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April 06, 2007
Some things to do this week
Backpage | New Courses Not in Catalogue
March Madness shows evolution of women’s game
Emma Carmichael
Something has changed in women’s college basketball.
Prentiss construction stalled
Elizabeth Pacheco
Spring sports teams walked out to Prentiss Field last week for practice, expecting to find it under construction, but were surprised not a bulldozer in sight. The date to break ground for the Prentiss Field renovations, originally set for Nov. 1, was pushed back to Dec.1 and is now scheduled for April 19.
Sports Briefs
Steven '07 almost blocks a pass to Jon Reed '09 during Sunday's ultimate frisbee Hat Tournament.A. Neuhauser/The Miscellany NewsMen's lacrosse co-captain Vito Cataldo '07 looks to beat an Oberlin College...MLB opens regular season this week
Mathew Elias
For the 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams this week begins a time of hope and anticipation. Spring training is officially over and games that count toward team records have begun. As teams and fans start dreaming of play-off spots and a World Series win, there are a few top stories to keep an eye on during the 2007 season.
Green Haven art show returns to Vassar
Mally Anderson
It is difficult to imagine that many Vassar students feel as though the school hasn’t broadened their knowledge of people, environments and ideas different from their own. In keeping with this set of values, Vassar brings students the third annual Green Haven Prison Art Show, exhibiting works by currently and formerly incarcerated artists from area prisons.
After Hours undergoes revival and returns to Mug
Rachel Pittenger
If you’re wondering where the wealth of talented musicians at Vassar go to get their creative juices flowing, look no further than After Hours. Every Thursday at 9 p.m., After Hours provides a creative outlet in which the College’s singer-songwriters can perform in a relaxed setting.
NoViCE presents Erase Errata
Marcella Veneziale
You’ve probably heard Erase Errata before. The all-female trio has released a number of split-records with the likes of Black Dice and Sonic Youth. The San Francisco-based group has been a part of the San Francisco Noise Pop Festival and the Los Angeles’ Fuck Yeah Fest. Now on tour, they are promoting their third album, Nightlife, at Vassar at a concert on April 12.
Art sale to support Haitian school
Liza Darwin
While Director of International Services at Vassar and founder of the Vassar Haiti Project Andrew Meade was attending high school in Haiti in the 1970s, he got to know the land, the people, and the culture of the country. Concurrently, he discovered that beneath the poverty and political turmoil of Haiti, the people there still possessed an immensely vibrant spirit.
Music Box | Fountains of Wayne
Mike Newmark
Google tells me that as many as 13 Fountains of Wayne album or concert reviews contain the word “sugar” or one of its variants. That critical short-circuiting once struck me as odd—bands with a higher sugar content didn’t get this characterization nearly as much—but after hearing Traffic and Weather, I finally understand.
April 05, 2007
Easter, Passover inspire student spirituality
Sarah Siegel
In its annual college rankings issue, The Princeton Review consistently lists Vassar students among those “Most Likely to Ignore God on a Regular Basis.” During Passover and the Christian holy week, however, divinity may be a bit harder to avoid.
Yo ho ho! Why the bottle of rum?
Lauren Sutherland
It would be odd to see Captain Jack Sparrow kick back with a cup of tea, and the ubiquitous “Got a little Captain in you?’ slogan would not be as effective for advertising milk.
This Week at Vassar in 1986
Emma Epstein
On April 10, 1986, 13 students from Vassar, Marist and Dutchess Community Colleges protested outside the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) building in Poughkeepsie and were subsequently arrested on charges of disorderly conduct. The students were protesting against IBM’s sale of computers in South Africa because it was alleged that the South African government used those computers in the enforcement of apartheid policies.
Vassar Technology Today | Third parties offer alternatives to Vassar technology options
Matthew Leung
In 2002, Internet Explorer had a monopoly of 96 percent over the Web browser market before Firefox struggled to gain its current 10 percent share. This is one of countless stories in the technology market that show that there are always alternatives to better suit some user’s needs, no matter how dominant any one product or technology has become.
Virtual reality provides new classroom possibilities
Mike Alberti
Imagine if, instead of getting dressed and walking to class each day, you simply logged onto the Web to watch your professor’s lecture. You could ask questions and have discussions with other students, all from the comfort of your dorm room. Well, it might not be such a stretch.
Staff Editorial | Quantitative Requirement lacks cohesion, clarity
This spring, pre-registration information lists over 21 courses that can satisfy Vassar College’s Quantitative Analysis requirement. These include classes in nine subject areas, ranging from astronomy to psychology, mathematics to geology.
Eye on America | More lenient immigration policy would benefit U.S.
Ross Weingarten
When I was growing up, I had a babysitter named “B.” Actually, come to think of it, I never knew her real name, or exactly how old she was. I remember asking B her age when I was very young, and she told me that she was 100. Many years later, I asked her the same question, and got the same answer.
Views on Vassar | More transparency in College’s finances desirable
Tendai Musakwa
To some, it may come as no surprise that the College has decided to raise the comprehensive fee (including tuition and room and board and other fees) for attendance at Vassar by almost $2,700. After all, this happens every year and is not a new phenomenon at Vassar. However, it is unclear why exactly these increases have taken place. The escalating cost of a Vassar education has not been explained as clearly as it could be to students and their parents.
Letters to the Editor | Moderate Muslims protest against terrorism but voices are not heard
In Ross Weingarten’s column (3.30.07 issue of The Miscellany News), “Moderate Muslims’ voices can help to curb extremist terrorism,” he claims that “the responsibility falls to moderate Muslims both in the Middle East and around the world to condemn violence and propose alternatives.”
Off Topic, On Point | Gay marriage debate provides impetus to critique a troubled American institution
Evan Casper-Futterman
As many national political issues are wont to do, it seems that the debate on gay marriage in the United States has become rather monolithic—as if to suggest that it is the universal and uncontested desire of all gays and lesbians to share equally in the institution of marriage.
NY Attorney General expands student loan investigations
Katie Paul
College and university financial aid offices received national attention this week as New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo expanded his investigation into what he deemed “deceptive practices” in the student loan industry.
Drug testing sparks VSA debate
Brian Farkas
Ilyse Kramer
A debate concerning the rationale behind a new drug testing policy aimed at student-athletes dominated the April 1 meeting of the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council. Expected to be implemented in August 2007, this policy has faced opposition from certain members of the student body due to privacy concerns. At the request of the VSA, Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Carter attended the meeting to explain the goals of the policy.
Students voice opinions on major dorm renovations
Brian Farkas
The architectural firm S/L/A/M Consortium was set to come to campus on Wednesday, April 4 to discuss the renovation of Davison House with students and administrators. This meeting marked the first opportunity for students to ask questions and voice concerns about prospective campus renovations directly to the architects.
