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(09/26/07 12:00am)
Author: Jennie Currie There is no better way to break in your brand new suite kitchen this fall than by cooking up a feast with products purchased at your local farmer's market. The Middlebury Farmer's Market offered a prime showing of local fare on Saturday as townspeople and students alike gathered at Marble Works in celebration of Vermont's Local Food Day. Local Food Day was established to celebrate the state of Vermont's distinction of having the most per capita consumption of local food. Throughout Vermont, local-vores who have pledged to constitute as much of their diet as possible with foods produced within a 100-mile radius are encouraging Vermonters to try two new local foods, participate in potlucks and begin their own effort to sustain Vermont's farmers. At Marble Works on Saturday, shoppers did not have to search long to find a wide variety of local produce to achieve the local-vore goal. In stalls stretching from the footbridge over Otter Creek to the backside of downtown Middlebury, local vendors displayed the best of the fall harvest. Louise Blake, an artist from Ripton, came to sell bread, wool handbags and hand-painted cards. According to Blake, the market has taken off, especially since the start of the fall season. "When the harvest is in all the apple people come [to sell their apples] and the farmers have a whole glut of stuff to get rid of," Blake said.Local apples and cider were among the most prominent sellers on Saturday with vendors such as Stevens Orchard and Kent Ridge Farm handing out samples of sweet honeycrisp apples, crabapples and the latest press of cider. Also plentiful were the vegetables, ranging from ripe, round squash to golden carrots, onions and leeks. "I come here almost every week," said Wendy Covey, a shopper from Middlebury, as she stocked up on produce for the coming week. Though not a self-professed local-vore, she said she knew of the Eat Local Challenge and said she tries to do "quite a bit of shopping locally."Other than produce, the market's selection ranged from baked goods fresh from area kitchens to local cheeses, crafts, jams and jellies. Bruce and Sandra Hunt of Vermont Gourmet Candy Dish make and sell jam from their home in Florence, Vt. "We make 12 jams with as many local ingredients as possible," said Bruce Hunt. "We get the cider for our apple cider jelly at Brown's Orchard in Castleton. It's the best you can get. It's UV-treated, not pasteurized, so it isn't just watered-down apple juice." Other vendors were just as proud of their natural, home-grown products. Beth Whiting of Maple Wind Farm in Huntington, Vt. was the largest seller of meat at Saturday's market. In particular, the farm run by her and her husband, Bruce Hennessey, produces grass-fed and finished beef as well as lamb, pastured organic pork, poultry and eggs. "What that means is that our animals are pastured to eat grass, and at the end of their life they are fed grass," said Whiting. "On a feed lot, people will feed their cows corn at the end of their life to fatten them up, along with maybe animal parts, leftovers, antibiotics Ö that's not the way nature intended it." However, it is not just the nutrition that matters. It is also about taste. "I can definitely taste the difference between grocery store and our meat," Whiting said. "People can't get enough of our poultry."Although having two small children has made eating locally more difficult, Whiting also firmly supports the Eat Local Challenge. "We practice eating well and locally," she said.The Middlebury Farmer's Market will be putting Vermont's finest on display from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Oct. 10 and Saturdays through Oct. 27. Do not miss your chance to walk on down and sample some of the season's freshest food.
(09/19/07 12:00am)
Author: Kelly Janis On Saturday morning, on the banks of Lake Champlain, turkeys, deer and even the odd mammoth succumbed to the savvy blows of an ancient hunting weapon. The fact that the critters were painted targets propped up against bales of hay on the course of the 12th Annual Northeastern Open Atlatl Championship and Festival of Nations at Vermont's Chimney Point made the scene no less compelling.According to the World Atlatl Association, the atlatl (aht-laht-l), which preceded the bow and arrow and is considered one of humankind's earliest mechanical innovations, is "essentially a stick with a handle on one end and a hook or socket that engages a light spear or 'dart' on the other. The flipping motion of the atlatl propels a light spear much faster and farther than it could be thrown by hand alone." For thousands of years, the instrument was used by cultures worldwide to hunt game. It was prevalent on every continent except Antarctica until the advent of new technology spurred its decline. In the past two decades, however, hunters, recreationists and craftspeople have breathed new life into the atlatl as a tight-knit community has cropped up around the relatively obscure sport. An enthusiastic cross-section of this community turned out en masse for the three- day event at Chimney Point, a destination described by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation as "one of the earliest, most intensely settled and most strategic sites on Lake Champlain" and among "the most dramatic gateways" to the state. The historic site, which in its museum highlights Native American, French colonial and early American presence in the region, is located at the intersection of Vermont Routes 125 and 17, at the foot of the Champlain Bridge linking Vermont to New York. The competition, co-sponsored by the Vermont Archaeological Society as part of Vermont Archaeology Month, consists of distance and accuracy contests based on an international standard. Participants are divided into four groups based on age and gender."The top person in each of the four categories has a shoot-out for overall champion," explained Elsa Gilbertson, Regional Site Administrator at Chimney Point. "The winner gets to wear the laurel wreath."Participants can also amass points which precipitate world rankings and permit them to advance to further championships."We usually have people here who get to the top levels," Gilbertson said.Though the atlatl is easy to throw, truly mastering the technique requires serious investment."The only time I don't throw is when the windchill gets down past 20 below. Then I just wimp out," 68-year-old contest entrant John Morris said, with no hint of joking. "If it's in the nineties and hot and humid, I don't spend too much time out there. I do it just to say I did."As ruthless as his practice mentality may seem, Morris's attitude toward the contest is considerably more laid back. "I like the competition, but I like the people," Morris said. "If you look around, you'll see people of all ages, men and women. There are lots of archaeologists and anthropology types, but then there are restaurant workers. There's everyone, and they're all having a good time."Morris was introduced to the atlatl four years ago, when he attended the event at Chimney Point for the first time and tried his hand at throwing with borrowed equipment. "I fell in love with it then," Morris said.Now, when he is not busy competing, he and his wife, Bette, teach lessons. The most rewarding part of doing so, Morris said, lies in introducing children to the sport.Rutland High School history and anthropology teacher John Peterson shares this sentiment. Each year since the event's inception, his 12th grade students have constructed their own atlatls in conjunction with the course's curriculum and traveled to Chimney Point to compete. "There have been Rutland High School students here every year, unbroken," Peterson said.The contest's atmosphere is what keeps Peterson coming back year after year. "The sun is shining," said Peterson. "We're on the shores of Lake Champlain. It's a great setting. The kids get excited about what they're doing. What's there not to like?""I'm horrible at it, but it's still fun to try it," Rutland High School senior Tara Fothergill said as she awaited her turn to throw. She pointed to her classmate, Corey Gibeault. "She's good at it, though.""Not really," Gibeault laughed.The event was fodder for plenty of banter among the high schoolers - everything from the run-of-the mill "I'm gonna own you" to the less likely "those are some sweet feathers on your atlatl."When one student's dart sailed well beyond the target during the accuracy event, a classmate was quick to respond with a playful taunt: "We're not going for distance yet!" he shouted.Most students were not particularly intent on clinching the glory of the laurel wreath. Gibeault was not even sure whether prizes would be awarded at the event's conclusion. "I didn't look it up. I didn't plan on winning," she admitted with a smile. Winning and losing aside, the project was particularly meaningful to Allison Gee. A former student of Peterson and now a site interpreter at Chimney Point, she returned to the competition this year as a judge. "It's funny to come back and be on the other side of it and see that, nine years later, students are still doing this great activity in the classroom," Gee said. "There are even a couple of kids who used the atlatl I made in high school in the competition."Gee regards participation in the event as worthwhile on several levels. "It gives the kids an opportunity to do something that has historical meaning but is also so hands-on and something they wouldn't otherwise do," she said. "Like, who would think, 'oh, let's go out and do some spear throwing?' It's unique enough, and it's also a great educational opportunity."As atlatls sailed by on the field below, vendors and demonstrators of everything from porcupine quill embroidery to flint knapping assembled outside the museum.Archaeologist Charles Eaquin set up shop on the front porch, encouraging passers-by to sculpt pinch pots in the tradition of Middle Woodland Native American pottery. He used commercial raqu clay, which he characterized as "very forgiving for firing outdoors."The clay was not quite as forgiving of this reporter, whose creation Eaquin eyed with amusement. "It's interesting how there are different aptitudes for this stuff," he said, diplomatically. "Some people are so good at it right from the start, and others, well Ö you can start another one, or fold that one in, or call it good enough, or whatever. I've never been daunted when I've tried something and it didn't really work out. I've just kept with it, and at some point, it falls into place."Life in the atlatl business has more than fallen into place for Bob Berg, who drove nearly five hours from their home in Candor, N.Y. to be a part of the weekend's festivities at Chimney Point. The couple owns and operates Thunderbird Atlatl, a family business which has specialized in crafting the instrument ever since Bob Berg grew tired of making office furniture.Though Berg travels to similar competitions nationwide, he has a special fondness for the one at Chimney Point. "We've been loyal to them, and they've been loyal to us," Berg said.For Berg, atlatls are more than just a means of making money."Events like these are a way to keep the knowledge of this kind of thing alive," Berg said. "It was almost lost to the world. There came a time, maybe a century ago, when no one knew about atlatls. And just from analyzing various archaeological finds people determined what an atlatl was. In the last 20 years, a lot of people started fooling around with
them and solved a lot of puzzles about atlatls and figured out how they actually work. And it ended up being a nice piece of sporting equipment, way more fun than bowling or golf."This spirit of preservation is anything but lost on Alicia Cook, a member of the Mohawk tribe who was on hand to sell jewelry, baskets, animal skins and other assorted Native craftwork which she noted "you can't just pop into Wal-Mart and pick up."Cook gazed at a cornfield in the distance. "I look at that corn and I see the husks and in my mind I can see myself braiding the husks for a mat at the entry of my door," she said. "You don't usually see that today. But when you come to my house, it's like coming to a museum. I try to stay as traditional as possible. I keep it that way so we don't lose who we are. That's all I can do."
(09/12/07 12:00am)
Author: Will Mallett The 162nd Vermont State Fair went out with a bang on Sunday as the long-anticipated demolition derby wrapped up 10 days of festivities. For the handful of Middlebury students lucky enough to attend, the fair provided a slew of opportunities both recreational and anthropological as events such as the tractor pull and the pig run became centers of attention. The fair exemplified a culture that to many students may seem much like a sideshow to their own Vermont experience, garrisoned inside those mighty fortress-like buildings that mark the boundaries of our campus and our familiarity. Of those curious to witness firsthand this "other" Vermont, several may have had their presumptions challenged. Jenny Erwin '10 never suspected that her trip to Rutland would lead to a full-scale embrace by that community, as it did when she cinched the victory in the state hula-hoop competition. She went to the fair hoping to catch a glimpse of rural America in all its glory - to see the sights and smell the smells of the Jeffersonian dream. What she ended up smelling instead were the fruits of victory, and the glory - well, that was all hers. After finishing up work with the Middlebury Outdoor Orientation crew, Erwin had left campus just an average college student on that warm and breezy day. When she returned, it was as a winner. The Middlebury community will surely be glad to count yet another athletic champion among its members. Erwin was unavailable for comment, but Kelsey Bakas '10, a friend who also competed, was eager to respond."I have never been good at hula-hooping so I knew I had no chance of winning the competition," said Bakas. "But I did the best I have ever done and I am seriously considering practicing a lot so if I should ever have to perform again it won't be so embarrassing. Jenny was awesome though. I need to take lessons from her." Although Erwin was the only person to win the hula-hoop competition, many people still had a good time. According to Lilly Corenthal '10, the fair as a whole was exciting. "It was great," she said. "Some highlights were the award-winning barn animals and vegetables, hog race, donkey auction and tractor pull. I now feel better connected to Vermont beyond Middlebury." The romance of the experience may have been lost on some. "There was a little Himalayan mountain ride that was thuggin' out to Creed. Nickelback was playing on another one Ö I watched the horse pulls for a bit," said Gus Goodwin '08. As for that "other" Vermont, Goodwin could take it or leave it.
(05/09/07 12:00am)
Author: Tamara Hilmes Larry Plesent was trying to earn some money for college by washing windows when he noticed that the soap he was using was giving him an unseemly rash. He experimented with a variety of soaps, but the itchy, red patches persisted. Sick and tired of irritated skin that made squeegee-holding most unpleasant, Plesent came to a decision: he decided to make his own soap. What started as Plesent brewing up various concoctions of lye and acids in his kitchen quickly grew into Vermont Soapworks, an organic soap factory and retail outlet located on Exchange Street just across from Otter Creek Brewery. "Larry had skin issues," said Manager Bill Huntington of the factory's founder and president. "He would get a rash due to chemicals in soap, so he just started to experiment with organic formulas."Plesent was far from alone in his struggle with toiletries. "What most people do not realize is that 10-25 percent of people are allergic to chemical soaps," said Huntington. "Using chemical soap is basically like washing your skin with antifreeze≠≠≠-we just want to go back to the old-fashioned way of making soap."Vermont Soapworks uses only organic and all-natural ingredients to make both their bar and castile, or liquid, soaps. Using a variety of oils including coconut, olive and palm, as well as other natural products, the factory manages to produce soap that is vegetable-based and not tested on animals. All of the factory's organic ingredients are mixed together in a large metal vat in the first stage of the soap-making process."The liquid soap is mixed in our humongous tank," said Huntington. "It can hold up to 36 50-gallon drums of soap at one time."After the soap is mixed together in the large vat, the solution has to mix and cook for one week. "It is just like any recipe," Huntington explained. "It is based mostly on time and temperature. The trick is getting the acids to mix with the alkalis, but we use lye as a catalyst which gets them to mix."According to Huntington, this process, known as saponification, is just the first step in the factory's process. After mixing for a week, the soap has to settle for an additional week, after which the waxy oils that have risen to the surface are vacuumed off. Once the oils are removed, the batch of soap is separated into smaller tanks where different essential oils are added to create the various products that the factory offers. In the last step of the process, the soap is siphoned into bottles and packaged up, ready to ship or sell. "We do it all here," Huntington said. "We use a rubber hose and pour the liquid into bottles and then we label them and put them into boxes." With only 25 people employed at the factory, and only 10 of those on the production team, the factory has its work cut out for it. "If kids at the College are not doing anything, they should come down and help us out," joked Huntington. The factory workers not only produce bottle upon bottle of the company's popular "Liquid Sunshine," but they also make good old-fashioned bar soap as well. What appears to be large mixers full of vanilla pudding is actually the bar soap in its initial state. After the soap is cooked, which usually takes one day's time, essential oils, such as peppermint or lavender, are added and the soap is poured into molds."We make our block soap with what is called a 'cold process,'" Huntington explained. "The soap has to lose moisture throughout the process in order to become solid bars."Huntington went on to explain that through this process, the glycerin that is removed from the soap is eventually added back in, allowing the soap to retain moisturizing ingredients and making the final product gentler on skin. "A lot of the more commercial products are made using a faster, more efficient way that involves heated rollers," said Huntington. "The soap loses a lot of moisture through this process which creates a really hard bar." Although with the factory's method, the soap has to sit on racks≠≠-like loaves of bread at a bakery-in a temperature-controlled room for up to six weeks, the extra time and effort pay off in the end."With our soap we do a lot of custom blend work and we do everything by hand," Huntington said. "With a lot of commercial soaps you do not get that."Once both the bar and liquid soaps are put in their packages, the hand-made soap is shipped to outlets across the nation and even worldwide."We are actually really big in Japan," Huntington said. "At one time, it was actually easier to get Liquid Sunshine in Japan than in Burlington."Liquid Sunshine, an all-purpose cleaner made from a blend of citrus and tea tree oils, can be used for anything from cleaning your toilet to your hands and is just one of the many all-natural products offered by Vermont Soapworks. Some of their newest products include a new line of pet shampoo and even Yoga Mat Wash. "A lot of people have been getting foot fungus from their exercise mats," said Huntington. "As yoga's popularity has grown, so has the amount of bacteria. Yoga mats are just one of the niche markets that we specialize in." The retail outlet attached to the factory also offers foaming hand-soap that has been featured in Quick and Simple Magazine, as well as Sudzy Putty, soap that has been put through a meat-grinder to give it a Play-doh-like consistency. For those who prefer their soap the old-fashioned way, the store offers all of their standard bar soaps and even some special blends that cannot be found at other stores. "In the factory store we sell overruns, experiments and different scents that are not available online or in outlets," said Huntington. "We do not have very much uniformity here," he continued, "but we do offer handmade soap at a reasonable price."
(05/09/07 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] To the Editor:At the Ross meeting about homophobic graffiti one student suggested The Campus should have regular coverage of LGBT issues. Last week's issue had three pieces, but not of gay-positive coverage. Why is it so easy to be distracted by a silly argument about alleged discrimination against athletes? Why was even The Wall Street Journal interested in that story, while we forget the very real homophobic attacks on people who might really know what it's like to be stereotyped? Why was it that Roman Graf's incisive analysis of institutional homophobia was not printed (read it on the website dis.course), when it would have taken half the ink that was spent last week on arguments shifting the focus from homophobia? Could it be that there is indeed an institutional bias - in The Campus, on the campus, and in society - that ranks legitimate complaints of LGBT people below even phantom grievances of those who enjoy heterosexual privilege?The question posed at the April 11 Town Meeting in McCullough was "Why at Middlebury?" Because two years ago the college administration fudged the military recruitment policy. Because over the summer the policy language was amended without telling the very community that had overwhelmingly voted to change it: it now effectively reads "we must allow recruiting because we value money over principles." Because just this past fall the College with much fanfare accepted an endowed chair named for a man who as recently as 2003 ruled it constitutional to put homosexuals behind bars. Maybe that's why.Sincerely,Kevin MossProfessor of RussianTo the Editor: In the recent heat surrounding homophobic graffiti, it seems Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (MOQA) has divided the student body into three categories: Those that support homosexuality and MOQA by becoming an ally, those that hate the gay community and support hate speech, and those that are just too apathetic. I would like to point out that there is an alternate view: it is possible to disagree with the concept of homosexuality, yet still maintain friendships with gay people. But I feel that there's not much room on this campus to say homosexuality is wrong nowadays. Yet, disagreements can be expressed in a respectful manner, and I can disagree with homosexuality and homophobic hate speech at the same time. If we believe in freedom of speech, we should give those who believe that homosexuality is wrong as much space to express themselves as those who believe otherwise. And if we are so concerned about the use of homophobic hate speech, we should be fair and try to eliminate hate speech in other forms as well. For example, everyday we hear people using God's name in vain. For some of us, God plays a significant role in our lives. How would we feel if the College community started using our best friend's name or our father's name to curse? As our thoughts go to those who are affected by the homophobic graffiti, let us not go to such extremes that we in turn suppress those who have different views on homosexuality. Two suppressions do not make equality.Sincerely,Magdalena Widjaja '08Jakarta Utara, IndonesiaTo the Editor:Have you ever seen "God Hates Jocks" written on an athlete's door? Have you ever heard of an athlete getting beaten up because they choose to play a sport? Historically, athletics and the hyper-masculinity they engender have fostered homophobia and reinforced a heteronormative culture; they continue to do so today. On our campus and in American society, athletes hold powerful, privileged positions.Whether or not the comments about athletics on the Office of Institutional Diversity display in the library should have been removed, the fact is that those opinions are still present in our community. There is a reason these comments were written, and simply erasing them does not solve the problem. People at Middlebury College feel the effects of homophobia first-hand in many areas of their lives, and the athletics department is not free of heterosexism.Middlebury Open Queer Alliance understands that the comments are problematic. However, we need to talk about the nature of the comments precisely because they raise so many problems. It must be the responsibility of each and every one of us to address what the connection is between athletics and homophobia on this campus.MOQA ardently supports and encourages dialogue at Middlebury College. We believe that, in order to truly address any divisive issue, dialogue must be open not only to honesty but also to passion and anger. Let's remember the passion and the energy that these discussions have created in order to continue having real, honest conversations in September.Sincerely,The Middlebury Open Queer Alliance To the Editor:After having read two opinion pieces about the lack of a satisfactory social scene and the "unjustified" enforcement of underage drinking laws, I feel it necessary to comment. While these opinions are just that - opinions - I am slightly disturbed by the insinuations that they tend to imply. While I admit that Animal House-style parties are few and far between here at Middlebury, there are other ways of having fun. Criticizing genuine efforts like the Brainerd Party or MCAB events is unnecessary and disrespectful. If one would like to drink oneself into oblivion, there are ways to do procure such beverages and do so easily. Many students, however, do not fall into this category; instead, they prefer to enjoy a night of music, movies or just hanging out with friends. I don't know about you, but when I think Middlebury, or any other small NESCAC-type school for that matter, I do not imagine raging parties with hundreds of people, enough beer to drown in and police standing idly by while underage college students make dumb decisions. That brings me to my second point: Why should Rutland County Liquor Inspector Michael Davidson exempt minors from drinking regulations when it is his express responsibility to do exactly the opposite? I don't understand the argument that Mr. Davidson should stop "sticking with such a narrow interpretation of the drinking laws around here." It wasn't apparent to me that there were different interpretations of drinking laws. I also didn't realize that college campuses did not have to follow said laws. Perhaps it is not Mr. Davidson's "misguided guidance" that is the problem here. I agree that drinking and inevitably getting drunk is an established part of the college tradition, but in no way does this mean that police or Public Safety should sit back and watch as Middlebury students drink away their college lives. Sincerely,Elliott Fox '10Newton, Mass.To the Editor:As the academic year draws to a close, we would like to reflect on the incidents of hate speech and homophobia that have preoccupied our campus this spring. While the occurrence of these incidents is dispiriting, we have been heartened by the community's response.From the public meetings in Ross and McCullough to the articles and letters in The Campus to the signs, murals and displays to the informal conversations that have taken place throughout the College, students, faculty and staff from many backgrounds have spoken out against anonymous expressions of hate and intolerance. We welcome these exchanges, and believe that additional discussion needs to take place in order to promote the traditions of free speech and expression that are so vital to academic institutions such as Middlebury. We recognize that free speech can, and should, include provocative, even unsettling forms of expression. However, we are profoundly concerned when these anonymous postings are meant to intimidate members of our community, and thereby throttle their right t
o free expression. Looking ahead to next year, we pledge to use whatever resources we have to create opportunities for meaningful dialogue. We would like to move beyond the reactive posture that hate speech inevitably prompts, and create a framework for addressing critical issues - of identity, equity, stereotyping, intolerance, hate speech and free speech, among others - on an ongoing basis. Initiatives we are already committed to pursuing next year include:Continued investigation of the reported incidents on campus of hate speech acts. Revamping the training of residential staff during orientation and throughout the year to equip them to address diversity-oriented issues.Enhancing first-year orientation so that it includes more in-depth exposure to, and discussion about, diversity issues, including gender and sexuality. Working with the Student Government Association and Community Council to assess the benefits of an institutional social honor code. Planning events and forums within our five Commons and across campus to further engage issues of difference.As an administration, we are committed to developing policies and structures that foster and sustain inclusion on every level and in every division of the College. We have a great deal of work to do, but we are confident in this community's willingness and ability to make Middlebury a stronger, more welcoming place - all in the name of creating for our students the strongest and most vibrant environment in which to learn and grow.Sincerely,President of the College Ronald D. LiebowitzDean of Institutional Diversity Shirley M. RamirezDean of the College Tim Spears
(05/09/07 12:00am)
Author: Nick DeSantis A few weeks ago, after the incidents of homophobic graffiti sprang up around the campus, I felt a tangible amount of positive energy stemming from the community's response to hate speech. However, I'm a little nervous about the devolvement of the discussion into value judgments about whether or not homophobia is worse than athlete-phobia. Lest you believe I sit on the fence here, I do believe that expressions of homophobia are worse than expressions of athlete-phobia because queer students do not enjoy nearly the same level of institutional prestige that athletes do. Both are wrong, but there is a difference. Don't believe me? There's no NCAA National Championship trophy for gayness on display in the trophy case in the lobby of the athletic center. The Vermont State Legislature has never recognized the superiority of Middlebury's gay students with official legislation as it has some of our sports teams. However, we must all realize there are negative consequences to constructing the issue this way, and we end up straying from the real issue. Pitting athletes against queer students not only moves the conversation away from its proper focus, it also puts queer athletes between a rock and a hard place. I believe that it's more important to deal directly with the root of the problem itself than argue about which group has it worse. We must find a way to deal constructively, not destructively, with the issue of homophobia. Before I say more about this issue, I want to lay all of my cards out on the table. First of all, I'm currently the Sports Director at WRMC, the campus radio station. I'm one of the biggest Middlebury sports fans that you'll meet on this campus. Though I'm not a member of an athletic team here, I was a member of my high school's varsity tennis team. I believe athletics serve an important purpose for many students on this campus. I am also vehemently opposed to homophobic statements of any kind, and more than anything else, I want people to seriously consider the issue of homophobia in athletics. The fact is, there is a specific cultural history in this country that connects homophobia to sports, and to ignore this history is to be blind to a reality that manifests itself more often than we notice. Need a little convincing? Let me cite a few examples: John Smoltz, the Atlanta Braves' All-Star pitcher, had this to say about gay marriage: "What's next? Marrying an animal?" Penn State basketball coach Rene Portland also made her opinions clear when she cited her official team policy: "no drugs, no alcohol, no lesbians." And finally, in an April 12, 2005 poll released by PR Newswire, nearly one third of Americans said that they believed it was "not appropriate" for gays to be involved in youth sports in coaching or officiating roles. Even if you'd like to believe that homophobia only exists at the highest level of athletics, these people enjoy the admiration and envy of millions of Americans. As such, it is irresponsible to turn a blind eye to the culture of homophobia in sports. To do so accomplishes nothing, and squelches every bit of positive energy that someone creates when they express support for the queer community. So what should we do? I challenge all members of the community to look in the mirror when they say, "I support the queer community." Instead of getting into a screaming match when someone connects athletics and homophobia, have the courage to examine the potential truth of that connection. Even if you're an athlete who is not homophobic, if you truly support the queer community, you should be asking yourself what you can do to deconstruct the homophobia that exists in sports. In making this connection, I am not accusing you of anything. I'm merely asking you to do some soul-searching. The worst thing you can do is go into a shell of denial. In the end, we should be supporting each other and encouraging discussion instead of launching verbal bombs at one another. Only when we are willing to truly examine the roots of our favorite cultural institutions (such as sports) can we really laud ourselves for being a place of honest, open, and productive dialogue.Nick DeSantis is a sophomore from Diamond Point N.Y.
(05/02/07 12:00am)
Author: Beth Connolly More than just dance, "Distance Between" was a full sensory experience combining music, video, found sound and colorful costumes with compositions in varied styles. "Distance Between," Louisa Irving's '07 senior project, drew an enthusiastic audience last Friday and Saturday nights to the Center for the Arts Dance Studio. The show featured five pieces, including the final solos of Irving and Tatiana Virviescas Mendoza '07, as well as performances by the Dance Department's artist-in-residence Tiffany Rhynard and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Lei Liang. Irving opened the night with her self-choreographed solo, "Ping-pong," a representation of growth and cyclical change. Her dance bore frequent allusions to the animal kingdom, as she often seemed to possess the body of a slithering snake, hopping rabbit or trotting four-legged creature. Gradually this persona transformed into the grace of the human shape, with motions of height and flight. The transformation was marked by a tranquil moment that conveyed an awakening of self-awareness, as Irving walked her fingers up her neck and turned her face toward the light. Images of flowers, castles, butterflies and fireworks streamed constantly across the massive screen behind her, accompanied first by oriental chimes from the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and later by Velvet Underground's "I'll be your mirror." As the piece closed, Irving arranged mirrors on the stage floor, gazing into them, revealing a sense of developing self-consciousness that defined humanness. Mendoza also explored the transformation from innocence to experience in her solo, "Translation: Restricted Flavors," though in a more light-hearted vehicle: the forbidden apple. In an inspired, witty and sensual performance, Virviescas Mendoza personified the Garden of Eden with a Latin flair. Accompanied by her own voice as well as music from the soundtrack of Frida, Virviescas Mendoza, in a red dress, imbued the red apples with the spirit of forbidden passion. She cradled the apples, she balanced one on her head, a mobile of dangling apples descended from above, a torrent of apples rolled across the stage toward her and, in a triumphant climax, the lights dimmed as she took her first satisfying bite.Nothing was as tangible as the glorious, youthful innocence in the ensemble piece, "Five in the backseat." The five dancers (Phillipe Bronchtein '10, Rebecca Marcus '07.5, Adriane Medina '08, Yina Ng '09 and Claire Ojima '07), all smiling, were united in their single-minded pursuit of childlike frolic and physical expressions of wonder. Yet they cavorted about the stage in costumes of green, orange and brown, which were reminiscent of the transition from spring to autumn. The piece was bounded at its beginning and end by a beeping, which gave it the quality of a dream, only a temporary escape from adult responsibilities. The return to adulthood was also evident in the next dance, "Green Piece," which was filled with the imagery of war, violence and blame. Rhynard's motions were stunningly accompanied by Liang's performance of an original composition on piano. The slow, lilting notes of Liang's "Garden Pieces" often dictated Rhynard's movement, changing her from one frozen pose to the next. As she danced, the images of rolling waves were projected onto the screen behind her, first in a sliver and then gradually creeping until waves filled the entire background. The projection was incorporated into the piece at its conclusion, when the noise of rushing water gave the impression of drowning in an endless sea. Alternately inhabiting the persona of warrior, soldier, peace activist, earth lover and yogi, Rhynard's gestures persuasively evoked the problematic nature of war in our time. The night concluded with an improvisational number performed by The Middlebury Improvisation Ensemble dancers and musicians (Music Director for Dance Michael Chorney on guitar, Jeremy Harlos on bass and Arthur Brooks on trumpet). Of her project, Irving said, "I wanted to make a piece that referenced my time spent abroad in China, not only on a visual and kinesthetic level, but an emotional one too. I think it is a difficult piece for audiences to digest because they are presented with vulnerable moments of silence and stillness, juxtaposed with high energy and intensity." As a joint Dance and International Studies major, Irving spent part of her junior year in China. Post-graduation, she plans to unite her two passions by teaching dance in China, collaborating with Chinese dancers."I am drawn to dance because to me it is the most honest form of communication and expression," said Irving. "Through dance I feel like I am able to be my most multi-faceted, complicated, joyful, ranting self."Mendoza's piece was intimately connected with her senior thesis, "The Colombian Diaspora in Paris," which she researched during her junior year abroad in Paris. An Independent Scholar studying Dance, Anthropology and International Studies, she left her native Colombia to finish high school in Hong Kong before coming to Middlebury. She brings an eclectic mix of influences to her dancing, which, she says, gives her "liberation, pleasure, a way of expressing, of communicating, of reading people." What was behind the use of the apples? Mendoza was inspired by the difference between the taste of a Chinese apple and a Colombian apple; influencing the dance that changed a familiar object into a series of surprises. Simultaneously speaking to the distance between nations, between childhood and adulthood and between innocence and experience, Irving's senior project made for a thought-provoking night of movement.
(04/25/07 12:00am)
Author: Thomas Newton In a world where new is always better, Microsoft's new operating system, Windows Vista, seems to be the exception. Its introduction in January of this year was met with lackluster sales. Most users couldn't see any reason to leave their trusty Windows XP for the marginal upgrades Vista offers. The very steep price and high system requirements also kept consumers away. Sales analysts thought this response normal, and assumed that consumers would upgrade to Vista when they bought new computers. This assumption seemed logical, as consumers tend to want the latest and greatest in regards to technology. Why, then, are Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo reintroducing Windows XP as an option when consumers purchase new computers?The answer is to respond to consumer demand. Richard Shim, an IDC analyst, said that, the fact "that there is remaining demand [for Windows XP], points to the inability of Vista to resonate with consumers." Microsoft, in a statement about these companies' reintroduction of XP, said that such a response is normal after the launch of a new operating system. But the question still exists: why are consumers demanding an old version of an operating system over a new one?The answer can be found in a comparison between Microsoft and Apple, as they constitute the two main operating system manufacturers on the market. Where sales of Microsoft's newest operating system have been less than stellar, Apple has continued on an upward trend with regards to the number of users switching over from Windows to Mac. Part of this may be explained by Apple's more aggressive advertising, but another aspect of the dynamic between the two companies may be the fact that Microsoft shamelessly copied its "new" features in Vista from Apple's operating system, Mac OS X. Consumers may not see the sense in buying a brand new, bug-ridden operating system over the well-established system that it was copied from.For this argument to make sense, the features of Vista and OS X have to be compared. Microsoft lists the new features of Vista as updated and more fluid graphics, "gadgets" which are mini-apps that sit on your desktop and display up-to -date information, improved searching features that allow you to search the entire computer in seconds, new multimedia tools such as Windows DVD Maker and improved security. Apple's OS X uses a dedicated core animation processor to create fluid, 3D graphics, has "widgets," which inspired Window's "gadgets," Spotlight, which allows you to search the entire computer in seconds, a multimedia suite called iLife which includes iDVD and iMovie and a very solid built-in security system. The features of Vista are blatant copies of those that have been found in Apple's OS X since 2001. Microsoft, then, is not only suffering from poor sales of Vista because of high prices and requirements, but because Vista is in no way original. Why overpay for an operating system that is marginally better than the one it is replacing when you could just get the older version or switch to Apple?
(04/18/07 12:00am)
Author: H. Kay Merriman "This is The Grille. It is a great place to meet with professors over lunch," said student tour guide Angelo Fu '10 to wide-eyed prospective students on a tour last week. Upon matriculating to Middlebury, however, many Middlebury students see the Grille as something else: a drunken corral. "If you ever want to get rid of drunk friends, send them to The Grille," said Dale Freundlich '10.Yet, The Grille is much more than one's first glance on a college tour or a pit stop during a night of partying; in fact, The Grille is as multi-faceted as the people who frequent it. And this reporter was determined to seek out the plethora of different personalities that inhabit The Grille on a typical Friday night.Although the intoxicated and the hungry, (and sometimes both), are thought to constitute the majority of Grille students, surprisingly, ambitious MiddKids have taken to studying, or at least pretending to study, at The Grille on the weekends. In fact, the first table I stopped at was being used by a studious soul, Laura Dalton '10, using a Friday night to do work before her track meet the next day. She does concede, however, the drawbacks of studying in such a social space. "I wouldn't recommend trying to write a term paper or studying for a midterm at the Grille on a Friday night because, well, it's The Grille on a Friday night," she said, adding "but if you have some busy work to get done, the procrastination is avoidable, but abundant and entertaining."Another fan of the Grille study climate, Katherine Babin '07 has taken to working on her year-long senior thesis in The Grille at night and offers some fresh perspectives on The Grille scene. While "studying," Babin has closely observed the relational counseling The Grille offers. Babin once witnessed a fight in the hallway while she was studying in a booth. "Somehow the presence of alcohol and a pane of glass seem to prevent people from noticing my presence a mere two feet away from them," she said, adding "At one point, there was a couple clearly in some sort of an argument and both were very animated about their emotions. By the end of it all, I was ready to take sides."And let's not forget the ones who keep everything running smoothly. Unlike the students hard at work on a Friday night, Grille Manager Steve Reigle cannot leave when he's ready for a break. He described how at times The Grille can become the college-size version of the Burger King play-place. But there are objects to throw at each other that may prove slightly more hazardous than the colored plastic balls from the ball pit. "I was standing near the Juice Bar when a chair from upstairs came crashing down five feet from me," described Reigle. The buzzing pagers with flashing red lights are entertaining for some, but also make very expensive toys, explained Reigle. "Please don't destroy, leave with, or throw out your pager. They are $110 each," he said.The Grille's architecture, in other student's minds, challenges them to test their agility and strength."One night I caught a student climbing between the pool pavilion and the main deck - fortunately, he made it," Reigle recalled.As Grille manager, Reigle also witnesses students at their finest and in their finest. He sees how for some, The Grille serves as a runway for modeling one's various fashion accessories, or lack thereof."Nights featuring costume parties are always very amusing," said Reigle of the well-dressed, and "the naked joggers at Pub Night were great," of the not-so-dressed. Despite the uncanny similarity between the long, green ramps of The Grille and the catwalk in Milan, The Grille has modeling restrictions. "Shoes and shirts are required by law," said Reigle.Finally, there is the loyal staff of The Grille that works tirelessly to serve the students, who often do not see as much humor in the nightly debauchery as the students do. They would like a little recognition and respect. Remember that employees, too, could use a little "Love Me Tender" every once in a while. "We are the ones who have to clean up the wreckage of half-eaten food, paper plates and ranch dressing strewn across the dining area. It's like picking up pieces in a battle scene," said student Grille employee Bernard Geoxavier '07. Student Grille worker Molley Kaiyoorawongs '09 described how students feel "like they can't strike up a conversation with me because I'm a worker. Spread the love. That's all I can say." After all, the employees remember some of the most important details of your life - your favorite food, that is. If you introduce yourself, they will certainly remember your name as well. Grille worker Ben Wiechman '07 may not know all his customers by name, but he certainly knows their eating habits. "Every time I work at The Grille I come across the same person and instantaneously know he wants a chicken salad wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, chipotle mayo and cucumbers, along with a seltzer water," he said. Now that's service!So, however you decide to spend your Friday night at The Grille, just remember: respect your surroundings.
(04/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Bridget Cummings Dorman "A girl that talks to animals. A cramped zoo. All the zoo animals going down the Mississippi in a houseboat. Fantastic!" writes local Middlebury resident, Lisel Peters-deCourval. The twelve-year-old critic is describing William B. Catton's new book, "Kathryn and the Runaway Zoo." Lisel's review represents an honest and animated impression of a book tailored to readers of her age. While "Kathryn and the Runaway Zoo" is his first book for young adults, Catton is no stranger to the world of writing. In addition to his 20 years spent teaching at Middlebury College, Catton also taught history at Northwestern University, The University of Maryland and Princeton University. He is the son of Civil War historian Bruce Catton, and is known for his collaborative works with his father, "Two Roads to Sumter" (1963), on the causes of the Civil War, and "The Bold and Magnificent Dream: American's Founding Years 1492-1815" (1979). Catton's love of history and nautical enterprises shines through in this recent book. It is a story about Kathryn, a thirteen-year-old animal lover, and her "runaway" zoo. Kathryn has the ability to speak with animals and together, she and her zoo friends plan an escape down the Mississippi River in search of a more suitable home for the animals. Catton conceived of the book as a tribute and memorial to his late daughter, Kathryn Cherry Catton, who died in 1978. As he explains, "[Kathryn] was an inveterate reader and lover of animals, so I wrote the kind of story she would have enjoyed about a young girl very much like herself, who befriended some zoo animals and had adventures with them." Kathryn's talent is woven into a story rich with history about the Mississippi River as well as descriptive introductions to animals across the globe. Catton's attention to the history and geography of the Mississippi and the detailed descriptions of Kathryn's animal friends make the story a balancing act between fact and fiction, or what we, the readers, believe is fictive or beyond imagination. Many young animal and environmental enthusiasts have discovered a "language" that exists between man and nature. Catton's story teases our awareness of this relationship and asks little of our imagination, as he makes the co-existence of man and beast, predator and prey, and fact and fiction believable. An encyclopedia, which offers pictures and descriptions of Kathryn's friends - "Griffon," the harpy eagle, "Erin," the peregrine falcon, "Karoonda," the Australian kookaburra, "Bandit," the raccoon and "Pedro," the coati (who Catton explains is Bandit's South American cousin), to name a few -would be a great accompaniment to this tale, enhancing the young reader's experience of Kathryn's journey down the Mississippi to New Orleans on her modern day ark. Catton makes great attempts to ensure that every detail of Kathryn's tale is justified. The narrator of her story assists the reader in understanding her otherwise far-fetched talent: "After some moments of this silent exchange of stares, [Kathryn] heard a low sound. It obviously came from the tiger, and the sound carried a meaning she suddenly understood: "Why so sad, Young Sister?" (What Kathryn actually heard, and just now began to comprehend, was in the animal language. She has supplied English translations for our convenience.)" As Kathryn said of her experience on the Mississippi, "there's always something you can hardly wait to see around the next bend." So too is Kathryn's adventure with her zoo animal friends a suspenseful and exciting journey. "Kathryn and the Runaway Zoo" excites the reader's desire for knowledge, satisfies one's love of history and encourages an appreciation of the environment.Bridget Citly, a fourth-year student at Breadloaf School of English, and lives locally in Monkton. Citly has worked at her family's restaurant, Rosie's, in Middlebury for the past four years. She writes for a local paper, The Valley Voice.
(04/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Peter Mueller The human being gets a tough rap. Turn on the news and you'll see all the bad things that humans do. Humans lie, steal, cheat and hurt each other. It seems that the human is always on trial. Most recently, the human being has come under scrutiny for changing the environment. However, changing the environment is something that humans do well. There was a day when a human emerged from the cave and made a shelter by moving the Earth with its hands. It was preferable to a cave - there was light and better circulation. Was the human the first animal to make a home? No, the bird had long had its nest, and the bees their hive.In time, the human being surpassed the others in its ability to change the environment. Slipshod shelters became farming villages, trading towns and booming industrial metropoli. The beaver's dam made way for the Hoover. This was progress. Growth continued for the same reason the human first left the cave. Humans are creatures of comfort.Today, Middlebury College has established itself as a leader in environmental responsibility. We have a wind turbine and a recycling facility. Students do their part by sacrificing two degrees of heat in their dorms. Yet, there is a striking dichotomy between environmental consciousness and comfort. Signs around campus tell me to unplug my computer when it is not in use, while the concrete behemoth, BiHall, serves as Addison County's second sun. We want to minimize environmental impact, but we also want to read in plush chairs beside Vermont's largest window. Sure, I'll put my computer in sleep mode, but I cannot honestly crawl behind my desk ten times a day to unplug it. I am a creature of comfort.Does my failure to do so make me a bad person and ensure the Apocalypse? While the answer to the former is open to interpretation, I certainly doubt the latter. Although I am concerned with man's growing relationship with the environment, I am, in a way, impressed. In another era, humans paid homage to idols to bring rain and a good harvest. They tried their best to influence the environment and could not. Modern human ability to change the environment is not so much contemptible as incredible. If only Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, could see the fruits of our Green Revolution. I'm sure she would be impressed. Today, the scientific community is confident that greenhouse gases are leading to an increase in overall Earth temperature. The implications of the rise in temperature are less certain; Ice caps melting, variable weather, and drought are just a few. If you occasionally open a newspaper you have probably heard it all. Again, humans love to report the bad news. Yet, on April 3, The New York Times inadvertently reported some good news in an article entitled, "Reports From Four Fronts in the War on Warming." The article addressed the geography of global warming, highlighting the places where change could hurt the most. Moreover, the piece reported on the human response to change.In Maasbommel, the Netherlands, construction has begun on a network of higher dykes and floating houses as part of what they call "climate-proofing." In Perth, Australia, the new Perth Seawater Desalinization Plant is producing over 38 million gallons of fresh water a day, according to The Times. Of course, without global support these technological responses are limited to places with the adequate means. I cite these examples to shed climate change in a glass half-full light. Although we may be the first species to directly change global climate, we are also the first species equipped to handle the change. Our history proves that this is something we do well. Let's not underestimate human ingenuity in the face of the Malthusian specter. To do so would mean a reduction in comfort that Middlebury's Nike-clad, Ipod-sporting environmentalist seems unwilling to make. I'm certainly not about to move back into the cave. Rather, I am optimistically standing by as the world's most creative species approaches a new challenge.Peter Mueller is a Junior Feb from Yarmouth, Maine
(04/11/07 12:00am)
Author: Aylie Baker, Features Editor "I've been hearing about Midd forever," said Dave Eggers upon ascending the podium to read an excerpt from his new novel, "What is the What," this past Monday night. "Good Lord," he said. It's no wonder. Eggers met his wife Vendela Vida '93 through a mutual friend who also attended the College. Vida, an English major graduating Phi Beta Kappa, dabbled in several disciplines, including theatre and Italian. She received scholarships to attend the Breadloaf Writer's Conference for two summers and had the opportunity to work closely with Rob Pack, Dave Price, David Bane and Julia Alvarez.On Monday April 9, Eggers and Vida read excerpts from their new novels, "What is the What" and "Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name," to an animated audience in Mead Chapel. While their recent works were the main focus of the event, they also framed a subsidiary moral initiative - their unconventional non-profit tutoring centers which are popping up across the nation. In her reading, Vida openly decided to "skip an embarrassing sex scene," while in the presence of her former professors. Setting the context for her novel, "Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name," Vida described how she had been "inspired [both] by her heritage" in Lapland of Northern Sweden and "her love for fairytales." The excerpt, brimming with colorful images and an honest sincerity, captured the main character, Clarissa, at the beginning of her quest to Lapland to unearth her true identity. Eggers' "What is the What" broached a very different topic. The book highlights the life story of Valentino Achak Deng, who was dispossessed from his village during the 1980s as a refugee of the Sudanese civil war. One of some 20,000 "lost boys," Deng eventually made his way to the United States, where Mary Williams met him and first wrote to Eggers regarding his story. Since he first met him in 2001, Eggers unraveled Deng's history through a series of interviews.Shifting to a lighter subject, Eggers and Vida led the audience through a slideshow that charted the evolution of their non-profit tutoring centers. Eggers began by recounting the startup of his independent press, McSweeney's, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. McSweeney's began in the backdrop of a store devoted to both amateur taxidermy and show-animal grooming supplies. Despite its shortcomings financially, Eggers described how the store became a conduit for middle school students.This breakthrough became instrumental in the founding of 826 Valencia Street, the couple's first tutoring center in San Francisco. The building the couple purchased to house the center, while inexpensive, was zoned for retail. They decided to open a "Pirate supply store - for the traveling buccaneer." The store supplies an array of accessories including peg legs, hook protectors ("for nighttime"), and replaceable eyes. It even includes its own fish theatre that according to Vida, "was voted the most popular place in San Francisco for breastfeeding."Moving beyond the multicolored eye patches, one stumbles upon a very different venue - 826's tutoring center. Eggers and Vida attribute much of the tutoring center's success to its offbeat faÁade. Kids are "more likely to stop at it," explained Eggers. "It's not a sterile atmosphere."Originally starting with 20 volunteers the program now has 1400 tutors on its roster and has expanded to include "in school" tutoring in addition to its after school sessions and evening workshops. 826 Valencia Street's successes have led to the opening of more tutoring centers across the nation such as The Boring Store in Chicago, The Space Travel Supply Company in Greenwood and The Superhero Supply Company in Brooklyn, which all provide community services in addition to their wacky commodities.It's not everyday that one gets the chance to hear two of the nation's most celebrated contemporary writers read from their novels in such an intimate setting as Mead Chapel. Yet, as evidenced by Vida and Eggers' closing slideshow, it's equally rare that one gets to venture into a "Capery" equipped with industrial fans en route to a tutoring session.
(04/11/07 12:00am)
Author: Neil Waters It seemed like a no-brainer. Several students in one of my classes included the same erroneous information in final examination essays. Google whisked me immediately to Wikipedia, where I found the source of the erroneous information in under a minute. To prevent recurrences of the problem, I wrote a policy for consideration by the history department, in less than two minutes: " 1)Students are responsible for the accuracy of information they provide, and they cannot point to Wikipedia or any similar source that may appear in the future to escape the consequences of errors. 2)Wikipedia is not an acceptable citation, even though it may lead one to a citable source." I brought up this modest policy proposal, suitably framed in whereases and be it resolveds, at the next meeting of the department, and it was passed within about three minutes, and we moved on to more pressing business. And that, I thought, was that - a good six minutes worth of work, culminating in clear guidelines for the future. Some colleagues felt I was belaboring the obvious, and they were right. The history department always has held students responsible for accuracy, and does not consider general encyclopedias of the bound variety to be acceptable for citation either. But Wikipedia seemed worth mentioning by name because it is omnipresent and because its "open-source" method of compilation makes it a different animal from, say, the Encyclopedia Britannica.The Campus published an article on the departmental policy, and the rest, as they say, is history. Alerted by the online version of The Campus Tim Johnson of The Burlington Free Press interviewed me and a spokesman for Wikipedia who agreed with the history department's position, and published an article. Several college newspapers followed suit, and then Noam Cohen of The New York Times interviewed Don Wyatt, chair of the History Department, and me, and published the story. Within a day it received more online "hits" than any other New York Times feature. Another interview followed with the Asahi Shimbun in Tokyo, and additional articles appeared in El Pais in Spain, The Guardian in England, and then in literally hundreds of newspapers in the US and abroad. Along with other members of the History Department, I found myself giving interviews almost daily - to radio stations, newspaper reporters, inquisitive high school students, WCAX television news in Burlington, and even to the NBC Nightly News, which sent correspondent Lisa Daniels to Middlebury to interview me and students in my History of Modern Japan class. A stream of phone calls and e-mails from a wide range of people, from Wikipedia disciples to besieged librarians who felt free at last to express their Wikipedia misgivings, continues to the present. Somehow the modest policy adoption by the History Department at Middlebury College hit a nerve. Why this overwhelming spate of interest? I can think of three reasons immediately: 1) Timing. Wikipedia has existed since 2001, but it has expanded exponentially, and reached a critical mass in the last couple of years. With over 1.6 million entries in its English language edition, Wikipedia has something to say about almost everything. Its popularity has soared with its comprehensiveness and ease of use, and its ease of use in turn has been enhanced by popularity-driven algorithms; Google lists a Wikipedia article in first or second place more often than not. 2) Passion. There is something exciting about the growth and development of an entity to which anyone can contribute.At its best, Wikipedia works wonders. Anonymous editors actually improve entries over time, including new material, editing away mistakes, polishing the writing. Accordingly, some of Wikipedia's defenders approach their task with near-religious zeal. But Wikipedia at its worst excites similarly intense passions, because anonymous, non-accountable editors can include, through ignorance or malice, misinformation that may or may not get "fixed." Further, thousands of high school teachers as well as college professors who try mightily to induce a measure of critical thinking in their students' approach to sources for research grow quietly furious because the very ubiquity of Wikipedia tempts people to use it in lieu of other, more reliable sources of information. 3) Scandals. The Wikipedia entry for John Siegenthaler, Sr. in 2004 contained spurious accusations that he was a suspect in the assassinations of both John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. The entry was unaltered for four months (thereafter authors of new entries, but not editors of existing entries, had to register their names with Wikipedia). A Wikipedia "policeman" turned out to have bogus credentials. Sinbad was declared dead (he has since risen again). All this keeps the pot boiling.In the final analysis, Wikipedia's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Anonymous, unaccountable, unpaid, often non-expert yet passionate editors built Wikipedia, but their anonymity and lack of accountability assures that Wikipedia cannot be considered an authoritative source. And yet it is frequently used as if it were, Wikipedia's own disclaimers notwithstanding. College professors and high school teachers alike need to remember that the impressive computer acumen of their students does not automatically translate into impressive levels of critical thought, particularly when it comes to evaluating the reliability of the new tools at their disposal, and of the information those tools provide. The internet has opened up new highways of information, but we need to know how to spot the potholes. Neil Waters is Professor of History and Kawashima Professor of Japanese Studies at Middlebury College.
(04/11/07 12:00am)
Author: Sara Jameson Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, the Middlebury College Musical Player's performance of "Little Women" displayed not only the musical talent of the cast, but also proved their theatrical aptitude by the authentic ease with which they played their roles and the sincere relationships they created. At times the play seemed to drag on in moments of clichÈd unoriginality, but overall, the actors vitalized the script with their indispensably subtle, yet genuine, chemistry.The story revolves around the impassioned character Jo March (Casey Donahue '10) who, striving to become a renowned author, looks to her past and the life she shared with her family to provide long-needed inspiration. The play then shifts through heartwarming glimpses into the daily, and even more dramatic, happenings of the March family. As Jo looks back and experiences the warmth, tribulation, tragedy, and love she has felt in her life with her Marmee (Michaela Lieberman) and three sisters, Meg (Kate Lupo), Beth (Laura Pollard), and Amy (Claire Graves), she realizes that it is not the intense and affected melodrama of her former writing that reflects her true expression, but the simple and beautifully truthful portrayal of her own reality that justly captures the hearts and sympathy of her audience. Although the script itself risks being portrayed in a detrimentally clichÈd light, the actors exhibited a credible and even lovable chemistry. The five March women worked wonderfully together, especially Lieberman as Marmee, whose maternal essence was remarkably natural. The sisterly quibbles between Donahue and Graves were also wonderfully realistic and helped to create a sincerity that rendered the family much more believable. In fact, Donahue worked expertly with every actor she performed with, her ease and authenticity creating a crucially genuine bond with every character. Donahue also exhibited amazing comedic talent. Her sense of timing, sarcasm, and facial expressions never ceased to generate laughter≠ - the romantic tension between her and Laurie Laurence (Max Kanter) was both hysterically and endearingly entertaining. Claire Graves also exhibited incredible comedic talent - her portrayal of the youngest sister, Amy, perfectly matched the stereotypically spoiled, yet charming, "baby" of the family. Her ability to convincingly play a character of so young an age not only exposed her talent but also created an interesting dynamic within the family. Despite some weak moments in the energy and clarity of some songs or solos, the musical talent of the cast was, in most cases, stunning. Again, Donahue excelled with her clear, animated voice and beautiful tone. Most impressive of all, however, was the deep, full, and powerful voice of Lieberman (Marmee) whose song, "Days of Plenty" overwhelmingly displayed her passionate emotion and sensitivity. The duet between Beth (Laura Pollard '10) and Mr. Laurence (Phillip Ziff '10), if not the most technically astounding song in the show, exhibited a comic and endearing sensitivity that complimented both characters.The technical aspects of the show were generally on top of things, however some fumbles backstage and awkward scene changes detracted a little from the flow of the performance. Most impressive of all were the costumes - beautiful dresses that seemed to fit the time period perfectly. The pit orchestra was also quite talented - and although, at times, a bit unbalanced and slightly out of tune, they altogether held together well throughout the show. The audience exhibited an overall positive reaction to the performance: "I loved the show," enthused Sophomore Alethea Gross, "I thought MCMP did a great job casting it. The cast did an awesome job expressing genuine emotions-I sobbed the entire second half of the show." Sophomore Loren Mejia agreed, commenting, "Max Kanter made me fall in love with Laurie, and Casey Donahue has one of the most amazing voices ever." "The only things that detracted from the performance," added Gross, "were a few out-of-tune instruments in the pit, but otherwise, the show was amazing." There was, however, some dissatisfaction with the nature of the script itself. Starrett Berry, '09 commented, "Although the acting in Little Women was very good, the play itself is, for lack of a better word, cheesy. It's a very stereotypical musical in which musical numbers are in very clichÈ places with very clichÈ introductions. This is not to slight the hard work, effort and very good job that all those involved did, but merely to state that the choice of musical paled in comparison with past MCMP shows."Although the play, "Little Women" might seem an odd choice for a musical at first glance, with its rather narrative structure and subtle characterizations, the final performance was unexpectedly moving. The musical talent of the actors, conjoined with the amazing ease and authenticity with which they performed their characters, produced an entertaining and successful show, both comedic, dramatic, and all-together touching in its surprisingly real portrayal of a growing family.
(03/21/07 12:00am)
Author: Scott Greene It's 6 a.m. on Sunday, and the closed glass doors leading to the balcony just off my second floor room can do little to mute the constant explosions outside my dorm. Unable to sleep, I restlessly absorb the cacophony around me, each boom followed by a flash of red and yellow that soon disappears into the dusk sky. Such a bombardment has served as my wakeup call for the past two weeks. I am not, however, in a war zone. While people in certain areas of the world know of no other start to their day, my morning explosions come in the form of a fireworks celebration that puts our Fourth of July to shame: the Chinese Spring Festival (Chun Jie).Better known to westerners (wai guo ren) as Chinese New Year, Chun Jie is much more than the dragon dances and little red envelopes of money that we so often hear about. The dragon dances and little red envelopes seem to take a backseat to the fireworks and inordinate amount of booze and food that is consumed to celebrate the abundance of success and luck each person hopes to attain in the New Year. This year is marked as the Year of the Pig in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle - being born in 1986, I am a Tiger. Though probably no different than any other past Spring Festival, it seemed as though all 1.3 billion of China's citizens flocked to the nearest Carrefour or Wal-Mart (yes, they have Wal-Mart here in China) to stock up on MSG, dumplings, shrimp, pork, chicken feet, cow stomach and sharks' fin soup. Liquor is also a necessity, with the staples Bai Jiu and Mao Tai precious commodities.Thus, the scene inside these megastores is unreal. Picture Black Friday, with three or four times the intensity, every day for over a week, and you still will not be close to envisioning the madness that ensues. I went into the Wal-Mart in Nanjing to buy snacks and drinks to get me through a rainy night in my hotel room, and made it out of the store in no less than an hour. China has over 100 cities with at least one million people, including Nanjing. That day, it seemed like all 6 million Nanjing residents had crammed themselves into the Wal-Mart, making the three-story megastore (which would put a stateside Wal-Mart Superstore or Target Greatland to shame) seem about as small as MiddExpress. Still, the Chinese Spring Festival will remain one of the most awe-inspiring festivals I've ever seen. After the people clear out the Carrefour and Wal-Mart, they then clear out of town. During the peak of the fifteen-day food fest, most cities shut down as seas of migrant workers head home to the countryside to celebrate the New Year with their families. Shops close and streets empty, but one thing still remains: the bombardment of fireworks from dawn until dusk, detonating with a deafening determination to disrupt my desire to sleep.
(03/21/07 12:00am)
Author: Brooke Farquhar A fear of chipmunks is not a quality commonly attributed to athletes.The appearance of chipmunks is, however, Leslie Moffat's '10.5 biggest fear since chipmunks serve as her sled-dogs' biggest distraction. But at this year's Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby held March 3-5, Moffat had nothing to worry about, as her focused team led her to the winner's circle - and not off course in a chipmunk chase.Oakie, Alex, Tater, Biscuit, Doughboy, Perry and Moffat came in second out of nine teams in the six-dog class. Moffat and the dog team raced the six-mile course on day one with a time of 22:10, and on day two, shaved off two whole minutes to finish in 20:12. Moffat made about $600 in winnings on the weekend, but she gave all the money to her neighbor Fran Plaisted, whose dogs pulled her in the race. "Even if I wasn't using my neighbor's dogs," Moffat said, "I would still give all the money to the person whose dogs I'm racing."Moffat first met Plaisted when she was four years old. The Moffat family moved down the road and sold their home to the Plaisteds, who set up kennels and left Leslie the open invitation to come and train with them whenever she wanted. Moffat quickly accepted the invitation. She learned the commands "gee" (right) and "haw" (left) before she learned how to use a blinker.At the age of 11, Moffat entered her first sled dog race in Meredith, N.H. She raced a three-dog team in the junior class, going three miles with dogs Ranger, Chip and Dale. If you have not yet noticed, the inspiration for sled dog names is unlimited. Whether it is based on animated Disney cartoons, like "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers," or on the food the dogs are fed, anything is fair game."The names get pretty creative," said Moffat, "because people have so many dogs."The saying, "You are what you eat", also applies to the dog world - especially the dogs who raced with Moffat at Laconia. While Muffin could not race because of a shoulder injury, her brothers Biscuit, Tater and Doughboy did. All four are descendents of their German Pointer father who Plaisted fed bread and pancakes to gain weight. His offspring adopted the name "Carbohydrate Litter" in his honor. As a Feb, having the fall semester off was advantageous for Moffat. Training usually begins in the fall because the weather is cool enough for the dogs to run comfortably. With no papers to write or exams to take, Moffat commuted to Cobble Hill Kennel in New Haven, Vt. to work with the huskies, who were all six months or older. A puppy usually begins training at six months old with a small team of older dogs, running in dirt or sand to avoid injury and pulling behind them a four-wheeler to build muscle. After months of getting used to dragging a couple hundred pounds of weight, these dogs fly with a 30-pound sled, plus the varying weight of the driver behind them. At this point in training, the dogs begin to anticipate racing. "The dogs know when you switch them from a four-wheeler to a sled," said Moffat, "and they start to get more competitive." Moffat is not sure if Santa trains his reindeer with the same system, but she thinks his sled probably weighs more than 30 pounds, and he probably weighs more than the average sled-dog driver.Sled dog competitions are set up according to the number of dogs in a team, and the distances range accordingly. Six-dog teams run about six-mile races, and eight-dog teams run eight miles. The biggest competition is the Open Classic event, which can span anywhere from 15-20 miles, and the number of dogs is unlimited. The largest number of dogs Moffat has seen hitched up in an Open Classic is between 22 and 24. Although not as competitive, a normal race day also includes a one-dog junior class for younger kids. "They are very cute to watch," said Moffat.Unexperienced spectators at sled dog competitions may be shocked to see how skinny the dogs look, but on a cold winter day in which a team is running a long distance race, each dog will consume 10,000 calories.On top of carbo-loading, just like athletes the canine competitors spend more time training than competing. Plaisted said her dogs, "usually have about 200 to 300 miles on them before their first race, which includes both dirt and snow miles."Their training tapers a few weeks before the Laconia race, and the racing schedule is constructed accordingly, with a weekend off in January. During the race the dogs learn to pace themselves, just like cross-country runners, though their pace is a little bit faster than the average human sprinter. The dogs run approximately 22 miles per hour for the full time. Being pulled off the course at 22 miles per hour is a pretty terrifying experience. As Moffat explained, "Although these dogs go through years of intense training, any dog will chase a chipmunk."In the event that a chipmunk crosses in front of the dogs during a race, the driver will resort to one of the many brake contraptions on the sled. On the bottom of the sled is a snowmobile tread that the driver can step on to slow down. There is also a "snow hook", which acts as an anchor that catches so the driver can get off.When asked if she felt like it was bad luck to be pulled by dogs who were named after cartoon chipmunks in her first race, Moffat answered, "I do remember one time when we were training and [Ranger, Chip and Dale] dragged me off the trail after a chipmunk, but they were good dogs and they knew they were supposed to take care of me."You might be disappointed to learn this, but according to Moffat, the word "mush" is not used commonly in the sport. She refers to the use of the term as a "Disney creation," that is consistent with their misrepresentation of teams made up of Siberian huskies in films such as "Eight Below." The dogs used in real sled dog races are Alaskan huskies, often with German Pointer bred into them. Pointers are athletic and have long legs, so they are ideal to cross breed with the thick fur coats of an Alaskan husky.Do the dogs know they are in a race? Until a chipmunk comes along, it seems they do. According to Moffat, as the announcer approaches the signal for the start, "the dogs know what fiveÖfourÖthreeÖtwoÖone go" means.A question often asked of jockeys in the Kentucky Derby is whether they think the horses know they have won. When it comes to sled dog competitions, Moffat had mixed feelings. "I don't know if the dogs know if they have won or not," she said, "but they know what they're there for. They know when they are in a race because they will see a team ahead and speed up."Although Moffat has yet to be steered off course by her dogs during a competition, she has seen her fair share of mud over the years. "To start with, Leslie always ran an old-style wooden sled," Plaisted described. "The first time we let her run the high tech Danler Sled, which you can steer, she tipped it over, dragged along the ground and came back covered in mud. But she never let go of the team, and the mud never seemed to bother her."Moffat's family owns horses, not dogs, but she hopes to keep racing in sled dog competitions while she is a student and even after she gets her undergraduate degree from Middlebury. In Plaisted's opinion, Moffat is cut out for the job."She never complains, no matter how dirty she gets," said Plaisted.
(03/21/07 12:00am)
Author: Emma Moros On Thursday night, in the typically serene basement of Ilsley Public Library, farmers made livestock deals while children played with puzzles and everyone sipped on hot chocolate made with local farm fresh milk. The uncharacteristic liveliness can be attributed to Rural Vermont's Hot Chocolate Social, a family get-together intended to meld entertainment and earnest discussion to make strides in mediating challenges beleaguering local farmers. Rural Vermont is a privately funded advocacy group that works with policy makers in the Vermont State House to support the interests of small, rural farmers. Its mission is concentrated primarily in the area of what members call "economic justice."The group funded twelve Hot Chocolate Socials statewide with the purpose of "offering an opportunity for people to know that they can talk to Rural Vermont and communicate with the Agriculture Committee," said Amy Schollenberger, one of the event's coordinators.In the absence of the Committee, those who attended the event took advantage of the opportunity to talk to one another. The thick hum of Vermont accents filled the room as farmers discussed the difficulty of slaughtering poultry and selling raw milk.A former Middlebury student named Alex pointed out the fundamental issue of farming as it relates to Middlebury College. Alex worked in the Organic Garden while attending Middlebury and presently works on a local farm. "Farming is something that most students just don't know about despite the fact that it literally surrounds the College," he said.Schollenberger delivered a talk which highlighted issues of particular concern to farmers. Currently, Rural Vermont is working on campaigns to promote farm-fresh milk and meat. These campaigns seek to make it easier for farmers to sell their products directly. Farmers can only sell the unpasteurized milk which is preferable for cheese making and tied to the organic foods movement in limited quantities. Consequently, Rural Vermont is in its second year of a five-year campaign to allow farmers to sell, advertise and deliver unlimited quantities of raw milk. However, no progress has been made.Rural Vermont has, however, achieved success in the area of meat processing. One of the main issues the organization sought to address in the past year was the federal government's proposed initiative to tag every farm animal with an identification chip. According to a pamphlet distributed by Rural Vermont "If this [animal identification] program [were] implemented many small-scale meat, milk, and egg producers [would] simply go out of business rather than deal with overly burdensome regulations." Efforts on the part of the farmers to overturn the identification were successful and the program became voluntary. In addition, the state government did not accept federal funding that would have required them to advertise the voluntary program.There is still work to be done regarding poultry regulations. Currently, the federal government does not require farmers with fewer than 1,000 poultry to have their poultry slaughtered at a federally approved slaughterhouse. Instead, farmers with fewer than 1,000 poultry can slaughter them on their own and sell them to non-resale outlets such as restaurants. In Vermont, however, the limit is even lower than the federal limit. Rural Vermont has therefore set a goal to raise the state limit to match the federal limit.The provision to raise the limit is in the Omnibus Agriculture Bill that is currently being debated, but according to Schollenberger, it most likely will not survive the passage of the bill. If it does survive, many farmers will immediately be able to sell more of their poultry, a prospect that excites both consumers and producers.Despite all of Rural Vermont's successes, one attendee who asked not to be identified noted that the group offered few suggestions for concrete action.Another attendee who hails from a family of dairy farmers expressed a similar complaint, explaining that the independent nature of farming makes it difficult to organize as a cohesive whole. In his view, the most pressing issue facing farmers with small farms is the fact that they cannot slaughter their relatively sparse selection of animals. Small dairy farmers do not need many bulls, for instance, and paying for them to be slaughtered at an approved slaughterhouse can pose a significant financial burden. In addition, there are not many of these approved slaughterhouses available.With so many problems facing the farming community, one arrives at the inevitable question: "What can the community do?" The same attendee who posed the question offered a solution. "Colleges like Middlebury and UVM should buy local poultry and meat directly from the farmer," she said. "Regulations allow them to do this and they could make a big dent."
(03/14/07 12:00am)
Author: Tamara Hilmes Inside the big red barn just two miles from campus on Sheep Farm Road, oodles of baby pigs, sheep and goats fill the stalls that line the interior of the building. Upon first walking in, despite the slightly unpleasant smell, it is hard not to be delighted by the wooly white lambs nuzzling into their mothers' sides and napping in the straw.The snow is melting, birds are singing and new life is springing up throughout the Vermont countryside. Spring is here and to celebrate its arrival, the Duclos and Thompson Farm, located on Route 23 in Weybridge, is holding an Open Barn event, inviting members of the community to stop by and welcome the 400 newborn lambs and kids as well as the new season. This tradition began one fine spring 24 years ago. "The Open Barn is a sign of spring," says Weybridge resident Jodi Collins. "It is usually held at the end of March, and people just like to come and enjoy the nice weather and see the babies because they are just so cute."The little lambs might look peaceful, but as farm owner Tommy Duclos points out, life isn't always so easy for the newborn animals. "We're pretty lucky in this barn because we only lose about four percent of our babies," says Duclos. "The average loss is usually 10 percent or above." According to Duclos, lambs are often lost when their mothers decide to neglect them. "When two lambs are born, the mother will often pick out the hardier one, the bigger lamb, and disown the other."Now, however, the newborn animals are at no loss for attention. Adults and children alike crowd around the pens to ooh and ahh at the tiny goats, pigs and sheep. Although the baby lambs were by far the most popular attraction, Emma, a large white dog lying among the sheep in one of the larger pens, also receives her fair share of attention. One afternoon she caused a stir when a visitor to the barn attempted to take her picture."Someone reached in with their camera to take a picture and Emma started barking and became quite upset," says Collins. "But this was in the expectant mothers pen, so you can see why she would be more protective and more irritable."Two large brown llamas, Jazzman and Duke, are another big barn attraction.Apart from gazing at the incredibly adorable animals, visitors to the farm also participate in activities such as guessing the weight of the large, pink pig at the entrance to the barn, and sampling the cheese and sausage that is produced by Duclos and Thompson. Despite the less-than-pleasant barnyard smell, people from the Middlebury and Weybridge areas find it hard to resist celebrating the arrival of spring with the newborn animals."There were a lot of people visiting today," says Collins. "There were points when you could barely even walk through the barn."
(03/14/07 12:00am)
Author: Melissa Marshall "Thanks for saving me from a career in Wall Street," reads a note attached to a poster advertising the 2003 action thriller "Out of Time." The poster hangs outside the office of Don Mitchell, lecturer in English and Film and Media Culture, and Dave Collard '94 is not the only one grateful to Mitchell. In fact, college dorms across the country are appreciative that Collard is writing toilet humor for animated characters instead of crunching numbers in Dockers and a tie. Best known for his two and a half season stint as a staff writer for Fox's animated comedy "The Family Guy," Collard traded the tropical warmth of Los Angeles for the frigid weather of his alma mater in order to give a talk to screenwriter hopefuls and pop-culture junkies alike last Sunday evening. Collard immediately put Dana Auditorium at ease with his casual attire and even more relaxed attitude, reminding students that a benefit of a liberal arts education is "the opportunity to have a happy accident," even if that accident is a career path more stigmatized than the dreaded English major. Collard, who first discovered the possibility of screenwriting in a book while shopping for his economic class, demystified a field that seems harder to gain access to than the Freemasons. "I'm not going to lie and say that it's easy. But if there's nothing else pulling you, I say do it," said Collard. "If there's something else you're just as interested in, go do that, it'll be easier. There are a lot of days I hate my job, but I can't imagine myself doing anything else. I guess even Ben and Jerry's ice cream tasters get tired of their job some days." His focus on maintaining realistic expectations continued throughout his talk as he even underplayed the ideal of complete freedom in creative expression, drawing examples from the numerous changes made to his scripts for "Out of Time" and the 2006 military drama "Annapolis." "I had originally planned for 'Out of Time' to be set in Buffalo, write what you know, but they immediately changed it to Miami," said Collard. "Nobody wants to see a movie set in Buffalo, even people who live in Buffalo." Collard continued to outline the life of a screenwriter, the depiction becoming less glamorous with every reference to unappreciative actors, intense competition and compromised creative control. "Right now, I sell out. That's my job," said Collard, displaying an honesty that defined his presentation. Earlier in his talk, he fielded a question from his mentor Mitchell concerning the socio-economic hypocrisy of mainstream values presented in "The Family Guy," responding, "That's more on Seth McFarland [the show's producer]. I don't know, my favorite joke was the fart-box."Despite some of the negative aspects he broached, Collard encouraged aspiring writers further, even offering to act as patron to some. "Have any good ideas for a thriller?" asked Collard. "I'll take down names and hand out checks. I'm serious." While Collard did show the 2001 episode of "The Family Guy" titled "Screwed the Pooch" as well as a ten minute clip from "Out of Time," he delivered a presentation structured more like a question and answer session than a lecture, seeming more interested in hearing students' voices than his own. And students did not hesitate to call on Collard for advice, gaining valuable insight into the inner-workings of the Hollywood industry. "I've been pretty interested in screenwriting for a while, but I did not know a lot on the technical end," said Peter Hoffman '10. "I found it interesting how often the script was altered. Whether it is through the communal effort of television writing or the administrative decisions in the film world, it is surprising to see how much a script differs from its original conception."Through a mix of humor, honesty and candid storytelling, Collard's informal lecture shed light on a profession shrouded by uncertainty. "Dave Collard's talk was enlightening in the way that so many of the visits by successful alums are: it offered some perspective on what it means to go out into the 'real world' and try out one's dreams," said Astri von Arbin Ahlander '07. "Even though Dave was realistic about the poor odds for succeeding as a writer in Hollywood, his encouragement and the example he himself has set serves as inspiration to go out there and give the impossible a try."
(03/07/07 12:00am)
Author: H. Kay Merriman One day this past fall, first-years Faisal Saeed, Daniel Odette and Eric Baginski decided they wanted to catch a squirrel. For a trap they propped up a box with a stick and disguised it by placing grass clippings on top. For bait they laid out salad and oranges. Then the three squirrel stalkers strung a string out a window between the stick and themselves and patiently waited in the security of the Battell Hall bathroom for their prize.While not all students turn to capturing stray squirrels, many long for the family pet. This desire can drive already overstressed students to the edge - they get excited at the sight of a stray cat or rush to pet a random person's dog. But beyond the novelty of seeing a random pet, animals help students cope with the challenges of college life. "Oberon's puppy therapy is amazing," says Lia Jacobsen '08 about Cook Commons Dean David Edleson's dog Oberon. When Jacobsen fell seriously ill her freshman year, Oberon acted as her healer. "We laid down on the floor in the Cook Commons office for a few hours," says Jacobsen, "my head on his back and my arms wrapped around him." Jacobsen credits at least part of her recovery to the canine comfort.Unable to house their own dog or cat in their dorm rooms, some students have settled for small rodents or fish to keep them company. Before the arrival of a Feb roommate with allergies, Kazya Lee '10 kept her pet hamster Panda in her dorm room. "It was really nice having him here," says Lee. "I'd let him run around in the hall and tied a piece of yarn to his ball which I then tied to my door knob so he wouldn't get lost. All the people on my hall and the custodial staff loved himÖeveryone just loved to look at him and pet him." Hallmates affectionately referred to Panda as the "pirate hamster" because he lost one of his eyes to an infection.Other students take the less-furry route. Annie Davison '08.5 decided to raise an electronic pet. "Freshman year, I got a Tamagatchi as my college pet, but I gave up on that," says Davison. One would think that the death of a pretend pet would deter a pet owner from buying again, but Davison did her research. She read a book about caring for goldfish before purchasing a tank, two fish and some snails during her sophomore year. Although many fish have been flushed since then, General Tso and John Paul III are currently happily and healthily residing in her room. "They're just something to keep me company," Davison says with a smile. The truly adventurous have opted for a more unusual pet. "I've always wanted to catch a wild animal and what better than a squirrel for a Wonnacott mascot," says Saeed, about the squirrel trap he built in the fall with Odette and Baginski. The trio planned to domesticate the wild creature for companionship.The three trappers "almost succeeded" when a squirrel entered their cage and they pulled the string, but one of the squirrel's feet was still under the box when it fell and the squirrel was able to escape. Baginski offers a disclaimer, "We weren't going to maim it, skin it or make fanciful slippers out of the animal's hide - so any PETA enthusiasts needn't stress out." Disappointed, Odette lamented, "We would've tamed it and trained it to fetch us things."
