Volume CXXXII, Number 9 November 15, 2002 f

A paperless Bowdoin?

Paperless Society

In a world of environmental concern and economic crisis we have become increasingly attentive to curbing all types of waste. Currently Sustainable Bowdoin is sponsoring a "lights out" campaign to reward the social house or dorm with the lowest energy use. Dining Services provides us with staggering statistics about the use of paper coffee cups and begs us to bring our own mugs.

In the wake of the popular sentiments the Office of Student Records did not print copies of the spring semester course offerings for distribution. Courses have, for some time now, been listed through the student records website, this semester the website is the only strategic way to plan classes. To print and distribute these packets to the entire student body certainly must cost the College a healthy amount of money, surely we can appreciate the tree and dollar saving sentiment.

This experiment, however, proved to be a major source of confusion and inconvenience for the students. There are numerous publications that take a direct route from the S.U. boxes to the high grade paper bin, the booklet of course offerings was not one of these publications.

Information concerning course registration practices and dates was distributed to the student body via email. In a perfect world we would all read the student digest every day. Logistically, there is a no reason that this new method should not work, however practicality and convenience were sacrificed in the name of conservation. Here's to the probability of seeing the highest rate of late registration in Bowdoin history.