How has student activist culture changed since you were at college? Do you have any anecdotes from your own experience as a student that are in contrast to what you see today?
I hope student activism continues to be an integral part of a Lawrence education as it was for me during college. The pivotal moment of my undergraduate experience was the death of a member of the senior class during my freshman year. He was an extraordinarily well liked guy, always happy and upbeat, who was personally very encouraging to me. His suicide shook the campus to its roots. Reaction was so strong that the college administration decided to cancel classes for a day so the campus community could discuss his death and its impact on us. From that event I joined a small group of students who founded a peer counseling center in an effort to prevent suicide and strengthen campus community. Founding the organization, The Listening Center (TLC), took a great deal of time and it is still lead by and serves Vassar students.