So starting in early April, Student Affairs staff began holding voluntary weekly conversations groups for seniors. These online get-togethers offer a channel for them to connect with classmates and discuss what they're going through.
Ruilin Yang ’20 joined one of the chat groups to reach out to members of her class, as she would have been doing in the final flurry of social events and celebrations that mark the end of senior year. "My main goal was to fill the void of what I didn't get from the remainder of my Bowdoin career," she said. "And it connected me with people I don't normally connect with, which is what I was looking forward to in the last two months of college."
The conversations, which are offered at three different times throughout the week, are run by several staff members: Counseling Services' Bernie Hershberger and Roland Mendiola; Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Inclusion and Diversity Kate Stern; Director of the Rachel Lord Center for Religious and Spiritual Life Eduardo Pazos Palma; Director of Wellness Kate Nicholson; and Director of the McKeen Center for Common Good Sarah Seames.
Pazos said the groups offer a portal for emotional care and community building. "Seniors have been thrown into one of the hardest moments in the recent history of our College and our country," he said, "and whatever we can do to be a supportive community for them and rally around them we will."
The online gatherings alternate between the group talking all together, breaking into smaller clusters, and writing in response to journal prompts. So far, participants have discussed the current situation and how they're coping, and shared their thoughts of the future. They've also reflected on their personal growth over the past four years at Bowdoin, and spoken about the best ways to finish the semester productively.
"Because our community is so relational, having the opportunity for students to connect while not on campus has become really important," said Stern. "For some students having a place to hear others share their coping mechanisms almost seems like a coping mechanism in itself.”
Claudia Pou ’20, who has participated in two conversation groups, said it has been comforting talking to fellow seniors, especially because Bowdoin places such an emphasis on its connection to place and to one another. "Bowdoin has a loyalty to Maine and its traditions and ceremonies," she said, "and it has been a hard experience for everyone everywhere, but in a special way for Bowdoin students, because we’re so tied to campus life and being in Maine and having those traditions."
Hershberger, who is the director of Counseling Services, said one of the best ways to process the upheaval around COVID-19, and its disruption of normalcy and expectations, is to share with others going through the same thing. Counseling Services also continues to offer one-on-one meetings to students.
For Louisa Izydorczak ’20, the conversations have offered a social outlet beyond her friends and family. "It's just been a really nice way to debrief everything that is going on, and it has had a grounding effect on me," she said. "Even though we're all in different situations, it's a good reminder that we're not alone in this."
