The Bowdoin Orient

I've been meaning to reply to this for a long time, but it's tough to do the subject justice. This won't, but it'll do for now.

I'm no nutritionist, but sugar is basically good for us, right? We need sugar! But we've learned to extract and refine and produce and distribute it en masse... we've hacked it so we can have as much as we want, much more than is good for us. Dan Dennett (not the originator of this term, but the guy who introduced it to me) calls, say, chocolate cake an example of "supernormal stimuli" that "tweak our designed wiring."

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_dennett_cute_sexy_sweet_funny.html

We love people. Evolutionarily, it's in our best interests to. And we love information, again because i...

Last week I commented on a letter to the editor and felt it a rewarding experience, so I'm going to try to comment on Orient articles from now on, perhaps to promote drama (excuse the pun) and certainly to facilitate discourse.

The interesting thing about a liberal arts college and its stated emphasis on a balanced curriculum is that this has little to do with "Majors." One area where this is clear is in the number of majors Bowdoin offers: fewer than a university. Are we, based on this fact, to say that Bowdoin's education is less comprehensive, less broad, and less liberal? Although I'll leave that as an open question, I would like to say of course not.

In my mind, Bowdoin is about studying your passions from many angles, thr...

I hope the author of this piece doesn't make any mistakes in her life or else we might have to publicly admonish her on the front page of the Orient. That all senior administrators contacted for this piece refused to comment only confirms what the author obviously failed to grasp; this isn't newsworthy. What was once, and should have remained a private matter, is now public gossip for all. Thank you for this topnotch journalism (insert sarcasm here).

Randy Nicholas. I like it. He needs a sleigh for the winter, and a sack of snap bracelets slung over his back.

His eyes - how they twinkle! His dimples - how merry!

I would also like to add that my opinions (still) do not reflect the opinions of Bowdoin College. What my opinions do reflect is Bowdoin College's remarkable propensity to help its students grow personally and intellectually.

Intellectual conflict, disagreement, and discussion fuel the fires of liberal education. I pity students who attend colleges and universities where intellectual agreement is prized at the expense of the pursuit of truth.

A few months ago Nyle and I hatched a plan to promote awareness for his brother’s band (the Kominas). We both imagined the potential to create a campus-wide discussion if I, as a symbol of Republicanism, condemned the Kominas and asked for a boycott. However, neither of us knew this silly and absurd letter would make some of our fellow students feel extremely uncomfortable and even unsafe. I want to extend a sincere apology to any member of our campus community who felt victimized by this letter. Moreover, by failing to inform Professor Murthy that this letter was intended to promote the Kominas music and message I created a lot of confusion and ill-will. Most of all, I violated the sacred relationship between professor and student that c...

The one upside to this "controversy" is that it has generated a modicum of interest for a performance that most Bowdoin students would otherwise ignore.

But, unfortunately, the publication of Steve's letter also reminds us that the Orient does not do adequate fact-checking for its Opinion pages. If sincere, his claims about the band are ignorant, or perhaps even libelous. If he contends that the claims are presented as "satire," the forum he selected to attempt humor is unfortunate. The Orient is not a satirical publication; and if it wants to be treated as a serious source of news, it should uphold the standards of a serious source of news.

This is the second time that Steve Robinson's rabble-rousing has provoked me t...

Dear Steven,

I was very surprised by your previous comment: "Join us next next Thursday, May 6th. We'll be airing a documentary and discussing the Kominas struggle against Islam-o-phobia in the United States."

I am the organizer of the events which bring The Kominas to campus and screen the film 'Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam'. I sponsored this visit together with support from Lectures and Concerts and the Sociology/Anthropology, Music, Religion, and Asian Studies Departments as well as the Bowdoin Music Collective and Bowdoin Film Society student groups. The Kominas will also be participating in a discussion with my Transnational Race and Ethnicity class next Wednesday. A key reason for my desire to bring them to Bowdoin w...

This is fantastic.

The article is currently the most looked at article in the Orient, has been widely “liked� (via the facebook app) and recommended for reading. There are those sharing the article that are genuinely excited about the Kominas and are spreading the article in bemusement. But there are those who are spreading it because they genuinely like the message of hate spouted by the article. I feel satire is always a double-edged sword, and I'm sure Steve did not intend for people to feel targeted by the article. Clearly the way in which this article has been supported and spread indicates a level of Islamophobic current in this campus that needs to be addressed with the dialogue the Kominas bring. The Kominas are a music group dedicated to fighting...

To whom it may concern:

Any one who knows the Kominas can appreciate this satire.

Join us next next Thursday, May 6th. We'll be airing a documentary and discussing the Kominas struggle against Islam-o-phobia in the United States.

The band plays May 7th at the Pub.

I really liked this op-ed....it was beautifully written!

Steve,

I'm put off by the wording of this letter and its vagueness. Who has "conspired—" don't you just mean that a group of students are paying them for a show? From the perfunctory research I did, I can see that though the band in question has gained attention and controversy, they have also been lauded for their musicianship and nuanced political positions. Most contrary to your argument is the fact that (from what I can tell)l the band's chief critics are fundamentalists themselves. Steve (Steve, whom I like and respect) please support your argument: if you worry that students will be blindly influenced or manipulated by a group coming to campus, then I think you should enlighten us rather than expect us to be blindly compe...

wonderful article.

wish i had been around back in the day

Well said. Thank you for writing this. College wouldn't be college without some challenges to help us grow along the way.

Chris,

I fail to understand how the article "bedevils" WBOR. How does the piece imply that WBOR was "at fault for not letting SAFC know about the changes in bands"?

The fact that Kyle Dempsey said the BOC's budgetary issues had no impact on the decision to withdraw funds from WBOR does not imply an Orient stance on the situation. He said what he said and his views are expressed as just that, his views. In terms of your questions regarding reprimands or budget cuts for the BOC, expect a follow-up article on these issues.

Our aim is to report objectively, and though I would have loved to trumpet WBOR's cause as one of its music directors, a news article is not the forum.

Zoe

I've been getting this question a lot - Bowdoin Alumnus and guests of Bowdoin students are welcome to attend!

The details don't really seem to match up. It sounds like SAFC realized they were way over budget BEFORE they made any decision on the WBOR concert. Realizing that they had a huge hole to fill, and seeing that Shwayze fell apart, SAFC denied WBOR their concert as a way to plug the gap.

Well thanks.

First of all, Shwayze would be just another in a line of awful acts playing at Bowdoin over the past few years. I personally would prefer WBOR bringing a relatively unknown act, especially considering the popularity of the Cool Kids and Passion Pit. But I guess because the acts were different, SAFC felt it was inappropriate for WBOR to receive the funding.

Second of all, this sounds like it can be chocked up to some bad arithmetic. I'm so...

Yet the E-Board still gets to bring 3 concerts? All I can say is I'm disappointed with the SAFC's counting abilities. While it's frustrating BOC's funding fell short and they would have had to curtail some of their scheduled trips and programs, aren't we putting WBOR in the exact same situation? Don't both clubs represent legitimate interests on campus?

We invite all interested Bowdoin students to join the Department of Earth & Oceanographic Science for an open house on Friday, April 23 at 10am for discussion of the course offerings and the major.

New requirements for the Major and Minor in Earth & Oceanographic

Science are now posted at

http://www.bowdoin.edu/geology/handbook/earth-and-oceanographic-science-major.shtml