Two weeks ago, a Bowdoin student made national news for interrupting a live Senate debate between Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic nominee Troy Jackson over concerns regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers and corporate Political Action Committee (PAC) money.

To gain admission to the debate at Husson University, Henry Elgie ’29 presented a fabricated press pass with the deliberately-misspelled name “Bowdowin Orient.” While we appreciate student activism, let us be abundantly clear: We do not appreciate being misrepresented on the national stage.

With that said, Elgie’s protest and the ensuing media frenzy have only underscored the stakes of the Senate election in Maine. Bowdoin students, and other residents across Maine have been inundated with ads, text messages and rhetoric to the tune of $49.1 million spent by campaigns, most of which originates from out-of-state. Moreover, a whopping $127.1 million has been spent by outside groups, mostly super PACs often with dark money sources. Furthermore, press coverage of the heated debate at Husson included pieces from the New York Times (NYT), PBS, Politico, CNN and the Associated Press.

Bowdoin’s presence in the national news due to this race has continued to extend beyond the debate. Recently, Mainer and Bowdoin student Rosa Slack ’29 was approached on campus by a NYT reporter soliciting thoughts from Maine voters on the election. Slack stated that the Trump administration and Maine’s role in the battle for Senate control made Collins’ race feel like one of grave importance. Former physics professor Liz McCormack was also interviewed for the piece, adding that she had supported Collins in 2020 but this year voted for Jackson.

The race has grown increasingly contentious and ugly, straying from the issues that matter to voters and devolving into personal attacks. $54 million has been spent on negative advertising against Collins and Jackson, which are mostly funded by said outside groups. Even national news coverage of Elgie’s protest has only made cursory mention of data centers—the issue driving his protest—and instead zeroed in on a tense exchange between the two candidates that followed. Collins accused Jackson of having a connection to the interruption, who refuted by telling the senator to “shut up.” The interruption furthered the spotlight on their rivalry: Collins claimed it proof of a longstanding aggressive temperament, which Jackson called a baseless personal attack.

But ultimately, as much as the national media and super PACs try to sensationalize this election, it is fundamentally about the issues that matter. The result of this election will have incredible implications on the control of Congress, which in turn will determine how policymakers choose to tackle a whole host of issues: affordability, civil rights, foreign policy, oversight and, yes, data centers.

Bowdoin students have had front-row seats to the political forces at play in this election, which, depending on who you ask, has been very exciting or incredibly annoying. We don’t begrudge either side. What we are urging you to do is vote. With control of the United States Senate on the line, polling has shown that this election will be incredibly competitive. If you are eligible, we at the Orient implore you to exercise your right to vote in Maine.

Whether you applaud or abhor Elgie’s protest, on November 3, you, as a Bowdoin student, will get your chance to shape this election. And just like on debate night, the world will be watching.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Editorial Board.