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(01/24/19 10:57am)
On the road last Saturday, the swimming and diving teams conquered Union by an overwhelming 194-87 on the women’s side and 190-76 on the men’s side.
The women’s team beat Union to the wall in 11 out of the 15 events that day. The 200 medley relay quartet of Frances Vandermeer ’20, Erin Kelly ’21, Maddie McKean ’22 and Audrey Hsi ’22 started the meet with a winning time of 1:52.73. The four competitors also collected individual wins in their respective events. Vandermeer claimed the 100 backstroke (1:00.41) and 100 freestyle (55.27). In the 100 breastroke, Kelly triumphed with a 1:11.38. Hsi sprinted to first in the 50 freestyle, swimming 25.74. Finally, McKean flew through the 100 butterfly to win in 1:00.94.
Other top scoring finishes came from Jessica Lipton ’20 in the 200 butterfly (2:18.16), Hannah Wander ’22 in the 200 breaststroke (2:35.12), Georgia Houde ’20 in the 500 freestyle (5:23.73), and Grace Stimson ’19 in the 200 individual medley (2:14.79).
To end the successful day, the 200 free relay squad of Courtney Gantt ’22, Erin Kelly, Audrey Kelly ’21 and McKean stopped the clock at 1:42.58, beating Union by several seconds.
The men’s side saw similar results, dominating 12 out of the 15 events. The 200-meter medley relay team of Brendan Leech ’19, Bryan Chang ’22, Will Pannos ’20 and Jake Gaughan ’22 won in 1:40.75, immediately putting Middlebury ahead of the Dutchmen. From there, the Panthers kept building momentum.
Morgan Matsuda ’19 totaled three wins in the 200 freestyle (1:47.89), 200 breaststroke (2:13.79), and 200 individual medley (2:02.33), while Corey Jalbert ’21 out-touched the rest of the pool in both the 50 free (22.30) and 100 free (49.44).
Four other swimmers also claimed their individual events: Leech in the 100 backstroke (54.56), Cody Kim ’22 in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.07), Kevin Santoro ’21 in the 200 backstroke (2:01.80) and Aska Matsuda ’22 in the 500 free (4:53.01). Diver Mike Chirico ’20 was victorious in the three-meter event, scoring 270.98 points.
The 200 free relay team of Keegan Pando ’21, Alex Corda ’20, Leech and Gaughan earned the final points of the day, capping off the meet with a 1:29.72 win.
Before the championship season begins, the Panthers look to secure a couple more wins and fine tune technique. “We’re trying to mimic races in practice and make ourselves feel fast,” Leech said.
“We’re really hoping to move up at the end-of-season NESCAC meet. Looking ahead, we’re really focused on getting strong times to feel good about heading into NESCACs. We have a very large class of first-years who have been working hard all season, and we’re excited to see what we can do at the end of the season,” he continued.
The Panthers return to the Natatorium this weekend, where they will host Hamilton and Williams in their final dual meets of the season.
(01/24/19 10:56am)
The Panthers finish the week with split results; Friday’s game against Colby brought a tough 4-3 loss, while hard work on Saturday culminated in an important 6-3 win over Bowdoin.
Middlebury’s future held much uncertainty as the Panthers began the weekend’s matchups. Both Colby and Bowdoin are significant in that they share the NESCAC conference with the Panthers as well as similar records heading into the games.
“The league has been very tight all year long, so every point in the standings matters. Making sure that we play a consistent and steady game will certainly be key in beating some of our biggest league rivals,” senior captain Jimmy McKee said.
Despite the final outcome, the team certainly held its own against Colby. Play was evenly back and forth throughout, until Colby’s final goal in the third period was enough to break the tie and edge out Middlebury for an unfortunate defeat. Saturday, however, the Panthers came back out onto the ice hungry. Although they put up a good fight, the Polar Bears ultimately struggled to match the Panthers and crumbled in the third period, letting up three goals.
After a midweek game against Norwich, the Panthers will travel this weekend to Connecticut College and then Tufts to try their luck against two more NESCAC teams on the road.
(01/24/19 10:55am)
The most recent NESCAC women’s basketball rankings place the Middlebury Panthers in third out of the 11 teams, behind Amherst and Bowdoin, after beating the Williams Ephs 76-62 last Saturday. The Panthers move to an overall 15-2 record, 4-1 in the NESCAC conference.
Williams is ranked in a three-way tie for sixth in NESCAC standings with Conn. College and Wesleyan, just one loss behind Trinity.
Last week, junior forward Vanessa Young emphasized the team’s desire to work on their defensive game to ensure success in the latter part of the regular season. Saturday’s contest was a testament to this improvement, alongside depth and teamwork in the Panthers’ offensive game.
On Saturday, all five Middlebury starters put up impressive points (four out of five hitting double digits) to combine for the Panther win. Betsy Knox ’20 (nine points), Catherine Harrison ’19 (15 points), Alex Huffman ’19 (11 points), Colleen Cavaney ’19 (17 points) and Kira Waldman ’20 (14 points) accounted for 66 out of the Panthers’ 76 points.
Middlebury controlled the paint and demonstrated its offensive strength against the Ephs this week, proving the Panthers are a force to be reckoned with within the conference. Williams scored only 26 points in the paint compared to the Panthers’ 40 points. Midd further proved its offensive dominance as the Panthers hit a 57.7 percent field goal percentage.
Though this past week exemplified the Panthers’ strength as a team, Knox knows there is more work to be done heading into the later part of the season.
“As a team, we want to continue to eliminate our mistakes. We want to be a great team, and to do that we need to put together 40 minutes of great basketball. We are already really close off the court, but we are working hard to improve our on-court chemistry as well,” Knox said.
Moving forward, there are only two non-conference teams left to play before the Panthers close out the regular season against NESCAC competitors Trinity, Bowdoin, Colby, Hamilton and Amherst. With these games, the Panthers will be able to keep refining their defense and offense, and improve their standing at both the conference and national level.
Knox acknowledges that the upcoming games are important but the team is ready for the competition ahead.
“All of our games coming up are big games. As a fairly veteran team, we have learned that every team in the NESCAC is good and has the capacity to beat any other team on any given day,” Knox said. “To win we have to play well — nothing will be handed to us at this point. We have two non-conference matchups this week, which are also big for us. We need to play well so we can make NCAAs.”
(01/24/19 10:54am)
To the disgust of most of my friends, I love hamburgers. If you get me talking about food at all, I will almost surely tell you all about the Elk and Bison burger specialties of home, my dad’s collection of photos of a young me trying to eat burgers twice the size of my head, the poverty of the dining hall’s burgers, the right thickness and juiciness of a burger, the various accoutrements that go best with a burger, and what makes a burger great. I would love to break my vegetarian streak for a good burger but, before doing so, I wanted to find out what people’s problem is with our meat here at Middlebury.
There are a lot of well supported reasons to go vegan or vegetarian. None of these are mine. Yet, as one whose friends fall overwhelmingly in those two categories, I have become familiar with many acceptable reasons to avoid meat. There are moral reasons, for example, not to kill or to exploit animals which can, and have, lead to interesting philosophical discussions of souls, violence, and like. There are often forgotten practical religious reasons for being vegetarian; when starved for kosher and halal options, vegetarian options may become an acceptable alternative. And there are environmental arguments for reducing meat consumption of which I have heard both challenges and impassioned defenses.
My motivation to be a vegetarian, on the other hand, is far from reasonable. Whether it was to prove that I can deny myself meat, to better understand vegetarians, an amusement at my own whims, or perhaps a secret desire to prove that vegetarianism at Middlebury isn’t worth all the complaints it receives, I am not sure. All the same, on January 4, 2019, I gave up meat for a month with the vague thought of a bloody carnivorous celebration on February 1.
[pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]I have also come to realize that it’s not so difficult to be a vegetarian.[/pullquote]
I quickly came to realize that my friend was right, being vegetarian “for the heck of it” is not the most compelling reason for such an undertaking and one does, in fact, need a good amount of motivation to avoid meat at every meal. Why is it that not one but both entrées at lunch and dinner include meat by default? I had, as I imagine many have, heard ad nauseam the complaint that there are not enough vegetarian options but little did I appreciate that one’s daily meat-free options amount to bad tofu, rice, pasta, salad, or soup. Meanwhile, everyone else is enjoying their steaks, their stews, their hamburgers, their lamb, their gyros, their chicken (in so many different forms!), their salmon and fish, their hot dogs, their pepperoni pizzas, their meat-lovers’ pizzas, their other not-cheese pizzas, their antipasti salads (with chicken, or bacon, or ham, or seafood), and the list goes on. The options for vegans are even more limited: a large amount of the vegetarian options include cheese (in our rice? Really?) or cream. It’s not that vegetarians can’t eat at Middlebury, the problem is that they are subjected to a Spartan dining experience in dining halls ranked #14 on Best Value School’s Best Dining Halls of 2017-2018. That seems ridiculous.
I have also come to realize that it’s not so difficult to be a vegetarian. Admittedly, I’ve taken the easiest possible route. I didn’t start until I left home, so I never had to ask my family to accommodate me. Eating out, I’ve been almost entirely with one or another vegetarian or vegan friend so I know I never have to ask for special consideration with them either. I’m only committed to vegetarianism for a month, making the effort more a postponement rather than a rejection of a meat-based diet. I don’t even advocate for the lifestyle. Try as I might, I have yet to be wholly convinced of the need or even the benefit of being vegan or vegetarian. But, admitting that there may be real health benefits, to ourselves or to our planet, or moral implications or any other benefit of not eating meat once in a while, perhaps it makes sense to hedge out bets and eat a little less meat. Heck! We eat 1.5 times the recommended daily protein per person at this school just via meat.
[pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]What if our meal plans didn’t require we eat meat?[/pullquote]
This is not a call to be a vegan monk. This is not another recommendation to watch Food Inc., or read such-and-such book about animals. But what if our meal plans didn’t require we eat meat? What if it was an option, like pizza in Ross or ice cream in Proctor? The problem is not about having more vegetarian and vegan options; it’s about making meat and animal products options. We should have the choice to choose not to eat something without sacrificing our dining experience, the diversity of our cuisine, or the ability to routinely enjoy eating on campus. As a meat-lover, wing-Wednesday-devotee, and burger-connoisseur, I, for one, am thrilled to see the new meat mitigation efforts and hope we all, vegans and carnivores alike, can continue to talk about how to have an accessible, productive, and well-crafted dining experience.
(01/24/19 10:54am)
The Middlebury Winterfell took place this past weekend on Saturday, Jan. 19 on home turf. The team continued its strong start with bold performances from both the men and the women.
“The team’s goal right now is the same as every year, I feel. To get as many people to qualify for championship meets like DIII New Englands, Open New Englands, and Nationals, have everyone healthy to compete hard in outdoor, and keep the morale and spirit of the team at an all-time high,” said Minhaj Rahman ’19.
At the Middlebury Winterfell, the women earned 108 points to get them third place out of a total field of four teams. The University of Vermont took first place with 232 points, and McGill University placed second with 136 points. Ellie Greenberg ’20 secured the first-place spot with a time of 8.39 in the 60-meter dash. In the 200-meter dash, Gretchen McGrath ’21 won second place with her time of 26.73. Lucy Lang ’19 and Emma Hills ’22 participated in the 600-meter run and placed second and fourth, respectively. Lang recorded a time of 1:38.61, while Hills came in at 1:41.68. Helene Rowland ’20, Emma Walsh ’21 and Julia Lothrop ’19 played key roles in Middlebury’s success in the shot put event. Rowland claimed first place with a throw of 11.95 meters, Walsh came in fourth with 8.79 meters, and Lothrop followed close behind, taking fifth with 8.78 meters.
With a home crowd behind them, the Panther men placed second out of the total field of four teams with 166 points. The University of Vermont edged the Panthers with a total of 243 points for the first spot. There were several key contributors in the 600-meter run. Jimmy Martinez ’19 picked up first place with a time of 1:20.86. William Robertson ’21, Arden Coleman ’20 and Josh Howard ’19 trailed Martinez, coming in third, fourth and fifth, respectively, with times of 1:24.10, 1:24.61 and 1:25.93.
“I was happy with my performance, given that the 600 is longer than my usual event,” Martinez stated. “It felt good getting a PR, especially this early in the season.”
Jon Perlman ’19 and Max Memeger ’21 both took home first place in their events. Perlman earned his win with a time of 4:16.66 in the one-mile run. Max Memeger ’21 triumphed in the long jump with a jump of 6.16 meters. Rahman placed first in the weight throw with a throw of 18.26 meters, which beat the previous record that he had set just last week.
“I was impressed with everyone who raced, especially some of the distance boys who opened their indoor season this week,” Martinez said.
The team’s next meet will be the Middlebury Invitational, which will take place on Friday, Jan. 25 and Saturday, Jan. 26. Hopefully the Panthers will continue to build upon their success and thrive with another home-field advantage.
With regard to the team’s preparation for this meet, Perlman said, “It’s still early in the season, so our training will stay pretty intense for the next few weeks.”
Martinez added, “The goal for next week is to keep getting in better shape.… I’m very excited for what this team can do.”
(01/24/19 10:52am)
Halfway through a jam-packed Winter Term, the women’s squash team is pushing through its season with full force. The Panthers had their last home game of the month this past Thursday against Hamilton, where they swept the team with a 9-0 score, picking up their sixth consecutive win. The 15th-ranked Panthers hit the road to compete against 10th-ranked Brown, in which they faced a devastating loss of 9-0.
In the victory against the Continentals, the Panthers didn’t surrender a single game. Natasha Lowitt ’20 tallied Middlebury’s first point with a win at number six (11-3, 11-3, 11-4) over Eleanor Struthers. Maren Taylor ’21 followed close behind, posting a victory at number nine (11-4, 11-7, 11-6). Clinching the match for the Panthers, Victoria Villalba ’19 closed it out with an 11-5, 11-0, 14-12 win over Maddie Sakheim at number eight.
First-year Ideal Dowling continued her fantastic season by dominating at No. 2 with a 1-2, 11-0, 11-1 win over Megan Grip. With seven wins and three losses under her belt, Dowling is a force to be reckoned with. Consistently showing strong performances during her first season, she is a player to keep an eye on.
Making their way to Cambridge, the Panthers fell to No. 10 Brown with a score of 9-0 in a match played inside Harvard’s Murr Center. In Saturday’s setback, Natalie Madden ’21 earned a game in her match at number six, while Gwen Davis ’22 won two games at number eight.
This weekend, the Panthers will hit the road as they compete against Dickinson, Virginia, and Franklin & Marshall. Following their busy weekend, the team will have nearly two weeks off to gear up for the NESCAC Championships at Trinity starting Friday, Feb. 8.
(01/24/19 10:51am)
The 18th-ranked Middlebury men’s squash team entered this past weekend with a strong five-match winning streak against several top-tier teams before playing against Hamilton and Brown. The Panthers took advantage of this momentum on Thursday at home and claimed a 9-0 victory over Hamilton. John Epley clinched the sweep in a swift three-game win. The team then traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Saturday to compete against No. 15 Brown University.
Middlebury started the day off strong, going up 4-1 against the Bears, and saw victories from Jacob Ellen ’20, Nick Bermingham ’20, John Epley ’20 and Wiatt Hinton ’21. After Brown claimed three more points, rounding the score to 4-4, junior Jack Kagan clinched the match at number four with a five-game comeback after being down 0-2. Returning from studying abroad in the fall, Kagan has secured himself an impressive 6-1 record this winter.
The squad will travel to No. 25 Dickinson College on Friday, and then to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to play No. 14 UVA on Saturday. On Sunday, the Panthers will play No. 17 Franklin and Marshall. Coach Lewis states that the key to the team’s success against these three highly competitive schools is “keeping everyone healthy, motivated and continuing to work on their games. Any opportunity to compete against a school that is close in ranking to us we see as an opportunity to put into play all of the hard work we have already put in.”
(01/17/19 11:00pm)
The Middlebury women’s hockey team beat the Utica College Pioneers 4-3 on Saturday, Dec. 8 before taking off for winter break. Goals by Katie Hargrave ’22, Madie Leidt ’21, and Katherine Jackson ’19 lifted the Panthers to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Utica’s Lexi Stanisewski got the Pioneers on the board less than a minute later, and the period would end 3-1. Middlebury senior Katarina Shuchuk slipped a shot through Utica goalie Bria Reilly’s five-hole midway through the second period to make it 4-1, but the Pioneers came back to score on the power play with 2:16 left in the period. Utica’s Maddie Paydos would score again in the third period to make it 4-3, but the Panthers defense locked down and secured the win.
Middlebury returned from winter break with a double header at home against Amherst on Jan. 4 and 5. The Mammoths opened scoring 16:21 into the first period on a power play goal from Jocelyn Hunyadi after a few early chances. Just over a minute into the second period, Middlebury scored a power play goal of their own as Hargrave converted a rebound from junior Anna Zumwinkle’s shot. The third period was carried by Middlebury, who held a 14-4 shots advantage. Despite a few good chances for the Panthers, none were converted, and the game went to overtime. Both sides had one significant chance each, but neither scored, ending the game in a 1-1 tie.
The second game against Amherst held a better result for Middlebury as a hat-trick by Leidt lifted the Panthers into a 3-0 shutout over the Mammoths. Sophomore goalie Anna Goldstein stood strong against Amherst’s forward push, stopping all 24 shots she faced for her second shutout of the season.
The Panthers faced SUNY Potsdam’s Bears on the road on Jan. 8. The scoreless first period had a shot advantage to the visiting team (11-6), who posted five of those on the only power play chance of the period. The scoring started early in the second period as sophomore Ellie Barney sent her own rebound into the net with just 1:33 off the clock. In the third period, Middlebury’s Hargrave scored with just under seven minutes left, leading to a 2-1 win.
Last weekend had Middlebury adding two more wins to their record as they beat Endicott and UMass Boston on Jan. 11 and 12, respectively. Junior goalie Lin Han earned her second shutout of the season as the Panthers beat Endicott 3-0 off goals in each of the three periods. First-year Eva Hendrikson opened scoring in the first on a power play goal. In the second period, Leidt and Sidney Portner ’20 rang shots off the post before first year Jenna Letterie doubled the lead with just over a minute left. Letterie added an empty net goal at the end of the third to seal the Panthers victory.
Saturday’s contest against UMass Boston had Middlebury continue an eight game unbeaten streak and improve to 8-1-3 on the season as they beat the Beacons 4-0. Special teams won the day as three power play goals and three successful penalty kills helped the Panthers to the top. Morgan Griffin ’21 scored her first goal as a Panther and Hendrikson, Shuchuk, and Zumwinkle all scored power play goals. Middlebury also dominated shots 49-8 as Goldstein and first-year goalie Caroline Silk shared the shutout.
Seventh-ranked Middlebury hopes to continue their unbeaten streak with a double header against Bowdoin next weekend. Bowdoin has yet to win a game in NESCAC play this season.
(01/17/19 10:58am)
Five Middlebury debaters celebrated the new year seven hours ahead and thousands of miles away in Cape Town, South Africa at the largest debate competition in the world, the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC). Charlotte Massey ’18, Nate Obbard ’21, Amanda Werner ’21, Quinn Boyle ’21 and Van Barth ’21 competed in two-person teams with Massey and Obbard placing 70th in the world, Werner and Boyle placing 224th and Barth serving as a judge. Massey and Obbard’s performance was the best in Middlebury history.
Overall, the college team’s performance was also a personal best. In order to make it to the highly competitive elimination rounds, teams needed to gather 17 points over the course of nine rounds; Middlebury finished with 16. One team reached what is known as a bubble round, where the four teams closest to breaking into the elimination round compete against each other for the last spot.
“Unfortunately they didn’t win that last round, but just reaching that in itself is an accomplishment because it means that you’re one of the most competitive teams, fighting for that last spot,” Barth said.
Middlebury’s debate team has been attending the WUDC for over half a decade. The competition hosts over 400 teams representing more than 90 countries. Teams of two follow a British Parliamentary format, and have 15 minutes to come up with an argument on topics ranging from economics to religion to sports to ethics.
[pullquote speaker="Van Barth '21" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Unfortunately they didn’t win that last round, but just reaching that in itself is an accomplishment because it means that you’re one of the most competitive teams, fighting for that last spot.[/pullquote]
Students are selected to attend WUDC based on a try-out at the start of the semester. Four of the five debaters chosen for the championship were sophomores.
“At the beginning of each semester we debate each other and then we have a third-party person, who is not affiliated with our school and who knows debate, watch the round and rank us,” Werner explained. “Whoever had been given the ranking of first gets to choose whether or not they want to go and so on.”
The team’s coaches, who were chosen to judge at the competition, expressed pride in the debaters that attended WUDC.
“I am very proud of how much growth there has been from all team members,” coach Patricia Johnson-Castle said.
“The team really supported each other the whole trip — in and out of rounds,” coach Alexandra Sundarsingh said. “It was nice to see everyone have as much fun as they had hard work,”.
[pullquote speaker="Amanda Werner '21" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]People came from so many different backgrounds; they had entirely new perspectives to offer to the debate that perhaps we had never trained with or thought about.[/pullquote]
Alongside their competitive successes, the five students were able to participate in an incredible global experience. One of the most striking aspects of the event for most of the team was how different debate styles from different parts of the world were, especially since the Middlebury team often encounters the same people at tournaments around the northeast.
“People came from so many different backgrounds; they had entirely new perspectives to offer to the debate that perhaps we had never trained with or thought about,” Werner said. “It was really interesting to interact with all those different perspectives.”
“It was the most international group I’d ever seen,” Barth echoed. “To be able to judge all these people, since they all brought their different perspectives to the debate, was amazing.”
Obbard noted that it was somewhat frustrating to adapt to different styles of judges and competitors, but that it was also a valuable experience.
“It’s good to get out of the bubble where you walk into a room and think ‘I know this judge,’” Obard said. “It’s better to have strangers from all over the place who aren’t going to have U.S.-specific knowledge of the same examples that you do.”
The team also had four days outside of the competition to explore Cape Town. Some of them chose to take a 4 a.m. sunrise hike through the mountains overlooking the city.
“It was very strenuous, but then we got to watch the sun rise from behind the mountains and over the city and it was so beautiful,” Werner said. “It was at that moment that I realized how lucky and grateful I was to be there and do the activity that I love but also have time to explore the city.”
(01/17/19 10:57am)
Middlebury students will have Martin Luther King Jr. Day off for the first time in college history this Monday, Jan. 21. The holiday, traditionally observed by most schools and many places of work, has been a class day for Middlebury students since President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983.
The change to the calendar was made to allow more students to participate in celebrations surrounding the holiday. In years past, the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) has held events the weekend prior to the day itself. This year, the CCE will host an MLK Afternoon of Action on Monday.
According to CCE Program Director Ashley Laux, the CCE is soliciting volunteers to help with the event. In the Ilsley Library Meeting Room, volunteers will read books to and participate in arts and crafts activities with young children from the town. At the Addison Central Teen Center, volunteers will help with a collage art project and talk to local teenagers about mobilizing for change in one’s own community. Volunteers will start at 1 p.m. while youth in the community can come to the event between 2:30 and 4 p.m. Laux and the CCE team will be coordinating with AmeriCorps VISTA member Sarah Litwiller to organize the event, and encourage interested students to sign up at go.middlebury.edu/mlkafternoonofaction.
Although students will have classes off this year, Laux expects that event turnout will be comparable to last year’s.
Ricardo Lint Sagarena, director of intercultural programs, is also organizing a brunch at 10 a.m. on the 21st in the Redfield Proctor Room in Proctor Dining Hall.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words and selfless actions continue to be an inspiration and never-ending call to action for tolerance and peace,” Sagarena said. “In that spirit, students, faculty, and staff are invited to come together to share a meal and talk about their commitments and convictions.” He advised interested students to register for seats at go.middlebury.edu/mlkbrunch.
Sagarena is unsure about how the day off will impact participation, as it is yet to be seen whether students will take the day off to attend these events.
(01/17/19 10:57am)
Donald Trump’s election stunned the Democratic Party. An unprecedented campaign yielded an unimagined result. Election night climaxed with televisions splashing images of sobbing Hillary supporters and euphoric MAGA-hatted Trump acolytes.
Democrats were due for this rude awakening. Republicans have dominated the recent political landscape, and, prior to the 2018 election, Democrats held fewer elected positions in the United States than at any time since the 1920s. However, it took someone as appalling as Trump for us to realize our current political inefficacy and start discussing a viable path to restored political power.
The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake summarized the Democrat’s historically bad position in 2016. Republicans in that year controlled:
- 33 of 50 governorships: a record.
- 68 out of 98 state legislative chambers: tied for the record.
- The entire legislatures in 33 out of 50 states: another record.
- 4,171 out of 7,383 state legislative seats (56.5 percent of all seats): yet another record.
Republican power at the local and state levels eclipsed Democrats’ power even before Trump took office. Liberals were either ignorant or complacent about that fact. Our party needed revamping: one that cared not only about getting the issues “right”, but also one that valued winning elections. After all, in a democracy, the losers do not get to make the rules. After the 2018 election, that revamping may become a reality if we can set aside ideological purity for pragmatic decisions that win seats in diverse districts (beyond liberalism’s coastal strongholds).
Once Trump took office, his antics and bigotry energized Democrats. The erratic President and his controversies captured our attention. We watched as Trump and a GOP Congress chaotically pursued a regressive agenda that featured tax cuts for the rich, an almost successful attempt to repeal Obamacare, a ballooning fiscal deficit, a retreat on climate change regulations, and the separation of children from their families at the border.
In last November’s midterm elections, the Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, implemented an effective electoral strategy. Rather than repeating Hillary Clinton’s failed strategy during the 2016 campaign, which emphasized Trump’s moral failings but did not articulate a clear alternative vision to cure the country’s ills, Democratic leaders encouraged their candidates to stress health care, increased wages, decreased prescription drug prices, and other kitchen-table issues. The Democrats’ economic message in 2018 resonated with a broad coalition of voters across the country, and the Party gained forty seats and won the House.
Despite their midterm success, Democrats remain divided over how the party should proceed.
One group argues that Democratic candidates won elections because they advocated progressive policies like universal basic income, Medicare for All, and free college, while also calling for the abolition of ICE and Trump’s impeachment. Fearless progressivism, they claim, stirred the base of younger voters, many of whom were women and minorities. This cadre was led by the exciting victories of representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, and the near victory of Beto O’Rourke in dead red Texas.
[pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Democrats seeking to flip Republican voters and win contested districts must focus on health care and jobs.[/pullquote]
However, Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley did not gain seats for the Democrats. They simply took seats that had been held by reliable, albeit a bit more centrist, liberal Democrats. O’Rourke lost. Moreover, their progressive voices have pushed the party left, endangering moderate Democrats in centrist areas.
More centrist Democrats recognize that, if you want to address Democrats’ lack of political power, you need to win seats that were previously Republican or hold onto Democratic seats in areas that often vote conservative. Last November, Pelosi helped Democratic candidates find success in moderate districts by resisting her party’s pull to the left. Pelosi’s San Francisco voters pushed her to confront Trump on immigration and funding for Planned Parenthood, but she refused. “Those things are in our DNA, but they are not in our talking points,” Pelosi said.
Research shows that Pelosi’s strategy of forsaking hot-button, wedge issues in favor of a focus on economic populism is best. Extensive polling and focus group research collected by the House Majority PAC indicates that Democrats seeking to flip Republican voters and win contested districts must focus on health care and jobs.
There are many examples of Pelosi’s strategy bearing fruit. For example, Conor Lamb won a traditionally Republican district in western Pennsylvania by emphasizing health care and tax equity. This was a big gain for the Democratic Party, and should not be dismissed because Lamb took conservative stances on gun rights and supported Trump’s tariff policy, positions that aligned with the voters in his district. In West Virginia, which Trump carried by the widest margin in the entire nation (an astounding 42 percent gap), Democrat Joe Manchin held on to his Senate seat because voters saw him as fighting for the economically disadvantaged. To do this, Manchin had to show some conservative bona fides, such as voting to confirm Justice Kavanaugh, opposing abortion, and receiving an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association as recently as 2012. While he would not have been an ideal Democratic candidate in Massachusetts or California, he was the only kind of Democrat that has a shot at winning in West Virginia.
[pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Because of the more extreme left’s quest for purity on this issue, the Democrats lost an important Senate seat.[/pullquote]
Liberal purity on social wedge issues often undermines moderate Democrats who campaign in red states and threatens recent Democratic successes. Take the midterm election in Missouri, a state Trump won by nineteen points. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill lost her seat last November in part because of criticism from abortion activists. Throughout the election, young progressives denounced McCaskill for not being a sufficiently prominent, vocal supporter of women’s reproductive freedoms. What these progressive attacks failed to acknowledge was McCaskill’s strong, pro-choice voting record.
In an interview with the New York Times after her loss, McCaskill called the abortion activists “irritating … It would’ve been one thing if I ever wavered, but I’ve had to take a lot of tough votes on this issue over the years. I have been standing in the breach for women’s rights as it relates to reproductive freedom for all of my adult life.” In the end, Missouri elected Senator Josh Hawley, a staunch pro-life Republican. Because of the more extreme left’s quest for purity on this issue, the Democrats lost an important Senate seat. They also ironically replaced a consistent vote for reproductive rights with a Republican whom Planned Parenthood called “An anti-abortion zealot who wants to take America back to the days of the 1950s.”
The left needs to stop setting up circular firing squads. When activists make contentious issues litmus tests for holding office, it hurts moderate Democrats campaigning in conservative states. Our candidates need to be able to attract votes in socially-conservative districts without fearing retribution from coastal progressives. As former House Speaker Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.” Let’s broaden the Democratic tent, and allow centrist voices to campaign in moderate districts.
(01/17/19 10:55am)
Returning from break on Jan. 5, the 20th-ranked men’s squash team defeated 21st-ranked Williams by a tight 5-4 margin. The Panthers claimed victories in the first two spots from first-year Justin Ghaeli and junior Jacob Ellen and took three more points with wins from first-year Teddy Best, sophomore Wiatt Hinton, and junior John Epley. Ghaeli clinched the match with a three-game victory at the No. 2 spot.
Coming off of that strong victory, the squad dominated their four following matches this past weekend. They eased passed Amherst on the road on January 11 with a 7-2 score. Freshman Nate Moll pulled out a tight five-game win at No. 8, and Ghaeli clinched his match with a swift three-game take down.
The team returned to Middlebury on Saturday, Jan. 12 to host Bowdoin and Colby. The Panthers did not lose a single match against either team, claiming 9-0 victories against both. Then, to round out their successful weekend, the hosts dominated Bates by an 8-1 margin. Jacob Ellen clinched the match at No. 2 with a three-game win.
Coming off of these wins, the team enters this coming weekend holding a five-match winning streak.
They will face 30th-ranked Hamilton at home on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and then travel to Cambridge, MA to play 15th-ranked Brown on Saturday.
With a 7-2 overall record, the squad pushes into the second half of the season with building momentum and optimistic eyes on the upcoming NESCAC Championships, set to be hosted at home in the Bostwick Family Squash center over the first weekend of February.
(01/17/19 10:55am)
A storm of internal controversy at the Burlington-based sexual assault help center HOPE Works led every employee and, as of Friday, Jan. 11, executive director Cathleen Barkley, to resign from the organization.
Despite concerns over the lack of resources, much of the community has come out in support of the eight former staff members of HOPE Works. The group has made its story public, sharing its frustrations on a collective Facebook page where it posted both the legally filed formal grievance that preceded its strike and, on Friday, Jan. 4, its resignation announcement. Its Facebook page now has over 400 likes.
Within the announcement, the former staff expressed their sadness at having felt no other option but to leave. They also unapologetically renounced the actions of executive director Cathleen Barkley and the HOPE Works board. The posts alleged that these parties discriminated against gay, trans and minority staff members, made threats against employee organizing and repeatedly manipulated and emotionally abused their workers.
Also cited in their Sunday, Dec. 16 formal grievance were accounts of carelessness, gaslighting and policy breaches on the part of executive director Cathleen Barkley, all of which caused the team of eight to walk out. This group included three victim advocates, two clinical therapists and three educational and developmental workers, some of whom had been with HOPE Works for as long as 18 years.
HOPE Works had previously served approximately 75 Vermonters per month as Chittenden County’s primary resource center for victims of sexual violence, and the organization’s newfound lack of staff has left many concerned for assault survivors who may now struggle to access resources.
HOPE Works has been active in the Burlington area since 1973, providing victims of sexual violence with a 24-hour hotline, personal advocates, individual and group therapy and an online emergency chat line. Since the mass resignation of eight staff members on Jan. 4. following a three-week strike, however, HOPE Works has been forced to limit its services.
Mary Cronkite, a sexual assault survivor and medical assistant at a local health center, told VTDigger that there has been no known therapy, education or advocacy services from the organization since the staff went on strike. Although the hotline has remained open, incoming callers may now experience delays in service. Victims have been encouraged to consider seeking assistance from Voices Against Violence in Franklin County and WomenSafe in Addison County if HOPE Works is found to be unavailable.
Of the organization’s leadership, the group claimed in its Jan. 4 Facebook post, “They have demonstrated that they have no intention — nor did they ever — of participating in this work with sincerity, empathy or integrity.”
The post goes on to explain that several of the former employees are also survivors of sexual violence and that many of Barkley’s actions have been triggering, adding, “We know that when we choose our safety we choose survivor safety.”
The posts have received a shower of support from the community including messages of thanks, solidarity and job offers. The group has also created a GoFundMe to cover living and legal expenses for the affected staff, which has raised more than $19,000 in the last month.
According to VTDigger, the eight staff members first left HOPE Works after victim advocate Lucy Basa was allegedly fired for messages shared on her private Facebook account, in which she called the organization’s leadership “comic book evil.”
The messages, which were posted but have since been deleted from the group’s Facebook page and are supported by the whole ex-staff, called for her fellow employees to organize against the board’s proposal of selling the HOPE Works lawn and green space to real-estate developer Eric Farrell. Basa explained in the messages that these outdoor areas were often used for therapy purposes. Her firing was considered the last straw for the rest of the former employees, who went on strike shortly thereafter, requiring that HOPE Works both reinstate Basa and terminate Barkley in order for them to return.
Former employee Jas Wheeler explained to The Campus that there were also internal struggles over how much emphasis to place on HOPE Works’ dedication to serving marginalized victims. The employees’ prioritization of intersectionality allegedly clashed sharply with the leadership’s reluctance to take an outspoken stance.
“We found ourselves consistently blocked by our leadership when we tried to institute change,” Wheeler said. This divide is evidenced in the group’s formal grievance, which, among other incidents, cites that Cathleen Barkley barred the staff from posting support for the Black Lives Matter movement on HOPE Works’ now-deactivated social media accounts, which the staff vehemently disagreed with.
Wheeler said, “Retaliation for this work is what pushed us to strike. Dismissal of this work is what pushed us to resign. Commitment to this work is what pushes us into our future as advocates,” said Wheeler of the staff’s efforts to expand inclusion. Wheeler went on to express the staff’s ongoing dedication to helping sexual assault victims and their need for the organization to restructure its approaches toward such issues.
One of the group’s main demands during the strike — the removal of Cathleen Barkley — came to fruition as of Jan. 11, when HOPE Works announced Barkley’s resignation, though she will continue work for the time being. In a statement, the former staff renounced Barkley’s continued attachment to the organization and the lack of further progress from the board, stating, “Cathleen’s leadership was one part of the problem. HOPE Works continues to be an unsafe place to work until the Board intensely and permanently transforms.”
The eight former employees announced that they would meet with the board on Tuesday, Jan. 15 to discuss the future of the organization, though they claim that they are still unsure of what the future holds for them and have shown no sign of returning to the organization. For now, the group has shared that it is taking time to heal, and implores that the HOPE Works board make changes so that the brunt of the fallout no longer has to fall on Vermont’s sexual assault survivors.
(01/17/19 10:54am)
Last Saturday marked the beginning of the indoor track and field season for the Panthers who had participated in the Middlebury Winter Classic. The day was filled with many notable performances.
“The first meet always helps all of our different event groups to come together as a big team and get back into the swing of competition,” said Lucy Lang ’19. “We are so lucky that we got to have the meet at home with our track alumni.”
The men’s team finished in second place out of a total of five teams. While the Panthers garnered 137.5 points, Plymouth State finished in first with 170 points. One key performer for the men’s squad was Conor Banky ’19, who finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.29.
When asked about his performance, Banky said, “It was a good starting point for me. Saturday was my first track meet and I lost by .01. Not the result I wanted, but I am happy to know where I stand and plan to improve throughout the season.”
In the men’s 200-meter dash, the Panthers took five of the first seven spots. Jimmy Martinez ’19 finished in first with a time of 22.27, William Robertson ’21 took third with a time of 23.14, and Arden Coleman ’20 came in fourth with a time of 23.47. The other top finishers were Matthew Durst ’21 in the fifth, and Josh Howard ’19 in seventh. Max Memeger ’21 took first place in the high jump event with a jump of 1.83 meters.
Minhaj Rahman ’19 took first place in the 35 lb. weight throw with a throw of 18.17 meters. This throw also happened to break the current school record, which was set by Rahman just last year. “Truly this is a highlight of my career that I will remember forever,” Rahman said.
With 123.5 points, the women finished in second place behind Plattsburgh State which had a score of 160 points. There were many notable contributors for the team. In the 400-meter dash, Julia Munz ’22 and Lang came in second and third place, respectively. Munz had a time of 1:01.67 and Lang had a time of 1:01.68. Emma Hills ’22 placed first in the 500-meter run with a time of 1:21.32, while Emily Bulczynski ’22 placed first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:24.21.
The 4x400 relay team was able to get a first place victory with a time of 4:14.97. This team was composed of Lang, Hills, Julia McClain ’22 and Ava O’Mara ’21. In the pole vault event, Kreager Taber ’19 won with a vault of 3.35 meters. In the shot put event, Helene Rowland ’20 was able to place first with a throw of 11.92 meters.
“We are still very early in the season and just came off of the winter break, so I think that our early successes are very promising for the rest of our season,” said Lang.
“Right now a lot of the team is making sure we ease ourselves back into the season to make sure we are setting ourselves up for the rest of J-term properly and not having a shaky foundation,” Rahman said.
The Panthers clearly look to improve as the season progresses in order to become the best team possible. The next meet will be the Middlebury Winterfell on Saturday, Jan. 19.
(01/16/19 10:53am)
The swim and dive teams began their second semester with a home meet against Colby on Saturday, Jan. 12. The women conquered Colby with a 204-95 score, while the men were defeated 167-131. The Panthers hosted Bates the following day, falling 163.5-130.5 on the women’s side and 192-102 on the men’s side.
The women’s team won 14 out of the 16 events against the Colby Mules. The 200-yard medley relay team consisting of Audrey Hsi ’22, Erin Kelly ’21, Maddie McKean ’22 and Frances VanderMeer ’20 opened the meet with a win, finishing with a time of 1:50.8. Hsi continued her winning streak with individual victories in the 100 butterfly (59.81), 100 backstroke (1:01.08) and the 100 individual medley (1:02.55).
Alongside Hsi, Kristin Karpowicz ’19, Hannah Wander ’22 and VanderMeer each secured two first place finishes. Karpowicz swam the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:49.15 and then went 55.87 in the 100 free. Wander claimed the title in both the 50 breaststroke (32.44) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.35), while VanderMeer won the 50 back (27.68) and the 50 fly (26.14). Courtney Gantt triumphed in the 50 free (25.36), then joined McKean, Kelly and VanderMeer to win the 200-yard free relay in 1:40.16. Divers Kacey Hertan ’20 and Mary Cate Carroll ’21 captured wins in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, respectively, with Hertan scoring 228.45 and Carroll scoring 219.98 points.
The men’s team also saw success in the lanes and on the boards. The 200-yard medley relay team of Brendan Leech ’19, Cody Kim ’22, Will Pannos ’20 and Corey Jalbert ’21 out-touched Colby by 0.01 seconds, winning with a time of 1:37.64. The 200-yard freestyle relay of Jalbert, Pannos, Jake Gaughan ’22 and Leech ended the day with a first place finish (1:27.99).
Individually, Pannos triumphed in the 100 butterfly (53.46), while Mike Chirico ’20 won the 1-meter (243.40 points) and the 3-meter diving events (242.18 points). Runner-up finishes included Charles Quinn ’20 in the 50 backstroke (25.46) and 100 individual medley (54.95), as well as Kim in the 50 breastroke (27.43) and 100 breastroke (1:00.28).
The Panthers fared another day of competition against Bates. Although the 25th-ranked Bobcats attained an overall win, the swim and dive teams earned several individual victories.
VanderMeer and Hsi again dominated their events, claiming the 50 free (24.81) and 400 individual medley (4:43.13), respectively. Alongside VanderMeer and Hsi, Kelly and McKean won the 200-yard medley relay, stopping the clock in 1:50.57. Riggins went the distance by winning the 1,650 free in 18:14.28. Karpowicz conquered the 500 free in 5:17.96. Hertan again scored her second 1 meter event title of the weekend, tallying 215.4 points. Olivia Rieur ’22 took the 3-meter title with 235.28 points.
The Panthers were bolstered by numerous second place finishes, including Kelly in the 100 breastroke (1:09.87) and the 200 breastroke (2:33.11). VanderMeer was runner-up in the 100 free (54.73), then ended the day by placing second in the 200-yard free relay with McKean, Kelly and Gantt (1:39.66).
On the men’s side, Aska Matsuda ’22 won the distance events, finishing in 16.56.20 for the 1,650 free and 4:54.13 in the 500 free. Chirico again achieved titles on both the 1-meter (255.83 points) and 3-meter boards (260.70 points).
Four swimmers claimed second in their events: Leech in the 100 backstroke (53.64), Zack Einhorn ’21 in the 200 butterfly (2:01.30), Gaughan in the 50 free (22.33), and Kevin Santoro ’21 in the 200 back (2:00.80).
Both relay teams secured runner-up finishes, including the 200 -yard medley relay team of Leech, Kim, Pannos and Jalbert (1:37.79), and the 200-yard free relay team of Gaughan, Jalbert, Pannos and Leech (1:28.12).
The Panthers head to Union this Saturday, Jan.19, where they hope to see major team success.
(01/15/19 6:44pm)
Dwight Garner, a book critic at The New York Times, says the best part of his job is also the hardest: just keeping up.
“There’s this fear of missing something,” he said, explaining that more than 20 books arrive at his apartment every day. His tries to keep as much on his radar as possible, from work by established authors to books out of smaller publishing houses. The latter he reads in the hopes of stumbling upon something fresh.
“The best feeling a critic can have is discovering a new author,” he said. “A lot of my time is spent in my desk chair in my apartment reading through the books I get.”
Garner, who graduated from Middlebury College in 1988, will return this Wednesday, Jan. 16, to discuss his career and how his college experience helped him hone his critical skills. The talk, which will take place in McCardell Bicentennial Hall Room 220 at 4:30 p.m., is part of the college’s Meet the Press lecture series.
Garner looks back fondly on his time in college, where he studied the great critics in class and found his own voice at the Middlebury Campus newspaper. His career as a college critic was aided by then-owner of the Vermont Book Shop, Dike Blair, who allowed Garner to take books for free in order to review them.
His reviews soon caught the attention of Vermont newspapers, and he started writing for the Vanguard Press in Burlington among other publications. Garner also worked at the Addison Independent while in college, which he recalled fondly as one of his formative journalistic experiences.
After college he stayed in Vermont to freelance and work odd jobs.
“Criticism,” he noted, “is no way to make a living, then or now, unless you’re very lucky.”
When he moved to New York, Garner worked for “Harper’s Bazaar” and was among the founding editors of “Salon Magazine” before The New York Times hired him in 1998 to be the editor at the Times Book Review. Ten years later, he transitioned to writing reviews for the regular paper.
Garner views critics as people who feel an innate need to participate in conversations about “all kinds of culture, high culture, low culture, everything.”
“To be a critic, you have to read everything all the time,” he said, explaining that the profession requires one to value ideas and want to keep up with everything new.
He pointed to two recent trends in literature, including a new generation of prolific female writers.
“There’s this vanguard right now of really smart, idiosyncratic female writers who don’t sound like anyone else writing right now,” he said. “You have a sense of these young writers figuring things out in public, and it’s impossible to predict where they are going but I want to be along for the ride.”
Garner also noted that he has already seen the early effects of the Trump presidency in new fiction. He predicted that, going forward, this administration would have a “seismic impact” on the literary world.
“I’ll be more than curious to see how our best fiction writers respond to this era,” Garner said.
When asked if he had any recommendations for Vermonters, he turned to an old favorite from college called “Total Loss Farm” by Raymond Mungo. Published in the 1970s, the book follows a hippie commune in Vermont founded by radical journalists.
“There’s not enough weirdness in the world anymore and that’s true of writing and writers as well,” he said of the book, which he once called “the best and also the loopiest of the commune books.”
“It’s a good Vermont book to have on your shelf,” he said, adding, “In fact, you’re not a true Vermonter unless you have this on your shelf.
A version of this article originally appeared in The Addison Independent.
(12/06/18 11:00am)
Following the announcement of proposed changes to Title IX regulations by the Department of Education, college officials expressed concern about how the new policies would change the college’s procedures, along with appreciation for the increased flexibility that the changes might allow.
The proposed changes to Title IX regulations regarding how colleges handle complaints of sexual misconduct were released on Nov. 16, a little over a year after the Department rescinded Obama-era guidelines on the subject. Supporters of the proposed policy see it as correcting a system that unfairly favors survivors of sexual assault, while critics fear that the modifications may give even more leeway to perpetrators while reducing liability for colleges. The proposed adjustments have not yet been finalized and are available for public comment until Jan. 28, 2019.
In a message scheduled to be sent to the community on Wednesday as of press time, President Laurie L. Patton said that the proposed policies as written “would require significant changes in how Middlebury handles reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment.” She noted that Middlebury intends to submit comments to the Department of Education both “directly and in collaboration with other organizations.”
College spokesman Bill Burger expressed concern that when a new policy is enacted it may cause fewer students to report assault and harassment to the college. He reiterated that the college remains committed to a fair Title IX process that upholds the rights of all members of the community.
Some parts of the proposed policy differ significantly from the way the college’s Title IX Office currently operates. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the new policy is the requirement that the advisors to both parties be allowed to cross-examine the other party and all witnesses. The college stopped offering live hearings a number of years ago, and many consider hearings to be an unnecessarily stressful way of adjudicating a complaint.
“We believe a fair process should include gathering as much relevant, credible evidence as possible, while avoiding the creation of undue stress for the parties,” Burger said. “We believe our process already serves the primary purpose of cross-examination, but in a less stressful setting for the parties and witnesses.”
Requiring hearings as part of the process may also limit the amount of information available in any given case because colleges cannot compel witnesses to testify. As Patton wrote, the new requirement to “ignore information provided by a party or witness who declines to be cross-examined would limit the evidence that may be considered and could impact the fairness of the adjudication.” Hearings could also pose an extra financial burden to colleges by forcing them to find and fund legal counsel for students who cannot afford it.
The new guidelines also state that Title IX offices cannot instruct either party to not speak with the other about the facts of their case. Burger expressed concern about how this prohibition will impact investigations in a small college community.
“This presents significant challenges for conducting fair and accurate investigations, not to mention assessing credibility if the people involved have all been talking to each other about the incident,” he said. “We believe there is also an increased risk for ostracizing, threatening and/or retaliatory behavior, which could adversely impact a complainant’s or respondent’s ability to participate in their educational programs.”
The new policies would also open up additional avenues for colleges to resolve complaints informally. In her statement, Patton expressed interest in instituting an informal resolution option to resolve cases.
“This flexibility may offer opportunities to deepen our engagement with Restorative Practices,” she wrote, noting that such methods would only be employed in “appropriate cases where the parties make fully informed and voluntary choices to participate.”
Patton pointed out that not everything about the college’s current policy would have to change under the proposed guidelines. This is in part because the new policy would offer colleges and universities more freedom to craft their own procedures in several key areas. For example, Patton confirmed that the college will continue to use the same standard of proof: the preponderance of the evidence standard. Currently, Title IX mandates that all colleges use this standard, one of the lowest burdens of proof in the U.S. legal system, to adjudicate violations. The new policy would allow colleges to increase the burden of proof to “clear and convincing evidence” standard, which some fear would make it harder to find the respondents responsible. However, Patton’s statement made clear that the college will stay the course.
The new policy would also permit colleges to stop adjudicating sexual assault and harassment claims when the incident in question occurred off campus. The college’s current practice, in compliance with current federal and state law, is to investigate all “conduct that takes place on or near Middlebury premises or property; occurs at or in connection with a Middlebury-related event; or occurs off-campus but may represent a threat to the safety of the Middlebury community or any of its members.” According to Burger, the college will maintain its current policy in this area and continue to investigate all complaints by students.
As of now, no changes to the policy have been finalized. With the notice and comment period still open, individuals are welcome to send comments to the Department of Education with feedback about the proposed changes via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Chellis House will also be hosting an event where students can receive assistance in submitting their comments on Monday, Dec. 10, from 2-4 p.m.
(12/06/18 11:00am)
In a tense 1-1 game by the end of two overtime periods, the women’s soccer team was edged by the Williams Ephs 3-2 in penalty kicks in the NCAA Division III championship. This was the Panthers’ first championship appearance in program history.
The previous day, on Friday, Nov. 30, the Panthers defeated the WashU Bears 1-0 in a stunning upset to advance to the national championship. Led by NESCAC Coach of the Year Peter Kim, this was the team’s second journey to the Final Four in program history, having previously competed in 2013. On the way to the championship match, the team secured wins against Maine-Farmington (4-1), Ithaca (0-0 with a win on penalty kicks), Swarthmore (2-0), Misericordia (1-0) and most recently WashU (1-0). Last year, Middlebury’s 12-4-2 record brought them to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
After a collision that caused Caitlin Magruder ’20 to sustain a game-ending injury, Simone Ameer ’21 was the game’s only scorer in the NCAA semifinal, assisted by Ellie Greenberg ’20 and Gretchen McGrath ’21. This was Ameer’s fourth goal of the season. Goalie Ursula Alwang ’20 walked away with three saves, including a header shot by the Bears’ Maggie Crist. The Panthers’ defense was led by Rose Evans ’22, assisted by starters Amanda Dafonte ’19, Janie DeVito ’19 and Isabelle Hartnett ’21.
“I think this was probably one of the hardest games of the season for us,” captain Dafonte said in a press conference following the semifinal. “It was one that we went into saying that we were going to work harder, go out with heart and leave it all out on the field.”
Williams’ journey to the championship match was achieved after a 2-0 win against Christopher Newport in the semifinals and placing second in the NESCAC Championship. The Ephs traveled to Greensboro with a 17-1-4 record.
This was the third time Middlebury competed against Williams this season. The Panthers suffered a 1-0 loss at the end of the regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and won the NESCAC Championship 1-0 in Williamstown on Sunday, Nov. 4.
The first half included a goal by Williams’ Aspen Pierson assisted by Ilana Albert and Georgia Lord, Pierson’s fourth goal of the season. Olivia Miller ’20 and Eliza Robinson ’21 attempted shots on Williams goalie Olivia Barnhill.
With 13 minutes remaining in the second half, the game became tied 1-1 by a Williams own goal. Clare Robinson ’19 and Eliza Robinson ’21 contributed to the Panthers’ total of six shots during regulation play. With the score tied at the end of the second half, the game proceeded into overtime.
In the first overtime period, a shot by Williams’ Sarah Scire was saved by Alwang. This was her second save of the game and 67th of the season. Continuing through the rain, both teams went into a scoreless second overtime period and penalty kicks.
Goalie Eva Shaw ’19.5 was substituted for Alwang for the penalty kicks. She made two saves against Amherst in the NESCAC semifinals and three saves against Ithaca in the NCAA tournament. With shots made by Sara DiCenso ’19 and Cate Shellenback ’22 and missed by Magnolia Moskun ’21.5, Riley Kinum ’22 and Clare Robinson ’19, the Ephs defeated the Panthers 3-2 in penalty kicks.
The Ephs’ win was their third title in four years, making the team the fourth program in NCAA Division III history to win back-to-back championship titles. The championship match was the first between two NESCAC teams in NCAA Division III history and the fourth NESCAC team appearance in the past five years.
“It’s always a hard-fought battle between these two teams. We know each other really well,” head coach Peter Kim said in a press conference following the game. “We have a very special senior class. … They have led by example and pulled the team along.”
“I think we really did a great job playing how we like to play — possessing the ball — and we knew when we had to play a little more direct. We were in it the whole time, and I’m just really proud of that,” said senior captain Abby Blyler.
The Panthers finished their season with a 19-1-4 record, 51 goals and an average of 19.3 shots per game. Clare Robinson ’19 and DeVito ’19 were selected to the first all-NESCAC team, while Alwang, Dafonte and Eliza Van Voorhis ’21 earned spots on the second team. At the conclusion of the final match, Alwang, Evans, Ameer and Clare Robinson were named to the all-tournament team.
BENJY RENTON
(12/06/18 10:58am)
The 15th-ranked women’s squash team came out swinging this past weekend, when they began their 2018-2019 season with a home opener on Saturday against Tufts. The Panthers swept with a 9-0 victory, and team captains Bea Kuijpers ’19 and Alexa Comai ’19 led the way.
The Panthers blanked Tufts and continued a streak of dominance that has lasted against the Jumbos for the past couple of years. Mira Chugh ’20 began the sweep with her win at line nine in a four-game victory (10-12, 11-3, 11-2, 11-4) over Chloe Kantor. Natalie Madden ’21 followed close behind in the sixth spot (11-8, 11-7, 11-9), and gave the Panthers a comfortable 2-0 lead. Captain Alexa Comai ’19 tallied another win with a 9-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 at line three against Zarena Jafry.
The next couple of wins followed suit from Natasha Lowitt ’20 in the eighth spot (11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5) and Emily Beinkampen in the fifth spot (7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9). Ideal Dowling ’22 had an amazing showing at No. 2 over Julie Yeung (11-4, 11-3, 10-12, 11-2), and grabbed her first collegiate win. Dowling, a strong addition to the top line, is a fresh face to keep an eye on. First-year Gwen Davis ’22 also captured the first victory of her college career at line seven (11-8, 11-7, 11-3) over Diya Sanghi.
Head coach Mark Lewis has an optimistic outlook for the rest of the season. “The team looks very strong and deep,” Lewis said. “The addition of the two first-years in the top nine adds strength throughout the lineup.”
Virginia Schaus ’21 made the score 8-0 with an 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 triumph against Rachel Windreich in the fourth position, and Kuijpers completed the sweep with a five-game victory (11-9, 11-13, 12-10, 6-11, 15-13) against Claire Davidson in the top spot.
“The team has been working hard on all aspects of their games — from fitness and the mental game, to tactics and technique. My assistant coach David Cromwell and I try to keep things very simple on all fronts,” Lewis said. The women’s squash team, having had a history of tough injuries, will be especially careful of their physical health. “Our biggest challenge will be to stay healthy and fit. Though we have a very difficult schedule, we relish the opportunities each match provides.”
Hoping to continue their hot start to the season, the Panthers will return to action as they hit the road this weekend, Dec. 8 and 9, against Wesleyan and George Washington in Connecticut.
(12/06/18 10:57am)
The Middlebury women’s hockey team participated in the Panther-Cardinal Classic on Nov. 24 and 25, but fell to the fifth-ranked Adrian College Bulldogs 4-1 in the championship game. The Panthers got off to a fast start with many early chances testing Adrian goalie Katie Turner. With 7:28 remaining in the first period, Middlebury got on the board with a goal from junior Anna Zumwinkle, who was assisted by sophomores Meghan Keating and Madie Leidt. Leidt even managed to ring a shot off the crossbar from the left faceoff dot with a few minutes remaining, almost doubling Middlebury’s lead.
In the second period, Adrian scored with 7:43 remaining as Maggie Mitter slotted a rebound behind sophomore goalie Anna Goldstein. Adrian added three more in the last period, pulling ahead of the Panthers. Bulldog skaters Tory Harshman, Brianna Buchanan and Hannah Dalrymple set up for an even-strength, power play and empty net goal, respectively. Goldstein finished with 23 saves, and the Bulldogs led shots 27-17. Zumwinkle and senior captain Jenna Marotta received all-tournament honors.
The Panthers continued NESCAC play this weekend on the road in New London, Connecticut, where they squared off for a doubleheader against Connecticut College. In Friday’s game, Middlebury handed the Camels their first loss of the season, besting them in a 3-0 shutout. During the first period, the Panthers killed off a two-man disadvantage, surviving a 5-on-3 for more than a minute. While the period ended with shots 7-6 in Middlebury’s favor, the scoreboard was still empty. Early in the second period, Leidt started off what would become a three-point night with a goal assisted by sophomore Ellie Barney. She also scored in the third frame, netting from the high slot after receiving the puck from Marotta and skating coast to coast. First-year Jenna Letterie added the insurance goal on the power play with just over eight minutes remaining after cleaning up a rebound from Leidt’s initial shot. Junior goaltender Lin Han earned her first shutout of the season, stopping all 25 shots that came her way.
At Saturday’s rematch, Middlebury’s conference record improved to 3-0-1 (3-1-2 overall) in a 1-1 tie. The first period was dominated by Panther play, when Middlebury outshot its opponents 12-4. The first goal, however, came with 4:45 remaining in the second period, as Letterie netted during the power play off assists from Marotta and Leidt. The Camels equalized in the third period when Jordan Cross sent a redirected puck past Goldstein. Minutes later, they thought they had the go-ahead goal, but the referees ruled goaltender interference. The game ultimately ended with a 1-1 tie and a slim advantage to Connecticut College on shots (28-26).
Next week, the Panthers will face the Utica College Pioneers, who are coming off the best start in their program’s history and currently boast a 9-1 record. The Pioneers’ first loss of the season came in their last game, and they are anticipated to be a tough match for Middlebury.
