Dear Alumni/ae,

Greetings from a perfect warm fall day in the valley, the kind of day for classes outside, staring at the river and procrastinating about the paper you had to do!

So, what's new and exciting here? 

We are very #bardianandproud of the newest alum to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship–congratulations to interdisciplinary artist Carolyn Lazard '10. See below for this story and more alum newsmakers. 

On campus last week I went to my first live orchestra movie night at the Fisher Center–this time it was The Wizard of Oz. The music had barely started and I had tears streaming down my face. There were generations of families including little kids, watching it for the first time and hiding under the seats from the flying monkeys. We all got caught up in it–laughing when Toto escaped, remembering the words as they were said 'Who rang that bell?!' Our Conservatory Orchestra is amazing–there were seven double basses on stage! Watch out for the next live music film at the FC. 

The Office of Alumni/ae Affairs co-sponsored Bard's very own TedX talk with students, faculty, staff and alumni/ae. It was a collaborative event, but all driven by students. I didn't know you had to do everything the Ted way, including using 'Ted red' Hex color for the big 3D letters on the stage (which were painstakingly and lovingly made by our own Paul Marienthal!).  Alumni/ae on stage were Masha Zabara ‘21 and Jillian Reed ‘21 talking about raising funds through their 'Thrift to Fight' store in Tivoli and zen master Tatjana Myoko von Prittwitz und Gaffron CCS '99 on tea and the secrets to happiness. All the talks will be up soon on YouTube and we will let you know. 

You should have gotten an invite to Family and Alumni/ae Weekend (October 27th-29th). You can see the full schedule here–if you have been thinking of catching some fall glory in the HV this is the perfect time–we did all the planning, you just come for the fun. It's a great opportunity to meet students, see faculty friends and learn about what's new at Bard. 

This year the weekend will also highlight the work of the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). If you are an alum working in civic engagement, or you are interested in the work of the CCE, please come back for CCE events all day and stay for the mix and mingle student/alum reception. 

And of course, back by popular demand, the Spirits of Annandale Cemetery tour led by alumni/ae and the s'mores campfire with students at the Anna Jones Memorial Garden. Please register here.

Last month I told you about the Friendship and Politics conference at the Hannah Arendt Center (HAC)–and there's still time to sign up (in person and online), the schedule looks really good. 

Friends, when I think of Bard that is really what it means to me. When I got here I thought I was going to study in the US and head straight home to London–I had no idea the riches of friendship Bard would bring me. I hope you feel the same. 

That's why I'm looking forward to next year's reunion–4s and 9s– we are UP! Please write to me to get involved and make some plans with your friends. It will be here before you know it. Did you get the postcard of my bulletin board? 

OK, that's it from me. 

Be seeing you,
Jane ‘89

And the HAC never sleeps. They are hosting a free workshop in NYC, Democracy Innovation 2023: Citizen's Assemblies and Beyond. November 10th-12th. Looks like it would be great training for Bardians in politics, activism and teaching. Deadline to sign up is October 15th. 

Bard Alum Carolyn Lazard ’10 Named 2023 MacArthur Fellow

Bard alum Carolyn Lazard ’10 has been named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow. Lazard, an interdisciplinary artist who uses the experience of chronic illness to examine concepts of intimacy and social and political dimensions of care, is one of this year’s 20 recipients of the prestigious “genius grant” awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The World’s UnFair: Public Exhibition by New Red Order, Cofounded by Alumni Adam Khalil ’11 and Zack Khalil ’14, Profiled in the New York Times

“Give it back.” These are the first words seen by visitors to The World’s UnFair, the newest multimedia work by New Red Order (NRO), a “public secret society” cofounded by brothers and Bard alumni Adam Khalil ’11 and Zack Khalil ’14. World’s Fairs “have historically presented a theory of progress, technological advancement, imperial advancement,” Jackson Polys, who cocreated NRO with the Khalil brothers, told the New York Times. The World’s UnFair, by contrast, subverts expectations with an animatronic beaver who speaks about private land ownership and satirical real estate ads featuring “comically small” portions of land given back to Native groups.

Bard Alum and Bon Appétit Restaurant Editor Elazar Sontag ’20 Discusses the Best New Restaurants of 2023 on CBS Morning Show

Bon Appétit has just published its picks for the best 24 new restaurants of 2023. Breaking with industry tradition, the food magazine let every restaurant on its list know they had been selected before the publication was released. “Running a restaurant is already challenging enough, and we want this to really be net positive,” said Bon Appétit Restaurant Editor Elazar Sontag ’20. “We want the restaurants to be able to not just celebrate it, but actually grow from it."

Bard Early College to Offer Virtual Courses for Florida High School Students

Starting this month, Bard Early College will offer three tuition-free virtual college courses to high school students in Florida. Participating students who complete the program will receive three transferable college credits from Bard for each course, as well as a Bard College transcript. “These virtual courses, offered exclusively to students in Florida, cover educational topics that are under threat or actively blocked in the state, and Bard Early College aims to make these subjects available to the students who wish to study them,” said Dumaine Williams ’03, vice president for Early College at Bard.

Annual Bard Fiction Prize Is Awarded to Zain Khalid

Author Zain Khalid has received the Bard Fiction Prize for his first novel, Brother Alive (Grove Press, 2022). Khalid’s residency at Bard College is for the fall 2024 semester, during which time he will continue his writing and meet informally with students. Khalid will give a public reading at Bard during his residency.