The Class of 2005 reaches 100% participation for their Senior Class Gift!
COA Remembers Mitch Carter '80
Kate Gatski '98 (formerly Kate Francis) talks about her new business- Gatski Metal
Have you made your gift to the Annual Fund yet this year???
Nikolai Fox '00 wins the Maine Documentary Film Competition for his film "In the Brook Where I Belong"
COA holds the nations first Zero-Waste Graduation
Marc Brammer '95 presents "A Human Ecological Based Approach to Investing"
President Steve Katona Addresses the Class of 2005 at COA's 33rd Commencement
 Following the example of the previous year's graduates, the Class of 2005 reached 100% participation for their Senior Class Gift. The money raised will serve two purposes. First, the class designed and framed a map of Mount Desert Island detailing all of the hiking trails, carriage trails, towns, roads, bodies of water and Acadia National Park points of interest. This map will be mounted in a prominent location on campus and serve as a guide for new students and visitors who need to orient themselves to the island.
Second, the Class of 2005 will give a large portion of the money raised to the Senior Project Fund which was created by the Class of 2004. This will provide future seniors the opportunity to apply for financial assistance when planning their senior projects. Congratulations Class of 2005!
 On April 4, 2005 Mitch Carter passed away, as a result of epilepsy. Mitch is survived by his wife, Florence, and baby son Nicolas who was born on March 23. Mitch was greatly looking forward to being a parent and Florence is glad he was able to at least spend one loving week with him.
Besides being a dear friend and a brilliant student, Mitch also had a sharp wit and a mischievous, satirical sense of humor. He often enjoyed poking fun at the more sanctimonious elements of COA life. He was instrumental in such notorious events as the Junk Food Potluck, the Nuke The Whales campaign and the Unnatural History Museum display. I believe he was also involved in the famous April Fools pranks of hanging a canoe through the center of the majestic spiral staircase of the original Kaelber Hall and the placement of a skeleton with a pipe and a pork pie hat in the chair behind President Ed Kaelber's desk. Mostly, though, I remember him as a sweet, sweet guy, "Uncle Mitch" to our kids. He was loved by many and will be sorely missed.
-Jaki Erdoes Good '80 remembering Mitch
A moment of silence was observed in Mitch's memory at the All College Meeting on Wednesday, April 6 and a commemorative wooden chair dedicated to his memory can be found on the second floor of Turrets. According to Mitch's wishes, he will be cremated and his ashes scattered at Angel Falls, Venezuela, Florence's home country.
Notes of condolence may be sent to: Florence Carter, 4600 Connecticut Ave, N.W. Apt. 831, Washington, DC 20008 floharth[at]aol.com
Gatski Metal has been featured in the March/April issue of In Business and in the May/June 2005 issue of Natural Home and Garden In an interview with Kate, I asked her where the idea for Gatski Metal came from:
It (Gatski Metal) was a culmination of many things, including a passion for agriculture, an instinct for reclaiming used materials, a need to manage our own business, and last but not least a love for all things creative and artistic.
click here to read more from an interview with Kate.
Kate's website here
 If not, why not? The fiscal year ends June 30, 2005 so there is still time! As of June 20, we still need 30 gifts to reach 25% alumni participation. Every gift, no matter the size counts. To see how we are progressing toward our goals and how your class's alumni giving percentage compares to last year, click here.
 In the Brook Where I Belong will be screened as part of the Celebration of Maine Filmmakers' Program at the Maine International Film Festival, July 18th at 6:30pm in the Maine Film Office Theater at The Center, 93 Main Street, Waterville.
To read more about In the Brook Where I Belong click here
Congratulations Nikolai!
 In our efforts to walk our talk, COA held the nation's first Zero-Waste Graduation. We used plates and utensils made of compostable materials such as sugarcane, corn and wheat starch. The plastic ribbon we that was previously used to mark isles was replaced with reusable rope and we worked with our supply chain to make sure that as many products as possible entering campus for graduation were either recyclable or compostable. Perhaps the biggest challenge was for students moving out of their dorms to abide by the Zero-Waste guidelines. Many items were given away or recycled and anything that could not be recycled or composted has been made into a Zero-Waste sculpture.
We got some great press too, check out these articles for more info:
The New York Times
The Boston Globe
The Bangor Daily News
Maine Today
Marc is the director of research for Innovest Strategic Advisors, the New York City-based financial rating company that looks at corporate performance not only according to current financial status, but also long term viability. Innovestâ??s expansive view of investing focuses on identifying non-traditional sources of risk and value for investors including issues related to social and environmental responsibility.
For an interview with Marc click here
 In Steve's address he noted that the Class of 2005 began their COA careers in 2001, just five days before the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
"...A human ecological approach will also eliminate terrorism more reliably than dedicating ever-larger fractions of national budgets to military offense and defense. A more effective alternative is to create the world described in College of the Atlanticâ??s vision statement--- a world where people value creativity, intellectual achievement, and the diversity of nature and human cultures; and where, with respect and compassion, individuals construct meaningful lives for themselves, gain appreciation for the relationships among all forms of life, and safeguard the heritage of future generations."
To read President Katona's entire commencement address click here
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