<p>It was great. I met lots of very friendly people and everyone was very outgoing even though I am not of traditional student age and obviously am not a prospie or anything like that. Perhaps there acceptance of my shows a great deal about the character of the institution, very rigorous in their admissions policy but accepting of all care to visit and experience Vassar life while on vacation.</p>
<p>I stayed at Alumnae House and highly recommend it. Since there are no other hotels nearby it was especially handy since both nights I was there I enjoyed the nightlife, being right on campus made getting home easy. Also staying at Alumnae House enabled me to meet some of the former students who were in town for Founder's Day. Also the person at the desk was able to obtain information about Founder's Day and other campus events, helping to facilitate my enjoyment of those happenings.</p>
<p>One thing that was super useful was the Vassar College events calendar: [Redirect[/url</a>] . I discovered that unless stated otherwise items list there are free and open to the public. On Friday evening I ate just off-campus at Baby Cakes Cafe. I ended up sitting at the bar with the business owner and later chatted with a Vassar Alumna. The entertainment was a folk band headed by a Vassar Administrator. Later I went to the VC Punx show on Campus. Everyone at both places was super friendly and moshing with the students will not soon be forgotten.</p>
<p>The next day I had breakfast at Alumnae House and sat with three Alumni. They were also from New England and I really enjoyed chatting about their experiences with as students. By talking to the alumni you get a different perspective on the college, they have nothing to gain or lose by being candid, but obviously the ones on-campus for Founder's Day care very much for their alma matter. Next I did the noon campus tour. Being on campus during Founder's Day is quite an experience as we walked through campus many people yelled from their windows: Happy Founder's Day and there was a festive feel to the campus as the music pulsated throughout. </p>
<p>One of the tour participants asked about attending Founder's day as a visitor and the guide said that it would not be a problem just identify yourself at the gate. </p>
<p>After the tour I walked toward Founder's Day. I was a little giddy because I had been planning on going for a long time and knew that officially it is not a public event. Soon I found the gate and the id checker. As I approached I held the E-mail that Alumnae House had given me and my Driver's License. I said to the man checking id's: I am visiting for Honolulu and staying at Alumnae House, but I am not an Alumnus. So, the lady at the desk suggested that I ask you if I needed to buy a ticket. </p>
<p>The checker responded No, its ok, as he reached for a wrist band. </p>
<p>Since it was my first Founder's Day and I didn't want to seem green, I took about ten minutes to find the beer truck and then had to ask where to get a beer mug. The mugs cost $15 but you get to keep them. Soon I found a shady spot under a tree, and someone recognized me from the concert the night before. Again, I was bowled over by the friendliness of everyone at Vassar. </p>
<p>The afternoon was filled with drinking, conversation, amusement riding and people watching. All and all it was an awesome time. I would recommend a Founder's Day visit to anyone who enjoys music festivals, however keep in mind that getting in as a visitor is not guaranteed. The only sure way to get in is to get a guest pass from a current or former student or staff member. If you'd like to see the pictures I took, I uploaded some to Facebook: [url=<a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2188055&id=19509299&l=b78c7d136f%5DScott">http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2188055&id=19509299&l=b78c7d136f]Scott</a> Dahlem's Photos - Vassar Founder's Day Weekend 2010 | Facebook](<a href="http://campuscalendar.vassar.edu/%5DRedirect%5B/url">http://campuscalendar.vassar.edu/)</p>
I am a 2008 graduate of the University of Hawaii.</p>