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(10/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Alex Garlick Have you heard the news? Al Gore won the Nobel Prize. Al Gore, who couldn't even win the general election when he got the most votes, somehow won the most prestigious award in the world for peace. First, he turns a PowerPoint presentation into an Academy Award-winning film, then he travels the countryside in his Toyota Prius, trumpeting a prognostication of doom for the environment and now he's a Nobel Laureate. If I had to pick an Academy Award winner to win the Nobel Peace Prize, I probably would have gone with Angelina Jolie for her efforts to save the children in developing countries, one adoption at a time.Anyways, what has Al done for world peace? According to the Nobel Prize Committee, it was given to Al and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." I agree with what the committee has said, but before we go congratulating Gore, is anyone going to ask "what has he done for peace?" The Norwegian Member of Parliament who nominated Gore said, "climate change can lead to enormous flows of refugees on a scale the world has never seen before." Due to the unpredictable nature of climate change, that is a very speculative reason for an award that is traditionally given for retrospective action. What if climate change brings rainfall to water-starved arid regions?Does Al deserve commendation for being Press Secretary for Mother Earth? Sure. Why doesn't Time Magazine name him Man of the Year? Maybe we could get him and Bono to combine forces and do a duet on the evil of Global Warming in Africa. I'm sure he'd be in line for a Grammy for his smooth baritone? I would even be willing to throw him the Democratic Nomination and see how he does in the General Election against Mitt, John or Rudy next fall. But the Nobel Peace Prize?In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role as a peaceful activist in the American Civil Rights movement. In 1993, Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in South AfricaÌs peaceful transition from Apartheid. In 2001, Kofi Annan and the UN were given the award for making the world more organized and peaceful.In 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency won for its efforts for the peaceful use of atomic energy.Do you see the common link between those Nobel Laureates? They all did something involving making the world a more peaceful place. Al Gore has been working to make the world a chillier place. Not to drop acid rain on Al's parade, but I just do not buy it. There is speculation that giving Gore the Nobel Prize is a slight to the Bush Administration, as Gore, along with Osama bin Laden, is one of the most painful thorns in the side of the regime. The World Socialist Web Site declared the prize "Old Europe firing back at the Bush Administration." The Nobel Peace Prize does not have to be awarded every year. Often in years of war, or in years when there is no deserving recipient, the award stays in the cabinet. If the Nobel Committee really wanted to send a message to the White House, why not hold the award back this year in recognition of the presence of American troops in Iraq as we rapidly approach the fifth anniversary of the War in Iraq? That statement would resonate louder than political recognition for scientific work. Alex Garlick '08.5 is a Political Science and Economics major from Needham, Mass.
(10/04/07 12:00am)
Author: Jaime Fuller, Andrew Fuller and Anthony Adragna Blood drive suffers lower donation levelsAtwater Commons sponsored its biannual Red Cross Blood Drive in the McCullough Hall Social Space on Sept. 26. Altogether 106 students donated blood, but some potential donators were deferred because of low iron levels or extensive traveling. "Comparing yesterday's blood drive to last year's, I did get an impression of it being a little slower," said Kensuke Shimokawa '09, an Atwater co-chair and one of the main coordinators of the event. "We didn't have a sudden rush of people during the lunch hour, which usually is the case." Shimokawa named sports conflicts, busy schedules and the unusually nice weather as the major culprits for low attendance. He added that Atwater brings the Red Cross to the College every semester and that the Commons will be "putting in even more effort into the next one to get better results." In the United States, someone needs a blood transfusion every two seconds, so volunteer blood drives such as the ones held at the College are imperative.After two-year hiatus, eco-friendly bus returnsThe Middlebury Mountain Club (MMC) brought a bus fueled by vegetable oil and powered by solar panels to campus on Sept. 27. Organizers collect used vegetable oil from dining facilities and restaurants to power the bus' diesel engine. Solar power is stored in batteries, so the bus can be run regardless of the weather. Run by the National Outdoor Leadership School with the financial support of Stonyfield Farm, the bus has traveled to 48 states over the past three years. It last visited Middlebury in the spring of 2005. "Their mission is to raise climate change awareness and bring attention to alternative fuels that already exist," MMC President Philip Picotte '08 said. The bus has 18 trips planned for the next nine weeks. In addition, MMC is investigating ways to help support Middlebury's efforts at carbon neutrality by adopting alternative fuels. Eckert to perform play as tribute at MiddAward-winning performer Rinde Eckert will perform his play "Horizon" at Wright Memorial Theatre on Oct. 8. In the play, Eckert pays tribute to Reinhold Niebuhr, who is considered one of the most influential theology scholars of his day. The play centers on Reinhart Poole who teaches ethics at a seminary and his crisis of faith as a theologist. "Horizon" opened to excellent reviews at the New York Theatre Workshop in June. Also acting in the play is Middlebury graduate David Barlow '95. He acts along with Howard Swain and Eckert in the finished play. Eckert has a vast array of talents including acting, directing, composing abd writing. His works have been seen in Europe and Asia, along with various venues in America.
(09/26/07 12:00am)
Author: Aylie Baker "If you could say something to the Earth, what would it be?"For an onlooker standing in downtown Concord, N.H. on Aug. 4 this past summer, the answer would have been quite obvious. Indeed, the colorful tide of silk streamers emblazoned with missives - here a stanza from Walt Whitman, there an apology, behind perhaps a chorus of Joni Mitchell wound about a celebration, a promise - may have been overwhelming. "There was definitely something spiritual about it," recalled Becca Wear '10.5, one of 18 Middlebury students who took part in organizing an August march across New Hampshire as a culmination of "Climate Summer." Streamers waving, citizens braved the heat to raise a cry to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. Yet the march across New Hampshire from August 1-4 was much more than a rallying trek. As Bonnie Hemphill-Fry '08 said, it was "a pilgrimage," a case of "bringing movement to the movement, democracy in action and [of course] shaking up the system." Over the course of four days, the highways of New Hampshire swelled as tributaries of a vibrant community coalesced - farmers, teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, old and young.This was "Climate Summer" as it was envisioned some six months before by 25 student environmental activists - a multifaceted, community-based grassroots movement which was multilateral - "of course environmental, but also social, economical, about energy," said Hemphill-Fry. Whether riding bedecked in "red, white and green" on a carbon-neutral float in a Fourth of July Parade, carrying a wheelchair-ridden woman three miles in the sweltering heat or simply lining up to wash dishes after a fourteen-hour day, these students lived the movement. The overwhelming passion and scope of "Climate Summer" in many ways invokes powerful memories of the famous Freedom Summer of '64, which, for Bill McKibben, environmental journalist and author-in-residence, stands as a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Granted, this time round, "the worst people were going to face was getting sunburned - not shot or put in prison," according to McKibben, but nevertheless, "there was the same kind of idealism, dedication, and hard work" pulsing in New Hampshire this past summer.Students were not searching for converts as much as they were attempting to harness the rumblings of an environmental movement already underway across New Hampshire. Sierra Murdoch '09 could not stress enough their drive to "draw upon the resources already within [the state], to draw upon the New Hampshire culture." "There was this huge sense that we were the thread that pulled it together," said Wear.Thus, in addition to networking through the Sierra Club and joining forces with existing organizations such as the Carbon Coalition, students undertook a whole host of community-based initiatives. And so "Climate Summer" took shape as a multi-pronged, broad-based initiative. The 25 students divided themselves into different groups, aligned along both geographical and interest focuses.Leading one such initiative was Hemphill-Fry, who, working almost entirely through e-mail, managed to rally 175 hikers to partake in "Climb it for Climate." It was a "flash-in-the-pan type deal," explained Fry of her event. On July 14, hikers across the country assembled to climb the Presidential summits and hike two traverses where they flew banners urging the reduction of carbon emissions."We covered 1000 miles of trail, and gained a total of 5000 feet of elevation - that measures up to 17.5 Mt. Everests!" said Hemphill-Fry. Other students focused on projects involving theatre, local foods, art (as in Wear's Case), community rallies and various media exposure. By the time the march (organized largely by Murdoch) began in early August, all fronts seemed to be coming together. "It was a massive community effort to get everyone on the same page every single day," admited Hemphill-Fry, "[but] honestly I don't know if I'll ever be part of a group of people who worked so well together."Truth be told, there was no coincidence that "Climate Summer" was based in New Hampshire. With presidential elections looming on the horizon, New Hampshire was an obvious choice to host such a movement as "Climate Summer." Yet students had limited interaction with politicians over the summer months. Instead, by rousing the New Hampshire community, students were invoking an indirect political action, explained Hemphill-Fry, forcing the question, "Are you going to respond to your constituency?"While the days of summer are slowly ebbing, the initiatives drawn up by the students behind Climate Summer are only increasing. There are unprecedented numbers of climate conferences this fall and the handful of students returning to campus are continuing to work diligently on Focus the Nation and carbon neutrality initiatives. Yet these students are also intent on rallying students to the cause by challenging misperceptions about environmentalism, explained Wear. "What does an environmentalist look like?" She asked. Not just the croc-donning granola she insisted. "Everyone can embody it." Beyond Middlebury, the march continues. Many of the students involved in "Climate Summer" have set up base in Manchester in preparation for Step it up II on November 3 (marking the one year race to elections in 2008). "We hope that we can invite every senator, every representative to come meet with their constituents," expressed McKibben. "Every state to talk about climate change." Step It Up II, while reiterating similar goals of "Climate Summer" shall take a more political stance as participants will travel to landmarks across the country to pay homage to leaders of the past. By uniting on "Mount Washington, Mount Abe, the birth place of Rachel Carson Ö Mount Rushmore in South Dakota," explained McKibben, Americans can "inspire some of these politicians to stop being politicians and become leaders for a while."
(09/26/07 12:00am)
Author: Maddie Oatman Radio Arts Middlebury catches up with Dougherty during his three-week residency at Middlebury.Patrick Dougherty, a lanky, silver-haired artist with a soft Southern drawl, began his career by creating stick sculptures around his own yard in North Carolina. Now, internationally recognized and know for his work at various universities and public locations around the world, he continues to sculpt with simple materials found outdoors. His awe-inspiring structures, which evoke a sense of organic movement and often offer emotional depth, belong in a child's backyard fantasy or a creature's nesting place. Dougherty, working at Middlebury College until Sept. 28th with local volunteers, is using silver maple saplings found on Weybridge Street to create an installation in front of the Kevin P. Mahaney '84 Center for the Arts (CFA) that will remain for the next couple of years. So far, the sculpture has taken the form of several swaying huts with curling peaks and odd openings that even allow the viewer to climb inside. The Middlebury Museum of Art (MCMA) will display an exhibition of photographic and video documentation of some of Dougherty's past works until Dec. 9th. In a lecture given in the CFA Concert Hall on Sept. 19th, Dougherty confessed to his audience his realization that he did not need to create a masterpiece in order to dedicate his life to art. But, take a walk to the CFA, peer up at his ever-evolving, magnificent sculpture and decide for yourself whether Dougherty may have developed a new kind of public masterpiece using the natural world as guide. The Middlebury Campus caught up with Dougherty in the midst of his work. See interview below.The Middlebury Campus: What experience did you have working with wood before you became an artist?Patrick Dougherty: Early on in my life I just had the experience that people who enjoy the woods have - as a child playing with sticks and building forts and as an adult walking in the woods. I live in a log cabin so it was easy to imagine using the other end of a stick for a sculpture when I got going on my work. I just like being out in the woods and I like building things that remind other people of what that experience is like. I capitalize on the current, intense desire that people have to connect with their natural surroundings. As we feel more tentative about the Earth - with climate change and so forth - the work seems to be more potent. TC: You were saying that you do not have a strong connection to politics - that that is not your aim - but do you ever feel involved or connected to the environmental movement?PD: I would say that would be more of a personal quest of mine, not necessarily an artistic quest. I think that sometimes you can be too heavy-handed in the direct approach. The fact that people might remember their feelings about the natural world by being in one of your pieces is a much more subtle way of having them come to the point of thinking, "I hope that we can be careful with the environment, I hope that we can think about it in a different way."TC: Do you have a favorite kind of tree to work with?PD: These silver maples here at Middlebury are really good. Often I use willow, elm, dogwood, sassafras and strawberry guava. I have used lots of kinds of things. TC: It's great that you are using material from around the area.PD: Yes, I think that it makes a big difference that you are fully embedding it [the sculpture] into the community and it comes from the community. You ask people to help you from the community and it really works out well. TC: Besides the material itself, did you take from forms around Middlebury or buildings in order to incorporate them into the piece?PD: Well, you have the peaks on this building here (pointing to CFA). I was told that there was another building that was torn down that had lots of peaks as well. Plus, you've got this peak over here in the skyline (pointing to the tip of Mead Chapel), so you know it resonates a little bit. And, of course, the tree shapes. But I was also thinking of the potential to resist snow and bad weather and I think that is often a really big issue. You can only build certain images when the weather allows. You are not going to be able to make something that's very ephemeral and very tentative in a place where you have a lot of snow and expect it to stay up, so you have to be a combination of really practical and at the same time you have to not let practicality close down your ideas. TC: To what extent do you design as you go?PD: I do a lot of that. What I do is I set parameters for the work - how should these things be, how should they sit the front of the building, how do they impinge on the plaza that was here? We have a walkway that runs through it, so how can we use it to our advantage so that people could, during really inclement weather, walk right up to it and walk right in it? I think that all of that planning goes on. But beyond that, on a moment-by-moment basis, you can see I don't have that much control (pointing to volunteers standing on scaffolding bending saplings and twisting them around each other). I mean, I am watching what everyone's doing, and now that we have a precedent for what to do, it is easy for people to help. I go back and I do the exterior, and I am putting those doorways in, and then I let people work on the inside while I work on the outside.TC: Your pieces evoke an organic form and they are made from organic material, but sometimes you do jugs or even Dixie cups. What are you trying to say about the contrast or the connection between the organic and the civilized?PD: You try to get as much leverage with your images as you possibly can. Sometimes it is the tolerance of the site. Say you are at a place where there is a reference to water, you could say, "Well, I'll make some water jugs," because that is basically what the public could understand right off and that would be an entryway into them appreciating [the sculpture] on a different level too. Because it is in a way a dwelling, it is a little bit like a basket, it is a little like prehistory and it has lots of references. A little like a walk in the woods, a childhood fort, a squirrel's nest or a bird's nest that you see in your garden and you really appreciate. I think they are good sculptures when they cause a lot of personal associations with the viewer so that they have a starting point. If it is a very abstract piece and they can't find any way to connect with it, it may be a great piece of work and fit in well with the world of ideas, but just be totally lost on the viewer. People have to be willing to give it a minute. A sculptor's approach has a lot to do with whether they're willing to take that minute.
(09/19/07 12:00am)
Author: Thomas Brant and Joseph Bergan This past week, an impressive number of students attended the information session for the SGA Senate race, spawning off an even more impressive 22 candidates. This week, The Middlebury Campus celebrates the increased participation in student government by sitting down with the candidates and capturing the essence of their campaigns - beyond the platforms and letters of intent, allowing them to tell their stories in their own words.Junior Class Senate candidatesBobby Joe SmithThe only athlete on the ballot for SGA Senate, Bobby Joe Smith '09 hopes to facilitate communication - a neccessity on the football field - in the Senate as well. "I think the best thing I can do is create an effective medium for students to be heard," he said.Smith is focusing on intellectual curiosity in addition to the weight room this fall."There should be moderated discussion sections after all-campus speakers - it's a good way to spark communication and debate."Rashna Kharas"There is a general dissatisfaction on campus and I want to make this dissatisfaction more vocal," said Rashna Kharas '09, a native of Bombay, India and one of four candidates for the junior class senator position.Kharas may be a newcomer on the Middlebury political scene, but the sound of her voice is familiar to those who are close to her."I love to complain," she said. "It's what I've done for two years, and I thought this year that I might as well complain to people that can do something about it."Sean DennySean Denny '09 brings two years of experience and diverse interests to the hotly contested field in the junior class senate race. "One area I would like to focus on is study abroad," he said. "The study abroad restrictions are intense - for example, if you are a science major, it's harder to go abroad. The College takes pride in language but at times it is restrictive."Denny also hopes to expand the scope of student activism."There is a lot of activism on campus, but you never hear anything about micro lending, which some say is the solution to poverty," he said, "I would be interested in mobilizing groups on campus into microlending."Katie HylasKatie Hylas '09 is tired of just solving problems by writing papers - she believes public speaking needs emphasis as well."I think that the public speaking initiative is very important - it's a part of the liberal arts experience that we haven't quite tapped into," she said.But Hylas' campaign also has a lighter side, as she hopes to boost the College's seemingly stagnant party culture."My idea for social life is to figure out where the gaps in the party scene are and make some more happen," said Hylas.Sophomore Class Senate candidatesEmily StephensEmily Stephens '10.5 hopes to return to the Senate this year to accomplish some unfinished business. "Last year it was difficult to get stuff done because I was only in office for one semester," she said. With a goal of adding public speaking classes to the College curriculum, Stephens hopes to be a uniter. "I think it's important as the only Feb senator to be accessible for both Febs and regs."Nicolas Sohl"I have a simple plan as the 'political' voice of the sophomore class," said Sohl. A sophomore from Long Beach, Calif., Sohl's plan is to "help students regain control of our social gatherings. The bureaucracy behind our social lives needs to be streamlined." Besides his "strong connections with the sophomore class," Sohl feels that his role as a guise of outdoor adventure trips in California provides him with the leadership and people skills to be a successful senator.Keith GroggA sophomore from Santa Fe, N.M., Grogg gives the following advice to the sophomore class. "You have ideas on what you would like to change. I for one want an escalator to my room on the fifth floor of Gifford and lobster in the dining halls," he said. Though Grogg's goals may be out of this world, he is very down to earth about the way things get done in the Senate - "I'll only have the power to make a recommendation, but there are some things we can change. Think of me like an open slate - I can do whatever my constituents want."Vrutika ModyIn her letter of intent, Vrutika Mody '10 explained that in her high school in Singapore, she became "addicted" to student government. In her first year at Middlebury, Mody fed her addiction and still is not satisfied."Now that I know how the SGA works, I have a better handle on it and this helps me listen to students," she said. She hopes to return this year with a focus on communication with students' needs."My room is full of study notes from students' thoughts."First-Year Class Senator electsAnne RunkelA first-year from Helena, Mt., Anne Runkel '11 is confident she can represent her class well. "I can listen to people and adapt quickly - it's the one thing that helps a freshman to be a good representative," said Runkel. Focusing on social life issues, Runkel hopes to untie the diverse Middlebury student body."I'm sure everyone has an opinion as to what could be different, and I think I can bring these ideas together," she said.David PedutoDavid Peduto believes he has a special affinity for political life."I was born on Abraham Lincoln's birthday, so I have a special connection with him," he said.While other candidates focus on campus life, Peduto's campaign has a decidedly international focus."I would like to see a 'call for peace' - this would have everyone on the College learn how to say 'peace' in another language and say it together at one time, hopefully breaking a world record," said Peduto.Brainerd Senate CandidatesChester HarveyChester Harvey '09 hails from central Vermont and this year is focusing his campaign on straight talk and inclusion. "We need to break the senators out of the 'club' and get them to talk to students," he said.Though not surrendering to the beauracracy, Harvey will not aim for goals that seem outlandish."We need to accept that the SGA doesn't have that much influence over the administration so we need to focus on student issues," he said.Andrew FullerAndrew Fuller '11 has just arrived to Middlebury from sunny Miami Beach, Fla. Although he is new to the College, it appears that his room in Stewart has already inspired him to represent his commons on the SGA Senate. He is not afraid to get involved in the furious political storm that is the SGA elections. "I think that when people talk to you, you have to be able to get those concerns across to the administration," he said.Fuller many not have that much experience at the College, but it seems that he already knows the duty of an SGA senator.Wonnacott Senate candidatesNichole WyndhamNichole Wyndham '11 faces off against another first-year, Ashley Quisol '11 in this year's Wonnacott Senate race. As neither candidate can boast college-level political experience, Wyndham is playing up her real estate as a potential political tool. "Because I've lived in Gifford, I've tried talking to upper classmen and seeing what their wants are," she said.Ashley QuisolOne of the many first-years in the senate race, the senate campaign of Ashley Quisol '11 is focusing on the political basics. "I just want to have a conversation with people, that's what's important to me," she said.Quisol cited her creative problem solving skills as one of her greatest attributes."I try to find solutions - one kid came up to me and asked for an ice machine in Battell and I told him I would buy him some ice trays," she said.Cook Senator-electJonathan KayHe may be just a first-year, but Kay already understands one of t
he most important paradoxes in politics "It's hard to find a balance between your views and the views of the people who elected you," Kay said. His solution? "I think I can balance the two and that my beliefs probably represent a majority of my constituents' beliefs already," he said. Some of Kay's pet projects include ice machines in the dorms and MOO trips for everyone.Atwater Senate candidateLance SunAs a native of New York City, Lance Sun '11 is not afraid of meeting new people."I love talking to people and listening to their ideas," he said.As an Atwater Senator, Sun would strive to create weekly meetings, "where Atwater students can come in and express their views - an open door policy," he explained.IHC representativeScott KesslerThis year, physics major Scott Kessler '08 will turn his attention from halting climate change to advocating social house policy on campus."At the current rate, the College is not giving much leniency to social houses," said Kessler. "I want to offer more variety in the social house offerings," he added.Though Kessler sees his year in office as an uphill climb, there is no doubt that his supporters will be numerous. "I represent anyone who's been to the social house parties," he said.Editor's NoteThe following candidates either declined comment or were unable for comment at press time:Annie WeinbergAshwin GargeyaWalter B. SchifferDerek SakamotoKuni Suzuki
(09/12/07 12:00am)
Author: Mia Lieb-Lappen Yellow communal bikes, candlelit dinners and an organic garden growing on top of a dining hall are not common sights at most colleges and universities. However, through such creative projects stemming from environmentally-active organizations on campus, Middlebury College has demonstrated a passionate commitment to become environmentally responsible while simultaneously serving as a role model for other institutions. Not surprisingly then, The Grist recently labeled Middlebury a "hotbed of climate activism" and listed it as one of the top 15 green colleges and universities nationwide, among which include Harvard, Yale and Earth University. What has the College done to earn this standing? "It is in the students and the way the college is run," explained Middlebury College graduate and environmental science major Jason Kowalski '07.To begin with, MiddShift convinced the Board of Trustees to "shift into neutral" and, as a result, the College has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2016. MiddShift proposed a toolkit that included specific educational opportunities and suggested projects that are said to be financially feasible.Do not be alarmed walking into a dorm and finding lights off, fans on low and temperatures cooler than usual. With incentives such as pizza parties on the line, it is most likely students were responding to energy-saving contests between commons. Adding a competitive element has encouraged students to take small steps towards conservation. "Screwing in a light bulb is important, screwing in a new federal policy to deal with climate change is crucial, especially if we're ever going to regain enough credibility to help lead the world toward a stable climate," writes scholar-in-residence Bill McKibben in a letter addressed to the public. Last semester with leadership from McKibben, students started the first phase of the Step It Up 2007 campaign demanding national action against climate change. On April 14, 1,400 rallying actions took place by individuals all across the country who took pictures holding signs that stated, "Step It Up Congress. Cut carbon by 2050." The next action, "Step it up 2: It's Time for Climate Leaders," is planned for Nov. 3, appropriately one year before the next election. "There are occasional moments in history when we desperately need leadership, and this is one of them," began McKibben in his address. Now, recent Middlebury graduates are working to encourage leaders to show their commitment to addressing climate change by attending the events that will be held at places named after famous historical leaders. Kowalski, one of the nine organizers of the campaign, explains, "Our measure of success for Step It Up 2 is to get politicians to these actions." These Middlebury graduates are a clear product of an environmentally conscious college. "Everyone knows Middlebury is a leader and people look to us to be a role model of collegiate sustainability," said Kowalski. "A huge responsibility goes with that."
(09/12/07 12:00am)
Author: Jay Dolan Spending a semester abroad is a popular part of the Middlebury experience. Many first-year and sophomore students have already decided which semester, as well as what part of the world, they'll be enjoying away from their monotonous college lives. In fact, a minority of students will spend the full eight semesters, and four winter terms, at Middlebury. The reason for this could be a desired break from the price tag of the College or perhaps a genuine interest in broadening their cultural horizons. In any case, juniors staying on campus the entire year are likely to experience two very different semesters with the arrival and departure of friends midway through the year.If you are not going abroad you might think it is depressing to watch friends leave. It is depressing, but Facebook takes it one step further. In an effort to salt your wounds, you'll see pictures of your friends living it up in some foreign country and responsibly enjoying alcoholic beverages. This is all happening while you cower under the stairs from the wrath of Public Safety. Meanwhile your best friend and his new buddy from Pomona, Colgate or wherever will probably spend most of their time sitting in a room with beautiful women, drinking brew-dogs and high-fiving each other. Keep in mind that there will be pictures of this, so you'll know it to be true. Your buddy might even mention your plight back in the States, at which point they'll pause and have a laugh at your expense. Your Facebook pictures on the other hand will remain about as exciting as Ross Dining Hall or Pub Night (Pub Night is great by the way). You may also get the idea that everyone abroad is doing little to no academic work. Well, you're absolutely right. They aren't, but can you blame them?I was in the minority of juniors who hung around last year and, despite these setbacks, it was not the end of the world. Even though my presence on campus was slightly forced, I managed to get by. In fact, I took things a step further and spent the entire summer in the ol' town. Now, before you assume I am insane, hear me out.My summer abroad in Middlebury, Vt. was just as eye-opening as a night in Prague. Okay, not really, but there is no question that Middlebury is very different in the summer months than during the school year. Besides the obvious climate change, a summer in Middlebury allows you the opportunity to get to know the town. If you can live here during the summer - without incarcerating yourself in language school - you will not be disappointed. My summer involved a job that was relevant to my career ambitions, but did not overwhelm me with work.If you can justify your stay with some sort of job, and I'm mainly suggesting research jobs, an internship or even something small off-campus, you can finally enjoy Middlebury the way it should be enjoyed. In other words, you no longer have to be an intense outdoorsman. You'll realize that hiking does not have to mean subzero temperatures and beating your hand against a tree so you can feel feelings again.Living in Middlebury during the summer months is probably the best decision I have made in a while. It changed the way I look at the school and the town. I am glad I figured this out now. Some people realize how great Middlebury is a little too late. Hence, they never end up leaving. I can understand why. However, by the end of the year I'll have taken more away from Middlebury than I deserve. Hopefully I will realize that it's time to go and be thankful that I did not miss out on the experience all together. Go abroad, but make sure to get your fill of Middlebury before you leave. Or, just don't leave.Jay Dolan '08 is the Opinions Editor from Richmond, Va.
(05/09/07 12:00am)
Author: Tamara Hilmes Former President of the United States William Jefferson Clinton addressed a record turnout crowd at the Middlebury College Commencement on May 27, reminding the Class of 2007 of the importance of community. Blue ponchos filled the lawn between the McCullough Student Center and Voter Hall as well over 5,000 graduates, family members and friends endured the rainy weather to celebrate the achievements of the graduating class. The highlight of Sunday's event was Clinton's much-anticipated address. Clinton, who received an honorary doctorate of humane letters, spoke briefly about Ron Brown '62, who served as commerce secretary during Clinton's first term and was the first person who introduced the former president to the College. "I loved Ron Brown," Clinton said. "His eyes would light up when he talked about Middlebury. Ö He found here what I want for everyone in the world.""A kid who grew up in a hotel in Harlem found a home here, because there's a community here, in the best sense," Clinton continued. "And that's really what we have to build in the world."Such a community, he said, has "a broadly shared opportunity to participate, a broadly felt responsibility for the success of enterprise, whatever it is, and a genuine sense of belonging." Acknowledging problems in the world ranging from resource depletion and climate change to illegal immigration and terrorism, Clinton stressed the necessity of strong communities in the face of such challenges. "I believe questions of community and identity Ö will determine our collective capacity to deal with all the problems.""Our differences are really neat," he continued. "They make life more interesting and they aid in the search for truth. But our common humanity matters more. So much of the world's difficulty today is rooted in the rejection of that simple premise."Clinton also pointed to recent discoveries related to human genetics to support his argument, touching on what he called the "stunning" Human Genome Project. "Genetically all human beings are 99.9 percent the same," he said. "Everything you can possibly observe about another that seems different is rooted in one-tenth of one percent of your genetic makeup.""I saw Rush Limbaugh the other night," he continued, "and I was tempted, after all of the terrible things he's said about me, to tell him that we were 99.9 percent the same. I was afraid the poor man would run weeping from the restaurant. And so I let it go."After speaking of an upcoming trip to South Africa, Clinton expressed his disbelief that he and Nelson Mandela, who he greatly admires, are ultimately so similar. "I can't believe that he and I are 99.9 percent the same, because he's so much greater in every way than I could ever be. But it's true." He went on to describe community within the context of South Africa, speaking of a word in Xhosa used to discuss the idea of community: 'ubuntu.'"It simply means, in English, 'I am because you are,'" he explained. Further north in the country, in the central highlands, he noted that "when people meet each other walking along paths and one person says, 'Hello, how are you? Good morning,' the answer is not, 'I'm fine, how are you.'" The answer in English is, 'I see you.'"Clinton concluded his speech by asking the over 600 graduates to go out into the world with eyes open to see one another. "As you save the world," he said, "remember all the people in it."Preceding Clinton's speech, graduating senior Vani Sathisan '07 delivered the student address, which was eliminated from commencement exercises 150 years ago but was revived for the College's bicentennial in 2000. Sathisan delighted her audience with a witty and energetic address."The last time I gave a graduation speech I had just completed two years of kindergarten," she began. "The only difference between then and now is that this time, I wrote my speech all by myself.""I remember back then when I would cling to my dad's shirt when it came time to leave for school," Sathisan continued. "I think we are all still clinging to our dads' shirts - and pockets."Sathisan praised her professors for their influence throughout her Middlebury career, and commended the Class of 2007 for its three Watson Fellowship winners as well its involvement with MiddShift, Middlebury's carbon-neutral initiative, and Step It Up, a country-wide initiative to address global climate change. Sathisan finished with a bit of advice to her peers. "We need to reinvent the world," she said. "We need to be the trendsetters. We must defy the gods by being quietly confident, and we must fulfill our duties as global citizens."In addition to honoring Clinton and the College's fleet of graduates, Sunday's ceremony also recognized six other individuals with honorary degrees: Robert de Cormier, director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra; Janet Tiebout Hanson, founder of Broad Impact; James Gustave Speth, dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; Marc A. and Dana Lim vanderHeyden, the president and first lady of St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vt.; and Huda Zoghbi, a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. Valedictoria Olivia Bailey '07, a philosophy and French double major, and salutatorian Astri von Arbin Ahlander '07, a film and media culture and English double major, were also honored for their academic achievements at the College.Sunday's commencement exercises drew to a close after a rousing rendition of "Gamaliel's Painter's Cane," to which the graduates rapped and tapped their replicas of the former College president's cane to celebrate the end of their time at the College.
(05/09/07 12:00am)
Author: Derek Schlickeisen The College's Board of Trustees formally announced a five-year, $500 million fundraising initiative at its meeting this weekend, immediately vaunting $221 million already pledged in a pre-campaign "silent phase." The Board also approved a plan first proposed by members of the Sunday Night Group, for the College to achieve carbon neutrality by 2016.If successful, the $500 million Middlebury Initiative will represent the largest capital campaign in the history of liberal arts colleges, topping a 2005 record of $470 million set by Wellesley College. Comparable efforts now underway at peer institutions within the NESCAC include $400 million initiatives at Williams and Amherst Colleges."We are confident we will reach the $500 million goal," said President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz, "but we also recognize that this is a huge and exciting task ahead of us."The success of the silent phase comes on the heels of a year in which the College out-fundraised every other liberal arts institution, finishing with a $61.5 million total that exceeded expectations by nearly $10 million.Liebowitz and his staff stressed that funds raised by the initiative will be necessary to support two primary goals outlined in the Strategic Plan approved by the Board last May: improved student aid packages to replace loans with grants and the addition to the College's faculty of 25 new professorships.The Initiative "is unusual in that it will not emphasize infrastructure and capital projects," wrote Secretary of the College John Emerson in an e-mail. "Instead, it will focus on strengthening Middlebury's student financial aid programs and on supporting the expansion of the faculty in order to further enhance student-faculty contact."The College's focus on building student-faculty relationships has recently earned the plaudits of national critics like the Princeton Review, which rated Middlebury the highest among NESCAC schools for undergraduates' overall academic experience and the quality of its professors.Even a successful $500 million initiative will leave the College's endowment, now at $887 million, lagging behind those of several perennial competitors with which it shares a "top five" ranking from U.S. News & World Report. Not only do Williams at $1.5 billion and Amherst at $1.3 billion enjoy greater total endowments but, with smaller student bodies, their endowments on a per-student basis more than double the College's.As part of the Middlebury Initiative, the Board considered setting aside a Green Fund of roughly $50 million to finance the College's future environmental initiatives. Though no firm total has been set, the fund will also benefit from a seed gift of $2 million from former Board Chairman Churchill Franklin '71 as well as the support of this year's Senior Class Gift."The Franklin family... has been inspired by the College's commitment to environmental stewardship and leadership," said Liebowitz. "They understand how important the environment is not only to the College's mission, but also to the future beyond the College, and they wanted to help us in all we do in this area."The Board took a more concrete step, however, in officially adopting the Carbon Neutrality Initiative (CNI) into College policy. The final product of a working group comprised of students and administrators, the Initiative represents a victory for the Sunday Night Group, the student climate change organization whose members decided in May 2006 to push for carbon neutrality on campus."By adopting carbon neutrality, the College is not only living up to its environmental mission, but its academic mission as well," said Jamie Henn '07, one of the initiative's organizers. "Middlebury prides itself on equipping its students with the skills they need to become leaders, whether it be in business, art, politics or academics. In a world where global warming is increasingly defining all of these fields, environmental literacy is just as important as knowing a foreign language."The CNI will draw on the Green Fund to finance its programs, which range from changes in campus infrastructure aimed at reducing carbon emissions to education programs designed to foster climate-friendly behavior among members of the College community."One could say that Middlebury College's carbon footprint is trivial when looking at global climate change," said organizer Dave Dolginow '09. "But where do you start? By not only reducing our footprint but also educating our community about the environment as we go, we will have a big impact."The CNI comes amidst a broader movement at the College in favor of climate change action. This April saw the much-publicized success of Scholar-in-Residence in Environmental Studies Bill McKibben's "Step it Up 2007" demonstrations, and in January the Sunday Night Group hosted a regional summit for college students working towards carbon neutrality on their own campuses."It's important to see Middlebury's commitment in the context of a national movement lead by students to make campuses carbon neutral," said Henn. "Someone said recently that Middlebury is becoming for the climate movement what Berkeley was for the student movement in the 1960s."
(05/09/07 12:00am)
Author: Editorial Board To the Reader:"What in the world is happening to Middlebury?" wrote a parent responding to a recent Campus news article online. "Why would anyone reading this year's Campus publications want to send a son or daughter to Middlebury College today?"As the editors and writers who informed this reader, we found the question jarring. Perhaps it was our choice to make the Rehnquist professorship controversy a semester long news item, or our exploration of the fact that Middlebury's cost of attendance will soon exceed nearly all of its peers, or our ongoing reporting of the recent quips and quibbles between residential life staff and senior administrators, that led this reader to his desperate rhetoric. Whatever it was, we challenge the notion that Middlebury College is somehow lost in the woods. The truth is that the news media, ourselves included, reports the extraordinary more than the everyday. But our concerned reader should know that the heart of the Middlebury experience has never been so strong.Over the past year we have also reported how the students in the social science programs have engaged scholars from the Chief Justice of the United States to the humanitarian hero Paul Rusesabagina. The natural science faculty and students have been recognized with some of the most prestigious grants and fellowships in their fields. The athletics program has sent teams to NCAA championships across the country, and the theater department was singled out by the American College Theater Festival as one of the top undergraduate programs in the nation. Student environmentalists would be indignant if we failed to note that they had launched a national campaign for climate change legislation, and a local campaign that is officially slated to make the College carbon neutral by 2016.Not surprisingly, Admissions has also seen the highest application numbers in its history, and donors are eagerly contributing to Middlebury's half-billion dollar capital campaign.There are significant challenges ahead, to be sure. We continue to pursue that illusive, healthy balance of hard work and safe play. We still struggle to respectfully promote diversity of ideas and peoples. We can always be more open about our problems, more collaborative in our solutions and more cognizant of how our actions mold and shape this college. But passionate disagreements, like those that might have led our reader to his question, remind us how deeply people on both sides of each argument care about the College community.To answer this reader's question, lots of "things" are happening to Middlebury - some good and some bad. We have done our best to report them all.Best wishes for a restful summer,The Middlebury Campus Editorial Board
(05/09/07 12:00am)
Author: Grace Duggan The senior work of Sally Swallow '07 and Bill Army '07 finally brings a full-scale musical to Middlebury. With a production too irreverant and too interactive for Wright Theater, the cast and crew decided the only option was to literally turn CFA's Seeler Theater into the seedy Kit Kat nightclub in late 1920s Berlin. The result is decidedly provocative and seriously sexy. Audiences were blown away this weekend by the first three performances of "Cabaret," the 1966 Broadway musical based on Christopher Isherwood's novel, "The Berlin Stories" and John Van Druten's play, "I Am a Camera." They were also stroked, kissed and winked at by various members of the cast over the course of the almost three-hour long production. Inhibitions were thrown out the window by the force that was the ensemble of "Cabaret," as they strutted, writhed and danced around the stage and among the audience. Sitting close to the stage in Seeler Studio, now the raunchy and wild Kit Kat Klub, complete with low lighting, reserved tables and drinks available outside, almost guaranteed that one of the beautiful Kit Kat girls and boys would pass you by, maybe even sit at your table to wink at you before propositioning someone across the club for a drink using one of the telephones found on many of the cleverly-arranged tables. "Cabaret" takes place in Berlin from 1929 to 1930, toward the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of Adolph Hitler's rise to power. An American writer named Cliff Bradshaw (MacLeod Andrews '07.5) comes to Berlin with high hopes of finishing his novel, but is distracted by the vibrant and alluring British cabaret singer, Sally Bowles (Sally Swallow '07). After Bowles loses her job at the club she moves in with Bradshaw, who subsequently finds himself living "in delicious sin," as Bowles puts it, in Fr‰ulein Schneider's (Judith Dry '09) boarding house. His neighbors in the boarding house include Fr‰ulein Kost (Leah Day '07.5), whose love for sailors prompts a hilarious and witty back-and-forth with the more conservative Fr‰ulein Schneider, and Herr Schultz (Joe Barsalona '07), Fr‰ulein Schneider's love interest, who happens to be Jewish. As hints of the rise of the Nazi party grow stronger, the beautiful world of the Kit Kat Klub starts to crumble, and its inhabitants are forced to entertain the possibility of politics infringing on their decadent lives. Overseeing everything is the EmCee (Bill Army '07), a ubiquitous character with his hand in everything and nothing at the same time. Wearing a corset, heavy makeup and rhinestones on his nipples, Army stole the show from the start as he welcomed the audience to the Kit Kat Klub in the opening number "Willkommen." Accompanied by the Kit Kat boys and girls, Army gave the crowd its first taste of the club's seedy and seductive atmosphere. The cast kept the audience on their toes with eye-catching costumes, energetic dance routines and an onslaught of sexual innuendos during the first act of the play. There were minimal props and simple set changes, which contributed to the seamless quality of the transitions and the overall feel of the show. Army's twisted indifference to the growing infringement of politics and the Nazi movement on the world of the Kit Kat Klub was fantastic to watch. During "Tomorrow Belongs to Me," Army looked on coolly as cross-dressing Viktor (Waylon D'Mello '09), gets beat up by two patriots (Starrett Berry '09 and Roberto Ellis '09). The powerful scene was uncomfortable to watch, but served as one of the strongest allusions to Germany's developing political climate. The same song is reprised at the end of Act One during the lengthy and tedious party scene, which was not enjoyable so much as it was jarring, given its darkly ironic and foreboding introduction of the swastika, worn as an armband by Ernst Ludwig (Adam Granato '07). Army's chilling growl during the last part of the song further subverted the carefree atmosphere created by Bowles and the Kit Kat boys and girls, and made a stronger impression than the swastika itself. The Kit Kat boys and girls (Veracity Butcher '09, D'Mello, Jennifer Guest '07, Lauren Kiel '07, Emily Kron '09.5, Amaury Sosa '07, Stephanie Spencer '09 and Schuyler Beeman '10) used their in-your-face sexuality and unapologetic embrace of their atypical lifestyles to form the backbone of the performance. As dancers, singers and flirters, their lack of inhibition and enthusiasm for their roles created a realistic cabaret atmosphere. Bobby, played wonderfully by Beeman, was impossible to ignore, especially when he upstaged Bowles' first kiss with Bradshaw by giving him an equally passionate kiss of his own. Andrew's slight move of his hand up Beeman's back was a masterful comedic moment, but even so one could tell that some members of the audience were not totally comfortable with this kiss. In "Don't Tell Mama," one of several numbers that showcased Swallow's talent, the Kit Kat girls playfully undid their skirts before ending the number wearing only their bras and underwear. In "Two Ladies," Army pushed the envelope with Fritzie (Kiel) and Helga (Kron) as they sang about threesomes and erotically dressed the EmCee to go to work for the day. In a strong move away from the racier content and more toward social commentary, "The Money Song" featured a larger-than-life Army waddling around the stage in a top hat and an oversized suit with Kit Kat boys and girls crawling around him, visibly relishing their roles as they grabbed at his pockets for money. The chemistry between Dry and Barsalona in their decidedly more vanilla, but just as enjoyable romance, provided a sharp contrast to life in the Kit Kat Klub and helped to ground the performance in the burgeoning reality of the period. Dry's ability to go from witty and critical of Fr‰ulein Kost to visibly torn about marrying a Jewish man, was remarkable to watch, and her duet with Barsalona after he gave her a pineapple as a gift (Herr Schultz is in the fruit business) proved that even the more conventional parts of the show could be fantastic. The audience roared as gloved hands appeared from behind the curtain and waved more pineapples about in synchronized motions. "Cabaret" is Army and Swallow's 700 project, and partly Barsalona, and the mammoth production marks the first musical the Middlebury Theater Department has put on in more than 15 years. This is an unusual decision on the part of the department that grew out of the desire of Army and Swallow to put on a musical at Middlebury. "Cabaret" would not have been possible without the joint collaboration of the Music Department. Core faculty members include Assistant Professor of Theatre Claudio Medeiros '90, who directed the performance, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Vanessa Mildenberg, who choreographed and Carol Christensen, who provided musical direction and could be seen conducting the Kit Kat Band while wearing a strappy dress, a feather boa and a bright white wig. The noticeably shorter second act showed the audience that the fun was over and that the decadence of the first half of the play was coming to an end. Bowles gets her job back at the club, this time without her bright red bustier and her Kit Kat girls. Distraught and alone, Swallow's gritty rendition of "Cabaret" was among her stronger and more serious moments on the stage. Its simplicity was juxtaposed with the equally moving "Finale," which included the entire company and used Barsalona and Beeman as powerful symbols for the Jewish and gay communities respectively. Army slowly opened a suitcase and popped up wearing a gas mask before the end of the show, capping off a truly remarkable production that had the audience laughing, thinking and on its feet for a standing ovation. There are three more performances of "Cabaret" from May 10-12, each at 8:00 p.m. in the Seeler Studio Theatre in the Center for the Arts.
(05/02/07 12:00am)
Author: Cecilia Goldschmidt "In my personal opinion, the planet needs saving," declared Kathy Callahan, Deputy Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in her lecture on Thursday entitled, "Expecting Government to Save the Planet? The Evolving Federal Role." Since its creation in 1970, the EPA's mission has been to protect public health and the environment. However, there has been much controversy over the role of the EPA under the Bush administration concerning the lack of legislation and meager progress in regards to dealing with pressing issues such as global warming. Given the recent hullabaloo surrounding the EPA, it was no surprise that students and faculty members crowded into McCardell Bicentennial Hall 216 on Thursday for Callahan's lecture. And while she conceded the limitations regarding progressive environmental legislation in the current administration, Callahan chose to focus on the successes in recent history and the small steps individuals can take to counteract global warming.Callahan has worked for the EPA since 1971 in a variety of areas, including enforcement, budget and policy analysis, among many others. While she focused most of her lecture on the accomplishments of past administrations in dealing with environmental issues, drawing on the history of Federal involvement and policy successes, she also broached the topic of future challenges for the government.Beginning with the founding of the Sierra Club by John Muir in 1892, Callahan presented a timeline of important environmental progress from the 1908 White House Conference on the Conservation of Natural Resources to the Clean Air Act of the 1990s. She noted that the EPA has funded over $60 billion in wastewater treatment plant construction and she asserted the importance of the EPA's announcement in 1971 of national air quality standards for six common causes of pollutants, such as lead and sulfur oxides.Yet, "we still have problems," Callahan acknowledged in regard to the questionable successes of environmental legislation passed under the current administration. However, she added, "A government is successful not just for its accomplishments, but for its aspirations.""We try to do everything we can within the legislation we have," emphasized Callahan, who, by the question-answer portion of the lecture, was willing to discuss the faults of the political side of the EPA. "Our budget has been declining for the last ten years," she lamented. Not naming any political leader specifically, she said, "I think we need an improvement in the political debate Ö political leaders need to be more substantive in the way they approach things." This is why Callahan stresses the importance of taking advantage of leaders who are not just politicians, as much more could be done without the pressure of politics.Concerning the EPA's present work, Callahan admitted, "I'm going to guess we may not have a robust approach to climate change in the next year and a half." So if the government is currently not making much headway regarding the environment, what can we do to help? Callahan suggested that we save energy, take mass transit and car pool, recycle and spread the word. Callahan ultimately advised, "Speak out about what you care about."
(05/02/07 12:00am)
Author: Derek Schlickeisen With his first 100 days in office, a traditional Congressional landmark, behind him, freshman Representative Peter Welch (D) of Vermont has moved quickly to follow through on campaign promises by building a legislative record on climate change and the Iraq war. From announcing a carbon-neutral Capitol Hill office to opposing President Bush's Baghdad troop surge, Welch is gaining a reputation that fits with Vermont's political activism.Speaking about Welch's carbon-neutral office, Press Secretary Andrew Savage '03 said that his boss' home state has reflected in his work both on and off the House floor."The Congressman is taking some of the practical leadership demonstrated in Vermont and applying it to his job down here," said Savage. "He sees the office as an interim step towards making substantive changes as he pursues comprehensive global warming legislation in Congress."Welch's carbon-neutral initiative, much like Middlebury College's, stands symbolic of the desire among Vermont activists to effect immediate change while waiting for the federal government to act. Though the Democratic Congress in its own first 100 days split its focus between "bread and butter" issues like the minimum wage and the challenge presented by the Iraq war," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pledged to pass a comprehensive bill to combat global warming."Being in the majority makes an enormous difference. I think there was a sense throughout the campaign that the priorities needed to chance in Congress," said Savage. "Demonstrated by the first 100 days here, a new majority really does make a difference."Welch's actions in that majority have also, however, attracted criticism from across the aisle."The agenda Rep. Welch is pursuing in terms of politics and policy appears to be more geared toward currying favor with the Washington establishment than with serving Vermont," said Rob Roper, Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party.Welch paired public support for the recent Step It Up demonstrations organized by Middlebury graduates and Scholar-in-Residence Bill McKibben with sponsorship of the Safe Climate Act, which shares Step It Up's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050."The activism demonstrated by Step It Up events across Vermont and the nation serves as an inspiration for me," Welch said in a press release on April 14, the day on which more than 1,400 Step It Up demonstrations occurred simultaneously across the country. "I am proud of the role Vermonters are playing in stepping up and providing the necessary and urgent leadership to tackle this critical issue."Welch could not attend Step It Up's largest rally, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., because he was on a Congressional trip to Iraq.Roper criticized Welch's stance on climate issues, however, singling out in particular his sponsorship of legislation authorizing federal agencies to buy carbon offsets for their fuel-burning activities."Welch's own bill calling for taxpayers to fund carbon offsets for government officials and agencies is truly awful when you look at it," Roper said. "A carbon offset is using money to buy your way out of the sin of emitting greenhouse gasses. It's like paying someone to exercise for you, while you sit on the sidelines and eat cookies. It's one thing to do this with your own money, but to take the taxpayers' money to do it is really outrageous."Welch has made his opposition to President Bush's troop escalation in Iraq as clear as his support for climate-change legislation."The previous Congress was a rubber stamp for this President's Iraq policy," said Welch, echoing rhetoric he often used on the campaign trail last fall. "Those days are over."Welch signed on as a co-sponsor to Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha's (D) bill calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, and supported legislation from Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey (D) that would prevent the President from spending funds that would escalate the troop presence there."The Congressman is committed to a policy that demands accountability of both the president and the Iraqi leaders and revokes the president's blank check in Iraq," said Savage. Looking ahead to coming months, Savage stressed that although Welch is only a freshman in Congress, his many years in the Vermont legislature (he served as President pro tempore of the State Senate before his election to the U.S. House) will help him adjust to governing at the national level."He is going to use his leg experience and commitment to serving Vermonters in any way he can," said Savage. "He's pleased to have been successful in the passage of a couple amendments within his first 100 days in office."
(04/25/07 12:00am)
Author: Michelle Constant, Kerren McKeeman, & Chelsea Utterback Before heading to the online polls on Thursday, read up on the candidates for SGA president and Student Co-Chair of Community Council in The Campus' annual SGA election preview.Meet your SGA Presidential candidate: Max Nardini '08Junior Max Nardini's Student Government Association (SGA) presidential campaign features a list of policy items ranging from social life issues to raising student awareness of the Darfur crisis.According to Nardini, as SGA President, he would continue the SGA's program that offers busing to New York City and Boston over school breaks. Nardini also plans to continue supporting initiatives to make students more aware of carbon neutrality and climate change issues, as well as proposals to raise awareness of problems in the Sudan.Nardini believes he can create a debate forum at the College in which students, professors and outside speakers can debate specific political issues. "Speakers will offer multiple viewpoints and students will engage in academically exciting discussions afterwards," said Nardini.Nardini is one of the founding members of Xanadu, a new nightclub on campus, which he believes can contribute greatly to social life at the College. "Xanadu is the perfect way to address the social issues on campus," said Nardini. According to Nardini, Xanadu gives students the feeling that they are off-campus, while remaining in the safety and comfort provided by the College.Nardini believes his past experience in student government will benefit him if elected SGA President. After serving as the current Wonnacott Senator and former Sophomore Senator in the SGA Senate, Nardini said that "you expect to deal with certain things, and other things come up" in student government. For example, Nardini cited his work with students and faculty on the issue of banning smoking on campus. Nardini said that an important part of being SGA President will involve negotiating and taking others' needs into consideration."A major responsibility of student government is to mediate things as they arrive, to make constructive solutions," said Nardini. "We need to represent students' voices to make our time here valuable."Student Co-Chair candidates: Dean Atyia '08.5 If elected the Student Co-Chair of Community Council (SCCOCC), Dean Atyia's '08.5 plans would include the creation of an outdoor spring concert, planned by a new committee comprised of students from already-existing programming boards. The concert will not only allow students to enjoy live music and good weather but, according to Atyia, will provide a location for student organizations to set up booths, make T-shirts and display what students have been doing throughout the year. The concert would be organized by a new Concert Committee, which would consist of two Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) members, two WRMC members, six non-affiliated students and one faculty advisor.Atyia's other goals include continuing the process to serve liquor at Xanadu and allowing access cards to act as debit cards that can be charged at the Grille, Midd Xpress and laundry machines. Atyia also wants to remain open to student input and would hope to restructure Community Council meetings to allow students to propose their own suggestions without prior approval in the agenda. To facilitate student involvement, Dean wants to start a Web site or online forum on which students can discuss issues they wish to see changed through the Community Council. Atyia began his student government experience serving as the First-Year Feb Senator of the Student Government Association during his first semester at the College before joining the Council, on which he has served for two semesters. Atyia feels confident speaking up, and said that one of his strongest skills is his ability to get things done. Atyia feels he is a versatile and approachable member of the student body who knows what the students want. Eric Hoest '08Junior Eric Hoest's primary goal as Student Co-Chair of Community Council (SCCOCC) would be to improve communication among members of the community to ensure that equal attention be given to all voices. According to Hoest, he would seek input from the community regarding important issues so that decisions made by the Council would best reflect the wishes of all members of the College.According to Hoest, by collaborating with the Student Government Association (SGA) and President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz, student opinion will hopefully be strengthened, heard in each arena and fed back to the Community Council. The Council currently maintains a low profile among the student body, Hoest believes, but the candidate hopes that he can increase the Council's prominence and contribute to decision-making that will benefit everyone.Other issues Hoest wishes to tackle as SCCOCC are the smoking policy, social houses, alcohol policies, diversity and environmental issues as handled by the College. Before graduating, Hoest wants to pursue these aims and create policies that benefit the community best. Despite his focus on these issues, Hoest said he is not tied down to a rigid agenda. He said that as problems arise, he will be there to take them on to the best of his ability.Although never having served as a member of the Community Council, Hoest considers himself an active member of the College community. He has been involved in the residential life system at the College, having served as a residential advisor. He also gained experience in student government as he worked as an SGA cabinet member during the 2005-2006 academic year. Hoest said that he is ardent and passionate about aiding the community and is more than open to forging relationships with people in order to hear their views and help get their opinions heard.
(04/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Kelly Janis Whether as part of a bagpipe-led procession in Shelburne, a bike ride in Brandon, a ski-down in Killington or a trek from a sugaring shack to the statehouse in Montpelier, Vermonters turned out en masse on Saturday to "Step It Up" and demand that Congress pledge to cut the nation's carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.Residents of the town that spawned the national movement proved no exception in their zeal. An estimated 300 people gathered on the Middlebury Town Green to enjoy live music and drumming before assembling on the footbridge near the Marble Works complex for a group photograph.An hour later, the crowd poured into the Middlebury municipal gym for an environmental fair, kicked off with a performance by the Ripton-based folk trio Bread and Bones.As the twang of a guitar and string bass dissipated, the fair's coordinator, Stacey Lee-Dobek, took to the stage to welcome revelers to the event, which featured presenters from a wide array of local organizations committed to curbing climate change. "I want people to leave learning something," Lee-Dobek said. "And if you already know something, tell someone else."Lee-Dobek introduced Professor of English John Elder, widely respected in the community for his environmental activism. "In my brief remarks, what I want to focus on is the relationship between what we need to do and how we feel," said Elder. He proceeded to address three distinct sentiments. The first was that of grief and loss."We all know that climate change is already a very serious fact, and it is going to become worse even if we do everything right," Elder said. "The carbon is already in the atmosphere." Such a reality, however, is not cause for hopelessness - a notion underlying the second feeling Elder expressed. "This is a moment in which I think we need to feel powerful. Powerful for change," said Elder.As a consequence of this power, Elder said, we ought to conjure celebratory feelings, and orient ourselves toward "inclusive, pleasure-oriented environmentalism."Elder's commentary was proceeded by that of Ron Slabaugh, president of the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACoRN), which, according to brochures distributed at the event, aims to "revitalize our local economy to help our communities provide sustainable sources of food, water, energy, employment and other essential resources, and to promote conservation and a healthy environment." The organization, which was established in late 2005, meets monthly to discuss actions pertaining to such issues as local food, renewable energy and idling."We need to fashion a future in which we live with less energy," Slabaugh said. "It is time to move from despair into empowerment."The program continued with a performance by musical guest Catch Betty. "This first song is dedicated to the largest contributor to global warming in our area," she said. "It's called 'We Must Breathe Free.' International Paper in Ticonderoga, this one's for you." "We will not close our eyes to your deeds Ö the air and sky belong to us all," Catch Betty sang as fair-goers milled about with buttons declaring "I love wind power" pinned to their shirts, and giggling youngsters ran in circles with construction paper kites and streamers in tow. The gym's walls were festively adorned with colorful banners bearing such messages as "we are all a part of this chain" and "good planets are hard to find."A clothesline hung along another wall, brimming with eco-friendly suggestions attached to clothespins: "repair old things Ö give something away Ö donate old cell phones Ö ride the bus Ö walk Ö build bike paths Ö turn down water heater Ö replace lawn with native plants Ö collect rain water Ö no topping off gas tank."Against this backdrop, the crowd circulated to a selection of entertaining and informative stations. Among them was Vermont Soap Works' Sudzy Putty Fun Center, where, alongside a selection of the company's organic products, an extensive offering of soap scraps were available to be molded into a flurry of forms. "Instead of throwing them away, we've turned it into a way for kids to learn about scent, touch and shape," said Soap Works employee April Marble."We're in the market of helping the environment," Marble said. "We're very pleased to be here." Also represented was Rutland's Central Vermont Public Service Corporation (CVPS). "We're beginning a new renewable energy project here in Vermont," said Senior Energy Consultant David J. Dunn. "This fair seemed like the perfect place to highlight that, and support others who are fighting global warming."The project, known as "Cow Power," entails "a voluntary service rider that promotes development and reliance on renewable energy in Vermont." Its aim is to craft a market for energy generated from the burning of methane from cow manure. CVPS customers can opt to contribute an additional monthly fee to facilitate the company's quest to "deliver renewable energy one cow at a time."Idle-Free VT coordinator Wayne Michaud also turned out to promote his cause. The non-profit, grassroots campaign addresses unnecessary vehicle idling in the state and works toward the enactment of an idle-reduction law.Michaud was inspired to pursue the issue after witnessing trucks idling at the Chittenden Solid Waste District's drop-off center in Hinesburg. "They would go on for ten minutes," he said. "Finally, I decided I was going to call Chittenden Solid Waste."Subsequent to his phone call, the center posted anti-idling signs."They took my concern and did something about it," Michaud said.Idling at the center, and in other locations, did not cease altogether, however. "It's a long, drawn out process to make change," Michaud said. In spite of this, he is optimistic that his "business idle-free" initiative - one which he calls a "win-win" situation for businesses and the environment alike - is capable of garnering the support of lawmakers.This optimism seems to be contagious.Representatives of SolarFest 2007 - a two-day summer event in Tinmouth which brings together over 90 renewable energy and sustainable future exhibitors for a music, theater and dance festival dedicated to environmental activism - said they were motivated in their cause by the work of Bill McKibben. "We're very excited that he's doing that work and raising awareness," said Hugh Coyle '83.Middlebury's rally registered as an apt venue for similar work. "This event brings together a community of like-minded individuals," said SolarFest's Bud Yost.Coyle and Yost are unique in their attitude and approach. "People like to talk about the problem, and we like to provide the solution," Coyle said. "It's not just theory, it's not just ideas. We can do this."In an event report on Step It Up's website, Middlebury resident Greg Dennis concluded that the environmental fair and rally's "amazing turnout [is] proof that many, many Vermonters are committed to doing what it takes" to salvage the ailing environment.Much of this turnout may be attributed to the event's upbeat atmosphere. "It's not merely a guilt-ridden, hand-wringing, dramatic crisis," Coyle said. "There are exciting, joyful, good things out there to celebrate. We want to show the positive spirit of this movement."Elder echoed this sentiment in his remarks. He noted that, in some years, the shift in the sugaring season from March to February has caused tree-tapping to coincide with Mardi Gras celebrations, which he compared to Middlebury's environmental rally."Mardi Gras is a wonderful festival for us to think about at this time of loss, aspiration and potential," Elder said. "All over the world, in different religious traditions, there are ways to express what I think is essentially a sp
ring ritual of partying. Winter is almost over. Put on your dancing shoes, walk around the streets with your friends wearing bright clothes and then get serious about renewal: personal transformation, community celebration, and, finally, transformation of our whole system into something not only more sustainable, but more festive and fun."
(04/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Nathan Zucker "I'm here for a purpose. I do not feel like I'm passing through. I feel a measure of social responsibility in what I do. Writing is an ethical act," said Barry Lopez, ecological expert and author of the book "Arctic Dreams." Delivering the 2007 Scott A. Margolin '99 Lecture in Environmental Affairs, "The Wild Road to the Far North," Lopez addressed three important questions: "Who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you here?" The answers to these questions, he asserted, reveal much about our purpose on Earth, as well as offer a way to challenge ourselves to face the impending ecological problems. Margolin was a courageous student who strived not only to understand, but also to solve, one of mankind's most pressing problems, the ecological crisis. Although Margolin died tragically following his first year at Middlebury, he will be forever remembered by the series of lectures delivered in his name. This year's lecture was cosponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art (MCMA), Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, Environmental Studies Program and Environmental Affairs Office, and was part of the programming series "Reflections on a House of One Room," presented in conjunction with the exhibition "Robert Adams: Turning Back, A Photographic Journal of Re-exploration" on view at the MCMA through June 3.Each year, the Environmental Studies department funds a speaker who addresses various aspects of the tense interaction between humans and their environment. Lopez has dedicated much of his work to the study of how global climate change has affected the polar regions of the Earth. Although part of his lecture was devoted to this topic, the event was mainly a general discussion of how humans can improve their relationship with their planet. Lopez, who spoke for an hour in Mead Chapel on Thursday, was received warmly by a large audience, which was filled with students interested in environmental studies. In an interesting twist on his theme of environmentalism, Lopez emphasized how important his writing has been in helping him understand the intricacies of man's relationship with the greater community. For Lopez, writing is a way of exploring both moral and personal issues. Despite the rather general, philosophical nature of Lopez's talk, he did examine more closely several pertinent issues. One such issue was his criticism of the Bush administration's response to global warming, which he called "a repudiation of science." In a more broad censure of American politics, Lopez denounced both the Republicans and the Democrats for their failure to take control of climate change. According to Lopez, man's role in increasing the greenhouse effect has been known since the late 1970s, but no one has ever acted sufficiently on the issue. Lopez emphasized however, that it is not simply the government's problem, but one that must be solved by the general public as well.In a moment of optimism, he praised American citizens for becoming more knowledgeable and passionate about the issue."People know that more than a few dark horsemen are arrayed on the horizon. They don't trust authorities. Call your neighbor has replaced call your congressman," said Lopez. At the end of the lecture, the audience gathered in Mead Chapel gave Lopez a standing ovation. Several students asked Lopez questions, which ranged from scientific inquiries about population growth to personal questions about the role of reverence in one's life. Overall, there was a sense of satisfaction with Lopez's call to arms; those studying environmental studies were especially impressed. "I liked how he talked about community and the growing trend towards localization. That will be the solution," remarked Charlie Hofmann '10.Stone Conroy '10 added, "I wasn't sure what to expect from the lecture. He talked about issues above and beyond environmentalism. He seemed to be emphasizing that human beings have a capacity to do great things. He's asking why we aren't achieving that. Our generation's mission, and our personal mission, is to save the environment."
(04/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Derek Schlickeisen The largest global warming demonstration in American history took place on April 14, all thanks to an idea conceived by six recent graduates of the College and Scholar-in-Residence Bill McKibben. Step It Up 2007, a campaign of more than 1,400 coordinated demonstrations in all 50 states, called on Congress to pass comprehensive climate change legislation aimed at cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent before 2050.From an online launch in January with the modest goal of organizing 100 events, Step It Up 2007 rapidly grew into a national phenomenon that exceeded McKibben and his students' wildest dreams for the project."Step It Up was an incredible success that surpassed all of our expectations," wrote Jamie Henn '06.5, one of the project's earliest staff members, in an e-mail. "More than thirty senators and congressmen attended rallies. John Edwards attended one of our rallies and pledged 80 percent cuts by 2050. This is becoming a national priority."While the campaign enjoyed widespread support around the nation, organizers were pleased that the idea for the movement originated at the College."Step It Up took the incredible energy around climate change on the Middlebury campus and made it something national," wrote McKibben in an e-mail. "We were able to find people who cared passionately around the country and link them together in amazing ways that really demonstrated to Congress that this is not a second-tier issue for Americans. It's the beginning of a movement."While that movement may end, as McKibben and others hope, in congressional action to curb global warming, it certainly began in part at Middlebury."For anyone who thinks it is difficult to make change from the bubble of Vermont, Step It Up is a testament to the fact that big changes can ripple out from small places," said Jon Warnow '06.5, another one of the project's original staffers.Fellow project member May Boeve '06.5 agreed that Middlebury has a special place in the movement towards action on climate change, adding that the experience for her illustrates the opportunities available to students at the College."For any Middlebury student who has ever considered going out on a limb after graduating," Boeve said, "Step It Up showed me that not only is that possible, it's life changing."With sponsorship from major environmental groups like the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Step It Up 2007 organized rallies at some of the nation's most environmentally symbolic landmarks. Particularly poignant demonstrations took place on top of the once-broken levees in New Orleans, as well as on top of the melting glaciers at Mt. Rainier and underwater near endangered Key West coral reefs."Overall, we have been stunned by the number of successful actions and the reports we have gotten from participants," wrote Henn. "It was a powerful day for many people."The New Orleans demonstration proved to be among the most powerful, with over 500 city residents and activists turning out in red T-shirts that read, "Save New Orleans, Stop Global Warming." Together with many environmental scholars, the event's organizers stressed that they saw a strong connection between climate change and Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the city in 2005."Global warming is going to affect us and our children most," Tulane University student organizer Abbie Kamin reported on the Step It Up Web site. "Global warming is real, we have experienced it firsthand, and we can't afford to wait any longer to address it."More than one thousand marchers also converged on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to form what they called a "human postcard" delivering a simple message to Congress: "80% By 2050!"Though McKibben and his Middlebury graduates purposefully chose to organize local events around the country rather than a "march on Washington" reminiscent of the Civil Rights movement, their efforts have sparked comparisons to both the urgency and the moral imperative of that era.McKibben said "that to stop global warming, we need a cause with all the passion and moral urgency of the 1960s civil rights movement," read a story on Friday in The Philadelphia Enquirer. The Enquirer's home city played host to dozens of students dressed as endangered arctic wildlife who, in the shadow of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, witnessed a modified rendition of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin" that lamented, "The Climate, It Is A-Changin."Will Congress respond to Step It Up's call to action? McKibben certainly hopes so, particularly in light of the Democrats' takeover of both chambers in last November's midterm elections."There's a possibility, especially if control of one or both of the houses of Congress changes hands, that we'll see some legislation finally," McKibben told The Campus just days before the election. "It's beyond belief that the United States hasn't passed a single real law to begin to deal with this problem."In the wake of Saturday's nationwide demonstrations, the banner that now headlines Step It Up's Web offered a pointed challenge: "Your move, Congress."
(04/18/07 12:00am)
Author: Peter Mueller The human being gets a tough rap. Turn on the news and you'll see all the bad things that humans do. Humans lie, steal, cheat and hurt each other. It seems that the human is always on trial. Most recently, the human being has come under scrutiny for changing the environment. However, changing the environment is something that humans do well. There was a day when a human emerged from the cave and made a shelter by moving the Earth with its hands. It was preferable to a cave - there was light and better circulation. Was the human the first animal to make a home? No, the bird had long had its nest, and the bees their hive.In time, the human being surpassed the others in its ability to change the environment. Slipshod shelters became farming villages, trading towns and booming industrial metropoli. The beaver's dam made way for the Hoover. This was progress. Growth continued for the same reason the human first left the cave. Humans are creatures of comfort.Today, Middlebury College has established itself as a leader in environmental responsibility. We have a wind turbine and a recycling facility. Students do their part by sacrificing two degrees of heat in their dorms. Yet, there is a striking dichotomy between environmental consciousness and comfort. Signs around campus tell me to unplug my computer when it is not in use, while the concrete behemoth, BiHall, serves as Addison County's second sun. We want to minimize environmental impact, but we also want to read in plush chairs beside Vermont's largest window. Sure, I'll put my computer in sleep mode, but I cannot honestly crawl behind my desk ten times a day to unplug it. I am a creature of comfort.Does my failure to do so make me a bad person and ensure the Apocalypse? While the answer to the former is open to interpretation, I certainly doubt the latter. Although I am concerned with man's growing relationship with the environment, I am, in a way, impressed. In another era, humans paid homage to idols to bring rain and a good harvest. They tried their best to influence the environment and could not. Modern human ability to change the environment is not so much contemptible as incredible. If only Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, could see the fruits of our Green Revolution. I'm sure she would be impressed. Today, the scientific community is confident that greenhouse gases are leading to an increase in overall Earth temperature. The implications of the rise in temperature are less certain; Ice caps melting, variable weather, and drought are just a few. If you occasionally open a newspaper you have probably heard it all. Again, humans love to report the bad news. Yet, on April 3, The New York Times inadvertently reported some good news in an article entitled, "Reports From Four Fronts in the War on Warming." The article addressed the geography of global warming, highlighting the places where change could hurt the most. Moreover, the piece reported on the human response to change.In Maasbommel, the Netherlands, construction has begun on a network of higher dykes and floating houses as part of what they call "climate-proofing." In Perth, Australia, the new Perth Seawater Desalinization Plant is producing over 38 million gallons of fresh water a day, according to The Times. Of course, without global support these technological responses are limited to places with the adequate means. I cite these examples to shed climate change in a glass half-full light. Although we may be the first species to directly change global climate, we are also the first species equipped to handle the change. Our history proves that this is something we do well. Let's not underestimate human ingenuity in the face of the Malthusian specter. To do so would mean a reduction in comfort that Middlebury's Nike-clad, Ipod-sporting environmentalist seems unwilling to make. I'm certainly not about to move back into the cave. Rather, I am optimistically standing by as the world's most creative species approaches a new challenge.Peter Mueller is a Junior Feb from Yarmouth, Maine
(04/11/07 12:00am)
Author: Brian Fung The inauguration of Bill McKibben's Step It Up environmental campaign will be marked this week by over 1,000 demonstrations across the country. Step It Up's primary goal - to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent nationwide by 2050 - has even received the support of U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). As exciting as McKibben's movement is, however, legislators should be wary of endorsing a proposal that is both overzealous and unrealistic.According to a report last November by the Energy Information Administration, total carbon emissions in the United States reached 6,008.6 million metric tons (MMT) in 2005. Step It Up's campaign would see emissions reduced by 4,806.88 MMT over a period of more than 40 years - but to succeed, the U.S. would be required to reduce its carbon output by an annual 111.78 MMT. And these numbers assume that emission levels will remain steady in coming years, which they most certainly will not.Since 1990, CO2 emissions in the U.S. have risen at an average rate of roughly 67.9 MMT per year, with little in the way to limit that output. Considering the task ahead, I fail to see how Step It Up expects to reach its objective without eventually moderating its position. To even approach the annual target of 111.78 MMT would require still greater, perhaps Herculean, efforts to offset the additional 67.9 MMT of carbon currently being added to the atmosphere every year.Then there are the politics of actually pushing the carbon bill through Congress. Suddenly slamming legislators with a number as high as 80 percent will likely turn away conservatives who believe in the primacy of other priorities. Meanwhile, critics of the bill will castigate its supporters for being alarmist and overly dramatic in their crusade to save the planet. "An 80-percent cut in carbon emissions by the year 2050," wrote incredulous LaRouche Youth Movement member David Dixon in a recent Executive Intelligence Review article. "Precisely the deindustrialization and genocidal scheme presented by Al Gore to a credulous U.S. Congress on March 21."This political brinkmanship will likely have the additional consequence of stifling into submission potential moderate backers - and does little to help the environment, anyway. While the urgency of global climate change cannot be adequately underscored, the reality is that, unpalatable as it may sound, McKibben and Step It Up may have to settle for compromise.Brian Fung is a Freshman News editor who hails from Rockville, Maryland.
(03/21/07 12:00am)
Author: Leslie Lim The Thomas J. Watson Foundation has named three Middlebury seniors among its 50 fellows for 2007. The fellowships awarded to Dalal Al-Abdulrazzak, Carolyn Barnwell and Sathyavani Sathisan provide $25,000 grants for a year of independent research and overseas exploration. Nationally, nearly 1,000 students from 50 participating colleges and universities entered the competition. The 179 finalists competed nationally for a Watson-sponsored year of travel and discovery. The recipients this year hail from 24 different states and seven countries, and will voyage to a combined 90 countries.The three fellowships received by the seniors ties the College with Williams College and the University of Puget Sound for the most awards received by an institution over the course of a year. This year also marks the 10th straight year that a student from the College has won a Watson fellowship, bringing the total number of College recipients to 25 since 1981."I have so much respect for the dedication and hard work that the other three nominees from Middlebury put into their Watson applications," said Sathisan. "All this, of course, would not have been possible without the rah-rah of Karen Guttentag [associate dean of student affairs and head of the selection process this year], who has been an amazing pillar of strength and support throughout the entire process." This year, the projects of the College's three Watson fellows span a range of subjects and destinations. Al-Abdulrazzak, a Kuwaiti national and environmental studies and biology major, will pursue her research on shark and stingray conservation efforts in the Bahamas, Fiji, New Zealand, Seychelles and South Africa. According to Al-Abdulrazzak, her decision to focus on the topic stems from a long-time interest in a group of organisms that has been globally misunderstood. "I was absolutely thrilled and honored," said Al-Abdulrazzak. "It still hasn't hit me yet, and I don't really think I'll fully understand the magnitude of what this means until I do my first dive, see my first shark or stingray, and realize that I get to do this everyday for an entire year." In high school, Al-Abdulrazzak participated in research at the Scientific Center of Kuwait, the largest aquarium in the Middle East. Al-Abdulrazzak said that the fellowship would afford her an even greater opportunity for exploration."It allows me to step outside the traditional role of a scientist and incorporate cultural perspectives into my research," she said. "I want to know how different societies design successful conservation efforts. The Watson Fellowship will give me the opportunity to satisfy that desire and make meaningful connections that will significantly further my lifelong passion for [these organisms]."Barnwell, an environmental studies and sociology and anthropology major from Concord, N.H., will focus on the effect of climate change. She will conduct her research by traveling throughout New Zealand, Tuvalu, Mauritius, the Chagos Archipelago, Micronesia and Palau. She hopes to explore the socio-environmental issue of who becomes responsible for creating a new kind of self-reliance when the resources that allow villagers to rely on themselves are no longer viable. Barnwell recalls the trepidation and excitement of the fellowship notification and all it held."We were expecting to receive the notification emails at 3 a.m.," she said. "Starting at 3:01 I kept refreshing my Midd e-mail inbox and nothing was there...every time I refreshed it my stomach flipped...until I realized that I should check my Gmail account. And there it was. I was so flabbergasted I could not stop laughing." Additionally, Barnwell noted the impossibilities of knowing what effects a Watson year would have on her. "I like not knowing how my project will affect my future or my career," she said. "The decisions I make and the people I meet along the way will absolutely give me a lot to reflect on. I am looking forward to creating a challenging and meaningful year for myself." Sathisan, a political science major from Singapore, will explore theater from a socio-political perspective by traveling to Malaysia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. In her academic, extracurricular and personal opportunities, Sathisan has used theater to transcend the typical boundaries of political and ethnic conflict - a strategy that has proven more effective in many cases than discussion alone. Sathisan intends to explore further the interchange between arts and politics, and how theater can effect social changes on scales ranging from local to global. "I found it fascinating and revolutionary about theater, that in one evening you could assemble people from all walks of life, focus their attention on a political, social or spiritual theme and with creativity subsequently harness their energy to effect change," Sathisan said. "It is most often not merely the entertainment component but what happens post-performance that intrigues me the most."In preparation for a future involving international and corporate law, Sathisan credits the fellowship for expanding her personal and career-oriented horizons."My Watson Fellowship will enable me to employ theatre to understand the causes of societal schisms and the effective means to alleviate them," said Sathisan. "By gaining exposure to both the theoretical and culturally specific dimensions of conflict, I am confident that I will be able to play a significant role in bringing about greater peace both within and between people in areas of conflict and under-development."The seniors, once they set off for their studies abroad, will be forbidden from returning to the United States for the duration of their research - but if anything, the recipients reacted to that prospect with even more enthusiasm."I think it's absolutely fantastic," said Al-Abdulrazzak. "We, along with Karen Guttentag and the Watson Selection Committee have worked incredibly hard all year and it has clearly paid off. Each of our projects is unique and equally meaningful. I can't wait to begin."
