Bowdoin has changed dramatically since Hyde’s day, but its promise has not. As the College continues to diversify racially, geographically, and socioeconomically, ensuring the promise is kept has required introspection, innovation, and collaboration.
The first two lines of The Offer read “To be at home in all lands and all ages; To count Nature a familiar acquaintance…”
On the first Sunday in March, fifty-nine students and several staff members of color seized an opportunity to bring those lines to life on the sun-kissed slopes of Mt. Abram in western Maine.
The group gathered at the Bowdoin Outing Club (BOC) at 6:30 a.m. for a Wild Oats breakfast and some morning joe—the coffee served as a necessary jolt before embarking on an all-inclusive ski and snowboarding retreat dedicated to creating greater access and exposure to the outdoors.
As the two buses approached the resort, the students— some familiar with and some brand new to the mountain—were buzzing with excitement. “There was a lot of laughter and smiling, and everyone came to the event with a really positive attitude,” said Anna Bastidas, assistant director of the BOC.
After getting outfitted with gear, students split into groups according to skill level and spent the morning receiving lessons from Mt. Abram ski school instructors. Ray Tarango ’20, having had some previous experience on ski trips with the Latin American Student Organization and the BOC, got the chance to cheer on his peers. “I saw people who had no idea how to walk in skis at the beginning of the day successfully ski down the slopes,” he said.
While on the mountain, Tarango took a moment to survey the landscape around him. “I was pretty cold,” he laughed, “but it was still exhilarating to be able to go down the slope and, from time to time, see this whole panorama of mountains and pine trees full of snow.”
Even those who showed up apprehensive about the snow seldom took a break. “We have a warming hut that is specifically for Bowdoin at this mountain,” Bastidas explained, “but no one was in it all day long.”
Congregating at the lodges for lunch, students and staff rehashed the fun and falls from the morning session. “It was really nice to hear how people progressed and what they were looking to work on in the second half of the day,” Tarango said.
Story continues after the photo gallery
Photos by Fred Field
In the evening session, Tarango took the lift to one of the harder intermediate slopes. He recalled spending more time on the ground than on his feet as he had during previous attempts. But this time he likened his trip down the mountain to proper skiing.
Whether they successfully made it down their first slope, or skied their first black diamond, it was a day of fun and fellowship for all in attendance. Beyond that, it was a chance to realize a historic commitment the College has made to each student who walks the whispering pines.
A Concerted Effort
Bastidas explained that this particular event was the brainchild of Nate Hintze, director of Student Activities. Inspired by Recreational Equipment, Inc.'s (REI) film “Brotherhood of Skiing,” a forty-seven-year-old feature of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, Hintze brought the idea of a mountain takeover for students of color to the directors at the BOC. The project quickly became a collaborative effort that also involved Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) and Student Activities.
Prior to the takeover at Mt. Abram, the BOC, BSG, and Student Activities organized ski trips for various affinity groups on campus. Bastidas worked closely with Luis Miguel Guerrero ’20, the Outing Club inclusivity coordinator, to expose as many affinity groups as possible to the outdoors and cultivate interest for the trip in March.
“It’s almost a mentality that tells you ‘this space isn’t for me; this activity isn't for me; I don’t know what I’m doing.’ Getting across that line and being amongst a group of students that is also breaking this barrier with you is very powerful," Guerrero said.
With encouragement from his pre-orientation trip leaders, Guerrero broke that mentality early in his Bowdoin career. “They mentioned that the Outdoor Leadership Fellows program was an opportunity for students of color, particularly first-years and sophomores who have little to no experience in the outdoors,” he said.
The program emerged eleven years ago, with the goal of increasing diversity among student leadership in the BOC and reducing barriers to the outdoors. With BOC funding, as well as contributions from BSG and Student Activities, the Outing Club was able to expand their gear inventory to ensure that each participant in the Mountain Takeover could be outfitted and participate at no cost.
“There’s obviously a huge economic burden associated with accessing these spaces,” explained Tarango. “To just be able to sign up with no fee made it a lot more attainable for everyone.”
For BSG, this event is part of a wider push for more interactive programming. “We took the funding we would usually have for a campus speaker and put it toward getting people really engaged with a new experience,” said Marcus Williams ’21, BSG chair of diversity and inclusion. “I think it is super helpful to have lecturers come in and speak on important issues, but it’s also important to get people out doing something together to create more of a sense of community,” he said.
Extending this sense of community to alumni of color is also a focus going forward. “In the future, we hope to have events like this for students and alumni of color to connect and network.”
Recreating Responsibly
As the College has made difficult—but necessary—decisions to address concerns over COVID-19, plans for outdoor activities and community engagement have been stymied. Guerrero expressed empathy for the students who were looking forward to winter recreation after the Mountain Takeover. But he and other members of the community are still doing their best to disengage from the discomforts of isolation and stay involved with the outdoors.
“I’ve definitely felt that I need to disconnect from the news outlets, so it’s been important for me to take walks with my dog and be mentally in tune with the outdoors,” Guerrero said. “It’s just a reminder, amidst the pandemic, that nature is on its own time.”
While Bastidas transitions to working from home, she has reflected a lot on what it means to recreate responsibly. “I’ve taken up running again and have done a lot of flat-water paddling now that the weather is a little bit warmer,” she said. “Those are things that I have access to locally,” she added. “I’m very intentionally not going further afield, but still going outside and working from my porch.”
While the spoils of Maine’s outdoors may be temporarily inaccessible for some members of the Bowdoin community, Guerrero says he’s excited for returning students and incoming classes to take advantage of the opportunities Bowdoin and the state of Maine have to offer.
The BSG hopes to make the Mountain Takeover trip an annual event.
