Remember how stressed I was about midterms? Multiply that by five. Vassar is a wonderful place, but the academic work is not for the faint of heart. I have more research papers than I can count due within the next few weeks. At the moment, it's about 6:30 in the morning and I'm getting all my books together to head over to the library, which opens at 8:30.
Today, my project is a research paper on an American businessman in Japan... I figure if I get there at 8:30, I could get a ton of writing and reading done, then leave the library in time to see my friends for dinner and hang out with them in the evening. Maybe even watch a movie? The last few weeks of a semester always bring a tornado of work. Let's hope I make it...
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving Feast
After a difficult week of papers, I'm finally free for Thanksgiving Break! I'll be heading home tonight on the train to Manhattan. Sometimes it's really nice to live just an hour and a half away from Vassar—some of my friends have to suffer through hours on busses and planes to get their turkey. But I just hop onto the free College train shuttle, spend an hour on MetroNorth, and I'm happily in Grand Central in no time.
Usually, I like to spend my train rides staring out my window at the scenic Hudson River. This afternoon, though, I won't be quite so lucky; I have about 450 pages of reading to do before Monday :-( Not to mention the four research papers I have due in the next couple weeks. Ack! Finals period can be really stressful, since everyone's major assignments are all due at the same time. It tends to put a crimp in Thanksgiving.
On the bright side, though, I will soon be with my parents, eating my favorite stuffing and sipping some apple cider! At least I'll have a couple hours free from schoolwork...
Usually, I like to spend my train rides staring out my window at the scenic Hudson River. This afternoon, though, I won't be quite so lucky; I have about 450 pages of reading to do before Monday :-( Not to mention the four research papers I have due in the next couple weeks. Ack! Finals period can be really stressful, since everyone's major assignments are all due at the same time. It tends to put a crimp in Thanksgiving.
On the bright side, though, I will soon be with my parents, eating my favorite stuffing and sipping some apple cider! At least I'll have a couple hours free from schoolwork...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thanksgiving, thanks to Sarah Josepha Hale!
Last year around this time of November, I caught an interesting story in On Campus, one of Vassar's publications:
If it weren’t for Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, the popular women’s journal of the 19th century, Vassar would be “Vassar Female College” and Thanksgiving Day wouldn’t exist. The College was originally incorporated in 1861 as “Vassar Female College.” Very much a supporter of Matthew Vassar’s plan, Hale appealed to the founder to dispense with “Female,” a word she considered “inelegant” and “absurd.” After much correspondence between the two and numerous editorials in Godey’s, the trustees eventually agreed to the name change, the New York State Legislature amended the college’s charter, and the marble slab engraved with the word “Female” was removed from the front of Main.Furthermore, Hale is responsible for devising Thanksgiving. Although the holiday had been practiced since the settlers in Plymouth, its scheduling was never regularized.
It wasn’t until Hale took up the cause that what we call Thanksgiving evolved. She wrote editorials and lobbied “that the LAST THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER shall be the DAY OF NATIONAL THANKSGIVING for the American people.” Finally, in 1863 (just two years before the first class of Vassar students would arrive on campus) President Lincoln succumbed to her pressure and proclaimed the last Thursday in November a national day of Thanksgiving. Finally, in 1941, Congress made Thanksgiving a legal holiday.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Day that was The Day
Hard to believe Election Day was already a week ago. I've never felt so much energy on Vassar's campus. So much pent up anxiety, excitement and youthful engagement exploded on one glorious November evening. But while everyone was glued to their televisions in their dorms, attending parties organized by professors and student groups, myself and my fellow editors were stuck in the Miscellany News office putting together the weekly paper.
Editors tend to be very politically engaged, so there was a certain sense of sadness when Production Night began that Tuesday. Would we miss all the excitement? Would we be forced to struggle with formatting instead of watching history unfold? Everyone knew they had to type away at their articles and put their heart into layout--in spite of the excitement outside our doors. I found myself refreshing CNN.com every few seconds for the latest results. Indeed, our own Web site included live blogging of elections results from the second floor of the Students' Building, where hundreds of students were merrily gathered in front of a large projector.
But then, around 10:45, we all gave in to temptation. As the final states were being called, we all huddled around a laptop to watch the results. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Virginia. Then, at 11:01, Wolf Blitzer called it - Barack Obama had won the presidency.
By 11:02, the information was on miscellanynews.com, and we stood cheering and hugging one another. Our paper had endorsed Mr. Obama in late October, and we were happy to know that the nation had agreed with our choice. Many editors stuck around to watch his victory speak in Grant Park streaming online. Trying to inconspicuously wipe away our teary eyes, we saw the 44th president address the nation in one of the most inspiring acceptances my generation has witnessed.
For the rest of our lives, we'll remember sitting in the Miscellany News office, recording student reactions and putting together our newspaper on that truly historic American night.
Editors tend to be very politically engaged, so there was a certain sense of sadness when Production Night began that Tuesday. Would we miss all the excitement? Would we be forced to struggle with formatting instead of watching history unfold? Everyone knew they had to type away at their articles and put their heart into layout--in spite of the excitement outside our doors. I found myself refreshing CNN.com every few seconds for the latest results. Indeed, our own Web site included live blogging of elections results from the second floor of the Students' Building, where hundreds of students were merrily gathered in front of a large projector.
But then, around 10:45, we all gave in to temptation. As the final states were being called, we all huddled around a laptop to watch the results. Ohio. Pennsylvania. Virginia. Then, at 11:01, Wolf Blitzer called it - Barack Obama had won the presidency.
By 11:02, the information was on miscellanynews.com, and we stood cheering and hugging one another. Our paper had endorsed Mr. Obama in late October, and we were happy to know that the nation had agreed with our choice. Many editors stuck around to watch his victory speak in Grant Park streaming online. Trying to inconspicuously wipe away our teary eyes, we saw the 44th president address the nation in one of the most inspiring acceptances my generation has witnessed.
For the rest of our lives, we'll remember sitting in the Miscellany News office, recording student reactions and putting together our newspaper on that truly historic American night.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
An inside look...
Yesterday was an exciting day for me and my fellow newsies. The Miscellany had a behind-the-scenes tour of Davison House, which is being gutted and renovated over the course of this year. Construction began early in the summer, and by next summer, it will be complete and ready for the Class of 2013 to move into in Fall 2009.
Vassar's residential life is really something special. Students feel true, Harry Potter-esque affinity to their houses on campus. Some of my closest friends freshmen year lived in Cushing, which I continue to call home. Each dorm has a house team—a group of people who create all sorts of interesting programming for residents. Each week, Cushing has CommuniTea, where we can all talk with our neighbors, get to know each other over a cup of tea, and take a break from the rigors of our academic work.
Most of the dorms themselves are very stately—many are collegiate red brick, tudor style buildings, others are Victorian, and other are more modern. Because of their age, however, some of the interiors are getting a little ratty. Many of these buildings were constructed in the late 1800s or early 1900s, and certainly could use some upkeep. Not that any of them are awful. But after so many years and so many residents, the ongoing renovations to residential life are certainly welcome.
In 2003, Jewett House was overhauled and is now a pristine, almost hotel-like building (my personal favorite!). It features big-screen televisions, several multi-purpose rooms, beautiful bathrooms, and spacious kitchens. The rooms are cozy, with nice wood flooring, brand new furniture, and bright lighting.
Davison House, one of the four Quad Dormitories, is now being redone as well—and The Miscellany News got the first peak! Learn about some of the building's new features in this exclusive video. No doubt, the members of the Class of 2013 assigned to the new Davison will be very lucky indeed.
Vassar's residential life is really something special. Students feel true, Harry Potter-esque affinity to their houses on campus. Some of my closest friends freshmen year lived in Cushing, which I continue to call home. Each dorm has a house team—a group of people who create all sorts of interesting programming for residents. Each week, Cushing has CommuniTea, where we can all talk with our neighbors, get to know each other over a cup of tea, and take a break from the rigors of our academic work.
Most of the dorms themselves are very stately—many are collegiate red brick, tudor style buildings, others are Victorian, and other are more modern. Because of their age, however, some of the interiors are getting a little ratty. Many of these buildings were constructed in the late 1800s or early 1900s, and certainly could use some upkeep. Not that any of them are awful. But after so many years and so many residents, the ongoing renovations to residential life are certainly welcome.
In 2003, Jewett House was overhauled and is now a pristine, almost hotel-like building (my personal favorite!). It features big-screen televisions, several multi-purpose rooms, beautiful bathrooms, and spacious kitchens. The rooms are cozy, with nice wood flooring, brand new furniture, and bright lighting.
Davison House, one of the four Quad Dormitories, is now being redone as well—and The Miscellany News got the first peak! Learn about some of the building's new features in this exclusive video. No doubt, the members of the Class of 2013 assigned to the new Davison will be very lucky indeed.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Entering the World of Multimedia
Over break, an article that I wrote on the digital future of college newspapers was published by Inside Higher Ed, an online newspaper on issues facing higher education.
The article discusses some of the ways in which The Miscellany News has been trying to take advantage of the internet, in the same way that professional news organizations like CNN.com and The New York Times have been. For the first time, our staff has been experimenting with videos, slideshows and voiceovers. All of this content is posted on a special multimedia section of our Web site, here. Pretty nifty for a student paper.
As people are consuming media in so many different ways these days, it's important that the youngest journalists stay ahead of the curve as much as possible. Admittedly, our video skills still leave quite a bit to be desired, but we're getting there. The hardest part? Holding the camera steady...
The article discusses some of the ways in which The Miscellany News has been trying to take advantage of the internet, in the same way that professional news organizations like CNN.com and The New York Times have been. For the first time, our staff has been experimenting with videos, slideshows and voiceovers. All of this content is posted on a special multimedia section of our Web site, here. Pretty nifty for a student paper.
As people are consuming media in so many different ways these days, it's important that the youngest journalists stay ahead of the curve as much as possible. Admittedly, our video skills still leave quite a bit to be desired, but we're getting there. The hardest part? Holding the camera steady...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Meet Me in Poughkeepsie!
One of the stereotypes about Vassar is that the College has an awkward relationship with the Poughkeepsie community. Although this stereotype is not entirely accurate, there is a grain of truth to it—too many students never leave campus. Even many of my own friends often remain within Vassar's walls, rarely venturing into Poughkeepsie, except to catch the MetroNorth train to New York City. That is unfortunate, because Poughkeepsie and the Mid-Hudson Valley have so much to offer.
In an effort to get more students into the community, the Vassar Student Association (Vassar's student government) organized Meet Me in Poughkeepsie. MMIP got about 1,000 students—nearly half of the student body—off campus. Students participated in more than thirty events, which ranged from a trip to Eleanor Roosevelt's home, to apple picking, to hiking at Mohonk. Check out the Miscellany's coverage of the event: Meet Me in Poughkeepsie!
I was really proud of the VSA's efforts in organizing this event; afterwards, there was a renewed energy among the students whom I spoke with for engaging local attractions and patronizing local businesses. To learn more about the terrific resources that the community around Vassar has to offer, read the Miscellany News Guide to Poughkeepsie here: Guide. Poughkeepsie has so much to offer, and Vassar students are now taking advantage of those resources more than ever before.
In an effort to get more students into the community, the Vassar Student Association (Vassar's student government) organized Meet Me in Poughkeepsie. MMIP got about 1,000 students—nearly half of the student body—off campus. Students participated in more than thirty events, which ranged from a trip to Eleanor Roosevelt's home, to apple picking, to hiking at Mohonk. Check out the Miscellany's coverage of the event: Meet Me in Poughkeepsie!
I was really proud of the VSA's efforts in organizing this event; afterwards, there was a renewed energy among the students whom I spoke with for engaging local attractions and patronizing local businesses. To learn more about the terrific resources that the community around Vassar has to offer, read the Miscellany News Guide to Poughkeepsie here: Guide. Poughkeepsie has so much to offer, and Vassar students are now taking advantage of those resources more than ever before.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Midterms
Hard to believe we're already approaching the half-way point of the fall semester. On the bright side, that means bright crimson, orange, and golden leaves falling from Vassar's countless trees. On the not-so-bright side, that means papers, exams and stacks of reading. Midterm season is here in full force.
Unlike in high school, where work was evenly distributed over the course of the term, college students tend to have most of their work clumped in the middle and at the end of each semester. Right now, I'm up to my ears in work: 3 papers due this week alone, in addition to a political science midterm exam. Next week, I have four more papers, and a research proposal due. Ack!
And so I'm stuck in the library, unable to frolic through those falling leaves. Oh well. Thankfully, most of my work is pretty interesting. For example, today I'm working on a paper about a British woman named Harriet Tytler, who lived in India during the mid-19th century. She was the only woman to witness the 1857 Siege of Delhi. She was able to see first-hand the anger and resentment of Indian peoples against the British East India Company. Certainly good reading for a nerdy history major!
Unlike in high school, where work was evenly distributed over the course of the term, college students tend to have most of their work clumped in the middle and at the end of each semester. Right now, I'm up to my ears in work: 3 papers due this week alone, in addition to a political science midterm exam. Next week, I have four more papers, and a research proposal due. Ack!
And so I'm stuck in the library, unable to frolic through those falling leaves. Oh well. Thankfully, most of my work is pretty interesting. For example, today I'm working on a paper about a British woman named Harriet Tytler, who lived in India during the mid-19th century. She was the only woman to witness the 1857 Siege of Delhi. She was able to see first-hand the anger and resentment of Indian peoples against the British East India Company. Certainly good reading for a nerdy history major!
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