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(01/20/11 5:04am)
The aroma of fresh baked cookies that pervades Vermont Cookie Love is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Owners Suzanna Miller and Paul Seyler opened the North Ferrisburgh retail store and 1,500-square foot production facility in December 2008 and have been baking fresh baked cookies ever since.
Originally from New York City, Miller and Seyler moved to Vermont two years after their first child was born. The move was more than just a change of scenery, however; Seyler gave up his career as a sommelier, and Miller scaled back her career as a lawyer when the two decided to start a new business. When Miller and Seyler could not decide if they should open a burrito truck or a cookie store, they decided to combine the two ideas. Thus, the unique idea of “dough-ritos,” or logs of cookie dough in the shape of a burrito, was born.
The concept took off. Miller and Seyler’s treats were met with high demand when they were first sold at the Shelburne Farmer’s Market in June 2007. Their dough soon found its way into more than 20 local stores. The couple took the final step in 2008: they opened their store, appropriately dubbed “The Love Shack” on Route 7 in North Ferrisburgh. Miller and Seyler continue to sell a wide variety of flavors of their homemade dough both in the store and in local grocery stores, including the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op. In October 2009, the Rachel Ray Show featured Vermont Cookie Love.
In addition to the dough, freshly baked cookies are available hot out of the oven at the Love Shack. The store sells anywhere from two to 20 dozen cookies a day. Flavors include oatmeal with cranberries, triple chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, mocha chocolate chip, sugar, chocolate chip butterscotch, pumpkin chocolate chip and the original chocolate chip, the most popular. Other than the butterscotch cookie, Miller’s favorite, the cookies are made with only natural ingredients and local butter, eggs and cocoa. This standard is just part of the store’s mission, which also includes producing cookies in an environmentally conscious way and supporting local schools.
In the past two months, Seyler and Miller have expanded their baked good business to include scones, or “Love Triangles.” As Seyler says, “The Triangle is between the scone, the oven and you.” The scones are available baked fresh at the Love Shack and will soon join the dough-ritos in grocery freezers as ready-to-bake goodies. Another upcoming addition to Vermont Cookie Love’s frozen lineup is two flavors of cookies and cream ice cream, featuring Vermont ice cream powerhouse Wilcox’s ice cream and bits of true cookie love.
According to Miller, the main factor responsible for the cookie’s popularity is their chewiness. She said that her use of canola oil in addition to butter adds to their chewy consistency and makes them even more delicious. Although the ingredients used are listed on the packages of dough, the actual recipe is a secret, and was only developed after months of experimenting and testing by Miller, Seyler and heir friends.
For Miller, baking homemade chocolate chip cookies is a sign of love. Her passion for baking dates back to her childhood, when she and her family would come together and bake cookies as a way of bonding. For this reason, the store’s name has a deeper meaning. Love permeates the store’s website, http://vermontcookielove.com, where visitors can learn more about the business’ “Love Flavors,” “Love Offerings,” “Love Story” and more.
“It feels good to make people happy,” said Suzanna, who stressed that perhaps the best thing about owning a cookie shop is “the reactions we get every day.” The fact that Vermont Cookie Love is a true product of her and her husband’s creative vision makes her proud.
The store’s hours change with the seasons; Vermont Cookie Love is currently open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(01/13/11 5:05am)
After battling to a series of ties in their games against Southern Maine and Hamilton, the men’s hockey team put together a great team effort in their weekend finale at Amherst to defeat the Lord Jeffs 4-1. Saturday’s big victory over Amherst gave the Panthers their second win in conference play and represented a critical step towards putting their season back on track. Amherst, currently leading the division, is a perennial NESCAC championship contender and Middlebury’s road win snapped a six game unbeaten streak for the Jeffs in addition to handing the Panther rivals their first division loss.
The men’s hockey team remains undefeated in 2011, as they have kicked off the new year to a more successful start than they did the season. With a New Year’s Day 6-3 victory over Skidmore, the two ties to Southern Maine and Hamilton and the win over Amherst, the Panthers have a 2-0-2 record on the year and are well on their way to climbing out of the early-season hole they dug for themselves.
“We are definitely off to a better start in the new year,” said junior defender Tucker Donahoe ’12. “This weekend was big for us, especially the win over Amherst.” Donahoe himself had several big games in the past week, contributing three goals to the Panthers’ offensive production.
The weekend opened with a Friday night away game at Hamilton, who the Panthers had beaten in their past eight meetings. Although the Continentals grabbed the first goal of the night late in the first period, Middlebury answered back in the second and jumped to a 2-1 lead. Mathieu Dubuc ’13 followed up a rebound for the game-tying score, and Donahoe powered in a first-time shot to make it 2-1 Panthers.
Despite this momentum-changing second period, Middlebury fell victim to some critical defensive lapses that allowed Hamilton back into the game. In the third period the Continentals picked up two goals off of rebounds and leaped to a 3-2 lead. The Panthers redoubled their attack in the closing 10 minutes of the game, but a Middlebury goal that was disallowed meant that the Panthers had to settle for a tie when Martin Drolet ’12 netted the equalizer with 6:25 remaining. Drolet received NESCAC player of the week honors for his numerous offensive contributions, as he netted two goals and delivered three assists on the week.
“Against Hamilton we had some mental mistakes, but played well otherwise and pulled out a tie,” said Donahoe.
In Saturday’s game, a new, take-charge Panther squad took the ice determined to control the game from the outset. Thanks in large part to a phenomenal, 39-save performance from rookie goaltender Nick BonDurant ’14, Middlebury was able to live up to its expectations and emerge victorious despite a 40-32 shots advantage for the Lord Jeffs. Michael Griffin ’12 scored the Panthers’ first of the game, putting the team in the more comfortable position of defending an early lead rather than battling back from a deficit.
Soon after, the captains took charge of the game, as co-captain Charlie Strauss ’12 extended the lead when he finished off co-captain Ken Suchoski’s ’11 rebound. While the Lord Jeffs cut it to 2-1 shortly thereafter, the Panther defense refused to let them back in the game.
Dubuc added another goal in the second period off of a Drolet slapshot, and Jak Knelman ’12 sealed the game with an open-net goal in the final minute to send the Panthers home with a convincing victory. The game was a true team effort and a testament to the depth of the Panther team, which is unstoppable when firing on all cylinders. Middlebury will host two home NESCAC games this Friday and Saturday, so come to Kenyon, wear white and watch the Panthers continue their climb in the standings.
(01/13/11 5:01am)
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were in need of some fast times and a couple of wins coming into their first weekend of competition in 2011, as the teams held 1-3 and 0-4 records respectively. In their meets vs. Maine rivals Colby and Bates last weekend, the teams delivered just that, sweeping their NESCAC competitors and improving their standing in the division.
The men’s team defeated Colby on Saturday with a 219-58 blowout and followed up with another win on Sunday, topping Bates 185-109. The women’s team beat Colby 213-80 and Bates 188-110. The 4-0 weekend cast away any doubt that the team could not meet the lofty expectations set earlier in the season.
“Coming off one of our best training trips ever over winter break, I feel that the team has turned the corner and has now gained its focus as we head towards championship season,” said head coach Peter Solomon. “The effectiveness of our training and the team bonding that occurred in Florida has set the stage for an exciting second half of the season.”
The match-up against Colby had a unique sprint format and featured an event that the team has never competed in before –– the 4 x 100 yard Individual Medley Relay. Andie Tibbetts ’14 led the women’s team with the fastest split in the 100 IM for the season, finishing in 1:02.24. For the men’s team, John Dillon ’11 led the Panthers with a time of 55.19 seconds.
On Saturday, several Panthers had breakthrough swims against Colby. Katherine Loftus ’12 dropped almost five seconds from her 500-yard freestyle and Ethan Litman ’13 dropped six seconds in the same event on the men’s side. Both swimmers won their races, giving the Panthers an early lead that they would keep the rest of the day.
The women showed great depth in the 50-yard breaststroke, an event in which they took the top four places, and again in the 200-yard freestyle when four freshmen finished within a second of each other and the Panthers captured the top five finishes. They would go on to take the top four places in the 400-yard Individual Medley, posting some of the best times in the NESCAC so far this year.
According to Coach Peter Solomon, the best swim of the meet went to Mac Staben ’11 who “dazzled the crowd and his teammates with a surprise win in the 100-yard butterfly.” His time of 53.91 seconds was by far a personal best for Staben.
On Sunday, the Panthers faced a stronger Bates team and were still able to come out on top. The Bates women were neck-and-neck with Middlebury for the first half of the meet, but in the second half the talent and especially the depth of the Panthers proved to be the deciding factor as they posted sweeps of six of 10 events to begin the second half of the meet.
On the women’s side, the Panthers swept the 200-yard butterfly, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke, 500-yard freestyle and 200-yard IM. Jen Friedlander ’12 dropped seven seconds from her butterfly time, winning the event. Loftus led the women with six individual wins on the weekend, with Alexandra Edel ’14 and Nora Daly ’13 right behind her with five each.
For the men’s team, Dillon’s time of 51.92 in the 100-yard butterfly is currently the fastest time in the conference. Harry Anixter ’13 had a standout meet, with his times in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke already faster than his times from last year’s NESCAC Championships.
All-American Diver Gemma Collins ’12 led the way with four individual wins over the weekend. Her score of 270.90 for 1-meter on Saturday earned NCAA DIII consideration.
The Panthers dominated in the pool and are looking to build on their success at Hamilton on Saturday.
“It will be important to ride this momentum going forward as training intensifies throughout the rest of January,” said men’s captain Matt Vukich ’11.
(12/02/10 5:04am)
After a rocky season-opening weekend in which the Panthers lost to two mediocre NESCAC opponents, the men’s hockey team got down to business as they traveled to Plattsburgh, N.Y. to play in the competitive PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout Nov. 26-27. In its first two games of the season the team set disappointing precedents, getting shut out of the home opener for the first time since 1940 and dropping its first two contests for the first time in 17 years.
The weekend of Nov. 19-20, the Panthers lost to Tufts 3-0 and Conn. College 5-3, with both losses underscoring a similar story. Middlebury outshot its opponents by wide margins in both games, yet the offense failed to capitalize on power play opportunities. In Friday’s shutout loss, the Panthers had several opportunities to score in the third period, but could not find the back of the net, while Tufts scored an insurance goal then added another open-net shot when Middlebury pulled its goalie with three minutes left. Saturday’s game also could have gone either way, as the Panthers battled back to tie the game at 2 before letting it slip away in the third period.
Despite these initial setbacks, the Panthers rallied to deliver two impressive performances in the tournament held at Plattsburgh the following weekend. The day after Thanksgiving the team took on the top-ranked Div. III team in the country, Norwich, in a competitive match. The Panthers again struggled to take advantage of power plays, going 0-10 on the day, but John Yanchek ’11 delivered a stellar 30-save performance to keep the game close and the offense more or less matched the Cadets in shots, with Norwich holding a 33-27 advantage.
Middlebury certainly proved that it could keep pace with the best in the country on Friday, and Saturday the team finally translated this immense promise into results for the win column. The Panthers took on St. Johns of Minnesota in the consolation game, winning 2-1 thanks to a last-minute finish from co-captain Charlie Strauss ’11 to secure the team’s first win of the season.
The game started off on a promising note when first-year J.D. Vermette ’14 scored his first goal as a Panther eight minutes into the first period. The Panthers held the lead throughout the second period and dominated offensively –– Middlebury nearly doubled its opponents’ shot output, outshooting the Johnnies 41-22 on the game.
Nevertheless, a St. Johns power-play goal in the third period tied the game at one, with ten minutes remaining for Middlebury to answer. The Panthers kept up the offensive pressure and finally broke through with just 2:30 remaining, when Trevor Pollock ’13 assisted Strauss’ clutch goal to give Middlebury the 2-1 win.
“We’re looking to build off that win going into the upcoming road weekend vs. Southern Maine and the University of New England,” said forward Jak Knelman ’12. “As we approach the last game weekend before break, the team is focused and looking to build momentum going into the new year.”
The Panthers refuse to be derailed by the 1-3 start to the season, and are committed to working out the kinks in their game before the season kicks into full swing in January.
“We’re determined to get better and have been putting a stronger emphasis on finishing our scoring chances in practice, hoping it will translate into games,” said Tom Cantwell ’12. The Panthers have the chance to return to .500 with two road wins this weekend, and by Winter Term should be well poised for a return to their accustomed dominance.
(12/02/10 4:57am)
Though applications may continue to trickle in since the Nov. 15 Early Decision I deadline, data from the Office of Admissions reveals that the number of early applicants for the Class of 2015, 663, roughly equals numbers for the Class of 2014 and 2013 — 665 and 672, respectively.
This high number of ED I applicants, while unusual on the national level, is not an anomaly for the College’s Admissions Office. The College is often a national leader in the number of total ED applicants. In 2009, with the exception of one other institution, the College had the largest number of ED I and Early Decision II [ED II] applicants of any NESCAC college or peer institution.
At peer institutions, the average number of total ED I and ED II applicants ranges anywhere from 400 to 500. Between EDI and ED II applications, the College usually sees a combined total of anywhere from 600 to 1000 prospective students.
“For whatever reason, Middlebury seems to attract more early applicants [than other peer institutions]”, said Dean of Admissions Bob Clagett. “When students like Middlebury, they really like Middlebury.”
Despite the high numbers of ED applicants, according to Clagett, “the reality is, applying ED [to Middlebury] does not give a strategic advantage in being admitted.”
This is due to the College’s rigorous evaluation process.
“We don’t admit anyone early unless we are virtually certain that we would take them Regular Decision,” added Clagett.
Both the Class of 2013 and the Class of 2014 have a high percentage of students admitted through ED.
“We admitted about 45 percent of the class ED the last two years because the quality [of the students] was there [in the ED applicant pools],” said Clagett.
One concern that prospective applicants may have with the ED option is the question of financial aid. Students may wonder whether the amount of financial aid they receive would be different if they applied Regular Decision. While the ED option does prevent an applicant from comparing multiple financial aid packages from different institutions, Clagett emphasized that the amount of financial aid a student receives is completely non-contingent on when the applicant applies.
“The admissions and student financial services offices apply the same criteria for both ED and Regular Decision candidates when they are making admissions and financial aid decisions,” said Clagett.
Students admitted through ED also retain the option to take a gap year after they graduate from high school.
“[We are] encouraging the possibility of students considering taking a gap year,” said Clagett. “We [the Admissions Office] believe strongly that students who take a gap year can benefit greatly from doing so. Anything to get students to focus on what their education is really about.”
The admissions office spends the month following the Nov. 15 deadline reading and thoroughly evaluating the applications. The evaluation process is thorough and individualized.
“We [the admissions office] are in the middle of reading at this point,” said Clagett. “This is crunch time.”
The admissions office will go into committee after they have finished their initial readings of each application to discuss each applicant as a group.
ED I decisions will be mailed out on Dec. 10; however, there is also an electronic release, so most students will be able to access their decisions on the morning of Dec. 12.
After the Office of Admissions releases their ED I decisions, they will repeat the process again for the ED II and Regular Decision applicants. For both applicant pools, the College’s own supplement is due on Dec. 15 and the Common Application is due on Dec. 31. ED II applicants will be notified Feb. 12 and Regular Decision applicants will be notified on Mar. 26.
(11/18/10 5:08am)
The men’s soccer team has a flair for the dramatic, to say the least. Coming off a gripping shootout win in the NESCAC tournament final against Bowdoin, the Panthers eliminated their first two opponents in the Division III NCAA Tournament with game-winning goals coming inside the last 15 minutes of regulation.
Jon Portman’s ’13 top-corner blast sent Daniel Webster packing in the first round on Saturday, while on Sunday Tyler Macnee ’12 stunned William Paterson when he buried a cross from Brett Brazier ’13 with 55 seconds left in one of the most memorable moments in recent Middlebury soccer history. The team now advances to play Babson in the Sweet 16 this weekend, which will be hosted by Bowdoin College. While the late finishes certainly instilled a nervous feeling in the crowd of almost 500 that turned out for both games, coach Dave Saward said that the team handled the pressure well.
“My feeling has always been to try and take that ‘do or die’ mentality out of the equation in NCAA games and look upon it as another opportunity to play the game,” said Saward. “Obviously at the back of your mind is the fear of the season ending, but that cannot be the overriding mentality of the players.”
The squad was playing from behind in both of the games this weekend, with Saturday’s match proving to be a real wake-up call for the NESCAC champs.
Daniel Webster junior midfielder Alex Jackson shocked the Panthers with a shot from forty yards out just over a minute into the first-round game. The Eagles had a close chance to make it 2-0 15 minutes later, which would have dug the Panthers into a big hole early on.
“We were poor for 20 minutes of that game and Daniel Webster deserved what they got, albeit from a strike that would make the highlight reel for any pro league,” said Saward. “We were tentative and static, but getting the goal just before half time was a big emotional lift.”
Portman scored his first of two goals in the match in the 44th minute, as his shot deflected off a Daniel Webster defender past the diving goalkeeper. This much-needed emotional lift seemed to dictate the team’s play in the second half. The Panthers dominated time of possession and chances on goal, with Daniel Webster barely controlling the ball. Middlebury poured on 11 shots, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
“It is always frustrating to create chances yet be unable to find the final touch,” said Saward of the team’s persistent attack throughout the second half.
The Panthers finally thwarted Daniel Webster’s defensive tactic of keeping nine players behind ball when Portman launched an absolute rocket into the top-left corner from about 25 yards out for the go-ahead tally. Middlebury ended the game with a 20-4 shots advantage, and also a trip to the second round against William Paterson.
Paterson broke the scoreless deadlock with a goal from Ryan Miller coming late in the first half, at the 41st minute mark. The team was once again outplayed for much of the opening frame.
“Paterson was better than us in the first half and I thought they deserved the lead, although we had a couple of golden opportunities ourselves,” said Saward. “They were skilful going forward and we had a crucial injury to Tyler Smith ’14, which meant we had to adjust the center of our defense with Matt Martin ’12.5 coming back into the contest.” Martin played a steady game in back as the squad shut down Paterson for the remainder of the day.
The Panthers scored early in the second half, as Brazier scored an opportunistic goal to tie the game at 1-1 in the 53rd minute. The team held the advantage of play for the majority of the second half, surviving a few scares from a dangerous counter-attacking Paterson squad.
With only a few minutes left, the two teams looked destined for an extra-time finish. However, just as the one-minute warning was announced, Brazier drove to the net from the right side and slotted a cross to Macnee, who sealed the game with 55 seconds left.
“Winning a match like that so late in the game is very exhilarating for everyone,” said Saward. “Credit must go to the two players who created and scored that goal. First, Brazier’s move on the end line to split two defenders, and then the timing of Macnee’s run and emphatic finish. A great goal that will be remembered for a long time.”
The Panthers look to continue their winning ways against a talented Babson squad this Saturday at Bowdoin, with a trip to the elite eight on the line.
(11/18/10 5:06am)
Last Saturday, the Panthers finished the 2010 football season in style, beating the Tufts Jumbos (1-7) to improve to 4-4, salvaging a .500 season and sending the 17 seniors off with a win.
“It’s not everyday that you get to go out with some of your best friends, strap on a helmet and battle for a common goal,” said Andrew Plumley ’11 in a pre-game e-mail. “And knowing that this Saturday is the last time in your entire life that you get to do that is hard to describe. If we can go out this Saturday at home, play well and get a big win on our home turf for the last game of our careers –– that is really all that we could ask for.”
In the Panthers’ best performance of the season, they did exactly that, totaling 532 yards of offense in a dominant 42-20 win. After trailing 7-0 early in the first quarter and 14-7 after the end of the first period, the Panthers took a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Senior quarterback and co-captain Donnie McKillop ’11 was surgeon-like in his dissection of the Jumbos defense, completing 29 of 41 passes for six touchdowns and 339 yards. The six touchdowns, three of which went to junior wide receiver Matt Rayner ’12, gave McKillop the all-time Middlebury record for touchdowns in a game –– the one Panthers passing record he did not hold going into the game. McKillop finished the season with 319.5 yards passing per game, 19 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and a 61 percent completion rate. He was honored with the NESCAC offensive player of the week award for the second time this season.
It is hard to imagine, over a career filled with accolades and record-setting performances, that McKillop could have played his best game in his last start as a Panther. But anyone who attended Saturday’s game can attest to just how unstoppable number 16 was. It was not so much because he completed an unreal 70.7 percent of his passes or that he hardly made a mistake all game. Instead, MicKillop was at his best when he needed to be, connecting on six different occasions to three different receivers for touchdowns.
Nearly every play he made was highlight-worthy, but his 50-yard bomb to Rayner was nothing short of breath-taking. The touchdown pass came on the first play from scrimmage at midfield after the Panther defense created a crucial turnover. The senior from Poway, Ca. threw a beautiful touch pass that came down over the shoulder of his receiver, Rayner, who streaked into the end zone.
McKillop’s brilliance was mirrored in nearly every aspect of the game by his senior teammates. Running backs Gary Cooper ’11 and Plumley rushed for a combined 183 yards from scrimmage. For Cooper, who has struggled with multiple injuries since his freshman year, it was a career day, as he ran the ball 23 times for 123 yards. Tight end David Reed ’11, meanwhile, caught seven passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line, led by a senior-laden group, was equally impressive, opening up holes for the Panther running game and not allowing a sack.
On defense, senior co-captain Connor Green ’11 led the way, with 12 total tackles, three passes broken up and an interception that sealed the win for the Panthers with just less than three minutes remaining in the game. Linebacker Andrew Poulin ’11 also added eight tackles, finishing his season with a team-high 77 tackles.
“It was great to see the seniors play some of their best football in the final game,” said Bob Ritter. “That was even more enjoyable than the win, and the win was very enjoyable.”
The Panthers won the game with big plays on offense and defense, and also showed that there is a lot of up-and-coming talent in this football program. The receiving core led the way –– wide receivers Nick Resor ’12, Rayner and Zach Driscoll ’13 all had big games. Driscoll, just a sophomore, hauled in a touchdown pass to tie a team-high six touchdown receptions on the season. Defensively, Dan Kenerson ’13 gave a glimpse of the future with two interceptions, one of which was made on a spectacular diving play that set up a Panthers score.
At the end of the day, however, this was a win was for the seniors –– a group who started their careers as NESCAC champions and finished with a fantastic win.
(11/18/10 5:05am)
Men's Hockey
The men’s hockey team enters the 2010-2011 season with big shoes to fill. The team won the NESCAC crown last winter and is currently ranked fourth in the nation among Division III teams. This year the team is setting out to defend their title and preserve the prestigious reputation they won last year.
“People know we’re out there,” said co-captain Ken Suchoski ’11. “Last year was a high point for the team and we’re going to try and build on that this year.”
Despite graduating a standout class of seniors last year, the Panthers have been inundated with new talent, as they welcome 12 first-years to the squad, many of whom are capable of stepping in and making an immediate impact. The team spent much of preseason incorporating these new additions into the Middlebury hockey tradition, at the same time as they were training intensely to get back into prime hockey shape for the start of the season, which is this Friday’s home game vs. Tufts.
“It’s also a matter of the upperclassmen helping the new players transition from high school hockey to playing at the college level,” said Suchoski. “It’s important that the first-years become comfortable with our style of play.”
Middlebury’s hockey program has been steadily building its standing during the past few years, and is currently at an apex of success. The Panthers have won eight NESCAC championships and are regular participants in the NCAA tournament. Despite this impressive history of dominance, however, the team is keeping its sights set on the short term and consistently playing to the best of its ability. If they achieve this, needless to say, the scoreboard will take care of itself, and the Panthers will be poised to make another run at a national title.
“Obviously we want to go as far as we can,” said Suchoski, “but at the end of the day it’s about being the best team that we can be.”
–– Katie Siegner, Sports Editor
Women's Hockey
Last season, the Panthers’ season came to a heart-breaking end with a 4-OT loss to Trinity in the NESCAC semifinals, a game that proved to be the longest Division III women’s hockey game ever played. Despite the much-touted potential of the team, Middlebury fell short of a NESCAC title and an NCAA bid, and their season ended far sooner than they would have liked. This year, the Panthers are on a mission to turn their luck around.
“We’re sick of hearing about our ‘potential,’” said forward Jamie Harisiades ’12, “and we’re ready to act on it.”
The team returns a strong class of veterans with the skill and experience to lead the team to post-season glory, including last year’s leading scorer Anna McNally ’11. McNally and fellow forward Julia Ireland ’11 will captain the 2010-2011 squad. Meanwhile, a strong incoming class of six first-years should provide solid defensive options for the Panthers, as well as some sparks on offense.
“Everyone is looking really strong,” said Harisiades, and much of this strength is undoubtedly due to the team’s intense pre-season regimen. “Preseason went really well,” continued Harisiades. “We worked really hard in both off-ice training and practices.”
Middlebury is traditionally one of the top Division III hockey programs in the nation, and not just because of their record-setting 4-OT showdown with Trinity –– although the length of the game does demonstrate the impressive stamina of the Panther squad. The Panthers are ranked seventh nationally heading into the new season, and are gunning to knock their perennial rival Amherst out of the top spot. The two teams have a long history of crucial match-ups, well illustrated by the 2008-2009 season when Middlebury defeated Amherst for the NESCAC crown, but fell to the Lord Jeffs a week later in an NCAA match-up. The Panthers set out this season with high expectations to redeem their position as one of the top hockey teams in Division III.
–– Katie Siegner, Sports Editor
Women's Basketball
After back-to-back losing seasons, the Middlebury College women’s basketball team is optimistic about their chances to finish above .500 this year, which will see them return three of their top four leading scorers from last season, including Lauren Sanchez ’11, last year’s points leader for the Panthers and co-captain of the 2010-11 squad along with Allison Needham ’11. Other key returners for Middlebury include 5’11” forward Stephanie Surette ’12, who averaged 7.7 points and led the team with 8.2 rebounds per game last season, and guard Brittany Perfetti ’12, who was second on the team in scoring with 9.1 points per game and first on the team with 27 made three-point baskets.
Middlebury started fast last year, at one point ripping off six straight wins en route to a 8-4 start, including a 66-53 win over Bates in the teams’ NESCAC opener. However, the team sputtered from there, at times struggling offensively and losing nine of their last 11 games, finishing the season on a four-game losing streak in which they failed to score 60 points in any game. The final result was a 10-13 overall record, with a disappointing 2-8 record in NESCAC play.
For the second year in a row the Panthers will feature a relatively young roster. This year’s team, like last year’s, contains only two seniors, and will be looking for contributions from a bevy of new first-year players. This year’s roster will carry six rookies, including soccer star Scarlett Kirk ’14, a 5’9” guard. With a good mix of returning, experienced players and incoming first-year talent, the Panthers are very well poised to make a run in the NESCAC in their quest to make their first conference title game since 2002.
–– Dillon Hupp, Sports Editor
Men's Basketball
Last season, the Middlebury basketball team set a school record for wins (25), had a player go on to play professionally in Germany (former captain Tim Edwards ’10) and advanced to the NCAA regional finals, just missing the sweet 16 after a loss to the Rhode Island Anchormen. This season, the team is led by captains and returning starters Jamal Davis ’11, Andrew Locke ’11 and Ryan Wholey ’11 as well as Jeff Brown, entering his 14th as head coach of the team. Given this depth of experience, the bar is set even higher.
“Our goals and expectations for this season are high for sure,” said Jake Wolfin ’13, a guard for the team. “You’re always motivated to win a NESCAC championship.” This is a feat the team almost completed last year, losing to Williams in the NESCAC finals. Yet, with a taste of success in the NCAA tournament fresh in the team’s mind, their goals stretch beyond the NESCAC tournament. “We got our first-ever NCAA win in last year’s tournament,” said Wolfin. “We really want to be able to make a longer run in the tournament this year.”
The Panthers hope to emulate last year’s quick start, in which the team won its first 10 games as well as 17 of its first 18. They also hope to continue their success in NESCAC play, with only two conference losses last season, both at the hands of Williams. The team certainly has the height to compete with the NESCAC’s best once again, as the 6’10 center Locke is joined by 6’8” forward Ryan Sharry ’12, 6’7” forward Peter Lynch ’13 and 6’8” forward Jack Roberts ’14. With eight returning junior and senior varsity players, the team should have the leadership necessary to compete as well.
The Panthers open up their season at the UMass-Dartmouth Tournament Nov. 19-20, and host their home opener against Johnson State on Nov. 28. Upon students’ return from Thanksgiving Break, the team is widely expected to boast a 4-0 record.
–– Andrew Silver, Staff Writer
Men's Squash
The Middlebury men’s squash team is anticipating a breakout season in which they assert themselves as one of the top 15 teams in the nation. Last season the team repeated as the victors of the Summers Cup, establishing Middlebury as the top team in the C-draw of the national championship and good for 17th overall. This season, with a ladder featuring the return of the top three players from last year’s team and a strong class of freshmen, the Panthers expect to jump to the top of the B-draw (teams 9-16). Co-captain Brian Cady ’12 was bold in his predictions for the upcoming season.
“We will be moving toward the top of the NESCAC standings and jump past several B division teams in the process,” said Cady. “It is going to be a very exciting year for men’s squash.”
“Parker Hurst ’14 will play within the top three and Will Moore ’14 and Cooper Redpath ’14 will contribute in the middle of the lineup,” added co-captain Addi DiSesa ’12. “Chris Ivsin ‘14 and Trevor Truog ‘14 will also be vying for ladder spots.” The addition of these first-years creates significant competition for the nine spots on the ladder. They will battle the experience of DiSesa, Spencer Hurst ‘13, J.P. Garafolo’12 and Will Piekos ‘11 for playing time, while supplementing last season’s top three of Valentin Quan ’12, Jay Dolan ’13 and Cady. With two returning players who earned all-NESCAC honors last season, the Panthers are guaranteed to have formidable star power at the top of the ladder. DiSesa is certain that the competition all the way down the rest of the ladder will bring out the best in the team, and, like his co-captain, does not shy away from bold statements.
“This is easily the best team in Middlebury men’s squash history,” proclaimed DiSesa. If the captains’ premonitions prove to be true, the team could potentially break into the rankings of the nation’s top 10 teams this winter.
–– Brooks Coe, Sports Editor
Women's Squash
The women’s squash team has lofty expectations for the 2010-2011 season, which opens the first weekend in December with four matches at the Wesleyan Round Robin. While the first match is still weeks away, the women’s team has already turned some heads in the world of college squash.
When the College Squash Association released its preseason national rankings on Nov. 3, the placement of the Panthers in the number 11 position to start the year surprised many, and most likely motivated the team’s bitter rivals, Bates, Amherst and Mount Holyoke. After finishing the 2009-2010 season as the 14th-ranked team in the nation, Middlebury’s improvement to the 11th spot is a great accomplishment and reflects the potential of this year’s squad.
Co-captains Virginia Shannon ’11 and Kathryn Bostwick ’12 see the high ranking as a standard for the season, and believe an influx of new talent will help the Panthers get the job done in 2010-2011.
“We have so many new first-years who will add to the depth of an already strong team,” Shannon said. “Our goal is to achieve to our preseason ranking and I think that we can do that.”
This season, the Panthers welcome several new players, many of whom will play near the top of the ladder. Additionally, Elena Laird ’11.5, who transferred from Bowdoin last spring after playing number one on the ladder for the Polar Bears from 2008 to 2009, is expected to play within the top three.
These new faces will join an already formidable line-up, including Shannon, Bostwick, Al Boillot ’12, Jamie Burchfield ’12, Sarah DeCamp ’12, Lindsay Becker ’13, Molly Hubbard ’13 and Annie Ulrich ’13. Despite an injury to highly-touted first-year Bailey Marshall ’14, all of these players should combine to form the strongest Middlebury women’s squash team in the program’s history.
–– Addi DiSesa, Staff Writer
Swimming & Diving
Coming off one of their best performances in over a decade at the NCAA Division III championships last March, the Panthers are back in the pool this winter looking to build on the tremendous success they had last year. Led by coach Peter Solomon, the men’s team finished with a 4-5 record during last year’s meet season, and came in fourth place at the NESCAC championship before traveling to Minnesota and capturing seventh place at the national championships. John Dillon ’11 earned All-American honors in four events, shattering both school and NESCAC records. The women’s team ended the meet season with a strong 7-2 record, finished third at NESCACs, and earned an 11th-place finish in the national tournament. Meagan Collins ’12 broke the school three-meter diving record and earned All-American honors for her performance.
This year’s team will be led by experienced coaches –– men’s coach Solomon is currently embarking upon his 14th season and women’s coach Lisa Gibbs is beginning her 13th –– as well as senior captains Dillon, Kevin Glatt ’11, Matthew Vukich ’11, Annie Friedlander ’11 and Emily Whitaker ’11. Though last year’s seniors will surely be missed, the Panthers welcome a corps of very talented and determined freshman. These swimmers could be seen bonding during orientation week and have become very close leading up to the start of the season. The season officially started on Nov. 1, but the swimmers have been training together since September either in small groups or in practices led by team captains.
“We hope to keep the momentum that we established last season and continue our climb up the NESCAC and NCAA rankings,” said coach Solomon. “We certainly have the talent and depth to do so, but a lot will depend on the team chemistry and how the team pulls together in the months ahead. Based on the attitudes and work ethic that I’ve seen in the first two weeks of the season, I predict that we will once again surprise a few schools when it comes time for our championship season.”
–– Kevin Yochim, Staff Writer
(11/18/10 5:05am)
When Jeanne Brink enrolled as a business student at the Vermont College of Norwich University in her late 30s, she never thought she’d graduate to become an Abenaki basket weaver. Balancing her job as a full-time secretary and mother of three children, Brink soon found her business courses unfulfilling.
“Even in my late 30s I didn’t know what I wanted to be,” she said. “It’s never too late to change your focus.”
A contemporary Native American literature course led her to do exactly that. Upon taking the class, Brink, a 66- year-old resident of Barre, left the business track to embrace her Abenaki heritage and become one of Vermont’s most active preserverst of Abenaki culture.
“Before I went back to college, I was a person who sat in the corner and didn’t say anything,” Brink said. “I went back to school and found I had a voice. Going to college changed my whole focus, so that my life now is totally Abenaki.”
Before this life changing turn, Brink’s only connection to her Abenaki background was her grandmother. Born on the Odanak reservation in Canada, a cultural hub home to almost 500 Abenaki, Brink’s grandmother was a master basket-maker and one of the last fluent speakers of the Abenaki language. Despite the immediate contact she had with her roots, Brink was discouraged from publicly identifying as a Native American.
“I knew that basket-making had been in my family, but it skipped my mother’s generation,” Brink said. “My grandmother wanted them to be acculturated. It was not a good thing to be a Native American. A lot of Native Americans hid the fact that they were Native Americans. A lot of the Abenaki married non-native so their children could pass for white.”
The Vermont eugenics movement, a social and political campaign that came to a head in the 1920s with the Eugenics Survey of Vermont led by University of Vermont Professor of Zoology Henry Perkins, inflicted much of this pressure. Eugenics, the pseudo-science made notorious by the Nazis, advocates the use of practices meant to improve the genetic composition of the human species.
Such practices have included human experimentation, racial hygiene (a.k.a. selective breeding) and extermination of “undesired” groups. Vermont eugenicists advocated sexual sterilization, colonies for the “feeble-minded” and institutionalization of the bearers of “bad genes.”
One of Vermont’s darkest legacies, the eugenics movement sought to maintain what one proponent called the “quality of the human stock” by managing Vermont’s “underclass” through social planning, education and reproductive control. Several Abenaki families, considered “gypsies,” were one of the targeted groups of the survey, according to several sources.
Brink is a part of a new generation of Abenaki who take pride in their heritage and spread public awareness of their traditions, a 180-degree switch from the perspectives of past generations.
After earning her master’s degree, Brink immersed herself in language study. Seeking guidance, she turned to Dr. Gordon Day, an ethnologist who had spent 40 years documenting the dying Abenaki language.
Brink spent six months in Ottawa helping compile an Abenaki-English dictionary and ultimately co-authored an Abenaki language guide with Dr. Day. Today, Brink’s work documenting and teaching the language is critical for its survival as there are currently only about 10 fluent speakers.
Brink then began pursuing her family’s traditional art and trade: basket making. “At first, I was trying to teach myself, which is not a good idea,” Brink said.
However, the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, an opportunity offering intense study with masters of various arts from a spectrum of cultures, provided the guidance she needed.
Brink spent two years as an apprentice to a master basket-maker and master pow-wow dancer. Now a master in both of these arts herself, she dedicates her time to passing on her expertise to her own apprentices. She has mentored over 15 students over the past 15 years, and she conducts language studies with about 20 students and leads workshops on traditional dance.
“What I’m trying to do is to educate people about Abenaki culture and traditions, so that they might see that Abenaki are not scary people,” Brink said. “We’re trying to preserve our culture and our language. If you don’t do any educating, no one’s ever going to know.”
Brink has shouldered a daunting task. The Abenaki community is not only geographically fragmented, spread across the northeast and Canada in isolated pockets; they are also politically divided.
Many groups are currently embroiled in a fiery controversy over the rights to claim legitimate genealogical connection to the Abenaki. Some parties claim that the heritage of many Abenaki is not Abenaki at all, but rather French-Canadian or a different branch of the Algonquin nation. What it means to be Abenaki has become unclear and arguable.
“It’s not all this movie stuff,” she said. “[Abenaki living on the reservations] have their own problems and their own disagreements within the community. It’s not all cohesiveness.”
The fact that the federal government does not recognize the Abenaki as a discrete Native American tribe further complicates the situation.
Despite the controversies, the geographical obstacles and the ever-shrinking elder generation, Brink fights on, connecting with Abenaki groups in weekend workshops and week-long retreats.
“I feel very hopeful,” he said. “I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t. I can say there are 15 more basket makers now than there were 15 years ago.”
Brink had a bit of advice for any soon-to-be-graduates clueless as to what they want to do after college: “There’s a saying: you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know from where you came. And that’s very true. Look into your cultural background, you’re cultural history and it can help point you to where you need to go in the future.”
(11/11/10 5:27am)
Head coach Bob Ritter and the Middlebury Panthers got back in the victory column on Saturday, beating Hamilton 30-26, improving to 3-4 and keeping their hopes for a .500 season alive. The Panthers win marked their first and only road win of the season.
“Getting a win on the road was nice,” said Ritter. Though the Panthers never trailed in the game, it had its share of dramatic plays. The Panthers made game-changing plays in every phase of the game. The special teams were, in a word, special. Led by kicker Anthony Kuchan ’11, who connected on three of four field goals, and highlighted by defensive back Jared Onouye’s ’14 blocked punt, the Panthers’ special teams play was pivotal to the team’s victory.
“[Special teams play was] huge,” said Ritter. “Onouye blocked the punt that set up the score. It was a big play that changed the momentum of the game. Anthony made a couple huge field goals. The 37-yarder in the fourth quarter let us cushion a lead and secure the win.”
On the first Panther drive of the game, Kuchan finished a 15-play, 85-yard drive by drilling a 21-yard field goal through the uprights. While the special teams continued to make big plays throughout the game, none was bigger than the play that Onouye made with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, when he blocked the Continentals’ punt. The Panthers recovered at the Continentals 24-yard line and after a 19-yard completion to Nick Resor ’12, quarterback and co-captain Donald McKillop ’11 found tight end David Reed ’11 in the end zone for a five-yard score.
Leading 10-0, the Panthers had a chance to extend their lead to 13-0, but Kuchan failed to connect from 23-yards out –– a rare miss for the senior who leads the NESCAC with 10 field goals and is second in the division with a .833 conversion percentage. Quarterback Jordan Eck led the Continentals on a 10-play 80-yard scoring drive on the subsequent possession that pulled Hamilton within three. The Panthers got the ball back with just over three minutes left in the second quarter and McKillop methodically drove the Panthers into field goal range where Kuchan atoned for his earlier miss by converting a 29-yard try and extending the lead to 13-7 at the half.
After a McKillop interception and two stalled drives to start the second half for Middlebury, defensive back and co-captain Connor Green ’11 made one of the decisive plays of the game. With the Continentals trailing 13-7 and driving with the ball into Middlebury territory, Green intercepted Eck at the Panthers 44-yard line and returned it 33 yards to the Continentals 23-yard line. McKillop found Zach Driscoll ’13 on the next play for a 23-yard touchdown to increase the Panthers lead to 20-7.
“That was nice to get points off the punt block and points off the turnover,” said Ritter, who knows all too well the struggles his team has had trying to convert big plays into points.
The Continentals responded immediately, however, driving 65 yards on 11 plays in under six minutes to pull within six points on running back James Stanell’s touchdown run from four-yards out.
Middlebury’s counterpart Andrew Plumley ’11, however, was just as good. On the ensuing drive, the senior from Burlington finished a five-play, 58-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run in which he broke multiple tackles to reach the end zone. The play before the touchdown run, Plumley, who has been a crucial part of the passing offense this season, caught a short screen pass that he turned up field for 19 yards. On the day the senior finished with 69 yards rushing and 58 yards receiving, and 80 of his 127 all-purpose yards came in the second half.
“He was great,” said Ritter. “We hit him on a couple screen passes that he converted into some big yards in a couple key situations. He did a great job finding the seams that the offensive line opened for him.”
While the first half and much of the third quarter had been dominated by each team’s defensive units, the last quarter of the game turned into a back-and-forth affair as the Continentals matched the Panthers score for score, not allowing them to extend and maintain a two-score lead. After the Panthers took a 27-14 lead on the Plumley touchdown run, the Continentals marched down the field, finding the end zone after a 12 play, 72-yard drive that culminated with another touchdown run from Stanell.
Now leading 27-20 after the Continentals failed to convert the point after try, the Panthers put together a drive of their own on 3rd and 8 from the Hamilton 18-yard line that nearly resulted in another Middlebury touchdown, but instead, the Panthers were flagged for offensive pass interference and what had appeared to be a possible game-clinching touchdown was instead 3rd and 23 from the Hamilton 33-yard line. Now in need of someone to step up and make a play to cushion the one-score lead, Middlebury got exactly that from wide-out Matt Rayner ’12 who picked up 16 yards on a shallow drag route, setting up Kuchan for a 34-yard field goal to send the lead back to a 10 for the Panthers.
Kuchan’s field goal proved crucial as the Continentals put together another impressive drive. Eck led Hamilton on an eight-play 85-yard drive in just over three minutes which ended with another Stanell touchdown.
After Hamilton once again failed to convert the extra point, they attempted to recover an onside kick with 2:34 remaining in the game. The ball only traveled eight yards and the Panthers recovered. To ice the game, however the Panthers still had to pick up a first down. The Panthers faced a crucial 4th down and three from the Hamilton 31-yard line with the game on the line. Coach Bob Ritter put the ball in the hands of the most accomplished quarterback in NESCAC history, trusting McKillop to put the game out of reach. He did just that, finding Matt Rayner for a seven-yard reception that allowed the Panthers to kneel the ball to run the clock out.
Offensively, McKillop led the Panthers once again, passing for 359 yards on 30 completions in 46 attempts with two touchdowns and one interception. Resor led all receivers with 10 catches for 146 yards receiving.
“Nick Resor had a great day,” said Ritter. “Those 10 catches –– a majority of those were to pick up first downs or take us down to the goal line. He made some clutch plays.”
Defensively, Andrew Poulin ’11 led the way again for the Panthers with 12 total tackles and a sack.
“He had a great day,” Ritter said, “and actually had a couple tackles where if he doesn’t make them they’re going to be big plays for them.”
This weekend the Panthers host the Jumbos of Tufts (1-6) in what will be the final game of McKillop’s historic career as a Middlebury Panther.
“It’s going to be an air-show on Saturday,” said Ritter. “Both teams like to air it out, both teams have very good quarterbacks, so it’s going to be a fun game to be a part of.”
(11/11/10 4:55am)
During its meetings on Nov. 2 and 8, Community Council reviewed the Public Safety Department’s role on campus, as well as policies surrounding student print quotas and the party registration process.
On Nov. 2, the Council hosted Associate Dean of the College and Director of Public Safety Lisa Boudah along with Assistant Director of Public Safety Dan Gaiotti to address concerns about vandalism, party registration and parking, among other topics.
They also discussed the sober friend policy, which is now in its second year. The policy states that if an intoxicated student cannot care for him or herself but an officer determines that the student does not require immediate medical attention, the officer will then encourage the student to reach out to a sober friend to offer care. Boudah and Gaiotti felt that this system has been working well.
The officers emphasized the importance of the awareness of this policy among Residential Life staff in the wake of the closing of the Health Center at night.
In order to address the problem of vandalism, the Council expressed a need to emphasize peer-to-peer responsibility among students. The Council stressed the importance of students notifying offices about any issue both to maintain the integrity of the community and to avoid fines to a large group of students.
During its Nov. 8 meeting, the Council hosted Dean of Library and Information Services (LIS) Mike Roy to discuss the financial concerns surrounding student print quotas. Under the current policy, first-years, sophomores and juniors can print 500 pages per semester free of charge, while seniors are allotted 1,000 pages. After exceeding their quota, students are charged five cents per single-sided page. All unused pages are rolled over from the previous semesters.
Roy explained that these quota numbers were developed to cover 80 percent of a student’s printing.
“We built it around the premise that students would pay for 20 percent of their printing, assuming they printed at the same level,” said Roy.
Roy estimated that this would average a student cost of $10 per semester. However, since implementing the policy last spring, pages printed dropped from eight million in the 2008-2009 academic year to six million 2009-2010 academic year, thereby shrinking LIS’s estimated student contribution to 10 percent.
Students on financial aid can contact student financial services to seek approval for supporting additional printing costs. The awarded aid is handled on a case-by-case basis.
“I think it’s good that we don’t keep it that cut-and-dry and that we try to treat each case carefully,” Dean of the College and Council Co-Chair Shirley Collado remarked. “We want students to feel comfortable reaching out to student financial services for help and approval if they need it.”
The Council then consulted Associate Dean of Students Doug Adams on the issue of party registration. Council member Zach Hitchcock ’13 expressed concerns over the reoccurring issue of Public Safety often breaking up parties on campus. The Council also sought to clarify the specific nature of the shared responsibility between Public Safety and the party host.
“Significant responsibility is placed on the student hosting the party,” explained Adams.
Social hosts, students responsible for hosting a registered party, must complete a Party Registration Workshop. These workshops must be completed annually and are held weekly during the first six weeks of school and every other week afterwards. In accordance with Vermont state law, hosts must live where the parties are being hosted and maintain a guest list. Crowd Management training is necessary for hosts of parties with 50 or more students.
Adams pointed out that the College is the only higher education institution in Vermont that allows students to host registered parties on campus, as all other campuses are officially dry.
Adams expressed a desire to make the party registration system more accessible to students, and explained that he was currently working on this with Residential Programs Coordinator Lee Zerrilla. Adams also mentioned that they were examining the possibility of an online party registration system.
Dean Collado expressed an interest in centralizing the party registration process, which is currently spread across the Center for Campus Activities and Leadership (CCAL), Event Management and Public Safety.
The Council’s upcoming agenda includes discussion of a campaign to address the problem of disappearing dishes from the dining halls, College hazing policy, sexual harassment policy and gender-neutral housing.
(11/11/10 4:51am)
The past month has been an important one for the Solar Decathlon (SD). From being chosen as the lucky recipients of the Senior Class Gift, to a successful open house over Homecoming weekend, to the recently-updated blog and website, the team has made strides both large and small.
The landscaping plan for the house is nearing completion, with those involved working to decide upon the plants that will be used and focusing on the features of the greenhouse, looking to make it productive in the cold Vermont winters that the house is designed to deal with. The team is also planning to harvest maple from the College forest for the house’s floors, using our natural Middlebury resources to both help the development of the house and tie it to the school from which it came. These details show just how much progress the team is making, as choosing them brings the house that much closer to a finalized plan and eventually to its construction. This will be helped along by the recently decided J-term and spring courses. These classes, while they are somewhat hidden in the course catalog, are open to all students. They are a great way to learn about the project and get involved while receiving course credit.
In other November news, Greenbuild, an international conference in Chicago held Nov. 17-19, will be an important event for four SD team members. Kris Williams ’11, Katie Romanov ’11.5, Abe Bendheim ’10.5, and Aaron Kelly ’13 plan to make the trip, funded by the generosity of a donor. Between learning about emerging green technologies and building materials, a Middlebury friends and alumni fundraising event on Nov. 18 and a meeting with an architecture firm there, the visit looks to be a great way to make connections, fundraise and learn from world-renowned experts in green fields.
Another essential November date is the Nov. 23 submission of the Design Development Deliverable. The deliverable is a 3-dimensional computer rendering of the Middlebury SD house, created using Building Information Modeling software. The model must have 80 percent of the exterior and interior features confirmed and displayed, from colors and appliances to the house’s siding. It works like a virtual tour; one must be able to look at any room in the house from any angle. While the design can change from this model, the deadline exists to force Solar Decathlon participants to detail their plans. In order to make the deadline, the Middlebury team has begun having Saturday work parties from 10 to 4. Fueled by Ramunto’s food, everyone gets down to business.
Sarah Franco ’08, who is a Special Projects Coordinator at Middlebury, has also joined the team to lend her guidance. She has worked hard on a social media strategy plan for 51 Main’s communications effort. In a world where social media is becoming increasingly more important by the day, having Sarah there to help us strategize is key. They estimate that Facebook has over 500 million users today, and Twitter has an unprecedented 145 million registered users as of September. It’s not as important to reach every user as it is to use the platforms to raise awareness for us. The beauty of the internet is that users can come together over things that they find interesting. If we’re lucky, people will come together over the Middlebury SD team in the coming weeks, which will not only help us fundraise and show our events and progress, but also make Middlebury people, from those on campus to those in the “real” world, united by the project as a common ground. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at MiddSD!
(11/11/10 4:06am)
From Oct. 15-19, native Vermont artist Sabra Field ’57 watched her mural “Cosmic Geometry” come to life on the back wall of the Wright Memorial Theater.
Initiated by Kate Lupo ’10, “Cosmic Geometry” stands as the first outdoor mural in Middlebury history.
Lupo initially proposed the project to President of the College Ronald Liebowitz in September 2009.
“As a student at Middlebury I had always seen the wall and thought that it was right for a work of art — for a mural. So as a senior I said, after all these years of thinking that there should be a mural on that wall, I want to actually do something about it. And there was absolutely no question in my mind that it had to be a Sabra Field,” said Lupo, a fan of Field’s work prior to the project.
After Field ’57 had accepted to work on the project, Lupo contacted the Brooklyn-based hand-paint wallscape company Colossal Media Group, who would eventually bring to life Field’s 16 original linoleum cuts.
The project cost a total of $23,000, half of which was funded by the Middlebury Committee on Art in Public Places. The other half was raised through fundraising done by Field’s friends from the Middlebury class of ’57 and a $500 DoSomething.org grant received by Lupo herself.
“I love [working] big, and as a printmaker with a press capable of taking [only] 30 by 50 inches, I like a larger opportunity,” said Field of working on her first mural project.
Field, a prominent Vermont printmaker best known for her depictions of landscapes, drew the inspiration for “Cosmic Geometry” from the Hungarian artist Gyorgy Kepes, whom she discovered during her stay at Wesleyan University for graduate school.
“He brought back to this country, after he escaped from World War II, a more European attitude towards art, and it just clicked with me. He was very excited by the new opportunities [in art] due to micro and macro photography [as well as] beginning to see patterns in the universe that had been dimly perceived by science and math but now were made visible,” said Field.
The mural itself, which covers a majority of the surface of the Wright Theater’s back wall, is composed of 16 square images composed in a four-by-four grid.
“Over the period of a few years I took a lot of the ideas that had been germinating in my mind and organized them in a way that there [became] four quartets and a fifth in the middle,” said Field.
Field groups the pictures according to four phenomenon — spiraling, tiling, branching and scaling — that exist across the cosmos. The fifth quartet, which is comprised of one image from each phenomenon, represents the intuitive reflection of nature in man-made creations.
In the upper-left hand corner the viewer sees the phenomenon of spiraling: one image depicts the spiral nebula that is seen in space, next to it the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction that occurs in a Petri dish, below it the spiraling horn of a mountain goat and in the last the ionic column of classical architecture.
In the upper-right hand corner is the phenomenon of tiling.
“The honeycomb is probably the easiest to understand, but [tiling] also exists in the bubble pattern — you see it in the bathtub — as well as in the in the interior of the Pantheon, which you know the architect was intuiting the same kind of architecture that the honeybee makes,” said Field.
The bottom-left quartet reflects the phenomenon of branching, some of which Field observed in her own Vermont garden.
“The most obvious is the squash leaf, and I just took a leaf out of my garden and rolled it up with a brayer and printed it, and that was the preliminary drawing for that [image],” she said.
Along with the squash leaf is the electric spark, an image from a space shuttle that reveals branching on the Earth’s surface, and the Italian Duomo, or Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiori.
In the bottom-right quartet representing the phenomenon of scaling, Field depicts, among other images, a fish and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry.
“You know, Gehry used to walk with his granny to the fish market to buy carp, and she’d bring them back alive, put them in the bathtub, and little Frank would watch the things spiraling around. So, the scales of that fish intuitively became his way to put a cladding on that wonderful building,” said Field.
Both Lupo and Field are proud of “Cosmic Geometry,” which Field attributes to “50 years of thinking and doing.”
“I knew it would look incredible on the wall because the gridded form was so complementary to this huge monolithic surface,” said Lupo.
For Field, though, “Now it’s an old boyfriend.”
(11/11/10 2:12am)
Despite the effects of the economic downturn in the past two years, the Middlebury Initiative has raised approximately $338 million and is well on its way to its goal of $500 million.
The Initiative is a fundraising campaign that is designed to raise money for the priorities of the College. The money raised consists of donations made by alumni, parents, faculty and others.
This iteration of the Initiative in particular is focused on raising money for global opportunities and global outreach, according to Associate Vice President for Development in the College Advancement Office Risé Wilson.
“Our tag-line is really ‘Liberal arts, global action,’” said Wilson.
First, collected money is spent on students and faculty through things such as financial aid and paychecks. Once these areas have been covered, the rest of the money is put toward advancing the College’s commitment to sustainability and other environmental goals, expanding the C.V. Starr Schools Abroad, expanding programs at the Language Schools over the summer and supporting students in applying their liberal arts education globally through internships and research.
The Initiative began in 2005 and was publicly announced and launched in the fall of 2007, but the recent economic downturn has delayed the $500 million goal.
“We are probably anticipating June of 2014” as the date the College will reach $500 million, said Wilson. “Originally we were hoping 2012. We think we probably lost about two years because of the economic downturn, so it will probably take an additional two years. But time will tell.”
Specifically, the College saw a decrease in the number of donors willing to make multi-year commitments. Long-term gifts are less common because people are unsure of where the economy will be in the years to come.
However, recent months have seen donors increasingly willing to consider making long-term gift commitments. President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz has worked hard to continue to encourage donors to make these long-term pledges to the College.
“I’ve taken more trips in the last 18 months than in the previous 18 months,” he said. “I would say that in the last six to nine months the prospects that I see — those in the top of the giving spectrum — are much more willing to have gift discussions. So it’s getting better and I’m optimistic.”
Liebowitz is not the only one who has worked to keep funds high. In order to accommodate those who would normally be long-term donors, members of the College Advancement Office accept a donation for the year, but ask to continue conversation with the donor later in the year in hopes to encourage them to continue donating.
These are all tactics for higher-end donors, but the College also has a continued focus on smaller donations that help with participation and really add up.
In light of the recessed economy, the Initiative has needed to be flexible, but this seems not to have shaken the attitudes of those in the College Advancement office. Though the date of completion for the Initiative has been pushed back, the mindset of those leading the campaign is focused on the successes of the fundraising instead of the difficulties.
“Certainly the downturn in the economy for two years has made fundraising more difficult,” said Wilson. “The climate has changed and probably changed forever. So really we feel more strongly about the impact that the money we have raised will have than about reaching a certain dollar goal. So we certainly want to reach $500 million, and we will, it’s just a matter of how long that will take.”
(11/11/10 2:10am)
On Nov. 1, the Senior Committee unveiled this year’s senior class gift. After deliberating between three possible candidates, the class voted to donate the $100,000 gift to the Solar Decathlon project.
The other two potential recipients for this year’s class gift were the organic garden and student internships. According to Assistant Director of Annual Giving Jennifer Conetta, had the money gone to the Middlebury College Organic Garden, it would have funded the “construction and establishment of a building that would house equipment and contain a produce packing and washing area and a refrigerated
cooler.”
Conetta also said that the money that would have gone to support student internships would have established “an endowed Class of 2011 fund to support unpaid student internship stipends.
“The fund would have provided student stipends of varying amounts to students participating in an unpaid internship,” she said.
According to Conetta, the process of selecting the recipient of the gift remains the same from year to year. Each year, she said, “the Senior Committee brainstorms possible gift ideas”, which they generate by speaking to their friends and peers about their own personal interests and what they believe would be in the best interest of the class as a whole. Then, after researching these ideas, students present each idea to the Committee as a whole for discussion, and then vote on which three ideas should be presented to the senior class. Finally, the three gifts are put to an anonymous class-wide vote.
This year’s gift will be dedicated to the memory of three classmates: Nick Garza ’11, Pavlo Kevkiv ’11 and Ben Wieler ’11. Later in the year, the senior class will vote on which aspect of the project will be dedicated to these students. The Class will announce its decision about the gift at the 200 Days party this Saturday, Nov. 6.
The College’s Solar Decathlon team is the first liberal arts college team to compete in the United States Solar Decathlon, a competition that has been held by the Department of Energy (DOE) since 2002. According to the DOE website, every two years the department “challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive.” The houses must “be affordable, attractive and easy to live in; maintain comfortable and healthy indoor environmental conditions; [supply] energy to household appliances for cooking, cleaning and entertainment; [provide] adequate hot water; [and produce] as much or more energy” than they consume. Teams spend about two years creating houses to show in the competition, which is held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The Solar Decathlon team has been selected as a finalist in the 2011 competition. It is currently in the process of designing and building a New England farmhouse for the 21st century — one that is made “for the Vermont climate” and “combines the best aspects of a traditional New England farmhouse with the efficient technologies of today,” according to the group’s website. The group says that, while its long-term goal for the farmhouse is to “inspire people to adopt a comfortable, healthy, green lifestyle,” for its home to have real meaning, it “needs to inspire changes in how everyone makes, uses, and transports energy.”
Ultimately, the project will cost about $500,000; prior to receiving the class gift, the team managed to raise almost $55,000 through donations from members of the community.
(11/11/10 1:38am)
Recently the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) surveyed the student body in order to gather input on the status of social life at the College.
Led by President Maria Perille ’10, MCAB released a questionnaire requesting input on the general quality of MCAB events for the first time in five years. The goal of the survey was to see what students like about the organized events and to see how MCAB could change for the better. Using the results of this survey, MCAB hopes to create the best social atmosphere for students as possible.
According to Perille, “The survey was a representative survey of the student body because we got an even distribution of participants. There was about an equal number of freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors that completed it.” About 500 students in total responded to the survey. It was comprised of questions that ranged from the very basic ones like how many times a week students go out to specific ones about aimed at pinpointing students’ favorite spots for MCAB events.
“In general, more students are satisfied with both the numbers and types of social events on campus than not,” said Perille. Over 80 percent of the students who responded to the survey are satisfied or better with the overall social scene that they experience on campus, and a large majority of students enjoy the variety of events which MCAB provides.
A few of the responses to the survey questions merely confirmed what MCAB already suspected. For example, Friday and Saturday are the best nights to have the bigger and more popular social events because the majority of campus goes out twice a week and it overwhelmingly tends to be on these nights.
The results for the questions about the best location for a social event surprised the activities board. According to the survey, the greatest number of students like events held in McCullough Student Center.
“This year there has been a big effort to try new social spaces,” said Perille. “However, McCullough appears to be the most popular. People love the classic venue.”
Students also enjoy traditional MCAB events. The survey results show strong support for events such as Homecoming and Winter Carnival. Concerts are also popular events, as are the dances and themed parties.
Since concerts tend to be the most popular events on campus, MCAB paid special attention to questions about the variety of on-campus concerts. Over 50 percent of the students who responded would prefer to see one to two big concerts at Pepin Gynmasium or Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena rather than a greater number of smaller shows in locations such as McCullough Student Center or the Grille. The most popular genre of music that students would like to see in live events is indie rock. Alternative rock and pop rock were a close second and third in popularity.
According to the survey, the genre of music is the most important factor for students in determining whether or not to attend a concert.
Popular alternative events include the variety shows and the movies that MCAB organizes. The variety shows can range from student organization performances to outside comedians brought in for a special occasion. The students would like to see an increase in the quality of comedians being brought in. Students also feel that hypnotists and dance troupes are fun and popular alternatives as well.
With this survey, MCAB is opening up the possibilities for social life here on campus. With the responses they received, MCAB hopes to better cater to the wants of the student body.
“We can make a conscious effort [with the results],” said Perille.
As MCAB continues to plan for the rest of the academic year, Perille explained that they will definitely take the results of this survey into account.
(11/10/10 10:10pm)
Vermont’s political scene is heating up in the midst of preparations for the upcoming gubernatorial general election, set for Nov. 2. Incumbent Republican Governor Jim Douglas ’72, who has held that post for the last eight years, chose not to run again this year. The battle is between Republican Brian Dubie and Democrat Peter Shumlin.
Shumlin fought hard for his nomination and beat fellow Democratic candidate Doug Racine by a mere 197 votes. Racine demanded a recount before he conceded. The three other Democratic candidates, Susan Bartlett, Matt Dunne and Deborah Markowitz also competed for the nomination.
According to Vermont Public Radio’s (VPR) most recent poll from Oct. 12, Dubie has 44 percent of the votes, while Shumlin is right behind him with 43 percent of the population’s support.
“We are looking at a very close race in the final two weeks of the campaign,” said Eric Davis, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the College, who was interviewed by Vermont Public Radio. “The two candidates are basically within the margin of error.”
This means that both candidates have a roughly four-point margin where their support will either increase or decrease. Polls indicate that Shumlin has 41 percent of the population in his favor and 30 percent against in Vermont, while Dubie has 50 percent in his favor and 33 percent expressly against.
“There are still roughly 20 to 25 percent of the people surveyed who either are neutral towards the two candidates or in a few instances don’t even recognize their names,” said Davis.
About eight percent of the population is still undecided, which gives both candidates a final opportunity to influence and convince voters to support their campaign.
Davis, along with Kate Duffy, the communications director for Dubie, believes that the independent voters will decide the race. Dubie currently has 49 percent support from the independents, while Shumlin has 33 percent. Davis said that Shumlin needs at least 40 percent of the independents’ votes in order to win the election.
Jenny Wilson, an Orwell, Vt. resident, spoke with VPR and said she worries because Dubie has been absent from much of his work as Lieutenant Governor. She questions whether he is dedicated enough to represent Vermont. Others, like David Durner, a moderate conservative who also had an interview over the radio, fear Shumlin is too liberal for Vermont.
Results will be announced on November 2, and this final week of campaigning is crucial for both candidates, as neither has a strong lead yet.
Background:
Dubie, a fifth-generation Vermonter and a father of four, grew up in Essex, Vt. and graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He later became involved in the Vermont National Air Guard and was appointed its Commander. Dubie has flown over 2,500 hours in fighter aircrafts and is now a Colonel in the Air Force and a captain for American Airlines. He boasts many accolades, especially due to his work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and September 11.
“The last thing Brian worries about is what party I belong to,” asserts Friends for Brian Dubie, the organization funding several of his television advertisements. “He cares about our community and the state of Vermont.”
Supporters say they are voting for Dubie because he is an advocate and can be trusted. They believe he has legitimate plans for Vermont and specifically for growth, and that he makes tough decisions at the appropriate time.
“Dubie’s strongest quality is his commitment to Vermont,” said Duffy. “He truly wants what is best for the state, and he is running for governor to make Vermont an even better place to raise a family, start a small business, earn a living and retire comfortably.”
Dubie also chairs the Governor’s Commission on Healthy Aging, which works to keep health care costs stable and increase the participation of elders in community events. He is on the Homeland Security Council and he founded the Vermont Aerospace and Aviation Association in 2006. This committee seeks to increase education in the fields of math, science and engineering, and to make aviation jobs more accessible to the public.
“As Governor, my number one goal will be to make Vermont the best place in New England to start or expand a business, and create jobs,” said Dubie on his campaign website.
Issues:
Dubie is primarily focused on job creation and economic growth. He believes these are tangible goals if Vermonters can tackle four other issues. First, the state must cut taxes so businesses can expand their companies, hire more employees and buy locally. Next, the government must control its spending, and Dubie proposes shortening the legislative period as a way of cutting expenses. Regulatory practices also must be changed through enhanced communication between regulators and businesses. In his position as Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor, Dubie focused on job creation. He traveled to Cuba and sold the country six million dollars of local Vermont milk, and he has promoted the state’s businesses in China and Canada. Shumlin, on the other hand, disagrees with Dubie’s out-of-state job growth plan.
“I love Vermont,” said Dubie on his website. “Not just for what it was and not just for what is it, but for what it can be.”
Finally, Vermont must take advantage of its green economy and continue to promote clean energy, air and water. Dubie believes one way to do so is through education.
“His slogan is ‘Pure Vermont’,” said Duffy, which is a play on words, as Dubie and his brother own a maple syrup operation. “Much like maple syrup is known as a market brand of Vermont, Dubie wants to improve the markets for other Vermont products, too.”
Background:
Peter Shumlin owns his own small business in Putnam, Vt. called Putney Student Travel. The company, which sends about 1,300 high school students to summer language immersion and community service programs across the world, is a Vermont family business. Shumlin feels he connects with fellow Vermonters because he understands the struggles of owning a small, local business. His company runs out of a converted, and now decorated, cow barn.
After graduating from Wesleyan University, Shumlin worked in the Vermont House of Representatives for three years and has been a Senator for Windham County, Vt. for the past eight years. While in the Senate, he was on the Rules Committee, the Finance Committee, the Transportation Committee and the Appropriations Committee. He also worked as the President pro-tempore, a position of strong leadership. An advocate of civil unions and the 2010 Marriage Equality Act, Shumlin seeks to curb negative environmental influences and to expand broadband, technology and accessible health care across Vermont.
“Peter Shumlin gets tough things done,” said Peter Mallary, a member of Shumlin’s campaign.
“He is tenacious, but he is also optimitsic.”
Issues:
Shumlin’s platform is multifaceted and advocates for Vermonters on many levels, including in the arena of job creation. He has detailed his goals in a 27-page pamphlet titled “Vision for Vermont: A Strategic Plan to Get Vermonters Back to Work.” Shumlin plans to provide credit to small businesses to spur the economy.
His supporters value that he trusts the population and that he allows each to make his/her own decision. Many women appreciate that Shumlin supports abortion, as Dubie does not give women the right to “choose.”
“Peter Shumlin is a fighter for Vermont’s middle class,” said Mallary. “He believes that government has a positive role to play in solving problems for people who might otherwise not have a voice, and he is committed to making sure those voices are heard.”
Shumlin also seeks to consolidate Vermont’s crucial resources, promote green energy, tackle the inequalities of health care by creating a single-payer system and encourage equal rights for all, regardless of sexuality and gender. Another of his main goals is improving education in the state, especially because there are fewer children in school today. In addition, Shumlin plans to support local farmers for economic reasons that include increases in oil and for environmental concerns. He also plans to further integrate elders into the community.
“My plan protects middle class taxpayers, strengthens public education and preserves local control,” said Shumlin in one of his television advertisements. “Now that’s the Vermont way.”
(10/28/10 3:56am)
Recently the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) surveyed the student body in order to gather input on the status of social life at the College.
Led by President Maria Perille ’10, MCAB released a questionnaire requesting input on the general quality of MCAB events for the first time in five years. The goal of the survey was to see what students like about the organized events and to see how MCAB could change for the better. Using the results of this survey, MCAB hopes to create the best social atmosphere for students as possible.
According to Perille, “The survey was a representative survey of the student body because we got an even distribution of participants. There was about an equal number of freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors that completed it.” About 500 students in total responded to the survey. It was comprised of questions that ranged from the very basic ones like how many times a week students go out to specific ones about aimed at pinpointing students’ favorite spots for MCAB events.
“In general, more students are satisfied with both the numbers and types of social events on campus than not,” said Perille. Over 80 percent of the students who responded to the survey are satisfied or better with the overall social scene that they experience on campus, and a large majority of students enjoy the variety of events which MCAB provides.
A few of the responses to the survey questions merely confirmed what MCAB already suspected. For example, Friday and Saturday are the best nights to have the bigger and more popular social events because the majority of campus goes out twice a week and it overwhelmingly tends to be on these nights.
The results for the questions about the best location for a social event surprised the activities board. According to the survey, the greatest number of students like events held in McCullough Student Center.
“This year there has been a big effort to try new social spaces,” said Perille. “However, McCullough appears to be the most popular. People love the classic venue.”
Students also enjoy traditional MCAB events. The survey results show strong support for events such as Homecoming and Winter Carnival. Concerts are also popular events, as are the dances and themed parties.
Since concerts tend to be the most popular events on campus, MCAB paid special attention to questions about the variety of on-campus concerts. Over 50 percent of the students who responded would prefer to see one to two big concerts at Pepin Gynmasium or Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena rather than a greater number of smaller shows in locations such as McCullough Student Center or the Grille. The most popular genre of music that students would like to see in live events is indie rock. Alternative rock and pop rock were a close second and third in popularity.
According to the survey, the genre of music is the most important factor for students in determining whether or not to attend a concert.
Popular alternative events include the variety shows and the movies that MCAB organizes. The variety shows can range from student organization performances to outside comedians brought in for a special occasion. The students would like to see an increase in the quality of comedians being brought in. Students also feel that hypnotists and dance troupes are fun and popular alternatives as well.
With this survey, MCAB is opening up the possibilities for social life here on campus. With the responses they received, MCAB hopes to better cater to the wants of the student body.
“We can make a conscious effort [with the results],” said Perille.
As MCAB continues to plan for the rest of the academic year, Perille explained that they will definitely take the results of this survey into account.
(10/14/10 3:59am)
The current environmental movement is driven mostly by concerns about sustainability coupled with energy independence and the threat of global climate change. While we have made progress through more efficient cars, eating locally and switching to compact florescent light bulbs, the vast majority of our electricity comes from technology that dumps carbon dioxide and other dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere. The number of wind farms has grown precipitously in the past few years, but these farms lack the potential to make up for our reliance on coal, oil and natural gas plants.
Every method for generating electricity has tradeoffs (some more obvious than others). We often read of coal miners trapped in cave-ins far below ground while at the same time the emissions generated by these plants heat the planet and pollute our air. Natural gas and oil both have different problems with extraction and with transportation but the same issue with pollution. Despite these significant shortcomings, these three options currently rule the energy market. Hydroelectric plants once seemed like a great way to provide sustainable power but it turns out that blocking rivers causes serious damage to the surrounding ecosystems and the communities downstream.
Even among those who believe that wind power has a role to play in our energy grid, few people want one 300 feet from their house or decorating the top of the nearest mountain. The places people want them generally tend to have less wind. Solar energy cultivation shows promise but, as with most renewable, it requires a lot of space and an expensive investment in technology.
The time has come to renew the construction of nuclear power plants. Despite high-profile failures — Three Mile Island and the recent issues with Vermont Yankee come to mind — nuclear power is safer, cleaner and more efficient than our current options. Nuclear fuel does not come from the Middle East and the reactions in one of these plants do not launch carbon or other chemicals into the atmosphere. A single nuclear plant produces more electricity than 1,500 large wind turbines — far more than even the largest wind “farms.” Nuclear presents the solution for moving forward.
40 years ago, the United States was constructing fission plants at a dramatic rate. In part due to protests and safety concerns, new development ceased abruptly. Yet much of Europe still relies on it as a source of power — France currently produces nearly 80 percent of its electricity through nuclear power while the EU as a whole uses it for 30 percent. We can achieve this with the market incentives as well.
Incredibly high start-up costs prevent new nuclear development. Only government action can prevent fossil fuel-based power sources from continuing their stranglehold on the American electricity market. We have seen this in the government’s approach to renewable energy, where producers are given a rate of 1.9 cents per kilowatt hour to allow them to compete in the marketplace.
President Barack Obama recently pledged to extend this tax credit to the next four nuclear power plants constructed in this country. In addition, the government will guarantee the loans for these plants in order to offset the risk of the investment in an unsure market. Congress and the President should extend this guarantee once plans get underway for more plants and should consider directly loaning money to companies interested in constructing new facilities in order to build momentum and attract investors. If Congress ever allows the creation of a “cap and trade” system to reduce carbon emissions, nuclear energy would become a much more competitive option. But even without legislation that raises the cost of competing energy sources, these loans will be repaid as plants pay off their start-up capital.
No source of energy is perfect. Nuclear power is cleaner, more efficient and is our only technology that can provide the electricity to replace fossil fuels. For the 21st century and beyond, as we improve our ability to capitalize on the massive supplies of power contained in a single atom, nuclear power is the ultimate source of “green” energy.
(10/14/10 3:51am)
Falling leaves, shorter days and chilly nights. Summer in Vermont, sadly, has definitely come to a close. But in the Harris Farmhouse, things are still heating up for the Solar Decathlon as we plan out the coming year. That’s right: one more year (11 months, to be more exact), and the Middlebury team will be taking the National Mall by storm.
When I first got involved with the project at Middlebury last fall, it was a few students meeting at the Old Stone Mill talking about ideas, working on the proposal and calculating how low our chances really seemed at getting into the competition. I left to go abroad in December, kind of forgetting, to be honest, that the Solar Decathlon was a part of my life at all. Now, just nine months later, there are organized committees and sub-committees, detailed designs and the hope that we have a good chance at doing well next fall. Addison Godine ’11.5 and the rest of the team have taken the project from humble beginnings to an impressively professional design that continues to impress me.
So where does the Midd Solar Decathlon team go from here? What can it do to make this year as successful as the past one has been?
Now that the conceptual house design has been finalized, we’re looking ahead to what will help us bring that house from the drawing board to reality. As our team’s Solar Decathlon website says, “Middlebury is the first ever undergraduate college to enter the U.S. Solar Decathlon without partnering with another institution.” It’s our biggest achievement and our biggest challenge at the same time. Luckily, we have been fortunate enough to receive glowing and enthusiastic support from within the administration. Obviously, with Middlebury’s concentrated effort on creating a niche for itself in the “Green” world, the Solar Decathlon is the perfect opportunity to bring the Middlebury name to the environmental forefront. And far from the vague notices placed around dining halls last year telling us “not to drive to the gym” and the “Please Recycle” signs in strategic printing locations, this competition highlights the myriad skills of Middlebury students, combining them in a tangible, visible representation of what we can do for our school and for the environment as a whole. With the right motivation (side note: Addison Godine ’11.5 won Outstanding Encourager of Leadership in Others at last spring’s Student Leadership Awards Ceremony), different majors, interests and people have come together to bring their A game to DC.
In the coming weeks and months, fundraising will be key. The fundraising team has around $500,000 left to raise from alumni, corporations and local businesses. From grants to the smallest of donations, it’s of the utmost importance that we hit this number. The team has begun drafting letters and presentations, and all Middlebury alums have now received a letter not only explaining our mission, but asking for their help. We’re also looking to reach as a wide a network of people as possible. With a website and blog up and running and an open house over Parent’s Weekend, we hope that students will start to become more aware of what we’re doing and how amazing it will be for our school. Beyond money, it’s also great to just raise awareness. If word spreads, it will make a huge difference.
Look for more updates from us; I’ll be filling you in every other week in The Campus. And be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter at MiddSD.
