Michael Youdelman '89 addresses 170 Maine residents at the recent Recycling Forum. Photo by Darrold Dorr. urged, are ones we need to embrace if we are to deal with garbage responsibly. His advice to MDI planners was "planning COA NEWS and cooperation." To be successful, a recy- cling program must be simple, clean, con- venient and require resident participation. He stressed the importance of developing MARCH 1989 COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC BAR HARBOR, MAINE markets and keeping sorted recyclable materials as clean as possible to assure a Association, the Hancock County Plan- high market value. Recycling Forum ning Commission, the Mount Desert Is- Youdelman's presentation was followed land League of Towns and Worcester by a panel discussion and an hour's ques- Draws Overflow Crowd Associates. tion and answer period moderated by To a standing-room-only crowd of 170 COA Trustee Donald Straus. The first MDI residents, students, town officials panelist was Sharon Treat, staff attorney "I'll find my career in trash," COA senior and off-islanders, Youdelman opened the of the Natural Resources Council of Michael Youdelman reassured his father, Recycling Forum with a slide-tour of recy- Maine, who addressed the issue of "the in a story he told during his opening cling operations in Maine, Vermont, New compatibility between resource recovery remarks at the Recycling Forum held at Hampshire, Rhode Island and in Smith- facilities (incinerators) and recycling". COA on Sunday, Jan. 8. With a long his- town, New York, his home town. He This is a very important issue in Maine, as tory of involvement in recycling, Mike showed examples of programs ranging it is in many New England states because coordinated the forum as part of his from small, simple drop-off facilities that incineration is used increasingly to deal senior project which included visiting recy- rely upon volunteer participation, to with the mounting waste management cling programs throughout New England. curbside pickup with a recycling garbage crisis, she said. The two are not "fun- The forum was intended to help area resi- truck called "Eager Beaver" and par- damentally incompatible" but some com- dents and town officials learn more about ticipation mandated by town ordinance. plex problems exist. For example, many recycling options. Co-sponsors of the "Garbage just doesn't go away," Mike towns have long-term contracts with in- forum included COA's Environmental commented, "we have to reduce; we have cinerators that require certain waste ton- Awareness Resource Network to change our all-consuming lifestyle." nage levels. Also, it is those products that (E.A.R.N.), Hancock County Extension These "basic concepts," Youdelman are most easily recycled, paper and plas- Continued on page 2 1 Continued from page 1 tics, that have the highest BTU value. state is also involved in assisting towns trash, Bath hopes to achieve 95%-98% Another serious problem is the toxic ash with the technical and financial issues of compliance and save considerable tax dol- generated by these incinerators, Treat putting together recycling and compost- lars and dwindling natural resources, said added. This material, often deemed to be ing programs. Outerbridge went on to say Treat. hazardous waste, must be land filled that "recycling will not take 100% of the Upon the completion of Treat's which is "beginning to cause serious en- waste stream" so whatever program is es- presentation, Straus opened the floor to vironmental problems". Incineration tablished "must be compatible with cur- questions. Andy Schultz '91 asked, "How could play a role in an integrated waste rent means of disposal", either a land fill do you change people's attitudes about management system that included recy- or incineration. "Recycling shouldn't be recycling? People are locked into narrow cling, she concluded, but it requires plan- developed independently of the rest of attitudes about trash: burn it, bury it, ning and foresight. your waste management system," he said. dump it." "You let them know," Treat Thomas Outerbridge from the Maine An enthusiastic presentation was given responded, "the cost savings and you get State Office of Community Development by the final panelist, Bath City Council into the schools. People may be irritated then explained the educational role that member Ruth Lawson-Stops, about her with it but they tend to listen to their State government hopes to play in recy- city's experience with establishing a recy- kids." Outerbridge added, "There will al- cling and composting programs. cling program. "The goal was to reduce ways be people who don't want to "Markets are important, equipment is im- waste, save landfill space and save recycle, but that's why you have mandates portant, collection systems are important, money," she said. Lawson-Stops went on and ordinances." but without citizen participation no to stress the importance of looking at the Treat concluded, "This is the year of program is ever going to achieve a sig- financial savings recycling can offer in solid waste. The question just doesn't nificant reduction of the waste stream light of a recent study that suggests solid seem to go away." As the communities of through recycling," he stressed. To ad- waste budgets for municipalities may ex- Mount Desert Island grow they will be dress this, Outerbridge's office is helping ceed education budgets in the not too dis- faced with increasing waste management school systems develop curriculums that tant future. Both will soon be problems. Thanks to Youdelman, island "get kids thinking source reduction, com- implementing its mandatory curbside planners have a better understanding of posting, recycling, packaging and the pick-up program. With its efforts in the recycling option. whole range of issues" with the hope that public education, community involvement - Bennett Verbeck it will "trickle up" to the parents. The and the threat of not picking up unsorted SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME: Dates to Remember Graduation Day. Summer Lecture Series. Wednesday Maine Association of Student Financial Saturday, June 3, 1 p.m. evenings in July and August. Aid Administrators. Annual meeting. Confirmed speakers: June 14-16 Field Studies by the Sea. For high school Mr. John Wilmerding, Professor of teachers and environmental educators. American Art, Princeton University. Family Therapy and Deafness Course. July 2-15; July 16-29 Offered by Gallaudet University. July 30- August 12 Mr. Gilbert M. Grosvenor, A graduate level course. President of the National Geographic June 18-23 Summer Field Studies for Children. Society. For youngsters entering grades 4, 5 and Other speakers and dates to be an- Ongoing summer programs at the 6. Beginning and advanced sessions. nounced. Natural History Museum. July 4-7 and 11-14 Everyday at 11 a.m.: July 18-21 and 25-28 Bureau for Children with Special Needs. Whales on Wheels or August 1-4 and 8-11 June 12-14 the Naugahyde Whale. August 15-18 and 22-25 Afternoon Programs: Elderhostel aboard the Harvey Gamage. Birds on Wings, Running Camp. Sponsored by Bob For adults age 60 or over. Footprints and Owl Pellets. Booker. June 25- July 1 June 25- July 1 Wednesday Evening Speaker First International Symposium on the Series: Speakers to be announced. German Week. Sponsored by the Molecular Biology of the Potato. For further information about summer American Association of Teachers of Sponsored by University of Maine. programs, call (207) 288-5015. German. August 20-26 August 13-19 - Gina M. Platt 2 Resource Network (EARN). Ecological Concerns Since then EARN has motivated the school to use recycled paper, and has set SAVE OUR COMMUNITY Gain Renewed up recyclable bottle bins. The group has Recycle Attention also begun networking with the New Al- chemy Institute, the Maine Natural Resource Council, and a student group in FOR THE NEXT When Ben Verbeck arrived at COA North Carolina which is organizing a na- GENERATION during the 1986 winter term, he saw that tional network for student environmental RECYCLING FORUM the college had the potential to affect groups. Members of EARN have coor- broad ecological fields, yet it seemed to dinated lectures and presentations on non- be weeding only its own front yard. toxic household living and on animal Interested in ecological design, Ver- rights. In January EARN co-sponsored beck looked over the plans for the yet-to- the well-attended Recycling Forum at the be built Kaelber Hall/Thorndike Library college. and was astonished to see that the plans In addition EARN has recently been reflected what he felt to be a lack of en- involved with the upcoming student hous- vironmental concern, including inefficient ing project, providing information and lighting and the use of cuprenault, a high- resources on ecologically benign technol- ly toxic substance, used to coat the ogy and building supplies. The group is shingles. Feeling strongly that the school optimistic about the new project. needed to address an ecological on-cam- Over the months EARN has devel- Ben Verbeck tells students about the pus lifestyle, he founded the Alternative oped a positive reputation, according to Recycling Forum at All College Meeting Ways Committee (AWC), whose goal was Verbeck. People consult the group commitment to addressing these issues to look at specific campus topics and raise regularly to ask for information and the will solidify. "The ground in this country is the community's consciousness. These ini- community appears appreciative. "It's fertile for real change," he says, "and tial efforts were met with resistance, Ver- good to see things getting done," says one COA was founded to play a vital role in beck recalls, due to a strong spirit of student. Another comments, "I'm glad guiding that change. It is not considered individuality on campus which kept they make it easy to recycle bottles, and freakish to care anymore. The seed was people from taking a hard look at how col- I'm psyched that the computer paper isn't planted twenty years ago, and now the lective actions affect the biosphere. virgin." EARN has been given a renewed fruit is ripe." With similar ecological concerns, COA budget every term. The one regret the Verbeck and the other members of philosophy instructor John Visvader was group has, however, is that no faculty or EARN feel that COA could be a show- meanwhile founding the Environmental staff member has become a regular mem- case for environmental concerns by hold- Action Network (EAN), which reached ber, although John Visvader is their con- ing forums, debates, and especially by out on behalf of the college to other en- tinuing sponsor. creating a physical plant that would speak vironmentally concerned groups. In the What does the future hold for EARN? for itself. They have supported a com- fall of 1987, EAN and AWC joined forces Verbeck, now the chairman of EARN in munity proposal calling for an Environ- to form the Environmental Awareness his graduating year, thinks the college's mental Action Coordinator who would be an invaluable resource for coordinating campus projects as well as teaching part- time in order to focus action outward. In the meantime EARN is continuing to search and file data for community use, to obtain speakers, to sponsor forums, and to help the community keep ecologi- cal concerns in their daily life. The motto of the group seems to be: "The best teacher we can be is a model." This ap- plies both to individuals and to COA as an institution. Their mission comes from the feeling that it would be a shame if COA, one of the first institutions to take a hard look at solving global crisis issues, got left in the dust of the movement be- cause of apathy. "But I couldn't agree with Ed Kaelber more," Verbeck smiles. The Natural History Museum's most recent taxidermic display, by Mike Phemister '90, "The omens are good." illustrates the increasing concern held by the COA community for the manner in which refuse effects the environment of humans and wildlife alike. - Mark J. Tully 3 Visiting Instructor Explores Ways People Communicate This winter visiting faculty member Catherine Kaha has been exploring with her stu- dents the ways people communicate through different mediums. Her objective is to en- courage her students to analyze how mediums such as television, film and print change the environment or our perception of the environment. In her course "Popular Culture" the class is examining popular forms of the media such as television and film. Kaha asks her students such questions as "how does watch- ing T.V. differ from reading books? What can I learn about the world from a photograph?" In another course "Customs, Ritual, and Belief", the class is analyzing how we under- stand a community very different from our own. How do people from other cultures communicate? When faced with customs different from our own, how do we under- Catherine Kaha stand them? A native of Illinois, Kaha received her Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Illinois in Champagne where she lives with her husband and 17-year old daughter. Her interests focus on philosophy of communication, cross-cultural studies, paint- ing,and poetry and how they alter the perceptions of the individual. She has just completed a manuscript of poems which she has submitted to the Academy of American Poets. "Poetry can teach you a lot about the world," she says. "I am also interested in stories and how one tells a story," she continues. Her recent article "Memory As Conversation" has been published in Communications magazine. The article investigates the role of memory in the community, and how the com- munity decides what will be remembered and what will be forgotten. Kaha says she feels "at home" in downeast Maine as well as at College of the Atlantic, and enjoys the level of participation in the classroom. "I find the students to be very open to new ideas, interested in asking questions, and equipped to communicate opinions," she says. - Jeanne Kimlicka University Library, and the first Carnegie Peter Owens is giving a lecture in March Faculty/Staff Library built in England. to the Blue Hill Land Trust on, "Assess- Newsnotes ment and Land Conservation." He also Henry Elliot is teaching a music course provided testimony in a case disputing the during his first term here at COA and has need for a luxury condominium project on taken up directing the COA Community Becky Buyers-Basso was promoted to As- Lake Champlain. This case has been a Chorus. sistant Director of Admissions and is a project of Peter's for the last two and one- board member of the Kid's Corner Day Becky Keefe is off for a vacation in St. half years, and he is happy about the fact Care program. Lucia in the Caribbean to visit the rain that his efforts helped save the lake forest there, climb live volcanoes, bird shore's natural beauty. Gray Cox wrote an article, "The Light at watch and lie on the black sand beaches. the End of the Tunnel" in The Causes of Lou Rabineau attended the National As- Bon Voyage! Quarrel. He served as program chair of sociation of Independent Universities and the 1989 Consortium on Peace Research, Walter Litten has co-published an article Colleges meeting in Washington, D.C. in Education and Development. He con- on "The Effect of Ericoid Mycorrhizal February, and met with Senator Mitchell ducted workshops on "Imagining a World Isolater on Growth and Development of while he was there. He also travelled to Without Weapons" at Notre Dame Lowbush Blueberry Tissue Culture California where he met with the Presi- University's Pendle Hill Retreat Center Plantlets." Walter is also conducting re- dent of the new World College West, Mar- for the National Conference on Peace search with Don Cass on the Pigments in cus Franda, on the college campus in Making and Conflict Resolution. mushrooms genus Cortenanin and Petuluma, CA. He hopes that the two He is currently working on his own re- Blueberry plantlet tissue culture research schools will develop a strong relationship search on "Business Ethics and the with J.M. Smagulk. to further both college's curriculums. emerging Peace/Industrial Complex." Lou has also been busy on a project of his David Mahoney was promoted to Assis- own personal enjoyment. He has begun an Marcia Dworak and her husband Robert tant Director of Admissions and Financial oral history of Warren Hill, former Maine recently travelled to England and Iceland Aid last July. He has attended several Commissioner of Higher Education, with 15 students from the University of conferences and workshops for Admis- Conn. Chancellor of Higher education New England. Marcia studied the ar- sions Counselors, Admissions Manage- and Executive Director of Education for chitecture and physical organization of ment, and Financial Aid Administration. the States. His project will be turned over some of the leading libraries in England He is a member of the New England As- to the Academy for Educational Develop- including: The British Library, The Bod- sociation of College Admission Coun- ment. leian Library in Oxford, Cambridge selors and the Bar Harbor Festival Board. - Keith Goodrich 4 College welcomes inquiries about such June 30, 1989. As of January 19, 288 Ways To Help The gifts and will work with donors and their donors had contributed $99,707. Friends financial advisors to determine the best College Grow of the College soon will receive a request method of making such gifts. to contribute to the Annual Fund if they Bequests are a type of gift which have not already done so. We ask each There are many methods of giving to Col- anyone can make, involving no immediate friend to respond as generously as he/she lege of the Atlantic. Gifts of cash are the transfer of capital or income and yet maxi- can. The Annual Fund supports scholar- most convenient form of giving for most mizing tax benefits to a donor's heirs. Be- ships, faculty salaries, and other aspects people, and they are tax deductible for quests help the College build its of the educational program. It is critical those who itemize deductions. Property, endowment and can be directed toward a to helping expand educational oppor- such as real estate or securities (including variety of purposes. COA's endowment tunites for students interested in studying mutual funds, certain bonds, and stocks), funds, which are greatly in need of addi- at College of the Atlantic. If you would may also be contributed and enable tional contributions, include: Scholarship like more information about how to make donors to make larger gifts at less cost. Funds, Library Book Funds, a Faculty a gift to the College or planned giving op- The after-tax cost of gifts of property that Fund, a Museum Fund, and a General En- portunities with College of the Atlantic, have appreciated over many years is much dowment Fund. Memorial funds have contact Gary Friedmann, Director of less than if the donor sells the property been established to endow research or Development, or Charles Hesse, Vice and gives the cash proceeds to the College. other activities in honor of loved ones. President for Development and Public Af- Other property such as boats, art work, COA's first priority for gifts is the un- fairs at 207/288-5015, ext. 268. books, and other valued collections may restricted Annual Fund. For the 1988-89 qualify as charitable deductions, and the Fund a goal of $200,000 must be met by New Thorndike Library Opens its Doors On moving day, students Megan Smith Keith Goodrich signs out a book while and Dan DenDanto pitch in to move student library assistant Portia Judson books into the new library located on the looks on. The library is open to the public. upper level of Kaelber Hall. The bright sun shines into the spacious Trustee Elizabeth Thorndike receives a first-edition copy of Thoreau's Maine Woods, reading room. donated to the library by trustee John Kauffmann. Looking on are Vice President for Photo by Roy Zalesky. Courtesy of Development and Public Affairs Charles Hesse and Librarian Marcia Dworak. Ellsworth American. 5 Webster Elected Augusta, Maine. As a civic leader, Webster has been COA Trustee the Director of the League of Women Voters of Portland, a trustee of the Announcement of the election of Mary Maine Audubon Society, and a trustee of Clark Webster to the Board of Trustees Westbrook College in Portland, Maine. has been made by Chairman Edward She has been a Director of the YWCA of McC. Blair. Webster is currently House Portland, Maine since 1977. Minority Leader for the Maine House of Webster was the recipient of the Out- Representatives. standing Young Woman Award by the Webster's career in public service Jaycee Women of New England in 1983. reflects a commitment to energy conser- She received her M.A. in Education from vation, the environment, and economic Tufts University in 1972 and her M.A. in development in Maine. Prior to her elec- Political Science from Boston University tion to the House of Representatives in in 1976. 1984, she served as Vice President for Says President Rabineau, "Mary Clark Governmental Services Inc., Portland, Webster's broad knowledge in the field Maine; Vice President and Director of of education and government services, the Maine Wood Fuel Corporation, particularly as they relate to both the Col- Portland, Maine; and Deputy Director of lege and Maine, will be a great asset to the Office of Energy Resources, College of the Atlantic." Anderson said that, although the trip because of the obvious proximity to the Field Ecology Goes did not meet all the academic successes marine environment. Abroad hoped for due to restrictions of time, it The trip also provided opportunities was still valuable for everyone in terms of for snorkeling expeditions into the coral the learning experience gained through reef habitat and the learning of navigation Two experiments in field ecology studies group interaction, decisionmaking, and and seamanship skills. took place over the five-week winter dealing with cultural and physical sur- These two field ecology programs have break. One group of students went to the roundings different from our own. been the foreruners of what will hopefully Baja peninsula, in Mexico. They were led The second of these trips was a field be a valuable addition to the future cur- by botanist Craig Greene and or- ecology cruise around the Carribean on riculum at COA. nithologist John Anderson. The two-week board the 95-foot wooden schooner Har- - Tim Hartt excursion was designed to provide par- vey Gamage. Led by COA marine re- ticipating students with practical ex- search associate Greg Stone, Human perience in studying species of plants and Studies instructor Alesia Maltz, and visit- birds different from those available here ing professional Richard Podolski from in the Northeast. At the same time, they the Island Institute in Rockport, this field were able to learn about some of the wide study focused on the varying degrees of varieties of climates and environments development which 6 different islands that we have in the world. have undergone, and are experiencing, Outstanding in the field Sonja Alesia Maltz and Greg Milne discuss Ecology as Politics on board the Harvey Hartman and a giant Baja Cactus. Gamage. Photo by Noreen E. Hogan. Photo by Karen Anderson. 6 cinelli, Acadia National Park's planner; pand that to further understand larger Human Ecology Richard Vander Zanden, Town Manager, government bodies." Another student, Applied To Mount Desert; Dan Reyhart of the M.I.T. Dan DenDanto adds, "This class is very Sloan School of Management; Wells appropriate since it focuses on govern- Community Planning Bacon, one of the developers of Acadia ment at a local level. I'm very interested in Farms, a multi-unit housing development; decision making because someday I'm and Lee Worcester of Worcester As- going to live in a municipality and I'll need COA students who want an opportunity sociates. to be aware of the politics." for practical experience in decision Guest speakers' presentations have Faculty member Rich Borden says that making have been enrolled in a winter covered current critical issues such as the class will be of great benefit to the term course called Community Planning land use planning, protecting drinking COA community. "This class gives us a and Decision Making. water quality, preserving open space, chance to focus our interests and exper- The course focuses on how com- tise on a real set of problems that are right munities make decisions around a com- "In our course we are placing under our noses," he states. "It can make plex array of issues arising from growth emphasis on the role of the some of the College's resources available and development. Faculty and students to the regional community. As a college are examining development problems and generalist in collaborative we have a lot to learn about decision local government process on Mount decision making." making and from what happens on MDI. Desert Island and are applying the con- Donald Straus We are working with a concrete example cepts of human ecology by drawing on of human ecology in a real place with a knowledge and points of view from other transporting residents and 6 million real future." faculty and local community members visitors, disposal of solid waste and Don Straus adds, "I would like the stu- from the public and private sectors. sewage, and provision of affordable hous- dents to recognize difference in their roles Community Planning and Decision ing. Of these issues, COA students have as specialist, as generalist, or as single- Making is co-taught by psychology instruc- chosen three for concentrated study. issue activist. In our course we are placing tor Rich Borden, COA Psychology Profes- These issues are Natural Resour- emphasis on their role as generalists in sor; Don Straus, COA trustee and past ces/Water, Solid Waste/Sewage, and collaborative decision making." president of the American Arbitration As- Housing. The outcome of the studies will Ron Beard feels that a role will always sociation; and Ron Beard, Chairman of be a group presentation and a written text exist for citizens in understanding local the Bar Harbor Planning Board and a which students hope will help Bar Harbor problems and taking some action. He member of the faculty of the University of in its future decision making and plan- comments, "There is always going to be a Maine Cooperative Extension Service. ning. place for folks to take pieces of a problem Featured guest speakers have included: Student Lisa Conway comments, "This and conduct research, collect data, or test Jill Goldthwait, Chair of the Bar Harbor class is exposing me to the decision solutions. The key here is to link COA stu- Town Council; Lois Winter, a naturalist at making process and collaboration techni- dents with the problems. COA is under- Acadia National Park; Jonathan Lock- ques. I also am getting familiar with Bar utilized by the community. We hope to man, Bar Harbor's planner; Isabel Man- Harbor's government process and can ex- change that." Jeanne Kimlicka COA News is published three times a year. It is circulated to Alumni, Parents, Faculty, Staff, Trustees and other friends. Editor: Carolyn Dow Layout Design: Jamien Jacobs Reporters: Keith Goodrich, Tim Hartt, Jeanne Kimlicka, Gina Platt, Mark Tully, Bennett Verbeck. Have you moved? If so, please send us your new address. Peter Heller '85 discusses a community planning issue with visiting faculty member printed on recycled paper Ron Beard and adjunct faculty member and COA trustee Don Straus. 7 Graduate Has Grand Designs At the new Thorndike Library George Benington '82 has found an ideal place for the display of books he has designed and published over the past seven years. Featuring several Portland artists, the ex- hibit of 10 selected pieces is Benington's first opportunity to show the range of his capabilities as an independent printer and publisher. The founder of Coyote Love Press in Portland, Maine, Benington is currently working on the printing and publishing of original etchings and poetry by Bow- doin art department chairman, Thomas George Benington '82 Cornell and frequently published Maine Publishing is a side line for Benington, about the importance of making quality poet David Walker, respectively. Also in who works full-time as a commercial books." the works is a book of coyote folklore photographer in Portland. He also An interdisciplinary man, Benington tales written by Barry Lopez, a contribut- teaches a course on the History and seems to have pulled together many ing editor of Harper's magazine and a Technology of Book Arts at the Portland threads of experience to weave together translator of numerous native American School of Art. "I love teaching," he says. a satisfying career. "After graduation I folktales. "The reason I do it is egotistical -- by wanted to be a commercial photog- Says Benington, "Publishing is a way having people interested in what you say rapher but couldn't find the market for it of disseminating my vision of what is proves that you exist and have an impact. at first," he says. "So I decided to go into good in literature." I hope to raise peoples' consciousness graphic design. Now I do both. I guess I've come full circle." COA NEWS NON-PROFIT ORGANIZ. COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC U.S. POSTAGE PAID Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 BAR HARBOR, ME PERMIT #47 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED