Newsmakers

Kerry Ryan Chance '02 first traveled to South Africa as a junior at Bard. These days, she's doing social-anthropological research in the dangerous, politically volatile Kennedy Road shantytown outside Durban. By William Stavru ’87, in the Bardian.

Volunteering with Physicians for Peace, Gail Grisetti '68 directs training projects for health care providers who serve patients with disabilities. Gail helps connect local programs with institutions in the United States to improve physical therapy education.

The Bard-St. Stephen's Alumni/ae Association, in conjunction with the Computer Science Program and the Career Development Office, invite you to Bard Alumni/ae Day and Tech Meetup on October 20. Join Kate Hartman '03, current students, faculty, and fellow alumni/ae for an illuminating day of classes, demonstrations, panels, tours, and more.

Persistence of Vision began at Bard as the Senior Project of Kevin Schreck '11. The documentary chronicles the 30-year effort of filmmaker Richard Williams to make the ani­mated film The Thief and the Cob­bler. Today Persistence of Vision premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Click here to read the review in Variety or click below to watch the trailer.

The Bard student comedy group Olde English kept the campus laughing for years. Now Olde English Comedy—Ben Popik '05, Adam Conover '04, Joel Clark '05, and Caleb Bark BHSEC '06, '11—are back on campus screening their award-winning first film, The Exquisite Corpse Project. Click here to view the trailer.

Bard alum Arthur Tress '62 captures San Francisco in political and cultural transition in the summer of 1964.

Bard alumnus Vincent Valdmanis '03 works for the United Nations in the newly independent nation of South Sudan, helping the country achieve stability. Vincent strives to "ensure that UN agencies provide shelter, food, and water," while addressing poverty through better access to health care and education. In the Bardian:

Check out the trailer for the new feature film Hasta Nunca by Bard alum Mark Street '86. This film and some of his other work will be screened at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.

The Bard Prison Initiative has been educating New York State inmates for 10 years, transforming lives and creating a model for similar programs around the country. In this video, alums and current students share their inspiring BPI stories.

Simon's Rock student Bethany Geiger attends her college's reunion and finds that, "When you're in, you're in for good."

What if filmmakers all over the planet documented the same day? Follow the link below to view a trailer for the film One Day on Earth, coproduced by Daniel Lichtblau '03, opening today in New York City.

These Bard alumni created a film that "stands on its own as a meditation on the uncomfortable truths, and unexpected joys, of creative collaboration." The comedy troupe Olde English—comprised of Caleb Bark '12, Raphael Bob-Waksburg '06, Joel Clark '05, Adam Conover '04, Ben Popik '05, and Dave Segal '05—premiered their collaborative film The Exquisite Corpse at the Dances With Films Festival in Hollywood.

Bardian filmmakers are turning heads with a new Web series called The Outs, about gay life in New York City. Bard alums involved include Adam Goldman '08 (writer-director), Jay Gillespie '08 (director of photography), Ted King '08 and Andrew Theiss '09 (sound), Sasha Winters '08 (acting), Amanda Warman '09 (producer) and Jake Teresi '10 (key grip). Read more about The Outs in the Huffington Post.

What would it take to make faster computers and more efficient solar panels? Jesse Kohl '07 is looking for answers at the crossroads of nanotechnology and clean energy.

Farrow's advice to Dominican graduates: "Shake things up."

Bard alumnus Adam Yauch '86 has passed away at the age of 47 after a battle with cancer. The Bard community mourns this loss. We are proud to have honored Adam last year at Commencement with the Kellogg Award in the arts.

Evan Spigelman '09 took home the Big Easy Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Anna Henschel '09 was nominated for Best Director for the production at the Bard Alumni/ae-run Skin Horse Theater.

Miss Lovely, a film by Bard alum Ashim Ahluwalia '95, heads to the Cannes Film Festival this year as India's only entry.

What do Bard alums do in their spare time? Alumnae Lilly Bechtel ’09 and Maida Ives ’08 started a women's arm wrestling league in New York City.

We have more exciting postgraduate fellowship news: Seniors Sadaf Hasan and Rachel Van Horn, and alums Duron Jackson MFA '11 and Maya Perlmann '11 have all been awarded Fulbright Fellowships. Congratulations!

The new Bard Alumni/ae Center is coming together fast. The building is under construction on 9G across from the main entrance to the College. The center will be open during commencement and reunion this year, complete with Two Boots Pizza!

The Bard community is deeply saddened to learn of the death of alum Robert Sherman '49. Robert and his brother Richard (also class of '49) composed the soundtracks to many childhoods in their years at Disney.

Mariel Fiori ’05, founding editor and managing director of La Voz, has been named one of the Hispanic Coalition NY, Inc.’s 2012 40 Under 40 Rising Stars. La Voz is an independent monthly Spanish-language magazine aimed at bridging the Anglo and Hispanic cultures in the Hudson Valley region. The 40 Under 40 Rising Stars program recognizes members of the Hispanic/Latino community under the age of 40 who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and achievements in the areas of business, educations, politics, nonprofit sector, community service, and more.