The Miscellany News, one of the oldest collegiate weeklies in the country, has served as the student newspaper of Vassar College since 1866. Produced by more than 40 student volunteers, The Miscellany News sets Vassar’s standard for in-depth reporting, creative thinking, exemplary writing and journalistic excellence. Student workers distribute the paper every Thursday morning during the academic year, and thousands of Vassar students, faculty members, administrators, staff, alumnae/i and Arlington readers flip through it over their morning coffee to stay up to date with the latest campus goings-on.
We welcome submissions from all members of the College community to supplement contributions from our staff of over 40 reporters, columnists, photographers, multimedia correspondents, designers and editors. Contact us at misc@vassar.edu for more information or to get involved.
Upper Executive Board
Nina Ajemian ’23 (she/her) is an Art History and Hispanic Studies double major from Princeton, NJ. She’s bad at picking favorite things, but her list would likely include farms, cherry tomatoes, picnic blankets, piano and all types of pie. She has worked on a newspaper since sixth grade, and you can often find her riding her bike or taking photos of the sky :) Monika Sweeney ’24 (she/her) is an Earth Science major with an Education Studies correlate from New York. When she’s not busy with the Misc, she can be seen hammocking by Sunset Lake, eating cups of raspberry sorbet at the Deece or trying to pet stray cats in Poughkeepsie. Leila Raines ’23 (she/her) is an English major and Educational Studies correlate from Hyde Park, NY. When she is not working with the Misc, she can often be found practicing at Skinner, or rehearsing with the Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, making lots of to-do lists and searching for Boston cream donuts at the Deece.
Nina Ajemian
Editor-in-Chief
Monika Sweeney
Managing Editor
Leila Raines
Contributing Editor
Editorial Board
Jacques Abou-Rizk ’25 (he/him) is an International Studies major concentrating in Political Science and Education from Newton, MA. Jacques thoroughly enjoys writing and interviewing for the Misc, in addition to practicing soccer with the intramural teams, skateboarding around campus and learning new languages whenever possible. Being Argentinian and Lebanese, Jacques loves meeting new people and hearing the stories they have to share from around the world. Never hesitate to reach out with a news story! Charlotte Robertson ’25 (she/her) is an English major from New York City. Outside of the Misc, she enjoys watercolor painting, seedless oranges, aquatic documentaries and riding her bike. Ganesh Pillai ’23 (he/him) is a Philosophy major and Hispanic Studies correlate from New Rochelle, NY. Outside of being Arts Editor, he loves to do other arts-related things, like listening to music and watching movies. And Ganesh is always looking for new album recommendations! Kai Speirs (he/him) ’25 is an English major originally from Berkeley, CA. He enjoys writing about the specific book, album or film that's been on his mind most recently, and he occasionally tries his hand at poetry and prose. He's always on board for an adventure to find good food. Sufana Noorwez ’24 (she/her) is a Biochemistry major and Religion correlate from Shrewsbury, MA. Outside of the Misc, she conducts biochemistry research, plays golf for Vassar's women's golf team and whistles in Aircappella. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, crocheting, baking and taking long walks. Madi Donat ’23 (she/her) is a Music major and Art History correlate from Fairfax, VA. When not fielding articles from the funniest students on campus, you can probably find her singing in one of four choirs or writing music compositions at Crafted. She loves procrastinating on her weekly horoscopes by browsing Pinterest for pictures of kitchens, going on long walks and reading novels at the slowest pace imaginable. The way to her heart is through comically large stuffed animals and fresh fruit. Nicholas Tillinghast ’25 (he/him) is a prospective Film Major. He lives about an hour outside of Buffalo but just tells people he’s from Buffalo anyhow. Apart from the Misc, Nick does stand up with the group Comedy Normative and is a piano player and lover. Nick is a proud owner of the 2009 Lincoln penny anniversary set. Doug Cobb ’23 (he/him) is an Astronomy major from Bethesda, MD. Doug runs for the Vassar Cross Country and Track and Field teams, and he is a big Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Привіт! Це Ігор. (Hello! This is Igor.) He is a Ukrainian-American from Queens, but was also very present in the Ukrainian Village growing up. Igor also loves traveling and taking photos. Whenever he travels, he is sure to bring his Nikon with him to snap some photos. Слава Україні! Maryam Bacchus ’25 (she/her) is a prospective Psychology and Computer Science double major from Long Island, NY. Outside of the Misc, she’s a student fellow in Davison House (the best house). In her free time, she can be found at her favorite spot on campus, the Admissions House porch, or painting or watching movies. Caris Lee ’25 (she/her) is an English and Philosophy double major from Los Angeles, CA. She enjoys reading gothic and victorian novels, as well as playing the electric bass. While not deleting Oxford commas, she can be found watering her mini succulent, scrolling through pictures of her dog or drinking bad coffee. Sandro Lorenzo ’24 is a Media Studies major from the Philippines. When he is not creating designs for the Misc, he is exploring every other art form, from stage to screen. His mind is dominated either by the pop cultural moment of the day or the colors red, blue and yellow. Karen Mogami ’24 (she/her) is a Media Studies major from Queens, NY. Outside of the Misc, she spends her time exploring graphic design, reading lots of manga, searching for new music and doodling in her notebooks.
Jacques Abou-Rizk
News Editor
Charlotte Robertson
News Editor
Ganesh Pillai
Arts Editor
Kai Speirs
Features Editor
Sufana Noorwez
Opinions Editor
Madi Donat
Humor Editor
Nicholas Tillinghast
Humor Editor
Doug Cobb
Sports Editor
Igor Martiniouk
Photography Editor
Maryam Bacchus
Design Editor
Caris Lee
Copy Editor
Sandro Lorenzo
Graphics Editor
Karen Mogami
Graphics Editor
Multimedia Board
Tracy Cen ’25 (she/her) is a Media Studies and Psychology double major from Shanghai, China. She is the social media assistant for CSC (Chinese Student Community), and also an intern at the Office of International Service this year. When she is not busy with the Misc, she can be seen listening to jazz music, always trying to learn jazz piano, practicing Chinese classic dance and drawing. Ian Herz ’23 (he/him) is a Film major from Los Angeles, CA. He is a cinematographer who primarily shoots music videos but also has a drive for narrative and documentary content. Outside of making videos and films, his hobbies include painting and swimming. His website can be found at marmontpictures.com. Catherine Borthwick ’24 (she/her) is a Philosophy major and Studio Art correlate from NYC. Her favorite journalistic publications (besides the Misc, of course) are The New York Times and The Atlantic. She plays bass for the on-campus band Ufology, hosts "Beetle Beats" on WVKR and always loves a good run on the farm.
Tracy Cen
Social Media Editor
Ian Herz
Video Production Manager
Catherine Borthwick
Live Events Chair
Contributors
Sarah McNeil ’25 (she/her) is a Media Studies major from Waterville, ME. Apart from the Misc, she is a member of the Main House Team, VSA and VVPP. In her free time, Sarah can be found talking about the state of Maine, talking about the house of Main, petting any dog she can get her hands on and listening to French music she doesn’t understand. Allen Hale '25 (he/him) is a Philosophy major and Music correlate from Scituate, MA. When he is not writing for the Misc, Allen can be found performing with the Orchestra and playing frisbee with the Vassar College Swinging Monks. In his free time, Allen enjoys learning the electric bass, listening to new albums and reading anything he can get his hands on. Jesse Koblin '25 (he/him) is a Media Studies major and Educational Studies correlate from Bronx, NY. When he is not writing for the Misc, Jesse is probably playing quidditch with the Butterbeer Brewers, hosting his WVKR radio show “Disjunctive Daydreams” and going down Wikipedia rabbit holes. Besides all of the above, Jesse loves watching old and new movies, listening to prog-rock and reading sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks. Carina Cole ‘26 (she/her) is a prospective Media Studies Major with a correlate in Creative Writing from Boiling Springs, PA. She is an avid flash fiction writer and occasional poet. When she’s not writing, you can find her blasting meticulously curated playlists, attempting to cartwheel or having a giggle. Luke Jenkins ‘26 (he/him) is a Computer Science major from Kent, OH. He enjoys writing about whatever recently and randomly sparked his interest. Outside of the Misc, he can be found descending into the Brew, Irish dancing or hammocking on the quad. His other interests include watching "Bob’s Burgers," wearing shorts and listening to Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten." Nandini Likki ’25 (she/her) is a Film and English double major from Cincinnati, OH. During the rare times when she’s not coming up with hilarious and witty pieces of prose for the Misc, she can be found practicing dance with KODC, watching horror movies and reading everything under the sun. Nick Villamil ’25 (he/him) is an English and International Studies major from South Florida who now spends far too much time in Princeton, NJ. Outside of writing, Nick loves volleyball, trying to convince his friends to spend money on sporting events, traveling to new places and a well-made burger. Richard Lu ’26 (he/him) is a prospective Economics and Media Studies double major from Queens, NY. Beyond the Misc, he is a social media ambassador for Vassar College and a media assistant for Chinese Student Community (CSC). In his free time, you can find him taking photos of whatever catches his eye around campus, binging his favorite anime and reality TV shows and thrifting at the nearest Salvation Army he can find. Olivia Kahn ’26 (she/her) is a prospective Math major from Manhattan, NY. Outside of the Misc, she enjoys drinking too much coffee, listening to music and playing the New York Times games. You might find her at the Deece waiting for the gluten-free toaster, or attempting to rollerblade around campus. Emma Goss ’26 (she/her) is a prospective English and Cognitive Science double major from Los Angeles. She loves all things poetry and spends a lot of time reading creative nonfiction as well. While not working on the Misc, she enjoys eating Chipotle as frequently as possible, running, watching horror movies with her friends and trampolining. Tiffany Kuo ’26 (she/her) is a Women's, Feminist, Queer Studies major with a correlate in Data Science from Taipei, Taiwan. When not hosting copy shifts, you can find her tasting all the different Chinese restaurants in the area, volunteering at Poughkeepsie High School or at the gym. Julia Weinberg ’26 (she/her) is a prospective English and Film double major from Berkeley, CA. When not searching for ways to eliminate comma splices, Julia can be found doing yoga, avoiding “Survivor” spoilers and inventing ever quieter ways to eat saltines while her roommate is asleep. Rohan Dutta ’23 (he/him) is a Computer Science major and Analytic Philosophy correlate. When he isn’t editing the website’s headers, he can be found making music or ranting about whatever niche topic he’s currently obsessed with. He loves cat memes, video games and a good story. Chloe Gjoka ’23 (she/her) is a Computer Science major from Yonkers, NY. She is very fond of plants (and currently has eight-plus plants in her house). Chloe also likes knitting and crocheting, as well as biking around campus to her classes. Phoebe DiLeo ’24 (she/her) is an Education major, also studying Psychology and Media Studies. She is from Hoboken, NJ, and loves running, biking, walking around Poughkeepsie, drinking Dunkin' and hanging out with friends. Sadie Keesbury '26 is a first-year on a path to an Art History major with a GRST correlate. She's from downtown Boston. She delights in baseball. (Go Sox!) She enjoys ceramics. She adores ping pong. She totally digs playing CDs. And by God does she LOVE crosswords!!!
Sarah McNeil
Assistant News Editor
Allen Hale
Assistant Arts Editor
Jesse Koblin
Assistant Arts Editor
Carina Cole
Assistant Features Editor
Luke Jenkins
Assistant Features Editor
Nandini Likki
Assistant Humor Editor
Nick Villamil
Assistant Sports Editor
Richard Lu
Assistant Social Media Editor
Olivia Kahn
Assistant Social Media Editor
Emma Goss
Assistant Copy Editor
Tiffany Kuo
Assistant Copy Editor
Julia Weinberg
Assistant Copy Editor
Rohan Dutta
Webmaster
Chloe Gjoka
Webmaster
Phoebe DiLeo
Business Manager
Sadie Keesbury
Crossword Editor