Today is Founder's Day! Founder's Day is one of our oldest and most exciting traditions, which began as a surprise birthday party for the College's Founder, Matthew Vassar. No blog post can quite do it justice, but I'll explain it as best as I can: On the first Saturday in May, the entire College becomes a gigantic carnival, complete with live music, dancing, rides, inflatables, free food, and prizes. People flock out of the Library, stop studying for finals, put down their unfinished theses, and just play for hours on end.
Professors and staff come too, and the entire College community gathers around to celebrate Vassar's past, present and future. Even alumni attend, often bringing their families. This afternoon, I met a man who had graduated from Vassar in the 1980s. While waiting for his wife and children to make their way through one of the bouncy castles, he told me about his own memories of Founder's Day. It's pretty cool how this one day can unite people from all different stages of the College's history.
The tradition began on April 29, 1866 (Matthew Vassar's 74th birthday), when then-President Raymond organized a day of surprise festivities. Students greeted the Founder with cheers and songs. After the excitement, Vassar, with tears of joy in his eyes, is thought to have said that "This one event has paid me for every cent I have spent for the College." Though Vassar passed away two years later, the event has lived on for nearly 150 years; by tradition, the President of the College leads a toast to the Founder to begin the day's events.
I had SUCH a great time. My friends and I went early and got free candy and balloon animals. We also went on this funky spinning ride. Then we listened to Lola Bluegrass, this crazy singer from Vermont, who kept dancing around and rolling down hills. She was a little nuts. She said she's going to the fireworks tonight (in just a couple hours!) so maybe I'll see her there. Anyway, Founder's Day 2008 was WONDERFUL!
Happy Birthday, Matt!
PS - Read about this year's Founder's Day in The Miscellany News here!
http://misc.vassar.edu/archives/2008/05/founders_day_pr.html
1 comment:
Hi Brian!
Just wanted to say that I enjoy reading your blog every week. I can't wait to come to Vassar next fall. Founder's Day sounds really cool.
The Misc sounds like something I'd be interested in -- I'm currently an editor for my high school paper. Actually, I'm in the office right now working on an excellently organized French paper. Better get back to it! See you next fall, I presume.
Yours truly, Desmond
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