The Common Good Grant is both a program designed to give students philanthropic experience as well as a way for the College to give back to the community. “The Common Good Grant is a pool of resources that a student committee parcels out among projects benefiting the greater Brunswick community,” explained Micah Ludwig ’13, co-leader of the Common Good program.
The idea for the auction originated with Howell House Vice President Amy Spens ’15, who organized fundraisers in high school and wanted to bring that experience to Howell. With the school year coming to a close, she thought a silent auction would be a good way to bring her housemates together and use their talents and resources to give back to the community. Items up for auction included student artwork, donations from the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum and new electronic devices.
After exploring potential outlets for the funds that would be raised, Howell decided that the best way to serve the common good was by giving the money to the McKeen Center, via the Common Good Grant.
Spens believed holding a fundraiser as a house event is in keeping with the purpose of the College House System as well as Howell House specifically.
“[Howell] strives to be a hub for the greater Bowdoin community and the Bowdoin chem-free community,” Spens said. “As Bowdoin students, we already focus on the common good. We as a college house have greater resources to be able to make these things happen.”
