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February
16, 2001
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| Houses cater to Bowdoin boozers |
Response to Asian fliers |
Rethinking bipartisanship | |||
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During
this week's discussion forum, students tried to develop ideas for
improving the College House System. While such efforts are commendable,
it is unlikely that the House System will improve unless action
is taken regarding the place of alcohol in Bowdoin's social structure.
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It
is not my weekly routine to write a letter to the Orient, but the
flyers that have been put up recently around the campus, seeking
awareness for Asian students, have prompted me to share my thoughts.
One of the many reasons why my life at Bowdoin has the potential
to become the 'best four years' of my life is that I am not conscious
of the fact that I am an international student. Even though I am
involved in the International Club, I am rarely conscious of the
fact that my home country is Japan. A big deciding factor that made
me come to Bowdoin was the fact that there were very few Japanese
students enrolled here. The reason for this choice lies in my secondary
school experience. |
It's
hard to turn on the news or open a newspaper these days without
seeing a politician blathering on about the wonders of bipartisan
cooperation. From President George Bush to Democratic Senate Minority
leader Tom Daschle, our nation's leaders seem to be stumbling over
one another to see who can be the most conciliatory. Even fiery
House Whip Tom Delay, who once compared the EPA to the Gestapo,
gave a speech to some of his Republican colleagues on the importance
of cooperating with House Democrats. Zell Miller, a Democratic senator
from Georgia, has gone as far as to endorse the Bush tax plan. Whether
hoping to get political mileage by looking accommodating or actually
true believers, the US Congress has made the big collective leap
onto the bipartisan bandwagon. |
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