At Bowdoin, the “Dinner with Six Strangers” program brings together various people on campus who may not have an opportunity to interact otherwise.  Randomly assigned to a table in one of the College Houses, participating students, faculty and staff are invited to break out of their usual groups, share stories, eat great food and make connections over the dinner hour.

In the words of William DeWitt Hyde in the Offer of the College, we invited members of the Bowdoin community throughout the Bay Area “to make hosts of friends” in a local Dinner with 6 (or more!) Strangers. With Bowdoin alumni and parents around the region opening their homes for this event, over 70 people gathered around nine different tables on a Thursday evening to eat great food, share a laugh and foster connections that will continue to grow the Bowdoin network on the West Coast.

Said host Peter Alduino ’78, “Last night’s dinner was so fun!” to which host Chris Knight ’07 responded, “Indeed, we had a blast at our place. So good to meet fellow Polar Bears.” That sentiment was echoed as we heard from participants the following day, as were reflections on topics of discussion. Martha Ryan ’84 noted, “One of the recurring themes in the conversation about Bowdoin was the amazing financial aid program.  Several of us benefited directly and all recognized that it enabled unexpected diversity which made our experience at the school so powerful.”

Thanks to our hosts, and the great community out in California!