Some random musings on things at Bowdoin that just don't make much sense to me:
The hard liquor policy
Explain this to me?why is it that the College basically looks the other way while underage kids can drink as much beer as they want, but it's a serious offense for someone of legal drinking age to have a glass of whiskey? There are several inherent problems with this policy. One, it does nothing to control the level of drunkenness that people achieve, which I believe was the intended purpose. Look around the floor after any social house party, and mixed in among the crushed cups and spillage, you can see just how drunk people can get off of beer. Secondly, it doesn't mean that there is no hard liquor on campus. It just makes it hidden, meaning instead of enjoying a nice drink people end up slamming down shots in secret before heading out. Which brings me to the major flaw in this policy?Bowdoin students never learn the true value of liquor. I have frightening images of Bowdoin grads at their first business dinner, ordering a Natty Light as an aperitif because they have no idea how to order a good scotch. Ordering and enjoying a fine drink are skills that Bowdoin should be teaching its students of legal age, not condemning them for.
Credit/Fail/D Courses
What was wrong with the old system of simple Pass/Fail classes? In my mind, there are two main reasons someone would take a class Pass/Fail?if it is a required course that the student knows he is not going to do particularly well in, or if it is a subject the student has an interest in but has never experienced before. The point of taking these classes Pass/Fail is so that said student can concentrate his efforts on his other courses that mean more to him (i.e. courses within his major). That being said, the change to having these courses "Credit/Fail/D" means that students have to put in that much more work in these classes to avoid getting a D at the end. For the student taking a required class, this simply adds to the stress level, as he has to do more work in this class in addition to other work. More of a problem is the second scenario?students may avoid taking subjects they have no experience in, fearing that if they end up not being strong in that subject, they will have to put in a lot of work to avoid getting a D. A liberal arts education should encourage students to try as many subjects as they can, without overly worrying about grades.
If the concern is that students won't take classes seriously, then make it harder to pass classes. It is fairly obvious which students are interested in a subject but are not making it their priority and which students just don't care at all. The students in the former group are the ones for whom the pass/fail system is designed?the students in the second group should fail the class.
The Great American Smokeout
I am sure you have all noticed the posters spread all over campus about the Great American Smokeout at Bowdoin this past Thursday. Honestly, what's the point in even having this here?so the 10 of us on campus who smoke feel even more like outcasts than usual? Again, I find it very strange that the College looks the other way while underage kids can drink as much as they want, but heaven forbid someone wants to enjoy the legal activity of smoking a cigarette in their room. I can't even count the number of times I have gotten dirty looks from people at parties?people who are obviously intoxicated and acting like fools?simply for enjoying a fine bit of tobacco outside. To quote the late, immortal Bill Hicks: "You non-smokers are obnoxious, self-righteous, whining little f**ks. My biggest fear is that if I quit smoking, I'll become one of you". Truer words were never spoken.