Three years after the word COVID entered our vocabularies, we've seen a profound impact of the virus on the world of education. Our panel of alums will discuss their wide-ranging experiences on both the policy and practice sides. We'll explore what has worked well, where we are continuing to come up short, and patterns they're seeing that are here to stay.

6:30–7:00 p.m. EDT: Networking and Refreshments
7:00–8:00 p.m. EDT: Moderated Panel with Q&A
8:00–8:30 p.m. EDT: Networking and Refreshments

Ticket Cost: $10

Panelists:
Max Familian ’09, Senior Director of Citywide Strategy at NYC Department of Education
Elizabeth Skog ’91, 3rd Grade Teacher at PS 9
Mavis Smook ’74, Special Ed Teacher at District 75
Rachel Zweig ’14, Theater Teacher at PS 889/MS 890

Moderator:
Alejandro Montoya ’12, Regional Superintendent of Operations at Uncommon Schools

RSVP: Please register by March 28

Hidden away on a side street in the most unlikely of places, Brandy’s is one of the Upper East Side’s best-kept secrets. This intimate spot has showcased live talent every night for over 35 years, including Vassar’s very own Lauren Mufson ’86.

Please join us for an intimate (Brandy’s is small!) evening of socializing and song. We will only have a small table reserved for VCNY, so get there early (8:30ish EDT) to get a seat at the table. Of course, we can spread out if needed and fill up the 68-person capacity. Once the music starts at 9:30, people can make requests and even sing if they feel inspired!

Please note, there is no cover charge, but there is a two-beverage minimum.

Space is limited, so please register in advance.

About Lauren Mufson ’86:
Lauren starred as Donna Sheridan on Broadway and in the North American Touring Company of Mamma Mia!

Off Broadway: Kari Florin’s The Porch (Altered Stages) and Voices of Swords (Urban Stages), A New Brain (Lincoln Center), Elizabeth Swado’s Groundhog (MTC), Kabbalah (BAM Next Wave Festival), many workshops and readings including work at NYMF, MTC, Eugene O’Neill Center, Circle Rep Lab, and Public Theater. World premiere of The Bandstand (Paper Mill Playhouse), Loving Leo (Weston Playhouse), The Happy Time (Musicals Tonight), The Book of Candy (Playwright’s Theater of NJ), The Predators’ Ball performed in Florence, Italy (music by Jason Robert Brown), Kiss of the Spider Woman (world premiere dir. Harold Prince), regional appearances in Mamma Mia! (Maine State Music Theater), Man of La Mancha (as Aldonza at the Olney Theater Center), Smokey Joe’s Café (Gateway Playhouse), World Goes Round, No Way To Treat A Lady, Side By Side By Sondheim (Florida Studio Theater), Elizabeth and Jane Eyre (Asolo). TV: Law and Order: SVU, Rosie O’Donnell Show, Unsolved Mysteries.

Lauren teaches private voice lessons and is available for concerts, private parties, and corporate events. For details, visit www.laurenmufson.com.

The Vassar Club of New York is organizing a Finance and Consulting Meetup at 6:00 p.m. EDT at Jackdaw, just blocks away from the 14 St–Union Sq station!

Whether you're a young professional, recent graduate, or just looking to relive your college days, this is the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

We'll have tables reserved for us with Happy Hour running until 8 p.m. Drink specials range from beers starting at $5 to delicious Old Fashioneds for just $8. Jackdaw also offers a mouthwatering array of bites to order alongside!

And the best part? You won't have to work on any presentations, spreadsheets, or PowerPoints. Just relax, have a drink, and enjoy the company of your fellow Vassar alums.

Vassar Professor Molly McGlennen (https://www.vassar.edu/faculty/momcglennen) will be in conversation with Clifton Matias (Kichwa / Taino) of Redhawk Native American Arts Council (https://www.redhawkcouncil.org/new-page)

Tickets: $25.00
Each registrant will receive 2 drink tickets, as well as enjoy a variety of passed hors d'oeuvres. A cash bar will be available.

Registration is limited!

Time: 6:30pm–8:30pm ET

VCNY Board Nominations!
Looking for ways to give back to Vassar? Join the VCNY Board. The only requirements are your passion and commitment. To express your interest or to nominate someone else, please contact Kat or Diego at [email protected].

Please us via Zoom where we will chat and compare notes on Cyclorama, a novel by Adam Langer ’88. A discussion of the novel, moderated by Lynn Janovsky ’86, will follow the reading. Please register to receive the link to this Zoom meeting. We encourage you to read the book in advance to avoid any spoilers.

Register at http://connect.vassar.edu/VCNY_AdamLanger

About the author:
Adam Langer ’88 is the author of a memoir and five novels including the international bestsellers Crossing California and The Thieves of Manhattan. He is the executive editor of the Forward, a frequent contributor to the culture pages of the New York Times, and host and creator of the podcast Playing Anne Frank.

About the book:
At the dawn of the Trump administration and the #MeToo movement, a group of old friends in the Chicago suburbs are drawn back to the heart-wrenching traumas they experienced as teenagers in the 1980s when they performed in an abusive director’s high school production of The Diary of Anne Frank. A timely and deeply relatable story about how the dramas of our high school years have shaped the way we live today, Cyclorama blends the sophistication and scope of a Robert Altmanesque ensemble drama with the nostalgic heart of a John Hughes-era coming of age comedy.

Please join the Vassar Club of New York at The Rockwell Place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Tuesday, February 28th, at 7pm ET to celebrate the publication of Cocktails in Color: A Spirited Guide to the Art and Joy of Drinkmaking, a new illustrated cocktail book by Sammi Katz ’14 and Olivia McGiff ’14.

The evening will include a discussion moderated by fellow author Alanna Okun ’12, a cocktail demonstration, and a Q&A. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $10. Cocktails from the book will be featured and snacks will be provided. Space is limited so get your tickets early!

Join us as we once again team up with the Bowery Boys Walks for a historical tour.

We begin in Brooklyn Heights, where we’ll explore charming streets and hear about legendary Brooklynites who have called this district home. We’ll continue to Brooklyn Bridge Park and Fulton Ferry Landing with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.

We’ll then tour DUMBO, an industrial wasteland transformed into one of NYC’s trendiest districts. After exploring its history and architecture, we’ll end at Time Out Market, home to 23 of NY’s finest food vendors.

Along with our tour guide, we will be joined by Craig Nelson ’95, a freelance writer, editor and project manager, and officially licensed New York City tour guide. He currently manages in-person and virtual tours with Bowery Boys Walks.

The tour will be fully outdoors. As we will be walking close together, we request that attendees be fully vaccinated and boosted.

Cost: $30

Please arrive at least 5-10 minutes early so we can start on time.

Mark your calendars and break out the picnic blankets! After a successful launch last year, we are back in Fort Greene for our second annual VCNY picnic!

This family- and pet-friendly event is a great way to catch up with longtime Vassar friends and make new ones. We will have some light refreshments but please pack a lunch and/or snacks to share.

Since we can’t control the clouds or rains, expect this event to be “ON” if it is sunny and above 70°F. Otherwise, keep an eye out for a rain-date announcement. Either way, we know there will be a lot going on this weekend in New York and hope you can stop by with your family-of-choice to say hello. Bring friends, kids, pets—all are welcome! Find us by the Vassar balloons.

Time: 12:00pm ET

**We hope to find a spot in the middle of the park by the east entrance (along Washington Park, which is the street that runs along the east edge of Fort Greene Park). If you are driving, we recommend circling around for parking spots under the BQE or try any of the garages in downtown Brooklyn.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or need any accommodations.

Please join our Book Club in-person at 7pm Eastern time, when we will chat and compare notes on Nanny Dearest, a new novel by Flora Collins ’16. The discussion will be moderated by Lynn Janovsky ’86. We encourage you to read the book in advance to avoid any spoilers.

As we will be meeting in-person, we request that attendees be vaccinated and boosted. We will be meeting outside in Stuyvesant Town (with indoor space available in case of rain; exact location and directions will be shared with those who register). Space is limited; please register early.

Nanny Dearest is available at your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Strand Books, and Bookshop.org. In this compulsively readable novel of domestic suspense, a young woman takes comfort in reconnecting with her childhood nanny, until she starts to uncover secrets the nanny has been holding for twenty years.

Flora Collins ’16 was born and raised in New York City and has never left, except for a four-year stint at Vassar College. When she's not writing, she can be found watching reality shows that were canceled after one season or attempting to eat soft-serve ice cream in bed (sometimes simultaneously). Nanny Dearest is her first novel, and draws upon personal experiences from her own family history.