The College needs to be looking for three people with big feet, because it has three pairs of big shoes to fill before the 2005-06 academic year gets under way.
Burgie Howard, the Director of Student Activities and Smith Union, is leaving for a new post at Northwestern University. Howard radiated enthusiasm for working with students, and refused to let Bowdoin's relatively small size prohibit an exciting and inclusive schedule. If a student had an idea for a new club or activity, Burgie was all ears. Smith Union, too, has hummed with activity under his tenure, remaining a locus of meetings, concerts, lectures, and special events. He will be missed, but we trust that his legacy will ensure a full schedule, even in his absence.
Betty Trout-Kelly also moves on from her long tenure at Bowdoin, first in the Counseling office and then as Executive Assistant to the President on issues of diversity. She was more than an assistant to Presidents Edwards and Mills, however?she was a friend and confidant to many students. An integral part of Bowdoin's efforts to diversify its student body, she set a high standard for her successor.
Last?but not least?Assistant Dean of First-Year Students Jim Kim will depart the second floor of Moulton Union. Like Howard and Dr. T-K, Dean Kim made it a point to involve himself in the world of Bowdoin beyond the duties of his post. One could spot him on the tennis court, or in the pool, or teaching tae kwon do. His contributions helped buttress Bowdoin's already robust first-year advising system, and we are sorry to see him go.
Burgie Howard, Betty Trout-Kelly, and Jim Kim all exemplified, in their own ways, Bowdoin's greatest attribute: it is a community that is small enough to know and care about each of its own. On behalf of the campus, we thank each of them, wish them well, and hope they visit often.