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Feb 4, 2022 · When Edwards arrived at Bowdoin in the fall of 1990, Bowdoin’s fraternities were no longer appropriate places for socialization—but neither were the majority of Bowdoin’s other social spaces, which still mostly catered to men.
In 1983, Bowdoin’s only sorority, Alpha Beta Phi, was founded. The fraternities were an integral (albeit occasionally problematic) part of Bowdoin’s social scene, but the Board of Trustees’ 1997 decision to phase them out was, in part, because of their incompatibility with coeducation.
A local fraternity, Alpha Rho Upsilon (whose letters were chosen to stand for “All Races United”), was founded in 1936 in response to this exclusion. While over 95% of the Bowdoin student body was composed of fraternity brothers in the late sixties, by 1971, only 50% of freshmen joined a fraternity.
A name attached to a part of Bowdoin’s physical landscape is not an endorsement of every facet of that person’s character, but it is an indication that the namesake is part of a group that made a significant contribution to Bowdoin’s past.
- The Bowdoin Hello
- Dinner with Six Strangers
- Summer Send-Off
- Ivies/Ivy Day
- Lobster Bake
This might be something you experience on your campus tour—before you even apply. Greeting each other on campus doesn't sound like something with a rich history, but thanks to our small campus and network of paths, you'll end up doing it a lot. Back in the 1960s, Bowdoin fraternity pledges would be in trouble if they didn't give a vigorous "hello" ...
Residential Life had an idea: let's use food to bring together people on campus who may not have otherwise interacted. Now, "Dinner with Six Strangers" has traveled out of the Brunswick border, and has been adopted by Bowdoin alums all over the country.
All around the country, Bowdoin alumni throw send-off parties for incoming first-year students, their parents, and families. It's a chance to meet Polar Bears in your area, and to feel that Bowdoin network already welcoming you and working hard on your behalf.
In 1865, the junior class at Bowdoin planted an ivy plant near the Chapel, and celebrated with poetry and orations. Ten years later, in 1875, the senior class shared a peace pipe and walked in formation to their last chapel service. The day has grown... less and less serious ever since. Now it's Ivies: a campus-wide party weekend that celebrates sp...
Bowdoin finds a few reasons each year to celebrate with an old-fashioned Down East lobster bake. Each fall we fire up the roasters to welcome new students, and to welcome back our returning students. Then, the night before Commencement, we welcome seniors and their families to share in the tradition of cracked claws and fresh corn.
Dec 16, 1992 · Bowdoin graduates say almost every student before 1971 belonged to fraternities. Many fraternities opened their doors to women soon after they arrived on campus, although few offered them the...
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Oct 28, 2022 · Many students apply to Bowdoin with hopes of belonging in a small, tight-knit community. If there’s one pro of traditions, it’s nurturing that community; one Bowdoin tradition that has waxed and waned is the Bowdoin Hello.
