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(11/29/18 10:56am)
Following an exit in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen last season, the Middlebury men’s basketball team will look to make a serious run for a NESCAC crown and another NCAA tournament appearance in this year’s campaign. The Panthers certainly took a hit with the graduation of All-American Jack Daly ’18 as well as experienced forwards Nick Tarantino ’18 and Adisa Majors ’18. Daly is the program’s all-time leader in assists and ranks third all-time in steals.
Seniors Eric McCord ’19 and Hilal Dahleh ’19 will captain this year’s squad. McCord has been a consistent rock throughout his Middlebury career, and will continue to control the glass and anchor the defense. With toughness as his defining characteristic, Dahleh can execute hard drives to the basket and hit contested shots on the perimeter.
Despite losing Daly, the Panthers’ leading scorer from last season, Matt Folger ’20, who averaged 13.7 points per game (PPG) last season, is one of the most gifted scorers on the team and will look to lead the Panthers from both the paint and the three-point line. Joey Leighton ’20 backs up a consistent shot with the ability to run the floor with command and leadership. Perry DeLorenzo ’20 provides tenacious defense and an aggressive game at the rim.
A large sophomore class will continue to provide crucial minutes for the Panther squad. Jack Farrell ’21 started at point guard last season and likely will continue in that role with high speed and the team’s best three-point percentage. Griffin Kornaker ’21, Max Bosco ’21 and Will Ingram ’21 are skilled shooters and defenders who can keep plays alive as aggressive rebounders. Like Folger, Ryan Cahill ’21 is as deadly from the three-point arc as he is on the block. James Finn ’20.5 can run the floor and, like McCord, can clean up around the rim with plenty of rebounds and put-backs.
As for the new class of first-years, Alex Sobel ’22 is a promising big man with unique skill around the rim, and a big presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. Thomas Zodda ’22 is a speedy post player with great offensive and defensive reach alike. Nash Goldman ’22, a skilled three-point shooter, has shown maturity in the preseason with his distribution abilities. Peter Carlson ’22 will provide forward depth around the paint and has shown potential in his perimeter shooting as well.
This season will be Head Coach Jeff Brown’s 22nd year managing the blue and white. He will be joined by returning assistants Russ Reilly and Rob Alberts, as well as new assistant Connor Merrill.
The team begins NESCAC play in January, and will play host to Connecticut College, Wesleyan, Trinity, Hamilton and Amherst over the course of the season. Away contests include bouts with Bates, Tufts, Williams, Bowdoin and Colby.
(11/29/18 10:52am)
Coming off of a successful 2017-18 season, the Middlebury men’s squash team is optimistic leading in to this 2018-19 season. At the end of the CSA Team Championships in February, the team clinched a 9-12 record and a top-20 national ranking. Dedicating countless hours to training this preseason and maintaining their 19th spot in national preseason rankings, the group is eager to get started. Although the squad has lost five important seniors, there is no doubt that the three first-years, Teddy Best, Justin Ghaeli and Nate Moll, will hold their own and make a mark.
This very young team consists of no seniors. Instead, they will be led by juniors Nick Bermingham, Jacob Ellen and Thomas Wolpow. Consistently playing in one of the top positions last year, Ellen is expected to be a strong leader on this team. With a respectable 10-10 record while primarily playing in the second spot last season, Ellen is a crucial asset to this team.
William Cembalest is another junior star to watch. Consistently playing at the top position last winter, Cembalest earned his way to the College Squash Association Individual Championships in Washington, D.C. back in March. Junior Jack Kagan was another Panther invited to the Individual Championships where he finished his season. Kagan sat at #3 and had a strong 14-10 record.
Likewise, sophomores John Epley and Wiatt Hinton saw success in their first season as Panthers and are ones to watch out for as they look to repeat their strong records.
The Panthers will begin their season by hosting #16 Navy in the recently dedicated Bostwick Family Squash Center on Friday, Nov. 30. Falling 9-0 to Navy on the road last February, the Panthers are looking forward to seeing them at home. A consistently solid team, Navy is already 9-0 for the season with a 5-4 win over #13 University of Virginia.
After their face-off with Navy, Middlebury will host #27 Tufts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1. Like Navy, Tufts has been able to get in a few matches before they face the Panthers. With a 2-0 record so far with wins over Colby and Wesleyan, Tufts cannot be underestimated.
(11/15/18 10:59am)
After racking up a total of 13 goals in two massive wins, field hockey hits the road for Spooky Nook in Manheim, Pennsylvania, for the NCAA Championship weekend.
On Saturday, Middlebury easily defeated Keene State by a whopping score of 8-0, scoring four goals in each half. The Panthers dominated throughout the game, managing to rip 31 shots while allowing only two attempts from the visitors. Erin Nicholas ’21 and Grace Jennings ’19 each scored twice while Emma Johns ’20, Ali Denby ’20, Julia Richards ’20 and Amanda Bozorgi ’19 each tallied one goal.
Middlebury took home the NCAA Regional Championship title on Sunday with a 5-1 victory against The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). The Panthers drew 11 penalty corners and made 20 shots, compared to TCNJ’s three and five, respectively. Johns, Nicholas and Jennings each scored another goal, while Meg Fearey ’21 and Marissa Baker ’20 also joined the long list of goal-scorers this weekend.
It is not uncommon for teams to let their guard down when in complete control of a game, which can sometimes lead to mistakes. But Middlebury’s commitment to its game plan was as strong as ever this weekend. “On Sunday, we were up by three within the first 10 minutes of being on the field,” Fearey explained. “However, this did not change our game. We don’t settle until a game is completely over, treating every minute as if it’s tied 0-0. It’s this mentality that contributes to our successes and allows us to be together for one more week and compete in the Final Four.”
With the NCAA Championship approaching and just one more week of practice left, the team remains focused on the present.
“One of the hardest things to do in sports is to defend a championship,” Baker said. “Every year is a clean slate for a team, for better or for worse. What we did or didn’t accomplish last season has no effect on this season. So all we do is take it one game at a time, one team at a time.”
Nevertheless, the Panthers are feeling confident in their team’s ability and are ready to take flight at Spooky Nook this weekend. “I’m so proud of how far this team has come this season,” Bozorgi, one of the senior captains, said. “I feel like every week we’re just improving and adapting and hitting our peak just at the right time. I think that we’re just where we want to be heading into the Final Four this weekend.”
Led by repeat NESCAC Coach of the Year Katharine DeLorenzo, the Panthers will take on Rowan at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tufts, who earned a bid after losing to Middlebury last weekend, battles Johns Hopkins in the other semifinal. The winners will meet in the NCAA Championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
(11/15/18 10:58am)
As human beings, we are always balancing risks, personal gain and a commitment to our values. A willingness to look our personal failings in the face is especially needed in present-day Washington, where recent administrations have aggressively prosecuted whistleblowers, and governments conduct broad surveillance and respond to dissent with increasing militarization. The kind of incisive analysis we need was put on display in “Havel: The Passion of Thought.”
The Department of Theatre and Dance presented the series of five plays by Václav Havel, Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter from Nov. 1 through Nov. 3. The show featured Kevin Collins ’20 as Vanek and was directed by Professor of Theater Richard Romagnoli.
“This was also an especially special show and rehearsal process since it is Professor Richard Romagnoli’s final semester teaching at Middlebury,” said Ashley Fink ’18.5, who played Vera. “I know we were all honored to be a part of his last show before retiring.”
The evening began with “New World Order,” a short play by Harold Pinter which, according to Romagnoli, was chosen to “show the protagonist’s journey coming into a full circle.” “New World Order” shows Collins in an interview room, minutes prior to his interrogation by two officers, Des, played by Ian Hanson ’21, and Lionel, played by Jacob Morton ’21. The officers discuss, in bullish tones, what they intend to do with the third man, who is blindfolded. What they intended were acts of violence and abuse to not only the man himself but his wife and family, representing the forms of torture that many dissidents had to take while fighting against communism to restore the basic rights of its citizens.
Referred to together as “The Vanek Plays,” the next three pieces focus on Havel’s alter ego, Vanek, a person whose own presumed moral purity inspires his fellow characters to justify their moral breaches. People — his friends as well as employers — play up to him, trying to win his absolution with favors. The plays were initially banned in Czechoslovakia and only premiered in Prague on the week of Jan. 13, 1990, when Havel became president of the Czech Republic.
In the first of “The Vanek Plays,” Vanek is working as a laborer in a small Czechoslovak brewery, which Havel himself did, and is called for an interview with the brewmaster, played by Will Koch ’21. Though the two chat in a friendly manner, it is later understood that the brewmaster is a die-hard bureaucrat, tempting Vanek to take an office job in return for Vanek to furnish him with reports of Vanek’s own political activity. Surprised, Vanek explains how he is not willing to report about himself.
“In each of the plays,” Romagnoli said, “the status quo is represented by the others who condemn him [Vanek] for his apparent indifference to their needs. They all need him to affirm their individual choices of non-involvement, therefore, mitigating their guilt.”
The second play, titled “Private View,” finds Vanek in the bourgeois household of a married couple, Michael and Vera, played by Galen Fastie ’20 and Fink respectively, who have fled the Czechoslovak nation during the Prague Spring and survived with their flamboyant riches. They have decorated their apartment with luxurious goods, and their clothes are that of an affluent American suburb. Vanek, in comparison, looks shabby. With ridicules and jokes that rise to surrealism, Vera and Michael attempt to present how beautiful their lives are to their “best” friend. Vanek is initially quick to be pleased; however, when the conversations veer off to his family and his wife, he becomes resistant.
Perhaps the most affecting of the plays was “Protest,” when Vanek visits his friend Stanekova, played by Madeleine Russell ’19. Stanekova is a former friend and novelist who has given up her art and her honor, fearing oppression and jail time. She meets Vanek in attempt to publish a protest against the arrest of a young neo-reformist. When Vanek provides her with a signed petition that he had previously drafted, she refuses to sign the petition believing that it was the righteous thing to do. Prior to getting to that decision, she uses convoluted logic that turns every positive into negative to assure herself of the rectitude of moral abdication. She also later receives a phone call and apologizes to Vanek for collaborating with the government for his later imprisonment.
In the initial plays, Stanekova was a man; however, under Gail Humphries Mardirosian’s thoughtful direction, Stanekova was created to mirror the interactions and utter the same lines as the men. This is important as we see a woman in the role of a government collaborator in a male-dominated political field, a change that Romagnoli took account of while directing the play.
Romagnoli chose “Catastrophe,” a play by Samuel Beckett, to end the show. “Catastrophe” was written to honor Havel and according to Romagnoli, “the extended context is unified by the protagonist [Havel]’s presence and ironically, demonstrates the consequences of principled actions taken in a totalitarian state.”
Although Havel’s plays were written about the powerlessness that he felt in a time of political oppression and how to live a life in service of the truth in the context of 1970 Czechoslovakia, his message is an apt one for any era.
(11/15/18 10:58am)
The Middlebury football team fell to the Tufts Jumbos 35-13 this past Saturday, concluding its season with a 5-4 record and a fourth-place finish in the NESCAC conference. Though Middlebury put up a tough fight, Tufts took the game in the third quarter, sealing the Panthers’ fate.
Throughout the first half, both teams were able to come away with a pair of touchdowns. Middlebury set the tone in its first drive of the quarter, plucking away at yardage, until sophomore QB Will Jernigan punched the ball in from the seven-yard line. A high-intensity Panther defense came onto the field in response, looking to deflect a Jumbo touchdown.
Tufts, however, made its way down the field a few minutes later. With 6:12 left in the quarter, the Jumbos connected in the end zone to even out the scoreboard, 7-7. The rest of the quarter went scoreless.
Two more scores created a thrilling second quarter, starting with a Panther interception by junior Coltrane Marcus. After this turnover, Jernigan was able to hit senior wide receiver Jimmy Martinez with a 28-yard reception. Martinez brought the ball down to the nine-yard line, where Jernigan sealed the touchdown. After a missed extra point attempt, the Panthers were up 13-7.
One more Jumbo score right before halftime, making the score 14-13, altered this Panther momentum.
Going back onto the field after halftime, Tufts was able to come out guns blazing. Three more touchdowns later, and a clock set to 0:00, both teams’ seasons ended. The 35-13 win placed Tufts third in the conference, while the Panthers ended up fourth.
Overall, the Panther team’s season was highlighted by a big win against Williams, redeeming the last-second loss of the 2017 season. The team also beat a .500 record, placing them in the top half of the conference.
(11/15/18 10:57am)
With the season nearing an end, the men’s and women’s cross country teams are working non-stop to make sure that they finish off strong. The teams boasted their hard work at the NCAA Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov.10.
The men came in third with 142 points. Amherst came in first with 65 points and Williams came in second with 86. The top three runners were Jon Perlman ’19 in 10th place, Henry Fleming ’20 in 14th place, and Theo Henderson ’20 in 21st place. Perlman had a time of 25:18.86, Fleming had a time of 25:27.97 and Henderson had a time of 25:43.31. Harrison Knowlton ’19, Miles Meijer ’19 and Matt D’Aquila ’21 also had great contributions to the men’s success with respective times of 26:02.78, 26:22.24 and 26:23.13.
The women were able to finish in second place with 108 points. Amherst captured the title with a score of 87. The top Middlebury runner was Rory Kelly ’19, whose time of 21:37.61 placed her in fifth.
The second-fastest Middlebury runner was Cassie Kearney ’22, who came in eighth with a time of 22:09.79. The third-fastest Middlebury runner was Abigail Nadler ’19, who captured 28th place with a time of 22:42.81. Other major contributors included Katie Glew ’21, who had a time of 22:45.23, Claire Gomba ’19 with 22:49.51 and Tasha Greene ’21, whose ending time was 23:09.42.
When asked about the current spirits of the team, Kelly commented, “We are very happy to have earned second in our region and an auto-qualifier bid to nationals. Both contribute to our momentum heading into nationals.”
The last meet of the season for both teams will be the NCAA Championships this Saturday, Nov. 17. The meet will be at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, Wisconsin. Hopefully, the teams’ sweat and endurance will pay off as they race to achieve their ultimate goal.
(11/15/18 10:57am)
After 23 years in higher education, Andi Lloyd is leaving Middlebury to pursue a higher calling.
Lloyd, the dean of the faculty and a Biology professor, will leave the college at the end of this academic year to attend divinity school. She is currently applying to schools and plans to become an ordained minister.
“If you had told me that two years ago, I would have been surprised to hear it,” Lloyd said. After all, she only began regularly attending church a little over a year ago.
Lloyd first came to Middlebury as a biology professor in the fall of 1996, straight out of graduate school at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She had attended Dartmouth College as an undergraduate.
“I was really interested in teaching at a liberal arts college, and I loved Vermont. This was my dream job which I didn’t think I’d get, but I applied anyway,” she said.
[pullquote speaker="Andi Lloyd" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]My desire to have a life that included faith is longstanding — it dates back to childhood.[/pullquote]
She accepted her current administrative role in the 2012-13 academic year. “I really liked thinking at the institutional level. I liked thinking about the whole college enterprise,” Lloyd said. It also allowed her to advance the work that brought her to Middlebury.
“Administrative work is exciting because it furthers that thing that I deeply love, which is classroom teaching,” she said. Lloyd has continued to teach biology and ecology classes as well as continued her research on the effects of climate change on northern forests. Now, Lloyd said, “I’m leaving all of that behind.”
She made the decision to leave academia and apply to divinity school within the last year.
“It was one of those life-cracked-open moments of a pathway presenting itself that I had never imagined was there, so it’s a recent turn,” Lloyd said. Although her parents grew up going to church, she only went as a young child and on Christmas.
“My desire to have a life that included faith is longstanding — it dates back to childhood,” she said. “I’ve just been really good at ignoring it for large stretches of my life.”
A little over a year ago, Lloyd finally acknowledged this desire and began regularly attending the congregational church in town.
“It was over the period of three or four months that followed from that— just this deepening sense that I had found the place I was supposed to be,” she said. “I fairly quickly began to think about how much I wanted to be in that world all the time.”
[pullquote speaker="Andi Lloyd" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]There’s a way in which that same interest in thinking about issues of environmental justice and how we are in the world can be approached from the perspective of ministry.[/pullquote]
Divinity schools prepare students for entry into the clergy, and the student’s religious faith is an integral part of their experience — unlike seminaries, however, divinity schools are attached to universities. After earning her Masters of Divinity, Lloyd can be ordained.
Although she will soon stop teaching and end her research, Lloyd sees a link between ecology and divinity. “It doesn’t feel to me like I am entirely leaving that world of biology and ecology behind, I think there are big pieces of it that carry forward,” Lloyd said. “There’s a way in which that same interest in thinking about issues of environmental justice and how we are in the world can be approached from the perspective of ministry.”
She also sees a connection between ethics and one’s obligation to the planet and other species, as well as a similar appreciation for the Earth.
“There’s a lot around reverence for the natural world,” Lloyd said. “Whether I frame that as the person with a PhD in evolutionary biology or whether I frame that as a Christian, there’s surprising overlap there, in terms of just opening oneself up to the amazement of this planet we live on.”
Other scholars have examined the relationship between the natural world and Christian faith. The Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale Divinity School, for example, is dedicated to exploring this connection.
After graduating from divinity school, Lloyd plans to become a pastor at a congregational church.
“The emphasis of the denomination as a whole on social justice and environmental justice, things that are near and dear to my heart, is really, really important,” Lloyd said. “I would love to be back in Vermont, but that’s not mine to decide.”
Lloyd has the uniform support of the congregation in Middlebury and of her family and friends. “I feel so lucky to have the people in my life that I do,” she said. “A surprising number of them have expressed a lack of surprise, and I don’t fully understand where that comes from.”
After more than 20 years working in academia, Lloyd is making an undeniably enormous transition. “There are still big pieces of this that I don’t fully understand,” she said. “I have a sense of amazement looking back at the last year of my life, and that amazement is full of some mysteries, some things that I generally don’t understand.”
(11/15/18 10:57am)
Tourism 2: This photo, taken in the first week of our time in Oxford, depicts Martha admiring the breathtaking architectural elements of the Bodleian Library. The library was opened in 1602 and holds over 13 million printed volumes today.
(11/08/18 10:59am)
After an incredible season, the Panthers’ visible hard work and fighting spirit culminated in the ultimate reward: NESCAC champs. Middlebury women’s soccer held a 13-1-1 record heading into playoffs last week — a tremendous record unmatched in Middlebury women’s soccer history.
A win against the Bowdoin Bears in the first round of playoffs propelled the Panthers into the NESCAC championship tournament for the first time since 2013. Middlebury faced Amherst and Williams, respectively, both at Williams.
Though Middlebury was ultimately able to pull out a win in their first matchup of the weekend in the semifinals against Amherst, it was no easy feat. A goal from Amherst was matched by Middlebury’s Olivia Miller ’20 on a long shot to tie it up. A lack of further action set the teams into double overtime, then penalty kicks.
After Amherst scored twice, Magnolia Moskun ’21.5 and Amanda Dafonte ’19 each hit their shots to tie the shot count up at 2-2. A clutch save from Middlebury’s Eva Shaw ’20 gave the Panthers the edge and a goal from Sarah DiCenso ’19 in the seventh round put the Panthers in the lead. A final save from Shaw sealed the deal, as the Panthers clinched a spot in the NESCAC championship.
Middlebury, ranked fifth, faced second-seeded Williams in the finals — a team responsible for the Panthers’ only loss this season, just two weeks earlier. Middlebury’s Ellie Greenberg ’20 scored the only goal of the game, spearheading the Panthers to a championship shutout.
This NESCAC championship marks the fourth ever for Middlebury (previous championships coming from the 2000, 2006 and 2013 seasons), the last also coming from a win over Williams.
With this title, the Panthers receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they will try to keep the drive alive.
(11/01/18 9:54pm)
(11/01/18 9:54pm)
(11/01/18 9:58am)
Signs reading “go/mapproject” appeared across campus last week, advertising a link that leads to a form where respondents can identify where they have been sexually assaulted on campus.
The goal of the project is to visualize locations where sexual violence has occured on campus. It Happens Here (IHH) began the map project in 2012, placing a map with red dots paired with a selection of anonymous stories on display in the atrium of Davis Family Library.
Taite Shomo ’20.5, one of the organizers of IHH, led the effort to revive the map project this year.
“The reason we decided to bring the map project back now is because of all of the student activism on campus, as well as the activism around the country about sexual assault,” Shomo said. “I’ve also been looking for ways to make IHH larger than just a once-a-semester event, and this was one way to continue to raise awareness about sexual assault at Middlebury aside from the regular events.”
The map project reflects the reality that sexual assault remains a major problem at Middlebury. This reality is what drove the protest that took place at the Pather Day parade against Middlebury’s handling of sexual assault. One of the protestors at the Panther Day protest was holding the 2013 map.
“The map is powerful because it gives people a visual of how pervasive and prevalent sexual assault and harassment are on this campus,” Shomo said. Recent campus security reports have recorded no more than 25 reported instances of sexual violence per year — a figure that IHH organizers believe is in fact much higher.
[pullquote speaker="Taite Shomo '20.5" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]The map is powerful because it gives people a visual of how pervasive and prevalent sexual assault and harassment are on this campus.[/pullquote]
“The objective is to get people to consider how much of a reality assault and harassment are here,” Shomo explained.
Annie Blalock ’20.5, president of Feminist Action at Middlebury (FAM), echoed the same sentiment.
“There’s that one story that you have in your head that you saw on the news, and then looking at a map like that, you think ‘that’s this one red dot here’ and then you’re like ‘oh, there’s hundreds of red dots, every one of those is a story like that,” Blalock said.
Although she is not involved with organizing the map project, Blalock is an enthusiastic supporter. IHH and FAM engage with many overlapping issues.
“There’s an obvious tie between feminism and raising awareness of sexual assault and holding perpetrators accountable,” Blalock said. “We are now living a culture where people who formerly were silenced by our society and the systems in place that silenced victims, are being given the space to speak out.”
In the original map project, which was completed in early 2013, most submitted sexual assaults occurred in party hotspots such as Atwater, social houses, KDR and Palmer, as well as other residence halls, especially underclassmen dorms. However, sexual violence can happen anywhere, as victims reported incidents in both the McCullough Student Center and the Freeman International Center as well.
[pullquote speaker="Annie Black '20.5" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Walking through a place like Allen and being like, ‘Someone was assaulted here.’[/pullquote]
“I think it’s an interesting perspective to gain,” said Blalock, reflecting on the benefit of locating the the incidents of sexual violence on a map. “Walking through a place like Allen and being like, ‘Someone was assaulted here.’”
According to Shomo, the map from this year will be formatted in the same manner as the previous map. However, Shomo added that organizers may need to make the map bigger because they are accepting reports of both sexual assault and harassment, whereas the 2013 map only dealt with sexual assaults.
“I would be surprised if we see any of the campus on the map, as opposed to it just being all red dots,” Blalock said.
The go/mapproject survey contains two questions. The first asks in which residence halls respondents have experienced sexual assault or harassment. The second asks in which other buildings, including dining halls and academic buildings, respondents have experienced sexual assault or harassment.
“Filling out that form itself could be empowering for people because they feel involved,” Blalock said.
She also believed that some people would still not feel comfortable submitting the form, although it is anonymous.
“Even with all the reports that this map project gets, it’s not going to be the whole number of assaults or reports of harassment.”
Between 2013 and 2015, some members of the college community were concerned that IHH’s events and advertising were triggering to students. Others were worried that the map project would stigmatize certain buildings on campus, but Shomo was not concerned about this.
“I think that the maps will show that sexual violence happens in so many of the buildings on campus that I’m not concerned about it sending a message that assault only happens in some spaces,” Shomo said.
In a 2013 Campus article on the map project, Luke Carrol-Brown ’13 responded to the criticism that the project stigmatized certain locations on campus.
“The Map Project has never been about identifying danger zones on campus,” he said. “That would stink of emphasizing victim responsibility instead of placing accountability where it should lie: in the hands of the individuals who perpetrate these crimes. The Map Project is about coming clean with a problem that so many of us deny or disregard, putting the human impact of this epidemic in visual form and driving empathy amongst survivors.”
[pullquote speaker="Luke Carrol-Brown '13" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]The Map Project has never been about identifying danger zones on campus.[/pullquote]
In January 2014, The Campus published an editorial titled “It Happens Here: It’s Time to Evolve.” In it, the editorial board argued that the map, IHH events and signs reading “It Happens Here” could be powerful triggers that hurt survivors, and urges them to adjust their strategies.
Student organizers of IHH published an op-ed in January 2015 addressing the conversation surrounding the potential triggering effect of their work. They acknowledged that though “these criticisms weigh heavily in our minds,” “there must be spaces for survivors to share their stories if/when they’re ready,” and that “if we are to continue to hold these events, we will continue to need to advertise. In our minds, relegating survivors’ experiences to the margins of this campus has never been and will never be an option.
“We raise consciousness that It Happens Here in the hope that one day, It won’t.”
Blalock was concerned about the lack of institutional support for survivors of sexual violence at Middlebury, but saw the Map Project as a resource for students.
“This is as much a tool for survivors and victims of assault or violence or harassment because it could be cathartic, it could be building that community, it could be feeling like a part of something or feeling not alone, but I think it’s as much a resource for survivors and victims as it is for bystanders or people who have not had a situation like that,” Blalock said. “One survivor is not alone, they are one of many people that have been victims of perpetrated violence.”
The submission form will remain open until Nov. 16.
(11/01/18 9:56am)
MIDDLEBURY — The race to represent Addison County in the Vermont Senate is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the state’s history. With the announcement of Claire Ayer’s ’92 (D-Addison) retirement, six candidates are vying to fill the district’s two seats in Montpelier. Total campaign funding has exceeded $100,000, a historic high, making up a disproportionate 20 percent of the total Vermont Senate campaign financing across 13 different districts.
Incumbent Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison), seeking to defend his seat, is joined by fellow Democratic candidate Ruth Hardy. Two “pro-business” Independents, Blue Spruce Farm owner Marie Audet and Vermont Coffee Company owner Paul Ralston, have also entered the race on a joint ticket, with the support of Gov. Phil Scott (R). Republican Peter Briggs and Libertarian Archie Flower are also running in the highly contested election.
Ayer’s vacant seat prompted Ruth Hardy to put her name on the ticket, but Hardy is no stranger to politics. She serves as the executive director of Emerge Vermont, a non-profit organization that trains and helps women run for office, graduating prominent alumnae such as Christine Hallquist, this year’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee. She also served three terms on local school boards.
“By running for the State Senate myself, I am walking the talk,” Hardy said. “I am doing what I ask of other women – which is to step up and run for office when the opportunity arises and when the need is great.”
This may in part explain why Hardy, a first-time senate candidate, has amassed the most individual donors of any candidate, and obtained endorsements from key Democratic figures like former Governor Madeleine Kunin, the state’s first and only female governor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Ayer herself. Hardy’s platform focuses on access to healthcare, affordable education and child care, as well as climate change.
After knocking on more than 1,500 doors, she concluded that health care access and affordability is the number one concern of Addison County residents.
“What I am hearing from voters over and over again is that they are worried about health care,” Hardy said. “What I would like to work on is having universal access to primary care as a starter for Vermont.”
Audet, the other first-time candidate, describes herself as an “organic candidate,” saying that her extensive experience in local business and her ties to the community are what pushed her to put her name on the ballot.
“Paul and I are coming at this from a position of experience, having firm ties to our communities, and being leaders in our communities as people who do things for the growth of our communities,” Audet said. “I felt that it would be good for the legislature to have some regular working folks — boots-on-the-ground kinds of folks.”
Audet and Ralston are running together on what they have called a pro-business ticket, focusing particularly on the agricultural business prominent in Addison County. Ralston is a former two-term Democratic member of the Vermont House of Representatives.
The duo have pushed for creating business incentives and inducing bottom-up change instead of levying taxes. When it comes to environmental policies, for example, Ralston says they are generally in favor of lowering carbon fuel emissions, but opposed to a direct carbon tax.
“One of the issues that I have faced every time I speak to people is that they are afraid of Vermont becoming unaffordable,” Audet said. “We need businesses to thrive to pay taxes. We need businesses to want to employ people. We need businesses to pay people well. That is another big hole of representation that we are finding.”
Ralston cited high taxes as a culprit for the recent business closures in downtown Middlebury, pointing to high property taxes as a barrier for entry and operation.
“Many of the things that we would be promoting are not the big, sexy ideas,” Ralston said. “They are the practical, affordable, simple steps that can be made without raising taxes, without dramatic changes.”
Governor Scott’s support for the independent ticket may well have disappointed Republican hopeful Peter Briggs, who has raised less money than any of the candidates except Flower.
In 2016, when Briggs ran against Ayer and Bray on an agricultural-focused message similar to Audet’s and Ralston’s, he won 21 percent of the votes, compared to Ayer’s 31 percent and Bray’s 27 percent. Briggs is running again with a platform that is against taxation, hardline carbon emissions reduction bills and gun control laws.
Audet and Ralston have clashed with Bray, the lone incumbent in the race. During the campaign, the independent ticket questioned Bray’s agricultural and environmental policies, framing them as out of touch with the farming community.
Bray defended his track record, citing bills that he proposed which have provided farm subsidies, protected and maintained current use, and helped farmers integrate to greener options.
“Within two months of arriving, I started crafting legislation, which I have been for a decade, that is highly supportive of farmers,” said Bray. “Bill after bill, program after program, and dollar after dollar, I have stepped up to support farmers to change their practices. Every large and medium farm in this state has received many, many thousands of dollars.”
Bray also added that Blue Spruce Farms, which Audet owns, received millions of dollars worth of government support in the last decade. Citing this example, Bray pointed to the pragmatic flaws of the independents’ policies, stating that subsidies and regulations must go together.
“There is a certain hypocrisy with accepting high levels of subsidies, from government and state, and then rejecting regulation that travels with it,” he said. “It is environmental and economy that go hand in hand.”
Bray’s platform is centered on balancing the environment with business opportunities. For example, he pointed to the Farm to Plate program, which has created new work opportunities while increasing access to healthy local produce.
Bray also jabbed at Ralston, who previously served in the statehouse as a Democratic representative. “One of the opponents in the Senate race has a four year record already in the Vermont house,” said Bray, referring to Ralston. “I would invite and encourage anyone who is considering candidates to carefully scrutinize that record, and look at what contributions that legislator made on issues that we are talking about today.”
According to Sun Community News, Ralston himself sent a perplexing message to potential voters at a candidate forum held in Bristol on Oct. 17, seeming to encourage constituents to vote for Audet and Hardy.
“This campaign has been a bit of a Dickensian experience for me: The best of times, the worst of times,” Ralston said. “I do believe it would be good for us to have fresh ideas... the best decision may be to send two women to Montpelier as our senators”
But, Ralston later elaborated that the message was not to annul his own ticket.
“We are trying to get elected, both Marie and I need to go to Montpelier. We need to go to Montpelier together. That is what I hope happens,” Ralston said. “If that cannot happen, there needs to be a change and that means someone else of the six people has to go. In that moment, I thought, ‘People should think about whether a good alternative is sending two women to Montpelier.’”
Despite differences, candidates coalesced around the importance of college students exerting their voting rights either in local elections or in elections back home.
“Middlebury College students, in particular, are here for four years and live here and it is your home. There are a lot of things that happen in the Vermont legislature that affect you while you are living in Vermont,” Hardy said. “If I am elected, I really hope that Middlebury College students will come to the state house. I can help them make their voices heard.”
Editor’s Note: Ruth Hardy is the spouse of Prof. Jason Mittell, The Campus’ academic advisor. Mittell plays no role in any editorial decisions made by the paper. Any questions may be directed to campus@middlebury.edu.
(10/25/18 9:59am)
MIDDLEBURY — At dil Yoga Sanctuary, yoga is for everybody. The studio opened its doors on Oct. 13, welcoming the residents of Middlebury with the message that dil is a place for those from all corners of the community. Its grand opening attracted around 200 people into the 700-square-foot studio, launching the business in the same way that the owners hope to run it – as a space of acceptance and warmth.
The studio — named “dil” (intentionally spelled lowercase), carrying the Persian and Hindi meanings of heart, soul, courage, generosity and wish – was started by sisters Jaime and Jennifer Parmelee and their close friend Bronwen Kent, all of whom are also instructors in several weekly classes at the studio. Both of the Parmelees graduated from Middlebury Union High School and have practiced yoga for two decades, having taught professionally in New York City before returning to Middlebury. Kent, too, has avidly practiced yoga before dil, and met the Parmelees through training as a yoga student.
“It has been beautiful to see the community coming together and experiencing what we’ve put our heart and soul into,” Jennifer said, reflecting on dil’s first few days open.
Bronwen agreed that the new yoga sanctuary provided the town with a new means of community building. “In a place like Middlebury, I sometimes feel like I know everybody in town, so meeting all these new people is so nice,” she said.
In terms of community involvement, the studio’s location helps. Situated adjacent to Middlebury Bagel and Deli and two doors down from the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, dil’s central location allows it to integrate into the town’s structure and its residents’ lives. Dil takes up the 13 Washington Street address, previously “Ollie’s Other Place,” a gift store that stocked books, toys and educational games for kids, which closed this past June.
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The studio is currently offering what Jennifer Parmelee described as “a bouquet of classes depending on what the community’s needs are.” These classes range from those suitable for beginners that focus on the mental benefits of yoga, to higher-level classes with titles such as “Sweat and Surrender” that emphasize yoga’s physicality. Regardless of type, every class aims to take a holistic approach in hopes of retaining yoga’s original purposes.
The goal is to “keep mind, body and spirit centered and grounded,” said Jaime. “It’s yoga as it’s intended to be.”
In addition to regular classes, dil also has several workshops planned, including a Beginner’s Workshop on Nov. 10 and a Singing Bowls & Healing Restorative Workshop on Nov. 3, open to anyone in the community. They are also offering 200-hour yoga teacher training sessions led by the owners.
The variety of classes and workshops offered is a crucial part of dil’s identity as a yoga studio, as it offers classes not only for each level of student but also for those of all ages and abilities. This includes pre- and post-natal yoga, classes aimed at middle schoolers and sessions specifically for the elderly and differently abled.
Dil’s owners also intend to develop a relationship with Middlebury College students. The Parmelees and Kent have been in contact with the college’s Yoga Club and hope that the classes they are offering will attract its students. From overstressed students to in-season varsity athletes, the Parmelees and Kent believe in the restorative powers of yoga in every aspect of life.
Jaime Parmelee said she loves working with athletes, and is excited to reach those on Middlebury’s campus and from Middlebury Union High School. While teaching yoga in New York City, she often worked with professional athletes in private sessions. Of this work, Parmelee said that the yoga “strengthens your body and connects your mind to your space, and it really shows in their performance on the field.”
Walking into the sanctuary, you can see why. The instructors are warm and welcoming, and the softly-lit wooden room relaxes guests before classes even begin. A few of Middlebury’s students have already given dil a test run, including Elizabeth Callaway ’21, who attended a Self-Discovery Level 1-2 class taught by owner Jaime Parmelee. After the class, Callaway complimented the instructor for being “able to fit the yoga experience to everyone in the class. It was very customizable, and it was a great reprieve from student life.
“A little joy is relaxing and we want to make [everyone] feel as welcome as possible,” Kent said.
This has proven to be true so far. “All of the instructors are so friendly and conversational — they want you to have fun in the class, and you do,” said Middlebury College Yoga Club member Olivia Sommers ’21, who has already attended a few classes at dil. “It’s so much fun but still so calming.”
As dil sets out to connect with the community, it wants others to find their own connections to both yoga and themselves. Above all, the owners hope to create a space that allows people from all walks of life to experience yoga. They want students to be laughing and smiling in classes while also discovering themselves and finding inner balance. As Jennifer said, “Everyone has a specific connection to yoga in some way.”
(10/25/18 9:58am)
The Middlebury football team took on the Bates Bobcats in front of the Homecoming crowd this past Saturday. After a thrilling fourth quarter, the Panthers finished with the win, 35-34.
The previous week started off a new sense of momentum for the Panthers. On Saturday, Oct. 13, the team traveled to Williams College, where they snapped Williams’ undefeated streak this season with a score of 21-10.
Two Middlebury players received NESCAC Player of the Week awards, senior Bobby Ritter (Defensive Player of the Week) and junior punter Maxwell Rye (Special Teams Player of the Week). A total-team effort propelled the Panthers over the Ephs, an attempt to come back from their loss to Williams in the 2017 season.
This week’s matchup was a little too close for comfort, but the Panthers held on for the win — this being their 30th straight win over Bates.
Three consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter on the part of the Panthers included 92-yard and 17-yard touchdown passes from quarterback Will Jernigan ’21, as well as a drive into the end zone for Drew Jacobs ’18. By halftime, the Panthers were up 28-13.
The third quarter kept the momentum going for awhile, as a matched score for each side put the teams up 35-20. Soon, however, Bates began capitalizing on Middlebury turnovers and driving down the field. Another Bobcat score in the late third quarter put them just a touchdown away from the Panthers, and the intensity increased. The next Bobcat possession also led to a touchdown, making the score 35-34 during the fourth quarter.
At the 2:20 mark, Bates had one last chance to take the lead. With less than a minute left, senior Clay Hunt picked off the Bobcat pass, allowing the Panthers to take home the victory, 35-34.
Jernigan led the offense in the game, completing 17 of 26 passes for 266 yards. On the defensive end, Hunt led the team with nine tackles and the game-sealing interception.
Next weekend, the Panthers will go on to face the Trinity Bantams, who are 5-1 on the season.
(10/25/18 9:58am)
A month after the latest death in a string of fatal accidents occurring on a stretch of Route 125 between the college and Cider Mill Road in Cornwall, Vermont towns are joining forces to advocate for increased safety measures. This call comes on the heels of the death of Deane Rubright, 44, of Shoreham, who was killed in a car accident on a section of the road near The Knoll last month.
On Sept. 13, Rubright pulled over to allow a fire truck to pass, but he and the driver of a second approaching fire truck were unable to see one another as Rubright pulled back onto the road. The Middlebury Selectboard unanimously approved increased safety measures on Oct. 9 regarding the part of Route 125 in question, joining Cornwall and Bridport in signing a letter to the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) encouraging the removal of a perilous roadside ledge near The Knoll.
Adam Lougee, director of the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC), drafted the letter to VTrans on behalf of the ACRPC’s Transportation Advisory Committee and shared it with the three towns’ Selectboards. The letter identifies a knoll (distinct from the college’s organic farm, which is also known as The Knoll) that creates a blind spot hazardous to drivers, bikers and walkers. The letter asks that VTrans remove the blind spot before another accident takes place.
[pullquote speaker="HOLMES JACOBS " photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Something needs to be done before someone else gets hurt or killed[/pullquote]
The ACRPC letter also describes past accidents, including anecdotal evidence of a college student hit by a car, and the 2002 deaths of two adults, a 21-month-old child and unborn twins in a head-on collision. Although there is limited evidence available from these and other crashes, older members of each affected community referenced specific fatalities on the same stretch of Route 125.
“It is very dangerous and the sun can be blinding to drivers,” said Sophie Esser Calvi, associate director for global food & farm programs at the college. She expressed her support for removal of the dangerous hill and said too many lives had already been lost.
“[The knoll] has a blind spot from both directions,” said Brian Kemp, Cornwall road commissioner and a member of the Cornwall Selectboard. He said the Cornwall Selectboard aims to have the knoll removed or lowered to a level that allows clear sight from both directions. Kemp said that in the case of similar past projects, VTrans has lowered hills and made similar changes in response to fatalities.
According to the ACRPC letter, Kemp also “noted he had lost a friend to this stretch of highway.”
Following the fatal crash in September, Holmes Jacobs, co-owner of Two Brothers Tavern to whom Rubright was a “dear friend,” approached the town of Middlebury, the college and VTrans about safety concerns. Jacobs presented to the Middlebury Selectboard in favor of signing the letter to VTrans and backing heightened safety measures. He asked for the removal of the knoll where the accidents occurred, as well as that of a second knoll further west. Jacobs also suggested that the shoulder be widened to protect runners and bikers.
“It’s very sad that we have taken so long to address this issue, but here we are. Something needs to be done before someone else gets hurt or killed,” Jacobs said. “It’s only a matter of time until it happens again.”
Calvi voiced concern about students running and biking without helmets on Route 125, and urged everyone to use the paths rather than the road when going out to the college’s Knoll. There is presently no safe place to walk along Route 125 that would make pedestrians visible to drivers. The safest way to get to the Knoll is to follow one of the paths behind the townhouses and cross the street at the edge of the student parking lot. Megan Brakeley ’06, food and garden educator for The Knoll, is working to increase student awareness of the dangers associated with the use of Route 125.
VTrans has yet to make a decision on the towns’ formal request for increased safety measures, but Selectboard members and others involved are optimistic. Still, the proposed changes are not expected to happen quickly. “If VTrans takes on this project, it could be a long process — as these things often are,” Jacobs said. In the interim, a number of temporary changes will likely be implemented in an effort to increase safety measures, including reducing the speed limit west of the college.
(10/25/18 9:56am)
Middlebury women’s soccer fought valiantly in the final stretch of the season, and suffered the team’s first loss of the season with Tuesday’s final game against Williams. The Panthers managed to win both games on the weekend of Oct. 13 and 14. The victories boasted equally impressive scores, when Middlebury crushed Trinity 4-1 and then followed up that performance with a five-goal shutout against Wesleyan.
This past Saturday, Oct. 20, the Panthers played Bates at home for Homecoming Weekend. Like many of Middlebury’s previous opponents, Bates was unable to contain the blue and white. Middlebury won 3-1.
Sophomores Maggie Moskun and Eliza Van Voorhis and junior Sabrina Glaser each put one in the net for Middlebury. The goals helped the Panthers rally for the win despite an early goal from Bates.
The weekend brought much excitement, many alumni and even more fans. “We draw on energy from each other during the games but more important we draw on energy from the fans,” said senior captain Amanda Dafonte. “We have had so many amazing supporters coming out with signs and cheering loudly [regardless of weather]. It gives everyone such a great boost and makes that run that seems impossible possible.”
“We have had an amazing season and owe it to ourselves to finish the regular season the way we started it — with wins,” continued Dafonte. “Our motto this season has been ‘one game at a time.’ We never look back at what we’ve done and we never look past the game right ahead of us. Every single team in the NESCAC is competitive and every game is a challenge.”
Where Middlebury came up short, unfortunately, was their final game of the regular season against their Route 7 rival, Williams College. After a hard-fought battle, Williams emerged victorious, 0-1. The match was predictably close, since the Ephs were ranked third amongst Division III women’s soccer teams, and the Panthers fifth.
Although Middlebury outshot Williams 9-4, the Panthers had trouble connecting the ball to the back of the net. Goalie Eva Shaw made one save, while the Williams goalie, Olivia Barnhill, made five. The Panthers also had a chance to tie the game in the 78th minute, when Ellie Greenberg ’20 received a pass from Virginia Charman ’20 in the box. Greenberg’s shot was then denied by Barnhill.
Women’s soccer’s loss was the first of its season, and will finish the regular season with a record of 13-1-1. The team will begin the NESCAC tournament this Saturday as the second seed, playing seventh seed Bowdoin at 12:30 p.m.
(10/25/18 9:55am)
Women’s tennis ended their fall season with a bang at their home invitational on the weekend of Oct. 13. Over the course of three days, Middlebury hosted the Brandeis and Williams women’s tennis teams, and the Panthers ultimately demonstrated strides in their doubles play.
Competition took place inside the Nelson Recreation Center, where the Panthers played four to five singles matches and three doubles matches against each team. The singles matches were played in the traditional best two out of three format, with a tiebreaker set for the third. The doubles matches consisted of one pro-set.
In spite of injuries and study-abroad trips plucking away at the team’s depth, the Panthers managed to come in swinging for their Friday’s evening doubles match. Sophomore Ann Martin Skelly and senior Christina Puccinelli edged the Williams duo of Chloe Henderson and Emily Zheng, 8-5.
“Historically, Williams has been quite the rival for us, but all that has done is pushed us to be better year after year,” said Puccinelli. She especially feels confident in the team’s ability to match Williams in the event they face one another in this year’s NESCAC finals.
This fall, Middlebury spent time focusing on doubles training, where they worked to attack early in on matches and to execute bigger moves at the net. The team’s hard work continued to show throughout the weekend, when they posted victories in three out of four matches on Saturday.
In Saturday’s doubles matches against Brandeis, Skelly and Puccinelli were once again a force to be reckoned with, as they defeated Olivia Leavitt and Lauren Bertsch (8-3). Nora Dahl ’22 and Emily Bian ’21, meanwhile, clinched an 8-3 win against Sophia He and Ana Hatfield. Spirits were high across the board, and the team’s unwavering positivity gave them momentum for the rest of the weekend’s matches.
“Our opponents could constantly hear us cheering on one another from across the courts,” said Bian. “Even when we were down in our respective matches, you couldn’t tell. There was always someone pumping you up.”
In Saturday’s singles matches against Williams, Puccinelli claimed a 6-3, 6-3 win over Henderson, while Emma Gorman earned a hard-fought 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 victory against Maxine Ng.
Later in the day, Gorman cruised over He (6-3, 6-1), while Skelly defeated Michele Lehat in straight sets (6-3, 6-3). Dahl dropped just three games in a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Isabel Cepeda.
On Sunday, Middlebury competed against Brandeis in both singles and doubles. Skelly and Puccinelli picked up an 8-1 victory over Bertsch and Leavitt, while Bian and Dahl won 8-6 against Khromchenko and Lehat. In singles, Puccinelli knocked off Leavitt in straight sets (6-0, 7-6 (4)). Gorman earned her third singles win of the weekend, with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Khromchenko.
Looking confidently towards the spring, the Panthers will continue to train intensely, and await five juniors returning from study abroad.
“In the spring, it’s really going to be about coming together again as a whole team of eleven instead of the six of us we had in the fall,” said Puccinelli.
Until then, the primary focus remains on capitalizing on the growth they saw this fall. Their sights are set high; they want to clinch the team’s first national championship.
(10/25/18 9:54am)
(10/25/18 9:54am)
