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Volume CXXXI, Number 22 |
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Get rid of Polar Points
ALEX KOPPEL
Three weeks ago, Maine Street Pizza opened its doors right across the street from Bowdoin College. This exactly the kind of pizza shop the Bowdoin community needs. The pizza is great and the service is friendly, and it's within walking distance for even the laziest college students. It is open for lunch and dinner, and on the weekends for a post-midnight snack to sop up all the nasty beer that most of us consume. But if Bowdoin students don't start to patronize Maine Street Pizza, it may soon be forced to close.
How can a pizza shop that is right across the street from 1,600 college students go out of business?
Enter Polar Points. They already have us covered at Jack Magee's Pub, the Café, and the Convenience Store. They also give students little incentive to explore the world around the Bowdoin bubble or to spend money on local businesses. Why buy it elsewhere when you have already paid for it here?
Polar Points also cover Domino's Pizza, another unfortunate situation. By supporting Dominos, the Bowdoin community favors a national chain over local businesses. This is a sad situation for a few reasons. First, Domino's isn't high quality pizza. Second, Dominos wouldn't miss us if we discontinued patronage, while a local business like Maine Street Pizza needs us. Lastly, Domino's delivers, reinforcing the marked isolation of the Bowdoin bubble.
Bowdoin should end the Polar Points system. It encourages students to
stay on campus and neglect local businesses. This isolation is harmful
to both the town (economically) and the students. We would enjoy our college
experiences more if we got off campus and enjoyed the town more often.