VCNY offers a variety of events, from lowkey Schmoozes, to career discussions with Vassar alum leaders in various industries, to stage performances featuring Vassar alums, to museum visits curated by Vassar alums and more. Make sure you’re on our list to be the first to know!
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Upcoming
Author Talk (Hybrid): Thomas Mallon discusses “The Very Heart of It: New York Diaries, 1983-1994”
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Sony office at 25 Madison Avenue
Join the Vassar Club of New York at our next Author Talk in-person and online at 6:30 p.m. ET, when we will welcome former English professor Thomas Mallon and discuss his latest book, The Very Heart of It: New York Diaries, 1983-1994. These very personal journals contain many glimpses of his years at Vassar.
Lynn Janovsky ’86 will lead the discussion.
This will be a hybrid event, meeting in-person (wheelchair accessible) and virtually.
The in-person event will take place at the Sony Office near Madison Square Park.
In-person directions and Microsoft Teams information will be provided to those who register.
The Very Heart of It is an exquisite collection of journal entries from the 1980s and ’90s, tracking a young, gay author’s literary coming-of-age in New York during the AIDS crisis
In 1983, Thomas Mallon was still unknown. A literature professor at Vassar College, he spent his days traveling from Manhattan to campus, reviewing books to make ends meet and searching the city for his own purpose and fulfillment. The AIDS epidemic was beginning to surge in New York City, the ever-bustling epicenter of literary culture and gay life, alive with parties, art, and sex.
Tracing his own life day by day, Mallon evokes all that those years encompassed: the hookups, intensifying politics, personal tragedies, as well as his own blossoming success and eventual romantic happiness.
Thomas Mallon spent a number of years as a distinguished faculty member in Vassar’s English department, where he also started his writing career. He has since written eleven books of fiction including Henry and Clara, Fellow Travelers, Watergate (a Finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award) and Up With the Sun. He has also written volumes of nonfiction about plagiarism (Stolen Words), diaries (A Book of One’s Own), letters (Yours Ever) and the Kennedy assassination (Mrs. Paine’s Garage), as well as two books of essays (Rockets and Rodeos and In Fact). A collection of his personal journals, The Very Heart of It: New York Diaries, 1983-1994, was published by Knopf in June 2025 and chronicles his last years at Vassar and beyond.
Mallon’s work appears in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review and other publications. He received his PhD in English and American Literature from Harvard University and taught for a number of years at Vassar College. His honors include Guggenheim and Rockefeller fellowships, the National Book Critics Circle citation for reviewing, and the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, for distinguished prose style. He has been literary editor of Gentlemen’s Quarterly and deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and in 2012 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. An eight-part dramatic adaptation of his novel Fellow Travelers is now streaming on Showtime/Paramount+, and an opera based on the novel has had a dozen productions throughout the United States. He is Professor Emeritus of English at The George Washington University and lives in Washington, D. C.
The Very Heart of It is available at your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Strand Books.
Vassar in Tech Bingo Card Networking
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Stout NYC Bryant Park, 109 West 39th Street, New York, NY
Join the Vassar Club of New York and Vassar in Tech at Stout NYC Bryant Park at 5:30 ET for a BINGO Card Networking event.
Want to meet a fellow alum working at a startup? What about someone on the cutting edge of the AI field? Vassar in Tech brings together alums across technology, finance, media, and entrepreneurship for an evening of connection and insight. This meetup will feature a BINGO card designed to spark meaningful conversations, career guidance, and new collaborations across industries and generations. It’s a high-energy, welcoming forum to expand your network and strengthen the Vassar tech community.
Everyone is welcome, whether you are in the tech field, interested in joining the field, or just interested in mingling with tech minded folks.
A wide variety of food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Stout NYC Bryant Park is wheelchair accessible.
Past
New Year’s Schmooze at Fifth Hammer Brewing Co.
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Fifth Hammer Brewing Company, 10-28 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY
Join the Vassar Club of New York for our first Schmooze of the year at Fifth Hammer Brewing Co. as we celebrate the start of 2026 together.
If you didn’t get invited to enough ugly sweater parties in December, consider this your chance to show up and show off your most festive knit!
Fifth Hammer offers excellent non-alcoholic options, and Thursday nights often feature delicious food pop ups. Outside food is welcome too, so feel free to bring your own bites. We hope you will kick off the new year with fellow alums in a warm and relaxed setting!
Hope to see you there! Tag us at #VCNY to share the fun!
If you know a bar or restaurant that would be perfect for a Schmooze, don’t keep it to yourself, let us know! We love going all over this great city of ours and having fun with Vassar alums in new and exciting places.
In Service and In Action: Vassar Alums Driving Change
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Please join us via Zoom for In Service and In Action: Vassar Alums Driving Change, a candid conversation with graduates shaping politics and public service at every level. From grassroots organizing and advocacy to government service and electoral campaigns, our panelists will share stories, lessons learned, and insights into how change really happens — in service and in action.
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants.
Moderator:
Priya Nair ’15 (they/them) is a proud New Yorker, public servant, and nationally recognized leader in LGBTQ advocacy and equity policy. As the newly appointed Executive Director of the NYC Commission on Gender Equity, Priya brings nearly a decade of experience advancing inclusive, mission-driven policy across New York State and City government.
Panelists:
Shoshanah Bewlay ’92 is the Executive Director of and General Counsel to the New York State Committee on Open Government, a statutorily independent governmental program housed within the New York State Department of State tasked with making recommendations to improve the New York Freedom of Information, Open Meetings, and Personal Privacy Protection Laws in an annual report to the Governor and the State Legislature. In her role, Shoshanah is responsible for overseeing the staff and operations of the Committee. Every year, her staff responds to thousands of telephone and written inquiries from government entities and officials, members of the public, and representatives of the news media, prepares hundreds of written legal advisory opinions, and provides open government laws training to dozens of interested groups.
Benjamin Fikhman ’23 currently works as the Field Director for Kayla Santosuosso’s campaign for NYC Council District 47—the district in southern Brooklyn where he was born and raised. While working to develop, manage, and implement the campaign’s field plan, he is responsible for empowering and coordinating an enthusiastic volunteer base. He draws on the experience of working in an organizing role with the Harris-Walz coordinated campaign, translating his political instincts from three previous campaigns, and manifesting a broader passion for inspiring change through political avenues.
Joe Mangan ’23 serves on the staff of State Senator James Skoufis. In 2024, he was Deputy Campaign Manager for Skoufis’ reelection, where he expanded a one-point margin into a 14-point victory and outperformed the top of the ticket by 24 points in the most Republican-enrolled Democratic district in New York. Joe also leads Bluestone Campaigns LLC, which has helped Hudson Valley Democrats, from town supervisors to district attorneys, win competitive local races. He got his start in politics as a climate activist in Seattle, organizing youth climate strikes and the successful Seattle Green New Deal campaign.
Melissa Walker ’99 co-founded The States Project’s Giving Circles program, engaging 35,000+ people to focus on and engage with the immense power of state legislatures. A former magazine editor and author of ten novels, she brings people together to tell stories, pool resources, and shift power in states.
The Surgeon and Her Daughters: Play and Talkback
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Theatre 154
Join the Vassar Club of New York at 7:00 p.m. ET at a performance of The Surgeon and Her Daughters by Chris Gabo, a 21st-century Les Misérables set in the shadows of the American Dream produced by Heather Cohn ’03. The performance will be followed by a 20-minute Q&A with the cast and crew.
💵 A limited number of discounted seats are available to VCNY for $30 each. Discount not valid on Tier 1 pricing.
🎟️ Purchase tickets directly through the theater using the link and code on the registration page to receive the discounted price of $30.*
* If you have difficulty securing a discounted ticket, please contact Heather Cohn.
About the Show:
The Surgeon and Her Daughters is an epic and intimate play about family, grief, and how we stay afloat amidst seemingly insurmountable odds. Diving unflinchingly into the “melting pot” that is New York City, the play explores the slipperiness of truth and justice, the thorniness of honor and redemption, and the sensation of being a crab at the bottom of the barrel.
Run Time: 2 hours (with intermission), followed by 20-minute talkback
Heather Cohn ’03 (Executive Producer, Colt Coeur) is a producer, director, fundraiser, ensemble artist and activist. She has served as Executive Producer with Colt Coeur since 2023. She co-founded Flux Theatre Ensemble in 2006 and with Flux has produced over 30 full productions, including 18 world premieres, directing a third of them, and helped nurture and guide countless artists in the creation and development of new work. Prior to joining Colt Coeur, Heather served as the Executive Director for En Garde Arts, a site-specific Off-Broadway theatre, where she produced several large-scale site-specific projects. She has also worked with Epic Theatre Ensemble, New York Theatre Workshop, The Pearl Theatre, Theatre Communications Group, and Disney Theatrical. Heather has served on several not-for-profit boards including the League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW). She is a graduate of Vassar College, where she majored in Latin American Studies and spent time living in Cuba and Chile. And most importantly, she’s a proud mom to Mercena.
Adrienne Campbell-Holt (Director, Founding Artistic Director, Colt Coeur) is an award-winning NYC-based director and choreographer and the Founding Artistic Director of Colt Coeur. Recent: Satellites by Erin Breznitsky (Dorset Theatre Festival), World Premieres: Still (Sheen Center, Colt Coeur at DR2, NYC & Dorset Theatre Festival, VT), Finn by Chris Dimond, Michaek Kooman and Chris Nee, choreographed by Billy Bustamente (Kennedy Center, Helen Hayes nom.), Dodi & Diana by Kareem Fahmy (Colt Coeur at HERE), Afterwords, by Emily Kaczmarek, music & lyrics by Zoe Sarnak, choreographed by Ebony Williams (5th Avenue Theater, Heileman & Haver Award for Best New Musical), (NY premiere of) Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector (Colt Coeur), Other World by Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen & Ann McNamee, choreography by Karla Puno Garcia (Delaware Theatre Company, BroadwayWorld Award for Best New Musical), We Are Among Us by Stephen Belber (City Theater, Pittsburgh), Hatef**k, by Rehana Lew Mirza (WP/Colt Coeur), Joan by Stephen Belber (Colt Coeur), Downstairs by Theresa Rebeck starring Tyne and Tim Daly (Primary Stages), Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel (Colt Coeur), Seven Minutes in Heaven by Steven Levenson (Colt Coeur). Currently developing work with Jaclyn Backhaus & Jonatha Brooke (Tempus). Associate Director of Dear Evan Hansen (OBC). Lucille Lortel Visionary Director Award, “25 Women to Watch on Broadway.”
Accessibility: Theatre 154 is a wheelchair accessible venue. When you arrive at 154 Christopher Street you will use the elevator in the lobby to go down to the ground floor. Take a left out of the elevator and the theater will be on your left. There is a ramp from the theatre lobby to the audience seating. Rows A & AA are on the ground level of the theater. Rows B-F are on elevated risers that require the use of stairs.
If you have accessibility needs, please reach out to us at [email protected]
The 14th Annual Fall Fête: Devils and Angels
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Lotos Club, New York, NY
Step into a world where halos meet horns. Enjoy an evening of heavenly cocktails, devilishly good hors d’oeuvres, ethereal entertainment, and the kind of lively conversation only Vassar alums can conjure.
Thursday, November 20, 2025
7:00–10:00 p.m. ET
The Lotos Club
5 East 66th Street
(Btwn. 5th Ave. and Madison Ave.)
New York, NY 10065
Tickets include entry to the Fête, hors d’oeuvres, and open bar.
$50 Class of 2025
$75 Classes of 2021–2024
$100 General Admission
Please RSVP by Friday, November 14
If you have questions about ticket pricing and sponsorship, please reach out to [email protected].
Attire:
Festive attire. Celestial whites, fiery reds, and all-black attire are encouraged.
Accessibility:
The Lotos Club is wheelchair accessible. There are four small stairs to the front door. However, the venue is wheelchair accessible. A ramp is available upon request.
Event Sponsorship:
These special tickets allow us to create a more inclusive environment by offering discounted tickets to the newest members of our Vassar alum family—the classes of the last five years and, in particular, the class of 2025!
VCNY Legends Host | $5,000+
Main Gate Host | $5,000
Brewer Sponsor | $2,500
Miscellany Sponsor | $1,000
Vassar Devils & Angels Sponsor | $500
Poughkeepsie Patron | $250
Author Talk: Yona Zeldis McDonough ’79 discusses One of Them
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Join the Vassar Club of New York in-person and online at 6:30 p.m. ET, when we will welcome Yona Zeldis McDonough ’79 (nom de plume Kitty Zeldis) and discuss her latest book, One of Them. Lynn Janovsky ’86 will lead the discussion.
This will be a hybrid event, meeting in-person (wheelchair accessible) and via Zoom. The in-person event will take place at the Sony Office near Madison Square Park. Specific directions and/or Zoom information will be provided to those who register.
Space is limited for the in-person meeting. Register early and no later than October 22.
One of Them is a story of secrets, friendship and betrayal between two young women at Vassar in the years after World War II.
Anne Bishop seems like a typical Vassar sophomore—one of a popular group of privileged WASP friends. None of the girls in her circle has any idea that she’s Jewish, or that her real first name is Miriam. Pretending to be a Gentile has made life easier—as Anne, she no longer suffers the snubs, snide remarks, and daily restrictions Jews face. She enjoys her college life of teas, late-night conversations, and mixers. She turns a blind eye to the casual anti-Semitism that flourishes among her friends and classmates—after all, it’s no longer directed at her.
But her secret life is threatened when she becomes fascinated by a girl not in her crowd. Delia Goldhush is sophisticated, stylish, brilliant, and unashamedly Jewish—and seems not to care that she’s an outcast among the other students. Knowing that her growing closeness with Delia would be social suicide if it were discovered, Anne keeps their friendship quiet. Delia seems to understand—until a cruelty on Anne’s part drives them apart and sends them scattering to other corners of the world, alone and together.
Yona Kitty Zeldis McDonough ’79
Born in Chadera, Israel, Kitty Zeldis is the pseudonym for an award-winning author of nine novels and over forty books for children. Her essays, articles and short fiction have been published in many national and literary publications. She is also the Fiction Editor of Lilith Magazine. Zeldis lives in Brooklyn, NY. For more on Kitty Zeldis, visit her on Facebook and Instagram.
One of Them is available at your local bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Amazon.
VCNJ x VCNY—Fall Foliage Hike & Lunch in Princeton
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Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail
Join VCNJ and VCNY for a joint fall hike along the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail in Princeton, New Jersey.
We’ll meet in Princeton at 11:00 a.m. ET for a 1.5 hour walk through scenic fall foliage, followed by a lunch together at the Italian restaurant Metro North in Princeton.
We will be accompanied by local legend and renaissance man, Steve Hiltner, conservationist, botanist, jazz musician, actor, and president and founder of the Herrontown Woods Preserve in Princeton.
This is a family-friendly event! The towpath is flat and beginner-friendly. Wear walking shoes and dress for the weather.
Lunch for purchase will follow the hike at approximately 1:00 p.m. (We will start and end at Alexander Street).
🚆 Taking the train from NYC?
Meet the group at 8:45 a.m. at the NJ Transit Concourse in Penn Station.
Purchase your ticket for the NEC New Jersey Transit train to Princeton Junction
The train to Princeton Junction will leave at approximately 9/9:15 a.m. (updated train time will be emailed to those who register).
After arriving at Princeton Junction, we will then take the PRIN train (also called the “Dinky”) to Princeton (the transfer time is only 5 minutes).
From Princeton, we will meet up with the other hikers for a short walk, or carpool, to the trailhead at Alexander Rd.
🚗 Driving yourself?
At 11:00 a.m., we will meet in the parking lot across from the Princeton Canoe & Kayak Rental shop (483 Alexander St, Princeton, NJ 08540) in Turning Basin Park on Alexander Street.
Registration closes on Sunday, September 28.