Secrets were at stake on Wednesday night, as Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) deliberated over students' confidentiality and went into executive session during a discussion about Dean of Academic Affairs Cristle Collins Judd's visit last week.
Earlier this year, the Bowdoin Queer Straight Alliance declined to submit a member roster to Student Organizations Oversight Committee (SOOC) out of confidentiality concerns. The SOOC typically requires clubs to submit rosters in order to provide valid measures of group involvement.
Stephanie Witkin '07, vice president for Student Organizations and Chair of SOOC, proposed that clubs could opt to submit their rosters to the SOOC chair and/or the Director of Student Life Allen DeLong rather than the entire SOOC body if confidentiality were an issue.
Witkin maintained that SOOC needed rosters from all clubs in order to "provide names behind the numbers" and to "provide clarification and proof that actual people are in the clubs."
BSG representatives generally agreed with Witkin, adding that the idea was not radical and that it would benefit BSG to establish such a policy, which was subsequently approved by a vote of 19-1-1.
BSG also discussed its commitment to academic programming, reflecting on Judd's presentation at last week's meeting. After Alex Lamb '07 and Mike Dooley '10 raised concerns about the productivity of that meeting, BSG voted overwhelmingly in favor of an executive session barring all non-BSG members from this discussion.
When the executive session ended, the discussion of academic issues continued and many representatives said that they felt these issues merited a campus-wide forum on topics including the advisor system and the College's credit/D/fail policy.
Carolyn Chu '07, vice president for Student Affairs, first suggested open forums in order to address these issues, citing the need to advance and develop the discussion.
BSG also brainstormed how it could bring professors and students into more personal contact. Witkin raised the idea of having certain departments sponsor meals for their majors and professors, while Class of 2009 Representative Ben Freedman added that seeing professors at dinner enhanced Bowdoin's sense of community.
"It's great seeing professors in the dining halls because it shows their connectedness with Bowdoin," Freedman wrote in an email to the Orient after the meeting.
"To eat at Moulton or Thorne reveals a professor's commitment to Bowdoin and a desire to engage in the College's social fabric," he said.
BSG also addressed a funding request from the Student Affairs Committee regarding Polar Bear Nation (PBN).
Traditionally, PBN distributes T-shirts at sporting events, and over the past few years, BSG has helped fund this project. In support of the proposal, Rob Reider '07 noted that supporting PBN would be "an opportunity to do something really cool, because there's never been any organized, 'superfan' involvement" in athletics.
BSG Treasurer Rebecca Ginsberg '07 indicated, however, that sometimes PBN shirts are given to people other than Bowdoin students, which is against BSG policy, and that many students already own plenty of Bowdoin apparel and might not appreciate more.
Other students suggested that PBN pursue additional sources of funding outside of BSG, and some were concerned that PBN had previously not taken an active enough role in securing BSG funds.
Upon final vote, the motion to support PBN passed (13-7-1). Torri Parker '07 abstained from both the motion to vote and the final vote, citing her belief that discussion on the issue had not been exhausted.
Finally, Vice President of Facilities William Donahoe '08 initiated a discussion of upperclass housing and its current flaws. Donahoe explained that Bowdoin's student body keeps growing, yet upperclass housing has not expanded recently, citing last spring's housing crunch as evidence of the issue.
"I want to investigate this issue early in the year so that we're not just reacting to a problem, but have a thoughtful response before it becomes critical again at a time like the Housing Lottery," Donahoe wrote in an email to the Orient. "It's my responsibility as a student representative to pursue that concern."
Last year, BSG approved a proposal that asked the administration to consider new residential options for juniors and seniors. The vote was 21-3-1, but because the proposal was presented just before the housing lottery, its impact was limited.
This discussion ended without a vote, but many representatives agreed that it was worthwhile to place the issue at the center of discussion again.