COA
nightlife
By Naveed Davoodian ’10 COA revelers turn up the heat on MDI's nightlife during the off-season to combat the bitter cold. The result? Dance parties that are the envy of Bacchus himself.
The now-infamous “Hula Hoop Bros” embark on yet another death-defying dance number.
COA~INTERVIEW
Islands Through Time August 2–14, 2008 High School Students: Earn college credit in one of the most beautiful places on earth! College of the Atlantic's summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors explores the environmental, aesthetic, cultural, political, historical and economic aspects of coastal Maine islands. • Visit whale feeding grounds, seal haul-outs, seabird colonies and the intertidal coastline. Gain firsthand experience in data collection and research with marine experts at offshore island research stations. • Explore music, writing and literature while visiting the places you are reading about.
DJ Ames keeps the party going all night long with only the finest obscure techno.
A book-weary student takes a break from philosophical investigation and cuts loose with his solo interpretive dance composition titled Wittgenstein: Man or Machine.
• Reflect on your experience through writing, music, video and other media. Students enjoy hands-on, individualized instruction with COA faculty members while continuing to express themselves in music, writing, and photography, working as a team to develop a final multi-media presentation. $3,200 program fee includes food, lodging, sea travel and college credit. Room for 18 students. Limited financial aid is available. Faculty: John Cooper, music and media, Helen Hess, invertebrate zoology, Steve Ressel, herpetology, Sean Todd, marine studies, Karen Waldron, literature. Deadline for applications: May 23, 2008
As is the custom, dancers adjourn the party with a jovial, non-competitive game of soccerball.
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For more information and an application, visit www.coa.edu/islandsthroughtime. If you have questions, please contact Amanda Hooykaas, Program Coordinator, islandsthroughtime@coa.edu, or (207) 288-2944, ext. 374.
“We wanted to form our own school, like it said in the brochure . . . ” An Interview with Fran Pollitt ’77 A member of COA’s first class The last issue of COA featured an oral history with Bill Carpenter, one of the college’s four founding faculty members. He ended his reminiscence saying that the moment that clinched his decision to remain at College of the Atlantic, and not return to his tenure-track position at the University of Chicago, was a paper by an eighteenyear-old COA student, Fran Pollitt ’77. This issue, we decided to interview Pollitt, who entered COA’s first class as a first-year student. ~ Donna Gold
Donna Gold: How did you first hear about College of the Atlantic? Frances Pollitt: I was taking an extra high school year with the National Audubon Expedition Institute—called Trailside then. Somewhere along the line, I heard about the college. When I did hear about it, I knew that it was the only school I wanted to apply to. It was perfect for what I was interested in—ecology, environmental education and alternative education, too. DG: And what did your parents think about you going to COA? FP: They were all gung-ho. They were alternativeminded parents. They had to be, to send me out to a National Audubon Expedition program. Anything I wanted, fine.… [laughter] Those were wild times. And the National Audubon Expedition Institute was completely consultative in nature, so College of the Atlantic was just a natural.
DG: Tell me about your classmates— FP: We were thirty-two, and a little more than half were really committed to environmental education and the concept of the college. It was just the place we wanted to be. And then there was another group who were trying it out because it was interesting for whatever reason … and a lot of those people went on to a different kind of educational experience. You had to be pretty committed to take a chance on a place like COA. DG: Tell me about arriving at COA— FP: It was thrilling. Those were thrilling moments. It was the start of a whole new world. DG: In the last issue, I interviewed Bill Carpenter, who said that the faculty had spent the summer planning the college and then the students came and said, “We’re doing the planning—” FP: Oh yes. Our community meetings were really lively, and we wanted to form our own school, like COA | 13