Blog Archives

The Annual Survey: Strong Opinions and Constructive Suggestions

Introduction

This year’s annual survey elicited some strong and varied opinions from the 97 members who answered it. For the most part, people were pleased with the course offerings, although they had numerous suggestions for additional subjects. Likewise, many greeted the possibility of forming small separate interest groups with enthusiasm.

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Member Thoughts on the Spring Semester

Introduction

This spring, most members were pleased with their courses, giving them the top rating of 4 or 5 on the evaluation form. Some had a mixed reaction, giving their courses a 3, and a few expressed their dissatisfaction by rating the courses 2. Likewise, the presenters were generally given top marks,

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SummerFest Returns

Introduction

SummerFest will start the first week of June, with a wonderful variety of interesting courses. Most classes will be held on campus on Fridays, with one Friday Zoom class. There will be one off-campus in-person class on Wednesdays. You can check out the schedule on May 13 when the complete ProClass catalog will be available.

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Congressman Jamie Raskin in Conversation With Bard LLI

Introduction

On March 9, Bard LLI, in partnership with Oblong Books and the Bard Center for Civic Engagement, presented a special program via a Zoom webinar featuring US Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md., 8th District). Congressman Raskin is a former law professor at American University and a constitutional scholar. He is currently a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol,

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A Night (or Two) at the Opera

Introduction

I’m on my way to Lincoln Center to see a new opera production. There’s been lots of chatter about it and I’m looking forward to an interesting evening.

A performance at the Metropolitan Opera House is always special, with the grand staircase, the crystal chandeliers, the gold and red balconies,

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Changemakers Forging Ahead

What Are They Up To Now?

In last semester’s very popular African Americans in the Hudson Valley class, we heard from two elected officials and changemakers – Barrington Atkins, a County Legislator from Poughkeepsie, and Kamal Johnson, the Mayor of Hudson. These two relatively young men of color are in historical positions of political power.

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Announcing Spring Courses

Introduction

Even though winter has just started, it’s not too early to look forward to spring. And the Curriculum Committee has given us an excellent reason to do so with a compelling roster of classes given by both experienced and new presenters. Online classes will start on Thursday, March 10,

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SISTER2SISTER Program at Bard College

Introduction

In 2018, two first-year Bard College students, Sakinah Bennett and Skylar Walker, were inspired by Bard’s Brothers at Bard program to establish the SISTER2SISTER program. Both founders are women of color from Georgia and recipients of full scholarships from the Posse Foundation. Sakinah majored in historical studies and dance.

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Thoughts on the Fall Semester

Introduction

Member comments about the fall semester were generally positive, with a number of courses and presenters averaging ratings of 9 or 10. There were exceptions, of course, and one only garnered ratings between 0 and 4. In some cases, the same lecture and presenter evoked responses ranging from 0 to 10.

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Stay Warm With WinterFest

Introduction

As we settle down after the holiday season, we can start looking forward to WinterFest 2022. On four consecutive Wednesdays, beginning on January 5, there will be two lectures concerning a broad range of subjects. We need not worry about icy roads or parking since all lectures will be held on Zoom.

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