest Columnist

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his past Thursday the Queer Coalition of Vassar College (QCVC) held the annual drag show, Flawless Extravaganza, in the second floor of the Students’ Building. Flawlessness is an impossible standard, but the contestants took the challenge with poise and flair—traits one of the judges from last week’s competition is far from mastering.

In the first round of the competition contestants competed in three events: a walk, a talent, and questions and answers. The competition was then narrowed down to two contestants who had to lip sync for their life, and the title. One representative from each class sat as a judge, as well as a professional drag queen from the Hudson Valley, Isis Vermouth. The judges had the task of whittling the competition to two contestants as well as giving commentary on each piece of the competition.

The final verdict was outlined in the beginning of the show to be a vote of the people.

Drag and cross-dressing has a rich history in literature and theater. In more recent history individuals have continued the tradition—some to better explore their sexuality or different sides of their personality, while for others it was used as a comedic effect. The drag show at Vassar is one of my favorite events of the year as it is a display of talent and beauty that eclipses most nights.

However, last week’s event was clouded by a verbal assault of one of the candidates. The comments of one judge were not limited to the merits of the performance, but at one point a personal attack on one of the contestant’s physical appearance, and not in the tactful way of Miss Isis— “You are pitching a tent right now”—but in a way that had no relevance to the competition at hand.

A contestant was told he should wear a girdle.

The judge then proceeded to get up on stage and attempted to intimidate the contestant by standing face to face and pushing her breasts against him. Drag should never be an excuse to be rude, hateful or judgmental of someone’s body. Yes, as a judge of any contest you are expected to be critical, but comments that are spiteful and targeted at only one contestant are an abuse of power that should not be a part of the competition. Partaking in this event should be one of inclusion, and fun spirited in a way that encourages others to break out the heels or try on a different persona.

QCVC should be aware that a judge they elect is going to represent their organization. A judge who tries to intimidate and belittle contestants gives the impression that QCVC itself is judgmental and superficial—not the welcoming space it projects from its bio on the Vassar Student Association website, where it claims to be a “designated queer safe-space.” Personally, if I am worried about being attacked for my body type there is no question I would feel uncomfortable “discovering the new dimensions of my sexuality.”

Our generation, growing up on American Idol and other talent shows, may feel they are entitled to share their opinions in a Simon Cowell manner, but the judges on American Idol have been in the recording and producing industry for decades, and have taken their fair share of rejection. Being a judge does not mean you are the star of the show. Stay in your seat. No one came to see you walk around in your heels. If you can’t stand not being on stage, enter the competition next year.

In Roger Baker’s history of the art form entitled Drag, he declares drag as “intentional glamour”— that would include the blue wig, the pink dress and the glitter.

— Magnolia Swanson ’12

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

away from touching on the factors and processes that allow food insecurity, economic discrimination and environmental injustice to persist. In order to get there, I believe much more engagement with the top (politicians and corporations) and the bottom (low-income communities) is necessary in order to make the food justice movement an “everybody” movement. Because local food already has considerable clout among the middle and upper-middle classes—those who can back their support with power and purchasing power—collaboration with the working class and the poor, if done mindfully and with substantial leadership from poor people’s organizations, is quite feasible. The resulting coalition would span demographics and wield considerable political clout, providing a potential pathway to engaging those at the very top, politically and economically. Food justice could, therefore, provide a crucial inroad into the American political economy for substantial economic justice to follow.

I’ve been deeply involved with the local foods movement for the past six years, and I have encountered a failure to consider the above issues time and time again. I hope that as students at Vassar and beyond we break ground on new farming projects under the guise of “justice,” they will dig deeper—literally and metaphorically—to capitalize on the momentum of this movement to create systemic change.

—Ariel Dilberto ’11 is an independent major in urban ecology. She is co-director of the Vassar Experimental Garden and a member of the Grassroots Alliance for Alternative Politics.

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April 28, 2011

OPINIONS

Page 11

Support for Tap That Chairman candidate must be campaign concerning scrutinized for recent outburst Joshua Rosen

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Opinions Editor

n a column in the 4.21.11 issue of The Miscellany News entitled “Student activities fee must not fund bottled water,” the lead coordinator for the Vassar Greens’ Tap That campaign Eliza Gercke ’13 articulated a number of salient points concerning why it might be useful for the Vassar Student Association (VSA) to change its policies preventing student organizations from purchasing bottled water. It is both the possible passage of this policy and the Greens’ long–term goal to end the sale of bottled water on campus with which I take issue.

Preventing student organizations from purchasing bottled water makes little sense: It ignores the fact that the individuals who run organizations have a rational basis for their purchase, whether it be convenience—not having to refill containers—or sanitary reasons—not trusting the cleanliness of containers, perhaps. The proposed policy, too, does not consider the budgeting decision of organizations; if they choose to spend their money on bottled water rather than on other products, it is not the student body who might suffer, but the organization itself.

Similarly, Gercke’s call for the policy to pass because it would prevent the expenditure of “our student fee money”— for the VSA is funded by the studentactivity fee paid by each student at Vassar—on a good she finds objectionable is unreasonable. While Gercke may not like parts of her student activity fee going to fund bottled water, it is conceivable that vegans might find it equally objectionable to fund organiza-

tions that purchase meat products. And they could very well cite facts similar to those cited by Gercke concerning the health and environmental effects of meat. Where does it end? This slippery slope is one that I, for one, do not wish to follow any further towards its logical conclusion: a bland campus, where niche groups impose their will upon others for individually logical and coherent, albeit systemically damaging, reasons. While the Greens are correct in arguing that bottled water has detrimental effects on the environment and perhaps on human health—a big one perhaps, since bottled water is heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, as well as by state regulatory agencies, in many cases—they are making a fundamental error in forcing organizations away from bottled water.

It would be much more constructive to engage in dialogue with the student body to help encourage the purchase of more large water coolers and subsidized compostable cups, rather than taking the authoritarian bearing that they are now on.

The long–term goals of the Greens are even more objectionable than its call to limit the purchase of bottled water by student organizations. Co-President of the Vassar Greens Ethan Buckner ’13 made the group’s doctrine evident in speaking to the VSA Council concerning the proposed policy, saying, “Our ultimate goal is to ban bottled water on campus, and this [passage of the policy] would be the first step,” according to the Miscellany News’s live blog of the April 24 VSA Council meeting . Evidently, the Greens’ leadership is aiming squarely at See CAMPAIGN on page 12

Hannah Blume

Assistant Opinions Editor

T

he Poughkeepsie Journal reported last week that City Council Chairman Lee Klein will seek a second term on the city’s Common Council.

And for some Poughkeepsie residents who want a sound fiscal planner who is committed to making the city business friendly and keeping taxes low, Klein might be the man for the job.

But one Poughkeepsie resident, Holly Wahlberg, would probably caution against his reelection. A YouTube clip from a Council meeting last February gives a clear explanation as to why.

The video, dated Feb. 28, 2011, shows Wahlberg, a regular at city meetings, respectfully sitting before the city Council to warn against an ordinance that would shift power to the mayor in the formation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee (WAC) by increasing his number of appointees, which already constituted five out of nine voting members.

She began with what seemed like a standard concern, “You are the legislative branch of government, facing the executive branch of government that is asking you to altar the city charter in order to weaken your branch of government. She noted, wisely, “WAC must remain an independent body, maintaining no more allegiance to the mayor than to the Council. Loyalty must remain only to the waterfront itself and the principles of good urban planning.”

And at the moment when Wahl-

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berg called on the Council to say to the mayor, “Nothing personal, Mayor Tkazyik, but we aim to protect the system of checks and balances,” Klein had had enough.

Klein furiously interrupted, “Please, excuse me, this is my meeting ma’am and you will be out of here in a minute. There are no personal comments. Your comments about the mayor are unnecessary. Please wrap up your comments or move to something else.”

When Wahlberg tried to continue over the councilman’s angry demand, Klein ramped up his force, “No, I’m not going to have this. Next! I’m going to have you removed here.”

“I’d say I’ve touched a nerve,” Wahlberg stated, as she left the bench.

When I called Klein for an interview on his candidacy, he was more than happy to tell me about his successes revitalizing middle Main Street, preserving the walkway, bringing a grocery store to the city, enhancing public safety and keeping taxes low. But when the conversation turned to Wahlberg, it quickly soured.

“She engaged in disruptive behavior,” he told me. He continued, “The point of the Council was to speak to issues, not to make personal attacks on the mayor.”

Despite calls from former Council Chairman Brian Doyle to apologize to Wahlberg and to Poughkeepsie, Klein doggedly stands by his decision to maintain “decorum,” claiming, “that’s what the people of

Poughkeepsie want.”

At one point, he compared his Council meetings to a college classroom: “Personal attacks on professors would never be tolerated. Is that what classroom time is for? I’m sure that’s not done at Vassar College. Is it the appropriate form for a lecture?” Any respectable statesman would concede that elected officials are not professors and city Council meetings are not lectures.

Klein is completely unrelenting in his claim that Wahlberg’s comments were an attack when they clearly were not. Wahlberg said, “This is not just about one particular mayor that you may like very much, or about one particular project that you may like very much. Frankly, I think any mayor—Democrat, Republican, Independent, conservative—any mayor who senses an opening would try this maneuver on to expand power.

It’s just the nature of the push-pull.”

Even if Wahlberg was in fact “ranting,” as Klein continues to argue, she would still have been within her bounds as a city resident according to the city charter.

Section 2.04 states, “each regular or special meeting of the Common Council shall include a period during which any member of the public in attendance may comment upon any aspect of city governance.”

In reference to Wahlberg’s remarks, Klein firmly told me, “one person acting out is not what this city is all about.”

If Lee Klein wants to be re-elected, maybe he should take his own advice.

OPINIONS

Page 12

Greens policy undermines buyer’s choice CAMPAIGN continued from page 11 restricting individual choice, albeit in a well–intentioned manner. I respect their arguments that bottled water is potentially harmful, I truly do, but I cannot, in good conscience, agree with this long–term policy goal. On moral grounds alone, the proposal is bankrupt: It is not the purview of a niche group to tell me what I may be permitted to buy, as if it is capable of taking the individual preferences of all the members of the Vassar College community and ordering us to stop purchasing bottled water. Not to mention, if tap water was just as good as bottled water—not even in terms of health, for it is just as healthy—in terms of any quality that individuals like, then they would consume it instead, and reap the benefits of reduced prices. Clearly, there is something that individual consumers like about bottled water, and whatever it is, it cannot be eliminated by a ban. If anything, education is the best remedy, assuming the Greens and environmental advocates are willing to engage in that dialogue.

Then, of course, there are the environmental and health effects of banning bottled water. As far as the environment is concerned, there is no reason to think that students will shift consumption away from drinks in plastic containers; they may simply start drinking soda, juice or teas available in the ubiquitous 20-ounce plastic bottles. This concerns the health aspects of the ban, as well: Water has no calories, while many sodas, teas and other beverages are high in caloric content, and could contain high levels of sodium, a nutrient that many people consume well in excess of medically-recommended limits.

It would be all too easy to ban bottled water.

It would be just as easy to ban soda and meat.

The easy way, though, to end consumption of goods that may be dangerous is not necessarily the best way. It would be much more constructive to engage in education—inform the students, staff and faculty as to what they ought to consume, and then let the consumers make their own individually rational decisions.

April 28, 2011

MICA, Dems should not be counterparts Steve Keller

O

Guest Columnist

n May 3, 2011, the Vassar Debate Society will hold the second annual MICADems debate.

As a longtime Democrat, a brief member of the Moderate, Independent and Conservative Alliance (MICA) and a political junkie, I find myself in the unique position of being able to comment on both organizations. The upcoming MICA-Dems debate gives me a good opportunity to comment on something I think is representative of a major flaw in the Vassar political-partisan environment.

The fact is that the Vassar Democrats and MICA are not, and should not be counterparts to each other. There is a fairly obvious reason for this: The Vassar Democrats are ostensibly a partisan organization, while MICA is ostensibly an intellectual forum for moderate to conservative views.

Unfortunately the lack of a true counterpart to each organization forces each of these organizations to go beyond their stated missions and engenders a false rivalry that weakens each organization. As a political science enthusiast, it is with much regret that, as I prepare to leave Vassar College, I know there is a large untapped body of politically minded individuals that is turned off by this false rivalry, and the muddy definitions that result from each of these groups taking on more responsibilities than they should.

The Vassar Democrats’ primary focus has bounced back and forth between discussion, local candidacy, state-wide candidacy, campaigning for Barack Obama and issue advocacy. The group has done a great job this year of being a discussion forum, but in my time at these sort of meetings, I have wondered why the Vassar Democrats are the most prominent place to go for a left-leaning exchange of views. The Vassar

Democrats should be focused on Democratic Party issues—getting Democratic candidates elected to office and, between elections, keeping Democrats to their promises. Since liberal does not necessarily mean Democrat, it is not ideal to have political action combined with political discussion. It leaves out a lot of people who want to explore left-leaning political thought without having to associate with a party that may not necessarily represent their interests. The Vassar Democrats tries to cater to non-partisans through discussion, but it does not do as good of a job as an organization whose sole purpose could be widening liberal and progressive discourse.

The opposite is true for MICA. Though MICA has recently been chartered as a College Republican organization, its activities have very rarely been partisan to the level of the Vassar Democrats. MICA largely focuses on rightleaning political discussion, but it often finds itself trying to fill the vacuum left by no true partisan Republican group, as well as sometimes trying to welcome liberal thinkers into its ranks—liberal thinkers that have no home for political “junkie” time with people who are smart and passionate. The proof? My election as vice president of the organization last year.

At the time, I believed the best way to further political discourse was to broaden MICA’s umbrella. I have since come to the conclusion that compartmentalization of political groups is both good and necessary. Compartmentalization helps grow political identity. “Small tent” political unions give people the courage to speak up and explore what they believe in a safe space. This is why political identity, when it is not rigid, helps people form a moral and ethical code, and a foundation of personal political philosophy. The rigidity I warned about can be avoided by fostering dialogue between these “small tent” organizations.

So the argument for a true College Republicans is simple—a purely partisan organization will be a better fit for purely partisan people.

The argument for “small tent” political philosophy organizations is more nuanced. The tents can be “left” and “right” or as tiny as “liberal,” “socialist,” “conservative,” “libertarian” or any other political moniker. That’s for future generations to decide. But MICA cannot be the only high-profile political philosophy group. We as a politically minded student body need, at the very least, a liberal counterpart to MICA. And then we need an active forum to bring them together for discourse. Of this variety, many do exist on Vassar College campus—the Debate Club and the Forum for Political Thought come to mind.

Unfortunately, we are stuck with Democrats, “conservatives” and no place for Republicans and “liberals.” MICA and the Democrats do the best they can. But they are not made to be counterparts and should not be viewed as such. They should not be made to be the mirror images of the other. Rather, they should exist on separate planes. Members of the student body should make an effort in the coming years to create organizations that appeal to liberal intellectuals and, on the other hand, Republicans so that we can break from the reality of the past and present: an unproductive rivalry between nominal conservative intellectuals and partisan Democrats.

But until then, the MICA-Dems debate should happen and I look forward to it. I just find it unfortunate that this is the best of what I had to experience as a political student in my four years here.

—Steve Keller ’11 is a political science major.

He is a long–time member of the Vassar College Democrats and formerly a vice president of MICA.

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— Joshua Rosen ’13 is opinions editor of The Miscellany News. He is an economics major.

Crossword by Jonathan Garfinkel ACROSS 1. 5-0 Alerts 5. ___ down (frisk) 8. “Wham ___ thank you, ma’am” 11. Skate park features 13. Recede 14. Point of comparison lately for a certain Kate 16. Notable Cuban refugee, Gonzales 17. ___ Speedwagon 18. Do like cicero 19. Pool site, perhaps

21. Hubris’ partner 23. “No seats here!”

24. Aloe ____ 25. Scent investigators notice?

28. “Superbad” Stone 30. Certain “Ale” or “Spice”, perhaps 35. Le Bernadin chef Ripert 37. Equestrian sport 39. Daughter of Tantalus 40. Google, yahoo, or facebook, perhaps

Answers to last week’s puzzle

41. Match 43. Toothy reptile, briefly 44. Love to Giovanni 46. Legend 47. Casino video lottery 48. Thing to be settled at night’s end 50. Libertarian voice Boortz 52. Ant. of an ant., say 53. Totally engrossed 55. Bash 57. Lorne Green TV Western 61. Country manors 65. Pop up 66. Ballplayer Ripken 68. Follow to the source 69. Lukewarm 70. “Home Improvement” actor Allen 71. 74-across, legally 72. “HELP!!!”

73. Cell phone capability, briefly 74. Put the brakes on DOWN 1. Steer clear of 2. Brazillian soccer legend

3. ____-a-brac 4. Hollywood boulevard features 5. Hairdo 6. Honest prez.

7. Certain steak 8. Sounds Little Bo Peep was looking for 9. Against 10. Actress West and others 12. Make a racket whilst unconscious 14. Fief 15. Fury 20. _____-Loompa 22. Unit of work 24. Brave, chivalrous 25. Where Amy Whinehouse will not be taken willingly 26. Scent 27. East _____ (Indonesian offshoot) 29. Shed 31. Razor oops 32. Al and Tipper 33. Ivory’s partner 34. Sneak and peek operation 36. Qualification, briefly

38. Stare at 42. Approaches 45. Made honestly 49. Director Luhrmann 51. Starbucks product 54. Treaties 56. Swamp

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

57. Mafia punishment implement 58. “Double Stuf ” snack 59. Little bites 60. “___ Lay Dying”, Faulkner 61. Some nightmarish

streets 62. Big name in Indian wheels 63. Biol. branch 64. Branch of a clan 67. Goal

HUMOR & SATIRE

April 28, 2011

Page 13

OPINIONS

Dear Diary: One freshlady’s record of her Vassar first year Tom Renjilian Columnist

B

ecoming a student fellow was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.* Being in a position of power and having complete control over 10 children has been incredibly exciting. The first rule I made with my fellowees was the “No Boundaries” rule, which meant that there were to be no boundaries between my life and theirs. We would coexist as one. I told them they couldn’t lock their doors, so I could go through their shit while they weren’t there.

To protect them. But OMG guys I found the BEST thing in my fellowee Rosie Maraschino’s, Class of 2014, room. HER DIARY! I’ve recorded it here in its entirety. It’s pretty embarrassing for her, but I think it functions as a great historical record of Vassar’s 150th year. So whatever, she can deal.

I am the motherfucking “It Girl.” The quidditch team and the Barefoot Monkeys are both TOTALLY fighting over me. The quidditch team’s seeker brought some of his Boggarts (shape-shifting creatures that transform into your greatest fear, in case you didn’t already know, Diary) to Barefoot Monkeys practice.

They turned into Social Situations and Girls. Sometimes I just wish all of my friends could get along for once.

Dec. 29, 2010

AHHHH I am going absolutely CRAZY over break.

The real world SUCKS. No one has heard of quidditch. I hate being so different—but also, I love it. :) My fish keep having babies. They’re my only friends.

Jan. 18, 2011

I officially LOVE VASSAR! I met my student fellow group! We really bonded because we all like indie music and are liberal. It’s so cool to be around people like me. I think we might be friends forever.

Happy birthday Vassar!! The sesquicentennial party was sooo fun! But then the fire alarm went off because there was a huge fire that consumed most of the College Center in flame and totally justified ending the party early. Almost everyone got out alive.

Aug. 28, 2010

Everyone in my student fellow group told me I couldn’t chill with them anymore because I wasn’t vegan enough. My roommate walked in on me practicing the dance for “Bad Romance” in front of my mirror. She says I’ll never fit in because I’m a fake bitch who tries too hard. I bought many pet fish to keep me company.

Feb. 12, 2011

Sept. 4 2010

March 4, 2011

This weekend was so fun! Got totally SMASHED (drunk) Friday night at a Barefoot Monkeys (The CIRCUS club. How sweet is that!?) party. Everyone was juggling naked. Someone must have put something in my drink because I can’t stop spinning my socks around and somehow I know how to ride a unicycle. I’m starting to think I might fit in here :)

Today in Women’s Studies I said I thought patriarchy was kind of OK. A girl threw her laptop at my head and I had to go to Baldwin. They told me to drink ginger ale. I feel better now. Can’t wait for Spring Break!

Turns out I kick ass at quidditch. This place ROCKS. Oct. 23, 2010

Last night I drank something called “Four Loko.” This morning I woke up on the roof of Jewett wearing a security uniform next to a headless bird carcass. I am slightly worried about what I may have done.

I met a boy at the Mug last night. At first I thought he was gay, but it turns out he’s just sensitive. He told me his name was “Mystery” and brought me back to his TA. He made me listen to him sing Regina Spektor songs to his plants. I threw up on his bonsai tree, and he wouldn’t let me kiss him.

April 27, 2011

Wait. Hold on a second. I talked to my adviser today and apparently Vassar doesn’t even have a fashionmerchandising major?? What kind of a “college” even is this? I’m transferring to Marist. *Alright so I didn’t get picked to be a student fellow.

Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned on the application that I had already browsed through the Vassar Class of 2014 Facebook group and picked out which ones I wanted.

Weekly Calendar: 4/28 - 5/4

T

Ask Brittany

Q: I tend to fall into the same patterns. This summer I don’t want to let my old habits follow me; I want to turn a new page and find the partner of my dreams! What tips do you have to help me create a new, fun, flirty me?

A: This is a problem I have struggled with in the past. You just need to go cold

Q: What will happen to my love life when I return to Vassar in the fall?

A: This chunk of time is perfect because you won’t have time to get emotionally attached, and so you can return to Poughkeepsie single and ready to mingle. Smile coyly and trip a freshman trying to figure out where the CDF is.

by Alanna Okun, Humor & Satire Editor

Saturday, 4/30

11 a.m. Sexual Assault Awareness Week 2011. There is liter-

All day. Founders Day. Real talk for a minute, you guys—you

ally nothing happening on this day that I can make fun of.

College Center.

5 p.m. CARES Speak Out. See what I’m talking about? Mug.

know how whenever someone tells you something is like the best thing ever, you just know in your heart of hearts that it can’t possibly live up to the hype? Founders Day is literally the only thing I’ve ever encountered that actually is that frickin’ good. It’s like Christmas and my birthday and some weird giant drunk daytime sleepover all rolled into one. I can’t even. Errwhere.

Rose Parlor.

Columnist

he birds are chirping, the sun is shining, my leg hair is in full bloom.

The sweet smell of springtime fills my nostrils. It’s almost summer and the world is rife with lovers, surrounding me at every all-campus party, making out and groping each other in the dim Q: What beauty tips can you give me of the strobe light. If I see one more to make sure the hot lifeguard in stand freshman sporting hickeys the size of three notices me? bocce balls at the DC, I’m joining a nunA: Wear sunscreen. He nery. This intense might fall for you now at jealousy of all my the age of 20, but without slutty classmates preventative measures combined with my you will look like a testigeneral loneliness cle by the age of 45. And has led me to one not in a good way. aspiration: to help sad singletons like Q: How am I going to myself find a sumbe able to find romance mer romance worwhen I’ll be huddled in thy of a Taylor Swift a cubicle from nine to ode. I have scoured five, doing the work that campus for your my boss doesn’t have questions and I have the time for while being the answers that will Brittany Hunt paid in nothing but gross have your summer Syndicated Columnist comments about your filled with love, haplegs from higher-ups and piness and lawsuits. free faxes?

A: Summer internships can be a Q: I know looking good is very imporgreat way to develop a deeper babetant when trying to land a man, but all pool. Check out that hottie by the copy the popular fashion magazines are just machine, offer to help refill the paper, too confusing! Maxi-dress? Mini-shirt? crack a few jokes about how much the Monochromatic? Feminine florals? What receptionist sucks. Seduce the CEO of should I wear this summer to maximize the company with your use of a busimy man-getting? ness-casual blazer and butt0n-down.

A: All bikini, all the time. Duh. If you Older men are great in bed and are rich got it, flaunt it. And by “it,” I mean “a enough to support your Farmville habit. billowing gut cultivated from too many Perfect for summer romance!

Red Hot and Bleu burgers.”

Thursday, 4/28

3 p.m. Tea. Universal truths I learned about Vassar this year.

turkey. This means no more dating your high school theology teacher, no more hooking up with your ex-boyfriend’s cousin to make him jealous, no more handjobs in the parking lot of the Ocean State Job Lot. It’s a fresh start! A new chapter! Forget the past and move on to a more beautiful tomorrow!

Brittany Hunt

Nov. 8, 2010

Aug. 27, 2010

Sept. 5, 2010

Ask Brittany’s guide to finding summer lovin’

cussion and you violently disagree with whatever the first person says. Ex: “So, Paradise Lost begins when Satan gets kicked out of Heaven—” “Oh, but does it REALLY?” Rose Parlor.

10 p.m. Trivia Night. Question #100: When will I finally, truly, actually run out of themes for the Tea listings? Faculty Commons.

Tuesday, 5/3 3 p.m. Tea. Tasty Tuesday becomes a whole lot less tasty by the end of the year, when you’re paying in nickels and begging nearby freshmen to spot you a couple bucks for bubble tea. Rose Parlor.

5:30 p.m. Worker’s Appreciation Dinner. Oh for God’s sake

Sunday, 5/1

this is just ridiculous. Aula.

3 p.m. Annual Cheese Tasting. WHAT DO YOU MEAN “AN-

Friday, 4/29

5:30 Dems vs. MICA Debate. The topic to be debated:

3 p.m. Tea. It’s totally cool if you decide not to go JYA; you

NUAL,” YOU SLUTS? JOSS AND CHEESE ARE THE ONLY THINGS I’VE EVER LOVED AND I’VE NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS BEFORE. Joss Parlor.

can still get drunk, make out with white people and speak English here, too! Cons: general lack of Vespas and chest hair on the Vassar campus. Pros: Thai Spice, no host mothers who insist on feeding you beet log. Rose Parlor.

7 p.m. “Rose Petals.” Sorry, but I already have tickets for “Bro’s Petals,” the musical starring the men’s rugby team clad in nothing but leis. Rose Parlor.

Wednesday, 5/4

5 p.m. Matthew’s Follies. Notable follies include the time he tried to ride a womp-womp across the Farm and that whole nasty incident with the eponymous stewardess of Hooker Avenue. Chapel.

Monday, 5/2 3 p.m. Tea. You don’t have to do every reading for every class.

In fact, you don’t have to do any reading for any class, as long as you make sure you’re always the second person who talks in dis-

This semester of Magnificent Tweets has been brought to you by VssrGrl Brittany Hunt MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Whether or not flamingo-patterned chinos can indeed fix the budget deficit. Taylor 203.

3 p.m. Tea. Despite the fact that you violated seven fire codes this year, everyone you have a crush on has dated half your friends, and that gross virus you seem to get like clockwork every semester keeps on rearing its greenish-white head, Vassar is still the only place on the planet you want to be. Rose Parlor.

ARTS

Page 14

April 28, 2011

Founder’s Day bands to include array of students, alums Shruti Manian

W

Assistant Arts Editor

Courtesy of Movement

ith Founder’s Day almost upon us, excitement is running high on campus. Two entire days packed with events promise to make the weekend one of the most memorable celebrations of the year.

And of course any celebration at Vassar is incomplete without music.

This Founder’s Day, which is all the more remarkable because it celebrates Vassar’s sesquicentennial anniversary, will see a number of musicians from both in and outside the Vassar community.

Vassar’s very own Body Electric, a afro-beat, funk and jazz band, will kick off the show at 11 a.m. The band will play tunes known far and wide across campus for their dancing and grooving beats. No doubt they’ll start the day in the best way—with a familiar, danceable set to get everyone warmed up.

At 11:40 a.m., the Chris O’Leary Band will take the stage with a blues performance. “You probably don’t realize just how much you already know this style of music as it’s literally everywhere in American fabric and is used often in movies, commercials, etc.,” said Willa McCarthy ’92, vocalist on the band and Senior Director of the Office of Alumnae/i Affairs and Development.

“It’s sad, in my view, that while this music form is so integral to American culture and is beloved around the world. It is actually a struggling art form that doesn’t receive its due,” McCarthy said. Chris O’Leary, the lead singer/ songwriter, is a celebrated musician who has worked with illustrious names like the Grammy Award-winning Levon Helm band The Barnburners and Rolling Stones sidemen Bobby Keys and

Trevor Vaz and Raphael Radna ’12, pictured middle and right, respectively, play a set with their band Movement. Movement will join headliner Toro y Moi as another part of the musical entertainment for Founder’s Day on Saturday, April 30.

James Cotton. “I would hope that students would appreciate this music for its history,” McCarthy stated. “It’s great music that gets your butt wagging, feet tapping and spirit soaring.”

Afterwards, the Waffle Stompers will play. The unconventional, New-Jersey-based band consists of six members and is known for giving incredibly enthusiastic stage performances. Referring to their genre of music as “glitter space pop” Nate “Drizl” VandeGiessen emphasizes the fresh perspective that the band brings. “18- to 22-year-old feet are very vulnerable and we are going to transmit music right through your soles. We are exactly one notch older

Student’s book gains poetic praise Emma Daniels Reporter

J

people want to dance,” said Radna.

DJ Ayres Haxton ’98 will take the stage next. DJ Ayres’s repertoire runs a gamut of genres, from hip hop and indie rock to pop and dubstep, and Haxton plans to play a little bit of everything. “I pay attention to what crowds respond to and adjust accordingly, and I’m almost OCD about keeping up with new music,” commented Haxton.

He also looks forward to playing at Vassar as an alumnus. “I’m excited, this will be my third time up there this year and I’ll be happy to have such a big, open-minded audience.

The last Founder’s Day I played was when I was a senior at Vassar in 1998,

“Rose Petals” highlights Victorian mores Ellen Xie Reporter

S

arah Rebell ’11, a Victorian studies and drama double major, wrote the first draft of “Rose Petals” her sophomore year in college. Now, two years and countless revisions later, the chipper music, intricate costumes and sharp lines will be performed from the quintessential alcove in Main: the Rose Parlor. The play premieres this Thursday, April 28 as the first original student musical performed at Vassar College.

Since its conception, “Rose Petals” has undergone considerable changes. In fact, Rebell admits that the character names are the only remnants of the original script.

The sensational events of summer 2008, including the Wall Street economic crisis, the Bernie Madoff scaldal and the Bristol Palin pregnancy, all served as inspiration for the work.

“I became outraged when I realized the major social and economic issues we are dealing with in the 21st century are not that terribly different, at heart, from the issues New Yorkers faced in the late 19th century,” Rebell wrote in an emailed statement. She wanted to fuse two eras, the Victorian and modern, to make the problems of centuries past relatable to a contemporary audience.

The story is about Maude, a young debutante whose mother is desperate for her to marry well and ascend the social ladder. Yet Maude becomes pregnant out of wedlock, and soon she transforms into a stereotypical modern pregnant teenager—think Bristol Palin in the Victorian age, but with a

musical twist.

However, on a deeper level, it addresses the dualities inherent in society—individual choices and societal pressure, inner persona and outward façade. John Plotz ’13, the musical director, commented, “Underlying it all, the Victorianera-ness, is a girl who doesn’t fit into society, but she figures out how to make it work. It is anything Vassar students can relate to.”

Beyond the synchronicity, the play blends two different and iconic places—England and New York. Rebell said, “As a New Yorker, it seemed very logical for me to set it there.” The class division Rebell explores in “Rose Petals” stems from the prevalent divisions she has observed in elite 19th century New York society. “One of the main characters in the show is an Irish maid,” noted Rebell. “She represents a completely different world than the one preoccupied with social appearances, which the world most characters in the show inhabit.”

Rebell’s semester abroad in Lodon brought European influences into her play. She wrote, “I took a tour of a 19th century house [in Dublin] and was actually so excited and motivated...I went back to my hotel room and wrote a complete rough draft of the song ‘Lucky One.’ The song has evolved a lot since November 2009 but the first verse and chorus that I wrote that day in Dublin are still in the show today.”

As the first student written musical on campus, the score will no doubt play an integral part in the production. According to Emily Nash ’12, who plays Cordelia,

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Courtesy of Sarah Rebell

oseph Redwood-Martinez ’11 is recognized as an artist for his wide, varied and highly original body of work: He photographs, he sculpts, he curates exhibitions and he creates books, bound from file folders, filled with his poetry, thoughts and various means of correspondence between himself and other people.

After a reading from his latest book entitled Events Statements that took place in New York City last Saturday, April 23, Redwood-Martinez has no doubt established himself as an artist in creative communities far beyond the walls of Vassar College.

Not to say his accomplishments on campus are not impressive—RedwoodMartinez has curated two exhibitions in the Palmer Gallery: Odeo-fil, an exhibit that used digital sound technology to explore artistic expressions and perceptions, and This the Range and Recent, an exhibit focused on the role media plays in modern lives.

He has also written a book, Re: A Walk, and worked on the independent short film called “Let us now praise famous men” that uses text, images and voices to give an account of the attempted Times Square bombing from a subaltern perspective.

Of his latest work, Events Statements, Redwood-Martinez explained, “This is a project I take seriously.”

The book has garnered notice from the art world, and although it was originally self-printed by Redwood-Martinez, it is now being published and sold by Publication Studio.

According to its website, “Publication See POEMS on page 17

than the college-age group and we like it that way,” said VandeGiessen.

The includes a mad horn section and is inspired by a wide range of styles spanning from Ska to rock ‘n’ roll.

The student electronic rock duo Movement, which also played Founder’s Day last year, will follow.

Raphael Radna ’12 and friend Trevor Vaz from Columbia University began playing together when they were 16 years old. The band named themselves after the first album by New Order—the first band to serve as a major influence for them. “What we do is pretty unique. Loud rock songs with hard-hitting electronic beats— it’s the kind of stuff that really makes

so it’s a little like a homecoming for me,” said Haxton.

Once Haxton finishes his set, DJ Respire—that is, Paul Noonan ’10— will play his set until 4 p.m. Then, headline act Toro y Moi—stage name for 25-year-old artist Chaz Bundick— will conclude the music lineup.

Bundick’s music style is clearly contemporary, but uneasy to categorize. Critics have labeled his music part of a wider movement known as “chillwave”—an 80’s influenced, lo-fi, synth-pop of sort. Though Bundick himself prefers not to use genre lables. “Sometimes the names sound a little silly. But I don’t mind genre names. ‘Chillwave’ is probably the last thing I would think of [laughs], but I don’t mind it,” explained Bundick in an interview with Pitchfork. “I just usually tell people I like to call it pop, or experimental pop, or something.”

“It’s fun to have that gray area and try to remain timeless, in a way. Like, take influences from Young Money and put it in a disco song or something,” said Bundick. He released his new album Underneath the Pine roughly two months ago to general acclaim, recording the bulk of the record in his home and using the studio mostly to mix tracks.

The lineup for the music is diverse enough to find appeal in the entire student body. What is perhaps most appropriate, is the fact that student and alumni performers will bring it all back home. “It does seem fitting,” noted McCarthy, “that as we celebrate Vassar’s 150th birthday, Founder’s Day includes music that was a part of the experience of many Vassar students over many decades.”

Written by Sarah Rebell ’11, “Rose Petals,” is the first original student musical performed at Vassar. It will premiere in the Rose Parlor Thursday, April 28.

“There are gorgeous ballads and really fun tempos.” Medha Sahi ’13, another actress in “Rose Petals,” agreed with Nash, explaining, “I think the music is one of the main reasons I am so proud of being part of this play.”

Rebell worked with Lizzie Hagstedt, a first year student at New York City’s Broadway Music Inc., to compose the musical components of the play. Interaction between the two, however, had all been through Skype and email until last week, when they met up in New York City for the first time.

This coming Thursday, they will meet for the second time to watch their co-produced play, finally coming to life after months of late nights.

“It is really easy to get crazy and not have confidence … It is so easy to get into that ‘What am I doing?’ frame of mind,” Rebell noted, com-

mending her cast for taking a risk with her. The production and the process of producing an original musical production have been a challenge and learning experience for all, whether an actor, musical director, producer, writer or even composer.

Looking back at the moments she has sat in her room writing and finally seeing her play on the stage, Rebell reflected, “It’s unbelievable and surreal.” After two countries, two cities and two years of dialogue between two amazing young talents, “Rose Petals” will premiere tonight. Rebell hopes to continue work with Hagstedt on this play in the future, explaining that the play is “a start not an end.”

Judging by the intricate costumes, strong voices streaming out of the rehearsal’s open window and general exuberance of the entire cast, the start seems to be a strong one.

April 28, 2011

ARTS

Page 15

Flawless drag show features fierce females Alexandrov lectures on “ black Russian Jack Owen Reporter

Charlacia Dent

Kate De Heras/The Miscellany News

Am I coming in queer?” a voice blared over the loudspeaker as Queer Coalition of Vassar College’s (QCVC) much anticipated annual drag show, Flawless Extravaganza, kicked off this past Thursday in the second floor of the Students’ Building, or UpC. And what an appropriate question with which to start this truly over-the-top celebration and spectacle of gender fluidity and freedom of expression?

UpC was transformed into a glittery runway by which even Naomi Campbell would have been impressed, with bright balloons and shimmering streamers draping the room’s stately columns. Brandon Greene ’13—decked out in a dramatic head dress and daring ensemble fashioned out of what must have been several trash bags—did the honors of hosting the show along with a hilarious Brittany Hunt ’12, impersonating a wise-cracking Justin Bieber. The student judges included Jeremy Garza ’14, Jamar Griffin ’13, Cordelia Elaiho ’12 and Alejandro Calcano ’11, representing each class year. Also, special guest Isis Vermouth, a selfproclaimed goth goddess and shape shifter, sat in as perhaps the most vocal judge. One could feel the excitement reverberating through the room as the contestants were introduced.

Mitchell Gilburne ’12 (Disclosure: Gilburne is the Features Editor of The Miscellany News), last year’s queen, stepped out in a sassy, metallic, leopard-print top, black tutu and shockingly high silver stilettos, taking on his alter ego of Medea. Ade Raphael ’12 traipsed across the stage as the striking Lady Katryna, rocking a teeny-tiny, blue dress and a classy, red rose in his hair. Brandon Logans ’12 was last to grace the stage as the leggy and slender Carrie Sunshine, wearing a smart—and of course skimpy—white dress and a buoyant wig to tie the whole outfit together.

But, of course, after Medea, Lady Katryna and Carrie Sunshine were introduced, the competition really heated up. Contestants had to do a runway walk, perform a talent, bare all in a question and answer session and put everything on the line for the “lip sync for your life” finale.

Brandon Logans ’12, as Carrie Sunshine, was crowned queen at this year’s Flawless Extravaganza held this past Thursday, April 21. For the finale, he lip synced to Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman.”

Each contestant performed with incredible stamina and confidence. Lady Katryna did a sultry lap dance that elicited uproarious laughter; Medea sang her heart out to “Together Again” by Janet Jackson with a band of talented back-up dancers, hitting notes that would have given Idina Menzel a run for her money. Carrie Sunshine lip synced to Aretha Franklin’s classic “Natural Woman,” gesticulating and twirling impressively all across the stage.

Of course, one can not overlook Vermouth’s stunning performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” to appease the anxious crowd as some technical difficulties were dealt with back stage. With a heavily made-up face framed by long jet black hair, Vermouth lip synched Houston’s words with hilarious intensity, breaking up the song frequently to crawl on all fours, scream and let out some aggression reminiscent of The Exorcist­—chilling, to say the least.

After much shouting from the excited audience and deliberation among the judges, the new queen of Vassar was decided upon. Lady Katryna took third place, Medea was the runner up and newcomer Carrie Sunshine took

the highly coveted crown.

“I can’t believe it at all but I’m really happy and am glad I was able to do it,” exclaimed a beaming Sunshine after the show. “I really wanted it to be simple and not too over the top,” Sunshine continued in reference to her outfit and routine. Strangely enough, “simple” seemed to work perfectly at this drag show, with Sunshine’s performance clearly being a crowd favorite. “I think that drag is very at home at Vassar and as a historically women’s college there’s no better way to show respect for the ladies who came before this,” explained Medea. Katryna cited a major influence for her performance: “I got most of my inspiration from my charismatic little sister, who is a singer, dancer and very sassy.”

Behind the absurdly long false eyelashes and glaring glitter is a transcendence of gender boundaries and expression that is deeply rooted in Vassar’s legacy as an accepting environment. Having a campus so open to different forms of gender expression and sexuality allows for students to not only put on fantastic performances such as Flawless, but also to feel comfortable in their day-to-day lives.

Behind the scenes with rapper Black Milk Connor O’Neill

D

Assistant Arts Editor

etroit rapper/producer Black Milk coheadlined Hip Hop 101’s Throwback Jam this past Saturday. Serving as the “new school” portion of the night, Milk blew threw several songs from both 2008’s Tronic and 2010’s critically acclaimed Album of the Year backed by a full band of drums, keys, bass and DJ. Each musician took several solos and crafted a fully honed, terrifically crafted set of jazzy hip hop and dusty loops. Milk rapped with reckless abandon and an intensity unmatched by any of the other performers.

During the afternoon, while the stage was being set up and a few lonely B-Boys broke it down on the mat on the quad, I sat down with the man himself to chat about what he looks for in a loop, what he grew up on and to see what’s cooking in the D. CO: What do you like to listen to and read when you’re on the road?

BM: I like to sleep. We do a lot of shows, so in the free time we are sleeping.

CO: What does it feel like to come home to Detroit after being on the road?

BM: I don’t mean to stay on this but it feels like I need to get more sleep. Resting, get back to the music, its the only chance I get back to record.

CO: Are there new things that strike you as different every time you come home? Things that might inspire you?

BM: Oh definitely. Meeting new artists, getting energy from crowds, that definitely inspires me to come home and record some new stuff.

CO: Do you feel like you are carrying a Detroit torch?

BM: I wouldn’t say that. I represent Detroit but there are a lot of dope artists from Detroit and we all are carrying that torch. I just try and stay consistent dropping great

music. Detroit has a real rich music history and we want to continue that from the hip hop scene to the electronic scene to the soul scene, we just want to keep making timeless music.

CO: I want to ask you about recording with Danny Brown. You have such distinct flows.

Do you enjoy working with artists who have such a distinct approach from you?

BM: Yeah man, Danny is one of these new cats from Detroit that just has a unique voice, unique flow. A whole new style from the way he dress to the way he rhyme. Danny is kind of the first emcee from our scene who just way left. Its good to have one of those guys who can still be different but still have a hip hop vibe.

Its definitely dope working with him.

CO: If he’s out there in left field, where are you at on that Detroit spectrum?

BM: Cats kind of look at me as more on the producing tip. Even though I do both, producing is my lane and cats know I’m gonna try and produce that color or paint that picture best way I can. That’s my job.

CO: I’m curious about the approach that you would take to a song like “Motown 25” with Royce the 5’9’’ and Elzhi that you are only producing for, contrasted with “Deadly Medley”— a song with the artists that you produce for but that you also have a verse on.

BM: “Motown 25” was a track that I had that I didn’t make specifically for that song but one that Elzhi picked. But for Album of the Year I wanted the beat to be an instant head nod so I had to find a crazy loop and I found it so I knew I had to do my thing on the emcee tip.

CO: When you are listening to albums and trying to find loops, what are you looking for?

BM: In the record store I go through so many different sections, from rock to soul, just to find dope loops, no matter what genre.

I really can’t describe it, its just a certain energy that hits me when I listen, a certain magic that’s got to hit me. I think I have a

good ear for knowing what the people will instantly react to if I loop it.

CO: Can you talk about your shift from sample-based music to live instrumentation?

BM: On my second album Tronic I did a little bit of live instrumentation. But when we went on the road I brought my drummer Daru and my keyboardist AB and they were playing on top of the beats and I really like the way it sounded, the whole vibe, so we brought that back to the studio. That was kind of where Album of the Year came from.

I was still chopping up records and using the MPC and then the musicians came in and played over it and we really created this organic feel.

CO: Can you talk about the experience of playing at Montreux?

BM: It was dope, it was one of those moments in my career. For them to see me as one of the artists to perform there. It was an incredible show, the crowd responded great.

CO: Were you surprised to get that call?

BM: Yeah, a little. I don’t even feel like I’m there yet compared to the other people playing there but I must be doing something right.

CO: What do you remember listening to as a kid?

BM: My parents played a lot of soul and a lot of gospel. That’s the stuff I grew up listening to. I guess thats partly why I connect to this soul music.

CO: What were you buying for yourself?

BM: One of the first records I remember buying was Bones. That album was crazy to me, the beat was crazy to me. Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was crazy to me.

CO: What did you buy that on?

BM: On tape. I bought everything on tape until about 2001. I had everything, my whole progression up through hip hop was on tape, up until Slum Village and that stuff came along and that’s when my whole hip-hop world kind of opened up.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

T

Assistant Arts Editor

here are few people who know about the remarkable life and achievements of Frederick Bruce Thomas, a black man who was able to climb the social ladder of the Russian empire at the end of the 19th century. Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Yale University Vladimir Alexandrov has committed the last five years to researching the life of this incredible individual, and will give a talk sponsored by the Russian Studies Department discussing the life of Thomas and Alexandrov’s latest book, Black Russian. The talk will take place on May 4 at 5:30 p.m. in Taylor Hall and will be followed by a reception featuring jazz

by Winston Bailey, a.k.a. DJ Winston.

According to Alexandrov, Thomas has been virtually forgotten by American history, despite his roots in Mississippi. His life is considerably notable, simply by virtue of the way he was able to rise to wealth during the 19th century and reach a potential that was untainted by the institutions of racism present in the United States.

He was the son of two resourceful former slaves turned farmers who owned one of the largest farms in Mississippi. As racial tensions arose in his town, local residents tried to steal the family farm, resulting in Thomas’s migration to the north, where he worked in Chicago and Brooklyn as a waiter and valet.

Finding it slightly difficult to live in the north, Thomas moved to London in 1894 for a short period of time, and then traveled throughout Europe, making an unusual decision to move to Russia in 1899. In Moscow, after changing his name to Fyodor Fyodorovich Tomas, marrying twice and taking Russian citizenship, Thomas became one of the city’s wealthiest owners of opulent theaters and restaurants.

“He succeeded better than the natives, it was a constant climb and he was determined to succeed,” Alexandrov commented.

In 1917, the Bolshevik revolution swept Europe, forcing the wealthy Thomas and his family to relocate to Turkey in 1919. However, even after barely managing to stay alive, losing all of his money and having to start all over from scratch, Thomas was able to start another fortune in Istanbul where he introduced jazz music to Turkey through a series of nightclubs. Because the south and particularly the Mississippi Delta had such strong ties to jazz, Thomas had the background to spread the genre abroad.

In 1928, Thomas died a poor man after facing accusations of being a nationalist in the new Turkish Republic.

According to Professor of Russian Studies at Vassar Alexis Klimoff, “The legacy of the Cold War still clouds and skews our perception of Russia, blinding us to aspects of the U.S.-Russia relationship that are entirely unrelated to the bitter confrontation that characterized most of the second half of the 20th century.” Russia was characterized by much less racism than the United States at the end of the 19th century: “We have the tendency to draw generalizing conclusions about the two social/political structures on the basis of individual experiences,” Klimoff stated.

“The fact that Thomas could be so much more successful in pre-revolutionary Russia than he presumably could have been in the [United States] of his time is due to very specific historical and sociological factors,” explained Klimloff. He added, “Blacks were a great rarity in Russia, and there was absolutely no history of discrimination against them.”

In all of his research of Thomas’s life, Alexandrov claimed to having only come across one reference of Thomas having black skin.

According to Alexandrov, the Russians just didn’t care, and he had no problem before 1917 climbing the Russian social ladder.

“I hope that people will find this remarkable story as interesting as I did over the last four or five years. I have had fun, and there have been a lot of surprising discoveries,” Alexandrov said. “I look forward to sharing my subject.”

ARTS

Page 16

April 28, 2011

150th year inspires new performances Fisher helps community reclaim spaces Rachael Borné

E

Arts Editor

than Fischer ’11 learned the value of space growing up with three older brothers packed like sardines in one bedroom. Now finishing up an urban studies major with foci in geography and architecture, Fischer’s fixation with space has manifested itself in a deep-rooted desire to examine the quotidian interactions of individuals with their environments.

“I think building and creating things to fit basic needs is a large part of architecture,” he explained, adding, “I’m more interested in the small ways you can change spaces than the dramatic ones.”

Fischer plans to attend architecture school sometime after graduation, but has already made strides within the discipline. At PS1, the Queens branch of the Museum of Modern Art, he has garnered firsthand experience with design—doing site mock ups, building furniture and working with Vassar Professor of Art Tobias Armbrost on his Young Architects installation, “Holding Pattern.” The project consists of a taut rope canopy strung from the PS1 wall to the parapet across the courtyard, creating an inviting and unobstructed outdoor haven in the midst of a bustling urban scene.

Though Holding Patterns may appear more sculptural than architectural in a conventional sense, Fisher explained, “They’re not so much working to re-design the courtyard, they’re working to reveal it.”

Themes of revealing and highlighting space permeate Fischer’s mentality about structure and place, as is evidenced in his thesis entitled “Seized Space.” The project first looks closely at the effects of the Hudson Valley railway cutting through the Fallkill, and then searches for alternate ways for citizens to take con trol of spaces, specifically Poughkeepsie’s Church Street.

What was once a beautiful and undisturbed waterway that gave credence to the name Poughkeepsie, meaning reed covered watering place, The Fishkill has turned into a largely hidden natural space. Part of Fischer’s project includes a pamphlet ushering residents to the more picturesque views of the river and reveals to them a much forgotten, built over and neglected space.

“Views from publicly accessibly sites are not so pretty, but with a little trespassing, you’ll

Campus Canvas

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

Ethan Fischer ’11, above, plans to pursue a career in architecture after college. In his work at PSI with Professor of Art Tobias Armbrost, he created “Holding Patterns,” a taut rope canopy over a courtyard. find amazing sites with beautiful waterfalls that few people see,” he explained.

Another part of the project features a design for a dark underground tunnel running beneath the train station. This component is no doubt more traditional in its structural qualities; however, it is meant to function as a testament to the violent nature of large architecture campaigns.

The second part of the project was conceived after Fischer spoke with a landlord from Poughkeepsie about the discouraging prospects of leasing along Church Street. Back in 1979, the west-bound arterial transformed the residential area into a highly trafficked urban space dotted with vacant houses. She told him, “People in houses here are not going to step back, they’re not going to give up, but they’re not going to change the highway.”

This conversation inspired Fischer to search for ways residents might be able to reclaim Church Street. He details methods for seizing the street that range from throwing block parties to conducting public protests to creating a canopy above the roadway by throwing balls of yarn between houses. Each tactic put forth

A weekly space highlighting the creative pursuits of student-artists

For his Sculpture 1 class, Ethan Fischer ‘11 was given a rather cryptic assignment: time. For the prompt, he cut 800 identical blocks of wood and assembled them in 16 jenga-like configurations on top of plywood pedestals. The pedestals were then placed precariously close to each other, creating a group of unstable structures inevitably prone to destruction. “I was playing with the idea of artwork being something that you can’t get close to or touch,” Fischer explained. Students and professors entered the installation room, given no instructions for how to interact with the sculpture and left to their own devices as Fischer exited the room. Though it took hours to construct the installation, the audience bumped, pushed over and toppled many of the structures within minutes. “I have a problem of being too controlling,” he explained, adding “With this project I lost control.”

—Rachael Borné, Arts Editor

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

is accompanied by instructions and visual aids, making the project a exceedingly user-friendly pursuit.

“It’s intended to encourage the idea that the street doesn’t have to be used for one purpose.

Residents would be able to use the street that they normally perceive to be quite dangerous,” Fischer said.

On a broad scale, Fischer’s approach to architecture goes against the grain of formulaic design practice. He admitted regrettably, “It’s the standard practice to carve through,” lamenting the fact that buildings and construction are often seen within the framework of the traditional, highly urbanized, fast pace and impersonal. Fischer stresses the need to look closely at routines and individual needs in an effort to create intimate relationships between people and spaces rather than distancing ones.

In fact, he views his personal relationships through the lens of their spatial backdrop, calling into question the possibility that perhaps setting governs experience: “When I’m in a space and have an interaction with someone, afterwards I always think, ‘how would that have been different in another space?’”

submit to misc@vassar.edu

Courtesy of Ethan Fisher

FOLLIES continued from page 1 time for everyone. It’s a community event.”

Matthew’s Follies is more than a revival— it’s a celebration of the sesquicentennial that will both bring the community together and kick off Founder’s Day weekend in style. “It’ll be fun,” said Senior Director of Regional Programs and co-Chair of the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee John Mihaly ’74. “I think folks are going to look forward to seeing faculty members make fools of themselves.” Mihaly is also honored to help with the sesquicentennial celebrations as an alumnus of Vassar. “It’s been enjoyable in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” he said.

Will Gaines ’11 will sing for the show’s opening act. The show will proceed to President Catharine Bond Hill and Roellke introducing and welcoming the audience.

Then, Roellke will take the stage for his solo song. “By the way,” Roellke noted, “I cannot sing.” The Dean of the College will perform an original song: “Sweet Home Vassar College,” sung to the tune of Lynard Skynard’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”

“I come from a very talented family musically, and I got zero,” Roellke said. “Somehow, it escaped me.” A band comprised of faculty and alumnae/i will carry Roellke along, and perform its own material. Afterwards, Hype will perform a selection of their best dances from the year, followed by the Vastards, the Night Owls and the Accidentals. Abigail Baird ’91 will perform stand-up comedy—as Cabby Hill, according to the program—and the band and Roellke will wrap up the show.

This final product took the efforts of many Vassar community members. “Everyone’s contributing,” Mihaly noted.“No one ensemble is responsible for the whole thing.” The Vassar community—students, faculty and alumnae/i—are all performers and sit on the Sesquicentennial Committee.

“I know how busy everyone is this time of year,” Mihaly said. “It’s fantastic they’re giving up so much time.” Mihaly recruited Roellke for the event, and Roellke then announced the search for more talent at a faculty meeting. Professor of Economics Paul Ruud joined the band as a guitarist for the faculty band. He also agreed to help assemble the band. Willa McCarthy ’92, Professor of Mathematics Peter Pappas, Professor of Psychology Randy Cornelius and Sean McCarthy joined the cause. Meanwhile, the Committee ran a full-page ad in The Miscellany News requesting acts for Matthew’s Follies, and sought students and faculty inperson. Students and faculty volunteered, and the show was born.

Professor of Drama Chris Grabowski joined the event as artistic director to help organize the show. “We had heard about Matthew’s Follies and were just eager to be a part,” wrote Assefash Makonnen ’12 of Hype in an emailed statement. Amelia Couture ’12 of the Night Owls echoed Makonnen’s sentiment: “We thought it would be fun to participate in something sesquicentennialrelated,” she wrote in an emailed statement.

The show is meant to be loose and fun, with a range in performances from the silly and playful to the skillful and impressive. The newly formed band only recently was named The Vector Tones (consider two other ideas: The Skinnerds, Strange Brew) and Roellke didn’t even know he was the show’s “Master of Ceremonies” until about a week ago.

“I think we got about a 17-minute rehearsal time,” Roellke joked.

To top off the night, a free, more formal dinner for all will follow the show in the All Campus Dining Center. The show has an air of excitement about it regardless of its performers and their talents. “We are not planning to be outstanding,” Roellke said. “We are planning to be entertaining.”

No doubt Matthew’s Follies is the perfect occasion to celebrate the varied talents of Vassar students faculty and alumnae/i, especially on the eve of much anticipated Founder’s Day.

ARTS

April 28, 2011

Page 17

Redwood-Martinez reappropriates words later.

In September 2009, RedwoodMartinez began his subscription to e-flux, and unsure of what to do with the sudden influx of art related press releases flooding his inbox, he decided to change the form of the information, consequently making something new out of the information and also revealing potentially neglected content from each email.

He explained in the introduction to the book, “I’ve decided to put these announcements into another use-context: As each message arrives in my inbox I select and rearrange words and phrases of interest, and then erase what cannot be used. Each work is titled with the date and time that the email was received.

Nothing is added.”

The poetry is thus found embedded within the text of each day’s press release. His piece, for example, entitled “Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 2:55 p.m.,” which came from an email notification he received that day, reads as follows: “five decades/in, near, about, and around the middle east./we tried not to look.”

The above poem, like all of the other poems in Event Statements, clearly doesn’t resemble a press release in content or form, even though every word was taken from an e-flux announcement. It becomes more ambiguous, more open to the reader’s interpretation and also unravels references to things beyond the focus of the exhibit

Summer Gallery Talks at Dia:Beacon 3 Beekman Street, Beacon, New York All talks free with museum admission.

Courtesy of e-flux

POEMS continued from page 14 Studio is an experiment in sustainable publication. We print and bind books on-demand, creating original work with artists and writers we admire, books that both respond to the conversation of the moment and can endure.”

Poems written in Events Statements have gone through various stages, appearing in Re: A Walk, as well as in RedwoodMartinez’s screenplay for “Let us now praise famous men” and in the exhibit This the Range and Recent.

The reading this past Saturday was the first time the poems were presented in spoken word form. Eight artists, including K8 Hardy, a prominent feminist video and performance artist, and Liam Gillick, an artist who coined the term Relational Art, joined together to present Redwood-Martinez’s works aloud.

The reading took place at the headquarters of e-flux, an international network that reaches thousands of art professionals on a daily basis through its website and email announcements.

Located in downtown New York near Chinatown, the e-flux headquarters was a particularly appropriate reading space considering the content of the book.

Each poem is composed of redacted e-flux press releases.

Late in the summer, Redwood-Martinez left a copy of Event Statements at the e-flux headquarters and was invited to do a reading there a few months

Joseph Redwood-Martinez ’11, centered above, published a book of his poetry created from press release emails, entitled Events Statements. being promoted.

The decisions RedwoodMartinez makes when creating his poetry are deliberate on several levels. Everything from the presentation of the words in Courier New—a font normally associated with legalistic jargon, not necessarily poetry—to his punctuation and line breaks, represent a commentary on information surrounding contemporary art.

According to the event’s press release, “These [references] often poke fun at the absurd

functionality of the art world and expose the stark geopolitical commentaries found hidden within the standardized communication format of the press release.”

This reinforces the point of the project. According to Redwood-Martinez’s introduction to the book, “The project is without beginning or end, it spills out from the milieu, acting poetically as a rhizome—ceaselessly establishing connections and complicating a worldview written by way of press release.”

Anthony Huberman on Franz Erhard Walther April 30, 2011, 2pm Chief curator of the Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, Huberman will take a look at Franz Erhard Walther’s current exhibition, Work as Action. Walther’s works are meant to be activated by visitors to the museum, as they draw attention to the body as material form.

Jay Sanders on Walter De Maria May 28, 2011, 2pm Jay Sanders is currently co-organizing the 2012 Whitney Beinnial with the help of Elizbeth Sussman. Sanders’ talk will examine the life and work of Walter de Maria, a sculptor and composer working in New York. Highly influenced by the Dada modern art movement, De Maria focused his work on geometric shapes and industrially manufactured materials like stainless steel and aluminum.

Gabriela Rangel on Bruce Nauman June 25, 2011, 2pm Gabriela Rangel is the Director of Visual Arts and Chie Curator at the Americas Society and holds a masters in both Curatorial Studies and Film Studies. Rangel’s lecture will take a look at Bruce ‘Nauman, a contemporary artist whose work is characterized by an interest in language and the inherent problems of communication.

—Rachel Borné, Arts Editor

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MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

SPORTS

Page 18

April 28, 2011

Ski Clubs offer winter opportunities for rookies, experts Nathan Tauger Online Editor

E

Courtesy of Heili Lowman

ver wanted to escape Poughkeepsie and hit the slopes of the northeast? Or train at an Olympic facility for intense cross-country skiing? Though they bear no formal relationship with each other, the Vassar Ski Team and the Vassar Nordic Team offer exciting, accessible opportunities for Vassar students interested in skiing.

The Vassar Ski Team, according to its mission statement, aims to “combat the unyielding class homogeneity inherent in ski culture.” To do this the club “secures funds and disperses them freely to help the common, workingclass Vassar students (as well as their capitalist overlord fellow students) to participate in and to subvert a principle bastion of neocolonial patriarchy—ski racing.” In an emailed statement, co-Captain Heili Lowman ’12 shared how the team achieves this lofty goal of distributive justice. “Races are funded by the school, and a small registration fee of $20 for each skier covers any unexpected charges over the course of the season.” The ski team also covers students without equipment or training: “We are happy to accommodate all levels of skiers on the team.

Racers who have been competitive all throughout high school are certainly encouraged to join, and we do get quite a few seasoned veterans, but those who are just putting on a pair of skis for the first time are equally encouraged to come out and participate,” wrote Lowman.

“We have a deal with Potter Brothers across the road if students need to rent for the season.”

The Nordic Team also shares a commitment to inclusiveness. President Laurel Walker ’11, in an emailed statement, explained, “Our mission is to make Nordic Skiing accessible to any member of the Vassar community who is interested. Because of this we provide all the equipment and transportation.”

For those that don’t know, cross-country ski-

Vassar’s Nordic Ski Club, above, travels 20 miles to the Mohonk Preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains for in-season practice. Unlike downhill skiing, cross-crountry skiing takes place on flat ground. ing, unlike the downhill variety, takes place on flat ground as well as hills. With their skis unhinged at the heel, participants trek across the snow.

Because of this accessibility, participating in cross country skiing for the Nordic Team is a great opportunity for fans of the outdoors. For in-season practice, the team travels about 20 miles to the Mohonk Preserve in the Shawangunk Mountains. Walker elabo-

rated, “there are excellent trails and breathtaking scenery. Usually our winter training sessions happen every weekend and if we have a little more time we venture further up into the Catskills or Adirondacks.” But cross country skiing requires a training commitment beyond winter. “Since the season is very short the majority of our skiing is training throughout the year. When there is no snow we do dry land training, which includes

running, core workouts, weights and roller skiing.” said Walker. All of the practicing is in preparation for meets across the northeast within the United States Collegiate Skiing Association (USCSA).

The Ski Team, which includes snowboarders, also competes in the USCSA. “We take part in two events: Slalom and Giant Slalom. Both are a series of gates that the skiers must properly ski around,” wrote Lowman. If they miss a gate, they must either start over or face disqualification. After three to four competitive meets in Vermont per season, the Ski Team ends on a special note. “The competitive season culminates in a costume race whose theme is decided upon each year—this might be the only time in your life that you’ll be able to ski down a mountain in boxers and a banana suit.”

Surprisingly, the costume race is not the ski team’s favorite trip. “The highlight of the season is the very start; the week-long training trip to Sugarbush takes place the last week of Winter Break each year and is a huge element of team bonding and development,” Lowman wrote. “This past year’s trip was the largest one yet with over 40 participants. I can’t stress enough how important the Sugarbush trip is to the soul of the Brewskis [the Vassar Ski Team].”

The Nordic Team also has its marquee event at the beginning of the season. “The highlight of our year is our winter training trip we take at the beginning of Winter Break. We usually go up to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid and spend five days training and bonding before the ski season begins.”

For black diamond daredevils and pupils of the bunny hill, Giant Slalom speedsters and cross-country marathoners, opportunities to ski at Vassar abound. As Lowman wrote, “Who wouldn’t want to spend a glorious week in Sugarbush, Vt. getting to make new friends while shredding some gnar-gnar pow-pow?”

2010 survey data show dissatisfaction, motivate change SURVEY continued from page 1 unclear.”

Part of the reason for that confusion lies with a further breakdown of the data. The overall student response rate for the survey was about 75 percent, but that does not mean three quarters of last year’s graduating class were represented in every question. These findings only included those respondents’ answers that actually gave a satisfaction rating.

Any response of “not applicable” was not considered in the satisfaction calculation.

90 percent of respondents provided a satisfaction rating for the athletics facilities, so the positive results for that question appear strongly indicative of students’ overall feelings. Kitzinger spoke proudly of the relatively new Athletics and Fitness Center, which was finished in 2000, and the Prentiss Field Complex, which was renovated in 2008. She did mention, however, that all of the dedicated effort towards these new facilities may have taken focus away from other elements of the Athletics Department.

“This piece hadn’t yet emerged,” she said, referring to the results from the survey. “Now it’s emerging as necessary.

For the question pertaining to intercollegiate athletic opportunities, only about half the respondents gave a satisfaction rating.

To analyze this further, of the 233 students whose answers were calculated into the satisfaction level, 113 (48.5 percent) reported to have never participated in intercollegiate athletics while at Vassar. Of these 113, 19.4 percent reported a level of dissatisfaction; only 8.3 percent of the remaining 120 students who had participated in intercollegiate athletics for at least

one year reported any dissatisfaction. This, Davis-Van Atta pointed out, is where the word “opportunities” is likely very critical.

“It’s not unreasonable that someone might get to that item and think, ‘I wanted to do that [varsity sport], but the opportunity wasn’t there,’” he said.

Kitzinger reflected this sentiment, noting that the varsity teams have grown more competitive in recent years. This leaves it more difficult for non-recruited athletes to join.

“The question we have to ask,” she remarked, “is, ‘Do we want teams where it’s impossible to walk on?’”

She added that the situation varies from program to program, particularly team sports versus individual ones. In the former, she intuitively noted, it is much harder to manage athletes who come in with varying levels of experience.

Kitzinger added that, especially at a school like Vassar, where sports are rarely the focal point of concentration, it is difficult to properly gauge the experience of the student-athlete.

Now, she has been working on communication with all parties involved in order to clarify this opaque issue.

“I talked with the [Student-Athlete Advisory Committee] about what would give students a sense of clarity about the role of athletes at Vassar,” she said. Kitzinger has also discussed with coaches how to maintain the balance between the competitive desire to win and the other responsibilities the student-athlete must handle. She added that the faculty must be involved as well, so she can get a better idea of how they view studentathletes in the classroom.

“We haven’t had that conversation with faculty for years,” Kitzinger said.

“We need to do that.” She referred back to the 2010 faculty meeting con-

cerning the proposal to grant studentathletes a half-unit of credit for each season of varsity sport participation.

“A number of faculty members appreciated what student-athletes brought to the classroom,” she said. “But that was the first opportunity [they had to express that].”

As far as the question relating to recreational/intramural athletics opportunities, there were 261 total respondents who gave satisfaction ratings. As with the intercollegiate athletics survey item, almost half (132) reported no actual participation in intramural sports. However, the discrepancy in satisfaction between participants and non-participants was quite different here. Of the 132 non-participants, 25.8 percent reported feeling “very satisfied” (the highest satisfaction level in the survey), while only 15.2 percent expressed any level of dissatisfaction. Of the 129 students who responded and had experience participating in intramural sports, 18.6 percent said they were “very satisfied” while 29.5 percent reported some level of dissatisfaction.

Davis-Van Atta aptly concluded that, based on this data, the problems lied more exclusively with the programs themselves than with the opportunities to participate. Kitzinger explained that it may very well be connected to the recent growth of Vassar’s intercollegiate sports.

“The more students are committed to intercollegiate sports,” she said, “the more the Athletics Department is dedicated to that, and less attention is given to other areas.”

Kitzinger added that the intramural sports were more extensive several years ago.

There is already a change in place to try to address this disappointing

revelation exhibited by the survey.

Director of the Life Fitness Program Roman Czula was recently named the new director of intramural sports. Czula, who previously ran the intramurals from 1975 to 1990, wrote in an emailed statement that he is excited for the challenge and looks to make the program more accessible to the students. “There will be considerable publicity, a new website, and a generally more proactive approach to promoting intramural sports and activities for students, faculty and staff on campus,” he wrote. He added that he is still in the early planning stages of this new role and is strongly encouraging students to offer their suggestions for how to enhance the intramural sports program. “I

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

am looking for as much input from the campus as possible on this,” he wrote.

It is this kind of attitude that is perhaps the quintessential approach necessary to take after viewing these results. Kitzinger could not emphasize enough the importance of solid communication in light of these findings. “It’s important to make people aware of these issues, and have them know that the answers aren’t simple,” she remarked. She added that, ultimately, it is important to acknowledge that this particular area of the Vassar community is growing. “It’s a very exciting time for athletics,” she said. “The flip side of having to figure out in what direction it should go is that we have wonderful students who want to participate.”

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April 28, 2011

Page 19

Athletes embrace various activities over Summer Break Nicolette Harley

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Guest Reporter

“playing in a summer league in New Jersey with a couple of my teammates.” She might also “do some random things like play soccer with my friends or go tubing or water skiing.”

Farrell isn’t the only athlete participating in a summer league for their sport. Rugby flanker Dallas Robinson ’14 is trying out for the Northeast Rugby Union. If she makes the team she will be playing in the U23 league “with pretty big, experienced women who definitely know the game,” Robinson said.

Lacrosse midfielder Malena Harrang ’14 will also be joining summer lacrosse leagues as well as officiating games, which she says is a workout in itself. With a bunch of hiking trips lined up and possibly some paddle boarding as well as those summer leagues, Harrang has a summer full of working out. “All I ever do is work out,” laughed Harrang.

Lacrosse midfielder and field hockey forward Cameron Felt ’14 doesn’t like being contained in the gym. Felt prefers running around a track or honing her skills for her sports. With her siblings, athletes themselves, returning home for the summer, Felt will probably head to

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

ith the weather warming up and the year coming to an end, Vassar athletes are dropping the books and heading outside to get active and stay in shape this summer.

Though the gym may be an integral part of their specific training regiments, athletes are leaving the indoor facilities for more fun physical activity in the summer sun.

Without a specific training program from coaches, James Purtle ’12, rugby fly-half, creates his own workouts to better his game. He called “squatting and sprinting [his] bread and butter.” His training for rugby consists of a sprinting regiment, agility training and lifting. “I usually do a long run on one day followed by specific rugby practices like kicking or passing,” said Purtle.

Teammate Parker Reeves ’14 will be working on a barge for a month this summer as a crew hand heading up the Mississippi River “picking things up and putting them down.”

Though he will be sweeping and mopping, a lot of his responsibilities will be just “hauling things around,” said Reeves. He recalls talking to a friend on the phone who told him,

“You won’t need to hit the gym after working on this boat.”

Reeves is going to use this more unconventional approach to whip his body into shape and also research deeper into physiology in order to learn more about the body to reach peak performance.

Pitcher Zach Prudoff ’12 heads home to the Virgin Islands. “I like to take two-mile runs on the beach for distance four times a week,” he said, to build up his endurance. For Prudoff, it helps to maintain a routine for working out. His approach is to work on building stamina to improve his game. He makes sure to stay on top of his workouts so he can return to season in perfect condition.

Basketball player Evan Carberry ’14 plans to come back to campus ready to battle. He stays in touch with his old coach back home in New Jersey who trains athletes during the summer. “I’ll be working with him a few times a week,” Carberry said.

Outside of training with his former coach, Carberry plans to head to a nearby park to play pickup games with athletes from the area and the junior colleges near his house.

Jarae Farrell ‘14, a guard for the women’s basketball team, plans on

James Purtle ’12, a fly-half on the men’s rugby team, maintains an intense workout reegiment over the summer, including sprints, agility training and lifting. the beach for a good workout and may also hike with her family.

As for those athletes who just don’t have the time to hit the gym, they’re taking alternate transportation to work. Swimmer Hayley Lemoine ’14 is going to be biking five miles to and from work every day. If she finds the time Lemoine will be swimming to stay in shape for the intense swim

practices to come.

With so many possibilities for the summer, it’s up to these athletes how much effort they actually put into staying in shape for their sports over the summer. “You have to monitor yourself,” said Prudoff. “You’re on your own and [it’s up to you] how much work you choose to put in as an individual.”

Predictions for top 10 NFL Athletes as role models draft picks for 2011 season a problematic perception Andy Sussman

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Columnist

espite the current NFL lockout—Is there still a lockout? I don’t even know—the 2011 NFL Draft still goes on, beginning Thursday night. Here are my predictions for the top ten draft picks and the teams’ possible logic. You know, if every team thought like I do.

1. Carolina Panthers-Cam Newton, QB, Auburn University. The Panthers were the worst team in football last year and with a new coaching regime coming in, it paves the way for a new quarterback as well. Newton won the Heisman Trophy and the BCS Championship last year and has impressed scouts with his athleticism and arm strength. Unfortunately, Newton will be forced to take a pay cut from his days at Auburn once he makes the NFL. 2. Denver Broncos-Marcell Dareus, DT, University of Alabama. The Broncos already have Tim “the Messiah” Tebow at quarterback, but they have no one on the defensive line that can actually get to the other team’s QB. Enter Dareus, the 2010 BCS Championship Defensive MVP. 3. Buffalo Bills-Von Miller, OLB/DE, Texas A&M University. The Bills need to improve everything about their team, including the city in which it plays its games. Miller is an athletic freak of nature that was coached by Bills Head Coach Chan Gailey in the Senior Bowl this spring. He also edges Von Wafer and the Von Trapp family for best athlete named Von. 4. Cincinnati Bengals-Blaine Gabbert, QB, University of Missouri. The question with the Bengals is this: Do they believe that Carson Palmer wants out of Cincinnati? It amazes me that the Bengals haven’t given up on Palmer, despite the fact that he is both awful and clearly has no interest in the city. Gabbert is relatively unproven, but also has the physical attributes of a prototypical QB. His lack of an arrest record does concern the team, though.

5. Arizona Cardinals-Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU. As in every draft, the best prospect will not be selected first. Cornerbacks rarely go this highly, but Peterson is the best defensive back to come out of any college in a long time. The Cardinals have Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at cornerback, but could use a shutdown man on the opposite side. Besides, the Cardinals have to play San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith twice a year, so they need all the pass defense they can get.

6. Cleveland Browns-A.J. Green, WR, University of Georgia. Here is where I stress this is whom I think the Browns will take, not whom

they should take. Mind you, the Browns have no wide receivers on the team that can run routes or catch footballs, so I have no problem with selecting a wide receiver. However, I think Julio Jones of Alabama is the better player, even though Green is considered by most teams to have more potential. Then again, Green’s main weakness is his average hands, and the Browns once drafted Braylon Edwards, the Jerry Rice of dropped passes.

7. San Francisco 49ers-Robert Quinn, DE, University of North Carolina. Quinn should help alleviate star linebacker Patrick Willis’ duties of having to play all eleven positions at the same time. Quarterback is another possibility, but with Gabbert chosen, the next best quarterback is Jake Locker, and even he would say he doesn’t deserve to be selected this highly in the draft.

8. Tennessee Titans-Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn. The Titans selecting a talented defensive tackle from an SEC school that has work ethic issues? Color me shocked! At least Fairley never stomped on an opposing player’s head like Albert Haynesworth did several years ago when he was still with the Titans. While Tennessee needs a quarterback, they will probably look for one in the second round or trade up to get Newton or Gabbert. Or they could play Rusty Smith this year so they can go 0-16 and select Andrew Luck with the first pick in 2012.

9. Dallas Cowboys-Tyron Smith, OT, University of Southern California. While the offensive line talent this year is not particularly immense, there is always at least one offensive tackle chosen in the top 10, and Smith appears to be the consensus top lineman in this year’s draft. Unfortunately for owner Jerry Jones, the NFL is not like fantasy football, where you can simply draft six wide receivers and never have to think about offensive linemen.

The Cowboys need to make sure that Tony Romo doesn’t get beat up more than he already does for having dated Carrie Underwood.

10. Washington Redskins-Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. The Redskins will be thrilled if Jones falls to number 10 in the draft. Washington currently has a rapidly aging Santana Moss and a person called Anthony Armstrong as its top two receivers. There is no way that owner Dan Snyder will let a player at a skill position go through his Satan-like grasp. The real question is, will Jones cry of happiness for being selected so highly, or will the tears be due to the thought of being in the same locker room as Albert Haynesworth?

Nik Trkulja

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Columnist

ichael Jordan is possibly one of the most iconic figures in American sports. In many ways, he is the alpha and omega of much more than just modern basketball. But above all else, he was the role model for an entire generation of kids. As a child I felt that I was supposed to emulate Jordan. I just knew I had to learn how to dunk, how to score and most importantly how to stick out my tongue on every important play. After all, how else would people know I was the real deal? As I’ve grown older I’ve begun to realize that maybe MJ wasn’t the best person to emulate. Turns out he has a fierce gambling addiction, a sour temper and is prone to infidelity. Yet still people turn to kids and tell them to look up to men like him.

Jordan’s life and influence in many ways epitomize the continued overemphasis of the social importance of the professional athlete.

When you think of a professional athlete you think of someone dedicated to his craft. Every now and again you would think of arrogance, but that wouldn’t matter as long as he could back it up. Steroid users and criminals are the anomalies: those that somehow entered the coveted circle of professional athletes, but never really belonged. The professional athlete is the role model, the aspiration, the person you wish you could be but through laziness, bad luck or just genetics never quite managed to become.

The professional athlete thus assumes a role in the upper echelon of society. He is among the very top of the “haves,” possessing something that all should want but few can achieve.

He is the role model for children, and the better he competes the truer that becomes.

If Jordan did not become the most dominant force in modern basketball, we most likely would have remembered him for his rather unpleasant antics. By all accounts he was incredibly difficult to get along with. Hell-bent on personal success, he didn’t hesitate to rip teammates, coaches and anyone else he felt was holding him back. But with his six NBA championships he became a competitor and fighter. He was a success unlike any other.

Society deemed that MJ was someone to look up to, someone to emulate. Like Mike wasn’t just a movie with Lil’ Bow Wow, it was a social phenomenon. We all knew that Jordan had “it,” but what that “it” was exactly we never really bothered to ask.

In March 2010, Yahoo! Sports published an article praising the University of Texas at El

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE

Paso’s (UTEP) young center, Derrick Caracter.

He was the turnaround kid who had grown from an immature boy into an all-around player and role model. The evidence was UTEP’s success on the basketball court and Caracter’s push for NBA recognition. On Sunday, Caracter, the now reserve center of the Los Angeles Lakers, was arrested for assaulting a cashier at a New Orleans restaurant, in what it seems was nothing more than a drunken rage.

Does the incident mean that Caracter is a bad person? I wouldn’t say that. But it does call into question who we say our role models are. What had Caracter done to suddenly be held up as an exemplary citizen? The answer, really, is nothing. He was merely slightly better at his craft than most.

To be a role model means to be someone that brings true value to society in a way the rest of us could only hope to do. In sports, men like Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Moutombo are the truest of role models, not so much for their achievements on the court, but for their efforts off of it. Both have used their positions in society to affect change for thousands in need. They are humble philanthropists and true inspirations. But neither won an NBA ring, meaning neither got the same legitimacy in sporting circles as even Rasheed Wallace, let alone Jordan. In turn, neither was ever placed on quite the same social pedestal.

As fans, we need to really think about sports’ role in our lives. Sports transcend entertainment. For those that follow sports avidly, they have a tendency to dictate how we live. We emulate and recreate our heroes in our everyday lives, many times without even realizing it.

Most importantly, however, sports dictate how children envision the world. We present them with our heroes, our Michael Jordans, without thinking about what we are actually showing them. There needs to be a break in this pattern of ascribing unearned social merit to athletes who merely succeed. Our role models need to be those people who actually improve this world, not just those that wear fancy rings.

—This is my last column for the Miscellany News as I’m graduating in a few weeks. Over the course of my three years or so of writing, I’ve tried my best to highlight the social impact of sports and analyze it from a new angle, not as something floating in its own world, but rather a real and present element of our own. At the very least I hope I’ve managed to put a new twist on the same old boring story. It’s been a great ride, thanks for reading.

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April 28, 2011

A retrospective look at 2010-2011: VC makes history Andy Marmer Sports Editor

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Madeline Zappala/The Miscellany News Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

Kate De Heras/The Miscellany News

he 2010-2011 academic year featured two first-time playoff berths, two first-time conference champions and numerous athletes ascending to elite national status. Let’s revisit the year that was for the Brewers.

The cross-country team kicked off the year of accomplishments with two runners qualifying for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Elizabeth Forbes ’12 and Johanna Spangler ’12 finished 13th and 16th respectively in the NCAA Atlantic Regional meet to qualify for the national race. This year both runners earned All-Seven Sisters, All-Liberty League and All-Regional status. In the NCAA Championship race, Spangler was forced to withdraw due to injury, while Forbes finished 199th out of 280 runners.

Continuing the autumn success, the women’s rugby team captured the Division II Metropolitan New York Championship, defeating cross-river rival State University of New York at New Paltz 25-12 in the championship game.

The Brewers were led by O’Mara Taylor ’12, who scored three tries in the contest.

The women’s soccer team also experienced fall success, earning its first trip to the Liberty League Championships. Finishing with a 12-5-2 overall record and a 5-2 conference record, Vassar earned the No. 2 seed in the Liberty League tournament. The remarkable season saw four Brewers earn All-Liberty League honors. Carolyn Demougeot ’11 led the award winners, receiving Liberty League First Team honors. Demougeot scored four goals in Liberty League games—tied for the League high—and 11 overall, while also notching four assists.

The Brewers’ accomplishments did not end at the close of the regular season. In its firstever Liberty League playoff game, Vassar defeated Hamilton College 3-2 in overtime.

Zongrone scored the game-winning goal in the extra session to put the Brewers through to the finals where they faced William Smith College.

Vassar narrowly missed winning the Liberty League Championship and earning an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. The squad lost in a shootout to William Smith, who eventually earned a spot in the NCAA Final Four. Goalkeeper Ali Higgins ’13 (nine saves) led a defense that held the Herons scoreless for 110 minutes, but Vassar could not muster a goal and fell 4-3 in the shootout.

In the winter, not to be outdone, the women’s basketball team also earned a spot in the Liberty League Championships, finishing their season with a 16-12 record and an 8-6 record in the Liberty League. Just two years removed from a 4-21 record (1-13 in conference), Vassar earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. In the semifinals against St. Lawrence University, the Brewers held their opponents to just 30 percent shooting from the field, winning 59-47, with four Vassar players scoring in double figures.

In the championship game, Higgins and the Brewers avenged the soccer squad’s defeat at the hands of William Smith, earning a 77-67 victory. Brittany Parks ’12 led the way for Vassar, scoring 27 points and notching nine assists.

As a team the Brewers shot 48 percent from the field.

The Liberty League Championship earned Vassar a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament against Kean University. Vassar led early, 16-14, but was ultimately overwhelmed by Kean’s inside presence and defensive pressure, falling 80-49.

The Brewers’ remarkable turn-around earned the players and coaches numerous awards. In the Liberty League, the staff of Candice Brown and Melissa Kraft earned Coaching Staff of the Year. Brown was also named the D3hoops.com East Coach of the Year. Matsuoka was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Liberty League, D3hoops.com AllEast Rookie of the Year and the D3hoops.com National Rookie of the Year. Parks was selected as Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Liberty League, D3hoops.com First Team All-East and D3hoops.com Fourth Team All-American.

Like the women’s basketball squad, the fencing team made history this past winter. The women’s fencing team finished the conference season 11-1, earning the school’s first championship. An 8-2 record by the men’s team earned them a second-place finish and the school a combined men’s and women’s championship.

Leading the women’s team, epeeist Sophie Courser ’11 earned Northeastern Conference Women’s Fencer of the Year honors, with a 33-1 conference record. Courser followed this up by earning her third individual epee championship, in leading the epee squad to a New England Championship.

Although the women’s team earned numerous regional and conference awards, it was the men’s squad that shined on the national stage. Andrew Fischl ’11, competing in the sabre, earned his fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, where he finished 12th and was named an Honorable Mention All-American. For the first time in Fischl’s four trips, he was joined by a teammate, Brian Rouse ’12, who finished 24th overall.

With the spring season long underway, the Brewers have continued to make history. In particular, the men’s lacrosse team snapped a 57-game winless streak that spanned their 10 years in the Liberty League, with a 5-4 victory over St. Lawrence.

On an individual front, many Brewers earned top honors in their respective leagues.

Women’s volleyball hitter Amy Bavosa ’12 was named First Team All-Liberty League, while men’s volleyball hitter Evan Fredericksen ’11 was named First Team All-United Volleyball Conference. Men’s soccer defender Zander Mrlik ’13 was named First Team All-Liberty League and was also named the co-Defensive Player of the Year. Sam Wagner ’13 was named All-Atlantic Region in cross-country. Andrew Guzick ’13 became the second singles player in school history to qualify for the ITA National Small College Championships and earned the program’s first win at the event, finishing in seventh place. Meanwhile, on April 16, Laura Van Eerde ’13 won her second consecutive Liberty League championship in the javelin.

With two weeks remaining in the year, this might not be the end.

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

Juliana Halpert/The Miscellany News

Vassar sports—including the women’s soccer team, women’s lacrosse team, men’s soccer team, men’s basketball team, women’s rugby and men’s baseball, all pictured—experienced great success during the 20102011 school year. The women’s basketball team had an especially successful year, earning them their first winning season in a decade, their first Liberty League championship and their first NCAA playoff game.

MISCELLANY NEWS | VASSAR COLLEGE