Men’s Basketball: The fourth-ranked Amherst College men’s basketball team rebounded from its first loss of the season to defeat Bowdoin 80-66 in Morrell Gymnasium on Friday evening.

Women’s Basketball: The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team gave top-ranked Amherst all it could handle in a 63-59 win for the Jeffs on Friday evening at Morrell Gym.

Men’s Ice Hockey: The Bowdoin College men’s ice hockey team continued its hot play by scoring three times in the third period to pull away from Williams, 4-2, on Friday evening at Watson Arena. The Polar Bears (9-4-2, 7-2-2 NESCAC) are unbeaten in their last seven NESCAC games (6-0-1) and will host Middlebury on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. A photo gallery of Friday’s action is here.

Women’s Ice Hockey: Middlebury’s Katie Sullivan scored the game-winner with 1:34 remaining to lead the  fourth-ranked Panthers (10-1-2, 8-1) to a 2-1 win over Bowdoin (6-6-2, 4-3) in Kenyon Arena.

Swimming and Diving: The Bowdoin College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams swept Bates in a dual meet at Greason Pool on Friday night. Check out a photo gallery of the action here.

Southwest Airlines announced Friday that its familiar blue, red, and orange jets will soon be landing at Portland’s recently expanded Jetport. Last year’s purchase of AirTran by the Dallas-based Southwest is leading to a consolidation of the two carriers, with 15 cities losing service. Twenty-two others (including PWM) remain on the list.

Otter Cliff in Maine's Acadia National Park.

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, all 397 National Parks are offering free admission this holiday weekend.

More than a third of the way through January, Brunswick and most of the rest of Maine are just now getting the first “real” snowstorm of the season (those one-to-three-inch “dustings” don’t really count for the hardiest of Mainers).

Still, the first big snow event of the year, no matter when or where it falls, tends to give motorists a crash course in winter driving.

Winter driving school instructor Mark Cox suggests five ways to stay safe while driving in snow.

Transportation sharing services have grown in popularity in the last decade as economical and environmental alternatives to owning, with Zipcar as the auto standard, and many bicycle services vying for their own spots in the market. A new San Francisco-based car sharing service called Getaround is bending the car sharing model with a more social approach, and Good bills it as the future of the industry.

On Christmas Day one hundred and three years ago, Robert E. Peary, Class of 1877, and Donald B. MacMillan, Class of 1898, and their team of explorers were a little more than halfway to their goal of reaching the North Pole.

Read MacMillan’s December 25, 1908, journal entry.

Randy Nichols

As students wrap up coursework for the semester and prepare to hit the road for winter break, Director of Safety and Security Randy Nichols, who, before joining Bowdoin’s ranks in 2005, logged 27 years with the Maine State Police, offers words of advice that are good for anyone traveling over the holidays.

• Most highway crashes are caused by a combination of speed, driver inattention/distraction, and following too closely. So slow down, wake up, and back off!

• Most winter crashes are the result by driving too fast for the road and weather conditions.

• For optimum control, keep both hands on the wheel at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. The secret to avoiding skidding out of control on snow and ice is to make SMOOTH and GRADUAL motions when steering, braking and accelerating. Picture this, if you will: There is a pitcher of milk (or beverage of your choice) on the hood of your car, and there is an egg between your foot and the gas and brake pedals.  Try to drive so that you don’t spill a drop or smash the egg.

• Wear your seat belt; the odds are that that simple act will prevent serious injury or save your life in a crash. The driver is responsible for making sure all passengers are buckled.

• Texting while driving is illegal in 35 states and dangerous in 50. The minimum fine for texting while driving in Maine is $100.

• Maine has a “Move Over Law” that requires that drivers pass stopped emergency vehicles at a prudent speed and move one lane over, if it is safe to do so.

• Make sure your tires and wipers are in good condition and all your lights are working.

• Don’t forget an ice scraper and snow brush. Remove ALL snow and ice from your vehicle.

• Use your headlights day and night, good weather and bad. This helps other drivers and pedestrians see you sooner. Watch for pedestrians and bicyclists, especially at dusk and at night.

• Be prepared for an emergency. Keep extra warm clothing, hat, boots and gloves in your vehicle in case of a breakdown or accident. A bright flashlight can be invaluable.

• If you break down or have an accident, pull as far to the right as possible and stay well clear of oncoming traffic. Turn on your hazard flashers. Call 911 or AAA for assistance. Stay inside your vehicle unless it is unsafe to do so.

• You will be arrested for drunk driving if you have a blood alcohol content of 0.08 (but they can arrest you for less). So don’t drive after drinking, period. There is “zero tolerance” for drivers under age 21 who have consumed any amount of alcohol at all, and a violation will result in a license suspension of 1-2 years.

• One more thing: State Troopers across the country will be engaged in a coordinated effort of strict enforcement to reduce the number of fatal crashes during the holiday period. Don’t be that guy!

Ten years and 3.5 million passengers later, Amtrak has something to celebrate this week. Thursday marks the tenth anniversary of the Downeaster—passenger train service between Boston and Portland that has exceeded even the most enthusiastic expectations. A celebration that began with a pizza party on Monday for Amtrak employees will culminate Thursday with an anniversary ceremony in Portland. Meanwhile, a short distance up the road in Brunswick, construction workers on Tuesday lowered into place several sections of prefabricated concrete to form the train ramp at Brunswick Station. It’s the next stop on the return of passenger rail service to Maine, projected to expand to Brunswick in late 2012.

Ramp construction underway at Brunswick Station.

Just in time for the holidays, TIME unveils its best stuff of the year about to end. From books, to movies, to tweets—even the best people NOT running for president—it’s all here.

Safe Passage, the non-profit founded by the late Hanley Denning ’92 to educate children whose families earn their living picking through trash at the Guatemala City Dump, was highlighted on NPR. The piece includes an interview with Jessica Britt ’10, who works for the agency. Listen to the segment.

Among its Alternative Spring Break 2012 options, the McKeen Center for the Common Good includes Providing Safe Passage in Guatemala, a trip that entails helping in the effort to combat poverty by creating opportunities and fostering dignity through the power of education.

The Bowdoin College Museum of Art, one of the Boston Globe's recommended stops while in Brunswick.

From the historic houses and antique markets to the eclectic dining options, Brunswick “does not feel like a tourist town,” reads a Boston Globe travel piece.

The article mentions the College and includes the Museum of Art among its highlighted recommendations. Read the article.

If you’re heading over the river and through the woods during the holidays — and at the risk of sounding cliché twice in one sentence — there’s an app for that.

Whether you’re an over-planner or more the spontaneous type, traveling alone or with the whole clan, help is heading your way  — just don’t leave home without your mobile device.

Priya Sridhar '07 (Illustration: Chelee Ross '12)

This profile originally appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of Bowdoin magazine.

Current residence: New Delhi, India

Twitter: @prisri123

Bowdoin major: Government & Legal Studies

From liberal arts to international journalism: Because I have an academic background in international relations, it doesn’t take me as long to catch up when I get assigned an interview with only 45 minutes to prepare. Most importantly, Bowdoin taught me how to read and write. I learned how to take primary documents, understand and analyze them, create an argument, and back it up with points. These are the exact things I do pretty much every day as a journalist.

On reporting from India: I do have to work with translators in order to really interview people properly. I miss having direct interaction with my interview subjects though—it’s harder for me to react or have an emotional connection when I’m going through a middleman. Also, a lot of things in India take longer. People here are very warm and hospitable, and frequently, when I go to interview someone, they will want to offer me a meal or introduce me to their relatives. I am a naturally curious person, which is why I got into this field, so oftentimes I will get sidetracked by personal stories or learning about someone’s family history—but when you’re working on a deadline it can definitely slow things down.

Indian food: Some of the favorite foods I’ve eaten here have been the seafood curries, especially shrimp in Kerala and Goa (both coastal states in India).

Dream interviewee: I don’t really get too star-struck. But one person I have always wanted to meet is Ted Turner. He has such diverse interests and has been incredibly smart in his business decisions.

I’d be a reality show contestant on: “The Amazing Race.” The idea of traveling and seeing new things appeals to me. I’m also a little bit competitive and I think anyone in the news business is a little bit of an adrenaline junkie.

Fashion: One thing I learned in news is always wear flat shoes because you never know where you’ll end up! This hasn’t been a huge problem for me because I’m all about comfort and hate wearing heels.

Music: I think the first CD I ever bought was Ace of Base. Still love those songs to this day.

Global Citizens recipient Bryce Lednar ’11 (standing, second from right) at Joining Hearts and Hands in Kisumu, Kenya.

Fresh from their experiences exploring international development issues through service with grassroots organizations abroad, Bowdoin’s recent Global Citizens Grant recipients are now building on their work here in Maine.

They are working to raise awareness on campus or in local schools, deepening their understanding of the public health, education and sustainability issues they addressed through the courses they’re taking, or gaining perspective on these issues locally through community service work in Brunswick or with immigrant and refugee communities in Portland. Read more.

Eric Loss '08

Eric Loss ’08 is taking off on the adventure of a lifetime. He leaves Sunday on a solo non-stop journey to circumnavigate the globe aboard his Islander 36, the Odyssey.

Visit Loss’ S/V Odyssey blog to learn how he’s prepared, see his route and track his progress.

A former hedge-fund manager raised $22 million to found a new Museum of Mathematics to open next year on E. 26th St. in Manhattan.

“I started this museum because I wanted people to have a chance to see the beauty, excitement and wonder of mathematics,” said Glen Whitney.

Planned exhibitions for MoMath include  a square-wheeled tricycle that can ride on a special path as smoothly as a round-wheeled one.