<p>@arlington91… If you get a 4 or 5 on AP Statistics, I don’t think you can take statistics 141 in the math department. You can check with the department, of course, but I believe that course is only open to people with minimal experience with statistics (the same goes for the Single Variable Calculus 121/122 math course). I would personally advise you to try out a different class at Vassar… there are a lot of awesome courses. If you need help with anything else, feel free to ask!</p>
<p>We were on campus today for an Accepted Students Open House and picked-up a copy of “The Miscellany News.” What’s the deal with the cover article about the cancelled “mini-course” and the controversy it’s caused? Is this just an isolated case involving a few “white, male, heterosexuals” (which is what the article seems to imply) or do you feel like there’s some sort of underlying issue on campus? As the parent of a “white, male, heterosexual” I’m curious what your thoughts are.</p>
<p>@China… It’s interesting that you bring that up: that’s something I’ve been talking about with my friends a lot lately. First of all, let me just say that I get the sense from the coverage in last week’s and this week’s paper that the case was indeed isolated. The creator of the course has publicly apologized (and, by the way, I know for a fact that there were girls as well who thought the course was fine… it wasn’t just guys). To me, it really seems like he had no idea that what he was creating was going to be offensive. I believe it was supposed to be a fun course in which students could learn a little about different cultures, with some dating advice mixed in. </p>
<p>I’m not sure how much you know about the controversy, so I’ll briefly summarize. The course was approved by the College, after the student creator’s ideas were tweaked a little to make them appropriate. What was presented at the first meeting, however, was not what the administrator in charge of approving the course had expected. The title of the first class was “Orienting Yourself for Ladies of the Orient,” and received flack both for this name and for the content, which made a series of broad stereotypes about Asian women. Backlash from several student groups on-campus and the administration’s subsequent review of the course led to it being canceled.</p>
<p>The Letters to the Editor in this week’s paper are primarily tied to a Letter to the Editor written by a guy who attended the course, not the creator of the course himself. In the article, the guy tried to justify that the course was needed to raise the self-esteem of straight men on-campus as a dating forum. While the letter had some good points (I’m all for guys having conversations about issues they face as males), to me it was rather problematical in that it continued to perpetuate the issues of sexism and racism that the Language with the Ladies class had raised in the first place (here’s the letter from last week’s paper: <a href=“http://www.miscellanynews.com/2.1577/canceled-mini-course-was-crucial-safe-environment-for-male-students-1.1650284[/url]”>http://www.miscellanynews.com/2.1577/canceled-mini-course-was-crucial-safe-environment-for-male-students-1.1650284</a>). </p>
<p>Personally, I think this whole thing is getting a bit out of hand. I agree that the course probably wasn’t the best idea, but that the student who created it has shown a great attitude in dealing with the backlash. At this point, I’d say that the campus has pretty much quieted down in terms of its feelings about his involvement: he seems like a good guy who just didn’t know what he was getting into. My feeling is that this was an atypical occurrence and would urge you and your son not to allow it to color your view of Vassar. I’ve chatted with my boyfriend about this, and he really doesn’t feel that straight white males are in any way “marginalized” on-campus or that he’s ever been judged based on his race or sexual orientation. Anyway, I hope this helped and that you enjoyed your visit to Vassar!</p>
<p>If you have the job as part of your financial aid plan, how does that actually work? It’s suppose to be the student contribution but not actually on the yearly bill… Is that all money for books and extras? i’ve read the info but still dont really understand how that works.</p>
<p>Hey, is it possible for a student to take courses in two different languages while majoring or double majorin in something else?</p>
<p>How is the race/class interraction?</p>
<p>Is interracial dating common any?</p>
<p>This is pretty important for me.</p>
<p>@MZ2009… This is from my boyfriend, because he’s must more knowledgeable about this than I am: basically, the financial aid package that they build for you includes money that your family is expected to pay. The student contribution is actually included in with this amount. What it means is that you’re guaranteed a job on-campus, and that you’re also expected to work over the summer in order to meet that student contribution. It’s up to you and your family though to determine how much you contribute to your tuition (the student contribution is a guideline given by the school). </p>
<p>@Heyduds… It’s definitely possible to take two different languages at the same time while majoring in something else (I actually might be doing it at some point). Your schedule will probably be something like this: 1 course in Language A, 1 course in Language B, 1-2 courses in your major, and 1-2 courses in something else. Vassar students usually take 4 to 5 classes a semester.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d recommend that you start taking the different languages (if you’ve never tried them before) in different years. The first year of a language in most departments is usually full-year and can be pretty grammar/memorization heavy, so starting one your freshman year and one your sophomore year might make more sense. After the first year, language courses are semester-long rather than year-long and become a little less nit-picky, from what I’ve experienced and heard.</p>
<p>Double majoring and taking two languages is also technically possible, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it because it would really cut down your options as far as what else you’d be able to take outside of your majors and languages. </p>
<p>@Obstinate… Personally, I think race and class relations on-campus are pretty good, overall. Some students do tend to hang out with those that share a similar background, but I’d say that the vast majority of students are friends with a mix of people. The campus definitely doesn’t feel in any way segregated, if that was what you were concerned about. And yes, interracial dating definitely does take place on-campus.</p>
<p>How, in general, is the intellectual life? Do most students frequently debate, discuss class material, pursue “the life of the mind” outside of the classroom? Any perspectives on racial/socioeconomic/intellectual/experiential diversity?</p>
<p>I visited Vassar on a Sunday, so understandably there wasn’t much activity. (It was also super early.) But during the week (weekends and weekdays) is there usually some activity going on campus? </p>
<p>How laid back is the student body?</p>
<p>I’ve heard the mandatory intro drawing course is very very basic. How hard is it to get out of introductory drawing? Could I just show someone my portfolio that exhibits drawing ability? I’m not majoring in art, but I do want to continue taking art classes in college.</p>
<p>kind of a weird question… </p>
<p>How does Vassar’s party scene compare with Wesleyan’s? I know the two schools are very similar in many respects; are the two similar in this respect? I use Wesleyan as a basis because I recently overnight’d there.</p>
<p>I dont attend Vassar yet but im definitaly going next year!!! I just got home today from this amazing Focus weekend thing i did so i can give you a different perspective. I dont know much about Wesleyan at all, but the the people at Vassar were uber nice! 
Everyone was so laid back and welcoming and random people asked me if i needed help or had questions. I love the vibe and how incredibly accommodating it was. 
And heck yes there are things do to! I went a hilarious improv show, danced my butt off at the Mug, stopped by a concert, saw part of a talent show, and checked out the masquerade/rave. (That was the only thing which was kinda lame, only a few people were there.) There was also a party in Main and one in the THs. (the senior townhouses) You totally wont be bored. You just have to wait till a bit later than the starting time for some of the parties to get good. (but i think thats normal, everyone doesnt show up way at the beginning.) Everyone i talked to said there were always things do, whether youre looking to party or do something more artistic or intellectual. Im more excited then ever to attend
Oh, and there was a SASA fest, hip hop jam thingy, and a midnight breakfast. I didnt have time to attend/was not as interested in/was too freaking sleepy to go to some things.</p>
<p>@kramerica91… My friends and I have conversations stemming from classes we’ve taken all the time. One of my favorite things about Vassar is how easy it is to make contacts and friends outside of your major or major discipline: there’s no feeling that art people hang out only with other the art people and science people hang out only with other science people. Instead, there’s this great dynamic in which you talk about something in your class and a friend will also pick up on it, but as a Psychology major, they’ll have a different perspective than your own. I’ve also learned a lot just talking to friends about the things they’re learning in their classes and hearing about what interests them most.</p>
<p>Diversity in general is something that the campus really tries to make an effort to promote. Geographically, I personally feel that the campus is quite diverse… there’s a large international student presence on-campus, and all of the regions of the US are represented (some more than others: I don’t know all that many people from the Southwest). Of course, there are more students from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states than anywhere else but you will definitely meet plenty of people from other areas of the country. As an example, my freshman year, my hall consisted of students from New York, Connecticut, West Virginia, Illinois, New Hampshire, Indiana, Iowa, an American who lived in several different countries, California, and New Jersey.</p>
<p>In terms of race, the campus is relatively diverse as well. There are a variety of different student groups such as the African Students Union, Council of Black Seniors, Asian Students Union, Southeast Asian Students Alliance, and Poder Latino/a which are quite visible. These groups do a pretty fantastic job of not only reaching out to student members, but also of sponsoring events on-campus throughout the year. Open to everyone, these have consist of dinners, dances, festivals, and lectures (the one’s I’ve been to have been quite well-attended).</p>
<p>Politically-speaking, the campus is pretty liberal with a sprinkling of moderates and libertarians (as well as some politically apathetic students). There aren’t all that many conservatives on-campus, although I do know a few. I’d say this is one of the areas in which diversity may not be quite as strong: if you’re a conservative interested in attending a school with a lot of other students who share your political views, Vassar probably isn’t your best option. That being said, if you don’t care about having a ton of people who agree with you, you’d do fine as a conservative student on-campus. While students may not agree with you, most will respect your opinions if you articulate them well and back them up.</p>
<p>@brandnewstate… I usually find plenty to do on-campus during the weekends, and during the week, there’s more than enough to do between club meetings, homework, and other events (in fact, I wish I could go to more). During the week, the majority of guest lectures take place… Vassar has brought in some excellent speakers in the past couple of years from all different academic fields (as a history major, I got really excited about David McCullough coming). Every Wednesday night there’s a reception at the Loeb (the on-campus art museum) with music and snacks, which I’ve attended a couple of times. It’s a nice way to relax and enjoy visiting exhibits as well as the permanent museum collection. Other weeknight venues include movie screens sponsored by different departments, dinners sponsored by different clubs, musical performances and dances in the Mug (on-campus “club”), and club meetings. </p>
<p>Not all that much traditional college partying takes place during the week because of homework: parties in the senior housing areas and the dorms are generally reserved for Thursday (sometimes), Friday, and Saturday nights, although you probably could find a party every night on-campus if you really wanted to. On the weekends, entertainment options include all-campus parties (recently there was a Prom-themed party, and next weekend there’s a pool party), movie screenings (last weekend was Pineapple Express, I think), private parties (as I mentioned above), sporting events (during the day), music groups brought on-campus (the two highlights this year for me were Eric Hutchinson and Beirut), festivals during the day (SASA fest, Hip-Hop Jam, and I Won’t Grow Up Day were in the past couple of weekends), and student performances of all different types (dance, theatre, comedy, etc.). In addition to this, students do occasionally go to the Galleria Mall in Poughkeepsie for shopping and/or a movie (via the campus shuttle) and, every so often, into New York City.</p>
<p>I find the student body to be pretty laid back, overall. You’ll meet intense people, of course, but most students are usually pretty relaxed. Classes are generally challenging, but not brutal and really don’t encourage competition among students, which definitely helps. There’s more of a focus on knowing and understanding the material and less on trying to get the best grade in the class.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about the drawing classes on-campus, so unfortunately can’t really help you there. I’ve heard that the beginning drawing course that you’d like to skip out of is one which really varies in material and rigorousness depending on the professor teaching it, but don’t know how feasible it would be for you to move directly into 200-level courses.</p>
<p>Hi littleatheist, Do you know anything about the Chinese/Japanese Department at Vassar? More specifically, I’d love to know about the quality of the language classes, the professors, and if there are non-asian students who participate in the cultural activities.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>brandnewstate-</p>
<p>I am not an art major but have taken art 105-106. I’m fairly certain it is not possible to place out of these classes. In the class I was in there was a wide spectrum of artistic ability and experience. Choose your professor carefully for this class, it is correct that the rigorousness of these classes can vary greatly with different professors.</p>
<p>The class teaches you a lot, and not just how to draw something that looks like the subject. You’ll learn about different mediums, the all important composition, different drawing techniques (some a bit unusual), etc. You are not graded on how lifelike you draw something, but rather on how well you apply the professor’s teachings. I think all levels of artistic ability can gain a lot from this class. Some of it is basic, but a lot is not. You’ll also receive a lot of critique on your artwork from both professors and fellow students. You only use charcoal, ink, and pencil in this class. After this, you can take any art class including painting, photography, and sculpture. First semester is still life, second semester is figure drawing.
Hope that helps.</p>
<p>@psychmom… Unfortunately, I don’t know very much about the Chinese/Japanese Department at Vassar. I have a class near the Introductory Chinese class in the morning and can tell you that the class is made up of a mix of both Asian and non-Asian students. Other than that, though, I’m really not familiar with the department. If you’re at all interested in the Asian Studies department, I can tell you that one of the history professors involved in the department (Hiraku Shimoda) is supposed to be quite good, but haven’t personally taken a class with him. </p>
<p>Checking ratemyprofessors.com might actually be a good idea if you’d like some student input on professors. There are sometimes comments that should be taken with grains of salt, but I’ve found that the majority of the blurbs are actually pretty good indicators of the professors.</p>
<p>Thank you, littleatheist, for getting back to me! You are a sweetie!</p>
<p>Apart from the Old Voices, New Studies class that counts as a writing seminar, does anybody know what other classes satisfy the requirement?</p>
<p>Or do all the english 101 classes count? I was thinking of just taking a 170 class (and a seminar) since i have a good chance of getting 5s on the AP Lit AND Lang exams, but I reallllly want to take the Instruction to Citizenship class. Could i do all three? i think i read somewhere there was limit on the english classes a freshmen could take…?</p>
<p>^ If you go on the list of classes, any class that is classified as “FR” will satisfy it: </p>
<p><a href=“https://secure.vassar.edu/cgi-bin/geninfo.cgi[/url]”>https://secure.vassar.edu/cgi-bin/geninfo.cgi</a></p>
<p>That includes all ENGL 101 classes and some other random ones in other departments.</p>
<p>smarie - thanks for the information. Its just, my previous two years of art have been heavily focused on self-exploration through experimentation, with minimal teaching. I really just wanted the opportunity to continue that in college, rather than redo Art I. Either way, I’ll likely take the course.</p>
<p>Question: I’ve heard that minority groups tend to self-segregate themselves on campus. How true is that exactly? As a minority living in the suburbs, I have a pretty homogenous group of friends. Intermixing with people of different backgrounds is really important to me and I really really really don’t want to feel like - excuse the phrase - the “token black girl.” </p>
<p>Also I heard that one year, I substantial number of minorities transferred out because of some racists incidents within the administration. What was the incident(s)?</p>
<p>thanks dc89, that was a really useful link for other classes i want to look into also : )</p>