Announcing our relocation

Coe's forthcoming demolition ushers in a new chapter for WBOR's 80+ year history

Once upon a time, WBOR lived on the third floor of Moulton Union.¹ After the newly constructed David Saul Smith Union opened its doors in January 1995, the Deans kicked the station out to make room for their new offices.²

As a result, that summer, the DJs living on campus worked tirelessly to move the station to the Dudley Coe Memorial Infirmary. Outside of their 9 to 5s, they spent their 5 to 9s transforming what was previously a kitchen into our home as it is known today.

Milk crates packed tightly with records, cassettes, and a few CDs were lugged from the top floor of Moulton into the basement of Coe, where they were placed on the shelves that students had built just days prior. Some relics, such as the sticker-covered cabinet in our bathroom, the on-air sign, and, at some point, a functional traffic light, all found homes in a new environment with freshly painted (and grafitti-free) walls. 

In what alumni have called a miracle, the station resumed broadcasting just in time for students to arrive back that fall '95, where they began leaving their marks on what is now arguably the most lived-in and comfortable space on campus.³ No single person, no matter what degree of mad-genius they possess, could have planned the interior decor. It’s been an organic space, evolving with each student who descends the stairs leading to its covered entrance.

Lifelong memories have been made in this basement. Friends have laughed until they couldn't. DJs sing karaoke (but only after making sure the mic is turned off), dancing to their hearts content. Professors have been interviewed. Presidents have been interviewed. Bands have performed (live). A budding journalist, who you may know, dedicated their Saturdays to diving deep into Ke$ha's discography (we can't make this up).

Dudley Coe is a testament to Bowdoin’s history. It has been standing since 1917 when it opened as an infirmary, immediately put to service protecting students from the Spanish Influenza in 1918. Following the Swine flu outbreak in fall 2009 (and opening of the Buck Fitness Center), Coe shed its former title and assumed a role as a “holdover” space, having housed the Off-Campus Study office, Upward Bound, ResLife, counseling, the copy center, and numerous faculty offices. After the Health Center, WBOR serves as its longest-standing tenant, spanning three decades.

Dudley Coe is slated to be demolished following the renovation of Sills Hall. As a result,

Fall 2024 will mark WBOR's final semester in Dudley Coe.

Until recently, Bowdoin’s administration planned to put us in a 12x12’ cube (the current location of IT's Tech Hub) on the third floor of Smith. Thankfully after much persuasion, we have secured a different space…

WBOR will be relocating to the first floor of Coles Tower

at the former site of the Bowdoin Cable Network, nestled comfortably behind the elevator lobby. We haven't gotten blueprints from Facilities just yet, so here is an annotated version of the Tower’s original 1964 blueprints to situate you:

And here is a zoomed in view:

This new space symbolizes a fresh chapter in WBOR's 80+ year history. Though we bid farewell to certain features due to the smaller footprint,⁴ there are many we gain:

• Complete ADA accessibility

• More than 1 window!

• Greater centrality on campus and proximity to other creative spaces (the Craft Center, Maker Space, and Edwards Art Center)

In the short term, tearing down Dudley Coe will destroy an incredible space, and the idea of transitioning out of it is difficult for us all; however, our spirits remain undaunted as we have the unique opportunity of laying the foundation for our new home.

Stay tuned for updates as the project progresses. As of this writing, and barring no significant delays, the plan is to make the move to the new space over the next winter break.

Celebrations of the current space are in order: if you are around, we invite you to drop by on June 1st during Reunion. In the fall, expect ceremonies for a proper send off.

We can’t wait to welcome you in and establish a new home, together.

Love,

your station mgmt

1. The station was located in Moulton between 1948-95, in the corner that faced Appleton and the chapel. WBOR (WBOA at the time) established itself here in April of 1948, kicking out The Orient.

2. The Deans remain located in Moulton today. Also, it is at this time that the rest of Moulton is renovated into how it is perceived today. Perhaps this explains why the Light Room and Smith both emanate similar Global Village Coffeehouse-adjacent vibes?

3. When it opened, students returned to the same two RE-20 microphones that had been in use since 1968, whose diaphragms had captured the voices of generations of students. These two microphones are unbelievably still in use today.

4. There is no in-suite bathroom (though there are two in the basement), no secondary production studio, no management office or dedicated room for record storage/tinydesk performances. As a result of the smaller footprint, we will also not be able to house our extensive CD collection. The plan is to digitize all ~30,000 of them, though we are still in the process of finding funding for this project.