« January 23, 2005 - January 29, 2005 | Main | March 27, 2005 - April 02, 2005 »
February 04, 2005
Committee on College Life examines policies
Plans made to address discipline, underage drinking
Jen Dixon
Rules and regulations relating to conduct violations, in the eyes of the Committee, are not clear enough and may cause problems due to different possible interpretations.
Sanction policies unknown to students
College Administrators claim that Student and Community Fellows are well informed of the College’s policies regarding infractions and sanctioning. Several Student Fellows, however, disagree.
Another Angle | When to speak out against free speech?
Amanda Melillo
We seem so liberal that we’re beyond the Democrats and sometimes even the convention of clothing, and so PC as to prohibit any sort of discussion. However, certain events, particularly of this year, have called this image into question.
On the Fence | The danger of narrow-minded liberalism
Ian Saxine
I was recently informed of a certain conservative, off-campus website where students can register complaints about being “indoctrinated” by their liberal college professors, eerily reminiscent of 1950s anticommunism efforts.
Disapproval of frivolous '07 class gift
Jessica Gentile
Towards the end of winter break, Class of 2007 students received a letter informing them that a class gift of $12,500 would be spent on replacing the bell above Main building.
Letters to the Editor
The Miscellany News finds balance in new design, and an objection to Backpage wildlife mockery.
Matthew's Mug temporarily shuts down
Jamie Rosen
Matthew’s Mug was closed last Thursday, Jan. 27 through Saturday, Jan. 29 due to incidents of underage drinking and vandalism earlier in the week. The Mug staff met Friday to discuss ways to ensure that the Mug is run in accordance with New York’s state laws.
An unknown person plugged the drain in the men’s bathroom and turned on the sink at the Mug Saturday, Jan. 22. Once the resulting flood was stopped by unclogging the drain, the offender again clogged the drain and turned on the water, this time removing the faucet handles.
VSA plans for socially responsible investing
Fabian Arzuaga
Vassar Student Association Treasurer Andy Caselli ’05 is working with the Finance Office to consider changing a socially responsible mutual fund in which Vassar is currently invested.
ASA joins protest against crude tsunami song
Anita Varma
After the tsunami of Dec. 26, people worldwide offered condolences and monetary aid to the victims. However, WQHT 97.1 radio DJs decided to use the tsunami as material for a comedic morning show song.
Alumnae House reopens after extensive renovation
Hayley Tsukayama
The Vassar Alumnae House is once again open for business after extensive renovations to its 80 year-old structure.
News Briefs
Marijuana found in Terrace Apartments, student assaulted near Town Houses, jogger pursued by bikers on farm, and envelope found containing cash
Vassar grad has affair with U.K. Home Secretary
Scandal rocks British press, is compared to Lewinsky scandal in U.S.
Patrick Murray
Kimberly Solomon '82, now Kimberly Quinn, has become the center of one of Great Britain’s leading sex scandals, involving one of the most powerful members of Tony Blair’s cabinet.
Food writer Molly O'Neill reads from memoir
Former New York Times editor shares witty stories
Judy Jarvis
Maybe it was cute, maybe it was corny, but I asked famed former New York Times food editor Molly O’Neill to survey the All Campus Dining Center’s culinary offerings with me.
Sushi Village offers a cultural food experience
Jiemei Geng
The Japanese are quite correct in their philosophy of a meal being a reflection of both tradition and the aesthetic. Food should be not only exquisite in taste, but also pleasing to the eye.
Metcalf offers support, dispels policy rumors
Sarah DeFilippe
Sometimes life as a college student can become overwhelming. It is almost inevitable that, as students try to balance their schedules with classes, sports, extracurriculars, and relationships, problematic issues arise.
Composition professor works on first novel
Instructor pursues writing goals in Vassar environment
Claire Taylor
The term ‘sparsely decorated’ barely begins to cover Josh Harmon’s office. There is nothing to break up the white monotony of the walls save a window and two shelves loaded with books.
QCVC brings Alix Olson's slam poetry to campus
Jessica McLachlan
She is a woman, a poet, an activist, a radical, and a feminist among other things. It seems virtually impossible to place Alix Olson into any category without excluding some of her great qualities.
Summer programs start application process early
Internships at Vassar and beyond prepare students for real life
Abby Loomis
After being spontaneously called up to the podium to speak about her participation in Vassar’s Community Fellows summer program, Lulu Caruso ’07 immediately launched into an energetic and enthusiastic speech on why her experience was so valuable.
Women's basketball breaks losing streak
Carole Beitcher
Stuck in a bit of a slump, the women’s basketball team has found itself behind a 1-4 league record and a 5-11 overall record, tied with Skidmore for sixth place in the competitive Liberty league.
Novelist packs Students' Building
John Palmer
Michael Chabon, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, visited the second floor of the Students’ Building on Feb. 1 as part of the Alex Krieger ’95 Memorial Lecture Series.
VassarChat open as tool to communicate and procrastinate
John Palmer
Vassarchat.com exists for students and alumni to explore a number of different communication avenues and discuss all sorts of different interests, from academics to culture to a risqué “In the Bedroom” forum.
Vassar College Bookstore welcomes author of book on twentysomethings
Janine Parziale
Afraid of facing the harsh reality of a drab corporate building and a 60-hour workweek? Writer Colleen Kinder describes how to stave off these horrors in her newly-released book entitled Delaying the Real World: A Twentysomething’s Guide to Seeking Adventure.
Oscar nominations omit several Vassar favorites
Scorsese and Eastwood duke it out in the Academy's ring
Margaret Files
Nominations for the 77th Annual Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday, Jan. 25, featuring as always a few surprising snubs and inclusions in an otherwise predictable race.
Fashion shows present new looks for spring season
Marcella Venizale
The first month of 2005 has already proved eventful for the fashion world.
Bright Eyes evokes Dylan
Freddy Deknatel
After playing the song “Lua” during his Friday night show at Town Hall in New York City, Bright Eyes’s Conor Oberst may or may not have seen Lou Reed, the notorious and vastly influential former frontman of the Velvet Underground, seated in the fourth row, nodding his head approvingly.
Vintage alternative venue brings big names, future stars to Hudson Valley
Deborah Temkin
In an alleyway just off Main street, one of the most famous concert venues in the country hosts names as big as Joan Osborne, The Wallflowers, Hoobastank, and more.
What's to do? Hudson Valley Edition
Gehry-designed center hosts classics, Rhinebeck welcomes Art to the stage, and the entertainment calendar for Friday, Feb. 4 and Saturday Feb. 5.
Women's lacrosse season preview
Catherine Twardy
Despite the heavy recent snowfall, the women’s lacrosse team is already gearing up for an exciting Spring 2005 season.
Sports Briefs
The men's and women's fencing teams lose matches to Rutgers and Yale and men's basketball recruit Lawrence Avitabile '08 continues to impress.
Sports Calendar
Game schedule for the week of Feb. 3 to 11.
Women's swimming team races to victory
Yoana Kuzmova
Avid competition was the name of the game during the Seven Sisters Swimming and Diving championship that took place on blizzard-struck Vassar campus last weekend.
Men's volleyball optimistic despite early losses
Jessica Chong
On the weekend of Saturday, Jan. 22, the Vassar Men’s Volleyball team defeated the University of New Haven to finish fifth out of six colleges in the two-day Vassar Invitational Volleyball Tournament.
Out of Bounds | Most important match-ups of Super Bowl XXXIX
Gabe Mosca
When the Patriots won the Super Bowl in the winter of 2002, the Out of Bounds staff thought it was just a pleasant coincidence that a team with such a moniker was victorious just a few short months after Sept. 11.
A fitness fantasia on national themes
In the spirit of the New Year, the Backpage invited Fitness and Life Expert David Le as part of our communal resolution to eat right, feel good, and look even better (if that’s possible).
Backpage Calendar
The events calendar for the week of Feb. 4 to 10, plus an amusing encounter with a Kansas choir.
