It was a beautiful autumn evening on Friday, Oct. 11 as faculty, staff, students and alumni gathered outside Bowman Hall for the rededication of the newly renovated classroom building. The BC Screamin’ Eagles Marching Band opened the ceremony with a selection of upbeat songs, and speaker Dr. Larry Czarda ’74, president of Greensboro College, joked that nature was joining in celebrating the occasion.
“Even the trees are turning the Bridgewater College colors [of crimson and gold],” Czarda said, garnering laughs from attendees.
As a representative of the Class of ’74, Czarda spoke of Bowman Hall as a bridge between past, present and future generations of Bridgewater students. His comments were echoed by President Dr. David Bushman, who asked how many attendees had attended a class in Bowman Hall and was greeted by a sea of raised hands.
“Bowman Hall has been the heart of our academic community for decades,” Bushman said. Nearly every student since the building’s opening in 1953 has taken at least one class within its walls.
As their 50th anniversary gift to the College, the Class of ’74 raised funds to name the new Digital Media Lab on the third floor of Bowman Hall. The Classes of ’72 and ’75 also contributed to the Bowman Hall renovation, as did many individual donors.
“Now students are learning and using technology that we could only imagine when we were students,” Czarda said. “And we are leaving a legacy that will shape the future of students for years to come.”
After the rededication, attendees toured Bowman Hall and read the named space plaques that share tributes and donor stories.
The rededication kicked off Bridgewater’s weekend-long Homecoming celebration, which featured all the familiar Homecoming fun like reunions with friends and BC faculty as well as sweet treats like Strite’s Donuts and Smiley’s Ice Cream. Yet on Saturday, Oct. 12, a spotlight remained on Bowman Hall. As the campus mall flooded with students, alumni and families decked out in BC colors and apparel, Bowman Hall opened its doors for self-guided tours, offering a chance for all Eagles to reflect on memories of the building and glimpse the future of collaborative learning at Bridgewater.
– Eli Quay & Heather Cole
10/16/24
