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(10/10/12 11:52pm)
The Middlebury men’s soccer team defeated Hamilton 2-0 on Saturday, Oct. 7 and tied Connecticut College 1-1 on Sunday, Oct. 8.
Harper Williams ’15 scored in the eighth minute on an assist from Dan Skayne ’15 to put the Panthers ahead. The pair connected again for Middlebury’s second goal in the 73rd minute when Skayne deposited his first goal of the season off a helper from Williams.
“As awesome as [Skayne and Williams] were scoring those goals, their most effective play has been in controlling the ball in the midfield,” said Ben Tabah ’13. “They both have unbelievable touch and natural instinct as center midfielders, and that has given us the confidence and ability to give them the ball and have them switch the field and distribute. They’ve been huge for us holding it down without [Jon] Portman ’13.”
Coach Dave Saward echoed Tabah’s praise.
“They’ve stepped into the breach and done a great job with their work rate,” said Saward. “Harper in particular plays every minute and his energy is stellar. I know they have the experience and confidence in themselves going forward. It was also nice to see them rewarded against Hamilton.”
Zach Abdu-Glass ’13 added four saves in the win.
The Panthers final game of the week against the Camels of Connecticut College featured a 1-1 draw that lasted through two extra-time sessions.
Jack Freeman ’13 opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he slotted a penalty kick inside the left post. The Camels answered early in the second, beating Abdu-Glass off a one-timed effort. Abdu-Glass performed well in the net again, recording 10 saves in the extended contest.
The Panther attack has come alive since Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Castleton, after an own goal in the 79th minute opened the floodgates. It took a bit of luck to rejuvenate a comatose attack and deliver a victory to a team ravaged by injury.
“We had outplayed Castleton from start to finish and once we caught a break on the own goal. It was only a matter of time,” said Sam Peisch ’13.5.
Insurance goals from Peisch and Ben Tabah ’13 followed. Since Tuesday’s game, the offense has found its footing.
“We’ve spent a lot of practice just getting the ball into dangerous areas and really going all for broke in the box,” said Tabah. “We have a swagger back because it helps to know we can get the ball in the back of the net.”
The 5-4-1 Panthers take on Trinity this coming Saturday, Oct. 13, before heading to Colby-Sawyer on Oct. 16.
(10/10/12 11:48pm)
Saturday Oct. 6, the Middlebury College Rugby Club (MCRC) fell in the finals of the East Coast Rugby Conference (ECRC) Sevens tournament in Amesbury, Mass. in extra time, 12-7 to Northeastern. With the win, Northeastern received a bid to the USA 7s tournament in College Station, Texas in November. The Middlebury College Women’s Rugby Club (MCWRC), meanwhile, traveled to Rutland. Vt. after the team’s home field proved too wet to play on. Once on dry ground, however, the women dropped Tufts 33-0.
In the ECRC tournament, the men, who usually play rugby union rules, had a chance to compete in a different style. Sevens, or seven-a-side rugby, is a fast-paced brand of rugby in which teams of seven compete for two seven-minute halves. The Blue otherwise play an ECRC season of 15-a-side rugby with two 40-minute halves. Both games are played on the same size pitch, yet the differences in player count and duration account for the drastic difference in style of play.
“We handled the adjustment to the sevens game extremely well,” said Coach John Phillips. “We had a very good week of practice working on our attacking ball skills.”
A potent attack propelled the Blue through pool play. MCRC beat Albany 38-5, Southern Connecticut 35-0 and AIC 38-19. In the quarterfinals, they shut out the University of Connecticut 59-0 and in the semifinals they beat defending champions Boston College 29-3.
On a day full of concentrated, hard-running matches, the Blue called on its depth and stamina to outrun the field.
“The whole 15-man squad was outstanding,” said Phillips. “There was no let down when we sent on the subs.”
In the finals, it took Northeastern extra time to break a long run down the sideline into the try zone that broke the 7-7 tie and gave the Mad Dogs the 12-7 win. In games lasting only 14 minutes, one play can prove decisive. When the 15-man sides met two weeks ago, MCRC beat Northeastern 23-20 in a thrilling contest at home.
“We have started to develop a strong rivalry with [Northeastern],” said Allan Stafford ’13.5.
The MCRC continues its ECRC play this weekend in Storrs, Conn. at UConn and will finish the regular season with three home games in successive weeks against the University of Albany, American International College and Boston College.
The women, meanwhile, improved to 2-1 in conference play with their trouncing of Tufts.
For the first 20 minutes of the match, the MCWRC pressed the attack towards the Tufts line, dominating possession and field position, but were unable to score.
Scrum half and captain Jess Berry ’13 finally dove into the try zone to put the first points on the board midway through the first half.
“I was happy that we were finally able to find a gap in their defensive line,” said Berry. “We worked really hard to wear them down, and it finally paid off and got us in a good position before the first half ended.”
In the second half MCWRC broke through the Tufts pack and never looked back. Tries came from Melanie Haas ’13, Julianna Gardner ’13, Emily Duh ’14 and Ali Hentges ’15. Hentges’s diving score was the first of her career.
On top of her first-half try Berry converted the two-point kick on all four second-half tries for a match-high total of 13 points.
A home match against Bowdoin this Saturday, Oct. 13, followed by trips to Williams and Bates await MCWRC in the coming three weeks.
(10/10/12 11:43pm)
The Middlebury men’s tennis team heads into the last part of the fall season with tremendous confidence after the men split into two squads to pick up wins at both the Dartmouth Shootout in Hanover, N.H. as well as the Bates College Wallach Invitational in Lewiston, Maine, Oct. 5-7.
“[It was] nice to know our guys can successfully compete against Division I teams,” said Head Coach Bob Hansen of the group that played at Dartmouth. “[There were] tons of stars as everyone won matches.”
First-year Ari Smolyar ’16 won Flight no. 5 singles bracket. He won two straight-set victories over players from Stony Brook and Williams before defeating Eph Jose Raventtos 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a grueling final match.
Senior captain Spencer Lunghino ’13 advanced to the finals of the Flight no. 4 singles draw after defeating challengers from Dartmouth and Williams. Lunghino fell to Justin Chan of the Big Green 5-7, 6-7 in a ferocious final.
Courtney Mountifield ’15 came in third place in Flight no. 3, overpowering a Stony Brook opponent, 6-2, 6-3.
Rookies Palmer Campbell ’16 and junior Alex Johnston ’14 reached the semifinals in Flight no. 1b. Campbell was eliminated by Ghorbani of Dartmouth in a neck-to-neck 7-5, 6-4 decision, while Johnston had to withdraw from his semifinal match due to a tendinitis injury.
In the back draws, senior captains Alec Parower ’13, Will Oberrender ’13 and first-year Jackson Frons ’16 brought home the plates with an impressive showing in Flights no. 1a, no. 5 and no. 3 respectively.
In doubles action, the formidable duo of Johnston and Lunghino dominated the no. 1 bracket. They topped Dartmouth’s number one doubles pairing of Centenari and Ghorbani in the final, dropping just three games in the pro-set. Meanwhile, in the no. 3 round robin draw, winners Mountifield and Smolyar came away with three consecutive wins, including a 9-7 verdict on the Big Green pair of Todd and Isaza.
While eight Panthers competed at Dartmouth College among prominent Division I and III teams, four players travelled to Maine to match up against familiar NESCAC foes at Bates College.
“One of the strengths of our team is our depth, and that was on full display this weekend,” said Assistant Coach Adam Kent. “We only had four guys on the Bates trip, but we definitely competed well against some other full NESCAC teams.”
First-year Allen Jackson ’16 fought back from a set down to defeat Traff from Trinity in a super-tiebreaker in the opening round, but was one match short from booking a place in the “B” Flight singles final as he bowed down against Bowdoin’s Wolstencroft 5-7, 1-6.
The Panther no. 4 doubles tandem of sophomores Peter Heidrich ’15 and Chris Frost ’15 collected two wins over the no. 2 pairings of Bates and Bowdoin before losing to Seigel and Krems of Brandeis 8-9(2) in a seesaw match.
After a strong road performance this past weekend, the Panthers look to close out the fall at home the weekend of Oct. 26th through Oct. 28th. Then the team will reconvene in February after three months off.
“We plan on carrying this momentum into the off season as we train for the spring,” said Lunghino.
“Our goal for the off-season is pretty simple: work,” said Parower. “This is a very confident team, and I think a lot of our confidence stems from the fact that we know we are better prepared for every match than our opponents. We are all committed to our mission of winning a National Championship. When you have 16 guys that are willing to push themselves to the very maximum, you are dangerous.”
(10/10/12 10:46pm)
Oct. 7 - 13 is National Mental Health Awareness Week — seven short days when we are encouraged to confront a topic many of us try to avoid all year long. Think about it — how often do we actually discuss mental health issues? Middlebury students are quite comfortable addressing a variety of social topics, including sexuality, race, socioeconomic status and others. One would expect the same openness and acceptance towards the plethora of issues surrounding mental health, right? Well, bluntly stated, we could be doing much, much more.
Let me provide a bit of context. Mental health issues are a serious concern on college campuses across the country. In fact, one in four college students struggle with mental health problems each year, including, but not limited to, depression and anxiety. This statistic makes sense when we consider that many mental health issues first manifest in the late teens or early twenties, and are often triggered by outside influences such as stress or drugs (both of which can be found in abundance on college campuses nationwide). Fortunately, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that relief from mental health issues can be achieved 70 to 90 percent of the time — as long as a patient is properly diagnosed and treated. Shockingly, two-thirds of college students in need do not seek help, including those who are thinking about suicide. Considering the fact that suicide is the second leading cause of death for college-aged individuals, this statistic is extremely alarming. If mental illness is diagnosable and treatable, why do so many college students avoid seeking help? Although a variety of factors exist, the U.S. Surgeon General reports that the stigma associated with issues of mental health is a major barrier preventing students from seeking help.
These facts are not meant to dampen your mood. Rather, they should illustrate the effects that our attitudes can have on those struggling with mental illness. We could all benefit from discussing mental health and wellbeing more openly. So, how do we start? As a Student Wellness Leader, I believe that the key is to better understand mental health in general so that we can ensure our own mental wellbeing. By doing so, we can create a safe community for others struggling with mental health issues. We can educate ourselves in a variety of ways, particularly by accessing the many resources Middlebury has to offer. Although few are aware, the College is extremely committed to providing the resources necessary for students to take responsibility for their mental health. For example, Parton Health Center provides short-term counseling and referrals at low-cost, and several student support groups meet weekly to provide support for issues including grief and sobriety. In addition, the CTLR offers one-on-one appointments to provide lessons in time-management and mechanisms for reducing stress.
Educating ourselves on mental health can benefit us in two ways. First, it directly helps us to understand our own mental well-being so that we can take charge of ensuring our own health. Second, it broadens our understanding of mental health on campus, thus lessening the stigma that prevents so many students in need from seeking help.
I don’t mean to undermine the courageous efforts of students who have sought assistance for their mental health issues. That being said, I can’t help but wonder just how many more students would seek help if we could change the perceptions toward mental health on our campus. Of course, this change won’t happen overnight, and by no means do I expect it to. However, in light of Mental Health Awareness Week, I hope that we will take advantage of this opportunity and redefine campus culture towards mental health — or at least take the critical first steps towards ensuring such a positive change. Does that seem too daunting of a goal? Well, it shouldn’t — in fact, now is the perfect time to act. So while you’re listening to the Dalai Lama speak about compassion and hope this weekend, think about how you can bring these principles to campus. Or, as you’re relaxing over fall break, take some time to rebalance your own mental well-being.
Mental health is not a “them” and “us” issue — it affects everyone. Only once we become aware of that fact can the stigma associated with mental health finally be stopped. Only then will we all be able to truly take care of ourselves and those around us.
(10/10/12 9:14pm)
The Sept. 30 meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA) opened with a discussion led by President of the SGA Charlie Arnowitz ’13 on his proposed reformation of the SGA by-laws. Discussion and voting on the formation of a court and changes in the term lengths of junior senators was ultimately postponed until those aspects of the legislation can be more closely examined and fine-tuned. The discussion was short and the remainder of the bill passed unanimously.
Next, Arnowitz presented a piece of legislation that would reinstate an SGA Operating Account. This account is accessible by the sitting president and can be used for smaller purchases, such as office supplies, without the need to pass individual legislation for each purchase. Arnowitz’s proposal cut the account from the earlier precedent of $8,000 down to $2,000. The bill passed unanimously.
Arnowitz raised this legislation in part for the upcoming SGA summit. The summit is a meeting of student government presidents and senators for various NESCAC schools. Arnowitz hopes to attend this summit with two other senators and hopes to have this account active in time for the event.
During discussion, the question of the summit’s purpose was raised by a few of the senators. Arnowitz justified the summit as an educational opportunity.
“This is a great opportunity to share ideas with other schools and encourage discussion on how each school’s SGA addresses the various problems with which they are faced each year,” said Arnowitz.
Next, Kathryn Benson ’13 came before the SGA with legislation to continue the arts and crafts space in the McCullough Student Center. The new bill continues last year’s program and creates a manager position that will be in charge of regulating the center’s programming. The bill also reduced the budget for the program from $3,000 to $2,180. The bill passed with only one abstention.
The Oct. 7 meeting of the SGA opened with a presentation from the Dean of Library & Information Services (LIS) Michael Roy. Roy came before the SGA first to look for volunteers to serve on the Student LIS Advisory Committee, a committee which acts as liaison between LIS and the SGA.
Roy also raised the topic of the current state of Portal and the varying student opinions on the program.
Senator Anna Shireman-Grabowski ’15.5 spoke of an issue raised by a few of her constituents.
“Many students have come to me asking about getting access to all-student emails,” said Shireman-Grabowski. “They believe that asking them to communicate through Portal is a threat to student autonomy.”
In response, Roy said that LIS has no jurisdiction over all-student emails.
One idea that has been raised by some staff in LIS to facilitate inter-campus communication is the creation of a platform through which students could post information about events. Students could then subscribe to certain updates, ensuring that information only got to the people who were most interested.
Next, Addie Cunniff ’13 led a discussion on legislation to create an SGA Director of Student Health & Wellness. Cunniff’s hope in creating this position is to fill a void of student health and wellness leaders around campus.
“There are a lot of good programs around campus addressing problems of stress and mental health,” said Cunniff. “There’s a lot of wiggle room to expand these programs, which will be a top priority for this director.”
Arnowitz, the sponsor of this bill, added, “The main goal for me in writing this legislation is to demonstrate institutional support for these initiatives without putting excessive stress on the SGA budget.”
The bill passed and Cunniff was nominated and elected to this newly created position.
An ad-hoc committee was proposed to review the applications to fill the First-Year Committee Senator position that Danny Zhang ’15 and Rana Abdelhamid ’15 created last year. Five senators volunteered to fill the positions.
Finally, three senators filled positions on the Parking Ticket Appeals Committee, a committee that works with Public Safety to review parking ticket appeals, and one senator filled a position on the Housing Committee, a committee formed to reduce the workload of the Community Council during the housing process.
(10/03/12 9:06pm)
Saturday, Sept. 29, Middlebury improved to 2-0 with a 42-13 win over Colby in Waterville, Maine. The game was a tale of two halves for the Panthers, who turned the ball over three times in the first half, and found themselves in an early deficit. The momentum — and the game — turned at the stroke of halftime.
Already trailing Colby 13-7 with six seconds left in the first half, the Panthers faced the possibility of falling behind by two scores with the Mules lining up to attempt a 28-yard field goal. Instead, Matthew Crimmins ’14 came off the edge, laying out to block the kick, which was scooped up by Joel Blockowicz ’15 and returned 86 yards for a touchdown. Middlebury tacked on the extra point as the final act of the half, completing a 10-point swing and taking a 14-13 lead at the break.
“It was incredible, because Colby was going to go in flying high and we were going to be thinking about all those turnovers and how poorly we played,” Ritter said. “[Then the blocked kick returned for a touchdown] happens and all of a sudden we’re jumping up and down on the sidelines and we’re running into the locker room, everyone’s high–fiving and excited because we’re ahead by one [despite] playing so poorly, so it was a huge momentum shift.”
Middlebury seized control of the game in the second half, as quarterback Mac Foote ’14 and wide receiver Zach Driscoll ’13 connected for three second half touchdowns, adding to one first half, as well.
“We liked the coverage we were getting,” Driscoll said. “The defense was focusing a lot of its attention on [Billy Chapman ’13]. It seemed like they were putting a lot of attention inside, which gave me an opportunity [on the outside] in my one-on-one matchups, with a little bit more space, and [Foote] recognized that. He was throwing some great balls and making great reads.”
The Panthers took the opening drive of the second half and marched 74 yards on nine plays — all through the air — to take a 21-13 lead. Foote completed six of nine attempts on the drive, including a 36-yard pass to Brendan Rankowitz ’15 before finding Driscoll on fourth and seven from the Colby eight-yard line for the score.
After forcing a three-and-out on the Mules’ subsequent drive, Middlebury was primed to extend its lead. Following a 37-yard completion to Rankowitz, however, Foote was intercepted for the second time by Colby defensive back Jason Buco at the Colby three-yard line.
Despite Middlebury’s fourth turnover of the game, the Panthers defense, led by Tim Patricia ’16 and defensive captain John Wiet ’13, nearly added to the score with a safety. On first down from the Colby three-yard line, Patricia, the Panthers first-year linebacker, brought down Colby running back Justin Ciero for a three-yard loss at the shadow of the goal line — one of his team-leading 11 tackles in the game.
“[Patricia] has an inordinate amount of poise for a first-year player,” Ritter said. “He really understands the game, understands what we’re trying to do and he has the ability. What holds first-years back most of the time is the speed of the game and the mental part of the game and he’s very in tune to what we’re doing.”
Wiet echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“[Patricia] has been a huge addition to our team,” the defensive captain said. “He’s stepped up in ways that people didn’t expect.”
Bolstered by the play of the defense and excellent field position, Foote — who started the third quarter with 23 consecutive pass attempts — found a rhythm, leading the Panthers on three straight touchdown drives, extending the lead to 42-13 in just over 12 minutes. The junior from Newton, Mass. passed for 240 of his 388 yards and four of his five touchdowns in the second half despite sitting out the majority of the fourth quarter.
Driscoll, meanwhile, had a career afternoon, hauling in 11 receptions for 128 yards and four touchdown catches, earning NESCAC Player of the Week honors for his performance. Number 11 ignited the offense as all but two of his receptions resulted either in first downs or touchdowns, including a number of long catches on third, and even fourth and long.
On the far side of the field, meanwhile, his teammate Rankowitz gave the Colby secondary fits as he continued running by defenders en route to seven catches for 110 yards and a score, highlighted by catches of 36 and 37 yards.
“Any time you have a wide receiver who’s making the plays [Rankowitz] is making it’s enormous because [the defense] can’t do things where they try to take [Chapman] or me out of the game,” Driscoll said. “So him having a big game is paramount to our success as a team this season.”
While running back Remi Ashkar ’13 struggled to gain yards on the ground — he rushed 10 times for just 27 yards — the offensive line was nearly perfect in its protection of its quarterback, Foote, not allowing a sack on more than 50 passing attempts for the second straight week and giving up just three quarterback hits.
“[The offensive line] is doing a great job. They take a tremendous amount of pride in what they do, Coach Early does a great job of coaching them and those guys take it personally in terms of protecting the quarterback and opening holes for [Ashkar].”
Defensively, meanwhile, the Panthers were dominant, blanking the Mules in the second half and limiting Colby to just 13 points total despite four Middlebury turnovers.
“We have a lot more experience with another year under the same [defensive system],” said Wiet. “People are a lot more familiar with it and [they] are stepping into their roles.”
The team will face their biggest test of the early season this Saturday, Oct. 6, with defending NESCAC Champions Amherst (2-0) traveling to play at Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium.
(10/03/12 9:01pm)
Lok-Sze Leung ’15 defeated Middlebury teammate Ria Gerger ’16 6-0, 6-0 to repeat as ITA New England Regional Champion on Sunday, Sept. 30 at MIT. Leung will advance to the ITA National Championship later in the fall.
In her ITA debut, Gerger won her first three matches in straight sets and defeated a challenger from Williams in the semifinal, before succumbing to her friend and teammate in the championship match.
The singles bracket featured 64 women from 21 schools across the region, including every NESCAC school. The New England region is one of the strongest in the country, and the ITA regional event is the seminal regional tournament of the fall season.
As the weekend wore on and the field of 64 was winnowed down to two, it was Gerger, the 6th seed, and first-seeded Leung who were left on the championship court.
In the biggest match of her young collegiate career, Gerger had the double misfortune of playing the reigning singles champion and of competing against her friend.
“She is an intimidating opponent, and it is always hard to play a teammate,” said Gerger.
For Gerger, reaching the finals in her first fall at Middlebury was an achievement in itself. The hard-serving freshman earned the respect of the field when she defeated the bracket’s second seed and eventual doubles bracket champion Kara Shoemaker of Williams in the quarterfinal, clearing a path to the final. But from the first point of Sunday’s last match, Leung had the edge.
“She came onto the court with the correct mentality,” said Gerger. “I came on the court passive and submissive.”
Leung, who dropped just 17 games over six matches, won the final handily.
“During the match I tried extremely hard to imagine Ria as just another opponent that I play,” Leung said, “and I approached the match point by point regardless of the score, who my opponent is, what year she is in or which school she is from.”
Both players navigated a deep and talented pool of the region’s top players. Leung’s clear-headed approach paid dividends in the final, as it has done for her in the past. Gerger had the opportunity to learn from the best player in the country.
Competing against a teammate can pose unexpected psychological challenges. Again, Leung had the advantage. In last year’s Regional, she defeated Leah Kepping ’13 in the semifinal. This year it was Gerger’s turn to gain valuable experience and to test her teammate.
“It will prepare them for all kinds of other pressure situations as the year progresses,” Morgan said.
Competition among teammates can galvanize or corrode a team in equal measure, depending on the makeup of the competitors. For the women’s tennis team this fall in individual tournament play, on-court battles have only solidified the team’s chemistry.
“I know it was hard for them to play each other,” said Morgan, “but they handled it with a combination of great fight and respect.”
Other Panthers had strong showings in both the doubles and singles brackets. Dorrie Paradies ’14 and another first-year, Margot Marchese ’16, each won matches against the best in the region. Paradies bowed out in the quarterfinal to the eventual doubles champion.
Kepping paired with Gerger to advance to the semifinal of the 32-team doubles competition.
Last year, the Hong Kong native’s rampage to the top of nationals caught the tennis cognoscenti unprepared. After sweeping the ITAs, winning the Regional and then the National Championship, Leung won 2011-2012 ITA Rookie of the Year.
At the ITA National Championship in Mobile, Ala. this October, she will be targeted as the favorite. Leung is prepared to defend her title in the open.
“As a [first-year] last year, I benefited from the element of surprise because not many people knew a lot about my game,” said Leung. “But this year I felt that a lot of players came prepared and really targeted the weak links in my game.”
The team will play two more tournaments this month to round out the fall season, in which the team uses individual tournaments and practices to strengthen the team in preparation for the dual match season in the spring.
“We aren’t looking beyond this coming week of practice,” said Morgan. “The whole team has really bought into just trying to improve one week at a time.”
The Panther men’s tennis team also competed at the USTA/ITA New England Men’s Regional Championships at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. this past weekend.
Among many strong Panther performances, rookie Palmer Campbell ’16 reached the semifinals in the 64-person singles draw.
In singles play, Campbell defeated seventh seed Matt Micheli of Williams and 9-16th seed Casey Grindon of Bowdoin en route to the final four. Campbell gave his best against Amherst’s Andrew Yaraghi in the semifinal, but fell by a score of 3-6, 3-6. Yaraghi had ousted Panther Alex Johnston ’14 in a lengthy, give-and-take quarterfinal, 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-1.
Senior captain Alec Parower ’13 won two matches in straight sets but finally bowed to the top seeded Lord Jeff Mark Kahan, 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-1. Sophomore Courtney Mountifield ’15 won in the opening round as well.
In doubles play, the tandem of senior tri-captain Spencer Lunghino ’13 and Johnston advanced to the last eight, finishing only two games shy of a spot in the semifinals, as they lost to first seed Rob Crampton and Matt Bettles from Bates College 6-8. The Bates pair had already taken out first-year Campbell and Jackson Frons ’16 8-4 earlier in the first round of the 32-team bracket.
Facing fourth seeded duo from the host school, captains Parower and Will Oberrender ’13 were defeated 6-8 in yet another grueling battle.
“With so many potential impact players away it is a great chance for the young players to step up, and they are doing so in fairly dramatic fashion,” said coach Bob Hansen, referring to two of the Panther men from last year’s team who lurked near the top of the lineup last spring and are currently enjoying fall semesters abroad.
Upon their teammates’ return, the men expect to close the gap separating them and the top teams. For now, the crew will practice hard before they head back on the road to face action on Oct. 5 at Dartmouth and Oct. 7 at Bates.
“We know there is much work to be done to be a national championship team, but this weekend was certainly a step in the right direction,” said Campbell. “As long as we don’t become complacent we will certainly be as good as we can be.”
(10/03/12 8:54pm)
Coming off a disappointing weekend that featured two NESCAC losses at home, the men’s soccer team had two opportunities to get back in the win column with games at Wesleyan on Saturday, Sept. 29 and at Castleton State on Tuesdsay, Oct. 2.
Against their NESCAC rivals, the Panthers failed to score for the third consecutive game, failing 1-0 to the Cardinals. While the Panthers managed to generate more opportunities on the offensive side of the ball — a pitfall in their pair of home defeats a weekend ago — they failed yet again to finish in front of goal.
The conference defeat dropped the Panthers to 3-4 overall, with a 1-4 record in the NESCAC. Following the loss in Middletown, Conn., which marked the halfway point in regular season action, senior midfielder Jason Brooke ’13 commented on the growing importance of each game.
“It is impossible to deny that there isn’t a sense of anxiousness given the recent results and the necessity to get some goals and wins,” said Brooke. “That being said there are many things to be positive about. The team has been looking sharper and sharper over the past few games. We physically battled against the neanderthals at Amherst and went toe to toe with Wesleyan, one of the most technical teams in the league.”
The lone goal of the game came in the 35th minute when Wesleyan’s Matt Hertgen notched a header goal off a well-executed cross from the side.
Though the scoreboard did not reflect it, the game also included an increased offensive output from the Panthers, who fired seven shots at the Cardinals keeper, more than they managed in the past two games combined.
“Even though the result was disappointing, as an attacking threat we looked more dangerous in the second half against Wesleyan than we have all season,” said Brooke. “The play was dynamic and guys were really working hard to get into the right positions, things just did not really fall our way.”
Coach Dave Saward shared Brooke’s analysis.
“I felt we definitely did better in generating chances,” said Saward. “We changed the system and put three players up front. We took more risks, and it ended up a tight game against a good team.”
Saward and his team also enjoyed a much smoother run of play following the scrappy Amherst contest.
“There were only five fouls committed in the whole game,” said Saward. “Compared to the Amherst game, it almost looked like a different sport. It was a fun game to watch, and they certainly gave their best effort. In this game, there is such a fine line between having the luck you need and not.”
Dan Skayne ’15 and Harper Williams ’15 had solid performances in the midfield, while Ethan Galliete ’13 played well up front. Goalkeeper Zach Abdu-Glass ’13 also posted six saves in the contest, his highest total thus far in 2012.
“Zach has been incredible at the back,” said Brooke. “He, along with help from the backline, has really kept us in games that could have gotten out of hand early on.”
Tuesday, Oct. 2, the Panthers finally broke their goalless streak, netting a stunning 3-0 victory over Castleton State with three unassisted goals in the game’s final 11 minutes. With 78 minutes already in the books, Middlebury was once again at risk of being shut out. Instead, the Panthers ended the streak in the most auspicious of ways, taking their first lead in more than two weeks off a Castleton own-goal in the 79th minute. Sam Peisch ’13.5 followed ten minutes later, scoring his first goal of the season in the 87th minute, and was quickly followed by Ben Tabah ’13 who extended the Middlebury lead to three in the 90th. The Panthers fired 30 shots in the contest, led by Peisch with seven and Williams with six. Middlebury improved to 4-4 on the season, with three of their wins coming in nonconference play.
The Panthers return to NESCAC play this weekend with games against Hamilton and Connecticut College on Oct. 6 and 7, respectively. With a 1-4 start to conference play, Saward said that what his team needs is a bit of luck in light of its continuing injury problems.
“The big issue for us has been injuries,” said Saward. “I don’t like to use it as an excuse, but it has to be given the six guys that are out. No squad is immune to that sort of decimation. Nobody likes to say it, but we need a bit of luck.”
Saward keeps the situation in perspective.
“I feel better today than Davis Love III [Captain of the USA Ryder Cup team] does,” said Saward.
(09/26/12 11:54pm)
The Middlebury College Rugby Club (MCRC) edged Northeastern 23-20 on Saturday, Sept. 22, on the strength of three tries from fullback Allan Stafford ’13.5. Stafford completed his second hat trick in as many games with a run to the corner with five minutes left that gave the Blue the decisive five points.
The victory over the reigning East Coast Rugby Conference (ECRC) champions establishes MCRC as a power in the conference. At the onset of the match, however, as Northeastern took an early lead and the Blue struggled for field position in front of a boisterous home crowd, the victory was far from foretold.
“We felt we started the game not believing in ourselves,” said head coach John Phillips.
The MCRC side fell behind Northeastern 12-0 in the first ten minutes of play. Strong and physical on the line, the visiting Mad Dogs controlled play from the scrum to the margins of the field, breaking tackles and charting long runs into Blue territory.
“Early on we were caught off-guard by how fast and aggressive they were on attack,” said co-captain and All-American flyhalf Brian Sirkia ’12.5.
Gradually, Sirkia and the crew of Middlebury forwards took control of the ruck from the center of the pitch. Then, 16 minutes into the half, Sirkia and Stafford teamed up for the play that turned the course of the match in Middlebury’s favor.
Stafford recovered a precise downfield kick from Sirkia and brought it to the corner of the end zone.
“Our first try gave us enough confidence to settle down and play our style of game,” Sirkia said. “In the end, I think our fitness really paid off and gave us the extra bit to hang on to our lead.”
The sides patiently built attacks and traded points, including a second try from Stafford that put Middlebury ahead 18-17, 17 minutes into the second half.
But Northeastern quickly recaptured the lead on a penalty, and with the clock winding down the score stood at 20-17.
As thoroughly as the Mad Dogs dominated play in the opening minutes, MCRC, playing with equal parts poise and resolve, owned the match’s dramatic closing minutes.
“It’s not like football — you can’t stop the game and huddle up,” Phillips said. “The boys knew what they had to do and they did it well.”
Throughout the match, the Middlebury offense found room for advancement on the flanks of Northeastern’s big middle pack. With the match on the line, Phillips’ side returned to this touchstone attack when flyhalf Vince Mariano ’14 spun the ball wide to Stafford, who found the corner of the endzone to complete his hat trick and put the Blue ahead for good.
“We knew Stafford was great, but we didn’t realize he was quite that great,” Phillips said. “He has really made a difference for us so far this year.”
Throughout the match, a squad of substitutes, including Mariano and first-years Griffin Jones ’16, Aaron Yappert ’16 and Cole Baker ’16, reinvigorated the Middlebury starting 15. In the end, fitness and fresh legs gave the Blue the advantage over an experienced, skilled but exhausted visiting side.
The champion of the ECRC, a conference that includes Boston College, the University of Albany, the University of Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Massachusetts, will receive an automatic bid to the round of 16 in this year’s USA Rugby tournament in the spring.
Last year, an undefeated Northeastern side took the crown in the inaugural season of ECRC play. This season the conference is up for grabs, and in the team’s second season in Division I-AA, Middlebury feels poised to make a mark on the national stage.
“This win really shakes up the rankings in our conference and puts us in a good position moving forward,” said Stafford.
This weekend the MCRC will travel to Southern Connecticut to face another experienced conference rival.
Last September, the Panthers handily defeated Southern Connecticut by a score of 30-7.
(09/26/12 11:51pm)
Friday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Sept. 22, the Middlebury women’s volleyball team returned to the court with three games at the Coast Guard Invitational. After dropping the first game, the Panthers rebounded with two wins on Saturday.
After a five-hour bus ride to New London, Conn. the Panthers were tested immediately by the host school, ultimately falling three sets to one. After coming out strong and winning the first set 25-22, the Panthers were defeated in the next three sets 21-25, 17-25 and 19-25. Catherine Walker ’13, Kelsey DePorto ’14, Samantha Marmolejo ’14 and Karen Matic ’13 led the Bears victory, racking up a total of 33 kills and 27 digs.
The Panthers, meanwhile, received contributions from Piper Underbrink ’15, who contributed an impressive 11 kills and four blocks, while senior Julia Gibbs ’13 totaled 15 digs and 34 assists.
Saturday morning, the girls came out with new momentum, downing DeSales University and Lasell College 3-1 and 3-0, respectively. In the team’s first game against DeSales, Middlebury took the first set 25-16, but lost the second set 13-25. However, after the short break between sets, the Panthers recovered to edge the Bulldogs 26-24 and 25-17 in the last two sets of the game.
The win improved the Panthers to 6-3 on the season heading into their final game of the tournament. Middlebury’s two right hitters, Amy Hart ’14 and Olivia Kolodka ’15, led the team with 24 combined kills — 13 and 11, respectively — while Julia Gibbs ’13 added 25 assists and senior captain Caitlin Barrett ’13 solidified the Middlebury victory with 17 digs.
The 3-0 shutout against Lasell College was a thrilling way for the Panthers to close out the three-game tournament. With ease, the team quickly defeated the Lasers 25-9, 25-12 and 25-11 in the straight-setter. The standout players of the game included Kolodka, who had eight kills, and first-year setter Katherine Haderlein ’16, who dished out 13 assists. Despite some impressive individual performances, nine different players registered kills in the game, demonstrating the cohesion within the team — one reason for the squad’s impressive 7-3 start to the season.
Following five consecutive road contests, the Panthers return home this weekend, hosting NESCAC rivals Colby and Bates at Pepin Gymnasium on Friday Oct. 28 and Saturday Oct. 29.
(09/26/12 11:41pm)
Head coach Bob Ritter has the same goal heading into every season — start 1-0. Saturday, his team accomplished just that, pulling away from a banged-up Bowdoin team for a 42-18 win.
Middlebury, which led the NESCAC in total offense last season, had trouble igniting its high-powered offense early in the game. The Panthers defense, however, was dominant from the start, intercepting Bowdoin quarterback Grant White’s first pass attempt of the game and adding two more takeaways later in the half.
“[Turnovers are] a point of emphasis,” said Ritter. “The pressure we put on the quarterback and some of the things we were doing in the secondary enabled the guys to put themselves in great position [to make plays].”
On the first possession of the game, Middlebury forced the Polar Bears into a third and long, deep in their own territory and jumped all over the play. Linebacker Matt Crimmins ’14 deflected White’s pass attempt into the air, and a hustling Bryant Adams ’14 completed the interception, plucking the ball out of the air.
The Panthers offense took over on the Polar Bears nine-yard line, running the ball twice with Remi Ashkar ’13 before quarterback Mac Foote ’14 connected with Zach Driscoll ’13 from three yards out on third and goal. Driscoll finished the game with five receptions for 74 yards and a team-high two touchdowns.
As well as Driscoll played offensively, his impact on special teams might have been even more important. The senior wideout and long-time punt returner picked up a new job this season, replacing Matt Wassell ’12 as the team’s primary punter. On Driscoll’s first attempt, the Concord, Mass. native boomed a 56-yard punt, knocking the ball out of bounds at the Bowdoin eight-yard line. Driscoll punted three times on the day, pinning all of them inside the 10-yard line, including a 39-yard boot, which was downed on the two-yard line.
“[Driscoll] is a great player for us — he really set the tone with his punting,” Ritter said. “We only had three punts and two of them he knock[ed] inside the ten. That was a huge part of our success defensively.”
Driscoll gave the defense great field position and the defense returned the favor to the offense, forcing two punts and intercepting two passes on the Polar Bears’ first four possessions. Joel Blockowicz ’15 was responsible for the second interception, flashing into the passing lane and picking off another White pass. The sophomore cornerback returned the ball seven yards to the Bowdoin 20-yard line.
Despite the great field position, however, the offense failed to capitalize, punting twice and falling short on a fourth down deep in Bowdoin territory.
The team’s offensive woes extended into the second quarter as the Panthers failed to convert on their second consecutive fourth and two, turning the ball over on downs at the Bowdoin 26-yard line.
“I think some of it was the first game [and adjusting to] game speed,” Ritter said, addressing the offense’s slow start. “It was pretty windy, which might have affected some of the deeper throws, as well.”
Now leading just 7-3, the Middlebury offense finally found its rhythm as Foote established a rapport with wide receiver Brendan Rankowitz ’15, connecting with the sophomore for a 24-yard touchdown pass, the first of Rankowitz’s career. It was one of seven catches on the day for Rankowitz, who led the team with 77 yards receiving in his second career start.
“He had seven catches and three of them were really big catches,” Ritter said of Rankowitz. “He got us out of a hole in one, got us a critical first down on another ... it was great to see someone step up. We were hoping he could be this kind of receiver. It allows us to keep spreading the ball around.”
With a 14-3 lead, the Panthers defense preyed on another errant Bowdoin pass. Backup quarterback Thomas Romero — playing in relief of White who sustained an injury — floated a pass directly at strong safety Jared Onouye ’14, who returned the interception 18 yards to the Bowdoin 20-yard line.
This time the offense wasted no time putting points on the board, with Foote completing a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Billy Chapman ’13 on fourth and six, expanding the Middlebury lead to 18. Foote and Chapman connected seven times on the afternoon for 76 yards and two scores.
Middlebury’s only defensive glitch of the half came on the Polar Bears’ final possession before the break. Facing a third and eight from the 25-yard line, Romero completed a 40-yard pass — his longest of the day — to Nick Goldin. Four plays later, Romero completed a 28-yard pass to receiver David Black for the Polar Bears’ only passing touchdown of the game. The ensuing point after try, however, was blocked, giving the Panthers a 21-9 half-time advantage.
Middlebury opened the second half with a clinical, 12-play, 78-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a one-yard run by Ashkar. Rankowitz kept the drive alive, however, hauling in a 12-yard pass from Foote on fourth and six from the Bowdoin 27-yard line. Ashkar, meanwhile, was steady and dependable, rushing for 79 yards on 19 carries while catching three balls for 25 yards.
The Polar Bears responded with a touchdown drive of their own, driving 90 yards on 10 plays in under four minutes to draw within 10. Following the Greg Pierce touchdown run, head coach Dave Caputi opted to go for two, in an attempt to make it a 28-20 game with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter. The attempt was unsuccessful and Bowdoin never challenged again.
Middlebury added two fourth quarter touchdowns to seal the victory as Foote completed touchdown passes of 19 and 25 yards to Driscoll and Chapman, respectively. The nation’s top passer from last season once again put up staggering numbers, finishing the game with 285 yards passing and five touchdowns while completing 26 of 44 attempts. The performance earned him NESCAC Player of the Week honors, the third time Foote has won the award in his short time at Middlebury.
Middlebury’s offensive success in the second half was due in part to better timing between Foote and his receivers, but in large part to the play of the offensive line, as well. Bookended by tackles Ryan Moores ’13 and Jack Allard ’14 and bolstered by interior lineman Ling Zhou ’13, Harris Huguenard ’13 and Benjamin Green ’14 the Panthers boast one of the most talented and experienced units in the conference.
“We’ve got a lot experience on the offensive line,” Huguenard said. “We only gave up nine sacks [as a unit] last year and our goal this year is to give up even less. [Foote] does a great job of getting the ball out early and reading the defenses, too, which makes it easier for us.”
The group easily overmatched an inexperienced Bowdoin defensive line, which did not return a single starter from last year’s team, opening holes for Ashkar and passing lanes for Foote.
“Our offensive line did a tremendous job not only blocking the run game and getting some great push, but to throw the ball 44 times without [allowing] a sack is pretty incredible,” Ritter said.
Equally important — and much more surprising — was the play of the defense, which dominated Bowdoin, though injuries to the visitor’s top running back and quarterback certainly played a role. Tri-captain John Wiet ’13 led the charge, totaling 10 tackles and a sack. First-year linebacker Tim Patricia ’16 was impressive in his first game, finishing with nine tackles. Cornerback Dan Kenerson ’13, meanwhile, added to pass deflections to his six tackles.
The Panthers travel to Colby this weekend to play the Mules (0-1). Middlebury beat Colby 41-15 last season at Youngman Field.
(09/26/12 9:38pm)
The College is seeking to diversify its traditional revenue sources in the wake of a drop in the endowment growth rate during the 2012 fiscal year. The return on the College’s endowment for fiscal year 2012 was only 2.7 percent, falling short of the five percent target rate and dramatically lower than the 17 percent return in 2010 and 18 percent in 2011. The endowment, the size of which is determined by its growth, spending and amount of gifts, finances 18 percent of the College’s operating budget.
The College spent approximately 5.6 percent of the endowment in fiscal year 2012, as the College continues to pay off the debt and the incremental operating cost of infrastructure projects implemented over a decade ago, such as Ross Commons, Atwater Dining Hall and other facilities on campus.
“Between 1990 and 2004, the College took somewhat of a risk by investing just shy of $300 million in our campus infrastructure,” said President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz in an interview. “It was a ‘Field of Dreams’ kind of thing — if you build it, they will come. But our facilities needed modernization in order to attract the best students and faculty.”
Liebowitz defended these projects despite the incurred overhead costs.
“The flip side is that we borrowed $200 million to finance the upgrade (and reserves that we fund annually for infrastructure to cover the rest), and we need to pay off that debt for a number of years,” said Liebowitz.
“Some people say, ‘What a risky move that was!’ But the bigger picture is that the College achieved its goals of attracting great students and faculty and providing excellent facilities in which to teach and learn. And, applications increased from less than 3,800 to 8,900 between 1995 and 2011 and we have among the best facilities of all liberal arts colleges,” added Liebowitz.
The below-expected performance of the endowment, combined with these costs, amounted to a change in value of approximately $25 million for fiscal year 2012, a decrease from $908 million in 2011 to $883 million in 2012.
The College’s endowment is managed by Investure LLC, an investment management firm that also invests the endowments of other private liberal arts colleges such as Dickinson College, Smith College and Trinity College. Investure — which is responsible for managing a combined portfolio of $9.1 billion pooled from 13 institutions — does not release to the public specific information about where it invests its money, making it difficult to determine which investments may have yielded the lower-than-expected return.
Vice President for Finance and Treasurer’s Office Patrick Norton pointed to the larger economic situation as an explanation for the change in return value.
“[It was a] tough year for the global markets,” wrote Norton in an email. “We have a $280 million allocation to global equities and while we beat the benchmark (MSCI All Country World Index was -6.0 percent) [this allocation] returned -1.6 percent for the year.”
Despite the change in the endowment’s value, Liebowitz maintains that the below-expected return will not have quite as dramatic of an impact as one might anticipate because the College uses a three-year moving average to determine allocations from the endowment.
“The 2.7 percent return this past fiscal year is not a huge hit to our budget,” said Liebowitz. “The prior two years exceeded the expected five percent return significantly, and so we are in good shape. But if below-five percent returns continue, we will feel it and will need to do some unplanned budget tightening.”
In addition to the endowment and the comprehensive fee, the College’s budget is also funded in part by donations to the College. In fiscal year 2012, the College received $9.65 million in unrestricted gifts, which, unlike restricted gifts and gifts to the endowment, can be channeled, in full, directly to the College’s operating budget.
“Donors have continued to be generous, although we have seen a reduction in long term pledges due to economic uncertainty and desire to re-assess commitments annually,” explained Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Meg Groves in an email. “During the downturn we began to emphasize the impact of total giving (current year use and longer term endowment-type gifts) more and also allowed and encouraged our donors to direct their gifts where they thought [they] could do the most good.”
Despite the pressure on the endowment, Liebowitz remains adamant that this cost will not be transferred to the students through a disproportionately large increase in the price of tuition.
Two years ago, the College implemented a “CPI + 1” ceiling on tuition hikes, which limits the annual increase in the comprehensive fee to one percentage point above the inflation rate.
The “CPI +1” ceiling illustrates a response in the College’s financial model to the recent economic downturn and to the growing national debate over the affordability of higher education.
From 1980 through 2010, the College increased the comprehensive fee by an average of 6.2 percent per year, a growth rate consistent with peer institutions’ increases. While tuition currently accounts for approximately 66 percent of the College’s revenue, Liebowitz argued that increasing the comprehensive fee is no longer the answer to financing the College’s operating budget.
“It would be easy to believe, with nearly 9,000 applicants to the College this past year, the demand for a Middlebury education is strong, highly ineleastic, and insulates the College … ” wrote Liebowitz in a memo to the faculty over the summer. “It would be foolish, however, to ignore these criticisms and the wide range of student choices within higher education; both suggest a far greater elasticity of demand.”
The decision to tie tuition to the CPI has come under criticism, but Liebowitz defends the policy.
“There were many, including a number of my faculty colleagues, who pointed out that CPI+1 ‘leaves money on the table’ — that if we can charge more, we should,” said Liebowitz in an interview. “But we need to take the long view. We need to think about our families and students and those who will turn away from even applying to Middlebury if the costs keep increasing as much as they have.”
The CPI + 1 ceiling on the comprehensive fee and the recent decline in the endowment growth rate have renewed the importance of pursuing other sources of income to finance the College’s operations.
“The Language Schools, the Bread Loaf programs, the Schools Abroad and Monterey diversify our sources of revenue beyond the undergraduate college’s traditional revenue generators,” wrote Liebowitz in the memo. “[This leaves] us less dependent on any one source of income, and less vulnerable to economic volatility than would otherwise be the case.”
The income from the College’s outside operations, all of which registered operating surpluses for the 2012 fiscal year, has helped the College stay competitive with peer institutions that benefit from much larger endowments.
Recently, the College undertook a for-profit venture in response to the need to subsidize the cost of providing an ever more expensive education. Middlebury Interactive Languages (MIL) is the College’s for-profit online language education venture, and is expected to become profitable in fiscal year 2013 after a three-year start up period.
While Liebowitz expressed confidence in the College’s financial health, he also warned in his memo that the current model of higher education may not be a sustainable one.
“It behooves us to think collectively and creatively about how best to preserve what it is we do and value most, while understanding too, the need to think about the future and the consequences — both intended and unintended — of whatever choices we make in amending what has become an unsustainable cost structure.”
(09/19/12 11:59pm)
The last matches of the Middlebury Invitational men's tennis tournament concluded Sunday, Sept. 16, although the tournament is not technically over. The two finalists in "A" bracket singles play, Rob Crampton and Matt Bettles, both visiting from Bates, will play for the title this weekend back at their home courts.
Still, as the Proctor courts emptied late Sunday afternoon, the Middlebury men's tennis program left galvanized by the weekend's matches, and by a glimpse at the competition that the season holds in store.
"Bates looked extremely strong, as did Skidmore, Tufts, Trinity and Brandeis," said coach Bob Hansen. "The NESCAC keeps getting better, which will only serve to strengthen our program."
Crampton reached the semifinals in the NCAA tournament last year. But in a heavyweight semifinal match against recent Middlebury transfer Alex Johnston '14 on Sunday morning, he nearly met his match much earlier in the season. Johnston lost in a final set tie-break, 10-8.
"Obviously I am disappointed to have lost yesterday," said Johnston, "but the match gives me a lot of confidence knowing that I was two points away from beating one of the best Division III players in the nation without playing my best tennis."
A tall and powerful player with a big serve, Johnston is new to Division III tennis. But he is no stranger to the high level of competition, having played the past two seasons at Foothill College in the California Junior College league.
With the first set locked at three games apiece, Johnston agreed to replay a point he had won after Crampton contested a close line call. Crampton won the point, and won the set.
"Often times in matches without chair umpires and referees, there are a few close calls and it is natural for an opponent to question some of the close ones," Johnston said. "It wasn't out of line – just the nature of the sport."
In matches spread across a series of courts, without official oversight, the players at the invitational policed themselves, and the tenor of the matches varied from court to court. On court one, in the Johnston-Crampton semifinal, both players competed for every available advantage, each in his own way.
"In no way did [line-calling] affect the outcome of the match," said Johnston.
After dropping the first set, the Leeds native rebounded on the strength of his serve and resilience from the baseline, winning the second set 6-4. In the tiebreak, a series of long points eventually fell in favor of Crampton, and the final match was sent back to Bates.
Meanwhile, two Middlebury first-years competed against one another in the finals of "C" bracket. Ari Smolyar '16, defeated Allen Jackson '16, 6-7 [5], 7-5, 10-4, in the all-Panther final, a strange but fitting introduction to tournament play on the Proctor courts.
"We play together everyday, and he's a good friend of mine, so I knew that it would be a friendly match," said Smolyar. "We know each other's strengths and weaknesses so as much as it was a physical battle on the court, it was a mental one as well."
Quietly, another Middlebury first-year also made a statement. Jackson Frons '16 defeated Skidmore's top player, returning All-American Oliver Loutsenko, 7-5, 7-6 [5] in the first round of "A" flight play. Frons lost to the eventual finalist Bettles in the quarterfinals.
The tournament was a proving ground for a host of talented first-years and for the newcomer Johnston. These contributions promise to add considerable depth to a team already buttressed by strong and consistent play from Spencer Lunghino '13, Alec Parower '13 and Courtney Mountifield '14. While easily overlooked in individual events, depth is essential to a team's success in the spring dual match season.
"Some of our most experienced players are abroad," said coach Hansen, "but I am thrilled with where we are and where we are headed."
(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.
(09/19/12 11:33pm)
As I made my way down Route 7 last week, I couldn't help letting my eyes wander occasionally. At first, the seemingly endless fields of corn caught my attention. However, my gaze quickly advanced towards the thin line separating the crest of the Green Mountains from the sky. On my way to campus, each Middlebury landmark instantly called to mind a vivid memory. The bright red Hannaford sign put me right back in the supermarket's meat section, as my housemates and I purchased pounds upon pounds of beef to grill on the ADP porch during the spring of my junior year. As I continued past the Dollar Store, I was again wandering the aisles in an attempt to find the cheapest way to dress up as my favorite superhero during my sophomore year. With a slight grin on my face, I eventually made my way past Jackson's on the River and remembered taking a girl on a date for the first time in the fall of my freshman year, at what was then Tully and Marie's. When I reached Battell (my time-honored freshman dorm), I saw FYCs and parents collectively assisting the freshmen in unloading way more stuff than could ever possibly be needed at college.
Then it hit me, how unbelievably different these current perceptions were, compared to the first ones I had moving in to Midd, only three Vermont autumns ago. Apart from the expected excitement, occasional ambivalence and perpetual anticipation I felt as a freshman, above all else, I was eager. Eager to start classes. Eager to meet the baseball team. Eager to find a cute girl. Eager to meet my roommate. Eager to discover the campus. Eager to acclimate to life as a "Middlebury College student". While this eagerness certainly drove me to try a wide variety of new things and meet an even wider array of people, in hindsight, it may have been (subconsciously) overwhelming.
Armed with what was then a far cry from a well-established sense of identity, I immediately set out to do exactly what I felt a "cool" Midd kid would do. It was essentially like letting a different, idealistic persona guide my behavior.
Many months after I'd settled on a group of friends (who I now consider to be among my favorite people to spend time with), quit the baseball team and decided to prioritize my own interests, I became aware of something new. I realized that in an attempt to prove to Middlebury that I was a "cool" Midd kid, I had inadvertently created a person with whom I didn't actually agree. I didn't enjoy trying to find a party every night – I was free to socialize at the expense of being bedridden for the next 11 hours. I didn't enjoy donning Vineyard Vines belts and Croakies to look like the older guys on campus. Above all else, I didn't enjoy doing things in order to form a new identity.
It wasn't as if I woke up one morning and suddenly realized that I no longer agreed with the person I was trying to be. Rather, the transformation happened slowly, over three years.
As I've progressed through the previous three years at Midd (and abroad in Spain), I gradually decreased choosing what I felt I should be doing over what I actually wanted to do. I found myself doing fewer things that felt forced and unnatural and more of what I truly enjoyed.
One could argue that the difference between my first perception of move-in day compared to the one I had two weeks ago represents a sort of evolution. Throughout my three years at Middlebury, my sense of identity changed from being largely influenced by the perception other people had of me, to learning and enjoying what I really wanted to do. Just as the struggle for existence is a prerequisite in Darwin's theory of evolution, so too did my struggle to figure out who I really wanted to be shape and modify my behavior over time at Midd. I believe that discovering who you are and what you really like to do are among the most important aspects of a Middlebury education. It is one of the many learning experiences that take place outside the classroom. It was a long, hard and occasionally bumpy journey, but I enjoyed it immensely as it was well worth the wait. (That's what she said #winkyface.)
Written by GRANT NISHIOKA '13 from Wayland, Massachusetts
(09/19/12 11:25pm)
The Middlebury volleyball team began conference play last weekend with a split result. The Panthers shut out Wesleyan for their fifth consecutive win on Saturday, Sept. 14 before falling to Connecticut College the next day. The Panthers played two tight games; six of the team's eight sets were determined by two points. In the NESCAC opener at Wesleyan, Middlebury won three straight sets by two points, clipping the Cardinals 27-25, 25-23, 29-27.
"We've been talking all season about being aggressive, even in those crucial points, and we really carried that out against Wesleyan," said tri-captain Madeline Firestone '13. "Even when we were down in the match there was never any hesitation. During those points we focused on winning the game ourselves, rather than waiting for [them] to make a mistake."
After blowing a 23-16 lead, the Panthers found themselves on the wrong end of set point, trailing 25-24 following a 7-1 Wesleyan run. Middlebury rallied back, winning each of the next three points to take the first set 27-25. The visitors finished the set in emphatic form, taking the lead with a service ace from senior Julia Gibbs '13 and ending the set with a kill from outside hitter Meg Anderson '14.
In the second set Middlebury yet again built a seven-point lead only to see it dwindle as the Cardinals scratched and clawed their way back into the set, cutting the Panthers lead to one at 24-23. This time it was Firestone '13 who halted the rally, closing out the set with a kill of her own.
The Cardinals showed signs of forcing a fourth set, jumping out to a 17-11 lead – their largest of the game – in the third set. The Panthers responded with a 12-6 run, tying the game at 23 and, after the Cardinals fought off two game points, Middlebury finally sealed it on a kill from Amy Hart '14.
"[The win] was a total team effort," Firestone said, "but [the] performances by Meg Anderson and Amy Hart really made a difference."
The two juniors led the team with 10 kills apiece, leading the Panthers to victory and a 5-1 season record.
The Panthers were not so fortunate in the second game of the weekend, falling in five sets to Conn. College. Just three points separated the teams over five back-and-forth sets, with Middlebury finally falling 15-13 in the fifth set.
The Panthers were led by Hart and Megan Jarchow '14, who combined for 35 total kills. Gibbs, meanwhile, racked up 54 assists and 19 digs from her setter position and tri-captain libero, Caitlin Barrett '13 recorded 32 digs.
Middlebury won the opening set 29-27, extending the team's streak of sets won by two points to four and giving the Panthers the early advantage in the game. The Camels won each of the next two sets, 25-23 and 25-18, respectively, before Middlebury drew level with a 25-19 fourth set victory, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Here, the Panthers fell just short of their sixth straight victory and a 2-0 start in conference play.
"As in any fifth set of a NESCAC game, the atmosphere was definitely intense," Firestone said. "However, we didn't lose our cool and went point for point with Conn. It was an incredibly competitive match and in the end it just came down to the little things."
Firestone and company travel to New London, Conn. this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21-22, for the Coast Guard Invitational, a brief pause in the NESCAC schedule before they resume conference competition again next week with home games against Williams, Colby and Bates.
"We know we can win close games," said the senior mid-hitter from Solvang, Calif., "but we also know this year especially, every conference game is going to be incredibly competitive."
(09/18/12 2:52am)
Many rising seniors spent the summer months completing an internship that they hoped might lead to a future job. They worked hard, tried to impress their supervisors and took every opportunity to show how beneficial they could be as full-time employees.
Michael Joseph '13 was no different. Well, maybe a little bit different. Instead of donning a suit and tie, Joseph opted for his baseball glove and the uniform of the Torrington Titans of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) as he sought to catch the eye of a scout for a shot at a major league contract.
Following 21 relief pitching appearances for the Titans that featured 24.4 innings, 22 strikeouts and an earned runs average of 3.28, Joseph found himself signing a contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 11.
One of the major reasons for his contract offer was his performance during the FCBL Scout Day on July 26, during which he threw a 10-pitch bullpen that attracted scouts from approximately six teams. Suddenly, Joseph was a major league prospect.
"Before the pro day I had no contact with any teams," said Joseph. "After that I had teams calling me and scouts at almost every single one of my games."
He also had the chance to try out at the stadium of his favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
"Being able to take the field at Citizens Bank Park and throw a bullpen session was an amazing experience for a hometown Phillies fan," said Joseph.
The 6'7'', 215 pound Joseph ended up hitting 93 miles per hour on the radar gun, a number that he hopes to get up closer to 95 mph this fall when he heads to Florida for a five-week instructional league with all of the top Orioles prospects.
Another impressive aspect to Joseph's signing was that the FCBL, having just completed its second year of operation, is comprised of mostly [Division I] athletes and other top prospects. Joseph, however, said he was impressed at how NESCAC baseball compares to the league.
"It was a huge surprise that NESCAC baseball actually stood up really well to Division I competition this summer," said Joseph. "It's a huge testament to the hitting and pitching in the NESCAC."
Joseph plans to take this spring off from classes, as he will join the minor league system of the Orioles, before returning in the fall and graduating in February. This means Joseph will forgo his senior season with the Panthers, a decision that he did not take lightly.
"I'm going to miss Middlebury baseball," said Joseph. "It was one of my best life experiences. This was a very tough decision and it will definitely be hard to be away from the team in the spring."
Joseph aims to keep his eyes on the prize, however, as he makes it very clear what his plans are from here.
"I need to keep improving and getting stronger year by year," said Joseph. "The only reason I'm doing this is to make the big club."
The Orioles could use the help too, as they are down to the wire with the New York Yankees in search of their first AL East title since 1997.
"I've actually started watching Orioles games now," said Joseph. "It's exciting to watch them make a playoff run."
(09/18/12 1:38am)
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit the College in October and will give two speeches on Friday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 13, as part of his tour of several U.S. colleges and universities.
His speech on Friday, Oct. 12, "Educating the Heart," will be open only to students, faculty and staff, and will be an opportunity for the Dalai Lama to tailor his remarks to an audience comprised of only members of the college community. The doors of Nelson Arena will open at 11:45 a.m., and will be closed to further entry at 1:15 p.m. for security reasons.
Current students each are entitled to one ticket to this event free of charge, and students began reserving tickets at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Faculty and staff tickets for the first lecture will be available online and at box offices beginning Friday, September 14 at 6 a.m, with a limit of two per person.
The Dalai Lama's second speech, "Finding Common Ground: Ethics for a Whole World," will be held on Saturday, Oct. 13 and will be open to the general public. The doors will open at 7 a.m. and be closed at 9 a.m. Ticket sales for the Oct. 13 talk will open online and at the box offices at 6 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27. These tickets are $20 for the public and $15 for alumni, faculty, staff, students and parents of current students.
Accommodations will be made for those that do not secure tickets. While the event will be held in Nelson Arena, there will be live video feeds of the talks broadcasted at Dana Auditorium and McCullough Social Space. Free seating will be provided at these alternate locations.
This will be the third visit to the College for the 14th Dalai Lama, who has previously visited the campus in 1984 and 1990. He returns this year at the request of the College, which he respects particularly for its environmental consciousness, among other reasons.
The preparations for this year's visit began in 2009, when Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden, personal emissary for peace to His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the College to give a lecture. Chaplain Laurie Jordan said that during Lama Tenzin's talk "all the chairs were full, and people were seated on the floor around the edge of the room."
He explained that the popularity of this lecture led to discussion of a future visit from the Dalai Lama. Lama Tenzin offered to hand-carry a formal invitation back to the Dalai Lama and to guide the College through future arrangements if the invitation was accepted, says Jordan.
By August of 2010, a formal invitation was drafted, and the Dalai Lama accepted the College's invitation in the fall of 2011. The Dalai Lama will also visit Syracuse University, the College of William and Mary, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University and the Lincoln Center in New York City while in the United States.
A steering committee has been working on logistical arrangements associated with the Dalai Lama's visit, Jordan reports. This committee has also worked with faculty and students to create supplementary events to the Dalai Lama's visit. The organizers hope these events will spark conversations about global interconnectedness and the role of religion in the world, amongst other topics.
The Dalai Lama's message has changed with each visit to the College. This time, his message will echo the theme in his recent book, Ethics for the Whole World: Beyond Religion. This new message will be particularly pertinent in a world that is struggling with a global financial crisis and religious differences. As to what his exact insights will be, "the Dalai Lama usually does not speak from a text so it will be difficult to know for sure" says Jordan. Following his remarks, the Dalai Lama will answer selected questions that have been submitted in advance.
The arrival of His Holiness is a highly anticipated event at the College this fall as students and community members look forward to this unique occasion.
(05/07/11 6:01pm)
The Middlebury College Rugby Club traveled to Pittsburgh last weekend to compete in the Division II National Championship round of the DII men’s rugby playoffs. After hanging on for the win against a surging Salisbury side in the semifinals, the second-ranked MCRC faced off against top-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater with the national title on the line. On a cold, rainy day in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the larger UW-Whitewater ruggers stood admirably against the more skilled Middlebury players and held on for a 7-3 victory.
After bussing down from Vermont on Thursday night, the MCRC had a day of practice on Friday before taking the pitch against Salisbury to make the final four. Salisbury jumped out to an early lead, but the MCRC struck back behind inspired running from their backline and the usual solid kicking of backs captain Brian Sirkia ’12.5. After staking themselves a 26-14 halftime lead, and seemingly in control of the game, Middlebury managed only one three-point penalty kick in the second half as Salisbury turned up the pressure on “the Blue.” Salisbury scored two tries in fairly rapid succession, and the MCRC suddenly found themselves with their backs against the wall on their own goal line as the Salisbury ruggers desperately tried to punch in the winning score inside of two minutes left in the game. However, Middlebury’s defense tightened up at just the right moment, and the MCRC found themselves walking off the pitch with a 29-26 victory and a date the following afternoon with Whitewater.
The conditions that were found in the Pittsburgh area on Sunday were unfavorable to Middlebury’s brand of rugby. For a team that relies on agility, quickness and getting the ball smoothly out to their backline, a slow field and a wet ball were less than ideal. However, the MCRC came out for the opening kick unfazed, Whitewater came out of the gate strong, applying constant pressure on the Middlebury defense and keeping them in their half of the field, but Middlebury refused to break until two yellow cards saw them playing with 13 men to Whitewater’s 15 for a brief period of the game action. That would be all the advantage Whitewater needed, as they were able to punch in a try and convert it for a 7-0 lead. Middlebury’s first chance to get on the board came shortly afterwards, but a Sirkia penalty kick hit the upright and glanced off, keeping the MCRC scoreless. Sirkia would convert another kick just before the half of the match, making the halftime score 7-3 in favor of Whitewater.
Middlebury had been dominated in the first half in terms of possession, and seemed to have more confidence maintain and moving the ball after the second-half kickoff. However, they were unable to string together any significant phases, and Whitewater’s defense refused to allow many significant breakaways and missed very few tackles on the afternoon. As the minutes of the second half ticked down without any significant action, Middlebury’s attacks became more intense and desperate, as the men were looking for any kind of offensive advantage against the powerful Whitewater side. As the game devolved into a back-and-forth contest of turnovers and penalties, with the opposing sides trading possessions rapidly, Middlebury continued to perform with incredible heart and determination, despite the fact that they were facing real adversity on the pitch for the first time this season.Characteristic of this determination was the performance of forwards captain Chris Marshall ’11, who had earlier refused to leave the pitch after suffering an injury and was finally forced out of the game with about 15 minutes left, literally leaving it all out on the field and ending his illustrious career with a performance to be envied by those that call themselves warriors everywhere. Despite numerous substitutions by the coaching staff, hoping to infuse new life into the offense with fresh legs, Middlebury remained unable to get anything going offensively, and after a few frantic attempts at moving the ball in added time, the final whistle blew with the score still 7-3, and UW-Whitewater as the DII national champions.
Though the MCRC’s season ended on its lowest point in terms of result, the on-field performance in the face of adversity by the team left them with no need to hang their heads or regret their own exertions. The MCRC is bound to face more adversity next season, with a move to Division I competition looming, and with the impending graduation of key seniors— notably Marshall, Chris Vandergrift ’11, Michael Pappa ’11, Drew Harasimowicz ’11 and Zach Bills ’11 in the forwards, and Sam Harrison ’11, Ben Cmejla ’11 and Dane Steel ’11 in the backs— the club will be looking to replace a large portion of their formidable starting line-up. However, if they can face this adversity with half the heart and courage that they exhibited in their match against Whitewater, they remain in very good shape to be a serious player on the national level.
(05/07/11 6:00pm)
The top-seeded Middlebury Panthers tennis team lost for just the second time all season Saturday, falling 6-3 to fourth-ranked Amherst. The Panthers fell to 16-2 (6-1) on the season while the Lord Jeffs set a new team record with their 29th win of the year, which includes their fall season. The loss ended the Panthers 25-match winning streak in the NESCAC and marked the first Lord Jeffs win over the Panthers since 2001.
The Panthers started the match with a win from the third doubles team. Middlebury’s David Farah ’12 and Spencer Lunghino ’13 defeated Andrew Jung and Mark Kahan of Amherst 8-3. Despite the early doubles lead, the Panthers ceded control of the three doubles matches for just the third time this year.
After Farah and Lunghino gave the Panthers an early lead in the match the Lord Jeffs took a 2-1 lead in the match by controlling the first and second doubles matches. Senior tri-captain Andrew Peters ’11 and Brantner Jones ’14 lost 8-2 to Luis Rattenhuber and Austin Chafetz of Amherst. In the number two doubles match, the Lord Jeffs Wes Waterman and Moritz Koenig beat the tri-captain team of Mike Malhame ’11 and Derrick Angle ’12 8-5. Malhame and Angle put up a good fight against the sixth-ranked doubles team in the country but could not come out on top.
The Panthers could not match the excellent singles play of the Lord Jeffs as they lost four of six singles matches. Tenth-ranked Andy Peters dropped two sets by a single break to 25th-ranked Luis Rattenhuber in the first singles match losing by a score of 7-5, 6-4.
In the second singles match Mark Kahan, the 36th-ranked singles player defeated Zach Bruchmiller ’14 in straight sets 6-2, 7-5. Bruchmiller appeared to be on the verge of forcing a third set up 5-2 in the second set, but Kahan rallied to win the next five games to take the second set 7-5 and win the match. Kahan has now won his last 12 straight matches with the second singles win against the Panthers.
The Panthers also dropped the third and fifth singles matches as Austin Chafetz downed Angle 6-2, 6-4 and Joey Fritz outplayed Lunghino 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to clinch the victory for Amherst.
The Panthers remaining two wins came from the fourth and sixth singles positions where Alec Parower ’13 and Jones both recorded wins. Jones improved to 11-1 on the season in the sixth singles position downing Andrew Jung 6-2, 7-6 (7-0). Parower meanwhile ran his record to 7-0 at fourth singles (12-3 overall) after sailing by Wes Waterman 6-3, 6-3.
Despite the loss, the Panthers remain if not the heavy favorite, certainly a contender to win the NESCAC tournament which will occur this weekend. To defend their NESCAC championship the Panthers would almost certainly have to play their way by the Lord Jeffs who remain undefeated in the NESCAC.
The Panthers may have multiple shots at retribution against Amherst who they could then face once again in the NCAA tournament where the Panthers will once again be looking to defend their crown as the Kings of Division III tennis. Amherst also advanced deep into last year’s national tournament, but were eventually knocked off in the semi-final round and did not get a chance to face off against Middlebury. However, both teams figure to make a major push again this year.
The Panthers semifinal opponent in the NESCAC tournament has yet to be determined. Amherst is the only NESCAC school that the Panthers did not defeat this last spring season.
