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(10/29/14 10:06pm)
When Megan Grassell ’18.5 went with her younger sister to shop for bras, she was disturbed by the limited and sexualized selection she found. She found polar opposites: either low quality, boring bras in beige or, more commonly, padded, wired push-up bras in cup sizes far too large for her 13-year-old sister. What her young sister needed was an appealing yet non-sexual bra that would ease her transition into the awkward realm of puberty. Unable to find any such option, Grassell founded her own company called Yellowberry.
The name comes from the natural colors through which a ripening fruit progresses. “The berry first is green, and as it grows and ages it becomes closer to its final stage of red, purple, orange, or pink,” Grassell said. “First, however, it passes through several shades of yellow that take time. Those yellow stages happen naturally, often awkwardly, and shouldn’t be rushed. That is the essence of Yellowberry.”
Yellowberry’s bras offer an alternative to the overly sexual selection on most shelves. The product line includes comfortable, colorful training bras with names like Junebug and Sugar Cookie. The bras are designed without padded cups or underwires. The company’s main goal is to instill empowerment and confidence in preteen girls, who would otherwise be deluded into thinking that bodily sexualization is the only means to their expression.
The first bra buying experience, said Grassell, is something that every single girl goes through. It is often awkward and leaves a negative impression. “Based on the responses from many of our customers though, their daughters’ same first bra experience with Yellowberry is almost always positive,” Grassell said.
Grassell wants to share her story and her business with others who she thinks are also interested in empowering young women. “What better message can a girl receive than ‘You have the potential to do anything in the world, if you just go out and do it?’”
Through Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects, Grassell, working alongside four others initially raised $42,000 — well above the $25,000 goal she set for herself — and now runs an online retailer. All of Yellowberry’s products are currently available through its website, yellowberrycompany.com, and Grassell is working with several department stores to introduce YBC lines in time for the 2015 back-to-school shopping season. The company finalized its first licensing agreement with Aerie, a brand of American Eagle Outfitters, in October.
For her work with Yellowberry, Time Magazine listed Grassell in its List of Most Influential Teens of 2014, an accomplishment that certainly stuck out to Dean of Admissions Greg Buckles. “Megan’s application stood out immediately for us in our admissions committee deliberations. She presented as a grounded, mature, compassionate young person with an entrepreneurial streak. She had Middlebury written all over her.”
During her Febmester, Grassell has been working full-time in marketing and branding for her company. She plans to continue working in some capacity when she arrives to Middlebury in February, but intends to hire an in-house employee to manage Yellowberry’s social media presence and to launch other projects Grassell currently has in mind. “Although I am not at liberty to reveal everything, I will say that you’ll be able to see a new line of Aerie for Yellowberry bras coming this spring,” she said.
(10/29/14 8:44pm)
On Friday, Oct. 24, the Middlebury MothUP hosted the second annual Cocoon in the Mahaney Center for the Arts. Featuring six storytellers from wildly different backgrounds each tackling the theme of blood, Cocoon was an intimate and singular experiment in narration and audience engagement.
For the uninitiated, Cocoon is fundamentally inspired by The Moth, which was originally created in 1997 by George Dawes Green as a live storytelling event in New York City. Since then, it has been adapted for radio by NPR contributor and six-time Peabody Award recipient Jay Allison as The Moth Radio Hour, in addition to countless variations across the country.
While the College has hosted its own incarnation of The Moth since 2010, Cocoon aimed to bring the popular storytelling format to a larger audience while featuring an expanded cast of storytellers. The event, now in its second year, was completely sold-out and boasted a waitlist of about 40 people, one of the largest crowds ever to express interest in a MCA Concert Hall performance.
Produced by Veronica Rodriguez ’16.5 and coordinated by Luke Greenway ’14.5 and Rachel Liddell ’15 and Director of the MCA Liza Sacheli, Cocoon was a startling and captivating experience. Each storyteller offered something at once entertaining and uninhibited. From Kathryn Blume, an Oregonian reconciling with her far-flung New York relatives, to Bill Torrey, a Vermont native recounting a tale of teenage rebellion, the storytellers offered glimpses into dynamic and complex life experiences. Often fantastic pacing and a natural ability to balance comedy and sobriety enabled the speakers to easily endear themselves to the audience, drawing us in while managing to retain a wholly singular voice.
The beauty of the storytelling format in particular, bare of any script or visual aid, was that each storyteller managed to conjure up entire backdrops with just a few words, allowing the imaginations of the audience members to fill in the gaps. Over the course of a single evening, the audience was transported to the backwoods of midcentury Vermont through Torrey, the swamps of Jacksonville, Florida through Assistant Professor of Dance Christal Brown, and a darkly comical funeral in a Jewish cemetery through Kathryn Blume, as well as Chris de la Cruz ’13 and Melissa Surrette ’16. Each storyteller offered not only a sense of self, but also a sense of place. Through this we can begin to sense the purpose of traditional storytelling. Why have oral traditions existed throughout history, but to bring people to places they may never have the chance to see and to allow them to vicariously live through experiences they otherwise can’t?
The live setting only enhanced the strength of the storytelling format. While radio broadcasts may reach a broader audience, they lack not only the physical shared space of a live show, but also cannot possibly recreate the sense of intimacy that is generated both among members of the audience and between the storytellers and the audience.
In his story, Otto Pierce ’13.5 used blood in multiple contexts, underlying his relationships with three other young men and exploring the social and political forces that have led them, since their initial meeting, to live very different lives than him. Be it an HIV infection, spilt blood or near-death experiences, blood and race have become defining signifiers of distinctions between young men who otherwise share common ground. Pierce mixed the personal and profound adeptly, using his personal experiences to consider the social forces that in many ways determine our futures, and invited the audience to do the same. We came away not only delighted by a story of brotherhood and youthful misadventures, but also sobered by the realization that there still exists such stark injustice in a country that has yet to fully resolve long-established racial disparities.
“Each format has its own kind of beauty,” Allison, who acted as emcee of the event, said. “Just listening is lovely, but going and sitting in a room with an audience and being able to watch people’s faces is also beautiful.”
Yet despite the myriad formats The Moth can take, it has maintained its essential core since its inception.
“It doesn’t change or grow in any fundamental way,” Allison said. “The concept of it has stayed true since the beginning; you just sit there and listen to your fellow man say something honest about their lives, take it or leave it.”
It is this honesty that gives an event like Cocoon its potency. Not only was each story well crafted and interesting, but they all also came from a willingness to share some meaningful experience with virtual strangers, despite the potential for failure or embarrassment. While every story offered something valuable, Brown’s story in particular was able to skillfully marry deft pacing with a raw and resonant subject. While carefully plotted and articulated in a simple and straightforward manner, her exploration of her relationship with her late father still seemed to burst with moments of spontaneous passion. The mark of truly transformative storytelling, Brown seemed to make new discoveries in a story she had likely rehearsed and told many times before. As a result, the audience was left feeling they had witnessed something both deeply personal and massively momentous. The event became not only a shared experience, but also a willful exchange between speaker and audience member. A speaker offered their story, and in exchange, the audience members were left to assess its meaning and perhaps see their own lives a little differently.
In this sense, Cocoon, though high-concept and distinctive, boiled down to the essence of conversation, something that is easy to lose in a world that often seems driven by competing distractions. Yet Cocoon, like all other incarnations of The Moth, suggests there is a craving for this type of extended and unornamented engagement.
“The lovely thing is that people are happily willing to sit there and listen to a single voice for an extended period of time,” Allison said. “It’s an affirming thing to me. We will still pay attention to each other without taking a phone call or needing special effects.”
(10/29/14 5:56pm)
President Obama claims to not be on the ballot this November; however, in a few days, we will see if voters agree with that or not. Republicans need to gain six seats in order to “Fire Reid,” the Democratic Senate Majority Leader. The field is not good for Democrats. They are mostly on defense, defending their gains from 2008. Many vulnerable incumbents and open seats fall in states that Romney won in 2012. Moreover, the GOP has recruited many strong candidates with previous experience in office. I know that there are more races going on besides the Senate races, but the House will most likely stay Republican and few gubernatorial races are as national as the those in the Senate this cycle. I refer to the Real Clear Politics Average Polls (RCP Poll Average) as of Oct. 26. The 2012 Presidential Results are from Politico.
Alaska: Begich (i) v. Sullivan
RCP Poll Average: Sullivan +4.2
2012 Presidential: Romney 55%
Prediction: Alaska has been an interesting race from the onset of this election cycle. Begich (D) is relatively popular in Alaska and overall shows great political aptitude. However, he slipped up in recent weeks after refusing to take down a recent advertisement that has been deemed offensive. This, as well as the Affordable Care Act’s unpopularity, have created a unique opportunity for former State Attorney General Dan Sullivan (R), who fought his way through a crowded GOP primary. I think Sullivan pulls this one out, but it will be close.
Arkansas: Pryor (i) v. Cotton
RCP Poll Average: Cotton +5
2012 Presidential: Romney 60.5%
Prediction: Mark Pryor (D), knew he was in trouble early on in this race. In fact, he was behind in the polls as early as March and then rallied over the summer, but has since slipped again. Arkansas has not had a good experience with Obamacare and the President has a disapproval rating of about 60.3 percent, according to the Huffington Post. Moreover, Tom Cotton (R) is no fire breather. In fact, Cotton graduated from Harvard undergrad and Law School and has served in the Army, completing two tours of duty overseas. I’m chalking this one up as a GOP victory as well.
Colorado: M. Udall (i) v. Gardner
RCP Poll Average: Gardner +2.8
2012 Presidential: Obama 51.2%
Prediction: Colorado is one of the many states Democrats didn’t think would really be in play this cycle that turned out to be tougher for them than they originally thought. Cory Gardner (R) is risking a sure congressional seat to challenge Mark Udall (D). Gardner is a more moderate GOP candidate challenging a strong liberal incumbent. However, Colorado in recent years has shifted much more to the left, supporting marijuana legalization and voting for Obama in 2008 and 2012. The state legislature even felt safe enough to challenge the Second Amendment, and that was the final straw. Two Democratic legislators were successfully recalled in 2013, which may signal that the GOP is motivated and ready to take back the Rocky Mountain State. It is important to note that Colorado’s other Senator, Michael Bennett (D), chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, so he will put up a fight for fellow Coloradan Udall. This race is too close to call, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there is only one Udall in the Senate next year.
Georgia: Nunn v. Perdue (Open Seat)
RCP Poll Average: Nunn +0.3
2012 Presidential: Romney 53.4%
Prediction: This is a race to watch this November. Georgia has arisen as the Democrats biggest chance at a seat pickup this November, and even one could derail a GOP majority. Michelle Nunn (D) has a slight advantage in that her father served as a U.S. Senator from Georgia. David Perdue (R) is a businessman who is fighting attacks on his record as a business leader and CEO of Dollar General. This race will most likely go to a runoff (no candidate will receive 50 percent of the vote in November, I think). This race will then be the focus of national attention and may determine Senate control. In my mind, there are two things to consider: who will have enough resources to win and how will the runoff effect turnout? Georgia is experiencing a slight demographic shift that may benefit Nunn, and national attention may drive up turnout which could benefit her as well. This race is too close to call. I will nominally give it to Perdue, because midterm voters tend to be more skewed towards the GOP.
Iowa: Braley v. Ernst (Open Seat)
RCP Poll Average: Ernst +2.2
2012 Presidential: Obama 52.1%
Prediction: Joni Ernst (R) has stormed onto the scene and become a frontrunner in this critical Iowa Senate race. She started was a dark horse in the GOP primary, but her “Let’s Make ‘Em Squeal” ad made her a GOP rock star. She has many presidential hopefuls come campaign with her (remember: Iowa is a critical presidential primary state). Moreover, Brue Braley (D) has lost some steam. I mean, even Michelle Obama doesn’t know his name, famously telling voters to vote for “Bruce Baily.” That’s not good. Also, Ernst is a State Senator and an officer in the Iowa National Guard who has had success pitching herself to voters. Congressman Braley, on the other hand, has often come across as cold and unlikable. He has managed to insult farmers, complain about the lack of towel service in the Congressional gym during the shutdown and is generally portrayed as callous. I think Lt. Col. Ernst will defeat Congressman Bruce “Baily” Braley.
Kansas: Orman v. Roberts (i)
RCP Poll Average: Orman +0.6
2012 Presidential: Obama 52.1%
Prediction: Kansas is probably the most frustrating and confusing race of the cycle. Pat Roberts (R) could have easily walked to victory had he squashed rumors of his lack of a home in Kansas. Moreover, Greg Orman (I) may just convince voters that he isn’t a Democrat and march to victory. Orman is quite possibly the most confusing candidate out there and has been a member of both major political parties, most recently the Democrats’. He has also contributed to many Democratic campaigns, including Barack Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s, but also to Scott Brown (R-NH) in 2010 and the famous Todd Aiken (R-MO) campaign of 2012. I have no idea where this guy stands on anything. However, Roberts is in trouble, and Gov. Brownback isn’t helping him very much heading the GOP ticket. However, the other Kansas Senator Jerry Moran (R) is the Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and won’t lose Kansas without a fight. Overall, I think this race is a pure tossup. I’ll give it to Roberts, but only because he is an incumbent (and for the sake of a nice looking map).
Kentucky: Grimes v. McConnell (i)
RCP Poll Average: McConnell +4.4
2012 Presidential: Romney 60.5%
Prediction: If the Democrats win Kentucky, it would be a major victory for them because Mitch McConnell (R) is the current Minority Leader for the Republican Caucus. After fighting off a Tea Party challenger, McConnell has gained on Alison Grimes (D) and surpassed her in recent polls. It is interesting to note that in Kentucky, the state’s Obamacare Exchange has been relatively successful and may hurt McConnell, or at least take Obamacare out of the race. The big issue of this race is jobs, specifically those from the coal industry. Obama’s EPA regulations threaten Kentucky’s coal industry, and McConnell has accused the Democrats of waging a “War on Coal.” Grimes claims to support coal as well; however, she also campaigns with “coal makes us sick” Harry Reid, so it will be interesting to see who Kentuckians decide has their best interests at heart. I think Leader McConnell holds onto his seat.
Louisiana: Landrieu (i) v. Cassidy
RCP Poll Average: Cassidy +4.4
2012 Presidential: Romney 57.8%
Prediction: This is in close second for the most perplexing race of the cycle. Mary Landrieu (D) has a major name advantage in Louisiana. Most importantly, her brother is the Mayor of New Orleans. She also wields a lot of power as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee. She has taken favorable stances for her constituents on the Keystone XL Pipeline, the Export-Import Bank, and the oil export ban. Also, Louisiana, like Georgia, can go into a runoff if neither candidate reaches 50 percent. Congressman Bill Cassidy (R) leads in the polls, but if he doesn’t break 50 percent in the first election, I think he could lose the second. Landrieu has more resources at her disposal to play a massive turnout game in New Orleans, and, if turnout is high, she could hold on by her fingernails. This is another tossup, but Cassidy could win and avoid a runoff, so I will tentatively predict Cassidy.
Maine: Bellows v. Collins (i)
RCP Poll Average: Collins +29.7
2012 Presidential: Obama 56%
Prediction: Everybody in Maine likes Susan Collins (R). She is an example of moderate and thoughtful leadership in a partisan Senate. Shennah Bellows (D) is a former leader of the Maine ACLU and also a Middlebury alumna, class of ’97. However, she doesn’t stand a chance against Senator Collins. She would have a better shot at Angus King (I) the next time he is in cycle.
Michigan: Peters v. Land (Open Seat)
RCP Poll Average: Peters +10.1
2012 Presidential: Obama 54.3%
Prediction: I really was hoping Terri Lynn Land (R) would pull out a win for the GOP. She was a successful Secretary of State, but her Senate bid has lost steam heading into the last ninety days. Congressman Garry Peters (D) will win Carl Levin’s vacated seat.
Minnesota: Franken (i) v. McFadden
RCP Poll Average: Franken +10.5
2012 Presidential: Obama 54.3%
Prediction: The funniest Senator is going to win his first reelection contest by more than 500 votes. Al Franken (D) was a writer for SNL before moving back home to run for office, but has since convinced voters that he is a dedicated and serious U.S. Senator. Mike McFadden (R) fought through a GOP primary, and the football coach may not even put up a fight at the polls. Some have called McFadden a dark horse, but I think Franken wins by double digits, no joke.
Montana: Curtis v. Daines (Open Seat)
RCP Poll Average: Daines +18 (yes, 18)
2012 Presidential: Romney 55.3%
Prediction: The Democrats pulled out all the stops to hold on to Max Baucus’ seat. Yes, they shipped the sponsor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act all the way to China so they could appoint Sen. John Walsh (D) to fill his spot. This was in hopes of giving him an “incumbency advantage,” but the Democrats put their eggs in the wrong basket. Walsh recently had his master’s degree revoked due to severe plagiarism. This sent the Democratic hopes of holding onto Montana out the window. Steve Daines (R) is going to easily win.
New Hampshire: Shaheen (i) v. Scott Brown
RCP Poll Average: Shaheen +2.2
2012 Presidential: Obama 52.2%
Prediction: This is an interesting race and, like Colorado, is another example of the GOP “expanding the map” and increasing the number of competitive races. Jeanne Shaheen (D) is a longtime political figure in New Hampshire and has previously served as the state’s governor. Scott Brown (R), on the other hand, grew up in New Hampshire, but served as a Senator from Massachusetts. Shaheen has a few problems to confront, and that may just tip the scales for Brown. Obamacare is very unpopular in New Hampshire due to drastic medical network restrictions associated with Obamacare insurance plans. Shaheen’s races have historically tightened at the finish, but she often pulls them out. I predict Shaheen will hold onto her seat.
New Jersey: Booker (i) v. Bell
RCP Poll Average: Booker +15.6
2012 Presidential: Obama 58%
Prediction: Cory Booker (D) defeated Steve Lonegan (R) in the 2013 Special Election, and that may have been his only real contest. The 2013 election produced one of the most entertaining debates I have ever watched though. So, if you don’t want to do homework, look it up on Youtube. Lots of one-liners. Previously, Booker was a controversial mayor of Newark. He faces a weak challenger and should retain his seat.
North Carolina: Hagan (i) v. Tillis
RCP Average: Hagan +1.6
2012 Presidential: Romney 50.6%
Prediction: Kay Hagan (D) has done her best to distance herself from an unpopular president, and it just may have been enough. The polls are close, but most people are saying Hagan will win, and I agree. Sean Haugh (L) may just take away enough of Thom Tillis’ (R) vote share to put Hagan over the top. Also, Tillis is the speaker of the unpopular State House. So that isn’t helping him much. I think Hagan wins.
Oregon: Merkley (i) v. Wehby
RCP Average: Merkley +13.5
2012 Presidential: Obama 54.5%
Prediction: Dr. Monica Wehby (R) is an interesting candidate; she’s a neurosurgeon and more libertarian, supporting many middle of the road social stances. However, that will not be enough to overtake Jeff Merkley (D), who should easily win.
South Dakota: Weiland v. Rounds (Open Seat)
RCP Poll Average: Rounds +10.2
2012 Presidential: Romney 57.9%
Prediction: Mike Rounds (R) is going to win, this race really was never that close. There are four Candidates in the race, two of whom will detract from making Rick Weiland (D) a true threat to Rounds’ healthy lead.
Virginia: Warner (i) v. Gillespie
RCP Poll Average: Warner +10.6
2012 Presidential: Obama 50.8%
Prediction: Mark Warner (D) is a relatively moderate Senator and former business exec. He has done a lot of bipartisan work, most notably in the “Gang of Eight” who often are the source of major compromises. He faces former RNC Chair and Bush White House Staffer Ed Gillespie (R). Warner is going to win with ease.
West Virginia: Tennant v. Capito (Open Seat)
RCP Poll Average: Capito +16.6
2012 Presidential: Romney 62.3%
Prediction: Both of these candidates initially seamed very strong, but Congresswomen Shelly Moore Capito (R) has pulled ahead. She faces Secretary of State, and former UWV mascot, Natalie Tennant (D). Tennant, however, made the mistake of bringing Sen. Warren (D-MA) to West Virginia, where she probably was less than helpful. On the other hand, Paul Ryan (R-WI) was better received. Capito will win handily.
(10/22/14 11:24pm)
Teachers in South Burlington went on strike last Tues., Oct. 14, canceling classes and other activities in the district for most of the following week. After five days of striking, a tentative agreement was reached on Saturday concerning health care coverage and salaries for teachers. Classes resumed on Monday though both sides need to vote on the agreement before it can be implemented. More specific details of the compromise have yet to be released.
The teacher’s union decided in a meeting the week before picketing began to set a strike deadline on negotiations with the board. The decision followed months of unproductive discussion about teachers’ pay and health benefits. The cause of tension was the teachers’ desire to keep their existing health care plan. While the school board had conceded to retain the plan, they were proposing changes in salaries and premiums to offset costs.
The board members stated that rising health care costs would make it difficult to continue with the same health insurance policy while maintaining reasonable property tax rates, which have risen by 13 prercent in South Burlington over the past two years. South Burlington teachers are, on average, the highest paid statewide, according to a fact-finder report that was produced in August.
Both parties spoke out against how the other side handled the situation. The union accused the school board of stalling negotiations by showing up to a scheduled meeting unprepared the week before the strike. Teachers were additionally irritated by a meeting held for school staff about health insurance plans that they claim was an attempt to negotiate directly with teachers, outside of the negotiation process outlined by state law.
The school board, for its part, felt it had made significant concessions. Elizabeth Fitzgerald, the board’s chairwoman, said about the proposed health care plan, “This is not the exchange, it’s not single-payer, it’s not speculative, and it’s far more generous than many of the plans the taxpayers in our community enjoy.” They were furthermore disgruntled by the extremity to which teachers went to further their cause, saying, “They were willing to put the education and activities of the students at risk despite the fact that the board has demonstrated significant compromise.”
Discussions could not commence until Thursday, when the entire board would be available to meet. Talk between both sides occurred in the Franklin Tuttle Middle School library and continued until 1:30 a.m. Friday morning, at which point the board members postponed negotiations. Though the teachers were resistant to disbanding without reaching consensus, the school board said in a statement, “At this point there is little if any progress that can be made in resolving this dispute this morning.” Negotiations reconvened at 3:00 p.m. on Friday.
Extracurricular activities, including sports, were reinstated on Friday as well, as other staff and administrators could run them without the teachers. “I am reinstating student activities at this time because academic days of instruction will be made up, yet the events within the co-curricular schedule will not,” Superintendent David Young said.
A mediator, John McNeil, was brought in to work with both sides toward an agreement. He commended both the board and the union for their efforts, stating on Saturday, “This was no longer about what you really wanted, this was about what you could accept. Even though you might have to - from your perspective - hold your nose and accept it. Both parties compromised from where I’m sure they would have preferred to be, but in the end I think they found an agreement that works to the advantage of the public here in South Burlington and the community at large, and especially the kids that are attending school here.”
Though classes recommenced on Monday, the incident has brought attention to policy regarding teacher walkouts. Governor Shumlin expressed disapproval of the teacher strike. “When you see what’s going on in a community like South Burlington, the people that get hurt are the kids, the moms and the dads who suddenly have no place for their kids to go during the day,” he said.
Shumlin hopes to outlaw teacher strikes in favor of mandatory binding arbitration, which is the policy for a number of other state employees. The change would make it illegal for districts to impose contracts and for teachers to strike as a means to gain concessions. Walkouts are illegal in 36 states and Vermont is the only state in New England where it is still allowable.
Steve Dale, the head of the Vermont School Board’s Association, explained that the boards are opposed to the change because they feel the nature of the process would decrease the likelihood of innovation in times of economic constraint and that involving an external arbiter is not a good method to resolve issues.
Despite support from the NEA for the change, the organization did not feel such discussion was appropriate at the time of the strike. “We really don’t appreciate the Governor’s taking the time to have this policy discussion while, you know, several hundred of our members are walking the picket line,” said David Allen, spokesman of the Vermont NEA. Now that the strike has come to a close, changes in policy might gain momentum.
(10/22/14 10:57pm)
On the first Thursday of every month, students fill The Gamut Room in Gifford Hall to hear their peers tell a story as a part of The Middlebury MothUP. The live storytelling events are, indeed, as simple as they sound – each student storyteller takes the microphone, without notes, for about ten minutes to tell a true story that relates to a monthly one-word theme. The organic format prompts uniting stories of heartbreak and hilarity which have made the event popular not just at the College, but around the nation.
Founded as a not-for-profit organization in 1997, The Moth is the creation of poet and novelist George Dawes Green, a Georgia native who wanted to bring the intimate family storytelling of his childhood to New York City. Dawes held the first Moth in his living room, but word of mouth spread the event to cafés and clubs across the city, and seventeen years later the program is now available to listeners across the country through The Moth Radio Hour, which is broadcast by more than 200 radio stations.
Started at the College in 2010 by Will Bellaimey ’10.5 and Bianca Giaever ’12.5, The Middlebury MothUP immediately packed audiences into the intimate social space and café housed in The Gamut Room. Since then, the program has only grown, hosting a never-ending line-up of students and sparking a J-term workshop in narrative storytelling.
Middlebury MothUP producer Luke Greenway ’14.5 has been involved with the program since his first week on campus.
“I had heard of the Moth previously and listened to it on public radio, so when I heard that there was a Moth here at Middlebury, I got in touch with the people in charge and wondered if they wanted someone to tell a story,” Greenway said. “My very first month here I got up and told a story and then asked if I could get involved, so it’s been a passion project since then.”
Last year, the Middlebury MothUP traveled out of The Gamut Room and into the Concert Hall of the Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts (MCA) for the first ever Cocoon live storytelling event, bringing the MothUP to an even larger audience.
Featuring six storytellers – including two students, one alumna, a faculty member and two active members of the community – spinning narratives of metamorphosis the sold-out event proved a smash success, and this year’s Cocoon has built on that momentum to bring the event to even bigger heights.
“We wanted Cocoon to be a bridge between the Middlebury campus and the community because the limitations of The Gamut Room space, which we love, mean that the event is usually not conducive to community members attending,” Greenway said. “We wanted something that would be in addition to the Moth, not instead of, but that would allow people from the whole community to participate. It’s like the Middlebury MothUP on steroids.”
Last year Greenway served as the lead producer of Cocoon, but this year his role is overseeing the mentorship of each storyteller as they develop their narratives.
“Recently, for example, I spent an hour on the phone with one of the storytellers, discussing his stories with him and helping him to formulate ideas and get ready for the performance,” Greenway said.
This year, Middlebury MothUp producer Veronica Rodriguez ’16.5 is leading the student coordination of Cocoon, selecting the storyteller line-up and emcee. Working directly with Director of the MCA Liza Sacheli, Rodriguez worked to develop a theme, advertising material and strategies for work shopping the stories to be told.
“I love live storytelling,” Rodriguez said. “It is one of the most basic forms of human connection. Sharing stories is a way to communicate and it is how we gain understanding of one another, and how we remind each other that we’re all human. A lot of times, a story paves a path towards catharsis and empathy.”
2014 Cocoon storytellers include climate activist and actress Kathryn Blume, sixth generation Vermonter and logger Bill Torrey, Chair of the Dance Department Christal Brown, NYU masters candidate Chris De La Cruz ’13.5 and native Vermonter and creator of the Stockbridge, Vermont Stable Space Otto Pierce ’13.5. The theme is blood, which can be taken literally, figuratively or simply as a point of inspiration.
Middlebury MothUP producer Rachel Liddell ’15 co-hosts the monthly student events with Greenway. The process of crafting a larger event like Cocoon, she explained, is largely one of collaboration.
“Typically we brainstorm which people we want to reach out to as a group,” Liddell said. “Veronica has been leading point on this, and Liza also gives us ideas of people we could contact. Usually people are interested and really care about the project when we reach out to them. We were able to be more proactive this year, so we were able to find some great storytellers from a diverse background that doesn’t include our immediate community.”
This year, in addition to the six diverse faculty, alumni and community storytellers taking the stage this year, the Middlebury MothUP is thrilled to present Jay Allison as the emcee of the event. Allison is an independent journalist who produces The Moth Radio Hour through Atlantic Public Media and has contributed to NPR news programs and This American Life. A six-time Peabody Award winner, he hosted and produced This I Believe on NPR and co-edited the bestselling companion books.
“Since last year, the Middlebury MothUP has developed a relationship with Vermont Public Radio’s version of the Moth, and has collaborated to bring the Moth events to Burlington,” Rodriguez said. “With Jay Allison as our host for the evening, we continue to see collaboration between Middlebury’s storytelling projects and figures from our main source of inspiration, the Moth Radio Hour.”
Cocoon is an opportunity for members across the College community to join together in the enjoyment of stories that represent many levels of collegiate and local life.
“I think sharing stories is a thing that a lot of people find very rewarding,” Liddell said. “For people who are sort of routine visitors of The Gamut Room Moth, this is essentially the same thing with a glossier, more professional feel. For people who haven’t yet had exposure to the Moth, this event is a great opportunity to listen to people who you don’t normally get to hear from and learn about people’s perspectives on the world.”
Cocoon will take place Friday, Oct 24 at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the MCA. Tickets are available through the Box Office at $10 for the public, $8 for college ID holders and $5 for students. The event is expected to sell out. A catered reception with the storytellers will take place after the show.
(10/22/14 9:02pm)
The Middlebury men’s soccer team (7-2-3, 4-2-3) drew and won over fall break, and won on Saturday, Oct. 18 at home to move up in the NESCAC standings and record their first wins since Colby halted their five game shutout win streak in September.
On Saturday, Oct. 11, the team traveled to Hartford and battled Trinity to a 1-1 double overtime draw. The Panthers fell behind early when Trinity put home the opening goal 20 minutes in. Middlebury was able to keep the game close in the opening half and equaled the Bantams’ seven first half shots.
Middlebury’s equalizer came in the 63rd minute when Adam Glaser ’17 found Greg Conrad ’17, who put home his third goal of the season. Middlebury looked for an opportunity to take all three points, but were unable to find a winner, despite holding a 10-3 advantage on corner kicks. As the game went into overtime, the Panthers put four shots on target in the first ten minutes, but had all of the chances turned away. Greg Sydor ’17 recorded five saves on the day as the Panthers played their second straight draw.
The following day, Middlebury played their second fall break game at last-place Hamilton. The Panthers were able to convert their early opportunities and scored two of the three on-target shots in the first half. Just 97 seconds after kick off, Glaser stole the ball outside the Hamilton penalty area, passed to Conrad, who returned the favor to set up Glaser’s sixth goal of the season.
Hamilton had an opportunity early in the first half when Sydor punched a ball out on a corner kick and a Hamilton player bicycle kicked a ball that was cleared by the Panther back line.
Middlebury took a two-goal lead after Dan Skayne ’15 set up Conrad. Conrad took a pass in from Skayne in the 29th minute, settled the ball outside the penalty area and sent a shot into the top right corner.
Middlebury preserved its lead throughout the second half; Sydor turned away the two on target Hamilton shots to earn the shutout. Hamilton led Middlebury 13-11 on shots, but could not match the Panthers’ accuracy. Kirk Horton ’17 nearly added a third goal before halftime on a corner kick, but the score remained 2-0 as Middlebury won for the first time since Sept. 23.
After the draw and loss, Conrad described the team’s mentality.
“Although we didn’t get the results we wanted going into the weekend, we played some of our best soccer this season,” Conrad said. “It seems like everything is coming together and now we just need to focus on closing out games.”
This Saturday, Oct. 18, the Panthers hosted Bates in a homecoming matchup for the Hedley Reynolds Cup, an annual trophy awarded in memory of Thomas Hedley Reynolds, an administrator at Middlebury prior to becoming the President of Bates College.
Middlebury dominated early in the rainy ordeal, buoyed by a size advantage that saw the Panthers win most balls in the air and push forward into the Bates half, including a flurry of shots all turned away in the 13th minute. In the 18th minute, Philip Skayne ’17 crossed the ball from the right towards Glaser. Glaser settled the ball, put a move on a Bates defender at the top of the penalty box, and pushed a curling shot around the keeper into the right side of the net. The goal was Glaser’s seventh on the season, and the assist was the first for Skayne.
Bates kept the game close, despite struggling for chances early in the second half. In the 70th minute, Middlebury mishandled a clearance on the right baseline, and the ball bounced around several players until Bates forced home the equalizer. As regulation drew to a close, Bates had several opportunities to go ahead, including a one-on-one save from Sydor in the 77th minute — his only save of the day — and a shot that missed just wide right with under three minutes to go.
The game went to overtime, as four of Middlebury’s last five matchups have, and the Panthers wasted no time showing that they were the better team. Two minutes in, Phil Skayne sent in Middlebury’s eighth corner kick of the day from the left side, where the rebound shot of Deklan Robinson ’16 bounced off of Horton before Conrad pushed in the game winner.
Horton commented on the recent string of wins. “Getting back to winning ways was great after a couple of losses and ties, but we haven’t been doing anything differently defensively from a tactical perspective, it has been more about regaining our bite that we had in the first six games, and the aggressiveness to keep forwards away from our goal.” Horton said.
Despite scoring three goals in three matches, Conrad pointed to an improved team attack mentality, saying, “I don’t think anything has really changed for me personally, I just happened to be the last guy to touch the ball in our buildups. We seem to be getting a lot more opportunities going forward as a team and have a wide variety of guys that can score goals.”
Middlebury finishes its NESCAC season on Saturday, when they host Wesleyan, who currently is tied with Williams and Middlebury for third place in the NESCAC. Middlebury’s regular season will conclude Wednesday, when they play Plymouth State.
“One thing that’s great about this team is we all believe that on any given day, we can play with and beat any team in our league,” Horton said.
(10/22/14 8:51pm)
Middlebury volleyball spent homecoming weekend in Connecticut, picking up two conference victories on the road at Trinity and Wesleyan on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18.
On Friday night the Panthers overcame the Bantams’ quick start in Oosting Gymnasium and cruised to their fourth win in conference play.
The two teams were neck-to-neck in the first set until Trinity went on a four-to-nothing run to take a 17-16 lead. Middlebury closed out the set on a nine-to-one run to take the first set 25-18.
The Panthers carried the momentum over, gaining an early advantage in the second set. A run of aces and well-placed kills gave Middlebury a 19-10 lead, as they held on and secured the set, 25-14.
In the third set, the Panthers traded points with Trinity, until a run of four straight points saw Middlebury grab a 17-13 lead, propelling the Panthers to a 25-19 victory.
Becca Raffel ’18 and Olivia Kolodka ’15 posted the team high for kills with eight each and were followed by Alice Roberts ‘18 who registered seven. Emily Kolodka ’18 played a key role in the victory as she registered a match-high 15 digs for the Panthers along with four service aces. Hannah Blackburn ’17 recorded a double-double with her match high 28 assists to go with 14 digs.
Trinity was led offensively by Kate Giddens with a match-best 11 kills, while Hunter Drews chipped in with six. Amanda Horan added four kills, while Randi Whitham dished out 13 assists. Defensively, Kristen Cooprider led the Bantams with 10 digs. The Bantams fell to 11-7 (3-5) with the loss.
“We feel good about what we’re doing right now, and will continue to strive to improve a little bit every day,” Head Coach Sarah Raunecker said.
Middlebury would look to carry Friday night’s momentum into Wesleyan’s Silloway Gym on Saturday afternoon in Middletown, but quickly found itself down a set when the Cardinals jumped on the Panthers early.
After a Charlotte Devine ’17 kill in the first set, Wesleyan collected 10 of the next 13 points and led by a score of 18-9. Kills by Olivia Kolodka and the first-year duo of Roberts and Raffel looked to stop the bleeding for the Panthers, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop Wesleyan from taking the first set 25-16.
Despite dropping the first set, the Panthers were able to win the next three and capture the match. The second set saw Middlebury in another tough battle as the match went down to the wire with the Panthers leading 19-18. However, a Roberts kill shifted the momentum in Middlebury’s favor. Kills from Melanie English ’17, Olivia Kolodka and a pair of Blackburn service aces sealed 25-18 set victory for the Panthers, knotting the match at one game apiece.
The third set staunchly belonged to Middlebury. The set was highlighted early by three Lizzy Reed ’15 service aces, and was closed by a Devine ace and kills from Raffel, Roberts and Olivia Kolodka.
“It doesn’t necessarily show in our stats, but I think we’ve been a pretty strong serving team this year so far, and we’d like to continue with that these last couple of weeks before NESCACs,” Raunecker said.
The fourth and final set got saw the Panthers off to a rocky start, as three straight attack errors turned their three to nothing lead into a four to three deficit. Once again, it was a close set until the end, when Middlebury managed six straight points, bookended by kills from Emily Kolodka and Raffel, to clinch the set 25-15, and the match three games to one. The loss dropped Wesleyan to 10-9 (2-7).
Olivia Kolodka collected 12 kills, Reed had 18 digs, and Hannah Blackburn dished out an impresive 44 assists to go with her four service aces.
The Panthers, 10-9 (5-3), have six games remaining in the last two weeks of the regular season.
The Panthers’ regular season wraps up with a pair of NESCAC matches against Connecticut College and conference leader Tufts. These matchups provide Middlebury with a chance to improve its seed heading into the conference tournament.
Currently sitting in fifth, the best position the team can find itself is the two seed, but this will require a lot of help; at worst the Panthers will earn the seventh seed.
“Our team has really started to gel and come together as we hoped it would, which has been really fun to see,” Raunecker said. “I think this is due to the strong leadership of our captains, and the maturation of our large freshman class.”
(10/22/14 8:41pm)
The Middlebury women’s field hockey team celebrated a victorious homecoming weekend by defeating Bates this past Saturday, Oct. 18 at home on Peter Kohn Field.
The Panthers came into the game confident from a 7-0 win over Hamilton on Wednesday and proved unrelenting in their Saturday morning NESCAC matchup. Defeating the Bobcats 6-0, the third ranked Panthers add another tally to their current eight-game winning streak.
The opening 12 minutes of the game stayed scoreless until Jillian Green ’16 scored her first of two goals for Middlebury. Senior captain Cat Fowler ’15 provided an assist from eight yards, which Green tapped in with 12:51 on the clock.
Green went on to score the following goal for the Panthers coming off of an assist on the left side by Lauren Berestecky ’17 after a penalty corner allowed the Panthers to work the ball around the circle at the 25-minute mark.
Middlebury controlled the remaining five minutes of play in the half, notching another two goals before the break. Fowler scored off of a shot by Olivia Jurkowitz ’17 with just two minutes to go in the half. Middlebury dominated the possession game, with Berestecky adding one more goal in the final seconds of play before the buzzer sounded.
Accumulating four goals in just the first half, the Panthers shined through the unfavorable rainy conditions and entered the second half with a comfortable lead.
Anna Kenyon ’16 scored the fifth goal of the day and her fourth of the season, tapped in from three yards out and assisted by Pam Schulman ’17. Less than ten minutes later, Fowler scored the final goal of the game, her second of the day, with an unassisted shot that ricocheted off the shin guard of a Bates player and glided into the goal.
The Bobcats were unable to answer the ferocious offense that the Panthers demonstrated, managing only three shots in the game, all to be saved by Middlebury goalkeeper Emily Knapp ’15.
“We were really able to play off of each others strong suits and capitalize on a lot of the penalty corners, ” Berestecky said.
The Bobcats’ goaltenders Cristina Vega and Katie Knox saved a combined ten of the sixteen shots on goal taken by the Panthers.
The Panthers, currently ranked third in the national poll, continue on in the season with a 12-1 record overall and an 8-1 mark in the NESCAC. With just two more regular season games left in the season, the Panthers currently sit atop the conference standings as the season winds down towards the NESCAC tournament.
The Panthers faced Castleton on Tuesday, Oct. 21 in a midweek matchup, earning a resounding victory over the out of conference opponent by a margin of 13-0. Seven different Middlebury players tallied goals in the contest, with hat-trick performances from Josie Trichka ’17 and Annie Leonard ’18. Fowler added two on the day, including her team-high 12th goal of the season.
The team’s performance helped propel Coach Katharine DeLorenzo to her 300th career victory. She now owns a record of 300-114-2 in 14 years of coaching.
Middlebury returns to the field this Saturday, Oct. 25 for a matchup with ninth ranked Wesleyan at home. If the Panthers can get past the Cardinals, they will be able to turn their attention to sharpening their play in anticipation of the postseason. Expectations remain high for this team.
(10/22/14 7:25pm)
Over the past few weeks, there was a flurry of construction along South Main Street where workers dug a trough and buried a natural gas distribution line leading to the College’s service building to provide the campus with a new source of energy. This is the local extension of Vermont Gas’s highly contentious Addison Rutland Natural Gas Project — a 41-mile service extension south from the Burlington area to Middlebury that, despite growing controversy in the state, is now partially in the ground and will soon be operational.
Back in March 2011, the College wrote a public letter of support for the pipeline project along with many other businesses in the area hoping to diversify their energy options and support economic development in the state. These letters, in combination with testimony from the community and many of Vermont’s agencies and departments, were presented to the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB).
In Dec. 2013, the PSB granted a Certificate of Public Good (CPG) to phase one of the project, finding that natural gas’s lower cost and cleaner emissions would be benefit the state economically while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions. The project will also create opportunities for biomethane development.
The PSB decision in favor of the pipeline authorized Vermont Gas to establish lease agreements with Vermonters whose land would be affected by the proposed path of the pipeline. Many of these landowners, however, refused to accept Vermont Gas’s offers.
“Landowners objected for a number of reasons,” said Isaac Baker ’14.5, an Environmental Studies major who wrote his senior thesis on the pipeline. “Some felt that they were being bullied into signing a lease they weren’t happy with, some wanted a lawyer present but couldn’t afford one and many environmentalists objected to the idea of investing in fossil fuel infrastructure on principle.
As opposition grew along the path of the pipeline, signs reading “Stop the Fracked Gas Pipeline” began popping up along the roadside throughout Addison County. In 2012, the state banned hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” the extraction process used in Canada to supply much of the energy in Vermont Gas’s pipeline. The towns of Cornwall, Shoreham and Monkton all passed non-binding resolutions against the pipeline, while Vergennes and Middlebury, which will receive more distribution, voted in favor of the pipeline.
At the College, a student group led by Cailey Cron ’13.5 and Anna Shireman-Grabowski ’15.5 gathered over 1,000 signatures in a week with their online petition, encouraging the College to revoke its support of the pipeline. Many professors simultaneously signed letters prompting the Administration to reconsider its position.
On May 6, 2014, President Ronald D. Liebowitz wrote an all-school email indicating that the Administration had noted the community’s concerns, particularly around fracking, but remained unchanged in its support for the pipeline.
“Ultimately, we believe the pipeline will contribute to the economic welfare of the region,” wrote Liebowitz, “and that it would be unacceptable for us to stand in the way of real and measurable progress toward goals broadly shared in our community.”
Beyond these broader economic goals, the College also supports the pipeline project because it is tied to the 2016 carbon neutrality goal.
“The gas pipeline will provide a means of storage and conveyance of renewable natural gas that will be produced by a manure digester at the Goodrich Farm in Salisbury, Vt.,” Director of Sustainability Jack Byrne explained in an email. “The College has contracted with the developer of the digester to purchase enough of the gas generated by the digester to eliminate the purchase of 640,000 gallons of #6 fuel oil.”
The College explored other ways of bringing the renewable natural gas to campus, but found that connecting to the Vermont Gas pipeline would significantly reduce costs. The renewable natural gas from the farm will enter the pipeline in Shoreham, and the College will withdraw an equivalent amount at the Service Building, depending on its heating needs on any given day.
“Using the pipeline,” wrote Byrne, “made the digester project economically feasible because the alternative of building a storage system for the gas on campus was not affordable.”
According to Vermont Gas’s website, the College will receive natural gas service by the end of 2014. Over the summer, the College spent $1.7 million to convert its boilers to be able to burn natural gas in the central heating plant. The construction on South Main Street over the past few weeks connects the College with other large, industrial energy users in the area and awaits connection with the main high-pressure line coming south from the Burlington area.
The main pipeline construction north of Middlebury has so far not gone according to plan. Many landowners along the path of the pipeline have continued to refuse to sign Vermont Gas’s leases, which caused the company to threaten to take the land via eminent domain this past summer.
“The power imbalance between Vermont Gas and an individual Vermonter is completely unacceptable,” said Baker. “It is David versus Goliath every time a Vermont Gas lawyer knocks on a door and asks a Vermonter to sign a lease without legal counsel.”
Rising Tide Vermont, a direct action group focused on opposing fossil fuel expansion in the state, is planning a protest in Montpelier on Monday, Oct. 27 with 350 Vermont and the Vermont Workers Center. A small group of students associated with Sunday Night Group, the campus’s environmental organizing student group, are planning to join Vermonters for a mass-protest and sit-in at the state’s capital, calling for the state to reject the pipeline.
“I think the pipeline is the wrong decision for Vermont, and the College is taking the easy way out by using fossil fuel infrastructure to achieve our carbon neutrality goals,” said Baker. “Biomethane is a great energy choice, but not if it means supporting a company like Vermont Gas, which has repeatedly shown its preference for profit over people throughout the review process. I will be at the protest on Monday.”
Other students, however remain undecided. Campus Sustainability Coordinator (CSC) president Teddy Kuo ’15 expressed concern with the environmental impacts associated with fracking, but noted the significant benefits of the pipeline as well.
“It’s hard to determine the benefits of the pipeline,” said Kuo, “because of personal perspectives and what people think creates more benefit, such as a cleaner environment or a more affordable energy source.”
Ultimately, Baker and Kuo each individually expressed a preference for renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, while acknowledging the clear economic benefits of natural gas.
“There’s no denying that natural gas is cheap and will help local businesses in the short term,” said Baker. “But the problem is bigger than that. This pipeline is a 50 to 100 year investment in fossil fuel infrastructure at a time when we are already feeling the negative impacts of climate change. If we can’t bring ourselves to care about the Canadian communities that energy companies are fracking, we should at least consider the long term pricing for natural gas and make efforts to limit our carbon emissions with real investments in renewable fuel sources.”
(10/09/14 2:47am)
The Student Government Association held its latest weekly meetings on Sunday, Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 in the Crest Room of the McCullough Student Center.
The meeting on Sept. 28 opened with an introduction of the new Director of Publicity Committee, Robin Loewald ’16. Confirmed the week prior, Loewald’s tasks in her new post include raising awareness about SGA, promoting SGA sponsored programs such as Middcourses and publicizing SGA events.
Next, the Student Liaison to the SGA on Endowment Affairs, Ian Rhee ’15, gave a presentation and asked for suggestions on getting student input on the endowment. SGA President Taylor Custer ’15 and Speaker of the Senate Michael Brady ’17.5 reminded senators to listen to constituents, then act as middlemen to bring those suggestions to Rhee.
Next, three Student Council Committees were ratified. The SGA voted on ratifying the Environmental Affairs Committee, the Athletic Affairs Committee and the Constitutional Committee. A motion was made, and passed 13-4-0, to ratify all three committees together. The SGA ratified everyone on all three committees by a vote of 11-4-2.
Most significantly, a new bill was passed at the meeting that requires all senators to have at least one scheduled office hour a week. The Office Hours Bill was proposed by President Custer and aims to bridge the disconnect between the SGA and the student body at large. While there was support for the bill by many senators, it was met with significant resistance.
Community Council Co-Chair, Ben Bogin ’15 worried that few students will show up to the office hours and Ross Senator Zak Fisher ’16 contested that this would be mandating just another thing senators are required to do. Bogin proposed an amendment to the bill, “If no student shows up at designated office hours for two consecutive weeks, senators, president and SCOCC have the discretion of canceling those hours for the remainder of the academic semester.” The motion was not seconded.
Custer asserted that “even if nobody comes to these office hours for the entire year, the fact of having them is a good symbol for the student body that the SGA is actually concerned with their opinion and wants to hear what they have to say.”
A motion to vote was made and the bill narrowly passed as originally drafted with a 9-7-1 vote.
The meeting ended with a short discussion about We the Middkids protocol. In the past, it was standard that with 100 votes, a petition was brought up at SGA meetings for discussion and with 300 votes, the president issued a response.
Chief of Staff Danny Zhang ’15 suggested changing the method of voting so each student could give single petitions only one vote instead of the current option of giving petitions one, two or three votes. He also proposed giving biweekly updates to the Senate on We the Middkids petitions. There was a strong consensus that these suggestions were all valid and should be put into place in the coming year.
At the Oct. 5 meeting, no bills were passed but a variety of issues were discussed that will likely be revisited in the future. Some of these included a change in the bylaws of how the Student Liaison to the SGA on Endowment Affairs is selected, the implementation of LaundryView on campus, and the relationship between financial aid and external scholarships.
(10/08/14 10:29pm)
This past weekend the Middlebury volleyball team took a Massachusetts road trip to battle NESCAC foes Amherst and Williams on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3 and 4, falling 3-1 in both matches.
On Friday night, the Panthers went into Amherst’s LeFrak Gymnasium to take on the formidable Lord Jeffs, owners of a 9-2 record overall including a 2-1 mark within the conference.
In the first set, the Panthers got off to a slow start, falling behind 7-0 before Hannah Blackburn ’17 assisted Olivia Kolodka ’15 for a kill that began a 25-9 Middlebury run. Another kill from Olivia Kolodka capped off the run for the Panthers with a win in the first set.
Amherst rallied in the next three sets, however, winning 25-20, 25-16 and 25-22, each of which was toughly contested.
A late Panther rally fell short at the end of the second set, and although they were able to pull within four points of the Jeffs, Amherst’s Asha Walker sealed it with a kill.
In game three the Panthers started hot, mustering a 5-1 lead before the hosts went on a fierce 18-7 run to put the set out of reach. The Panthers jumped out to a 4-1 lead in what would be the final set, and led by as many as six points at 16-10 before the momentum changed after a Panther service error.
Amherst also benefited from a key substitution in the set, putting junior Samantha Newby and sophomore Kate Bres in the game.
On the night, Olivia Kolodka led Panther attack with 13 kills and also had nine assists and 16 digs. Fellow senior Piper Underbrink ’15 contributed 11 kills, while Becca Raffel ’18 logged 10. Blackburn led all players with 41 assists to go along with her 15 digs, and Lizzy Reed ’15 had a team-high 20 digs.
The Panthers then made the 60-mile trek to Williamstown to take on the defending NESCAC champion Ephs of Williams, who entered the matchup in Chandler Gym with an impressive 12-1 record and with an eight-game winning streak.
Williams took the first set 25-17, but the second set belonged to the Panthers, who needed an extra point to close it out 26-24.
The third and fourth sets would go to the Ephs. A service ace by Williams junior setter Ryan Farley began a 15-1 run to open the third set.
The Panthers managed only a few side-outs before Williams broke twenty points, getting the score 20-6 en route to taking the third set by a score of 25-10. The fourth set would feature much of the same, with the Ephs charging ahead 4-0 on the heels of Raea Rasmussen’s outside kill and a serving streak provided by Amanda Schott. The Ephs won the last set handily, 25-12.
Raffel led the attack with 13 kills and Olivia Kolodka added seven more. Blackburn had 34 assists and 15 digs in the match, while Emily Kolodka ’18 added 16 digs. Reed had a team-high 17 digs in the contest.
The Panthers – who are now 4-7 overall on the season and 1-3 in NESCAC play –play host to Bowdoin at 8pm on Friday, Oct. 10 followed by a matchup with Colby at 2pm on Saturday, Oct. 11 in Pepin Gym.
The Polar Bears and Mules should provide a slight break for the Pantherse.
Sitting at 12-4 on the season and 4-2 within the conference, Bowdoin is coming off a weekend in which they were upset by Trinity. The Polar Bears are in need of a win in order to solidify their place among the NESCAC’s competitive teams in 2014.
Colby, meanwhile, has struggled to a 9-7 record so far this season, including a 1-4 mark in the NESCAC. Both the Panthers and Mules look to be teams who will have to pull together a string of late wins if they are going to qualify for the eight-team NESCAC championship tournament.
(10/08/14 10:26pm)
Some of the greatest games in football history have come in inclement weather – earning titles like the Ice Bowl, the Sneakers Game and most recently, the “Tuck Rule” game.
The Panthers’ game on Oct. 4 against Amherst, however, did not rank in greatness alongside these other legendary games. The persistent, driving rain that fell over Youngman Field last Saturday interfered with both teams’ offenses, and the Panthers ended up falling 7-0 to the Lord Jeffs despite their confidence coming off of a great performance against Colby on Sept. 27.
With the loss to Amherst, Middlebury football now has a 1-2 record on the season. With two losses in a relatively short eight-game season, the team now faces long odds in their goal of repeating as NESCAC co-champions this season. While their position is not optimal going forward, the Panthers need to win each of their final five games in order to keep their title hopes alive.
After a quick three and out from the Middlebury offense to start the game, the Lord Jeffs went on to record their longest drive of the day, advancing 66 yards in 11 plays. This ended prematurely when Amherst’s kicker sailed a 23-yard field goal attempt wide left. Middlebury did not capitalize on the momentum, with an ugly sequence on offense that included a false start and a sack, resulting in yet another three and out.
Both offenses would trade possessions until Dan Pierce ’16 intercepted a promising play by Amherst and gave Middlebury the ball on it own 34 yard line. Despite a nice completion on third and long from Matt Milano ’16 to Drew Jacobs ’18 on a day when passing yardage came on a premium, Middlebury did not gain enough yards to keep the drive going and use Pierce’s turnover to full effect. So the Panthers were forced to punt as the first quarter of play came to an end.
In the second quarter, both teams struggled to do much of anything. Neither team advanced into its opponent’s side of the field on offense, and a flurry of three and outs along with fair catches brought the game into the half.
Amherst, having won the coin toss at the start of the game, elected to start with the ball in the second half. Following a decent kick return, Amherst opened up the half with a 59-yard scamper from running back Nick Kelly, which put them up 7-0 over Middlebury. On the ensuing series, Middlebury, aided by multiple personal fouls by Amherst, advanced the ball deep into Amherst territory. Within sight of the red-zone at Amherst’s 27, the rain again proved to be a massive hindrance to Middlebury’s pass-heavy offense, and the Panthers turned the ball over on downs.
While opportunity presented itself again in the form of Pierce’s second interception of the day, the Panthers offense sputtered to another 3 and out. Following this trend, Michael Dola ’15 recorded 13 punts in this game alone. With the clock running out on this dreary Saturday, the Panthers left the field disheartened to say the least.
It really is hard to take positives out of a game like this- two for 17 on third down conversions, 129 yards of total offense, and less than two yards per carry running the ball. Objectively speaking, these statistics are far from optimal. However, the numbers in no way reflect the talent the Panthers have on the field. Held back by rain, Middlebury simply could not go about business in the manner of which it is accustomed, from the line to the wide receivers.
All things considered, on a day that featured better weather, the Panthers very well could have won this game.
If there is a silver lining to all the clouds (pun intended) the Panthers encountered on Saturday, it is the continued high-level play of the defense, especially in the secondary. With two picks from Pierce, and Matt Benedict ’15 winning NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week with his 20-tackle effort from the free safety position, the defensive unit has continued to be one of the league’s very best.
The Panthers should be able to rebound nicely this coming weekend when they travel to Williams on Oct. 11, so long as they steer clear of rain.
The Ephs, whose record also sits at 1-2 after three conference games, are another team who is looking to get back into the NESCAC fray in the second half of the season. After falling 19-12 to Bates on Saturday, Oct. 4, however, Williams’ prospects of reaching the top of the league appear bleak.
(10/01/14 10:29pm)
The tailgating policy change was first made known to the student body on Sept. 16 and since then there have been many student-led initiatives to discuss the change as well as the process by which it was made.
Such initiatives have included an open Student Government Association (SGA) Senate meeting where members of the administration were available to speak with students, coverage by multiple news outlets on campus and meetings between student leaders and administrators. However, according to SGA President Taylor Custer ’15, this issue will, for the time being, not be included on the agenda for the SGA for the upcoming year after the passage of the most recent resolution.
On Sept. 21, the SGA Senate held their meeting in the Robert A. Jones ’59 house to accommodate the extra students who came to listen to the discussion and pose questions to Dean of Students Katy Smith Abbott and Athletic Director Erin Quinn. The meeting allotted time for both senators and students to direct questions to these administrators regarding both the policy itself and the process that went into it.
“There was a lot of benefit of actually being there and being able to talk to those who were directly involved with the decision,” said Custer. The meeting concluded with the passing of a resolution (with a vote of 15-0-2), detailing how the administration will work with the student body about future policy changes.
“A resolution states the official position of the student body as presented by the SGA and its capacity as a representative,” Custer explained.
According to the resolution, “the administration should inform the President of the SGA and the Student Co-Chair of Community Council about all changes to college policy to ensure that the student body has an opportunity to voice its ideas and concerns about changes it believes will impact student life… [and] the President of the SGA and the Student Co-Chair of Community Council should inform their constituents about those policy changes that they believe students would like to have an opportunity to discuss.”
The SGA Senate meeting, the new resolution and student input have shown that one of the most troubling aspects of this policy change was the process behind it.
“Middlebury prides itself on being transparent, especially in the student to administration relationship,” said Junior Senator Sydney Sanders ’16. “The resolution that was produced was specifically about the lack of clarity in the policy-making process. We have SGA and Community Council for students to participate in changes like this and to work closely with the administration to discuss issues, especially surrounding non-academic issues, on campus.”
Custer noted that the common denominator between those who supported and those against the policy change was the belief that the lack of student involvement in the final decision was unacceptable.
“I’m hoping that the main outcome of this debate will be that the administration will be more open with us about what policy changes they’re considering. From there, we can take all that information and figure out which ones the student body will want to weigh in on,” he said.
Ben Bogin ’15, Co-Chair of Community Council, said in an email, “The administration is well within its rights to make a policy change like this without input from the SGA or Community Council, but I hope that students always have the opportunity to discuss policies changes that affect our social life.”
According to Custer, the way the policy change was handled could potentially set a bad precedent for future changes. “If we’re not involved in this policy change, who’s to say we won’t be included in the conversation on a policy change more relevant and seen as more important by other segments of the student body?” he said. “At Middlebury, given the mission of the College, it’s inconsistent if students aren’t included in the conversation.”
The student body has held conflicting views, however, about whether the issue of tailgating is really worth the amount of attention it is receiving. There have been many student responses through different mediums. The We the MiddKids petition to reverse changes made to the new policy received over 2,500 votes, which is over three times as many votes cast for the change to the Culture and Civilizations requirement. The Sept. 17 post on the student-run blog Middbeat generated close to 100 comments.
There have also been posters put up throughout the College addressing what issues students would like to see addressed over the issue of tailgating. These posters carry a call to action for students. They say, “Historically, students have been social justice leaders in critical movements around the world. Where will you invest your time?”
Guest contributors Ian Stewart ’14 and Cailey Cron ’13.5 noted in their opinions article that the type of attention surrounding the issue of tailgating has “dilute[d] the potency of words and ideas that are needed to fight real injustice — some of which is alive and well at Middlebury.”
However, as members of the SGA note, this upsurge of student advocacy will hopefully be representative of student involvement in future issues.
“I’m always happy when I see people passionate about an issue. I think if you’re looking at the tailgating issue as a process problem, then the amount of student attention is worth it,” said Sanders.
“People being passionate about this issue will hopefully transfer into students being more vocal about other issues around campus. This is just a starting point for people to voice their opinions and offer student input on other issues,” he added.
Custer also pointed out that the heightened attention to this matter also stems from parental and alumni involvement. The change in the tailgating issue more directly affects them when they return to campus, whereas other issues affect them in a less direct way.
Moving forward, the change in the tailgating policy will not be a major issue at the next SGA Senate meeting. As noted in an email sent on Sept. 23 to the student body, the administration stands by its decision. Any changes to the policy itself, as noted by members of the SGA, are very unlikely.
“Based on my conversations with the administrators, I know that they are very firm on their decision, primarily because it’s motivated out of their concern that it is a safe space,” said Custer.
While revisions to the passed resolution to make it more specific are being developed, the next step is witnessing how the administration to student relationship changes.
Custer said, “At the end of the day, it is a decision that is within the purview of the administration. The administration does get to make decisions unilaterally, but hopefully with our input. And if not, then hopefully with our concerns addressed.”
(10/01/14 8:13pm)
After falling to Hamilton in a NESCAC matchup on Friday, Sept. 26, the Middlebury volleyball team bounced back to win a pair of matches in the Skidmore Classic on Saturday, defeating St. John Fisher and Skidmore each in straight sets.
The Panthers entered the match against Hamilton with newfound momentum after defeating Bates 3-0 in their NESCAC season opener. The Continentals, meanwhile, had jumped out to a fast 8-3 start to the season, including a win in their sole conference match.
The first set of the Hamilton match was tight from the opening serve, with both teams failing to hold on to leads. After falling behind early, Middlebury took the lead at 16-15 on a kill from Piper Underbrink ’15 before three consecutive Hamilton points gave the lead back to the Continentals. A kill from Olivia Kolodka ’15 brought the Panthers within a single point of winning the set at 24-23, but Hamilton snatched it away with three points of their own to take the set 26-24.
The second set was another tough loss for Middlebury. The Panthers stretched their early lead to 17-13 midway through the set on a kill from middle hitter Melanie English ’17 before the Continentals went on a run to take the lead for themselves. After drawing within one on a kill from Olivia Kolodka, the Panthers were unable to cap the comeback and fell 25-23.
The third set was all Middlebury. Hannah Blackburn ’17 recorded a pair of consecutive service aces to key a six-point streak for the Panthers. A kill by Olivia Kolodka, with an assist from Blackburn, finished off the set for Middlebury with a 25-12 win.
Looking to even the match at two sets apiece in the fourth set, however, Middlebury squandered a six-point lead by ceding 11 straight points to Hamilton. Despite offensive contributions from Olivia Kolodka, Emily Kolodka ’18 and outside hitter Charlotte Devine ’17, Middlebury went on to lose the match with a 25-19 loss in the set.
Olivia Kolodka led the Middlebury attack against Hamilton with 13 kills, while Emily Kolodka added 11 of her own. The Panthers fell in four sets despite earning just one fewer point than the Continentals, with the close losses in the first and second sets creating a hole out of which Middlebury could not dig themselves.
Saturday’s Skidmore Classic opener against St. John Fisher would be a different story, with Middlebury consistently outplaying their opponent to win in consecutive sets.
The Kolodka sisters again starred for the Panthers against St. John Fisher, with each contributing nine kills while Underbrink added seven of her own. Blackburn recorded 27 assists against just one error, while captain Lizzy Reed ’15 led the team with 17 digs. The Cardinals, meanwhile, were plagued by attack errors as they were unable to weather the heat from an aggressive Middlebury squad.
The weekend finale against host Skidmore was another win for Middlebury, with the Panthers sandwiching nearly flawless first and third sets around a gritty second-set win to beat the host Thoroughbreds 3-0.
In the first set, the Panthers registered 13 kills against just four errors on 40 total attempts for an impressive .225 kill percentage. Emily Kolodka took center stage for Middlebury in that set and would finish the match with 13 kills to lead all players.
The second set was not as dominant for Middlebury. The Panthers fell behind 23-21 on a Skidmore service ace, but were able to rally around Blackburn’s strong serving to take the set 25-23. Middlebury regained their form from the first set in the third, however, and outplayed the host team throughout en route to a 25-16 win.
First-year outside hitter Becca Raffel ’18 played a significant role in the Panthers’ win over Skidmore with nine kills. Underbrink and Emily Kolodka combined for 22 more to pace Middlebury against the Thoroughbreds, while Blackburn’s table-setting game again stood out.
With a 2-1 record on the weekend, the Panthers improve their season record to 4-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Their ability to play tough with Hamilton – who currently occupies the second spot in the NESCAC standings – bodes well for the Panthers’ season prospects as they look to improve their record going forward and solidify a spot in the NESCAC postseason.
Middlebury resumes its conference slate this weekend, Oct. 3 and 4, with a pair of road matchups against conference frontrunners Amherst and Williams.
(10/01/14 5:59pm)
Over the last 10 years, accessibility and diversity have become buzzwords in higher education. They are the benchmarks for admissions — signs that elite colleges and universities are doing more than simply securing a future for the already privileged in an era of diminishing social mobility and growing income inequality.
While the College has taken important steps towards attracting a student body that is more diverse on multiple levels and providing supportive spaces for them on campus once they arrive, it is clear that it has not done enough.
Currently, we have clubs and support available for first generation college students; we have the Queer Studies House as a safe space for LGBTQ students; we have PALANA to provide housing and programming for students with an interest in intercultural studies; we have cultural organizations like DMC, WOC, AAA and Alianza; and we continue to expand our Posse Scholars partnership. What we don’t have is a large, public and dynamic space for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to feel welcome as a broader group, tying together the intersectional oppression that these members of our community experience.
To address this, students have pushed over the past year for the creation of an Intercultural Center — a place where those who have felt uncomfortable in other public spaces can receive the institutional support they need, have an opportunity to expand cultural literacy more broadly on campus and also have a place to just be, to form a community with social and academic foundations that is open and welcoming to people of all backgrounds.
We as an Editorial Board support this proposal and want to keep pressure on the administration to look to students for input every step of the way. Student-led initiatives on this campus tend to fall into the bureaucratic sinkhole once they are successful, turning them into administrative projects that become deprived of the student input that gave them energy in the first place. We have plenty of overly-formal, dead spaces on campus as it is, and this center cannot join that list. The Administration has been clear in its intent to include student input throughout this process, and thus far students have been involved, but we need to be sure all the students who want a voice in this process have a chance to contribute.
It is important to note that socio-economic background and racial or ethnic background are not synonymous when talking about diversity. That being said, average family income in the U.S. does break down along racial lines, reflecting endemic structural inequalities that continue to inform class and social mobility. This is our reality, and while we must work for system-level change to shift this paradigm, today it is up to the College to provide resources for students who come from or identify with historically underrepresented backgrounds. There is no reason for our student body to be substantially less racially and economically diverse than those of our peers. It is simply a matter of priorities.
Earlier last month The Upshot, a New York Times blog, took a deeper look at accessibility among “top colleges” using Pell Grant recipients as indicators of socio-economic diversity. Among peer institutions Middlebury ranked an abysmal 51st, with only 13 percent of our student body qualifying for federal assistance (compared to a college like Vassar with 23 percent).
Here’s another way to look at it: roughly 13 percent of our student body comes from the poorest 40 percent of American families, while over half of our students come from families who can afford Middlebury’s staggering $60k price tag without grant aid. To put this into perspective, this is half the annual income for the wealthiest 10 percent of American families. If Middlebury is committed to bringing a truly diverse student body to campus, changing this picture is the first place to start.
This is not to say that we have not made progress. We should celebrate the fact that within the class of 2018, 14 percent are first generation college students (a new record), 26 percent are students of color from the U.S. and 48 percent received financial aid. We are need-blind for domestic students, and we meet 100 percent of demonstrated need (as determined by the College).
These are impressive statistics, but they are falling behind the trend as other colleges and universities work to extend opportunities to communities with fewer resources. Harvard, Yale and Princeton have endowments that dwarf Middlebury’s and unsurprisingly are able to offer more financial aid and attract a broader range of students. Vassar, however, has an endowment and student body similar to Middlebury’s and has been able to make a much stronger commitment to diversity. Vassar’s class of 2018 has 10 percent more domestic students of color than Middlebury’s and roughly the same number of international students, yet Vassar as a whole ranks first on the New York Times accessibility index. Those are numbers worth striving for, not because they would make Middlebury look better statistically, but because they represent values of equality of access that we claim to have and need to uphold.
But this process does not end with an acceptance letter. Middlebury must support students who do not fit the “typical” profile throughout their four years here. A 2007 internal study found a 19-point gap in the graduation rate for students of color compared with the overall average. Without more recent data, we can only speculate that this significant margin has not been wholly ameliorated. The Intercultural Center is an important and highly visible step towards supporting diversity on this campus.
We as a community need to recognize that cutting the ribbon at Carr Hall and hiring a new staff member are just the first steps. Over time, one of the challenges a space like this can address is the current lack of cultural literacy on this campus by providing institutional support for this education and removing some of the burden from students who may just want to be students. We must push ourselves to think of innovative ways to make the most of the opportunity the Intercultural Center provides.
Creating a more inclusive campus will not happen overnight, and approving the Intercultural Center should not be a sign that we can let this issue rest. Ultimately, this center must signify an increased financial and social commitment to supporting all students on this campus on all fronts, not just attracting statistics and leaving them to sink or swim.
Artwork by NOLAN ELLSWORTH
(09/25/14 3:00am)
Ever since the new tailgating policy was announced, we’ve been outraged. Outraged at the outrage. In MiddBeat’s coverage and subsequent online comments and Jack Dolan’s op-ed on the Campus’ website, there are several troubling trends that demand discussion.
The more dangerous of these tendencies is the way in which the ban’s opponents have appropriated the language of social movements, social justice and human rights. Middbeat’s unabashedly slanted reporting (paragraph three kicks off with “‘What. The. F***?’”) barely avoids using the words “right” and “liberty” to describe what’s at stake. A commenter, “Jenny”, wrote: “I’m starting to feel like I’m living in a police state in Middlebury.”
The subsequent calls-to-action—which were soon echoed by countless current and former students in the comments section underneath—included suggestions of withholding donations and signing petitions. Of protesting, in other words, an injustice. To use this language when what’s at stake is being able to binge drink at a particular time on a patch of privately-owned grass is to dilute the potency of words and ideas that are needed to fight real injustice — some of which is alive and well at Middlebury.
If Middlebury were a place free from significant social issues, the current attempts to reverse the new tailgating restrictions could be seen as clumsy beginners’ attempt to make change. In the presence of true inequity, however, the vocabulary of social change and resisting institutional power deserves to be used with discretion and only after deep consideration. What are these real issues? Middbeat jogs our weak institutional memory in a poll it recently posted on its site: “What’s the most pressing issue on Middlebury’s campus right now?” “The new tailgating policy” tops the recorded responses, with more than double the votes of any other option. Ranked lower in the poll are many of the most pressing and significant issues that the College has faced since we matriculated in 2010: the distressingly ethnocentric AAL requirement, administrative resistance to divestment and the hate crime constituted by the specific threat of sexual violence against a queer student. Those are the issues that demand action, that merit dozens upon dozens of online comments, that might justify civil disobedience. Those are “What Middlebury Should Never Forget,” as Celeste Allen reminded us in her op-ed last week.
Should the administration have engaged students and/or the SGA before instituting the ban? Yes. Are there questions about social life and alcohol that need discussion? Certainly. But it is distressing to watch (granted, from afar, as recent alumni) students rally behind their “right” to tailgate while so many more critical movements — ones regarding students’ physical safety, even — have struggled to get traction. So should it make us think about our priorities? Yes. And Dolan’s final exhortation — “Fight for your right to party”? Partying is not a right. It should be one of the last things we fight for.
When acts reeking of entitlement (thousands of missing dishes, public intoxication, underage drinking, property destruction) are met with administrative response, students have reacted as if a slap on the wrist was a slap in the face, as if students are entitled to do whatever they want, wherever they want.
Students with various minority identities have long described their inability to feel comfortable or “at home” at Middlebury. Now, we’re seeing one of the rare times where the “traditional” — as in, “of the majority,” not as in “rightfully revered” — MiddKid feels threatened; this issue has hit at the heart of the most comfortable and comforted segment of the student body: an athletic, mostly-white, predominantly upper-class group.
When “David” comments on Middbeat, “Tailgates are one of the only places where everyone at the school is invited to come together and have a good time,” he’s both wrong and missing the point. Certainly, there’s no de jure segregation, no entry fees, no secret invitations. But to say that a relatively small, “kind of fratty” (as I heard someone describe it), drunken crowd is representative of the Middlebury community has dangerous implications.
To think that the tailgate really is a safe and comfortable space for anyone is myopic. There are certainly students at Middlebury who like to party and want to attend a tailgate, but do not feel like it is a space for “people like them” because they do not meet the identity-based requirements to be “traditional” MiddKid. There’s a difference between being “invited” and feeling welcome.
Perhaps what concerns us most is the dangerously skewed perspective made evident in that comment from “David.” If tailgating students look around at their fellow revelers and think they’re seeing the full spectrum of Middlebury’s diversity, then they are blind to the presence and, consequently, the struggles of many other non-“traditional” groups of students at Middlebury.
How convenient, then, that narrow-minded perspective is. For if we’re all just part of the tailgate crowd, then our “right to party” is indeed the only “right” that demands our indignation. So how might current students move forward? Learn about the social justice movements happening on campus and don’t just speak up when you feel attacked, be an ally to those who are less comfortable than you at Midd. Fellow alumni: our voices are powerful. Don’t go hoarse over beers in a parking lot.
IAN STEWART '14 lives in Washington, D.C.
CAILEY CRON '13.5 lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
(09/25/14 12:50am)
On a day-to-day basis – especially as the fall semester gains momentum – students encounter a multitude of social interactions. From meetings with advisers to late night chats with friends, our lives are largely influenced by the relationships we forge with others. But what – if anything – is the force that shapes the way in which these connections form? While no single answer prevails, Middlebury’s often-overlooked commons system plays an important role in setting the tone for interactions that take place both inside and outside of the classroom.
All undergraduates of the College are assigned to one of the four commons, from which the College hopes to “[encourage] the free exchange of ideas and [build] a robust intellectual community.” The five Commons include Atwater, Brainerd, Cook, Ross and Wonnacott. While underclassmen are required to reside in the halls affiliated with their Commons during their first two years at the College, upperclassmen have the option of living anywhere on campus.
Dean of Brainerd Commons and Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature Natasha V. Chang captures the essence of the Commons system with the metaphor of the neighborhood.
“I like that the Commons system breaks up the College as a whole into smaller neighborhoods so that there is more of a chance for people to get to know each other,” she said. “In a neighborhood [environment], you care about those around you, respect them, help them and are willing to do things together.”
Chang remarks that the Commons fulfills its goal of being a “living-learning community” in a variety of ways, from “grassroots programming depending on where students’ interests lie to programming that comes through official lines, such as the First Year Seminar [model].”
Like Chang, Commons Residential Advisor of Atwater Commons David Dolifka ’13 agrees that the Commons system helps to enhance the quality of life at the College.
“By choosing to attend a residential college, I think that Middlebury students understand the value of learning from peers outside of the classroom,” Dolifka said. “While the Commons system certainly extends a convenient opportunity for first-years to extend classroom discussions into the living space, I think the greater benefit comes from the organic conversations that occur within a community in which people feel integrated and comfortable.”
The Commons system has often received praise for its ability to help incoming first-years feel more at home in their first few weeks of college. Yasmeen Brynes ’17 – who also serves as a tour guide – says that the Commons system helps to develop personal connections with other students.
“[It’s] easier to see the same people more frequently so first-years can make friends and cultivate connections more easily,” Brynes said. “It’s a really good support system for incoming freshman, and I make sure to emphasize and explain Middlebury’s Commons to prospective students and their parents whenever I give a tour.”
CRA of Cook Commons Jordan Kelley ’14 also credits the College’s residential system with helping him find a sense of belonging, “especially as a first-year.”
“I made some of my closest friends here in my first-year dorm and connected with a great variety of people I might not otherwise have had an excuse to interact with,” he said. “The Commons is an organizational structure that helps students make sense of the wide array of offerings here at Middlebury, allowing them to connect more easily with the academic, cultural, extracurricular and social interests around campus.”
In line with Brynes’ and Kelley’s experiences, Dolifka also said that “for new students, the commons system seeks to make the Middlebury community feel a little more personal and a little less overwhelming.”
Although the Commons system plays an important part in shaping the experience for first-year students, some upperclassmen feel more disconnected from the Commons as they gradually move away from Commons-affiliated housing.
While Kelley agrees with this assessment, he notes that becoming a part of the College’s residential-life community is a great way stay engaged and “give back” to the Commons.
“I think the majority of students experience some kind of [disconnect] as they settle into academic and social spheres of choice during their time here and move away from Commons-specific housing,” he said. “The Commons serves greater accountability and organizational roles in the finishing years of most students here at Middlebury I think, though many students do continue interacting with the Commons, often by serving as [members of] Residential Life. By doing so, they are helping to give back to the system that allowed many of them to find their passions here at the College.”
Another point of contention for the commons system involves Middlebury’s “Feb” class, a group of approximately 100 students who enter the College for the first time at the beginning of spring semester. Unlike regular first-year students who enter the College in September, Febs are placed into a Commons but often do not live in the Commons-affiliated housing, which can make for a difficult transition.
Chang remarked that the Commons “work very hard with Feb leaders during orientation to make sure kids that are doing programming and connecting with other students in the commons. Res-life staff and deans also [make an effort to] connect individually with students for the Febs.”
As the College continues to develop, it is likely that the Commons system will remain one of the forefront aspects of residential life. While no system is perfect, Chang says what she enjoys most about the Commons is the simple pleasure of forming “holistic connection[s]” with students.
“I think what is really important is getting to know students in their fullness and not just seeing the academic side of [them], or looking at students from the sole perspective of a coach or mentor, even if it involves being honest and saying tough stuff,” she said.
(09/24/14 10:51pm)
Coming off a startling loss to Connecticut College, the Middlebury women’s soccer team continued their disappointing start to the 2014 NESCAC season this Saturday, Sept. 20 as they fell at home to Bowdoin by a score of 2-1.
Going into the game, the Panthers were looking for an opportunity to turn around their season after a pair of hard-fought losses to conference foes Amherst and Conn. College. A midweek win over regional rival Plattsburgh provided a spurt of momentum that Middlebury brought into the matchup with Bowdoin.
Stout defense enabled the Panthers to play to a scoreless stalemate in the first half against the Polar Bears.
Goalkeeper Kate Reinmuth ’17 saved a trio of shots for Middlebury as both teams struggled to gain an edge in the opening period of play. Both the Panthers and Polar Bears were able to gain a few scoring opportunities in the half, but neither team was able to convert as the game went into halftime scoreless.
In the second half of play, Bowdoin broke through in the 59th minute with a goal from Amanda Kinneston. After Reinmuth made a diving save on a crossing shot from 30 yards out, Kinneston was able to tip the rebound back into the net to give her team the advantage.
Not to be outdone, the Panthers responded with a goal of their own 11 minutes later. After coming in as a substitute, combo forward-midfielder Krystina Reynolds ’17 answered off of a cross from senior Carter Talgo ’15 to tie the game at one apiece and give her team new life with just over 20 minutes left to play.
With the game tied, Bowdoin was able to regain the advantage in the 75th minute on a 20-yard shot from Kiersten Turner. Turner led Bowdoin with a goal and an assist on the day.
Goalie play was again strong on both sides in the game with Bowdoin’s Bridget McCarthy saving five of Middlebury’s six shots on goal. Reinmuth finished with five saves on seven shots faced.
Middlebury outshot Bowdoin on the day 15-13, while the Polar Bears’ single corner kick opportunity in the second half gave them a 3-1 advantage over the Panthers in that facet of play.
Middlebury’s outshooting their opponents regardless of the outcome of the game appears to be a common theme so far this season. With a shooting percentage of .064 as compared to their opponents shooting percentage of .135, finishing the opportunities they’ve created may be a point of emphasis for the team going forward. Only so many of their scoring troubles can be attributed to performance, however, as the Panthers haven’t caught nearly as many breaks as their opponents at this point in the season.
Middlebury resumes its slate of conference competition this Saturday, Sept. 27 when they travel to Colby for a matchup with the host Mules, who enter the game with a 1-3-1 record overall.
(09/24/14 10:48pm)
Saturday, Sept. 20, was in many ways a new era for the Middlebury football program. Following the departure of two-time NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year McCallum Foote ’14 and multiple other players at skill positions – including offensive stalwarts in the pairing of All-NESCAC Tight End Billy Sadik-Khan ’14 and running back Matt Rea ’14 – to graduation, the team inevitably had to move on. In their first opportunity to do so this weekend, the Panthers were unable to capitalize on a fourth-quarter comeback as they fell at home to Wesleyan by a score of 22-14.
Leading the Panther offense at quarterback, having seized the open quarterback position during training camp, Matt Milano ’16 made his first start at quarterback for the Panthers against the highly touted Wesleyan Cardinals.
Following a scoreless first quarter in which the teams traded possession, the game opened up less than a minute into the second quarter when Wesleyan receiver Jay Fabien capped off a 66 yard pitch and catch with a devastating spin move, scoring a touchdown down the left sideline off of a deep throw from quarterback Jesse Warren.
Middlebury would take the following kickoff for a touchback, setting up Middlebury on their own 20. Following a hard Drew Jacobs ’18 run on first down, Milano and the Middlebury offense found a nice groove. Milano found receiver Grant Luna ’17 repeatedly underneath, allowing the athletic Luna to gash the Wesleyan defense on yards after the catch.
Only a minute and fifty-seven seconds after taking possession of the ball, the Panthers drove the length of the field with Milano finding his favorite target Luna on a crossing route on the right side of the end-zone. The sophomore showed nice body-control in getting both feet down for good measure on his touchdown reception, giving him three receptions for 40 yards and the score on that drive alone.
The Cardinals, starting near mid-field after a solid kick return, would drive the remaining 51 yards of the field to score before the half, putting the Cardinals up 13-7. Middlebury’s All-NESCAC linebacker Tim Patricia ’16 was able to block the extra point – shooting through a mess of bodies, Patricia somehow deflected the kick, leading to the impaired kick bouncing harmlessly off the goal post.
Middlebury, receiving at the ball at the beginning of the second half, carried over some momentum in driving the ball up the field against the stout Wesleyan defense. Former Milton Academy standout Jacobs again displayed great patience on the drive in following his blockers in Middlebury’s zone-blocking scheme. Letting Middlebury’s physical interior lineman, including guard Blake Shapskinsky ’15, reach the second level before making his cut, Jacobs ran the play better than any first-year could reasonably be expected to.
The drive would reach an early end with Wesleyan defensive back Jake Bussani robbing Milano of his second touchdown of the day with a spectacular over-the-shoulder interception.
However, Wesleyan would be stonewalled on offense with a three-and-out on the ensuing drive, with middle linebackers Patricia and Addison Pierce ’17 denying the Cardinals offense any room to breathe, making consecutive plays at the line of scrimmage to force the punt.
Trading possession for the rest of the third quarter, disaster struck for Middlebury. Seeing a similar route that previously caught him off guard, Wesleyan defensive back Justin Sanchez jumped Milano’s throw, taking the ensuing pick 41 yards to the end zone for the
touchdown to put Wesleyan up 19-7. Following another missed extra point, the Cardinals would stay put at 19 points.
The two picks in the third quarter from Milano and running back Jacobs’ being shaken up caused the Middlebury offense to sputter briefly to open the fourth quarter, and the first few drives proving unproductive. The Middlebury defense, however, galvanized the offense with a goal-line stand following a huge punt return from Wesleyan captain Donnie Cimino. Despite starting on the Middlebury 10, Wesleyan was unable to reach the end zone and settled for a field goal to make their lead 22-7.
On the ensuing drive, Milano rebounded, finding Luna again underneath for 25 yards before finding the agile Ryan Rizzo ’17 for a nine-yard touchdown strike to cap off a 10-play, 64-yard drive and make the score 22-14, late in the fourth quarter.
With the game now only one possession and the Middlebury offense executing at a high level, a comeback now seemed inevitable.
True to its form all day, the Middlebury defense did more than its part following the kickoff, forcing a three and out, punctuated by a third-down sack from defensive end Jake Clapp ’16.
With Wesleyan pinned deep in their own territory for the punt, a good return would have given the Middlebury offense more than a fighting chance of equalizing the score and forcing overtime.
However, a heartbreaking run into the punter penalty flag gave the Cardinals a first down with only minutes left on the clock. Middlebury, with no timeouts, could do nothing as Wesleyan took a knee to drain the clock to zero.
While the loss was painful, Middlebury should go into next week’s game against Colby feeling confident about the future of their young team, particularly with respect to their defensive play. Wesleyan, perhaps the premier offensive team in the NESCAC, looked uncomfortable all day against the stout Panther defense.
Gil Araujo ’16 played a great ballgame at the three-technique defensive tackle spot, maintaining gap control when needed to free up the talented linebackers behind him, but more impressively showing great quickness in being an agitator up front. Araujo and linemate Clapp were in the Wesleyan backfield seemingly all afternoon, limiting the potent Wesleyan running game to less than yards per carry.
Similarly, the Middlebury defensive backs played a fine ballgame, especially when coming up in run support. The group was anchored by the play of free safety Matt Benedict ’15, who led all players in tackles. Corner Nate Leedy ’17 proved himself to be worthy of his reputation as one of the NESCAC’s best at the position, playing a physical bump and run style defense against the Wesleyan receivers and absolutely punishing a Wesleyan receiver who had the misfortune of going over the middle on him near the end of the first half.
On offense, Milano made a fine first start at the quarterback position, being thrown into the fire against a strong defense and showing a great rapport with receiver Luna.
On the offensive line, right tackle Danny Finta ’15 proved himself worthy of a starting spot, largely neutralizing Nik Powers, Wesleyan’s 6’7” 260-pound All-NESCAC defensive end. Finta battled Powers all day, taking any opportunity to both agitate and drive his opponent into the ground- resulting in a visibly frustrated the Weselyan defensive end.
Perhaps the top highlight for Middlebury, however, was the play of first-year running back Jacobs, whose feel for the position was apparent throughout the game as he brought a level of athleticism that has not been seen in the Panther backfield in years. Jacobs kept the Wesleyan linebacking corps on their heels with his downfield vision and knack for making significant yardage out of nothing.
Particularly given the shortened length of the NESCAC season, a loss is far from ideal for the Panthers football squad, but the team played the game with an impressive physical presence that should worry future opponents.
Middlebury travels to Colby this Saturday, Sept. 27 to face off with the Mules. Colby, 32-7 losers to NESCAC contender Trinity this past weekend, will provide a litmus test for the Panthers as they aim to show that they can contend for the conference title again this year.
With one loss already to their record, the Panthers cannot afford another on their quest for the NESCAC crown.
(09/24/14 8:33pm)
On Sept. 8, The Upshot, a New York Times blog, published a ranking entitled “The Most Economically Diverse Top Colleges,” where Middlebury College placed 51st. Five NESCAC schools, Amherst, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Williams and Hamilton were in the top 50, while Middlebury was between peers Carleton and Bates.
The ranking compared 100 colleges with four year graduation rates above 75 percent. These colleges tend to be sound investments for the majority of low-income students attending, according to the article.
The schools’ levels of economic diversity were determined using a College Access Index, calculated using two statistics. The first was the percentage of the freshman class who come from low-income families, measured by the number receiving a Pell grant. The second was the average net price for students whose families earn between $30,000 and $48,000 a year. Of the schools assessed, the College was ranked 75th for percentage of freshman with Pell grants and 33rd for net price. Generally, households in the bottom 40 percent of income distribution qualify for Pell Grants. According to The Upshot, the College’s average percentage of grant receiving freshman from 2012- 2014 was 13 percent.
Dean of Admissions Greg Buckles said in an email, “Middlebury welcomes any national conversation that puts creating access to college at the fore- front.” However, he also sees a flaw in rankings’ methodology.
“Personally, I have mixed feelings about the emphasis on Pell grants as a way to measure access. It’s a very blunt instrument that The New York Times in particular has seized upon as a standard,” he said.
He cited international students that the college funds who would otherwise be eligible for Pell grants and undocumented students who are also not ac- counted for in this way as examples of the faults in the system.
Buckles prompted questions regarding the credibility of the process. “Are students whose families may make just a few hundred dollars above the level of Pell Grant eligibility somehow not worthy of ‘counting’ as being socio-economically diverse? Should we be selecting one candidate over another, who may come from similarly disadvantaged circumstances, because one would technically be Pell-eligible and one wouldn’t?” he said.
Middlebury is also one of the few schools that is need-blind in its admissions policies for domestic applicants that also meets 100 percent of dem- onstrated need. Middlebury also does not practice needaffirmative policies, whereby a college identifies applicants who have a high level of need, in this case, Pell-level need, during the application process before making admissions decisions, Buckles said.
The College is still recovering from the effects of the recession. There are some realities that must be observed, according to Buckles. “Middlebury needs to be cognizant of its financial responsibilities and operate in such a way that it balances both its commitment to the public good and its commitment to longterm fiscal security,” he said.
On the whole, diversity is on the rise at top colleges, according to The Upshot. One metric that the ranking provides for context is the change in percentage of students receiving Pell grants. In the last four years the College has increased the share of incoming freshman with Pell grants from 10 percent to 13 percent. This year’s first year class has the highest ever percentages of first-generation college students, students of color, students receiving financial aid and students receiving Pell grants in the College’s history.
