Showing 31 - 36 of 36 Items

Date: 2018-06-02

Creator: Jane Warren

Access: Open access

In this interview, Jane Warren (Class of 1983) discusses her experience transitioning to Bowdoin’s social environment and her role in the development of several campus activities. She describes the influence of college housing in forming lasting friendships, her time studying abroad in Paris, and offers a multigenerational perspective on the College’s evolving culture. Warren also describes her involvement in the creation of a women’s synchronized swimming club and women’s volleyball team, as well as her early participation in women’s rugby, which coincided with Bowdoin’s relatively recent decision to admit women.

Date: 2019-05-31

Creator: Eric Luft

Access: Open access

Eric Luft (Class of 1974) recounts a feeling of liberation upon arriving at Bowdoin. Luft describes becoming a double major in Philosophy and Religion, and building relationships with professors both in and outside the classroom. Luft mentions participating in Masque and Gown and the rifle team and also reflects on Bowdoin’s social environment as it related to fraternities and the College's transition to coeducation. Additionally, Luft speaks about student activism and protesting the Vietnam War off-campus. Finally, Luft reminisces about finding community at Bowdoin and emphasizes that while the academics were difficult there was a palpable sense of support.

Date: 2019-05-31

Creator: Todd Caulfield

Access: Open access

Todd Caulfield (Class of 1989) talks about the insecurities he felt coming to Bowdoin, in terms of both his academic preparedness and the College’s lack of socio-economic diversity. He describes how he found his social footing through the fraternity system, the sailing team, and the theater department. Reflecting further on fraternities, Caulfield remembers a tension between the independent and initiated members of campus and discusses his own choice to remain independent rather than initiate fully into Zeta Psi. Additionally, he speaks about how he spent his time and how he came to major in Biochemistry. Finally, Caulfield speaks about the ethics and implicit lessons he feels he absorbed through his time at Bowdoin and their lasting impact on his life.

Date: 2019-05-31

Creator: Joan Britt

Access: Open access

Joan Britt (Class of 1979) talks about falling in love with Bowdoin while visiting her older brother when he was a student. After matriculating, she joined Chi Psi fraternity as a social member, was a student representative for the Economics department, and spent time as a volunteer Sunday school teacher. She speaks about her studies as an Economics major and the relationships she built with her professors and mentors. Britt also reflects on being a member of one of the early coeducated classes and the slight feeling of “second class citizenship” she sensed on campus, especially in the fraternities. Additionally, she talks about her year abroad in Vienna and reintegrating back into the Bowdoin community afterward.

Date: 2019-06-01

Creator: Melissa Hudson Howard

John Howard

Access: Open access

Melissa Hudson Howard (Class of 2005) and John Howard (Class of 2009) describe what brought them each to Bowdoin. The first few weeks of Hudson Howard’s first year were marked by the September 11 Terrorist Attacks and Howard’s by Hurricane Katrina, and both speak about the atmosphere of campus during those times. The pair reminisce about their engagement in Theater and Dance, the Bowdoin Outing Club, Obvious hip hop group, African American Society, and Residential Life. Both Hudson Howard and Howard studied abroad, in London and Paris, respectively, and they reflect on the lasting impacts of those experiences. They comment on student activism on campus and mention the Iraq War and the 2008 Presidential Election in particular.

Date: 2019-07-26

Creator: Nessa Reifsnyder

Access: Open access

Nessa Reifsnyder (Class of 1986) describes feeling “a little out of step” while transitioning from urban life in New York City to Brunswick, despite the summers she had spent in Northern Maine. She talks about finding a strong support system in the fraternity Alpha Delta Phi, whose culture felt “evolved” compared to the rest of campus. She discusses feeling “disaffected” from the College’s academic life. She reminisces about the important life lessons she learned during her time in the fraternity, especially about interpersonal skills and feminism. Reifsnyder speaks about finding a grounding comfort in the “working class element” of Brunswick. Finally, she discusses her role in the negotiations between Bowdoin and ADP when the College decided to phase out fraternities.