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(11/20/08 12:00am)
Author: Jaime Fuller Though much has been done in the 18 months since the College announced its commitment to carbon neutrality in May 2007, new innovations will hold the key to upholding that promise by 2016 given current economic conditions, according to faculty and students already searching for creative ways for the College to meet its environmental goals. The development that has had the biggest impact on reducing the College's carbon footprint was the decision to build a biomass plant to replace the old #6 oil-fueled heating plant. Once the biomass plant goes into operation beginning in Jan. 2009, it can potentially cut the College's greenhouse emissions by 12,500 metric tons per year. Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics Rich Wolfson, who specializs in global warming research, believes this development is the biggest step that Middlebury will take in going carbon neutral. "The heating plant is the single largest producer of carbon emissions by a factor of 10," Wolfson said. "The biomass plant, once in operation, will cut the College's carbon emissions in half."The next largest carbon emitters are the buildings on the periphery of campus, which are not heated by the main heating plant. Because these buildings will not be aided by the new biomass plant, the administration is thinking of other ways to make the outskirts of campus conform to the College's environmental ambitions. The solar panels to be installed at 107 Shannon Street are a prime example, but Wolfson believes that solar and wind power, though admirable, are not going to considerably affect the College's carbon footprint."People think that by putting up lots of solar panels and windmills for electricity we'd solve a lot of problems," he said, "but Vermont gets most of its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric energy, which has virtually no carbon emissions. If we were in Ohio, it would make a big difference because we would be getting most of our electricity from coal."The source of carbon emissions that will prove most troublesome for the College to neutralize is faculty travel, which because of Middlebury's remote location will be impossible to completely eradicate. Wolfson said travel will most likely be cut, but in order to become carbon neutral the College will need to buy carbon offsets to atone for trips to locations far from the Green Mountains. Wolfson said the next step the College planned to take in its quest towards carbon neutrality by 2016 was to duplicate the biomass plant, but these plans were made before the financial crisis made the administration more budget-conscious. "It's going to cost," Wolfson said. "It's not as economically feasible as it was two months ago. We're going to have to be innovative if we want to do this by 2016."Although Wolfson believes Middlebury is a pioneer among the nation's liberal arts colleges in its commitment to carbon neutrality, he wishes that there were another way to get there besides the woodchip-fueled biomass plant."Frankly, I'm a little disappointed that we need to burn something else to become carbon neutral," he said. The nine-acre willow farm planted on College lands seeks to make the biomass plant more palatable and more sustainable. When 1200 acres of willows are fully grown, they should be able to provide a quarter of the College's heating fuel supply, which in effect replaces 500,000 gallons of the carbon-rich #6 oil.The Sunday Night Group (SNG) has also been busy trying to deal with carbon reductions, albeit on a much larger scale. Chester Harvey '09, who was a main actor in the push to get Middlebury carbon neutral, is pleased with what the College has achieved so far, but unsure of how SNG should progress."We've been struggling since the carbon neutrality proposal was passed with what we should do next," he said. "We almost accomplished our goals too well, we didn't leave anything for the students to do afterwards." He then said that since carbon neutrality was mostly in the administration's hands as far as Middlebury College goes, SNG was now focusing on the climate crisis on a larger scale. "We've been trying to branch out beyond campus, to bring carbon reductions to the community and the state, and further out nationally," said Harvey.As part of this branching out beyond the bubble, Lois Parshley '11 has been leading an effort to draft policy proposals that she hopes to present to Vermont legislators, using her research on Oregon's business energy tax credit program as the starting point. "Like Oregon," Parshley wrote in an e-mail, "the state of Vermont could stimulate capital investment, conservation savings and renewable energy sources through the introduction of energy conservation and renewable energy income tax credit programs." Parshely's goal is to finish drafting her proposal with the help of the Middlebury chapter of the Roosevelt Institution, and raise awareness among local representatives, senators and business leaders, which she hopes will lead to passage of her idea in the 2009 state legislative session. However, recent events in national politics have spurred her to make much more ambitious goals regarding her policy proposal. "Since Obama's win last week, I have also been discussing with Professor [of International Environmental Economics] Jon Isham and [Scholar-in-Residence] Bill McKibben the possibility of taking my proposal national," she wrote in an e-mail. "I am beginning to network on the national level towards that goal."Other nationally oriented SNG-supported initiatives include Middshift, 1Sky, 350.org and PowerVote, which all seek to make climate change a more central part of the national agenda. At the SNG meeting Nov. 9, Bill McKibben had no fears that the College would not be able to achieve its environmental goals."Middlebury has been the most activist college campus on climate change for about a decade," he said. "[This college] has a legacy and historical commitment to the environment and is in the lead for college campuses in the march towards carbon neutrality."
(11/20/08 12:00am)
Author: Jack Lysohir The Office of International Programs and Off-Campus Study, as well as the Sustainability Integration Office, have begun a yearlong effort to assess the environmental practices of the C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad. Director of Sustainability Integration Jack Byrne and Assistant Director of International Programs and Off-Campus Study Stacey Woody Thebodo are leading the Sustainability Assessment Project.The Project will analyze the sustainable practices of the C.V. Starr-Middlebury schools, beginning with the schools in Spain. Thebodo wrote in an e-mail that "students and faculty are working to develop or adapt a sustainability assessment tool that helps define what sustainability in Schools Abroad means, and that helps each School evaluate its own status with regard to the definition." "The plan is to see how this research develops over the course of the 08-09 academic year, then the Directors of the Schools Abroad will meet next summer to assess the project and figure out next steps and how to implement this in other sites," she added.This comprehensive study of the environmental practices of the C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad comes in the wake of major changes in environmental policies at the College. In May 2007, the Board of Trustees voted to make Middlebury entirely carbon neutral by 2016. The Trustees' resolution, however, strives to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality only for the "College's Vermont campus," omitting the College's 30 abroad sites as well as domestic sites such as the Monterey Institute of International Affairs, and the Language Schools' and Bread Loaf School of English's satellite campuses.In recent years, the Office of International Programs and Off-Campus Study has attempted to educate directors of the Schools Abroad about ways to "go green." However, these green initiatives pale in comparison to those taken on by the College's Vermont campus. The initiatives for the C.V. Starr schools are outlined in a guide called the "Middlebury Study Abroad Going Green Guide for Schools Abroad Directors." The guide recognizes Middlebury as one of the preeminent liberal arts colleges in the field of environmental sustainability (pointing out that Middlebury is one of only four institutions nationwide to win the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)'s Campus Sustainability Award), and endeavors to help the C.V. Starr schools achieve parity with the College's central campus in the environmental realm. The Study Abroad Office also stresses environmental consciousness to its departing students. Students are briefed on environmental issues associated with traveling and studying abroad both in pre-departure materials and meetings. The office recommends that students participate in the "Green Passport" program, which consists of a pledge stating that, when studying abroad, green passport holders will minimize their impact on the environment and take into account the social and environmental consequences of their actions. A carbon offset program is also offered by the Office of International Programs and Off-Campus Study, whereby students may purchase carbon offsets to neutralize the impact of their air travel. For $36, NativeEnergy of Vermont will offset your carbon emissions, and give you a certificate as well as a pint of Ben & Jerry's upon your return to America. Finally, the Study Abroad Office offers a more academic option to engage in environmental issues while abroad. The "Sustainable Study Abroad Grants" of up to $500 are awarded to students for projects related to the environment or sustainability issues to be pursued while studying abroad. Recent grant winners have utilized their money by working on projects as diverse as sustainability in modern Parisian architecture, to China's abundance of waste, to geothermal power in New Zealand. Thebodo was quick to point out that "discussions about study abroad and environmental sustainability are relatively new to the field of education abroad, so we have a long way to go as a field." Thebodo has been at the forefront of the discussion on sustainable study abroad, having presented on a panel entitled "Sustainability in Education Abroad: Reducing our Global Footprint" at the Association of International Educators conference in Washington, D.C. last May. Nonetheless, the Study Abroad Office and the Office for Sustainability Integration feel it is necessary for the Schools Abroad to begin to hold themselves to the standards of the Vermont campus.The Study Abroad office said that implicit in their mission of exposing students to cultures different from their own, they are doing a small part in improving sustainability practices. Thebodo wrote, "the average Western European uses half as much energy as the average American … We hope our students learn about these practices when they are abroad, adapt more sustainable lifestyles and bring back what they have learned."
(11/13/08 12:00am)
Author: Nick Martell The Middlebury football team that had fallen to Trinity College just two weeks ago surged with vengeance in Clinton, N.Y. on Nov. 1, clawing its way to a 31-28 victory against the Continentals. Building off this momentum in the final game of the season, the Panthers came away with a 38-24 win over Tufts on Nov. 8, topping off a 2008 campaign defined by the strong contributions of the young players who stepped up in the wake of so many key Middlebury injuries.With the two victories, Middlebury finishes the season at 5-3, its third straight season over .500. The senior class ends their career as one of the most successful groups in Middlebury history, posting a four-year record of 21-11.Raised in rural Vermont, season-long backup quarterback Jack Kramer '10.5 came to the big town of Middlebury as part of a long line of collegiate family quarterbacks. And when he took the reigns of the Panther's offensive operations after a serious injury to starting quarterback and standout talent Donald McKillop '11 in the Trinity game, the Kramer tradition was underway.In his debut against Hamilton, the wide-eyed country-boy went 22 for 44, posting over 300 yards with his three touchdown passes as the Panther offense out-gained the Continentals 390-329. On defense, Steve Hardin '10 notably replaced injured Eric Kamback '10, and Andrew Poulin '11 rose to the occasion again as a linebacker.The game was ultimately won by the dairy-infused foot of Wisconsin product Anthody Kuchan '11, whose 33-yard field goal with 11 seconds left put Middlebury in the lead for the first time in the game.The Panthers' performance against Hamilton proved to be just the spark they needed to finish an inconsistent season on a high note. Returning to Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium in the victory over Tufts, Middlebury finally put back-to-back wins together for the first time this year.After a difficult and slow first half, the Panthers drove in 31 points in the final two quarters while holding the Jumbos to just one touchdown en route to notching the final check in the win column.Embracing everyone in sight after the game with his long receiver arms that clung to the blue jerseys, an emotional Tim Monaghan '10 reflected on the team's resurgent feat at the end of the season, restraining his sentiments with only clenched fists."We really came together like a family on Thanksgiving in the second half of the season, but with all the obstacles we faced, we only excelled under the leadership, direction and example of our seniors."Captain Andrew Matson '09, who earned District I Academic All-American status, finished his career leading both the Panthers and the league overall with the most receiving yards per game, and had the second most touchdown receptions per game. Jamie Millard '10, Kamback and McKillop also made their presences known on the field this fall, finishing first in all-purpose yards, second in most tackles per game and first with most passing yards per game, respectively."Despite the rain, this last game of our careers was simply a beautiful day - a beautiful day," said Chris Angelini '08.5, emphatically referencing the Irish rock group U2's 2000 hit single.In many ways, Middlebury's season was a costumed enigma that, weekly, through unpredictable wins and losses, never fully assumed its true form and identity, momentum or dynamic. As the wounded Panthers hibernate over the cold months ahead in preparation for spring training, they will nurse the injuries that so heavily impaired their lineup, continue to cherish their 2007 NESCAC Championship rings, and in the spirit of both Angelini and Bono, begin to dream of next year's "beautiful day."
(11/13/08 12:00am)
Author: Kevin Carpenter In somewhat dispiriting fashion, the men's soccer team fell 2-0 to Amherst in the NESCAC Championship this past Sunday, Nov. 9. The Amherst win gives the Lord Jeffs their first NESCAC championship in four appearances and guarantees the team an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Middlebury, on the strength of its regular season record, received an at-large bid to the D-III NCAA tournament. A day prior to the Amherst defeat, the Panthers collided with a familiar Williams squad on the FieldTurf. Middlebury had taken on the Ephs just eight days prior, snatching a 1-0 victory in Williamstown, Mass. In Middlebury, a crowd of nearly 500 braved the adverse weather to witness an exciting 1-0 victory for the home team. "I think the Williams game overall was a hard-working performance all over the pitch," said keeper Brian Bush '09. "The work rate was exceptional and it helped us pressure them and create chances."After a first half of dominant possession, Middlebury capitalized in the 37th minute as Brooks Farrar '11 struck with a header off a corner from tri-captain Baer Fisher '09.Despite some golden chances for the Panthers, the Ephs were in control for much of the second half, but a solid Middlebury defense and the quick hands of Bush fended off all attack."Nolan Lincoln did exceptionally well filling in when Jake [Edwards] went down injured," said Bush. "He has been very solid all season and was the foundation of a great team performance against Williams."The win for Middlebury on Saturday led the team to the finals on Sunday. The Panthers are no strangers to the NESCAC championship, having played in it five times prior to this year. Middlebury bested Amherst 1-0 in the two teams' first meeting this season, but the Lord Jeffs came out in fighting form for the finals and defeated the Panthers 2-0.Despite consistent pressure from Amherst, Middlebury created chances through the midfield and facilitated movement with runs by Fisher, playing defense this game.But Amherst came out of the gates 15 minutes in with an early goal. Nick Lynch of Amherst crossed a ball from the end-line with pace to the foot of Jake Duker as he struck in his thirteenth of the season. Just three minutes later, Amherst forward Jae Heo tapped in a deflection off the post to put his squad up 2-0.Despite the deficit, the Middlebury defense proved tough and sturdy despite suffering injuries to Colin Nangle '10, Jake Edwards '11 and Harrison Watkins '11. Nangle and Watkins are day-to-day with knee injuries while Edwards suffered a broken collarbone and will be out for the remainder of the season. "Colin, Jake and Harrison were big losses for our back, particularly because of how well they all play offensively," said Bush. "However, I cannot say enough about the way that Nolan and Otis stepped in. We didn't miss a beat as a team and they both turned in very strong performances."After the second goal, the Panthers were determined to control the rest of the game and maintained possession for much of the remaining time. But it proved hard to match the determination and fervor of Amherst. Juniors Micah Wood '10 and Stephen Hart '10 gave stellar efforts as substitutes up front. Despite their hustle, the Panthers never seemed able to connect for that final shot. Even during a three-minute span with five corners and a free kick, Middlebury could not capitalize."Amherst played very tough defensively, and while we were able to possess the ball for the majority of the last 60 minutes of the game, it was difficult to create quality opportunities," said Bush. "They were very big and strong in the air, which made it much harder on our midfield."Although the loss was a clear disappointment, the Panthers are still knocking on the door of national success. Middlebury will host a regional match in the NCAA tournament Saturday, Nov. 15 against Framingham State. Framingham State comes into the match 16-3-1.
(11/06/08 12:00am)
Author: Andrea Glaessner Vermonters flooded polling stations across the state this Election Day, drawing a close to the epic presidential campaign drama that has riveted Americans for the past 18 months. Vermont was one of the first states the media declared blue, handing President-elect Barack Obama three electoral votes early in the evening. In a less decisive gesture, voters eventually called the shots on the heated three-way governor's race, re-electing Jim Douglas '72, Vermont's two-time Republican incumbent by a mere 55 percent of the vote. Tension was thick throughout the day that the popularity of third-party candidate Anthony Pollina would challenge Douglas' hold on the required 50 percent of the vote, leaving the final decision in the hands of the state legislature to decide in January. In state and local politics, incumbents overwhelmingly eclipsed their rivals, declaring a landslide victory for seasoned Vermont politicians. Though at the time of writing it was still unclear whether voter turnout records were broken in this election, town clerks across the state reported heavy turnout and crowded lines at poll stations. Prior to Election Day, state officials were optimistic, predicting that 75% of registered voters would cast a ballot this year to break the record for Vermont voter turnout.At 6:40 a.m., 20 minutes before the polls opened, droves of Middlebury residents were already clustered outside the Municipal Building. Anne Hoover, an election official, noted that "mobs" of people arrived to cast their ballots during the initial hours of opening. "That first half-hour was really wild. It was very exciting," said Hoover.Fortunately, election officials were well prepared for the influx of voters. Echoing Hoover's observation of the massive morning crowds, Middlebury Town Clerk Ann Webster said, "It was huge this morning at around 7 a.m., and it will be huge again at 5 p.m. But we've been a lot more prepared this time around and we have double the booths as last year." (Even if voter turnout records remain unbroken this time around,) town officials confirmed an increase in the number of registered voters in Middlebury. There were 4700 registered voters on this year's checklist, up by 500 from the previous election year. "So many more people are showing interest," explained Webster, "and we've had lots of people in their 50's, 60's and 70's registering who have never voted before." Webster also noted a potential increase in students at the College registering to vote in Vermont. "Many [College students] that came through it seemed was because they weren't getting their absentee ballots from their home states," said Webster, suggesting the increase is more likely attributed to "a problem and a glitch" in other states' absentee ballot system rather than increased interest among college-age students.At least one interesting result of this year's election was apparent even before the polls closed at 7 p.m. - the number of early voters soared above the last election year's count. According to Webster, this year the town collected 1600 early votes as compared to the 700 received last year. When asked what might account for the surge in early voting, Webster suggested that heavy advertising about early voting both regionally and nationwide has encouraged more Vermonters to cast in early this year. Still, many Vermonters remain tied to the ceremonious thrill of voting on Election Day. Mary McHugh, a member of the Addison County Democrats, spent much of the early afternoon alongside her husband Bill holding up signs for Gail Symington, the democratic governor hopeful. "I actually enjoy and like to go out on Election Day and vote," said McHugh. Certainly, those who did turn out at the polls seemed to confirm the perception that this election is perhaps more momentous than those of years past. Voters exited the polling station beaming with excitement, or, in some cases, utter relief. "I've been a wreck. I haven't been able to sleep," said Jane Duffy, "and I'm just really glad this day has finally come." "I feel [this election is] going to change my life, if it turns out the way I hope. This is the first time I've been so excited and so hopeful, I have two kids and a grandchild and its mostly about them, I just want them to be able to have a better life," said Duffy.Many voters were eager to gain closure on the brutal battle between the presidential hopefuls that ensued for over 18 months. Disillusioned by the length and negativity of the presidential race, Dave, a Middlebury resident who declined to give his last name, said "I'm kind of glad its over, I'm sick of all the ads on TV and the negative publicity as far as everyone going against everybody else."First-time and new voters emanated the adrenaline rush of casting their first vote. College junior Nick Martell '10 said, "I thought it was awesome, I didn't expect it, but it was really cool." Martell, a citizen of New York, failed to receive his absentee ballot in time for Election Day and chose to re-register in Vermont. Reflecting the view of most voters interviewed exiting the polls, Martell was more compelled by his interest in the presidential rather than local candidates to vote on Tuesday. Joey Swensson '08, now a resident of Waitsfield, trekked out to Middlebury where he was still registered to cast his vote. Like Martell, Swensson was captivated with the presidential election, but claimed he was not "informed enough for the local." "I haven't really paid attention to [local politics]. I'm fairly apathetic, not too invested, but I think this time around [the presidential election is] really important, so that's why I'm here," said Swensson.Yet the most politically active Vermonters - the sign holders and election officials - typically felt that just as much, if not more, was at stake in the local elections, particularly in the gubernatorial race. Frank Nicosia, a volunteer for Pollina, emphasized the importance of local political outcomes of this year's election. "People should realize that the gubernatorial outcome could affect their lives much more quickly and directly in many ways than the presidential," said Nicosia.Professor of Anthropology Ellen Oxfeld, standing beside Nicosia and bearing her own sign for Pollina, nodded in agreement, saying, "The governors' race can have a big impact on things that will take much longer to change in Washington." "Very often you can have reforms happen at the state-wide level first, and this is one reason why we're supporting Anthony Pollina, because he has so many wonderful ideas about how to rejuvenate the Vermont economy, how to work on energy issues, how to help with housing and especially on single payer health care which is something we support a lot," explained Oxfeld.Both Oxfeld and Nicosia expressed their desire to see more Americans vote on issues rather than superficial factors like charisma and good looks. "It's the issues that are most important, and it's a shame in this country [that] people are often carried away with charisma and image. They're nice, but where's the substance? The issues are what are going to lead to real change," said Nicosia.Change was indeed a theme on everyone's mind on Nov. 4 - a nod to the President elect's spirited campaign slogan, "Change we can believe in."
(11/06/08 12:00am)
Author: Glenn Lower I would like to thank the College for sponsoring the Food Symposium during the week of October 20-24. Congratulations to the students who organized the event!As the General Manager of the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, I was especially interested in the Tuesday lecture (Oct. 21) delivered by Walter Robb, President of Whole Foods, Inc. Mr. Robb emphasized his company's support of locally grown and produced foods. To highlight his point, he showed a number of slides and film clippings, including several Vermont farmers and cheese makers. Evidently, Whole Foods has a different definition of "local" than we do at Middlebury Co-op, or at cooperative businesses nationwide. Whole Foods does not own any stores in Vermont; its nearest supermarkets are located four to five hours away in Portland, Maine, Hartford, Conn., Boston, or New York City. While I am happy to hear that Vermont food producers are featured in Whole Foods supermarkets, these products can hardly be called local when sold in stores hundreds of miles away. At Middlebury Co-op we define local as grown or produced within a 100-mile radius. We actively support locally grown produce and local cheese makers and food producers, whenever quality meets our expectations and buying criteria, and we mean it! I am sometimes amazed at the ease with which supermarkets claim to be supporting local business and agriculture when they don't offer much more than a few varieties of locally grown apples!Mr. Robb said that he knew of no other supermarket chain that supported local agriculture to the extent that Whole Foods does. I challenge this assumption. In my view, it is cooperatives that actively and wholeheartedly support local food production.Co-ops are community-driven. They grow out of their community, are guided and supported by their community members, and exist to serve the community. Profits are reinvested to benefit the local community. At the Middlebury Co-op, for example, 25 percent of sales are generated by local producers, and much of it by growers and cheese makers in Addison County! Sales benefit local consumers and local producers. When our Co-op expanded four years ago, the Co-op raised $500,000 from our member-owners and $1.5 million as a loan from a local bank. This is local capital at work!I agree with Mr. Robb that it is farmers' markets that best promote locally grown foods, but his presentation of Whole Foods supermarkets as committed supporters of local foods and economies strikes me more as a marketing ploy than a true commitment. Because of our smaller size, community integration, and our cooperative business model, co-ops are far better equipped to promote local, and in my experience that is what we do.
(11/06/08 12:00am)
Author: Alexxa Gotthardt It is something of an American ritual: a lively campaign, vigorous debate, a ballot distributed, options considered and winner announced. We determine many decisions in this manner, whether they be in the realm of national politics, commencement speaker candidates or, in the case of the Middlebury College Museum of Art's (MCMA) Purchase Party, art museum acquisitions.On Saturday, Nov. 1, members of the Friends of the Art Museum (FOAM), the museum's membership group, observed its own electoral tradition. Over dinner and lively discussion at the Kirk Alumni Center, the 70 attendees considered four works of art for addition to the Museum's ever-growing collection. The work that received the most votes - this year a first-rate ancient Egyptian Canopic jar - would be acquired with funds culled by the donations of FOAM members. This annual Purchase Party manifests a happy partnership; FOAM members can participate in important museum decisions, and the Museum's collection is enhanced. Since FOAM's inception in 1969, the organization has sustained a commitment to support acquisitions for and educational programs through the Museum. Today the group consists of about 400 representatives, ranging from community members and alumni to parents of students and, in recent years, a growing number of current students. Two-thirds of the membership dues contribute to museum education; the remaining funds support the Purchase Party's annual acquisition as well as lectures and receptions organized to complement museum exhibitions. In an age when funding for the arts is a constant struggle and often a last priority, FOAM's acquisition efforts prove devotedly steady - the organization purchases at least one work every year. Since the group's inception, it has raised between $500,000 and $600,000 for the acquisition of art, a fact stated enthusiastically by MCMA's Director, Richard Saunders, at Saturday's event. Also interesting to note is FOAM's position as the one of the few college museum membership programs in New England to allot funds to acquisitions, according to a survey conducted by former Museum Graduate Intern Stuart Hurt '07. In the past, FOAM has acquired art that spans eras and media - a Renaissance crucifixion carving, a 7th-century Chinese scroll and an Andy Warhol serigraph all made their way into the collection thanks to annual membership funds. At this year's Purchase Party, the four acquisition hopefuls were equally diverse, and the democratic pep was palpable.Four MCMA curators and History of Art and Architecture professors presented objects with PowerPoint presentations, each lobbying for their chosen object. Colin Mackenzie, Robert P. Youngman Curator of Asian Art, chose a Japanese ceremonial robe. Eliza Garrison, Assistant Professor of History of Art and Architecture, selected a Medieval French corbel of a contortionist. Pieter Broucke, Associate Professor of History of Art & Architecture and Associate Curator of Ancient Art, presented an ancient Egyptian Canopic jar. Chief Curator of the Museum Emmie Donadio made a case for eleven photogravures by the likes of Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen. Professor of Art and Architecture Cynthia Packert and C.A. Johnson Professor of Art Glenn Andres, conducted presentations for MacKenzie and Garrison, who were unable to attend. In a close contest, the Canopic jar of Pa-lynen, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, triumphed - it is the first piece of Egyptian art acquired by FOAM. As explained by Broucke in the Saturday evening presentation, the object will be installed in the Museum's Antiquities gallery next to the prominent ancient Egyptian mummy sarcophagus of Hathor-Mut-Netcher, Late Period, 30th Dynasty. Together, the Canopic jar and Mummy Sarcophagus will create a diachronic funerary ensemble, which will serve as an impressive visual duo and also as a dynamic teaching tool. FOAM's annual acquisitions not only highlight the vital relationship between the greater community, the extended Middlebury College network and the Museum, but also the existence of the Museum as a didactic cultural center. Donadio highlighted this synthesis. "From the beginning, FOAM and the College have worked together with a shared agenda. The Museum benefits the College and the local community by bringing visual art of a high standard to a rural place," she said. Through the Purchase Party, museum curators and staff, professors and the Friends of the Art Museum join forces to strengthen the MCMA for the benefit of Middlebury College and all visitors to the Museum.
(10/23/08 12:00am)
Author: Nicolas Martell After another volatile two weeks of winning and losing that saw the team fall to Williams before beating Bates, the Panthers seemed more focused than ever at Sunday's Oct. 19 practice, charging through all the conditioning and staccato whistle chirping that head coach Bob Ritter and the rest of his staff could throw at their legs and ears. As they went through passing routes and tackling drills, their minds were looking forward, past the gunshots of Hartford street fights and the high walls that isolate and protect the academics of the Trinity campus, to this Saturday's matchup against the undefeated Bantams.The Panthers are revved up for next week's game, not just for the challenge of playing Trinity College, but for the chance to finally set the record straight after inconsistent performances over the past few games.Two weeks ago, the Panthers traveled south to take on Williams College in the belly of the purple-sleeved beast for a high-scoring shootout that ended in a 50-45 loss for the visitors.The Middlebury defense struggled early on, allowing the first two touchdowns of the game and a total of 37 points in just the first half. Commenting on the program giving up 50 points for the first time in almost ten years, linebacker Eric Kambak '10 noted: "We just struggled every play at first against a solid offense; it took a while for the defensive Panthers to really jump off the leash and have our usual impact."But with an entire half left, the Panthers' comeback character did not disappoint. As Middlebury scored two touchdowns in each of the last three quarters and moved the ball quickly in the fourth to come to within five, it was only a late interception that caused the Panthers to run out of time, rather than overall offensive energy.Although they lost, the Panthers set impressive records on offense in the late surge. Donald McKillop '11 set new single-game school marks for most completions (47), most yards passing (462) and most yards of total offense (506), but the massive amount of yardage simply did not convert to a winning score.Motivated by the fresh taste of a close loss, Middlebury came into Homecoming weekend against Bates this past Saturday with a dual hunger to move above .500 and win in front of the nearly 2,000 proud Middlebury fans in attendance.Holding the Bobcats to just one touchdown in each of the first two quarters, the Panther defense redeemed itself from the Williams debacle, driving the Bobcat offense further out of contention as the game progressed. Andrew Poulin '11 stood out in particular, leading the defense with 11 tackles after having been moved to linebacker from defensive back.In yet another example of the team's late surging power, the Panthers finally erupted in the second half. Looking at the sandwich in front of him at the post-game tailgate, wide receiver Phil Hastings '10 analyzed the offensive aspects of the victory after the final horn had sounded."We really approached the game like a meal, after the first two quarters of appetizers of offense, we served up the Bobcats a meaty entrée second half," he said.And entrée-serve they did. Possessing the ball for over 19 of 30 second half minutes, the Panthers pulled away, adding three more touchdowns that smothered the Bobcats, with Ryan Bohling '10 rushing for a career-high 121 yards in the win.Getting his first minutes of playing time of the year in the Bates game, local Vermonter and backup quarterback Jack Kramer '10.5 felt "proud for the team to come back so strong after their second loss," but recognizes the importance of "rallying to really put together two wins in a row."The biggest challenge this year for the Panthers has not been their foes across New England, but simply the enemy of consistency. Despite great team efforts midway through the 2008 season, Middlebury has yet to win back-to-back games.But with the dream of a second consecutive NESCAC title still alive and attainable, the Panthers' Sunday morning practice on the green turf of Youngman Field in preparation for next week's matchup became a powerful, potentially season changing practice. At last year's Middlebury Homecoming, the Panthers upset juggernaut Trinity College en route to the NESCAC championship - and as they practiced with the rising sun just days ago, the only image mulling around in their minds was the prospect of heading south to the mean streets of Hartford to prove they can do it again.
(10/23/08 12:00am)
Author: Tim O'Grady Robert Jansen has enacted a plethora of changes since becoming manager of the Middlebury College Bookstore in January 2007. As he plans for the future, Jansen strives to create a world-class bookstore that delivers more value back to students.One way he plans to achieve his goal is by reorganizing the current set-up of the Bookstore. The Bookstore is currently divided into two sections: one where school supplies, apparel and memorabilia are sold and another where textbooks are sold. The ongoing construction of Proctor Hall will provide a new, more efficient bookstore by June 2009. "Instead of having our textbook sales in one location, and our school supplies in another, everything will be in one location" said Jansen via e-mail. Additionally, the new bookstore space will be about 30 percent larger.Two new Bookstore policies were enacted this academic year in order to benefit students and Middlebury College as a whole. The new book return policy, which took full effect in fall 2008, sets stricter regulations for students to return books and reimburses students solely with store credit. Under the new policy, students may return books for any reason until the first Friday after classes have commenced. After this date, some books may be returned for partial credit depending on the title and when it is returned. In order for a student to be reimbursed fully for returned books after the aforementioned date, he or she must verify that they have dropped the class for which the books were bought for and must return all books within two days of dropping the class. The bookstore staff cited several reasons as to why they amended the return policy. One reason was that the old policy negatively impacted students financially. Many students would buy used books from the Bookstore and then return them after finding a better deal online. This technique forced certain students to buy new textbooks because other students were borrowing the used ones, only to return the used books later in the week when classes are in progress and students are required to already own the books.Additionally, the old policy was harming the College financially. The campus Bookstore is a profit-maker, and uses all net revenue to lower the cost of a Middlebury education. The actual cost of a Middlebury education is over $80,000; therefore, if the bookstore doesn't make enough revenue, the College must find other ways to subsidize the difference between what students pay and the actual cost of a Middlebury education.The "Panther Rewards" program was established for the 2008-2009 academic year in order to reward students for keeping their money on campus and shopping at the Middlebury Bookstore. According to the Middlebury College Bookstore Web site, "this appreciation is really from Middlebury College as a whole, since all revenue earned by the Bookstore goes to offset other educational costs of the College." Student must initially sign up for the rewards program online then purchase a Panther Rewards Gift Card at one of the four amounts ($250, $500, $750 or $1,000). Students earn reward points for every dollar they spend on in-store or online purchases, which can be accumulated to buy gift certificates. Panther Rewards members also have additional benefits such as members?only sales and giveaways."Over 1,000 students signed up for the Rewards Program, earning over 300,000 points; it will represent the largest transfer of educational investment dollars from students back to students in the history of the Middlebury College Bookstore," wrote Jansen in an e-mail.The two new changes in the Bookstore strive to deliver more value to students and reward those who keep their money on campus. Despite the beneficient intentions of the policies, many students believe that textbook purchasing can be improved. During the Community Council's meeting on Oct. 15, many students contended that booklists should be available for students to view before registration. Not only would students be able to search for cheaper textbooks online, they said, but it would also aid students with course selection since many students select classes based on what books will be read."Students that really need the ability to buy less expensive books ... do not have the option to go online to search for cheaper books without getting an academic penalty," said Bobby Joe Smith '09, Community Council member and Student Government Association president.In order for booklists to be available earlier, more pressure would have to be put on professors to hand in their syllabi on time. Only 20-30 percent of faculty currently turn textbook lists in time. Professors at the Oct. 15 Community Council meeting said they understood the importance of handing in their syllabi on time, but some argued that the restrictive deadlines may impact the academic quality of courses since professors are rushed to hand in a syllabi at a certain date."[Professors take a lot of time to] come up with the most updated syllabi, with updated books ... so that you can get the best intellectual quality for what your tuition pays," said Faculty Co-head of Ross Commons and Professor of Religion Maria Hatjigeorgiou. The recently approved College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 will put more pressure on universities to inform bookstores and students about the required texts for classes. This new act will require IHEs (Institutions of Higher Education) to provide the International Standard Book Number for each required and recommended book in course schedules. Additionally, it will require IHEs to inform college bookstores about course schedules for the subsequent year and certain information about the textbooks being used.
(10/23/08 12:00am)
Author: Grace Close The heroic deeds of Polish Catholic social worker Irena Sendler are now cemented in history. During the Holocaust, Sendler rescued 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto and relocated them to non-Jewish family households to protect their safety. Once safe in the homes of their adopted families, Sendler compiled the original names of those children and their families, placed them in a jar, and buried them under an apple tree. Like the jar, Irena Sendler's story was buried for years until a group of students from Kansas resurrected Sendler and her story. Now, Irena Sendler has been woven into Vermont history, following Gov. Jim Douglas' '72 announcement to name Oct. 17 "Irena Sendler Day" in Vermont. From now on, this day will commemorate "the power of one person to make a difference," said Jack Mayer MD, a pediatrician at Rainbow Pediatrics in Middlebury. Mayer is intricately involved in the resurfacing of the Irena Sendler story from the depths of history. Alongside his work as a pediatrician, Mayer is also historical fiction novelist - a job that he refers to as his "closet profession." "I have always been interested in the whole concept of 'rescuers' and those unsung heroes and why people would put themselves at risk for the sake of others," explained Mayer.After completing a novel about rescuers in France during the Second World War, Mayer turned to the Warsaw ghetto for the setting of his next novel. One day, Mayer discovered a copy of the Ladies' Home Journal that someone had placed on his desk, with the pages opened to a story about Irena Sendler and a group of high school students from Kansas. The article informed Mayer that it was not until recently that the remarkable story of bravery and selflessness of Irena Sendler was made public, thanks to three Kansas high school students doing research on a project for National History Day. Megan Stewart, Elizabeth Cambers, and Sabrina Coons of Uniontown High School happened upon a biography of Sendler during their research. With support and inspiration from their history teacher, Norm Conard, the students pieced together Sendler's story and wrote a play called, "Life in a Jar," about the heroine. To this day Mayer does not know who put the article on his desk, since his office does not even carry the magazine.In hopes of getting more information on Irena Sendler and a basis for a fictionalized story of the Warsaw ghetto, Mayer contacted Conard in Kansas, who, as it turns out, was looking for a writer to produce the biography of Irena Sendler. "One year later, I was going on one of their [the Kansas students'] trips to Poland," said Mayer, who has since completed the biography manuscript and has been a part of the "Life in a Jar Project" ever since.After hosting a talk on Irena Sendler and the "Life in a Jar Project" to the eighth grade at Mount Abraham High School in Bristol, Mayer was approached by two students, Kia Warren and Miranda Lucia, interested in learning more about Sendler's once untold story. The students, inspired by the Kansas students who had gotten the mayor of both Kansas City and Warsaw to declare an Irena Sendler Day, sought to bring Irena Sendler Day to green mountains of Vermont. Warren and Lucia, with the help of their teacher, Emily Beatty, soon petitioned Gov. Douglas '72 to declare the day of the Project's Vermont visit as Irena Sendler Day. The day serves as "as a way of calling state-wide attention to this remarkable woman and her philosophy," said Mayer. "What to me, as a pediatrician, is so compelling and inspirational, is that these are young people who are acting as agents of history, not just students of history. They [the Kansas students] are actually making history by doing this and they've inspired other students, like those in Bristol, to the same thing," said Mayer of the effects of the Life in a Jar project.The message of Irena Sendler and the emotional weight of her story are truly universal, touching everyone from Kansas to Vermont to Poland. Travis Stewart, one of the cast members of the "Life in a Jar" Vermont performances, remembered when he performed in Poland, in front of Holocaust survivors, many of whom did not speak English. A copy of the script was translated into Polish for each of the attendees, yet, "no one in the room looked at the script," recounted Stewart, "We were able to perform without the need of language." Each survivor knew the impact of Sendler's story, since the emotion of this narrative crossed "through the language barrier."Life in a Jar has evolved from a history project to a national and global effort to promote Irena Sendler's story, rescuing her from the depths of history, and elevating her to a Polish national hero. Although she passed away last May, Sendler has now been nominated by the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of Poland for the Nobel Peace Prize. "Irena Sendler was a blessing to us all," said Conard, "she would have been especially proud for these young people and their initiative." "Tikkun Olam," meaning "to repair the world," is a Hebrew phrase that the members of the Project hope will resonate with Vermont's young people. Mayer suggested that that is the true heart of the Project, and the message that he hopes will be passed on. "Tikkun olam, we're all capable of it," Mayer said.
(10/23/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] The last decade has been a honeymoon period of expansion for Middlebury College. The College added summer and international programs, acquired an institute for international study, grew the student population, and adorned the campus with huge, shiny, top-notch buildings. For these things we are thankful. Now the global financial crisis, which we promised would not touch our campus in this space just six weeks ago, has arrived on College Street, or more specifically Old Chapel Road. After meeting with the Board of Trustees, President Liebowitz announced a series of public meetings to discuss the financial challenges confronting Middlebury, and his recent letter has had top billing on the College's website for over a week. To be sure, Middlebury's most pressing concern today, along with many other institutions, is how best to preserve its way of life. To say nothing of the Middlebury Initiative's goal of raising $500 million, the College's endowment will be hard-pressed to reap the high returns of recent years, let alone maintain its value. The endowment has been stretched thin in the past; in fact, the aforementioned building boom is due in large part to an above-average increase in endowment spending, beginning in 2001-2002, of up to 7.1%. Now Old Chapel is forced to reassess its spending habits and conduct a thorough investigation into what aspects of this College are most important and which will be most permanent. President Liebowitz has sent two major letters out to the college community detailing the struggles and institutional changes as well as encouraging community involvement in the conversation. We're glad that he has been so forthcoming. While the financial struggle may have a negative impact on Middlebury, we nonetheless see this as an opportunity to re-examine the core values of the school and re-emphasize what it is we most stand for. We applaud President Liebowitz's dedication to keeping Middlebury's admissions process need-blind and for expanding the financial aid budget; we see these as imperative in maintaining the vitality of the student body. The increase in faculty positions as outlined in the strategic plan is also of great importance and we are disappointed to hear that the hiring of new professors will be slower than originally planned. Middlebury is lauded for its beautiful campus and impressive facilities, but the faculty is at the center of the College's success. Above all, we feel that the College needs to devote its attention to maintaining and continuing to improve the undergraduate experience. Although expansion to Monterey was funded largely through a gift, and the varied summer and international programs are often defended as "helping the bottom-line," we feel that institutional attention is just as important as institutional spending. The College administration must remember to devote its greatest attention to this very campus and to the very undergraduate students who spend four years at Middlebury, rather than those who spend only a limited time in its midst. We undergraduates are glad for the notoriety and financial support of the College's summer and international programs. We think they, in many ways, improve upon the undergraduate experience and no doubt the College's reputation. But the core of that experience is here on our small Vermont campus. The Middlebury Initiative strives to make Middlebury the first "global liberal arts college for the 21st century," but reconciling this new credo with the small, balanced liberal arts college of the 19th and 20th centuries will be difficult. We trust Old Chapel, positioned at the center of Old Stone Row, will proceed carefully. Middlebury College has weathered many crises only to emerge stronger, we have no doubt that this tradition will continue.
(10/09/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] ROOKIE MATT RAYNER '12 GETS PLAYER OF THE WEEK IN WINMiddlebury athletes are making a habit of grabbing NESCAC Player of the Week honors.The latest sportsman with an outstanding week was rookie wide receiver Matt Rayner '12, who was named NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week after his impressive performance against Amherst this past Saturday.The play that vaulted Rayner to this achievement came in the second quarter of a deadlocked 7-7 game. After Middlebury tied the score with a 27-yard touchdown, the defense held and Amherst was forced to punt deep in its own territory. As the Amherst punter went into his motion and prepared to kick, Andrew Matson '09 sprawled out almost parallel to the ground and blocked the kick, springing the ball loose. Rayner alertly grabbed the pigskin and ran it 18 yards before diving into the end zone, giving the Panthers a lead it would never relinquish.Middlebury remained in charge for the remainder of the game and won 31-14, boosting its record above the .500 mark.The Panthers travel to Williamstown, Mass. this Saturday, Oct. 11 for a big game against Williams College. - Jeff Klein, Sports EditorMIDDLEBURY EQUESTRIAN CLUB TO HOST COMPETITIONAs students flee the campus this weekend in search of various Fall Break pursuits, the Middlebury Equestrian Club will be busy gearing up to host its annual horse show on Oct. 12. The competition is held at the Equestry, a riding facility in New Haven, Vt., the home of the College's equestrian team. The team will be joined by other Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone 1, Region 2 schools, including Dartmouth, Colby-Sawyer, Bates, UVM, Mt. Ida, and UNH, as the riders compete in jumping and flat class trials. "Our region has only six shows over four weekends, so every show is a major event," said rider Ruthie Reinken '10. Under the tutelage of Coach Kate Selby, the team returns this fall without star rider Ptarmigan Abbott '08, who graduated last spring after winning the High Point award at the annual UNH meet. While Abbott left large boots to fill, the team looks forward to another competitive season under the leadership of co-captains Thea Morrison '10.5 and Kelsey Johnson '09.The Middlebury horse show takes place all day this Sunday, and those students staying on campus are encouraged to attend and support a hardworking team of riders.- Emma Gardner, Sports EditorBASEBALL TEAM HOSTS SUCCESSFUL FALL FAMILY GOLF OUTINGLast weekend, the Middlebury baseball team further expanded the events open to Middlebury students and their families by hosting the first annual Family Weekend Golf Outing. The event, which serves as a fundraiser for the team, featured foursomes comprised mainly of father/son and father/daughter teams.For all concerned the outing was a smashing success. Not only was the day beautiful and the golf fun, but the event raised several thousand dollars to help offset the costs of the team's annual trip to Arizona during Spring Break. Nick Angstman '11 and his father Paul took the top prize, while Rob Palladino '09 won the long-drive contest with his bomb off the first tee. In events that practically demand an audit, Denny Smith, son of Middlebury baseball coach and outing organizer Bob Smith, took home the prize for closest to the pin. -Peter Baumann, Sports Editor
(10/02/08 12:00am)
Author: Peter Baumann Baseball's regular season ended Sunday, sending 24 of the league's 32 teams to the golf course and rendering the loyal fans of these teams devoid of distraction and hope. As a Colorado Rockies fan, I find myself in this unfortunate group this week - but despair not fellow losers! I have a team that we can all root for. Something about our make-up as sports fans attracts us to the implausible. That's why we speak reverently of the Miracle Mets and the Miracle on Ice, it's why we recall fondly the memories of George Mason and Villanova over Georgetown. The fact is, we love underdogs, and this year the underdog story is the Tampa Bay Rays. Think about this team for a second. Since its inception in 1998, it has finished dead last in the American League East every year except 2004. The closest the Rays have ever finished to first place was 2000 - and they were still 18 games back, 23 games under .500. Over their ten-year history they've averaged being 34 games back at the end of the season. Hell, just last year they lost more games than any other team in baseball.And now? Not only are they preparing to go to the playoffs for the first time in club history, they're doing so as winners of the tough AL East and holders of the second-best record in the league as a whole. What's more, they've done it with a group of guys that sound like I'd be more likely to trust with my taxes than to go toe-to-toe with the Red Sox in October ("Shields, Longoria and Sonnanstine CPAs" - for all of your accounting needs). In a division where the Red Sox and the Yankees use guaranteed attendance and privately held television contracts to spend obscene amounts of money to buy success, the Rays beat them both this year despite spending less on their entire team than the Yankees spend on the left side of their infield. The Red Sox have even paid $7 million over the last two months to have a guy hit .400 in LA while the most the Rays have paid anyone all year is the $6 million they've given Carlos Pena to hit 31 home runs in Tampa.What's not to like about these guys? As a show of team unity they all decided to go get Mohawks. Even Joe Maddon, the Rays' 54-year-old manager, has gotten one. They play with heart, they play injured, they play with a chip on their shoulders - in short they do all the things for $43 million that the Yankees wouldn't do for $207 million.You guys need a team this October? Choose the Rays. I've already got the shirts printed up: "Rayoffs '08." No? Hey, cut me some slack, I already miss "Rocktober." And now for my Division Series predictions:Red Sox over Angels - If it were a seven-game series I'd take the Angels, but I just don't see them scraping together three wins against the Beckett-Lester-Matsuzaka combo. In many ways this might be the real World Series.Rays over White Sox - I'm partial to teams that win play-in games (see Rockies, Colorado 2007), but theRays are my team this year. Rayoffs '08! Brewers over Phillies - As the Phils found out last year, pitching wins in October. I just can't be confident enough in a starting rotation that features a guy who spent a significant portion of the year at AAA. Cubs over Dodgers - One must remain cautious when dealing with unexplainable forces - whether they be caprine curses or Manny Ramirez. I will be shocked by nothing that happens in this series. For now I'll give the edge to the Cubs because of their deeper pitching staff.
(10/02/08 12:00am)
Author: Adam Clayton "Down in the valley there were three farms. The owners of these farms had done well. They were rich men. They were also nasty men. Their names were Farmer Boggis, Farmer Bunce and Farmer Bean." If this sounds familiar, it's because you probably read or heard it as a child in the Fantastic Mr. Fox. Not wishing to delve into the story too much, the story involves several farmers whose grotesque eating habits are only bested by their insatiable greed, leading them to stake out the hill in the hope of catching fox, with no regard for badgers or any other peaceful inhabitants of the woods. What makes this story so shocking to me is how natural it is for us to view greed as a trait worst seen in and applied by ourselves. Today, it would be all too appropriate to use the farmer's names as Monikers for the ex-CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as countless other criminals. Most people I meet point first and foremost to the greed of these CEOs as the number one cause for their anger, which is why Obama and McCain both spout politically convenient drivel about finally standing up and holding people accountable.The background to this is as shameful as the events of today. Down on Wall Street there were two major mortgage companies. The CEOs of these mortgage companies had done well. They were rich men. They were also nasty men. Their names were James Johnson, Daniel Mudd and Franklin Raines, among others. Without discussion of their eating habits, the criminal charges and fines levied against them over the past eight years are testimony to a small percentage of their quest for wealth, at the expense of everyone else. Federal Investigations have shown these companies of having essentially bribed federal officials through illegal lobbying, and of hiding the dire situation of their company for the benefit of performance-based bonuses. And that is merely what our government has made us aware of. Since George W. Bush got reelected, the number of investigations for corporate fraud has fallen 90 percent. As remarkable as that is, the lenient treatment these companies get after being caught is even worse. The minimum sentence for armed robbery in many states is five years. By contrast, most people or companies convicted of corporate fraud are let off with very little jail time and pathetic fines. Yet the motivating factor in both crimes is most likely greed (immensely more so in the case of the luxury-ridden CEO), the sole difference being the means to commit the crime. Urban dropouts have access to guns; Yale graduates have access to complex financial transactions. If all men were indeed born equal in the eyes of the government, such a playing field is quickly torn up and disfigured as the years progress. The effects of CEO crimes have more impact than robbing a liquor store, and seeing as CEOs took business ethics in business school, are an even worse indication of their greed. And now we have to bail them out?!?! Indeed, Mr. Fox, who merely took what he needed to feed the family, was fortunate to have been faced by farmers and not Fortune 500 CEOs. At least the farmers tried to solve their problems without government intervention.Solving the crisis of greed that is inherent in any market system requires more of a heavy-handed system of law, one that treats all criminals with appropriate severity. It's a misconception to think that these people aren't a threat to society; they don't need to commit violent acts to cheat others. Illegal campaign contributions are similar to espionage against the United States of America, and ought to be punished with life in prison. Only then will people avoid subverting our government to peddle their own interests. Unfortunately, which government or elected official is going to support a resolution that, while protecting the country, threatens the very people that helped get them elected in the first place?
(10/02/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] This past Friday Sept. 26 marked the anniversary of the first televised presidential debate. On that day in 1960, presidential hopefuls John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon took the stage to debate domestic policy. It was the first time in U.S. history that the majority of Americans owned a television set. It was the first time American families were permitted the luxury of judging candidates not only aurally - but also visually.Both candidates refused stage make-up. Vice President Nixon, still recovering from a knee injury, looked sallow, unable to shed his perpetual five o'clock shadow. Kennedy, on the other hand, was fresh off a campaign circuit in sunny California. And while he was not nearly as well known as Nixon, Kennedy's television debut would launch the handsome Harvard grad onto the national scene - and, well, we all know the rest.If the televised "great debates" of 1960 whetted the American appetite for image and sound bite, the voting constituencies for the 2008 presidential election may find themselves in a state of sensory overload. Indeed, more than stage presence, the next president of the United States may be the candidate who is most apt to tap into the social-networking power of a generation that is accustomed to interacting, thinking, and even meeting over the internet.Digitizing the Political CampaignIn early October of 2007, staff members of the popular social-networking site www.facebook.com held a series of workshops and information sessions in Washington D.C. Their aim was to demonstrate ways in which politicians could leverage Facebook's networking capabilities as part of their campaign strategy. "Our goal is to make you win," offered Josh Rahn, Facebook's director of sales, who explained to various attendees that of some 45 million active users, 80 percent were of the voting age. Spending an average of 22 minutes logged in each day, users had ample time to get the campaign low-down. This past week Facebook reached the milestone of 100 million active users: among them, presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama.They're not alone. In the past year many political candidates have joined Facebook and similar networking sites in an effort to reel in voters. Launching themselves onto the virtual scene was not without pitfalls. In Hilary Clinton's own Facebook jaunt, a manager of her site accidentally accepted a relationship request from a lucky supporter. But if there's been one candidate to embrace new media capabilities it is democratic hopeful Barack Obama, currently boasting nearly two million supporters on Facebook."One of my fundamental beliefs from my days as a community organizer is that real change comes from the bottom up," Obama said in a statement. "And there's no more powerful tool for grass-roots organizing than the Internet."Doesn't hurt having Chris Hughes on your side. Hughes, one of the four founders of Facebook, left the company in early 2007 to work on Senator Obama's new media campaign in Chicago. In an unprecedented fundraising initiative, Hughes helped raise millions of dollars through thousands of $200 donations over the internet and also founded the wildly successful www.mybarackobama.com. But Obama's not the only candidate employing digital social-networking as part of his campaign strategem. Despite the generation gap, McCain is no slouch when it comes to digitizing his campaign. While he lacks Obama's extensive grouping network and has only gathered slightly more than 500,000 supporters on Facebook, his live video feed of McCain-Palin events is reaching constituents across the country. Facebook goes PoliticalOver the past year Facebook has made several political applications available to its users, most notably, the U.S. Politics application. An informational blurb on the site reads, "This application allows you to see which politicians you and your friends support, take part in Debate Groups about the hottest topics in politics today,…see which politicians have the most support on Facebook, and get the latest political news from ABC News." The application also includes results from what Facebook has deemed "Election Pulses," Facebook polls about various political topics. Candidates can post notes and various external links with regards to vote registration, absentee ballots, and community gatherings. Beyond personal pages of the candidates, swims a whole web of super cyber groups.Networking in Middlebury, VermontEven in rural Vermont the new politically-savvy Facebook is touching down. "We're living in an age where popular media is no longer concentrated in the hands of a few people," remarked Stefan Claypool '09. "Bloggers are reaching out across cyberspace and building communities of like-minded individuals in order to promote a cause in which they believe."Claypool attended the Republican National Convention and became an accredited blogger over this past summer. For Claypool, blogging is revolutionizing the presidential elections and changing politics for the better. Professor of Political Science, Matt Dickinson, is a renowned presidential scholar and a self-proclaimed non-partisan. While he admits that he is not a huge consumer of Facebook, like Claypool, Dickinson is an avid blogger"With the interest level so high among students, this is an ideal opportunity to teach them about the presidency and presidential elections."Dickinson cites the logistical benefits of sites like Facebook."I think they are useful in reminding students about registration requirements, deadlines and general voting procedures." Yet in terms of a persuasive tool, adds Dickinson, Facebook has little clout."Facebook, Myspace and similar sites tend to reinforce preexisting political dispositions, rather than expose people to new ideas. For most students, it's a vast echo chamber." Sarah Tucker '09.5, organizer for MiddVote and a college coordinator for the Obama campaign, agrees. "It feels that these online sites and pages are for 'members-only' and are in a lot of ways meant to encourage supporters and fire up the base." Other sites might foster partisan discussions, but Tucker does not include Facebook among them. But as Claypool points out, one of the beauties of Facebook is its ability to foster what social scientists have deemed "ambient awareness," or incessant web contact with others."It is impossible to log on without seeing videos and articles that friends have posted," asserts Claypool, "by using Facebook to propagate information concerning the election, individual users are having a greater impact on the election than ever before." From Affiliation to ActionTucker worked for Obama in both the New Hampshire and Massachusetts primaries. For Tucker, "one of the strengths of the Obama campaign is that it recognizes that different forms of communication work best for different groups. It recognized this early on," explained Tucker, "and in my work organizing college campuses I was encouraged to use Facebook and college blogs as a medium to reach people and get students interested and active."But for Tucker, it's the connection between affiliation and action that Facebook really lacks. "As for increasing awareness, it's the job of on-campus groups and the campaigns to channel this online interest into action." While as of yet there is no Middlebury for McCain group on the Facebook, there is a Middlebury for Obama, and it currently has 263 supporters. Last week, the Middlebury College Democrats hosted a kickoff event in Dana Auditorium, advertised through - you guessed it - Facebook. Co-president of the Middlebury College Democrats, George Altshuler '10.5 is the contact for the Facebook gro
up. Altshuler is himself an example of the power of media proliferation. In his profile picture, Altshuler appears with a cartoon bubble just above his left shoulder shouting the word "VOTE!" "We're really excited about how we're using Facebook to help the campaign," explained Altshuler, who described the group as "mostly a communication device."Altshuler was enrolled in Media Technology and Cultural Change this past Spring, a course which examined Facebook in terms of "social capital." According to Altshuler, Facebook's primary success lies in its ability to draw upon the "strength of weak ties." And it's those "weak ties" that the Middlebury Democrats are angling to tap into. "We're using Facebook as a tool to get people to mobilize their social connections in order to get people voting for Obama," asserted Altshuler. Indeed, it may be grass-roots mobilization through social-networking connections that will make the difference in swing states.48 years ago, Nixon and Kennedy mounted their respective podiums to face off in televised debate. This November, candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will be facing off in a variety of venues, including Facebook. The age of television revolutionized presidential elections. In 2008, we've entered into a whole new domain.
(10/02/08 12:00am)
Author: Eric Bartolloti Swords are cool. Everyone knows this, but the only group that knows just why is the Middlebury Fencing Club. Stuck for a time in the pupa (or "cocoon") phase of student club metamorphosis, the group took flight just this past spring, and club captain Spencer Church '10 assures us that the "eclectic and eccentric" group is still going strong. But it was not always such an easygoing ride. Thanks to usual suspect, "College Insurance Bureaucracy," our college knew no fencing group for most of the late '90s and early '00s. Their argument, "Weapons = not good" as summarized by Assistant Captain Michael Luby '10, held strong, but failed against the recent joint club and college assertion that "Weapons = not necessarily-anti-good" and that no adult supervision would be required. At this, club member Tim Murray '11 would smile. He asserted that "[fencing] is very safe." While a sound victory for fencing, more potholes awaited on the bureaucracy battlefield. Equipment potholes, that is.Fencing differs from marshmallow roasting because one cannot just "make do" with a tree branch; one needs proper tools. A full set of gear - mask, suit and weapon - runs around $100, and the electronics for official competition cost still more. Suddenly, the $500 budget for starting clubs looks painfully meager. But Captain Spencer would not settle for a five-man crew, and acquired some used equipment from his pre-Middlebury team. Unfortunately, bureaucracy would have its revenge and thundered, "Used weapons = definitely not good," and this time, they won. The club turned to the Middlebury Athletic Department, which has the goods. Turns out these goods serve only the phys. ed. fencing class. Fortunately, between a stash from the fencing club of old and a smattering of personal wares, the college club built up an armory that even Sir Lancelot would envy. After navigating through the "finding a meeting space" trial that confronts every student organization, the group could finally begin printing ridiculous paper signs to put up in dining halls. And commence fencing. The battles to resuscitate the club represent fragments of a far greater war: the war against fencing ignorance. As Michael Luby puts it, there is "an ignorance about fencing, like martial arts." First are common misconceptions in skill priority. While we would expect a sport of handheld weapons to focus on hands and weapons, we would be sorely wrong. Fencing's true focus is found in the feet. From beginners to elites, all levels of fencing prioritize footwork. That is not to say a fencer doesn't use their hands - they do - but rather that a fencer's mobility forms the foundation for everything else. And footwork is fun. Just ask Church about his famous "river-dancing" moves and how they bamboozle opponents. Misconception number one leads to misconception number two: the College Fencing Club must drill its members with endless steps of feet, feet, feet. But Captain Spencer has developed more appropriate plans for the crew. He knows that most of the strong amateur base can't wait to start stabbing and, thus, the club gets to break out the blades a bit more often. Ideally, as Church put it, "by the time you learn how to use [the weapon], you respect it." And while the club welcomes and caters any curious newcomers, it still keeps an eye on larger projects. Plans for scrimmaging UVM, home to Vermont's only official college fencing team, are stirring, and the state's very own fencing league, the Green Mountain League, provides a competitive outlet for fencing energy. This league prides itself on its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with fellow fencers as referees and an outdoor tournament every year at Fort Ticonderoga. Middlebury's club is lucky to fence near such knightly company. The future shines bright for this dynamic sport at Middlebury. With a nickname like "chess with your body" and a student population as sporty and smart as ours, it's no wonder. Of course, to our JK Rowling-infused campus (old stone buildings, Emma Watson rumors, Muggle Quidditch matches), the phrase "chess with your body" probably means jumping onto a life-size chess board and throwing it down with bishops and knights, only without a Sorcerer's Stone at stake. But fortunately for reality, there is another way, and it involves swords, which are cool.
(10/02/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] From our bookshelves, iPods and laptops to your Thursday morning breakfast table, here are our recommendations for the best of recent culture. Click on, check out and press play on these favorites - because there is a world outside "the bubble."Temporada de Patos(Mexico, 2004)This quirky film was a major success in its native Mexico, winning the grand jury prize at AFI Fest as well as garnering a nomination for best foreign film at the Independent Spirit Awards. Set in Mexico City and filmed in black-and-white, this low-budget comedy follows two bored kids left without any parental supervision for a day. Once their neighbor and a pizza deliveryman turn up, the seemingly lighthearted movie takes on a darker tone, highlighting issues of divorce, childhood and loneliness. - Grace DugganX-Ray Photographer Nick VeaseyBritish photographer Nick Veasey has been exploring relatively unchartered photographic territory over the past decade. His elegant x-rays reveal intricate, unseen detail in the everyday, and subtly criticize our concern with the superficial surfaces of things. He has recently garnered attention for his massive x-ray of a Boeing 777 in a warehouse. He took 500 separate x-rays to produce one final, modest product. - Andrew Throdahl"Knives Don't Have Your Back"Emily Haines Last Gang Records (2007)Released from the albeit delicious yet torrential techno-beats of New York darlings Metric, Emily Haines' pure vocals quiver and quake over her impressive piano skills on her first solo release. From the gothic "Doctor Blind" to the fairytale "Reading in Bed" to the modernist "Our Hell," the album is a storybook of low-key perfection. Simple, mellow and staggeringly beautiful, "Knives Don't Have Your Back" proves that Ms. Haines can make us shiver as well as shimmy. - Melissa Marshall
(09/25/08 12:00am)
Author: Denizhan Duran President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz announced on Sept. 16 that Middlebury's 94-year old Summer Language Schools would expand with a new site on the campus of Mills College in Oakland, CA. The entire Arabic school, as well as portions of the Spanish, French and Italian schools will be relocated to the West Coast. With this expansion, the Language Schools can now accommodate 1,500 students. "As the United States sees the importance of second or third languages as necessary in a more globalized world, more people are turning to Middlebury as the gold standard in intensive language instruction," said Liebowitz in a press release, underlining the significance of expansion. Arabic was one of the main factors in this major change in the structure of the Language Schools. "Arabic has the highest enrollment pressure-out of 645 applications we have received, we could only admit 125. The new spot will let us increase the capacity by 30-40 people," said Vice President of Language Schools and Schools Abroad Michael Geisler.Geisler also stated the attractiveness of the location for recruitment. "Finding professors teaching Arabic has always been a difficulty for the college," said Geisler. "I am sure that a professor from Beirut will prefer coming to Oakland, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area, rather than coming to Middlebury." The Mills campus is also a very beautiful one, Geisler said, stating that it was "Middlebury with a Spanish accent."Students studying Arabic at the Mills campus will also embrace a vibrant community: being in a more urban area than Middlebury and situated in the San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland also has an Arabic community. "I think it's a good idea that the Arabic school is being moved to Oakland," said Austin Davis '11, a recent alumnus of the Arabic school. "If I were in a semi-urban area, then I would have been able to speak Arabic with people outside of the language school bubble." Another recent alumnus, Alex Reynolds '11, echoed this statement. "In terms of the location, I think Oakland is more advantageous than Middlebury, especially for Spanish, and being in the San Francisco Bay Area would be more enjoyable as opposed to being here for the summer," he said. Geisler states that the costs incurred by traveling to California would be offset by the increased Kathryn Davis Fellowships and the financial aid program of the language schools.
(09/25/08 12:00am)
Author: Roz Vara The Vermont Folklife Center was filled to capacity Friday night as it welcomed the opening of its newest exhibit, "The Golden Cage: Mexican Migrant Workers and Vermont Dairy Farmers." Through a combination of photographs and interviews, the multimedia exhibit offers a glimpse into the life of Vermont's dairy farmers and migrant workers - who they are and what they hope for. "We want them [migrant workers] to be seen as fellow human beings, ordinary brothers, mothers and fathers, not just illegal aliens," said Chris Urban, the man behind the project. Urban, who conducted and recorded audio interviews with farmers and migrant workers throughout Addison County, worked in conjunction with photographer Caleb Kenna to create the exhibit. Both Urban and Kenna insist that the exhibit is in no way political; rather it is only an attempt to raise awareness in the community and the state at large. "We want to humanize the situation, to show that they are real people facing real issues, crossing boarders, riding in vans for days and living with the fear of being deported," Kenna said. "I would see workers around town and I always wondered who they were, where they came from and what they were doing here. I hoped that this project would answer some of those questions for us."Today there are roughly 2,000 migrant workers throuhout Vermont and almost 500 in Addison County alone. The majority of the workers hail from Mexico and earn $7 to $8 an hour in the state's dairy industry where they fill critical jobs as farm hands doing the majority of the milking, cleaning and general farm maintenance. Because most of the workers are living in the United States illegally, they are forced to live in isolation at the farms. Few have drivers licenses or speak English and many are frightened to leave the safe confines of the farm for fear of being caught and deported. Greg Sharrow is the Director of Education for the Folklife Center and worked closely with Urban and Kenna acting as a "cheerleader, facilitator and mentor" as the duo turned its initial idea into a powerful exhibit. Sharrow emphasized the lack of understanding there is about Vermont's migrant population. "People involved in farming understand it but this exhibit brings everyone else some understanding of the issues," she said. "I've talked to many people who say, 'How can it be that there are 2,000 migrants in Vermont? I've never seen a Mexican here.' The beauty of this exhibit is the attention that it brings to this hidden issue." While the migrant workers live in constant fear of being caught and deported, the farmers have similar sense of fear as Vermont's dairy industry has come to rely heavily on the cheap, dependable labor that the migrants provide. These feelings are reflected in the exhibit in an interview Urban conducted with a farmer, who said, "I would definitely prefer something different than the scenario that is in place at this time. It is uncomfortable to me as an American citizen to have to feel that I'm doing something wrong." The farmers do not feel good about having to employ illegal immigrants, but are often faced with no other choice, as there are few people willing to do manual labor for long hours."It's difficult because the farmers don't want to break the law," said Kenna, "but they do need dependable labor." Cheryl Connor works for the Addison County Farm Workers Coalition, an organization developed to "make the lives of the migrant workers a little bit easier in Addison County." The Coalition formed in response to the growing number of workers who have very limited access to health care, transportation and who struggled with the language barrier. "People need to see that Vermont has diversity and that it's good. We want Middlebury and Vermont to understand the value the migrant workers are to the dairy industry. Vermont would not be the same without farms and Vermont can't run its farms without migrant workers," said Connor. Connor worked in conjunction with a Middlebury College MiddView trip this fall and has helped construct a link between the College and the migrant community. Many students volunteer their time to help teach English or even translate for migrant workers as they receive healthcare."Middlebury students bring so much value to our coalition," Connor said. "They come in force and are so extremely helpful."Middlebury College senior Sara Blaise Huddleston '09 is one of those volunteers. She speaks fluent Spanish and has often helped workers in Addison County by driving those without transportation to local grocery stores. "I remember driving out one day to pick them up and it was really snowy and they were living in this little trailer next to the barn in the middle of nowhere. They basically had to stay in their houses. When I drove them places I was always really nervous about being pulled over because something as little as that could get them deported. It's so sad because Vermont needs them or else the dairy industry would collapse, and yet they have to live in such isolation." In what is perhaps one of the exhibit's most powerful photographs, a Mexican woman is shown in a sunny milking room standing near a cow, her back to the camera. Next to the woman is her infant son sleeping in a pink and green mosquito net hanging from the ceiling. The caption accompanying the photograph reads, "That's the way things are. You are trapped, from the house to work, unless you have your papers in order."The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 18 at the Vision and Voice Documentary Workspace in the Folklife Center.
(09/25/08 12:00am)
Author: Scott Greene The College took steps last week to mitigate the effects of a sluggish economy, hoping to counter both a decline in gift-giving and an underperforming endowment by reducing spending across the board and avoiding an increase in the comprehensive fee, according to President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz.The world financial system took another hit on Sept. 15, when Lehman Brothers Holdings declared bankruptcy more than five months after the government-orchestrated bailout of fellow investment bank Bear Stearns. The College has minimal exposure to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, according to reports by Investure, LLC, which manages the College's endowment. Unlike Princeton University, which last week reported that the interest rates on its bonds had skyrocketed to $8,000 per day, the College pays interest rates to the tune of about $4,900 per day. Whereas Lehman Brothers underwrote the Princeton issuance, the College's underwriter is Goldman Sachs. "We have faced increased costs, too, but not as large as Princeton's," Liebowitz said. "The assumption is things will settle down some and this premium will shrink. At least we hope that is the case."Liebowitz also cautioned that recent economic instability, including the effects of last week's government bailout of American International Group, will take some time to fully understand. In a memo to staff and faculty on Sept. 8, Liebowitz addressed the challenges facing the College as it feels the impact of a year-long economic slump that has yet to bottom out. "Middlebury is not immune to the greater national and global economies, and we therefore need to respond to the current economic downturn in a disciplined and thoughtful fashion," he wrote in the memo. "Despite the College's strong financial foundation, the effects of a declining or stagnant stock market will reduce the level of support the operating budget receives from the endowment, and a prolonged economic slowdown is sure to have an impact on charitable giving to the College."The College has currently raised about $286 million of the $500 million targeted as part of The Middlebury Initiative, the most ambitious fundraising venture ever attempted by a liberal arts college. The campaign, however, raised $234 million in the silent phase before its unveiling in Oct. 2007. In the year since, only around $50 million has been added to its coffers. "Last year we fell off in our fundraising, as most schools did because of the slowing economy," Liebowitz said. Fortunately, the College's performance during the initiative's silent phase still leaves it ahead of schedule to reach the goal of $500 million over the next four years. Still, Vice President for College Advancement Mike Schoenfeld said that challenges remain and this year is likely to be a slow year for fundraising."It is going to take a while to raise the rest of that money," Schoenfeld said. "You have to do well when you have good years, and years when the economy is bad you have to have patience."Schoenfeld, reached by phone while en route to Boston on a fundraising trip, added that the timing of many donors' gifts will be affected as people look out for their own economic well-being."We are not going to stop having the conversations, but there are still some people that have done very well recently," he said. "People might have to modify the pace of gifts and pull back, but in the long term we are off to a great start and I am sure we will be successful. It might just take a while longer to recover from this market turbulence."He added that, compared to its peers, Middlebury remains very financially strong."For the previous four years we have been successful in raising more money than almost any other liberal arts college in the country," he said.Two of the College's three main sources of revenue, return on the endowment and gifts, are likely to fall short of targets set in the multi-year financial model of the College's Strategic Plan. The third source of revenue, the comprehensive fee, cannot be increased enough to offset shortfalls from the other two areas."We do not have the leeway to increase the comprehensive fee, and we are at the ceiling as far as I am concerned," Liebowitz said in a telephone interview on Sept. 17. "We can't afford to dump more of a burden on the families."As a result, any new construction project will need to be funded by donors and provide additional endowment support so that it does not negatively impact the operating budget. In the meantime, Liebowitz has asked the College's vice presidents to identify ways to reduce the operating budget."I am confident," he wrote, "that, working together, we will ensure our financial equilibrium by closely reviewing our expenditures and focusing our resources on the College's priorities. The purpose of getting a committee together is to try and reach a consensus on what we should be reducing going forward."In the meantime, however, some students may find it hard to imagine potential spending cutbacks. Ryan Kellet '09, creator and editor of Middblog, wrote that students should know that the College is not so far removed from the fortunes and failures of Wall Street."Heck, if students can get so riled up about no juice or trays at the dining hall, then what happens when something of greater importance goes away?" he wrote in a Sept 10 blog posting. "There will surely be whining and complaining, but students should really understand that despite Midd's reputation as a sheltered bubble, we really do feel the effects of the outside world. Yes, we will have to suck it up and turn our focus inward."-Additional Reporting byCloe Shasha, Staff Writer
