The Bowdoin Orient

Five hundred twenty admitted students have accepted spots in the Class of 2014 as of Thursday and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Scott Meiklejohn said it is "unlikely" that the College will accept any students off the wait list this year.

By 2020, Bowdoin may have achieved carbon neutrality on campus, constructed a new social sciences building at the site of the former Dayton Arena, developed land acquired from the Brunswick Naval Air Station (NASB), and initiated a new capital campaign. While administrators are optimistic about plans and changes to come, they emphasized that in many respects, concrete plans for the future remain uncertain.

The start of the decade found the College in a strong financial position, the Orient reported in November of 2000, with an improved bond rating to borrow money with greater ease and nine consecutive years of balanced budgets. The College was not immune, however, to the economic hardships that followed September 11, 2001, which included a depressed stock market and widespread economic slowdown. Then-Treasurer of the College Kent Chabotar told the Orient that the College had been preparing for times of economic uncertainty for about two years. "We're not battening down the hatches or heading for the basement. We're just being prudent," he said in a September 2001 article.

This week, we have compiled the most important stories from the decade pertaining to issues in Brunswick and Maine. We have pulled a selection of actual headlines from past issues, and condensed and synthesized stories relevant to each headline in order to showcase some of the most significant moments and enduring issues covered by the Orient.

This week, we have compiled a selection headlines and stories related to speakers, performers, and lecturers of significance that have visited the College over the past decade.

As part of a nationwide pledge signed by Mills to eventually eliminate the College's carbon emissions, a College committee began meeting in the fall of 2007 to determine how the campus could achieve carbon neutrality, the Orient reported. The committee, which consisted of the faculty, staff and one student on the College's Environmental Action Committee, was charged with establishing a process for fulfilling the pledge's five steps, as designated by the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Record-breaking numbers of applicants over the years went hand-in-hand with increased competition among applicants. In April of 2007, then-Dean of Admissions Shain said the acceptance rate for the Class of 2011, which stood at 18.5 percent overall with only 16 percent admitted in the regular round, was "brutal." In addition to a 10-percent increase in the number of applicants for 2011, the College admitted fewer students in order to keep the size of the first year class small, and to leave space for applicants on the wait list, according to Shain.

The College announced in April 2007 that a Center for the Common Good was scheduled to open by the fall of 2008, and would serve as a central campus resource for supporting, teaching, and researching activities "grounded in community engagement and public service," the Orient reported.

Following months of debate, the faculty voted 45 to 29 to add pluses and minuses to Bowdoin's grading system, beginning in the 2002-2003 academic year. According to a January 25, 2002 Orient article, changes to the system of grading had not occurred since 1954, when Bowdoin adopted a plus/minus system in place of an "ABCDF" system. In 1967, Bowdoin revised the system again, and instituted a grading scale with the distinctions of High Honors, Honors, Pass, or Fail.

Over the decade, Bowdoin students, staff and faculty have committed a significant amount of time and resources to expanding the diversity—based on race, sexuality, gender and economic status—of the campus community.

Since March of 1997, when the Board of Trustees approved recommendations of the Trustee Commission on Residential Life to phase out fraternities at Bowdoin in favor of the more "inclusive" College Houses, the College House System has steadily evolved and matured. In an Orient article from October of 2007, a decade after the College House System replaced fraternities, students and administrators commented on the role of houses at Bowdoin.

Bowdoin's dining earned top marks in 2005 and 2006, holding the No. 1 spot on the Princeton Review list of "Best Campus Food" for two years in a row. In 2008, when dining held the No. 2 spot in the rankings, Director of the Dining Service Mary Lou Kennedy said, "We are proud to have been in the top 10 list in Princeton Review and recognized for excellence for many years...Our primary goal has always been to be No. 1 in the eyes of Bowdoin students."

The Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) as it is known today has not always been officially named or structured as such. In the 1999-2000 academic year, the existing Executive Board (known as E9) ratified a constitution to create a second governing body, known as the Student Assembly (SA). According to an April 2002 Orient article, the SA from 2000 comprised elected class representatives, vice-presidents of the College Houses, a representative from the Inter-House Council, and the Student Activities Fares Committee chair.

At the start of the decade, a controversial report called into question the role of athletics at New England Small Colleges Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools, finding that athletes received an advantage in admissions over non-athletes despite lower test scores, and tended to rank in the bottom portions of their class.

Having established that there is a serious deficiency in meaningful discourse among students at Bowdoin, I set out to solve the problem. The answer can be summed up with two words: "bath" and "house." I am proposing that the old pool building next to Smith Union be turned into a Greek-style bathhouse equipped with saunas, hot tubs, and possibly tanning booths.

After significant debate, the faculty voted at Monday's faculty meeting to pass the Recording Committee's Thanksgiving break proposal. Beginning in the fall, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be added to the vacation. Scheduling alternatives to compensate for the extra day will be further explored.

Associate Director of Dining Services Ken Cardone said that the Dining Service at Bowdoin, which serves locally grown tomatoes, has felt only minor reverberations from the devastating loss of tomato crops in Florida.

Despite bouts of economic instability and setbacks, it would seem that College officials accurately predicted the future in a February 2004 Orient article that reported that "By 2010, new buildings are expected to include the currently-in-construction Kanbar Hall, two residence halls, a new hockey arena, and a new bookstore. Officials also hope for renovation of the first-year dormitories, a new concert hall in Curtis Pool, a renovated Walker Art Building, and improvements to Hawthorne-Longfellow Library." As the Orient looks back at the College's significant building projects of the decade, it becomes clear that the majority of construction plans for the campus were realized.

The first half of the decade was buzzing with illegal Internet activity at the College, as Bowdoin students discovered—and were disciplined for—music piracy. Over the years, illegal file sharing on the Internet has caused problems for the College, Information Technology and students alike.

The decade has seen two directors of Safety and Security: in January of 2000, Director of Security Scott Kipp resigned and Bob Graves served as interim director. In 2005, Randy Nichols joined the College as the new, and current, head of Safety and Security after spending 27 and a half years with the Maine State Police. A November 11, 2005, Orient article reported that Nichols' list of important issues at Bowdoin included "lighting, pedestrian safety, personal safety, and alcohol abuse."

September 15, 2000 When the Orient reported that Dr. Jeff Benson would step into the position of director of health services at Dudley Coe Health Center in 2000, a companion story stated that Benson's predecessor, nurse practitioner Robin Beltramini, had been told she had to resign after 14 years at the College. According to the Orient article, Beltramini was only told that the decision had nothing to do with patient care.

Now in his ninth year leading the College, President Barry Mills remains modest about the growing list of changes, expansions and projects taken on under his supervision. While he said he recognizes the "pretty important role" he's played in imagining and implementing projects, he noted that "the College, in so many ways, isn't about the president."

In the tumultuous hours following Al-Qaeda's terrorist attacks on U.S. cities on September 11, 2001, the College's Disaster Response team was immediately activated, Residential Life identified students with ties to New York, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh, allowing proctors and RAs to track students down, and administrators and students convened in Morrell Gym, as President Barry Mills spoke, beginning his term as president in the midst of crisis.

This week, we have pulled a selection of actual headlines quotations from articles published in the Orient within the last decade. We have selected miscellaneous stories that might otherwise go undiscovered in the archives. While not as pertinent to the College's history as those selected for the larger section, they still reflect a piece—however small—of the College's past.

Professor of Mathematics Steve Fisk, whose intelligence inspired not only his students during his career at Bowdoin, but also his discovery of a mathematical proof that his colleagues considered "breathtaking," died on January 31 at the age of 63 after a 10-year battle with leukemia.

Arthur Monke, former head librarian of Hawthorne-Longfellow Library (H-L Library) from 1968 to 1992, died after a long illness on Wednesday of last week at the age of 84. In his time at the College, Monke oversaw renovations to H-L Library, the design and creation of the underground tunnel between H-L Library and Hubbard Hall, construction of Hatch Science Library, and the early implementation of computer technology in the library system.

Following 16 months as Interim Dean of Admissions, Scott Meiklejohn finally unpacked the remaining boxes in his office when he heard on Sunday that he had been named Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. "It's been a great week for me," said Meiklejohn. "I'm really excited and looking forward to really settling in a little bit more."

Starting this morning, Student Health Services will hold clinics to distribute the 500 doses of intranasal H1N1 vaccine it has received. The clinics will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. today. The vaccine is free and available to all students. According to Director of Health Services Sandra Hayes, the health center anticipates "more clinics next week until we are out of the vaccine."

Amid papers and finals for her study-abroad program in Copenhagen, Diana Zhang '11 is also participating in something a little more global: the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP 15) which began on December 7.

After great anticipation, a small supply of the H1N1 vaccine was delivered from the Maine CDC to campus this week. Though 100 doses of injectable H1N1 vaccine were delivered, only a quarter of the doses had been administered to students as of late Wednesday, according to Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster. Students were informed of the shipment through an e-mail on Tuesday.

By next week, the wait for the H1N1 vaccine will be over—at least for some students. On Wednesday, the Maine Center for Disease Control (Maine CDC) informed College health administrators that a shipment of H1N1 vaccine would be delivered next week.

The number of students reporting flu-like symptoms declined significantly this week from past weeks, according to Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster. Foster said that while 177 students have presented flu-like symptoms since September 3, only eight ill students were in isolation on Thursday. Of the eight students isolated, three were in singles on campus, three were in the Peter Buck Center for Health and Fitness, and two were at home.

Peer Health will distribute free emergency contraception to female students in the Smith Union conference room on Tuesday through their "EC Does It Day" program. According to peer health representative Kate Epstein '10, after speaking with a College health care provider, "all women can get free confidential Plan B."

Flu-like symptoms struck about 40 additional students this week, bringing the total number of students suspected to be infected with H1N1 from 116 last Thursday to 162 mid-afternoon yesterday, according to Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster. Of the 162 students that have exhibited symptoms of the flu, 133 have recovered and are back in classes.

The H1N1 virus continued its rampant spread across campus this week, bringing the total number of suspected cases among students to 116 as of Thursday afternoon. When the Orient spoke to Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster on Tuesday morning, 55 students had fallen ill with flu-like symptoms. By Thursday afternoon, that number had more than doubled.

Living up to its pandemic status, the H1N1 virus has affected Bowdoin students studying abroad this semester from Buenos Aires to Cape Town. As swine flu grew more prevalent this summer, some study abroad programs communicated with students prior to departure dates, alerting them to expect the unfamiliar while traveling. "They told us we might be stopped at customs to check our health," said Emily Balaban-Garber '11, who is studying in Salamanca, Spain. "If we exhibited signs of the flu, they told us we might not be let into the country."

This summer, Bowdoin students traveled to destinations at home and abroad to participate in nonprofit organizations, broaden their fields of interest and gain hands-on experience.

In addition to performing music, Kinsey also wrote for the Quill while at Bowdoin. One of his pieces, entitled "Scientific Love," expresses Kinsey's view that love is above science and cannot be measured. "It is enough that we never do approach love in mathematical terms!" he wrote. "My essay needs not be an essay, for ages have already written all concerning love. My essay on scientific love is unscientific as it needs must be, you see, when love has no science!"

Armed with sleeping bags and course catalogues, about 25 students spent the night in Moulton Union on Monday to get the choice spots in line for Tuesday's 7:30 a.m. Phase II registration. "There were about 25 students who brought blankets and pillows and slept here so they'd be first in line for Phase II," said Registrar Christine Cote.

For the first time, Bowdoin Dining Service is offering a formal meal plan for students staying at the College over Thanksgiving Break. According to Kennedy, some Thanksgiving break meals have been offered in the past, but not on a consistent basis.

Rather than spilling out onto the Quad as the returns from the election rolled in, some Bowdoin students watched the events among strangers thousands of miles from home. Juniors studying abroad this semester, however, said that celebrations up to and following the announcement of Obama's presidential win rivaled those in the United States.

Beginning January 1, employees who have been juggling rising food and fuel costs alongside medical bills may rest a little easier. In the 2009 Benefits Announcement released this week, the College announced that in the upcoming year, it will cover more health care costs for employees earning a salary under $40,000 per year. According to Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Katy Longley, employees eligible for the increased benefits will not experience any increase in their annual health care contribution. Employees who fall above the $40,000 mark will have to pay a slight increase, due to increased health care costs in the area.

Though Nobel Laureate Robert Solow will vote for Barack Obama on Election Day, he disagrees with the Senator's support for imposing higher international environmental standards on poor countries.

Due to miscommunication between the Student Aid Office and the Dining Service, approximately 125 students were initially undercharged for their fall semester meal plans. On September 2, the College billed these students the $405 that had not been included on the previous bill in order to correct the error. Students affected were on financial aid and had opted for a 14-or 10-meal per week plan.

When Alex McLain '11 competed in a national sea kayaking competition in San Francisco last weekend, she was the only female paddler who was not an Olympian. She came home with a silver medal. McLain, who finished the 17-mile course in two hours and 47 minutes, was out-paddled only by Nikki Mocke of South Africa, a recent competitor at the Beijing Olympics. McLain said that until she crossed the finish line, she had no idea that she had placed in the medal standings.

Senator George Mitchell '54 will speak to a sold-out Common Hour audience today, kicking off a week's worth of events celebrating service and the common good. Senator Mitchell's visit serves as the opening ceremony for Saturday's Common Good Day, to be followed next Friday by the official opening of the Joseph McKeen Center for the Common Good.

Former Bowdoin student Ryan McDonough '08 was arrested twice this summer and has been banned from Bowdoin property.

Last week, Massachusetts Hall was closed to students and faculty due to a flea infestation and subsequent treatment. When Housekeeping discovered the pests on Saturday, a local pest control service performed a treatment later in the day.

A new online study will ask students to direct their browsers away from Facebook for a few minutes and instead spend some time thinking about the behaviors which have defined their college careers.

Amateur but aspiring chefs can often be discouraged by the small pitfalls that occur in the kitchen: risotto that's too sticky, soups gone wrong, or realizing halfway through a "beer can chicken" that they have no idea what to do next. For cooks like these, Alison McConnell '04 has the answers.

Though it may be hard to see the upcoming holiday season through the looming week of finals, two first years are urging students to think not only of the holidays, but also of others.

Despite the name of the event, Peer Health hopes that "Date Day" will inspire relationships that last longer than that.

After a kitchen fire wrought havoc on last month's Taste For Change event, the charity dinner series will look to bounce back today with its final meal of the semester.

Though many Bowdoin students are concerned primarily about their test scores, Kristina Dahmann '10 is trying to get them focus on their credit scores.

Julia Bond '09 wants Bowdoin students to start using the words "healthy" and "sex" in the same sentence.

In the days following July 21, thousands of readers of all ages turned the last page of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," concluding both Harry's journey and their own.

Next weekend, the Board of Trustees will meet on campus to discuss next year's budget, and to dedicate two new buildings on campus. "The one major theme for this weekend is celebratory," said Richard Mersereau, secretary of the College.

Experts Steven Metz and Charles Pena debated U.S. options for withdrawal from Iraq on Sunday in Kresge Auditorium, and though they disagreed on several points, both concluded that a traditional "victory" is not possible.

On Wednesday at 7 p.m., a group of students who had been participating in the National Day of Silence gathered at the flagpole, and, on the count of three, let their voices be heard again.

Students have not yet been formally asked to contribute any funds toward this year's Spring Gala, but the Office of Student Activities is still hoping that classes and College Houses will be able to contribute a substantial amount of money to the event.

This year, kNOw Poverty Week, which begins Sunday, will focus specifically on public health and poverty in Maine.

Housing plans for next year were finalized this week when Residential Life released the 2007 Housing Lottery Information online. Changes for next year include upperclass students in East and West halls, a new quiet dorm for first years, and new chem-free residences.

Starting this semester, Muslim students can now eat Halal meat?meat permissible for consumption according to Islamic tradition?at Thorne Dining Hall on Friday nights.

The Board of Trustees will meet this weekend to discuss faculty tenure, financial aid, and the College's budget.

The Brunswick town council has approved an ordinance authorizing the town to enter into an agreement with a developer for the town's Maine Street Station site, despite significant concerns expressed by Brunswick residents at Monday's public hearing.

The Brunswick town council will hold a public hearing Monday night during which it will recommend that the town proceed with the $35 million Maine Street Station development project.

Although recent trends show that more parents are sending their children to public high schools, the percentage of Bowdoin students from private schools has increased. Over the past five years, with the exception of the class of 2010, the percentage of students coming from private schools has decreased, from 46 percent in 2006 to 45 percent in 2009. The class of 2010, however, has caused the trend to change directions, with 48 percent coming from private schools.

The Bowdoin Organic Garden has never actually been organic. At least not in the eyes of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Though the garden has never been certified, the practices of the gardeners at Bowdoin have always been organic. No chemically synthesized pesticides or herbicides are used in the garden, and no genetically modified crops are planted.

After running through thigh-deep water, torrential rain, and 50 mph winds at Connecticut College's NESCAC championship race, cross-country runners would never have guessed as they crossed the finish line that their worst problem was yet to come.

Dr. Harold McGee is using his Ph.D. in literature to find a better way to cook meat. And he packed the house at Bowdoin to talk about how he's doing it.

The next time you leave your computer on all night, consider your competition. This month, Bowdoin dorms are vying for first place in the fifth-annual energy-conservation competition.

Starting this fall, a program implemented by the Career Planning Center called "Optimal Resume" aims to take the headache out of creating a resume.

A case of head lice was discovered in a first-year dorm last week, alarming many residents and sending a stream of worried students to the health center. According to the Dudley Coe Health Center, only one student who came in to be checked last week had an actual case of head lice, but nearly 40 students were seen at Dudley Coe in regards to the outbreak.

Students will no longer need to make the trip to Hawthorne-Longfellow library to print out papers. Information Technology (IT) has begun the process of adding printers to dorms, college houses, and other locations.