This week, Nick Benson ’17 and Ryan Strange ’17 launched Humans of Bowdoin, an Instagram and Facebook blog designed after the famous "Humans of New York" blog.
“Once I got to campus—I knew I’d probably want to do a project like this,” said Strange. “Then [thinking about] this was going on for a couple months and I was like maybe I should really do this and then I asked Nick.”
"Humans of Bowdoin" operates like other recent “Humans of” blogs. Benson and Strange approach random people on campus or in Brunswick, ask them simple questions, and take their picture. The duo then posts the photo on their Instagram and Facebook page with the quote beside it.
Benson and Strange intend on posting seven photos per week on their web pages.
For Strange and Benson, the goal is to shed light on unspoken thoughts and diversity in the College. Questions have ranged from the lighthearted (“What do you have in your lunch bag?”) to the thought-provoking (“What was the happiest moment of your life?”).
“I think that this is a revolution,” said Benson. “I think that this is a revolution in thought. We are revolting against the misbelief that this campus is not diverse because I think in this day and age, to judge diversity based on socioeconomic status, on race, is very, very misinformed.”
Benson explained that everybody on campus contributes to our diversity, advocating a broader definition of the word.
“How horrible it must be of me to be born into a middle class family,” said Benson. “I’m a white male. I probably have it the easiest of anyone on the planet, but I don’t feel like I don’t have any problems. I don’t feel like I don’t have any issues and I think that people need to be aware of the fact that every single person has problems.”’
Benson and Strange agreed that there is a lack of substantive conversation on campus and that there needs to be a “spark” to create more debate.
“I’m not saying something has to be contentious…but what I’m saying is that there is a line somewhere between ‘fuck this school,’ and ‘I’m going to Moulton for lunch’” said Benson.
The duo has had minor disagreements about how "Humans of Bowdoin" should work but they have made it their goal to peacefully work things out. Strange tends to place more value on the photos while Benson prefers quotes.
Though the website is in its infancy, Benson and Strange are optimistic that "Humans of Bowdoin" can fundamentally change the way students think and converse.
“The banks on the Androscoggin are running high because the revolution is coming,” said Benson. “People are going to realize that everyone has something to offer. People don’t talk enough these days. We got to get it started.”