|
Volume CXXXII, Number 17 |
 |
BSG should reprioritize
Nine hundred twenty-four voices were not heard by the Bowdoin Student Government on Tuesday night.
The BSG rejected the Bowdoin Coalition Against the War in Iraq's resolution condemning preemptive military action in Iraq on the grounds that representatives were not individually elected to their posts to represent the political views of the Bowdoin student body. Though official governmental protocol makes no mention of such an issue, there are times in the course of national or international events when such a widespread student outcry should necessitate an exception. It seems as if defining the role of the BSG was of greater importance than listening to the majority of the student body.
A referendum on the resolution is redundant-the majority opinion of the student body has been clearly expressed, and to turn the Coalition away, asking them to recollect signatures, is an insult to the Coalition, as is the questioning of the legitimacy of the signatures supporting the resolution. The demands of the BSG that the Coalition reapply their efforts in the form of an online vote indicate their insensititivity to the sense of urgency felt by their constituents.
Though the BSG does not have a history of involving themselves in politics beyond the confines of the Bowdoin campus, members were so invested in interpreting the limits of their positions that they missed the opportunity to extend their powers (and the powers of the student body) beyond the comparatively mundane issues of campus life.
One member of the BSG was criticized by many in attendance for his vocalized reluctance to approve the resolution based upon the fear that Bowdoin's official stance on Iraq would have a negative effect on graduates' ability to secure jobs. This comment represents a complete lack of ability to consider the demands of the student body, and undermines the intelligence and priorities of the resolution's signers. Though this radical suggestion reflects the opinions of only one member of the BSG, this one member is one vote, and in instances of tight votes such as last Tuesday's (14 to 1) that one vote is vital. In the case of this individual, and in the case of all members of BSG, one cannot help but wonder; how accurately did our representatives represent the opinions of the majority?
Given the aforementioned student's unfounded concern for employment opportunities, and given the BSG's intent focus upon funneling the resolution through bureaucratic channels, what should disappoint the student body is the BSG's adherence to procedure, which blinded their perception of an overwhelming display of student opinion.
There are few opportunities or reasons for colleges to take a firm stand on topics so official or grave, and the members of the BSG have failed to recognize the sense of urgency felt by their fellow students.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |