Bowdoin is a campus of familiar faces, so it is likely that students and Security will notice someone who shouldn’t be on campus. Security keeps faculty, students, and administration alert of any suspicious behavior, and the blue-light stations and yellow call boxes all over campus offer access to help if it's needed. Much is heard on the news about rape, theft, and even murder on other college campuses across the country, but occurrences like these are rare at Bowdoin. These issues are still addressed, however, through student organizations that work to raise awareness about such problems. Security also offers the free Safe Ride service that provides rides to and from all parts of campus during the evening and night, which is helpful when students are studying late into the night and don’t want to walk home alone. Overall, the majority of Bowdoin students say they feel secure, and female students say they feel safe traversing the campus late at night simply because they have no reason to feel threatened. And, if students do voice any concern, the security directors are more than willing to listen and do what they can to make appropriate changes.
In regards to personal health, the College has a wonderful new health and wellness center, but the reviews from students are all over the place, ranging from high to low quality and from very convenient to very inconvenient. The health center staff will seek you out if they've received a message of concern from someone else, but going in to get an appointment can sometimes be frustrating. However, the health center is a reliable resource for birth control and medicine like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. There is also a nutritionist, but appointments with her are very difficult to get because she is only in the health center one or two days a week. Overall, the accessibility to Bowdoin's health center could improve, but once you get in, you are under the care of friendly, qualified professionals.