| Vassar College's student newspaper of record since 1866
Volume 165 | Issue 2 | February 5, 2026 | miscellanynews.org | | The Miscellany News is back with another newsletter! Each week's articles will be delivered right to your inbox. If you know of anyone who would be interested in receiving this service, please share it with them at this link. | | JULIAN BALSLEY | Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to open a detention center in Chester, Orange County, 30 miles southwest of Vassar College. The proposal has drawn widespread condemnation from community members in and around Chester, as well as town, county and national elected officials. “I’m strictly against it,” Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge told The Miscellany News. “You see what’s happening around the country. I don’t want any of that here. I don’t want massive protests, or federal agents abusing civil liberties and killing people in the streets. I don’t want my residents being hurt or harmed by this nonsense that the federal government is taking part in.” | | Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. | IGGY GUTIERREZ & MADELINE NUSBAUM | Last summer, the incoming Class of 2029 was asked to read Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s short story collection “Sabrina & Corina” and answer a series of questions as a way to connect with their fellow incoming peers. On Jan. 27, 2026, Fajardo-Anstine—a bestselling author, a finalist for the National Book Award, the PEN/Bingham Prize, The Story Prize and the winner of the American Book Award—came to Vassar College to speak with students about her book and her journey to becoming an author. | | Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. | | SADIE BEIL & ELLA GRIMES | On Thursday, Jan. 29, renowned visual artist, poet and activist Cecilia Vicuña took the stage in Taylor Hall 102. After a military coup against democratically-elected President Salvador Allende of Chile in 1973, Vicuña lived in self-imposed exile from her home country until her eventual return. She now divides her time between Santiago and New York. Her work has been created and exhibited in various locations around the world and has earned her awards such as the Premio Velázquez de Artes Plásticas, one of Spain’s top visual art awards. | | Image courtesy of Ella Grimes ’29. | | AURELIA HARRISON | DJs are the backbone of any college party scene. DJ Soph (Sophie Varela ’28) is an energetic new voice on campus, bringing pop and reggaeton-infused soundtracks to Vassar’s nightlife. I sat down with Varela for a conversation on the world of Vassar DJing, the importance of community-building and the work that goes into making an event fun and worthwhile. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. | | Image courtesy of Olive Whitley '28. | | MELODY HAMILTON | When I asked my dear friend Ruby Shang ’28 if I could interview her for an article about the artists in my life, she laughed. She replied simply, “I don’t think I’m talented enough for that, Melody.” Regardless of her love for singing and appreciation for crochet, Shang was still holding on to a notion that many of us have: art and technical skill must go hand in hand. I hope you will read along with me as I untangle this notion, attempting to convince you not to begin making art but to instead recognize and appreciate the art you and your loved ones have already been making. | | Annie McShane/The Miscellany News. | | GRACE FINKE | How much does sound shape our viewing experience of a film? “Rescoring Richter” explores this question by reimagining and re-sonifying films from a century ago. | | SOPHIA MARCHIOLI | While the dark, bitter cold of winter trudges on, we can look to music for fresh sounds to get us through. The start of a new year also marks the start of “single season” when artists begin to tease their new albums and drop long lists of tour dates on their Instagrams. Artists such as Harry Styles, Noah Kahan, Mitski, Snail Mail and Courtney Barnett have kicked off the season by releasing new songs these past couple of weeks. This time of year is when I decide what concert tickets are worth purchasing, so here is my very personal guide to what you should tune into this “single season.” | | NOA DEROSA-ANDERSON & ANNIE MCSHANE | ‘Twas the night before the snowstorm, and all through Vassar College, students prepared for the frosty tempest that they had been warned about. With a blizzard oncoming, tension loomed in the air. Something had to fall. Probably snow, and a lot of it. | Image courtesy of Fia Marrison’28. | CATHERINE PHILLIPS | I had the great privilege of spending the entirety of winter break with my best friend, Yaksha Gummadapu ’26, and her family in India. When we finally disembarked from the more than 27-hour journey to Hyderabad, my first thought was: How does she do this every break? I was tired, cramped and desperately needed a shower, but these feelings were quickly overcome by the adrenaline I felt in the backseat of the speeding car we were driven to her house in. The driver was a friend of Yaksha’s from school. He drove as if he were the only thing on the road. We found ourselves in the backseat of a car for the majority of our break, and I became more acquainted with the feeling of both weaving through and sitting in India traffic than I would like to be. But, I also used these hours to people watch and try to understand the structure of the vast city. | | Image courtesy of Yaksha Gummadapu ’26. | | ELI LERDAU & DECLAN GILL | On Jan. 7, 2026, federal law enforcement, while conducting an immigration roundup, executed 37-year-old Renée Good. Good had been attempting to drive away from the officers when one stepped up and fired three shots into her. In the days after this daytime execution, Chairman Paul Birdsong of the then Black Panther Party of Philadelphia went viral on social media as he posed with assault weapons, proclaiming the party’s resurgence and resistance to the growing government overreach. We reached out to the New York chapter of the group over Instagram to ask for an interview, hoping to learn more about their organization, their goals and their message. That same day, they responded, “We can make it work.” | Image courtesy of Eli Lerdau ’29. | | VERA GIRAUDO | Tucked away in the Jewett basement is a closet full of pads, tampons and other period products. Marked by a paper sign, this is the Project Period headquarters. | | NOAH DAUBE-VALOIS | Citing his own ethics, ex-Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro refused on Wednesday to provide Trump with a step-by-step guide for how to rig an election modeled on the 2024 election in his home country, which independent queries determined was rigged. | | | | BENJI BOYD | As snowstorms, busy schedules, seasonal depression and the general state of affairs infect us all with their nasty vibes, the mood here on the Vassar College campus has been dropping as low as the temperature. Though the party scene has suffered due to the weather (or at least that’s what we’ve all decided to tell ourselves), Vassar administrators decided last weekend that a function is just what the student body needs to get us out of our freezing dorms and into the warm embrace of community. However, after receiving the advice from a random psychology major to “not invalidate our feelings,” they opted to avoid forcing a festive atmosphere on an unwilling crowd and ultimately chose a more fitting theme for the coldest weekend’s hottest event: Sad Night at the Mug.
| | Annie McShane/The Miscellany News. | | ELI LERDAU | On Jan. 7, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attempted a kidnapping operation in a suburb of Minneapolis. In the ensuing demonstration by peaceful protestors, Renée Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was accosted by federal agents. The agents gave her confusing commands, some ordering her to exit the vehicle while others demanded she drive away. The woman began attempting to drive away, as officers told her to do. Jonathan Ross, an ICE agent, stepped in front of her car, firing a round into her throat. He then stepped to the side, leaned in the window and fired two more rounds, executing her in broad daylight. | | IAN WATANABE | I, like many others, struggle with an undiagnosed addiction to Instagram reels. I put an hour limit on the app, but clicking the “ignore for the day” button under the warning has become a habit that I could do blindfolded. It was during one such rotting session that an interesting ad came up, sandwiched between a “Family Guy” highlight reel and an AI edit of President Donald Trump inviting me to gamble with him. It was an ad for the Brick, a square fridge magnet that locks certain apps when you tap your phone on it. To unlock them, I would need to bring my phone back to the physical magnet to tap it again. The website shows pictures of smiling customers studying without distraction and spending time with their children, with the tagline: “Take Back Your Time,” all for $59. Phones and apps like social media are designed to be addictive, because all companies want people to use their product more, not less. This business model has largely grown unchecked due to the government being slow to regulate the technology industry. Products that block phone usage are a means of self-regulation. It simultaneously helps people in the absence of government regulation, and acts as a substitute for government regulation. | | JACOB CIFUENTES | The term “religion” is often used loosely. It is difficult to discriminate between what is considered religious and what is “spiritual” or even “philosophical.” In a secular liberal society where religious plurality is not only present but actively evolving, the exact formula that makes something not religious is unclear. One of these categorical ambiguities is the case of Buddhism, a system of thought that has been labeled as all of the above. | | ARMAAN DESAI | 11 years ago, we witnessed one of the craziest endings in Super Bowl history. The Seattle Seahawks had taken a 24-14 lead over Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks had the number one-ranked defense in the league, dubbed the “Legion of Boom” due to their heavy hitters. However, Brady pulled off some late-game heroics—stringing together two straight touchdown drives to Danny Amendola and then Julian Edelman, giving the Patriots a 28-24 lead with two minutes left in the game. | | Image courtesy of Haley Schoenegge ’27. | | | | |
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