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(04/06/06 12:00am)
Author: Joyce Man Two years ago, the Johnson Building saw rounds of wine served to the mellow tunes of the Dick Forman Jazz Group transform its interior into a vibrant, schmoozy social space. This weekend, Jean Paul Carlhian's brutalist cement interiors play host again to another event organized by the same student group, Architecture Table. Judging from the recognizeable, stylized posters that bear striking resemblance to those designed for Johnson Week, one would expect a week-long event of similar breadth and length, but as freshly-graduated Andrew Rossmeissl '05 explains, this Saturday's Beaux-Arts Ball should be a fete of a totally different kind.Initiated in 2001 by Middlebury College alumnus Andrew Corrigan '02.5, Architecture Table consists of a group of students, many pre-architecture majors, who organize field trips, social events, and lecturers to, in the words of former president Jonathan Coble '05.5, "progressively [try] to provide… broader exposure to the world of design."Two years ago, Architecture Table organized Johnson Week to raise appreciation for the much loved, yet much hated Johnson A. Memorial Building, whose brutalist forms have in the past elicited many displeased responses from unimpressed students. The week-long schedule of lectures brought Jean Paul Carlhian, who designed the Johnson Building back to revisit his building. Architecture Table has been involved in a small number of projects while trying to establish a more substantial role on campus. Last fall, they launched a chair design competition with an award of $100 for the winner. Recently, the group influenced the college administration to invite Michael Dennis, whose firm, Michael Dennis and Associates, has furnished many college campuses with their brand of integrated architecture, to come to Middlebury as master planner. The group also competed successfully in the Vermont American Institute of Architects "Canstrunction" competition.The upcoming Beaux Arts Ball is another sign that the Architecture Table, now headed by Teague Douglas '06, is alive and well, despite low funds provided by the Financial Committee for this event. On Monday afternoon, the group's regular roundtable discussion took the time to review all the works in progress as their big date approached. From such intricacies as how to project 80 slides of their favorite building on the mezzanine walls to how best to circulate 70 bottles of champagne without running dry by 10 p.m., the organizers worked out the kinks in their final planning stages.The Beaux Arts Ball, a long-time tradition at older universities, is a masquerade held by architecture departments to celebrate the end of exams. While most of our students and faculty will not be donning masks or tuxedoes - only a total of three students opted to reserve the hefty, hundred-dollar rented suits as of Tuesday - Architecture Table's event tries to emulate the Beaux Arts Ball in its grand tradiition. Student band Larson will provide the evening's entertainment.It is also, in part, a send-off event for departing Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture Parker Croft, who will give a lecture on the night. Dennis will give a separate lecture about contemporary urban architecture.
(03/30/06 12:00am)
Author: Katie Flagg Saturday marked the kick-off for a new Saturday bus service linking Middlebury and Burlington, an initiative co-sponsored by Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR), the Middlebury College Student Government Association (SGA) and the College's Office of the Treasurer. While SGA and ACTR have expressed hopes that this service will provide greater access to Burlington for Middlebury students and community members, the success of the route remains to be seen.According to SGA President Eli Berman '07.5, four or five students accessed the new service this Saturday at the tail end of the College's spring break, when much of the student body was away from campus. A clearer picture of the route's popularity among students will be available in the weeks following this break, though Berman indicated that initial feedback has been "100 percent positive" from the students with whom he has spoken.Prior to supporting this service, the SGA conducted a survey of the student body to judge students' interest in the Saturday shuttle. The survey generated over 700 responses from students, and overwhelming, students indicated that the service would be utilized, according to Berman.In addition to recognizing student interest, the College has applauded the new service for its increased accessibility and its environmental benefits. "If one person takes the bus and doesn't drive, that's providing a benefit and helping the environment," said Berman.Currently the SGA is paying $2,000 until the end of the year for the shuttle service, regardless of how many students use the new route. The College has also committed to funding the shuttle program through the summer. In addition to obtaining funding from the College directly, ACTR is currently receiving federal funding because of its partnership with the College. Through a local match program funding by a non-profit grant, the government is currently covering 80 percent of ACTR's operating costs.Unlike its local services, the ACTR Burlington bus charges passengers a $3 one-way fare - due in large part to the route's reliance on the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA). The CCTA's LINK Express was initiated in October 2004, offering a weekday route for commuters. According to ACTR Executive Director Jim Moulton, the new ACTR route is "an extension of the weekday LINK Express service," which similarly charges a $3 fare.Moulton also acknowledged in the ACTR's press release that since the inception of the CCTA route, the service "generated numerous requests from the community for ACTR to begin Saturday service." Furthermore, interest increased, according to Moulton, after Vermont Transit Lines discontinued their Route 7 corridor service last fall.The Saturday schedule will consist of two round trips between Middlebury and Burlington. Buses will leave Middlebury College at 9:55 a.m. and 3:55 p.m., while return trips will leave Cherry Street in Burlington at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The bus will also serve New Haven Junction, Vergennes, Ferrisburgh and other communities along the Route 7 corridor.
(03/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Daniel L. J. Phillips President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz confirmed on Monday that Ann M. Veneman, executive director of UNICEF and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, will address members of the Middlebury College Class of 2006 at their commencement on May 28. The College will also award Veneman an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. A total of six honory degrees will be bestowed at the ceremony, which is the largest number of such degrees awarded in recent history. Dr. Robin Bell '80, Dr. Richard Hodes '75, Senator James M. Jeffords (I-Vt.), Alec Webb and Lihua Yu will also receive honorary degrees and will be recognized during a dinner reception the Saturday evening before graduation. Liebowitz said that he prefers to award no more than three or four honorary degrees per year, but stressed the importance of timing for a few recipients in this year's "unusually large slate." Timing is especially significant for Yu, who is the grandmother of graduating senior, Tara Vanacore. In consideration of Veneman to address the graduating seniors, Liebowitz said that he was "looking for a speaker who would provide an important and relevant message to students who would be leaving the relatively protected confines of Middlebury to pursue various jobs, volunteer work and studies."Having grown up on a family farm in a small rural community, Veneman's global accomplishments speak for themselves and send a resounding message to young adults entering the professional world. In her capacity as the 27th Secretary of Agriculture from 2001-2005, the first woman ever to hold the post, Veneman directed major international programs that included the $300 million Global Food for Education Program, which reached 4,000 schools and saw enrollment rise among both boys and girls by nearly 12 percent. Veneman also played a key role in eliminating trade barriers and expanding opportunities for American farmers by creating new export markets, and she worked closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in helping to lead the successful launch of a new round of trade negotiations for the World Trade Organization.Early in her tenure with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Veneman was responsible for publishing George W. Bush's Administration's vision for American agriculture with her report, "Food and Agricultural Policy: Taking Stock for the New Century." The publication outlined key priorities for issues such as farm sector policy, conservation and the environment, rural communities, nutrition and food assistance. Veneman also serves as a board member of the Close Up Foundation, a nonpartisan civic education organization.Veneman earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California (UC), Davis, a master's degree in public policy from UC Berkeley and a juris doctorate degree from UC Hastings College of Law. Prior to her appointment as the 27th Secretary, Veneman served as the USDA's Deputy Secretary, which is the Department's second-highest position. Secretary of the College John Emerson, the coordinator of the Honorary Degree Committee but a non-voting member, expressed his enthusiasm for Veneman's commencement address: "I think those who value social work and service to children will be especially pleased." Emerson noted that although agriculture is a relatively small constituent in the Middlebury community, "Veneman is unique in having achieved a very high level of leadership in at least two very different and seemingly unrelated, areas." Emerson added that she is a "very fine speaker" and has heard Veneman on the radio many times over the years.Kelsey Rinehart '06, one of the two student representatives on the Honorary Degree Committee, said she was "generally satisfied with the nomination," although she had not heard of Veneman before the selection. "I think seniors may be a bit disappointed not to have a high-profile speaker," said Rinehart. "I did acknowledge to the Committee that the student body probably would not be as excited with the nomination initially, given Veneman's relative lack of name recognition, but said that students would, of course, look into her background and credentials and form an opinion."While rumors circulated that Illinois Senator Barak Obama was in the running to address the graduating seniors, Liebowitz has not ruled out the possibility of bringing Obama to speak on campus. "Obama would be a great Fulton lecture candidate, and we have been trying to get him to speak here. We will continue to try to find a time when his schedule permits him to come to Middlebury," said Liebowitz.Dr. Bell, who is slated to receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree, was a biology major at Middlebury and is now the director of the ADVANCE program at the Earth Institute. She is a Doherty research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, where she directs major research programs on the Hudson River and Antarctica. Dr. Bell is also the chair of the National Academy of Sciences Polar Research Board and Vice Chair of the International Planning Group for the International Polar Year.Dr. Hodes, who will also receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree, was recently featured in Middlebury Magazine, and as Liebowitz recalled, gave a keynote address at the College for Operation Smile a few years ago. Dr. Hodes has been stationed in Ethiopia for the past 17 years, where he serves as medical director for the American Jewish Joint Distribution in Addis Ababa. He has been involved in humanitarian medical interventions in Rwanda, Zaire, Turkey, Kosovo, Somalia, Bangladesh and India as well. Dr. Hodes also has an academic appointment at the Program in Medicine and Humanities at the University of Texas School of Medicine. He has served as mentor for many Middlebury students who seek internships, and Liebowitz referred to him as a "most selfless individual."Born in Rutland, Vt., Senator Jeffords has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 1989, after serving Vermont in the House of Representatives from 1975-1988, and will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. As a Congressman, Senator Jeffords has championed legislation to strengthen our nation's education system and increase the opportunities for individuals with disabilities. He has also been one of the leading advocates in Congress for environmental protection.Alec Webb, who will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree, is the head of Shelburne Farms on the shore of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vt. Over the past 30 years, Webb has transformed his property from a private estate into a multi-faceted environmental education center. Webb and Shelburne Farms plan to continue a tradition of innovative farming and land-use practices, and hope that a new educational vision will help create a sustainable future in Vermont and across the globe. "He has been a great steward of land," said Liebowitz.Lihua Yu, one of the most influential Chinese-born women writers since World War II, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters. Professor Yu has written 15 volumes that include novels, collections of short stories and prose; she has also written several volumes of critical works and translations. She is the mother of Anna Sun, the coordinator of the Middlebury Chinese Summer School.
(03/09/06 12:00am)
Author: Tom McCann, Sports Editor The Campus: So, have you been playing tennis since you were a fetus?Nate Edmunds: Well, I played a lot of other sports as well. I played soccer, and mostly baseball. I kinda started playing tennis because my brothers started playing so I'd just tag along with them. By the time I got to high school I started to focus mostly on tennis. I liked soccer a lot for a while, but I realized that I was going to be better at tennis, so by the time I got to high school I started to focus on that.TC: What really drew you to play tennis?NE: I mean, one of the drawbacks is that it wasn't a team sport, which was something that I really wanted to stay with. That's part of the reason that I liked soccer so much, and baseball - just being part of the team, but I think part of the thing I like about tennis is that when you play it by yourself there's a certain individual aspect to it and you really get to see a lot about yourself on the court. I think you really kinda see who you are and get a strong sense of what you can accomplish - it's all on you. In college it's kinda different because the team aspect has come back, which is nice, but in junior tennis there's no team, it's just you and that has an appeal and a downside. The thing I like about it now is that it's got both - there's an individual part but there's a team part too.TC: Did you come to Middlebury to play tennis?NE: Yeah, I wanted to play in college and I wasn't really looking at any D-I schools - I wasn't really being looked at by D-I schools - so I kinda wanted to go to a small school anyway. I looked mostly at NESCAC schools, but I liked Middlebury more. I just thought about it in terms of the fact that if I wasn't playing tennis, I thought I'd like Middlebury anyway. When I visited Williams I liked the school, I liked the guys on the team, but I got the sense that if I went there I wouldn't have been happy. Here I felt like I loved the team part of it, the guys on the team were great and I also thought I would be happy when I wasn't playing sports here.TC: Do you have a favorite tennis moment so far?NE: I mean, winning the national championship was a great accomplishment for all of us after all the time and effort we put in - we won as a team when I was a sophomore in 2004. But I mean, looking back there are other moments too, like freshman year we were all a bunch of freshman in the lineup and everything was so new and exciting. Going in and beating Williams my freshman year when they were number one in the country was awesome. I mean, we had never really been a big-time team before that - nationally we had never really done that well, so to beat them was really exciting.TC: Have you been to the U.S. Open?NE: I have, it's a blast - I love going.TC: To play or to watch?NE: [Laughs] To watch. To play… I wouldn't hold your breath for that one.TC: If you could knock-up with one tennis player in the world who would it be?NE: It would probably be Andre Agassi. I just, I love the way he approaches the game and I mean, he's done so much for the sport on and off the court in terms of putting it on the map, and the fact he's still going at 35 is pretty impressive.TC: Did you model your game after anybody in particular?NE: I dunno, I mean all the coaches you work with over the years, when I look back, you kinda take something from all of them. I don't think it's any one in particular - I mean, I love how Agassi plays, but I don't think I play quite like him. I dunno, I have players that I really like to watch, but I don't think I try to model myself off of any single person.TC: Would you say Wimbledon is your favorite movie?NE: [Laughs] Actually, "The Break" is an even better tennis movie - for all the diehards. That's the one that everyone should watch. It's an 80s tennis movie - it's incredible.TC: Have you played on clay?NE: Yeah…TC: Is it weird?NE: It's a lot different - I like it - Some people hate it. I mean, in the U.S. there are only one or two tournaments a year for juniors that are on clay so you don't really train that much on it, but teaching-wise, some of the places I've taught at have clay courts so in the summer I'm on it a little bit, but it's definitely a different feel.TC: How many tennis rackets can you fit in one of those enormous bags, and how many do you need?NE: You can probably fit eight or nine, but for any match you probably only need a couple. But if you go to a tournament, like over spring break, it's hard to get rackets strung and for a week you may need a lot of them. I mean, for any one day, I don't think you'd need all of them.TC: And do you notice a difference when your racket isn't strung how you like it?NE: Yeah, yeah - maybe it's mental, but I think everyone is pretty picky about that. I always feel like I'm probably pretty picky and I think most tennis players are.TC: Do you have a favorite brand?NE: I've used Prince rackets for a while - I use a racket that's been discontinued, so they don't make it anymore, but I've used Prince since high school and that's kinda my go-to, I guess.TC: What do you say to somebody when you shake their hand at the net?NE: [Laughs] It depends, I mean, it's funny, because a lot of the guys over the last four years we've gotten to know kinda well so a few of them we're pretty good friends with and so it's friendly and it's pretty polite - you'll make a joke or something - but there are other times when if you don't get along with someone, it's sort of a fishy handshake or something. I think for the most part everyone gets along pretty well - at least with the teams we play.TC: If you're under pressure, do you have a serve that you go to?NE: My serve isn't that big - I just try to put a high percentage of first serves in. I'm not the kind of guy that likes to put a ton of pressure on my opponent. I like my opponent to feel that they're not going to be able to wear me down. I like to feel that I can outlast my opponent the longer the match goes, and the longer the points go, I usually feel more and more confident because I feel like for the most part I can stay out there longer than most of the other guys.TC: Do you feel like you're the best player in Middlebury tennis history?NE: [Laughs] Definitely not. I mean, you just look at our senior class - Waldo, just watching him play, he's so talented. It's pretty impressive to watch how good he is - you can sit and watch and he can make everyone else look silly. I mean, Ari is an unbelievable player. I think as a whole our senior class has helped to take Middlebury to a different level than it was at before, but I don't think any one of us has done that - I think it's definitely been a group effort. We had some leaders, some captains, my first years here who I really don't think we'd have accomplished anything without them here to kind of show us the way, so we've been fortunate to have some good players here.TC: You won Player of the Year though, right?NE: NESCAC Player of the Year, yeah. I mean, sophomore year Waldo and I kind of flipped back and forth at number one and number two, and I think that early on in the season I was playing a little bit better, but by the end of the season Waldo was untouchable and he was winning every single match, so in all honesty either one of us could have won it. I think it just happened that I played and won a few more big matches, but this year too, he's really done a phenomenal job. I don't really think of it in terms of any one of us winning anything in particular, but I think the seniors as a whole, all five of us have done more than any one of us individually.TC: What are your post-Middlebury tennis plans?NE: I'm going to be stu
dent teaching in the fall and I'm going to be helping out with the tennis program next year too - so, still in Middlebury, but after that probably teaching and coaching. I'm hoping next year I'll be able to figure that out.TC: What's your favorite section of The Campus?NE: The sports section - you guys do a great job. - Tom McCann, Sports Editor
(03/02/06 12:00am)
Author: Dave Barker I caught up with SGA President Eli Berman '07.5 the other day. With over a semester in the books and a new one ahead, I thought it time to find out what students can look forward to from their representatives in the remaining three months. Judging from completed legislation, students should have high expectations. If you don't pour over meeting minutes or have been forgoing the news section for Sudoku, the SGA has set a progressive tone. Maybe you noticed a few extra greenbacks in your pocket after the book buy-back at the end of last semester. Thanks to the SGA's textbook requisition bill, many professors have quit procrastinating over book selection. Close to $19,000 ended up with students after last semester's buy-back -a $13,000 increase. "This has been a good year so far," Berman said. "We're continuing to change the culture." With further tweaking, the textbook bill will benefit students even more. There should be an enforced deadline for professors, not just an e-mail encouraging timely submission. At other schools, professors miss paychecks when they don't submit reading lists. Beyond addressing our bookish tendencies, the SGA has focused on transportation. Either this weekend or the next, look for the inauguration of a roundtrip shuttle bus to Burlington on Saturdays that will cost the equivalent of a new Grille entrée ($6). In response to the new liquor inspector, who now ranks just below the Williams Eph on campus popularity polls, the SGA unanimously approved a bill to create a student-run shuttle to and from off-campus parties. The service could begin sometime in March. Berman isn't celebrating just yet. "SafeRides is a band-aid for an open wound," he said.At the College, few wounds can be described as gaping. "We have it really good here," Berman said. Students enjoy such luxuries as three chocolate fountains at the Winter Carnival dance or a choice of major newspapers to read over Corn Flakes. Yet that hasn't kept Berman and company from giving into student apathy. "We can do things to make the SGA more effectual," he said. The SGA constitution will be revised this semester to limit overlapping committees and councils. More senators will be elected based on their commons instead of their class year. Also look for a new organization of Middlebury's music scene around a Web service called FreshTracks, which would serve as calendar of upcoming concerts and an engine to download music from campus bands and new artists.Issues in need of examination include the persistent disappearance of dishware from the dining halls that costs the College between $60,000 and $80,000 annually and further evaluation of the experience of minorities on campus. "Minorities aren't as happy as they should be," Berman said. Based on the SGA's performance in the first six months, I find it hard to believe that these issues will go unresolved. Berman has been successful in leading the SGA by seeking the advice of past presidents like Andrew Jacobi '05 and reaching out to varied groups on campus so that no one is left out when bills are being drafted. If you remain skeptical, attend a Sunday meeting. "We're always open to new ideas," Berman said. It turns out that it's not just the climate change crowd getting things done on the traditional day of rest.
(02/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Polly Johnson Over the February break, the Board of Trustees convened on campus for its annual meeting, a discussion on the future direction and pertinent issues for the College. Although little was voted on during this specific meeting, two important issues were at the forefront of the discussion - the planning and construction of the Donald E. Axinn '51 Center for Literary and Cultural Studies, to take over the location of the old Starr Library, and the College's comprehensive student fee. Also discussed was the general future plan for the College, a topic which, according to President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz, was one of the most valuable topics of the board's gathering. In short, according to Liebowitz, the Board "discussed the direction the plan sets for the College and specific recommendations that were of greatest interest to board members. It also discussed how the board will continue providing feedback throughout the spring."The most important decision to come out of the meeting regarding the Axinn Center was the decision to keep the project moving forward. The College received approval, according to Liebowitz, to "start demolition on parts of the building, which will keep things moving rather than hold things up." The comprehensive fee was the second issue of high importance. The student Comprehensive Fee Committee presented a slew of information to the administration, which is under pressure to have a final number before March 20. Adam Irish '08.5, a member of the Committee, explained some of the issues that the students presented to the Trustees. Aside from recommendations regarding the College's endowment, budget deficits and faculty and staff salaries - the Committee "proposed that faculty salaries increase by seven percent while staff salaries increase by 3.5 percent" - the Committee discussed issues that hit even closer to the lives of students. In a survey on the comprehensive fee distributed during January, the Committee "found that there was a general happiness with the facilities on campus, namely the academic and social buildings. However, the residential buildings were an issue of concern, especially senior housing. That was something we recommended the Board pursue," said Irish. Additionally, Irish said, the committee "highlighted the fact that the Snow Bowl doesn't check passes and that that needs to rectified." Finally, the Committee "recommended that Rehearsals Café in the Center for the Arts be downsized because it uses a ton of money and 80 percent of the students surveyed said they never had been." An element of surprise from the survey was that "a surprising number of people were not opposed to having a parking fee. We recommended that fee at $50 a semester." A last issue, which has caused great controversy among students when it has been recommended in the past, was the suggestion to close Proctor Dining Hall on the weekends, a decision the Committee "decided would be wise and prudent." Alison Thaung '06, chair of the Comprehensive Fee Committee, was pleased with the presentation. "I thought that the presentation overall was very successful, mainly because we did a lot of research in our report. [Executive Vice President and Treasurer] Bob Huth is passing along the report to the administrative council," Thaung noted.Overall, the meeting of the trustees simply furthered planning that is already in the works. Construction will soon begin on the Axinn Center, while the Board will review the planning strategies in its May meetings, according to Liebowitz.
(02/16/06 12:00am)
Author: ERICA GOODMAN As has historically been the case, American immigrant populations are often left with the work that we natural-born citizens would prefer not to do. I visited a 2,000-cow dairy in Turlock, California this past August. The day was brutally hot and in the ranching world of NorCal, where fields run acre after endless acre, there was not a tree for shading anywhere in sight. In the 90-plus degrees of heat, a middle-aged Mexican immigrant diligently worked beneath the noon sun, T-shirt discarded in the camel colored dirt as sweat covered his bare, brown chest. We visitors stopped in our air-conditioned Ford pick-up truck and witnessed the man swiftly moving around, cutting twine from hundreds of square hay bales and stacking the loose hay in a massive pile. The Mexican immigrant worked through hundreds of small bales before breaking for lunch. Cut. Cut. Lift. Toss. Over and over, beneath the August sun. When that work was done, the man was scheduled to scrub the water troughs throughout the entire complex - a much cooler, but no more glamorous of a job. Our tour guide, a student intern named Nate, explained how the worker spoke just enough English to work in the United States for a few months. When he had earned enough money, the man would quit and bring his earnings to his family in Mexico - 12 children, according to Nate - only to return to the dairy farm and the hot California sun when the money runs out.The migration of Hispanic farm workers has stretched beyond the Southwest borderlands. According to the U.S. Labor Department, almost 80 percent of farm workers in the United States are Mexican-born. Workers from all parts of Central America have settled and continue to settle in rural communities in the Northeast, diversifying predominantly white communities. Lacking a decent education (including only 40 percent reporting that they could speak English), migratory workers are often left dependent upon their hosts. Bi-weekly ventures into town for groceries or entertainment are usually chauffeured in a large van by the farmer's wife.Overall, rural communities do offer some resources and are generally open to immigrant laborers willing to take the jobs that no one else wants. Yet despite the increasing diversification, there remains a lack of ethnic interaction. Many community members think of Hispanic immigrants as migrants who come and go with the seasons, even if they have settled and begun to raise a family. In fact, the settlement of immigrants could renew community development in rural areas suffering from population loss and economic stagnation. Before any social advancements can occur, we must understand not only the impediments to economic opportunity that immigrants face, but also that the language barrier goes both ways.
(02/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Tristan Hayes I like to imagine while writing this music column that I work for a bustling metro newspaper circa 1950. Men with names like Frank and Bill are madly shouting at each other about fact-checking the cop beat, their shirt sleeves rolled up on arms gesticulating wildly about ink orders and circulation numbers. I pound manically on my typewriter, sweating out this morning's stale coffee and last night's cheap whiskey as the impending deadline looms. The copy editors leer madly, angrily checking their watches as my lack of diligence keeps them from white picket fences and meatloaf.Actually, that is not all entirely true. I usually imagine this not while I'm writing but instead of writing. However, in my imagination the editors are looking fiercer than ever and are increasingly taking on more concrete forms, such as threatening e-mails from the arts editor of the Campus. So I figure I'd better write this thing. Unfortunately, I still can't think of anything remotely interesting, so I'm just going to write about the next few songs that come up on Winamp's random play until I've hit 600 words. Here we go:The Mountain Goats - "Golden Boy""There are no pan-Asian supermarkets down in Hell, so you can't buy Golden Boy Peanuts." John Darnielle, the man behind the Mountain Goats, can make lines like these sound more natural to a song than your standard top-40 lyrics. This song kicks off the excellent 2002 compilation "Ghana," which showcases the raw early years of the Goats, when it was just Darnielle, an acoustic guitar and a Panasonic tape recorder.Autograph - "Turn up the Radio"I hear this song surprisingly little around dorm room parties, considering that it is just as much cheesy '80s pop-metal as Ratt, Y&T and Dokken. Oh. I see.Jamiroquai - "Black Capricorn Day"Fun fact: the name Jamiroquai comes from the combination of "jam" and "Iroquois." I'm not too up on my Native American music, but I think the music is inspired by more of the former and less of the latter. From their 1999 album "Synkronized," "Black Capricorn Day" features the group's '70s club sound at its best. Break out from your Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack; "Canned Heat" is good, but it's not this good.Mindless Self Indulgence - "Capitol P"The name of this industrial/hip-hop group is surprisingly accurate, and the song is so obscenely addictive and, well, obscene that it's a good thing it's only two minutes long. Otherwise someone might catch you listening to it.Connie Francis - "Siboney"This song, from the soundtrack to Wang Kar Wai's latest feature length film, 2046, is as much a representation of the 1960s pop singer as the Hong Kong director's genius in soundtrack selections. Jazz, Latin, opera, and contemporary classical all make an appearance. This is the right CD if you're looking to broaden your little horizons, as my mom likes to say.Bob Dylan - "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream"This song, I believe, is somewhat of a sequel to the more well-known "Bob Dylan's Dream." The venerable songwriter recounts an assuredly drug-fueled dream, featuring references to a Captain Arab, the Pope and the Mayflower.The Beatles - "I'm Looking Through You"From the oft-overlooked album "Rubber Soul" (as much as a Beatles album can be overlooked), "I'm Looking Through You" is one of the best songs from the transitional 1965-66 period. There's something about the way Paul shouts the chorus and George riffs at the end that suggests the way the group was about to burst out of their boy band image into something much, much bigger.REO Speedwagon - "Keep on Lovin' You"Okay. Now this is just embarrassing.
(01/26/06 12:00am)
Author: Laura Barrett "If we are a leader in environmental campaigns, this problem best be a local, dirty secret," said Matthew Biette, director of Dining Services, discussing the problem of dishes disappearing from the dining halls. This year he anticipates spending over $40,000 on replacing china. According to Biette, as much as 90 percent of that cost might be passed on to students as dorm damage fees at the end of the year.This year's rash of disappearing dishes follows a pattern that has beleaguered Dining Services for years.Although this is partly a financial concern, there are health and environmental issues tied into this problem as well. "Some of the stuff we get back has been out for weeks. They're often so contaminated that the people picking them up could get [sick]," Biette noted. Cleaning them is another arduous task. "We have to use caustic chemicals. There's a question of how you soak it, do you bleach it, what bins do you use? And then you have to ask, 'What's going down the drain?'"Past campaigns to reduce the number of dishes taken from the dining halls have had varying amounts of success. The dish reclamation project was "a big negative," said Biette. "We put out piles of empty dish racks, right in people's way, and they just walked around them." Worse, Biette said, the campaign "gave students license to take dishes and not return them." One of the more successful efforts was simply not putting out any dishes to replace the ones that had been taken. Juniors and seniors remember drinking out of bowls in Proctor two years ago because there were no glasses. This, according to Biette, made students quite angry, but it also motivated students to return the china and glassware that they had taken. Another campaign that Dining Services organized took place over Fall Family Weekend in 2003. Dining Services put out a large table with empty dish racks and signs with statistics such as the number of glasses that had disappeared so far that school year. This table was located at the end of the buffet tables at the big community picnic. "That hit home, literally," Biette quipped.Weybridge residents, the only residential students who are not on the meal plan, were behind another extremely successful effort. They collected dishes that had been left around campus and left close to 1,000 pieces of china and cups lying in front of the entrance to Ross.Biette did not know exactly which campaigns have been the most successful. Certainly, the number of dishes taken from the dining hall has decreased. In the 2003-2004 academic year, about $80,000 were spent replacing dishes. Last school year, that cost was cut almost in half, and projections for this year indicate that spending on dishes will be approximately the same as last year.Many students admit to taking dishes occasionally, such as Dan Harburg '08. "I've taken a few mugs. They generally sit in the kitchen on our floor. They get passed around. I've never taken bowls or anything like that." Others, like John Lee '06, claim, "I've never taken a dish out of a dining hall."Eli Berman '07.5, president of the SGA, agrees with Biette that the College is spending too much money on replacing dishes. "One or two students' educations could be paid for with the money we spend on dishes," Berman noted. He also affirmed, "Some people have heard that the Recycling Center brings dishes back to the dining hall, and so they throw them away."Despite his stance that "students are culpable," even Berman admits to taking dishes sometimes. "I have one dish in my room right now." He promised to return his.
(01/26/06 12:00am)
Author: Liz Campbell With the release of the Strategic Planning Report on Jan. 4, Middlebury College is entering a significant new phase of development. Over the course of J-Term, the Planning Steering Committee has opened discussion to students, faculty, staff and town members to encourage greater participation from the College community in the planning of the College. With 62 pages and over 80 recommendations, the report has generated both criticism and concern regarding Middlebury's future.The Committee and the President's Staff hosted three open meetings last week to encourage the community to voice questions, criticism and approval regarding the report. Despite high attendance and participation from faculty and staff, very few students attended the meetings."We had over 50 people at the first open meeting, over 40 at the second oneand under 20 at the evening session," said Dean of Planning and Secretary of the College John Emerson. "The level and quality of the conversations were superb - everything that we had hoped for. Student attendance was low, [but] those present attributed that to Winter Term."The most substantial recommendations in the report include increasing socio-economic diversity within the student body, reducing the number of students admitted for spring enrollment, consolidating distribution requirements and completing commons infrastructure. These significant changes to the admissions, academic and social aspects of the College have led some faculty members and students to wonder if the College is fundamentally changing its identity and outlook."As far as the whole plan is concerned, we are trying to be more competitive, and I think that's great," commented Eli Berman '07.5, president of the SGA and member of the Task Force on Commons and Student Life. "But hopefully that competitiveness won't come at the expense of our individuality. Sure, we've all heard arguments about why the Feb program is no longer necessary at Middlebury, but the success of it makes us special. I would hate to see the desire to make Middlebury number one in U.S. News and World Report eclipse the desire to keep Middlebury unique."However, most members of the Planning Steering Committee and many faculty members supporting the report are emphasizing that the essential and unique direction of the College remains the same, but that the Strategic Report provides an opportunity to build upon Middlebury's unique identity and strong academic reputation."Overall, my sense is that the College is not necessarily headed in new directions with these recommendations, but that the report recommends specific ways that we can do better at achieving the commitments we have already made," said Associate Professor of Psychology Barbara Hofer, who attended two open meetings.Emerson added, "In many ways Middlebury will still be Middlebury, with its unique identity. It will retain and build upon what our community, including alumni, parentsand trustees, most value about the College."Another main focus of the Planning Report has been to complete the infrastructure of the commons system. Specifically, the Committee has sought to further integrate it into the curriculum with initiatives like the Commons-based first-year seminar program and to better involve faculty and staff in the system.But while most faculty members regard the commons system as an essential bridge between the academic and social lives of Middlebury students and a means of enhancing the cultural and intellectual quality of residential life, many students claim that it has unequal housing and separates them from their friends.Hiba Fakhoury '09 said, "Unless the commons system has facilities of equal quality, then it doesn't make much sense. Plus, I feel connected to people in my dorm just because we live in the same building, while those who live in my commons but in a different building don't feel like part of a close community. There isn't much that we do separately as a commons, so it seems to be a division by name only."However, echoing Hofer and Emerson, JS Woodward '06, Student Co-Chair of Community Council and member of the Planning Steering Committee, maintained that finishing the commons system would not fundamentally change the College. "I actually don't believe that the completion of the commons infrastructure will have that great of an effect on campus." Addressing Fakhoury's concern of unequal housing, he said, "It does certainly mean that quality of available housing should be brought to a more equal level. I don't think that, aside from the fact that on the north side of campus students now eat at Atwater instead of Freeman, much has changed since Atwater has come online."Increasing faculty resources to enhance interaction between faculty and students is another central goal of the planning process. Faculty members have consistently expressed frustration at the College's lack of attention to the reducing the size of classes and to their need of adequate time to pursue their own research."From the faculty perspective, I think the largest concern is the inadequate attention paid to reducing our teaching load so that it is more comparable to our peer schools and to acknowledging the role of research," said Hofer. "But I was impressed at the two open meetings I attended by the receptiveness of the Committee and the administration to considering revisions of the document to be more explicit in this regard. We need to consider the quality of interactions with students, not just the quantity, and I think we need to seriously consider how faculty teaching loads and large classes work against this."However, while many have applauded the ambitious goals of the Strategic Planning Report and receptiveness of the Committee, others have questioned its financial plausibility. According to the final chapter of the plan, the endowment must increase by $392 million in order to fully implement the most important recommendations -- financial aid, faculty enlargement and eventual completion of the commons infrastructure.Mike Schoenfeld '73, Planning Steering Committee member and Vice President for College Advancement, remarked, "Implementing the plan will be expensive and we will need to raise a great deal of new money to do everything that we want to do. The goal of raising $392 million in endowment is aggressive, but it is not impossible. We will be able to raise this amount of money eventually, and if we have to move more slowly on some of the goals of the strategic plan, then that is what we will have to do."The Planning Steering Committee has formulated a special fund-raising campaign that specifically communicates the goals of the strategic plan. Planning this campaign will take approximately 18 months, hopefully starting in 2007 and lasting five years.Emerson commented, "There is no question that finding the needed resources will be a very big stretch. But our core goals of strengthening student financial aid and enhancing the student-faculty interactions that distinguish Middlebury even from the excellent universities with whom we increasingly compete are the right goals for Middlebury. I am optimistic because I know of the great generosity of the College's alumni body, parentsand friends."The Planning Steering Committee is working now to include feedback and advice from faculty, staff and students that has been received since the release of the Report. A new draft is expected to be issued at the end of J-Term.
(01/12/06 12:00am)
Author: Liz Campbell The Planning Steering Committee convened during the holidays to make final revisions to the planning process report, officially releasing its Strategic Plan Draft on Jan. 4. Relying on reports and recommendations from 15 task forces and committees, surveys of several groups in the Middlebury extended community, meetings with groups and students on campus and more than 80 hours of its own meetings throughout the summer and fall, the Committee has completed a comprehensive report with specific recommendations for the future of the College. The framework for a new strategic plan, the first since 1992, was established shortly after Ronald D. Liebowitz became president of the College on July 1, 2004, and has aimed to reevaluate the educational mission, identity and aspirations of the College."Perhaps the major point is that the College is at a stage in its history where we need to emphasize what we have called our 'human dimension,'" said Dean of Planning John Emerson. "Our most precious resources are our superb students, distinguished faculty, committed staff members and loyal and supportive alumni and parents. Together, these human beings create and support a rich array of educational opportunities that make the Middlebury experience unique and quite wonderful."In order to focus to a greater extent on the human dimension of the institution's life, the Committee outlined several major recommendations centered on a primary objective, the College's commitment to the personalized education of undergraduates. More specifically, the planning process is seeking to strengthen the curriculum, attract an increasingly diverse student body and expand upon the Middlebury's financial aid contributions to foster access to the College for all admitted students.The first major recommendation addressed by the Committee in the draft is to continue to foster the strength and experience of the student body. This initiative includes enhancing the College's financial aid programs in order to ensure a stronger and more diverse student body that will support the best possible educational experience for all students. In addition to this proposal, the Committee also recommended improving opportunities and support for the faculty and staff. Among the top priorities are increased research funding and staff support and a greater integration of faculty and staff members into the educational life, including the commons system, at Middlebury. The draft states that "by focusing on the important human dimensions, we will ensure that members of our community stay connected with each other and with the College's educational mission."Essential to the enhanced interaction between students and faculty and staff is a reduction in Middlebury's current student-faculty ratio from nine to one to approximately eight to one. This proposal would allow every academic major at Middlebury to pursue some independent senior work as a requirement in the curriculum. Residential life at Middlebury was also discussed by the Committee as an essential aspect of the undergraduate experience. The draft emphasized the development of a more vibrant residential atmosphere and a more seamless connection with the College's academic programs. Emerson said, "We recognize that a very significant part of the education takes place outside the classroom. At Middlebury, the residential commons should support both our formal educational programs and the rich array of special programming and informal interactions that contribute to the college experience. It should also support student leadership opportunities, and contribute to a vibrant social life for the community."Conversely, the Committee also examined its graduate and specialized programs, including the Language Schools, Schools Abroad, the Bread Loaf School of English, the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference and the newly affiliated Monterey Institute of International Studies, that distinguish the College from other liberal arts institutions. Focusing on the challenges relating to these programs, the Committee made specific recommendations that seek to bring these programs into a more cohesive relationship with one another and with the undergraduate program. While the Steering Committee has made significant progress in outlining objectives for the future of the College, it has been somewhat constrained by limited resources. As Emerson emphasized, "I would acknowledge the challenge that is inherent in trying to support the very high aspirations of our community, using resources that are not infinite. We have needed to choose from among many imaginative proposals and initiatives those that will best support our mission and our future strength."The draft has nonetheless considered the opinions of faculty, staff and students in the decision-making process and has thus developed a comprehensive and collaborative report reflecting all attitudes throughout the College. Planning Committee member J.S. Woodward '06 said, "The biggest point throughout the process was to emphasize the importance of involving the members of the community in the decisions that are made, both currently and in the future. In order for change to be effective, it must be accepted by all of the stakeholders, whether student, faculty, staff or neighbor."Emerson remarked, "I think we take pride in reaching this milestone of having a draft as a basis for engaging the community, but our task is certainly not yet completed."
(01/12/06 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] The Planning Steering Committee's recently released comprehensive report demonstrates an admirable commitment by the distinct constituencies within the Middlebury College community to make the College a better place. The challenge of compiling the first such report and recommendations in 15 years was generally well met. Although the draft of the mission statement released earlier this year placed too much emphasis on the College's graduate aspirations, the new draft achieves the proper balance of identifying the College's primary role as an undergraduate liberal arts institution and noting that Middlebury is unique among its peer institutions because of its affiliate programs. Of the approximately 80 recommendations presented in the report, many will be accepted with universal applaud, whereas others will be more contentious and some will prove inherently unpopular. The report's commitment to enhancing the lives of the College's staff by enhancing educational and professional development opportunities is laudable. The staff is an indispensable component of College life and staff members should be incorporated into the community as much as possible. The recommendation to increase alumni involvement in the College should also prove beneficial. Career Services claims that a majority of students secure jobs and obtain career advice through MiddNet online. Increasing the number of alumni volunteers on the network and further incorporating the volunteers into College proceedings should therefore prove fruitful. The Committee's recommendation to hold a day-long student research symposium is somewhat puzzling. It seems that holding a large variety of student thesis presentations on the same day would actually limit student attendance. The necessary day off from classes to host the event would also replace the one-day recess held during Winter Carnival. Whether it is time to reevaluate the Winter Carnival tradition of a day-long recess or not, the Committee's recommendation would certainly be accompanied by student protest. The College should move to follow the Committee's recommendation to increase faculty resources as quickly as possible. The current student-faculty ratio of nine to one has been an inhibiting factor in student-professor interaction and in College rankings. Improving the ratio would also make possible other Committee recommendations, such as requiring independent work of all seniors. Perhaps the most disturbing recommendation is the College's desire to scale back the February admissions program. By "gradually shrinking the size of the February program to 55 or 60 students," the College would exacerbate the primary problems with the program rather than fixing such deterrents and therefore create a social burden on Feb students by making them feel more in the minority. The current average matriculation of 117 students makes up a group that is large enough to have a presence on campus, thereby easing the incorporation of those students into a social scene that is largely already established. The program ensures that the College enjoys a dynamic social capital with new faces arriving each semester. The report notes that the number of Middlebury students accepted for February admission far exceeds that number at peer institutions. The College should embrace this distinction as yet another way of distinguishing itself from its peers. Students should be aware of the curricular challenges of entering college mid-year, such as not being able to begin language study in the spring, but such problems should not be a cause for shortchanging the program. Overall, however, following an unprecedented era of physical building on campus, the commitment to the "human dimensions" of the College vocalized by Dean of Planning John Emerson and made manifest throughout the entire report has taken College planning in a refreshingly new direction.
(01/12/06 12:00am)
Author: Derek C. Schlickeisen It's no secret that there is a lot of drinking at Middlebury: every Monday morning, Busch Light cans litter the sidewalks and fill trash bags that pile up outside the supposedly dry first-year residence halls. But is drinking really becoming more prevalent? From 1972 until 1986, Vermont lowered its drinking age to 18, creating a social atmosphere at Middlebury unlike anything seen today. From those free and easy times to the crack-down of the Vermont State Liquor Inspector, The Middlebury Campus examines how changes in state drinking laws have influenced life at the College.As the Vietnam War dragged on into the 70s, the nation saw a great deal of social change. As reported by the U.S. Government, college campuses were no exception: between 1970 and 1975, 30 states lowered their legal drinking age to either 18 or 19, creating for the first time a situation on campuses in which the vast majority of students could legally drink. "The logic was that if you can fight and die for your country at 18, then you ought to be able to buy a beer as well," explained Dean of Advising Karl Lindholm '67. "Especially since thousands of young people actually were fighting and dying during that time period."When the state of Vermont joined the growing 18-and-older trend in 1972, the result, according to Lindholm, was an explosion of businesses in the town of Middlebury that drew students with alcohol-themed events. "Campus was organized around fraternity parties prior to the lowering of the drinking age," said Lindholm, referring to a time when the college had 11 fraternities and several non-residential sororities. "When the drinking age was lowered, establishments in town really absorbed the social life of the campus."In addition to current establishments like Mister Up's and Two Brothers, the town used to offer a wide variety of options to compete with Greek parties on campus. Housed in the building now called "Starr Mill" was the "Alibi," a night club with live music, pool tables and a bowling alley. Less than one block away was the Rosebud Café, which accommodated a saloon in its basement. Said Lindholm, "Because of capitalism and entrepreneurship, the social life was downtown because businesses wanted to attract students. And almost every single student could drink." Of particular interest to many students was the Friday Afternoon Drinking Club, which saw dozens of students head to the Rosebud's saloon after class. "You used to see FADC bumper stickers," said Lindholm.Since drinking was a very public activity during these years, a frequent aspect of getting to know one's professors included socializing over drinks. "We used to have departmental receptions at the end of each semester for all of our majors," said President Emeritus John M. McCardell. "There wasn't excessive drinking that went on there - it was an adult event that allowed us to engage in adult conversation with adult beverages."In 1984, however, President Ronald Reagan pushed legislation through Congress denying federal highway funds to states with legal drinking ages under 21. In two years, the state of Vermont felt the crunch and decided to make the change. The result, according to Lindholm, was that "the drinking life came back on campus." By this time, after years of losing members to downtown Middlebury's vibrant drinking scene, only six fraternities - and no sororities - remained on campus. With the bars no longer serving them, however, most students looked to the Greeks for something to do on a Saturday night. Even though fraternity membership remained lower than it had been before the drinking age was lowered, weekend fraternity parties became more popular than ever.The fraternities delivered: while bars and night clubs in town were suddenly fearful of serving alcohol to minors, the law did not allow for intrusive inspections inside the frat houses. "The long-standing rule was that fraternities were considered domiciles, so the police wouldn't enter the party without a complaint," explained Lindholm. "And even then, there was usually only one police officer on duty, and he wouldn't like to go into parties where there were 200 or 300 revelers."After a 1988 incident at the Delta Upsilon house, however, the Greek system came under attack. That night, fraternity members hung a bloody, dismembered female mannequin out of a window, sparking outrage among those who claimed the fraternity system promoted sexist behavior. Following the incident, a task force on social life recommended turning fraternities into social houses and setting up the commons system now in place. "The tension created by drinking coming back on campus helped create the situation that led to the abolishment of fraternities at Middlebury," said Lindholm.Despite the many complaints about the new liquor inspector and the stricter interpretation of state drinking laws, there are signs that the pendulum may swing back in the other direction. While McCardell and others are publicly calling for a re-examination of drinking laws, Vermont state legislators have introduced a bill that would reinstate the lower drinking age of the 70s and early 80s. Said McCardell of the current age restriction, "It is a law that is easily circumvented and capriciously enforced and it breeds nothing but disrespect for law in general. It encourages students to do dishonest and illegal things like coming up with fake IDs, and those aren't lessons that laws should be communicating."
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: BRI CAVALLARO I'll be the first to admit I met my first big crush at the stage door of "Rent" when I was 12. When I met the only boy waiting for autographs, I knew it was meant to be. (He came out a year and a half later.) We both loved the show for the bright spot it put in our mundane middle-school lives-the homeless, the transvestites, the heroin and AIDS crises should have been so far removed from our Illinoisian lives as to be irrelevant, but composer and lyricist Jonathan Larson's lyrics were so catchy and earnest that we had no choice but to care about his collection of rag-tag bohemians. Larson had adapted his show from Puccini's "La Boheme," substituting HIV for their Tuberculosis epidemic, but the overriding themes of love and living in the moment remain in the choruses of "Measure your life in love" and "No day but today" that echo through his characters' Alphabet City lofts. Of course, in the triumph of "Rent," like in most success stories, there's a bittersweet note: Larson died of an aortic aneurysm on his kitchen floor the night before his show's final dress rehearsal. He never lived to see his success, or, as it stands, the movie adaptation.This is why walking into a New York theater last week to see the film adaptation was terrifying. Chris Columbus, the director, is best known for the first two Harry Potter movies. Stephen Chbosky, who adapted the play from stage to screen, is famous for his troubled adolescents in "Perks of Being a Wallflower." How would the original Broadway cast reprise their roles, more than 10 years later? Which of the songs could they keep without dragging the film out to three hours? And, with the New York AIDS crisis not as dire as it was in the late 1980s, how would the show translate to modern audiences?Columbus' solution to the last question was to make his "Rent" a period piece. The film opens with the line December 24th, 9 p.m., 1989 delivered by Mark (Anthony Rapp), a struggling filmmaker. His once-rockstar roommate, Roger (Adam Pascal), is coming off of six months of heroin withdrawal; he hasn't been able to write a song since his girlfriend died of AIDS. The two are about to be evicted by Benny (Taye Diggs), their landlord and former friend, unless they stop the performance piece that Maureen (Idina Menzel), Mark's ex-girlfriend, has organized to protest the demolition of a tent city. There's also Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia), the tranvestite street-drummer and his lover Collins (Jesse L. Martin), a former MIT professor. The additions to the original Broadway cast are Rosario Dawson as Mimi, an exotic dancer and junkie and Tracie Thoms as Joanne, Maureen's lesbian lawyer lover. Thoms and Dawson more than hold their own. In fact, I'd say that their singing and acting might be the strongest in the film. Columbus opens "Rent" with some incredibly cheesy opening numbers. I'm sorry, but do we really need the burning eviction notices during the title track or the awful 80s music video flashbacks of Roger's relationship with his dead girlfriend during "One Song Glory"? We don't, and Dawson's entrance into Roger's apartment and the film is a welcome breath of fresh air. Her performance is edgy and compelling, especially in comparison to Pascal's overcooked turn as Roger. The weakest moments of the film occur while he's onscreen there's the Britney Spears 'Not Yet A Girl, Not Yet A Woman' canned footage of Santa Fe as he drives cross-country in 'What You Own', for starters. On the same topic, Jesse L. Martin's performance of 'Santa Fe' comes across as slightly out-of-place. Here, Columbus sets the song on a subway car and it's hard not to cringe as Collins somersaults over seats, singing some of Larson's weakest lyrics. But when the show sings, it sings. Columbus is at his best when he's directing snapshots and not huge ensemble numbers. Rapp is fantastic as the narrator and observer. I loved watching him wind his camera as he biked through a perfectly reproduced East Village and the show-stopping "La Vie Boheme" went over amazingly well thanks to his self-deprecating performance. Surprisingly, Maureen and Joanne's relationship is one of the high points of the film. Columbus' decision to set "Take Me or Leave Me" at their engagement party was brilliant and hilarious and Menzel's performance piece "Over the Moon" is excellent over-the-top satire. Heredia's Angel is as charming on screen as on stage. He won a Tony for this performance for very good reason. The film vacillated between A+ and D- material, but despite some of the overwrought scenes and the aging actors, it ultimately translates the love and death in this bohemian community fairly well. I sat between a friend who still listened to the soundtrack daily and another who, in the first few minutes, said, "Wait, why are they singing?" We all walked out of the theater sheepishly singing the final song.
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Sarah Poling Luehrman Two tournaments in, it's safe to say that things are looking very good for the Middlebury women's basketball team this year. The Panthers currently boast a 4-1 record when they trailed 1-3 this time last year, and they are looking at another home game this weekend against Union. "It's encouraging to see how well we work as a team so early in the season," said Alanna Young '08. "All our wins have come from a great combination of players on the floor working together."The season began with a 2-0 sweep for Middlebury at the Skidmore women's basketball tournament in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Nov. 19 and 20. First to face the Panthers this season was Oneonta, who gave them an exciting and suspenseful game. The two teams were evenly matched throughout, Oneonta leading by only two at the half. Kate Fisher '08 scored a team high of 16 points, shooting seven for 12, and Ashley Barron '09 contributed 11 points. The second half proved as suspenseful as the first. With 25 seconds left in the game, the score tied at 60-60, Young stepped up to the line to sink one of two free throws, giving Middlebury the 61-60 victory. Oneonta went on to beat Skidmore in the next day's consolation match, and the Panthers, meanwhile, defeated Rhode Island College 80-57, securing the tournament title. A solid first half of evenly matched play that ended in a four-point lead for Middlebury proved to be a mere warm-up. The Panthers ran the second half handily with a 14-4 run from the start, increasing their lead to 18 with just under eight minutes left in the game. Fisher outdid her performance against Oneonta by half, scoring a total of 23 points and earning the tournament MVP title. Emily Johnson '09 also earned a place on the all-tournament team with her 16-point contribution to the score, and Jennifer Kelleher '06 scored 10 points.Just two days later, when most students were packing their bags and heading home for Thanksgiving break, the basketball team was bound for Norwich to pick up its third victory of the season. Middlebury's opponents gave them a tough time in the first half, building to an 8-20 lead. Not to be discouraged, the Panthers fought back and managed to decrease the margin to 14-20 before the end of the half. Once again, the second half brought out the team's strongest play, and the Panthers overtook the Cadets to lead 38-32, after which the latter never managed to reclaim the lead. They did, however, come awfully close, tying the game at 42-all until Barron sank a three-point shot with less than two minutes left in the game. The Cadets, though they sank one free throw before the end of the game, could not overtake their opponents, and Middlebury walked away with a 45-43 win. In addition to scoring the game-winning three-pointer, Barron scored a team high of 14 points, with Fisher close behind with 13. The challenging win from behind, said captain Lacey Hebert '06, "is a great example of what kind of a team we are - we played poorly in the first half which left us down by six and…we came out fighting in the second half and took the lead."The winning streak came to an unfortunate end at the McWilliams Classic at Washington University in St. Louis, where the Panthers faced their hosts on Saturday, Nov. 26. A difficult first half ended in a 20-50 lead for Wash U, four-time NCAA champions. The second half began with a key three pointer from Hebert, and the Panthers straightened up and gave their spectators an exciting and competitive half, during which their opponents increased their 30 point lead by only eight. Fisher's nine point contribution was the team high for the afternoon, and Hebert and Katie Fehsenfeld '06 each scored seven. Though the team didn't feel that they played well, says Head Coach Noreen Pecsok, "we will take a lot from [the loss to Wash U] in terms of what we need to do to play at that level."The next day's consolation match, however, brought a win that "speaks to the toughness of our team," in Pecsok's words. "To come back after Saturday's loss and not play well early in the game, but to stay aggressive and relentless until our offensive game got back in sync" earned them a 64-41 win against Wisconsin Lutheran, who had fallen to Denison the day before. Fisher, once again, was named to the All-Tournament team after her performance against Wisconsin Lutheran. She scored a team high of 16 points, Young had 11, and Johnson, having recovered from a tough fall on a bad foul the day before, scored six points with eight rebounds and contributed five assists and four steals.The team went on to capture a fifth win in Pepin Gymnasium against Castleton State, 52-58, on Tuesday, Nov. 29. The Panthers took the lead early in the first half and never gave it up, though Castleton managed to close the score margin from 12 to four in the last ten minutes of the game. Maryanne Verzosa '06 kept the Panthers ahead, however, sinking four of four freethrows as the game drew to a close. Young scored a team high of eight points and captain Micaela McVary '06 scored six. Erica Goodman '06 attributes the team's consistently strong performance late in every game to the depth of the team. "We have so many people who can jump in and out of the game," she says. "The starters can come out and the bench can go in," making it easier to keep the team fresh throughout the game. Young adds, "it doesn't matter who is in the game with whom, everyone is working well with each other both on defense, and finding each other on offense, regardless of whether or not they are accustomed to playing together."On Saturday, the team hosts Union before two away games next week. Then they can take some time off to relax and get ready for their ten games in January.
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Liz Campbell On Nov. 14, the Parton Health Center announced the arrival of the first doses of flu vaccine for Middlebury College students. But of the 500 doses ordered, only 100 were initially received during the second week of November, followed by a mere 50 additional vaccines a week later. In response, the Health Center has been forced to limit vaccinations to a prioritized group of students. This vaccine shortage has caused significant concern among students and faculty that the flu will be more widespread on campus this winter.The shortage is primarily due to a smaller production of flu vaccine by one of the main vaccine manufacturers and to a delay in its distribution this fall. Although the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that this year's supply of flu vaccine will reach 80 million doses by the beginning of December - a substantial amount considering the United States has never administered more than 83 million doses in a single year - many health care providers have not been able to obtain the vaccine."In early fall, we anticipated conducting a full-scale vaccine clinic for the students," said Terry Jenny, associate director of Parton Health Center. "When it was clear we would not be receiving the vaccine early in the season, we had to readjust our plan - awaiting the shipment of the vaccine. That's why we've had the limited clinic this year."The CDC reported that, while Chiron Corp., a main manufacturer of flu vaccine, was expected to deliver 25-30 million doses of vaccine, it will most likely produce fewer than 18 million, with some estimates as low as 11 million doses. The United States experienced a similar shortage of vaccine last year when British regulators closed down Chiron Corp. following the discovery of contaminated vaccine, forcing the health center to limit the number of vaccines.In accordance with guidelines set forth by the CDC, the doses that the College received this year were made available only to those who are determined to be at the greatest risk for serious complications from the flu. This applies to students who have chronic pulmonary or cardiovascular disorders, including students who are asthmatics or are on steroidal medication, diabetics and students with respiratory diseases.While the first 100 doses were reserved for those students at greatest risk, the additional 50 were put aside on a "first-call, first-serve" basis for the flu shot clinic at the Health Center on Nov. 21. A portion of those doses is still available, and students can call for an appointment for the vaccine until the supply runs out. As the flu season in Vermont typically begins in December or January and lasts through April, these vaccinations would still be effective.Regarding severe outbreaks of the flu and other diseases on campus, the College has adhered to a formal disaster plan since 1996, which was developed as part of a comprehensive risk management program. Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson, Dean of the College Tim Spears and Assistant Treasurer Tom Corbin have been working with Director of Parton Health Center Mark Peluso to revise the College's emergency disaster plan for future outbreaks of disease. "The original plan created in 1996 in many ways was committing to paper a process that was already in place," said Corbin. "Faculty and staff from many departments participated in the creation of the plan. Every couple of years, we review the plan to see what needs to be changed or updated. SARS, Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and now the avian flu have all caused us to review our emergency planning."Increased outbreaks of the avian flu among humans and the government's recent plan to combat pandemic influence have increased awareness and concern of the disease throughout the country. In response, the College is taking significant steps to update its emergency disaster plan.Hanson said, "The College wants to be prepared in case there is an outbreak on campus or in the local community. For this reason we are updating our disaster plan to include this kind of illness. We put together a good response to SARS, and we will use the framework for that to consider how to handle the avian flu." Despite all these concerns, the flu season in the United States has been relatively mild thus far. "We have no documented cases of the flu on campus yet this year," said Jenny. "There is a misconception that all viruses or viral illnesses are the flu."Nonetheless, the best way to avoid getting the flu is to get the vaccine each fall. While it does not guarantee 100 percent protection, it is 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing the flu in healthy people under 65 years of age."We encourage people to follow the health practices outlined [by the CDC]," said Jenny. "And, yes, we do encourage people to get the flu shot. It absolutely helps to stem the spread of infection and is for the greater good of public health that people be immunized."Students may schedule an appointment to receive one of a limited number of flu shots by contacting the Parton Health Center.
(12/01/05 12:00am)
Author: ZAMIR AHMED, SPORTS EDITOR With the recent success of many Middlebury teams over the past two weeks, it is no surprise that three athletes were honored by the NESCAC for their impressive contributions to their teams' winning ways. On Sunday, first-year Annemarie Cellino was named NESCAC Player of the Week for women's hockey after having played in only four games in her Panther career. Two weeks ago, Evgeny Saidachev '07 and Katie Fisher '08 were also named NESCAC Players of the Week for men's hockey and women's basketball, respectively, after leading their teams to an undefeated weekend.Cellino put up a great performance last weekend as the Panthers took on a pair of NESCAC foes during Thanksgiving break. Cellino tallied a goal and an assist during Middlebury's 9-0 thrashing of Trinity College before notching her first career hat trick and an assist during the Panthers 6-2 win over Hamilton. Cellino currently leads the Panthers and the NESCAC in goals scored for the season.Saidachev was an instrumental piece of the Middlebury offense as the Panthers opened up the season with two wins over Tufts and Conn. College on Nov. 18 and 19. Saidachev netted two goals and an assist during the Panthers' 4-1 victory over the Jumbos before scoring two more goals against the Camels. Saidachev also earned tournament MVP honors at the PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout as the Panthers took home the trophy.Fisher sparked the Panthers to two victories to claim the title at the season-opening Skidmore Women's Basketball Tournament on Nov. 19-20. Fisher put up 16 points during the Panthers' first-round win over Oneonta before adding 23 points during the finals to lift Middlebury to a 80-57 victory over Rhode Island College. Fisher took home tournament MVP honors and currently leads the Panthers with 15.4 points per game.Men's squash garners respectEntering only its fourth year in existence, the Middlebury men's squash team has enjoyed much success although it is only a club team. The team has improved on its performance every year and finished last year in 29th place. After taking on four tough teams two weeks ago in Boston, the Panthers boast a 4-2 season record and are ranked 25th in the nation.On Nov. 18, the team traveled south to face off against a number of regional foes at the Harvard/Northeastern Round Robin, finishing the road trip with a 3-1 mark. The Panthers dispatched Northeastern with an easy 9-0 victory, losing only two games during the match. The team then moved on to challenge a tough Tufts team that went on to defeat the Panthers 7-2.The team returned to the courts on Nov. 19, this time to take on Wesleyan College, a varsity team with a long history of success. In its biggest win of the year, the Panthers took down the Cardinals in a convincing 7-2 romp. With the victory over the Cardinals still fresh in their minds, the Panthers took care of MIT by a score of 7-2.Despite having played their only home match of the season already, the Panthers still hope to stay competitive throughout the winter and be ready for the NESCAC Championships at Trinity, which will be held Feb. 10-12. If the team can perform well against their division foes, it will earn a bid to the Intercollegiate Team Championships on Feb. 17-19 in Princeton.
(11/10/05 12:00am)
Author: Joshua Carson The College is teaming up with Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR) to explore the possibility of providing free Saturday bus service to and from Burlington. The initiative was conceived this summer when Jim Moulton, executive director of ACTR, invited Student Government Association (SGA) President Eli Berman '07.5 to join the ACTR board of directors. Recognizing the limited transportation resources in Middlebury, the SGA is hoping to combine resources with the College to promote a shuttle which would provide service for both town and College residents. When Vermont Transit Service went out of business, effectively eliminating the long haul bus option from Middlebury, it left a large gap in the transportation infrastructure that students rely on for rides to Burlington and beyond. Recognizing this, the Community Council invited Moulton to make a presentation about ACTR, the services it provides and possible areas for expansion. Moulton suggested adding a Saturday service to complement the existing Monday to Friday commuter service, which because of scheduling, tends to be unsuitable for non-commuter needs. "From our perspective, we would be ready and willing to get service running right away," said Moulton. "The one barrier is the funding for it."Moulton estimates that two roundtrip loops would require a financial commitment of $7,000 with an additional $3,000 increase for three trips per Saturday. Berman added that this pilot program could start as early as January with the College providing 100 percent of the funding. In the future, if Moulton can demonstrate to funding agencies that there is enough demand for the service, he could apply for an 80-20 grant which will ensure that 80 percent of the cost is borne by state and federal funds while 20 percent would be picked up by the College. Beyond the question of funding, however, is that of demand. While both Moulton and Berman have anecdotal evidence to suggest that students and town residents would use the service, they want to accurately measure the response before devoting additional resources. Following the Community Council meeting, Berman and the SGA drafted a survey to gauge student interest and establish where students would like to go and when they would like to travel. Berman also mentioned possibly increasing options beyond Burlington to include regular routes to Sugarbush, Mad River and even Montreal.Another potential barrier is the lack of student awareness regarding the ACTR service. With stops at Adirondack Circle, Old Chapel, McCullough, Center for the Arts and the Main Library, the white and yellow ACTR buses are constantly passing through campus. Despite the presence of the buses, along with advertisments in Also magazine and e-mails at the beginning of the semester, Moulton was "surprised by the lack of knowledge still as to what services we already have available.""People see it and still don't understand that it's for everybody," he said. Perhaps the issue, however, is not only a lack of understanding but also a general lack of need. According to Fawn Torrey, administrative assistant at the Department of Public Safety, 1,039 student vehicles are currently registered on campus, which means there is about one car for every two students. But Moulton wants students to think of ACTR as a transportation alternative and hopes it will appeal to environmentally and economically conscious Middlebury students. While the bus may not always appear full, Moulton said it only takes three or four people in the bus at one time to reduce the carbon balance. Moreover, in a recent analysis conducted for the state of Vermont, Moulton concluded that the fare-free ACTR service costs the individual taxpayer $30 per year compared to about $6,000 in costs associated with maintaining a car. While the majority of ACTR's funding comes from state and federal grants, the rest is provided through local governments, businesses and rider donations. "To me," concluded Moulton, "it is important that people know we are here and, except the Burlington service, everything is free."
(11/10/05 12:00am)
Author: Liz Campbell The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate voted unanimously on Sunday, Oct. 30, to support the Textbook Requisition Forms Legislation, to be enacted immediately. The bill, co-authored by Brainerd Commons Senator and visiting Tulane student Jennifer Bowen, Atwater Commons Senator Juana Thomas '09 and SGA Press Secretary Adam Irish '08.5 and co-sponsored by Bowen and Thomas, will seek to reduce the rising cost of textbooks by encouraging professors to submit their textbook requisition forms at an earlier date. The issue, introduced by Irish several weeks ago, was one of the first to appear in SGA cabinet meetings this year. According to www.maketextbooksaffordable.com, students spend an average of $900 on books each year. A new textbook costs $102.44 on average, 58 percent more expensive than the average price of a used textbook, which is $64.80. However, nearly six out of 10 students who purchased books for the Fall 2003 semester were unable to find even one used book for their courses. Upon consulting the Middlebury College Store, Irish, Bowen and Thomas found that dilatory textbook requisition forms represent one of the lesser-known determinants of such textbook price inflation, creating a significant and unnecessary burden for Middlebury students."By implementing this bill, we are trying to educate the faculty about the importance of turning in these forms in a timely fashion," emphasized Irish. "Bookstore staff has worked to educate the faculty about the problems caused by late requisition forms, but for some reason the message has not yet gotten across." Professors must fill out textbook requisition forms in order to indicate to the College Store what books they need for future courses. According to these forms, the bookstore then assembles the necessary inventory for the following semester. However, in order for the bookstore to be most cost-effective in buying books, the forms must be turned in four months prior to the beginning of each semester. As the SGA found, a significant amount of these requisition forms are regularly not submitted by that time, meaning that the College Store cannot buy used books directly from students, will have a harder time finding additional used books since other colleges and universities provide competition, and thus must buy new and more expensive books.Although many faculty members are unaware of this problem, it has clearly substantially exacerbated the price inflation of textbooks for Middlebury students. When requisition forms are submitted on time, students pay less for books and are able to sell them back for more. According to www.maketextbooksaffordable.com, students could potentially save $337.50 each year on textbooks. The bill legislation reads, "In this seemingly benign act of late submission, the faculty unwittingly inflicts the student body with tremendous further financial encumbrances."Irish remarked, "Dean [of Student Affairs] Ann Hanson spoke with a few professors who were aghast at the effects of the late forms and had no knowledge of the effects."The bill recommends that the Faculty Council endorse a firm deadline of requisition form submission at least four months before the beginning of each semester. Thus, they would be due in May for the fall semester and late November or early December for the spring. Furthermore, it encourages the Council to consider allowing old editions of textbooks to be used in the same classes. "The problem the bookstore faces is that publishing companies often make small changes to books - something as benign as changing chapter numbers - and some faculty members just don't understand that a new edition of a book is not necessary." Indeed, 76 percent of faculty nationwide reported that the new editions that they use are justified "never" to "half the time," while 40 percent report that they are "rarely" to "never justified."Nonetheless, this new bill should diminish the financial burden that these late requisition forms present. The SGA is thus confident that, in the future, with better knowledge of these detrimental effects, faculty members will be much more accountable and organized in submitting these forms.The College Store has also been instrumental in advocating the bill, providing recommendations and facilitating visibility of the problem. Irish commented, "I have been in constant communication with the book store staff, and they have been extremely helpful. The issue could not have surfaced without their assistance and support." Following the passage of this bill, the store will be responsible for calling department coordinators a week before the deadline to remind each department to submit its forms and to confirm which existing textbooks will be used again.Georgia Best, assistant manager of the College Store, explained, "The bill is good for everybody. We would rather sell more books, and students will buy more books when they cost less."Although there has been relatively little response to the bill since it has not yet been publicized, all parties involved, including faculty members, have responded very favorably. This bill represents only the first step towards the larger issue of reducing the increasingly heavy burden of textbook costs."We're always looking for ideas," commented Irish. "I hope that, in the future, more students will talk to the SGA about their own ideas to diminish this problem."
(11/10/05 12:00am)
Author: James Kerrigan After 29 years at Middlebury College, Russ Reilly is ready for some R & R, but chances are you will still catch him in the bleachers or on the sidelines cheering for his Panthers. Reilly will step down as the College's athletic director, effective June 30, 2006.Eleven years after graduating from Bates in 1966, Reilly joined the Middlebury athletic staff as the assistant men's basketball coach, assistant men's soccer coach and the spring golf coach. Despite growing up with football and basketball, he did not shy away from an opportunity to teach soccer. Reilly devoted an entire summer to reading books about soccer and asking other coaches for advice. Just one year later, his hard work and positive attitude paid off and he was named head men's basketball coach. According to Missy Foote, the women's lacrosse head coach, Reilly developed the nickname "Cowboy Lou" because he wore a cowboy hat while announcing football games. Over the next 28 years, he wore many hats and received numerous awards and recognitions. In February 1987, Reilly received a merit award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) for 20 or more years of coaching. In 1988, he was selected by his peers as the NABC Northeast District and UPI New England Division III Coach of the Year, while directing the Panthers to the Most Improved Team Award. In 1979, Reilly took over the reins of the women's soccer program at Middlebury.In 1997 he was named the director of athletics at Middlebury College. John M. McCardell Jr, president emeritus, was influential in the decision to hire Reilly. "He gave us a continuity of leadership philosophy with his predecessor [Tom Lawson]. Lawson developed a successful program with a good staff who understood the College. We were convinced he wouldn't deviate from that. To his credit, he has maintained it." Downplaying his own achievements, Reilly notes that Lawson established a solid department that demanded no major changes. On Reilly's first day as Middlebury's Athletic Director (AD) in 1997, he came into his office with an important document: a "to-do list." Roughly a dozen tasks were to be completed by the time he left the office. After day one, he crossed off not 10, not 11, not 12 items, but zero items. Yet after nine year's as Athletic Director, Reilly has checked a lot off his long-term list, including the addition and improvements of several athletic facilities, 35 NESCAC conference championships and 22 National ChampionshipsIdeally, Reilly would have liked to be both a coach and an AD, but that is a difficult task: "As the athletic director you have to be focused on everybody. You don't just focus on the teams that are winning national championships. It's also important to focus on those teams that are struggling to get to .500 because those athletes are putting in the same kind effort and deserve the same attention and care," he said. Nobody understands what it means to be a coach better than Reilly. Stepping down from that position was the hardest thing he ever had to do while at the College. A lot has changed during his tenure as athletic director. As a conference, the NESCAC has become more organized. It has transformed from a loose group of schools with a manual that was about three pages long to a developed and structured conference. According to McCardell, Reilly has "remained committed to Title IX." In the early 1970s, Middlebury offered 12 men's sports and six women's. Thirty years later, Middlebury now offers 14 men's sports and 16 women's sports. Perhaps aboveall, Reilly has been instrumental in the improvement and addition of many athletic facilities. It's no coincidence his favorite movie is "Field of Dreams." Under the direction of Reilly, Middlebury added the Kenyon Ice Hockey Arena, the Kohn all-weather field, a softball diamond, and renovated and expanded the fitness center, Pepin Gymnasium, the Duke Nelson Recreational Center and "the Bubble," which houses an indoor track and five new international squash courts. Reilly has accomplished a lot, and left his mark on thousands of student-athletes.Student-athlete: It's a term that gets thrown around a lot. Largely because of Russ, the 'student-athlete' scale is more balanced here at Middlebury. McCardell noted, "Russ always uses the term student-athlete. His conscious use of that term is a reminder of how [the College] views athletics." Middlebury views athletics as an extension of the classroom: an education of the mind and body. Reilly believes that coaches ought to have the same goal as their academic colleagues: to teach and shape their students. A coach is merely a teacher in a different arena. As McCardell says, "Coaches are educators. Their roles are vitally important. Russ communicates and lives that." Other institutions may graduate fantastic athletes or qualified scholars, but Russ Reilly preaches balance. He wants the men and women who compete between the lines to be exceptional in the academic field as well. Reilly treasured relationships above all. Memories of wins, losses and statistics wane, but relationships live on.As a coach, he was committed to his team and his players. He deeply values relationships and the "Midd Family." "Everyone has a passion for this place," Reilly says, "because of the relationships they had." Reilly has a genuine concern for others, and as John Humphrey '88, notes, "Other than a few referees in upstate New York, I would be surprised if you could find one enemy of Russ Reilly."Humphrey, a former basketball captain and hardnosed player for Coach Reilly, remembers a time when Russ knew what was best. After a mediocre start to the game, Reilly took Humphrey out and let him sit for a good seven minutes. Humphrey recalls, "When he finally put me back in, I was in full rage. Our play picked up considerably and I had a pretty strong game from that point on. I was still frothing after a comfortable win and said nothing to Russ after the game. While sitting in the whirlpool he came up to me with a wide grin on his face and asked if I knew why he took me out. I said I had no idea. Apparently he had observed that I lacked my usual intensity and figured he would shake me up. Then he said he was glad it worked and glad to see me still upset and left saying, "You always play better when you're really pissed off." So, what is next? Reilly, despite frequent 16-hour days at the College, is a family man. Humphrey could not agree more: "The best way to receive the teachings of Russ Reilly was to observe his behavior on a daily basis. He opened his home and his loving family environment to all of us players and to me on Thanksgiving. The best way for Russ to teach was to invite you into his house and watch him be a father and a husband." There is a future for Reilly post-retirement. "I look forward to being able to reconnect with the lives of my three daughters and their families. In our profession, you spend a lot of time bringing other people's children up and sometimes neglect your own. I'm looking forward to being a fan again and not having to worry about whether we have Public Safety in the right places. This is what we now consider home." He'll probably sneak in some golf too.His number of games coach as basketball coach (433 - a NESCAC record) and as a women's soccer coach (80), add up to 513. Add that to his 299 total losses (including 260 as basketball coach - also a NESCAC record), and you have a sum of 812. Divide that by the number of seasons (28) and we arrive at 29 years of service that Russ Reilly dedicated to making Middlebury College a better place. McCardell says, "People know Middlebury because they know Russ Reilly." They know him because he is successful and passionate, because he understands what athletics are all about and most of all they know him because he cares. Humphrey can remember Reilly walking into the training room on a daily basis, bellowing,
"It's a great day to be a Middlebury Panther." It sure is, Russ.
