COA News JULY 1986 VOL. 9 NO. 2 COA Celebrates 14th Commencement Forty-one jubilant students graduated from College of the Atlantic with a Bachelor's degree in Human Ecology on Saturday, May 31. Parents and friends of the graduates, including many returning alumni, crowded into St. Saviour's Church to witness COA's 14th commencement. True to the spirit of College of the Atlantic, the ceremony was informal and personal. Massive bouquets of spring flowers decorated the church, and a huge banner with a pink and green hummingbird in flight, designed and made by members of the graduating class, hung above the pulpit. Following a greeting by Dr. Thomas Hall, chairman of the board of trustees, COA president Dr. Louis Rabineau addressed the graduates briefly. "COA is what you carry in your heart and mind," he said. "You carry this wisdom wherever you go and in that sense College of the Atlantic is for you and for all of us a world-wide academy. We wish you the best as you now become both a student and a teacher in that world- Warm hugs all around after the graduation ceremony. Patti Clark and Tenia wide academy." Bannick congratulate each other. Gordon Bok, well-known folksinger and former COA instructor, then filled the church with his music. He was All About Whales joined for his finale by long-time friend Elmer Beal, also a folksinger and COA instructor. Beal invited the graduates to Friday, September 12 through director, Vicki Nichols, will lead two sing along, "because it will be the last Sunday, September 14 will be the hands-on programs at College of the time you will sing together," he said. weekend to learn "All About Whales". Atlantic in which participants assemble Bok's sonorous baritone led the refrain The staff from College of the Atlantic's the "Whales On Wheels" minke "Where you go, go well. And a fair wind Allied Whale project, the Natural skeleton and the "Naugahyde Whale". home." History Museum and Captain Bob Vicki will be joined by Dr. Steven Following Bok's music came a song Bowman of Maine Whale Watch will be Katona, co-author of the field guide, of a different kind in the form of a eulogy combining their expertise to present a Whales, Porpoises, and Seals of the and the awarding of an honorary degree wide range of activities for this special Gulf of Maine and Eastern Canada, in human ecology to Mr. John C. family weekend. who, with other Allied Whale staff, will Dreier, COA trustee and former guest On Friday evening, Captain Bowman share some of their latest research and lecturer. In introducing Mr. Dreier, will present a slide preview in findings. Finally, to end on a humorous Neva Goodwin, Vice Chairman of the anticipation of a Saturday whalewatch note, local storyteller and COA COA Board of Trustees, said, "John has trip to Mt. Desert Rock. During the graduate Jackson Gillman will spin probably held more different positions cruise, participants may see a some tales of whales and whale than any other individual at COA." combination of finback and minke watching. According to Goodwin, phrases of whales, harbor porpoises, white-sided For reservations, contact the Field praise used by many to describe the dolphins, gray and harbor seals, a Trip Office at the Maine Audubon distinguished academician, statesman variety of seabirds, and, with luck, a Society, 118 U.S. Route One, humpback or right whale. On Sunday Falmouth, Maine 04105, 781-2330. (Continued on page 7) the Natural History Museum's acting 1 President Keeps Busy Spring Schedule COA President Louis Rabineau's recruitment, development and reported on College of the Atlantic. "Few schedule this spring has included retention. These areas of concern were places," he said, "have such personal several meetings with key leaders in the remarkably similar, the chief relationships and shared governance." community and the greater New differences lying in degree of Copies of COA's literary-art England and New York areas. magnitude. It was agreed that certain publication Voices, a senior project, In April Rabineau attended a meeting promotional possibilities should be were handed out. of the Governor's Committee on investigated, including the funding of a Closer to home, Rabineau spoke at a Scholastic Achievement in New York project to raise the aspirations of Maine May 21 Rotary Club meeting in Bar City. Rabineau was one of the founding Youth, a joint sponsorship of an event Harbor. In putting COA into historical members of the Governor's Committee for business and/or legislators, a joint context he said, "A handful of people which provides scholarships to sponsorship of a concert by the Bangor wanted to develop a college which academically gifted and talented young Symphony Orchestra, which might would be a credit to the community, be men and women primarily from New take place on different campuses over a of high quality not just another York high schools who are financially given period of time, and the possibility college. It has tried to do just that. I feel unable to pursue a higher education at a of distributing placemats to area COA has an informal understanding college of their choice. Recently restaurants with the theme "The to fulfill that original objective to be a Rabineau was instrumental in obtaining Educational Heartland of Maine." credit to Bar Harbor and to Mount scholarship support from the At a meeting of the Higher Education Desert Island." After discussing COA's Governor's Committee which has Council for the State of Maine in May, three major areas of concern enroll- chosen COA as one of approximately Rabineau received an update on the ment, finance, and faculty he three dozen colleges outside of New Maine Science and Technology Board, reported on the career paths of recent York who qualify for that kind of help. whose purpose is to help forge graduates and summer programs On April 9 Rabineau hosted a productive relationships among the offered at the College. In conclusion meeting of Bangor area presidents to private and public sectors. At this Rabineau stated "We feel we are a part discuss areas of mutual concern. meeting the future role of the Higher of the community, not apart from the Institutions represented were Unity Education Council of Maine was community, even though, like every College, Husson College, Maine discussed. A subcommittee was other institution we must maintain Maritime Academy, University of established to develop a strategy for our identity in order to do the best for Maine at Orono, and Eastern Maine future directions as well as to review the everyone." Vocational Technical Institute. Each feasibility of an Executive Director. institution summarized its current At the Annual Meeting of the Board status, finding common denominators of Directors of the Academy for in financial problems, enrollment drops, Educational Development in honor of and general issues of faculty President Gerald Ford, Rabineau Summer Interns Pursue Diverse Interests Nine COA students are currently and the coastal erosion of Maine's bays of computer software. enrolled in internships that range and saltmarshes using core sampling Bette Swanton is an intern at the across New England. The following is a techniques. Robert Abbe Museum in Acadia brief summary of these internships: Kim Robertson is an assistant on National Park where she is designing Lynn Brach is refining her weaving the Maine Whale Watch voyages that new exhibits about local Indian skills with Ms. Jayn Thomas, noted embark from Northeast Harbor. anthropology as well as upgrading the weaver and teacher of Ellsworth, Bruce Robinson is an intern at current ones. Maine. Shorebird Systems Inc. where he is Kirsten Tripplett is an intern at the Lauren Gilson is teaching natural assisting in the development and selling Wild Gardens of Acadia National Park. history and environmental science at the Science Center of New Hampshire. Julie Girton is assisting Ted Kloman Fund Tops Goal Koffman with the organization and management of COA's Elderhostel In January of this year the Helm With several recent gifts, the goal has program. Kloman Memorial Fund achieved its been surpassed. It is hoped that the David Heckscher is an intern at the initial goal of $10,000. The Fund was Fund will continue to grow through gifts Hancock County Planning Commission created in memory of Erasmus H. in the future, to enable the amounts in Ellsworth. His work involves (Helm) Kloman Jr., who had been a awarded and extent of the research undertaking research trips and writing student in COA's course in Ecology in projects to increase. The interest regional planning reports. 1975. When cancer ended his life in earned each year on the principal Jean Pelletier is working as a November, 1980, his family and friends determines the size of the Fellowship. research geologist for the Federal and established the Fund to annually Announcement of the recipient of the State Geological Surveys. He is support a summer of field work on 1986 Fellowship award appears in studying offshore sediment migration whales by a COA student. another part of this issue. 2