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(03/24/11 9:31pm)
In their third match of the season, the women’s tennis team came out victorious, beating Rochester 9-0 at home. So far this season, the team lost only one match out of the 27 played, and entered the match against Rochester ranked 12th nationally.
This week 16th ranked Victoria Aiello ’12 beat 17th ranked Lia Wiener in only two matches for the number one singles match. Both sets were close, but Aiello pulled away victorious, winning 7-6 and 7-5.
In the number two doubles spot, Leah Kepping ’13 was able to pull out victorious after losing the first set 5-7, winning the next two 6-1, 6-4 in order to beat out Rochestor’s Frances Tseng. Sally Wilkey ’12 also won her match in the number three singles spot after losing the first set 5-7, easily beating Alexandra Goodman in the next two sets 6-1, 6-2.
Finishing out the singles matches were Anna Burke ’13, Dorrie Paradies ’14 and Whitney Hanson ’11. All three of them won their matches in just two sets; none of them letting their opponents win more than three games.
In terms of doubles play, in 27 games played over three separate matches, Middlebury players only let three games get away. In the number one doubles spot Brittany Faber ’13 and Kepping let two games through to win 8-2 against Alexandra Goodman and Frances Tseng of Rochester.
Both the team of Aiello and Burke and the team of Wilkey and Paradies easily won their matches, both winning 8-1.
“The team put in a lot of time during the off season which is already paying off as we head into the spring,” said tri-captain Hanson. “Everyone on the team has gained confidence this year after our successful fall season, our off season training and our strong start to the spring season. We have a very energetic team and everyone is excited and prepared to play well.”
Over spring break the team will be playing four separate matches as they travel to the south for a training trip. The team will start off by playing Emory University this Friday in Atlanta, Georgia. They will then play Mary Washington and Gustavus Adolphus on Saturday and Monday respectively at Emory University. The Panthers will complete their spring break matches on April Fool’s Day against Savannah College of Art and Design in Hilton Head, S.C.
“The team is excited to finally play outdoors this coming Friday,” Hanson said. “We are traveling to Atlanta for the first half of our trip to play 3 different teams. We are especially excited to play Emory who is one of the top ranked teams in the country.”
The team will then quickly be in the heart of their season, beginning at Hamilton on the 10th. In the two weeks following, the team will play four matches all against NESCAC teams. Just five weeks after returning from spring break, the team will compete in the NESCAC Tournament.
(03/24/11 9:25pm)
All good things must come to an end as the Middlebury Men’s basketball team record-breaking season came to an end Friday at the ends of St. Thomas (29-3), narrowly missing the team’s first Division 3 Championship appearance. However, the Panthers did not go down without a fight.
Middlebury jumped out to an early lead to start the game after a basket and pair of blocks by leading scorer Ryan Sharry ’12 gave the team a 7-2 advantage. After battling back to an 11-11 tie thanks to tight defense and quick three point shooting, the Tommies kept the game close through most of the first half. However, a 10-2 run in the final two and a half minutes of the first half gave St. Thomas a 32-25 lead going into the locker room.
Uncharacteristically, the Panthers shot just 33 percent from the floor in the first period, missing on all nine of their three point attempts.
“They cranked up defensively and I have to give St. Thomas credit” said head coach Jeff Brown.
Meanwhile, the Tommies made four of their seven three point attempts, shooting 41 percent from the floor on the top-ranked defensive team in the tournament.
Unlike the first, the second half proved to be a series of runs and droughts by both teams. Middlebury scored the first three shots of the half, cutting the lead to just one. However, the Tommies struck right back, going on a 9-0 run of their own thanks to four points from Tommy Hannon to take an eight point lead, the largest of the game.
The Panthers quickly responded, going on a seven minute, 18-3 run which found Jake Wolfin ’13 and Nolan Thompson ’13 finding Middlebury’s three point stroke while the team took a 50-43 lead.
Slowly chipping away with lockdown defense, the Tommies found themselves ahead by five with just a minute remaining in the contest.
However, Middlebury was still not done. After an enormous three by Thompson cut the lead to two, Senior Jamal Davis ’11 stole the ball with 16 seconds remaining, giving the Panthers one last chance.
Following a timeout, the Panthers tried their best to get the ball inside to Sharry for the tie. Denied by the Tommies, Thompson shot one last three for the win as the buzzer sounded, barely missing as the ball clanked off the front of the rim. St Thomas escaped with a 59-57 victory as the Panthers incredible season came to an end.
Despite the loss, the Panthers season has been quite a historic one. The team finished a school best 28-2, reaching the sweet 16, elite eight and final four for the first time in school history.
On an individual note, Ryan Sharry became just the second player in school history, after Ben Rudin, to receive All-American honors. The Panthers say goodbye to Davis, Andrew Locke ’11, Ryan Wholey ’11 and Andrew Plumley ’11 this season, yet return with a group of players ready to continue the success that has come to mark Middlebury Basketball.
(03/24/11 4:01am)
At a school filled with active learners and avid debaters, it is a wonder that this club has not existed until now. Pioneered by Kelsey Henry ’14, the Mock Trial Club is in the process of becoming Middlebury newest student organization.
“I did mock trial in high school and it was a big consideration in my college search,” said Henry. “But, I ended up choosing a school which had no mock trial club.”
Then, over Winter Term, Henry took “The Death Penalty in the United States, in Theory and Practice,” a course culminating in a mock trial. After seeing the success of her class’s final, Henry decided to try and put a mock trial club into motion and emailed the entire political science department to determine interest levels. To her delight, she received a good student response.
“I also did mock trial in high school,” said Ben Anderson ’14.5, “and I was really excited when I heard they were starting a team.”
“I did it in high school as well,” said Jay Plamondon ’14, “and had a lot of fun.”
But the club is not exclusively for those with previous experience. In fact, mock trial is encouraging those with no prior participation to attend meetings that, along with offering information about mock trials, always feature baked goods.
“I thought the idea had some real appeal,” said Chris Inzerillo ’13, who did not participate in mock trial in high school. “It seemed like it’d be a lot of fun, so I went to the first meeting and haven’t stopped since. For people without experience, you learn a lot, it’s easy to pick up and [it is] a lot of fun.”
Mock trial teams are involved in intercollegiate competitions, governed by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), an organization that sponsors regional and national-level competitions and provides an interesting, complex and fictional case for teams to address. The schools split up into teams of six or seven — with approximately three witnesses and three attorneys — and proceed with opening statements, directing their witnesses, cross-examining their opponents’ and finishing with closing statements.
“Mock trial is an intellectual competition that requires you to think on your feet, and it’s intense,” said Henry.
“It’s a good way to practice public speaking and thinking on your feet,” said Anderson.
Every year AMTA selects one case for collegiate mock trial teams to focus on, giving students opportunities to examine the case from every angle and become truly invested in the process.
“There’s something about getting into a case that’s both challenging and really fun and you get to carry it out throughout the year,” said Inzerillo.
“You definitely get really attached,” said Anderson.
Unfortunately, the birth of the team came too late in the year to compete in AMTA’s regional competitions. Still, the club is working hard to be ready for next year.
“We really hit the ground running,” said Anderson.
“I’m trying to set up a sort of scrimmage invitational this spring to prep for next year,” said Henry. “College mock trial is a huge step up from high school — it’s an entirely different animal.”
The club meetings, which are now every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in MBH 338, are relaxed and informative opportunities for members to get to know each other and learn the nuances of mock trial strategy.
“We come in, eat some cookies, talk about mock trial and then talk about the case and how we can use the elements of mock trial,” said Henry. “And then we do some organizational stuff, because I’m wildly disorganized.”
Due to its recent and somewhat untimely founding, the club is not yet generating the kind of momentum it would like.
“Our first meeting we had 16 people, but we’ve had a lot of attrition,” said Henry.
“Seniors are hesitant since it’s too late to do the case this year,” said Inzerillo.
However, they are always looking for new members and encouraging anyone with interest to come to a meeting.
(03/17/11 6:56pm)
The men’s tennis team began its defense of its 2010 National Championship season with three wins this weekend against Oneonta, Brandeis, and Connecticut College. The Panthers dropped just one match of a possible 27 over the weekend sweeping Oneonta State and Connecticut College 9-0, while downing Brandeis 8-1.
Tenth-ranked player Andy Peters ’11, a tri-captain of the team, won two first singles matches over the weekend beating Oneonta’s Michael Kennelly 6-1, 6-0 and Brandeis’ Simon Miller 7-6(4), 6-1 on Saturday before teaming up with Eric Vehovec ’12 in the first doubles match against Connecticut College, where the upperclassmen tandem aced Trevor Prophet and George King 8-0.
As the only returning starter from last year’s team, Peters is ready to carry his team to a repeat performance. When asked what his goal for the season was, Peters stated, “To win another team title. I also would like to win NCAA singles and doubles titles, but those goals are very minor when compared to the overall goal of repeating.”
The challenges of winning a national championship are different this year, however. After graduating eight seniors from the 2009-2010 team, the Panthers will need to reload this year rather than rebuild with so many new faces.
“We are certainly much less experienced than last year’s team,” Peters concedes, “but the talent and work ethic are very comparable. We worked incredibly hard in the off-season and we continue to work hard in practice. We lost many strong contributors from last year’s team, but we have put ourselves in a great position to have another championship caliber season.”
The Panthers swept all nine doubles matches over the weekend while dropping just three singles sets over the weekend. In the team’s first match with Oneonta, the Panthers lost just 10 games in nine matches.
The lone loss over the weekend came from the second singles match against Brandeis when the Judges Nick White defeated first-year player Zach Bruchmiller ’14 of Middlebury 6-4, 6-4.
Bruchmiller rounded out an otherwise successful weekend with a dominant victory in his second singles match against Oneonta State and a closely contested victory in the first singles position against Connecticut College. The first year player from San Antonio defeated Adam Shapiro of Oneonta 6-0, 6-0 Saturday before grinding out a 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Connecticut College’s Trevor Prophet.
Spencer Lunghino ’13 and tri-captain Derrick Angle ’12 recorded two wins in the match Saturday against Oneonta State as Lunghino beat Joey Milstein 6-1, 6-0 playing number six singles before joining David Farah ’12 in a resounding 8-1 win over Milstein and his partner Adam Shapiro.
Angle, meanwhile, topped John Taft from the third singles position 6-1, 6-0 and doubled up with senior tri-captain Michael Malhame ’11 in the number one doubles match, where the pair outlasted Oneonta’s John Dorin and Will Sacco 8-4.
Angle completed a spectacular Saturday with four total wins after securing two more against Brandeis later that day. Once again playing third singles, Angle needed three sets to defeat the Judges’ David Yovanoff 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. On the doubles side, Angle and Malhame pulled off the most impressive win of the weekend beating the nation’s 17th-ranked doubles team of Simon Miller and Nick White 8-5.
Peters singled out his fellow tri-captain after the weekend as a player who could have an enormous impact this year. “Michael Malhame played especially well at one doubles,” he said. “He has not started the last three years, but could very well be an All-American selection by the end of the season.”
Eric Vehovec also recorded two wins against Brandeis, beating Josh Jordan 6-0, 6-2 in the sixth singles match before he and Peters downed David Yovanoff and Steven Milo in the number two doubles matchup.
Lunghino and Will Oberrender ’13 accounted for four victories on Sunday as the Panthers rolled over the Camels of Connecticut College. Lunghino breezed by Colin Tasi in the fourth singles matchup and recorded a doubles win with partner David Farah. The second doubles team blanked their Connecticut College counterparts 8-0.
Oberrender also overpowered his opponents dropping just one of the 21 games he played Sunday. The sophomore from Edina, Minnesota defeated Jeremy Bader 6-1, 6-0 and then finished off the Panthers’ doubles domination with Alec Parower ’13, sweeping Jeremy Bader and Will Tucker 8-0.
Although the Panthers have gotten off to a strong start to the season, Peters cautions that the team needs to embrace the length of the season and approach each match with the same intensity.
“We need to continue to work hard, and love the battle,” Peters said. “Tennis is such a mental grind, and if we can approach every match with a warrior mindset, where we are not afraid to lose and we are willing to do whatever it takes to win, we will be very successful.”
The Panthers next compete on the west coast during spring break before beginning their NESCAC schedule in earnest when they return.
(03/17/11 6:54pm)
The Middlebury women’s tennis team started off their season with two indoor games at home on Saturday. They started out the day against Brandeis, winning eight out of nine games. Five out of six of the single matches were won in only two sets. Middlebury’s number one singles player Victoria Aiello ’12 beat out Brandeis’ number one player Rachel Rosman 6-4, 6-4, while the number one doubles teams made up of Brittney Faber ’13 and Leah Kepping ’13.
Later on Saturday, the Panthers shut out Connecticut College 9-0. Sally Wilkey ’12 played in the number one singles spot and was able to beat out Connecticut College’s number one singles player, Cassie Smith 6-4, 6-1. All six of the singles matches were settled in only two matches.
The number one doubles team comprised of Faber and Kepping, let Connecticut College win only one game, beating them 8-1.
Last year, the team beat Brandeis 7-2 in the opening game of the 2009-2010 season. In the NESCAC Semifinals, the team lost to Williams 5-1 but still got a NCAA bid where they were able to advance past Bowdoin. They then played in the Regional Finals where they lost 5-1 to fellow NESCAC school Amherst.
Next weekend, the team will play Rochester at home.
(03/10/11 5:11am)
The top-seeded Panthers hosted the NESCAC tournament this past weekend. Middlebury faced off against Bowdoin on Saturday and, after a 4-0 win over the Polar Bears in the semifinals, sixth-ranked Amherst in the NESCAC finals on Sunday. The second periods of both games were crucial as the Panthers out-scored their opponents 6-1 in the middle minutes.
In the semifinal matchup the Panthers broke a scoreless tie 3:33 into the second period when sophomore defender Heather Marrison ’13 netted her fourth goal of the year. It was just the beginning of a big weekend for Marrison, who recorded a goal and an assist in both games and was awarded the NESCAC Player of the Week Award. Forwards Maggie Melberg ’12 and Maggie Woodward ’13 provided the second and third goals in the period and goaltender Lexi Bloom ’11 made seven of her 17 saves in the period as the Panthers skated to a commanding 3-0 lead.
Middlebury secured the win in the third period as Lauren Greer ’13 scored her team-leading 12th goal of the season and a smothering Panthers defense held the Polar Bears to just two shots on goal.
The win over Bowdoin advanced the Panthers to the NESCAC finals where they met second-seeded Amherst for the third time this season. The Panthers and Lord Jeffs split two games at Amherst earlier in the year when Middlebury ended their NESCAC rival’s 17-game home-unbeaten streak. To add to the drama before the game, both teams learned that due to an upset in another conference only the NESCAC tournament champion would likely get a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Even so, the build up to the game could not eclipse the drama once the game started. The Panthers jumped out to an early lead on the stick of Madeline Joyce ’14 less than five minutes into the first period. The goal came on the Panthers’ first power play of the game. Lord Jeffs goaltender Caroline Hu made the original save, but after taking multiple deflections off of several Panthers attackers the puck flipped up over the head of Hu and landed in the net. Joyce was officially credited with her fifth goal of the season while Nora Bergman ’11 and Marrison were given assists on the play though the puck appeared to hit so many different players on its way across the goal line that only the players on the ice may actually know who was responsible for the Panthers’ lead.
The Panthers appeared to extend their lead early in the second period, but an apparent Panthers goal was disallowed after it was determined that the puck was batted into the back of the net inside the goal crease. Despite this the Panthers were awarded a penalty shot as Amherst defender Randi Zukas was penalized on the play for a delay of game. Melberg took the penalty shot but was denied by a great save from Hu as she tried to beat the Amherst goaltender to Hu’s right.
The save proved crucial as Amherst seized control of all momentum when they drew level 9:01 into the second period on Ellen Swiontkowski’s 10th goal of the year. After making several fantastic saves from point blank range Bloom conceded a goal for the first time in over 100 minutes of play.
Despite the clear shift in momentum, the Panthers responded with great resilience, unleashing three goals in a 7:04 span that left the Lord Jeffs reeling as they mercifully welcomed the end of the second period. The run started less than three minutes after Amherst equalized when Marrison expertly snuck a low slap shot through the screen set up by her teammates into the lower left-hand corner of the net. Hu, whose vision was affected by the screen, never saw the puck as it sped by her leg into the back of the net.
Four minutes later Sara Ugalde ’14 made a great individual play, intercepting an errant Amherst pass in the Lord Jeffs’ defensive zone before flipping it over Hu’s right shoulder for her 12th goal of the season, tying Greer and co-captain Julia Ireland ’11 for the team lead.
The play of the game — and maybe the tournament, if not the season – however was made by Woodward who, after catching an edge on her skates and while being blanketed by an Amherst defender, somehow managed to redirect a centering pass from Joyce into the back of the net while sliding on her knees. What proved to be the game-winning goal brought the Kenyon arena crowd to its feet as few people, including senior Bloom, had ever seen a goal quite like Woodward’s before.
“Maggie’s goal was amazing,” Bloom said. “If it wasn’t for Maddie [Joyce’s] drive, however, she never would have gotten the puck in front of the net. We always say to throw anything at the net because you never know what will go in, and their goal proved that perfectly.”
Leading 4-1 going into the final period, the Panthers seemed all but assured an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. After being thoroughly outskated for 40 minutes however, the high-powered Lord Jeffs offense finally came to life. With less than nine minutes remaining in the game Amherst defender Stephanie Clegg scored her thirteenth goal of the season to draw her team within two goals. Then at the 15:50 mark Geneva Lloyd converted on an Amherst power play to cut the Panthers lead to one and created a frantic final four minutes of the game. The drama mounted in the final minute as Marrison was penalized for body checking, giving the Lord Jeffs nearly a minute of power play to finish the game which turned into a six on four advantage when Hu was pulled in favor of another attacker shortly after.
The Lord Jeffs have been one of the most dangerous teams in the nation in advantage situations, having converted more than 30 percent of their power plays, but the Panthers’ penalty kill unit survived the furious onslaught. And when the buzzer finally sounded the Panthers bench emptied as the players swarmed the ice, tossing their gloves high into the air and scattering their sticks and helmets across the rink.
“We were all busy watching the clock count down that we let up a little bit,” said Bloom. “Thankfully, our penalty killers hung in there and we stuck it out. There’s nothing more exciting than hanging a banner up in Kenyon Arena, especially your senior year.”
With the win the Panthers advance to the NCAA tournament where they will host the quarterfinals. The Panthers will face Manhattanville (19-7-2) Saturday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m.
“Going to NCAAs is something you should have to earn by winning not something you deserve because of your overall record, and I am grateful that we earned the right to go this year,” said Bloom.
The Panthers, who have won 13 of their last 14 games, will look to continue their excellent play in the NCAA tournament and look to hang another banner– a national championship banner- in Kenyon Arena.
(03/10/11 5:10am)
Playing in front of a sold out crowd in Pepin Gymnasium, the Middlebury men’s basketball team continued adding to their season of firsts. After a dominant 79-53 victory over the 23rd ranked Western Connecticut Colonials (22-6) in which the team’s defensive tenacity shined, the Panthers advanced to the sweet 16 of the NCAA Division Three Tournament for the first time in school history.
“Advancing to the sweet 16 was a huge step for us. The past two years we felt our season ended prematurely and this year we were committed to playing deep into March” said senior center Andrew Locke ’11, playing his final game in Pepin.
“Obviously it’s tough playing my last game in Pepin, but it was a great one to end on.”
Jumping out to a 15-6 lead just five minutes into the contest, thanks in large part to scoring leader Ryan Sharry’s ‘12 seven points, the Panthers set the precedent for the game early on. However, after a 7-0 Colonial run capped off on a three point play by John Phillips minutes later, the lead was slashed to 17-15.
“The teams we see in the NCAA tournament often have a different style of play than our NESCAC opponents” said Locke, as Western Connecticut’s speed became a factor early on.
Yet, with the rowdy fans rallying behind them, Middlebury locked down its top-ranked defense and found ways to get to the basket, going on a 10-0 run of their own that Western Connecticut would never recover from.
With their lead hovering just under double digits for most of the half, the Panthers finally took a 10 point advantage after a monster alley oop dunk from Locke that sent the already ecstatic crowd into a frenzy of cheers, one enthusiastic fan shouting, “Game over!”.
Catching the assist from guard Joey Kizel ’14 on the baseline, Locke slammed it down so hard fans feared the rim was going to break off. Middlebury would end the half up 40-28.
Picking up right where they left off, Middlebury dominated the second half from start to finish. Opening with a 5-0 run that began on sophomore Jake Wolfin’s ’13 three point shot, the Panthers pushed their lead to 18 with just nine minutes remaining in the game.
With a 10-2 run over the next five minutes that pushed their lead to 25, Middlebury put the game out of reach ending with a 79-53 victory that leaves the Panthers among the final 16 teams left in contention for the NCAA Division Three Championship.
A testament to their excellent defensive effort, Middlebury held Western Connecticut to 33 points below their regular season average on 35 percent shooting from the floor. Western Connecticut’s start guard, Daquan Brooks, was held to just 11 of his regular 22 points a game.
For the Panthers, Sharry lead the team with 16 points and 13 rebounds while guard Nolan Thompson ’13 added a dozen. Jamal Davis ’11, also playing his last game at Pepin, added 11 points and six rebounds while Locke added six rebounds and four blocks. Middlebury now travels to Rochester to play the team on their home court in hopes of getting one step closer to their first Division III title.
(03/10/11 5:05am)
On Saturday, March 5, Peak Sports held its annual Peak Snowshoe Challenge. The course, which weaved through the Green Mountain National Forest of Pittsfield, Vt., awelcomed 250 participants, including a handful of students from the College. Each individual snow shoed a 6.55-mile loop, and could chose to continue racing to complete a four loop snowshoe marathon (with 7,200 feet of elevation change) or a two loop half marathon. There was a 10-hour time limit for the races. Some ambitious individuals opted for the 100-mile race of 15 loops. They had 24 hours to complete the course, which amounted to 28,000 feet of elevation change.
The race began promptly at 8 a.m., and all participants were invited to a pasta dinner, awards ceremony and slideshow after completing their loops. Participants could also enjoy a sledding tour on Sunday morning, as well.
“I think that all Peak races provide amazingly innovative ways to challenge yourself, and the races utilize Vermont’s landscape to really push people to their limits,” said Jen Friedlander ’13, who competed in the race for her first time. “Snowshoeing up a mountain is something very few people have the opportunity to do. Taking advantage of our surroundings is really important — there are so many great things we are able to do.”
Andy Weinberg, who coached the men and women’s swimming teams at the College for two years, organized the event; as a result, many swimmers, including Friedlander, joined in the festivities. Six years ago, Weinberg founded Peak Sports and is now the race director for all of its races, including the annual Snowshoe Challenge. He believes it is “fun for students to get off campus and do something crazy,” which each one of his races promises.
“I think the college kids bring so much energy because they are such fun people to be around,” said Weinberg. “The students get a great experience at the College, but there are some neat Vermont things to do off campus too.”
In addition to the snowshoe racers, there were 20 individuals participating in a Death Race practice run. Throughout the winter and spring, there are six weekends of training in preparation for the official Death Race on June 24. Weinberg and his three partners are sworn to secrecy regarding the details of this summer race.
“We wanted something out of the norm and a different challenge,” said Weinberg, who also teaches Physical Education and Health in Proctor, Vt., though he lives in Middlebury with his family. “I wanted to challenge people physically, emotionally and mentally.”
The death races are 24-hour events in which individuals must complete extreme tasks, such as chopping wood and then hiking the pieces up a mountain, selecting rocks from a freezing river and using them to construct a three-foot statue and assembling a bird house, all the while fighting sleep deprivation.
Cross country runner Donny Dickson ’11 participated in the race two years ago and was excited to come back to compete again. He felt the workout complemented his training well, especially considering he opted to complete the half marathon this year.
“The event was an absolute blast. There was no shortage of enthusiastic people, as well as a huge range of how seriously people were taking the event, so it was easy to find a niche,” he said. “Within the first five minutes I was running with an old guy who somehow started talking about his time in Nam. He seemed pretty cool.”
This year, Amy Lane from Massachusetts won the women’s marathon division with a time of four hours and 42 minutes, and her fiancée, Brian Rusiecki, was the men’s marathon champion. He finished after racing for three hours and 52 minutes. Weinberg was pleased with the results, but said no participant has yet to break the course record of three hours and five minutes. Stanis Moody-Roberts ’11 won the college marathon division, and the Middlebury students also fared well in the half-marathon, placing second through fifth place in the women’s division.
An avid organizer, Weinberg has planned over 70 races. He enjoys spending time with the competitors, and began organizing races, “to give back and have these individuals come race in [his] town.”
Peak Sports’ next race, the Ultra Trail Run, will take place on Saturday, April 30. This is a 30, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 500-mile race that follows a 10-mile loop. Contact Weinberg at andy@peak.com for additional information.
(03/10/11 5:02am)
The Middlebury Panthers have high expectations for their 2011 season. They are led by co-captains Sally Ryan ’11 and All NESCAC Chase Delano ’11, both of whom are excited to prove what they are capable of doing in what should be a highly competitive NESCAC. The team is bigger this year, welcoming eight first-years and two sophomores into their already admirable line-up. Both Delano and Ryan see potential for great success everywhere on the field. Stephanie Gill ’12 led the NESCAC last year in draw controls and will help lead the offense along with Delano, Elizabeth Garry ’12 and Ellen Halle ’13. The midfield is fueled by impressive speed and endurance; Ryan believes the squad “will definitely be able to out run a lot of other teams.”
Joining Ryan in the midfield is a strong sophomore class including Margaret Souther ’13, Michaela Colbert ’13 and Heather Marrison ’13. The field is anchored by a solid defense including Lucy Jackson ’12, Neile Weeks ’13, Hannah Epstein ’12 and rookie Hannah Deoul ’14. Together, they control the field in front of All- Pilgrim Region goalie Lily Nguyen ’13, who had the best save percentage in the NESCAC last year.
The Panthers finished last season with an 8-7 record after a tight 9-8 loss to the Colby Mules in the NESCAC Quarterfinal game. Despite graduating a lot of talent, including Dana Heritage ’10, Kasey Rischmann ’10 and Catherine Gotwald ’10, the team is ready to compete in one of the toughest conferences in DIII lacrosse by using the previous season as motivation. Garry says, “We learned a lot from last season and know what we need to do to be the team that we want to be.”
The Panthers open their season this weekend at Bates. After falling to the Bobcats 11-9 in the opener last year, Delano cites this match up against Bates as “vital … not only to redeem ourselves, but also to start off the season with momentum from a NESCAC win under our belts.”
Moreover, the matchup this year is personal. After losing assistant coach Heidi Howard to the Bobcats before last season, the Panthers picked up Morgan Maciewitz as the new assistant coach. Joining Missy Foote and Katherine DeLorenzo in the coaching staff, Maciewicz graduated last year from Bates and was a four-year member as well as senior captain for both the field hockey and lacrosse teams. Delano and Ryan are ready to step on the field Saturday, confident that the team’s ability and determination will lead them to a great season.
(03/10/11 5:00am)
Dog-sledding lecture
March 11, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The Ilsley Public Library has planned an exciting event for all ages. Ed Blechner, who works at Vermont Dog Sled Rides, Skijoring and Tours, will bring one of his trained sled dogs, Miko, to the lecture. He will discuss the art of dog sledding, as well as answer any questions from the audiences and both read and tell stories of his experiences at the head of the sled. All children in attendance will be invited to play with Miko. Call the library at (802) 388-4097 for more information or send an email to kathryn.laliberte@ilsleypubliclibrary.org.
Chili festival
March 12, 2 p.m. – 4p.m.
Are you ready for Middlebury’s third annual Winter Carnival and Chili Contest on Main Street? This year, over 50 different chili vendors from three Vermont counties will offer samples of their homemade specialties. The last two years, the festival has been named one of Vermont’s Top 10 Winter Events, and there are high expectations for a third nomination. Bring an empty stomach and venture downtown for the special celebration!
Jazz quartet
March 12, 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
A New York-based jazz quartet is headed to Brandon Music, at 62 Country Club Road. The group plans to play a myriad of tunes and to add some improvisational numbers, as well. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Brandon Music or by calling (802) 465-4071. Visit http://www.brandonmusicvt.com with any additional questions.
Food drive breakfast
March 13, 8 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Bring two or more nonperishable cans of food to the Orwell Town Hall and enjoy a full buffet breakfast. The Orwell Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts are planning a breakfast extravaganza to benefit the Whiting Food Shelf, where all food and money will be donated. The breakfast menu includes scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, in addition to French toast, pancakes and hash browns. Fruit, juice, coffee and tea will be available for all.
Spring garden talk
March 13, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Shari Johnson, the Master Gardener and co-president of the Middlebury Garden Club, is excited to share her love of nature with locals. Join Johnson at the Sheldon Museum for her lecture, “Herbs.” She plans to discuss the various uses for herbs, including culinary, medicinal and fragrant purposes, as well as for decoration or as dye. The talk costs $10, and is one of four lectures to take place at the museum this spring. A ticket to all four discussions is $35. Call the museum at (802) 388-2117 or send an email to http://www.henrysheldonmuseum.org to reserve a spot.
New Haven dance
March 13, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Put your dancing shoes on! The New Haven Town Hall will host an open dance festival starting this Sunday, and continuing every Sunday through April 10. A love for swing, blues and waltz are a must, and a $3 donation is preferred. Participants should bring clean, soft-soled shoes and call (802) 475-2349 or email jscondon@mac.com for more information.
(03/10/11 4:59am)
Residential Life released decisions on Monday, March 7 announcing the groups to be located in Superblock housing for the 2011-2012 academic year. In addition to Superblocks in the five Mods, the committee also approved applications for groups to be housed in Jewett House, Munford House and Palmer House.
Doug Adams, associate dean of students, explained that administrators worked hard to include student feedback before beginning the application process.
“We pitched the idea to Community Council, some of the existing Superblocks, the [Student Government Association] (SGA) and asked for their feedback,” said Adams.
Dean of the College and Chief Diversity Officer Shirley Collado also solicited feedback from all students on campus in her blog, One Dean’s View.
However, after the Campus printed an article announcing that Superblocks would only be located in the Mods, Adams said that the committee decided to clarify their message.
“Given the feedback, we wanted to make sure that anyone who wanted to apply could,” said Adams.
“It did become more confusing because we did pitch one thing and then we pitched a broader message,” added Adams. “But we did it to be responsive.”
Despite these good intentions, student applicants expressed frustration over the mixed message.
Brian Clow ’13 applied along with Olivia Noble ’13 for a Superblock entitled “The Dog House,” which proposed a community to raise a shelter dog through a foster care program. Although the group was eyeing Meeker House, they were not awarded a Superblock.
“They didn’t really stand by exactly what they wanted,” said Clow. “They came out saying ‘seven person Superblocks’ and then they backpedaled on that and said, ‘This isn’t exactly what we want — we have flexibility.’”
Noble added that the announcement “definitely came out of left field. Especially since we started working on our Superblock really early, we weren’t expecting that at all.”
Residential Programs Coordinator Lee Zerrilla explained that administrators hoped the focus on smaller Superblocks would strengthen adherence to the groups’ themes.
“The idea was by using the five Mods we could create a themed community — a neighborhood,” said Zerrilla. “We really want to give groups with common interests an opportunity to live together to really be able to capitalize on their interests and goals. They needed to have strong ideas about what they wanted to get out of the block and demonstrate [how] they could give back to the College community.”
Five groups will be housed in the Mods next year. Local Living will emphasize working with local producers in all industries and the Green Mountain Lodge group will focus on empowering students to explore greater Vermont. The Good Vibrations Superblock will focus on the study and appreciation of different genres of music, while the Pick Up Games group will maintain ongoing drop-in board game hours and game tournaments. Finally, Global Gatherings will provide both residents and other students a space to share their experiences abroad.
In addition to creating a focused community, housing Superblocks at the Mods will also solve housing problems Residential Life has experienced with the spaces in the past.
“[Last] year, when some seniors complained, ‘We have to have the Mods for seniors!’ only two of them were actually [chosen by seniors] in open draw,” said Adams. “So we put them into summer draw, and there were random groups of students that were placed down there.”
Both Zerrilla and Adams cited the success of the programming of the small Superblocks currently housed in Voter Hall as a primary reason for wanting to keep next year’s blocks smaller. They particularly praised the Katsuhama group, which focuses on Japanese cooking. The group re-applied for a Superblock this year and was awarded Jewett House, which will support 12 student residents.
“They came forward with really a fantastic presentation and application that showed growth from their current model,” said Zerrilla.
Adams added that Jewett fulfilled the group’s “specific needs [of] a larger kitchen and a larger social space to be able to host more people to feed them.”
The second larger block will house 26 students on the top three floors of Munford House. The group is called Intentional Living, and the students in it will center their efforts around community living and common ownership.
Palmer House was awarded to a group of students with the theme of Ethical Issues in Sports.
Grace Doering ’13 and Luke Dauner ’13 worked to organize the Palmer block. The group includes athletes from varsity-level to intramural as well as non-athletes. The mission of the group is to explore the ever-prevalent athletic culture at the College while simultaneously working to include those not on a sports team.
“We’re just trying to minimize any type of negative attitude toward athletes —” said Doering,
“— and at the same time make non-athletes feel welcome,” finished Dauner.
Both Dauner and Doering expressed enthusiasm for the programming they hope to bring to campus. In addition to a “Palmer Olympics” in which students across campus could compete and enjoy participating in sports, the group also hopes to hold a lecture series addressing issues common in the athletic community — hazing, gender issues, racial issues and recruitment policies, among others.
“We really want to emphasize transparent lines of communication with the administration that have not been existent in the past,” said Doering. “We want to set the precedent.”
“We really want to hold ourselves accountable to our goals,” added Dauner.
Administrators also hope all applicants will stick to their plans for programming. Each group will be assigned a Commons Residential Advisor (CRA) to oversee their block.
“They will establish a relationship, so hopefully groups won’t get off track,” said Adams.
This year also saw a change in the decision-making process for Superblocks. Instead of a committee comprised solely of administrators, applications were reviewed by an eight-person committee featuring students, faculty and staff. In terms of staff and faculty, the committee was comprised of Adams, Zerilla, Residential Systems Coordinator Karin Hall-Kolts and Dean of Brainerd Commons Natasha Chang. Students from the SGA, Community Council, a representative from the Inter House Council (IHC) and President of the IHC Ken LeStrange ’12 also sat on the committee.
Each Superblock is awarded a budget for their activities, using funds from the SGA Finance Committee. Although the final decision is in the hands of the students on the Finance Committee, Adams estimates that next year’s budgets will reflect those awarded this year, which was $1,000 for the larger blocks and $500 for smaller groups.
Meeker House will be included in regular room draw, as well as both the eight-person and six-person Voter suites. The five-person block in the basement of Munford will also be available.
The fluidity of this year’s Superblock process reflects the relative newness of the program — the 2011-2012 academic year will only be the College’s fourth year offering Superblocks.
Adams explained that the program was created originally to utilize the houses in the Ridgeline Woods, which remained unused after the Greek system disappeared from campus. In the first year of the program, both Brooker House — which was originally built to house KDR — and Palmer House were offered as Superblocks. The second year saw the addition of Fletcher House. Last year, the program took on enormous popularity, and Residential Life saw 14 Superblock applications.
“One of the great advantages of the Superblock system is we’re using existing housing in a focused way and if we don’t get good applications, we’re able to just put it back into regular [room draw],” explained Adams. “But if we do get a great idea, and we do have a group that seems like they’re really going to be focused and able to do a theme-based house, this would give them a place to do it from.”
“The consideration was given based on programming,” added Adams. “This is not about living with your friends, it’s not about avoiding room draw — it’s about having a legitimate program.”
Despite the workload of managing the application process, Zerrilla spoke of the program with a smile.
“It shows a lot of insight as to what students are interested in here,” said Zerrilla. “It’s really neat to see the process go from start to finish and watch as students formulate and solidify these ideas.”
(03/03/11 5:08am)
The Middlebury men’s basketball team made history last weekend. The Panthers tied the school record for most wins in a season, avenged their only loss with a victory over Williams, securing the school’s second NESCAC championship and, to top it all off, will prolong their season in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
Just a day before the historic game, the Panthers found themselves in a heated battle against Amherst College for the final spot in what would become the team’s third consecutive NESCAC championship appearance, despite not having the lead for all but a minute of the contest.
Trailing by 16 at the half, Middlebury came out fired up, putting their defenense on lockdown and never giving up spirit throughout the period. Cutting the Amherst lead to four with just three minutes remaining in the contest, center Andrew Locke ’11 collected a missed Panther shot and put it back, narrowing the margin to 61-59. A minute later, junior forward Ryan Sharry ’12 collected his own miss and found the basket, tying the game at 61.
With less than a minute to play, first-year Joey Kizel ’14 gave Middlebury its first lead of the game, scoring on a left-handed layup after a quick drive to the basket. Throughout the final minute of play, Amherst would be unable to capitalize on three shot opportunities while Middlebury’s clutch free throw shooting sealed the victory at 67-61. Locke ended the game with nine points, seven rebounds and a NESCAC record seven blocks in the victory, while Sharry added 15 points and 13 rebounds.
The next day, the Panthers found themselves playing the only team that beat them all season, Williams, in their home gym, for the right to call themselves NESCAC Champions. Once again, the game was a war until the final buzzer sounded, with each team trading shots.
Middlebury got off to the early edge after consecutive shots by sophomore Nolan Thompson ’13 saw the team up 16-8 with six minutes left in the half. With five minutes left in the half, the Ephs would win their first battle of the contest, going on a 12-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from James Wang, giving the team a 22-20 lead. However, a late 7-0 run by the Panthers, led by Thompson, who had 15 points in the first half of play, gave Middlebury the 32-27 half-time advantage.
After extending the lead to nine early in the second period, Middlebury saw their lead slashed to just three after consecutive three point shots from James Klemm and Harlan Dodson found the back of the net. For the next five minutes, the game turned into an all-out frenzy with both teams trading baskets and fouls before a monstrous dunk from Locke and a three-pointer by sophomore guard Jake Wolfin ’13 found the team up 11 with just seven minutes in regulation. Despite cutting the lead to four late in the game, the Ephs were never able to overtake the Panthers as great free-throw shooting and careful defense down the stretch secured the 63-54 victory and second NESCAC championship in three years for the Panthers.
The Panthers now await their pairing in the team’s fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. They will play the winner of Salve Regina v. Western Connecticut at home in Pepin Arena on Saturday, March 5.
(03/03/11 5:07am)
The fifth-ranked Panthers advanced to the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament, downing the Ephs of Williams 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The victory was Middlebury’s third over Williams this season, as the Panthers swept the season series against the Ephs during the regular season.
Head coach Bill Mandigo stressed last week that this would not be an easy win for the Panthers and through two periods of the game he was right. The Ephs were down early as they trailed 2-1 after the first period and 3-2 after the second. They did, however, demonstrate great fight when they pulled back to 3-2 on a shorthanded goal from Nicolle Perry in the second period.
“We knew going into Saturday that the Williams team we were going to face would be different than the team we played throughout the year,” said goaltender Alexi Bloom ’11.
“Every team plays better when it’s their elimination at stake. It’s always more exciting to win a big game against a competitive team, and I think that made Saturday’s win that much sweeter.”
The Panthers got out to an early 2-0 lead behind goals from first-years Madeline Joyce ’14 and Jennifer Krakower ’14. Joyce scored her fourth goal of the year just 1:40 into the first period, giving the Panthers a lead that they would not relinquish.
Five minutes later Madison Styrbicki ’13 and Sara Ugalde ’14 set up Krakower on the Panthers power play for her third goal of the season. The Panthers special teams were particularly effective on the power play, as they converted four of their six advantage situations into goals.
Trailing 2-0, the Ephs cut the deficit in half when Nicolle Perry scored her first of two goals on a Williams Power play with 5:46 remaining in the first period.
The Panthers answered early in the second period with Grace Water’s ’12 ninth goal of the season 4:24 into the period. Heather Marrison ’13 and Anna McNally ’11 assisted Water’s goal.
Perry did her best to keep the Ephs in the game, however, as she beat Bloom for the second time 17:56 into the period. Perry’s second goal in as many periods was even more impressive because it was short-handed. It marked the second consecutive game in which the Panthers have allowed a short-handed goal, attesting to their aggressive play in advantageous situations which has worked well at times but have sometimes caught them too far up the ice in their last two games as well.
The Panthers turned the game in their favor in the third period, scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes of the game. “The first and second periods were a little rough, but the entire team battled through it without giving up,” said sophomore defender Styrbicki.
“We knew we were capable of beating Williams, so before the third period we took that as a chance to refocus and relax. We came out a lot stronger and things started clicking in the third. We did the little things right.”
First-year Ugalde scored the opening goal of the third period two minutes in, notching her 11th of the season. Jamie Harisiades ’12 and Molly Downey ’13 were credited with assists.
Styrbicki struck next 7:47 into the period increasing the lead to 5-2 on a Panthers power play. “Everyone tied up the Williams’ girls as Lauren [Greer ’13] won the face-off right back to me, leaving me with a clear shot to the net,” she said. “The little things made it possible.”
Though it was just Styrbicki’s fourth goal of the season, the impact that she has made this season has not been lost on her head coach. “Madison has been excellent – our most consistent player,” said Mandigo.
“She is a very good defenseman, clears the puck well, kills penalties and runs a power play. I cannot say enough positives about her.”
Styrbicki played an important role in the final goal as well as she assisted Greer’s goal 15:35 into the third period along with Ugalde. The assist was Styrbicki’s team-high 15th of the season while Greer recorded her 11th goal of the year and her third point of the game.
The Panthers will face Bowdoin in the NESCAC semifinals on Saturday. The Panthers beat the Polar Bears 4-2 last weekend in Maine and 5-2 earlier in the season.
Head coach Mandigo outlined what his team will need to do in their third meeting this season. “Bowdoin is a very good team,” he said. “They have speed, a solid goaltender who moves the puck, and a very good power play. We will need to skate, move the puck and win battles in front of both nets.”
Styrbicki echoed her coach’s comments.
“For the remainder of the NESCAC tournament we’re focusing on ‘controlling the controllables,’” Styrbicki said.
“By controlling our effort and attitude we know we can go far. At this point in the season, we want to keep things calm and play our game.”
Should the Panthers win Saturday they would play the winner of Trinity and Amherst on Sunday.
(03/03/11 4:59am)
With the hiring of a new manager, the Grille will once again be open seven days a week. The new schedule will take effect the week of March 7 as David Cannistra comes on board as general manager of retail foods, overseeing dining operations at the Grille, the Ralph Myhre golf course and the lodge at the Snow Bowl.
In the fall of 2009, the Grille was forced to reduce its hours as a result of a loss of several staff members and financial constraints. The addition of Cannistra to the dining services staff, along with the addition of other management employees, will allow for the continuation of services that students say were sorely missed, including delivery service in the near future.
Solon Coburn, the morning manager of dining services, sees adding a general manager as a wise move.
“It is good sense to have a manager,” Coburn said. “It will help us expand our hours and bring more direction and focus to retail operations … Besides the little day-to-day fires you’re putting out, it is good to look at the big picture.”
The focus on hiring someone familiar with the business side of dining was central throughout the interview process.
“We wanted someone with a strong retail restaurant experience because that’s what we’re running,” said Corbin. “We really weren’t looking for somebody that came out of higher education, we were looking for people who … worked for commercial ventures where bottom-line profit and customer service drove the business.”
Cannistra fit those requirements well. He and his family moved to Middlebury this past weekend from Lake Placid where Cannistra has been working for several years as the culinary manager of all 13 dining establishments at the Lake Placid Olympic venue.
His experience includes working with a high-end catering company, running an upscale food provider for private schools in Florida, owning two of his own restaurants and managing dining services for several other large organizations.
“This job actually combines a tremendous amount of my experiences,” said Cannistra. “From the private school aspect … to running the skiing venues in Lake Placid … my background is pretty well suited for this job.”
Cannistra is glad to be here and has been looking forward to becoming a part of the Middlebury community since his first interview.
“I had an incredible feeling at that point that this is a tremendous place to work,” he said. “Everything is focused on the students and everybody has that same kind of goal.”
After completing the extensive interview process, “it was almost like it was home,” said Cannistra. “I just had that feeling that I haven’t had in a long time in a job. Right after my first interview, I became really focused on getting this one job so I’m glad it worked out and I think it is going to be mutually beneficial to everybody.”
Cannistra’s mere presence on campus will allow for some immediate changes. According to Corbin, “Delivery will continue to be run by the student group until the first of April but then it will revert back to the student fundraising groups that have done it in the past.”
Corbin said they are prepared to expand Grille hours significantly. “We have hired the staff for Monday and Sunday nights and they are being trained,” wrote Corbin in an e-mail. “Sunday and Monday night hours will return to the Grille on Monday, March 7.”
Until he has time to evaluate the situation, Cannistra says he cannot predict what kind of changes students might see.
“I just want to build on the good foundation that’s already here and look for different ways to improve and different ways to meet the financial expectations … bringing everything together.”
The changes in the coming weeks will mark the end of a long period of student dissatisfaction with the Grille’s hours.
“I think this is great because students will finally have a space they can hang out in and get food in on Monday nights and Sunday all day,” wrote Ray Queliz ’11, student co-chair of Community Council, in an e-mail.
President of the SGA Riley O’Rourke ’12 looks forward most to the return of Grille delivery.
“Student groups have been the real casualty of these loss of hours, as they have lost about $25,000 in revenue generated from Grille delivery,” O’Rourke wrote in an e-mail. “The program can only help the Grille make money too, as it is done at no cost to them.”
For O’Rourke, though, the changes ought to go farther than a return to the status quo ante and seek to redefine McCullough.
“A school of our caliber deserves a real student center,” O’Rourke wrote. He is currently working with the administration to install “some sort of gate to the kitchen so the room can be left open for longer hours. The TV room and social space should be available to students even when the room is closed,” commented O’Rourke.
In order to expand hours further, O’Rourke suggests limiting Grille hours during lower traffic times in the evening.
“Moving the current hours to times that actually help students would be a good first step,” he wrote. “One way to make this possible would be to close during dinner hours at the dining hall.”
(03/03/11 4:58am)
Early Saturday morning, a fire in a trashcan on the third floor of Gifford Hall activated hallway fire sprinklers, causing significant water damage to the second and third floors of the building. No students were injured in the incident. Both the Middlebury Police and the Department of Public Safety are conducting ongoing investigations to determine the cause of the fire.
Dean of Wonnacott Commons Matt Longman confirmed that four students have been temporarily moved as a result of the damage to the building.
“The water damage was extensive in these rooms to the degree that the custodial and facilities teams determined that they needed to have complete access to the rooms in order to properly address the concerns,” wrote Longman in an e-mail.
Michaela Colbert ’13 lived on the second floor of the building. She is now traveling between a single in Forest Hall, where she sleeps, and the Gifford Annex, which has been temporarily converted to house Colbert and her roommate Charlotte Heilbronn ’13.
Colbert is upbeat about the temporary move and explained that she and her roommate are enjoying the bigger space.
The building was evacuated around 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning when the fire alarm went off. Public Safety, the Middlebury Police Department, the Middlebury Fire Department and the Cornwall Fire Department all responded. Students waited in rooms of friends and in the Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest, located across the street from the dorm.
Dean of the College and Chief Diversity Officer Shirley Collado arrived in Hillcrest shortly before 7 a.m. Collado announced that all residents — except those in affected areas, mainly the third floor and certain rooms on the second floor — could return to their rooms. Collado also explained the proper procedures for filing insurance claims for any damages suffered to personal property.
Colbert returned to her room to find an extensive amount of water damage.
“The floor was soaked [and] the ceiling was dripping,” said Colbert. “Even the lights were dripping.”
Colbert grabbed her things and spoke with personnel present about how to proceed with cleanup.
“They gave us [several] giant fans [to dry things out], which was really nice of them,” added Colbert.
Colbert said that Dean Longman personally contacted her to make sure everything was running as smoothly as possible under the circumstances.
“They’re doing their best,” said Colbert.
Danielle Gladstone, who is one of two Residential Advisors (RA’s) in Gifford, echoed this praise of the College’s response.
“They did everything they could — they laundered all their rugs, they laundered anything that was wet, they moved students that couldn’t be in their rooms to other rooms on campus,” said Gladstone.
Longman expressed his concerns for the well-being of the students who have been affected.
“I have been working closely with a number of the residents who were most adversely affected by this event to discuss matters related to their academic responsibilities as well,” said Longman. “A number of these students have tests and papers due this week and the events of this past weekend have created significant stress and strain.”
“We are taking the fire in Gifford very seriously,” wrote Collado in an e-mail. “Many facets of the College and the community are working together on this incident, and we are very grateful that students are safe and supported.”
“It is our hope that students will be able to return to their rooms within a few weeks,” added Collado.
Director of Public Safety Lisa Boudah explained that Public Safety is working to assist the Middlebury Police in addition to conducting its own investigation.
“We’re contacting some residents in the building to ask if they were in the building that night [and] if they saw anything,” said Boudah.
Boudah explained that the Middlebury Police are investigating the incident because of the suspicious nature of the events, which included both a trashcan and a nearby pizza box in flames.
“Trashcans just don’t suddenly catch on fire,” said Boudah. “There’s the potential that it could have been a criminal act. The police [have a responsibility to] investigate criminal acts, especially around fire in a residence hall.”
According to Boudah, the department’s response to the situation was conducted according to protocol.
“We responded and assisted with the evacuation of the building,” said Boudah. “[Public Safety also kept] people out of the building while the fire department was inside and assisted the deans with re-housing students.”
Gladstone said that Commons administrators have encouraged her “to keep checking in with everyone, and to make sure that everyone who has had stuff damaged speaks up so that no one … is upset and not reaching out for help.”
Typically, when damage occurs inside and a culprit is not identified, the residents of the dorm are responsible for paying for the damages collectively. Collado explained that this situation might be an exception.
“This whole situation is under investigation right now so it’s premature to say what the process for paying for the damages will be,” wrote Collado.
Collado encourages anyone who knows anything about the fire to contact Public Safety.
(02/24/11 5:15am)
While most students were dancing or carving ice over the weekend, the Middlebury men’s basketball team was making history for the second time this season. With a 61-41 win over Connecticut College on Saturday, the team advances to the NESCAC semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. Meanwhile, a season-ending domination of Green Mountain College just two days earlier gave head coach Jeff Brown his 200th victory with the school, the most any coach has had in the history of the school.
Action began Thursday as the Panthers took the floor of Pepin Gymnasium for the final time of the regular season trying to net coach Brown his 200th win. With Middlebury resting all of its regular season starters in preparation for the opening round of the NESCAC finals two days later, it was up to the bench to net coach Brown his milestone. Getting off to an early 20-5 lead, thanks in large part to the sharp-shooting of junior guard Winslow Hicks ’12 who connected on all three of his first attempts behind the line, the Panthers would use their trademark defense to maintain control of the game.
Although the Eagles were able to close the gap to nine points late in the first half after a three-pointer from Kenneth Williams and consecutive three-point play from Peiton Woodall, it would be the closest the team would come to retaking the lead. Going on a 6-0 run of their own to end the period, the Panthers found themselves up 39-24 at halftime.
Throughout the entirety of the second period, Middlebury put on the defensive display that has supported their run throughout the season, holding the Eagles to an incredible less than 10 percent shooting from the floor while shooting over 50 percent themselves. All 10 players who entered the game during the period found their way into the scoring column while the team cruised to a 74-30 final score, getting coach Brown his monumental victory.
Sophomore Forward Peter Lynch ’13 led the team with a career-high 16 points while Hicks and guard Albert Nascimento ’14 added 13 and 10 respectively, also career highs for the two players. With the win, coach Brown is 200-149 in his Middlebury career, including an incredible 90-14 over the last four seasons.
However, there was not much time to dwell on the historic victory as the second-seeded Panthers were right back to work two days later in the opening round of the single elimination NESCAC finals against seventh-seeded Connecticut College at Pepin. Even with 6’10 senior center Andrew Locke ’11 out of action for the game, the Panthers still put their tenacious defense on display, holding the Camels to 22 percent shooting from the floor and only 2-18 behind the three-point line. With Locke out of the lineup, the Camels attacked the hoop early and often, getting off to an early 4-1 lead after a pair of lay ups.
However, it would be the only lead Connecticut College would take during the game, as a 7-0 Middlebury run soon after gave the Panthers a lead they would hold until the final buzzer sounded. Already leading by 16 at the half, Middlebury put its lockdown defense on full display, holding the Camels to 2-10 field goal shooting while forcing five turnovers early in the period to amass the 20 point lead they would end the game with.
The Panthers got great scoring from their bench, including a game-high 13 points from freshmen Joey Kizel ‘14 while Sophomore guard Jake Wolfin ’13 added 10 points with a game-high seven assists. The Panthers will play Amherst next weekend in their fourth consecutive NESCAC Semi-finals at Williams.
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(02/24/11 5:14am)
The Middlebury men’s hockey team’s 2010-2011 season has certainly been an up and down affair, with this last weekend’s set of ECAC East home games against Skidmore and Castleton State leaving the team with much to improve upon before the NESCAC tournament begins this coming weekend.
With conference tournament seeding on the line, the Panthers found themselves battling late in the third period to tie Skidmore with a record of 9-12-3, and then were outmatched by 21-3-1 Castleton State. Says head coach Bill Beaney, the team was well aware that this past weekend’s results would have repercussions down the line.
“They are bright kids. They knew the standings and they knew what was at stake,” said Beaney. “We focused on going out and playing our game, and at this time of the year there are clearly things we need to work on to get better.”
Friday’s game against Skidmore was the second meeting between the two squads this season, with Middlebury taking the first matchup 6-3 on New Year’s Day. However, an early goal by Skidmore had Middlebury battling back right from the start.
Skidmore netted the game’s first goal at the 1:30 mark of the first period, when Alex Essaris scored his second of the year on a shot from the right wing. Middlebury answered nine minutes later, with Chris Brown ’13 scoring his first goal of the year off a behind the net feed from Tom Cantwell ’12, also assisted by Charles Nerbak ’12.
In the second period, Chaz Svoboda ’11 scored his second tally of the year assisted by Charlie Strauss ’12 and Martin Drolet ’11 two and a half minutes in to give Middlebury a 2-1 lead. Goalie John Yanchek ’12 played well throughout the second period, stopping a flurry of Thoroughbred shots before finally conceding Skidmore’s second goal on a power play at the 7:39 mark.
In the third, the game seemed destined to head to OT at 2-2 when Skidmore scored on a breakaway, giving the Panthers just three minutes to respond. However, 25 seconds later Nerbak scored his sixth of the year, assisted by Mathieu Castonguay ’13 and Brown.
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(02/24/11 5:09am)
The Middlebury College women’s squash team finished in 13th place at the College Squash Association (CSA) National Championships played at Princeton University and The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey last weekend. Seeded 10th at the tournament’s outset, the Panthers competed for the Kurtz Cup, or the B-Flight, with ninth place as the top prize.
In the first round, Middlebury faced 15th-seeded Mount Holyoke College in a rematch of a January competition the Panthers won 7-2. Favorites to challenge Brown University for the Kurtz Cup championship, the Middlebury women suffered an upset loss to the Lyons, 6-3. Mount Holyoke won matches at the top six positions, foiling the Panthers’ dreams of a division championship.
“It was a disappointing loss because from there the best we could do was 13th overall,” said co-captain Kathryn Bostwick ’12. “Mount Holyoke played very well on that day; we had an entire season filled with a lot of great wins. They played great though. There were a lot of close matches; definitely a difficult loss.”
In a season, which Middlebury often played the role of the underdog, the Panthers’ found themselves in an uncomfortable and unexpected situation following the loss on Friday evening. Although Middlebury’s numbers seven through nine all recorded wins, three tough losses in five games at numbers one, two and six undid the team’s best-laid plans. Lindsay Becker ’13 lost her match 13-11 in the fifth game, pushing her opponent and herself to the brink.
“We had some really close matches that we couldn’t quite pull out,” said co-captain Virginia Shannon ’11 of the loss to Mount Holyoke. “It got harder to win as the match went on and we realized that we were scrambling for wins. It’s hard to relax and hit winners in a high-pressure situation like that, alone on the court. That’s one of the difficult parts of playing an individual sport; you need five people to step up on any given day.”
By Saturday afternoon, the women needed to ready themselves for their next test. While playing Columbia University in the loser’s bracket of the Kurtz Cup was not where the women expected to find themselves, it was not in the team’s nature to allow disappointment to undermine a will to finish the season on a high note.
The Panthers defeated Columbia 6-3 in a repeat performance of a 7-2 Middlebury victory last month. Playing with a micro-fracture in her left hand sustained during the match against Mount Holyoke, Elena Laird ’11.5 won a close match at number one. All told, the women advanced to the finals of the consolation round, where they met Amherst College.
In Middlebury’s previous meeting with Amherst, the women secured a comfortable 6-3 victory in a match played at the Lord Jeffs’ home courts. For Sunday’s match, the Panthers felt that they had left something to be desired after the teams’ January meeting.
“We were able to play well the rest of the weekend and showed that we had improved from earlier in the season” Bostwick observed. “It is good to end the season with a couple of wins and to bounce back from the tough loss to Mount Holyoke.”
In what was the final intercollegiate squash match for Shannon, Middlebury routed Amherst 8-1, securing 13th place in the tournament and most likely a year-end ranking of 13th overall. In 2009-2010, the Panthers finished 14th overall. Apart from the one loss, Shannon and the rest of her teammates recorded victories as some solace for Friday’s disappointing results.
The women’s regular season concluded on Sunday following the completion of the A-Flight championship match between Harvard and Yale Universities. The Bulldogs won the Howe Cup with a stunning 5-4 victory, upending the defending champion Crimson.
For the Panthers, it is likely that Laird, Shannon and Abby Jenkins ’14 will receive invitations to play for the nation’s individual championships, divided into A and B draws. The rest of the women will begin a long off-season, awaiting the arrival of several highly touted newcomers who will matriculate in the fall. The team’s final record of 18-6 combined with a best-ever second place finish in the NESCAC reflects the great success of the 2010-2011 campaign.
“This was an incredible final season for me on the team,” Shannon added. “I’m sure this is the start of Middlebury being a powerhouse team. I will be a proud alumnus next year.”
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(02/24/11 5:04am)
On Jan. 7, 2010, Vermont Yankee, a nuclear power plant located in Vernon, Vt., discovered tritium leaking from one of its groundwater monitoring wells. More than a year later, some, like Governor Peter Shumlin, hope the plant will shut down, as they believe it poses a risk to the state. Opposition remains fierce, however; a group led by Patricia O’Donnell, who represented Windham County, where the plant is located, as a member of the Vermont legislature for 12 years, maintains that Vermont Yankee is a vital necessity. O’Donnell’s group works to inform Vermonters about the realities of the situation.
Rachel Pagano ’11 and Dunja Jovici ’13, presidents of College Republicans, coordinated with O’Donnell, who has already appeared on four access television programs and spoken at seven different forums across the state, to organize her visit to the College on Feb. 17.
“My goal is to make people know the truth,” said O’Donnell. “People need to make decisions based on fact and not fiction.”
After the initial detection of tritium, a form of radioactive hydrogen, Vermont Yankee began investigations on Jan. 11, 2010 before finding on Feb. 14, 2010 that two steam pipes in the advanced off-gas pipe tunnel were corroded. The pipes’ failing joints caused the leakage, and mud and cluttered waste that remained in the pipe also prevented movement of materials, like tritium, which then flowed out.
George Crowley, a member of O’Donnell’s coalition, is an employee at Vermont Yankee. He oversees industrial waste management, but calls himself the “chemistry computer geek” of the lot. The plant’s most recent reading of tritium was 1,200 picocuries. To put this figure into perspective and highlight how little tritium was actually found at the plant, Crowley said that an average banana has 2,100 picocuries. Luminescent exit signs often found in public settings may contain 15 curies, which is equivalent to 150 quadrillion picocuries.
Though the plant’s May 14, 2010 reading showed decreasing amounts of tritium, studies proved that the radioactive chemical was traveling west to east through the soil from Vermont Yankee into the Connecticut River. On May 29, 2010 another leak was detected, and in June the Vermont Department of Health began its own independent investigation, which is ongoing.
“All we are asking is to keep an open mind,” said O’Donnell.
The Vermont Department of Health’s published investigation from Feb. 14, 2011 stated that yet another leak was discovered between wells GZ-24S and GZ-6, but Vermont Yankee said the January 2010 tritium incident was worse than the recent leak. The study also found that the plant’s five underground pipes can only hold 1,000 gallons of water, so very little tritium leaked into the groundwater monitoring wells, while in 2010 about 75,000 gallons of groundwater were suspected of contamination. In addition, the groundwater moves through the soil at a rate of 20 to 30 feet per year, so it will take a considerable amount of time for the contamination to affect individuals. Nonetheless, all pipes will be retested with a hydrostatic pressure test, as the Health Department’s investigation found 11 of the 31 groundwater monitoring wells to test positively for tritium. The Nuclear Regulator Commission (NRC) has scheduled a review of the power plant in mid-April.
Vermont Yankee’s mission statement asserts that the power plant attempts to take full safety measures at all times: “We take pride in operating safely, it is the most important job we do. Vermont Yankee has a strong safety culture and a proven 38 year record of safe operations.”
Sheldon Shippie, a member of the plant’s operations crew who monitors the plant’s activity from a control room and operates the valves and pumps, went to school for 18 months before he was certified to work at Vermont Yankee.
“It’s an engineering degree in three months,” he said. “That is by far the easiest part, too. It ramps up from there.”
Every sixth week, Shippie is required to complete both a written and a simulator exam. He is trained for emergency situations and “off-normal” circumstances. If an individual fails the test, he or she is taken out of the plant and must go through 30 to 40 hours of remediation and retake the test.
“It is stressful, but it works,” said Shippie. “Safety is ingrained in how we do business.”
Lynn Dewald, who works in the plant’s non-radioactive department, addressing topics like drinking water, air pollution and sewage, shies away from using coal or gas energy, as they produce more environmental outputs than does nuclear energy.
Pagano agrees.
“Our dependence on oil is expensive, polluting and makes us dependent upon very fragile parts of the world,” she said. “I think nuclear power is one of the ways that America can combat all these problems in the future.”
Vermont Yankee also employs two full-time inspectors, equating to 7,000 additional hours of inspection per year. Larry Cummings, a Vermont Yankee management employee, said having the inspectors present at the plant parallels the experience of “driving with a state trooper.” He believes their presence makes the nuclear power industry the safest.
Of the 104 power plants in the U.S., Vermont Yankee consistently ranks in the top 10 percent for safety. It was also named number one in reliability for several months. However, after the plant was shut down for 570 days due to a pin-hole steam leak, it lost reliability and now is in the top 25 percent.
“We couldn’t quantify how bad the [pin-hole] leak was, but we found out we shouldn’t have shut down,” said Shippie. “It could have been fixed online, but we weren’t 100 percent sure. We had to take the safe route.”
A 2009 comprehensive reliability audit stated, “Vermont Yankee is operated reliably and can be a reliable station beyond its current operating license.” This report, however, was issued before the tritium leak.
O’Donnell also points to the economic losses that will result if the plant closes. Six hundred and fifty Vermonters will lose high-paying jobs. Another 650 area jobs will be lost, in addition to $100 million in economic benefits. Other companies like IMB in Chittenden, Vt. that employs 6,000 and General Electric in Rutland, Vt. have threatened to follow suit and close if Vermont Yankee is shut down. Vermont would also lose 80 percent of its state power generation capacity, thus disturbing the balanced New England Grid, an energy system between Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
“There is predicted instability in Southern Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and possible brown-outs of electricity,” said Cummings.
It will cost $80 million to restructure the grid, which means Vermonters will pay more taxes, as well as face a 30 percent increase in their electricity bills.
“Vermont Yankee is good for Vermont, good for the consumer and good for the environment, but none of this would matter without safe operations,” said O’Donnell. “Without Vermont Yankee, our green footprint is gone.”
Shumlin is currently negotiating an energy partnership with Canada, but Crowley questions why Vermonters should send money to another country to support their workers and taxpayers.
“None of us are happy to have had this [the leak] happen,” said Dewald. “It was unfortunate, but handled expertly.”
The Vermont Department of Health and the NRC will continue investigating the leak and will make decisions about the plant’s future in the spring.
(02/24/11 4:54am)
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) objects to the College’s broad anti-harassment policy and claimed that the Aunt Des videos, part of a campaign to raise awareness about dish theft from the dining halls, violate said policy.
The administration has dismissed these claims of discrimination as unwarranted.
Samantha Harris, a lawyer and writer working with FIRE, posted an article on Feb. 7 titled “Middlebury College Administration Violates Its Own Speech Code” in which she stated that the Aunt Des videos violate the College’s policy.
The character of Aunt Des is portrayed with specifically Greek-American mannerisms and accent. Harris claims that the use of stereotypes violates the College’s anti-harassment policy.
The College will make no official response to FIRE.
“The Aunt Des videos are a light-hearted effort to bring the students' attention to a longstanding problem and they've been received by the campus community in this spirit,” said Sarah Ray, director of public affairs.
“Middlebury encourages and promotes free speech and diverse viewpoints and, as is stated in the Middlebury College Handbook, the College ‘is committed to maintaining a campus environment where bigotry and intolerance are unacceptable,’” said Ray. “Other colleges and universities have similar guidelines.”
Maria Stadtmueller, a writer for the communications office, played Aunt Des in the videos.
“Lots of people in parts of my native New Jersey speak and gesticulate in a similar way. Aunt Des was one of them. She was a real person on the Greek side of my family — a no-nonsense, suck-it-up Spartan — and I’ve just embellished a little,” said Stadtmueller.
The Aunt Des videos prompted a student-produced parody video that aimed to both further the goals of the dish campaign and poke fun at the videos.
“I think FIRE is overreacting a little and taking advantage of what is an otherwise admirable campaign to make a dig and stir up controversy concerning Middlebury’s administrative policies,” said Audrey Tolbert ’13, who played the character of Aunt Des in the parody.
The Colleges anti-harassment policy states that, among other things, “Harassment may include repeated slurs, or taunts in the guise of jokes, or disparaging references to others, use of epithets, stereotypes, comments, gestures, threats, graffiti, display or circulation of written or visual materials, taunts on manner of speech and negative reference to customs when such conduct is based on or motivated by one or more of the protected characteristics identified above.”
“I do not automatically associate someone of this ethnicity to someone who is stingy and adamant about having dishes returned to the dining halls,” said Tolbert. “In the portrayal of Aunt Des, I think the school was really trying to create someone who was intriguing, entertaining and just plain weird. They needed someone who could grab the attention of the entire student body and I think they succeeded to some extent with the creation of Aunt Des.”
In her article, Harris posed the question: “For example, if the Aunt Des videos had been put out by a student or student group, and Aunt Des had been Jewish or Mexican rather than Greek, do you think we might have a different situation on our hands?”
According to Tolbert, the administration has been supportive of the Aunt Des parody thus far.
Overall, there seems to be little negativity about the Aunt Des videos on campus. The administration has expressed no intention of revising the anti-harassment policy in response to FIRE’s claims.
FIRE’s mission is to “defend and sustain individual rights at America's colleges and universities” according to their website. “These rights include freedom of speech, legal equality, due process, religious liberty and sanctity of conscience — the essential qualities of individual liberty and dignity.”
Middlebury College Administration Violates Its Own Speech Code
