This semester has been special in many ways. Not only was this my first semester on campus since the pandemic happened, but I’ve learned new things about myself. Making the…
What the pandemic taught me – Shuri Oshiro ’22
Every weekday at around 11:20 pm, as my family goes to bed I sit at my desk, turn on my computer, and click on the blue zoom icon to attend…
Finding the Familiar in the Unfamiliar – Salome Ambokadze ’23
After almost a year of being away from Vassar, I knew coming back to campus for the spring semester would not be easy. Homesickness, jet lag, cold weather, dorm life,…
Remote Semester Reflections – Maryna Hrytsenko ’23
In 24 days, it will be a year since I have rapidly packed my summer clothing, locked the door of Strong double I shared with a dear friend and rushed…
Thanksgiving at Fudan – Emma, Shirley, and Ziyi ’24
During Thanksgiving Break, Chinese freshmen Emma, Shirley, and Ziyi attended the Thanksgiving dinner hosted by TEAN, the organization that manages the Vassar-Fudan Hybrid Program this semester. The students made roasted…
The Calm after the Storm – Assel Omarova ’23
When I was asked to write for the OIS blog, I did not want to write about the panic and the chaos of the first days of the pandemic, when…
Remote Semester in Photos – Alex (Ji Won) Kim ’21
This August, I made a difficult decision to stay home and not go back to Vassar. At first, it really did feel like the end of the world. My semester…
Reflections: Life and COVID-19 – ilia mahns ’23
This COVID-19 semester at Vassar has been memorable for different reasons. So many things are different and there are a lot of anxious thoughts about everyone’s safety and the state…
Summer at Vassar – Alice (Yiqing) Fan’22
I have not been out of Poughkeepsie for 6 months now, starting from January when I didn’t even know what the word “quarantine” means (yeah as a non-native English speaker…
Curious Case of Georgia and Its Crisis Management – Salome Ambokadze ’23
When the news of the pandemic broke out, I was lucky to catch the very last plane during spring break that would bring me back home. I live in a…