The Bowdoin Orient

In an effort to ensure a safer student body and campus, Bowdoin's Residential Life and Security staffs have teamed up this year to conduct pre-party checks at registered campus events.

This weekend, hundreds of Bowdoin alumni and current students will come together and participate in a variety of events to celebrate Homecoming Weekend.

If you noticed the chalk coloring Bowdoin's walkways early last week, you probably noticed that the messages were more emotional and political than mere event advertisements.

At the beginning of this school year Mark McGranaghan '09 started a web log (blog) devoted to Bowdoin's culinary excellence. McGranaghan writes entries on everything from Thursday afternoon's "Baked Ziti and Chicken Florentine" to "How to eat a grapefruit."

The Maine College Democrats asked the state of Maine on Thursday to investigate the Maine College Republicans for alleged violations of campaign finance laws.

An incident at Super Snack on Friday, October 6, the most recent in a series of conflicts initiated by students at the late-night meal, resulted in a card-checker quitting and the director of dining services reminding students to be respectful of Thorne Hall's staff.

Dr. Harold McGee is using his Ph.D. in literature to find a better way to cook meat. And he packed the house at Bowdoin to talk about how he's doing it.

Since the Princeton Review started publishing its influential book, "Best 361 Colleges," Bowdoin College Dining Service has landed the College in one the top six places on the "Best Food" list, garnering the number one spot in the 2003, 2005, and (the most recent) 2007 editions.

According to records obtained from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Bowdoin College Dining Service has an almost-perfect record for sanitation and cleanliness.

With the departure of both the director and an assistant director of alumni relations, and another assistant director on maternity leave, Bowdoin's alumni office will be relying on temporary staff to manage Homecoming this year, according to Randolph Shaw, vice president for development and alumni relations.

Supposedly, as a student body, we appreciate the members of the support staff who work so hard to make Bowdoin a safe and enjoyable place to live and learn. From Bowdoin's top-notch Information Technology staff to the facilities crew to the acclaimed Dining Service, much of what we are proud of at Bowdoin stems from the people who work in these departments. Yet, judging by the behavior of some of us at late-night dining during the past few years, it sometimes appears that our actions contradict our supposed gratitude.

Freedom. It is a mighty concept, appealing to the most optimistic regions of the human heart.

The current neoconservative regime has exploited the nation's concerns about terrorism and used these concerns to push a radical agenda that is anything but rational when it comes to national security.

Writing an article against Bush at Bowdoin is basically preaching to the converted. So for that reason, Zachary Linhart '07 should be appreciated for his opinion piece in last week's Orient.

The Detainee Treatment Bill that has been signed into law scares me. But my fear has little to do with the War on Terror, Republicans or Democrats, or the president of the United States. My fear does not take the pale form of two shimmering giants. My fear is not a prophecy of human death.

North Korea's testing of nuclear weapons has sparked another round of finger-pointing from American political parties desperate to avoid blame.

It seems fashionable, especially among cynical college students, to criticize political parties as obstacles to nuanced political discourse and "intellectualism," whatever may be meant by that nebulous word.

There are hundreds of sex myths out there. Think: virgins can't get pregnant the first time they have sex, bigger is better, girls are more needy than guys?the list is never- ending. My favorite myth is that women are always looking for love, while men just want sex. In other words, women want to be in a relationship, and men want no strings attached.

Dear Dr. Jeff: Can I get a flu shot to prevent bird flu? E.O.

Fans of 20th century modernist music can satisfy their musical craving at the latest edition of the Bowdoin Music Department's Teatime Concert Series. Blair McMillen, a young and accomplished modernist pianist, will perform selections from Debussy, Bartok, Ives, and other contemporary composers. The concert is today at 4 p.m. in Gibson Hall.

The Killers know what they're capable of, and they do it well. After last year's smash hit "Mr. Brightside," the Las Vegas foursome became a household name, known for catchy singles that you just can't get out of your head. Lead singer Brandon Flowers has become a media darling, citing himself as a "savior of good music."

Gritty McDuff's Halloween Ale?$8.99 for a six-pack at Hannaford By now, it is safe to say that fall is in the air. With peak foliage already past and the amount of popped collars increasing daily (we'll chalk those up to the wind), I can't help but think of days gone by, when visions of inventive costumes and candy-stuffed pillowcases danced greedily through my head.

The Bowdoin Men's Cross-Country Team claims state championship, eyes NESCAC championship, Top 10 at DIII Nationals The black-capped chickadee is Maine's official state bird. Maine's official state berry is the wild blueberry. The Bowdoin Cross Country Team is the official Men's Division III state champion.

Reality set in very quickly for the men's soccer team after its two astonishing wins over Amherst and Middlebury a couple of weeks ago. Those two wins gave the team a sense of invincibility, but Tufts did its best to bring the men back down to earth with a 5-0 trouncing at Farley Fields.

The field hockey team dominated on its home turf this week, handily beating Rhodes College 4-0. The Lynx, who traveled from Tennessee for Tuesday's game, were no match for Bowdoin's team effort, with goals coming from four different players.

The women's cross-country team had its only home meet of the season Saturday, playing host to the Maine State Meet. The Polar Bears finished third behind Colby and Bates.

After falling in its last five contests, the Bowdoin Women's Soccer Team answered back this past week, posting two victories in four days.

The Bowdoin Men's Rugby Team fell to 1-4 on the season on Saturday, losing at Colby in a 9-3 match. Colby scored nine unanswered points on three penalty kicks in the second half to beat the Bowdoin squad.

In the past two weekends, women's rugby has pulled in two wins over difficult teams, bringing its season to 3-1. The Bears will compete against Colby at home in their last season game this Saturday at 1 p.m.