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(04/16/03 12:00am)
Author: Megan O'Keefe Vermont's lengthening list of international non-profit groups has recently grown to include Animals Asia, an organization that spans across the globe, now reaching from Burlington, Vt., to the provinces of China. Andi Mowrer, the U.S. representative for Animals Asia, recently set her home base in Burlington, and is now raising awareness about the organization and animal abuses in Asia across Vermont. Despite its rural reputation, Mowrer called Vermont "an unbelievable place for international non-profits," adding, "Vermont is really an outward looking state." A recent visit to the Ilsley Library brought Mowrer's cause to Middlebury. Similar presentations in schools throughout the state are making many Vermonters suddenly aware of a campaign that combats a problem that many people did not know exists.Animals Asia was founded in 1993 by Jill Robinson shortly after she learned about the prevalence of animal rights abuses in China and throughout Asia. Robinson's work began as a crusade to save Asiatic Black Bears, but quickly developed into a broader campaign. Robinson immediately began building relationships with government departments and wildlife groups in China in a resolute effort to bring an end to Asiatic Black Bear farming.In farms across China, nearly 7,000 Asiatic Black Bears, known more commonly as Moon Bears because of the golden crescents on their chests, have been imprisoned in tiny metal cages no bigger than their bodies. These bears are confined in factory farms that milk bears daily for their bile using rusting metal catheters implanted deep in their gallbladders. Bear bile has been used in traditional oriental medicine for 3,000 years, but the practice of bear farming was introduced in the 1980s. Bears continue to be hunted and trapped for their bile, despite the fact that they are listed under Appendix I - the most critical category - on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species list. Additionally, Chinese doctors now agree that bear bile can be medically replaced by herbal and synthetic alternatives, though traders have continued to push bile products on the Chinese public due to the possibility of high profits.Animals Asia reached a crucial goal in July 2000 when the group struck a "landmark" agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Sichuan Forestry Department. The agreement, sanctioned by the Central Government Department of Beijing, is the first pact between the Chinese government and an outside animal welfare organization. Mowrer said, "Our agreement with the Chinese government is to rescue 500 bears from the worst farms in Sichuan Province and ultimately rescue the remaining 6,500 throughout the country." Andy, a bear with only three legs, is one of hundreds of bears who lost his limbs when he was illegally trapped in the wild. There are currently 84 bears living at the Animals Asia sanctuary. "These first 84 bears," said Mowrer, "are the ambassadors ... seeing the horrors they endured and then witnessing their unbelievably forgiving nature and their resiliency inspires us all to know we must and can rescue the remaining bears."When bears arrive at the facility they are often extremely thin, suffering from infection and psychologically traumatized by years in confined captivity. Immediate veterinary attention is combined with extensive surgery to remove the bears' catheters and to mend sliced paws, infected teeth and injuries inflicted by their cage bars. Many of the bears have head wounds that, according to Animals Asia, "indicate the mental trauma they have endured over the years as they repeatedly bang their heads against the bars in a frantic attempt to stimulate their intelligent minds." Some bears in critical condition have undergone surgeries lasting as long as eight hours.Once rescued, the bears can never be released into the wild. Many are permanently disabled or defenseless, and others were bred in captivity or captured as cubs and "have not learned the necessary survival skills from their mothers," but enjoy enormous freedom and interaction with other bears, often for the first time in their lives. While bears now undergo physiotherapy in large cages, they will soon be released into a protected bamboo sanctuary currently under construction by Animals Asia.According to Animals Asia literature, "As a part of the July 2000 Agreement, Animals Asia has agreed to pay a level of compensation to the farmer to ensure that none of the bears are slaughtered for their parts and to help them move into alternative area of employment." The Sichuan Governments have given the organization access to all bear farm licenses and a country-wide policy in China now forbids issuing new bear farm licenses.In addition to the China Bear rescue, Animals Asia is also making efforts to protect dogs and cats throughout Asia. "The live animal markets in China include hundreds of dogs and cats, crammed into cages, then tortured before being killed, in the belief that this will make them taste better," said Mowrer. Animals Asia has instituted a program of 300 volunteers who work across six Asian countries to bring dogs into schools, businesses, nursing homes and hospitals and build awareness that dogs are "wonderful companions."While Animals Asia has enjoyed exceptional success, its current achievements are only the beginning of an ongoing process. Mowrer continues to avidly spread the word about Animals Asia's cause, networking with others, raising funds needed to continue the organization's work and bringing a new awareness to Vermont.More information about Animals Asia may be obtained on animalsasia.org.
(04/16/03 12:00am)
Author: Bob Wainwright Since it's the time of year that the College offers a couple days for prospective students to visit Middlebury, I thought I'd do my part by telling you the proper criteria on choosing the right school.When deciding what college is best for you, it's not the students that matter, nor the professors. The weather is of no consequence, and neither are sports programs. And whatever you do, don't consider dorm life or the curriculum. No, prospectives need only take into account the following question: "What's the mascot?" Let's start with Colby. Their mascot is the white mule. They came up with the idea because they were tired of being labeled as a "dark horse" in football games. So they switched the label around and came up with "white mule." Clever. Now apparently they did this with the knowledge that a mule is the offspring of a jackass and a mare. In other words, it's the bastard child of a jackass. And because of its messed up chromosomes, it's unable to reproduce. But as long as there are female horses and horny donkeys around, Colby will always have its sterile mule to lead the way. Perhaps the all-time worst mascot is the Williams Eph, pronounced (Eeph) as their website explains twice. Williams came up with the idea because their founder's first name was Ephraim, a name that is surprising uncommon nowadays. And when pressured into coming up with a representative animal as well, Williams decided on a purple cow, in hopes of striking additional fear into the hearts of opposing teams. My beef, however, is not with the cow. It's with the "Eph," undeniable proof that Williams' grads are so presumptuous that they make up their own words. Next on the list is Amherst, which refers to its teams as the Lord Jeffs. All right, on the count of three, Let's Go Lord Jeffs! Hmmm. Yeah, I can see how they thought that would be conducive to the sporting scene. Actually, the Lord Jeffs sounds more like a bad '60's British rock group. Groovy, baby. Moving on, the Trinity mascot is the Bantam. A bantam is type of chicken, only smaller. To give you a sense of just how low on the chain of life the bantam sits, when two chickens decide to run at each other head first until one of them veers off course, they call it, "playing bantam."Of course, the only mascot in the NESCAC actually worthy of being termed a "mascot," is the Middlebury Panther. It's sleek, strong and powerful. Moreover, it's not a person, it could eat about twenty chickens in one bite, and oh yeah, it's father's not a jackass. So let's cut out the needless deliberation and make the obvious choice. Bates?! Oh, of course. What about Bobcats?
(04/16/03 12:00am)
Author: Erich Kahner The Otter Nonsense Players hosted the First Annual Clown Parade last weekend at Middlebury College. Improvisational comedy groups from six colleges, along with four professional improv comics and one adult group, participated in the two-day comedy festival.The event coordinators, Ben LaBolt '03 and Toby Lawless '03, came up with the idea for the Clown Parade after attending similar festivals around the northeast."With this year being the seniors' last, we wanted to take part in a comedy festival at home and in the process establish something at Middlebury that may last a while," said LaBolt.He expanded on the Clown Parade's purpose, "Basically it's just a creativity love-fest. Aside from the performances at night, we attend workshops and learn from each other during the day." The first round of performances took place Friday night in Dana Auditorium. TheatreSports, from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H. - or, what one member called, "the armpit of New England" - was the first team to take the stage. They performed several skits, starting off with a game of "Oh Sir Walter Please Do Not Touch Me There" and ending on a spoof of the penultimate scene of the Eminem film "8 Mile," in which members of TheatreSports exchanged insults in a rap-off.Stupid Broken Children, a group of post-college age comedians from Portsmouth, N.H., performed next, followed by Combo Za of Williams College. A mock movie review marked Combo Za's routine. The gist of the fictional movie, "Running with Scissors," was revealed in a series of acted out clips: two kindergarteners are involved in a murderous plot to capture the teacher's favor and the coveted "gold star."Skidmore's Ad-Libs provided Friday's finale. They won the loudest applause on the evening. Their first act, performed with the Nutcracker Suite chiming in the background, involved an innocent country girl waiting at a train station. The girl danced around stage among abandoned suitcases until she opened one and was stunned when a dead body rolled out.Julia Langbein, a senior member of Columbia University's improv group, Six Milks, attended Friday's show. "Festivals like this provide us with a chance to keep us in touch with what's objectively funny, rather than what is just funny to us," commented Langbein.The following night in McCullough, Langbein proved she could get some laughs outside of the Columbia community. Her portrayal of a high-strung, malnourished vegetarian teenager whose first taste of deer flesh turns her into a bloodthirsty hunter established Langbein and the Six Milks as a crowd favorite. Purple Crayon, the large group from Yale University, preceded Six Milks. Paul Dome '00, Zabeth Russell of ImprovBoston, Steve Waltien '00.5 and Bill Arnett of Chicago-based ImprovOlympic added a professional touch to the Clown Parade. At one point in the evening, Dome and Waltien joined forces as a married couple and relived their days as Otter teammates.Middlebury's Otter Nonsense took the stage for the final act of the Clown Parade. The skit, "When a Crime Becomes a Date," won loud applause. In the piece, a zealous poacher and a lisping zoo animal plan their future after the two meet while the poacher hunts in the zoo. After the Otters finished, nearly all the 80 participants in the Clown Parade crowded the stage to provide closure on the weekend's events with, what LaBolt called, "the biggest game of Freeze ever."
(04/09/03 12:00am)
Author: Lucie Greene Ben Correale '04 is one of those frustratingly talented people, who doesn't even have a tinge of arrogance to make you feel just a little bit better. A lead in several faculty shows and student productions since coming to Middlebury College, as well as being a member of the Dissipated 8 (D8), he is a visible figure within the student art scene at the College. It's also clear when you see his performances that this is something that he could quite easily take to a professional level. In the wake of his latest show "The Memorandum" by Vaclav Havel, The Middlebury Campus anticipated a late and temperamental thespian, complete with anall-black outfit and a series of clichÈd statements of self-seriousness and adoration. So much so, in fact, that it was almost disappointing to meet in person the modest, punctual, friendly and articulate Correale.The Campus: So Ben, where are you from?Ben Correale: I was born in New York City but moved away when I was two. I love the city. I think I'm ready to move back.The Campus: How did you first get into acting? B.C.: My earliest theater memory is from pre-school. All I can remember is crawling around on the ground, imitating animals - I think I was a wolf. So maybe it started then. No, I first got involved in middle school, actually. In high school we would do a few plays a year, usually a musical, a Shakespeare and something else, maybe Chekhov. I realize now a lot of the plays, especially Chekhov, were pretty ambitious for high-school actors. The Campus: Wow, Chekhov in high school - very highbrow! B.C.: Yes I know...The Campus: [Suddenly feeling very inadequate - memories of playing Shepard No.2 in the Nativity play paling somewhat by comparison] Sorry ... continue.B.C.: During the summers off in high school, until last year, some friends and I sort of took over this not-for-profit theater company in our town. We used this half-used museum gallery for a space and had to load the set in and out every night from a Ryder truck in the parking lot so the gallery could be open the next day. I got a chance to direct for the first time. It was so great being part of that process. During my Feb semester I also interned with an off-Broadway theater company in New York called Drama Dept. I met a lot of great people, got to be around the rehearsals a lot, and work on a show through an entire run. It was inspiring but also sobering to find out how much administrational busywork is involved in something like that!The Campus: Gosh, so from that how did you become involved when you first came to Middlebury?B.C.: I knew I wanted to be involved in theater when I came. I did a lot of student work during my first two years here, which I'm grateful for. As I said, there is something really great about doing new work. I worked on two original plays by Andy Mitton '01, and also did a number of shows with the Redux Theater Company (started by Alex Poe '03 and Joe Varca '02) which did a lot of adapted work, most recently "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. The plays were very non-traditional and gave me a lot of freedom as an actor.The Campus: And how does this translate to what you do now? (i.e. You're in everything!)B.C.: Well, not really. (smiles in embarrassment) I was in "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor" last fall and "Anna Karenina" this fall. Right now I'm in "Memorandum" by Vaclav Havel. I'm playing the character of Gross. He's a guy who wishes he were a dissident, but finds himself lost and is too afraid fight. I'm making him sound like a jerk. In his defense - he's one of the few human elements of the play.The Campus: Recently you were in a play ("Anna Karenina") that reached the finals at the National Student Drama festival? How did you feel about your part and the production?B.C.: I'm not the Vronsky type really (note: passionate attractive soldier who has torrid affair with Anna, and older married women, for those of you who don't know the story), so it was fun and difficult trying to create that character. We were also taking an epic novel and condensing it into an evening of theater, which isn't easy. It was very ambitious and deserved the recognition. It was valuable to perform the show outside our Middlebury theater bubble as well to get some other opinions. The show changed a lot, physically and from the point of view of the performances. You look at the script again after a month and say, "Oh, maybe I'll try this."The Campus: So what is it exactly about acting that you find so engaging? B.C.: It's probably the most elusive thing you can study, very frustrating at times. I question it a lot, but I know that it has been valuable for me, no matter what I do. We live by acting roles. Acting is a reflex for all of us. There are a lot of technical things we can do as actors - a lot of stylized developments, but on a basic level acting is the study of the self. I think that's what excites me about it the most.The Campus: You also sing with the D8. Do you ever combine this skill with your acting and perform in musicals here?B.C.: I tend to think of acting and singing separately. That's how I've studied them. The Campus: Obviously you are a very visible student on campus. Where do you see yourself taking all of this? Do you want to pursue acting or singing as a career or simply have it as a hobby?B.C.: I would definitely like to continue acting. I have no idea what I'll be doing. The prospect of going out and auditioning, selling yourself, isn't the most appealing. I would like to work with people that I know, doing work that I'm personally invested in.The Campus: Well good luck with it anyway. Thanks very much.B.C.: It's been a pleasure.Ben will be appearing in the upcoming production of "Memorandum" at Wright Theatre May 1-3.
(04/09/03 12:00am)
Author: Michael Hatch Artist-in-Residence Liz Blum opened her art show "Composites" Friday evening at the Johnson Gallery. She described the dozen pieces on display as "constructed images in photo-collages and drawings connecting realism to the animated."The resulting montages of fragmented photo-scenes and witty political collages tease and trick the eye. Her photography elicits second looks traditionally reserved for paintings. From several feet away, a work such as "Sniper" appears to be simply a large-scale photograph of the highway. All of Blum's photographic works carry this illusion of straightforward photography, but step closer and the incongruities emerge.What was first a simple large photograph of a typical scene becomes a madly shifting and titillating play of photographic fragments whose seams don't always line up.One patch of snow and earth has a warm yellow saturation while its immediate neighbor exudes a cold blue tone. Branches and clouds stretch naturally from one piece of the collage only to be abruptly fragmented in the next space cell. Spaces that would usually be dismissed as commonplace suddenly become unique. Each surface and fragment of the composition is an abstracted surface of color worth comparing to its neighbor. These photo-composites make ordinary spaces sacred and puzzling. What's more, they add mystery and suspicion to otherwise commonplace scenes. The shifting patches of rock, snow and asphalt and the altered horizon lines of "Sniper" morph into dangerous pockets of unknown intent once the title is applied. The act of transformation becomes potentially deadly. Blum creates these images by shooting several rolls of 35mm film to produce about 80 4"x 6" prints of a scene. She then enlarges and shrinks the images with a color photocopier, fragmenting, cutting, pasting and rearranging moments of a common landscape to produce a composite of that scene from a variety of vantage points and details. Blum, who is trained as a painter, states that this collaged photo medium "has the physicality of painting. A photograph flattens everything out, but in this process I get to pour over it in detail and deal with issues of form, light, composition, much more like painting."She continues a similar methodology in her series of composite drawings, the source materials for which are British political cartoons of the 1930s to 1950s. She explained, "Of course in that time you've got World War II, NATO and the U.N. and there are so many cyclical themes that are relevant today." In "The Stars at Night are Shining Bright," a rain of cartoon bombs blankets the sky, caught in mid-descent, thus creating a surreal night sky. The barren, rocky landscape is all too similar to images of the dry Afghani mountains, creating a disturbing contradiction between the comical components of cartoon illustration and the reality of recent news.Blum's collection of subtly composed and sometimes unnerving "Composites" will be on display in the Johnson Gallery until April 15.
(04/09/03 12:00am)
Author: Erika Mercer "Sea Change" is comparable to your family's Christmas tree after all of the lights and ornaments have been removed - bare, bummed out and bland. Of course, it's still beautiful simply as a tree (as trees naturally are), yet in some ways it's too late - you've seen it in all its sparkling, glistening, Christmas glory. You've seen it twinkle with tinsel and glitter with gaudy wooden Santas, and now it looks relatively, well, unoriginal - just like every other tree out there. On top of that, it's dreadfully naked, and you can't help thinking that it looked much better with all its goofy accessories and clothes on. Born in 1970 into an artistic family with roots in the bohemian circuit of Los Angeles, Calif., Beck Hansen's early interest in music stemmed from his parents - his father, David Campell, performed as a bluegrass street musician and wrote various string arrangements for rising artists and bands such as "Aerosmith," and his mother, Bibbe Hansen, also worked as an actress and musician. As a child, Beck became exposed to music as diverse as street hip-hop and Delta blues, folk and guitar rock. He divided his time between living with his parents in L.A., his Presbyterian preacher grandfather in Kansas and his other grandfather, the artist Al Hansen, in Europe. His later music makes use of this unique jumble of influences - acquired everywhere from quiet, rural churches to bustling urban streets.At 16, Beck dropped out of high school and moved to New York City to explore the local punk scene and anti-folk movement raging there at the time. Unable to find his niche, Beck relocated once again to L.A. and began playing gigs at clubs and bars in the area. His first single, "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack," was conceived while working at a local video store in 1992 and struggling to stay fed and on his feet. This desperate financial situation inspired his next 1993 single, "Loser." As Beck described, "I was working in a video store doing things like alphabetizing the pornography section for minimum wage." Produced with the help of hip-hop technician, Karl Stephenson, "Loser" brought Beck out of the "rat infested shed" in which he was living and turned him into the musical success he is today. Hailed by critics as the "anthem for doomed youth," "Loser" defined Beck as the unexpected savior for that very youth - for the 1990s "slacker generation." Following the success of "Loser" there ensued a fierce record company battle for Beck, won finally by Geffen Records who, perhaps pityingly and perhaps stupidly, gave Beck allowance to simultaneously release music on other labels if he wished - and he did wish. During the year of 1994, Beck produced a string of three CDs, each released on a different label: "Mellow Gold" debuted on Geffen Records, "One Foot in the Grave" on K Records and "Stereopathic Soul Manure" on L.A.'s Flipside independent label. Each album was a huge success, speeding up Beck's already fast-paced career. Baby-faced and goofy, Beck was irresistible to both fans and critics, who praised his distinctive combinations of eclectic genres and witty, outlandish lyrics. On the song, "Steal My Body Home," off the album, "Mellow Gold," he sang, "I took a leap into the fog / Sleepin' on a hollow log / Now I'm coughin' with no mouth," and nobody cared what it meant because it sounded so cool. Beck arrested his audience with his quirky and often startlingly funny lyrics and awed them with his ability to successfully incorporate elements of punk, blues, rock, gospel and folk into one song and make it immensely appealing. Throughout the 1990s, Beck continued to produce a series of albums: "Odelay" debuted in 1996, winning numerous honors including a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1997. Shortly thereafter, Beck released "Mutations," in 1998 and "Midnite Vultures" in 1999. His most recent album, "Sea Change," hit record stores last September and stunned fans with its drastic departure from the previous albums' characteristic collage-like assemblage of different genres and sounds. Though a full orchestra backs Beck throughout the album, "Sea Change" gives the illusion of being an acoustic album and remains, for the most part, slow, downcast and calm. Unlike much of his earlier work, "Sea Change" is melodic and simple, never straying far from its roots in quiet, gentle and clean folk music. It lacks the idiosyncratic and unpredictable nature of albums such as "Mellow Gold" and instead stays relentlessly downcast and brooding. Although a masterful and quietly beautiful album on its own, within the scope of Beck's career, "Sea Change" is somewhat too simple, too delicate, too unadorned and too bland. Compared to his furiously original, thrillingly eccentric earlier work, the album sounds weak - painfully self-conscious and insecure. In a world already full of many such self-conscious indie artists, Beck, who previously provided a welcomed bit of confidence, enthusiasm and animation, was a sad case to see fall to the dark side. Who wants to hear Beck drone and weep along with other artists when he's proved that he can do so much more?Yet drone and weep he does. He replaces comical, nonsensical lyrics such as "we drop lobotomy beats / evaporated meat on the high-tech street" (off the album, "Midnite Vultures") with sappy, unoriginal lyrics: on the song, "Guess I'm Doing Fine," he sings, "It's only lies that I'm living / It's only tears that I'm crying / It's only you that I'm losing / Guess I'm doing fine." Granted, he had just broken up with his girlfriend - the alleged subject of the album - but seriously, couldn't Beck, with his immense well of talent, have cooked up something better than plain, boring clichÈs to feed his suffering soul?
(04/02/03 12:00am)
Author: Megan O'Keefe A sudden thaw has drawn bears out of hibernation and into Vermonters' backyards. Between 4,000 and 5,000 black bears live in Vermont, and experts say they are now all awake. According to Forrest Hammond, a district wildlife biologist based in Springfield, the bears are currently very active, seeking food after the long winter. During the period of hibernation about 40 percent of their total body weight is lost, an average of about 0.2-0.3 percent per day, and with food sources still scarce it may be difficult for hungry bears to find adequate nutrition in wilderness areas.Black bears normally eat animal prey, including fish and small animals, but may also consume a variety of vegetable matter, such as pine cones, berries and rotten food. With appetites stunted immediately after hibernation by hormone levels, bears nibble on early spring's fresh green herbs and young wetland shoots for the first few weeks. Once appetites return, they move on to more substantial winter-killed carrion. Hungry bears will raid homes and campsites in order to seize anything edible.While black bears may seem unusually prevelant this season, their population has actually been significantly reduced as commercial and residential development has taken over their forest habitat.The majority of Vermont's black bears can be found in the Northeast Kingdom, but they are also found in forested areas the length of the Green Mountain state. "The bears are traveling quite a bit right now. As the snow disappears, it exposes the nut crop, and that's what they'll be after," said Hammond.While bears generally have no desire to seek human prey, they are sometimes drawn into residential areas in search of food scraps that may be easily accessible in outdoor garbage cans. Residents who live near wooded areas are advised to store garbage inside or in tightly locked bins until pickup day and to close kitchen windows at night.Additionally, Vermont parents have been told to exercise greater caution when allowing their children to play outdoors in wooded areas. When a bear does enter a backyard, however, the resident should remain calm and make loud noise until the bear is driven away. Hammond noted that black bears are a shy species that fears people and rarely attacks. When black bears do enter populated areas, however, there is a danger that they may cause car accidents, he continued.Despite the recent bear sightings, Vermont's black bears are no crankier or hungrier than usual. This winter's heavy snow covering provided ample insulation and an ideal sleeping environment for hibernation. Hammond affirmed that the black bears should be no "grouchier" than usual this spring. "It was not a bad winter for the bears," Hammond said. "In fact, it was a good one."
(04/02/03 12:00am)
Author: Meghan Keenan Spring Break gave many students the opportunity to relax, de-stress and return to a normal routine far from the frenzy that consumed life during mid-terms. But wouldn't life be so much easier if we could better understand where exactly this stress comes from and how better to deal with it? Research Scholar in Biology Dana Helmreich is currently working here at Middlebury to demystify the origin of stress and determine its most efficient and positive effects.Beginning during her post-doctoral years at Michigan State in 1998, Helmreich has been conducting experiments to measure stress levels in rats in hopes of understanding the chemical effects of stress within the human body. Her main goal, she said, is to learn "whether all stress impacts the brain in the same way." By examining the rats' reactions to stressful situations, Helmreich seeks to pinpoint the mechanisms in the human brain and endocrine system that are affected by stress.Her experiment places two rats in adjacent cages and differentiates between an "executive" and a "yoked" rat. The "executive" rat is administered a mild electric shock (a low-level, irritating buzzing sensation) which is terminated when the rat presses a lever. The "yoked" rat also receives a shock of equal intensity, but holds no control over the ending of the shock and relies completely on the "executive" rat to stop the shock. Using blood samples, Helmreich then tests hormone levels in areas such as the hypothalamus and thyroid to determine differences in the psychological responses between the two animals.Helmreich has found that differences do exist both chemically and physically between the two animals. Chemically, a change in thyroid access for the animals causes hormones to be released in different levels, thereby affecting the animals' response. Physically, the "yoked" animal tends to display signs of learned helplessness. Due to its lack of control in a stressful situation, such as the one created by the shock inducement, the "yoked" rat develops difficulties in learning new responses in new situations. Although these reactions may change according to what specific day or situation in which the rat is placed, the "yoked" rats do not generally develop positive reactions to stress and do not effectively learn to deal with new, stressful situations, Helmreich said.So what does this all mean for stressed out students attempting to cram for exams? Helmreich notes that "a stress response is normal and when one can control stress, then stress provides energy." By perceiving stress from a controlled perspective and by applying stress positively to a situation, a student can benefit from the activating powers of stress. However, problems arise when one loses control over stress and lets it take over one's body. Normally, stress progresses on a bell curve of hormone levels, beginning at a low point and increasing until they reach a peak, where the hormone levels remain until they are brought under control by the body. The body begins to react negatively when the hormone levels remain at the peak level and are unable to return to lower, safer levels. One's perception of and reaction to stress become extremely important in controlling the negative effects of stress.Scientifically, this experiment provides many clues that will eventually help to unlock the mystery of stress. Ethically, though, experiments such as this one raise questions regarding the treatment of the rats and whether a benefit truly-exists that warrants placing the rats under potentially harmful conditions. According to Helmreich, however, the rats used in this experiment are "given the best care available." In order to obtain the necessary grants for this experiment, Helmreich submitted protocols to both the federal government and to Middlebury's chapter of the Institutional Animal Codes for Use and Care(IACUC). Headed by faculty member Chris Waters, the IACUC consists of Middlebury professors, as well as a licensed veterinarian from the Middlebury community, and reviews every experiment involving animals on campus. The IACUC also provides an extensive guidebook outlining the proper procedures concerning animal treatment. Helmreich says she is genuinely interested in figuring out how the human brain works, and sees enough similarity between the brains of humans and rats to believe that her experiments will help the scientific community further understand the human brain's inner workings. She administers the lowest level of stress stimulus possible to the rats and equates the feeling as not even nearing the intensity of the shock received by an electric dog fence. Although Helmreich has yet to come to a conclusion regarding the results of her experiment, she continues to look at stress effects so that one day people everywhere will be able to positively control their stress reactions.
(04/02/03 12:00am)
Author: Lanford Beard What's in a face? A nose in any other shape smells just as sweet.No, that's not quite right.Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose nose is narrowest of them all?Or how about this one?Once upon a time in Gary, Indiana, a long, long time ago (or 1958, as it were), a young prince who would be King was born to a man named Joe Jackson. Joe was a tyrannical, villainous father, and he made his children work for their food - and not just any work, they had to sing and dance!All in all, there were five: our hero, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, and the littlest one, Marlon. This was no ordinary all-singing, all-dancing family from Indiana. Why, they were an all-singing, all-dancing family sensation! They were the Jackson 5!Breaking records and racial boundaries is no easy task, though, and being a slick, crafted entertainment package didn't come as easily then as it does today. Just ask the Partridges and the Bradys - they earned their stripes. Tragedy struck our little prince - called by the angelic name of Michael - regardless of all his chutzpah and pizzazz. He was cursed with one fatal flaw: a wide nose.You may ask, what's so wrong with that?Well clearly you didn't grow up in Diana Ross's dresses, I mean, house.This, my children, is the divine tragedy of the rise and fall of that famous nose. And by fall, I literally mean fall. The damn thing has collapsed. Thus begins our story of the infamous man-boy and his even more infamous nose. It all began with "Ben," Michael's first solo single in 1972. Ominously enough, the song was a cutesy ode to a rat. (Making this initial hit even more frightening is the fact that the rat was Michael's only friend - if you, like me, believe the television movie "The Jacksons: An American Dream.")Despite the pressures of being a celebrity, a few pimples and a scary dad, Jacko coulda been a contender. With buckets of personality and magnetic charisma, he was poised for superstardom. He even had the potential for normalcy, but as his hits and public persona got bigger, his nose began a very conspicuous downward spiral, first shrinking then disappearing entirely. But we mustn't get ahead of ourselves.The height of Jackson's solo success came during the era of "Off the Wall" and "Thriller". Donning the infamous single glove and those red-hot leather jackets, Michael's talent and flashy accessorizing were still enough to detract from his shrinking nose and the perpetually pre-pubescent pitch of his voice.Flash forward to 1987 - Jackson literally begins cutting off his nose to spite his face.Rumors are flying - stop me if you've heard this one: America is the only country where a poor, black boy can become a rich, white woman. The name "Wacko Jacko" joins popular circulation as the public believes that America's fallen angel takes hormones to preserve that boyish charm and little-girl voice. Though his reps refuse to comment on that speculation, they do state publicly that Michael has a rare skin condition, Vitiligo, that zaps the skin of its natural pigment. Fair enough.Flash forward a few more years to 1993 - Michael morphs from his sister LaToya to an eerie Judy Jetson aesthetic. Somewhere along the way, he has purchased the elephant man's bones and robbed Paul McCartney of the rights to the Beatles' catalogue.So let's catch up: Michael's first song was dedicated to a rat, he buys the elephant man's bones, his skin is changing shades regularly, and the golden glow of fame is receding rapidly.Animation for thought: Next time you watch Peter Pan, look at those Lost Boys and consider Michael Jackson's growing seclusion in his Neverland Ranch. Of course it's not a coincidence. The man is, or at least wants to be, a cartoon. Or Liz Taylor. It changes daily.Clearly, MJ is the Lost Boy who can't find his marbles. Molestation charges and Lisa Marie aside, his everyday behavior is completely bizarre. Michael starts wearing a surgical mask during public appearances "to protect his throat from pollution and germs." My wager is that it's to cover his rapidly decaying nasal tissue. Somewhere in between Motown, Neverland and the Ninth Circle of Hell, Jacko seems to have lost grip on reality. Stop me if you've heard this one: Where is Michael Jackson's nose? In the wastebasket of a medical facility in California.You'd think his new nurse wife (a.k.a. the mother of his ambiguously Aryan children) would have warned him not to go under the knife that last time. I guess she's not that kind of nurse.According to Dr. Edward Domanskis, a Newport Beach, Ca., plastic surgeon, "He probably should have stopped three or four noses ago. But it becomes very difficult with a person who is powerful and wants his way. There are enough plastic surgeons out there who are going to feel special if he comes to them that he is probably always going to find someone willing to operate."Now it is 2003, his children are dangling from hotel balconies in Germany, his record company is "racist," lawsuits fly left and right, television capitalizes on an increasingly loopy logic and Jacko fully immerses himself in the Sphinx stage of nasal evolution.Well, like the rest of America, I, too, look at the man in the mirror, Michael. And it's friggin' scary.So what lesson have we learned today, kiddies?Never trust the Joker's plastic surgeon.
(03/19/03 12:00am)
Author: Michael Hatch This past Thursday was a treat. Ani DiFranco, solo, ripping into President Bush, taking on the war and gender divisions -- and, oh yeah, she smiled at me once, too. I rode down to Concord, N.H., with my sister and her high school buddies, and while I arrived newly educated on more than I anticipated, I also missed most of the opening act, Hamell on Trial. From what I saw, though, I wasn't missing much. This solo folk guitarist was a little too difficult to understand. His rapid-fire, heavy acoustic playing and streaming-word lyrics sounded like they ought to be intelligent as well as intelligible.But try as I did, I couldn't make sense of the mess. He did, however, charm the audience between songs with a spoof on rock-n-roll poses, showing his knack for the charm and self-effacement that makes folk concerts so personable.But Ani did it better. Songs from her new album, "Evolve," as well as songs not yet released, opened the set. She admitted sheepishly that tonight would be about "loneliness and longing," hoping none of us came specifically for her happier tracks -- these are, after all, nervous times. But the crowd roared. Loneliness and longing were old friends among the spectators.Before long, recent politics came under her scrutinous tongue. Just back from Australia, Ani told us of playing a new song, "Animal," for the crowds there. Doing a panting dog imitation of the Australian president, "Whatever the hell his name is, Howard or something," in the context of America's allies in the war, she appealed to the liberal crowd saying, "You know, I realized that all over the world, hundreds of thousands of people were out there marching for peace, and that that is truly the legacy of our generation, not the actions of a handful of men.""Animal," a song not yet released even on her album put out last week, was a stunning number with lines stating, "You look at any ecosystem and you'll find that what you do here, happens there, and there, and there, and there," and a chorus with "a hawk flying high above a strip-mall." This song-to-come, along with the lyrics off of "Evolve" are striking a decided lean towards nature themes. The song "Icarus" goes, "I don't mean heaven like godlike, 'cuz the animal I am knows very well that nature is our teacher and our mother, and god is just another story that we tell." These new environmentalist lyrics, combined with political punches such as "Now lets all go to war, get some bang for our buck," from "Evolve," had the audience howling cheers and encouragement. But it was the old favorites that stirred the most excitement. "Two Little Girls" was an absolute powerhouse of a song and all five feet of the folksinger's stature was jamming and ripping at the guitar with inspirational vigor. "Out of Habit" was also a crowd pleaser, but it was the stream of consciousness monologue about gender that made this song among the most special of the night."Out of Habit" is often referred to as the "c--t song," "probably because I use the word c--t" she admitted, laughing, "but I try not to take offense either." The song is meant as a gesture to reclaim the word from its negative connotations. She went on to explain that she's often unable to answer when people ask her, "Do you sing only for women?" because she hopes that men can relate to the same issues as women and vice versa, "and some men just inherently get that [implying the re-use of c--t], and look! Here they are!" As one of the many males there, I cheered in thanks for the compliment. Oh yeah, and did I mention she smiled at me, too?
(03/12/03 12:00am)
Author: Erika Mercer Picture a barren winter landscape: a field masked in snow, several solitary brown, lifeless blades of grass poking through its top white layer. A gray sky and a row of leaning, drooping trees complete the stark, desolate scene -- a scene which threatens to be too stark and cold to endure, yet narrowly escapes the unbearable through its subtle glimpses of vitality. Late in the day, the snow sparkles silver, tosses glistening bits of light into the viewer's eyes. The wind is soft and gentle, meandering its way between the branches of the trees, coaxing them to rise in salute. Small footprints of brave animals traverse the field, zigzagging playfully across its length.Kristin Hersh's breathy voice evokes this scene with its haunting ambience and stark climate and is supplemented by her somber, unadorned guitar playing and minimalist piano and string accompaniment -- effects which have been brought to near perfection on her most recent album, "The Grotto." Hersh's career has spanned three decades -- born in Rhode Island in 1966, she fell in love with the guitar at age nine and formed her first band at age 14. Her passion for music led her to pioneer the rock band Throwing Muses in 1984 together with her half sister, Tanya Donelly (now of the Grammy-award-nominated band, Belly). Yet following financial difficulties, the band broke up in 1997 after the release of its album, "Limbo." This monetary struggle overlapped with Hersh's own struggle with mental illness -- factors which no doubt influenced the change in approach she took with her solo work. Much quieter, barer and moodier, her solo work is the polar opposite of the loud, alternative, punk-influenced sounds of the band. It is difficult to believe that her first solo release, "Hips and Makers," debuted in 1994, when she was still working closely with Throwing Muses,"though Hersh describes her stark solo sound as "a different side of the same coin." Quirky and introspective, Hersh's solo work -- what she wittily refers to as her "day job" -- took some getting used to, especially by those who had come to know her as the loud Throwing Muses vocalist. Following "Hips and Makers," Hersh released five albums in quick succession: "Murder, Misery and Then Goodnight" and "Strange Angels" in 1998, "Sky Motel" in 1999, "Sunny Border Blue" in 2001 and her most recent album, "The Grotto," just released March 4, 2003. Incidentally, the release of "The Grotto," will coincide with Throwing Muses' self-titled album featuring a guest performance by Donelly, which follows a seven-year hiatus. "The Grotto," named after the Providence, R.I., neighborhood where Hersh lived at the time when she wrote the album's songs, is a collection of shifting scenes that hovers somewhere between the realms of imagined and seen -- one critic aptly described the music as "phantasmagoric." Hersh's sound is deceivingly simple while embodying a hidden complexity of tender, frightening and unsettling emotions. Referring to "The Grotto," Hersh stated, "I think it's a very sweet record. Spooky, but sweet." This juxtaposition of spookiness and sweetness defines her music and allows it to be poignant in its confrontation of difficult human emotions and situations. Hersh's lyrics complement her raw music: she sings of marriage, of madness, of survival and salvation. Bare and often arranged as a stream-of-consciousness, her words flow together in a gentle yet disturbing way. In the song, "Ether," she sings, "I thought the city air would hear me whisper / when the blue expanse of morning comes / you sleep while I stalk the sun, like a baby." Softly plucked guitar notes and faint, background violin music -- played by guest musician Andrew Bird of the now defunct Squirrel Nut Zippers -- weave in and out of these expressive lyrics. At the same time, Hersh's taut vocals fluctuate between minor and major tones, dipping in and out of moods, becoming sinister and then suddenly sugary, frightened and then confident. Again referring to the haunting quality of her music, one critic wrote that Hersh's voice is that of "a child possessed by adult demons." Hersh's music never breaks out of its dark, brooding tone, yet it also never sinks too deeply into its own despair -- she provides the listener with glimpses of hope, whether that glimpse be in the form of delicate piano notes (performed on "The Grotto" by Howe Gelb of "Giant Sand"), gently rising violin music or lyrics which, despite their expression of doubt and defeat, also offer the possibility of redemption: in the song, "Vitamins V," Hersh sings, "This lukewarm catastrophe / is a recipe for rebirth / or so I overheard." The view is austere and barren, but not altogether hopeless -- Hersh promises that there is beauty to be found in even the seemingly bleakest of human situations.
(03/12/03 12:00am)
Author: Campus Editor in Chief Scott Russell Sanders, noted author, committed environmentalist and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Indiana delivered a speech entitled "Building Arks," Thursday March 6, in Dana Auditorium. Introduced by his close friend, Stewart Professor of English and Environmental Studies John Elder, Sanders spoke eloquently and passionately on the environmental destruction inflicted by modern man. Using the biblical tale of Noah and the Ark as his touchstone Sanders described a new model of conservation: the building of arks -- "vessels designed to preserve from extinction not merely our fellow creatures, as on Noah's legendary ark, but also the wisdom necessary for dwelling in place generation after generation without diminishing either the place or the planet." Sanders defined ark more specifically later on in his speech, as, "any human structure, invention or gathering that conserves the wisdom necessary for meeting our needs without despoiling the planet."Elder introduced Sanders as a "a premier writer about environmental and cultural issues." He praised Sander's "honesty in acknowledging the wounded-ness of our time" and described Sander's voice as one "of wisdom and clarity." At the conclusion of his prefatory remarks Elder thanked the many people who helped lure Sanders from Indiana. In particular Elder thanked Luke Farrell '03, whose idea it was to invite Sanders.Sanders acknowledged Elder's praise, remarking of his friend, whom he physically resembles, "the highest compliment I'm ever paid is to be mistaken for John." Sanders noted that he had visited Middlebury College three or fourth times in the past, and then briefly summarized the history and probable future of the essay "Building Arks," an earlier version of which appeared last spring in Vermont's own Wild Earth magazine and a final version of which will appear in a book in a few years. Sanders began his speech by recounting a recent environmental controversy in his hometown, Bloomington, Indiana, in which a private citizen sold a 50-acre wood to a developer. The action sparked fervent, sustained protest and led Sanders to ponder the destruction of wild lands throughout this country. Sanders, like the protestors, believes, "that a civilized community must show restraint by leaving some land alone, to remind us of the wild world on which our lives depend and to keep us humble and sane." Sanders cited a U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate that 2.2 million acres of open space is lost to development each year. "The life of endless consumption is ruinous to the planet and bound to fail," he said. "The question is not whether it will fail but when, and how the end of our spree will come -- by careful preparation,or by catastrophe."Sanders then outlined the four most common responses to "Earth's limits." People evincing the first response refuse to acknowledge the environmental destruction wrought by man. Those demonstrating the second response believe in the power of technology to reverse the destruction. Those holding to the third response trust that the market economy will eventually overthrow current patterns of destructive living. Finally, those of the fourth response acknowledge that "we are living on borrowed time," but continue to live extravagantly.In contradistinction to these people are those who "strive to live more simply." These are the ark builders, or men and women who eschew excessive consumption, maintain and manufacture their own goods, conserve land and animals and revel in the company of one another and the natural world around them."The flood I have in mind is partly the literal rise in sea level from global warming," said Sanders, "but more generally it is the cumulative effect of our assault on the Earth." Sanders retold the story of Noah and the ark, using it is as a parable of modern man's predicament. God, witnessing Noah's obedience, withdraws the flood waters and bids Noah, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.""The fear of you and the dread of you," continued God, "shall be upon every beast of the earth [ . . . ] Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything."In an impressive display of literary analysis Sanders explored the environmental implications of God's injunction to Noah. This injunction can be interpreted one of two ways: it may be taken as "a warning [to man] not to abuse [his] power" over nature or as a justification of man's "utter dominion over Nature." Sanders contrasted the two alternatives in stark terms, "One tradition blesses humans alone, conveying the whole Earth to our use; the other blesses all creatures alike, granting to each species its own right to survive and flourish."Too many of those in power hold the first view, lamented Sanders, while too few among the general population hold the second. "Among the builders and tenders of arks, the ones who come closest to fulfilling Noah's task are the people who work at protecting and restoring wild lands," he said.Sanders concluded his speech, strongly worded and endued with deep feeling, with a stunning refutation of common thinking. "Building an ark when the floodwaters are rising," said Sanders, "is not an act of despair, it's an act of hope. To build an ark is to create a space within which life in its abundance may continue."Sanders enjoined the audience, attentive throughout his speech, to regard the earth as an ark and man not as the captains of the vessel but as "common passengers" -- "common passengers" who happen to bear a special responsibility.Sanders answered questions following the conclusion of his speech and presided at a discussion of the "writing process" at 12:15 p.m. the next day. Later in that same day he joined in a discussion of environmental issues.
(03/05/03 12:00am)
Author: Josh Carson Last Thursday, we all lost a neighbor.Fred Rogers, popularly known as "Mister Rogers", died of stomach cancer at his home in Pittsburgh, Pa., at the age of 74. Ordained a Presbyterian minister, Rogers' mission was to work with children and families through mass media. The popular children's show, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," was the result.He was a "very generous man -- generous with wealth, knowledge and love," said Twilight Artist-in-Residence Francois Clemmons, a friend of Rogers who appeared on the show for 27 years as "Officer Clemmons." "He was as kind [in person] as he appeared on television."The television show began in the 1960's and changed very little from its original format by 2001 when the last original episode aired. Rogers resisted the movement towards animation and special effects. Instead, he relied on his gentle and soothing demeanor to educate children about leading a good life. Each of the 900 episodes opened with Mister Rogers entering his living room and changing from his sport jacket and loafers to a cardigan and sneakers. He then looked directly into the camera and spoke about an important theme for the day, always emphasizing the self-worth of children. A segment of each show took place in the "Neighborhood of Make-Believe," where puppets played out the inner drama of early childhood problems. Problems were always solved by teaching children to manage frustration and use compassion and understanding. "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" is the longest running television series ever to air on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Last year, President George W. Bush honored Rogers with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor available, in recognition of his commitment to children and his long public television career. In May 2001 Rogers delivered Middlebury's Commencement address and received an honorary doctorate degree from the College. At the beginning of his address, everyone joined him to sing "It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," the theme song to "Mister Roger's Neighborhood." In his speech, he emphasized the importance of caring for others, appreciating the support you have received and living life enthusiastically. In life, "what really maters is helping others win, too, even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then," Rogers told the graduating class. "Such honest enthusiastic living of our lives -- no matter what our talents may be -- can deeply affect others!"Rogers lived by his words by putting people first. Members of the College community and the millions of children he influenced will not forget Mister Rogers' compassionate message and gentle manner.
(03/05/03 12:00am)
Author: Kelsey Rinehart From Feb. 28 to March 2, thousands of flower fans flocked to the Sheraton Conference Center in Burlington for the annual Vermont Flower Show. The Vermont Association of Professional Horticulturists and the University of Vermont (UVM) sponsored the show, which was rated one of Vermont's top 10 winter events by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The theme for 2003 was "Over the River and Through the Woods." The show featured educational seminars, flower displays with a model train layout, a professional floral competition including the floral artwork category, both non-profit and commercial exhibitors, children's activities and other sights and diversions.One of the featured speakers was Carol Ann Margolis, a teacher, museum educator, horticulture lecturer at UVM and the University of North Carolina and consultant to the National Gardening Association. Margolis has horticulture in her blood, and has been in love with plants all her life. "I still remember growing a bean (red scarlet runner bean) up to the second floor window of my house. Unlike Jack, I never climbed it, but was amazed how it grew. I also had the experience of having a pumpkin seed grow out of a bathroom sink. It happened because we washed and cleaned pumpkin seeds before roasting them in the oven. I was happy since my mom helped me pull the seedling out and transplant it into soil. No pumpkins grew, but I guess it was the beginnings of my horticultural career." She graduated from UVM with a double major in botany and plant and soil science and received her Master of Science from Michigan State University. She has spread her enthusiasm for the world of flowers and insects to eager listeners at libraries, schools, daycare centers and garden clubs. On her invitation to speak at the 2002 Vermont Flower Show, Margolis said, "I was delighted to do a talk on butterflies and blooms since I was involved in creating a live, outdoor, 600-square-foot native butterfly house at the Virginia Living Museum. Monarch butterflies are my specialty."This year, Margolis chose a different path. "I decided it would be fun to do a talk for adults on 'Sex in the Garden.' I dressed in a full bee costume with antennas on my head. I brought slides, puppets and additional bee costumes to make the presentation come alive," she said. She described "the vectors of pollination: wind, water, and the most common, animal," the "results of floral sex (fruits are the mature ovaries and the fertilized eggs become seeds)," and the "common Vermont pollinators: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles, flies (no fruit bats here)." Margolis also tried to convey the importance and fragility of the balance between pollinators and plants. "I encouraged the audience to plant a pollinator garden since many pollinators' habitat has been destroyed for shopping malls and new homes. It is said that one out of every four honey bee colonies has died since 1990. In many cases, this is due to pesticides, disease, loss of habitat, etc." she noted.Margolis said, "I think they all had fun learning about sex in the garden. I did keep it mostly G-rated. Garden-rated is what I told them!" She recalled one of the highlights: "You should have seen the six-foot guy I chose to dress in a bee costume on Sunday and help me pollinate some flowers. It was great fun."Sandy Burkholder, who runs the Blossom Basket, a flower and gift shop in Middlebury, said, "I think it's a great show for this area. We're lucky that we have people that are willing to put the effort forward. I'd love to see more people involved with it. I think it's a wonderful opportunity for people to get involved with something that's so worthwhile." Burkholder entered a floral design piece in the show's competition. "The design thing is a great experience because I think you learn from doing it, whether you win or not. It's an exciting feature," she said.Thirty presentations scheduled throughout the weekend gave curious visitors and aspiring gardeners and horticulturists a diversion from the exhibits themselves. In addition to "Sex and the Garden," seminars such as "Vermont's Most Wanted Invasive Plants and What We Can Do About Them," "Extending the Day: A Guide to Gaining Time by Lighting the Landscape," "Gardening with Wildlife," "Growing the Best Vegetable Garden Ever," "Growing Fruits Successfully" and "Bonsai" intrigued listeners. Words of wisdom were given by landscape designers, horticulturists, professors, private nursery and garden owners and representatives from the Nature Conservancy, the Vermont Departments of Agriculture and of Fish and Wildlife and the Woodstock Historical Society.Both Burkholder and Margolis are excited about the 2004 Vermont Flower Show. "Hopefully it will continue and grow into something even bigger and better," Burkholder remarked. "The Vermont Flower Show is a wonderful event that allows everyone (usually 8,000 people enjoy the three-day show) to share their passion for gardening. Kudos to the VAPH for putting it on each year! Next year, I am hoping to do a family program with the topic 'Garbage Can Horticulture' - growing things from your dinner table - oranges, papayas, pineapples etc."
(03/05/03 12:00am)
Author: Michael Hatch "Y Tu Mama Tambien," written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron, is the raunchy yet touching look at the waning years of adolescence portrayed via the classic road trip, screened at Dana Auditorium on Saturday. A pair of frantic goodbye-sex scenes opens the story and sets the theme at a teenage high-hormone pitch that holds through most of the movie. But before you get yourselves ready for a soft-porn rental, read on -- the movie has a few more layers. During those first scenes of graceless sex we are also introduced to the narrator. As the copulating pair Ana and Tenoch make their vows of faithfulness, "I promise you I will not f-- any...," and chime together then alternatively, "Italians!" "Frenchmen!" "Brazilians!" "Chinamen!" the sound suddenly cuts out and the camera roams along with the voice of the narrator. As the muted scene continues, we are shown how Tenoch's sexual relationship with Ana is not hindered by her middle-class psychologist father and his wife. By this point, the camera has panned out of the bedroom, still deaf to the scene, and we explore the house with the narrator. We move on to Julio's girlfriend's house, where the narrator informs us that the girl's father is less than thrilled by the lower middle class boy that his daughter, Cecilia, is seeing. Cecilia, along with Tenoch's girlfriend Ana, are both in the midst of packing for a summer vacation in Italy together, hence the goodbye sex. With the pretense of finding a lost passport, Julio is finally admitted to his girlfriend's bedroom where the quick, comical sex scene transpires. On this note, the boys are left with a sexless summer to spend smoking pot, watching TV and masturbating at the country club pool on its vacant days. This routine continues until they meet Luisa, the wife of Tenoch's unfaithful and pretentious cousin. While drooling down her blouse at a family wedding, they tell her with idiotic charmlessness of "Heaven's Mouth," the beautiful unknown beach where they wish to take her. But she doesn't want to go, at least not until a visit to the hospital and a drunken phone call from her husband prime her. With these two experiences in hand, she calls Tenoch, who is all too willing to give up a few days of his vapid existence to pursue the older beauty. The two boys frantically pull together a plan and the road trip moves forward, with Tenoch, Julio, Luisa and plenty of pent up sexual energy packed up in the back of a station wagon.As our characters traipse through their flirtations and we learn about the Charolastra manifesto -- a group of ideals for their friendship of Charolastras -- the narrator constantly cuts the sound and chimes in the realities that are occurring beyond the slim boundaries of these mildly frustrated lives. As the road tears on, the narrator recounts small and seemingly unrelated vignettes. For example, the narrator delves into a momentary glimpse of a blue cross on the side of the road. Had we had been there exactly 10 years earlier, we would have come across a gruesome accident scene with a mother grieving over her child, surrounded by crates of bloody, maimed chicken and an overturned truck. Or he tells us about the woman who gives Luisa a stuffed animal labeled Luisita and of the woman's granddaughter of that name who had died crossing into Arizona from Mexico years ago.While the sexual tensions build within the frame of the road trip, we are constantly reminded of the realities of rural Mexico in contrast to the lives of these more privileged youths. Slowly the two realities begin to intersect, and the boys, who were at the beginning filled with narrow self-absorption, are forced to actually deal with the consequences of their actions. Fights break out, friendships are broken, drunkenly mended and then quickly and surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, made awkward again.Throughout the movie, Luisa retains our respect and the unnamed title of heroine. She is both the most sensitive character to the realities that surround her as well as the one whose primary issues become most central to the movie. While raunchy humor and acute social commentary on class and priorities tinge "Y Tu Mama Tambien," Luisa's story holds the plot together in this movie -- a movie well worth one's time.
(02/26/03 12:00am)
Author: Padma Govindan Roman Polanski's "The Pianist," based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a renowned pianist for Polish radio in the 1930s and a survivor of the Warsaw ghetto and occupation, is many things, but sentimental it is not. In the movie, Szpilman -- singled out for survival by the guilt of a Jewish officer in the Nazi army while the rest of his family is taken to the concentration camps -- is the lone survivor of his family. He spends the rest of the occupation as an escapee from the ghetto, watching the events of the war unfold outside the window of the secure apartment of his friends who are members of in the underground resistance. The film charts the events of the war from Szpilman's desperate, claustrophobic perspective. Polanski's penchant for showing the simultaneously weak and admirable side of humanity when faced by tremendous evil (think "Chinatown") is not watered down in this relentlessly objective portrayal of the Holocaust.Adrien Brody brilliantly brings to life the role of the flawed Szpilman to life as a cocky, supremely talented man who takes for granted the ease and good fortune he is given. In the first half of the movie, Brody's Szpilman is charming and quick-witted. He plays through a radio broadcast even as the station is being bombed and conspires to seduce a young woman (played by Emilia Fox) who later, in concert with her husband, helps him escape from the ghetto. Slowly, as the film progresses, Szpilman's arrogant self-assurance is stripped down to an animal-like terror and numbness--an odd combination of courage, passivity and a blind instinct for survival. More than anything, however, the film shows him as an ordinary man who is no more in control of his fate or others' than a pet animal. He is anyone but Oscar Schindler. The comparisons to Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List" are inevitable. Polanski's film, however, carries as its strength both the unrelenting honesty of his portrayal of the Holocaust and also the paradoxically narrow yet universal nature of its focus. Unlike the admirable but flawed "Schindler's List," "The Pianist" remains focused on the story of one survivor. By doing so, the film becomes more resonant, less bogged-down by the weight of trying to produce a comprehensive vision of the Holocaust. Instead of being saved by the deliberate action of one identifiable person (like the Jews are in "Schindler's List"), Szpilman's survival is brought about by the arbitrary nature of survival itself, by some monstrous combination of luck, chance and the kindness of strangers. In the disease-ridden ghetto and in the lethal environment of occupied Warsaw, Szpilman's survival becomes a sick joke, an example of the purest absurdity. There is no girl in a red coat to tug at our heartstrings. Instead, Polanski gives us the images of a starving man trying to steal soup from a woman in the ghetto and licking the spills off the sidewalk, the ridiculousness of young ghetto men putting underground resistance newsletters in their pants to post up on bathroom walls, and of a gaunt Szpilman, wandering through bombed-out Warsaw clutching a jar of pickles. His survival does not occur because of anything rational, but merely because of the chance concurrence of events that saves him and damns the rest. "The Pianist" is resonant, painful and ultimately one of the most rewarding films released this year.
(02/12/03 12:00am)
Author: Kelsey Rinehart In September 2001, the Hegarty family of Middlebury filed a lawsuit against the Addison County Humane Society (ACHS) when Paka, Suzanne Hegarty's daughter's older horse, was seized by the organization due to the animal's extremely low weight. The horse was taken without prior notice from the family's East Middlebury home that August. When the Addison County Superior Court ruled that the ACHS's actions were appropriate, the Hegartys appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court, claiming that Paka's confiscation violated their property rights as guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. The Hegarty case challenges the Vermont statute that permits direct seizure, without a warrant, of an animal from its owner by a humane society if the animal is suffering and in danger of dying.As in most seizure cases, the ACHS did not inform the family of the seizure until after it had taken place. After a veterinarian noted Paka's protruding ribs and deemed that it was not being fed enough and might need medical treatment, the ACHS took the animal. Later, after verifying its health, the ACHS returned the horse to the Hegartys, but the family persisted with the lawsuit. Peter Langrock, the Hegartys' lawyer, initially sought monetary recompense for damages to the family. He stated, "My clients come first. But in order to protect them, I have to challenge the whole system." Langrock now questions the constitutionality of the animal cruelty statute in the Supreme Court.On April 17, 2002, the State Senate Judiciary Committee passed two House bills to remedy animal cruelty laws. The first law banned the sale of animals on the side of Vermont highways and the second made torturing an animal a felony. This legislation came in response to many instances of animal cruelty, and, in particular, to the case of Peggy Stevens,who was previously convicted on animal cruelty charges and from whom dozens of animals were seized last summer.The second law was enacted in an attempt to punish animal hoarders-those who collect many animals and then fail to provide them with proper food and care. Director of Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals in Bridgewater Susan Skaskiw has seen many cases of "animal hoarding" over the years. Last summer, Skaskiw worked to rehabilitate two dogs taken from Stevens that had lived in cages their entire lives and did not know how to walk. On one occasion, 90 cats, dogs and rabbits were seized from Stevens.Animal advocates and state government officials now face the task of defining "proper" treatment, which is often hard to determine in court. The lack of a clear description of "adequate" often results in the acquittal of those charged with animal cruelty. The new laws seek to clarify "adequate" shelter and define how much space and daily exercise animals should get. Skaskiw said, "This law will make it easier for people to understand what's expected of them, as well as for law enforcement ... and prosecutors to bring a case to court."The ACHS's lawyer, Jeff Lively, argues that since animals are not inanimate objects like cars or houses, they can and should be taken by Humane Societies without prior notice if their lives are in danger. "First of all, we believe that animals aren't pure private property, and because of that, they are entitled to much less protection than if you were to take someone's home," Lively commented. He said that the ACHS had tried several times to contact the Hegartys but received no response.Langrock and Lively expect the verdict in the Hegarty case sometime during the summer or fall of 2003. Langrock and the Hegartys have confronted the present statute because they believe it permits groups to seize animals without a significant reason, and that a single person's assessment of an animal's situation should not determine whether an owner must give up the animal. Langrock said, "Basically, one person's perception of a situation is not necessarily the correct one." He also noted that the Humane Society should not be allowed to seize property without a warrant and should follow rules that police officers must obey.Langrock also criticized the ACHS for taking Paka while a television crew taped the scene. He claims that the ACHS was seeking publicity. Humane Society Director Ric Kasini Kadour did not deny this charge, but countered that the crew was taping a program on the ACHS in general that was intended to inform the public of the issue of animal cruelty.While the ACHS and other Humane Societies believe that it is important to draw people's attention to animal cruelty, Lively has urged his Humane Society clients to exercise caution when deciding to seize an animal. "Unless you see the most egregious act of animal cruelty in front of you, don't do it without a warrant," he advises them. Lively and others complain that the laws inadequately address the gray area between private property and animal rights. "You're dealing with animals. People are very passionate about their animals. Your dog isn't like a desk. [The laws] are not very progressive. They're not very responsive to today's problems," he said.The ACHS is keenly aware of the problems facing animals and their owners today. A 25 year-old organization, the ACHS says they are "dedicated to fostering the humane treatment of animals in Addison County. This includes operating a shelter, promoting animal welfare, providing community resources and enhancing the connection between people an animals." Many Humane Societies, such as the Humane Society of Chittenden County (HSCC), take "cruelty reports" and employ a Cruelty Investigator who reviews cases and inspects animals. In 1999, the HSCC staff investigated 70 cases regarding the care of dogs, cats, farm animals, birds and other creatures. Humane Societies say that there is much information gathered, many warnings issued and several last-chance measures taken before an animal seizure.The ACHS and many other Humane Societies believe it would be disastrous if they were forbidden to rescue suffering animals. Though he joined the ACHS six months after the horse seizure, Kadour was glad that the Addison County Superior Court decided in favor of the Humane Society. Still, Kadour worries that stakes are higher now that the case has moved to the state Supreme Court. If laws are changed, animals could be relegated to the position of "private property," and would be subject to the Fourth Amendment, thus discontinuing animal seizure. The ACHS recently took 15 horses, 16 dogs and two birds from the Panton Road home of Laura Lee Bushey, claiming that the animals were being neglected. The ACHS worked in collaboration with the Middlebury Police Department and on Jan. 23, after obtaining a warrant, took the animals to the ACHS and the Spring Hill Animal Rescue of Brandon to be cared for. The ACHS cited a variety of issues, such as improper shelter, medical concerns, lack of food and water and unsanitary living conditions as reasons for taking the animals. The Humane Society believes that it would have been very unfortunate if they were not able to rescue these animals.Unfortunately for Kadour and others, animal protection comes at a price. "The [Bushey] case will put a squeeze on ACHS finances and facilities. We don't have emergency funds for a case like this," he said. "This has cost us a quarter of our animal cruelty [investigation] budget, and will probably be another $2,000 to $3,000 before the case is resolved."Still, Kadour and others go on rescuing hundreds of animals because they believe that animal cruelty is an issue of the utmost importance. Many have noted the connection between animal cruelty and violent tendencies towards people. Burlington Animal Control Officer Jodi Harvey said, "The human relationship to animal cruelty and human violence whether that be child abuse, child neglect or spousal abuse, there has been a direct link to it ... Your noted serial killers have actually had links to severe animal abuse." In response to this link, the United States Humane Society began the First St
rike Program, which educates the public about the association between violence towards animals and towards other people.
(01/25/03 12:00am)
Author: Nathaniel Marcus How many Middlebury students are vegetarians? There is currently no system or formula to answer this question. One of the obstacles to tracking the trend is that some students may choose to become vegetarians for a week, a month or a year at a time. Another problem is that vegetarianism has many different definitions.In a random sample study, The Middlebury Campus polled 353 students in Proctor, Ross and The Grille. Of those polled, 12 students said they do not eat red meat, 10 said they do not eat any animal meat at all, four identified themselves as "pescatarians" (they eat only fish) and none said they were vegans (eating no animal byproducts, including eggs, cheese or milk). This poll does not take into account those who used to be vegetarians but are not currently.When asked the number one reason why they chose not to eat meat, one of the students responded it was due to a connection to animals. Three explained it was because they don't like meat, five cited health reasons, six because of the harsh treatment of animals in farm factories, four out of respect for the environment or for economic reasons; one because of a diet; one student cited religious beliefs; and two students did not eat meat simply out of habit."College is a great medium for experimentation for different things," affirms Peter Napolitano, director of Dining Services at Middlebury College. "Vegetarianism is one of them." Many students who become vegetarians may have started in college. Luckily, as Napolitano believes, it is easier to experiment with vegetarianism at Middlebury than at other schools, such as Dartmouth for example, where students do not have a comprehensive meal plan. At Dartmouth, students have to be wary of their "declining balance" and are often compelled to choose the most economical option, which may not always be vegetarian. At Middlebury, students have the advantage of choosing any meal without worrying about the cost.Napolitano doesn't see a trend for either more or less vegetarians on campus during the past two years. His "guess in the dark" is that eight to 10 percent of students might be vegetarians. "But from what I've observed," says Napolitano, "based on interviews, comment cards and student surveys, vegetarian women probably outnumber vegetarian men on campus, four to one."Members of the Dining Committee, meanwhile, think perhaps a third of Middlebury students are vegetarians. They agree it is a "significant portion" but not a majority.Vegetarianism has evolved at Middlebury over the years. In the late 1970s, Cook was all-vegetarian; now, vegetarian meals are included in the menu at each dining hall. Back then, admits Charlie Sargent, purchaser for Dining Services, "we didn't know what a soybean was. Now there is a lot more variety for vegetarians than before." He believes up to 40 percent of Middlebury students are vegetarian, "But it's hard to tell." Sargent is currently working with Anything's Pastable of Burlington to make up vegan entrees for the school, which debut this week. "We try to spice it up as much as we can," says Napolitano, "for instance, soups, vegetarian chili." "Vegetarians don't want something that looks like meat," believes Sargent. What are those things that vegetarians are eating? There are several meat substitutes dining services use that for the most part take on the properties of the food it is cooked with. Seitan is made from pressed-wheat gluten; it is high in protein and low in fat. Tofu is soybean curd, and is also high in protein. Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans and is mixed with grains; it is high in complete protein, low on saturated fat and is a good source of dietary fiber.While it's easy to experiment eating vegetarian, students should keep in mind there's more to it than simply not eating meat. Meat provides certain vitamins and minerals that you have to work on getting elsewhere. As Heather Tory, senior and life-long vegetarian, warns: "You'll get sick if you just eat cheese pizza. Green leafy vegetables have so many minerals." Mary Anne Kyburz-Ladue, the College's nutritionist, says it is important that students realize what they're taking out of their diet. "A lot of vegetarians come through my office," she says. Her guess: perhaps 25 to 30 percent of college students nationwide are vegetarians to some degree. She is mostly concerned for vegans, who do not eat any dairy products, but believes that vegans can develop a healthy diet if they eat right. Vitamin supplements, she warns, don't make up for nutrients from food. She recommends students make an appointment with her through the Center of Counseling and Human Relations in Carr Hall if they are thinking about starting to eat vegetarian "or if you just want to know if you're doing it right." Despite the added attention to their diet, students who have gone vegetarian often have strong convictions to back up their effort. Julia West '06 explains her decision: "If everyone became a vegetarian, it would solve many of the environmental problems that are rapidly arising." Another student adds: "When I treat other living beings with respect, I have so much more respect for myself."Further facts about vegetarianism are available at the Health Center.
(01/15/03 12:00am)
Author: Matthew Christ Vermont is blessed with a wealth of outstanding micro-breweries sure to satisfy any beer enthusiast. Burlington's Magic Hat is probably the most widely known with its hearty, Irish-style Humble Patience and its fruity, "not quite pale" #9. Long Trail is another high-quality brewery located in Bridgewater Corners (just minutes from Killington Resort) with a terrific selection of any beer style imaginable. Both breweries merit a visit, either to marvel at the precise craftsmanship or to indulge in the freshest recipes of the brew master. Fortunately, traveling 45 minutes for an incredible brewery experience is unnecessary. Otter Creek Brewery on Exchange Street, just minutes from downtown Middlebury, rivals any other Vermont brewery for best suds in the state. Actually, Otter Creek is much more than a local brewery. In the 12 years since its inception, Otter Creek's distribution has expanded to include 13 states that stretch as far west as Ohio and as far south as North Carolina. Despite its constantly expanding size and distribution, Otter Creek Brewing remains true to the town that it calls home. A Winter's Ale, Otter Creek's latest creation, features a sketch of downtown Middlebury covered in snow on the label. The Otter Creek story begins with Lawrence Miller, a former student of Reed College in Portland, Ore., who fell in love with the art of brewing. After experimenting with a home brew kit, Miller traveled to Germany to study the process of making beer. In time, Miller developed his own recipe for what would be his ideal beer. What brought him to Middlebury was the water.Because beer is primarily water (about 90 percent), it is the most important ingredient in the beer making process. Good beer is literally dependent upon good water. Miller searched the world for the best water, and he found it in the taps of Middlebury. The town's water had the exact ph levels that Miller was looking for. He then combined his newfound water with his own secret strain of German yeast, a strain that Miller only described as "German style ale yeast." In 1991, under Miller's leadership, Otter Creek Brewing began with just one beer: Copper Ale. In that year, 250 barrels of their flagship ale were produced and distributed in the Middlebury area. Soon, the brewery expanded to produce different beers and a new factory was needed, prompting the move to their current location.Otter Creek uses only four ingredients: malts, hops, water and yeast. The hops add bitterness, aroma and flavor to the beer. The beer is not pasteurized and is completely natural. Natural preservatives that are derived from hops are, used and every beer produced by Otter Creek is hand crafted by their team of brewmasters.Any grains used at Otter Creek are recycled and sent to local farms to be used to feed animals --nothing is wasted.This process is markedly different than beer production at any major factory. Budweiser plants are completely mechanized and many more ingredients are used, such as rice and unnatural preservatives. Puanai Dimaggio, an employee of Otter Creek, stated that "Budweiser throws away more beer in a day than we produce in a year."Each day, Otter Creek produces 40 barrel kegs and hundreds of bottles. Each beer is bottled in brown glass to protect the precious contents from sunlight--"the worst enemy of beer," said Dimaggio. Last spring, Wolaver's Organic Ales, another Vermont-based brewery, acquired Otter Creek in what was described as an amicable merger that left both breweries fundamentally unchanged. All Wolaver beers are 98 percent organic, and now both brands of beer are produced under the same roof. Otter Creek produces three beers constantly throughout the year: Copper Ale, Pale Ale and Stovepipe Porter. Copper Ale, Otter Creek's most famous, is brewed with "six different malts, three hop varieties and the special house yeast." It is a very balanced beer with a slight bitter taste.The Pale Ale is a truly American beer that is golden in color, extremely refreshing and very aromatic. The Stovepipe Porter is Otter Creek's heaviest year-round brew and is ruby-black in color and hearty enough to go with any meal.In addition to their traditional beers, Otter Creek has four seasonal ales that are available at various times throughout the year. A Winter's Ale, "has a sweet caramel maltiness and is refreshing yet warming." according to promotional materials. After the winter thaw, Otter Creek introduces it's Mud Bock Spring Ale that is sure to get consumers through the long winters. Summer is ushered in with the Summer Wheat Ale, a light bodied brew and made with a large proportion of malted wheat. The brewery recommends drinking this beer with a slice of fresh lemon. The final seasonal ale is the Oktoberfest Autumn Ale with a deep golden hue to match the New England foliage. Its hearty texture is perfect for a chilly fall day.Time, effort and care are put into every bottle and keg produced by Otter Creek and the difference is truly in the taste. Otter Creek and its partner Wolaver's Organic Ales are more expensive than the majority of beers on the market, but the product is worth the price. Winter Term, because we all have extra time on our hands, is truly a great time to sample Otter Creek's wares.
(01/15/03 12:00am)
Author: Edward Pickering The British zoologist Gerald Durrell led an itinerant life studying the fauna of Africa, Australia, South America and elsewhere. He recorded his adventures and expeditions in several wonderful volumes of books that permanently endeared him to the reading public. "My Family and Other Animals," one of his earliest and most beloved works, gives an account of the most formative experience of his life-- the five years he spent as a boy on the Greek isle of Corfu, a slip of land west of the Greek-Albania border.Depressed by England's gloomy weather, the Durrells (a fatherless family of five) set out for Greece in 1934. The family had previously lived abroad (Gerald was born in Jamshedpur, India) and took the relocation in stride. Readers with wanderlust will delight in Durrell's account of life on Corfu, from his first glimpse of the island to the moment of his departure five years later: "Then suddenly the sun shifted over the horizon, and the sky turned the smooth enameled blue of a jay's eye. The endless, meticulous curves of the sea flamed for an instant and then changed to a deep royal purple flecked with green. The mist lifted in quick, lithe ribbons, and before us lay the island." As the title implies "My Family and Other Animals" portrays both young Gerald's family and the animal life he encounters on Corfu. At times, the two are indistinguishable. Gerald's brothers and sisters squawk as ferociously and raucously as the wildest bird that young Gerald captures. On Corfu, Gerald, largely absolved from schoolwork, discovers his true passion in life: zoology. Gerald races through the isle's olive groves and along its cove-dotted shoreline in pursuit of game large and small: lizards, tortoises, praying mantises and everything in between. He amasses a veritable menagerie, including a pigeon named Quasimodo and a gecko that clings to his chamber ceiling at night. The procession of animals that file through Gerald's life provides the book with much of its vitality. Durrell's observations and descriptions of them are never disappointing or dull but always fresh. He peers within the crumbling wall of the sunken garden beside his villa and discovers beetles "rotund and neatly clad as businessmen, hurrying with portly efficiency about their night's work." The island provides a backdrop to Gerald's capers, a living, breathing presence that Durrell masterfully evokes. The island's very name, Corfu, conjures visions of paradisiacal isolation and clemency of weather. As a young boy, Gerald lived the dream of countless aging career men and women. He and his family adjourned the business of 'getting by' and withdrew to a sunny Mediterranean isle. Moving through a strawberry-pink villa, daffodil-yellow villa, and snow-white villa while on Corfu, the Durrell household always remained within hailing distance of the sea. Immediately beyond their home dwelled a community of sympathetic peasants. Along his rambles, Gerald's interactions with the peasants mark some of the book's most surprising and delightful episodes. Easily overlooked, these episodes remain muted in comparison to the riotous adventures of Gerald's animals and family. One day Gerald descends to the flats by the sea (an area he tags the Chessboard Fields) determined to catch Old Plop, a tortoise of legendary age. Instead, Gerald spies "a pair of fat, brown water snakes, coiled passionately together in the grass, regarding me with impersonal silvery eyes." Gerald dives after them into the mud and pins one. When he emerges, he notices a stocky, brown peasant watching him -- a prisoner, it turns out, who has rowed over from the off-shore prison islet of Vido. The two keep company and at day's end the prisoner gives to Gerald his prize pet, an enormous black-backed gull christened Alecko. Episodes and asides of this sort litter the book. As serene and steady a presence as the olive groves they tend, the peasants emerge from and recede into the fabric of the island's natural environment. At one point, Gerald encounters the miraculous Rose-Beetle man, a peasant with a "fairy tale air." Suffice it to say, the Rose-Beetle Man walks with a halo of live beetles flying about the crown of his head and tortoises slung across his back. He is simply unforgettable. Throughout the book Gerald's experiences confirm the precept he advances early on in the narrative: "There was not a single peasant house that you could visit and come away empty."The appeal of Durrell's book lies in its winning combination of locale and perspective. The reader explores a wondrous place through the eyes and hands of an unusually impassioned observer. Young Gerald delves into the living minutiae of Corfu, at times as keen as a darting lizard and at others, as meticulous as a ponderous tortoise. This light read demands little more than an appreciation for things natural and a longing for lands distant.
