The Bowdoin Orient

What I looked  forward to most about Spring Break was a chance to experience warm weather for a while. Before the break, my memories of warmer temperatures had started to wane, and that mysterious word “sun,” which carried with it the promise of warmth and brightness, had been hollowed out by the persistence of winter.

I was certain that after thawing out in the southern part of the country, I would return to a less arctic version of Maine. Upon my return, I realized my certainty had failed me.

Over break I received puzzled stares and probably some unuttered recommendations for a stay in the psychiatric ward when I went out in 55 degree weather with nothing but a T-shirt on. I shouldn’t have expected anything less in good old North Carolina, where one powdery snowflake gently landing upon the ground signals the impending apocalypse. Nonetheless, I relished the opportunity to swing my bare arms around as I walked outside and felt much lighter without the extra layers of clothes I had become accustomed to wearing.

Shortly before returning to campus, I checked the weather in Brunswick to see how I should dress for the plane ride back. When I saw temperatures that were only a few degrees warmer than the ones I experienced before break, I was slightly taken aback. 

Several days passed following the end of break and still the air stayed chilly and the wind blew fiercely. I had adjusted to the cold weather I expected well enough, but I was quickly growing tired of the militaristic morning routine of gearing up for the day. I longed for a chance to stroll outside in conditions that were not hostile to lighter dress.

My trip home had spoiled me. It reminded me that there is indeed a life outside of Bowdoin, a life that has its own perks and advantages. I was spoiled not only by the weather, but also by two weeks of no classes. 

Luckily, however, spring is finally beginning to return, and with it re-emerges a sense of clarity from the cloudy gray skies of winter. I am starting to realize that the extended winter was nothing to despair over. Nor is the stress I feel when managing my commitments to Bowdoin and my commitments to myself.  

Situations arise and you deal with them. That is how life is lived. Whenever the first sign of stress or disheartenment creeps up in me, I think of a dialectic, which reconciles two opposing ideas by synthesizing the relationship that grounds their opposition. 

In my opinion, what transcends the opposition between calm and stress, desire and predicament, is life. 

There is peace in that, though I am aware that this yogi-ish stream of thought will freeze over next winter, leaving me again and waiting for spring to thaw it once more.

The ideal dorm room snack should be easy on the wallet, and noticeable in the belly. It should not affect good health, which is vital to college students as they juggle academic and extracurricular commitments. Given those criteria, we can see that snacks such as Ramen Noodles, Cheesy Poofs and French fries fall short of perfection. 

Fret not. There exists a food that fits these criteria of snack perfection but also tastes quite good on its own, and tastes even better when adorned with condiments. No, I am not prescribing bread as a snack option, though it may be a good one too. 

I know nothing about health and nutrition, and my advice on the matter should be taken with something a bit more than a grain of salt. Nonetheless, I have determined the perfect dorm snack to be rice cakes. Some might say it’s actually fruit or pistachios. My lack of expertise in the matter leaves me with no response.

Before overreacting, consider the rice cake. It is a simple food that aims only to satisfy. While it may appear bland, unappealing, and not as hip as other snack foods, the rice cake has the qualities of a winner. 

Just as any other snack, it comes in a variety of flavors. Rice cake flavors are often not as extreme as Blazin’ Buffalo and Cool Ranch Doritos or Vanilla Cupcake Goldfish, but they are always satisfying. 

There is something in the tameness of rice cake flavors like apple cinnamon or caramel corn that make them seem like less of a digestive burden. Even in its neutral, near flavorless form, the rice cake provides a richer snacking experience than a serving of plain tortilla chips or Saltines.

I  mentioned earlier that certain condiments can elevate the plain rice cake to grander heights. Accompanied by peanut butter, jelly, chocolate, honey, cheese, avocado, hummus or any other combination of flavor enhancing spreads, the plain rice cake is completely transformed and personalized. 

It is a blank canvas of nearly innumerable snacking possibilities. It is not restricted to dipping for flavor enhancement, as is the common chip or pretzel. The rice cake can go places many other snacks cannot. There are even tales of a rice cake pizza. That bag of Blazin’ Buffalo and Ranch Doritos is beginning to look a bit less interesting.

It would be irresponsible not to acknowledge the flaws, however minor, of the rice cake. Its chief drawback is its delicacy. That is not to say that the entire cake simply crumbles away into an inedible mass, but rather to say that if seized too violently or bitten too harshly, bits and pieces of the rice cake are easily dislodged from the whole. But we might see this as a benefit that fosters gentler, tamer and more respectable eating habits. 

Another drawback is that it is not quite as healthy as it could be. The rice cake lacks nutrients. Again, there is a positive side to this. The rice cake teaches that other foods, specifically those higher in nutritional value, should be a part of one’s diet. 

Though the rice cake is my candidate for the ideal dorm snack, it could be that there is no uniform ideal dorm snack. So come all ye Bagel Bites enthusiasts, ye Oreo fans, ye chip-and-dippers, let us raise our collective grubby fingers and salute the freedom to pursue and consume our preferred snacks. 

More than that, let us share our snacks as we would ideas.

After all, Bowdoin is a place for us to learn and grow not solely under the tutelage of professors, but also from our fellow students. It is likely that now, more than any other period in life, is the time in which we have the best opportunity to engage freely and openly with members of our community. The market for the exchange of tastes and ideas is ripe. Be sure to participate on both ends of the exchange while you can. 

Who knows—you may come to find that you are more of a conservative than you thought. You may realize that “Next Generation” is actually superior to “Enterprise.” You may discover that Yiddish folk music is the bee’s knees. 

It may be that none of those things happen, but regardless, it is worth taking advantage of the opportunity you have to learn from a talented and interesting peer group with which you share a unique bond. 

Snacks are just the tip of the iceberg. 

That time of year most taxing on the heart has arrived once more. Throughout the semester hints and signals have traveled innocently back and forth, imaginary plans have been made, possible scenarios thought out. Most people are filled with either fear of rejection or fear of having to reject someone. People have grown weary of hearing their friends complain and have lost nearly all ability to tolerate such questions as “What am I going to do about this situation?” and “Should I go for it or do you think I’d be crazy to?” That’s right, the time has come to begin planning out next year’s living situation.

Although I am not entirely sure whether planning out living arrangements for next year so early in the spring semester is common among students not applying to live in a College House, I know that I have already begun to delve into the matter. 

As a first year, I underestimated the complexity that choosing housing entails. In my mind, all that was required was to gather a group of people willing to live together. I did not consider that every person in that group would have their own, distinct preference. 

Until recently, I had not been one for exercise. I had not been one for any form of movement, really. There was little I enjoyed more than sitting around doing absolutely nothing. In fact, there is still nothing I enjoy more than doing nothing. However, I now force myself over to the Buck Center six out of seven evenings to, as the kids say, “Lift, bro.” 

To be honest, lifting is not  actually a part of my routine. I just said that because I wanted to be cool, and I should be ashamed of myself. Nonetheless, it is true that I have incorporated going to the gym into my daily routine.

Some days ago it came to me in a dream that I should get in shape. In the dream I saw someone with a wonderfully ripped torso and excellent calves standing in front of a mirror. Even in the dream I knew that person was certainly not me, but I couldn’t help wishing he was. The little green monster of envy began to get to me. 

This past Sunday, many students shared a final Family Weekend brunch in Thorne Dining Hall. It was a well-attended affair featuring smiling mothers and fathers, curious younger siblings and hustling masses searching for adequate seating. 

Underscoring this excitement were the smooth and jazzy sounds of a talented group of student musicians. The music seemed to give coherence to all the buzzing and wandering individuals trying to squeeze into the lines, refill their drinks and find their way back to their hard-earned tables. 

Jazz has always been the sort of music suited to lively environments and while Thorne is certainly no Cotton Club, I felt that nothing would have been more appropriate than to whip out a hefty cigar, light it, take a generous puff and recline while sipping every so often from my glass of (root) beer. Luckily, better judgment intervened, for there is no way I would have survived the resulting stares of parental disapproval.