Q: Tell me a little about your pre-Vassar life.
A: I’m an only child. I grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts, which is where Smith College is. My dad is a professor of political science at Mt. Holyoke College, which is just down the road. My mom is a family physician. Northampton is a great little college town, great place to grow up. I went to a public school…grew up talking politics at the dinner table.
Q: So you came into Vassar knowing you were going to major in poli sci?
A: It’s just always been something that’s interested me. I took a few classes at Smith. I took an intro history class, which was pretty awkward because I was one guy in a class of about 60 girls. You don’t talk much in a situation like that. And then I took an American government class, which I really liked. At Vassar, I’ve focused on American politics. I’m also an economics minor, with a focus on public policy. If I were to do it again, I think I might be an economics major. I’ve had some great classes in political science, but economics has always challenged me more, maybe because I grew up around political science and a lot of it seems sort of basic to me, whereas economics is an entirely different way of thinking about things. I’m actually only three credits short of an economics major, but those are three big credits. So — next time.
Q: How did you choose Vassar?
A: My dad teaches at a small liberal arts college, and even though he went to the University of Washington, which is rather large, he always impressed upon me the importance of going to a liberal arts school. Massachusetts has a really good public system, and the University of Massachusetts offered me a full ride, even before I started really looking at colleges. But I really wanted a smaller school. So I started looking around, and I applied to a bunch of schools in the Northeast, and I sort of liked them all. But it was really coming to visit that made me realize that Vassar was the place to go. I came here, and it felt perfect. I did an overnight at Vassar, which I had also done at the other places, and I felt really at home here. I stayed with really great people — really smart, really passionate about doing the things that they really wanted to do — and that’s what won me over.
Q: You’ve been very involved with the Miscellany News. How did that come about?
A: We didn’t really have a newspaper in my high school when I first started there, but we worked to bring it back. Myself and two other students and a new journalism teacher really kick-started it. I was one of three coeditors, doing mainly photography and layout. But I wasn’t planning on doing a lot of journalism when I got here. I wanted to get involved in student government. I was living in Jewett, and I ran for the office of Freshman Representative, and I lost. Just barely! I had a great slogan — Wham, Bam, Vote for Sam. I gave out candy. I did everything right! He just edged me out. Actually, he’s a great guy — Colin Sanders, who is now our class president. So I did not go into student government, and that’s when I started doing more things for the Misc — photography, cover design, and stuff like that.
Q: When did you start doing photography?
A: In high school, I went to an arts camp at Deerfield Academy over the summer. And that was a really great, really artistic place…free flowing. That’s where I first started doing photography. And then I took a class in high school and really liked doing that…then studied photography at Pratt one summer, down in New York City. That was great. It’s really great to learn how to take pictures in the City because there’s so much stuff to take pictures of. And then, the summer before I came here, I interned with the local newspaper in Northampton, so by the time I got here, I was doing pretty well and had a fair amount of experience.
Q: What positions have you held at the Misc?
A: I started out first semester freshman year doing cover design and photography, and then second semester I became photo editor. I did that until first semester junior year when I went away to American University in Washington, DC, and then when I came back, I was editor-in-chief for a semester. And now I’m a contributing editor which we say is where editors-in-chief go to die.
Q: But you’re not interested in going into journalism?
A: Not really. Very few people from the Misc actually go on to journalism — maybe one a year? But I’ve definitely learned a lot. I’m really glad I did it. I really encourage people to join their student newspaper because it’s a great way to learn about yourself and to learn how to work under pressure and also to always question things and get out there and find the story. So it’s been great — I owe so much to the Misc for becoming who I am. But to make your way in journalism, you have to start at a small town newspaper and work your way up, and I like city hall politics, but not that much. Also, I’m not that great of a writer, journalistically at least. I became editor-in-chief without ever writing an article. Didn’t stop me from critiquing people, though.
Q: So what are you planning on doing after graduation?
A: I’m trying to join Mark Udall’s campaign in Colorado. He’s running for the Senate. Two summers ago, I worked for Harold Ford, Jr., who was running for Senate from Tennessee. That was just kind of a fluke. I was trying to get an internship in DC, so I contacted some campaigns, including his, and they said, no, we don’t really have anything in DC, but why don’t you come work for us in Nashville? And I was like, why not? So I moved there and did that, and that was absolutely one of the best experiences of my life. So I want to do that again — go somewhere I’ve never been. I mean, I’ve visited Colorado once or twice, but that’s not like living there. I picked Udall because I want to work for someone who’s really trying to work for change. I mean, this has traditionally been a Republican state, but now it’s trending Democratic. So this is a Democrat running for a Republican seat, and I think that’s really important.
Q: So what made the Nashville experience one of the best experiences of your life?
A: Just getting involved, actually seeing how things work. I mean, I love academia and I’m learning a hell of a lot. But when I write a paper, I sort of feel like, okay, it’s just a paper. The professor’s going to read it, grade it, and that’s it. But working on a campaign, you can actually make a difference. You’re out there talking to people, trying to convince them to vote for your candidate. And I love that, the contact with people, trying to make a difference in their lives. I also love the pressure. There’s always something that needs to be done right then, and something else coming up. Nashville was just great — a ton of dedicated people, really passionate about what they were doing.
Q: You’re also thinking about law school?
A: A lot of this is just going to be seeing what opens up in front of me. I just took the LSAT, but I’m probably not going to practice law. I know I’m going to be doing something in politics, either working on the Hill or working on campaigns. If I’m on the Hill, we’re making the laws. If I’m campaigning, I should know what I’m campaigning for or against. So one way or another, I’m working with the law, and if I’m going to be doing that, I figure I should probably know what the law is.
Q: Tell me about your semester at American University.
A: It’s called the American University Washington Semester. You choose your focus — international politics, international economics. I did American politics. You’re in a class of about 20 to 30 people, and you’re with the same professor the whole time. You meet several times a week for a few hours, and you go talk to people in the area you’re studying. So we talked to congressmen and senators, we sat in on the Supreme Court, we talked to lobbyists. I was there during midterm elections, which was really fun. It was really interesting to get “inside the Beltway” and see how the government actually works.
Q: So you’re taking a course with Vassar’s president, Cappy Hill?
A: Honestly, it’s my favorite class right now — the Economics of Higher Education. She’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. First off, she knows a ton about this stuff. Everything. It’s almost like she studied this before or something. So her comments are really interesting. And the students are also great. It’s mostly seniors, a few juniors, all economics people. It’s like having a long, really interesting conversation about the economics of higher education.
Q: What’s the most interesting course you’ve taken?
A: It might be tied now with Cappy’s class, but I’d say Genetic Engineering my freshman year with Nancy Pokrywka. I still remember that course very well, and it’s actually served me surprisingly well over the last three years. I sort of have an interest in science, but once you start talking chemistry and stuff like that, it gets lost on me. This was an STS (Science, Technology, and Society) course that looked at genetic engineering from more of a conceptual and philosophical perspective. I learned a ton, and I still use it. You’d be surprised where genetic engineering pops up and how little most people actually know about it.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned at Vassar?
A: Good question. The importance of hard work? High school seemed pretty easy. I wouldn’t quite say “coasting,” but not immensely challenging. I had a rude awakening second semester freshman year. My academic work, my work with the Ford campaign, my work with the Misc — all of those impressed upon me, yeah, you really need to work hard. Or, not that you really need to, but if you really work hard at something, you’re going to succeed. The Misc has become a better paper over the last four years because of everyone’s hard work. So it’s good to see those things pay off.
Q: Are you ready to leave? What are you going to miss about Vassar?
A: I’m ready to go have a job and get out in the world and change something! I’m going to miss the free time. I’m going to miss the community. I hope I’ll find myself in a situation where I can have the same level of intellectual discussion. Sitting around the Misc office for long hours when I should be doing other work, just talking about the issues of the day — I’m definitely going to miss that.
