2020 Reunion Weekend

Preliminary​ General Schedule

DAILY SCHEDULE -- FRIDAY, JUNE 5

9am-10pm Registration Information Center ​is open
​Main Building, Lobby

9am-10pm Residence halls open for check-in

Dorm rooms available after 2pm

10:15am Class of 1960 – Tour of Samuel B. Morse followed by lunch at Shadows on the
Hudson
Meet behind Jewett for bus

11:30am ​Reunion Committee Volunteer Luncheon

​Alumnae House Dining room

1:30-2:30pm Alumnae/i College Session 1

Putting it all back together, the role of estrogens following traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Kelli Duncan, Associate Professor of Biology and Director of Neuroscience & Behavior
What happens after a TBI and what can be done to help? This talk will focus on
Professor Duncan’s research examining the role of steroid hormones, specifically
estrogens, on recovery from brain damage.
Rockefeller Classroom 212

The Bannon McHenry-James Merrill Collection at Vassar

Head of Special Collections Ron Patkus will give a tour of the current Library exhibition.
Attendees will learn about one of the great poets of the 20th century and his
connections to Vassar.
​Meet in the front lobby of the Thompson Library

Reconstructing Life and Death with Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology

April Beisaw, Associate Professor of Anthropology
Crime scenes are archaeological sites–they contain the remains of past human activity
to be deciphered from disturbed environments, objects left behind, and bodies of those
who perished there. This lecture will cover the basics of how anthropologists identify
people from their skeletons and how archaeologists read crime scene photographs.
Rockefeller 200

2pm-4pm Tours
 Walkway Over the Hudson
Take a bus from campus to the renovated Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, now the
longest elevated pedestrian walkway (1.28 miles) in the world.
Bus departs from Main Circle

Vassar Ecological Preserve and Environmental Cooperative

Conservation, sustainability and an exploration of the natural world are all core values at
Vassar. Explore one of the College’s greatest gems on this guided walking tour (weather
permitting). Sensible shoes and long pants are strongly suggested.
Shuttles depart from Main Circle

3-4pm Alumnae/i College Session 2

Pratt House: A New Hub for Religious Life and Contemplative Practices at Vassar
Rev. Samuel Speers, Associate Dean, RSLCP; Elizabeth Aeschlimann, Rachlin Director for
Jewish Student Life and Assistant Director, RSLCP; and Nora Zaki, Advisor for Muslim
Student Life, Vassar College and Muslim Chaplain at Bard College
Come learn about the new home for Religious and Spiritual Life and Contemplative
Practices in Pratt House. The presentation will include an overview of the
human-centered design approach that office staff have used to plan their move and
expand the range and type of students they serve.
Rockefeller 212

Lecture on Matthew Vassar and an Architectural Walking Tour of the Campus

with James Russiello ‘06, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission staff
​Gather outside Rockefeller Hall
Rockefeller 200 (rain location)

The Evolution of Science Facilities at Vassar

Tour the Bridge of Laboratory Sciences and other spaces that have been renovated to
enhance the teaching and learning of science at Vassar - indoor and out. Led by Joseph
Tanski ‘95 Professor and Chair of Chemistry on the Matthew Vassar, Jr. Chair.
Meet in North Atrium of the Bridge Building

3-4:30pm Launcher of Feminists: Remembering Linda Nochlin (1931-2017)

Frances Beatty ’70, Barbara (Suzy) Buenger ’70, Susan Casteras ’71, Alison Hilton ’70,
Ann Northrup ’70, Carol Ockman, Professor of Art, Williams College
Regardless of whether they were art history majors or encountered her only in a single
lecture, those for AH105-106, other courses, seminars, discussions, or at gallery
openings or political rallies, students found Linda Nochlin a woman of incredible
dynamism, warmth, and erudition. A forceful teacher and a generous mentor who
inspired generations of students into action, she remained a prolific and influential
scholar of the social history of art and critic her entire life, an authority on many
 different artists and areas of modern and contemporary art, and a fomenter and
founder of feminist art history in particular. Colleagues and members of the spring 1970
seminar on women invite audience participation to discuss and exchange personal
recollections of the stellar Nochlin, her impact, and studying women and art at Vassar at
large.
Rockefeller, ​300

4-5pm ​Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (FLLAC) Members Only “Curator’s
Choice”
​Art Center Pavilion, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

4-5pm ​ lcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Meetings

A
Ordain Room, 2nd Floor Main Building

4-6pm Dorm Hospitality Bars

Raymond, Lathrop, Noyes

4-6pm Class of 1975

Afternoon musicale featuring musicians from our classes, including George Litterst,
piano; Joseph "Benjy" Keenan, guitar and vocals; Meril Benjamin Markley​,​voice; Patricia
Ann Neely, viola da gamba and more.
Noyes House

5-6pm Matthew Vassar Legacy Society Reception​(by Invitation)

With gratitude for and in recognition of those who have provided for the college’s
future through a planned gift or estate commitment.
The President’s House

5-7pm ​Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center ​Welcome Reception

​All are Welcome

5:30-7pm Night Owls Rehearsal

Rockefeller Hall, 200

5:45-7pm ​Shabbat Services at The Bayit​(​51 Collegeview Avenue, North Gate)​

Led by Liz Aeschlimann, Rachlin Director of Jewish Student Life

6-7pm ​Faculty and Faculty Emeriti reception open to all reunion attendees
​Rose Parlor, Main Building

7:00-9:00pm ​All Class Picnic Dinner

​Noyes Circle Tent
8:30-11pm Class of 1975 along with 1980
Evening coffee house with singer Bill Block ’80 and his band. Bill will be presenting the
songs from our era along with his own works.
Gordon Commons, second floor UpCDC

9:15pm Fireworks ​over Sunset Lake

10pm-12am Dorm Hospitality Bars ​open

Davison, Jewett, Strong, Main, TH’s, Raymond, Cushing

DAILY SCHEDULE -- SATURDAY, JUNE 6

7-9am Breakfast ​is available at ​Gordon Commons(​ formerly ACDC/Students’ Building)
Pay at the Door

7-9am Alumnae House Guests

Continental Breakfast in the ​Dining Room

7-9am Classes of 1955, 1960, 1965

Coffee service, muffins, and fruit
Jewett multipurpose room

7:45- Class Volunteer Recognition Breakfast​(by invitation)

8:45am Main Building, Villard Room

8am Class of 1975

Paul Winkeller '75 will be leading a group, on a bike tour, down to the glorious ​Walkway
Over The Hudson​, which connects to the new ​Empire State Trail​ (EST). We'll explore the
EST then return to campus. Total time for this adventure is no more than two hours.
Meet at Main Circle

9am-5pm ​Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center ​is open

9-10am ​ resident’s Hour​(​The Chapel)​

P
Remarks by Vassar’s 11th President, Elizabeth Howe Bradley

10:15am Line Up for Parade of Classes​(​From Chapel to Sunset Hill​)

Beginning with the eldest classes by the Chapel
Golf carts will be available

11am-12pm Celebrate Vassar

Alumnae/i, guests and children gather together from the 5th to the 75th reunions to
celebrate extraordinary volunteers and gifts and our shared Vassar legacy.
 Remarks by Stephen Hankins ’85, AAVC President, and Stephanie Hyacinth ’84, Vassar
Fund Committee Chair
Athletic and Fitness Center

12:15-1:30pm Lunch
Gordon Commons

12:15-1:30pm Private Class luncheons

Class of 1945, 1945-4, 1950, 1955​ – Aula
Class of 1960​ – Athletic and Fitness Center, Multi-purpose room - second floor
Class of 1965​ – Library, Reading room 133
Class of 1970 ​– Sunset Lake

1:30-4pm Vassar Devil & Angel Ice Cream Tent

Quad Lawn

1:30-5pm F​ amily Activities

Bouncy Castles, Face painting, lawn games
Quad Lawn

1:45-2:45pm ​Alumnae/i College Sessions

Commemorating the 19th Amendment: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Miriam Cohen, Professor of History on the Evalyn Clark Chair and Rebecca Edwards,
Professor of History on the Eloise Ellery Chair
Faculty will begin by exploring the 1820s to the 1880s, situating suffrage in the context
of the broader women’s rights movement. They will then consider the years leading up
to the 19th amendment and provide a sense of how historians are now broadening their
understanding of who participated in the movement, what the movement accomplished
and what remained as part of a continuing struggle. Issues of civil rights and the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 will also be discussed.

Learning How to Bounce Back

Michele Tugade ’95, Professor of Psychological Science
Resilience and healthy coping mechanisms are two keys to happiness in life. Professor
Tugade has dedicated much of her professional life to studying and examining how
people confront and respond to stressful situations. She will spend this hour sharing
what she’s learned through studies that spanned from NASA astronauts to Vassar
students.
Rockefeller, 200

The Cathedral of the Future: Notre-Dame of Paris

Lindsay Cook ’10, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art
 The devastating April 2019 fire that destroyed parts of the cathedral of Paris and
weakened its structure left the world wondering what would happen next. A year on,
Lindsay Cook ’10 discusses the past, present, and likely future of Notre-Dame and
reflects on the Vassar community’s many ties to this magnificent Gothic cathedral. This
session is offered in memory of Professor Andrew Tallon and coincides with the
publication of ​Notre Dame Cathedral: Nine Centuries of History​, Cook’s translation of
Andrew Tallon’s and Dany Sandron’s 2013 book, originally published in French.
​Taylor, 102

LGBTQ+VC
An intergenerational conversation across a half-century of life and activism at Vassar
with alumnae/i.
New England, TBD

SAT 1:45-2:45pm
A Walking Tour of the Vassar College Arboretum
Enjoy a leisurely walk, discover fascinating fun facts about trees, and learn about the
increasing importance of campus trees for our efforts to be more sustainable and
achieve carbon neutrality. Our itinerary will include visits to the reuning classes' class
trees. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. Led by
Professor of Biology and Arboretum Committee co-chair Mark Schlessman.
Meet at the entrance to Main in front of Main Circle

2-4pm ​A. Scott Warthin Museum of Geology & Natural History​, ​Ely Hall,​ is open
2-4pm Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center Tours

2:30-4:30pm Alumnae/i Author Meet and Greet

College Store (Juliet), Raymond Avenue

3-4pm Alumnae/i College Programs

The Times They Are​ A-Changin​:​ S​ ocial Change through Group Action, Then and Now
Robert Brigham, Professor of History on the Shirley Ecker Boskey Chair; Katherine
Hite, Professor of Political Science on the F. Thompson Chair and Director of Research;
Justin Patch, Assistant Professor of Music; and David Schalk, Professor Emeritus of
History
During the 1960s, many students took to the streets to protest the war in Vietnam or to
voice their support for women’s rights, gay rights, Black power, and environmental
protection. Those who did not still experienced the reverberations of this forceful
anti-establishment spirit. By the time Class of 1970 graduated in 1970, such efforts had
begun to have an impact on public policies and public opinions. Though the soundtrack
has changed, the last two decades have seen a resurgence of group action related to
foreign wars, climate change, immigration reform and women's reproductive and
 workplace rights. Former and current Vassar faculty members will join in to discuss how
the turmoil of these movements affected alumnae/i,​ a half century ago and perhaps to
this day.
Rockefeller, 300

Tribute to Toni Morrison

Priscilla Gilman P’21, faculty emeriti and Tyrone Simpson, Associate Professor of
English and Director of Africana Studies
Discussions and personal reflections on the work and legacy of author Toni Morrison.
Rockefeller, 212

Understanding Gender Pronouns

Danushi Fernando, Director of Vassar LGBTQ and Gender Resources, and staff will
discuss the use of pronouns on campus and in the world today.
Rockefeller, 210

3-5pm Affinity/Department Receptions

AAAVC - ​ ​Alana Center
LGBTQ, WVKR - ​College Center, Second floor
International Alumnae/i - ​College Center, 237
History - ​Swift Hall
Muslim Prayer Space - ​Old Laundry Building

4-5pm Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Meeting

Ordan Room, 2nd Floor Main Building

4:30-6pm Donor Societies Reception ​(by Invitation)

With gratitude for and in recognition of a vital group of donors who have demonstrated
that Vassar is amongst their highest philanthropic priorities.
Thompson Memorial Library, Cornaro Room

4-6pm ​ orm Hospitality Bars

D
Main, Raymond, Davison, TH’s, Cushing, Lathrop

4-6pm Class of 2000 - Late Day Rose and Gray Party

Strong

5-6pm Night Owls Concert

Taylor 102

6:15-9:30pm Cocktail Reception and Dinner

Class of 2015​ – Noyes Circle Tent
Class of 2010​ – TH’s Tent
 Class of 2005​ – Aula
Class of 2000​ – Library Lawn Tent
Class of 1995​ – Cushing Tent
Class of 1990​ – Chapel Lawn Tent
Class of 1985 ​– Gordon Commons, UpCDc
Class of 1980 ​– Bridge Building
Class of 1975​ – Sunset lake Tent

6:30- Cocktail Reception and Dinner

9:30pm Class of 1970- ​Rose Parlor and Villard Room, Main Building
Class of 1965 – ​Alumnae House, Living Room
Class of 1960 – ​Library, 1951 Reading room
Class of 1945, 1945-4, 1950, 1955 – ​Alumnae House, Dining Room
1871 Circle - ​Library, Reading Room 133

10pm-12am Dorm Hospitality Bar ​open

Davison, Jewett

10pm-1am ​All Class After Party ​on ​Noyes Circle

Cash Bar, DJ, and Dancing to Multigenerational Playlist

DAILY SCHEDULE -- SUNDAY, JUNE 7

7am-12pm Breakfast/Brunch ​is available at ​Gordon Commons​(formerly ACDC/Students’ Building)
Pay at the Door

7-9am Alumnae House Guests

Continental Breakfast in the ​Dining Room

7-9am Classes of 1955, 1960, 1965

Coffee service, muffins, and fruit
Jewett multipurpose room

8:45am Choir Rehearsal

9am Fun Run ​with Cross-Country Coach Ron Stonitsch

Meet in front of the Athletic and Fitness Center

9am-5pm Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center ​is open

10-11am S​ ervice of Remembrance​(All Classes)

The Chapel
1pm Reunion Adjourns​/Check-Out
Please return room keys to Guest Services Coordinators in Davison Lobby
NYC Charter Bus Departs​from ​Main Circle