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Bowdoin Orient
The
BOC budget
shortage
could reduce
programming
BY MEG ROBBINS
ORIENT STAFF
After the Meeting in the Union one year ago (above), students issued an open letter to the community that contained 18 calls to action.
MATTHEW GUTSCHENRITTER THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
Below are four of the calls to action and the Colleges response. See page 5 for a complete list.
THE COLLEGE ANSWERED WITH...
We call on the College and Residential Life staff to provide its College
House members with race training in addition to working to create a
more inclusive space within the College House System for all students.
ResLife added a question to the College House application that specifically address diversity, and officers had additional training on facilitating inclusivity in houses.
New IT tool
to safeguard
Bowdoins
network
15
18
BY LUCY RYAN
ORIENT STAFF
A&E
FEATURES
2. We call on the College to promote the option of reporting a bias incident by educating the student body about the process at the beginning
of each academic year.
clusion Leana Amaez. Were asking institutions
that were built 200 years ago for a very different
population to reimagine themselves, and that
takes a lot of intentionality and examination of
where are our traditions, where are our policies,
where are our practices not meeting the needs of
students today, where are they not reflecting the
diversity of our world, where are they creating
barriers to inclusion and equity.
Amaez and the rest of the office of student affairs have been heavily involved in several efforts
that directly address concerns raised in the open
letter. Notably, additional programming during
first-year orientation will specifically address
race and bias; Bowdoins intergroup dialogue
programming is expanding; and divisions of the
College are adopting hiring and retention best
practices in order to increase diversity among
faculty and staff.
Residential Life (ResLife) has also taken steps
towards educating their staff on how to facilitate
conversations on difficult subjects by doubling
the amount of training on race, gender and sexuality, as well as working with College House officers to improve the inclusivity and accessibility
of College House programming. Additionally,
ResLife has added a question specific to diversity
to the College House application.
A year after the Meeting in the Union, the
event continues to have a profound impact at the
The Information Technology (IT) department will install a new security tool,
an Internet Protection Service (IPS), that
will further protect the campus network
from malware, viruses and cyber attacks,
according to an email sent to the campus
community on Monday morning by Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of IT Mitch Davis.
While the main goal of an IPS would
be to keep the system as clean as possible, the new software will also allow
IT to see if illegal sites are being used on
Bowdoins network.
The IPS will scan all internet usage on
the Bowdoin Network. It will not block
any website unless that site has previously
been reported to spread viruses to the network, nor will it initially detect potentially
high-risk sites, or sites known to attack
networks. Davis labels pornography and
gambling websites as high-risk for their
reputation for malware distribution.
While students were worried about
perceived infringement on their privacy,
the IPS will rather act as a recording device, the data of which IT will examine in
the event of an incident, such as a malware
or illegal activity report. Depending on
the specific IPS system, it may then notify
users when they have gone to a potentially
dangerous site.
BLACK SUPERMAN
OPINION
news
PORNGATE 2016
SOPHIE WASHINGTON
Moore Hall.
An officer assisted an intoxicated
student in the womens rest room at
Thorne Hall, and then escorted the
student to her residence.
A female student alleged being
subjected to sexist language from a
male student.
Burnt microwave popcorn activated a smoke alarm at Hyde Hall.
Tuesday, February 9
Burnt microwave popcorn set off
the building fire alarm at Moore Hall.
A suet bird feeder, which a student
had installed on Helmreich House, was
removed as it was likely contributing to
a squirrel problem in the building.
Thursday, February 10
A person reported receiving a bogus
email from a businessman purporting
to be a representative of the College.
STUDENT SPEAK
Anna Reyes 15
Julian Tamayo 16
Kristina Karlson 17
My favorite thing to do
is teach figure skating to
small children.
Maddie Daily 16
Jude Marx 18
Im actually a cat.
NEWS IN BRIEF
news
COMPILED BY RACHAEL ALLEN, JAMES CALLAHAN, JAMES LITTLE AND GIDEON MOORE
During last weekends triannual retreat at Babson College in Wellesley, MA, Bowdoins
Board of Trustees elected Michele Cyr 76, P 12 to serve as the Boards new chair for the next
three years. Cyr, who serves as associate dean for academic affairs for the division of biology
and medicine at Brown Universitys Warren Alpert Medical School, will begin her position
on July 1, when current chair Deborah Jensen Barker 80, P 16 will step down. Elected to
the Board of Trustees in 2000, Cyr has served on multiple Board committees, including the
Academic Affairs Committee and Presidential Search Committee. Graduating magna cum
laude with an art and biochemistry double major, Cyr was part of Bowdoins second class of
women. She went on to graduate from Dartmouth Medical School and completed her residency at Maine Medical Center. During the retreat, the Board also elected John J. Studzinski
78 to Trustee Emeritus and granted a number of faculty members tenure.
REACCREDITATION
Last week, Bowdoin held its preliminary meeting for its upcoming reaccreditation process. Every 10 years, Bowdoin undergoes this process, where
an outside accrediting agency, the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges (NEASC), recertifies the College as an educational institution after
reviewing the Colleges self-study and inspecting the College. The committee
conducting the self-study within Bowdoin will be co-chaired by Vice President for Institutional Research, Analytics and Consulting Tina Finneran and
Dean for Academic Affairs Jen Scanlon. According to Scanlon, the committee will be consulting not only with faculty but also staff and students in
order to address their concerns about the future of the College. Bowdoin will
be inspected by the NEASC committee from November 5 to 8 in 2017. Previous reaccreditations have led to the adoption of the College House system in
conjunction with the abolition of fraternities as well as the implementation
of distribution requirements within the Colleges curriculum.
CAMPUS PLANNING
Representatives from planning and design firm Skidmore, Owings and
Merrill (SOM) hosted a workshop Thursday night to discuss a long-term
facilities plan for the college, kicking off the Colleges first master planning
project in over a decade.
At a place like Bowdoin, history and legacy and vision are very important, said architect and urban designer Doug Voigt, who was involved in the
Colleges last master planning project.
Around 40 students and administrators gathered to discuss likes and dislikes of the College in the Cram Alumni House. They touched on things like
favorite buildings, best study spots, good and bad classrooms and a whole
host of other issues.
Arranged by Bowdoin Student Government Vice President for Facilities
and Sustainability Kevin Hernandez 18, the meeting was primarily discussion-based, with students posting suggestions via text message to a computer screen.
Much of the talk revolved around the use of classroom spacethe dungeon-like classrooms in Searles, the underutilization of Hubbard Hall and a
general preference for tables over tiny desks.
First year Danny Miro pointed out that, given the recent popularity of
standing while studying on the first floor of Hawthorne-Longfellow Library,
planners should considering standing classroom space.
Additionally, several concerns were raised about the field and court space
available in Farley Field House as well as the problem of common spaces in
dorms throughout campus.
In an interview with the Orient, President Clayton Rose expressed optimism for the project.
Its not about putting up a building. Its about what we want to do, what
we want to be and then what kind of physical facilities we need to help us
accomplish that, said Rose. Were going to be bold and ambitious about
taking Bowdoin to even greater heights intellectually and in terms of the
experiences folks have on campus.
Seeing this as merely a preliminary meeting, representatives from SOM
said they would be back in a few months to continue the dialogue as they
prepare their plan. In the interim, however, they encouraged students to
submit suggestions to campusplanning@bowdoin.edu.
news
FULL HOUSE: Panelist Osakhare Omoregie 18 and Jonah Watt 18 talk after the panel Why Do The College Houses Feel So White?
OLD BEAR: Mayor of San Francisco Ed Lee 74 during his senior year at Bowdoin.
CALL
AND
RESPONSE
CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE
The following is a summary of the ways the College has responded to the calls outlined in last years Open Letter to the Community. This list is not exhaustive, as there are a multitude of programs under discussion and implementation at all levels of
the Colleges operations. However, this list should provide insight into the ways in which the College has reacted to student
activism.
International students will be a part of the same orientation as firstyear students. Dean Amaez does not agree with the view that international students require additional training to that offered to all incoming first-years.
ResLife staff, Peer Health, College House officers and IHC officers received increased training on race, gender and sexuality. Several student
affairs staff are now trained to facilitate intergroup dialogue. More sessions are planned.
We call on the College and the Bowdoin Outing Club to work with students to make the BOC a more inclusive space and to modify the OZ
program so it is more satisfactory to students of color.
According to Outing Club Director Mike Woodruff, OZ training continues to grow and adapt in response to student feedback with the goal of
making the BOC a place that all students feel they can take advantage
of. The BOC has also implemented intergroup dialogue into some of
its programs.
According to Ashmead White Director of Athletics Tim Ryan, the college is adopting hiring practices to diversify their coaching staff. The
Athletics Department has been working with admissions and coaches
to place emphasis on diversity when recruiting. Athletics will begin
incorporating intergroup dialogue into their programs.
We call on the College to work with current faculty of color to establish or strengthen a support system that would aid in the retention of
faculty of color.
We call on the College to establish and require a training for all faculty
on race, and how it relates to Bowdoin students, particularly students
of color. Training must include all new, tenured and visiting faculty.
Although multiple administrators and staff think that there has been
more conversation about racial issues this year, the College has not
dramatically changed its curriculum, and some students still wish that
these issues were given more airtime.
Director Benjamin Harris continues to work to develop the Student Center for Multicultural Life through increased programming and funding
as well as publishing a newsletter to update the campus community.
We call on the College to declare Martin Luther King, Jr. Day an official
College holiday, to explicitly state the closure of all offices and classes
on this day, and to provide a comprehensive schedule of events honoring civil rights and African American history on this day.
MLK Day will fall during winter break until 2020, after which Bowdoin
will adjust its calendar to close the College on that day.
5
6
7
8
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10
11
12
13
14
16
17
news
UNION
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
check that can be hard to hear and
sometimes painful, because I think
my colleagues across the board are
well-intentioned, they really care,
so to hear that they might be might
be missing the mark and that people
might be in pain as a result is really
hard, but really important for us as a
community.
Director of Residential Life Meadow
Davis said that she has seen a shift in
campus conversations towards topics
of diversity.
A couple years ago it was all about
alcohol, it was all
about the hookup
scene, she said.
Now Id say three
quarters, a huge
percentage,
of
people who are applying to ResLife
are saying, We
need more conversations about diversity. Weve had
great conversations and we appreciate
itheres how we want to do more.
Emily Jacques 17, one of the organizers of the meeting, agreed, saying
that she has seen a substantive change
in campus discussions on race in the
time since the meeting, both as a result
of the meeting and other incidents.
My first year you could avoid these
sorts of conversations if you wanted
to, but now its more present, she said.
The stuff thats been happening with
locals in cars or the stuff on Yik YakI
feel like the campus community is definitely more aware of various issues of
injustice.
Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster
echoed Davis and Jacques sentiments.
[The meeting] was really about
the notion of inclusion and what that
means, he said. Do all members of
our community feel that this place is
theirs? And the answer to me was no,
they dont. Thats what we should aspire
for. That means a ton of work, not work
that we can do in a day or a week or a
month, or a year, but over many years.
But for students who only spend
four years of their life at Bowdoin, this
long-term institutional approach can
be frustrating. Michelle Kruk 16, one
of the organizers of the meeting and
an author of the letter spoke to these
concerns.
I know that the College wants to be
very thoughtful about the way that its
handling certain issues, especially with
race, she said. But I think that were
I know that the College wants to be very thoughtful about the way that its handling certain issues,
especially with race. But I think that were capable
of working on both a short-term solution and a
long-term solution at the same time. I think that
we have enough energy.
MICHELLE KRUK
news
NETWORK
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Davis drew an analogy between the purpose of the IPS and that of a security camera.
We have two hundred and something
security cameras and theyre constantly
recording everything, but nobody can
look at all of it, he said. If theres a problem they can go back and look through
the video. Thats what [this device] does.
Davis hopes that announcing the IPS
will raise awareness about privacy on the
internet beyond just the Bowdoin network. He said it had been recommended
by several large consulting firms and the
Colleges audit committee.
People think there are privacy concerns and I agree with them. There are privacy concerns around this. But if you have
Gmail, all of your emails are scanned, said
Davis. Googles reading my stuff, Facebooks reading my stuffhow much privacy do I really have? People know where
youre going, where youre shopping, the
minute you get on your phone and do web
browser they know location.
In the past, the most common form of
illegal activity on the network has been
the illegal downloading of music and
movies. When this happens, the original
content provider (such as SONY) notifies
IT, and the report is passed off to the Dean
of Student Affairs. They would then notify
the student that their illegal internet activity has been detected.
According to Davis, there have been two
students in the past ten years to be called
into the Deans Office to address internet
activity. They had repeatedly used illegal
downloading sites after being notified.
This procedure will remain the same
pand on it.
I think changing the composition of
the faculty, bringing in different kinds
of faculty members who teach different
subjects perhaps, would be another way
of changing or broadening the conversation at Bowdoin, Chakkalakal said.
I think that if we were able to allow
for opposing opinions when there is less
tension on campus, we might be able
to allow for more room for or just have
more experience dealing with opposing
opinions when something big happens
in our world, our country or our campus, said Rebkah Tesfamariam 18..
The group consists of Rose, Foster,
Chakkalakal, MacEachern, Thomas
Brackett Reed Professor of Government
Andrew Rudalevige, Head Coach of
Mens and Womens Cross Country and
Track Peter Slovenski, Secretary of the
College Eli Orlic, John Lucy 17 and Tesfamariam. Director of Events and Summer Programs Tony Sprague and Director of Digital and Social Media Holly
Sherburne are advisors to the group.
ON THE OUTS: The Bowdoin Outing Club (BOC)s recently discovered budget shortage of $18,000 could potentially reduce programming for
the club. Even if the SAFC allocates the BOC more money, the BOC will still be $12,000 short of their expected budget.
BOC
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
mester for student programming.
Student leaders of the BOC declined to elaborate on the situations
implications until hearing back from
SAFC next week.
Assistant Director Adam Berliner
13 said the reduced funds will not
put an end to BOC programming entirely, however.
We are not closing our doors or
shutting down our operations, he
wrote. The amount of money the
SAFC chooses to allocate to us will
in part determine the extent of our
spring programming, but regardless
of what they are able to allocate us,
we will continue running trips and
programs this spring, wrote Berliner
in an email to the Orient.
The BOCs previous request of
$19,500 was rejected at the SAFC
meeting on February 8.
The shortage of finances went unnoticed by student leadership until
now because of events that took place
over the summer. Last spring, the
BOC received an operating budget
of $63,737 for the 2015-2016 school
year. In the summer, as the previous
years expenditures were being calculated, Student Activities found that
the BOC had exceeded their 2014-15
budget by $18,000. This money had
gone toward equipment purchases,
trips, vehicles and a record-high
amount of financial aid for students
who would otherwise be unable to
attend outings, according to Berliner.
The only money available to cover
GIRL TALK: Julianna Burke 18 and Sophie de Brujin 18 rehearse their monologue for The Vagina Monologues, a show that explores the
female experience and has sparked a dialogue on campus about political feminist action and intersectional feminism.
most of these are fairly race and class
neutral. I dont think its a perfect
script, but I dont agree with the idea
that it only represents one way of being a woman. It shows a pretty wide
range of sexual experiences.
In addition to receiving criticism
for equating femininity with having
a vagina, The Vagina Monologues
has also been critiqued by Bowdoin
students in recent years for acting
as a replacement for feminist political action. Although the play does
open up a certain dialogue about
womens rights, critics argue that it
has not incited much more than that
at Bowdoin.
I think theres an acknowledgement that its pretty outdated and
has elements of exclusivity, said
Uma Blanchard 17, who co-wrote
an op-ed on the show last year for
the Orient. While I do think its an
empowering thing to participate in,
FRIDAY &
SATURDAY
@ 7:30 P.M.
TICKETS AT THE
$5 IN ADVANCE
$10 AT THE DOOR
REALITY ALLY
BY SARAH BONANNO
ORIENT STAFF
MIRANDA HALL
instructors.
For Varnell, part of making the
Craft Center more accessible and inclusive to students was reducing the
dues from $25 a semester to $10 a
semester, which gives students use
of all materials, 24/7 OneCard access to the building and a reduced
class fee.
According to student manager
Sofi Lopez 18, the increase in membership has not only created an in-
a&e
CRAFTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
come for the Craft Center but has
also helped to build a community
Its just about being a really inclusive space for people to have fun and
have an outlet from this often times
stressful environment that were all
in here at school, Lopez said. And
just to be able to connect with that
part of us that has been there since
childhood that just likes to do things
and create things and just have fun.
Varnell believes that the studentled classes act as opportunities for
students to relieve stress and learn
or perfect crafting skills.
I think a big reason why people
who would be members but arent
is because a lot of people are scared
that if they dont think of themselves
as a creative person or if they dont
have a million ideas at all times for
crafts that they wont find a use in
the Craft Center, Lopez said. We
really want to help people understand that thats not the case. I led
a finger painting night last semester.
You dont need any skills for that.
The Craft Center is also the only
space on campus that has pottery
wheels, which members can be
trained to use during open pottery
hours on Sundays.
For students that have done potterythrowing on a wheelin high
school, this is their only option in
college to do that. So thats something that I didnt realize coming
into it, and I have tried to expand
the pottery studio, Varnell said.
The Craft Center has also begun to partner with other student
THE ART OF LOVE: Craft Center Manager Sofi Lopez 18 leads a Valentines Day craft workshop at the Centers open house earlier this week.
BACHELOR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
someone you know die? Get sick?
Lose a foot? Are you a widowed
mother? Divorced? Did you leave
your boyfriend to be on national
television?
This is your story. Stick with it. If
he tries to cut you, ask to talk to him
alone. Look up at him from under
your fake lashes. Tell him your pain;
season one.
True Detective is an
anthology show, meaning
that every season is a different mini-series connected
by themes and sometimes
even characters.
Mini-series are a short
and exciting way to exhibit a screened narrative, as they have a
predetermined number
of episodes. The story
starts and ends in the
same season. By giving
the story a set expiration
date (as opposed to the
Frankenstein tactic of
syndicating series long
past their peak), each episode can work towards
one spectacular finale.
This lends them a filmic
quality that allows dramas to empty their fuel
tanks in one season.
When True Detective premiered in 2014,
it rocked the television scene. It was a
dark, unabashed look at human monstrosity and the darkness that lurks
within us, as well as a wildly compelling story. You cant tell from his Linpull at Americas heart strings. Hell
have to keep you for another week,
then. I promise.
Did you get a one-on-one date? I
knew you would. Quick, hurry! Shave
your legs. Pull on those spanking
white sneakers. Straighten your hair
until its so dry it looks like tumbleweeds beside the mansions driveway.
Make sure to pack your bikini. And a
ball gown. High heels are a must. You
could be going anywhere!
Its safe to say youll be flying,
have a chance at being the Bachelorette. Youre alone now. Its done.
Last one standing? Congratulations! Look at that ring! Hug Ben.
Kiss Ben. This is your moment. In
a month or two, hell leave you. But
that will be OK. Try for Dancing
with the Stars. Come back next season. Open a themed bar. Go for more
camera time on Bachelor in Paradise. I think youd like it there. I love
Mexico. Im already looking forward
to seeing you there.
FEATURES
LIFE IN 3D: (left):This semester, Griffee is studying abroad at the Glasgow School of Art in
Scotland where she where she recently built Living Walls, a site-specific projection map project
with audio and video triggers. (right): Last summer under a Gibbons fellowship, Griffee worked
with Assistant Professor of Art Jackie Brown to build interactive models of her sculptures.
DIANA FURUKAWA
and to speak our minds about what we
want to see change. The All Sophomore
Meeting and Bowdoins policy on porn are
not necessarily representative of Bowdoin
at large, but they highlight these moments
when Bowdoin tiptoes into the territory
of a helicopter parent. Bowdoin is not Big
Brother, because we wont allow it to be.
Power runs in all directions.
10
features
BEN YORK
AN AUTISTICS GUIDE TO AUTISM
BOTTOM OF
THE BARREL
WILL DANFORTH AND MARTIN KRZYWY
MIRANDA HALL
spices are used in the dish or many ingredients are mixed togetherI cannot
eat it. Now, this should not be confused
with disliking a food. There are many
foods that I do not eat, simply because I
do not like them. Lobster is one of them.
If pressed, I could consume a lobster
to survive, with only a mild amount of
griping. With other foodslike salads
or sandwiches or the more complicated
dishes that are served during special
eventsthe sensory experience is far
too intense, and I cannot eat them. To attempt to do so would be physically painful to me. To illustrate what I mean, take
an example from my childhood.
When I was eight, my mother and I
went to an old restaurant/shopping center called Grand City (whose structural
carcass is now occupied by Cool As A
Moose). When we ordered our lunch, I
ordered chicken fingers and fries, and
she a sandwich and salad. Her salad
came first, and while we waited for the
rest of our food, she tried to get me to try
some of her salad. Back then, I did not
like vegetables, which hasnt changed.
For me, they are either too textured or
too strong-tasting, but she assured me
that by putting dressing on one of the
cucumbers, I would like it. I did not. As
soon as that dressing-soaked cucumber
entered my mouth, it came right back
out again and into my mothers water
glass. She was not pleased.
before discovering that your compressed air canisteran essential element of the deviceis mysteriously
empty after only two uses. Lament the
all-too-human limitations of the Silicon Valley culinary technocracy before
resorting to traditional Luddite methods. In wine-tasting, as in romance, the
simplest way is often the best way.
Step 3: Exalt at the continued successful performance of the VinOAir
vacuum aerator and pour the appropriate (and responsible!) number of glasses for the evening ahead. Marvel at the
subtle jammy, sweetbut not unbecomingmedley of flavors presented
by Red Fuego Fire. Exclaim how lucky
you are to have found such a fantastic
bargain wine at a time when the other
sweaty-palmed would-be-romantics
at Hannaford are nervously reaching
for whatever slight innuendo-labeled
wine they can find (your esteemed
critics had the class and conviction to
ignore the Menage Trois and Spin
the Bottle wines prominently featured in the aisle).
Then, as you plop
one of the Stovers
confections into
your mouth, argue
about the proper
pronunciation of
caramel
(while
Merriam-Webster
accepts both variants, we all know
which is correct)
in your first real
lovers quarrel.
Step 4: Congratulate yourself
on executing a
perfect
Valentines Day evening, all for less
than $15. Who
says that romance
requires
overly
priced cards or
a dinner out to
a restaurant like
Trattoria Athena,
DIANA FURUKAWA
where you may
have
happened
to go for the past
three years with someone else in tow
before you had your heart cruelly
torn out of your chest and stomped
on in front of you? If, like Jason Derulo, you find yourself ridin solo
this Valentines Day, take pride in
your newly heightened degree of fiscal autonomy and treat yourself to
another bottle of Red Fire Old Vine
Zinfandel with all the money youve
saved by being single. Rest assured
that your esteemed critics will be doing the same in short order.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
TONIGHTS SOUNDTRACK
WILL
MARTIN
NOSE
4/5
BODY
3.75/5
MOUTHFEEL
4/5
LEGS
4/5
TASTE
4/5
features
11
kitchen knives is unromantic. I imagine most people would consider nuptial gifts to be unromantic, too. But its
possible that a person who considered
nuptial gifts in terms of self-sacrifice
might squeeze a little romantic sentiment from the behavior. A gift of food
is significant to these animals, and
nuptial gifts can mean the difference
between a successful reproductive season or death. The male katydid gives of
himself to feed his mate.
Frankly, whether the katydids gift
is unromantic is not important to me.
What matters is that nuptial gifts are
very cool. This behavior is found in
many kinds of animals, meaning it
evolved independently many times.
The basic idea seems straightforward, but there are a lot of variations.
Some nuptial gifts are in the context of an existing pair, and others
are given between relative strangers.
Some animals give non-food gifts.
As in human gift-giving, theres a lot
of strategy involved. Is it better for a
katydid to produce a few large spermatophores or a bunch of little ones?
Should a female spider choose a mate
who gives her a (possibly empty) gift
or a stud with no gift at all? A lot
of research has been done studying
nuptial gifts, but theres a lot we still
dont know. Thats what I love about
biology and life in general: theres
always more to discover.
Thats beautiful. Its even
a bit romantic.
Jenna Watling is a
member of the class of
2016.
ROMANCING A BIOLOGIST
Im largely indifferent to Valentines
Day. A little of my indifference is because
Im in a long-distance relationship and
our do something special together options are constrained, but most of it is
just my personality. I may be sentimental, but Im not romantic. So when Valentines Day rolls around, Im most excited
by the prospect of candy thats cheap in
every sense of the word.
Another thing that excites me about
Valentines Day is that its a great opportunity to tell my friends about the other
great love of my life: biology. Valentines
Day is nominally about romantic love,
which frequently goes hand-in-hand
with sexual activity. Large portions of
biology are about sexual reproduction
and its consequences. The approach of
Valentines Day is a fun occasion to babble about bower bird nests, spider mating dances and the way flowerssuch a
prominent symbol of romanceattract
pollinators like bees. Its sexy stuff.
This year Ive been thinking a lot about
nuptial gifts. Nuptial gifts are sort of like
valentines. Theyre objects presented to a
mate or potential mate as part of courtship. They are given at a specific time of
year, i.e., breeding season. They fall into a
narrow range of objects, frequently food.
They alsoforgive me for saying soare
almost always presented to females by
males seeking sexual contact. This last
MIRANDA HALL
12
SPORTS
ORIENT STAFF
While John Swords 15 and his sevenfoot frame have been conspicuously absent from campus since his graduation
last spring, his formidable presence has
surely raised an eyebrow or two in his new
home of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Swords moved to Spain in January to sign
with CI Rosalia de Castro, a basketball
team in the countrys fourth division. Two
games into his international career, hes averaging seven and a half points and seven
rebounds per game. The Orient caught up
with Swords over Skype to hear about his
adventures in playing Spanish-style basketball, exploring the local environment
and trying to become a published writer.
The Bowdoin Orient: Whats it like playing on a team where youre the only American?
John Swords: Its really fun, and it has
a lot to do with not taking anything too
seriously. I mean, Im working hard. But
on a day-to-day basis Im asked to play a
sport and have people yell around me in
a different language. Its pretty ridiculous.
I took Spanish 101 and 102 at Bowdoin.
Theyve served me well, but not as well as
if Id taken more classesI spent all of
high school studying French, which, in
retrospect, is not that helpful.
To have an abroad experience where I
have teammates is great. Its why Ive been
playing sports my whole life, because being on a team is great. To be out here in
what the Romans considered literally the
end of the worldNorthwest Spainbut
to not feel like Im totally alone because
everyday I get to go hang out with other
guys. While Im the only American, thats
probably for the better. I like that I have to
scramble to figure out whats going on.
BO: Whats the style of basketball like,
and how does your play fit in?
JS: The basketball here is so unbelievably scrambled and hectic and run-andgun compared to what Im used to. Ive got
a bit of a skewed perspective: Because Im
such a big big man, any team Ive been on
has been all about slowing down and playing settled team offense. But everything
here is just run-and-gun. You just bury
your head and sprint and hope that youll
wind up at the basket. People take a lot of
what I think are bad shots or make some
screwy passes that look like theyd look
good on an NBA highlight tape, except
they go 15 feet away from the guy theyre
supposed to go to.
In a lot of ways it reminds me of NESCAC play when it gets scrambled. But
these guys definitely know what theyre
doing, so even if it feels more scrambled,
its just a faster game. Its a 24-second shot
clock. You have to move faster and guys
take a lot of shots. Theres not the same
appreciation for help defense hereor at
least I havent found it yet. And the biggest adjustment for me is Im not a footand-a-half taller than everyone Im playing against now. Im not used to getting
pushed off the block but I am here sometimes, so thats an interesting thing to try
to adjust to.
BO: Are there any skills youre looking to
add to your game?
JS: Yeah, they want me to shoot more.
Ive never had a coach that said Hey, you
got the ball? Shoot it! My whole career,
especially at Bowdoin, we had guys who
would shoot for me. So my job was to lock
down low, wrestle the other guy and work
in the paint. Im still supposed to do that
here, but I need to have that plus an ability to shoot from mid-range because some
of these guys put up a lot more of a fight
inside.
BO: Do you have a lot of free time? If so,
how do you spend it?
JS: I have a lot free time, which was
LEARNING ON THE FLY: John Swords 15 (right) bodies a defender during one of his first games for CI Rosalia de Castro, a Spanish basketball team in the fourth
division of Spanish basketball. The seven-footer signed with the team in January and has since played in two games, averaging seven and a half points and seven
rebounds per game. Swords has been struck by the different style of play in Spain, as well as the different lifestyle. He is also working to become a published writer.
kind of the plan when I came over here.
I decided at the end of last year that I had
such a good time playing at Bowdoin that
it would be really fun to see if I could do
it again over here, but that was only one
of several reasons for wanting to come.
Probably the strongest one is just wanting
to be abroad because I didnt go abroad
when I was at Bowdoin. Another reason
is I wanted to try my luck at being a writer
before I try my hand at whatever comes
next. I have the time, I have an interesting
setting and I have a few stories. They eat
a lot of octopus here, and Im going to go
and try to find the guys who hunt it. Apparently they put on snorkel gear, go into
has
been
edited
ORIENT STAFF
FLYING HIGH: Katie Krupp 16 takes to the air during the Maine State Meet last Friday night. Krupp won
the long jump and the triple jump,. The team finished with seven first-place finishes, the highetst of any
team, though placed third overall at the Meet.
sports
13
WINNER, WINNER:
Daniel McMullan 18
(top) battles through
three defenders during
Bowdoins 4-1 victory over
University of Southern
Maine (USM) on January
26. Camil Blanchet 18
(bottom) works around
a USM defender to gain
possession. The win was
Bowdoins fourth straight,
and the team has currently
won six in a row. The streak
began when Head Coach
Terry Meagher made a
strategic shift from a twoto a three-defenseman
back formation.
JENNY IBSEN, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
The mens ice hockey team (10-73 overall, 6-5-3 NESCAC) has been
on a roll lately with six straight wins
since the teams last loss on January
16. This streak has been spurred on
by a new three-back formation that
the Polar Bears have implemented this
season. Instead of playing the typical
2-3 formation Bowdoin has opted to
exchange a forward for a defenseman,
playing a more strategic, defensive
style of hockey. This system is rarely
used nowadays, but has shown up in
the hockey world now and again over
the years. Although rare, it has been
working for the team this season. Seeing as this is Head Coach Terry Meaghers final season after coaching for
33 years, the Bears have additional
incentive to perform well.
When you start playing threeback it feels like a whole new style of
play, said defenseman Camil Blanchet 18. You have to get out of the
classical hockey mentality, get out of
what youve been taught, but once
you learn to think about the way the
system works, the gameplay becomes
more fluid and it really confuses the
other team.
Bowdoin began the season slow,
coming out of the first stint with a tie
and three losses. Now that the players
have adjusted to the system however,
the Polar Bears are putting up strong
defensive performances, only allowing eight goals in the last six games,
while putting up strong scoring performances. This success has also
been due to the outstanding play of
ton to take on the third place Continentals. Led by the stick of Rubinoff,
the Polar Bears cruised to a 6-2 victory, bringing them within arms
reach of a fourth place seed and a
home playoff game.
The team started out strong by scoring three goals in two minutes halfway
through the first period off the sticks
of Rubinoff, Jay Kourkoulis 17 and
Jason Nawrocki 18. The Polar Bears
never looked back as they carried the
lead through the game led yet again by
the great play in net from Cronin.
The Bears will now focus on the final
four games of the season, all against
NESCAC opponents. This weekend
will see their final home games of the
season and the final regular season
home game for Meagher, who is excited for another opportunity to perform
in the NESCAC playoffs.
The most exciting thing for me,
coaching for so many years, is that
you want your team to be competitive
at the end of the year, said Meagher.
Its playing your best, playing up to
your potential and then you can lay it
on the line and leave it all on the ice.
Once the final games of the season
come around the playoff mentality
switches on and every game becomes
more important.
I think the mentality does change,
said Meagher. Margin of error becomes very tight. We are in a one and
out system in the NESCAC. You have
to do everything you can do to be prepared for that one and out.
The team will have quite a challenge
ahead of them facing Wesleyan (2-5-7
NESCAC) tomorrow and Trinity (113-0 NESCAC) on Sunday.
14
OPINION
This editorial represents the majority view of the Bowdoin Orients editorial
board, which is comprised of Julian Andrews, John Branch, Jono Gruber, Matthew
Gutschenritter, Emma Peters, Meg Robbins, Nicole Wetsman, and Emily Weyrauch.
SOPHIE WASHINGTON
trouble with the law, like Johnny Manziel, but thats not the case. Newtons biggest critics will tell you that he is being
cocky for dancing after a touchdown.
On the contrary, nothing was said when
Aaron Rodgers did his signature celebration or when Tim Tebow took his
signature knee. By trying to tarnish Cam
Newtons reputation, people are reinforcing the mindset in society that being
black, proud and successful is not acceptable. However, the reality of the situation is that Newton continues to inspire
black youth in a positive way. Although
he is young and still has much to learn
about the game, he is letting kids know
that being yourself in the face of adversity is just fine.
Im not 65, I cant throw a football 100
yards and my dab looks a little funny, but
when I see Cam Newton doing what he
does, Im even more proud of being black
and striving for success. And if what he
is doing still makes people mad, too bad.
They dont make band-aids for feelings.
DIANA FURUKAWA
opinion
15
DIANA FURUKAWA
SIGNIFYING NOTHING
In the United States, scarcity often
manifests itself as excess. For example, Mississippi has both the highest
rate of food insecurity and the third
highest rate of obesity nationwide.
In a food system that privileges
products that are convenient, marketable and, ultimately, cheap, many
can only afford to eat against their
physical needs. When a burger costs
one dollar but a salad costs seven
dollars, calories are cheap, but nutrition is expensive.
We can apply the logic of the
American obesity epidemic to wealth
disparities in modern society. You
may be familiar with the TV show
Hoarders. According to the shows
description on Google, each episode
profiles two people on the verge of a
personal crisis, all caused by the fact
that they are unable to part with even
the tiniest possessions. The show
tends to feature average-looking
Bowdoin Orient
The
ESTABLISHED 1871
bowdoinorient.com
orient@bowdoin.edu
Matthew Gutschenritter
Editor in Chief
Brunswick, ME 04011
Nicole Wetsman
Editor in Chief
Associate Editor
Senior Photo Editor
Photo Editor
Business Manager
Layout Editor
Layout Assistant
Senior Reporter
Senior Reporter
News Editor
Sports Editor
Features Editor
Elana Vlodaver
Hy Khong
Jenny Ibsen
Maggie Coster
Alex Mayer
James Little
Steff Chavez
Joe Sherlock
Rachael Allen
Eli Lustbader
Sarah Drumm
Sarah Bonanno
A&E Editor
Nicholas Mitch
Opinion Editor
Harry DiPrinzio
Web Editor
Grace Handler
Web Editor
Julia ORourke
Calendar Editor
Page Two Editor Calder McHugh
Social Media Editor Gaby Papper
Allison Wei
Copy Editor
Louisa Moore
Copy Editor
Diana Furukawa
Illustrator
Miranda Hall
Illustrator
The material contained herein is the property of The Bowdoin Orient and appears at the sole discretion of the editors. The editors reserve the right to edit all material. Other than in regard to the above editorial, the opinions expressed in the Orient do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors.
16
FEBRUARY
WEDNESDAY 17
LECTURE
BUT FIRST: President Clayton Rose takes a selfie after speaking at the Launch Event for the Senior Class Gift Campaign at the
Druckenmiller Atrium on Thursday night.
MONDAY 15
FRIDAY 12
EVENT
PERFORMANCE
Vagina Monologues
LECTURE
PERFORMANCE
THURSDAY 18
SATURDAY 13
TUESDAY 16
EVENT
LECTURE
During this fun run in town, men will begin after women,
who will start with a 10-minute lead. The run will be on
the Brunswick Bike Path. Hot chocolate and marshmallows
will be at Fleet Feet Running Maine, where runners can
make valentines.
Fleet Feet Maine Running, Brunswick. 7:30 a.m.
LECTURE
SUNDAY 14
LECTURE
LECTURE
As part of the lecture series Why African-American_____ Matters in America," Assistant Professor of
Africana Studies Judith Casselberry will be giving the
final lecture.
Ladd House. 8 p.m.
PERFORMANCE
ValJam 2016
19
20
PERFORMANCE
Masque and
Gown Presents:
Leading Ladies
21
22
23 EVENT
A Reading by
Poet and
Novelist Paul
Beatty
24
LECTURE
"Wonder"
Author RJ
Palacio
25