The Bowdoin Orient

Chris Hill '74, the lead negotiator with North Korea under the Bush administration, is expected to be named the next U.S. Ambassador to Iraq by President Obama, ABC News first reported on Monday.

The Board of Trustees will meet this weekend and discuss a theme that has been on the minds of most at Bowdoin: the economy and its impact on the College.

The Bowdoin Bubble does not keep its inhabitants immune to the nation's faltering economy. Just as Americans across the country are struggling to find and keep jobs, Bowdoin students are having a difficult time breaking into the real world.

Following the release of a memo by President Barry Mills last week, outlining a series of recommendations to aid financial planning, 13 students attended a forum on College finances Tuesday night. Part of a series of community meetings also including staff and faculty forums, the meeting sought to clarify student questions surrounding the College's fiscal affairs and plans to reduce future deficits.

At its Wednesday meeting, Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) debated the content of a new handbook, full of advice to students about cost-cutting measures they can take amidst tough economic times.

The breakfast scene at Moulton and Thorne are familiar routines: swiping in, grabbing a newspaper, and sitting down to read the news with your scrambled eggs and fruit platter. A less familiar routine, however, is that of students returning these newspapers after breakfast for later diners to enjoy.

February is the toughest month of winter, offering neither the excitement of a new semester nor the anticipation of spring. This time every year, Bowdoin provides just about everything it can to cheer up students and prevent them from becoming slobbering, mindless zombies: themed dinners at Thorne, ice sculptures on the Quad, even a traveling clown troupe.

Around mid-February of my sophomore year, I was looking to solidify my summer plans. As a potential French-Biology double major, it would have made sense for me to travel, teach French, try outdoor education, or do ecology fieldwork. But part of me was still tempted by the allure of the business world.

Recently, top Democrats have publicly declared an end to partisanship and the beginning of a post-partisan era; however, their recent actions are telling a very, very different story. Last week the house approved the 647-page "stimulus" package, by a vote of 244-188. Not a single Republican voted in favor of the new spending bill and 11 Democrats joined the GOP's attempt to stop this titanic bill from ever becoming law.

The stimulus package currently undergoing Senate debate, a combination of tax reductions and domestic spending designed to create jobs, is a step in the right direction to fixing the economy. In the long run, however, another glaring problem faces our economy. That "elephant in the room" is the condition of the American health care system.

Our school has an absurd staff of professors, administrators, and coordinators who ensure Bowdoin's rightful place amongst the top academic colleges in the country. We are treated very well—some would argue too well—but I'm not too concerned with my post-college depression and hardships just yet. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm spoiled—I'm constantly haunted by my trashcan and pissed that I have to actually take it out. It's pathetic, but then so is my laundry basket.

Dear first years, Why did you pick Bowdoin in the first place? If you really think about it and try to recollect your initial inclinations, you'd admit there was something seductive about the idea of a liberal arts education. The idea of such an education was vague, and it still is, but you were told by your admissions counselor or parents what it was and something about that appealed to you.

To the Editors: In Emily Graham's wholly unimpressive piece on abortion, ("Roe v. Wade vigil brings shock, then reflection," January 30) I wonder why Emily at one point expresses an urge to "celebrate" Roe v. Wade.

To the Editors: I would like to thank Emily Graham for writing her op-ed on the Roe v. Wade vigil hosted by the Catholic Student Union two weeks ago ("Roe v. Wade vigil brings shock, then reflection," January 30). I appreciated her honesty and courtesy in the article.

To the Editors: I applaud you for last week's insightful and absolutely correct editorial ("Full Disclosure," January 30). I fault you only for being so forgiving in your criticism. The school will be adding 10 non-need-blind spots to the student body each year. Since the goal of this addition is to raise revenue, should not Bowdoin pursue the most effective means of doing so?

Shoe designer Ruthie Davis '84 has always been a trend-setter. Her shoe company, Davis, has been known to challenge even the highly progressive fashion industry. Her stilettos, boots, sandals, and flats have appeared in magazines such as Glamour, Lucky, InStyle, People, Vogue, and Bazaar, and, like Davis, are constantly pushing the fashion envelope.

This time of year, we should all be aware of SAD. I am not only referring to seasonal affective disorder, but also to the rapidly approaching Singles Awareness Day, which "coincidentally" falls on February 14. We are now a week into February, the month when single people become acutely aware, and in some cases defensive, of the fact that we've been cuddling up to our body pillows for the past couple of days, weeks, months, or years. Usually we love our body pillows, but sending your body pillow chocolate for Valentine's Day is generally counterproductive because you wind up eating them all yourself and then feeling lonely and sick.

All of a sudden, I had an urge to purchase a pair of cowboy boots. I think it started the night that I watched "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" with friends—friends who insisted on wearing cowboy boots themselves while watching a movie replete with a like-booted cast. "They're awesome, and they add just a bit of height," one friend says. The last-described characteristic of the boots attracted me especially, for, dear readers, your columnist has always looked for ways to artificially increase his diminutive height. (And before you suggest heel inserts, let me tell you, I have been there. My middle school years were spent with said inserts and, unfortunately, inserts are forever tied to those painful years of life, so alas, I must move on).

Bowdoin students studying abroad are seeking shorter stays, are mostly female, and are increasingly interested in unconventional programs—all trends that are reflected on a national level.

Hello Bowdoin. You look great. And it's so good to see you—it's been so long since I've seen you. Wait a minute, what am I talking about? I can't see you, and you can't see me either. Then again, you do know what I look like, because my picture is printed at the top of this column. So, if you see me walking toward the Union today you might recognize me, but would you say hello—would you give me eye contact?

What happens when a circus and a classical play combine? 500 Clown theater group. Tonight, "500 Clown Frankenstein" comes to Pickard Theater. Hailing from Chicago, the group 500 Clown currently has four shows in its repertoire; along with "500 Clown Frankenstein," its shows include "500 Clown Macbeth," "500 Clown Christmas," and "500 Clown and the Elephant Deal." A fifth, "500 Clown A Man's a Man," is in the works.

People may not think of their ordinary home videos as fine art, but after viewing the most recent exhibition in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art's Media Gallery, anything seems possible. The exhibition is Guy Ben-Ner's "Moby Dick," a 12-minute silent film staged in a strange setting: the artist's kitchen. Starring only himself and his six-year-old daughter, the film summarizes Melville's classic novel and accentuates many of its basic motifs while simultaneously introducing themes of fatherhood, masculinity, and sexual tension between the father and daughter.

It took me far too long to immerse myself in the glories of "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski. The formidably paginated book haunted the display case of the Philadelphia bookstore I worked in last summer, new copies steadily appearing as their predecessors rapidly flew the coop. I resisted the call of the dust jacket, shying away from the author's difficult surname. In January, I succumbed. Three hundred pages later I couldn't believe I had read so much and that not a single page had been wasted. I was just halfway through, and I couldn't wait for more.

Whirling plastic nets suspended from the ceiling create an ethereal environment in Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Anna Hepler's new installation at Rockport's Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA). The exhibit, titled "Gyre," consists of net-like webs constructed with sewn sheets of plastic and tarps. "I was interested to try a new material for this installation and I knew I wanted to use sheet plastic because it is easy to manipulate and it is often translucent which also interested me in terms of layering," Hepler said.

Before I printed out the list of Oscar nominations, I thought that I had seen many of the films up for nomination. Instead, looking at the list, I felt woefully out of the loop. What were these movies? Why hadn't I seen them? Why hadn't I even heard of them (in the case of "The Wrestler")?

After a stellar weekend in which the women's basketball team notched two of its biggest wins of the season, the team will look to continue its winning ways in home games tonight and tomorrow. The Polar Bears (16-4, 4-1 NESCAC) handed Amherst its first loss of the season in a 63-61 victory last Friday. The then No. 4-ranked Lord Jeffs had been 18-0 before junior forward Leah Rubega's buzzer-beating lay-up downed Amherst.

Not too long from now, the sideline reporter during the big game might just be Bowdoin senior Kaitee Daley. Daley appeared in a one-and-a-half minute segment on ESPNU on Sunday, after the first period of the University of Maine-University of Massachusetts hockey game. The piece focused on the prominently displayed Zamboni in the new Sidney J. Watson arena, which is the fourth collegiate Zamboni to exist in the United States.

On Tuesday night, the men's basketball team handled visiting non-conference foe Babson College, 56-34. The non-conference victory on Tuesday night followed a weekend that saw the Bears split two games against conference foes, Amherst and Trinity. The 34 points allowed by Bowdoin against Babson was the lowest total since 2005. Holding the visiting Beavers to just 22.9 percent shooting, the Bears used stifling defense and dominated the paint with seven blocked shots.

The past two weeks have held mixed results for the men's and women's squash teams as they battle through the heart of the season. Last week, the Polar Bears traveled to Providence to take on the Brown Bears. Bowdoin suffered two 8-1 losses, with wins by junior co-captain David Funk on the men's side and senior co-captain Kate Gormley on the women's side.

The women's hockey team looks to rebound against Colby after splitting games last weekend. The Bears lost 6-3 to Middlebury on Saturday and beat Williams on Sunday, 2-1. In Saturday's contest, Emileigh Mercer '09 made 34 saves, while Kate Pokrass '10 scored two of the Polar Bears' three goals against Middlebury. However, the Bears were unable to maintain their lead against the Panthers' dominant offense.

The Nordic ski team placed ninth out of 11 teams at the University of New Hampshire carnival in Jackson, N.H., in a 1.4K classic sprint on Friday and a 10K freestyle race on Saturday. Erin Hatton '12 was the first Bowdoin woman finisher in 55th place in the sprint. Hatton was followed by Olivia Orr '12 in 58th and captain Elissa Rodman '10 in 74th.

Nadal really got to Federer's head during the Australian Open final last weekend, as he prevented Federer from equaling Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slam titles in another five-set (7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2) thriller between the two rivals. Despite the many other epic matches played between the two, this was their first Grand Slam final meeting on a hard court.