Final Exam Season

Two exams in the next two days! Oh dear... Like most Vassar students, I'll be burrowing in the snow-covered Library for the foreseeable future.

And then once those exams are complete, I'll finish up my Constitutional Theory term paper on recent affirmative action cases involving undergraduate admissions offices. My teacher is Luke Charles Harris, a brilliant professor who is also the founder of the African American Policy Forum, a leading national think tank.

And after that, just some remaining student government work, some dorm cleaning, and then... freedom! Winter Break is almost here...

Albrecht Dürer: Impressions of the Renaissance

Throughout my career as a student, I have been head-over-heals in love with history. I am a History major at Vassar, and basically live in Swift Hall, the Department's colonial-style home. But I have also had a secret affair, a clandestine crush, and secondary academic mistress. Her name? Art History. In high school, I took an amazing AP Art History course, and absolutely fell in love. As soon as my teacher turned on the projector and the slide image of the caves of Lascaux popped up, I was hooked.

Alas, a few too many people in the "real world" discouraged my passion. On the blogs, Art History routinely tops the list of the world's most "useless" and "worthless" majors. Sigh.

Fortunately, Vassar inspires students like myself to cultivate my passions. Although I am a major in History (and double in Political Science), I can also maintain my quirky, fun, and fascinating minor in Art History.

And Vassar's Art History Department is one of the best in the world. We have world-class art historians, famous in their areas of expertise. We also have one of the world's finest college art museums in the United States — The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. Our collections include more than 18,000 works of painting, drawing, sculpture and tapestry. It includes Picasso, Rembrandt, O'Keeffe, and Matisse.

And now, with the opening of Albrect Durer: Impressions of the Renaissance, we can see Vassar's incredible collection of Durer and his incomparable Northern Renaissance work.

Midterms!

Midterms have taken hold of the Vassar campus... The usual hustle and bustle of the College has given way to the quiet noise of flipping textbook pages and rapidly typing fingers. The Library is overrun with students, busily writing and researching.

Right now, I'm studying for my Medieval Architecture midterm exam. The class is one of my favorites this semester. Our professor, Andrew Tallon, is one of the most dynamic teachers I've had during my Vassar career. He constructs 3D digital models of each building we study, and the class 'flies' through to view details of architectural features. While some architecture classes only show black-and-white plans of buildings, this class incorporates full color images, movies, and music to get the 'full' experience of an architectural space. For a tech geek like me, I love the use of technology in the classroom. Now it's just a matter of learning about Medieval monastic culture and Carolingian political life... Once this midterm is over, I'll begin working on other assignments due after October Break.

Which reminds me: only three days until Break!

Pete Seeger!

Vassar attracts incredible performers, speakers and intellectuals. This weekend was no exception. Legendary singer Pete Seeger—leader of the American folk music revival and key player of the Civil Rights Movement—performed yesterday at Vassar. The concert was indescribable. The entire Vassar community sat around our beautiful College Chapel and sang along. Seeger has written some of the most well-known songs of the 1950s and 60s, including "If I Had a Hammer" and "Turn Turn Turn." He's also famous for his children's music, which he performed with his usual joyful energy.

Seeger, who has lived his life in the Hudson Valley, was here to celebrate our art museum's newest exhibit, Drawn By New York from the New York Historical Society. The weekend was incredible, and I am about to download some Pete Seeger on iTunes.

Exploring the Hudson Valley

When prospective students consider colleges, countless factors weigh on their minds. Average class size? Depth and breadth of the curriculum? Employment/professional/graduate school prospects? Vassar has all these areas covered pretty well. Our student:faculty ration is 8:1, one of the best ratios of any of our peer schools. Our curriculum is broad and diverse; students choose among 29 departments, 6 interdisciplinary programs, 12 multidisciplinary programs, 51 majors, and 1,000 courses. And our employment prospects are excellent as well, as are our admission statistics to top law and medical schools.

But another topic lingers on the minds of prospective students: Location, location, location. Poughkeepsie? What’s that? Where’s that? Is it close to the city? Some prospectives that I’ve spoken to fear that it’s not enough of a “college town” and that there’s not enough to do in the area surrounding Vassar.

Current Vassar students can quickly dispel these rumors. They know that 1) there is more to do on campus than anyone can possibly imagine, and 2) the local area is teeming with activity. Walking right outside Vassar’s gates takes one to the center of the Arlington Business District—a quaint and artsy area with colorful boutiques, amazing restaurants, and all sorts of services (HSBC, Bank of America, a large post office, etc). Venturing beyond walking distance, students have the entire Hudson Valley at their disposal. Unbelievable historic, cultural, and natural attractions await visitors. Best of all: most museums and sites have major discounts for students.

To help students navigate the outstanding resources in the area, the Vassar Student Association launched Exploring the Hudson Valley. It’s a wonderful resource for prospectives as well, since it will disprove many of the myths that nothing goes on “upstate.”

Is Poughkeepsie like New York City? Take it from a native New Yorker; it’s certainly not. Will I be a life-ling Manhattanite? Naturally. But that definitely does not mean that the area around Vassar is boring. The Town of Poughkeepsie, along with the wider Hudson Valley, is a thriving community with all sorts of businesses and cultural sites just waiting to be explored.

Fall Convocation, take four

(image courtesy of The Miscellany News)

The sense of community at Vassar is rarely stronger than Fall and Spring Convocation. Twice each year, the community gathers to mark the official beginning and end of the academic year. Faculty, alumni, and students come together to listen to beautiful choral music, see long academic processionals, and hear from the President of the College and the President of the Student Association.

Usually, the event is geared toward seniors and freshmen—two classes at opposite ends of their Vassar experience. But I'll admit it; I'm a dork. I've gone to every Convocation since my first year. I usually am successful in dragging my friends along, but truth be told, I'd be there anyway. I just love the sense of tradition and community.

This year, though, was unique. For the first time, my own class marched through the Chapel in our academic dress. Hard to believe. I've seen three other classes do it, and somehow never quite imagined that black gown on myself. But alongside my friends, we processed around campus in anticipation of Commencement.

The Miscellany News, our student newspaper since 1866, produced a wonderful video slideshow of Fall Convocation. If you're curious to see some images and hear segments of the speeches, check this out:

Audio slideshow!

What's on campus?

Vassar has a constant buzz. With 2450 students and nearly 130 student organizations, plus 40+ academic departments and programs, a world-class museum, and 27 varsity sports, there is always an incredible amount to do on campus. Every day of the week, there are dozens of activities to choose from. The hard part is deciding what to do.

Well, this year, that choice has become a little bit easier. Vassar's new InfoSite puts all of the information in one synthesized place. Though it's only been running for a week or so, everyone at the College is thrilled to have their news and calendars coordinated. If you're curious about Vassar events, make the InfoSite your homepage -- maybe something will catch your eye.

Cambridge University

Greetings from Cambridge University! This summer, I made the leap from VC to the UK, studying British history at one of the world's oldest universities.

Although I miss my one true love — Vassar — it's so interesting to see how another school operates. Cambridge is celebrating it's 800th birthday in 2009. Hard to imagine that a single institution has survived and thrived for nearly a millennium. Walking around the campus, it's easy to see and feel that age. There is history everywhere. Across the street from one of my friend's dormitory is the first English church to break away from Catholicism and embrace Protestantism in the early 16th century. To the left of my other friend's dormitory is Charles Darwin's old apartment from when he was a Cambridge student. In the center of town is The Eagle, a small English pub where students drafted into the War in the 1940s would inscribe their names onto the wall. It's hard to take a walk through the quaint college town of Cambridge without finding some sort of national landmark or historic site. For a nerdy history major like me, it's hard to imagine a better place to spend the summer!

The experience of studying abroad is incredible, and certainly one I would recommend to incoming students. Because of my role as Editor of The Miscellany News this past year, I wasn't able to spend a semester of the academic year abroad. Thankfully, our International Programs Office gave me some excellent advice on places to study for the summer. For more information on Vassar's support for international programs, check out the study abroad Web site. Vassar students literally study across the globe, from Europe to Latin America to Sub-Saharan Africa. The College has a great support network of staff and alumnae/i to help ease any culture shock and give you a taste of home.

Beginnings and Ends

The life of the Vassar campus goes in cycles. There's the normal buzz of the academic year, the migration to the Library around finals, and then the mass exodus shortly thereafter. There's the anticipatory hum of Senior Week, and then the explosion of sights and sounds of Commencement. Literally thousands of family members, friends and loved ones descend onto the Poughkeepsie campus, take their seats on the Outdoor Amphitheater, and watch their sons and daughters receive their Latin-inscribed diplomas.

But then, just hours after the eruption of graduation is over and President Hill hands out her final leather-clad degree, a sudden quiet falls over the campus once again. The crowds are gone, the tents are coming down, and the freshly-mowed lawns are empty; the campus is settling into the summer to await the next Vassar class.

I had the pleasure of meeting some members of the Class of 2013 at a gathering in New York City. As I watched them play frisbee in Central Park, eat their sandwiches on the Great Lawn, and discuss their intended majors and careers, I couldn't help but remember my own NYC meet-up just three years ago. And then my mind drifted the the pre-Vassar meetings that probably occurred 50 years ago, and the ones that will occur 50 years from now.

I've attended each graduation since I was a high school senior -- four in total so far. Next year I will graduate myself, which is hard to imagine. Vassar has become such a central part of my life, and I've gotten so accustomed to seeing others walk across that stage, shake the President's hand, and walk on with their diploma. The thought of doing that myself is unimaginable. Hopefully my attitude will change within the next year. Vassar students always say that they enjoy their senior year more than all of their other college years combined.

Life at Vassar -- which will turn 150 in 2011 -- is cyclical. The campus is filled with rich tradition and countless stories. Commencement always makes me look backward and forward on the school I love. The players change, but the game remains the same. Life at Vassar is cyclical.

Green Haven Prison Reunion brings together past and present participants from Vassar, prisons

Green Haven Reunion from The Miscellany News on Vimeo.

One of Vassar's many unique academic programs involves the Green Haven Prison. For three decades, the College's Africana Studies and Sociology programs have allowed students to study the prison system from all angles. Students are able to travel to local prisons, and talk to incarcerated individuals about their experiences. Check out this video about the program!

Keep them coming!

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for all of the thoughtful questions about Vassar. I hope that my answers are helping to clarify your colleges choices this April.

I'm receiving dozens and dozens of e-mails from prospective students each day, so I might be falling a little behind! I will usually respond to your questions within 36 hours of receiving them (unless I need to do some additional research to get the answers). In the mean time, check out some of my "Reader questions" posted below. In this section, I post general answers to some of the more common or interesting questions that I receive.

Thanks for reading and for considering Vassar! It's an amazing place. Keep your terrific questions coming!

Brian

Reader question: How will Vassar prepare me for law school?

"You're pre-law. How does that work at Vassar? Are many students there pre-law? What is that like in a liberal arts setting? Is there coursework at Vassar to prepare me for top-level law schools?"

Good question! I am indeed pre-law. When I entered Vassar, I knew for sure that there were two subjects I wanted to pursue: history and legal studies. But as a prospective student, I quickly realized that very few undergraduate institutions offer legal studies as a major (or even as a department). Even the idea of "pre-law" seemed very confusing; if there's no "law" department, how can one prepare oneself for law school?

As it turns out, law schools do not give priority to students with degrees in "Law and Society" or "Legal Studies." One admissions counselor that I spoke with even said that these types of pseudo-law majors were looked down upon by many top law schools. "You'll learn about the law in law school," he told me. "While you're still an undergraduate, law schools want you to focus on critical thinking, close reading and deep research." Translation: don't worry about seeking out a college that offers you tons of coursework in legal studies.

The way that pre-law works at Vassar (and at most other small liberal arts colleges) is that "pre-law" is not itself a major. "Pre-law" is nothing official; it simply means that you are a student interested in law school. Unlike pre-med, there are no specific courses that you must take in order to be considered. To be competitive, students hoping to attend medical school are required to take specific classes in biology, chemistry and mathematics. But students going for law school have much more open-ended options. A Vassar graduate last year who went to Georgetown Law was an Art History major; another alumnus who went to Yale Law was an Anthropology major; my friend Andrew is an Economics major who will be attending University of Maryland School of Law in the fall.

The bottom line: as you choose your undergraduate college this April, don't focus on which school has the most legal-sounding major. It won't make your application stand out; in fact, it may make you look single-minded or not well-rounded. Instead, find a subject that you really enjoy. Pre-law students tend to gravitate toward Economics, English, History, Political Science and Sociology—but you certainly don't have to limit yourself.

With that said, Vassar does offer many courses that explore the law and legal issues. Though these classes won't necessarily ensure that you're admitted to the top law schools, they will give you experience in asking legal questions, and they might help you decide whether law is right for you.

Here are just some examples of law-related courses that Vassar offers from the Catalogue:

Economics 238, Law and Economics: This course uses economics to analyze legal rules and institutions. The primary focus is on the classic areas of common law: property, contracts, and torts. Some time is also spent on criminal law and/or constitutional law (e.g., voting, public choice, and administration). Much attention is paid to developing formal models to analyze conflict and bargaining, and applying those models to specific cases. Topics include the allocation of rights, legal remedies, bargaining and transaction costs, regulation versus liability, uncertainty, and the litigation process. Time permitting, the course may also include discussion of gun control, the death penalty, federalism, and competition among jurisdictions.

Economics 275, Money and Banking: Money and Banking covers the structure of financial institutions, their role in the provision of money and credit, and the overall importance of these institutions in the economy. The course includes discussion of money, interest rates, financial market structure, bank operations and regulation, and the structure of the banking sector. The course also covers central banks, monetary policy, and international exchange as it relates to monetary policy and the banking sector. The ultimate goal is to provide a deeper understanding of the structure of financial markets, the reasons why it is optimal for these markets to be well functioning, and the key barriers to this optimal outcome.

Earth Science 111, Environmental Justice: Exploration of the roles that race, gender, and class play in contemporary environmental issues and the geology that underlies them. Examination of the power of governments, corporations and science to influence the physical and human environment. We critique the traditional environmental movement, study cases of environmental racism, and appreciate how basic geological knowledge can assist communities in creating healthful surroundings. Examples come from urban and rural settings in the United States and abroad and are informed by feminist analysis.

Political Science 242, Law, Justice and Politics: An analysis of the interrelationships between law and politics in civil and criminal spheres in the United States, focusing on the role of the police, courtroom participants, and prison officials. Special emphasis is given to decision making in criminal law at the local level—e.g., pretrial negotiations, bail, and sentencing.

Political Science 243, Constitutional Law: Leading decisions of the Supreme Court interpreting the Constitution of the United States, with special reference to the powers of government and the rights of individuals.

Political Science 314, The Politics of the Public and the Private: This course examines the political significance of public and private in the contemporary US. Theoretical arguments as well as specific issues and contexts within which debates about public and private unfold are analyzed. Of particular thematic concern is, the privatization of governmental responsibilities and the "public" and "private" rights claims of individuals and communities. Among the issues studied are privatization of the US military and prisons, gated and other "private" communities and their relationship to the larger political communities within which they exist, intellectual property and the public domain, and the "privacy" of personal decisions.

Political Science 343, Seminar on Constitutional Theory: This seminar focuses on some core problems pertaining to constitutional interpretation, examining questions of constitutional theory and interpretation as they relate to issues of equality and full citizenship. The course discusses the nature and function of the Constitution, explores theories about how the Constitution should be interpreted, and examines the methods that interpreters use to decipher the meanings of constitutional provisions. These concerns are addressed by focusing on various dimensions of constitutional theories and decisions pertaining to questions related to anti-discrimination law. Some of the issues covered include standards of judicial review, Supreme Court interpretations of equal protection, the constitutional protection of groups as well as individuals, and the appropriateness of constitutional protections rooted in color-blind and gender-blind principles.

Political Science 385, Families, Politics and the Law: This course examines emerging perspectives on family forms and state regulation of families that have appeared in response to such developments as same-sex marriage and parenting; multi-racial families created by intermarriage and by transracial and intercountry adoption; increasing numbers of single-parent households; and reproductive technologies that enable people to procreate by using donated eggs and sperm and/or hired gestational service (and in the future, perhaps, by cloning). The course explores these issues from the perspective of theories of social justice that put concerns of race, economic class, and gender at the center of their analysis.

Political Science 388, Intellectual Property Law: This course examines the legal and theoretical foundations of domestic, international and transnational intellectual property law regimes. In covering the areas of patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and espionage law, as well as their intermingled legislative histories, students gain in-depth knowledge of the prevailing domestic doctrines, as well as an understanding of how contemporary national policy is woven into international treaties and structures of transnational governance.

Sociology 236, Imprisonment and the Prisoner: What is the history of the prisoner? Who becomes a prisoner and what does the prisoner become once incarcerated? What is the relationship between crime and punishment? Focusing on the (global) prison industrial complex, this course critically interrogates the massive and increasing numbers of people imprisoned in the United States and around the world. The primary focus of this course is the prisoner and on the movement to abolish imprisonment as we know it. Topics covered in this course include: racial and gender inequality, the relationship between imprisonment and slavery, social death, the prisoner of war (POW), migrant incarceration, as well as prisoner resistance and rebellion. Students also come away from the course with a complex understanding of penal abolition and alternative models of justice

Sociology 240, Law and Society: Law is analyzed in its social context focusing on the relationship between law and social control, and law and social change. Topics discussed include psychiatry and the law, Blacks and the law, and women and the law. The criminal justice system is examined in a comparative framework, emphasizing the role of judges, juries, and particularly lawyers, in society.

I know many Vassar students who plan on attending law school after graduation. And our applicants have shown to have about a 15 percent statistical advantage over the national average for admission. After nearly three years here, I'm confident that Vassar is teaching the intense critical thinking and writing skills demanded of law students.

Reader question: What are Vassar's "strongest" academic departments?

"I was admitted to Vassar! But as I choose between the 'VC Brewers' and several other schools, I'm wondering which academic departments are strongest and weakest. Any insights?"

As perspective students make their college decisions throughout April, they consider each institution's strongest programs. One of the most common questions that I receive asks about Vassar's "best" departments.

The good news about Vassar: there are no weak departments. Each department (or multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary program) is comprised of numerous outstanding faculty members. Are some professors weaker than others? Of course. Have I regretted taking classes with a couple of tiresome or overly-difficult professors? You bet. And one student's inspirational teacher might be another student's worst nightmare. But it's important to remember that you would find these situations at any college, be it Swarthmore, Vassar or Brown. As my adviser in high school once told my friends, "Not every teacher is meant for every student."

What's great about Vassar, though, is that excellence in teaching is universally prized across departments; it's not simply "publish or perish" where the famous professors who write streams of books are automatically awarded tenure. Though we certainly have well-published and accomplished professors (my history professor Bob Brigham is one example), our faculty generally place their teaching above all else. Bob is a commanding lecturer and leads incisive class discussions -- in addition to being a prolific author on Vietnam and Iraq. Unlike at many larger universities, the two are not mutually exclusive. Teachers are evaluated by students at the end of each semester. Those evaluations contribute directly to tenure decisions.

Now of course, some departments at Vassar are especially well known, partly for their size and partly for the success of the graduates they produce. Anecdotally, the College is known for its programs in Art History, Astronomy, Biology, Economics, English, Drama, History, and Political Science. All of these are among the most popular disciplines at Vassar -- the more popular a major is, the larger the faculty will become, and the wider the breadth and depth of the curriculum. More broadly, we have one of the lowest student:faculty ratios in the country (9:1), which virtually guarantees one-on-one attention regardless of your choice of major.

The take-home message: I've never encountered a 'weak' department here. Whatever your chosen discipline, you'll be intellectually stimulated here at Vassar. I encourage prospective students curious for more detail to look through the 2009-10 Course Catalogue.

Reader Question: Student government at Vassar?

"I'm really interested in student government, but at my high school, it's sort of a joke. My class council meets about once each month to plan a party and never really accomplishes anything. What is student government like at Vassar?"


It's the perennial story; a hopeful, energetic high school student runs for their school's government with the hope of making a difference, only to be rebuffed by their principal or their teachers. The student is discouraged, condemned to a political career of party planning and having discussions that never lead to policy changes.

When you come to Vassar, all of this will change.

The Vassar Student Association (VSA)—the College's student government—is a large, effective and powerful conduit for policy making. As editor of our school's newspaper, I am well-acquainted with both the public and behind-the-scenes work of VSA representatives, and can attest first-hand that they hold an important place in policy making at Vassar. Our College works on a system of joint governance. This means that most changes to the curriculum, to student life, or to Vassar in general will be vetted through faculty, staff, students, administrators, and sometimes alumnae/i. These constituencies all have a stake—and a say—in the decisions of the College.

So how does our student government work? Unlike in high school, it's a fairly complicated system. It's not just a president, secretary and treasurer; there are dozens of elected positions with specific responsibilities and constituencies. The central governing body is the VSA Council, comprised of about 25 representatives. Each student at Vassar is represented on that Council by their Class President (for example, the Class of 2010) and their House President (for example, the President of Jewett House). Students are also represented by the six members of the VSA Executive Board, who lead the Council in discussions and policy-making. Each of those six students has a particular area of focus—student life, academics, activities, etc. And then there is the VSA President (basically the student body president) who coordinated the Executive Board and Council. The Executive Board meets regularly with the President and Deans of Vassar, dealing with a host of issues.

Beyond the Council, students are elected at large to sit on joint committees. Students sit right beside faculty and administrators, with equal vote, and make really important policies. One recent example from the Master Planning Committee is their Landscape Master Plan Proposal. A landscape master plan is an plan that unfolds over decades, moving roadways and streamlining and unifying a geographic area. Students worked with the landscaping firm, made suggestions, and voted to adopt the plan. Now how often did your high school student government get the redesign the entire school's campus?

As you can see, our VSA is a dynamic and widespread group. It will not be like your experience in high school, I assure you. At Vassar, students are routinely empowered to make important decisions on behalf of the institution.

To learn more, watch this video about last year's VSA President, Sam Charner '08:

Sustainability and Composting at Vassar

Vassar, Greenway work to improve sustainability.

When it comes to sustainability, composting is not a sexy issue. Futuristic wind turbines, shiny solar panels, and anything proceeded by the word "green" seem to take center stage in the national media. But many environmentalists agree that composting is another crucial activity to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Vassar is working hard to close its carbon footprint, and has an extremely strong composting program. Our student government is working to expand that program to the Retreat (one of the most popular dining facilities on campus). As you can see in the video, a company called Greenway, which currently manages Vassar's composting, did an "audit" there a few weeks ago to study how their system might work in that facility. Students and faculty are optimistic that our composting endeavors will successfully expand within a year.

To learn more about the College's efforts at sustainable food solutions, check out the Campus Dining site. And to learn more about Vassar's academic programs about the world around us, read about our popular Environmental Studies Program.

Reader Question: Double Majoring at Vassar?

Every week, I field many e-mails from prospective students who want to learn more about Vassar. Those questions are always so well thought-out and incisive, that I think other perspective students might benefit from reading them. So, in addition to answering those questions individually, I'll start to post some of them here as well.

Last week, I received an e-mail from a prospective student asking me to explain the process of double majoring at Vassar. "There are two subjects I'm really interested in," he wrote, "Biology and Economics. I know those two are worlds apart, but is it possible to study both (and major in both) at Vassar?"

The short answer: absolutely! Will it be more difficult? Sure. Will you have slightly more work and less free time? Yup. But is it possible? Definitely. In fact, many Vassar students (myself included) are double majors.

On my tour of Vassar as a high school student, I remember vividly something that the student tour guide said: "Vassar is a place where everyone has countless, equally intense interests. It's a place where your friends will be pre-med with a major in Art History, or looking to earn an MBA but also take a dozen literature courses." He continued, "And that's the great thing about Vassar; you never have to limit yourself."

After nearly three years at Vassar, I couldn't agree with him more. Double majoring is fairly common here. Some people, like me, double major in subjects that are semi-related. Since my first week of my first year at the College, I knew that I wanted to major in both History and Political Science. The two disciplines have obvious overlaps in terms of writing style and subject matter. Often, I will learn more about history in a poli sci course, or more about politics in a history course. They complement one another. Similarly, I know students who are majoring in other related subjects, like Biology/Chemistry, Economics/Mathematics, or Film/Media Studies.

Other, more adventurous students, however, will major in seemingly unrelated disciplines—Economics/Music, Physics/French, Biology/Drama. On average, I would say that each major requires about 12 total courses over your four years (in which you will take a minimum of 32 courses). How you choose to allocate those courses is left to each student's discretion.

I would also add that disciplines that appear on first glance to be unrelated might actually complement each other in exciting ways. My freshmen year, I met a someone double majoring in History and Media Studies. Why? He wanted to work for the History Channel. Consider someone this year majoring in Economics and Chinese. Why? To give himself the option of doing business in Asian markets.

So, getting back to your original question, it is absolutely possible to major in Biology and Economics. Whether you're looking to combine those two disciplines (say, by pursuing a career in the bio-pharmaceuticals industry) or whether you're interested in studying them separately, you will have the option of doing both at Vassar. That said, I would encourage anyone interested in double majoring to review the specific requirements for each department. You might find, for example, that both disciplines require a senior thesis, and doing two theses in a single year might prove very difficult. Those are issues to think over and discuss with your academic advisor once you get here in the fall.

Keep e-mailing me those questions! (brfarkas@vassar.edu)

Watch an exclusive tour of the new Davison House construction

Progress continues in the renovation of Davision House from The Miscellany News.


The Miscellany News is really making a concerted effort to produce multimedia each week to enhance our coverage of the Vassar campus.

Check out the video above, our second tour of Davison House this year. Davison, one of Vassar's nine primary dormitories, is undergoing a $19 million renovation. Walking through the construction site, I could really see a unique blend of old and new. In fact, the Project Manager showed us a fluted iron column (modeled after a Greek temple-style column) that had not been seen since Davison was first built in 1902. Interestingly, high-speed ethernet cables were being installed right behind this antique monument. How times have changed!

For an even longer look at what Vassar's newest dormitory will look like, check out the Miscellany's first video tour of Davison from November.

Watch Vassar's Men's Tennis team discuss recent success

Men's tennis nets victory against Coast Guard from The Miscellany News.

"Vassar and Progressive Politics"

Tonight I attended a really amazing lecture by Robyn Muncy, a historian at the University of Maryland. The talk centered on Josephine Roche, Vassar Class of 1908, and the liberal politics and strong background in the social sciences that she acquired at Vassar. A tireless activist for rights of workers, Roche dedicated her life to proving that better living conditions were good business and that there were practical, effective ways to help people. According to the Vassar Encyclopedia:

Plunging into Vassar life, Roche debated with Qui Vive, visited slum settlements in Poughkeepsie, joined the basketball and track clubs and was a double major in Economics and Classics. Abigail Leach (Greek) and Herbert Mills (Economics) were among her teachers, and her yearbook quotation sums up her time at Vassar: she was “cheerful and happy in the prospect of having almost more to do that day than she could possibly accomplish.”

Despite a conservative, violently anti-union father, she embraced the liberal social and economic thought of the day – learning at Vassar about the benefits of trade unionism, minimum working and living standards and active involvement in the political process. Following commencement, Roche moved to New York City and entered Columbia University to pursue a Masters in Social Work (received in 1910). Between 1910-12, Roche investigated the conditions of working children and immigrants for the Russell Sage Foundation and Columbia and directed evening classes at the pioneering social service agency, Greenwich House.

Roche’s family moved to Denver in 1908, and in October 1912 Roche left New York to become Denver’s first policewoman. As Inspector of Amusements, she supervised public dance halls and cafes and cleaned up the Red Light district – taking girls home to their families. In a battle with entrenched business interests, Roche and her boss, Commissioner Creel, were fired in early 1913. Community pressure obtained her reinstatement but official non-cooperation led to her resignation in August 1913.

In 1915, President Hoover appointed Roche Special Agent of England and the United States for the Commission for Relief in Belgium. It was the first of many governmental appointments... On the death of her father, in January 1927, Roche inherited his 40% interest in the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company. At the time, the company and the United Mine Workers were engaged in a bitter strike over higher pay and better working conditions. By November, 90% of the mines in Colorado were on strike and 6 miners had died in the Columbine Massacre at a Rocky Mountain Fuel Company mine.

In 1934 Roche ran for governor of Colorado on the motto: “Roosevelt + Roche = Recovery.” She lost the Democratic primary to the incumbent governor by 10,000 votes. In Nov. 1934, she joined FDR in Washington as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. “The baby member of the Brain Trust," Roche was in charge of the Public Health Service, Chair of the advisory board of the National Youth Administration and a participant in the committees formulating Social Security.

In 1937, Roche returned to the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company, commuting regularly, however, to Washington to chair the National Health Conference and the Interdepartmental Committee to Coordinate Health and Welfare Activities, groups that worked tirelessly for federal health subsidies and a broad government health plan for all US citizens.

The RMFC closed in 1944 and Roche, who had become President of the National Consumers League in 1940, joined John L. Lewis and the United Mine Workers in 1948 as Executive Director and neutral trustee of the United Mine Workers’ Welfare and Retirement Fund. Funded by the mining companies, the fund provided health care, disability pensions and pensions to miners’ widows. During the 24 years of her administration, the Fund collected $2.5 billion and paid out $1.2 billion in pensions and $900 million in medical care for miners and their families, via an extensive network of hospitals and clinics.

Muncy is one of those historians who can just command an audience, more of a storyteller than a stodgy academic. She came to my American Century class today, so we had the chance to meet her before the evening's lecture. Miriam Cohen, our professor, has been taking us through the politics of the Progressive Party, which was formed by Teddy Roosevelt in 1912. Muncy talked about her research on the Progressive Era, and the unique role that Vassar College played in producing social reformers in the late-19th and early 20th centuries.

Cambridge!

I just found out that I was accepted to a wonderful summer program at Cambridge University! I'm really excited. The program allows me to study British legal history, along with other British history and political science courses. I'll work closely with a handful of professors (and British students!) and be able to do lots of independent research.

Research in the Cambridge library? A dream come true...

I'm still figuring out my thesis topic for next year. All history majors produce a lengthy senior thesis—a sort of capstone to each student's research experience at Vassar. Perhaps I'll find a topic this summer, buried in some ancient British library. Nothing like digging through ancient archives to put a smile on a history major's face!

Augusten Burroughs is coming to lecture tonight! He's the author of the New York Times bestseller Running with Scissors. All the English majors—and many others—are abuzz, waiting for him to arrive. He has a strong following among college-aged readers.

Hopefully, I'll be able to sneak out of production night for the Miscellany News long enough to catch a glimpse of his speech. I've heard that he's even funnier in person.

This event is part of one of the best Vassar lecture series—the Alex Krieger ‘95 Memorial Lecture, which has previously featured humorists like John Irving, Tom Wolfe, Sarah Vowell, and David Sedaris. I saw David Sedaris when I was visiting Vassar as a high school senior. Last year, Gail Collins (former Editorial Page editor and current columnist for the New York Times) was the speaker. She was incredibly witty, and I got to meet her afterwards in person!

If you're on campus tonight, Burroughs will be in UpCDC at 8:00 pm. Check it out!

A visit to Vassar's Art Center

Last Thursday, I stopped by one of Vassar's greatest resources: the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. Founded in 1864, the museum includes more than 17,000 works of art—enormous compared to many other colleges' museums. The endless collection includes countless treasures: ancient Chinese manuscripts, an Egyptian sarcophagus, and the paintings of notables like Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch and Jackson Pollack, to name just a few recognizable names. 

Last March, 80 of our paintings traveled for 10-months to Japan. The works were exhibited in five major Japanese museums in an acclaimed exhibition entitled Paris–New York: Modernist Painting in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: Masterworks from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College. James Mundy, director of Vassar's museum, helped to organize the exhibition, and felt that it represented the increasing importance of globalization in Vassar's curriculum and in the art world. "A buzzword for the new millennium has been ‘globalization’ and among America’s most important exports is higher education,” said Mundy in an interview with On Campus. The Japanese exhibit coincides with the rapid growth of the Asian Studies program at the College, as well as a new exchange program with the Ochanomizu University in Toyko.

But last week, the 80-plus works happily returned to Poughkeepsie. After my afternoon classes were over, I ducked into the museum to see the returned art first-hand (we had already written about it in The Miscellany News). Just as I remembered them! I don't think I had seen them in person since the first week of my freshmen year, when I wandered over to the museum on a campus exploration. It reminded me that the Art Center is such a unique resource—not ever small liberal arts college also hosts a world-class museum.

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.