The Bowdoin Orient

Bowdoin's top administrators earn pay on par with Maine's other top private colleges, according to public tax documents obtained by the Orient. President Barry Mills received $255,850 in compensation in the 2003-2004 fiscal year, along with $42,752 in contributions to employee benefit plans. This sum of $298,602 in total presidential compensation mirrors that of nearby Bates and Colby Colleges.

Over a month after he was confronted at knifepoint in the basement of his 10 School Street residence and fended off the assailant with a Tide bottle, Joshua Cippel '08 was accosted again Wednesday night in the same location. This latest incident, which occurred at about 9:00 p.m., is the third report of trespassing on the school-leased property since the beginning of November. Cippel was coming up the basement stairs after dropping off laundry when he was "assaulted," according to the report compiled by Bowdoin Security.

Waterville police will soon be scoping out Colby student parties in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles, but Brunswick authorities say there are currently no plans to launch undercover operations at Bowdoin.

As U.S. Marine Alex Cornell Du Houx '06 heads to Iraq, he now has the distinction of his story being documented on a major television network. The feature, shown on NBC's "Nightly News," aired Sunday night alongside topics such as Saddam Hussein's trial in Iraq.

Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) passed six new constitutional amendments Tuesday. Two-thirds of all voting students must vote to approve the amendments before the constitution may be reformed.

Before the start of the new semester, Bowdoin first years and sophomores will have the opportunity to "re-orient" themselves to college life by attending a series of workshops on study skills, time management, health and wellness, and student involvement in the campus community.

After a nearly three-month absence from Google's database, Bowdoin's web site is now accessible through the popular online search engine.

The Committee on Teaching recently announced its decision to revise the first-year book programming and selection process. According to Committee Chair and Professor of English David Collings, the process will be revised so that the next three incoming classes all read books surrounding the common theme of "poverty."

Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) voted on a number of constitutional amendments this week. Some were rightly passed, but overall BSG missed several opportunities to create meaningful and effective reforms so that it can better represent the interests of the entire student body.

Bowdoin constantly likes to talk about the "Common Good." That is a concept I agree with wholeheartedly, but the question remains: Do we actually practice what we preach as an institution? I could cite numerous areas in which we do not, but for now, I will focus on our investment practices. Simply put, far more needs to be done to determine that the over $500 million in Bowdoin's endowment is invested in a socially responsible, ethical manner.

Last week's Orient contained the best treatments to date of the discussion on political diversity among Bowdoin faculty. Students with conservative (or libertarian) views would do well to heed Professor Rael and Mr. Washburn and rededicate themselves to studying and thinking?thinking about the problems individuals in society face and about how best to approach them in the context of a Bowdoin education.

There is a writer in New Orleans whom I respect a lot. Chris Rose is a columnist for the Times-Picayune, and he has what has always been a pretty sweet job: He writes about New Orleans. He's not the food guy, or the movie guy, or the Living section guy; he's the guy who gets to put it all together and talk about the feeling, the emotion, the experience that is living in New Orleans. His job has sucked for the past several months, but he has been one of the few New Orleanians, it seems, who can still put it all together and remind us where we're from.

I imagine that, by now, most of us have heard those sweet seasonal words riging from the lips of our families and friends: "So what do you want for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Solstice/Decemberween?" We have surely given our replies already, but today I want to ask you to step back with me and really think: What do you want this December?

With a stretch and a yawn, your eyes flutter open. You pull your arm out from underneath your pillow to check the time, and you are momentarily startled when your "pillow" moans and rolls over. Suddenly, memories start flooding back into your hangover-addled brain: the keg stands and black-out punch, the sketchy dance room in the Crack House basement...and now this stranger lying next to you, whose drunken snoring kept you from fully sleeping off that last Jaeger bomb. What do you do? Where are your pants? What is this person's name? These are all good questions that I'm going to help you answer.

Regarding Mr. Patrick Rael's article on political control hurting academia last week, I would like to make a point about his claim. He says that the "conservative argument for liberal bias among the faculty insults the professional integrity of faculty members" because the faculty is carefully chosen and has a long history of being impartial in their grading. While I do agree that the faculty here is top-notch, I don't believe that the complaints are meant to demean the faculty.

I am writing in response to Professor Rael's article in last week's Orient. Professor Rael, however, has things backward. We, as conservatives, want to take political control out of the classroom. What we have seen over the past 30 years is the insertion of a liberal political agenda in the hiring of professors and the creation of academic departments to field those professors.

We are disappointed that the Orient decided not to cover an important and historic event. Over a week ago, KASA, ASA, and ANOKHA organized a discussion panel on the topic of Asian-American (AA) stereotypes that affect Bowdoin students on campus and in larger contexts. We requested that the Orient attend and cover the event because it was Bowdoin's first to assert the voices of AA students into a discussion concerning race and ethnicity. Additionally, there is a growing and diversifying AA presence on campus, and prominent stereotypes such as the "Model Minority" and the "Forever Foreigner" affect many of us. The event held in Daggett Lounge was filled with students, two Bowdoin professors, and a Bowdoin administrator.

I am writing in response to Taylor Washburn's letter last week. First, Mr. Washburn lumps me in with the "campus conservatives" supporting the proposed bill. For the record, I am not a member of the College Republicans, nor did I voice support for the legislation. Furthermore, my political affiliation was never identified by the Orient, and we all know what assuming does.

Dear Dr. Jeff: I keep hearing conflicting information: Do condoms protect against HPV or not?

Dear Dr. Jeff: If I get a flu shot, will it also protect me against the bird flu? -L.E.

Starting on Thursday night with the work by students of Architectural Design and Sculpture I and II on display in Adams Hall, the end of the semester art show promises some truly amazing visual experiences.

The end of the semester is imminent; fun and festivity lie just around the corner. "What am I going to wear?" Is almost as familiar a jingle as "ho ho ho" when the season of giving, and subsequently holiday party invitations, arrives. Those knitted sweaters your grandmother gives you every Christmas may keep you warm, but nubby yarn and appliqué snowmen will do nothing to highlight your best attributes. Although different occasions call for different attire, it's safe to say that Kringle-themed apparel should be strictly reserved for family functions. Here are a few alternatives that may help sass up your holiday wardrobe.

Tucked behind a staircase in New York's American Museum of Natural History, a sperm whale and giant squid face off in a still frame of plaster appendages and children' book hues. A beguiling diorama, by way of both majesty and monstrosity, the display is a well-employed allegorical centerpiece for Noah Baumbach's new and semi-autobiographical film, The Squid and The Whale, in which an adolescent boy witnesses another of nature's most ferocious yet mysterious rivalries: divorce.

Smithwick's ($8.29 for a six-pack) This beer was recommended by Bowdoin alum Dave Barker '76 who knows a good beer when he sees one. Referred to by native Irishmen as "Smidick's," this Irish Red Ale was introduced to the United States on St. Patrick's Day by the Guinness Brewing Company.

I know your situation: you're a sophomore girl with a senior boyfriend who lives off-campus. He spent the five bucks to take you to the junior-senior ball, and you have nothing to wear (read: you really want to buy something new). There's no time for boutiques in the Old Port, and let's face it, the Maine Mall sucks. Your only reasonable option? Freeport, of course.

Last year, Ray dazzled audiences with a dexterous performance by Jamie Foxx and a story bolstered by the truly remarkable escapades of pianist Ray Charles. And once again, just in time for this year's holidays (and Oscar deadline), tales of successful but troubled men are, like, so in.

Buzzard's Bay Golden Ale?($7.99 for a six-pack, available at select Massachusetts retailers) Widely renowned as one of Cape Cod's best brewing companies, Buzzard's Bay does not disappoint with this American Blonde Ale, delivering a beer that tastes like it is half lager, half pale. It exudes a bright golden color, offering insight into the mysterious title: "Golden Ale."

Greetings, dear readers, and a toast to my final wine column of the semester. I would like to make a few notes on giving wine as a gift as we enter the holiday season. A bottle of wine makes a wonderful gift for several reasons. It's something that can keep for a long time (at least several months if stored properly). You can buy something really special for relatively little money, as $20.00 gets you a much better bottle of wine than bouquet of flowers.

The men's basketball team saw their win streak of six consecutive games come to an end, suffering a devastating 88-62 loss to NESCAC rival Bates. The two teams met this past Tuesday night in Lewiston in a non-official competition. Both squads now hold a 6-2 record.

The Bowdoin Women's Hockey Team slipped to 2-3 after twin losses to second-ranked Plattsburgh last weekend.

The Bowdoin Women's Squash Team improved to a record of 7-0 this weekend in a tournament at Wellesley College. The team won all five of its matches.

This year's women's basketball team has some very big shoes to fill. For the past five years, the team has finished at the top of the NESCAC and in the last four years the Polar Bears have advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, finishing second in 2004.