 Penetrating Questions | Emergency contraception a safe, effective option
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“Jiná Ashline Columnist
My best friend was afraid that she was pregnant last week after her partner’s condom broke, so she took emergency contraceptive pills. I had never heard of them before. How safe and effective are they?
—Preventing an ejaculate conception
Dear Preventing,
Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy as long as they are taken up to five days after unprotected sex. They have been used worldwide for as long as 30 years and are a viable option if a condom breaks or slips off, if you weren’t using any birth control or if you had unprotected sex.
The development of modern emergency contraception (EC) began in the 1920s when researchers discovered that estrogen extracted from the ovaries interfered with pregnancy in mammals. As early as the 1940s, there were reports of use of postcoital (after-sex) estrogens on women as a method of preventing pregnancy, but there were no published cases until the 1960s, when doctors in the Netherlands tried the method on a young girl who had been raped. Soon after, emergency contraception pills (ECPs) were approved for use in several countries. It was not until the end of the 1990s, however, that ECPs were widely recognized in the United States as a safe and effective method for preventing unplanned pregnancy.
In July 1999, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first ECPs in the United States Before that time, some doctors already practiced “off-label” use of oral contraceptive pills to achieve the same effect. Today, ECPs are also known by the brand name Plan B (the most commonly used kind of ECP in the Unied States). ECPs are sometimes called “morning after pills,” but that name can be misleading because ECPs can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex, not just the morning after. You may also need to take two or more pills, depending on the type of ECP.
ECPs contain a higher level of estrogen and progestin, the same hormones found in hormonal birth control pills. They prevent ovulation and thicken cervical mucus, which blocks sperm from fertilizing an egg. ECPs may also prevent fertilized eggs from attaching to the lining of the uterus, but there is no proof that this happens. Some sources incorrectly claim that ECPs cause abortion, but ECPs are not the same as the abortion pill (called RU-486 or Mifepristone.) ECPs cannot terminate or damage a pregnancy if an embryo has already implanted on the uterine wall.
Plan B is very effective at preventing pregnancy when used properly. Studies show that it reduces the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent when it is taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. Plan B can be used up to 120 hours after unprotected sex, but it is more effective the sooner it is taken.
ECPs will not prevent pregnancy if you have unprotected sex after taking the pills, so you need to use ECPs to prevent pregnancy after each time you have unprotected sex. Also, as with any method of hormonal birth control, ECPs do not provide protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
If there is any possibility that unprotected sex will put you at risk of contracting an STI, you should consider being tested.
ECPs are safe and have fewer risks and side effects than other hormonal birth control methods because they are not taken continuously and the hormones are not in your body as long as those in ongoing birth control. The most common side effects experienced are nausea and upset stomach.
Rarely, women may experience breast tenderness, irregular bleeding, dizziness and headaches. Side effects typically subside in a day or two, and a doctor can recommend ways to reduce them.
ECPs are an effective form of back-up birth control, but they should not be used as a primary form of birth control. As their name suggests, they should be used only in emergencies when your primary method of birth control fails. Frequent use of ECPs may make your period irregular. Ongoing use of hormonal methods is more effective when they are used correctly. Women concerned with preventing pregnancy should consider using hormonal birth control, which can be purchased at a reduced price the Women’s Health Center or at Planned Parenthood.
Plan B is available at pharmacies and health care centers without a prescription for people 18 and older. For those younger than 18, a prescription from a health center or private doctor is needed.
The cost of Plan B greatly varies from place to place. On average, it costs $10 to $45. Family planning clinics like Planned Parenthood usually charge less than private doctors or pharmacies. Locally, Plan B costs about $40 at nearby pharmacies. $25 at Baldwin’s Women’s Health Center, and it is currently free at Planned Parenthood.
Finally, as to condoms breaking, the primary reason why condoms fail is human error in their use.
There are some ways to help prevent condom breakage. Be careful opening the package so the condom is not torn—try not to get the condom caught in the tear of the package, and never use teeth, scissors or nails. Also, check the expiration date of the condom and store them in a cool (but not cold!) dry place—not in the sun, a car, a pants pocket or anywhere else where they could be damaged. Make sure there are no air bubbles in the condom by smoothing along the shaft and pinching the nipple-like tip to get all of the air out. You should also make sure that the condom is not pulled too tight (make sure you leave room at the tip for ejaculate). Be sure not to “double bag”, using two condoms, whether you’re using two male condoms or a male and a female condom—the friction causes breakage. Also, use plenty of lubricant. If there is not enough lubricant, the friction can cause breakage. With latex condoms you should only use water- or silicone-based lubricants because oil breaks down latex, rendering your condom ineffective.
Furthermore, if pregnancy is a concern when you are having sex, it is best to always use two methods of birth control. In cases of emergency when your primary methods fail, ECPs are a wise choice. Keep a box of Plan B handy, and practice prevention!
The Women’s Health Center is located on the second floor of Baldwin, ext. 5815. Planned Parenthood is located at 17 Noxon Street in Poughkeepsie and can also be accesed by calling 1-800-230-7526 or visiting ppfa.org.
—Jiná Ashline ’08 is a religion major with a women’s studies correlate. She is also president of C.H.O.I.C.E. Each week she will answer a question about sex and sexuality. Send your questions to jiashline@vassar.edu or by dropping a note in Box 2172.”
Arts Briefs | Idlewild produces deeper version of afternoon “Tea”
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“The all-female theatrical group Idlewild presents its only production this semester, the one-act play “Tea,” directed by Jasmine Brown ’10. It is staged in the Susan Stein Shiva Theater at 9 p.m. on May 1, 8 p.m. on May 2 and 3 p.m. on May 4. Velina Hasu Houston’s work, written in the late 1980s, tells the story of Japanese women taken to Kansas after World War II as brides of American soldiers. The first scene of “Tea” reveals a war bride shooting herself, and the remainder takes place mostly at the titular tea party of four war brides who were friends of the deceased.
Equal parts Six Feet Under and Desperate Housewives , the play reveals more of the dead war bride’s depressing backstory as it progresses—from her arrival at a small farming town to her unsatisfying marriage.
Idlewild, which formed in Fall 2007, sets out to give women and women’s perspectives a designated outlet.
—Jackson Reeves, Arts Editor”
A Look into Vassar Science | The evolution of Vassar’s science programs
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“Erica Hersh Guest Writer
This is part three of a four-part series. To see the previous two articles, visit misc.vassar.edu. The fourth part, which explores science students’ preparation for graduate school, will appear in next week’s issue.
In 1848, the Academy of Arts and Science accepted its first female member, a woman who had recently discovered the comet that now bears her name. She was also the first woman elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as the American Philosophical Society. Vassar students, however, may know her better as the namesake of the Maria Mitchell Observatory, also known as the Old Observatory.
The tenure of Maria Mitchell, the first faculty member hired at Vassar, the discoverer of a comet, the namesake of a crater on the moon and generally one of the most distinguished female scientists of all time, was only the beginning of Vassar’s strong science programs. In the 142 years since Mitchell was first hired, Vassar has continued to produce distinguished scientists, thanks to a curriculum that has emphasized science since its inception.
At the time of the College’s founding, the Observatory was the only building on campus besides Main Building, but even then, Vassar was committed to science programs other than astronomy. According to Vassar College Historian Elizabeth Daniels ’41, “Matthew Vassar wanted science for women equal to science for men,” and so he set up a demanding program with many resources.
Housed in Main were chemistry and geology labs, “cabinets of natural history” with specimens relevant to all courses of study, and even a museum of natural history, perfect for “natural philosophy” classes. While arithmetic was the only math or science class required for this first group of women, students could elect to take any of the 10 other science classes that Vassar offered.
By 1890, just 25 years later, the science program at Vassar had greatly expanded along with the general curriculum. All the original labs and museums remained, but physics and chemistry were given their own building, and students could stay at the College for graduate programs in natural history, chemistry, physics, math and astronomy. Ignoring the stereotype that women were weak and too sensitive to be rational, Vassar even put together an anatomy lab for its students, complete with skeletons, a dissectible mannequin and hundreds of specimens that they could study.
The growth of science at Vassar didn’t stop in the 19th century. By 1920, the College had built Sanders Laboratory for chemistry and the New England Building to house biology, physiology and geology. The Vassar Brothers Laboratory provided space for the other sciences. The natural sciences department split into zoology and botany (with a few general biology classes), a change that persisted until the College built Olmsted Hall in 1973. The 1920s also saw the beginning of the psychology department, which is one of Vassar’s most popular majors today.
Urged on by Minnie Cumnok Blodgett, an alumna and the namesake of Blodgett Hall, Vassar established a euthenics department in 1924 to study how external factors such as education and environment can improve the human condition. Euthenics became such a popular major that Blodgett Hall was built to house it. Interest eventually waned, but the child study department continued to be a separate major until 1965, when it was integrated into the psychology department.
By the time the United States entered World War II in 1941, the science program at Vassar included a summer study program at Wood’s Hole, field work at the Dutchess County Outdoor Ecological Lab and a physiology lab that stored a preserved fetus and organs to students to study, a very progressive concept at the time. The entire curriculum was revised for the 1942-43 school year to accommodate the United States’ involvement in Europe and the Pacific. For example, students had the option of graduating in fewer than four years if they planned to go on to help the war effort. While many course lists were changed, a survey by the College found that the natural sciences, then the largest division, were more than adequate to prepare Vassar women to aid their country.
According to the 1950 course catalogue, “In general, the introductory science courses are planned to meet the needs of both students whose gifts lie in other fields and yet who should have these new insights, and of students who will make science the focus of their programs.” In order to reach both of these groups, the College required all students to take one course in biological science (such as zoology and botany) and one course in physical science (such as astronomy and chemistry). It also added pre-engineering and pre-medical programs, which joined pre-teaching as Vassar’s only pre-professional programs.
After Olmsted was completed in 1973, biology was a cohesive, independent major, and each science had its own building and library, greatly strengthening the science program at Vassar. Though the social sciences had the largest numbers of majors and continue to be the largest to this day, the natural science division has continued to expand through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary programs such as biochemistry and neuroscience and behavior (formerly known as biopsychology). Vassar was also the first institution to offer an undergraduate degree in the multidisciplinary program of cognitive science, founded in 1982.
“It has been really gratifying to see that pay-off in the growth of programs at other institutions,” said founding member of the cognitive science program Professor of Psychology Ken Livingston in the Feb. 7 issue of The Miscellany News. “We were the only place doing this in 1982, and now we have lots of company. I like to think that our success here had at least a little bit to do with that.”
Even if Vassar is better known for the liberal arts than the sciences, a Vassar education has given rise to many prominent scientists, such as Vera Cooper Rubin ’48, the astronomer who discovered the most substantial evidence of the existence of dark matter. In other fields, Vassar boasts Bernadine Healy ’65, former head of both the National Institutes of Health and the American Red Cross, and Ellen Swallow Richards from the Class of 1870, coiner of the word “ecology,” environmental chemist and first woman admitted to any science or technology school in the United States. Eben Ostby ’77 co-created the animation system used in Toy Story.
These and countless other Vassar alumnae/i have made significant contributions to various scientific fields. They have benefited from Vassar’s longstanding commitment to science education, and as more and more students graduate, it is likely that many new names will be added to this list of illustrious Vassar science alumnae/i.”
Vassar Technology Today | Internet apocalypse scheduled for 2010, says your corporate ISP
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“Matthew Leung Columnist
At a United Kingdom government forum last week, AT&T Vice President of Legislative Affairs Jim Cicconi warned that unless private companies and corporations round up 130 billion dollars to upgrade the public infrastructure of the Internet by 2010, the Internet will not be able to handle the impending traffic explosion in that year.
Since private organizations such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) built the public digital highways to make broadband traffic possible, they are the ones with the capacities to maintain and expand them.
Cicconi pointed out that the emergence of high definition (HD) video on the Web will strain bandwidth, since it uses 10 times more bandwidth than regular video. There will be additional strain if YouTube adopts HD, as eight hours of videos are uploaded to YouTube each minute. Cicconi and AT&T predicted that three years from now, 20 households will generate more than all of the traffic on the Internet today.
This warning is nothing unfamiliar. Many others, such as Bret Swanson, a technology researcher at Seattle’s Discovery Institute, predict a kind of Internet apocalypse in 2010 when the Web can no longer handle the overwhelming traffic. As a result, the Internet would become partially or fully unavailable to users. Swanson coined the term “exaflood” to describe this eventual disaster.
In fact, 2010 is not the first prediction of an Internet apocalypse. In 1995, Robert Metcalfe, co-inventor of the Ethernet connection, prophesied that the Internet would collapse in 1996 due to increasing users and demands. But the Internet kept running, and Metcalfe owned up to his words by eating a piece of paper printed with his warning in front of an audience at a conference in 1997.
Statistically, it is true that the Internet’s current ability to handle traffic will not be adequate for the potentially exponential growth of traffic in the next few years. What is not sensible, is to draw the connection that the Internet will have a blackout or collapse as a result.
Such a catastrophe could happen only if that exponential increase in online data were to happen today. Just as data is constantly increasing on the Internet, so too are the innovative protocols that manage how online data make their way across the Internet. Merely looking at the number of available highways is not enough; you have to take into account how the cars move through them.
One threat that ISPs see to the Internet bandwidth is peer-to-peer (P2P) networks such as BitTorrent and Gnutella. But while P2P currently increases traffic on the Internet, efforts are underway to make P2P bandwidth-friendly. In July 2007, P2P providers such as BitTorrent and LimeWire joined with major ISPs such as Verizon and AT&T to form the P4P Working Group to make P2P traffic more efficient and productive.
Some experts even claim that P2P networks can serve as a way to alleviate traffic strain on the Internet. Paul Francis, a computer scientist at Cornell University, devised a system called Chunkyspread, which streams broadband content through P2P networks instead of central servers such as YouTube. That way videos travel less distance to reach your computer because the peers on the P2P network who stream the video to you are closer than the YouTube servers.
It is also worth noting that the majority of the broadband content that we consume is popular content consumed by millions of other people, such as YouTube videos that made it to fame or commercial content. Rather than the present situation of replicating the same traffic millions of times on the Internet, methods for consolidating the traffic and streamlining delivery through technologies such as P2P are likely to be developed in the future.
As for making data travel more efficiently, John Papandriopoulos, a researcher at the University of Melbourne, devised an algorithm in 2006 that allows 100 times more traffic to move through the present DSL connections.
As the Internet is a dynamic environment with an economy of rapid sharing and a proliferation of innovations, it has a resilient nature and maintains equilibrium when one component of it, such as traffic, starts to hamper the Web.
This propaganda from broadband ISPs is merely hype to increase public consumption of broadband.
Only a few years after broadband was first made available in America in 2001, ISPs constructed enough connections to cover 80 percent of the country. Disappointingly, only 10 percent of the country signed up. Even today, only 50 percent of the country is willing to pay for broadband. The rest of the available connections are sitting in dust. By making bandwidth sound like a scarce resource everyone is fighting over, ISPs are simply trying to get more people to sign up for broadband.”
The Voting Booth | Colbert Report more than a gimmick in 2008 elections
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“Allison Good Columnist
This is the 12th article that I’ve written for The Voting Booth, and I have yet to mention the most influential character in the 2008 race. You may know him: He loves eagles, pokes fun at Democrats and was a one-time presidential candidate. To him, Bill O'Reilly is “Papa Bear,” and he insults Washington like nobody’s business.
He targets anyone and everyone, but his one-raised-eyebrow facial expression never fails to entertain. I’m talking about our favorite conservative pundit Stephen T. Colbert (silent “t” on the Colbert). Whether you like it or not, he has a profound effect on the election. He has done everything from attempting to run in the South Carolina primary to hosting presidental candidates on his late-night “news” show, The Colbert Report.
Of course, Colbert’s failed South Carolina run was an outrageous and very Colbert-esque gimmick. Anyone can file for the Democratic or Republican ticket in any state, but fees run in the thousands. Although Colbert paid the $2,500 fee to file for the Democratic ballot, the party’s executives voted against allowing him on the ballot for the Jan. 26 primary. Colbert, who only wanted to run for President, and not actually be President, also intended to run on the Republican ballot for the party’s Jan. 19 primary.
Colbert is a comedian who genuinely loves to entertain. He never seems to step out of character, even when he appears at benefits or on other late night television shows. The cult of the “Colbert Nation” has enveloped America and “Stewart/Colbert 2008” merchandise has made its way into the mainstream market.
But Colbert himself is not just a gimmick. By drawing attention to his character on a regular basis, even for comments that some find appalling, he has created a niche for himself that encourages a certain hype about the candidates and the election itself. Colbert’s dealings in South Carolina even resulted in a Facebook group entitled “1,000,000 Strong for Stephen T. Colbert.”
A true pop culture icon, Colbert hosts important celebrity guests on each show. Sometimes, he uses sarcasm and irony to induce a response that shows his support, as he did with Michelle Obama.
“Everyone knows you and your husband are elitists. Tell me about your elite upbringing on the South Side of Chicago. How many silver spoons in your mouth?” Colbert asked. Michelle answered, “We had four spoons...and then my father got a raise at the plant and we had five spoons.”
Even though Comedy Central is a comedy network, this interview is a serious political commentary on name-calling in elections, and Michelle's naturally sarcastic tone was perfect for Colbert’s question. Colbert also gave Obama a platform to talk about political analysts’ mistaken assumption that independent women are supporting Hillary Clinton. Then, political commentary aside, Colbert later serenaded his guest with Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E.”
For those tired of watching CNN or other major news networks, Colbert’s show is perfect. It certainly requires some knowledge of current events, and Colbert may not appeal to every viewer.
But the fed-up, liberal/moderate demographic sees something in Colbert. His ratings, as well as the ear-splitting screams of his live studio audience, prove that viewers are thoroughly entertained.
Combining smarts with humor and blatant criticism, Colbert has profoundly affected this election.
Young viewers of high school and college ages, including myself, look to Colbert for a certain type of commentary that newspapers and news broadcasts are missing. By solidifying his character, Colbert ensures that his name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue and that he receives press coverage for his antics. Recently, CNN has written several articles about his week-long broadcast from Philadelphia that coincides with the Pennsylvania primary.
The niche that Colbert has carved for himself in the political sphere is unique; never before has a comedian been at the forefront of a presidential election. Maybe someday Colbert really will run for president—something that I am certainly not opposed to. But in the meantime he is entertaining Americans and, more importantly, educating them.
—Allison Good ’11 is writing a weekly column about American politics, focusing on the 2008 presidential election and the primary process.”
Letters to the Editor | Aramark is best, greenest available option for college dining
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“When we think of the environmental movement, we do not usually think of large corporations. This is why it may seem surprising that I, as the Local Foods intern for the College Committee on Sustainability, endorsed the renewal of the Aramark dining contract. The College underwent a search which ended with presentations by three companies: Sodexho, Parkhurst and Aramark.
Many have suggested that Vassar should not outsource its food production. I agree with this position; however, this was not an option that the College was willing to pursue at this time. Therefore, it is important to understand that the only options available to choose from were these three corporate food providers. Campus Dining staff are all employed through the College, and their jobs were never in jeopardy. On the other hand, our managers are all employed through Aramark and would have lost their jobs if we had chosen a different dining provider.
I have had the pleasure of working with Head of Campus Dining Maureen King (an Aramark employee) as well as with the Director of Marketing and Sustainability Ken Oldehoff (a Vassar employee). It is my firm belief that without their support and dedication, we would not be where we are today with respect to local foods and general sustainability. Our local foods program began entirely because of Oldehoff’s and King’s initiative.
Also, our managers have strong relationships with local farmers and the Vassar community. Thanks to their hard work, we currently serve 30 percent local food in our dining facilities. King’s receptiveness and willingness to assist students in their sustainability efforts have made it possible for us to develop a composting program in the All Campus Dining Center as well. Losing integrated members of our community who work hard to make Vassar more environmentally friendly is not sustainable.
In my opinion, Aramark’s proposed changes to Campus Dining will help Vassar along the path to sustainability more than Sodexho’s and Parkhurst’s proposals would have. Aramark’s presentation showed that they know our college and understand what sorts of improvements are needed. For example, they proposed that we start a carbon labeling system in our dining facilities, and set goals for increasing the percentage of local foods we purchase. Having seen prospective menus, I also believe that Aramark will deliver us a higher quality of fresh, local food than Sodexho or Parkhurst.
It would be inaccurate to view this article as an endorsement of Aramark as a corporation. Rather, I believe that out of the three options we had, Aramark was the best. Aramark employees at Vassar have shown themselves to be dedicated to the idea of sustainability and local foods. The loss of King would have been a detriment to green efforts.
I strongly encourage anyone who has concerns about Aramark’s presence at Vassar to speak with King and Oldehoff about the changes to our dining halls. I think that you will find that Vassar dining is moving forward with respect to both sustainability and food quality.
—Jessica Muller-Pearson ’08,
Local Foods Intern”
Music Box | Portishead
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“Mike Newmark Columnist
“We really wanted to sound like ourselves but not sound like ourselves. It was always going to be difficult,” said Geoff Barrow of Portishead at a Pitchfork Media interview on April 7.
Barrow and the rest of Portishead had every reason in the world to feel this way. When Dummy debuted in 1994, it didn’t sound like anything else and wasn’t even expected to sell 50,000 copies. It’s hard to believe it in this day and age, but Dummy’s dark, torchy pop, punctuated with hip-hop beats and swimming in a sea of bass, had never before been co-opted by anyone—not even Massive Attack, who had approached trip-hop from more of a dance perspective. It blew up, sparking a trip-hop genesis in alt-rock circles looking for a viable (and similarly angst-ridden) alternative to grunge, especially in the United States. Now, of course, Dummy’s sound is everywhere, from the umpteen upstart trip-hop bands that subsequently appeared to spy films, cocktail parties and massage therapy commercials. So we would be forgiven for not being bowled over by Dummy today, and Portishead would be forgiven for wanting to distance themselves from it.
When last we heard from Portishead, it seemed as though they were packing it in for good, leaving us with a slightly less fresh self-titled album in 1997 and a live recording at Manhattan’s Roseland Ballroom in 1998 before retreating into the shadows. Always something of an enigma and quite shy of the press, it was left to us to assume that Portishead was frustrated with how their crown jewel had been assimilated and watered-down, and that they were too daunted by the challenge that Barrow mentioned above to record a third album: How do you sound like yourself and not sound like yourself?
All of which makes Third —a record that wasn’t even supposed to exist—such a cryptically dazzling triumph. Third is no Dummy : It’s much bleaker, makes precious few references to pop, and attains a level of creepiness that Dummy’s strangest song, “Wandering Star,” only suggested. Yet one listen to Third is all it takes to realize that nobody else is making music quite like this, and this is how Portishead still sound like themselves. In fact, hearing Third in 2008 may clue us into what it was like to hear Dummy in 1994.
Counterintuitive as it may seem, the first thing to do when approaching Third is to forget about trip-hop and all the associations it carries. Barrow’s drums stay far, far away from a hip-hop swagger; rather than providing a backbone, these diverse rhythms teeter on edge with the rest of the music and add another ominous layer to the mix. “Plastic” uses amped, clipped drum rolls that send the song screeching to a halt about a dozen times, and “We Carry On” is driven by a scary timpani-led tribal stomp (Morcheeba this isn’t). Barrow doesn’t cop out by adding bassy undercurrents for cheap mystery; instead, he punches up the compression and keeps the sound trebly and brittle, giving the impression that everything is flying right at you right between the eyes. Third may be stubbornly unsexy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not alluring. Indeed, it wields an odd magnetic power that draws the listener ever further into its disorienting abyss, even when all of the elements jump bluntly out of the speakers.
By the same token, Third’s allure doesn’t make it an easy listen, and it can be particularly heady when experienced in one straight pass. The sequencing feels all wrong, moving up and down and up again in the most unsettling of ways. After the distorted anti-song “Silence” kicks the record off, Portishead dips into the heavily narcotized haunted house of “Hunter,” where Beth Gibbons’ vocals drift sleepily and hypnotically through the arrangement. “We Carry On” is followed by the 90-second respite “Deep Water,” which sounds like Gibbons fronting the Ink Spots over a ukulele melody, before being gunned down by the incessant staccato rapid-firing of “Machine Gun.” Through it all, Gibbons sings like an innocent bystander; divorced from and frightened by the music around her, she becomes our stand-in for its unfamiliar territory. She contributes little to the record compositionally and melodically, but remove her and obliterate a sizable chunk of Third’s emotional punch.
The members of Portishead are noted experimentalists, but they don’t just make cool sounds for fun. The backward-looped guitar on “Nylon Smile,” the warped ascending scales on “Hunter,” and the many other weird noises that crop up on Third contain an element of caution like aural barbed wire: As unpleasant as they may be, they’re there to keep us from venturing somewhere truly dangerous. The creepy Portuguese television program that begins “Silence” seems appropriate, since listening to Third can feel as though we’re tuning into a channel that we’re not meant to know about or watch. I speculate that trip-hop in its nascent form—Massive Attack’s Mezzanine , Tricky’s Maxinquaye , and yes, Portishead’s Dummy —was originally meant to invoke a sort of forbidden underworld, but that somewhere down the road the plot got lost, and its darkness and foreboding turned into something more manageable, fashionable and marketable. By rescuing trip-hop from a fate of Banana Republic soundtracks and putting their extremely personal stamp on a tired genre, Portishead have re-established themselves not simply as masters of their craft, but as reinventors of it.”
Letters to the Editor | Then as now, Vassar College fails to integrate student voices
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“It’s sad to see Vassar’s administration up to the same deceitful tricks as years ago when I was a student. At the time, the school bookstore was turned over to the control of Barnes & Noble (with essentially no student input), effectively funneling money out of the campus and local community while ignoring students. The process by which this “decision” arose was nothing short of shameful on the part of the administration. While many of the key players have moved on from Vassar, it’s clear the current administration upholds the legacy of placing prestige and profit over educational integrity.
Students have been and will continue to be shut up through a series of closed-door meetings by administrators despite the relevance to the decisions on each of you. Is the solution to really form yet another subcommittee after the deal has been made? Of course not! By the time your non-binding suggestions are made from a subcommittee to another committee and then to the hands of the actual individuals in power, you will have graduated. It happens pretty much every time. Vassar peddles itself on the world as a bastion of progressive ideology, yet the administration fails to integrate student voices in any meaningful way.
As a student, you are the reason Vassar exists. I encourage you to get involved in the dialogue about the bookstore and space on and around campus. The administration needs to be proactive in seeking out student participation when it comes to decisions that impact them on a daily basis. Whether it has been the bookstore or any other important decision for as far back as I can remember, students are always patronized by the administration.
I hope the school’s reprehensible conduct will inspire you all to view the administration more critically and empower yourselves in the decision-making process.
—Pulin Modi ’02”
“Godot” arrives at Vassar for his 60th anniversary
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“Michael Hirsch ’11 directs “Godot” cast into the woods.
J. Carlton The Miscellany
Gülfem Demiray Assistant Arts Editor
A boy rushes into the scene and timidly utters the words, “Mr. Godot told me to tell you he won’t come this evening but surely tomorrow.”
To Vladimir’s mental anguish and Estragon’s despair, Mr. Godot never arrives on the stage, but his mere nominality has brought incredible fame to the Irish writer, poet and winner of the 1969 Nobel Prize for Literature Samuel Beckett, whose works incorporate universal themes in a peculiar, minimalist style.
Sixty years after the play’s premiere in a tiny theater in Paris, Unbound is presenting “Waiting for Godot” on Friday, May 2, Sunday, May 4, and Monday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in the Outdoor Amphitheater, located in the field behind Sanders Classroom. The play is Unbound’s final production of the year. Famously summarized as “a play in which nothing happens twice” by the Irish literary critic Vivien Mercier, “Waiting for Godot” deals with issues such as death, the meaning of human existence and God’s possible place within it. The play centers around two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, as they wait on a country road by a tree for two days and anticipate Godot’s arrival.
Directed by Michael Hirsch ’11 and Andréa Banks ’11, Unbound’s production of the play will present an incomprehensible world through black humor that touches upon delicate religious, philosophical, classical, psychoanalytical and wartime allusions.
Since the play consists mostly of dialogue, the cast worked on character building before they started studying the text. Jesse Levistky ’10, whose character stays mute for most of the play, said he particularly liked these improvisational character building exercises because they taught him to stay silent on stage for long periods of time.
“Godot” was the first time that either Hirsch or Banks directed a play. Hirsch, who has been involved in theater all his life, admitted that he was initially intimidated by the directing process.
“Luckily, I have had excellent superiors, and I quickly learned so many things from them,” he said.
Hirsch and Banks had difficulties when the two actors originally cast in the lead roles left. It was hard for the directors and the cast to keep up with production until new actors were found. Banks, who thinks the new actors fit their characters perfectly, said, “It was a time of panic, but I think it’s fine now.”
Hirsch agreed with Banks. “The dynamic of the group is a lot better with this new cast,” he said. “They have a great chemistry between each other.”
The cast was also surprised by how quickly the show came together. “Starting from scratch at a much later date, the rate we progressed is incredibly high even if we’re not as complete as other shows would be,” said Levitsky.
In a departure from the original play, Hirsch and Banks’ production includes female actresses, including Allison Douglass ’11, who portrays Estragon. Douglass said that it wasn’t especially hard for her to get into a male persona, since each of the actors have had to work hard to portray their respective characters. Hirsch thinks that making Estragon female puts a twist on the play’s most challenging character. But “Beckett would not be happy with it,” he said.
Hirsch hopes that the audience will find something in the play that affects them and makes them think more about their actions. He also promises to stage a show that will entertain everyone. “You have ‘Waiting for Godot’ moments every day in your life; you just don’t know it,” he said. Who knows, maybe you’ll have your own Godot epiphany as you breathe in the open air and figure out what you’re waiting for, as you watch Vladimir and Estragon wait for their Godot under a silent tree.”
 Sports Year in Review | Varsity sports enjoy phenomenal seasons in 2007-2008
by The Miscellany News | Since 1866Jan 01, 2013“Johnny Kessenich ’09 was implemental in the volleyball team’s incredibly successful 26-7 season.
J. Carlton/ The Miscellany News
Brian Butterworth ’09 takes a shot. The Vassar men’s basketball team finished 18-8 this year. C. Eaccarino/ The Miscellany News
Men’s tennis also had a stellar record this year with a 13-4 record this spring. Ashish Patil ’08 and Michael Mattelson ’10 both had strong performances this year.
J. Carlton/ The Miscellany News
Lillian Reuman Guest Writer
Vassar’s 2007-2008 academic year has been about a lot more than academics. It has featured stellar athletic performances by many teams, particularly the men’s basketball, men’s volleyball and men’s and women’s rugby teams. All teams set new records, boasted high winning percentages and produced athletes who went on to win league and national titles.
The men’s basketball season ended with a 18-8 winning record, the best winning percentage in Vassar College history. They qualified for Liberty League championships, where they placed second in the regular season, as well as qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championships. “From an individual, career and team standpoint,” Head Coach Mike Dutton noted, “the past season was an extremely successful season.”
Over the course of the season, five players from the men’s basketball team were recognized as Liberty League performers of the week: Lawrence Avitabile ’08, Tyson Brazell ’08, Brian Butterworth ’09, Joey Davis ’09 and Matt Nunn ’09. Avitabile and Brazell were both 1,000-point scorers and were named to the Liberty League All-Conference team. Coaches also voted Avitabile as the Liberty League Player of the Year.
Athletes from the senior class, including Avitabile, Brazell, Daniel Forcella, Kyle Magnus and Jon Swartz, are graduating with 60 career wins, the most in Vassar history. Despite losing these players, Dutton remains positive. “With hard work, I’m confident that next year’s team has the potential to experience similar success,” he said.
The men’s volleyball team ended the season 26-7, also winning many championship titles, impressive rankings and individual recognition. The team had more wins this season than they had in the previous four seasons combined. One of 47 teams in Division III Men’s Volleyball, Vassar belongs to the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) conference, comprised of 39 schools. The Molten Invitational serves as the Division III Men’s Volleyball championship.
The Brewers won the Metro Division Championship of the NECVA conference, and then went on to capture the Conference Championship as well. They beat first-seeded University of California at Santa Cruz to advance to the final round against Springfield College at the Molten Invitational. “It was an amazing experience, and it could not have happened without all 13 guys working together,” said captain Scott Leserman ’09.
“We played a lot of teams that were individually more talented than us, but we played as a team,” commented Head Coach Jonathan Penn. “To play our best match of the year when we need it to make the final was almost unbelievable, especially in the environment of the Final Four.” They finished the season ranked second in the country, according to the CBS College Sports Network and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Men’s Volleyball Coaches poll.
Many individual players received recognition. Phil Tully ’10, the NECVA Conference Player of the Year, was named to the All-American First team. Johnny Kessinich ’09 was named a First Team All American, while Kyle Giunta ’08 was named to the All-America Second Team. Both Kessinich and Giunta received First Team All-NECVA honors. Steve Micucci ’09 was named to the Second Team All-NECVA. Additionally, Penn was named NECVA Coach of the Year. “Despite the individual achievements from this season, it really was about the team,” Penn commented.
“The trust, respect and love that permeated this team was what made it great.”
The team will return to the 2008-2009 season with five of their current seven starters. “We’re bringing in a solid recruiting class,” Leserman noted. “It looks to be another great season for us.”
The men’s rugby team, currently 12-3, also had an exciting run this year. The team was unable to advance to Nationals in the Fall 2007 season due to a disappointing loss to Middlebury College, the defending Division III champions. But the Brewers have rebounded and placed second in the Metropolitan New York Conference this past fall.
Powerhouse seniors, as well as incoming freshmen, have boosted success. Captain Garrett King ’08 scored 12 tries this season, the most for any forward on the team. “He has had a phenomenal season,” Head Coach Tony Brown noted. “We’ve also had an exciting freshman class.” Most players come with no experience, so the team relies on pure athleticism.
“A young lad, Garrett Montgomery ’11, tackles well and is a good athlete and evasive runner,” said Brown. “He’s expected to start as scrumhalf next season.” In addition, Iain Gordon ’11 “has really come on and leaped some bounds. He’s a great physical presence.”
“Next season should be great,” Omar Fayyaz ’09 predicted. “We’re losing a lot of big-time seniors, but our freshman class is filled with guys who are both eager to and capable of stepping into their shoes.”
The men’s team spent a portion of the season preparing the women’s team for their run at Nationals. “Our coach taught us Navy’s style of play so that the women would know what to expect” at Nationals, Fayyaz said.
The women’s rugby team currently boasts a record of 13-4. They have been in the Top 20 National Collegiate Rankings all season, and at one point they were ranked as high as seventh place.
The team beat Air Force and Army in the fall and went on to qualify for Nationals this spring. Though they lost to Navy in the first round of 16, Brown called the team “the best of the rest.”
“I could mention every single member of the squad,” said Brown. “Everyone improved enormously.” Captain Elise Okusami ’08, who has played flyhalf for two years, really stands out in Brown’s mind. “She has been superb,” said Brown. “
She has the best hands of both [the men’s and women’s] teams. She has worked so hard on her own to become a tower of strength.”
Four individual players were nominated for All-American: Okusami, Danielle Goodman-Levy ’09, Marlo Messer ’08 and Keri Peacock, ’11.
This year has seen multiple teams advance to National Championships, and many athletes have been recognized on a national level. The soaring team support and spirit can only pave the way for more success in the future.” | News Topics
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