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(12/04/02 12:00am)
Author: Christian Holt Honestly, Thanksgiving was a bad idea. It boils my noodle to think that our government had to sit down and approve this as a national holiday. In the days of yore, some ancient senator (probably a contemporary of Reagan) had to have proclaimed, "Hey! Let's make a holiday where distant relatives come together for one meal so that they can realize why they don't live together to begin with." The other congressmen all mumbled their approval. I mean, it sounded like a good idea. Or maybe it was intended as some sick joke. Either way, they ran with it. One congressman then added, "And let's make sure we center the holiday over a really stupid kind of food!" This put in motion the wheels of legislation. Congress appointed a committee to figure out what kind of silly food Americans would feast on. After many months of debate in Congress, two factions emerged. Many Congressmen advocated the guava as the food for the new holiday. But the carnivore union was very powerful and lobbied for the turkey. The guava clearly had the majority, but Floridians cast the last votes, and so the turkey won. After Thanksgiving, we have the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Shopping season officially begins when the referee fires the starting gun. Then hundreds of parents, still legally insane from the psychoactive substance in turkey, storm the malls like rats on cheese. This day is colorfully referred to as "Black Friday." But shopping is a nice break from the family bickering. Instead, one bickers with people you don't even know, usually over Pokemon and Furbees (reasonably discounted by .005 percent). People actually don't know what they buy during this time period. I'm convinced that the turkey does something to their brains. My mom bought me four cashmere sweaters, a pony and a phone de-tangler one Black Friday. I was not immune to this universal homage to the mall. My mother wanted my help in shopping for my little cousins. They are boys, ages six and nine, and since I'm the only other boy on that side of the family, I got the job. Going into a toy store, I was shocked. The walls were not decorated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Ponies or GI Joes. No, instead stuffed animals and action figures that actually moved decorated the walls. That's right, they moved ... by themselves. Like something out of a Wes Craven movie, the toys were alive with the holiday spirit. Some of them sung, some of them danced, and some of them had really big googily eyes. Call me old-fashioned, but I miss those My Little Ponies and Ninja Turtles. Back in the day we imagined that we had toys that could fly and shoot laser beams out of their eyes. But with modern technology, they actually can. Some of these toys double as miniature power generators, so that they can jump-start your car if need be. I couldn't purchase any of these toys for my cousins, I was so afraid of them. Some of these toys probably are smarter than me. And I don't like that. What's to stop them from replacing me with an identical mechanical version of me? Nothing! Good Lord, they could make toy robot replicas of all of us ... In our turkey-hocked states, what is to stop them? Now I can only look at Al Gore and wonder ...
(11/20/02 12:00am)
Author: Nicole Maddox Last weekend, the Middlebury Debate Society hosted the annual Edwin R. Lawrence Debate Tournament, which began on Friday afternoon and ran late into Saturday evening. Almost 50 teams gathered in Bicentennial Hall, including representatives from Amherst, Vassar, Trinity, Wesleyan, Bates, Dartmouth and Williams colleges and Boston, Brandeis, Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and Yale universities, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As determined by the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA), the contestants proceeded in the style of debate instituted in the British Houses of Parliament. During a round, two teams of two people each were designated as either the government or the opposition. The government team (comprised of the prime minister and the member of the government) then proposed a topic and presented an argument for one side of the case, while the opposition (comprised of the leader of the opposition and the member of the opposition) formulated an opposing argument. The speakers argued alternately with members of the other team, which was concluded with final rebuttals from each side."We debate, in theory, anything and everything," said Tournament Director Dan Shea '04. "Most cases involve a political question or philosophical dilemma, but other than that a case just must be 'debatable' or 'fair.' There are no restrictions on what a government side can run. It's a pretty interesting, if somewhat bizarre, activity to watch."The tournament did indeed approach the bizarre at some points. Topics of debate ranged from the United States' war on drugs and positions on many international issues to animal cruelty in traveling circuses to hypothetical situations such as "if the mind of a middle-aged man was suddenly transplanted into the body of a dog, should he live with a family as a pet or wander the streets as a stray?" The final round featured a showdown between two hybrid teams, Patrick Nichols '03 from MIT and Aaron Lemon-Strauss '03 from Yale as the government, and Adam Unikowsky '03 from MIT and Mike Specian '03 from Boston University (BU) as the opposition. The finalists debated "Has religion, on balance throughout civilization, been a good or bad force?" with the government taking the negative standpoint. After 40 minutes of intense argument, the BU/MIT team triumphed and won the tournament title.At the end of the tournament, awards were distributed to the top-finishing teams, as well as to the winners of several sub-categories, including Best Novice Speakers, Best Novice Teams, Top Ten Speakers and Best Dressed. Overall, the tournament was considered a success. "Almost 50 Middlebury students contributed their time to helping run the event," commented Middlebury Debate Society Captain Lisa Jasinski '02.5, "a real testament to the growing interest in public speaking and debate on campus." Debaters from off-campus were generally impressed, and specifically mentioned Middlebury's extraordinary hospitality. "The debate tournament at Middlebury has very good food!" said Williams debater Dan Bahls '04. Georgios Theophanous '06 from Harvard added, "The banquet was fabulous. We were particularly enthused by the open slab of beef."
(11/20/02 12:00am)
Author: Khairani Barokka "You need culture, 'cause you're in the mountains!" emcee Damian Washington '03 said to a packed and cheering McCullough audience at the annual International Students' Organization (ISO) Cultural Show last Friday. If they needed it, they certainly got it — with a twist. The ISO show brought over two hours of poetry, skits, dances, songs and fashion from traditions around the world to Middlebury. The show's title, "Mars and Venus," gave away the theme of the night: the two sexes. This theme allowed for great diversity in performance style, including everything from a serene Swedish celebration of Santa Lucia to a decidedly, ahem, expressive Nicaraguan fertility dance.Divided into sections representing each region of the world, the show of 21 performances began with South Asia and a burst of color and movement. Then the Cultural Show transformed into the groove of the Caribbean and lit up the stage with Latin America's lively passion. The following segment showed North American culture beyond, as Washington said, "cheeseburgers and fat people." After the intermission, performances displayed a potpourri of traditions from Europe and Russia, an energetic African beat and, finally, a representation of both traditional and modern East Asia. The two solo performers of the show held their own on stage effortlessly, as Spanish Department Teaching Assstant Maria Jose Escudero sang the Spanish "Corazon Congelador" and Natalie Fisher '06 gave a hip poetry reading for the Caribbean section, comparing love to such foods as "mango in the summertime."Fashions were proudly paraded in the South Asian, European, African and East Asian segments by smiling ISO members. They wore bright saris and kurtas (tunics), showed off European formal wear in long dresses and suits and donned bright African styles and East Asian outfits from kimonos to funky jackets. The long-standing relationships between Mars and Venus were played out in strikingly similar ways across the continents, with models acting out playful acts on the catwalk, most of which seemed to demonstrate the eternal domination of woman over man. The skit "Who the Hell is Kim?" performed to the song of the same name, was a fun take on that female-male sense of domination, as Jan'l Hastings-Robinson '03 persistently questioned a hapless Calvin Wallace, Jr. '04 to a Caribbean beat. The other two skits were no less entertaining. The Russian skit incorporated centuries of Russian history. Each character, introduced by Professor of Russian Sergei Davydov, dressed as a figure in Russian culture past and present, including Pushkin, Yuri Gagarin (first astronaut in space), a young Russian clubber and Nabokov's Lolita, all with a dance music backdrop. And the African skit, in which a schoolboy played by David Tswamuno '06 gets revenge on his classroom tormentors, lit up the stage, full of rhythm and dancing.But what would a cultural show be without dances? Andaleeb Choudhury '03 whirled across the stage in a frenzy of motion. This deliberately contrasted with the languid movements of Kristiaan Joseph '06 in the South Asian opening segment "Manmohini." The animated dance segment "Chunari Chunari" involved lively, constantly moving performers of both sexes, was expressive of the South Asia's male-female interactions and was one of the night's highlights. The Maypole Dance from Nicaragua was the talk of McCullough as the maypole became a symbol of fertility, and the spirited, sexy moves of the dancers certainly emphasized this point. There were also impressive performances of Argentinean tango, North America segment, Asian hip-hop and a Bulgarian folk dance by Micou Apostolov '06 and friends.Audience member Ignas Brazauskas '05 described the Cultural Show as "beautiful, nice." Performer Annelise Joseph '04 said that it was her second time performing in the show, and that she intends to do so again. "It was great working with the people, I had a lot of fun. They put out a good show." Madiha Tariq '04, who performed in several sections, agreed: "Considering the fact that a lot of the groups put things together at the last minute, it was a pretty good show." She did, however, lament the various technical mishaps that occurred during the show. The ISO show could certainly have done with some polishing — the musical technicians were at fault more than a few times by speeding up, delaying or pausing songs at unfortunate times, there were a few minor emcee blunders and a microphone problem or two. But otherwise, the ISO proved that global cultures do exist in the mountains of Vermont, and most importantly, that everyone can have fun, whether watching performances of cultural traditions in action or bringing them to the stage.
(11/06/02 12:00am)
Author: Christian Holt Two weekends ago, I went shopping. This only occurs twice a year. Every time I'm either conned into doing it by an attractive friend of the opposite sex, or have run out of deodorant. Lucky for her, it was only the former. So my friends Kate and Maggie went with me to the mall. Kate's objective, and I'm not making this up, was to buy a thong. I know what you're thinking, so stop. She needed it for her school's fundraiser, an annual fashion show. It was for a good cause, you pervert.The three of us went down to the local Victoria's Secret. I, like many men, consider this a holy shrine. It is a fact of life that a man would love to be taken to Victoria's Secret, with the intention of his female companion modeling the clothes. Furthermore, most guys believe that the models in the magazines actually live in the store, walking up and the down the aisles asking, "Does my bikini line show?" The models all have hips the size of paper, and after a hard day of work are stacked neatly and pressed overnight. So Kate, Maggie and I walked around the store. We walked around aisle after aisle of underwear. Victoria's big secret is apparently a fondness for undergarments. Freud would have had a ball. The store is swathed in pink. Everything is pink, the walls, the hangers, the floor, some of the clothes … the lips on model Tyra Banks. Where was I again?Thongs! That's right! Well, Kate finally found the thongs. We actually had walked past them before, mistaking them for bracelets. Being the complete social idiot that I am, I held up the garments in question for further examination. Some were done pink, some were black and some were red. And some had zebra stripes on them. It seemed ludicrous to me that an entire rare animal was killed for the hair thin piece of garment of the wearer. Fortunately, I examined this further, and realized it was not real zebra. By then, however, every employee in the store was giving me looks. So I put away my magnifying glass. Kate wouldn't actually let me see her wear the thongs in question. But she bought a few, all reasonably priced at $15. That means she gets one square centimeter of clothing for every dollar. Sounds like a deal to me. Especially since it only costs a dollar extra if you want something classy written on it, like "Angel."Waiting in line, our shopping done, one thing caught my eye. They had ads in the store, hung right above the cashiers. Pictured was a beautiful woman in her under-roos, with the slogan "very sexy." I thought to myself, thank god they told me. I never would have figured it out otherwise. Victoria's Secret's ad department: a house full of geniuses. They ensure that those buyers who are unsure of the attractiveness of a model are reminded, that yes indeed, they are pleasing. To further drive their point home, maybe next time they could have bright neon signs or heck, signs in Braille. Needless to say, I made a complete jerk of myself in the store. And the employees didn't like me much. My comment of "I'm not getting the support I need, do you have anything in my size?" was met with blank stares. And my asking "Where is the underwear section?" led to my being escorted out. This experience has disproved my deep belief that underwear, no matter what the circumstances, is always funny.
(10/30/02 12:00am)
Author: Christian Holt Halloween: the only other time of the year I can dress up in a cape and hood other than casual Fridays. Personally, I've always wondered where we got such a screwy holiday. So I did something new: I researched. Halloween is taken from "All Hallows Eve," which is a holiday to commemorate the dead. The real inventor of Halloween was a group of Celts living in the British Isles in about 50 A.D.. I'm surprised the holiday caught on, considering the candy quality back then. The Celtic druids worshipped the dead for a week's time and then had a huge feast. After, the first druids went and toilet-papered the English king's house and threw eggs at the carriages. This practice gave birth to two modern themes: the paranoia of the British and the propensity for Scots to throw things.Halloween is one heck of a socially adjusted holiday. Take the tradition of jack o' lanterns, for example. I mean, it's considered "festive" and "in the spirit" to go home and carve out the innards of something with a knife. I bet as a kid you sadistically enjoyed giving a vegetable a lobotomy. As crazy as it sounds, I actually know the spiritual reason for the carving of pumpkins.Apparently, our ancestors would only come out and be worshipped if we carved the appropriate piece of produce in a silly pattern. I can assume this must have been a really arduous, not to mention hilarious, process of trial and error. I can imagine kids of old trying to carve squashes or tomatoes and having their displeased ancestors rise up from their graves and terrorize them. "I'm sorry little Sally, but I, your exalted ancestor, didn't want a carved cumquat. Now I'll just have to haunt you for eternity." Many innocent vegetables were harmed in this process. I'm just glad we've finally figured out that pumpkins please the spirits of the dead. With children running around carving out produce, it is not surprising that Halloween has bred some darker practices. One such example is Mischief Night. For those unaware, Mischief Night is the night before Halloween when every 13-year-old in your county will try to egg your house. Every Mischief Night, my neighborhood became a war zone. One family fought back though, and every year would throw something worse at the potential mischief makers. If someone tried to throw eggs at their house, they would throw hard-boiled eggs back. If someone tried to toilet-paper their house, they'd respond by throwing water balloons. This year, I've heard they're using automatic weapons. Halloween's most infamous practice is trick-or-treating or, as I like to call it kiddy armed robbery. A Sweet Tart-addicted kid yells "trick-or-treat!" to you, the unsuspecting homeowner. The homeowner either gives away the desired ransom of candy, the treat, or is faced with the consequences, the trick. The trick could be the kid's 300-pound older brother Biff taking the candy from you and breaking your bones like Kit-Kat bars. And Bush claims crime is down! Ha! As one can see, Halloween has become nothing more than the night when kids, out of their noodles on sugar, rampage the streets, terrorizing homeowners. I suggest we return to the good old days of Halloween, the days of the Celts. Instead of trick-or-treating, we, like the Celts before us, could simply sacrifice animals to our pagan gods. Instead of throwing toilet paper at innocent trees, we could renew the Halloween tradition and throw things at the British. Happy Halloween everyone!
(10/02/02 12:00am)
Author: Caroline Stauffer Many Americans see torture in prisons as an institution of the past — something that is not relevant to modern society. However, Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan monk who spoke in Bicentennial Hall on Sunday night, insisted that exactly the opposite is true. Gyatso offered stories of his experiences in a moving presentation co-sponsored by Wonnacott Commons and the Center for Institutional Diversity, and organized by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT). Gyatso provided a brief history of Tibet, described the torture he endured in a communist Chinese prison and urged "privileged" students to join in the fight for human rights. Gyatso spoke through a translator and brought with him the torture tools used on him and other prisoners.Despite his terrible experiences, he was able to convey the peace-loving spirit characteristic of the Tibetan people and embodied in philosophy of the Dalai Lama. Gyatso began his talk with a useful lesson in Tibetan history. He stressed that Tibet had been a free nation for thousands of years before communist Chinese regimes invaded. According to Gyatso, Tibet's history goes back 6,000 years, with written records dating from 2,029 years ago. Life in Tibet was nomadic and based on farming, but its abundance of natural resources such as oil, timber and uranium made the land attractive to the Chinese government.In 1949, the newly-founded People's Republic of China invaded the area. Ten years later, the people of Tibet protested in a demonstration that Gyatso emphasized as peaceful. As a result, approximately 100,000 Tibetans, including Gyatso, were arrested and placed in prisons. However, there was not enough space for all the prisoners and so several halls in Tibetan monasteries were converted into prisons. There, Tibetans were kept in suffocating quarters and often starved to death on the meager rations of one bowl of soup a day.Gyatso was 28 years old when he was imprisoned and spent 23 years of his life in prison. During his lecture, he recalled the words of a dying friend whose final wish was that if Gyatso survived he must "work for Tibet … do something for Tibet." Not only did imprisoned Tibetans live in inhumane conditions, they were also forced to work nine hours a day and often labored during the night. Gyatso described the work as "degrading" tasks. For example, prisoners were made, he said, to "yolk the fields, like animals." Gyatso claimed that this type of forced labor is still in practice today as documented in recent photographs. In perhaps the most distressing part of his speech, Gyatso described the methods of interrogation the Chinese used and continue to inflict on Tibetan prisoners. Before 1981, methods of torture included the use of handcuffs and the practice of being tied up naked in the cold. Since 1981, Chinese prison guards have used electric cattle prods on prisoners. Gyatso himself experienced such torture. The inside of his mouth was destroyed when a cattle prod was shoved down his throat by Chinese guards. Amnesty International of London provided him with a full set of dentures in 1995. Gyatso also demonstrated for the audience that he is unable to lift his arms fully away from his body due to the torture he endured. He told the students that he stills bears scars all over his body.Shockingly, Gyatso claimed that conditions in Tibet are actually getting worse and that people are dying of suffocation while locked in solitary confinement. Gyatso insisted that he has no hate for the Chinese people because he believes that they have suffered from the government of the communist regime as well. Gyatso's life story is told in the book "The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk," with a forward by the Dalai Lama. Gyatso is currently on an east to west lecture tour of colleges in the United States organized by the New York City headquarters of SFT.He concluded his lecture on Sunday night by urging students to remember how privileged they are, and to recall that 200 years ago others gave their lives so that Americans could have freedom. He asked today's youth to "make sure humans live all over the world without war, that people enjoy human rights as they should." In order to help promote human rights in Tibet, Gyatso encourages students to become involved in the Middlebury branch of SFT. He also urged the audience to write on behalf of Tibet to the United Nations, an organization that Gyatso believes has "turned its back on Tibet when it needed help." Bringing Gyatso to Middlebury was the SFT's first project of the year, but weekly meetings will soon be held each Thursday. In previous years, the club has concentrated on fighting for the release of former Middlebury visiting student and Fulbright Scholar Ngawang Choephel, who was imprisoned in Tibet from October 1995 until January 2002. This year the club plans to "focus on political prisoners in general," according to the president of Middlebury's SFT, Tenzin Wangyal. Specifically, they hope to help free nuns in Drapchi Prison. The organization also hopes to sponsor a ban on Chinese goods in the near future. Like Gyatso, Wangyal encourages students who wish to help Tibet to write letters to the United Nations and the U.S. government and to participate in SFT activities, including the proposed boycott.
(09/25/02 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] There was a minor banquet awaiting students in the Ross Dining Hall on Monday at lunchtime: shrimp and satan stir-fries were simmering in one corner, while elsewhere students could choose between two kinds of wrap sandwiches, two kinds of pizza, black bean chili or chili con carne, grilled chicken and more. For that performance, and for the friendly service that accompanied it, the staff of Dining Services deserves warm thanks. However, the variety available on this Monday afternoon helped to remind me and my dining companions of the weekend that preceded it, during which the options seem more like that of a fast-food chain. That is, home fries omelets derived from processed egg-product, and juices from concentrate for breakfast and, for the evening meal, a choice between pizza, hamburgers, the ubiquitous bagel with cream cheese, cheese-stuffed pasta or more pizza. This is not always the case — oftentimes the selections resemble the variety outlined in the first paragraph — though it is certainly not a rare occurrence.While one is put forever in awe of the extraordinary effort that is made in dining halls, and of what is normally a great array of flavors, designed to satisfy almost any palette, all to often, choices seem to consider the needs of only the most indiscriminate of eaters. It must be noted that the vast majority of Middlebury students are forced to eat on — not to mention, pay for — the meal plan. And while it is perhaps inevitable that students will find fault with almost anything put in front of them, it seems to me that the annoyance that many students are voicing these days as they make their way through huge lines and, all too often, choices which lack nutritional goodness and flavor, is in this case justified. A year ago (before I left to complete a year abroad), the situation was decidedly better; I think that the transformation of Proctor has a lot to do with that. Why is it that Proctor, the largest and arguably the most centralized dining hall on campus, carries the fast-food menu that was once owned by Hamlin, the smallest dining facility on campus? The other night, having been turned off by the long lines to enter Ross, I had a dinner at Proctor. The options? Sweet and sour chicken fingers, pizza, deep-fried egg rolls and, for reasons I can't account for, a particularly tasteless salad bar.Just before school got underway this year, I visited a friend at Columbia University in New York City. At Columbia, thanks to the huge array of dining options available in Manhattan, students are forced to eat on the meal plan only during their freshman year. In order to attract upperclassmen, Columbia's dining services goes to great lengths to increase the convenience of their facilities, and the appeal of their offerings. For example, students can choose fresh sushi at these dining halls. Let me be clear, I neither expect nor desire that Middining begins hauling fish and seaweed into Vermont. Rather, I use the Columbia example to illustrate the extent to which that university seeks to satisfy its student population with healthy, tasty selections. Just because the town of Middlebury is not New York City, and because Middlebury students, in most cases, have no choice in being on the meal plan, should not mean that Middlebury students should be given the slim choice that we often are provided with.In closing, I decided to write this article because I have heard myself complaining, and I have heard so many students complaining, about the choices offered in Middlebury dining halls. I don't seek to downplay the tremendous effort that is made on the part of Middining to convenience students, and to make us feel at home here. And yet, must it be the case that, more often than not, we eat like kids out on the town— when processed, fatty, unhealthy food makes up so much of our diets.Edith Honan is a senior from Connecticut.Well, the first-years are here: The Class of 2006. An entire new slew of kids to get to know, date, harass or if you dare, welcome into the community. You know them as the sea of giggling heads and bashful eyes that parade campus. You can point them in the direction of Proctor, or The Grille. But it will do no good. They're hopeless. I know, because I'm one of them.And we are hopeless … all of us. We don't even understand what J-term is. Or why our school's song reminds us of a bad Enimem rap. (It's a tap tap tap and it's a rap rap rap. If you go to Amherst, I'll bust a cap cap cap.) But I'm not here to complain: I'm here to entertain (see, that rhymes). Yep, the Class of 2006 is here. Now you're stuck with us. A major point of confusion is the controversy surrounding the dining system. People have been complaining about the opening of Ross, and how the food is not living up to expectations. OK, I admit, the Maine lobster wasn't fresh, and that caviar was definitely too tart. But the chicken pizza is to die for! And Proctor, the Zaggat surveyed five star diner that it is, is only open on weekdays. Due to this turn of events, surely, the student population will starve. Mass chaos will reign. There have already been reports of cannibalism, and I don't know how long we can hold out. Mr. President, when you read this, send help. Our time is short.Aside from the near apocalypse that occurs on weekends, I feel the food is pretty good. I really was expecting the worst. I was expecting sloppy gruel and rice that reminded you of gravel. I imagined the dining hall being located on the edge of campus most known for gang violence and animal mauling. I cringed at the thought of having to pick out the bones in the macaroni. I was expecting the house of horrors of cafeterias, if you will. I expected Wesleyan dining. But to my joy, I was completely blown away by the cafeterias here. They have strange and exotic dishes: "crispy cubes," "eggplant pizza" and "vegan soufflé," to name a few. At first, I thought vegan was a native Vermont animal. In Jersey, we don't have "vegans". We have the parkway. I never encountered a vegan in the wild during the MOO trip though. OK, that's a lie. I never went on MOO. I did This Is Vermont. Actually, not really. I kinda got lost in the woods around Bread Loaf and wandered for a few days. But I really bonded with my class! Anyhoo, back to the elusive vegan animal. I didn't find it in the woods, nor in any of my old Ranger Rick magazines. Finally, I asked a friendly JC. Apparently, vegan means people who don't eat meat or anything coming from an animal. I was way off! What irony, I thought to myself. And I thought they were ingredients in tonight's dinner! I laughed at the thought. But I was disappointed too. I bet vegan people taste real good. (Ben & Jerry, if you're reading this, do I have a new flavor for you…)Thanks to Ross, I finally get to eat donuts, then pizza, then pizza again. And Septemberfest rocked! I beat five seven-year-olds in the donut eating competition. I took 20 bucks off of them and made this one kid roll down the hill till he got sick. Wow, I never knew college could be so much fun. I got to pet pumpkins, and cows, and that night I got drunk and met cute first-years in Batell South.To conclude, Middlebury "overcooked lobster and tart caviar" dining: good. Wesleyan "pick the bones out of the macaroni" dining: bad. Oh, and we get Ben & Jerry's every so often too. Life is tough. Christian Holt is a first-year from New Jersey.
(09/25/02 12:00am)
Author: Sarah McCabe "Should the Dean of Student Affairs come to believe that the activities of a [social] house are a detriment to the life of the larger College community, he or she may recommend to the president that the house be terminated at Middlebury College … In the case of a violation of guidelines and regulations, the dean of student affairs will issue a warning to a house. Further violations will result in the house being put on disciplinary probation, which will involve the loss of the right to hold parties and of other privileges to be specified by the Dean of Student Affairs..." (Middlebury College Web site ). With the probation of ZOO and ADP, many of us have been forced to search and plan elsewhere for places to party. The extent of the effect of these probations however, could be much more than a "detriment to the life of the College community" when these new partying locations frequently entail the necessity of a designated driver and a vehicle that is usually packed beyond what is considered safe. New destinations have included "the Farm," Cornwall, South Munger, "Green Porch" in the past. If the probation of social houses continues, more may accumulate. Why is this a problem, you wonder, when off-campus parties are usually so much fun? There are the simple answers, like these places being farther from a hospital, unsafe driving and the thought of being trapped when you want to leave but no one is sober to drive. A group of friends and I had heard (along with the rest of campus) that a certain off-campus location was the place to be on Saturday night. There was little talk of any social house happenings because of the probations, so we dismissed them as part of the night's itinerary. So we first asked ourselves, "Who can we convince to drive?" The only people who usually will submit to such a request are those who a) owe their buddies a big favor and will have to take the night off from drinking to drive and pay back or b) those who partied way too hard the night before and are forced to realize that perhaps their livers need a night off. So we found someone to drive (with effort) and then planned accordingly. Whose car would she take, and even better — how many people could she fit in it?But now the fun begins. Let's see how many people we can fit into a Toyota 4Runner! Lets see if we can pack eight people into an Audi A4! Is this safe? Probably not, but in our minds it sure is safer than having someone intoxicated drive. So we begin the drive to the off-campus party, 10 inebriated people on top of one another with that one sober driver praying the night will end soon — amidst drunken shouts .While most of us truly put the effort in to avoid drunk driving, you cannot deny it — there will always be some drivers who drink anyway. I am not trying to defend these drivers; I am simply stating that perhaps the number of these drivers is increasing as a by-product of social house probations. Obviously, the probations are probably students' fault and as a result, we should suffer the consequences with social house probations. In theory, this is correct. But when the fact of the matter is that students will find a place to party no matter how many houses one puts on probation, there comes an issue of safety. and the loss of the right to hold parties. I would simply like to ask which detriment is worse: a house getting a little rowdier than usual or a DWI accident taking the lives of the larger College community and students?It's a tough situation but one that I honestly feel needs to be reconsidered. When more than one social house is on probation, partying must occur somewhere. There is nothing the school can do about that. But come on — we have no fraternities, no sororities and certainly nothing resembling Animal House (darn!), and still houses are put on probation? Partying will occur. Middlebury cannot control that. But perhaps we can put a little more thought into the extent of a probation penalty when the safety of students is at risk. We all love an off-campus party every once in awhile. But every weekend … sounds dangerous to me.Sarah McCabe is a sophomore from New York.
(09/25/02 12:00am)
Author: Jon White Joined by a crew of four Middlebury students, cyclist, environmentalist and mountain climber Tim Leach rode into town Sunday afternoon to refresh the movement to save Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.Leach is leading the northeastern leg of the Alaska Coalition's three-pronged Walk to Washington, D.C. The Walk seeks to bring one of the nation's foremost environmental battles to the local level.Leach began biking on Sept. 14 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He will reach Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16, after traveling across New England and swinging down the coast through New York City. Joining Leach on Nov. 16 in Washington, D.C., will be two other teams that crossed America, starting in Seattle and Kansas City, respectively.A 1999 graduate of Bates College, Leach joined the ranks of activists working to protect the Arctic Refuge from oil drilling after climbing Denali (better known as Mt. McKinley) in 2000. Shortly after his climb, Leach learned that then-Texas Governor George W. Bush planned to make oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a priority in his energy plan when elected president.Upon hearing this, Leach took to his bike and journeyed from Fairbanks to the Arctic Coast of Alaska at Prudhoe Bay to get a better sense of the issue. On this journey, and on subsequent expeditions into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Leach caught on film and in picture an eloquent and breathtaking testament to the environmental devastation wrought at Prudhoe Bay, the locus of Alaska's sprawling North Slope oil fields, as well as to the primeval beauty of the neighboring Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge covers an area of land nearly the size of the state of Maine. Approximately 130,000 caribou calve on the Refuge's coastal plain, while 180 migratory bird species nest on the golden tundra in the midnight sun of the summer months. Polar bears patrol the Arctic Ocean coastline year-round.Leach emphasized that drilling will be a disruption to all animal life in the Refuge. He reminded the audience that 95 percent of Alaska's Arctic coastline is open to oil exploration and that drilling in the Refuge would have a negligible impact on America's supply of oil. Leach is worried that the Refuge will suffer the same fate as the Prudhoe Bay oil range. There, an average of 427 oil spills occur each year and the oil infrastructure releases over 56,000 tons of nitrogen oxides into the air, double the nitrogen oxide emission rate of Washington, D.C.Leach encouraged those gathered to think of the Arctic Refuge in broader contexts. If Americans insisted on increased fuel efficiency and alternatives to fossil fuels, he said he believes the need to spoil the Arctic Refuge would be eliminated.Additionally, Leach told of his experiences speaking with the Gwich'in people of Alaska's Arctic. The Gwich'in oppose drilling on the Refuge, which they insist would harm the caribou, an animal linked to its cultural history."What right do we have to change another people's culture?" Leach asked in reference to the human rights issues at stake.Congress is currently at an impasse on what action to take in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In August 2001, the House approved a measure to allow drilling, although in April the Senate voted against that measure. President Bush avidly supports drilling, as does Alaska's congressional delegation. At the moment, a congressional committee is debating the fate of the Arctic Refuge in an attempt to reconcile differences between the House and Senate energy plans.Middlebury students Joel Cubley '05, Nick Benjamin '05, Colin Kikuchi '05 and Evan Twelker '04 followed Leach on Sunday as he approached Middlebury from Bridport. All share Leach's concern for the fate of the Arctic Refuge. "It is ridiculous. There's only a six-month supply of oil. It's not worth it,"Cubley said of the drilling proposal.For more information on Leach's ride, and the movement to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, visit www.cariboucommons.com.
(09/18/02 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] What an outstanding weekend. Usually I grocery shop and do laundry, but last weekend I attended Middlebury's Alumni Leadership Conference. The fact is I'm an alumnus from the class of 1999; I'm not sure about leadership, though. Coupling an invitation to Middlebury with an opportunity to see my cousin Aaron, who's a second-semester Feb, I embraced the opportunity. Residing in less-than-idyllic Philadelphia made the decision even more attractive. I graduated three years ago, but the campus looks different. Other than my cousin, I recognize nobody. Second, there are a few new buildings. Finally, that most ubiquitous of Vermont animals — the rhinoceros — represents Ross Commons. Studying biochemistry, I spent my time as a Middlebury student in what is now a construction site. I played ice hockey on what is now a tennis court. My weekend dining experiences, which lasted three hours whether brunch or dinner, occurred in a dining hall that doesn't operate on weekends anymore.A parking lot once stood where LaForce is. Ross Lounge, which actually was a lounge, is a cadre of suites. A gigantic bubble replaced the beloved Field House. The current first-years are the best class that's ever been admitted; my class once held that distinction, but no more. New buildings and students aside, Middlebury's still Middlebury. There was a huge crowd of half-conscious students taking in the Middlebury soccer game on Saturday. The golf course was in full swing on Sunday. The library filled with students finishing papers Sunday night. KDR fought the never-ending battle between loud dance music and opening the windows to cool the dance floor. MiddKids, although eating off a Mongolian Grill — I'm still amazed by that, a Mongolian Grill — stumbled into Sunday brunch and recapped Saturday night. Every one of the alumni, from the class of 1936 to the class of 2002, who was back this weekend, would gladly trade places with each and every one of you. We're all jealous, and we all want to be first-years again. I came back less to be an "alumni leader" than to live vicariously through Aaron and the rest of you. Everything you have — the buildings, the professors, the bubble, the Mongolian Grill, even the rhino — I'd gladly start all over to have it. However, I have graduated. I trust that Aaron, his suitemates and the rest of you are taking good care of Middlebury. The next time you're in the Great Hall, where you can sit in one of the state's most comfortable chairs, look out the biggest window in the neighborhood, and watch the sunset over the Adirondacks, just remember alums like me. I want one of those chairs and I want that view. Keep an eye on both of them. Pete Steinberg '99
(05/08/02 12:00am)
Author: Jasmin Johnson The Middlebury College Orchestra (MCO) celebrated popular operas at its last concert of the year. On Friday at the Center for the Arts Concert Hall, they played to an appreciative crowd of almost 190 people, competeing heavily with visting big-name band Guster.MCO is to be much applauded for a spirited performance and the interesting assortment in its repertoire.They began by playing the Leonore Overture No. 3 from Beethoven's opera "Fidelio," one of his most cherished works.This long symphonic overture began on a grave note with the sounds of the bassoon, lower strings and clarinet. The overture is a juxtaposition of these sounds as well as thundering, agitated drums, soon building up to a climatic, brilliant end. The MCO certainly did justice to what Beethoven himself affectionately called his "poor, difficult child." The winners of last January's concerto competition were featured in this concert. The competition is the brainchild of Evan Bennett, conductor of the MCO.He began the competition in 1994, and it has been held almost every year since. Noting that there was a great amount of musical talent at Middlebury College, he organized it to encourage the performance of any genre of music. This year, the competition was adjudicated by the famed Takacs Quartet, "recognized as one of the world's greatest string quartets." John Kuykendall '02, who placed first in the competition, rendered three Italian arias, accompanied by the orchestra. He handled long, florid stretches with ease in "Bella siccome un angelo."This aria was from the opera "Don Pasquale" by Donizetti, one of the greatest masterpieces of comic opera. Kuykendall has, on previous occasion, sung the two Mozart arias "Non siate ritosi" from opera "Cosi fan tutte" and "Non piu Andrai" from the opera "The Marriage of Figaro."He chose these arias because they were "playful and fun." Indeed, Kuykendall was clearly enjoying himself as he performed the arias expressively in his deep baritone. The team of sophomores Katherine Herring, Ian Ausprey and Benjamin Fainstein tied for second place in the concerto competition.Fainstein, a tenor, effortlessly sang his winning aria, the poignant first aria of Handel's opera "Xerxes," "Ombra ma fu," backed by the MCO. Herring and Ausprey performed Bach's concerto for two violins (from the Brandenburg Concertos) with the orchestra's accompaniment as well. "We chose it because it is a piece that everyone loves and that people are familiar with," said Herring. Ausprey agreed, saying it was the kind of piece every violinist plays at least "twice in his or her career." He also said that being able to play for the Takacs Quartet was ample motivation in itself.They both agreed that they enjoyed being accompanied by the orchestra. Bennett said that the enjoyment was mutual. "The orchestra always sounds great when accompanying soloists. They perform well, and I think it is because of that sense of community that is created." The accompaniment of soloists is something that Bennett tries to incorporate in the MCO's concerts. In trying to expose the orchestra to different kinds and forms of orchestral work, Bennett said that working with soloists provided the MCO with a unique opportunity to participate in an interactive performance.Flexibility was important when accompanying soloists or choruses, he said. (In the last concert in mid-March, the orchestra accompanied the Middlebury College Chamber singers as well). Also, when operas or other music with texts were performed, there was another dimension added."There is that intention to convey something through words and through the music," explained Bennet.The music program at the College is exceptional in that it tries to expose students to these various types of orchestral performance. It also offers students the opportunity to write original compositions that could be performed by such the orchestra, the choir or similar large ensembles.In the second half of the concert, the MCO performed two Carmen suites by Bizet. The passages in the suites were some of French opera's most famous. Bizet's inventiveness and the Spanish flavor of the suites provided a welcome change of air. "I chose the suites as a result of the concerto competition," Bennett said, "I thought it would be fun to have more opera."Highly commendable were the flute solo in the Aragonaise and the more popular pieces such as the "Habanera" and the "Chanson du Toreador." The echo effects of a bugle and the booming percussion added Spanish spice to the pieces.Ausprey, who was also the evening's concertmaster, performed "Nocture," a lilting, ballad-like piece with a praiseworthy violin solo. The concert ended with the "Danse Boheme," which, as the title suggests, was a gamut of mystery, tranquility and dance, working up to a frenzied pace at the end. A formidable showing by the 50-member MCO and a clear aide memoire of why Bizet is to be the maestro he is.
(05/08/02 12:00am)
Author: Raam Wong My upcoming graduation still does not seem real to me. It feels like just yesterday that I was a naïve student getting lost in Proctor, not emerging until six hours later when the firemen found me shivering and weeping behind the salad bar in the arms of Dr. Proctor. Actually, that's a bad example given that it was just yesterday. I would like to mark the occasion of this, my last Rambling Man column, by commenting on how much the column has meant to me, but I realize doing so would probably be self-serving and boring. I am reluctant to make my readers anymore hostile and/or suicidal than they already are from reading my column. So I offer this compromise: anytime I mention the word "column," feel free to substitute it with a more stimulating subject, such as, "my sex life." Because, like my column, "my sex life" is short, boring and typically elicits snickering. When my friend Julie first suggested that I write a humor column, I reluctantly agreed. I thought it'd probably be another one of my half-assed schemes that I don't complete, like scuba diving certification or the sixth grade. While I had proven myself to be witty with such pranks as walking into my Western religion class totally naked except for a "Jesus Loves Me" hat, I wasn't sure if such sophisticated humor would translate well into a newspaper column. I also had doubts about my writing ability. You see there are several idiosyncrasies of the English language that I never learned such as use of apostrophes or the letters of the alphabet. My first column went into the Opinions section. Alongside articles about the Middle East crisis and violent WTO protests, I described the equally weighty issue of my inability to hook-up at McCullough dance parties, despite my attempts to standout from the crowd in khaki pants and my posh new cologne, Febreeze for Men. On the day the paper came out, my economics professor commended me in front of the class for being an "activist" for horny single guys everywhere. I sunk down in my seat as he proceeded to explain the theory of supply and demand using my sex life as an analogy. As the weeks went by, I had to stretch to come up with material to write about. On my computer, I have an entire folder of useless columns that I had begun to write, usually while drunk, but never finished. Their titles range from, "Fart Jokes," "Things that are Smaller than the Beer Can I'm Holding" and "The Impact of Globalization in the 20th Century." I've gotten into the habit of either deleting these humorless articles or selling them to Bob Wainwright for his column.Writing my column could also be difficult because my computer, the Atari 250, is pretty antiquated. To keep it running, I've had to shovel coal directly into the DVD player. What's worse, often the screen saver will come on and the computer will freeze, forcing me to read motivational screen saver message, "Raam, you are a beautiful, vivacious woman" until figuring out how to reboot the computer. Still, the positive feedback I've received from readers has pushed me to reach a level of quality in which readers will think to themselves after reading a column, "Well, that was certainly something."I can count the number of fan letters I've received on one finger. I'll never forget receiving a fan letter in my box. Originally I thought it was my PIN Bill — which explains why I first urinated on it — but then I picked it up off the floor, opened it, and realized two important things: that someone enjoyed my column, and that my hands were covered in urine. To this day, I still have the yellow-stained letter in my scrapbook. I met another fan at the Vermont Liquor Outlet. (Of course I was there buying a keg of O'Doul's for my substance-free party in which I was planning on playing such rowdy drinking games as Milk Die and Seven, Eleven, Doughnuts.) Upon reading my name off of my I.D. the owner complimented me on my column. At first I wondered why he hadn't mentioned it before, but then I realized that until recently, the owner only knew me as the person on my fake ID: 40-year-old Yolanda Silverman. The owner was so nice that he gave me a six-pack of what he called an "imported" beer. I'm not sure of the correct spelling, but I think it's called "Naty Ice."The one downside of my column is that I'm afraid I've occasionally offended certain groups of people. I don't have much to base this on, unless you want to consider the half-dozen libel suits against me or the animal feces currently smeared across my windshield. But targeting certain people was never my intention. The truth is, there are two kinds of people I hate: those who dislike a group of people for no discernable reason, and first-years. Therefore I would like to apologize to the following people whom I may have offended: my parents, President McCardell, social house members, the Republican Party, anyone disliking "Your momma" jokes, my seven illegitimate children and the People's Republic of China. Admittedly, I have had made a number of snafus for which I am slightly embarrassed about. (Including being the first person to use the word "snafu" in the paper.) But I have been proud of my association with this newspaper. However, there remain a couple of issues that I never got to write about. For instance, I never got around to discussing my solution to missing jackets on campus: The Yellow Jacket Program. And I never mentioned the need for the College to eliminate erroneous all-student e-mails, such as those from Coach Bob Smith announcing an Intramural Underwater Quilt- Making tournament. The truth is that Middlebury has meant a tremendous deal to me. Transferring to the College my sophomore year was a daunting experience. And having spent my freshman year at an impersonal, urban university, I was already pretty skeptical of collegiate life. Yet the College on the Hill embraced and encouraged me in a fundamental way that I never could have imagined. And now, in my final days as a Midd-Kid, I lounge in the sun on Battel Beach and browse through the scrapbook of my mind and fondly recall every friend, dean or professor who in some way contributed to my personal growth as both scholar and human being. I think about my family whose total love and support allowed me to prosper at such a fine institution. And I think about you, my readers, who have contributed to my Middlebury experience more than you will ever know.As for my future, I do not know. Thoughts of backpacking through Europe or attending graduate school excite me, but I move reluctantly into the future, always with the same question floating in my head: can it possibly get any better than this?Archives: www.middlebury.edu/~rwong
(05/01/02 12:00am)
Author: Yvonne Chen "In our youth we all chirp rapturously like sparrows on a dung heap, but when we are forty, we are already old and begin to think about death. Fine heroes we are!" remarked Anton Chekhov in reference to the lack of positive heroes in his writing.Professor of Theater Douglas Sprigg chose to direct a production of "The Three Sisters" this spring because he was attracted to Chekhov's distinct treatment of comedy, tragedy and pathos. Chekov's dense dialogue and complicated subtext created extra obstacles to an easy understanding of his plays. The dialogue and atmosphere of "The Three Sisters" is very naturalistic, but this sometimes proved confusing as characters interrupted each other, often having lines that came from their own internal monologue rather than from interaction with other characters on the stage.The play opened with sisters Olga (Lindsay Haynes '02), Masha (Megan West '02) and Irina (Kristin Conolly '02) on stage together. These three sisters and their brother Andrey (Freeman White '03) were struggling to subsist on the minimal military pensions that they received after their father's death a year earlier. Spinster Olga worked as a schoolteacher, unable to find fulfillment in her job. Young and radiant Irina dreamed of love and of returning to the excitement of Moscow.The scene was Irina's birthday and soldiers came, bearing gifts and wishes. We were introduced to Baron Tuzenbach, played by Nick Olson '02, who has been in love with Irina for five years. Vershinin, played by Jesse Hooker '02, the colonel of the regiment, introduced to the conversation a contemplation of the future and dreams of a utopian progression towards happiness.As the play moved into the second act, hope for this ideal future ebbs away and the character's lives fall apart before our eyes. The darkness of winter is lighted only by the dim candlelight of the new head of this household, Natasha (Tara Giordano '02) whose domineering presence and selfish complaints bring unease to everybody. The three sisters complain of the degenerative influence Natasha has over her husband, their brother Andrey.The sisters themselves are not free from temptation however. Vershinin's philosophizing, for which he always apologizes, entices the bored Masha, who married her professor at 18 for his intelligence only to discover that he was not as intelligent as he seemed.One got the feeling that none of these characters would be happy living their hoped-for lives. Just as soon as each character's passions rose they appeared to be quickly thrown aside by another character's interruption. For instance, as Vershinin contemplates the nonsense of life, almost out of nowhere Masha's husband Kulygin (Tim Brownell '02) comically jumps in with an anecdotal story about how one student mistook the word nonsense for consensus. In a later scene, just as the commander delivers one of the more definitive lines of the play, "As time passes you will realize you never get the beautiful life you dreamed of," guests rush quickly in to wish him goodbye.Sprigg explained that Chekov developed a technique that shows "little things about characters that come up and then disappear." In this production, Sprigg sought to communicate the subtlety of how the written word functions. With his expert perspective in mind, one might say that this production of "The Three Sisters" is an intellectual representation that forces the viewer to pay attention to the subtleties of what everyday life is all about, rather than a production that sought simply to enteratin. Other experts such as Russian professors Michael Katz and Tatiana Smorodoinska spoke very positively of the production.Kulygin and Solyony's high mannered performances do an especially good job of interjecting comedy, whereas the more likeable characters such as Olson's lovesick Baron, West's animated Masha and Hooker's philosophizing Vershinin, help to provide gravity. However, at times, such as when Kulygin is calling out to Masha or when he forgives her in the end, the audience seemed to respond to these actions with too much laughter."There's no question that some people don't like Chekhov," Sprigg commented. "It has a poetic theatrical language. It takes work to pay attention to all of these things." To a generation that has grown up with action-packed box office hits, Chekhov's distinct theatrical style may at first seem unappealing as it avoids the sensationalism of implied occurrences such as the duel. Getting the full benefits of this major production requires specific knowledge of the narrative and the theatrical style. Assistant to the Director Sheila Seles '05 adds, "It's so complex that you can't just see it once."In the closing act the characters are forced to become resigned to their fates. A duel takes place in which Solyony kills the Baron, who was the one person who actually understood and defended him, and, in one of the richest performances of the show, Masha grieves to say farewell to Vershinin as her cuckolded husband looks on. Moscow, as Irina beats into our heads again and again, is an ideal that remains beyond reach.It is not until the ending speech, which is juxtaposed against the upbeat band playing for the departing soldiers, that the sisters revitalize a notion of hope. However this counterpoint too seemed spurious and forced.In the end, one might also hope that any period production aims to present the timelessness of a predicament and thus attempts to go beyond the period in which it seeks to represent. The mise en scene was as good as it gets. Artist-in-Residence Jule Emerson and Costume Shop Supervisor Lin Waters succeeded in providing the cast with a line of authentic turn of the century fashions, befitting each character's occupation.Associate Professor of Theater Mark Evancho's light design at times foreshadowed despair with the shadows of bare trees, and other times left disclosure with the eerie fades of a tableau.Beyond the period, however, this play speaks to the universality of the human condition. Through its themes of longing and unhappiness along with the everyday comedies that underscore the presence of huge tragedies, this play showed humans as they were in the past dreaming of today, and ultimately demonstrated what is the "stuff that makes us who we are."
(05/01/02 12:00am)
Author: Crystalyn Radcliffe People looking for entertainment were not disappointed by the Hepburn Zoo performance last weekend. Couples in diapers making out, quirky women seducing stuffed animals and a gay strip club bouncer had both actors and audience members bursting into laughter.Kayte Spector '04 and Zoe Anastassiou '03 each wrote and directed their own plays. Spector's independent project, entitled "The Precious Few," opened and was followed by Anastassiou's project, "30 Hours and 46 Minutes." Combining the titles, the joint performance was entitled "Precious Minutes." In the first play, Eva, a 35-year- old toy store clerk (Julia Bevan '03) manages to pick up Eric, a young aspiring film-maker (Asa Thomas-Train '05). Believing that their lives are too unimportant, they attempt to construct a more interesting identity for Eva, and in doing so the two become lost in a fantasy world. Ironically, it was the other two actors in "The Precious Few," Charles Goulding '05 and Rebecca Kanengiser '05, two new faces on the Hepburn stage, who were consistently switching identities, while Eva and Eric stayed consistent throughout the play, hinting at Eva's inherent inability to become someone else.A display of Barbie dolls made an appearance at the beginning of the play and at the very end, emphasizing the idea that we are products of a society that attempts to label and assign value to us based on appearances.Eva, though much older than Eric, often the more naïve of the two, with a tendency to overreact, was shocked out of her fantasy world at the end. The age difference between the two was noticeable, but not overdone so that it was not perverse to imagine a sexual tension between the two. Featuring a much less complicated humor, the second act opened with an elderly married couple, sitting awkwardly next to each other in silence. Finally, the old woman initiated conversation with her husband, played by Eric Blacher '05, to ask him if he desired any tea. This sparked a scene in which both wife and husband were yelling at each other, accusing one another of keeping secrets and generally talking in circles.In the following scene, the audience was presented with a table stacked with what seemed like random items including diapers, canned food and water bottles with straws. This confusion was magnified as a young couple Jasper and Trinity (Dana Allen '04 and Rebecca Martin '04, respectively), proceeded to take off their pants, replacing them with the oversized diapers. For the remainder of the scene, the fairly typical conversation held between the two of them became hilarious as their serious mannerisms contrasted with their absurd, infantile outfits.The couple was planning on attempting to break the Guinness Book of World Records for longest kissing time. The next scene opened with yet another couple Mark and Laura, played by Ernie Miller '03 and Amber Hillman '05. We soon found out that Mark is actually a judge from the Guinness Book of World Records, who is actually interested in Laura's sister, Trinity. This odd love triangle and absurd situation is made comical by the serious intention of all the characters involved.The blocking of this act was very interesting in that once a character was on stage, he or she remained on stage for the duration of the act. This meant that the elderly couple occupied the left corner of the stage, while Jasper and Trinity moved around center stage and Laura and Mark remained stage right. This allowed all the characters, except the elderly couple, to merge at the end of play in one big mass of confusion and a general swapping of loyalties. Lighting helped to focus attention on the present action, while leaving the rest of the characters on stage, motionless in the dark.
(05/01/02 12:00am)
Author: Oren Frey After reading Kevin King's ridiculous letter in last week's Campus, I debated whether or not it was worth the effort to write something in response. What is the point, I asked myself, in trying to bring a taste of reality to someone who is clearly stuck in their ignorant, intolerant and selfish mindset? But I just couldn't let something so lacking in truth and rationality pass without giving it a once over.First, let's address Mr. King's claim that the Earth Day BBQ was a form of "vegan tyranny" suitable only for "hardcore vegetarians." Perhaps he was too pissed off by the College's recognition of Earth Day to notice the barbequed chicken. I thought the chicken was delicious. Clearly, referring to something as "vegan tyranny" is absurd when hundreds of chicken parts are being grilled to perfection adjacent to the "falafel mafia" station.He suggests that a meal be planned that "takes into consideration the interests of carnivores and vegetarians alike." That is exactly what happens in the dining halls every day. And there are certainly times when the meat-meter swings in the other direction — Proctor's tailgate party and the "Food Fair"' with 10 types of buffalo wings, chicken fingers and Italian sausage, are not exactly a vegetarian's dream. But there aren't bitter letters to the editor after those events. One would hope that even if a dedicated "carnivore" like Mr. King is displeased by the chicken served, they would be satisfied by the rest of the meal — a meal where Ben & Jerry's ice cream is being scooped out generously, Fresh Samantha drinks are available by the bottle, there is juicy corn on the cob and hot bread is emerging from an on-site oven (served to you by those bizarre Weybridgers). And hey, the falafel was really good too. It's pretty sad when someone is given this much and remains so unhappy that they must complain in a public forum. When someone cannot tolerate the absence of beef — or, more accurately, non-chicken animal products — at one single meal out of the year, it says nothing about those preparing the meal but much about the mindset of the person doing the complaining. I feel fortunate not to know any of the people who Mr. King asserts "went hungry," a completely inappropriate phrase to use in the context of any Middlebury College student, or "were forced to buy food from somewhere else" because they were so hard to please.And it's natural to eat "cute, furry animals because they taste good," eh? I propose that it is natural to eat cute, furry animals if you can kill them yourself and participate in all the other steps between the "cute" stage and the "taste good" stage. Anyone who does not think about those intermediary stages has clearly not educated themselves about what happens in feedlots and slaughterhouses. I would like to offer Mr. King a living, breathing, cow and see what he does with it. Where does that hamburger come from anyway? Where in the cow do you look to find the patties? Or is that something "gross" that happy American consumers should not have to think about?Now let's clarify something. I am not a vegetarian. I don't have a problem with the practice of eating other animals. When abroad I would witness a sheep be killed one moment and find myself eating every imaginable part of its body several hours later. However, there are many reasons why supporting the American meat industry is objectionable, and for those reasons I have come to eat far less meat than I used to. I haven't altered my diet because of "beliefs," as Mr. King suggested anyone who would want more vegetarian options on Earth Day must be guided by. Rather, it's a matter of facing the realities of what we are eating and where it comes from. Unfortunately, most Westerners are so far removed from the origins of their food that they don't give a damn about where it came from.But the realities are staggering. How many chickens do you think are slaughtered every year in the USA? Think about it — KFC, Sunday night Hamlin, grandma's chicken soup, caesar salad with grilled chicken. Would you believe the number is 7.5 billion? That's far greater than the number of people on the planet — it's over 20 million slaughtered chickens every day or more than 231 every second. If, with knowledge such as how many chicken lives our diets demand taking, you feel fine, that's okay. I'm not trying to suggest that chicken lives are superior to ours or anything like that — although it does seem wrong that to boost production, turkeys have been engineered to be so top-heavy they can hardly stand, pigs are made to be too long to support their own weight and chickens have their beaks seared off with hot blades to prevent cannibalism. But it is undeniable that the sheer size of the industry has very far reaching consequences.Unless we support small local sources, eating meat means supporting factory farming. Essentially, this means putting thousands of animals into a building lacking fresh air, sunshine or space to move, pumping them full of drugs and chemicals, and then filling a 25-foot deep hole the size of several football fields with millions of gallons of feces and urine. Livestock farms generate five tons of manure per American every year, much more than can be used as fertilizer. Holding tanks spilled 40 million gallons of hog manure into North Carolina waterways in 1995 alone. Waterborne manure kills fish by the thousands, and has led to a 7,000 square mile "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. On land, you get odors, flies and contaminated drinking water … yeah baby. Might such side effects not damage the "pretty places" Mr. King thinks Earth Day is all about?Not only does stuff come out of the industry, but it takes loads of resources to support it. A third of the fish caught worldwide are ground up and fed to livestock. Every pound of feedlot beef takes 600 gallons of water to produce water that is hardly abundant in Western rangelands. Five million acres of Central and South American rainforest are destroyed every year to create cattle pasture. Whether we know it or not, we eat South American beef, and eating five pounds of rainforest beef can emit more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than driving your car for a year.So yes, in their heavily engineered, processed states, "cute, furry animals" are tasty, but maybe something other than self-indulgence should be influencing our decisions about what to eat. In this country, food choices and environmentalism are inherently linked. Anyone concerned about the planet will acknowledge the bad facets of the meat industry, even if they haven't committed themselves to vegetarianism. Dining's recognition of this connection in their BBQ menu is reflective of the College's willingness to offer education outside of the classroom.What bothered me most was the overall tone of Mr. King's letter. In trying to make meat-eating environmentalists feel victimized (Mr. King claims that Middining is "implicitly telling them they aren't the real thing"), he is just trying to recruit more students to join his whine-train. Has it ever occurred to him that more can be achieved by collaborating with staff instead of breathing his spoiled fire-breath on them? Does he think that anyone in Middining will want to listen to anything he or the SGA has to say after such a disrespectful letter? In your role as my class senator, Mr. King, do you do anything but whine that your "rights" as a student are being threatened? It is revolting that such a closed-minded person has been elected to positions of power on campus.(Statistics cited are from U.S. News and World Report and www.earthsave.org.)
(04/24/02 12:00am)
Author: Suzie Mozes "Impassioned Embraces" hit Hepburn Zoo this past weekend for two sold out performances. This bizarre jumble of one-act plays, written by John Pielmeier, left the audience puzzled about the relatedness of each act yet satisfied with its entertaining unpredictability.The ensemble commenced with "Sado – Monologue." Toying with actor/audience dynamics, Jan Greenfield '02, playing a director, planted herself in the seat that I had originally selected. As Greenfield hurled insults and demands at Angus Sutherland '05, a stressed actor struggling with the intensity of his scene, Sutherland became the audience to Greenfield's remarks. The boundary line between audience and actor, already blurred by cross-legged college kids sitting on the floor, shifted backwards into the audience's "personal space." With necks craning forward, all the audience could distinguish was Greenfield's taught wrist representing the stereotypical director with her stereotypical cigarette and stereotypical smoke twirling into the heavens of the harsh lighting. By the conclusion of the scene, the audience refocused their attention on both actors as Greenfield and Sutherland stood together in the spotlight.Jill Marcum '02 graced the stage with a black dress and purple feather boa for the next skit, "My Life in Art." Portraying the developmental rise and falls of an actress from childhood into middle age, Marcum flew all over the stage portraying conversations with her mother, auditions and bad career choices. Releasing her inhibitions, Marcum hurled herself into this role with unfurled confidence. While lacking the inherent arrogance of the character, Marcum brought the appropriate wit, class and conceit to "the actress."Like the animation in a 3-D movie, first-year Andy Arazoza's talent in "Mondo Vee – Day – O" protruded from the entire show as something very special. Arazoza became a television set — literally. As some unseen couch potato flipped between various television channels, each with a separate plot line, Arazoza clicked to each station. Assuming an array of diverse characters through accents and vocal impersonations, Arazoza carried the audience through each of the crazy plot lines without too much confusion. Moreover, the audience responded to him even more because of the advanced level of the skit.At this point, a backlight went on to help the stage crew set up for "An Intellectual Discussion." The lights rose upon Erin Sullivan '04.5 and Sutherland, a discontented couple, eating breakfast in their pajamas. This humorous skit explored the paradoxes of assuming that one is always correct. As this grown couple reverted into childlike squabbling, which eventually escalated into a food fight, Sullivan and Sutherland articulated their lines with a seamless flow of irrationality and absurdity that the scene demanded.In a variety of personas and perspectives, Greenfield recounted her father's death in "Emotional Recall." Delivering her lines with conviction, she may have used more motivation in her variations on the pieces to convey the different characters. Her choices for stage placement attested to a well developed plan to lay emphasis on her different characters.Sullivan hit the right chords for comedy in "The Backers' Audition," where she played a suicidal playwright trying to sell her dreadful musical "Ah! Walden" to financiers. Flippantly uniting the humor and despondency of her character, Sullivan truly embodied the disheveled character that seemed to almost instigate her own failure with a convincing and energetic performance."Impassioned Embraces" concluded with "The Acting Olympics" that involved all five actors. Once again, Arazoza generated the most laughter in this collaboration in his final medley of collaged American quotes. Greenfield and Marcum expertly evolved into acting judges as Sullivan and Sutherland assisted Arazoza during their intense competition set in south Yemen.The overwhelming creativity of "Impassioned Embraces" surfaced yet again as the actors did not take their bows, but instead distributed their head shots as they "worked" the audience. After only taking a single acting course, Amy Tay '02 directed this play with a quality of production that spoke much more than her limited experience revealed. Despite the array of situations that were presented by the cast, they united these seemingly incoherent vignettes into a cohesive production of inventiveness and originality.
(04/24/02 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] To The Editor:I write to thank the Middlebury College student body for its support for my candidacy during the election for Student Co-chair of Community Council. While the outcome of the election is a disappointment for myself and those who had supported me, it is yet an overwhelming victory for the cause of student participation. Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege to speak with a cross-section of the student body — social houses, academic interest houses, international students, cultural organizations — and to actively engage and involve them in the issues I had focused on for my platform. The election campaign had been an opportunity to elicit the participation of various groups that are often not involved in or represented in the student government. It is my hope that this will mark the beginning of a more involved student body, and a more representative student leadership.I also write to congratulate the newly elected President, Ginny Hunt '03, and Student Co-chair of Community Council, Ben Labolt '03. I have no doubt in my mind that they will provide the dynamic and forward-looking leadership that the student body deserves. I wish them all the best and urge you all to rally behind them as they lead us into what will, hopefully, be a productive year for the Student Government Association. And finally, I thank The Middlebury Campus and WRMC 91.1 FM for their coverage of the elections that played no small role in achieving the large turnout.— Fahim Ahmed '03To The Editor:In last week's article entitled "Awareness Event Sparks Fiery Debate," I was quoted as saying, "As a Jewish organization, we don't support Israel wholeheartedly." This, however, is far from the truth. In fact, Hillel, the Jewish organization here on campus, has, does and always will wholeheartedly support Israel. While as individuals we may disagree on policies undertaken by the Israeli government, we as a group defend the country's right to exist behind safe and recognizable borders. I speak for Hillel when I say that wherever we stand, we stand with Israel. — Amichai Kilchevsky '04.5To The Editor:As we are in the registration season here at Middlebury, students are running around wildly trying to obtain their Priority Access Key (PAK number), find the easiest class and get that elusive 'Other' credit. I recently overheard a student outside my room asking another student, "What are you going to do with a theater major?" The interrogator is totally missing the point of a liberal arts education. Middlebury College is not here to prepare students for a career (if you want that, go to Vermont Technical College), but instead to enlighten students and prepare them for life. This is why we have distribution and cultural requirements. While here at Middlebury, students should experience the varied academic and extra-curricular activities available. A major is just one part of the higher educational experience. It is a rigorous study of one discipline. It is by no means a job-training program. It should prepare you to be a good candidate for any graduate school, internship, or entry-level job that you should choose. The value of a liberal arts education is that a degree from Middlebury College should be strong enough proof that a student has the discipline and skills needed to start any career. So next time someone asks you what you are going to do with a theater major, tell them you are considering going into law. Because here at Middlebury, a theater major or a political science major are both well prepared for law school or any other post-graduate program. — Ted Lester '05 To the Editor:I am writing to point out what seems to me to be incredible hypocrisy on the part of Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (moqa). As everyone knows, a few weeks ago some members of moqa and Feminist Action at Middlebury (FAM), protested at the "Art of Kissing" presentation, sponsored by the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB). According to the protesters, the show was heterosexually biased and confirmed negative gender stereotypes. The way I feel is that the Drag Ball, sponsored by moqa last Friday night, confirms negative homosexual stereotypes, and that the event was potentially far more offensive to gays than the "Art of Kissing" was to women. As a gay student at this college who doesn't cross-dress and who isn't into the gender-bending aspect of gay culture, I feel like the Drag Ball promotes solely the image of the flamboyant "queen." I'm not saying that the Drag Ball really offends me, because it doesn't — the group it portrays is a viable element of the gay community, which I certainly support as whole. The problem is that the Drag Ball seems to be the only major event that moqa puts on each year, and the main image that it projects onto the campus community. Where are the fundraisers for AIDS research, or the speakers on gay adoption and civil unions? If events such as these occur, they are certainly ill publicized, unlike the heavily advertised Drag Ball.I really just want to advise moqa to take a look at the stereotypes that their own events promote before staging another inarticulate protest against stereotypes at other events. Nobody likes a hypocrite.— Karl Whittington '04 To the Editor:Despite hard work in less than desirable weather conditions, Middining's recent "Earth Day" dinner was a painful experience for anyone other than hardcore vegetarians. The menu choices at this dinner represented a sort of vegan tyranny that limited non-vegetarian options so seriously that boatloads of students were forced to either buy food from somewhere else or go hungry. I'll begin with the proposition that vegetarianism has absolutely nothing to do with environmentalism or "Earth Day." What you eat and what you believe in, for a vast majority of students on campus, are two very different things. In light of this fact, there are a great number of meat eating environmentalists here at Middlebury, and to implicitly tell them that they aren't the real thing just because they like a steak now and then is a little like telling foreigners that they aren't allowed to like the American pastime of baseball.Now, to be perfectly frank about it, when I think of "Earth Day," I think of nature and all things natural. In terms of what is natural, I cannot think of many things that rank above the age-old practice of humans eating cute, furry animals because they taste good. Processing soy product in a way that gives it the flavor of dog food and the shape of a hot dog, on the other hand, strikes me as anything but natural. If those responsible for the menu this past Monday wanted to feature vegetables at the "Earth Day" dinner, they at least ought to have had the common sense not to try to make them taste like something else or pretend that masking them in such a way is even remotely natural. Including vegetarian options that go above and beyond the usual offering at Proctor is an understandable thing to do on "Earth Day," particularly to serve those students who choose to link their beliefs and diets. Forcing individuals who prefer not to eat vegetarian food to do so, on the other hand, is quite another thing. There are plenty of environmentally sound meat products out there — the least of which might be venison made available by reducing the Northeast's outrageous deer overpopulation. Its about time we stop surrendering our diets to the falafel mafia from Weybridge on "Earth Day" and start planning a meal that takes into consideration the interests of carnivores and vegetarians alike. — Kevin F. King '02
(04/17/02 12:00am)
Author: Bob Wainwright While enjoying the beautiful weather today, I remembered a story that was told to me a year ago by a Middlebury alumnus, who was passing through the College on his way to a summit in Montreal. Why I remembered his story today, I really do not know. All I can say is that the more I thought about this man and his tale, the more real it became to me until it reached the point that I honestly believed he was sitting beside me once again, relating the story of the time a giraffe led to the downfall of his fraternity."I remember it was after a literature class on Mark Twain that my friends and I saw the wretched animal for the first time. From a distance, we were positive it was our faculty advisor, Professor Crane, who was always giving us a hard time about cleaning the house. But once we were within 10 yards or so, we realized that it was not old Crane at all, but instead a full-grown giraffe that appeared to have every intention of entering our house. "Now, looking back on the whole ordeal, I realize how easily it could have been avoided had we simply bypassed the giraffe on our way inside. But back then, the fraternity system was under immense scrutiny for being too selective and, not wishing to appear inhospitable, we invited the beast inside and even offered him our comfiest couch. "Since he seemed perfectly content watching 'Sportscenter' amidst empty cans of beer, we soon left to find the house president and inform him of the situation. Much to our surprise Ryan was not disturbed at all by our news. 'Trust me, fellas,' he told us knowingly. 'I've read the College handbook in and out. There's not a loophole in there that I have yet to discover. So believe me when I tell you, that there is nothing illegal with housing a full-grown giraffe in our common room. I do doubt he could ever pledge though, because since giraffes do not wear clothes, we would have to place the pledge pin on his fur, and the handbook explicitly states that no animals may be harmed while on campus.'"Relieved by Ryan's words of wisdom, and acknowledging that the chances of the giraffe wanting to pledge our fraternity anyway were probably slim, we bid our leader goodbye and returned downstairs. "There, however, we were horrified to find the entire room in disarray and the giraffe gone. In his place sat Biff, angrily shaking his fist at Kirby Puckett, who had apparently defeated his Brewers with a homer in the ninth the night before. 'Where did the giraffe go, Biff?' I asked him. He looked at me with a glazed stare. 'Oh the guy who was sitting here before? I thought that was old Crane.' When we explained that it was not in fact Crane at all, Biff nodded in an understanding way. 'So that's why he was draining all those beers,' he mused. "Understanding the severity of the situation, my friends and I immediately ran to the basement where we discovered several broken windows, a hole in the bathroom wall and pieces of an exit sign. And in the middle of the wreckage, and apparently in the middle of a serious game of beer pong as well, slumped the giraffe. "Well, it did not take long before news of the giraffe's drunken rampage reached every corner of campus, and sure enough, my friends and I each received a letter in our mailboxes asking us to appear before the deans immediately. "Upon reaching Forest Hall, we found waiting for us all 28 deans (there were fewer back then without the commons system)."'What bothers us the most,' explained the deans, 'is that you boys allowed this giraffe to engage in an illegal game of beer pong.' 'But the game itself is not illegal,' we explained. "'Well then, how do you justify serving alcohol to a minor?' they asked. 'In all fairness, do we truly know that the giraffe is not 21?' we replied. This created quite a stir amongst our interrogators, but they finally conceded our point, leaving the matter to be discussed once the proper information was ascertained."'But we still have not discussed the issue of the damage the giraffe caused to your house,' said the deans. 'We're afraid such massive destruction, puts you well over your limits as a house. You must be disbanded.' "In less than an instant, my friends and I realized that we may have made the biggest mistake of our lives. 'But he was our guest!' I exclaimed. 'Are you not to be held accountable for the behavior of your guests?' the deans responded. 'But we thought the giraffe was our advisor when we let him in!' shouted one of my friends. 'Nonsense,' answered the deans. 'Perhaps from a distance a mistake could be made, but up close, there is no doubt that it is a giraffe.' This final point was indisputable and we were left without a valid argument. The fate of our house was sealed, and all because of a stupid, alcoholic, giraffe. I never saw the beast again, but believe me, if I did, I would waste no time in wringing his neck."
(04/17/02 12:00am)
Author: Abbie Beane Ten actors and actresses stand in front of a backdrop of pale green walls, beneath the yellow glow of one delicate chandelier and before a modest set of antique furniture.Under the weight of their elaborate 17th century French costumes, the introduction of the players marked the commencement of "Le Mariage Forcé," a French play authored by Molière in 1664. The play was revived on Friday and Saturday nights in Le Chateau's Grand Salon. The play hosted a rather large crowd and, being an extremely animated performance, lent even those overwhelmed by the language barrier insight and visual gratification.The performance presented scenes of comedy, desperation and utter madness. Sganarelle, played by Associate Professor of French Charles Nunley, was engaged to a much younger woman, Dorimene, played byAssistant in French Marianne Le Moigne. His concern regarding her unfaithful nature was the crux of the play. He elicited advice on the matter from his old friend Geronimo, two philosophers and two gypsies, all of whom were played by talented members of "Cercle Francais," the French Club on campus.Nunley's portrayal of a distinguished man ridden with anxiety, fear and despair, was consistently commendable. Through his incessant employment of rapid, frenetic gestures and contorted facial expressions, he effectively drove his character with emotions powerful enough to exhaust the audience as well as himself.Nunley admitted that the most challenging part was scene four, when he sought advice from Pancrace, a mad philosopher played by Aaron Murray Nellis '02. Said Nunley, "I had relatively little to say in the scene, and I found it most difficult to be on stage with my mouth shut!"Nellis played an engaging and intense character, completely self-absorbed with his own incorrigible and unceasing advice. At the same time, however, he always remained madder than his own madness, lending humor to his role.Brian Fink '05, a French major, said of Nellis, "He stole the show," attesting to the combined strength of Nellis' acting and the mentally deranged character he was playing. As for his favorite scene, Nunley chose the one where he confessed his love for Dorimene. "It is my favorite scene because it takes guts, even by today's standards, to verbalize desire in such explicit ways," he said Andre Estanislao '05 played Marphurius, a darkly intense character seasoned with skepticism of all ideas and existence itself. He too received unrestrained laughter from the audience.Estanislao explained his attraction to the role by saying that "it was a mixture of slapstick and witty comedy." His scenes made one a boisterous, laughing participant in the misfortunes of others, but at the same time a pensive member of the audience, reflecting on the subtle messages of the play. Since the play was written in archaic French, Estanislao, being more of a novice French speaker than the others, admitted to its difficulty. "[The play] really strengthened my appreciation for France and the French language," Estanislao said. "Participating in this sort of activity really does help one's linguistic abilities." Le Moigne, a native French speaker, attested to the difficulty of her role as Dorimène, the ravaging yet enchanting woman in crimson and black. "Dorimène is a very ambiguous character," Le Moigne said, "and it took me a lot of time to feel comfortable in that role, to find the balance between the seductive side and the dominating side of the character." She also confessed to loving the challenge, which she described as "truly fantastic," and that has added to her experience at Middlebury. She especially enjoyed collaborating with the other players, saying, "We shared stress, anger, and joy, and nothing compares to that experience." She applauded Nunley for being a talented actor who carried everyone through the play.Nunley describes the experience as "one of the richest ways to grow as a teacher," and is very grateful to Associate Professor of Theater Mark Evancho for "making his dream a reality."He said that he hopes that in the "not-so-distant future the College will be constructing a theater space to be used exclusively for the production of plays in languages other than English." He described theater as "one of the most effective ways to study foreign languages, and as such, must receive the support it deserves."Judging by the support the actors have given each other and the genuine good feelings they share regarding theater and the French language, the group truly appears to be a "cercle" and a dynamic force, which will stop only upon the completion of their goals.
(04/17/02 12:00am)
Author: Yvonne Chen "'What does it feel like when you're dancing?' Once I get going, I forget everything. I sort of disappear. I feel a change in my whole body, like this fire in my body. I'm just there, flying like a bird, like electricity. Yeah, like electricity."This quote from the recent film "Billy Elliot" describes the way many dancers feel when they are finally able to loose themselves in movement. The Middlebury College community is no exception.I learned last Thursday night at a student-produced show entitled "Dance the Night Away" that whether we love to perform or just love to watch and wish we could do it, there is something magical about dance. Among the highlights, old school rap was turned on its head when Generation Today (GT) Break Dancing wowed a crowd with visually inspiring tricks.Against the hardcore beats of old school and techno, we saw popping and locking, which consists of bending one's limbs out of position like "you're made out of rubber," explains breaker Morgan Jones '04. They also performed gravity defying acrobatic moves such as hand stands, spinning on their heads, and flipping — what in the industry is termed "b-boying." Jones, inspired by a friend in Brooklyn who first taught him to "break," founded GT at Middlebury in an effort to spread the hip-hop culture to Vermont.Break dancing, which since the early '90s has come back as an urban art form, is heavily influenced by the Brazilian martial arts form Copeira. This form incorporates elements of gymnastics and dance as well but also "a lot about having fun and goofing off, technical moves as well as power moves."On Tap mixed line dancing with N'Sync in an energy pumped rendition of "Space Cowboy." The tap group, one of the larger and longer established student dance groups on campus, was a big crowd pleaser and has been in numerous other performances. It's own spring show will take place on April 21."Dance with Me" was another all-female ensemble that, with bared midrifts and enthusiastic smiles, teased the crowd with their back hops, violent hip rolls and other popular hip-hop moves found in today's videos. Judging from the low baritone cheers, male audience members seemed to enjoy this act very much.Among the new groups was Higher Ground, a ballet pointe group formed mostly of members from a workshop that Gillian Wood '03 led during Winter Term. In the final act four performers showed that ballet dancers have a hip-hop side when Wood, Devon Parish '05, Carolyn Gersh '04 and Melissa Crab '04 collaborated on choreography that was set to a Red Hot Chili Peppers song from the movie "Center Stage."Probably the biggest highlight of the night was the long awaited debut of Middlebury's Cheerleading Squad. The team, which is composed of nine women and one man, promoted school spirit with animated smiles and gravity-defying stunts.Far from the pom pom waving that is popularly associated with cheerleading, these disciplined individuals performed competitive college cheerleading. It is a form that combines elements of gymnastics and dance, including throwing one member of the squad 10 feet into the air Although they did not perform many of the more complicated twists and formations found in televised competitions, the routine was a big crowd pleaser. The group hopes that next year, with an earlier start, they will be able to visit some of these tournaments and compete. Although neither the dancing nor the choreography in "Dancing the Night Away" was overly polished or awe inspiring, it is probably due to the fact that this is a small liberal arts school where the student groups have a different experience than dance groups at larger state universities.Yet who can pass up watching some of the most talented dancers Middlebury has to offer? With its free admission and pop-inspired music and choreography, "Dancing the Night Away" drew in a relatively large crowd. What's more, the effort that most of these clubs have put in during the month's time that they have been working on these routines clearly showed in their performances.In a behind the scenes look, I found that each of these clubs is truly inspiring.All of the performers are doing something they love but that requires an almost insurmountable amount of teamwork and dedication. Whether it's the cheerleaders practicing until 1 a.m. or GT meeting at least four times a week for hours at a time, one can imagine that to be a member of one of these dance groups truly takes nothing less than extreme passion. Gillian Wood '03 brainstormed the idea for the student-produced show. Wood remembers that she arrived at Middlebury her first year with a strong background in ballet and jazz, but was unable to locate a proper outlet or group to showcase her talents. "On campus there are a lot of different groups. Tonight was a celebration of dance for these groups to get together," said Wood, who performed in five of the nine performances of the night. After contacting the various dance groups on campus, "Dancing the Night Away" was born. In less than a month's time, the dance groups worked away at choreography, recruited members and practiced. In addition, the members of the production paid for all the costumes, publicity posters and programs. In addition to these clubs, keep a look out for the Middlebury Ballet Club.For those of you who missed out on this magical night, many of these same groups will perform at the upcoming African American Alliance- sponsored dance production slated for April 22. Wood also hopes to continue to "dance the night away" in a fall show next semester.
