Student workshops reach out to campus activists, create dialogue

Gabriel Meltzer Guest Writer

Last March, as part of All-College Day, the College placed a mural in the College Center and invited students to write freely on it throughout the day. Many of the comments posted indicated a genuine concern about the present state of Vassar’s relationship with the Poughkeepsie community. Recently, four Vassar students looking to channel this sentiment into action gathered their peers to discuss the many dimensions of community service.

From Sept. 18-Sept. 21, Community Outreach Workshops were held by Sara Weston ’07, Emma Peterson ’07, Ezra Markowitz ’07, Lucy Angle ’06, and Victor Monterrosa ’07. According to Peterson, the workshops were an attempt to “start dialogue among the students, and increase involvement with the community.” The events’ organizers hoped that they would bring out the the latent interest among students towards the community.

Students had to sign up for each workshop in advance, and the program was well-attended throughout the week. Each of the four workshops focused on different kinds of community activities and programs. Over the course of an hour or more, students related experiences they have had when working with the community. The organizers provided information on the various programs offered at and outside of Vassar that deal with particular areas of community action. For example, Peterson focused on family partnership centers and collaborative programming, and ways to utilize resources from multiple sources to create a more efficient system of aid for disadvantaged families. Markowitz’s workshop focused on presenting information about all the English as a Second Language (ESL) options in the Hudson Valley, and the responsibilities and relationships encountered when teaching Spanish speakers the English language.

The four student facilitators worked on developing the workshops while involved in the Community Fellows Program in summer 2006. The internship program is offered annually through the Field Work Office.

“The workshops had been something that Community Action had been wanting to do for a while, and the Community Fellow took the opportunity to plan the workshops and put them into action,” said Weston. Community Action, the student-run service organization that works under the Field Work Office, supported the workshops along with the Field Work Office, the Office of Campus Life, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.

The Community Fellows continue to seek ways to galvanize student investment in the community, and hope to build upon the success of the workshops throughout the year.
“We have a few projects in mind that we hope will allow the different campus communities to start or continue to think critically about Vassar and Poughkeepsie,” said Weston.
Additional reporting by Lauren Sutherland, Life Editor