Will Bowdoin forget us?
After spending four years on this campus, we'd certainly not like to think so. Having called so many dorms across campus our homes, worn in the seats of so many desks, and grown so familiar with faculty and friends, we've come to think of this place as our own, existing indefinitely just for us. We wonder how our absence could possibly go unnoticed when we leave, assuming this is the only change to come. We can imagine no other Bowdoin than that which we see and know so well today, cannot envision that our home of four years should continue to exist without us, letting other students into the space we know so intimately.
The difficulty in graduating is realizing that the campus is in a constant state of flux, continuously accepting new students and sending its alumni on to new and different pursuits. Graduation forces us to acknowledge that the College we know so well today won't necessarily be what future generations know. And while our affectionate attachments to campus will not fade, they may not be recognized by others who will form their own attachments.
With this sense of loss, however, comes great gains, the exciting opportunity for us to pursue new experiences—and new spaces—in our lives. Bowdoin has been passed to us from alumni of years past, and we are lucky to have had the priviledge of studying here, if only for four short years. It is the very brevity of our experience that makes it so valuable, the acknowledgement that our time here is an ephemeral moment in Bowdoin's ever-changing trajectory. We share this space across decades, but our individual experiences remain unique. Our time at Bowdoin is just that—ours. Each of us came to Bowdoin for different reasons, each with our own purpose and goals in mind. As we prepare to graduate, it is important not to let the anxiety of what's next define our experience, but to make the most of our time while we still have it.
Just as we follow in the footsteps of alumni by entering the College, so, too, must we follow them out. From there, the path becomes unclear, but we seek confidence in the quality of our education and experiences, certain that we've been prepared to take on what's next. Despite our anxieties, graduation marks the moment we've all been waiting for, the moment where the promises of our Bowdoin education are put to the test.
The editorial represents the majority view of The Bowdoin Orient’s editorial board, which comprises Piper Grosswendt, Will Jacob, Gemma Leghorn and Seth Walder.