Celebrating 46 Years of History

As of 2011, The Bohemian represents 47 years of Notre Dame de Namur University's creative history. The cornerstone was laid in 1964 with the first volume of the College of Notre Dame’s foreign language department’s literary journal Babel.

In 1978, students agreed to rename the journal CAT FEET. The name alludes to Carl Sandburg’s poem “Fog” which adequately describes the majestic and sometimes eerie fog seen from the NDNU campus rolling inland over the Pacific coastal range. A surviving 1981 copy of CAT FEET explains that “CAT FEET, a magazine of poetry and prose, is a non-profit literary journal dedicated to the publication of original poetry and prose by new writers. CAT FEET is published twice yearly.”

February 1991 brought significant changes to the journal when it was acquired by the English department and renamed The Bohemian. The College of Notre Dame was eventually renamed Notre Dame de Namur University, and the journal now incorporates art and literature into an annual publication that showcases new pieces by both unpublished and published writers and artists.

In 2006, The Bohemian received first place in the California College Media Association’s annual awards contest for producing the best four-year college magazine in its class. Although the journal has gone through three name changes, a change in department management, and a change in the university’s name, it still promotes, defends, and showcases the very best of NDNU’s creativity.