The Bowdoin Orient

A recent article in the Portland Press Herald about an alleged incident of "mild hazing" involving the Bowdoin Women's Squash Team has prompted a flurry of activity by College officials. The October 26 story was driven by a tip to the Press Herald leading them to photographs of the squash team from 2005 on the Internet, according to Sports Editor Don Coulter.

The health center usually expects to treat up to five cases of "walking pneumonia" each semester, so this fall's astounding 25 cases have left state and College health officials seeking an explanation. "The fact that we have 25 cases highlights the fact that there is something going on that we have to investigate," said Dr. Jeffrey Maher, a contracted physician for the health center.

With a rallying cry of "One Year to Victory!" the fourth annual Maine College Democrats Convention will be held this Saturday at Bowdoin.

"I'd give up sleeping under covers for a year for the Sox to win it all," first year Bryan Rosata said while watching Game 4 of the World Series last Sunday night. Rosata would not be disappointed. Hours later, Jonathan Papelbon fired a 95 mile-per-hour fastball past the bat of pinch-hitter Seth Smith, and the Colorado Rockies went down with a whimper.

Relief may be just around the corner for students graduating from Maine colleges and universities with large educational debts. In January 2008, the State of Maine will launch Opportunity Maine, a program that provides debt-relief incentives for students who graduate from Maine colleges and stay in state to work afterward.

Bowdoin students say that the Dining Service's Honolulu Tofu is good, but is it good enough to win Bowdoin a slot among America's most vegan- and vegetarian-friendly colleges? Maybe so, according to peta2, a student-specific branch of the world's largest animal rights group, PETA.

Bowdoin did not show any improvement in the second annual College Sustainability Report Card, issued by the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) last week. In the 2008 report, the College maintained an overall B- average with its lowest marks in the "endowment investment" categories. Bowdoin received two "Fs" for endowment transparency and shareholder engagement.

Sierra Magazine has awarded Bowdoin an honorable mention for being one of America's most environmentally conscientious colleges.

Sierra magazine awarded Bowdoin an honorable mention this week on its first-ever list of America's "coolest" colleges. Though this descriptor may seem quaintly juvenile, the meaning Sierra has ascribed to it is substantially weightier: The magazine?published by one of the country's foremost environmental groups?regards Bowdoin as one of the 18 most environmentally conscientious colleges in the country.

Should students be permitted to use the Credit/D/F grading option when taking classes to fulfill distribution requirements? Currently, the College allows this, but the policy is being reconsidered by a faculty committee. The editors of the Orient take on this question in "Conditional Credit/D/F" (October 26, 2007), and they defend the current policy: They argue that the College should allow use of Credit/D/F even for distribution requirements.

The campus is in consensus in response to the Republican chalking and Jeff Jeng's piece "Republicans should engage, not enrage" (October 26, 2007). This is my plea for students, both left and right, to set aside anger and finally get engaged.

If my Orient reading habits are at all representative of the Bowdoin population, I generally turn straight to the Security Report and then flip to the letters to the editor. I typically enjoy the Opinion section, reading the potpourri of ideas tossed around. However, towards the end of last year, I grew less satisfied with the section.

To the Editors: This week, Bowdoin Sailing has received more attention than it has in my last five seasons. Unfortunately, it is not because of our top 10 ranking in the Erwin Schell Regatta last weekend. Rather, it is due to three, three year-old pictures posted on an anti-hazing Web site, which were taken from an album entitled "Freshmen Initiation" put up on webshots.com and forgotten.

To the Editors: As a Bowdoin alum and mathematics professor, your editorial regarding the Credit/D/F policy ("Conditional Credit/D/F," October 26, 2007) grabbed my attention. All faculty members want to see a strong effort out of their students, so I hope that the College will implement the Grade/Credit/F policy.

To the Editors: I would like to commend Mr. Gates's observational skills ("Campus speaks up about Republicans' responses to Outweek," October 26, 2007). He rightly comments that "the power to tax is the power to destroy" does not have anything to do with sexuality. However, the rest of his comments are misguided.

To the Editors: Why? The Bowdoin community goes to great lengths to ensure that everyone is made to feel welcomed, accepted, and respected. To quote from the 2006 Student Handbook: "Respect for the rights of all and for all differences among us is essential for the Bowdoin community. Discrimination or harassment of others because of race, religious affiliation, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical disability, or other characteristics has no place in an intellectual community."

To the Editors: The Conscious Consumerism project has been urging people to think before they buy. A couple more dollars to someone in Mexico or a couple more trees in a forest in Brazil may seem insignificant when you go to the store, but there are severe repercussions, politically and ethically, in our consumer choices.

In 2004, the College changed its Credit/Fail option to Credit/D/Fail in order to prevent students from coasting through classes. Also in 2004, the Bowdoin faculty voted to increase the number of distribution requirements students must fulfill to graduate, a mandate that took effect last year. This year, the Curriculum and Education Policy Committee (CEP) is deliberating a motion that would prohibit students from using their Credit/D/Fail option in classes they take to satisfy those distribution requirements. It is not difficult to see the paternalistic trend here.

After Michel Bamani '08 finishes proofreading a fellow student's assignment, he sticks it in an envelope and mails it off. While other student tutors and writing assistants at Bowdoin meet to discuss changes with their tutees in person, Bamani relies on the postal service to relay his comments because his tutees aren't on campus. They're in jail.

One of the most important lessons that many Bowdoin students learn at college occurs outside of the classroom and late into the weekend night, when the "work hard, drink hard" mentality of college kicks in, and students learn how much alcohol they can tolerate.

The most venerable and illustrious Giorgio Armani once stated, "Accessories are important and becoming more and more important every day." I could not agree with him more.

A Bowdoin education is a kick in the wallet. The Orient examines why tuition costs are so high and why they will continue to rise.

Most Bowdoin students have at least some knowledge of the eminent role Bowdoin played in the Civil War. Many know that "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was written in a nearby house by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the wife of a Bowdoin professor, while others are familiar with war hero Joshua Chamberlain. But comparatively few know about an honor that Bowdoin bestowed upon a Southern politician who played a decisive role in the Civil War.

In the spirit of Parents Weekend, I have decided to help parents understand what Facebook is, and why everyone, (yes, that means everyone here at Bowdoin), is so obsessed with it.

While some musicians are known for their expertise in a single genre Joyce Moulton is a pianist who has distinguished herself as a master of a variety of musical style.

In the hip-hop world, an even slightly different style from the norm is startling. The Press Project, the hip-hop group who will be at the Jack McGee's Pub next Thursday, does more than deviate just a little?the group takes a giant step away, combining a classic hip-hop singing style with interesting instrumentals that are more reminiscent of jazz, soul, and funk.

The title of Rebecca Curtis's debut collection of short stories is "Twenty Grand: And Other Tales of Love and Money." This heading suggests glamour, but the women in "Twenty Grand" know better.

When you fork over those extra few bucks to buy some premium beers, you believe the additional expense is worth it. Sure, you pay a premium for it, but you justify the investment by convincing yourself that the premium beer is better than its cheaper alternative.

Just in time for the Halloween season, Rockstar Games's "Manhunt 2" made its way to the Wii and Playstation 2 this week. If an analogy is to be drawn between this game and the horror genre of films, it is more like "Saw" than "Exorcist"?that is, more viscerally than supernaturally frightening. Even the "Resident Evil" series, with its zombified not-quite-human antagonists, has more to do with an uncanny kind of horror than "Manhunt 2." This game is all about the blood and guts.

Top five songs you'd like to dance to in a Kidder Smith class? LC & KF: "F--k the Pain Away" by Peaches. "Hot Pants" by James Brown. "Sugar on my Tongue" by Talking Heads. "The Warning" by Hot Chip. "Mellow Yellow" by Donovan. Soundtrack on a Saturday night?

The Bowdoin Men's Soccer Team managed to fight for an improbable 2-0 victory over Wesleyan to surge through to the next round of the NESCAC playoffs.

Although NESCAC football teams do not participate in an official postseason tournament, the Bowdoin Football Team will effectively enter its playoffs this weekend. The team will play Bates on Saturday, beginning its defense of last year's CBB title.

The Bowdoin Women's Rugby Team saw its season come to a premature close with a 25-19 loss to the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the first round of the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) tournament on a rainy but warm Parents Weekend.

After last year's NESCAC cross country championship, complete with hurricane force winds, driving rain, and the infamous NESCAC rash, the Bowdoin women were ready for anything at this year's race.

The enthusiasm of the home court was palpable this past Sunday as the Bowdoin Women's Volleyball Team closed its regular season with a 3-0 shutout of Bates.

He's gone. He's finally gone. For the first time in nearly four years, I can finally screw the cap onto my bottle of Advil without thinking twice, knowing I won't have to open it for a long, long time. Alex Rodriguez has finally left the New York Yankees.