Don't Forget To Send In Your Photos

Don't forget to email us pictures of you or your friends in Halloween costumes by Sunday night at 10pm. Readers will get to vote on the pictures soon after.

We predict a lot of Michael Jacksons, Lady Gagas, and maybe a Balloon Boy or two.

10.31.09 12:05pm

Our Love/Hate Relationship With PETA

Despite the allegations PETA made against Vassar exactly a month ago, the animal rights organization has nominated our school for its fourth annual Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges competition.

Thirty-two schools have been nominated, including NYU, Wesleyan, and Oberlin. Voting is open to everyone, and we're up against Wesleyan in the first round. Voting ends on November 1st.

"Prompted by the efforts of the Vassar Animal Rights Coalition and other motivated students, Vassar has always been on the forefront of humane dining. Veggie turkey and vegan cheddar cheese sandwiches, soy yogurt, sweet Thai tofu stir-fries, and vegan sloppy Joes are just a few of the numerous vegan options offered on campus," PETA writes.

10.30.09 12:02pm

10 Reasons To Love College Quidditch

Mental Floss has posted "10 Reasons Why the Quidditch World Cup is the Best College Sporting Event." Some of our D3 athletes may disagree, but the reasons are funny nonetheless.

Check out the list here.

10.30.09 11:43am

This Weekend On Campus...Trick Or Treat Edition

This weekend is definitely starting on a Thursday. There are a lot of events to choose from this weekend, most of which are obviously Halloween themed. Email us for publicity.

Thursday
Acapella 'Til You Puke, 6pm Retreat
Juniors at Juliet's, 7-10pm Juliet Cafe on Collegeview & Raymond
ViCE Film League presents Coraline 3D, 7:30pm Blodgett
After Hours Showcase, 9pm Mug

Friday
Amnesty International presents "Honor Killings in the Middle East," 3pm Rocky 300
Woodshed Theater Ensemble presents "Brides of the Moon," 4pm Mug
Idlewild presents "Craves Like Whoa," 6pm Shiva
Philatheis presents "Spinning Into Butter," 7pm Jade Room (Taylor second floor)
ViCE Film League presents Coraline 3D, 7:30pm Blodgett
Raymond Haunted House, 8pm Rocky
Limit Show, 9pm Sanders
Improv Show, 11pm Taylor 203
Candy From Strangers (2012 Mug Night), Midnight Mug

Saturday
Woodshed Theater Ensemble presents "Brides of the Moon," 2pm Mug
Philatheis presents "Spinning Into Butter," 7pm Jade Room (Taylor second floor)
ViCE Film League presents Coraline 3D, 9pm Blodgett
2010 presents Carn-Evil, 11pm College Center

Sunday
Amnesty International presents "One Voice" panel on Israeli/Palestinian conflict, 3pm Rocky 200
Woodshed Theater Ensemble presents "Brides of the Moon," 7pm Mug

10.29.09 11:32am

Grhyzzly Unveils New Carn-Evil Poster

The artist known as Grhyzzly just posted a first look at his latest poster for Saturday's Carn-Evil event.

He tweets: "these'll be up tomorrow, hopefully. my first poster in a long fuckin' time"

10.29.09 2:27am

By Word Of Mouth...Moulin Rouge Happening In December

A rep for the Main house team confirmed to madsvassarblog.com that the annual Moulin Rouge party will be on Friday, December 4th in the Villard Room. No DJ has been selected yet.

We'll have more info soon!

10.29.09 2:22am

Film League Presents...

This week ViCE Film League presents Coraline 3D, co-sponsored by ViCE Special Events. 3D glasses will be provided. There will also be a short by the Vassar Filmmakers.



Thursday (bonus screening) at 7:30pm, Friday at 7:30pm, and Saturday at 9pm in Blodgett Auditorium. Saturday's screening is part of the Class of 2010's Carn-Evil.

What We're Watching

Mads went to the midnight opening of This Is It last night, a documentary about the preparation for Michael Jackson's fifty sold out shows in London's O2 arena that would have taken place in July.



If you're a Michael fan, see this movie immediately. It was an amazing and appropriate testament to the greatest entertainer of all time. The film avoids focusing on his death and never becomes too sentimental, but instead presents the process of putting on a major stage production. (The tears will come anyway.) And of course, there are the hits. He looks skinnier than he has since the early '80s, but he still moves and sings the same way too.

While scores of previously "unreleased" material are sure to be released - like the song "This Is It" featured in the film's credits - the documentary is the last new product Michael will ever give us. This really is it.

10.28.09 8:31pm

Sent In By You - Staying Active Over Break

A reader emailed Mads to tell us about a conference that she and four other Vassar students attended on behalf of the Vassar Greens over October break, called Bioneers in the San Francisco Bay Area. "It's a huge gathering of 2,500 beautiful, nature-minded people," one of the participants tells Mads.

Read about their experiences on their blog.

10.28.09 8:18pm

Meet The Candidates Tomorrow

Local candidates, including Vassar's very own Gretchen Lieb, will be speaking tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7:30pm in Rocky 300. Here is some more info:

"Vassar's First "Meet the Candidates" Town Hall will be held on October 28, 2009 from 7:30 to 9 pm in Rocky 300. Local candidates will present their platforms and discuss their ideas for Dutchess County 2010 on both a local and domestic level. Questions and answers from the audience will follow; we invite a diverse range of political perspectives to join the conversation. This is a wonderful opportunity to get engaged with the greater Poughkeepsie area and the Hudson Valley community, and enrich the college's town-gown relations. How to register to vote as a Hudson Valley resident will also be provided. Food and beverage will be offered."

10.27.09 8:57am

Announcing Our Third Annual Halloween Costume Contest

Madsvassarblog.com is having its third annual Halloween contest! Email us pictures of you or your friends in costumes by Sunday night at 10pm.

This year, we've decided to open up the voting to YOU. We'll post the pictures on Sunday night and put up a poll for everyone to vote.

Send your pictures to madsvassar [at] gmail.com by 10pm on Sunday, November 1st.

And check out the submissions from our previous contests here, here and here.

10.26.09 7:08pm

Juniors Taking Over Juliet's

Before it turns into a bookstore, Juliet's Cafe is opening its doors to a night of pool and pizza, hosted by the Class of 2011. The Juniors will be renting tables and providing pizza, but the event is only open to 2011ers.

Thursday (10/29) 7-10pm at Juliet's.

10.25.09 12:13am

Local Candidate (And Vassar Librarian) Sets The Record Straight

For those of you who don't know, Vassar librarian Gretchen Lieb is running for the County Legislature. The election is only a week and a half away, and her opponents have been spreading unfortunate rumors and lies. Gretchen emailed us to set the record straight.

Rumor: "Would you vote for Gretchen if you knew she didn't file her income taxes?"

Truth: "My taxes are withheld through payroll, and my return has been filed. I overpaid my taxes, so I'm receiving a refund. There is no legal way to obtain information about an private citizen's tax filing, so the nature of this rumor is quite disturbing."

Rumor: "Would you vote for Gretchen if you knew that she didn't pay property tax?"

Truth: "I'm a renter, so like all renters, the tax is included in my rent, which goes up when the taxes go up. It's also implied in this question that people who rent aren't full citizens and shouldn't run for office, a notion that is anti-democratic at its core."

Rumor: "Would you vote for Gretchen if you knew that she lived in student housing rent free?"

Truth: "For three years ending in 2006, I was a House Fellow in Jewett. Like many other Residence Life positions in colleges, Vassar HFs are compensated for their work with room and board."

"The combination of Karl Rove-style tactics in a local election and the attempt to stir up doubt about my character as well as misunderstandings about Vassar is surprising and disappointing," Gretchen tells Mads. "The good news is that it shows we're doing well and they're desperately afraid of losing this seat on the Board of Legislators, because the success of progressive, clean government measures is at stake."

Gretchen is still looking for volunteers. Email tellgretchen@gmail.com if you would like to help. Remember to vote on November 3rd!

10.24.09 1:13am

Schedule Announced For Quidditch Cup

Midd-Blog has the complete schedule for Sunday's Quidditch World Cup.

Vassar will first be participating in the "Veterans and Newcomers" pool with Middlebury, Virginia Commonwealth University and Miami of Ohio.

We'll then be playing our long-time rivals Middlebury on Field A at 11:20.

Click here to check out the full schedule.

10.23.09 10:55am

Trinity College Goes In And Out Of Lockdown

Scary news from our friends at Trinity College in Harftord, Ct - the campus went into lockdown at 6:45pm last night after a man robbed a McDonalds and then headed towards the campus. An emergency text message, phone call, and email told students to stay inside. An email from the Dean of Students followed.

The Dean sent out another email at 9:10pm saying the lockdown was still in effect and the suspect had fired a shot at police.

The suspect was described as "Caucasian, wearing tan shorts, a gray T-shirt over a long sleeved gray shirt, and is bare-footed.” Later, Fox 61 News described him as "a 21 year-old man from Connecticut" who "threatened to kill himself prior to heading for Hartford."

The Hartford Police Department's SWAT unit was called, which used thermal imaging cameras and police dogs to find the suspect.

At 10pm, the campus alert system announced that the lockdown was lifted. The email from the Dean that followed said the suspect had committed suicide.

Go to TrinTalk for more info or click here for the Fox 61 News coverage.

Image via Hartford Courant.

10.23.09 10:34am

Vassar Makes Top 10 On $$$ List

CampusGrotto announced its annual list of most expensive colleges today, and Vassar moved from #16 to #10 for highest total cost. For most of us, that's not a good thing. Two years ago we weren't even in the top 20.

Vassar is listed at $50,875, right below Harvey Mudd College ($51,037) and above Wesleyan ($50,862). Sarah Lawrence tops the list for the second year in a row, followed by NYU, GW, Skidmore, Connecticut College and a few others.

CampusGrotto also lists schools by their highest tuition, ranking Vassar at #5. Last year we were #7.

Only tuition and room and board are taken into consideration, and not fees like Vassar's Student Activities Fee.

Betty Draper Reads About Vassar

The Group, Mary McCarthy's 1963 book about Vassar women was featured in Sunday night's episode of Mad Men. Betty Draper was briefly shown reading the book in the bathtub.

According to The Frisky, which spotted the reference (we were distracted by January Jones), "The Group is a subtly scathing portrait of a circle of educated, upwardly mobile New York society women who all went to Vassar College—at the time more of a finishing school than a bastion of liberal education – together."

In addition, The Awl writes: "Most regard the book as an early feminist novel, because it's an exploration of the follies and successes educated women experience when they are confronted with a society that only values their domestic abilities."

The Group was first published in 1963, the year that the show is currently set in. The book deals with feminism, suicide, lesbianism, and other issues, which raises lots of questions about Betty's character. As Frisky points out:

"Taking into account what we know of Betty’s past – traditional WASP upbringing, Bryn Mawr education, brief stint modeling in New York – it’s obvious she would feel a kinship to the characters in the book. But whether this is portentous of some sort of suicidal crack-up à la The Group’s main protagonist, the long-suffering Kay Leiland Strong, or merely a meticulous historical flourish meant to symbolize Betty’s literate sensibilities and pop-culture savvy remains unclear."

An even deeper look into Betty and the book can be found here.

Just another reason to watch Mad Men!

Image via Flickr.

Update: AMC's official Mad Men blog just posted some more information on The Group. Apparently, "Vassar College, incensed at the book's frank sexual content, lobbied to have McCarthy's degree revoked."

10.20.09 12:32am

Poughkeepsie Journal Sleeps Through Grizzly Bear

It took them a week, but the Poughkeepsie Journal finally published a review of Vassar's Grizzly Bear concert. Unfortunately, the reviewer wasn't so into the band. Here are some excerpts:

"Listening to Grizzly Bear is like looking at a Monet painting. You can tell it is really great and the product of an enormous, rare talent. You appreciate the beauty and stare for a few extra moments. But does it move you? Does the painting make you feel any different after you have spent a few moments in front of it? Appreciation without an emotional response makes for a pretty empty experience.

No offense to any Monet lovers, but I could not keep my eyes open when Grizzly Bear played at Vassar College's acoustically overwhelmingly chapel on Oct. 9. The band was simply too talented. I had listened to the band's most recent album, "Veckatimest," many times before the show, attempting to find the life-changing beauty within the record every major music critic seems to find so obvious. All I found is the album makes a great nap-time soundtrack."

It gets worse: "I felt as though I was watching the band of animatronics that performs every half hour at Chuck E. Cheese."

The reviewer did have some nice things to say about the show's set-up and the crowd. "Based on the crowd reaction, my somewhat negative reaction to the skillful performance put me in a distinct minority of wet blankets," the reviewer writes. "Congratulations to ViCE, Vassar's student events organization, for bringing in one of indie's most popular bands to such an incredible performance space."

The review was published in the "College Views" section of the Journal by a New Paltz freshman. We realize we've done a lot of coverage of the Grizzly Bear concert, but we thought this was relevant and worth checking out.

Photo via Zach Russo '11 for ViCE.

10.19.09 6:46pm

Vassar Gets Lots Of Random Mentions

Vassar has gotten a lot of random mentions in various articles lately. We read them so you don't have to.

Dining Dispels Myth That Meal Plans Include Fee For Stolen Items, The Cornell Daily Sun
"At Vassar College, one student said that the freshmen and sophomores on the Frisbee team are responsible for 'guest swiping upperclassmen' and helping them steal 'bagels and other food with Tupperware … in exchange for alcohol.'"

Using Extra Protection, Inside Higher Ed
"The challenge for Oberlin is one faced by numerous institutions that have attempted to blend sex education with activities students are likely to enjoy. The Queer Bash at Williams College... was designed to promote tolerance... Vassar College’s 'HomoHop,' which was similar in nature and purpose to Queer Bash, was canceled about 10 years ago in response to concerns that alcohol abuse had detracted from the event’s original goals."

Add A Key-Fob Opener To Your Door, Hack A Day (Also mentioned on LifeHacker.)
"It seems like creating an automatic dorm room door opener is a rite-of-geek-passage each fall. Adam, a student a Vassar, passed with flying colors by creating this clean setup."

And the most random mention of all:
Hola, Hezbollah, The Atlantic
"When I met [Sheikh Hassan al-Burji] soon after his arrival, he still looked as wide-eyed as a freshman at a Vassar orientation."

10.16.09 1:02am

Seeger To Vassar: Stop Firing Local Workers

Pete Seeger ended his concert last weekend with a political statement about Vassar firing its workers. We've been looking all over for a direct quote, and a reader finally sent us this video.



"I hope we all can show Vassar there's better ways of beating financial problems than firing the local people," Seeger said. This was met with a huge applause and he left the stage immediately.

10.16.09 9:43am

Post-NoViCE Concert At Chabad Tonight

The Chabad House on College Ave is hosting a concert tonight after the NoViCE show. Here is some info from one of the organizers:

Tonight at 150 College Ave.

An excellent concert/party

Featuring WEEKENDS (from baltimore, fun garage rock!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k3mqj6f7lY
http://myspace.com/weekendstheband

DJ set by FUXUS (Darius '10) to follow

Admission: $1

Starts after the No-Vice concert (approx. 11:30pm)

more details: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152325422874

10.15.09 5:52pm

Marist Reports On Grizzy Bear

Click here to see what Marist's The Circle had to say about last week's Grizzly Bear concert. Here is an excerpt:

"Grizzly Bear's mid-tempo songs certainly did not translate to a bland live show. The acoustics of the chapel only enhanced the chamber-pop vocals on the set opener "Southern Point." The crescendos and decrescendos in "I Live with You" made even the most stoic fans nod their heads to the thumping bass drum.

For a college concert the lighting was very impressive. The somber, serious mood the illuminated mason jars, LED lights, and fog created in the chapel accented Grizzly Bear's steady tempo."

Quidditch World Cup Announced

Middlebury has announced that its third annual Quidditch World Cup will be held at their school on October 25th.

This year is bigger than ever, featuring twenty teams: Middlebury, Miami of Ohio, Sacred Heart, Yale, Harvard, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Umass Amherst, Lafayette, St. Lawrence, Villanova University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Louisiana State University, Pittsburgh, Syracuse University, Moravian College, Emerson, McGill, Vassar, Chestnut Hill, Ive’s Pond, Boston University, Green Mountain College, and University of Vermont.

The "official" College Quidditch website has been updated and there is a new Twitter.

You can also check out Midd-Blog for more info and coverage.

Image of Vassar team via Daily News.

10.15.09 10:39am

The Hump Tonight

Take a break from the library and go to The Hump tonight in the Mug from 10-2.

Here is a message from the DJs:



"SPECIAL BIRTHDAY EDITION, HONEY WILDER TURNS 22

WITH GUEST DJ BUNNY BLEU"

10.14.09 5:47pm

Spotted...Backlash To Job Cuts

A reader spotted this sign in a car parked on Raymond Ave by Skinner.


In similar news, a "social justice" rally is planned for today (Wednesday) in Main Circle at 3pm.

10.14.09 12:27am

Seeger Performance Controversy Back In The Day

According to this tidbit in a Vassar history chronology, a Pete Seeger concert at Vassar caused quite a stir almost fifty years ago.

1962, Feb. 10

Pete Seeger performed at Vassar College for Freshman week despite many local protests from the American Legion and other organizations. The college responded to the controversy by explaining that it was the freshman class, not the college, that was sponsoring Seeger's appearance.

We did some research and found that this performance came only a year after Seeger was convicted of contempt of court during the McCarthy hearings. Three months after the this performance, an appeals court overturned the conviction.

10.13.09 8:21pm

In Case You Missed It

In case you missed it - or were too far back to see the stage - here are some pictures from Saturday's Pete Seeger concert.

10.13.09 1:36pm

Grizzly Bear Plays Vassar, Sells Out

Two days after Grizzly Bear's performance at Vassar, news leaked that their song with Beach House's Victoria Legrand '03, which they performed at Friday's show, will be on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack.

Victoria and the boys performed a special version of "Two Weeks" on Conan last night. The episode's guest was Jason Alexander, who is also slightly connected to Vassar.

In similar news, Passion Pit was on Gossip Girl last week.

Photo via Zach Russo '11 for ViCE.

10.13.09 1:28pm

By Word Of Mouth...Celebs Come Out For Open House

The celebrities are out in full force for today's admissions Open House.

Several readers tell us that Denis Leary is on campus with his daughter.

We also hear that Ally Shapiro, who is Jill Zarin's daughter from Real Housewives of NYC is on campus and doing an overnight tonight.

10.12.09 12:27pm

What People Are Saying About Grizzly Bear

Here is what concert-goers tweeted about Friday night's Grizzly Bear/Beach House concert...

"grizzly bear in the vassar chapel made want to find God, or maybe I already did? i'm a born-again bear."

"Grizzly bear goodness in this awesome chapel with giant pipe organ behind them sounds, looks and feels amazing and heavenly."

"Grizzly Bear transforms the Chapel into a 35000 sq. ft. amp"

"Grizzly Bear was exceedingly boring. Beach House was slightly better. Vassar's chapel is a great venue, though."

"Sitting eight rows back from grizzly bear in vassar chapel. Its pretty beautiful."

"Waiting for Grizzly Bear at Vassar College. Yeah, I feel old."

"Just got my face rocked off by a grizzly bear and a beach house"

"A funeral is more exciting than grizzly bear"

"grizzly bear was better than expected, but beach house > grizzly bear"

Also, there were no cameras allowed during Grizzly Bear's performance, but Mads managed to snap this pic of the stage set-up after the show. Loved the Mason jar lights.

10.11.09 11:01am

What We're Watching

Here is a great collection of clips from PBS's American Masters: Pete Seeger that aired some time ago. It covers highlights from his career, including his participation in the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements, the Weavers, the Communist accusations, and his life in the Hudson River Valley.



Check back soon for pictures from his concert.

10.11.09 10:44am

Celeb Sighting...Grizzly Bear On Campus

Celeb sighting: Grizzly Bear's tour bus is on campus. So excited!

10.9.09 12:04pm

This Weekend On Campus...Big Concerts Edition

This weekend has two big concerts in a row, plus Meet Me in Poughkeepsie on Saturday afternoon and night. Here is what's worth checking out. Email us for publicity.

Friday
ViCE presents Grizzly Bear and Beach House, 7pm doors, Chapel. Tickets are being sold all day in the College Center.
Joss presents Latin Night in the Mug, 9:30pm, Mug.
Improv Show, 11pm, Taylor 203.

Saturday
Pete Seeger Concert, 12pm, Chapel Lawn (Rain: Chapel).
Meet Me in Poughkeepsie, 3pm, Poughkeepsie.
HEL Show, 9pm and 11pm, Shiva.
CSA Party, 10pm, Villard Room.


Images via ZME Music and Wild at Heart Blog.

10.9.09 8:31am

Get To Know Pete Seeger

While you probably have your mind on tonight's Grizzly Bear show, don't forget about Pete Seeger's concert tomorrow (Saturday) on the Chapel Lawn at noon.

10.9.09 12:19am

Quote Of The Day

"While unusual, it is a reminder that we are living in a world that isn’t always safe."

-Don Marsala on the increase in campus advisories this semester. He sent out an all-campus email earlier today to address an incident that happened last night by the TAs.

10.8.09 4:45pm

Vassar Is Seventeen's College Of The Week

Vassar is Seventeen Magazine's College of the Week, part of the magazine's "All You Need To Know About College" online feature.

10.7.09 6:00pm

Get To Know Grizzly Bear

Here are some popular songs by Grizzly Bear. Check back tomorrow for our post on Pete Seeger.

10.7.09 10:33am

Get To Know Beach House

This weekend has two huge shows - Grizzly Bear/Beach House on Friday and Pete Seeger on Saturday - and madsvassarblog.com wants to help you prepare. See what Beach House is all about here, and check back soon for posts on Grizzly Bear and Pete Seeger.

10.6.09 2:26pm

Meet The Candidates Tomorrow (Update: Postponed)

Update: The forum has been postponed until after the break, according to one of the event's organizers.

Here is a message about a Town Hall forum happening tomorrow featuring the district candidates for various local offices:

Vassar's First "Meet the Candidates" Town Hall will be held on October 7, 2009 from 7 to 9 pm in Rocky 300. Local candidates will present their platforms and discuss their ideas for Dutchess County 2010 on both a local and domestic level. Questions and answers from the audience will follow; we invite a diverse range of political perspectives to join the conversation. This is a wonderful opportunity to get engaged with the greater Poughkeepsie area and the Hudson Valley community, and enrich the college's town-gown relations. How to register to vote as a Hudson Valley resident will also be provided. Food and beverage will be offered."

Tomorrow (Wednesday) 7pm in Rocky 300.

10.6.09 2:13pm

New Vassar iPhone App

According to GamePress, Logical Dimension just launched a Vassar College Map application for iPhone and iPod Touch.

"Vassar College Map is a navigation app for college students, faculties or anyone who is visiting the campus. It is built with simplicity in mind, aiming to help you get to your campus destination with ease," Logical Dimension writes.

The app features the user's location, a list of all locations on campus, different direction options (walking, driving, etc.), keyword search, zoom, and more.

Logical Dimension creates map applications for dozens of colleges and universities, including BU, NYU, and Columbia,

Does anyone use this yet? Let us know what you think.

Image via Logical Dimension.

10.5.09 10:30am

ViCE Announces More Ticket Giveaways

The Grizzly Bear/Beach House show is only days away, and ViCE just announced more chances for free tickets. Here is a message from ViCE:

"ViCE is happy to announce a week of ticket giveaways for the upcoming Grizzly Bear // Beach House show!

If you still need a ticket you can participate in one of our two giveaways by doing the following:
1. VICE HUNT. Remember the bear roaming campus a few weeks ago? Well, he got a bit upset with us. See, we sort of promised him the possibility of lady bears on Vassar's campus as an incentive to come visit--and naturally, we couldn't oblige him...Lonely and depressed, Mr. Bear hid the letters V, I, C, and E all around campus, hoping to confuse students. For the first 10 people who can find all four letters to spell out "ViCE" (he hid multiple sets--good news for you!) and return them to us by Friday to our table in the college center, we'll return the favor with a FREE TICKET. Seems easy, right? Better start thinking like a bear...

2. FEED THE BEAR. Even though the aforementioned Mr. Bear decided to get his revenge, we didn't want to turn our backs on the hungry bear population. All around campus you should begin seeing bears (okay, kids in bear masks) in the next couple of days. If you see one, kindly tell them, "VICE is nice. I'm going to feed you." They will give you their mask. PAY ATTENTION: You need to bring a can of food (or a dollar) with this mask to our table in the college center BY THURSDAY at 3:00 pm to redeem your ticket. We're working with Hunger Action to send donations to a local food pantry. In the end, you're really helping more than just these bears. We'll have YOUR FREE TICKET sent to your mailbox.

No, we are not crazy. We just love you.

If you aren't one of the lucky 20 people getting tickets, don't forget that there are a limited number of tickets available on October 9th beginning at 11:00 AM in the College Center. The tickets will be $25 (cash only please) with a maximum of two tickets per person. No Vassar I.D. required."

10.5.09 10:22am

NoViCE Holding Special Monday Show

NoViCE has added a Monday show to their lineup for this week, featuring tUne-YaRdS and BOOGIE BOARDER.

Check it out tonight (Monday) in the Mug at at 9.

10.5.09 1:19am

By Word Of Mouth...MICA Might Start New Publication

Sources tell us that the Moderate Independent Conservative Alliance, also known as MICA, is planning on starting a printed publication called The Chronicle. We're told that a conservative-leaning NPO called The Collegiate Network may fund the paper.

"Most of this is still in the planning stages, though some perspective writers have begun their own articles," a source tells Mads.

MICA put out a controversial publication years ago called The Imperialist. Many students and faculty members considered the publication's contents racist, leading to a formal public forum to be held, as well as the organization's de-authorization by the VSA in 2005.

MICA has not confirmed this.

Update: MICA tells Mads that it has no plans to start a publication, despite what the tipster says. "Due to our success in representing conservative and independent viewpoints in the Opinion pages of The Miscellany, we believe any additional publication from MICA would be superfluous," the president of MICA, Jeremy Bright '11 tells Mads.

10.5.09 1:07am

By Word Of Mouth...DayGlo Pushed To Next Semester?

Some unfortunate news from a well-placed insider - Cushing and Noyes may not be throwing their DayGlo Toga party this semester, despite its listing on the campus events calendar. We're told the reason behind this is "planning problems" and that the house teams are exploring other options for a November 7th party.

We're told, however, that DayGlo "will definitely happen" next semester. We hope so!

Update: The Cushing Vice President Alistair Hall '11 confirms that the event is in fact being moved to next semester. "We had a lot of trouble getting a date and then once we obtained November 7th it turned out the College Center was unavailable due to Clue," Alistair tells Mads. "Instead of trying to force the event to work in UpC, we are moving it to next semester when the weather will be warmer and things will go our way. Moving the event to the spring will also allow us even more time to plan and we assure you that the event will be even better than last year."

9.5.09 12:53am

Ferry House Sign-Maker Responds

Madsvassarblog.com has learned that the signs posted on Ferry House were not a collective effort of the house's residents, but instead the work of only a few individuals. The student, who would like to remain anonymous, gave us the following exclusive statement:

"I and several other individuals in the house posted the signs due to our opinions regarding Vassar's economic policy, which we consider to be extremely unjust. They are intended to be seen by anyone on Vassar campus, including prospective students on tours.

In addition, it's worth noting that two new signs have replaced the previous ones. The new ones read "SUPPORT CAMPUS WORKERS" and "VA$$AR CLA$$I$M IN ACTION."

9.4.09 4:15pm

Spotted: Signs Outside of Ferry

Students have posted signs on the Frandrangle side of Ferry House that read "Go to a school with an administration that actually CARES" and "This school has too much money."

The signs are probably aimed at prospective students, as admissions tours pass by that side of Ferry.

It's unclear whether or not Ferry's residents made the signs themselves. The signs may have been put up as recently as yesterday, and are probably a response to Cappy's recent announcement of more employee layoffs.

10.3.09 2:37pm

Vassar Blogs In NY Times (But Not This One)

An article in today's New York Times examines how colleges are embracing student blogs as a tool for prospective students. The article focuses on M.I.T., which pays its bloggers, but Vassar gets a brief mention:

"Dozens of colleges — including Amherst, Bates, Carleton, Colby, Vassar, Wellesley and Yale — are embracing student blogs on their Web sites, seeing them as a powerful marketing tool for high school students, who these days are less interested in official messages and statistics than in first-hand narratives and direct interaction with current students."

Unfortunately, the article doesn't mention independent school blogs like Mads, Skidmore Unofficial and Wesleying, which are also read by prospective students.

Since we started our blog in September 2007, Vassar Admissions, Vassar Athletics, and most recently the Miscellany News, have all added student blogs. As far as we know, the admissions blogs, which are most directly aimed at prospective students, date back to 2008.

10.2.09 1:53pm

Vassar Responds To PETA Accusations

Vassar spokesman Jeffrey Kosmacher has responded to PETA's recent allegations against the science department.

“Vassar faculty make careful and limited use of animals in research in teaching programs and these research projects add to the world’s understanding of the functioning of the body, the brain and behavior and we have always held ourselves to the highest possible standards and insist upon this in every regard when it comes to all of the research conducted at Vassar,” Kosmacher said to Mid-Hudson News.

PETA made previous allegations against Vassar's science department back in 2007.

10.2.09 11:34am

Letter Sent To Clinton Regarding Wolff Incident

We've come across some new developments and information regarding the recent denial of Karl-Dietrich Wolff to enter the country for a Vassar event. PEN, the organization that represents Wolff, sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano regarding the incident.

"We are writing on behalf of the 3,400 professional writers who are members of PEN American Center to express our outrage that German publisher and PEN member Karl-Dietrich Wolff was recently denied entry to the United States," the letter states. "With no explanation, he was reportedly questioned for six hours, photographed and fingerprinted, and then was forced to return to Frankfurt on the last outbound flight."

"He was on his way to the United States this past week at the invitation of Vassar College to speak about the civil rights movement and 20th century Germany," PEN writes.

"It was our hope that the change of administrations would lead to a review of this practice and an end to incidents like the one Mr. Wolff experienced this past week in New York," the letter also states.

Update: We also came across Cappy's official statement.

10.2.09 11:30am

This Weekend On Campus...Nostalgia Edition

This weekend is clearly all about nostalgia, with screenings of Adventureland (set in the '80s), Dormal Formal ('90s music) and Middle School Mug Night. Autumn is also officially here, with LakeFest and the Harvest Festival.

Email madsvassar [at] gmail.com for publicity.

Friday
LakeFest, 2-6pm Sunset Lake
"We'll be barbequing burgers and Soul Dog and Twisted Soul will also be there. We'll also be tie-dying, playing games, and have live music."

ViCE Film League presents Adventureland, 7:30pm Blodgett
Dormal Formal, 9:30pm Loeb
Middle School Mug Night, 10pm Mug

Saturday
ViCE Film League presents Adventureland, 7:30pm Blodgett

Sunday
Harvest Festival, 1-5pm Quad
"Harvest Festival is an event co-hosted by Davison and Strong Houses. It will take place on the Residential Quad from 1-5 pm on Sunday October 4th. There will be ton's of fun, harvesty booths such as pumpkin painting, face painting, a cake walk, donuts on a string, caramel apples, pie eating contests, and much more. We will feature free food from Twisted Soul and Soul Dog on a first come, first served basis. Come enjoy music by the Walker Family Band, The Roundabout Ramblers and Broadway Acapella."

10.2.09 10:54am

Hot Event: Museum Parties

Trend alert: Museum parties. Columbia had one in the eastern section of the Met on Wednesday (pictured above) and Vassar is having its own one tonight.

Tonight's Dormal Formal, hosted by Jewett, Lathrop, and the Student Committee of the FLLAC will feature a Vassar Jazz Septet, ballroom dancing performance and lessons, docent tours, free sushi courtesy of the ASA, mocktails, a performance by the Vastards, and a 2 and a half hour set by DJ Respire.

The museum usually has very tight restrictions on what can be brought into the galleries, so we're not really sure how the logistics of the event will work. It will be a nice change from the Villard Room and UpC, though.

Check out Dormal Formal tonight at 9:30 in the Loeb.

Photo via the Bwog.

10.2.09 10:38am

Film League Presents...

This week ViCE Film League will be screening Adventureland.



Friday and Saturday, 7:30pm in Blodgett Auditorium.

10.1.09 5:37pm