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By Hannah Fassett ‘17
  
Austin Lehn’s interest in international relations started in high school, when he noticed a fellow student sitting alone at a cross-country practice. He walked over and introduced himself to the young man, who turned out to be a new foreign exchange student from Denmark named Mads. Later on, he would befriend another Danish student, Klara. Getting to know these two confirmed Austin’s sense that international students visiting Sehome High School in Bellingham, Washington, often had a hard time integrating with the local students. As a senior, he started a mentoring group where international students could get to know their American peers, meeting regularly to explore local hangouts, go to the movies, and spend time at the local coffee shop. The experience was enriching for everyone involved. Austin’s friendships with Mads and Klara have lasted through high school and college and included several visits to Denmark. He and Mads even went on a road trip from Seattle to New York City last year.
 
Austin’s desire to build relationships across cultures continued at Bard College, where he majors in political studies. As a junior, he had another opportunity to mentor international students with the Center for Civic Engagement, where he connected with two visiting students from Smolny College in Saint Petersburg and the American University of Cairo. He became curious about working in international education, so last spring he underwent a rigorous and competitive application process to become an intern at the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C. Austin won a Community Action Award from the Center for Civic Engagement to support his internship. He was offered a spot at EducationUSA, operated by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which runs the State Department’s network of international student adviser centers in nearly every country in the world. EducationUSA advisers help international students and their families navigate the college admission process in the United States. They also work with U.S. colleges to help recruit international students, and with foreign institutions and governments interested in connecting with U.S. colleges.
 
EducationUSA exposed Austin broadly to the inner workings of the State Department. He attended grant proposal review panels and foreign officer country debriefings, and even met Secretary of State John Kerry. He worked on a project measuring the economic impact of international students, to see “how much money they bring into local economies when they come to the United States.” His main responsibility was helping to organize and oversee the EducationUSA Forum 2016, a three-day panel for international student recruiters and advisers. In addition to ensuring the panels went smoothly, Austin joined the events and made professional connections, particularly with advisers from Washington State. He hopes to become an international adviser to a university back home after graduation. “It’s where I belong,” he explains. He is also considering working at the State Department as a Foreign Service officer, another profession he’s encountered through EducationUSA.
 
Austin learned about the State Department internship through his academic adviser, James Ketterer, who mentored Austin through the application process. Ketterer, Bard’s dean of international studies and director of the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program in New York City, taught Diplomacy Politics, one of Austin’s favorite courses at Bard, a course that gave him the “tools to know what to expect from the State Department.” Austin’s Senior Project will be a comparative politics study examining legislation for LGBTQ rights in Russia and Spain. After his summer at the State Department, Austin has ideas about education legislation in the United States, too. During the internship, he joined discussions on inclusivity in international recruitment and training Foreign Service workers on the importance of “having a diverse body of students represented in an exchange program.”
 
After his internship, what would Austin share with his fellow Bard students? “While being openly critical about the government is a good thing, the best way for young people to influence change within the government is to join it!” About his peers, he adds, “Bard brings together a group of students with a sincere desire to positively affect the world around us. Whether these changes come through a piece of inspiring art, a scientific discovery, or a research project, Bard students are committed to making an impact on the world around them. I have had so many enlightening conversations with my peers and truly believe that many of my friends here at Bard will become leaders in their respective fields.”

Bard senior and political studies major Austin Lehn interned at EducationUSA last summer, a division of the State Department that helps international students and their families navigate the college admission process in the United States. Now he's considering a career as a Foreign Service officer or an international adviser to a university. 

This semester, a class at the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program (BGIA) in New York City includes students from a remarkable number of Bard programs and partner institutions. Bard College professor Walter Russell Mead is teaching Anglo-American Grand Strategy, a course examining the rise of British and American world power across three centuries. The class includes students from BGIA (with home institutions of American University in Central Asia, Smolny College in Russia, Emory University, and Bard), Bard College students who make the trip from Annandale, and students from Bard High School Early College in Queens.

On October 23 and 24, the Bard Globalization and International Affairs program (BGIA) in New York City hosted a conference on the history and future of the U.S. military's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). The event was sponsored by the Mellon Foundation Project for Civil-Military Education Cooperation, which facilitates joint activities between educational institutions preparing the next generation of leaders in the civilian and military sectors. The aim is that members of each group should better understand the other, reducing the "civilian-military gap." Bard College is a member institution. This year marks the 100th anniversary of ROTC, and the conference explored the role of ROTC in training citizen-soldiers for the military, encouraging civil-military interactions on civilian campuses, a ensuring that the officer corps includes diverse experiences, perspectives, and educational backgrounds. Bard junior Jasmine Collins gave a presentation on her experiences in Junior ROTC in Atlanta. BGIA students attending the conference included those from Bard College, Oberlin College, Smolny College, and the Kellner Scholarship program that brings students from Hungary. Bard's dean of international studies and BGIA director James Ketterer oversaw the event.

​Conover focuses his astute comedy on the election in “The Adam Ruins Everything Election Special” on truTV, a taped version of a live stage show he performed in 15 cities.

Has the rapid rise of safe space rhetoric on college campuses done more harm than good? Does the increasing number of safe spaces contribute to the sheltering of students or to respectful community awareness? The Bard Debate Union and the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College hosted a debate titled, “Resolved: The rapid rise of ‘safe space’ rhetoric on college campuses has done more harm than good” on the evening of Tuesday, October 18 in the Campus Center.

After five years of preparation, the Sussman Rare Book Collection will open in the Stevenson Library on October 29 with such treasures as a 1556 copy of the Magna Carta.

On Friday, October 14, Bard’s Women and Leadership course, taught by Deirdre d’Albertis, visited the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where they met with Brigadier General Cindy Jebb, the academy’s first female dean. They also joined West Point cadets for a class in behavioral science and leadership, followed by a tour of the academy's historic campus. Next month they will head to the United Nations to meet with ambassadors Samantha Power and Michele J. Sison.

Students have designed projects for the course ranging from staging a Shakespeare play with an all-female cast to exploring sexism in the music industry. D’Albertis has assigned students to research women leaders from backgrounds that differ from their own in order to explore intersectional identities. The Center for Civic Engagement supports the course, with community building and civic engagement as core concepts.

On Friday, October 14, Bard’s Women and Leadership course, taught by Deirdre d’Albertis, visited the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where they met with Brigadier General Cindy Jebb, the academy’s first female dean. 

The Colombian people narrowly voted down a peace deal with the rebel group FARC that would have ended 50 years of war. What went wrong?