Ed Kaelber, founding president of COA, takes the controls to break ground for the new library and stu- dent center complex. mous donors helped boost the total raised for The Phoenix Fund, the col- lege's rebuilding campaign, beyond the COA NEWS halfway mark of its $6 million goal. By late August, an additional $.5 million had been received in a series of pledges. This brought the total raised for the Phoenix Fund since the start of the FALL 1987 COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC BAR HARBOR, MAINE campaign to approximately $3.8 million. Of this total, two million is designated construction of the $3 million building for Kaelber Hall. which will replace the former Kaelber In commenting on the progress of The Hole Hall, destroyed by fire in July of 1983. raising the funds needed to complete the The three-story structure will house a construction of Kaelber Hall, COA In the Ledge student center and dining room as well President Louis Rabineau said that the as a computer center, language-music building's original price tag of $2.5 mil- listening laboratory, and an audio-visual lion had been increased an additional presentation room. The entire second $500,000. This was necessary to provide Edward Kaelber, founding president of floor will contain a 50,000-volume for higher construction costs as well as College of the Atlantic, dug the first library, named for COA trustee the complete furnishing of the building. shovelful of earth on July 27th to make Elizabeth F. Thorndike, and her late "We must raise $1 million more by way for construction of the school's new husband, Amory. September 1988, in order to have the student center complex bearing his Plans for the 20,000-square-foot struc- building finished and ready for the fall name. And he did it with style. ture were drawn up by prize-winning ar- semester. We are confident that our Climbing into the cab of a Gradall chitect Daniel Scully of Peterborough, friends, new and old, will help us backhoe, he good-humoredly took the New Hampshire, who has designed the achieve this goal. Having a library on controls. After a few lurchings and master plan for COA's entire rebuilding campus and space for our growing pro- tenuous starts, he dug the machine's program which was initiated after a fire gram in computer applications is urgent. bucket deep into the gravel of the build- destroyed the College's main building in This new facility will play a key role in ing site, to the cheers of about 100 July, 1983. our ability to attract and retain faculty onlookers. A 2:1 challenge pledge of $500,000 and students of the highest caliber," This was the symbolic beginning for early this summer by a group of anony- said Rabineau. 1 "Works in Progress" program which is one of the most stimulating in- A Message tellectual experiences that one can imagine. From the President Our needs grow, however. The greatest needs are to continue our attention to increasing the compen- sation schedule for faculty, to find College of the Atlantic is reaching a additional funds for student finan- new plateau in its 16th year. We cial aid, and to obtain the resources realize the truth of John Gardner's needed to complete and operate the observation that institutions survive new library, dining hall and com- not because they avoid decay, but puter center. rather because they regenerate their "What is the most stimulating mission, while capitalizing on new activity this year at COA?" I asked experiences and new ideas. Harris Hyman, a COA faculty The regeneration at COA is phenomenal: (1) new buildings- Louis Rabineau member who has been responsible for developing computer activity Kaelber Hall/Thorndike Library is and suggesting solutions toward an nine times the size we had three being built within two years after improved atmosphere for women years ago, thanks to a federal grant. the completion of the through an effort coordinated by His answer: "My students are ab- Science/Laboratory/Greenhouse the Women's Task Force co-chaired solutely exciting!" building. (2) Funding and support of by Susan Lerner and Cathy Rams- With all this to COA's credit, COA is higher than ever, although dell Sweet. (5) The alumni reunion, we keep our mission clear: teaching the needs are greater than ever. (3) coordinated by Phil Kunhardt and and learning with a human ecologi- The largest class in COA's history colleagues, was a beautiful and cal perspective. was admitted this fall, and the meaningful event. (6) The new Sincerely, enrollment has risen to the highest faculty have added greater vitality since before the fire five years ago. to an already vital faculty and Minority enrollment has started to JoAnne Carpenter has become a for build, for which we are grateful. (4) full-time member of the faculty. (7) We will be investigating problems The faculty are involved in a Louis Rabineau for art classes but there were only two an instructor of environmental design. students to every teacher. This made it Renaissance of the According to McMullen and Carpenter, tough to actually create "classes." With he will be the new eyes of the art much patience and work, ways were department. It is through him that Art Program found to both teach the students and McMullen and Carpenter hope to give them hands-on experience. For ex- "rethink their goals." Owens views ample, at one point approximately 18 COA as "a place to engage people's fun- When students came to College of the students helped McMullen build a damental questions of design." He Atlantic back in the early 70's, they house. would like to see the curriculum expand came with the hopes of finding practical At the beginning, things were very to include not just building design, but ways of living an alternative, self-suffi- "Utopian," as Carpenter explains it. town, community, and landscape design. cient lifestyle. One similar goal of all Students wanted to learn how to create Owens feels that no educational institu- original 32 students was to be able to and design their own world. But, the tion effectively equates design with the resourcefully build their own house and first year was spent in meetings deciding environment. It is his goal to do SO heat it with the sun. This idea triggered what the "masterplan" was to be. Even- here. Together with Carpenter and the growing concern for building and tually six art shows a year were creating with one's own hands. For the first term, the "art program" consisted of a "Pottery Club" which was more or less extracurricular, offering no presented involving mostly Maine art- McMullen, Owens would like to see the credit. Students protested and in the ists. This sparked student interest in program broaden to include more design second term, they received credit for the showing their own work. classes and more visiting art instructors. class. In the second year of COA's ex- At this point COA began to explore Eventually, a workable Gallery will istence, there was an outcry for more the connection between aesthetics and be built to enhance the rapidly growing classes in the visual arts. At that point, human ecology. Classes began to evolve program, and more classes such as due to student persistence and faculty around this interrelationship, and a photography, filmmaking, and graphic enthusiasm, the art program was born. unique program began. Carpenter design will be added to the curriculum. Two key people in the development states that at present time there is no The Fine Arts curriculum is also an of the art curriculum were Ernest other college which has attempted to area which may develop in the near McMullen and JoAnne Carpenter, art establish this important link. future. Carpenter, McMullen, and instructors who have been at COA A potential catalyst in the whole art Owens believe there's room for improve- since its beginning. Both struggled with curriculum development process, Peter ment, but they all agree " the the fact that there was a great demand Owens has joined the COA faculty as horizon's bright!" -Gina Platt 2