Bard College Berlin News
Mariia Tarasenko ‘29 and Atreyee Ahsan ‘29 launch “News from Home” in collaboration with the EOPND Office
The Factory building, where the News from Home events were held
Mariia and Atreyee decided to develop News from Home because they “felt a noticeable lack of engaging, dedicated time for political discussions on contemporary events initiated by the students. The community needs a regular platform to encourage seeking greater knowledge on such topics, to form more educated opinions on political events,” Atreyee says. They aimed to maintain a balance between factual information and personal experiences, and create a space where students could learn from each other; ”I think this is at the core of why we are all here,” Mariia adds.
The series began mid-November, with a presentation by Alina Borysenko ‘29 on the “Ecological Consequences of Russian Invasion in Ukraine.” The topic of the environment has always felt deeply personal to Alina, who has been engaged in environmental events and collectives in her previous school. “The urgency of the environmental crisis at home bothers me. Hence, I found it necessary to share my thoughts with my peers,” she says. Upon her arrival to BCB, she also joined the Go Green Club. “I find it important to not only try to make changes on the structural level of the school but also raise awareness in the community,” Alina adds.
News from Home continued with a presentation by Ish Al-Thawr ‘29, who spoke about Yemen’s humanitarian crisis in a presentation titled “Fragmented Power and Humanitarian Collapse: Understanding Yemen’s Political and Humanitarian Crisis.” Growing up in Yemen, he witnessed the conflict’s destructive powers first hand. “Yemen is currently facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, and in 2025, it was classified by the UN as an IPC 5 (catastrophic). Nearly half of the country's population is struggling to meet basic needs like food, clean water, or stable shelter,” Ish explains. “Examining how the fragmented powers in Yemen ultimately led to the humanitarian collapse felt not only important to me, but necessary,” he says.
During News from Home, students “are encouraged to speak as individuals with lived experience rather than as scholars,” says Ish. First-hand narratives on sensitive topics shared during the presentations contrast the often abstract analytical frameworks encountered in classrooms. “By asking controversial questions, we try to engage students in the critical discussions that will hopefully make the community more comfortable in educating each other on sensitive topics,” Alina says.
Lauren Gaillard, Director of Equal Opportunity, Participation and Nondiscrimination, finds the collaboration between the EOPND Office and the students particularly meaningful due to the shared values of visibility, inclusivity, and awareness. “Thoughtful and respectful discussions like these, outside the classroom, can be some of the most meaningful and truly life-changing experiences we share, especially when they bring together people from different backgrounds,” she adds.
“What happens in the world, especially in the places students call home, often has direct and indirect impacts on one’s identity and sense of safety or belonging, no matter how far away home might physically be,” Gaillard says. She hopes that the series will thrive for many years to come, as it creates a space in which students have “to voice their thoughts, spark conversations about events from home that they care about, and to be heard by the people they interact with almost daily: their peers.”
News from Home will continue in spring 2026.
By: Hana Trenčanová '28
Post Date: 01-05-2026