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(03/14/13 7:44pm)
Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything is Illuminated and other international best-selling works of both fiction and nonfiction, will deliver the commencement address to the class of 2013 on May 26.
Safran Foer will also receive a Doctor of Letters degree at the ceremony. Other honorary degree recipients include Edward Burtynsky, artist and photographer, Megan Camp, vice president and program director at Shelburne Farms, Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of the Acumen Fund and Stuart Schwartz ’62, the George Burton Adams professor of history and professor of international and area studies at Yale.
Safran Foer’s Everything is Illuminated was the reading for the class of 2013 for their fall orientation in 2009. Members of the class read the novel during the summer and discussed its themes during orientation workshops.
President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz said he was “very happy and pleased” to host Safran Foer, a commencement speaker nominated by several students.
“We try our best to respond to students’ desires,” said Liebowitz. “I think the orientation reading resonated with many students, so this selection is quite fitting.”
International best-seller Everything is Illuminated was published in 2002 when Safran Foer was just 25 years old. The book, which chronicles the author's discovery of his family's history, was adapted into a major motion picture in 2005 starring Elijah Wood. Safran Foer has also published Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the inspiration for an Academy Award-nominated motion picture. Eating Animals is the author’s third international best-seller and a nonfiction account of his struggle with vegetarianism. In 2010, the New Yorker named Safran Foer as one of the 20 best writers under 40 years old. He teaches graduate creative writing at New York University and is working on another novel, Escape from the Children’s Hospital.
Burtynsky, who will receive a Doctor of Arts degree, has a collection of photographs of quarries and quarry work, Nature Transformed,that is currently on display at the Middlebury Museum of Art. Burtynsky is an Ontario native whose depictions of global industrial landscape are included in the collections of more than 50 museums, including the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Canada and the Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris.
Camp will receive a Doctor of Letters degree in recognition for her 30 years of work at Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre working farm, nonprofit education center and National Historic Landmark located near the College. Camp’s work has helped create a process that resulted in Vermont incorporating the nation’s first education standards for sustainability. Camp is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award for Environmental Education from the New England Environmental Education Association, the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Education Achievement Award, and the United States Environmental Protection Environmental Merit Award.
In addition, a Doctor of Humane Letters degree will be awarded to Novogratz, a pioneer in the field of impact investment. Under Novogratz, the nonprofit Acumen Fund has invested more than $80 million in social enterprises, emerging leaders and breakthrough ideas to solve the problems of poverty. Novogratz delivered the keynote speech at the launch of the College’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship in January 2012.
Schwartz will receive a Doctor of Letters degree for his work as one of the world’s leading scholars of Brazilian history. Schwartz has taught at Yale since 1996 and is the George Burton Adams professor of history and a professor of international and area studies. Schwartz’s most recent work, All Can Be Saved: Religious Tolerance and Salvation in the Iberian Atlantic World, received numerous awards, including the 2008 Cundill International Prize in History and the 2009 American Academy of Religion Book Award.
The commencement ceremony for the class of 2013 will be held on May 26 at 10 a.m. on the Central College Lawn, located in front of Munroe and Voter Halls.
(03/14/13 12:46am)
Margaret Cramer '12 presenter her "Commando" line of lingerie and swimwear at the Senior Job Fling on Wednesday, March 13 in McCardell Bicentennial Hall.
(03/06/13 5:24pm)
The Residential Life Committee, a subcommittee of Community Council, has recommended that Delta house be disbanded due to failure to comply with Inter-House Council (IHC) and college regulations.
On Tuesday, March 12, Community Council at-large will vote on the passage of the report that could pose a steep challenge to the existence of the house commonly referred to by students as “ADP.” The results of the Council’s vote will then go to the desk of President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz for a final decision on the future of the organization.
“This is the biggest place to party on campus — without question,” said President of Delta Luke Battle ’14. “Without it, I think there would be a really, really big void in the social scene that wouldn’t be filled by anywhere else.”
The primary concern of the Residential Life Committee is the amount of dorm damage — approximately $1,800 — that Delta has already accumulated this academic year. After seeing around $10,000 of dorm damage last year, the College stipulated that Delta’s damage would have to remain below $1,500 for the 2012-2013 academic year. The other social houses’ damage is capped at $2,500.
Battle called the $1,500 goal “unattainable” given the size of Delta’s parties, which often draw 200 to 400 students, according to Battle. “They’re really setting us up to fail here, as far as dorm damage goes,” he added.
Co-Chair of Community Council Barrett Smith ’13 also cited the lack of registered parties as a serious concern.
“Part of the responsibility of a social house is to throw registered parties,” said Smith. “[The houses] are given certain privileges, and in exchange, they have to comply with Vermont state law and other requests of the College.”
Battle maintains that while Delta is making a concerted effort to follow the rules, the registration process for parties is overly exhaustive.
“We understand that we have not complied completely with the College,” said Battle. “We’re trying to change so that we are complying with their wishes. We threw our first registered party of the year this past Saturday and it was a big success, but at the same time, the preparations that had to go into that and the regulations we had to follow are pretty ridiculous.”
Residential Life Committee member and former Tavern president Zach Marlette ’13 said that, even discounting errors of procedure, Delta has shown a lack of cooperation with Public Safety.
“Delta can’t have people at the house — whether they’re members or guests — that are disrespecting Public Safety,” said Marlette. “It’s all tied to the culture that they cultivate.”
Additionally, the IHC handbook requires that a minimum of 80 percent of social house members complete hazing and sexual assault training, but Delta has not met this requirement. Battle explained that many members have neglected this duty because the majority of the organization is made up of varsity athletes, who are required to complete hazing and sexual assault training with their teammates, albeit with a different module. There is no system in place in which varsity athletes can be waived from social house hazing and sexual assault training.
The Residential Life Committee reviewed all five social houses as part of a standard review process that happens every other year, alternating with a review of academic interest houses. The process begins with a questionnaire filled out by house leadership that serves to explain the house’s role in the campus community.
According to Smith, this year, the College has streamlined this questionnaire and required only initial, brief meetings. If issues arise during that meeting, then the house is called back for a more thorough review.
Marlette said that Delta did not fully complete the initial questionnaire.
“It was very bare bones,” said Marlette. “People on the committee really would have liked to see more incentive on behalf of Delta’s leadership to show that they genuinely do care about trying to do better.”
“Members of the committee seemed put off by some of [Delta’s] answers on the questionnaire and by [Battle’s] responses during the meeting, particularly surrounding the issue of party registration,” added Smith.
For next Tuesday’s meeting, Marlette advises Delta to bring “all the resources” they have.
“Delta’s really in the hole right now, and if they want to get out of this hole, then they need to show that they’re going to do better and that there actually is a huge student contingency that wants them around,” he said.
Marlette offered an alternative suggestion to Delta’s current goal of gathering a petition with 1,000 signatures.
“It’s going to make more of an impact if a bunch of students come to [Tuesday’s meeting] and show, with stories or just with their presence, that they do care about this house and that they want it to stick around, rather than just a piece of paper,” said Marlette.
“Aside from that, they just really need to address the things they messed up on,” added Marlette.
Battle hopes to gather Delta members, IHC members, other social house members and teammates at the Community Council meeting to show support for Delta.
“We’re going to try to address all their issues,” said Battle.
Smith explained that Community Council will likely utilize an executive session — during which only Council members are present — for final discussion and voting.
“The most important part of this is coming to a fair decision but also respecting the process,” said Smith. “I want to hear different voices from the community, but I also want to honor the work the Residential Life Committee has done.”
While the vote is scheduled for Tuesday, given the gravity of the outcome, there is a distinct likelihood that the Council will extend the discussion and voting into additional meetings.
(02/24/13 8:53pm)
What will on-campus media look like in the future? How racially diverse are on-campus media organizations? What kind of programming can listeners expect from WRMC this spring? For the third installment of The Campus Voice, News Editor Bronwyn Oatley ’13 sat down with three on-campus media leaders: Luke Whelan ’13, co-founder of middbeat, Kathryn DeSutter ’13, editor-in-chief of the Middlebury Campus, and Dylan Redford ’14.5, general manager of WRMC-FM to discuss these questions and more. The Campus Voice will air every Sunday on WRMC from 2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
(02/22/13 12:39am)
"Business as usual for the environmental movement isn't getting the job done," said CEO of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Middlebury's 2013 Environmentalist-in-Residence Mark Tercek to a full room of students, faculty and community members in McCardell Bicentennial Hall on Thursday, Feb. 21.
Tercek, who comes from an investment banking background at Goldman Sachs, spoke about the need to approach the environment as "natural capital" during his lecture titled "Nature's Fortune: How Business and Society Thrive by Investing in Nature." In highlighting various TNC projects, Tercek explained his work in convincing business leaders that "it makes economic sense to care about nature."
"A lot of environmentalists don't like talking to people who aren't environmentalists," said Tercek to a room of — you guessed it — environmentalists. Though audience members challenged his cross-sector approach during the Q&A, Tercek held fast to his foundational belief that environmental goals can be achieved alongside economic development.
(02/20/13 6:27pm)
On Friday, April 12, the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) will host hip-hop duo Timeflies in Pepin Gymnasium for the annual spring concert. Tickets for the show will go on sale Feb. 25, and will be $14 for students. After two weeks, tickets will be released to the public at $25.
Timeflies’s music has taken on labels including pop, electronic, dance and “frat rap,” among others. The duo labels their own music as “electro-hip-pop-dub-something.” Timeflies formed in 2010 when Rob Resnick, known as Rez, and Cal Shapiro met while performing together in a funk band at Tufts University. Shapiro is Timeflies’s vocalist while Rez produces the music.
MCAB Concerts Committee co-chairs Molly Sprague ’13 and Nick Mallchok ’14.5 are excited about bringing the high-energy group to campus.
“Timeflies is an up-and-coming band with new ideas about how to play with music,” said Sprague.
Timeflies has not yet informed MCAB if they will be providing their own opening act. In the event Timeflies does not provide its own act, MCAB will find a band.
Sprague and Mallchok discussed how they utilized the MCAB survey — which received over 1,000 responses last fall — to gauge student opinion for the concert. While there was demand for an outdoor concert similar to last spring’s Guster show, Sprague explained that they were hesitant to “put all [their] eggs in one basket” in case of weather conditions. Instead, Sprague, Mallchok and their fellow committee members followed students’ expressed interest in an indoor dance show.
“We try to satisfy as many students’ music tastes as we can,” said Mallchok.
Timeflies’s 2011 debut album, “The Scotch Tape,” hit number eight on the iTunes chart just 24 hours after its release. The hit “Swoon” from Timeflies’s “One Night” EP, released in 2012, also topped the iTunes charts.
If the show is not sold out, tickets at the door will be $20 for students and $30 for the general public. Advanced tickets can be purchased through the Box Office.
(02/17/13 11:28pm)
For the second installment of The Campus Voice, News Editor Bronwyn Oatley '13 discusses the topic of sexual assault on campus with It Happens Here (IHH) Co-Founder Luke Carroll Brown ’14, and Kappa Delta Rho (KDR) President Mark Isbell ’14. The conversation was prompted by IHH’s recent Map Project, a life-size campus map that features 100 dots indicating the student-submitted locations where sexual violence has occurred on campus. The map is currently on display in the Davis Family Library, next to anonymously submitted accounts of sexual assault. In the interview, Carroll Brown and Isbelle spoke about the rates of sexual violence on campus, the responsibility of social houses, athletics teams and the College’s administration and the discrepancy in the number of reported cases amongst various buildings on campus.
(02/14/13 3:35pm)
Is physical contact necessary for love? Is seeing, touching sensing someone's intimate presence necessary to feel the strongest connection to another? Falling in Love Through the Phone tells the story of Elizabeth Pope, a woman who fell in love over the telephone line. It was created by Claire Smith '15 during winter term, in Radio Broadcast Production, a class taught by visiting professor Erin Davis. As a warning, the story features some mature language.
(02/08/13 8:19pm)
The College cancelled all athletic events and closed the Parton Center for Health and Wellness on Friday, Feb. 8 due to a winter storm that is expected to blanket the Northeast region in one to three feet of snow. Many students will face harsh weather conditions while traveling back to campus this weekend during their return from the February break holiday. The spring semester is still scheduled to resume on Monday, despite widespread cancellation of flights, trains and other forms of transportation in the region. In an email, Dean of Students Katy Smith-Abbot urged students to "put safety first" and exercise caution while traveling.
(02/02/13 8:46pm)
The class of 2012.5 celebrated the end of their time at Middlebury on Saturday, Feb. 2. After a morning service at Mead Memorial Chapel, students traveled to the Middlebury College Snow Bowl to ski down the mountain in their caps and gowns. Hanna Howell '12.5 filmed the ski-down for Middlebury Magazine.
(01/29/13 2:49am)
For any environmental studies or geography major who has been subject to the dreaded “cone of silence” of Middlebury’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course, it is hard to imagine a class revolving around GIS could be fun. Yet when you are no longer forbidden to talk to your classmates, but actually encouraged to work together to solve a relevant, local issue, much of the stress formerly associated with GIS becomes funneled into a new creative and collaborative energy.
Such is the case with the new winter term class "Conservation Planning" taught by Amy Sheldon. For the past three weeks, students in Amy’s class have been working together to propose a conservation plan for the town of Middlebury, bringing their expertise from a diverse array of majors into a coherent vision for identifying and prioritizing conservation land in Middlebury.
The final plan will be presented to the Middlebury Planning Commission at the Ilsley Public Library Meeting Room next Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. This presentation is open to the public, so members of the local community and students at the College alike are encouraged to join.
Submitted by LIIA KOIV-HAUS '13.5
(01/18/13 8:39pm)
On Friday, Jan. 18 United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon gave a speech titled "Advancing the Disarmament and Nonproliferation Agenda: Seeking Peace in an Over-armed World" at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), a graduate school of Middlebury located in Monterey, Calif. The lecture was co-sponsored by the MIIS and the MIIS James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. The Secretary General spoke of his own Five Point Plan for nuclear disarmament and praised the MIIS master of arts in nonproliferation and terrorism studies program for its "innovative teaching methods." A recording of the event can be streamed above.
(10/24/12 5:58pm)
Trustees of the College met on campus this past weekend to discuss and vote on various issues of governance, experiential learning and student life, among other topics.
The board heard from several students during their time at the College.
Student Government Association (SGA) President Charlie Arnowitz ’13, Lauren Greer ’13 and Chris de la Cruz ’13 sat in on the meeting of the Student Affairs Committee.
Arnowitz gave a brief presentation to the trustees to outline the duties and goals of the SGA. After Arnowitz’s presentation, the committee was presented with the results of the alcohol survey conducted among nine of the 11 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools in March.
Dean of the College Shirley Collado serves as a liaison to the Student Affairs Committee. Collado explained that the trustees were encouraged by the actions of the Alcohol Task Force, a group that engaged in a year-long investigation of alcohol use on campus and its effects on the community and concluded their research with a list of recommendations, which were passed to the Office of the President for consideration last May.
“[The trustees] feel very good and very confident about the Task Force and were happy to see that some of the recommendations — like some of the positions and some of the [issues] around residential life — had been tackled,” said Collado.
Greer explained that the trustees and students reached the conclusion that the community needs to address the issue collectively.
“It came down to the agreement that we can use those statistics as a reminder that we need to improve behavior with regard to alcohol on campus, and take more ownership as a student body,” wrote Greer in an email. “They were very supportive in helping this effort.”
“The trustees were definitely interested in hearing how things played with the student body, particularly on the alcohol front,” added Arnowitz. “They were also strongly opinionated and hearing the range of reactions was interesting.”
De la Cruz hopes that students will continue to be a part of these conversations.
“I think the trustees really see how much they need student input in order to make any kind of informed decision on student affairs,” wrote de la Cruz in an email. “Fortunately, they have plans to create more dialogue with students outside of the meetings so they may all come in more informed about specific issues — I think student involvement really is something they lack yet something they are pushing to work on.”
De la Cruz described how the trustees directly addressed the students.
“Right at the end, the meeting was directed at the three students as they asked, ‘What kind of issues should we be talking about?’” added de la Cruz.
Student involvement was not limited to the Student Affairs Committee. For the first time, a member of the Socially Responsible Investment club (SRI), Ben
Chute ’13.5, sat in on the Investment Committee proceedings to offer an additional perspective on the investment of the endowment.
Board Chair Marna Whittington expressed enthusiasm for increased student involvement.
“If the students are interested in a particular form of interaction, I think they just need to request it,” said Whittington.
During a meeting of an ad-hoc committee on education in action, board members discussed the importance of students connecting their education with opportunities outside of the classroom. According to Whittington, the board members are committed to fundraising for an endowed fund in order to increase the opportunities available to students.
“It’s part of our vision for Middlebury; it’s part of our belief about the undergraduate education,” said Whittington. “One of the things that’s been very interesting to us is the students’ reception to it. We’ve had a lot of interest and demand … We’ve been pleasantly surprised and challenged by the number of students that are applying for small grants to do projects or are interested in internships.”
The board also voted to establish a new C.V. Starr-Middlebury School Abroad in India.
“It is great that we will be able to provide opportunities for our students to study in and learn about India,” wrote President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz in an email. “Students have been requesting this for more than a decade.”
The Buildings and Grounds Committee also received an update on fundraising for the Field House. The board approved construction of the Field House last fall.
“The Field House is a much-needed project,” wrote Liebowitz. “The temporary ‘Bubble’ has given us more years that it was intended to give us. The new facility will be used by the entire community.”
Before the weekend’s meetings, the trustees met on Thursday, Oct. 18 for a retreat that took place at the Jackson Property, 377 acres of land along Route 125 and Cider Mill Road that the College received from Trustee Emeritus Will Jackson ’51 in December 2011. The board spent the day discussing issues of governance, and took a mid-day break to enjoy the fall weather.
Whittington spoke positively of the retreat.
“We’re stepping back and looking at our own governance — making sure it’s tight and we have the policies and the processes we need to have, both to support the Middlebury of today [and] the Middlebury we think is coming in the future,” said Whittington.
“The reason we can have these conversations is we’re coming from a position of strength,” she added. “I would say if we could keep this level of collegiality, cooperation, hard work and commitment going between and among the Board of Trustees and the administration into the foreseeable future, it would clearly be a strategic advantage for us.”
Liebowitz echoed Whittington’s enthusiasm for the progress made.
“The trustee retreat was excellent,” wrote Liebowitz. “It allowed the board to work together to consider major issues on how to be responsible stewards of the College. The board looks forward to continue working on this issue throughout the year.”
(10/17/12 9:41pm)
On Friday, Oct. 5 in the Twilight Auditorium at 4:15 p.m., an audience of over 75 faculty, staff, administrators, students and parents watched the ceremony to award the Paul Ward Prize for Excellence in Writing.
The winner of the prize was Catherine Costley '15 for her paper "Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath: Their Exploration of Female Transcendence."
Two runner-up awards were given to Margaret Morris '15 and Carolyn Orosz '15.
Mooris and Orosz each received a check for $250.
Honorable mentions were awarded to Will Cuneo '15 and Margaret Hadley '15.
(10/13/12 7:42pm)
On Saturday, Oct. 13, the Campus interviewed His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism before his morning lecture at the College. No other media outlets were granted access to the Dalai Lama during his visit to the College. A transcript of the interview in its entirety can be found below, while you can also listen to a recording of the interview.
Middlebury Campus (MC): Good morning. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me this morning and thank you for coming here to Middlebury. We’re honored to have you here. Yesterday you talked a lot about individual ethical discipline and mindfulness. We are a college community. Do you have any experience with communal ethical discipline, and how can we as a college community be mindful?
His Holiness the Dalai Lama (HHDL): Well logically the whole community, all members of the community develop self-restraint … that whole community [is] very peaceful, very happy. If one person creates some trouble then the whole community [laughs] eventually creates some uneasiness. So therefore regarding unity, or harmony or a peaceful community, the thing is each individual has a responsibility. The individual, you see, develops that kind of strong conviction and compassion … then one hundred percent together.
My impression, you see, [that] some say good things may come from outside, or from some other. You yourself must remain uncommitted. I think that’s a mistake. [speaks in Tibetan]
Geshe Thupten Jinpa (Translator): When you throw a stone you see the ripples spreading …
HHDL: So first start from that stone and go that way.
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MC: Recently you have been talking a lot about science and mindfulness in science. Where did that come from? Why are you interested in this now?
HHDL: Since my childhood, I’ve had some interest in science. Our training very much encourages investigation, not belief, not [to] act so easily. So, therefore, I feel quite similar to scientists. Scientists always [have an] open mind, with skepticism, then start the investigation. Actually, about 40 years ago, I developed a strong desire to talk with scientists, for dialogue. Then, I expressed this wish to an American, a lady, who was actually Buddhist. She told me, “Be careful. Science is killer of religion!” [laughs]
Then I thought, no. The positive way is investigation. So therefore, in true investigation, we are trying to find reality. Reality — there are many levels. Scientific research [is] actually trying to find reality. Our training is like that — not to accept on the basis of appearances, but to penetrate reality.
[In] a series of discussion with scientists, at the beginning … not many, perhaps I think 15-20 scientists, each introduce themselves. One scientist say[s], “I am defender of science forever! Because of the critical view, I have to defend.” And then say, “There is no mind. Mind is just vibration of brain, or something like that.” Very strong, quite [a] radical scientist.
My one curiosity of that sort of view … is the experience. Obviously there is some change in our change in our physical condition, then different feelings. That’s obvious. But sometimes … [if you] relax, then, some thought come, some memory come[s]. Some change in our feeling. So first some change in physical level, then change mind. Something happens in the mental level, then it affects physical. So I mentioned this to some doctors, and their response is, “Well, it looks like that, but should not be.” [laughs]
The last 30 years, out of a series of discussions of scientists — and they also carried [out] some experiments — now they accept mental betterment, something very, very important for our family, for our society. Therefore many of them now they say they feel that taking care of the brain alone [is] not sufficient, not adequate. There must be some attention about the mind.
Not talking about religion or heaven or hell or next life — simply in order to create healthy society, healthy family, healthy individual, physical. We have to take some sort of care about emotions. So, that’s the last 40, 50 years of development like that.
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MC: As you have worked to educate yourself on science, in that process of education what do you feel are the best tools for learning spiritually, and also for students here at Middlebury?
HHDL: I think someone — a president or pope — expressed faith and reason must go together. That’s very wise. Sometimes people just take faith [with] no sort of regiment of reason. That, I think, [is] a little bit narrow. I think, again, faith … brings inner strength, hope and inner peace. So the explanation about faith itself is sometimes mysterious in a way [laughs] but — doesn’t matter. But some extent of background of reason can apply. So anyway, as I already emphasized, education[al] institutions must pay some attention about education of warm-heartedness. Compassion, sense of caring about others, sense of concern for others human being, this must come voluntarily. You cannot do that by force. [With] any sort of volunteers, unless you see the values — volunteers will not come. In any case, educate the value of compassion for physical health.
Sometimes I see the young girl [who] spends a lot of money on cosmetics. External beauty — very important, no question. But at the same time, inner beauty, in the long run is more crucial, isn’t it? Inner beauty comes from sense of well-being. If that is there, then even though the face may not be so beautiful [laughs] but, everybody loves that person, isn’t it? [laughs]
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MC: So how can our institution cultivate that inner beauty within our students?
HHDL: So I think experimentation on the basis of scientific findings, number one. Then also our concept of the sense of a person [finds] those people [who are] more open-minded, more warm-hearted, more warm-hearted mind, much happier! And finds more friends …
Some who is always negative, or very rough, then I notice some small bird — they have the ability to make distinctions of the sound of footsteps — someone who is feeding them, they’ll come from a distance … a negative sound comes, and [the bird] is immediately alert. Therefore, a more warm-hearted mind, immediately creates some sort of positive, happy, joyful atmosphere, isn’t it? The other people approach [the bird], also feeding — much happier.
I see one person sit in a room with lots of shouting and crying and one close friend enters the door, immediately [laughs] … On the other hand, you see very peaceful, joyful — then I think everybody is willing to join and share that happy atmosphere. So that’s common sense.
Anger, hatred, suspicion and also pretense, hypocrisy — these create more suspicion, more distrust. Suppose [a person] wants to show nice to others [by pretending], but actually, other people are not that foolish. They’re smart — they’ll know [if] this guy is sincere or not. There’s some hypocrisy there, not genuine feeling. I think even animals, to some extent, they also know if others are sincere or not.
Then common experience — where everybody is surround by affections, particularly when we are young. Particularly mother’s affection is truly important. That experience remains whole life. I’m always telling people I myself believe I have some amount of compassion that I think first I learned from my mother — very compassionate, very remarkable person. On the other hand, when I was very young, my mother [was] always beating or scolding me — perhaps today even, recognized as Dalai Lama, 14th Dalai Lama — I think for 14th Dalai Lama may be a little different! [laughs] Like that?
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MC: I would say so. Many college students are turning away from faith, from organized religion. Should we be concerned about that?
HHDL: I think that is individual business. We can not impose faith. I think firstly, the people who believe a certain faith, I think we ourselves should make good examples to others. Then, as I mentioned earlier, once they see they see the owners of the quality …
For example, in my own case, when I saw Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King and also Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, when I saw and met these people [and had] discussion and also observed their life story, then I developed genuine admiration about Christianity. Their faith brought such reward for me personally.
So I think a religious person, himself or herself, maybe a little bit stupid [laughs] to tell other people, “this is important.”
An Indian scholar, one time he mentioned some flower. First, the flower itself should have that good smell. Then that flower, put in our pocket or put on table, then the whole area really gets some positive smell. So first the smell must have that; so similarly, a religious person, himself or herself, should practice sincerely what they believe. Particularly, when passing through a difficult period, they must show their inner strength — honesty, truthfulness — that’s very important.
I think, today, unlike ancient time — ancient time, there [was] not much choice — now, you see, the information on various sorts of religions and various sort of fields and various subjects, therefore there are plenty of things to choose. So then, unless, you see, develops some kind of attraction …
I think a material thing — empathizing through that way — bring some sort of customer. [laughs] Now, a spiritual inner thing, you see, you can empathize that way, but through physical action, through mental action must show the inner value to others.
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MC: Your teachings talk a lot about ending suffering. I’m wondering, is the goal just that end, or is there a creation of a positive value from that?
Now, usually my talk — without touching Buddhism — simply secular ethics. Another [one] of my commitments is promotion of religious harmony. So that mainly [is] touching the practice of love, compassion, forgiveness — these things [are] common practice, all religious traditions. The difference is philosophy. So I think, I have found these people, these community, their own tradition, their own religious faith — it is much safer, it is much better to keep their own traditional religion. Otherwise, change in religion sometimes create — mentally or emotionally — some confusion …
In the meantime, it is useful to know more about similarities or different philosophical views of other traditions — that helps to enrich your own practice and then secondly, that way you can [have] some mutual respect to other religion. If you remain isolated, without much contact, then the reality [is] you can’t remain that way … Big cities, all over America, if you look around the country, or community, where there are many Asians among them, many Buddhists, there are many Hindus — so already some of the cities [have] already become multi-religious communities. So they are knowing more about other traditions. Helpful, this is, to keep positive spirit as a multi-religious community.
So, then, only to Buddhist audiences, then I explain Buddhism philosophers views. Of course, I think these people, quite familiar I think with the Buddhist teaching — Four Noble Truths, so suffering and causes of suffering and the cessation of suffering and the way to achieve that. That is, we need a lot of investigation, a lot of discussions. [laughs]
I usually tell people, also I feel [that a] compassionate world — no longer violence, harmony of society based on compassionate feeling — this I consider the global level of salvation. Not in the next life, but this life. A happy world — no danger, no fear — that philosophy, when we reach that level, that’s salvation. And then, end comes, we leave this body happily. [laughs]
[to security guard] What do you think? Do you agree?
Security Guard: It’s a good policy.
[laughter]
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MC: As a college, how can we work towards creating that global salvation?
HHDL: I always emphasize the younger generation — college students — you are the generation of the 21st century. So my generation, our hope [is] on you. Now our generation, the generation of the 20th century, as a matter of fact, I think we have a lot of problems, which [we] should solve by coming generation. So we create these problems, and then let them solve that situation! [laughs] So now you — you have to solve that, you have to take that [this] big mission — not an individualistic way.
The best way to get maximum happiness for individuals is happy community, happy humanity — then you get maximum benefit …
This is a human world. So wherever we go, I think we should have a human feeling, a human spirit. I think when we’re passing through a difficult period —
So say, one boat is destroyed or damaged and then reach one island where there are no other people — no man’s land. Imagine you meet one other person there — not important what religious faith, what nationality, what color, so long as one human being — then the natural tendency, the human tendency [is] to approach that person. So that’s the human spirit. I think we should create that in the world. Everywhere we see these people, “Ah! Human brother there.”
Sometimes human brother creates more sense of suspicion, so one person there, you meet, you think, “Oh, what can he do?” [laughs] I think that we can change that type of attitude if we promote real sense of human brother and sisterhood. And with that, the real sense of community. And with honesty, a sense of concern of others’ well-being. I think we can do it.
I think college students — perhaps I think, when they enter the area, perhaps they may feel, this is my home, this is safe … As soon as enter here, feel happy. I think that kind of spirit you can extend. I think we can do it. I may not see, in my lifetime, in the next 20 years, perhaps, 30 years, but you, this young student, you have the responsibility and you have the opportunity to see this happy world. So think this way. So make effort, tirelessly.
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MC: Thank you so much for your time.
HHDL: Actually, we have to think, work, in new ways. Otherwise, there’s no other choice, is it?
(10/13/12 2:27pm)
As noted above, the Campus' Kathryn DeSutter interviewed His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Saturday, Oct. 13 before his lecture to the general public. Upon analyzing His Holiness' responses in the interview, "think", "laughs", "community", "people", and "faith" were the most commonly used words; see the Wordle below for further analysis of the interview.
(10/12/12 9:53pm)
On Friday, Oct. 12, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed a crowd of faculty, staff, students and community members at Nelson Arena in his lecture “Educating the Heart.” The spiritual leader touched on issues of education, faith, the corruption of money and the importance of affection.
Friday’s lecture marked the first in the spiritual leader’s two-day visit to the College. The Dalai Lama spoke again on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. in a lecture titled “Finding Common Ground: Ethics for a Whole World.”
Chaplain Laurie Jordan began her introductions at 1:40 p.m., only to be surprised just a few seconds into her remarks by the appearance of the Dalai Lama at her back.
“Oh my gosh!” exclaimed Jordan. “That wasn’t in the script,” she later added.
The Dalai Lama presented Jordan and President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz with white scarves, or khatag. Jordan presented the Dalai Lama with a Middlebury visor, which he wore throughout the lecture along with his traditional Tibetan robes.
In his brief introductory remarks, Liebowitz welcomed the spiritual leader for his third visit to the College.
“We all know about the Dalai Lama,” said Liebowitz. “But today and tomorrow … we have the opportunity to hear him directly.”
The Dalai Lama began his lecture by referencing his earlier visits to the College in 1990 and 1984. He then directly addressed the audience.
“How much change my face?” he asked, laughing.
The Dalai Lama continued to use his famous sense of humor throughout the lecture, often prompting laughter from the audience by first laughing himself.
The Dalai Lama began his lecture by expressing dismay over the current suffering and destruction of the 21st century. He then asked the audience to self-identify their age bracket through a show of hands.
“You are the people who will shape the new world,” he said, addressing the younger members of the audience. “This century should be the century of the peace.”
The Dalai Lama also discussed the nature of education and criticized the modern education system.
“Education is supposed to reduce gap [between] appearance and reality,” he said. “[The] modern education system is more materialistic-oriented.”
The spiritual leader emphasized the importance of affection, and mimed petting small cats and dogs to show the joy possible from simple occurrences in life.
“Money has no ability to show affection,” he said. “For living beings, affection is most important.”
The Dalai Lama also expressed his belief that these ideas hold an unlimited potential for application.
“This religion, that religion — doesn’t matter,” he said. “These moral ethics [are] universal values.”
The Dalai Lama lectured for approximately thirty minutes. When he stumbled over words, he was prompted by his chief English translator, Thupten Jinpa.
After the conclusion of the lecture, the Dalai Lama answered pre-submitted questions from audience members. This structure allowed the Dalai Lama to expand upon a variety of topics.
Though his response to the first question strayed into a detailed account of his gall-bladder surgery, his second answer prompted audience laughter for its brevity.
“Are people of faith and also people without religion capable of cultivating hope, wisdom and compassion?” read Jinpa from the question card.
“Oh, yes,” answered the Dalai Lama. “Next question!”
The Dalai Lama urged audience members to “practice one’s own religion but equally respect all religious traditions.”
“I am Buddhist, but I should not be attached to Buddhism,” said the Dalai Lama. “Attachment is biased and the biased state cannot see objectivity.”
The Dalai Lama also spoke about his political views.
“I am Marxist. There is no question,” said the Dalai Lama. “But I am not Leninist — that totalitarian dictatorship I really don’t like.”
The Dalai Lama then continued to praise Marxism for its emphasis on “equal distribution — not just taking and how to make a profit.”
The Dalai Lama discussed his visit with Mao Zedong in 1955 and praised the Communist Party for their values of self-criticism and a collective approach to governance. He expressed frustration that the party abandoned these values shortly thereafter.
At the conclusion of his remarks, the Dalai Lama humbly addressed the audience.
“Do you agree?” he asked. “This is my view … Please think seriously about these points.”
The doors to the event opened at 11:45 a.m., although ticket-holders began lining up outside Nelson Arena before 11 a.m. Attendees waited in two separate security lines, and the items permitted inside the arena were strictly limited. The talk began at 1:45 p.m., but per security regulations, all audience members had inside the venue by 1:15 p.m. The Middlebury College choir and a trio of bagpipes entertained the audience while they waited.
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin attended the event.
Those who could not gain access to Nelson Arena watched from overflow seating in the McCullough Student Center.
The Dalai Lama’s visit to the College comes 22 years after his visit in 1990. The Dalai Lama also spoke at the College in 1984.
(09/23/12 9:01pm)
In front of Crossroads Cafe, the current candidates for Student Co-Chair of Community Council (SCOCC), Kathryn Benson '13 and Barrett Smith '13 took questions from the audience and discussed their policy plans at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Benson highlighted her previous experiences in student leadership positions and emphasized the importance of uniting the whole community — not just students, but also faculty and staff. Benson also discussed the need for an evaluation system that would ensure new policies have been implemented successfully.
Smith promised to increase student involvement in the governance of the College. Among his main platform points is the creation of a "Social Honor Code," which he envisions as a social contract that would be written by the student body.
Both Benson and Smith expressed a strong desire to increase awareness of the Community Council's responsibilities and initiatives.
Voting will take place tomorrow, Monday Sept. 23 from noon until Tuesday Sept. 24 at noon. All current students are eligible to vote.
(09/19/12 11:34pm)
Symposiums organized by the International Politics and Economics (IPE) Department and the Juntos Migrant Outreach student group open this week. The IPE department symposium, held Friday, Sept. 21, will address the transformation of China over the past 30 years and the implications and challenges of this transformation. "MyAmerica?," the Middlebury College Activites Board (MCAB) Fall Symposium, will explore the topic of immigration through a variety of events and programming.
Daniel Loehr '13.5, one of the student organizers of "myAmerica?," hopes that the relevancy of the topic will draw in participants.
"Immigration is the issue of our generation," said Loehr. "It's an issue important for everyone in the U.S. – whether people are worried about the economy, social integration, education, etc., this issue is never going to go away."
The myAmerica? symposium opened Wednesday with Hip Hop Theater – a performance starring Paul Flores, an artist specializing in hip hop and bilingual performance and an adjunct professor of theater at the University of San Francisco.
MyAmerica? continues today with speakers and workshops. At 12:30 p.m. in Carr Hall, there will be a spoken word workshop. Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, scholar and international migration specialist, will give a talk at 4:30 p.m. in the Orchard room of the Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest. Roriguez's talk is entitled "Neorealism and the Rescaling of American Citizenship." At 8 p.m. in Dana Auditorium, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sonia Nazario will speak about her book, Enrique's Journey, and America's immigration dilemma.
Hannah Postel '13, another student organizer, explained that Nazario's talk will have direct connections to her audience.
"Apart from speaking about her life and what she has done, [Nazario] will talk about how to get involved," said Postel.
On Friday, there will be an art exhibit titled "Invisible Odysseys" on display from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. in the M Gallery of the Old Stone Mill. The symposium concludes Saturday with a panel of immigration lawyers who will discuss "Human Rights Practices & Defending Immigrants." The discussion will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Hillcrest Orchard.
On Friday Sept. 21, the International Politics and Economics (IPE) department will host a symposium entitled "From Deng to Dollars: the Political Economy of China's Rise." Talks and panel discussions will take place in the McCullough Student Center Social Space.
This is the IPE department's first annual symposium. Participants were chosen by a committee of faculty from the political science and economics departments.
"We wanted to draw the campus's attention to the importance of international political economy in the contemporary era," said Professor of Political Science and IPE Department Chair Erik Bleich.
The symposium opens at 12 p.m., after a buffet lunch in the McCullough Gallery. The first panel, which begins at 12:15 p.m., will feature Harvard University Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences Emeritus Ezra Vogel, who will speak about Deng Xiaoping's reforms. The second speaker, Yasheng Huang, an international program professor in Chinese economy and business at the MIT Sloan School of Management, will speak at 2 p.m. regarding China's economic model. The third panelist, Scott Rozelle, is a Helen F. Farnsworth senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. At 3:45 p.m., Rozelle will discuss the plausibility of painting China as a threat.
After breaking for dinner, the IPE symposium will conclude with a roundtable discussion featuring all three guest speakers at 7:15 p.m. in McCardell Bicentennial Hall Room 216.
The IPE symposium will also feature College faculty and student moderators.
(09/18/12 1:56am)
Welcome home, Middlebury.
"Home" has a different definition for all of us. For the first-years who only just pushed over-eager parents out the doorway of a new dorm room, the idea of calling this place home may seem a little far-fetched. For the seniors who feel like they've been here forever, and to the faculty and staff who actually have, this welcome probably feels a little more familiar, and this place a little more like home.
This summer, I read a definition of home that describes it as "the centre where the three or four / things / that happen to a man do happen." It seems the author had in mind one specific center, a single place that a person could point to and call his or her own. I have a feeling, however, that most of us can cite quite a few places that would fit this definition.
I've been away from my Middlebury home for a year now. I spent five months in Argentina and seven months in China, and quite a few things happened to me in those places. I have a home in Mooresville, North Carolina, where I spent the first eighteen years of my life. Then there are the scattered homes in between: physical, geographical places and also things that happened that share no connection with their location.
As the new editor-in-chief of the Campus, I'm particularly drawn to this definition of home because it rests at the very core of what we do as journalists. We tell you what has happened; we define your home.
In the world of today's journalism, however, simply telling you what has happened is more often than not completely useless. Print journalism is too slow, and as a weekly print publication, the Campus could be considered a relic – might as well get your news from a carrier pigeon.
Naturally, I can't say I agree with this statement. I plan to build upon our history and provide you with content that uses our time frame to our advantage. Our team of reporters will work to more thoroughly investigate and explain your home. We'll tell you what has happened, but we'll also tell you why it matters.
Our role as journalists extends far beyond the pages we write; we assign significance to the events we cover. Journalists are truth-seekers, historians, curators and, perhaps most importantly, your classmates. Journalists rely on the community around us for the source of content and also for readership – a full-circle process that implies an absolute necessity for feedback. We hope to hear from you either through a letter to the editor, a quote for an article or a dining hall conversation. Let us know how we can better define your home.
This fall, we will be launching a new website at middleburycampus.com. In addition to all of our print content, the new website will feature blogs, extra columns, podcasts, videos and updates on breaking news. We hope this space becomes a center that you can access when things happen. We'll be strengthening our presence in social media as well, through both Twitter and Facebook accounts. Like us and tweet at us!
Most importantly, we look to you, the Middlebury community, to create and define this center. You're home – now make it happen.