<p>Bowdoin also started a fund for the family, which it makes sense they would publicize. I think in that context it makes sense for them to indicate that the collected funds will not be needed for Bowdoin fees.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that Bowdoin is a really small school. That makes a difference in a case like this.</p>
<p>With MiddKid in your name, it sure sounds like you have an agenda against Bowdoin. </p>
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<p>An agenda? You mean a course of action designed to bring about a particular result? I disagree with the way Bowdoin has gone about this one particular thing. What other actions are part of my “agenda” and what is my intended result?</p>
<p>Feel free do disagree with my point of view in this matter, but to accuse me of having an “agenda against Bowdoin” based simply on this one opinion and my user name (really?!) is insulting.</p>
<p>Edited to add:</p>
<p>I’ve made plenty of other posts praising and defending Bowdoin college, in particular in a lengthy thread in which the college was attacked for denying funding to a student group that discriminated against a certain class of students.</p>
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<p>If by that you mean that word will eventually get around anyway, I agree with you, and that’s probably unavoidable. My issue is with the college administration making official statements to the press and on social media.</p>
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<p>Any inquiries about what the college was doing could be very easily answered with a simple “out of respect for this student, we will not comment on any personal matter other than to say that the Bowdoin community stands ready to support him in any way possible. Financial matters between the college and its students are private.”</p>
<p>That statement sounds like they are doing nothing, at least NOW, and will consider helping in the future. It would most likely result in a lot of hostile commentary and speculation in social media. Why not just make a straightforward statement, and be done with it.</p>
<p>BTW, I don’t know how life insurance payouts and such figure into FA calculations, but what they are essentially saying is that he is getting a full ride from here on out, no matter what. He may or may not have been getting one before. Maybe his mother has an income also. I think it’s great that the family just doesn’t have to worry about it at all, going forward.</p>
<p>Exactly. The statement MiddKid proposes sounds like it would just raise more questions than it answers. </p>
<p>I don’t mind if people (or institutions) get credit for good things they do. It seems entirely sensible to issue a press release. Sure, they want to look good - but in this case that came from doing good. </p>
<p>Exactly. the assumption that the kid was already receiving aid may or may not be correct or that the family could not afford this going forward. I am glad the family will not have to use life insurance money to pay for college. The Yankees money also can be put to other uses. </p>
<p>I prefer to believe that this sort of news inspires other acts of compassion and kindness, and gives grieving friends/family some comfort. Can’t find a thing wrong with it. </p>
<p>Whatever the reasons for doing it might be, it is good to see both Bowdin College and the Yankee charity stepping up to help these individuals.</p>
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<p>Questions like what? How is this young man going to afford a Bowdoin education now that his father has been killed? None of your, my, or anyone else’s business. Has instant access to all sorts of information via the interwebs made everyone think that they’re entitled to know everything at any time?</p>
<p>P.S. May I have answers to the questions that I posed in post #22 about my supposed “agenda,” @Pizzagirl?</p>
<p>@pizzagirl I agree with you too</p>
<p>I don’t want to speak for PG, but since Midd. and Bowdoin are rivals, some might conclude u are bending over backwards to find something negative in this story. To me, the press release seems like an efficient way to handle the many inquiries they are no doubt getting.</p>
<p>Do we in fact know that there was a press release, as opposed to a response to a press inquiry?</p>
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<p>Oh good grief. I’m stating a negative opinion about a Bowdoin administrative action because Bowdoin and Middlebury are rivals? Really? I’m not allowed to have this opinion based solely on the fact that it’s honestly the way that I feel?</p>
<p>And the accusation against me is more than that - it’s that I have an “agenda” against Bowdoin, based on the one opinion that I expressed and my CC user name. Believe me, if I were to have an “agenda” against a school (and I don’t), it would be more likely to be against the school related to my user name, rather than Bowdoin.</p>
<p>To be clear: I have no issue with what Bowdoin has done for this student. It’s an admirable thing, and it would have been just as admirable if it wasn’t public knowledge. My negative reaction has to do with the fact that Bowdoin is making hay, to its benefit, from this tragedy.</p>
<p>I say just take it as a kind and appropriate act and move on. While a little good press never hurts, I think the overall motivation was to do the right thing for a young man who just lost his father tragically, </p>
<p>This type of thing goes on all the time – every celebrity, athlete etc. who has his/her picture taken at a hospital, volunteering somewhere, or visiting the troops is hopefully acting for the right reason – but a good publicity is rarely shunned.</p>
<p>At this point I actually don’t think that the kid or his family are thinking about much else except the fact that their husband and father will not be there for Christmas and that there is a huge hole in their world. I think the bigger issue here is to make sure that the family and son get appropriate counseling so that he even goes back to school. I have seen too many kids drop out after tragedies like this. We don’t know (and it’s not our business) if he may want to now stay home with his mother, transfer to a closer school or anything else of that sort.</p>
<p>I’ve seen a whole lot of conversations on these threads “go south”, but this one took a real wrong turn IMHO.</p>
<p>I’m not so cynical that I think Bowdoin did this for self-serving reasons. I think that the college wanted to help one of its students who is dealing with a tragedy. It’s almost as if Bowdoin can’t win in this situation. If Bowdoin did nothing, people would suggest that the school was cold and heartless. The college does something to help the kid and its shamelessly capitalizing on a tragedy to make itself look good. I’m sorry, maybe I’m naive, but I don’t believe
Bowdoin made the decision to help for such a calculated reason. </p>
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<p>Bowdoin did two different and distinct things here. The first was to reach out to this student and offer condolences, support and a pledge of whatever financial assistance my be required to remain at Bowdoin. I have no doubt that action was heartfelt and not self-serving. Bowdoin is a wonderful community (how’s that for my “agenda”?), and they rally around to protect their own. Bowdoin can do all of this without “shamelessly capitalizing on a tragedy to make itself look good.” The second thing Bowdoin did, though, was to publicize what they had done. That’s where I have a problem.</p>
<p>Is this financial support for the police officer’s son based on financial need or on the fact that it is a newsworthy death and involves a member of the police force?</p>
<p>If the former, I would hope that it would somehow be made clear that colleges will adjust aid when something tragic happens that affects any family. That this is standard procedure and any family in need after a death or illness or other misfortune, should contact the financial aid of colleges involved.</p>
<p>I f the latter, I would object to any special arrangement with the college or special fund from the college because the father was a police officer whose death made national news. In fact, most likely a police officer will have financial protections in case of death on the job that other families don’t have.</p>
<p>So, does anyone know what the basis is for this assurance of financial support? Is it need? Or sympathy? A gesture of standing by the police force in a time of protest? I think there are questions of fairness involved here.</p>
<p>If your family lost someone or suffered some health catastrophe, and you have a kid at Bowdoin, make sure to take note and ask for more money. Some people don’t, especially in the fog of shock after a sudden death.</p>