TheMiscellanyNews Vassar College l'oughkeepsie, NY December Volume CXLIV | Issue n Since 1866 | miscellanynews.com 9,2010 Interest in Faculty minicourse awarded program NSF grants renewed Chelsea Peterson-Salahuddin Reporter National Science Foun- Caitlin Clevenger News Editor Thedation (NSF) announced Wednesday, Dec. I its decision to Atthe end of Spring Break, Vas- award five Vassar science profes- xxsar students may have the op- at sors and theircolleagues peer in- tion to participate in a new activity stitutions $2.7 million to help fund with a familiarformat. The Vassar their research projects, $313,400 Student Association (VSA) and the of which is solely going to fund CampUt ActivitiesOffice are con- research carried out by Vassar's sidering a trialprogram ofstudent- professors. The foundation annu- led courses following the model of ally awards $6.9 billionin research mini-courses. funding, and operates as the main In the past, minicourses were a fiscal source for approximately 20 non-credit extracurricular activity percent of all federally funded re- offeredeach spring.Students could search in American colleges and register for mini-courses through universities across several aca- the Campus Activities office and demic fields. attendclass once a week for four to The National Science Founda- six weeks, learning anything from tion has been a longtime support- sushi-making to poker strategy. er to Vassar College. Since 2005, The mini-courses could be taught Vassar's science professors have by students, faculty or staff, with received $10.5 million in research or without a fee. However, mini- addition, earlier this fall areon shifts. and SecurityDonald Marsalaattended the grants. In courses were discontinued for the Above, officers from Safety and Security their Directorof Safety Foundation Council where he critical regarding the role of Safety and Security on the campus. the National Science 2009-2010 academic year, after latest VSA meeting, fielded questions awarded Vassar College $1.2 million former Assistant Director of Cam- to train and support mathematics pus Activities Megan Habermann, and science teachers in high-need who had the fields supervised program, and Safety Security questions to school districts and $1.6 million resigned and her position was left the scientific in- er, adding, asking advance College's unfilled. Another factor leading to MitchellGilburne shared and discussed. Thequestions, "We're everybody Features Editor because frastructure. the discontinuation ofmini-cours- often criticalas well as inquisitive, not to allow piggybacking who will and covered the of and Se- that's how it happens almost every The Vassar professors was the controversy surround- of Safety Security scope Safety be the direct beneficiaries of the events single He continued, "Don't ingies the "Language of Ladies" mini- DirectorDonald Marsala appeared at the curity's duties and spanning time." most recent are Assistant which Student Association (VSA) the entire semester. confront anybody. If you see some- grants course in thespring of2009, Vassar call us Professor of Science on In to the most recent in- one suspicious in the dorm, Computer was cancelledafter concerns about council meeting Sunday, Dec. 3 regards Assistant Profes- com- cident of sexual assault on campus, and we'llcheck him out. We ask your Marc Smith, gender and ethnic stereotypes in for a forum in whichquestions, sor of Alison Marsala credited student to be our and ears. Chemistry Spodek the mini-course's subject matter ments and concerns ofcouncilmem- reports help eyes on Keimowitz, and Assistant Profes- were withthe apprehension of the offend- See SECURITY page7 See MBVICOURSE on page4 bers and their constituents sors of Biology Lynn Christenson, Jodi Schwarz and Erica Crespi. Collectively, the money awarded Faculty opinions vary will be used to fund wide-range research projects within their re- spective fields. on course policy Smith and his colleague, Tiffani repeat Williams, assistant professor of A&M Mary Huber alize that this policy would really Computer Science at Texas Reporter funds to only effect outliers, because very University, will use the work on a entitled "Novel proposal to change Vas- few students at Vassar would ever project for Anewsar's course-repeat policy find themselves in this situation," Techniques Understanding has divided faculty into opposing See REPEAT on page 6 See SCIENCE on page4 camps. The policy, which would allow students to retake a course in which they received a D dur- ing their first three semesters, has evoked strong opinions from fac- ultymembers. Dean of Freshman Benjamin Lotto explained in an e-mailed statement that he brought the idea before the Committee on Curricu- (CCP) after a Director of the Writing Center Lee Rumbarger, pictured above, will be leav- lar Policy disturbing witha freshman."This ing the position she has held since 2006 at the end of the fall semester. conversation freshman had been doing D workin a ioo-level course, and the instruc- Rumbarger departing tor offered to give the student an F so that the student could retake the course and master the material be- Center she transformed fore moving on to the next course. I felt quite uncomfortable that the to thiscourse to AngelaAiuto three-year tenureas director. opportunity repeat Senior Editor the student's was "We are really terribly sorry to improve learning the student's As students work furiously to- lose Lee Rumbarger," explained tied to manipulating wrote Lotto. wards a month-long break from Vas- MollyShanley, director of the Learn- grade," Center and Research Center The most common complaint sar, Director of the Writing ing, Teaching, which the the new is that it Lee Rumbarger is facing a decidedly (LTRC), encompasses against policy different kind of departure. Rum- Writing Center. "If you ever come [to coddles students, allowing them to A bridal on Main Street dresses for the See for a bad store up holidays. page barger will be moving to England at the Writing Center]between 3 and 5 avoidresponsibility grade. 12 and at Vassar and in and Ire- for holidaytips suggestions Poughkeepsie. the end of the semester, ending her See RUMBARGER on page 20 "A group ofdiverse faculty Inside this issue Coach The College's s\ Thoughts on f\ A Cox set to lead 8 grand birthday £ Qatar and the tennis features approaches sports 2022 World Cup sports Vassar December 9,2010 2 grtjeiflisceiumpjletos Editor in Chief Molly Turpin Senior Editor Angela Aiuto ContributingEditor Matthew Brock Lillian Reuman Lila Teeters News Caitlin Clevenger Aashim Usgaonkar Features Mitchell Gilburne Opinions Joshua Rosen Juan Thompson Humor & Satire Alanna Okun Arts Rachael BorntJ ErikLorenzsonn Sports AndyMarmer Design Eric Estes Copy Gretchen Maslin Photography Juliana Halpert semi- Photo of the Week: Students read Contrast's latest issue, which it unveiled at a party in the Rose Parlor on Dec. 7. The magazine publishes Online Carrie Hojnicki the own fashion annually. Theirnext issue, due out in the spring semester; is to be Sesquicentennial themed with content about College's history. Social Media Marie Dugo Miscellany News Staff Editorial Assistant Features MatthewBock Danielle Gensburg deserve from College Assistant Sports Corey Cohn Study drugs recognition AssistantCopy Sammy Creath Stephen Loder Lack on Assistant Photo Madeline Zappala ofinformationimpedes dialogue subject Crossword Editor Jonathan Garfinkel Benard Reporters Vee honors,fellowships) use in College Regulations, the abuse of study properly prescribed and adminis- accomplishments (grades, Adam Buchsbaum on academic in- stimulant, over other forms of accomplishments." In this drugs may have implications Whentered, Adderall, a powerful Danielle Bukowski day and students are extremely con- tegrity. However, given the growing prevalence is widely accepted as an effective medication age, many Cohn Vas- Corey cerned about well. it is of on college campuses, the for the treatment of learning differences such performing Therefore, study drugs Mary Huber the mass of sar administration needs to update itspolicies as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder no surprise—given weighted-final Evan Lester semester extracur- to avoid a situation like Wesleyan's, but first (ADHD). However, Adderall is frequently mis- assignments, end of the make an ShrutiManian ricular and stress that we it has to the data necessary to used by stressed students—without a prescrip- obligations holiday gather KristineOlson are in informed decision. tion—who hope to gain an academic edge. are all experiencing—if study drugs high this demand students. In sum, we propose that the administration Connor O'Neill When used as a "study drug" in manner, among college at a or research the extent of usage Vas- Chelsea Peterson- we must call into question the ethical and legal However, taking study drug illegally study drug and more than the sar College, as well as its implications, Salahuddin issues raised by this situation. Furthermore, taking prescribed dosage may The News of offer an unfair to the students who respond accordingly. Miscellany Wilson Piatt one may also consider the abuse prescrip- advantage on the ba- as choose them. In essence, the condemns the abuse of study only tion drugs to gain an academic advantage practice may Joseph Rearick use that their use without a is il- cheating. threaten academic integrity just as steroid sis prescription Dave Rosenkranz the ethics of the merits sure confounds the world. In what could be- but using drug