The Bowdoin Orient

Christopher Hitchens once said that there are two things for which the British Empire's reign will always be remembered. The first is the proliferation of soccer [sic.] throughout the world. The other, he candidly explained, is the expression "F--k off."

A 17-year-old man walked down the street. He wore a hooded sweatshirt and carried only a bag of Skittles, iced tea, and a cell phone. He was unarmed. A 28-year-old man bearing a handgun called 911 and began to follow this "suspicious" young man against the advice of the emergency operator.

Last weekend, Rick Santorum offered his latest nugget of wisdom. He made a variety of statements, which included the fact that he does not "believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute."

My column is named after George Orwell's 1940s column in the British paper Tribune. With that in mind, I wanted to begin this column, and this semester, by paying brief tribute to a man who passed away a month ago and was heavily influenced by George Orwell.

Dear Candidate, Thank you very much for your 2012 [...] application. [We] were very impressed by your application. However, this season was particularly competitive. Unfortunately, I am unable to offer you [...]."

I was almost in my 20s before I noticed a racial slur being used in a racist context. I had heard homophobic slurs, often maliciously fired toward any of those unfortunate enough to be late in hitting puberty. I had certainly heard sexist slurs, aimed at young girls.

When we returned to Bowdoin this fall, we noticed changes around campus and most of them were positive.

It is extraordinary to think that it has been 10 years. A decade. In roughly a year, I will have spent more time in the post-9/11 world than in the pre-9/11 world.

Last week, Thomas Klingenstein published an article in the Claremont Review of Books discussing President Barry Mills and Bowdoin College. In his article, which was covered in the April 15 edition of the Orient, Klingenstein charges that Bowdoin is "antiseptically" liberal and that President Mills endorses this bias. Though the article is meant to criticize the widespread "liberal tilt" which he sees as plaguing all of higher education, Mr. Klingenstein makes his case through a personal attack on President Mills and Bowdoin College. We found his comments about Bowdoin to be both condescending and factually incorrect.

To say that you love America is not the same thing as saying that you love only those Americans who agree with you. Nor is it the same thing as saying you love the America inhabited by those of European descent.

In what was the final Bowdoin meet for the seniors on the women's track team, the Polar Bears finished an impressive sixth at the New England D-III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

After miserable conditions the previous week at the Aloha Relays, the women's track team excelled in more favorable conditions at the NESCAC Championships, held at Tufts University last Saturday.

The cruelty of April was clearly in full force on Saturday, as the women's outdoor track team woke up to brutal weather conditions on the day of the Aloha Relays, its only home meet of the season.

Over Spring Break, several members of the Bowdoin women's track team competed in a preseason invitational in Florida against D-I competition.

At the Open New England Championships, several members of the women's track team competed against the top athletes from New England, leading to some fast times and strong performances in the high profile meet.

Against the best small school athletic programs in New England, the women's indoor track team finished fifth at the Division III New England Championships. The Polar Bears were led by several strong individual performances, including three school records and three provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Division III National Championships.

Seeking strong individual performances to qualify them for later meets, the Polar Bears competed last weekend at the Boston University Valentine's day meet, a fast meet against Division I competition.

After a long bus ride down to Springfield, Massachusetts, the women's track team won the Springfield Invitational on Saturday, beating a strong field which included Springfield College, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, and the Coast Guard Academy.