The Bowdoin Orient

The cost of a Bowdoin education has once again reached an all-time high, with the 2005-2006 comprehensive fee surpassing the $40,000 mark for the first time. Total tuition and fees now amount to $41,660, marking a 4.99 percent increase over the course of one year. "Forty-thousand dollars is seen as a benchmark," said Director of Student Aid Stephen Joyce. "I think there will become a point where cost is a major factor, but I don't know if $40,000 is that point."

For those at Bowdoin who are less technologically savvy than they would like to admit or who just want easier access to course material, Bowdoin is aiming to make life simpler through its recent utilization of the web site Blackboard (http://blackboard.bowdoin.edu).

Erik Tillotson, a man arrested numerous times in Brunswick, has approached students at their off-campus residences on the west side of Maine Street, Assistant Director of Security Mike Brown said early this morning.

President Barry Mills has been told he is healthy and cancer-free. After a March 15 prostate cancer diagnosis, Mills underwent surgery this summer to remove the cancer. Beyond the necessary recovery period he took after the procedure, Mills does not expect any further health-related setbacks in his schedule.

The renovations planned for Moore Hall, slated to begin in 2006, will force Bowdoin to find a new, permanent home for its textbook annex. This move provides the College with an opportunity to reevaluate how textbooks are bought and sold by students.

Natural disasters and high gas prices are two things guaranteed to make pundits and policy makers shout about price gouging, and the last few weeks were no exception. Bush and many state governors have been giving the free market a rhetorical pounding, decrying (to quote Maine governor John Baldacci) "profiteering, unfair trade practices, or collusion in gas and oil markets." Bill O'Reilly insisted recently that the government should coerce oil companies into cutting their profits by 20 percent "to spare Americans pain."

Why does student government exist? What are its aims? These questions are rarely asked because there is an assumed identity and legitimacy inherent in student government.

So that's that. It's over. After a year, or a month, or an uncomfortable plate of scrambled eggs at Sunday brunch, you and your significant other have called it quits. Maybe you ended it, maybe your beloved called it off, or maybe the magic you two created beneath spilt beer and a solitary disco ball at the pub last night evaporated in the harsh, rainbow glare of Thorne.

I am writing in regard to the complaints received concerning a review I wrote for last week's issue of the Orient.

As a longtime reader, and fan, of your newspaper, I'd like to comment on the review of Grand City Variety that appeared in the Sept. 9 issue. The writer grasped the importance of the store and its restaurant as a true Brunswick landmark and legend. The food may not be cordon bleu, but it's healthy, tasty, and very affordable. Any Brunswick resident will tell you that it's their favorite, bar none. Grand City belongs to that class of store that, in the words of an old Maine saying, "carries everything from a lady's fart to a thunderclap!"

In a recent advertisement for a guest speaker, the Bowdoin College Republicans invited us to learn about "John Baldacci's radical attempt to rewrite the laws in Maine." This phrase was in reference to the anti-discrimination law that was passed earlier this year which states that individuals can not be denied employment, housing, or education in Maine based solely on their sexual orientation.

In his op-ed "Hurricane Katrina reveals the Bush administration's true colors" (Sept. 9), Benjamin Kreider writes, "Liberals have long been alleging that this president is oblivious to the needs of the poor, and rightfully so... the poverty rate actually rose last year." Mr. Kreider's logic is specious.

With over half of Bowdoin's students from New England and only a handful from the Katrina-stricken regions of the south, it's not easy for the student body to directly relate to the devastation.

Even an ardent critic of the Bush administration, such as myself, has to admit that the president was not directly responsible for the tragedy unfolding in New Orleans. After all, no human being can prevent a natural disaster. Yet, the lackluster response of the administration is very telling.

Dear Dr. Jeff: It seems like we have a different health insurance plan this year. I've gotten a little confused about coverage for referrals and lab tests. Can you help clarify? -T.K.

Welcome to Bowdoin 2005-2006 from all of us in the Health Services! In this, my first column of the new year, I wanted to review some of our programs and services and write a little about our sense of mission here at Dudley Coe.

On the heels of his second solo LP Songs for Silverman, released last spring, Ben Folds has put out a 28-track album of live and studio recordings, including speaking tracks in which he explains the origins of his music and his background as a musician. The album was made in conjunction with iTunes, and has been made available exclusively through the iTunes online music store.

Robert Channing is not the loudly-dressed, mysteriously muttering psychic of carnival tradition. Pictures on his website depict him in casual garb, sometimes a suit, and his resume boasts of success in entertaining corporate events. The feats he'll perform tonight won't involve tarot cards or palm-reading. Channing is determined to read minds.

The prosecution presents Exhibit A to the courtroom: The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It's a frustrating little film, sandwiched by titles claiming that the story it tells is based on a real event.

Imagine a world where big really is beautiful, where everyone aspires to be heavy and where people respond to "I just lost weight" with "That's too bad."

Sea Dog Blue Paw Wheat Ale?($6.99 for a six-pack, available at Hannaford) This fine brew has become a Maine favorite over recent years, integrating the taste of wild Maine blueberries with a smooth, wheat ale body.

For years, he blended in quietly with the Daily Show's stock of eyebrow-raising, stone-faced pseudo-journalists, dwarfed by the imposing genius of Jon Stewart. Through no fault of his own, he suffered NBC's ill-conceived attempt to repackage British humor and sell it to a broad American market with The Office. He achieved minor cult status as Brick Tamland in Anchorman, but still seemed to be treading water in a sea of one-dimensionality. Needless to say, I assumed that he was more suited to supporting a more versatile lead actor than supporting an entire movie.

It seems impossible this early in the year, but you've overdone the Egg McMoulton. You know the legal occupant of last night's crash pad is religiously devoted to Sunday mornings at Big Top, and though you'd gladly seek anonymity buried in a Trucker's Breakfast at Brunswick Diner, your car got towed because you left it parked in the admissions lot for the third time this week. It's a perfect morning for Grand City. Located on Maine Street across from the Move Gallery, Grand City Variety sells everything from postcards to crock pots?including diner food.

The women's volleyball team starts its 2005 season with a solid squad of ten returning players and two first-years. Head Coach Kellie Bearman voiced a positive outlook for this year's team.