The Bowdoin Orient

A faculty-approved change to the grading system passed amid a wave of student controversy three years ago still has some students and faculty members debating its impact on Bowdoin's academic environment.

Jim Kim, Assistant Dean of First Year Students and Freeman Grant Coordinator since July 2003, has decided to leave the College at the end of this academic year.

The College is preparing for its reaccredidation visit during the fall of 2006 under the provisions of the accrediting agency the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE).

If you've ever had classes in Sills, you may have taken a closer look at the wall next to Smith Auditorium. There, in two rows, hang 17 plaques, announcing the titles of films that won annual awards like Best Picture and Best Documentary from the 70s to the early 90s. But these were not Hollywood productions; they were student films.

Four out of the six missing banners for the Asian Week events have been returned since their disappearance earlier this month.

Discarded smoldering material was the likely cause of a basement fire in Rhodes Hall Saturday night.

The College needs to be looking for three people with big feet, because it has three pairs of big shoes to fill before the 2005-06 academic year gets under way.

The combination of high-level classes, concern about plans for the future, and the desire to spend time with those we may never see again contribute to a very difficult year for seniors. Because of this, many students become afflicted with the phenomenon of senioritis, meaning they seem to just kind of give up on caring about schoolwork. While it certainly is not something to be proud of, senioritis tends to be one of those things you just can't avoid in college, like cheap beer, all night study sessions, and burning when you pee.

Agree with their agenda or not, the Bowdoin College Republicans have driven campus politics this year. The events sponsored by the College Republicans have been the talk of campus all year long. Never before has a single group taken control of campus politics so much?well, since the endless, mind-numbing "Diversity Discussions" last year. As opposed to last year, the debates spurred by the Republicans have been constructive.

In the era of Fox News's growing popularity, it is no surprise that the U.S. is suffering from a blurring of the distinction between rhetoric and fact. Television, radio, and even print news are all under the grips of their political persuasions.

Since Alex Linhart '06 chose to quote me in his letter to the editor, I'm writing to clarify the back and forth he and I did have following his request that our program co-sponsor Phyllis Schlafly's talk. Linhart quotes me as stating that Phyllis Schlafly isn't "exciting," as though a speaker's excitement quotient would have dictated my agreement or refusal to co-sponsor an event with the College Republicans.

I write in response to Ted Lyons's letter last week regarding election rules. While his concern with the fairness of the electoral process here at Bowdoin is commendable, I can't say that I support the level to which his letter was a personal attack. Furthermore, I don't agree with Lyons's assertion that what Alex Cornell du Houx did was a violation of the election rules. Technically, every person that received a campaign email from Cornell du Houx was a Facebook friend of his. Implicit in that fact is an agreement by each recipient to be his "friend."

I have known Truc for what seems like a lifetime. I can remember that day, four years ago, when I first met him. I had just found my room in Winthrop, after an injury-free Pre-O, when I was introduced to this man. Even then he left a remarkable impression. I could see in his eyes a drive, a passion for those around him. I know you may not believe me, but its true?Truc has a powerful spirit and it is quite infectious.

Recently, students have asked me, what is this Che Jaques phenomenon? You've seen the signs and asked who is Jaques? Jaques was born in Mexico and moved to Texas with his mother and sister. He's told me about visiting his family in Mexico, and swimming in a river with his cousins.

I am sure you have all heard about the Bowdoin Congressional Election on May 11 for Professor Potholm's Government 361 class. As in any election there will be supporters on both sides participating in various events to support their candidate over the next two weeks.

I will begin with a story that took place the end of my freshman year. My roommate and I entered the doubles lottery and ended up in Boody Street, a disappointment, but we consoled ourselves with the thought that we had better things to look forward to. This was a small price to pay for the housing that I intended to get as a senior.

Pulitzer-prize winning author David Shipler visited Bowdoin on Monday to meet with students and professors, and deliver a lecture based on his most recent book, The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Shipler sat down with the Orient to discuss what led him to research poverty in America and some of the lessons he drew from the experience. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Dear Students: Each week, I've written about a variety of health problems and concerns. Most of what I've written has aimed to inform and advise you as individuals who are learning to make your own choices and seek your own well-being. Some have touched on our need to look out for each other and to help support each other as members of a common community. The health benefits of community building, however, far exceed one-on-one mutual support.

For the past three years, Bowdoin has participated in Dump and Run, an organization that began when a Syracuse University student lost a ring and decided to search the dumpster for it. She did not find the ring, but instead found lots of still usable items. Over time, she continued to search the dumpsters and decided to have yard sales with the salvaged items to generate money for non-profit organizations. The Dump and Run organization grew out of this and has spread to colleges and universities across the country.

Despite relative progress in the nation's education system, school arts programs, on the whole, have recently been left neglected. Bowdoin sophomore Brandon Bouchard decided to confront this issue in his hometown of Caribou, Maine by organizing a committee called the Caribou High School Music Building Fund, a group with high goals and the energy and ability to achieve them.

With sunshine abounding, the weather hitting the 70s this past week, and the school year in its final weeks, most students have shifted their focus toward the summer. A small number of service-minded students, however, are still thinking about their spring breaks, unable and unwilling to forget their experiences.

Dear Dr. Jeff: I found a lump "down there" when I took a shower yesterday. How common is testicular cancer among college students? B.K. Dear B.K.: "Lumps down there" are fairly common and most often not dangerous. Testicular cancer is not terribly common, but it IS the most common cancer affecting men between the ages of 15 and 40. Most importantly, testicular cancer is very likely to be cured if it's discovered early and treated early.

When I waltzed into the Schwartz on Wednesday night?late as always?the cavalcade of stimuli nearly overwhelmed my senses in the greatest way. The heat of the day had dissipated, but inside it felt like a swanky New York restaurant.

Political thriller. What an oxymoron. Luckily for us, Hollywood always loves a challenge, and in this case, they usually deliver. Resembling the disaster movie's ability to make water and air exciting, the political thriller gets to say, aw, the hell with it, and put C-SPAN in a big, swirling tornado of stuff that just doesn't happen but would be really really cool if it did. But the best in the genre buckle their seat belts. The explosions can't blow up more brain cells than are required to follow its high-brow smarts, after all. You know, the kind of smarts that ooze out of every scene in The West Wing, where the speed at which characters scamper aimlessly through corridors matches their speaking rate, and all the overlapping dialogues rush just as quickly right over your head (though you'll never admit it).

Talking Heads inarguably had one classic live soundtrack, Stop Making Sense, and one good live album, The Name of This Band is Talking Heads. The latter was updated last fall with bonus and previously unreleased material, thus effectively replacing Stop Making Sense as their definitive live document. This double album forces listeners to ask: why aren't Talking Heads admired or even referenced as much as some of their contemporaries for the effect they've had on modern rock?

Melinda and Melinda, Woody Allen's fine new film, almost professes suffer from multiple-personality disorder. In reality, the movie is simply consistently enjoyable. The film opens with a pair of playwrights arguing in a restaurant over whether or not life is essentially comic or tragic. One member of the dinner party offers an example scenario for them to analyze. The comedian, ironically, sees the makings of a wonderful tragedy, while the tragedian sees a nice comedy.

A few weeks ago I had a raspberry dessert wine to match my delicious pineapple upside-down cake and was seriously distressed. It was like drinking Robitussin. Fortunately, I was able to palm it off on my dinner partner who, for some reason, enjoys these syrupy disasters. However, just because I haven't enjoyed dessert wines in the past doesn't mean I shouldn't give them a try now. For your reading and possibly drinking pleasure I present three dessert wines of a wide variety.

What's your second favorite album? MR: Howard Shore's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) CB:John Williams' The Empire Strikes Back (1980). On a side note, we both agree that Jurassic Park (1993) by John Williams is the greatest soundtrack of all time.

If you thought Kill Bill's flying body parts were as glorified as movie violence could get, think again. Sin City is violence and violence is Sin City. Nothing is made tolerable through cartoonish exaggeration, like Tarantino's ode to gore. Nor does this film ride on something as simple as the Bride's rampage of revenge. Not only is it deeply, darkly vicious, but Sin City is also viciously emotive, telling three tales of three men with a passion as graphic as its content.

He can't get involved with anyone until he knows what his life is about...God, he's so complicated. Sound familiar? Maybe you've heard it, or something like it, from that guy you think you want to date. What do Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, former writers for Sex and The City, think about his excuses? Their response is summed up in the title of their best-selling debut book He's Just Not That Into You.

Saturday night, seniors Audra Caler , Lenora Ditzler, Laura Jefferis and myself, Sarah Moran, are taking over the Visual Arts Center with the opening of "Natural Selection." The work spans different media and a variety of subjects ranging from trees to fish to girls, but comes together to show the many ways paint can be used.

The hard work in the off-season is paying dividends for the Bowdoin Men's Lacrosse Team. After a tough loss at Amherst on Saturday, the Polar Bears bounced back with a convincing win in Lewiston.

The Maine State Meet is the second oldest track meet in the United States. With respect and admiration for their brothers that competed before them, the Bowdoin Men's Track Team traveled to Lewiston on Saturday for the 2005 meet. The weather was perfect. Dark skies and cold rain turned grass into mud and our men into gladiators. After a day of great competition, our boys stood proudly in second place.

Last year, the NBA finals were an absolute inspiration to anyone who loves good basketball. The team that ranked third in the league in scoring average, the L.A. Lakers at 98.2 points per game, lost to the 24th ranked team with an average of 90.1 points per game, the Detroit Pistons.

The Bowdoin Women's Lacrosse team had a very successful week posting two NESCAC wins. The Polar Bears faced Wesleyan, a team ranked amongst the top twenty best in the country. Despite the torrential rain and the cold, the Polar Bears were able to defeat Wesleyan 11-9.

The Bowdoin Women's Outdoor Track Team competed against Bates, Colby, and MIT in the first meet of the outdoor season, held at Colby. Under sunny skies, the women started off what looks to be a strong season, with many of the women having good performances. With the top six places scoring, the women came in third overall on Saturday.