The Art Garden in Suzhou, China gave Dennis and Emily Bracale a glimpse of life during the Southern Song Dynasty. "We experienced past civilizations in many dimensions and through many dif- ferent frameworks," he said. COA NEWS Bracale's goal was to approach his research from a non-intellectual point of view. He attempted instead to feel, touch, sense and be inspired by the an- MARCH 1990 COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC BAR HARBOR, MAINE cient past and see in an instant the progression from the past to the present. India, Indonesia, Italy, Great Britain, He described this form of knowledge as Viewing Old World France, and Spain. These countries, Bra- seeing not merely the physical structures cale felt, had developed a true designed during the Renaissance, for ex- Cultures through landscape aesthetic such that the garden ample, but as "seeing the inspiration of Landscapes for them was one of the primary the Renaissance, the Zen of the Zen, mediums through which culture was ex- and the Tao of the Tao." pressed and knowledge defined. Bracale Through his studies and observa- "Floating in the ancient world" is the way chose to study the physical forms of the tions, Bracale became aware of the con- Dennis Bracale '88 describes his year- gardens, temples, and other significant tinuum of time. He was able to see and and-a-half experience traveling through structures of landscape composition in distinguish between key time periods eighteen different countries, visiting and his effort to gain a sense of the culture when civilizations flourished and faded. photographing gardens, temples, and an- and history of these places. He became keenly aware of the strong cient ruins. As a 1988 Thomas J. Watson fellow, Bracale's intention was to study In addition to observing gardens and philosophical divergence between East- prominent landscape features, Bracale ern and Western cultures as manifested the way cultural beliefs influence landscape design. In addition he wanted constantly immersed himself in histori- through different styles of garden to see how the principles of design are cal texts, and religious and philosophical design. The effects of recent cultural used to create artistic landscapes, and writings relevant to the areas of study in merging were also evident in the order to provide the context necessary landscapes, signifying a changing how different materials and methods in- for putting together the remnants and relationship with the land and the forma- fluence garden design. generating a whole image of what the tion of a new system of beliefs and Bracale and his wife Emily spent civilization may have been like at a par- values. In assessing how other cultures most of their time in China, Japan, ticular time. came and went, he found it easier to un- continued on page 2 1 derstand the present, who we are, and and water color illustrations, several of why. which are on display at the Jessup Bracale used photojournalism as a Memorial Library in Bar Harbor until means of capturing the diverse and cap- March 15th. tivating images that he saw, taking over Says Bracale, "The Watson Fellow- 14,000 photographs and recording the ship gave me the opportunity to embark flow of ideas that accompanied them in on an adventure in self-education that writing. He is now in the process of or- served as the fulfillment of a lifetime ganizing his slides and will present a dream and the inspiration for a life pur- slide show at COA toward the beginning suit of these goals." of April. He also plans to write several The Bracales visit Mrs. Tsuchihashi's Although his future plans are as yet articles about the trip. English class in Kamakura, Japan. undecided, Bracale foresees himself con- While Bracale "floated," his wife tinuing with his studies in college or with Emily says she was "the rudder," focus- ticing artist, Emily conveyed her percep- mentors in different places and possibly ing on the daily logistics of their tions of the culture and daily life of the establishing a career in teaching, schedule. "The dynamics of our relation- people in each country through sketches photojournalism, and garden design. ship during our trip were quite -Wendy Doherty humorous," she laughed. "Dennis was to- tally absorbed with the past, and I was Zhouzheng Yuan (garden), Suzhou, China trying to deal with the present." A prac- The garden Tofuku-JI within the Zen Kindergarteners temple in Kyoto, Japan. in Suzhou, China. Keppel's association with COA to make American education look like A Tribute to Francis began in its early years. As a colleague education at College of the Atlantic." and old friend of Edward Kaelber, Keppel Members of the COA community COA's founding president, he gave recalled that the late commissioner had valued encouragement and advice. been the main speaker at Louis It was with great sadness that the COA Says Kaelber, "Frank was a very wise Rabineau's inauguration as President community learned of the death on and generous person. He never took of COA. President Rabineau noted: February 19 of Francis Keppel, a mem- himself too seriously, and shunned "During my service at COA, Keppel's ber of the Board of Trustees from 1986 being the 'front person.' I learned as wise guidance and keen insights were through 1988. much from him as I did from all my for- very special to the College, particularly A dedicated leader in education, mal education combined." during his tenure as a trustee. COA Keppel was former Dean of the Har- The College will long remember has lost a great friend. The country has vard University Graduate School of Keppel's closing remarks at the May lost one of the greatest leaders in Education and U.S. Commissioner of 1985 Bar Harbor Colloquium on public and private education." Education under Presidents Kennedy Teacher Education: "The thing to do is and Johnson. 2 Americano de Ecolog 16.17 CIPFE Congreso Latino pressed by the initiative taken by the these countries have created situations Addressing Common ecologists at the conference. "There's in which problems that we might view as nothing Third World about their ecol- minor in our country are economically Problems At Ecology ogy," Borden said. The lack of an ade- crippling and socially devastating. quate information base, however, Conference in Uruguay The similarity of social and environ- complicates social and ecological re- mental problems, the need for a system search. to develop resources, and the strong in- Faculty members Rich Borden and John To examine some of the environmen- terest in human ecology as a problem- Anderson joined 500 ecologists from tal problems in Uruguay, Borden and solving approach open various avenues Central and South America at the first Anderson were led by a local or- for exchange between the Centro de In- Latin American Conference in Ecology nithologist on a field trip up the coast to vestigacion y Promosion Franciscano y in Montevideo, Uruguay last December. the Brazilian border. Here they ob- Ecologio (CIPFE) in Uruguay and Col- The seven-day conference was designed served a wide diversity of bird species, lege of the Atlantic, according to Ander- to facilitate communication and network- all threatened by coastal development son. Exchange of both faculty and ing of ecologists, to develop the resour- and the introduction of a road system students are exciting possibilities. Eduar- ces and tools necessary for which will block the birds off from their do Gudynas, M.D., coordinator of the environmental action, and to address breeding and nesting sites. Anderson conference and director of the CIPFE, common social and ecological issues. perceived a very useful application of plans to visit COA during the first two At the conference Anderson gave a the G.I.S. system in mapping these areas weeks of May to speak on the social, poster presentation which demonstrated and determining the impact of urbaniza- economic, and political problems of environmental planning using the tion on wildlife. South America, and to address develop- Geographic Information System (G.I.S.) According to Borden, the environ- ment, conservation, and other issues in which he has introduced and developed mental problems which confront the his area of specialization. In addition, at COA. Borden directed a workshop countries of Central and South America COA has agreed to award annually spe- discussion on the status of human ecol- are surprisingly similar to the environ- cial scholarships to highly qualified inter- ogy worldwide, in higher education, and mental problems we face in New national undergraduates who desire to at College of the Atlantic. Anderson and England. Discussions at the conference study at COA, and in turn, to encourage Borden had been invited to attend the in- tended to revolve around problems of COA students to embark on internships ternational event by UNESCO, one of tourism, land speculation, urbanization, at environmental organizations in South the sponsors of the conference. The and environmental protection. The main America. other sponsor of the conference was the difference is that in Central and South Says Borden, "There are many more Society for Human Ecology, of which America, these problems are near opportunities than we had imagined in Borden has been a past president. catastrophic condition. Political turmoil any dimension." Both Borden and Anderson were im- and extremely unstable economies in -Wendy Doherty Maine Science and Technology Con- Summer Lecture Series: Summer Calendar ference and Maine Biological & Medi- July 11 - Natural History Museum cal Sciences Symposium June 5-8 lecture (TBA) Marine Mammals Program (High Graduation Day Saturday, June 2, 1 July 18 - Natural History Museum School Students from Indiana) p.m.: Graduation Ceremony June 17 - 23 lecture (TBA) Field Studies by the Sea. For high *July 27 - Dewitt Sage, filmmaker, Maine Running Camp June 24-30 school teachers and environmental latest film and lecture Elderhostel Program aboard the Har- educators. August 1 - Natural History Museum vey Gamage June 24-30 Session I: July 1 - 14 lecture (TBA) Maine Audubon Society June 27-July 3 Session II: July 15 - 28 *August 8 - COA Faculty Panel Dis- Science Conference: The Lasst Session III: July 29 - August 11 cussion on Land Use and Planning Workshop on the Physics and Chemistry Summer Field Studies for Children of Interfaces (Coordinated by Dan *August 15 - David Rockefeller, Jr., "The Reform of Public Education" Concurrent 2-week sessions for grades Dwyer, University of Maine) K-2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6, 7 & 8 August 12 - 18 August 22 - Natural History Museum German Week August 19-25 lecture (TBA) July 2-5 and 9-12 Outdoor Orientation Program August 29 - Natural History Museum July 16-19 and 23-26 July 30-August 2 and August 6-9 (O.O.P.S.) for New Students lecture (TBA) * Sponsored by the Champlain Society August 13-16 and 20-23 September 3 8 3 Kurt Jacobsen and Gordon Longsworth formation stored in a file connected to it New Residential Life Mapping Paths to in the computer." Successful The G.I.S. provides Longsworth and Assistant Jacobsen with the ability to combine or Community separate different aspects of the avail- Dianne Clendaniel was first attracted to able information into computer- College of the Atlantic by the oppor- Development generated maps and diagrams and print tunity to be involved with the environ- out these images for use in planning. mental education program at COA. Kurt Jacobsen and Gordon Longsworth The images are loaded into the During the summer of 1989, she was a are plotting. Not plotting to cause computer's memory by tracing the exist- program leader for the Summer Field trouble. Instead they are plotting points, ing maps, charts and tables available Studies Program, coordinated by the arcs, and polygons. These are the techni- from several different sources including Natural History Museum. cal terms used to describe the careful the State Soil Conservation Agency and When Clendaniel heard about the transfer of geologic and physical data U.S. Survey and Tax maps. search for the Residential Life position, into computer data used by the Longsworth has been involved with she decided to apply for it. "The position Geographical Information System, G.I.S. G.I.S. since his internship this past fall appealed to me because it offered so With this computer system, now a term when he was hired as a consultant much variety," explains the Duke Univer- major program at COA, Jacobsen and to the town of Surry to help draw up a sity gradate. She says she enjoys the Longsworth are helping two local com- comprehensive plan and possible direc- many facets of the job, from serving on munities plan and explore the possible tions for future town development. Student Affairs and Student Activities areas of growth and development over "Surry is a Tier 1 town," he explains. Committees and assisting the Outing the next several years. Each student is "This means that the state has recog- Club, to supervising and training Resi- working in co-operation with a town nized a 10% growth in the population dent Assistants (RA's) and helping with planning committee, Jacobsen with over the past few years. This recognition the orientation programs. "Being able to Southwest Harbor and Longsworth with makes the town eligible for state money work with RA's on their leadership skills the town of Surry, to meet the state man- to aid the drafting of plans to prepare and being involved in student orienta- date for each town to develop and util- for further growth and what could be tion to the school are both very excit- ize a comprehensive development plan. done through careful planning. The "she says. Both towns want information on zoning town approached me with the project of Clendaniel's past experience is rich areas, soil types for building, water sour- preparing overlays of town lines and and varied. She has taught environmen- ces and drainage, existing property lines boundaries, public roads, lakes, streams, tal education and other forms of educa- and structures, bodies of water, and tax and property lines. I've been busy ever tion to groups ranging in age from maps. Each town has several sets of since." pre-school to elderhostel groups. One maps for each one of these, but they are Longsworth and Jacobsen are year she taught science at a newly- seldom equal in scale or proportion to presently incorporating their work into opened private school for 1st-8th one another and they do not incorporate the "Future of Maine" class taught by graders in North Carolina. "I was just different information easily or accurate- faculty member Peter Owens. They plan getting into ecology and had not had ly. The G.I.S. solves these problems. to draw up a ten-year, and multi-, maxi- much background in it," she explains. Explains Jacobsen, "The G.I.S. al- mum growth build-out plan for South- "That was really challenging." lows me to recreate any point on Mount west Harbor and Surry based on Maine Clendaniel likes the "whole com- Desert Island and tell me almost any- state zoning laws and projected popula- munity connections" at COA, which she thing I want to know about that exact tion growth. In late March they will believes is possible because of the small point, from soil types for commercial present the results of their work to the size. "It's a nice feeling to walk around and private use, to elevation and public and the Natural Resources Coun- campus and know most of the faces you drainage, and zoning laws covering that cil of Maine. see." area. Each point has its own library of in- -Keith Goodrich - Elena V. Tuhy 4 Having taught himself how to play Music To Our Ears and read music, Cooper finds that he is able to relate well to COA students, many of whom have not had much for- John Cooper, COA's new music mal training. He says such students need teacher, came to College of the Atlantic a slightly different form of instruction. because he thought it offered a good en- In addition, he says the alternative na- vironment in which to build a rapport ture of the school lends itself to explor- with students, and thus better serve their ing different styles, such as music of needs in music. He also felt he would be non-western cultures. valued at COA as an educator, because "I would like to get to the point his classes would be on a par with other where we're building instruments here, courses offered here, and not con- sidered a frill. out of a tree limb or plastic tubing, and then write a few pieces to play on the in- COA's location in Bar Harbor was struments," he says. also a big draw. Cooper and his wife Cooper maintains a busy schedule Lynne and two sons fell in love with with his two classes, two independent Maine when they visited the College. studies, six private lessons, chorus, and "We love the ocean, and in talking with private instruction for the students in his people about the schools and area, it ap- Music Fundamentals class. In addition pealed to us as a great place to bring up to the chorus, which consists of more children," he says. than twenty students and Mount Desert Cooper's musical background Island community members, he meets reaches back into his childhood, when with 38 students each week. He is he played piano, clarinet, saxophone, hoping to expand the range of the music and guitar. He eventually went on to offerings to the outside community to receive a B.A in music education and get them involved with the college. He is saxophone performance, and an M.A.in also working on a textbook on sightread- composition and arranging. While teach- ing for instrumentalists, and another on ing at the University of Pennsylvania keyboard harmony. and Lincoln University, he performed in Cooper is excited by the prospect of Atlantic City, as well as for numerous building a music program for the Col- private parties, weddings, and bar lege. He enjoys developing programs, mitzvahs, in a variety of musical styles. having had created music programs at He has performed with Grover Washington, Jr. and other entertainers two other schools. "I like the challenge of building programs. One of these days such as Joey Bishop and David Brenner. I'll have to stay with one permanently." In 1987 Cooper won the Christian If COA is lucky enough, perhaps we'll Lindback Award for teaching excellence from Lincoln Academy. Musician - Teacher John Cooper be that one. - Elena V. Tuhy Funds raised for campus circulation sociates of Bar Harbor, and include the Campus Circulation and other projects under the current im- following major concepts: expanded Improvements provement and building program will be parking areas to be confined to two lots, used for establishing a coherent, grace- one at each end of the campus and close ful and efficient campus landscape plan. to Route 3 for easy access and safe exit; COA is getting a face lift. Many changes The current improvements will be car- the middle of the campus to be refur- have occurred through the fall and ried out with equal concern for aes- bished to provide an academic core and winter and will continue over the next thetics and environmental impact. college green area separate and free several months as part of the College's According to Millard Dority, Direc- from most vehicular traffic; pedestrian long-term plan for campus improve- tor of Special Projects, the new Campus and bike paths to be laid out for con- ments. These changes will improve the Circulation Plan is designed to alleviate venient access; and finally, signs will be flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, circulation problems in three major put up to orient guests and visitors. unify the campus, and dispel the sense stages, each concentrating on a different According to Dority, Phase 1, park- of fragmentation resulting from college area of the grounds. Phase 2 is currently ing and vehicular flow at the north end expansion over the years. Because the in progress and between snow storms of campus, has mostly been completed. campus is comprised of five former sum- construction crews have been preparing Phase 2 is in progress and Phase 3 will mer estates, each served by its own the south end of campus for modifica- continue when funding can be obtained, driveway and separated by treelines or tion. and when weather permits. stone fences, COA has had no clear The overall design plans for the cam- - Bruce Hazam entrance, and no coherent internal traf- pus were drawn up by Coplon As- fic or parking systems. 5 John Deicy Stockwellarch 1990 Twenty Ways are we to Make a Dear Friends of COA: is Difference at COA the THE