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Screen-Shot-2019-09-18-at-12.14.13-PM

SARAH FAGAN

This week in sports

Double trouble: Midd beats Amherst in double overtime thriller By LAUREN BOYD The Middlebury football team won a close battle against the Amherst Mammoths in overtime, on Saturday, Sept. 5, maintaining its undefeated season. Prior to the game, both teams were undefeated, making this win a decisive factor in NESCAC standings. The Panthers now co-lead the conference alongside Wesleyan, who is still undefeated on the season. The game’s excitement started with a Middlebury interception on the Mammoth’s first offensive drive. Kevin Hartley ’20 got the Middlebury fans onto their feet with the first defensive turnover on the game. This thrilling atmosphere would keep the Panthers’s momentum going throughout the subsequent three quarters, through a rollercoaster of emotions. Middlebury started off going 21–0 against the Mammoths, thanks to a rushing touchdown from Alex Maldjian ’23 and passing touchdowns by Will Jernigan ’21 to  Maxim Bochman ’20 and Frank Cosolito ’20. After one Amherst touchdown, but two key Middlebury defensive stops right before the half, the momentum was still in the Panthers’ favor. The fans, excited and on their feet, could feel a win within reach. A complete momentum shift at the second half enabled Amherst to tie the game, 28–28. Motivated to extend their win streak, and overcome a consistently tough NESCAC competitor, the Panther offense trudged down the field with one minute left on the clock. Less than 10 yards from the goal line, and seconds left on the clock, a shocking Mammoth interception led the game into overtime.  During overtime, both teams failed to convert a field goal or touchdown in their first attempts. Tensions were high as the teams switched sides, both looking to maintain their undefeated seasons. After the Amherst squad could not score during its second OT attempt, the Panthers had a shot to claim the game.  On third down, Jernigan escaped a Mammoth defensemen, rolled to the right side, and connected with Maxwell Rye ’20 for a nine-yard touchdown. The fans both near and afar erupted into cheers as the team piled in the endzone, keeping the winning streak alive and exciting. “It was one of the best games I’ve been a part of,” offensive lineman Colin Paskewitz ’21 said when asked about the atmosphere of the game, “Throughout the second half when they began to come back, our fans and our bench stayed loud and hopeful. By the second overtime, I was as tired as I’ve ever been during a game. On the last play, [Jernigan] tossed the ball up to [Rye] and it felt like the ball had been in the air for an eternity before [Rye] came down with it. Immediately our bench rushed the field.” The electric atmosphere of such a close battle was felt both at the Amherst stadium, and with the fans back at home. “Words cannot describe the sense of pride and joy I felt after such a resilient win,” Paskewitz said. Jack Pistorius ’21 was awarded NESCAC defensive player of the week, accumulating 13 tackles. Kevin Hartley ’20, Michael Carr ’20, Zander Bailey ’21 and Finn Muldoon ’23 each recorded an interception in the game, respectively. Next week, on Saturday, Oct. 12, the Panthers will be back at home against Colby College (0-4) for an exciting homecoming weekend. Although the Panthers were elated with the results of the game, they know there is more to be done. “It’s been an electric atmosphere,” Linebacker Pete Huggins ’21 said about the feeling of winning such an intense game. “Winning a game like that after working the entire offseason is such a rewarding feeling. At the same time, we know we’ve got more wood to chop. Our goal going into the season wasn’t to beat Amherst. Our goal is to win a championship.” Women’s golf places third at conference qualifier By MICHAEL SEGEL This past weekend, the Middlebury women’s golf team was one of six teams competing in the NESCAC Qualifier/Williams Fall Invitational at the Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass. After day one of the action, the host Williams led with 312 strokes, Amherst followed with 318, and Middlebury ranked third with 326. On Saturday, Katie Murphy ’23 led the squad by shooting a 77 which ranked her tied for second overall. Blake Yaccino ’20 shot second best on the team with an 80 which ranked her as tied for seventh overall. Chloe Levins ’20, after taking medalist honors last weekend, finished in 12th with an 81. On Sunday, the girls were unable to reverse their luck as they remained in third place and finishing at 309 strokes for the day. These results put them at 635 overall behind Williams (619) and Amherst (624), but in front of Hamilton (679), Bowdoin (694) and Trinity (898). Murphy led the squad again, finishing with 75 strokes to put her at a 152 and third overall. Levins finished next on the squad with 159 (seventh overall), then Yaccino with 160 (ninth), rounded out by Kayla Li ’23 (164, T12) and Lizzie Kenter ’23 (178, 22nd). It was a tough end to a very successful fall season in which the Panthers never finished below third place in any of their five tournaments and which featured memorable moments such as the squad’s first place finish at the Phinney Golf Classic last weekend where Levins finished first overall. Cross country teams divide and conquer By JORDAN HOWELL Saturday, Oct. 5 featured two races for the Panthers: the Keene State Invitational and the Paul Short Invitational.  In the Keene State Invitational, the men came in fifth place. Their top runner was Max Cluss ’23 who got eighth place with a time of 26:32.5. In the Paul Short Invitational, the men got 37th place. The top finisher was Henry Fleming ’20 with a time of 24:50.9, leading him to place 142nd. In the Keene State Invitational, the women captured sixth place. A crucial finisher was Leah Metzger ’20 who place 34th with a time of `19:36.2. In the Paul Short Invitational, the women netted seventh place. Cassie Kearney ’22 was the top runner for the Panthers as a time of 21:30.8 got her 14th place. The Panthers’ next challenge will be the Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 19. The team will have some extra time to prepare for the Invitational. Afterward, the teams will focus on championships.   Women's soccer blanks Bates By MIGUEL ESPINOSA Second-ranked women’s soccer defeated Bates College by a score of 5–0 on the road on Saturday, Oct. 5th. Midfielder Gretchen McGrath ’21 began the offensive beatdown when she scored during the ninth minute. Forward Simone Ameer ’21 made two consecutive goals at the 32nd and 44th minutes, while Quinn Rogers ’23 and Ellie Greenberg ’20 tallied goals at the 60th and 75th minutes, respectively.  As always, the Panthers’ defense denied any opportunities to catch up. Bates attempted only three shots on goal, whereas Middlebury had 21. Ursula Alwang ’20 and Eva Shaw ’21 shared goaltender responsibilities and each recorded one save.  The Panthers, however, committed eight fouls penalties compared to Bates’ four.  The squad will get back in action against Colby in a homecoming contest this weekend at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12th. The Mules sit at 1–4–2 in the conference compared to the Panthers’ 4–0–1.  Men’s soccer suffers first loss, splits weekend By ERIK ARVIDSSON The men’s soccer team completed a Maine double-header on the weekend of Oct. 5-6. In their first game, the fifteenth-ranked Panthers suffered a close, 1-0 loss against Bates. This heartbreaking loss was their first of the season. Luckily, they had the opportunity to bounce back the next day. On Sunday, Oct. 6, the team headed to Maine Maritime. After a 1-1 start, Middlebury dominated the match for the remaining 40 minutes of the game. Ben Powers ’23, Brendan Barry ’22, Drew Goulart ’20, and Jacob Charles ’23 added goals to give the team a convincing 5-1 win. Jack Spiridellis ’21 was impressed with the teams resiliency this weekend.   “It was awesome to get the win on Sunday after a tough loss on Saturday. There’s a lot of fight and hunger this year,” said Spiridellis. “Guys aren’t satisfied with mediocre performances.” Next, the Panthers will face Colby at home for Homecoming. Get out to the turf and cheer them on!

From DIII to the NFL: Middlebury football alum finds coaching success in the big leagues

Middlebury is used to celebrating Bills kicker Steven Hauschka ’07, who transferred from Middlebury to go to NC State in 2007. But there’s another Middlebury alumnus who has found his way to the NFL — not as a player, but as a coach. This season, Drew Petzing ’09 has begun his sixth year as a coach with the Minnesota Vikings, his first as the wide receiver coach. His former coach Bob Ritter ’82 still remembers him as the hard-nosed upperclassman who would volunteer to work in the office when injuries kept him off the field.  Petzing played as a defensive back on the Middlebury football team his first two years before he was sidelined by injuries which ended his playing career. However, the DB’s injuries may have been a blessing in disguise because his time off the field is what opened the door to his coaching career. When he suffered his initial injury at the start of his junior year, he essentially took on the role of an extra assistant coach, spending inordinate amounts of time working in the office and watching film with the rest of the coaching staff. The following year when he was injured again, he took on the role of an official assistant coach, receiving a salary for his work —and perhaps taking the job a little too seriously at times as Ritter remembers. “I went to school with his dad,” Ritter said. “I used to have to pull him aside and say, ‘Drew, you have to go to class. Your dad’s gonna kill me if you don’t graduate on time.’” Petzing’s love for the game continued to blossom even after he finished his time at Middlebury. Petzing spent six years coaching at the collegiate level, three of those at Ivy League institutions. After graduating from Middlebury in 2009 with a degree in economics and a minor in math and philosophy, he began working at Harvard as a volunteer student assistant. Next, he worked at Boston College in 2010 as a recruiting graduate assistant and later as the defensive graduate assistant in 2011. In 2012, he coached outside linebackers at Yale. 2013 was the year Petzing finally made it to the NFL, working as a football operations intern for the Cleveland Browns. The following year he transitioned to Minnesota, the final stop of his career thus far. He worked with running backs in 2014, one of them Jerick McKinnon, who put up 538 rushing yards, good for third among NFL rookies that year. From 2015–2017, Petzing mainly helped wide receiver coach George Stewart and the offensive coaching staff as well. He helped to foster the young talent of Stefon Diggs who led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2015 despite missing the first three games of the season. In 2017, Petzing had the honor to be a part of a Vikings team that dominantly finished the season at 13–3 and earned a berth in the NFC championship game. In addition to Diggs, Petzing coached the talented Adam Thielen who put up 1276 yards and 91 catches, sending him to the Pro Bowl. In total, in 2016–2017, Diggs and Thielen combined for 3,995 yards, the most for two teammates that season. In 2018, Petzing worked alongside quarterback coach Kevin Stefanski, the same season that Vikings QB Kirk Cousins came in and set a franchise record with 425 completions.  Ludicrous as it may sound, Pretzing’s injuries may have been a blessing in disguise because his time on the sidelines is what opened the door to his coaching career. Now, in 2019 Petzing is looking to be a part of a Super Bowl run. The Vikings are off to a 2–1 start, and have a talented core in Kyle Rudolph, Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, as well as Diggs and Theilen. Petzing, who now lives in Minneapolis with his wife Louisa, has climbed the organizational ranks one step at a time. One thing has been clear about Drew Petzing for a very long time. From being a student-coach at Middlebury to working towards becoming wide receivers coach on the Minnesota Vikings, Petzing has never run from work in any shape or form. He made contributions on the field as long as he could and then continued to take different coaching jobs which have amounted to his crucial job title today. It’s a model of resiliency and ambition that should be admired.

Sports Recap: October 3, 2019

Men’s soccer BY ERIK ARVIDSSON This past weekend the Panthers faced a daunting test, a home and away double header. The Panthers managed to take down Conn College 2–1 on Saturday in Middlebury, and finished up a solid weekend with a 1–1 draw against Amherst College on Sunday in Amherst, Massachusetts. On Saturday, the game resulted in a 1–1 tie after regulation. In overtime, Max Drazen ’22 was taken down in the box; Liam Sloan ’22 managed to convert the penalty kick to give the Panther’s an exciting walk-off finish. On Sunday, in a physical and hard fought battle, Henry Wilhelm ’20 put Midd on the board in the 30th minute. Amherst managed to tie the game in the 81st minute and the scoreline would not change. Ben Potter ’20 commented on the team’s effort this week.  “I think we showed how deep of a team we are,” Potter said. “All 31 of our guys played a role in taking four points this weekend.” The Panthers will face Bates and Maine Maritime in an away double header this upcoming weekend. Women’s tennis BY MIGUEL ESPINOSA Middlebury hosted the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Women’s Tennis New England Regional Championship on the weekend of Sept. 28–29. The Championship included a singles and doubles bracket and players from NESCAC and non-NESCAC schools. The winners of each bracket would receive invitations to the ITA Cup in Georgia happening on Oct. 17–20. Both brackets involved 32 players or pairs.  Unfortunately, no Panthers — only Cardinals — will be attending the ITA Cup. Wesleyan University’s Yu and Henderson took the doubles tournament, while Jin took singles.  In doubles, Heather Boehm ’20 and Maddi Stow ’20 ventured as far into the semifinals before falling to Yu and Henderson. The pair of Skylar Schossberger ’20 and Katherine Hughes ’20 played into the quarterfinals.  For singles, Boehm, Schossberger and Hughes played into the second rounds of their brackets.  The Panthers will return to the court on Friday, Oct. 11 when they compete in the NEWITT Tournament at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College.  Women's golf BY MICHAEL SEGEL It was a big weekend for the women’s golf team as the Panthers came out on top in the George Phinney Classic at their home turf, Ralph Myhre Golf Course. They finished six strokes ahead of Amherst with a total of 634 over the two days. After the first round, Middlebury was on top with 312 shots, five strokes ahead of NESCAC rivals Amherst and Williams. Chloe Levins ’20 led the team, finishing one stroke out of first with 74 and Katie Murphy ’23 followed up last weekend’s strong showing with a slight 75 stroke performance on Saturday. On the second round, Middlebury shot for a 322 in total, again led by Levins who would take home medalist honors for the third time in her collegiate career.She had to do so in a playoff with Amherst’s Morgan Yurosek, with the two girls having tied at 153 shots apiece. Both parred the first hole, but on the second hole Levins parred again while Yurosek bogeyed, giving Levins the title.  In other notable performances, Katie Murphy came in third overall with a score of 155 (75–80), Blake Yaccino ’20 in a tie for 13th  with a 161 (78–83). Kayla Li ’23 ranked next with a 166 (86–80), while Anna Zumwinkle ’20 finished with a 170 (85–85). Middlebury will compete in the NESCAC Qualifier/Williams Fall Invitational next weekend. Men's tennis BY JACK KAGAN The Men’s Tennis Team is returning from Waterville, Maine this week after an individual’s tournament at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Championships. Colby College hosted the event featuring teams throughout New England.  Of the draw of 64 players, Middlebury sent six of its own, testing out some new doubles pairs and showcasing younger singles play. Panthers Stan Morris ’22 and Robby Ward ’23 were seeded in the 9–16 group.  The tournament proved to be full of upsets, as only two of the top eight seeds remained by the quarterfinal round. One such upset belonged to Morris who took out the No. 3 seed, Brandeis’ David Aizenberg in straight sets. Ward had a strong showing of his own, making it to the quarterfinals before falling to Wesleyan’s Noah Lilienthal in a tight three sets.  Despite falling to Tufts’ star Boris Sorkin, Morris earned a spot at the ITA Cup on Oct. 17–18 at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.  Field Hockey BY MIGUEL ESPINOSA Top-ranked Field Hockey continued to assert their dominance by toppling Skidmore College, Connecticut College, and Amherst College. Holding on tight to the only overall undefeated record in the NESCAC, field hockey now stands at 9–0. The Panthers are also 5–0 in conference play, but aren’t the only ones undefeated in that category; No. 5 Tufts University’s conference record lies at 3–0. The Panthers showcased their defense with a 3–0 victory against Skidmore on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Skidmore did not produce a single shot on goal compared to Middlebury’s impressive 16.  On Saturday, Sept. 28, an offensive onslaught ensued against Connecticut College when the Panthers breezed by 6–1 and attempted 23 shots on goal. Despite allowing one goal, the defense performed solidly having limited Connecticut College to three shots on goal. On the following day, Sunday, Sept. 29, the Panthers secured a 2–1 win against Amherst. The Panthers maintained a 2–0 lead until halfway into the third quarter when an Amherst shot deflected off a Middlebury defender and entered the goal. Football BY LAUREN BOYD In a widely anticipated contest, the Middlebury Panthers defeated the Trinity Bantams this past Saturday on their home turf. Improving their record to 3–0, the Panthers took home a clutch win against a NESCAC football powerhouse, tallying the most points out of any other conference team against Trinity, since 2011. The Panthers appeased their fans from the very first whistle, scoring 12 points right off the bat. Trinity didn’t fall far behind, taking the lead with minutes left of the first half, after scoring two touchdowns back to back. By halftime, the Bantams took the 14–12 lead over the Panthers. A series of interceptions, fourth-down stops, and penalties culminated in the second half for the Panthers’ benefit. Characterized by back-and-forth play, the second half became a race to the finish. In the end, Middlebury came out on top, 32–27. Will Jernigan ’21 and Alex Maldjian ’23 controlled the offensive game, Jernigan passing for 127 yards and Maldjian posting 90 yards rushing. Four Panthers recorded interceptions on the game: Zander Bailey ’21, Michael Carr ’20, Kevin Hartley ’20 and Finn Muldoon ’23. Carter Massengill ’20 was named NESCAC special teams player of the week, picking up 12 out of the Panthers’ 32 points. Alex Norton ’20 also received NESCAC player of the week honors for his work on the defensive line, tacking two sacks for 16 yards loss.  Next week, the Panthers will take on the Amherst Mammoths for their second away game of the season. Cross Country BY JORDAN HOWELL The Panthers competed in the Purple Valley Classic on Saturday, Sept. 29. The women were able to achieve fifth place while the men captured fourth. Notable finishers for the women include Cassie Kearney ’22 who finished in eighth place and Talia Ruxin ’20 who finished in tenth place. Kearney’s time was 23:39.0 and Ruxin’s time was 23:41.2. Notable finishers for the men include Theo Henderson ’20 and Zander Kessler ’22. Henderson finished in 14th place with a time of 27:10.0, while Kessler was able to come in 21st place with a time of 27:15.6. Next up on the Panthers’ schedule is the Paul Short Invitational and the Keene State Invitational. Both races will occur on Saturday, Oct. 5.  “Starting this week we will be doing threshold and tempo workouts to get some speed in as we progress with our season,” Sophie Nardelli ’23 said.  Men's golf BY JACK KAGAN The Men’s Golf team made their way down to Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland, Massachusetts this past weekend to compete in the NESCAC Fall Qualifier. The top four teams would receive a bid to the conference championship tournament — and the Panthers came up just short with a fifth place finish behind Williams, Tufts, Hamilton and Trinity.  The Panthers finished day one just one stroke behind then-third-place Hamilton, but they slipped on day two as other teams upped their game. Middlebury rounded out the tournament seven strokes behind Trinity, ending their conference title hopes.  Leading the pack for the Panthers squad were Jordan Bessalel ’21 and Phinneas Choukas ’22, tied for eighth shooting five above par.  Co-captain Jeffrey Giguere ’20 was missed atop the rankings. After finishing day one in third place, he fell to 12th at six above par.  The Panthers will have to motivate the squad after being shut out from NESCACS and look to garner some positive results for the Saratoga Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12–13. Volleyball BY HEATHER BOEHM Middlebury Volleyball suffered a tough conference loss to Amherst on the road on Friday, Sept. 27. The women fell in a three-set battle with tight scores throughout the first and last sets. Amherst is 10-1 overall with an undefeated NESCAC record.  The Panthers came out swinging, leading the first set 16–12. But Amherst refused to stay silent and retaliated with eight out of the next nine points. The Mammoths capitalized on their momentum and used their home court advantage to seal the win with solid offensive plays.  The Panther defense is looking better than ever, with Gigi Alper ’20 leading the NESCAC in both digs per set and overall digs with a dominating 6.53 and 235 respectively. The next highest in each category was a mere 5.36 from Wesleyan and 202 from Bowdoin. Maggie Wise ’22 represents the offense with 3.32 kills per set, the third highest tally in the conference. Chellsa Ferdinand ’20 also made some waves this weekend with 14 assists, carving out a space for her in MWV history pushing her total number of assists to 1,619, the sixth most in program history.  Middlebury will look to find some redemption this weekend when they travel to Trinity on Friday, Oct. 4 and Endicott on Saturday, Oct. 5. 

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Update on SGA ‘13 Proposals’

Last year’s Student Government Association Senate ended  in the spring with threats of dissolution. Now, the new SGA is hoping to move in a different direction.  Seven members of last spring’s senate — current President Varsha Vijayakumar ’20 and all senior senators, junior senators and Feb senators —  are still on the SGA this fall. The 10 remaining senators were not in office last spring when the senate created its “13 Proposals for Community Healing,” many of which followed frustrations about slow progress on several issues between students and the administration. The proposals were announced in a school-wide email on Apr. 23 in the wake of the cancellation of a controversial talk from Ryszard Legutko, a far-right Polish politician, and were written with input gathered from the wider student body at a town hall a week later. After the administration’s initial response to several of the proposals — which included a tentative commitment to add a student delegate to the Board of Trustees and increase student representation in the administration’s Senior Leadership Group — the Senate decided not to dissolve in their last meeting of the semester. Status update  Several of the 13 Proposals have been completed as written in the original statement, including the second proposal, which called for a student, staff member and faculty member to each be appointed as representatives to the College Board of Overseers. The College Board of Overseers is one of three committees within the Board of Trustees; there is also a board for the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and one for the Language Schools, Schools Abroad and Bread Loaf School of English. Vijayakumar, Associate Vice President for Advancement Operations Jami Black and History Professor William Hart were elected by the student body, Staff Council and Faculty Council, respectively, to serve as the three representatives to the board. Each representative will report back to their constituents following board meetings. Saif Panday ’21 joined Wengel Kifle ’20 as a student representative on the Community Bias Response Team (CBRT), addressing the ninth proposal’s call for more student representation on the team.  Addressing the second half of that same proposal, which demanded more direct communication after the cancellation of campus events, Chief Diversity Officer Miguel Fernández explained that the request does not fall under the job description of his office. “Cancellation of campus events is not a bias incident and thus does not fall under the purview of CBRT, so we will not be sending out such communications,” he said.  The college is offering a Black Studies major for the first time this fall, which was called for in the 13th proposal and has been in the works for several years. The major, led by History Professor Bill Hart and American Studies Professor J. Finley, came as a combined result of academic planning by faculty and administration, as well as renewed student campaigns in support of the program. Several other efforts related to the proposals are in the works. Fernández said President Laurie Patton has plans to appoint an ad hoc working group in the next few weeks to look into an LGBTQ+ center, which was the 10th proposal. “Movement on this center was stimulated by a student desire for programming, support, and mentoring for queer and trans students on campus,” he said. “I would say it was student-driven.” Elisa Gan ’20 was nominated to be the the Student Liaison to the SGA on Endowment Affairs (SLSEA). This came after a weeks-long nomination process, in which Gan was approved by the Senate during its meeting on Sunday, Sept. 22. Gan will be a non-voting member of the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees, has full access to information about the endowment, and will report back to the SGA on how the school’s endowment is being invested. The Senior Leadership Group (SLG) will be creating student advisory committees for each administrator in the group in response to the first proposal. This move will help bring in more student perspective to the work of the administration, and help improve cooperation between students and administrators. The third proposal, which asked the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (OIDEI) to create a due diligence form for speaker invitations, is no longer on the table and was deemed unworkable, according to Fernández.  “It is not OIDEI’s place to vet speakers. My office was not consulted ahead of time and we do not foresee taking on this role,” Fernandez said. Fernández said that the fifth proposal, which proposed bias training for all hired staff, faculty, administrators and students, will be covered by Renee Wells’ Inclusive Practitioners program. Parton Health Center is currently conducting a search for a counselor with expertise working with marginalized communities, which was the 12th proposal. Administrators did not respond to comment on the progress of several other proposals. These include the proposals centered around communication from the administration about ongoing proposal progress, revisiting the protest policy, improvements to the Green Dot program, making all buildings ADA accessible and making all organizational expenditures available on the college website (the fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and 11th proposals, respectively). A spokesperson from student government said some of the above proposals are in the works. A change in tone Vijayakumar, who was serving as a junior senator last spring when the proposals were issued, has decided not to focus her presidency on their completion. “Frustration about the lack of student voice included in decision-making processes that will significantly impact our campus culture and student life was, is and should be warranted,” Vijayakumar said. “That being said, this new SGA has worked hard to lay the groundwork for a significant shift in approach that will focus on earning student support and attacking problems on our campus through a more analytical and pragmatic lens.”   This new approach has been welcomed by administrators, some of whom felt the way last year’s SGA presented the proposals was unreasonable. “The administration did not sign off on the 13 Proposals,” Fernandez said. “This administration believes in dialogue and does not take well to demands. And let’s be honest, these proposals were demands.” As Vijayakumar worked over the summer to construct a new approach to achieve the SGA’s goals, this was very present in her mind as she built her cabinet, set initiatives and planned for the year to come. Her approach has been apparent in the first several meetings this year, and she has emphasized the importance of cooperation, accountability and responsibility amongst the entire body. Vijayakumar and her chief of staff, Drew Platt ’20.5, have stressed in recent meetings that representatives need to hold themselves accountable to their own personal initiatives and to the overall goals of the SGA. “In the past few years many individual members within SGA have done a lot of good work, but the body as a whole has suffered from lack of collaboration and consistency,” Vijayakumar said.  “We spent a lot of time this summer diagnosing these issues and developing an action plan to ensure that SGA members will be held accountable within our body, and more importantly to the student body as well.” For example, the senate was unable to vote on the full proposed list of committee members of every SGA Cabinet Committee during the senate meeting on Sept. 30 after several committee chairs failed to submit their proposed lists on time. The SGA Cabinet consists of dozens of committees that touch every aspect of student life, from athletics to sexual respect. Vijayakumar called out these unnamed cabinet committee chairs who “didn’t pull their weight” and caused the delay to the approval process. After Vijayakumar set a new deadline, the senate voted Monday to approve the lists of committee members. The heightened focus of the cabinet, which had taken a backseat in previous administrations, has led to greater responsibility, support, and accountability for appointed cabinet directors from Vijayakumar and her executive team.  Vijayakumar said she and her staff are holding cabinet leaders to a higher standard. “We have implemented several new accountability measures to ensure that these cabinet committees are more effective than they have been in the past,” Vijayakumar said.  “As a result we are confident that the initiatives inspired by the proposals are in the hands of the people that are most dedicated to making tangible progress on those issues.” Vijayakumar has also sought to improve the underlying issue that drove the 13 Proposals, namely a lack of cooperation between students and the administration. She hopes to improve that relationship to make her SGA as productive as possible. “Students should also expect a new level of collaboration with the administration,” Vijayakumar said. “They have proven themselves to be more open to student input than ever before, and we are excited to work together in efforts to make this campus a better place for students to study and live.” For an example, she pointed to an event led by Fernández that will bring more clarity to the faculty hiring process and how that translates to hiring a more diverse faculty. The event, which will take place on Oct. 16, was organized by members of the Cabinet together with Fernández and the OIDEI.  “The fireworks that we saw towards the end of last year represented justified emotions but ultimately did not serve as a means to build consensus or lasting change,” Vijayakumar said.  “We have been very conscious of that as we set out our plans to shift SGA culture this year.” Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the number of returning senators.

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SARAH FAGAN

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Student voting participation triples from 2014 to 2018 midterm elections

Middlebury’s student voting rate increased from 15% in the 2014 midterm elections to 51% in 2018, according to  a national voting report released last week by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University. “This increase is incredibly important because it demonstrates how Middlebury College students are engaged in both local and national politics, and have realized the importance of their generation going to the polls and casting their vote for causes they believe in,” said Nora Bayley ’21, co-president of the non-partisan student organization MiddVote. MiddVote, which was founded in 2006 encourages and helps students participate in local, state and national elections. Middlebury is not alone in this upwad trend. College voting across the United States has more than doubled from 2014 to 2018, with  national voting rates skyrocketing among eligible college students from 19% to 40% within the four years. These statistics were published in the IDHE’s Democracy Counts 2018, which analyzed voting patterns for more than 10 million college students on more than 1,000 campuses across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The IDHE report shows that Middlebury students turned out to the polls in greater numbers than most other colleges across the United States, Bayley noted. This difference can perhaps be attributed to MiddVote’s efforts to engage students; last fall, MiddVote held at least 10 voter registration drives and absentee-ballot request drives for the midterm elections.  “We also provided free stamps for students to use when sending their ballots back to their home state, and helped students who were experiencing difficulties requesting or receiving their ballot in the mail,” Bayley said. MiddVote also received a grant from the organization #VoteTogether, which allowed it to provide transportation to and from the Middlebury Town Offices on election day for Vermont voters, and to host a “Party at the Polls” for both college students and locals.  “Helping remove barriers to voting can encourage participation and we hope to carry on this initiative during the 2020 presidential elections,” said Ashley Laux, program director at the Center for Community Engagement. “MiddVote’s in-person outreach method of hosting many on-campus voter registration and absentee ballot drives is a useful mechanism for Middlebury College students to get their questions answered by trained peers,” she said. IDHE intended for this study to “support political learning and civic engagement, as well as to identify and address gaps in political and civic participation,” according to a press release. It did not receive information that could individually identify students or how they voted. The IDHE findings looked at differences across genders, race and ethnicity, year, major and various other factors when it came to determining voting habits. Nationwide, women in college continued to vote at higher rates than men in 2018. This trend was true for Middlebury as well. The report showed that black women maintained their position as the most active voters on campus, and Hispanic women made the largest gains. The largest voting rate increase nationally across racial or ethnic groups was among Hispanic students, from 14% in 2014 to 36.5% in 2018. “Voting gaps between disciplines persisted in 2018,” according to the IDHE press release. Turnout among students in STEM fields and in business lag behind students studying the humanities, social sciences and education. At Middlebury, of the majors included in the study, Visual and Performing Arts ranked the highest in 2018 voting rate, with Natural Resources and Conservation trailing closely behind. Historically, older Americans vote at higher rates than their younger counterparts. But the turnout gap between students under 22 and students over 30 decreased 2014 and 2018, the study found. According to the U.S. Elections Project, the voting rate increased among all Americans by 13% in 2018 as compared to 2014. In comparison, the college and university National Student Voting Rate (NSVR) rose 21%. Increased political involvement on college campuses will likely impact the 2020 presidential elections, according to an article published in the Washington Post. NBC News analysts credited voters under 30 as a key group in bringing about the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives in 2018. Surveys indicate that young voters tend to oppose President Trump, especially on issues such as climate change, immigration, gun violence and student debt. MiddVote will continue its efforts this semester. Most recently, the organization hosted a voter registration outside McCullough on Tuesday, Sept. 23 for National Voter Registration Day.

Clifford Symposium examines future of the global ocean

Curious students on the heels of the global climate strike movement turned out in droves to the three-day Clifford Symposium this past week.  There, they grappled with the future of the global ocean and were introduced to exploratory and conservationist efforts. The symposium brought together researchers, activists, filmmakers and students to offer a multidisciplinary perspective on one of the world’s most precious resources. “I wanted to strike a balance between sounding the alarm and asking people to share research that would incite a sense of wonder and hope,” said Associate Professor of English and American Literatures Daniel Brayton, one of the symposium’s organizers who also teaches in the Environmental Science Department. Keynote speaker Dr. Kara Lavender Law, of the Sea Education Association (SEA), struck that balance in her talk, “Reflections of an Oceans Plastic Scientist” on Thursday night in Wilson Hall. Law, a leading scientist in the study of marine plastic debris, spoke about her educational path and discussed the harm that plastics, especially microplastics (pieces less than five millimeters long), can have on marine life. Law and colleagues recently estimated that between 1950–2016, there were 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic produced globally. “I can’t even tell you a reasonable number of Empire State Buildings or elephants or football stadiums to give you an idea of how much material that is,” she said. Scientists don’t know exactly how much of that plastic debris is now in the ocean, what form it takes or how it will impact human health. However, they widely agree that plastics are hazardous to marine animals, who are likely to ingest or become entangled in the material. Some bio-families will even grow on floating microplastics. To Law, solving the ocean plastic pollution will require a multidisciplinary overhaul of the current system. She suggested the audience start locally, by asking themselves: “What happens to my trash?” Although the question may seem obvious, acting on it can be hard. “The conveniences of [using plastic] don’t impact us on a daily basis and we’re privileged enough to live in this beautiful clean, green environment regardless of the waste we’re producing and the impact on our earth,” Alex Cobb ’20 said. [pullquote speaker="Daniel Brayton" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]We tend to think of the environment as green. We think of green space, of grassy meadows and forest, and yet 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.[/pullquote] Outside Wilson Hall, a group of local women from Sewing For Change, a “community effort to end the use of single-use bags,” were working to reduce our collective waste. Since January of 2019, they have sewn 500 bags from reused materials. Bethany Barry Menkart, a group member, said they hope to reach 1,000 bags by the end of the year with the help of students. On Friday afternoon, attendees crowded the Rohatyn A. Jones conference room to hear about whale watching in New Zealand at a talk comparing previous and present global whale population numbers. Jennifer Crandall ’20.5 and Caitlin Dicara ’20 presented alongside visiting Associate Professor of Maritime History and Literature Richard King of SEA. The students opened by discussing their experience conducting six weeks of fieldwork on a tall ship off the coast of New Zealand. Crandall described being woken up at 3 a.m. one day amidst rough seas. The waves were over 13 feet high and it was pouring rain and windy. In that moment, Crandall recalled, “the ocean became more alive to me because I saw how powerful it was.” Over the course of the semester, Crandall, Dicara and their 14 classmates transcribed the log book of Commodore Morris, which detailed where and when the sailor had seen and killed whales in the 1850s. Using data from the log and their own journey, they created a Geographic Information System map and studied shifts in whale populations. King presented an overview of the history of right whales (or black whales), whose coastal living and bountiful oil made them the “right” whales to hunt. His discussion, like Law’s, struck the balance between underscoring the perils of the present and offering hope for the future. King explained, for example, that from 1927–1963 not a single right whale was sighted off the coast of New Zealand, in large part due to over-whaling. Now, with the population on the rebound, there are around 70 sightings per year. Throughout the symposium, audiences and speakers alike grappled with the idea of how to get oceanic issues on peoples’ radars. As Dicara explained, “it’s really hard to get people to care who are inland of the ocean.” “We tend to think of the environment as green,” Brayton said. “We think of green space, of grassy meadows and forest, and yet 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.” The symposium’s message was clear: If we want to understand environmental issues and advocate for a healthier world, we can start by looking to the ocean.

"Votes... for women?" exhibit opens at Middlebury College Museum of Art

“There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it.”  These are the words of Alice Paul, an activist who fought for ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which declared that the right to vote shall not be denied on the basis of sex.  As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of that amendment, we ought to remember the people and organizations that worked to make this important milestone possible. That is the message behind Middlebury’s latest museum exhibit, “Votes… for women?”, which opened Sept. 13. Curated by History Professor Amy Morsman, the exhibit acknowledges the remarkable contributions of those involved in the push for women’s suffrage while also examining their words and actions through a critical lens. The exhibit was partly inspired by the work of my first-year seminar, “The Woman Question.” Taught by Professor Morsman, the class explored the changing roles of women in the U.S. in the years prior to 1919, when women were relegated to housework and removed from the public sphere.  The exhibit begins with the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, organised by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. At the historic convention, delegates drafted the “Declaration of Sentiments,” a manifesto demanding gender equality. Resembling the 1776 Declaration of Independence in its language, the document insisted on the equality of men and women and their fundamental rights of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Among its resolutions was a call for suffrage, for which Stanton and Mott became subjects of ridicule in the press at the time. A theme of the exhibit is that suffragists struggled with internal politics. They were divided over the 15th Amendment, which was passed in 1870 and prohibited voting discrimination only on the basis of race. This division led to the creation of two separate groups, the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). The NWSA sought enfranchisement through a federal amendment, whereas the AWSA took a state-by-state campaign strategy. The two groups later merged into the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1890, which decided on the state-by-state approach. The National Women’s Party (NWP), another suffrage group, emerged during the 1910s. It was founded by Alice Paul, who had prior experience leading suffrage campaigns in England. She brought this experience to the U.S. and organised protests in Washington D.C. for federal suffrage legislation. The exhibit shows original banners that NWP members held while picketing in front of the White House, as well as images of these pickets. The exhibit critically explores the intersection of women’s suffrage, racial justice and economic status and states that the suffrage movement was divisive at its core. It points out that Ida Wells-Barnett was told to march in the back with other black women during the 1913 suffrage parade in Washington D.C. It also says that working class women in the suffrage movement often worked behind the scenes since they had to balance activism with their employment, whereas the women at the center of the movement often came from backgrounds of privilege and status.  [pullquote speaker="Carrie Chapman Catt" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]The vote is a power, a weapon of offense and defense, a prayer. Use it intelligently, conscientiously, prayerfully. Progress is calling to you to make no pause. Act![/pullquote] A panel dedicated to Vermont discusses the rather small suffrage movement in the state. It attributes the lack of a widespread movement to the rural nature of the state compared to neighboring New York, which had a very active suffrage movement. A separate timeline also features important milestones here at Middlebury. The college — founded as an all-male institution — became coeducational in 1883, and the Chellis House opened on campus in 1993 as a resource for female students.  As we celebrate the centenary of women’s suffrage in the U.S., the exhibit reminds us that further progress still needs to be made to secure voting rights for all Americans. According to the exhibit, the 15th and 19th Amendments were worded as vaguely as possible and, as a result, allowed for  the possibility of poll taxes and other disenfranchisement techniques. For instance, black women could not  vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Even today, citizens in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories cannot vote in federal elections even though they are just as American as those in the 50 states. Many states have attempted to enact strict identification laws that disproportionately affect certain marginalized groups. Morsman concluded her opening remarks with an uplifting quote from Carrie Chapman Catt: “The vote is a power, a weapon of offense and defense, a prayer. Use it intelligently, conscientiously, prayerfully. Progress is calling to you to make no pause. Act!”  Catt said these words in celebration of the 19th Amendment being ratified in 1920, but they are just as applicable today. The “Votes… for women?” exhibition will remain open through Dec. 8. Professor Morsman will also discuss key strategies of the suffrage movement this Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Museum.

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SARAH FAGAN

Golf clubs and sports rifles: Chloe Levins '20 aims straight and true

When Levins shot a gun for the first time at the age of 13, she didn’t know what to expect. At a three-day summer sports camp in Craftsbury, Vt., Levins was handed a .22 caliber sport rifle in an introductory clinic to the biathlon — the Olympic discipline that combines lung-busting nordic skiing laps and technically challenging shooting. Levins had nordic skied for many years in her homestate of Vermont, but had never tried this  multidisciplinary sport — and had never even thought about shooting a rifle. That day, Levins fired one for the first time. “There wasn’t as much kick as I thought there would be,” Levins recalled, as she sat in the lobby of Middlebury’s Athletic Center on the second Friday of September. “I remember watching movies with these giant machine guns kicking back at you, but [sports rifles] are not like that at all.”  At camp that summer, Levins realized that the elements of shooting — the necessity for focus and control — were athletic qualities that would complement the sport of nordic skiing that she already loved.  “I could see immediately how the biathlon would challenge my mind and not just my body,” she said.  STRONG HEART,  STEADY HAND Fast forward seven years to today. Levins is a senior at Middlebury College, but her endeavors with the biathlon have spanned way beyond the scope of collegiate athletics. Levins is currently featured on the international stage, competing as a member of the U.S. national team in two circuits across Europe and the United States. She currently races with a host of other Vermont natives, including Emily Dreissigacker from Morrisville, Susan Dunklee from Barton and Bates College alumnus Hallie Grossman from South Burlington. Although Levins’ success in biathlon would come within less than a decade after her introduction to the sport, the foundations of her athletic career were built at a young age. Her father, James Levins ’75, raced on Middlebury’s alpine ski team, and her parents moved their family to Rutland, Vt. right after Levins was born to raise her and her three siblings in a better skiing environment. Chloe Levins started competing in nordic skiing events at the age of four.  “My dad supported my siblings and me in nordic skiing, but taught us how to alpine ski as well,” she said. “My earliest memories are of skiing with my family near our home in Vermont. My dad used to pull me along while I hung onto his poles so I could keep up with my older siblings.” During high school, Levins raced for Rutland’s nordic team in her freshman and sophomore years. She maintained focus on riflery on her own until her junior year in 2015, when she qualified for her first international biathlon competition. That winter, she competed in the Baltic Cup in Sweden and the Youth World Championships in Belarus. Thus began her career as a biathlete on the world stage. The next year, as a youth competitor, Levins placed fourth in pursuit at the Youth Biathlon World Championships in Slovakia. In 2018, at Junior Worlds, Levins placed sixth in pursuit and seventh  in sprint. The next year, she placed 10th in pursuit.  Although Levins joined Middlebury’s nordic ski team a few weeks into her freshman year, she quit almost immediately. Instead of racing nordic for Middlebury, Levins has taken every winter term between the fall and spring semesters to race the biathlon internationally.  “Biathlon removes me from a lot of the ‘college scene’ of Middlebury,” she said. “Most of my free time is spent driving to training, traveling or catching up on work.” When she is at Middlebury, Levins trains twice a week in Jericho, an hour north of Middlebury.  Algis Shalna, who coaches Levins in biathlons, can testify to her discipline.  “Chloe is probably the best [biathlete] I have ever coached,” Algis said. “She’s the most dedicated, the most passioned, with very high discipline and unbelievable self-drive to be the best she can be.” Levins also shows gratitude for how her hard work has paid off.  “I consider myself extremely lucky to get the opportunity to travel throughout Europe in the winter,” Levins said. “Traveling during the school year is difficult, but the rush I get while competing in a sport I love with Team USA on my back makes it all worthwhile.” Levins says some of the most exciting moments in the sport occur  when she is coming into the shooting range after a nordic skiing lap for a round of target shootings.   “You’re skiing as hard as you can. Usually my heart rate is 180–190. We come into the range and focus on our breathing and relaxation, and we do body scans,” she said.  “I have pinpoints on my body that I choose to relax: my neck, where the gun rests in my right shoulder and my right forearm.”  Levins will focus on the five targets that she has to hit. She has only five rounds, and for every target she misses, she has to do an extra penalty lap.  “It’s just the best feeling to see the target go from black to white when you shoot,” she said.  IRONS AND GREENS In addition to her Nordic career, Chloe Levins is also a nationally-acclaimed golfer and the current captain of the Middlebury College golf team. Most recently, in early August, Levins beat out over 40 other competitors for first  place in the Vermont State Women’s Golf Association (WGA) amateur championship at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course in Middlebury.  Levins’ golf career started at a similarly young age as when she began nordic skiing, because her mother was a professional golfer.   “She taught all of us how to play golf when we could walk,” Levins said. “I didn’t go to preschool or anything, I would just go play golf with her, hold a club in one hand, and try to keep up.” Levins started competing  in golf tournaments at a young age as well. In high school, she won three state golf championships. Her winning streak continued at Middlebury. In her first semester at Middlebury, Levins won the NESCAC Championships at Ralph Myhre Golf Course by six strokes, and won again her junior fall by four strokes. Last spring, at the NCAA Championships in Houston, Texas, Levins placed 18th out of 131 competitors.  This summer, before the WGA championship, Levins was preparing for an average result. “I didn’t have any expectations going into the match. I wasn’t nervous but I was preparing myself for any sort of play. I was expecting to play worse than I did. I was a little too comfortable on the last day, so it got really close at the end. It was a good warmup tournament for the fall season.” The Middlebury golf team has had three tournaments so far this season with the George Phinney Jr. Golf Classic this coming weekend. NESCAC qualifiers will be hosted October 5–6 at Williams College.  HABITS OF SPORT Levins often receives comments that golf and the biathlon are so different that there is no crossover between the two sports. Levins disagrees with this sentiment, at least partially.  “Golf is much more mentally difficult because you can take as much time as you need [for a shot],” she said. “In golf, there are also so many more variables in conditions, weather, etc. … Managing variability is a skill I take from golf and apply to biathlon.” Still, the biathlon carries its own set of mental challenges. For Levins, the biathlon is a sport where you can get ahead of yourself and not focus on the presence of the competition.  “It is easy to make if–then statements about if I do this right, then I can win this section of the race,” she said. “With the biathlon, you just need to stay present.” Levins will continue to compete at Middlebury during golf season, and internationally in the biathlon come winter. Outside of the greens and tracks, Levins is a pre-med neuroscience major. One of the biggest struggles about dedicating a large portion of her time to athletics is that college can be a place of distraction and difficulty. “Being a student–athlete at Middlebury requires ridiculous timemanagement skills,” she said. “Every day of the week is planned out to the minute in order to maximize productivity.” Additionally, she said her parents helped her remain focused on her athletic endeavors.  “I think my parents did a really good job of instilling hard work and joy in me and my siblings,” she said. “Now being outdoors and exercising and challenging my mind has just become a habit I continue to enjoy because of how I was raised and where I grew up.”

Sports Recap

Cross country By JORDAN HOWELL The Middlebury cross country team competed in the Bates Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 14. The women finished in third place, while the men captured fourth place. “The men's and women's cross country teams are excited now that the season is underway!” Talia Ruxin ’20 said. “It was awesome to lace up with the first-years this weekend, and we are feeling lots of positive energy.” On the women’s side, Ruxin was able to capture seventh place with a time of 18:44.5, while Cassie Kearney ’22 came in 10th place with a time of 19:07.8. For the men, Quinlan McGaugh ’22 came in 10th place with a time of 26:34.4, while a time of 26:44.0 propelled Jack Litowitz ’20 to a 13th place finish. “The Bates Invitational was a fun race and a great opportunity to run against some strong NESCAC competition early in the season,” McCaugh said. Regarding the upcoming Aldrich Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21, Litowitz was optimistic. “A combination of the experience fresh off of a meet this past weekend, spiking up and running on our home course should allow the team to improve this week over last, and carry the positive momentum forward onto the bigger meets where it counts," he said. Football By LAUREN BOYD The Panther football team kicked off their season with a 17–13 win against the Williams Ephs on Saturday, Sept. 14, scoring the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute on the clock.  The start of the second quarter opened up the scoring game. Carter Massengill ’20 put the first points of the game on the board, scoring a field goal from 25 yards out. Later in the second quarter, the Panthers scored an 18–yard touchdown, gaining a 10–0 lead. The rest of the second quarter, however, was commanded by the Williams offense. Between the second and third quarters, the Ephs scored 13 unanswered points. With just one minute and 30 seconds left in the game, the Panthers marched down the field behind Jernigan. A series of short passes and 10-yard gains led the Panthers to the 2-yard line, where Jernigan punched in the game-winning touchdown. Massengill tapped in the extra point, making the final score 17–13. Men’s golf By JACK KAGAN The men’s golf team finished at the podium for this past weekend’s Duke Nelson Invitational. The Invitational took place at Middlebury’s Ralph Myhre Golf Course and featured 23 teams from around the region. After a strong start atop the standings at the end of day one, the Panthers finished the tournament in third place, just one stroke behind Williams.  Jordan Bessalel ’21 and co-captain Jeffrey Giguere ’20 shined on day one, coming in at sixth and third place respectively. Giguere finished out day two in first place by one stroke ahead of Williams’ Will Kannegieser. Giguere earned a combined score of 142. Neither Bessalel nor Giguere’s heroics were quite enough to lift the Panthers into second place as a team.  New York University finished first.  After a strong showing, the Panthers will have little time to rest before heading down to their rivals’ turf in Williamstown for the Williams Fall Invitational.    Women’s golf By MICHAEL SEGEL The Panthers outdid last year’s performance at the St. Lawrence Invitational, this year coming in second place out of nine teams. On Sept. 7–8, five players from the women’s golf team came together to accomplish this feat. Their impressive performance can largely be attributed to the work of Blake Yaccino ’20, who finished third overall out of 47 participants. Classmate Chloe Levins ’20 wasn’t far behind, finishing in a tie for seventh overall.                  Coming off the strong showing at the St. Lawrence Invitational, the women then competed in the Ann S. Batchelder Invitational on Sept. 14–15. They came in third overall behind Williams College and Wellesley College. Katie Murphy ’23 finished tied for second overall out of 42 golfers, shooting a two-over par 146 (74–72). Yaccino finished tied for fifth at 154 (76–78), while Levins finished tied for 18th with a 164 (84–80). Elizabeth Kenter ’23 finished tied for 27th, shooting a 169 (85–84), and Kayla Li ’23 finished in 29th with a 170 (85–85). The Panthers will be swinging back in action next week at the Mount Holyoke Invitational. Men’s tennis By JACK KAGAN The men’s tennis team fell just short of divisional titles in four of four singles brackets this past weekend at the Middlebury Invitational on the Proctor Tennis Courts.  Though the squad is currently beginning a rebuilding process after losing its top two players to graduation, a bright future might not be so far away. The top singles flight saw unseeded Stan Morris ’22 blaze through to the finals, taking out the No. 3 and No. 2 seeds in the process.  Robby Ward ’23 also made a run to the finals in the B singles draw, knocking off No. 1 seed Brandeis sophomore Jeff Chen. David Vilys ’22 and Zach Hilty ’22 also made it to the finals in their respective C and D singles draws, and will look to use the momentum to propel themselves into a consistent starting role come spring time.  Surprisingly, the two doubles draws were devoid of Middlebury teams past the quarterfinals, likely owing to sets of entirely new doubles pairings.  The tournament featured teams such as Tufts University and Brandeis College, with whom the Panthers will have to contend if they want to stay at the top of DIII tennis.  Men’s soccer By ERIK ARVIDSSON After starting the NESCAC season with a scoreless double overtime tie, the Panthers traveled last weekend to Brunswick, Maine to take on the Bowdoin Polar Bears. For the second week in a row, the Panthers struggled connecting with the back of the net. The team finished with six shots on goal compared to Bowdoin’s 15 and neither were able to score. The game ended at 0–0.  The man of the match was goalkeeper Ryan Grady ’23. Grady made six saves to complete his second shutout of the year. The Panthers remain positive despite not scoring in two consecutive games.  “We have been doing all the right things,” Jack Spiridellis ’21 said. “We just need to put the ball into the back of the net, then we will win games.”  Up next, the Panthers played their home opener against Mt. St. Mary of New York on Sept. 17 (which occured after this issue was sent to print). The Panthers will round out the week with a home double-header this weekend against Hamilton on Saturday and Castleton on Sunday, Sept. 22. Women’s tennis By DAN MIGUEL ESPINOSA The Middlebury women’s tennis team journeyed down Route 7 this past weekend for the Lindsay Morehouse Invitational at Williams College. The invitational followed a round-robin format in which the Panthers competed against three other teams in a full weekend of doubles and singles. No individual team was awarded champion.  On Friday, Sept. 13, three of four doubles pairs picked up victories against Skidmore. The following day, Middlebury swept RPI in three doubles matches, but only took two of three doubles matches against Williams. For singles, Middlebury swept RPI in all five contests.  Middlebury faced Skidmore again on Sunday for singles and won four of six matches. Against Williams, the Panthers won all three singles matches and won their only doubles contest.  The women will use this weekend to prepare for the ITA Regional Championships that kick off at home on Sept. 27. Women’s soccer By JENNY LANGERMAN Women’s soccer had another successful week, winning both of this week’s games to put them at five total wins and zero losses. The Panthers first faced SUNY Plattsburgh on the road. Despite solid play from their opponents, Middlebury was ultimately able to shut them out two-zip with goals from captain Jinx Charman ’20 and Leah Salzman ’21, and the help of strong defensive play.  Middlebury then hit the road once again to play the Bowdoin Polar Bears, having to put up a tougher fight in their second game of the week. The Bears got an early lead, scoring within the first eight minutes of play. The Panthers matched them with a goal from Salzman, but were unable to pull ahead until the very end. With just a minute and a half of game time left, captain Ellie Greenberg ’20 was able to hook one into the side of the net, securing the win. The Panthers now have a week to regroup and prepare before their next match against conference-opponent, Hamilton College, on their home turf this Saturday, Sept. 21. Volleyball By HEATHER BOEHM Middlebury Women’s Volleyball fell to an undefeated Clarkson on an unlucky Friday, Sept. 13, and split their weekend contests with a win over Potsdam and a loss to St. Lawrence on Saturday, Sept. 14.  In their first battle of the weekend against Clarkson, the Panthers came out expecting a war. Although they put some numbers on the board, they ultimately fell in straight sets to the 23rd-ranked team in the country. Gigi Alper ’20 led the Panther defense, picking up 13 digs for the night. Jane Nelson ’22 built on her teammates’ efforts and led the offense with six kills.  After a hard loss, Middlebury got back to work. The women triumphed over Potsdam with a decisive 3–0 victory. This time around it was Maggie Wise ’22, who took control of the Panther offense tallying 11 kills.  Although the Panthers were hungry for more, the women fell just short of a victory over St. Lawrence. Middlebury rolled through the first two sets before St. Lawrence stole the next two right back. Middlebury was then defeated by the Saints in the fifth set 15–12.  The Panthers will journey to Maine over the weekend, where they will compete against Colby on Friday, Sept. 20 and Bates on Saturday, Sept. 21. Field hockey By DAN MIGUEL ESPINOSA Field hockey fared successfully on their Sept. 14–15 road trip, defeating ninth-ranked Bowdoin College and 18th-ranked Babson College, 1–0 and 2–0, respectively. The Panthers had difficulty stirring up scoring opportunities during the first half against the Bowdoin Polar Bears. But they gained momentum in the third quarter, outshooting the Polar Bears 3–0. Finally, the Panthers scored 30 seconds into the fourth quarter. The 1–0 score remained until the end of the game.  Against Babson, Middlebury struck early twice in the first quarter. The Panthers struggled scoring for the remainder of the game, but still made some spectacular stops. Correction: A previous version of the cross country recap included outdated information and dates.

They came, they frisbeed, they conquered: Middlebury Pranksters take Nationals

Driven, unique and fun. Capping a spectacular season this spring with players across class years and ability levels, the Middlebury Pranksters ultimate frisbee team achieved impressive results at this year’s D-III College Championships, with the men’s team snatching the national championship title and the women’s team placing fifth. The teams faced tough competition on the way to the championship weekend, capping historic seasons. Both teams started their seasons at College Southerns down in Georgia over spring break. The men’s team went 6-1 in their games while the women won all six. “It was the first time testing our strength as a team and we took on top-ranked D-I teams like UNC-Wilmington’s SeaWeed and Carleton Eclipse,” co-captain Allegra Molkenthin ’19.5 said. In the post-season, the men won all of their regional matches, qualifying for the national tournament for the third time (they previously advanced in 2015 and 2018). The women’s team was on a winning streak throughout the first day of the regional championship, beating Brandeis and Wellesley 11-4 and 10-4 respectively, continuing to defeat Williams 10-8. Despite two losses to Williams and Bates on the final day of the regional tournament, the team finished third in the region and punched their ticket to the national tournament in hot and sunny Texas. The journey to Nationals had its share flight delays and cancellations, as the women’s team entered the tournament with nine of their players on the way from Orlando. Despite the lack of sleep, the team was ready to go. “The sleep deprivation and desire to play well for our teammates who had not arrived yet really helped us push through to take every point,” Molkenthin said. The women advanced to the second round with a 15-0 win against Mary Washington, with 9 of their 24-person roster having not yet arrived in Texas. Competing against 2018 D-III National Champions St. Olaf’s Vortex and still missing players, the team lost on universe point, or sudden death, 10-11. With the team now reunited, the Pranksters faced fourth-seed Puget Sound as the score creeped up one point at a time. In the end, the team came out on top in another university point with a final score of 9-8. After three games in one day, the team then won their pool and received a bye to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinal round, the heat turned up and the competition did as well. The morning game consisted of a 13-14 universe point loss against North Park in 90-degree weather. Although the Pranksters were unable to obtain a place in the championship bracket, they scored a 13-8 win against Portland. With a fifth-place win in the national championship, the Pranksters achieved impressive results in their first national tournament since 2015. The men’s team’s road to the national title started with a 11-10 win against Franciscan, a 12-10 win against Hamilton and a 14-9 win against Michigan Tech. Seeded first going into the tournament, the Pranksters played defending champions Bryant in the quarterfinals. Despite a hard-fought second half in which Bryant tied Middlebury 6-6 in points scored, Middlebury’s 8-3 lead in the first half brought the team to a 15-9 victory. The semifinal round saw one of the mist exciting games of the tournament. After Kai DeLorenzo ’20.5 sat out through most of the first half due to a heel injury, his return in the second half brought the team to a close 12-11 win against Richmond. Assists by Kevin Strenski ’21 and Zach Levitt ’20 were key to the team punching a ticket to the championship. Air Force faced Middlebury in the championship game, having scored a 15-13 victory against Carleton College in the second semifinal. Trading holds all the way to halftime, Middlebury led the first half 7-6. Strenski became a star of the game with three goals in the second half. Tied at 12-12, the game would then be played to 14. Strenski received an inside flick and brought the Pranksters to a 13-12 lead. While Air Force received one more break, the team scored two more goals for a final score of 15-12. The team finished their season with a 31-3 record. Junior Van Lundsgaard caught the winning disc. “I didn’t really realize that I was going to score the game winning point,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure we didn’t turn it or lose our momentum.” Lundsgaard attributes his success to a loving community he finds in the team. “It was as much the team’s goal as it was mine,” he said. For captain Dylan Salzman ’19, the team’s championship win represents a special moment in the history of the program for both teams. “It speaks to the way in which Middlebury frisbee has shifted away from being just a social group to being real, well­ developed frisbee teams,” he said. “We won by sheer willpower, and winning the finals felt cathartic­­. It’s such a validation of everything that we had been working on, and such a testament to the team that we put together.”  Molkenthin enjoyed having both the men and women compete at the same tournament. “It’s very cool to feel like we are both incredibly talented teams and yet we do not take ourselves too seriously, and we value our friendship and sportsmanship immensely,” she said. “We support one another on and off the field whether it’s on the Middlebury men’s soccer turf where we occasionally practiced, at the Spring Symposium for academic presentations, or at the National Championship.” Despite the heat, for many members of the team, being at Nationals was an incredible experience. “The environment was electric – with incredible athletes from all around the country gathered together to celebrate excellence in a unique sport,” Molkenthin said. For both teams, a lack of institutional support from the college (as compared to other club teams) presents challenges. Since both the men’s and the women’s teams do not have coaches, captains serve in this role, running practices and organizing logistics for the team to travel to tournaments. For Molkenthin, she enjoys being in a position to lead this community on campus. “To be a captain of this team is to feel loved, to be honored with tough decision-making and last-minute logistical juggling, and to be supported by an incredible community that you know has your back the whole way,” she said. Salzman pointed to the dynamic of a “player-coach” where he has to assert authority over his peers. In addition, the inability for the team to reserve field space on campus or have access to athlete trainers present barriers to the team’s sustained success. “It means that we, as captains and players, have to battle for every inch of turf time we get in the winter, and struggle to deal with all of the administrational details that come with running a nationally competitive team,” he said. Capping off incredibly successful campaigns for both the men and women, the Pranksters feel optimistic for the future. For many players, ultimate frisbee has provided them with a supportive community and unique Middlebury experience. This year has provided them with new depth in the program, building up a new roster of players full of talent, commitment and potential. With various levels of experience and spread out across all class years, the captains strove this year to make the sport and community accessible to all. This year, the team has built on the traditions of previous years and has created a passionate and driven group. “This finish to our season is perhaps most exciting because it makes me think about the future and how much this team can do going forward,” Molkenthin said. “I will have graduated by the time next spring rolls around, but I will be waiting with anticipation to see what my Pranksters can do.”

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Some wisdom for beginning college

Authors’ note: Arthur Martins' article in the August 13 issue of the campus, “A call to action: Middlebury, it’s time to prioritize our mental healthcare,” caught the attention of the Scott Center staff, and we are grateful to him for writing such an honest accounting of his experience at Middlebury. As the new school year opens, we wanted to affirm his messages on his experience and about seeking out people on campus for listening and support. Dear Middlebury students, You do not have to have things figured out. Let me say that one more time: You do not have to have things figured out. In fact, college is the best time to bask in the unknowing. Your 18 years of experience is being radically challenged with every person you encounter, every academic article you read, every new relationship or breakup, and every destination you visit. You will encounter paradigm shifts that may rattle you, or you may encounter things that will intensify deeply-held parts of you. Either way, you are transforming: molting, budding and blooming. There will be inevitable growing pains. This process of growth can look messy at times. And that is okay ―  it is supposed to happen. That is why one of the best things you can do for yourself is to not only understand these growing pains but hold space for them. The more you can do that, the more you can find the eye in the storm of these next four years.  “Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke There are countless ways to hold space for the growth and the messiness of the “unknowing” that you will experience. Experiment with tried and true methods of mindfulness and renewal such as meditation, journaling, a yoga class, prayer or just time in nature. Pick something that works best for you, and make it as much a priority as turning in an assignment or attending team practice. Hold tight to it. This, when done right, will not be at the expense of your academic life, but rather that will make you a better student, professional, friend and person. Schedule times of the week when you are away from your phone, computer and other distractions to be present with yourself. Go inward and check in deeply. When you are not doing well, know that there are resources on campus that are here for you. Too often, we hear students say they wished they had spoken to a counselor, chaplain or mentor when things were difficult, but felt they had no time. In reality, we make time for things that we think are important. Understand that your wellbeing is just as much a priority for you as your academic achievement. Reaching out to a counselor or chaplain will never be an inconvenience! Knowledge is multidimensional and involves the whole person. It is not enough to ask for grades, performance and a great career. True knowledge and success incorporates your passions, your dreams, your personality, and your wisdom as much as a skill set or being book smart. Invest in your whole self in these next few years, and have certainty that the return on that investment will be a wiser, better and truer you. May you befriend the deafening unknown and ride the adventures ahead of you! Sincerely, Your Friends at The Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life