Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater State University
A Last Look Back: Homecoming 2026
Having attended BSU Homecoming festivities for nearly six decades, this writer can affirm that the 2026 first weekend in October event was as great as they get.
Our highly talented web team produced a superb Homecoming video and we share it below:
A New Sculpture Adorns the BSU Campus
We're grateful to Mr. Brian Benson, G '23, of BSU's Office of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications, for sharing the photo and excerpts of the story of a new sculpture near Shea-Durgin Hall created by Bridgewater State students and unveiled just after Homecoming.
"Arriving on campus with an interest in art, Logan Brown, '26, discovered his passion lay not with pencils or paintbrushes but with a welding torch," wrote Mr. Benson.
"Logan uses the tool to transform sheets of metal into sculptures, including a 5-foot-tall piece on the Bridgewater State campus that features a giant heart followed by the letters BSU.
"It's definitely cool. I feel pretty proud," he said to Mr. Benson.
The student sculptor, who earned a degree in art, added "When I have kids, I'm going to drive past it and say, 'See that? My buddies and I fabricated that whole thing."
Mr. Logan and fellow students Elijah Donahue, '27, and Lukas Sonntag, '28, worked under the mentorship of Professor Rob Lorenson over the course of several months.
Mr. Logan credited Professor Lorenson: "He taught us everything."
The new sculpture was commissioned by BSU's Spirit Committee to help promote campus pride.
A Message from President Clark on
BSU's Spirit Committee
President Clark shared the following message with the university community last week:
While BSU spirit will be on full display during the first weekend in October for our annual Homecoming festivities, we focus all year long on strengthening the pride we share for our great university.
BSU's Spirit Committee, which includes more than a dozen people representing departments across the university, leads that charge. Its members organize numerous initiatives designed to foster school spirit and honor our rich history and traditions.
Recent projects include:
· Revamped crosswalks featuring Bear Xing signs and special paint
· Love BSU sculpture near Shea Durgin
· Social media initiative called Capture BSU, which highlights Instagram-worthy locations across campus
· Giant flagpole and BSU flag near East Campus Commons
Campus spirit is not only found on flagpoles and crosswalks; it is a unifying feeling of pride and connection.
It is a force that gives BSU a sense of place, making it so much more than a school and workplace.
I remember when students rarely wore BSU attire. As I walk across campus today, I see students proudly wearing Bridgewater sweatshirts and making the bear claw hand gesture in group photos.
We know that students who develop strong connections to BSU become engaged alumni willing to support their alma mater and our students for years to come.
My thanks to the Spirit Committee for its tireless contributions to the vibrancy of our campus. Go Bears!
Town of Bridgewater Among
"Nine Most Beautiful College Towns in Massachusetts"
We're grateful to Dr. William Smith, dean of the Graduate School emeritus, for sharing this story with us from World Atlas:
In the heart of Plymouth County, Bridgewater is a classic suburban college town built around Bridgewater State University, founded in 1840 as a teacher-training "normal school" and now the largest of the state universities outside the UMass system.
The historic campus and its Central Square core give the town a tidy, walkable center that still feels like a small New England community despite the nearly 10,000 students.
Nature is close and quirky here. Lake Nippenicket, locally just "The Nip," feeds into the same Hockomock Swamp that gives southeastern Massachusetts its Bridgewater Triangle reputation, so a calm afternoon of kayaking comes with a side of legend.
Back in town, Black Hat Brew Works keeps students and locals mingling over craft beer, and the 17th-century Sachem Rock Farm anchors the town's colonial roots.
Best Wishes on a BSU Retirement
We're pleased to share below excerpts of a story recently authored by Mr. Brian Benson, G '23:
Ms. Geraldine McGlone, seen above with President Clark, sought stability when she accepted a position in student accounts at Bridgewater State.
She had worked for a bank that was sold and didn’t want to stay in an industry prone to mergers.
More than two decades later, it’s safe to say Ms. McGlone found a lasting professional home and so much more.
“When I first came, it was the atmosphere, the students, learning something new and a different form of the things I had always done,” said Ms. McGlone, who retired in July from her accounting career.
“Over 22 years, it is the Office of Student Accounts that has kept me here.”
Ms. McGlone worked in a fast-paced job on the front lines directly serving students. She was also a liaison for companies who paid for their employees’ tuition.
She appreciated being acknowledged by graduating students who recognized how support comes from all corners of the university.
Seeing students grow from unsure new Bears to confident seniors was incredibly rewarding, she said.
“I’ve been touched really personally in small ways,” she said. “I remember the students when it's their first day and they came in with their mother, and I remember when they graduate and watching them change.”
This past September (the 27th to be exact) in 1997, the first MBTA commuter train arrived in. South Station, Boston, from what was originally called the "Old Colony Line," and rail service connected Bridgewater with Boston for the first time since rail service - begun in 1845 - had ended in 1960.
A number of BSU people had boarded the train in Bridgewater that morning, including then-vice president for administration Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, left (later our eleventh president), and Mr. Mike Gomes, then vice president of finance, right.
President Adrian Tinsley, holding a banner produced in honor of the historic occasion, had arrived at South Station from north of Boston, where she was attending a conference.
Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the restoration of commuter rail in this region.
"Not to be Ministered unto but to Minister"
Dr. Thomas Turner, professor emeritus of history at Bridgewater State University
Dr. Turner, author of the 2010 history of Bridgewater, shared the details of how the commuter rail line came back to this region of the state:
MBTA
Contract disputes notwithstanding, plans to
enhance the campus environment continued. One
area of focus was the plan to return railroad service
to Bridgewater. The Old Colony Line had made its
last run in 1958, but a station on campus would
allow students and faculty members to commute to
campus by rail as they had been doing since the
1840s.163 In agreeing to reinstate the line, the MBTA
also agreed to build an underpass connecting East
and West Campus and replacing the existing foot-
bridge. Students often ignored the bridge and cut
holes in the fence to cross the tracks at ground level,
which createThe trains began running again on September
26, 1997. President Tinsley rode the first train into
South Station on the “New Old Colony Line.” Vice
President Mohler-Faria and Associate Vice President
Miguel Gomes accompanied her.165
Reflecting on the process, Tinsley noted that
Mohler-Faria drove a hard bargain with the Massa-
chusetts Bay Transit Authority.166 He, in turn,
recalled that while the college wanted the station on
campus, he was determined to have the MBTA
provide a number of mitigation measures. These
included a new access road to the train station and
a parking lot. While this obviously benefitted train
patrons, it also provided additional access to West
Campus for Bridgewater students, faculty and staff.
The MBTA made several additional conces-
sions. In exchange for the parking spaces at the
train station provided by the college, the MBTA
The trains began running again on September
26, 1997. President Tinsley rode the first train into
South Station on the “New Old Colony Line.” Vice
President Mohler-Faria and Associate Vice President
Miguel Gomes accompanied her.165
Reflecting on the process, Tinsley noted that
Mohler-Faria drove a hard bargain with the Massa-
chusetts Bay Transit Authority.166 He, in turn,
recalled that while the college wanted the station on
campus, he was determined to have the MBTA
provide a number of mitigation measures. These
included a new access road to the train station and
a parking lot. While this obviously benefitted train
patrons, it also provided additional access to West
Campus for Bridgewater students, faculty and staff.
The MBTA made several additional conces-
sions. In exchange for the parking spaces at the
train station provided by the college, the MBTA
d a dangerous situation. An increase of
20-30 trains per day would have produced an even
more hazardous situation.164
zardous situation.164
The trains began running again on September
26, 1997. President Tinsley rode the first train into
South Station on the “New Old Colony Line.” Vice
President Mohler-Faria and Associate Vice President
Miguel Gomes accompanied her.165
Reflecting on the process, Tinsley noted that
Mohler-Faria drove a hard bargain with the Massa-
chusetts Bay Transit Authority.166 He, in turn,
recalled that while the college wanted the station on
campus, he was determined to have the MBTA
provide a number of mitigation measures. These
included a new access road to the train station and
a parking lot. While this obviously benefitted train
patrons, it also provided additional access to West
Campus for Bridgewater students, faculty and staff.
The MBTA made several additional conces-
sions. In exchange for the parking spaces at the
train station provided by the college, the MBTA
The Old Colony Line ceased service to Bridgewater in 1958. On September 26, 1997, the trains began running again.
President Tinsley rode the first train into South Station on the “New Old Colony Line.” Vice President Mohler-Faria (left)
and Associate Vice President Miguel Gomes accompanied her. In agreeing to reinstate The Old Colony Line which had
ceased running to Bridgewater in 1958, the MBTA also agreed to build an underpass connecting east and west campus
and replacing the existing footbridge, shown above.
346C H A P T E R 8
THE MODERN PRESIDENTS: Adrian Tinsley 1989 -2002
built a new parking lot for Bridgewater students
across Route 104 on land owned by the transporta-
tion authority. It also agreed, although it took some
persuading, to build a tunnel to allow passage under
the railroad tracks between East and West Campus.
Previously, passage was over a bridge that was
treacherous during the winter and which caused
many students to simply cross on the tracks. As
noted, this would have created a very dangerous
situation with more trains running on the line.
Additionally, and very significantly for future elec-
tronic expansion, the MBTA laid a fiber optic cable
from Bridgewater all the way to the Prudential
Center in Boston. Among other benefits from this
action was the reduction of telephone costs. Today,
in 2010, the college operates on three or four T-1
lines. The fiber optic system opened up the possibil-
ity for as many as 133 T-1 lines in the future.
Progress continued in other areas as well. The
college continued to foster its goal of recruiting and
retaining minority students. In addition to the
administrative mechanisms that had been put in
November 4, 2026 Dr. Michael Kryzanek, Emeritus, Political Science – Results of the 2026 midterm elections
Luncheon at noon – Heritage Room, Maxwell Library
February 3, 2027 Dr. John Kucich, English, Presentation on Native Americans in Littleton, MA during Thoreau’s time.
Luncheon at noon - Heritage Room, Maxwell Library
March 3, 2027 Jennifer Turner, Executive Director of the Robbins House, an African American Museum in Concord, MA who has taught at BSU as a VL, History Dept., and the Senior College
Luncheon at noon - Heritage Room, Maxwell Library
April 7, 2027 Dr. Orson Kingsley, Director, Archives – Tour of the BSU Archives
Luncheon at noon – Heritage Room, Maxwell Library (Tour of Archives to follow)
May 5, 2027 Retired Faculty Club Business Meeting
Luncheon at noon – Heritage Room, Maxwell Library (Business meeting to follow)
Club dues annual membership fee is $25.00
Luncheon cost is $15.00 per person
Retired Faculty Club Luncheon Schedule for
2026-2027
This concludes the report for Monday, October 12, 2026
Next edition: Monday, October 17, 2026