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(10/08/20 9:53am)
Middlebury students are navigating all-new or altered absentee voting systems ahead of the general election on Nov. 3. Although absentee voting is hardly new to college campuses, the pandemic has ignited nationwide debate about mail-in voting systems. Many states have expanded voting options for the 2020 election cycle because of safety concerns during the pandemic, but implementation varies significantly from state to state.
Lily Shannon ’23 registered in Tennessee last year, but was unable to vote in the Mar. 3 primary because of a state rule stipulating that voters who register online or by mail must vote in person their first time. The law affects mostly young voters and was temporarily halted by a federal judge in September, partly because of Covid-19 concerns. Still, absentee rules for the upcoming election are not always clear.
“There are all these rules — like it says you can email your ballot request in, but then on another website it says you can’t — so it’s really confusing. Then there’s three addresses to send your ballot to just in my county alone, so I don’t know which one I’m supposed to send it to,” Shannon said.
Many students are voting from Middlebury for the first time, trying to meet deadlines and adjust to an unfamiliar mail system. Policy changes at the U.S. Postal Service coupled with the pandemic led to nationwide mail slowdowns this summer, with Vermont experiencing some of the worst delays for long-distance mail in the nation.
“I haven’t mailed anything from here yet, so this will be my first time and that’s kind of nerve-wracking. I’m confident in my ability to do it, but it’s crazy that this is the first time,” Brianna Beach ’23 said.
Several students expressed anxiety about sending absentee ballots and not all were confident their votes will end up being counted.
“I was expecting to receive my local and state primary ballot... but that ballot got lost in the mail, and I had to go in person to re-request it. When it finally did come I had to hand it in day-of, which wasn’t going to be my intent with requesting an absentee ballot,” said Sophie Johnson ’22, who is registered to vote in New Hampshire.
Johnson was concerned that her ballot for the general election would also get lost. She visited her city hall before beginning her pre-arrival quarantine in August, trying to verify that her ballot would go to the right address in Middlebury.
“I had to call twice since coming to college — and now I think that my information is accurate and up to date — but it was a lot of phone tag,” Johnson said. “I still haven’t received my ballot, whereas one person I know from New Hampshire has received theirs and voted already, which makes me nervous that my ballot won’t get here in time.”
Beach, who votes in Georgia, also ran into issues during the primary. Georgia’s presidential primary was initially scheduled for March 24, shortly after Middlebury students were sent home because of the pandemic.
“It was a big hassle coming home. I know there was limited polling and a lot of stuff closed, and I had to figure out getting rid of my absentee ballot which I had requested in order to do it in person because I had missed the deadline,” Beach said.
Now she is voting from Middlebury for the first time.
“I’ve been really anxious about deadlines for requesting my absentee ballot, because it’s just not something I’m super familiar with,” Beach said. “I feel confident in being able to vote, but I definitely have been thinking about the way the virus is going to impact everything in Georgia.”
Even though students are eligible to vote in Vermont, Shannon chose to vote in Tennessee because the state leans Republican and she feels her vote can do more there.
“I still obviously am going to try to vote… but whether it be some miniscule fault of mine that they count as invalid, it not getting there on time, or just being lost, I definitely don’t think [my ballot] will be counted,” Shannon said.
Five states — Oregon, Washington, Utah, Hawaii and Colorado — conduct all-mail elections, in which voters automatically receive a mail-in ballot and limited in-person voting is available the day of the election.
“I had already set up receiving my ballots over email in previous semesters, so nothing changed at all. I still got an email with my ballot, I just have to print it off,” said Anika Heilweil ’21, who votes in Utah.
Nevada, California, Vermont, and New Jersey will join those states for the 2020 election and send mail-in ballots to all registered voters by default. Over a dozen states will also automatically send an application for a mail-in ballot to registered voters.
Many states have also implemented no-excuse absentee voting for the 2020 election cycle, meaning that voters do not need to have an approved excuse to vote absentee. These excuses typically include a voter being outside of the county they are registered in, working a shift during the times the polls are open, physical disabilities or being over 65 years of age. Others have maintained that voters must have an excuse to vote absentee, but have expanded the approved list of excuses to include concerns about vulnerability to Covid-19. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Indiana will require an excuse beyond a fear of Covid-19.
College students residing outside of the state they are registered in are included in the excused reasons for voting absentee. Middlebury students are eligible to vote in Vermont and can register as late as the day of the election to vote absentee.
Despite the added challenges of voting this year, students were committed to voting in the general election.
“I’ve been getting a lot of texts for canvassing and reminders to register, and this year it feels like people are really pushing for people to vote — more than ever before,” Beach said.
States have different deadlines for registering, requesting absentee ballots, and returning absentee ballots. Some have deadlines based on when mail is postmarked while others have deadlines for when mail is received. Certain states may also require a notarized ballot. Ongoing legal battles may change deadlines for registration and absentee ballot submission in several states. Information on how to vote in your state is available on state government websites or from non-partisan organizations such as vote.org. All listed dates and hours are in local time zones.
ALABAMA
Incumbent Democrat Doug Jones is facing strong opposition from Republican challenger Tommy Tuberville, making the state one of the few with a senate seat likely to flip from a Democrat to a Republican.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 19
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 29.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked one day before Election Day and received by noon on Election Day.
ALASKA
No close statewide or federal races.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 4
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 24.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 13.
ARIZONA
Arizona has voted for a Republican every year since 1952 except for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential run, but many believe it is likely to flip in favor of Joe Biden this year. Arizona also has one of the most hotly contested senate races, between Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Mark Kelly.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 23.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.
ARKANSAS
The Democratic candidate for Senate in Arkansas dropped out, leaving incumbent Republican Tom Cotton (who is heavily favored to win) and Libertarian candidate Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. the two major names on the ballot.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 27.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
CALIFORNIA
California has no elections for senate or governor this cycle, but congressional districts CA-21, held by a Democrat, and CA-25, held by a Republican, are considered toss-ups. The state is automatically sending mail-in ballots to voters.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 19
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to all registered voters.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 20.
COLORADO
Colorado has a close senate race between former governor and presidential candidate John Hickenlooper and incumbent Republican Cory Gardener. Colorado conducts elections by mail.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 26
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to all registered voters. The deadline to submit a mailing address change for ballots is at least eight days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7:00 P.M. on Election Day.
CONNECTICUT
No close statewide or federal races.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 27
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Applications automatically sent to all registered voters. Deadline to apply is one day before Election Day, but recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
DELAWARE
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 10
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 30.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Although D.C. residents cannot vote in presidential elections, there are several local elections occurring.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to all registered voters. Submit a mailing address change for ballots to be sent to at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election day and received by Nov. 13.
FLORIDA
Florida is likely to be one of the closest states in the presidential election, and has a close congressional race in the Democrat-held FL-26.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Postmarked by 5 p.m. on Oct. 24
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election day
GEORGIA
Georgia has two close senate seats up for election, between Democrat Jon Ossof and incumbent Republican David Perdue, and between incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler and a broad field of special election challengers. The state is a toss-up for the presidential election.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 30.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
HAWAII
Conducts elections by mail.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to all registered voters. The deadline to submit a mailing address change for ballots is at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day
IDAHO
No close statewide or federal races.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 9
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 23.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
ILLINOIS
The IL-13 congressional district leans in favor of incumbent Republican Rodney Davis.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 6
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 29.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received no later than Nov. 17.
INDIANA
A congressional seat in the IN-05 is open and is a toss-up that leans slightly in favor of Republicans.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 22.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by noon on Election Day.
IOWA
Iowa has a surprisingly close senate race, in one of the reddest states with the potential to elect a Democrat this cycle. Incumbent Republican Joni Ernst faces a tough challenge from Democrat Theresa Greenfield. The IA-01, IA-02, and IA-03 are also all congressional seats held by Democrats that have the potential to flip to Republicans.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 24
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 24.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by Nov. 9.
KANSAS
Democratic challenger Barbara Bollier has an uphill battle to the senate seat against incumbent Republican Roger Marshall, but has drawn on her credentials as a doctor to make this seat competitive.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 27.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received no later than Nov. 6.
KENTUCKY
Although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is almost certain to win his re-election bid, Amy McGrath has mounted a serious campaign against him.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 9.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 6.
LOUISIANA
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 4
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 2.
MAINE
Democratic challenger Sara Gideon seems poised to defeat incumbent Republican Susan Collins, in a state that favors Biden but could split some electoral votes in favor of Trump.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 19
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 29.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by Election Day.
MARYLAND
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 20.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day, received by 10 a.m. on Nov. 13.
MASSACHUSETTS
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 24
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 28.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 6.
MICHIGAN
All eyes have been on Michigan this election, since the state unexpectedly went for Donald Trump in 2016 by the narrowest margin of victory in the nation. It seems likely to flip back in favor of Biden this year. The senate race leans in favor of Democratic incumbent Gary Peters over Republican John James, and is one of the only senate seats currently held by a Democrat that is competitive. Several congressional districts are competitive, including the MI-03, M-06, MI-08 and MI-11.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 19
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received on or before Election Day, pending ongoing lawsuit.
MINNESOTA
Although Trump did not win Minnesota, this was another state where he outperformed polls and came much closer to a victory than predicted. Some say this is one of the only states that could flip in favor of the president, but polls put Biden ahead by a relatively wide margin. Tina Smith, Democratic incumbent who is likely but not guaranteed to hold her senate seat, is also up for re-election. Competitive house races are the MN-01, MN-02 and MN-07.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received one day before Election Day but recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 10.
MISSISSIPPI
Democrat Mike Espy has run a tough campaign, but incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith looks likely to keep her senate seat.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: No specific deadline, recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 10.
MISSOURI
Missouri has a somewhat competitive gubernatorial race between incumbent Republican Mike Parson and Democrat Nicole Galloway, and one competitive house race in the MO-02.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 7
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 21.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
MONTANA
Montana is another deep red state with a competitive senate race, where current Democratic governor Steve Bullock is running against incumbent Republican Steve Daines. Montana’s open gubernatorial race between Democrat Mike Cooney and Republican Greg Gianforte is also close. Gianforte’s current position as the at-large representative for Montana leans slightly in favor of Republican candidate Matt Rosendale, but Democrat Kathleen Williams has polled ahead of him in recent weeks.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 26 and received by Oct. 29.
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by noon on Nov. 2, but recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
NEBRASKA
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 16
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 23.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by Election Day.
NEVADA
The Democrat-held NV-03 is strongly favored to remain with Democrats, but is competitive.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 6
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to all registered voters.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 10.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Incumbents are favored in all the New Hampshire races except for president, with Democrat Jeanne Shaheen heavily favored to be re-elected to the senate, the Democrat Chris Pappas likely to be re-elected in the NH-01, and Republican Chris Sununu likely to be re-elected in the gubernatorial race.
Registration deadline: Varies by county, with earliest deadlines on Oct. 21
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Nov. 2.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 5 p.m. on Election Day.
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey has competitive house races in the NJ-02, NJ-03 and NJ-07.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to all registered voters.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by 8 p.m. on Nov. 10.
NEW MEXICO
The Democrat-held NM-02 is a competitive toss-up that leans slightly in favor of the incumbent.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 6
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 20.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
NEW YORK
The state has several competitive congressional districts, including the NY-01, NY-02, NY-11, NY-22 and NY-24.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 9 and received by Oct. 14.
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Postmarked by Oct. 27, but recommended at least 15 days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 10.
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina went for Trump in 2016 and is a toss-up again in this election. Incumbent Republican Thom Tillis and Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham are in a close race for the senate seat, and the state’s gubernatorial election leans slightly in favor of incumbent Democrat Roy Cooper over Republican Dan Forest. The NC-08 seat leans in favor of its Republican incumbent but is competitive.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 9
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 5:00 P.M. on Oct. 27.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.
NORTH DAKOTA
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Does not require registration.
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Nov. 2, but recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by Nov. 9.
OHIO
Ohio has shifted more Republican in recent years but is a toss-up between Trump and Biden. The Republian-held OH-01 is a competitive toss-up.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by noon on Oct. 31, but Oct. 27 or earlier is recommended.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Nov. 2 and received by Nov. 13.
OKLAHOMA
The Democrat-held OK-05 is a competitive toss-up.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 9
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
OREGON
The Democrat-held OR-04 leans in favor of the incumbent but is competitive.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to registered voters. Submit address change at least five days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 8:00 P.M. on Election Day.
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania is a state Biden will almost certainly have to win for an electoral college majority, which he is slightly favored to do. The state has several competitive congressional districts, including the PA-01, PA-07, PA-08, PA-10, and PA-17.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 19
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 27.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.
RHODE ISLAND
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 4
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 4 p.m. on Oct. 13.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Incumbent Republican Lindsey Graham looks likely to hold his senate seat against the strong challenge from Democrat Jaime Harrison, but the race has been close for South Carolina. The SC-01 leans slightly in favor of its Democratic incumbent.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 24.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
SOUTH DAKOTA
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 19
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Nov. 2, but recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by Election Day.
TENNESSEE
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 27.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by Election Day.
TEXAS
Although the state leans heavily Republican, recent Texas polls generally show Biden and Trump in a statistical tie. Incumbent Republican senator John Cornyn is likely to hold his seat but has seen a strong challenge from Democrat M.J. Hegar. The state has several competitive congressional districts, including TX-03, TX-07, TX-10, TX-21, TX-22, TX-23 and TX-24.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 5
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 23.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 4.
UTAH
The UT-04, held by a Democrat, is a toss-up.
Registration deadline: Received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 23
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Ballots automatically sent to all registered voters. Submit an address change at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked one day before Election Day. Reception deadline varies by county.
VERMONT
Vermont allows voters to register up to and through Election Day and will mail a ballot to all registered voters in 2020. Middlebury students are eligible to vote in the state of Vermont.
Registration deadline: Received by Nov. 3
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Nov. 2 but recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
VIRGINIA
The VA-02, VA-05 and VA-07 are competitive house races.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 23.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by noon on Nov. 6.
WASHINGTON
The house race in WA-03 is likely to go in favor of incumbent Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler but is competitive.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 26
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Automatically sent to all registered voters. Contact the county elections department to request a ballot be forwarded to a different address.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by election day and received by Nov. 23.
WEST VIRGINIA
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 13
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Oct. 28.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 9.
WISCONSIN
Trump won Wisconsin by less than one percent in 2016, and it is one of the competitive states Biden will likely need to win to receive a majority in the electoral college. The WI-03 is likely to re-elect Democrat Ron Kind.
Registration deadline: Postmarked by Oct. 14, though this may change due to an ongoing lawsuit.
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 29.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, with possible extensions due to an ongoing lawsuit that is likely to be appealed.
WYOMING
No close statewide or federal elections.
Registration deadline: Received by Oct. 19
Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Received by Nov. 2 but recommended at least seven days before Election Day.
Deadline to turn in ballot: Received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Unless otherwise noted, registration deadlines are for registering by mail. Some states offer online registration options, but deadlines may differ from mail-in registration.
Some voter registration and absentee ballot rules may change due to ongoing legal battles in several states.
Sources for race ratings include FiveThirtyEight’s senate election forecast, 270toWin’s house ratings table and interactive map, 270toWin’s presidential election consensus electoral map, CNN’s race ratings map, the Cook Political Report’s house and senate race ratings and the Cook Political Report’s governor race ratings.
News Editor Abigail Chang ’23 contributed reporting.
(10/01/20 10:00am)
The Performing Arts Series is providing the gift of music — a means to uplift, encourage and strengthen the college community — in a time of uncertainty and pandemic-era stress.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Mahaney Arts Center’s Digital Stages project is holding an online concert every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. from Sept. 25 through Nov. 13 — all of which are free and available to all through their website.
During the first concert on Friday, the Grammy-nominated group Imani Winds kicked off the season with a wind quintet performance featuring works by John Harbison, Jeff Scott Paquito and D’Rivera.
Assistant Professor of Music Matthew Evan Taylor opened the event by performing his own music — including an alto improvisation. Taylor noted that the quintet has always avoided being pigeon-holed as one type of sound despite their classical blend of instruments.
“What they’ve done is, in many ways, expanded what a chamber group in classical music can do by working on projects some chamber groups wouldn’t even consider doing, which makes them forward-thinking and inclusive,” Taylor said.
Consistent with the college's mission to diversify the Performing Arts Series through a more inclusive curriculum, Imani Winds’s music weaves together contemporary sounds with a more traditional foundation.
“For a group like this that has a Swahili name and that has been around for over 20 years, there are still not a lot of Black groups like this in classical music and even fewer back when they started,” Taylor said. “Their legacy is partially the normalcy of seeing Black faces and Black bodies performing classical music at a virtuosic level.”
In the U.S., classical music has customarily excluded people of color, erasing them from both its image and dialogue — groups like Imani Winds are helping change this tradition. Starting off the season with a BIPOC group was a way of signifying solidarity with antiracist causes and the Black Lives Matter movement, according to Taylor.
Five of the eight concerts left to come this fall originate from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and have been curated by cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han. As a grand finale to this semester, the Jupiter Quartet will return to the stage to provide an ode to classical music. Though Taylor anticipates that the new virtual format will require artists to rethink their performances, students can listen to and interact with talented artists to gain a rich and stress-alleviating musical experience while staying safe.
(09/24/20 9:57am)
On Sept. 24, 1994, the Middlebury football team dominated in the season opener against Wesleyan, picking up a 20–7 victory. The team went on an offensive barrage early in the game and played solid defense the rest of the way, managing to stay in command of the lead for the majority of the game. Two passing touchdowns earned the Panthers an early lead in the first quarter, leaving the Cardinals’ defense in the dust. Junior quarterback Scott Pokrywa ’96 found running back Justin Burley ’95 on both of these scores, for 35-yard and 15-yard gains respectively.
The offense faltered considerably as the game progressed, but the defense bailed them out. Wesleyan only managed 269 yards on offense compared to Middlebury’s 373, and failed to score a single offensive touchdown. Thanks in large part to aggressive coverage by Middlebury defensive tackle Dan Richards ’95, Wesleyan’s quarterback was limited to 18 completions out of 42 attempts, with only one completion surpassing 14 yards.
Linebacker Bain Smith ’96 led the Panther defense with 13 tackles, a performance which was impressive enough to net him NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He was aided by defensive back Jeff Mebel ’95, (seven tackles), defensive end Winfield Campbell ’95 (six tackles), and linebacker Shawn Daignault ’95 (eight tackles).
On the offensive end, Burley finished the game with the most receiving yards for the Panthers. The duo of Pokrywa and running back Terrence Bradford ’96 led the running game, combining for 181 of the team’s 289 total rushing yards. Bradford rushed for 102 yards on 20 carries overall.
It was an encouraging beginning to an otherwise lackluster season that Middlebury finished with a 3–5 record.
(09/17/20 9:58am)
While large universities around the country are becoming Covid-19 hotspots, the 11 schools in the NESCAC — which have far fewer students and are generally located in low-density areas — have kept their Covid-19 cases extremely low so far.
Middlebury College has only seen two total active cases, and both students have since recovered. All NESCAC schools except for Tufts University have had fewer than five positive cases. Tufts — which is over twice the size of the other NESCAC schools and is located in a major city — has had nine new positive tests in the last week, with a total of 26 Covid-19 cases.
In contrast, several large universities across the country have witnessed catastrophic Covid-19 outbreaks. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill evacuated students after testing revealed a positivity rate of 13%, while the University of Georgia and University of Wisconsin-Madison both reported over 1,000 cases in the past week.
All NESCAC schools tested students upon arrival, instated a quarantine period afterward, and are now intermittently testing students through the Broad Institute, a testing provider based in Cambridge, Mass. Bates College and Bowdoin College are testing all students twice per week, whereas Middlebury and Connecticut College are performing tests on a portion of the student body each week in addition to testing students who show symptoms.
In late August, Middlebury welcomed 2,161 students back to campus, with an additional 85 students living in off-campus housing and 329 studying fully remotely. Bowdoin College was the only NESCAC not to invite all students back, permitting just 653 students — or 40% — back to campus and prioritizing first-year and transfer students, with some other exceptions. The Bowdoin Orient reported that 75% of students were dissatisfied with this decision.
Some NESCAC schools are adjusting their academic policies to allow increased flexibility. Bates College is proceeding with two 7.5-week modules instead of a traditional semester. Williams College is allowing students to take as many classes Pass/Fail as they want, and Trinity College is allowing students to graduate with 1.5 fewer credits than are usually required. Tufts is allowing students to graduate after only six full-time semesters instead of the previous requirement of eight, offering increased flexibility for students to attend part-time. Middlebury has also modified its academic policy, allowing students to take up to one course during the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters on a credit/no-credit basis.
Amherst has moved many classes to outdoor spaces and installed temperature monitors at the entrance to several student buildings. To reduce the spread of germs, Hamilton College spaced out classes by 20 minutes for classroom cleaning and Williams converted most housing to single-occupancy.
NESCAC schools have already had to penalize students for breaking Covid-19 safety rules. Dean of Students Derek Doucet told The Campus that several students have already been asked to leave campus, while more are awaiting appeals for violating guidelines. Bowdoin has also asked a first-year student to leave campus for violating the seven-page community agreement that all students studying on campus had to sign. One reason for this strict enforcement is that most NESCAC schools occupy small towns with limited healthcare services.
The cost of testing and implementing Covid-19 regulations is putting new financial pressure on NESCAC schools. Middlebury has allocated $5 million to cover costs created by the pandemic and increased tuition by the standard of 3%. Bowdoin will spend $875,000 on testing this year. Williams is the only NESCAC school to reduce tuition due to the pandemic, lowering the total by 15% for all students, in addition to eliminating the student activities fee. Trinity is keeping tuition stagnant at the 2019-2020 level.
But not all small colleges have been able to maintain low Covid-19 rates. Colorado College shifted to fully remote learning after 11 of their 800 on-campus students tested positive and an entire dorm of 150 students was quarantined.
Vermont has maintained one of the lowest Covid-19 rates in the country, and only 38 out of 42,109 total tests at Vermont colleges have been positive, according to the Vermont Department of Health. The largest college in the state, the University of Vermont, has seen 15 positive cases so far.
While many large and urban universities are suffering from uncontrolled outbreaks, schools in the NESCAC and Vermont colleges are maintaining low rates by merit of advantageous size and geography, bolstered by strict rules and frequent testing.
(05/14/20 9:56am)
PE credit adjustments
Faculty ratified a motion allowing students to earn both of their PE credits in the same sport or activity this Tuesday. According to the proposal, “students are currently required to earn their two PE credits in two different courses, but this discourages students from persisting in a sport or activity that they find interesting or valuable.” The motion passed with 169, or 93%, in favor, and 13, or 7%, against.
This is the second policy regarding PE credits that was passed this spring. Last Friday, faculty motioned to waive the PE requirement for seniors in response challenges presented by Covid-19. “We felt that the PE requirement was a lower priority, and in consultation with the Academic Administration, we waived the requirement for anyone who had not completed it yet,” Erin Quinn, director of athletics, wrote in an email to The Campus. The proposal to the faculty was simply to ratify the action that the physical education program has taken. It was passed with 159, or 99%, in favor.
Add cards no longer require faculty adviser approval
The faculty then ratified a motion to allow all non-first year students to add courses with the permission of the faculty instructor only; previously, an adviser’s signature was also required. This motion, proposed by the Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) and amended by Professor of Mathematics Michael Olinick, addresses the period of registration taken place after BannerWeb registration has ended, when students use green add cards to join a new class until the end of the second week of classes in the fall and spring, or the end of the third day of classes in the winter.
This motion passed with the amendment with 144, or 85%, in favor. Proponents of the new motion saw it as an opportunity for students to have more agency in their academic studies and reduce bureaucracy in the process.
“High-quality advising generally happens in advance of registration, and by the time the beginning of the semester actually rolls around, students are mostly making adjustments to their schedules that they’ve already decided upon with their advisors,” Dean of Curriculum Suzanne Gurland explained. She added that the process of acquiring a signature from an advisor tends to slow down the process and delay prompt updates regarding available seats on BannerWeb.
Olinick’s amendment to the motion states, “All first year students must also have the approval of their advisors.” The rationale behind the amendment is that instructors who approve students’ requests to take their course typically would not ask about the student’s schedule, workload and need to satisfy distribution requirements. Hence, a number of faculty believed that it is beneficial for first-year students to discuss the change before they proceed with it.
During the discussion of the amendment, Professor of Religion Robert Schine motioned to change the language again to be “all students in their first semester at Middlebury,” which would include transfer students. However, this motion was voted down narrowly, with 48% for and 52% against.
(05/07/20 9:55am)
In designing this year’s survey, The Campus’ Zeitgeist team reviewed questions from last year’s survey (both those that were on the survey itself and others that were submitted but did not make it into the survey) and then distributed a form to solicit questions via The Campus’ social media channels. After consolidating the questions that were submitted and in careful consultation with editors, members of the Zeitgeist team generated 65 survey questions in total, including 13 demographic editors.
The Campus distributed the survey in all-student email on the evening of November 11, 2019. Responses were open for 15 days, until midnight on November 26. The survey was also distributed on The Campus’ social media platforms, posting at frequent intervals until the deadline. Campus editors set up tabling stations, alternating between Proctor, Ross and Atwater dining halls, in an effort to increase survey participation. Upon receiving the email, respondents followed an anonymous link to the survey hosted on Qualtrics. This link ensured that no personally identifiable data as to the respondent’s computer or location could be tracked. After completing the survey, respondents had the option to enter a raffle on a Google Form, which ensured that the participants’ identifying information for the raffle and the survey data were not linked.
Following the demographic questions, this year’s survey questions were grouped into five general categories: Academics and the institution, Midd after hours, Let’s talk about sex, Health and Wellness and This I believe. Survey respondents were encouraged to answer all questions, but were able to refrain from doing so. All demographic questions offered an “I prefer not to answer” option.
The survey data was stored on the Qualtrics platform and was distributed to a small group of reporters in sections via Google Drive. Sharing permissions for the Google Drive folder were deleted after the completion of data analysis. Data remained only on the devices of reporters and never shared externally, including the administration, other clubs, or academic departments.
When analyzing the data, the team did not examine specific entries or attempt to extract the entirety of a respondent’s data, but worked with the data as a whole to survey general trends. In order to protect the confidentiality of respondents, we have chosen not to disclose or report the responses of groups with 5 or fewer members in demographic breakdowns. In total, 1245 students responded out of Middlebury’s on-campus undergraduate student population of 2555, making the response rate 48.72%.
The findings were then compiled and published in the May 7 edition of The Campus. In total, 14 students were closely involved with the making of this year’s Zeitgeist.
(05/07/20 9:49am)
The Zeitgeist survey asked respondents about different facets of social life at Middlebury, ranging from questions about substance use to TikTok. College social life invariably evolves for students as they get older, but nevertheless, we tried to depict a general snapshot from first-years to super-senior-Febs.
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A majority of respondents reported having partied where alcohol or drugs were present, or having used one of these substances themselves, before coming to Middlebury. Of these respondents, more than two-thirds, 79.8%, said that alcohol was the most commonly seen substance. Over half of all respondents, 53.1%, had smoked marijuana, and just under a third had vaped or juuled before coming to college. A mere 14.1% reported being around or doing none of the above.
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Patterns of substance use are similar across different school types. Students from public and charter or magnet schools were slightly more likely to have smoked marijuana, while private and boarding schools were more likely to have used a fake ID. Respondents who attended private day schools were the most likely to report doing at least one of the options listed.
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The data show that coming to Middlebury was generally associated with increased substance use. Around 75% of respondents said they partied in the presence of alcohol and/or drugs more at Middlebury than they had before, while 73% reported consuming more alcohol than before.
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When asked how drunk they usually tend to get at Middlebury, approximately half (48.7%) said that they “get drunk.” A tenth of all respondents reported not drinking at all, and the same number said they barely drink. A small number of students — less than 6% of respondents — reported getting “brownout” or “blackout.”
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We also asked respondents about their usage of various social media platforms. Instagram was the most popular form of social media among respondents, with almost two-thirds, 63.4%, rating it their most-used platform. Though more respondents reported using Facebook than Snapchat, the latter was used more frequently: 71.2% ranked Snapchat among their two most used platforms. Facebook reached this rank for only 41.1% of its users.
Tumblr and TikTok were both relatively unpopular among respondents, with 14.9% and 13.2% reporting using them, respectively. While only 23.9% ranked TikTok among their top three platforms in November, the app became a popular meme since stay-at-home orders were put into effect in March. (The Campus tried to get in touch with a number of habitual TikTok users for comment, but none of them wanted to go public about their use of the app.)
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81% of students said they had met friends through mutual friends, making it the most common way through which students formed friendships at Middlebury. Classes, residence halls and extracurriculars trailed not far behind, with approximately 76% of respondents choosing each. 40% of respondents reported having met friends on nights out. Under the “other” category, “Feb” was the most popular with 18 appearances. “Sports” appeared 10 times, “First@Midd” 7 times.
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When asked about friend groups, 63.4% of all respondents reported being part of multiple groups, while 9.5% felt they were part of none. The data show some variation between different ethnic groups. Black and Hispanic/Latino respondents were more likely than white and Asian respondents to consider themselves part of only one friend group. Black respondents were also the least likely to consider themselves part of no friend group.
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When asked about their Saturday nights, 75.2% of respondents selected hanging with friends as a pastime. Out of the five specific campus buildings listed on the survey, Atwater was the most popular with 39% of the vote, followed by the social houses with 35.6%. Approximately a tenth of respondents reported to be working.
Respondents were asked to mark where on campus they feel most uncomfortable. The resulting heat map shows a hotspot that spans the entirety of the Atwater suites, as well as clusters around the athletics complex and the Ross and Proctor areas. The data show overlap with reports of vandalism, as well as the 2019 It Happens Here map which documented incidents of sexual assault and harassment.
(05/07/20 9:47am)
The Middlebury academic experience is marked by a vast range of classes, a set of distribution requirements that push students to explore courses outside of their academic comfort zones, a strong honor code and small class sizes that allow students to develop relationships with their professors and peers.
But these college brochure bullet points don’t capture the full picture. This year, our Zeitgeist data answered more inconspicuous questions about those experiences, from why students skip class to what distribution requirements are hardest to fulfill, to how many students break the honor code and in what ways.
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Overall, students overwhelmingly feel intellectually stimulated at Middlebury, by their professors, their classes, their peers within their major and their friends. In fact, only 4% combined — 40 students — indicated that they either somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with the statement “I feel intellectually stimulated at Middlebury.” Sixty-five percent of students indicated that they strongly agree with the statement, while another 30% said that they somewhat agree.
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The vast majority of students indicated that they are most intellectually stimulated in the classroom, pointing to professors (39%), class material (35%) and classmates (8%). For some, the most prominent source of intellectual stimulation is outside the classroom: 10% of students indicated friends, followed by talks and student organizations, both at 3%.
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Students report consistent levels of intellectual stimulation across all majors. The concentrations with the fewest majors saying they felt intellectually stimulated were arts majors, with 57% of the 40 total arts majors choosing that option. Language majors — 32 total students — reported the highest rate of intellectual stimulation, at 72%. Arts and language majors were also less represented in the survey than most other majors.
Those 4% of students who strongly disagree about feeling intellectually stimulated are evenly distributed across major groups.
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Do students find that their peers within their major are intellectually stimulating? Almost two-thirds — 64% or 792 students — said yes. 18% said neither yes nor no, and 14% marked themselves as undeclared. Only 5%, or 63 students, indicated that they did not.
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Those who indicated that they are strongly stimulated by the other students in their major are most likely to be humanities, literature or natural sciences majors, and least likely to be arts, language or social sciences majors.
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And as for Middlebury’s Honor Code, which, “[r]equires of every student complete intellectual honesty” and which all students sign at the start of their time at the college, 46% of students wrote that they had broken the honor code, while the other 54% said that they had not. Last year, 35% wrote that they had broken the honor code, 57% said they hadn’t and another 8% chose ‘prefer not to answer’, an option which was not available on this year’s Zeitgeist.
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More than half of all honor code violations were with the use of unauthorized aid, such as translators, calculators, SparkNotes and friends’ edits. Cheating on a test comprised 29% of honor code violations while plagiarism, reusing papers and assignments and falsifying data made up the remaining 17% percent.
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Distribution requirements oblige students to take courses in seven of eight academic areas, in addition to four courses pertaining to certain civilizations areas out of six total regions. Students must also complete one comparative civilization course, and two College Writing courses. When asked which of these requirements is hardest to fill, the largest number of students, 24%, said that they did not have any trouble fulfilling any distribution requirements.
Students struggled most with the civilization requirement, with 20% indicating that this was the hardest to fulfill. Of the eight core requirements, students report having the most trouble fulfilling the physical and life sciences (SCI) requirement, at 12%. This is followed by deductive reasoning (DED) at 9% and then a foreign language (LNG) at 7%.
The social analysis (SOC) requirement is the easiest to fulfill, with less than 1% of respondents choosing this option.
There are many factors that may make some requirements easier or harder to fulfill than others. One of these is the sheer number of classes available within a given tag: SOC, for example, was a requirement met by 150 classes offered this fall, compared to only 61 for Literature (LIT) or 26 for Philosophical and Religious Studies (PHL). Additionally, some tags are more interdisciplinary than others: SCI, for example, was tagged only to classes offered in the Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies (although only one class), Geography, Geology, Linguistics (also only one course), Neuroscience, Physics and Psychology departments, while the SOC requirement is offered in 30 departments, including in First-Year Seminars.
Additionally, the Foreign Language (LNG) requirement sometimes requires completion of two or three semesters of a language, such as in the case of intro-level language courses, compared to the single-semester required for almost all other categories.
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Middlebury appears to have a solid attendance record: only 7% of students reported skipping class at least once a week, with 37% skipping “a couple times a semester” and 23% skipping just once per semester. Another 33% reported that they never skip class.
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Students cited mental health as the most common reason for skipping class, with mental health being the cause of 23% of missed classes, followed by feeling overwhelmed by assignments, 21% of the time.
Physical health accounts for another 18% of missed classes, while 13% is the result of oversleeping. 11% of the time, students say that they skip because their class time does not feel productive.
Respondents said they miss just 3% of classes because peers are also skipping, while only 2% of skipping happens because students feel intimidated or uncomfortable because of the class or the people in it. Of the 60 respondents who noted skipping class for other reasons, 19 mentioned travel and five cited skiing. Other responses mentioned job interviews, having friends or family visiting or studying for exams in other classes.
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More than half of students reported spending between four and six hours on academic work outside of class per day, with 28% spending less time and 19% spending more. A total of 6% reported spending 10 or more hours a day on schoolwork outside of class.
(05/07/20 9:46am)
This year, 1,245 students completed the second-annual Zeitgeist survey, an uptick of 42 respondents from last year’s inaugural questionnaire. This figure represents 48.7% of the students who were on campus this fall, according to the Fall 2019 Student Profile; however, students who were studying abroad were also invited to participate in the survey.
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Participation across class years was roughly the same. The class of 2022 had the greatest number of participants, with 270 respondents.
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Nearly 73% of respondents identified as white. Only 62% of domestic students in the Fall 2019 Student Profile identified themselves as white, which may indicate that the Zeitgeist survey results have a skew towards students who identify as white — though the student profile’s number does not take into account international students, who were reported in a separate racial or ethnic category.
The second-largest block of Zeitgeist respondents, at 10.4%, were students who identified as Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. 5.4% of respondents identified as Hispanic or Latinx, and 2.9% of respondents identified as black or African American. 7.5% of respondents identified as biracial or multiracial.
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As might be expected of a liberal arts institution, nearly a fourth (23.3%) of survey respondents had an interdisciplinary major, which includes environmental studies, international politics and economics and international and global studies. The next most popular major category was the social sciences at 22.1%, followed by majors in the natural sciences, with 17.8%, and humanities majors at 8.7%. One in five respondents (19.8%) were undecided about their course of study. 22.4% of respondents indicated having a second major. Economics was the most popular major with 105 respondents, followed by environmental studies with 91, political science with 69, neuroscience with 66 and computer science with 66.
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Nearly 60% of respondents identified as cisgender females while only 36% of respondents identified as cisgender males. Less than 4% of students identified as a transgender male, transgender female, nonbinary, or felt that the options given did not define their gender. According to the Fall 2019 Student Profile, which used a binary classification of gender, 53% of students identified as female while 47% of students identified as male, indicating a skew in the Zeitgeist results towards cisgender female students. Over one in four students identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or questioning.
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Forty percent of Zeitgeist survey participants are on financial aid. Ten percent of respondents are first-generation college students, which is similar to the most recent admitted class’s profile at 11%.
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Almost one in three respondents hail from New England states. One in five students is from New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania. 13% are from the South, 12% are from Pacific states, 9% from the Midwest, and 5% are from Mountain states. Over half of respondents consider their hometowns to be suburban, 29% are from urban hometowns, and 18% from rural.
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Half of the respondents attended a public high school, 31% attended a private high school, 11% attended boarding school and 5% a charter or magnet school.
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One in ten respondents identified as religious; 28% considered themselves somewhat religious, and 60% did not consider themselves religious.
(04/30/20 9:58am)
Before coronavirus hit, a lot of people thought 2020 was going to be their year. It was certainly going to be college treasurer David Provost’s. Following years of scrupulous financial planning and cost reducing, he had walked back the college’s once-astronomical deficit to a sustainable level. At the end of Fiscal Year 20, which stretches from July 1, 2019 to July 1, 2020, the college would only be $4 million away from its goal. By FY21, it would hit its target.
But the seismic shift of Covid-19 set those projections back. Middlebury’s budget deficit is now back to where it was in 2017, with a $13 million loss projected for this year. In the next fiscal year, which starts this summer, that figure could hit $30 million, provided classes stay online. To avoid drawing on the endowment, the college will cut as many costs as it can while also accruing as much revenue as possible.
Provost, however, remains optimistic that the college can lower its deficit by FY22. And he says that projections would have been much worse had the college still been operating under its earlier numbers.
“I think our ability to weather through 2020 is fully reflective of the work that the entire institution did the last four years,” Provost told The Campus.
The last five years
Middlebury has been trimming the fat on its operating costs for years. In 2015, the school faced a $16.7 million deficit, which Provost said totaled $33 million when accounting for overdraws on the endowment (a practice the college is now trying to avoid for the sake of the endowment’s health). Campus reporting chronicled rising financial aid costs and flawed tuition policies as some of the many reasons for the hefty deficit.
That year, it laid out a “Road to a Sustainable Future,” which included a plan to break even on the budget — and generate a small surplus — by 2021. Last year’s workforce planning process was one of its more conspicuous cost reduction efforts, cutting staff and faculty costs through an at-times controversial voluntary buyout program for staff and incentive plans for faculty.
Overall, the cost reduction efforts were successful, prompting the college in 2018 to accelerate projections for breaking even to this year. But this spring, the college announced that unexpected healthcare costs in 2019 created an approximately $4 million gap that still needed to be closed. Provost previously told The Campus that those healthcare costs could in part be due to the timing of workforce planning — people might have taken advantage of the college’s insurance plan to get medical procedures they have been putting off, for example, before taking the buyouts and separation plans.
Additionally, Provost said the deficit was partly due to the staggered nature of the workforce planning process, as some employees — including all the faculty at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) who took the incentive plans — still had to finish up the year before taking the buyouts.
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Today
Those existing losses, in conjunction with the $9 million in losses for FY20 as a result of the coronavirus, contribute to an estimated $17.3 million in losses for this fiscal year. However, offset by cost-saving components like reduction in travel and food expenses, this deficit actually totals about $13.0 million for the year.
Those Covid-19-related losses come from four main areas: the $7.9 million in room and board refunds for the spring semester; the $900,000 in refunds for study abroad students; the $1 million in lost auxiliary operations from the bookstore, The Grille and other retail operations, the golf course, and the lost last month of the Snow Bowl’s season; and the $7.5 million predicted fundraising shortfall.
The Office of Advancement usually raises between $7–9 million in the last three months of the fiscal year. Now, with reunion canceled, it’s going to be difficult to do that. But the college gave families the option to donate their unused room and board credits as gifts; 19 families have taken them up on this thus far, for a total $83,000 in donations.
The college has also been preparing to embark on a capital campaign. The Office and Advancement and the Board of Trustees will reevaluate the timing of that campaign.
“Our donors and the largest donors in the world have lost a significant part of their wealth,” Provost said. “So that will play into thinking about that.”
The last capital campaign was also launched before a financial crisis, in 2007. It stretched from a five to an eight-year campaign, but ultimately surpassed the college’s target of $500 million.
There is also an estimated $800,000 in Covid-19-related expenses that the college will incur this year, which includes the over $110,000 it put toward helping students get home in March, which included travel expenses and gift cards for food costs.
Despite the recent buzz about the financial footprint of MIIS, Provost said he does not think Middlebury’s financial challenges stem from the institute. “They have been at times, but Monterey has done more to control costs and has been more successful at it,” Provost said. “They don’t have room and board so their FY20 numbers are looking pretty good. They might have a surplus.”
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Looking ahead to FY21
In a recent memo to faculty and staff, Provost estimated the college deficit could swell to $30 million next year. That is assuming the college continues remote learning in the fall and then moves to in-person operations in the spring, and that there is full wage continuity throughout the year.
“If we are able to bring most students back, the lost revenue will be much smaller, and manageable,” he said, noting that they’re prioritizing trying to get as many students back to campus as possible.
So how is the college prepping for next year when everything is up in the air? Contingency budget plans. A lot of them. Provost is working on seven or eight possible plans, which he will present to the Board of Trustees for feedback next week at their May meetings. The college won’t make a decision on what it will do this fall — or which budget plan it will follow — until late June.
Each potential scenario will contemplate its individual impact on tuition, room and board. Provost said that under no circumstance will the college cease operations completely this fall. Doing so could bring the deficit to a whopping $90 million.
Losses from summer programming also factor into the FY21 budget. With some programs not happening at all and others set to be held remotely, Provost said he expects to see $4–5 million in revenue from summer programs, versus the usual $17.9 million the college usually receives from these programs.
Ameliorating losses
The college is now pinpointing how it might mitigate the FY20 and FY21 losses. Some reductions happen naturally: the lack of travel expenses, paired with the reduction in food expenses and other operating costs, will save the college $7.5 million or more. Investure — the firm that manages the college’s investments — has deferred its payments for their fees until June, which also helps.
Other efforts will require more active planning, which is where the Budget Advisory Committee comes in. That committee will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees about where to cut in the FY21 budget.
Each area of the college is currently reevaluating its spending. All departments may only use “essential” or “contractually obligated” expenses for the duration of the fiscal year. The SGA already pledged to redirect hundreds of thousands of its unused funds to staff wage continuity and student emergency support.
The college has also already instituted a hiring freeze, which will apply to all open faculty and staff positions for the foreseeable future. Likewise, the college will not allow departments to fill positions that open up in the coming months, with limited exceptions granted on a case-by-case basis by the Ways and Means Committee.
Typically, employees receive small percentage salary increases each year. The college does not anticipate it will offer those raises in the coming year. It is, however, still contemplating addressing the results of its compensation review — the study it conducted with an external consulting group to gather market data this year. The college is undertaking that review partly to address the increased turnover it has seen over the last two years in positions within the lowest pay bands. In January, it raised wages for staff in its lowest-paid positions as an effort to make itself a more competitive employer amid staff shortages and grievances about low staff pay.
“We may not be able to address the [compensation review] results in the first half of the year, but it remains a priority,” Provost said. Members of the Budget Advisory Committee say they have not gotten an update on the review and that it has not been part of their recent discussions.
If the college continues remotely in the fall, it will have to address a litany of other concerns. Provost has consistently said that wage continuity is a priority for the college, but to continue to pay everyone, it might have to consider reducing all employees’ pay. Already, President Laurie Patton and some members of the Senior Leadership Group have taken pay cuts, per the most recent memo. Provost said employees with lowest wages would be the least impacted by the pay cuts, if they were to happen.
The college will also receive about $1.8 million from the federal government, The Campus reported this week, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Ultimately, Provost thinks the college can balance the budget by FY22. The effort to balance the budget from a similar deficit took years the last time around, but that was because the college was spending past its means and not taking in enough revenue. This time, revenue, not expenses, is the problem.
Assuming the college can maintain its desired levels of enrollment, Provost said things should even out within the next 12–18 months.
“So when we return to normal, the revenue should go back, too,” he said.
The endowment
Throughout all of this, Provost says he does not plan on drawing more from Middlebury’s endowment than he would have pre-Covid-19. In recent years, the college has been pulling roughly 5.1–5.2% from the endowment — the industry standard for non-profits — and FY20 will be no exception. That amounts to about $57,590,000 this year, taken out in four installments throughout the year.
Provost estimates those numbers will be about the same for FY21. The dollar value of that 5% will be determined by a period of time before December 2019, pre-coronavirus. Any decline related to Covid-19 in the markets, then, would not take effect until FY22.
As for the current state of the endowment, Provost said the numbers are not in the red zone. He said the college has stress-tested the endowment and estimated that if assets were down 30%, it would be in trouble. Currently, those assets are down about 10%.
The college is awaiting the first quarter results of the endowment for the three months ending on March 31. Those results will be presented to the Board of Trustees next week.
Editors Bochu Ding and Benjy Renton contributed reporting.
(04/13/20 3:15am)
The bulletin boards in Proctor and Davis may not be plastered with campaign posters this year, but the Student Government Association (SGA) and Community Council (CC) elections for the 2020–2021 academic year are proceeding as planned, taking place this Thursday and Friday.
Students will choose between three candidates for president and two for co-chair. Varsha Vijayakumar ’20 and Roni Lezama ’22 currently hold these positions.
Voters will also have the chance to vote for their two class “representatives,” the new name for the SGA’s senators. For the first time, there will be only six of these vacant positions this spring, since the SGA voted to remove the five commons senator positions this February. This year’s two Feb representatives were chosen earlier this spring.
The Campus will publish a story with information about the candidates for SGA president and CC co-chair this week.
Schedule for the week
Monday, April 13
6–7 p.m. EDT SGA president debate
7–8 p.m. CC co-chair debate
This year’s debates will be held over Zoom and livestreamed. The Campus is co-moderating these debates, and a recording of the event will be posted to The Campus’ site afterwards. Students can access the debate live at 6 p.m. EDT the day of at go.middlebury.edu/watch. The link will not activate until the event starts.
If you have questions for the candidates, you can submit them here before Monday night.
Thursday, April 16, 12 p.m. EDT
Voting opens. The SGA will send out an all-student email with a link to the voting page.
Friday, April 17, 12 p.m. EDT
Voting closes.
Candidates
All students may vote for one SGA president and one co-chair candidate. Students may vote for two candidates for their class representative positions.
The candidates are as follows:
For SGA president:
Arthur Martins ’22.5
Myles Maxie ’22
John Schurer ’21
For CC co-chair:
Christian Kummer ’22
Joel Machado ’22
For senior representative:
Rodney Adams ’21
Uno Lee ’21
Sam Lyons ’21
For junior representative:
Teddy Best ’22
Myles Maxie ’22
Mariana Tahiri ’22
For sophomore representative:
Khasai Makhulo ’23
Miguel Sanchez ’23
Correction: This article previously misstated the class year of Joel Machado '22.
(04/02/20 9:59am)
Political Science Professor Allison Stanger has extended her sabbatical another year after winning awards that will take her to Stanford, Calif. and Washington, D.C. next fall and spring.
Stanger, who spent this past year as a fellow and visiting professor at Harvard University, will be the Cary and Ann Maguire Chair in Ethics and American History at the John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress for 2020–2021. On a separate appointment, she will also be a fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) during that time.
She will spend the year working on her new book, tentatively titled “Consumers vs. Citizens: Social Inequality and Democracy’s Public Sphere in a Big Data World,” she said in an email to The Campus. She noted that the locations of her upcoming posts will position her ideally for this kind of work, since she will be close both to the offices of the government and Silicon Valley.
Stanger said she plans on returning to Middlebury for the 2021–22 academic year.
“I’m very grateful to both my colleagues in the Political Science Department and to the administration for their exceptional support, and I am looking forward to returning to Middlebury when my fellowships end,” she wrote. “The experiences I have had these past few years should make me a better teacher and resource for Middlebury students.”
Stanger was injured by protesters during Charles Murray’s visit to Middlebury in 2017. In the fracas that followed the disrupted talk, Stanger, who mediated the talk and escorted Murray out of the venue, suffered whiplash and a concussion.
The following fall, Stanger began what was slated to be a two-year leave. But at the end of the second year, Stanger announced to the Middlebury Political Science faculty and staff her plans to remain off-campus for the 2019–2020 academic year.
Stanger is currently a technology and human values senior fellow at Harvard’s Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics, and is teaching a course at the university (now remotely, from Vermont) called “The Politics of Virtual Realities.” In her email, Stanger added that she was recently appointed to the Science Board of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico.
The handbook states that the college does not guarantee to faculty “extraordinary leaves” — leaves that last more than one year — but that the college may grant such a leave when a professor is offered “an unusual professional opportunity.”
Dean of Faculty Sujata Moorti said that the college prioritizes “departmental and college planning in approving leaves.” The Political Science department in particular typically has between two and four professors on leave in any given year, according to Political Science Department Chair Erik Bleich. Next year, only one other professor — Professor Nadia Horning, who teaches in a different subfield — will be on leave.
According to information available on the college’s website, Stanger’s current leave of absence is unpaid by the college. When asked if next year’s leave would also be unpaid, Moorti said Stanger “will be paid by the institutions hosting her.”
The CASBS offers stipends to first-time fellows, and an endowment at the Library of Congress funds the chair position, which pays a stipend of $13,500 per month. Nominees for that position are sourced from a number of individuals and are recommended to the Librarian of Congress by a selection committee.
Bill Ryan, the director of communications at the Library of Congress, characterized the position as one that “supports exploration of the history of America with special attention to the ethical dimensions of domestic economic, political and social policies.” He said the start and end dates of the chairmanship have not yet been finalized. The CASBS position runs September 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
Before the coronavirus led to the cancellation and postponement of all on-campus events, Stanger was scheduled to visit Middlebury April 7 to talk about her most recently published book, “Whistleblowers: Honesty in America from Washington to Trump,” alongside the New York Times’s David Sanger. The book was fortuitously released this September, the same day House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. The inquiry was spurred by a whistleblower complaint against the President.
In the months that followed the book’s release, Stanger made a number of high-profile radio and TV appearances, and penned pieces for the New York Times and The Atlantic. In February, Stanger was one of about 50 authors to win a Prose Award from the American Association of Publishers for the book, in the category of Government, Policy and Politics.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the location of Stanford University. It is located in Stanford, California.
(03/12/20 9:56am)
The Panthers recently participated in the Tufts National Qualifying Meet on Saturday, Mar. 7. The non-scoring meet featured quite a few impressive performances.
Both the men and the women’s squads competed hard. In the 800-meter run, Nicole Johnson ’22 captured second and Emily Bulczynski ’22 captured fourth. Other impressive performers were Meg Wilson ’20, Katie Glew ’21, and Katelyn Pease ’22. The women’s 4 X 400-meter relay “A” team captured first.
“I am so proud of how we did as a team this weekend,” said Grace Desmond ’23, a member of the 4 X 400 “A” team. “We went out and competed hard and were able to drop over 5 seconds from our time at D3 New England’s. We had our eyes on NCAAs and just wanted to go out and do our best!”
On the men’s side, Will Meyer ’20 came in sixth place in the 1-mile run. Jonathan Fisher ’20 placed second in the high jump event and Nathaniel Klein ’21 got sixth in the shot-put event.
“High jump didn’t go quite as well as I had wanted, but it was still a solid performance,” said Fisher. “I had put together a string of really good practices and meets…and was hoping to set a new personal best.”
Up next will be the fated NCAA Championships which will take place on Friday, Mar. 13 and Saturday, Mar. 14. “The team is looking forward to nationals with great anticipation,” said Fisher. “Though only a few of us are going to compete, we will all be watching and cheering on our teammates from campus. We also have a number of first-time qualifiers, which is always exciting to see and bodes well for the team in the future.”
“We are all so excited for the upcoming NCAA Championships!” said Desmond. “I think we will just continue to do some fine tuning this week, making sure we are taking care of the small details to gear up for Friday night!”
(03/12/20 9:55am)
This team is dominant. The Panthers showed up on Saturday and Sunday as they produced two road wins that extended their current win streak to 25 straight games. The women’s lacrosse team is firing on all cylinders and it seems as if no one can stand in their way, even this early in the season.
On Saturday, the women traveled to Connecticut College. The lopsided 13-3 first half set the Panthers up to calmly cruise to a 16-5 final game score. The frightening offensive duo that includes Emily Barnard ’20 and Julia Earley ’22 thrashed the Camels’ defense by recording 7 points each. The Panther defense didn’t let much past them, but in the rare chances they did, goalie Julia White ’20 stepped up and made 4 great saves.
“At this point in the season we are excited to have 3 strong wins under our belt and are looking forward to unlocking our teams potential as we continue to face tough opponents,” said Barnard, team captain and leading point scorer. “We have an amazing group of 28 girls that connect really well on and off the field and just want to take advantage of every opportunity we get to improve!”
The Sunday game included even more fervor as the Panthers relentlessly overpowered Springfield. The early lead was continued by an onslaught of scoring for Middlebury that left the final score at 23-4. This game can truly be considered a team effort as six different players tallied a hat trick, including first-year’s Susan Rowley ’23 and Nikki Mormile ’23.
“In terms of how the freshmen are feeling, we’ve all been looking forward to the start of the season since the fall, so it is super exciting for it to be finally here and to have our first college lacrosse games,” said Rowley, leading scorer among first-years. “We can’t wait for the rest of a fun and hopefully successful spring!” said Rowley.
The Panthers seem to show no signs of slowing down. Their next game will be this coming Saturday, when they host Trinity at 2:00.
(03/05/20 11:21am)
The women’s lacrosse team is still hot off of its dominant season last year and continues to prove it deserves to be the number one team in the country. The squad notched a win against No. 13 Bowdoin in their season opener on Saturday, Feb. 29. Extending their win streak from last season to twenty-three games, the top-ranked Panthers stood the test of a worthy opponent.
Early in the game, the Panthers rushed out to an early lead, but the Polar Bears crawled back later in the half to ultimately settle the game at 6–6 by halftime.
After the half, the Panthers again pulled out to a cushiony lead but Bowdoin would not quit. As the game moved on, the Panthers displayed their power as they amassed a lead the Polar Bears would not be able to close. The game ended in a Panthers win by a score of 16–12.
The performance was led by dominant performances on offense by Emily Barnard ’20 and Jane Earley ’22, who each scored five goals. On the defensive end, Julia Keith ’20 had seven saves for the Panthers and Addy Mitchell ’21 forced five turnovers.
Looking at the team’s success, it’s evident that they play as a unit, dependent on both their offense and defense to be reliable and to keep their streak alive.
Next up, the women head to Connecticut College on Saturday, March 7 for their second game of a hopefully dominant season.
(02/13/20 9:19pm)
Although the chilly Vermont winter freezes water into lifeless ice, such rules don’t apply to the Middlebury Natatorium; the swimming pool, rather, teems with heated competition. The natatorium was especially reinvigorated when the University of Vermont, St. Michael’s and Williams gathered on campus for the Middlebury Invitational on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.
Individual performances comprised the invitational and no points were awarded to teams. Audrey Kelly ’21 earned first place in the women’s 50-yard freestyle, while Corey Jalbert ’21 won first in the same event on the men’s side. Audrey Hsi ’22 also took first place in the women’s 200-yard backstroke.
The natatorium will reawaken one last time for the women’s NESCAC championships from Feb. 13 to 16. The men’s squad, meanwhile, will journey south down Route 7 to Williams for their conference championship starting Feb. 20.
(01/23/20 11:21am)
The Panthers took on Albertus Magnus, a team in the midst of an 11-game winning streak at the time, on Tuesday, January 14th. This series of victories ended as Midd landed an 84–76 victory over the Falcons. The Panthers trailed by six early, but turned the game around to own an eight-point lead at the end of the half. Middlebury led by as many as 21 points in the second half, which would be cut down to seven late in the game but the Panthers held on for the eight-point victory. Max Bosco ‘21 led Middlebury’s offense, putting up 23 points. Matt Folger ‘20, Tommy Eastman ‘21, Jack Farrell ‘21, and Ryan Cahill ‘21 also turned in double digit point performances.
Middlebury suffered their second loss with an 89–82 loss to an undefeated Colby on Friday, January 17th. The contest began in back and forth fashion with Colby taking a 9–2 lead. Middlebury would comeback to within a point before Colby soared to a ten point advantage fueled by an 8–0 stretch. The Panthers closed out the half on a 7–2 run to cut the deficit to five. This pattern extended into the second half as Colby got back out a double digit lead, which the Panthers cut to four, only to have the Mules stretch the lead out to eleven. In a furious comeback bid, the Panthers sailed into the lead thanks to a 15–2 run. This didn’t last long as Colby turned the game around again to take a ten point lead that they didn’t surrender this time, and Midd lost by seven. In the defeat, Farrell led the squad with a 20 point performance Eastman followed with 14 points, and Folger added 12 rebounds.
The Panthers were quick to make up with an offensive onslaught on Saturday, January 18th against Bowdoin. The game remained tight throughout the first half, going into the break with Middlebury on top 40–34. The Panthers hit the ground running in the second half going on a 31–12 run fueled by three three-pointers by Cahill and two each from Folger and Kornaker. Bowdoin went on a 14–4 run but Midd’s lead only grew from there and they soared to a 93–71 victory. It was the fifth time Midd surpassed the 90-point mark this season and it was led by a 19 point effort from Bosco, 17 points from Eastman, and 16 points and six rebounds from Farrell. Cahill delivered 13 points off the bench. Folger led the team with seven rebounds and Kornaker had eight assists to lead the squad. Middlebury returns to action on Saturday against Williams at 3 p.m. at Midd.
(12/05/19 11:40am)
Women’s hockey tops No. 1 Plattsburgh in Panther/Cardinal Classic
BY MAX PADILLA
Women’s hockey remains undefeated as the team enters its third week of the season. The Panthers tied Amherst, 1–1, on Friday, Nov. 22 before shutting out the Mammoths the following day, 2–0. Middlebury repeated the pattern this past weekend during the Panther/Cardinal Classic, tying Adrian 1–1 on Saturday, Nov. 30 and triumphing over top-ranked Plattsburgh State, 2–1, on Sunday, Dec. 1.
“We focus a lot on having a strong defensive zone no matter what team we play and that was definitely a huge factor in the win this weekend,” Sidney Porter ’20 said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy going into it and that we had to work as hard as we could from start to finish which I think set us up for a successful outcome.”
The Panthers will face off against Utica this Saturday, Dec. 7 at Kenyon Arena. Things look good for the Panthers as they head into this game, as they’ve beat the Moose in the last three games the two have played.
Men’s puck successful in NESCAC road trip, falls in PrimeLink Championship
BY BLAISE SIEFER
The Middlebury men’s hockey team are quickly gaining momentum this season, winning three of their past four games. The Panthers now boast a 4–2–0 record, good for third in the NESCAC.
Men’s hockey swept their first away trip of the season on Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23, defeating Tufts, 2–1, and Connecticut College, 5–2. Antoine Belisle ’23 netted a goal in each, notching the first two goals of his collegiate career.
This past weekend, Middlebury headed north to Plattsburgh State, competing in the 22nd annual PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut. The Panthers started the weekend hot, defeating top-seeded Norwich, 2–1 (OT) in the semi-finals. Entering this matchup, Norwich was one of four teams remaining in Division 3 with a perfect record. Zach Shapiro ’22 delivered the winning blow just under two minutes into overtime, slapping in a loose puck following a scramble in front of the Norwich net. With the win, the Panthers booked their ticket to the tournament final the next day.
Despite their recent success, men’s hockey failed to extend their winning streak to five on Sunday, falling to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 4–3.
Middlebury will hit the road again this weekend, facing off against Amherst on Friday and Hamilton on Saturday. Games times are scheduled for 7 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Women’s hoops wins narrowly against Castleton and Cabrini
BY RAIN JI
After winning its first five games of the season, women’s basketball has proven itself to continue its success from last season.
“We are playing great team basketball,” Captain Kira Waldman ’20 said. “I am excited to follow this momentum and continue to show up with energy, effort and enthusiasm.”
On Nov. 23, Middlebury defeated the Skidmore Thoroughbreds in a convincing 74–59 victory. The Panthers fought a close battle in the first quarter, having been outscored by the Throroughbreds 16–17, but they managed to build a lead by halftime when the score was 33–28. Middlebury then extended its lead in the third quarter to a comfortable 15 points. After the last quarter, the game was settled at 74–59, Middlebury. The win wouldn’t have been possible without Betsy Knox ’20, who scored a career-high 23 points.
Middlebury then fought hard against Castleton on Nov. 26 and won the game in overtime, 64–60. Captain Maya Davis ’20 proved to be an offensive threat, having scored 21 points. The NESCAC weekly release cited her outstanding performance during the game and she was also selected as the NESCAC Player of the Week.
On Nov. 30, the Panthers battled in another nail-biter when it faced Cabrini. Middlebury was down 58–59 with just 46 seconds remaining in the game, but it managed to regain the lead at 60–59 thanks to a pair of successful free throws by Knox. The Panthers then forced a key turnover and padded their lead to six points with more clutch foul shots by Davis, Knox and Gianna Palli ’23.
The team will play Colby-Sawyer on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2:00 p.m.
Fifth-ranked men’s basketball routs Endicott, improves to 7-0
BY MICHAEL SEGEL
On Sunday, Dec. 1 men’s basketball improved to 7-0 with a 98-78 rout of Endicott, fueled by a huge second half where they outscored their opponents 54-28.
Endicott held a six-point lead at the half, but Midd turned the game into a blowout, with a 25-8 run and a subsequent 11-0 run.
Jack Farrell ’21 led the Panthers with a career high 31 points, along with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Griffin Kornaker ’21, Max Bosco ’21, and Tommy Eastman ’21 each added 14 points (Eastman also providing 13 rebounds), and Perry DeLorenzo ’20 was a perfect four-for-four from beyond the three point line to give himself 12.
The big differences in this one were bench points and defense. Middlebury shot a clean 50% on field goals while holding Endicott to a slim 35.8%. Midd scored 32 points from the bench whereas Endicott had only 18.
It was the end of a 5-0 road trip for Middlebury, who will come home to take on New England College at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 before getting back on the road again to face Stevens on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Men’s and Women’s XC tackles NCAA Championships
BY JORDAN HOWELL
The Cross Country season came to a close when the Panthers ran in the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23. The men ended in 29nd place, while the women ended in 15th place.
The men were beaten out by first place Pomona-Pitzer. Key contributors for the Panthers included Theo Henderson ’20, who finished 34th with a time of 24:55.1. Next, there was Henry Fleming ’20 whose time of 25:25.6 placed him in 93rd place.
“Obviously the team was a little bit disappointed with our result,” said Zander Kessler ’22, when asked about the men’s performance. “I’d like to thank the best captains ever, Henry Fleming and Theo Henderson for leading an otherwise young team through an awesome season. We’ll be back next year on a revenge tour. It was awesome to see Theo get all American in his final race.”
The women’s squad was beaten out by first place Johns Hopkins. Crucial members for the women included Cassie Kearney ’22, who captured 26th place with a time of 22:01.0. Talia Ruxin ’20 had a time of 22:30.3 which netted her sixtieth place.
“We were very pleased with our performance at the NCAA Championships. Going into nationals we were ranked 22 out of 32 teams that qualified for NCAAs, but we ended up placing 15th,” said Phoebe Colvin-Oehmig ’21. “The team dynamic was incredible this year. We're excited to carry this energy into next season!”
Overall, the Panthers had an exciting season filled with many impressive performances, especially by Cassie Kearney ’22, who recently earned All-American accolades for the second year in a row.
Clearly, the Panthers can’t wait to come out and compete again next season.
(11/24/19 9:20pm)
Snow fell on the turf throughout the morning, but the Middlebury field hockey team was not kept away as it captured its third consecutive national championship — its fourth in five years. This was the second-ranked Panthers' fifth NCAA Division III championship win, having previously captured the title in 1998, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The Panthers traveled to the final four for the 11th time in program history after receiving an automatic bid with a NESCAC championship win, securing victories against Babson (2–1) and Kean (4–1) in the regional round. Yesterday's national semifinal was played in Manheim, Pa., where Middlebury defeated the Salisbury Sea Gulls 1–0. Off an assist from Erin Nicholas '21, Katie George '23 fired the ball inside the right post with 6:27 left in the third quarter. The defensive squad was able to hold off Salisbury without a shot until 7:51 remaining in regulation. Middlebury took advantage on both shots (13) and penalty corners (six).
The Panthers faced off against the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats, who advanced to the championship match for the first time since 1981 after scoring a 3–1 victory against Johns Hopkins.
After a delayed start time due to snow earlier in the morning, the game remained scoreless for the first three quarters. With 6:17 left in regulation, Marissa Baker '20 put a low shot in against Franklin & Marshall goalie Christina Seery, off an assist from Isabel Chandler '21. The Diplomats tried to rebound in the last few minutes of the game, earning penalty corner ending in a blocked shot.
(11/21/19 11:06am)
Strong seniors to lead indoor track
BY JORDAN HOWELL
As the cold weather hits and J-Term approaches, so does the indoor track and field season. During the last indoor season, the men placed fifth in the Division III New England Championships while the women captured fourth. In the indoor NCAA Championships, the men tied for seventeenth place and the women tied for sixteenth place.
There will be six captains for the Panthers this season, each of whom put together great performances last season. The men will be led by Nick Hendrix ’20, Nathan Hill ’20 and Jonathon Fisher ’20. The women will be led by Helene Rowland ’20, Alex Cook ’20 and Anna Willig ’20.
Nathaniel Klein ’21 commented on the upcoming season. “We want as many athletes to qualify for Division three New England’s and potentially go to Nationals,” Klein says. “I’m excited to get on a consistent training schedule... We also have two first year throwers who are learning the weight throw so I’m excited to teach them a new event.”
The first meet of the season will be the Middlebury Winter Classic on Saturday, Jan. 11. Hopefully a strong start to the season will lead the team to their goals.
Women’s hoops opens season with a bang
BY RAIN JI
The 2019–20 Middlebury women’s basketball team kicked off the season with a 68–55 win over Keene State College. The team is led by head coach KJ Krasco, assistant coach Savannah Morgan, and senior captains Maya Davis ’20 and Kira Waldman ’20.
“The main hope for this season is to build on our accomplishments and progress from years prior,” Waldman said. “Our goal is to compete hard in every game so that when we step off the court we feel proud of our energy, effort and enthusiasm.”
The team boasts a promising balance of young talent and experience, with five seniors who bring leadership skills, game experiences and strength in forward positions. Additionally, sophomores contribute different layers of offensive and defensive abilities, and first-years are especially capable in the guard position. They will allow fresh outside looks and innovative passes through the key. “Every member is crucial to our team’s success,” Waldman said. The team is excited for every upcoming game, and they will take all seriously, whether that be preseason or conference contests. The team will play 11 games at Pepin Gymnasium, with the first home game on Nov. 19.
Men’s squash downs Camels
BY MAX PADILLA
On Saturday, Nov. 16 the Middlebury Men’s Squash team played their 2019–2020 season opener against Hamilton and secured a victory over the Continentals by a score of 8–1. Historically the Panthers have taken on the Continentals and pulled away with a win, scoring 9–0 in the past two seasons that they’ve played them.
The team seemed to really come together during their first match. Though, he wasn’t able to play Teddy Best ’22 was proud of his teammates. “We adapted well to Hamilton’s courts and cheered each other on to compete with a loud home crowd. Being away didn’t throw us off our game,” he said. He also noted that Hamilton really brought their A-game, showing up with “with good sportsmanship and athleticism.” Best ’22 is excited about what lies ahead for the Panthers, “We’re looking forward to training hard in the next couple of weeks for our next match in January.”
The Panthers will continue their season on Jan. 5 against Williams.
Men’s hoops starts strong at Middlebury tip-off
BY MIGUEL ESPINOSA
The Middlebury men’s basketball team enters the 2019–2020 season with a talented group that only said goodbye to two seniors last spring. This experience was visible on the court this past weekend at the Middlebury Tip-Off tournament, when the team beat both Bridgewater State and Wentworth at home on Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16.
Over the past 12 years, the men have tallied 265 wins and 72 losses for a .786 winning percentage in addition to three appearances in the NCAA Quarterfinals. The team will shoot for its third NESCAC Championship in five seasons and to make a run in the NCAA Tournament after dropping a first-round game last year.
“A NESCAC championship is on all of our minds,” said Captain and first year all-NESCAC point guard Jack Farrell ’21. “Then, we want to compete at a high level in the national tournament and hopefully make a great run to the championship.”
Five-time NESCAC Coach of the Year Jeff Brown enters his 23rd season with Middlebury. He will commandeer an experienced group that was second in all of the D3 in defensive rebounds per game, fourth in total rebounds per game, and fourth in blocked shots per game.
The Panthers will be under the leadership of captains Farrell, Griffin Kornaker ’21 and Matt Folger ’20, who logged his 1,000th point as a Panther on Saturday. The supporting cast includes Max Bosco ’22, who averaged 14.6 points and started nine games last year, and 6’9” Alex Sobel ’22, who will look to fill the big shoes of Eric McCord ’19.
The Panthers followed up Saturday’s win with a 92-82 victory over perennial New England hoops powerhouse Keene State on Tuesday, Nov. 19. They next face SUNY Canton on the road on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Alpine Skiing Preview
BY CAPTAIN RUDOLPH
Heading into the winter season, the Middlebury Men’s and Women’s alpine skiing teams are looking to perform at a high level. Excitement is brewing as they get ready to head to Colorado during Thanksgiving Break for some highly anticipated pre-season training.
The nearing season comes with high expectations. “I’m pretty optimistic about this season to be honest,” Michel Macedo ’22 said. “I think we’ve got a lot of firepower coming out of the gates. We’ve got a couple guys skiing really fast and I’m excited to see what the freshmen can bring to the table.”
Additionally, returning seniors include Pate Campbell ’20 and Katie Utter ’20, both of whom should provide valuable leadership experience. Campbell boasted impressive performances at the St. Lawrence and University of Vermont slaloms, gaining 46 and 33 points, respectively.
As for race locations, the skiers are pumped up to be skiing at mountains like Waterville Valley, the Cabin Lawn, and Middlebury’s very own Snowbowl. Of course, the racers at Winter Carnival look forward to getting major support as they ski in front of their home crowd. “There is definitely a high level of hype surrounding the Carnival,” Tatum Coutu ’23 said.
“My expectations are for the entire school to be there,” Emma Hall ’23 said.
Women’s squash sweeps Hamilton
BY MIGUEL ESPINOSA
Fourteenth-ranked Women’s squash travelled to Clinton, New York and dominated conference foe, Hamilton College, for its first meet of the season on Saturday, Nov. 16. All nine Panthers won their matches.
At the first spot, Caroline Arena ’23 secured victory by giving up just one game against Hamilton’s Hope Worcester, with a performance of 8–11, 11–6, 11–3 and 11–7. Gwen Davis ’22, Natasha Lowitt ’20, Anne Glassie ‘20, Mira Chugh ’20, Maya McDonough ’23, Kiernan Suntha ’23 and Summer Hornbostel ’22 all won their matches without losing a game. Grace Santoro ’23 triumphed in her match against Madison Sakheim, with a line of 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8.
The team looks to build upon the momentum from last year’s season in which it posted a 13–6 record. Although the Panthers lost two of its top three players to graduation, the team will be led by the senior trio of Glassie, Chugh and Lowitt. As demonstrated by its convincing play against Hamilton, Women’s squash is appears to be on track to replicate last year’s successes.
Winter tip-off: Men’s hockey splits weekend
BY BLAISE SIEFER
The Middlebury men’s hockey team, coached by Neil Sinclair (Middlebury ’93), enters the 2019–20 campaign full of optimism. Returning five of their top seven point scorers from last season, the team brings back much of its offensive firepower and hopes to build off of last season’s 8–13–4 overall record.
“The team is feeling confident coming into the season,” captain Brett Dinneen ’20 said. “We return an experienced, battle-tested group and see a lot of potential from our first-years to help us win some games.”
The Panthers welcome seven first-years to the team this year, including a goalkeeper, three defenders and three forwards. “The first-years have made a great mark on this team in their short amount of time on campus,” Dineen said. “They have not settled to just be the younger members of the team but have led by example and are making a big impact immediately.”
Men’s hockey opened up their season with a double-header this past weekend, competing on both Friday and Saturday. On Friday, Nov. 15 the team narrowly lost to Bowdoin 6–4. Goals came from Emack Bently ’22, Mitchell Allen ’20, sophomore Zach Shapiro ’22 and Brendan Dawson ’20. Despite falling in their season opener, Dineen finds a positive in Middlebury’s late push.
“Friday night wasn’t the result we hoped and there are definitely areas to improve, but it was encouraging to see us make a strong push late,” he said. “We also were able to generate a lot of offense in that game, but it is important for us to not have it come at the expense of defense.”
On Saturday, Nov. 16 Middlebury earned their first win of the season, besting Colby 3–0. Allen found himself on the scoresheet for the second game running, while Owen Powers ’20 and Conor Breen ’22 netted their first goals of the season.
“Our second game was an awesome all around team win,” Dineen said. “It was really encouraging to see how the team responded from the previous night and we hope to carry this momentum into next weekend.”
The Panthers get back to work on Friday, Nov. 22, facing off against Tufts in Malden, MA. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
“Friday night wasn’t the result we hoped and there are definitely areas to improve, but it was encouraging to see us make a strong push late,” he said. “We also were able to generate a lot of offense in that game, but it is important for us to not have it come at the expense of defense.”
On Saturday, Middlebury earned their first win of the season, besting Colby, 3–0. Mitchell Allen found himself on the scoresheet for the second game running, while Owen Powers and Conor Breen netted their first goals of the season.
“Our second game was an awesome all around team win,” Dineen. “It was really encouraging to see how the team responded from the previous night and we hope to carry this momentum into next weekend.”
The Panthers are back in action on Friday, Nov. 22, facing off against Tufts in Malden, MA. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
Swimming & diving faces Conn College in return to natatorium
BY JACK KAGAN
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have returned to the Middlebury Natatorium this past weekend as the men edged out Connecticut College by a margin of four points while the women suffered a tough loss. This is just the start of a season that will see both squads host the Middlebury Invitational on Jan. 31–Feb. 1., while the women will host NESCAC Championships on Feb. 13–16.
The men have seven seniors who will be competing in their final season this winter. The squad is coming off several years toward the back end of the NESCAC rankings, and will look to turn things around this year under the leadership of co-captains Jacob Fleisher ’20 and Charles Quinn ’20.
On the womens’ side, seven seniors will look to make their final impact. With identical results to the men’s team, the women finished eighth in the conference last season and sent no representatives to NCAA’s. However, the women do have experienced leaders like co-captain Frances VanderMeer ’20, who has contributed to four school records in her time on campus, including the 50 Freestyle and multiple different relay teams, in addition to her postseason experience.
Both squads will get back into action at 1 p.m. against Springfield College at home.
