Love Letter from the Editor

Clementine Kline ’25

When I first frequented the hallowed, red-trimmed halls of BHSEC, I had very little conception of postmodernism, panopticism, or any of the endless Bardy-isms. I had never read Plato or Jorge Luis Borges. I had never written a bail application or argued before the (definitely real) Supreme Court. Yet, to think about a world without these experiences now is nearly impossible. I have been changed by Bard’s lively spirit, and while I now average considerably less sleep than I did in freshman year (I’m definitely not writing this at 1 AM…), I feel remarkably satisfied. 

When I was an anxious freshman, I feared that I would not be intellectual enough to live up to all of the effortlessly cool and creative students that I saw around me. I’ll never forget when, in my first ever elective, a then Y2 corrected my professor that no, Vladimir Nabokov had never won a Nobel Prize, though he had been nominated 8 times. In that moment, I felt that I had missed out on some secret program that made Y2s impossibly knowledgeable on all things niche and intellectual. Now I realize that there was no secret program—what I had witnessed was Bard doing its thing: teaching every student to do what they love, fostering curiosity, and shaping individuals. What Nabokov was for that student, Michel Foucault may be for another, and Stephen Sondheim is for me.

I’ve had a similar journey with the Bardvark. From a fear that my lack of comma confidence would inhibit my editing ability to anxieties about leaving comments on upperclassmen’s writing, I began my time at the Bardvark as a juvenile journalist. Though I have not emerged fully-fledged, I have grown in countless ways (most importantly, I can now weaponize commas like a pro). The nature of the Bardvark is much like Bard itself. Through an incredibly hard working team of people, it takes students of all kinds and promotes individuals with a unique voice and point of view. 

This is all to say that Bard and the Bardvark have made me who I am today. I found myself in the pages of seminar readings, in essays and articles about Marx and theater, and in late night editing sessions. When I interviewed Dr. Pew last month, his advice for students (among being patient and working hard) was to “love the place.” I hope that, whether you share that love for Bard or not, you all embrace its vibrant spirit. And, if you’re still trying to find your place here, might I suggest giving the Bardvark a shot. I’ve had a damn good time.