The Bowdoin Orient

When a group of students attended a party at an off-campus house several weeks ago, they heard comments that made them feel unwelcome because of their race. Hurt and frustrated by the incident, Tida Lam '07, one of the offended students, wrote a note on Facebook about what had happened at the party.

Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) voted against two constitutional amendments this week: one that would have made all students eligible to run for BSG president, and another that would have allowed juniors studying abroad to serve half-year terms as class representatives.

Housing plans for next year were finalized this week when Residential Life released the 2007 Housing Lottery Information online. Changes for next year include upperclass students in East and West halls, a new quiet dorm for first years, and new chem-free residences.

When the Bowdoin Women in Business Club (BWIB) put together its upcoming convention, it certainly meant business. The convention will take place on Saturday, March 31 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Main Lounge, Moulton Union, with informational interviews and résumé critiques from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Career Planning Center.

With an acceptance rate near 18.5 percent, the Class of 2011 is the most selective class in the history of Bowdoin College, according to figures released Thursday by the Admissions Office.

Bowdoin doesn't actually exist within a bubble, and for that reason, it is sometimes necessary to market our "brand" to the outside world. Yet evidence exists that Bowdoin and other Maine schools, like colleges throughout the country, have increased their efforts to sell college as a market commodity.

I read with interest the article "Teach for America divides educators" (March 2). I retired from the Pittsburgh public schools, an urban district with many students from low income families, as an elementary school principal.

I was unsatisfied with the recent article "Professors question merit of Wikipedia citations" (March 2). While I agree with the main thrust of the article?that students should not be citing Wikipedia in research papers?I believe this singling out of Wikipedia misses the point.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. Over the course the month, Safe Space hopes to raise awareness about how sexual violence affects the Bowdoin community.

Spring Break is a lot of things. It's a time to exhale, forget about functions, formulas, Foucault, and failing grades, and coax your blood pressure down to a rate that doesn't make your forehead resemble a topographical map of Utah. It's an opportunity to catch up on reading, sleep, and episodes of "The Office." It's an excuse to head south and reintroduce your pasty, translucent skin to the long-forgotten phenomena of "sun," "warmth," and "body shots." But despite its virtues, Spring Break one thing above all: a tease.

Every year the issue of censorship seems to arise. Last year, students boycotted an anti-V-day event. It was quite effective and attendance at the event was sparse.

A wide variety of leaders in education, politics, and business agree that Teach For America (TFA) is a successful program in its efforts to help close the nation's achievement gap because of both its inventive model and, most importantly, its results.

I had the good fortune this past Saturday to miss the Concord Trailways bus from Logan Airport by five minutes.

"We speak for the mountains. Love them or leave them, but don't destroy them. If you dare to be one too, call (404) 542-1134, 522-0246."

One of the things they forget to mention on your pre-college tour of Bowdoin is that once you've accepted your admission, you can say goodbye to the "private" part of your life. Don't start writing your letter to the editor just yet. Before I divulge, I want to clarify that I am not out to defame Bowdoin or its ability to allow students a private life. But after talking with Bowdoin students at length about this situation, I was amazed at how much people have to say about it.

Although I have never been a fan of Mid-Atlantic "pop punks," I'd have to say that I enjoyed Good Charlotte's breakout album, "The Young and the Hopeless," no matter how corny it was. It arrived two years after the band's self-titled debut and featured very catchy riffs and had tons of energy. Its 2004 follow-up, "Chronicles of Life and Death," was more mature, more diverse in musical ideas, but far from a masterpiece.

Spring Heat Spiced Wheat?$8.35 for a six-pack at Hannaford The T-shirts, flip-flops, and (best of all) skirts are coming out. Despite the drastic increase of frostbitten toe cases at the health center, I fully endorse this conscious forcing of Mother Nature's hand?as ridiculous as it may seem in the early stages of post-Spring Break in Brunswick, Maine. My logic, however, requires a little explanation. Normally, life doesn't reward conscious preparedness. Throw some change in your pocket in the morning to make life a little easier, and everything you buy will undoubtedly come out to perfect dollar increments.

We're back from break and already there are numerous worthy cinematic options playing in our area. The spring is usually known as downtime for film, but it's actually a great opportunity to go down a less trodden path and find more satisfying independent and foreign-produced fare.

Over break, the women's softball team traveled south and pulled out the big guns, forcing its opponents to surrender. Yes, the Polar Bears conquered the Fort?Fort Myers, Florida that is, the location of this year's spring training. It completed the best start in Bowdoin Women's Softball history, tallying a remarkable 14-3 record.

The women's rugby team traveled to Washington D.C. and Virginia over Spring Break to prepare for Division II Nationals in Sanford, Florida. The team used the trip south to tune up for the upcoming tournament.

Twenty-six. The same number of times that Al Pacino unleashes a particular expletive in "Scarface" plus 156; the same number of hours Jack Bauer has to save the United States from terrorists minus two; and the same number of times ex-pop star Britney Spears has checked into rehab this past week minus one. Yup, 26 is one ugly number. But more depressingly, it's also the same number of picks that I chose incorrectly in my Men's March Madness bracket this year; a record low.