Dear Graduate Students, We hope you're taking care and continuing to be kind and gentle with yourselves. Please read on for a few reminders and updates. VACCINATION VERIFICATION + ACCESSING CAMPUS A reminder that *all students taking classes designated as in-person and/or hybrid on CUNYfirst* (even if your professors have decided to only meet online) must upload their proof of vaccination to CUNYfirst by *today, Monday, September 27*. Students who do not do so are at risk of being withdrawn from their courses without refunds and having their financial aid impacted. Visit the QC Coronavirus webpage <https://www.qc.cuny.edu/community/Coronavirus/Pages/Campus-Access.aspx> for more info on how to upload your vaccine docs and access campus. Please note that the Everbridge VaxPass is no longer accepted, and you must present your QCard (or a Cleared4Pass + a Proxyclick questionnaire given at the Main Gate) in order to access campus. JOINING ONLINE CLASSES ON-CAMPUS For students who need to join online classes from campus, please note that the QC Library <https://library.qc.cuny.edu/> has extended its hours till 9pm Mondays through Thursdays and they've suspended the quiet floors. That means you can now make a reservation for anywhere in the library <https://qc-cuny.libcal.com/> (not just a designated Zoom Room) and join your online class from anywhere there. Please keep in mind that you must book at least a day ahead (up to a week in advance). And don't forget your headphones! FILE FOR GRADUATION BY 11/01 If you believe you will have completed all your MA degree requirements by the end of Fall 2021, please be sure to apply for graduation <https://www.qc.cuny.edu/registrar/graduation/Pages/default.aspx> via your CUNYfirst Student Center by *Monday, November 1*. UPCOMING EVENTS There are a number of exciting upcoming events we hope you'll check out! *Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 28, at 7:00pm ET*, there's a free virtual QC event (part of the "Off the Page <https://kupferbergcenter.org/event/off-the-page-a-conversation-with-nicole-dennis-benn-rajiv-mohabir/>" series at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts and cosponsored by our MFA program) featuring two brilliant Caribbean writers in conversation—Nicole Dennis-Benn (currently a visiting professor in our department) & Rajiv Mohabir (a QC alum). Please click here to register for the event <https://www.universe.com/events/off-the-page-a-conversation-with-nicole-dennis-benn-rajiv-mohabir-tickets-15LSWQ> . On *Wednesday, October 6, 12:30pm–1:30pm ET*, there's a free virtual poetry reading <http://www.kundiman.org/full-calendar/2021/8/23/queens-college> (hosted by QC in collaboration with the Asian American literary org Kundiman <http://www.kundiman.org/>) featuring 2018 Kundiman Poetry Prize winner Rohan Chhetri, as well as Samyak Shertok and Jane Wong. Please register for the event here <https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtcuqprTIrE91tUksIwyqp4mI1hEcZkWZh> . And also, the Brooklyn Book Festival <https://brooklynbookfestival.org/> is happening now through Oct. 4, with a ton of free virtual and in-person events, so check it out! We'll have more updates for you in the coming weeks about the spring semester. Till then, as always, please take care and email us both if you have any questions or need advising or support. Best, Caroline & Hillary, your Directors of Graduate Studies in English -- Dr. Caroline Kyungah Hong Associate Professor of English Director of Graduate Studies (English MA) Queens College, CUNY *she/her/hers* * Please note that I am off email on weekends and will respond to your email during business hours, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm, generally within 1–2 business days.