Henry Abbott

This weekend is one of Bowdoin’s most storied and most leisurely traditions: Ivies. I often hear people decry this profound display of leisure as mere partying, or even worse, as a waste of time detrimental to our actual purpose here. But what is our purpose here? Forgive me for my overly simple explanation of Bowdoin’s purpose, but, generally, we are here to expose ourselves to a multitude of fields of study and diverse viewpoints from people of all different geographies, races, religions and political views. Along with this, our studies are supposed to show us these alternate perspectives and teach us how to think for ourselves to become good scholars and citizens. To summarize (very simply), we are here to become more knowledgeable human beings.

If we take this accumulation of knowledge and perspectives to be, at its simplest, the purpose of the College, then what could be the purpose of a weekend of partying? There are certainly detrimental effects of Ivies, as some people drink too much and get hurt or sick or make bad decisions, but there are also overwhelmingly more positive effects. Both things can be true at the same time. Allowing ourselves to embrace the Dionysian joy of Ivies, of getting lost in the dancing and the music, is of utmost importance to the flourishing of both our minds and our souls. The College is lucky enough to, in my opinion, not have too much of a “work work work” culture, but I often find that most of my friends and I become consumed with work, especially at this time in the semester. Too often, we push ourselves to this immoderate embrace of work, of putting our heads down to just fulfill the tasks assigned to us. Yes, I enjoy doing my assigned readings, but what use am I if I am burnt out beyond comprehension? Every Bowdoin student needs to strike a balance between their work and their play.

The colloquial expression is that we “work hard, play hard,” but to work hard over four years, we need to play hard. We need to let loose to rebalance our minds and rejuvenate them. If we want to be good students, we must walk away from work and rest our intelligent minds. Giving our minds a break lets them rest, and, instead of our studies being overbearing or oppressive, we can regain the childlike wonder that once took hold of us when we learned about our favorite topics. Personally, I know that I will have a newfound appreciation for my readings when I pick them up on Sunday morning. Of course, Ivies is not the only way to engage in this act of letting loose and rebalancing, but it is for many of us.

Sharing in this Dionysian festival of dancing and music serves as a reminder that we are human and not just reading and calculating machines. It returns us to our wild and irrational states of mind that allow us to rebalance and prepare ourselves to get back to work, and, most importantly, inspire some of our greatest ideas and greatest joys.

Maxwell Payne is a member of the Class of 2026.