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(04/17/08 12:00am)
Author: Matt Ferrer This past weekend most of us were watching Tiger Woods in hopes that he might add another green jacket to his collection. We were crying with Brandt Snedeker as he fell from would-be glory to a final round 77. We were marveling at Trevor Immelman as he ran away with the Masters Championship. However, what we were not doing was watching the much-anticipated start of what the Middlebury men's golf team hopes to be a breakthrough season. In their first match of the spring, the Panthers traveled to Skidmore to play in the Palamountain Invitational. With 11 teams taking part in the tournament the Panthers finished a respectable fifth. Host Skidmore took advantage of playing on its own course and beat the competition by an astounding 32 shots, with Hamilton, Williams, St. Lawrence and Middlebury rounding out the top five. The Panthers were led by Mike McCormick '09 who posted scores of 79 and 77 on the weekend for a total of 156 (+12) and a top 10 finish. Captain Harrison Bane '08.5 finished in 15th as he fired 79-80 for a two-day total of 159 (+15). No one else was able to break 160 for the Panthers as Brian Cady '11 and Jeff Patterson '08.5 both came away from the weekend with scores of 164 (+20). Jimmy Levins '11 (165) and George Baumann '08 (172) rounded out the Middlebury golfers as the team shot a cumulative score of 644, a disappointing 44 shots off Skidmore's pace.The Panthers had hoped for a better result, but with their only on-course experience to date coming on their spring break trip, perhaps the golfers were merely shaking off early season rust. Bane pointed to other factors that played a role as well. "We struggled both days and while the conditions and weather weren't ideal, we didn't fight hard enough to get the job done," said Bane. As any golfer will tell you, sometimes the biggest obstacle to a shooting a low score is your own mind. And, according to Bane, the men's golf team may have struggled mentally this past weekend.However, with the opening of Middlebury's Ralph Myhre Golf Course this week, the team remains confident that it can build on its fifth place finish and finish the season strong. Playing host to the Middlebury/Williams Cup this coming weekend and then traveling to Trinity College the following weekend for the last scheduled match of the spring, Bane seemed nothing but optimistic as he said, "This will hopefully get us going in the right direction and prepare us for the NCAA qualifier in two weeks. We have the team and talent to get there."
(04/17/08 12:00am)
Author: Melissa Marshall The few, the proud are wearing their brown "Commons Crawl" T-shirts in the dining hall this week, showcasing their support for student music and the cultivation of short attention spans. And while most were not able to brand themselves with five different marker strokes representing the five bands who played this weekend, the hippies and the hipsters found common ground in this surprisingly well-attended Commons event. From the the innocous pop-rock of Alex Ayres to the crowd-pleasing 80s covers of Yuzimi to the further intoxicating mixes of DJ Alfredo Ramirex in the infamous Bunker, students came out in support of undergraduate art and revived commaderie between the commons. Tommy Kreschevski and the Touchy Subjects, an International Dance Party with Sarri Al-Nashashibi' 08 and the Dead Jettsons rounded out an impressive line-up that demanded dancing and set a shock through the Friday night social scene. In face of the dismal support of the Sunday Night Coffee House Series and the loyal yet spare clique that dapples the Gamut Room on Thursday nights, the Commons Crawl proved that students do, occasionally, prefer live bands to their roommate's iPod on Friday nights.
(04/10/08 12:00am)
Author: Mary Lane and Derek Schlickeisen Middlebury's diverse student population finds in its quaint college town something which is becoming increasingly rare in the 50 states and more than 40 countries its students are from: a respite from the sprawl of globalized chain stores. As unique as the town of Middlebury is, though, it is not guaranteed to stay that way, as witnessed by the recent attempts by Starbucks and Staples to open stores. Whether seen as a potential benefit to Middlebury residents or a potential death to her local business charm, the issue remains a persistent topic in the mind of students faculty and town residents. Possibility of chain stores sparks differing opinions among residentsJust two months ago, news happening off campus trickled into the College and galvanized talks among students. With Carol's Hungry Mind Café potentially trekking towards its demise and the likelihood of Starbucks, Staples and possibly Wal-Mart near the College, students, faculty and Vermont residents have felt tension rising between local businesses and big chain malls within Addison County. In February 2007, both Starbucks and Staples were planning to build a new store in The Centre shopping plaza off Route 7 where TJ Maxx and Hannaford are currently located. These proposals caused a stir in town, with petitions to ban these stores springing up in various locations such as Carol's Hungry Mind and Main St. Stationery. Eventually, after a year of petitioning and town meetings, residents were able to push Starbucks into announcing this past January that it would not come to Middlebury. However, Staples is still considering a Middlebury location.For those who support big shopping malls, the benefits of a larger variety of products for cheaper prices and new jobs that could potentially boost the town's economy. "We are able to provide what consumers want in a grocery store," said Shaw's service desk administration Randy Garrows of the chain. "We provide more variety of food and convenience due to our location."While there is concern that chains would become a potential threat to local businesses in town by taking over the market, administratiors at Hannaford's disagreed. "We do not think Hannaford's is potentially putting aside locally run grocery stores," said Brian Jackson, Hannaford's associate manager. "Every store still has the opportunity to thrive." An even deeper concern is how large malls would take away a sense of community within Middlebury. "I think it is a sense of pride for the state to be culturally self-sufficient and just rely on local businesses," said a Middlebury Union High School senior. "I think this is deeply rooted in the Vermont culture." Many Middlebury residents feel that while big businesses would isolate themselves from the community, local shops are more likely to be part of the town and its organizations. "I once received a very bad impression of a big shopping center ruining a nearby town," said Professor of Mathematics Priscilla Bremser. "I remember seeing an old Wal-Mart beside a town. The old Wal-Mart has been abandoned and immediately right next to it, there was another, bigger Wal-mart. But the sad thing was how the company just left that old Wal-mart to rot right next to town instead of taking care of it and taking it down. Local businesses tend to be more concerned about the community than big chain shops. Just look at the back of the Relay for Life T-shirts and see how many community businesses support it."Some Middlebury students do not see the necessity of having a Starbucks or a Staples in town when many of their products can already be purchased through local businesses. "I think I would probably not even shop at Starbucks or at Staples when I can get a cup of coffee in the dining halls or the library cafe and buy notebooks and pens conveniently at the College's Book Store," said Ilisa Goodman '09.5.Other students are up for it. "I think that if we have a Starbucks here, students would not have to make it a day event and drive all the way to Burlington to have a cup of coffee," said Michael Crittell '11. Reporting by Nicole LamTown center battles Route 7 sprawlThe contrast is vivid - historic storefronts and family-owned businesses on the one hand, and immediately recognizable corporate logos and sprawling parking lots on the other.Yet there is more to the conflict between the downtown's business center surronding Main Street and its emerging competitor along Route 7 - one represents a past defined by Vermont's landscape of compact villages, while the other, according to some developers' vision, offers a response to modern commercial realities."It's very polarized," explained Christian A. Johnson Professor of Art and Architecture Glenn Andres. "Those who prioritize economic development above all feel that those who want to stress the values of village life are old-fashioned and unrealistic. They call them elitists or dreamers."Recent years have brought the attempted addition to the town's landscape of "big box" stores that have become symbols of modern commercial sprawl - this February, the development firm Myron Hunt Associates put forward a proposal to construct a Staples along Route 7, and Wal-Mart has been trying for years for permission to build one of its superstores in Addison County.The trend across the state, according to Andres, is alarming, and the consequences are potentially severe. Wal-Mart recently won its battle against community activists in St. Albans to construct a superstore there, adding to its fleet of four centers across the state (its largest, in Williston, sprawls over 100,000 square feet). In part as a result of the "big box" development issue, the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2004 placed Vermont on its listing of endangered sites - the first time an entire state has made the list."Vermont has a remarkable small-scale urbanism with really compact villages," said Andres, who also serves on the town's Design Advisory Committee, comprised of both architects and active town residents. "The 20th century diffused some of them, but the pattern primarily remains dense villages surrounded by open countryside. Today, with the greater environmental concern, there's been a renewed push to locate close to home in town centers. But the reality is that stores like Staples and Wal-Mart don't want to locate there."Beyond the town's historic landscape, the impact of Wal-Mart-style development would hit the pocketbooks of those residents who make their living through small businesses. According to Wal-Mart's own analysis, in order for a store built in Addison County to be profitable, it would have to take in nearly 80 percent of all retail dollars spent in the county. For its part, the proposed Staples presents a direct challenge to Main Street Stationery, which cannot place the same bulk and specialty orders for merchandise that its chain competitor can."Everything would go," said Andres. "I've seen it happen. The downtown areas of small towns where this happens are completely dead. It's T-shirt shops, tattoo parlors and empty store fronts. Wal-Mart comes in and there's this empty sucking sound. Properties downtown are rendered almost worthless."Unlike St. Albans, however, the town of Middlebury has an ally in the College. While the administration has no explicit stance on chain development in Addison County, its pattern of investment in the town and the spending habits of its students, parents and faculty support the small businesses in opposition to the potential box stores."Those stores are largely geared towards the kind of population the College brings to the community," said Andres. "The College is also now taking an active role in supporting planning measures that emphasize the village - things like the bridge project and support of the Town Hall Th
eater. These are very important for the life of the village."Yet that support only goes so far: the town's anti-development organizers, most if not all of them volunteers, are on their own in the fight against sprawling development. Their position was bolstered with the 2002 passage by the Vermont legislature of a bill offering tax incentives for business owners to renovate historic buildings rather than building anew, but Andres and his colleagues worry that the resources of multi-national corporations like Wal-Mart may prove too much."The problem is, if Wal-Mart thinks it's economically feasible, they get their lawyers in there and keep pounding away," he said. "And volunteer groups and communities get worn down- they can wear out anybody. So yes, I'm concerned."Reporting by Derek Schilckeinsen
(04/10/08 12:00am)
Author: Thomas Brant At 7 a.m. on the morning of May 5, 1970, first-year Howard Burchman picked up the phone in the WRMC-FM office. His vision was blurry and his voice probably sounded tired. He had been up all night, his eyes glued to the radio station's teletype feed, which was spitting out bits and pieces of news about the Vietnam War protest a day earlier at Kent State University in Ohio. He knew that four students had been shot by police, and like hundreds of thousands of other college students across the country on May 5, Burchman knew they could not die in vain. The voice on the other end of the line finally answered, and Burchman told Dean of the College Dennis O'Brian that he and other students wanted a suspension of classes and a memorial service for the Kent State four. He got his wish at noon, when the College Council assembled in a special meeting and voted to suspend classes until the following Monday. But Burchman did not go back to his room and catch up on much-needed sleep. In fact, he and other Middlebury students were busier in the next few days than they had probably been all year. They pushed aside schoolwork and grumpiness over the recent snowfall and turned their attention to rallies, protests ... and arson. The Strike of May 1970 had begun.Five Days in MayWhy did Middlebury care so much about political activism during the volatile 1960s and '70s? It sure seems like modern Middlebury students kick back their heels and crack open their books in their own personal bubbles inside of a larger bubble that seals off the campus from the rest of the world. Students occasionally hear stories about the College Democrats chasing votes for Hillary or Obama or read in the spaghetti-splattered events schedule in Ross that the College Republicans have brought another conservative speaker to campus. What makes our 1970s counterparts so different?The students' reaction to the shootings at Kent State holds some of the answers. It revealed their deep connection with the anti-war movements taking place at other colleges and universities across the nation."As the words of the Kent State killings spread across this campus, the students were deeply shocked and in despair," Gregor Hileman, editor of the Middlebury Magazine, wrote that summer. "Suddenly feeling themselves a threatened minority, they urgently desired some symbolic expression of solidarity with each other, with the faculty, and with their peers at other schools."For the rest of the week and into the weekend, the students expressed their solidarity by holding protests, rallies, canvassing nearby towns, cutting their hair and pretty much any other way they could think of. The protests were organized and well -attended - not just by the dreadlocked hippies, but also by students, faculty and members of the College and town community.At 7:30 p.m., on the same day that Burchman set the strike in motion, Mead Chapel was jammed to the rafters with students and faculty who gathered to mourn the deaths of the Kent State Four. The College chaplain uttered a few remarks, the College choir sang and the memorial service ended with the hymn "Turn back, O man, forsake thy foolish ways."Then the real rally began.The students, jammed inside the chapel like sardines, stuck around until 10:45 p.m., listening to speeches by professors, students and political activists. Andrew Wentink '70, now the Curator of Special Collections and Archives, remembered the electric atmosphere of the rallies."What was extraordinary was that the entire student body as well as the faculty came together and spoke passionately," he said. "The initial feeling after the Kent State [deaths] was 'What difference is a protest at Middlebury going to make?' But I think over time there was a consensus that we should join other students and universities in protesting the war."They were still at it early the next morning in Proctor Hall, the organizers' informal headquarters. Organizers set up a "strike information center" on May 6, and no one rushed past the tables on their way to make panninis. Fifty or 60 people were milling about, some wearing red rags torn into armbands, others reading posters taped to the walls with information from the WRMC teletype machine that detailed how their fellow students across America were dealing with the turmoil in the wake of the shooting. Students also paid attention to signs that called for action on campus and around town."We need 60 people every night for the next three days to patrol this campus. Sign up!" one sign loudly proclaimed."Sign petition to Senator Prouty," another commanded.At 11 a.m., a second rally was held in Mead Chapel (Proctor's terrace was ruled out because of the snow and sleet). The downstairs pews filled quickly and left students peering around rafters in the balcony to see the speakers. One student read a letter explaining to her professors why she was going to skip her classes for the rest of the year to help the anti-war cause.'I'm mad, you're mad, we're all mad'But the next morning, students awoke to some bad news. It seemed that the politically charged atmosphere was taking an ugly turn.At 4:15 a.m. on May 7, someone had broken the glass entrance to Recitation Hall, poured gasoline on rags at the base of the walls and touched them off. Flames quickly leapt up the staircase and enveloped the attic of the small World War I-era wooden building. Fire engines from Middlebury and Vergennes screeched to the site 15 minutes later, but it was too late. By the time the flames were gone, they had gutted the building, and with it the main rooms of Middlebury's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) center. It turned out that it was the third attempt to vandalize ROTC offices at Middlebury that week. Public Safety officers had foiled previous break-in attempts at the ROTC headquarters in Alumni House on Tuesday and Wednesday nights."Initially there was great shock and concern" about the Recitation fire, Wentink recalled. But since the building was slated for demolition anyway, he and other students believed that it was an appropriate, albeit dramatic protest."The majority of students felt that if something was going to be burned down, it might as well be Recitation Hall, because it was expendable," Wentink said.But the vandalism did not end there. Later that day, someone had spray-painted the word "scab" on the set of the upcoming play "Alice in Wonderland," one of the few events scheduled to take place during the strike and cancellation of classes. The word scab implied that the show was breaking the strike, but that was not true, according to Wentnick, who played the Cheshire Cat."Some people thought that such a play was superficial and shouldn't go on in light of what was happening around the country," he said. "But the truth was, the interpretation we made of the [script] was very loose." The actors had in fact turned the play into a subtle war protest of their own."We felt that in times of national crisis, it was important that art make a statement against the establishment," Wentink said. "One of my lines as the Cheshire Cat was 'I'm mad, you're mad, we're all mad."The cast and crew slept in Wright Theater to avoid any further damage to the set, and when the curtain rose that weekend, it revealed a sold-out and appreciative audience.On Monday at 9 a.m., classes resumed. The Strike of 1970 was over.No 'emotional commitment'The Five Days in May might have represented the zenith of political activism at Middlebury. Barely 10 years later, students were already beginning to feel comfortably isolated in the bubble that we know so well today. Marion Lee '80 put it a little more bluntly in a 1979 interview with The Middlebury Campus."You could drop a bomb on New York City and it wouldn't affect the people
up here," she said.Rick Glaser, who wrote the column in which Lee's quote appeared, agreed with her. He noted that students no longer had an "emotional commitment" towards activism."There are four reasons, I believe, why this campus is politically stagnant," Glaser wrote. "First, the student body is unaware and uninformed of what is going on. Second, there is no unifying issue. Third, Middlebury is not an urban center and therefore attracts less politically active people, and finally, there is the ever-present problem of inflation. For good or for bad, Middlebury is in the Stone Age when it comes to political activism."Nearly 30 years after Glaser wrote those words, it seems that the College is still politically stagnant. This time around, however, inflation is not as much of a problem and the 2008 elections certainly serve as a unifying issue. Where is our campus activism, then?Emily Gullickson '10, president of the College Democrats, believes that some of it may be taking a back seat to individual political projects."People just dedicate all of their time to a single cause instead of engaging in political activism," she said.The priorities of students and administrators alike are partly to blame. Everything from the Projects for Peace fund, designed to help students pursue world peace, to the enormously demanding workload seem to tell the modern Middlebury student that college is for studying, and his or her own time is for political projects. Maybe that is just how the majority of students want to spend their four years here. But for those who are looking to stir the pot of campus activism, remember that the extraordinary events of the Five Days in May 1970 were started with a single phone call at 7 a.m.
(03/20/08 12:00am)
Author: Cloe Shasha The Lattice Group, started by Middlebury alumni Astri von Arbin Ahlander '07 and Yelizavetta Kofman '07, is a grassroots campaign that strives to foster communication among young academics about a balance between work and life goals.Inspired by their own search for employment in their senior year of college, Ahlander and Kofman did not feel fulfilled with the idea of working upwards from a traditional menial role that typically characterizes entry-level jobs. They began interviewing their colleagues to find out what they felt about career choices and their futures. "Our peers didn't seem to have realistic expectations for themselves, or they didn't have realistic expectations for others," said Ahlander and Kofman, in an e-mail. "Like the Midd guys we talked to who wanted stay-at-home wives in contrast to the Midd girls who wanted rocket careers and multiple children. How was it all supposed to work out?"Ahlander and Kofman began to investigate American roles in the workforce. Their research left them shocked by the stifling limitations that Americans face in the workforce compared with some other countries' abilities to find a healthy balance. The United States, for example, lacks federally funded parental leave. Also, the Equal Rights Amendment, introduced in 1972, was never passed. "In the 'Middlebury Bubble,' equality generally reigns," said Ahlander and Kofman. "But in the 'real' world, women still do 80 percent of the housework, over 95 percent of Fortune 500 executives are men, and men still face pressures to be primary breadwinners which limits their ability to take on active care-giving roles." Beginning as a seed of an idea at a party during senior week, Ahlander and Kofman developed their nonprofit organization with the support of President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz, the Library and Information Services staff, Human Resources, friends and private donors. They titled it "The Lattice Group" to make an analogy between career goals that can span across many fields and the shape of a lattice. This mentality encourages exploration and passion rather than the highway or ladder approach of education serving towards an upward-reaching goal. Recently, Ahlander and Kofman achieved the positions of official nonprofit executives. "At Middlebury, we're told that we're the best and the brightest, that anything and everything we want is possible if we just work hard enough," Ahlander and Kofman said. "Unfortunately, we're never actually told to think actively about what it is that we really want." The current projects of the Lattice Group involve in-depth interviews with young professionals and college students in the United States, France, Sweden and Russia. Their Web site has information about the work-life balance in those five countries, as well as interviews with well-known professionals. "We post these interviews on our Web site, and they are remarkably insightful," said Ahlander and Kofman in an e-mail. "You learn a lot from speaking with people with more experience. Right now, we have interviews with the legendary literary scout Maria Campbell, [the Museum of Modern Art] Director Glenn Lowry, Dispatch musician Pete Heimbold, Esquire editor Ryan D'Agostino and Bard professor and artist Sigrid Sandström. We also have cool guest blogs."The Web site has active blogs, uploaded videos and posted articles. It serves as a forum to recreate our conception of life in the work world. On the "Journal" page of the Web site, primarily post-college graduates tell stories of their careers, their true dreams and their life goals. One woman wrote about the pressures she feels to be the high-achieving career woman she could be, although she dreams of having children."Twenty-two-year-olds who are women of color, who graduated from top-10 colleges as president of the student body and winner of the neuroscience thesis prize, who entered doctoral programs on prestigious fellowships immediately after college, who are poised to have Ph. D.s at the age of 26 are not supposed to want babies," an anonymous 22-year-old female wrote. "I do."On Dec. 6, Ahlander and Kofman came to Middlebury to lead a Lattice Talk. Students were eager to discuss the work-life balance and the two leaders had an impact on the group, according to Ahlander and Kofman."A significant part of the Lattice Talk was spent focusing on the pressure students feel to work too hard and be trained into working machines on a college level, while topics relating to a greater social context were difficult for them to relate to," Ahlander and Kofman said. "This showed what the real challenge is for The Lattice Group: how to make our generation engage with work-life conflicts on a larger scale; considering the responsibilities of employers and governments in instigating change, and what each individual can do to make this happen."Middlebury students can submit writing to the online journal, which is run by another Middlebury alum, Lauren Westerfield '07. Ahlander and Kofman hope the group will have an impact on current students looking for a new approach to work. "We hope The Lattice Group encourages Middlebury students, and other college students and young professionals in America and abroad, to think about, and perhaps reevaluate, how they will measure success in their own lives," Ahlander and Kofman concluded.
(03/20/08 12:00am)
Author: Derek Schlickeisen and Mary Lane The Target: Carbon Neutrality It's a race to zero: by 2016, Middlebury hopes to have eliminated its annual carbon "footprint" of over 30,000 metric tons of CO2.The commitment comes as part of the College's May 2006 Strategic Plan, which names "strengthening our environmental leadership and reputation" as one of the school's primary goals in coming years. It is a reputation which has already earned accolades. In September, the environmental news site The Grist named Middlebury as one of the nation's top 15 "green" colleges.Yet the new goal poses a financial challenge to the College. In the midst of a $500 million capital campaign aimed at funding priorities from increased student aid to adding up to 25 new faculty, the College does not yet have a large enough endowment to simply sink money into environmental initiatives. Instead, the hope is that many projects - like the biomass power plant now under construction - will pay for themselves over time through energy conservation.One particularly ambitious aspect of the carbon neutrality goal is already helping to shape the direction of campus planning. According to Sustainability Coordinator Jack Byrne, the College does not plan to rely primarily on carbon offsets - payments that support carbon-lowering activities, like tree planting and solar or wind power installation - to reach its goal, as peers like the College of the Atlantic have done. This limitation means that the College must make changes to its own infrastructure and practices rather than simply paying for those steps to be taken elsewhere."Our goal says that offsets are the last resort for us," explained Byrne. "We're going to try to achieve it by changing the way we operate, from the fuels we burn to the vehicles we run."The College to date has largely steered clear of buying the offsets because the market for them is unregulated. Some carbon-offset providers have been criticized for over-representing the carbon impact of their practices, including counting contributions to already-planned renewable energy facilities as "additional" carbon-offset measures. In short, the College believes that taking care of its own carbon neutrality will make its impact greater than colleges - like the College of the Atlantic - who simply buy offsets.The path to carbon neutrality officially began with the adoption of the Carbon Neutrality Initiative (CNI) into College policy by the Board of Trustees last May. The final product of a working group comprised of students and administrators, the Initiative was a victory for the Sunday Night Group, the student climate change organization whose members decided the year before to push for carbon neutrality on campus."By adopting carbon neutrality, the College is not only living up to its environmental mission, but its academic mission as well," said Jamie Henn '07, one of the initiative's organizers, at the time. "Middlebury prides itself on equipping its students with the skills they need to become leaders, whether it be in business, art, politics or academics. In a world where global warming is increasingly defining all of these fields, environmental literacy is just as important as knowing a foreign language."This week, The Campus profiles a few stops on that path to neutrality: the cutting-edge Hillcrest Environmental Center, the renewable biomass power plant, and the Organic Garden.Money Matters: The Greening of Middlebury's financesAs the anticipated costs of green projects on campus added up, the Class of 2007 decided to step up with a $92,000 founding commitment to the "Green Fund." Together with a seed gift of $2 million from former Board Chairman Churchill Franklin '71, the seniors' gift represented the first addition to a fund the Board of Trustees hopes will ultimately total close to $50 million.The fund will support not only carbon neutrality efforts, but also those to educate students and community members through the College's environmental studies programs and colloquia.One of the College's most prominent environmental projects, Weybridge House, will also soon draw support from the Green Fund. Members of the house frequently cook their own meals with foods obtained at the organic co-op in town, and Weybridge has teamed with the College's Organic Garden to host open feasts increasing the visibility of organic food on campus."We try to produce food for the College in a sustainable way by completing the food cycle on campus," said Jay Leshinsky, the Garden's advisor and a member of the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op's Board of Directors. "The garden uses compost made by the College to improve the garden soil. Vegetables grown on that soil are sold to Dining Services, and then Dining Services sends waste to be composted by the College to complete the cycle."In addition to the Green Fund, the College's endowment overall may rightly be described as "greening," with investments being directed away from environmentally or socially irresponsible corporations. The College maintains a list of "do not touch" companies, such as PetroChina, which invest in obsolete energy technologies and have dubious human rights records. In PetroChina's case, the company has been accused of financially fueling the Darfur conflict with its investments in the region's oil market.On several occasions, this moral imperative has gotten in the way of profitable investments - in 2006, the Student Investment Committee, a student-run investment group tasked with managing a portion of the College's endowment, was forced to divest from companies with poor track record. Hillcrest: Beyond "LEED"You cannot step inside the Hillcrest Environmental Center without being reminded of its green features - and that is the point."Instead of constructing a new building for its environmental programs, Middlebury College created a model of resource conservation and energy efficiency with the adaptive reuse of Hillcrest," reads a plaque made of recycled roof shingle by the front door.The Center was renovated in 2007 using 80 percent of the old structure's building materials, and is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council's "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) program, a national set of guidelines for environmentally sustainable building. LEED standards mandate certain levels of energy and water efficiency above and beyond state minimums. Features from lights that turn off in the absence of motion to extra insulation and double-paned windows help cut down both heating and cooling, while newer toilet designs flush with less than half the water used by their traditional counterparts.Yet the LEED certification does not stand out today quite as much as it used to."LEED standards are almost becoming common now," said Byrne. "What we do goes above and beyond the LEED standard in terms of our focus on local labor and materials. Our preference is always to look first to local forests for our wood, and anyone doing sustainable forestry we go to first."Buying local not only holds down transportation costs, but also pumps dollars into the Addison County economy - one of the poorest in Vermont."It keeps the dollars local, and when you spend dollars locally, they circulate about nine times before leaving Vermont," Byrne explains.That spending adds up. The College spent more than $3 million renovating Hillcrest, a boon to the local contractors and material suppliers hired for the project. And as with the biomass plant, Middlebury hopes that the energy and water savings from Hillcrest's LEED-level features will save money in the long term."So far, the building has performed about 23 percent more efficiently than if it were simply built to the state codes and standards," said Byrne. "We're getting close to one year of occupancy, and once we re
ach that milestone, we'll be able to see the impact over a whole year."If the 23 percent savings figure holds, the energy savings will amount to more than $20,000 annually - not quite enough to cover the cost of renovation, but a welcome statistic in light of rising energy prices.Plunging into biofuelBy the end of the calendar year, the large construction pit behind Parton Health Center will have slowly morphed into a biomass power plant capable of burning over 20,000 tons of wood chips annually. After an $11.9 million investment in the facility, the College is hoping its ability to replace expensive fuel oil with locally grown alternatives will save an even greater expense as gas prices rise.Of the College's entire carbon footprint, 70 percent is produced by the burning of number six fuel oil, an especially heavy grade of fuel used by the school's heating and cooling facilities. The two million gallons of this fuel consumed each year will be cut in half by the new plant.While the carbon savings may be immediate, the financial payback will come over time."The cost of number six fuel oil has increased by about 33 percent in the last year," said Campus Sustainability Coordinator Jack Byrne. "The price of a ton of wood has not increased at all. Particularly with the new price of fuel oil, it would have been nice to already have biomass on line right now."With the price of oil expected to rise even further during the foreseeable future, Byrne said that his office has reduced the biomass plant's estimated "payback period" - the number of years it will take for the savings from burning wood chips to cover the cost of building the plant - from 11 to nine years.Yet such a heavy investment in renewable energy comes with logistical drawbacks - a relatively new industry, biofuels are not often used on the scale that they will be at the College."There is a well established physical infrastructure, from refineries and trucking to heating systems, to support the fossil fuel industry," said Tom McGinn, project manager for the biomass site. "The infrastructure to support biomass energy is much less developed, particularly for applications like our project that go beyond simply residential use."Rather than tapping into the national oil market, the College will look to local producers to fill its need for 20,000 tons of woodchips annually. With an emphasis on keeping down transportation costs, plant managers will ideally look no further than 75 miles from Middlebury for their biofuels."I think that our local alternatives will develop over time as a part of the economic evolution of biomass energy," said McGinn.
(03/13/08 12:00am)
Author: Rachael Jennings Julia Alvarez, Middlebury College's acclaimed writer-in-residence, ended her slideshow presentation on Tuesday, March 11, with a powerful image - a black-and-white photograph of an elderly woman, frail and wrinkled, framed by crumbling stucco wall. The woman is dressed humbly, but holds her head high, her long neck stretching in a manifestation of dignity. In her hand is an old photograph of herself, young and beautiful, on the occasion of her Quinceañera.The transitional ceremony in Latina culture is the subject of Alvarez's most recent book - "Once Upon a Quinceañera: Coming of Age in the U.S.A" -which she presented to 80 eager listeners in Munroe Lecture Hall. The work of nonfiction earned finalist status in the 2007 National Book Critics Award contest. Alvarez is known for such acclaimed earlier works as "In the Time of the Butterflies" and "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents."The Quinceañera celebrates the "magical age" of 15 for girls. At 15, girls can wear makeup, strap on heels, tweeze their eyebrows and shave their legs. The ceremony is one marked by glamour and extravagance. Girls in puffy pink dresses trail the end of a procession marching into an elaborate ballroom. A procession of a young boy and girl carrying high heels and a tiara, 14 couples in formal attire, a mother and a father precede the Quinceañera honoree.In a ballroom swimming with music and decorated with lavish cakes, the beautified girl sits on either a throne or a swing, where her Papi removes her flats and replaces them with sophisticated heels. The mother crowns her daughter and, finally, the Quinceañera waltzes with her father to a room full of applause. She also receives her last doll, which symbolizes, according to Alvarez, the end of childhood and the girls symbolic readiness to bear her own child.Alvarez commented on the emotional nature of the ceremony, particularly for the girl's parents."It is impossible not to cry," said Alvarez. "That girl is her mother's high school diploma, her college degree. She is what they are proud of." The history of the Quinceañera is a fascinating one. In her book, Alvarez explores how the ceremony of Quinceañera began as an immigrant dream of parents giving their children more than what they themselves had. This phenomenon occurs nationwide. In San Antonio, Mexican Quinceañeras dance through banquet halls. In Queens, N.Y., Puerto Ricans applaud young women. Dominicans in New Orleans cry with pride for their daughter, sisters and friends. Alvarez explained that the story of the Quinceañera, then, is really the greater story of how we became Latinas in America.Over time, the Quinceañera became Americanized to the point that Disney themes, cruise packages and even children's characters like Dora the Explorer now celebrate this rite of passage.In fact, the Quinceañera is so integral to a Latino family's identity that some who cannot afford actual Quinceañeras (the celebrations can cost over 5,000 dollars) have gone so far as to have their daughters pose for photos in rented gowns, going to a party that will never be. Yet despite such enthusiasm for this treasured tradition, Alvarez cautioned the dangers of its importance with a photo in her slideshow. The image was of a young girl in a sparkling white Quinceañera dress, holding a baby. "It is a problem," said Alvarez, "when these traditions sexualize young girls - market them - and prepare them to be mothers at the age of 15." Alvarez went on to mention one program coordinator from Denver, Co., who did seven Quinceañeras in one year, and the next year was invited to five of their baby showers. There certainly are difficulties facing a striking percentage of Latino youths. One out of every four Latina girls and one out of every six Latino boys drop out of high school, according to Alvarez. Over 50 percent of Latinas are pregnant before age 18. One out of ever six Latina girls attempts suicide."We have this fantasy that they will become queens of their lives," said Alvarez, "What is happening? What can we give our young women to carry them to the other bookend of their lives?"To illustrate this phenomenon, Alvarez quoted a young girl from Idaho, who said, "I was a 'typical' Latina. You know, we don't do 'white girl' things like go to college."In her book, Alvarez questions the cycles of the Quinceañera tradition. She seeks ways to revisit deep traditions, treasure powerful female moments and carry young girls into a positive adult role so that they can grow to become the proud old woman in that black and white photograph.Alvarez ended her presentation with a call to action."It is up to us," she said. "In the words of the Hopi, 'We are the ones we have been waiting for.'"
(03/13/08 12:00am)
Author: Michelle Constant The College's Initiative fundraising campaign has raised $273 million toward its $500 million goal as of Feb. 29, according to top administrators. The College had raised $234 million during the initative's silent phase before taking it public in October. According to Ann Crumb, associate vice president for College Advancement, the Initiative represents an effort largely to support the Strategic Plan. Some of the areas the fundraising will be used for is the United World College, offering financial aid with an international focus. Additional funds will go toward hiring 25 new faculty members over the next few years to allow for smaller classes and more time for professors and students to meet individually. The Department for College Advancement hopes to educate donors about the kinds of programs they can support through philanthropy. Included in that effort are new events like the upcoming Student Research Symposium, which will showcase a number of self-driven student projects this April."We are trying to tell stories that pull the campus together," said Crumb. "It's about people. It's about what's going on inside."According to Crumb, 80 to 90 percent of the money donated to the Initiative goes toward an "unrestricted," non-earmarked fund. However, some larger donors request to establish scholarships in their names with their donations.
(03/06/08 12:00am)
Author: Annabelle Fowler Wisconsin students to pay $2 to bring Iraqis The University of Wisconsin is considering a proposal to raise the school's tuition for all students by $2 as part of an initiative to bring a number of Iraqi exchange students to campus. The additional payments, which collectively are expected to total over $80,000, would be earmarked for "air travel, tuition, board and a few expenses," according to The Badger Herald. The initiative, known as the Iraqi Student Project and sponsored by the University's Campus Antiwar Network (CAN), has drawn criticism for taking advantage of a loophole in the institution's policy against the use of "segregated fees" to offset tuition costs. Instead of characterizing the cost of the program as a segregated fee, CAN's proposal argues for a general tuition increase.But beyond concerns about the proposal's methods, some have raised larger questions over whether CAN may be unfairly seeking to give Iraqi students an advantage over other internationals."A referendum that targets Iraqi students," wrote Herald columnist Gerald Cox on March 4, "without addressing the plight of displaced Sudanese students, or even lower-income students from Wisconsin, certainly begs the question: Who do we fund?"- The Badger HeraldPenn St. student cleared of car crash chargesFormer Pennsylvania State University student Katherine Applegate was exonerated on March 4 of accusations that she struck current 18-year-old University student Michael Drauch with her car while intoxicated, according to The Daily Collegian. Though Applegate still faces a three-day prison sentence for convictions relating to license restriction violations and driving under the influence, the 24-year-old reportedly began crying in relief when the other charges against her were dropped.Applegate's light sentence prompted Centre County Assistant District Attorney Steve Sloane to claim that "the accident will be 'nothing but a memory [Applegate] will quickly forget,'" according to The Collegian.Meanwhile, Drauch remains scarred by the December 2006 incident, said Sloane."In the whole scheme of things, [Drauch] will walk out with impact for the rest of his life," he said.- The Daily CollegianCell phones allowed in class at Northern Ill.In the wake of shootings at Northern Illinois University that left five students dead and 16 wounded, some professors at the institution are experimenting with allowing students to keep their cell phones on during class.The University has no official cell phone policy except to permit instructors to establish and enforce their own policies.Some suggest that a softer line "might help students feel more secure," according to The Northern Star."[It's] a small and easy thing to do," said Communication instructor Jason Akst.Still, students said that even with the more relaxed classroom policy, they did not feel any safer than before."A cell phone will not stop it from happening again," said junior Lisa Fry.- The Northern Star
(03/06/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] High school takes you "Back to the 80s"At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7, as well as on the 8th and 9th, Middlebury Union High school will be performing a musical extravaganza entitled "Back to the 80s," a play that follows the senior class of William Ocean High School. So if you just simply cannot get your fill of Orange Crush performances and late-night 80s-themed dances in McCullough, you might consider heading over to the local high school auditorium for a bit of entertainment this weekend before making your way to The Bunker. Tickets cost $6 for adults and reservations can be made by calling 802-388-1192.Wildlife Tracking in SalisburyOn March 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. join Greg Borah, local wildlife tracker, on an exploration of the Salisbury Municipal Forest. The wildlife tracking and sign expedition will start across from the Salisbury landfill on Upper Plains Road, perhaps so that you will fully appreciate the beauty that is nature that remains untouched by man. Should more snow fall between now and Saturday and accumulate to more than eight inches deep, it is recommended that you bring snowshoes along. Warning: short sections of the trek require somewhat strenuous climbing, so be prepared to work for your wildlife appreciation.Rock'n St. Paddy's Dance in VergennesIf you are itching to celebrate St. Patrick's Day before the holiday actually arrives, you might consider attending the Rock'n St. Paddy's Dance in Vergennes on March 8, starting at 8 p.m. The festivitites will take place at the Vergennes Opera House and will include music by The Hit Men, a cash bar, a raffle, and what they advertise as "munchies, leprechaun limbo, limericks galore and more." How exactly the leprechaun limbo differs from regular limbo is rather unclear, but if chicken limbo exists, why not. To celebrate St. Patty's Day with the Vergennes Rotary Club, make sure you call 802-877-6737 to purchase your tickets. Adults cost $15 and couples are $25.Open Barn in WeybridgeOn March 9, Duclos and Thompson Farm will be hosting its annual Open Barn event on Sheep Farm Road in Weybridge. Stop by the farm to ooh and ahh over more than 350 lambs and kids as well as 300 full-grown animals. Also on display will be a barn mural painted by Danielle Rougeau. This event is free and open to the public and the only price you will pay is if you miss out on this opportunity to see lots of adorable animals - and, oh yeah, you might return to campus with the pungent scent of eau de manure hovering about you.Child Labor Talk If you caught a glimpse of the Lewis Hine photo exhibit on display at the Henry Sheldon Musuem, you might be interested in attending a talk given by Joe Manning, an author and historian who has been researching the child laborers depicted in Hine's photographs. Manning will discuss his nationally known attempts to track down the living descendents of those pictured. The talk will take place on March 9 at 2 p.m. at the musuem. General admission is $5. For more information, call 802-388-2117.
(02/28/08 12:00am)
Author: Mary Lane and Derek Schlickeisen A growing number of elite U.S. colleges have begun offering "free tuition" to many of their applicants. On Feb. 25, Brown University joined Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Dartmouth in committing to completely eliminate the cost of tuition for students whose families earn less than $60,000 each year and increase aid to those earning up to $100,000. In the NESCAC, Williams and Amherst have cut loans entirely from their aid packages, meaning aid recipients can make their entire tuition contribution through campus work-study programs.Yet, these schools also share something else in common: endowments in excess of $1 billion. As Middlebury nears this significant marker (the College's endowment stood at $936 million in 2007), what steps are being taken to make sure its own financial aid program can compete?"A lot of the focus recently has been on undergraduate debt," said Kim Downs, director of Student Financial Services, the College's financial aid office. "We have a lot of graduates who are going to non-profits after graduation, and obviously they're going to have a harder time paying back their loan. We don't want these students to be overwhelmed by debt."With this circumstance in mind, the College last year launched the Reduced Loan Initiative, a centerpiece of the school's plan to revamp financial aid packages.The Office of Admissions lists a $46,910 annual comprehensive fee, making Middlebury one of the most expensive schools in the country. With an average grant of $30,700, however, the average financial aid recipient at Middlebury must make up the extra $16,000 or so three ways: through campus work-study, student loans and a certain financial contribution from his or her family.Prior to the class of 2011, financial aid packages included a standard $4,000 loan per year, regardless of family income - a plan which left graduates with up to $16,000 in debts. The Reduced Loan Initiative lowers this debt burden over four years by up to $10,000 for students with the lowest levels of family income by replacing these student loans with extra grants. Though the Initiative does not completely eliminate loans as Williams and Amherst have done, the College believes it can - and must - be enough for now."Middlebury is catching up, but what we're seeing is Williams' nearly $2 billion endowment at work," said Patrick Norton, the College's vice president for administration and chief financial officer.The College also hopes to expand the number of students who receive financial aid from 41 to 43 percent of the student body. The goal in mind, according to Dean of Planning John Emerson, is to increase socio-economic diversity on campus."In recent years we have made excellent progress in making Middlebury more attractive for upper middle-income families, but we still have a challenge with students from families in the lower half of the income distribution," explained Emerson. "Consider all families in the U.S. that have at least one student in college. These families are of course more affluent than other U.S. families. Still, almost half of them have incomes below $80,000. At Middlebury, fewer than 20 percent of families have incomes below $80,000. So we have work to do."The College's two-pronged approach to financial aid will not come cheaply. Before the College's 2006 vault into fifth place in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, its endowment was comparable to its closest-ranked peer schools. Now in a "top five" bracket that includes the richest three liberal arts colleges, Middlebury finds itself making trade-offs between competing financially for the best and most diverse students and other priorities.Of the $500 million to be raised by Middlebury's five-year campaign, roughly $26 million of the new endowment support will be needed to fund the Reduced Loan Initiative, while another $154 million will go towards increasing the number of financial aid recipients."Financial aid is expensive," said Emerson. "One example of a trade-off made is a decision to go slow with the completion of the commons infrastructure. Indeed it isn't clear that the five commons will ever have their own dining halls. Although I am personally a supporter of the commons, I think that financial access to Middlebury needs to be the highest priority."Dean of Admissions Robert Clagett argued that this year's first-year class gives evidence that the new aid program is working."There is no question that the loan reduction program that we instituted for this year's first-years had the effect of increasing our socio-economic diversity across all income groups," he said. "In fact, our yield on grant recipients last year was even higher than for the whole class, so that's a very good sign that our financial aid policies are helping us attract a high percentage of our admitted students, regardless of financial background."As the College works to upgrade its financial aid programs, Norton cautioned against being too impressed by the glossy claims of schools now offering "free" tuition."Free tuition doesn't mean free cost of attendance," said Norton. "Free tuition doesn't include the cost of room, board, books and other miscellaneous expenses. There are only a handful of schools that meet the full demonstrated need of their applicants, and we are one of them."
(02/21/08 12:00am)
Author: Tess Russsell In honor of "Let's Talk about Sex" month, this three-part series will focus on three different aspects of sexual health awareness over the course of the coming weeks. This week's installment, "Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)," discusses campus attitudes towards safe sex and examines the testing and vaccination services available through Parton Health Center. Part II will appear in next week's issue and will highlight concerns surrounding "Contraception and Pregnancy" at Middlebury, while also exploring the different approaches that male and female students take to sexual health. The final topic of the series, "Consent and Sexual Violence," will appear on March 6 and will delve into the gray areas of consent and sexual responsibility, particularly where alcohol and drugs are involved.On Feb. 16, The Grille played host to a much larger dinnertime crowd than usual. The occasion was the "Find Someone to Love Dating Game" and the response, if judged by students' laughter, was surprisingly enthusiastic and even raucous at times. The set-up is familiar: one lucky guy or gal gets to grill three hopeful contestants who are hidden behind an adjacent screen. Among the Middlebury version's highlights were the entrance of one bachelor in a partially clothed state, and the attempt of one contestant to elicit a positive recommendation from his competitor by bartering with a banana.The game, as well as Sunday's "Sex Toy Party" and numerous other workshops and activities planned for the upcoming weeks, was organized in conjunction with "Let's Talk About Sex" month, a new initiative co-sponsored by eight different groups on campus and spearheaded by the Office of Health and Wellness Education. The organizers' decision to host both fun, lighthearted events and more serious, academic ones marks a new approach to targeting sexual health awareness at Middlebury. "We didn't want to just hit students over the head with the drier educational topics," explained Jyoti Daniere, the Director of Health and Wellness for the College. "Instead we tried to give them a forum to actually date - to take a risk. I've sometimes been surprised at how risk-averse this campus is, but the 'Dating Game' really exceeded my expectations in terms of how brave and open people were with their responses."Student Wellness Leader Ari Gimbel '09, who is helping to coordinate the upcoming "Speed Dating" in the Mahaney Center for the Arts, stressed that promoting opportunities for dating at Middlebury is an idea that stemmed from student interest."We want people to know that there are other people looking for adult relationships," Gimbel said. "It seems like people here think the way it works is that you hook up with someone first and then getting into a relationship follows, but in reality that setup has failed people - hence the success of something like the 'Dating Game.' People here want to date!"But not all students are as forthcoming about their sexual heath concerns or as knowledgeable about the College's resources as they could be, explained Kolbe Franklin '08, President of Feminist Action at Middlebury."Often there is little relevant communication between male and female students regarding sexual health, even between people in relationships," Franklin said. "In general, the topic of sexuality is very taboo here, and the initiation of discourse is key not only to keeping people safe, but also to creating a healthier and more fulfilling dating scene on campus."As far as health issues are concerned, Daniere noted that some Middlebury students have a misguided notion of sexual security on our sheltered Vermont campus. "Many students think that because we have such nice, smart, clean-cut kids here that no one has diseases," she said. "But that's a false and risky assumption." In fact, Middlebury students are likely representative of the national college student body, which means that approximately one out of four students at the College is carrying an STI, even if that person is asymptomatic. Yet the sweeping popularity of the HIV-testing clinics offered last November would suggest that students do understand the risks involved in sexual activity and take appropriate measures to insure their sexual health. The appointments, funded by the Student Global AIDS Campaign but held on site at Parton Health Center, filled up almost immediately.Terry Jenny, the associate director of the Health Center, explained why these clinics are not a more common occurrence here on campus. "We are working on providing free, anonymous testing here, but at the time are not able to," Jenny said. "For liability reasons, we make a notation in a student's file every time he or she visits the Health Center. These records are confidential - they are certainly not shared with the administration or the student's parents - but they are not truly anonymous because they are attached to someone's name."The financial burden of testing is also one that the Health Center cannot carry on its own. While all medical consultations and many other services are free, some of the tests on the basic STI panel (which screens for HIV, Hepatitis C, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis) have to be sourced out to Porter Hospital or a state laboratory facility. At that point, the fees may vary widely from student to student depending on their insurance plans.These disparities are particularly important when considering highly expensive vaccinations and treatment, like the Gardasil shot that protects women against many strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Nearly 80 percent of sexually active women over 50 are carriers of some strain of HPV. Gardasil, through a series of three inoculations, prevents infection with the two strains that cause seven out of 10 cases of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, if not covered by insurance, the vaccine is almost prohibitively expensive at close to $400.Still, vaccination and testing services are relatively popular among students, Jenny noted."We have had a lot of girls come in to inquire about the vaccine or to get the second and third shots of the series they started at home over the summer," she said. "We also see a lot of people coming in for STI testing and women coming in for routine gynecological exams. We ask them if they are concerned about anything in particular - whether they have any symptoms - but often they've just heard or read that it's a good idea to get tested or they're doing it because they just got involved in a new relationship."Daniere agreed that this "peace of mind" testing is an excellent idea. "You'll be safer and more comfortable after you find out what your status is," she said.
(02/14/08 12:00am)
Author: Tamara Hilmes It is Valentine's Day and couples all over the world are looking for ways to express their love for one another. Some choose flowers, others candy, but some opt for matching tattoos. "Bald Bill" Henshaw, the owner of Yankee Tattoo at 198 Pearl Street in Burlington, says people come in all the time to get tattoos with their loved ones."Sure, people come in for that all the time," said Henshaw. "A lot of people think it's bad luck, but I say that's crap." Henshaw, an award-winning tattoo artist and member of the National Tattoo Association since 1984, has many tattoos as one might expect, considering his trade, but only the name of one lady appears permanently inked onto his skin - "Mom." "Almost everybody who has tattoos has at least one dedicated to their loved ones," Henshaw said. "I never did get one except 'Mom.' I was going to get my daughter's name at one point, but I never ended up doing it."Henshaw does not look like the average business owner on the surface. The 55-year-old artist has a completely bald head, a long grey beard, and - oh yeah, tattoos snaking up both of his arms. "When I was 30 years old," began Henshaw, "I had a bald spot and people thought I was 40. This is also when I began my job at the phone company as a staff artist, and because I was working with people, I finally shaved off my long hair and have never gone back. Since then, it has become very well known - it's my trademark. If you were to walk into any tattoo shop across the country and ask about Bald Bill, they would say, 'oh yeah, I know Bald Bill.'"Henshaw is known throughout the nation for more than just his bald head, given the Burlington-based tattoo artist's participation in over 150 tattoo conventions in 25 different states as well as in Canada and Puerto Rico. Henshaw gained renown in the tattoo world well before he decided to settle down in Vermont to start his own parlor. "After I quit my job at the phone company," said Henshaw, "I went on the road and followed the tattoo circuits. There used to be only one to two a year, but now they have one every weekend." At these conventions, Henshaw learned the art of professional tattooing by watching "the masters" and attending various seminars. It was here at these conventions that he learned the sterilization procedures that are vital in the success of a professional tattoo artist."Sterilization and procedures to prevent cross-contamination are the first thing a tattoo artist needs to know," said Henshaw. "I'm working with blood every day, and it's extremely important to keep both myself and my customers safe. I've tattooed FBI agents and professional con men. I've tattooed millionaires and homeless people as well as doctors, lawyers and nurses. I even have a reputation with the nurses for being even cleaner than some of them with my procedures."After attending convention after convention and attaining his license in three different states, Henshaw began to look to settle down and start his own business. In 1996, when the state of Vermont legalized tattooing, Henshaw decided the time was right, and Yankee Tattoo was soon up and running in its current location on Pearl Street, in the heart of downtown Burlington."I decided on Vermont because there weren't really any professional tattoo artists in the area at the time," said Henshaw. "Most were just working off their kitchen tables. I could have started up in Philadelphia, but you don't open a tattoo parlor where one has been in business already for 30 years unless you want to get both of your arms broken." Henshaw admitted that competition in Vermont has increased since 1996, but with Yankee Tattoo in business for 11 years in the same location, Henshaw is not worried about upstarts."We can handle a little bit of competition," Henshaw said. "We're going on 12 years now, and I have two guys who have been working for me for 10 years, which is unusual for this industry. At least one shop comes and goes every year. People think it's really easy, but really, it's not that easy. Just because you are educated doesn't mean that you can tattoo." The art of tattooing, as Henshaw explained, is really quite technical. Henshaw uses reciprocating tattoo machines, with needles that go in and out at a rate of 1,000-3,000 times a minute. The needles are essentially groups of pens that act as miniature bilge pumps. The tube and needle are dipped in ink, and the ink-covered needle is then inserted into the skin, where the ink is absorbed according to the design that has either been stenciled or drawn on by hand."When I worked at the phone company," said Henshaw, "and people found out that I also tattooed, they would say, 'oh, you're a tattoo artist.' But in actuality, tattooing is a lot harder than being a commercial artist. We don't create on canvas, or on paper or on wood. We work on a pliable surface that moves - we work on skin.""A lot of times we are unable to use a stencil due to the curvature of the body," explained Henshaw, "so in these cases, we freehand it right on to the skin. We also do a lot of custom work, so often we don't even have a stencil."Along with "old school" designs that have been around for decades, like eagles, nautical images and the classic "cabbage rose" that were favored by the American servicemen who kept the art of tattooing alive, according to Henshaw, Yankee Tattoo also offers its customers custom designs, as well as designs by other tattoo artists that Henshaw himself purchases while attending conventions. Several of Henshaw's custom designs have been featured in a variety of tattoo artistry magazines and coffee table books such as one featuring Bike Week at Daytona Beach from 1993, and on the cover of Body Art as well as inside the magazine for a design entitled "Phoenix Rising." This creation, which took 80 hours to complete, was dedicated to the 10-year-old daughter of the woman whose back he created it on. The girl was killed in an arson fire. The technicolor design depicted birds, flowers and other wildlife, which is actually Henshaw's specialty. In fact, his own left leg is covered in tiny brightly colored fish that were featured on the Travel Channel back in 2002, when 35 women tattooed the fish on Henshaw in eight hours in an attempt to break a record. "People are always saying to me," said Henshaw, "'didn't I see you on the Travel Channel? Aren't you the guy with all the fish?' and I answer that 'yes, that's me alright.'" Henshaw went on to explain that most of his own tattoos are related to water."Everywhere I travel to I try to get a little fishing in," said Henshaw, who happens to be a Pisces. Henshaw will be attending the National Tattoo Association's annual convention in Reno later this year where he plans to meet up with one of his old friends, Lyle Tuttle, one of "the greats," famous for tattooing the likes of Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead.
(01/10/08 12:00am)
Author: Thomas Brant When I stand in a long line at Proctor waiting impatiently for the blue-uniformed server to replenish the supply of chicken parmesan, all I can think about is how good chicken parm is, how I cannot wait to eat it and how sad I will be when my stomach tells me there no room for more. As far as I am concerned, the red sauce-covered hunks of chicken - yes, I do eat several - are my reward from heaven for slogging through another day of classes. But, as it turns out, that is not the case. Proctor head honcho Richard O'Donohue recently took me on a tour of his dining hall's cavernous basement kitchen, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how the 20 or so Proctor employees work together to create their culinary masterpieces.No, I realized, the chicken parm does not come from heaven. As it turns out, O'Donohue and his colleagues put a lot of hard work, sweat and tears into the food that Middlebury students enjoy. (Actually, they try to keep their sweat and tears out. It is mostly just hard work). An enthusiastic man who seems like he was born with a toque blanche on his head, O'Donohue started his career with Dining Services in 1988 as a cook in the Freeman International Center's three dining rooms. For the past four years, he has served as Proctor's Commons Chef, responsible for creating the menus and supervising activity in the kitchen. Consistent with Middlebury's addiction to technology in seemingly useless places, O'Donohue has at his disposal a powerful computer database to help him plan even the simplest menus. While he does consult it frequently for recipes and ingredients, he admits that every once in a while he likes to spice things up. "Occasionally I'll go to a cooking Web site and if I see something that looks good, I'll try it," he said. So that's where that nameless, fantastic-tasting mush came from a few weeks ago.Once O'Donohue creates the menus (usually four weeks in advance), First Cook Supervisor Paul Smith coordinates the preparation with the Second and Third Cooks. For the main dishes, Smith's team starts getting ingredients together the day before the meals are served. On the morning I visited, he had just finished preparing the soup for the lunch and dinner."We make all the soup for each day at once," Smith said, pointing out three gigantic vats in the middle of the room. Thinking that they could not possibly all be full of soup, I asked O'Donohue later how much Proctor makes every day."About 20 gallons," he said. The next stop on the tour was the salad preparation area, where I saw two women furiously chopping carrots and pulling apart heads of lettuce. "They make all of the ingredients in the salad bar fresh right here," O'Donohue said proudly. "Even the salad dressing is from scratch." I immediately felt guilty for sloppily letting some of the hand-cut lettuce fall off my plate at last night's dinner.From there, we moved on to the sandwich prep table, where Third Cook Lou Langevin was busy rolling Proctor's famous green wraps. My mouth watered at the sight. O'Donohue explained that Langevin starts rolling about 10:30 for the lunch rush, and once those pre-rolled wraps are gone, he moves upstairs and rolls more until the dining hall closes at 1:30. Because of his unique rolling job (and the popularity of his wraps), he is the only cook that students typically see in the serving area. The last stop on the kitchen tour was the bakery, which happens to be the only bakery on campus. Proctor supplies baked goods to all Dining Services operations, including the other dining halls, The Grille and catering events, O'Donohue said. For my benefit, he asked Baker Bob Stowe, a very busy man with a jolly face, how many cookies he bakes every day."About 1,500," Stowe answered, without looking up from his work. "But you can't forget the bread, about 80 to 100 loaves, or the cakes and pies." I noticed about 20 pecan pies - my favorite - sitting in a drying rack beside him."Those are for dinner tonight," O'Donohue said.As we left the kitchen, O'Donohue let me peek inside the three walk-in refrigerators that store food waiting to be served. I looked around for the chicken parm. Sadly, it was not there. But at least now I knew where it came from, and instead of silently thanking the heavens the next time I see it on the menu, I know to thank O'Donohue and his colleagues down in the Proctor basement.
(01/10/08 12:00am)
Author: Michael Suen In the last month, a burgeoning demographic has begun to assert its potential in swaying the outcome of the presidential elections: the college student. With the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucuses over, the race for the White House is now in full swing.Whether or not Middlebury's students are invested in what political analysts are calling the most open race in more than 50 years, however, is another issue. Historically, the Middlebury student body has garnered a reputation for being largely indifferent towards social and political issues. Incoming students have noticed the apparent student apathy."I wasn't surprised that there weren't any prominent 'Students for Mitt' groups, but was shocked at the absence of a strong 'Students for Obama' group," said Ashley Sandy '11.Despite the perceived apathy on campus, there is most certainly a select portion of the student body that has been actively involved. To facilitate the registering of voters, MiddVOTE held its first registration event in late November of 2007. With a turnout of 93 first-time registrants and additional absentee ballot applicants, student organizers were pleased by what they called "civic energy.""It proved an effective way to raise awareness about the upcoming elections and about the ease with which we can register to vote or get absentee ballots," said MiddVOTE student leader Trevor Lee '09.Already, some students have been carefully considering which candidate to support and where to cast their votes."I'm deciding whether I should vote in Vermont or Massachusetts, but right now I'm still deciding who to vote for," said Emma Lennon '11.Moriel Rothman '11, an student campaigner for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), registered to vote in his home state of Ohio, an important state in the presidential race. "It falls on the backs of college students to decide the fate of our nation," he said.There has been discussion among candidates over whether students should vote in their home states or in the states in which they attend college. The unique voting opportunity given to students to vote in the state of their college has already proven its paramount importance in the Iowa Democratic caucuses. CNN entrance polls revealed that among Democratic caucus-goers, 22 percent were attendees between the ages of 18 and 29. A significant portion of this age demographic voted for Iowa victor Obama, indicating the power of young voters, able to swing an election in any certain direction."This will be our world in the near future," said Rothman. "We will be running the businesses, running the economies and living our lives. It's up to us to make sure we have leaders we can trust and policies we agree with."Despite this enthusiasm among some students, College Democrats Vice President John William Meyer '10 remains skeptical of college students' ostensibly crucial role in the upcoming election."There's always a lot of talk about young people getting involved and really changing the tide of the election," said Meyer. "This comes up with every election. However, I feel that there's a big divide with young people saying and young people voting."Though a nationwide study by the University of Maryland's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reported that while 80 percent of college students planned to vote in the 2004 presidential election, only 47 percent of nearly 25 million eligible 18- to 24-year-olds ultimately voted.Nonetheless, in considering the sharp increase from the 36 percent of eligible young voters who participated in the 2000 presidential election, the rise of political participation may yet prove to be a continuous trend.In the fall semester, College Democrats held information sessions to introduce the political backgrounds of Democratic presidential candidates Obama, Sen. Hilary Clinton (D-N.Y.), and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), an opportunity to draw interest, educate uninformed students and mobilize voters. For Republicans at Middlebury, voting seems as if it could be adversely affected by pressure from a predominantly liberal student body. According to Sandy, though "people [can] be swayed in their voting," being a conservative in a left-leaning college can equally provide "the opportunity to say what I think, receive mostly negative feedback, and strengthen my reasoning to defend what I believe." Despite the ongoing efforts to spread political awareness, many students feel generally unaffected, though not necessarily unaware."I haven't seen as much of a political presence on campus as I thought I would have," said Lennon, "There have been debates and documentaries, like 'No End in Sight,' and in this sense I guess there has been a formal political influence."Though an abundance of political groups such as MiddVOTE, College Democrats, College Republicans and Justice League do exist on campus and have offered screenings, informational meetings, speakers and discussions to further foster political interest, students have observed that involvement only extends to immediate participants. "There are a lot of kids that are politically active, but the campus itself is not necessarily conducive to political activism," said Rothman. "There are certain groups that are passionate, politically active and not apathetic. But then there are also people that have other things to think about, or don't care. You'll always have both."
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: Tamara Hilmes For many, putting up the Christmas tree means digging the dusty box out of the attic, separating what seems like an endless amount of artificial evergreen boughs and placing them in color-coded slots embedded in a pole camouflaged with more fake greenery. While artificial Christmas trees have invaded many homes, a great deal of Vermonters still rely on good old-fashioned live trees to bring holiday cheer to their living rooms. David and Cheryl Werner, owners of Werners' Tree Farm just outside Middlebury at 429 Painter Road, strive to keep the tradition of real greenery alive by providing freshly-cut garland, wreaths, "kissing balls" and, of course, Christmas trees."We started it up," said Cheryl about the farm, which has been running for over 22 years. "We bought this piece of land and wanted to plant something on it, so we decided to try Christmas trees. It is a family-run business, and even our three kids in college are actively involved."Although both the Werners maintain day jobs - Cheryl teaches at the career center and David works as a carpenter - when the Werners decided to plant Christmas trees on their land, they knew that they were making a big commitment."It's a year-round job," said Cheryl. "We plant in April and in June and July we are shearing trees and mowing. In November we put in a 80-hour work week in order to prepare for the holiday season.""You can't just decide to grow Christmas trees," explained David. "It takes at least seven years to harvest a single tree, and at least 10 years to harvest a block."The Werners grow around 10 to 12 different varieties of trees on their farm. Balsa trees, David explained, are the most popular in this area, as they are typically the most traditional. The demand for the different varieties, however, changes according to region, according to David."The Fraiser Fir is probably our second most popular," he said, "but if you went down to North Carolina, the Fraiser would probably be more in-demand. There are simply some trees that we just can't grow here, which decides what people get."One reason that the Werners chose to plant such a large number of varieties is to decrease the amount of chemicals that they must spray on their trees. According to Cheryl, they do not use any insecticides on their trees."We planted a huge varieties of trees because they all bud at different times, which confuses the bugs," said David. "We also rotate plantations ... It's surprising how minimal our insect damage is because of that. We live right in our plantation, and we don't want to live in an area covered in chemicals."Living in Vermont, the Werners are aware of their environmentally-concious community. According to Cheryl, most of their customers are their neighbors who seem to trust their tree-growing process."There was this one lady, though," explained David, "who would walk up and touch a tree. She claimed that she could tell just by touching them whether or not they had been sprayed with pesticides. Apparently she would get sick if they were. But she gave the trees a lot of touching, and she said they were alright."Each member of the Werner family has their own specialty. For instance, David makes the garland and Cheryl and her daughter make and decorate the wreaths. "I have about 300 feet of garland ahead of me in order to keep up," said David. "It is a real pain." David went on to demonstrate the garland-making process, which can be pretty tricky. "There is a center twine and a wire that everything is hooked together with. Basically," he continued to explain while turning a crank with a branch attached, "I am wrapping the wire and the string around the bough. You basically just keep going and going and try to get someone else to do it for you.""We actually just had some garland go up to the College," said Cheryl. "The kid pulled out his credit card and said, 'Haha, my dad is going to pay for this.'"Each year, the Werners provide trees and other greenery to the College and several other places around town. "We are actually about to make a 24-tree delivery up to the College," said David. "Skip Brush, [manager of Office Moves and Furniture Distribution], has been buying them from us for about six or seven years now."According to David, the biggest orders that the farm receives each season typically come from the various churches in town. "They always want huge amount of greenery and trees," said David. "The Congregational Church always orders from us, the Catholic Church does, the Methodist does."According to the Werners, their business grows larger with each season that passes, at least for the past 10 years, despite the fact that they have not really promoted it. They are excited about the growth, but they also realize that they have a limit."As long as we are out here," said David, "we might as well get as big as we can handle.""Although," Cheryl added, "we don't want to lose being able to talk with people. Really we are striving to entertain people as well as sell them our products. Families, and especially those with little kids, come here to shop and will want to pet the horses. We strive to make it an experience or an outing."Although artificial trees may be mainstays in shop windows and some households, the Werners are not worried about losing business. For the past couple of seasons, the farm has sold around 1,000 Christmas trees, 1,000 feet of garland and 600 wreaths from when they open for business on the day after Thanksgiving to New Years."We sold an amazing amount during Thanksgiving weekend," said David. "A lot of trees will get sold this upcoming weekend, and some will even leave on Christmas Eve, although I don't recommend waiting that long. Some people call ahead, usually when they need directions, but most people just show up. We have pre-cut trees, but you can also cut your own."The Werners' Tree Farm is open Tuesday to Friday, noon to five, and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the day after Thanksgiving to New Years'. They can be reached through their Web site, or by phone at 802-388-7781.
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: Melissa Marshall So, this is the New Year and I don't feel any different. Okay, maybe it's not quite the New Year yet, and even though you may not feel any different, the music scene has experienced more break-out releases than Angelina Jolie has had covers on tabloids in these past 12 months. Looking back, we have celebrated the birth of Lily Allen onto the scene while mourning the loss of Interpol to major-label land. We have taken comfort from Elliot Smith's posthumous voice while trying to ignore Britney Spears' attempt to resuscitate her career. We have applauded Bright Eyes' embracement of the country twang, accepted Feist's movement into the mainstream and stood behind Radiohead as they gave the industry the middle finger. And though we bamboo banga-ed to M.I.A., came alive with the Foo Fighters, spent a weekend in the city with Bloc Party, took a long walk home with Springsteen and even winced the night away with The Shins, we are bound to have some regrets over the empty slots in our music collections. You won't have to kick yourself over missing two of the most influential, yet under rated albums of 2007, however. They may not make Amazon.com's Top 10 List or line Best Buy's $9.99 holiday bargain rack, but these albums need to take a page from Dumbledore's book and come out of the proverbial closet of obscurity and onto the airwaves.23 by Blonde Redhead. Seven certainly seems to be the lucky number for this international yet New York City based trio. Their seventh release, 23, packages the eerie dissonance of their earlier albums into melodies that are simulatenously pensive yet danceable. The title track is one of the strongest on the disc, Kazu Makino's un-mimicable vocals ringing out as clear and resonant as church bells over the teasingly electronic rhythms and lush orchestration of fellow bandmates Amedeo and Simone Pace. And the allusion to a higher power is completely grounded - Blonde Redhead's mysterious and modern album will act as a savior to any New Year's Party. Whether it is the upbeat jive of suck tracks as "Dr. Strangeluv" and "Spring and Summer by Love" or the haunting melodies of "The Dress" and "SW," 23 unwraps the perfect soundtrack for an all-night rager or a quiet evening over wine, depending on whether you want to bring in 2008 with a bang or whimper. Night Falls Over Kortadela by Jens Lekman. Just because we find ourselves trapped by the "Middlebury Bubble" in terms of worldly affairs, doesn't mean our iPods need to be confined to jam-band vibes and the Seattle music scene. Sweden's own Jens Lekman provides a much needed jilt to a Scandinavian scene dominated by the beautiful yet dragging compositions of Iceland's Sigur Ros. The Swede's sixth release, yet only third full-length album, Night Falls Over Kortadela is Lekman's most masterful mix-match of genres to date. From sampling Renaldo and The Loaf to the lush orchestration on "And I Remember Every Kiss" to the harder hitting "Friday Night at the Drive-in Bingo," he proves that he is not just a pop singer - he is a DJ, vocalist and occasional comedian with lyrics that are laugh-out-loud funny. And even though his vocals are reminiscent of the 80s icon Morrissey mixed with pop jingles that hearken back to 60s Motown, Lekman is progressive - his ability to synthesize sounds transcends genre and decades, making Night Falls a perfect compliment to the New Year. Lekman's album serves as a reminder to look forward while still holding onto influences from the past, and always with a sense of humor.
(11/29/07 12:00am)
Author: Kevin Redmon Your front page coverage of Middlebury's participation in Power Shift 2007 was encouraging to see ("Students aid D.C. green looby," Nov. 8). Despite being one of the smaller colleges represented, Middlebury sent nearly 80 students (in a bio-diesel bus, no less) to the conference - the largest representation from a single school. What concerned me was the dominant, eye-catching photograph that you chose to accompany the story. Of the 200 photos I took at Power Shift, the one that ended up above the fold in the Campus was perhaps the least representative of the events that transpired over the long weekend. The issue is not that the photo showed no Middlebury students. Instead, it showed a scene that I am afraid will reinforce common stereotypes and assumptions - however apparently harmless - about the climate change movement. In the photo, set against the Capitol, are a dozen raucous students, holding spray painted signs, flashing peace symbols and looking unruly. Someone is holding a sign displaying the American Indian Great Circle symbol, while a costumed, bipedal polar bear dances nearby. I fear that this is how Middlebury students - and society at large - view the climate change movement, and I would like to vehemently challenge that vision. The photograph in question was taken at a culminating outdoor rally, and represents about five percent of our time at Power Shift. Otherwise, the three-day weekend was essentially a long policy conference, where we attended seminars, workshops, speeches and panels alongside our peers. These classes were taught by some of the leading environmentalists, economists and politicians in the nation, all of whom volunteered their time and knowledge with the goal of empowering and educating students like us. Under the overarching topic of "climate change" there were classes concerned with legislation, biochemistry, media and messaging, race, environmental justice, journalism, political science and international relations. Whether you wanted to explore the evangelical Christians' efforts to mitigate climate change or understand the mechanical engineering behind carbon sequestration, the options were myriad and diverse. Further, they were representative of the true challenge we face when we speak of climate change. Climate change is no longer - if it was ever - an 'environmental' issue. In our rapidly shrinking world of globalized politics and economics, there can no longer be an issue that is exclusively environmental. To label a threat like climate change as such is to diminish and deny its importance. Recognize first that carbon emission is the definition of a market failure - it does not obey the fundamental rule of economics that the party deriving the benefit from an action is the same party bearing the cost. In the case of carbon emission, the developed and rapidly developing world derives the overwhelming majority of the benefit, but the entire global community bears the cost. What's more, lesser developed countries often pay a disproportionately higher cost. From there, understand that climate change is not about saving polar bears or Arctic glaciers, despite what the mainstream media might have you think. It can be - and is - partially about these issues, but it is equally about resource allocation and conflict, national security, a fundamentally new 'green' economy and market stability, climatology, the future of progressivism ≠≠- the list is virtually endless. Climate change is neither 'Weybridge House' nor 'the Sunday Night Group.' It is not about party politics, short term solutions or Kyoto. Climate change is about developing radically new and innovative technologies that rethink the way we understand energy. It is about integrating 'sustainability' into our lexicon, our built environment, and our consciousness. It is about economic revitalization through 'green jobs' and a rethinking of environmental and social justice. Mark this: climate change - and our approach to understanding and mitigating it - will be the largest single force in every one of our lifetimes. It will affect the politics, economics, and conflicts of our global generation and of the many generations that follow. A better picture for The Campus might have been one of Middlebury students sitting in a small group, engaged in discussion about the role of climate change in the 2008 elections, or the impact of China and India's carbon emissions on worldwide levels - we spent a lot of time thinking about these sorts of issues that weekend, and we intend on spending much more time engaged in similar discussions. The face of climate change does not resemble the WTO riots of Seattle, the ROTC burnings during Vietnam or race riots of the late 1960s. Climate change is not a chaotic, violent battle waiting to be won in the streets by marginalized and disillusioned youth. Rather, it is an issue that will be addressed in board rooms, on Wall Street, by Fortune 500 companies and on every level of scale from the grassroots to the transnational. It is time for all of us to recognize it as such. Kevin Redmon '09.5 is from Minneapolis, Minn.
(11/29/07 12:00am)
Author: Lea Calderon-Guthe Assistant Professor of Economics Caitlin Myers and five Middlebury students found surprising results when they traveled to Boston, Mass. last January as part of their Winter Term class, "Deconstructing Discrimination," to conduct a study on discrimination. The class, comprised of Marcus Bellows '08, Hiba Fakhoury '09, Douglas Hale '07, Alexander Hall '08.5 and Kaitlin Ofman '10, chose to look at discrimination against the consumer in small-ticket markets, areas of spending that do not include houses, cars or other big-ticket items. The particular small-ticket market the class chose to observe was that of coffee shops, and the results, along with the ensuing media frenzy, were very unexpected.The basic plan for the study was to record the amount of time between placing an order and receiving it for different types of people in eight different coffee shops in Boston. Fakhoury said that it involved taking down a lot of data."We tried to record as much data about the drinks, about the customers, about the person who took the order and the person who served them their drink to try and come up with a correlation of some sort that indicates a difference in times between consumer groups," Fakhoury said.The different consumer groups Myers and her students compared were based on race, age, relative attractiveness, as determined by how well-dressed the customers were, and gender. Comparing the amount of time from order to receiving the drink between men and women showed about a 20-second difference in men's favor that did not change when other factors of the orders were accounted for, like relative complexity of the drink. The result surprised Myers and her students."We all went into it confident that we wouldn't find something, but then it turned out that you couldn't get rid of the difference in time [for men and women]," Hall said.In fact, Myers and her class went on their trip to Boston with a completely different study in mind. The original plan was to look at gender and race discrimination within labor markets, by observing whether customers choose the fastest line or based upon the characteristics of the person behind the cashier in fast food restaurants. After encountering problems in finding the right place to conduct their study, the group was forced to select one of the other student-crafted back-up plans. After spending one-and-a-half days on their original study, Myers and the students selected Bellows's plan and ran with it. Myers thought the study would have been a good one even if it had not yielded such interesting results."We know almost nothing about discrimination in small-ticket markets, and that's about 80 percent of consumer spending that's in those markets," Myers said. "This was a small study, but there really aren't very many others like it."Since Myers and the five students published the study, which was written by Myers with input from her students' final papers, it has been picked up by Slate Magazine, MSNBC and "Here and Now" on NPR. Even CBS' "Early Show" sought a brief interview with Myers before canceling at the last minute. The huge public reaction and interest in the study seems to revolve around the false assumption that Myers and her students are saying that there is definite negative discrimination against women in coffee shops, but this is not the case."We spent a lot of time talking about what you could conclude and what you couldn't, and being careful not to overreach, being careful not to say, 'We have found the best evidence of all time,' but, you know, I do think it's suggestive," Myers said. "I think that this is very clearly a study that suggests more work should be done."Fakhoury also thought more work could be done, as it was a small study."It would have been better if we had a lot more students or a lot more time - we had to do everything with five students in three days," Fakhoury said.The fact that the study size was small and the results, while suggestive, were not hard evidence did not seem to stop the public from treating the study as such, or even trying to comment on it without reading the study itself."I think that it was written academically and misinterpreted grossly," Hall said. "It's been interesting to look at the comments [on Slate] and observe how few of the people making comments actually read the article."Whether the public interpreted the study as it was intended or not, the students who carried it out benefited from the experience."I think it's one of the benefits of liberal arts colleges that you even get to do research with an actual professor as an undergrad," Hall said. "I thought it was cool because it gives you a really hands-on kind of way of looking at regression."Fakhoury agreed. "I really, really enjoyed it," Fakhoury said. "I think it really makes you understand. Any time you do a study after that, you will really understand the challenges, and you learn to appreciate good results, like, 'Wow, they did a lot of work to get that.'"
(11/29/07 12:00am)
Author: Eleanor Johnstone Although "The Heidi Chronicles" shook Wright Theater the weekend before campus emptied for break, its powerful performances and messages chased this reporter into the holiday and back to the press. Directed by Middlebury's Professor of Theater and Women's and Gender Studies Cheryl Faraone as the centerpiece of the Wasserstein Fortnight Symposium, Wendy Wasserstein's play offers an insightful look into the lives of those who lived through the feminist movement in the '60s, '70s and '80s in the U.S. The play focuses on Heidi Holland's life from high school dances to becoming a single mother in her late forties and the characters female, male, straight, gay, traditional and rebellious who win, lose and share with her. Beautifully portrayed by Lucy Faust '09, Heidi's existence is summed up in her future best friend Peter's (Rishabh Kashyap '08) high school icebreaker, "You look so bored, you must be very bright." The play follows the constants in her life - a frustrated romance with the loquacious, contentious, womanizing journalist Scoop Rosenbaum (Neil D'Astolfo '07.5), her friendship with homosexual Peter Patrone (Kashyap) and her passionate study of women in art as well as the variables including girl friend Susan Johnston (Allison Corke '08), women's support groups and the media. Heidi's relationship with her girl friends becomes one of the most transient subjects of the play. Though she keeps in touch with her high school friend Susan, the scenes that follow them through the decades reveal a durable and honest Heidi absorbing her friend's flighty shifts from boy-crazy teen to she-man feminist and finally fast-talking and corporate TV think tank. At one point Heidi confesses to the empty sense of sadness that Faust radiated so well. Although she shares the egalitarian sentiments of her fellow women, Heidi remains true to her classical and modest self throughout the decades, finding herself very lonely on the edge of the radical fads of the '60s, '70s and '80s. The dynamic that Wasserstein establishes between her heroine and the chattier, more radical figures in the play questions the verity and endurance of Feminism. In a private moment at his wedding to another woman, Scoop confides in Heidi that he could not marry her because two determinedly successful professionals do not equal a happy home. If women can have it all just as well as men, then who compromises what when? Women such as Susan and Denise (Stephanie Strohm '08) profit from the movement, designing sitcoms around the aspirations of women while news anchor April (Emily Kron '09.5) engages Heidi, Scoop and Peter in an interview that quickly becomes a battle of the liberal wit in which Heidi has no room to breathe. Yet many of these professional success stories seem to ride on highly compressed engines of domestic and personal frustration. So who exactly is the new woman? Even if she has it all, is she really enjoying it? Peter also questions the justice of the movement, demanding to know the difference between men rejecting women from the work force and women rejecting men from the struggle for liberation. Curiously, at the end of the play the two friends who appear to have endured the test of time are male - Scoop, consistently a brilliant and stubborn jackass, and Peter, an honest and modest homosexual weathering conservatism and radicalism with reason. The one exception is Heidi's adopted daughter to whom she sings as the lights fall on the last scene. Faraone and her cast found a rhythm within the text of "Heidi" that held the audience for the entirety of the show. Actors slipped comfortably into their period-accurate costumes, displaying a deep understanding of their text. All actors seized their roles with playful confidence, most notably Natasha Chacon '10 and Justine Katzenbach '08.5, who swaggered and over-sweetened (respectively) with admirable abandon. Benjamin T. Meader '09.5 displayed a remarkable versatility free of hesitation while Faust, Corke, Kashyap and D'Astolfo dexterously handled the subtleties of behavior that convincingly carried them from their late teens into their thirties and forties. These core four achieved a remarkable balance of energies that was crucial to the whole production - Faust received D'Astolfo's buoyancy with a sophisticated alacrity, Kashyap responded effectively to every temperament on the stage and Corke emanated a remarkable warmth free of frivolousness and fuzz that laid a solid foundation for the loss Heidi later feels when Susan stifles it with business. In appearance and serviceability the technical design opened both actors and audience to Wasserstein's meditative and exploratory play. The crucial role of time in the play was given ample room and respect by Associate Technical Director Hallie Zieselman's spacious and versatile set - a warmly colored series of levels that were defined by props and a variably lit scrim. A loose tangle of rope reminiscent of Miss Havisham's wedding dangled from the fly space as a subtle but poignant reflection of the struggles faced by those who may appear calm and content. Professor of Theater Mark Evancho's warm lighting plot took full advantage of the creativity that the set afforded, successfully defining space and time with changes both subtle and bold. When my friend asked me about my reaction, I had one answer - terrifying. The production kept me on the edge of my seat with its beauty, poignancy and honesty. Some have wondered whether or not Wasserstein is still relevant to women today. In my experience with this particular play, she is dead on. Many of the issues she addresses affected our parents and grandparents and, as for ourselves, we are the ones Heidi holds in her arms at the end of the '80s. The questions that persist are human questions. Wasserstein asks her audience to seek honesty between the party lines of both women and men. It is not Feminism we are dealing with, nor rash chauvinism - these are only subsets of the larger quest for the identity and inner satisfaction that we all share.
