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October 27, 2006
Weekly Calendar 10/27-11/2
The BackPage | A Broad Abroad: Impressions of the Czech Republic
BackpageBackpage...Detroit Tigers score one for the proletariat
Lucas Mann
When the home run ball that won the Detroit Tigers the American League Championship on Oct. 14 flew off Maglio Ordonez’s bat, he took a few seconds, stood by home plate and watched. He looked stunned, having achieved the kind of feat that every kid who picks up a bat hopes will happen to him but doesn’t believe it will.
Athlete of the Week | Soccer captains provide leadership
Emma Carmichael
As the co-captains of the men’s varsity soccer team this year, Court Steiner ’07 and Adam Marsh ’07 have proven to be an impressive duo, combining to score 12 of the team’s 20 goals this season. The two have been playing together for the last four seasons, and coached by Andy Jennings for the past three.
Crew team eager for victories
Elizabeth Pacheco
For the Vassar crew teams, October is the most important month of the fall season. Having already dedicated numerous hours to practice, the men and women’s teams compete in four regattas in October: the Head of the Genesee, the Navy Day Regatta, the Head of the Charles, and the upcoming Head of the Fish.
VCTV shows annual marathon of classic, creepy films
Mally Anderson
For the third year in a row, Vassar College Television (VCTV) will host its marathon of classic Halloween-oriented movies—horrors, slashers, and thrillers—on the night of Tuesday, Oct. 31.
Dinotopia artist James Gurney to discuss real, imagined landscapes
Landscape painter James Gurney will discuss real and imagined landscapes on Thursday, Nov. 2 in Rockefeller Hall 200 at 5:30 p.m.
NoViCE hosts an array of bands at Halloween concert
Rachel Pittinger
Though Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, NoViCE has plans for a unique weeknight of entertainment that should not be missed. On Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. in the College Center Multi-Purpose Room, there will be a showcase of an extremely diverse group of bands from all over the world. Concert-goers are strongly encouraged to wear costumes, and candy will be provided.
Class studies Katrina aftermath over break
Lauren Sutherland
Before applying for a spot in the Environmental Science field course, Emily Vail ’09 had assumed she would be heading home for October break to catch up on sleep and enjoy the autumn. Instead, Vail found herself jumping not into a pile of vividly colored leaves last week, but into the Gulf of Mexico off of the Louisiana coast.
New bulbs save energy, cut costs
Stephen Cheng
Since the beginning of the semester, the College Committee of Sustainability and Buildings and Grounds Services have been collaborating on the Vassar Bulb Swap, an energy conservation project aimed at replacing all incandescent light bulbs on campus with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
Tour guide brings life to local cemetery
Jackson Reeves
“There’s no in-between about cemeteries; people either love them or hate them,” said Virginia Buechele, a Poughkeepsie geneologist, as she led a tour through the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. This cemetery is the final resting place of Matthew Vassar and his family.
Campus Dining serves local produce treats
Elizabeth Pacheco
Across the United States, small farms are struggling to compete with larger, industrial producers. While local farms have a limited market, industrial producers have the resources to ship globally and provide a variety of products. Here in the Hudson Valley, the increase in industrial development has raised production costs by an average of 25 percent, and has made running a farm even more expensive.
Vassar Technology Today | Pimp your PC: Converting to “solid-state”
Matthew Leung
The aspirations of computer scientists to create artificial intelligence that replicates human intelligence are based largely on Moore’s Law. This law outlines the development of increasing speeds of the microprocessor and indicates that around the year 2050, a microprocessor as powerful as the human brain will be available to consumers for less than $1,000.
Library databases expand research options
Shirley Shangguan
The return from October break has many students turning to the library to begin research for their term papers, many of which are due in December. Vassar’s main Thompson Library subscribes to hundreds of online databases, many of which remain undiscovered by students. Most students doing research are intimidated by the maze of virtual information that Research Librarian Gretchen Lieb likened to “walking into a jungle.” However, the Vassar Library complements its dizzying wealth of research material with a knowledgeable staff of librarians and student research interns committed to connecting students with the sources they need.
This Week at Vassar in 1980
Staff Editorial | Heeding fire alarms essential for student safety
When a fire alarm rings, the Residential Life Web site advises: “Walk rapidly to the nearest exit. Do not run. Avoid panic and exit in a calm, orderly fashion.” Perhaps panic upon hearing a fire alarm is the wrong presumption to make.
Eye On America | Juicy scandals have little to do with politics
Ross Weingarten
In recent weeks, headlines have been dominated by the scandal concerning Republican Congressman Mark Foley of Florida. It was revealed that he had been sending illicit e-mails to underage male pages that worked on Capitol Hill. Soon after this information came to light, Foley resigned and admitted himself into a clinic to treat his alcoholism. Foley’s inappropriate behavior and the alleged attempt to cover it up has much larger, negative implications for the already-weakened Republican party as the mid-term elections approach in November.
Views On Vassar | Attending Vassar is a privilege on which we should reflect
Tendai Musakwa
Rushing to classes, catching up on a reading assignment, writing a thesis, studying for a midterm, working out at the gym, dancing in The Mug, Facebooking, socializing, eating, and sleeping—these are just a few of the many activities Vassar students do on a daily basis. Having such hectic days is characteristic of the lifestyle of a Vassar student, and it is easy to forget what an honor it is to attend Vassar.
The Purple State | Coming to terms with being an angry Democrat
Benjy Sarlin
For the last five years, I've been warned over and over again about “the angry left.” Arch-conservative pundits Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter have devoted entire books to the cause, entitled Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild, and Slander, respectively, that make the case that the left has grown hysterical and extreme, and has even lost their bearings on reality.
The Observer | Foley scandal highlights abuse of trust by Republicans
Zachary Kaye
Faced with admitted allegations of misconduct with pages, Congressman Mark Foley recently gave up his seat in Congress and checked himself into a rehabilitation facility.
Letter to the Editor | Balanced approach needed to tackle right minority issue
How funny that a conservative cries out for affirmative action! Tendai Musakwa’s piece, “Vassar’s liberal environment is stifling the conservative voice” (9.29.2006 issue of The Miscellany News) reveals something really interesting: even conservatives can acknowledge once they’re in the minority that being stifled by a majority stinks.
Past inaugurations signaled start of new eras at College
John Palmer
Shahreen Saifi
This weekend, Catharine “Cappy” Bond Hill, will officially join the ranks of the presidents of Vassar College, a club with only nine other members. The days of events for Hill will colorfully mark the beginning of Hill’s tenure, and other presidents of the College had large kick-off celebrations as well. The previous college presidents each faced the challenges of their particular historical moments, and each inaugural ceremony was unique.
Inauguration of 10th College President celebrated with receptions, performances
Shahreen Saifi
The inauguration of Vassar’s 10th president Catharine “Cappy” Bond Hill and its celebratory events look to match the splendor of past presidential inaugurations to merit a place in the annals of Vassar’s history.
Vassar policy protested at hookah-in
Stephen Cheng
Approximately 20 students held a “hookah-in” protest on the Library lawn on Wednesday, Oct. 11, in opposition to the College’s refusal to allow the owners of the local Zorona Restaurant and Hookah Bar to establish an open-air hookah bar.
Students arrested in Lathrop, Main
Amanda Melillo
Two students were arrested by the Town of Poughkeepsie police in the early hours of Saturday, Oct. 7, between 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. The first arrest occurred when a student was found trespassing in Main Building, and the second after a student was caught discharging fire extinguishers in Lathrop House.
Blegen hosts Sober Nights
Brian Farkas
On Friday, Oct. 27, Blegen House will hold the first of its Sober Events series. This inaugural event will be co-hosted by Vassar Wholistic, which will be preparing a healthy dinner for participants.
Columbia University students protest Minuteman Project
Anita Varma
Thousands of students at colleges nationwide have become involved in debates over immigration and how to address illegal immigration in the U.S. Last spring, the school year concluded with many members of the Vassar community participating in the May 1 march in support of undocumented workers. This month, controversy over an anti-illegal immigration speaker has erupted at Columbia University, resulting in violence and slurs at the campus event.
