Classrooms Are Locked and People Are Pissed

Alexa David-Lang ‘22

February 2020

Just a couple weeks ago, Bard sent out its new policy regarding classrooms and oh boy, it has certainly sparked a debate. After announcing that students could no longer be unsupervised in classrooms, including during clubs meetings there has been a lot of pushback. From town halls to forums to sit-ins to so much more, many people have spoken up and made the administration know their concerns. I spoke to a few students to list out some of the main things that people are scared, worried, angry and upset about.

Many of the issues fall under the category of people feeling like the administration doesn’t quite understand what they have done. Jenna Licht (‘22) commented “[t]hey don’t tale into account everything else going on...They say don’t be in classrooms but not considering the fact that there’s nowhere else to go...they can’t even provide that.” This is a common complaint. Many students note that they feel that the staff is out of touch with their students and what they need at school. They are also angered by the fact that the faculty were so quick to place this new policy but are working very slowly on a solution that works for everyone.

Others make note of Bard’s rising accepted students rate. It doesn’t take a particularly observant person to realize that with every incoming class, the size is increasing. Alexander Ganias (‘20) said “They accept 180 students in each grade. That’s what, 720 students when you’re a senior? And they’re making less room in the school?” Frustration is very apparent at school with many people who already struggle to find places to go during their free periods having an even harder time with the current freshman class at around 190 students.

Some are feeling the effects more personally than others. Of course a big issue is safety, but some feel that this policy threatens safety as well. Over the past couple of days, I’ve been looking at Eugene Awagah (‘21)’s Instagram story (@eujiien). He writes a lot about the sit-in as well as the repercussions of closing Mark’s room. He has opened himself up to stories from others about having their safe spaces being taken away. And this small issue has instantly opened up and spread into a number of other issues including not being able to deal with racial problems and attacks. Clearly this incident was just scratching the surface of some of the deeper rooted problems at Bard.

But the issue that comes up the most is about Bard itself. Students talk about how they feel like Bard is losing its reputation of being an Early College. They say that we used to be treated as adults and now we’re being treated as children, with the hashtag #EarlyCollegeNOTHighSchool popping up on various social media. Luca Katzen (‘22) notes “Bard is an early college, it’s meant to be different from other high schools, meant to give us a more independent experience and let us manage our time...but we can’t do that without spaces to ourselves.” We all came to this school because we heard about Bard’s special experience, and now we feel like it’s slipping away. It just feels like the first of many new changes that will, in turn, change Bard’s culture. If Bard truly is what it says it is, then hopefully it will start listening to its students more, or else it risks losing relationships and trust between students and faculty.