Celebrating the Midyear “Completers”
By Tom PorterA total of fifty-seven Bowdoin students have been honored for finishing their coursework and completing their time at Bowdoin midway through the academic year. They were recognized at the so-called completer’s dinner, held in Main Lounge, Moulton Union, on December 13.
The vast majority of the students were from the Class of 2022, but there were also some from the Classes of 2021 and 2019, as well as a couple of current seniors who are finishing early. All the students will technically hold a Bowdoin degree after this semester, although they won’t “formally” graduate until Commencement next May.
Twenty-two of them attended the dinner, where President Clayton Rose offered some words of praise and reflection. “There’s no doubt that each of you has worked through your college years during one of the most historically difficult moments in modern history, outside of war,” said Rose, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many of the completing students to miss a semester. “But that experience,” he added, “will be helpful in years ahead, as this won’t be the last time you face challenging and difficult issues.”
Photography by Fred Field.
Jennifer Scanlon, senior vice president and dean for academic affairs, also took to the microphone to offer her congratulations, after which she invited each of the students to stand up and say a few words about themselves and what they will take away from their time at Bowdoin. Here’s a selection of their comments:
English major Sophia Feinerman ’22 said she was “so grateful for the friends I’ve made. Hopefully they’ll be around for the rest of my life.”
Sociology major Sophia Karris ’22 said she would be leaving Bowdoin “with the ability to overcome incredible adversity.”
Russian and government major Colin Lamphier ‘22 said he’s probably heading to graduate school next, as he would like to teach Russian. Apart from the friends he has made, Lamphier said, the Russian language is his biggest Bowdoin takeaway. “It’s something that’s so important to me.”
Computer science and music major Danny Little ’22 is preparing to move to Portland, where he will work as a programmer. His big takeaway from Bowdoin, he said, was “the power that can come from a small community.”
Biology major Fiona Ralph ’22 said she was taking away many great friendships from Bowdoin, “but also the memory of Theo Danzig, who was in our class and passed away last year.”
English major Ella Schmidt ’22 hopes to go to graduate school next year, “but I’m not sure where yet. Bowdoin left me with a passion for creative writing and literature, as well as great friends.”
Computer science major Michael Webber ’23 said, “My takeaway from Bowdoin is not to give up on your dreams, regardless of what they are and how different they may be from everyone else’s.”
Economics and GSWS major Conger Zhang ’22 is heading for a job in a private equity firm after Bowdoin. “My biggest takeaway? It’s hard to put into words, as this place opened up so many opportunities. If you can work hard and you have a dream, you will get there.”