DEAR BARDIANS, Welcome to the Spring 2017 Bardian. This is my first letter as president of the Bard College Alumni/ae Association Board of Governors. I am honored to take on this role. I want to thank Mackie Siebens ’12 for her work as president and to congratulate her on her new position as deputy director of admission. Through my 10-year involvement with the Board of Governors—reaching out to classmates for our 20th reunion and most recently in my role as an alumni/ae trustee on the Bard College Board of Trustees— I have had the pleasure of interacting with alumni/ae from every era. What really stands out to me is that whether we are scientists, economists, film editors, middle school teachers, farmers, philanthropists, baristas, bartenders, mothers, fathers, athletes, off the grid or on, we are always Bardian in our approach: curious, inquisitive, informed, multidimensional, and insatiable. Bardians find their way, and they consistently Brandon Weber ’97 astound. photo Kye Ehrlich ’13 The magazine you hold in your hands is full of these astounding people: the comedic collaborators of Olde English, pioneers of Internet sketch comedy whose members continue to make thoughtful and funny work; the inspiring Watson and Fulbright Award winners who go out every day and change the world; and Bard Conservatory graduate Allegra Chapman ’10, who moved to San Francisco and decided to start Bard Music West, an offshoot of the Bard Music Festival—just to name a few. If all this doing and making has your mind reeling, step inside the Stevenson Library to see the magnificent books and manuscripts in the new Sussman Rare Book Collection or ponder for a moment the long history of the College’s embrace of immigrants and refugees. I hope you are as inspired as I am by the spirit, energy, and values reflected in these pages. To find out more about the alumni/ae association’s work and to get involved yourself please go to annandaleonline.org. There you will also find the newly minted Board of Governors mission statement and overall goals. We value your thoughts and support. You can also e-mail me at bkweber97@bard.edu. I hope to see all of you for Reunion Weekend, May 26–28. Our Class of 1997 reunion committee is working hard—Reunion and Commencement Weekend is undoubtedly the best time to be in Annandale. We can raise a glass or a half-size corn on the cob. In the meantime, I remain Bardian and Proud! I hope to see you in Annandale or at other Bard events in the very near future. Brandon Weber ’97
board of governors of the bard college alumni/ae association Brandon Weber ’97, President KC Serota ’04, Vice President; Diversity Committee Cochair Lindsay Stanley ’12, Secretary/Treasurer Robert Amsterdam ’53 Brendan Berg ’06 Jack Blum ’62 Evan Nicole Brown ’16 Pia Carusone ’03 Kathleya Chotiros ’98 Charles Clancy III ’69 Peter Criswell ’89 Arnold Davis ’44, Nominations Committee Cochair Malia Du Mont ’95 Michelle Dunn Marsh ’95, Development Committee Cochair Randy Faerber ’73, Events Committee Cochair Andrew F. Fowler ’95 Eric Goldman ’98 Christina Hajagos-Clausen ’92 Boriana Handjiyska ’02, Career Connections Committee Cochair Sonja Hood ’90 Miriam Huppert ’13 J.P. Kingsbury ’03, Young Alumni/ae Committee Cochair Paul Margolis ’76, Oral History Committee Cochair Peter F. McCabe ’70, Nominations Committee Cochair Mollie Meikle ’03, Young Alumni/ae Committee Cochair Steven Miller ’70 Anne Morris-Stockton ’68 Anna Neverova ’07, Career Connections Committee Cochair Karen G. Olah ’65 Gerry Pambo-Awich ’08 Nia Rock ’78 Allison Rodman ’10 Abhay Puskoor ’08 Jim Salvucci ’86 Henry Seltzer ’06 Dan Severson ’10 Michael Shapiro ’75, Oral History Committee Cochair
board of trustees of bard college Genya Shimkin ’08, Diversity Committee Cochair; Cochair, Young Alumni/ae Advisory Council, Center for Civic Engagement Barry Silkowitz ’71 George A. Smith ’82, Events Committee Cochair Dr. Ingrid Spatt ’69 Geoffrey Stein ’82 Walter Swett ’96, Nominations Committee Cochair Olivier te Boekhorst ’93 Paul Thompson ’93 Paul Vranicar ’01 Matt Wing ’06 Emeritus/a Claire Angelozzi ’74 Dr. Penny Axelrod ’63 Dr. Miriam Roskin Berger ’56 Cathaline Cantalupo ’67 Kit Ellenbogen ’52 Barbara Grossman Flanagan ’60 Diana Hirsch Friedman ’68 R. Michael Glass ’75 Dr. Ann Ho ’62 Charles Hollander ’65 Maggie Hopp ’67 Cynthia Hirsch Levy ’65 Susan P. Playfair ’62 Roger N. Scotland ’93 Dr. Toni-Michelle C. Travis ’69 Barbara Crane Wigren ’68
Charles P. Stevenson Jr., Chair Emeritus James C. Chambers ’81, Chair Emily H. Fisher, Vice Chair George F. Hamel Jr., Vice Chair Elizabeth Ely ’65, Secretary; Life Trustee Stanley A. Reichel ’65, Treasurer; Life Trustee Fiona Angelini Roland J. Augustine Leon Botstein, President of the College + Stuart Breslow + Mark E. Brossman Thomas M. Burger + Marcelle Clements ’69, Life Trustee Craig Cogut The Rt. Rev. Andrew M. L. Dietsche, Honorary Trustee Asher B. Edelman ’61, Life Trustee Paul S. Efron Robert S. Epstein ’63 Barbara S. Grossman ’73, Alumni/ae Trustee Andrew S. Gundlach Sally Hambrecht Marieluise Hessel Maja Hoffmann Matina S. Horner + Charles S. Johnson III ’70 Mark N. Kaplan, Life Trustee George A. Kellner Fredric S. Maxik ’86 James H. Ottaway Jr., Life Trustee Martin Peretz, Life Trustee Stewart Resnick, Life Trustee David E. Schwab II ’52 Roger N. Scotland ’93, Alumni/ae Trustee Jonathan Slone ’84 James A. von Klemperer Brandon Weber ’97, Alumni/ae Trustee Susan Weber Patricia Ross Weis ’52 +ex officio