The Bowdoin Orient

After four years at the College, Organic Garden manager Katherine Creswell is headed off to start her own farm in Oregon. During her tenure at Bowdoin, Creswell has helped the garden grow physically as well as in its importance to the College.

The Climate Days events of this past week and the "We're committed. Are you?" banners featuring a green "B" in the word Bowdoin are intended to showcase the College's commitment to "educating our community and promoting sustainability on campus." Over the course of the week those students who attended the events learned about important, contemporary, environmental issues like the importance of eating local foods, the environmental work which is happening at the College, the availability of green jobs and...how to tie-dye and make organic granola.

The early-morning lines that form outside of the the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program's (MCHPP) food pantry in Brunswick an hour and a half before it opens are longer than ever. When the doors open, the clients (as the food pantry staff respectfully refer to the patrons) file in and wait for a consultation that determines whether or not they are eligible for the free provisions. The clients are split between heads of families and individuals, but many are unemployed or have recently been laid off. The food pantry almost always accepts everyone, and rarely are clients turned away because their income is too high.

What do goldfish and 21-year-old male Bowdoin students have in common? They both exhibit sexual and aggressive behaviors, traits that make them ideal subjects for Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Rick Thompson's research. That sex and aggression are "fundamental behaviors in pretty much every species" is fascinating to Thompson, who seeks to understand the relationship between those behaviors and what their role in the brain is. For Thompson, understanding the "complex and powerful" brain mechanisms that cause animals to act in certain ways is "the most interesting thing."

Bowdoin students studying abroad are seeking shorter stays, are mostly female, and are increasingly interested in unconventional programs—all trends that are reflected on a national level.

Elders DeGomez and Gammell stand out from the other patrons of the Brunswick Public Library. Dressed in nearly identical black pants, collared shirts, and plain ties, the two young men sit politely on a bench while the more casually-dressed duck into the library to hide from the rain. Their nametags confirm that they are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon church. Both are from "away," Arizona and Utah respectively, and are making a stop in Brunswick on their two-year mission.

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has approved Bowdoin's application to acquire 175 developable acres of land at no cost from the Brunswick Naval Air Station (NASB) when the base closes in 2011. With formal support from both town officials and the DOE, the College now awaits final approval from the U.S. Navy, a process that could take three to four years.

The College began a search for a new director of health services this week, one of the first steps towards a new system of health care at Dudley Coe Health Center.

Dinesh D'Souza, former senior policy analyst during the Reagan administration, addressed terrorism and the war in Iraq in a lecture Wednesday titled "America and Its Enemies."

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder spoke at Common Hour about his book "Mountains Beyond Mountains," describing the work as "a shameless effort to promote a vision I felt to be true."

Bowdoin's new e-mail system is packed with features. Microsoft Outlook/Entourage includes a scheduling system, a pre-loaded college directory, and a calendar of campus events. There's only one problem: Many students either don't want to use them, or they don't know how. Ted Power '07 said that the new e-mail system did not seem to be designed for students.

Recent efforts to raise awareness about the human rights crisis in Darfur have taken many forms, ranging from divestment to film screenings. Students have succeeded in persuading President Barry Mills and the Board of Trustees to agree not to invest in companies with business interests in Darfur. In addition, the Darfur Coalition organized Darfur Week, a campus-wide educational and fundraising campaign.

After this week, Bowdoin students will no longer be able to claim ignorance about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. By stuffing mailboxes, putting up posters, and sponsoring lectures and documentaries, the Darfur Coalition is making sure students are informed about the genocide.

Storm water run-off attributed to the heavy rains this fall has caused flooding at various locations on campus, and has prompted Facilities Management to hire an independent consultant to redesign storm water management systems in flood-prone areas.

The Orient found 100 students at locations around campus who said they did not vote. In order to gather as many responses as possible and to encourage candor, the Orient granted students anonymity.

Around 9 p.m. on Saturday, Ian Yaffe '09 received a call from the Sagadahoc County Communications Center (SCCC), an emergency response center used primarily by fire and police departments. The dispatcher told him that Randy Nichols, director of Bowdoin safety and security, was on the line, though according to Yaffe, the dispatcher was skeptical.

Dean for Academic Affairs Cristle Collins Judd told Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) that her office is currently "invisible" to the student body. She wants to reverse that trend.

With approximately half of the student body playing a varsity sport, the three Bowdoin athletic trainers and two interns working out of five different locations on campus often have their hands full. According to Director of Athletic Training Dan Davies, the trainers needed more help.

Bowdoin students now have reason to think twice before parking in the admissions lot when they're running late for class. Following the recommendations of a private parking consultant, Bowdoin Security is cracking down on parking enforcement this year to help alleviate the parking situation.