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BY EDGAR ALLEN BEEM P’13

“This step toward returning to normal is simply thrilling. I am awed by how quickly biomedical researchers were able to produce and validate vaccines, impressed by the rapid mobilization and rollout of vaccinations by public health experts, and thankful to community members who have gotten vaccinated and brought us closer to reaching herd immunity. Personally, I was eager to get vaccinated, and receiving the second dose of the vaccine was the most exciting part. I cannot wait to spend unfettered time with my family, friends, colleagues, and students once again.

In short, I feel immensely thankful and hopeful!”

—DANIELLE DUBE, PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

This spring, the College partnered with Mid Coast Hospital to make vaccinations available to the Bowdoin community. Wherever they received their shots, students, faculty, staff, and others felt a keen sense of change.

“I felt so relieved when I was eligible for the vaccine and received both shots. I have missed the Association of Bowdoin Friends and the programs we had planned for the community. I missed the museums, walks on campus, the gym, the library, and seeing students.”

—JEANNE D’ARC MAYO, LONGTIME BOWDOIN ATHLETIC TRAINER

AND FORMER CHAIR OF THE ASSOCIATION OF BOWDOIN FRIENDS “It was emotional for me to get vaccinated. I lost my father [not to COVID-19] in the early months of the pandemic, and getting my vaccine meant that I could finally hug my brother, my mother, and other family members safely. It has allowed us to finally celebrate and grieve him together.”

—SARAH CHINGOS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE

IN THE MCKEEN CENTER FOR THE COMMON GOOD

“It’s been going on so long, it still hasn’t hit me, even though

I’ve had my second shot. It’s bigger than just me. It’s the whole country. Every interaction involves risk, but in choosing to help myself I am helping others too. Being vaccinated, there is less anxiety. I was always thinking about the risk and taking some precautions, but now I’m not worried all the time. This is such a big moment.”

—ANDREW MOORE ’21

“I feel a sense of relief having received the vaccine. My hope is that with the shared vulnerability people around the world face, humankind will become more human and more kind.

This pandemic robs us of much of our humanity. To be human is to touch, to smile, and have those smiles be seen.”

—FRED FIELD, PHOTOGRAPHER WHO FREQUENTLY DOCUMENTS LIFE AT BOWDOIN AND CONTRIBUTES TO BOWDOIN PUBLICATIONS

“I am hopeful for the fall semester, and excited that soon we will be able to see each other in person, and for the new ‘normal.’

When I asked a colleague what she was up to this weekend, she said she was getting together with friends for the first time in months—it’s a time of renewal.”

—SARA SMITH, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT IN BOWDOIN’S

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

OPENING UP

Students relax on the Quad shortly after the requirement to wear masks outdoors was lifted. The only giveaway of continued strangeness may be the many takeaway lunch bags from Dining. As the world slowly emerges from the quarantines, lockdowns, and closures of the coronavirus pandemic, the swift development and distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 hold the promise of a return to something usual—whatever “usual” might turn out to be.