Janet Briggs

Staff Writer — Class of 2025

Number of articles: 84

First Article: January 24, 2025

Latest Article: February 21, 2025

25 photos by Janet Briggs

**IN THE ODEUM:** Students gather outside the locked Smith Union, chanting to communicate with students and Security inside the encampment.

**ORIGINS OF ZIONISM:** Rabbi Lisa Vinikoor discusses the history of Zionism in the Beam classroom of the Visual Arts Center. The lecture and small-group discussion was held on Tuesday night as one of the many events planned by the Rachel Lord Center for Religious and Spiritual Life to celebrate Interfaith Visibility Week.

**FRESH START:** WBOR's managers officially opened its new Coles Tower location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

**TIME AFTER TIME:** Kirk Johnson, with artists' help, reimagines the Paleolithic landscape with a focus on the environment's shift over time.

**DEFINED BY DIFFERENCE:** Ivan Kurilla, Visiting Tallman Scholar in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, speaks on Russian-American relations in Searles. Kurilla argued that U.S. and Russian national identities are defined in part by contrast with each other.

**ZAKI ON AIR:** President Safa Zaki joins WBOR for a radio interview. Zaki discussed her background, goals and music taste with WBOR management Wednesday afternoon.

**BOWDOIN ON THE BALLOT:** Former Professor Chris Potholm poses with his newest book “How Maine Decides: An Insider’s Guide to How Ballot Measures Are Won and Lost,” which includes elections through the 2022 midterms.

**INNOVATION ON AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE:** U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel Fick (left) sits with Admiral Gregory G. Johnson (right) and delivers the annual Everett P. Pope lecture in Kresge Auditorium. Fick discussed the U.S.’s approach to innovation and digital policy in foreign affairs.

**OVER AND OUT:** As DJs enjoy WBOR’s last semester in the Dudley Coe basement, Slade Moore documented the colors, sounds and personalities of the historic space, memorializing the station's home through film.

**TREADING TO THE TOP:** Micah Sher ’27, a member of the co-ed water polo team, reflected on this season’s success. The team has freshly completed one of its most decorated seasons since before the pandemic, marking a new turn for the program.

**RECONSTRUCTION REVISITED:** Eric Foner presents on the legacy of Reconstruction in Kresge Auditorium. Foner spoke about the period’s legislative successes and failures and why education on this history matters today.

**THE FLYING SALMON:** Wing Henry Edelman ’27 achieves “The Flying Salmon” in practice. The move, a relative rarity—and illegal—in water polo, is achieved when one player swims underneath another and pushes off the bottom of the pool, launching the above player out of the water for a powerful shot.

**MILLIN’ ABOUT:** Members of the Bowdoin community gather to celebrate the dedication of Barry Mills Hall. Rose, Perper and Mills shared remarks about the building and its significance to the campus.

**#FREEEVAN:** Following the detainment of Evan Gershkovich ’14 by Russian authorities for espionage, the Bowdoin community has united to raise awareness of his story and attempt to secure his release.

**DIPLOMATIC DIALOGUE:** Government officials from the U.S. State Department and South Korean Embassy visited Bowdoin on Thursday to meet with the KSA and learn about the Schiller Coastal Studies Center.

**RALLY ROLLICKING:** The Bowdoin Éireann Ye Olde Neo-Celtic Ensemble (BEYONCE) performed for rally attendees.

**MILLS THRILLS:** On Sunday, Governor Janet Mills stopped by Brunswick to rally support for her re-election campaign.

**TOO TRIGGER HAPPY?** Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at Bates College Rebecca Herzig lectures about the increased search history of trigger warnings in her broader talk on trigger warnings in higher education.

**EN-GARDE:** The fencing team provided new fencers with equipment, protective clothing and expertise when it hosted its 24-hour event last Saturday.

**FIRST OF MANY:** Professor Vyjayanthi Selinger addresses students in a small group setting. Peer health hopes to hold similar events in the future.

What’s in a Name: Hubbard Hall

By Janet Briggs • Today

Whether looking for books, ghosts or gargoyles, Hubbard Hall has everything. In its almost 122 years on campus, it has seen multiple transformations, from library to offices.

Hubbard Hall is named after General Thomas Hamlin Hubbard, Class of 1857, who …

The Morning After – February 14, 2025

By Janet Briggs and Kaya Patel • 6 days ago

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Disciplinary process continues for SJP encampment protesters after reaching “understanding” with the College

By Janet Briggs and Emma Kilbride • 7 days ago

Eight students who were part of last week’s Bowdoin Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Smith Union encampment are under temporary suspension “pending a disciplinary process.” Approximately 50 students in total are facing punishments for their involvement in the demonstration.…

Encampment

SJP encampment enters night two, College security presence remains

By Janet Briggs, Emma Kilbride and Miles Berry • 13 days ago

As the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) encampment in Smith Union surpasses the 24-hour mark, protesters grapple with potential disciplinary actions and call for more community support. As of Friday evening, around 40 protesters remained in the Smith Union …

The Morning After

The Morning After – February 7, 2025

By Janet Briggs, Evan Carr, Claire Shim, Campbell Treschuk and Kaya Patel • 13 days ago

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Encampment

Bowdoin Safety and Security lock down Smith Union, SJP encampment continues

By Emma Kilbride and Janet Briggs • 13 days ago

February 7, 2025, 1:10 p.m.: According to Senior Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs Scott Hood, Smith Union remains closed, but student protesters are holding open the doors to the building to allow people and supplies to pass through. …

WBOR

WBOR broadcasts first shows from Coles Tower

By Andy Robinson and Janet Briggs • 14 days ago

As of Wednesday, WBOR is back on the air and closer to its radio transmitter than ever after its official move to Coles Tower. WBOR management spent much of winter break getting the new space together and celebrated its official …