Nola Ben Eli

Why did you choose to study at Bard College Berlin? 
I was very lucky to be able to travel with my family as a kid and foster an appreciation for being immersed in different cultures. Since I went to Bard High School Early College in Manhattan, I knew I liked the Bard learning environment and I had heard of Bard Berlin from some of my professors in high school, so I was excited about it as a choice. When I got in, I knew I wanted to go here!

How would you describe our community in a nutshell?
BCB has a dynamic, inclusive, international community where you can really experience the benefits of the smaller class setting and, especially living on campus, there is a really close community vibe where you can get involved in a lot of initiatives and get to know the people around.

Where is your favorite place to study on campus?
I really like that there's a lot of green space outdoors around campus for before it gets too cold, and when it does get cold in Berlin I love to go in the K24 reading room. It has a very cozy vibe and is a great quiet atmosphere for studying. I also love going to the Learning Commons no matter the weather.

Are you involved in any student clubs or organizations? If so, which ones?
I am the co-leader of BCB Go Green, in charge of the Gardening and Sustainability Committees! We get to collaborate with the Swap Shop and other clubs, as well as Civic Engagement more largely. I am also the Student Life representative in Student Parliament (StuPa) this year.

Favorite book you read in a class, and why?
My favorite book I read in a class was Dante's La Vita Nuova in Love Core. I had Tracy Colony for this section of core, and he taught it in such a lovely and captivating way, it really illustrated the immensely layered and elaborate intention behind the book and how it was significant in the context of Dante's other works, as well as in the context of the time period and themes of the class.

Write briefly about one of your courses that left a lasting impression on you.
I think my favorite course that I've taken so far has been Aya Soika's Critical Perspectives on the Humboldt Forum, which I am taking right now. There's so much I love about the class, especially being able to go out into the city every week and explore the Humboldt Forum. I've always loved museums and have thought about the idea that it would take you days to really get to see everything in even a very small museum, and I was very excited to really experience that with the Humboldt Forum. Nothing could've prepared me for the whirlwind of fascinating and extremely relevant controversy both stemming from the museum's facade and beyond it. Aya and Tarek (the co-instructor from Humboldt) do an incredible job of teaching it in an engaging way!

What surprised you the most about BCB?
I had never been to Berlin or visited campus before, and I knew the housing was very nice but I was eager to be in the KW buildings or HKH based on the videos I had seen. I was so incredibly pleasantly surprised by the T25 housing, and even by how much the other buildings surpassed my expectations, and how much the layout of campus works to foster really lovely community between all the buildings. Prospective students should know that the basics of housing will be great regardless of where they stay their first year on campus.

Your favorite thing to do in Berlin on the weekends?
There are so many fun places to go in Berlin. If I'm not catching up on work or hanging out with friends on our lovely campus, I'm probably out at one of the many cool bars, clubs, or galleries in the city.

What are your plans for after BCB?
I am working on a sustainable fashion business project in New York City, which ties into my thesis, and I will be finishing both while I am abroad in Annandale and taking more econ and business electives in my last year. I am planning on going to graduate school in the US or abroad (not 100% sure yet!) for economics, business, and politics. I'm not sure which one will be my major or minor yet, as I am both very interested in getting into the business world, as well as working to become a diplomat for the US and working in international relations. I'm hopeful I can do a bit of both, but we'll see which one ends up being my primary career :)

What does a liberal arts education mean to you?
Going to Bard High School Early College, I suppose I knew what a liberal arts education meant to me and what I loved and thought was important about it before I even knew that it was necessarily a "liberal arts education." I think this labeling of "liberal arts" can mean a lot of different things to a lot of people, but the defining elements of the Bard liberal arts learning environment to me are the open discussion model, curiosity, and genuine passion for understanding and sharing about their respective interests + fields of study, among faculty and students alike.