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(03/03/05 12:00am)
Author: Katie Flagg Following President Ronald D. Liebowitz's Feb. 13 announcement of new security protocol, the task force for the implementation of the enhanced access system has been hard at work facilitating the adoption of new security measures. According to Assistant Treasurer Tom Corbin, head of the task force charged with implementing Liebowitz's 24-hour locking policy, the enhanced access system is scheduled for a "go live date" of March 28.The task force has focused its energies in the past weeks on making sure that both faculty and staff that need access to residence halls during the day have both cards and access to these facilities. The group is coordinating publicity to educate students and community members regarding upcoming security changes, and signs are being printed and e-mails scripted to facilitate campus awareness. The task force is also making long-term recommendations that some additional doors be placed under access control, securing residence halls in mixed-use facilities like the Hepburn and Forest halls.The task force is also working hand-in-hand with the College's Commons system to prepare students for the upcoming change. Commons Deans sent out e-mails to all students on Tuesday announcing the trial run of the new system. On March 16, 17 and 18 - the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday prior to Spring Recess - all dormitories will be locked in order to test the new policy.In an effort to ensure that all students possess access cards by the time of the trial run - and certainly by the time of the full implementation of the new policy - the task force directing implementation has granted a period of amnesty for all students who have lost their school-issue access cards. Until March 7, students will be able to request a replacement access card free of charge. Prior to this decision, Public Safety charged students a $10 replacement fee for lost access cards.In order to obtain new access cards, students are encouraged to send a request, via e-mail, to Commons coordinators including their name and student ID number. Commons offices will be organizing the distribution of new access cards in an attempt to, as Dean of Cook Commons David Edlestein said, ensure students are not "literally left out in the cold."As Liebowitz's task force is hard at work preparing to enact the new locking schedule, and as Commons work to replace lost access cards, the Student Government Association (SGA) is at work on its own - gauging student reactions to the administration's new security policies. SGA President Andrew Jacobi '05 and Wonnacott Senator Eli Berman '07 presented a proposal Sunday to conduct a survey on Bannerweb to gauge student reactions to the new locking schedule.While some members of the SGA felt that the decision had already been made by the administration, and that a survey would have little effect on the actual decision to alter security procedures, others stressed the importance of exploring student opinion on the issue. "Right now, the only plans the SGA has regarding the security system is this survey," said Berman. "All anecdotal evidence points to students being very upset over the implementation of the 24-hour locking schedule, [and the] SGA wants to know the overall feeling on campus."Following discussion, nine members of the SGA voted in favor of the survey, 3 in opposition and 2 abstained from voting. The SGA survey will be conducted online and will assess and gauge how many students lock their doors, when these students lock their doors and will attempt to discover if students will lock their doors less frequently with outside doors locked at all hours of the day. The survey will also ask students if they feel safer with the implementation of the new security policy."We aim to ask unbiased questions, both about how students feel about the decision [to lock doors 24 hours a day] and how safe students feel on campus," said Jacobi. "While we understand that this decision was made for reasons that did not include student opinion, we felt that it was important for the administration to know how students feel about this decision."The survey will also "help answer the question of whether the students who were so upset by this decision make up a vocal minority or whether the majority of students really do feel that this decision was not the right one to make," said Jacobi.Sunday's discussion - and the subsequent decision to issue a survey - signals the SGA's first entrance into the debate of the new policy. "SGA was not included in this decision to any degree," said Berman. "Even if the decision had already been made, it should have been at least discussed with the student body before it was implemented. This is our school, and we have the right to be heard."Jacobi's personal opinions regarding the new policy had little to do with his support of the SGA-sponsored survey. "Personally, I do not have a problem with the decision," he said. "I welcome any reasonable decision that will enhance student safety on campus, and I think that there have been too many incidents of crime and theft within residential spaces this year."That said, Jacobi strongly supports a survey of student opinion. "While the survey may not have any effect on the decision to carry out the new policy, it is always important for administrators to realize the effects their decisions have on the student body, and that is what we are trying to facilitate," he said.
(02/24/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason Lockhart The rivalry between the Norwich and Middlebury men's ice hockey teams is historic, and is arguably one of the biggest in all of Division III hockey. Its significance is not bound by one factor alone. Sure they both play in Vermont and have both won multiple National Championships in the past 10 years, but it is not merely the geography, or the achievements that make up this rivalry; it is the intensity and passion that goes into their games against one another. Rivalries, however, do not always play up to their potential, as was the case in this weekend's match up at Norwich. What was turning into another epic battle between these two Vermont hockey superpowers turned into a one-sided pasting by the Panthers. A five-goal outburst in the second period put the game out of reach as the Panthers skated away with a surprising 7-3 win over the #3 ranked Cadets."We needed to beat Norwich to gain the confidence and play the kind of hockey that will lead us to success in the playoffs," said Mickey Gilchrist '08 who scored Middlebury's first two goals of the game.The explosion of momentum occurred just moments after the 10 minute mark of the second period. Gilchrist chipped home his second goal of the game and team-leading 17th of the season to give Middlebury a 2-0 lead."Getting the first goal was huge in getting us going," indicated Justin Gaines '08 who had three assists in the game. "However, the second goal was even bigger because that just opened the flood gates on them."Before Gilchrist's second goal was even announced, Evgeny Saidachev '07 streaked back in the zone and fired a shot on Norwich's goaltender Kevin Schieve. Schieve didn't deal with the shot properly and the puck trickled in just 13 seconds after the Panthers' second goal.The Panthers continued to pressure scoring three more goals in a span of 4:06. Schieve was replaced after the Panthers third goal. Following the Panthers fourth goal, Levi Doria '05 was ridden hard into the boards by Phil Sbrocchi, resulting in a five-minute power play for the Panthers. Middlebury made Norwich pay by scoring two goals on the power play.The Panthers let up a bit in the third period allowing three goals, but Brian Phinney '05 capped off the scoring in the game to once again, give the Panthers a comfortable lead.What shouldn't be overlooked was the fact that Middlebury was clinging to a 1-0 lead for nearly half the game. It seemed likely that Norwich would score soon as they pressured intensely during the first half of the second period, however, first-year netminder Ross Cherry kept his composure and shutdown the Cadets for as long as he needed to."Cherry's play was exactly what we needed," said Gaines. "He kept us in there all night." The previous night, Cherry had a another stellar performance as Middlebury topped another in-state rival St. Michaels, 4-1.The Panthers will host the NESCAC quarterfinal game on Saturday against Hamilton. If the team wins that game they will travel to Trinity College, where the semifinals and finals of the tournament will be held March 5th and 6th.
(01/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Heather Wright The Middlebury College Women's basketball team had their first opening games for their NESCAC schedule on Jan. 14 and 15th. The Panthers came out strong on Friday evening as they defeated Connecticut College, 65-50. Middlebury lost on Saturday against a strong Wesleyan University team, 75-54.Coming into the game against Connecticut College, Middlebury knew "this was a huge game for us because we wanted to start out league play on a winning note," said Captain Elyse Carlson '05. The Panthers came out flat in the first half and shot the ball poorly. This led to Connecticut College holding the lead for the entire first half. Middlebury went into halftime down by two points, 25-23, but managed to come out strong in the second half. The Panthers managed to do this by picking up their defensive intensity and finished their shots. "This win was a solid team effort with everyone contributing in some way," said Carlson. Middlebury continued to play strong throughout the second half and gave Connecticut College no chance, eventually beating them by 15 points, 65-50.The Panthers faced a determined Wesleyan University team that had come up to Middlebury on Saturday, Jan. 15 after a big upset the night before at Williams. Middlebury lost decisively 75-54 as none of their shots seemed able to find the basket. Wesleyan outscored Middlebury 17-4 from the foul line and hit six of eight three-pointers throughout the game. One of Wesleyan's players, Sue Frost, hit five three's before halftime, giving Wesleyan a 42-26 lead at intermission. The Panthers were able to cut the lead to 13, but were unable to do more than this. Carlson led Middlebury with 12 points and Katie Fehsenfeld '06 scored 10. "It was a physical and aggressive game, and unfortunately for us they had a height advantage and shot the ball really well," said Carlson.Middlebury traveled to Union on Tuesday, the 18th and fell 62-54. Union came out strong and the Panthers were never able to catch up. Middlebury then traveled to Bates and Tufts this past weekend. They lost to a good Bates team 75-50 on Friday the 21st and traveled to Tufts on Saturday where they were more successful. The win at Tufts moved them to 2-2 in NESCAC play as they solidly defeated the Jumbos 68-59.Carlson said, "From here on out we play really good teams, so we know we have our work cut out for us. But we practice hard and play determined, so I know that we are ready for the challenge." This challenge has been escalated as two starting players, captain Lacey Hebert '06 and Katie Fehsenfeld '06 both are out for the remainder of the season with torn ACL's. It is now more important than ever that the bench steps up. They have proven they are capable of doing just that with their win over Tufts.Middlebury's next home game is on Thursday night. when the Panthers host Keene State at 7 p.m.
(01/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Heather Wright The Middlebury Women's basketball team begins the year 1-1, which brings their record to 6-5. After struggling in their first game back from winter break against Colby-Sawyer, they came out strong and ready to beat Clarkson 65-56.The Panthers fell to Colby-Sawyer 66-51 on January 6 after going into the second half with a 35-33 deficit. Colby-Sawyer came out strong in the second half and went on a 13-4 run in the first eight minutes. The Panthers were never able to close the gap again. In the second half, Colby-Sawyer outscored the Panthers 31-18.Middlebury came out determined on Saturday, Jan. 8 against Clarkson. They were ready to avenge the loss in their previous game. The Panthers opened the second half with a 16-3 run and maintained the lead for the remainder of the game. Elyse Carlson '05 led Middlebury with 17 points and Katie Fehsenfeld '06 had 14. Micaela McVary '06 helped with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Maryanne Verzosa '06 had nine assists.In these first two games back many of the first-years have stepped up and taken advantage of their playing time. Kate Fisher '08, Erin Lackey '08 and Alanna Young '08 all came out ready to play against Clarkson. This improved play by the first-year class shows their growing confidence and will continue to add greatly to the success of the Middlebury team in future games. "In addition to the freshmen we had a lot of other people step up from the bench in the game against Clarkson," said McVary. "Erica Goodman '06 had some crucial points and steals, and Carlie Harrington '07 gave us some minutes in order to help give our guards some needed time to rest. In our last two games our bench has gotten some experience, and that will undoubtedly help us during our upcoming grueling conference schedule."It is hard for any team to come back and get going after the long winter break, but the last two games against Colby-Sawyer and Clarkson have helped put the Middlebury Panthers on-track for a successful second half of the season.The Panthers have two upcoming home games this weekend. They face Connecticut College at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 14 and Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
(01/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason Lockhart The men's hockey team had much to prove coming into the New Year. They handled everything that was thrown at them in 2004 finishing off the year with a nearly unblemished record of 6-0-1. They continued their undefeated season starting off the year with a perfect NCAA record of 3-0 while tying the U.S. under-18 National Team.While most students were at home celebrating the New Year with friends and family, the men's hockey team was at Middlebury participating in the Holiday Classic on January first and second. There they faced off against New York State rival Skidmore defeating them by the score of 3-1 and then tying U.S. National Team 2-2.The Panthers continued their nation-leading stingy defense on the first evening of 2005 by holding Skidmore to a mere 16 shots on net for the entirety of the game. In addition they tacked on two power play goals to seal the deal maintaining their position in the national top 10 in power percentage.Brian Phinney's '05 two goals and Patrick Nugent's '05 lone goal were all the Panthers needed to skate past Skidmore. Phinney scored his first goal of the season 8:27 into the first period, unassisted, to give Middlebury the lead for good. He followed up his first goal of the season with his second goal with 7:56 left in the second period on the power play to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead. Nugent scored his third goal of the season 8:11 into the second period on the power play.Mark Spadaccini '06 made 15 saves to earn his first win as a Panther in his first career start. The Panthers faced a tougher opponent the following afternoon, the U-18 National Team, which nearly defeated Division I-University of New Hampshire. In the game, Middlebury fell behind early by the score of 2-0. The Panthers, however, showed their resilience by scoring two goals in the final two periods to even the score at two. Tim Graham '05 chipped in his fourth goal of the season with an assist going to Rob MacIntyre '08. Freshman Scott Bartlett scored the game-tying goal at 8:56 of the third period. Yen-I Chen '06 made 28 saves in the tying effort.The Panthers followed up their New Year's weekend with a couple of wins against NESCAC rivals Connecticut College and Tufts. Middlebury struggled to find the back of the net against a presumably weak Connecticut College opponent, but managed to score just enough goals in order to earn the victory, but not without giving up the lead in the middle of the third period. Nugent, once again helped the Panthers offense scoring with only 16 seconds left in the first period on the power play to give Middlebury a 1-0 lead. It looked as though Nugent's goal would be enough to earn the win for the Panthers, but Connecticut College tied the score with just under 10 minutes remaining in the third period. Only seconds later, freshman Jed McDonald scored his first goal of his career to give the Panthers the lead. Chen stonewalled Connecticut College for the rest of the game to earn his seventh victory of the season. The Panthers were able to limit the Camels to only 13 shots.Middlebury bounced back offensively in a strong way, steamrolling past Tufts by the score of 7-0. "It was important to bounce back against Tufts," said Nugent. "But more important, was our response to Friday night's performance. It was important for us to come out and play our game. Get back to what makes us successful as a group." MacIntyre scored two goals and added assist, while Graham scored two goals of his own, with Eric Lafreniere assisting on three goals. Graham was ejected from the game and suspended for the next game after getting into a fight in the third period with a Tufts player. Graham opened the scoring 7:02 into the first period to give the Panthers all the scoring they needed. MacIntyre rounded out the scoring with his second and third goals of the season with two third period goals. "It was very important for us as a team to play the way we did on Saturday," said Lafreniere. Middlebury outshot Tufts by an astonishing 50-7 margin"Being able to limit a team to 8 or 10 shots in a game needs everyone to play strong defensively," said MacIntyre. "Yen-I has been incredibly solid when he has been called upon, and he will need to continue to be for us to be successful."The Panthers will face their toughest NESCAC weekend as they travel to Maine to face Bowdoin and Colby. "-The Maine weekend always presents great opportunity for our team to get better and play great competition," explained Nugent.
(11/20/03 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] President McCardell: Legacy in the Making President John McCardell Jr. resigned his post before a capacity crowd in Mead Chapel Tuesday afternoon. He spelled out his future plans and his hopes for the College with the humility and eloquence that have come to define his 13-year tenure.His departure in June 2004 will signal the end of an era of Middlebury College history. It's an era that has been marked by aggressive expansion of facilities, record-breaking fundraising and the introduction of a new model of residential life. McCardell's vision inspired many of these innovations, which will continue to shape collegiate life for years after he vacates his Old Chapel office. So in some sense, the McCardell era is just beginning. His successor will inevitably advance the vision that took root during the current administration.McCardell's remarks, while at times forward looking, also reflected a historian's consciousness. "The historians will ultimately judge the greatness of the times through which we have passed together," he said. "In that judgment I am content, indeed serene."As he should be. His leadership is firmly imprinted on the pages of recent Middlebury history - as well as that history yet to be written. And fortunately, he'll return to campus in July 2005 as College Professor to watch the College evolve - to a considerable extent in his own image. BannerWeb: Flawed Beyond InconvenienceBannerWeb made a shaky debut for Winter and Spring Term registration. The minor technical glitches should be forgiven, as should the slight inconvenience of rising at 7 a.m. to register in "real time." But the problems run deeper. Beyond the learning curve associated with any new system, BannerWeb displays conceptual flaws in its very design. The first-come, first-serve registration system asks an entire class of students to be online at 7 a.m., with the spoils going to those with fastest computer navigating skills. We admire those with good hand-to-mouse coordination, but that alone does not entitle them to the most coveted classes. Real time registration may be sound in theory, but hardly so in practice.BannerWeb also lacks a mechanism for effectively prioritizing registration. Middlebury Automated Registration System (MARS) had a built-in hierarchy - senior majors had the highest priority, followed by senior non-majors, junior majors, junior non-majors, and down the line. BannerWeb rightfully privileges seniors by allowing them to register a day before juniors, who, in turn, register the day before sophomores. But the chain breaks down with major/non-major restrictions. Professors designate their course either "majors only" or "all students." In other words, "restricted to specialists" or "free for all." Neither is acceptable. Closing courses to non-majors negates of the liberal arts tradition that underpins the Middlebury College curriculum. A free for all, on the other hand, is a recipe for chaos. Majors will be deprived of the measure of priority they deserve. It's a Catch-22. The middle ground offered by MARS seems lost, even though Banner experts point out there are ways for professors to more strictly control registration for their classes. Professors, however, don't seem to be aware of the finer points of the system, nor should they be asked to divert attention from teaching and scholarship to fiddle with a registration system that should be administered centrally. The Registrar's Office must take account of BannerWeb's flaws and take steps to remedy them before the next registration cycle. For inspiration, look to MARS.
(11/06/03 12:00am)
Author: Chelsey Thurber Eliminating three previous champions along the way, the Middlebury Club Water Polo team pounded Wesleyan 15-7 Sunday at Bowdoin to earn its best ever season record and win the National Division III Club Championship title.Despite holding 4 national championships between them, Trinity University, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Wesleyan were left totally befuddled by Middlebury goalkeeper Charlie Evans '04 and incapable of stopping the aggressive counter-attacks of Rob Hillas '06. Hillas scored early on fast breaks in both of Saturday's games against Trinity and RIT giving a cushion of support for Evans and the Panther defense that had been so strong all year.Led by long-time veteran Dan Whitmore '03.5 and Adam Rahal '05, Middlebury's defense held Trinity to a meager three goals. The team's own offensive production however was sparse until the fourth quarter when the Panthers deeper bench allowed them to outswim their opponents to break open the game and win 8-3.RIT proved to be more resilient. Taking advantage of Middlebury's failure to put the ball in the net on some easy chances, it erased an early deficit with strong play at the two-meter position from Dave Richardson and Josh Nauman.But every time RIT pulled near, Middlebury's Shon Hedges '04 responded with forceful two-meter play of his own. A string of clutch inside goals allowed Middlebury to jump out to a five goal lead in the third quarter. Once again, RIT responded, cutting the lead to two late in the fourth quarter. With two minutes remaining and possession of the ball it seemed poised to score again when Middlebury's Decker Deacon '07 intercepted an RIT pass and a last minute goal sealed the 13-10 victory.Inspired by the prospect of ending their careers with a national championship, Middlebury's seniors lit up the scoreboard in Sunday's final against Wesleyan to gain a 9-0 halftime lead. With the title in hand, the team was able to play all its players in the second half, already focusing on development for next year. A strong comeback by Wesleyan fell far short and the Panthers won their first national title in the team's short five-year history. Coach Brian Goodwin was honored for the second consecutive year as "Coach of the Tournament." Evans was named "Most Valuable Player" and along with Whitmore, Rahal, Hedges and Hillas, was named to the all-tournament team.Club water polo at Middlebury began only in 1999 under Coach Goodwin and the team was comprised mostly of inexperienced players. After the first long seasons filled with lopsided losses, the team progressively improved to become competitive in the New England and North Atlantic divisions of the Collegiate Water Polo Association.Despite losing to perennial powerhouse Dartmouth and a disappointing loss to Tufts in the semifinals of the North Atlantic regional tourney, the team compiled a dominant 12-2 record along with their national championship. While five seniors will be lost to graduation, a core contingent of four starters will return next fall in the club's effort to repeat its title.
(10/10/03 12:00am)
Author: Chris Grosso The title of artist-in-residence projects an image of an individual who excels in a certain discipline. This honor suggests talent, creativity, passion and dedication. Middlebury College is fortunate to attract these artists and give them the opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences. For the past four years, the College's Dance Department has had the privilege of hosting Amy Chavasse. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Chavasse has been successful in her field and looks to make an even larger impact. Her performing career includes work with Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, Bill Young and Dancers in New York City and many independent projects across the country. The director of Chavasse Dance & Performance, a solo artist, a choreographer and a professor, Chavasse has made an indelible mark on the campus, as well. She teaches an array of dance classes, yoga and deep stretching sessions, advises the Riddim dance troupe and has introduced a class on the history of political dance. Her enthusiasm and devotion has definitely rubbed off on her students. Last week, The Middlebury Campus had the opportunity to chat with Amy and learn about what inspires and nourishes her creativity.The Campus: When were you introduced to dance?Chavasse: I danced when I was very young. Starting, like a lot of kids, at three or four: jazz, tap, ballet - kind of the typical after school stuff. [Doing this] seriously but never thinking I was going to be a dancer because I was involved in a lot of other things, mainly horseback riding and tennis. At some point, I guess when I was around 13 or 14, I had to choose because I couldn't split my focus up between these activities. Dance was the first to go, oddly enough. I didn't dance at all from 15 until I went back to college. I was around it because I had a younger sister who danced, and I come from a very artistic and athletic family. My mother and older sister were trained singers. So I was always cursorily aware of it, but not involved in it. The Campus: How did you get back into dancing?Chavasse: I was actually an art and English major in college and I needed a P.E. credit, so I went in to take a dance class. It was a type of modern dance class. It was very emotional. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was really great. So I started taking a lot of dance classes. I was doing all my other work independent study so I could be in the dance studio. Then when I was within a year of getting my degrees in art and English, I transferred to a conservatory, the North Carolina School of the Arts.The Campus: You earned your M.F.A at the University of Washington in Seattle. What persuaded you to go back to grad school after dancing professionally for some time?Chavasse: I was living in D.C. at the time and I was an adjunct faculty at George Washington University. The woman who had hired me there told me that if I liked to do this, I would have to go back to school. But then I was dancing professionally for 12 years. I had toured all over the world. At that time, dancers needed graduate degrees to get a job in academia. Up until then, your experience in the field had always been sufficient. There has been a lot of debate about that in creative art academia.The Campus: What was the transition like from professional dancer to teacher? Chavasse: I tried to maintain a life where I would keep a foot in both doors - professional and academic. I started taking similar positions to this one, like guest artist. I was also trying to maintain my own performing career. Recently I have [acquired] a company. The Campus: I read on the Internet that you are director of the Chavasse Dance and Performance Company.Chavasse: My younger sister, who is an actor/writer by training and profession and I in 1995 collaborated on a piece. Shortly after that I decided that I wanted to start a company. So I founded the company with her, and I got my non-profit status in '98. I have a core group of dancers that I have been working with. We've gotten scattered, though. I've been here for four years - the longest time I've been anywhere for quite awhile. The company has a great group of people, though. Hopefully this will be the year when I will try to figure it out. The Campus: How would you define your style of dance as a performing artist and choreographer? Chavasse: The word postmodern is often used to describe the work of artists of my generation. I'm interested in theater dance in the way I'm interested in bringing some sort of narrative to dance. I use text often and my sources often come from things that I read or texts that I find particularly compelling. Last year, for the Cuba Project, I was working with a piece I had actually started quite a long time ago, based on the paintings and life of a Cuban-American Juan Gonzalez. During my time in New York, I got to know him quite well. He was a very successful artist who passed away in '93. His family and the gallery were very generous about me using his images. One of the pieces, "Death, Beauty, and Flying," was based on my time with him and his work. As a companion piece to that, and being interested in Latin American art - visual art and also literature, I started reading Reinaldo Arenas. I settled on "Farewell to the Sea," a very short, bizarre and abstract dream-like story. The second piece, which is called "The Fruit Axiom," accompanied it. These were the two pieces we took to Cuba. They show that other forms of art are moving.The Campus: Who has inspired you as an artist?Chavasse: When I was dancing in New York, there was one teacher who pushed me quite a lot in class. She made me understand how feeling vulnerable and scared and being in places of uncertainty were very important to be a creative and artistic person. It wasn't about being in control, which is a terrifying thing to learn. It wasn't about gaining certain facilities or learning how to do this step really well or getting your leg higher - those were the mechanics of it. She made me almost feel like I didn't know what I was doing anymore. It was a remarkable approach. After the company I was working with at the time in New York was mentioned in The New York Times, I remember being in the class. She noted, "You're starting to figure it out a little bit." That was kind of a turning point. The Campus: How has your time with Gonzalez affected your career?Chavasse: Definitely my time living with Juan Gonzalez was influential, watching his dedication and passion and his compositional tools. The deliberation of choosing each thing and focusing on that so intently, I began to see how important it was to devote that much time and energy to every decision or choice.The Campus: What about at Middlebury?Chavasse: Since I've been here, Peter Schmitz, my colleague who just retired last year, has inspired me. Certainly along the way there have been people I collaborate with, my students and peers. Every project makes you see things in a different way. It makes you challenge yourself. The idea of pushing edges for artists is important and finding a new way to say what has already been said.The Campus: Now you have the role as teacher. How do you share your love for dance with your students?Chavasse: I try to embody the things I believe in and be myself. I push them the way I was taught. I try to be supportive and challenging. Later in life, I realized it is helpful to watch the way your instructors move through the world - what happens to them when they are doing what they love.The Campus: Thank you very much. I'm looking forward to seeing your performance. Amy will be performing a solo in "Paul Matteson and friends: In Concert" on Nov. 7 and 8. She has choreographed the 5th Annual New Comer's Piece, which will be presented on Nov. 21 and 22 at "New Dances: a Fall Dance Con
cert."
(10/02/03 12:00am)
Author: Dan Russell The Middlebury College volleyball team began an exhausting five-match stint this past Thursday, which started in against Union College. The much-improved Panthers had a very strong outing, as they swept the Dutchwomen in three straight games by 30-20, 30-27, 30-19 to win the match decisively. Junior Sydney Hartsock '05 anchored the team offensively with 14 kills, while captains Katy Hicks '05 and Danielle Bonniello '04 added 15 together. The Panthers also had eight serving aces. The team's strength continues to be their defense, however, as sophomores Lacee Patterson '06.5 (14 digs) and Jamie Wong '06 (15 digs), and Luz Brito '04 (16 digs) all had great individual defensive outings. Middlebury went on to play four more matches in the space of two days in the Amherst Classic, playing Wesleyan and Muhlenberg on Saturday, and Amherst and Trinity on Sunday. The Panthers struggled somewhat against the tougher NESCAC competition, but managed to stay competitive throughout the weekend. Against Wesleyan, the Panthers displayed a great team effort, as Boniello and Hartsock attempted to carry the team with a combined 18 kills, while Patterson (14 digs, 2 block assists) and Wong (16 digs) once again had strong defensive outings. Sydney Hartsock posted a strong all around game, adding 15 digs of her own. The Panthers fought valiantly, but lost the first game to Wesleyan by 30-28. In the second game, the Panthers managed to take the Cardinals to the edge, but lost 33-31, before finally in the third game 30-24. In its second match of the day, Middlebury responded with a good effort against Muhlenberg College. The Panthers started off strong by winning the first game by 32-30, but then struggled in the second game, which they lost by 30-23. Middlebury then recovered to finish off the mules, 30-21 in the decisive third game, and 30-24 to take the match in four. Hartsock (15 kills, 22 digs) played an astounding all-around game against Muhlenberg, while Brito and Hicks combined for 14 kills. The Panthers continued to play well defensively, as Laurie Wollin'05 had 16 digs, Patterson and Brito added 13, and Jamie Wong chipped in 10. The following day, against an impressive Amherst College team, the physically and mentally drained Panthers fell in a disappointing outing, losing all three games, 30-14, 30-11, and 30-26. The Panthers were able to achieve a final measure of redemption, however, as well as demonstrate their resilience and toughness in their last match of the day against Trinity College. In what may have been the most impressive and encouraging effort of the season, the Panthers got the jump on the Bantams early and never looked back, sweeping Trinity 30-18, 30-22 and 30-28. In doing so, Middlebury gained its first NESCAC win and evened its overall record at 5-5. Defense continued to be the Panthers's power base in their Trinity triumph, as they combined for 82 digs in the game, to go along with five blocks and 14 block assists. Patterson and Wong continued their masterful defensive play with 17 digs apiece, while Luz Brito added 12, Laurie Wollin 11 and Hartsock 13. "I feel like we're really coming together as a team," commented co-captain Boniello. "We have players who are adaptable and flexible, as well as a very deep bench. I feel like our offense is really running smoothly, and the Wesleyan game was a testament to our hard work as a team and the best we've played all season." "We're happy with the outcome of our matches this weekend," added co-captain Hicks. "I felt we worked well as a team, and we're trying to have as much fun as we can on the court." The Panthers will travel to Williams College on October 1 at 7 p.m., before hosting Skidmore on October 8.
(10/02/03 12:00am)
Author: Andreas Apostolatos Despite a strong overall performance, the Middlebury football team fell to 0-2 on the season with a 15-13 loss to Colby on Saturday Sept. 27. In what can only be called a game that could have gone either way, a Colby player managed to deflect a 34-yard field goal attempt by Andy Bohlin '05 with 23 seconds remaining in the final quarter, and therein thwart the Panthers' hopes of a pulling out a victory.Middlebury's level of play was solid throughout the game, which was characterized by heavy gusts of wind that presented a unique set of obstacles for both teams. Neither squad managed to break through on the scoreboard in the first quarter, and it was Colby that managed to deliver the initial strike on a touchdown with 5:03 remaining in the second quarter. After Colby failed to convert on the extra point, Middlebury returned the favor just before the close of first half play when quarterback Mike Keenan '05 found Ryan Armstrong '06 for a 14-yard touchdown conversion. The Panthers made good on their additional point opportunity, and went into the half with a 7-6 advantage.After the intermission, Colby made the most of a Middlebury fumble, which it returned for a 20-yard touchdown run with 9:02 to play in the third quarter. The Mules then added to their 12-7 lead with two seconds left in the interval, when they converted on a 49-yard field goal that well took advantage of the blustery day.In the fourth quarter, Middlebury started its comeback hopes with a 15-yard touchdown run by Eric Shanley '05 with 13:36 remaining in the game. The scoring drive, which brought the Panthers within two points at 15-13, set the stage for Middlebury's final field goal attempt. While Bohlin's kick was deflected, the Panthers were pleased with their overall level of play, which had them in a position to win all along. Middlebury gained 17 total first downs, compared to Colby's five, and more than doubled the Mules' total net yards at 277-128 (152-88 rushing, 125-40 passing)."We definitely played a solid game, and did well enough to put ourselves in a position to win," commented team tri-captain Craig Pittman '04. "We had a very decisive edge on the total number of first downs, which shows that the kind of ball position we maintained was consistently better than theirs. One thing that went overlooked was the effect of the wind on the game. Most of the touchdowns scored were going with the wind, and we often found ourselves punting with the wind against us which gave them the ball closer to their end zone."The Panthers travel to Amherst this weekend for a Saturday afternoon affair.
(05/07/03 12:00am)
Author: Kelsey Rinehart May Days in Middlebury Local businesses join together for the third annual promotion from May 15-18. Storeowners will hang beautiful baskets of blossoms to celebrate the arrival or spring. Participating businesses will hold drawings for prizes, offering customers the chance to win gift baskets, a picnic dinner for two and an overnight stay for two. Feeling the crunch of finals? Stop and smell the roses in downtown Middlebury.Want to give blood? The American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held on Tues., May 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Hall on Exchange Street in Middlebury.Willie Nelson, Tracy Chapman and Garrison Keillor spice up summer in Vermont The Summer Concert Series "Concerts on the Green" at the Shelburne Museum, seven miles south of Burlington, will feature these famous musicians and entertainers. Scheduled to perform are Willie Nelson & Family on June 23, Tracy Chapman on July 20, Alison Krauss on Aug. 15 and National Public Radio (NPR) superstar Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" on Aug. 19.Vermont Tree Society (VTS) proclaims 2003 "The Year of the Tree" The VTS will be holding several events over the summer, among these the opening of Gifford Woods State Park in Killington on May 17 and the Family Fun Day at the Noble Dairy Farm and Starksboro Town Forest on July 26. Come learn how to protect our maple, oak and fir friends.Learn Vermont Lore at the Rokeby Museum Visit a stop on the Underground Railroad in Ferrisburgh, Vt., and meet the Robinsons. This pioneering family of Quaker abolitionists, farmers and artists lived in Rokeby, a sheep farm, from the 1790s to 1961. Experience rural Vermont family life and get to know the real Green Mountain State.Want to ride with Jesus (and fellow Motorcycling Christians) by your side? Join the Christian Motorcyclists Association on the fourth Friday of every month at 7 p.m., at the Assembly of God Christian Center in Ferrisburgh, Vt. Contact Emile or Marian Perron for more information at 877-2883.Discover the artifacts of the Green Mountain State Visit the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History at 1 Park St. in Middlebury. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Stock your shelves for lazy summer days The Ilsley Library on Main St. in Middlebury will hold a book sale on the first Saturday of every month from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.Is your summer love poetry Shakespeare-caliber? Come to the Middlebury Writers' Workshops on Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon to hear feedback on your writing. The meetings are free and open to all who are interested in sharing their work and listening to others' pieces. For information call Marjory Cady, 388-1126.- Compiled by Kelsey Rinehart
(05/07/03 12:00am)
Author: Zach Foster It is becoming almost routine for the Middlebury women's lacrosse team, which advanced to its 10th consecutive NCAA tournament by securing another NESCAC championship this past weekend. But it was not easy. After pummeling Colby College in the semifinals on Saturday, the Panthers faced their stiffest competition of the season the following day in Amherst College.After receiving a bye in the first round of the NESCAC tournament, the Panthers were set to face the Colby White Mules in a rematch of the season opener which Middlebury dominated 17-7. The rematch proved to be much of the same story on Kohn field. Early on, however, it appeared as if Colby was up to the task, holding the top-ranked Panthers scoreless with strong defense and goaltending from goalie Anna Schierberl Scherr. It was not until nearly eight minutes in when superstar Char Glessner '03 snuck one through to get on the scoreboard and open the floodgates for the Middlebury attack. The Panthers proceeded by tallying three straight goals in only 33 seconds from the sticks of Elizabeth Renehan '06, Meg Bonney '03, and Glessner once more respectively. After some back and forth play, Glessner found the net again to complete her hat trick and push the lead to 5-0. But goals were hard to come by, and as the offense struggled to find its usual rhythm, the zone defense and solid play of goaltender Sarah Grenert kept the advantage comfortably large. Rookie Ali Penecevich '06 capped the Middlebury first half scoring with one more goal, before Colby got on the board with the half's final two scores.While the second half began with back and fourth play marked by the continuing defensive pressure of the White Mules, the Panthers maintained their composure and steadily built their lead. Bonney opened the scoring to push the lead to five, followed by two more Panther goals from Schuyler Winstead '06 and Co-captain Kristin Hanley '03. After Colby found the net for its last goal of the contest, Middlebury put to rest any glimpse of hope by registering the last four goals of the game. Goals from Katie Simpson '03, Syd Atkins '05, Winstead again and finally, Dalton Cox '03 completed the diverse Panther attack which was dispersed between nine players. While the Middlebury attack was dominant, the defensive effort was equally impressive, led by co-captain Kate Perine's '03 stringent play in the crease, Caitlin McCormick's '05 consistent checks, and Michelle Bergofsky's '06 disciplined groundball scoops. The total team effort, ultimately resulting in a 13-3 rout allowed the Panthers to move on in the tournament, where they would face the third-ranked Lord Jeffs of Amherst.In the identical match-up as the previous two NESCAC championships, both teams looked very familiar with their opposing strategies. For one of the first times all season, Middlebury's opposition found the net first to open the scoring less than 10 minutes into the contest. Following this surprising effort, the Lord Jeffs found the net soon thereafter with a goal from Amherst star Liz Martin, whose goal was her 52nd of the year. Amherst then extended its lead to 3, when it found the net once more to open Middlebury's largest deficit of the season. Said Perine, "The defense was forced to break out and pressure the Amherst attack more than we are used to. This resulted in some early goals." After 25 frustrating minutes which featured the Panthers largest scoring drought of the year, Hanley found the net to close the gap to two. But Amherst did not back down from the challenge, returning the favor and restoring its three-goal cushion. However, less than one minute later, Simpson tallied a key goal before intermission, to cut the deficit to two going into the locker room.Between halves, the team made a major change by moving into a more player-to-player type defense, as opposed to the usually conservative zone defense. Said Perine, "This helped force turnovers and allowed our offense to get into their rhythm." Five minutes into the second half, it appeared as if the defending National Champs would impose their superiority and open a scoring run to secure the NESCAC crown. However, after shrinking the lead to one, Amherst answered to make it a two goal game with just over 17 minutes to play. If the Lord Jeffs could have ended it here, they surely would have protected their lead for fear of the Nationally-regarded, notorious Panther scoring run which has terrorized teams for years. This is exactly what took place, as the Panthers rattled off six straight goals to close out the game and secure not only another NESCAC championship, but a continuation of their incredible winning streak which now sits just two games short of 50. Bonney ignited the barrage and Perencevich took a nifty feed from Hanley to give the Panthers their first lead at 6-5. Middlebury never looked back, as they found the net three more times, once from Renehan (assisted by Hanley for her 40th assist) and the final two from Glessner who scored her 50th goal of the season to lead the team. While the win was a true testament to the persistence and response to adversity from Middlebury, the unexpected competition in the championship provided a significant scare. Said Perine, "It was a bit of a shocker. Amherst's game plan was aimed at keeping the score low by limiting our team's possession time." Pushed to the brink of defeat, the motivation to win is necessary going into the NCAA tournament. The Panthers will play the winner of the Bridgewater/Wheaton game in an attempt to repeat as the nation's best Division III women's lacrosse team.
(05/07/03 12:00am)
Author: David Lindholm For the Middlebury men's tennis team, their NCAA tournament experience began with a surprise and almost ended in shock. When the Bates College Bobcats took out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Saturday in Middlebury, it took the Panthers, who had been preparing all week to face M.I.T., slightly by surprise. Then Bates came out firing again the next day and almost upset the Panthers, ranked third nationally. However, Middlebury fought back and ended up winning a tight, 4-3 match.On April 13, the Panthers traveled to Lewiston to face Bates, and came away with an easy, 7-0 win. "When we played them earlier," said first-year standout Brian Waldron, "they were on their spring break, and didn't take it that seriously." It showed, as Middlebury came away with a thoroughly dominating performance, with only one player dropping a set on the day. However, this Sunday, Bates was ready for the challenge. The match started out with the Bobcats taking the doubles point, and an early 1-0 lead, putting the early pressure on the Panthers. However, it quickly turned around as Middlebury won at five and six, with Steve Hulce '03 taking his match 6-1, 6-1, and Jeff Oldenburg '06 giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead with a 6-3, 6-4 victory."When Hulce won it really energized our guys," said co-captain Stu Brown '04. "And then [Oldenburg] won at the six spot, which was really big. He played a very strong player."When Justin Ingoglia '05 lost his match to NESCAC Champion William Boe-Wiegaard, it left three first-years to play, needing two wins to advance. Nate Edmunds, Waldron and Ari Beilin, at two, three and four respectively, have been a reliable core for the team despite their inexperience, and the team came to depend on them again on Sunday.With all three first-years playing at the same time, the tension was palpable outside of Proctor. Waldron won the first set of his match, but Edmunds dropped his first, as did Beilin. The second set was a different story for each player, as Edmunds recovered to win 6-4, Waldron fell 4-6, and Beilin fought off numerous match points to come back and win his second in a tiebreak.Waldron took a look around him during his match and assessed the situation. "I never doubted Nate winning," he said. "And after Ari came back from being up against match points to win his second set, it really took the pressure off me and I went into the third set without worrying too much about it."Edmunds' superior fitness caught up with the Bates number two, and he was able to win his third by an easy 6-1 score line. Beilin ran into more trouble, and ended up losing 6-2, but his inspiration of Waldron proved enough for the Panthers to take the win, as the number three won 6-4 to send the Panthers to the NCAA quarterfinals, further than the team had ever gone before.The team is now in uncharted lands, heading to Minnesota for the NCAA Championship. The Panthers have a quarterfinal match up against Washington University of St. Louis, and, should both teams keep winning, would meet up with Williams in the Championship match. However, the team does not want to get ahead of themselves."We're glad that we're there," said Brown. "And now we're just really excited to be playing some good teams out in Minnesota.""We've made it this far already, it's the farthest we've ever been, so we'll just try and go for it all," said Waldron. "But we'll definitely be taking it one match at a time."As for the first match, against Washington, the team does not really know what to expect. "We know Williams beat them, and looking at them through that result, I think we match up well," says Waldron. "But beyond that, we don't know much about them." No matter the result, the Panthers are still enjoying the most successful season in the program's history, and whatever happens in Minnesota will be a bonus on top of an already great season.
(05/07/03 12:00am)
Author: Jacob Heller Yogi Berra once said "I ain't in no slump, I just ain't hittin." For the past two weeks the Middlebury baseball team has been playing well but not making enough plays to win. Despite playing solid baseball this past weekend, the Middlebury baseball team fell one game short of the playoffs. To clinch a playoff spot the Panthers needed to take one game from New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Eastern division leader Amherst. The effort was there but Middlebury lost all three games, 10-2, 2-1, 8-7. Not making the playoffs is certainly a disappointment for this Panther team, which started the season so successfully, but the season is a success overall. Middlebury finished the year with an 11-11-1 record and a 7-5 record against their NESCAC divisional opponents. Head Coach Bob Smith explained why this season was truly a successful one: "The level of expectations this team set was as high as any team I have ever coached. Some years I would consider a .500 season a goal to shoot for, not with this team. This team is talented enough to be in the playoffs. We lost some real tough one- and two-run games that kept us out of the playoffs but we proved we could play with anyone."In the final game against Amherst, Middlebury received a strong pitching performance from Tyler Bak '06. Bak gave up four runs in seven innings and allowed Middlebury an opportunity to win in extra innings. The pitching staff held Amherst in check for 10 innings before surrendering the winning run in the 11th. Ultimately, it was the Panthers' 13 runners left on base that caused the team to fall short. Middlebury allowed Amherst to stay in the game for too long and eventually the Panthers faltered. A one-run lead with two outs in the ninth should have sealed the Middlebury playoff dream, but some timely hitting by Amherst ensured another missed opportunity for Middlebury. Co-captain John Prescott '04 was not surprised by what the team was able to accomplish this season: "It is impossible to measure this team by wins and losses. We played a tough schedule and never quit all season. Team chemistry carried us all season and through hard work we had a shot to make the playoffs. Being a senior it is hard knowing how close we came to the playoffs, but despite falling short of our ultimate goal this season was a huge step forward for Middlebury baseball."Smith echoed Prescott's statement about the importance of this season for the Middlebury baseball program. The team is certainly on the rise and has only shown improvement in each of the past few seasons. With a lot of promising young talent already on the team and more coming in each year the goal of the playoffs is closer than ever to becoming a reality for Middlebury baseball. Captain Denny Smith '03 assessed the season and the future of the program: "The entire pitching staff is coming back next season and that is remarkable. Russ Budnick '03 was a workhorse for us all season and next year the rest of our young staff will follow him to the next level. This team came as close as any Middlebury team to the playoffs and next season the team is not rebuilding, but reloading for another playoff run," he said. The team is only losing five seniors and Smith's prediction could very well become a reality.
(04/30/03 12:00am)
Author: Erich Kahner It seems Mother Nature has a grudge against New England sports. Last Saturday, the Middlebury men and women's track and field teams traveled south to Williams to take part in the water-logged New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Heavy rains forced most of the field events indoors, while all of the track events had to fight the weather outdoors on the Planksy Track. Last year at Bates frigid temperatures and freezing rain plagued the championship meet. "The kids performed well, considering the weather," said Head Coach Martin Beatty. Jess Manzer '05, a reigning All-American in the 1,500-meter run, was the top performer on the day for the women. Undaunted by the inclement weather, Manzer legged out a victory in the 1,500 and set a personal best in the process. She also bettered her chances for Nationals by lowering her provisional qualifying time to a 4:38.63. She took third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:18.63 and ran a leg of the second place 3,200-meter relay team. Teammates on the relay were Maryanne Porter '04, Allie Williams '05 and Captain Adri Logalbo '03. Kristoph Becker '06 had a big day for the men's team. Becker, who is already set to compete in the javelin throw at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 23-25, took over recent Middlebury graduate Bryan Black's '02 crown of NESCAC champ in the javelin. Becker threw the javelin 184'07", out-distancing second place teammate Steve Atkinson '06 by just over nine feet. Becker displayed his versatility with a second place height of 6'3.25" in the high jump. "We expected Becker to win the javelin, but we didn't expect him to do so well in the high jump," added Beatty. "It was a pleasant surprise."Also having good days for the men and women were Porter and Liam Aiello '05. Along with her contribution to the 3,200-meter relay, Porter won the 400-meter low hurdles with a time of 1:03.6. She scored points for the team in the 400-meter dash as well, placing fifth in a time of 1:00.71. Aiello had two top-three finishes. He ran a time of 11.10 seconds in the 100-meter dash final, good enough for second place. Aiello rounded out his day in the 200-meter dash with a third place time of 22.69 seconds. Another top finisher for the women was senior Captain Michela Adrian. Adrian finished second in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:59.11. Middlebury had a handful of other athletes score for the team by finishing in the top eight. On the women's side, Kirsten Nagel '06 ran a 13.62 second 100-meter dash, good enough for seventh place. Williams, who had a hand in the second-place 3,200-meter relay, also contributed with a sixth place, 1:06.9 effort in the 400-meter low hurdles. Sara Smith '04 and Sarah Berkowitz '05 placed fifth and seventh respectively in the pole vault. They both vaulted 9'6.25", but Smith was awarded fifth because she had fewer fouls at lower heights. Jess Kosciewicz '04 placed eighth in the long jump with a distance of 15'7.5". Whitney Creed '06 placed seventh in the shot put with a distance of 37'9.5", and Renee Courchesne '05 threw the discus 119'1" to place fourth.The men had a good showing as well. Kevin Bright '06 managed to score in three events. He placed fourth in the 400-meter low hurdles, sixth in the 400-meter dash and eighth in the 200-meter dash. For those events, Bright ran 55.37 seconds, 49.73 seconds and 23.03 seconds respectively. Jeff King '05.5 placed seventh in both the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 400-meter low hurdles. King ran a 10:14.00 in the steeple and a 57.78 in the 400. Team Captain Mike Mazzotta '03 placed fifth in the steeplechase with a time of 10:12.37.The women's team finished fourth with a total of 70.5 points, and the men placed seventh with 64 points. "Considering what we had, I think we did well," said Beatty. Beatty cited a few last-minute scratches that robbed the teams of some sure points. For the women, Marisa Cawley '05 had to pull out of the steeplechase and the 5,000, while the men lost three of its top runners. The team trainer felt first-year sprinter Greg Lazerus' hamstring was too tight for competition and Nick Digani '05, a probable scorer in the middle distances, was also sidelined by a hamstring injury. One final missing link was Captain Mike DeLeo '03.5. Beatty believes if the men's team was whole, they may have moved up to fifth, or even fourth place.
(04/30/03 12:00am)
Author: Kate Nerenberg Although the Middlebury softball team's hot winning streak sadly came to end, it still has reason to celebrate. For the first time ever, the Panthers are heading to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament. After playing their last regular-season NESCAC game on Saturday against Hamilton, the Panthers finished in second place in the West division behind Williams. Leading up to its last NESCAC doubleheader, Middlebury took on both St. Lawrence and Green Mountain, going 1-1 in each pair of games. Coming off two huge wins against then number-one ranked Amherst last weekend, the Panthers were looking to go into some of their last games with extra momentum."We became focused on Hamilton and the possibility of a NESCAC bid," explained Head Coach Diane Boettcher. "We knew solid pitching performances and tactical hitting would become more important."In the first game at St. Lawrence, the Panthers showcased their hitting talent in the second inning, recording six runs to spring ahead early on. "Credit Christina Freyer '04 and her creative baserunning to open that game up. She initiated a double delay steal," Boettcher exclaimed. St. Lawrence could only squeak out one run in the sixth before Middlebury sealed the victory with one more in the top of the seventh. Lindsay Ladd '03, Kelly Slack '03 and Megan McCarthy '05 each registered two hits in the 7-1 victory. Andrea Russo '03 pitched for 5 1/3 innings while Lauren Bowe '04 finished the game off. The Panthers were not so lucky in the second game, falling 5-3. The teams exchanged runs, with St. Lawrence scoring twice in the bottom of the first. Middlebury answered with two of its own in the top of the second. St. Lawrence answered with a run in the third and Middlebury came back with an equal response in the next inning. However, when St. Lawrence challenged the Panthers with two more in the bottom of the fifth, they never mustered the strength to answer. The loss did not derail the Panthers' confidence, as they looked to their next match-up with Green Mountain to get their streak back on track, according Boettcher. The game proved to be tougher than anticipated, and the first battle went into an eighth inning, during which Green Mountain broke out with four runs to take away a 7-4 victory. In the loss, Lauren Guza '03 connected three times at the plate and Freyer recorded two RBI. Middlebury broke out of its slump in the next game, however, hitting the ball 13 times for a convincing 9-1 win. The Panthers used the fourth and fifth innings to score a bunch of runs at once, putting Green Mountain away for good. Guza again had three hits, while Kathryn Hurd '06 brought four different players home. Going to Hamilton on Saturday, the Panthers needed just one win to have a chance to get into the NESCAC tournament. In the first game, they got exactly what they needed: a 4-0 victory. In a tightly-played game, Middlebury scored right away but was then held scoreless until the fifth inning. In the top of the seventh, two more players crossed the plate, keeping the Continentals at bay. Guza and Hurd again came up big at the plate, with two hits apiece. McCarthy only allowed one hit and recorded the team's fifth shutout of the season.The Panthers faltered in the second game, allowing Hamilton to get a quick five runs in the first inning. Although they did not allow any runs after this, that first inning proved lethal as the Continentals carried away the 5-3 victory."We are still allowing opponents a 'big inning,' which is problematic going into NESCACs," said Boettcher. In a last-minute attempt to scrape up another win, the Panthers grabbed three run in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough. Michaela George '03 and Freyer each had three hits in the game. In one last doubleheader, the Panthers will take on state-nemesis Norwich on Wednesday before heading to Maine for the NESCAC tournament on Friday. Middlebury will face Colby, the host school, in the first round. Colby finished first in the East division, but was Middlebury's first two wins very early this season. "Our short game will be very critical, defensively and offensively," Boettcher noted. "We have a tremendous capacity to rally hit versus an average to good pitcher, yet we will be seeing better pitching across the board in NESCACs, so the short game will be in order."If everything goes the same way the rest of this season has, the Panthers will continue to make waves in the league and continue to rewrite the Middlebury softball history books.
(04/23/03 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] To the Editor:Whether or not you believe that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was justified on humanitarian and national security grounds, two facts remain: much of the country is now in ruins, and many Iraqis are still without basic services and supplies. The U.S. generals in charge of Baghdad have promised to restore water and electricity as soon as possible, and we can only hope they will fulfill that promise. Even when services are up and running again, many citizens will still be without homes and personal possessions. As we wait for the U.S. military to make good on their promise to build a free and stable Iraq, let's do what we can to help those Iraqis whose livelihoods were damaged by the bombing and ground force campaign against their government. We should all - those of who marched for peace in Iraq and those who supported a military solution to the problems there - show the Iraqis that we have not forgotten them after "victory" was declared. The American Friends Service Committee, an organization based in Philadelphia, is currently collecting relief kits to send to Iraqis. They ask that we include the following items: 4 bars of soap, 1 plastic bottle of shampoo (13 - 24 ounce size or 450 - 830 milliliters), 1 tube of toothpaste (minimum 8 ounces or 100 milliliters), 4 adult-size toothbrushes (leave in packaging),1 hairbrush, 1 wide-tooth comb, 1 finger nail clipper, 1 box of adhesive bandages (minimum 40, assorted preferred).Please consider putting together one of these kits, and if you do, put it all in a plastic bag and drop it of at Greenfield's Mercantile, across from the Alpine Shop in town, and include about $7 to cover shipping to Iraq.- Alex Fuller '05To the Editor:Recently I had the pleasure of attending the French department's production of Fantasio. A fusion of hard work, personality, and creativity, the play was at once amusing and thought provoking. Professor Nunley's portrayal of Fantasio was excellent, as he moved effortlessly between sullen gent and eloquent jester, and the student actors betrayed wonderful personality and enthusiasm. I was thus deeply disappointed by the review of the play, printed in last week's Campus. The review noted a "middle school charm" in the production, though it focused principally on the inaccessibility of the play to members of the audience who are not fluent in French. On the contrary, the production provided an unusual chance for students of French to challenge their language abilities. For others, Fantasio was high quality theatrical event. Many thanks and congratulations to the cast of Fantasio! - Edith Honan '03
(04/16/03 12:00am)
Author: Jacob Heller The estimated driving time from Middlebury, Vt., to Clinton, N.Y., is four hours. This weekend the Middlebury baseball team ensured that drive would be a long four hours for the Hamilton Continentals. Middlebury won all three games by scoring a run in the final inning - 7-6, 8-7, 10-9. These clutch one-run victories over Hamilton leave Middlebury at 8-4-1 with less than a month left in the regular season. In the first game, Russ Budnick '05 pitched six strong innings before giving way to reliever Ben Christensen '04 who picked up the win. Game two of the series saw Middlebury give up a late four run lead before scoring a run in the final inning to give Dave Irwin '05 his first win of the season. Starter Tyler Bak '06 pitched well through seven innings surrendering only four earned runs. The final game of the three provided the most exciting with Captain John Prescott '03 contributing a stellar individual performance. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Prescott launched his first home run of the season to tie the game at nine. Prescott followed his home run with a sliding catch in the top of the ninth that preserved a tie, which Middlebury would break in the bottom half of the inning. Over the three game stretch Prescott hit .615 with six runs scored and three RBI, earning him honors as the NESCAC Baseball Player of the Week. Jim Muhlfeld '04 started the final game but did not factor into the decision as Alex Casnocha '06 closed out with three scoreless innings to record the win.At this point in the season the Panthers have played 13 games but have only practiced once on their field. The absence of practice outside due to the weather has hampered the Panthers ability to prepare but they still continue to perform on the field. As the team continues to come together on the field the possibility of the playoffs is on the players' minds. Captain Denny Smith '03 described the status of the team during this drive for the playoffs:"It was a tough adjustment from shoveling snow off the field Thursday to turning around and playing 25 innings of baseball in two days after only one outdoor practice since our spring trip. We did not play as well as we are capable, but certain individuals stepped up and got the job done when we needed them. Several players had great individual performances, but we need to improve as a team in order to contend for the playoffs in May."The goal is to make it to the playoffs and anything less will not satisfy what this team believes it can achieve. With eight wins already the Panthers know they have played well, but not as well as they would like. Despite sweeping the season series from Hamilton it is clear the Panthers did not play their best baseball this weekend. Over the three games, Middlebury committed 16 errors including seven in the final game. These miscues allowed Hamilton to stay in each game and put more pressure on the Middlebury pitching staff than Coach Smith hoped for."Defensively it was not a good weekend. Frequent errors made our starters throw more pitches and forced our relievers to step up and get the win in each game. I feel we have the ability to beat any team we face when we bring our best game. This weekend we brought our game down from the level we can play at and we need to rebound. Simple mistakes like outfielders missing the cutoff man and infielders overthrowing bases will cost us against better teams." Better teams certainly lie ahead as Middlebury takes on Massachusetts College at home this Wednesday and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rival Wesleyan at home this weekend. The Cardinals (3-3 NESCAC, 12-9 overall) currently sit at third in the NESCAC West Divison, one spot below the Panthers. Last season, the Panthers dropped two of three games to the Cardinals. Played on consecutive days, Middlebury could not compete with the obviously stronger Wesleyan team, who took the first two games 12-4 and 3-2. In the last game, the Panthers finally managed to pull out a win, 2-1.Middlebury, who sits at 4-2 in league play and 8-4- overall, will take on number-one ranked Amherst May 2 and 3. The Lord Jeffs are undefeated in league play so far this season.
(04/16/03 12:00am)
Author: David Freedman The fourth-ranked Middlebury men's lacrosse team put away three close games over top-20 opponents this past week to keep its unblemished conference record intact. The Panthers went on key second-half runs in each game to beat Tufts 12-7 on Wednesday, Bowdoin 13-11 on Saturday and Amherst 8-6 on Sunday. Captain Mike Frissora '03 was proud of Middlebury's efforts against the quality opponents in conference competition saying, "These tight games give us great experience and we learned what it takes to win close games, playing for the full 60 minutes."When Middlebury went down to Medford, Mass., to take on the Tufts Jumbos, the field conditions did not favor the Panthers' high powered offense. However, after being down 4-3 at the half, Middlebury put up nine goals after the break to put Tufts away. Down 6-4 six minutes into the third quarter, Jon Sisto '06 ignited a four-goal run by the Panther offense with a timely goal and an assist, highlighting his three goals and two assists on the day. This run would leave Tufts frustrated and helpless by the end of the quarter, and put Middlebury up 8-6. Goalie Eric Krieger '04 and the Panther defense, led by Caleb Holmes '03 and John West '04, allowed no fourth quarter goals as Middlebury added another four unanswered scores to put the game away. David Leach '05 had a spectacular offensive day, scoring three goals from the midfield position, and at one point causing a turnover by his own net, running the full length of the field and bouncing one home. Head Coach Erin Quinn described Leach and Sisto as "The offensive sparks on the day. In the second half we were able to attack their zone better, and they helped us pull away as the game went on." Sisto added, "This was a big week for us. I'm just glad I could do my best to help the team win."The second-half effort against Tufts that held the Jumbos to three second-half goals and very few possessions would not be the case against New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rival Bowdoin on Peter Kohn Turf Field. While ultimately winning the game and exacting revenge on last year's only loss in another national championship run, Middlebury let the Polar Bears get back into the game one too many times. The Panther attack started out beautifully 1:45 into the game when Middlebury's leading scorers, Charley Howe '04 and Mike Saraceni '04, connected to open the game's scoring. Sisto would add one of his two goals on the day a minute later to make the score 2-0. With Bowdoin rallying, middie Greg Bastis '04 added two first-quarter goals, one off an unbelievable feed from Saraceni, to keep the Panthers ahead by the end of the first quarter. Middlebury began one of its patented surges before the half to seemingly end Bowdoin's hopes of another upset with a three-goal run in two minutes. Travis Meyer '06 netted his first career goal off a slick feed from Saraceni, who was left wide open to dismantle Bowdoin's goalie. Sisto fed Saraceni for another of his four goals on the day, and Frissora torched two Bowdoin defenders with a display of his athletic ability for one of his three unassisted goals in the game. The Polar Bears would then net a goal before the half and the first two of the second to keep themselves in the game. Then Frissora and the rest of the Panther offense took over and converted enough opportunities for Middlebury to stay undefeated in the conference. Eight minutes into the third quarter Frissora notched another unassisted score and much needed goal that inspired a fourth-quarter run where he fed Saraceni for one goal. Howe added his second point on the day, and Sisto rounded it out with a great goal off a fast break feed from Saraceni and a great up-field run by Bob Wannop '04. Frissora complimented Bowdoin's efforts for not folding in third. "It was a hard fought battle and our team came through," Frissora said. "At halftime we refocused and knew that we could win as long as we remained composed and played our style of lacrosse." Saraceni's seven-point day helped secure a close win, and his play continued the next day in another NESCAC game with Amherst. Leading 3-0 coming into the second quarter, Amherst would put up four straight to give them the lead come halftime. Less than a minute into the second half, Frissora would spark a Panther run again with another goal on an unassisted drive to the net. Saraceni added his second on the day only moments later, and suddenly the Panthers took the lead. Middlebury would extend its lead to 7-4 and essentially put the game out of reach with a great goal from Bastis. Krieger had another outstanding effort in net, tallying 13 saves in the game. Quinn was extremely proud of the defensive effort against a strong Amherst attack. "The defense was stifling in the second half, yielding very few quality shot opportunities. Holmes did a tremendous job on their top feeder and all of our defensemen neutralized their attack," Quinn said. Middlebury will next play Trinity on April 19 and Williams on April 23. Middlebury has moved to 6-0 in the conference, and is looking for its third straight NESCAC Championship and fourth straight NCAA Championship.
(04/16/03 12:00am)
Author: Kate Nerenberg Someone lit a fire underneath the Middlebury softball team. The Panthers have won eight of their last 10 games and six in a row. This past week, the squad dominated state rival Lyndon State and dismantled two New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) foes, Wesleyan and Bates. Senior Lindsay Ladd led the Panthers on their way to a second-place NESCAC West Division ranking and an impressive 10-7 overall record. Proving to be a surge at the plate, Ladd batted 8-13 (.615), including three doubles, three triples, five runs and eight RBI, and gave the Panthers a much-needed spark with their hitting numbers.In the first doubleheader of the week, the Panthers amassed a startling 32 hits and 25 runs against Lyndon State on Wednesday. Middlebury stifled its opponent in the first game with a strong defense that held Lyndon State scoreless for the first three innings. Breaking out of a hitting slump, the Panthers pounded away for 20 hits and 16 runs, while only allowing five hits and four runs. Michaela George '04 had a particularly strong showing, with four hits, including a homerun. Ladd chipped in with three RBI. In the next of these two games, the Panthers used their momentum of the previous thrashing to start out strong. In the first three innings, they scored all nine of their runs, including five in the first. Ladd again led the way with three hits, while pitcher Lauren Bowe '04 picked up the win to improve her personal record to 3-1.The Panthers brought their game to Wesleyan on Sunday for another doubleheader. Picking up wins seven and eight for the season, Middlebury overwhelmed the Cardinals 12-2 in the first game, but barely squeaked by in the second game, winning 2-1. Again the Panthers showed their hitting power, connecting 13 times in the first game. Katie Harrison '05.5 led the team with three hits while Ladd picked up four RBI. The Panthers took two innings to warm up before breaking out with six runs in the third and four runs in the fourth to easily put away the Cardinals. In what proved to be a more exciting game, the Panthers had to fight for their victory in the next match-up of the afternoon. The team was only able to score twice despite registering 11 hits for the game. In the first inning, Wesleyan scored on a wild pitch, putting it ahead for the first time that day. However, the Panthers held strong defensively and fought back offensively and were finally rewarded in the fifth inning. Megan McCarthy '05 doubled and then sprinted to third on another wild pitch. Christina Freyer '04 sent McCarthy home with a single of her own, and then was sent to second base after a Kathryn Hurd '06 single. When Ladd came up to bat, she managed to get to second base on an error by the Wesleyan leftfielder. This sent Hurd to third while Freyer crossed the plate for the second and winning run of the inning. On Tuesday, the Bates doubleheader followed the theme of the previous four games. In the first game, Freyer connected three times as the team only allowed one run in a 6-1 win. The victory dropped Bates to 3-8 while the Panthers improved to 9-7 on the season. In the second of these two games, Middlebury used a strong first inning to set the pace, scoring four runs off six hits. Five different Panthers registered three hits each to lead the team to a 17-hit game that did not allow the Bobcats any room to breathe. The Panthers will look to keep their streak alive when they take on Castleton at home on Thursday. However, Saturday will be a true test when Amherst, undefeated in league play and ranked first in the NESCAC West Division comes to town.
