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(02/11/10 4:59am)
Abilene publication debuts on Apple iPad
The Optimist, the student newspaper of Abilene Christian University, is getting big press for being the first collegiate publication to debut on Apple’s iPad. Student and faculty researchers from many departments are working on the project, which should make the Optimist iPad-ready by March. The newspaper is already available in print, online and on the iPhone.
“This is yet another opportunity for our students to make use of a cutting-edge delivery system — the third version of mobile media delivery we have pioneered,” said Cheryl Bacon, chair of Abilene Christian’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.
“We pay close attention to the way young people consume news,” Kenneth Pybus, faculty adviser of the Optimist, said. “They tend to use all the tools at their disposal to get information. With the iPad, we foresee the potential for an explosion in news consumption.”
— The Optimist, U.S. News and World
Former Justice to give speech at Harvard
Former Supreme Court justice David H. Souter will deliver the commencement speech at Harvard University this year. Souter, who graduated from Harvard in 1961, was replaced this year by Sonia Sotomayor.
“The dedication, humility and commitment to learning with which he has pursued his calling should be an inspiration to any young man or woman contemplating a career in public service,” said University President Drew G. Faust.
Many other colleges have announced their commencement speakers. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, is speaking at the University of Delaware; journalist Gwen Ifill is speaking at St. Norbert College; actress Marcia Gay Harden is speaking at the University of Texas at Austin and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is speaking at Mills College.
— The Harvard Crimson, Inside Higher Ed
Students in garbage bags protest tuition hikes
Around 500 garbage bag-clad students protested double digit tuition hikes in professional programs at the University of Calgary last week.
Tuition rates are rising by as much 47 percent for some courses, which has left some students, like business major Jacqui Lathrop, angry.
“I am sure there is room to cut at the top, or somewhere else on campus, but it seems it’s easier to use students because they think we won’t do anything about it,” said Lathrop.
“This is supposed to be a public institution. It won’t feel public when students can’t attend because they can’t afford it,” she said.
The garbage bags the protesters wore were supposed to show the students were too poor to afford clothes, let alone higher prices in education.
The plan to increase tuition prices in medicine, law, business, education and engineering programs has not been approved, but would include a $4,000 increase in medicine courses and a $247 increase — $516 to $763 — for business.
— The Vancouver Sun
(01/21/10 8:04pm)
In the past week, a small group of Middlebury students has raised approximately $4,900 in donations for Haiti following the earthquake that left the country devastated on Jan. 12.
The earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 7.0, was the largest to strike the region in more than 200 years, and government officials fear the death toll may reach 200,000, according to BBC News.
Middlebury’s successful fundraising campaign began when Mori Rothman ’11 and Jacob Udell ’12 saw an e-mail sent to the Middlebury Climate Campaign mailing list from Associate Professor of Economics Jon Isham. The e-mail urged interested parties to donate to Partners in Health (PIH), a global health organization founded by Paul Farmer, who spoke in Mead Chapel last spring.
“That e-mail centered my mass of confused feelings, channeled it in a way,” said Rothman.
Rothman and Udell e-mailed their friends on Jan. 13 and began tabling for donations to PIH in Proctor and Ross Dining Halls the following day. They were amazed at how much money they collected in that one day.
“I literally decided to send out one e-mail to a few friends,” said Udell, “and the next thing I knew, we had fundraising schedules through Monday. It’s also been amazing to see the willingness to give of the college community — all you have to say is ‘Haiti relief,’ and most students we encountered were immediately generous.”
“It was unbelievable,” said Rhiya Trivedi ’12.5, who has also played a large role in the fundraising.
“In the lunch rush at Proctor at 12:30, we just could not keep up. Money was exchanging hands everywhere and twenties were being dropped in and we were trying to not have our eyes pop out of our head.”
The generosity was not limited to students — the fundraisers noted that $20-dollar bills and other donations large and small were given by dining hall staff, faculty and other members of the College community.
“I think it’s incredible,” wrote Peggy Burns, associate director of the Alliance for Civic Engagement in an e-mail.
“To have raised more than $3,000 in just a few days really speaks to [students’] commitment to helping — and to students wanting to help.”
Udell and Rothman were also quick to say that they owed Burns “a big thank you” for allowing them to fundraise as well as planning larger fundraisers on campus.
This group of students, while the first to commence fundraising on campus, was joined this week by other organizations and events trying to lend Haiti much-needed aid.
Approximately $1,600 in donations was collected at a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration concert on Monday, the Pan Caribbean Student Organization has a panel planned for Jan. 26 and Distinguished Men of Color has a poker and pool tournament planned for Jan. 23, with funds raised being donated to the rescue effort.
A meeting was held on Tuesday for the entire College community in McCullough to bring the campus together in an opportunity to reflect and inform about future fundraising opportunities.
The small group that has been fundraising since last Thursday credits their success to the organic nature in which the campaign formed, and the fact that they are fundraising simply as compassionate human beings, unaffiliated with any organization. Also, their placement outside of dining halls make it possibly the easiest way for Middlebury students to give aid to Haiti.
“That’s the brilliance of any successful, well-organized campaign,” said Rothman.
“The easier it is, the more people are going to do it … the ease of it is that you see a box, lots of money, seemingly nice people, and you say ‘yeah, sure, I can spare $5.’”
The cheery demeanor of those stationed outside of the dining halls is also considered a crucial component of their fundraising strategy.
“This kind of campaign is not sustainable if you are wallowing in the misery that the issue itself deserves the entire time you are doing it,” said Rothman.
“Allowing myself to try to feel what I would be feeling if I were there, I don’t think I could get out of bed. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t talk to anyone, let alone fundraise.”
Relying on the tactics they have at their disposal as students with large networks of friends and a considerable quantity of tempered optimism has proved much more beneficial. They write ‘Haiti’ in purple ink on those students who want to give but have no wallets and attract passersby with improvised songs urging donations.
They have also found that simply addressing someone by name almost ensures they will donate.
“Some of us are more aggressive than others,” said Rothman.
“Some people say, ‘can you give, if not, that’s OK.’ Rhiya and I say, ‘can you give? If not, give.’”
For these fundraisers, the stories they can share about the donors paints an even more poignant picture of the situation than the amount of money they have raised. Nial Rele ’12, a first-year counselor in Stewart Hall, said that his entire hall of first-years had donated to Haiti. Trivedi told of the people who volunteered to take a shift, people she had never met before. There were the numerous people who dropped $100 bills in their cardboard box, those who ran back to their room to grab their wallets and one girl who felt compelled to add another $20 to the box the three times she passed by.
“I wish we could give some people superhero capes,” said Trivedi.
However, Rele said that not everyone has been sympathetic and willing to give to the cause.
“On one hand, its comforting to see that so many people are willing to give and are interested in where the money is going,” said Rele.
“On the other hand there are, unfortunately, a whole bunch of people on this campus who won’t even look at you. You try to make eye contact, you try to get their attention, try to get some form of compassion out of them. It has happened to all of us who are tabling, they just walk right by.”
The worst, according to Rele, are the texters — “If you can text and drive, you can text and donate.”
Despite the resistant few who pass the donation box, the fundraisers believe that the overall interest in Haiti on campus has resulted in a boon for the cause and the College community.
Isham, whose e-mail inspired the students to act, said he was “really impressed by what they have done, though not surprised. In my 11 years at Middlebury, I have seen time and time again how our students understand the gravity of 21st-century challenges, and then how they boldly and creatively act in the face of such challenges. What has happened in Haiti is beyond understanding: we each must do as much as we can.”
It makes you proud of our community,” said Rothman. “Everyone says Middlebury is this community of un-activism, and this proves that it is not due to apathy — it’s not because people don’t care about the world.”
“We might not be activists, but this has proved that we are at least active,” said Trivedi.
“And that might even be better because the danger of activism is that you get pigeonholed into your own issue and you don’t care about anything else. Being broadly active, when you are in college, might be a greater contribution to the planet than caring about your own pet issue … I would take active over activism for the community today.”
Udell reiterated this sentiment, and also expressed hope that support for Haiti would be able to continue even when the media fervor ends.
“It’s important for me to believe that Middlebury is not just an ivory tower, and so many people around here are truly moving beyond their individual concerns to focus on alleviating the suffering of others,” wrote Udell in an e-mail.
“My sense is that the Middlebury community has only begun fundraising and figuring out ways to continue to help, and I think all of us involved in tabling were just grateful to be a part of it. If we were able to raise this much money sitting in chairs in front of Proctor and Ross, I’m excited to see what the Middlebury community can do once we are equipped with more formal strategies.”
(01/21/10 7:55pm)
Open Mic Night
Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m.
Talents of all kinds are welcome at the monthly Carol’s Hungry Mind open mic. Bring an instrument, spoken word art or any other performance you want to share with a crowd. Sign-ups for time slots begin at 7:30 p.m.
Button Up Middlebury
Jan. 23, 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Efficiency Vermont will provide free training and materials to help Button Up Middlebury volunteers learn how to
conduct energy audits on local homes. Help the local community save energy and reduce its carbon footprint! More information and sign-ups at (802) 388-9478 or
lasermily@yahoo.com.
The Horse Traders Benefit Show
Jan., 9 - 10 p.m.
The Horse Traders return for their second annual “Face Off Against Breast Cancer” benefit show at Two Brothers Tavern, donating all door proceeds and 10 percent of sales to the Cancer Patient Support Program. The Horse Traders are a five-piece band that covers favorites of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, as well as current pop rock, blues, and soul. Don’t miss out!
Comedy for a Cause
Jan. 24, 5 - 6 p.m.
Four Vermont comedians — Nathan Brady Crain, Jason Lorber, Autumn Engroff and a comic yet to be announced — will perform a show at Carol’s Hungry Mind in which all proceeds go to benefit the CVOEO’s Middlebury Area Food Shelf. There will be no door charge, but passed hat donations will be much appreciated. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see some of the state’s most talented comics lay it on the line for a good cause. Some of the jokes may be adult themed, so children should stay at home.
Flu vaccine clinic
Jan. 26, 3 - 6 p.m.
If you still need a seasonal or H1N1 flu vaccine, don’t miss this clinic at the
American Legion in Middlebury. For adults in Addison County only, more information at (802) 388-7259.
Snowshoe trek
Jan. 26, 9 - 10 a.m.
Get outside in the snow before it’s gone! Join the Green Mountain Club at the Battell Trailhead in Lincoln for a difficult six-mile outing with a 2,500-foot ascent to the summit of Mount Abraham. Contact leader John Predom to sign up at (802) 377-9654 or john@vtrushfan.com.
Carol’s Dance Party
Jan. 29, 8 p.m.
The first one was such a hit, Carol’s
Hungry Mind is bringing back its dance party for all ages for round two. Join fellow students and community members at the Middlebury VFW and boogie to a mix of swing, rock and anything danceable.
(01/14/10 4:00am)
Drop-in Bridge
Jan. 14, 2 – 4 p.m.
Looking for a new bridge partner, or just a chance to improve your bridge game? Join Gisela Palmer, local bridge expert, at the Ilsley Public Library for an informal celebration of a much-loved card game. More information is available at (802) 462-3373.
Verbal Onslaught
Jan. 14, 8:30 – 11:00 p.m.
Celebrate spoken word performance art at this month’s Verbal Onslaught, dedicated to poetic verse inspired by the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Share your work or listen to others share theirs at 51 Main. There will be a special performance by Crystal Belle ’04. Sign-ups start at 8:30 p.m.
Maple School
Jan. 16, 7:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
The Addison County Sugarmakers will host their annual Maple School at Middlebury Union High School with a full day of workshops, a trade show and door prizes. Whether just learning about making maple syrup or an experienced sugarmaker, there will be events for all abilities covering the Asian Longhorned Beetle, energy usage in the sugarhouse, off-flavors, beginning sugarmaker workshops and much more. Register at http://www.addisoncountyvtmaple.org or call (802) 388-4815 for more information.
Snowshoe trek in Starksboro
Jan. 16, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Meet at the Jerusalem Schoolhouse for a moderate three-mile trek with a 600-foot elevation gain hosted by the Bread Loaf Section of the Green Mountain Club. Contact leader Cecilia Elwert to sign up at (802) 453-8447.
After Dark Music Series
Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
Enjoy an evening out with Chris Smither as he brings his growling vocals and quick finger-picking to the Middlebury Congregational Church. By all accounts a riveting live performer, Smither spices up Americana and classic blues. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Call (802) 388-0216 or visit http://www.afterdarkmusicseries.com for more information.
Sleigh Ride Weekend
Jan. 16 – 18, all day
Head out to the Billings Farm and Museum at 5302 River Road in Woodstock for a weekend of merry sleigh rides and classic wintertime fun in true Vermont fashion. Visit http://www.billingsfarm.org for more information.
Bingo
Jan. 17, 1 – 2 p.m.
Spend your extra free time wisely this J-Term and compete for over $1,500 in cash and prizes at the American Legion in Middlebury. The Vergennes Union High School class of 2010 will host the event to benefit this year’s Project Graduation.
(01/14/10 4:00am)
Here’s what I love about Middlebury, Vt., in no particular order:
The mountains — skiing, hiking...heck, just looking at them. I have lived in the Champlain valley, framed by mountains, for 20 years and I have yet to get sick of them.
My family — Gang’s all here! I never met a relative I didn’t like.
The potential for small-town embarrassment — the one time I get pulled over by the police, it happens on Main Street. A former English teacher, the woman whose children I babysit, and the kid who taunted me in high school for failing my license test all those times, all witness me crying hysterically and dry-heaving on the officer’s shiny black boots. I love me some character-building.
The Red Kelly trail — It’s the cross-country trail that loops around the golf course. It’s the first place I ever ran for longer than 500 meters, way back in the summer before freshman year of high school. It’s the place I realized that just because I’d been steadily getting worse at soccer for the nine years that I’d been playing, didn’t mean all hope was lost on the athletic front.
Sam and Megan — They’re the kids I babysit. Until I met them, I had an aversion to children. Then I was broke one summer and agreed to a full-time babysitting position. Now I’m all, “don’t be creeped out, I’m just staring at your kid ’cause it’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Serioulsy, any day now I’m going to go all Brangelina on you.
Here’s what I love about Middlebury, Vermont, in no particular order, that I have only grown to love through Middlebury College:
Lake Dunmore — I’ve been going to the beach at Lake Dunmore for years, but my relationship with that body of water has grown infinitely more lovely since frequenting its shores with the crew team. Dawn on Lake Dunmore is a whole new level of beauty that I won’t adulterate with mere adjectives.
Scatter my ashes there when I’m gone.
The people — I’ve always been fond of my community members, but since I started writing for The Campus, I’ve had a chance to speak more personally with people that I would never have otherwise encountered. Middlebury is not the sleepy little town I believed it was as an angsty high school student looking to get out. There are things happening here. The people here make things happen.
College students — Sure, I’ve always admired them from afar, but I never actually knew any of ’em. Take it from me; they’re pretty great.
Farms — I never appreciated my agrarian surroundings until someone last year asked me what a silo was. I realize now that my rural roots are not universally understood, or appreciated. So it smells like excrement every once in a while. I like it: it’s a sign of spring.
With that, I will leave you. It’s been great. I hope your Middlebury gives you as much as mine has.
(01/14/10 4:00am)
Ending its first semester of competitions by falling to Amherst, the Middlebury swimming and diving team redeemed itself this weekend toppling both Colby and Bates. The Panther men defeated Colby 165-97 and Bates 205-82, and the women conquered Colby 158-124 and Bates 183-117. Even after the long bus ride, the Middlebury competitors swiftly swam past the White Mules from Colby and the Bobcats from Bates, revealing their competitive drive and spirit.
Regardless of numerous illnesses and injuries on both the men’s and women’s team, those who were able to compete took the pool relentlessly and were proudly able to provide Middlebury with a victorious weekend. Overcoming the challenge of missing some key swimmers and divers, the Middlebury squad proved its depth and team unity.
Last year, Middlebury also was successful against the Maine teams. The men beat Colby 181-89 and Bates 230-57, while the women defeated Colby 179-101 and Bates 210-89. Both squads desired to uphold their triumphant history against these teams and they succeeded in doing so this past weekend.
“This past weekend, both the men’s and women’s teams showed great determination and drive in each race,” said Schulyer Beeman ’10. It imbued the team with confidence, love and excitement as each swimmer on the Middlebury team swam with increasing intensity and drive.
There were several significant individual and team accomplishments on the men’s side. Nick Daly ’12 won the 50-freestyle versus Colby, and took both the 200 and 500-freestyle in the Bobcats’ natorium. John Dillon ’11 captured the 200-freestyle, 100-intramedley and the 100-butterfly at Colby. Particularly significant was his 100-butterfly race, as he set a new pool record in the White Mules’ natorium, finishing with a time of 51.83.
In addition to these 3 wins, Dillon also took the 200 and 100-butterfly at Bates.
On the diving board, Omar Carmical ’12 took first in all four diving competitions in which he took part. Probably the biggest accomplishment of the weekend for the men was 200-freestyle relay team setting a new Bates pool record with a time of 1:26.64. The team included Dillon, Daly, Jay Li ’11 and Beeman.
The women also had tremendous success over the weekend. Jen Friedlander ’13 had a particularly strong weekend, winning both the 400-intramedley and the 100-butterfly at Colby, as well as the 200-butterfly, 500-freestyle, and 400-intramedley at Bates.
Another first-year swimmer, Salena Casha ’13, won both the 50- and 100- breastroke at Colby, and the 200-freestyle at Bates. Diver Meagan Collins ’12 provided several points for the team and also earned NCAA standards at Bates. She was given 254.77 points in the 1-meter dive and 258.07 in the 3-meter.
Coming up next, the Panthers face Hamilton at home on January 16th at 2 p.m.
(12/03/09 10:00am)
Starting in February, Library and Information Services (LIS) will enact a new policy establishing a printing quota for students. The policy will require students who exceed the quota to pay five cents per page for each side of a page.
Under the new policy, first-years, sophomores and juniors can print 500 pages per semester without cost, and seniors can print 800 pages. If the full quota is not utilized, it will roll over between semesters, but not between separate academic years.
Mike Roy, Dean of LIS, estimates that students each currently print approximately 800 pages per semester.
“We think that the average cost per student will be roughly $15 per semester,” wrote Roy in an e-mail. “We also think that the amount of printing will go down because of these quotas, so the actual cost will likely be less than that.”
Assuming students followed the quotas exactly, around 345,000 pages would be printed monthly — a reduction of 600,000 pages. But, if students continued to print at current levels, LIS could earn over $30,000 per month.
“If the average student ends up paying $30 per year,” he continued, “this will generate roughly $75,000 a year in revenue, which will cover some of the expenses associated with running our printing services.”
Printing expenses include resources such as paper and toner, labor for maintenance, and the lease on the equipment.
Students will pay for the excess pages printed with a credit card. For students who do not have credit cards, printing cards will be sold at Wilson Café and other campus locations.
The decision came after much input and discussion from students, faculty and members of the administration. Tik Root ’12, member of the Student Library Advisory Committee (SLAC), reported in an e-mail that students on the committee “had a very influential voice” in the decision. Root explained that SLAC is currently pushing for “more faculty inclusion” in the policy, as faculty members also utilize the printing resources. How the policy will apply for students printing for a campus job or a club is “still being worked on.”
LIS administrators are sympathetic to opponents of the policy. In a March blog post, Roy identified with their concerns.
“Why should students who pay upwards of $50,000 a year to attend our school have to be nickeled and dimed by being asked to pay for the print-outs that they need to make because their professors assigned them 1,000 pages of electronic reserves?” he wrote.
Roy went on to explain that a policy that charges students for printing aims to decrease printer usage. LIS estimates that the student body as a whole currently prints about a million pages per month. If students are required to pay for pages printed, perhaps this will inspire a more environmentally friendly approach to printing and eliminate “unnecessary” print jobs, such as printing multiple copies in order to perfect formatting.
Root believes that it is “reasonable to have a modest fee” for printing.
“At first the students on SLAC were fairly reluctant to go along with printing quotas,” he said. “But we realized that because the LIS budget is being cut drastically, there has to be something that gives.”
Other students disagree.
“I understand why they’re doing this, but now this is just something else I have to use my money to pay for,” said Melanie DiGreggorio ’13.
Some students report that they need to print documents in order to read effectively, and they view the new policy as punishing them for their study habits.
Root stresses that the goal of this new policy is to alleviate costs for LIS, and not to make money. LIS budget cuts have already caused the reduction of regular staff at the libraries and have also led the Student Government Association (SGA) to pick up the cost for keeping the Main Library open 24 hours a day during the week prior to exams.
LIS already instated a paying policy for guests at the College in June, charging each guest 10 cents for each page printed. Guests are required to purchase at minimum a five-dollar printing card and can only print in black and white at the three libraries on campus.
In theory, the new policy will make the printing process easier by creating shorter lines at the printing stations. LIS has also reported that it is working on establishing a system where students would be able to print from their personal laptops.
(12/03/09 10:00am)
President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz continues to maintain a salary and benefits package comparable to that of peer institutions despite increases over the last decade.
Liebowitz and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Norton note that direct comparisons of total compensation can be misleading, as benefits can often be construed in different manners.
“No one cheats, but they interpret things differently,” Liebowitz explained.
Liebowitz’s compensation, which in fiscal year 2007 was $514,012, includes such things as deferred — and thus non-guaranteed — compensation based on performance goals set out annually. Such compensation is counted twice, thus when Liebowitz leaves Middlebury his total compensation will be re-reported as a large lump sum payment.
The final number is settled upon after reviewing the pay of peer institutions and meeting with outside consultants. It is not, however, without strings attached, according to Rick Fritz, head of the Compensation Committee, the body that determines the president’s compensation.
“Every year we give Ron [Liebowitz] a set of goals. At the end of the year we have a rather exhaustive performance appraisal against those goals,” he said.
Norton said that the Liebowitz’s salary increased by an average of 2.2 percent between the years of 1999 and 2008 without adjusting for inflation. With inflation factored in, the increase is half a percent.
If Liebowitz does not meet a goal, and there are not extenuating circumstances making such a goal unreachable, it is within his contract for his compensation to be adjusted. Such a situation has not yet presented itself, however.
In defending Liebowitz’s salary, Fritz noted the difficulties that accompany a career in collegiate leadership.
“I think [being a college president is] one of the toughest jobs in America … it’s a 24/7 job,” he said.
It is further complicated at Middlebury by the large variety of schools with which the College is affiliated. From the Monterey Institute for International Studies to Middlebury’s Schools Abroad to the Language Schools, Middlebury educates many thousands more than the 2,400 full-time undergraduate students in Vermont.
Though he recognizes much of Liebowitz’s time is spent managing the College and fundraising, Ty Flynn ’11 finds the President’s high salary frustrating given his lack visibility on campus.
“How can you raise funds for an institution that you rarely are present at?” Flynn wrote in an e-mail. “How many student performances, exhibitions or shows have you seen him at? In essence, Liebowitz should be rubbing elbows with the Suits as well as Patagonia fleeces.”
Looking to the future, Liebowitz predicts that regardless of the economic climate “the president’s compensation will be in line with or less than faculty compensation” and marked increases are unlikely. The current plan is for a salary freeze until fiscal year 2012.
(11/19/09 2:53am)
Putting together the second green issue of The Campus raised the question, “Just how green is the town of Middlebury?” The College is touted for its environmental awareness and Vermont is nationally known as one of the greenest states, but how does Middlebury fit into the picture? We sought experts on the subject and found three who know a lot about the area and a lot about being green: Patti Prairie, CEO of the local environmental firm Brighter Planet; Jonathan Corcorran, president of the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACoRN); and Fred Dunnington, town planner.
— Lea Calderon-Guthe, Local News Editor
Enviornmental Awareness: Deirdre Sackett
A majority of Vermont’s towns share the same ecologically aware mindset as Middlebury’s. Yet what makes a town like Middlebury so environmentally conscious? The key to this town’s ecological awareness lies in its close-knit community, according to Brighter Planet CEO Patti Prairie.
The Middlebury-based environmental firm recently partnered with the 350 Challenge campaign, a popular and influential environmental campaign that originated at the College. Brighter Planet’s goal as part of the 350 Challenge was to receive 350 new bloggers. The company was initially insecure about the number of bloggers it would receive, but as time went on and the word spread, Brighter Planet found it had little to fear.
“We’re now over 3,500 [bloggers] in a year in a half,” said Prairie.
That’s 10 times the number the company expected.
Prairie considers it the power of the Middlebury community at work. She explained that bloggers who joined the campaign received a virtual badge that was displayed on their blogs and Web pages. Friends and family members noticed the attractive badges and, by word of mouth, discovered and joined Brighter Planet’s campaign.
“People help each other,” Prairie noted about Middlebury’s community. With such a strong following, it is evident that Middlebury as a town is concerned not only with the town’s environmentalism but also with global environmental awareness.
Prairie also noted that the College has influenced the town’s environmentalism in a positive way, especially with the newly built biomass facility that reduces the College’s carbon footprint by 40 percent.
“My sense is that [the town of Middlebury] is on the leading edge of environmentalism,” she said.
She still suggests that residents visit her company’s website, http://www.brighterplanet.com, so that they can calculate their carbon footprint and ways to reduce it.
Overall, Prairie credits the power of community and the College with making Middlebury such an environmentally conscious town.
Local Food: Lea Calderon-Guthe
Eating local foods is a simple way to go green and support the local community, especially in agriculturally rich Addison County, the area for which Middlebury is the shire town. Jonathan Corcorran cited the county’s long history of farming as an advantage for the local food movement in the area over other parts of the state with less developed farming communities, but he also said that Addison County still has a ways to go.
“I’ve heard that three to five percent of the foods purchased in Vermont are locally grown and produced, so there’s huge room for improvement, huge, and I think that’s really the bottom line,” said Corcorran.
“I would say that’s probably reflected here in Addison County — the number might be a little higher, maybe it’s seven percent, really nobody knows — but there’s definitely a committed core group of localvores here.”
With eight Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs that allow people to pay a discounted price for a share of a farm’s crops each season, four farmers’ markets and over half the county’s restaurants belonging to the Vermont Fresh Network, meaning they serve a certain amount of local food, Addison County residents have a lot of options in the area for eating locally. These options provide to the residents, but they also exist because community members asked for them, which might explain why Corcorran calls the area “a very interesting new model anchored by local demand.”
Corcorran showed pride in a community that “gets it,” that seems to understand the basic principles of eating local to keep money in the local economy and farms “working, productive and hopefully prosperous.” But he stressed some more abstract concepts that he wishes the wider community were more aware of.
“Food touches everybody,” said Corcorran. “It’s more than just new opportunities — it’s about changing our culture. We’re having to ask the simple question that people have always asked: ‘Where is our food going to come from?’ It’s about restoring dignity and respect to farming, and also beginning to treat the land on which we live with greater respect. We can’t farm the way we’re farming now and expect to have something in three generations. We’re going to have to reimagine what agriculture is.”
Until everyone gets the bigger picture, however, Corcorran is content to push for smaller gains.
“I’m not a 100 percent localvore, but I think it’s that we’re at three percent,” he said. “Shoot, why can’t we get to 20 percent? Why can’t we get to 25 percent? I don’t think we need to be purists about this, we just need to be sensible, and I think that’s the direction we’re moving in.”
Town Initiatives: Lea Calderon-Guthe
“Is Middlebury green? We’re trying to be,” said town planner Fred Dunnington.
Not many towns can boast their own Climate Action Plan, but the Middlebury Area Global Warming Action Coalition (MAGWAC) has been working to implement the town’s plan since 2006 with the goal of reducing town greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 percent below 2002 levels by 2012. MAGWAC, headed up by town energy coordinator Laura Asermily, has been responsible for two campaigns, the Way to Go campaign, which promotes carbon-conscious transportation, and the Energy First campaign, which promotes energy saving and alternative energy use. From the two campaigns have sprung such initiatives as the Green Expo, in its third year in March 2010; a Local Solutions Energy Resource Directory; the Earth Day Fair; and expanded shuttle bus services from Addison County Transit Resource (ACTR). Dunnington traced the town’s green habits all the way back to the 1980s.
“There was a proposal for a hydro[electricity] project in response to the earlier oil crisis a couple decades ago,” said Dunnington. “At that time, the town said, ‘We should be energy efficient.’ [Current green initiatives]are just a new wave of this — the town has always been fairly advanced and attuned to [energy efficiency], which is only natural in a community that has a connection with an academic institution like the College that’s attuned to what’s going on in the world. We’re blessed by that.”
But where the College has a large endowment and a deep-pocketed Board of Trustees, the town is dependent on the slimmer wallets of its voters, which can limit how much the town will spend on going green.
“The problem is,” said Dunninton. “The town is stretching as hard as it can in this time of economic stress to keep a level tax rate and fund a major town improvement, the bridge, so the voters are not able to easily take on other new investment. The College is in a position to be even more advanced in its knowledge and research and its financial resources. We benefit from that and work with the College and support everything they do, and we think about how might their projects work for an organization of our scale.”
An example of the town following in the College’s footsteps is the current plan for a district biomass project that would heat Porter Hospital and municipal buildings. The town is also looking at a new pumping system that could use the heat from the 50-degree water currently expelled by the wastewater treatment facility to heat a slab in an equipment storage building.
“This is out-of-the-box stuff,” said Dunnington. “It’s not done that often, but we’re thinking about creative ways to use the infrastructure that we have. I think people in Middlebury are very receptive to alternative energy initiatives, especially if they’re demonstrated to be cost-effective.”
(11/19/09 1:50am)
Whose parents do not remember the quadrupling of the price of gas, the stock market crash, the government’s request to ban Christmas lights and the mandated national maximum speed limit of 55 mph during the 1973 oil crisis? The OPEC countries’ oil embargo countered the prevailing perception of the United States as the invincible superpower. Now, Russia flexes its muscles by threatening Western-leaning Eastern European countries with oil price hikes and restricted exports. The oil weapon certainly exists and the United States’ ever-increasing demand for energy leaves the nation particularly vulnerable.
As a Republican, I worry that the green movement prevents environmentalists and liberal politicians from seriously recognizing the dangers of continued dependence on Middle Eastern oil because of an overpowering and misguided desire to perpetuate green initiatives rather than stress the United States’ national security. National security must come first.
Canada, which controls the second largest reserve behind only Saudi Arabia, currently supplies 20 percent of oil imports to the United States and this demand is projected to increase. Evolving energy technology leads many to predict that the approximated deposit of 1.7 trillion barrels of oil in the Alberta oil sands has been underestimated. Furthermore, the U.S. Energy Information Agency calculated that American oil demand would soon necessitate imports from Canada, especially from its oil sands, to almost triple in the coming two decades.
However, American environmentalists have targeted the oil sands and are currently attempting to influence the Obama administration to ban imports from Alberta because its production emits more greenhouse gases than standard oil drilling.
Although the oil sands generate about five to 15 percent greater emissions, they amount to only one-tenth of one percent of the global CO2 emissions. This miniscule fraction should not overshadow the importance of increasing our oil trade with Canada for the United States’ national security, especially because President Obama refuses to develop domestic oil resources by repealing President George W. Bush’s mandate that sanctioned drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and resists new drilling in Alaska. Our nation needs a dependable, politically stable, neighboring, democratic ally to trade with in order to lessen our growing dependence on unfriendly Middle Eastern countries.
The current economic interdependence between Canada and the United States prevents any political disputes from possibly impeding the oil flow. Thus, the only way to protect the United States from the increasing potential of hostile petro-states’ growing economic influence is to import more oil from the Alberta oil sands.
Environmentalists worry that the expansion in oil imports from Canada will not only augment the United States’ insatiable hunger for energy, but also inhibit the transition to alternative sources of energy. Yet, existing substitutes have their own problems. For instance, some biofuels and the electric car threaten to diminish an already inadequate fresh water supply and proponents of nuclear power first must determine where to dispose of spent fuel and how to guarantee the security of proposed nuclear plants.
Green-thumbed protestors also object to the environmental consequences of the oil drilling in Alberta. Following a publicized incident in which 500 ducks died after landing on Syncrude pond, where the toxic water that separates the oil from the sand was dumped, the oil companies have redoubled their efforts to reclaim the land damaged by harmful strip-mining. However, environmentalists continue to ignore these efforts and oil companies were infuriated when the BBC crew documenting the oil sands refused to climb Gateway hill in order to film a reclaimed site that boasts lush vegetation and a bison herd.
Most importantly, no matter how many times environmentalists chain themselves to the drilling machinery, the drilling will continue. PetroChina has already invested almost $2 billion in the oil sands, and will happily import any oil that the United States rejects because of exaggerated green morals. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s conservative party and the opposition liberal party both support the continued production of oil in Alberta because of its consequential geopolitical power and the employment of hundreds of thousands. President Obama should take a page from the Prime Minister’s book by recognizing that his objections to domestic drilling prevent a possible improvement to the current growing unemployment numbers.
There is nothing wrong with Jimmy Carter’s advice to lower the thermostat in the winter and wear a sweater. Energy conservation is important and can help families in today’s current economic climate pinch pennies. Once the United States became the most powerful industrial nation, its hunger for oil was inevitable. Until a reliable alternative energy source can be universally implemented at a reasonable cost, we must realize that lessening our dependence on hostile Middle Eastern petro-states must take priority over the green causes that seem to have infiltrated the lawmakers’ political agendas in our nation’s capital.
(05/07/09 12:00am)
Author: Jeff Klein This past Saturday the Middlebury men's crew team headed down to Worcester, Mass. to participate in the New England Championship regatta along with a host of rival schools. The men turned in solid performances in what proved to be an overall exhilarating day.The varsity four of Scott Robinson '09, Evan Doyle '11.5, Chris Rogers '09.5 and Nick Zhao '12 - along with coxswain Matt Rojas '11 - emerged victorious in their first heat and moved on to the grand finals against NESCAC foes Amherst, Tufts and Bowdoin, along with UVM and UMass. "Just being there was amazing," said Robinson. "We had been competing against these crews all season and everyone knew that it could be anyone's race."The competition proved to be fierce, as all six crews remained neck-and-neck for the large majority of the race. Around the last 500 meters, the teams began to separate. The Panthers got out ahead a little bit, but in a testament to the quality of their competition, the other crews answered back.Amherst and UMass then started falling behind, but UVM "managed a spring like I've never seen," according to Robinson, and caught up to the front of the pack. With the finish line in sight, Middlebury found itself neck-and-neck with Tufts. Unfortunately, the Jumbos managed to squeak by the Panthers by a mere 5/100ths of a second - "literally about three inches," according to Robinson - which prevented Middlebury from earning medals for the event. "That was really disappointing after the kind of season we have had," said Robinson, "but it remains probably the most amazing race I've ever rowed in."
(05/07/09 12:00am)
Author: Liz Scarinci and Liam Gluck In the back room of Ilsley Library's second floor, a slice of Americana sits in seven cardboard boxes of vinyl records. These LPs, many of which are still wrapped, bring customers back several generations in popular music. Louise Mosher, cashier and Friends of the Library board member, fondly remembers a time when "music had a definite beat and melody," she said.While not every item for sale invokes the "good old days," Mosher said the event always brings a variety of customers. The library holds a used book and record sale every month of the year thanks to donations from community members. Most of the records originally belonged to David Washburn, a Middlebury alum and local resident who left his record collection to the library upon his death one year ago.Mosher commented on the quality and collectibility of Washburn's records for sale. "Those are actually valuable records and people don't realize it," she said.With donations that are sorted into 30 categories, of books ranging from psychology to gardening in addition to the available records, the sale lures a consumer group of all ages. "The large selection of children's books entices many parents and grandparents," Mosher said.In addition to the wide variety, community members are drawn to the sale for the low prices. Paperback books sell for 50 cents, while hard copies sell for a dollar. While collectible LPs sell for upwards of $20, Mosher proudly remarks that some are "$10, no tax!" The sale earns the Library between $400 and $500 each month and about $6,000 a year.All proceeds of the book sales go toward the Friends of the Library, which acts a support group that raises the main source of money for the library. Director of the Library David Clark calls Friends of the Library his "support group.""They help promote the library, and one of the ways they do this is by raising money for the extras," he said.Microphone systems for town meetings, speakers, construction projects, and new furniture are all provided by the Friends' funds. The organization covers all expenses not paid for by local taxes, which cover 95 percent of all operating money.Having been the director of the library for 14 years, Clark has a sense of what people in the area like to read. He notices an environmental trend that spans age groups."People from Middlebury like to read about sustainability, gardening and even books about growing their own food," he said.Clark commented that the library is not just a place to take out books. Many community organizations hold regular meetings in the conference rooms of the library."We see ourselves as an organization to foster services for the town," Clark said.
(05/07/09 12:00am)
Author: Jaime Fuller NYU WARNS OF HIGH COSTNew York University is one of the most expensive higher education institutions in the country, with an annual cost of $54,000, and their low endowment per student means they cannot provide ample financial aid for all students. Eighty percent of undergraduates have one job, 25 percent work two jobs and 500 students work three. University President John E. Sexton is not sure that those who have to spend so much time financing their education should study at NYU, and the school is being proactive this year about informing prospective students about the financial burdens that will accompany study at this elite university. Associate Provost for Enrollment Management Barbara F. Hall and her staff made 1,822 calls to families who they felt should be informed in detail about loans and other aid, and told them they should maybe reconsider whether they can afford to attend the university."At the end of the day, it's the family's decision," said Sexton. "We're not going to say, 'You can't come here.'"When 58 percent of graduating seniors have debt, with an average of $33,637 in loans, the university feels it is important to be upfront about the costs. "It does no good to have students attend a college they can't afford," said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the Web site FinAid. "A student who graduates with enormous amounts of debt will find that debt is going to affect their career choices and life-cycle decisions, such as when to get married, have children, and buy a house."-Chronicle of Higher EducationMINGO WINS BEST MONIKERLouisiana State University incoming first-year Barkevious Mingo has won the annual "Name of the Year" award. The West Monroe, La., native beat out tough competition like Chew Kok, Atilla Bucko, Taco Vandervelde, Crystal Metheny and Nutritious Love.The "Name of the Year" group, founded in 1983 on an Ivy League campus with the mission "to discover, verify, nominate, elect and disseminate great names," claims that every name in its tournament is real, "to the best of our knowledge.""That's pretty awesome, I'm not going to lie," said first-year Lee Gresham. "I have a feeling he's going to be a fan favorite with LSU fans, because that's pretty funny.""I was talking to my brother about just the name [Barkevious Mingo] itself, and he said, 'That sounds like a villain who travels in his own blimp,'" said Spencer Hall, a University of Florida alumnus who heads "Every Day Should Be Saturday," a popular college football blog. Hall and his readership were the main reason for Mingo's victory in the online vote for Name of the Year. Their vigorous campaign involved writing a Mingovian national anthem in honor of their candidate that "probably sounds something like" the anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, complete with the lyrics, "Vanquished if you're lucky - far worse if you should lag, In battle with Lord Mingo, you'll end up bound and gagged."LSU students are holding off judgment until they see him play football, which far outweighs his name in importance on the college campus. "It's just his name," said freshman Brittany Gay. "Why does that matter? Can he play good?"- The Daily Reveille
(04/23/09 12:00am)
Author: Amanda Cormier Andy Buxton never minds keeping his varied posts behind the bar - part nurse, part psychiatrist, part trivia master (he likes to combine local knowledge with pop culture references), part friendly conversationalist. He especially loves his job on days like today, when the raw wind and slight rain don't tempt him away from Two Brothers Tavern and toward his other passions: fishing, target shooting, hunting and softball."As a kid, I was always building fires and forts, always outside," he said. "The only thing I don't like about this job is not being able to be outside."Growing up in Orwell, Vt., he spent his time divided between the outdoor activities of a typical "Green Mountain boy" and playing music. When a need for employment led him to leave home at 19 and take up bartending in Middlebury at what was then Angela's Restaurant, his focus drifted away from music and into the hospitality business. After nearly 10 years as a bartender, he hopes to start his own business at some point in the near future."I enjoy making people happy," he said. "You never know what's going to walk through that door. You can be up against a nice woman going through a divorce and losing her children, or a person who has a problem with alcohol and needs guidance. We all help each other here."That sense of common purpose is what kept him in Addison County, never feeling wanderlust to live beyond the state's borders. It's also what has kept him in health. Last year, when Buxton was uninsured and battling a kidney stone, bartenders asked regulars to donate a few dollars here and there to help him pay for treatment. Within a few weeks, they'd raised $1,500. Buxton is looked after, here, and knows that if the "mortgage, marriage and kids" paths ever cross in his life, he'll want to keep them here, too."I love exploring, but this is my home," he said. "Vermont will be where I die, no doubt. Native Vermonters are not afraid to put their nose to the grindstone and work hard at their passions - like the two brothers [who founded the Tavern]. I'm not scared of change. I'm happy."
(04/16/09 12:00am)
Author: Lea Calderon-Guthe As the College's endowment continues to drop in the economic downturn, the Middlebury Initiative's goal of raising $500 million in the next five years may be unfeasible. However, Vice President for College Advancement Mike Schoenfeld said the state of the endowment will not compromise the goal of the Initiative, only its timeline."The Middlebury Initiative is our way to describe the goals that we have, some of which require financial support, some of which do not," Schoenfeld said. "We accomplish a lot of the goals of the Initiative from all of our revenue sources, but because the endowment has dropped and because gifts have slowed down, the pace of those things we want to do as part of the Middlebury Initiative has slowed down."The Middlebury Initiative is essentially a fundraising campaign to support the College's goals, especially those outlined in the 2006 Strategic Plan. Two different aspects of the Initiative draw two different kinds of gifts: the Annual Fund takes in small gifts up to $100,000 from tens of thousands of alumni and parents every year, while larger gifts of $100,000 or more, generally multiple-year pledges, go towards the endowment and support large projects like buildings, professorships and scholarships. Schoenfeld gave an Annual Fund goal of $14 to $15 million a year and said the College is actually ahead of its Annual Fund goal for this year."If you look historically at giving trends, there's a significant correlation between personal income level and support for the annual fund," Schoenfeld said. "While the economy has gone down, personal income has remained relatively strong."Where the Middlebury Initiative has suffered is in the area of large donations. Small contributions continue to trickle in, but large pledges are nowhere in sight. President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz and Schoenfeld both attributed the drop in large gifts to the volatility of the New York Stock Exchange."The economy has made it very difficult
(04/16/09 12:00am)
Author: Tamara Hilmes Yesterday was April 15 - a dreaded day for many of our parents who must, yet again, file their taxes. Though the wide world of adulthood may continue to loom far off in the distance for the average college student, others have found themselves already taking on the burdens of a taxpayer in addition to attending lectures and doing homework. These tax-savvy students, however, are few and far between on Middlebury's campus. "I've never met anyone my own age who has done their own taxes. No one," said Molly Curtis '10, who filed her federal and state income taxes for the first time on Monday. Curtis has been employed since she was 13, and has never filed her taxes before now. She explained, though, that she had never earned enough to require her to do so. According to the "Do You Have to File?" section of the 1040 tax return form, if a person earns $400 or more during one year, he or she must file a tax return. "It was awful," Curtis said, explaining that no one, not even her parents, had shown her how to file her taxes.The Campus performed a random sampling of dining halls and classrooms as tax day drew nearer, and discovered that Curtis' plight is shared by many students. Not only did several admit to not knowing how to go about filing their own taxes, but some admitted to just flat-out not filing because of the same lack of awareness. Each year, a number of students who receive financial aid from the College choose not to file a tax return. According to Senior Director of Student Financial Services Kim Downs, "approximately 500 [undergraduate] students of the financial aid applicant population were non-filers" for the 2008-2009 tax cycle. For the rest of the students on campus who did not submit non-filing forms, but were required to file for 2008-2009, the question remains - who is filing their taxes, if they are not doing so themselves? Several students said that their parents file them on their behalf, and others have their taxes done by their parents' accountants. "My parents just take theirs to an accountant, and since mine only takes him an extra five minutes or so to do, I just send mine in with theirs," said Tom Brush '10, a member of the Student Finance Committee. Most students, like Brush, are only required to submit two or three forms.Although they remain the minority, some students found themselves downloading forms from the Internet and crunching numbers to fill in the blanks when they were were not attending class, doing homework or lazing around the dining hall. Jessica Campbell '09, an employee at the Middlebury Recycling Center and a Peer Writing Tutor for the Center for Teaching and Learning Resources (CTLR), began filing her own taxes about two years ago. "Mine were pretty simple and straightforward," said Campbell. "I work on campus and had a summer job, and I had all of my W-2s - pretty typical. It seemed like it all came together well, so hopefully I won't get a nasty letter in the mail in a couple months or something."Though many students have yet to make this small step into the realm of adulthood, those who scrambled to get their forms in on time yesterday can take a long sigh of relief - until tax day rolls around again next year, that is. But who knows, perhaps Dunkin' Donuts will once again give out free treats on tax day like they did in 2008. Only time will tell.
(04/09/09 12:00am)
Author: Lea Calderon-Guthe Middlebury's industrial district boasts several well-known Vermont companies, but is also home to America's premier bow tie maker. As Bill Kennerson and his wife Deb Venman approached retirement 16 years ago, they sought a way to keep busy and satisfy a niche market, and Beau Ties Ltd. was born."If you go to a men's store and you try to find a bow tie, good luck," Kenerson said. "If they have them at all, they may have half a dozen. So my wife and I had the idea that we should make them and sell directly to the individual."Kenerson and Venman started in the spring of 1993 by sending out a one-page flyer that featured eight patterns. Now, they have a fully functioning website and send out 500,000 catalogs a year, offering more than 200 fabrics that can be made into bow ties, long ties, cummerbunds, ascots, cravats, ladies' scarves, pocket squares and vests. Seven years ago, Kenerson and Venman built their own factory off Exchange Street in Middlebury.Kenerson proudly shows off the building, particularly the work floor, where several women sit at tables busily crafting custom orders. He also points out a spacious kitchen and patio that serve as reminders of Beau Ties' roots.Beau Ties specializes in custom orders both for individuals and at the wholesale level for organizations, especially local ones. Kenerson and his team have outfitted College alumni with commemorative ties, and they recently worked with the men's rugby team to design long team ties. Even though long ties have traditionally been more popular, Kenerson only began to offer them along with his bow ties four years ago. His true calling is to fill a nationwide niche as a bow tie maker."We want to make sure we find all of the bow tie wearers in the world and get them on our mailing list," Kenerson said. "That was our original goal. We figured when we succeeded, we'd try to convert folks that wear long ties. And it's happening - a lot of younger folks are wearing bow ties."
(04/09/09 12:00am)
Author: Alex Blair I'm waiting for the day when noise pop breaks into the mainstream. It's going to happen. I can see it now. Miley Cyrus will pick up an electric guitar, plug it into a massive amp, and blow the heads off a bunch of screaming eight-year-olds with her roaring feedback (the Jonas Brothers will have no choice but to follow suit). Unfortunately, we're not there yet (not even close), but with The Pains of Being Pure At Heart's self-titled debut, we're moving a little more in that direction. It's an album packed with layers of fuzzy guitars and enough catchy melodies to make fans out of people who have never even heard of The Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine. And, like the great albums of the forefathers of noise pop, "The Pains of Being Pure At Heart" is meant to be played loud. Very loud.Besides the obvious influences of shoegaze on the album, this New York City indie band draws on a number of other sources from the '80s and '90s music scene, creating a rather eclectic mix. There are elements of jangle pop, which hearken back to early R.E.M. and the Smiths, and Kip Berman's vocals sound like a combination of Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian and Dean Wareham of Galxie 500. Although The Pains of Being Pure At Heart wear their influences on their sleeve, their sound comes off fresh and exciting when compared with all the other "music" that is released today. "Come Saturday" balances hard rocking guitars with gentle vocal harmonies while "Stay Alive" melds chiming arpeggios with distortion. In both songs, as on every track, there is a constant droning in the background, which puts the noise in noise pop. Lyrically, the album is as dark and shocking as anything I have heard in recent years. The incestuous "This Love Is F***ing Right!" describes a secret affair with a sibling: "In a dark room we can do just as we like/You're my sister, and this love is f***ing right!" Awesome. When Katy Perry notoriously declared that she kissed a girl and, God forbid, liked it, everyone was in an uproar. Berman blows Katy out of the water; he has no problem singing about getting it on with his sister. "A Teenager In Love" is about a teen who experienced a fatal drug overdose. There have been countless songs written about this subject, but The Pains of Being Pure At Heart put a new twist on it with a unique juxtaposition of words: "The way you lived your final days/A teenager in love with Christ and heroin." How many times have you heard Christ and heroin in the same sentence? I've only heard it about three times in my life. The entire album is full of sardonic lines like that, making "The Pains of Being Pure At Heart" a lyrical gem. My one complaint is that there are not enough guitar solos. "Everything With You," arguably the album's best track, has a killer solo that somehow finds the fine line between shredding and gorgeously melodic. Unfortunately, that's about it as far as solos are concerned, but it's a minor quibble. Everything else on this album works perfectly. Even if you're not into loud, ear-piercing distortion, you should still check out "The Pains of Being Pure At Heart." At its core, with its infectious melodies, it's a pop album. A great one, at that.
(04/09/09 12:00am)
Author: Hilary Hall The Community Council met on Mar. 30 to review the Queer Studies House, a new Honor Code protocol and the campus social houses. After unanimously passing the last meeting's minutes, the Council listened to an update from the Queer Studies House, which is in its first year as an academic interest house."It's been really successful," said Christine Bachman '09, a resident. "We've figured out a good system."The house, which its five members wish to emphasize is not sexual identity-based, focuses on interdisciplinary study. Bachman cited weekly tea times, monthly queer talks and its safe community as the strongest parts of their first year.The house will be full again next year and looks forward to expanding their advertising of events.After this review, the Council heard from Student Government Association (SGA) President Hiba Fakhoury '09 and SGA Chief of Staff Katie Hylas '09, who proposed new honor code regulations. The protocol, a compromise between the SGA and the Faculty Council, changes some handbook language to make it more flexible for faculty members to proctor exams but does not give them full rights to do so. It is on the basis of concern for the need to monitor and requires the Dean of the College's approval."It's a terrific compromise," said Acting Dean of the College Gus Jordan. "It allows feedback from students."The Council voted almost unanimously, with just one dissenting vote, to pass the proposal. It will next go to student vote, then to the Honor Code Review Committee.Last on the agenda was the Social House Review, presented by council member Mack Roark, an educational technology specialist for Library and Information Services. The Review approved all five social houses on campus to continue until next year's review, with some stipulations. Both Delta House and KDR are required to lower their high damage costs to $250 per semester and $500 per year. Both Xenia and Tavern had no stipulations, while the Mill was asked to provide more details as to the genders and places of origin of their members, which is a required part of the Review that the Mill did not complete this year.The Council passed unanimously this review and then ended the meeting.
(03/19/09 12:00am)
Author: Lea Calderon-Guthe The United States has no federal laws against public nudity, but Vermont is one of the only states in the Union without laws requiring clothing in public. The townspeople of Shoreham, however, are not trying to play into the naked Vermonter stereotype: they took off their clothes for community, not celebrity.Eight years ago, in the tiny meeting room of the Platt Memorial Library, the townspeople of Shoreham decided that their library, while historic and charming, was too small. Three years later, after halting advances in fundraising, Leslie Goodrich proposed a naked calendar, inspired by the 2003 film "Calendar Girls." In early 2007, the staging began for Shoreham's own naked calendar."There's certainly nothing raunchy or lewd about it," Goodrich said. "Edgy, funny, unusual - yeah, but we did something a little different from what we've seen done in other places. Other calendars have been all men or all women and they haven't been of mixed age, but our calendar is really a community venture and it ranges in ages from seven months to 70 years old, and there are men and women in all walks of life."The calendar features 12 color photos of seemingly nude members of businesses from the Shoreham Inn to the Fort Ticonderoga Ferry. The library itself is also featured in February. Jim Ortuno, owner of Shoreham Upholstery, represented most community members when he said the idea was alarming at first, but posing nude was a very simple thing to do to support the library."It was about doing for the community, and I was goaded into it more than anything else by the members of the library board," Ortuno said. "You don't necessarily have to be an exhibitionist to do this. I'm not an exhibitionist - it was just something that needed to be done. Getting past that and making this fun was what it was all about."The cost of renovations to double the space in the 800-square-foot building is over $500,000. When the Friends of the Platt Memorial Library, a non-profit organization formed to oversee the building project, began with bake sales, plant sales and wine and cheese parties, they were met with limited success in a town of less than 1,300 people."We wanted to try and reach out to a larger group of people than just folks in Shoreham," Goodrich said.Goodrich's plan worked. Calendar sales have netted over $20,000 on top of the $180,000 raised through smaller fundraisers. Shannon Bohler-Small, president of the Friends and events and administrative coordinator at the Center for the Arts, said the calendar has been "far and away [their] best fundraiser," but the Friends are only halfway there. They are considering grants to push their funds over the top.The construction costs of expansion will support additional programming. The library will become handicap-accessible, and the extra space will be used to expand the collections. Additionally, the renovated library will have a new computer room and serve as a community meeting space."Meeting space is at a premium in Shoreham," Bohler-Small said. "The people of Shoreham want to maintain their own town personality and not get drawn into being sort of like a bedroom community for Middlebury."Community has been a recurring theme throughout the calendar production. The calendar came together because of the townspeoples' willingness to disrobe, and it was produced professionally for free by Tom and Lisa Balfour. The Balfours' creative Photoshopping allowed Shoreham's residents to bare only what they were comfortable with."A lot of people have different views about the purpose and place of the public library and what a community means, but if you think about getting almost naked with everybody, you're taking down those barriers," Goodrich said. "You're opening up and being together with nothing to hide."The openness of Shoreham's community members has sold calendars because of the humor in seeing regular folks in the buff, but also because of what it means; a year's worth of people so dedicated to their community they are willing to take their clothes off has appeal that is apparently worldwide. "There are a few repercussions of things that happened afterwards because of notoriety," Ortuno said. "I have people come into the shop that I've never met before and they'll look around and say, 'This is where you guys shot the calendar!' or they'll call and say, 'Are you guys wearing clothes today while you're working?' All of this from perfect strangers."Those perfect strangers might feel comfortable sharing that joke with Ortuno because he and his fellow business owners felt comfortable sharing their community (and their privates) with the world.
