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(02/20/02 12:00am)
Author: Peter Simon & Nicha Rakpanichmanee University of Texas Dean Resigns from Enron BoardUniversity of Texas School of Law Dean William Powers Jr. resigned from Enron's Board of Directors last Thursday. In a letter of resignation to Enron executive John Duncan, Powers said he had finished investigating the company's transactions and wished to focus on his duties as dean of the law school.Powers was selected on Oct. 31 as a board member and chairman of a special committee reviewing the company's transactions. As a member of the committee, he corresponded with the Securities and Exchange Commission and issued an internal report that accused executives, auditors, lawyers and other board members of creating partnerships to inflate earnings, among other infractions.Some critics had said that Powers' appointment to the Board of Directors posed a conflict of interest. Enron had made large contributions of the university, including $250,000 to its law school. Source: U-WireRutgers Faces Life After LawrenceRutgers University of New Jersey is as divided now as it was before Francis Lawrence's resignation from presidency. After 12 years, Lawrence ended his tenure with a one-page letter on Feb. 1, offering no explanation for his departure. Many professors and students are pleasantly surprised by the resignation, which contradicts Lawrence's earlier announcement to stay at Rutgers for at least two more years. The organization Rutgers 1000, founded by a Rutgers English professor, has long accused Lawrence of prioritizing athletics at the expense of academics, allocating millions of limited dollars to fund mediocre sports teams. Acute bitterness towards Lawrence arose in response to his 1994 comment that genetics contributed to low SAT scores among minority students.No criticism had budged Lawrence's position for over a decade, until Democratic Governor James McGreevey entered office in late 2001. Not only does McGreevey plan to please his minority constituents, but he also looks to implement many educational reforms, including statewide budget cuts and concerted efforts to attract New Jersey residents to attend in-state schools.While many believe that Lawrence was driven out by state politics, others maintain that he served his term well by increasing fundraising by almost fivefold and doubling the percentage of minority students.Source: The New York TimesDesegregation Plan Approved for Mississippi UniversitiesA federal judge has approved a desegregation plan for Mississippi universities, ending a legal battle that began in 1975. The lawsuit, filed by the late Jake Ayers, the father of an African-American college student, accused the state of neglecting its three historically black universities — Jackson State University, Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered remedies in 1992. The order, put forth by U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers, Jr., directs $500 million, pledged last month by Mississippi lawmakers, to various programs and improvements for the three universities. "I think every citizen in Mississippi will benefit from this," said Reuben Anderson, a Mississippi state Supreme Court justice and key member of the settlement team. Source: Associated PressBob Jones University to Increase Minority AdmissionsBob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian school located in Greenville, S.C., is attempting to recruit minorities in order to shake its racist image. Two new funds sponsored by private donations have been set up to attract minority students. Thus far, 40 minority students have applied, and 9 have been granted scholarships through the new funds. The school currently claims to have few blacks, but provides no precise figures on its racial makeup. The university began accepting black students in 1970, after the Internal Revenue Service moved to revoke the school's tax-exempt status, citing discrimination. The school's policies, including a ban on interracial dating, were a subject of national controversy when George W. Bush visited the campus during his presidential campaign. The school dropped the ban shortly thereafter. Source: Associated Press
(02/13/02 12:00am)
Author: Wasim Rahman '02 By now, most of us know what is happening with American Muslims and Arabs. As a Muslim, I've found that most members of our community were very worried about my safety and understood my anxiety before I flew home this December. They were sympathetic to my worries about profiling and openly condemned it. I was so nervous about being taken off a flight for being South Asian or having a Muslim name that I shaved my beard and had the College issue a letter to me, stating I was a student in goodstanding here. I did not want any trouble and thankfully, I had a very pleasant flight home. I even had a Muslim meal on my flight, prepared according to Islamic law.Almost all of us have heard of the dramatic rise in hate crimes against the Muslim and Arab communities in the United States. These crimes have ranged from setting an Iraqi-owned pizza parlor ablaze (Boston), stabbing a Saudi international student (Boston), driving a car into an Ohio mosque or chasing veiled Muslim women down the street (New York, Toronto and Los Angeles). As with profiling, we are quick to openly condemn these crimes. We are willing to speak against them, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.Yet there is another more serious problem brewing in our justice system. Unlike hate crimes, which are clearly wrong and detestable, there is another more serious type of crime being committed by our government. Under the pretense of combating the war against terror, our government has been systematically questioning and imprisoning Arabs and Muslims. Often they are trying to immigrate to the United States from Muslim countries. Some have committed minor immigration violations and others we know nothing about.For instance, two weeks ago, the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of two local newspapers and Representative Conyers (D-MI) against the Immigration and Naturalization Service and Department of Justice. A memo issued by Chief Immigration Judge Michael Creppy last September requires the closure of all deportation hearings to the public and press at the discretion of the Justice Department. In specific, the Michigan ACLU filed a lawsuit with the case of Rabih Haddad in mind. Haddad was imprisoned because he traveled on an expired visa, but is now being accused of co-founding an Islamic charity in Michigan that supports terrorism. The charity, Global Relief Foundation, is the largest Muslim charity in the United States. At present, Haddad is in jail, and his deportation proceedings are being held in secret. Sadly, our government condones such a gross violation of civil liberties and does so in the name of combating terrorism. I question our government officials: What threat does Haddad, an elderly man who has spent much of his life working on feeding refugees in places like Afghanistan, Palestine and Bosnia, pose to our government? If his charity is in fact guilty of supporting terrorism, then why not allow him a free and open trial? Secret trials are the sign of a government that must not be trusted. In the words of the Executive Director of the ACLU of the state of Michigan, "If hearings of this nature are being conducted in secret, how can we be sure that our justice system is really working and that detainees are being treated fairly?"Simultaneously, the ACLU is coming to the aid of Muslims and Arabs in New Jersey. Roughly 500 men have been imprisoned in that state and civil rights advocacy groups have been denied their legal right to know who has been incarcerated. Most have been reportedly imprisoned on immigration charges. According to the ACLU of New Jersey, there is a very clear state law expressed in three different statutes that requires jails to make public the names of those who are being incarcerated. Many students here at Middlebury are from New Jersey, and I suspect that some of them come from Hudson and Passaic counties. Both these counties are facing a lawsuit by the ACLU for not releasing names of those incarcerated. I strongly encourage my peers from these counties to contact their representatives and insist that the names be released. Just as we, as a community, condemn hate crimes and profiling, so too must we condemn secrecy of our government when it comes to trials and prisons. According to an article in The New York Times on Jan. 23, 2002 entitled "Rights Groups Press for Names of Muslims Held in New Jersey," the government responded to repeated requests under the Freedom of Information Act by releasing a list of 723 men who had been incarcerated on immigration violations. However, the names and locations of those in jail had been blacked out entirely. According to the article, "what was left was the detainee's nationality, date of arrest, legal charge and date of charging document. In more than a dozen cases, the documents showed a lag of more than a month between the arrest and the filing of charges." The article went on to describe the Catch-22 our government has created for the civil rights advocacy groups. They are allowed to visit those who have been incarcerated, yet the Department of Justice refuses to tell them where these men are and what their names are. My point by sharing this information with all of you is that we should be aware of the gross infringement of civil liberties by our government. We should know how the Department of Justice is treating some of the most vulnerable members of our community. If Rabih Haddad and the men in New Jersey are terrorists, I am glad that the government has caught them. However, they have the right to have a free and fair trial. As Americans, we deserve to know who has been placed in our jails and why. What is happening today is un-American and simply wrong. As citizens of the freest country in the world, we should question our government when it takes the freedoms of our community members away. Our government should not be allowed to do whatever it wants in the name of a war against terror. It must be held accountable for the decisions it makes.I beg the rest of our community to share this information with others you know and write your representatives. Insist on a free, open and fair society. Speak up for your Muslim and Arab neighbors.
(02/13/02 12:00am)
Author: Megan MichelsonLocal News Editor Kelly Clark, 18, of West Dover, Vt., was the first American to win a gold medal at the 19th Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah in the women's halfpipe snowboard competition. The event was held on Sunday, Feb. 10. Clark's performance dominated the competition, bringing hometown pride to residents living near the Mt. Snow ski area, Clark's home mountain, as well as national pride across the United States for the first American victory. Clark earned a nearly perfect score of 47.9 out of 50, beating out silver medallist Doriane Vidal of France who had a score of 43.0 on the 426-foot long halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort. The halfpipe event attracted a sold-out crowd of 16,500 people, including many of Clark's family members and close friends. As the youngest competitor of the day, Clark impressed judges with her third and final dynamic run that included big air and solid landings on all seven hits. Her winning run culminated in a maneuver called a McTwist, which is a 540-degree inverted flip, followed by a frontside 720, which is a 720-degree spin. Clark was also the highest rider over the lip of the halfpipe, reaching heights, or amplitudes, of up to six feet. Two judges scored riders for overall impression and three additional judges rated rotations, amplitude and tricks. Of the 23 women competing in Sunday's event, Clark was one of three Americans, including Tricia Brynes and Shannon Dunn. The Guns N' Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle" played over the loudspeaker during Clark's run, which was her musical selection. But the young athlete chose to listen to Blink 182 on her minidisc headphones as she jumped and tricked her way to the gold. A rock band played during breaks of the snowboard competition and spectators danced and shouted, some with "U.S.A." painted on their chests. Clark began snowboarding in fourth grade and started her own snowboarding club after losing interest in ski racing, which she had done for several years at Mt. Snow. She graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 2001 and has deferred admission to the University of Rhode Island. Her greatest snowboarding accomplishments prior to winning gold at the Olympics include winning medals in three World Cup competitions earlier this season and placing first in the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix last year. Clark's parents own a restaurant called T.C.'s Tavern in West Dover, where they offered free drinks on Sunday night in celebration of Clark's victory.Clark spent the better part of her younger life at Mt. Snow and the Mt. Snow Academy, and she is well known by several Middlebury students from that area for her ex-ski racing career and her gold medal worthy snowboarding. Tyne Pike-Sprenger '05 used to ski race with Clark up until age 12, when Clark switched over to snowboarding. "Even when we were ski racing, she was always practicing snowboarding," explained Pike-Sprenger. However, when Mt. Snow established a snowboard program, Clark was eager to join. "When she started snowboarding, she was doing it just for fun," said Pike-Sprenger, who was not surprised when Clark eventually dedicated all of her time and energy to competitive snowboarding, which was obviously her prefered sport. "She had a great season last year, and I know she was pysched about that,"said Pike-Sprenger. Another Vermonter also earned a gold medal at the Games. Ross Powers of South Londonderry dominated the men's halfpipe snowboarding event on Feb. 12.
(02/13/02 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] 24Recipes tried before the Samual Adams Beer Company settled on the right combination of ingredients for their new reduced calorie light beer, which was taste tested and approved in six cities in the United States, including Burlington, Vt. $3,000Estimated retail price of the new Segway Company electric scooter, which was introduced to the Vermont State House last week in a national attempt to have the device approved by state legislatures to sell for sidewalk use. The scooter includes a standing platform and a t-shaped handlebar that turns by gripping the bar. The Legislature will decide upon the safety of the scooter after an inspection by the Department of Motor Vehicles. 10Percent of the staff at the state's Environmental Conservation Department that had to be cut or vacated due to accounting errors and state and federal budget shortfalls. The department, which oversees programs that protect water quality and monitor air pollution, wastewater and hazardous waste, was forced to cut seven employees and leave 17 more positions vacant. 50,000Number of people who applied for one of 16 positions on the next CBS survivor show, "Survivor: Marquesas," which premiers Feb. 28. One of those accepted includes 47-year-old Kathy Vavrick-O'Brian, a Burlington real estate agent, who will compete to be the sole survivor and winner of $1 million on the South Pacific Island of Nuku Hiva. 47Number of Shoreham, Vt., residents who signed a petition to encourage the state Legislature to prohibit teachers at state schools from encouraging, promoting or sanctioning homosexuality. The petition was circulated following the Shoreham selectboard's decision to not include a request to add a referendum item of the same prohibition at the town's meeting. The selectboard voted 4-1 not to honor the petition.12,500 Acres of wildlife reserve in the Northeast Kingdom that will be protected from logging after a close and controversial decision in the Senate. Vermont Republican Senator Robert Ide favored the desire to permit logging in a claim that appropriate amounts of logging keep forests healthier, whereas Democratic Senator Virginia Lyons supported conservation over logging and insisted that proper measures will be taken to keep the forest healthy. 54Years since the skeleton competition, an athletic event in which an athlete rides face down on a three-foot long and one-foot wide sled with no brakes and no steering control, has appeared in the Olympics Games. The sport returns to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics with the help of four Vermonters who struggled to regain the international awareness of the sport. The men and women's skeleton races will take place on Feb. 20. Statistics courtesy of The Burlington Free Press and The Rutland Herald. Compiled by the Local News editor.
(02/13/02 12:00am)
Author: Shannon EGan The men's and women's swimming and diving teams kept busy over break with a pair of home meets, including a dual meet vs. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Middlebury Invitational. The teams topped M.I.T. with a score of 169-119 for the men and 167-128 for the women. In the exhibition-based Middlebury Invitational, which included University of Vermont, St. Michael's College and Norwich College, Middlebury dominated the field with season best performances all around.Double winners helping Middlebury secure the victory against M.I.T. on the men's side included Jason Korsmeyer '05 and captains Grayson Stuntz '02 and Derek Chicarilli '02. Korsmeyer took the 200-yard freestyle in 1:49.99 and the 100 freestyle in 49.37. Stuntz captured the 100 backstroke in a time of 55.93 and the 100 fly in a time of 53.52. Finally, Chicarilli, never ceasing to amaze the judges, captured both the one and three meter diving events.The Panthers began the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay. The team included Scott Strickler '02, Mike Malloy '02, Stuntz and David Hawkins '05. Winners of single events for the men included first-year Brian Costa who took the 50 freestyle in 22.97, Andrew Sterling '03 who won the 500 freestyle in a season-best time of 4:54.39, Malloy who took the 200 breaststroke in 2:21.62 and finally co-captain Strickler, winning the 200 backstroke in 2:02.58. On the women's side, double winners included sophomores Lizzy Dewitt and Sarah Groff, and first-year diver Tessa Truex. DeWitt took first in the 100 and 200 backstroke events, with times of 1:00.58 and 2:10.59, respectively. Groff took both the 200 freestyle in 1:58.67 and the 500 freestyle in 5:15.72. Truex won both the one and three meter diving events like her male counterpart Chicarilli. Single winners included Kate Miller '05 in the 400 medley with a time of 4:44.11, Martha Goebel '04 in the 50 freestyle and Mandy Smeal '02 in the 100 fly with a time of 1:01.23. Ending the impressive dual meet season, the men came out with a 6-4 record while the women finished 7-3 overall. Last Saturday, the Panthers hosted the Middlebury Invitational, which turned out to be a Vermont State Swimming and Diving Championship Meet, the first in decades according to Coach Peter Solomon. While Norwich and St. Michael's have attended this meet regularly, this was the first year UVM was in attendance, creating a new and exciting atmosphere. Although the meet saw two pool records broken, and both season and career best times all around, it was a bittersweet environment. For the seniors, it was the last meet in the home pool and for approximately 15 swimmers and divers it was the last meet of the season. For seniors Meghan Dwyer and Ryan Garrity, Saturday's meet marked the end of their careers. Garrity saw nearly 30 second drops in his distance races, and Dwyer clocked in at her lifetime best in the 200 breaststroke, her favorite event. Over four years, these two have been such an integral part of the team due to their positive attitudes and support. Solomon could not have been more pleased with their performances, and reiterated how much the entire team will miss them. Their careers ended on perfect notes. Solomon eagerly awaits the NESCAC championships, which will begin for the women on Feb. 22 and the men on the Feb. 29. "The best is yet to come," Solomon said.
(01/30/02 12:00am)
Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee "We did not save the world," said Brittany Gill '02. Yet 15 Middlebury College students joined about 2,500 protesters from around the world in November 2001 on the streets of Ottawa, Canada. They marched, chanted and even danced for global causes like social justice and environmental responsibility. The target of their discontent included international economic institutions like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Group of 20 (G20). This latter group is composed of the Group of 7 (G7) most industrialized nations, Russia and a geographically diverse selection of 12 other "systemically important countries," as stated by the G7 in 1999, such as Argentina, China and Saudi Arabia.From November 16 to 18, protesters joined the 2001 summit of economic policy makers from G20, the IMF's International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) and the World Bank's Development Committee (DC). Protesters and conference attendees were separated by the building's concrete walls as well as the more active wall of Ottawa police, German shepherds, tear gas guns and cold water blasts. "We didn't stop the meetings," continued Gill. "We didn't talk to any of the representatives. We didn't even get into the building." Many things did not happen at the Canadian capital last November. But last Monday in Bicentennial Hall 220, some students shared what they were able to accomplishWhat drove them to Ottawa?Allison Barker '04, president of The Progressives, asserted that such institutions as the World Bank and the IMF are "financially motivated" and "undemocratic." She cited the appointed — not elected — delegates, the "vague" meeting minutes which do not contain specific speeches and the absence of videotaping in conference rooms. "This lack of transparency does not make [the representatives] responsible to us," she said. Accompanying World Bank or IMF loans to needy nations are Structural Adjustment Plans (SAPs). "They basically tell governments how to run their countries," continued Barker. "[SAPs] take away the individuality of each country. They promote only economic growth, ignore environmental and social impacts [and] cause countries to cut social spending." "[Loans and development projects] provide minimal benefits to the host country," Barker added. "The social and environmental costs are high. And countries end up paying off only interest, not their debts."Barker organized Middlebury students to protest at Ottawa because "there were so many people who could not be there." She explained, "Most people who are [adversely] affected live in impoverished areas, mostly in third-world countries, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. These meetings take place in industrial countries, in the Northern Hemisphere, where people are not affected."If they did not save the world,what did protesters do?Between the motivational speeches and marches around Ottawa, "we created solidarity among the people that came, built networks and raised awareness," said Gill. In addition to Middlebury students, numerous other schools and activist organizations attended the streets outside the G20, IMFC and DC meetings. In comparison to the over 50,000 crowd at Quebec City earlier in 2001, the Ottawa protest was small. This was due to the last minute announcement after Sept. 11, moving the meeting's location from New York City to Ottawa. Organizers of the protest had three weeks to prepare.Still, the list included students from University of Vermont, Carleton College and University of Ottawa. A nonprofit group called Food Not Bombs fed the protesters. There was also a group providing free legal service. Barker noted a man from Bolivia, who went to protest the privatization of water in his village. "Suddenly, you go from a group of 15 Middlebury students to a group of a few thousand people," added Barker. "It just fuels your passion.""We built a trust with each other," said Gill. "We realized we were here for the same purpose, for social justice."Between police barricades, protesters marched with signs, wrote on sidewalks with chalk and sang slogans like "We're not violent, how about you?" and "Revolution will be coming."Few people acted violently at Ottawa. The police employed few of their weapons. In comparison to previous demonstrations in Seattle and Quebec City, the 50 confirmed arrests in November 2001 rated the Ottawa event rather peaceful. Among the 50 arrested, one was a Middlebury student, who wished to remain anonymous. The student was detained "under investigation" for almost 16 hours in the basement of a courtroom without means of communication. According to the student, the police asked "Where are you from?" The student answered Vermont, and the police said, "Oh, an American! You're coming with us." The student was released at 4:30 a.m. the next morning with no charges. "It was obviously an attempt to diminish the number of protesters," this student commented."[The student] was unjustly detained, arrested for being a 'potential troublemaker'," said Gill. "That strengthened my reason for having gone." Two months later, what did they achieve?"After being anti-this, anti-that, it was nice to gather positive ideas," said Barker. "We [protesters] bounced ideas off each other, and we agreed that we wanted a movement based on grassroots [support], local people in control of local resources. And our basic goals are decent wages, healthcare and respect for the environment."Barker acknowledged that these goals are "definitely idealistic." However, she noted that "they are value goals, not concrete goals. From that, we need to make more concrete steps. I don't think what we've been doing was for nothing.""Making the World Bank and IMF more transparent, this is an incredibly laudable goal," said Assistant Professor of Economics Jon Isham. He compared these non-violent protests to those of the Civil Rights movement and called them both "very heroic" and "steps in the right direction." However, from Isham's three-year experience working with the World Bank, he commented that the employees of such institutions are "as dedicated to saving lives and lessening poverty as the protesters." He joined the World Bank after being in the Peace Corps and obtaining a masters degree in social change and development.While backing the protesters' fight to push such institutions to achieve higher ideals, Isham noted that the World Bank has made significant improvement in making its institution more transparent. He made reference to the World Bank office and library, which are open to the public, and project documents, some of which are, for the first time, obtainable and free. "Whether it can go far enough is the question," he said.Reform...from without or within? About a month after attending the Ottawa protest, Matt Longo '04.5 wrote a letter to Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) about the Fast Track Trade Authority Bill H.R. 3005. This bill sends presidential trade negotiations to Congress without the possibility of amendments. Consequently, room for negotiation is limited. Barker notes the difficulty of placing social and environmental provisions on such international trade agreements."This allows multinational corporations and organizations like the IMF and World Bank to exploit resources in developing countries," said Longo. "If trade laws don't make businesses accountable for their actions, ultimately the powerless will be harmed the most."Sanders replied to Longo's letter in an e-mail explaining his vote against the bill. The Fast Track Bill passed in the House, however, by a vote of 215-214."Both
protesters and politicians like Sanders are fighting for the same cause," continued Longo. "People probably take Sanders more seriously than protesters; this is my way of supporting the cause. I can't make any bills, but I can talk to people, let them know that things need to be changed."Just as the power to influence the Fast Track Bill lies within congressmen's hands, World Bank reforms can only arise from World Bank employee initiatives. "I think that change won't happen unless it's from within the system," said Gill. Isham noted two other institutions with the power to reform international economic institutions like the World Bank and the IMF: national governments and the press. "We assume that these governments, the receiver of loans, care," said Isham. "But it's true in the United States too. We have our own version of political corruption.""The press is also accountable," added Isham. "Why aren't we hearing more about the lack of education, lack of literacy around the world? It's true that people want to hear about Gary Condit. But 1.5 billion people live on two dollars a day or less. That to me seems to be news."Gill mentioned a newspaper article covering the Ottawa protest, which attributed the small crowd of protesters to "cold weather." She said, "It wasn't about cold weather. There was not enough time to plan for a protest, especially one of this magnitude." Nevertheless, Gill is optimistic about their influence last November as protesters. Perhaps that is why approximately 10 Middlebury students are driving to New York City this weekend to protest against the World Economic Forum. "[The delegates] could hear us through the building," said Gill. "They could see us in the newspapers, whether it's fair or biased coverage. They do have to be careful where they step."
(01/30/02 12:00am)
Author: David Lindholm Junior Kristin Hanley has become the eighth player in Middlebury College basketball history to surpass the 1,000-point milestone. In Friday night's 57-43 loss to Bowdoin, Hanley sunk a baseline jumper that put her over the mark. Her shooting skills and strength on the boards have made Hanley only the third player in Middlebury history with over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Hanley was especially modest about her milestone, and was initially "embarrassed" when her achievement was announced over the loudspeaker to the crowd in Pepin Gymnasium. "I feel good about [the achievement]," she said. "It's a pretty cool accomplishment."Despite her point-scoring totals, Hanley has noticed a huge difference in the way she is defended by opposing teams this year. "It's much harder to score," she says, as every team knows to look out for her. But Hanley's unselfish play when being double and triple-teamed has freed up teammates and is certainly a part of the team's 13-4 record. Only two-thirds of the way through the season, Hanley is certain to continue to rake in the points in a very sucessful Panther season. The veteran has another year to add to her account and is looking to add a title to her resume.
(01/30/02 12:00am)
Author: SHannon Egan Last weekend the swimmers and divers took on both Union and Dartmouth colleges in an exciting pair of home meets. Both teams powered through and defeated Union, but Middlebury fell to Dartmouth on Sunday. Against Union, the women dominated the meet, ending in a score of 219-78. The meet got off to a great start when Middlebury took first through third places in the 200-yard medley relay, the first event. The team of Lizzy Dewitt '04, Kelly Quinn '05, Mandy Smeal '02 and Lauren King '05 took first in a time of 1:53.90. The others were not far behind.Perhaps the most exciting swim of the meet was the 1650-yard freestyle, where Kellianne Egan '04 and Sarah Groff '04 took first and second, with NCAA "B" qualifying times of 17:50.42 and 17:53.67, respectively. Egan, Dewitt and Smeal each had two wins. Egan's second win was in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:18.68. Smeal also took first in the 100-yard fly with a time of 1:00.96 as well as the 50-yard fly, with a time of 27.76. Dewitt was first in the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.68) and the 100-yard freestyle (54.67). The men's team saw incredible performances as well, including three pool records and NCAA qualifying standards. The team also dominated Union, finishing with a score of 182-116. The Panthers were led by Scott Strickler '02, who had three individual wins. He took the 50-yard backstroke in 25.60, the 100-yard backstroke in 54.09 and the 100-yard medley in a pool record of 55.26. Also helping the Panthers with two wins each were Grayson Stuntz '02 and Mike Malloy '02. Stuntz took the 100-yard fly and 50-yard fly with times of 53.01 and 23.89, respectively. His time in the 50-yard fly was also a new pool record. Malloy's pair of wins were in the 50 and 100-yard breaststroke with times of 28.93 and 103.12. For the divers, senior captain Derek Chicarilli took first on both the one and three-meter boards. Both he and Blake Lyons '05 qualified for NCAAs on the one-meter board. On Sunday, the Panthers fell to Dartmouth with scores of 126-114 for the women and 124-106 for the men. While swimming and diving against a Division I team is quite challenging, the team handled the pressure well and saw strong performances all around. On the women's side, the sole double winner was first-year Leigh Taylor, who took the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:32.22 and the 500-yard freestyle in 5:13.10. Also notable was first-year Kate Miller's first NCAA "B" cut, which was in the 400-yard medley. She took second in a time of 4:42.93. The men were once again led by Chicarilli, who took first in the one and three-meter diving events. He earned an NCAA qualifying standard on both boards, and first-year Lyons repeated him NCAA qualifying performance on the one meter. Saturday, the swimmers and divers fell to Williams in another exciting meet. Going up against the strongest team in the New Egland Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), they hoped for strong performances, and saw just that. The results were far from disappointing.The men's team saw especially impressive performances. In an extremely close first relay, the team of Strickler, Malloy, Stuntz and David Hawkins '05 took first in a time of 1:37.90. Hawkins also took first in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.14. Other first place finishes were seen by co-captain Strickler in the 100-yard backstroke (54.12) and co-captain Stuntz in the 100-yard fly (53.36). The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Hawkins, Strickler, Brian Costa '05 and Jason Korsmeyer '05 also finished first in a close race with a time of 1:28.25. On the women's side, both Miller and Egan improved upon their NCAA "B" cuts from last weekend. Dewitt helped the Panthers with three second-place finishes as did Taylor with two second-place finishes. Dewitt finished second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:00.55), the 50-yard freestyle (25.39) and the 100-yard free (54.42). Taylor was second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.18) and the 500-yard free (5:11.67). Despite two losses added to each record, Head Coach Peter Solomon is excited about the results of each meet and confident in his outlook on the remainder of the season. With NESCAC championships only four weeks away, the team is in a better position than expected to have an amazing end to the season.
(01/30/02 12:00am)
Author: Emily Berlanstein The Panther women's basketball team continued its roller coaster ride of a season with a loss to Bowdoin and a win over Colby last week, prefaced by a win at Amherst and a loss at Trinity the previous week. However, a landmark event, Kristin Hanley's '03 1,000 point, has seemed to spark the Panthers as they head into a hectic part of the schedule, with three upcoming games. Hanley is the eighth player in school history to accomplish this feat and only the third to accumulate over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Riding on Hanley's personal achievement, the Panthers' determination and perseverance earned them the win in a nail-biter against Colby College last Saturday. Throughout the first half, the lead fluctuated frequently as the teams combined for 22 turnovers. Late in the second half however, the Panthers sealed the win with 2:39 remaining as Hanley and Jena Siegel '04 each hit key three-pointers, followed by a lay-up that gave Middlebury a confidence boosting seven-point spread. Alexis Hollinger '05 and Megan McCosker '02 led the team with 12 points each, but the victory was "a true team effort and an exhibition of what it means to want the game more than your opponent does," commented Karen Lee '05. The day before the Panthers did not fare as well. Despite a strong second half effort, Middlebury fell to Bowdoin, 57-43. The Polar Bears, at 15-0, are ranked second in the nation in the most recent Division III Hoops Online (www.hoopsonline.com) poll. They are off to the best start in school history and have routed other top New England opponents, such as Bates and Williams. In only its fourth loss of the season the Panthers certainly gave Bowdoin a run for its money, particularly in the second half, where it outscored the Polar Bears 28-22. Bowdoin opened the game shooting over 59 percent and holding the Panthers to just 19 percent and 15 points. Although Bowdoin appeared neither tall nor extremely athletic, its ability to execute plays and read one another was remarkable. The Middlebury defense seemed befuddled by their backdoor cuts and effective post passing game. In the second half, the Panthers finally adjusted to the Bowdoin offense, but it was too late as time ran down. No Middlebury player reached double figures, but Alexis Batten '04 led the team with nine points. For the Polar Bears, Lora Trenkle had 14 points and Kristi Royer added 12 points and 10 rebounds. One week earlier, the Panthers were on the other side of the fence as it handed Amherst its fourth straight loss. The Panthers shot 48 percent from the field and controlled the boards (42-30) en route to a 73-60 win. Batten and Hanley each scored 22, and McCosker nearly earned a triple-double with 11 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds including four steals. Behind an 11-4 run, the Lord Jeffs were leading early on, but, about a minute into the second half, McCosker put the Panthers ahead. The lead fluctuated for some time, until Hanley tipped in a missed shot and ignited a 12-3 run. At that point, the Lord Jeffs simply could not keep up with the Panther momentum. The Panthers' weekend was one of inconsistencies, as it fell to Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., a day before defeating Amherst. The game was back and forth once again, but with three minutes remaining Trinity hit a crucial three-pointer, which began a run during which two Bantams hit five out of six free throws to ice the win. Middlebury was lead by Batten, who obtained a double-double with 18 points and 12 boards. Hanley also contributed 11 points and six rebounds, and McCosker added seven assists. Feeling confident behind wins over Colby and Amherst, the Panthers are eager to face more New England Small College Athletic Conference foes this week. This weekend they will travel to Connecticut College and Wesleyan University. With 1,000 points now under her belt, Hanley's confidence should lead the way for Middlebury as it work to learn from its mistakes and gain motivation from its victories. On Tuesday night the Panthers continued their winning ways with a 68-62 victory over Colby-Sawyer College. The win was great for the Panthers, as they defeated a fired-up Chargers squad who were looking to get back on track following a tough overtime loss on Saturday to Salve Regina, before which they had won five straight games. With the win, Middlebury improved their record to a stellar 13-4, and will look to take wins from many of their upcoming NESCAC foes; facing conference foes in five of the next six games.
(01/30/02 12:00am)
Author: Gale Berninghausen At the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on Sunday, the Comprehensive Fee Committee issued a preliminary recommendation to set next year's comprehensive fee at approximately $36,000.Committee members were appointed by SGA President Brian Elworthy '02.5 to formulate a recommendation for next year's comprehensive fee, and to provide a student voice in the College's annual budgeting process. The committee, headed by SGA Finance Committee Chair Kaia Laursen '02, is comprised of four other students, including Ivan Hernandez '04, Andrew Martel '04, Martin Wesolowski '03 and Christopher White '02.On Feb. 15 the Comprehensive Fee Committee will meet with the Middlebury College Board of Trustees to present its recommendation of a 5 percent increase in next year's fee. Committee members warned that the Trustees might opt for an even larger tuition hike.The comprehensive fee for 2001-2002 academic year stands at $34,300 — a 5.4 percent increase over the previous year's fee of $32,765. Last year the Comprehensive Fee Committee had recommended a 5.5 percent increase, which was $260 more than the figure that the Trustees ultimately accepted. The committee stressed that their current recommendation for a 5 percent increase in the fee is preliminary and takes into account the many factors that influence the College's income.In response to questions about why the fee has to increase at all, given Williams College's decision to freeze tuition in recent years, the committee cited several reasons. The College endowment is worth approximately $700 million, and typically no more than 5 percent of that sum should be used to fund College operations.However, due to the recession, endowment value declined by $90 million between June 30, 1999 and Sept. 30, 2001. The comprehensive fee, therefore, must be enlarged to compensate, the committee explained. In the past, such as ten years ago in 1992, the comprehensive fee rose by 8 percent, but then increases leveled out at about 4 percent annually until 2000. With the suggested $36,000 comprehensive fee for 2002-2003, $32.6 million — 7.5 percent of the endowment — would be transferred into the operating budget of the College. The College's annual budget is $125 million. Sixty percent of this is used for the salaries, wages and benefits of faculty and staff and about $44,000 is spent to educate each Middlebury student. The income generated by the College through the comprehensive fee — approximately $90 million — is supplemented by the endowment revenue and other sources, such as the Snow Bowl and College Bookstore. In determining the comprehensive fee, institutions of higher education such as Middlebury use the Higher Education Index, which almost always outpaces growth in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the standard measure of inflation. Last year the Higher Education Index increased by 3.8 percent, while the CPI rose just 2.5 percent.The recommended 5 percent increase in the comprehensive fee reflects the fact that the College, like other institutions, uses materials of great cost. Martel remarked that in regard to Middlebury's comprehensive fee "we're in the middle of our peer institutions."The gift portion of College financial aid packages is also set to increase by $500, reducing the amount of loans students will have to take out.According to the committee, the 37 percent of the student body that receives financial aid will see no rise in their expected contribution."It was quite a difficult year to create a balanced budget because of the economic recession and the College's endowment," Martel commented. "It was an informative, educational experience [with] student input," he went on to explain. "I applaud Middlebury for having a committee like this. [Most] schools don't," Laursen concluded by saying.
(01/16/02 12:00am)
Author: Megan Michelson Local News Editor 11Number of years of debate it took for the Vermont legislature to finally pass a resolution to advise Congress to amend the language of the U.S. Constitution to ban the desecration of the American flag, an issue that has resurfaced following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks..7Fraction of a degree warmer the average temperature in Burlington is now than the average temperature was in the 1960s, according to the National Weather Service's recently redefined statistics on normal temperatures.214 Number of refugees who arrived in Vermont through the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program during the last 12 months from countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Congo, Sudan and Vietnam.40,000 Tons of salt used in an average winter by the Vermont Transportation Agency in order to keep roads clear and safe for driving.40 Hours spent by a lost Rhode Island man in the wilderness area near Jay Peak Ski Area after veering off the trail during a day of skiing on Jan. 5. He was found by a Vermont State Police Trooper, who was one of 100 troopers, ski patrol and volunteers searching for the man.$500,000Amount of federal funds needed to implement a proposed windmill grant that will produce a wind energy source that is cheaper and cleaner than other forms of energy; the first of such windmills is planned to be located atop a peak at Killington Ski Resort.Statistics courtesy of The Addison Independent, The Burlington Free Press and The Rutland Herald.
(01/16/02 12:00am)
Author: Dan RussellStaff Writer The Middlebury College men's basketball team returned from their break with renewed enthusiasm, as they resumed practice on Dec. 30 in preparation for a grueling winter term schedule, consisting of seven games over the course of 13 days. The new year began on a somber note for the Panthers, however, as they were forced to cope with the unfortunate loss of influential senior forward/center Chris King for the rest of the season to an ankle sprain. As one of Middlebury's co-captains and its lone senior, his quiet but strong presence and veteran leadership proved invaluable in helping the youthful Panthers adjust to their new roles and the rigors of Division III basketball. His loss is perhaps all the more saddening in that this season was to be, in many ways, his first full season, having waiting patiently as an understudy to a team which graduated nine seniors last year, and finally getting the chance to assume his role as a starter. He made his presence felt immediately, showing enormous potential and flashes of brilliant play.The Panthers proved their resiliency, however, as they banded together to face their first true test of the new year against Springfield College (Mass.) on Jan. 6. It was a tightly contested match from the very beginning with the lead changing hands several times throughout the first half. Middlebury was able to hold Springfield (9-1), and its All-American Michael Parker in check with a trapping press defense and entered halftime with a 34-31 lead. Springfield regained the lead in the second half, leading at one point by as many as nine. The Panthers promptly responded with an 8-0 run of their own, cutting the lead to one with 9:27 left in the game. Eric Bundonis '03, the lone remaining upperclassman, turned in a very strong performance, leading all scorers with 17 points and six rebounds, aided by the play of point guard Koby Altman '04 (10 points, 4 assists.) The game also saw the emergence of Michael Salek '05 who, in an offensive explosion, scored 12 points in the space of 12 minutes of play, including a barrage of 3-pointers - 3-of-6 from behind the arc. In a thrilling series, with Springfield up by three with only two minutes left to play in the second half, Salek showed incredible poise by hitting a clutch three pointer to tie the game. Springfield was then unable to score on their last possession, sending the game into overtime. Springfield's experience gave them the advantage in overtime however, as they made 12 of their 13 foul shots, and gradually edged out Middlebury. In a valiant effort, with Springfield ahead by three, Salek hit another three-pointer to tie the game. Yet Springfield was able to score inside on the next series and Middlebury was unable to answer on the other end, as Bundonis' shot went wide. Middlebury was then forced to foul, and Springfield converted their last four free throws, finally winning 81-74. It was a good test of the Panthers' mettle against a very good Springfield team and is an encouraging sign of things to come. The team achieved some measure of redemption against Norwich University following the tough Springfield loss. The game was never really in doubt as the Panthers led from the start and shot 5-10 from behind the three-point line while holding the Cadets to only 36 percent shooting in the first half (as well as out-rebounding them 46-35 in the game); going into halftime leading 33-26. In the second half, they went on a 16-4 run to pull away eventually winning 64-48. Bundonis turned in another find performance with 18 points on 8-15 shooting as well as hauling down four rebounds, and Nate Anderson '04 and David Coratti '04, chipped in with nine and seven points, respectively. The Panthers then traveled to Keene State (9-1), and played perhaps their best game of the season in another fiercely competitive matchup. The Panthers guarded a one-point lead 37-36 at halftime, and led by as many as eight points with 14:59 left to play in the second half on a three-pointer by freshman Adam Sinoway '05 who had 10 points on 2-6 from behind the arc. The Owls gradually fought their way back into the game and regained the lead however, and pulled away for good in the last eight minutes on a flurry of three-pointers and second-chance shots, eventually winning 88-73. The loss of King was perhaps most keenly felt in this match as the Owls exploited the Panthers' weakness inside, out-rebounding them on the offensive boards 23-8. Anderson led the Panthers with a team-high 19 points. The Panthers then returned to Pepin Gymnasium and beat Castleton State handily 80-61, finishing with a 6-6 record overall. The game against Keene State, one of their stronger opponents this season, was an excellent gauge of their ability. The Panthers begin New England Small College Athletic Conference play against Trinity this Friday and then against Amherst the following day, both at home. The Panther's played a late game on Tuesday, Jan. 15 in which they beat Union at home in the newly renovated Pepin Gymnasium. With the 64-58 victory the men's team now moves above .500 sporting a 7-6 record.
(01/16/02 12:00am)
Author: David LindholmSports Editor The Panther swimming and diving teams had a split weekend, as the women cruised by Hamilton by a score of 161-82, whereas the men's team fell in a close decision, 127-110.Many strong individual performances highlighted the day for the women. Sophomore Lizzy DeWitt finished in first place in the 200 back in a time of 2:11.05, earning her an NCAA B cut. Fellow sophomore Kellianne Egan clocked in at 10:49.04 in the 1000 free, a time which was good enough for first place. Winning the 200 free was sophomore Sarah Groff in 1:57.50 while one of the team's many strong first-year swimmers, Lauren King, took first in the 50 free with a time of 25.53. The day turned out to be dominated by first-years, as other winners for the women included Kate Miller '05, the victor in the 200 yard IM in 2:13.22, Leigh Bayer '05, who won the 200 fly in 2:14.83 and Leigh Taylor '05 in the 500 free with a time of 5:13.08. First-year diver Tessa Truex took first place in one and three meter diving. The women also took first place in the 400 free relay.On the men's side, senior Derek Chicarilli continued to lead the way for the team, winning both the one and three meter diving competition. Chicarilli, along with first-year diver Blake Lyons, earned an NCAA B cut in the one-meter diving. Senior Grayson Stuntz took first place in the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.31, while Robert Norman '05 won the 200 fly in 2:02.28. The men also took first place in the 400-medley relay.The teams now set their sights on next weekend, as teams from Union will arrive on Saturday, and Dartmouth on Sunday. The women, with a record of 5-1, hope to keep their distance on the 4-2 men.
(01/16/02 12:00am)
Author: Lindsey Whitton Features Editor Skiing is the major source of winter tourism in Vermont and one of the largest industries in the state. With over 20 alpine ski resorts, about 50 nordic ski centers, 4,500 skiable acres, 900 trails and 150 lifts, Vermont is the prime destination for eastern United States skiing. Vermonters have been very successful in competitive winter sports. Vermonter Bill Koch is the only American Olympic gold medal winner in nordic skiing. Vermont is the native state of incredible alpine skiers such as Betsy Snite, Andrea Meade, Suzy Chaffee, Billy Kidd and members of the Cochrane family. Ross Powers, a snowboarder from Stratton, VT recently won the bronze medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics, which was the first Olympics to include snowboarding.It all started in 1934 when a group of Vermonters attached a long loop of rope to the engine of a Model T Ford and created a ski tow that pulled skiers up Gilbert's Hill, outside of Woodstock, Vt. This was the first lift in the United States, and suddenly new industry was created centered around the first commercial ski areas: Suicide Six, Bromley, Mad River Glen and Mount Mansfield. Soon New Yorkers were taking the "ski train" to Vermont, and winter tourism took off. Skiing became increasing popular across the country, although Vermont remained the primary ski state. Stowe soon had both the longest ski lift in the world, and the United States' first ski school. Vermonters also developed many of the innovations that made skiing more accessible and enjoyable. It was in the Green Mountains that the next snow sport was developed and perfected in the 1970s. "Snow surfing" involved riding a single board with a rope tied onto the tip. In 1982, Vermonter Paul Graves organized the world's first snowboarding championship at the ski area Suicide Six, again near Woodstock. One of the competitors involved in this event was Jake Burton Carpenter from Stratton, VT, now the founder of the largest snowboarding company in the world. The longest cross-country ski trail in America is the 300-mile long Catamount Trail. Three Vermonters started the trail in 1984 with the aim of creating a single cross-country trail that stretches across the entire state. The Catamount trail is currently 92 percent complete.Today, skiing is a billion dollar industry that directly employs 11,000 Vermonters and indirectly employs 22,000. The President of the Vermont Ski Area Association, David Dillon, said that the ski industry is the "primary engine of the tourism market" in the Green Mountain State. In just under 70 years, skiing in Vermont has progressed from the first contrived rope tow to the enormous, luxury resorts that millions of tourists from all over the world travel to today.Statistics courtesy of www.1-800-Vermont.com
(12/05/01 12:00am)
Author: Lanford Beard For anyone who has ever been to a Riddim show, the fact is that it is not just about dance. Sure, the pumping beats, synchronized steps and flashy costumes all emphasize the troupe's gyrating bodies, but more than anything, the event's significance rests not solely in the evening's visceral and carefree experiences but also in the unity that a group of 25 students can promote on campus and beyond.Trying out for Riddim (and yes, it is "Riddim" — Jamaican patois for "rhythm") was really a fluke for me. I saw a poster, I tried out, I was in. Simple as that? Not really. In addition to the demanding rehearsal schedule that I was about to accept, I also had to move beyond my own experience — as a dancer and as a student.When Director Tessa Waddell '02 conceived the idea of Riddim in the spring of 1999, she didn't know it, but she was forming the club for people like me. She wanted to bring to the forefront the many cultures and experiences available at the College so that Riddim could "educate and diversify the campus community through diverse forms of dance from all over the world."So answer me this: Where in Vermont would I be able to dance an Afro-Caribbean gerreh if not at Middlebury with Riddim? And where else would students get to spend their Friday evenings experimenting with everything from break dancing to samba and reggae?Riddim's intention has always been to share the cultures of all its members and students with the rest of the College, and this fall's show is especially emblematic. As eight seniors — among them the three founders (Waddell, Wesley Wade and Eve-Anadel Coronado ) are graduating and several members are going abroad this spring, Friday's show isthe group's greatest culmination to date: nearly all members will be together performing on one stage.Whether we as a College are remembering those few members who cannot be with us this fall or celebrating the creativity and hard work of those who can, the show's theme, Zai Lai, is resonant for many reasons.Zai and Lai are two Chinese characters that imply connection and reunion. These particular words were suggested by troupe Activities Coordinator Morgan Jones '04, who said that to him Zai Lai means "having another great show to give something good that people have not seen before."Offering "something good," as Jones put it, encompasses an entire spectrum of meanings for Riddim members. For some, it means overcoming boundaries, "crossing all those unspoken lines and doing something because we have one sole desire — to dance," affirmed Toni Spence '04. For Edlyn Chao '03, experiencing the Riddim from one show to the next is exhilarating, "I love the feeling when everyone 'gets it,' and when we perform having the crowd love it. I want people to get pumped up and itch to dance," she said.And the beauty of Riddim, like any other family, is that there is no right or wrong in this multiplicity of meanings. With each additional meaning, the dances that we offer provide a new "channel of expression," as Chao calls it, and what Sara Stranovsky '04.5 calls a "renewal."But what about the dancing? After all, we wouldn't exist without it. For those who attend Riddim functions, the dancing is learning without $500 worth of books. All viewers need are feet, possibly some saucy hips and an open mind, and don't worry about the sauce or the Riddim, because we can provide them both. Wade himself was not the College's premiere Salsa dancer when he co-founded the club, but he commented, "I have learned an integral element of the Latin culture by knowing how to dance salsa and merengue, which I only learned here after Riddim's introduction to the campus. Being a Spanish major, it is a cultural experience. It has definitely added to my personality richly and made me more confident and open to try new things."Just as I was accepted into the troupe without expectations, so is everyone who has an interest in or respect for dance, because in the words of Coronado, we are not "exclusive. That is not what Riddim was created for."And this community to which we hope to add here at Middlebury is just the start; several troupe members expressed interest in performing at other schools, setting up an alumni program and integrating new forms of dance into our repertoire. In addition, another project in the works is an ongoing workshop connection with schools in the community to teach the kids to express and enjoy themselves through dance.With these aspirations for the future, we now look forward to the immediate future: Friday night at 8 p.m. in McCullough.
(12/05/01 12:00am)
Author: Devin Zatorski News Editor In an event designed to ignite the Olympic spirit for the 2002 Winter Games, Katie Samson '02.5 will join the 7,200 torchbearers selected to carry the Olympic Flame on a 65-day, 13,500-mile journey spanning 46 states. The route begins in Atlanta, Ga., where the torch last touched United States soil, and concludes in Salt Lake City, Utah, the venue for this year's competition. Torchbearers were chosen from a pool of more than 210,000 nominees, each of whom had an inspirational story, according to the selection committee statement. Assistant Lacrosse Coach Missy Hopkins '99 said a large group of the Middlebury women's lacrosse alumni "sisterhood" nominated Samson for the honor. In their letters of nomination, the former players related a story that began with Samson's debut season on Middlebury's women's lacrosse team in 1999, when she was varsity goalie and received recognition as the Toyota Player of the Game. "She played every minute of every game and led the team to an NCAA title," said Head Lacrosse Coach Missy Foote, who recruited Samson out of a Radnor, Pa., high school. But January 2000 brought a sledding accident that left Samson paralyzed. Just a year later, she returned to campus determined to resume where she left off. To maintain her legacy of athletic involvement, Samson signed on as an assistant lacrosse coach.Foote noted Samson's skill as a "tactician" and her "great eye for the opponents' weaknesses," although in addition to her contributions as a coach, said Foote, Samson has also been "an inspiration to the team." When Foote heard Samson would be a torchbearer in the Olympic Torch Relay this December, she thought, "What a perfect honor for someone for whom sports has played such a significant role, and who is now inspiring so many others." Kully Hagerman '99, now the head lacrosse coach at Babson College in Babson Park, Mass., was a senior on the Middlebury women's lacrosse team when Samson was a first-year goalie. Praising Samson's "contagious" spirit, Hagerman recalled that, "Katie is the type of person that you just want to be around." "To me, Katie Samson is the Olympic spirit," Hagerman continued. "She has faced adversity and overcome it, always with a smile and a laugh." Her remark touched on the criteria for torchbearer selection, which the Salt Lake Organizing Committee characterized as "embodying the Olympic spirit and inspiring an individual or community. Foote recounted the inspiration last year's NCAA championship team drew from Samson's presence on the sidelines. At a press conference after Middlebury clinched the title, captain Betsy Wheeler '01 said that during the game, "she only needed to look towards the sidelines to be inspired by Katie sitting there," Foote explained. Hagerman holds Samson up as a model athlete with qualities she hopes to nurture in her players at Babson. "Katie symbolizes what it means to be a team player and go above and beyond the call of duty," she said. "Now as a coach myself, I can only hope that some of my players embody even 50 percent of the heart and commitment that Katie has. If they do then I will consider myself successful."Hopkins, who played defense when Samson was the goalie, commented, "Katie was a truly amazing goalie and a fierce competitor." She went on to mention that Samson's "smile, laugh and hilarious sense of humor are truly inspiring," and that Samson has taught her to "love every minute of my life."When Samson discovered that she had been selected as a torchbearer, she said that she was "amazed they picked me out of all these people in the country who were nominated for this." "Everybody thinks about being part of the Olympics when they're a little kid," Samson continued, so her selection as a torchbearer was something of a "dream come true."Assessing the significance of the relay, Samson remarked, "It's really important in times like these to carry out inspirational events that people can watch and take comfort in the unity of our country." She practices wheeling a mile a day to prepare, sporting the Coca-Cola warm up suit to advertise the relay's official sponsor. Still, she said, "I'm not quite sure I'm ready for it," but her excitement has not waned. While at home in Villanova, Pa., over Thanksgiving break, the Philadelphia affiliate of NBC News even conducted an interview with Samson. "The [television crew] came to my house, met my family and my dogs," recalled Samson. The station plans to air profiles of the 24 Philadelphia-area residents selected as torchbearers. Foote summed up Samson's effect on the lacrosse team, saying that, "Katie teaches us everyday about personal courage, poise, grace and perseverance. It is impossible for us as a team not to work a little harder and complain a little less when Katie is on the field."
(11/28/01 12:00am)
Author: Freeman Lee White Staff Writer To those of you who did not see this Hepburn Zoo production, you missed out. The story of the play starts almost 500 years after August 1945, when earth's inhabitants were forced by nuclear fallout to take their culture below ground. The plot shows how the intertwining lives of four citizens (Rand, Seren, Doubleday and Kelty) conflict with their totalitarian government, The State. Nick Olson '02, who wrote the play and acted as Doubleday, showed the human desire for freedom at odds with The State's need to bend its citizens to one common will. Olson put the voice of The State into three characters: Emperor von Krieg (CEO of The State), Gelding (a local magistrate) and Mazer (a cog in The State's law enforcement machinery). Throughout the play the audience is shown how the citizens' passion for freedom of will and artistic expression conflict with a government. This struggle is embodied in both Kelty's pursuit of forbidden historical facts and Seren and Rand's mural commemorating the political regime's 500th anniversary. The play ends like other distopian literature, with the rebel, in this case Kelty, being brainwashed into submission by the The State.To those who made this show, I offer some of my feedback. Kelty's scenes with Mazer were exciting to watch. Using many tactics from seduction to challenging of assumptions Zoe Anastassiou '03, playing Kelty, helped craft these scenes into engaging gems. Some of her earlier moments suffered from a lack of specificity. Her speech in the capital is one example. There are many ways to convince a crowd, I only saw a couple.I loved watching Joe Manganiello's '04 character, Mazer, get confused by Kelty. However, Manganiello needed to find more levels in his portrayal of confusion. Manganiello was given the hard task of commenting on and playing the character at the same time. With that comes the responsibility to both show us a comment (the confused morality of a State) and the reality behind that character. I missed most of the reality of Mazer's life.Nick Bayne '02 was great as Emperor Von Kreig. Bayne danced skillfully on that thin line between commenting on a character and being the character. Bayne's intention was too general in the middle of the art appraisal scene. By his exit Kreig was both likable and despicable again. At that point I saw a return to the intriguing duality in the characterization.Ben Correale's '03 striking physicality as Gelding filled out his dialogue. Note that Correale has been cast as the same character about three times now. The unemotional State poster child is a fun person to play and watch. However, the repetition of hand gestures from earlier characters (bringing fingertips together for example) pulled focus from this character and denoted a tendency. Keep searching for fresh ways to inhabit characters.Kate Kelleher Spector's '04 background as a dancer paid off with her role as Seren. Her stage presence, posture and focus while painting the invisible were impressive. In the opening, Spector's choice to play the one focused objective of getting the painting started got her stuck in a rut. There were many interesting places to take the character that got steamrolled by the single-track focus. I completely missed what was going on in the character's subtext until much later in the play. Rand, played by Chris Timberlake '02, was fun to watch. I was captivated by his wit and mirth coupled with his passion and drive. The large flaw in that is the missing wisdom and age the character called for. Rand's body was too agile and his mood too young for the old man the text alluded to. Without the creative designs of Tim Brownell '02 and Jenny March '04 the show would have been lost. The hard shutter lines placed on the set divided the small space beautifully. The design's focus on the throne and the omniscient face became a strong visual metaphor alluding to The State's invasive presence in each scene. While the white box was employed masterfully its continual placement up center made the stage picture didactic and too centrally composed which pulled focus unnecessarily. The costumes of Christine Huwer '02 greatly aided the actor's portrayal of the characters. Slight changes in dress could have done more to portray a culture driven underground in August of 1945.Audrey Laning '04 probably didn't get enough credit for her investment in this production. Thanks for making this show possible. Dave Gaddas '02 directed magically with the demanding script. His casting choices and especially his dynamic staging demonstrated skill and dedication to the purpose of the play. One area for growth lies in the fact the actors often intentionally flattened their roles and made the more general choice. The director's part in this is large though not total. The play was about people who were being submitted to a generalist regime, but the acting should never parallel thatOlson and Gaddas are a dynamic duo. They have much strength both separately and as a team. Olson's portrayal of Doubleday was potent, intricate, and a pleasure to learn from. His commitment to the process shone through magnificently. I enjoyed seeing the little bits of another Zoo show, "The Possibilities," which sneaked into the production. My criticism of Olson's script lies mainly in its beginning and first act. Exposition has to happen, but it took away from the establishment of character relationships early in the play. The wit and humor carried the play through to its horrific ending. Doubleday's vulnerability was stimulated by the stronger choices Olson made with the script in the second act. The play showed love, art and The State all buckled in to one roller coaster screaming towards Apocalypse. Throughout the ride the moments where those three elements conflicted were the most powerful.
(11/14/01 12:00am)
Author: Rose Boyer Staff Writer "The number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) treated at Parton Health Center has fallen very significantly over the last eight years," said Yonna McShane, director of Health and Wellness Education at Middlebury. Eight years ago, the Parton Health Center was treating 77 cases of various STDs; however, now they are now down to 29 patients. McShane noted that this success in infection prevention can be attributed to a few factors. First, surveys conducted by the College show that the number of students engaging in unprotected sex is dropping significantly. Other statistics suggest a decline in binge drinking, which can lead to irresponsible sexual behavior. Parton Health Center also deserves credit for this success because of its generous distribution of free condoms and oral dams in promotion of safer sex. Whatever the cause, McShane feels that "we're doing better, and students should be really proud of themselves." Nevertheless, she warns that despite this significant decline, STDs are still a threat to Middlebury students and college students in general, and should be taken very seriously.The encouraging numbers provided by McShane only represent students who have detected and are presently seeking treatment for STDs. Many of the conditions that are most commonly found on college campuses, such as auto-immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), chlamydia, herpes and the human papilloma virus (HPV), often go undetected and unreported for considerable amounts of time because of their asymptomatic nature. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, for example, which recent studies claim has infected one in every 500 college students, can be present for many years with no symptoms. The disease, which suppresses the body's immune system, is most often spread through the exchange of semen, vaginal secretions and blood that can occur during sexual behavior.Chlamydia, which is caused by parasitic microorganisms and can be cured with appropriate medication, is one of the most common STDs treated at Middlebury. The disease sometimes shows symptoms, but often does not. As a result, infected students who do not realize that they are carriers can unknowingly spread the disease. It is also possible for women with asymptomatic chlamydia to develop pelvic inflammatory disease, which can result in sterility if not treated in time.Human papilloma virus, also called genital warts, is another STD that often goes undetected and unreported. This incurable condition, which is linked to an increased risk of cervical cancer in women and penile cancer in men, often has only flu-like symptoms, which often allow it to go unnoticed. Another frightening fact about HPV is that condoms are not always effective in preventing its transmission. HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact, so if an infected area is not covered by a condom or latex barrier, it is possible for transmission to take place.Herpes is a more noticeable STD, as it causes multiple blisters to develop on the genitals. These blisters, however, misleadingly heal after about 12 days, while the infection and potential for transmission still exists. Gonorrhea, like chlamydia, only less common among college-aged students, is an STD that can have very subtle symptoms and can be difficult to detect.In order for a student to be certain that they are not infected with one of the less symptomatic STDs that frequent college campuses, they must be tested. Testing for STDs at the Health Center is free, and it is actually quite a painless procedure. The tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea, which used to be dreaded processes for men, can now be done with only a urine sample. A full sexual exam demands only a 45-minute visit and all test results are strictly confidential. Students who are not sure of their sexual health are strongly encouraged to make an appointment with Parton Health Center for the sake of both themselves and any possible future partners.
(11/14/01 12:00am)
Author: Allison Quady Arts Editor Allison Quady: I'm sitting here with Anais Mitchell '04 in the radio station which we thought would be fitting, or inspirational, so Anais…Anais Mitchell: So, Allie...AQ: Tell me when you started playing.AM: Guitar? When I was a freshman in high school I started taking lessons and didn't really play too much and kind of learned the basic chords and didn't learn anything else for many years, and now I'm moving in more a music theory, actually-knowing-what-the-guitar-is kind of direction.AQ: Is that because you're taking guitar classes or because your interests are changing?AM: If you play something enough, I think you have to find new ways to play it.AQ: Do these guitar lessons give you more freedom or less to explore your own personal style?AM: Umm, more freedom, but the actual practicing is pretty mundane, but in the long run it gives you more facility with the guitar. And that's what I really want to figure out how to do, to play the guitar really bad ass because lots of other people canAQ: Can you tell me a little about the story behind "In the Kitchen with Leonard Cohen?"AM: The story behind it, yeah, okay, it was the summer I was living in Boston. I took a year off after high school. We were so miserable all summer, I was working for the census, which was so boring, and I was doing this secretarial work and he was working as a butcher and it was really hot and all of our friends were gone because they had all been in school in Boston and we were lonely and we weren't really in love like we wanted to be and we were pretty bitchy about it. And then one day we were in house, making dinner. We just put on this Leonard Cohen record, and we started dancing and we stopped bitching, and I just kind of realized that you can make whatever you want out of a situation.AQ: Well, its cool because although you say it was a depressing summer, and maybe other songs of yours might be based on depressing things, you don't sing depressing folk songs. Are they mostly about your…self?AM: Yeah, mostly they are, although I do want to move away from…I want to write political and socially aware songs, but I've heard a lot of songs that I feel like are just vehicles for a political or social message, and they suck. There's no emotion behind them, and I don't write that much, so when I write, I want to write about myself because I have to get it out, but I feel like if I was writing enough then I would get beyond that and I would be able to work in, you know, more, less selfish themes.AQ: Do you find that the Middlebury environment is conflictive to getting out those themes, and concentrating on that work?AM: I know what you mean. I definitely find that I feel that people don't really talk about, or challenge me about or compliment my song writing or my lyrics. They're often like, "Your voice was great", or "it sounded great." But songwriting is the most important to me and I want to really work on that. AQ: When do you like to write your songs?AM: I really write well in the morning, I wake up early before other people are awake.AQ: What is it that comes over you, how does the spirit arise?AM: I usually have an idea, it's usually a concept and I start to brainstorm all the different images that I associate with that concept, but usually I don't understand exactly what I'm trying to say until I've written a lot of verses and thrown them out and then I figure out what it is, but I'm a terrible reviser and I want to work on that because I get a song out and I'm so excited that I want to start playing it and then I don't want to revise it because I feel like its been out there.AQ: I was going to ask, what do you love most about music, but I don't know if it should be phrased that way. What is it about music that draws you?AM: The playing, or music in general?AQ: Start with music in general.AM: Well, I like the idea that if you're in the room with a bunch of people and you're all listening to the same music then at some visceral level you're all in the same place, do you know what I mean, emotionally you're all in the same zone. When you walk into a club and its pounding dance music you all get in that zone pretty fast, or if you're at a folk club. And it brings people together. I like the lyrics of music too, really good lyrics that bring me somewere, connected to the artist AQ: What is it about folk music?AM: That's interesting, huh?.I don't think it's folk music necessarily that I like, but I do like music where the lyrics or the vocal line is at the front, or is prominent in the music. So there's some rock music that I really like, like the Red House Painters, or even the Beatles. But when rock gets to be more about the instrumentation I don't feel connected to it as much.AQ: So you listen to the words. And you could say that's a folk aesthetic, that the words are very important, self expressionAM: Although I 'd say there are a lot of really lame folk lyrics out thereAQ: Yeah, that's the thing, you have to guard that ambiguity and some artists guard it by hiding their lyrics with instrumentals, and others in their songwriting, I guess. What's 'Anais'' next move, as far as your music?AM: I want to record an album in December and give it as Christmas presents. And my New Year's resolution last year was I was going to record an album before the end of the year. But then, also I'm taking the spring off and writing songs that whole time and I'm going to really buckle down and work through some creative songs and might try to get a 500 projectAQ: Okay, I've got a better question: What's your favorite song that you've written?AM: That I've written? It tends to be the most recent one that I've written and that's what it is for me right now. Although I don't know what it means yet. I think that part of it, is that it is moving incremental steps away from being really self centered, broader themes.AQ: Has Middlebury had an effect on your performing?AM: There are so many opportunities to play here and I try to do them all. And I feel a lot more comfortable playing now than I used to. I used to play open mikes in Boston and a lot of times would just be really nervous and it was hard to play them decently. But also I've found, I'm moving away from this, I think a lot of women do this and I've definitely done this before, kind of ingratiate yourself to your audience, and act really cute as if to say "Maybe my art isn't that good, but I'm so cute so love me anyway,". which is pretty lame. I want to move away from that. And you don't see a lot of men do that, they're just like, "Here I am, take it or leave it." AQ: Yeah, but there is the joking with the audience, the bantering, in some spaces that you find, and all folk artists seem to love to do that.AM: It's a thing, and indie rockers never do it.AQ: It depends.AM: They don't have to, though.AQ: No, they could be totally sullen and everyone would love them, but not a folker, or folk rocker.AQ: Where was your first performance?AM: At the bookstore, with my community and I knew them and it was okay. I love when I can be present with the people there and its hard to do that all the time.AQ: What's your favorite space to play on campus?AM: I had a lot of fun playing at the Gamut Room last night.AQ: When is the next Chick Jam?AM: Dec. 1, for sure.AQ: Can you think of any more questions you want to ask yourself? What do you love about music. Allie?AM: I love the emotion. I get wrapped up in the emotion, it teaches you a lot, I hate preachy songs, but, it's calming, it's soothing, its exciting, it's every
thing that isn't, that you can't exactly verbalize.AM: No wait, I have to ask you, I told you this thing that Iggy Pop said that music is, it's a quote, "It's kind of about a young girl running away from home, it's kind of about white boys really wanting to dance but they can't." And what I really like about that is, I feel that in so many ways people use their art to express not just who they are but this yearning for who they want to be, what they want and how things could be.
(10/31/01 12:00am)
Author: Devin Zatorski News Editor Amidst a broad economic downturn, college and university endowments collectively plunged billions of dollars in the 2001 fiscal year, posting negative returns for the first time since 1984. While signs of economic vulnerability were evident in the summer months, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 may push the nation's economy into a deeper recession, ultimately compelling some college officials to re-evaluate their investment strategy to temper the risk of further losses. According to a report released by Commonfund, which manages $30 billion on behalf of non-profit entities, 74 percent of surveyed colleges and universities reported static or negative returns for the fiscal year, which ended June 30. Middlebury is no exception: statistics compiled by Investment Administrator Derek Hammel show that the market value of the College's endowment stood at $638 million on June 30, 1999, peaking at $719 million a year later and then declining to $674 million at the end of the 2001 fiscal year. The most recent data available pegs the endowment's value at $629 million as of Sept. 30, a $90 million slide over a two year and three month period.Vice President of Administration and Treasurer Robert Huth said the wide range of investments represented in the endowment portfolio, including more secure alternatives like hedge funds and private equities, has "dampened the decreases we have seen in domestic equity [the stock market]." A good hedge fund, explained Hammel, "captures most of the upside, but limits losses on the downside" of economic fluctuations. Private equity, on the other hand, involves investing in mature companies that are seeking capital for expansion. Because of the endowment's diverse portfolio, Huth said, it has particular strength in down markets. "We did not see the 85 percent returns like the NASDAQ in 1999, but we also have not had the negative 30 percent year-to-date losses [like most of the broad stock market indexes]," he explained. "We are betwixt and between those extremes." Hammel added that the endowment returns have outperformed national markets, with a six percent decline this fiscal year-to-date contrasting with a 31 percent plummet in the NASDAQ, 15 percent drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and a 15 percent loss in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.Endowment Management: Stay the Course An investment committee comprised of three trustees is charged with overseeing about $600 million of the endowment funds and making key strategic decisions about investment allocation. Committee Chair Rick Fritz '68, Garrett Moran '76 and Kendrick Wilson, a Middlebury parent, are "extremely well positioned [businessmen who] have a great deal of experience in guiding investment strategy," Huth noted. Within the committee, discussions about changes in the allocation of investments were underway even before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Huth said the "most critical decision an investment committee can make relates to the allocation of the endowment [because] it has the most impact over time." Huth indicated that the committee sees opportunities in international equities, which have not figured prominently in the endowment to this point, but it may eliminate investment in emerging markets. Channeling more endowment into less risky options like hedge funds, fixed income and absolute return investments may also be on the horizon, said Huth. All of these possibilities, however, are subject to review with the consulting firm the committee has retained for guidance. "There's no thought of making any rash, quick reallocations," he maintained, saying "if you were comfortable with your allocation on Sept. 10, you ought to be comfortable with it on Sept. 12." Citing an economic maxim that declares "buy low and sell high," Huth said that the numerous lows in stock prices brought on in part by the terrorist attacks would indicate that unloading stocks now would indeed be "selling low," contrary to the widely accepted investment principle. In the financial management field, he said, "there is a propensity to stay the course instead of making rash changes," a philosophy Middlebury plans to follow. "You look at the merits of the investments and do not [succumb] to knee-jerk reactions … because the market beats up on big changes," Huth elucidated, warning "there is a lot of room to do that" in times of economic uncertainty. Among possible strategies portfolio managers may adopt, said Alan R. Holmes Professor of Monetary Economics Scott Pardee, is shifting into a "defensive mode by increasing the percentage of the portfolio held in treasury securities, AAA bonds and less risky parts of the stock market." But Pardee also notes that professional investors are "rather careful about making quick decisions about change." Their goal is to "sustain the spending power of the school both now and in the future," which is often achieved through "solid growth with a conservative risk profile." Because the market is a "study in exaggerations," however, the market will ultimately gravitate towards a mean, which makes a case for emphasis on the long term, Huth said. "We do not invest from year to year" because the endowment has "perpetual life." Pardee concurred, saying that in the medium to long run markets "would eventually turn around." The statistics confirm long term stability. For the five years ending June 30, 2001, the endowment return totaled 12 percent, the same return earned over the 10 years leading up to that same date. While he advocates "letting the psychology of the market do its thing," Huth also said the College should be wary of "putting its head in the sand." He continued, "Every organization exists with a need to look at what is happening in its environment," and "we do not know how long this economic malaise will continue."The College looks at a minimum of a three-year horizon, since most recessions last 18 months and economic recovery is realized after two and a half years at the most. "At least for now," Huth concluded, the College is staying the course.The Fundraising Dynamic The economic slump has also fueled concerns among college fundraising executives who fear that economic instability might dip into charitable giving totals. Moody's Investors Services issued words of warning: "Our most serious concern is that fundraising will suffer as a result of the further declines in already sluggish financial markets, economic uncertainty and the distraction of recent events," The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Sally Holland, vice president for College Advancement, has found that annual giving levels to date are on par with last year's numbers. Annual Fund gifts, solicited from parents and alumni, fund seven percent of the College's operating budget every year. She said it is too early to tell whether there will be a drop off in capital fundraising, which supports the endowment and building projects."My past experience indicates that not all donors will be affected in the same way by the softening economy, and that we will only know what individuals are able to do for the College by talking to them individually," she explained.Since the majority of donors make their gifts in December, winter will be the best time to gauge the effects of political and economic uncertainty on annual giving through comparison with last year's figures. The economic context "adds another layer of complication," said Huth, "but at the same time the momentum [generated by the Bicentennial Campaign] needs to continue. Nobody is willing to admit defeat," he maintained. "We are all interested in rising to the chall
enge."Reported The Chronicle, "It is too soon say whether 2001 ended a golden era of outsized fundraising and investment success by higher education institutions, or if the current period is simply a lull. A lot may depend on whether the already weakened economy is driven into full-scale recession in the wake of the Sept. 11 attack."
