The Bowdoin Orient

On Tuesday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., the seventh floor of Coles Tower was broken into and belongings of tower residents were stolen or left disfigured. The incident marked the second break-in to have occurred on campus in a little over a month.

The residents of Brunswick will gather at the sight of the historic Town Hall building on May 15—not for a meeting, but rather an opportunity to shop. The former Grand City building on Maine Street, which closed two years ago, is currently being renovated into Town Hall Place. The location will house Kip Stone's sixth retail store, Cool As A Moose, which sells Maine-themed clothing.

Sether Hanson '13 would have preferred his usual alarm clock wakeup last Sunday morning. Instead, he got a fire alarm, a shouting roommate and a face full of fire extinguisher exhaust. Just before 6 a.m. on the morning of January 30, two students came into Hanson's room in Ladd House and discharged an ABC fire extinguisher on both him and his roommate, as well as across his room, according to Director of Safety and Security Randy Nichols. Hanson and his roommate had been sleeping at the time.

Every year, February brings snowy days, long winter nights and the inevitable onslaught of work as students emerge from the lethargy of Winter Break. This year, however, students have the option of seriously pursuing fitness and wellness as part of the second-annual February Fit program.

The U.S. Navy issued its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) last Saturday, clearing another hurdle for the College's acquisition of three parcels of land after Naval Air Station Brunswick (NASB) closes this year. The 1,500-page naval report took three years to complete, according to a January 28 article in the Times Record.

The ongoing negotiations between the College and the Town of Brunswick over the sale of the Longfellow Elementary School property took a turn on Tuesday, as the Brunswick Police Station subcommittee voted 8-1 against the possibility of relocating the Brunswick Police Station into the College's McLellan Building on Union Street.

Due to Wednesday's extreme weather conditions, Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) did not hold its regular weekly meeting. The meeting was cancelled after expected guests indicated that they would not able to come to campus, and tables and chairs could not be delivered to the meeting location in Daggett Lounge.

When every day seemingly brings headlines of record compensation for the top executives of America's nonprofits and companies, it is refreshing to see President Barry Mills exercise restraint. With a record as impressive as his, there is little question he could be among the highest-compensated liberal arts college presidents in the country if he so wished. Yet year after year, Mills has made it clear to the Board of Trustees that money is not his prerogative, turning away hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It snowed a lot this past week, particularly on Wednesday. That day, the College declared a weather emergency—not a snow day—and staff deemed "essential" were asked to report to work, keeping students from being left out in the cold. In the midst of the storm, countless facilities staff were out clearing sidewalks and driveways in order to ensure that students could get to and from their classes. Without their efforts, the College would have come to a halt and many would have been stranded in their rooms.

According to the Bowdoin website, over half of the College's students have studied abroad by the time they graduate. That statistic tells me a whole number of things. Mostly, it says that the college is blessed with a crazy abundance of resources. As a sophomore, I have spent much of this year listening to my friends talk excitedly about their plans to go abroad next year. The different cities they mention are intoxicating enough to make me dizzy. I've heard plans to go to Tel-Aviv, London, Buenos Aires, Paris, and even (perhaps unwisely) Cairo. There is no questioning the allure of these cities and the countless others that my classmates will be flying off to next year. They will provide the opportunity for incredible language immersion and cultural education.

As a senior who has been heavily involved on the Bowdoin campus and who represents the opinion of many students, I want to voice my concern about the current comments that are posted on the Orient Express website, under the title: "Approval Ratings, Vol. II: Your Comments." Although the Orient was supposedly well-intentioned in making a ratings survey, there are some serious problems with the article and its accompanying comments: 1. Comments about campus organizations and individuals should not be anonymous.

Patriotism, defined as a dedication to one's country and loyalty to the principles for which it stands, vastly transcends most other manifestations of pride. Pride in a local sports team, alma mater, or even occupation may mean a great deal to an individual, but it is ultimately the bond between a person and his or her country that the most has been sacrificed for, both in terms of cost and life. The rank and file of the intellectual left is no doubt puzzled by such a dynamic. There is no logic, their argument goes, in killing and dying for a country that you were merely born into. For these individuals, a country is little more than a piece of land and to tether one's identity and livelihood with it is purely nonsensical.

January was a busy month. Tunisia and Egypt challenged their autocratic governments; the Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a visit to the White House; and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, from Arizona's Eighth Congressional District, was the target of an assassination attempt by Jared Lee Loughner, a mentally unsound twenty-two year old with dubious political affiliations and motivations and one of the most terrifying mug shots in recent memory. The violence at a suburban Safeway near Tucson, Arizona, became a rallying point for pundits on the both the left and the right.

To the Editors: The academic fascism that emanates from colleges and universities throughout the U.S. today without a doubt had its unhappy origin in the radicalization of campuses during the late 1960s when I was a student at Bowdoin. I well remember the near takeover of the campus by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and other like groups claiming to be pursuing economic and social justice when in fact they were merely attempting to impose a totalitarian leftist ideology on the campus, thereby politicizing one of the finest colleges in America.

In 1997, a commission composed of trustees, faculty and students submitted a report tracing the failings of Bowdoin's fraternity system and proposed an alternative housing plan: the College House System. The commission was optimistic that the system would cultivate a deeper sense of community on campus, and the proposed plan was quite thorough and introspective. A few of the guidelines were tongue-in-cheek.

For some strange reason, fellow Bowdoiners always seem to know that I grew up in Maine. How they learn of my heritage remains a mystery to me, but once they do, I encounter a blizzard of questions: Is there electricity where you live? Do you ever take your boots off? How come fishhooks and shotgun shells keep falling out of your pockets? Is that a hoof sticking out of your trunk? Sometimes the question is earnest, simple and answered easily. Sometimes the question is stupid and demands a stupid answer; I zealously oblige. But there is one question that requires a sincere and thorough response. Inquiring minds most frequently request the secret to surviving Maine winters.

In the wake of the Tucson shootings, the national debate over gun control has reignited and the question of whether firearms ought to be allowed on college campuses, a question that first gained national attention in 2007 following the tragedy at Virginia Tech, holds renewed interest and significance.

Stress is unavoidable. Whether induced by academic work, social problems, uncertainty of future plans or just living in a new environment, stress is a mainstay on college campuses. "The overriding thing that we deal with, with students, is more anxiety-related conditions," said Director of the Counseling Service and Wellness Program Bernie Hershberger. "Stress and anxiety easily consume about 60 percent of issues and concerns that we help students with." Hershberger's comments follow a January 26 New York Times article that reported the emotional health of college freshmen has declined to the lowest recorded level in 25 years.

After finishing my last column over Winter Break, I received some of the worst news a beer reviewer can get. For years I have avoided seafood with the assumption that I have a food allergy, based on a bad experience when I was young. Looking back, I should have tested this allergy a little more, but it just became easy to avoid seafood in general. Finally, however, after years of vegetable sushi and steak at the lobster bake, I decided to get tested and find out if my avoidances were necessary.

I headed toward my closet and assessed its contents, making a mental note of just how many bulky cardigans—all in different shades of gray, I might add—black jeggings, circle scarves and stripes in all widths and colors, and it occurred to me that most of my outfits are indistinguishable from one another.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and despite my Ebenizer-esque outlook on the corporatization and capitalization of my innermost thoughts and emotions, I do find this a great opportunity to speak about a common topic around the "Undiscussed" dinner table: Bowdoin relationships. Okay, I realize I'm no expert on the subject, but if you've got health questions I'm here to give you answers.

For over 10 years, the New York Times Sunday Magazine has published a column in which Randy Cohen answers readers' questions about "the moral and ethical dilemmas of our time." Over the course of my three years at Bowdoin, I've encountered quite a few such Bowdoin-specific ethical quandaries. I'm not an expert, but I am a concerned community member hoping to codify Bowdoin social norms and basic principles of right conduct. Send me your questions and I'll reply with the justice and wit you expect of the Orient.

Famous Jewish rappers include Drake, the Beastie Boys and Matisyahu. Another name may someday be added to that list: Kosha Dillz.

While February may be the shortest month of the year, it is jam-packed with commemorative initiatives on both a global and local scale. Internationally, women's history is celebrated, nationally black history is commemorated, and locally, we look to the Brunswick past.

If you are still waiting for Game's (formerly of G-Unit) highly anticipated "The R.E.D Album," don't hold your breath. Apparently the album is 95 percent finished but who knows what that means—the album was already given a firm release date back in June and has been delayed ever since.

Pickard Theater will come alive tomorrow night as The Low Anthem and Jukebox the Ghost take the stage for the Entertainment Board's (E-Board) annual Winter Concert. Bowdoin's own Louis Weeks '11 will open for the two headliners, both of which are currently on tour.

A new exhibit entitled "Modernism at Bowdoin: American Paintings" was recently installed at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. The exhibit features art from the first four decades of the 20th century, and draws on paintings obtained from both the Museum's collection as well as works from the Yale University Art Gallery.

Miscellania hits high note on tour over break

When it comes to athletic competition, momentum can play a huge role in success, and one great weekend can snowball into the next weekend and beyond. For the nordic ski team, this phenomenon seems to be true.

After 11 lead changes and five tie scores in the second half alone, the men's basketball team secured an 84-82 non-conference victory over Thomas College on Tuesday night.

The men's and women's squash teams enjoyed their best outing of the season last weekend, going undefeated at a home tournament at the Lubin Family Squash Center.

After a strong showing at its Home Invitational last weekend, the men's track team is gearing up for a big meet this Saturday at Maine state meet.

The women's indoor track team, which spent the last two weeks of Winter Break training at Bowdoin, easily defeated Colby, outscoring them 90 to 56 on Saturday. The team won the last three team event meets that they participated in.

As the Brunswick weather is getting colder, women’s ice hockey player Kayte Holtz ’13 is heating up. This Monday, for the second time in four weeks, she was named the NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Player of the Week.