The Bowdoin Orient

Rankings concern Mills, peer presidents

By STEVE KOLOWICH AND LAUREN WILWERDING, ORIENT STAFF

Weeks after being awarded the seventh spot in U.S. News and World Report's annual list of America's top liberal arts colleges, Bowdoin has taken a position against the controversial U.S. News list and other rankings systems. Along with 18 other liberal arts college presidents, President Barry Mills co-signed a statement, released September 7, expressing concern over the ?admissions frenzy? and ?the way in which rankings can contribute to that frenzy and to a false sense that educational success or fit can be ranked in a single numerical list.?

Incident prompts campus concerns

By JOSHUA MILLER, ORIENT STAFF

An incident that took place outside of Smith House has prompted the Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) to send out a campus-wide e-mail condemning "exclusionary actions" and inviting the school to an open forum about "safety and inclusiveness" at the College.

Harpswell project breaks ground

By ADAM KOMMEL, ORIENT STAFF

When students living in Harpswell Apartments arrived at the end of August, the large green field outside their back doors surprised them. Since many students assumed the construction of the new Watson Ice Arena would begin over the summer, a freshly cut Pickard Field instilled hope that the project would be delayed long enough for the new residents to enjoy the largest back yard Bowdoin has to offer, however temporarily.

First-year class most diverse yet

By PIPER GROSSWENDT, ORIENT STAFF

Dean of Admissions William Shain must have done something right with his first admitted class at Bowdoin. The Class of 2011 is both the most selective and the most ethnically diverse in the College's history.

MIKE ARDOLINO, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT

BREAKING NEW GROUND: Construction begins on the Watson Ice Arena, slated to open for the 2008-2009 hockey season. See feature article...

FEATURES

Segal '08 rallies students for Obama

By MARY HELEN MILLER, ORIENT STAFF

When Meredith Segal '08 sat down to dinner in August with presidential hopeful Barack Obama and 13 Capitol Hill big shots, she fit right in. While many of the other guests at the D.C. dinner had names preceded by "senator" or "representative," Segal shared one title with them all: National Co-Chair of "Obama for America." The guests had been invited to share a meal with Obama to discuss his efforts in becoming the next president.

OPINION

EDITORIAL

College rankings

President Mills told the Orient he thinks that amid the growing opposition to the U.S. News methodology?which counts schools' reputations among their peers for a quarter of their final score?he and his colleagues wished to end the "notable silence" on the part of schools that are typically ranked in the top 25. These are the schools, after all, that benefit most from the credence many ascribe to the current system. This appears all well and good. But in terms of fomenting positive change, how effective will this gesture be?

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wethli's life-size Piper Cub takes form, flight

By ERIN K. MCAULIFFE, CONTRIBUTOR

Curiosity was foremost as I stepped out of the rain and into the Coleman Burke Gallery. A light film of sawdust covered the floor of the bright and airy warehouse, and the smell of freshly cut wood coaxed me to investigate further. Inside was the result of five months of work and the replica of a bygone childhood.

SPORTS

Men?s soccer pours on goals in weekend victories

By EREN MUNIR, STAFF WRITER

The men's soccer team successfully caught the attention not only of the Brunswick community, but of the rest of midcoast Maine in their cumulative 7-0, two-win outing last weekend.