— The Bowdoin Orient

Letter to the editor:

Yesterday, I spent the day listening to colleagues and students react to the result of our presidential election. At 4 p.m., I sat with many of you in Morrell Lounge and listened as students processed their pain and articulated their fears, some pointing to stories of family and friends who have experienced bigotry since Tuesday evening.
President-elect Trump and his campaign trafficked in fear and bigotry, and his election to our nation’s highest office has many, especially people of color, LGBTIQA people, people with disabilities, women, immigrants and Muslims feeling disrespected, unwelcome and unsafe. And while that presents so many painful questions about who we are as a nation, there should be no doubt in the minds of students of what that means about who we are as a college. We are and will remain a place where all students are welcome. We are and will remain a place focused on the common good, inclusion and equity. We are and will remain a community where all students are safe to be their whole selves. Some feel they have no place in President-elect Trump’s America. They should know they have a place here at Bowdoin. Leana E. AmáezAssociate Dean of Students for Diversity and Inclusion

Letter to the editor: Controversial art display

We live in a society where very little is sacred and every element of the human condition is on display or exploited for pure shock value. It seems that either destroying or entirely laying waste to previously taboo barriers and boundaries has become an accepted practice in today’s curriculum. This sentiment was recently on display in the most recent installment of The Bowdoin Orient, and I challenge anyone to read Nell Fitzgerald’s article, “Provocative Student Art Brings Menstrual Blood, Trump’s Face in View” and not be repulsed. I cannot fathom how offended I would be to stumble upon photographs of women’s used menstrual pads while visiting a Bowdoin College men’s bathroom. It begs the question: who validates these graphic and visually repugnant pictures as art? Presumably this was sanctioned by the Bowdoin College Visual Arts Department, so I am assuming there was both consent and possibly encouragement to pursue this project. I strongly doubt any individual who witnessed these horrifying pictures ever drew the sympathetic connections regarding “period angst” that the artist had hoped. Both this project and its presumed objective have failed miserably and has likely fostered antipathy and gall towards its intended subject rather than empathy. Repulsive and disgusting.
Michael W. McCullom ’86

Letter to the editor

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

November 11, 2016

Taking action to combat global warming/climate change is worthy. Without listing all of the reasons why divestment from fossil fuel companies sounds good, but will do nothing in pursuit of the cause, let me suggest that members of Bowdoin Climate Action (BCA) join the effort in Augusta to develop Maine state solar energy policy that really will move the needle.

Spending time and energy, so to speak, working with the Natural Resources Council of Maine and other environmental organizations to affect policy change in Augusta that has practical, immediate consequences would be far more effective in achieving BCA’s laudable goals than the one they insist on pursuing.

Richard Mersereau
Brunswick

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