Get passport without leaving campus

Acacia O'Connor Life Editor

If you want to hop a plane tomorrow and travel to India, New Zealand or Peru, there’s nothing stopping you. Nothing, that is, except the want of a United States passport.

For community members and students looking to study abroad but without a current passport, the Office of International Programs (OIP) and the Dutchess County Clerk’s Office are making it simple to get or renew that little blue book.

On Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the OIP will hold its first-ever Mini Fair in the College Center Atrium. The County Clerk’s office will be one of the groups represented at the fair, and will provide information and applications as well as taking photos.

“We’re trying to make it as comprehensive as possible,” said OIP Director Susan Correll. “It’s a service for the whole community.”

Along with the passport service, nine study abroad programs will be present at the Mini Fair to offer information about their resources. The Programs from Boston University, Butler Institute, IES, Smith College’s Geneva, Switzerland Program, American University, The Swedish Program, School for Field Studies, ProWorld, Danish Institute for Study Abroad and College Year in Athens will be represented. The Office of Fellowships and Pre-Professional Advising will also be tabling for students interested in post-graduate opportunities abroad.

“I hope that students will take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet with program advisers and expand their horizons in terms of possibilities for their [Junior Year Abroad] experience,” said Correll.

The information available at the fair is not only geared toward upperclassmen interested in studying abroad. The OIP administrators hope freshmen who are just beginning to consider their options will take the time to stop by as well.

“We hope that the excitement generated by the fair will inspire freshmen  to  think about incorporating an international experience into their Vassar education,” said Correll.

For students who cannot attend the fair, information about programs and deadlines is available on the OIP’s Web site, jya.vassar.edu. The Office holds drop-in hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This year, the OIP also has a student intern, Claudia Martinuzzi ’08, with whom students can meet to seek advice and guidance. Martinuzzi is an International Studies major who studied abroad in Paris in the Spring 2007.

Correll indicated that if this year’s fair is a success, the OIP plan to expand it in the future to include more programs.

“Vassar encourages students of all majors to pursue knowledge worldwide through rich academic and experiential learning,” said Correll. “Our office works extremely hard to help students think about the options available to them.”