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The Nation’s Oldest Continuously Published College Weekly Friday, November 15, 2019 Volume 149, Number 10 bowdoinorient.com

Geoffrey Canada Patrick Dempsey delivers No Hate November

’74 says Af-Am is as keynote, sharing experience with dyslexia
important as ever
by Nina McKay
Orient Staff
On Saturday evening, Geof-
frey Canada ’74, H ’07 addressed
a packed, enthusiastic audience
in Pickard Theater. His talk, titled
“From the Afro Am to Russ-
wurm: Years Later and Still as Im-
portant as Ever,” was the keynote
address for this weekend’s Af/
Am/50 celebration.
“This institution is as import-
ant today as it was when it was
created 50 years ago,” Canada
said when discussing his experi-
ence with the African American
Society, or “the Am.”
After graduating from Bowdo-
in, Canada, who is originally from
the South Bronx, earned a master’s
degree from the Harvard Gradu-
ate School of Education. Later, he
worked with five other Bowdoin
alumni to establish the Harlem
Children’s Zone (HCZ). TIME
Magazine named Canada one of
the 100 most influential people
in the world in 2011 for his work
with HCZ, and Fortune Magazine
named him one of the 50 greatest
leaders in the world in 2014.
HCZ occupies 97 blocks in
Central Harlem and has served
12,509 children and 12,498 adults
since its founding in 1970. HCZ’s
model includes education and ac-
ademic support from preschool
through college, family services,
social services, health programs
and community building.
“We have ended that genera-
tional poverty thing in our zone,”
Canada said.
Canada, the current president
of the HCZ board and a pub-
lished author, credits his success
in making a difference in his
community to his time at Bowdo-
in, emphasizing the importance
of his academic experience and
the connections he was able to
make on campus.
“I thought the answer to what
was happening in our communi-
ty was right here on this campus,
and I had to find it,” Canada said.
“I took every class that [I] even
had an inkling ... might get me
there”
“I don’t know how many peo-
ple it takes to change the world if
you went to Harvard,” he joked.
“But six people from Bowdoin
could change the world.”
But when Canada was finish-
ing his senior year of high school,
though, he did not intend to end
up at Bowdoin.
“I’m just telling you, I know
there’s a God, right?” Canada
said. “There’d be no way in hell I’d
have come up to Bowdoin if there
wasn’t one.”
At 18, Canada planned to at-
tend Stony Brook University be-
cause, he admitted, of its reputa-
tion as a party school, and he was
accepted on a full scholarship.
He did not apply to Bowdoin by
choice. Instead, Canada agreed to
fill out an application to the Col-
lege because of the encourage-
ment of the secretary to the prin-
cipal of his high school. When he
received a letter from Bowdoin,
he didn’t open it until months lat-
er, when he had not heard from
Stony Brook and a phone call to MINDY LEDER, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
their admissions office revealed DREAMY: Patrick Dempsey, an
that they had misplaced all infor- actor famous for his starring role in
mation about him. the ABC show “Grey’s Anatomy,”
Canada started to panic, not visited Bowdoin Thursday evening
because he had always dreamed for the keynote event for “No Hate
of going to college, but rather, be- November.” His talk, organized and
cause it was the only way he could
co-moderated by Marcus Williams
’21, was titled “A Dialogue on Dys-
avoid military service.
lexia,” and focused on Dempsey’s
“It was 1970 when I graduated experiences with the learning dis-
high school,” Canada said. “If you order. (Above) Dempsey embraces
were not in college and you were Willliams’ mother during the talk.
a poor black kid, you were going
to war.”
Determined to go to one of the
two schools to which he had ap-
plied, Canada rifled through the
drawer where he had put the un-
opened letter from Bowdoin. He son’s ability to interpret letters He traveled to New York City cancer patients and their fami-
opened it, saw he was accepted, by Kate Lusignan or symbols. An estimated 40 where he landed his first acting lies. After striking up a conver-
called the admissions office (over and Kathryn McGinnis million adults in the United job. This brought new challenges, sation in an elevator, the two
Orient Staff
a month after his acceptance ma- States are dyslexic, yet just two Dempsey remembered, such as bonded by sharing their experi-
terials were due) to negotiate his On Thursday evening, stu- million have been formally di- reading and memorizing scripts. ences with dyslexia.
matriculation and ended up on dents packed David Saul Smith agnosed. “I would dread going to The two continued the con-
campus the following fall. Union to hear Patrick Dempsey Dempsey is a frequent celeb- work,” said Demspey, speaking versation on stage, with Wil-
Until he arrived, he was not H’13, former star of the hit ABC rity advocate for the disorder. of his time on “Grey’s Anato- liams and Dempsey sharing
aware that Bowdoin was an all- show “Grey’s Anatomy,” deliver Diagnosed at age 12, Dempsey my.” “The medical terminology their experiences with dyslexia
male institution at the time, or the annual No Hate November explained to ABC News that he during table reads was painful.” during elementary school.
that it was known as particularly keynote address. Dempsey sat was placed in special education Williams invited Dempsey Dempsey pointed out that while
academically rigorous. He had down with Marcus Williams classes that did not express his to give the keynote address. The schools now have more resourc-
thought of himself as an average ’21, Bowdoin Student Govern- needs before he realized he was two first met this summer when es to help students with dyslexia
student in high school, and he ment (BSG) chair of diversity dyslexic. Dempsey spoke at Portland’s and other learning disabilities,
became convinced that he was and inclusion, to discuss their Raised in Buckfield, Maine, WEX office where Williams in- there are still improvements to
going to flunk out of Bowdoin. experiences with dyslexia. Dempsey attended St. Dominic terned at the Dempsey Center, be made.
Dyslexia is a common learn- Regional High School, but he a Lewiston-based organization
Please see CANADA, page 3 ing disability that affects a per- dropped out before graduating. which provides resources to Please see DEMPSEY, page 4

College endowment tax will cost Bowdoin over $1.5 million this year
by Roither Gonzalez
Orient Staff
The 2018-19 fiscal year marks
the first time that colleges will be
subject to a tax on endowment
returns as a result of a provision
in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act.
This provision applies a 1.4
percent excise tax on the net in-
vestment income of college en-
dowments greater than $500,000
per student. The tax is expected
to provide the government with
about $1.5 billion in revenue.
“It’s unprecedented. I never
would have thought in my ca-
reer that I would see something
like this where endowments are
taxed,” said Matt Orlando, senior
vice president for finance and
administration and treasurer of
the College. “Everyone who has
given to the College for the past
200 years was under the assump-
tion that their gift to the College
would grow tax-free. Now that
assumption has changed.”
With an endowment valued
at over $1.74 billion—approxi-
mately $900,000 per student—
Bowdoin will be one of over 70
private colleges and universities
impacted by the tax. For the
fiscal year 2018-19, this could
mean up to a $1.59-million tax
on the net returns.
The College typically allo-
cates four to five percent of the
endowment’s 12-quarter mov-
ing average to fund almost 40
percent of Bowdoin’s operating
budget. This 12-quarter moving
average is calculated by taking
the average value of the endow-
ment over the past three years,
which means that the short-term
impact of the law on the Col-
lege’s budget will be relatively
minimal.
However, the excise tax will
have a significant impact on the
long term.
“There is a cumulative effect
over the long-term, and so every
dollar that’s spent on this tax is
a lost opportunity for that dollar
to grow, accumulate earnings
and distribute income to support
the College,” said Orlando.
A little less than half of the
endowment, or about 46 per-
cent, is restricted to student aid.
Although the tax is not expected
to affect student aid this year,

N UMAINE PROTESTS F VETERANS DAY A NEW THEATER IN TOWN? S NUMBERS NEVER LIE O THE ART OF SOPHISTRY
UMaine students protest attempt to cut Bowdoin staff reflect on their experiences The Eveningstar Cinema broadens its A statistical analysis of the fall athletics What do cats playing chess have to do
student workers out of paid time off. Page 3. in the armed forces. Page 5. horizons under new ownership. Page 8. season. Page 12. with Socrates? Page 14.
2 Friday, November 15, 2019
2 PAGE TWO
SECURITY REPORT
11/7 to 11/14
Thursday, November 7
• A student reported the theft of a black Critical
Fixed Gear bicycle with straight handle bars from
the Maine Hall south bike rack. The bike was
unlocked.
• A roommate dispute was reported and investigated.
Friday, November 8
• Loud music was reported coming from the 14th
floor of Coles Tower.
• Inappropriate signage was posted in a window at
West Hall.
• A student was taken to the hospital after being
struck on the nose by a thrown Frisbee inside West
Hall.
Saturday, November 9
• A student was cited for a drug violation after he and
a guest were smoking in a Coles Tower room. Drug
paraphernalia was seized.
KODIE GARZA
• A College employee reported
being physically assaulted by a
man during an oral alterca-
tion.
Sunday, November 10
• Two dogs were found in a
student’s room at Coles Tower,
a violation of College policy.
• Two students stole and ran off
with two “No Alcohol Beyond
This Point” signs posted at
an event at Smith Union. The
signs were recovered, and the
students took responsibility for their actions.
• A student took responsibility for kicking a hole in a
wall in Stowe Hall.
• An officer checked on the well-being of an intoxi-
cated student at West Hall.
• Some members of the football team got together
in Osher Hall after “a very difficult loss” and there
was a noise complaint. The officer understood and
asked the men to commiserate a little quieter.
• A student reported the theft of a blue Diamond-
back Vital 2 bike from outside of Howard Hall. The
bike was unlocked.
• An officer applied first-aid to a student who injured
a finger playing basketball at Morrell Gym.
• A student reported ongoing issues with a room-
mate.
Monday, November 11
• A student at Stowe Inn took responsibility for dam-
aging a wall with his foot while doing a forward roll
into his bedroom.
Bowdoin Limericks! by Ian Ward and Lily Randall
Orient Staff
Some people on BSG thought
That the guy on TV was real hot.
They threw him the bait
To talk about hate.
But oppressed Patrick Dempsey is not.
The football team lost every game
They didn’t win once—what a shame!
It seems like their luck
To continue to suck.
Are you ready for more of the same?
The endowment continues to grow,
And the money continues to flow.
Paula Volent
Is very content.
But where does it go? We dunno.
You hear a loud knock on the door.
Just as your drink count reaches four.
You’re bummed out to see
That it’s BPD.
That’s two years in jail—if not more.
STUDENT SPEAK:
What is something you wish you could unlearn?
• A College employee burned a finger while extin-
guishing an electrical fire on a boat at the Coastal
Studies Center dock.
• A wall and door frame were found damaged in the Joshua Brooks ’20
basement common room at Park Row Apartments,
building 2.
• A faculty member using a fog machine activated a
"That not all ‘Snapple Facts’ are facts."
fire alarm at the Edwards Center for Art and Dance.
• There was a hard alcohol policy violation in Coles
Tower.
• A student was given an escort to Mid Coast Hospital
after injuring a hand while working at Moulton
Dining.
Tuesday, November 12 Sumer Vaidya ’22
• A student was transported to Mid Coast Hospital for
treatment of the effects of combining alcohol and
prescription medication.
"KitKat doesn’t have a dash in
• Graffiti was reported on a wall placard in Appleton
Hall. The writing was removed and
between."
there was no damage.
• There was a fire alarm at Brunswick
Apartments, caused by an oven fire.
A student used a fire extinguisher to
put out the fire, and the fire depart-
ment responded. The fire was started Lily Johnston ’20
after the student attempted to cook
a burger without first removing the
packaging.
"30 percent of men have erectile dys-
Wednesday, November 13
function."
• A burnt cookie in a microwave
caused a smoke alarm in Winthrop
Hall.
• An allegation of social media harassment was report-
ed and is under investigation.
• An officer checked on the wellbeing of a student who Emma Dewey ’22
had recently given blood and was feeling faint.
• A student in Chamberlain Hall reported the odor of
marijuana on the second floor.
"Internalized oppression."
Thursday, November 14
• The director of safety and security met with a habit-
ual parking scofflaw in a last-ditch effort to save him
from himself.
Yo, Randy! Can I text and drive? No. Texting while
driving in Maine is illegal, even if you are stopped at
Tam Phan ’21
a traffic light, bus stop, construction site, stop sign
or any other time you are temporarily stopped in "People laugh at me. Not with me. "
the roadway. You may use voice-to-text to send a
message. If your phone doesn’t have that feature you
must pull off the side of the roadway, find a safe place
to park and then write the message. Fines start at $50.
COMPILED BY HAVANA CASO-DOSEMBET
Answers for Word-Up!
CREATED BY AUGUST RICE
“Trust me,” said President Rose.
“He really is one of the pros.”
But Arthur Brooks came,
And really was lame.
We still think the free market blows.
Where does all my tuition go?
To fund all the gear for the bros?
All I want’s better beer.
Natty fills me with fear.
At least can we get some Merlot?
It’s starting to really get cold.
And man, it already feels old.
Is it too late to move
To somewhere improved?
Pomona is nice, I am told.
Can’t we pay off BPD?
I know we can handle that fee.
Note: “Hawaiian” was misspelled in this crossword. We apologize for any
Our endowment is huge.
confusion this may have caused.
I just want some more booze.
But I don’t deserve this felony.
Friday, November 15, 2019 NEWS 3

NEWS IN BRIEF COMPILED BY NINA MCKAY AND BETH WANG

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE STUDENTS

PROTEST ADMINISTRATION’S
STUDENT JOB POLICY
Last Friday, more than 50 students at the University of Maine
Orono participated in a sit-in on the second floor of Memorial
Union, a central hub of student activity on campus. The students
were protesting in response to a three-part series published in
the Maine Beacon, which revealed that Director of Government
and Community Relations for the University of Maine System Sa-
mantha Warren had lobbied the state government to exempt stu-
dents from a recently passed law granting workers paid time off.
“So far it seems that the overall feeling on campus is that
students are upset with the current condition of student em-
ployment,” wrote Maddy Jackson, a student at the University of
Maine, in an email to the Orient. “The news of potential changes
that could make that worse are compelling people to action.”
Student-workers have reported negative experiences at
work, including being compelled by supervisors to sign waiv-
ers giving up their right to a break when working a six-hour
shift. Many students are reliant upon their on-campus jobs to
cover essential expenses.
The protesting students presented a list of demands, includ-
ing Warren’s resignation and a redefinition of the job description
ANN BASU, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
attached to her current position, a monthly report of the budget
SHARING NATIVE VOICES: Matthew Klingle, Darren Ranco and Maria Girouard discuss what makes a meaningful and effective land acknowledgement.

Panelists address the complexities

breakdown to be distributed to students and more staff members
in the counseling center and the Student Accessibility Services.
The protest was organized by Takquan Parks, a fourth-year
biochemistry and molecular/cellular biology student and mod-

of land acknowledgements
erator of a popular Facebook page, “Umaine Memes for Drunken
Teens,” which he used to advertise the protest.
“I did not make this page with the intent to be political,” Parks
wrote in the Facebook group he moderates. “But recently the
news that the university system’s Director of Communication
and Government Affairs … has ACTIVELY worked against the edgement is. importance of acknowledging the ness to [land acknowledgements’]
interest of students has moved me to no longer stay silent and by Rebecca Norden-Bright Land acknowledgements, a current relevance of colonialism importance, and what they do for
Orient Staff
passively stand aside. With the great privilege I have of having the practice increasingly common in and issues of Native underrepre- Native people especially, and how
eyes and ears of a large part of the student body I am using my Sitting on the floor and squeez- many parts of the world, typically sentation. it makes us feel,” said Eaton. “It
influence to bring this to your attention.” ing into the back, faculty, staff and include a recognition of the indig- “Colonialism is a current and makes us feel appreciated.”
Parks told the campus’s student newspaper, The Maine Cam- students packed Main Lounge in enous people who once and often an ongoing process,” said Girouard. By sponsoring more events
pus, that the demands originally only included Warren’s resigna- for the panel, “Land and Waters continue to occupy the land on “These colonial acts of land seizure surrounding indigenous groups,
tion but have now broadened to reflect a larger array of challeng- Around Us: A Discussion on In- which institutions like Bowdoin are not a thing of the past. They NASA hopes to spark more con-
es faced by students and student-workers. digenous Land and Acknowledge- were built. are very much current and pres- versation and increase the visibility
ments.” The event, organized by “Land acknowledgments pro- ent-day.” of Native students on campus.
the Native American Students As- vide that opportunity for us to Klingle, who specializes in en- “Native students at Bowdoin are
sociation (NASA) as a part of both think critically about our place in vironmental history, elaborated either invisible at worst, or misun-
Native American Heritage Month history and just remember the peo- on the importance of reminding derstood at best. Land acknowl-
and No Hate November, discussed ple that used to be here,” Girouard non-native people of this current edgements would be an effective
the importance and complexity of said. relevance. way of bringing conversations
land acknowledgements. However, the panelists empha- “Indigenous people have not about indigeneity to Bowdoin Col-
The four panelists included two sized that a land acknowledgement disappeared, contrary to the vi- lege,” Cassano said. “It might not
Bowdoin professors—Assistant is more complicated than a quick cious and still ongoing trope of be a perfect solution—it certainly
Professor of Anthropology Willi statement mentioned at the begin- the so-called ‘vanishing Indian,’” won’t be—but we want people to
Lempert and Associate Professor of ning of an event. said Klingle. “If anything is to be consider on a regular basis what it
History and Environmental Stud- The goal of the panel, in Lem- done in a positive sense of land means to the history of this land
ies Matthew Klingle—as well as pert’s view, was to reveal the com- acknowledgements for non-native and the current politics of indig-
Darren Ranco, associate professor plex reality of an issue that people audiences, it is to remind people enous peoples living in what is
of anthropology and coordinator might imagine as one-dimensional. who are listening and participating known as the state of Maine right
of Native American research at the “There are complex issues about that native peoples are very much now.”
University of Maine, and Maria Gi- [land acknowledgements] being present.” Audience members also reflect-
CAROLINE FLAHARTY, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT rouard, a Penobscot historian and prescribed, where you have people The panel also centered on the ed on the importance of learning
WRECK ME: Construction on the expansion of Coffin St. Parking Lot environmental and social justice saying them who perhaps wouldn’t question of “Who land acknowl- more about the complexities of
began this Monday. The project will create 81 new parking spots. activist. say them if they had a choice,” Lem- edgements are for?” Although Native issues.
Two of NASA’s leaders, Sun- pert said. the answer is complicated, both “I need to know more about
COLLEGE TO EXPAND COFFIN shine Eaton ’22 and Amanda Cas- Ranco also gave advice to those the panelists and NASA students [land acknowledgement] and I
sano ’22, opened the event with a presenting land acknowledge- emphasized their appreciation for need to do my part to make this sit-
STREET PARKING LOT prayer and introduction. Lempert ments: “Don’t just do it. Don’t just the recognition that comes with the uation better,” said Keaghan Duffy
This Monday, the College began the construction of 81 new then took over as moderator, be- perform it. Engage in the commu- presentation of land acknowledge- ’23. “And a lot of that, I think, just
parking spaces in the Coffin Street parking lot. Matt Orlando, ginning the conversation with a nity building; do the work,” he said. ments. comes from listening to indigenous
senior vice president for finance and administration and trea- discussion of what a land acknowl- The panelists also discussed the “I hope this panel brings aware- people speak.”
surer of the College, predicts the expansion to be fully complet-
ed by June 2020.
Orlando explained that the Coffin Street project was born CANADA
out of the need for more parking spaces close to the center of CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
because you’re not going to make
it on your own,’” Canada said,
ant part of his Bowdoin educa-
tion, explaining how an outing
have to direct us to where hope
led.”
campus due to the upcoming construction of Mills Hall and the quoting the upperclassmen. “‘We with Paul Hazelton, an education Canada also encouraged Bow-
Center for Arctic Studies, which will result in loss of 54 parking “I was the most depressed fought to get you guys up here professor, helped him reflect on doin students to take advantage
spaces. black boy in New England,” Can- … and not everybody wants you the large role that luck plays in of the College’s extensive alumni
“We hope to break ground on those projects, at least [on] ada said. here.’” whether or not people succeed at network.
the site work, as soon as we can in late spring. We need to have That night, though, two mem- Four days after that meeting, Bowdoin and in life. “If I was a student here, I
a parking lot ready to go once Dayton Lot goes offline,” said bers of the African American Canada’s mother called him and “Some people make it, some would have a book of every single
Orlando. Society knocked on his door told him that Stony Brook had people don’t—pure luck. But graduate of Bowdoin and what
The date of completion for the Coffin Lot project is still un- and informed him that there called her and asked where he black people want to say, we they’re doing and where they are,”
certain. was a meeting that night. When was. Suddenly, he had a choice; he shouldn’t just by luck end up Canada said.
“We’re doing the clearing now before winter conditions hit. Canada arrived, he discovered a could stay at Bowdoin, or he could having our lives destroyed, just Audience members, who had
The plan is to finish as much site work as possible during the community of peers—his was the leave and attend his former dream because nobody is willing to been eagerly listening through-
winter and lay gravel initially,” said Orlando. “[Then] in June of largest incoming class of African school. Inspired by the supportive stand up and say you’re going out Canada’s talk and laughing at
2020, we will pour the asphalt for the lot.” American students in Bowdoin’s energy and ambitious aspirations the wrong way, you’re doing the every joke, leapt up for a standing
Despite the construction running into the backyard of 28 history at that point—and up- in the African American Society, wrong thing, that’s going to lead ovation at the end of the speech,
College Street, a property purchased by the College in 2017, perclassmen who had put them- Canada decided to stay. you to destruction,” Canada said. when Canada concluded by en-
Orlando explained that the expansion will not affect the house. selves at risk to push the College “We were looking out for one “I’ll tell you what—that’s what couraging students to take care of
The new spaces in Coffin Lot will still be designated for fac- to admit more black students another because of a higher cause Russwurm was for. We came themselves.
ulty, staff and visitors during daytime on workdays and open to were determined to support them than any individual,” Canada here, [and] all these upperclass- “We need you all to be doing
students at night and on weekends. once they had arrived on campus. said. “I wanted to be part of that.” men knew we weren’t going to this for a long time because we
Orlando added that the College is exploring the possibility of “‘Listen, we’re going to help He also cites his relationships make it out of this place without have a lot more work to do in this
adding more designated student parking spaces. you all get through this thing, with his professors as an import- some help. Someone was going to country,” he said.
4 NEWS Friday, November 15, 2019

COURTESY LONE SPRUCE CREATIVE

AF/AM/50: Students, faculty, staff and alumni came together last weekend at the Af/Am/50
Celebration Ball hosted in Morrell Lounge in the David Saul Smith Union. Attendees enjoyed
live music and DJ entertainment with complimentary drinks. The ball began at 8 p.m. with en-
tertainment from the Jason Palmer Jazz Quintet and continued with a celebratory toast that
carried the event to a conclusion with three more hours of DJ entertainment. After a weekend
of talks, lectures, meals and networking opportunities, the ball gave participants a moment to
rejoice and celebrate the last 50 years of Africana Studies, the African American Society (now
known as the Black Student Union) and the John Brown Russwurm House.

Panel illuminates 2019 DEMPSEY Rather than creating events Hate November was for BSG to
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 around a central theme for the be “proactive, not reactive” to
month, BSG’s committee for di- bias incidents on campus, in the

uprisings in the Middle East

by Brianna Cunliffe
Orient Staff
On Monday, Visiting Assistant
Professor of History Idriss Jebari
moderated “Late Springs: Arab
Uprisings in 2019,” a panel that
featured faculty members speak-
ing on uprisings in Algeria, Iraq,
Lebanon and Egypt. The event
drew a crowd of students interest-
ed in the Middle East to Kanbar
Hall to hear stories that, accord-
ing to Jebari, are largely absent
from or misrepresented by media
coverage.
Assistant Professor of Ro-
mance Languages and Litera-
tures Meryem Belkaid, an Al-
gerian who took her sabbatical
in the Middle East during the
beginning of these uprisings,
spoke on the past nine months’
peaceful unrest which has be-
come known, she said, as the
“revolution of smiles.”
Assistant Professor of Govern-
ment Barbara Elias, who specializ-
es in counterinsurgency, spoke on
Iraq. Since early October, Iraq has
been in the midst of its largest up-
rising since 2003, sparked primar-
ily by unrest surrounding foreign
interference by Iran and Saudi
Arabia and economic injustices.
Pamela Klasova, Andrew
W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow
in Arabic, said she recalled
seeing no hint of the upcom-
ing revolution when she lived
in Lebanon over the summer.
Protests, prompted by a new
tax imposed on the messag-
ing service WhatsApp, have
broadened to reject Lebanon’s
sectarian government and in-
complete democracy.
Batool Khattab, lecturer in
Arabic and a native Egyptian
who often returns to visit family,
spoke on uprisings from 2013 to
the present short-lived protests
under President of Egypt Ab-
del Fattah el-Sisi. She said that,
despite the counter-insurgency
rhetoric and the repressive re-
gime, “young people have the
courage to take to the streets.”
Klasova and Khattab clarified
that they spoke not only as politi-
cal scientists, but also from expe-
rience. Jebari emphasized that the
panel was designed to highlight
personal connections in addition
to academic knowledge.
“Our opportunity was to give
[these uprisings] this more lived
dimension,” he said.
Given that the spark and
spread of each uprising have
been greatly aided by the inter-
net, multiple panelists empha-
sized that this is a social media
revolution. However, beyond
the role of modern technology,
Elias observes commonalities in
the uprisings.
“There’s a rejection from the
bottom up of these systems that
have been broken for a long time,”
Elias said. “[There’s] this idea that
we could be what we want to
be—a new Egypt, a new kind of
Iraq, a new kind of Lebanon.”
After each panelist laid out the
situation in their country of ex-
pertise, Jebari opened the discus-
sion to student questions, which
covered topics ranging from the
role of the diaspora to the risks
associated with the future.
“In the Middle East, it’s un-
certain, but it’s also electric,”
Elias said. “There are notions of
chaos and destruction and war,
but there is also this endemic
hope within the Arab world at
the moment.”
Jebari wanted to bring the
panel to a close with a reflection
of that hope. Panelists obliged,
sharing humorous signs, slogans
and memories of festival-like
protests, where sentiments of
change are in the air.
“A standardized system of
education does not work for
everyone. And that’s okay,”
Dempsey said.
The keynote talk is part of No
Hate November programming,
an annual event at the College
intended to shed light on issues
affecting underrepresented or
ethnic groups on campus. Past
keynote speakers include civil
rights activist Deray McKesson
’07 and comedian Aasif Mandiv.
In the BSG meeting min-
utes, before the students knew
Dempsey would deliver the key-
note address, some members of
student government expressed
their concern over bringing
such a popular figure to campus
for No Hate November.
“When they announced the
event with Patrick Dempsey, I
think it overtook the attention
from the other events just be-
cause he’s such a famous figure,”
said Kushi Patel ’23, the Residen-
tial Life representative of BSG.
The majority of the planning
for No Hate November took
place last year, including secur-
ing funds and space for speakers
to visit. However, despite the
early planning, since BSG mem-
bers for the following year are
not elected until March, there
was little time for discussion as
an assembly about No Hate No-
vember programming.
“It would be beneficial to
talk about the work on the cal-
endar [of No Hate November]
more as an entire BSG,” said
Angel Ramirez ’20, a member
of the diversity and inclusivity
committee. “Ideally with any-
thing you want to have a giant
discussion about it in a broader
context, but a lot of this has to
be done behind the scenes.”
versity and inclusivity reached
out to affinity groups on campus
to find out what groups were
working on.
“I wouldn’t say there are
themes [for No Hate Novem-
ber’s planned events],” said
Ramirez. “It’s more [about] try-
ing to see what different pockets
of the community are focused
on or are doing and then trying
to integrate that into the calen-
dar. I think this year we are very
diverse in the sense of what it is
we’re trying to focus on.”
BSG President Ural Mishra
’20 explained that BSG chose
program over a quantity of pro-
gramming.
“We decided that we would
do some programs but also do
what we could do to support
the other events that were hap-
pening and talking with those
groups about collaborating and
integrating into No Hate No-
vember.
Mishra said BSG support in-
cluded publicity and encourag-
ing students to attend different
events. For example, the first 25
students to attend the “Land and
Waters Around Us: A Discussion
on Indigenous Land and Ac-
knowledgements” panel that took
place Thursday afternoon were
given priority to meet Dempsey
after the keynote event.
Ramirez stressed that BSG’s
intention was not for students
to attend the talk just to obtain a
“golden ticket.”
“We have to make sure peo-
ple are going to this event to be
focused on what it is that we’re
trying to highlight rather than
just having it there as a ticket
or token for going to the talk,”
Ramirez said.
The original intent for No
words of BSG President Sarah
Nelson ’14, who served at the
time the month was dedicated.
However, some students left
Dempsey’s talk searching for a
stronger message.
“I think he was very honest
and it was clear that everything
he was saying was a very genu-
ine and authentic experience,”
said Clara Booker ’20. “[But] it
was tough to hear some of the
declarative statements he made
like ‘if you aren’t wealthy and
you can’t get tested then you are
doomed to fail.’ [I] would hope
there would be greater aware-
ness in society to rally around
people who don’t have access to
those services.”
Many students liked how per-
sonal and conversational the talk
was.
“I like how they talked a lot
about not just his career, but
about the personal experiences
that he went through and how
he kind of connected it to being
a Mainer especially since con-
nection to place is really prom-
inent here,” Emily Lam ’21 said.
During the question-and-an-
swer session, a second-grader
from Portland, reminded audi-
ence members why conversa-
tions like Dempsey’s were im-
portant. Natalie waited in line
to ask Dempsey one question:
What do you do when you’re
annoyed with people who don’t
know what dyslexia is?
As a parent himself whose
young twin boys suffer from
dyslexia, Dempsey was particu-
larly moved by the question.
“I don’t want to explain my
disability to anyone [which
makes] it hard to ask for help
sometimes,” said Dempsey. “But
you always have to ask for help.”

BRRRRR. It sure is cold outside.

By golly! Wouldn’t you love to read this
newspaper in the comfort of your home?

bowdoinorient.com/subscribe
BRIANNA CUNLIFFE, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
ARAB SPRING: On Monday, panelists discussed contemporary social unrest in the Middle East and North Africa.
Friday, November 15, 2019 5

F FEATURES
Proud to serve: Bowdoin veterans reflect on their service
by Eliana Miller
Orient Staff
Allen Daniels, Bowdoin se-
curity officer first class, warned
me that he was going to cry
during our interview.
“I can’t block it out,” he
said. “It’s like a watermark. It’s
always there, over the image
that is real life. Sometimes the
watermark is very opaque,
and you can’t see through it at
all, other times it’s practically
translucent.”
An hour into our chat, tears
dripped onto his beard as the
memories of his time in the
military resurfaced and the
watermark became more pro-
nounced.
Daniels served in the Old
Guard from 1997 to 2001. For
his whole military career, he
was stationed at Fort Myer,
right outside Arlington Na-
tional Cemetery and just half a
mile from the Pentagon. Much
of his service was non-combat.
The Old Guard primarily con-
ducts memorials for dead sol-
diers and escorts officials, such
as the President. Daniels spent
most days marching in funeral
services and most nights pre-
paring for those events—press-
ing his uniform, shining his
shoes, cleaning his ceremonial
belt and pinning his badges
back on in their precise loca-
tion.
“We’re government-paid
pretty boys,” he joked.
His job became less orderly
when, after the September 11,
2001 attack at the Pentagon, he
spent three days in the building
helping to find and identify the
dead.
“I have no recollection af-
ter those first few hours in the
Pentagon on 9/11,” Daniels
said, pausing between sen-
tences to take slow sips of his
now-cold coffee. “But I do re-
member filling and refilling my
pockets with flags. Wire flags.
Landscaping flags of two dif-
ferent colors. One was to mark
airplane parts. The other was
for biological parts.”
As planned, he was dis-
charged from the military just
a week after 9/11. And for the
next 17 years, he blocked out
those memories, disconnecting
himself from his final few days
of service.
Last year, however, at a re-
union in Washington, D.C.
with many other soldiers from
his unit, the memories re-
turned.
At a dinner, a friend from
Daniels’ platoon turned to him
and said, “You don’t know it,
but you’re fucked. I’ve heard
you talk about it, and you need
to process it more, we all do.
Just don’t hesitate to get help.”
The next day, Daniels drove
back to Bowdoin, pulling over
frequently to cry and wipe his
eyes, attempting to “clear away
the images.” The trip should
have taken him 10 hours. In-
stead, it took 36.
When Daniels told me about
his time in the Pentagon, he
didn’t bawl like he did on that
car ride. We sat in a corner in
the David Saul Smith Union. A
tour walked by, students print-
ed their readings for class and
facilities set up chairs for an
event. Daniels’ eyes were wet,
but he remained composed and
unashamed. A year after being
diagnosed with post-traumat-
ic stress disorder (PTSD) and
starting therapy, he welcomes
the opportunity to chat about
his past.
“The military culture isn’t
to talk about [PTSD],” he said.
“But at Bowdoin, in this envi-
ronment, there are resources to
help you, and people are will-
ing to push you toward these
resources. It’s amazing.”
When he got back from his
reunion in D.C., Daniels talk-
ed to a Bowdoin counselor,
who helped him navigate the
employee assistance program,
find a therapist off-campus and
ultimately go on short-term
disability for four months. All
the while, he biked, rhythmi-
cally pedaling, clocking mile
after mile.
For Daniels, biking is a
“form of physical meditation.”
In 2016, he earned his security
cycling instructor certification
from the International Police
Mountain Bike Association
(IPMBA) and became the
first bike patrol officer at the
College. He has since trained
almost every other officer on
staff, and next June he will lead
a workshop about biking as a
therapeutic approach to PTSD
at an IPMBA conference.
This year on 9/11, he rode
184 miles in one day to honor
the 184 victims of the 2001
attack on the Pentagon. He COUTRESY OF ALLEN DANIELS
STANDING TALL: Allen Daniels (right), security office first class, served in the Old Guard from 1997 to 2001,
Please see VETERANS, page 6 stationed at Fort Myer near Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C..

Students work on senatorial, presidential campaigns as elections near

by Sophie Burchell
and Penny Mack
Orient Staff
As Maine’s Democratic prima-
ry on Super Tuesday approaches,
students across campus are bring-
ing the race to Bowdoin.
Presidential campaigns real-
ized the power of the college-stu-
dent voting block; the rates of
college students who voted dou-
bled in 2018. There are 10 million
eligible voters that attend college
in the U.S., and presidential hope-
fuls have started to engage some
of these students, hoping to ener-
gize campuses and gain momen-
tum for their campaigns.
Justin Ko ’22 co-directs or-
ganizing in New England for
Andrew Yang’s presidential cam-
paign. In charge of the texting
campaigns, he monitors when
messages need to be sent to a cer-
tain region.
Although Ko was never di-
rectly involved in politics before
his work with Yang, he has always
valued being politically engaged.
“I’m from Korea originally ...
and just 50 years ago Korea [had]
an authoritarian government try-
ing to take away democracy,” said
Ko. “I just know that democracy
is something that we really can’t
take lightly. I think it’s a duty for
every citizen that has the right to
vote to make their voice heard.”
Elise Hocking ’22 and Wild-
er Short ’22 are also working
on the presidential campaign
of the South Bend, Ind. Mayor
Pete Buttigieg as campus leads.
Hocking is working to organize
a group of Buttigieg supporters
on campus in order to grow his
visibility both on campus and in
Maine.
Hocking acknowledges that
Bowdoin’s small size could limit
the effectiveness of her work.
“There’s only so much that we
can do on this campus, and at a
certain point, it might feel like
we’re hitting a wall because we’re
just hitting the people that are
already firm believers in another
candidate. It’s not necessarily the
best use of our time,” Hocking
said.
That said, she sees opportuni-
ties for students to mobilize out-
side of Bowdoin by working on
campaigns in nearby New Hamp-
shire or elsewhere in Maine. Oth-
er Bowdoin students are working
for candidates in elections closer
to home.
Eric Hall ’20 is interning for
Speaker of the Maine House of
Representatives Sara Gideon’s
campaign for U.S. Senate. As part
of the research team, his job is to
vet people joining the campaign,
as well as make phone calls and
organize events. Originally from
Lewiston, Maine, Hall said it’s
important that his candidate had
the best interests of his home state
in mind, and that college is one
of the best times to get involved
politically.
“I think it’s important because
now is actually when we have a
pretty good chunk of free time if
we block it out right,” Hall said.
“I think it’s easy to get lost … in
the details of college life and for-
get about what’s taking place just
down the road or in our town of
Brunswick.”
Micah Wilson ’22 and Livia
Kunins-Berkowtiz ’22 both have
a record of political activity, from
campaigning in local elections to
working for the Maine People’s
Alliance. They have now started
phone banking for Senator Ber-
nie Sanders on Fridays, where
they call undecided New Hamp-
shire voters and discuss voting for
Sanders.
“For me [being politically
active] is [a] no-brainer,” Kun-
ins-Berkowtiz said. “People’s lives
can be drastically improved de-
pending on elections.”
G head of the group, says that al-
KIN
HOC
ISE
EL
Y OF
S
TE
UR
CO
For Wilson, talking to people
directly makes his work mean-
ingful.
“I’ve had some amazing con-
versations [with] people over the
phone that helped me remind
myself that it’s work that does
make a difference and that does
matter, even if most of the time it
can feel really menial and hard,”
Wilson said.
Phone banking can be done by
anyone at home with a laptop and
phone, but Kunins-Berkowtiz
and Wilson intentionally wanted
to create a space where people
can come together, have fun and
learn from each other.
“There’s the organizing and
then there’s the community side,
and both things can often feel like
they’re lacking if they don’t have
the other going on,” Wilson said.
Though the organization will
not endorse a candidate during
the primary season, Bowdoin
Democrats sees itself as a re-
source for students looking to get
involved in campaigns and is sup-
porting campaigning students by
helping them organize and gather
volunteers and resources.
Katherine Henneberger ’20,
though liberals on campus seem
united in their beliefs, the orga-
nization represents students of
varying political ideologies, citing
a recent poll sent to the organiza-
tion’s members about which can-
didate they are supporting.
“There’s a really wide breadth
of people who are interested in
different candidates. There’s not
a majority for one person,” Hen-
neberger said. “We imagine that
we’re all liberal in the same strain,
but we might not be.”
Bowdoin Democrats aims to
give these different strains a place
to discuss and organize. Bowdoin
Republicans also does not plan to
campaign as an organization for
specific candidates in the coming
election season.
When asked if there was a
substantial interest in Republican
campaigns on campus, Bowdoin
Republicans member Theo de
Quillacq ’21 replied, “Probably
not. There’s very little to work
with.”
However, the organization
wants to continue the conversa-
tion on campus about conserva-
tive politics.
The lack of commentary on
conservative politics from profes-
sors often hurts political diversity
at Bowdoin, de Quillacq said, and
he wishes that conservative voic-
es from non-students were more
vocal on campus.
“I don’t think people get both
Please see CAMPAIGNS, page 7
6 FEATURES
New Arabic
club promotes
language, culture
by Andrew Chang
Orient Staff
During his first semester
at Bowdoin, Joe Hilleary ’20
signed up for an introductory
Arabic class. He did not have
any previous experience, and
he definitely did not expect
to fall in love with the lan-
guage. Now, he is president of
the newly chartered Al-Nadi
Al-Arabi (“The Arabic Club”)
and aims to build a more vis-
ible Arabic-speaking commu-
nity on campus.
For a long time, Arabic at
Bowdoin has existed only on
the periphery. Though classes
in Arabic have been offered
since 2008, there is not cur-
rently an Arabic department
and there are therefore no
majors or tenured faculty
members. Until last year, the
program had only one lec-
turer, Russell Hopley, who
only taught classes through
the intermediate level. The
College established minors
in Arabic and Middle Eastern
and North African Studies
at the beginning of this year,
but formal support systems
outside the classes are essen-
tially nonexistent. The Arabic
language table, for example, is
held very irregularly.
“One of the persistent
problems [at Bowdoin] is
there’s no formal academic
structure to support Arabic
the way there is for all the
other languages,” Hilleary
said. “[Arabic] sort of exists
in a weird space, which makes
it hard for there to be long-
term continuity.”
Hilleary hopes that Al-Na-
di Al-Arabi will be the first
step toward building a larger
student base that will even-
tually lead a change at the
institutional level: the estab-
lishment of an Arabic depart-
ment at Bowdoin.
“I would love to be able to
come back in five years and
see an established depart-
ment,” Hilleary said. “It would
be incredible if we could have
VETERANS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
raised money for the Windy
Warrior’s Adrenaline Therapy
Program, which helps veterans
recover from PTSD through
activities, such as skydiving,
that are fun and safe but rec-
reate the heightened sensory
levels associated with training
and combat. Daniels was able
to raise enough money to pay
for 10 veterans to spend a day
in the air.
Aside from supportive
coworkers and a “fantastic
benefits program,” Daniels is
grateful that his job at Bowdoin
allows him to bike everyday. As
the snow begins to fall and the
roads get icy, he straps studs
onto his fat tires and continues
pedaling across campus.
“They pay me to ride my
bike. It’s pretty awesome,” he
said. “If I’m having a bad day,
a base from which program-
ming can happen.”
For now, Al-Nadi Al-Ara-
bi is trying to fill that gap.
The young club has already
helped the Arabic program
immensely, said Andrew W.
Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in
Arabic Pamela Klasova.
“[Al-Nadi Al-Arabi] hav-
ing events helps us to build
the Arabic program and the
Arabic community,” Klasova
said in a phone interview with
the Orient. “When I came to
Bowdoin and the Arabic pro-
gram was being built, I didn’t
expect so many students to be
so active and so interested. It’s
just wonderful.”
According to Hilleary, the
primary challenge that fac-
es those hoping to cultivate
a stronger Arabic-speaking
presence on campus is the dif-
ficulty of the language itself.
Most students have never had
the opportunity to learn Ara-
bic before attending Bowdoin
and when they begin, they
meet four days a week to learn
a language with an alphabet
and grammatical structure
that are new to most English
speakers.
“We’re trying to figure out
other ways for people to engage
in supporting those students
[of Arabic] because it takes a
lot of time—it is an encompass-
ing endeavor,” Hilleary said.
“We see that one way to do that
is by getting people engaged
with the language outside [the
classroom].”
“I’d love to see … an Ar-
abic-speaking community
that’s visible, that’s doing
things on campus and feels
comfortable existing in its
own space,” Hilleary added.
Earlier this year, Al-Nadi
Al-Arabi hosted a panel of
students who have studied
abroad in the Middle East
or North Africa to discuss
their experiences with in-
terested students. The club
also worked with the Arabic
program to host a calligraphy
workshop over Family Week-
I especially look forward to
getting on the bike and pedal-
ing to calls. It’s a good way to
recover.”
Other veterans working at
the College also say the Bowdo-
in community is supportive and
accommodating of their mili-
tary service. Sharon King-Cau-
dle, assistant to facilities man-
agement administration, served
in the Navy for 20 years as an
aviation administrator. She fin-
ished her last nine years while
working at the College, spend-
ing weekends at the Naval base
in Brunswick, weekdays on
campus and nights in class at
Southern New Hampshire Uni-
versity.
“Bowdoin was real appre-
ciative of me doing what I was
doing, and it also gave me the
opportunity to do what I was
able to and balance it all,” she
said. “I don’t know that any oth-
er employer would have been as
Friday, November 15, 2019
COURTESY OF NORA GREENE
AL-NADI AL-ARABI: Bowdoin’s
Arabic club, chartered last year,
hopes to create a more visible Ara-
bic-speaking community on campus
by allowing students to engage with
different aspects of Arabic culture.
end. It was led by Muhammed
Habib, a calligraphy instruc-
tor from Harvard University.
By garnering broader stu-
dent interest in the language,
Hilleary also hopes to combat
misconceptions and stereo-
types about the Arab world.
“[It] is a really vibrant and
dynamic part of the world.
Oftentimes, the only coverage
we see is very sad or violent
[or] tragic. And that’s really
an image we want to dispel,
through getting people to
engage with other aspects
[of Arabic culture],” Hilleary
said.
This Saturday, the club
will be making luqaimat—a a traditional Arab dessert,” Moving forward, Hilleary we only have one professor
doughnut-type sweet pop- Hilleary said. “Those who wants to continue to build for Arabic who only teaches
ular in the Middle East—by want to can engage in Ara- momentum within the stu- through intermediate,’” Hil-
using translated recipes and bic, learn additional kitchen dent body for more engage- leary said. “And I think that’s
following along with an Ara- vocabulary, food vocabulary, ment with Arabic. that student aspect—that
bic cooking show. The event practice that in a different “All of the changes that student voice is so important
will take place from 1 p.m. kind of setting than sitting in have happened in the last few in where the College chooses
to 4 p.m. at Boody-Johnson a classroom.” years have been the result to put its focus. I see the club
House. Hilleary said that the club of years of students saying, as a way for students to show
“Anyone who wants to can aims to host one more large ‘it’s ridiculous that Bowdoin their enthusiasm for this lan-
come and enjoy this experi- celebration at the end of the doesn’t have Middle East- guage, this culture, this area
ence [and] learn how to cook year. ern studies. It’s absurd that of study.”
generous or would have allowed
that to happen.”
Mountain Bike Park in New
Hampshire, where he “shredded
Although Veteran’s Day is a
federal holiday, students, fac-
the gnar” and biked off a six-
foot cliff for the first time. The
HAPPY COURSE
ulty and staff did not have the
day off on Monday. Tim French,
adrenaline rush and the medi-
tative act of pedaling comforted
REGISTRATION,
mechanical services shop lead-
er, acknowledged the holiday
him as he reflected on his time
in service. ROUND 1
by wearing an American flag A few days after our inter-
pin to work and sending emails view, Daniels dug up photos
and messages to his old bud- from his Old Guard days to
dies from the Air Force. French
was an aircraft environmental
show me. In one, he marches to-
ward the Tomb of the Unknown
You don’t need
controls technician for four
years before coming to work
Soldier, honoring a fallen veter-
an. In another, he proudly holds
instructor permission
at Bowdoin. He said he wishes
that there was more recognition
the Army flag at a parade in Al-
exandria, V.A..
to add the Bowdoin
of Veteran’s Day on campus, but
smiled when he remembered a
Daniels’ eyes welled up again
as he looked at a photo of his Orient to your
student who asked about his pin
last year.
“She thanked me for my
platoon outside of the Pentagon
in 2001. But this time, they were
tears of pride, not of sadness.
doorstep.
service, and I thought that was “I don’t regret joining the
really cool. It was out of the blue military,” he said. “And I regret
and it meant a lot,” he said. it less and less and look back bowdoinorient.com/subscribe
On Monday, Daniels took on it with more and more pride
the day off to go to Highland the older I get.”
Friday, November 15, 2019 FEATURES 7

Harriet Beecher Stowe: the

woman, the myth, the legend
Poke the Bear
by Sela Kay
It didn’t take me long to
realize that the Bowdoin
campus is a goldmine for ob-
scure references to the Col-
lege’s history. Exhibit A: in
the fall of my first year, I was
strolling through the quad
alongside my upperclassman
friend as she told me about
compass engravings—yes,
you read that right—scattered
throughout the landscape of
the College as some sort of
historical reference. I have
investigated them during my
free time, and strangely they
actually do exist. Exhibit B:
later in that year, I stumbled
into Mass Hall and stopped
mid-stride to revel at the his-
torical imprints of the words,
“Massachusetts Hall—1802,”
on the exterior of the Col-
lege’s very first building. And
exhibit C: as I walk through
the entrance of Stowe Hall
every day going to and from
my various classes and meet-
ings, I can’t help but notice
the commanding black-and-
bronze plaque that pays hom-
age to Harriet Beecher Stowe,
signifying a deeply seated and
important past of Bowdoin.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, an
abolitionist and civil rights
trailblazer, had an immense
impact not only on the Col-
lege during her short-lived
time in Brunswick but also on
the political landscape of the
country. Although conversa-
tions of important figures in
Bowdoin history center on
alumni, Stowe’s impact as a
mere affiliate of the College
was equally, if not more, im-
portant than many of the Col-
lege’s alumni. Harriet Beech-
er Stowe, then just Harriet
Beecher, became connected to
the College through the work
of her equally liberal-minded
husband and Bowdoin profes-
sor and graduate, Calvin Ellis
Stowe, and used her free time
to turn anti-slavery sentiment
into action.
She began writing “Uncle
Tom’s Cabin,” an abolitionist
novel which all but rocked an
America in civil turmoil, in
what is now called the Stowe
House. Accordingly, this
building has been named as a
National Historic Landmark
as well as a National Under-
ground Railroad
Network To
Freedom site,
due to Stowe’s
incredible im-
pact on the
lives of so many
Americans. Her
novel began as a
weekly segment
of the 1851
“National Era,”
a popular an-
ti-slavery news-
paper, and was
later published
as a standalone
due to its im-
mense popu-
larity and broad reach.
Stowe drew inspiration from
her own experiences with Lincoln
fugitive slaves and is said to regarding
have used certain slave nar- abolitionist matters. PER
EA
EYR
ratives as her inspiration for Upon Stowe’s historic meet- SYD
N
this novel. ing with President Lincoln, morali-
Stowe then proceeded to the president is rumored to ty; although
write “A Key to Uncle Tom’s have greeted her with the she herself did not attend
Cabin,” a sort-of defense for her words, “So you’re the little Bowdoin, her impact is felt sphere of sympathetic influ-
novel’s bold yet accurate claims woman who wrote the book throughout campus. ence encircles every human
and continued to fight off stub- that made this great war.” The plaque in Stowe Hall, being.’” And so, as we contin-
born southern contempt. These words show the fiery which innumerable students ue with our lives at Bowdoin,
After the Civil War official- nature of Stowe and are the pass every day, reads: “Named let us act upon our own sym-
ly broke out, Stowe travelled words that carry her legacy in honor of Harriet Beecher pathetic influence and build
to Washington, D.C. to meet with us today. Stowe’s life Stowe, ‘stirrer of the social upon the wonder of our col-
with then-president Abraham truly was one of strength and conscience,’ … ‘an atmo- lege’s historic past.

CAMPAIGNS people ‘this is what you have

to believe.’ We’re telling people:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
‘here’s valid arguments for what
ception [that people have] prob-
ably is, ‘I don’t have the right
tools for the job,’ but they’re really

TALK TO
sides,” de Quillacq said. “It’s very
tough to know what you believe
in if you don’t know what you
disagree with.”
Bowdoin Republicans mem-
ber Matthew Swiatek ’20 also em-
phasized the organization’s role as
we believe and why’ and just ask-
ing people to listen to that and
give it some genuine consider-
ation,” Swiatek said.
Regardless of whether being
politically active is familiar or
completely new, these Bowdoin
always looking for people,” Hall
said. “Don’t be afraid to reach out
to any level of government.”
For Hocking, her and other
students’ political involvement is
meaningful and rewarding.
“To feel like our work is being

US. a conversation starter on campus.

“We’re not trying to convert
people, we’re not trying to tell
students agree that there is a place
for everybody to get involved.
“I think the biggest miscon-
appreciated and that our input is
being taken seriously in the cam-
paign is really great,” she said.

Ranging from lighthearted moments

to serious reflections about life
at and beyond Bowdoin, Talks of
the Quad feature the Bowdoin
community’s best short-form writing.
They are published every other
week and can be written by any
member of the Bowdoin community.
Generally 700-1,000 words.
EMAIL ORIENT@BOWDOIN.EDU

COURTESY OF JUSTIN KO
YANG GANG: Justin Ko ’22 co-directs organizing in New England for Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign. Ko is
one of many Bowdoin students working on political campaigns this fall.
8 Friday, November 15, 2019
A
O ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SIBILNG BOND: Ben Allen ’23 and Salina Chin ’23 took on lead roles as siblings Carl and Anna in Masque and Gown’s production “The Baltimore Waltz.” The
play takes audience members through Carl and Anna’s vacation in Europe and addresses Anna’s struggle with a disease that symbolically represents AIDS.
‘The Baltimore Waltz’ sheds
light on the AIDS epidemic
by Kate Lusignan
Orient Staff
What do a pajama-wearing
character, two latex gloves and
a stuffed rabbit add up to? The-
ater-goers will find out tonight
and Saturday, as they leave
Wish Theater and enter the al-
ternate world of The Baltimore
Waltz.
“It’s kind of like a puzzle. You
really have to piece it together,”
director Joosep Vorno ’22 said.
Masque and Gown’s fall-pro-
duction, “The Baltimore Waltz,”
written by Paula Vogel, is a
series of vignettes following
siblings, Anna, played by Salina
Chin ’23, and Carl, played by
Ben Allen ’23, as they embark
on a European adventure. A
loose allegory of the AIDS ep-
idemic, the play begins after
Anna has contracted the fic-
tional Acquired Toilet Disease
(ATD) at the school where she
teaches. Anna and Carl each
navigate newfound sexual ex-
periences with a “third-man”
while traveling abroad, simul-
taneously strengthening their
relationships with each other in
what Vorno describes as a “fan-
tastical, dreamy experience.”
This is emphasized by small
details that might seem acci-
dental or random. However,
Vorno assures these details are
intentional.
“There are things that are
out of place. Ask yourself why,
why those things are there.
Nothing’s there just because,”
he said.
In addition to the small de-
tails, a character known as the
“third-man,” played by Will
Rackear ’22, contributes to the
play’s ominousness with an ex-
aggerated stage presence. The
third-man plays all the charac-
ters the siblings interact with,
including lovers, friends and a
doctor.
The play also explores the passing the roles of multiple characters and adding to the play’s deviation from theatrical conventions.
Eveningstar
embraces new
ownership
personal impact of the AIDS
epidemic.
Vogel wrote “The Baltimore
Waltz” to memorialize her broth-
er Carl who died from compli-
cations of AIDS before the two
were able to take a long-awaited
European vacation.
“[The AIDS epidemic] was
something that was kind of
hard to talk about. I think
[the play is a] good approach
[to discussing the epidemic],
because to someone who’s not
paying close attention, it’s just
like, ‘oh, they’re taking some
weird trip to Europe,’ but if
you’re really paying close atten-
tion, there are subtleties that
show [what the experience] is
really about,” said Rackear.
BAD HAIR DAY: Will Racklear ’22 portrays an exaggerated “third-man” character in “The Baltimore Waltz,” encom-
Although the seriousness
of the AIDS epidemic is at the
forefront of the play, suffering
is not. The play explores the
emotional journey of AIDS pa-
tients and their loved ones.
“While the subject matter
of the play is quite tragic, life
is not comedy or drama. Life
is not always super serious or
super comedic, and this play
does a great job at finding com-
edy and joy in topics that one
might not expect them to be,”
Vorno said.
Chin said the biggest chal-
lenge of playing a character
who is experiencing joy, excite-
ment and loss is maintaining
vulnerability for the entire play.
“There’s only one scene
ANN BASU, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
where I am not onstage, so
it’s been difficult keeping the
character up through the entire
time,” Chin said. “It’s getting
into the attitude that I’m gonna
do things I normally wouldn’t
share with people who I’m not
very close with.”
Chin said she hopes the play
strikes a personal tone.
“I hope they think about what
it’s like to be remembered and
what a legacy feels like,” Chin
said. “And I hope they call their
family members and tell them
how much they love them.”
“The Baltimore Waltz” will
play tonight in Wish Theater in
Memorial Hall at 7:30 p.m. and
on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and
7:30 p.m..
ANN BASU, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
by Lucie Nolden
Orient Staff
Before the age of Netflix,
Amazon Prime and Hulu, be-
fore tens of thousands of movies
were available for our viewing
pleasure at the tapping of a
couple of keys and even before
the first Blockbuster opened its
doors, the Eveningstar Cinema
shone brightly in the Tontine
Mall of Maine Street, deliver-
ing small-studio indie movies
to Brunswick’s most discerning
fans. Over the summer, the
cinema was purchased by film-
maker and freelance producer
Shaun Boyle, who hopes to pre-
serve the legacy of Eveningstar
in the Brunswick community
and keep it profitable in the face
of modern challenges by mak-
ing some small changes.
In 1980, months after the
Eveningstar opened (and when
a box of Sno-caps went for a
mere 85 cents), the Orient pub-
lished a review of the theater,
praising it as a place where a
“dedicated cinema-phile [could]
sate his desire for a good flick.”
Since then much has changed
in the way people tend to watch
movies, yet Eveningstar remains
a local institution. Boyle, who
studied film production and
theory at Hampshire College
and received an M.F.A. in Doc-
umentary Filmmaking from the
City College of New York, em-
phasized the importance of a lo-
cal venue in which moviegoers
can catch a film not screened at
the local multiplex theater.
“Without places like Eve-
ningstar and like Frontier, a lot
of these films would never come
to this market,” Boyle said. “It’s
important in that regard that
a place like this is here, that
downtown, you could see a for-
eign film … or an art film that’s
going to challenge an audience
more.”
Since purchasing the theatre,
Boyle has updated the premises
while maintaining its cozy and
creative atmosphere. A new
screen was installed last week,
and old couches were taken out
to make space for accessible
seating in the front, making
the theatre compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities
Act. The snack counter is dec-
orated with a colorful garland
crocheted by the manager, a
lively mural brightens the dark
NEW MAN IN TOWN: Filmmaker and freelance producer Shaun Boyle
purchased The Eveningstar Cinema over the summer.
walls, and the smell of buttered
popcorn lingers in the air. It’s
the warm, welcoming envi-
ronment and the independent
spirit of Eveningstar that make
it so special. For Boyle, it’s rem-
iniscent of a place he used to
frequent as a college student in
small western Massachusetts.
“There’s a theater in
Northampton that the Eve-
ningstar reminds me a lot of,”
he said, smiling. Perhaps Eve-
ningstar will come to occupy a
similar place in the memory of
Bowdoin students—something
to look fondly upon after grad-
uation.
While the primary audience
of Eveningstar tends to be the
older residents of Brunswick,
Boyle has been introducing
program he hopes will appeal
to younger and more diverse
audiences. The cinema is cur-
rently showing “Harriet,” a
critically-acclaimed biopic by
director Kasi Lemmons. Begin-
ning on Friday, “Jojo Rabbit,” a
film by New Zealand comedian
Taika Waititi about a boy whose
imaginary best friend is Hitler,
will open. Screenings of a new
Adam Sandler film called “Un-
cut Gems,” a new movie adapta-
tion of “Little Women” arriving
in December and showings of
“Downtown Abbey” are all to
come.
Having attended high school
in South Korea and witnessed
the birth of the New Korean
Cinema movement, Boyle is
particularly excited for the
theater to begin screening “Par-
asite,” directed by Korean Film-
maker Boon Jong-ho, at the end
of November. The film is both a
box office hit and a contender to
be the first foreign language film
to pick up an Oscar for Best Pic-
ture. Boyle also looks forward to
a one-night holiday screening of
one of his favorite movies, Die
Hard.
Satisfying the theater’s
longstanding customer base
is important for Eveningstar
to remain profitable, Boyle
explained, but attracting new
audiences who might enjoy a
different type of film is one of
his goals as well.
“You’re kind of doing it for
the love of the whole thing and
not necessarily to make money
off of it,” Boyle said. “And my
goal is to make it sustainable as
it moves.”
ANGEL RAMIREZ, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
Friday, November 15, 2019 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 9

Cohen ’20 performs an intimate set with Them Airs

by Sebastian De Lasa
Orient Staff
Them Airs, a band from
New Haven County, Con-
necticut, played a set in
Brunswick this week unlike
any show I have attended
during my time at Bowdoin.
No combination of adjectives
can properly summarize the
band’s style—if one had the
arduous task of assigning
Them Airs a genre, a mix be-
tween art punk, shoegaze and
math rock would be the best
way of describing them. How-
ever, nobody in the crowd
gave much mind to which of
these genres Them Airs fits
into. People were too busy
dancing, bouncing and mosh-
ing to the most raucous set
any artist has played at Bow-
doin in a long time.
Them Airs technically
has six members, but only
four performed at Saturday’s
show: guitarist and vocalist
Cade Williams, drummer and
vocalist Evan Nork, guitarist
Hayden Nork and lastly, Bow-
doin’s own Adam Cohen ’20
on bass. The band members
went to high school togeth-
er but only formed the band
once in college. Them Airs
came to campus last year un-
der the name Mirror Waves.
Since last year’s set, Them
Airs has played 11 shows at
unconventional spaces scat-
tered across Connecticut.
The show on Saturday
was DIY to the core—gui-
tar pedals were unplugged,
crowd members knocked
out the powerstrip, drinks
were placed on the speakers
and amplifiers toppled as the
floor bounced. But that didn’t
take away from how clearly
talented Them Airs were as
musicians. The rhythms were
extremely tight, every tempo
change (and there were lots
of them) was executed on-cue
and even the vocal harmo-
nies—when you could hear
them—sounded good.
A show like the one Them
Airs put on is difficult to
pull off. It walks a fine line
between chaos and bril-
liance—the mosh pit can lead
to violence, if it’s too loud the
cops could come, and, yes,
the guitar pedals can get un-
plugged multiple times when
the powerstrip gets knocked
out of the socket. Them Airs
played a wild show to a gener-
ally musically-agnostic Bow-
doin crowd, totally blowing
past expectations of what mu-
sic played on campus could
sound like.
•
Before the set I talked to
Cohen and the band about
their experiences in a regional
scene, what it’s like to play at
a school like Bowdoin and his
expectations for the set.
The interview has been ed-
ited and condensed for clarity.
The Orient: Your sound is
significantly different from a
lot of other bands that per-
form at Bowdoin. Why do
you think that other bands at
COURTESY OF ANNA RYACK
Bowdoin don’t play a similar UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Connecticut-based punk-rock band Them Airs, featuring Adam Cohen ’20, performed in an intimate house setting last
style to Them Airs? weekend in Brunswick. Cohen and his bandmates chatted with the Orient about bands and music culture at Bowdoin before performing on Saturday night.
Adam Cohen: Well, there
[are] a lot of musicians here Haven, Boston, Portland and bands, are really well educat- scenes. DIY scenes flourish Airs on campus? Do you think
that are really good, and often other places in New England, ed. I mean, thinking about in places where the cops have that a place like Bowdoin
trained in jazz. And I think and that there are plenty of bands like The Clash or Min- other things to care about, I’ll could foster a punk scene?
that comes out in the music— New Englanders at Bowdo- utemen, they made some very put it that way. DIY scenes of- Cade Williams: Yeah, that’s
lots of stuff influenced by jazz in, is it surprising that there interesting social critiques ten pop up on the outskirts of not gonna happen. As soon
and funk. Bowdoin has a re- hasn’t been more interest in and were really intelligent. I cities—the Boston DIY scene as it does we would nip it in
ally good scene for that, like, is mostly centered around the bud. It would cheapen the
it’s wild that there are so many
good bands on a campus of
“If you like something you should Somerville and Cambridge, as
there isn’t really anywhere in
product [laughs].
A.C.: I guess if that would
2,000 people. We all met in do it, regardless of whether you’re Boston where you could play happen there would have to
high school, and Evan and going to get an audience for it.” these types of shows without be a critical mass of students
Hayden met in their house having the cops come. Even in interested in forming bands,
because they’re brothers, but –Adam Cohen ’20, Them Airs bassist New Haven, there’s no houses and right now you don’t real-
growing up in Connecticut, or venues in downtown New ly see that on campus. But I
there’s a surprisingly good punk at Bowdoin? feel like most people at Bow- Haven where we could play. don’t really know what people
noise rock, post-punk scene A.C.: Well, I think the doin just didn’t come from DIY generally has to be in a want, and I guess it doesn’t re-
in and around New Haven. Bowdoin population isn’t backgrounds that grow those place that the cops don’t care ally matter—if you like doing
So the band is definitely in- generally people who are a [punk] scenes. I mean I grew about, or somewhere cheap something you should do it,
fluenced by the music we’re part of punk scenes. They’re a up in a pretty nice town, but and not residential enough regardless of whether you’re
surrounded by at home. bit too smart [laughs]. I think being a part of the where the neighbors could call going to get an audience for it.
Q: I think you hit an inter- Evan Nork: I think that New Haven music scene kind the cops on you. Q: Do you have any worries
esting point on how region- specifically pop-punk isn’t of mixes up different types of Q: How receptive do you about Brunswick Police shut-
alism defines music scenes. that smart— people. I think it’s a lot less ho- think Bowdoin students ting down tonight’s show?
Given that there are pretty A.C.: Yeah, a lot of punk mogenous in that sense. Also, would be to a proliferation of A.C.: Yeah. We’re pretty
strong punk scenes in New bands, especially post-punk here’s the thing about DIY bands that sound like Them loud.

Fall Concert Preview: Tobi Lou, The Bus and Morrison ’20
by Dani Quezada
Orient Staff
As the temperature plum-
mets and finals season ap-
proaches, the end of the fall
season heralds the Bow-
doin Entertainment Board
(E-board)’s annual Fall Con-
cert.
This year, Bowdoin will be
welcoming Nigerian-born,
Chicago-raised artist Tobi Lou,
a hip-hop rapper and singer.
E-board member Mamadou
Diaw ’20 describes Lou as an
up-and-coming artist.
“He has a very unique and
very creative vibe,” Diaw said.
“And he just has … music you
can bump to on a regular basis.”
Diaw explained the difficult
process of inviting musicians to
campus each year.
“It’s very hard to get artists,
depending on [the] time frame
and timeline. So this was a
conversation that happened
before the school year started,”
he said.
Over the summer, the
E-board began to connect
through group chats to brain-
storm a list of artists that could
be a good fit for the occasion,
trying to make a decision that
best considered everyone’s
voice. Members had brain-
stormed at least 15 artists for
the Fall Concert.
Lou’s performance has been
on the E-board’s radar for some
time. He released his most pop-
ular song, “Buff Baby,” just over
a year ago. It gained attention
and praise through social me-
dia and now has over 15 mil-
lion views on Youtube as well
as over 30 million streams on
Spotify. Some of his other hit
songs include “Just Keep Goin’,”
“Darlin’” and “I Was Sad Last
Night I’m OK Now.” He has an
upcoming tour in Europe start-
ing in early January.
The fall concert this year
will include two student per-
formances: Ari, Blaine and the
Bus as well as Alana.
The Bus, a student group
that typically alternates be-
tween singers, has made its
mark this past semester, per-
forming at different campus
events including Greenstock,
Reed House’s Fall Fest and
MacMillan House’s Macoween.
Alana Morrison ’20 is an estab-
lished pop music singer-song-
writer on campus who released
her first EP last fall.
The Fall Concert will take
place tonight in Morrell
Lounge of David Saul Smith
Union. Student opening acts
will begin at 10 p.m. with Tobi
Lou following immediately
thereafter.

YOUR AD Want to advertise to thousands of Bowdoin students and community

members? The Bowdoin Orient wants to help you out.

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orientads@bowdoin.edu for details.
10 Friday, November 15, 2019

FS SPORTS
HIGHLIGHT
REEL
GOING ONCE, GOING
TWICE, SOLD:
Following a run to the
NESCAC final, the volleyball
team earned an at-large bid
to the NCAA tournament.
The Polar Bears are one of
32 teams in the nation to
qualify for the Division III
Championships. Bowdoin
will be looking to eclipse last
year’s performance in the
tournament, where the team
made it to the Sweet Sixteen
before losing to Babson. The
first tournament game is
tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Tufts.
This past week, Cori Gray
’22 and Caroline Flaharty
’20 were both named
to All-NESCAC teams.
Flaharty was also named
an All-Northeast player by
the American Volleyball
Coaches Association, while
Gray and Ashley Williams ’21
earned honorable mentions.

FIFTH, BUT NO CIGAR:

After a superlative season
for the field hockey team, in
which it finished with a 14-2
overall record and allowed
just 0.67 goals per game, KYRA TAN
Bowdoin did not earn an at-

A new narrative for Mario Balotelli

large bid to the NCAA DIII
Championship Tournament.
Despite the fact that the
Polar Bears finished fifth in
the most recent National
Field Hockey Coaches’
Association poll, a first-round
exit from the NESCAC
tournament at the hands of
Hamilton pushed Bowdoin
out of contention for NCAA
tournament qualification.
BRINGING HOME THE
BACON:
Despite being knocked out
by Tufts in the NESCAC
quarterfinal two weeks
ago, the women’s soccer
team was given reason to
celebrate this week when
two players were named
All-NESCAC selections.
Morgen Gallagher ’20
earned her third all-
conference recognition,
starting all year in a defense
that allowed only 1.04 goals
per game. Lynn Farquhar ’21
also earned all-NESCAC
accolades for her work in the
midfield. Both players were
named to the all-conference
second team.
BOASTING AN
IMPRESSIVE RESUME:
The men’s and women’s
squash teams open their
winter season with back-
to-back home matches
against Bates and Vassar
this weekend. These are the
first games for new Head
Coach Theo Woodward,
who was hired in May after
Tomas Fortson, the head
coach of 19 years, stepped
down. Expectations are high
for Woodward, who arrives
with coaching experience
at Dartmouth and Drexel
and will seek to steer both
teams to new heights. He
is joined by assistant coach
Ian Squiers ’19, a former
player for the men’s team.
The opening match is at the
Lubin Squash Center at 6
p.m. against Bates.
COMPILED BY DYLAN SLOAN
The Sideline
Story
by Julius Long
It is no coincidence that
many of my earliest memories
involve the game I fell in love
with as a child. At three years
old, I was watching my dad
coach youth soccer. By the age
of four, I was kicking a ball
around with no other motive
other than the pure, unbridled
joy of it. At five, I lost my first
tooth in a post-match donut
on a field that I would play on
for years to come. At home, I
remember sitting on the couch
in awe watching the speed and
power of Thierry Henry, the
ferocity that Rio Ferdinand
brought to every tackle, the
acts of sorcery that Lionel Mes-
si would pull off with the ball
seemingly glued to his foot. As
I grew older, my obsession with
the players, the clubs and the
game only intensified.
The game as I remember it
then, however, is nothing like
I’m experiencing it now. I’m
still in awe—but now, it’s at
the vile acts of hate that seem
to be here to stay. Intolerance
is a global problem and one
that isn’t distinct to any one
particular corner of the world.
Its manifestation in the world’s
game is no surprise to me.
But I have been amazed by it
as of late. Amazed that it has
become so prevalent. Amazed
that I now watch, sometimes
cringing in anticipation that
some black player or Jewish
player or anyone considered
different by fans might be
abused.
A month ago, I watched in
my room as the England-Bul-
garia match was paused in
Sofia. Nazi salutes and monkey
chants were obtrusive in the
stadium until match officials
had the culprits removed from
the stands. The reactions after
the match were, as you’d expect,
widespread condemnation and
outrage across Western Europe
in particular. In Bulgaria and
many of the racially and eth-
nically homogenous countries
of Eastern Europe, this sort of
behavior in stadiums is simply
the status quo. And while racist
incidents have been rampant in
England, France, Germany and
plenty of other Western Euro-
pean nations, they are often
accompanied by overwhelm-
ing regret and sincere apology
for the ignorant attitudes that
many see as the minority. This
isn’t the case in Italy.
As a kid, I also remember
watching Mario Balotelli,
a player who is immensely
talented, physically domi-
nant and has a propensity for
producing some incredible
goals. His form has ebbed
and flowed, as have his re-
lationships with managers
and teammates. “Egotisti-
cal, problem child, wasting
God-given talent” was the
narrative around him when I
was growing up. In retrospect,
I read that narrative a little bit
differently.
Balotelli was born to Gha-
naian immigrants in Palermo,
Sicily. He was placed into foster
care when his parents could not
afford to pay for his health care
needs, which is when Mario
Barwuah became Mario Balo-
telli. His foster parents, an Ital-
ian man and a Jewish daughter
of Holocaust survivors, would
raise him in Brescia, a province
in northern Italy. There, he’d
begin his career as a soccer
player and would soon be dis-
covered by Inter Milan, one of
the most storied clubs in Serie
A, the Italian top-tier.
At 18 years and 85 days,
he became the youngest Inter
player to score in the UEFA
Champions League. But the
next few years would prove
difficult for him. He was under
constant scrutiny from Jose
Mourinho, a manager known
to fans and players as “the cho-
sen one,” but to many young
talents as an enigmatic and of-
ten antagonistic figure. After a
move to England and a hostile
return to Inter’s rival club, AC
Milan, Balotelli would take a
hiatus from Serie A.
This summer, he returned,
hopeful that things in Italy had
The game as I remember it then,
however, is nothing like I’m
experiencing it now. I’m still in awe—
but now, it’s at the vile acts of hate
that seem to be here to stay.
changed for the better. But if
he had been paying any atten-
tion to the domestic league, or
more tellingly, to the political
news in Italy, he would have
known that it hadn’t.
As of late, the dominant
political discourse has been
that of the Matteo Salvini’s
“Italians first,” League Party,
well-known for its anti-im-
migrant rhetoric and its
sympathies with Italy’s fascist
past. Last week, the League
and its far-right counterparts
abstained from a Senate vote
on a committee that Liliana
Segre, a Holocaust survivor
and senator for life in Italy,
had proposed to investigate
mounting hate speech, racism
and incitement to violence on
ethnic and religious grounds.
As Rachel Donadio wrote this
week in The Atlantic, “how
Salvini and his allies respond
to Segre publicly will deter-
mine what kind of country It-
aly wants to be: one that reck-
ons with its fascist past, or one
that celebrates it or banalizes it
for political gain.”
The banality of racist and
anti-Semitic attitudes in Ita-
ly are abundantly clear when
you examine the onslaught of
racial incidents in Italian foot-
ball, even in this year alone.
Last Sunday, monkey chants
rang out from the corner of
Stadio Marc’Antonio Bente-
godi, home to Hellas Verona
Football Club. In the 54th
minute, Balotelli took the
ball, punted it into the stands
and attempted to walk off the
pitch. The match was suspend-
ed for four minutes while fans
were warned and Balotelli was
convinced to stay on the pitch.
He would later bury a strike
from the top of the box, re-
minding me of the Balotelli I
watched as a kid.
I was not shocked by the
monkey chants, particularly
during this week of height-
ened turmoil in Italy, but the
skepticism with which the
Verona manager, Ivan Juric,
brought to the post-match in-
terview was surprising. “They
provoked him with jeers and
sarcastic chants, but they were
not racist,” he told reporters.
“Anything else is a lie.” Video
obtained from that corner of
the stands contained audible
and incessant monkey chants.
This sort of perverse re-
sponse to racial abuse has be-
come a common theme of Serie
A. When 19-year-old Moise
Kean, a Juventus player at the
time, was on the receiving end
of racial abuse from a group
of Cagliari fans notorious for
hurling racist insults, his team-
mate Leonardo Bonucci said he
deserved “50-50 of the blame”
for antagonizing the Cagliari
fans. When those same fans
targeted Belgian national Ro-
melu Lukaku, they posted an
open letter to Facebook.
Far from an apology, it read:
“When you declare that
racism is a problem to be
fought in Italy, you just help
the repression against all foot-
ball fans including us and you
contribute to create a problem
that is not really there, not in
the way that is perceived in
other countries … I guarantee
you that what they do or say to
an opponent player of another
race is not what they would
ever say to someone they
would meet in real life.”
These sort of responses to
racism have become taboo, at
least in the United States. I ex-
pect to hear these half-brained
rationales in a Key & Peele
skit. It is my sincerest hope
that this level of ignorance is
not as rampant in Italian soci-
ety as it is in Italian football.
If it is, however, I feel for the
players, for Mario Balotelli
and for the people of Italy who
feel they will never truly be
Italian.
With fresh eyes, I read Ma-
rio Balotelli’s narrative dif-
ferently and hope that he can
help rewrite Italy’s.
Friday, November 15, 2019 SPORTS 11

Women’s rugby prepares for NIRA Division III championship

by Seamus Frey
Orient Staff
After winning a tight playoff
game against Norwich University
this past weekend, the women’s
rugby team turns its attention to
this weekend, when it will face
the University of New England
(UNE) in the National Intercolle-
giate Rugby Association (NIRA)
Division III championship game,
hosted by Harvard University.
This is the team’s first champion-
ship appearance since moving to
NIRA this season.
This past weekend’s semifinal
was the Polar Bears’ second time
facing Norwich this season, the
first of which was a 27-17 vic-
tory in early October. However,
the Cadets proved formidable
opponents, keeping the game
tied at seven through the half.
Ultimately, a second-half try
from Sara Nelson ’22 gave Bow-
doin the lead, and the Polar Bears
weathered a late offensive from
Norwich to hold on for a narrow
12-7 victory.
“It definitely wasn’t an easy
game this weekend,” captain
Claire Carges ’20 reflected. “We
expected a challenge [from Nor-
wich], and it was.”
With the score within one try
the entire game, the margin for
error was tiny, but Head Coach BEN MATHEWS, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
MaryBeth Mathews was pleased FULL STEAM AHEAD: Ella Garnett ’22 storms downfield in last weekend’s NIRA semifinal win over Norwich University. The team will play in the NIRA Division III Championship game
with the team’s performance. tomorrow against the University of New England at Harvard University’s Mignone Field. This is the first championship appearance for the team since moving to the NIRA conference.
“[Norwich’s] defense was
outstanding, but [we] excelled ly realized after the game [that] championship. on the field—what they see, what we played last time was very for- because it is expanding.
in lineouts [and scrums],” said this is a young team, and they “I was really proud of the way they’re doing—it’s going to make wards heavy because the backs “This level of championship
Mathews. “The [players] won all haven’t been to the postseason. we [played] tactically,” Assistant life easier for all.” weren’t able to get the ball out.” experience is going to be so much
of [their own], and they took a So there may have been some Coach James Read said. “Slowing Read echoed Mathews’ opinion. Heading to the championship better than anything [the play-
couple off the other team. It’s real- nerves.” the ball down when there [was] “What you’ll start to find is will be a new experience for many ers] have been to before when
ly key, especially in championship Carges agreed with this senti- not much time left and ... other once communication goes up, ev- of these players and the program we played the USA rugby devel-
games, to be able to retain your ment, but did not identify it as a key decisions [that] we made at eryone is more attentive straight- at large. For years, the women’s opmental pathway, just because
own possession. So I would think major weakness heading into the the end of the game [were what away,” Read said. “And then any rugby team competed in New of the attention to detail and
that lineout work was fantastic.” matchup this weekend. allowed us] to win.” little errors that there were should England Small College Rug- professionalism,” Mathews said.
Playing in a postseason match- “We’re definitely going to work These key decisions were vital be eradicated.” by Championship (NESCRC), “[In the future,] there will be an
up was a new experience for on bringing nerves down because for the team’s victory over the past From inside the game, Carges which proved less of a challenge addition of more varsity teams
much of the team, which missed that was definitely something that weekend, and it will have to keep also drew attention to Bowdoin’s than the current division. [to NIRA], and this postseason
the playoffs last season. Mathews we encountered last game that we making those decisions this next back line as an area of improvement “We were beating most teams competition pathway will grow,
acknowledged that nerves were a hadn’t really anticipated,” Carges weekend to win. going into the championship game. by a very large margin,” Carges and the USA rugby club team
factor in last week’s game. said. “But I think that’s definitely Communication is at the top “Last game we played we had explains, “We’d be up by 40 or 50 pathway will shrink over time.”
“It was sort of like business achievable.” of Mathews’ priorities for the some difficulty with specific play- points or something, and it was The team will face UNE this
as usual for [the coaches] be- Nevertheless, the team was championship game this Sunday. ers on their team in one on one not really the same level [as it is Sunday, November 17 at 11 a.m.
cause we are so used to going able to have strong strategic “Communication. Talk more,” situations,” Carges explained. now in NIRA]” in the NIRA Division III cham-
to the playoffs and postseason,” gameplay this past weekend, Mathews said. “[If the players] “We’re changing things up a little Mathews is extremely happy pionship game at Harvard’s Mi-
Mathews said. “However, I quick- which it hopes to bring to the talk a little bit more to each other bit with that because the game with this new league, especially gnone Field.

Women’s hockey enters new season with fresh state of mind

by Itza Bonilla Hernandez
Orient Staff
Last year, the women’s ice
hockey team had a disappointing
season, finishing with a record
of 3-19-2 (NESCAC 2-13-1) and
missing out on the NESCAC play-
offs for the first time since 2001.
This year, however, the team is
looking to turn last season’s disap-
pointments around. Head Coach
Marissa O’Neil sees this season,
which starts this weekend with
back-to-back home games against
Wesleyan, as a new beginning for
the Polar Bears.
“We’re not rewriting anything
here. It’s a new year, a new team.
We graduated eight [and] we
brought eight [new players] in,”
said O’Neil. “[This season] is
about making the best of the unit
we have right now. It’s a clean slate.
We can’t carry [last season’s] bag-
gage behind us, it’s not going to
benefit us.”
Last season, the Polar Bears
struggld to develop scoring ability.
The team’s scoring average was
only 1.33 goals per game, despite
tallying 29.2 overall shots per
game.
“We created scoring chances in
many games that we didn’t win.
Statistically we showed that we
had more shots ... we’ve got to find
a way to put the puck in because
it’s a goal sport. You can’t win the
game without that,” said O’Neil.
Last season, the team’s woes ex-
tended beyond the ice. Frustration
and mental performance barriers
proved challenging to overcome.
This year, the team is making
systematic changes that extend
beyond in-game strategy.
“We are running a new system
this year,” said captain Tala Glass
’20. “[We] are focusing a lot on
putting the puck in the net and
also that as a player you’re per-
forming your role [on the team] to
the best of your ability and trust-
ing that everybody else is going to
[as well].”
Additionally, the team has
been focusing on accountability
this season. it be forwards or defensemen, they uninspiring record. ed. I’m excited to kick off and it’s
“We talk a lot about accountabili- all have a huge part in that,” said “We’re excited to get going and great to be home a lot this first
ty, and breaking down what that ac- O’Neil. see what our team has. We learn semester, too,” said O’Neil.
tually means and how we hold each As the winter season kicks off, and develop each day at practice, The Polar Bears will face Wes-
other accountable while being sup- hopes are high that the team will but we can learn a lot more from leyan this weekend for their first
portive,” said Glass. “Also [as a team] be able to hit the ground run- getting that game experience and two home opener games on Friday
knowing that each individual is a lit- ning and move past last year’s going from there, so we are excit- at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m..
tle bit different and needs something
different, while [acknowledging
that] everybody needs to be held to
the same standards.”
To improve their mind-body
awareness on the ice, the players
have started to attend weekly yoga
classes.
“We’ve started doing yoga this
year once a week. So far, every-
body really likes it,” said Glass. “It’s
a nice way to focus on improving
our bodies [while] being relaxed
going into game day.”
Up and down the roster, the
team will be looking at each player
to contribute this season.
“We want to play an aggressive
style of hockey and create those
[scoring] chances. We can’t look to ANN BASU, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT
one person on the team, it’s got to SLIP SLIDING AWAY: Nell Fusco ’21 tracks down a loose puck in a game last season. Bowdoin will seek to
be scoring by committee. Whether rebound from a disappointing 2018-19 campaign, where the Polar Bears recorded only three wins in 24 games.
12 SPORTS Friday, November 15, 2019

Fall varsity sports by the numbers Compiled by Gwen Davidson, Steven

Xu, Ian Ward and Dylan Sloan

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Fall athletics data allows a vi-
1 sualization of team performances
across the season. The following
graphics display data from goal-
2 based varsity team sports that
compete in the NESCAC. Addi-
tional statistics, including more
3 metrics for more fall sports, can
be found online at bowdoinori-
NESCAC Standing

ent.com..
4 Men’s Soccer

5
Women’s Soccer
6
Field Hockey
7
8 Volleyball

9
Football
10
5.3% 56.8% Overall Home
.9% Ties
1.5%

37
28.8%

69.7
s %
am
l
ral

Losses
Te
Ove

% 27
13.8 .6%
10.8%
Wo en’s

%
.6
58
Wins
eams
m

s T

’
Men

54.1%
35.1%
Women’s teams won
more often than
men’s teams.
9.1% 43.6
%
3.3%
%

67.7
.0%
.3

%
s29
47

m
Conference

12.5
Wom n’s Tea

.7% %
16
70.8

Bowdoin’s teams won

eams

more often at home

e

than away.
Overall Away
sT

’
Men

6.0%

Teams fared worse in

NESCAC play than
56.8%
overall.
6.8%
2.9%

.4%
36 64.7
%
.4 %
r

32
be

% 50.
50.0 0%
50.0%
Septem

er

r
Octob

Nov mbe

44.0%
e

Overall, teams won

the most in October. Source: NESCAC and Bowdoin Athletics
Friday, November 15, 2019 13

O OPINION
Dempsey talk misses mark
Last night, actor Patrick Dempsey H ’13 sat down with Marcus Williams ’21, Bow-
Bolivia billowing: a Bowdoin
student’s perspective on the crisis
doin Student Government chair (BSG) of diversity and inclusion, for a conversation
serving as the keynote address for No Hate November. Though the topic at hand was a
dialogue on dyslexia, many of the audience’s questions focused not on the implications
of living with the disability, but rather on clarifying what it actually is.
Dempsey and Williams spoke before a packed Morrell Lounge about their experi- lead to a “segunda vuelta”, a second chanting on the streets outside. My
ences with dyslexia, bringing more visibility to ableism and disability than we typically by Manuela Velasquez round of voting in December. By the friend shows me a video on “RT en
see on this campus. Op-Ed Contributor end of the night, although not all Español” of Morales warning against
BSG created No Hate November in the aftermath of a string of bias incidents in I wake up to my host sister yelling of the votes have been counted yet, a “golpe de estado” (a coup d’etat) in
2013. Its stated goal is to be “a month dedicated to remembering past bias incidents at outside. Mesa declares that there will be a se- progress.
Bowdoin and promoting an inclusive, respectful campus.” This year’s No Hate Novem- “MAAAA EL PERRO!!” gunda vuelta, and Morales declares During the next few days, we
ber events reflect a broadening in the scope of the program. In addition to Dempsey’s Ah. She’s yelling at the dog. his essential victory. The vote count spend most of our time behind the
keynote, BSG promoted a range of events planned by other student groups, including Most Sundays start like this, a inexplicably pauses that same night. walls of the center. During the days,
those planned by the Native American Students Association in honor of Native Amer- slow stirring into bursts of ruckus, On Monday, I go to a cafe. I do the streets stay blockaded and the air
ican Heritage Month. until the whole family settles around homework, and take trufi 3 like al- is quiet. There are hardly any sounds
We acknowledge BSG’s effort to diversify No Hate November programming. How- our chair-packed kitchen table. We ways. Monday night, the vote count of cars, and the sun keeps shining in
ever, we believe this keynote event, as it was framed, fell short of their goal. pass around a basket of pancito, starts up again, this time showing broad sheets. In this wave of calm, I
The preparation for Dempsey’s keynote and the planned-meet-and-greet afterwards spreading thick layers of dulce de Morales ahead in the race by more feel like I’m holding my breath with
did little to address the impacts of disabilities or how students might go about changing leche onto their crumbling halves. I than 10 percent. I sit at the kitchen the city. Thursday night, with the
their behavior in response to others’ needs. Living with a disability ought to be dis- drink mate de coca tea and my host table, my back leaning against the vote count at 99.9 percent, Morales
cussed far more than it is on this campus, and Dempsey’s message that it can make brothers poke fun at me, again, for wall, watching as the news shifts declares victory, and Cochabamba
educational environments especially tough should not go unheeded. not putting sugar in it. over the TV screen. In La Plaza de explodes with protests over fraud. We
In order to ensure that Dempsey’s address has the kind of meaningful impact we By the time we’re all ready to leave Las Banderas downtown, people be- only hear echoes from the center, but
would like to see from a No Hate November keynote, the conversation needs to be the house, the sun is already blin- gin to protest. There are marches at we sit together on a bed and watch
continued and connected to the experiences of Bowdoin students. dingly hot and high. At an elevation the edges of the city. My host brother videos of confrontations downtown.
Moreover, priority for a meet-and-greet following the keynote was given to those of nearly 8,400 ft above sea level, the and I look on social media and see A couple of nights later, the block-
who attended “Land and Waters Around Us: A Discussion on Indigenous Lands and Cochabamba sun is dry and raw, its that there are protests erupting in ades still continue (as they would for
Acknowledgments.” While both of these events are valuable to the College community, heat stirring parched yellow dust cities all over Bolivia. I see a univer- weeks after). They are guarded by
we fail to see the connection between them. We can and should ask the BSG why they into the sweat on my feet, my arms, sity president in La Paz with blood civilians, some accompanied by kids
were tethered, but in fairness, we should also ask the student body why BSG felt the my face. As we step out the door, on his face, and fires in the streets riding little bikes around the block-
need to incentivize attendance at the land acknowledgment panel. Is there a sense that my host mother squishes a pink sun in Potosí, and a burning building ades. On the same street, I see people
turnout would have been poor otherwise? Perhaps we should reflect on that. hat onto the head of her protesting in Sucre, and I have no idea what’s gathering in an intersection, singing
In the spirit of having productive conversations that continue beyond a brief panel, daughter; she then turns to me, nar- going on. I fall asleep confused and together and holding each other arm
what if, in order to attend Dempsey’s meet-and-greet, one had to attend a breakout dis- rows her eyes and hands me a cap with a nervousness for Bolivia and in arm. Firecrackers still go off. Bo-
cussion on disability on campus? This would have linked the incentive to the purpose too. We poke each other with teas- the people I’ve met. livian flags are everywhere.
of the talk itself, creating an opportunity for students to engage with the subject on a ing frowns until we’re both laughing, On Tuesday, the School for In- I say goodbye to my host family
deeper level. and then we head to the streets. It is ternational Training (SIT) program for two minutes that Saturday. SIT
Greater visibility for marginalized identities is always a step forward. Using a dy- Sunday, October 20—Election Day. director in Bolivia asks me and the decides that our entire program will
namic guest like Dempsey with huge across-the-board draw is a productive way to Families climb up and down the other students on the program to leave Bolivia and go to Buenos Aires
begin these conversations. hills, coming and going from the stay in our homestays. Blockades on October 29.
But there’s a mismatch here, a disconnect between the reality of the event and its neighborhood voting center. An air start going up throughout the entire I only lived and studied in Bo-
stated intent. If our focus is on reflecting on the past and working actively towards a normally filled with the grumbling city. The one on my corner stretches livia for two months, which was an
more just, inclusive future, we need a No Hate November with substance, with relevant of cars and “trufi” (a public mini- between two telephone poles, lay- incredible privilege in itself. I am
events preceding and following that take the conversation further. bus) engines only sounds with the ered construction of packing tape, not Bolivian, I am American-born.
Though Dempsey’s presence certainly drew a crowd, BSG’s orchestration of the key- light echoes of shoes on pavement, rocks and paper flags reading “Bo- I cannot even begin to understand
note failed to fulfill the ultimate goal of No Hate November. The absence of a dialogue and the occasional shouts of chil- livia Dijo No!” These flags refer to the depths of how complex this issue
addressing disabilities on campus in connection to the keynote was notable and consti- dren careening downhill in “ro- the 2016 referendum that Morales is, and I don’t want to pretend that
tutes a missed opportunity on the part of BSG. dadores” (wheeled toy that kids can held asking to extend the number of I can. Especially as I’ve been living
ride). Voting is obligatory in Bo- consecutive terms a president could in Buenos Aires for the past couple
This editorial represents the majority view of the Bowdoin Orient’s editorial board, livia, and on this national election, serve in office, vying to run for a weeks now, the news I see and read
which is composed of Emily Cohen, Brianna Cunliffe, Roither Gonzales, Alyce McFadden, cars are not allowed to drive, most fourth term; to this referendum, about a place that I am not in has to
Nina McKay, Reuben Schafir and Jaret Skonieczny. restaurants and shops are closed and Bolivia voted majority no (Morales be critically considered. I know that
alcohol has not been legally sold for then appealed the decision with the there are debates about Bolivia right
two days. The streets belong to the constitutional court and the con- now across the world, especially re-
people. My family and I hide from stitution was changed, under the garding the politics of which coun-
the sun beneath the spattered purple grounds that it is his human right to tries label this a “golpe de estado”
ESTABLISHED 1871 shade of jacaranda trees. run for office). Tuesday night, in La and which label it an uprising. There
That night, we watch the vote Plaza de Las Banderas, a gigantic ca- are additional complexities in how
bowdoinorient.com orient@bowdoin.edu 6200 College Station Brunswick, ME 04011 count around the kitchen table, bildo, or community assembly, fills we evaluate different manifestations
The Bowdoin Orient is a student-run weekly publication dedicated to providing news and information the TV flickering as we jump be- the plaza and spills into the streets of undemocratic behavior. These ab-
relevant to the Bowdoin community. Editorially independent of the College and its administrators, tween news channels. Evo Morales with thousands of participants call- stracts and structures can be real and
the Orient pursues such content freely and thoroughly, following professional journalistic standards in is ahead, as expected, but Carlos ing for a segunda vuelta. important, but they do not constitute
writing and reporting. The Orient is committed to serving as an open forum for thoughtful and diverse Mesa is close behind—within 10 During the day on Wednesday, I an entire reality. I think that it’s in-
discussion and debate on issues of interest to the College community.
percentage points, close enough to can walk through the streets, though credibly important, throughout this
Editor in Chief Editor in Chief there are barely any cars, save for conflict, to look closely and carefully
Emily Cohen Alyce McFadden those serving as blockades. The at news on-the-ground in Bolivia,
students in my program and I get and focus on how realities are shift-
Digital Director Managing Editor News Editor a message that we have to pack all ing—in ways that are hurting issues
Steven Xu Maia Coleman Andrew Bastone of our belongings, just in case, and of race, class and liberties. In terms
Anna Fauver Aura Carlson that that night we are moving to a of atrocities being committed, espe-
Photo Editor Roither Gonzales
Features Editor Catholic retreat center. We cially against indigenous people and
Ann Basu Rohini Kurup
Nina McKay Emma Sorkin drive over that night groups, these are real and harmful
Mindy Leder while some of acts that should be paid attention to
Ian Ward Sports Editor the blockades regardless of where one might stand
Layout Editor Dylan Sloan are down. in the debate. I have no authority on
Emma Bezilla Executive Editor From inside saying what the conflict is or isn’t—I
Jaret Skonieczny A&E Editor
Kate Lusignan the center, just hope to share a little bit of what
Ian Stewart Eliana Miller Cole van Miltenburg
I can hear I saw and experienced.
Opinion Editor All news has bias in one form or
Data Desk Editor Diego Lasarte
Associate Editor another, but these are some of the
Gwen Davidson
Drew Macdonald Kathryn McGinnis Page 2 Editor more widely-read news sources in
George Grimbilas (asst.) Lucie Nolden Lily Randall Bolivia that I am currently reading
Nimra Siddiqui (asst.) Reuben Schafir (if people have more recommen-
Calendar Editor dations on different Bolivian news
Copy Editor Jane Godiner sources, please leave something in
Head Illustrator
Sara Caplan Sebastian de Lasa Senior News Reporter the comments!): Los Tiempos (based
Devin McKinney SHONA ORITZ in Cochabamba; frequent Twitter
Horace Wang
Social Media Manager Danielle Quezada updates), Página Siete (based in La
Ayub Tahlil Katherine Pady Senior Sports Reporter Paz) and El Deber (based in Santa
Sophie Friedman Emily Staten Ella Chaffin Cruz; frequent Twitter updates).
The material contained herein is the property of The Bowdoin Orient and appears at the sole discretion of the Manuela Velasquez is a member of
editors. The editors reserve the right to edit all material. Other than in regard to the above editorial, the opinions the Class of 2021.
expressed in the Orient do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors.
14
Gen Z activism: an exercise in cognitive dissonance
The Fox Box
by Jared Foxhall
My sister is a relatively ‘woke’
17-year-old, attending a pro-
gressive private high school in
Hudson Valley, N.Y. She does
extracurriculars like a capella,
is the captain of her field hock-
ey team and heads a club called
“mixed,” which is a space for in-
terracial kids to vent. In January
2018, she attended the Women’s
March in New York City. On
March 15, 2019, she boarded the
Metro-North to Grand Central
and took part in one of 2,000
protests occurring in 125 coun-
tries for climate action. She and
her friends spent the day before
in the school’s art studio brain-
storming aspirational poster
headings. They managed to settle
on “we stand for what we stand
on,” and “Gen Z wants reform.”
At the time of the Women’s
Marches that occurred in 2017
and 2018, many young women
and members of Gen Z attend-
ed alongside their mothers and
grandmothers. The atmosphere
around this protest was fum-
ing and electric: liberal women
bridged generational gaps and
bonded over their shared feelings
of rage towards Trump’s misog-
yny. It felt like a passing of the
baton of sorts, a handing down
of American revelatory spirit
from one generation of women
to another.
The climate march was some-
what different. The specular eye
Gorgias comes to Brunswick
by Robert Sobak
Op-Ed Contributor
It is never difficult to show
my students just how relevant
the Greeks and Romans are to
their own lives. But my job as a
Classics professor has become,
unfortunately, even easier with
the current state of our world.
It can be a bit disturbing nowa-
days to delve into ancient texts
which wrestle with questions
of human dignity, collective
action, ethical leadership and
the effects of widespread dis-
information. It is downright
depressing to see just how little
distance we have traveled in
2500 years. Sometimes you just
want the Liberal Arts to offer
cozy respite instead of prickly
challenge! But that has never
been their purpose. Our job as
faculty is not to provide easy
answers, but to explore nuance,
complexity and ambiguity, all
while insisting on a careful sift-
ing of evidence and context.
Last semester I had a most
excellent adventure in teaching
a seminar devoted to Socrates.
I think it is fair to say that both
I and my students finished that
course with far more ques-
tions than answers swimming
around in our heads. That is as
it should be. We all left happy in
our appreciation that import-
ant ideas are shimmering and
variegated things. Understand-
ing them demands unwavering
diligence, and a willingness to
get frustrated over and over
again. Socrates does that to you.
He’s a rascal, a pest and a genius
was placed on the younger gener-
ation to be the bastions of change
and the last generation to be able
to stop irreversible environmen-
tal damage. The poster child was
Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old
Swedish girl who became viral by
squatting on street corners and
notoriously yelling “how dare
you” at world leaders. Greta is a
typification of Gen Z activism.
She is the voice of a generation
of whose ultimatum is: fix it, or
we all die.
It is no surprise that every
successive generation bears its
own rebellious gut. It seems an
age-old trend for the discontent-
ed youth to oppose the establish-
ment, just as older people will
critique the young as predictably
as gravity will make an apple fall
from a tree. The choir of anger
heard at the Women’s March
was felt in the reopening of old
wounds as generations of civil
rights movements felt deeply
threatened. Some of the older
women and others in attendance
could remember attending the
Central Park gay pride rally of
July 1975 or Vietnam protests in
NYC in 1969. Many Millennials
and Gen Xers might have been
marching during Occupy Wall
Street in 2011.
Barack Obama illustrates the
kind of activism the young typ-
ically engage in these days. In a
conversation with Yara Shahidi
at the Obama Foundation Sum-
mit this October, he claimed that
young people mainly go about
their activism through virtue
signaling on social media and
all rolled up into one homely
little jerk. The ancient portraits
of Socrates are so lively that he
and his ideas just about jump
off the page and grab you by the
scruff of the neck. Sometimes,
however, it can be kind of a
chore to revivify his opponents,
especially the Sophists. English
translations of Sophistic treatis-
es are inevitably pale echoes of
their Greek originals, and as a
result the Sophists themselves
are difficult to grapple with.
Sophists were especially
infamous for their skills in
presentation and argument.
They could weave such a web
of bullshit that one would walk
away from them questioning
the truth value of anything and
everything—including whether
there is even such a thing as
truth. Sophists were the origi-
nal and the most skilled coach-
es for formal and informal
debate. You take lessons from
a Sophist so that you can spin
your opponents around in ver-
bal circles, no matter the merits
of the case itself. Mistruths just
need better framing! Facts don’t
matter! Sophists also advertised
themselves as the first profes-
sors of marketing. Sophists
will teach you the language you
need to sell a bicycle to a fish.
Sophists bamboozle—mak-
ing their audience think the
worse argument is the better.
Sophists know every rhetorical
trick in the book in order to
reshape a difficult and complex
reality into a smooth and easy
fantasy. Simple assertions, no
matter how poorly they reflect
OPINION
that call-out culture is not true
activism. He goes on to say, “If
all you’re doing is casting stones,
you’re probably not going to get
that far.” Obama is not wrong.
But I’m suspicious of the idea
that Gen Z really thinks calling
out hypocrites and slimy pol-
iticians on social media is real
activism.
I think a pretty good explana-
tion of why Gen Z’s vehicle for
activism is usually blowing off
steam online is that we are still
super young, and the oldest of us
have yet to graduate college. Gen
Z is also not as complacent as our
nation would like to think. As
mentioned in the first Fox Box, a
study by cultural forecasting firm
sparks and honey found that 26
percent of 16- to 19-year-olds
volunteer on a regular basis, and
76 percent are concerned about
humanity’s impact on the earth.
The language of the protests in
the second half of the 20th centu-
ry was different. They came in the
wake of the Civil Rights move-
ment of the 60s and 70s. Boom-
ers were a generation of youth
that had seen the assassinations
of MLK and Kennedy, they used
stalwart phrases like “Power to
the People” and stood up to “the
Man.” They were concerned with
ending imperialism and tearing
down the establishment to make
way for civil rights and forcing the
government to levy change. Gen
Z still cares about equal rights, but
the pang of social inequality for us
is slightly distant. We are the most
diverse, multicultural and tolerant
generation by every metric. We
what is real in the world, beat
nuanced arguments every day
of the week, and twice on Sun-
days. Thus Sophists can turn
disingenuity into strength, and
truth-telling into weakness.
You don’t have to argue your
side honestly if you can make
it seem from the outset as if
things are so straightforward
that there is nothing to argue
about.
To be a professor of Clas-
sics, especially one specializing
in the history of Democratic
Athens, is to be a keen student
of rhetoric and a long-time
scholar of sophistic technique.
Classics in general trains one
in stripping texts down to their
rhetorical studs in order to
expose infestations of slippery
logic and clever deflection.
Studying the Sophists, in par-
ticular, refines such training
even further. These tools find
constant application in our
daily lives. Wherever persua-
sion is deployed, close reading
informed by technical expertise
can defend. Advertisements,
infomercials and political
speeches, to name only a few,
are all subject to such expert
examination. But in order to
tear down most effectively, one
must also know how to build.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, some
of the most lucrative careers for
those trained in the taxonomy
and deconstruction of classical
rhetoric are found in the adver-
tising and consulting industries.
My closest friend from Prince-
ton, who specializes in Cicero-
nian rhetoric, is now a principal
were children in the
era of America’s first
black president.
Over recent
decades, America
has succumbed to a
resurgence of neolib-
eral governance in the
form of market-trust-
ing deregulation. As
corporations have
become all the more
wealthy and powerful in
the face of a politically
inert Congress, young
people have come to see
“reform” as more feasible
from within the existing
business-driven structure
than “revolution”. We now
have more trust in social en-
trepreneurship or nonprofits
to deliver social benefit, rather
than the traditionally govern-
ment-driven forces that did
things like end child labor or
legalize gay marriage. Many of us
believe that to make any change
at all, you must be well versed
in the language of finance as op-
posed to than in things like com-
munity organizing or education.
But aren’t businesses the ones
exploiting the planet and extract-
ing wealth from the bottom half
of America?
At the same time, in the
Trump era, we’ve grown to dis-
trust Congress’ ability to do
virtually anything. In the face of
disastrous, time-sensitive threats
to human existence—of which
climate change is just one—we
find that there is no greater time
for governments to act quickly
at Deloitte,
in charge
of training
hundreds of
people a year how best to pitch
their services to potential cli-
ents.
It is thus a fascinating expe-
rience to observe a living man
fully trained in the arts of soph-
istry, no doubt at great expense
to his billionaire patrons, walk-
ing around an institution de-
signed to resist exactly his sorts
of blandishments. The resulting
dissonance is good evidence
that his simplistic and specious
assertions, although bathed in
warm and fuzzy language, and
and decisively.
Gen Z activism can be char-
acterized by a kind of cognitive
dissonance; our generation sees a
fundamental dilemma in reform
over revolution and feels trapped
with few options. Do we seek
change through a political revo-
lution? Or within the corporate
status quo? Neither option seems
to make any sense, yet the threats
seem greater than ever. This is
why our “activism” comes across
as either eco-fascism or social
media whining.
In summary, Gen Z will need
to be extra creative, extra inno-
vative in our methods for chang-
ing the world and restructuring
broken systems as we age. An
clothed in a well-tailored
suit and splashy socks, can-
not find fertile ground here.
That is as it should be. Bowdoin
students know enough by now
to be wary of anybody who stu-
diously ignores his own history,
gives no due consideration to
the complicated nature of the
problems he pretends to ad-
dress and insists on narrowing
and simplifying at every turn.
They now also appreciate just
how pointless it is to engage
charitably with one who has no
respect for the rules of scholar-
Friday, November 15, 2019
M
LA
UL
YF
LIL
effective society is one
that disseminates the gains
of innovation to every member
of that society. This age requires
innovations in activism for prog-
ress to occur.
Gen Z already sort-of under-
stands that a large amount of
macro/micro personal sacrifice
is required in this next iteration
of activism, especially from
elites—I believe it’s even more
than public demonstrations.
My sister, along with many of
our friends, tries to eat less meat
and reduce her carbon footprint.
Change will largely rely on our
macro-decisions, as consci-
entious consumers and social
agents and should prioritize
individual accountability over
outwardly expressed anger.
EMMA SORKIN
ship. Arguing about evidence,
and trying to properly con-
textualize that evidence, with
somebody who shows no regard
for relevant history, is much like
playing chess with one’s cat. You
win if you checkmate the tabby.
The tabby wins if he can knock
the pieces on the floor. Any bets
on who is going to achieve their
objective first?
Robert Sobak is an Associate
Professor of Classics.
Friday, November 15, 2019 OPINION 15

Not my great grandfather’s Bowdoin: the beauty of Af/Am/50

by David Treadwell
Op-Ed Contributor
I recently greeted my grand-
daughter Karis, a student at
Bowdoin (Class of 2023), in
the lobby of Pickard Theater
at Bowdoin. A plaque on the
wall at Pickard lists the names
of Bowdoin men who fought
in the Civil War, including
my great-grandfather (her tri-
ple-great grandfather) George
Beamon Kenniston (Class of
1862). Old George fought val-
iantly for the Union and spent
some time in a Confederate
prison camp.
Karis and I were there to
see Geoffrey Canada ’74, H ’07
deliver the Keynote Address
for Af/Am/50, a weekend cel-
ebrating 50 years of African
Studies, the African American
Society and the John Brown
Russwurm African American
Center.
Canada is the visionary
founder and president of
the Harlem Children’s Zone,
an organization dedicated
to increasing high school
and graduation rates among
students in Harlem. Pacing
back and forth, Canada gave
a blockbuster talk, laced with
insights and passion, humor
and hope. He focused on the
huge support he had received
from Bowdoin, especially
from his fellow African Amer-
ican students. The loud stand-
ing ovation ran on for several
minutes.
During Canada’s talk, I sat
between Karis and Robert
“Bobby” Ives ’69, a winner of
the Common Good Award for
his extraordinary work with
the Carpenter’s Boat Shop in
Pemaquid, Maine. Bobby and
I were working in admissions
when Canada applied to Bow-
doin; at one point, he whis-
pered to me, “we were there
then!”
Bobby later reminded me of
an event which had shaped his
life’s mission. On April 4, 1968,
Martin Luther King Jr. was as-
sassinated. One of Bobby’s best
Bowdoin friends was Virgil
Logan, an African Ameri-
can student. The two of them
agreed that they had to attend
King’s funeral in Memphis.
“We decided to hitchhike,”
recalls Bobby, “because we had
no money.”
Word of their hitchhiking
plan got to Athern Daggett,
Bowdoin’s acting president.
Daggett asked Bobby and Vir-
gil if they’d be willing to accept
funds to fly to Memphis and
to represent Bowdoin at the
service. They agreed. They
returned from the memorial
service several days later, de-
termined to spend their lives
working for human rights and
justice.
After Canada’s rousing
talk, we met our friend Kama
Jones El ’17; when she was at
Bowdoin, often referred to me
and Tina as her “white grand-
parents.” Kama, who teaches
at a public school in Newark,
N.J., said that she was totally
inspired by the weekend and
hoped to do more to follow the
lead of people like Geoffrey
Canada.
An earlier panel (“A Seat at
the Table”) had been equally
inspiring. Five alumnae spoke
to the special challenges faced
by African American women
at Bowdoin and in their ca-
reers. Our friend Awa Diaw
’11 stressed the importance
of having both “mentors” and
“sponsors.” Mentors, she ex-
plained, are people you can
turn to for advice and support.
Sponsors are people in posi-
tions of power who you’ll need
to get on your side so they will
advocate for you.
Saddie Smith ’75, a mem-
ber of Bowdoin’s first class of
women, related an experience
she had in her first class.
“I had taken four years of
Latin in high school, but I was
concerned about being able
to do the work at Bowdoin,
so I signed up for Introducto-
ry Latin. After the class, the
professor (Nate Dane) said he
wanted to talk to me. I was
terrified. He asked if I’d taken
Latin before, and I confessed
that I’d taken four years of Lat-
in. He said that I didn’t belong
in this class and that I would
be bumped up to Latin 5. That
one experience convinced me
that I belonged at Bowdoin,
and I’ve remembered it ever
since.”
Major Marnita Thompson
Eaddie ’90 told a story that
elicited whoops and jeers from
the audience. She was tutoring
a white male student in math,
and at one point he asked her
if she had gotten into Bowdoin
only because she was an Afri-
can American. 500 Com-
In the panel entitled, “Black pany when he
Arts: A Canvas for Social Ac- took the reins at
MAIA COLEMAN
tivism,” George Elizey ’13, an American Express.
actor, writer and producer, He underscored the
stressed the need to assemble traits of a good leader,
a team of people who share such as integrity, values, rector of admissions, I had first Mckesson, a leader in the Black
your values. Coretta King ’12 compassion and character. met Michael at Haverhill High Lives Matter movement, for all
declared, “You were not put Chenault spoke about doing School, from which he graduat- he was doing. “Thanks,” he
on this earth not to shine your research for his senior honors ed at the top of his class. I knew said, “but we have a lot more
light. “ George and Coretta had thesis, which was entitled, he and Bowdoin would make a work to do.” Indeed.
each come to Bowdoin plan- “The Black Man at Bowdoin.” fine match. He excelled at Bow- I’m proud of the impact
ning to prepare for traditional He discovered that half of the doin, earned a degree from Yale my alma mater has had on
careers, but then they gained 18 black students who had ma- Medical School and went on to so many outstanding Afri-
the confidence to pursue their triculated at Bowdoin between become a leading physician ex- can Americans over the last
artistic dreams. 1910 and 1955 had graduated ecutive for various health care 50 years. They, in turn, have
I eagerly anticipated the Phi Beta Kappa, noting that organizations. Geoffrey Cana- made Bowdoin a much better
“Conversation with President they weren’t even allowed to da later cited Owens as one of college and the world a much
Clayton Rose and Kenneth live on campus. his mentors during his time at better place. I have a hunch my
Chenault ’73, H’96,” because “They were real pioneers,” Bowdoin. great-grandfather, old George
I had read Chenault’s out- he said. At the beginning of the Beamon Kenniston, would
standing application when he Chenault’s classmate Michael weekend, I had run into De- share my pride.
applied to Bowdoin. Chenault Owens ’73 sat right behind me Ray Mckesson ’07, who I had David Treadwell is a Bruns-
became the first African during the Rose-Chenault con- come to know during his time wick resident and a member of
American CEO of a Fortune versation. As an associate di- at Bowdoin. I congratulated the Class of 1964.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Misleading sustainability statistics HAD YOU HEARD OF TOBI LOU

To the Editor,
I recently was shown the latest issue of
the Installment, which is published by the
campus Sustainability Office. The following
was provided as resulting from the energy
challenge between dorms. They were able
to save 6,452,949.1 pounds of CO2e result-
ing in reductions up to 27.1 percent. I am
intrigued by the precision of the amount of
CO2 saved (eight significant figures!) when
the percentage decrease is only reported to
a precision of three significant figures.
More troubling is that, according to
the Installment, this is claimed to be the
amount of CO2 emitted by a car driving
33,107 miles. Doing some quick math, at
33 Miles Per Gallon, it takes 1000 gallons
of gas to drive 33,000 miles. Gas has a den-
BEFORE THE FALL CONCERT?
sity of 6.3 pounds per gallon, translating
to 6300 pounds of gasoline for the trip.
Using octane (C8H18) as a proxy for gas- Answer at bowdoinorient.com/poll.
oline, this is equal to about 5300 pounds
of carbon (6300 x 96/118) and therefore
19400 pounds of CO2 (5300 x44/12) for
the drive. The two amounts differ by a fac-
tor of above 320! Did we stop the reported
Last issue’s response:
6.45 million pounds or the 19,400 pounds
of CO2 emitted by driving 33,000 miles Q: DID YOU VOTE IN THE BRUNSWICK
from entering the atmosphere? We can do
better than overly precise and wildly in-
accurate.
MUNICIPAL ELECTION?
Sincerely, 25% YES
Richard Broene
Professor of Chemistry 75% NO
Based on answers from 113 responses.

HAVE AN Submit an Op-Ed or a Letter to the Editor to

orientopinion@bowdoin.edu by 7 p.m. on the Tuesday of the
OPINION? week of publication. Include your full name and phone number.
16 Friday, November 15, 2019

NOVEMBER
FRIDAY 15
PERFORMANCE
E-Board Fall Concert
Tobi Lou will perform in this year’s fall concert. Campus
band Ari, Blaine and The Bus and student performer Alana
Morrison ’20 will open the show.
David Saul Smith Union. 10 p.m.

EVENT
Campus Roundtable: Alcohol and
Hookup Culture
The Office for Gender Violence Prevention and Education,
will host a campus-wide discussion on drinking culture, hookup
culture and the intersection of the two at Bowdoin.
Daggett Lounge, Thorne Hall. 12 p.m.

PERFORMANCE
“The Baltimore Waltz” DEVAKI RAJIV, THE BOWDOIN ORIENT

Masque and Gown will hold three performances of their ALL ABOARD: Susan E. Wegner, associate professor of art history, led a discussion on “Land and Sea” with George S. Keyes, fomer chief curator at
the Detroit Institute of Art, and Laura F. Sprague, senior consulting curator. The discussion, held at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, centered
production of Paula Vogel’s “The Baltimore Waltz” on around historic paintings from Italy to colonial America, and their various depictions and interpretations of the sea.
Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening.
Tickets are available for free at the David Saul Smith Union
information desk.

MONDAY 18 WEDNESDAY 20
Wish Theater, Memorial Hall. 7:30 p.m.

PERFORMANCE
Improvabilities
Improvabilities, one of two improv groups at Bowdoin will
hold their second performance of the semester.
Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center. 8 p.m.
SATURDAY 16
PERFORMANCE
Grachanista: Exploring Serbia through
Dance and Song
Dance group Grachanista, with group members hailing from
all over the world will hold a performance featuring folk
dancing, elaborate costumes and music from different parts
of the former Yugoslavia.
Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center. 7:30 p.m.
FILM SCREENING
“Vision Portraits”
Filmmaker Rodney Evans will screen his “Vision Portraits,”
which focuses on the experiences of several blind artists who
continue to thrive in the creative industry.
Smith Auditorium, Sills Hall. 7:30 p.m.
EVENT
Meditation
Bernie Hershberger, director of counseling and wellness
services, will lead an afternoon meditation session.
Room 302, Buck Center for Health and Fitness. 4:30 p.m.
TUESDAY 19
PERFORMANCE
Peruvian Painting
Vannia Ibarguen, performer, choreographer, dance educator
and artistic director of Vannia Ibarguen Dance Arts, will per-
form a dance inspired by the juxtaposition and intersections
EVENT
Book Launch Reception for Visual Arts
Students’ Collaborative Book
The Department of Visual Arts and Bowdoin Libraries will
host a reception for an artists’ book created by printmaking
students and visiting printmaker Claudia Fieo.
Nixon Lounge, Hawthorne-Longfellow Library. 3 p.m.
THURSDAY 21
EVENT
Dating Across Identities
The Bowdoin Queer-Straight Alliance and the Black Student
Union will host a dinner and discussion about forging and
maintaining romantic relationships across personal identities.
John Brown Russwurm African American Center. 5:30 p.m.
EVENT
An Evening with David Neumeyer, MD
David Neumeyer, Dean of Admissions at Tufts University

SUNDAY 17 of indigenous tradition and Western modernity.

EVENT
OUTLOUD: ASA Photo Exhibit
The Asian Student Alliance will showcase “OUTLOUD,” a
photo series featuring the faces and stories of Asian students
on Bowdoin’s campus.
Blue Gallery, David Saul Smith Union. 7 p.m.
Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center. 7 p.m.
Medical School, will hold an information and question and
answer session for Bowdoin students.
Quinby House. 7 p.m.
FILM SCREENING
“The Sound of Silence” EVENT
Frontier will screen Michael Tyburski’s “The Sound of Pub Trivia
Silence,” which explores the undetected ambient noises that Student Activities will hold a trivia night and award prizes to
might affect someone’s mood. Tickets are available online. the top three teams.
Frontier. 3 p.m. Jack Magee’s Pub and Grill, David Saul Smith Union. 8:30 p.m.

22 PERFORMANCE 23 EVENT 24 25 PERFORMANCE 26 27 28

Bowdoin Chorus Puppies and Students of Jeff

Polaroids Christmas