During its Wednesday meeting, Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) members expressed their concern regarding the state of the College's social scene.
Following Ladd House's Playboy Mansion-themed party held on Saturday, October 4, BSG began an internal discussion about gender roles and sexuality on campus. During last week's meeting, the organization discussed the state of activism on campus as well as perceptions of relationships. On Wednesday, BSG continued the discussion of Bowdoin's social scene, and members put forward a range of questions and opinions surrounding the issue.
President Sophia Seifert '09 said that BSG is "trying to foster a frank discussion about how we can craft a healthy, positive environment for all Bowdoin students."
Seifert kicked off the conversation by asking representatives to propose issues that could spark a wider debate. During the evening, topics suggested included heteronormativity at Bowdoin and politically correct discourse surrounding the issue of sexual orientation, the perception of women on campus, and the implications of maintaining such a close-knit residential college community. BSG plans to use these topics in the future for a larger public discussion.
Members then moved on to discuss what the most effective venue for campus-wide discussions of gender and sexuality issues would be. Representative Justin Foster '11 suggested that BSG collaborate with Residential Life, which has already begun planning its response to social developments on campus. Seifert spoke in support of co-sponsorship with Residential Life, and BSG members spoke about discussion outlets such as a series of opinion pieces, increased action by groups such as Bowdoin Men Against Sexual Violence (BMASV), or a live discussion. However, the organization made no decision on Wednesday to pursue a particular solution.
Representative Ian Yaffe '09 said that BSG's conversations about the Ladd House party should have taken place sooner and that BSG does not always get campus-wide discussion started quickly enough.
"We're not able to get that done in a way that captures the momentum of the event," Yaffe told the Orient. "[Wednesday's] conversation needed to happen a while ago."
Other notable items from this week's meeting include the conclusion of first-year elections, which saw a 71 percent turnout. Class of 2012 President Sage Santangelo, along with Vice President Christopher Omachi, Treasurer Emma Nathaniel, and BSG Representatives Branden Asemah and Jack Hilzinger will comprise the Class of 2012's Class Council.
Additionally, BSG looks forward to facilitating an open dialogue about student's perceptions of the Dudley Coe Health Center. Next week, the Judicial Board and Sexual Assault Board will deliver their annual reports to BSG.
This article was corrected on October 18, 2008.