Jane Muskie, wife of the late Maine governor, senator, U.S. secretary of state and presidential candidate Edmund Muskie '36, died on Christmas Day in Washington, D.C. She was 77. Jane Muskie stood by her husband through a long political career that included a 1968 campaign as running mate to Democratic presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey, and Muskie's own 1972 White House attempt. Chris Beam, archivist for the Edmund S. Muskie Archives at Bates, said that Jane Muskie was perhaps the first wife of a national candidate to take an active public role in her husband's campaigns. Beam cited a remark by Jane Muskie that illustrated how things had changed for her in four short years: "In 1968, reporters asked me about recipes. In 1972, they asked me about issues."

The recent publication of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead has drawn attention to that unusual but not unprecedented phenomenon: the great first novel that becomes an instant classic and awakens our appetite for more, only to be followed by years of silence. We who loved the miraculous first book, Housekeeping (1980), have been left in a state of suspended longing and need, just like the characters in the novel. . . . Although often compared to 19th-century greats like Dickinson or Wordsworth, Robinson's voice can now more easily be understood as part of a continuing conversation among contemporary women writers. Among Housekeeping's central concerns, perhaps none seems more urgent today than Robinson's complex understanding of motherhood. -- Elaine Tuttle Hansen, Bates President and author of Mother Without Child: Contemporary Fiction and the Crisis of Motherhood

College kids clearly have more money than they used to. Take Trent Lierman '04, who while at Bates gave $2,000 to presidential hopeful Howard Dean -- whose national finance chairman was the student's father, Terry Lierman. The elder Lierman said he did not prod his son to donate to Dean. Rather, Trent was Dean's campus coordinator at Bates, and even traveled to Wisconsin to work on the campaign. "Trent doesn't do anything he doesn't want to," said Terry. "It's not my money, it's his." But Trent was not the only child of political operatives to make hefty campaign contributions in the last election, and some campaign finance watchdogs said that contributions from children could let donors exceed limits on the amount that one person can give to a campaign.

It's generally assumed that infants and small children on passenger airplanes are seen as annoyances by other travelers. Michael Lieber '92, a lawyer from Chicago, has the highest frequent-flier elite status on United. But he was actually reluctant to take those first-class upgrades when traveling with his wife, Rebecca, and their year-old twins, because he worried that fellow first-class passengers might be annoyed. "I think anybody who has a baby should think about those things before they go to the airport, because it relieves stress, and one of the things that helps the kids do better on a flight is if they realize their parents are less stressed-out, they'll react more positively," said Lieber. Most fellow travelers are actually friendly toward parents with babies, he said.

For the estimated 6 percent of Americans who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter brings a depression that makes functioning difficult. Those afflicted with SAD may have the symptoms associated with non-seasonal depression, and are also likely to sleep too much, crave carbohydrates and overeat. Symptoms usually appear in the fall or winter and disappear by summer. Many researchers connect SAD with the lack of sunlight during winter, a theory supported by findings that show the disorder in the United States is more prevalent in northern areas. Ten to 15 percent of New Englanders have SAD, while there are very few cases in Florida, says Kathryn Low, a professor of psychology at Bates College. "As you get closer to the equator, there's very little of it," she said.

If the character of Lynette on television's Desperate Housewives has thrown a spotlight on a new and surprising drug problem in America, overwrought homemakers aren't the only ones abusing Adderall and Ritalin. School counselors say motivated students are faking attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to get the pep-giving pills to help with their studies -- while ignoring risks. "I first took it for Advanced Placement tests in high school," says one freshman at Northwestern University. "I wrote 14 pages in one night." Adds Kathryn Graff Low, a professor of psychology and campus therapist at Bates, "Very, very talented students come in wanting a prescription. They blame themselves because they want to be perfect."

Brigid Beech '05 of West Newbury was one of the 17 women's hockey players representing the United States at the Baltic Blast and Thanksgiving Day Tournament Nov. 27-28 in Talinn, Estonia. Bates compiled a 3-1 record on the trip, finishing second of five teams including contingents from Great Britain, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Japan, Finland and Sweden. Michelle Kramer of All World Sporting Matches, the group that facilitated the trip for the Estonian Hockey Federation, chose the Bobcats as ideal ambassadors to promote U.S. women's hockey. Bates, with a 7-3 overall record, defeated two teams from Estonia and one from Great Britain. Beech, an interdisciplinary studies major, is a 2000 graduate of St. Mark's School and has three goals and seven points for the Bobcats this winter.

Google will digitally scan almost all the books and scholarly materials in the University of Michigan's library system -- some 7 million volumes. For U-M, the project is a boon. The school has put some books online, but estimates it would take 1,000 years to finish the job. Google will give U-M digital copies of all of the works. The project "truly raises the level of materials and the educational opportunities for students, faculty and researchers everywhere," said university librarian William Gosling (Bates '65). The project will allow Internet users to read books with expired copyrights from cover to cover with just a click of the mouse. Google is also digitizing the works in the New York Public Library and libraries at Stanford, Harvard and Oxford (England) universities.

Randy Bumps '95, a former state legislator and aide to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, was elected Saturday as the new chairman of the Maine Republican Party. Bumps, 32, of Minot, drew no opposition as the party's state committee picked a successor to three-term chairwoman Kathy Watson of Pittsfield and filled other posts. Bumps pledged to expand the party's network of volunteers in order to win control of the Legislature and elect a Republican governor in 2006. "As chair of the Maine Republican Party, I am committed to building a first-rate organization that will take the Democrats to task for the fiscal mess that the majority party has created," Bumps said. Bumps served as executive director of the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign organization in Maine and now works as a consultant.

Josh Fix '99 (appearing at Portland's Acoustic Coffee Saturday) switched gears from pre-law to music halfway through his program at Bates College, and that started him on an unbelievable path. After Bates, he moved to San Francisco. He cut a demo that made its way into the hands of Eddie Van Halen and Lenny Kravitz. His single "Whiskey & Speed" was selected as the Best Unsigned Demo by the San Francisco chapter of the Grammy committee. The release of his EP, Steinway the Hard Way, found him performing to a sellout crowd at the hot San Francisco night club The Independent. One Bay-area critic called his acoustic pop-rock sound "the stuff of picaresque legend."

An exchange between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and soldiers during a town-hall meeting in Kuwait about insufficient vehicle armor seemed to highlight growing questions from troops and military families about the conduct of the Iraq war. Some observers believe this level of anger and frustration, especially among the troops themselves, may bridge the gap between military insiders and more typical anti-war activists. But Chris Beam, a member of the Bates history faculty and a Vietnam veteran, believes it will take a wide-scale draft for the majority of Americans to get upset about the war. The question is, he said, "Are the costs of achieving any kinds of progress worth it?" Americans will measure those costs both financially and in terms of human loss, he said.

Mike Horan '05 got the ultimate compliment from opposing teams during his final football season at Bates this fall. After back-to-back impressive years in the Bobcats' secondary, the strong safety from Stoughton found teams avoiding him as much as possible. "He's the one guy who is dominant enough that the other team wanted to stay away from him,'' said Bates coach Mark Harriman of the senior co-captain. "In my opinion, he's probably the most dominant defensive player we've had on the field during my time here.'' Horan was named to the All-New England Small College Athletic Conference first team as a junior and senior and was among the statistical leaders for three seasons. He plans to attend graduate school next year and hopes to land a job as a graduate assistant football coach.

"It's all about trying to make it fun and real for the kids," says Megan Price '04, a teacher at Seoul's new English-language immersion school. Today Price is role-playing as an immigration officer "processing" students, and teachers at the village also pose as policemen, bankers and even waitresses to convince students they are in a foreign country -- where only English is spoken. Korea has placed a priority on its youth mastering English, and most children start learning it in the third grade. But they seldom if ever get the opportunity to speak English in everyday situations, much less with native speakers. At the village, which is funded by Seoul's city government, they do everything from making newspapers to baking to hip hop dancing, all in the name of education.

The sluggish economy of the last four years may be showing signs of recovery, if campus career fairs are any indication. According to a sampling of colleges and universities nationwide, prospective employers are making more inquiries, attending career fairs in larger numbers, and approaching students much sooner during the final year in school. At Bates the trend is "upward and very active," notes A. Charles Kovacs, director of the Office of Career Services. "The number of on-campus recruiters is up, received job listings up, student activity up, and we are seeing more and more juniors returning to campus with full-time job offers in hand from their summer internships. In essence, the chill seems to be off the hiring end of the economy."

A rare coin discovered last summer has been auctioned for $360,000. The coin, one of only three 1793 Strawberry Leaf one-cent pieces known to exist, was sold to an unnamed bidder Tuesday night at the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention. Reportedly the first Strawberry Leaf specimen ever sold at public auction, in 1877, the coin this year was brought to an Auburn coin dealer by a woman who said her father, Roscoe E. Staples II, purchased it around 1941 (for $2,750) and gave it to his wife, Beulah Staples '35. Upon her death the coin went to her heirs. It was auctioned by American Numismatic Rarities of Wolfeboro, N.H., and with online bidding having begun earlier, the final bid came less then three minutes into the live auction.

Michael Milken was well-known in the 1980s and early 1990s as a high-flying junk-bond wizard brought to earth by a 22-month prison sentence for securities violations. What's less well-known about him is that, in the years since, this prostate cancer survivor has turned the cancer establishment upside down. In the time it normally takes to bring a single new drug to market, Milken has managed to raise significantly the profile of prostate cancer, increase related research funding dramatically, spur innovative research approaches, and, dare we say, speed up science. Pre-Milken, prostate cancer research had virtually stalled. "People were afraid to try anything," says Howard Scher '72, chief of genitourinary oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. "There was such nihilism in the field."

If you think it smacks of affirmative action that Bates in 1984 made optional the submission of standardized college entrance exam scores in its admissions, you're right. But if you believe the goal was to lower Bates' standards so it can admit less-qualified minorities, you're wrong. By a ratio of 5 to 1, white students have outnumbered minority students seeking to enter Bates without submitting test scores. A large percentage of these students came from rural or low-income families, and many came from homes where English was one of several languages spoken. But there has been virtually no difference in the way these diverse students have performed at Bates, college Vice President William Hiss '66 told members of The Trotter Group, an organization of black columnists and commentators.

Islamic-American television, beamed from Buffalo, has arrived in the form of Bridges TV -- a new cable channel that's the first in English aimed at American Muslims, one of the fastest-growing demographics in the country. The channel weaves news with music videos, animated shows, classic movies and programs about food, travel and culture -- all with a Muslim-lifestyle theme. Founder and CEO Muzzammil S. Hassan hopes Bridges will help balance negative portrayals of Muslims in the media since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "The very purpose of Bridges is to build bridges of friendship and understanding," he said. Closely watched by NBC, Fox and other national news organizations, Bridges premiered Nov. 30 with "Bridges News," an original newscast anchored by former NBC News correspondent Asad Mahmood Butt '01.

Ron Artest's charge into the stands in Detroit laid bare a mounting conflict as spectators and athletes bring to arenas an increased sense of entitlement. Whether it is fans inflamed by talk radio or coddled young players feeling little respect for authority, pro sports today has an energy that perverts traditional notions of sportsmanship. For many high-school athletes who are already minor celebrities, college is arguably just a rest stop on the way to the pros. "During the adolescence of an elite basketball player, it's very difficult to come through unscathed in terms of values," says Dan Doyle '72 of the Institute for International Sport in Kingston, R.I. Often, he says, such players "are so entitled by the time they get through high school that there are no boundaries for them."

John Bart '64, a longtime editor for the Springfield Republican and its predecessors, died Saturday at 62. Bart loved his hometown of Northampton as well as the English language and put both passions to work in his journalistic career, which he started in 1966 as a reporter for the Northampton bureau of what was then the Springfield Daily News. He ended it as a copy editor at The Republican. Born in Northampton, at Bates College Bart was a member of a championship team on the General Electric College Bowl television program. Anne Cronin-Bart said her late husband's enthusiasm for cooking, gardening and reading remained undiminished until the end. "He was a real class act in every single way you can think of," she said.

A professor of economics at Bates, Anne Williams has been a fan of jigsaw puzzles for a long time. "I grew up in a family that did a lot of puzzles," she says."We tended to do them on holidays and vacations, so there were pleasant memories associated with them." Her second book on puzzles, Jigsaw Puzzles: Piecing Together a History (Berkley, $22.95), hit stores this month. The book discusses the history and social impact of the puzzles, while also highlighting some famous puzzlers, including Queen Elizabeth II and Stephen King. Williams herself favors wooden puzzles. "Every piece is cut individually and no two puzzles are exactly the same," she says. "You get this insight into the mind of the person making the puzzles."

Imagine being surrounded every day by toys and games. Sounds like any child's dream, but for Paul Faustine '77, owner of Red Dragon Toys in Brunswick, it's a career. Working in New Jersey's high-tech sector for more than 20 years, the goal for Faustine and his wife, Barbara Kittredge '78, was always to get back to Maine. He decided to open a toy store here, and Kittredge convinced him that if the business failed, he could sell the inventory to pay off the rent. Offering toys that interest and involve kids, Faustine offers a diverse choice in selection and cost, from stocking stuffers to Playmobil sets. Red Dragon Toys, named after his son's stuffed Welsh dragon, opened two years ago on busy Maine Street.

. . . [I]t is clear the consequences of this particular election will likely prompt a residual identity crisis for the Democratic Party . . . [S]taunch Democrats will be forced to question the viability and vitality of their party's platform, while Republicans bask in the sunlight . . . Taking into consideration all possible scenarios, there is no doubt that this loss realistically challenges the fundamental core of the Democratic Party. It is important, however, that Democrats remember what that core is. Political pundit Thomas Frank best describes the core as "the party of workers, of the poor, of the weak and the victimized." It is essential, for the livelihood of the party, that Democrats remember their fundamental core, act on that core, and exude that core. -- John P. Chase '04

Every morning millions of people start their day with a cup of coffee, a sharp pencil and a crossword puzzle. Since 1981, 83-year-old Mary Derderian Brown '43, a resident of the Seabrook adult community in Tinton Falls, has spent part of her time devising these entertaining brain teasers. More than 100 of her puzzles have been published by Simon & Schuster, Running Press, Random House, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times. Although she retired from creating crossword puzzles this year, the appeal of creating and completing a crossword puzzle remains the same for her. "You've got to get your mind going," she said. "I have to do a puzzle every so often; otherwise, I go nuts."

Jesse Laflamme '00 counts his chickens, and his eggs, too. As manager of Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs (his father, Gerry Laflamme, and his uncle, Pete Stanton, were the founders) in Monroe, N.H., he relies on both for his living. While most eggs come from megaproducers that stack caged hens up to the ceiling, Laflamme and his family stay small and focus on their organic market niche. Their 110,000 uncaged hens produce in a year what a large farm might produce in a day -- but the Laflammes are after quality, not quantity. "Customers my grandfather's age tell us, 'I haven't tasted eggs like this since I was a little boy,'" said Jesse, who joined the company soon after graduating Bates. He recently began marketing the eggs directly to Boston chefs.

Based on my own example [writes Black America Web correspondent Tonyaa Weathersbee], I've always believed that Scholastic Aptitude Test scores were overrated as predictors of whether students, particularly black students, will survive academically in college. But it sure felt good to hear someone like Bates College Vice President Bill Hiss back me up. Since 1984 this top-ranked liberal arts college, founded by abolitionists in 1855, has conducted an experiment in educational egalitarianism: It makes the SAT and other college tests optional for admissions. Hiss recently told the William Monroe Trotter Group, the nation's leading organization of black columnists, that the experiment reveals that overreliance on the SAT may be keeping the sharpest minds outside of the nation's colleges rather than the other way around.

Georgia and the nation cannot face the challenges of the 21st century if people don't know basic biology. In response to the Cobb County School Board's decision to affix on science books a warning that evolution is "a theory, not a fact," it's necessary to emphasize the importance of understanding evolution, and how it need not contradict people's religious beliefs. In his brilliant exegesis on the Bible, The Good Book, Harvard theologian Rev. Peter J. Gomes '65 explains, "Nowhere in the Scripture are the faithful enjoined to take as scientific and observable fact the Bible's description of phenomena: the accounts of creation, the sun standing still at the battle of Jericho, the fish swallowing Jonah; these are not presented as articles of fact or of faith, essential to belief and salvation."

Vote totals from Searsport, Maine, weren't finalized until early Wednesday afternoon, but they had a big impact on the District 41 House race. Ken Lindell '86, of Frankfort, the Republican candidate in the newly formed district, took Searsport by 306 votes, eking out a 31-vote victory over Democrat Kent Price of Orland. Lindell won in Frankfort, Prospect and Searsport, while Price took Orland, Stockton Springs and Verona Island. This last legislative race to be decided enlarges the majority of Republicans in Waldo County's delegation.

The polls show President Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in a dead heat, but if the election were held internationally, Kerry would win today by a landslide. At least, that's what online unscientific polls are predicting. In an unscientific poll by the international media in 10 countries, only Russia and Israel favor Bush over Kerry. James Richter, a professor of political science at Bates College, said many countries, especially U.S. allies, think Bush will continue to diverge from a multilateral view of U.S. foreign policy. "They are worried the president will become unilateral and make the world a more dangerous place for them," he said. Richter said other countries see Kerry as more likely to go back to traditional American foreign policy -- "still leading but with consultation."

When George Sormer '44 was 18 and skiing in New England, he was living to ski. He just didn't know it yet. In 1939, George, his mother and his sister fled Nazi Europe for America. He enrolled at Bates, where he won every ski race he entered over two winters. Only later did George learn that while he was at Bates, and then training ski troops in Colorado, back in Europe two aunts had died in Auschwitz and his father had committed suicide. It's difficult to understand how a human being deals with such tragedy, and possibly insulting to say that George was able to ski the demons out of his head. Still, skiing has been a constant in his life. And his passion for the sport has persisted unchecked for nearly 80 years.

At 60, singer-guitarist-composer Chris Smither continues to draw new audiences to listen to his music. How is this possible? Fervent fans like Mark Erelli '96 have certainly helped. Erelli helped plan a secret 60th birthday concert this month honoring Smither at Club Passim, in Cambridge. A fan since he was growing up in suburban Boston and heard Smither play live on WBOS, Bates student Erelli invited the folksinger to perform at the college. "I filled a 350-seat auditorium. I went around campus for four months saying, 'Have you heard Chris Smither?' I got the campus radio station to play him. I reviewed his album in the college paper. That's how I met him. Later, I opened for him in Maine. Now, I've toured with him. I'm so fortunate to know him," Erelli recounts.

Dennis Nicholas Skiotis '58, former president of Athens College in Greece and a longtime faculty member at Harvard University, died of complications from pneumonia after a long struggle with leukemia. An assistant professor of history at Harvard during the 1970s, Skiotis from 1974 through 1976 served a Senate appointment as head of mission to Cyprus, during which he investigated issues surrounding Turkey's invasion of part of the island. While serving in 2004 as dean of The American College of Greece, as well as director of its Institute of Diplomacy and Global Affairs, Skiotis was considered a major force in U.S.-Greek intellectual exchange. "We have lost a wonderful teacher, and we will miss him very much," Sen. Edward Kennedy said in response to his passing. Skiotis earned a bachelor's degree in English at Bates.

In a play misrepresented for generations, Cardinals batter Enos Slaughter completed his "mad dash'' for home in a play that speaks more to the greatness of the Cardinal Hall of Fame outfielder than to the fault of Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky. By the time Pesky received the throw, Slaughter was nearly home, and even a perfect throw wouldn't have nailed him. It was a play for the ages. -- Richard Johnson '78, on the seventh game of the 1946 World Series. Johnson, who curates The Sports Museum at Boston's FleetCenter, chronicled Boston's loss in the 1946 Series for a Globe story package preceding the Oct. 27 Red Sox victory in the World Series

The value of the SAT as a predictor for academic performance has been thrown into question by a U.S. college that has ceased to demand that applicants take the test. Bates College was one of the first mainstream American schools to stop requiring applicants to provide SAT test scores. Bates found no difference in graduation rates between students who continued to submit their test scores and those who did not. The college made SATs optional for admission in October 1984. Since then, it has kept track of about 7,000 students to see how well they fared after their acceptance. Bill Hiss, head of admissions when Bates dropped the requirement, called the issue nothing less than "a fundamental question of social ethics and social policy." -- Jon Marcus '82

Whatever future Division III athletics will take, you can be sure a Coffey will have a say in the matter. Suzanne Coffey has been athletic director at Bates College for the last 15 years and chairs the Division III Management Council. Her son, Brad, is a member of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. And each is in position to have their voices heard on the issues that will shape athletics at this level of competition. Having prominent roles on national governance groups gives each Coffey a unique perspective into the way administrators and student-athletes look at certain topics. "I'd never say we have conflicts,'' said Suzanne Coffey. "But he's a good debater, and it's always good to discuss issues with him."

In Maine, the election battleground is expected to be voting precincts near college campuses in the 2nd Congressional District, where Republicans in 2002 challenged the eligibility of students to vote on the basis of residency. Officials from both parties have organized networks of Maine lawyers who will be available to go to campuses and answer legal questions about residency issues on Election Day. Campus political leaders are also encouraging their classmates to go to the polls. "I think college students should vote in the town where their colleges are," said Oliver Wolf, a junior at Bates and president of the Maine College Republicans. This year in Maine, both parties have registered thousands of young voters on the state's college campuses.

ICOA, Inc. a major provider of neutral-host broadband wireless Internet solutions in high traffic locations, announced today the promotion of wireless industry veteran Rick Schiffmann '88 to president. In making the announcement, CEO George Strouthopoulos said, "Rick is one of the most savvy and capable people in the wireless industry today . . . He is charged with developing and executing our business growth strategy and we are confident that he will be successful." Schiffmann gained much of his wireless and airport industry expertise with Aerzone, a subsidiary of SoftNet Systems. As Aerzone's vice president of business development, he was instrumental in bringing significant equity partners into the business. Schiffmann has an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a bachelor of arts from Bates College.

Stating that Republicans fear his candidacy as much as Democrats do, presidential aspirant Ralph Nader said Monday that both parties want him off the ballot because he disrupts their grip on the political system. Nader also claims that he doesn't take votes away from one party or the other -- rather, half his supporters wouldn't otherwise vote and the other half are split evenly between Kerry and Bush. But the facts don't support him, said John Baughman, a political scientist at Bates. "I think we might take that claim a little more seriously if Republicans were a little less gleeful about Nader's candidacy." Baughman explained that Nader won't be a factor in Maine's 1st Congressional District, and doubts the candidate will influence the outcome in the 2nd District race.

The Rev. Professor Peter Gomes '65 has dedicated his life to ministering to students while encouraging people to read and interpret the role the Bible plays in their lives. "What is powerful about the Bible is that it is a record of people very much like ourselves who have been engaged in a pilgrimage," Gomes said in an interview in U.S. News and World Report. "Many of them have had deep encounters of the ultimate kind with God. And the Bible's a record of that experience." Born in Boston, Gomes graduated from Bates before obtaining a degree from Harvard Divinity School. A member of the faculties of the arts and sciences and of divinity at Harvard, he is recognized as one of America's most distinguished preachers.

Twenty years ago, Bates College made submission of SAT I scores optional for applicants. Now its examination of two decades of data reveals that students who did not submit their scores did as well academically as those who did. Non-submitters had SAT scores that averaged about 160 points lower than the 1,283 average of submitters. Yet graduation rates were virtually identical -- 86.7% for non-submitters and 86.6% for submitters. The latter had a slightly higher grade-point average -- 3.11 vs. 3.06. "We have to get out of this box where America feels SAT scores define quality," says Bates Vice President William Hiss, who headed the college's admissions office 1978-2000. Hiss will present the findings today at the annual meeting of the National Association for College Admission Counselors in Milwaukee.

Want to see the president when he comes to town? Get in line -- to make phone calls for his campaign. Bush campaign aides have hit on a novel way to recruit volunteers: Anyone wanting to attend a Bush campaign rally must first get a ticket. And anyone wanting a ticket can improve his chances by putting in a few hours at a phone bank, canvassing Republican homes or putting up lawn signs. In this year of earliests, firsts and most-expensive-evers, the Bush campaign has taken this most basic form of communication to a new level, by pressing audiences to work as foot soldiers at Bush events. "In this campaign, we've taken advantage of every opportunity to engage people," said Randy Bumps '95, the campaign's Maine director.

Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail costs the average hiker between $2,000 and $4,500. Bates junior Colin Hollister of Pittsfield, Mass., received financial aid for the hike in an unusual way this summer -- Bates paid for it. Hollister and fellow student Peter Keays of Madison, N.J., each received $6,500 from the Otis Fellowship Program for the hike. "The only requirement is that the money be used for putting people out in the wilderness," said Hollister, an environmental science major. Hollister and Keays applied for the fellowship because they couldn't afford to go otherwise. Of the four Otis Fellowships that Bates awarded in 2004, their project was the only initiative that occurred within the United States. The three other student projects took place in Mongolia, Russia and Lesotho.

For something completely different try The Memory of Salt, a new interpretation of Euripides' tragedy Hecuba, having its world premiere at the Boston Center for the Arts, performed by the Animus Ensemble and directed by John Ambrosino '01. The concept by playwright Liza Maurizio, a classics professor at Bates, is to merge elements from various cultures into what is called "world theater.'' Indonesian shadow puppets, Agnes DeMille-style choreography, Japanese-style music and elements of classical theater fuse into a theatrically invigorating mix. The Memory of Salt resonates with themes about the responsibilities of citizens in times of a futile war, and puts a focus on how a long and costly war takes an emotional toll on both captive and victor. What can be more relevant than that?

Public relations firm Weber Shandwick has named Sean Findlen '99 senior account executive in its corporate practice and Jaclyn Tammaro account coordinator in its corporate and consumer practices in its Cambridge office. Tammaro joins the firm with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a certificate in business administration from Northeastern University. Findlen was previously director of external affairs for the office of Maine Gov. Angus King and manager of community relations for the Sisters of Charity Health System.

A recent finding by a government panel linking the newest generation of antidepressants to suicidal behavior in a small percentage of children has left parents and caregivers in a quandary. Increasingly, doctors say the most appealing treatment involves combining medications with talk therapies that have proven successful in adolescents. But despite research showing psychotherapy helps depressed teens, insurance companies have made it "economically devastating to practice psychotherapy," said Michael Goldberg '86, director of child and family psychological services in Norwood. Primary-care doctors are often the first -- and sometimes only -- line of treatment for depressed youths. These physicians see 75 percent of children with psychiatric problems, while mental health specialists see just 2 percent, according to a study in this month's issue of the journal Pediatrics.

This week, absentee ballots will become available, and any of Maine's registered voters will be able to immediately cast their vote. Most states allow either early voting or absentee voting, and about 30 -- including Maine -- let people vote before the official Election Day without providing any particular reason. That means a great deal to campaigns and interest groups, who are encouraging people to vote early. John Baughman, who teaches political science at Bates, says early voting can make things tricky for candidates. "You gear your campaign toward a known, fixed date in a conventional campaign," he says. "With this, you don't know when people are casting their ballots, so you don't know at what point they're going to be breaking for you or breaking against you."

Despite months of criticism of the cap, more than a third of Maine's likely voters continue to favor Carol Palesky's property tax cap, with a similar number opposed and quarter of voters undecided. Many of the most ardent proponents of the cap are retired or nearing retirement age, and hate the property tax because it is rising faster than their incomes and may eventually force them to sell their homes. Wes Bonney '50, chairman of Citizens United to Protect Our Public Safety, Schools and Communities, which is fighting the tax cap, said the proposed cap is bad policy, but many people won't listen to his arguments. "They are so angry, they won't open their minds up," he said.

Affiliated Managers Group, a company that invests in midsize asset-management firms, is "very pleased" with its pipeline of deal opportunities, according to Darrell Crate '89, chief financial officer at AMG. The current environment is "as good as any other that we have seen in the history of the company for getting transactions done," said Crate. AMG has identified about 150 firms as top prospects and is actively cultivating 10 to 15 of them, he said. "When we look out over the next three to five years, certainly putting more than $1 billion to use is absolutely achievable." AMG helps its affiliates market, distribute and develop products. Affiliates managed assets totaling more than $100 billion as of June 30.

Former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland called John Kerry the right candidate for veterans and working families as he campaigned in Maine on Tuesday for the Democratic presidential candidate. Cleland campaigned in Bangor with fellow Vietnam veteran and former Maine Attorney General Michael Carpenter, and Annette Sullivan, a 21-year veteran of the Air National Guard and registered Republican who voted for George W. Bush in 2000. Cleland also met with local veterans in Bangor and scheduled a follow-up stop in Lewiston at the home of Chris Beam, another Vietnam vet and archivist at Bates College.

In 1970, Maine women made 58 cents for every $1 made by a man. In 2002, according to a recent Maine Department of Labor report, the number was 76 cents. Why does this gap still exist? Experts blame a combination of child rearing, job training, discrimination and the career choices made by women. "Unfortunately, it confirms that the greatest predictor of your wages is still your gender," said Sarah Standiford '97, executive director of the Maine Women's Policy Center. Although once a major issue for activists, pay inequity hasn't gotten as much attention in recent years. But with the economy a major national focus, it's bound to make its way back into the spotlight, said Rebecca Herzig, associate professor of women's studies at Bates College.

Fit and trim, Frank Glazer springs from the bench of his piano to greet a visitor. The handshake of this 89-year-old Maine musical legend is firm. "I'm told, and I believe it's true, that I am playing better now than ever," says this artist-in-residence at Bates. "I feel like I'm 20." Glazer has been an inspiration to many, including former student Duncan Cumming '93, who wrote his dissertation about Glazer. Glazer's most lasting musical impact was a study he conducted in the 1940s that changed the way instructors teach piano. His goal was to find a more efficient way to play, using the fewest muscles with the least exertion. He says, "My hands work now because of the study I made of piano technique. There's no doubt about it."

Three years after Peter Goodrich '89 died in the attack on the World Trade Center, family and friends are honoring his memory in a way designed to address the dynamics behind too many unfathomable acts of violence. Goodrich graduated from Bates with Rush Filson, who is now a Marine stationed in Afghanistan. Filson delivers supplies to a school run by Abdul Nabi who, with few teachers and no money, teaches 300 children. Peter's parents, Sally and Donald Goodrich, hope to tap a trust fund established in his memory to support the school. Filson said the United States can only gain the trust of Afghans through "unbiased political dialogues, generous distribution of economic and infrastructure resources, and a fundamental understanding of not only Afghanistan's culture and history, but of Central Asia as well."

CFO Jesse Laflamme '00 represents the fourth generation of his family working at Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, in Monroe, N.H. Laflamme won't get much use from his political science degree, but the minor in economics will come in handy because the farm's numbers are staggering. On average, each of the farm's 100,000 cage-free chickens lays six eggs each week -- totaling more than 30 million eggs per year. "And every single one is organic," Jesse said. Last October the farm was honored with the "Certified Humane" label, and consumers are scrambling for a product friendly not only to the Earth and the chickens, but to people, thanks to enhanced levels of Omega 3 acids. "We're in Hannaford, Shaw's, Stop & Shop, Market Basket, all the big stores," he said.

Pediatrician Steven Feder '88 is expanding his practice and constructing a new professional building in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The building has been erected across from the Seagate Motel. Connected to the existing building on the property, the new structure will house Feder's practice. He hopes to lease additional space in that building and a second outbuilding to other medical or child development professionals. "It's something I've wanted to do for a while," says Dr. Feder, of Edgecomb, "to orient my life more toward the Harbor." Feder has been with the Miles Medical Group and on staff at St. Andrews Hospital, working in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, for six years. He is also the medical director of the Boothbay Region schools' health center.

Sally Goodrich and her husband Don are supporting a cause that their late son Peter '89 "would love," Sally says. To honor Peter, who died on the second plane that hit the World Trade Center, the Goodrichs have started a project affiliated with One Day's Pay, a national nonprofit honoring victims, families, survivors and rescuers of the terrorist attacks. The Goodriches are helping to fund a school in Afghanistan with the help of one of Peter's best friends, Rush Filson '92. Peter's death moved Filson to join the Marines. Now serving in Kabul, Afghanistan, Filson told Sally Goodrich about this school that lacks running water and money to pay the staff, and whose principal is a target because half of his staff are women and a Western curriculum is taught.

U.S. Sen. John S. McCain (R.-Ariz.) and former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani opened the Republican National Convention with speeches that focused on the attacks of Sept. 11 as a way to win independent voters. Republicans also criticized U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry (D.-Mass.), the Democratic nominee for president. During the official roll call of the states to nominate the president, Darrell W. Crate '89, chairman of the state Republican party, told the convention that Kerry "only reported for duty 13 percent of the time" this year by missing 87 percent of Senate roll calls. "He should have resigned when he announced for president and certainly when he became the nominee," Crate said in an interview after the roll call.

In April, at age 23, Jared Devine '03 left his job at a Rocky Mountain ski resort to embark on a 40-day Himalaya mountaineering course in northern India with the National Outdoor Leadership School. The course taught Devine and 13 other young adults to plan and carry out an international expedition, focusing on topics such as planning, cultural awareness, altitude physiology and mountaineering skills. The journey incorporated breathtaking scenery, an encounter with a Hindu holy man, and the emergency evacuation of a team member suffering from the altitude. "It was a journey, and in some senses a spiritual journey as well, where I viewed different cultures and religions in different perspectives," he said. Devine is now pursuing his master's degree at Middlebury College and is spending a year in Paris.

"My neighbors think I'm a little crazy," says Brian Pfohl of Lewiston. "Everyone in our neighborhood is into meticulous lawns and I'm trying to eliminate lawn." Eliminate lawn? Why would anyone do that? Pfohl, an assistant in instruction in the Bates psychology department, is a habitat steward. By creating natural cover and growing plants that support birds and butterflies, he is making a back yard hospitable to wildlife. Too much lawn is not hospitable: no cover and no food. Pfohl became a habitat steward last fall by taking a 30-hour course called Habitat Stewards, a program offered jointly by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the National Wildlife Federation. The program teaches stewards how to create hospitable backyard habitats with the purpose of sending those stewards out to educate others in their community.

Gaps in North Carolina's Medicaid program for people with HIV are actually causing more illness and costing much more than if co-pay-like penalties were removed, a Duke University study found. What's more, the lead researcher said the findings are applicable to Medicaid recipients with virtually every chronic disease. Duke public policy professor Kathryn Whetten '85, director of the university's health inequalities program, said a four-year study of the Medicaid funding system shows that it isn't achieving its intended purpose. Expanding Medicaid eligibility would improve health outcomes and be more cost-effective, the study found. "We found that people who make even a little more money than those categorically eligible for Medicaid end up costing about twice as much," Whetten said. "In this case, higher income may actually make you worse off."

You'd expect a socialite to fete her 50th birthday with dinner and dancing, but former Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie magnate and professional dancer Linda Rawlings '76 will go one better. "I was ruminating on turning 50 and missing the Bay Area and the dance scene there," said Hong Kong resident Rawlings. So last month she asked event designer Stanlee Gatti, who was already planning her birthday bash, to pencil in a second event. At the Cowell Theater Monday night, 10 Bay Area dance groups will each give five-minute performances before the dinner and couples-dancing begin. With tickets going to local dancers and choreographers, the idea, Gatti says, is "to give these people a party that normally only rich folks get to go to." Rawlings intends to make it an annual event.

Molly Balentine '08 was one of 130 students, one from each public high school in Maine, recognized for their accomplishments with a $1,000 college scholarship, renewable annually, from the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute. At a brunch Sunday at the University of Maine, the Mitchell Scholars met their benefactor, former Sen. George Mitchell, who told them: "Aim high." Running is a top priority for Hampden Academy graduate Balentine, who is heading to Bates to pursue a degree in biology and prepare for a career in health or perhaps forensics. "I run cross country and track, and they have a good team," she said. "I chose Bates because it's a small school with small classes and a community atmosphere."

No one thinks Mariel Zagunis's Olympic gold will suddenly make fencing fashionable in the United States. Before Zagunis's thrilling win -- the first fencing gold for the United States in a century, and the first fencing medal ever for an American woman -- few paid any attention to the sport. It's not easy to get the hang of. As a student at Bates, I tried fencing, primarily to satisfy a physical-education requirement. I also thought that for what my parents were paying in tuition, I should not only read about Rob Roy but learn to swashbuckle like the Highland hero. Forget it: I could master neither the fancy footwork nor the glossary of terms. If Errol Flynn was the archetype, I was Touche Turtle. -- Mark Shanahan '87

Maynard High is looking for a new baseball coach after Brian Blongastainer '98 stepped down following the 2004 season. Blongastainer is switching careers, going from teaching to the financial world. He served as a JV coach under former varsity mentor Scott Soderberg (now at Ashland) for three years before landing the varsity post prior to the 2004 season. "The difficult part of changing careers was (giving up) the coaching," said the 28-year-old Ashland native. "I felt bad for the kids, because for some, they'll have their third coach in three years. That was difficult." Blongastainer, who graduated with an economics degree from Bates, is six weeks into his new job with Fidelity Investments.

Man's best friend is the subject of ''Dog Days of Summer'' at the Paesaggio Gallery in West Hartford, Conn. Gallery owner Janice LaMotta said that it only seemed natural to invite dogs -- along with their humans -- to the opening reception on Aug. 5. But Leslie Enders Lee, a dog owner and artist, and her daughter Dana Rose Lee '07, both of Manhattan, were having trouble controlling their two vizslas. Several of Lee's paintings appeared in the spring issue of Bark, a magazine that some call The New Yorker of dog owners. Finally, the dogs became too much for Dana Rose Lee, who has one photograph on display. ''They've each gained two pounds,'' she moaned, escorting the dogs from the gallery.

[Nothing gets] the ranch hands out of the bunkhouse faster than the aroma of grilling steer. If fish is brain food, a steak in the morning beefs up the brawn. At least that was the theory when they used to feed it to my college football team on the mornings of game day. I wasn't on the football team, you understand. They were my team because they wore the garnet of Bates College where I was a student . . . I knew about the steak because the team would herd through the breakfast line of the men's commons, and I could smell it. . . . [They] even gave a steak to the team manager . . . The rest of us never got steak. Ever. -- by Richmond Talbot '62

John Renner '98, who is pursuing a master's degree in city planning at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the International Council of Shopping Centers' Educational Foundation. The ICSCEF scholarship program is designed to assist graduate students pursuing a master's degree in retail real estate. Scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence and financial need. Renner is an Oakland resident and cum laude Bates graduate with a bachelor's of arts degree in anthropology. "Renner represents the future visionaries of the retail real estate industry and ICSCEF is pleased to offer him this scholarship as a way to assist him in his education," said John Riordan, executive director of ICSCEF.

Hundreds of friends, family, veterans and public safety personnel turned out at the Martha's Vineyard Airport on Tuesday night to welcome Sgt. Christopher Russell '00 of West Tisbury home. He had been in Iraq for 16 months. More than a dozen fire trucks, police cars and ambulances lined up along the taxiway and as Russell's Cape Air flight flew over the airport, their lights began to flash, strobe and whirl; and as the plane taxied in, their massed sirens howled a deafening salute. Two fire trucks shot streams of water into the air forming a giant arch through which the aircraft rolled up to the crowd. Russell, who learned Arabic at the Defense Language Institute in California, worked in Iraq questioning local people from all walks of life.

Recent Bates grad Michael Roberts '04 is no stranger to new instruments -- he's mastered guitar, stand-up bass and slide guitar in a variety of styles since he first started playing music at age 7 in Longmeadow, Mass. But his new calling, the Mongolian horse-head fiddle, is a departure in more ways than one: His interest in the instrument has led to a Fulbright scholarship sending him to Mongolia for nine months of hands-on study. "It's a humbling experience to start a new instrument all over again, but being an advanced musician has helped," Roberts says. "It's frustrating but exciting."

In response to a National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored study that found Prozac to be more effective than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in depressed adolescents, some psychologists are warning against reading too much into the findings. While the findings might cast antidepressants in a more positive light, following speculation of a suicide link in a small number of cases, some caution not to infer too much from one study, saying that other studies have shown talk therapy to be effective in adolescents. "Invalid conclusions are often drawn in the media from single and limited studies," says Michael Goldberg '86, president of the Massachusetts Psychological Association and director of Child and Family Psychological Services in Norwood, Mass. "One cannot conclude that medication is better than CBT from this study alone."

Lara Rhame '93, senior foreign exchange economist at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York, says the prospects for Europe's economy are better than most people think. "The gloominess over the Euro-zone economy is overdone, and Euro-zone growth will accelerate in the second half of the year," says Rhame, an avid traveler who often incorporates her personal observations into her currency forecasts. Rhame grew more optimistic about Europe's economy during a 2003 Paris visit amid nationwide labor strikes. One day she encountered a massive demonstration by protesters calling for an end to the strikes. "In the U.S., the only stories you read were about the strikes, and it reinforced the notion that the European economy is hopelessly structurally inefficient," Rhame says. "The counterdemonstration undermined my previous notions"

Bates people weigh in on presidential politics. First, Kate O'Connor '86, Howard Dean's longtime political adviser, responds to pollster Paul Maslin's article about Dean's implosion on the campaign trail:
"Maslin was correct when he cited Dean's 'loose tongue' and 'overall stubbornness in refusing to be scripted, to be disciplined.' However . . . I believe that it is acceptable -- and refreshing -- for a candidate to be guided by his own thoughts, words, and beliefs, rather than those dictated to him by a consultant. From the point of view of a political consultant, a candidate who thinks for himself must be frustrating."
Then, in a followup to Scott Stossel's report on Sargent Shriver and the 1968 election, Trustee Dan Doyle '72 quotes Chris Beam of the Muskie Archives :
Sen. Edmund Muskie '36 was chosen over Shriver because "Vice President Humphrey felt that Sen. Muskie had a broader appeal to Democrats, especially centrist Democrats, than Mr. Shriver. The vice president liked the fact that Sen. Muskie would come across as reassuring and ready -- which he did."

Years after revered football coach Vince Lombardi said, "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing," he came to regret how his words were interpreted. But they nonetheless articulated the prevailing ethic of a generation to come: Winning is all that matters. Not how. Sportsmanship apparently has submitted to showmanship and what might generously be called gamesmanship -- using ploys to gain an advantage -- that often laps into skirting rules. But Dan Doyle '72 of the Institute for International Sport doesn't see victory and sportsmanship as mutually exclusive. "I take my definition of sportsmanship from the old Lord Moulton Definition of Ethics: 'Ethics is an obedience to the unenforceable,' " Doyle said. "That said, sportsmanship is an adherence not only to the rules but the spirit of the rules."

Politics was always a dinner table conversation topic in my house. My father is really Republican while I'm more of a conservative Democrat, so we find ourselves caught up in many political discussions. Just like a lot of other people out there, I'm getting tired of politicians thinking that they only need to cater to certain special interests and voting blocs. As an Asian American, I can't help but feel disenfranchised by the lack of Asian presence in politics. -- Ben Yoon '06, interviewed in Boston while attending a youth campaign training session held by the Democratic Grassroots Action Institute and Network at the Democratic National Convention.

The burning question is this. Can a Whittier tech basketball player who went no higher than the Division 3 ranks in college make it professionally? If you're Ramon Garcia '04, anything's possible. The Haverhill star is attempting to beat the odds and make the sport his business. After four years at Bates, where he enjoyed a productive tenure, he's looking to raise the bar another notch. "It's a big process," he said. "For every job that's out there, 50 others are after it. It's a long shot but I'm willing to take a gamble. I want to play professional basketball and I have a love for the game that will never die." Now he's off to Amsterdam to test the European market against international competition.

Three months have passed since the Oregon Guard's 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry, came home after 14 months in Iraq. The experiences of combat followed many of its soldiers back, and no amount of counseling could prepare them entirely for the jarring re-entry into normal life. But Maj. B.J. Prendergast '90 is one soldier who might have done it just right. Prendergast, the battalion's operations officer, won't return to work at Nike until August. Even with the extra time, though, the hardest part of homecoming for Prendergast was getting back in the good graces of his children. But they have come around. These days, in part to make up for the long absence, he has found himself working around the house on what he calls a novel-length "honey-do" list.

Several protesters in the Democratic National Convention's designated protest zone spoke in support of health-care reform, while collegiate Republicans parroted their party's favorite attack on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. "Kerry has always done the politically convenient thing," said Oliver Wolf '06, wearing an 8-foot foam-rubber flip-flop sandal to symbolize Kerry's shifting positions on the Iraq war and other issues. "He's Mr. Anything."

At one time Cheryl Rainford '92 of Des Moines spent hours each month on a dialysis machine. Her immune system had attacked her kidneys, and as they deteriorated Rainford's body swelled and she felt increasingly ill. Now Rainford, a Web editor for Meredith Corporation, can ride her bicycle up to 50 miles a day and plans to compete this month in the U.S. Transplant Olympics in Minneapolis. Rainford's life changed in 2002 when a high school friend, Doug Cutchins, donated a kidney. Months after discussing her health at dinner, Cutchins decided to give Rainford a kidney. "She's someone I've known all my life," Cutchins said. "If I was in her shoes, I'd want someone to do that for me, so how could I not do that for her?"

Throughout the upper Connecticut River Valley, some homes have been renovated again and again while others have been steadily crumbling. During those renovations, things that the disadvantaged lack -- from usable appliances to surplus building materials -- have gone to the dump. This ongoing paradox of scarcity in the midst of affluence six years ago inspired a group of students to found the Corps of Volunteers Effecting Repair (COVER), an organization that now has some 200 volunteers. They build handicapped ramps, replace broken windows and fix roofs. "The Upper Valley has a population of the very well-to-do living right next to populations that are struggling," says Simon Dennis '93, a founder of COVER and the organization's project site director. "When these types of extremes take place, then everybody loses."

"I want to show my competitors and the track-and-field world my best -- my best throws, my best form. I just want to be on top of my game. . . . I'll be excited to approach it . . . not looking at place, not looking at things like that, but more looking at the distance and technique." -- Elizabeth Wanless '04, four-time All-America and two-time NCAA Division III champion in the shot put, the week before she competed in the July 15 qualifying round of the Olympic trials in Sacramento, Calif.

Educators say that parental over-involvement in the college search takes many forms. Some parents won't let their children apply to schools that don't rank high enough on the U.S. News & World Report college rankings. Some rewrite application essays. As the peak campus-visiting season gets under way, parents are more active than ever in the admissions process, educators say, leading some colleges to seek ways to rein them in. This August, Bates officials will again tell those attending its group information sessions that parents will tour with one guide and students with another. This practice grew out of Admissions Dean Wylie L. Mitchell's observation that the teenage applicants "are intimidated by their parents and mostly humiliated by some of the parent questions."

Summer school no longer serves only remedial purposes. Instead, in this era of superheated competition for seats in elite colleges, students are summering with intensive courses like physics or getting a head start on requirements. They are products of a society holding the unproven premises that opportunity in America is scarce and the choice of college irrevocably shapes one's future. Nobody in secondary education or college admissions applauds the stressful result and the way it transforms youth into a time of workaholic obsession, but most feel unable to avoid it. Wylie Mitchell, Bates' dean of admissions, said ruefully of summer school: "It's part of the frenzy. Families are grasping at everything they perceive to be a possible plus in the admissions equation."

Dave Bergart '01 wasn't sure what to do with his life after earning his Bates psychology degree. So he headed west, in search of adventure, and started fighting forest fires. It was the adventure he was looking for, but it was fleeting. A year later, Bergart returned to two old loves, archery and skiing, and combined them, working his way up to finish 15th overall in this season's Archery-Biathlon World Cup Tour -- the lone American on the tour in a sport dominated by Europeans. Bergart is now based in Jackson, Wyo., where he coaches the Jackson Ski Club and is a counselor of troubled teens. It's the best of both worlds, he says -- skiing and putting his degree to use by "making a difference in someone's life."

Mental health problems have become so prevalent among college students that they are not just overwhelming campus counseling centers, but now threaten the core mission of the university. A group of educators and mental health experts is proposing a novel solution: overhauling the way classes are taught in order to engage students more actively and completely in learning. The idea is to make the college experience itself an antidote to widespread student depression, anxiety and binge drinking. "Both alcohol abuse and depression are forms of disengagement. We think engagement is the solution," says Donald W. Harward, president emeritus of Bates College and head of the Bringing Theory to Practice Project. The Charles Engelhard Foundation, which funds the initiative, recently awarded grants to 39 schools to develop and evaluate engaged-learning strategies.

From athletics to academics to school politics, there's seemingly nothing Lilly Rossow-Greenberg, a 2004 Pierson High School graduate, isn't good at. "I like to try a lot of things," she said. "And I do well in a lot of things." So her decision to attend Bates seems logical. Bates accepts only 29 percent of its applicants and boasts a total enrollment of only 1,700, which will, as Lilly puts it, "help me seem at home." While Lilly feels the usual nervousness about starting college, there is one thing she needn't worry about: time management. A system of color-coded entries in a fat spiral notebook helped her juggle her many high school commitments. "I'd be lost without this thing," she said.

The Grand Republic, a car ferry in the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Co. fleet, eases into Bridgeport with Capt. Mark Soderstrom at the helm. "I've done every job there is to do on these boats," Soderstrom said en route from Long Island. Soderstrom taught for two years after earning an English degree from Bates in 1980, but the sea beckoned him back. While attending Bates he had worked as a summer deckhand for the ferry company, and after he left teaching he crewed on a tanker, earned his captain's license and in 1987 rejoined the company. "I've seen comets streaking across the sky, the harvest moon rising over the Stratford lighthouse, and the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets you can imagine," he says. "This is what I love."

For most librarians, the job is about linking people to the information they need. But the Patriot Act, which gives federal agents the right to request patron records, has made that job a lot more complicated. A group of college librarians attending the American Library Association's annual convention met in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday to discuss the balance between protecting their patrons' privacy and preserving national security. Eugene Wiemers, Bates' associate vice president for academic affairs and librarian, disputed the assumption that a person's plans or political ideology can be determined from the books they read. He called the Patriot Act "an assault on civil liberties" and said, "We have an obligation to protect the right to read and think and speak."

With many top colleges offering two deadlines for early-decision applications, some ambitious students now "game" that feature for better odds of getting in: As soon as they are rejected in round one, they fire off a second early application. The dual deadlines weren't meant to permit early application to multiple institutions, but with hysteria over getting into good colleges growing, admissions officials find more and more students doing just that. "It's like, 'I love you today, but if you turn me down, I'm going to love someone else tomorrow,' " said Wylie L. Mitchell, Bates' dean of admissions. Bates aims its two early-decision deadlines at applicants who have carefully weighed their decisions and arrived at "a single first choice," Mitchell said.