Najwa Jamal is a sophomore Sociology major from Astoria, New York. Interested in evaluating prevalent social problems today, especially those that deal with the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and religion, her work focuses on a personal approach to often depersonalized issues of inequality within media today. Currently also working with the Center for Civic Engagement, Najwa is similarly interested in the ways activism and engagement within a local community can reverberate to help solve national and global crises.

Maeve McKaig is a sophomore Bard student from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Interested in politics and activism, her work focuses on grassroots organizing both on and off campus, and how students can get involved. In addition to working for the Dissonance, Maeve is the club head of Democracy Matters at Bard, a nonpartisan organization working to get big money out of politics.

Vera Ting is a freshman intending to become a written arts major. She is interested in looking critically at the relationship between popular media and politics, and the way they shape culture. Analyzing aspects of news, films, television, and social phenomenon, she hopes to connect national/global issues to the local community, in order to help understand the complexities of identity on an individual level.

Blair Peppe is a Sophomore at Bard College studying Psychology and Written Arts. She is interested in writing about government response to constituent complaints and communication between these two groups in the modern world. She is interested in exploring the more recent strategies activists have employed as a means of expressing their perspective on political issues poignantly.  In addition to her work at the Dissonance, Blair is co-head of the Bard Eco Community Club and Citizens’ Climate Lobbyist group on campus. Her involvement in environmental groups on campus has facilitated a focus in her recent and upcoming work on the complicated relationship between the government, environment, and public health.