The Miscellany News
miscellanynews.org
February 8, 2024
Vassar College’s student newspaper of record since 1866 Volume 161 | Issue 3
Black History Month kickoff celebrates Blackness at Vassar Makenna Monaghan News Editor
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tudents, faculty and community members all joined together to celebrate the first day of Black History Month on Thursday, Feb. 1. The kickoff event, hosted by the Jeh Vincent Johnson ALANA Cultural Center, in collaboration with nine different student organizations and affinity groups, is the first of the month-long series of multi-organizational events all under the theme of “Celebrating Blackness at Vassar.” Standing in line for food that stretched down the hall, people eagerly waited for the two student moderators, Marissa Desir ’25 and Mariah Jones ’25, to take the stage and begin the night of music, poetry and remembrance. Following the opening remarks, local musicians Baba Kazi Oliver and partner Nick Jackson commenced the evening with an African drumming performance. Oliver spoke beforehand to the importance of African drumming as instruction for cultural awareness and community while honoring the lives of ancestors who have paved the way. Jackson and Oliver then passed along drums, shakers, and other various musical instruments to the crowd, inviting attendees to join him upstage to perform a piece together. Diego Esponda ’25, a participant, reflected on his experience, saying, “The atmosphere was very welcoming. I enjoyed listening to the speakers and the
performers. I particularly enjoyed the drum circle, it was very lively and engaging.” Oliver and Jackson’s performance was only the beginning of the scheduled speakers and performers. Beginning with a moment of silence, Eric Wilson ’76 highlighted the life and loss of Dr. June Jackson Christmas ’44. Christmas, one of the first Black women admitted to Vassar College, is remembered not only for her impact in the world as a prominent psychiatrist but also her long-lasting impact on the Vassar community. Wilson shared personal anecdotes of his experiences with her as a mentor and a friend, documenting her unwavering support of the students of color that came after her. Faculty keynote speaker Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Kahdeidra Martin commented on the importance of Wilson’s statements. Martin saw his speech as only the beginning of a night full of honor, stating, “Throughout the evening, I kept returning to a sense of alignment and synchronicity. The recurring theme of honoring the elders and the ancestors appeared in nearly all of the performances. Alum Eric Wilson ’76 acknowledged the first Black women graduates of Vassar College and gave a heartfelt tribute to Dr. June Jackson Christmas.” Martin continued, “This sense of alignment and inclusive community that the ALANA center and student groups were able to cultivate See Kickoff on page 3
Makenna Monaghan/The Miscellany News.
Basketball extends win streak New PK restaurants delight Nick Villamil Sports Editor
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very season, collegiate teams aspire to reload, not rebuild. Losing players to graduation is inevitable, and replacing experienced four-year players is always challenging. Losing a coach can pose an even greater challenge. Coaches are meant to be the one constant in a collegiate program. They are supposed to make sure that a standard is maintained. When new leadership arrives, these coaches must instill their own values and collaborate with their new athletes. A program undergoing all of these changes all at once could be reasonably expected to struggle throughout the season. For the Vassar women’s basketball team, all of these excuses were available. After graduating two key senior players, one of whom was the Liberty League defensive player of the year, the team also lost former head coach Anthony Mason, who took another collegiate head coaching job in Southern California. Fresh off an impressive 18-9 season with a 14-4 record in Liberty League play, a decline was expected by many. Even first-year head coach Meredith Mesaris, who says Vassar was something of a dream job for her, was not sure what to expect. “To be honest, I came into the season without many expectations,” Mesaris told The Miscellany News through an email
correspondence. “We have no seniors, which is something that can be worrisome for many coaches. I knew we had great leadership in our junior class and a group of student athletes who were ready to get to work.” Reasonably so, Mesaris, formerly the assistant coach at the University of Hartford, assumed this season would require plenty of building, and some of the frustrations that come along with such efforts. Instead, the team and new coach have grown together in stride. Through 21 games, the team holds a record of 20-1, with an undefeated 14-0 conference record. The team is currently riding a 19-game win streak that extends back to Nov. 17. In the month of January, the team played nine Liberty League games and finished with a 9-0 record, winning eight of them by at least 10 points. Such a resume resulted in the team being ranked 24th in the most recent Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Poll, which is the program’s first national ranking since 2013. Mesaris said receiving a national ranking was thrilling for the team and also expects that every game will now be more challenging. “I tell the team every day that we are going to get everyone’s best effort and that other teams want to be the ones to knock us off,” she explained. See Basketball on page 14
Benjamin Savel Guest Columnist
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n early December, two new restaurants opened their doors, each a block from Vassar: Spettro, an upscale Italian sit-down restaurant, and La Vickyna, a Latin fusion eatery. Spettro, located on Fairmont Avenue just north of Jewett House, has a semi-rustic wood and tile theme, with a wide counter at the center of the restaurant that overlooks the pizza oven and grill. Becca Bogstad ’26 commented on her experience at the restaurant last week. “It was a busy night when I went, but the staff were very friendly and the food was good.” The restaurant also has a central counter that faces directly into the kitchen, with a full view of the restaurant’s oven, grills and stoves. “I could see the person tossing the pizza dough and putting it in the oven and that was pretty cool,” Bogstad stated. Professor Robert Brigham, who dined on the same night as Bogstad, stated that the restaurant had a festive and inviting atmosphere. Spettro, which opened on Dec. 1, offers a variety of pastas, sandwiches and other entrees, but its menu is pizza-centric, with the restaurant’s 10 pizza options filling nearly half of its entree menu. Molly Freer ’25, a Poughkeepsie native, said she enjoyed the pesto pasta dish she had. “It had this thick
but light pesto sauce and sprinkled pistachio nuts. I really loved my pasta a lot,” she stated. Brigham also expressed a favorable view, stating that his scallops were very well-cooked. However, Freer was less favorable to Spettro’s Caesar salad, which consisted of two sticks of uncut romaine lettuce topped with peppers and shredded parmesan cheese. La Vickyna, located at the intersection of Collegeview and Raymond Avenues in the former Delta Pi location, opened just a week later. The menu contains a variety of tacos, birria, seafood and sandwiches, as well as breakfast food, including pancakes, french toast, eggs and omelets. Victoria McDermott, the restaurant’s owner, explained the venue’s style in a statement to The Miscellany News: “La Vickyna is a women-owned restaurant that fuses diverse Latin and American cuisine. We blend culinary traditions and techniques to offer a unique dining experience.” McDermott has placed an emphasis on engaging the Vassar community. The restaurant accepts Arlington Bucks and VCash; they also offer 10 percent off for all Vassar students and staff and are planning further events in the weeks ahead (they hosted their first college night Feb. 2). “We will have late college nights starting this Friday with music and drink specials,” McDermott stated. See duo on page 6
Inside this issue
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Madeleine Nicks recommends Cold Spring, NY, as a perfect day trip for FEATURES the bored Vassar student.
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HUMOR
Assistant Humor Editor Oliver Stewart gives a ranking of select on campus table tennis tables.
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Senior Editor Sufana Noorwez reviews recent conservative conspirOPINIONS acies surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.