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(02/21/08 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] Sex sells - and "Let's Talk About Sex" month, sponsored by the Office of Health and Wellness and a slew of on campus organizations, knows it. Boasting events as diverse as discussions about the College's hook up culture, performances of "The Vagina Monologues" and speed dating, the month-long focus on sex has generated unexpected interest among students on campus. Trumping the admittedly cynical outlook of editors seasoned to expect low turnout, students rallied for a raucous sex toy workshop and to cheer on their classmates in a Middlebury reenactment of "The Dating Game."Middlebury students are largely an inhibited - and overextended - crowd. What prompted students so often paralyzed by an insurmountable work load and even more insurmountable social anxieties to embrace these events? On one level, the apparent success of the month's events is rooted in what can only be deemed a hunger to candidly discuss relationships and sex. But the College plays host to any number of thought-provoking lectures and symposia in any given term. What brought flocks of students to the Grille to listen to the "Date Doctor" while seats sit too often empty in lecture halls?Aside from an interest in sex, the month's events point to an even stronger desire among students: the desire for a sense of daring that the traditional approach to symposia rarely provide. In putting together a remarkably well-balanced docket of events, the love fest's organizers managed to both educate and entertain. Speakers invited to campus have proven racy but also thought provoking, and some events - speed dating and "The Dating Game" leap to mind - have been fun for the sake of fun. Even in these early days of the semester, the respite from strictly academic work is refreshing.As Winter Carnival, ensconced in talk of revived traditions, knocks at our doors, and as its odd neighbor the student research symposium looms in the distance, the lesson to learn from "Let's Talk About Sex" month has less to do with sex and more to do with talking. The sense of play that the Office of Health and Wellness (and the students and organizers working in conjunction with the office) have brought to the table this month is worth imitating - in both the expected realm of the Carnival festivities and in the uncommon ring of academia. Of course, in the short term, let's talk about sex. In the waning days of February, a condom party, "gender neutral" Blind Date Dolci and lecture by sex educator Jay Friedman round out the month's events.
(02/14/08 12:00am)
Author: Grace Duggan This Winter Term, Visiting Professor of Theatre Alex Draper '88 took a page from his own acting past - he chose to direct "St. Crispin's Day," a sharp and bitingly witty antiwar comedy in which he played Henry almost five years ago. On its most basic level, playwright Matt Pepper's "St. Crispin's Day" explores the effects of war on the psyches of its participants. Veiled by bawdy and clever dialogue and humorous sight gags, the work develops an antiwar message and raises serious questions as to the relationship between human nature and violence. The entire play takes place over the course of one night in rural France in 1415, hours before the Battle of Agincourt. The play's title refers to the feast day of Crispin (Oct. 25th), a Catholic saint. Pepper drew on the work of William Shakespeare, specifically "Henry IV, Part I," "Henry IV, Part II" and "Henry V," especially for forming the basis of multiple characters. "I did quite a bit of research on all of the characters," said Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki '08, who received 700 credit for the production in his role as Nym. "Most were just small characters [in Shakespeare's works], but Pepper paid careful attention to them when creating his own versions. It was interesting to see what he changed and what he left the same to please any Shakespeare fanatics in the audience." In the opening scene we meet Bardolph (Alec Strum '08), Nym (Tirrell-Wysocki) and Pistol (Peter Hoffman '10), a trio of hilariously asinine dolts who care more about placing added money in their pockets than in their allegiance to King Henry V (Will Damron '09). When Bardolph and Nym are not busy planning to loot a nearby church they occupy themselves by unleashing a steady stream of anti-Irish slurs directed at the brooding Irish conscript Will (John Glouchevitch '10.5) punctuated by pseudo-philosophical statements and crass sexual innuendos. Their views on the world clash with those of Tom (Jimmy Wong '09.5), a young na've soldier who falls for Maryanne (Stephanie Spencer '09), a French prostitute brought into the camp by Bardolph and Nym. Along with Hoffman, Strum and Tirrell-Wysocki stole the show and quickly established themselves as the comedic backbones of the play. Their obvious enjoyment of the humor to be found through physical comedy along the lines of the Three Stooges and Monty Python as well as in Pepper's lines themselves proved fresh and magnetic throughout the night. No other moment of physical comedy in the play came even close to the scene during which Bardolph and Nym explained how to have sex to two French prostitutes (Martha Newman '10, Spencer) by vigorously pantomiming multiple positions. "That sex gag that you saw in the show was basically how we did it the first time in rehearsal," said Strum. "We added one more position later on, I think, and the props gave us some extra stuff to play around with when we got them, but basically, we found that stuff pretty quickly. Pepper wrote the gag well."Although the crux of the production rested on hitting the comedic marks, the cast also excelled at conveying its more serious elements. The night before the battle, Tom finds himself openly admitting his fears of war and discussing what it means to live as a soldier with his captain, Fluellen (Sasha Hirsch '10.5). After Fluellen likened Tom's skin to "a crisp summer peach" and provoked a sparring match, the scene took an extremely graphic turn with Fluellen attempting to rape Tom. The play had added poignancy and relevance given the United States' controversial approach to foreign policy. Pepper, who actually came to Middlebury to see the performance as well as meet with the cast, alluded to this as a key motivation for writing "St. Crispin's Day."Said Strum, "[Pepper] started writing the play right around the time we were getting ready to go into Iraq. He wanted to write a war play, but he said he knew it needed to be funny. He said something I agree with, which is that very few writers can get away with being serious and didactic. If you've got something heavy to say, you've got to say it with comedy, because otherwise nobody's going to listen." This approach to addressing a serious topic like war and violence allowed both the actors to create and the audience to enjoy this fun, lively and thought-provoking work.
(02/14/08 12:00am)
Author: H. Kay Merriman Countless columnists of The Campus have lamented Middlebury's lack of a dating scene, and students of all grades and sexual orientations express that the student population is generally uninterested in long-term relationships. During orientation for the class of 2010, a residential advisor announced to the audience of eager Cook Commons first-years that this college is not the place to find love, but sex. It is true. Middlebury students are not commonly seen taking each other out on dates, but in spite of this, some couples do make it work. In the spirit of Valentine's Day and with the hope of proving that romance is not dead at Middlebury College, I caught up with three of the College's more well-known couples to see how they began and maintain their relationships on a seemingly unsupportive campus.Heather Harken '08 and Ted Parker '08, or "Teather" as some call them, would first like to clear the air about how their relationship began. Parker recounted that their class was the first to have access to Facebook before coming to school, allowing students to befriend their future dormmates as a way to get to know them. "We talked a lot on Facebook, but not romantically," said Harken, debunking the myth that the two started dating online. Harken and Parker then launched into what they affectionately refer to as "the coffee story" or the true beginning of their three-and-a-half-year relationship at Middlebury. "Remember the square dance the second night of orientation?" Harken said with a sly smile. She recalled awaking the following morning to find a note from Parker on her white board inviting her to come up for coffee. Over the next two weeks, the two spent a lot of time together and quickly became best friends before deciding to date. They admit that their situation is unique."We both showed up like every other freshman, not looking for a relationship," said Parker."We really have no idea how this happened," added Harken.Jackie Montagne '09 and Roger Perreault '09 also arrived at Middlebury without any dating aspirations. Montagne was still going out with someone from home, but was intrigued when she met another tall redhead on the first day of school. They bonded all of spring semester, but it was not until October of their sophomore year that they took their relationship to the next level. During Fall Break, Montagne had devised a large scavenger hunt of poems by international authors in the library for Perreault to complete."The country of origin of each author corresponded to a code that said 'meet me at the covered bridge at midnight,'" Perreault recalled."…and on the covered bridge at midnight I said, 'let's make this official,'" said Montagne, completing the story.When asked how they maintain a relationship with such a complex beginning, Montagne responded, "Roger really lightens me up. I love that I can be myself, the insane Jackie that everyone knows and loves, around him."Perreault simply said, "She's really attractive."Chris Abbott '07.5 was initially drawn to Courtney Tabor '09 for the same reason. "We met at Courtney's first Chamber Singers rehearsal her freshman year, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Lucky for me she didn't notice," Abbott said. He invited Tabor on a walk around campus on the first Friday night. After talking with her on the steps of Mead Chapel that evening, Abbott realized how much he enjoyed her company and later wrote her a note in Braille inviting her on a second date. "The rest is history," he said.The stories of the couples' initial meetings are heart-warming, but it obviously takes more than a cup of coffee, a scavenger hunt or a nice note to sustain a serious college relationship. All three couples emphasized the importance of leaving campus. "A lot of students don't utilize the town and Burlington," commented Perreault. He and Montagne enjoy hiking together. Parker and Harken cited Black Sheep Bistro, Starry Night Café and even the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory as some of their favorite destination dates. "Neither one of us believes in Proctor dates," said Parker. He and Harken complained that when friends see them alone at a dining hall table, they assume that they are on a date and will not sit down with them.Abbott acknowledged that dating outside of the dining halls is a significant time commitment to add to an already busy schedule. Time, the couples agreed, is one of the largest factors preventing students from dating."There simply is way too much happening at Midd to try and date," said Abbott. "We have made a decision to make time for each other as well as the other priorities in our life."Perreault noted that time spent with a significant other is never time wasted. "Middlebury students have such drive to succeed in an American individual sense that it's hard to conform to someone else," he explained. "It's seen as a detriment to succeeding, but they don't realize that it's exactly the opposite - it's really valuable."Perreault and Montagne can attest that the value of their relationship lasts through the harsh winter weather. They shared a story of Perreault losing Montagne's Valentine's Day card near Twilight Hall in the blizzard last year. In April, Montagne discovered the card, in perfect condition, in a pile of melted snow. "If that's not meant to be, I don't know what is," she said.Hopefully, with the examples of Harken and Parker, Tabor and Abbott, and Perreault and Montagne, Middlebury's dating scene will be able to weather the storm like Perreault's lost valentine.
(01/24/08 12:00am)
Author: Sage Bierster There are times in life when you just have to call it quits. This applies to a lot of things: sports teams, smoking, jobs and procrastinating from writing my thesis, just to name a few. I'm not an authority on any of these subjects (and seriously need to consider the last one), but I can write about what to do when that special someone, whether it's a hook-up or your significant other, no longer does it for you. Sometimes one person is to blame, but in many cases it just boils down to chemistry: either there's a good reaction, a bad one or none at all. Why is it so hard for us to realize and admit when we have made a mistake, when the sex isn't what you expected or when the relationship turns sour? I think it has a lot to do with expectations: as human beings and as overachievers, Middlebury students want to have it all. We want good sex, we want good relationships and we don't want anyone to see us fail at either. Of course it doesn't constitute failure when things don't turn out the way you want them to - it just feels like it. What it comes down to, then, is learning to let go. Sometimes we hold on to other people because the memories and feelings associated with them make us feel good even when they no longer give us pleasure. This is why so many of us stay in bad relationships and have mediocre sex: we expected something else, something breathtaking. So you stay and fight all the time with that boyfriend because he used to make you laugh, or you sleep with a girl you have wanted for months even though it's the worst sex you've ever had. Part of what keeps us going is the hope that things will get better, but mostly we just don't want to give up on something that once made us so blithely happy. I am a believer in breaking up, in letting go and moving on. I have come to accept the fact that almost every relationship has an expiration date and most hook-ups should never happen again, even if you're desperate (unfortunately, the one thing that doesn't last long enough on this campus is the boys. Note: I didn't say "men" on purpose). More important than just admitting it to yourself is being honest with the other person. Nothing hurts more than being lied to or kept in the dark by your partner. Even if its just a hook up, it feels better to know that you're just not that into me than to run into each other on campus and pretend like we didn't see each other naked that one time. The same can be said for college: you have to know when its time to leave, and you can't dwell on how great it was. It's over and that's ok. I'm graduating in a week; the SexSage needs new material and a bigger research site. Middlebury has been a great experience for me and I have so many wonderful memories that I will carry with me always, but I accept that it is time to move on. I was that into you, but it's over now - I think we should see other people. Thanks for reading.
(01/10/08 12:00am)
Author: Douglas Sisson "Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me sometime?" A simple question with various interpretations and unfortunately as close as it gets to a formal date here at Middlebury College. Even then, how many of you can claim to have actually gotten this far? Exactly. As full-time students attending a small liberal arts college in rural Vermont, meeting new people is limited by place and opportunity.Dating takes time. A student's academic workload is the number one priority. Next, athletics, wellness, clubs, activities and sleep each compete for an already limited amount of time. We are human beings with basic sexual and emotional needs. Thus, dating is an investment of time with the prospect of establishing either a regular physical rendezvous or an emotionally engaging relationship. Each is a viable option and actively pursued by students here at the College. The only problem is that, while everyone considers dating, few people actually do it.Without a city nearby, our attention is almost exclusively focused inward upon the College. As if the pickings were not slim enough, the Faculty Council is considering a new policy aimed at prohibiting sexual relations between students and faculty. However, our administration cannot control our minds, so feel free to continue fantasizing about your favorite professors during class.So where do students meet people to date? Parties and mutual friends are common ways to meet new people. Showing interest in someone from across a room typically involves excessive body language, strategic glances and flirting. Consuming alcohol is an effective social lubricant at this point because it lowers one's inhibitions. Still, the relentless game of hard-to-get makes trying to get a simple point across - "I want to make-out with you" - an anxiety-producing labyrinth with little hope of any clear or definitive answer.Fear of rejection is what keeps people from verbally expressing interest in one another. As a result, dining halls become havens for curious stares while mutual friends serve as unofficial liaisons in a relentless game of triangulation. This is cute in moderation but after awhile I just want to say: "Will you two just sleep with each other already!"A Facebook friend request is an efficient and private method of showing interest in someone. In fact, I'd argue that online communication - e-mail, Facebook, AIM - is the most clear-cut and effective technique of getting an immediate response to see if your prospective crush sees you as someone on their platonic radar. Accepting someone as a friend does not mean you want to sleep with them. Overtly flirting with someone is less stressful when two people are at least 'friends' on Facebook. Poking someone on Facebook is always an option but its meaning is somewhat vague. Here's a better idea: walk up to the person you are interested in and actually have a conversation with them face-to-face.Assuming the person is at least somewhat interested in you, the places and opportunities to go on a date are still limited. A close friend of mine once asked a crush to go "feed the horses" with her as an alternative to a date. I'd personally rather be riding the horses with a picnic basket and expertly chosen wine. One can dream, right? Either way, a creative date has the potential to reap greater benefits.Dating is not necessary in one's undergraduate career. After all, students can choose to take the advice of the SNL Spartan cheerleaders: "Sex can wait, just masturbate!" And for those hoping to intimately cuddle with someone, you're probably better off sleeping with a stuffed animal. Still, it is a new year. Why not channel the energy used to explore online pornography and ask someone out on an alternative date? Of course, you might want to buy a bigger mattress before getting rid of your stuffed animal.Douglas Sisson '07.5 is an International Studies/Latin America major from Oak Brook, Ill.
(01/10/08 12:00am)
Author: Features Editors Middlebury's own Rachel Ann Cole '08 was featured prominently in the inaugural episode of The Learning Channel's "Miss America: Reality Check" last Sunday. Crowned Miss Vermont this fall, Cole, along with the 51 other Miss America contenders, is being put to the test on national television each Friday at 10 p.m. Eastern time on TLC between now and the national compeition to be held on Jan. 26 in Las Vegas. Last week's premiere proved a bizarrely enticing addition to the average Midd-kid's reality T.V. diet, though the show's host lacked the pizzazz Tyra Banks or Heidi Klum bring to the screen in our favorite reality additions. (Make it work, designers.) In an oddly earnest twist, contestents were forced to sit down and talk about some very real issues. The women discussed premarital sex, gay marriage and abortions, among other topics. While the majority of the contestents reflected conservative beliefs, Cole expressed refreshingly honest and well-thought-out responses, ones that stood out against the general tone of the discussions. At the conclusion of the show, the judges selected six of the 52 women, highlighting who they deemed to be the "top three" and the "bottom three." Cole was one of the initial six selected, and it was not until being critiqued and complimented by the judges that she found herself labeled as one of the "bottom three." She was critcized for her lack of desire in the compeition, and later revealed in an exclusive interview that at times she questioned herself, and whether or not she fit in with the other women who were constantly applying make-up and were less academically oriented. The judges, however, also highlighted many of Cole's characteristics as refreshing and new - and emphasized, to the delight of Middlebury students cheering on their peer, that they saw something in her they did not see in any of the other candidates. While seeing one of their own on TV was the main attraction for most of us, there was more to the show than just seeing Cole. TLC called in the actors from the show "What Not to Wear" to review the women's fashion. In an odd mash-up of reality genres, and channeling "Survivor" challenges, and at one point the show had them all competing in an obstacle course. All in all, though "Reality Check" belongs firmly in that category of "reality television you'll never admit to watching, let alone enjoying," the show makes for a perfect Winter Term indulgence.Cole is hoping to be the first Miss Vermont to be voted into the Top 15 at the National Competition. The contestant with the most votes during the TLC special will receive an automatic bid into the top 15. You can vote at www.tlc.com/missamerica in her support.
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] Twist O'Wool GuildWhat is your skill level in constructing and decorating drop spindles, making knitted I-cord candy canes and weaving heart ornaments. Up to par? No? Mmm, yeah, that's what we thought. Good thing the American Legion is holding Christmas mini-workshops on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at their location on Boardman Street. Remedy your lack of holiday craft saviness, and drop off some hats, mittens and scarfs for the American Legion Children's Christmas Party while you're there.Otter Creek Brewing Art OpeningLocal cheese. Snazzy art. Free beer. Any objections? Head on over to Otter Creek Brewing on Exchange Street on Dec. 7 from 5-6 p.m. for an art opening featuring artist Karrie Root. In case Vermont Smoke and Cure sausage and pepperoni isn't enough to lure you, snag Rural Vermont's latest cookbook along the way, featuring local ingredients and benefitting a non-profit organization dedicated to healthy communities. For more information, call 388-0727.Lights of Love Lighting Don't let your precious pooch or favorite feline be neglected in the midst of all of this holiday cheer - the token dog bone wrapped in a ribbon simply will not do. On Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m., the Addison County Human Society will hold an open house and ceremony to honor family pets. The requisite hot chocolate, snacks, bonfire and, yes, Christmas carols will all be provided (and your pet goldfish will stop pouting glumly at you through the glass of its dusty bowl - well, maybe). For more information, call 388-1100.Night Fires in BristolCelebrate the winter solstice in a modern incarnation with roots in ancient traditions. On Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m., Holley Hall in Bristol will hold its "Night Fires" event, comprised by an opera interspersed with poetry, dance and, organizers claim, "color, image and spirit." Get there early to pay admission and enjoy the pre-show singers. For more information, call 863-1024 or send an e-mail to soverby@sover.net."Love, Sex and the IRS" ...... a blend only feasible, it would seem, within the bounds of the Vergennes Opera House. See if the show - which details the misadventures of a scheming man so intent on saving money on taxes that he poses as another man's wife - is as intriguing as its title suggests. Showings are at 8 p.m. on Dec. 13-15. Tickets, which are $10 for students, may be purchased online at www.flynntix.org or by calling 802-863-5966.
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: Emily Feldman Anyone who has experienced American society during the last 20 years has been affected by and possibly inundated with representations of our cultural obsession with sex, violence and celebrity. var uslide_show_id = "b9eddff6-1fda-4f0d-a9a5-3a6e97fb5cdc";var slideshowwidth = "468";var linktext = "";In her darkly comic play "After Ashley," which opened Thursday, Dec. 16th in the Hepburn Zoo, playwright Gina Gionfriddo addresses the extent to which modern media juxtaposes private and public spheres of existence and creates popular entertainment by manipulating dark realities to emphasize their inherent theatricality. The play was presented as the senior work of Himali Soin '08 and MacLeod Andrews '07.5. Under Soin's insightful and deliberate direction, the cast of "After Ashley" explored the story of a father, Alden Hammond, and his son Justin, played with precision and sensitivity by Alec Strum '08 and Andrews respectively, as they navigate a media frenzy in the wake of Justin's mother's violent murder. While the narrative of the play is simple and linear, many of the characters Gionfriddo presents are markedly nuanced. In a witty and well-paced opening scene, Judith Dry's '09 portrayal of Justin's Mother, Ashley - an emotionally-isolated talk show therapist (Schuyler Beeman '10) disciple who admittedly enjoys marijuana and hates children, set the ironic tone that reverberated through the remaining two hours of the play. Ashley energetically confides in fourteen-year-old Justin with an anxious, teenage sensibility that stands in contrast to Justin's rationality and pronounced maturity. Things begin to take a turn for the satirical when Alden arrives home with the introduction of a homeless person he has hired as a handyman, who later becomes Ashley's murderer. The earnest performances in the opening scene, however, grounded the play in a naturalism that prevented its essence from slipping into complete satirical parody. Justin comes of age with a strong sense of sarcasm as well as a recalcitrant bitterness towards his father, who encouraged by a sycophantic, manipulative TV personality (played with terrifying straightness by John Glouchevitch '10.5), capitalizes on the buzz the murder creates. Andrews seemed wholly at home in his role as the play's the most consistent character, struggling against a landscape filled with hypocrites and aggressive exploiters. Only Julie (Justine Katzenbach '08.5) and Ashley, the two female characters, come close to matching Justin's naturalistic believability. "I wanted [all of] the characters to believe in their objectives, so that it is in this earnestness that the satire lays, rather than the characters themselves being the satire," Soin said.Indeed, the tone of the action and diction, especially in the second half of the play, straddles the fine line between realism and parody. As the play progresses, the distinctions in ways characters present themselves in the media and in "real" life become increasingly murky. Directorial choices, such as marking spatial distinctions between off camera and on camera worlds, were helpful in shaping the audience's perception of the humanity beneath a persona, or in the case of certain characters, the lack there of. Carefully crafted design elements highlighted by a brilliantly mixed recording of a rap-song incorporating Justin's infamous "911" call (sound designed by Thompson Davis '08) as well as a smoke-filled, green hued, "reenactment" of Ashley's attack (lighting designed by Ross Bell '10) fostered a sense of American popular culture that felt strangely organic to the increasingly fantastical world of the play. Andrews first encountered "After Ashley" at the 2003 Actor's Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival of New American Plays, where Jessie Hooker '02 originated the role of Justin. "Having just been accepted at Middlebury, I arranged to meet Jesse after the show for a chat. By way of him, this was my first experience of Middlebury Theatre, and it feels right for it to bookend my time here," notes Andrews. "After Ashley" may end on an ambiguous emotional note, and it may not be sure of its place in the vast realm between drama and farce, but there is something uniquely exciting about young, talented actors, directors and designers examining together a text that deals exclusively in contemporary references to a world that they have all experienced firsthand. The success of this production was measured in the sometimes stifled and sometimes deeply articulated guffaws emanating from the Hepburn Zoo as audiences reacted to a meticulously crafted stage world representing tenets of American popular culture extended to logical extremes. Or is that what we would like to think?
(12/06/07 12:00am)
Author: H. Kay Merriman A few weeks ago, during lunch, a friend of mine performed a monologue that he had been writing and rehearsing for a class. The speech described different moments in his life in which he had been ridiculed, rejected or simply sad. His words were raw, real and deeply personal. I was near tears over my Proctor salad. I wanted to probe, to ask questions, to continue the experience - but instead, after sharing a brief but powerful moment, we scurried off to our respective schoolwork and activities. When I got back to my room, I asked my roommate how often do we experience true emotion at Middlebury? When do we take the time to reflect on past experiences and how we have dealt with them? Do Middlebury students have soul?On Nov. 29, former Dean of Harvard College Harry Lewis spoke to an overflowing room of Middlebury students, faculty and staff about his book "Excellence Without a Soul: Does Liberal Arts Education Have a Future?" The book explores the current trend among universities of emphasizing academic achievement over personal growth. According to Lewis, universities have lost sight of "the big point of undergraduate education." Lewis compared the collegiate education system to a large shopping mall."You are required to buy something from every store, but that's not the way to come out well-dressed," Lewis said.In Lewis' opinion, there are a number of factors contributing to the decline of liberal arts institutions. These problems include placing a greater value on "intelligence," as opposed to true "wisdom." At the same time, he believes that universities have a tendency to appease students, even if academic standards must be sacrificed in the process. Lewis attributes a lot of these problems to the increase in research funding for sciences after World War II. As a result of the funding increase, universities are now judged on the quality of research they produce instead of the quality of the overall academic experience. Although only research universities received this funding, liberal arts colleges, according to Lewis, are also altering their priorities. Lewis referred to the lack of "instructional" teaching and the propensity to focus on "educational" teaching that largely benefits only students who pursue a career in academia."There is little reward for thinking holistically," Lewis said.Lewis also noted that the faculty, or the administration's choice of faculty, are largely responsible for the changing focus and environment of a college. He pointed to 1970s as an era in which women, Jews, homosexuals and African-Americans, among others, were denied jobs purely because of their sex, lifestyle or ethnicity. The effort to end discrimination by depersonalizing the criteria for judgment, in Lewis' opinion, also ended the evaluation of professors' integrity.College Professor of Humanities John McWilliams left Lewis' lecture somewhat unsatisfied."It was an engaging title for a lecture that proved to be incisive in defining current problems in academia, but quite lacking, even timid, in proposing any solutions for them," McWilliams said.Lewis did not offer any possible remedies in his lecture, but instead reiterated that the lack of "soul" at liberal arts schools is the reflection on the universities' internal structures. "I don't hold students responsible for anything," Lewis said. "If they are not doing something right, it is because they are reacting to flaws in the system."This comment drew criticism from many audience members."I was surprised and dismayed by Lewis' belief that the moral climate among adolescents was solely the product of institutional competition and bad moral exemplars among teaching staff," Lauren Vollmer '10 said. "To refuse to hold young people accountable for their moral failings is equivalent to simultaneously denying them adult status and preventing them from achieving it."Ari Silverman '09 also thinks that students are responsible for their own "soul," or lack thereof."I feel like students at Midd are sometimes too turbo and don't stop to breathe and appreciate the present moment," Silverman said. He also noted the importance of an administration that consults students before making changes that could impact students' personal lives. "Decisions concerning student life need to be made by the College community as a whole rather than by the ruling oligarchy of the administration," Silverman said, citing the changes to the residential life staff this year as an example of this type of decision.Has Middlebury lost its soul? If so, what can we do to ensure that it is recovered? Visiting Assistant Professor of English and American Literatures James Berg believed that both students and faculty should actively engage in maintaining Middlebury's "soul.""Liberal education should never be presented primarily as something to be bought and sold," said Berg. "It should be considered a duty to the larger public, a civic duty for both students and teachers." "As for Middlebury itself," he continued, "I am hopeful. I am relatively new here, but I believe that, at my first faculty meeting a little over a year ago, I heard our administration repeatedly articulate a commitment to such principles."
(11/29/07 12:00am)
Author: Alexandra Garcia Gender violence should be on the hot list this week. There are those posters with Middlebury quotes, the posters with sexual violence statistics and a few Feminists all up in arms over the "insensitive" op-ed response to the posters. But what's the big deal? Hasn't anybody noticed that according to our own Public Safety, there is almost no sexual violence in this community? You might find this surprising - there is a long-standing debate in academic and political circles concerning the existence of "rape-free" societies - but Middlebury is apparently close to nullifying this debate. The Clery Act of 1992 states that all cases "reported to campus security or local law police agencies" must "be open to public inspection within two business days of the initial report being made." At the average college, one in four female students will, at some time, be the victim of rape or attempted rape according to the U.S. Department of Justice in 2003. That's 35 victims for every 1,000 college women in a single academic year according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2000. Yet, the statistics say Midd doesn't have this problem. According to the College's public records, since the beginning of 2005 there have only been two cases of sexual harassment and not a single case of rape. Perhaps even more amazing is how quickly Middlebury has arrived at this almost utopian state. Middlebury was not always perfect. In 1988 the College formed the Committee on Attitudes Towards Gender in response to a mutilated effigy of a female body hung from a fraternity balcony. The committee collected information from surveys, informal discussions and even quotes from parties and dining halls to analyze gender attitudes on campus. Now, I don't know about you, but I thought that the part about collecting campus quotes was interesting because as James O'Brien says, dining hall quotes "have nothing to do with sexual violence." So, why would the committee use informal social language as a means of identifying "problem areas?" Obviously things were different back then. What people said reflected how they thought. But we're pretty lucky, because today at Middlebury, as the campus records show, there is no link between violent language recorded on posters and the actual physical experience of the student body. Middlebury didn't even have to follow the recommendations of the Committee for the problems of the 1980's to disappear - they did not make a standing committee on gender issues or a comprehensive follow-up study. The administration did organize a Task Force on the Status of Women six years later, but the study must not have been very important because the College again put off the recommended follow-up study for another 10 years.So what has the College done to achieve this unprecedented sexual violence-free status? To see how Middlebury differs from rape-prone societies, let's consider some sociological data. Rape-prone communities are marked by indiscriminate use of language referring to women in derogatory sexual terms ("sluts", "bitches", etc.), use of pornography to learn about sex, homophobic attitudes and measuring masculinity through sexual conquest. Well, as we know from those posters, women are referred to as "sluts" and "bitches," pornography is so acceptable at this educational institution that it is officially supported at commons-sponsored parties, homophobic attitudes have always been an unspoken issue and have become increasingly public in the past two semesters, and, back to those informal conversations, is sexual conquest a bragging point for the guys? I'll let you answer that.Okay, so maybe we don't neatly counter the definition of rape-prone societies, but maybe the College is doing something else. Maybe it's magic. Yes, I think that must be it. That must be it, because we have all the indicators suggesting there should be at least average levels of sexual violence, but the statistics given to us and to prospective students say that at Middlebury we are the magic community free of the ugly little problems that affect the rest of the U.S. If, perhaps, the College's administration forgot to report an incidence here and there, who can blame them? As I've heard members of the administration suggest - I know this is hearsay, but this is also an op-ed - if students don't report problems of harassment, it's our own fault. Never mind that many victims feel ashamed because of stigmas and guilt, or that one of the major detriments to student reports, according to a 2005 federal report, was college drinking policies - talk to any senior about the increased severity of the drinking policy over those same three years that the sexual violence numbers have been at about zero. After 10 years, another report has been commissioned by the Task Force on the Status of Women. But it seems when it comes to sexual violence their work will be light - since according to Middlebury it doesn't exist.Alexandra Garcia '08 is from Malibu, Calif.
(11/29/07 12:00am)
Author: Sage Bierster Oral sex is like playing a sport - some people are naturals, most are amateurs, while others are so afraid they'll drop the ball they never step onto the field. Perhaps its because you were picked last in grade school or were indoor kids, but some of you at Middlebury and beyond are sitting on the sidelines refusing to participate. And beneath every "I'm not into it," or "I just don't like it" lurk other reasons why certain men and women don't practice oral sex. For some, it's because you are embarrassed about your body, about how it smells or tastes or looks naked, or perhaps you feel self-conscious about your lack of experience or copious amounts thereof. None of these, however, should keep you from experiencing something as pleasurable as cunnilingus and fellatio. Before you make everything more complicated with sex, going down is a good way to get comfortable with yourself, your partner and with bodily functions - queefs, anyone? It's a wonderful exercise in concentration on each other's needs and preferences. Honestly, your partner probably doesn't notice and does not care if you have strange body hair patterns or use too much teeth. Well, maybe they do care about the teeth thing, but think of it this way - you're having sex with this person. You're naked together and having intercourse, so how could you possibly think that your partner would make fun of you for your body or inexperience, or find you unattractive? If they do, you shouldn't be sleeping with them, and probably are for all the wrong reasons. I would hope that you're comfortable with them and that you trust them if you are willing to be so exposed with them. After all, you chose to have sex with them, and they you - so don't be shy. Even if you are a virgin or haven't had sex with that particular person, you're still in a sexual relationship with him or her - all of the above still applies to you. Unless the person you are hooking-up with or dating is completely selfish and immature, he or she is there with you because you are attracted to each other. Since we've established that your fears are probably ungrounded and mostly come from very human insecurities that everyone experiences, what's to be done? I say give oral sex chance or at least try it again before you write it off altogether. It can be a wonderful way to help overcome many of these issues. Your face is in their crotch, their face is in yours, so you better get comfortable with yourselves pretty quick. And just in case you didn't notice, genitals are some of the craziest looking, smelling, tasting and acting things you will ever come across, and everyone has them. Yes, there are liquids and hairs and odd shapes - it's a jungle down there. So? Instead of hovering above the canopy, why not go exploring down below? The more you give, the more you receive, and vice-versa. Ultimately you want your experience together to be as enjoyable as possible, as all good sex and great relationships are founded on the pleasure of each other's company. And if blowjobs or vaginas mortify you, then obviously someone isn't having a good time.Additional assistance from Jordan Nassar.
(11/29/07 12:00am)
Author: Feminist Action at Middlebury, Men Against Violence and Women of Color We would like to thank James O'Brien for raising some important concerns in his recent op-ed article "Sex and Shaq don't mix - but we talk about it anyway" (Nov 15). The level of apathy on this campus needs to be addressed and we are glad that Mr. O'Brien brought up this issue. However, we feel that several of his arguments were misguided and problematic. When Morgane Richardson '08 and Micah Macfarlane '09 began the recent gender violence poster campaign, they knew they were going to face opposition, but the entire point of this campaign was to incite discussion. Mr. O'Brien admitted that these posters have sparked debate on this campus, but then insinuated that dialogue is insignificant. We would argue that in reality, dialogue is key. When people talk about issues, ideas are formed and changes can be made. Did Mr. O'Brien ever step back from the situation and look at the conversation he had with people in the process of writing his article? In addition, Mr. O'Brien argued that the problem on this campus is not awareness, but apathy. While apathy is clearly an issue, how prominent is awareness at Middlebury College? Mr. O'Brien himself has clearly been misinformed. He claims that he does not think that violent language used in reference to sex or to women in general has anything to do with sexual violence. This is entirely incorrect. There is a connection between this discourse and gender violence through the desensitization of language within the male population as well as through the general objectification of women. While clearly not every person using this type of language will go on to perpetrate sexual violence, considering every two and a half minutes someone in America is sexually assaulted, some will (RAINN). In fact, this issue is not as black and white as most people think, considering 84 percent of men whose actions matched the legal definition of rape said that what they did was definitely not rape (Koss 1998). How many people on this campus are even aware of the legal definition of rape? Maybe if Mr. O'Brien had attended one of the discussions or screenings that were advertised along with these posters before he criticized the campaign, he would have had a better basis with which to offer a critique.In regards to Mr. O'Brien's claim that students have the right to people-watch, there is a certain level of unacceptable and inherent objectification when women are those being 'watched', or in this case, rated. Mr. O'Brien stated that if he knew if women were rating him in the dining halls, he would attempt to improve his appearance. That is the problem here. Mr. O'Brien, unlike a female, does not expect to be objectified in this way. The vast majority of women is aware that they are being constantly surveyed and judged and that, because of their unique position as women, they will always be the object of the male gaze. This has undeniable effects on self-confidence, body image and self worth. Maybe Middlebury students could benefit from talking to some of their female friends or the next time they make or hear a sexist comment, think about how they would feel if someone was making this comment in reference to their family. Better yet, we would suggest that Middlebury students take the time to learn about gender violence and recognize that it exists in various forms - even in our bubble.
(11/29/07 12:00am)
Author: Andrew Throdahl On Nov. 16 the Mahaney Center for the Arts Concert Hall was unusually full, making one wonder if the Claremont Trio's absurd advertising scheme had succeeded in luring curious listeners - or rather viewers. On their posters scattered around campus the three young women - violinist Emily Bruskin, cellist Julia Bruskin and pianist Donna Kwong - are depicted sitting in some boudoir wearing gowns, presumably taken by some luscious harmony. These posters are direct evidence of the music industry's recent efforts to popularize classical music - turning album covers, posters and other advertisements into something totally unrelated to the music. In the case of the Claremont Trio, these advertisements go so far as to turn the musicians into sex kittens. From the trashy look of their poster, one expected the Claremont's playing to be tastelessly sentimental, although the unusual program, consisting of Frank Martin and Anton Arensky, proved otherwise. The performance as a whole, however, was inconsistent, and the early trio by French impressionist Claude Debussy, which opened the evening, bordered at times on this expected froth. Certain tonal elements in the piece foreshadow the composer's maturity, although on the whole, the work sounded more like Massenet or Delibes than the Debussy we know and love. Programs of such off-the-beaten-path music can be refreshing, but they can also imply a fear of comparison. Most serious chamber ensembles make a jab at the repertoire standards before devoting themselves to the oddity. After the Debussy, Julia Bruskin introduced the audience to Frank Martin's "Trio on Irish Folk Tunes." The audience responded to her talk warmly rather than with skepticism. Traditionally, a classical concert is a formal, impersonal communion with composers - the performers are in a way incidental. Ideally, they interpret the music in an original fashion, but that is just the greasing on the pan. For the performer, the concert should be a selfless enterprise - so does talking to an audience break that barrier between composer and listener? Introducing a work to an audience also assumes the audience is uninformed, even though there are program notes that can inform - silently. As sweetly as Julia Bruskin spoke, the talk was a faux pas.At times during the Debussy, the performers were unsure of themselves. The ensemble failed to build up to major climaxes, too concerned with small-scale dynamic contrast. Kwong occasionally tripped on relatively simple lines. Perhaps they were anticipating the difficulty of the Martin and Arensky. By contrast, the Frank Martin was technically solid yet at times unexpressive. Although Martin wrote the first movement to express a powerful drive, he also includes passages of heartbreaking harmonic expressivity. Perhaps the Claremont considered Frank Martin "modern" music, and therefore colorless. In general, they let this superbly well-written work speak for itself, rather than try to make their stamp on it. Small technical problems stood out in the Arensky, such as the pianist's difficulty in playing the repeated 32nd notes in the scherzo. The opening line of the first movement, traded between cello and violin, strangely overworked and lacked some coherence. The third movement, "Elegy," was emotionally effective due to the score's lack of overt technical obstacles, while during the finale, as with the Debussy, the group struggled to bring a variety of dynamics to the fervor. The Arensky trio was the most "mainstream" composition they played. It seems that every professional piano trio would have to pay attention to the Russian trio repertoire, since two of the three greatest piano trios that come to mind have Russian origins - the massive Tchaikovsky trio and Shostakovich's second trio. (Beethoven's "Archduke" trio would be the third.) If the Arensky had been paired with either of these Russian trios, the evening's program might have had a theme. The Shostakovich trio, which uses Jewish folk tunes in the first and fourth movements, would have matched Martin's folk fusion.As an encore, the trio played the first movement of Schoenfeld's jazzy "CafÈ Music." The group made the transition from heated, heavy Arensky to Schoenfeld's inadvertent ode to Django Rheinhardt smoothly. They played effectively enough to get some jazz-loving audience member to his feet by the final chord. The star of the evening was undoubtedly cellist Julia Bruskin. Her playing stood out in the group, for better or worse, due to her expression and clean intonation. Having spoken for the group in introducing the Martin, she seemed to be the group's "chief," if there was one.Despite the inconsistent playing and the mismatched program, the Claremont trio sounds like a promising chamber ensemble, playing exciting repertoire and at least drawing large crowds to the concert hall. Who cares if this is achieved through questionable advertising? The Claremont Trio has recorded two albums, one of Shostakovich and Arensky trios, the other of Mendelsso hn's op. 49 and op. 66 trios - complete with sultry cover photos. Both recordings can be found on iTunes.
(11/15/07 12:00am)
Author: Mary Lane Dave, a large man covered in tattoos and his colleague, Chris, a skinny, black-haired man with a thick Boston accent, stood in front of a group of some 40 Middlebury College students at a Christian Fellowship meeting on Nov. 4. Both share testimonies regarding their transformations from drug-addicted criminals to upstanding members of society. Such changes occurred, they professed, through religious conversions undergone through Teen Challenge, a Christian rehabilitation program for men and women of all ages. "When I came into Teen Challenge, I had been high on crystal meth for five days," Dave told the group. "I've been able to transform my life through [the church] and learn to pastor and speak to gentlemen in prisons."Chris has a similar story. He was addicted to oxycontin and heroin before entering the program, but is now the head of the Education Department for Teen Challenge Vermont.Such stories are very common for Teen Challenge, which boasts a 67 percent success rate for graduates living drug-and-alcohol-free lifestyles, according to a survey by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Of those surveyed, 72 percent had sought prior treatment, while 88 percent credited Teen Challenge with breaking their addictions. "About 80 percent of prisoners who go through state-funded programs end up back on the streets again," said Dave. "We're successful through 'the Jesus factor.'" The program was founded in 1958 when pastor David Wilkerson read in Time Life that a teenage gang had killed a wheelchair-ridden man and stolen his sneakers. Horrified, Wilkerson went to New York and went so far as to storm a courtroom trying to find the delinquent boys. "While he never managed to minister to the boys, he did get dragged out of court trying to reach them, resulting in a picture of him in the paper held back by cops and brandishing a Bible," said Dave. This, Dave said, gave Wilkerson the "street cred" to minister to the down-and-out in inner city New York. Wilkerson's ministry grew quickly, and he soon bought a house in the city, where he founded the Bible-based rehabilitation program that currently operates out of 157 locations in the United States. While Teen Challenge receives no federal funding, the program has been praised by President George W. Bush as part of his Faith-Based and Community Initiative, and receives several positive mentions in White House reports on drug and alcohol rehabilitation. "Government can pass law and hand out money but it cannot love," Bush said in a March 9, 2006 speech. Christianity is the main component of rehab, explained Teen Challenge Vermont Executive Director Richard Welch in a recent interview. "[Participants] stay with us for about 15 months and are discipled in the Word of God," said Welch. "It's all about studying the Bible and applying Biblical principles to life." Teen Challenge Vermont was founded in January 2005 and works with male adults only. "We've had 31 graduates," said Welch. "About half of those who enter finish."While many applicants initiate contact with Teen Challenge, the program also seeks to recruit participants from nearby prisons."We regularly go to all the prisons across the state and testify as to what God has done in our lives," said Welch. The program's Web site states, "It is not required that a student have a conversion experience to enter or complete, but conversion is regarded as the greatest hope for breaking an addiction." Welch himself came into the program as an 18-year-old heroin addict. "I fell in love with Jesus and the ministry and wanted to serve God and help men get their lives together," he said of his career decision to come to Vermont in 2003 to start up the flagship center. Many of the men at the Vermont center have come from prison, but the state allows only five people on parole to live in the Teen Challenge house at a time.The rehabilitation program is open to men of all ages but, under Vermont law, sex offenders, extremely violent criminals and arsonists are not allowed. Throughout their enrollment in the program, men and women undergo a strict regimen of prayer, religious study and various chores in the morning. Chris and Dave both had to memorize 536 scripture passages during their 15-month program. Patients work jobs in the local community in the afternoon, and all paychecks go directly towards funding the program. The strong work ethic the program fosters often results in job opportunities upon program graduation, said Dave and Chris. "These men gain knowledge on how to be responsible employees and apply Biblical principles to their work ethic," said Welch.Men in the Vermont program must be free of piercings and keep their hair cut short. All romantic relationships must be ended before entering rehabilitation. "Of course, if you are married or engaged or have children with someone then we work with that," Welch said. "Working with families is very important. We just don't want our men to be distracted by non-serious relationships, which detract from the healing process."Teen Challenge also does not allow the use of medication at any of its facilities. The Web site states, "Teen Challenge believes in the faith modelÖ[and] does not subscribe to the medical model of helping an individual involved in drug abuse." Consequently, most Teen Challenges require patients to detox before entering the program. "Men come here of their own free volition," Welch said. "We don't deny that some people have chemical imbalances, and if they want to leave and get help, then that is their decision."Chris promoted Teen Challenge's belief that chemical imbalances are often caused by chemical abuse. "This was the first program that got me to take responsibility for my actions," said Chris. "So many other programs give you pills or excuses. Here, they told me it was my own problem, and helped me get out of it."Upon graduation from the program, men and women are equipped with an "exit plan." "You're required to have a home church, a place to live and a job," said Chris. "Any denomination is ok, but your pastor must call in once a week. After six months of this, then you graduate." "I'd say it's not so much a rehabilitation program as a fellowship program," Dave told Middlebury students. "We don't give our guys medicine. We give them Christianity."
(11/15/07 12:00am)
Author: James O'Brien Middlebury needs to pass a law about the stupid flyers that students put up in the hallways. Hellooo. I need to walk there. I don't want the advertisement for some kid's coffee house performance distracting me from my brilliant Miltonian musings as I trudge up the stairs to English class. Even at Middlebury, no one is that strapped for entertainment that they choose their weekend activity based on a piece of paper they see on their way back from lunch. Recently, the most frustrating piece of signage on the wall has been the "Conversations Heard at Middlebury" flyers. This two-pronged assault on the profoundly ignorant Middlebury student body consists of red signs quoting conversations supposedly overheard at Middlebury, and, new this week, blue signs which I'll touch on later. The red signs look something like this:"Would you do her?""Maybe for a million dollars."And then below this piece of dialogue, it asks for questions and comments to be sent to the e-mail addresses of two Middlebury students. Last week, I fought the urge to put up my own sign which would read:"Hey wanna do something fun tonight?""No. Don't have time. Actually, I have to go listen to conversations between random people so that I can copy their words onto a poster. Later, I will hang them up near a dining hall or some other high traffic area.""Why?""You know, so people can look at themÖand be outraged.""Oh."Actually, I think the "would you have sex with her question" is a valid hypothetical in the vein of the "Would you let Shaq do you for a billion dollars?" Facebook group. Another red sign looks like this:"Hey man, let's rate girls as they come into the dining hall.""What do you mean?""Rate. Like, who do you want to sleep with?"Ignoring the fact that this is like an exact quote from Happy Days: The Musical - the last person I "slept with" was my mother (and no, not in an Oedipal sexual wayÖI had nightmares, okay) - I don't understand what the big deal about this "conversation" is either. I would have no problem if people wanted to rate me when I walked into the dining hall. In fact, if I knew it was happening, I would probably put on something nicer than warm-up pants and a t-shirt I got from basketball camp five years ago. With this type of advanced preparation, I would hope to score somewhere in the range of B-/B range on the DHS or Diners Hotness Scale. If not, I'll just shake my fist and go write a scathing article that all of 10 people will read and I'll feel better. Okay, so now I have to get slightly serious and risk being hated by my 10 op-ed readers. After I spent a whole week walking around and being annoyed by those signs, lo and behold, now there are related blue signs giving us statistics about rape and sexual violence. Ah, now I feel like a total ass.Well, you got me. My attention is yours. But I hope you're not insinuating that those red signs had anything to do with the blue ones. Most of those red signs just proved that guys like to look at girls and rate them on their own fantasy scale. These voyeuristic young men will not go on to commit some type of sexual crime. Sure, these guys don't have to watch actual girls. Yes, they could just go play SIMS: Sex Edition, but doing the dining hall thing is much more socially acceptable. I will defend to the death a college student's right to people-watch.Here's the really scary thing - now that people have seen the signs, they are talking. But what good is that doing? Those people on campus who don't live under a rock - or on the second floor of Milliken - already knew that men and women alike use violent, "inappropriate" terms for sex, which in my opinion has nothing to do with sexual violence. And now that the word is out, some formerly clueless person might even take the time to send disapproving, scornful e-mails. Then meetings are set up. "Let's talk about this problem," responsible members of the student body will say. Meanwhile the students you are trying to reach will continue to play SIMS: Copulation Nation and watch "Entourage" until their eyes beg them to stop. Basically, few things at Middlebury are problems of awareness - they're problems of apathy. A lot of people just don't care. Others convince themselves that they would care if only they didn't have so much work. Now that I think about it, this bothers me too. But I don't know what we can do. As an apathetic member of society, all I do is point out problems without ever offering any type of solution.Putting signs up in the hallway does not save the world. It just distracts everyone from reading the other useless pieces of paper posted there. And that really ticks off the kid who wants to let us know about his performances in The Grille.By the way, I would absolutely have sex with Shaq for a billion dollars. Think of all the awareness that money could buy.James O'Brien '10 is from Medfield, Mass.
(11/15/07 12:00am)
Author: H. Kay Merriman "The phenomenon of the a cappella group is, surprisingly enough, not one that developed on New England's liberal arts college campuses. From royal court entertainment to a few guys on the corner, vocal ensembles have sung about the important things in life for several centuries," Music professor Jeff Buettner writes in his course description of "Everything A cappella!" Whether in a classroom, in front of the fireplace, or in Battell Basement, Middlebury students love a cappella. The College is home to eight popular and yet unique groups, each with its own distinctive image and style. Which group sings the best songs? Draws the craziest crowd? and has the most sex appeal? The Middlebury Campus spoke with representatives from each group in order to get the facts and allow you to decide for yourself.var uslide_show_id = "43c6ca71-8979-4009-a2ad-9c5be3a482ef";var slideshowwidth = "468";var linktext = "";Warning: In an attempt to one-up the other groups, some of their responses may not be entirely truthful.The BobolinksAnswers reflecting the group's general consensus given by Scotty Leighton '08.5Musical Director: Tim Shepherd '07.5Years in existence: 15Membership: Co-ed, 15 singersSignature songs and soloists: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"- Leah Day '07.5, "Long Train Running" - Tim Shepherd '07.5Image: "Goofy, fun, familial - 15 great people who share a love for music."Heartthrobs: Cassidy D'Aloia '09.5, Leighton (Do we sense a bias?)Best a cappella "bob": Grace Taylor '10 - "It involves a lot of flips, some yelps and a lot of spinning dishes."Most expressive facials: Dan Murphy '11 - "Sometimes, we even call him 'Good Ol' Expressive.'"Fan Base: "Bobolink friends and family, general a cappella enthusiasts and some surprise guests."Notable Alumni: "Both members of Outkast were founding members of our group and have since gone on to illustrious music careers."Fun Fact: "On our most recent Fall Break tour we were singing at Faneuil Hall and a homeless man named Otis sang every single song with us - perfectly."Stuck In the MiddleJosh Sackler '09Musical Director: Sackler Years in existence: FiveMembership: All-male, nine singersSignature songs and soloists: "Joy to the World"- Ian Sanders-Fleming '09.5, " "Cry Me a River" - the solo is "currently up for grabs" because the previous soloist graduated.Image: "A mix of fun/entertainment and musicianship. If we don't miss a note but the audience is bored, then we haven't done our job."Heartthrobs: Sanders-Fleming - "He's got those classic good looks, those big blue eyes and that wonderful smile."Best a cappella "bob": Rohan Maitra '09 - "It's not so much of a 'bob' as a movement forward and backward while shaking a fist."Most expressive facials: Chris Lam '10 - "He sticks his head out and overemphasizes his syllables, especially when singing low."Fan Base: "Our audience is typically raucous, fun-loving and loud. They love to see us make fools of ourselves onstage, and they love to laugh. The best celebrity moments are right after singing at a high school, especially an all-girls school. They become like a mob."Notable Alumni: "One at law school studying to become a music lawyer."Fun Fact: "The group's founder, Jason Lockhart '05, desperately wanted to find a girlfriend. After several unsuccessful attempts, he decided that the best way to do it was to be in an a cappella group. He didn't make any of the existing ones, so he started Stuck in the Middle and he got a girlfriend. Sorta."The MamajamasPatch Culbertson '08.5Musical Director: Culbertson Years in existence: 13Membership: Co-ed, 16 singers with one abroadSignature songs and soloists: "99 Red Balloons"- Emily Kron '09.5, "Down Under" - Alec Strum '08Image: "Our group is based on steeze, performance, family and sex appeal. The etymology of 'steeze' is a combination of style and ease. We coined the term 'Funky Formal,' which we use to describe our dress code for most shows."Heartthrobs: Will Mallett '07.5, Kron - "It's a Feb thing."Best a cappella "bob": Matt Boucher '08 - "It reminds me of a premature chicken dance: elbows at the hips, hands in fists somewhat close to each other in front of the sternum and he shakes them like maracas while rocking side to side at a bouncy meter."Most expressive facials: Strum - "While singing 'Down Under'".Fan Base: Culbertson described a crowd of regulars that habitually sit in the same formation, no matter the venue. "Alex Braunstein's '09 friends are always front row on the left side, and Boucher's friends are always next to them on the right. Drew Walker '08, Andy Mittelman '08 and Chrissy Fulton '08 capture every second on their cameras. Catherine McCarthy's '09 crowd usually sits intermingled with Boucher's fan base. The Gremlin's Kremlin, Jimmy Wong's '09.5 band, is always there, middle right."Notable Alumni: Cassidy Freeman '04.5 - "She is a rising actress in LA. who has starred in many pilots and recently co-starred in a short film with Donna from 'That 70s Show.' She's got her own IMDB page!"Fun Fact: "Each semester we have a concert in which fans enter a raffle to determine our next arrangement. Winners in the past include 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' by Will Smith and 'Shoop' by Salt-n-Pepa."The MischordsBrianna Cullen '08 speaking for the groupMusical Director: Cullen Years in existence: 45Membership: All-female, 13 singersSignature songs and soloists: "Don't Stop Believing", "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Mischords pride themselves on an "attitude of team spirit" and desire that their soloists not be singled out from the rest of the group.Image: "The whole package - the alluring spectacle of 13 beautiful girls singing in glorious harmony."Heartthrobs: "I'd say that our sex appeal doesn't stem from any single member of the group, but rather from the whole package."Best a cappella "bob": Rachel Butera '10 - "Each girl moves in her own special way, but she probably comes closest to the 'bob.' She does it marvelously."Most expressive facials: N/AFan Base: "We have collected some die hard fans over the years - for instance, one year while singing in Central Park we picked up some groupies who showed up again at our show later that night in an NYC bar called Shutters."Notable Alumni: Laura Thomas - Singer/songwriter in New York known for her political lyrics.Fun Fact: "We've gone on tour accompanied by a one-eyed cat, and at one point, 30 percent of the group was named Megan, although our last Megan graduated last spring."The Dissapated EightSam Dakota Miller '08Musical Director: Miller Years in existence: 55Membership: All-male, 12 members and three abroadSignature songs and soloists: "Africa" - Dan Harburg '08, "Anything sung by Andrew Peters '08.5 is a crowd-pleaser as well, because he sounds like a girl sometimes."Image: Miller quoted an anonymous source as describing the group as "overflowing with sophistication, wit and too-coolness that is somehow restrained under the full suits that they wear."Heartthrobs: "There are a couple of rural towns and all-girls high schools on the east coast that know all the names of the people in the group and what songs each person solos on. Along the same lines, one time there was a secret Facebook group devoted to Dan Harburg, but that was when he was young and unavailable." Best a cappella "bob": Matthew Joseph '09 - "Due to the
large amount of energy needed for sounding so good in performance, the D8 doesn't necessarily promote excessive choreography or wild hip gyrations on stage. That said, he pulls off a very natural bob and shimmy. Of course off the stage, all of the individual members of the D8 are known for being stars on the dance floor."Most expressive facials: Miller did not comment, but The Campus suggests looking at Drew Waxman's '10.5 Facebook picture.Fan Base: "High school girls, football players and soccer moms."Notable Alumni: "International opera performer William Burden, television and film actor Jake Weber, author/editor Peter Knobler, author/actor Scott Janes, former college jeopardy champion Keith Williams '07 and nationally acclaimed kung fu masters Sean Nelson and Graham Fisk"Fun Fact: "The Dissipated Eight won best-looking male group in the Middlebury a cappella festival three times in a row. We like sunsets, cooking and the occasional party." The ParadiddlesSarah Wilson '08Musical Director: WilsonYears in existence: threeMembership: All-female, 13 singersSignature songs and soloists: "Drift Away" - Christine Chung '10Image: "Fun, dorky, loving, spunky, quirky and eclectic."Heartthrobs: "The Paradiddles are one unit. All very sexy. Although Emily Eliot '07.5 singing 'I Touch Myself' was a highlight, as was Chung putting her tiger-striped cowboy hat on a scared old man in the audience of the parents weekend concert."Best a cappella "bob": Caitlin Brome '06 - "We fondly remember her characteristic 'bob' with the hands in the pockets, one knee popped, a rhythmic hip sway and a head bob to go with it."Most expressive facials: Gillian Durkee '11 - "She got lots of comments from our last performance at Dartmouth."Fan Base: "We definitely get the highest percentage of Asian audience members thanks to Christine Chung, Yookyung Kim '10 and JeeYeon Park's '08 recruiting."Notable Alumni: Meira Lifson - "She has been using her Diddle background to teach her third and fourth graders a cappella warm-ups and songs."Fun Fact: "We've been known for our rendition of 'Chop Suey' by System of a Down, a very off the beaten path choice for a cappella. It was both loved and hated by our crowds."The Mountain AyresHeidi Holt-Gosselin '08Musical Director: Holt-GosselinYears in existence: 35Membership: Co-ed, 11 singersSignature songs and soloists: "Fair Phyllis", "Psallite", "Weep O Mine Eyes"Image: The Mountain Ayres are a madrigal singing group. They sing renaissance vocal music. "The Mt. Ayres have always portrayed themselves as a different "flavor" of Midd a cappella. We take pride in our lack of beat boxing and bouncy moves. Plus, in the spirit of Middlebury's quest for worldliness, we sing a lot of songs in different languages."Heartthrobs: "If you want a good taste of our sex appeal, then it's necessary that you attend our second annual 'Bringing Sexy Back to the Renaissance' concert in the spring during which we explain the hidden meanings behind all of our music."Best a cappella "bob": "Absolutely no member of Mountain Ayres is allowed to do the stereotypical a cappella bob. Or else! Vibrating on stage isn't really our thing, but the good ol' 'madrigal interaction' between singers and/or the audience is highly encouraged."Most expressive facials: Ryan Kellett '09.5 -"His facial expressions also contribute to our sex appeal."Fan Base: "I think our biggest celebrity moment so far has been walking around campus and seeing random people wearing our t-shirts. Because our music is so different than the other campus groups, people tend to remember exactly who we are."Notable Alumni: N/AFun Fact: "The Mountain Ayres cover Christmas music like nobody's business! And of course, you never know when we might come a-caroling..."The Butch DivasThompson Davis '08Musical Director: Francois ClemmonsYears in existence: TwoMembership: All-male, five students and ClemmonsSignature songs and soloists: The Divas have yet to perform this year.Image: "We don't try to portray anything. We don't do gimmicks, we don't pose, we just sing. That being said, I believe people know that that we are the premier singing group on campus. They know that we perform music that has spiritual resonance. They know that we communicate God's love and brotherhood. I also think that people are fascinated by the dichotomy that we embody. On one hand we are divas but on the other we are incredibly butch."Heartthrobs: "After Francois Clemmons, our most famous and visible member, would have to be Thompson Davis." (another bias?)Best a cappella "bob": "Butch Divas are not allowed to do the 'bob' dance. You have to remember that we're men - butch ones. We emote through our tight harmonies and mastery of vocal counterpoint."Most expressive facials: N/AFan Base: "Our shows are attended by serious music lovers of every creed and color. Some teeny boppers don't get it though."Notable Alumni: Zach Maxwell '07- "He just released his debut album and is currently in the planning stages of a cross-country tour."Fun Fact: "Our members from last year were Nicholas Cloutier '07, Zachary Maxwell '07 and Charles Evans '08.5. I understand that they toured together this summer with a rock band and indeed, are following professional careers in music." - Francois Clemmons
(11/08/07 12:00am)
Author: Sage Bierster Screwing, nailing, pounding - no, we're not talking about building a house. We're talking about sex - specifically, an aggressive form of sex that is for and by men, and where women are passive. A quick search for synonyms of "copulation" on the Internet Web site sex-lexis.com reveals that many common euphemisms we use to talk about sex not only suggest that men are the ones having sex, but also that sex should be violent. There is slamming, poking, plugging, boning, banging and ramming, just to name a few. Some of you might ask if there is indeed a problem in using these words. Even if their implied meaning has a negative connotation, we all recognize that women and men are on an equal playing field when it comes to sex no matter how we talk about it. Or do we? The problem with using these and other terms to describe the act of sex is that they carry a sexual message that excludes women. Even though the modern feminist movement has made significant improvements in phasing out the most pervasive kinds of misogyny, words like "screwing" are still in use. These words are sexual baggage from another era when women were expected to be submissive to men and reflect the overwhelming power that men had both in and out of the bedroom. Thankfully, times have changed, yet somehow "ramming" remains. Unfortunately we in American society haven't been able to fully embrace the idea of women being in control. Yes, we have "Sex in the City," but too often this and other programs can be dismissed as promoting a hypersexualized version of women where we are just as "f--- 'em and leave 'em" as men. It is not a question of women being promiscuous so much as being able to initiate an encounter and take charge in bed. As many of my female friends have lamented, we still feel like we shouldn't be the ones to go in for the kiss, say "let's go back to my place," ask if their partner has a condom or even to request more foreplay or a certain position in bed. We don't feel like we are being assertive so much as aggressive, and this makes us feel like sluts. And some men agree that they don't enjoy when women are the ones who initiate, and some men even suggest that they get turned off by the role-switch, finding themselves being pursued when they think they should be pursuing. Of course, when they are encouraged to talk about sex only in terms of what they did to the woman, of how they "banged" her, then they will start to associate female assertiveness with a turn-off and feeling emasculated.The bottom line is that women and men should be able to enjoy sex equally, which means they both should be participating in the initiation and in the act itself. This will require the elimination of "nailed" from our vocabulary and replacing it with words that are female-positive or gender-neutral. A short list of suggestions from friends includes pocketing, cupping, bumping, riding, breaking, jumping, grabbing and holding. Whatever the terminology, the point is to question what we deem acceptable behavior for women and realize that we all just want to get laid.
(11/08/07 12:00am)
Author: Ashley Gamell & Maddie Oatman The coveted wall-space of New York's art museums is usually reserved for die-hard visual artists, those who have starved their way through art school in order to become fluent in the wordless language of shapes and colors. This Fall Break, however, we ran into something a little different at the Anita Shapolski Gallery - the "Writer's Brush," an exhibit of drawings and paintings from some of the most well known writers of the last two centuries. From works by Yeats to Kerouac, Plath to Dillard, the level of artistic competence was as varied as the infamous personalities of the authors involved. This rare intersection of autobiography and imagery was a treat for the literary-minded and left us feeling both aesthetically and intellectually stimulated. The Shapolski Gallery is on the outskirts of the mainstream New York arts establishment - it's a mom and pop affair, tucked inside the Upper East Side brownstone of an elderly society lady. The exhibit stems from the personal dream of one visionary, and the presentation is fittingly intimate ≠- on the search for a bathroom, we came across the inhabitant's medicine cabinet and toothbrush. The works were compiled by Donald Friedman, a New York trial lawyer, who spent seven years of his off-time collecting work for the book "The Writer's Brush: Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture by Writers" (Random House). After it came into fruition, he was encouraged to gather some of the original pieces and unveil them in a public exhibition.We were lucky enough to run into Friedman, a humble, white-haired man with a touch of court charisma, just after he had given a private tour to the national poet-laureate. After stating discretely, "I was just giving a tour to Charles Simic, but I'd honestly rather talk to you guys," Friedman proceeded to give us our own hour-long tour of the collection.In many cases, the author's drawings were merely extensions of their written works, the visual realm where they played with and colored their ideas. Lawrence Durell painted his sensual heroine "Justine" in bright brush strokes and rendered the lush peach-colored landscapes in which his fantastical novels seem to take place, and A.R. Ammons etched stark compositions of lines and divided circles which look like maps for his patterned, ontological poems. Jorge LuÌs Borges's drawing of a zebra-like fantasy animal harkened back to his whimsical "Book of Magical Creatures," and Victor Hugo's tiny square of a dim landscape was reminiscent of the oppressive settings we imagine in his stark novels.Certain pieces were exciting because of their unmistakable connection to the personalities of their creators. Tennessee Williams and Jack Kerouac attempted the canvas with mixed results, coming out with endearingly childlike portraits that were nonetheless intriguing evidence of the authors' eccentricities. Williams's "Vision of Paraclete," a portrait of two naked men, had to have been at least partially autobiographical in nature. And Kerouac, author of the breathless and seemingly impulsive novels "On the Road" and "Dharma Bums," featured a disproportionate drawing of a woman's face sketched rapidly with (what else?) wax crayons. Among the larger works was a portrait of the back of a nude lounging on a bed, painted by Aldous Huxley, writer of the bold utopic novel "A Brave New World." Frustrated by his own deteriorating vision, Huxley often had to paint from memory or touch and sometimes even took acid in order to better see colors. The result is a slightly off-kilter yet emotionally evocative nude portrait of Huxley's wife, complete with brilliant hues and sensuous lines. Also of note was Louise Gl¸ck's refined, cool-tempered still life of silverware, faint flowers and pears, reflective of her elegant poetic tone. In marked contrast, Charles Bukowski's unruly personality emerged in a loud crayon sketch that looked like the work of an unbalanced five-year-old, a risquÈ drawing of D.H. Lawrence in a water closet and a bronze cast which depicted either a child in tantrum or an over-sexed primate. Other authors couldn't get away from text at all - Mark Strand's modernist canvas of tiny grey lines on a white background looked like a sea of undecipherable words. The exhibit was short-lived, but the concept survives in Friedman's book, which is chock full of colored prints and juicy details about the writers and their closet careers as visual artists.
(10/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Grace Duggan Audio produced by Radio Arts Middlebury.Students who were smart enough to reserve a ticket ahead of time or lucky enough to get in off of the waiting list for "Certified Organic Musical" this weekend were treated to a sharp and hilarious satire about the intersection between love and environmental activism at Linden College, an imaginary liberal arts college much like Middlebury. Mallory Falk '09 and Adam Levine '09.5 did a lot more than co-direct the show - they wrote it. var uslide_show_id = "6f316a39-d190-47af-a17b-e82a67c40591";var slideshowwidth = "468";var linktext = "";During a road trip this summer Falk and Levine - schoolmates since the sixth grade - decided to work together. They wrote the script and score for "Certified Organic Musical" this summer with Levine composing the music before sending it to Falk so she could write the lyrics. They wrote the dialogue together before holding auditions the first week of the semester, later rehearsing five times a week to get the show polished in just three weeks. Both were new to directing and producing, which put them in the same boat as many members of the cast, who had either never before been in a show at Middlebury or in a show at all. "Certified Organic Musical" follows the budding relationship between Ted (Jimmy Wong '09.5) and Daffodil June (Casey Donahue '10), two down-to-earth Linden students that fall for one another during the opening number, "Ode to a Panini Machine." Ted is an International Studies major who plays the straight man to his two hilarious best friends - Gabe the New Yorker (Casey Mahoney '11) and Brandon the Bostonian (Jeremy Martin '09.5) - as they spend a significant amount of time berating one another with crass geographically-based one-liners that never failed to make the audience laugh. June's life revolves around trying to save the planet, a goal shared by the other residents of Blenheim House, a warped and surreal environmental house with overt references to Middlebury's own Weybridge House. Rounding out the main cast is June's rival for Ted's affections, a well-dressed conniver named Mercedes (Elizabeth Goffe '10) whose entourage includes Topaz (Christine Chung '10) and Milan (Jessica Spar '11), two amusingly ditsy girls who help Mercedes out with her dirty work. As Ted becomes increasingly involved with the environmentalists at Linden and their push for a carbon-neutral campus, Gabe and Brandon are the first ones to criticize Ted for not staying true to himself. President Dioxide (Aaron Smith '09) agrees to go carbon neutral in order to shift attention away from a recent social house sex scanda. Linden becomes an eco-dictatorship with changes that include turning off the power in the dorms, giving citations to students who waste paper and extra Public Safety officers to ensure that students recycle their beer cans. A bad case of food poisoning puts Ted in the hospital thanks to a contraband Big Mac used by Mercedes in an attempt to seduce him in "My Meat," one of the strongest numbers in the play and a showcase for Goffe's fantastic voice. Goffe also excelled in "Frumpy Bitch," during which she and her two cohorts insulted June's hygiene and exclaimed "that eco-freak has got nothing on me." Ted convinces President Dioxide that Linden must take smaller steps toward becoming a greener campus, a message with particular poignance given the landmark decision made last year in which Middlebury pledged to be completely carbon neutral by 2016. Ted and June stood out as the only characters in "Certified Organic Musical" that were not easily stereotyped. During "Blenheim House Hello," June was the only one able to recognize that Ted felt very much out of his element in the house. Ted and June added balance to a cast of witty and humorous roles that included the overstressed "Library Girl" (Nell Williams '09) who danced at the Grape Concert with her backpack on while reading Shakespeare, the spaced-out hippie Dakota (Phil Ziff '10.5) who likes to go on hunger strikes and views time as an oppressive social construct and Small as an indie rocker that strutted around the dining hall like he owned the place. Although many of these smaller roles seemed more two-dimensional when compared to those of Ted and June, their over-the-top dialogue and mannerisms made them some of the strongest and most enjoyable aspects of the show. Another component of the show's success was the references that only a Middlebury student could understand. Sometimes the production felt like one long inside joke that everyone on campus got, although some allusions were probably lost on first years. "Certified Organic Musical" included subtle references to the curtains in Proctor, the way meals work at Weybridge House and the recent lack of trays in the dining halls. One of the most memorable references to life at Middlebury was a thinly-veiled jab at the questionable art installation that appeared outside of Hillcrest this summer. President Dioxide pointed to the sculpture - made out of a Sobe bottle, newspapers and electrical tape - and declared it an excellent use of student tuition funds. With more rehearsal time "Certified Organic Musical" could definitely have been less rough around the edges, but the production's appeal rested firmly on its biting commentary on life at Middlebury that did not view any group on campus, especially the environmentalists, as sacred. Weybridge House resident Toral Patel '09 was initially surprised by the portrayal of environmentalists in "Certified Organic Musical." "During the intermission I thought, 'Oh my God, is that what they think of us?'" said Patel. "Afterward, I still felt this way, but I do think it was a really funny ensemble." Other students saw the play as a breath of fresh air. "It was like being on the outside looking in, for once," said Dave Birr '09, who went on to add, "but better." "I think it's exactly what we needed to have a musical about now," said Chester Harvey '09, who was heavily involved in Middlebury's push for carbon neutrality. Regardless of whether or not students enjoyed how they were portrayed on the stage, everyone seemed to agree that it was great to see a show so deeply rooted in our own college community. It's not every day that you get to see a show with students singing about getting sexiled or trying to get their classmates to stop "treating the earth like a 25-cent whore." Radio Arts Middlebury went behind the scenes of of Certified Organic and spoke to its creators. To hear this online audio exclusive, head over to www.middleburycampus.com . For more radio news, tune in to Radio Arts Middlebury every Wednesday at 4:30 on 91.1 FM WRMC.
(10/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Sage Bierster Another Fall Family Weekend has come and gone and everything has returned to normal. Most of the changes that take place over this October weekend are designed to make our parents believe that Middlebury is actually like this all the time. It's scheduled at the most beautiful time of year instead of anytime in the frozen wasteland months between December and April, and the food miraculously improves. Then there is the marathon reading of the Odyssey: "Yes Mom and Dad, we students have so much free time on our hands that we spontaneously organize classical literature readings. Isn't college magical?" I guess we have to make them believe that the $46 grand they pay for our education every year is being well-spent on steak for breakfast and weekends full of wholesome activities rather than on booze and LNDPs. Some of go so far as to change our behavior to make them believe that we are still the innocent, virginal children that we were when we left home. We don't drink, we don't smoke cigarettes, we don't do drugs, and above all we do not have sex. Sex, what's that? I've never heard of such a thing. After my Bush administration-imposed abstinence-only education, I still think you pick babies up at the hospital and nudity is something that happens when you take a shower. Other students who are in committed relationships and usually spend every night with their boyfriend or girlfriend even pretend that the most intimate thing they have ever done is hold hands. Somehow sleeping over in each others' beds shatters their parents' image of who their child should be.Oh, if our parents only knew what actually goes on here when they aren't taking pictures of us under bright red maples and laughing at The Capitol Steps. Let me break it to all of those parents who are reading this article - sex happens. We have it and we enjoy it. We talk about it all the time, we think about it more, and most of the energy we don't spend on class, homework and activities is spent in the hopes of getting some. You know what we talked to our friends about today? How horny we are. You remember that guy or girl we bumped into at brunch and introduced to you as our "friend?" We slept together last weekend. We might even be having sex right now, at this very moment.As you recover from the mild heart attacks you may have experienced just now, let me reassure you parents that we are still the wonderful sons and daughters that you know and love. You have raised us well and we are responsible people, even when it comes to our sex lives. Of course we don't get everything right, and that's where you come in. The sex-talk you gave us when we were 13 shouldn't stop there. I don't mean lecture us or try to tell us what we can and can't do. You must accept the fact that we are sexual people too, as well as intellectuals, athletes, artists and otherwise well-rounded students. Instead, give us advice and talk to us sexual issues, because you are the ones with the experience after all. We are new at this and need all the help we can get.
