Boston strong

Editorial: Vote Nelson

One of the student body’s most important collective decisions will be made this weekend as the votes are tallied in the election for the 2013-14 Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) Executive Committee. Sarah Nelson has our vote for president of next year’s assembly.
Nelson’s diversity of experience, established relationships with members of the administration, and realistic outlook make her a strong choice to broaden BSG’s impact. Her work for Residential Life and Student Activities has proven her ability to collaborate with a wide variety of groups on campus, and she demonstrated her natural talent for organization on a campus-wide level when she co-chaired Winter Weekend in February. As a former class treasurer and community outreach officer, Nelson understands fiscal responsibility and the importance of Bowdoin’s relationship with the Brunswick community.
Clear, feasible goals make up the bulk of Nelson’s campaign platform. She stresses improving communication through the development of a unified Bowdoin app, facilitating student leadership outside of existing organizations, and fostering open dialogue with administrators. She has already begun to work toward creating a $10,000 “Good Ideas” fund to provide financial resources for students outside of clubs. A Nelson presidency would improve cohesion across all class years to work toward larger goals, such as revising the College House application process.

Editorial: Ivy day

Ivies is upon us. As this issue goes to print, many Bowdoin students are readying to head to Brunswick Quad for an afternoon of carefree carousing. Whittier Field is being prepared for tomorrow’s concert, when Phar\os, Hoodie Allen and Guster will take the stage, and the stacks of H-L have plenty of carrels to spare.
One of the reasons that Ivies is special is because it has a tendency to breed nostalgia, for both our personal memories of the College and its 219-year history. Beginning in 1865, Ivy Day celebrated the planting of an ivy by the side of the Chapel. The spring concert (and preceding parties) that exist today barely resemble this occasion.
Guster, this year’s headlining act, is no stranger to campus--the band performed at Bowdoin in 1997 and 2000. We are glad to see them return a third time, and tomorrow’s concert--with mostly sunny skies in the forecast--promises to be another memorable set.

Editorial

This piece represents the opinion of The Bowdoin Orient editorial board.

April 19, 2013

This has been a hard week for the United States, and a hard week for Bowdoin. The American flag flew at half-mast in honor of those who were killed and injured in the Boston Marathon bombings, some of whom had close ties to the Bowdoin community. No sooner had the Orient confirmed the safety of over 100 alumni and students in the vicinity of the bombs on Monday evening, than did we learn of the death of beloved alumnus and former Orient columnist Jose Cespedes ’12, who lost his battle with liver disease last Friday. And as the editorial board convened yesterday evening, news broke of continued bloodshed in and around Boston like an unending nightmare.

The violence, terror, and loss that has marked the past few days and hours has forced us to take a step back and reflect on the fragility of life and the senselessness of random violence.

The marathon finish line, where the bombs went off, is just one mile from the street named for James Bowdoin, a testament to the College’s deep roots in Boston. With almost a fifth of the student body hailing from Massachusetts, the unfolding tragedy hits close to home. Many students from the state are affectionately known around campus as “J.O.B.s” for hailing from “Just Outside Boston.” They had friends, parents and neighbors in the vicinity of the bombs, and spent hours on Monday afternoon anxiously wondering if their loved ones were among those killed or injured in the attacks. This morning, many students will wake up to the news that familiar streets around Watertown and Cambridge are the scene of a massive manhunt for a suspect in the bombings. This week, “just outside Boston” took on a new meaning.

With the indiscriminate nature of life’s misfortunes painfully evident before us, how can we move forward from these tragedies?

Perhaps we should take a cue from Cespedes, who, in one installment of his column, urged Americans to unite in taking a stand against gun violence after former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot at a small meet and greet in suburban Arizona. “In the midst of the tragedy surrounding the event was an opportunity for Americans of all lifestyles to come together and stand up for the distinctly American way of life,” Cespedes wrote. “The willingness to use violence and disregard the rule of law and conscience of civility, however, remains just as egregious today as it was a decade ago.” The Boston Marathon bombings were a horrific catastrophe that reminded us of the extent to which we entrust our saftey to those around us. We cannot prevent future attacks from happening, but we can take action to limit access to the weapons with which they are carried out.

On Wednesday, the Senate halted bipartisan legislation that would have instituted background checks prior to firearms purchases. It is heartbreaking and frightening that lawmakers continue to refuse to pass this measure as more Americans are killed by gun violence every day. The only way to move forward is to unite in support of the victims of the attacks, and to continue with our daily lives while settling for nothing less than the staunchest gun control measures.

Bowdoin is deeply rooted in Boston and shares much of its history. So too do we share in the shock and sorrow of this week’s events, and stand strong with the city of Boston and its people.

The editorial represents the majority view of the Bowdoin Orient’s editorial board, which is composed of Nora Biette-Timmons, Garrett Casey, Linda Kinstler, Sam Miller, Sam Weyrauch and Kate Witteman.

Comments are permanently closed.