The Bowdoin Orient

I write in regards to Coach Slovenski’s eloquent, logical, well written op-ed published on November 6.

While I graduated from Bowdoin before this year’s freshmen were born, what I treasured most about my experience was the school’s inclusiveness—the social atmosphere that united snotty prep school kids such as myself with students from towns so small in northern Maine that they had grid numbers rather than names; athletic teams that allowed me to compete (and lead) when I was far from the best athlete on the team; students with the drive to succeed academically but not at the expense of classmates; and a desire for knowledge that crossed academic, social and racial lines.

However, as I have remained involved with the school over the last 15 years, I have been dismayed to see those ideals chipped away in the name of political correctness or even “inclusiveness” that has paradoxically resulted in the school singling out certain groups. Coach Slovenski’s op-ed accurately points out how in this case, with the laudable goal of increasing the number of girls involved in sports, we have paradoxically prevented boys from participating—a reminder of the painful reality that any time we prefer one group, another must therefore be excluded and ancillary to Coach Slovenski’s observation that once a group has been given a preference it tenaciously holds on to it.

Bowdoin provided me an excellent education where I was pushed outside of my comfort zone and forced to consider contrary viewpoints, but the observation from this interested observer is that the campus has become so one-sided and so politically correct that the alternative viewpoint can’t be heard.

In fact, in a campus unabashedly politically correct, my recollection is that an Orient survey from last year found that 68% of the campus found it too politically correct. While we ridiculed the National Association of Scholars report, it did point out that only four of the approximately 110 full-time faculty considered themselves conservatives—yet I see no plan by the College to ensure that there are more conservatives on campus, no affirmative action being taken to ensure that the other side is heard, no committees formed to find a way to make this underrepresented minority a more important part of campus. Let me assure you I am not holding my breath for that to change, which is a shame for Bowdoin, but more importantly a shame for its current students who are deprived of that real world debate.

I commend Coach Slovenski for bringing this issue to the forefront in a logical, respectful, eloquent way. I have always felt that the title on the bulletin board outside his office painted an excellent picture of his goals and showed why he is an ideal coach for Bowdoin students and he has certainly continued with that theme with this article. I wish that I could have presented the argument as eloquently as he did.

Robert Reiser is a member of the class of 1999.