Spring 2009 Schedule... At Long Last

As I mentioned two posts ago, I absolutely love shopping period. Students add and drop classes like mad, finding their absolute favorite teachers and subjects to fit into their schedules. I think I probably take longer than most to determine my roster of courses; I've been at it for about two weeks. But finally, after much switching, I've settled on a really engaging set of classes:

(Art History) Architecture After Modernism: This course focuses on urban architecture in the period after 1920. I took AP Art History in high school, which covered some architecture, but it looked mostly at the history of painting and sculpture. I've always wanted to go back and spend some more time learning about the development of modern cities—especially since I'm from Manhattan. The professor is a professional architect from New York, which adds a level of practicality to the lectures and discussions.

(History/Urban Studies) The American Century, 1890-1945: Speaking of cities, this History course is cross-listed with Urban Studies, a multidisciplinary program at Vassar that looks at the rise and design of cities. In the first few weeks of classes, we've been looking at immigration patterns into New York and Chicago at the turn of the century. Professor Miriam Cohen teaches this class; she seems amazing at guiding discussions and balancing students' different points of view.

(History) Cold War America: Professor Bob Brigham is something of a legend in the History Department. He's one of those teachers everyone talks about and wants to take a course with. He specializes in post-WWII America, and is an expert on Vietnam. His recent book Is Iraq another Vietnam? was acclaimed by the media. And he's frequently on TV and radio, talking about the similarities between the conflict of the 1950s and current American presence in the Middle East. So far, this class is wonderful. High school curricula pretty much ignore events after 1945. All three of my AP history courses (American, World, and European) barely mentioned the Cold War except in passing during a single week in June. Whenever I leave this course at Vassar, I feel like I've learned so much that I really should have known before.

(Political Science) Democratic Theory: Looking at political theory from the 'margins' of modern political thought, this class introduces some interesting authors and follows their views of democracy. This week, we're reading the poet Walt Whitman. We will also look at authors like James Baldwin, who tried to balance democracy with racial injustice. So far, the class looks really interesting.

(Political Science/Science, Technology and Society) Intellectual Property Law: For those bound for law school, Vassar offers a number of excellent preparatory courses. Constitutional Law (Political Science), Law and Economics (Economics), Environmental Law (Environmental Studies), and Sociology and Law in Society (Sociology), to name a few, all introduce students to the basic ideas and debates that will follow them throughout their legal education. Intellectual Property Law (Political Science) is another such example. The class covers the law of patents, copyrights and trademarks. Our professor, Michael Bennett, is incredible -- he has experience in physics, biotechnology, and science, technology and society. He even has a law degree from Harvard. On top of his teaching, he consults on issues of intellectual property law, which means that he is fully aware of the ongoing debates and issues in the field.

Our first Podcast!

The Miscellany News has been trying its best to enter the world of multimedia. In the fall, we launched a new Web site and began doing slide shows, high-resolution weekly photos of the community, and investigative videos.

Just yesterday, we launched our first Podcast, available here. This series, entitled Behind the Story, will feature interviews with our reporters about the stories that they have been covering. It will take readers into the lives of our journalists and make our newsroom more transparent.

We're one of only a handful of small liberal arts colleges using Podcasts. I'm so proud that our Miscellany editors have been so willing and anxious to jump into the world of multimedia.

YouTube Winner!

Check out the winning video in the Vassar YouTube Contest:

Spring 2009 Schedule... Or Lack Thereof...

Nothing excites me quite as much as perusing through Vassar's Catalogue and picking a set of courses each semester. The beginning of a semester is just so filled with possibilities! I know, I know, I'm a nerd.

I usually spend weeks finalizing my schedule, and this spring term will be no different. The problem is, there are just too many choices. Although I'm nearly finished with the requirements for my history major, I find myself drawn to half-a-dozen different history courses: Renaissance Europe, History of American Foreign Relations, Emergence of the Modern Middle East... my list stretches for pages in a Microsoft Word document on my desktop. And that's just one department! I'm also thinking of classes in Political Science, Art History and Economics.

All told, there are about 25 classes that I want to take, but I can only take five courses per term. Oy! What's a boy to do?

"The Era of Responsibility"

What a bang to begin the semester. As soon as students returned from a quiet month of Winter Break, attention quickly turned to President-Elect Barack Obama. The Vassar campus was ecstatic over today's Presidential Inauguration. I met my friend in the morning for a light breakfast at the Retreat, then headed to the Villard Room (a large multi-purpose room in the College Center). Several Vassar departments sponsored a large inaugural party, complete with a huge screen blasting CNN, speakers and of course, lots of free pizza. Everyone was there. I saw history professors, Buildings and Grounds Employees, students, administrative assistants and Security officers.

Unfortunately, I should have gotten there earlier. By the time my friend and I got to the door, Villard was already standing room only. People were crouched down in window sills and huddled on the floor to get a seat. Thinking fast, we ran over to Jewett—one of Vassar's recently renovated dorms, which sports a large screen TV in their lobby. We quickly scampered onto the floor in front of the TV just in time to watch history unfold. Obama's words were stirring:

"Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans....

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

The whole room burst out clapping and cheering to chants of 'Yes We Can' and 'O-BA-MA'—it was such a unifying moment. I thought back to earlier in the year, when I met my friends in that same Jewett parlor to watch all three presidential debates between Obama and John McCain, and then watched the election results live from the Miscellany News office. How far we've come. The energized Vassar campus was the ideal place to experience this unique and historic presidential election, from beginning to end.

Is Obama the next FDR?

One of the wonderful aspects of Vassar is its location—and not just because it's only 1.5 hours away from New York City. The Hudson Valley, designated a National Heritage Area by Congress in 1966, is full of historic and cultural attractions.

One of my favorites in the the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, on the same grounds as the FDR Museum and the president's former home. The Roosevelt estate is only 20 minutes from Vassar, and well worth the trip. Students will love the immaculately kept gardens and the spacious picnic grounds; history buffs will love just about everything else. You can read my full review of the estate on The Miscellany News Guide to Poughkeepsie.

Recently, the Museum opened its exhibit entitled, "Action and Action Now: FDR’s First 100 Days." The exhibit is fantastic, and details the foundations of the New Deal. Many analogies have been made between the nation inherited by FDR in the throes of the Great Depression and the nation that Barack Obama is about to inherit, struggling with a global financial crisis. Though this exhibit in Hyde Park doesn't draw the comparison directly, it certainly poses the question implicitly: is our situation today so different from the one faced 80 years ago? This question has recently been posed by many scholars and political pundits.

The exhibit has been generating rave reviews, and rightfully so. Go check it out the FDR estate when you visit Vassar!

Huffington Post

I was so excited to have been offered the opportunity to write for the Huffington Post. The Post is one of the most widely viewed online newspapers in the country, and its blogs deal with political and cultural news of all sorts.

Check out my article, "Higher Education Will Struggle Through the Recession," here.

I wrote about the effects of the economic downturn on higher education. Like all businesses, institutions and individuals, colleges across the country are being hit by the recession. But with lots of discussion, creativity and ingenuity, I'm confident that Vassar—and maybe even a couple of its peer institutions—will make it through the crisis.

My Twenty-First!

Sunday was my 21st birthday! I know what you're thinking—Sunday is a pretty awful day to have a 21st birthday party. I had classes the next morning, and two papers due that week. Fortunately, my friends made it a day to remember... About two years ago when we were freshmen, my closest group of friends promised that they would take me out for my first legal drink, since I would be the first among us to turn 21. But in return, they made me promise to choose a special drink - something festive.

Sure enough, I ended up getting a delicious piña colada from UNOs Chicago Grill, a great restaurant within walking distance of Vassar. We got some festive appetizers and some more delicious drinks, and had a grand old time. It might have been more fun if my birthday had been on a Friday or Saturday night, but I'll take what I can get!