To get us all through the last stint of winter, Bard’s second annual “Beat the Blues” is happening now! This week-long (March 8 - 14) series of events is meant to help people combat the “winter blues”, highlighting strategies, traditional and alternative treatments included, to alleviate the effects of depression. Programs include: anonymous mental health screenings, dancing, creative arts, music, movies, talks, stress reduction programs, (laughter and regular) yoga, meditation, and much more. If you happen to just walk through the campus center this week, prepare yourself for some fun music and perhaps an encounter with a furry animal or two !
Every morning, before I catch the bus from Red Hook to Bard, I pick up my triple shot espresso from Taste Budd’s. Taste Budd’s, owned by Chef Dan Budd (hence the name) is a café located in the village of Red Hook, one of two villages making up the town in which Bard is located. Taste Budd’s is renowned for its’ sandwiches, coffees, soups, mini-pastries, cookie bars and cakes. They deliver cookie baskets and cakes on campus, and so students sometime order cakes for their friends’ birthdays. Bard students frequent Taste Budd’s as an alternate study space to the library as there is plenty of space to study with wireless. Others visit to catch up with their friends off campus, or read a book by themselves in the patio area. Taste Budd’s also invites local musical artists every sunday, which is a great time to hang out with friends and listen to some live music.
My favorite sandwich at Taste Budd’s is the Mediterranean sandwich which is a delicious combo of pesto, mozzerella and vegetables. Try it next time you are in town!
I dropped by about fifteen minutes early, as I always do, forgetting the fact that we are in fact, always and forever on Bard time-which means things don’t exactly (well never) start on the minute of their announced time, especially private venues like concerts and other musical events. Elijah was just sitting down with his drummer and bassist, relaxing before their set; I recognized him from his website, www.generousmusic.com. The site has some really nice samples of his music, which I personally would classify as alternative. Since that doesn’t say much, you definitely have to hear it to get an idea for yourself. As his page introduces it, “Sweet, personal, intimate, full of love, truth and immediacy, the album is a cinematic journey of emotion, elegance and warmth, crafted with precision and aged to perfection.”
Elijah graduated from Bard in 2005 with a music degree, and he’s been involved with music writing, performance, and production ever since. His work has a sense of humor, sincerity, and intensity. Read more about Elijah’s solo debut and local peformances in Chronogram Magazine.
For more on what’s happening on campus check out the campus calendar.
Science Meets Aerosol Art
Posted in Inside Bard on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 11:38 am
While walking through the RKC a few days ago, I noticed that the science poster display had been taken down and replaced by…I guess the best way to describe it would be a series of really colorful molecular graffiti panels. This latest addition to the science building is definitely much more than worth seeing. The most amazing thing though is that the artist himself, Coco 144, was at Bard for the official opening of his exhibit Scientifically Correct: Molecular Structures, Arrows and Pathways this past Wednesday and answered all of our questions about his work.
Exhibit wall in Gabrielle H. Reem and Herbert J. Kayden Center
Photos by: Stephanie Barrett, Bard Sophomore & Admission Tour Guide
Rescheduled from last week because of the snow, this exhibition presents the latest work by this essential artist to New York City’s subway art movement. Accredited with creating the first stencil in the writing movement, Coco 144 is one of the most famous aerosol artists worldwide. His work has been exhibited throughout New York, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Switzerland. In 2008, he was commissioned by Rockefeller University to paint the Sensory Neuroscience Mural in the university laboratory.
Last night I attended the showing of an entrancing visual performance art piece set to the words of authors ranging from American Post Structuralist Judith Butler to to playwright Caryl Churchill. After enjoying the piece immensely, I was gratified to learn that the artist was none other than my favorite dual Art History and Gender and Sexuality Studies major, Danny Peacock. Danny is one of the more involved people on campus. He is a Peer Counselor with the Office of Residence Life and has headed up a number of clubs in his three years at Bard, including the Queer Straight Alliance. Nowadays, he spends most of his free time working on art projects. He’s currently designing and building a spaceship for a film and working on a large performance art/installation piece. When I asked Danny what advice he would give to incoming students, he had the following guidance to share:
“At Bard, education is not confined to the classroom. With the Hessel Museum of Art and CCS Galleries exhibitions and library, the Community Garden and Trustee Leader Scholar Projects, numerous clubs, and an ever-changing array of student performances, screenings, and art shows, I feel that I’m always learning and experiencing something new. Taking advantage of all these opportunities rounds out the Bard experience and informs the work you do inside the classroom. Plus, it’s all fun.”
Well put, Danny!
Late Winter Thaw
Posted in Inside Bard on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
As the winter sport season is coming to a close, intramural season is just around the corner. Bard has eight different varsity sports for men and women, which you can read more about at www.bard.edu/athletics/. I’ll admit, I’m not quite athletic enough to make the cut for any of those teams. But this year I am on an intramural basketball team. To be honest, I haven’t played much basketball since phys. ed. in middle school, but you and me can keep that a secret from my team. The great thing about intramural sports here at Bard, is that everyone– students, faculty and staff– can get involved. There are teams made up of varsity players along with students, like myself, who haven’t dribbled a ball in years. This makes for a fun environment; while everyone keeps a competitive edge, nothing is taken too seriously. I like to think I bring the spirit and draw the crowds for my team, while the more inclined players can win the games for us.
Posted in Student Life on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 9:56 am
Ronald Joseph, Bard Sophomore & Admission Tour Guide
Andrew Shapiro works at McDonald’s, but he doesn’t sweep floors, flip burgers, or salt fries. Instead he can be seen giving matinee concerts noon-4pm on Sundays at the McDonald’s on 160 Broadway, a block away from the old site of the Twin Towers. For pairing fast-food with contemporary art, Shapiro was profiled in The New York Times and featured in the “Best of New York” issue of the Village Voice. He studied composition at Oberlin, and today makes his living composing and playing his works. He describes his own work as a blend between the minimalist style of Philip Glass and the moody pop sensibilities of the 80’s New Wave Era: Listen!
In addition to playing and composing, he is a freelance music journalist, and on his website one can see interviews that he’s done, most notably (to me at least) Michael Reisman, who produced his album entitled “Numbers, Colors, and People”, and who also happens to be the lead orchestrator and keyboardist for Philip Glass’s ensemble. Be sure to check him out here at Bard Hall, March 3 (TODAY), at 7pm for a free one-hour concert.
To read more about Andrew Shapiro check out his website here.
Robot Invasion!!!
Posted in Academic Life on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 9:33 am
This semester I am taking basic computer programing. Our new professor Keith has put a little twist on the standard class. This year object oriented programing has robots! They are these little blue robots with two wheels and a bunch of sensors. Now a few weeks into the class we have enough python (a programing language named after Monty) skills to do some sketches. In groups of 2-4 we each came up with 1 to 2 minute sketches. My group re-enacted the bridge of death scene from The Holy Grail. Others used their programming skills to create robotic snakes, produce Lady Gaga songs, Shakespeare excerpts, and a summary of all Mario Brothers games ever made. While grading, Keith also took a bunch of pictures so here is a link to see all our “rob-acting” (mine is the one with the crown portraying Graham Chapman as King Arthur):PHOTOS!
Student Theater: Polaroid Stories
Posted in Student Life on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Last week I attended one of the best student productions I’ve seen since last semester. Okay, that doesn’t sound like a long time, but that’s only because everyone here is so absurdly talented! It was a play called “Polaroid Stories,” directed by a Bard Sophomore, Morgan Green. She’s very involved with theater, and I have seen her act previously. Her acting skills are just as excellent as her directing.
The play had a vignette-like structure, zooming in on the personas of six homeless characters who tell the stories of their lives on the streets. While some struggle with addiction and others with abusive relationships, the theme of the play is escape. Escaping daily struggles, escaping reality, escaping self. As they call out their many names, they represent the many different identities of all those stranded in an alienated world of chaos.
Definitely worth seeing, this play is only one of the many made possible through the Student Theater Collective. Students run a black-box theater in the “Old Gym” and support each other in putting on productions throughout the year. For more information on the collective click here. For more on the Bard Theater Department, check out: theater.bard.edu.
Rabia Hashmi, Bard Senior & Admission Tour Guide
