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Divestment Does Not Threaten Financial Aid

In recent months, we have become aware of concerns that divestment might present a risk to financial aid. Divest Middlebury would like to state publicly that the accessibility of our institution is a top priority for our group. We are a climate justice organization that stands for racial, gender and economic equity. Financial aid is a priority of our group as a whole and also of personal importance to many of our organizers. In writing this op-ed we also hope to stress the economic benefits of divestment and reaffirm our commitment to our fellow students. Arguments that pit financial aid and environmental justice against each other are unfair and inaccurate. These arguments ultimately put the burden for climate inaction on Middlebury College’s most vulnerable students. There is ample evidence that divestment from fossil fuels is a financially savvy decision. In the official referendum ratified by the student body, SGA and the faculty, Divest Middlebury asked the Board to pledge to divest all holdings in the top 200 publicly traded fossil fuel corporations over a five-year time period. This extended timeline would allow the college’s investment managers to divest holdings in a controlled way, ensure low financial risk, and reinvest in more profitable and sustainable industries. [pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]There is no evidence that divested financial institutions experience increased losses.[/pullquote] In 2010, MSCI, a prominent provider of stock market indices and analysis, created two investment indices of the largest 9,500 corporations, one that included fossil fuel investments and another that did not. Over the next five years, the fossil-free portfolio averaged an annual return .97 percent higher than the index including fossil fuel corporations. If $1 billion had been invested in the fossil free index in 2010, it would now be worth $2.24 billion, whereas its counterpart would be worth $2.13 billion. In 2017, fossil fuels were also the second worst performing sector in the S&P 500 stock market index, losing four percent compared to market gains of 19 percent. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a fortune that made its money in the fossil fuel industry, recently published a report stating that the Fund’s success has shown that fossil fuel divestment “can be done without causing harm to the overall performance of your investment portfolio.” These sentiments are shared by the nearly 1,000 other institutions that have pledged to divest. A recent analysis by investment strategist Jeremy Grantham found that there was no evidence that divested financial institutions experience increased losses. Similarly, another study demonstrates the potential financial penalties for not divesting, suggesting that New York State pension funds have lost $22 billion by staying invested in fossil fuels. Stranded assets theory confirms the financial risk of not divesting: continued investment only exposes portfolios to risk, since marketed valuation of fossil fuel corporations is contingent upon the burning of 942 gigatons of carbon reserves. Fossil fuel corporations cannot approach their market valuation without ignoring the Paris Climate Agreement, which restricts future carbon emissions to 800 gigatons. Failure to divest puts our endowment at unnecessary risk of the carbon bubble caused by stranded assets. Furthermore, when other institutions of higher education have divested, donations have significantly increased. For all of these reasons, we believe that divestment is the fiscally responsible action. Even in the unlikely case that  Middlebury loses returns due to divestment, losses should not impact financial aid. Investments in the top 200 publicly traded fossil fuel companies make up 0.6 percent of Middlebury’s endowment, with 5 percent of the endowment having exposure in the entire fossil fuel industry. Currently, 25 percent of Middlebury’s endowment goes toward financial aid. In the case of any loss due to discontinued exposure to the fossil fuel industry, risk would be spread evenly across the endowment. It is unlikely that fossil fuels outperform the rest of the market and all alternative investments, yet even if fossil fuels outperformed the other 95 percent of investments by 10 BP points (.1 percent), the impact of not being invested in the fossil fuels industry would be $55,000 from our total endowment. This would result in a total loss of $13,750 from financial aid, a minimal loss in comparison to millions our school commits to financial aid each year. In the past, Middlebury has not cut its institutional commitment to funding financial aid in years of poor endowment performance. For this reason, individuals who argue that financial aid should be the first thing to be cut reveal much more about their own priorities than the priorities of the college or the divest movement. [pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Divestment represents an important action that Middlebury can take to condemn climate change, support the college mission statement, and protect students’ futures.[/pullquote] It is unfair and insulting to use students on financial aid as an excuse for inaction and the perpetuation of injustice. Divestment represents an important action that Middlebury can take to condemn climate change, support the college mission statement, and protect students’ futures. We would like to point out that students of more vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds are statistically more likely than wealthier classmates to experience negative impacts from fossil fuel infrastructure and environmental injustice. We are here to learn the skills necessary to protect our families and home communities from climate change. Falsely using our education as an argument to continue investment in the same industry that is hurting us is both cruel and flawed. In the end, discourse that frames divestment as being at odds with financial aid is fearmongering. We know that divestment and financial aid can go hand in hand and we are thrilled to stand for both. We regret that our fellow classmates may have felt nervous about the financial impacts of divestment and will happily participate in further conversation about concerns regarding this issue. As always, our movement is open to everyone, especially those most marginalized by the climate crisis. We will not allow our educations to be used as a rhetorical device with which to jeopardize our futures as we move towards climate justice together.

Men’s Basketball Splits Weekend

The men’s basketball team was on the road this past weekend, competing against two NESCAC rivals on Jan. 11 and 12. Coming hot off of a 20-point win against Widener University on Tuesday, Jan. 8, Middlebury pulled off a 100-93 victory over Bates on Friday. However, the Panthers fell to Tufts by two points on Saturday, 86-84; with seven seconds remaining in Cousens Gym, the Jumbos hit a 15-foot baseline jump shot to lift Tufts two points past the Panthers.   Matt Folger ’20 commented on Middlebury’s loss, saying, “Certainly after this weekend we were disappointed to lose another close NESCAC game because there are only 10, so one loss can be the difference between hosting a first-round conference tournament game and not even making the tournament. However, there are a ton of good teams in our conference so while a 2-2 record in NESCAC play isn’t what we wanted coming out of the weekend, we are still in a position to make the postseason tournament and are still confident we can beat any team on our schedule.” Both Friday and Saturday’s games were back-and-forth, and despite losing, Middlebury outrebounded the Jumbos 55-40 on Saturday afternoon. Folger himself had 16 points and 13 boards this weekend. “We moved and shared the ball well against both teams this past weekend, which is when we are most successful as a team. The energy and effort was also there, and out-rebounding Tufts on Saturday gave us an opportunity to [keep us in the game] despite our poor shooting percentage,” Folger said.  The Panthers also had many notable accomplishments deep in the roster this past weekend. Jack Farrell ’21 scored 20 points on Friday night against Bates and had a career high of eight assists. Fresh off the start, Middlebury’s Griffin Kornaker ’22 made an early three-pointer, leading the game 10-7 at the 15:27 mark.  When asked what the Panthers would work on in practice this week, Folger mentioned, “We’re going to focus on our defensive rotations and transition defense because a few missed rotations can be the difference in close games.” The Panthers will compete on the road against at Albertus Magnus College — a team that is skilled in transition on the court — on Jan. 15, and then take on the Williams Ephs on Saturday, Jan. 19. 

Reel Critic: ‘Children of Men’

What makes you get up in the morning when you know the end is near? This very question looms over Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 film “Children of Men,” which is based on the eponymous novel by P.D. James. Set in 2027 Britain, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) must escort Kee (Clare-Hope Ashitey), a young pregnant woman, out of a country where no babies have been born for decades. The film was screened as part of the Hirschfield International Series on Jan. 12. Perhaps the most immediately intriguing thing about “Children of Men” is the core of its conflict: instead of a nuclear war, an aggressive infectious disease, or another overworked dystopian trope, the film centers around a global pandemic of female infertility. Kee’s pregnant body is treated with exaggerated care and protection that becomes the single deciding factor in each choice  made. Cuarón dedicates an entire scene to a room full of activists arguing over the best place to take her, which Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor) concludes with a simple sentence: “This is your choice.” Now, pregnancy truly is the “miracle of life” and the female body its bearer. These political undertones are in part what allows “Children of Men” to preserve its poignancy even 13 years after its release. Major news themes of the past years are echoed in a manner that is almost frightening. Tight-lipped Britain shows a preoccupation with illegal immigrants who are held in cages by Homeland Security. Foreigners face deportation and are yelled down by officers on their way to the refugee center. Street scenes appear as though they are directly modelled after news images of Syria, Yemen or Iraq. Not only do these images feel eerily familiar, they are impeccably captured. Emmanuel Lubezki’s Academy Award-winning cinematography is dynamic, fluid and a pleasure to watch. Unlike typical, tightly-cut action scenes, scenes appear as though they were filmed in one drawn out shot. When the group is ambushed during their car ride, the camera circles around the inside of the car to show actions in real time. The result is a frightening series of obscure images that wholly absorbs its audience. Without noticing, you have held your breath for the entire duration of a scene. “Children of Men” is able to create this grip while holding the audience at an arm’s length. As the camera stays in Theo’s immediate proximity for most of the film, Lubezki shows scenes as they occur behind a window or in the far end of a room. Without the presence of the camera in the space, dialogue begins to appear completely candid, actions uncensored. Somewhat ironically, it is this physical distance that makes the film so thrilling: someone could turn their head and notice us at any moment. We are made to feel like eavesdroppers, a part of the mission. This level of sophistication extends to the film’s motifs. As Kee gives birth in a dreary, dim room and the fire momentarily silences as she walks through the hallways of a building under attack with her newborn daughter, it is difficult to think of her story as something other than a kind of secular nativity scene. Soon after they have passed the dismayed soldiers, some of whom drop to their knees and draw a cross on their chest, explosions reclaim the soundscape. “I thought that was so clever because that’s us,” screenwriter Hawk Ostyn reflected during the Q&A that followed the screening. “Things come into our lives and they move us for a little bit and then it’s [back] to the old.” In this regard, “Children of Men” has something to say about humanity’s tendency to stand in its own way. Rather than taking a hint and altering our actions, an almost chronic lack of self-reflection appears to drive us to the same disastrous mistakes time and time again. The film relies heavily on such technical subtleties — at times even too much. As a protagonist, Theo is opaque and relatively static. Despite occasionally raising his voice and breaking down in tears without prior warning, his demeanor is scornful and at times tiring to follow. Ashitey’s performance as Kee is by far the most interesting that the film has to offer, yet even her character feels underdeveloped as the script clings to her as a source of comic relief. For a film that discusses the core of our existence, the portrayal of raw humility in “Children of Men” leaves room  for improvement. Ostyn’s commentary offered some insight as to why this may be. “What’s it like to get up when you know that there is really no future, how do you bother to do anything?” he contemplated as he described what initially drew him to the story. Perhaps the hopelessness of the situation has simply sunken into these characters, showing them as products of their environment. Yet while this may account for Theo’s staleness, many questions about characterization remain unanswered. Given its sheer quality of craftsmanship, it would be difficult to argue that “Children of Men” is not a film worth watching. Any issue with character development feels futile compared to the thrill that the film’s visual and philosophical elements spark. “Children of Men” has earned its right to be screened in 2019.

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News in Brief

PRESIDENT MAKES NEW ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS President Patton announced the transition of four administrators from interim roles to permanent positions in an email to the community on Dec. 19. Jeff Cason, Baishakhi Taylor, Steve Snyder and Carlos Velez have continued their duties in an official capacity since Jan. 1.  Jeff Cason, who is now executive vice president and provost, previously served as a faculty leader, vice president for academic affairs for the Language Schools and interim provost. In his provisional role, Cason collaborated with the Institute and led the Envisioning Middlebury initiative.   Baishakhi Taylor continues her previous work, now as the vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Taylor previously led the Community Council and helped direct the “How We Live Together” initiative, an assessment of the residential and commons system currently in progress.   Steve Snyder, dean of Language Schools, received an additional title of vice president for academic affairs for the language schools. In addition to his work with the Language Schools, Snyder will also serve on the School’s Board of Overseers. Carlos Velez has become dean of international programs.  In this capacity, he oversees the Schools Abroad, the Study Abroad Program and International Student and Scholar Services. Previously a faculty member in the Psychology department, Velez began his administrative career serving in faculty leadership positions.     - Bochu Ding  ATWATER CRD STEPS DOWN Students in Atwater Commons were notified last Thursday that the Atwater Common Residence Director (CRD), Doug Desrochers, is resigning his role. Desrochers’ last day at Middlebury will be Jan. 21. Desrochers resumed his role of CRD at Middlebury last Fall with the creation of the position. In his email to Atwater students, Desrochers thanked students for the opportunity to serve as a CRD and all the positive memories he will have of his time in the role. While acknowledging the immense stress that can be prevalent at Middlebury, Desrochers encouraged students to fight this standard. “No, Middlebury won’t turn into an amusement park overnight, but changing the culture not only starts with you - it is you,” he advised students in his email. “Appreciate the little things that make this community really special.”   Desrochers was known for greeting students while strolling campus with his dog, Fesik, chatting with residents in the Allen common room and taking the time to build relationships with students on an individual level. It is not yet known whether the role of Atwater CRD will be filled after Desrochers’s departure next week. However, if someone does fill the position, Desrochers encouraged students to treat the replacement with respect.  - Cali Kapp  WORK ON MCCULLOUGH MURAL EXPANDS Students received a campus-wide email last Tuesday from David Kloepfer, Assistant Director of Programming & Events for Student Activities, announcing the expansion of the community mural in the McCullough Student Center. The mural was started last spring when four professional artists collaborated with students to transform the walls near the mailroom and box office. This year’s workshop is a continuation of the work initiated by Jennifer Herrera Condry, associate director of the Anderson Freeman Resource Center, along with her husband, Will Kasso Condry, one of the artists involved. The project will continue on Sunday, Jan. 13 with a workshop led by Dr. Meagan Corrado. Corrado is a clinical social worker and mosaic artist. “Participants will reflect on their past experiences, process current experiences, and identify their future vision,” the email explained. The workshop will culminate with students generating a small piece, either written or visual, representing their experiences and identities.  The student’s pieces will then be used by Kasso Condry, a community muralist and educator, as well as Isaias Crow, an international muralist, both as inspiration and collaged into design for a 40-foot mural. Students will have opportunities to assist the artists throughout the process. “The continuation of the McCullough Mural Project is to further deepen student expression on campus and community connection,” Kloepfer explained in the email. - Cali Kapp   

Alpine Ski Kicks Off Season at St. Lawrence Carnival

The men’s and women’s alpine ski teams took to the slopes at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York this past weekend to compete in their opening weekend of races at the St. Lawrence Carnival. It was a strong showing overall from the Panthers, one that included career-best results and “flashes of brilliance” across the board, according to Erik Arvidsson ’21.  Slalom races took place on Friday, while giant slalom (GS) races were moved to Saturday due to strong wind gusts and cold temperatures. On the men’s side of the slalom event, Arvidsson came out firing to lead the Panthers with a time of 1:32.41, securing a third-place finish overall. Max Stamler ’19 was Middlebury’s second racer to complete the course, skiing a career-best finish of 12th overall with a time of 1:36.43. The final scorer for the men’s team, Pate Campbell ’20, whose two-run time of 1:47.61 was affected by hikers, clinched the 32nd spot. Tim Gavett ’22 started out strong, holding the fifth spot after his first run, but was forced to hike on his second trip down the mountain, ultimately placing 43rd. “We had some unfortunate DNF’s (Did Not Finish), which happens in ski racing. With more reps and improved consistency, the sky is the limit for this team,” Arvidsson said, reflecting on the team’s room for improvement following the weekend’s performances. Despite only a few skiers completing clean runs, Arvidsson maintains that the men’s and women’s teams’ potential coming into the season is enormous. “I am really happy with how the whole team started the carnival season. We are way ahead of where we were this time last season,” he said. This potential made itself particularly evident on the women’s side, with first-year Samantha McClellan’s first collegiate race culminating in a 19th place finish after her run time of 1:40.84. Caroline Bartlett ’19 was Middlebury’s top finisher in the Slalom event, ending her two runs with a time of 1:38.34 and earning eighth place overall. Finishing second for the Panthers was Madison Lord ’21, whose 1:40.08 time earned her a career best 15th place overall.  Bartlett and Arvidsson continued to dominate Middlebury’s scoreboard in the giant slalom event as well. Bartlett came in with a two-run time of 2:12.20 to lead the women’s team and place fourth overall, and Arvidsson finished second for Middlebury, coming in ninth place overall in 2:13.27. Senior Lexi Calcagni finished second for the Panthers in 2:22.16 in the giant slalom to put her in 12th place, and Lord, the women’s third scorer, finished 16th in 2:23.37. In the men’s giant slalom, Gavett led the Panthers with a time of 2:11.90 to secure the fourth spot, and earning a top-20 finish in 2:14.90 was Stamler, the men’s final scorer.  With UVM and Dartmouth once again being forces to reckon with this season, the team will focus its efforts this week on “building consistency so we can bring our speed in training into races,” Bartlett said. Both the Alpine and Nordic teams will race again this weekend at the University of New Hampshire Carnival.

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Swimming and Diving Defeats Colby, Falls to Bates

The swim and dive teams began their second semester with a home meet against Colby on Saturday, Jan. 12. The women conquered Colby with a 204-95 score, while the men were defeated 167-131. The Panthers hosted Bates the following day, falling 163.5-130.5 on the women’s side and 192-102 on the men’s side.  The women’s team won 14 out of the 16 events against the Colby Mules. The 200-yard medley relay team consisting of Audrey Hsi ’22, Erin Kelly ’21, Maddie McKean ’22 and Frances VanderMeer ’20 opened the meet with a win, finishing with a time of 1:50.8. Hsi continued her winning streak with individual victories in the 100 butterfly (59.81), 100 backstroke (1:01.08) and the 100 individual medley (1:02.55).  Alongside Hsi, Kristin Karpowicz ’19, Hannah Wander ’22 and VanderMeer each secured two first place finishes. Karpowicz swam the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:49.15 and then went 55.87 in the 100 free. Wander claimed the title in both the 50 breaststroke (32.44) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.35), while VanderMeer won the 50 back (27.68) and the 50 fly (26.14). Courtney Gantt triumphed in the 50 free (25.36), then joined McKean, Kelly and VanderMeer to win the 200-yard free relay in 1:40.16. Divers Kacey Hertan ’20 and Mary Cate Carroll ’21 captured wins in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events, respectively, with Hertan scoring 228.45 and Carroll scoring 219.98 points.  The men’s team also saw success in the lanes and on the boards. The 200-yard medley relay team of Brendan Leech ’19, Cody Kim ’22, Will Pannos ’20 and Corey Jalbert ’21 out-touched Colby by 0.01 seconds, winning with a time of 1:37.64. The 200-yard freestyle relay of Jalbert, Pannos, Jake Gaughan ’22 and Leech ended the day with a first place finish (1:27.99). Individually, Pannos triumphed in the 100 butterfly (53.46), while Mike Chirico ’20 won the 1-meter (243.40 points) and the 3-meter diving events (242.18 points). Runner-up finishes included Charles Quinn ’20 in the 50 backstroke (25.46) and 100 individual medley (54.95), as well as Kim in the 50 breastroke (27.43) and 100 breastroke (1:00.28).  The Panthers fared another day of competition against Bates. Although the 25th-ranked Bobcats attained an overall win, the swim and dive teams earned several individual victories.  VanderMeer and Hsi again dominated their events, claiming the 50 free (24.81) and 400 individual medley (4:43.13), respectively. Alongside VanderMeer and Hsi, Kelly and McKean won the 200-yard medley relay, stopping the clock in 1:50.57. Riggins went the distance by winning the 1,650 free in 18:14.28. Karpowicz conquered the 500 free in 5:17.96. Hertan again scored her second 1 meter event title of the weekend, tallying 215.4 points. Olivia Rieur ’22 took the 3-meter title with 235.28 points.  The Panthers were bolstered by numerous second place finishes, including Kelly in the 100 breastroke (1:09.87) and the 200 breastroke (2:33.11). VanderMeer was runner-up in the 100 free (54.73), then ended the day by placing second in the 200-yard free relay with McKean, Kelly and Gantt (1:39.66).  On the men’s side, Aska Matsuda ’22 won the distance events, finishing in 16.56.20 for the 1,650 free and 4:54.13 in the 500 free. Chirico again achieved titles on both the 1-meter (255.83 points) and 3-meter boards (260.70 points).  Four swimmers claimed second in their events: Leech in the 100 backstroke (53.64), Zack Einhorn ’21 in the 200 butterfly (2:01.30), Gaughan in the 50 free (22.33), and Kevin Santoro ’21 in the 200 back (2:00.80). Both relay teams secured runner-up finishes, including the 200 -yard medley relay team of  Leech, Kim, Pannos and Jalbert (1:37.79), and the 200-yard free relay team of Gaughan, Jalbert, Pannos and Leech (1:28.12).  The Panthers head to Union this Saturday, Jan.19, where they hope to see major team success. 

Women’s Soccer Edged by Williams in Final

In a tense 1-1 game by the end of two overtime periods, the women’s soccer team was edged by the Williams Ephs 3-2 in penalty kicks in the NCAA Division III championship. This was the Panthers’ first championship appearance in program history. The previous day, on Friday, Nov. 30, the Panthers defeated the WashU Bears 1-0 in a stunning upset to advance to the national championship. Led by NESCAC Coach of the Year Peter Kim, this was the team’s second journey to the Final Four in program history, having previously competed in 2013. On the way to the championship match, the team secured wins against Maine-Farmington (4-1), Ithaca (0-0 with a win on penalty kicks), Swarthmore (2-0), Misericordia (1-0) and most recently WashU (1-0). Last year, Middlebury’s 12-4-2 record brought them to the second round of the NCAA tournament. After a collision that caused Caitlin Magruder ’20 to sustain a game-ending injury, Simone Ameer ’21 was the game’s only scorer in the NCAA semifinal, assisted by Ellie Greenberg ’20 and Gretchen McGrath ’21. This was Ameer’s fourth goal of the season. Goalie Ursula Alwang ’20 walked away with three saves, including a header shot by the Bears’ Maggie Crist. The Panthers’ defense was led by Rose Evans ’22, assisted by starters Amanda Dafonte ’19, Janie DeVito ’19 and Isabelle Hartnett ’21. “I think this was probably one of the hardest games of the season for us,” captain Dafonte said in a press conference following the semifinal. “It was one that we went into saying that we were going to work harder, go out with heart and leave it all out on the field.” Williams’ journey to the championship match was achieved after a 2-0 win against Christopher Newport in the semifinals and placing second in the NESCAC Championship. The Ephs traveled to Greensboro with a 17-1-4 record. This was the third time Middlebury competed against Williams this season. The Panthers suffered a 1-0 loss at the end of the regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and won the NESCAC Championship 1-0 in Williamstown on Sunday, Nov. 4. The first half included a goal by Williams’ Aspen Pierson assisted by Ilana Albert and Georgia Lord, Pierson’s fourth goal of the season. Olivia Miller ’20 and Eliza Robinson ’21 attempted shots on Williams goalie Olivia Barnhill. With 13 minutes remaining in the second half, the game became tied 1-1 by a Williams own goal. Clare Robinson ’19 and Eliza Robinson ’21 contributed to the Panthers’ total of six shots during regulation play. With the score tied at the end of the second half, the game proceeded into overtime. In the first overtime period, a shot by Williams’ Sarah Scire was saved by Alwang. This was her second save of the game and 67th of the season. Continuing through the rain, both teams went into a scoreless second overtime period and penalty kicks. Goalie Eva Shaw ’19.5 was substituted for Alwang for the penalty kicks. She made two saves against Amherst in the NESCAC semifinals and three saves against Ithaca in the NCAA tournament. With shots made by Sara DiCenso ’19 and Cate Shellenback ’22 and missed by Magnolia Moskun ’21.5, Riley Kinum ’22 and Clare Robinson ’19, the Ephs defeated the Panthers 3-2 in penalty kicks. The Ephs’ win was their third title in four years, making the team the fourth program in NCAA Division III history to win back-to-back championship titles. The championship match was the first between two NESCAC teams in NCAA Division III history and the fourth NESCAC team appearance in the past five years. “It’s always a hard-fought battle between these two teams. We know each other really well,” head coach Peter Kim said in a press conference following the game. “We have a very special senior class. … They have led by example and pulled the team along.” “I think we really did a great job playing how we like to play — possessing the ball — and we knew when we had to play a little more direct. We were in it the whole time, and I’m just really proud of that,” said senior captain Abby Blyler. The Panthers finished their season with a 19-1-4 record, 51 goals and an average of 19.3 shots per game. Clare Robinson ’19 and DeVito ’19 were selected to the first all-NESCAC team, while Alwang, Dafonte and Eliza Van Voorhis ’21 earned spots on the second team. At the conclusion of the final match, Alwang, Evans, Ameer and Clare Robinson were named to the all-tournament team. BENJY RENTON

Women’s Squash: Full of Fresh Faces and Even Fresher Wins

The 15th-ranked women’s squash team came out swinging this past weekend, when they began their 2018-2019 season with a home opener on Saturday against Tufts. The Panthers swept with a 9-0 victory, and team captains Bea Kuijpers ’19 and Alexa Comai ’19 led the way.  The Panthers blanked Tufts and continued a streak of dominance that has lasted against the Jumbos for the past couple of years. Mira Chugh ’20 began the sweep with her win at line nine in a four-game victory (10-12, 11-3, 11-2, 11-4) over Chloe Kantor. Natalie Madden ’21 followed close behind in the sixth spot (11-8, 11-7, 11-9), and gave the Panthers a comfortable 2-0 lead. Captain Alexa Comai ’19 tallied another win with a 9-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 at line three against Zarena Jafry. The next couple of wins followed suit from Natasha Lowitt ’20 in the eighth spot (11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5) and Emily Beinkampen in the fifth spot (7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9). Ideal Dowling ’22 had an amazing showing at No. 2 over Julie Yeung (11-4, 11-3, 10-12, 11-2), and grabbed her first collegiate win. Dowling, a strong addition to the top line, is a fresh face to keep an eye on. First-year Gwen Davis ’22 also captured the first victory of her college career at line seven (11-8, 11-7, 11-3) over Diya Sanghi. Head coach Mark Lewis has an optimistic outlook for the rest of the season. “The team looks very strong and deep,” Lewis said. “The addition of the two first-years in the top nine adds strength throughout the lineup.” Virginia Schaus ’21 made the score 8-0 with an 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 triumph against Rachel Windreich in the fourth position, and Kuijpers completed the sweep with a five-game victory (11-9, 11-13, 12-10, 6-11, 15-13) against Claire Davidson in the top spot. “The team has been working hard on all aspects of their games — from fitness and the mental game, to tactics and technique. My assistant coach David Cromwell and I try to keep things very simple on all fronts,” Lewis said. The women’s squash team, having had a history of tough injuries, will be especially careful of their physical health. “Our biggest challenge will be to stay healthy and fit. Though we have a very difficult schedule, we relish the opportunities each match provides.” Hoping to continue their hot start to the season, the Panthers will return to action as they hit the road this weekend, Dec. 8 and 9, against Wesleyan and George Washington in Connecticut.

GSFS Alumni Call for Patton to Respond to Title IX Changes in Open Letter

Discussions during a recent reunion of the department of Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies (GSFS) led alumni to write a letter to President Laurie L. Patton, calling for her condemnation of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ proposed changes to Federal Title IX policy that the letter identifies as “regressive” and “terrifying.” In a message scheduled to be sent to the community on Wednesday as of press time, Patton commented on the proposed changes to Title IX policy without mentioning the alumni letter. When The Campus asked the college whether Patton would respond directly to the letter, College Spokesperson Bill Burger referred The Campus to Patton’s statement.  The reunion, which took place at the college on Nov. 17, brought graduated GSFS majors and current students in the department together to discuss various strategies of activism against sexual violence at the college. The changes to Title IX that DeVos announced on the morning of Nov. 16 quickly became a focus of discussion, with attendees expressing particular concern about a new policy that would require schools to offer a trial option, in which both parties would be cross-examined by the other party’s advocate.  The discussions at the reunion prompted six GSFS alumni who graduated between 2008 and 2016 to sign a 500-word letter and email it to President Patton. The letter was drafted in the days following the reunion and sent to her on Nov. 20. Their goal, they said, is to ensure that the college would continue to provide survivors of sexual assault support under the proposed new federal laws. “The policy proposed by Betsy DeVos threatens to return us to an era where campus sexual assault is pushed under the rug,” Maddie Orcutt ’16, one of the letter’s signees, wrote in an email to The Campus. “As someone who lived through an era where campus sexual misconduct proceedings were inaccessible to survivors and opaque at best, let me assure you we do not want to return to that era. It’s important to get the college on record about its policies and procedures because it promotes transparency and accountability.” Beyond calling for Patton’s condemnation of the cross-examination rule and DeVos’ Title IX policy changes as a whole, the signees reflected on the importance of protest and activism as part of their time at Middlebury, writing that activism was “integral to our educations and to the very formation of our identities” during their time here. Noting the importance of activism to any student’s ability to speak out against sexual assault on college campuses, the letter calls current Middlebury College protest policies “managed and restricted” in ways that the alumni fear may be limiting students’ voices as they attempt to grapple with issues such as sexual assault and Title IX laws on campus.  Through conversations with students during the Nov. 17 alumni reunion, the six alumni signees of the letter — Orcutt, Emily Pedowitz, ’13, Margo Cramer ’12, Kolbe Franklin ’08, Luke Carroll Brown ’14 and Kristina Johansson ’14 — felt that the culture surrounding campus activism had changed over the years and that these changes needed to be addressed in the letter.  “What is clear from our time on campus is that students are terrified of Betsy DeVos’ recently announced Title IX policy. What is also clear to us is that Middlebury students are equally as terrified of speaking out on a campus where protest is now so managed and restricted,” the letter reads. “When we listened to students this weekend, we didn’t see the anger that had been such a catalyzing emotion for all of us. We saw students who were defeated, disillusioned, and shutdown.” The alumni view current college protest policies as curtailing students’ ability to start conversations and hold demonstrations related to sexual assault on campus, a development they see as alarming in what the letter identifies as today’s “chilly political climate.”  “Based on my understanding of these policies, the effectiveness of activism is likely hindered due to the ways in which these policies restrict the creativity and visibility of necessary forms of activism,” Franklin said.  The letter closes with three demands that the alumni hope to see addressed in Patton’s response.  “We are asking you to go on the record to publicly state the following,” the letter reads.“That Middlebury will continue to adhere to a preponderance of the evidence standard in Title IX proceedings; that live cross-examination in Title IX cases will curb reporting and make our campus less safe; and that Middlebury College does not think that Betsy DeVos’ recently announced Title IX policy is in the best interest of Middlebury students.”  Ultimately, the authors hope that the letter will help survivors of sexual assault at Middlebury receive the recognition and support they need.  Patton has issued statements on controversial Trump administration rulings in the past, such as the amendments to DACA and legal recognition of transgender people. The alumni who penned the letter hoped to see a similar level of recognition for survivors of sexual assault after DeVos’ Title IX announcement.  “In the midst of our current political climate, there is such an importance for schools, organizations and leaders to actively speak up and against policies that fail to protect vulnerable populations and that promote a culture of intolerance,” Pedowitz said. “I believe this allows students to feel safe and protected by their organization when there is so much chaos, unknown and intolerance being perpetrated politically in the national landscape.”

December Brings Surge of Holiday Cheer (and a Cement Mixer) to Town

[gallery ids="42190,42194,42189"] MIDDLEBURY — Snow-capped mountains and pine trees are not the only elements that imbue the Green Mountain valley with an aura of holiday spirit. This past weekend, a surge of holiday-themed events came to downtown Middlebury. With the start of December, the Better Middlebury Partnership (BMP) has again seized the opportunity to revamp and strengthen community interaction with downtown businesses. The overarching marketing model of this month’s festivities comes with the slogan, “A Very Merry Middlebury.” According to Vermont Book Shop owner Becky Dayton, the tradition dates back nearly 10 years, with many Decembers being devoted to holiday cheer and shopping in the quintessentially Vermont town. “It’s a nice thing for the community to offer for people who don’t have a lot of money to spend on holiday activities because all of the events are free,” Dayton said. One of the most popular events is “Midd Night Stroll,” which will take place on the evenings of Thursday, Dec. 6 and Thursday, Dec. 13, for which many downtown businesses plan to stay open later than usual. Originally dubbed “Stag & Doe Night,” the stroll had been targeted at couples. Over the years, it has become more inclusive and is now aimed at a range of ages. “Downtown businesses really like the Very Merry Middlebury events, in particular the Midd Night Stroll, which provides a significant bump in sales for many restaurants and merchants,” said Karen Duguay, executive director of BMP. “Any time town is filled with people, it feels alive and has energy, and that’s good for businesses.” Last Saturday, the monthlong event kicked off with a day devoted to Christmas-themed events such as visits with Santa at the Middlebury Inn, a hot chocolate hut on Main St. and horse-drawn wagon rides. The hot chocolate hut boasts steaming drinks for 25 cents. And getting “The Works,” a generous topping of marshmallows, whipped cream and a peppermint stick, is free of charge. According to Duguay, the college has been a large supporter of the group’s endeavors over the years. The college donated the hot chocolate for the hut this season. With craned necks and cheers, residents and college students lined Main St. to catch a glimpse of Santa arriving in Middlebury by fire truck. Arguably, though, the most festive truck in the state is a less suspecting vehicle — a cement truck affixed with over 25,000 Christmas lights. The SD Ireland Light Mixer, a now well-known cement truck that makes its way across the western part of the state during the holiday season, is returning to Middlebury on Dec. 6 and 13 for the Midd Night Stroll. SD Ireland, the construction and concrete company that owns the cement trucks, has worked on a slew of local projects, including the college’s very own Bicentennial Hall. While the company is based in Williston, Vermont, the sparkly, light-adorned trucks make their way across the northwestern region of the state each winter. [gallery ids="42204,42195"] This is not the first philanthropic project of the concrete company, though. The family-run business, founded in 1975, also started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for cancer research. But Scott Ireland, one of the co-owners, decided he wanted to add another dimension to their community involvement. Ireland concocted the truck idea on a whim 14 years ago. His wife, Kim Ireland, described the process of dressing up one of the trucks in anticipation of December. “It takes a good two weeks to do one truck with two to four guys working on it,” she said. Ireland explained that attaching the lights — even to the rotating cement mixer — requires an unimaginable amount of clear duct-tape. After more than a decade, Ireland said she still feels like a little kid again when seeing the ebullient truck roll down the driveway for the first time each season. Asked how they keep the 25,000 miniature lights aglow while driving down Route 7, Dayton provided a more cryptic response. “That’s the Christmas magic,” she said. The lights themselves cost the family-run company around $5,000 per a truck. But beckoning one of the twinkling vehicles to a community event is free. Ireland said that people from across the state call to reserve the trucks during December. The company even has a “Christmas Mixer Schedule” on their website highlighting where the cement trucks can be found next. This season, they are on the road from Thursday, Nov. 29 to Saturday, Dec. 29, with 37 events already lined up. Several years ago, they expanded the operation to two trucks, with growing demand at local events. “There were just too many tree lightings going on at the same time,” she explained. And when the trucks aren’t being featured at holiday pop-ups and tree lighting ceremonies? “The guys just enjoy driving them [along] Route 7,” Ireland said.

Storm Café Closes Doors For Good

A sunny day signaled the end of the Storm Café. The restaurant, located in the Old Stone Mill building on the banks of Otter Creek, had been a staple in the Middlebury food scene for years. Last year, their American cuisine made from local ingredients won the café a spot in Visiting New England’s  “12 Favorite Places for Breakfast” list. On Nov. 11, Beth and John Hughes, who ran the restaurant for the past 13 years, said goodbye to regular customers, many of whom had been coming there since it opened in the lowest floor of the Old Stone Mill 25 years ago. “It’s bittersweet,” John told Seven Days. “This was our dream—to own our own business together,” Beth said in an interview with the Addison Independent. In a statement on the Storm Café’s website, they both thanked the Middlebury community for their patronage and promised they would miss all those who dined with them over the years. The Storm Café will be missed by many in the Middlebury community. John estimated that roughly 80 percent of the café’s customers came from the college. “The Storm’s cozy atmosphere, the sounds of the waterfall and [the] delicious food never failed to provide happy meals for me and my family,” Sophie Hiland ’22 said.  The café joins a long list of recently-closed local businesses, but the decision to close was not made solely by the business owners. Middlebury College, which owns the Old Stone Mill building the Storm Café called home, informed the Hughes this past summer that their lease would not be renewed.  However, there is a rainbow after the storm for the Hughes family. Both Beth and John are now working as a paraprofessional and a cafeteria chef, respectively, at Salisbury Community School. And, to sweeten the deal, their twin daughters Molly and Lilly are both students at the school. “For the first time in 20 years, I’ll have my weekends off,” John added. As the Hughes move on to other things, Middlebury College announced an end to its search for a new partner to move into 3 Mill Street. The lucky tenants? Community Barn Ventures, a group based in town that, in the words of co-founder Stacey Rainey, helps businesses “solve whatever problems they have, getting them from where they are to where they want to be.”  The group started work just over a year ago and already has about 15 clients. It has been looking to expand beyond just its current advisory role, and found the perfect opportunity on the banks of Otter Creek. Middlebury College bought the Old Stone Mill building in 2008 for $2.1 million. Since then, the college has used the space above the Storm Café as an incubator for student creativity and innovation. The building has been home to students and locals alike, fostering specifically non-academic, self-designed projects ranging from art exhibitions to band practices. However, Bill Burger, vice president for communications and chief marketing officers, explains, “the building needs such investment that it didn’t make sense to go ahead with the same use of the building.” Community Barn Ventures will close the deal on purchasing the building for $500,000 in early January. The group has already contracted local firm McLeod Kredell Architects to help bring its vision for the historic building to life, opening up to the public in summer 2019. The Middlebury-based modern architecture firm emphasizes a “search for appropriate local expressions of universal qualities and ideals,” according to its website. John McLeod is a visiting professor of architecture at the college, while Steve Kredell teaches at Norwich University’s School of Architecture and Art.  Stacey Rainey and Mary Cullinane, co-founders and partners at Community Barn Ventures, are Middlebury residents who stepped away from corporate jobs and now focus on making their work “have a positive impact on our community,” Cullinane explained. Their plans for the four-and-a-half story, 9,000-square-foot space reflect this desire for community engagement and support for local business. The top floor and a half will become five Airbnb units, each with its own bathroom and secure access but with a shared living room and kitchenette, intended for parents, visiting professors, or tourists. Just below the mini-hotel will be the Community Barn Network, a shared workspace divided into seating for people working on personal laptops or without a need for private space, dedicated offices and a shared conference room, and telephone booths for those who need to make private calls. The second floor will house a public market with eight to 10 permanent vendor stalls, half of them food-based and half for hard goods, as well as a stall for coffee and a general watering hole. The objective is to create a “daily destination,” a place where students and town residents can go for a variety of functions. This deliberate attempt to engage with the community was instrumental in the college’s decision to sell to Community Barn Ventures.  “There were a number of different groups interested in the building,” Burger said. “But we wanted to find the right partner who would do something that we felt was best for Middlebury and that would create opportunity for Middlebury College students.” The iconic space at 3 Mill Street is being brought into a new age by Community Barn Ventures, but the new plans include a nod to the building’s past: the first floor will remain a restaurant, though Community Barn Ventures is still looking for the perfect partner to take over the space. No matter who ends up taking over the first floor at 3 Mill Street, they will have big shoes to fill with the Storm Café’s departure.

Old Stone Mill Bought by Community Firm; Storm Café to Close, Student Projects Relocated

A sunny day signaled the end of the Storm Café. The restaurant, located in the Old Stone Mill building on the banks of Otter Creek, had been a staple in the Middlebury food scene for years. Last year, their American cuisine made from local ingredients won the café a spot in Visiting New England’s  “12 Favorite Places for Breakfast” list. On Nov. 11, Beth and John Hughes, who ran the restaurant for the past 13 years, said goodbye to regular customers, many of whom had been coming there since it opened in the lowest floor of the Old Stone Mill 25 years ago. “It’s bittersweet,” John told Seven Days. “This was our dream—to own our own business together,” Beth said in an interview with the Addison Independent. In a statement on the Storm Café’s website, they both thanked the Middlebury community for  their patronage and promised they would miss all those who dined with them over the years. The Storm Café will be missed by many in the Middlebury community. John estimated that roughly 80 percent of the café’s customers came from the college. “The Storm’s cozy atmosphere, the sounds of the waterfall and [the] delicious food never failed to provide happy meals for me and my family,” Sophie Hiland ’22 said.  The café joins a long list of recently-closed local businesses, but the decision to close was not made solely by the business owners. Middlebury College, which owns the Old Stone Mill building the Storm Café called home, informed the Hughes this past summer that their lease would not be renewed.  However, there is a rainbow after the storm for the Hughes family. Both Beth and John are now working as a paraprofessional and a cafeteria chef, respectively, at Salisbury Community School. And, to sweeten the deal, their twin daughters Molly and Lilly are both students at the school. “For the first time in 20 years, I’ll have my weekends off,” John added. As the Hughes move on to other things, Middlebury College announced an end to its search for a new partner to move into 3 Mill Street. The lucky tenants? Community Barn Ventures, a group based in town that, in the words of co-founder Stacey Rainey, helps businesses “solve whatever problems they have, getting them from where they are to where they want to be.”  The group started work just over a year ago and already has about 15 clients. It has been looking to expand beyond just its current advisory role, and found the perfect opportunity on the banks of Otter Creek. Middlebury College bought the Old Stone Mill building in 2008 for $2.1 million. Since then, the college has used the space above the Storm Café as an incubator for student creativity and innovation. The building has been home to students and locals alike, fostering specifically non-academic, self-designed projects ranging from art exhibitions to band practices. However, Bill Burger, vice president for communications and chief marketing officers, explains, “the building needs such investment that it didn’t make sense to go ahead with the same use of the building.” [pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]The objective: to create “a daily destination” for students and residents.[/pullquote] Community Barn Ventures will close the deal on purchasing the building for $500,000 in early January. The group has already contracted local firm McLeod Kredell Architects to help bring its vision for the historic building to life, opening up to the public in summer 2019. The Middlebury-based modern architecture firm emphasizes a “search for appropriate local expressions of universal qualities and ideals,” according to its website. John McLeod is a visiting professor of architecture at the college, while Steve Kredell teaches at Norwich University’s School of Architecture and Art.  Stacey Rainey and Mary Cullinane, co-founders and partners at Community Barn Ventures, are Middlebury residents who stepped away from corporate jobs and now focus on making their work “have a positive impact on our community,” Cullinane explained. Their plans for the four-and-a-half story, 9,000-square-foot space reflect this desire for community engagement and support for local business. The top floor and a half will become five Airbnb units, each with its own bathroom and secure access but with a shared living room and kitchenette, intended for parents, visiting professors, or tourists. Just below the mini-hotel will be the Community Barn Network, a shared workspace divided into seating for people working on personal laptops or without a need for private space, dedicated offices and a shared conference room, and telephone booths for those who need to make private calls. The second floor will house a public market with eight to 10 permanent vendor stalls, half of them food-based and half for hard goods, as well as a stall for coffee and a general watering hole. The objective is to create a “daily destination,” a place where students and town residents can go for a variety of functions. This deliberate attempt to engage with the community was instrumental in the college’s decision to sell to Community Barn Ventures.  “There were a number of different groups interested in the building,” Burger said. “But we wanted to find the right partner who would do something that we felt was best for Middlebury and that would create opportunity for Middlebury College students.” The iconic space at 3 Mill Street is being brought into a new age by Community Barn Ventures, but the new plans include a nod to the building’s past: the first floor will remain a restaurant, though Community Barn Ventures is still looking for the perfect partner to take over the space. No matter who ends up taking over the first floor at 3 Mill Street, they will have big shoes to fill with the Storm Café’s departure.

Women's Soccer Falls to Williams in First National Championship Final

In a tense 1-1 game by the end of two overtime periods, the women's soccer team was defeated by the Williams Ephs 3-2 in penalty kicks in the NCAA Division III championship. This was the first championship appearance of the Panthers in program history. The previous day, on November 30, the Panthers defeated the WashU Bears 1-0 in a stunning upset to advance to the national championship. Led by NESCAC Coach of the Year Peter Kim, this was the team's second journey to the Final Four in program history, having previously competed in 2013. On the way to the championship match, the team secured wins against Maine-Farmington (4-1), Ithaca (0-0 with a win on penalty kicks), Swarthmore (2-0), Misericordia (1-0), and most recently WashU (1-0). Last year, Middlebury's 12-4-2 record brought them to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Williams' journey to the championship match was achieved after a 2-0 win against Christopher Newport in the semifinals and placing second in the NESCAC Championship. The Ephs traveled to Greensboro with a 17-1-4 record. This was the third time Middlebury competed against Williams this season, suffering a 0-1 loss at the end of the regular season on October 23 and winning the NESCAC Championship 1-0 in Williamstown on November 4. The first half included a goal by Williams' Aspen Pierson assisted by Ilana Albert and Georgia Lord, her fourth goal of the season. Olivia Miller '20 and Eliza Robinson '21 attempted shots on Williams goalie Olivia Barnhill. With 13 minutes remaining in the second half, the game became tied 1-1 by a Williams own goal. Clare Robinson '19 and Eliza Robinson '21 contributed to the Panthers' total of six shots during regulation play. With the score tied at the end of the second half, the game proceeded into overtime. In the first overtime period, a shot by Williams' Sarah Scire was saved by goalie Ursula Alwang '20. This was Alwang's 2nd save of the game and 67th of the season. Continuing through the rain, both teams went into a scoreless second overtime period and penalty kicks. Goalie Eva Shaw '19.5 was substituted for Alwang for the penalty kicks. Against Amherst, she made two saves at the NESCAC semifinals and three saves against Ithaca in the NCAA tournament. With shots made by Sara DiCenso '19 and Cate Shellenback '22 and missed by Magnolia Moskun '21.5, Riley Kinum '22 and Clare Robinson '19, the Ephs defeated the Panthers 3-2 in penalty kicks. This is the Ephs' third title in four years, making the team the fourth program in NCAA Division III history to win back-to-back championship titles. "It's always a hard-fought battle between these two teams. We know each other really well," head coach Peter Kim said in a press conference following the game. "We have a very special senior class…they have led by example and pulled the team along." "I think we really did a great job playing how we like to play — possessing the ball — and we knew when we had to play a little more direct. We were in it the whole time and I'm just really proud of that," commented senior captain Abby Blyler. The Panthers finished their season with a 19-1-4 record, 51 goals and an average of 19.3 shots per game. Clare Robinson '19 and Janie DeVito '19 were selected to the first all-NESCAC team, while Alwang, Amanda Dafonte '19 and Eliza Van Voorhis '21 earned spots on the second team. At the conclusion of the final match, Alwang, Rose Evans '22, Simone Ameer '21 and Claire Robinson '19 were named to the all-tournament team.

With Giveaways and ‘Midd Night Strolls,’ Town Encourages Shoppers to Stay Local

MIDDLEBURY — While campus remained quiet with many students traveling over Thanksgiving break, downtown Middlebury welcomed the annually occurring Small Business Saturday. Local businesses greeted shoppers with hot cocoa, cider, and special deals on Saturday, Nov. 24, providing refuge from the unusually cold and snowy weather. The event was launched by American Express in 2010, when, according to the company’s website, “small businesses [were] hurting from an economy in recession.” For the past eight years, communities across the country have continued the tradition, organizing efforts to “shop small” and support local businesses on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. In 2017, more than 7,200 neighborhoods across all 50 states participated. According to the Addison County Economic Development Corporation, the idea behind the event is twofold. First, to encourage people to support their local economies and second, to build community, “because a visit to the family-owned shop or a stop at the neighborhood eatery not only supports local economies, but also promotes thriving communities,” the website reads. The Middlebury Selectboard released a statement proclaiming Nov. 24, 2018 as Small Business Saturday, urging the residents of Middlebury and communities across the country “to support small businesses and merchants on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year.” “Middlebury has been participating in Small Business Saturday for a number of years,” said Karen Duguay of the Better Middlebury Partnership. “A few years ago, the former Main Street store, Clementine, was profiled nationally as part of the campaign,” she recounted.   The feature on Emily Blistein, owner of Clementine, highlighted how Blistein engaged with customers through digital marketing. She used an email list and social media to keep them up to date on goings-on at the store. The video and article were published by Sterling Payment Technologies, a credit card processing company, in 2017. [pullquote speaker="KAREN DUGUAY" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]These businesses are owned by community members who are contributing to our local economy ... They truly are the backbone of our community.[/pullquote] This year, the Vermont Book Shop on Main Street hosted John Vincent, of A Revolutionary Press, who sold a selection of his prints and ran a tabletop printing press. The independent bookstore also distributed copies of a young adult novel to underserved children in the community. IPJ Real Estate contributed to the day’s festive atmosphere, offering free gift wrapping, cocoa, cider and doughnuts to anyone purchasing gifts locally. “For this year, IPJ took on the planning for wrapping gifts and hosting their Small Business Saturday event,” said Duguay. After describing the special events of this Saturday, Duguay discussed her organization’s plans to continue their work of supporting small businesses. “The Better Middlebury Partnership is focused on extending the initiative of local shopping promotion beyond Saturday and throughout the entire shopping season, with Very Merry Middlebury events coming up, including two extended evening shopping events in the Downtown and Marble Works,” Duguay said. “Those evenings will feature great deals, promotions, specials, free tastings and more.” The shopping evenings, or Midd Night Strolls, will be held on Dec. 6 and Dec. 13. Pop-ups, tastings, specials and giveaways are planned for both nights, according to the Experience Middlebury website. “These businesses are owned by community members who are contributing to our local economy, they are sponsoring events, donating to little league teams and non-profit auctions,” Duguay said, speaking to the importance of supporting locally-owned small businesses. “They truly are the backbone of our community.”  She encouraged customers to shop at these businesses not only on special days like this past Saturday, but all year-round. Shopping local, she said, is a great way to “explore what’s here and connect to something real.”

Panel Explores Injustice of U.S. Immigration

Speakers discussed the painful and sometimes tragic experiences of immigrants seeking new lives in the United States during a Nov. 15 panel in Dana Auditorium, titled “Trauma and the U.S. Immigration System.”  The panel featured University of Vermont College of Medicine Professor Dr. Andrea Green, Albany Law School Professor Sarah Rogerson, Migrant Justice activist Marita Caneda and Hannah Krutiansky ’19, who worked as a summer intern with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).  Meron Benti ’19, who was born in Ethiopia and moved to Italy before making her way to the United States, served as the moderator. She opened by talking about her own experience as an immigrant and her 18 month wait for asylum. Krutiansky shared her experiences working with RAICES, a non-profit based in San Antonio, Texas, where she spent time in detention facilities and worked directly with detainees to provide legal support. She focused on injustice faced by indigenous migrants that she observed during the job. [pullquote speaker="Hannah Krutiansky ’19" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]What they really need is counseling, but what they’re going to get is interrogation about the most intimate, traumatic, events of their life.[/pullquote] “I was in a courtroom where the mother and the interpreter clearly were not understanding each other and the judge just said, ‘Please give your best interpretation,’” she said.  Krutiansky’s work with RAICES gave her a first hand perspective of the trauma that immigrants endure.  “They’ll be told that they need to sign a paper that might be in English and if they ask what they’re signing a very typical response could be, ‘Do you think I have time to explain this to you?’” she said. “What they really need is counseling, but what they’re going to get is interrogation about the most intimate, traumatic, events of their life.”  In one incident, she and other RAICES staff were forced to leave the holding facility without explanation.  “We exited visitation and we were met by a literal army of ICE officers, it was probably anywhere from 30 to 50 officers in bulletproof vests, guns, shields, handcuffs,” Krutiansky said. “This was just to terrorize this population.”  After this incident, 16 fathers were randomly selected and put in solitary confinement for a day with no explanation. One of the fathers tried to commit suicide.  Krutiansky witnessed the effect that this attack had on the children whose fathers were taken away with no explanation.  “One seven-year-old boy whose eyes were completely glazed over after the incident, bloodshot, you could have put your hand in front of him and he wouldn’t have flinched,” Krutiansky said. Rogerson elaborated on immigration from a legal perspective and described a variety of legal terms. She also described traumatic experiences helping 300 refugees who had been flown to a county jail in Albany to be detained.  “No one ever told them where they were, so the first thing that the lawyers did when they went in was draw a map of the United States and show them where they were, and where their family members were in some cases,” she said, describing many of the refugees as “incredibly disoriented.” [pullquote speaker="Albany Law School Professor Sarah Rogerson" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]The Trump administration made the decision to limit asylum claims for people who were fleeing gang violence and people fleeing domestic violence.[/pullquote] Rogerson criticized many recent changes to immigration policy.  “The Trump administration made the decision to limit asylum claims for people who were fleeing gang violence and people fleeing domestic violence,” she said.  She also emphasized collaboration with law enforcement.  “We’re creating our own system of humane immigration system enforcement and we’re using law enforcement allies to do it,” Rogerson said.  Dr. Green, a pediatrician with experience serving refugees, focused on the physical effects of trauma and immigration, especially on children. “Young people, they will trade sex for their basic needs,” she said, calling it “survival sex” which leads to sexually transmitted infections, in addition to other diseases and injuries acquired through the arduous process of coming to the United States as an asylee or refugee.  “The bigger issue, in addition to all those health issues, is the effects of trauma,” she said. “Stress, trauma causes inflammation in the body, and that inflammation in the body affects health in the long term, and actually changes your genetic makeup.” The effect at a broader level is a higher suicide rate among immigrants. Green spoke about her own experience serving Bhutanese refugees in Vermont, which has twice the suicide risk of the general population. “That trauma affects that parents ability to parent that child,” she said during discussion of parents coming to the U.S. to get a better life for their children. “That trauma is now a multi-generational trauma.”  Caneda, a Migrant Justice activist, gave a brief overview of the organization’s current work. She spoke about its mission to protect Vermont dairy workers with the goal of improving lives of migrants and advancing human rights, and highlighted that immigrants do not have the same human rights as others.  “Since 2014, a lot of members of migrant justice have been arrested” she said. “Nine of those detentions have clear evidence of retaliation for coming in and speaking out about human rights.” Caneda added that many detentions and arrests by ICE also involved illegal cooperation with the DMV.  Caneda emphasized that not all immigrants are necessarily fleeing violence, but also lack of opportunity and unsafe working conditions.  “When the only options to work are for a fracking company or for an oil company or joining the army, a lot of people don’t have those values and they come and migrate here and end up working on the dairy farms” she said. “When you work at a dairy farm you live on the farm, you become a 24/7 worker” Caneda said, pointing out food safety concerns. “When you live on a farm, especially up north, you depend on others to bring you food, sometimes it’s every 15 days, so if day 13 you run out of food, you don’t have an option and you spend two days without.”  [pullquote speaker="Migrant Justice activist Marita Caneda" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Right now in Vermont anyone can get a driver’s license regardless of your immigration status, which was a big change because now people could start driving cars, going to stores, not depending on others for food.[/pullquote] In a positive moment, Caneda explained that this condition has improved.  “Right now in Vermont anyone can get a driver’s license regardless of your immigration status, which was a big change because now people could start driving cars, going to stores, not depending on others for food,” she said.  This panel fit within a larger national conversation around immigration. The narratives of the speakers stood in striking contrast with the president’s recent military response to the alleged “migrant caravan” of immigrants approaching the border from Central America.