The Bowdoin Orient

For the second time in two years, a referendum that would allow students without prior experience on Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) to run for the office of BSG president failed. Although a slim majority of voters supported the constitutional amendment, according to results released by BSG yesterday, the referendum did not receive the two-thirds support required to amend the constitution. Only 142 voters favored the changing eligibility requirements, while 134 students opposed amending the constitution.

Well-known volunteer-based organizations Teach for America (TFA) and the Peace Corps both received?and accepted?considerable numbers of applications from Bowdoin seniors this year. In the 2007-2008 academic year, the Peace Corps received 12 applications from Bowdoin students, said Public Affairs Specialist for the New England Peace Corps office Joanna O'Brien. David Nachtweih, communications associate for TFA, said that 34 students from the Class of 2008 had applied to the program during the year?a 41 percent spike from last year's crop of applicants.

The College's investigation into the "potential breach" of student data is ongoing, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs Scott Hood said. An investigative firm, brought in by the College to examine how a former administrator's personal files were left open and accessible to anyone with a Bowdoin username, will release a preliminary report on April 29. A folder in the name of Caitlin Gutheil, the former student health program administrator who departed Bowdoin last month, was left open, exposing files that included student health insurance information and student Social Security numbers.

After a year without practice and two agonizing days of games, Jason Spector '09 took the crown at the Maine state chess championship. Again. Last weekend, Spector's performance at the tournament earned him first place for the second year in a row. Only this time, he had to share the title?with a Bates professor.

Due to what Information Technology (IT) is calling a "possible breach," confidential information was accessible to anyone with a Bowdoin username and password for an unknown length of time. The data included student Social Security numbers, insurance information, lists of students on medical and disciplinary leave, internal health center contracts and employee reviews, yearly budgets, and e-mails.

In the offices that overlook the serving lines at Thorne Dining Hall, whose top-ranked fare was celebrated most recently this week in the style pages of the New York Times, a team of literal and figurative bean-counters are constantly brainstorming ways to maintain Bowdoin's dining reputation in the face of spiking food prices.

We've noticed them, too: the private debates, the somber phone conversations, the dining hall conferences, even the tears. Despite what has easily been the balmiest weather of the year, an Eeyorian cloud has hung over a number of Bowdoin students all week, reminding everybody that Housing Lottery season?the stormiest of all seasons?has once again arrived.

At Bowdoin, we've managed to develop a list of activities and/or events that you absolutely must do if you really want to graduate in the security of knowing you've milked your education for all its worth. Going to L.L. Bean at 2 a.m., taking an Outing Club trip, making Super Snack nachos, etc.

My last column ("Responding to Hitchens's ethical challenge," Apr. 4, 2008) looked at Christopher Hitchens's challenge to theists: "Name me an ethical statement made or an action performed by a believer that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer." Basically, I concluded that Hitchens misses the point of religion.

What unspoken social rules govern our Bowdoin lives? Why don't we eat with strangers? Why do sports teams eat every single dinner together? Why do we rarely make friends with our neighbors after first year? Why are many clubs on campus so homogeneous? These are some of some of the questions that came up in my dialogue group for The Undiscussed.

To the Editors: John Cunningham's assertion ("Christianity restricts violence in history," Apr. 11, 2008) that Christianity constrains violence is insupportable... Religion provided justification for atrocities by convincing pious men that their neighbors were enemies of God.

To the Editors: The Day of Silence is Wednesday, April 23. I choose not to speak on this day to bring attention to the silence faced by queer people and their allies. Queer and allied people are silenced every day, either because no one will listen or because they are afraid to speak

To the Editors: I enjoyed the student responses to "What is Bowdoin's best kept dirty little secret?" in "Student Speak" (Apr. 4, 2008). One student response?"Bowdoin pays for you to party"?runs counter to my assumption that I was paying for my child to party at Bowdoin.

To the Editors: In the Apr. 11, 2008 piece, "Performers demand the weird, the unexpected, and the ellicit," the article quotes Jacqueline Abrams '08 as saying that last spring, Rahzel hung out with the rugby team. I would submit that this is a baseless rumor spread by the rugby team for its own personal gain.

For an unknown length of time, private student data including Social Security numbers, insurance information, and lists of students on medical and disciplinary leave were available on the campus server to anyone with a Bowdoin username and password. While the accessibility of the data was surely an error, with such sensitive information on the line, it was an inexcusable one.

In the coming weeks, a survey designed by students in a Bowdoin psychology class will make its way around campus. This survey, which asks questions on a variety of topics, including Facebook, parents, and the environment, will provide Bowdoin students with an opportunity to contribute to academic research?one they should take advantage of.

Joseph McKeen, Bowdoin's first President, who was famous for his inaugural address about the Common Good, would be proud if he heard about the $15,050 in grants recently awarded to non-profit organizations in the Midcoast area.

Some lucky first years might find that they have a little extra space in their dorm rooms next year.

When many fashionistas and garmentos, both worldwide and at Bowdoin, dream of the ideal shopping experience, Maine doesn't quite make the list.

A new online study will ask students to direct their browsers away from Facebook for a few minutes and instead spend some time thinking about the behaviors which have defined their college careers.

After being sidetracked by Spring Break's glamour and the Pub controversy, I'm finally back in my journalistic wheelhouse writing about sex. It's about time to revisit the enigmatic yet simple question: "What's your number?"

At the end of their Bowdoin career, senior art majors arrange their own exhibitions and bid farewell to the College. Tomorrow, seniors Avery Forbes, Joanna Sese, Nora Meyer, and Doran Rivera will put up their joint exhibition, which showcases their diverse artistic abilities.

For many Bowdoin students, Girl Talk's performance tonight is a dream come true.

In September, MacMillan House played host to some of the best dance moves ever seen on Bowdoin campus. The reason for all this exuberant flailing of arms and legs was The Gregory Brothers' energy-packed live performance. They visited Bowdoin along with guest band member Sarah Fullen and knocked some socks off. This weekend they're back and prepared to do it all over again.

On July 11, 2007, at the E3 trade show, Nintendo's press conference culminated in the announcement of its newest Wii peripheral, the "Balance Board." The board was featured alongside its flagship game, "Wii Fit." "Wii Fit" follows in the vein of the cultural phenomenon "Wii Sports" by encouraging gamers to get out of their comfy chairs and do their bodies good while playing with their favorite little time-wasters.

To fill a plane ride or the half hour between classes when you can't bear to look at one more homework assignment open "The Book of Other People" edited by Zadie Smith. Indulging in one story might lead to two or three, especially if you are lying prostrate on the Quad in between the still-wintry breezes.

Several reviewers of "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days" have referred to it as a kind of horror film. They are not completely off-base.

Top five desert island albums? KY: Spoon's "Gimme Fiction," Outkast's "Stankonia," Modest Mouse's "The Moon And Antarctica," Incubus's "A Crow Left Of The Murder," Of Montreal's "The Sunlandic Twins." HE: Bob Marley And the Wailers's "Gold," Michael Franti's "Songs From the Front Porch," Zero 7's "When It Falls," Luther Vandross's "The Ultimate," Lil' Wayne anything after "The Carter 1."

Underneath Dudley Coe, down an unassuming staircase and through a nondescript door, lies a haven for Brunswick's music lovers. The WBOR station is a popular hangout for the fledgling DJs of the local community. This week the station will hold its annual concert, featuring the popular artist The One AM Radio.

The women's lacrosse team won two of the last three games it played this week to jump up to No. 4 in NESCAC standings. While the Polar Bears still have two league games to determine their postseason fate, the recent wins were key to increasing their playoff chances. Wednesday night in Waterville, Bowdoin proved particularly clutch, beating Colby (3-4 NESCAC) in double overtime 11-10.

Ten goals, 10 different shooters. That was the story for the men's lacrosse team Wednesday night as it took on its rival to the north, Colby. When the final whistle had blown, the scoreboard showed Bowdoin victorious by a score of 10-6. Starting goalie Gordon Convery '08 only allowed one goal while he was in front of the net. He gave way to Alex Gluck '08 after the Bears lead by a score of 4-1 at halftime.

With Trinity secure in first place and Bates and Colby trailing behind, Head Coach Mike Connolly knew Bowdoin's three games against Tufts would be incredibly important before the pitch was even thrown. Unfortunately for the Polar Bears, the baseball team would go on to drop the series 2-1, significantly hurting its chances of making the playoffs.

Despite a bus breakdown that left half of the track team stranded four miles from a track meet at the University of New Hampshire campus, the Bowdoin women turned in numerous solid performances. With the help of several parents and the team bus from University of Maine, all of the Polar Bears made it to the meet. Although the meet was non-scoring, the Polar Bears tested themselves against Division I competition, facing athletes from University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, and Quinnipiac University.

The tennis teams faced strong competition within the NESCAC in a weekend full of play. The women's team lost two tough matches against high-ranking opponents within the conference. While the Bowdoin men were able to recover from their disappointing loss on Friday they rebounded to take a resounding victory on Saturday.

First, Chien-Ming Wang showed why he is still one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball. Then, after a sporadic rainfall blanketed the field a couple of times over, resulting in a two-hour and 11-minute long rain delay, Jonathan Papelbon entered and answered, blazing three straight past Alex Rodriguez, subsequently erupting into his usual extravagant celebration like a sugar-high kid at Chuck E. Cheese. Finally, Phil Hughes didn't have it, and the opposing bats did, while Joe Morgan?in a nutshell?told the world that the minor leagues was a place for young players to develop; the sky is also blue, in case you were wondering.

After back-to-back losses to St. Joseph's, the last thing the Bowdoin Baseball Team wanted to do was extra running. However, upon returning to Bowdoin, the Bears headed straight to Farley Field House and proceeded to run two timed miles and 20 sprints before finally being set free to crash into their beds.