Week Nine Fall 11. Nov. 09

SectionsA. Inside the BubbleB. Outside of the BubbleC. Op-EdD. EventsG. Arts & Literature

News in Brief with Sasha ParisMaine voters outlawed same-sex marriage, when they should have instead outlawed Daylight Savings Time.

The late lamented Indigo will be replaced with a yellow submarine.

The Dorr Museum got a total of two visitors on Saturday, giving me 7.5 lonely hours at the front desk.

THE GREENEST SUNDAY-a1

L O C K I T U P - a 2BAR HARBOR’S NOVEMBER- c1

C O N F E S S I O N S - c 2FUTILITY-c2

Sun Of SundayNight-c2

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to this investment “because it’s the right thing to do.” How do you figure, David?

On a side note, in a recent Newsweek survey, Wal-Mart is considered the Greenest Large Corporation. Close behind are Coca-Cola, Nike, Starbucks and the Gap. What the Fuck, America? What do these titles even mean anymore?!

To me, it seems pop terms like ‘Green’, ‘Sustainable’ and ‘Organic,’ while originally good-intentioned, have become another set of excuses for consumers and citi-zens to stop thinking about the value in the systems behind their final products and only focus on the la-bels they come with. How has COA fallen into this way of thinking?

This past year, due to the economic down-turn we had suspended three new faculty searches. Our faculty’s paychecks are significantly less then their peers. Is so-cial capital not our most important investment at this institution? What else could we be doing with those carbon-offset dollars if we reassessed our goals, and

does our purchase of offsets really allow us to live up to this title? What value does maintaining this title have to us as a community? What the fuck does “greenest” mean anyway? Is there any rela-tionship between being Green and being Human Ecological? Are

we really practicing what we preach here?....

I turned around somewhere near the top of Pemetic. I hear there is a summit, somewhere up there, but by the time I was close I realized reaching it wasn’t really what I wanted out of my hike anyway. I also realized that graduating from the Greenest College in the country doesn’t give any value to my education here. Maybe it’s time for each of us to address what we really want out of how we spend our energy, time and money and be-gin to value what we can learn from the process rather than be obsessed with being at the top.

The Greenest Sunday—Samantha Haskell

This past Sunday was Maine Autumn’s way of reaching out for some departing affection. The torrential rain this summer, and the early frost had jaded our relation-ship, and I viewed this as Fall’s way of saying “Come on, you know you still love me, just one last kiss.” Like many others, I chose to take advantage of the day by going for a hike. The north-western trail on Pemetic Mountain is a steep, rocky ascent pushing a heart rate to a healthy number of BPMs and for the first mile or so, offering only views of one’s feet as they scuttle to the summit. I regret to say, that although I live and work so close to Acadia, I hardly ever take advantage of its offerings. I felt the need to reach out on possibly our last mild Sunday of the year.

As the trail tapered off and became less ‘straight up’ and more ‘slightly inclined’ I became very anxious for the summit, and as exhausted as I was, I found myself speeding my pace in anticipation. The summit, after all, is the goal of a hike isn’t it? The vast views from the top, the expansive horizons alluding to limitless possibilities and accomplishment; this is the driving force, no? We tend to define our hikes by that final step to the highest point, and the moments there after standing with heavy breath, gazing over our new domain. Pe-metic, however, did not give up this mo-ment of victory to me. I found myself on lev-el ground, nearing the peak, wandering con-fused through shaded groves of cedars and pines. Where was my grand vista?! Where was my final destination? My validation! I had never hiked this trail before and therefore had no idea if I was even close, if there even was a summit. I passed many outcrops with amazing views in search of the grand finale. The sun was setting, I was alone and unfamiliar with the trail but the drive of being at the top was pushing me fur-ther than I needed to go.

I stopped. Frankly, I was disappointed in myself, but not for quitting early. Why could I not just appreciate the journey for what it was and value what was around me? Hadn’t I achieved the most valuable part already in just being outside on this beautiful day? Why was I so obsessed with being at the top?....

COA considers itself the Greenest College in the World. We pay thousands and thousands of dollars each year to keep this title. David Hales made the commitment

in a recent Newsweek survey, Wal-Mart is considered the Greenest Large Corporation. Close behind are Coca-Cola, Nike, Starbucks and the Gap. What the Fuck, America? What do these titles even mean anymore?!

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Lock it Up—Phil Walter

Wow, Folks.

Every day seems to bring us another stolen bicycle. Bikes have been reported stolen in town, from porches, and from campus. As much as I would like COA to be a bike-safe zone, it is not. We live in a little big-place, where thousands of people come and go, and not all of them are perfect citizens. Bikes have been known to be taken in mass by tourists who see them as easy targets for an island joyride. So pay attention to how you keep your bike.

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-USE A LOCK. Even the cheapest little dinky lock will deter the average thief of opportunity.

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-The lock should go through the main triangle of the frame, the front tire, and around a sturdy post or loop--somthing that the lock can’t just slide off, and would otherwise be a major hinderance if you try to ride it. Like a bike rack, or a tree.

-Don’t have a lock? They’re really quite inexpensive, compared to a new bike.

-Still not going to get a lock? Tie it up with rope, wire, headphones, sticks, whatever. Make it clear you don’t expect people to think they can just take it away with-out some kind of fight.

-Keep your bike OUT OF SIGHT of main thorough-fares.

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-If you live in B/T, can you see your bike from route 3? So can everyone else.

-If you want, try to give your bike some flair. Give it some distinction from other similar bikes, something unique that says “HEY! THIS IS YOUR BIKE!” when you see someone else riding it.

-If your bike is of any value to you (sentimental or oth-erwise) I recommend keeping it inside. Take it into your dorm room, into your basement, or into your coat hall. The chances of it being stolen are all but removed, and the bike is kept safe from the rain, snow, salt, and cold of our Maine climate.

-”But, I keep it out there, unlocked, because it’s more convenient”... remember, if it’s easy for you to use your bike, it’s easy for someone else to use your bike.

In the event that your bike does go missing: Check

around campus and in both Bike Sheds. Often with COA, a bike goes missing only for the owner to discov-er that someone else just really needed a bike and took it. Last spring, four people, including our dear Howdy, became dramatically irate when their bike appeared to be stolen. Someone had cleaned up apparently aban-doned bikes on campus and brought them all to the B/T bike shed, where all the bikes were found.

-Alert the community to your loss. Mention the color, brand, and distinctive features, even serial number if you have it. Even if no one else does, I’m keeping tabs on lost bikes on campus.

-If you feel sure that your bike was stolen, file a re-port with the police department. In the event that your bike shows up around town, they will return it to you. GIVING THEM THE SERIAL NUMBER (lo-cated on the bottom of the part the pedals go around and around in) WILL MAKE THIS PROCESS 500% EASIER. Write it down somewhere safe.

Further reading:

http://www.howtofixbikes.ca/2006/08/how-to-pre-vent-bicycle-theft.html

The NATIONAL BIKE REGISTRY will return your bike wherever it is found, for a small fee...

http://www.nationalbikeregistry.com/

Phew, this may be my longest PSA yet. Many thanks to you, the few readers who got all the way down here.

Bottom line, lock it up, behind a door or behind a bike lock. There’s no excuse.

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Bar Harbor’s November—Gina Sabatini

I’m starting to think that every dead leaf that falls to the ground in downtown Bar Harbor is representative of another tourist that has packed up their seashells and moose-themed souvenirs and left this little island for warmer climates. Not that I mind, really, but I’m sure many COA students would agree with me—it’s just plain weird to see a bus full of old people, binoculars and cameras slung around their necks, arrive on cam-pus for the obligatory gawk at Turrets and bathroom use. We all know it was a far ride from the Village Green to the Dorr Museum for those old folks, and the site of long-haired tofu eaters must have been enough to scare the bejesus—and urine—out of them.

So it’s probably a good thing that all the touristy-types have gone back to wherever they came from. Not that we don’t want to welcome any and all to this beautiful island, but there’s only so much staring and “Are you a student at this college?” one can take.

As I went down to Main Street this past weekend, I wondered why I was not greeted by tumbleweeds or the hollow chirping of crickets. Most of the people on the streets were COA students, out for the necessary half gallon of milk or poster board from Sherman’s. Many of the shops and restaurants on Main Street were boarded up, blank staring faces where lobster roll advertisements and promises of the cheapest “Got Moose?” tee shirts once hung.

Inside Sherman’s, the cashiers talked about the ap-proach of Thanksgiving and the slow business of the off-season. Next door at Ben and Bill’s Ice Cream, the prices for an ice cream cone were slashed and half of the weird flavors removed for winter. (To my delight and disgust, the lobster ice cream remained). There was no longer a line out the door like there had been every day in September. One didn’t need to look both ways before crossing the street, as no cars were on the road. The streets no longer smelled of boiled sea food, the sidewalks no longer stuffy with the music and laughter from open-door restaurants, the chime of shop doors no longer audible in the still November air. Even the ocean looked vacant.

Or relieved.

As I look out over the Atlantic Ocean, I can’t help but wonder if the tourists realize all they are missing by retreating to their cozy burrows come the end of the summer season. When they vacationed here, had they

noticed the way the ocean reflected the sky, gently tug-ging on the coast and galloping over the rocky shore? Had they seen the way the sun rose over Bar Island, sending gentle rays onto the storefronts, catching the light in the shop windows? Did they picture the green maple and oak leaves of August as they would be in October, a brilliant spectrum of reds and oranges and amber, and then the solemn beauty they would hold as they fell, shriveled, to the ground right about now?

It can be assumed that many of the people who come to Mount Desert Island are in search of more than just the Maine delicacies and tourmaline. They come to hike Acadia National Park, to go sea kayaking and camping, to experience nature. But are they fair-weather adventurists?

Perhaps it’s better that way. Even though Bar Harbor has become a ghost town, at least its natural elements can thrive without a major impact by so many hiking boots. In a strange way, the absence of tourists doesn’t leave me sad for this little town. It doesn’t even leave me sad for the tourists themselves. But it does leave me wondering about the ability for a town to thrive so much in one season, and lay dormant the next.

Maybe we could ask the trees how they do it. In so many ways, nature holds an answer for nearly any-thing. Even if the tourists don’t realize that, I’m happy to say we are blessed to realize it ourselves.

C2Confessions of a Pessimist—Casey Yanos

You know those people who seem like they’re happy all the time? The ones that walk around saying how pretty the sky is and how good it is to be alive. Well I tried to be one of them for a week and let me just say, it wasn’t easy.

I’m normally a rather pessimistic person, it’s not like I hate life or anything, I just see more of the bad in situ-ations than good. But, one of my friends is peppy and cheerful 24/7 so I decided to see what it was like to be happy all the time.

It was difficult to remember to comment on things that I normally take for granted. I never said how watching a movie that I watched as a kid gave me a really good homey feeling. When I walk outside at night and can see the Milky Way I don’t spin around in circles laughing because I love the view so much.

The whole thing seemed like more of a hassle than anything else. Until one day I had some time before dinner and decided to take a nap. Instead of sleeping, however, I watched the sunset outside my window and then after it was dark just kind of sat there and existed.

I had forgotten how good it felt to just be and not do or worry about anything. It brought back countless memories of times when I was younger and watched the sunset or played outside in the dark with neighbors.

Then it all started to make sense. It wasn’t just the moment that these people love so much, but the memories they have that some sense brings back. They appreciate more what something as simple as a crisp fall breeze can bring about because they remember something they did on a fall day way back when.

So, while I may still be the same cynical, negative person, I definitely appreciate the simpler things more. If you ever start to feel overwhelmed or a bit down in the dumps, go outside and enjoy the breeze and the trees, and maybe the ocean.

Futility—Russell Charles

They run around all day and carry loads

To pile the dirt and build abodes

Artificial structures of no real worth

Make them feel like the masters of the earth

They grind and polish to make their castles gleam

All for the purpose of feeling supreme

Even when they die, after awhile,

One’s strength is marked by one’s domicile

In the scope of the world what are men?

So they beat down nature again and again

With their cities and workings they launch the attack

Unaware that one day nature will take it all back.

Sun of Sunday Night—Luka Negoita

I am the fried pulp of human knowledge,

Drained, skewed, dried like leaf.

Late teachers inspect me through glass,

And their purpose keeps me,

Like a specimen in formaldehyde,

I tumble in endless writing,

Not knowing where I’m going,

But I’d rather flow than know,

And rather eat, than, was eating,

The reuben was nice, but never again,

I don’t know what you think,

But metaphors now metamorphose,

And are empty like full barrels of milk.

I sit here, and I have it!

No lawyers, no trees, only a body,

Stuck, poised, framed, to stare.

But the open window lets darkness in,

And soon.

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FIESTA FUNDRAISEREat, listen and help COA students attend climate change meetings in Copenhagen

Join fellow students for a delicious global dinner with music and dancing—and support their efforts to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Between 5 and 10 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 14, there will be an Afro-Latin-Carib-bean Cultural Festi-val, serving a variety of dishes from Africa, Latin America, India and Europe. Proceeds from the meals, which will cost from $3 to $5 dollars, will be used to fund their journey to the meetings, held this year in Copenhagen, Denmark.

COA is sending its own delegation to the talks, with 15 stu-dents—from Finland, New Zealand, Peru and the United States, two faculty members and many alumni. Additionally, one stu-dent Neil Oculi ’11 will have full voting privileges, as part of the delegation from St. Lucia. Together, the group will be doing what they can to make a difference by energiz-ing youth participation and learning about in-ternational treaty nego-tiations. These meetings will be the fifth in a row that COA students have attended.

Since the current UN treaty on climate change, commonly known as the Kyoto Pro-tocol, expires in 2012, the treaty written in Copenhagen will be the one nations will be working under during the upcoming crucial decade. The COA group has been studying the issues since January, alerting each other almost daily to articles and position papers they find on the internet, and taking classes directly related to the convention.

—Donna Gold

Pangea Presents:

Afro-Latin-Caribbean Cultural FestivalHome cooked food, music and dancing!

Saturday November 145-10pm in TAB

$3-$5College of the Atlantic

All Proceeds to help fund COA students’ trip to the climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December

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Fred Benson on Environmental Sensitivity and International Trade: oil and water or salad dressing?

—Donna Gold

Getting environmental policies enacted is often a tough negotiating process. Fred Benson, who spent nearly forty years engaged in national and internation-al government affairs, will be talking about these chal-lenges in a talk titled, “Environmental Sensitivity and International Trade: oil and water or salad dressing?” The talk will be at College of the Atlantic’s McCormick Lecture Hall on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 4:10 p.m.

Benson will be speaking about negotiating a Free Trade Agreement between the US and New Zealand, finding a workable solution between spotted owl conservation and timber harvesting, and creating Superfund legisla-tion. He will also present his “guidelines for success” in achieving meaningful goals in a highly competitive environment.

Benson has worked with the White House, the Pen-tagon, and with the Weyerhaeuser Company. Prior to moving to Maine, he was president of the United States-New Zealand Council, a consortium of US com-panies with business interests in New Zealand. For that work, Queen Elizabeth awarded him the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007.

He currently publishes Capitol Commentary, a cen-trist political newsletter which can be found at “http://www.bensoncc.com”