A lot goes on during Family Weekend, from the President’s Summer Research Symposium and Sarah and James Bowdoin Day, to concerts, art exhibitions, and talks. The annual event is a chance for family and friends to visit campus and learn about life at Bowdoin. Guests are invited to sit in on classes, attend a Q&A with President Clayton Rose, cheer at sporting events, visit exhibitions, and much more.
Here’s a brief recap of just a few of the events:
On Thursday night, the Bowdoin Art Society hosted an opening for its annual curated Fall Art Show, a public exhibition for innovative and creative artwork by students. This year, the show at Ladd House included over fifty works by thirty artists, in mediums ranging from paint and sculpture to collage and video art. The event is supported by Delta Sigma / Delta Upsilon.
Although Bowdoin Art Society presents no theme that applicants must adhere to, each year its show reflects evolving trends and artist interests. This year, Bowdoin Art Society president Kinaya Hassane ’19 and Amber Orosco ’19 said the show mirrored the popularity of video art and collage, as well as a prominent color scheme: millennial pink.
On Friday afternoon, over a hundred students presented research projects and fellowships at the President’s Summer Research Symposium. Parents, friends, staff, and faculty spent the afternoon in Morrell Gymnasium to celebrate all the hard work from this past summer.
The symposium began with a keynote address in Kresge Auditorium from Dr. Harry J. Elam Jr. At Stanford University, Elam is the Olive H. Palmer Professor in the Humanities and the Freeman-Thornton Vice Provost for Undergraduate education. Elam’s lecture “Why Arts in a Liberal Arts Education” set the tone for the poster session to come.
President Clayton Rose echoed Elam’s sentiment in his welcome. For Rose, the Summer Research Symposium showcases both the breadth and depth of passions that this academic community encourages. Students guided inquirers through their podcasts, natural history drawings, literary history, climate change biology, public service, interactive media, and lobster heart dynamics (to name just a few topics)—showcasing the diversity of a liberal arts education.
On Oct. 20, the Bowdoin Chamber Choir, under the direction of Professor of Music Robert Greenlee, had a concert in the Bowdoin College Chapel.
Later in the day, several student performing groups came together for a show in Morrell Gymnasium.
Bowdoin Votes, the college’s nonpartisan get-out-the-vote effort, held a White Album-inspired concert Saturday afternoon to provide background music for students filling out absentee ballots. The event, called “Back in the USSR and Ballot in the USPS,” attracted a lot of dancing small children.
Band members, including several Bowdoin faculty and staff, were Andrew Lardie (who organized the event), Joshua DeScherer, Vin Shende, Jesse Feinberg, and Aaron Kitch, with an appearance by Daniel Stone.
Clayton Starr ’19 and Aleksia Silverman ’19 contributed to this report. Photos by Aleksia Silverman and Andrew Estey.
