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Volume CXXXIII, Number 19 |
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Smooth words for cash
To the Editors:
After several hours of steamy foreplay, candles burning low, you look
deep into your partner's eyes, and you are overwhelmed by the desire to
have sex….
Did you know that current laws in many states, including Maine, require
that a man or women receive sober, verbal permission from their partner
before having sex? It has recently come to our attention that some people
on campus consider this law constraining, a hindrance to gallantry, a
blockade to chivalry and traditional relationships. They contend that
in the heat of the moment asking permission is awkward, difficult, and
dissuasive.
Maybe it is for them. But not for you. We at Safe Space are looking to
find the people on campus who have the smooth words to get the green light
on sex.
You have the chance to negate misconceptions, rebuke the skeptics, and
affirm the laws that mandate respect. We present you the opportunity to
publicly prove that respect and chivalry are compatible, passion and discussion
are congruent, and that laws requiring permission are not restrictive,
but rather an opportunity for romantic eloquence and respectful preamble.
We allow you to demonstrate your ability to be natural, suave, romantic,
funny, poetic, persuasive, and creative; win hearts on campus, teach your
competition a lesson, and get some cash.
To enter, respond to the following: In bed, in the heat of the moment,
you make the decision that you want to have sex with your partner. You
look into his or her eyes, profoundly, and request consent. Write what
you would say. Your goal is to get laid and obey the law. Hey, this is
college. And don't put your partner to sleep; 150 words maximum.
Limited to Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff. All genders and sexualities
are encouraged to participate. Send submissions as an attachment to akoppel@bowdoin.edu
or jmcdonne@bowdoin.edu. Questions
and comments can be sent to the same addresses.
Final date of submissions is April 9. The winner will receive $75. Second
prize is a dinner for two in Brunswick, and third prize is two tickets
to Hoyts Cinema in Cooks Corner. The winners will be published in the
April 12 Orient. Anonymity is optional, but will not benefit your
love life.
Alex Koppel '02
Jeni McDonnel '02
Mike Mavilia '03
Jess Zolt-Gilburne '05
Safe Space
To the Editors:
Clean Air-Cool Planet and the Bowdoin College Department of Facilities
Management recently embarked on an important study that will ultimately
generate a picture of Bowdoin College's greenhouse gas emissions over
the last ten years. Clean Air-Cool Planet is an action-oriented advocacy
group that seeks to reduce the threat of global warming by engaging all
sectors of civil society to take actions that lead to rapid cuts in greenhouse
gas emissions. Its University Greenhouse Gas Emission program has given
schools like Bates and UNH a comprehensive picture of their contributions
to climate change and has helped them to generate goals for future reductions.
While a change in the Earth's climate can be caused by many different
factors, the current issue of human impact, often called "global
warming," refers to the release of gases that change the composition
of the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, the most famous of which is carbon
dioxide, all occur naturally in the atmosphere and help to keep the Earth
at its life-supporting average temperature of 15.5°C by absorbing
the sun's radiation. Increased human emissions are now raising that temperature.
The ecological, social, and economic impacts of this trend are incalculable.
By recognizing this problem and working towards a solution, Bowdoin not
only sets an example for other colleges, but also upholds the tradition
of working towards the Common Good.
The unique feature of the Clean Air-Cool Planet University Greenhouse
Gas Emission program is the Emissions Calculator Software used to analyze
the emissions of each gas and calculate the contributions of any campus
activity relative to the overall output, such as faculty and staff commuting
or campus electricity use. With this information, the Bowdoin community
can begin to pinpoint major sources of environmental impact and discuss
ways of reducing them.
The initiation of this project here at Bowdoin is a timely one, as the
issue of environmentally aware practices has had a growing presence on
our campus. The advent of Keisha Payson's new position as Sustainability
Coordinator in Facilities Management and the subsequent birth of Sustainable
Bowdoin, boasting more than 45 student members, make apparent the community's
concern for Bowdon's "environmental footprint." By the end of
this year, we should see a reduction in the volume of paper campus mailings,
improved recycling infrastructure at the Pine Street, Harpswell, and Brunswick
Apartments, and the addition of an environmental mission statement to
the student handbook.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will require changes in behavior
at an individual and institutional level. We at Sustainable Bowdoin aim
to keep the larger Bowdoin community informed, provide a forum for discussing
the issues of sustainability, and to help the community and its members
change in ways that benefit the environment and the Common Good. For more
information on Clean Air-Cool Planet, head to www.CleanAir-CoolPlanet.org.
Also, watch for a new Sustainable Bowdoin web page in the coming weeks,
where you'll find information on everything we're up to, including updates
on the Clean Air-Cool Planet study. Until then, contact rmeyer,
svynne, nlong,
mboyle, srodgers,
akoppel or kpayson
for more information.
Ryan Meyer '02
Sustainable Bowdoin