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(04/20/06 12:00am)
Author: Dave Barker If you like comedy, I hope you made it to the SGA candidate debate on Sunday. I wish someone had sent a tape to the Daily Show so Jon Stuart could feast on the many comical moments. The SGA has tackled important issues this year like transportation and textbooks with success, however, after listening in on the candidates, I am not sure whether to vote for one of them or write in Krusty the Clown. The night offered plenty of the humorous and the unbelievable. First off, could the SGA set a dress code appropriate to a rural liberal arts campus? The business suites and pinstripes made me wonder if a few of the candidates had ambled over from Saturday's Rites of Spring formal or a Career Service's networking event for aspiring investment bankers. Indeed, Rites of Spring seemed to be on everyone's mind as the candidates unanimously agreed on the need for seeing SafeRides through to its completion. SafeRides, the shuttle service initiated by this year's SGA, is a no-brainer, especially if the social scene continues to spread off campus. The only debate over improving the party scene turned into a nasty popularity contest. After one Community Council candidate was grilled on attendance at off-campus parties, another candidate responded: "I have significant social experience." Which begs the question: should being a party-animal and having friends off campus qualify you for student government? The candidates for Student Co-Chair of Community Council (SCCOCC) leave me questioning the role of this branch of student government that serves as a liaison between students and the faculty, administration and staff. As one experienced SGA member told me, "Community council is the biggest waste of time ever." One of the candidates for SCCOCC admitted to having no agenda or platform. The candidate answered most of the questions with a few sentences, making me wonder what students can look forward to next year. Another SCCOCC hopeful should have taken the cue of the tight-lipped candidate after rambling on about a need for campus-wide "Assassin" and Quidditch games. Calls for community building through co-commons events would qualify the candidate to be a commons co-chair-the organizers of such events-not SCCOCC. Current SCCOCC J.S. Woodward received widespread praise from the candidates for his commitment over the past two years. Next year's co-chair will have to grow bigger feet before being able to fit into Woodward's shoes.Filling SGA President Eli Berman's shoes will take work as well. Thankfully, the candidates didn't throw around the usual pie in the sky promises of printers in dorm lounges or "get out of finals free" cards. One candidate came close with talk of "Sunday Dunch"-a meal that would be served between 2 and 5 p.m. on Sundays to build community.Having spent a semester in Spain, I love the idea, but at Middlebury, students split from brunch to their favorite chair in the library on Sundays. The other candidate displayed masterful rhetoric skills and tried to convince the audience of a "love for the SGA." I am skeptical: can you really love spending hours e-mailing and attending meetings? Being a president or co-chair has to be one of the most thankless positions on campus. You compromise your social life and see your grades slip while debating legislation that rarely satisfies everyone. I hope that whoever wins on Friday will steer far from the theatrics of Sunday night.
(04/06/06 12:00am)
Author: Tom McCann, Sports Editor The Campus: Is riding horses your favorite thing to do in the world?Mercy Trent: Definitely in the top five.TC: How did you get into it in the first place?MT: I don't know, I was a horse-crazy little kid - I mean, I feel like a lot of little girls are. So I started taking lessons when I was little with some friends and it stuck. I just loved it. TC: What do you love most about riding horses?MT: My favorite part is definitely the animal. I am going to sound like a sap, but it is amazing when you click with a horse and everything just, like, works. Everything just falls into order, it's such a cool feeling. I mean, I don't even have to ride, I can just go down to the barn and hang out and feel totally happy. TC: Did the fact you could ride here influence your decision to come to Middlebury at all?MT: I knew Midd had a team and that the barn wasn't too far from campus. I had to be able to ride some at school, that was a definite requirement, but I didn't come here because I wanted to ride here specifically. TC: Have you ridden all four years?MT: Yep. TC: And you've been captain for how many?MT: One and a half - I started when I got back from abroad last spring. TC: What are the responsibilities for the captain of the equestrian team?MT: We organize riding lessons, try to get people to join, get people registered to show, organize the show we host, enter riders into other shows, organize the occassional meeting or banquet - stuff like that. TC: How often do you have shows?MT: This year was weird 'cause we basically had all our shows in the fall. I think there are like eight or nine teams in our region and almost every one hosts at least one show… so we had six or seven in the fall and then one this spring, and then all the championship shows are after that. Usually they're more spread out, but we had one or two every weekend last fall and then basically none this spring. TC: How do they work?MT: Everyone is split into divisions based on level, and then you compete against other riders in your division. The top three divisions do two classes, a class is like an event, one jumping and the other is a flat class which is basically control of the horse and stuff. You are judged on your position and how well you ride the horse you are on. The trick is that horses are provided by the hosting school and you randomly draw one for your class, so you are on a horse you have never ridden before which can be kinda tricky. TC: When you finally hang up your helmet, will you remember one show more than any other? Which one?MT: I will never hang up my helmet. But if I had to pick one show, it would probably be my first show for Middlebury. I was so nervous, and I went in and I don't remember my ride at all, it was a total blur. But I won the class. TC: Have you ever wanted to be a jockey on a racehorse?MT: That is what I wanted to do when I was little, but I think I blew any chance I had when I passed 6 feet tall. TC: Have you been to any of the major horse races?MT: No, but one thing on my list of things to do before I die is to go to all three races of the Triple Crown the year one horse wins them all. TC: Do you have a horse that you usually ride when you're at Middlebury?MT: The horse I am riding most right now is named Willa. TC: Do you think she'd be good friends with Shroeder?MT: No, Schroeder only likes to hang out with little ponies. He likes to feel big and strong, and Willa is really big. TC: What do horses do when they're not being ridden by someone?MT: Eat, sleep and be merry. TC: Why do people say that they need to pee like a racehorse?MT: [laughs] I don't know. Maybe cause racehorses are always in a big rush and so are people when they have to pee really bad. TC: How do you discipline a horse when he/she steps out of line?MT: It depends.TC: I hear you were on a calendar not so long ago…MT: [laughs] Yeah... Miss June 2005.TC: Did your horse strut around like he owned the place when he saw the photo?MT: Iceman didn't like it. He thought it made him look fat. TC: Is riding something you'll continue to do wherever you are?MT: Definitely.TC: What's your favorite movie involving horses?MT: Honestly, I am not a big horse-movie kinda gal. TC: Did you cry during Seabiscuit?MT: Yeah, but so did you so you can't get me on that one.
(03/30/06 12:00am)
Author: Gabe Broughton The subjects of David Foster Wallace's new book of essays, "Consider the Lobster," include the porn industry, John Updike's undying narcissism and the general awfulness of "Towards the End of Time," Franz Kafka's under-appreciated "funniness," the "seamy underbelly of U.S. lexicography," reactions to Sept. 11 in the Bloomington, Il., home of an elderly woman, Tracy Austin's unfortunate autobiography, the possibility that John McCain is a real leader, the Maine Lobster Festival and its unavoidable moral implications, Joseph Frank's biographical work on Fyodor Dostoevsky and the lessons the revered Russian writer has to offer the contemporary novelist and, finally, the beguiling world of contemporary, conservative talk radio.Yes, it is a mouth full, and reading the book is no easier. Much has been made of Wallace's love-hate relationship with his readership. This has been true since before his incendiary 1996 "Infinite Jest." Since then, he has published a book of essays, two short story collections and a pop-math book on the history of infinity. Certainly Wallace is a restless intellect, and while his subjects are wildly varied, his voice, for all its academic authority and syntactic gymnastics, holds a funny intimacy.One possible explanation for this intimacy is the strain Wallace feels between his obviously upper-class intellectual upbringing - he attended Amherst and Harvard - and his more democratic leanings. In "Authority and American Usage," he ironically begins a sentence, "We regular citizens." This strain may also help to explain why a critically-acclaimed writer would write for Gourmet magazine, where the title essay was originally published, only to delve into the ethical difficulties of boiling alive thousands of lobsters for the "gustatory pleasure" of a paying mass of festival-goers. I do not mean to imply this is a sort of posturing on the part of Wallace. As he ponders the morality of boiling liveing things, he admits that he has not "succeeded in working out any sort of personal ethical system in which the belief [that it is fine to eat these brutally-killed foods]is truly defensible instead of just selfishly convenient." He ends this particular essay wondering what exactly is meant by the title of the publication, The Magazine of Good Living, for which he is working.This kind of passionate interrogation of the modern human condition is, according to Wallace, noticeably absent from most contemporary fiction. It has to do with something like guts, and in "Joseph Frank's Dostoevsky," Wallace explains why Dostoevsky had it. "The big thing that makes Dostoevsky invaluable for American readers and writers is that he appears to possess degrees of passion, conviction and engagement with deep moral issues that we - here today - cannot or do not permit ourselves."Wallace's desire for directness, and even dishonesty, extends beyond literature. His main explanation for the staggeringly low voter turnouts in recent political elections is, quite simply, bullshit. It hurts to be lied to. And to be lied to over and over, systematically, produces apathy. This is not a new subject for Wallace. An excerpt from "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again": "... advertisement that pretends to be art is, at absolute best, like somebody who smiles warmly at you only because he wants something from you." Wallace's quest for the genuine, for the real thing, attracts him to John McCain. He is so impressed with McCain's refusal of release from prison in Vietnam in favor of other prisoners that despite McCain's sometimes "scary" politics, Wallace can't seem to take his eyes off him. The attraction is not exactly political - Wallace never planned to vote for him. He is more interested in whether the real McCain, who Wallace believes exists above the campaign, can remain intact under strain of the American political machine. To quote another contemporary novelist, "you've got to pay such fierce attention." Wallace does.His prose is dense, circuitous, often beautiful. But perhaps most importantly, in contemporary America, where the pornography industry grosses a greater profit than mainstream cinema, where every athletic prodigy is allowed a ghost-written autobiography, where thousands of citizens hoard like animals around the world's biggest lobster cooker each year in Maine, David Foster Wallace is a painfully funny writer.
(03/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Melissa Marshall This past Thursday or Friday, students could wander into the upper level of Johnson and immerse themselves in an interactive rainforest. Anyone could play a bicycle wheel using a violin bow to create astonishingly realistic bird and amphibian noises between their eleven and one o'clock classes, or fool around on the Jungle Keyboard before checking out the Free Friday Film. You know, the usual. This less-than-kosher form of entertainment was brought to Middlebury through a joint effort of the Music and Film and Media departments as a part of their New Media Series. The series attempts to expose students to artists who innovatively manipulate technology in their works. Viewers walked through the darkened room, which was illuminated mostly by the slide projections of different rainforests and filled with student-generated sounds. Some murmurings were so realistic that I found myself searching the ceiling for a real, live howler monkey. However, the McClean Mix, a duo compromised of husband and wife Barton and Priscilla McClean was not always in the business of such artificially-rendered biomes. They were, and still consider themselves, classical music composers; however, they wanted to get their listeners more engaged. "We wanted to get the audience involved in performing with us. We think that everybody should get the chance to perform, not just musicians," said Priscilla McClean.The seeds for the idea of a tropical rainforest that can fit in a room were planted in 1988, when the McCleans traveled through the Puerto Rican rainforest. "We were just so amazed by all the incredible sounds around us and thought, the musical process in the rainforest is basically the same as [that] in the studio," said McClean. They began developing their ideas, and created the initial project within a yer.The rainforest that students experienced last week consisted of an audiotape and five performing stations. Two featured processing microphones - one had a bicycle wheel with steel spokes that could be played with a violin bow or a mallet, and two other stations had synthesizers - one that was a sampler that played real rainforest sounds, and a digital synthesizer for invented ones. Slides, which faded and dissolved like artwork, consisted of pictures taken by the McCleans of seven different rainforests. Besides the obvious cool factor of being able to feel as though you are experiencing the rainforest firsthand, the true inventive merit of the McClean's vision lies in its ability to create a wholistic, artistic experience. "It's really nice when there is a form of art that's interactive, visual, and physical all at once. It provided a more complete experience," said student Will Ceurvels '08 after exiting the exhibition. However, the demonstration did not just rely on its innovative use of technology. In the middle of the room there was also a table set up that was filled with simple objects like a shaker and a cup with a hole in the bottom with a rod to be slid in and out, all of which made surprisingly realistic animal noises. It was enjoyable to be taken back to the days when one could be entertained by something that didn't come with a 200-page manual. "It showed a creative and imaginative twist to making music," said Martin Puga '09, "It was really surprising and cool to see how the artists put together a rainforest out of simple household objects." Sara Jameson '09 agreed, saying, "I was amazed at how these simple instruments, some just made out of plastic cups and straws, could imitate so truly the sounds of nature," The McClean Mix also accomplished another important aspect of and contribution to art - it fostered a sense of community simply by following the crudely-designed paper signs featuring a mountain with a raining cloud, one had the opportunity to make a bird chirp by running a bow across a steel spoke and a frog croak at the wave-station, much to the enjoyment of other students in the room. Without a doubt, the exhibit could be entertaining to one person, but it was everyone's contribution that made the room come alive with the noises of nature. Priscilla Mclean seems to have had this in mind when creating the project. "It's a mind-expander," she said, "it is not traditional music. It's a discovery of sounds that can be used musically - a type of chamber music that can be performed with strangers or with friends." It was indeed a weekend for music here at Middlebury. Campus bands Alex Ayres and The Easy Answers electrified the Forest Basement on Friday night, while State Radio had the Social Space jamming on Saturday. However, it was the small exhibit in Johnson that truly embodied the creative, resourceful, and communal essence of the five-letter word that means so much - music.
(03/09/06 12:00am)
Author: ALEXXA GOTTHARDT Contemporary art is hot. Think lying on an asphalt high-rise rooftop, mid-day, mid-June; a 1920s forbidden French cabaret; or Sean Connery circa very early James Bond. Hot. Sizzling in fact. Just one step into a top New York, London or Paris gallery causes even the most expert aesthetic brows to perspire. Buyers gasp and pant. Dealers drop like flies. Yes, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but today, the art market and art lovers worldwide just can't get enough of contemporary art. Old masters are cold. Impressionists, freezing. But art made and sold today is the reason why collectors everywhere are stripping down to their bikinis and speedos, ready to take on the heat. This art is fresh, innovative and loves to party (exhibition openings are the place to be seen these days). Not only that, it's available and accessible. But where does one acquire contemporary art, you ask? Where is the sweltering sun of the contemporary art world's ever-revolving universe? Well, just follow the waves of heat right down to NYC where now, through May 28, the Whitney Biennial 2006 shows off the work of around 100 of the today's most innovative artists. Along with other illustrious, utterly hip contemporary art fairs such as the Venice Biennale and the Frieze Art Fair in London, the Whitney Biennial serves as fuel to the wild inferno that is the contemporary art world. Organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, the fair provides both a shimmering showcase for some of the world's best, yet perhaps less-well known artists, while also giving art lovers and investors a place to feel and see the heat. This year's biennial features a sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, always thought-provoking, diverse, outrageous mix of work by painters, sculptors, photographers, performance and video artists and the increasingly significant artist collective. While all of the artists included deserve the white-cube glory they are receiving, some are definitely turning up the heat more than others.Occulist filmmaker Kenneth Anger screens a striking, absurd short about Mickey Mouse. Paul Chan's whimsical digital animation, commenting on American consumerism, is both beautiful and poignant. Middlebury alumnus Robert Gober's raw black and white photographs of Jones Beach are paired with newspaper clippings describing murders to create an effect all at once dark and mysterious. Painter Tory Brauntuch creates refined Conte-crayon drawings of piles of discarded clothing. Even some contemporary art veterans such as Dan Graham and Tony Oursler joined forces with the band Japanther to transform their live puppet opera into an ecstasy-driven, abstract video.Yes, art lovers, collectors and gallerists everywhere are heating up at the prospect of new, fresh, accessible contemporary art. If you, too, are feeling a little warm at the thought of blissed-out video, risqué painting and cutting-edge performance, take the short drive to the Whitney sometime in the next couple months. Don't forget the swimsuit, it's going to be hot.
(03/02/06 12:00am)
Author: Erica Goodman The history of ice cream is a contested battleground of myths and mysteries. The earliest origins of one of America's favorite treats can be traced as far back as the 4th century and the Roman emperor Nero, who supposedly ordered ice to be brought down from the mountains and combined with fruit toppings. In China under the Shang Dynasty, King Tang is said to have created an ice and milk concoction. As legend has it, the famous traveler Marco Polo enjoyed the flavorful treat so much on his trip to China that he took the recipe back with him to Italy and the rest of Europe. Colonial confectioners served what is considered the contemporary western-style ice cream at their shops in America's rising cities. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson served it to their guests, as did First Lady and party hostess Dolley Madison.As real winter weather descends upon us once again, I am reminded of my own youthful belief in the origins of ice cream. In the coldest months farmers keep their livestock mostly inside the barns, yet, as I observed as a child through our living room window, they are sometimes let out to pasture on many a bitter winter day. I felt sorry for the poor animals who braved the cold without a winter parka, as I watched them sauntering along in huddled masses through the snow-covered pasture. At the age when every sentence is just another question, I would beg my father for an explanation as to why the poor animals had to suffer outside. Cows, like most mammals, he explained, grow an extra thick coat of hair when the temperature starts to drop. I would continue to press him further,"Why can't they live in a warm house like ours?" He smiled the same grin that crossed my father's face every April Fool's Day when he convinced my sisters and I that our pony had suddenly given birth and assured me not to worry. Ice cream, he explained, comes from cows milked at just the right frosty temperature. Without letting the milkers stretch their legs in the snowy pasture, there would be no ice cream, a terrible realization for a young girl. I didn't question if it was hard or soft serve, but just sat there in awe that cows could actually make ice cream.Well, I grew up and lost my wide-eyed, youthful naiveté and understood that cows that spend a day out in the snow produce no more ice cream than do brown cows make chocolate milk. As to this day, as the wind sends her bitter breath through the naked trees, I still wonder which is better: the claustrophobia of a barn or frostbite suffered from the outdoors. But although an ice cream-producing cow would be quite the catch, it would surely be an uncomfortable position in any weather. Even though cows spend some time in the winter elements, at least they are not suffering through what would surely be a painful milking of rocky road.
(02/23/06 12:00am)
Author: ERICA GOODMAN Senior year, spring semester. CSO keeps sending out emails to apply for this job, send in a resume for that job. But I am no closer to having a plan for next year than I am to knowing what I'll have for dinner next Tuesday. Like my fellow classmates, I examine the offerings with an eye on location, benefits (and earnings), good experience and, quite frankly, something that just sounds interesting.However, what does not appear in the job descriptions as I navigate the MOJO maze is whether or not the profession is safe. Careers in finance or education, non-profit administration or law are not generally considered hazardous to one's health. Even work in the highest-security government positions and CIA recruitment do not offer a disclaimer. In fact, the individuals most likely to be killed on the job aren't the ones donning bulletproof vests to capture criminals or partaking in secret agent missions a la Alias. No, the workers most likely to die while at work are the ones whose labor helps to provide us with our daily needs.Loggers, pilots and fishers fill the top three spots for the most hazardous professions. Ranking number six in the most dangerous jobs according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) are farm occupations. The risks taken by men and women throughout America as they raise animals and plants and cultivate and harvest crops are largely left unrecognized as we sit down to enjoy our three meals a day.Farming is a dangerous job. The tractors and machinery used by farmers and ranchers, for one, can prove very unsafe. Forty percent of occupational fatalities for farmers in 2004 were the result of non-highway vehicle accidents, cites the BLS. Computers may be the source of ailments such as carpel tunnel syndrome in the office, but the risks are a bit greater on the farm. From unguarded moving parts to their rollover potential, farm machines have largely contributed to the hazards of rural life.Very few, if any, Middlebury College graduates have agriculture on their mind as they pursue their future ventures in the workplace. A quick MOJO search for farming offers up financial analyst positions for State Farm Insurance or a Foot Locker management position in West Farm, Conn., but little in the way of actual farm work. Farms can be wonderful places, with fresh air and plenty of open space, but generally a career in agriculture lacks the appeal of job promotions and six-figure salaries. And even the farmers are not granted the heroic status as individuals who selflessly lay their lives on the line each day so that the rest of us may enjoy our own existence a bit more safely and simply.
(02/23/06 12:00am)
Author: Derek Schlickeisen Catholics v. South ParkLeaders of the Catholic Church in New Zealand are urging a boycott of broadcaster C4 after the station announced it would air a controversial episode of "South Park." The installment, "Bloody Mary," shows a statue to the Virgin Mary covered in blood. "Press freedom is not a license to incite intolerance or promote hatred or derision based on religion," said New Zealand's bishops in a letter to the country's half-million Catholics. A spokesman for C4 said that if Catholics were offended by the episode - which also created controversy when it was aired in the U.S. - they simply should not watch. -BBC News, London Mass poultricideIn an effort to stop the spread of a deadly new strain of avian flue, officials in the Indian province of Maharashtra expanded the "dead zone" for all chickens and other birds this week to almost 400 square miles. Although only eight victims have checked into local hospitals with symptoms of bird flu, the Indian government plans to cull over 300,000 animals and shut down local poultry farms for three months. The eight join 162 others in 21 countries who have been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain. -CNN, New DelhiCartoon protestsFollowing weeks of often-violent demonstrations against Danish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad, Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen said Tuesday that he believed the worst was over. Media outlets in Denmark first published the cartoons that sparked mass outrage from Muslims in Europe and the Middle East, leading angry mobs to torch Danish embassies in Syria and Lebanon. On Monday, several hundred students assembled in the Afghan capitol of Kabul and chanted threats to join al-Qaeda. Rasmussen said Tuesday that he hoped for "more subdued demonstrations and statements in large parts of the Muslim world." -Reuters, CopenhagenAbramoff Int'lFormer Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad revealed Tuesday that Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff received $1.2 million from unidentified sources to set up a meeting between him and President George W. Bush. Mohamad said he sought the meeting after the conservative Heritage Foundation convinced him he might be able to influence U.S. policy regarding the Southeast Asian nation. The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the $1.2 million came directly from the Malaysian government, but Mohamad refuted this claim. -AP, Kuala Lumpur
(02/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Dave Barker Curiosity drove me to New Orleans last week. My aunt didn't end up in a FEMA trailer. My roof didn't land in another zip code. I knew as much about the Big Easy as I did about the Big Dig, which is to say, very little, coming from the Pacific Northwest. I joined four friends with similar questions and landed in Louis Armstrong Airport with an address for the taxi driver, 1614 Pauline Street.A week later, I can tell you why I went. You should also ask the close to 30 other Middlebury students who demolished houses, built houses, worked with kids, cooked meals, and spent money at businesses like the Maple Leaf Bar over J-Term and February break. Jen Williams '08 decided to skip spring semester to continue working for the Common Ground Relief Organization on Pauline Street. Ask any of the 12 students from Associate Professor of American Literature and Civilization Will Nash's J-Term course that spent a week there why you should go. If they leave you unconvinced, try the eight students who were a part of the Middlebury Alternative Break trip. Sarah Applebaum '06, a New Orleans resident who went with Nash's J-term course plans on returning over Spring Break with a group of friends. Forget the Dominican Republic. You should go too. Why go to New Orleans? Why buy an airplane ticket that will take you to a city where fewer than 20 percent of residents have returned? Why take the taxi to Pauline Street to work for Common Ground, a grassroots organization started in early September in one man's yard? From the morning meeting at Common Ground you'll be shipped into neighborhoods in the Lower Ninth Ward or in St. Bernard Parish to gut the interior of houses so they don't have to end up in the scoop of a bulldozer. You'll enter the houses clad in a tyvex safety suit and with a respirator clamped to your head. Expect to find glasses in the cabinets and light fixtures full of water. You might find a remote control lying on a moldy bed and a newspaper from Aug. 27 warning of an approaching hurricane, as we did. Why work in this toxic environment?The residents who have come back provide the answer. People like a St. Bernard Parish resident named Bailey, who fled to Minnesota and returned to gut and rewire his house because he has lived in the city all his life. Talk up your taxi drivers, who are optimistic even while they drive you past the thousands of houses with a spray-painted diagram indicating whether any dead humans or animals were found inside. These friendly and generous residents love where they live. No other city in America has such a high population of native-born residents. No other American city has such distinct traditions and culture as Mardi Gras, Creole cuisine and jazz funerals. "If you don't rebuild, the cultural cost is so great," said Nash. Go to save a city, but know that you'll be enriching yourself and your education. "Getting out of what's comfortable is what's valuable about liberal arts," said Nash. Dan Berkman '06.5 gutted houses over Christmas break and returned with Nash's class. "Helping someone rebuild their house is a lot more important than an 'A,'" he said. Go to New Orleans to listen to a local jazz band, to pound nails alongside the future home-owner, and to meet the returnees. "When you're in academia, you have tunnel vision. When you're there [New Orleans] you connect to the people and it's about the broader picture," said Emily Egginton '06 who spent three weeks in the city during J-Term. I am still curious. How could you not go?
(01/26/06 12:00am)
Author: Caroline Vial World Social Forum in MaliBamako, Mali - From Jan. 19-23, Africa hosted the World Social Forum for the first time since its inception in 2001. The presence of nearly 30,000 delegates representing 260 NGOs and organizations from all five continents marked a "turning point" in history according to the Senegalese paper, Wal Fadjri.Globalization, world debt, the end of agricultural subsidies and regional integration were part of the themes addressed in Bamako. Citizens opposed to globalization qualified the event as a "victory." As one antiglobalist explained, "African countries have had the most problems in the world. It is for them that global civil society fights. By coming to Mali, people will be exposed to our realities and will see the combat led from the very base by our populations and our NGOs, our governors, to get out of poverty." The organizers decided this year to create a forum at-large, which will be geared more specifically toward the problems in Africa. The Forum has previously been held four times in Porto Alegre, Brasil and once in Bombay, India. - Wal Fadjri, DakarAnimal Rights activists stage nude protestMadrid - Baring all in chilly weather, animal rights activists staged a naked protest Saturday in northeastern Barcelona to denounce the torture and slaying of animals to make fur coats.Representing the number of minks it takes on average to make a fur coat, the 70 men and women lay curled up on the pavement outside Barcelona city hall.The protest, staged by AnimaNaturalis and PETA international animal rights groups, was observed by several dozen passers-by.In a statement, AnimaNaturalis said millions of animals were captured, tortured and killed each year to make fur coats. In Spain alone, 26 million animals - among them rabbits, foxes, minks and lambs - were killed in 2003 to make coats, the group said."If people could see the animals in fur farms, they would never use a fur coat," AnimaNaturalis president Leonora Esquivel, said in the statement. "The look on those animals' faces stays in your mind, a look that says: 'Why?'" - The Associated Press
(01/26/06 12:00am)
Author: Ellen Grafton Artist-in-residence and Artistic director of the Middlebury Dance Program Amy Chavasse along with members of the Middlebury Dance Company, gave a preview Tuesday afternoon of their upcoming performance, "Enemies." The preview included an informal presentation of two pieces from the show and comments from Chavasse and the students regarding the artistic process behind the show. "Enemies" explores the idea of enemies through a mixture of dance, text and visual elements. The usually black floor of the dance studio is covered in white to lend itself to the light projections designed by Sue Rees, an internationally recognized artist and faculty member at Bennington College. The visuals were described by Chavasse but not shown at the preview. One of the visual elements that will be used is a projection of "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Caroll, animated by Sue Rees and narrated by artist-in-residence Alex Draper. Chavasse said she chose to include that piece of animation because she has always "found the story to be a strong example of betrayal."Chavasse explained that "Enemies" was inspired in part by her personal reaction to the release of the photographs from Abu Ghraib. The cruelty done to other human beings by people who shared a nationality with Chavasse made her question whether she could have done the same thing in those circumstances. It then led her to question the very idea of an enemy. Chavasse said she asked herself, "How do you become a person who can think of someone as so inferior and subhuman that he becomes an enemy that you do things to?"Chavasse, known for her irreverent commentary on current events, opens the work with a dynamic solo that investigates the concept of enemies. Company members will also perform a revised version of "I Will Spare You," a quirky and kinetic quartet with an original score by Middlebury College Music Director for Dance Michael Chorney that was first presented in 2003. Following that, the New York-based company Everything Smaller will join DCM to perform "Spatula Sound Check," a humorous duet originally created and performed in 2001 by Chavasse and former Middlebury College Visiting Artist in Dance and Theatre Peter Schmitz.The first piece previewed was the solo opening piece by Chavasse. Through a mixture of text, dance and music Chavasse explores what an enemy is, what makes people enemies and whether it is human nature to have antagonistic relations with others. Chavasse invites the audience into these ideas, challenging them, saying "Be my enemy tonight, just for a little bit." Her text in the opening piece draws largely from the recently released National Security Archives. The Archives invesitgated claims made against the United States that they had tortured Iraqi prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison camp. The second piece that was previewed featured student members of the Middlebury Dance Company Colin Penley '06, Kate Elias '06, Hannah Giles '06, Adriane Medina '08 and Martha Ann Underhill '07. Featuring the music of Sammy Davis Jr.'s "I've Gotta Be Me," the dancers moved sometimes in unison and sometimes in competition with each other, exploring the various tactics and types of enemies through dance. The piece was partly inspired by surveys given to Middlebury Campus students about the nature of enemies. Chavasse noted that "one of the students, when asked to define an enemy, said that they are 'People with whom you are most alike.'" When asked how the pieces are choreographed, the dancers explained that the process is largely collaborative. "We use core phrases that we learned from Amy and then we work with them," said Kate Elias '06. Chavasse agreed, and explained that many of the basic phrases in the performance come from the original auditions, and jokingly referred to one of them as the "Shakira phase." "Enemies" will be performed Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28 at 8 p.m. in the dance studio at the CFA. Tickets are on sale at the box office for $5. In addition to this annual performance, the current DCM tour includes travel to Arizona State University (ASU) and Prescott College to perform, present workshops and participate in classes with Dance Arizona Repertory Theater, from Jan. 31-Feb. 9. Their visit includes performing and working with students at Herrera High School in Tempe, Ariz. The company will observe rehearsals by ASU graduate students in preparation for their Emerging Choreographers Concert and offer classes in improvisation. The group will also rehearse at the Nest Dance Sanctuary in Jerome, Ariz., beside Mingus Mountain.
(01/26/06 12:00am)
Author: Alexxa Gotthardt Most dorms on campus enclose students in blank, vapid, white walls. At best, the walls exist unnoticed; at worst they stand unfriendly and uninspiring. The walls of Battell Hall used to be among the most lifeless on campus. Recently, however, an explosion of inspiration, zeal and color erupted in the building's formerly vacuous central hallway. The agent of this fresh dynamism: a vibrant student-conceived, designed and executed public mural.The conception of Battell resident Alex Benepe '09, the mural stretches up the Battell south stairwell, its bold primary colors and dynamic student-silhouettes reverberating animatedly off of the once-white walls. The mural itself consists of two parts - background and foreground. The background progresses fluidly through the color-spectrum, beginning with purple on the first floor, then fading to red, orange, yellow, green, blue and finally returning to purple on the third floor. The foreground is animated by multicolored silhouettes of Battell residents whose shadows were projected on the walls and then traced and filled with paint. They assume a diverse range of poses - some play sports, others DJ, dance and rock out on guitar. The most stand-out silhouettes swoop across the top of the stairwell on broomsticks - monuments to the famed Middlebury Quidditch players, the majority of whom live in Battell.Benepe was inspired to create the mural after helping paint the walls of the Vitality of the Artistic Community Association (VACA) gallery in Forest basement in the fall. "I just thought Battell is kind of grey and plain-looking on the inside," said Benepe, "and the stairwell is something people use everyday so making it look more lively and cheerful is always good." After the initial inspiration, Benepe then worked to acquire both permission and funding for the project. With the help of Cook Commons Dean Dave Edleson, Wonnacott Commons Dean Matt Longman and Wonnacott CRA Natalie Guarin, the Battell residents soon had both the permission and paint to begin the mural. The student-enthusiasm to participate in the creation of the mural was immediately overwhelming. "The first night we began work, as soon as I slapped a coat of purple paint on the wall, people were instantly excited and inspired. At its peak, at least 20 people were working on it," said Benepe. With the help of many a Battell resident and the patience and cooperation of the Battell custodial staff, the mural was completed by the end of J-Term.The Battell mural is not the first student-created mural on campus and will certainly not be the last. Mural efforts on campus were begun by VACA several years ago in response to what VACA co-president Kevin Buckland '05.5 said was a "dire need for public art on campus-something, anything real to combat the overwhelming white that pervades this institution." The response by students and staff alike to the latest Battell mural was overwhelmingly positive and has left the Middlebury community only craving more color and creativity on the walls of both Middlebury's residential and academic buildings. "The mural looks fantastic," said Longman. "It is a tribute to the talents and initiative of our first-year students and it brings vitality to an otherwise bland space." Benepe also commented on the benefits of the mural. "The mural really served to unite the community. Almost everyone in the nearby halls helped out at least once and everyone was very excited and inspired."The more murals painted, the more the demand for additional public art seems to arise. After the enthusiastic response to the Battell mural, Benepe and many other Battell residents are ready to take on the next project - the Battell North stairwell. Other public art efforts are currently underway, including Buckland's mural in PALANA and projects by Studio Art majors Josh Dihle '06 and Trista McGetrick '06. "We're still looking for one more [mural] this year," said Buckland. " The white walls and creativity are plentiful.
(01/12/06 12:00am)
Author: Rachel Durfee Ironically, much of the buzz on campus this academic year has centered on off-campus parties. Increasingly popular among students, off-campus parties have won bonus points this year because they are free from many of the restrictions placed on campus events. The appeal of no guest lists, no keg limits and pretty much no rules at all has students of all class years flocking beyond the boundaries of the College to party on the weekends. Although more off-campus parties increase the number of social opportunities for Middlebury students, a consequent issue of major concern is transportation to and from these off-campus houses/farms/open fields.Commonly referred to as "beer runs" or "drunk runs" by transit workers, most local transit companies have stopped providing transportation for off-campus parties due to the havoc it causes on the buses and taxis. Betcha Transit, Inc., which shuttled students back and forth to multiple events last year, says it simply was not worth the hassle of their buses being left wrecked and exceedingly dirty. John Sharrow of Mountain Transit, another company no longer shuttling students to off-campus parties, agrees. He says party-goers made a mess of the buses - spilling beer, littering and leaving behind a stench of alcohol and cigarettes that was often impossible to remove the next day. According to the Betcha company spokesman there was a lot of "unruliness" from drunken students, and drivers were witnesses to "a lot of puking, even defecating" on the ride home. "Through the years it got worse and worse," said Sharrow. But he stressed that damages were the deciding factor in discontinuing the shuttles more than student behavior, although that "was part of [the decision]." Although Betcha Transit may consider reinstating their shuttle services for off-campus college parties, according to a December general survey, no drivers were interested in volunteering for the job. As of now there will be "No more so-called 'drunk runs'."Last year Lindsey Whitton '05 and friends had trouble finding transportation for a party they wanted to throw during Senior Week at Finius T. Flubberbusters bar just over the state line in Hampton, N.Y. Their first call, to Betcha Transit, proved unfruitful. The company declined the job, reportedly saying they would be unable to find drivers to volunteer for the event and citing recent negative experiences shuttling students back and forth to both a party at an off-campus house and a birthday party also held at Flubberbusters. In the end, Whitton was only able to rent coach buses from The BusBank, a national company whose coaches for the night came from Massachusetts with strict rules and a steep price tag.Interestingly, companies who have never been hired for late-night weekend transportation seem willing to take on the apparently infamous job. Randall Charlebois of Premiere Coach, which provides 50-person capacity buses, says liability is not a concern, since transit companies are not held responsible for ID-ing drinkers, nor for what happens at or after an event for which they are providing transportation. Says Charlebois, "I'd rather see somebody get somewhere safely than get into their own car." Wanda Robar of Morf's Transport says the company has never done such events either but would be willing to, "So long as [passengers] behave respectfully, 'cause if they don't, they're walking."Speculation says companies are hesitant to provide transportation due to liability issues, but this conjecture proves unfounded. While Vermont's open container law does prohibit both the driver and passengers from possessing an open container of alcohol in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, the issue is more complex. To avoid losing Federal funds for highways, the state of Vermont adheres to Federal guidelines which, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, dictate that a State's open container laws must "Apply to all vehicle occupants except for passengers of vehicles designed, maintained or used primarily for the transportation of people for compensation (such as buses, taxi cabs and limousines)". Hence transit companies cannot be held in violation of any open container laws in Vermont, even taking into account an interpretation of the law that considers underage drinkers in and of themselves "open containers." Still, it seems Middlebury students are hard pressed to find a local company to transport guests to and from parties, and if the trend continues, it will only be more difficult in the future.A word of caution to those seeking alternate forms of transportation: According to Vermont State Law, Title 23, Chapter 13, no. 1014: "A person riding an animal or driving any animal-drawn vehicle upon a road is granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a motor vehicle by this chapter except those provisions of this chapter which by their very nature can have no application." So yes, you can be pulled over and even dealt a DUI riding a cow home.
(12/08/05 12:00am)
Author: Tom McCann, Sports Editor The Campus: Where did you grow up?Erica Goodman '06: I grew up in Fort Anne, N.Y., which is about an hour away from MiddleburyCampus: Have you always played basketball? EG: Yeah, I've played basketball for about as long as I can remember, but I also played field hockey and softball too.Campus: Did you want to play all three sports when you came to Middlebury?EG: Basketball has definitely been my favorite. I played JV field hockey here for two years and I actually thought I was just going to be playing field hockey, but ended up playing basketball and just stuck with that.Campus: Do you mind that Middlebury is so close to home?EG: No, 'cause it's close enough that I can go home and have dinner with my family if I want to, and come back, but it's also not close enough that my parents are here all the time - they've been pretty respectful of this being my own space away from home.Campus: How has growing up on a farm influenced you?EG: I mean, I'm really close to my family, which is part of the reason that I want to be so close, but also I've gained an appreciation for the land and what it has to offer. I haven't really worked on the farm - I've, you know, fed cows but seeing my dad and my uncles work and just knowing how much time and energy it is - the hard work - it's fulfilling in the sense that what you're getting out of it is benefitting other people.Campus: So, tell me about the bone marrow drive.EG: Towards the end of the season, our coach's [Noreen Pecsok]brother-in-law was diagnosed with a blood disease where he needed a bone marrow transplant. She was trying to get on the registry, but the closest place was Hartford, Conn. so she said it would be great if people had the opportunity here to do that. So I came back a few weeks early in the fall to work on it and got in contact with the National Bone Marrow Foundation and they said "yeah, we could definitely set something up." We were hoping to have it more campus-wide, advertise more, but we just started talking to teams about signing up. They were very responsive, actually more so than we thought. Campus: Do you think it will continue here next year in your absence?EG: Well, hopefully. I'm talking to some teammates to see if they'll take it up next year, and ideally I'd like to work with community groups. Part of the thing was bringing it to Vermont because it's not available to anyone not living near Hartford or one of the other sites.Campus: Right… so, how's the season going?EG: Very well! We're 6-1. We've haven't gone into this part of the season with such a winning record, at least as long as I've been here, so everyone's pretty excited. Campus: Why is this team particularly strong?EG: We have a very strong freshman class, and it's just, four of the seniors have been playing together for four years and Lacey [Hebert '06] and Fehs [Katie Fehsenfeld '06] are back from ACL injuries so they're just dying to get out there and everyone on the team is happy to be playing and happy to be at practice and in general, the team just gets along very well.Campus: What role do you feel you play on the team?EG: I feel I have a sort of leadership position - especially to help the new players feel included in the team and be confident in what they do and understand that they are great players.Campus: Where can you guys get better?EG: Well, we're working on our press a little bit here, but I would say to take advantage more of our inside game. The last couple of years we've lost a lot of our height and this year we've gained it back - a couple of the younger players are 6'-2" or 6'-3" and Micaela [McVary '06] is like, 10 times stronger. We have good outside shooters, but we don't do enough on the inside as I think we could.Campus: How far can you go?EG: I don't know - further than last year. We lost the first game in the NESCACs, so let's just say we'll win the first one and then we'll see how it goes from there.Campus: If you could take your teammates on a free trip anywhere you wanted, where would you go?EG: I would take them to some warm island because we spend all winter together. We come back early, and we spend all of February here when a lot of people are taking their warm breaks.Campus: Did you manage to stay in shape over Thanksgiving?EG: Well, we went to St. Louis this year, so we all came back pretty tired. We were traveling all day Friday, played Saturday and Sunday and traveled all day Monday, but yeah, we still came back full from all the turkey.Campus: Have you ever had any superstitions?EG: Well, when I was first starting to play, I used to drink Mountain Dew before every game. I don't know why and don't even like Mountain Dew, but I just had it one game and I guess it was a successful game. I also have to listen to the same songs before a game - every year it's different. I don't know why but I've got into Hate it or Love it so it's the last song I listen to before I get off the bus.Campus: So, you call a timeout down by two with six seconds to go. What's the plan?EG: Get Katie Fisher ['08] the ball - just set her up on the three-point line.Campus: Do you think you'll play competitive basketball after you graduate?EG: [Laughs] Maybe for, like, alumni games, but beyond that, no.Campus: Do you play intramural basketball?EG: Yes, I played for two teams last year - Team Gold and Animal Thugs, but decided, although the Animal Thugs are not happy, just to devote to one basketball team because it can cause some rough going when the two teams play each other.Campus: Could Team Gold beat your varsity team?EG: Yes… No… I don't know! [Laughs] I don't know, it depends on the day - as everyone on the team says, it depends on how in-shape they are that day.Campus: Any early New Year's resolutions for you?EG: Let me see. Well, for basketball it's always to be stronger, especially now that I'm playing post, but generally to take advantage of having so many friends in such close proximity. - Tom McCann, Sports Editor
(12/08/05 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] 1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral 2. Iron & Wine - Woman King E.P. 3. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm 4. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois 5. Beck - Guero 6. Interpol - Antics 7. The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike 8. The Books - Lost and Safe 9. Low - The Great Destroyer 10. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary MachineThe Arcade Fire - FuneralReleased September 14, 2004Yeah, alright, so "Funeral" came out more than a year ago, but apparently that wasn't enough to keep the indie kids from playing it all the time on WRMC throughout 2005. There are enough crescendos, hooks and explosive choruses to leave you exhausted after only one song, and the music is emotional to the level of melodrama. Songs like the pounding "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and the pulsing "Rebellion (Lies)" show that the Arcade Fire can keep their large sound reigned-in, making sure "Funeral" never feels over-the-top. And there's even an accordion. Awesome. - BGIron & Wine - Woman King E.P.Released February 22, 2005Iron & Wine (Sam Beam) have progressed both in style and popularity so quickly that "Woman King" does not seem like it could possibly be the same musician that recorded "The Creek That Drank the Cradle" only three years ago. "Woman King" is an artfully cohesive album, despite critical vituperation of over-production. The title track resonates a similar urgency as "Our Endless Numbered Days," while the simultaneously depressing and inspiring lyrics of "My Lady's Houses" and the haunting whisper of "Jezebel" strongly bring to mind aspects of "The Creek that Drank the Cradle." - ALBloc Party - Silent AlarmReleased March 22, 2005"Banquet," the single from Bloc Party's debut album "Silent Alarm" shows the band at its best. The disco-inspired dance beats and punk rock guitars combine for an unforgettable chorus. Unfortunately, many other songs suffer from the album's over-earnestness (guess what current event "Price of Gas" is about), and when the music lacks a melody comparable to the excellent opener "Like Eating Glass," vocalist Kele Okereke's oh-so-British yelp can be a bit grating. However, "Silent Alarm" shines more often than not. Songs such as "Helicopter" rock as hard as Bloc Party's UK brethren Franz Ferdinand, and ballads like "Blue Light" and "So Here We Are" show that Bloc Party is for lovers as well as dancers. - BGThe Books - Lost and SafeReleased April 5, 2005"Lost and Safe" is a great example of when the experiments in experimental music go right. The Books is a collaboration between a guitarist, a violinist and their extensive sound sample archives, which range from telephone rings to bits culled from ancient radio broadcasts. On their third album the music sound much more musical, relying more heavily on instruments and vocals to create the melodies. The best track of them all, "An Animated Description of Mr. Maps," combines a heavy, crunching beat, a drawn-out description of an anarchist, and haunting vocals to create one of the most deeply layered songs of the year. Remember "active listening" from grade school? This album calls for it. - BGLow - The Great DestroyerReleased January 25, 2005Ah, Low. Fans have sleepily stuck with them for over a decade now, perennially adoring the band that stereotypically places the slow in "slowcore." "The Great Destroyer," however, deviates slightly from quintessential Low. Its sound is much larger, the production is much heavier and the sound effects are more plentiful. This album, Low's first release on Sub Pop, proves to be more commercially accessible with some tracks ("California"), while simultaneously remaining true to Low's minimalist approach on others ("Everybody's Song", "On the Edge Of"). - AL
(12/08/05 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] So I submitted my first job - sorry, career - application on Friday. In the cover letter I used the words "skills," "knowledge," "generosity," "achieved," "communication," "teamwork" and "experience" so many times that my self-description sounds even more unforgivably obnoxious than one of those "My Midd Experiences" on the College homepage, which all invariably read like this: "When I first arrived at Middlebury I was immediately enchanted by all the facilities, passion, interest, community, diversity, artistic expression, willingness, environmentalism, friendship and enthusiasm. The experience taught me a lot about myself. Let's learn fencing. I'll hug anyone who smiles."Except with a cover letter I'm not trying to sell the College to potential students, I'm trying to sell myself to potential employers (the prostitution undertones are unavoidable). But since I didn't exactly spend the last four years thinking about how I could build a résumé or get my face and 300 words on the Middlebury web site, I'm already at a massive disadvantage applying for jobs. I'm going to be competing for the same positions as the average "Midd-kid," who, according to the web site, has spent the past 22 years saving the world...one endangered shrub at a time. So I need to make myself appear like more of an overachiever than those kidney-donating, petition-wielding go-getters.Let's face it, there aren't a lot of respectable jobs out there at the moment. Some of us will end up spending 40 hours a week next year wearing a paper hat and flare. And the way I see it, it's either the super-students or me. And I feel justified in lying my way into a high-paying position while letting the overqualified kids take the humiliating jobs, because if they're as optimistic and resourceful as they claim, I'm sure they can make the most out of such occupational misfortune. It can be another one of their "growing experiences." And about this cover letter I mentioned earlier - seriously, it makes me look like a god. I went through all of the "My Midd Experiences" and carefully cut-and-pasted the most exceptional sentences onto one glorious document with my name at the top. The final product is a highlight reel of other people's experiences - a pastiche of dynamic personalities. On its own, my cover letter dwarfs any of its tributary essays with its overall intelligence, sense of good will, breadth of experience and general adorableness. And all this from me, a guy whose "deep" conversations - even after four years of Middlebury - rarely sound more sophisticated than this:"Whoa dude, did you just quote John Milton?""No dude, Iron Maiden." Of course, instead of including honest yet shaming details, I string together ones like the following, which happen to be the last two sentences of my epic piece of plagiarism: "Everyone knows that dolphins are intelligent animals, but it wasn't until I swam with them one evening in the Pacific Ocean that I realized they are also spiritual animals. The next day I summited Everest."
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Julia McKinnon "Confucius says that the greatest happiness is your students knowing more than you do," quoted Professor Sunhee Choi. This is a saying that inspires the academic life of Vermont Professor of the year Choi, department chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Support of Education bestowed this award to Choi in honor of her dedication to teaching. The award entailed a trip to Washington DC with a celebration in honor of the winning professors and a reception at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.Choi and her husband, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry James Larrabee, have taught at Middlebury since 1987. When Choi arrived at Middlebury, she was new to the art of teaching. "I learned as I went," she said. She has came a long way to Vermont from her birthplace in Korea.Choi grew up in Taegu, Korea and went to Seoul National University where she received her undergraduate degree. She was the only girl among 30 chemistry students. Her motivation in this setting drove her to obtain a graduate degree at Princeton University where she finished her studies in 1981.Following graduation, Choi went on to work for Colgate University for five years doing research. One successful project entailed the creation of a new detergent. "It is an energy-saving detergent that works in cold water," Choi said. This is particularly useful and in places such as South America where Colgate-Palmolive has its branches. It is useful, Choi explained, where energy costs from heating water for laundry can be a large burden to lower income sectors of the population.Her enthusiasm for chemistry and innovation radiates the spheres of scientific research and also the classroom. "My formula was so spectacular," Choi said with a large smile. She has enjoyed sharing this zest for compounds and formulas with her students over the last two decades. Choi's mind rarely strays from the classroom."When I sleep, I practice lectures," said Choi. "When I take a walk or run, I think about class and lecture." Choi exemplifies the ideal animated professor."Every year I feel like I want to do it [teach] right. I'm still learning," Choi said. She sets goals for her own improvement and expects those around her to progress as well."She is pretty demanding," said Livia Vastag '07 who has worked in her lab. "But I really enjoy her. She's the most inspiring professor I've had at Middlebury. It's rewarding to work hard."Vastag added that Choi sets demanding goals in life, as well as in the lab. "She's hard on all sides. She's like, 'take art history, be a well rounded person.'"Choi accepts that many students find her highly demanding and difficult as a professor."I think I am demanding in every way. I am a demanding wife, mother and co-worker. But I don't demand anything I don't do," said Choi. "Every day I demand a little more and then you reach the next level. You achieve more. I don't demand that which cannot be done."In the end this demanding nature seems to make her bond with her students on a lasting level. Many of Choi's students have come back to thank her for pushing them. "She's definitely demanding but you learn a lot from her and it pays off in the end," remarked Adam Beard '06.Her students were responsible for the letters of recommendation sent in to nominate her as Vermont's Professor of the Year."I'm so lucky to have all these alumni who eventually forgave me [for being so demanding] and wrote the recommendation letters," Choi said. "I'm very honored."Choi enjoys the friendships she has made with her former students. "One of the things I feel so good about is that they've accomplished so much," said Choi. "And now we're such good friends."The recent actions of Beard are telling of the effect Choi has on her students. Beard is working this semester on a senior thesis project under Choi's supervision. He also played a main role in the musical Company. Beard asked Choi if she and her husband would come. Choi agreed, but only if he promised to synthesize a new compound prior to the show. "The Thursday before the concert he showed me a beautiful pure compound," Choi said. He presented the compound to her along with two tickets to the show."We went and it was so much fun. We didn't know he had such a major part," said Choi. When Choi found out that he had been practicing for the musical 12 hours a week on top of working on his project with her, she was thrilled that the musical was over. She joked that now those extra 12 hours a week could be spent with her in lab. Choi shows herself to be engaged with her students both inside and outside the classroom. In this way she truly contributes to the cultivation of the Middlebury community. A prestigious Yale graduate professor e-mailed Choi after working extensively with some of her students from Middlebury. "He thanked me for sending such well prepared great students," she said.Choi's steady drive and passion about chemistry have served her well. The accomplishments of her students reflect her dogged dedication to learning and teaching. It is for this effort and enthusiasm that she was awarded Vermont Professor of the Year.
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: James Kerrigan The green grass of Battell Beach was host to the first annual Middlebury Muggle Quidditch World Cup on Sunday, Nov. 20, with the trophy awarded to the formidable Falcons. Battell Beach has been home to countless activities during each season over the past few years. From pigskin to bare-skin, Middlebury students have taken advantage of the open space in creative ways. While Frisbees and baseballs typically fly through the sky, a group of students brought a magical, airborne game down to earth - add Quidditch to the list of things you've seen on Battell Beach.Quidditch, the featured game in J. K. Rowling's hit series Harry Potter, is now a group on facebook.com and a common occurrence on Sunday afternoons. On the Facebook, the Middlebury Quidditch group describes itself as "the warriors who battle it out every Sunday on the Battell Beach Pitch. We are from Slytherin, Wonnacott, Hufflepuff, Atwater, Ravenclaw and Ross. We understand that Champions are made one Bludger at a time and we will sweat, breathe and bleed to catch a tiny winged ball known as the Snitch. We are the few, the proud...the Middlebury Quidditch Squad! SNATCH THAT SNITCH!" The group's founder, commissioner and head referee, Xander Manshel '09 generated an idea and created a phenomenon. Like all great ideas, Quidditch was born during a lunchtime conversation in Atwater. Xander and his friends discussed a way to adapt the game for those who can't fly; after hammering out some minor details, like the inability of humans to fly, for example, this far-fetched idea was very near reality. Despite being an initial concern, gathering support turned out to be quite effortless. "When I was about to borrow the brooms from the Intramural Broom Hockey supply, I hesitated, worrying that I wouldn't get 14 kids to come out and play. However, the very first Sunday we played, not only did nearly 30 people show up, but they were dressed to the nines in capes and hats and such." Before long, Sunday afternoon Quidditch was as reliable as Proctor's panini maker. So, what exactly are the rules of this adapted version? The "pitch," approximately 60 yards long, has three desk chairs from Battell at each end. Duck-taped to each of these chairs are hula-hoops. The object of the game is for the "chasers" to score points by putting the Quaffle (a volleyball) through the opposing team's hoops. Ten points are awarded each time the Quaffle is sent past the keeper through the opposing hoops. The team that captures the Golden Snitch (usually a small, fast moving ball with wings and in this case a very fit cross-country runner dressed all in yellow) earns 150 points. The snatching of the Snitch (done only by the "Seekers") marks the end of a game. All the while, "Beaters," as they are known, are trying to hit the opposing players with red playground balls known as "Bludgers." And, of course, every player must have a broomstick between his or her legs at all times. Think you got it?Although it's not an official rule, Quidditch players seem very animated, especially Starrett Berry '09. "I bought a $30 pair of goggles and lipstick. There's either something wrong with you, or you have no shame." Shameless or not, the Quidditch community encourages all types of people to participate. The first-ever season ended on Sunday, Nov. 20, with the Quidditch World Cup. And what a dramatic finish it was. There were seven teams in the Middlebury Quidditch Cup: two teams from Battell (Warrior Fairies and Falcons), two teams from Stewart, a team from Ross, a ragtag team and even an Ultimate Frisbee team. Emi Neithercut '08, one of the 100+ spectators, noticed an essential intangible in a certain team. "I don't think there is any doubt that the Frisbee team will win. Flare is very important. They've got a lot of flare." Flare or no flare, it was the Falcons, "an all-star team of Battell Quidditch powerhouses and playmakers," according to commissioner Manshel, who came out on top and won the Cup. Alex Benepe '09, the Seeker of the day, snatched the sock from the Snitch's shorts to win the match and claim the title. Fans cheered and players chanted. Manshel awarded the decorative trophy to the Falcons, marking the first season's conclusion. However, the sentiment in the crowd was not exclusively euphoric. Ben Gragnolati '08 was less pleased with the event, commenting that "[Quidditch] is embarrassing for our school." It appears Quidditch has a bright future. Lizz Herron-Sweet '09 explained, "My friends want to start it at their schools." This expansion is a very real possibility. Manshel hopes that "Quidditch can be a fun distraction for Midd-kids on Sunday afternoons in the fall (and possibly at the end of the spring). I have heard of several other colleges and universities that are interested in starting teams someday and who knows, maybe Middlebury will have a traveling varsity Quidditch squad." Only time, and a little bit of magic, will tell.
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: BEN SALKOWE, KATHRYN FLAGG AND JASON F. SIEGEL Senior honored with Marshall ScholarshipIn a press release issued Monday, Nov. 28, the Office of the British Consulate-General announced that 43 young Americans had been selected for the prestigious British Marshall Scholarship next year, including Middlebury's own William Motley '06. The announcement marked the second Middlebury student in as many years to be honored with the scholarship, which provides for study at a British university of the student's choice. The scholarships are worth about $60,000 each and provide for two to three years of study.Motley, who is a Biochemistry major, has spent the past five summers at the Mount Desert Island Biological Lab in Maine researching chloride transport through the protein that is defective in Cystic Fibrosis patients. "At the lab on the coast of Maine, scientists gather to study marine biology and human physiology with marine models," Motley explained in a public affairs profile. "Our lab studies the protein defective in patients with cystic fibrosis using an extra-renal salt gland in spiny dogfish sharks." In his senior thesis at Middlebury, Motley has recognized a gene that controls meiosis in mice and causes sterility if it is mutant. In addition to his research, Motley has also worked as an emergency medical technician for the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association (MVAA). "The MVAA has been a great way for me to learn more about the town, help the greater Middlebury community and learn about emergency medicine, while doing work I really enjoy," Motley said.As a Marshall Scholar, Motley plans to attend Oxford to pursue a doctorate in molecular biology, producing animal models for human diseases and using them to test potential therapies.Motley's scholarship made Middlebury the only college among its peers in the New England Small College Athletic Conference to have a student receive a 2006 Marshall Scholarship.A Middlebury student was also among those selected for Marshall Scholarships last year, when Aliza Watters '04.5 was chosen for the award. Watters is now pursuing a master's degree in 20th century English literature at Oxford. The Marshall Scholarships were established in 1953 as a British gesture of thanks to the people of the United States for the assistance received after the Second World War under the Marshall plan. The scholarships are financed by the British government, and are awarded to individuals expected to become leaders in their fields and great contributors to society.Alvarez presentation promotes non-violenceMiddlebury College writer in residence Julia Alvarez '71 will lend a hand today in kicking off the campus's observance of "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," an international effort to promote awareness of violence against women. Alvarez's presentation, "Chasing the Butterflies," is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in Warner Hemicycle lecture hall. The presentation will include a slide show about Alvarez's research for her novel, "In the Time of the Butterflies." The novel follows the lives of the Mirabal sisters who, in 1960, were executed for partaking in a secret plot to defeat the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.The anniversary of the death of the Mirabal sisters - Nov. 25 - has been designated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the United Nations General Assembly. This day also begins the "16 Days of Activism" event, which will run until Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day. Alvarez's presentation is sponsored by Chellis House and the Women's and Gender Studies Program. Also dedicated to generating awareness of gender violence, the African American Alliance is promoting the White Ribbon Campaign this week, in which men vow never to be violent against women and display a white ribbon as a symbol of this promise.
(11/17/05 12:00am)
Author: Dina Magaril When my roommate first received an invitation to "Wabeno" it was in the form of a note in her mailbox that read, "'Wabeno,' we own you." At first, we thought some strange cult on campus was trying to recruit her. It was only when I saw the posters advertising that Wabeno was some sort of performance, for which tickets needed to be purchased, that I stopped worrying for my roommate's safety. However, the smiling neon face on the poster did not give many clues as to what we should expect from the performance, so I decided to check it out for myself. Upon arriving at the Hepburn Zoo last Thursday night, I encountered dozens of students, clothed only in their underwear and some sort of white tissue-thin jumpsuit. I decided to let my inhibitions go and put the jumpsuit on myself. Looking back, I was the only person who wore clothes under her suit. Everyone else was either stripped down to their undergarments or wearing a pair of shorts. One young man chose to forego attire entirely.Perhaps I should have followed the clothes-free example, but instead I waited calmly in line as we were divided into two rows. After the first row had disappeared through Hepburn Zoo's entrance, my row was led in. We entered a dark room that was divided in two by a white sheet. There we were, in our ridiculous jumpsuits, awkwardly dancing to some sort of electro/house/tribal music blasting through the speakers. Finally, the actors appeared. Their shadows were illuminated as they performed what seemed like a tribal dance behind the curtain. Although I had been forewarned that Wabeno was an interactive show, I was still thinking along the lines of De La Guarda, or Blue Man group, which both select audience members to participate in their performances. "Wabeno," however, took its promise to the extreme. With encouragement from the "audience," they finally emerged. In my section, the actors were dressed in white costumes, resembling a mix between a space suit and an outfit one might wear while escaping from a mental asylum. My suspicions were confirmed when the actors began "speaking" in a strange alien language. But, to my surprise, after about a minute, the other students who had come to see the show began talking back. Had I missed something? The members of my "tribe" began dancing with each other and jumping on the mattress that happened to be lying on the floor of the "stage."After a few minutes of confusion I realized I was beginning to understand this strange alien language.The people in white encouraged the audience to do strange things. One girl lined us up so we were all holding each other's ankles. Another smelled my hair. To an outsider, the whole fiasco probably looked like a group of college students tripping on acid, and to the members of my tribe it was a bizarre out-of-body experience. Next, the actors brought out bowls of paint and decorated our faces, officially initiating us into the tribe. In seconds, the show turned into a giant paint fight. People I had never talked to were drawing on my face and neck, and some brave ones even went for the hair. Others began painting the walls and leaving handprints.Eventually someone started to chant, and we all followed suit. I cannot remember now what we were so passionately chanting, but I do remember that I was really into it. I guess our chant meant something to the other group, because at the height of our mantra the sheet separating us from the other side dropped to the ground. Large foam noodles fell from the ceiling and were immediately grabbed up by both tribes' members. Let me add here that the other tribe was the "color tribe," since their "leaders" had blue-and-red painted faces and their clothes were covered with a rainbow of paint in stark contrast to our white claylike paint. And so began the war between the colorful and white tribes, for that is the only way I can think to describe what happened next.I stood on the sidelines for a minute, just observing the almost animal behavior of the tribes as they hit each other and the walls with their noodles. Some chanted and beat their noodles simultaneously. A thought ran through my mind that perhaps this was someone's psychology experiment on mob mentality or some other type of absurd social experiment. But then a friend dragged me into the war zone and erased these thoughts from my mind. I got really into "Wabeno," the paint fights, the strange dancing. It was unlike anything I had ever seen at Middlebury, or anywhere else for that matter. It allowed its participants to let their inhibitions go and be guided by their senses. I do not think I've ever had so much fun on a Thursday night. After the show the actors hugged everyone who participated and thanked us for coming. I felt as if we had all shared a liberating experience together.I regret not following the example of my fellow nudists, because my clothes were completely ruined after the show. But I can honestly say that it was worth it.
