The Bowdoin Orient

Across the NESCAC, the global financial crisis has propelled endowments downward. Amherst's endowment has fallen by 25 percent since June 30, while Colby's endowment is down at least the same percentage. Williams has estimated a loss of about 28 percent, and Trinity has calculated an 18 percent loss. Bowdoin administrators with knowledge of the endowment chose not to comment on the College's performance.

Rather than spilling out onto the Quad as the returns from the election rolled in, some Bowdoin students watched the events among strangers thousands of miles from home. Juniors studying abroad this semester, however, said that celebrations up to and following the announcement of Obama's presidential win rivaled those in the United States.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power made headlines last week for offering 4-1 odds on the existence of God. In October, plans for an atheist ad campaign on London buses attracted similar attention; the proposed posters read, "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Today, the lecture "Talk Radio Evolution: The War on Science and the Second Coming of Scopes," featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Edward Humes, aims to take a more reasoned and in-depth look at one of the most hotly debated issues of our time.

For writer and publicist Sloane Crosley, as one door closed when she locked herself out of her apartment, another one opened: the world of published writing. Crosley, who will deliver today's Common Hour lecture, published her first book, a collection of humor essays titled "I Was Told There'd Be Cake," in April. HBO recently acquired the rights to turn the essays into a television series. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, the Village Voice, and many other noted publications.

Senior Rob Halliday's Arabic 101 class will have a couple of unfamiliar faces in class this morning: two ninth graders from local high schools. "It might be a little intimidating for them, but hopefully they get excited," Halliday said.

The country's downward-spiraling economy will not hinder Bowdoin's commitment to enhancing faculty diversity through new hires. Earlier this year, the Committee on Governance and Faculty Affairs, chaired by Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Scott MacEachern, assembled a working group on Faculty Diversity.

During the current economic downturn, administrators at many colleges and universities across the country have informed students, employees, alumni, and parents as to how the global economic crisis is affecting their school. Bowdoin is no exception: Several weeks ago, President Mills sent an e-mail to the campus titled, "The Economy and Bowdoin." In the letter, Mills emphasized that Bowdoin is well-positioned to withstand the current economic crisis. What Mills failed to mention in the note, however, were any specifics on the current state of Bowdoin's endowment.

For the past 137 years, the Orient has been the primary news source for Bowdoin College. As student press, the Orient has usually enjoyed unique access to administrators, faculty, and staff on campus. Such access to Bowdoin sources has not always extended to outside media reporting on the College. However, the Orient's mission of acting as a responsible campus news source depends on its ability to talk directly with those who make decisions for the College or have valuable insights on issues relevant to Bowdoin. It has recently come to our attention that certain administrators at the College have been encouraged not to hesitate in redirecting Orient reporters to the Office of Communications.

Fiji Water, Smart Water, Dasani, Aquafina, Poland Springs; thirsty students passing through the Student Union have a huge variety of options to quench their thirst. But what stops students from considering the cheaper alternatives of going right past the C-Store and using the water fountain, or simply filling up their own reusable water bottles?

The way I see it, Bowdoin's alcohol policy does just what the school wants it to do, and what it should. It keeps students out of the hospital. Compare the number of alcohol-related hospital transports at Bowdoin to say, Bates. Sometime earlier this year, Bates had a weekend with 21 transports. One weekend! Bowdoin will barely have that many in a decade at this rate. We've all heard how we have the lowest transport rate in NESCAC.

In the November 7 issue of the Orient, the Bowdoin community was asked to respond to the question, "How does student employment affect campus culture?" The following reply was submitted.

Though election season seemed to drag on forever and campaigns turned nasty toward the end, there is no doubt that the 2008 election brought out the best in Bowdoin students. From those who rallied around a candidate more than a year ago to the masses that gathered to celebrate Barack Obama's victory on Tuesday night, this election has sparked a spirit of political engagement and activism on campus that we should be proud of.

College houses were introduced to Bowdoin as a replacement to fraternities, assuming the former fraternity roles both of providing housing to students but also of serving as a space for social gathering?including the social consumption of alcohol. The College's policy on this aspect of the House system is flawed.

In the October 31 issue of the Orient, the Bowdoin community was asked to respond to the question, "Would Bowdoin students be motivated without grades?" The following replies were submitted.

I appreciated the editorial thank you ("Thank you," October 31), but you're right, we parents don't expect anything in return for our impoverishment beyond the joy and thrill of watching you "become."

I too am optimistic about the future and excited at the prospects of having Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. Tuesday night represented the opening of a new chapter of history both in the U.S. and around the world. While now we have the difficult task of creating change instead of just talking about it, it's hard not to feel a sense that things are going to get better rather than worse in the coming years.

Today, I clash. With my pants patterned subtly plaid, shirt pressed with opposing stripes, suit jacket suitably unsuitably matched, I am a body carrying an array of textures in seemingly gross disharmony when described. But the actual phenomenon is not gross disharmony, but desirable disharmony that comes off as potentially over-the-top, but tasteful. This is how I might describe myself: at times crass, but never classless. Sometimes, it's okay to clash.

When we think about sexual activity, there are a few body parts that are generally understood to be key players. These are typically the body parts that will bump a movie's rating from PG-13 up to R. These are also body parts that are typically (somewhat) covered by clothing. The fact that these areas are considered inappropriate for children under 17 gives them a special status not enjoyed by the other 97 percent of our bodies. I mean, can you imagine television stations censoring out hands? Elbows? Ears? But just because Hollywood has decided that these body parts aren't "special" doesn't mean we have to forsake them, too.

Americans made history on Tuesday. We showed up to the polls in record numbers and we made a difference. But, to be honest with you, if you had asked me how I felt about the election while I was standing in line waiting to vote I probably would have shrugged and given you some sort of witty and indifferent response. Or maybe I would have said, "Remember when President Clinton 'did not have sexual relations with that woman'?"

While many may have preconceived notions about national talent pageants, Adrienne Watkinson, Miss Maine 2008, will put the rumors to rest when she performs a violin concert at Studzinski Recital Hall on Saturday. Watkinson, originally from Topsham, was urged to run for Miss America after Charlie Lane, owner of Maine Sound Stage, saw her performing in Brunswick in 2007. According to Watkinson, she laughed at the idea because it wasn't anything she'd thought of doing before. Lane urged her to consider Miss Maine, however, because the talent portion of both the Miss Maine and the Miss America pageants was a huge component of the competition. Considering her violin talent and the $10,000 scholarship awarded to the winner, Watkinson decided to give it a shot.

The infamous crotchety nature of Mainers is treasured by those who can proudly call the attributor their own, as well as by those who have encountered it. Olive Kitteridge, in Elizabeth Strout's novel of the same name, is one of these ornery folk. She is a retired math teacher and well remembered by her students, who never fail to mention her intimidating presence.

Mac House will provide tonight's venue for The Gregory Brothers, a Brooklyn-based-band originally raised in and influenced by the "creeks and crawdads" of their home state of Virginia. The Gregory Brothers band consists of brothers Andrew (guitar, bass, and vocals), Evan (keys, drums, vocals), and Michael (keys, drums, vocals), and Sarah Fullen (guitar, bass, vocals). Andrew describes their style as similar to "The Band, [but] with more soul."

About seven years ago, I was thumbing through the folk aisles of the local record shop and came across a record that made me laugh. It was a cruel sort of laugh, born out of my own pubescent insecurities. On some level I knew this, but I laughed anyway. The disc was plucked from its spot far back on the shelf: a spot that no artist wanted, no record-store clerk could ever find to restock, and no customer would entertain. The disc was placed face up, resting next to its old home. I didn't even have to listen to it. On the cover, smiling up at me, was a portly young boy hovering over the home plate of Wrigley Field.

There's nothing like going out on top. The Bowdoin Football Team did just that, winning its final three games of the season, including Saturday's 20-6 win over archrival Colby that clinched Bowdoin's third-straight Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Championship. Junior quarterback Oliver Kell shined in the win, amassing 244 yards of total offense himself'23 yards more than the entire Colby team combined.

As the season nears its end, the Bowdoin Sailing Team braved the cold and wind to enjoy several respectable finishes at recent weekend regattas. Members of the coed team traveled to Newport, where they sailed to a 10th place finish at the Rhode Island State Championships. Salve Regina played host to the 17-boat event held in 420s on Narragansett Bay. Although Saturday racing was canceled due to heavy fog, sailors enjoyed blue skies and big breezes on Sunday.

Williams College defeated the Bowdoin women 6-1 in the semifinals of the 2008 NESCAC Women's Soccer Championship, bringing the season to a close for the Polar Bears. The Ephs came out firing in the first two minutes of the game, as midfielder Jackie Russo slotted a ball past keeper Kelly Thomas '09. The goal was the second fastest to open a game in NESCAC tournament history.

The women's volleyball team closed out its 2008 campaign on Friday, suffering a 3-1 loss to Wesleyan. The seventh-seeded Polar Bears began the game on a high note, holding a five-point lead at 15-10 only to fall to the second-seeded Cardinals in the first set, 25-21. After reaching 15-14 in the second set, however, the Bears refused to relinquish their lead. Eventually they triumphed with a 25-21 final score that would signal their last set victory of the season.

The Bowdoin Athletic Department has decided to remove fees for tickets to Bowdoin regular-season ice hockey games. The only exception, however, will be January 16-18 when the Brunswick High School Girls Ice Hockey Team will sell tickets to the last two home games at Dayton Arena as a fundraiser.

We may have just finished an exhausting election season, but now it's time to ramp up football season. The Tennessee Titans are a surprising dark horse if I've ever seen one. The infamous and annoyingly undefeated '72 Dolphins squad must have thought that they could break out the champagne early this year while watching Tom Brady writhe in pain on the Gillette Stadium greenway. But heading into Week 11, the Titans are a smooth 9-0 to lead the league.

As Christina Aceto '11 lined up for the penalty kick that could lead the her team to the NESCAC semifinals, adrenaline rushed to her head. Nonetheless, Aceto settled herself and cooly buried the ball in the bottom left corner of the net. Her shot is sending her and the rest of the women's soccer team to next round of the tournament, battling No. 1 Williams. But their road to victory has not been smooth.