MAGAZINE BowdoinWINTER 2008 VOL.79 NO.2 THETHE DIPLOMAT’SDIPLOMAT’S CRAFTCRAFT AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHER HILL ’74 KENT ISLAND HISTORY • FINDING EUPHORIA WITH PETER LIND ’75 • MITCHELL ON BASEBALL BowdoinMAGAZINE WINTER 2008 16 The Diplomat’s Craft BY SCOTT W. HOOD PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOM COGILL Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs Scott Hood visits with Assistant Secretary of State CONTENTS Christopher Hill ’74. In addition to talking about Hill’s recent diplomatic efforts in North Korea, Hood and Hill 26 discuss lacrosse, learning to play golf, and the performance art that is diplomacy. 26 First,There Was an Albatross BY NATHANIEL T. WHEELWRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF NATHANIEL T. WHEELWRIGHT Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Natural Sciences Nathaniel Wheelwright writes of the history of Kent Island 16 and how it came to be owned by Bowdoin College.As in all good Maine stories, you’ll find interesting characters, creatures appearing unexpectedly, and at least one very 34 good bargain. 34 Finding Euphoria BY DAVID TREADWELL ’64 PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN HUDSON On a journey that began with banned cooking gear and lots of experimentation, Peter Lind ’75 goes back for a sec- ond stint developing flavors at Ben & Jerry’s, a company that puts “euphoric concoctions” at the heart of its mission statement. David Treadwell tells us how he got there, and what it takes to come up with the next great taste. 42 40 A Commitment to Access BY LISA WESEL A new no-loan policy opens the doors to Bowdoin even wider. Lisa Wesel talks with aid recipients and parents who will benefit from the changes. 42 The Investigator BY SCOTT W. HOOD 40 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ASSOCIATED PRESS An avid sports fan and a director of the Boston Red Sox, Senator George J. Mitchell ’54 agreed in March 2006 to a request by the Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig to investigate allegations of the use of perform- ance-enhancing substances by players. Scott Hood talked with Mitchell about the lessons learned and why he agreed to conduct an investigation into the sport he loves. DEPARTMENTS Bookshelf . 2 Weddings. 53 Mailbox. 4 Class News . 61 Bowdoinsider. 5 Obituaries . 84 Alumnotes . 46 D BOWDOIN FALL 2007 |letter| Bowdoin FROM THE EDITOR MAGAZINE Volume 79, Number 2 A Different Premise Winter, 2008 MAGAZINE STAFF am around more young people these days than at any point since I was Editor young myself. Between my work at Bowdoin and my status as the parent of Alison M. Bennie teenagers, I hear much of what young people have to say, both the things they I Associate Editor say to adults and the things they say to each other.They say a lot — some of it Matthew J. O’Donnell scary, of course, but also much of it reassuring. Design But here is something I never hear any of them say:“What do you want to be Charles Pollock when you grow up?” Only adults ask that question, and whenever I hear it, I Jim Lucas Pennisi & Lamare cringe. I mean, this is mostly from people in their forties and fifties – a group for Portland, Maine whom you’d think the experience of deciding, re-thinking, re-deciding, and finally (sometimes) deciding not to decide, would be a fresh one. Predictably, the Obituary Editor answers they get tend to be pretty vague, leaving the asker feeling kind of smug, John R. Cross ’76 and the asked feeling kind of uncomfortable. Contributors Douglas Boxer-Cook It’s a stupid question.The statement on a liberal education on Bowdoin’s Web James Caton Travis Dagenais ’08 site (you can read it at www.bowdoin.edu/academics/reqs/liberalstatement, and Susan Danforth you should, because it is really quite inspirational) describes in beautiful detail Selby Frame what a person gets from an education and suggests that what our kind of Scott W. Hood education promotes is not a set of skills but “independent thinking, individual Alix Roy ’07 action, and social responsibility.” A world in which people end up believing in Advertising Manager the power of those three things is a world in which I, for one, want to live. Laura Belden ’08 Photographs by Brian Beard,Tom Cogill, It is quite clear, reading of our graduates in this issue, that Bowdoin has been Dennis Griggs, Ben Hudson, Justin working its magic in this way for a long time now. George Mitchell’s ability to Knight, James Marshall, Michele tackle any subject with the logic of an analyst, the perspective of a historian, and Stapleton, Nathaniel Wheelwright, and the eloquence of an orator gives substance to the meaning of an education. Peter Bowdoin College Archives. Lind’s journey couldn’t be much more different from Christopher Hill’s, but they BOWDOIN (ISSN, 0895-2604) is pub- both admit to being unsure what they wanted to do when they were at Bowdoin, lished four times a year by Bowdoin only that they knew they wanted it to matter to them. Making the world safe in College, 4104 College Station, Brunswick, Maine 04011. Printed by J.S. general may not be the same as making it safe for delicious ice cream, but there is McCarthy, Augusta, Maine.Third-class a lot to be said for bringing your creativity, sense of humor, and core beliefs to postage paid at Augusta, Maine. Sent work with you everyday, whatever it is that you do for a living. free of charge to all Bowdoin alumni/ae, parents of current and recent under- graduates, faculty and staff, seniors, and My husband tells a story about when he was working as a reporter. He asked a selected members of the Association of question of Senator Mitchell, during the Iran-Contra affair, and the Senator Bowdoin Friends. replied,“I disagree with the premise of your question. If you’d like to ask Opinions expressed in this magazine another, I’ll try to answer it.” Whenever I feel myself starting to ask a student are those of the authors. what he or she wants to be, I remind myself that the premise of the question is wrong. It’s not what to be, it’s who. Send class news to classnews@bow- doin.edu or mail to the address above. Advertising inquiries? Please e-mail mag- AMB [email protected] or fax 207-725- 3003. Please send address changes to the mailing address above. Send ideas or letters to the editor to that address or by e-mail to bowdoineditor@bow- doin.edu. Cover: A collection of challenge coins in the office of Christopher Hill ’74. Photo by Tom Cogill. [email protected] 1 bookshelfBOWDOIN American Songs: funk punk” and “jungle boogie on the Balance:A Late Pastoral Volume 2 farm.”Their sophomore album, Americana In his debut poetry Josephine Cameron Nueva, keeps with this eclectic style— collection, Russell Libby ’98 follows up her mandolin and “banjitar” appear frequently ’78 evokes images of nature successful 2002 American —giving a lively sound to the band’s in its pure forms and in Songs with this second strong lyrics. Horse Fuel Records, 2008. regard to its relationship with volume of traditional American folk music society. Libby is able to draw Backcast that also has deep Bowdoin connections. from significant personal experience; he is A physically and She co-wrote two songs with Writer-in- Executive Director of the Maine Organic emotionally testing Residence Anthony Walton, who also Farmers and Gardeners Association and adventure in southwest co-produced the album, while Carter lives at Three Sisters Farm in Mt.Vernon, Alaska brings father Lou Little ’98 had a hand in production, Maine. Blackberry Books, 2007. Ureneck and son Adam arranged the songs, sang backup vocals, Ureneck ’04 closer in Drower’s Folk-Tales and played guitar and mandolin. this complex memoir. Lou, former editor of Iraq ModoRecords, 2007. at The Portland Press Herald, narrates the Associate Professor of Americana Nueva 10-day adventure he planned in order to Religion and Religion Sam Margolis ’01 re-connect with Adam after a painful Department Chair Jorunn covers acoustic and divorce cut a rift in their relationship. St. Buckley has edited a electric guitar as well as Martin’s Press, 2007. collection of early 20th vocals for his band century folk-tales from Iraq by the Comanchero, whose English author and intellectual Lady E.S. members describe their music as “country Drower.The stories involve characters |Q&A| FOOTNOTES Michael Franz Campaign Advertising and American Democracy oes the delulge of presidential campaign advertising FRANZ: Negative ads are actually more effective.They are turn viewers off to candidates? Do negative ads hurt things people remember, and they’re more likely to reflect on Dor help the political process? Assistant Professor of them and then go out and get more information. It’s not an Government Michael Franz turns the conventional wisdom ideal form of campaigning at all, but it’s on its ear in a new book he co-authored, Campaign Advertising not completely baseless either. Negative and American Democracy (Temple University Press, 2007). campaigning is not a new thing. 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