Seniors officially become alumnae/i at Spring Convocation

The Class of 2010 officially became Vassar alumnae/i after the College's Spring Convocation, held in the Chapel on Wednesday, April 28.

A semiannual tradition at the College, Convocation was well-attended by members of the Vassar community and was an opportunity to hear remarks made by the President of the College Catharine Bond Hill; cookbook author Lee Zalben '95, who founded Peanut Butter & Co., a gourmet sandwich shop in New York; outgoing and incoming Presidents of the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Mathew Leonard '11 and Caitlin Ly '10 and Professor of Psychology Kenneth Livingston.

The event began at 3:30 p.m. with a standing processional to "Prelude in F Major" by College Organist Gail Archer, preceded by the "Song of the Open Road" sung by The Convocation Choir.

Hill commenced the speeches by commenting that she arrived at Vassar along with the graduating class. "Together, we've shared an exciting, if challenging, four years. They were a unique four years for you, and despite the fact that I know several classes before and after yours, these four years will always be uniquely the years of my introduction to Vassar," said Hill. While speaking of the meaning of a liberal arts education, especially the one students at Vassar receive, Hill commented, "[The liberal arts curriculum] offers students freedom to and not freedom from" making challenging academic decisions.

Comparing the ignorance people harbor towards the types of peanuts in the United States to the ignorance they harbor by thinking that every college is alike, Zalben began his remarks by saying that, for him, Vassar was as distinguishable and unique as an individual type of peanut, which includes such varieties as the Valencia Peanut and the Tennessee Red. Zalben went on to recall his own time at Vassar, claiming that his "education was not just in the subject matter I was studying, it was in the studying itself." Zalben concluded his speech by advising the graduating class to take advantage of the strong alumnae/i network set up by the Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College, recommending that students think of the organization's members as "long-lost older cousins, connected by that steely thread of shared experience."

Zalben wrote about his experience of revisiting the College in an e-mailed statement after the event: "I was excited to return to Vassar. It wasn't until I was pulling into Main Gate that I realized it had been ten years since I had been back on campus, and Vassar looks even better than I remember it. I enjoyed the pomp and ceremony of Convocation, and the peanut butter rush after the senior class photo was taken was certainly a sight to behold. I was impressed by the questions posed to me on a wide range of topics during my Q&A on food politics in the Rose Parlor the day after Convocation."

Ly was next to address the gathering, and listed the many accomplishments of the Class of 2010 before and during its time at Vassar. Referring to the collective future of the Class, Ly said, "Now is the time to use the skills that we have gained to take education."
The gavel was then passed on Leonard, the incoming 2010-2011 VSA President, who "[commended] the outgoing VSA Executive Board for all its work." Addressing the upcoming academic year, Leonard noted, "There has never been a more important time to work together."

Confident that the newly-elected student leaders will ably fulfill their duties, outgoing VSA Vice President for Operations Brian Farkas '10 wished the incoming group of student leaders "good luck in all their efforts next year," continuing that he is "sure that each one will do a great job guiding the College through its sesquicentennial."
Livingston, who compared college life to that in Neverland in his speech entitled "Notes from Neverland," gave the ceremonial Convocation Address. "I used to be much better at giving advice until I realized how bad I was at taking it, " said Livingston.

After the recessional, as per tradition, rising seniors in the Class of 2011 lined up on the fifth floor of Main Building to ring the bell atop the building, signifying the official entry into the final year of their time at Vassar.