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(10/31/01 12:00am)
Author: Karen Acheson Staff Writer On Thursday, several faculty members, parents and a few students gathered in the Robert A. Jones '59 Conference Center to hear Ronald G. Ehrenberg, professor of industrial and labor relations and economics and director of the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute discuss "Tuition Rising: Why College Costs So Much," which is also the title of his new book. Ehrenberg began his talk by explaining that for the last century the tuition of selective higher education institutions in this country has been rising two to three percent above the rate of inflation. For the first 70 years this was not a problem because median family income was also rising above the inflation rate. However, in 1979, productivity declined and incomes were no longer increasing at exaggerated rates. Yet, Cornell and other institutions like Middlebury continued to increase tuition by two to three percent. Since then the economy has picked up but the gap between family income and college tuitions has never recovered from the 1979 economic slump. As a result, in the last 20 years, college tuition has become a hot issue in the education world. Ehrenberg attributed this to research done by Bill Bowman, former president of Princeton University. In addition, he attributed the two to three percent increase to what he labeled "Bowman's Law," which states that when a university wants to give professors a salary increase, it must raise tuition, otherwise faculty salaries would fall in comparison to other occupations and the quality of teaching in the institutions would decline.With the increase in applications this last year, schools have begun to take on what Ehrenberg describes as "cookie monster's characteristics," saying, "Cookie monster has only one goal in life: to get as many cookies as possible." Like the Sesame Street character, schools such as Middlebury have been aggressively seeking resources and using them to make the schools look better. Ehrenberg had a simple reason for high school costs, saying, "As long as we have long lines of students knocking on our door trying to get in, there is no reason to keep tuition costs down." Middlebury had over 5,400 applications for 500 places last year, and with an acceptance rate of only 25 percent it was ranked as the fourth most difficult liberal arts college to gain admission to according to The U.S News and World Report's college rankings.Ehrenberg also blames the "winner take all society" of America in which parents feel a great deal of pressure to get their children into the best possible colleges and universities because the earning premium for graduates of these institutions has been proven to be higher in the professional world. To become one of these premium colleges, the schools' presidents have a great deal of pressure to lure students in and have entered into what Ehrenberg describes as "an arms race of spending," in which they attempt to make their colleges look better compared to their competitors. Athletic centers have become larger, dorms have been replaced by living centers with suites or apartments and school cafeterias now have chefs and several different meal options for vegetarians or religious needs. Here at Middlebury there is always construction of one form or another taking place, with the recent completion of Kenyon Arena giving way to the new Ross Commons senior apartments, which will be followed by the $40 million library set to break ground in the upcoming year. Ehrenberg explained that attempts to cut the budget often cause faculty members to become upset, and in order to keep good relations with his faculty, they "will raise tuition rather than alienate the faculty" adding that "the faculty rules supreme in academic matters."In addition, the school ranking system, which many institutions claim do not matter, have a profound effect on their decision making and plays a large part in the quality of applicants a school receives. Ehrenberg explained that a school which receives improved ratings will get a larger number of higher quality applicants, is able to give less financial aid, is able to accept fewer people and will have more students matriculate the following year. Since a substantial amount of the rankings are based on how much the institutions are spending on their students, no administration is willing to cut their budget in comparison to other peer institutions and risk declining in rank. In Ehrenberg's words, "Institutions have incentives to take action." Middlebury has spent recent years in the top 10 and has had a constantly increasing applicant pool.So why should the average American care about college costs? According to Ehrenberg, "The public at large subsidizes selective private colleges and universities." With all contributions being tax deductible and no income tax required on their substantial endowments, colleges and universities, a majority of them private, are causing there to be "less money for the public in terms of tax revenue." However, most Americans feel that higher education is an important endeavor to support and are willing to give this money to ensure that the best and brightest are at the "top of the game globally."In the end, with such a large number of factors going into the high spending of colleges and universities, it has become increasingly difficult to curb tuition costs without the college or university running the risk of losing its standing among its competitors. College presidents, whose job it is to keep good faculty relations as well as build the reputation of their institutions, have their hands tied in an education environment where bigger is better and everyone is competing for the top students to fill their incoming classes. According to Ehrenberg, "The key players are the trustees; they have to play the role that the state government does for public universities by telling colleges to hold down their costs." However, as trustees, they also have a vested interest in the reputation of the college, and if they are being told that larger facilities are what is required to achieve this, they will most likely approve tuition increases required to pay for the financial aid, new facilities and increasing faculty salaries that will keep a school in the top 10.
(10/31/01 12:00am)
Author: Matt Klein Staff Writer College students often find themselves nearly broke, sick of cafeteria food and annoyed by the inadequate kitchens in dormitories. At least in Gifford, where I live, there are several two-burner electric ranges on each floor. An oven would be nice, but I can live without one. Cooking does not need to be a time consuming or expensive activity. Simple food is usually better and generally takes very little time to prepare. Some recipes, admittedly, will take a while to prepare, but the results are always well worth the effort. It seems that whenever I have an exam or large paper due, I find myself preparing elaborate meals for friends and starting my work around midnight. Cooking is as therapeutic for me as running, drinking or high-speed driving is for others. Anyone can waste time, but few can waste time productively. Preparing a fantastic meal for or with a significant other always earns extra points. Who wouldn't be thrilled to feast on awesome food in great company? There is a certain energy created between two people as they create a meal that is more powerful and satisfying than an elaborate meal served in a restaurant.That said, I have put some of my improvised recipes into more concrete form. Each is easy to prepare and involves no more than 20 minutes of active time to make. I feel strongly that cooking should not be an exact science, so I've provided only approximate measurements. Use the recipes as a jumping off point and experiment with different ingredients.Browned Penne with Caramelized Red Onions, Mushrooms, Spinach & Pine Nuts-2 medium red onions, finely chopped-1/2 pound mushrooms (regu-lar button mushrooms are fine, but any mix will do)-Garlic (lots of it)-1 or 2 heads of fresh spinach, well cleaned and stems removed-1/2 pound of penne (any pasta will work)-White wine or beer (Otter Creek pale ale works well)-1 to 2 cups of pine nuts-Rosemary-Salt and pepper-Olive oil-Optional: Goat cheese or French feta cheeseBefore beginning, brown the pine nuts over medium heat in the pan you plan to use for the sauce, stirring enough to prevent burning. No oil is necessary here — the nuts will brown in their own oils. An anonymous friend of mine tried to brown pine nuts over full heat and an evacuation of New Dorms ensued. You have been warned.Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In the pan used for the pine nuts, sauté the onions over high heat until translucent, then lower to medium and allow the onions to caramelize. This should take about 20 minutes; be sure to stir occasionally so the onions on the bottom do not burn. They will cook down to a concentrated, sweet, dark mixture. Turn the heat back up to maximum and add the garlic, two cups of white wine or beer, garlic, spinach and mushrooms. Cover the pan if you can, and allow the mushrooms and spinach to steam a bit. You don't want the liquid to completely evaporate. Season with salt and pepper and chopped rosemary. The sauce is done at this pointWhen the pasta is done, drain well and toss with a little olive oil and brown the pasta over high heat — this gives a very different texture and taste, but is completely optional. You can do this in the same pot used for cooking the pasta or in different pan.The whole process takes no longer than 30 minutes, and depending on the amount of pasta you make, can be stretched enough to feed four people. After plating the pasta and sauce, sprinkle generously with pine nuts and goat cheese.Approximate cost: $15-20; serves up to four. Active time: 30 minutes.Pasta with Eggs & Bacon-1/2 pound linguine-2 eggs-1/2 cup whole milk-4 to 6 strips bacon, chopped.-Salt and pepper-Parmesan cheeseBring a pot of salted water to a boil. Beat the eggs with the milk. After the pasta is cooked, drain and immediately stir in egg mixture. The heat from the pasta will cook the egg, but stir until the eggs are completely cooked to avoid chunks. Toss in the bacon and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Finish with parmesan cheese. This is delicious, takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare and can be made for a few dollars using ingredients from Proctor. Be creative with the salad bar: red onion, peppers, cheeses and other veggies will all work well with this dish. Approximate Cost: $2-4; serves two. Active time: 10-15 minutes.Guacamole That Doesn't Suck-4 soft-ripe avocados, peeled and pit removed.-Juice of 1/2 lime and 1/2 lemon-1 tablespoon or so each of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce (get them from Proctor)-1 bunch cilantro, cleaned well and chopped-1/2 jalapeño, chopped (be careful with the seeds)-2 cloves garlic, chopped-Salt and pepperProctor's guacamole comes in little sealed plastic containers and is old and yucky. To make great guacamole that won't last more than an hour, just smush all the ingredients together. Approximate cost: $8; serves four. Active time: five minutes.Barbecued Pork Tenderloin (or Tofu) Tacos-2 red onions, chopped-2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder-2 tablespoons cumin-1 teaspoon cinnamon-2 cups apple cider or juice-1 jalapeño-4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped-Maple syrup-1 cube of unsweetened chocolate-3 cups ketchup-1 pork tenderloin, cut into one inch cubes-Taco shells-Salt and pepper-White wine-Olive oil-Cheddar cheese for garnishIn a very hot pan, burn the onions and garlic with a little olive oil until they cook down to about half their original size and deglaze them with white wine, beer or chicken stock (water works too but as a last resort). Add cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, jalapeño, maple syrup, unsweetened chocolate, salt and pepper, lime juice, water and ketchup. Add cubes of tenderloin and simmer, covered, for 90 minutes or until meat is tender. Season accordingly. Serve in taco shells with sour cream, fresh salsa, Guacamole That Doesn't Suck (above) and fresh cilantro leftover from the guacamole. Seared tofu can be substituted for the pork. It can be added after the sauce has been reduced to a thick mixture and should be served immediately. Approximate cost: $20; serves four to six. Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 90 minutes. Simple Focaccia (oven required)Dough:-1 envelope active dry yeast-3/4 cup warm (not hot) water-1 teaspoon each salt and sugar-2 cups all-purpose flourTopping:-Olive oil-Any combination of dried herbs from Proctor-Parmesan cheesePreheat oven to 500 degrees. To assemble the dough, combine warm water with sugar, salt and yeast; stir until yeast is dissolved and let stand 10 minutes or until foamy. When the mixture is ready, it will be cloudy and foamy on top. Combine this with the flour until a soft dough forms. Use a little flour on the counter and knead for a minute or so and transfer to an oiled bowl to rise. This will take around one hour. Once it has doubled in size knead the dough for a minute or two on a floured surface and sprinkle generously with dried herbs and parmesan cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until
cheese is browned and bubbling. Approximate cost: $2 using Proctor ingredients. Active time: 25 minutes. Total time: 85 minutes. Matt Klein '04.5 hails from Millbrook, N.Y. and worked as a chef last fall for Main Course Restaurant in New Paltz, N.Y. He can often be found on Friday nights in the Chåteau kitchen cooking up a storm with Dolci.
(10/24/01 12:00am)
Author: David Lindholm Assistant Sports Editor The growing consensus around the media is that this is the strangest season ever in the NFL. Ever! I found it hard to believe, especially only six weeks in, but since I don't follow football too much I had to check it out for myself. Here's what I've found:After starting the season off 0-2, the Pats are 3-1 since, and Tom Brady is going to challenge Drew Bledsoe for the starting quarterback spot when Bledsoe returns. Many picked the Colts to win the AFC East, and the Pats have already beaten them twice, the first time by 31 points, the second time by 21.Ty Detmer threw seven interceptions against the BENGALS in week two. Seven. I didn't know that was legal.Out of the 31 teams, 20 have .500 records or better.Despite all the average and above-average teams out there, many of the teams predicted to be the strongest have fallen. There were nine teams thought of as Super Bowl contenders in preseason, and now only three of them (Green Bay, St. Louis and Philadelphia) have winning records. The others (the Colts, Tampa, Baltimore, Denver, Tennessee and the Giants) are a combined 15-18.And some weaker teams are establishing themselves as contenders; San Francisco (my favorite team—that Jeff Garcia is the next Steve Young!), San Diego (led by my favorite player, Doug Flutie) and the Chicago Bears are 12-4 combined, which has equaled the amount of wins those three teams had, combined, over ALL of last season.Last year the Tennessee Titans had the second-best defense in the league, allowing a miniscule 11.9 points per game. This year they have allowed 24.4 a game. On the other hand, the Bears allowed 22.2 last year and through five games have allowed 8.6 a game. The Bears! And without Ditka!Three of the four most reliable quarterbacks right now all had to establish themselves in other leagues before coming to the NFL. Those four are Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Jeff Garcia and Doug Flutie.The Washington Redskins are the best team in the league! Okay, that's a lie. They are still terrible—the worst team in the league. So at least one thing is normal.Okay, this is the weirdest thing yet, and it just shows how bizarre the league is this year. In the first four weeks of the season, the favorites had a record of 35-21 against the spread. That's normal. But in the last two weeks, the underdogs have gone 22-4-2 against the spread. That's ridiculous!So now there's really no way to tell the difference between a favorite and an underdog. If the favorite always loses, doesn't it become an underdog? Now I'm not a bettin' man, but thanks to this season, I never will be.
(10/24/01 12:00am)
Author: Cragin Brown Staff Writer College Bowl has been coined "the varsity sport of the mind" and at Middlebury College, the College Bowl team is striving toward the same honorable standing as many of Middlebury's other successful varsity teams.College Bowl is a historically famous and complex game of trivia between two teams that goes beyond a simple test of questions and answers. After a decade-long stint as a network television show in the 1960s, College Bowl became an official organization that held competitions at colleges and high school campuses nationwide. Now there are over 500 schools across the country that participate in the mind enhancing competitions.This year at the regional competition, Middlebury's College Bowl team is expecting great accomplishments. In its third year running, the team hopes to improve its standing at the contest, where it competes against College Bowl powerhouses such as Harvard University and Yale University. Started 'in 1999 by Tom Marks '01 and Mike Alonzo '01, the Middlebury team has grown to almost 25 members and is looking for more students to get involved. Intercollegiate College Bowl competitions have taken place since 1978, and each year the 15 regions in the United States, one of which now includes Middlebury College, holds a Regional Championship Tournament. This tournament will occur in February. The winners of the 15 regional tournaments and one wild card team selected at random among the second place team will compete for a National College Bowl title at the National Championship Tournament in the spring. A typical College Bowl competition is divided into two seven-minute rounds where four academians compete for the most points. Although knowledge of the subject matter is essential, Club President Justin Drechsler '02 emphasizes that exposure to the format of the competition is important as well. "It is important to be quick on the buzzer and to know how it all works," Drechsler said. Drechsler describes the questions' rigor as "extremely difficult." The standardized questions are sent by the National College Bowl organization and deal mostly with current events and politically related subject matter. Many literature inquiries are posed as well, with only a few questions touching on contemporary media and sports. "[The questions] are much more knowledge-based than on popular culture," said Drechsler. "Usually, political science and history majors do better than science majors simply because of the material the questions cover."The purpose of College Bowl is to challenge students intellectually and to provide for a learning ground and application of knowledge. Students are encouraged to seek local and national resources and to conduct research to gain insight on potential questions. The Middlebury College Bowl members will demonstrate their prowess at the club's tournament in January. The four-day competition will be held in Munroe Lecture Hall and may possibly conclude in a more public arena to allow more spectators into the event. The four members with the top performances will move onto the regional competition in the spring. "In the past we have faired pretty well in the upper middle of the pack. This year we hope to do a lot better," Drechsler said. Practices are held a few times a month until January to prepare for the tournament. This is the first year that the team has held regular practices and with these added meetings, the team is hoping to improve its standing at the regional competition. Drechsler says that the club is looking to expand membership and that all are welcome. "We really want first-year students in order to assure the future of the club, but everyone can come," Drechsler explained.
