Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) will urge the College to create a committee that would consider responses to humanitarian issues around the world, the body decided Wednesday.
Despite previous skepticism by some members of the body, the proposal calling for the Community Response Committee was approved unanimously.
Vice President of Student Government Affairs Dustin Brooks '08 opened the discussion on the creation of the committee by saying that the proposal had been revised based on the comments made during last week's meeting, when the proposal was tabled by a 12-7 vote. At the time, many members said they felt that the wording of the proposal was questionable and did not feel comfortable committing to the document.
Most students felt the new proposal was significantly improved. Vice President of Student Affairs Carolyn Chu '07 stated that it was "excellent," while others praised its clarity.
At-Large Representative Kata Solow '10 pointed to a number of other schools similar to Bowdoin that have similar committees, adding that these committees enhanced student activism.
The idea of matching the efforts of these schools provoked many members to speak in favor of the proposed committee.
Treasurer Rebecca Ginsberg '07, who had staunchly opposed the proposal last week, continued to raise questions regarding its necessity. She said she felt like it would be "a committee for the sake of having a committee," and that organizing a balanced committee would be difficult.
Ginsberg motioned to extend discussion after allotted time had expired, but despite her initial disapproval, she ended up voting in favor of the revised proposal, as did the rest of the body.
Ginsberg explained her change of mind in an e-mail.
"After listening to my fellow BSG members and discovering what the trend is among other schools concerning similar committees, I was convinced that my fellow students and faculty members would only hear true humanitarian crises," she wrote.
"That being said, I think it is important that the members be made up of a group of very objective individuals from a variety of backgrounds. I was impressed with the clarity of the presentation and discussion and, thus, sincerely hope its intended purpose is maintained," she added.
Unanimous approval of the proposal will lead to further discussion and development of the committee, according to President DeRay Mckesson '07, with the goal of "engaging the faculty and other student leaders in this discussion." He said he hopes to send a letter to President Barry Mills by Monday.
Once developed, the committee would, according to the official BSG resolution, "structure the College's response to clear humanitarian crises," and "would respond to concerns submitted to it by members of the college community and recommend possible actions to the president."
The document continues that these "actions could include, but would not be limited to, reallocating college resources, education initiatives and public awareness activities."
Prior to the debate over the committee, Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster and Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs Margaret Hazlett opened the meeting by explaining the issues surrounding use of Boody-Johnson House, which currently houses a variety of multicultural and faith organizations, such as the Asian Students Association and Hillel.
Earlier this fall, the College announced it would relocate these groups to 30 College St.
"Space on this campus is always a challenging issue," Foster said, adding that Johnson House involves the particular issue of preserving the building's historic quality.
"Our ability to modify that space is constrained," he said. "We're a little bit hand-tied."
Foster expressed a desire to relocate the student groups to 30 College St. in order to "create a life in the middle of the campus that we don't have now," adding that it would be easier to renovate 30 College St. than Johnson House.
Hazlett also felt strongly about the need for a central location for these groups, adding that maintaining the welcoming environment of Johnson House is equally important.
"Johnson House is a place where you can come in, take your shoes off, and feel like you're at home," she said.
Hazlett and deans Wil Smith and Stacey Jones have been discussing the situation with members of the multicultural groups.
"The point of those meetings was to notify the groups of the decision to have Johnson-Boody House move to academic affairs and to begin to brainstorm on a new multicultural space for Bowdoin," Hazlett stated in an e-mail to the Orient.
Hazlett has also sent a draft of a proposal regarding relocation to these groups.
"Once I hear back from students, I will...spend January break working with Facilities Management to find out what might be possible in 30 College St.," she said.
"This is a student space, so I want students to be front and center on the planning process."
While Foster briefly questioned the "mixed success" that Johnson House has afforded the organizations, Hillel Religious Chair Shelley Barron '09 spoke on behalf of Hillel regarding that group's connection to Johnson.
"We are excited to hear about the new ideas, but we really want to urge deans to consider how vital Johnson has been to our success," she stated.
"Hillel needs much more than an office and a common room to function," she added.
In an e-mail, Barron added that Hillel members "have used and continue to use every aspect of the space in Johnson."
"We understand that there is a housing crunch for academia on this campus, but 30 College St. really is not a comparable option to Johnson," she said. "In the past several years we have seen our membership increase exponentially, and in no small part is that success due to Johnson House."
Foster also indicated a variety of other campus changes that will complicate the decision regarding Johnson House. Adams Hall, which is to become the new home for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, will be undergoing an extensive renovation.
Foster suggested that Johnson House could serve as "swing space" for those offices displaced during the construction.