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“Despite growing interest and investment, countering unmanned aircraft remains a significant challenge given ... the rapid evolution of drone technology.”

Two Bard College students were awarded highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships by the U.S. Department of State. Getzamany Correa, a Global and International Studies major, will be studying at Central European University in the Department of International Relations in Budapest, Hungary. Biology major Elizabeth Thomas will be studying at the University College Roosevelt in Middelburg, Netherlands. Correa and Thomas are two of 844 American undergraduate students from 335 colleges and universities across the United States to receive the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study or intern abroad during the spring of 2019.

The Congressionally funded Gilman Program broadens the U.S. student population studying and interning abroad by providing scholarships to outstanding undergraduate Pell Grant recipients who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise study abroad. Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 28,000 Gilman scholars who represent the rich diversity of the United States to 145 countries around the globe.

“The Gilman Program aims to make study abroad, and its career advantages, more accessible and inclusive for American students. These diverse American students gain critical skills overseas that expand their career options and ability to make an impact in their home communities,” said Heidi Manley, the Chief of USA Study Abroad at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.  She notes that the program particularly focuses on supporting first-generation college students, students in the STEM fields, ethnic and racial minority students, students with disabilities, students who are veterans, students attending community colleges and minority serving institutions, and other populations underrepresented in study abroad, as well as broadening the destinations where scholars study or intern.

The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
 

Two Bard College students were awarded highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships by the U.S. Department of State. Getzamany Correa, a Global and International Studies major, will be studying at Central European University in the Department of International Relations in Budapest, Hungary. Biology major Elizabeth Thomas will be studying at the University College Roosevelt in Middelburg, Netherlands. 

Walter Russell Mead is the James Clarke Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and the Humanities at Bard College, the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at the Hudson Institute, and the Wall Street Journal’s Global View columnist. He is the author of several books: Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World (2001), winner of the Lionel Gelber Prize and nominated for the 2002 Arthur Ross Book Award; Power, Terror, Peace, and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk (2004); and God and Gold: Britain, America, and the Making of the Modern World (2008). He is a contributing editor to and writer on international affairs for the Los Angeles Times; he also writes articles, book reviews, and op-ed pieces for Foreign Affairs, Harper’s, the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and other magazines and newspapers. Mead was a finalist for the National Magazine Award (essays and criticism) in 1997, and was a President’s Fellow of the World Policy Institute at The New School from 1987 to 1997. In 2012, the Foreign Policy Research Institute awarded him its Benjamin Franklin Prize for his work in the field of American foreign policy. Mead is a founding board member of New America, and also serves on the board of Freedom House.

Professor Tcherneva explains Modern Monetary Theory and writes that PAYGO is based on a fallacy: “Government funding is voted into existence every time Congress appropriates a budget.”

A leader in liberal internationalism is about to turn its back on the world, writes Professor of Political Studies Omar Encarnación.

The justices will consider a number of Donald Trump’s most controversial policies, including the rollback of DACA, the asylum ban, and the proposed citizenship question on the 2020 census.

The Center for the Study of Hate brings together multiple disciplines to examine the history and politics of bigotry and how to combat it.

“The nation needs to have a serious conversation about what it is we’re doing with the troops we’ve deployed in combat areas,” says Ketterer.

“The trajectory from the Palestinian refugee camp where I grew up … to a graduate school in a foreign capital was not quick or easy, but my persistence paid off,” Jawabreh writes.

Since 2009, Bardians and local high school students have worked with anthropology professor Christopher Lindner at the 1746 Parsonage in Germantown, 9 miles north of the College.

McKim was honored by the ASC’s Women and Crime and Critical Criminology and Social Justice divisions for her 2017 book Addicted to Rehab: Race, Gender, and Drugs in the Era of Mass Incarceration, “a compelling and critical ethnography of drug rehabilitation” (CCSJ).

Senator Warren (D-MA) spoke via teleconference to students and faculty from Bard College, Bard College at Simon's Rock, and Bard Microcollege Holyoke on December 1.

Bard students, staff, and faculty gathered for a Commemoration Walk on the afternoon of Monday, December 3, visiting new signage around campus designed to encourage critical reflection on Bard’s history. This is a project of students in Professor Myra Young Armstead’s Inclusion at Bard course, part of a series of Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences courses at Bard, sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement. The new placards on campus engage community practices of public memory, recognition, and forgetting.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at each location, with a historical presentation by students and remarks by a member of the faculty. Professor Armstead kicked off the event at the marker outside Aspinwall Hall highlighting John Lloyd Aspinwall, an early benefactor of St. Stephen’s College, Bard’s first incarnation. Like many antebellum donors to the nation’s colleges and universities, Aspinwall owed a significant portion of his wealth to commercial ventures that profited from slavery in the Americas.
 
A second placard near the library, overlooking Kline with a view of the Catskills, is dedicated to Vine Deloria Sr., Class of 1926. Deloria was an exceptional athlete at St. Stephen’s whose life and work were defined by a proud Native American cross-culturalism. He became the Episcopal archdeacon of Indian parishes in South Dakota and a vocal advocate for tribal governments.
 
A third placard near the Chapel of the Holy Innocents honors Matthew McDuffie, Class of 1889. Born a slave in South Carolina, he was literate by the age of five. Thanks to the efforts of his diligent parents, McDuffie was able to take advantage of opportunities for Black Americans that opened after the Civil War. He was one of a cohort of four African American students to integrate St. Stephen’s in 1884. McDuffie experienced discrimination from his classmates but he persisted in his education without protest, and went on to become the first resident priest of St. James Episcopal Church in Tampa, Florida.
 

On the heels of the Green Book movie, History looks at Professor Armstead's research into how black vacationers during segregation escaped to retreats that catered to them.

The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi makes a review of the U.S. relationship with Saudia Arabia critical, writes Frederic Hof.

The challenge facing any Churchill biographer is how to weigh “a life filled with so much triumph and disaster,” writes Aldous in this review of Andrew Roberts's Churchill.

Dean of International Studies James Ketterer comments that it is not enough to thank veterans for their service; we must ensure that our elected officials deploy the military conscientiously.

Professor Mendelsohn describes how he has experienced the Odyssey at different times in his life, and how he rediscovers the text with each new translation.

“The radically different experiences of Western and Eastern Europe in the years after 1918 explain much about the continent’s political landscape a century late,” McMeekin writes.

“Creative Process in Dialogue: Art and the Public Today” will be held at BHSEC Manhattan on October 31, followed by a lunch hour talk at Bard at Brooklyn Public Library on November 1.

Poet Elizabeth Alexander and Painter Amy Sherald in Conversation

Creative Process in Dialogue: Art and the Public Today with Elizabeth Alexander and Amy Sherald 
Bard High School Early College Manhattan, October 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Lunch Hour Talk with Amy Sherald and Thelma Golden
Bard at Brooklyn Public Library, November 1 at 12:45 p.m.

Watch Live Starting at 6:30 Eastern Time on October 31:



Bard High School Early College Manhattan (BHSEC) hosts a discussion with poet Elizabeth Alexander and painter Amy Sherald about their creative processes and their commitments to the humanities. This public conversation seeks to diversify perspectives on the arts disciplines and to offer models for collective and inclusive community dialogues. The event is free and open to the public. It takes place on Wednesday, October 31, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at BHSEC on 525 East Houston Street in New York City. Preregistration is required. Register here. A live webcast of the event will also be available.

Poet and president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Elizabeth Alexander and painter Amy Sherald have both produced works critical to marking and reflecting on recent periods of political and social change in the United States. Alexander wrote and recited the poem “Praise Song for Our Day” to usher forward the presidency of the first black American president, Barack Obama, and Sherald painted the official portrait of the first lady, Michelle Obama, one of two works to mark the end of the Obama Presidency. Moderators BHSEC literature professor Brittney Edmonds and Bard Associate Professor of History Christian Crouch will ask Alexander and Sherald four contextualizing questions around the process of patronage and collecting in the arts, artistic practice and black feminism, how their work speaks across artistic media, and how their work engages with the image of body.

“This event, the first of a series, is inspired by an ongoing dialogue within Bard’s Africana Studies Program surrounding race and diversity and social engagement in the visual and performative arts. We hope to create the opportunity for public dialogue around creative artistic practice and the humanities, and how artists engage their audience and broader community,” says Director of Africana Studies at Bard and Assistant Professor of Africana and Historical Studies Drew Thompson.

This event is cosponsored by Humanities New York, Bard Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard Center for Civic Engagement, Bard Undergraduate Program in Africana Studies, Bard High School Early College, and Bard American Studies Program.

On Thursday, November 1, from 12:45pm to 2:00pm, Amy Sherald will be in conversation with curator Thelma Golden at Bard at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), the first New York City Microcollege. In this inaugural Bard at BPL Lunch Hour Talk, Golden and Sherald discuss an understated aspect of the creative process: the relationship between curator and artist. Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, has presided over exhibitions in which painter Amy Sherald’s works were included and was involved in the selection of Sherald to paint the portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. The event is free and open to the public. It takes place at BPL Central Library, Dweck Center, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn. Preregistration is required. Register here.
 

Kenneth S. Stern ’75 has been named director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate (BCSH). The Center, a new program of Bard’s Human Rights Project, will support faculty and students throughout the Bard network who want to study and combat hatred and its various manifestations. Stern, a recipient of Bard’s John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service, is an attorney and award-winning author, and an internationally known expert on hatred and antisemitism.

The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi could finally push a long-overdue review of American policy in Saudi Arabia, Hof writes.

“The roots of Bolsonaro’s opposition to LGBT rights, feminism, the environment, and the like is, first and foremost, his fondness for authoritarianism,” writes Encarnación.

This collection of unpublished works highlights Arendt’s “desire to revive political freedom and public happiness in a world endlessly defined by wars, revolutions, and violence.”

BGIA has welcomed new staff and faculty, has started a joint program with Central European University, and is finalizing renovations of its space in midtown Manhattan.

Stephen Mucher, director of Bard’s MAT program in LA, asks why the nation is not discussing college education as the surest defense against voter suppression.

The Center will work with faculty and students throughout the Bard network to increase the serious study of hatred, to identify ways to combat hate, and to stimulate public discussion.

The first volume of Arendt’s complete works has been published, with “countless flashes of insight, edited with great care.” Bard faculty member Thomas Wild is an editor of the edition, and Thomas Bartscherer is an editor of a subsequent volume. (In German.)

Poet Layli Long Soldier reflects on the relatively unknown official apology issued to indigenous people on behalf of the U.S. government in 2009.

Nadia Murad will share the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize with Dr. Denis Mukwege. Murad spoke at Bard in 2016 on the Yazidi genocide and sexual slavery. Watch the video from the Hannah Arendt Center.

Bard College announces the appointment of esteemed Ambassador Frederic C. Hof as Bard’s first Diplomat-in-Residence in the Political Studies Program.

Bard College has received two grants from the NEH in support of faculty-led humanities projects, part of the endowment’s third and last round of funding for fiscal year 2018.

Bayrasli, a professor of international affairs at Bard College, says that both presidents are trying to appear strong to their core supporters at home by scoring cheap political points.

The judgment in Weyerhauser Co. v. United States Fish and Wildlife Service will be another indication of the court’s view on judicial deference to federal agencies, writes Steven Mazie.

Community Action Awards Spotlight

My name is Eric Raimondi and I am a joint History and Middle Eastern Studies major in my senior year at Bard. This summer I worked with Samos Volunteers in Greece where I helped refugees living in a former military detention center. My work included registering refugees, sorting donated goods, washing clothing, and cleaning bathrooms at the camp. Working in the camp was physically and emotionally exhausting. I often worked in the mid-afternoon—this meant it was unbearably hot; it also meant that the refugees’ tents were practically uninhabitable, as they heated like saunas. Despite these conditions, I found my work to be extremely rewarding and enriching. I was invited into people’s tents and was often treated as a guest. One time during Ramadan, an old woman gifted me the most delicious stuffed zucchini. In front of the backdrop of injustice, some people continue life as normal for as long as they can. For the first time in my life, I felt completely useful. The experience I had with Samos Volunteers cannot be replicated. I don’t imagine I can see the world the same as before.
 

Franco ran Spain with an iron fist for decades, writes Encarnación, and created myths about his rule that are only now starting to come undone.

The political science major and Bard Raptors pitcher is spending the summer doing one of the things he loves best: playing baseball.

In America Classifies the Immigrants, Professor Perlmann “provides a cogent and compelling analysis of the muddle of meanings” of classification terms used in the Census.

With fascist salutes, defenders of Spanish dictator Franco gathered recently to protest the new Socialist government's plan to dig up his remains. Professor Encarnación offers context.

Tivoli’s newly reopened Broadway Bridge has been dedicated to educator, historian, and village trustee Bernard Tieger, who taught sociology at Bard from 1967 to 1988.

“Italy’s new populist government signals a major challenge to the European status quo, but not in the way most observers initially expected.”

Cofounded by BGIA professor Elmira Bayrasli, FPInterrupted (FPI) amplifies female foreign policy voices in the media.

The Book Smugglers: Partisans, Poets, and the Race to Save Jewish Treasures from the Nazis shows the Holocaust as an act of cultural plunder and destruction.

In Blood for Thought, “Balberg has somehow managed to write another path-breaking work on another formidable and arcane section of rabbinic literature—sacrificial law.”

Richard Aldous, Eugene Meyer Professor of British History and Literature, reviews Conservativism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition.

Two Bard College students were awarded a highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State. Dance major Emma Lee ’19 was awarded $3,000 towards her participation in “Black Dances #3: Around Technique Acogny,” a six-week West-African dance program in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal at Ecole des Sables, the school of renowned dancer and choreographer Germaine Acogny.

Sociology major Cindy (Sam) Arroyo ’19 was awarded $2,500 toward her participation in “Development, Environment, and Social Change: Contemporary Issues in Central Asia,” Bard Abroad’s Summer Practicum Program at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply towards their study abroad or internship program costs with additional funding available for the study of a critical language overseas. The Gilman scholarship supports American undergraduate students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad and, since 2001, has enabled more than 25,000 outstanding Americans of diverse backgrounds to engage in a meaningful educational experience abroad. The program has successfully broadened U.S. participation in study abroad, while emphasizing countries and regions where fewer Americans traditionally study. The late Congressman Gilman, who served in the House of Representatives for 30 years, chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee, and was honored with the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Medal in 2002, commented, “Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates. Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”

Jonathan Chavez is the director of college persistence at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (CHLDC) in New York City. Jon graduated from Bard in 2012 with a major in sociology.

CHLDC is a community-based organization that offers a range of free support services to residents. Working with the College Success Programs division, Jon and his staff support local college students. "We assist our students in navigating their campuses, troubleshooting issues that impede their success, and technical processes (i.e. completing FAFSA, class registration). I particularly enjoy reaching out to students to develop plans as they start their semesters."

Drawing on his relationships with Bard administrators, Jon graduated from Bard with the opportunity to participate in a weeklong program exploring the field of student affairs in higher education with NASPA. Upon finishing the program, he worked for the Bard Educational Opportunity Programs (BEOP) while conducting his job search over the summer. A fellow alumnus referred him to CHLDC. "They were seeking a college access counselor to help high school seniors apply to college," he recalls. Every year working with the CHLDC, Jon added new projects to his role, which led to several promotions, eventually placing him in the position of director of college persistence.
 
He credits Bard with helping him develop the skills to guide college students in Cypress Hills. "My field of work is still developing, so many times I rely on my ability to anticipate problems and navigate solutions. Thankfully, my various research courses [at Bard] helped me develop a framework for problem solving. In my counseling, I also use a lot of the techniques I learned from various leadership roles I had at Bard, as a peer counselor with ResLife and peer mentor with BEOP." Jon finds that his work study experiences with the Dean of Student Affairs Office and Change in Action workshops also helped him learn how to navigate a professional office environment and promote leadership among members of his team. 

Jon remembers Bard being a challenging environment. "A lot of responsibilities are placed on students: they run some [campus] spaces and lead clubs and activities in addition to maintaining strong grades. ... I am so grateful for the preparation I received at Bard. In my [current] role, I am constantly in positions where I have to learn processes or context very quickly and I have to decipher information to problem solve. My years at Bard helped me find comfort even when I was in uncomfortable situations."

Jon transferred to Bard from community college, and he appreciated the opportunity to devote his time to being a student among other students. "Living on campus is a subtle privilege that is oftentimes taken for granted, but it allowed me to cultivate many valuable relationships that I utilize to this day." His advice for current students? "When you hear about networking, keep in mind that every relationship is a form of networking; the process is easier than people tend to think and a friend or mentor might be your link to a possible job opportunity."

Joseph Kim '19 has watched the summit with special interest, hoping the U.S. and North Korea would commit to improving human rights in the country he fled in 2006.