« November 11, 2007 - November 17, 2007 | Main | December 02, 2007 - December 08, 2007 »
November 30, 2007
College discusses downsized teaching load
Acacia O'Connor
The ever-increasing demands of teaching and scholarship, and recent policy changes at peer institutions, have led the College to examine its faculty teaching load.
TA fire sparks safety concerns
Elysia Glover
A recent electrical fire in the Terrace Apartments (TAs) has prompted a review of fire safety in senior housing.
Parade, tree-lighting to kick off holidays
Brian Farkas
Poughkeepsie’s 2007 holiday season will begin with a blast. On Friday, Nov. 30, the City of Poughkeepsie, in conjunction with the Bardavon 1869 Opera House and the Poughkeepsie River District Business Association, will host the 14th annual Celebration of Lights Parade and Fireworks.
ACT OUT! lobbies local politicians
Hayley Tsukayama
Seven Vassar students from ACT OUT! traveled to the New York Legislature on Nov. 15 to lobby Poughkeepsie-area legislators to co-sponsor a bill that would amend civil rights for gender discrimination.
Former Kennedy staffer campaigns for Barack Obama
Hayley Tsukayama
More than 100 members of the Poughkeepsie community gathered at the Vassars Alumnae House on Nov. 26 to hear Theodore Sorensen, former Special Counsel and Adviser to President John F. Kennedy, campaign for Senator Barack Obama’s bid for the presidency.
Law scholar discusses affirmative action
Julianne Herts
Acclaimed affirmative action scholar Frank Wu visited Vassar on Monday, Nov. 26 to give a lecture entitled “Dream of a Diverse Democracy: Affirmative Action and Higher Education” in the Villard Room.
News Briefs
House passes sweeping higher education bill
Brian Farkas
The U.S. House of Representatives education committee unanimously approved an omnibus bill to set federal higher-education policy for the next five years. Though most of the issues in the Nov. 15 legislation are uncontroversial, certain provisions related to accreditation have drawn sharp criticism from a number of colleges and universities.
November 29, 2007
Staff Editorial | Fire safety a serious concern in senior housing
The minimal fire safety preparedness for senior housing residents presents a significant concern for students’ well-being.
The Green Glance | Only infrastructure overhaul will bring reform
Nathan Zucker
The evidence suggests that relying on small changes in corporate business practices will not solve our environmental woes, and that only a comprehensive reorganization of our lives can bring about meaningful reform.
Views on the News | Increase in U.S.-Russian tensions troubling
Steve Keller
If you read the news coming out of Washington and Moscow recently, you might think that we’ve gone back to the days of the Cold War.
DNA analysis raises personal privacy concerns
Amory Meltzer
If discrimination based on gender or physical disability is already banned, why shouldn’t genetic profiling be illegal as well? The evolving nature of genetics dictates that a new regulatory structure be put into place.
Letters to the Editor | Coca-Cola supports workers' rights
Law eases burden of students' federal loans
Sarah Goetz
A law signed into effect by President Bush last month may have a dual impact on students seeking higher education. The bill provides more financial aid options for graduate students, as well as allocating aid and debt forgiveness to students who wish to enter the public sector.
Marist senior elected to county legislature
Alexandra Matthews
The votes were tallied, ballots counted and new leaders elected across Dutchess County as usual this past November. However, what makes this election particularly extraordinary is that the new District 6 Legislator Angela Flesland is a senior at Marist College.
Vassar Technology Today | Computo Ergo Sum: A Cartesian meditation
Matthew Leung
I had been using computers for several years when I realized that many things I had accepted about them, even the ones from my youth, were false. Hence, I found it necessary to start again at the foundation, to free myself from the common-sense assumptions about computers and distinguish the facts from the myths.
Classes explore virtual Vassar on Second Life
Stephanie Damon-Moore
Today, millions of people worldwide create alternative reality personas on Second Life. Vassar College became involved in Second Life last year with Vassar Island, the digital property that it owns on Second Life.
Penetrating Questions | Female ejaculation Part II: Try it at home!
Jiná Ashline
Find a copy of last week’s Miscellany News if you missed “Demystifying Female Ejaculation,” and get ready for the conclusion of the story: a how-to guide.
New magazine showcases student style
Chloe McConnell
Ever paused to admire a classmate’s unique sense of style? Contrast: The Vassar Style Magazine, the College’s first fashion rag, is taking a step beyond mere admiration and devoting its pages to showcasing student style.
Exploring life and death in 'Love-Lies-Bleeding'
Jackson Reeves
A family debates the meaning of life and death in Unbound’s new production, “Love-Lies-Bleeding” by Don DeLillo, opening Nov. 29 in Sanders Classroom.
FlyPeople bust moves of their own in show
Gulfem Demiray, Juliana Kiyan
Can you fleel the flove? FlyPeople, Vassar’s student-run dance group, will show some of this year’s dances for the first time with their Works-In-Progress show on Nov. 30 in Kenyon Hall.
Broadway remains dark as stagehands strike
Sarah Rebell
For the first time in history, Broadway stagehands are on strike. As a result, most shows have gone dark without the stagehands, who are essentially responsible for their smooth and safe production.
'Glass Menagerie' for a new millenium
Sarah Rebell
“This isn’t your mama’s ‘Glass Menagerie,’” said one of the students rehearsing for the Experimental Theater of Vassar College’s final show of the semester, “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams.
Music Box | Overlooked Albums: Life Without Buildings
Mike Newmark
Imagine a loose-limbed Gang of Four crossed with The Delgados and any of the girl punk groups that exploded in the late 1970‘s (see: Liliput, The Raincoats) and you’re about halfway to describing the sound of Life Without Buildings.
Music Box | Burial
Mike Newmark
Untrue—Burial’s sophomore effort and masterpiece—jettisons everything that kept his last record from being a truly immersive experience, ratchets up the emotionality, and comes bathed in an unearthly, ineffable glow.
Jay-Z critiques hip-hop game on new album
Acacia O'Connor
The tracks and lyrics that caught my attention on Jay-Z’s new album American Gangster—the ones that make it good—are the ones that critique the role of hip-hop in American culture today.
Athlete of the Week | Swimmers and diver shine in opening meets
Joe Bubar
Despite an early 1-5 record, Vassar’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have shown strong individual performances.
Squash teams encounter off-court obstacles
Elizabeth Pacheco
For Vassar’s men’s and women’s squash teams, the winter season is off to a shaky start.
Sports Briefs
Lawrence Avitabile '08 was recognized as the Co-Forward of the Week for two weeks in a row and for the 19th time in his Vassar basketball career.J. Carlton/The Miscellany NewsLenny...Taking a gamble on pro tennis
Elizabeth Pacheco
While betting on individual matches and tournament winners is common, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is now concerned that players are being persuaded to "throw matches" to benefit gamblers.
Overtime | The controversy of an upset
Kyle Nelson
The consequences of the upset are consistent in all sports: A ranked team or a more highly regarded team loses to an unranked, lower ranked or less regarded team.
