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.

In response to student requests for longer gym hours, Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) teamed up with Facilities, Athletics, and the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs to keep the Watson Fitness Center open between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on weekdays.

The Common Hour lecture begins at 12:30 p.m. in Pickard Theater, Memorial Hall.

Students participating in Bowdoin's Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trip to New York City are collecting books for the construction of a new library at the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ). HCZ, directed by Bowdoin alumnus Geoffrey Canada '74, serves children and their families in central Harlem through a variety of educational and social service initiatives. HCZ's 15 centers serve more than 13,000 children and adults.

Student Health Program Administrator and Special Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs Caitlin Gutheil will be leaving the College on March 6. Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster made the announcement to the campus last week in a post to the Campus Digest.

The Bears were met with gusty conditions on an open Stowe Mountain course at the University of Vermont Carnival last weekend. Despite the wind, the men's team managed to take ninth-place finishes in both the freestyle and classic races, while the women returned with 10th in the freestyle and 11th in the classic competition.

Senior Associate Dean of Admissions Logan Powell has left Bowdoin to accept a position in the Princeton University Undergraduate Admissions Office. According to a press release on the Princeton Web site, Powell was appointed Director of Admission, effective December 12, 2007. In his new position, Powell is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the undergraduate admissions office and the management of its staff.

This year's United Way/Maine Share 26 Days of Giving campaign topped its $100,000 goal. The Bowdoin community raised $104,035 for local charities, breaking last year's record high of $81,602.

When it comes to "walking pneumonia," Bowdoin is not out of the woods yet. According to Geoff Beckett, assistant state epidemiologist for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), although the numbers have not increased this week, it does not mean that the outbreak is coming to an end.

As of Thursday evening, the number of cases of "walking pneumonia" on campus had risen to 33 diagnoses since mid-September, up from 25 last week. Currently, 12 of these cases are active.

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.

This year's United Way/Maine Share 26 Days of Giving fundraising campaign aims to raise $100,000 from current and retired Bowdoin employees, topping last year's fundraising efforts, which totaled $81,602. The fundraising campaign, which kicked off on October 1, occurs in workplaces around the Midcoast region.

When Muhtasabbib Matin '10 first arrived at Bowdoin from Bangladesh, he did not know any other Muslim students. It was not until Ramadan that he met other students who shared his faith.

Bowdoin's soccer-playing robotic dog team, the Northern Bites, claimed the College's first international sporting championship title.

JHR Development of Maine, LLC, the development firm selected for the Main Street Station site, announced plans to make the project sustainable

While the influence of the Middle East in world affairs is undisputed, the urgency of adapting Bowdoin's curriculum to this reality is less certain. However, for some students and faculty members, the lack of courses about Islam and the Middle East represents a critical gap in the institution's curriculum.

Acclaimed author of "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" Nassim Nicolas Taleb will deliver a lecture titled "On the Impact of the Highly Improbable."

Members of the Bowdoin community will be among the first to hear from America's lead negotiator at the six-party negotiations in Beijing regarding the recent deal with North Korea. Christopher Hill '74, an assistant secretary of state, will deliver a specially scheduled Common Hour today regarding the denuclearization talks in Beijing.

Sixty-five ninth-grade students are getting an early introduction to college from Bowdoin students today. The visiting students from seven area high schools, including Brunswick and Mt. Ararat high schools, are spending the day with a Bowdoin student for the third annual Aspirations in ME: A Taste of the College Experience.

After seven years at the College, Dr. Jeff Benson is no longer serving as college physician and director of the health center.

President Barry Mills gave some students additional homework this week. After meeting with members of Clean Energy Now (CEN), Mills and Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Katy Longley have asked the group to provide the administration with additional details about options for purchasing 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

At about the time most students were waiting in lunch lines at Moulton and Thorne on Patriots Day Monday, senior Avery Galleher was warming up with 20,000 other athletes at the 110th Boston Marathon starting line.

Weekly update for women's lacrosse, men's lacrosse, and softball.

In attempt to reduce the volume of spam flowing into Bowdoin inboxes, the Department of Information Technology (IT) undertook a lockdown of course email lists. The lockdown limits access to class email lists to students in the class.

The second-half charge from Bates in last Saturday's NESCAC quarterfinals ended the men's basketball team's three-game winning streak and knocked the Polar Bears out of NESCAC tournament play. The fourth-seeded Bobcats recovered from a 34-24 deficit at the half to squarely defeat fifth-seeded Bowdoin 67-51 in Saturday's game.

The men's hockey team, ranked 11th in the latest DIII U.S. Hockey Poll, will face Skidmore on Friday. The team boasts a 3-1 record with wins over UMass-Boston, Salve Regina, Nichols College, and a loss to Babson College.

A disagreement between a group of students and the administration has severely diluted a plan for cooperative living next year.

Sunday mornings, while most students are still recovering from Saturday night's escapades, a small group of Bowdoin telemark skiers are already slipping and sliding at Sugarloaf. "We leave at 6:30 a.m. and are skiing by 9:30 a.m.," said Max Palmer '08.

At least three Bowdoin students braved chilly temperatures and unprecedented security measures to join the approximately 100,000 people gathered in the nation's capital last week to observe President George W. Bush's second inauguration ceremony.