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By Anne Thompson

The Advocate Will Greer '24 and his campaign for Vermont state representative in the Bennington 2 district.

By Ashley Brenon Jowett
Illustration by Nate Padavick

As a homage to Dylan Thuras ’04’s Atlas Obscura, we’re sharing seven of the website’s wondrous Bennington-area places. You will barely be able to resist using the map for a spooky road trip this fall.

Faculty member John Umphlett's latest sculpture, , on view at the North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show (NBOSS) at the Bennington Museum through November, takes the form of a cross with angled arms–and is designed, too, for Umphlett's own entombment.

Coco Rohde '26 reflected on her Field Work Term experience at Brooklyn Children’s Theatre.

On Friday, October 25, 51�������� will host a Podcast Symposium for students, podcasters, writers, journalists, and anyone interested in learning about podcasting. 

More than 100 people attended the Ben Belitt Colloquium on Arts and Literary Culture in Tishman Auditorium on 51��������’s campus on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. They joined panelists Pulitzer Prize Winner Jericho Brown, the MacArthur Award-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem ’86, celebrated poet Camille Rankine, and moderator and Bennington faculty member Benjamin Anastas to learn about the life and work of Queer Black poet and essayist Reginald Shepherd ’88, an underrecognized member of the Bennington literary community in the eighties. Below is a piece Lethem wrote for and read at the event.

51�������� alumni are publishing novels, memoirs, non-fiction, poetry, and photography books. Check out the round up below to learn who is publishing, winning awards, and appearing in paperback this fall. 

Classroom experience, public action, college theater, environmentalism, and LGBTQ friendliness set Bennington apart.

Local indie-folk-rock musical artist Carling Berkhout '19 spoke to The Brattleboro Reformer about her latest album, Omens.

Housekeeper Michele Hurley is one of eleven children born and raised in Bennington. She started working at the College in the Fall of 1979, and four of her siblings—Mike, Nick, Jenny, and Tim—have all graced the staff roster at various times from the seventies through today. We sat down with her in Commons to learn more about her remarkable contributions over the last 44 years and counting.

Poetry at Bennington, an endowed program of short-term residencies that brings established and emerging poets to 51�������� for public readings and close work with students, has announced its Fall 2024 lineup of featured poets. All Poetry at Bennington events are free and open to the public. They take place in various locations on the College’s campus.

Almost a century ago, under the looming threat of fascism, Franklin D. Roosevelt warned Americans about global conflicts pitting representative governments founded on individual liberty against emerging fascist dictatorships. Reflecting on John Dewey’s progressive education philosophy, FDR said, “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”

Bennington, VT: Two Bennington alumni, both entrepreneurial leaders, have been elected to join the 51�������� Board of Trustees. They are Bryn Mooser ’01 and Eddie Ubell ’09.

Constance and Grace, a play by Miriam Campbell '26, was selected for the 2024 New South Young Playwrights Festival at Horizon Theatre Company in Atlanta.

The Dance and Drama programs at 51�������� are pleased to welcome director and artist Robert Wilson for a lecture and performance 7:00–9:00 pm Friday, September 20, at the Martha Hill Dance Theater in the campus’s Visual and Performing Arts Center. The New York Times has described Wilson as "[America]'s—or even the world's—foremost vanguard 'theater artist.'” The event is free and open to the public thanks to funding from the Peter Drucker Fund for Excellence and Innovation.

Exhibition reveals the personal collections of 51�������� community members September 17–November 23. 

Saving Democracy Together, an innovative non-partisan online and in-person course open to students, alumni, and the public, attracted more than 250 online registrants and 100 in-person participants in its first of seven sessions on Thursday, September 5.

At Bennington, Killion Knight '25 studies Drama, along with Creative Writing, Dance, and Philosophy. During the summer, Knight completed a Field Work Term experience at , a nonprofit working to connect queer individuals in need of support to mental and physical health resources.

David Buckwald has been named Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing at 51��������. As part of the College’s leadership team, Buckwald will take responsibility for enrollment, financial aid, and marketing and communications. He will report to President Laura Walker.

 was one of Bennington's first MFA students and the only one in photography when he came to Bennington, graduating in 1983. He studied with Neil Rappaport, a documentary photographer who taught at Bennington for 27 years. 

Raelyn Smith '26 studies industrial-organizational psychology at Bennington, with coursework focusing on a combination of group psychology, social psychology, and political economy. During the summer, Smith completed a Field Work Term experience interning within the human resources department of the .

51�������� welcomed a robust and diverse class of 222 new first-year and transfer students this fall.

Krithika Meenakshi '27 studies Performing Arts—including dance, acting, and singing—at Bennington. During summer 2024, Krithika completed a Field Work Term experience as a dance trainee with dancer .

After the University of the Arts in Philadelphia closed, 51�������� announced the school’s dance program will be revived as the College absorbs the dance school, three staff members and nearly 50 students.

Julius Boxer-Cooper '26 studies Music, Linguistics, and Chinese at Bennington and is currently studying abroad in Taiwan. During summer 2024, Boxer-Cooper completed a Field Work Term experience at .

This fall, 51�������� welcomes two new faculty members: Alex Creighton, who teaches Critical Writing, and Kaolack Ibrahima Ndiaye, who teaches Africana Dance.

Seven-week program features high-profile speakers to inspire Gen Z engagement in crucial election year.

In a rapid effort to preserve the dance programs shut down by the unexpected closure of the University of the Arts (UArts) on June 7, 51�������� summoned its forces, in collaboration with the UArts dance program, and will welcome students and faculty from the shuttered college’s BFA program this fall.

This summer brings some great opportunities to see Bennington alumni and faculty making music across the country. Follow the links below for tickets, info, and good vibes.