The Bowdoin Hello: A Couple of Seconds That Add Up Over Time

For Kenny Ventress '25, the Bowdoin Hello creates openings for engagement. "It makes it comfortable to approach people, and for other people to be comfortable approaching you."

Eva King-Senior '28 said in these first few days as a Bowdoin student she's noticed that every time she walks by her peers she gets a little smile and a 'hey.' "It means a lot, being a new student in a new environment. It's nice to know I can connect to anyone," she said.

Isa Cruz '27 said the warmth of the Bowdoin Hello, as practiced generally by students, "is a constant reaffirmation of community on a micro scale that is really awesome."

Cruz added that at first they were suspicious of this friendly attitude, especially after graduating from a hyper-competitive high school. "It was a little foreign to me, the kindness and open arms of the campus. I was even put off by it at first. I thought, 'This doesn't feel real, no way people are actually this kind! They must be paid actors.'

But then I realized that, oh, there are ways to do education where we support and uplift each other, and it doesn't have to be this super-isolating, dog-eat-dog world. I feel Bowdoin has a unique way of doing this, and it is really lovely, and I have embraced it."