The Bowdoin Orient

Oliver Van Zant '13 is having one of the most dominating seasons ever for a Bowdoin pitcher. His statistics speak for themselves: 1.75 ERA, a 5-1 record and a .164 batting average against.

In the winter of 1999, a second grade girl was dribbling down the court at the local rec center. Her small hands had trouble handling the ball, but she made her way across halfcourt nonetheless. Fast forward 13 years. Jill Henrikson '12 was driving hard to the basket, her sneakers burning into the floor of Morrell Gymnasium. Just as the swarms of red-jersey defenders closed in around her, she put the ball up with the lightest touch.

Robert Friedland is a man addicted to risk and profit. His life has taken him from a first year classroom at Bowdoin, to a cell in federal prison, to a commune with Steve Jobs, to a gold mine in Guyana, to the Forbes list of billionaires. This career trajectory may be unorthodox, but his desire to accrue wealth is undeniable. In whatever endeavor he chooses, Friedland has repeatedly shown that he is not afraid to seize opportunity, no matter how hazardous.

When the Bowdoin community welcomes Brian Burke, the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, to campus today as part of the "Anything But Straight in Athletics" (ABSA) series, attendees will acknowledge one of the most dynamic personalities in the National Hockey League, but also one of the most powerful agents of change in fighting homophobia in athletics. As a representative of the notoriously macho culture of professional hockey, Burke seems an unlikely gay advocate, but his tenacity in confronting homophobia in the sport has been unrivaled.

Information Technology (IT) is poised to make the final selection of the software system that will replace Bearings in the coming weeks. According to IT's Director of Project Development Abbie Brown, next week a group of faculty and staff from the Registrar's Office and IT will sit down to decide on the best software system for Bowdoin. This group will then submit a recommendation to head administrators such as President Barry Mills and Chief Information Officer Mitch Davis for a final decision.

Yesterday, Apple's iPhone debuted on the Verizon network, spurring a new demand for the phone that has made the gadget all the more ubiquitous. As the iPhone's popularity rises, so does the demand for "apps"; there seems to be an app for everything, whether it be one that offers instructions for Korean cooking or another that can whistle certain frequencies at dogs to help train them. Now, due to the efforts of Noah Isaacson '11, there is an app for helping cut window mattes for presenting photographs or other artwork.

Ladd is unique among the College Houses for its state-of-the-art culinary facility. While some of the other seven college houses have well-endowed kitchens, Ladd's is a notch above the rest.

Although the Room Inspection Condition Contract (RICC) is one of the first greetings students receive upon arriving at the College, many have yet to submit their evaluation. The pink flyers advertising the RICC instruct students to briefly describe the condition of their room so that any damages can be attributed to the responsible party.

In elementary school, Elsa Millett '12 prided herself on being able to outrun any of the boys in her class. Then, in fifth grade, the boys started to catch up to her.

Carolyn Gorajek '13 has been a boost of energy to the women's lacrosse team all year. She was never more helpful than in a critical NESCAC faceoff against Williams last Saturday.

Kara Nilan '11 had quite an introduction to collegiate softball pitching. As a first year in her first start, she received a line drive directly to her head, suffering a traumatic brain injury that affected her memory and left her with constant pain and nausea.

There is home-field advantage, home -court advantage, home-ice advantage, but what about home-water advantage? For the Bowdoin Sailing Team, it seems to be a legitimate phenomenon. Last weekend at Bethel Point, Maine, the Polar Bears breezed to victory in the New England Dinghy Tournament.

With runners on second and third, two outs and a 2-2 count, Bowdoin pitcher Oliver Van Zant '13 stood on the mound knowing that his next pitch would be the most important of the game. It was the top of the seventh inning last Saturday and Bowdoin held a 4-1 lead over powerhouse Trinity College.

Junior hockey player Kyle Shearer-Hardy's accolades speak for themselves: 2009-10 First Team All-American, NESCAC 2009-10 assists leader, 2008-9 All NESCAC Second Team, and 64 career points.

Only halfway through his Bowdoin career, Mac Routh '12 has already established a swimming legacy. He holds three individual and four team records for Bowdoin, making him the most decorated Polar Bear in the pool.

Heading into overtime against Tufts last Saturday, the women's basketball team was under immense pressure. Not just because it was overtime, or the NESCAC quarterfinals, or potentially the last game of the season.

Brendan Reich '11 remembers the moment well: it was January 18, 2009, and Bowdoin men's hockey was playing its first game ever in the brand new Sidney J. Watson Arena. The team completed a commanding win against Williams in front of a packed house. The crowd made Reich realize the extent of the support the team had at Bowdoin, a school rich with hockey tradition.

Kyle Hebert ' 10 waived his arm in a circle, not to stretch before a track meet, but to direct the motorcade of presidential candidate Barack Obama. Hebert was attending a corporate endorsement rally during Obama's campaign when he was asked by a Secret Service agent to help protect the then presidential candidate.

For many, snow is an obstruction. It impedes walkers, blocks runways, and sends cars skidding. But for Nordic skier Hannah Wright '13, it only makes her go faster.

Jumping up and down, dressed in sweatpants, a sweatshirt and a ski parka, Nathan Mecray '12 might look more like an ice fisherman trying to keep warm than a swimmer preparing for a race. While his bulky winter jacket looks out of place next to a pool of swimmers in skintight suits, Mecray attests that it keeps him warm and loose before a race.

Dominique Lozzi '12 has been here before. The Bowdoin forward finds herself again leading the women's hockey team in goals, and getting NESCAC recognition for it.

What do a hard work ethic, a competitive spirit and a Bowdoin record in the 50-yard breaststroke have in common? They all belong to swimmer Caitlin Callahan '11.

It was a dramatic ending to a great season. Last night, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Bowdoin fell 6-5 in penalty kicks to SUNY Plattsburgh. The quick exit was not unfamiliar to the Polar Bears. Bowdoin's last appearance in the tournament was in 2003, when the team lost to Wheaton 9-8 in a nearly identical penalty kick duel.

Good would be an understatement, average a misnomer, and ineffective a lie. Invaluable is the word of choice to describe the play of goalie Dan Hicks '11 versus Trinity (Conn.) last Saturday. Named the NESCAC Player of the Week, Hicks helped lead Bowdoin to a thrilling 2-0 win against the Bantams.

Dan Hicks '11 had a shutout. Eddie Jones '12 scored two goals. Tim Prior '11 and Nick Powell '12 had assists. And the men's soccer team had a decisive victory and an overtime loss. All was normal for the Polar Bears last weekend. The Polar Bears dropped a hard-fought match 3-2 against Williams on Saturday, but rebounded with a strong 3-0 win against Babson on Sunday.

The past two weeks have been a mixed bag for men's soccer. The Polar Bears went 2-1-1 over that stretch, improving to 7-2-1 (3-2-1) for the year. Last week the team routed Colby-Sawyer 4-0 and drew 0-0 against Wesleyan. The week before, it blanked Husson 6-0 and lost to Connecticut College 1-0.

In its season premiere on Saturday, the men's soccer team faced the No. 3 team in the nation, the Amherst Lord Jeffs. Bowdoin fought ardently but ultimately fell 2-0. By halftime, solid defense on both sides had held the game tied, neither team having scored a goal. Then, in the 67th minute, Amherst drew first blood. After coming off of the bench, rookie Spencer Noon blasted a volley past the right side of a diving Dan Hicks '11.