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(02/28/08 12:00am)
Author: Chris Anderson I read in The Campus recently that Dartmouth was eliminating loan and aid packages for lower income students. After reading that headline, my internal dialogue was something like: "Outrage! How could they - oh. This has to be a good thing. Because of course they have to supplement their incomes. So if they're eliminating loans, they must be replacing them with …"Grants, and grants aplenty. For students whose parents make less than $75,000 annually, Dartmouth will foot the bill. This, according to the paper, comes as part of Dartmouth's recent $1.3 billion fundraising effort. Out of that chunk, 10 percent (or $130 million) will be devoted to assisting those students. 10 percent (a substantial portion of a massive amount of money) will go to the lowest branch of the Dartmouth tree (below building maintenance, the purchasing of new buildings, the "betterment of the campus," and the grinding gears of the college machine) - to its students. According to the Princeton Review, Dartmouth is "home" to roughly 4,000 undergraduate students. That makes it almost twice as big as us. Their projected donations will be almost three times as big as ours (we're gunning for $500 million). That means we would have to donate a larger percentage per student to institute the same kind of plan. It means we would have to do more than Dartmouth (or Yale or Harvard) is doing. And it means two other things: 1.) that we won't, because … we just don't. We don't do those types of things that really help our students. We prefer the property, the Chocolate whatevers, the failed social endeavors (Xanadu?), the "indirect" methods. We prefer to let the Dartmouths try and fail, or succeed, or do it first and be the testing ground. And 2.) that we will continue to squander our money on failed college insignias and tire art and chocolate bars and God, I can't believe I just wrote "chocolate bars," because are we serious? Really?Dartmouth is a different kind of college than Middlebury, and it must be structured differently. Tuition is not the same as a comprehensive fee, and I get that our aid packages will have discrepancies. I also get that Middlebury furnishes each of its students with a big chunk of aid and some great opportunities. But Dartmouth is targeting a specific income bracket with the knowledge that theirs holds the greatest financial burden. They're also offering scholarships to the same students to pay for room and board, books, and other expenses. They seem to get that the average middle class family pays more than $7,000 a year for insurance - not a part of the calculator for "Expected Family Contribution" - and that children of families with small (read: not always profitable) businesses have an added burden placed upon them. They seem to understand that 70 percent of the United States populous falls into the definition of "Middle Class." They seem to understand a lot of things that we don't, and that makes me sad. Middlebury will never be a Harvard, a Yale or a Dartmouth. And that we have some clout now makes it all the more imperative to use it for "good." Rather than posing and posturing, or denying we care about the results of U.S.News' Best Colleges List, or being eco-conscious/eco-friendly/biomass-capable/carbon-offset/powered by soundbites, can we please lend more of a helping hand to the people who need it? Please? When it comes to alumni giving, I promise to give what I can if we use it for that.P.S.: Colby just did the same. Check their Web site out sometime.Chris Anderson '10 is from La Crosse, Wis.
(02/28/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] To the Editor:This week, Brown University did away with tuition for students whose families make less than $60,000 a year and increased financial aid, and most importantly replaced student loans with grants across the board. This is an impressive commitment to socio-economic diversity considering Brown's endowment sits at around $2.2 billion, much less than that of Harvard, Princeton and Stanford, who have made similar moves recently. Furthermore, Brown's endowment is only slightly more than twice the endowment of Middlebury College, not a huge leap. With a $500 million capital campaign underway and elite institutions across the country increasing financial aid packages and even doing away with tuition altogether, I think it's time we seriously reconsider what it takes to be a student at Middlebury. For years I have heard the grumblings of students about socioeconomic diversity and financial aid at Middlebury. Unfortunately, not much has changed since when I matriculated and Middlebury was generally ill-reputed among elite liberal arts colleges for its financial packages and generally difficult financial aid office. Sincerely,Austen Levihn-Coon '08To the Editor: In response to last week's editorial "Why 'Let's Talk About Sex' succeeds where symposia fail," MCAB Speakers Committee would like to clarify our role in bringing speakers to campus. When MCAB was restructured for the 2007-2008 academic year, a Speakers Committee was created in order to fund student and club-sponsored lectures and to select and fund symposia.As clarification the MCAB Speakers Committee does not propose symposia - it is a group that helps students navigate the logistics of organizing and planning a symposium. The Speakers Committee is a resource for students as it helps students bring speakers to campus. We have supported many diverse events including film screenings, lectures and panels.Symposia, by their very nature, must draw on the College's academic resources. "Let's Talk About Sex" focused on social and health related concerns, and the result was an informative month that encouraged students to talk about important issues. MCAB Speakers Committee is proud of "Let's Talk About Sex's" success and recognizes the importance of supporting events that facilitate dialogue between students, student groups and the community at large.We hold open meetings on Monday at 5:45 in the Crest Room Conference Room in McCullough. We encourage all interested students to attend, and are currently taking speaker requests and applications for those who want to take part in diversifying speakers on campus. Look out for the upcoming spring symposium on water conflicts and issues, beginning March 31.Sincerely,MCAB Speakers Committee
(02/28/08 12:00am)
Author: Jeb Burchenal Women's hockey beats Wesleyan to earn top seedThe women's hockey team wrapped up its impressive regular season this past weekend with a convincing 5-1 victory over fellow NESCAC competitor Wesleyan. The victory sealed the Panthers undefeated season in NESCAC play and clinched the top seed for the league tournament.The Panthers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on first-period goals from Anna McNally '11 - her 19th of the season - and Karen Levin's '08 seventh of the year. The Cardinals fired back in the second period, though, as junior Julia Cohen was able to put a blast from the blue line past keeper Lani Wright '10. Though this proved to be their only score, it was not for a lack of chances. Wesleyan had a two-man advantage for 1:14 while the score was still 2-1, but could not score the equalizer. Just seconds after the first penalty expired, Middlebury junior Molly Vitt collected the puck and found herself facing a short handed breakaway. She earned a penalty shot as she was pulled down from behind, but was unable to convert. But Heather McCormack '10 found the back of the net just 17 seconds after the failed attempt to extend the lead to 3-1. McCormack and Erika Nakamura '09 found the net in the third period to cap off the 5-1 victory. Wright anchored the defense with a solid 16-save effort. The Panthers have to wait for the results of the first round of the NESCAC tournament before they know who they will play in the semifinals on March 8.Women's basketball ends season with loss to TuftsFor the second year in a row, the women's basketball opened NESCAC play at Tufts. The Panthers were not able to avenge their first-round knock-out from a year ago, as they fell to the Jumbos, 71-60, on Feb. 23 Though it was closer than the first meeting of these two teams just two weeks ago, it was clear from the start that the Tufts' low-post offense, anchored by Khalilah Ummah, was too much for the Middlebury defense to contain. Though the hosts never trailed throughout the game, it was a closely contested affair until the very end. The first 10 minutes of the game was a microcosm of the entire game as the Jumbos bolted out to an early 15-4 lead, only to have the Panthers climb back into the game on a run of their own. Both teams cooled off for the rest of the second half, leading to a 36-28 score at the half. While Ummah put up eight points in the first half, Middlebury's standout guard Emily Johnson '09 outshined her. Johnson put on a shooting clinic in the first 20 minutes, scoring half of the Panther points, while trying to keep her team in the game. The Pennsylvanian point guard continued her great performance and capped off a 10-2 Panther run to open the second half, which tied the contest at 38-38, by draining one from long distance. Ummah responded with a lay-up on the other end that put the hosts back on top. The Jumbos poured on the next 17 points before the Panthers could respond with a basket of their own. Middlebury did make a late surge that cut the deficit to 11 points, but time expired before they could complete the comeback. Johnson finished the game with 23 points to lead all scorers, while Lani Young '08 and Katie Fisher '08 also put up double-digit scoring efforts. The Panthers end their season with an above-.500 record of 13-12.
(02/28/08 12:00am)
Author: Mary Lane and Derek Schlickeisen A growing number of elite U.S. colleges have begun offering "free tuition" to many of their applicants. On Feb. 25, Brown University joined Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Dartmouth in committing to completely eliminate the cost of tuition for students whose families earn less than $60,000 each year and increase aid to those earning up to $100,000. In the NESCAC, Williams and Amherst have cut loans entirely from their aid packages, meaning aid recipients can make their entire tuition contribution through campus work-study programs.Yet, these schools also share something else in common: endowments in excess of $1 billion. As Middlebury nears this significant marker (the College's endowment stood at $936 million in 2007), what steps are being taken to make sure its own financial aid program can compete?"A lot of the focus recently has been on undergraduate debt," said Kim Downs, director of Student Financial Services, the College's financial aid office. "We have a lot of graduates who are going to non-profits after graduation, and obviously they're going to have a harder time paying back their loan. We don't want these students to be overwhelmed by debt."With this circumstance in mind, the College last year launched the Reduced Loan Initiative, a centerpiece of the school's plan to revamp financial aid packages.The Office of Admissions lists a $46,910 annual comprehensive fee, making Middlebury one of the most expensive schools in the country. With an average grant of $30,700, however, the average financial aid recipient at Middlebury must make up the extra $16,000 or so three ways: through campus work-study, student loans and a certain financial contribution from his or her family.Prior to the class of 2011, financial aid packages included a standard $4,000 loan per year, regardless of family income - a plan which left graduates with up to $16,000 in debts. The Reduced Loan Initiative lowers this debt burden over four years by up to $10,000 for students with the lowest levels of family income by replacing these student loans with extra grants. Though the Initiative does not completely eliminate loans as Williams and Amherst have done, the College believes it can - and must - be enough for now."Middlebury is catching up, but what we're seeing is Williams' nearly $2 billion endowment at work," said Patrick Norton, the College's vice president for administration and chief financial officer.The College also hopes to expand the number of students who receive financial aid from 41 to 43 percent of the student body. The goal in mind, according to Dean of Planning John Emerson, is to increase socio-economic diversity on campus."In recent years we have made excellent progress in making Middlebury more attractive for upper middle-income families, but we still have a challenge with students from families in the lower half of the income distribution," explained Emerson. "Consider all families in the U.S. that have at least one student in college. These families are of course more affluent than other U.S. families. Still, almost half of them have incomes below $80,000. At Middlebury, fewer than 20 percent of families have incomes below $80,000. So we have work to do."The College's two-pronged approach to financial aid will not come cheaply. Before the College's 2006 vault into fifth place in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, its endowment was comparable to its closest-ranked peer schools. Now in a "top five" bracket that includes the richest three liberal arts colleges, Middlebury finds itself making trade-offs between competing financially for the best and most diverse students and other priorities.Of the $500 million to be raised by Middlebury's five-year campaign, roughly $26 million of the new endowment support will be needed to fund the Reduced Loan Initiative, while another $154 million will go towards increasing the number of financial aid recipients."Financial aid is expensive," said Emerson. "One example of a trade-off made is a decision to go slow with the completion of the commons infrastructure. Indeed it isn't clear that the five commons will ever have their own dining halls. Although I am personally a supporter of the commons, I think that financial access to Middlebury needs to be the highest priority."Dean of Admissions Robert Clagett argued that this year's first-year class gives evidence that the new aid program is working."There is no question that the loan reduction program that we instituted for this year's first-years had the effect of increasing our socio-economic diversity across all income groups," he said. "In fact, our yield on grant recipients last year was even higher than for the whole class, so that's a very good sign that our financial aid policies are helping us attract a high percentage of our admitted students, regardless of financial background."As the College works to upgrade its financial aid programs, Norton cautioned against being too impressed by the glossy claims of schools now offering "free" tuition."Free tuition doesn't mean free cost of attendance," said Norton. "Free tuition doesn't include the cost of room, board, books and other miscellaneous expenses. There are only a handful of schools that meet the full demonstrated need of their applicants, and we are one of them."
(02/21/08 12:00am)
Author: Dina Magaril Sex is as ubiquitous on a college campus as are midterms and winter break, but Middlebury added a little spice to its Sexual Awareness Lecture Series this past Sunday by hosting sex toy extraordinaire and independent consultant, Kristin Lawson of Passion Parties. Lawson, a self-employed wife and mother of three, came prepared with a show and tell array of lubricants, sex toys and manuals that would make even a sex connoisseur blush, or at least admit that this woman had something to offer. Passion Parties has been a supplier of sensual products throughout the United States and Canada for over 14 years, ranging from edible lubricants to battery operated toys. The company prides itself on being "founded by women for women," and encourages "sexual intimacy between two partners," and it is this message that convinced Morgane Richardson '08, an organizer of the event, that Lawson would be a great contributor to the college's ongoing campaign on sexual awareness. "People are having sex, students are connecting with one another in that emotional and physical way which is great....We are not saying, 'hey, stop having sex,' but 'yes, sex is good, do it if it feels right, but most importantly be safe'," Richardson said. "This here is a get laid insurance policy," Lawson proclaimed as she exhibited one of her bestselling items - a pheromone-inducing oil for both men and women. She then proceeded to test the product out on the first row of the packed auditorium, joking that two students sitting next to each other might not be able to contain themselves in a few minutes. Lawson's vivacious personality, frequent demonstrations and bawdy language created a comfortable and tight-knit environment in a crowd that reached nearly 100 students. Lawson shared some stories of her own sexual peaks and lows as well as those of satisfied customers. One story involved 500 dollars worth of vibrators and an airport security officer in Burlington International Airport, an event that Lawson shamelessly laughed at. "My children were horrified and people were covering their kids' eyes," she recalled.Perhaps the most relatable aspect of Lawson's demonstrations involved the all-too-accurate descriptions of the often mundane college sex life she described, an experience Lawson herself laments. Though her passion parties and collections were originally marketed for the 30-and-up crowd, Lawson said college students would find her toys more than useful in "trying to speed up the good sex part." To prove this end, Lawson passed around her line of edible lotions and some "nipple nibblers," a strawberry cream that could be used to initiate foreplay and even gave a "hand job" to two girls in the first row using an edible lubricant and heated hand massager. The Passion Parties company has expanded to 45 women and is growing every day, said Lawson. The best part about her job, she said, is that she "gets to work a few days out of the month and have fun while doing it."Though the turnout included a good mix of both men and women, many of Lawson's products are geared towards women, including a variety of G-spot sex toys like "Jelly Clitorific," an anatomically correct bright pink dildo, and "The Velvet Curve," a multifunctional battery-operated toy that Lawson warned was "not for beginners." The boys were not all forgotten in the demonstration and were even the topic of Lawson's main event, packaged in a popular toy: "Gigi," a neon yellow "masturbation sleeve" that users claim induced an orgasm in "under two minutes.""Best of all, it swallows for you," said Lawson as she demonstrated how to seal the top of the elastic tube to avoid unnecessary clean up.Lawson strongly recommended the strawberry and vanilla edible lubes which recharged in water, expanding one's options of sexual activities to include "showers and baths." "Wetter is better," she said, "and water is not a lubricant, so use one," she advised.Above all, Lawson stressed the importance of feeling comfortable with your partner and practicing safe sex. Richardson could not agree more. "The safest sex is with your velvet ripples vibrator!" Richardson joked.Aside from providing entertainment for a couple of hours, Lawson succeeded in signing on new and enthusiastic customers, judging from the crowd that assaulted the order forms after her demonstration was complete. All of Lawson's products can be bought online, under a discreet heading for those who share their parents' accounts.And while Lawson's solution to Middlebury's often-stagnant sex scene - two AA batteries- might be oversimplified, there did not seem too be many complaints. "People tend to be shy about issues around sex, especially about sex toys. With the turn out, it was clear that students wanted to talk about it and learn more," said Maegan North '08. "She was really funny and personable. She made the workshop comfortable and candid."Lizzie Quinn '09, was another pleased customers who agreed with Lawson's mission. "People need to get more play and be more happy with the play they're getting," she said. To shop online or host your own passion party visit www.vibrantpassion.com.
(02/21/08 12:00am)
Author: James Kerrigan In an effort to eliminate the disconnect between alumni and student organizations on campus, the Middlebury College Sailing Club has worked closely with the Office of College Advancement since early December on a capital campaign entitled "Rock the Boat" to raise the money needed to purchase a new fleet of boats and expand recreational sailing opportunities. After receiving the first donation just over two months ago, the club has raised $27,360 thus far. If it can reach $50,000 by May, an anonymous donor will give an additional $30,000.Needing higher quality boats due to a recent resurgence of student interest in participation in sailing and the desire to become more competitive, the team became part of a broader initiative to promote stronger alumni connections for organizations, according to Doug Adams, the director of Campus Activities and Leadership. In the Nov. 13 "One Dean's View" blog posting titled "Pumping up the Volume on Student Orgs," Dean of the College Tim Spears emphasized the importance of enhancing this connection."Linking current students to the history of these organizations - and their alumni - is an effective way of deepening students' awareness of what they can accomplish on this campus and beyond," wrote Spears. "If student organizations were encouraged to connect to their alumni bases, build affinity groups, and raise money, there could be even greater options for students."The Sailing Club, which has sent out quarterly newsletters to 150 alumni during the past several years, approached the Alumni and Parent Program - a major department in the Advancement division - this past fall to access its database, complete with alumni interests and preferences. After getting approval from Spears, they were able to further tap into the alumni network and target former Sailing Club members. "The Sailing Club put together a fantastic proposal," said Director of Annual Giving Susan Regier, "that demonstrated the worthiness of its cause. They went through all the right channels to make this happen.""[The Office of College Advancement] knew we were interested in doing some fund-raising," said Sailing Club Commodore Chandler Koglmeier '09, "and we were in a great place to jump on the opportunity."Sailing Club Director of Fundraising Katie Donovan '10, partnered with the Office of College Advancement to develop the best possible procedure for implementing this new strategy. In conjunction with the Web site campaign, the Sailing Club sent out a case statement detailing the specifics of the fund-raising efforts to the new list of roughly 750 alumni in December 2007. This endeavor will supplement the $9,560 the Sailing Club received from the Student Government Association via the Finance Committee, the traditional approach for the over 150 clubs and organizations on campus.The process for using the Alumni and Parent Program was not well established for clubs and organizations in the past. Sports teams have used this alumni network to raise additional funds for spring trips, for example, but the method is not widespread. According to Koglmeier, both parties have learned a lot so far."We needed a sample group to see how the process would work," said Adams, "and to see if it is possible to replicate." Even though there were some hurdles, they were not insurmountable. "The Sailing Club has done an admirable job working through the logistics," said Adams.The Sailing Club's success in fund-raising does not guarantee that the process will be easily replicated for any club or organization. The club wanted to make recreational sailing more available to the student population at large, meaning the entire college community could benefit from the money. Additionally, the sailing club's leadership was both motivated and diligent, necessary ingredients for success, according to Regier.With four months remaining for the club to reach its goal of $50,000, the sailing commodore is cautiously optimistic. "I believe we have a great group of alumni and donors to make this happen," said Koglmeier. If it is able to raise the full amount, the Sailing Club, which finished 23rd in the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) this past fall (its highest ever), will benefit immensely. With 12 new FJ's costing a total of $66,500, the goal is expensive. However, a new fleet of boats would allow Middlebury to host regattas as early as next fall, and would make the activity more accessible and convenient for sailors of all abilities.
(02/21/08 12:00am)
Author: Melissa Marshall A petite girl from Hong Kong and a tall boy raised just across the lake in Keene Valley, N.Y., Yina Ng '09 and Simon Thomas-Train '09 sit comfortably side-by-side, their physical differences only hinting at the powerful dynamics manifested in their duet "It Needs What You Don't Want." Both dance majors, their piece has been chosen to represent the New England Region at the National Gala of the American College Dance Festival in New York City at the Miller Theatre of Barnard College, June 4-6. Interrupting and completing each other's sentences, Ng and Thomas-Train spoke to The Middlebury Campus about the challenges and the rewards of working on a collaborative project. The Middlebury Campus: Could you outline the importance of National Gala of the American College Dance Festival?Simon Thomas-Train: The American College Dance Festival Association has a conference every year that is divided into 10 regions across the country, and Middlebury goes to the New England one. Any school is welcome to enter, and there are usually around 40 schools. Each school is allowed to bring up to two pieces, and they pick ten to 12 of the top pieces for the one final concert and from there they pick two to three pieces to go to the national concert, which is a bi-annual event. TC: What is the concept and the inspiration behind your piece?Yina Ng: We actually officially started this duet from this summer from the work we did at the Bates Dance Festival. We used a lot material from that duet, and we picked out what we liked, especially the weight-shifting stuff that we did. We discovered that the most interesting dynamic was what was happening between the two of us on stage. "It Needs What You Don't Want" sort of evolved from that into another new piece.ST: The real seed of the duet was definitely planted this summer. Yina and I have been working since then in a strictly duet sort of way. We played a lot with the dynamics possible in a relationship - especially in a male-female relationship. We were both working with the Middlebury Dance company and we were put together in a piece that played with the idea of how quickly a relationship can turn from something loving into something violent. It was a really dynamic, really physical relationship that played itself out on the stage. A very similar feel emerged in the piece we made, but with much more of us in it because we were making it instead of having it made on us. We played a lot with the range of human expression and range of emotion - from slapping to holding. The full scope of what a duet, or a couple, can go through basically. TC: What have you discovered to be the challenges and the rewards of doing a collaborative piece?YN: In some ways it is easier because there is never a lack of material - there are a lot of ideas bouncing on and off each other. ST: As soloist and choreographers we work very differently. But by putting us together, we knew that someone would have a different take on something, so we never got stuck. We never really stalled and for the most part we didn't bump heads. It pushes you to try to see it from their point of view and accept choices that you wouldn't make if you were making it by yourself. You know you have to dance with this person and if you hate each other, it's going to suck. YN: I definitely appreciate that I've found someone who I can work with collaboratively. One of the good things about collaboration is that we did stretch each other's boundaries and it forced us to think in a different way. We worked together to see how different opinions could make something good. TC: Do you have any plans to work with one another in the future? Or is it too soon to tell?YN: Well, we are the only two dance majors in our year.ST: We actually are in the process of writing a proposal for our 500 project, which would be our senior concert. It may incorporate this piece in some way and it may not. At this point it's open-ended.
(02/14/08 12:00am)
Author: Alexxa Gotthardt In the advent of photography, the United States was continuing to explore the west. A collection of extraordinary photographs, the subject of the spring semester's exhibition in the Museum of Art, is a testament to that age of artistic and geographic discovery.There was a time when the photographer's primary function was as a tool of governmental surveying, tourism expansion and geological study. In the mid-19th century, on the heels of the medium's creation, photography was purely practical. Photographers themselves were rare, since the profession demanded a certain personality - perfectionist meets adventurer. Unwieldy equipment, untamed locations and a photographic process that was anything but foolproof made for a delicate yet exciting experience. Despite the boss' directives and the difficulty in developing many of the landscape, photographers of the 19th century have gone down in history as artistes extraordinaires. "Eloquent Vistas: The Art of 19th Century American Landscape Photography from the George Eastman House Collection," on display at the Middlebury College Museum of Art (MCMA) through April 20, exhibits 78 photographs, all in spectacular condition, taken for the institution, but with an individual eye for beauty. The exhibition is on loan from the George Eastman House, a museum of international photography and film, which holds more than 3,500 prints and 6,500 stereographs of 19th century landscape images. The exhibition features works by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, Eadweard Muybridge, William Henry Jackson, John Moran, Carlton E. Watkins, William H. Rau, William Bell, Platt D. Babbit, among others - all photographers who worked for the government, railroad companies or the tourist trade. Their photographs, however, prove anything but canned or conventional, and instead confirm a honed aesthetic and a sense of unchecked awe at the American landscape. Whether a charming stereograph, a mammoth albumen print or a jewel-like daguerreotype (all photographic processes described in the text panels that accompany the show), each photograph, exceptionally detailed, depicts a country full of breathtaking vistas, rich natural resources and a few (diminutive) people admiring it all. Together, all 78 photographs map a country ready for change as grand as their forests and as big as their mountains.Taken from the 1850s through the 1890s, the landscape photographs themselves depict the east, the west, and places in between. Some sites are familiar - Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mt. Hood, Harpers Ferry and the Hudson River Railroad - while others seem worlds away, serene fairylands and wild giants' lairs of the imagination. The exhibition's text panels remind us, however, that all of these photographic glimpses are part and parcel of a very real American history. No matter the location, these images, produced during and just after the Civil War, embody both the tension and excitement of the American people. The layout of the exhibition, designed by MCMA Museum Designer Ken Pohlman, also serves as a reminder of the period. The tope, wainscoted walls and central sitting area, complete with Chinese rug, four elegant chairs and two orchids give the effect of a 19th century parlor, a tranquil location for musing over the striking, multi-layered images.Eloquent Vistas is all at once a stroll through history, landscape and the very nature of photography itself. While these photographs may be displayed on art museum walls, Eloquent Vistas aims at an audience beyond artists and art-historians. According to in-house curator of the exhibition and Chief Curator of MCMA Emmie Donadio, "The photographs in this exhibition will appeal to a wide audience and should engage the interest of people involved in a broad range of the disciplines represented in the Middlebury curriculum. There is something here for everyone - artists, historians, art historians, geologists, geographers, scientists - in short, anyone interested in the transformation of the American environment. And the quality of these particular prints is extraordinary."Further reinforcing the multi-disciplinary nature of Eloquent Vistas, MCMA has organized a busy schedule of programming to complement the exhibition. To kick off the series, a lecture entitled "Truth and its Consequences: Photography's Burden of Fact" was given on Tuesday by Charles A. Dana Professor of History of Art & Architecture Kirsten Hoving. Hoving discussed the issues in accepting the photograph as truth, even in a time when technology was years away from digital toying and touching-up. Using photographic examples from the exhibition, she shed light on the difficulties in representation 19th century photographers' faced. While they sought to represent the truth, unpredictable photographic processes paired with unfamiliarity with the land and uncertainty of the future made for photographs that were not entirely stuff of reality. Other upcoming lectures include "The Mountain of the Holy Cross" given by Professor of Humanities John McWilliams on March 13, "Rephotographing 19th-Century Government Surveys in the Western U.S.: Documenting Over 130 Years of Environmental Change," given by Assistant Professor of Geology Jeffrey Munroe on April 3 and "Print the Legend: Photography, the West, and the American Imagination" given by Professor of American Studies and History at Amherst College Martha A. Sandweiss on April 10. Also, several musical groups, comprised of Middlebury students, will play in the exhibition space. The first, a chamber music trio, will perform on Feb. 14 from 1-2 p.m.
(02/14/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] To the Editor:On behalf of our family and employees here at Two Brothers Tavern, I would like to address an article written by H.Kay Merriman in the Jan. 10 edition of The Middlebury Campus. The article, entitled "Risky Business … Is it Worth It? Students using fake IDs to score alcohol face unexpected consequences," has presented all of us with an opportunity to learn about some important issues concerning the use of false identification that were not touched upon in Merriman's article.First and foremost, the use of false identification for the purpose of purchasing alcohol is a criminal offense. The penalty for doing so (first offense), as outlined by the Vermont Department of Liquor Control, is a $300 fine, a mandatory 90-day suspension of one's driver's license and completion of an alcohol awareness program (not a $50 fine as stated in Merriman's article).However, the penalty incurred by the minor is minor compared to what the establishment suffers if you are caught on their premises consuming alcohol with a fake ID. The first strike is generally a lofty fine ($500-$2000) imposed on the bartender and/or a day-long suspension of the establishment's liquor license - which can mean the loss of thousands of dollars. Ultimately, the liquor license can be revoked - which, in the case of our business, would mean certain bankruptcy for my family, up to two years in prison for myself as an owner and the loss of employment for our 40 employees.So, while falsifying one's age and/or identity may be a calculated risk for some under the age of 21, please remember that in doing so you are putting our livelihood in jeopardy. Minors, it seems, rarely consider the dangers they are putting establishments in when they attempt to purchase alcohol with a fake ID - which is reflected by the single-sidedness of Merriman's article. This risk, it would appear, is the true unexpected consequence of underage drinking.Two Brothers Tavern enjoys a wonderful relationship with Middlebury College, its students and their families. We appreciate your business and hope that you will respect our establishment and the laws that we have been entrusted to uphold. Next time, please consider the magnitude of your actions before deciding to try to 'score' a drink with a fake ID. While it's fun for you, it is not a game for us. Sincerely,Holmes Jacobs, ProprietorTwo Brothers TavernTo the Editor:After attending the opening night of the new Angela's Bar, which apparently has changed its name to the Two Brothers Lounge, one cannot help but make comparisons. As I strolled in with a crew of eight, we were immediately faced with a 400-pound bouncer sporting a leather trench coat, a full goatee with connecting sideburns and a shaved head. If this wasn't intimidating enough, the girthy man felt compelled to pace back and forth for the duration of the night. Talk about a buzz kill. Though initially taken aback, I was then moderately impressed by both the ambiance and the décor. With an 88-person capacity and a doorman with a keen eye, I felt as if I were in a roomy senior lounge that could have been annexed to the library. There were brown leather couches, mahogany trim on four walls and lighting fit for a classy piano bar. I am now more likely to use this space as a study lounge rather than a raunchy Thursday night dance venue where you could get funky to 2 Live Crew. The functionality of the space was greatly improved after rearranging the order of key areas of congregation: the bar, the island and the pool table. The bar has intelligently been moved to the opposite side of the entrance, maximizing flow of traffic. This has left plenty of room between the watering hole and the drink island whereas they were previously pressed up against one another leaving enough distance for a two-person line. The pool table was cleverly placed in the corner, allowing for less abrasive interaction between the locals and the heavily intoxicated students. All of us faithful patrons witnessed our fair share of near brawls. After all of these well thought out improvements in floor planning, however, their common sense failed them after deciding to put the dartboards over the coat racks. Sheer stupidity or a simple oversight? I'll leave that one up to you. I'm curious to see the confusion of the regular Thursday night crowd once they discover the absence of a true dance floor, the cornerstone of past debauchery. Rather than further watering down the already questionable Middlebury social scene, I have hopes that this detail will be overlooked. Sincerely,Nate Shreve '08To the Editor:The CEO takeover of our nation flourished during the Clinton and Bush administrations. It wasn't just the well-worn ruts through the White House and through Congress. Please remember, those very fertile issuances of stock options that propelled big political donations that propelled more issuances and more donations, etc. It spread like wildfire from a few corporations, as compensation-substitutes, to thousands of other corporation executives. Shareowners not receiving the issuances, the general population, pensioners, investors, consumers, and others are still footing their bill. The market is left with a Jell-O-like foundation.Only voters, transcending political party affiliation this year, can elect a president and members of Congress who can get us out of the ruts.Sincerely,John BauerMartinez, Cal.To the Editor:It is reassuring to note the item about classical music performance by your own music community. As an alum, I hope that at some point Middlebury's classical music performances will become archived with those from around all of New England at www.cvNewEng.org, Classical Voice of New England (CVNewEng), Inc. It is a new non-profit cast in the style of San Francisco Classical Voice that inspired Classical Voice of North Carolina, my former employer, www.cvnc.org. At some point, I hope someone will be assigned to review classical music at Middlebury for Classical Voice of New England, Inc. Apparently, I have been knocking at the wrong doors in order to get the concerts posted at www.cvNewEng.org, for which I am a music critic. This online classical music journal is, in its halting infancy, being manned by five volunteers to show its potential. Readers of this letter may want to volunteer to send writing samples when funded and appropriate for CVNewEng to begin to hire independent contractors who are free-lance writers. Other readers may move on to the Support Us page and see how to, via the fiscal agent Granite State Opera, Inc. David Perkins of "The Boston Globe" is allowing CVNewEng to repost his Greater Boston reviews at no charge, so count him as one of the volunteers when you check out the website. Student interns in journalism may be interested in working with this organization.Sincerely,Mary Elizabeth NordstromKennebunk, ME
(02/14/08 12:00am)
Author: Jake Cohen After a tough loss to Williams on Feb. 2, the Middlebury men's and women's swim teams rallied the troops and put on some top-notch performances at their invitational the following weekend. The meet was not a team event but a series of individual races. As such, it provided the Panthers the opportunity to mix up their lineup and allowed swimmers to swim different events than the norm as they prepared for the upcoming NESCAC championships."It is a great checkpoint," said Katie Remington '10. "It's similar to NESCACs because it's a bunch of different teams. It's a trial run."For those swimmers already confident in their times, this weekend provided the chance to try new events - a move that was particularly fun for seniors. As a matter of fact, this weekend was dubbed Senior Day and commemorated four years of hard work from all 19 veterans.The unquestioned peak performer of the weekend was Pam Chatikavanij '08, who won both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. "She has been swimming unbelievably well this year and did it again," said tri-captain Robbie Burton '08. "She swam incredibly." First-year Emily MacDonald also improved on her times by winning the 100-yard fly. Other strong female performers were Sara Cowie '08, who won the 1,000-yard freestyle and Katie Soja '10 who took first place in the 200-yard butterfly. The Panthers flaunted their team's depth by taking all the podium positions of the latter event, even without a performance from Ross, their best butterfly swimmer. Ross turned plenty of heads in the Williams meet the weekend before, when she made the NCAA "A" cut by over a quarter of a second and was a second off of her own NESCAC record. Middlebury also crowned Catherine Suppan '09 the 200-yard breaststroke champion and Ross the queen of the 500-yard free - an event she rarely swims. "The women are shooting for first in NESCACs and have the depth [to do it]," said Burton.The men also swam well and saw a particularly good performance from Zach Woods '09. He won both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events, finishing with his best times of the season. Kevin O'Rourke '09 claimed top-place on the podium in the 500-yard freestyle event. The men's 400-yard freestyle relay team set its fastest time of the year and enjoyed a particularly impressive leg from anchor Schuyler Beeman '10.Now begins the period of tapering. It is a perennial swim tradition to slow the training regiment and rest in order to save up much-needed energy for the big final meet. Some swimmers have even started to shave their entire bodies. "Everybody is going to rest and get psyched for the rest of the season," said Burton.This meet marks the beginning of the end, which can be a sad time for some, but an exciting time for all. Watch for a solid finish from both the men's and women's teams at the NESCACs. The women travel to Wesleyan Feb. 22-24 to take on the field, while the men host the tournament at home on Feb. 29-March 2.
(01/24/08 12:00am)
Author: Douglas Sisson "You must really hate Middlebury." A random Middlebury student, who has read a few of my columns, said this to me as I was taking a breather from salsa dancing in the Spanish house. This is not the case. After all, at one point in my career here at the College I attended an informational meeting hosted by the admissions office - with free pizza. If I recall correctly, the note I received in my mailbox read: "Do you love Middlebury? If so, become an admissions tour guide!" A first-year at the time, I proudly attended the meeting - for five minutes - ate my pizza and left after discovering that tour guides don't get paid. I'm no longer a first-year student looking for a job. I am days away from my February graduation and struggling to find the motivation to write my last column and finish an independent project. I can't help but dubiously stare at the tents surrounding Battell Beach as I avoid freezing to death on what are now my final visits to Middlebury's various dining halls. After being a student for what feels like forever, aside from being poor after graduation, it's only natural to be skeptical about the future of the College.As a College I feel that we need to show more love and appreciation for our professors, faculty and staff. This is immediately remedied by increasing their salaries. In addition, the drama surrounding Laurie Essig's recent termination of contract needs to be resolved before further splitting of an already subdivided College community continues. I challenge President Liebowitz to reconsider the implications of firing radical professors whose opinions deviate from the prescribed norm. Outspoken professors like Laurie Essig serve as mentors to students like me trying to find healthy ways to question Middlebury's authority.Given that this is my last column I'd like to share with the community that my previous skepticism with regard to the acquisition of the Monterey Institute of International Studies has shifted. Middlebury College as a brand will thrive with continued advancement in the field of international studies and languages. However, the strength of student protest in response to the unneeded change in our official college logo - partially in response to acquiring the Monterey Institute - should be carefully noted. The College Web site remains void of a logo and I strongly urge Middlebury's administration to avoid implementing anything reminiscent of a logo that could be used by an East Coast ski resort.The future of Middlebury College is only as good as its leaders. I'm concerned that while President Liebowitz is a seasoned fundraiser, he lacks popular support among students and young alumni. Holding regular office hours is admirable and students have witnessed change on his behalf. However, as someone about to graduate, I feel that President Liebowitz should seriously reconsider how current students socially perceive him. How to go about doing this - if at all - is beyond my expertise. Of course, more snow days and free beer at Pub Night might be a good place to start.The Middlebury Initiative takes off next month in San Francisco - my post-graduate destination - and the College hopes to raise $500 million so that new opportunities are available for future generations of MiddKids. And yet, I like to believe that there is more to Middlebury College then the size of its endowment. It is my fear that in the quest for financial gain, power and international notoriety, Middlebury College will be forced to sacrifice the essence that once made my soon to be alma mater unique. Now that I think about it, it's probably a good thing that tour guides at Middlebury work for free.Douglas Sisson '07.5 is an International Studies/ Latin America major from Oak Brook, Ill.
(01/24/08 12:00am)
Author: Will Hunt "Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis chats about the music behind the music. Interview conducted by Radio Arts Middlebury."When Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, walked onto the McCullough stage on Friday concert, he looked more like a dorky A.V. room kid tinkering with sound levels than the pop sensation famous for igniting dance parties the world over. Of course, the gawky, lank-haired artist did not go unrecognized by the McCullough faithful, who brought him onstage with chants of "Gregg, Gregg, Gregg!" and erupted as he emerged. As soon as he had revved up his laptop and sent the first dance beat over the P.A., there was no questioning the artist's reputation as a party-starter. Over 500 screaming students, drenched in sweat long before Gillis even appeared, crushed against the front of the stage. Above the crowd, Gillis jumped up and down, jackknifing his body to the beat before flinging himself off the stage to surf the hands of the crowd. No sooner had he returned to his laptop station than the first wave of the crowd rushed the barricades, flooding in from the sides of the stage to bump and gyrate alongside the artist. var uslide_show_id = "4757092a-b4c1-4d33-b128-e5d121e7376f";var slideshowwidth = "468";var linktext = "";This raucous free-for-all of an opening set the tone for the next two hours. Gillis told the crowd he was ready to start some "Friday night college fun," and he delivered. Not that this was a surprise - Girl Talk is all about having a good time. The music that had hands clapping, pelvises thrusting and hormones raging until midnight in the sauna-like Social Space was pop music at its finest - and most ridiculous. The night's playlist, which mostly consisted of tracks from Girl Talk's 2006 breakthrough album, Night Ripper, was a series of mashups, or musical collages of recognizable pop songs. Of the 150 sample sources on Night Ripper, you will find everything from James Taylor to grunge anthems (Nirvana) to the ring-tone rap song of the week (Young Jeezy). The Pittsburgh-based Girl Talk has become an international sensation (Middlebury was his first stop in the U.S. after a month-long tour overseas), all for exploding the now-popular concept of the mashup. In his concoctions-as-songs, it is all about timing: he loops a sample of a famous catchy track just long enough for the crowd to recognize it, scream and bust a few energized dance moves. Then, before the song gets too familiar, he cuts to the next sample. Each track is layered in a way that allows for the ridiculous and ironic "retexturizations" - Gillis' word - of which Girl Talk is a master. Nothing beats hearing Biggie Smalls rapping about his "red and black lumberjack" over Elton John's piano in "Tiny Dancer." Each of these sewed-together, mutant tracks is an ADD-friendly circus of pop culture that makes you want to dance your ass off, and laugh as you do it.Last Friday night was no exception to the hilarity. A significant number of crowd members were on stage, making spectacles of themselves, writhing their sweaty hips, opening their mouths wantonly like zoom-in subjects in a music video. The rest of the crowd was on floor-level: some danced vigorously with that night's hook-up, others watched the stage, wondering how inappropriate it would be to slip a dollar bill in the strap of someone's high heel, while still others fought the bouncers to get onstage for their own shot in the orgy spotlight. As much fun as this was, the dance party melee did come with a compromise: after that crowd-surf in the first few bars of the first song, Girl Talk all but disappeared in the crowd, along with any notion of a "performance.' If not for the proliferation of Red Bull cans (the night's sponsor), and the 10-dollar ticket, at moments we could have been at the Bunker dancing to WRMC DJ Bobby Pre-Teen's personal copy of Night Ripper on repeat. In the end, though, it did not matter. Girl Talk may have been swallowed-up by the crowd on stage (either playing Tetris or receiving a sexual favor, according to conflicting rumors), but channeled in the audience was all that makes his music good - excess, fun and irony.
(01/24/08 12:00am)
Author: Jake Cohen The Middlebury swim and dive team successfully added yet another victory to its resume on Jan. 19, with both the men's and women's teams convincingly defeating Hamilton College to give each squad their fifth win of the season. This meet was particularly important because of its timing - as the first competition after a training week in Florida, it serves as the mid-season performance barometer. "Beating Hamilton was a huge win for us," said captain Robbie Burton '08. "It just goes to show that we have a lot of potential for the NESCACs and that we are in a great position for the rest of the season." The win caps a four-meet win streak after a tough loss to Amherst in the second competition of the season. Patrick Burton '10 has been impressed with the team's ability to bounce back from that loss. "We have all been training really hard and swimming even harder" he said. The performance this weekend speaks for itself.Five Middlebury athletes qualified in individual events for the national competition in March against Hamilton. John Dillon '10 set a pool record and made the 'B' cut in the 200-yard butterfly, which makes him a likely national competitor. Catherine Suppan '09 also made the 'B' cut for the 100-yard backstroke by swimming a remarkable first leg in the 400-yard medley relay. Perennial powerhouse Marika Ross '08 made her mark once again by setting a pool record in the 200-yard fly and making the 'A' cut, which gives her a guaranteed spot at nationals. Divers Alanna Hanson '08 and Brooke Siem '08 also qualified for nationals in the one-meter platform.Two dark horse candidates showed their true potential against Hamilton. Pam Chatikavanij '08 dominated the 100-yard freestyle and barely missed making the 'B' cut. On the men's side, Zach Woods '09 swam one of his fastest times ever in the 100-yard backstroke and beat Hamilton's Todd Johnson, one of the best backstrokers in the NESCAC conference. Ryan Marklewitz '11 has continued to raise the bar in his rookie season. He won both grueling distance events, the 500 and 1000-yard freestyles, and is quickly climbing the ranks of notable NESCAC distance swimmers. Said captain Burton of this pivotal performance, "Marklewitz absolutely held down. He won both distance events and had his overall best times of the season."The win against Hamilton was obviously an important one. Not only did everyone swim as if they had suddenly grown fins for the weekend, they seemed to win almost effortlessly. "We felt great out there," said Katie Remington '10. "We were winning and having a lot of fun doing it." The Panthers finished the meet with a Patriots-esque aura of inevitability. If this win is any indication of what the rest of the season has in store, the swim team is one to keep your eye on. Next weekend Middlebury takes on Union College at home, followed by a road trip to Williamstown, Mass. to take on the Ephs, last year's NESCAC champions, in what will surely be a close competition. NESCAC competitors beware: Middlebury is hungry for victory and ready to win.
(01/24/08 12:00am)
Author: Kelly Janis Thanks to dozens of cans of paint, some rolled-up sleeves and the spirit of collaboration, the walls winding down a long corridor in Middlebury's new teen center - located in the Russ Sholes Senior Center building on College Street, across from the Middlebury Market & Sama's Café - are now considerably less barren. On Jan. 19, a diverse array of members of the Middlebury community assembled at the center to paint a mural intended to encapsulate the sentiments of unity promoted by Dr. Martin Luther King.The concept of the mural was born when Maegan Olivos '07 - now an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Service Politics Institute, which coordinates events in which local politicians join with members of their community to work on a specified project while dialoguing about pertinent issues - approached teen center director Erik Shonstrom with plans to bring the organization to Middlebury. "It seemed like a natural fit," Shonstrom said, explaining that the center had already planned to hold some breed of event commemorating King. To hammer out the specifics, Shonstrom sat down with the center's youth advisory council - a group of teenagers charged with deliberating on issues of importance to the facility - to talk about King, read several of his speeches and discuss the ideal manner in which to convey his vision. It was by means of this discussion that the mural's design began to take shape."Rather than having divisiveness, rather than having separation, this mural is about unity," Shonstrom said. "So we have Yoda, a Chinese guy and Gandhi playing polo on dragons, sheep and velociraptors." Situated alongside these quirkier portraits are more conventional depictions of solidarity across lines of difference - two African American and Caucasian men drinking from the same water fountain, for instance.The unity embodied in the mural manifested itself similarly in the wide cross section of the community which turned out to produce it, including over 50 College faculty, staff and students, local middle school and high school students, community members and Selectboard representatives over the course of the day.Support also came in a more material form. Local deejay Chuck Root, for instance, donated his equipment for the day so teens could mix beats with audio from King's speeches. "This is all positive energy, and I'm psyched to be part of it," Root said. "That's why I'm here today. I just try to help provide a positive influence on these guys, so they stay out of trouble."This desire to exert such an influence permeates the intentions of many of the other individuals who devoted considerable time to the undertaking. Nate Davis - who Shonstrom recently hired to work part-time at the center in order to help field the increased volume of teens - is a case in point. When asked whether he thought the day was a success, Davis did not have to think twice about his answer."The fact that you got a bunch of 13, 14, 15, 16-year-old kids here on a Saturday morning, motivated to do this mural? Absolutely," he said. "The great thing about something like this is that you get these young minds with creative needs, and you give them an outlet. It's a lot more constructive than writing '[expletive]' on the wall on the side of someone's business."The center at large has been abuzz with this creative energy in recent months."It's been a huge success," Shonstrom said. "It's been busy. It's been crazy."According to recently computed statistics, between special events and regular drop-in hours, the center has served over 1,500 teenagers since its inception. "In the beginning, we would get maybe 15 kids a day," Shonstrom said. These figures quickly skyrocketed. "Our busiest day in the past couple of weeks was over 60 kids."The center's continued functioning hinges largely on the presence of a strong body of volunteers, a number of whom are drawn from the College."We've always had awesome support from the College," Shonstrom said, noting that several students have not only leant a hand with one-time events, but organized regular yoga and Chinese language classes. "We love College students, because it's a totally natural fit. They get the kids. They see what it's about. And they have a much higher tolerance for the noise than some of the older volunteers."
(01/10/08 12:00am)
Author: Thomas Brant When I stand in a long line at Proctor waiting impatiently for the blue-uniformed server to replenish the supply of chicken parmesan, all I can think about is how good chicken parm is, how I cannot wait to eat it and how sad I will be when my stomach tells me there no room for more. As far as I am concerned, the red sauce-covered hunks of chicken - yes, I do eat several - are my reward from heaven for slogging through another day of classes. But, as it turns out, that is not the case. Proctor head honcho Richard O'Donohue recently took me on a tour of his dining hall's cavernous basement kitchen, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how the 20 or so Proctor employees work together to create their culinary masterpieces.No, I realized, the chicken parm does not come from heaven. As it turns out, O'Donohue and his colleagues put a lot of hard work, sweat and tears into the food that Middlebury students enjoy. (Actually, they try to keep their sweat and tears out. It is mostly just hard work). An enthusiastic man who seems like he was born with a toque blanche on his head, O'Donohue started his career with Dining Services in 1988 as a cook in the Freeman International Center's three dining rooms. For the past four years, he has served as Proctor's Commons Chef, responsible for creating the menus and supervising activity in the kitchen. Consistent with Middlebury's addiction to technology in seemingly useless places, O'Donohue has at his disposal a powerful computer database to help him plan even the simplest menus. While he does consult it frequently for recipes and ingredients, he admits that every once in a while he likes to spice things up. "Occasionally I'll go to a cooking Web site and if I see something that looks good, I'll try it," he said. So that's where that nameless, fantastic-tasting mush came from a few weeks ago.Once O'Donohue creates the menus (usually four weeks in advance), First Cook Supervisor Paul Smith coordinates the preparation with the Second and Third Cooks. For the main dishes, Smith's team starts getting ingredients together the day before the meals are served. On the morning I visited, he had just finished preparing the soup for the lunch and dinner."We make all the soup for each day at once," Smith said, pointing out three gigantic vats in the middle of the room. Thinking that they could not possibly all be full of soup, I asked O'Donohue later how much Proctor makes every day."About 20 gallons," he said. The next stop on the tour was the salad preparation area, where I saw two women furiously chopping carrots and pulling apart heads of lettuce. "They make all of the ingredients in the salad bar fresh right here," O'Donohue said proudly. "Even the salad dressing is from scratch." I immediately felt guilty for sloppily letting some of the hand-cut lettuce fall off my plate at last night's dinner.From there, we moved on to the sandwich prep table, where Third Cook Lou Langevin was busy rolling Proctor's famous green wraps. My mouth watered at the sight. O'Donohue explained that Langevin starts rolling about 10:30 for the lunch rush, and once those pre-rolled wraps are gone, he moves upstairs and rolls more until the dining hall closes at 1:30. Because of his unique rolling job (and the popularity of his wraps), he is the only cook that students typically see in the serving area. The last stop on the kitchen tour was the bakery, which happens to be the only bakery on campus. Proctor supplies baked goods to all Dining Services operations, including the other dining halls, The Grille and catering events, O'Donohue said. For my benefit, he asked Baker Bob Stowe, a very busy man with a jolly face, how many cookies he bakes every day."About 1,500," Stowe answered, without looking up from his work. "But you can't forget the bread, about 80 to 100 loaves, or the cakes and pies." I noticed about 20 pecan pies - my favorite - sitting in a drying rack beside him."Those are for dinner tonight," O'Donohue said.As we left the kitchen, O'Donohue let me peek inside the three walk-in refrigerators that store food waiting to be served. I looked around for the chicken parm. Sadly, it was not there. But at least now I knew where it came from, and instead of silently thanking the heavens the next time I see it on the menu, I know to thank O'Donohue and his colleagues down in the Proctor basement.
(01/10/08 12:00am)
Author: James Kerrigan With 7:46 remaining in the third period, the Middlebury fans broke out - perhaps presumptuously - into song, with the "Tiny Bubbles" cheer. But give the game-goers some credit. Even though the Panthers held only a one-goal advantage, they were playing inspired hockey and firing on all cylinders.Fan optimism proved fruitful as Ken Suchoski '11 scored an insurance goal with just over two minutes left to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead and lock up the Holiday Classic title in the championship game against Lake Forest on Jan. 5 at Kenyon Arena. Middlebury earned the right to play in the championship after a 6-4 win over SUNY Brockport, the Panther's most offensively productive men's hockey game since Middlebury crushed Fredonia 9-0 in last year's NCAA tournament. While most students remained at home during the winter break, the hockey players returned to campus early and had what Coach Bill Beaney called a great week of practice. "We worked on our transition offense and defense," said Beaney, "and on creating opportunities off the rush."Off the transition and set plays, Middlebury created plenty of chances and fired 84 shots on goal over the two games. Tough forechecking and relentless work around the net played a key role in the offensive production, which got going early on. Just 27 seconds into the semifinal game, Suchoski buried a rebound, and less than a minute later classmate Chaz Svoboda '11 did the same to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.After Brockport came back to tie up the contest, Middlebury went on the power play and moved the puck for well over a minute before Jamie McKenna '09 then found the narrowest of openings between the defense and slid the puck across the ice to a wide open Mickey Gilchrist '08, who converted the one-timer to put the Panthers ahead. It was a lead they would not give up.Gilchrist added another goal in the second period, while John Sullivan '10 and Suchoski netted third-period goals to secure the win. With fast and physical Lake Forest edging Skidmore in the earlier game on Friday, the championship game was set, and it would not disappoint the crowd of over 1,500. It appeared Middlebury would once again get on the board early, but even though the puck crossed the goal line twice, both apparent goals were waved off. Instead, it was Lake Forest which struck first, as a low, hard shot got through a screen and past Middlebury netminder Ross Cherry '08. If it were not for Sam Driver '08 diving to his knees with an open goal behind him to save a second Forester goal, the Panthers would have been down by two after one period. The highlight of the first period, however, was Bryan Curran's '11 open-ice, neutral-zone hip-check that sent a Forester attacker flying through the air in full front-flip before falling to the ice. The middle period was more of the same - lots of chances but no results. At least ones that were tangible."We won the game in the second period because we kept skating," said Beaney. "We had nothing to show for the hard work, but we persevered."Beaney's players agreed. "The work in the second period really tired them out," said co-captain Scott Bartlett '08, "allowing us to control the third."Finally, three minutes into the third period, Middlebury's efforts paid off as the Panthers scored on their 35th shot. Middlebury won the faceoff back to Mack Cummins '09, who moved toward the center of the ice and fired a shot that Casey Ftorek '08 deflected past the Lake Forest goalie. On his next shift, Cummins, who moved to defense this year after playing forward his whole life, finished a rebound for the go-ahead goal. "It was unbelievable to score the winning goal," said Cummins. "It felt great to be such an integral part of the win on Saturday, but it was the entire team's effort that allowed us to catch them in the third."Just like in the game the day before, Suchoski netted the insurance goal on a play that was as pretty as anything Beaney could draw up. It was a manifestation of transition hockey that they worked on in practice. Bartlett reached out to pick off the Lake Forest pass in mid-air, corralled the puck and sent it back to his defensemen. As Bartlett circled through the neutral zone, he collected the give-and-go pass, gained the offensive zone, stopped on a dime, and found the streaking Suchoski, who put home the team's third goal to seal the victory."After the past three games," said Cummins, "it's apparent on the bench and in the locker room that the team is starting to come together and work for each other." However, the season is far from over and the team echoed Beaney's sentiments that this is no time to stop working. "There are areas we need to address to really get our team playing at the level we are capable of," said Bartlett, "but this is a move in the right direction."
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: Joey Interian It's not often that MIddlebury's first-year seminars provide students with an opportunity to work closely with members of the community, let alone delve into one's own personal background. Yet for Lauren Sanchez '11, Associate Professor of Spanish Ana Martinez-Lage's class did just that.Miami, New York, Los Angeles - certain cities are inherently associated with large immigrant populations. Middlebury, on the other hand, hardly seems to be a hotspot for immigration, but a recent predicament has attracted migrant workers to this small New England town.A few years ago, farms throughout Vermont were in crisis due to a shortage of workers willing to perform manual labor for low pay. Many dairy farms in particular were on the verge of shutting down. Now, the farmers are essentially dependent on migrant foreign labor because it is relatively easy to find people from developing countries who are willing to work under those conditions for minimal benefits.Currently, there are about 500 migrant workers in Addison County, most of whom entered the country illegally. This situation prompted MartÌnez-Lage to teach a first-year seminar that would bring awareness to the plight of local migrant workers. The course, entitled "Life in Two or More Languages," includes a required community service component. Students were paired up and assigned to work with a local migrant worker (or family of workers), whom they visit at least once each week. The program involves tutoring the workers to help them achieve proficiency in English, especially with terms that relate to their jobs. These include phrases that allow them to express when they need a break or to ask about the status of their paychecks.The Middlebury first-years in the seminar have partnered with the Migrant Education Program, an organization dedicated to providing English education to immigrants who have not attained legal status. Sanchez, a Seattle, Wash. native and the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, first became interested in the seminar as a way of exploring her own identity. "It was interesting to watch my student struggle to learn English and visualize my father in a similar situation," Sanchez said. Sanchez's student is a Mexican immigrant who arrived in Vermont about six months ago and has been working on a dairy farm about 20 minutes from campus. (Because of the current immigration status of the migrant workers featured in this article, The Campus has decided not to divulge their names.) The man plans to return to his family in Mexico once he has collected enough money from his work. His life in Vermont has consisted of walking from his house to the farm where he works and back again, because his illegal status in this country prevents him from participating in typical everyday activities."It's such a different lifestyle, and it's only 20 minutes away," said Sanchez.Most of the migrants do not venture far from their homes or the farms they work on and their only interactions are with other Spanish-speaking migrants and their supervisors, when necessary. Because of their limited interactions with Americans - most of them do not even brave local supermarkets - they do not have much of an incentive to learn English and most of them return to their homelands after only a few years.Joseph Molefi '11, who hails from Botswana, tutored the six-year-old daughter of a Mexican migrant worker as part of the seminar."I think one of the main things we accomplished is that the migrants got to see that they are welcome by us," Molefi said. "We appreciate their contribution, and even though they work 'menial jobs' it is very important to our economy." Since Vermont has an agrarian economy, the migrant workers are a vital part of the success of the farming industry."They're the backbone of all of Vermont's economy," said Rebecca Harper '11. "If they were all deported at once, there would be a huge economic slowdown in the entire state. The government here is extremely aware of this. That's why it's rare for them to get deported or for farms to be raided."The town of Middlebury has implemented policies to protect these workers from deportation in recent months. In an effort to encourage illegal immigrants to cooperate with the police, the Middlebury select board passed a resolution in October that would allow officers to check the immigration status of a person only if they are suspected of committing a crime.One of the techniques the students used to facilitate the transition into English is code switching, which involves interchanging between multiple languages in conversation. The student tutors also employ tools such as audio CDs and picture vocabulary books to help improve the workers' pronunciation and visual association skills. Other supplies include flash cards and ESL (English as a Second Language) workbooks. The work has helped students understand the importance of language in human interactions."I came to realize how important the ability to communicate with each other is and how difficult it is to learn a second language, English in particular," Sanchez said.For most of the migrant workers, their lives and livelihood depend on knowing English. They have to be able to communicate with their supervisors at work, and everyday tasks require the use of English. Learning English has also allowed the workers to connect with other community members."It's almost more important to be a friend to them in this new and strange environment than a teacher," Harper said. "Because most of their family is back home, being someone they can laugh with and just spend time with is something they really need. It also makes the learning come faster."Harper also tutored a Guatemalan immigrant over the summer and plans on teaching English to Spanish-speakers as a future profession. Many other students taking the seminar feel similarly inspired to continue their work with the program because of the success they have seen this semester."One time we were erasing something on the whiteboard and instead of saying 'Espera,' my student said 'Wait,'" said Sanchez. "That was really demonstrative of the progress he had made."
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] Snow is on the ground, twinkles of light already adorn the College holiday tree on McCullough Lawn, and finals are just around the corner. Yes, the holiday season is here, and that means the end of 2007 is upon us. For Middlebury, the Year of the Boar included both valleys and peaks. The opening of a new campus in Alexandria, Egypt, a record 7,500 applicants for the class of 2011 and three athletic national titles all gave the College community cause for celebration. At the same time, several incidents of homophobic graffiti, an alleged sexual assault at Brackett House and reverberations of the Virginia Tech shooting reminded us of the challenges that Middlebury faces as its forges ahead into its third century. The Campus has searched through the biggest headlines from the past 12 months in order to revisit the events that have defined college life in 2007. As super-seniors prepare for the last finals of their undergraduate careers, and first-years anxiously await their first, a bit of reflection is just what the doctor ordered. -Thomas Brant, Focus EditorNote: the Focus layout is best viewed in Acrobat Reader with the "facing" option selected under View--Page LayoutJan. 18 The foundation of the C.V. Starr-Middlebury School Abroad in the Middle East marked the first such language school to be opened by any American institution, the College announced on Jan. 18. The school, located in Alexandria, Egypt and affiliated with Alexandria University, offers courses to an estimated 15-20 students per semester beginning in the fall of 2007."The fact that we will have this sort of program - as far as we know, the only of its kind - will put Middlebury out front of other institutions when it comes to demonstrating the seriousness with which we take engaging the rest of the world in general, and the Middle East in particular," said Jeffrey Cason, dean of International Programs.One of the most hotly contested topics this year in The Campus was the College's History Department's decision to ban the citation of Wikipedia on papers.Jan. 24: First article appearsFaculty members of the College's Department of History passed a resolution forbidding students from using online interactive encyclopedia Wikipedia for academic assignments. The motion was passed unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 9 after brief debate.Kawashima Professor of Japanese Studies Neil Waters, who grew increasingly concerned with the reliability of the online encyclopedia after students began to cite it on essays and final exams, developed the new policy. "Students are responsible for the accuracy of the information they give," said Waters. "They can't say, 'I saw it on Wikipedia and therefore that shields me.'" The departmental statement, which was initially drafted by Waters, also forbids students from including Wikipedia in lists of bibliographic sources."To me, it was a sort of self-evident issue, and then I realized this wasn't the case," said Waters. "I'll be talking about it in the first week of classes so there isn't any doubt or confusion about the whole thing."Feb. 14Record snowfall fell on the College, closing school for the first time since 1998."The size of the storm, and the impact of what was the largest single 24-hour amount of snow to fall on central Vermont, revealed holes in our planning and assumptions," said President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz. "That said, our staff did remarkable work to ensure both safety and services that were essential for students."Feb. 14: Chandler Koglmeier's Op-Ed"What are you professors scared of? Please tell me an open source online encyclopedia doesn't actually threaten you. Are you really that scared of general commentary? Are you really arrogant enough to say that the opinions of the general public, albeit a general public who cares enough to get on Wikipedia and post about a specific topic, don't matter? To me, this stinks of the beginnings of censorship. According to Wikipedia, censorship is the removal of information from the public, or the prevention of circulation of information, where it is desired or felt best by some controlling group or body. I always thought the point of academia was that there was no censorship. Ideas, no matter how crazy, were embraced and allowed to circulate. Isn't that one of the reasons we grant tenure to our beloved professors?"Feb. 21: James Davis' response "Koglmeier describes the ban as an attack on "general commentary" and "the opinions of the general public," but Wikipedia doesn't purport to be a chat room for the expression of "views." It claims to be a depository of facts, and the accuracy of factual information is not simply a matter of popular opinion.For example, it is legal fact that Professor Morsman spells her last name with one "o," and even if Koglmeier can find a thousand people to spell her name the way he insisted on penning it -"Moorsman"- that doesn't alter the fact that they'd be spelling her name wrong."Feb. 28: Wikipedia debateAfter sparking a wide debate that was picked up by The New York Times and a number of blogs, Assistant Professor of Film and Media Culture Jason Mittell defended Wikipedia.org against Asistant Professor of History Amy Morsman, who defended her department's position.Morsman suggested that though justified for broad background research, the citation of a tertiary source such as Wikipedia on major assignments was inappropriate given professors' expectations of their students' work."I actually think that Middlebury College students, especially History majors who are taking 300- or 400-level courses, are beyond making Wikipedia the starting point of their research," said Morsman.Mittell urged the skeptics to think about their position against potentially exciting technological developments."When you have any critical dialogue about the site," said Mittell, "you have to understand [Ö] whether your attitude is formed by the 'wiki-' part or by the '-pedia' part."March Over Spring Break, homophobic graffiti was found in the hallways of Ross Commons, prompting President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz to send a campus-wide e-mail over the break condemning the acts."We are a strong, open and resilient community, but we cannot tolerate actions that threaten the safety of community members and target individuals because of their differences," Liebowitz wrote in the e-mail. "We should also remember that the Ross incident, however egregious, is connected by attitude to other recent expressions of homophobia on this campus."However, only two days after a forum held to discuss the acts, another instance of homophic graffiti was found written in permanent red marker on the white board of a student's door in Starr Hall. The incident underscored concerns that an earlier case of homophobic graffiti in Ross Commons was indicative of a larger problem at the College.March 3 Paul Rusesabagina, who survived an ethnic bloodbath in Rwanda that would claim more than 800,000 lives in 100 days, spoke in Mead Chapel on March 3. While Hutu militiamen roamed the capital killing at will, Rusesabagina sheltered Tutsi refugees in his hotel with his charm and persuasive style."I took what I call my black binder, where I used to have a lot of phone numbers, and started calling all the generals I knew in the country," Rusesabagina said. "In life, I believe in the power of words. With words, you can kill, but with words, you can also civilize. The most important thing at that time was to open my mouth and open up a dialogue."March 11: Waters' Op-EdWaters recaps the madness he created after what he says he thought was a simple, no-brainer move."The Campus published an article on the departmental policy, and the rest, as they say, is history. Alerted by t
he online version of The Campus, Tim Johnson of The Burlington Free Press interviewed me and a spokesman for Wikipedia who agreed with the history department's position, and published an article. Several college newspapers followed suit, and then Noam Cohen of The New York Times interviewed Don Wyatt, chair of the History Department, and me, and published the story. Within a day it received more online "hits" than any other New York Times feature. Another interview followed with the Asahi Shimbun in Tokyo, and additional articles appeared in El Pais in Spain, The Guardian in England, and then in literally hundreds of newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. Along with other members of the History Department, I found myself giving interviews almost daily - to radio stations, newspaper reporters, inquisitive high school students, WCAX television news in Burlington and even to the "NBC Nightly News," which sent correspondent Lisa Daniels to Middlebury to interview me and students in my "History of Modern Japan" class. A stream of phone calls and e-mails from a wide range of people, from Wikipedia disciples to besieged librarians who felt free at last to express their Wikipedia misgivings, continues to the present. Somehow the modest policy adoption by the History Department at Middlebury College hit a nerve."April 27 Max Nardini '08 and Eric Hoest '08 were elected President of the Student Government Association (SGA) and Student Co-Chair of the Community Council (SCCOCC), respectively, for the 2007-2008 academic year after online polls closed on April 27.Because his election race was uncontested, Nardini believed there was a tendency for students to write off the election by choosing not to vote, a significant problem Nardini hopes to counter for next year's elections."Most people want to get involved in the community somehow," said Nardini. "It's a matter of getting the opportunity out there and publicizing it well. SGA is more than a one-man job, [and] I look forward to working with talented and engaged members of the College community."MayThe senior work of Sally Swallow '07 and Bill Army '07 brought a full-scale musical to Middlebury. With a production too irreverent and too interactive for Wright Theater, the cast and crew decided the only option was to literally turn CFA's Seeler Theater into the seedy Kit Kat nightclub in late 1920s Berlin. The result was decidedly provocative and seriously sexy.Distraught and alone, Swallow's gritty rendition of "Cabaret" was among her stronger and more serious moments on the stage. Its simplicity was juxtaposed with the equally moving "Finale," which included the entire company and used Barsalona and Beeman as powerful symbols for the Jewish and gay communities respectively. Army slowly opened a suitcase and popped up wearing a gas mask before the end of the show, capping off a truly remarkable production that had the audience laughing, thinking and on its feet for a standing ovation.May 5The Middlebury men's rugby squad captured its first national title Saturday, May 5 at Stanford's Steuger Stadium. Led by Pascal Losambe '07 and Ari Silverman '09, the club team beat Arkansas State 38-22 in a match that the Panthers controlled from the outset to the final seconds. Coach Ward Patterson described it as the greatest rugby game in which he had ever been involved."This day was one of those perfect days of college sports," said Patterson. "The parents, the weather, everything was perfect. The harmony was absolutely wonderful, and the honor we gave our opponents and that they gave us was spectacular. Everything from the bagpiping beforehand to the post-match celebration went flawlessly. There wasn't even a single foul for foul play."It was not an easy road for the Panthers to reach the national championship field. They had to go through adversaries such as Northern Colorado and Yale that were significant tests. Moreover, those games came after countless hours of determined training."The factor that everything turned on was the decision made in February of last year that we were going to earn the right to play in this game," Patterson said, "and that we would do everything that came with that. After that, all the wheels started to turn in the right direction."May 27Former President of the United States William Jefferson Clinton addressed a record turnout crowd at the Middlebury College Commencement on May 27, reminding the Class of 2007 of the importance of community. Blue ponchos filled the lawn between the McCullough Student Center and Voter Hall as well over 5,000 graduates, family members and friends endured the rainy weather to celebrate the achievements of the graduating class.The highlight of the ceremony was Clinton's much-anticipated address. Acknowledging problems in the world ranging from resource depletion and climate change to illegal immigration and terrorism, Clinton stressed the necessity of strong communities in the face of such challenges. "I believe questions of community and identity ... will determine our collective capacity to deal with all the problems."Clinton concluded his speech by asking the over 600 graduates to go out into the world with eyes open to see one another. "As you save the world," he said, "remember all the people in it."Oct. 26 The annual Vitality of the Artistic Community Association (VACA)-sponsored Halloween party required the presence of the Middlebury Police Department (MPD) for the second consecutive year as police arrested two people in connection with an altercation with officers from the College's Department of Public Safety at the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Building. The incident underscored student perceptions of an increased police presence on campus this semester, perceptions that the MPD claimed to be nothing but rumors.Oct. 28A freight train derailed in the middle of downtown Middlebury, spilling gasoline into Otter Creek and prompting the evacuation of the village center and some areas of campus. While no one was injured, 400 Middlebury residents were forced to leave their homes. In addition, numerous businesses in the vicinity were forced to close up shop. Among them was Carol's Hungry Mind CafÈ, which boasts a view of the tracks from its back window on Merchants Row. Although he was not working at the time, Carol's employee Greg Keebler said co-workers later described the event to him as sudden and jarring. "Someone told me it felt like 10 different earthquakes when the cars went off the track," Keebler said. The derailment registered as a figurative earthquake to a small town unaccustomed to being poised on the brink of catastrophe. By all accounts, Middlebury rose gracefully to the challenge, though it was no small undertaking. "It bodes well for us that the community has a lot of confidence in the emergency services here, because they were wonderful," Middlebury Chief of Police Thomas Hanley said. "The people in this town responded very well to us."Nov. 11As the sun rose on a crisp, fall day, students took to Battell Beach, otherwise named "the pitch," with the goal of leaving the Muggle world. On Nov. 11, college students from all over entered the world of "Harry Potter" during the first annual Intercollegiate Quidditch World Cup Festival.Twelve Middlebury teams battled during the first portion of the competition for the right to play the squad from Vassar College. The festival featured Quidditch matches interspersed with entertainment from various students groups, food and souvenirs. Alex Benepe '09, an organizer of the event, estimated that over 300 people attended the festival, which featured 143 College students. The Molly Wobbles won the Middlebury portion of the event before defeating Vassar 120-0.Nov. 24For the first time in school history, the men's soccer team captured the Division III NCAA National Championship, edging Trinity University (Tex.) in pena
lty kicks at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Nov. 24. It was the 28th national title for Middlebury since 1994 and the eighth different sport to bring the trophy home to Vermont.After earning a much-deserved bye in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Middlebury knocked off each of its next three opponents with relative ease. A 5-0 rout of Wheaton kicked off the tournament and secured home field-advantage for the sectionals.
(12/06/07 12:00am)
President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz earned $477,764 for the fiscal year ending in June, 2006, making him the highest paid president of a Vermont institution of higher learning and the third highest compensated NESCAC president.
The figures - published in the Nov. 16 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education - reflect in part the president's growing role at Middlebury as a result of the school's institutional expansion and massive fundraising commitments. In addition to overseeing a constellation of affiliated schools (such as the Monterey Institute for International Studies) and year-round operations that include summer language programs, Liebowitz now finds himself shepherding support for a record five-year, $500 million capital campaign.
"My perspective on the fundraising challenge of our president is that he must raise about $1.5 million a week for us to make our goal and thereby fund the Strategic Plan," said Frederick Fritz '68, chairman of the Board of Trustees, which determines Liebowitz's compensation. "That's part of his overall charge, and our $500 million goal right now is the largest ever among liberal arts colleges."
While the board takes this unique role for Liebowitz into account, Fritz explained that it also works to set the president's compensation appropriately within several fields of comparison - the compensation given to the 11 NESCAC presidents, and that given to presidents at a broader group of 21 schools that Middlebury considers its "peers" among liberal arts colleges. Liebowitz's compensation was the seventh highest among this larger peer group.
"We are not daunted at being near the top," said Fritz. "Our goal is to retain the most qualified individual in the job, and we work with professional consultants to ensure that our compensation is within reasonable marketplace norms."
That consideration - retention - comes as a number of news outlets have reported a movement among college administrations toward what they call a "corporate culture." While college presidents have traditionally been considered public servants whose credentials could earn higher salaries in the private sector, articles like the one in The Chronicle argue that compensation for top positions in higher education is now coming closer into line with those in private industry.
"The growing demands of the job of college president, as well as the corporate culture that has started to take root among governing boards and college administrators, have contributed to an industry-wide ratcheting up of presidential salaries," The Chronicle reported in its November article.
The magazine noted in its article that, in exchange for their higher salaries, today's college presidents now find 20-hour workdays and the accompanying strain on their commitments to family and friends more common.
While the realities of the president's growing role as well as the executive job market may be forcing salaries upward, local media like The Burlington Free Press have cast the movement as one towards increased wealth in a state where fewer than eight percent of working citizens earn more than $100,000.
"Middlebury College's president makes more than any other college administrator in Vermont," the Free Press wrote on Nov. 23. "Each of the nine administrators on the list made more than $100,000, placing them among the wealthiest Vermonters."
None of the other eight colleges in Vermont, however, appear on Middlebury's list of 21 peer institutions against which the president's compensation is compared. Within the NESCAC, Tufts University paid its president more than $550,000 while Wesleyan University paid its president just over $501,000.
Fritz noted that despite the upward movement of presidents' compensation packages, Liebowitz's compensation in part also remains tied to his performance as president.
"We also have a set of long-term goals - annual goals for the president - and we sit down once a year to give a written performance appraisal of the president and his progress on those goals," he said.
While fundraising is just one of those factors, it is an important one - and one in which Liebowitz's efforts have so far been successful. Of the $500 million to be raised by the "Middlebury Initiative," $234 million had been secured as of the Oct. 6 public launch date.
Written by DEREK SCHLICKEISEN
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: Alex Garlick No matter how loud the debate becomes regarding Matthew Biette's threat to cancel midnight breakfast, it seems to fall on deaf ears. The Campus' editorial board can chip in its two cents and the SGA can organize a lunch with Biette, but the student body is taking the apathetic route away from responsibility. To be frank, the dishes are not coming in. I cannot say I am surprised, either. For better or for worse, the student body is not responding to Biette's cry of financial hardship or The Campus' moral plea. Biette had a chart at lunch last Friday claiming that $25,000 worth of dishware walked out of the dining halls in September. That is a lot of money and, quite frankly, a waste, but it is also about what one student pays for one semester. Therefore, it is swept under the proverbial rug. Furthermore, any cry of financial pain is hard to take seriously when the news regarding the progress of the $500 million dollar fundraiser is on the front page of the web site. A pattern has developed regarding student reaction, or lack of reaction, to monetary issues. The seemingly annual 4 to 6 percent bump in tuition has become as predictable as the changing of the seasons, yet the student body receives it with less agitation than is mustered up every week by "The Devil Wears Patagonia." None of this is news. Therefore, you must be asking where this talk of silverware, cups and bowls is going. I alert you to a parallel situation in the world of college athletics, the Bowl Championship Series. The BCS has more in common with the "Proctor Predicament" than just bowls. It also involves oranges, sugar, apathy and tons of money. Now Division I college football is not as popular a topic on The Campus opinions page as, say, organic food, but hear me out. The purpose of the system is to pit the best two teams in the country against each other in a championship game after a series of marquee games. It has worked a few times in the past, but this year there is a problem: no one knows who the best two teams are. This is why there has to be a playoff system. It could be so simple: a six-team playoff with the top two getting byes. This way there would be the same number of games, and the "student-athletes" could be back in the classroom in time for their rigorous spring classes. One of the pros to this system is that it would only make the voters and computers decipher the second and third place teams instead of figuring out whom the sixth or seventh best teams are, and with less serious consequences. In addition, it would solve the problem of a team that does not win its regular season conference playing for the national championship over the conference champ. That is like naming someone who does not have the best G.P.A. in the English department the class valedictorian or electing a President who did not receive the most votes.No one will solve the "Proctor Predicament" or the BCS anytime soon, for the same reasons. First, the masses are content the way things are, even though there is a logical, mutually beneficial solution. Next, money compounds this apathy. Our students do not care about wasting it, while the big football schools are happy to sit back and count it. So next week, instead of discussing exciting college football playoff games over a delicious midnight breakfast, students will be in a perpetual search for legitimacy of the sports, glasses for their drinks, and breakfast to crave their late night hunger.Alex Garlick '08.5 is a Political Science and Economics major from Needham, Mass.
