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(04/10/02 12:00am)
Author: Michael O'Brien Ben Gore's recent article "Muddy Consciences, Dirty Minds," shows an appalling lack of not only knowledge of the activity of which he speaks, but also of writing style, satire and good taste. These last three concepts are the ones I would rather concentrate on, as I have only a moderate grasp of "mudding." All I will say is that a friend of mine from University of New Hampshire, one of the most liberal, environmentally-minded people I know, told me upon reading the article that most "mudding" is done on predetermined trails to avoid the environmentally detrimental effects of the activity. Simple logic, which I have applied to my understanding of "mudding" (which as readers may or may not know, even after reading the previous article, is going out and driving around in a bunch of mud), tells me that it wouldn't work very well in an old growth forest or mountain since the trees and grass get in the way of the mud.Of course, my contact with mudding was in my home of Texas (which I'm sure is Mr. Gore's favorite state). It might conceivably be different than the mudding practiced by "a bunch of punk kids from New Jersey." This seems to be said in the same tone as "Canada sucks" or "Go back to Africa." At some point certain Vermonters need to realize that their state is not, indeed, unassailably and pristinely more perfect than the rest of the Union.In any case, I find it amusing that Mr. Gore (or his female avatar) asserts that despite the name, mudders are afraid of dirt and exercise. The majority of mudders that I have known were football players who got up early every summer morning for two-a-days. That terrifies me far more than hiking up a mountain, and I hiked Abe on my Middlebury Outdoor Orientation (MOO) trip.These are all sideline arguments. I could care less about mudding; it is something neither I nor any of my friends would ever plan to do. What I am bothered by is the way Mr. Gore constructed his argument. He made a passing reference to erosion and air pollution, but further elucidation on these possibly valid points was passed over in lieu of personal attacks. This printed in a school wide publication like The Campus offends me regardless of whether it is aimed at myself or not. Besides the aforementioned regional prejudice, the article contained numerous other puerile and ill-reasoned insults. Mudders are scared of the outdoors; they can't stand to "feel like an animal every once in a while." Peacefully hiking in the outdoors, while something I myself enjoy, has nothing to do with feeling like an animal. The animal kingdom is primarily run on rape (both of other members of their species and of the natural world) and death. Certain predatory birds hang their uneaten prey on bushes, beavers tear down trees to build dams and destroy the flow of the river. Certain species are too big, figuratively speaking, for their habitat — mongooses destroyed certain Hawaiian bird life, and sea lampreys are currently devastating the Great Lakes. Instead I am rather proud of the unanimalistic qualities of the human race. For example, we are the only species I know that consciously strives to stave off its detrimental influences on the environment.A weak argument, and here's a weaker one: if you disagree with Mr. Gore, you have a small penis and your girlfriend won't sleep with you. It makes absolutely no difference that these scientific theories were voiced by a "character" in a "story;" the lack of any literary merit or convincing dialogue flow in the article demonstrates that Mr. Gore is actually speaking. Well guys, better become Avant-Garde real quick, or a tiger will eat you, in the words of the classic Lun Heng. I would attempt to construct some sort of logical disagreement of these last rather striking assertions, but such means are impossible to utilize when there is no logic present in the first place. This article of mine should never have been written. Why? Because the editorial staff of The Middlebury Campus should be respectful of itself and its readers and not print such a substanceless, artless, insulting article. I would ask that the next time Mr. Gore tries to be controversial and alleges that my parents were cousins or some such petite syllogism, he be politely denied the privilege (for it is not a right) of publication.
(04/10/02 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] By Dana AllenI want to talk about spanking. I'm pretty new to it all and I have to say I really don't know that much about it. I mean, I got the occasional punitive tap from my parents when I was younger, but I have never really been on the giving end until this weekend when I spanked my girlfriend. Keeping in mind that this is a family friendly paper, I'll explain a little more. I was asked, or rather commanded, to spank my girlfriend as part of Middlebury College Activities Board's (MCAB) "Art of Kissing" show.If you went to this show, you didn't actually see me on stage. My partner in this endeavor and I agreed that we weren't going to go up there and essentially objectify ourselves in the name of entertainment that was based on the perpetuation of harmful gender stereotypes. Since then, I've talked to a number of people, most of whom have been in agreement with our decision. However there are those who didn't understand why we decided not to do it. This letter is for them.Their argument basically runs along the lines that the show is just that — a performance for the amusement of an audience. As such it shouldn't be taken too seriously and those of us who are making a big deal out of it are being over-reactionary. Keep in mind that feeding Christians to lions was also a show done for the amusement of audiences. Granted, no one was being fed to wild animals in McCullough this weekend, but the demonstration was equally as intolerable. The problem is this: masculine and feminine gender roles and the stereotypes associated with them can be extremely oppressive, especially to women. In a show where the women are openly asked to portray themselves as prostitutes and then become wanton tramps who get spanked by the presumed authority figure for the amusement of the masses, we are participating in a cycle of violence and degradation. These serious issues are being reduced to playthings for a comedian and his audience, further reducing their stature in the social consciousness. I know it's supposed to be funny. It's not. Violence against anyone is not funny. Degrading anyone's position in the world is not humorous. What could have been a funny, silly show about kissing was instead turned into a twisted caricature of male-female relationships that subconsciously served to reinforce the socialized power structures that oppress women. I'm not saying that this comedian is the source of all women's oppression, but rather that he, his show and entertainment forms like it are all strands in a web that collectively serve to bind feminine freedom. We all need to realize that it is small cumulative effects like these that continue to add up and create a culture in which women do not have the same privileges enjoyed by men. So I backed out of the performance because I felt all these things. How would I have felt had it been me on stage asked to objectify myself and get spanked? I would have felt humiliated and stupid, about the same feelings that I had when I was asked to do the spanking. I'm not about to go and make someone I care about, or even someone I don't know, feel that way on stage, even if it is "only a performance." I think that we can come up with better forms of entertainment than that. Virginia SnodgrassMaybe I'm one of those rare people who feel that they've never really been objectified. Maybe I just never noticed it before. In any case, Saturday night changed all of this. I was actually kind of excited, I wore tight jeans and a nice sweater and, to my boyfriend's dismay, eye makeup. I defended the show all week from the feminists because my friend organized it and for her sake I wanted it to go well. Not to mention that I hadn't bothered to check out this guy's Webssite. But, hey, "The Art of Kissing" sounds harmless, right? There's nothing offensive about kissing. In fact, I really like kissing. So, I signed up. I signed three of my friends up … and then there was the rehearsal."OK guys, there are just two rules to this. Don't talk during the rehearsal, it'll slow things down. Don't talk during the show, it'll distract the audience." Those were the words of Michael Christian, who ran the show. Sort of a shock. I thought it would be a little more laid back. I thought we would have as much fun as the audience, but we weren't even supposed to laugh. And then I guess I also thought this was going to be just kissing. I didn't think it was going to be all about role-playing. And not just any role, but roles that reinforced the most archaic and offensive gender roles. The older, sketchy teacher with the female student who uses her body to get the grade. The bad boy and the bad girl. In my opinion this was one of the worst because, while all the guys got to pretend to be James Dean, we, the 'bad girls,' got to be prostitutes. Because all bad girls are prostitutes. Because all prostitutes are bad girls. "Go ahead boys, give her a dollar," Christian said. I'll give YOU a dollar. Or the finger.And then there was the car scene, where I was to straddle my partner while he pretended to spank me. When Christian said that, I looked up and then at my partner who had a confused look on his face. I told him that if he spanked me I would beat him up. The amazing thing to me was that these role-play scenes went as far as to make racial slurs. For example, the Asian kiss involved standing as still as an Asian person would because all Asian people are shy and sexually repressed. Or my personal favorite, the South Pacific Kiss, where we were required to squat down and groom each other like gorillas and kiss violently. Clearly people from the South Pacific are violent gorillas.That was the last kiss and the last straw. Before that my partner and I had joked about joining Feminist Action at Middlebury's protest once we were on stage. But after being humiliated and objectified for the purpose of turning some guy on (to the point that one of the participants was supposed to hold an umbrella so that it was completely erect) and then getting him to hit on me, my partner and I decided not to participate. On a side note, contrary to the rumors spreading around campus, Eve Coronado, who organized the event, had no problem with our not participating. In fact, she apologized that the rehearsal had offended us and continues to support our decision.We left McCullough Saturday night and explained to everyone we ran into why we decided not to participate in "The Art of Kissing." I thought I would tell you too. In case you didn't see the show. Or in case you just didn't really think about it. I guess I didn't think anything of it either and thus assumed it was going to be harmless. But the implications of the role playing and the dialogues and Christian's text are serious and should not be taken so lightly. Fortunately, it was just a show. This wasn't me at a party walking towards some guy slowly and touching his chest and biting his ear so that he would like me. If I were lucky, he would interpret my actions to mean that I really wanted him, making him think that sex was next on the agenda. I do believe that this is how rape happens. And I am positive that the way women dress (sexy), and walk (sexy) and thus tease, are reasons that attackers say that the survivor was asking for it. I know that not everyone feels the same way about the show, in fact there were probably people who found it hilarious and think that I am crazy and overreacted when I decided not to go through with it. But maybe we should all be a little more critical about the way kissing, sex and relationships are presented to us. Maybe we should question stereotypes more often.
(04/10/02 12:00am)
Author: Laura Rockefeller An excited murmur ran through the audience as the house lights dimmed and four men in dapper black suits walked quietly onto the stage. The notes that soon began to dance off the bows of the performers cast a spell of enchanted silence over all of the auditors in the hall.It was almost impossible to believe that such a rich resonance was coming from the small group of unassuming men seated on the stage. The music from the four small instruments succeeded somehow in swelling and filling the entire space with a sound that was equally touching in its playful and in tender moments.Such was the feeling in the room last Friday when the Tokyo String Quartet performed in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall. The Quartet, which was founded more than 30 years ago, is a world-renowned chamber ensemble. Although the program that the Quartet presented at Middlebury College was entirely Brahms, its repertoire ranges from works for string quartet by classical composers such as Mozart and Schubert to pieces by more contemporary composers such as Bartok and Ravel.Along with its remarkable history of live performances, the Quartet has released more than 30 recordings and has been featured on television in programs like PBS's "Great Performances" and "CBS Sunday Morning."This particular concert was part of the Quartet's plan to perform all of Brahms' chamber works and string quartets. Included in the program were Brahms' "String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 67," his "String Quartet in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2" and the "Viola Quintet in G Major, Op. 111" for which the regular Quartet was joined by viola player Jesse Levine. This meant that all of the pieces in the concert were of one style, but the spirit of the performers ensured that the program did not become monotonous.In the first act, "Quartet in B-flat Major" was well juxtaposed with "Quartet in A minor" since the former had a very playful and vivacious feel to it, especially the "Vivace" movement, while the latter was more sentimental and lilting. The soft quality of some of the music as it floated out into the darkened auditorium made it easily understandable why "Lullaby" is one of Brahms' most well-known pieces. While it can express great exhilaration, much of his music, especially that performed in this concert, has a wonderfully soothing effect on the listener.There was hardly an empty seat in the Concert Hall, even in the balcony, and the audience reaction to the performance seemed to be universally positive. Some audience members gave the Quartet a standing ovation after only the first act. Excitement and anticipation had been running high before the performance in the lobby outside the Concert Hall and the tables in front of Rehearsal's Café where people were buzzing with discussions of their expectations of the concert.It seemed that the performance lived up to everyone's expectations, with the conversation in the lobby during intermission even more animated than it had been before hand, if that is possible.The fact that two performers were relatively new to the Quartet did not seem to create any problems in the polish of the performance. Violinist Mikhail Kopelman did not join the group until 1996 and cellist Clive Greensmith only came on board in 1999, but there was no doubt that the group worked beautifully together.The dialogue between the various instruments that took place in several movements seemed completely natural and almost effortless. At one point the viola would have a solo and then the focus would shift to the cello almost without the audience noticing the transition until it was already made.Thoroughly grounded by the Quartet's successful performance at the College, The Washington Post's appraisal of the Quartet said that, "If the Tokyo String Quartet isn't the world's greatest chamber music ensemble, it's hard to imagine which group is." With their four Stradivarius, they completely charmed their audience.
(04/10/02 12:00am)
Author: Peter Simon The Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) voted unanimously on Monday to approve a new program in Film and Media Culture. The program, which will replace the Film/Video track in the current Theatre, Dance and Film/Video Department, will include various media-related forms besides cinema, which will remain the focus. The proposal for the program in Film and Media Culture was presented by the ad hoc Committee on Media Studies, formed in the spring of 2001 by Acting Provost Alison Byerly. The committee, chaired by Professor of Theater and Art Ted Perry, also included Professor of Film/Video Leger Grindon, Associate Dean of Faculty Michael Geisler, Associate Provost Tim Spears and Professor of Art and Architecture Kirsten Hoving. "The emphasis is still going to be on film," stated Grindon. "The new program will allow a wider range of media into the curriculum." Grindon, who will chair the program when it begins in the fall, also said that he is looking forward to having "more diversity of interests in the program, both among the faculty and among the students."Spears noted television, animation, the internet, radio broadcasting and digital media as examples of media beyond cinema that could potentially be studied in the new program. "The area of study is opening up," said Spears. "Various forms of media are become an important part not only of the curriculum, but of our lives as well." One of the professors hired to begin teaching in the department in the fall, Jason Mittell, will primarily teach courses related to television. Deb Ellis, visiting lecturer in film and video, will teach courses in digital media. The change from being part of a department to becoming a program means that professors from other departments, such as the foreign languages, sociology or American civilization, would be able to teach interdisciplinary courses in film or media studies. According to Spears, much of the collaboration will occur with the American Civilization Department, as well as with foreign language majors. Classes will be offered on film in various foreign languages, which could potentially be taught by professors employed in the foreign language departments. Spears compared the interdisciplinary format of the major to the Environmental Studies and International Studies programs, both of which incorporate teaching from several different departments. "Under the current format, it would have been difficult for faculty members from other departments to teach courses about media," he said. Among six required core courses will be cultural studies, a Sociology course, as well as "Television and American Culture," which will fit into the American Civilization Department. For their remaining six courses, Film and Media Culture majors will have to choose at least one course from each of four categories: Media and Arts Criticism, Media and Society, Media and Arts Production and International Media. Students who have already declared a Film/Video major will have the option of continuing with the original requirements.
(04/10/02 12:00am)
Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee Pro-Palestinian College Movement Emerges in Middle East ViolenceWith the escalation of violence in West Bank and Gaza, many pro-Palestinian groups have grown more prominent on college campuses nationwide. The pro-Palestinian student groups have developed campaigns based on justice and human rights, while pro-Israeli student groups have refuted with accusations of Palestinian terrorism and, more importantly, with better funding and more established networks of activism.However, about 100 pro-Palestinian students of the University of Michigan sponsored three demonstrations in March alone, in addition to the increase of other high- and low-profile strategies. At Berkeley University, 500 students of various nationalities and religious affiliations voted in February to support the national effort of the Palestine Solidarity Movement in sending money and supplies to Middle Eastern civilians this summer. Students from across the nation — Palestinian, Jewish, non-Arab and non-Muslim alike — have come out in support of the Palestine Solidarity Movement.Pro-Israeli and Jewish student groups, especially national and even international organizations like Hillel, have also focused their campaigning efforts against supporters of the Palestine cause. These groups usually outnumber pro-Palestinian students. For example, there are 6,000 Jewish students and only 2,000 Arab or Muslim students at University of Michigan. Source: The New York TimesComputer Game Design: From Hobby to Masters Degree ProgramThe Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) recently established the first master's program in computer game design, in response to the exponential growths of the computer game industry and culture.The master's program at RIT is the latest development in nationwide debates on an interdisciplinary program that combines artists with software engineers to create interactive artificial intelligence that looks like Lara Croft. In January, the Art Institute of San Francisco offered game design courses for an undergraduate degree, after Carnegie Mellon University began its Entertainment Technology Center three years ago, with a variety of non-degree computer animation and special effects classes related to game design.The academic status of game design is still disputed at many colleges, oftentimes where there is a disparity between arts and computer science faculty and departmental resources. One certainty, however, appears to be the computer game industry, which is estimated to grow five times in the next decade, from $20 to $100 billion annually.Yet because technology grows even faster than the business, new computer game design graduates may be rebuffed in the company of more experienced designers, since all would have to be trained on the job. While many supporters of the degree program cite employment readiness, an average entry-level designer's salary is no more than $45,000. Other scholars argue that the synthesis of artistic and technological skills is more valuable reward from a computer game design degree.Source: The New York TimesHarvard Pleads for West to StayHarvard University students delivered a petition signed by 1,200 students, faculty and alumni yesterday to Professor Cornel West, imploring him not to leave his leadership role at Harvard's Afro-American studies department for a professorship at Princeton University.West has been identified with Afro-American studies nationwide after authoring many influential works, such as "Race Matters" and "The American Evasion of Philosophy: A Genealogy of Pragmatism and Post Analytic Philosophy." He teaches an introductory course in Afro-American studies, one of the most popular at Harvard. He is also the second-most cited black scholar in the field of social science from 1996 to 2000, according to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.It has been rumored that Harvard President Lawrence Summers made an offensive comment to West last fall, prompting West to consider the open position at Princeton. Summers said Monday that he has been urging West to stay.The Princeton Board of Trustees meets today, and West would have to file an application by today in order to be considered for appointment. As of Monday, the Princeton spokesperson said West's name has not been included in the list of appointments to be discussed at the meeting. The next opportunity, if West decides to move to Princeton, is June 3. Source: UwireToday.com
(04/03/02 12:00am)
Author: Ben Gore A young man and a young woman lie naked in the cool darkness of the third floor of Forest West. They speak in quiet tones as Mozart plays, almost inaudibly, in the background."Some friends of mine took me mountain biking up near the Snow Bowl yesterday," he says."That must have been great. Had you ever been before?" she replies, almost enthusiastically."It was my first time. I thought I was going to enjoy it but … but it actually frightened me a little.""Why? I always enjoy getting up into the mountains.""Well, for one it's really hard work pedaling uphill. Your legs burn and your lungs feel like they're going to tear. It's not like going up to Mad River or anything and taking the chair lift up to go skiing. I feel like it brought me too close to my body, you know? I mean that sort of thing shows you that you're really just an animal.""Exercise is good for you," she says sleepily."It's not just that, though. There was mud. I mean, they call it mud season, but I've never really understood it before. My clothes are filthy; my bike is filthy. Everything in this room smells like dirt. I don't know how I'm going to clean it all. What a ridiculous sport.""I like the smell. It gives the room a more natural feel. It makes me more comfortable. It's kind of nice to have something overpower that cologne and aftershave and stuff you keep in here. I feel like you're beating around the bush, though. I feel like you're not getting to what scared you.""You're right. What happened … I mean, we got to the top of this mountain, right? After climbing for like two hours and there was this vista with no trees, the edge of a cliff or something. And there was nothing there. It was just mountains and trees for as far as the eye could see. There was no sound but the wind, no cars, no airplanes, no factories. Just absolute stillness and this breeze. And the breeze, it was so sharp and empty. Nothing chemical on it, just air. It was the most lonely, terrifying thing, beyond imagining, to stand there and realize that there are places where humans aren't, where we aren't the masters of everything, where you're alone. I can't stand to be alone."She pulls him closer. "You're not alone, don't worry about that. That must have been a pretty powerful experience, it sounds like, like revelation almost.""It was. And after all the fear died down, after biking down the hill. Gee, that was so damned hard making it down that mountain, so slow, too. I mean you had to concentrate the whole time, and we never got above maybe 20 miles an hour. Anyways, I was sitting in my Expedition driving back home, trying to figure out what to do about this experience, and it hit me.""You're not going to become one of those tree-huggers down in Weybridge are you?" she says, getting a little alarmed."No, no of course not. Well, I was thinking back to last year and all that anti-SUV garbage, how those elitist so-called 'environmentalists' were harping on us for having SUVs even though we never used them. And I was thinking, 'What better way to answer their charges and solve this problem than to start on off-roading club?' I mean, it's perfect. It's a way to enjoy the mountains without getting winded, without ever having to deal with our bodies at all. Nothing to do for clean-up except go to the car wash on Route 7. But the best part is that the problem, the feeling of loneliness, the quiet, the empty air will be solved. People will never have to be subjected to that as long as we're up there in our cars. Hell, if we're successful maybe we can even give the air up there that tang I miss so much from back home in Jersey.""You know, you don't have to worry about that whole size thing, I love you anyways," she says as she strokes his thigh."What do you mean?""I mean, you know how they say that people with big cars are just compensating for other 'size deficiencies.' I mean, you don't have to start a club for tough guys with trucks just because of that, I love you anyways.""It's not about that at all. Jesus." He pulls back from her a little. "Do you really think it's like that? This is far more important than that. This is about giving everyone, even people who don't like to exercise or get dirty, a chance to get into the mountains. This is about having fun even without skill. This is about, first and foremost, giving the wilderness a little taste of civilization, making the world comfortable for people. This … this is a really important step, philosophically, for this school."She pulls back, too, confused, angry. She starts fishing around for her clothes. "You know what? I've tried to understand you, but I'm not sure I can deal with this tonight. What about erosion? What about air pollution? Did you ever consider that some people like the clean air? That some people don't want to hear your car? Did you ever think that maybe it's good to get dirty and get your legs tired, really burning, to feel like an animal every once in a while?""Who the hell are you? What'd you do with my girlfriend?""You know, I think I've humored you enough. This whole idea is bull***t. This is a bunch of punk kids from New Jersey tearing up the land because they're too lazy and scared of being wild to get out of their damn cars. This is a bunch of guys who're insecure about their genitalia and feel the need to compensate. I'm going home tonight. You need to think about the consequences of your actions." She finishes buttoning her shirt and grabs her North Face parka from the back of his desk chair. "Good night." She walks out and slams the door.He thinks about it for a second. "Screw her. A goddamn closet hippy after all that. Too bad, really, she was good in bed." He rolls over and falls asleep, dreaming of V-8 engines and double axles.
(02/27/02 12:00am)
Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee LaKesha Lindsay '96 came to Middlebury College to study Russian and is now a self-employed jewelry designer in Louisville, Ky. "I was my major from Day One," said Lindsay. She noted that she wanted to study Russian as early as 13 years old, when she read about the country's "grandeur and opulence" in Ronald Massie's book "Nicholas and Alexandria." Lindsay's artistic passion developed almost simultaneously, when as a 13-year-old, she happened upon a book of imperial eggs designed by Carl Faberge, court jeweler to two Russian tsars."I knew at that moment that I wanted to be a great jeweler and the best-spoken Russian," she recalled. Lindsay studied Russian extensively in high school and then started from scratch at Middlebury to ensure a solid background. She studied abroad in Kyrgyzstan for a year and, during her second semester, learned metalsmithing and stone cutting from a private jewelry house. After graduation, she interned for a non-governmental organization for nine months each in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. In the end, however, Lindsay chose to set up a studio with two young jewelers and began her own business. Her established clients are in the Midwest and the South. Lindsay's opportunities to use Russian are limited to letters to her best friend and conversations with her companion — the ones that touch on Russian concepts and the ones that need to be private in a public setting.Like Lindsay, many Middlebury students have drawn inventive links between their language skills and personal interests. In such fields as art, teaching, politics and business management, fluency in at least one foreign language has carried Middlebury students across geographical and cultural boundaries.According to Angel Diaz '93, he made a cross-cultural transition even before he mastered Arabic. Having studied Italian, French and Spanish in high school, Diaz asked his Italian teacher where "the best college for foreign languages [was], and she said Middlebury.""I didn't even know where Vermont was on the map," Diaz admitted. "You have to remember, I'm a Hispanic kid from Miami, from the heart of Little Havana, who learned English in school and spoke Spanish at home and everywhere else."Diaz's transition from the Florida coast to New England was not a smooth one, he recalled. He remembered that he "hated" living in "freezing cold Vermont in a tiny town." A double Italian-Spanish major, Diaz said he stopped attending most his classes, including Spanish, by the end of his sophomore year. Diaz decided to withdraw in early 1992 and left for Middlebury's semester abroad program in Greece. "My experience in Greece helped me to understand that more than a student of language, I enjoyed learning about the culture, the people and cultural nuances and dynamics," said Diaz. After five months in Greece, he "liked it so much that [he] was baptized Greek Orthodox" before returning to Middlebury to change his major to sociology/anthropology.Despite his fascination with foreign cultures, Diaz admitted to one former "prejudice." "Because of the Gulf War, and because all I watched during my meals at Proctor was CNN, well, Western media taught me that all Arabs are terrorists, that all Muslims are terrorists, that all terrorists are Arab Muslims," explained Diaz. His Lebanese-Irish friend, who had just attended the Arabic Language School, "pointed out that I wasn't thinking right." "I realized that if I were going to be an anthropologist and a student of the Mediterranean area and cultures, I needed to understand the Arabs, their language and their culture because the North African shore and the Levant cover a significant portion of the Mediterranean Sea," Diaz commented. The very next summer, he enrolled in the 1993 Arabic Language School."This was when I began to grow out of my ignorance," he recalled. Diaz said he realized the striking similarity between his Spanish culture and Arab culture, from their common vocabulary to the overlapping history of the Spanish and Arabic worlds. Diaz also learned that Islam is a "peaceful religion.""The Arabic School … was the most amazing experience I have ever had, and perhaps my life-changing experience," he commented. After the Middlebury Arabic School, Diaz eventually enlisted in the United States Navy in 1999 as an Arabic linguist. He advanced his studies in the Arabic program at the Army's Defense Language Institute in California and delivered his graduation speech last May in Arabic. Diaz currently teaches Arabic at the Army Institute and is taking Middle Eastern Studies courses at the graduate level.While Lindsay has devoted her time to completely new pursuits after mastery in Russian, Diaz has retained the academic focus of his Arabic studies. Annalisa Parent '97 is a French major who has been intertwining the two worlds, right down the road at St. Mary's Elementary School in Middlebury.In her kindergarten classroom during naptime, Parent motioned to the little girl who was showing her picture book to a teddy bear. "That's part of the charm," she explained. Parent has always wanted to teach young children because "they are so curious, they will say anything and ask you anything and they are open and honest. And they are silly, and I'm silly, too."Parent began her work at St. Mary's as a director of the afternoon program two years ago, when the school first reopened since the 1940s. The next year she began teaching kindergarten. That year, Parent had the opportunity to teach French to kindergarten and first grade students for a few months, but she opted against being a full-time French teacher. Instead, Parent teaches private French lessons three hours per week. Her students range from kindergarteners to sixth graders, including a second-grader who has been studying for four years and is now nearly fluent. She describes her lessons as often "self-directed." For example, Parent teaches vocabulary words specific to age-related interest, as in animals for kindergarteners and clothing for sixth graders.Beyond the French lessons, Parent has kept in touch with many French pen pals, whom she met during her junior year abroad in Nanterre. She is "always reading a French novel" and visits France as often as she can. "There's no real practical application for [the French major] in my life," said Parent. "It's just fun." More than pleasure, however, languages are Parent's passion. "I love languages so much," she remarked. She is currently teaching herself Romanian, in preparation for her upcoming trip to Romania. She has also bought "Spanish for Dummies" and has long learned "a couple of phrases in so many languages.""In a trivial sense, 'I' wouldn't exist as a monolingual," agreed Wright Frank '95. Another French major, Frank earned a Master's degree in linguistics, "developed an interest in the Arab world through friends from Palestine and Lebanon" and attended the Arabic Language School. He has recently returned from a Peace Corps project in Morocco."I enjoyed working with Nuer, a nilo-saharan language spoken in southern Sudan through refugees in the Buffalo and Rochester areas while writing my Master's thesis," Frank continued. "I'm torn between a desire to learn languages with a practical import and languages that are a little 'out there' and not studied much."However, Frank also said that he was originally inspired to study Arabic because the language was "hugely under-studied." This language of increasing popularity expects to graduate over a hundred people this summer — a hundred more stories to tell.
(02/27/02 12:00am)
Author: Abbie Beane Last week's Winter Carnival kickoff event brimmed with fairy tales, juicy cuts of meat, tall cakes, African lore and fiery dancing.As a prelude to the various festivities of the Cultural Arts Gala, held in the Center for the Arts (CFA) on Feb. 21, many Middlebury College students, faculty and staff attended the annual Winter Carnival dinner in Nelson Arena. This year's theme, "Beauty and the Beast," a tribute to the Disney movie classic, boasted everything from roast beef to towers of cakes piled with fluffy layers of pink icing, all victims of the ravenous mouths of 2,500 insatiable college students. Strings of lights hung like a luminous overhead jungle, and below proud animal sculptures arched their backs on the tables while workers dressed as characters from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" walked about in costume. Students gorged on tasty meats with their bare hands as a result of the ineffective plastic utensils. "I feel like a nomad," Matt Coons '04 said, picking up a slab of beef with his fingers. Eating selections of meat from "the beast" section of the dining event as well as feeling like primordial characters ourselves added to the amusement of the grand charade. Immediately following this culinary experience, Lisa Sammet, a self-described "tale singer," provided one of the numerous performances held that evening as part of the Winter Carnival Cultural Arts Gala, which incorporated music and creative dramatics. Entertaining a crowd of moderate size in the CFA Concert Hall, Sammet began with a piece playing the kalimba, a South African instrument made of various bits and pieces such as boards, boxes and hairclips. In celebration of Black History Month and her own experiences in Africa, she wore a colored mask and a blue and white outfit called a bubu, the traditional garment worn by men in the Ivory Coast. Sammet explained that she had taught English as a foreign language for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Ivory Coast. She also served as a recruiter for the Peace Corps for two years in the United States. Her performance, a tribute to her time in Africa, blended songs and chants from the Ivory Coast, classical African stories and frequent explanations of her African souvenirs, which still enchant her.Among her stage decorations was a blue shirt, made with the dye of an indigo plant and fabric made of a flax plant, which was traced with a design in goat dung. Her most prized instruments included the calabash, a large African gourd often used as a tambourine and the balaphon, a type of West African xylophone made of wood.Fighting a disruptive and restless crowd crawling with small children and parents trying to subdue them, Sammet sang a few songs and encouraged the audience to chant along with her. One particular tune, which she learned from the children of the Ivory Coast after starting a music club there, was "Everybody Loves Saturday Night," composed of verses in English, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese, typifing the multilingual nation. A man in the audience was quick to inform Sammet that the song was originally written in Bantu, a language of central and southern Africa. He left soon after this remark, though Sammet thanked him profusely for the knowledge he shared. At the close of this extremely informal and interactive performance, Sammet graciously invited the audience to speak with her about her experiences and investigate her instruments. At the same time, on the lower floor of the CFA, crimson waves of energy resonated off of the granite walls and wafted enticingly up to the second floor. It was Jeh Kula, an African Dance Troupe from Burlington, Vt., with a few members originally from Senegal and Guinea, who offered an amazing performance and instructional dance workshop. The room barely afforded enough space to the electrically charged scores of people, who were dancing intensely in their bare feet. They were all captives of the infectious beats of the Ganba and Samba, the two types of drums used by Jeh Kula. It was difficult to believe that such an intricate sound could be born of only two instruments. Walking in midway through the instructional dance workshop was analogous to entering someone's bedroom and catching them dancing wildly in their underwear, inspired by the freedom of their privacy. It was as if their bodies were mere vessels of their spirits, bending and twisting in ways only possible after shedding the shell of social inhibition. The crowd clapped incessantly, laughing and smiling and gasping for breath despite the fact that they were sitting still. The leader of the troupe, a man cloaked in shiny, tan African dress, then arranged the group into a circle and gave one person a piece of cloth — requiring that he dance for a minute inside the ring before passing the cloth to someone else.It was refreshing to see the people find such release in their unrestricted movements, fully submissive to the intensity of the music and their own passions.The atmosphere reeked of adrenaline and endorphins as the Troupe enticed the audience to expose their true nature to the public. Later, a few of the professional dancers put on a choreographed performance to the beats of the Samba and the Ganba as well. The drums were played by four people in Jeh Kula towards the back of the stage. With the powerful waves of energy carrying the audience through to the last beat, it would have been impossible to fall asleep. And if the hot mustard at the dinner did not penetrate your skin, this heated unveiling of the confident performer behind the mask of the everyday man could surely meet that challenge.
(02/27/02 12:00am)
Author: Campus Editor in Chief The collapse of the Soviet Union visibly dented Russian language enrollment at Middlebury College, touching off a decade-long downturn that sliced introductory class sizes from 40 per semester at the dawn of the decade to a mere 15 this spring. While Professor of Russian Tom Beyer contended that Russian suffered the most dramatic decline, the downward trend, guided by international political and economic factors, extends to the College's German and Japanese departments. "We've had our time selling German over the past 10 years because of the fall of the Berlin Wall," admitted Assistant Professor of German Bettina Matthias. "Right after that, students asked, 'Why study German?'" The Modern Language Association's enrollment data confirm the effects of the students' skepticism, showing a 27.8 percent decline in German language study nationwide from 1990 to 1995. Meanwhile, Professor of Japanese Nuobo Ogawa said that the College's Japanese Department enrollments rose steadily in the late 1980s and early 1990s as Japan's economy gained prominence, but later fell as the current 12-year-old recession set in.As the three College departments confront declining enrollments, faculty members speculate on when interest might resurge, while devising strategies to promote their languages. Beyer, for one, reflected on the 1960s, when "idealism" motivated many students to study Russian. "[Russian students] were convinced that the confrontation between our two nations was a real possibility if not inevitable, but we were equally convinced that people of good will and common sense on both sides, if they could just find a common language, could avert the potential catastrophe of nuclear war," he remarked. But since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, he said "economics has proven not as strong a motivation as idealism" to study Russian. Beyer also cited the media's portrayal of Russia as a "dangerous place lacking the rule of law [and] where foreigners were subjected to attacks and petty street crime" as a factor dissuading students from studying Russian. "This image clearly could not appeal to a younger generation and certainly must have had some parents suggesting that students study another language," he said. These influences, playing out far beyond the confines of Middlebury's campus, sent Russian enrollments down to 97 this semester from 159 in the spring of 1989. Beyer said that "our enrollments have mirrored the national decline in interest in Russian" since the collapse of the Soviet Union, referring to a nationwide dip of 44.6 percent from 1990 to 1995, compared with an 86 percent surge in enrollments from 1980 to 1990. Recently, however, Beyer has noticed that the decline has "plateaued out." He noted a "renewed interest in all things Russian," signaled by stronger enrollment in first and second year Russian classes and the popularity of a Russian literature course in translation. In addition to Russia's anticipated role as "a major player in world affairs in the 21st century," Beyer said the rekindled interest reflects Russian's emergence as the "lingua franca among Russia, many of the former Soviet Republics and Eastern Europe."This year, in an effort to increase enrollment, the department offered the option of starting Russian language study in Winter Term, attracting an additional eight students. Historically, the Winter Term class has served as the required bridge between the fall and spring semester Beginning Russian classes. According to Matthias, the German Department saw a one-seventh drop in Beginning German enrollment this year, which she attributed to the French Department's decision to offer introductory French in the fall. But even before this year, "we have talked extensively about a strategy for turning around declining enrollment," Matthias said. At the forefront of the department's plan is a proposal to "completely restructure the required German Winter Term class," perhaps by incorporating a 10-day trip to Berlin to supplement two weeks of intensive on-campus language study. The Berlin trip would complement the new Middlebury School Abroad in Berlin, slated to open this fall. The Winter Term proposal, currently under consideration by the Curriculum Committee, would "expose students to Berlin and hopefully inspire them to continue studying German," explained Matthias. She said she anticipated a final decision on the proposal by spring break. While 26 students began studying German this fall, the department "is hoping for 30 to 35 next year if the Berlin program is offered," Matthias commented, which would be "ideal for the number of faculty we have." Associate Professor of German Roman Graf also foresees an enrollment jump should the Berlin program materialize. "Berlin will be so attractive that students will take German 101," he said, adding that Berlin "is the New York of Europe," a "vibrant hub for politics and culture." Aside from the potential Berlin program, Professor of German and Department Chair Kamakshi Murti said the department would try to attract students by incorporating diversity issues — such as minority literatures from German-speaking countries — in coursework. They will also continue to offer German classes in English, with the option of either English or German discussion. The Japanese Department, having witnessed an enrollment decline from 73 in the spring of 1992 to 56 this semester, has similar plans to promote interest in their language. Ogawa mentioned the possibility of sponsoring an interdisciplinary Winter Term class on Japan next year designed to whet students' appetite for Japanese studies. "Students who have the opportunity to visit Japan are usually interested in learning more," he said. He expects Japan's "strategic importance" to play a role in boosting enrollment. "Japan is an important ally of the United States in combating terrorism," Ogawa said, adding that the country is "central in the generation of popular culture, especially manga and anime." In addition, the Japanese economy remains the second largest in the world.As Graf joked, "They don't teach you in graduate school to worry about whether you'll have students in your class," but coping with the ebbs and flows of language popularity, driven by political and economic events, is part of the reality of teaching foreign languages at Middlebury.
(02/20/02 12:00am)
Author: Lindsey Whitton About an hour and a half south of Middlebury College and a few minutes away from Bromley Mountain, a piece of historic Vermont is preserved. A beautiful white farmhouse sits on the roadside. Two draft horses race a sleigh through snow-crusted fields. The family farm still produces and sells Vermont products like milk, eggs and cheese. Almost 20 years ago, after John Wright graduated from the University of Vermont, he dreamed of running his own traditional Vermont farm. Unfortunately, the price of land in southern Vermont, within spitting distance of three profitable ski resorts, prohibited such an endeavor. One after another, the areas' bucolic farms were being snapped up by developers and turned into prototypes of Swiss ski villages. Luckily, Wright and his wife Lisa were able to lease property from a generous family interested in protecting their large land holdings. Over the years, the Wrights added three daughters, a large barn of cows and several creative side businesses to their enterprise. They also were finally able to purchase almost 20 acres of their farm, and the remaining property was deeded to the Vermont Land Trust with the Wright's lifetime farming ownership. Creative adaptation to the times enabled this Vermont family farm to survive when thousands of others have gone under. Last year they were featured on the cover of Vermont Magazine.At 6 p.m. on Friday night, my extended family and various close friends jumped out of three crowded cars onto the muddy driveway of Taylor Farm in Londonderry. We were bundled up against the cold, some of the younger children practically unrecognizable in their multiple layers. Our laughs filled the air with smoky clouds. A friend from Middlebury and I had driven down to my family's house in southern Vermont for the annual visit, and we agreed that a college Friday night seemed far away. Suddenly our boisterous crowd started moving toward the field, and I realized that our soft-spoken host, Wright, had joined our group. We all climbed onto his big wooden sleigh and pulled warm blankets over our legs. He introduced us to his two horses, Pat and Jane, and warned us that they were a little bit frisky that night. Over two tons of frisky horse pulling us across icy fields? I could not help but imagine all 17 of us toppling over.The first part of the ride was very peaceful. There is something serene about gliding through a cold dark night, comfortable and warm. The only light was the moon and the only sound was of horses' hooves. Even the youngest members of our party were subdued by the experience. Then Wright let the horses run. The sleigh flew across the snow, and we were breathless.We went through a gap in an old stonewall and crossed into a new field. Wright expertly guided Pat and Jane towards a warm glow in the far corner of the meadow. We soon reached the small lean-to, where a picnic table was lit by old glass lanterns and the light of a bonfire.The horses were hitched to an ancient tree, and we piled out. Wright unpacked a picnic basket full of different types of warm homemade bread, award-winning Taylor Farm cheeses, a thermos of hot apple cider and a jar of marshmallows. Long sticks were neatly laid out on one corner of the table, and all the little kids immediately started roasting marshmallows. We all talked to John Wright, who shyly showed us a picture of his family on the cover of last summer's edition of Vermont Magazine. The article profiled the Wrights as a perfect example of how old Vermont farms can survive through creative ideas for supplementary income, like these sleigh rides.After about 40 minutes, we rode back to the farmhouse. We bought quantities of their homemade cheese and then filed into the barn to see the real producers, the cows. I have been to this farm a few times, but I am always shocked by the size of their animals. They must feed these cows extra-special chow. These particularly enormous cows produce record-breaking quantities of milk. The barn is configured so that they present their backside to us. My little sisters, cousins and their friends leisurely trotted up and down the aisle, reading each cow's name aloud and commenting on her (backside) appearance. Everyone was having fun until some unknown trigger (perhaps the tin-whistle scream of my two-year-old cousin?) inspired almost every cow to agitatedly emit a spontaneous Niagara Falls-like flow of urine and feces. We picked up stunned babies and cautiously walked the gauntlet to the exit. This was clearly no place for amateurs. This pilgrimage is always a highlight of my winters, and it is surprisingly near Middlebury. This unique sleigh ride experience would be a wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion and see a bit of traditional Vermont. Call Lisa and John Wright, (802) 824-5690, for reservations. I can promise a beautiful night, and the most delicious bread and cheese, but you'll have to take your chances on the spontaneous cow show. It really cannot be fully described in print.
(02/20/02 12:00am)
Author: Yvonne Chen One should not doubt The New York Times' proclamation that Malian singer Kandia Kouyate, who performed at the Center for the Arts Concert Hall last Wednesday, has the "charisma and vocal power of the most commanding American soul singers."Despite a difference in language and instrumentation, her music transcends cultural definition and is dominated by sounds and themes that are universal, touching the young and the old alike.The concert, titled "Songs of Mandinka of West Africa: Soul of Mali," was attended by a diverse audience. Before Kouyate and her band took to the stage, the group shuffled in to the Concert Hall, not fully knowing what to expect for the evening's performance. Yet after the usual formalities were over, the band members, all of whom were dressed in the traditional West African male bubu, walked onto the stage. Following directly behind the men was the female accompanist, who walked casually onto the stage robed in formal African dress. The women's olive color bubus swayed back and forth, stirring up an image of a large leaf or a paper bag vulnerable to the regular motions of a passing breeze. Peculiar sounds resonated from the clear tones of the traditional African instruments — the ngoni, the kora and the balafon — to ignite a warm ambience. As Kouyate entered onto the stage, one could not help but notice the sheer and simple vibrance of her presence. Dressed in a striped red and green bubu with matching neon red nails and pumps, Kouyate paced from one side of the stage to the other. She heaved the curves of her bubu commandingly, lifting the crowd with a single rippling crescendo and each hypnotic toss of her dress.The rhythm shifted between moments of engagement and distance. Few can do so without a commanding voice like Kouyate's. Her contralto, and throaty, soulful voice filled the Concert Hall with the scepter of the intense history and emotion that lies behind her music. In spite of the language barrier, her dynamic expressions at times seemed to imitate protest, grief or shouting. The flywhisk, a traditional status ornament made out of animal hair that adorned Kouyate's colorful garb, rocked rhythmically along with the singer.Each song succeeded in presenting a quickening tempo as the drum beat brought the audience to nearly claustrophobic excitement. Soon the crowd was clapping along with the heavy beat. Young children and adults alike got out of their seats and danced expressively to the beat. Kouyate called out "Desa!" and the audience responded similarly. From the balcony I could not help but notice one woman dancing with especial enthusiasm, surpassing in intensity even the excited college students around her. In another song, the backup singer danced casually with the loose swaying of her body and her bubu. At intense moments she pounded the ground with her bare feet, her magnificent physical motions mirroring the beautiful intensity of her music. When asked what she thought of the performance one audience member said, "It makes you want to just get up and dance." "This is what good African music is about," said Theresa Chen '05, a Middlebury music student who attended the packed Wednesday performance. Kouyate is much more than just a good crowd pleaser, however. Biographer Lucy Duran proclaims that she is "Mali's greatest living female singer." Although noted for her voice, the program dispelled popular notions of the 'soul' quality that Western listeners might ascribe to her. Admittedly, one could hear hints of the Afro-Cuban and jazz in her music (influenced in part by her days with the Apollo group Bamako), but overall Kouyate is an "avowed traditionalist" who has been innovative in reinventing the form of music known as 'jeli.' A legend of her time, she is known for her Mande style of music that incorporates both modern and traditional elements, while keeping the established 'jelimuso' tradition in tact. For example, Kouyate first began using the type of ethereal female chorus that has since become the trademark of Mande music. One can also hear that the "deep classical style of ancient Mali" and also "the rolling melodies of her native Kita" influence the range of her voice.As for the content of her music, Kouyate uses deep cultural metaphors and references the past. Some are beautiful love songs for which Kita is famous while others are about tribal hunting. The song "Sa kuna sa," we are told, lauds the hunters' societies for their egalitarian moral code. In the latter part of the show Kouyate delivered a brief speech that praised the beauty of women. Kouyate's political motivation is connected with the place of women in Mali. To advance, women must struggle against a highly patriarchal society.. Kouyate's reputation and respect was therefore hard to come by, especially because she performs songs that are traditionally reserved for men.
(02/13/02 12:00am)
Author: Claire Bourne Hostage Situation Ends at Fairfield UniversityTwenty-two students and a professor were taken hostage yesterday afternoon in a classroom at Connecticut's Fairfield University by a recent graduate claiming to be armed with an explosive device. Five female students were released shortly after the situation began. A few hours later, 11 more students were set free after police negotiations. Around 10 p.m. the hostage-taker released the remaining hostages. He walked into a religious studies class at the school's Canisius Hall at approximately 4 p.m. yesterday. The rest of the building and two adjacent buildings, including one dormitory, were promptly evacuated. Police said they had been "in constant communication with [the man] since the onset of this incident."Authorities said that the man had made demands but would not divulge what he was seeking. Students said he was visually impaired and typically walks with a guide dog. Although the dog was not with him at the time of the incident, a Fairfield University junior said, "I heard that he wants to be noticed by the University. Perhaps he feels like he's been slighted by the University and wants some kind of justice."Fairfield, Conn., Mayor Ken Flatto said that, although the graduate had been identified by police, his name would not be disclosed.A spokesman for the University said that "it [was] a very calm scene" and that students were gathering at a safe distance from the building to watch the situation unfold. At press time the suspect remained in the building still claiming to be armed with explosives.Source: CNN.comBush Creates Presidential Advisory Board for Black CollegesPresident George W. Bush signed an executive order yesterday creating a presidential advisory board for historically black colleges and universities. Board members will include current presidents of the colleges, representatives of private foundations, business and financial leaders and high school administrators.According to White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer '82, the panel will submit an annual report with suggestions on how to advance the academic performance, use of technology and financial planning at historically black institutions of higher learning.Bush's campaign promises included a 30 percent increase in funding for these institutions during his term in office. His budget plan for fiscal 2003 recommends approximately $264 million for traditionally black colleges and universities and $89 million for Hispanic schools.Source: Associated PressUniversity of Georgia Heats Buildings With Animal FatThe University of Georgia has found an innovative way to heat buildings on campus — by burning chicken fat. Scientists at the University claim that chicken fat, restaurant grease and similar "biofuels" are safer for people and the environment than oil and coal.The University spent $30,000 to modify one of its large steam boilers so that it could burn animal fats and oils in addition to gas and fuel oil. The institution's primary boiler still burns coal, however the recently converted one is being used to provide additional heat during the cold winter months. Tests conducted by the University's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering found that animal fats produce 90 percent of the heat of fuel oil. In addition, the concentration of sulfur and other air pollutants was found to be comparatively lower in resulting air emissions. The project is being funded by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the Fats and Protein Research Foundation and will soon expand to test the uses of animal fat in automobile engines. Within two decades, the nation's energy plan will require 20 percent of energy needs to be satisfied by alternative fuel sources. Since the United States produces upward of 2 million pounds of chicken fat a week and 11 billion pounds of fat a year from poultry, pork and beef, this inventive approach to the energy crisis appears to be a viable option.As for the students of the University of Georgia, no one has complained yet about the odor.Source: Associated PressTwo Harvard Students Charged with EmbezzlementTwo Harvard University students have been charged with stealing $100,000 from the Hasty Pudding Theatricals club, the oldest and most well known theater group in the country. Suzanne Pomey and Randy Gomes, both 21, allegedly used the organization's credit cards to transfer funds into their own accounts. Prosecutors in Middlesex County, Mass., said the money was spent on Gomes's drug habit and on trips to New York City, Chicago, Palm Springs, California and Cape Cod. Both students pled not guilty to grand larceny last week despite having acknowledged their involvement in the scam to authorities.Pomey served as a co-producer of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals last year and oversaw the group's finances while Gomes acted as assistant director of the club's "Man of the Year" and "Woman of the Year" shows, both of which honor celebrities. Lena Demashkieh, who assumed the position of co-producer last March, discovered that the organization's bank account balance was approximately $50,000 lower than financial records indicated. She then noticed a $16,000 withdrawal made without her approval.The University will only decide whether to take disciplinary action once the criminal proceedings are complete, a Harvard spokeswoman said.Source: The New York TimesCampus Crime Statistics Increase in 2000The number of drug arrests on the nation's college and university campuses increased by 10.2 percent in 2000 while the number of liquor arrests rose 4.2 percent. In 2000, Pennsylvania State University at University Park made 175 drug arrests, the most of any American university, and Michigan State University recorded 852 alcohol-related arrests. Sixteen murders occurred on campuses, marking a 45.5 percent increase from 1999. The number of hate crimes also escalated to 555 in 2000 from 401 the year before. These offenses consisted mainly of simple or aggravated assault. Jeffrey Ross, the national director for campus and higher-education affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, cited better reporting, not an increase in actual incidents, as the reason for the increase in 2000.Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education
(02/13/02 12:00am)
Author: Lanford Beard The mid-year graduates of the Class of 2001.5 have certainly learned to love the cold.Having entered Middlebury College during the harsh Vermont winter, they concluded their stay here with a ski down the Snow Bowl on Feb. 2, 2002.Kate Noble '01.5, one of the many Febs who did not don a coat over her robe, commented on this reality of the Feb experience: "Who needs a coat when you've got a cane and a gown?"Another Feb reality is that the experience is, as Jason Dane '01.5 put it, "circular." Dane recalled the ice storm that welcomed his class in 1998. He noted that the icy conditions on campus and the glistening trees at the Snow Bowl this year "seemed like an ice storm might happen again."As the Feb experience is circular, so was the day of graduation. The Febs began their commencement ceremony at Mead Chapel, the very location of convocation, then proceeded to the Snow Bowl and finally ended up again on campus for the last time. This trip had symbolic value for many Febs as they basked in the glow of the winter sun for the last time.Like all graduation ceremonies, this year's was a combination of celebration and satisfied recollection. President John McCardell's address to the graduates perfectly suited this tone as he discussed the "mystic cords of memory," a phrase coined by Abraham Lincoln.McCardell cited quotations by several noteworthy figures, including Vermont's own adopted poetRobert Frost. Throughout the address, he encouraged Febs to appreciate their memorable experiences during the four years."Don't forget your teachers, and by teachers I do not only mean professors," said McCardell. "Remember the teachers that you have found in your friends, your family, the friendly Middining staff, commons members and others."After McCardell's address, the parade of graduates receiving canes and the singing of the Alma Mater, the departing Febs headed outside where the scene was flushed with chaos, personified by a few stray hats that found their way into the air. Soon after, the Febs and their parents made their way to McCullough for a reception.At 2 p.m. the ski down at the Snow Bowl began. A spicy Latin beat punctuated this final procession while the Febs expressed their uniqueness in various ways. Some skied, some snowboarded, some sledded, some walked … and a few unsuccessfully tried to make their last ride on blow-up toys. They all proved that being a Feb is all about adding one's own personal touch to any occasion, as a show of leis, tinsel and even stuffed animals decorated the typical black gowns and caps.Discussing the anticipation of his ski down, Dane said, "I looked around and thought, 'I know all these people.'" Through their individuality, the Febs have grown to know each other and feel a real sense of unity through shared memories.This bond is what will keep what Meg Morello '01.5 called "the greatest blessing of my life" an ever-present reality beyond this February graduation festivities because, as she continued, "once a Feb, always a Feb."
(01/16/02 12:00am)
Author: Raam WongOpinions Editor I've heard it said that you can't go home again. Well, after the 504 hours and 39 minutes spent with my family over the break, I certainly wish that were the case. I've never been sure what the term "nuclear family" meant before, but if it has anything to do with the relationship between my family and I being analogous to the tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War, then I think the term is right on the money. (It also helps that my dad is a Communist.)Much of my frustration with being home is due to my parents treating me like a child, which only leads me to behave like a little kid again. But it's not as if I'm trying on my mom's makeup or making cookies with my Easy Bake Oven, or any of the other activities we boys engage in as kids. It's just strange to me that at one moment I'll be at Midd studying neurobiology and the next moment I'll be home sleeping in a race-car bed with my feet poking out the other end. And the plastic My Little Pony sheets don't exactly make me feel like a big boy either. The problem is only compounded at Christmas dinner when my parents make me sit at the kids' table. Apparently no one finds it odd that I'm actually the only one sitting at the so-called kids' table and that the table is located in the garage. Of course, I'd rather be hiding in the garage than sitting at the dinner table with my relatives who always insist on pummeling me with a barrage of jokes about my being the lone vegetarian in the family: "Hey Raam, you sure you don't want some turkey?" or "Raamer, can I get you a slice of this juicy roast beef?" This line of questioning always persists until every one of my witty relatives has offered me every single kind of meat, poultry or other living creature conceivable.The same jokes every year can grate on my nerves. Would it really be that difficult for my relatives to create some new jokes, such as, "Hey Raam, could you look at my dog? He has a bad cough. Wait, sorry, you're a vegetarian. Not a veterinarian!" Then we would all have a good laugh as the rest of my relatives copied this joke format with other words that sound similar to "vegetarian," like valedictorian, ventriloquist and vas deferens. Hopefully this joke will last us another twenty years of Christmas dinners or until my carnivorous relatives finally have heart attacks from all the animal flesh they've been eating and I can eat my tofu burger in peace. (At least a man can dream.)Usually I try to avoid such interactions with those people referred to as my "loved ones" (a misnomer in it of itself). Instead, I enjoy sitting in front of the television and allowing junk TV like Fox reality specials such as "When Toll Booth Operators Throw Change" to push an entire semester's worth of college out of my brain. It's interesting that it takes a tuition of $34,000 to place knowledge into my head, and only a "Facts of Life" marathon to remove it. I do enjoy more serious entertainment, however. For instance, I love to break out my video collection and watch films depicting alcoholism, drug abuse and white-collar crime. Then again, there are only so many hours of the Wong family movies a man can watch before he has to return to therapy. My marathon TV watching is occasionally interrupted by one of my parent's enthusiastic announcements that I have a phone call. It's as if my parents are celebrating the fact that I have friends or something. My parents were equally as proud when I had other social breakthroughs such as learning to chew with my mouth closed or not flying home to California every time I have to use the bathroom. They were so happy about the former accomplishment that they flew me home from school and threw me a neighborhood party to celebrate my achievement. Unfortunately I had to leave early to catch a flight back to Vermont so I could use the facilities. Being home also means that I instantly become the computer expert for the family. My parents are only now getting on the computing bandwagon, and they depend on my broad knowledge of computers to explain to them the intricacies of personal computing. Without me, my parents would have to hire an expensive consultant to do such things as instruct my mom that the CD-ROM drive is not intended to be a "handy cup holder." And it took me quite a bit of time to help my dad get online when the extent of his Internet experience had only been trying to locate a Web browser on the kitchen toaster.But my parent's computer knowledge has been improving. For instance, I can tell them about all the "burning" I do at college without having them send me away to drug rehab again. The problem, however, is that now my parents want me to burn all of my CDs for them. Just between you and me, I think it's sad when older people listen to a younger generation's music. Occasionally I just want to stand up to my parents and say, "No, I will not burn my Patsy Kline CD for you!"But with all its drawbacks, I do enjoy being home. And occasionally, I'll have one of those rare moments in which I look at one of my family members, my heart swells, and I think, "Wow, I can endure this person." But for the other 364 days and 23 hours of the year, I guess I'll have to settle for episodes of "The Facts of Life" and the continual denial that I have a family.
(01/16/02 12:00am)
Author: Jason DaneStaff Writer As any film student will most likely tell you, showing your project on the big screen for the first time is one of the most exhilarating experiences imaginable. And on Dec. 8, 2001, the students of Sight and Sound II got a taste of that excitement first hand during their final project screening in Dana Auditorium. The screening, which lasted from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., was the culmination of an entire semester of mastering the process of digital video production.As the auditorium filled up in anticipation of the event, it became increasingly clear whose work was about to be shown as almost all the students involved excitedly greeted their friends and fellow film buffs who had come for the evening's screening. Having spent an entire semester working up to this event had the filmmakers both excited and nervous to show their work in front of a packed theater."It was a great learning experience to have our work screened in front of a real audience," said an enthusiastic Eliza Mitchell '04, one of the film students presenting projects that night. "It was neat to see how you can have an impact on people simply in the way you put images together." To kick things off Deb Ellis, who taught the Sight and Sound II class in the fall semester, gave a brief introduction to the audience, explaining a little about the class and the evening's screening. The 12 week class proved an intense period during which students were introduced to the Media 100 non-linear editing program and learn the basics of digital video practices. At first the program may have seemed daunting, but the students quickly became acquainted with it and in turn spent much of their time and energy in the editing room in the basement of the Sunderland Language Center for much of the fall. "Deb was awesome and enthusiastic," said Mitchell. "She was like, 'Here are the cameras. Go try it out, and let's see what you come up with.'"Bernadette Gunn's '04 project, "Cave," was a particularly memorable experimental piece, which exhibited a unique talent with editing techniques. Comprised of both "found footage" and original filming, Gunn's project was a montage that takes the viewer on "an emotional journey from the confinements of fear and intimidation to an overall sense of freedom and optimism.""The films were very diverse this year," said Abbie Vacanti '02, another student presenting her project. "It was interesting to see where everyone was coming from and what they came up with in the end." The variety of subject matter covered in the film projects seemed to be much more diverse than in previous years. Usually, an audience member could expect to see a majority of satires and semi-dramas, with the occasional documentary or experimental piece to break things up a bit. This year's class, however, exhibited a much broader scope with pieces including animation, documentaries, comedies, avante garde, dramas and even a mock preview. Noah Bickford '03's self referential piece was a notably poignant creation made up of footage he had shot a couple years earlier. Also leaving a lasting impression in viewers' memories was Peter Yordan's '04 off-beat comedy, in which a team of freelance matchmakers-gone-hitmen patrol the grounds of the College to regulate romance on campus. While many of their projects had been shown in class, this was the first time during the semester that an external audience had the opportunity to view Mitchell's and other students' work. "It was really good to put our films up on a big screen," said Vacanti. "It gave the people working on them a totally different perspective by having a full audience watch our projects."
(12/05/01 12:00am)
Author: Brittany Gill Saturday evening's Night of Black Culture was dynamic. It literally breathed life into its title, "Kaleidoscope: 'A Spectrum of Color.'" At 6 p.m. tin foil was removed from a row of fine fresh food for the soul from Taste of Dixie in Burlington. The crowd grew slowly, performers and audience alike serving up the red tomatoes with potato salad next to creamy yellow cheese among other colorful dishes. A flash of lights announced the beginning of the African American Alliance (AAA) show as Tiffani Harris EX and Damian Washington '03 took the stage as the evening's emcees. In a nearly tuneless, but energetic sweat, the audience was led through the Black National Anthem, which reminds us of the "tears [that] have been watered…[and] the blood of the slaughtered"; it reminds us that America was not built in one day or after one war, but rather in many days and through more wars. Slam poetry followed the anthem, with the original piece "Size Me" by Crystal Belle '04. Her poetry took a radical stance against oppressive images of beauty, origin and attitude. Everyone comes with his or her own attitude size and type. Toni Spence '04, next on stage, introduced the audience to the attitude of dance. Using the energy of one arm against the other she pushes her body into full spin. The momentum of Spence's dance pulled the audience into the rhythm of the African running choir, also known as Mchaka Mchaka. The group of singing men that sometimes passes underneath your window at night jogged in place for at least the first of three enchanting tunes.We were then carried from Africa to Jamaica where Tessa Waddell '02 read Louise Bennett's poetry. The accent and syntax, which were foreign to my Mid-Western ear, produced laughter especially from the Caribbean portion of the audience. The audience remained captivated as a harmony of "Voices" accompanied by Maurice Opara '04 sang "It's Over Now." The eight women covered a plethora of colors in their bright array of shirts, their "black" faces, and their diversity of voices.Brandy Perry '04 stretched the diversity of mediums used to display black culture in showing an original movie clip, which battled with the boundaries of beauty. To top off an already diverse and energetic show was Emmy Gay from New York City with a "One Woman Show." Although the content of her performance was mostly humorous, she refused to be labeled as a comedian. Just as she refused to leave behind her attitude, her radicalism, her feminism or her nappy hair. Coming from New York City, Gay jumped right into the politics of America's New War. She wonders why we would want to have a war on terrorism when history has shown us that when a war is declared on something, such as the war on drugs or on poverty, we lose. Politics merged into history through intricate moments of poetry, impersonations and personal stories. Gay described her experience in her fifth grade history class. They spent one day on the holocaust, two days on the civil war and three months (dramatic pause) on the Boston Tea party. Who wrote those history books? Because his story does not always tell my story. In her story, she defines herself as a pro-Gay, Black Nationalist feminist. These things don't often go together, she admits in a conversation after the show, but they are all an intricate part of her identity. A conglomeration of past experiences form who she is today and she refuses to leave any part behind. She described herself as being the only black kid in school. Although she claimed her favorite song was "which one of these kids doesn't belong," she wasn't intimidated by her situation and in fifth grade decided to be the first black woman president. With her militant college-aged brother and Tina Turner as role models, Gay questioned what she learned in the classroom. She described her radical reaction to having only one word in the school play- "America." After the only Chinese girl said her short part, "The United States of," Gay, feeling irritated with the blatant racism, couldn't help but put all her bottled-up frustration into her one word. Much to the dismay of her teachers, this energy translated into an unacceptable and rebelliously improvised song.With continued animation she described a man shouting on a NYC street corner: "Homosexuals are going to hell!" She confronts him, shouting in response, "This is hell! We're all going to hell!" She noticed people that were once walking by with empty faces, were now nodding in agreement. Gay had the feminists nodding when she looked down at her pregnant womb and insisted that she has not lost her virginity. Rather, she explained, she traded it. Her carefully constructed and powerfully performed show cannot be summed up. Her show was not like the words on this page: black and white. So often people seem to be cut out like paper dolls and sorted into piles. Gay streched definitions like these through a display of variety, diversity, talent, attitudes and perception.The audience gave her an appreciative and well deserved standing ovation.
(12/05/01 12:00am)
Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee Reverend Paul Bortz did not believe that last Saturday's 50-degree weather was a fluke. Neither did the 20-some others at the third planning meeting of the Multifaith Global Warming Action Coalition. On Nov. 29, the group met at St. Stephen's Church and brainstormed a wide array of environmental campaigns. "We are the environmental action committee of the spiritual community of the Middlebury area," explained Professor of Political Science David Rosenberg, who attended the meeting. He shares the group philosophy that there is a "spiritual obligation to be stewards of the Earth.""We belong to the land; the land doesn't belong to us," Rosenberg cited an old Native American saying.Bortz, who also leads the Ripton-based Spirit in Nature program, spearheads the Multifaith Global Warming Action Coalition. Membership includes a long list of religious groups, such as Unitarian Universalists, Congregationalists, Jews, Quakers and Episcopalians. In addition, several environmentally concerned members of Middlebury College have involved themselves over the years. Along with Rosenberg are Sustainable Campus Coordinator Connie Bisson, global warming expert and Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics Richard Wolfson, as well as renowned environmentalist and author, Visiting Scholar Bill McKibben.In the past, the Coalition has collaborated with many campaigns led by Environmental Quality (EQ). Likewise, some EQ members are regular participants, even board members of the Coalition. Because of academic conflicts, however, only two Middlebury students attended the Nov. 29 meeting. Rachel Cotton '03 is on the EQ Executive Board. Emily Berg '05 is a member of the new student group called Middlebury Initiative for Sustainable Development (MISD).Local Plans to Save the World The Coalition resolved to initiate several campaigns to reduce local emission of greenhouse gases. Emphasis was on a positive campaign, promoting fuel-efficient cars and other environmentally conscious decisions. The majority at the meeting wanted to avoid the "offensive" nature of an anti-Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) campaign, for example."Personally, I was a little disappointed that the whole group did not want to be anti-SUV," said Bortz. The idea of placing mock tickets on SUVs surfaced during discussion. "One minister said it was offensive. I think it's offensive to destroy God's creation all around us. For me, the Earth and God's creation are two terms for the same thing."As voiced at the meeting, another reason for a positive campaign was that virtually everyone knew the car dealers in town.The Coalition, however, did agree overwhelmingly on the many dangers posed by global warming. McKibben cited evidence that by 2050, there could be no winter in Vermont. The New England Regional Assessment (NERA) projected a six to 10 degree increase in average annual temperature of the six New England states and upstate New York. Published in 2001, NERA is one of 16 regional climate analyses nationwide, conducted at the request of the Presidential Science Advisor in response to the Congressional Act of 1990. According to NERA, if the six-degree rise is added to the 30-year annual average temperature in Boston, Mass. (51.3 degrees from 1961-1990), the result is about the equivalent of the 30-year annual average temperature in Richmond, Va. (57.7 degrees). Similarly, if a 10-degree increase is added, Boston's temperature would become the average temperature of Atlanta, Ga. (61.3 degrees). The projected climate change could affect the weather patterns, animal habitats and species composition of New England, according to an August 2000 study by the Tellus Institute for the World Wildlife Fund, entitled "New England's Global Warming Solutions." The study cited serious threats to the regional economic and recreational sectors. "There'll be no skiing, no fall foliage, no maple trees, no maple syrup," Bortz explained.Bortz also noted two issues that he believes to be results of global warming. "Buffaloes went all through November without snow for the first time in 130 years. And in the last 25 years, Lake Champlain has not frozen over half the time. This is in comparison to records kept from about 1830-1855, that only once did it not freeze over. This is a pretty dramatic indication in just 200 years."One campaign, proposed by McKibben, is to alert Vermont winter enthusiasts to these projections. Ideas that came up during the brainstorming session include passing out literature and talking to people on ski slopes."It involves tapping into something that's symbolic of Vermont," said Bisson. "Save Winter. Save Maple Syrup. Save the Foliage. We want to link up with people from that standpoint. Tying into that, we also want to offer them everyday choices that will make a difference in reducing the negative impact on the climate."Another campaign, strongly advocated by Wolfson, is to reserve a few prominent parking spaces downtown for promoting Low Emission Vehicles (LEVs). LEVs are newly manufactured cars that release less greenhouse gases than allowed by the federal emissions standards. Vermont, New York, Massachusetts and Maine have adopted LEV programs to reduce regional air pollution. As the program becomes fully implemented, the Air Pollution Control Division of Vermont will not register non-LEV vehicles.The Coalition wants to advertise LEVs as an environmentally friendly alternative to larger, less fuel-efficient cars, like SUVs. The plan is to ask the town for some visible parking spots, as well as religious organizations for reserved spaces in church or temple parking lots. The Coalition will contact local car dealers for available LEVs, and will place literature on the advertised car for passersby. Another plan, appropriately suggested by Rosenberg, is to lobby Middlebury Selectmen and local organizations on vehicle buying decisions. Moreover, Rosenberg proposed lobbying state legislatures to avoid any "regressive subsidies," which award quantity discounts for gasoline or electricity. Some other ideas include placing bike racks at churches and temples and setting up a booth to educate the public about LEVs and global warming during the Middlebury Union High School spring event. The Challenges of Successful Campaigning"The goal is to educate people and inspire them to want to change their lifestyle," said Cotton. She sees the positive campaign plans of the Coalition as analogous to EQ's shift this year to more positive campaigning. "We seem to be rethinking [our campaigning method]," added Cotton. "Something like the anti-SUV program might not be as successful as offering positive solutions, with the Yellow Bike Program, for example."While optimistic of the public response to a positive campaign, several members of the Coalition recognize the challenges that lie ahead. Bortz noted the importance of receptiveness on Middlebury campus, in addition to the town. "[The College] is a concentration of the single highest voting population in the country," he remarked. In addition, Bortz cited a survey that found half of the 1,000 cars owned by Middlebury students, faculty and staff to be SUVs. "I think more awareness needs to be raised," said Ben Brouwer '04, who is on the EQ Executive Board. "It could very well be the role of EQ or MISD or some other groups. But students should be responsible for doing it.""I don't think anyone is particularly well-educated on the global warming issue, except for a very small number of people," said Wolfson. "It's a complicated subject, and there are a lot of grounds for misconception.""We're not going to require that everybody take a course on global warming," he continued. "This is not a College problem; i
t's country-wide. There isn't a lot of controversy about global warming. But the problem is that people who don't believe in global warming are very vocal and very well funded. They don't understand that there is a very firm consensus on the part of the scientific community that global warming is happening." The Coalition also hopes for energetic student participation in this year's campaigns. Bortz is optimistic from experience. He noted about two-thirds of last year's participants in the Bike to Work Day Parade were Middlebury students.As for the fact that only two students were able to make the Coalition meeting, Bortz said, "Students don't seem too big on planning. They like to do stuff.""I think [students] are relatively active," said Rosenberg. "But it's very seasonal. They have a different rhythm of involvement from the town. On the whole, townspeople are more involved on a year-round basis. Students are move involved when they don't have exams." However, the question of involvement may rise above time commitment, in Wolfson's opinion."Ten to 20 percent of the land area of Bangladesh will be underwater if the projections are true," he said. "Do we have a responsibility of relocating these people when we emit 25 percent of the world's greenhouse gases and when the United States. is one of the countries refusing to go along with the Kyoto Protocol? That's an ethical question people should be asking themselves."
(11/14/01 12:00am)
Author: David Schwartz and Amichai Kilchevsky For a year and a half, we have watched as Middlebury students have presented blatantly one-sided arguments about why Israel is oppressive, how the Palestinians are being slaughtered for no reason, and how American foreign policy continues to perpetrate these injustices. And for the most part we have not reacted, choosing to make no response our response to these half-truths. By acting, we felt that we would justify their falsehoods, and that Middlebury students are smart enough to realize for themselves when they see propaganda and when they see a balanced argument.We have continued to stay quiet, though people have confronted us, asking us, both as Jews and as board members of Hillel, why we have yet to respond to these inaccuracies. And while we cannot speak for Hillel, we can speak for ourselves, and say that we have been quiet long enough.If someone came up to you and told you that the Jews in Europe in the 1930s deserved to be destroyed, you would probably think that they were idiotic, anti-Semitic and racist, but you would not believe them. But what would you say if all his friends told you the same thing? And all their friends said the same thing as well, over and over and over again? Would you begin to be swayed by the sheer size of their argument? Would your children or your friends? And what would happen if no one ever told you anything different, since the counter-argument to what seems like such a horrible claim is so obvious that no response seems necessary? But as history has shown, keeping quiet is not always the best response. For this reason, we feel that to be quiet any longer is an injustice and we would simply repeat our ancestors' mistakes.The claim that the Jews in the 1930s deserved to be massacred is as absurd as the blatant one-sided argument that Palestinians are killed for no reason, and that Israeli soldiers are simply cruel, inhuman monsters bent on destroying Palestinians and Muslims. From a bizarrely one-sided viewpoint, you could justify the Holocaust's necessity, and from that same standpoint, you could also justify Palestinian suicide bombers. But this is nothing less than an insult.We are not sure which is a greater insult: to Israel, with the claim that it is oppressive and unjustifiably occupying Palestinian territory, or to Middlebury students' intelligences, with the idea that we would be dumb enough to accept this propaganda. We are here to insist that every story has two sides, that Middlebury students deserve to have both presented, that discussion is a necessity in this time of trouble, and that these one-sided falsehoods only harden people's hearts and cause more confusion to everyone.For either side in this debate to insist that they are completely right or the other is completely wrong is absurd and reflects poorly on the ethics of the debaters. We acknowledge that leaders on both sides have made very poor decisions, however, to continue to hold one side completely guilty for the mistakes that both sides have made is ridiculous. One of the most seemingly obvious things we could say is that both sides need to understand each other. This sounds like a trite cop-out, yet for some reason certain people fail to understand this basic truth. Every time a piece of propaganda comes out, it is just another shot below the belt, which solves nothing. Yet this continues to happen everyday on the Middlebury campus.On Thursday night, this propaganda came to Middlebury in the form of a video entitled "The High Cost of Living in Jerusalem." Granted, this video held some valid points: that every casualty in this awful war has a story behind it, and that every life lost is more than just another statistic. But the bias and the propaganda were still there. The video only profiled the Palestinian side, insisting that Israeli soldiers were completely wrong in defending themselves, and that most Israeli youths believed that the Palestinians were animals.Again, we see the deliberately selective viewpoint of the video and the harmful neglect of the other side of the story. We understand that students want to defend their side, but what we are asking for is for an intelligent defense, a defense that does not consist of propaganda and lies. No side is completely right, no side is completely wrong, and the sooner we all realize this, the better off we will be for it.The time has come for students to start looking for the truth, for students to realize that the views forwarded by others on this campus and around the world are inherently biased and need to be questioned. Whether they choose to admit it or not, the people that front these one-sided ideas cause harm, not only to the Middlebury community, but to the world at large. We beseech members of the College to offer balanced arguments, to cease in their one-sided falsehoods, and to quit insulting our intelligence. This is not an argument that can be settled by who can shout the loudest, it can only be settled by understanding, and until we achieve that understanding, we can only look for more casualties. We have had enough of these lies; the time has come for the truth.
(11/14/01 12:00am)
Author: Wellington Lyons In Cajamarca, Peru lies Yanacocha, the most profitable gold mine in South America. It is also one of the most environmentally destructive operations on the planet. Already one of the largest mines in the world, Yanacocha got the go-ahead on expansion in 1999 when the World Bank offered it a $100 millionloan. Locals were outraged, and you should be too. Here's why: The Yanacocha mine uses massive amounts of water in its day-to-day operations—so much in fact, that its stakeholders have acknowledged that it has depleted water levels in four of the six regional lakes. Depleted lake levels are one of the most serious signs of watershed damage. For farmers in the area, already living in third world conditions, it means less water for their fields. Less water equates to fewer crops, lowered income levels, and increased malnutrition. Yanacocha's operations keep the poor mired in misery. The World Bank (whose alleged mission is to alleviate poverty worldwide) frequently offers giant loans for extractive, export-based operations, and only after the fact does the Bank even begin to notice the consequences of such projects on the ways of life for nearby residents. As you can imagine, Yanacocha is not an pro-environment facility. The four open pit mines operated there — Carachugo, Maqui Maqui, San Jose Sur and Cerro Yanacocha — provide the ore that is then treated with cyanide to extract gold. This cyanide solution is allowed to seep into the watershed. Yanacocha has contaminated four rivers that were among the only sources of water for indigenous peoples. And it isn't just cyanide that's getting into the water. Kilometers away from the mine the water is described as yellow or brown, with a foul odor and taste. This is because of the iron, sulfates and copper in the water, all byproducts of the mining operations, and all at dangerously high levels. The pollution has gotten so bad that the Peruvian Ministry of Fishing has acknowledged local extinctions of fish and frogs, which used to thrive in the area. These resources, which were both staples in the diets of many before the mine was established, are no longer available. As we have seen with so many World Bank sponsored projects in the past, the Bank's notion of "progress" often means enormous changes in the styles of living for many unfortunate people. In Cajamarca, local populations are now exposed to unbelievable health risks when confronted with using the water around the mine, but many have no alternative. The water that is there, that was once used for drinking, watering of animals, cooking and irrigation is now an environmental hazard, and is certainly not fit for human consumption. And it isn't just the water that's killing these people. On June 2, 2000, a truck carrying mercury, another byproduct of the mine, spilled over three hundred pounds of its cargo in Choropampa, a rural village. People gathered the mercury, believing it was valuable or containing gold, and soon developed symptoms of mercury poisoning. Over 400 people were sickened by the spill, and long-term effects have yet to be reported. Perhaps even more alarming than the spill itself is the fact that doctors sent in were initially unable to determine the cause of the widespread illness. This is remarkable given that the company claims local people were immediately informed of their accidental exposure to the dangerous element. It is obvious that the World Bank's Oil, Mining and Gas sector is one of the most environmentally dangerous groups on the planet. The World Bank itself has shown remarkably little interest in clean energy or in financing environmentally friendly projects. The organization must be stopped from profiting off the planet at the expense of the environment and the welfare of local populations. The time has come to let the World Bank know that its support of such environmentally and socially devastating projects is unacceptable. Join the Middlebury Progressives at the World Bank's annual meeting in Ottawa, Nov. 18 and 19, and come see what the anti-globalization movement is all about. Call Al (ext. 6183) or Wells (ext. 4365) for more information. No gas mask required.
(11/14/01 12:00am)
Author: Laura Isham Staff Writer This Saturday I went to a swing dance in McCullough. Plenty of people from the Footloose Club, as well as other students who knew how to swing dance, went to this event. There were many talented dancers there, and although this was simply a fun dance, not a performance, it would have been fun to go just to watch people dance, even if the music had not been good. The dancers were obviously having a good time; one student I talked to said that this was the most fun that he had had in a month. The primary attraction for me, though, was not the dancing. It was the band that the Footloose Club had booked for the event. Jim Branca and the Red Hot Stompin' Combo is a Vermont-based band that is stylistically based in jump blues. Whenever I use the phrase "jump blues," most people immediately say, "What?" Jump blues is heavily swing-influenced and was the precursor to early rock 'n' roll. Two well-known songs that were originally straight jump blues are "Hound Dog" and "Jump, Jive, an' Wail," later popularized by Elvis Presley and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, but originally performed by Big Mama Thornton and Louis Prima, respectively. This band was certainly not limited to jump blues songs, though; material included "The 'A' Train," "My Baby," "Fly Me To The Moon," "All of Me" and "I Wanna Be Like You." In other words, this band could play songs that ranged from swing, to Chicago blues, to Frank Sinatra songs, to the '1930s jazz of Billie Holiday, to a song from the Disney animated movie "The Jungle Book"!Although the performers themselves are experienced musicians, the band was formed within the last couple years. Bandleader, singer, and guitarist Jim Branca, or as he is sometimes known, "Jumpin' Jimmy Branca," was until recently the leader of the band Bloozotomy and saxophonist Lenny "The Lip" Makowski was also in both bands. This helped the entire band achieve a tight sound not usually associated with recently formed bands. Also, I could not point out a single performer that was not a talented musician—there were no weak links in this band.Two student performers joined the band as well, each for one song. Alana Sagin '04 sang a sultry version of "Fine and Mellow," a borderline blues/jazz song made famous by Billie Holiday. Gale Berninghausen '05 performed on baritone saxophone, improvising as well as playing the saxophone accompaniment. These performances received perhaps the most applause of the entire evening. The band demonstrated its aptitude for showmanship with some creative playing: Lenny Makowski performed more than once on the "double saxophone" (alto and tenor saxophone played simultaneously), Jim Branca played the guitar behind his back, and some interesting call-and-response happened when Makowski repeated Branca's improvisations on his saxophone—by improvisations I mean vocal improvisations, with a little bit of bicycle horn thrown in. What was perhaps the most impressive, though, is that these things did not detract from the music that they played, and the sound remained as good as ever.Jim Branca's Web site is http://www.moonfarmproductions.com and he also has a radio show on the Point, http://www.wncs.com.
