Walkway Over the Hudson

The Walkway Over the Hudson, the largest pedestrian bridge in the world, is one of many attractions in Vassar's backyard. Meet two friends of mine -- Ruby Cramer '12 and Tanay Tatum '12, both student government leaders -- as they take a stroll over the bridge. The Walkway opened at the beginning of my senior year in the fall of 2009; you couldn't imagine a more beautiful perch from which to see the rainbow of autumn leaves change color. In its first year alone, the bridge attracted nearly 500,000 visitors.

Paintings of historic Vassar buildings arrive in All-Campus Dining Center

Next time you're grabbing dinner in the All-Campus Dining Center, be sure to check out ten stunning oil paintings of historic Vassar buildings. Vassar is renowned for having one of the world's most beautiful collegiate campuses, with architectural styles ranging from Georgian to Gothic Revival to Modern. These oil paintings, hung in honor of the College's 150th Anniversary in 2011, commemorate some of the campus's most magical places and spaces. Below, here's a glimpse of Rockefeller Hall and Skinner Hall:

View all of the paintings on Flickr.

Follow the Vassar Student Association (VSA) on Twitter!

Want to keep track of daily life at Vassar? Follow the Vassar Student Association (VSA) -- Vassar's student government -- on Twitter. This brand new Twitter page will keep you up-to-date on official Vassar happenings. The elected representatives on the VSA are responsible for virtually all student activities on campus, from lectures and conferences to concerts and movie screenings. Learn more about the student government on the VSA's Web site!

Craving more #Vassarsocialmedia? Here's a list of Vassar's many information sources, including newsletters, RSS feeds, Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.

Quite the Weekend

Last weekend was an odd mixture of panic and fun.

My history thesis was due on Monday afternoon. The History Department, like many departments, requires a lengthy senior thesis as the culminating project for majors. My topic is on the arguments against sanitary reform in Victorian London. (The topic is way more interesting than it sounds, I promise!). The thesis is quite the project, involving more than a year of writing and research under the close supervision of a member of the Department. But after much stress, and many rewrites, it's finally complete! Definitely a weight off my shoulders.

Now for the fun part. Vassar hosted The Flaming Lips, the world-renowned band! The place was packed with about 3500 people—students, faculty, administrators, and Poughkeepsie residents. There was even a group of prospective students!

I went to the concert with the VSA Executive Board, stopping first at one of our favorite Chinese places downtown. After spending a year with these five incredible student leaders, I realize how much I'm going to miss them. As we ordered every spicy chicken dish on the menu, we looked around and realized how close graduation really was... More on my nostalgia in future posts!

Anyway, when we got to the concert, we met up with Ruby Cramer, the Editor in Chief of The Miscellany News (Vassar's student newspaper since 1866). Ruby and I have been close friends for nearly two years; she was Features Editor while I was Editor in Chief last year. She's absolutely brilliant—one of the most articulate writers, strategic thinkers, and accomplished people you can imagine. She knows how to get from Point A to Point Z. She's the quintessential New Yorker, and exactly the type of personality Vassar strives to graduate. It's a weird feeling, but I know deep down that the two of us will remain close for the rest of our lives.

And so, a typical Vassar weekend. A mix of hardcore academics, Library emersion, famous performers, and lifelong friends. For seniors, all of those events are mixed with a twist of nostalgia, a hint of loss, and a healthy dose of excitement for what's to come.

Faculty-Student Basketball Game!

Check out these highlights from the Faculty-Student Basketball Game! The Vassar Student Association (Vassar's student government) organized the game in conjunction with Chris Roellke, Dean of the College. It was an amazing night that brought more than 1,200 students, faculty, alumni, trustees, and staff to the Athletics and Fitness Center. This event served as a fundraiser for the Senior Class Gift, of which I'm Co-Chair. (Our Gift is the 2010 Endowed Scholarship Fund -- the first student-generated endowment in Vassar's history!).

Read more about this incredible event in the Miscellany News, Vassar's student newspaper.

2010 Endowed Scholarship Fund

Why We Gave: The 2010 Endowed Scholarship Fund from Vassar Student Association on Vimeo.

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.