An end-of-classes celebration, which has taken the form of champagne on the steps of Miller Library in recent years, is a matter of intense interest on campus and of front-page headlines in the
Echo this semester, following a debacle in May 2006 that resulted in the arrests of several students. Students have been informed that a scene like last year's is not acceptable and will not be tolerated, but they also have been told that the College recognizes the sense of tradition that some attach to the celebration and will support a safe, legal, inclusive event if students take ownership of and responsibility for it. See coverage in recent issues of the
Echo at
media.www.colbyecho.com.
The Colby Echo is back online, this time to stay. The Echo contracted with a professional Web provider for online College newspapers, and the deal ensures continuity from year to year for the online paper with a permanent URL—www.colbyecho.com—and consistent archiving, said Editor in Chief Ben Herbst '08. See this week's issue for current SGA candidate platforms and the winter Mule Pack (outstanding athletes). On Friday, look for a story on Jan Plans.
On the topic of global warming, Colby is hot. And the video the Environmental Advisory Group crafted for the National Wildlife Federation's "Chill Out" contest is too. In "Making a Choice," camera-savvy Steve Tatko '10 of Willimantic, Maine, guides viewers through highlights among Colby's efforts to combat global warming—with everything from geothermal wells to lightbulb exchanges. Check it out on YouTube and vote: www.youtube.com/group/nwfchillout. After all, it's a contest.
The Cambridge Art Association announced Feb. 28 that Scott Reed (art) won first prize in its 10th Annual National Prize Show. Reed's painting—"Waiting in Line for the Chattanooga Choo-Choo When All of a Sudden Out Pops This Fancied Fugue"—won against almost 3,000 other submissions. It is one of 114 works that will be exhibited in Cambridge, Mass., May 4-June 20. Thomas W. Lentz, director of the Harvard University Art Museums, juried the show.
Patrick D. Duddy '72, a senior official in the State Department's Latin America bureau, has been nominated by President Bush to be ambassador to Venezuela. Duddy, previously a diplomat in Brazil and Bolivia, needs to be confirmed by the Senate. According to Professor G. Calvin Mackenzie (government), an expert on presidential appointments, "It will be interesting and challenging" to serve as Bush's emissary to the Hugo Chavez government. See the White House announcement of the nomination of America's next "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" at www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/03/20070301-12.html.
Sara Lovitz '01 was one of 1,000 people worldwide chosen to attend The Climate Project training in Nashville, Tennessee, with former Vice President Al Gore, said an article in National Resources Council of Maine (Winter 2007). Gore was quoted saying, "Sara is an outstanding example of the millions of Americans who have been energized by the call to action on the climate crisis." She plans to share the knowledge she's gained in several presentations throughout the coming year.
Colby is going all out to boost alumni participation in the annual fund this year, with a committed corps of class agents working overtime and a generous Alumni Fund challenge that promises to match contributions from new donors as well as increases from last year's donors. Annual fund contributions are essential to the quality of the College's programs, to keeping Colby competitive, and to the success of the Reaching the World campaign. Participation rates are tracked by individuals and organizations that compare colleges, so boosting the percentage of donors is critically important. For details of the Alumni Fund challenge and to see photos showing the dedication of class agents in Maine and Massachusetts who contributed a full evening to gear up for the challenge, visit www.colby.edu/alumnifund.
As NCAA Division III prepares to split in two, colleges are considering the potential impact. In a recent New York Times article, Colby was offered as an example of a "private, traditional, Division III" school. "[Colby] is competitive but not dominant in what is by far Division III's most restrictive league, the New England Small College Athletic Conference, which, for instance, does not let its football teams play in the postseason. Colby has abundant on-campus athletic facilities and one team national title, in women's crew in 2003." The full article is online (registration required).
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