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Volume CXXXII, Number 14 |
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Food, religious apathy stand out at Bowdoin
TODD JOHNSTON
STAFF WRITER
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| The Chapel might be under construction, but according to The Princeton Review's most recent survey, few Bowdoin students will be found there on Sundays. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient) |
According to the latest numbers from The Princeton Review, an annual publication highlighting the best and worst of U.S. higher education, Bowdoin College has been rated in the top 20 in two very different categories: food and religious apathy.
Bowdoin was ranked fifth for "Great Food," which did not raise many eyebrows among students. A couple of years ago the dining halls' food was rated as high as second.
In general, though, students are fairly positive about the food. Kency Theork '04 said, "I don't think it's that bad."
Chris Johnson'04 thought it was "good, but expensive at $9.00 per meal."
It was not the dining halls, but the religious category that drew more student attention. According to The Princeton Review's book, The Best 345 Colleges (2003 edition), Bowdoin was ranked fourteenth in the category of religious apathy.
To some members of the Bowdoin Christian Fellowship (BCF), religion on campus is an issue that many students are apathetic about confronting. Abby Robarts '03 said that on any issue, whether it is religion or politics, students in general tend to be "not active about anything."
Claire Black '03 said that Bowdoin students are too wrapped up in their everyday lives of schoolwork and activities to think about God. They "ignore God because it's easy to."
Ed Butler '03, the head of The Bowdoin College Atheists, said that a reason for the ranking is a lack of dialogue about religion on campus. "Religion is difficult to talk about without offending everyone."
Many students questioned the way in which the data was tabulated, especially concerning the question of religion. In fact, when many students were asked for their opinion about the survey more of the time was spent discussing the flaws of such a question, rather than an answer ing it. Many felt that to ask students if they are "religious" is one thing, but asking them if they are "spiritual" may be another, thus providing skewed data. The actual question posed by Princeton Review in its survey was: "Are students very religious?"
According to the editor of The Best 345 Colleges (2003 edition), Erik Olson, the data from the two categories that Bowdoin ranks high in are entirely student-based. Every three years, The Princeton Review tries to gather the opinions of students on their respective colleges and universities. Either through a survey or a campus wide email, The Princeton Review gathers various data, ranging from which college or university that has the students that study the most to which students party the most.
It is all in the attempt of providing prospective students with a clearer and more accurate picture of specific colleges and universities.
Olson argues that the information provided is an accurate portrayal of student's views. He says that Bowdoin provided between 250-300 responses for the current data for the 2001-2002 academic year, between 200 and 300 responses are average for a school of Bowdoin's size.
The survey consists of 73 questions with five possible answers. For the questions on food and religion, the possible answers range from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Olson says that for Bowdoin to be ranked in the top twenty in either of these categories, there had to be a "high degree of consensus." In other words, most students answered, "strongly agree" in the food category, while most responded with a "strongly disagree" for the question of religion.
Chris Johnson '04 agrees with the results, but says the survey does not provide an accurate representation of religious life on campus. He thinks that Bowdoin is "not a very religious atmosphere…but Bowdoin religious groups are visible enough."
Brendan Kelly '03, a member of BCF, said the results are "fairly accurate," but also said that it is "ironic because of Bowdoin's religious beginnings [considering] how it has become so secularized."
Erik Olson extends the opportunity for Bowdoin students to comment on the results of The Princeton Review's survey at www.survey.review.com.
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