Bowdoin students, staff and faculty gathered on the Museum of Art steps last night to hold a candlelit vigil for the “pain, anguish and grief being expressed by people in Baltimore,” according to Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster. In addition, Foster said that members of the community have begun ways to contribute to the relief efforts for Nepal.

“While Bowdoin can sometimes feel like a bubble, it is important that we recognize that what is happening locally, nationally and globally can have a profound personal impact on individual members of this community,” Foster said. “We are all processing these events, but some of us may need more support at this time. The hallmark of a strong community is the way its individual members support one another — by listening, empathizing, and demonstrating compassion.”

Foster wrote in an email that he hoped the vigil would give students a moment “to reflect on the state of society and the world beyond our campus and to reach out to those who need our support and understanding.”