Check out this project me and my friend Sara have designed, that we’re going to do this summer in New Orleans!
For six weeks the summer, the Patchwork Flag Project will bring together twenty people from all over New Orleans to build a cross-cutting community, gain new resources and skill sets, and design a public event to strengthen community in the city at large.
—Ezra ‘13
Anonymous asked: How is the queer community at Bennington? Where would I look/who could I talk to for more information?
Just like most communities at Bennington, the queer community is apparent in various ways. We have a group called queer @ Bennington which can be a great resource. Bennington, like most any college, is a space for you to come in with a mainly-blank slate to really explore yourself as a person, questioner, and thinker. I think Bennington establishes a safer space for queer identified or questioning youth to do just that.
If you are looking to see if you will fit in here, no worries… you will find like-minded people and be a part of various communities. As a queer individual myself, I am personally not very involved in the queer @ Bennington group; however, I still feel a part of the queer community on campus. There are various ways to be involved as a queer person on campus. I took a bunch of people to the gender and queer conference at Hampshire this term and that was a wonderful way to spend part of my weekend! If you have any other questions or just want to chat about this more, please feel free to contact me at alanac@bennington.edu
I know I can only speak for myself, but I have felt very accepted here. I have enjoyed meaningful conversations with friends, events through SWAG (Sexual Wellness Awareness Group) that have opened my eyes to other conversations, and finding general acceptance of various identities on campus.
-Alana ‘15
winstonbraun asked: HI, I'm interested in transferring to study illustration and printmaking. I have taken a look at the courses offered and there doesn't seem to be much in the way of what I'm interested in, but its tough to tell from an outside perspective. Any information you could give me? Or possible link to some current student work?
We have a beautiful printmaking studio (pictures by Selina) and some amazing student work which I don’t have a link to. As far as classes go, check out the curriculum (more will be added to Spring 2014). There are a lot of printmaking classes as well as drawing classes. You could also check out animation or architecture and other interests you have to expand your skills.
Good luck!
-Glennis
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Anonymous asked: How long does it take for international students to receive their I-20s. This waiting is killing me :(
When you’ve submitted your “intent to enroll” form, you should get the I-20 in your e-mail pronto.
Be vigilant.
- David ‘13
Anonymous asked: I was wandering, as an International student I think I can't work in the US for the first 9 months of my stay. What does that mean for my FWT? I've read that quite a lot of international students go back home for that period of time but "back home" is quite far for me... Any similar experiences in the past?
Not all who wander are lost, eh?
… Sorry.
There’s a variety of ways to get around this. You don’t have to register a paying job for FWT, so you’ll probably be able to set something up with your employer that won’t give the USCIS conniption fits. The rule is that you can’t get compensated for the work you do - no $$ for anything, including housing stipends. So you can get unpaid internships, which is what most students do anyway.
Last FWT a group of International students dealt with this by getting housing together in NYC. None of them had housing stipends, so they pooled their resources to make living more affordable. I’d recommend figuring out what you’re doing as early as possible, because you’ll have so many extra pieces to take care of before January.
- David ‘13
Happy Tuesday.
#thepeoplehavespoken
#dogGIFsforever
- David ‘13
Anonymous asked: Who reads the housing questionnaire and assigns us to a house/roommate?
This guy.
No, actually it’s staff in the Office of Student Life. Otherwise it is confidential.
- jason ‘13
Anonymous asked: Hi! For the registration of classes, roommate questionnaire, etc - is that done solely online, or should we be expecting something in the snail mail as well? Thanks!
Just online!
-Selina ‘15
Anonymous asked: trying to finish high school senior year before i pre-register for first term @ bennington...one more week! should i pre-register asap? are courses first come first serve? or are all requests looked at beginning june 1?
No worries! I think it’s a great idea to finish High School before launching into all things college. As long as you get your registration form in on time it’ll be entered into the lottery along with everybody else’s.
See you next year!
-Selina ‘15
You guys. So much is happening right now. So much. It’s one of the most EXCITING, STRESSFUL, and INSANE times of the year right now…because all of the projects we’ve all been working on all term (or year…or…more) are being showcased. Like every freaking day. And night. And in between. Seriously, each second I’m not frantically scrambling (I mean…casually adding some finishing touches…ahem) to finish my own work, I’m running around getting my fill of my peers’. Here are some of the things that have been happening:
1. Invisible Cities, directed by megasenior Sarah Matusek — a devised piece based on the novel by Italo Calvino (and performed at a wonderful space, the Vermont Arts Exchange!)
2. Barak (grateful), a final dance performance rocked by the beloved dance faculty member and MFA student, Souleymane (Solo) Badolo. He ended up getting everybody in the audience to bust a move on the floor. (read about him on the NY times! http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/arts/dance/souleymane-badolo-and-cynthia-oliver-at-new-york-live-arts.html)
3. Coming up on Monday — Abreactions, a movement piece created by the Admissions Office’s own Jessieh Ruth Averitt (Johnson-Cunningham); it explores movement characteristics between Charcot’s hysterics from the late 1800s, contemporary depictions of deliverance from the Pentecostal church, and fashion ads.
4. The Visual Arts Senior Show, opening Tuesday in the Usdan Gallery. There’s a sneak peek outside the space already, with work produced by Floryn Honnet:
5. Psychonaut, a narrative song-cycle championed by our very own Riley Skinner. 17 students performed. It was insane…let’s just say she KILLED IT.
Jason Moon’s got a show coming up on Friday, we have Directing I performances on Tuesday, 5 Approaches performances Thursday, more senior work…dear god…but most importantly….
I got this tshirt in the mail. Oh. And did I mention I have walking pneumonia?
— Parke ‘15
I love looking up pictures of the authors I’m reading. This is one of my favorites. In 1895 Gustave Le Bon wrote the founding document of crowd psychology, a slim book called La Psychologie Des Foules or The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind. He’s one of those people who’s had an influence on the way everyone thinks, even if very few people have heard of him.
He wrote about the characteristics and psychology of crowds in the French Revolution, describing them as irrational, unruly, and needing to be controlled. His writings opened up the door for 20th-century mass manipulators, including Mussolini, Hitler, Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, and public relations/propaganda genius Edward Bernays.
Le Bon’s speculations about crowds turned out to be accurate in a profound way. They’re timeless truths about what crowds are and how people in them are vulnerable to influences that come from within and without the crowd.
(My guess is that Gustave was doing his best to stand out from the crowd with that facial hair.)
I think everyone should read his book. But maybe that’s just because it inspired my thesis.
- David ‘13
Leah D.: If you could write a book about anything what would you write about? -
Leah ‘13 - Biracial American Identity (I’m half-Japanese and did a paper about this my junior year. It was personal to me, and I learned a ton. People need to know about this!!)
Holly ‘13 - Italian-American Food Culture and/or the History of Pugs
(“Did you know that pugs originated in ancient…
Our Napkin Note board in the Dining Hall is a place where we can leave notes for the Dining Hall staff. Food from student farm is starting to appear in the Dining Hall. Yummmm!
-Glennis