To add your club to this list, make a change to your current listing, or request web space for your club, contact the Office of Student Activities at 845-758-7097, email studentactivities@bard.edu, or use the Club Submission Form.
Note from the Coordinator for Clubs and Student Activities
As an alumnus and a former club head, Student Activities helped me navigate spaces I would have never known existed had I not stumbled into the office. I learned the importance of leadership, and work ethic; while understanding that fun events hold weight, but the passion for the event lasts semesters. Here at the Office of Student Activities, we will teach you everything from registering and managing a club to putting on events that will impact the student body. We believe in creating the next generation of student leaders to go out into the world and apply their knowledge and skills to their aspirations and dream jobs. Student Activities is the first step on the journey, and I will be front and center to move your ideas forward.
Considering all of the nuances of the club world, my goal is to ensure that all students know how to register events and specifically, for club heads, how to spend their budgets and answer any club questions. Also, I plan to host Second Saturday event nights as student engagement activities, partner with clubs and other offices to host extracurricular programs, continue our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives by promoting holidays and special happenings on our social media platforms, and providing students with an ear for them to voice ideas or concerns. In Student Activities, we will continue to uplift student voices and provide diverse and engaging experiences.
The Bard Debate Union is a community of students, faculty, and staff committed to promoting the values of civic discourse, dialogue, and debate throughout the Bard College community, the greater Hudson Valley region of New York, and the world at large.
The Bard Debate Union represents a union of both a student club and a college-sponsored team. As a club, the BDU organizes meetings, workshops, and events on campus and in the local community. As a team, the BDU prepares for, attends, and participates in inter-collegiate debate competitions.
The Finance and Investment Club aims to further students' understanding of finance and investment strategies. The club includes stock trading simulations, valuation techniques, speakers on finance-related topics (balance sheets, modern monetary theory, etc.), and weekly market roundups.
Club Head Information
Muhammad Ali , ma0840@bard.edu 845-532-9524 Type(s): Academic
American Writer Martha Beck said, "Every day brings new choices." While these choices seem to challenge individual actors only, the context in which they emerge and the impact they exert on society constitute the “essence” of history, if such a definition can be made.
The Bard History Club is a community of students and faculty advisers who revisit different choices that past and contemporary generations have made. As such, we hold an exploratory attitude to the interpretation of the past. We will be discussing primary sources and other materials, posing questions such as “what if this did not happen". If possible, we will find ways to invite local historians and faculty members to offer their perspectives on the historical choices that formed our current society. We will also try to address issues of methodology and the philosophies that informed the historical actors we examine and influenced their respective societies up to the present day.
Life is about making choices. History is the intricate web of causes and effects that reflects them on a much broader scale. We welcome all who are interested to attempt the understanding of its narratives and principles.
The purpose of this club is to create a space for people to develop their problem-solving skills and get a chance to explore areas of mathematics that are less commonly taught along with others who are interested in the same thing. The Club will gather as a group to work on and discuss competition problems, such as the Putnam exam and various international math olympiads. We will also take part in selecting practice problems to sent out to high schoolers preparing for competitions. In addition, we are planning to have various speakers give presentations about their work in their specific field of math. The class will hold in-person meetings with remote options via Zoom!
The proliferation of mathematical ideas is often hampered by jargon, technical points, and symbolic manipulation. However, within math communities, ideas are communicated verbally and in ways intended to show what is most essential about an idea. An auxiliary goal of this club is to utilize this way of articulating math in a way that makes it appealing to non-specialists. In particular, we hope that during this semester, math majors will be able to share what they find beautiful and inspiring with other students in the Bard community.
We also plan to attend nearby math conferences whenever possible, as well as work together with the Bard Math Circle to provide mathematical opportunities for local middle school students.
Most importantly, anyone is welcome regardless of their major or math experience. The desire to learn more about mathematics and passion for problem-solving is more than enough.
Club Head Information
Tina Giorgadze , tg8183@bard.edu 845-853-2019 Type(s): Academic
The Student Pre-health Club’s mission is to foster a community with events where students can discover the many different health careers and educational opportunities. We aim to provide support for preparation in achieving any pre-health career with events such as MCAT study sessions, mock examinations, application reviews and graduate school or internship interview preparation. In addition, we believe that in this technologically advancing age, the ethics of science and medicine are becoming an increasing concern and conscious or not, these issues concern the health and lifestyle of every human being. Therefore, we want to create events that combine public health and social issues and bring awareness to campus of events in the sciences and medicine that concern the health of every individual.
Know a bunch of trivia or an ace in your academic or artistic field? Come here! We are a group of very intelligent individuals who want to show off our varied knowledge and want to compete in games with other colleges.
Games work in a way that there are four people per team and a moderator will ask questions.
The Bard Economics Club is a student-run organization that will supplement the economics program at Bard. Our goals are to enhance the undergraduate economics experience with speakers from various fields within economics such as finance, economic policy, and academia. We also want to raise money so that we can attend major economic conferences such as the Hyman Minsky Conference in Washington, D.C., amongst other talks and conferences in the NYC area. We also aim to help students develop networking skills, and organize networking events with students through Bard alumni working in economics-related fields. The CDO is also willing to work with us on building essential career-oriented skills such as resume-buildling, utilizing LinkedIn, interviews, etc. Besides all of these great opportunities, we also want to create an environment where economics majors can just talk about current events, their economics homework, their weekend, the stock market, cereal, their hedgehog and whatever else.
The Nicaragua Education Initiative is a project that engages in a multicultural exchange between Bard students and the community of Chacraseca, Nicaragua. While staying with host families in Chacraseca during the winter intersession, the project takes Bard students to Chacraseca every January to foster creative learning experiences where students can express themselves in new and collaborative ways. Students in Chacraseca express creativity through science, math, English, and art lessons. Although the trip is only three weeks, the project is a year-long process. Throughout the year, the project raises funds for university students and other scholarships that promote sustainable education. The Nicaragua Education Initiative values learning both inside and outside of the classroom. The connections and relationships we build cannot be learned at a desk, and this multicultural exchange widens the perspectives of each individual involved in the project. Every January for three weeks a group of 12 students from Bard go to Chacraseca, a small village in Nicaragua, where we stay with host family. We teach from 9:00am through 1:00pm during the weekdays. Although the trip is only three weeks, the project is a year-long process. Throughout the year, the project raises funds for university students and other scholarships that promote sustainable education.
The purpose of Physics Club is to foster wholesome community within the physics department. We all need a little togetherness and because physics students have to study literally the whole time, it is very important to have moral support from our peers. (And snacks.) We plan on hosting a number of events such as: stargazing nights, physics phriday, screenings of Carl Sagan's cosmos, physics potlucks, etc.
The Psychology Club seeks to gather, inform, and engage all students interested in the field of psychology, both majors and non-majors! A key goal of ours is to build a strong community among students interested in this field, and to widen the psychology community to other students through open events.
Beyond promoting communication and awareness, the Bard Psychology Club will also provide an active academic atmosphere in which members can discuss topics of interest, lab assistant and internship opportunities, possible careers in psychology, and ideas for future inquiry and research.
Lastly, we aim to serve as a liaison between faculty and students, communicating any questions or concerns (anonymously) that students have, but may not feel comfortable speaking to faculty about.
Bard Cheerleaders will bring school spirit and pep to all indoor games. Our mission is bring excitement and entertainment to the spectators. We plan to preform during games, ISO, and maybe even during the Women of Color Gala.
The Bard College Cycling Team (BCCT) is one of the most promising new teams in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference. Our first season of racing saw 11 top-ten finishes across five races, including two first place finishes by first-time Bard racers. In an unprecedented move, the BCCT also hosted its own, extremely successful race with over 150 competitors from schools all across the Northeast. We put Bard on the map with this race and established ourselves as a competitive member of the ECCC. All Bard racers enjoy race support from the team and local bicycle shops as well as one-on-one and group coaching from retired racer Martin Bruhn. We also host on-campus events and weekly group rides for all Bard students and community members. The BCCT consists of students, faculty, and community members and we welcome cyclists of all skill levels.
Bard College's Golf Club goal is to make Golf accessible to all that sign up. By providing partial equipment, and a membership to the local courses, all you need to worry about is to have fun.
Bard is a place to skate. We have weekly (or more) skate sessions on campus and/ or in neighboring towns. We also have several skate trips during the semester, and special events every now and then.
All levels are welcome. If you're a beginner, we can show you some stuff. If you don't have a board we can probably lend you one. If you like to skate this is a good club to join.
The Bard Ski and Snowboard Club's mission is to allow Bardians to experience the many joys of downhill skiing and snowboarding in a relaxed and fun environment. We plan to take trips over the course of the winter to the available mountains in the area while exploring the natural beauty here in the Hudson Valley. Skiers and riders of all abilities are welcome. All funding for the club will be used for transportation, lift tickets, and gear rentals. LETS SHRED!
We're the surf club! we want to go on a few trips to Rockaway Beach (NYC) and other places. We want anyone and everyone. There is no skill level needed. Just bring yo-self and a positive vibe! Surfs up dude!
At its core, the Bard Video Game Club strives to connect the many people at Bard College who partake in the recreation of playing video games. There are a great many people at Bard who partake in the same activities, such as gaming, that aren't even aware that like minds exist. This is why we are dedicated to creating communication among people who may not otherwise know each other.
As the gaming club, we plan campus-wide gaming events that all are welcome to join, including tournaments, non-competitive sessions and general gatherings to raise the awareness of niche interests such as video games.
In the end, our goal is simple: Forge new friendships and make Bard a more inclusive community for people of all intrigues.
Bard College Women’s Soccer Club is a club designed to empower and support Bard College women. We will meet every Monday, Thursday and Saturday for some soccer warm-ups, drills, and scrimmages. This club is meant to provide students with a fun and exciting opportunity to unwind and exercise. We will all come together to release some stress, kick a ball around, and have fun. Most importantly, this club is a place for anyone and everyone to feel welcomed and supported!
Club Head Information
Charlotte Geissler , cg8329@bard.edu 312-291-6186 Type(s): Athletic/Recreational
Bard Yoga Collective aims to introduce students to a holistic yoga practice which engages all segments of yoga (community, meditation, and asana). In doing so, the Collective utilizes our extensive yogic community here on campus. Allowing us to learn and lead from multiple angles and levels. The Bard Yoga Collective aims to honor the traditional practice and embark on communal healing. The classes are typically an hour and fifteen minutes long. All classes are lead by experienced and certified instructors. Alternatively to most yoga classes, the class aims to foster community discussion surrounding yoga as well as practice yoga. The club focuses around the Shambhavananda yoga practice which is a form of Hatha yoga. Due to the fact that most students are beginner, vinyasa practices are saved for once a month.
This is a club that combines frogs and ping pong. When weather permits we will go look for frogs in the swamp, and for frog barren times we will play ping pong. It is basically a ping pong club with the bonus of looking for frogs and being in nature.
More than a game, chess is a discipline, a world of its own; or, rather, a philosophy. You are in charge of the meaning you give to the board and its valued pieces. Chess isn’t only a fun competitive game, it has countless benefits too: it sharpens critical thinking skills, it builds self-confidence, it improves problem-solving abilities, it exercises both sides of the brain, it boosts memory and creativity; and, most importantly, it makes you a better decision maker. Chess is, among many things, about creativity.
Club Head Information
Nelson Hilario , nh9369@bard.edu 917-345-5460 Type(s): Athletic/Recreational
AfroPulse hopes to provide a forum through which African students, those of the African Diaspora, and all other interested students can come together to explore the continent in a multi-dimensional context.
Our goals include spreading awareness of the continent’s rich and diverse history and culture to the wider Bard community, as well as celebrating this culture through food, music, film, dance, and fashion. We also hope to educate on the contemporary issues faced by countries on the continent, and shed light on the place of Africa and its people in our world today through panel discussions, documentary/TED talk screenings, live speakers, and debates. Community service will be a priority in our agenda, and we hope to find practical ways to contribute back to communities across Africa. We will also attempt to reach out to the larger Hudson Valley community through community service activities that promote the continent, and by engaging with similar African student groups in surrounding colleges.
Welcome to the home page of our site! Open to all Bard students Asian Student Organization (ASO) is focused on achieving an awareness of the Asian populations at Bard College, which includes students, faculty, and off-campus neighbors. ASO also aims to create a space that facilitates a dialogue between Asian and Asian American students with the larger Bard community. From various angles, we will try to demonstrate Asian culture and identity by holding events to educate, entertain, and provide community outreach to all students at Bard. We are conscious of the cultures that exist in Bard College and hope to increase understanding between Asian and non-Asian students.
Our mission is to stimulate members of the Bard College community to explore intellectual, political, cultural and social issues that are of importance to the Black community and America as a whole. Black History and current race issues are articulated through dialogue, cultural performances, music, lectures, and art. Race and politics are issues that are often recognized on our campus in through our academic curriculum. However, we as an organization feel that it is necessary to find creative ways to take that experience beyond the classroom brining the links between race, politics, academics, and social life to fruition in the hopes that awareness will spark action and ignite change in our communities.
The Caribbean Student Association (CSA) seeks to provide a sense of social solidarity and academic support among West Indian/Caribbean students at Bard, while promoting interactions with the Bard community as a whole. We hope to achieve this goal through (1) the education of Caribbean culture, society, and politics, (2) hosting events that celebrate the diversity which Caribbean students contribute to Bard and (3) raising awareness about issues past and present of importance to West Indians and the world. The CSA is inclusive to all Bard students, Caribbean or otherwise.
We hope to serve the cultural and social objectives: to promote interests and understandings across cultures and disciplines, to create opportunities for Bardians to ask questions and discuss, and to share our cultural and social understandings and differences. Rather than representing the Chinese government,we represent our own perspectives. We hope to enrich Bardians' knowledge of China by means of film, lecture and party.
Representing the versatility that International Students bring to the Bard community through campus events and gatherings. You don't have to be international to attend!
This is the club affiliated with La Voz magazine. We help organize events relevant to the Hispanic community such as concerts, lectures and more. In addition we seek writers, journalists, and artists for the magazine´s content.
LASO aims to curate spaces and experiences where Latin American culture is showcased, shared, and discussed. LASO facilities community building, and education of Latin American peoples, histories, and current struggles. LASO is not an exclusive club and is, therefore, both for students who pertain to the culture and those who are interested in it.
The Multiracial Student Union is a space dedicated to fostering community, solidarity, awareness, and exploration of the complexities surrounding the multiracial identity. Oftentimes being multiracial leads to a sense of exclusion from racial categories or the erasure/ commodification of self in order to become part of one. We understand the multiracial identity to be a complete identity of shared multiculturalism as opposed to the common idea that being multiracial implies fragmentation. At the same time, examining each individual aspect of our racial makeup is crucial in the exploration of self. This club is meant to be a safe space of comfort for self-identifying multiracial students, where we can analyze the multiracial experience fully, without the simplification of the standard “What are you?” question. We aim to do so through open discussions, community projects, collaborations with other clubs, panels, the creation of art, film screenings, potlucks, and other events.
A place where people can discuss the culture, food, and language of Norway, as well as practice and study the Norwegian language. It would be cool to show Norwegian films and play Norwegian music. Also we could eat or make Norwegian foods.
Club Head Information
Emily Lewis , el0868@bard.edu 707-529-4105 Type(s): Cultural/Affinity
An offshoot of the Equity and Inclusion Office, this club works to extend resources of the E&I office and make a greater presence in the greater Bard Community. Club activities include workshops, networking activities, and social events. E&I scholars are a strong presence in campus life, being representatives of several campus organizations, and this is a good opportunity for the Bard community to learn more about this organization.
This club is a space created to center the lives and experiences of the queer and gender-nonconforming people of color both on Bard's campus and beyond. It's a place for conversation and action. It's a place that recognizes and affirms the lives of those whose lives are too often forgotten and erased. Though it was made intentionally to elevate the voices of QTPOC, allies and accomplices are welcome, but only with the understanding that your voices will not be centered and that you are there to learn and support.
Club Head Information
Soledad Aguilar-Colon ; Skylar Carter , Sc1528@bard.edu 415-860-5921 Davide De La Cruz ; Tahj Frazier ; Type(s): Cultural/Affinity
The Trans Life Collective is a student and faculty organization working to create an environment that is accepting and comfortable for individuals of all gender identities. In the past, we have advocated gender inclusive spaces in bathrooms and housing, we were instrumental in adding gender identity and expression to Bard's Anti-Discrimination Policy, we held film screenings, hosted trivia events, panels, and performances/workshops, supported grassroots education via teach-ins, created a library of books and films for the Bard community, developed educational materials for students and staff, and organized student events such as Trans-Queer Prom and Gender Blender. All are welcome to attend our weekly meetings.
Women of Color United (WOCU) seeks to provide an inclusive environment for members to exchange personal and collective experiences that occur on and off Bard’s campus. We seek to share with each other issues and experiences of race, gender, and sexuality surrounding the positions of women from diverse backgrounds. WOCU aims to facilitate conversations with the community on topics that are important to us and focus on self-care and self-love throughout the semester. We seek to uplift women and not degrade them, this is not a space for negative vibes. We aim to cultivate positive energy.
The Ballroom/Latin Dance club is a great opportunity to learn the elegance and passion of ballroom and latin dancing. No experience is necessary, come on by to meet new people, learn great dances, and get some exercise. Dances covered include: waltz, foxtrot, American tango, rumba, salsa, samba, meringue, cha-cha, and hustle.
This club caters to anybody who is a KPOP fan, interested in learning new dances, performing, or just socializing with fellow KPOP stans. We perform for events on-campus as well.
The Bard Community Garden is a public space maintained by student and community member volunteers. It is a space for students to plant, tend, and harvest edible and medicinal plants, relax, study, play music, host events, gather, and learn about herbalism, permaculture, and gardening via workshops put on by the club each semester. The club also hosts potlucks and weekly work parties throughout the growing season. New to the community garden is the growing and harvesting of medicinal herbs to supply the Trade Based Student Run Herbal Apothecary Project which the Wild Roots Wellness Collective has put together.
The Free Press is Bard's preeminent source for print journalism. We are dedicated to hard-nosed, straightforward reporting and in-depth investigative journalism. We cover anything deemed relevant to the community, whether it happens on or off campus. We are always taking submissions.
Bard Science Journal is a student publication dedicated to all genres of science writing including news articles, essays, science-inspired art & poetry, and peer-reviewed research papers. It's intended as a forum for students to explore different ways of writing and thinking about science and its effects on individuals and society. The Bard Science Journal wants to emphasize access to quality science for everyone. Open to both majors and non-majors!
BOTV is a media club who's goal is to bring entertainment, creativity, and also a platform for soical thought
to Bard by utilizing video, the Internet, and photography. We record and publicize Bard events for the community to watch at their leisure in addition to creating original content created by our staff and Bard students within the community for the enjoyment of the Bard Community. We also are here to provide pertinent news
information ranging from the Bard Hub to global news. The
content of our network aims to entertain, capture, and diversify the environment in which we live
and change the way we associate with media, our peers, and the world.
Gradient, a new club, aims to engage peer collaboration in the photography program outside of the classroom. We host guest lecturers, provide workshops, and conduct critiques, with an end result of a publication and show at the end of each semester reflecting our photographic work. Meetings are held weekly to discuss our ongoing work –– be it critiques, publications, shows, or our occasional workshops and lecturers. Our goal is to extend the dialogue regarding photography beyond simply the classroom experience. We hope to establish lasting connections between artists in order to continue our work together post-graduation.
We gather, practice, and interrogate "architecture" together. Projects include but are not limited to: a digital/printed publication (a zine); design projects around campus; collaboration with other clubs, when they need our archi-brains.
"Architect" comes from the Greek Arkhi- (the establisher of orders, truth) -tekton (mason, builder).
TFC is a club dedicated to bringing a fun and welcoming space to those interested in fashion/design with a focus on student creativity. This year, TFC will focus on providing a platform in areas like modelling, sewing, event planning, and collaboration.
On campus we are fortunate to have multiple large orchestras and small chamber ensembles in the college and conservatory, but we are lacking a student-run orchestra of a medium size. That space is what we are hoping to fill! The Bard Chamber Orchestra is a student-run ensemble comprised of musicians from the college and conservatory. Clare Herzog is the orchestra manager and David Banoczi-Ruof is the music director. We are hoping to include anyone who wishes to join!
BUMP is an organization that exists as a resource for students and clubs looking to host live-music on campus. BUMP also hosts events and works to maintain safe-spaces. We are a collective of music clubs and venues on campus including SMOG, Root Cellar, Entertainment Committee, WXBC, and Bard Bars. You can reach us at bardbump@gmail.com
The Root Cellar is a completely student-run space that houses one of the largest zine libraries on the east coast. The Root Cellar is also a multipurpose space for student use: we host shows, performances, and club meetings.
SMOG is a student run music venue and performance space. Students of Bard College may schedule time in this space to have shows or house other happenings. If you're interested in booking a show, organizing an event, looking to get paid as a student tech, or want to perform at SMOG, email smogbard@gmail.com or bardbump@gmail.com.
The Jazz Kittens is an opportunity for musicians to come together and celebrate their love of music. The Jazz Kittens gives a community for musicians to meet other musicians and create and practice music. All types of musicians at all skill levels are welcome.
The Orcapelicans is the only A Cappella group on campus. This gender inclusive group is audition-based and regularly performs on and off campus. This group also provides a stress-free and non-judgmental space for people who love to sing with others. We sing all genres!
We teach and experiment with fire poi, as well as several other fire dancing tools such as fire fans, fire staff, fire hoop, and contact fire. We are always willing to explore new forms and continue to expand our skills!
Bard Bards is a Shakespeare club dedicated to making Shakespeare accessible to students of ALL backgrounds and experience levels. We aim to make Shakespeare's works relevant, interesting, and exciting to everyone from hardcore fans of the Bard to folks who have never read or watched his plays before. We (typically) put up one full-scale production each semester, and hold other events according to the interests of our members!
The Bard dance club is a way to bring dance that is not offered at Bard to the student body. It also functions as a way of meeting the needs of the dance community at Bard that would otherwise be overlooked by the department itself.
This is a club focused on the joy of producing musicals that are lighthearted and humorous. This semester we will be performing Firebringer by Team Starkid. It is a comedic musical about cavemen discovering fire.
Club Head Information
Zoe Oro-Hahn , zo5753@bard.edu 201-455-9442 Type(s): Performing/Visual Arts
A space for dancers, singers, and actors, and musical theatre aficionados alike can bond over their love for musicals, and work towards producing student-run musical performances.
Club Head Information
Ella Baldwin , eb5378@bard.edu 631-745-1665 Type(s): Performing/Visual Arts
The Drag club is a club dedicated to the art of becoming a queen or king through the use of makeup, performance, and persona. This club will give access and the option for drag to become a fundamental part of Bard Culture, allowing students access to makeup, a stage and a community. The club will meet once a week and allow Bard students to play with their gender performance and to be supported while doing so. Screenings, practice, and shows will be activities the Drag club hosts, giving visibility to the art of Drag performance. Both Queens, and Kings will be given a space to thrive and grow and hone their skills through this club, which will act as a major resource.
Club Head Information
Mango Chardiet , bc2324@bard.edu 310-210-8876 Type(s): Performing/Visual Arts
Elevation station is a place of creativity and sustainability. Bring your old jars, clothes, or notebooks. We will be upcycling your old items (or our old items if you prefer) to make something that you not only will use again but something that you will be proud to have. We will be doing everything from bleach dying, to collaging, to embroidery.
The goal of People Of Color Theatre Ensemble is to facilitate an environment of inclusion within the Bard theatre community- particularly for people of color. As we are tired of seeing a lack of representation within the theatre community at Bard, we hope to create more opportunities for people of color who are interested in performance. POC Theatre Ensemble is primarily focused on theater written for and by people of color. We aim to have a core group of about 15 people who will work together to put on productions. Within this group, people will be shifting roles each show to learn the in’s and out’s of theatre, performance, and technical theater. This is not exclusive to theater majors and we want all persons of color on Bard’s campus with a passion for performance!
The Surrealist Training Circus is a forum for creative performance on campus. Circus members train for the surreal apocalypse through an ongoing study of puppetry, costuming, stilt-walking, acrobatics and theater. The circus puts on formal theatrical events and informal interventions around campus, culminating in a giant spectacle at the end of the year. We aim to create community and inspire wonder within the public spaces of this private institution.
The Baddie Collective is a all non-boy dance collective, with members of different majors, years, races, and background. We focus on creating spaces for non-boys to feel safe, supported, and sexy. We do shows in multiple venues on campus, we collaborate with other groups and clubs, and host events. We have been doing shows and have had a following since 2019. We hold auditions for dancers, but our performances included a variety of other roles that any non-boy can participate in (costumes, makeup, social media, hosts, backstage, set design, etc).
The Bard Musical Theatre Company is a student led collective that curates theatrical performance opportunities for the students at Bard College and has become one of the largest student theatre communities on campus. Each semester BMTC produces one major musical. BMTC strives to bring together a diverse group of multidisciplinary student artists to produce performance based events on campus. To date, BMTC is made up of over 150 student theatre artists, technicians, and performers, and has quickly established itself as an integral part of Bard’s student theatre community. Imitating not-for-profit theatre, this company provides the opportunity to practically apply theatre-making, administrative, and performance skills and fill roles that exist within the production of theatrical work. By creating work within a model that resembles a professional theatre, the Bard Musical Theatre Company offers students a real-world understanding of the operation and execution of theatrical performances. Ultimately, BMTC aims to equip Bard students with the knowledge and experience necessary to curate, develop, and produce their own work in the professional world.
Our Club is orientated towards education, spreading awareness and political advocacy. We welcome everyone regardless of food choice. This is a new club and there is room for suggestions and growth.
Club Head Information
Josef Lazar , jl3540@bard.edu 832-683-0778 Type(s): Political/Activism
Bard Democrats is a student-led grassroots political association dedicated to helping students exert agency in politics. We organize and promote opportunities to make a real difference at the local, state, and federal level.
Formally known as Organizing for Undocumented Students' Rights (OUSR), Bard Immigrant Coalition continues the original mission of OUSR to promote the rights of undocumented students on Bard's campus, in the Hudson Valley, and to follow the national movements on immigrants rights. However, we now seek to expand our efforts in fundraising and raising awareness of the broader issue of immigration in the United States.
We are the local chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, an organization that works in solidarity with the Palestinian people to oppose the Israeli occupation through boycotts, divestment, sanctions, and various forms of civil disobedience and nonviolent protest. On campus, we work towards furthering education on Palestinian justice issues and standing in solidarity with others affected by colonization and occupation.
This club is dedicated to the planning of the Black Body Experience Conference that takes place every Spring Semester. This conference discusses many different issues amongst people of color with a different theme taking place each year.
CodeRed aims to address the need for free and available period products for all. We provide tampons and pads in the bathrooms of most of campus and are working towards providing more environmentally sustainable products for free as well
Election@Bard is a nonpartisan voting initiative sponsored by the Andrew Goodman Foundation and The Center for Civic Engagement. The group works on all things relating to voting at Bard-- including voter registration, education and engagement.
Peace Action is a club that will aim towards inspiring and directing student activists. We will teach students how to write letters and call their representatives, as well as discuss various political movements and crises in the world that need immediate attention and activist action. This club wants to not only bring together activists on campus but also teach people who are interested in politics about how to become an activist and take political action. Peace Action New York State is a national organization from which I have learned a lot about activism and I plan to bring this knowledge with me when starting this Peace Action chapter at Bard.
Connected with Planned Parenthood Greater New York to promote PP's health services to students, bring students to nearby PP clinics, connect students with campus Health Services to make appointments, prescriptions, and information easier and more accessible, allowing every student to have access to safe, affordable, and confidential health care.
Club Head Information
Margaret Dembergh , md7147@bard.edu 845-428-0355 Anna Schupack , as5534@bard.edu 518-527-3928 Type(s): Political/Activism
The Student Labor Dialogue (SLD), founded in 2005, is Bard's only club devoted to issues of workers' rights and labor justice both on and off campus. We bring awareness and hopefully solutions to issues of labor justice and mistreatment while fostering an open dialogue between students and workers on campus.
The Sunrise Movement is a national youth climate movement dedicated to fighting for good jobs and a livable future, as well as ensuring that the United States government face the climate crisis as the existential threat to humanity that it is. Through peaceful, non-violent actions, lobbying and public outreach, sunrise is committed to centering The Green New Deal - a broad social, economic platform that would both transform our economy to clean energy within 12 years and rebuild the American middle class - as the key platform of any candidate vying for the 2020 democratic presidential nomination. As a chapter of sunrise, we would aide the national organization, push our representative Antonio Deladgo, to support the Green New Deal and hold discussions on the climate crisis.
The Draft is a student publication interested in disseminating inter-disciplinary approaches to questions of human rights. Our goal is to provide a space where student work pertaining to both international and local issues of social, political, economic and cultural inequality can be shared with a larger audience. We are a student organization with a unique horizontal structure and we seek to incorporate collaborations of all kinds on campus. We hope to provide a space where radical politics on campus can flourish and where student work can leave the classroom and enter a space of peer engagement and conversation. As a student-collective we are both a print and online publication and a community of activists, organizers, aspiring journalists, and artists.
This club will examine the role and impact that socioeconomic status and class has on on Bard's campus and its programs. We will conduct interviews, collect institutional data, meet with faculty members to propose new initiatives/solutions, and hold fundraisers. This club will collaborate with the faculty/staff group Council for Inclusive Excellence to discuss and plan resolutions.
Creating a safe space where students of the Hindu faith have the outlet to observe religious holidays and prayer services. This also is a space where students interested in Hinduism can come to learn more. We provide resources that students may need such as specific food during holidays, idols, and more.
Club Head Information
Katherina Wahi Sherry Chowdhury , kw8881@bard.edu 929-434-7054 Type(s): Religious
• The mission of the Muslim Student Organization is to provide for the religious needs of Muslims in and around Bard College. Likewise, we aim to introduce and educate the broader community about Al-Islam. Consequently, anyone interested or harboring relevant curiosities are warmly welcome to join. The MSO encourages interaction between different religious groups in hopes of developing understanding and minimizing misconceptions.
• The MSO holds various informational programs throughout the course of the year including Friday (Jumu'ah) prayer, weekly discussions, film screenings, monthly dinners and speakers. All of these events are open to any and everyone who is interested; irrelative of religion, race or any background. Essentially, the MSO seeks to open the lines of communication between all individuals.
The Bike Co-op is a free resource for the Bard community's bike-related needs. Anybody is welcome to stop by during open hours (Tuesdays and Wednesdays 7pm-9pm) to get help fixing their bike, learn about bike maintenance or get involved in any of our bike outreach programs; which include hosting informal alleycat races, offering free bike maintenance classes to the greater community, and other bike related activities. The Bike Co-op is located in the basement of the Old Gym, enter through the south side of the security building, down the stairs. All are welcome to learn and volunteer! Get in touch with us at bardbicycle@gmail.com or on Instagram @bardbikecoop
Bard College Sound Crew provides the entire campus with audio assistance for various events, from the simple to the avant garde. Our equipment can accommodate pretty much any event one would like to host. Our highest priority is providing Bard with high-quality audio assistance for all students, no matter the event.
Club Head Information
balthazar loglia , bl7845@bard.edu 845-399-0524 Type(s): Service
BEMS is a free, confidential, and a non-transport emergency medical service, operating 24 hours per day, 7 days per week on Bard's campus. Because of the atypical location of campus, we arrive on scene faster than local ambulances. With our average response time being 3 to 5 minutes, we provide essential care in those vital minutes.
We are entirely student-run club. All BEMS members are either training to be, or already are, New York State certified EMT-Bs. Bard EMS receives its semesterly budget from the Bard Convocation Fund, as decided by Bard students and the Fiscal Committee.
The Duties of BEMS is threefold:
To stabilize and package critical, unstable, or potentially unstable patients (as defined by New York State BLS Protocols [see 3.A]) for transport by ambulance.
To render emergency aid to stable patients (as defined by New York State BLS Protocols [see 3.A]) who need prompt hospital care, and arrange transport to an appropriate care facility.
To render minor interim aid to patients who refuse transport during the hours when Bard Student Health Services is closed.
Within the above parameters, BEMS will render aid to anyone who requests it.
*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BEMS is currently off call as we are experiencing shortage in personnel (remote learners) and PPE. While we are not in service, we are hiring new members and making the squad as strong as possible for when we return on call.*
Please email bemsdirector@gmail.com with any questions, and bemshiring@gmail.com if you are interested in joining our team.
The Bard New Orleans Exchange (BNOE) is one of the longest running TLS projects at Bard. Since 2005, students have been going down to NOLA for 5 weeks in the summer and 3 weeks each winter to work for various causes.
In its birth, the project focused on the rebuilding of schools and running summer programs for students. Recently, the program has taken a turn to focus on criminal justice reform in the most incarcerated city in the U.S. (and the world); Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the country, and New Orleans more specifically has the highest rate within the state.
While in New Orleans, students intern for a variety of criminal justice reform organizations run for and by formerly incarcerated people including, Voice of the Experienced (commonly known as VOTE www.vote-nola.org), The Power Coalition, and The First 72+ These groups work to end mass incarceration through policy creation and reform, direct services, and social justice actions.
While on campus, BNOE members and allies facilitate anti-mass incarceration and general criminal justice reform actions which Bard students can learn from and participate in such as informative panels, fundraising initiatives, and movie screenings.
Within the Bard Student Government, the Central Assembly is made up of: the Speaker of the Student Body, the chairs of the Student Life, Fiscal, Education Policies, & Multicultural Diversity committees, the Peer Review & Student Judiciary Board chairs as well and the Treasurer. Each member of the Central Assembly works to serve the student body in each of their respective branches around student life, conduct, and fiscal spendings. Each member of the Central Assembly holds weekly office hours and attends meetings to aid in assessing the campus climate, discussing curricular concerns within the College, and simply supporting the student body as holistically as possible.
The Cooking Club will be a place where Bardians can find food from different cultures in an environment that is wholly comprised of what students have brought to the table.
Feel like being condescending to the hipster regime and their Sriracha? Want to transcend the red vinegar water known as Red Hot? Tired of stable bowel movements? Are you wise and true?
Hot Lovers!
We seek both seasoned sauce veterans and cry baby newcomers interested in learning about and tasting unique hot sauces. Every variety of hot sauce speaks to a larger culinary tradition and we won't haze anyone. Hot sauce is a language of love and we want to share this spicy literacy with everyone.
O' Paladin of Pain slather this limp fish taco with what will surely be the best part of my day. With Haste! Hot Paste! Taste Great! My Fate!
Get a Polaroid photo, when you try hot sauce of varying Scoville levels.
Paws for Students is dedicated to celebrating the animals we love and who support our wellness! We appreciate and recognize the crucial role supportive and therapy animals play while we are in college. All animal lovers welcome. Even if you don’t have your own emotional support animal, you can join us to get the hugs and kisses from a furry friend. We will partner with the Bard Team of Therapy Dogs to bring more love to our members and other students on campus.
Club Head Information
Katherina Wahi , kw8881@bard.edu 929-434-7054 Type(s): Service
The mission of Senior Class Council is simple: promote a philanthropic spirit among the graduating class by providing seniors an opportunity to leave their legacy at the College they call home. Through a collective effort Senior Class Council with the help of their classmates has the opportunity to give both their time and financial resources in order to leave their mark on Bard College and take their first step toward becoming proud alumni/ae. All of the money raised from the following events will be donated back to the College in the form a senior gift: pub nights, one a semester, Seniors vs Faculty/Staff basketball game, and the selling of pint glasses. All of our events are open to the entire Bard community.
This is the revival of the Student Run Darkroom, a darkroom space and club organized and ran by students independent of the photography program. The club was conceptualized by Bard alum Nicole Novak in 1998, and then organized by Bard alum Emily Steinfeld and Paolo Vidali in 2002, with the help of the former Dean of First-Year Students John Kelly. We hope to further their goal of bringing non-majors into contact with analogue photography. In this iteration, our focus is by nature and decision equity and inclusion. We'll be continuing with these goals as we strive to provide workshops and darkroom facilities for Bard students. We hope to cultivate a diverse and thriving community of photographers.
We provide free prophylactics to the student body via an anonymous online order form. The orders are then delivered to the student's on campus mail box.
The Friendly Philosophers’ Society is club for students to engage together in philosophy that welcomes both majors and non-majors. Throughout the semester we host club meetings, have film screenings, student debates/conversations, and try to gather students’ essays, fiction, poetry, artwork, etc. into a brief publication at the end of each semester. Pretty much, we're a bunch of enthusiastic, nerdy people who want to talk about weird ideas.
We will be practicing techniques to cultivate self Love, Love towards others, and awareness and Love for our planet. This will include informal discussions and meditation practices. Healing techniques such as Reiki will be offered as well. Through these methods our inner environments will be made healthier and happier. Yay!
Sawkill Coffee House is a student run cafe located in Sawkill (a 24 hour open space dedicated to students!) We serve specialty coffee, teas, and snacks. Additionally, Sawkill runs various events for students to enjoy! Sawkill is committed to creating a safe, inviting, space made for students by students.
We screen terrible movies every week so anybody can come to laugh at the stupidity! Students can expect movies that are so bad they're more fun to watch than great movies. We ask the real questions: How did this ever make it on the big screen? Did the director ever make another movie or just wallow in shame? Come ask these questions with us!
The Art and Action Community club's mission is to provide students space to enact their ideas to enhance and spread community love across Bard campus. Members will be free to propose ideas that will be initiated with the help of this club. The first action that this club will take is to start a community mural on campus. I have added this club as Special Interest/Other because it falls under an art and activism initiative.
Club Head Information
Ingrid Baumann , ib4357@bard.edu 702-327-5189 Type(s): Special Interest/Other
Bard Car Club is for students who are car enthusiasts and looking to meet and hang out with other students who love cars. We will be hosting events on campus including weekly student car meets and cruises as well as annual or bi-annual community charity car shows supporting local charities or foundations. You don’t need to own a car to join, you just have to love them!
Club Head Information
Vince Eagen , be9266@bard.edu 315-415-3354 Type(s): Special Interest/Other
The Bard Wellness Club, in affiliation with Peer Health, will serve to provide Bard students with wellness-oriented events for bettering mental and physical health. These events will promote healthy living with everything from lectures by experts in nutrition, meditation, and psychology, to outdoor events, smoothies, s'mores,and self-care workshops. We also will be having therapy dogs (so keep a lookout for our emails). We are a group focused on growing as individuals but with community support. :)
Club Head Information
Grace Carter , Gc4291@bard.edu 347-962-9588 Type(s): Special Interest/Other
A Reading Group formed out of feelings brought about by the BLM movement as well as frustrations with the Bard T&P department. We read and discuss plays by Black playwrights from several points in history. We also share relevant resources to the plays we're reading. Other underrated playwrights of color will also be explored.
Club Head Information
Tatyana Rozetta , tr1995@bard.edu 203-836-7632 Type(s): Special Interest/Other
Brothers at Bard is both an outreach TLS program focused on the mentorship and character development of young men of color from underserved backgrounds and
communities, as well as an oncampus club devoted to spreading awareness on racial
issues and positively impacting campus life for all Bard students. Our TLS program targets high school boys of color from Kingston, New York. The project is made up by active members of the BAB Club members on campus. The members on campus play the role of “big brothers,” or mentors to the young men in high school. As a collective, we travel to the schools these students attend and run workshops for them. The project promotes academic excellence and college readiness through exposure to Bard’s campus, student body, and events coordinated for the cohort. BAB also helps its members on campus deal with any issues they might have by providing a support network. The objective is to create a safe space and brotherhood circle amongst the students that will serve as a cultivating atmosphere for character and identity development. On campus as a club, BAB aims to not only inform the rest of the student body and raise awareness about the issues men of color face, but also organize events for all of campus life to enjoy and engage in. These events range from informative movie screenings, to parties and other recreational activities.
Club Head Information
Rakim Griffin , rg9047@bard.edu 347-893-4391 Type(s): Special Interest/Other
The FFA aims to provide self-defense classes available to all students on the Bard campus. In response to the events earlier in the year on both Simon’s Rock and our campus, we at the FFA believe that all individuals should have the knowledge to defend themselves should the need arise. The FFA wants to be able to give women confidence in their own physical strength in ways never done before on this campus.
Members in the club create and collaboratively work on new ideas and projects. Projects can be designed to help students on campus or to be used in social outreach work. They can also be based on pure curiosity.
Club Head Information
Vishrut Tiwari , vt7433@bard.edu 845-663-6189 Type(s): Special Interest/Other
Not Just Dungeons and Dragons is Bard's hub for all manner of role playing games. Through ongoing drop-in campaigns, special events and a sizable lending library of sourcebooks, the club aims to foster a sense of community among Bard's players of RPGs, and to provide opportunities and resources which would otherwise be unavailable.
Bard Robotics Club aims to contribute to empowerment of individuals not only through improvement in technological awareness and access but also through use of tools to ensure greater control over privacy.
Join us to build cool projects and have some sci-fi like discussion. We are welcome to any computer technology related topics such as gaming, 3D graphics, etc. Our goal is to create innovative ,intelligent, accessible and fun projects.
Club Head Information
Henry Chang , hc7145@bard.edu 347-276-6000 Type(s): Special Interest/Other
We are a collective that focuses on self-care, wellness, holistic health care for body-mind-spirit-emotion and soul all equally considered, herbal medicine, earth based skills, intersectionality of our diverse rich backgrounds, connecting to land and place, aligning with the seasonal and cosmic flow of everything, ancestral remembrance, dream working, mysticism, ritual, magic, community gathering, circling up to honor life, each other, and more! We are a web that includes many projects woven together for the same ends. We run a student organized herbal apothecary project that supplies loose herbs for tea, some simple tinctures, syrups, balms and more for the Bard Community. -
Youth Initiative In Nigeria is a club designed to share awareness of the amazing culture in Nigeria through hosting various engaging events and workshop sessions around campus.