The Miscellany News
miscellanynews.org
January 25, 2024
Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866 Volume 161 | Issue 1
College pens unexpected letter in pay equity lawsuit Benjamin Savel Guest Reporter
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s Vassar families around the country concluded their New Year’s Eve celebrations, the College was preparing its second attempt to throw out a large majority of the pay equality lawsuit. The lawsuit, originally filed on Aug. 30, seeks monetary redress for decades of alleged pay inequality for female professors at the College. On Jan. 2, the College filed its second dismissal letter, which pushes back any decision on the lawsuit’s first step to March 19. In the letter, the College alleged that the female professors never claimed they were harmed by the promotion and merit rating system that the professors describe as biased against women: “While [the female professors] allege that they were paid less…nowhere do they allege that they were themselves personally paid less as a result of Vassar’s promotion and evaluation system.” The professors maintain that the College is incorrect and underscored their sentiment in a new, updated lawsuit filed on Dec. 19. In response to the new letter, Michelle Lamy, an attorney for the professors, wrote, “Plaintiffs were disappointed by Vassar’s second attempt to dismiss this case. Vassar is wrong, and Plaintiffs will respond to Vassar’s statement through an amended complaint and vigorous opposition to any
further attempt by Vassar to dismiss this case,” she stated in written correspondence with The Miscellany News. Many community members expressed astonishment at the College’s claims, including HearUsOut, a student group advocating in support of the female professors, who called the College’s statements divisive and misleading. “The College continues to embarrass itself in front of the justice system and the community,” the group wrote in a collective statement to The Miscellany News. The group added, “This school would rather humiliate itself in the court of law and the press than admit it has wronged its own community members.” Camille Olson, an attorney for the College, however, claimed that the College’s dismissal letter was standard procedure for cases of this type. “The litigation process requires that the parties comply with various pleading and other rules that are applicable to all litigation,” she stated in an email to The Miscellany News. President Bradley, when asked about her communication plans for the new year, has provided more limited responses than in the early days of the lawsuit. In September, she stated “I am committed to communicating with you on behalf of the College in the most transparent way possible”, sending an email to the community with an explanation of faculty salary differences, the salary peer-review process and her suggested next
steps for the Faculty Compensation Committee. However, in an email to The Miscellany News on Jan. 20, she did not mention any plans to provide similar updates in the new year, stating, “We continue to be
limited in what we can communicate due to pending litigation.” More generally, she wrote, “The College is committed to fair and equal pay and to proceeding in comSee EQUITY on page 3
Image courtesy of Benjamin Savel ’26.
Reviewing last year’s films Attendee reflects on SCC Madeleine Nicks Guest Columnist
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ver winter break, I made and kept my resolution to hunker down and watch as many of this year’s leading films ahead of award season as I could. While I feel most of the time that Oscar-worthy films devolve into overly complex think pieces, I was pleasantly surprised to be met with personal, beautiful and daring films bolstered by remarkable performances and cinematography to match. While I watched close to 25 movies, these four left a lasting impression on me, each for their own reasons. “Past Lives” “Past Lives” was a truly stunning directorial debut by Celine Song, promoted by the film producer/distributor A24. While many of the films this year were differentiated by their theatricality or specific aesthetic effects, “Past Lives” has garnered respect for its subtlety, mature perspective and quietly complex characters. The story follows Nora, who emigrates from South Korea at a young age, as she reconnects with her childhood love Hae Sun throughout different points in their lives. At its core, “Past Lives” is a love story but one that is enveloped in heartbreak and the harsh realities of what distance, time and fate can do to two people with the purest of inten-
tions. Song, who also wrote the screenplay, is careful to make the characters and their experiences resonate in the modern world without relying on conventions. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo expertly find a distanced and delicate chemistry, while allowing for John Magaro, who plays Nora’s husband Arthur, to find his own space between them. The film is paced quickly and efficiently, and while the scenes feel careful and heavy, each moment of dialogue is meaningful. Especially in the moments were the language barrier is present between Hae Sung and Arthur, or even when Nora is translating, each character chooses their words with precision and care, relying on tone and body language as a means to convey their message in a more intricate way. There is no villain or hero in this story, just people searching for acceptance, meaning and forgiveness within themselves and each other. “Poor Things” I am, admittedly, nervous to watch any film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, but I was comforted by the fact that this is a joint passion project for him and Emma Stone. The screenplay was adapted from a novel by Tony McNamara, who has done amazing work in theater, television and film. I loved this movie for its individualiSee Reviewing on page 5
Carina Cole
advice for anyone considering attending the event next year.
or months prior to attending the tenth annual Sophomore Career Connections (SCC), I had heard overwhelmingly positive chatter about the event. Echoes of upperclassmen friends riffing off advice and spouting off stories of success informed my high expectations for the event: “I got an internship!” “I still grab coffee with a mentor from the data science panel!” Needless to say, I felt a mixture of both excitement and nervousness when picking out my business casual best the night before SCC. Moreover, as someone who was (and still is) in the midst of internship interviews and applications, I had put a lot of pressure on myself to make positive first impressions on the mentors. The event was informative and the mentors’ passion for their careers was inspiring, but coming out of SCC, I felt somewhat amiss. The networking sessions were not entirely a breeze, and I did not come out of the event with dozens of new contacts who I could casually ask for career advice at any given point in time. This is not to say that SCC is not worthwhile—it completely is and I recommend it to any current firstyear reading this article—I simply think that there are misconceptions about the event, which is why I have curated some
Do not be afraid to be independent I know that going to Gordon Commons (or, more affectionately, the Deece) alone can be intimidating, but flying solo during SCC can have some serious benefits. The unstructured networking meals are one of the easiest ways to have a meaningful, oneon-one conversation with the busy mentors. Personally, most of my friends have vastly different majors and career interests than me. While it might seem intimidating, I got the most out of the conversations I sought out independently. If you embrace independence, you can make sure you end up speaking with a literary agent as an English major, for example, instead of a cybersecurity expert.
Features Editor
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Allow yourself to be surprised That being said…if you do end up dining with a cybersecurity expert as an English major, it might be a blessing in disguise. A trait that was beautifully emphasized in the keynote speech by Ilyse Hogue ’91 was curiosity. One of the best things you can do at a career conference is allow yourself to be surprised by the career paths you find interesting. A common theme with many of the mentors’ professional journeys was the fact See SCC on page 7
Inside this issue
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Guest reporter Noah Duncan finds fruits and feelings in the FEATURES Mojave desert.
Amid the cold, Humor Editor Nick Tillinghast looks HUMOR forward to hot meals.
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15 SPORTS
Assistant Sports Editor Caris Lee reviews prime sledding spots around campus.