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(03/19/09 12:00am)
Author: Jamie Studwell As part of last week's Global Health Symposium, renowned epidemiologist Dr. Alfred Sommer of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health gave an informal lecture on his research into the health benefits of vitamin A treatment in children of developing countries. Ophthalmology is Sommer's primary focus, but he is one of few eye doctors that can say his research has saved thousands, maybe even millions, of lives.In the 1980s, Sommer took up the mantle of vitamin A research, growing a concern for its apparent connection with youth blindness. During his first trial, studying rates of mild and severe eye problems connected to vitamin A deficiency in Indonesia, he inadvertently stumbled upon a much larger correlation between vitamin A and mortality rates. The data revealed that many patients disappeared in the six months between Sommer's visits. Subsequent studies revealed that the more deficient a child was, the greater his or her likelihood of dying. His research has, from its inception, been called "too ambitious" and his results "too good to be true," but Sommer has pushed for scientific consensus and is finally seeing results. Sommer's research indicates that the cumulative mortality rates of children receiving just a single dose of vitamin A every four to six months is on average 30 percent lower than those who do not receive treatment. This staggering statistic means that vitamin A treatment, which is one of the most cost effective treatments available at only $23 per death averted, is capable of preventing between one and 2.5 million deaths each year caused by illnesses related to the deficiency, such as diarrhea and the measles.In a discussion after the conclusion of Sommer's formal lecture, two burning questions remained to be discussed: how does a scientist like Sommer reconcile himself morally with the fact that he is providing treatment for only half of his patients, and what is the source of this rampant vitamin A deficiency in developing countries? Sommer parried the moral question posed by with a scientist's pure rationality. "I conduct research," he said. The only way to procure funding for treatments that have not yet yielded effective results is to conduct a research experiment, explained Sommer. Without the control group that does not receive medicine, it would be impossible to measure the results of the trial and thereby turn research into policy change. One must focus on the people receiving treatment in the name of research that would not have otherwise.Sommer also claims that the title of the lecture was a misnomer because carrots are actually part of the problem. Vitamin A deficiency is linked not only to undernutrition in developing countries, but also to one's diet. While you or I receive our vitamin A from animal products, the diet of leafy vegetables and fruit consumed in Indonesia supplies children with beta carotene, which is metabolized into vitamin A at the extremely low rate of 21:1. This means that the children are physically incapable of ingesting enough vitamin A, and their diets must therefore be supplemented. Dr. Sommer insists that this is not just a case of changing nutritional habits, but a full-scale need for humanitarian efforts.
(03/19/09 12:00am)
Author: Dana Walters While the label "animated documentary" might sound contradictory, almost to the point of seeming oxymoronic, Professor of Japanese Studies Carole Cavanaugh argues that it might embody the most honest version of the documentary genre yet. In her stimulating lecture, "Drawing on Truth: Animated Documentaries from Japan, Iran and Israel," she drew on the film "Waltz with Bashir," Ari Folman's account of trying to recapture his memories from the 1982 Lebanon War, as evidence for the subgenre's exclusive relationship with the concept of "truth" - an idea masquerading as objective and concrete, but that holds more ambiguity than any animated documentary ever could. Indeed, "Waltz with Bashir," a powerful dive into one man's psyche, confirms for a skeptical audience that the "animated documentary" has arrived.Cavanaugh began reconsidering her conception of the animated film, and of the documentary itself, after viewing "Waltz With Bashir." In her lecture, she commented on other films, like the 1951 children's educational animated film "Duck and Cover," a piece composed with the purpose of teaching children how to respond to an atomic attack, and Errol Morris's 1988 documentary "The Thin Blue Line," which uses extensive recreation to simulate the story of a contested murder. Both of these films fall within the realm of animation, which is only considered permissible for children, and within the realm of documentary, which many believe is only permissible using a "photographic" reality. Cavanaugh, however, contended that with "Waltz with Bashir" entering into the Oscar race - and subsequently the mainstream paradigm of the film world - perhaps the general public is ready for serious animation like the Japanese have been using for years.In addition to "Bashir," her lecture also referenced "Persepolis," a film based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel about her experience growing up during the Iranian revolution, and "Barefoot Gen," a true account of the Hiroshima atomic explosion. All three films confront the problematic representation of national trauma - a difficult conception to grasp because of how it resurrects itself within people's memories. The animated style, therefore, becomes not only a more honest way to represent these stories of mass death and hardship, but furthermore offers improvement over the old style of photographic "reality" of documentation due to its ability to extrapolate into the fantastical and subjective tunnels of the mind.Cavanaugh, with wit and conversational ease, turned her lecture into a seminar. Leaving more than adequate time for questions, she merely introduced the motivation behind the "animated documentary," and suggested a discussion of its uses in filmmaking instead of presenting a serious and authoritative conclusion upon her research. Although just barely breaking the surface of the style, its history and its current status, Cavanaugh did more than enough to pique the audience's interests, making those in attendance reconsider their own notions of what a documentary should be.Part of the problem with documentaries, Cavanaugh explained, is that the audience already holds genre expectations. By the end of her lecture, she had made clear that the shifting paradigm that has come with the arrival of "Waltz with Bashir" is one that can make way for a better type of documentary - one in which the audience understands that the truth of movies is always subjective, no matter the genre. Animation, in its ability to stretch the bounds of reality, gives rise to this necessary skepticism - an emotion that should be present at the watching of any film, especially a documentary.
(03/12/09 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] Perched atop fireplaces and dusty mantels, gazing placidly from the dusty naves that overlook bustling hallways and animated dinner conversations, the busts of some of Middlebury's most distinguished men often fall unnoticed to the passerby. Fixed immobile for eternity, their names hover above the buzzing campus with little-understood historical meaning. With the help of The Campus, let us know their faces and their histories.EGBERT AND CHARLES J. STARRHung above the fireplaces of Starr Library, the portraits of Egbert and Charles J. Starr illustrate the busts of two distinguished men to whom Middlebury College owes much of its early patronage. Sons of powerful trustee and Middlebury attorney Peter Starr, Charles and Egbert Starr are in part responsible for the survival of Middlebury College in the 19th century. Born in Middlebury, the brothers grew up in Vermont until their young adulthood when they moved to New York to pursue entrepreneurial passions. Both were successful businessmen; Charles established a profitable wholesale clothing company, while Egbert entered the industry of wholesaling and importing dry goods. The Starr family played an important role in Middlebury's history because their assistance was critical during challenging times in the College's past. In the mid 19th century, Middlebury's dwindling admissions and staff, as well as its increased costs and inadequate funding, predicted a dismal future for the College. Through the donations of the Starr family, Middlebury was able to proceed with certain projects to better the College and move it from depression into recovery. In 1857, former President of the College Benjamin Labaree, with donations from Charles Starr, purchased over 3,000 volumes, doubling the College's library. The family also enabled the erection of another dormitory, Starr Hall - an essential addition because of the College's insufficient dormitory facilities. Through such improvements, Middlebury's administration hoped to attract more students, the most attainable solution to their problems. The Starrs continued to help the College in the 1880s by funding the construction of the first "commons" project - a building that included a dining hall and recreation area - which aimed to reduce overall costs. During Ezra Brainerd's term as president, the Starr brothers bestowed substantial funds to Middlebury upon their deaths. Egbert's $50,000 donation was to be used for the construction of a library, hence the name Starr Library. Charles' $150,000 donation reached even farther. It enabled much-needed improvements to the College's living conditions, including centralized heating and a sewage system for Starr Hall. Charles' legacy extended to faculty expansion as well - he facilitated the hiring of the first strictly modern language professor, allowing the specialization of the classics and modern language departments. When the enrollment of female students began to increase in the 1890s, the Starr's contributions went toward the renovations of the first women's dorm, a vital feature of future growth. It was fortunate that the Starr brothers' assistance happened when it did: because of their generosity, Middlebury was able to expand its physical and student bodies and mature for more than 100 years into the educational institution that it is today. - Corinne Beaugard, Staff WriterWILFRED DAVISONWilfred Davison's portrait by Pierre Zwick, circa 1931, hangs in the Ross Fireplace Lounge. Davison is known to the Middlebury community today as Professor Davison - a graduate of the College in 1913 and the first dean of the Bread Loaf School of English from 1921 to 1929. Born in South Walden, Vt. in 1887, Davison prepared for college at the Montpelier Seminary before enrolling at Middlebury. After Middlebury, he studied German in Berlin and Marburg, Germany, attended the Curry School of Expression in Boston and pursued graduate work at Harvard and Columbia. Davison also became an instructor and assistant professor of German at Middlebury in 1913, but he later transferred to the English Department in 1918 and the American Literature department in 1921. Through his early work at Bread Loaf, Davison recruited a strong nationally-known faculty including George Whicher of Amherst, Kenneth Murdock of Harvard, Katherine Lee Bates of Wellesley, Edith Mirrielees of Stanford, James Southall Wilson of Virginia and Fred Lewis Pattee of Pennsylvania State University. Davison also invited visiting writers, such as Robert Frost, Willa Cather, Dorothy Canfield Fisher and Louis Untermeyer to read and converse with students. This set the stage for what would later become the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, which was founded in 1926. After Davidson's unexpected death in 1929, just five days before his 42nd birthday, the Davison Memorial Library was constructed in his honor at Bread Loaf, where it remains to this day.- Liya Gao, Staff WriterJULIAN W. ABERNETHYJulian W. Abernethy was a native of New Haven, Vt. He graduated from Middlebury in 1876. He was a fellow at Johns Hopkins University and worked as a principal at the Berkeley Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He served as a Middlebury trustee for 22 years, from 1901 until his death in 1923. In his will, Abernethy generously left the College a collection of books and manuscripts. The collection originally consisted of around 6,000 volumes, but since 1923 the collection has grown considerably and now contains over 20,000 volumes. Many of the books are rare first editions. The transcendentalist movement as embodied by authors, like Emerson and Thoreau, particularly fascinated Abernethy. He, too, was an author and editor of many literary works, as well as an educator and passionate collector of first- edition literary works.- Logan Brown, Staff WriterFRANK D. ABERNETHYJulian's brother Frank D. Abernethy, one of the four Abernethy brothers, helped with the funding for additional equipment in the Abernethy wing of the Starr library. After World War I, Middlebury College was in desperate need of more library space. Imagine the Library during finals week
(03/12/09 12:00am)
Author: Aseem Mulji The Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on March 9 featured a presentation by the Student Comprehensive Fee Committee as well as a brief discussion of the Honor Code review process. Four new members also made their debut: SGA President Hiba Fakhoury '09, Brainerd Commons Senator Janet Gehrmann '12, Junior Senator Chris Goodrich and First-year Feb Senator Worth Baker. The Comprehensive Fee Committee, led by Chair Caroline Woodworth '09, presented its recommendations in a sleek PowerPoint presentation titled "Taking Initiative: Maintaining Core Values at Middlebury." The committee began its presentation by noting that no budget cuts should come at the expense of Middlebury's "core values," or those qualities that make Middlebury a top liberal arts institution both academically and socially. With this in mind, the committee suggested a four-percent increase in the comprehensive fee, which would bring it to over $50,000. Some senators expressed concern about the future of financial aid, given the current national recession. The committee assured the SGA that Middlebury would continue to be need-blind and meet full demonstrated need. Woodworth quickly presented revisions to the SGA Finance Committee Guidelines, which essentially stated that the committee could not fulfill student organization budget requests for live animals or firearm ammunition. The SGA approved these changes unanimously. Woodworth also suggested that the Student Activities Fee be held constant at $380 to ensure that the Finance Committee has a significant pot of money to distribute to student organizations. This recommendation was also approved by the SGA. The SGA again discussed the Honor Code Review process. Much of the discussion revolved around procedure. After a somewhat disorderly, confusing discussion, the SGA decided that its primary task is to organize and mobilize a vote in which two-thirds of the student body participates. Some senators expressed doubt that a two-thirds vote of the entire student body is possible at all, given the low turnout in SGA elections. Antoinette Rangel '09, student co-chair of the Community Council, reminded the SGA that a less-than-two-thirds turnout would not be an acceptable outcome.
(02/26/09 12:00am)
Author: Veracity Butcher Getting off is something we all enjoy differently. Depending on our preferences, we engage in oral, vaginal, anal, monogamous, self-satisfying, random, gleeful, gender-bending, memorable, fleeting and surprising sex. Human beings are unique from most animals in their lust for sex. Sex, to us, is not just for babies. Birth control has been around for centuries; Ancient Egyptians experimented with it, and rewashable sheep skins and linen clothes were used before latex condoms hit the market. And then there's the pill, the patch or the ring. Now we just have too many choices to even fully realize what we actually crave.The clitoris is the only organ on the human body that has evolved solely for pleasure. Over the course of history, man has developed quite a large member/body ratio in proportion to his animal counterparts. Our bodies aren't just built for reproduction, we're built for good sex. Orgasming is an ethereal, muscle-snatching experience that we desire. Perhaps we should pursue it more often.What gets you really excited? Chances are, if you're a male, you're more stimulated by images than most women. Pornography can be appealing to women too, but since most pornos are made for a male audience, women just aren't as into it. Personally, I don't mind watching sex on screen if the porn star has natural breasts, and if the story is good, as in the film Short Bus. Women, however, tend to get more turned on by emotion or imagination. In fact, the chances of women being able to orgasm solely through fantasizing is higher than in men. Guys may think about sex all the time, but they don't get off just by thinking. Unless they are really concentrating.Women are often perceived as more sentimental, and men as more action-oriented. It's a gross generalization, but its interesting to keep in mind throughout your sexual education. Different levels of emotional attachment are more sexy to different people and that may have something to do with our evolutionary programming. New research indicates that when a hetero man sees a hot woman in a bikini, he uses parts of his brain associated with handling tools and the intention to perform actions. Women, interestingly, aren't particularly turned on by a naked man unless he's hard: his readiness for sex is what we find sexy. Straight girls can totally be excited by a naked woman if she is in a sexual pose. It's possible that females and males are equally as interested in sex as an "act," but what that act really entails, emotionally and physically, varies according to our personal desires.It's all fine and well to ponder what we are as sexual beings. It's necessary to understand sex as a complex act that manifests itself in countless ways. And while considering the possibilities can make for some racy discussions, what I'm concerned with is not just what Middlebury College students are saying, but what they're doing. In bed. "My walls are really thin, or I'd think no one ever hooked up," says a sexually frustrated junior. "Middlebury needs a forum to date and reach out to each other besides the Bunker or Midd Confessional. We don't overlap much or communicate across social groups." I'm sure that over the weekend, a few of us stumbled home with a stranger (or a friend) and made the "walk of shame" in the icy bright morning. Let's not kid ourselves anymore. Acknowledge yourself as human - armed with both instinct and logic. We all want to cum, so let's pursue pleasure with perspective on what actually pleases us.
(02/19/09 12:00am)
Author: Jason Gutierrez What a difference a year makes. I know a lot of people who were rather unimpressed with the musical output of 2008. Well, it's good to see that 2009 is starting off promisingly. I mean, Antony & the Johnsons, Animal Collective, Morrissey and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have all tossed out excellent albums in the past month, but the best record I've heard thus far is by Vancouver-based band Japandroids, whose long-playing debut, "Post-Nothing," is set to be released April 28th via Unfamilliar Records. Under normal circumstances the amount of time between this writing and the album's official release would dissuade me from reviewing it, but it's available for free streaming online at Last.fm. Plus, it's flat-out too good to ignore.It seems like the Pacific coast is raising fantastic rock duos like they're an industry unto themselves, and Japandroids join No Age at the top of this pseudo-minimalist rock music pile. They call their shouty, distortion soaked youth anthems garage rock. I call it rock for the recession. After all, Japandroids are two dudes, one guitar (with accompanying distortion peddle), and one drum set; no frills and no B.S. studio tomfoolery, just really solid songs and a sound that is fuller than you would expect from such a stripped down outfit. "The Boys Are Leaving Town," the first song on "Post-Nothing," sets the tone of the rest of the album, as Brian King's guitar enters with distortion to spare. In fact, the sound is so similar to the beginning of a My Bloody Valentine song that you could be forgiven for thinking that Japandroids is really just a Kevin Shields side project. At least until David Prowse's drums kick in and its clear we aren't in shoe gaze territory. Prowse slams his drums like a champ, and he fills sound like an ex-hardcore drummer at work. The juxtaposition of Prowse's powerful drumming and King's dreamy guitar work make this album interesting, and their ability to make a two-piece band sound like a five-piece band is what makes it impressive. The album's standout track, and assuredly its first single, is the joyous "Young Hearts Spark Fire." This track also highlights what separates Japandroids from fellow guitar/drum duo No Age. Where No Age chooses to emphasize their minimalism through experimental tracks, Japandroids casts it aside in favor of fuzzy noise that highlights the fact that, at their core, Japandroids songs are pop songs - pop songs about the conflicted emotions that come with growing up. "We've finished our old lives/and I've finished off the wine," King sings as the song begins. He goes onto say, "You can keep tomorrow/after tonight we're not going to need it," before concluding with, "We used to dream/now we're worried about dying." Is it a little histrionic? Well, sure. But as someone who is staring unemployment, adulthood and the death of youth in the face, it's tough to hear King's lyrics and not feel that there is truth to what he says, despite the somewhat melodramatic tenor. It would be easy to pigeonhole "Post-Nothing" as a minimalist noise-pop album or an all-too-frequently released pop-punk record about the pains of growing up, but to do so would be almost offensively reductive. "Post-Nothing" does contain all of those elements, but is so ingratiating with its hooks and interesting with its noise and distortion experiments that the album rises above any easy categorization. My advice is this: read to the end of this sentence, stop whatever it is that you are doing, go listen to the album on Last.fm, mark April 28th on your calendar and then, at the appropriate time, buy this album - because it's too good to not have your own copy.
(01/22/09 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] THE FAMILY LOWES"My sister, when she was working on her thesis, would spend a lot of time in Proctor," recalled Matt Lowes '10 of Sara Lowes '07. "She would wake up early, eat breakfast, then have a second breakfast, then '11-sies,' and then lunch."Although "little Lowes" would tease his older sibling about her bizarre eating and study habits - " I think a lot of people that work in Proctor learn that you don't actually get any work done there," he said - at least Matt knew precisely where to find Sara when he needed advice on Economics classes or simply wanted to hear about her weekend.As they did at family dinners in Texas, the Lowes siblings, during their shared time at Middlebury, would use meal time to catch up, but unlike family dinners, their encounters were often unplanned."We had our own lives, but also got to see each other pretty regularly," said Matt. "I most often saw her in the dining hall. When we would see each other, it was mostly about getting to check up on each other."Despite the College's small size that allowed them to run into each other in the dining hall by chance, the siblings maintained very separate lives and identities. While Sara devoted her time at Middlebury to the frisbee and debate teams, Matt immersed himself in Christian Fellowship and volunteering at the John W. Graham Emergency Shelter in Vergennes, Vt."I think that the most interesting part about it is that like most siblings, we fought growing up and when she went off to college, the separation made us appreciate each other more," Matt said, explaining how the mutual appreciation was maintained in spite of the significantly shrunk separation. "And then coming to college, we each had our separate activities so it wasn't like growing up. We only had one year together which I think is the right amount of time because I could see how after too many years together you might start to encroach on each other's social territory… I'm glad I got to share a small part of my sister's college experience."-H.Kay MerrimanTHE FAMILY PEACHMorgan Peach '09 knows very well the beginning of his nine-member family legacy spanning more than a century at Middlebury."My grandfather actually mistakenly proposed to my grandmother when they were here," Peach said. "He was interested in her - he would give the morning announcements in chapel that they used to do - and he would see her every day. She had this wonderful posture that really appealed to my grandfather … but he was a shy, bashful guy so he sent her a telegram in Forrest where she was living. He wrote on the telegram, 'Take my hand, you already have my heart.' My grandmother misconstrued it as a wedding proposal when in fact he was asking her out on a date. She agreed to the marriage, and so it was," he recalled.Before that fateful telegram between Ted Peach '43 and Dolly Peach '45, Morgan's great-grandfather Arthur Peach had graduated from Middlebury in 1904. After the telegram, Morgan's parents, Steve Peach '71 and Laura Fuller '73, and his aunt, Chris Peach '75, matriculated. The current generation of Peaches includes Morgan, his brother Ian '07.5 and his sister Molly '11.5."It's a fairly ridiculous lineage," Morgan said. "The Peach name is reinvented with every new generation here, but the hope is that with that reinvention you're staying true to this history of what it means to be a Peach in the Middlebury world. We're an intellectual and sort of fiery bunch. Everyone has their own particular perspective to share."The Peaches share that intellectual curiosity as well as a dgree of a love of the outdoors, self-sufficiency, but they have all found their own niches in the Middlebury community. Morgan spoke of his aunt as a wild child of the '70s, his father as the 'big man on campus' fraternity president and his mother as a hard worker focused on her studies and extracurricular activities."To some degree there are shared characteristics that all Peaches have," Morgan said. "I enjoy getting a little bit wild like my aunt Chris, and I think I'm disciplined and intellectual like my mother was."-Lea Calderon-GutheTHE FAMILY SILTONThe potential beginnings of a family legacy at Middlebury, Ben '11 and Will Silton '10 followed in their father's footsteps and became the second generation of Siltons to attend Middlebury. Both brothers say Richard Silton '80 never pushed them to go to Middlebury and neither of them ever planned on it, but frequent visits to the town and the Snow Bowl as kids made the school a positive presence and a definite option."It wasn't until I saw a lot of other schools and then did a formal college visit to Middlebury that I knew I'd enjoy attending this school," said Will. "My father never put an ounce of pressure on me to apply here - he let me figure that out for myself. Perhaps that was one of the reasons I chose Middlebury because I knew it was a purely personal decision."The brothers did not plan on going to college together either, but knowing that Will was here tipped the scale for Ben in favor of Middlebury over Tufts University."It's been really nice having an older brother pave the way for me," said Ben. "He tests the waters, and I get to choose what I want to avoid and what I want to experience."Will also appreciates that he is a year ahead of his brother."I think if we were in the same year and came here together, it wouldn't have been as hard for me to adjust, but it also wouldn't have built as much character," said Will.Will and Ben have many of the same interests and they find themselves skiing together frequently, attending the same parties and playing on the same intramural basketball team, but Ben named a laundry list of differences that allow each of them their own space on campus"Will prefers a small group of close friends and I prefer a larger group of perhaps not-as-close friends; Will plays video games, I don't; Will is very messy, I am very neat; I like nature and the outdoors and Will doesn't care for it much, but I think being at Middlebury is slowly changing that," said Ben. "Being at college together has given us a deeper understanding of each other's natures in a largely social sense. I think we also appreciate the familial bond more." -Lea Calderon-GutheTHE FAMILY ADLERAfter experiencing a lifetime as "one of the Adlers," one dynasty especially magnified at tiny Middlebury College, R.J. Adler '11.5 feels that the recognition is positive. "I feel an immediate sense of pride that I get to be associated with my siblings. Normally when people meet me they say, 'Hey! Now I've caught 'em all!' as if they were the only people to have ever completed that Pokemon-esque challenge."After all, of the six Adler siblings, five attended Middlebury College.The siblings in the Adler Dynasty (R.J. '11.5, Emily '07.5, Robbie '05.5, Benjy '03 and Ted '99.5) share similar interests and values (being a Feb obviously one of them) which include skiing, hiking, camping and being outside in general. However, even with commonalities, the Adlers always found (and are still finding) their specific niches at the College, as well as very different friend groups.Emily majored in International Studies with a focus in Africa and minored in Teacher Education. R.J. Adler, the youngest of the crew, is a Theatre Major with a minor in Teacher Education as well. (But as his siblings would describe it, he is, for Winter Team at least, "a major in skiing and a minor in partying.")As R.J. watched his siblings grow at Middlebury and share their stories with him, the idea of attending the College inspired him."For me, the words 'college' and 'Middlebury' were interchangeable," said RJ, "For a few years I thought that people went to Middlebury and n
o other colleges."Yet R.J. did have quite another compelling reason to want to attend this school. He was nine years old when he went to visit his brother Ted for the night."Apparently I went to a party and spent the entire night (until 12 a.m.) dancing with one girl," said R.J. "I went back to my fourth grade class and told everybody."Though their highs and lows have differed, the Adler siblings are united in their family pride."The best, and worst [part of being a member of a dynasty at Middlebury], is that everyone identifies you as so-and-so's sister," explained Emily. "This can be both bad and good. The bad part is that it is mostly annoying. The good part though is that it can also be this amazing gift in terms of meeting people ... you make friends with a lot of folks because people associate you with your brother."-Rachael JenningsTHE FAMILY WOODThe Wood legacy at Middlebury began with a trunk. On their first day at Middlebury in 1967, Alan Wood '71 carried a trunk for Martha McCravey '71 up to her room in her all-girls dorm. 25 years later, they took a picture of all four of their kids sitting on the canon in downtown Middlebury, and eight years after that, their first daughter, Gillian Wood '04, began her first day at Middlebury College, followed by her brother Gabe Wood '06 and twin siblings Caitlin and Micah Wood '10. Ironically, Caitlin spent her first year at Tufts University before transferring to Middlebury, but as a child, she was the only one of her siblings who wanted to follow in her parents' footsteps."Out of the four of us, growing up none of them wanted to go here, but I did. When it came time to choose, they all ended up here and I went somewhere else," Caitlin said. "I took 'the road less traveled,' and it was really, really hard, but I got here. My parents have always stressed academics and education, especially a liberal arts education. They tried to push all of us in this direction."Parental push-and-pull aside, Caitlin and her siblings might have avoided Middlebury until the last minute because of each other. All hard workers and nearly all varsity athletes, the very qualities that have made the Wood family excel at Middlebury keep its members from getting too close at school, as exemplified in Caitlin and Micah's interactions."We don't see each other much at all because we're busy, competitive - our whole family is really competitive - and we fight a lot," Caitlin said. "Micah is also definitely more science- and math-oriented and he's tri-varsity, a big athlete. I get more of the language and environmental studies aspect of Middlebury, and I'm more of a reader just floating along, but Middlebury definitely suits both of our strengths."-Lea Calderon-GutheTHE FAMILY BURLEIGHEmmy and Connor Burleigh '10.5 lived their life as twins a bit differently than the norm. Instead of parting ways when they ventured to college, they reunited. The pair had attended separate high schools - Connor went to boarding school while Emmy stayed home.Though very different in terms of personality (Connor is "a bit more of a party animal" and Emmy is "a better student"), their choice about where to spend the four years of their post high school life showed that they do have similarities."We approached the college application process open to the idea of going to school together, almost like a fun bonus to a good school," explained Emmy.At Middlebury, Connor and Emmy share some of the same friends, since they both entered school as Febs. However, as the semesters passed, they have branched out and made new and separate friends, while still maintaining their roots.Connor is a History major and spends his time playing rugby, working as an emergency medical technician in town, and as an active member of Omega Alpha (Tavern). Emmy is a joint Sociology-Psychology major with a minor in Economics. Cooking for Dolci, playing for the Otters Hockey team in town and helping first-year students in Ross are some of the areas in which she focuses her time.Even with their busy schedules, the Burleigh twins still enjoy their family time."We see each other almost every day, usually just running into each other at meals or seeing each other out on weekends," said Emmy. "I think this is probably more related to the fact that Proctor is closed so we tend to eat in the same dining hall for lunch."Connor described part of the bonus of having a twin with whom to share lunch as"having someone who has to listen to you when you talk."The worst part?"Having my parents call me to tell him something," said Emmy.-Rachael Jennings
(01/22/09 12:00am)
Author: Andrey Tolstoy College, I gather, is a formative experience for the young Americans who elect to take part in this fine tradition. It is a place where they not only acquire a deeper and broader understanding of the world around them, but also learn savvy social skills, explore one another's anatomy and develop stamina for the ingestion of animal end-products referred to by some as "beer." As the representative of a nation most arbitrarily selected as the world's symbol for alcoholism, I cannot hide my anxiety regarding this last fact.Every time I see a $50,000 suburban assault vehicle pull up to Adirondack Circle and discharge four freshmen laden with 30-racks of light beverage, I lose a good portion of my faith in humanity. Drinking quality alcohol is a matter of self-respect, and it's a pathetic reflection on our collective ethos that Keystone, Busch and other brands of carbonated bongwater remain staples of Middlebury's party scene. In an effort to help my transatlantic fellow man, I have compiled this brief Middlebury Sommelier's Guide to Drinking with Dignity.Locally available beer is divided into three categories. The first category comes in blue packaging and under names commonly referring to "ice" or other states of water, since there is little beer involved. Price range (you guessed it): $15 for 30. Don't touch that. More importantly, don't let your guests touch that - out of respect for them. The second category is Vermont beer. It's more expensive - $12-15 for a case of 12 - but definitely worth the cost. I would stay away from the lighter brews, since they tend to be on the watery side; however, the darker ones are excellent. Because they are also heavier, reserve them for smaller occasions, like picnics or barbecues, where you don't intend on drinking much.Finally, you have the imported brands, which are usually a dollar per case more expensive than Vermont brews. After many years in Prague, I'm a strong advocate of Czech beer. Unfortunately, the Czech Republic's primary export is Pilsner Urquell, which is inferior to most of its domestic competitors. Of course, this is no reason to underestimate its power: Urquell is divine nectar compared to other light beers you'll find in the supermarket. (If you ever come across Staropramen, know you've struck gold). Heineken is always a good choice and comes in a variety of convenient serving vessels, including mini-kegs. For the best lager experience, get Stella Artois.Poor people in Russia drink counterfeit cologne and ethanol extracted from anti fungal foot ointment, but that's no reason to drink Popov or Fleischmann's. The lowest common denominator of drinkable vodkas is Smirnoff, because it is supposedly distilled three times. (Note: American Smirnoff : Russian Smirnoff :: American Budweiser : Czech Budweiser). Acceptable for use in punch or, minimally, in mixed drinks. For all other uses, stoop no lower than Absolut. The Swedes have led a phenomenal marketing campaign, but their product has a funny, sharp aftertaste which makes flavored varieties preferable to the original. The best option - both in terms of taste and budget - is "Three Olives," an English brand with a remarkably smooth taste compared to its price tag of $30 per handle.Although Dmitry Mendeleev created the modern recipe for distilling vodka (hence the Russian claim to it being a national beverage), the drink originates in Poland. For a real treat, try the Polish brands Belvedere or Pravda, both available at Hannaford. If you like vodka with the "peppered" taste so popular in Russia, our local supermarket also carries "Russian Standard."The point of my column is not to advertise the products I have listed (though I am interested in their financial success), but to promote a more gourmet approach to drinking. The consumption of alcohol should not be something one is inured to by weekend habit, but rather by the careful selection of personal preferences. So, choose responsibly. Cheers!
(01/15/09 12:00am)
Author: Jessica Kissinger MOVIE: Mister LonelyDIRECTOR: Harmony KorineSTARRING: Diego Luna & Samantha MortonA forlorn little film, "Mister Lonely" whizzed in and out of theaters, and yet, despite its rather quirky premise - the story primarily concerns a commune of impersonators - the film teems with melancholic beauty as director Harmony Korine performs an incredible visual experiment, setting historical and literary figures fully decked out in exuberant costume against the gloomy Scottish countryside."Mister Lonely" opens when a dejected Michael Jackson (Diego Luna) meets Marilyn Monroe (Samantha Morton) while performing at a nursing home in Paris. After spending the afternoon together, Marilyn invites Michael to live on a commune. They arrive at a lush farm in the highlands topped with a luxurious castle where Charlie Chaplin (Denis Lavant), Abraham Lincoln (Richard Strange), Buckwheat (Michael-Joel Stuart) and the Pope (James Fox), among others, tend to animals and the land and put on a variety show. Korine joins this narrative with a secondary story about nuns who jump out of an airplane without parachutes to prove their faith in God. The two plots never meet; however, be it a story about faith in God or the refuge of a commune, both share the notion that illusions mask human frailty. With these illusions, characters forget that, in Marilyn's words, "it takes longer to live than to die." Korine expertly highlights this idea by coupling the characters' suspension of reality with visual suspension, frequently dipping into slow motion or allowing the wind to catch the nuns' robes and lift the hems of Marilyn's white dress.The film brims with several tangential episodes that contribute more to a philosophy than a plot. Soon after Michael joins the commune, men in full body suits, fit more for toxic chemicals than veterinary work, extract blood samples from the sheep, determining that the animals are infected and must be killed. Abraham Lincoln decides that it would only be appropriate for the members of the commune to kill the animals, so they all huddle together for the death of the sheep as the three stooges shoot them execution style. Most of the characters have private moments with the camera, which Director of Photography Marcel Zyskind takes full advantage of by stringing together a series of stunning (though disassociated) images. These private shots seem to stand outside of time, briefly seizing a character's interiority, just as Michael attempts to slow time and capture others' essential selves by speaking into his tape recorder. His thoughts become a sparse narration that wafts over film like the highland haze.Though decked in fantastical attire, all of the actors gve fairly muted and internal performances, the only exception being a short tempered Lincoln who laces his every phrase with more four letter words than standard English ones. Still, much stirs beneath sad-eyed smiles of these characters - especially the ever-tragic Monroe. "Mister Lonely" becomes an examination of human frailty and loneliness, a film that speaks to quiet sadness and an odd sense of beauty that accompanies the dejected.
(01/15/09 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] FOUR FACULTY MEMBERS PROMOTED TO POSITION OF ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, EFFECTIVE JULYOn Dec. 4, the Board of Trustees granted promotions to four faculty members. This July, Assistant Professor of Psychology Jason Arndt, Assistant Professor of History Louisa Burnham, Assistant Professor of Economics Jessica Holmes and Assistant Professor of Film and Media Culture Christian Keathley will each assume the post of associate professor.With the exception of Holmes, who joined Middlebury in 2001, each of these professors began their career at the College in 2002. Both Burnham and Holmes previously occupied positions on the Faculty Council, while Arndt acted on the Institutional Review Board and Keathley served on the Curriculum Committee.Arndt has taught a variety of courses, from the psychology department's introductory course to a seminar on animal cognition, and focuses his research on human memory and recognition. He has published articles in Memory and Cognition and the Journal of Memory and Language.Burnham has taught courses entitled "The Making of Europe" and "The Mediterranean World." In 2008, Cornell University Press published her book, So Great a Light, So Great a Smoke: The Beguin Heretics of Languedoc. She is currently in the process of writing Medieval Heresy: The Church's Struggle for Orthodoxy and Survival.Holmes focuses on health economics and economic development. She and her colleagues, Associate Professor of Economics Jeff Carpenter and James B. Jermain Professor of Political Economy Peter Matthews recently received a National Science Foundation award to study charity auctions. Holmes teaches a diverse array of courses, including " The Economics of 'Sin'," the economics of social issues and "Public Finance."Mark Carlough '12 described Keathley, his first-year seminar instructor, as "a professor who really tries to get his students to think about the material." Keathley helped start a service-learning project for the Vermont Folk Life Center and is currently working on a book entitled The Mystery of Otto Preminger."It was a temendous joy for me to receive tenure," wrote Keathley in an e-mail, "mainly because it means I will for sure be staying in a community that I love -- both the college and the town. -Dana WaltersANTI-KIDNAP EXPERT ALUM ABDUCTED IN MEXICOOn the evening of Dec 10., Felix Batista '77 was abducted outside of an upscale restaurant in Saltillo, Mexico. Batista resides in Miami, Fla., where he works as an anti-kidnapping expert. He is widely known and has successfully negotiated the release of hundreds of kidnapping victims in Latin America. According to ASI Global, a firm that provides security experts to protect high-profile businesspeople and their families, Batista acted as a response coordinator whose primary job was to secure the release of captives instead of jailing kidnappers. The police invited Batista to the Mexican state of Coahuila to give seminars on security issues. He was not assigned to handle a kidnapping during the time of the abduction. According to friends, Batista stepped outside the restaurant to answer a cell phone call. A security camera outside the restaurant revealed that there was an SUV parked outside and that Batista entered the vehicle. However, the police are unsure whether he was hauled into the SUV forcefully, or if he got in willingly. The incident occurred just a month after Batista said in a television interview that Mexico is one of the worst places in the world to be kidnapped. Mexico is infamous for its high number of kidnappings. Some independent groups claim that roughly 500 people a month are kidnapped in the country. Just a few weeks before Batista was abducted, the state of Coahuila made a public plea to reinstate a now-defunct law that sentences convicted kidnappers to the death penalty. Some believe that Batista's kidnapping was a direct response to that plea. Batista graduated from Middlebury in 1977 and earned an M.A. in Spanish from the Middlebury College Language School in 1991.-Tim O'Grady
(12/04/08 12:00am)
Author: Jason Gutierrez It's that time; time for the "best of" lists to start rolling out. It might be a little bit early for me to jump into this list-making frenzy, but a look ahead at the upcoming album releases tells me I won't be missing out on much if I start early. This might be making a huge assumption, but somehow I don't think the new All-American Rejects album is going to revolutionize the way we, as a society, listen to music. In any case, this is what's been blasting out of my headphones this year.1. "Rabbit Habbits" by Man Man - Lurking behind the circus-show front this Philly-based band puts up is a wounded showman in the form of Honus Honus. While the music may be bizarre, the lyrics are positively devastating. Songs like the title track and "Easy Eats or Dirty Doctor Galapagos" both paint the portraits of relationships gone wrong in the form of three-minute pop songs of the absurd. What makes Man Man's latest offering truly spectacular is that they present songs that cover a lot of the same thematic territory as other pop songs (admittedly, the eight-plus minute long "Dear Jackie," which imagines being murdered by a female Jack the Ripper, isn't exactly standard pop fare), but do it in a completely original and inventive way. It's a fantastic album that is head and shoulders above everything else that came out this year. 2. "For Emma, Forever Ago" by Bon Iver - Although technically released in 2007, the incredibly poignant debut album from Bon Iver (a.k.a. Justin Vernon) got a proper release from Jagjaguwar Records in 2008. "For Emma, Forever Ago" is largely made up of demos Vernon recorded while in self-imposed exile at a winter cabin in the woods of northern Wisconsin. In an age when emotional lyrics are more a business plan than anything else, there is a lot to be admired in someone who is sincere when he puts his heart on his sleeve. 3. "Feed The Animals" by Girl Talk - I'm almost positive that Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) loves the fair use clause of American copyright law almost as much as the Film & Media Culture Department. Gillis' latest offering uses a mind-boggling 300+ samples, all in the name of creating the greatest piece of pop art since Warhol started doodling soup cans. Plus, there is a sort of bent appeal to hearing Tom Petty's "American Girl" sped up with Timbaland's "Drop" playing over it. 4. "Stay Positive" by the Hold Steady - "Me and my friends are like / the drums on Lust for Life / we pound it out on floor toms / Our songs are sing-a-long songs," The Hold Steady's frontman Craig Finn sings/speaks on, "Constructive Summer," the opening track of "Stay Positive." It's almost as if Finn has reached through thirty years of recorded music, grabbed Iggy Pop by the throat, and shook him around while yelling, "We will rock harder than you." They do. It's awesome. 5. "Same Old Song" by Greg Baldwin & the Aesthetics - Much was made of just-out-of-college bands Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot this year. Nothing was made of this still-in-college band from New York's Westchester County. Baldwin and Co. aren't out to reinvent the wheel; they just want to make you dance a little bit and smile even more. They succeed. Their debut album is chock-full of fantastically catchy (but not saccharine) power-pop ditties that you can't help but love and then replay. 6. "The Stand Ins" by Okkervil River - Conceived as the second half to last year's "Stage Names," Okkervil River's latest offering divided critics and fans alike. I found myself thoroughly enthralled by "The Stand Ins." It isn't as immediately accessible as its predecessor, but it is a more than worthy companion. In "Lost Coastlines" and "Calling and Not Calling My Ex," bandleader Will Sheff has created two of this year's best songs. 7. "Airing of Grievances" by Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus is an emo band for people who hate emo bands. They're also a hyperliterate band for people who hate hyperliterate bands. Such is the contradiction that is Titus Andronicus. Their debut album borrows a bit from The Pixies, Black Flag and Bruce Springsteen, but it's all so convincingly put together that you barely even notice their influences. Lead singer Patrick Stickles has a voice that sounds like Conor Oberst yelling at a bear, which is made not only tolerable but pleasant by the manic energy of his band and the tightly constructed songs. It might sound like a mess, but it's a fantastic mess. 8. Jaguar Love- Take Me to The Sea-When I first heard that ex-Blood Brothers Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato were teaming up with former Pretty Girls Make Graves member Jay Clark to form an art punk supergroup I was beside myself with joy. Finally a super group that isn't god awful! Needless to say, their debut album was highly anticipated (for me at least). Whatever expectations I had were met and then some. It's a very hard to pin down album that is equal parts glam, punk, post and dance rock. Likewise, Johnny Whitney's lyrics are surreal, but have enough sentiment to not make them disposable.
(12/04/08 12:00am)
Author: Alexxa Gotthardt Last Thursday 85 students gathered at the Middlebury College Museum of Art (MCMA), transforming the oft-secluded space into an unexpected pop-up hangout. Organized by the Museum Assistants Program (MAP), a group of 17 student volunteers trained in museum education, the after-hours gathering began with small-group gallery tours, and ended with a lively reception complete with hors d'oeuvres, cider and wine. The event, dubbed MAP and Friends, highlighted recent efforts by MCMA and MAP to bring an increased number of Middlebury students to the Museum. The evening was sponsored jointly by MCMA and the Department of History of Art and Architecture.According to Curator of Education Sandi Olivo, Education Interns Sonia Epstein '09, Pujan Ghandi '09 and Ramona Richards '09 brainstormed the event after conducting tours at an exhibition presentation and wine tasting organized for MCMA's membership group, Friends of the Art Museum (FOAM). At this function, FOAM invited non-members with the hopes that they would join the Museum. Similarly, at the recent student-centric event, each Museum Assistant invited several friends who they hoped would enjoy learning about MCMA. "We wanted to exclusively invite students to the event because it is the Middlebury student body that forgets that the Museum is for us," said Richards of the inspiration for MAP and Friends. "We share it with local school groups and visitors, but it is a teaching museum and it is ours to enjoy, but hardly anyone makes it down there."Increasing student attendance and participation is among MCMA's primary goals, matched only by the Museum's commitment to strengthening its permanent collection. The former task, however, has proved difficult. Director of MCMA Richard Saunders outlined several challenges that might hinder student turnout including the Museum's peripheral campus location, the presence of security and the perception of exhibitions as distant or stuffy. Saunders also attributed the lack of student attendance to the busy lifestyle at the College. "Middlebury students have many options that compete for their time (classes, assignments, dining, sleeping, spending time with friends, staying fit, etc.), so the time actually allocated to an otherwise seemingly unrelated visual experience - going to a museum - is finite," said Saunders. "Our goal, then, is to determine how we can make students more curious about visiting the museum in their already activity laden days."Though these challenges are real, the Thursday evening gathering seemed to suggest they are not insurmountable. Many of the guests had never set foot in the Museum, and even more students attended the event than anticipated by the RSVPs. Discussion throughout the tours was animated, ranging from talk of ancient Chinese painting and poetry spurred by the visiting exhibition "Artists and Ancestors" to musings on photography of the 1980s and AIDS inspired by an iconic Robert Mapplethorpe image. After exploring the Museum's various galleries, students lingered at the reception, sipping wine and mingling. Leah Bevis '09 summed up the reactions of many of the guests. "I wouldn't say that I generally think of the Museum as a student space, but being led by student tour guides definitely made it seem more accessible," said Bevis. "To dress up, have a glass of wine and talk about art with friends made it seem like a special occasion." Saunders, too, recognized the success of the event, hinting at more student-aimed functions to come at MCMA. "My sense is that many students are very eager to accept invitations by their peers to visit the museum," said Saunders. "So my hope is that this kind of activity will become a regular part of our annual events planning."
(11/20/08 12:00am)
Author: Stephanie Joyce, Ian Trombulak, Adam Schaffer, and Tess Russell COLLEGE KEEPS UP WITH CURRENT PRINTING TRENDSEven printing has a taken on a distinctly green hue in recent years as Middlebury has kept pace with the national trend, switching to 100 percent post-consumer waste paper in most publications, reducing printed publications and encouraging recycling. Even so, the limited oversight of publications on campus leaves the choice to 'go green' or not print at all largely up to the individual. Steve Goodman, manager of Reprographics, the on-campus printer, estimates that roughly 25,000 pages get printed for College purposes every day. Programs, sports schedules, event fliers, alumni newsletters, yearbooks and directories are just some of the daily printing projects at Middlebury.Reprographics designer Lyn DeGraff noted the importance of using environmentally friendly papers, inks and printing practices, but was quick to point out that cost plays a major role in decisions about printing. "Often it's more expensive to be environmentally friendly, so it requires cutting back on quantity to compensate," she said.Sometimes though, all that is required is innovation. In an effort to be both sustainable and cost-effective, The Center for Campus Activities and Leadership (CCAL) has ceased their bi-annual mailing of student fundraising projects, opting instead to send a postcard inviting parents to a Web site. Other publications, such as New Faces and the Winter Term Workshop catalog have simply been reduced in number and target only specific groups.The alternative, of course, is not to print at all. Director of Communications Maggie Paine stressed the importance of thinking before printing. "How do you get the right message to the right people at the right time?" she asked. "That's how we can be good stewards of the College's mission and money." COUNT PAPER PROVES COST-EFFECTIVE AND ECO-FRIENDLYThe College's most noticeable effort to increase environmental friendliness may be the biomass gasification boiler next to the McCullough Student Center, but smaller initiatives such as Count Paper are aiding the cause as well. The initiative, which began last year in the form of e-mail notifications to all students reporting their individual paper consumption from networked printers, aims to cut paper waste in half.The basic idea of the Count Paper initiative is to remind students that every sheet counts. It will not restrict your paper use - rather, it will tell you the exact number of sheets you have used. Carol Peddie of Library and Information Services undertook the challenge following a charge by the environmental council on campus to address the paper waste on campus. Though the initiative began with the environment in mind, the increasingly bleak state of the economy now gives the initiative the dual purpose of being a vital cost cutter as well. If the College can reduce the amount of paper it wastes by half through initiatives like Count Paper, as well as an increased level of encouragement to print on both sides of a sheet, it will reduce the budgetary stress and allow the College to focus its resources elsewhere. Unlike the biomass gasification boiler, the Count Paper initiative does not come at any cost; instead, it serves to reduce cost in addition to promoting eco-friendly behavior, getting us that much closer to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2016. GREEN ORIENTATION DRAWS MIXED REVIEWS FROM STUDENTSRanked as the number one "school that gets it" by the Sierra Club for its environmental initiatives, the College has extended its stewardship to educate students and staff on maximizing campus sustainability. The effects of such programs, however, remain in question. All residential life staff were required to undergo a 45 minute session to help them to "better understand the issues and priorities and practices of sustainability at Middlebury and to be better able to communicate with students about the topic," explained Sustainability Integration Director Jack Byrne in an e-mail.Reflecting on the experience, however, many were left without useful knowledge."All I remember is that we should unplug our computers when we're not using them and use energy saving lighting, and then I fell asleep," said Will James '10, a First-Year Counselor (FYC) in Ross.Also remembering many students nodding off during the program, fellow FYC Emmy Burleigh '10 felt that the experience failed to connect environmental sustainability practices to her job as an FYC."It didn't relate at all back to what our job was, and the point of our training … was to be prepared for our job for this year," she said. "It was not relevant at all."During a recent review of programs undertaken by residential life staff, Burleigh recalled this environmental program as one that many FYCs believed to have failed to educate them for their work ahead.Byrne, for his part, now gives a new employee orientation to help people joining the College community integrate sustainability into their work with the College.The College also attempted to include first-year students in the process. Each incoming student was sent a welcome letter encouraging the use of public transportation, recycling and energy conservation.Nina Wright '12 said that although she does not remember this mailing or receiving specific guidance from her FYCs about how to be more environmentally friendly, "there still is an overall atmosphere of environmentalism on campus."FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR SITE DEMYSTIFIES CARBON STATSAs Middlebury students, we are certainly conscious of our carbon footprints and cognizant of small steps we can take to reduce the impact that we have on climate change. Still, it can be hard to grasp the weight of our personal carbon contributions when faced with intangible metric measurements. With that in mind, the Global Footprint Network (GFN), a nonprofit organization which cooperates with various campaigns and initiatives to work towards a sustainable future, has created an interactive "footprint calculator," located at www.footprintcalculator.org.Unlike other carbon quizzes, the GFN's calculator is easy to use and couches emissions in easily relatable terms, showing as a final result how many "earths" it takes to support each of our lifestyles. To start, participants are enabled to choose from a range of wacky hairstyles and outfit choices to create their own avatars, whom they will follow through a series of questions.The first query deals with dietary habits - specifically, we are asked how often we consume animal-based products, how much of our food is processed and where the majority of our food comes from - and respondents can elect to provide a few "basic" answers or, alternatively, multiple "detailed" answers. Subsequent questions deal with our recycling habits, our usage of electricity, the size and structure of our homes and our travel patterns via public transportation, car, motorbike and airplane. The graphics, which show our waste literally mounting up on our computer screen in the form of plastic bottles, power lines and gas-guzzling automobiles, are both amusing and intentionally disturbing.And now, the moment of truth: how many planet Earths would we need to provide enough resources for everyone to "live like me"? I will not disclose the exact amount, but I can tell you that it is not too far off that incurred by Jack Byrne, the College's director of sustainability integration, and that the "average" American uses five times (i.e., five planets worth) his or her share of Earth's resources. Perhaps the most useful aspect of the GFN calculator is that it allows users to backtrack to direct questions and see where their environmental impact is the most significant - I was doing pretty well until the air travel section. (Looks like it might be time
to find some new vacation spots.)In addition to its personal footprint calculator, GFN's Web site allows users to compute the output produced by their businesses, cities and nations. They also provide a useful, and surprisingly comprehensible, explanation of how the equation for the "planet" figures was designed.
(11/20/08 12:00am)
Author: Andrea Glaessner "Conservation Congress" conjures up an image of a room full of Vermonters drawing up legislation and making decisions on local environmental issues. Against the backdrop of society's current fixation with climate change and national politics, "conservation" could only mean environmental conservation, and "congress" obviously alludes to decision making and action. Yet at the end of the day, the Addison County Conservation Congress did not produce laws, nor did the group spend hours debating the merits of wood pellets over clean coal energy. Instead, participants of the Congress walked out of Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol singing the lyrics of a song called "Hope" in a three-part harmony. "It was ephemeral, it's about learning. [It was] never intended to be an institution or to have a life beyond the day," explained David Brynn, one of the main organizers of the event. "The idea is that people can just relax, it's not about policy setting, not about voting. [It's] a chance for people to sit around and just get to it."Co-sponsored by the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACoRN) and Vermont Family Forests (VFF), this year's event opened up to encompass a range of topics. Focusing on three issues - peak oil, the financial crisis and climate change - the 150 attendees divided into 12 rooms to discuss these issues through the lens of various aspects of the community from food and farming to heat and power to faith and spirituality. Each room's discussion was led by an expert or leader in the respective area.Rather than placing environmental conservation at the center of the discussion, it was taken as a given. "We basically made the point that we were assuming that we were going to take excellent care of the land, that we view land as the foundation of the community and that all our plans would keep in mind that we needed to sustain the health of the land," explained Brynn.Brynn has been organizing these Conservation Congress forums for community dialogue since the 1990s. The first Congress was held in 1993, and Brynn continued organizing the forums annually for the next five years before taking 10 years off. "The idea, initially, was that we needed a place where the community could come together and discuss controversial conservation issues in an environment that's respectful, but get right to some of the major conservation issues facing us," said Brynn.Last year's Conservation Congress marked the first one in a decade, and focused on community energy. As successful as it was, Brynn decided to keep the tradition going, hence the decision to organize this year's Conservation Congress, imbuing it with a new theme entitled "Visioning Our Community in 2020 and Mapping the Next Steps to Get There."Initially, the Congress forums tended to focus exclusively on "conventionally defined conservation sustainable forestry and energy," said College Professor John Elder, who led the "visioning exercise" in this year's event. But according to Elder, the context of this year's event was more inclusive than that of years past."[The environmental movement] has evolved quite a bit in the last quarter century, and while wilderness conservation and biodiversity are all still highly important, we have a tendency now to integrate them with the needs for social sustainability and the human community; we see them all as inextricable," said Elder, "I think this is good because it makes environmental movement feel pertinent to a broader range of society, some of whom were inclined to think it elitist before."The idea for this year's theme came about over a typical afternoon coffee break at the Bristol Bakery and Café. "It actually started right here, almost a year ago now," said Jonathan Corcoran, who helped Brynn organize the event. Corcoran's connection to the event comes through ACoRN, which promotes awareness about local sustainability, primarily through food and energy. "We're just a loose network of people who are really interested in rebuilding the local economy around our basic needs," said Corcoran, explaining ACoRN.Corocoran described the context for this year's Congress as "The Great Turning." Arguing that we are "on the cusp of this change that some say is as big as the shift from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance," Corcoran believes humans, and Addison County more specifically, are gradually shifting dependence back toward local and regional economies.With the context in place of future change and transition to local - as opposed to global - economic interdependence, Brynn and Corcoran began delving into the details."From there, David and I started talking about bringing the community together to vision our future in 2020. We started with 12 rooms, [going] from our most basic material needs, to our social needs, to our spiritual needs. We really tried to basically represent the entire community. The idea is that people would go into these rooms and spend several hours visioning 2020, and then come out of that with a common vision," said Corcoran.The vision for the congress conjured up in the Bristol bakery was realized one year later. Over 150 participants engaged in deep discussion over the future of Addison County and how to design its destiny. Yet several features of the daylong discussion were innovative additions to the old Congress model. The introductory "ohm" chanting, the "localvore" lunch made from Vermont's best local goods, the envisioning exercise led by John Elder, and the "cranky show" (a type of moveable animation) at the end of the day were a few of the new, exciting additions. According to Elder, "In each group there was a highly skilled artist who tried to boil down some of our objectives and put it into a kind of moveable animation. Then they made a kind of movie in which the images of our conversation formed a continuous sequence." "If you can envision the future you want then it's easier to make it a reality and bear in mind how you want to achieve that ideal," said Elder.As for the physical results of the Congress, each group produced a "vision statement" inclusive of major ideas discussed, along with three decisions of how to implement that vision within each individual's respective household, town and within the county."To sum it up, it was really about celebrating community and celebrating what we have and just recognizing what a beautiful, rich place we live in, and at the same time, making it clear that we really have come to a crossroads, and that its up to us to create our future," said Corcoran.
(11/20/08 12:00am)
Author: Jesse Davidson If you want to call yourself an athlete, but don't want to deal with physical contact, sweating, or heavy breathing, I think I have found your sport. You need only three accessories - a big stick, a piece of metal, and fondness for all things slippery. In a competitive sport known as "worm grunting," found in Florida and other southern states, an "athlete" sees how many earthworms he or she can pluck from the ground in a limited amount of time, the record firmly standing today at 511 worms in 30 minutes. There is no digging involved, though. The competitor stabs the stick into the ground, shears the top with a metal file or saw (creating a grunting sound), and waits eagerly as earthworms struggle to the surface of the soil for immediate capture. While this technique has been used for many years by fisherman to score some free bait, not until last month has science swooped in and found that this shearing of metal-on-stick produces the same sound frequencies as a burrowing mole - an earthworm epicure. A worm gets fooled into coming to the soil surface to escape death, but ends up in a tally as a sports statistic. Humans have a lot more to attribute to earthworms besides entertaining country bumpkins, though. In 1881, Charles Darwin warmly described them as such: "It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures." If they weren't already red, I'm sure they'd be blushing. In giving credit where it is due, worms are our most respected underground act (sorry, haus) because they do the same thing as farmers before planting crops: they till and aerate the soil. More importantly, though, several types of worms have been receiving waves of media coverage in the past decade because they have the ability to turn all kinds of toxic waste into nutrient-rich compost, usable as detoxified fertilizer. The best part about worm labor is that they don't care about their working conditions, as long as there is garbage or something funky to munch on - one species' idea of a corner office is a pile of manure. Landfill waste management today makes use of these worms to break down organic materials before bacteria can do so, preventing the release of noxious gases like methane and nitrous oxides (which are much more potent effectors of climate change than carbon dioxide).Although I sing their praises in this column as some of our most significant sustainability leaders, I have to make a personal apology to earthworms. I have no regard for them. When I see them splayed out on the sidewalk after a heavy rain, I have to bite my lip and trudge on to BiHall, trying not to cringe when I feel their soft ketchup-packet bodies under my feet. Horrible, I know. With a thesis looming, my "move it or lose it" attitude does not give me time to tiptoe up College Street. The next time you find yourself in a similar situation though, try your best not to look down; you may begin to feel differently about your carbon footprint.
(11/13/08 12:00am)
Author: Tim O'Grady On Nov. 7, The Rohatyn Center for International Affairs hosted "Projects for Peace Presentations" at the Robert A. Jones '59 House. This International Studies colloquium featured six Middlebury students, who discussed various humanitarian projects they participated in this past summer.Nine students took part in four projects that tackled an array of international problems. Two of the projects, "Giving Afghan People Access to Clean Water" and "Healing the Rift" were both funded by Davis Projects For Peace, while the other projects, "Humans, Animals and Peace: Different Sides of the Same Triangle" and "Student Friends of Tibetan Refugees" received funding from Middlebury and elsewhere.Projects For Peace is a program initiated by philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis in which students are encouraged to design their own grassroots projects that tackle global issues and strive to bring peace to the world. Davis launched this program last year on her 100th birthday by committing $1 million to one hundred various projects. This year Davis extended the program by donating another $1 million to fund a whole new set of projects. "Giving Afghan People Access to Clean Water" was a project launched by Shabana Basij-Rasikh '11. Basij-Rasikh is an international student from Afghanistan who wanted to reach out and help the people of her nation first-hand. The main focus of her project was to provide Afghans with clean drinking water. Many Afghans must travel great distances to collect water or drink the water from contaminated streams. After receiving additional funding for her project, Basij-Rasikh was able to build nine wells instead of the six wells that she initially intended to build. The most gratifying part of Basij-Rasikh's experience was the Afghan people's appreciation and dedication to maintain the wells."People were so passionate about having clean water. A lot of people promised to keep [the wells] sustained," said Basij-Rasikh. Nicholas Alexander '10, Alexander Kent '10, Shujaat Ali Khan '10, Saad Ahmed Khan '10 and Caroline Towbin '10 initiated another project sponsored by Davis Projects For Peace entitled "Healing the Rift." Their primary goal was to host an event in New York City to promote common values and solidarity between Muslims and the Western world. The event took place in Washington Square Park and featured a slew of musical performances and speakers. Shujaat Ali Khan and Saad Ahmed Khan showed a documentary film that contained clips from the actual event as well as interviews with the students. "The whole point of this is to generate optimism for rebuilding and creating new relationships between the Muslim world and the West. This is just a starting point," said Towbin in the documentary. Lisa Mariko Gretebeck '10 and Prerna Seth '10 received funding from Middlebury to jump-start their project entitled "Humans, Animals and Peace: Different Sides of the Same Triangle." These two students created their very own micro-finance organization, called AMAR, which was started in collaboration with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project in Jamkhed Village, India. Their ultimate objective was to "empower marginalized women living in poverty, to improve their sense of livelihood and build a sense of ownership" through raising goats. The participating women had to sign contracts which gave them a two-year window to pay back their loans. The simplicity of the contract gave the women a lot of flexibility and independence in the repayment aspect."It was important to us that our pilot run was successful because that would establish some credibility and more people would want to join" said Seth.Tenzing Sherpa '10 and Matthew Vaughan '09 led a project this past summer, "Student Friends of Tibetan Refugees," funded by the College. Sherpa and Vaughan set up a volunteer relationship in Nepal between a school for Tibetan students and a house for elderly Tibetan refugees. Students were able to interview the elders and hear their stories, then write a biography about the person they got to know. They established a medical fund at a home for th elderly and visited a remote, underfunded school. Sherpa and Vaughan helped to set up a scholarship fund at this school to help pay for food, writing utensils and boarding so that the children could live with a family closer to the school.
(11/13/08 12:00am)
Author: Emma Gardner A good sandwich is hard to find, so when one falls into your lap, make sure you know where to find it again - chances are, the source is the Grapevine Grille. In the past three years at Middlebury I have made it my mission, my vocation, my life's work - call it what you will - to discover the best sandwich in Addison County, and striving for perfection has finally paid off.Many students, particularly first-years, will be seduced by the initial flavor of Noonie's Deli upon their arrival at the College, espousing a hunger for the Purples Pleasure that becomes a nasty habit as the year goes on and the dining hall food starts to taste stale. Instead of opting for a microwaved concoction of avocadoes and who knows what else thrown between two thick slices of hard-to-swallow bread, students would do well to travel an extra ten minutes along Route 7 south in the direction of the Grapevine Grille.Run by lively owner Nancy Geoghegan with the help of Charlene Potter, the deli has developed a devoted following in the three years since its doors first opened - only to close again and move farther down the road two years later. Students and locals whose discerning palettes long for more sophisticated tastes after the Purples has lost its Pleasure have discovered this delicious alternative, each in turn thinking he or she is the first to stumble upon the little-known eatery. Nestled away from the busy road in a quiet gravel driveway sits Grapevine's lone building, and the cozy, tiled space inside evokes a feeling of familiarity - even to newcomers.Aside from remembering the names and favorite orders of her clients and fans, Geoghegan has made it her business to "get back to my roots and follow my passion for wine and food." Drawing from years of experience as operator of a catering company in Maryland, the owner initially learned to cook from a friend attending culinary institute in Delaware. "She got the piece of paper, but she taught me everything she had learned," explained Geoghegan. Her Maryland origins have influenced many of her dishes, and the eponymous cheese steaks and crabcakes have consistently ranked as top sellers. The selection of sandwiches varies widely and evinces Mexican, Cajun, Italian and French influences. With names such as "Avacada Davida" and "Take a Letter Fajita," the long list of options reflects a creativity and humor that quickly becomes evident as a major factor behind the owners' success.While the warm atmosphere of the Grapevine Grille is infectious, the quality of the food alone is enough to provoke a daily pilgrimage of loyal customers. "We roast all our own meat, and the dairy is local," noted Geoghegan. "I choose the wines, and all of the dressings, sauces, aiolis and spreads are homemade."Geoghegan also designs each recipe, often taking inspiration from her own favorite foods. "'Sage the Last Dance" is basically a recipe for a turkey sausage I like, laid out," Geoghegan explained. "I took all the ingredients in a sausage, added cheese, and made an aioli out of the cinnamon and sage." The taste of each sandwich reveals the extensive thought and effort put into its creation, and this attention to detail carries into the Grille's dinner dishes of skillfully executed pastas, soups and racks of lamb.While the seating is limited due to the town's concern that the neighborhood remain relatively quiet and not become a "gin mill," as Geoghegan quips, Grapevine orders are available for delivery and pre-order. Nevertheless, the friendly reception and animated personalities of the owners are reason enough to venture past the limits of Middlebury proper to a deli that has garnered myriad Internet reviews - despite having no official online listing or web site. "I did not know we were online until a friend from Maryland surprised me one day, having found directions to the Grapevine Grille on the Internet," said Geoghegan. "The reviews were all great, although one person did call it the 'Hippie House.'"Students growing weary of the gloom that pervades Noonie's should to travel to the Grapevine Grille, where they can rely on Geoghegan and Potter to serve up a meal that will unfailingly brighten a gray Vermont day. It is here that after quick drive, a bite of "Here Comes the Sun" promises to relieve stress, if not one's workload.
(11/13/08 12:00am)
Author: Andrea Glaessner Feeling timid? Try a dose of dog milk. Hormones making you feel out of synch? A drop of cuttlefish ink will do the trick. Wondering what to get your aunt for Hanukah? Snake venom - the ultimate cure for varicose veins. Homeopathic medicine, one of the many modes of alternative healing arts, is often met with skepticism. But dedicated practitioners such as Sallie Mack of Charlotte, Vt. swear by it. "Over and over again you see it work and you just think, wow, this is amazing," said Mack.In a lecture at Ilsley Public Library last Tuesday, Mack discussed the history and current practice of homeopathy at length. The lecture was the last of a series covering Healing Arts Practitioners of Addison County in 2008. Julie Mitchell, a medical herbalist of New Haven, organized the series. "The goal of the lecture series is to attract people from different modalities [of healing arts]," said Mitchell, "With the number of people who are practicing [in Addison County] this is a great way to become familiar with who these folks are and what they do…" Vermont, in particular, tends to attract alternative healers, explained Mitchell after the lecture. "I think Vermont has always been kind of a hotbed of progressive thinking. But because it's such a low-populated state, the practitioners have a difficult time getting enough clientele."Indeed, the audience on Tuesday evening was small, yet most of the members of the audience had a demonstrated interest in learning more about homeopathy and alternative medicine. Developed in the late 1700s by a German physician Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathic medicine was a response to the questionable practices of mainstream healing techniques of the time. When European settlers arrived in Peru, they observed that the indigenous people were not dying from malaria. According to Mack, these natives were still contracting malaria, yet they were using a remedy called Peruvian bark to alleviate malaria symptoms and ward off death. Settlers infected with malaria soon followed suit and many survived the deadly illness. Eventually, Peruvian bark made its way around the world and fell into the hands of Hahnemann, who, after ingesting the bark, immediately contracted all the symptoms of malaria. Hahnemann thus conceived of the "Law of Similars" - the most fundamental theory of homeopathic medicine that claims that illness can be cured with extremely small amounts of substances that produce similar symptoms in healthy people when administered in large amounts.For example, Mack explained how when her husband burned her hand on a cast-iron pot, she advised him to run his hand under "the warmest water he could possibly stand." According to Mack, "the heat [of the water] drew the heat out of his hand." Homeopathic remedies often seem counterintuitive, such as using a remedy called "tabacum" to cure seasickness. "You all remember the first time you had a cigarette, how nauseous did you feel?" Mack explained that ingesting small amounts of tabacum, which actually invokes symptoms of nausea works to cure nausea. Another idea central to homeopathy, Mack pointed out, is that the impact of stress on the body is important "for the continuation of natural life systems." "In order to have life evolve, we need a little bit of stress to adapt. It's a natural part of our life cycle. Stress is a very important part of all living systems," said Mack. But when we experience too much stress, our bodies become imbalanced. This imbalance, according to Mack, "is just disease." In her own practice, Mack uses about 2,000 remedies. There are roughly 5,000 homeopathic remedies used in the world today. Most of these remedies are derived from plants, herbs and animals.When Mack sees a patient for the first time, she conducts a two-hour interview to get an understanding of all the patient's ailments, both mental and physical. In the lecture, Mack described one patient who complained of severe constipation and bloating. In the interview process, the patient eventually divulged some psychological issues that Mack believed lay at the root of the patient's physical grievances. "It's really important for a homeopath to see the patient in person," said Mack, "I met with one guy who came in and lay right down on my couch. I mean I didn't know the guy at all, but right away, I could tell a lot about him. He's laid-back…his house probably isn't sterile or uptight. These kinds of things help me figure out what remedies to use."Because the interview process brings out an array of grievances, often from the patient's subconscious, homeopaths have to determine which grievances to address first. According to Mack, "you deal with the darkest, the deepest, the worst complaints first - it's the thing that's really keeping you from achieving the things you want."Mack's teacher and mentor, Dr. Paul Herscu of the New England School of Homeopathy piqued her interest in pediatric homeopathy. "Kids are great to work because they don't have layers of life experience or a long list of grievances," said Mack.Mack believes that learning and behavioral disabilities such as Asperger's Syndrome and Attention Deficit Disorder may be alleviated through homeopathic remedies. "We've seen huge increases in the numbers of these kids and [mainstream doctors] are drugging them like crazy," said Mack. Prior to becoming a homeopath, Mack practiced midwifery for 25 years. She first became interested in homeopathy when she practiced a remedy on her cat suffering from mastitis. "Within 15 minutes she started purring and all inflammation went down," said Mack, "So I became immediately interested, got my own little kit, had a baby 23 years ago, and I always treated him with homeopathic remedies."Mack switched to a career in homeopathy four and a half years ago. "I've been in a band for most of my life and it was stressful to be on-call all the time. When you got a gig you got to go, so I decided to switch careers," said Mack.Mack is enjoying her new career and sharing it with others through practice and discussion. Both Mack and Mitchell hope to integrate more members of the broader medical community into the healing arts community to share ideas about healthy living. Though they hold high hopes for spreading the word about alternative medicine, neither Mack nor Mitchell expect to get an American Medical Association (AMA) stamp of approval on cuttlefish ink anytime soon. But skepticism will not hold these women back from practicing their respective arts. "Whenever you see a medical practitioner, remember that the operative word is that they're practicing," said Mack, "[homeopathy] doesn't hurt, it's not harmful, so why not? That's the beauty of it."
(10/23/08 12:00am)
Author: Josh Wessler Movie: AppaloosaDirector: Ed HarrisStarring: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy IronsTown marshall Virgil Cole has trouble with words. Guns he can handle - he enters a fight with his jaw set and his chest pushed forward. Yet he relies on his deputy, Everett Hitch, for his ability with an eight-gauge rifle as much as for his sharp mind. Though Virgil, a professional lawman in the New Mexico territory in the late nineteenth century, earns his respect with his pistols, without the clever manipulation of language he would be a mere rogue looking for a quick jackpot and another sunset to ride off into. Together with Everett, his left-brained, right-hand man, Virgil turns frontier law into a private enterprise, an easily reproducible program for conquering America's manifest destiny - the cost: a flexible sense of justice, a stomach for blood-letting and a knack for seeing the world in black and white (or at least white and green). Appaloosa, a small dust bowl of a town suspended on the edge of lawlessness, is an entrepreneurial outpost, relying on the local copper mine and on small businesses to provide a stable community where one might start a family. Virgil and Everett appear on the town's main street, not to enjoy the oasis of civilization but to do their job. Randall Bragg, the local mobster, is suspected of running a house of gangbangers - on Bragg's property, law is out of its jurisdiction. Virgil and Everett were called in to restore order when the former sheriff was killed trying to apprehend Bragg at his ranch. Although Appaloosa's leaders agree to pay Virgil his normal fee, he reminds them of an even more pressing stipulation: he needs unconditional power to enact and enforce any law within Appaloosa's borders that he deems necessary. In the post-Civil War U.S., territorial law serves to test the strength of a recently healed union - law as ideology is a luxury and in an unsure world, where terror lurks on each mountain ridge, the need for a strong leader is unquestioned. [Analogies to the current political situation reserved for the review of Oliver Stone's latest film]. Ed Harris, who stars as Virgil and masterfully directs the picture, frustrates any attempt to pin down his character. Harris has eschewed his typical posture as infallible and opens himself to the contradictions of Virgil, whose sullenness can suddenly explode with violence and passion. He constantly reads Emerson yet seems unable to understand many of the words. Alongside Viggo Mortensen as Everett, Harris demands the audience's confidence, though he seems to know less than we think he should. Mortensen is also superb, animated by a striking performance by Renée Zellweger, who has never been better. Zellweger is Miss Allison French, an eastern woman who rather mysteriously appears in an Appaloosa café looking for a place to stay. She has no provisions - only one dollar - and no plans, but quickly catches the eyes of the two lawmen. As the town's rulers, they hire her as the hotel's piano player. Zellweger has a strange ability to assert her authority while avoiding a clear gaze - at first glance, she may appear lost amid the male-dominated violence of the frontier, but her search for stability is ruthless in its own way. The campaign to capture Bragg drags on like the ongoing presidential bid, though the film engages the audience as CSPAN only dreams of. Bragg, played by Jeremy Irons, taunts Virgil with his calm assurance - his faint Irish brogue seems to be a conspicuous sign that Bragg is an instigator and a foreigner (which may well have described most people in the nineteenth century North American West). As if the film's producers felt it necessary to rely on cliché, Bragg's gang is filled with Mexicans and vague, nameless hoodlums. Until they agree to settle down and buy into Appaloosa's budding economy, they are merely unrefined outsiders, stuck in their primal manners. They continue to be a threat to Appaloosa's sovereignty, but they are increasingly forced to retreat southward with Virgil's growing sense of jurisdiction.Virgil is the characteristic businessman - he markets himself as the product, an exemplar of natural law and raw force. He only slept with whores - "and a squaw once"- until he met Allie French. While proud, he is not too idealistic to forgive certain indiscretions (on her part and on his). In a brief exchange, Virgil meets a pair of old friends and reminds them that the laws in Appaloosa are the same as in all his other towns - for one, guns are prohibited. He is a franchiser - as he meanders across the western plains, he leaves behind his brand of justice. Still, a gun in the hand of a toddler can be just as fatal, and heroic confidence is only a moral shield. Bragg contends that "this is not justice in this new nation of ours," which is fine, as long as you shoot first.
(10/23/08 12:00am)
Author: Tess Russell To generations of kids reared on classic comedies like "Animal House," "Revenge of the Nerds" and, more recently, "Old School" and "Van Wilder," leaving the nest holds admittedly false promises of decadence. Indeed, the cultural mainstream seems to portray the university years, which may number anywhere from four to seven - John "Bluto" Blutarsky and Mr. Wilder were certainly not concerned with the timely awarding of their B.A. degrees - as an extended technicolor montage produced by Joe Francis and starring limitless reserves of boisterous, preternaturally attractive, unapologetically promiscuous coeds.Here at Middlebury, though, the proverbial shine is off more than Ross Dining Hall's far-from-local apples. Just ask the recently arrived Class of 2012 - we are willing to bet that, after those first few sexy nights at the Bunker, they wised up and realized, like the rest of us, that the hottest parties on campus actually take place in our beds. (No, not one night stands - we are referring to those rare occasions when we have time to"throw down" a quick nap between classes.)Make no mistake: we understand how privileged we are to pursue such challenging coursework under the guidance of a superb faculty like Middlebury's, and we appreciate the wealth of enriching extracurricular and service-oriented opportunities available through the College. Still, every once in a while, it is nice to enjoy a decidedly unintellectual three-day school week capped off with a Homecoming celebration, if only so we can temporarily make believe that we exist in that mythical Shangri-La evoked by National Lampoon, where collegiate life consists of constant booze, constant sex, and zero work (instead of just constant booze, occasional sex, and occasional work).FALL BREAKOn our precious few days of vacation, Middlebury students took trips everywhere from New York to ... Wait, did anyone not go to New York? All kidding aside, we were grateful to have a chance to lose ourselves in the increasingly beautiful fall foliage and uncharacteristically warm weather, which too often go unnoticed during our daily scrambling, and to take advantage of other luxuries unique to the outside world. Yes, you may have arrived back on campus completely unprepared for your midterms later in the week, but come on - those 12 hours of TiVo recordings were not going to watch themselves.HOMECOMINGChoose your poison - between a lively bar scene, great parties off campus, the Tent Formal and DKE House, the College community really stepped it up this week and offered something for everyone. First prize in our book goes, hands down, to Saturday's massive tailgate, which allowed us to: mingle with alums, indulge our penchant for daytime revelry guilt-free, satisfiy our every craving with huge spreads of food and drink, and believe, if only for a minute, that we go to a "real" college. Just do not ask us what happened in any of the games.
