The Bowdoin Orient

Dean for Academic Affairs Craig McEwen presented a draft form of Bowdoin's new intellectual property policy to the College's faculty last week. According to McEwen, the new policy is largely an attempt to codify the College's current practices, replacing an old policy adopted in the 1970s.

As part of the capital campaign, College administrators are in the process of developing the Center for the Common Good, an expanded vision for the future of service at Bowdoin. The center would not be a physical building on campus, but rather a continued pledge to service made by the Bowdoin community to unify academics and community service.

Students now have a new excuse to chat online while working on a paper or a problem set. But this time they're not procrastinating?they're chatting with a librarian. With the library's new instant messaging service through AIM, Yahoo, MSN, and ICQ, as well as a "Live Research Help" link, students can get an immediate response to their questions without stepping into the library.

Students are urging Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) to put sheep out on the Quad to graze. This proposal, along with several more serious suggestions, appears on BSG's new online suggestion box.

The Board of Trustees selected the College's honorary degree recipients at last weekend's tri-annual meeting.

At the start of the semester, ESOL Coordinator Lisa Flanagan encouraged faculty to recommend students to the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program, citing a need for students to get help as early in their Bowdoin careers as possible. The Bowdoin ESOL program provides aid for international students and students with parents whose native language is not English.

When Craig McEwen steps down from his position as dean of academic affairs at the end of June, he will not be leaving Bowdoin.

Bowdoin's admissions web site describes its athletic facilities as "top-notch." We have a state-of-the-art squash facility, multiple gymnasiums, first-rate sailing and crew equipment, and a competition swimming pool, to name a few. So, why is it that Bowdoin's most basic athletic facility?the Watson Fitness Center in Smith Union?is, as a vast majority of students would put it, so sub-par?

This year's Black History Month is anchored by the death of Coretta Scott King, whose presence was bedrock to a bygone era when racism no longer became fate, but was determined by those whose audacity defined the struggles of a people. Mrs. King's passing comes at a time of deep scrutiny, a time when we must ask ourselves whether our generation has derailed from the path she chose?a path that so many of us celebrate this time each year.

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with someone about my aspirations vis-à-vis my college education and professional future. He asked me what my major was, and as I tried to respond he cut me off. "Doesn't matter," he said, "as long as you learn how to COMMUNICATE." At first I was annoyed, because when he asked about my major he had clearly planned to interrupt me. But he was older, employed, and ostensibly wiser than I (and balding, which I understand also implies wisdom), so I didn't disregard his insight right away. And the more I reflected on my own communication skills and those of my fellow collegians, the more worried I became.

Alright, fine. I'll admit it. Facebook defines my life. It tells me who I'm friends with, what my friends think about me, who I'm dating and who I have a crush on, what I like and dislike, and even what I look like when I'm not actively trying to look unattractive, as I am in every single picture I post of myself. And I would venture to guess that I am not the only one who feels this way, especially when it comes to relationships.

I read the article in last week's issue of The Bowdoin Orient titled, "Concealed investments worry some." As President Mills encouraged us to do, I decided to contribute to the dialogue on this subject. I do not understand the situations in Sudan and South Africa enough to comment about investments in those countries as discussed in the article.

At the trustees meeting last weekend, there was considerable discussion about the tenor and tone of political debate on the Bowdoin campus. The most recent issues of Hype and the Orient described, albeit in different editorial voices, aspects of this debate. Some people at the meeting expressed concern about the strident tone which certain members of the Bowdoin community have adopted; in particular, equating Republicans with racists is inaccurate and inappropriate.

Over the past few months, BSG has spent a significant amount of time on the debate surrounding the Academic Bill of Rights. There have been implications that BSG members have not been fully professional in the use of their time or the consideration of their votes.

I am intrigued by the recent debate on campus regarding "socially responsible investing" and divestment from all companies involved in Sudan. For those focused on the "moral high ground" of the debate, the "financial high ground" may be far more compelling in persuading the necessary decision makers.

I was heartened to hear in "Concealed investments worry some" that President Mills encourages discussion about the ethical nature of how we invest Bowdoin's $500 million endowment. However, I believe that we can do more than pick fund managers who appear to be ethical.

As the Board of Trustees meets this weekend, the genocide continues in Darfur. The trustees may believe that there is nothing they can do to help stop this genocide. Yet there is something they can do?they can use the force of the College's nearly $600-million endowment to send the message that Bowdoin will discourage investments in companies that cooperate with governments that support genocide.

With the Longfellows and Miscellania performing the "Val Jam" tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel, the obvious question arises?why celebrate Valentine's Day after the fact? Rumor has it that member Dennis Burke '09 was unable to find a date for Tuesday night's festivities, so the rest of the group decided to help a fellow out and move the concert to Friday.

Many claim that Marxism is as dead a concept as the man who invented it. In his play, "Marx In Soho," which will be performed at Kresge Auditorium in the Visual Arts Center (VAC) at 4:30 p.m. today, Howard Zinn resurrects both.

Watching the motion picture adaptation of Curious George stirs that tiny, peach-fuzzed part of the soul that we all thought had been safely put to bed: the inner child. "Hark!" cries the hidden thumb-sucker, back to the days of parental tuck-ins and sweeping picture books. Kids could make magic with a single purple crayon back then, and eggs were best served green and on top of a goat. Nights were usually spent curled up under a swirl of Vicks VapoRub with friendly bear pals of both the Pooh and Berenstain varieties. If the film version of "George" rustles up those childhood pangs, it can't hope to quell them. When the movie does manage to tap the toddler vein, it's thanks only to a lush and faithful visual translation.

With the weather being so screwy lately, I've had a difficult time limiting myself to one season's type of wine. The blizzard definitely made me break out the heavier, darker wine in my collection, but the mild sunny weather that followed on its heels made me think of spring and wines that echo the fresh greenness that will appear sometime in April, if we're lucky. Below, an eclectic mix that suits the current climate:

Last week's Academy Award nominations included "Darwin's Nightmare," "Murderball," and "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room." Never heard of these movies? Well, that's probably because they're documentaries. Although the documentary is one of the oldest genres of film, it still suffers from a lack of exposure. Few docs, with the exception of films like "Fahrenheit 9/11" or "March of the Penguins," get wide distribution, and thus never reach audiences that may be interested.

With Eastern College Career Day coming up and interviews looming for jobs and summer internships, proper attire is necessary to make the right impression. This is time a when all those "Ms. Manners" tips for dressing are actually applicable. It may seem old-fashioned, but picking the right color pantyhose makes a difference if your interviewer only has an hour to decide whether he or she thinks you have what it takes to join the company.

The men's and women's squash teams expected to be playing in their third round of NESCAC tournaments at Trinity this past Sunday. Instead, they found themselves snowed in at their Cromwell, Connecticut, hotel, wondering when they would be able to come home.

The Bowdoin Women's Basketball team is soaring through the season on a 10-game winning streak. Last night the Bears overcame a second-half deficit to defeat Maine Maritime Academy 57-47 in a non-conference contest. Over the weekend, Bowdoin swept NESCAC rivals Middlebury and Williams College.

Although this week's mild weather has reduced the ice rink on the Quad to a muddy puddle, the Bowdoin Men's Ice Hockey Team remains hard at work inside Dayton Arena.