I don’t want to make this blog a record of student praise, but I got an email today from a former student that made me smile.
I hope you’ve been having a great semester and enjoyed your spring
break! As I’m preparing to graduate, I’ve been thinking back a lot to
my first semester in your class (and how much time I’d spend on your
500 word papers!) and I’ve realized how much that class continues to
shape the way I think. Even though I’m no longer a Japanese major, and
I don’t even go to Vassar anymore, those texts are still so vivid for
me.
What is ironic is that this student transferred out of Vassar and completed her degree at another college. She said that she found the student culture at Vassar, especially among other female students, too competitive. I was very surprised to hear that, as that is not the vibe I get from students at all. However, sometimes people hide when they are under pressure.
