FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[PolarCat]

It looks like Bowdoin may be getting a new turf field and some other Whittier Field upgrades. An anonymous donor had committed "in the millions" to the project, with the proviso that the new field must be ready for the upcoming season (fall of 2018). Planning seems to be moving along at a nice clip, with news of the project being made available to the public primarily because of the need to engage with government agencies to get the necessary permits and to placate neighbors . . It's about time!!!!

Today's news out of Brunswick.  Living proof that inside The Bowdoin Bubble, no good deed goes unpunished:

PolarKitten called me today to say that President Clayton Rose announced the Whittier Field renovations in an email to the campus community today.  Protests are being organized to denounce the "special treatment" given to "privileged" athletes.  Apparently at Bowdoin, having gender reassignment surgery paid for by the college health plan, and providing free Tampax in the men's lavatories (because, you never know when Billy or Bobby is going to start spotting?) is no longer enough.  The evil alumnus who would contribute $$$ for athletics must be rebuked, and that money must be reassigned to the Social Justice Warrior cause du jour.

PolarKitten can't wait to graduate and put all this nonsense in the rear view mirror.....

[quicksilver]

Here's the detail on the renovations to Bowdoin's Whittier Field. It will be a 2-phase project, with the turf field, the new 8-lane track, the lights, and a new press box to be ready by this coming football season (construction will start in May). The second phase will involve the construction of new "support" buildings (with locker rooms, etc) so that the new turf field can be used for practice and for lacrosse games, taking some of the pressure off the over used Pickard field. Funds have been already raised for the first $3.5M phase, and a contractor selected so this project is a go . . .

[amh63]

Gregory Sager....I appreciate the correction . Plus K.  Unique terrestrial slug in a coastal area Hey. 
What does it feed on...natural predators?  Wonder if they have Slug lanes alerts on the roadways?

PolarCat....Sad news.  One wonders if the "protesters" have better things to do...like going to class and studying.  I popped on the Bowdoin website and even glanced thru the two campus news papers to look for any mention of the gift for the football field upgrade....none found.

[quicksilver]

Gregory Sager....I appreciate the correction . Plus K.  Unique terrestrial slug in a coastal area Hey. 
What does it feed on...natural predators?  Wonder if they have Slug lanes alerts on the roadways?

PolarCat....Sad news.  One wonders if the "protesters" have better things to do...like going to class and studying.  I popped on the Bowdoin website and even glanced thru the two campus news papers to look for any mention of the gift for the football field upgrade....none found.

Amh63 -- the Whittier Field renovations story is the "top story" on the Bowdoin athletics website. what i do not see anywhere is any news of "protests."

[PolarCat]

Amh63 -- the Whittier Field renovations story is the "top story" on the Bowdoin athletics website. what i do not see anywhere is any news of "protests."

Of course you don't.  The news just broke today, and clearly GoUBears.com would not mention the reaction on campus.  The Orient probably will, but with the school on break, the Orient won't publish again till this Thursday.

[polbear73]

It looks like Bowdoin may be getting a new turf field and some other Whittier Field upgrades. An anonymous donor had committed "in the millions" to the project, with the proviso that the new field must be ready for the upcoming season (fall of 2018). Planning seems to be moving along at a nice clip, with news of the project being made available to the public primarily because of the need to engage with government agencies to get the necessary permits and to placate neighbors . . It's about time!!!!

Today's news out of Brunswick.  Living proof that inside The Bowdoin Bubble, no good deed goes unpunished:

PolarKitten called me today to say that President Clayton Rose announced the Whittier Field renovations in an email to the campus community today.  Protests are being organized to denounce the "special treatment" given to "privileged" athletes.  Apparently at Bowdoin, having gender reassignment surgery paid for by the college health plan, and providing free Tampax in the men's lavatories (because, you never know when Billy or Bobby is going to start spotting?) is no longer enough.  The evil alumnus who would contribute $$$ for athletics must be rebuked, and that money must be reassigned to the Social Justice Warrior cause du jour.

PolarKitten can't wait to graduate and put all this nonsense in the rear view mirror.....

I have tried to formulate a more intelligent response to the news of the protests concerning the  long overdue renovations to Bowdoin's Whittier Field.  The best I could do is "are you ******* kidding me!".  I know more should be expected of a Bowdoin graduate, but I'm just numb. 

[PolarCat]

"Numb", but probably not "surprised", am I right?  (PS: Check the Private Message I sent you).

[polbear73]

Will do the first chance I have but you're right, I am not surprised at all. 

[amh63]

Saw the lead story on the Bowdoin athletic website today....via the link posted here.
My previous post was just after a post here wrt a major gift on the renovation to the football field.  Thought then that MAYBE the school publications would mention something.
Now, after the Amherst WBB team won another National Title, there was a Large picture on the Front page of the Amherst general website.  Surprised me.  Cannot remember ever that the school website had a picture of a National Title  team on the front page.

[Gregory Sager]

Gregory Sager....I appreciate the correction . Plus K.  Unique terrestrial slug in a coastal area Hey. 
What does it feed on...natural predators?

They eat leaves, mushrooms, animal droppings, moss, and dead organic material. As for natural predators, per wiki, "Raccoons, garter snakes, ducks, geese, and salamanders sometimes eat banana slugs; they roll the slugs in soil to bind the slime. Juvenile banana slugs are sometimes eaten by shrews or moles."

Wonder if they have Slug lanes alerts on the roadways?

Dunno about the roadways, but they do have slug-crossing signs on walkways and outdoor stairways:



UC-Santa Cruz actually makes quite a bit of money on licensing Banana Slugs merch. It seems as though every visiting student-athlete who visits the UCSC campus for a game or a meet (and, granted, UCSC's off the beaten path, so it's not as though there's tons of D3 student-athletes who've ever been there) comes away with Banana Slugs swag. John Travolta's character in Pulp Fiction, Vincent Vega, wore a Banana Slugs t-shirt in one scene in the film:

[quicksilver]

Here's some more detail on the renovations of Bowdoin's Whittier Field, including the poor condition of the track . . I have seen rendering but can't find a way to post it on this site -- the most notable change is that it looks like a majority of the seats will be on what has historically been the visitors' side of the field while the grandstand side of the field (historically the home side) will consist only of the grandstand and none of the seating that has been added in front of it and adjacent to it over the years . .   

[amh63]

quicksilver....interesting stuff, especially wrt the track.  Many of the upgrades at Whittier field parallel those at Amherst's Pratt Field.  Amherst's track inside the stands allowed the hosting of conference title track meets.  The "home" side stands with the new press box at Pratt is now on the sunny side.  Will the Polarbears' home stands now be opposite the covered Grandstand? 
Glad that there will be lights. Maybe there will be more night games around the Nescac?  Forget that thought.....it gets COLD in the Fall at night.

Gregory Sager....nice bit of Banana Slug info....especially with the crossing signs.  Noted the pic of the slipping person.  Guess that sign has some athletic point

[polbear73]

True, amh63 and hopefully Whittier will turn out as beautifully as Pratt!

[quicksilver]

quicksilver....interesting stuff, especially wrt the track.  Many of the upgrades at Whittier field parallel those at Amherst's Pratt Field.  Amherst's track inside the stands allowed the hosting of conference title track meets.  The "home" side stands with the new press box at Pratt is now on the sunny side.  Will the Polarbears' home stands now be opposite the covered Grandstands? 
Glad that there will be lights. Maybe there will be more night games around the Nescac?  Forget that thought.....it gets COLD in the Fall at night.

Yes, Amh63, am thinking that the home stands will be opposite the covered grandstand as that is the sunny side and looks to hold more seats (by a wide margin) than the grandstand. That will be a big change . . Am also thinking that the lights are maybe more for lacrosse and intramurals and practices than football games. . . 

[polbear73]

Thank you for the information, quicksilver.  From what I understand the lights will be mainly for practices and lacrosse games, although last year there was some thought of a very occasional football game.  It is interesting to note that the historical material related to the Hubbard Grandstand indicates that the original structure seats only 600.  I woulld have guessed more. 

Although football is  a major beneficiary, the Whittier Field renovation is really result of a master plan to alleviate the crowding at the Pickard Field complex brought on by the fact that Ryan Field is currently Bowdoin's only turf field.  Bowdoin could not afford the luxury of allowing Whittier Field to be idle except for only four football games and a handful of track events each year.  As a football alumnus, I would like to think that football was the impetus behind these necessary improvements, but the reality is that this overhaul meets so many other needs of Bowdoin athletics. 

In any event, these improvements will hopefully bring the faciltiy into the 21st century while maintaining the character of this iconic venue.