Once upon a time, neighbors got together on purpose. They bowled together, in leagues they formed themselves and paid good money to join. Places of worship bustled on Wednesdays and weekends. Civic clubs organized pancake breakfasts, and people found meaning—and identity—in voluntary associations. Today, the lanes are quieter.

Inspired by Robert Putnam’s landmark book Bowling Alone, this year’s Critical Engagements theme explores the rise of loneliness and anxiety, the erosion of communal life, and the evolving role of technology in shaping how we relate to one another. What happens when we trade potlucks for push notifications? What’s gained—and what’s lost—when social media replaces the social club? How do things look now, twenty-five years after Putnam introduced us to the concept of “social capital”?

Across disciplines and perspectives, we’ll ask how institutions—from churches and unions to colleges and neighborhood associations—have fared in the face of what seems like a perfect storm. We’ll examine friendship, isolation, and the psychology of connection in an age of glowing screens and ghosted texts. We’ll ask what community looks like today—and what it could look like tomorrow.

Is it possible to build a life together again? Or are we all just bowling alone?