BLD, a new College publication that aims to provide a non-ideological forum for student discussion, was distributed for the first time last Thursday.
"We thought it was a good idea to have an outlet for things to get discussed that happen on campus," co-Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Hurst '98 said. "We didn't want to have a political paper because those are on campus already."
The publication will be produced three times a term, co-Editor-in-Chief Kevin Walsh '98 said.
Walsh said the publication, whose name stands for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, began as a group of friends who met for all three meals.
"The BLD is just a bunch of friends," Walsh said. "We realized we had some common interests and thought we could add something to Dartmouth by becoming College-recognized and making a publication that would draw on the best Dartmouth has to offer."
The group conceived of the idea for the publication two months ago when members of the group were eating lunch, Hurst said.
"Someone joked that we should try to get College recognized," he said. "Kevin joked that we could even put out a publication."
"It went from a half-serious suggestion to reality," Hurst continued.
Walsh said he thinks BLD fills a void in the College's pool of publications.
"Every publication besides The Dartmouth, which is just news, has an ideology," Walsh said. "I think people get the sense that their opinions may not fit neatly into some compartmentalized framework. We wanted to create something that was open to everyone."
The first issue includes a profile of Sea Lonergan '97, essays on topics ranging from affirmative action to hell and reviews of books and movies.
Advertising and a $275 grant from the Committee on Student Organizations provided the funds to produce the first issue, Hurst said. Future publications will depend only on advertising to counterbalance production costs, he said.
Walsh said he was pleased with the first issue.
"I was really excited to see the first issue," he said. "Seeing people reading and enjoying the paper was very satisfying for all of us."
While members of BLD are currently working on the second issue, which will focus on affinity housing, Hurst said the group has yet to decide about the long-term future of their publication.
"We are not sure if we are going to expand the BLD into something bigger or if it will remain just the people who are currently involved," he said.
