Spring Term Week 8

Week Eight

Spring

18. May. 09

Bollywood Invades COA’S “TEMPEST” COA’s production of “The Tempest” will be unlike any you have ever seen. Co-directors Dan Mahler and Alicia Hynes have set William Shakespeare’s island fantasy as a Bollywood production, adding the music and dance style of contemporary Indian movies. The performances are Friday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 23 at 2 p.m.

Says Mahler, who last year created a masterful blending of music and dance in his direction of the Greek tragedy “The Bacchae,” “We can do this with Shakespeare because it’s so open-ended. The text transcends its time period.

Choreographers are Tanvi Nair of India and Aishath Loofa Mohamed of the Maldives. Both are familiar with Bollywood style and the traditional dance upon which many of the numbers are based.

“The Tempest” takes place within just a few hours on an unnamed island where the banished sorcerer Prospero, former Duke of Milan, has been living for 12 years with his daughter Miranda and his library of books. Prospero, played by COA graduate student Ingrid Lindstrom, has the power to raise tempests and thus land voyagers ashore, thereby punishing his enemies. The play begins with such a storm and a shipwreck. Before long, Prospero reveals his own history to his daughter Miranda, played by Nina Wish. In typical Shakespearean fashion, the shipwrecked voyagers bring the

Sarah Colleti, Cora Lewicki, and Brianna Larsen as Dancers promise of revenge, romance—and romantic complications.

Sections A. Inside the Bubble C. Op-Ed D. Events E.Vivisection Discussion G. Arts & Literature H. The Docket

Ingrid Lindstrom and Nina Wish as Prospero and Miranda

“Traditionally ‘The Tempest’ has been considered a comedy,” says Mahler, “but it has a serious undertone. If you’re looking at it historically, it’s about Shakespeare trying to grapple with idea of new world. It’s one of his last plays. A lot of people think— and I do, too—that Shakespeare wrote the character of Prospero as himself.”

Other cast members include Cora Lewicki as Ariel and spirits Saras Yerlig, Brianna Larsen, Sarah Colletti and Rain Perez, who are the dancers.

Inside the Bubble

A1

Three COA Students Receive Project for Peace Award -Donna Gold

Come June, three students will head to St. Lucia on a quest to save the environment, one tree at a time— and 60 trees a day. The students, Zimmerman Cardona of Belize, Andrew Louw of South Africa and Neil Oculi of St. Lucia, were awarded a Davis Projects for Peace Prize by philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis for their proposal to plant four miles of trees to prevent soil run-off in a heavily used agricultural area in the Fond D’Or watershed of St. Lucia.

The region is Oculi’s home, so he understands the dire issues of unstable riverbanks. Oculi also knows the people and the assistance he can receive from Zimmerman Cardona, Neil Oculi, and Andrew Louw them. Both Cardona and Oculi are graduates of Simon Bolivar United World College of Agriculture in Venezuela. Louw, who is interested in studying plan- The COA students see St. Lucia’s problems as a microning, has worked on rural development projects. cosm of global issues. As they wrote in the proposal, “We want to create change by empowering communiThe trio will plant trees on either side of the Fond D’Or ties to be stewards of their land and transferring the River in the Mabouya River Valley of Eastern St. Lu- skills to preserve it. Humanity’s fate is tied to that of cia, in a section that once belonged to a large agricul- the natural environment: by protecting these riverbanks tural corporation. It is now divided into small banana- and helping communities safeguard resources for fugrowing farms supporting some 13 communities of ture generations, we can bring peace to this region.” about 7,500 people. According to the proposal, “due to poor agricultural practices upstream, rich valley topsoil washes into the river during flash floods. This runoff not only denudes the valley of its most valuable resource, News in Brief fertile soil, but also adversely impacts drinking water.” -Sasha Paris Additonally, “fertilizer contamination from the runoff decreases the biodiversity of river and coastal ecosys- The Newfoundland class pleaded guilty to chargtems, and invasive plants, pests, and diseases threat- es of defending seal clubbers, but argued their case en economic productivity and public health.” Once so eloquently in court that punishment was waived. in the oceans, the drainage also damages coral reefs.

Astrologers predict that, regardless of sign, evWhile planting the trees, the three will be assisted by eryone who doesn’t watch The Tempest will sufhigh school students interested in farming. In talking fer agonizing cramps for a week afterward. with them and meeting with members of a farmer’s association, they hope to encourage better practices. A postcard-picture photographer noticed harbor porBecause the St. Lucian students already have an en- poises systematically picking tourists off of a cruise ship vironmental organization—which Oculi ran for five deck in Frenchman Bay. Police are investigating the matyears—they believe change is possible. Addition- ter; COAers are suspected of having trained the whales. ally, since these farmers are certified as “fair trade” banana growers, they are required to improve their watershed management. Extending the efforts of the trio will be a short video of the project created by the for- David Baldwin has announced his resignation, and will est ministry, to be used as catalyst for other regions. be leaving us at the end of June. If you haven’t already done so, please join in thanking him for his many conEach year, the Davis Peace Foundation offers 100 tributions, and in wishing him the very best. We will $10,000 grants to student projects that similarly promote miss him in so many ways. peace and well-being in the world. The COA students have also received a matching grant in the form of free Our new Registrar will be Judy Allen, who has been mahogany trees from St. Lucia’s Ministry of Forestry. our Director of Information Systems and Institutional Research since 1988. She will formally assume the du“I’m really attached to where I’m from,” says Oculi. ties of Registrar on July 1, 2009.

“This project gives me an opportunity to go back home and show the pride and appreciation for my people. We Judy will bring great strengths and preparation to the won’t solve all the problems—but this is a way of creat- full range of duties and responsibilities of one of the ing a domino effect, encouraging more preservation.” most important offices of any college.

A2 Snakeball an Immediate COA Sucess -Holly Krakowski

Snakeball is an indigenous north american sport originally played at the collegiate level at College of the Atlantic.The basic equipment is one or more door snake and beachball. The object of the game is to score more runs (points) than the opposition. One member of the defensive team (“The pitcher”) places the ball in play by throwing it underhanded to a member of the offensive team who is equipped with a door snake (“the batter”). The batter attempts to hit the beach ball with the snake. When the batter hits the ball, which may go in any direction, including backward, the batter then attempts to hit the pitcher with the door snake. If the batter does so before the defensive team can retrieve Photos Courtesy of Holly Krakowski the batted ball and return it to the pitcher, the offensive team scores one run. If the pitcher is in firm possession of the ball before being hit with the snake, the batter is declared out. There are no other rules.

COA Presents “Doggie Style”

-Donna Gold Photographic exhibit highlights plight of stray dogs in Colombia When Tatiana Aguayo was growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, she was obsessed by dogs—and distressed by the innumerable strays that wandered through the city. “Seeing so many stray dogs, some so sick, always broke my heart,” the COA senior says. “I always wanted to do something about it.” Returning recently to work in Colombia, Aguayo decided to focus her senior project on exposing the dogs’ plight.

ately killed—and not through very humane methods.

“I ended up going to the outskirts of the city, to shantytowns, where there were stray dogs everywhere,” Aguayo says. “People live in terrible conditions and so the dogs, too, are ignored.”

And then Aguayo found a homeless man, Acacio, who adopts stray dogs, feeds them, and takes them to the veterinarian. “He has nothing, but he shares it with 24 dogs,” she says. She decided to make her photo essay a contrast between his dogs and the strays.

“It’s a lesson to be learned,” Aguayo says. “SomeAguayo’s photography exhibit, “Doggie Style,” fea- one who has nothing is taking on this project to take tures the stray dogs of Colombia—and some of the care of these dogs.” And though people ask Acacia people who care for them. The exhibit runs from if he’d sell his dogs, he refuses, she says. Instead, he Saturday, May 23 through Tuesday, May 26, with directs them to the pound to try to save another dog. a reception on Monday, May 25 from 4 to 6 p.m.

In addition to the Blum Gallery exhibit, Aguayo In taking photographs of the dogs, Aguayo noticed is mounting an internet photo essay that also that the wealthier areas of the city had been cleaned tries to call attention to the plight of the dogs, of their strays, which were removed to pounds. She “ h t t p : / / w w w. d o g g y s t y l e p h o t o e s s a y. o r g ” . also found that at the pounds, they’re almost immedi-

A3 Blum Gallery Presents Watercolors and Underwater Images -Donna Gold Local artist and owner of the former Moss Gallery, Christiaan van Heerden will be showing watercolors at the Blum Gallery along with underwater photographer Adam Kumm.

The two are exhibiting their work as part of their final projects as graduating seniors.

The shows, “Below the Surface” by Kumm and “Exploring the Abstract: Watercolors of nature” by van Heerden will run from May 17 to 22 with an opening on Wednesday, May 20 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The show features 14 images taken of fish swimming through deep coral reefs in the Caribbean by Kumm and six large watercolors by van Heerden.

Kumm:“Great Star Polyps Emerge at Night”

Kumm of Baltimore, MD has been studying ecology and Soloist Mira Armij Gill to perform evenatural history at COA while also working in graphic design and photography. A master diver, he spent three ning of Liszt, Chopin, Bach, and others -Donna Gold months on islands off Belize and Honduras, diving up to 120 feet deep.

Gill is especially known for her performances of His exhibit features images that are not always obvi- Franz Liszt. At COA, she will be playing his “Meous, provoking the viewer to look more intensely at phisto Waltz,” along with a toccata by J.S. Bach, the photographs. Kumm worked underwater day and a fantasie by Frederic Chopin, an etude by Alexnight. He likens the ocean world to an urban environ- ander Scriabin and a sonata by Samuel Barber.

ment. The showy creatures are around during the day, while the strange ones—such as octopus—come out at Gill received both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree night. But though his images portray a healthy reef, he at The Juilliard School, and made her New York desays, “there has been great loss of species abundance.” but at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 1997, as a result of winning the Artist’s International Young A longtime Northeast Harbor resident and yacht designer, Artist’s Piano Award. She has been giving solo convan Heerden is finishing up his degree at COA this year, certs in Bar Harbor since 2004, and has also been transferring credits from Colby College in 1980 and an performing at the Summerkeys Festival in Lubec. associate degree in small craft marine architecture. He spent much of his two years at COA working on afford- Gill, who is of East Indian descent, is a native of Salt Lake able housing and sustainable agricultural issues—while City, Utah. She released her debut CD in April 2005 duralso taking many of the art classes offered by the college. ing a recital at Steinway Hall, New York. Gill’s CD was reviewed by Cyprien Katsaris, one of the greatest inter“Taking JoAnne Carpenter’s watercolor class was an national pianists. He said, “She has a remarkable techeye-opening experience for me,” says van Heerden. He is nique and, more important, a genuine musical feeling.”

displaying six watercolors, each 22 by 30 inches, though one image features a brilliant sunrise in Charleston, The performance by piano soloist Mira Armij Gill on South Carolina. This work focuses on the beauty found May 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Gates is made possible by the in the details of nature—fungi growing on a log or lichen Robert and Arlene Kogod Visiting Artist Fund. It is free. on a stone. By painting these large, using subdued earth tones, frequently illuminated by one or two spots of brilliant orange tones the natural images become abstracted.

Inside the Bubble

A4

Transient Encounters at Blum -Donna Gold

Diana Escobedo Lastiri will be showing “Transient Encounters,” an exhibit of photographs taken in South America at the Blum Gallery from Wednesday, May 27 through Saturday, May 30. At 4:30 p.m., as part of the May 27 opening (running from 4 to 6 p.m.), Lastiri will discuss her book of images and stories from the Mexican town of Juchitán in Oaxaca, “Entre Comadres.” Both exhibit and book are part of Lastiri’s senior project. She graduates this June.

The photographs—28 black and white images, each mounted in a handmade frame—feature work from two urban portfolios. “Aires Buenos” offers a portrait of the city of Buenos Aires; “Ni lo Mande Dios” contains photos from urban Peru. Lastiri began these urban portfolios in Paris, with “Strangers in Paris (or Secrets),” which she exhibited at the Blum last fall.

In Juchitán, Lastiri stopped to talk to every woman and muxe she found, hence the title of her book, “Entre Comadres,” roughly translated as “Between Women.” Of each she asked, “Could you please tell me a story? Any story you want to share…”

Says Lastiri, “I am passionate about gender and religion; in other words, I am passionate about human relations. It is my passion that guides my practice.” The book, she adds, blurs the invisible lines between the disciplines of photography, writing, documentary, gender studies, cultural studies and ethnography. It is also the culmination of her education in human ecology.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Lastiri finished high school at the Mahindra United World College of India.

She leaves COA as a fashion, street and underwater photographer and has been recipient of multiple awards and honors.

All photos are available for sale, in part as funding for Lastiri’s next urban portfolio, which will be a “I look at people,” she says. “I am drawn to photo- photographic exploration of New York City. “Entre graph the ordinary and the daily lives in urban settings. Comadres” is also available for purchase, both at the In a city everyone is a stranger but there is a strange opening and at “http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/demix of loneliness and companionship; there is love, tail/682582”. Funds will be used to thank the womhunger, youth, old age, sanity, insanity, happiness, en and muxes from Juchitán. More of Lastiri’s work sadness, insecurities, facts, rules.” In each image of can be seen at her website at “http://www.desclas. com”, or write email to:descobedolastiri@coa.edu.

“Aires Buenos” lies a secret and a story: the old man with the young girl; the shy couple sitting at the park under a heart-shaped tree, in the background a passionate couple kissing; the falling strap of a girl who is not wearing a bra, and the man with various tattoos sharing a drink with her while staring.”

Lastiri’s book on Juchitán focuses on women.

Juchitán, located in the south of Mexico on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, is known for its unique approaches to gender relations. It is a place where muxes, male homosexuals, are considered a third gender. Many traditions related to marriage, virginity, festivities and other communal activities involve pre-conquest rituals blended with Catholic beliefs.

Op-Ed

American Flag Policy Debate

C1

Pro Statement

Con Statement

After this week’s ACM discussion on the creation of a flag policy at COA, I think it is imperative to explain the reasons why I am supporting the measure.

The policy stipulates first that we will fly an American flag at COA, and second that we do so in accordance with United States Code 4. This second part is important because this community has the responsibility to make sure that any flag flown at COA is done so respectfully. Since we do not have a current policy, this proposal is a good way to ensure the safety and upkeep that is required to maintain a flag on campus.

There are a variety of reasons why it would be unwise to implement a policy enforcing the flying of the American flag on campus. The world around us is an ever-changing, unpredictable place. At any given moment, there may be many factors that could influence the community’s feelings on whether we want to fly the flag. Inevitable fluctuations in support for presidential administrations, which can largely influence the decision, could necessitate the ridiculous process of changing the policy every four to eight years. Just as the world is always changing, so too is the COA community. New students will likely have different views than those that came before. Why should we be locked into one policy? On an issue where there is wide variation of opinion, it doesn’t make sense to set one policy in stone.

There are many in our community who feel strongly that the flying of flags is not a practice that is in keeping with our mission. An institution that strives toward building bridges between people should not be promoting symbolic practices that could divide them.

The idolatry of a symbol raises one country, one regime, one group of people above all others. This is especially true if it is mandated by a formal policy, and not adaptable to changing feelings. When we participate in such a divisive practice, we send a message to the world that we see one nation state as separate from all others. If we start dividing ourselves into nations, then where do we stop? Divisions keep getting smaller and smaller until each person is cut off from all others.

-Will Korzennick

I recognize that there are members of our community who oppose the flag being flown on campus because they feel that it symbolizes a set of values and a history that COA should not endorse. Admittedly, the United Sates has not always made the best political and social decisions. However, the past is the past. With the election of Barrack Obama, the people have sent a clear message to the world that we are going to make a renewed effort to promote freedom and liberty, not only here at home, but also throughout the world. It is always within our power to redefine both what our country and our flag represents. Even though we may not support every decision our government has made, the flag represents much more than just a set of policies or decisions. For these reasons it is imperative that we continue to have the United States flag publicly represented on campus.

Some opponents of the policy have suggested that flying an American flag on campus would alienate those students who are not United States citizens. For my part, I have yet to speak to a foreign student on this issue who dos not support the flag being flown on campus. Many have expressed to me that they want to see more patriotism on campus, not less. Several members of our own community have pointed out that by removing the United States flag from our flagpole, we may alienate members of not only of the COA community, but also visitors to campus. For many, the flag is a sign of service to their nation and not a broader political statement. Are we not disrespecting that service if we decide to reject the flag?

I think that it is important to remember that not flying a flag is going to be just as big, if not a bigger, statement than flying one. At the end of the day, the fact remains that we live in and abide by the laws of the United States. Many of you might not even be at COA is it was not for financial aid from the United States government. To publicly show a lack of support for the very government that provides so much financial support to our institution may be considered unwise.

-Dale Quinby

Most recently, the American flag has been championed by an administration that stood for the policies of discrimination, torture, and war. Certainly this not the first time in American history that “rallying around the flag” was used as a way to drum up support for immoral and unjust actions. By displaying a symbol of this violence we might be perceived as endorsing the barbarism of the past. We would be acting against our community principles and ethical standing. We would run the risk of eroding our position with other countries that rightly condemn those actions we continue to support. This is not an icon we should use in our quest to further understanding in our troubled world.

Some may argue that the American flag also stands for good. Even if this is true, does not this only prove the point that the meaning of the flag varies for each person and is constantly changing based on conditions?

To me, that seems to a reason to reject a single static policy that obligates us to only one course of action.

Given the wide array of valid concerns over the flying of the American flag, it would be unadvised to implement a policy requiring such action. After all, what message would be sending to mandate such a thing?

The members of this community need to have the freedom to make that decision as circumstances change.

C2 It’s Time to Act Up Like ACT UP

Manifest Destiny

Sometimes I get to feeling complacent in the bubble that is College of the Atlantic. Or in any of the bubbles I live in. Even this giant bubble of earth. Sure, I sign petitions and make phone calls to senators and send in angry letters to the editor if something really upsets me but by and large I just kind of let things go by.

One day we will inhabit a world of which we are omniscient, a world in which the drive to discover can only be turned inside for there are no new frontiers beyond.

When we get there, we will be utterly lost, for history has been defined by our endless fixation on exploration. The orient, the new world, the poles, the depths of the ocean, space. East, west, north, and south. Down and up. We go through phases, waves of colonisation (sometimes followed by quick desertion), but they are only fads, often financed by the crown’s gold then fought over by the crowns’ servants then forgotten for a new trinket.

Sometimes we find we cannot, or will not, let go of landscapes, though. They resonate with individuals or societies who stay fascinated and captivated while the rest of the world moves on. Or else they are rediscovered by generations far separated from the original movement.

Children find admirals’ journals and old maps in dusty corners of libraries. They lose their breath at images in documentaries, the insides of textbooks. They become enamored, and they begin to dream. They wish to touch these places for themselves. Or perhaps to escape.

-Andrew Coate

The other day I came across some Youtube videos.

They were footage from ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) in 1988 when they held a huge demonstration outside city hall in New York to bring attention to the AIDS crisis. It was huge. 2,500 people.

I look at the crises all over the world today – hunger, AIDS, discrimination, war, domestic violence, and I wonder where that passion is now.

Where is the passion that drove people in the past to stage sit ins, sing ins, sing outs, lock downs?

These are all things I hear about, but I wish I could participate in them. How does one even start something like that and now be laughed at? Do people have that intensity anymore to shout about what they know is right without worrying about the risk to their future?

We’re too careful now. We are too complacent. We don’t think our voices make a difference. And maybe they don’t. Maybe we need to be standing outside the offices of decision makers staging die-ins to get our voices heard. I don’t want the next generation to look back at us and think, “So you signed a lot of pieces of paper, but what did you actually DO?” I want them to see that we stood up, ACTUALLY stood up, for what we believed in. We fought like hell, just like the generations before us, to get what we knew was right.

ORGANIZE, AND RAISE SOME HELL RISE UP, FIGHT BACK REBEL

-Aspen Reese

I am reminded most of these tendencies, struck most by the emotional power of topography, when reading of the arctic, for I too suffer from polar cravings. Admiral Richard Byrd found there “a feeling that transcended reason; that went to the heart of a man’s despair and found it groundless.” Frank Hurley went South and “learned to find fullness and contentment in a life which had stripped us of all the distractions, baubles, and trappings of civilization.” Who would not desire such certainty?

Surely, some sort of truth, if not these precisely, must be able to be found in a land so flat and so white. Anything not ice is the answer. If there is only ice, that is the answer.

Whatever that answer is was enough to drive explorers out season after season when none of their predecessors returned. Enough for those explorers who did come home to experience, as John Rymill did, “a feeling of loss as though a friend had died.” It is only one type of truth though, not really enough to explain the world, nor enough to assure of a deity.

What wanna-be explorers forget is the glossed over hardship, or perhaps we only pointedly disregard the frostbite and cannibalism. We project perfection and sublimity onto the ice, expecting our reflections to somehow appear different. What does one truly find when faced with his dream? Too often, I suspect, the desires, transplanted to a new locale, are still muddled by the disappointments that worry us at home. We cannot ever be clean enough to maintain the pristine nature of our fascinations.

What does one do when the ice begins to crack?

When Scandanavian governments collapse?

Cont’d on C3

C3 Cont’d from C2 When mothers yell? One learns to swim, and hopes the tide brings him back to land.

Life is only a drift expedition. We plot courses on maps, but can only really look out the portholes. We wonder where we will end up. When we will get there. What answers we might find to the hopes and fears that plague us. We occasionally catch site of porpoises swimming along beside.

Should we survive to that day when we have discovered every corner and every crevice, what will we do? We will probably pretend we have not. We continue to run the experiments in Introductory Chemistry although we all know the outcome. We burn gummy bears not for the carbon, but for the experience of hearing them scream. We will continue to wander in hope to find those places that resonate inside us or perhaps only to avoid looking within.

We cannot overcome the frontiers under our skin. A lifetime is too short to discover all those secrets. Instead, one acquires a working knowledge and set outs to confront a more manageable wilderness. We dream and explore and philosophize to escape the questions looming within us. As Annie Dillard describes it “despite the purity of their conceptions, they manhauled their humanity to the Poles” so we are left to find “workable compromises between the sublimity of our ideas and the absurdity of the fact of us.”

To Schlep or Not to Schlep, That is the Question.

-Matt Shaw

To Schlep: Easy answers first. Schlepping a mug to TAB is the easy answer to this eternal and God forsaken mug “crisis” which graces our campus with its presence practically every term. If the dining hall refused to supply the campus community with mugs, than each of us would be forced to bring a mug. This would especially be true for those of us interested in a hot beverage such as the equally important tea or coffee. This would put the responsibility on each of us for having a mug at each meal and would relieve the community from a regular slew of endless debate that clogs our inboxes.

Not to Schlep: Not wanting to have to carry a mug around with me all day as I go from my 9:30 studio class to lunch, to my 1:00 class, I think the dining hall should supply all of my dining utensil needs at each meal. If I was responsible for bringing my own hot-beverage container to each meal, I would want the college to supply such a container to me at the beginning of the school year.

A snazzy to-go mug with the COA logo on it would be cool. I could carry that all over with me, spreading the good word of COA, from Boston to Bangkok.

Events

D1

May 17 at 4:10 in Gates: 4:10 “Sustainable Agriculture: An Environmental Perspective,” a presentation from the final Food Systems Candidate Diana Stuart May 17 to 22 in Blum: “Below the Surface” by Kumm and “Exploring the Abstract: Watercolors of nature” by van Heerden will run from with an opening on Wednesday, May 20 from 4 to 6 p.m.

May 18th at 11:10 in the Botany Lab: Class presentation in Theory and Practice of Organic Gardening from Diana Stuart May 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Gates: noted soloist Mira Armij Gill of New York May 22 at 7:30 p.m. and May 23 at 2 p.m. in Gates: COA’s production of “The Tempest” set as a Bollywood production, adding the music and dance style of contemporary Indian movies.

May 23rd 12-2 PM: Rummage sale at the BT lawn AND village center (by seafox) free stuff!

May 23 8 PM “Wet, Hot American Summer” in the Lecture Hall May 23 to May 26 in Blum: Aguayo’s photography exhibit, “Doggie Style,” features the stray dogs of Colombia—and some of the people who care for them. There is a reception on Monday, May 25 from 4 to 6 p.m.

May 27 to May 30 in Blum: “Transient Encounters,” an exhibit of photographs taken in South America

Vivisection Discussion

E1

“Hands have no tears to flow” -Dylan Thomas

If Human Ecology is about anything it is about the direct, thoughtful, examination of complex questions and the recognition of multiple perspectives in our encounters with the world. This term in Biology 2 I gave the class two papers addressing aspects of animal testing: Vivisection by C.S. Lewis, and Some Enemies of Science by J.B.S. Haldane. I then asked everyone to respond in either the affirmative or the negative to the following statement : “Resolved: That the use of live animals in experimental research is immoral, inhumane, and should be banned.”

I hope I made it clear to everyone that I would not judge the answers I got by the position someone took, but would only “grade” the answers on the clarity and logic of their presentation. When I did this exercise a number of years ago the class split about 50:50 for and against. Somewhat to my surprise, this time the overwhelming majority of the responses rejected the resolution, in tones that ranged from “this is outrageous” to regretful acquiescence so long as the research had clear benefits to humans. I was impressed by the seriousness that many of the students brought to the exercise, and, while disagreeing with some of the points they brought up, agreeing with others, and facing the inconsistencies and holes in my own logics, I felt that it might be worthwhile to take some of their thoughts to a wider audience. I strongly believe that as a teacher my job is to encourage my students to write, work and think for and with as broad an audience as possible. They should NOT be limiting themselves to any simple dialog that contains only themselves and one instructor. With that in mind I asked the class if they would be willing to allow me to submit a selection of their essays to Off The Wall in the hopes that it would engender a wider debate. I was pleased how many said “yes,” (more in fact than I could reasonably ask the staff of Off The Wall to publish in a single setting). What follows are five of these essays that I selected, not because I necessarily agreed with what is said, but more because I liked the courage and style of how things are said. I hope that their example will encourage many many more of you to think carefully on the complex issues that confront each of us and to share your thoughts in this or some other forum. Although I may not agree with some or all of the ideas expressed here I know that my students have made me take a closer look at my assumptions, beliefs, prejudices, and the easy answers that I so often find so tempting. What more could I ask?

Be well John Anderson -Aspen Reese The use of live animals in experimental research, although not an ideal situation, provides enough social utility that it cannot be defined as either immoral or inhumane and thus should be allowed to continue. Experimentation on live animals allows for medical advances and a general increase in scientific knowledge, and while not all experimentation yields great results and while mistakes do occur, the benefit to society outweighs those downsides.

The argument that the question of experimentation is a moral question removes the aspect of results from the forefront and instead directs attention towards matters of rights. However, as those in opposition to the use of live animals are not also equally in opposition of zoos, the keeping of pets, and the eating of meat it is hard to understand their definition of rights. They are not defining animals as equal to humans in every sense of the law, and so the line they draw is arbitrary.

Furthermore, the opponents often seem content to reap the benefits of animal testing, using drugs and products developed through experimentation on animals, while decrying the idea of it. Animals cannot be conferred the same rights as humans. They do not possess the ability to consent to experimentation, or to actively participate in a legislated society, and so must inherently confer the decision making powers to humans who oversee them. Humans will need to make a personal decision, by which I mean a decision based around their values and not the animals, to resolve this issue.

The terms immoral and inhumane, which the resolution hinges on, are contingent on societal norms and are not absolute. If society’s accepted standard’s of morality allow for animal experimentation, it is not immoral. If the majority finds it acceptable, it is. The interesting question then is how to define the society which determines the moral system—whether it is the general populace or merely the scientists who will face the question of whether or not to take part. As to inhumane, it is synonymous with cruel and both necessitate a disregard for pain and suffering. The scientists performing these experiments are not indifferent to the pain of their subjects—this is why they use anesthesia and seek to minimize the pain inflicted—but they are also not indifferent to the pain of those humans whose lives they are trying to benefit through their research.

If a researcher can be seen as inhumane for accepting the pain inflicted on animals, could not the opponents logically be seen as inhumane for accepting the pain of humans left to suffer without new medicine developed.

Not all may feel comfortable with the idea of animal experimentation, but as long as the majority of people see it as justified and acceptable it must be allowed to continue to achieve an end. The day the majority of people disapprove will be the day it stops on its own, so while regulation of practices may be necessary an outright ban will never be.

Vivisection Discussion

-Kathryn Scurci

Few practices today are more controversial than vivisection; animal testing consistently sparks religious, social, and political battles as scientists increase the numbers of live animals used and killed in research.

Since the end of the 18th Century, doctors and scientists have made strides in what is commonly referred to as “modern medicine,” largely due to their use of animal testing. Sometime in the last two to three hundred years, we have made the leap from using human subjects, as Edward Jenner did in 1798 when he discovered the Smallpox vaccine, to killing between 25 and 100 million animals annually in the name of scientific advancement. In our efforts to preserve our own species, we have rendered other animals dispensable.

The mere fact that humans initiated the practice of vivisection implies a sense of superiority that stems from our self-consciousness and our consequent ability to separate ourselves from our surroundings. We were not, however, always so eager to exploit the earth in our favor – the human tendency to dominate animals has expanded from killing them humanely with a poisoned arrow for a meal (and subsequently apologizing for the act), to using horse power for farm labor, to killing millions of creatures each year not only for medical research, but for superfluous cosmetic testing. It is impossible to completely discount vivisection as cruel and unnecessary – many historical medical breakthroughs over the past two centuries would have been impossible without animal testing – ironically, the knowledge that scientists have gained through vivisection has laid the foundation for research in alternative testing techniques that may soon replace animal testing. This does not, however, excuse our assumption that a human life is more valuable than that of an animal or our belief that it is morally acceptable to kill millions of mice but that one human death is inexcusable.

In his book, Possible Worlds, J.S. Haldane makes a case for testing on animals, stating several reasons why the alternative, human testing, is unacceptable. He writes, “Why, then, it may be asked, should not all painful experiments be done on human volunteers? There are several reasons why not. One is the very simple fact that many of these experiments possibly or necessarily involve the death of the animal” (p.265). Though he argues in favor of vivisection, Haldane exhibits the exact view that has made animal testing into a snowballing terror: the assumption that human pain and life are more important than that of any other life form.

While very few individuals would argue that millions of people should suffer and die in place of animals, it is nonetheless important to examine our perception of “life,” and the degree to which we dismiss its importance in other species simply because we believe them to be lesser than ourselves. In his essay, Vivisection, C.S. Lewis argues that this sense of superiority has evolved partially due to Western religion. He states, “The only rational line for the Christian vivisectionist to take is to say that the superiority of man over beast

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is a real objective fact, guaranteed by Revelation, and that the propriety of sacrificing beat to man is a logical consequence”(p. 1). J.S. Haldane claims that the anti-vivisectionist’s views are not logical – that these individuals are “enemies of science.” It seems, however, much more logical and “pro-science” to search for humane methods of medical and cosmetic testing than does justifying cruelty and dominance by assuming that human life is more sacred than any other.

-Amelia Eshleman Science can not and does not exist in a vacuum. It is subject to law, politics, social expectations and standards, and a laundry list of other things. Science is not only impacted by these things, but also impacts upon them.

Therefore science in itself can not be a justification for unjust actions. There is no such thing as “in the name of science,” because while it is in the name of science it is subsequently in the name of law, society, and humanity.

This interplay is what human ecology seeks to engage.

In relation to the topic of vivisection this overlap is especially relevant. The justification for vivisection is usually that in killing or brutally harming the lives of some we are saving the lives of many. And the lives we sacrifice are not human so they are less worthy and have none of the rights humans are privy to. But this argument begs the question of what it is to be human. The question of what constitutes being human may seem like philosophical nonsense, but is in fact directly pertinent to vivisection.

Other primates are the closest relative to human beings and as such are often used as test subjects. However, when an animal has the cognitive skills of a seven year old, are they really not at all human? Stephen Wise addresses this matter in Rattling the Cage. Wise makes the point that if we grant rights to children or mentally retarded persons, then we must also grant rights to chimpanzees and bonobos. Rights are not absolute and should never be. They work on a sliding scale. When you are seven you do not need the right to own property but you do need the right to live in hospitable and human conditions. The same thing could be said of chimpanzees and bonobos. We do not need to grant all of the rights we have as human beings to animals, but there are some which should carry over.

This sliding scale of rights may be applied to vivisection in a number of ways. It can address what animals are tested upon, how they are tested and what they are tested for. For instance, testing on chimpanzees, in a manner which will cause pain and bodily harm, for cosmetics is worse than testing on a mouse, in a manner which will limit their lifespan, for cancer research. Vivisection should not be outlawed, but it should be subject to regulations, and rights should be granted to some of the test subjects accordingly. Science, like anything, needs to be constrained by a series of checks and balances; it needs to be evaluated from all sides because the ends do not always justify the means and “in the name of science” is not enough.

Vivisection Discussion

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on this planet. Last week in ornithology class, Matt explained (as Bill Drury explained to him) that whether To get straight to the point, with no pussyfooting around, we like it or not, we are the agents of change on this I do not believe “the use of live animals in experimental planet. And this is whether we got there through evoresearch is immoral, inhumane, and should be banned.” lution by natural selection or because we were desThe question is a more straightforward one for me to ignated by God. We play god whether we are or not, answer than for some people because I am a Christian. and we can either do so blindly, or we can do so with As a result, I have a set of moral standards that I live by, reason, logic, purpose, and goals. Regardless, our acwhich are usually pretty clearly spelled out in the Bible. tions will ultimately be selfish. We kill other things.

The difficulties arise when the Bible doesn’t speak di- Other things kill other things. Death is a fact of life. rectly to the situation at hand. It’s not so clear cut as Since it is completely unrealistic not to kill or hurt “thou shall not kill mice,” and it doesn’t specify what is anything, and because (I think) it’s downright necesnecessary and justified and responsible experimentation sary to kill and hurt things, we should do so with the on animals. However, like many things in life, looking aforementioned reason, logic, purpose, and goals. at the overall themes and patterns in the Bible gives a lot of insight into how to approach difficult situations. For instance, God told Noah and his family: “The fear and -Michelle Kline dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves As a firm believer that the fundamental aim of vivialong the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they section is discovery, not destruction, I am appalled by are given into your hands. Everything that lives and fanatical animal rights groups like People for the Ethimoves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green cal Treatment of Animals that employ campaigns with plants, I now give you everything” (Genesis 9:2-3). No, extreme, often illogical, and potentially harmful tactics He didn’t say, “I now give you everything… and when in their never-ending quest to “protect” animals. Alex the earth is full of horrible diseases, you can experiment Pacheco, a PETA spokesperson, said the following in on these animals so that you don’t all die,” but I think the Charleston, W.VA Gazette-Mail on Jan 15, 1989: that it’s clear that we’re in a position of responsibility. “Arson, property destruction, burglary and theft are acceptable crimes when used for the animals’ cause.”

It is also reasonable to infer from Biblical passages that PETA and countless other animal rights organizations God cares quite a bit about the earth and expects us have been known to commit such crimes, and I feel to care too - you know, that whole bit about sparrows that the question that needs to be asked time and time falling out of the sky. Which brings me to what I be- again is: Is this sort of behavior justifiable, even if it lieve to be the essence of the aspects of C.S. Lewis’ keeps animals from being abused or even killed? But article that are directed towards other Christians. An perhaps the bigger issue is that groups like PETA propindividual should approach experimental research with agate the common misconception that vivisection and “scrupulous care to avoid the least dram or scruple of animal cruelty are one in the same, which they are not. unnecessary pain, in a trembling awe at the responsibility which he assumes, and with a vivid sense of the high Personally, I do not believe that the use of live animals mode in which human life must be lived if it is to justify in experimental research is immoral, inhumane, and the sacrifices made for it.” If this viewpoint is upheld, should be banned. J.B.S. Haldane writes in his chapter then I think that vivisection is justified. It would be silly “Some Enemies of Science:” “… [Anti-vivisectionists’] of me to waste time harping on the importance of such most important motive is a hatred of science…They experimentation and all of the significant impacts it has hate science partly because they do not understand it, had on every person, healthy or ill, rich or poor, but my and will not take the trouble to…” What anti-vivisecpurpose in doing so would be to illustrate that I don’t tionists fail to see is that the blatant killing or harm of think that taking life or inflicting pain is something to an animal is not the sole goal of vivisection. And even be taken lightly, but when balanced with the impor- if an animal dies during an experimental procedure, I tance of experimentation, the later takes precedence. think that a full understanding and appreciation of life is incomplete without a complementary understanding In my completely theologically biased and narrow- of death and dying. Haldane goes on to write that “…the minded opinion, the problem is that the whole world fate of experimental rats, for example, is no worse than doesn’t live by Christian principles, or a standard that of pet rats which usually die from deficient diet or moral code, or at least an acknowledgement of eth- epidemic disease,” and from once having pet mice of ics. For that reason, the likelihood of vivisections be- my own, I could not agree with him more. In his essay ing performed contrary to Lewis’ biblically based entitled, “Vivisection,” C.S. Lewis makes the case that standards is much higher, making it harder to justify. “…vivisection marks a great advance in the triumph of ruthlessness, non-moral utilitarianism over the old But I think what it really comes down to is that regard- world of ethical law; a triumph in which we, as well less of if you’re a Christian, the decision needs to be as animals, are already the victims…” The distinction made whether or not your recognize the fact that we between humanitarian and commercial goals remains a have separated ourselves from every other organism contentious issue between pro and anti-vivisectionists, -Jordan Chalfant

Vivisection Discussion but it should be noted that vivisection is restricted solely to cancer and other malignant disease research, and any research requiring vivisection techniques that cannot be met through other means is subject to an external “Ethics” ethics review in conception and implementation.

Most people, I feel, view animals, and consequently themselves, as “black boxes.” Encounters with the internal are rare. Surgery is performed behind closed doors in operating rooms, meat originates in remote slaughterhouses, and graphic images of war or car accidents are (respectfully) omitted from the news. Many shudder to view bodies, explicitly their own bodies, as assemblages of organs, so how, in such a context, are we to address fundamental lessons about our own very biological being if we have no means to study it? Supporters of the practice of vivisection, such as the British Royal Society, argue that virtually every medical achievement in the 20th century relied on the use of animals in some way, and the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the “U.S. National Academy of Sciences” U.S. National Academy of Sciences argues that even sophisticated computers are unable to model interactions between molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organisms, and the environment, making animal research necessary in some areas. Haldane raises another key point, that “under the present law, or, at any rate, the law as is presently interpreted, a license is required for a large number of absolutely painless experiments that can only be performed in a limited number of laboratories.” This fact alone should strike a dissonant chord in the melody of scientific medical research. Medical science is greatly hampered by the law and a constant battle ensues to preserve the possibilities that are left. Uncensored scientific research can help safeguard public health, and vivisection is just one of the many practices that can help provide invaluable insight when studying various pathologies, and therefore it should not be banned.

Yarri, Donna. 2005. The Ethics of Animal Experimentation, Oxford University Press.

“The use of non-human animals in research: a guide for scientists.” Feb 2004. The Royal Society. 5 May 2009 <http://royalsociety.org/displaypagedoc.asp?id=11514>.

“Science, Medicine, and Animals.” The National Academies Press. 2004. Institute for Laboratory Animal Research.

5 May 2009 <http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_ id=10733&page=2>.

After a stimulating discussion on Vivisection, Bio 2 Students delved into dissections of birds (pictured to the right), and then a group Harbor Seal dissection. Under Guidelines passed by the All College Meeting COA does not deliberately kill vertebrates for use in teaching settings, relyinjg instead on roadkills and bycatch for specimens.

Photos courtesy of Michelle Kline and Jess McCordic

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Arts and Literature

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The Docket

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Drawing by Anna Perry

New Policy Up For Debate - Matt Shaw

A new policy will be put to a vote on Wednesday of Week Nine, this term. If passed the policy will require COA to fly the flag of the United States of America within compliance of United States Code 4, Sections 1 - 10.

Due to the contentious nature of the proposed policy, an interim dialogue will be held on the Monday of Week Nine, prior to the Wednesday vote at ACM.

If you wish to contribute your opinion, but cannot make the schedlued dialogue, please email me at mshaw@ coa.edu or Leland Moore at lmoore@coa.edu. We are also approachable for friendly discussion. As a last resort, you can also send emails to steering@coa.edu or jmckown@coa.edu.

Hope to see you Week Nine!

The time and place of the Monday Dialogue is still TBA, but will most likely be held at 4 pm in a classroom.

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