Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) spent the majority of its 90-minute meeting on Wednesday in an executive session. President Barry Mills and Vice President for Finance and Administration Katy Longley attended the meeting—closed to the public—to discuss issues relating to divestment.
BSG President Dani Chediak ’13 stated afterward that the meeting “was very enlightening. We discussed divestment and carbon neutrality as well as ways to promote awareness of environmental issues on campus.”
In December, Mills announced that the College would not commit to divesting the endowment from fossil fuels. At a meeting earlier this month, Bowdoin’s Climate Action Group asked BSG to take an official stance on divesting, but BSG decided to wait to meet with the administration before possibly issuing a statement.
Because of the extended time spent with Mills and Longley, the night’s public business was limited to discussion of whether the BSG would fund “Lose Your Shoes.” The event—a combination of a pub night and barefoot soccer tournament, to be held in the spring—raises money for Grassroots Soccer, an organization that promotes HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa.
The Student Global AIDS Campaign had previously organized the event, but since this group is no longer chartered, the students organizing the event need to apply directly to BSG rather than the Student Activities Funding Committee. BSG’s debate revolved around whether the expenses of the event—estimated at $1,500—should be included in BSG’s yearly budget.
No final decision was made on the matter.