Bard College Top Questions

Bard College Step performance at the Spring ASO Blowout 2007

Bard has a large number of clubs, and many are quite active in the social scene. (Membership is a little hard to pin down, though.) I haven't been involved as much in clubs since I joined student government--which has been quite an experience. Bard's student government is quite large (something like 50 total positions), and organized into a Senate, a Central Committee, four standing committees that are subsidiary to the Central Committee, and a number of other, smaller bodies--all of which is augmented by a set of direct-democracy institutions. We squabble with administrators, faculty, occasionally some other student groups, and each other, do a lot of small things behind the scenes, and occasionally pull off something really big--like getting a new student social building or saving the three-day weekend. Very few people go to athletic events. There is no real dating scene. People hook up a lot. Sometimes that turns into a relationship, but usually not. Most of my friends I met during orientation or through other friends. We're into networking here. I'm up pretty much every night until at least 2 Am, regardless of what I'm doing. We don't have much in the way of traditions. There's Spring Fling (lots and lots of things, three weeks before the end of the school year) ... and that's about it. Some people party every night. Some never do. It's very discretionary. There is no Greek life, although some of the identity groups and sports teams fill in the gap to some extent. Most partying here is low-scale, BYOB. Off campus, there's a few nice diners and coffeeshops, in the nearby towns. And New York City, which is close to a five-hour round-trip commute.

Playing two sports doesn't allow me much time for social life, but there are always events on campus. There are no frats or sororities but there are still lots of dorm parties as well as official events at the multiple music and theater venues on campus.

Activities abound! Newspapers, literary magazines, radio broadcasting, t-shirt printing, activist organizations, LGBT communities, Theater/Dance activities, recently sports--it's all at Bard, all the time. It's hard, if not impossible, to not find something you're interested in. What's especially great is, however many clubs there are, their activities aren’t exclusive to the club participants. Modern Dancers and Calculus buffs show up to the Contradancing workshops. Political science majors and sculpture artists show up for talks about the US occupation of the Phillippines. Clubs are unlimited. Students are really excited about sharing their interests and therefore make countless clubs and activities for anyone to participate in. Go to the club fair. You'll be pleasantly surprised when you look over to the corner at the Dance Dance Revolution Club, or the Vampire role playing club. Arts at Bard is HUGE. Everyone, from the biology major to the linguist, does more than merely dabble in some form of art. It is extremely accessible with either a play, dance concert, or museum exhibit every weekend. Lastly - Old Gym is also huge. There's always concerts playing. Anything from Indie to Hiphop to Grrrl Rock and Heavy Metal. Yeah there's alcohol, but there's alcohol everywhere. Everyone's totally cool if you choose not to participate. Dorm doors are always open (although security continues to suggest we keep them closed) the doors are always propped. People are friendly and accepting. We'll even say hi to you while we're walking to the campus center.

There's a big ultimate frisbee thing at Bard. I'm a part of the QSA, Queer-Straight Alliance, which is an amazing group of people really dedicated to spreading and encouraging a queer-friendly atmosphere. Not that our encouragement is really needed at Bard. The International Student Organization (ISO), Jewish Student Organization (JSO), and Black Student Organization (BSO) host a lot of parties and events. Basically, identity-based groups and clubs are popular and common. The Darfur Action Campaign and Free Tibet club have been quite active lately. People party as often as they want to. Weekends here start on Thursday, even if you have a class on Friday. Generally, if you're in the mood to party, you'll find a way to sate your appetite. There is NO greek life at Bard, which is one of the reasons I chose to come here. Some kids go down to the city during the/some weekends, which is pretty fun. We're like 40 min away from Poughkeepsie, and the Metro-North then goes down to Grand Central. If you like to be social but aren't into drinking or drugs, there's almost always music concerts, speakers, dance parties, homework parties if you're so inclined, theatre shows, just hanging out, etc. where you can have a great time. If places are still open in the nearby towns, you can also go to a restaurant or something there.

Bard's social offerings leave something to be desired. Since there are a multitude of different dorms, most of them on the small side, the students you meet your freshman year are often the ones you will stay close with until the end of senior year. It is not always the case, but sometimes dormitories can be on the exclusionary side of things and it is hard to get to know anyone who lives there, because disassociate themselves from the rest of campus. This happens with people who live together as well as people who are similar to each other. I don't believe that anyone does this intentionally, it's just a natural instinct to stay connected to the few good friends that one has and not necessarily try to meet new people. It is fairly common for people to move off campus at the end of freshman year when such a move is allowed, but local landlords prey on the Bard students who support the small towns in the area and overcharge on rent for what would be considered to be worth a lot less if a college wasn't right next door. Thursday night is often bar night, so the Black Swan is where everyone goes to get totally wasted. Other than that, there are a few good food spots around, but not much else unless you want to drive to the train station in Poughkeepsie to take you to NYC. No fraternities or sororities, because they suck.

The various student clubs sponsor social events every weekend often with the same vapid music and ambiance. The social atmosphere can be stagnant since students will often try to avoid meeting new people but at least there is always a lecture to attend or a film to see. One of the great things about the campus is that it is located on the Hudson River close to some prime carp fishing and striped bass in the spring.

Bard has a plethora of cluba to join. Despite, or perhaps because of, Bard's isolation students are extremely creative with their time, and thus clubs sprout up around people's verying interests. I will say, though, that there is a bit of an aversion to religion and spirituality on this campus. I run the Circle, an earth-based spirituality club on campus and it can be hard to get students to come because experiences for some are often very emotional. The club does get regular and larger attendance than some of the other religous groups. Through discussion, meditation and singing we find ways to relax and distance ourselves from the stress of college.

there are more clubs/activities on campus than interested participants

There are over 80 active clubs during any given semester, and they organize all kinds of events, including: parties, speakers, movie screenings, panel discussions, debates, dance-a-thons, service projects, field trips, concerts, fundraisers, etc. The Queer-Straight Alliance, for example, is one of the most active clubs on campus. Each semester, we organize social events on campus (parties) but also host musicians, performers (such as the Sex Workers' Art Show), and speakers. In addition, we organize film screenings, panel discussions, outreach events, and campus forums on sexuality issues.