The dish on chef Mike Conlin
When Vassar’s head chef Mike Conlin prepares a recipe, he rarely adds a dash of this or a tablespoon of that. This chef cooks in pounds and gallons. A typical dinner entrée at the All Campus Dining Center (ACDC) serves 240 to 300 portions with vegetable dishes and starches prepared to serve 120-150. Recently, Conlin was responsible for cooking 20 cases of gnocchi at the pasta station. "At 10 pounds a case, that’s a lot of pasta," says Conlin. "And it’s a trick to hold it long enough so it’s still cooked just right for the last serving without turning into a giant ball of goo." more...
Beyond the woods
What’s it like to live, survive, and prosper in a community that’s physically isolated from the larger world? For 11 years, local photographer Spencer Ainsley journeyed into the rugged hills of the Blue Ridge Mountain region of North Carolina to learn about and photograph the customs and traditions of the local people. These visits resulted in Beyond the Woods, an exhibition on display in the James W. Palmer Gallery through October 22. more...
Students take to the polls
With so many people disenfranchised from the electoral process, one professor is doing more than just getting them interested. She’s getting them involved. Supported by a $34,000 Help America Vote grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Sarita McCoy Gregory, assistant professor of political science, started Dutchess County Citizen Action Network (DCCAN), a program designed to engage college students in the election process and at the same time address the nationwide shortage of certified poll workers. A collaborative project, DCCAN will train nearly 200 students from Vassar, Marist, and Dutchess Community Colleges to work at the November 2008 polls. more...