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September 14, 2006
Weekly Calendar 9/15-9/21
2006 Ryder Cup to renew golf’s most storied rivalry
Jer Isseks
This year’s Ryder Cup is certain to yield an exciting and highly contested three days of golf. It will be played at The K Club in Kildare, Ireland, from Sept. 22–Sept. 24. American captain Tom Lehman will send the ten hottest American golfers into play, along with his two captain’s picks (Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank).
Cross country wins Vassar Invitational
Jer Isseks
On Saturday, Sept. 9, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams began their fall seasons in monumental fashion. The men’s team finished well ahead of the competition, taking first place overall at the Vassar Invitational, while the women’s squad squeaked by rival New York University (NYU) to secure a win as well.
Women’s soccer team optimistic about near future
Emma Carmichael
After years of less-than-spectacular league play and cycling through four different coaches in as many years, the Vassar women’s soccer team is finally finding itself on even ground. With a strong base of upperclassmen, a brand new coach, and a talented freshmen class, the future of women’s soccer at Vassar looks promising.
Student-athletes briefed on forms of hazing
Elizabeth Pocheco
Acacia O'Connor
As fall athletes kick off their seasons, winter and spring sports teams are beginning to plan for their competitions as well. Included in these preparations was a mandatory meeting held for student-athletes on Thursday, Sept. 7 in Rockefeller Hall. During the meeting, athletes filled out National Collegiate Athletic Association compliance forms, and were briefed on the possibilities of drug testing, as well as the ramifications of hazing practices. While athletes concurred with the grave consequences that occur as a result of hazing, some also questioned why the practice of Serenading is permissible, since it bears similar characteristics to hazing.
Rushdie to address freshmen
Acacia O'Connor
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, author Salman Rushdie will be giving a talk entitled “Step Across this Line.” Rushdie’s book, Shalimar the Clown, a finalist for the Whitbread Book Awards, was the Class of 2010 summer reading selection. Rushdie is this year’s William Starr Freshman Course Lecturer.
Though older, Dylan thrills fans
Evan Hannay
As a lifelong Bob Dylan fan, the prospect of seeing two concerts in one week sent me into sensory overload. When I saw that the “Poet Laureate” of rock and roll was coming to New Britain Stadium in Connecticut and then to Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls at the end of August, I knew I had to go to both. Many of my friends responded to the news dubiously with responses such as, “Dude, he’s so old,” or, “Is Bob Dylan still alive?,” but after the concerts I can say that the Dylan of “my” generation, although not exactly spry, looks great.
Art, nature converge at Storm King Art Center
Acacia O'Connor
“The Storm King Art Center is an unusual museum,” reads the brochure for the expansive open-air sculpture garden located in Mountainville, NY. Viewing the museum’s 91 impressive and sometimes fanciful sculptures is a worthwhile way to spend the afternoon, as Vassar’s Outing Club found when they wandered its 500 acres on Sunday, Sept. 10.
This Week at Vassar in 1977
Joshua Goodman
On Sept. 16, 1977, The Miscellany News reported that the Vassar Student Association (VSA) had declared a major budget deficit because of alleged levels of fiscal irresponsibility within the VSA.
Judicial Board prepares to rule on cases for 2006-2007 academic year
Greg Armstrong
Each year during spring elections, the Vassar student body elects nine students to sit on the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Judicial Board. The Judicial Board hears cases ranging from the conduct of VSA officers and their dispensation of VSA legislation, to the College’s academic honor policy. The Judicial Board is an integral part of the VSA, often proving vital to its ability to function smoothly and arbitrate conflicts.
Vassar Technology Today | Exploring internet bandwidth, sharing large files
Matthew Leung
As digital storage becomes cheaper and cheaper, so does Internet bandwidth. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred via the Internet. This makes sense, since it would not be convenient to be able to store multimedia files like videos, music, and photos but not be able to share them via the Internet. With the myriad of resources at Vassar and from third party companies, sending these large files to others easily through the Internet highway might make you never want to drive on Raymond Avenue again.
EatingWell changes flavor of campus dining
Alea Bell
This fall, people checking out at the All-Campus Dining Center (ACDC) and The Retreat were offered a letter entitled “To Parents from Campus Dining at Vassar College.” The letter, signed by Director of Campus Dining Maureen King, wasn’t about advertising any new changes, but was meant to raise awareness. “For instance, do people know that we don’t use oil with trans-fats? Or that we get our milk from local dairy farms?” asked King. The letter also mentioned the little-known facts that some chefs are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and that Campus Dining frequently sends employees to take classes at the CIA.
Youthful professor seeks the right ways to ask questions
Mike Alberti
The newest member of Vassar’s philosophy department also happens to be the youngest. Instructor in Philosophy Barry Lam, age 27, said he has often been mistaken for a student on campus, and that’s easy to believe. In addition to looking young for a professor, Lam also dresses like a fashionable college student, and has a comfortable, laid-back way of speaking.
On The Job | Former Town House entrepreneur encourages students to explore options
Former Town House entrepreneur encourages students to explore options
Joshua Goodman
Unlike many college students reluctant to begin their “real lives,” Jonty Yamisha ’99 was eager to graduate and to enter the professional world full-time. During his senior year at Vassar, Yamisha, an International Studies major, started his first company called Teralong Interactive from his Town House.
While JYD, student discovers inner “science nerd”
Jenny Nigro
On a dreary Saturday during her first week at Williams-Mystic, the maritime studies program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport, Brooke Adams ’07 participated in a lab and wondered what she had gotten herself into.
Vassar makes the grade in The Advocate
Guide cites Blegen, Queer Coalition as major supports for LGBT students
Jessica Hughes
National newsmagazine The Advocate recently joined the list of major publications that rank Vassar as a top college. The Advocate reports on gay news and entertainment. In its first comprehensive college guide, The Advocate includes Vassar as one of the top 100 supportive campuses for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) students.
History in danger of repeating itself in Iran over nuclear arms
Zachary Kaye
Historical events are rarely congruent to one another in more than a loosely theoretical way. The value in studying history with the intention of bettering one’s understanding of current events lies not in finding direct analogies, but rather in understanding themes and how past events have led to our present world.
Reality show generation revolts against Facebook
News feed, not world issues, cause young people to speak out
Benjy Sarlin
Earlier this month, the ubiquitous social website Facebook.com instituted new sweeping changes. Chief among them was a “news feed” that bombarded users with daily updates on their friends, ranging from events as major as new relationships to those as mundane as writing “nice photo” as a comment.
Views On Vassar | Quiet corridors a haven for noisemakers
Tendai Musakwa
The Black Eyed Peas’ song “Pump It” reverberates across the floor at 11:30 p.m., interspersed with loud shouts and the rhythmic creaking of a squeaky bed. This is a typical scenario on a Friday night at any college, one might say. Regrettably, this is not the archetypal floor at a college—this is the second floor of Noyes, a floor which the College designated a quiet corridor. Quiet corridors are halls on which no noise is supposed to be heard outside anyone’s room and parties are not allowed. Currently, not all Quiet Corridors are serving their intended purpose and should be closely examined in order to determine whether they are necessary at all.
Five years after Sept. 11, where do we stand?
Ross Weingarten
Monday, Sept. 11 marked the five-year anniversary of what was perhaps the worst day in American history. The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America claimed 3,000 lives, and changed the world, and changed everything from airport security to U.S. foreign policy.
Staff Editorial | Facebook news feed raises questions of privacy
Everyone is talking about The Facebook, again. In the last two weeks, popular social network The Facebook (facebook.com) developed and implemented a new feature called a “news feed,” which provides up-to-the-minute information on the activity network members. Just days after the new feature appeared on Facebook, thousands of users cried foul, prompting Mark Zuckerberg (creator of Facebook) to issue an apology and to update privacy controls.
VSA-ResLife committee formed
Stephen Cheng
The Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council adopted a resolution on Sept. 3 to form a VSA-Residential Life Ad-Hoc Committee (VRAC). According to the opening statements of the resolution, VRAC was founded to improve the working relationship between the VSA and the Office of Residential Life, in order to maintain a “positive residential experience at Vassar College.”
Campus renovations of Blodgett, Main continue
Joe Rozek
Several academic buildings and houses underwent significant renovations this summer, some of which are still in progress. Backed by multi-million dollar budgets, Buildings and Grounds Associate Executive Director Jeff Horst and Project Managers Art Fisher and Brian Corrigan are leading the major construction efforts on Blodgett Hall, Main Building, several residence houses, and are conducting an inspection of the arboretum.
UN hosts 59th NGO conference
Katie Barnett
More than 2,500 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) gathered for a conference at the United Nations in New York from Sept. 6-Sept. 8. The 59th Annual Department of Public Information/NGO Conference addressed ways to strengthen collaboration between local communities and global institutions. The meeting was entitled “Unfinished Business: Effective Partnerships for Human Security and Sustainable Development.”
Bush appoints Vassar graduate
Katie Paul
Marc Thiessen ’89 was appointed by President George W. Bush to be Deputy Assistant to the President on Friday, Sept. 1.
Princeton Review ranks Vassar
Shahreen Saifi
The 2007 editions of the Princeton Review’s “Best 361 Colleges” and U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” highlighted a variety of Vassar trends and reaffirmed the College’s standing as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country. These annual publications often attract the attention of high school students and their parents across the nation while they wade through the process of researching colleges.
College commemorates Sept. 11 anniversary with Garden of Peace
Christine Vines
Members of the Vassar community observed the five-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 through their own quiet and personal remembrances, without any official gathering or service. The College encouraged students to reflect on the anniversary, and to participate in the Garden of Peace.
Fire breaks out in Lathrop, displaces students
Shirley Shangguan
Flames filled a garbage can on the third floor of Lathrop House on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 10. Students noticed the fire in the north annex at 6:30 p.m. and alerted authorities.
