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.
Friday, November 14, 2008
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!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Politics
Friday night on a college campus. One thinks of scenes from Animal House or The Greek Life: people partying, carousing, and misbehaving. But Friday night—tonight—at Vassar will be very different.
Literally all of my friends will have their eyes glued to the television for the Presidential Debate. Every dormitory has a large TV room with a huge flat-panel screen. Usually there are just a few quiet couches in front of the TV, where friends occasionally get together in the evening to watch the World Series or The Daily Show. But tonight, the television will be surrounded by rows of chairs, dozens of couches, love-seats, ottomans, tables, stools... you name it.
Vassar is a very political place. Though people often assume that the entire campus is "liberal," I've found a great deal of diversity of opinions here. Tonight will be an exciting opportunity to discuss those ideas with my friends and neighbors, as we sit down to watch Barack Obama and John McCain face off for the first time—assuming McCain actually shows up...
Literally all of my friends will have their eyes glued to the television for the Presidential Debate. Every dormitory has a large TV room with a huge flat-panel screen. Usually there are just a few quiet couches in front of the TV, where friends occasionally get together in the evening to watch the World Series or The Daily Show. But tonight, the television will be surrounded by rows of chairs, dozens of couches, love-seats, ottomans, tables, stools... you name it.
Vassar is a very political place. Though people often assume that the entire campus is "liberal," I've found a great deal of diversity of opinions here. Tonight will be an exciting opportunity to discuss those ideas with my friends and neighbors, as we sit down to watch Barack Obama and John McCain face off for the first time—assuming McCain actually shows up...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Course Selection
My favorite time of any semester at Vassar is the first two weeks. This time, known as "Add/Drop" period, is when students can attend as many classes as they like and 'experiment' before settling down into a final schedule. No one takes advantage of this shopping period more than I do. In the past two weeks, I have visited more than 25 different classes, even though I knew I would only end up taking four or five. Some of my friends think I am little nuts for voluntarily sitting through so many seminars and lectures for two weeks, hour after hour, even for courses that I likely would never take.
So why do I do this? Why do I enjoy Add/Drop period so much? Going to those classes, even the ones that I know I will never take, I get dozens of perspectives on learning at Vassar. I get to see dozens of teachers in action. I get to see what goes on in a geography class, a classics class, a psychology class—even though my primary areas of studies are totally removed from these disciplines. Professors almost always distribute their syllabi on the first day, which means I get a free window onto entire courses that I would otherwise never see. In my room, I have a drawer full of syllabi, all from classes that I never have (and probably never will) take. But if I ever wanted to learn about Developmental Psychology or Dostoyevsky, I now have comprehensive lists of books and readings.
I'm not a very adventurous person when it comes to course selection. I know exactly the types of professors that I like and exactly the types of books I like to learn from. Many people are far riskier than I when it comes to course selection (one friend is taking a class on Creole Religions; another is taking a course on nanotechnology). I tend to stick to my favorite departments—history, political science and economics. But that doesn't mean that I'm not curious. At Vassar, students routinely audit courses without being enrolled in them. In other words, you are able to hear the lectures, do the readings and participate in the discussions, and not have to worry about stress and grades. Having the flexibility to fine-tune my course list really makes for an excellent semester. And this semester is no different. After much adding and dropping and experimenting, I enrolled in courses on Tokugawa Japan, Childhood in Modern England, the British Empire, the American Presidency, and Charles Dickens.
And now, I had better return to all of the homework I have for those classes...
So why do I do this? Why do I enjoy Add/Drop period so much? Going to those classes, even the ones that I know I will never take, I get dozens of perspectives on learning at Vassar. I get to see dozens of teachers in action. I get to see what goes on in a geography class, a classics class, a psychology class—even though my primary areas of studies are totally removed from these disciplines. Professors almost always distribute their syllabi on the first day, which means I get a free window onto entire courses that I would otherwise never see. In my room, I have a drawer full of syllabi, all from classes that I never have (and probably never will) take. But if I ever wanted to learn about Developmental Psychology or Dostoyevsky, I now have comprehensive lists of books and readings.
I'm not a very adventurous person when it comes to course selection. I know exactly the types of professors that I like and exactly the types of books I like to learn from. Many people are far riskier than I when it comes to course selection (one friend is taking a class on Creole Religions; another is taking a course on nanotechnology). I tend to stick to my favorite departments—history, political science and economics. But that doesn't mean that I'm not curious. At Vassar, students routinely audit courses without being enrolled in them. In other words, you are able to hear the lectures, do the readings and participate in the discussions, and not have to worry about stress and grades. Having the flexibility to fine-tune my course list really makes for an excellent semester. And this semester is no different. After much adding and dropping and experimenting, I enrolled in courses on Tokugawa Japan, Childhood in Modern England, the British Empire, the American Presidency, and Charles Dickens.
And now, I had better return to all of the homework I have for those classes...
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Coming Home to Vassar, and to a new homepage, www.miscellanynews.com
As I unloaded my car this year, I felt a twinge of deja vu. This was not the first, not the second, but the third time that I would be making those multiple voyages between the back of my trunk and my cozy Cushing room. I first moved into Cushing House as a freshman, and continue to live there now. But as I unloaded the boxes and bins, pillows and suitcases, clothing and computer equipment, a small feeling of sadness hit me; I don't have that many 'unloadings' left. College is a funny thing; you obsess about it throughout high school, you get there, and before you know it, you're half-way through. So, in the short span of being in school, it is important to make your mark on the institution.
Along with my fellow editors, that is exactly what we plan to do with the Miscellany News. This year will boast a number of major changes to the paper. Perhaps the most notable is our online presence:
www.miscellanynews.com — Over the summer, I pushed a major overhaul of our Web site. While our old site was clunky and outdated, our new site is sleek, user-friendly and flexible. Photos and articles can be quickly rearranged depending on the news of the day. For example, we were able to post our coverage of Fall Convocation within an hour, and soon afterwards posted a gallery of photos from the event. Very cool, considering last year, that same coverage would have taken a week to get into our print edition. The Miscellany can now be as flexible as a blog, as timely as a daily paper, but as creative as a weekly publication. This online overhaul has been incredibly difficult, but once we see it through, I believe it will revolutionize news at Vassar—and revitalize our almost 150-year-old publication.
Hopefully, my fellow editors and I will also have time to be students this semester. My full course roster is not yet decided. Thankfully, Vassar gives students several weeks to add and drop courses before having to commit. This is one of my favorite parts of academic life here, since it gives you time to find professors with whom you really click. I have, however, definitely settled on a few interesting gems. I'll be taking The American Presidency in the political science department, and then The British Empire in the history department. I'm also going to take Childhood in Modern England, a seven-person history seminar that looks really interesting. It will be a nice change to take a class on such a specific topic and develop a deeper mastery of the material. (In high school, we had to take classes spanning all of world history! No time for details.)
Overall, I'm looking forward to a fantastic year, both academically and on the Miscellany — now, which of those requires more of my time, I couldn't tell you!
Along with my fellow editors, that is exactly what we plan to do with the Miscellany News. This year will boast a number of major changes to the paper. Perhaps the most notable is our online presence:
www.miscellanynews.com — Over the summer, I pushed a major overhaul of our Web site. While our old site was clunky and outdated, our new site is sleek, user-friendly and flexible. Photos and articles can be quickly rearranged depending on the news of the day. For example, we were able to post our coverage of Fall Convocation within an hour, and soon afterwards posted a gallery of photos from the event. Very cool, considering last year, that same coverage would have taken a week to get into our print edition. The Miscellany can now be as flexible as a blog, as timely as a daily paper, but as creative as a weekly publication. This online overhaul has been incredibly difficult, but once we see it through, I believe it will revolutionize news at Vassar—and revitalize our almost 150-year-old publication.
Hopefully, my fellow editors and I will also have time to be students this semester. My full course roster is not yet decided. Thankfully, Vassar gives students several weeks to add and drop courses before having to commit. This is one of my favorite parts of academic life here, since it gives you time to find professors with whom you really click. I have, however, definitely settled on a few interesting gems. I'll be taking The American Presidency in the political science department, and then The British Empire in the history department. I'm also going to take Childhood in Modern England, a seven-person history seminar that looks really interesting. It will be a nice change to take a class on such a specific topic and develop a deeper mastery of the material. (In high school, we had to take classes spanning all of world history! No time for details.)
Overall, I'm looking forward to a fantastic year, both academically and on the Miscellany — now, which of those requires more of my time, I couldn't tell you!
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