The Bates Student Archives and Special Collections
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Bates College SCARAB The Bates Student Archives and Special Collections 2-5-2020 The Bates Student - volume 150 number 07 - February 5, 2020 Bates College Follow this and additional works at: https://scarab.bates.edu/bates_student Vol. 150, Issue 7 February 5, 2020 Christina Perrone, Editor-in-Chief the Bates Student est. 1873 Recent elect, Safiya Khalid, won a historic victory in Lewiston City Council CHRISTINA PERRONE/THE BATES STUDENT Councilwoman Khalid Shares Goals for Lewiston Khadeeja Qureshi, Contributing Writer This to the Lewiston City Council, Sixteen years ago, a seven occasional visits that Khalid’s Gateway.” and on Jan. 6, she became the first year old Somali girl arrived in a family received from the elderly She also suggested that the Somali and first Muslim to serve congested terminal of JFK airport woman who brought them food Environmental Coalition become Issue in an elected official position in alongside her mother and her two every now and then, they re- involved with her upcoming Lewiston. She has since become younger brothers; with no knowl- mained completely isolated from “Own a Street” youth project de- a national symbol of the growing LAND edge of what the signs above the rest of the world and had even signed to clean up streets, plant inclusivity and representation in ACKNOWLEDGEMENT read, no familiar faces to find sol- lost touch with their friends and flowers, and promote recycling. American local politics. When PAGE II ace in, and no way to ask for help family in Somalia. Many of the immigrants that running for city council, Khalid from passersby. This young girl One day, Khalid’s mother I’ve interacted in Lewiston will Metzger ’22 writes learned to embody the same per- was Safiya Khalid. decided to leave their apartment blame themselves for their in- about the problems severant spirit that she saw from Her family escaped war- and stand at the sidewalk right ability to learn English and for with having a land her mother as a little girl. Despite devastated Somalia as refugees outside their building. From the their isolation from the rest of acknowledgement the Islamophobic and racist com- four years prior, and stayed in a window of the first floor, Khalid society. In reality, it is the lack specific to Bates. ments posted and shared online refugee camp in Kenya for three and her brother watched as their of resources and attention for from people across the nation, years, until they were eventually mother greeted every stranger their needs that is to blame. As Khalid continued to knock on sponsored to travel to the Unit- that walked by her with “Aslamu- an institution that prides itself on doors in her community. ed States where they expected alaikum” (Peace be upon you). being an active member of the Her motivation was the peo- to smoothly settle in to a new She was ignored, pushed Lewiston/Auburn community, ple of Lewiston: “As a counselor place they could call home. But around by big men, and insult- Bates should be held responsible and as a resident, I’m always try- upon landing in America, Khalid ed, but she did not let this deter for providing some of these re- ing to build relations across the recalls being immediately con- her. The next day she returned sources. board, whether it be with busi- fronted by frightening struggles. to the sidewalk and again said According to Khalid, one of ness owners...whether it be with LEAD + ASBESTOS? Her family’s case manager had “Aslamualaikum” to those who her frustrations: “Okay, one thing students. We need to understand PAGE III forgotten to pick them up from passed by. about Bates is that I would really and we need to communicate McLarnon ’20 inves- the airport, forcing them to navi- Khalid and her brother feared love for them to open up their with one another and that’s some- tigates safety of Frye gate American life all by them- for their mother’s safety but day soccer field to the youth...and thing that we are missing. We’re Street Houses selves. after day and week after week they don’t. They get kicked out not understanding each other, As the airport began emp- she continued to greet people the all the time...and it’s very, very right? And if we don’t understand tying out and the last of people only way she knew how. One day, disappointing. Parents… who each other, then there’s fear and left with cab drivers or family a man finally replied with “Wa- have fled war and violence in WOMEN IN THE DRAFT there’s prejudice.” members, Khalid witnessed her laykum Asalam”(And upon you their home countries...are deal- PAGE IV As I conversed with Khalid, mother finally break down into be peace). ing with so much trauma and bal- Raboy ’23 gives input on I reflected on how Bates students tears. It was in this moment that Through a window, Kha- ancing so many obstacles in life whether or not women sometimes fail to understand the a security guard noticed Khalid’s lid saw her mother cry and kiss that they cannot go out of their should be in the draft community around them and in- mother and knelt down in front a stranger as the stranger em- way and register their child to stead frequently dismiss it as the of them with a tissue box in her braced her mother. When the play soccer on the field. What if “Dirty Lew.” hand. man was brought inside, Khalid we [open the field to the public] I asked Khalid how we could With no way to communi- and her brothers also hugged him once a week?” CORONAVIRUS be more committed to our greater cate and explain her situation, and cried for the warmth of his Khalid’s vision for Lewiston PAGE VII community and she responded, Khalid’s mother pointed towards companionship. The next day he centers on youth development “We need to figure out a way to Nabritt ’21PAGE provides IX her UN documents. After looking brought a Somali family with him through social/civic engagement get more [Bates] students into updates on Wuhan through these papers, the security who helped resettle Khalid’s fam- and we can become an integral Blakslee ‘20 reviews a the community [through] volun- coronavirus guard eventually found a number ily in Lewiston, Maine, where part of this mission. It’s time for suprisingly comedic teering or [through] other ways. to call and an old woman arrived they finally found a Somali Mus- Bates to take a stand of solidarity play. One thing I’m currently doing is to drive Khalid’s family to a small lim community that welcomed with its new councilwoman and working with Ellen Alcorn at the apartment in Elizabeth, N.J. and supported them for years to to practice real inclusivity of our Harward Center to create a home- It was a relief to finally have come. Somali neighbors. a place to stay, but apart from the Khalid was recently elected work help center at our office at BILLY TAKES ALL Unexpected Hedge Closure Disrupts Campus Life PAGE IX Crockett ’23 addresses Vanessa Paolella, Managing Editor pop singer Billy Eilish’s An isolated sprinkler mal- The reason for the sprinkler controversial wins at function in the basement of malfunction was simple; the de- 2020 Grammys Hedge Hall resulted in the clo- vice responsible for opening and sure of the academic building closing a louvre, similar to a vent, for ten days, beginning Jan. 19. to the outside broke, causing a WOMEN’S Professors, events and classes nearby sprinkler head to freeze BASKETBALL were displaced while the water with the inflow of frigid tempera- PAGE XI damage was assessed and repairs tures. When the weather warmed, were made. the damaged sprinkler thawed Carlson ’20 covers Bates This incident occurred the and released water into the elec- Women’s Basketball’s day before the MLK observance trical room. recent 96-55 win against at Bates. Events scheduled to The water damage did not Tufts University occur in Hedge were quickly as- spread far; Hedge’s computer lab signed to other locations on cam- and all offices remained undam- pus. Professors located in Hedge aged. Despite the water exposure WINTER CARNIVAL were unable to occupy their offic- to the electrical workings within PAGE XII es for the duration of the repairs, Hedge, there were no power out- and classes were rescheduled by Fischer ’23 discusses ages. the making of this the registrar to take place in dif- “This was very fortunate ferent classrooms. year’s Winter Carnival since the winter temps would festivities In many other situations, the have presented further problems discharge of a single sprinkler if power had been cut off to the would not elicit this level of con- building, with the potential for cern. However, because the sprin- pipes to freeze and create larger kler went off in Hedge’s electrical problems,” Jay Phillips, Director room, numerous actions, in addi- of Facility Services Operations, tion to the basic repairs, needed to occur to assess the status of the HEDGE CONTINUED ON PAGE III Hedge Hall was closed for ten days due to mechanical malfunction circuit breakers. JAMES MACDONALD/THE BATES STUDENT Madeline Polkinghorn, Managing Editor NEWS Georgina Scoville, Assistant Editor Headquarters of historic Bates Outing Club located on the side of Chase Hall MAC GAITHER/THE BATES STUDENT Does Bates Deserve a Land Acknowledgement? Amanda Metzger, Contributing Writer At Bates, there is a question Hall says that while having we already know that.” meaningless.” tionalized efforts toward rela- about the efficacy and ethical- a land acknowledgement may be This is part of what makes a Barnett also explained the tionship building between Bates ity of including a land acknowl- an important first step for Bates, Bates land acknowledgement so problem with Bates not having and local tribes to determine how edgement at events and to open it does not come anywhere near problematic for Barnett.