Fair just one part of increasing commitment to Poughkeepsie

Sara Farr Guest Writer

On Oct. 1, the Arlington Street Fair took over a section of Raymond Avenue. This gathering provided the chance “to mix up a lot of different people in the same place at the same time,” according to an e-mail from the Committee on Community Relations co-chair Chris Freimuth ’06.

There was plenty of entertainment, but the fair served a more important function.

“[It put] local venders and Vassar community people in the same space,” said Community Relations co-chair Courtney Gugliuzza ’06.

“It is about sharing information, building relationships, and having a good time.” Freimuth said. According to Vassar Student Association (VSA) Secretary Laureen Cantwell ’06, the fair is a good start, but “it’s not enough and it’s so close to Vassar. It’s almost too convenient.”

The Committee for Community Relations wants to work on getting the Vassar community involved in the Poughkeepsie community, and vice-versa.

The Committee consists of two representatives from each class, the VSA secretary, and two co-chairs. The members decide on projects and meet every Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. in the VSA office in open meetings that any student may attend.

The influence of the Committee can already be seen around Vassar through The Poughkeepsie Journal, which they have made available to students. They also provide the “Weekend Word,” which has events on it, and they had a potluck dinner in the Garden Art Space on Sunday, October 2.

The Committee has more projects in mind beyond the street fair. They want the College to “purchase a vehicle to be used specifically for non-field work students volunteering in the community,” said Freimuth. They also want to “print out the local city bus schedule along with a map of the city of Poughkeepsie.” Freimuth hopes this will encourage more students to explore the diverse downtown area.

The Committee wants to put together a Web Page as well. “The ultimate goal is to create a website that would allow people outside Vassar to list volunteer opportunities,” said Cantwell. The Committee also wants to get Marist involved.

Freimuth said that the lack of communication between the town and the College is “a myth.”

“In fact, there is a great deal of exchange between the College and larger community,” he commented. Not only does the Committee want to keep Vassar students informed about Poughkeepsie, they want the Poughkeepsie community to know about the College’s activities.

“It’s important to be involved in the community you live in,” said Gugliuzza.

In other words, the Committee wants to “encourage Vassar kids to get out,” said Cantwell.