Staying Seen and Feeling Heard

Hello, Alumnae,

I hope this message finds you and those you love safe and well. As Inauguration Day in the U.S. is on my mind, I am struck anew by the critical importance of exercising our privilege to vote whenever possible. Our votes are truly our voices. We must be counted. We must be heard.

If you’re eager to keep your voting muscles limber, the Alumnae Association of Barnard College (AABC) elections are now underway. This issue of the Magazine introduces you to the slate of candidates for open positions, and I encourage you to make your voice heard by learning about these alumnae and casting your vote.

Every year when the list of candidates is announced, there are questions about how AABC elections work. As dictated by the AABC bylaws, the Nominating Committee puts out a call for nominations for open leadership roles every summer and selects candidates from those nominees, as well as from an additional volunteer vetting process based on the bylaws and their understanding of the roles.

While it is always the goal to have a robust selection of candidates for each role, occasionally you’ll see someone running unopposed. You may be surprised to learn the most common reason for uncontested positions: Additional potential candidates declined their nominations.

In an effort to ensure that our alumnae programming feels inclusive for our entire community, we hope to continue to diversify the pipeline of volunteers that feeds into the AABC elections nomination process. If you’ve never volunteered with Barnard because you imagined that you were not “the type,” please think again. There are ways you can get involved year-round to add your voice to the post-graduation phase of your Barnard experience. I can almost guarantee you’ll get value from the experience, too. There’s nothing like the fire of a cohort of Barnard alumnae to warm your intellect and spirit!

Much as (I like to think) I have evolved since I was a student (way more chill, no more perm), Barnard continues evolving, too. Learn what’s new — physically, pedagogically, and virtually — at our.barnard.edu. While you’re there, please update your contact information. No matter how many miles or years away from Barnard you may be, the College has more to offer students and alumnae than perhaps ever before, and we would love to share it with you!

Be well,

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