Several student clubs have an arts focus, including clubs that administer arts spaces on campus, publish or broadcast arts content, produce arts events and conduct classes.
The following list is by no means complete. For a full list of student clubs visit the student government budget website.
Spaces
SMOG is a student run events space primarily used for concerts and band practice. Students can book the space and organize their own shows. The SMOG club is primarily responsible for space and equipment administration, not programming.
The Root Cellar is a student-run multipurpose space that serves as a vegan cafe and venue for small shows, workshops, movie screenings and club meetings. It also houses a lending library and one of the largest zine libraries on the East coast. It is located in the basement of Stone Row. During the summer of 2009 the space occupied by The Root Cellar was drastically reduced, eliminating the space occupied by the zine library. For more information, email rootcellar@riseup.net.
The Old Gym is a black box theatre for student productions. Bard has an active scene of student produced/written/directed plays. The Old Gym is not student run and until 2004 was the location of what was to become SMOG. (As a side note not related to The Old Gym….did you know that Steely Dan’s two founders met at Bard? Did you know that Chevy Chase was in a band with them here?)
Publications / Broadcasts
Bard Free Press is the student newspaper. Produced monthly, the paper includes cultural news from the campus and local community and reproduces student artwork on the cover and within.
The Moderator: Bard College’s Sexual Politics Magazine is produced twice a year. The magazine is a hybrid of literary magazine, feminist/queer/sex-positive academic journal and soft core porno mag. (Is soft core supposed to be hyphenated?) The current issue features articles entitled Onania, Positive Porn, Beyond the Rainbow and Transgender Romance & The Myth of Loveless Sex with accompanying photo-spreads by five photographers.
WXBC is Bard’s student radio station. From the WXBC website…”WXBC is Bard College’s student-run, free-form, uncensored radio station. We provide original broadcasting to the campus and the surrounding community for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the academic year…Traditionally, time slots are 2 hours, once a week. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are all encouraged to apply…Bard College Radio was founded in 1947 as a Senior Project and has gone through many incarnations since.”
Events / Classes
Bard Student Reading Series produces events twice a month where 2-3 students read their own works. A booklet is produced for each event featuring further writings by the students who present.
The Surrealist Training Circus has been active for over 5 years. Producing a circus event each spring featuring student performers, the circus also conducts workshops on various circus skills. The apocalypse features mightily on the list of the circus’ concerns.
The Dance Club produces a 24 hour dance festival as well as holding many dance classes and workshops throughout the year.
[posted by: Dylan Peet]
Bard is home to over 80 student clubs, many of the with an arts focus. Funds are allocated once a semester, from the Convocation Fund, by a three-part process. First, clubs submit budget proposals to the student government and attend “budget defense” where the government can seek clarification on budget items and assure proper budgeting procedure. The government then completes a preliminary budget. Finally, and best of all, the budget is taken to the budget forum.
Budget Forum Fall 2009
The budget forum is open to all students. At the Fall 2009 Budget Forum, snow cones, popcorn and cotton candy were served. After some brief student government elections, the budgeting portion of the event begins. Based on the preliminary budget, clubs can bring “friendly amendments” and “hostile amendments”. (Amendments were accepted up until the beginning of the forum in fall 2009 but a procedural vote passed to require that amendments be submitted 24 hours in advance for future forums.) A friendly amendment is when a club requires more funds for a specific activity , makes its case to the assembled students and elicits voluntary donations from the coffers of other clubs. Often several clubs offer small amounts towards a larger goal.
A hostile amendment occurs if, for example, Club A was organizing a concert and required $1000 for that purpose but was not given adequate funds in the preliminary budget, but they see $1000 in Club B’s budget for something they believe is less valuable to the Bard student community. After the moderator announces the amendment, 4 students speak, for 30 seconds each, 2 for and 2 against the amendment. This is very on-the-fly as a club will not know in advance if their club will be attacked by another club, ensuring that all club members attend and that the proceedings are raucous. Catcalls were common, especially for those clubs who missed budget deadlines or did not attend budget defense. After the speakers the amendment is voted, by show of hands of those present, with a simple majority determining the outcome.
After all the amendments submitted by clubs have gotten a vote, the budget is finalized.
For information on student government, the budgeting process, the finalized budget and schedule of events related to club funding, visit the student government website.
[posted by: Dylan Peet]
