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(10/12/06 12:00am)
Author: Himali Singh Soin Himali Singh Soin '08 travelled this past summer to the Bhutan region. This travelogue is the final installment in a series of unique summer stories by students.Nestled between the mountains of Tibet and India is Bhutan, a tiny, Buddhist kingdom where spiritual happiness is valued above all material development and prosperity. The idea of traveling to this unique land was conceived while looking out upon a high altitude lake in Ladakh, India, where I was immersed in a landscape that incessantly spoke of its people and religion. My interest in Buddhism and its manifestation in the people's performing arts drew me there. As I landed in the tiny airport, the stunning red, green and gold patterns found in the architecture foreshadowed the brilliance of the rest of the country. It was the beginning of a journey into the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Druk yul, where men and mountains lived in harmony, and the wind chanted "Om mani padme hum" as if in prayer for its people. The next day, after about a two-hour walk uphill, we reached the "viewpoint" of the trail. From there I could see our destination - the stark, shaded, jagged rock face and perched above it, a beautiful, gold-roofed, ornate monastery. Along our path, the lush green of the land was juxtaposed with the red, blue and yellow of Buddhist Dzongs. The architecture of the country is in harmony with nature and blended with the landscape to enhance its own Buddhist identity. A largely agrarian country, Bhutan's economy thrives on steppe farming, and the architecture reflects this culture. Monastery roofs, for example, are broad at the first level, and make their way upwards in layers. There is always music, for singing is a communal activity, and it often takes the form of praying to the Buddha for successful harvests. Amidst the darkening skies and the heavy clouds, the fast wind and the passer bys, amidst the transience of nature's beings, the monastery Taktsang stood still, with a majesty that invited sheer awe. Setting foot on the monastery was a magical feeling - the wind was cooler here, the monks quiet and serene. There was something churning inside me. Taktsang means Tiger's Nest; it was the monastery originally built for the Guru Padmasambhav, who came from Tibet on his spiritual consort, the tigress, to crush the evil spirits that pervaded Bhutan.Inside the monastery, there was a little room that houses this cave, and it can only be seen through a tiny hole in the door. The resident monk explained the paintings on the wall to us - they were all the Buddhist manifestations of man and nature coexisting in symbiosis for the harmony of the universe.I stayed there for some time, and revelled in my surroundings. As I walked down and neared the viewpoint to look back once again, I realized the power of Taktsang. It was not simply a monastery on a hill that took a long time to get to; rather, this monastery symbolized the eternal harmony and cause of the universe. There was fresh air, abundant sunshine and a nearby waterfall. They had everything they needed - removed from the hustle and bustle of city life - a place where each monk, each plant, each animal and every bug had all they needed, and could coexist peacefully.The Royal Government of Bhutan has made a national commitment to uphold its obligations to future generations by charting a path of development called the Middle Path, which upholds both environmental and cultural preservation as an integral part of the development process. Traditional and local beliefs sustain the conservation ethic, for according to the ancient Bon religion and the concept of animism, the mountains, the river and the forests are the abodes of the gods, goddesses, protective deities and underworld spirits. Disturbing these sites would lead to death, disease or famine. Bhutan believes that a healthy environment is essential for material and spiritual happiness. In the words of his majesty the king of Bhutan, "Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product."The Buddhists in Bhutan believe that all of nature is a sentient being and has a right to live. This philosophy has manifested itself keenly in the streets of Thimpu and Paro where there is little garbage and a strong sense of responsibility for the surroundings. Environmental sustainability is one of the main pillars of Gross National Happiness. They understand climate change and environmental degradation as some of the pressing problems of today, and though seemingly isolated from the world, they are active in changing their ways, including shifting to alternative power possibilities. Bhutan has banned plastic bags and tobacco for they make the country 'less happy.' There is very little advertising to discourage consumerism and television was only introduced in 1999.The next day, we saw the beginnings of the rhododendron forests that were soon going to leave us speechless. We stopped for lunch in a meadow that housed a long Buddhist Chorten; these were the indications of eastern thought in the landscape. Amidst the meadows and cliffs of Bhutan were the brightly coloured prayer flags, stupas unflinching in the high mountain winds and tiny versions of chortens with piles of flat gray stone stacked high in the middle of lakes. Our guide said it was a need to mark their territory and identity in a vast landscape, that the nomads indicated their presence through their religion.Walking in the mountains was a mystical, fairy tale adventure. Mist covered the forests as we began from the trailhead, and followed us right into our tents that evening. Each plant was veiled in glittering dewdrops - it seemed that many a pixie and goblin inhabited this fertile ground; simply waiting for the onlookers to pass so they could re-emerge from beneath the moss and the mushrooms and cause their usual ruckus. As we gradually gained height day after day, the rhododendrons began to appear. The little spots of white and purple that simply seemed like those retinal spots that the eye creates when seeing into a distance magically became fields of brightly coloured azaleas. The clearing clouds allowed us to see, for the first time, the grand jagged views of the great Himalayan ranges of Bhutan.Bhutan's eco-system harbors some of the most exotic, endemic species of the eastern Himalayas. It has an estimated 770 species of birds and over 50 species of Rhododendron. The mountains brim with other exotic species like blue poppy and different medicinal herbs. Animals like takins, snow leopards, golden langur, tigers and elephants roam its forests.After several days in the mountains, we returned to visit the cultural aspects of the country, where the song and dance very much reflected what we had seen of the Buddhist landscape. The performers danced in circles and the music came back to the same words it began with; this seemed to mimic how the nomads would leave their belongings in the winter, go down to the valleys and then return again in the summer. As I caught my flight back to India, we steered through narrow valleys and empty gorges, across the beautiful Nepalese mountains. So though I left Bhutan that day, I seemed to be in inertia, for the chants of 'Om mani padme hum' still reverberated within me, and the warmth and splendour of the natural and the cultural landscape continues to live on.Since the journey, I have been able to capture a certain mindfulness, for in Bhutan one stops craving, and for a moment or two one is rid of desires, and can finally see what is, and it is then that one is completely present - truly experiencing one of life's rare moments of being.
(10/12/06 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] Carbon Neutrality InitiativeTo the Editor:I was pleased to hear of support by the Board Of Trustees and President Liebowitz for a low-emissions power plant and reducing the college's impact on climate change. Below is my letter to President Liebowitz, in support of the proposed Carbon Neutrality Initiative to make the college carbon-neutral by 2017.Dear Ron, I'm proud of many things that Middlebury College does. And I'm most proud of the college's support for environmental improvement. I have been very encouraged by recent college decisions and your remarks on the Middlebury Green during the global warming walk over Labor Day weekend led by Bill McKibben. As an aside, my wife and I hosted many of the walkers - including several of the college's students - overnight at our place on the first night of the walk. I'm writing you now to express my support for the newly proposed Carbon Neutrality Initiative. While I recognize this will require a considerable investment of the college's resources, initiatives of this kind are essential if we are to avoid the drastic consequences of unabated global warming and climate change. Moreover, the Carbon Neutrality Initiative will continue the college's outstanding environmental leadership, and it will further distinguish the institution we all love as one that is fearless in pushing for programs that benefit its students and the larger community.Sincerely,Gregory Dennis '74Middlebury, Vt.New Pub NightTo the Editor:In the Sept. 28th issue of The Middlebury Campus, the "Notes from the Desk" questions MCAB's decision to charge a small fee, rather than offer free beer, at Grille Pub Nights. I am a member of the MCAB executive board, but I'm also a student who enjoys Pub Night. Pub Night began last year as an experiment and became wildly popular among students above the legal drinking age. It's great that Pub Night was a success among older students, but MCAB's responsibility is to provide programming for the entire student body. Any event with free beer sounds like an event targeted at seniors and a few juniors, but Pub Night is about all classes socializing and enjoying free live music on a Thursday night. MCAB is operating on a limited budget and wants to be able to offer other great programs throughout the year, and any money that comes in will help make that possible. Besides, a dollar is a pretty good deal for an Otter Creek Copper Ale.Sincerely,David Schoenholtz '07Bethesda, Md.
(10/05/06 12:00am)
Author: Lisa Zaval and Derek Schlickeisen Adragna '10 snags single contested Senate seatWinning the position of Ross Commons' Senator, Anthony Adragna '10 secured the only contested position in the 2006 Student Government Association (SGA) Senate elections. The SGA announced the results of the elections Friday. After struggling to recruit candidates to fill the ballot, which included only 16 candidates for the 15 open seats in the Senate, a total of 782 individuals logged in on Friday to cast their votes online, with 44.7 percent of Ross voting for Adragna. "I'm really quite thrilled about my victory and that the residents of Ross thought me worthy of being their representative," said Adragna. Adragna is currently working on his agenda for his new role as Ross Commons Senator. He would like to improve communications between students and the SGA and hopes to serve as a resource to students. He would also like to make some minor improvements to the appearance of Ross and hopes to work with different commons in order to build a sense of pride for students regarding their home commons. "That may come from 'capture the flag,' 'tug of war' or something like that."On running in the only contested Senate race Adragna remarked, "That was kind of a surprise to me. However, it makes the win all the sweeter. I'm thrilled."Nobel laureate to lecture on financial futureNobel Prize-winning economist William F. Sharpe will deliver the Carpenter and Alan R. Holmes Lecture in the Robert A. Jones '59 House Conference Room on Friday, Oct. 6, at 4:30 p.m. The title of his lecture is "Financing Retirement: Saving, Investing, Spending and Insuring." The event is free and open to the public.Sharpe is a professor of Finance, Emeritus at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business who, in 1970, joined the Stanford faculty, having previously taught at the University of Washington and the University of California. In 1996, he co-founded Financial Engines, a firm that provides online investment advice and management, and currently serves on its board. Sharpe is past president of the American Finance Association. In 1990, he received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Sharpe was one of the originators of the Capital Asset Pricing model, and created the Sharpe ratio for risk-adjusted investment performance analysis. He has published articles in a number of financial and academic journals, and is also the author or coauthor of six books, including "Portfolio Theory and Capital Markets," "Asset Allocation Tools" and "Fundamentals of Investments."The Carpenter and Alan R. Holmes Lecture is sponsored by the Middlebury College Economics department.Democrats push House action on climate changeVermont Congressional candidate Peter Welch (D) and U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) will join Bill McKibben, the College's scholar in residence in Environmental Studies, today in the Twilight Auditorium to discuss global warming in the context of the 2006 elections. The event is sponsored by the Middlebury College Democrats.During the event, Blumenauer will outline his work on the issue of climate change, focusing on "global warming in today's political environment."Blumenauer, a fifth-term member of Congress, recently called for hearings in the House Committee on International Relations on the effects of climate change.Welch has also made Congressional action on global warming a central focus of his campaign. In a Sept. 26 debate in Mead Chapel, Welch criticized what he called an unwillingness by the Republican leadership to address the issue."We have no excuse for inaction," said Welch. Literature on his campaign site calls for complete U.S. energy independence by 2020.The discussion will take place from 4 to 5 p.m.
(09/21/06 12:00am)
Author: Andrea Glaessner Autumn is just around the corner, and this year, Americans may be witnessing more than the usual turning of the leaves on Capitol Hill. With Bush's approval ratings dipping to a 31 percent in May, things seem promising for Democratic candidates across the country. Though the White House will not receive new tenants until the next presidential election, still two years away, the other house in Washington, The House of Representatives, is likely to see some new faces, creating a new composition of leadership in the country's legislative body, and possibly paving the way for big changes in the current political situation.For the Democrats, who are hoping to reclaim a majority in the House, every seat counts this year, especially the open ones in which an incumbent is not seeking re-election. With Rep. Bernie Sanders (D) stepping out of the race in order to compete with Rich Tarrant (R) for the empty seat Sen. Jim Jeffords (I) left behind in the Senate, the one area code state of Vermont now has one empty seat in Congress. As such, the Green Mountain State is set to play a leading role in this year's congressional election drama. Vermont is sure to give a thrilling performance. The drama will unfold for Middlebury residents to watch on Tuesday, Sept. 26, when the four candidates including Burlington restaurateur Dennis Morriseau (I), Liberty Union candidate Jane Newton, former Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard Martha Rainville (R) and Vermont State Senate President Pro Tem Peter Welch (D), will hash out their differences in a debate hosted by Chris Graff, host of Vermont Public Television's "Vermont This Week," former Vermont bureau chief for the Associated Press, and a 1975 Middlebury College graduate and sponsored by the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs at Middlebury College and the Vermont Council on World Affairs.Of the four candidates, Welch and Rainville currently lead the race in a neck and neck battle for the coveted open seat. The long-time Democratic Vermont State Senator is holding off his Republican opponent by a mere 3 percentage points. Looking at the facts, the narrow gap between the candidates seem inexplicable. Welch has both political experience and the large Democratic presence in Vermont on his side. But Rainville has her savvy campaign style that sidesteps controversial issues and identifies herself as the always popular "moderate" Republican to deliver her success thus far.And who can argue with that? According to Associate Professor of Political Science Matt Dickinson, "The population in Vermont has been shifting toward Democratic in recent years. So if you run as a Republican, you have to run as a 'Vermont Republican,' which is somewhat more moderate. Rainville is making it quite clear that she will be an independent voice, or the Jim Jeffords sort of Republican." It has been Rainville's moderate Republican stances, however, that have made it difficult for her to articulate clear stances on some of the most important policy issues this election year. Instead, Rainville has focused her message on reforming the political climate in Washington, offering solutions such as "The Clean Campaign Pledge" - a promise to discourage negative campaign practices such as excessive spending and slandering opponents because, according to Rainville's campaign website, "changing the tone in Washington begins with clean campaigns at home. This pledge, along with other promises to reform congress and its proceedings form Rainville's most definitive and articulate policies. Rainville campaign communications director Brenden McKenna explained, "Changing the way business is done in Washington so people of both parties can sit down and make real progress on difficult issues that face country. Especially with an ethics reform bill which provides a foundation for tackling the other very important issues like national security and energy stability, including getting away from fossil fuels entirely to reduce pollution and global warming."In contrast to Rainville's conciliatory and hopeful plan to reform Congress, Welch's "The Six Pillars for Change" plan is comprehensive and, more importantly, offers direct solutions to real problems that threaten Americans. The Six Pillars are, according to Welch's campaign website, "to increase economic security, to establish a plan in Iraq that will bring our troops home, to improve our national security, to commit ourselves to the goals of energy independence and combating global warming, to fight for Vermont jobs and to restore fiscal responsiblity in Washington." In a phone interview, Welch's communication director, Andrew Savage '03.5, summed up these points, saying "The number one issue is new leadership [which means] changing the balance of power in congress. We need to end the failed policies. Also, aggressively addressing global warming, health care, and getting troops out of Iraq are important." Savage also mentioned that Welch planned to work towards replenishing the government's student aid fund that the Bush administration earlier cut by a historic $11 billion in order to give America's wealthiest citizens another large tax cut. Welch's stances on policy issues have been cultivated by a long career in electoral politics that began in 1980 when he was the second Democrat elected to represent Windsor County in the Vermont State Senate, according to his campaign website. Welch served the Senate from 1981 to 1988, and during that time "he spearheaded legislative reforms in environment, tax, and education policy. Among his top accomplishments was his major role in the establishment of the Housing and Land Conservation Trust Fund, which has financed the construction of hundreds of units of affordable housing and the conservation of thousands of acres of Vermont farm and forest land," as explained on his campaign website.Rainville, by contrast, comes to the race from a military background. According to her website, "She was elected Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard on February 20, 1997, becoming the first woman in the 370-year history of the country's National Guard to serve as a state Adjutant General. As Adjutant General, she commanded the 3,800 members of the Vermont Army and Air National Guard, as well as served as the Commissioner of the Military Department, State of Vermont. She oversaw a combined federal and state budget in excess of $120 million with a full-time work force of some 900 state and federal employees." Rainville has received awards and attention for her leadership role in the National Guard. According to McKenna, "After 9/11, when National Guard troops were ordered to the border, the Vermont National Guard sent troops to Canada. Initially the soldiers weren't allowed to be armed, and Rainville thought this was a bad decision. She had already gained the respect of her colleagues and was able to change the policy so they were armed." Many Vermonters, who saw more of their own National Guardsmen deployed to confront the war on terror than any other state, are especially familiar with Rainville's leadership skills.Despite her moderate leanings, many Republicans still support Rainville. In fact, Rainville is so moderate that she is said to have vacillated between the Republican and Democratic parties before jumping on with the Republicans before the race began. After joining, Rainville has had no qualms accepting enormous funds from the Republican party - even from conservative members. According to public records, the National Republican Campaign Committee has spent now nearly $170,000 on her campaign. Among the Republicans who have publicly voiced support for Rainville are First Lady Laura Bush and Sen. John McCain. At a fundraising dinner for Rainville in Burlington last week, McKenna heard McCain point out, "Republicans who worked in the military have a stronger credibility among fellow members," in reference to her experience as a
djutant general for the Vermont National Guard.Welch, on the other hand, has earned his credibility over the many years he has been involved in Vermont politics and policy making. Welch has even had the experience of running for and losing an election. Welch may have lost 1988 primary for the U.S. House, but the event never hindered his aspirations. In regards to Welch losing an election almost two decades ago, Savage remarked, "He has a ton of experience and enormous respect from the legislature. He's in a different position this time."Both candidates claim Vermont and America are ready for change, and both seek to provide that change. Welch believes a change in leadership is essential, saying, "The question facing Vermonters in this race for Congress is clear - do they want to give one more vote to George W. Bush and the Bush Congress, or do they want to vote for a change of leadership and new direction." Rainville was confident that her leadership skills will carry her to victory in reforming congress and all its shortcomings, saying "Serving in Congress is about public service. We need to take steps to keep Congress focused on the needs of the people and not on partisan agendas or the goals of special interest groups. The steps I have presented throughout this campaign - clean campaigns, ethics and budget reform, and term limits - work to establish a process that will help restore voters' faith in their elected officials."
(05/11/06 12:00am)
Author: JASON MCDONALD '06 Honorable Trustees, President Liebowitz, and Middlebury College:As energy prices soar, tuition costs rise, and the climate crisis looms, we students are determined to realize a monumental and unprecedented goal: a carbon neutral Middlebury College. This means that the College will reduce its net emissions of greenhouse gases to zero. Carbon neutrality will be achieved by improving energy efficiency, switching to sustainable energy sources, and purchasing carbon offsets. As the leading institution in environmental education, Middlebury College is well poised to accomplish this milestone.With the creation of the Environmental Studies major in 1965, Middlebury established itself as a national leader in environmental education. The achievement of carbon neutrality will reaffirm Middlebury's role as an environmental leader and strengthen its proud tradition. It is time that Middlebury begins to translate its emphasis on environmental education into significant environmental action.The College has already taken steps toward greenhouse gas reduction. The 2-degrees campaign and the ICICLE contest have saved energy and money while educating the campus on efficient energy use. The College is considering replacing oil furnaces with bio-fuel. The installation of the wind turbine symbolizes the direction that Middlebury can and must pursue. However, merely reducing our carbon emissions is not enough. It is time to eliminate the College's carbon footprint entirely.Carbon neutrality is not only a pragmatic, cost-effective, and environmentally-sound solution, but would also be a manifestation of the core values of our institution. The College's commitment to environmentally-sound policy and its dedication to transform these values into action shows that Middlebury is an ideal place for this campaign to succeed. Carbon neutrality is not only a responsible and realistically achievable goal, but also represents a landmark in the global fight against climate change.As the 2005-2006 academic year draws to an end, it is time to reflect upon past accomplishments and consider the future of our institution and of our world. In the coming academic year, the Sunday Night Group will make carbon-neutrality a focal point of our efforts. Climate change is the challenge of our generation, and it is imperative that we make a stand.
(05/11/06 12:00am)
Author: ROBERT LEVINE '08 Over the last few weeks, the issue of climate change has been attracting lots of attention on campus. Andrew Revkin, a reporter for The New York Times who spoke this past Thursday, was just the most recent of the many authors and experts who have come to Middlebury to discuss this issue that will undoubtedly be the most important of our generation. However, talking about climate change and actually doing something about it are often separate activities, and for many, they are mutually exclusive. This can be the product of unawareness, apathy or some combination of the two, but I frequently meet well-intentioned individuals who simply do not know the little things about how to reduce their ecological footprint. Living responsibly encompasses a multitude of activities, and I want to let you all in on some tricks of the trade. Planning on driving home? That's a shame - first try to find public transportation. No bus or train to where you need to be? Carpool. And while you're at it, keep some of the following in mind. Every 100 pounds of extra weight reduces your gas mileage by up to two percent, so think about storing more and taking home less. Like to drive fast? Remember that your gas mileage tank is above 60 mph, and you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an extra $0.20 per gallon for gas. In addition to slowing down, make sure your tires are properly inflated (every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires causes a 0.4 percent reduction in gas mileage) and avoid aggressive driving (i.e. don't floor it to impress your friends). Plus, if your car is going to sit idly for more than 10 seconds, turn it off - it takes more gas to idle for 10 seconds than it does to restart your car. Finally, if you are on the highway and need to use the AC, do it. Opening your windows creates more drag and reduces your gas mileage. But if you're in the city, AC usage can increase fuel consumption by more than 20 percent, so cruise with the vents open or the windows down.Once you're home, there's plenty to be done. First, offset the carbon emissions of your trip home. See www.terrapass.com to calculate your car's carbon emissions, or if you're flying, go to www.carbonneutral.com. Then, take out the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) that you received during the ICICLE competition and show your family, friends and neighbors. If every bulb in your house isn't a CFL, you should consider adding a trip to the hardware store to your list of things to do. The bulbs are cheap, last ten times longer than a regular incandescent light bulb, and use 66 percent less electricity. Does Mom still do your laundry? Tell her you want to hang it outside to dry, or go get a drying rack for under $15 (in your summer mailing from the College, you will be able to purchase a drying rack that will be waiting for you in your dorm room next year!). Does Mom still do the food shopping? Tell her to look into buying local organics. Some foods will be much more expensive, and therefore a bit more difficult to justify buying, but many foods, like organic bananas, are quite reasonably priced in comparison to their conventional, pesticide-covered, petroleum-fertilizer-produced brethren. Wondering why Mom is doing all the hard work? Do it yourself! Educate your family about how to live more responsibly. It's fun, highly rewarding, and in the case of organic food, delicious. Not living at home this summer? You get to do it all! No matter your plans, take a few minutes to strategize about how to be more environmentally friendly. Find a job that's in walking or biking distance of your residence. Take public transportation. Buy energy efficient appliances. Look for products made of recycled materials. Don't buy a newspaper - read it online. And compost - everybody loves compost. The bottom line is that change only comes with action. It is easy not to care enough to change your light bulbs or hang your laundry; in fact, it requires almost no effort at all. Instead we must be proactive and educate those around us. My family didn't know what a CFL was until I brought one home last year; my mom doesn't buy organic bananas; and my dad drives a car that gets 15 miles per gallon. I'll be home for the summer, and I plan on shaking things up a bit. I encourage you to do the same.
(05/04/06 12:00am)
Author: Polly Johnson Recognizing the need for Middlebury to take a stance against the genocide that is taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan, President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz informed the community of the College's position on divestment in companies with direct ties to Sudan in an all-school e-mail on April 26. The e-mail stated, "The College decided to support the divesting of investments in companies whose business activities can be shown to support the Sudanese government and its policies in Darfur," noting that the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees, with the assistance of College staff and its external investment consultant, confirmed that the College does not currently have direct investments in any companies that hold any ties to the Sudanese government. He added that Middlebury will prohibit any future direct investment in those multinational companies. The Darfur issue has become an international cause, attracting the attention and support of college students, activists and celebrities throughout the nation. According to an April 25 New York Times article, universities including the University of California system, Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Brown have eliminated assets in companies doing business in Sudan as a result of pressure from student campaigns, protests, petitions and demonstrations. Divestment campaigns are underway at other universities and colleges across the nation. While at this stage, students and administrators agree that divestment is largely symbolic, the overall hope is that stock values of companies with ties to the Sudanese government will fall, forcing those companies to reassess their business ties to Sudan.This past Sunday, thousands of citizens, lawmakers and celebrities marched in Washington D.C., urging the Bush administration to end the genocide and violence in Darfur. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.), actor George Clooney and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel were among the high-profile faces to attend the rally - Clooney had just returned from a visit to Africa and described his experience to the vast crowd. Since early 2003, violent conflict between Sudanese government forces and rebel groups has been rampant. Government forces and ethnic militia called "Janjaweed" have been engaged in civil warfare with two rebel groups called the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). For the past three years, the government has waged a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the civilian population who are members of the same ethnic groups as the rebels. The Sudanese government and the members of the Janjaweed militias have decimated hundreds of rural villages, killed tens of thousands of people and raped thousands of women and girls. Currently, around 1.8 million Darfurians live in camps in Darfur, and approximately 220,000 have fled into Chad, a neighboring country. The violence has virtually destroyed the local economy and trade in Darfur, leaving 1.5 million people in dire need of food assistance. The situation has worsened this year, and is threatening to spread into neighboring regions, including Chad, where Sudanese refugees have already fled. More than 400,000 civilians have been killed in the past three years. In his e-mail, Liebowitz thanked the student-run Sunday Night Group (SNG) "for engaging the College administration on this issue." While the SNG, which formed in January of 2005, is primarily focused on issues of climate change, members have been meeting with Liebowitz since last September regarding socially responsible investment. The issue of Darfur only came to center stage recently when it was established that socially responsible investment, and thus divesting in companies with ties to Sudan, could have a profound effect on the situation in Sudan. According to SNG member Peter Viola '06, a group of five SNG students met with Liebowitz and the Board of Trustees over Feb break to discuss socially responsible investment. "After that meeting," Viola noted, "we were unsure of where we stood with the administration. They were supportive, but it was unclear whether or not they would make a decision." Currently, the group is hoping that the Trustees will vote to create the Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investment (ACSRI), which will be voted on when the Trustees meet this weekend.Phil Aroneanu '06.5, another SNG member, said that he had hoped the ACSRI would have been formed before spring break so it could have begun work on the Darfur divestment campaign earlier. He stressed that "transparency is a key part of the socially responsible investment campaign, because how can we know what is socially responsible unless we can discuss the practices of specific companies?" The SNG had hoped that Liebowitz would have responded sooner to their request to form the ACSRI, and according to Aroneanu, "we asked Liebowitz a number of times to release a statement on the topic, and he didn't until we made sure he knew we would be publishing an opinions submission about it in The Campus that would make him look bad." A petition was published that received over 840 student signatures. In it, the Socially Responsible Investment Campaign members demanded the following: divestment of College endowment funds from companies supporting the Sudanese government, the creation of the ACSRI, to be comprised of faculty, students and administrators and transparency of our endowment investments in order to hold the College's investors accountable to greater social and environmental responsibility.Liebowitz's e-mail was a first step in informing students about the College's reaction to the genocide and how divestment is a step in the right direction. As Aroneanu said, "It was a significant step that Liebowitz made, to bring the issue of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) into the public spotlight for a moment with his Darfur divestment announcement. We are excited that the campus now has some idea that this campaign is going on and that the issue of SRI exists."Liebowitz, in the e-mail, praised the active students, writing, "It is an important statement, consistent with our educational mission to encourage Middlebury students who feel passionately about issues - such as this one - to exercise that passion in creative and productive ways."
(05/04/06 12:00am)
Author: BY KELLY BLYNN AND LAUREN ARMSTRONG BOLIVIA - Buenos días desde las tierras bajas de Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the land of big American-style supermarkets, oil company executives cruising in their sport utility vehicles, trash-eating street horses, Mennonites, telephone booths that look like zoo animals and many other things that do not seem to fit the stereotype of indigenous, pan flute-playing, llama-filled highland Bolivia. We're here for about two weeks working on our final project, making a documentary about the explosion of an oil pipeline in a campesino community outside the city named El Salao, and have learned and experienced quite a bit. So far we've played soccer with the oil company reconstruction crew, eaten at least a hundred mandarinas, met a mayor named "The Goat," slept on the floor of a psych ward and received various marriage proposals.We arrived here in Santa Cruz a week ago, with few contacts and zero filmmaking experience, but have managed to sift our way through some of the Bolivian bureaucracy to talk to government officials about the accident. The most powerful part of the project has been spending time in the community talking to the people who were affected, hearing their stories about what some describe as the worst night of their lives. We have yet to make our way past security at the headquarters of Transredes S.A., a subsidiary of Shell and Enron that owns the pipeline and is responsible for the cleanup and compensation of the accident, but we're currently working out some sort of scheme where one of us distracts while the other runs for the door with camera in hand. As environmental studies students and climate change activists at home, it has been a powerful experience for us to meet the people whose lives have been affected so profoundly by the oil industry and to hopefully find a way to tell their story. Many people in the community lost everything they had ever worked for, their houses and citrus trees and crops, and many others were burnt and left scarred for the rest of their lives. Although we've seen how the company is responding by building new homes for them and fortifying the pipeline, there are many things that money simply can't replace. Although the situation may seem quite sad from the outside, many of the people we've met amazingly continue to have a very optimistic outlook on life. As Doña Rosa and Doña Felipa, two female organic farmers that lost everything, stated, they have no choice but to seguir adelante y no tener miedo (continue ahead and not live in fear) of the duct and of the fire. As for us, we hope to keep working to tell the stories that aren't being told and to keep trying to use more energy sources that don't so severely impact the environment and people's lives.
(05/04/06 12:00am)
Author: Erin Lackey On May 4, at 4:30 PM, Andrew Revkin will present a lecture on media coverage of climate change in McCardell Bicentennial Hall. This discussion, entitled "The Daily Planet: Why the Media Stumble When Covering Climate Change and Other 21st century Environmental Issues," is part of the "Meet the Press" series sponsored by the Middlebury College English Department and Atwater Commons. Revkin is a science and environment reporter for The New York Times. He has been writing about environmental issues for 20 years and has an immense knowledge of these topics. Author Sue Halpern describes Revkin as "one of few journalists that has been plugging away at this issue for years. He knows the science and knows the issues." Since his awareness about climate change is so extensive, members of Middlebury's academic community appear very excited to hear his thoughts on the media's coverage of climate change. In the lecture, Revkin will speak about the challenges facing environmental reporting and may present some possible solutions. Some of the topics in addition to climate change planned for discussion will include oil dependency and protection of endangered species. Said Halpern, "According to Revkin, news is typically described as an immediate happening that is relevant to the lives or concerns of a media outlet's readers or viewers. Global warming is the antithesis of that, with its impact spread out over time and geography and laden with uncertainty." The "Meet the Press" series decided to have Revkin speak because environmental stories are so prominent at Middlebury. About a month ago, Elizabeth Colbert spoke about similar issues, but was unable to answer some questions asked of her because they did not apply to her field. In addition, many students were disturbed by the fact that a global warming publicity trip to Montreal in January wasn't covered by the press. Colbert could not answer their questions about why this occurred since she is not a daily reporter. However Revkin, a journalist, should know why and will be able to explain how the press decides which stories to run and how to frame them.Revkin has worked at The New York Times since 1995. He has also written for Discover Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker and Science Digest. He has written several books, one of which is due later this month: "The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World." The book will feature his arctic expedition for The New York Times and describe the history of Arctic exploration, climate modeling and the future of the North Pole. His other book, "The Burning Season," was published in 2004 and investigated the murder of a prominent environmental activist in Brazil. The "Meet the Press" series was created several years ago and selects four or five speakers each year to visit campus. Unlike many lecture series, there is much more room for dialogue between audience members and speakers in "Meet the Press." Speakers typically lecture for 20 minutes and then take questions from attendees for roughly twice that time. This style is very attractive because it allows for a more participatory feeling. As a result of this more interactive lecture style, "Meet the Press" has seen some of the best attendance among the campus' various lecture series.
(04/27/06 12:00am)
Author: Polly Johnson On Saturday, April 22, Clara Yu became the 12th president of the Monterey Institute for International Studies (MIIS), an affiliate of Middlebury College since Dec. 22, 2005. Yu was formerly a faculty member, vice president for foreign languages and director of the Center for Educational Technology at Middlebury. She succeeded Steve Baker as the president of the MIIS. Several hundred people turned out for the event, which took place outdoors on the lawn in front of the town of Monterey's historic town hall, Colton Hall. The ceremony was attended by MIIS and Middlebury trustees, faculty and staff and Monterey students and local residents. Rick Fritz, chair of the Middlebury College Board of Trustees; Bill Kieffer, head of the Monterey board; Monterey Mayor Dan Albert and representatives of Monterey's students, faculty, staff and alumni all contributed to the welcoming remarks, while Felix Rohatyn '49, a former U.S. ambassador to France, delivered the keynote address. In it, he discussed the challenges faced by the United States and the global community at large, explaining that the focus on an international education by both Middlebury and MIIS is vital to the future.President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz spoke at the ceremony, beginning his speech by saying, "Listening to Felix Rohatyn's remarks, I found myself thinking about how common it has become for people in the modern world to go to any length - including violence - to isolate themselves from ideas, customs, and beliefs that are different from their own." He continued by discussing the necessity of not isolating ourselves from the problems of the world and of building strong connections with our global neighbors, noting that it is through the international education of MIIS and Middlebury students that this goal can be achieved. He continued, "Our two institutions, with their unique approaches to foreign language and culture study, and their record of success in preparing graduates for leadership positions around the world, represent the best hope in international education, and we need to take that seriously."Rohatyn, who delivered the keynote address, like Liebowitz, stressed the importance of an international education. He also discussed the growing dilemma in American higher education regarding the decrease of international students enrolling in American colleges and universities. His reasons ranged from the restrictive measures placed on immigration following the attacks of Sept. 11 and the difficulty in attaining visas to enter the United States. In emphasizing the importance of international student enrollment, Rohatyn said, "Not only is global perspective critical to the quality of our students' education, in today's shrinking world global awareness is indispensable."When Yu finally spoke, she first welcomed all in attendance and joked about "what an impossible brat [she] was when [she] was 10 years old." She spoke of the affiliation between MIIS and Middlebury College, recognizing what a huge step toward global awareness and education it was, noting, "This partnership between a 200-year-old liberal arts college in Vermont and a 50-year-old graduate school in California brings together two leaders in the field of international education with deeply shared commitment to global education, based on cultural understanding and language fluency." She talked about the problems facing Americans on both a local and a global level, from problems of wasting water and climate change to war and its effects on human beings throughout the world. MIIS, she explained, can begin to respond to these problems. "We need to network globally, to educate, communicate, and collaborate. We need to remove ignorance, and provide access to knowledge, without boundaries." She concluded on a positive note, illuminating the goals that MIIS and Middlebury can achieve, and expressing her feelings of gratitude to all those involved in the realization of an international education and the peace, equality, understanding and prosperity it can bring.
(04/27/06 12:00am)
Author: Joshua Carson This week, The Campus spoke with the Democratic candidate for Vermont's lone House seat, Peter Welch. Welch is currently the president pro tempore of the Vermont state Senate and is gearing up for the November election, one of the few competitive House races in the country. Both he and front-runner Republican candidate Martha T. Rainville are vying for the seat to be vacated by Bernie Sanders, who is running for the Senate. The Campus: What issue facing Vermont are you most passionate about? Peter Welch: Frankly I think we have to change the direction of the Bush Congress. It is doing significant damage to Vermont - on the environment, on the budget including the need for higher education, on health care. So I really believe the most important question facing Vermont is the same question facing voters in 434 other congressional districts. We want a change in direction. We've got a Congress and a president that are pursuing radical and extreme policies and they're incompetently administered. So I really do think the biggest question is changing direction. The issues I personally care about that are off the agenda but need to be on the agenda are global warming, energy independence, universal healthcare, budget priorities that emphasise health and education, and paying our bills - not passing a huge debt onto future generations. TC: You are clearly concerned with the relationship between Vermont and the federal government. What is happening and what needs to change?PW: The federal government is passing problems onto the state. Very simply, the federal government has an upside-down budget - $400 billion to the war in Iraq, huge tax cuts for the wealthy. That is translating into budget cuts that are imposed on the states. So I'll give a couple of examples: the first three weeks in Montpelier we had to raise a lot of money by Vermont standards - $10 million - to cover the shortfall in low income heating assistance - a federal program - to keep our seniors warm in the winter; the state spent $12 million on the prescription drug program that the federal government totally messed up; and while the least amount of money but the most shocking, we had to come up with $250,000 to fill a hole in the mental health budget for our Iraqi veterans. That is just all inevitable when you have the upside-down budget priorities that we see in Washington with the Bush Congress.TC: Vermont is a state passionate about maintaining environmental standards, something you have emphasized in your platform. But this sentiment is not necessarily mirrored down in Washington, particularly in the Congress. Do you think this can change? PW: I do. I really think that there is a stirring of concern and energy and urgency about aggressively challenging the environmental policies of the Bush administration, which is to say no policy: laisse-faire. But it's an issue that I hear expressed by young people in particular who are demanding that there be a commitment to clearing up our environment and to stopping global warming. TC: Regardless of the results in the mid-term election, the Congress - whether it is Democratic or Republican controlled - will be working with a Republican administration. You've had success in Montpelier working in a bipartisan environment, but how do you see yourself working with the Bush administration and in Washington where partisan bickering is much more pronounced?PW: I'd actually bring my Vermont approach to Washington. And my approach is to sit down with people who want to solve problems. I'm not interested particularly whether they are Republicans or Democrats. I'm interested in whether they want to solve problems. For instance, as Senate president [in Vermont], I've appointed Republicans to chair major committees in the Senate if they were the right people for the job, and they were very helpful. I would approach things in the same way in Washington with the recognition that in order to get anywhere you have to be willing to advocate for your position and you have to be willing to listen to others who are making honest suggestions and comments. And I think people are pretty fed up with the partisanship, but what we have in Washington is an unequal situation. We have the concentration of all power in one party. And the leadership of that party is extreme and frankly quite out of touch with American, and certainly democratic values. So having a check and balance by electing a Democratic Congress I think it is going to be good for the process. It is going to force the Republican president and the Republican senate to contend with another point of view. TC: On the national level, the Republican party is clearly weakened - the Abramoff scandal, the CIA leak and the ongoing war in Iraq - and it would seem the Democrats are in a strong position to make gains in both the House and Senate. But some would argue that the Democrats have not presented a coherent platform and have failed to articulate a vision for the country. As a Democrat, how do you respond to these critics and what are you doing to ensure your views are know? PW: I think there is merit to some of that criticism. We've had a rubber stamp Republican congress but the Democrats have too often been too timid. And frankly, I think the Democrats should be standing up for an end to global warming, policies committed to energy independence, paying our bills, having universal healthcare in five to 10 years and changing our budgetary priorities to spend less on military and more on education and healthcare. Also in foreign policy, [we should be] standing up for America to assert its leadership through leadership in international organizations. We've got to get other countries to work with us on matters of importance, everything from security to environmental protection to trade agreements. The United States hasn't signed the Kyoto protocol; that's absolutely wrong. And I'd push for that very strongly. We haven't signed the U.N. treaty on torture; that's wrong.Basically, there are two philosophies, this is how I see it. The philosophy that we've had in this country in the Democratic party when we've been successful, says "we're all in it together." The policy in the Bush White House is "you are on your own." And it is what has led to the justification for not raising the minimum wage since 1996 or 97, to promoting privatizing social security, to tolerating an increase in the number of people without insurance by 5 to 6 million to watching wages for average people stagnate even as CEO pay is exploding. America is a better place when we have a commitment to policies that have as their bedrock foundation a view that "we're all in it together." Everyone should have health care, everyone should pay. Everyone should have retirement security through a social security system where everyone pays and everyone has the benefits. And that's what we strayed from. It's almost as though this election will be about whether we're going to get back to the basic American commitment to do things that benefit all of us and not just a few of us. TC: You're the president of the Vermont state Senate, you are running a campaign for U.S. Congress, do you have any time for anything else?PW: No. [laughing] A little bit of basketball and a little bit of running. But that keeps you busy. TC: Well that's all I have, but is there anything else you'd like to say to Middlebury College?PW: I think the Middlebury College students have done some very exciting things on global warming and climate change and really making a real contribution to the whole debate and I applaud them.
(04/27/06 12:00am)
Author: KATHRYN FLAGG AND LISIE MEHLMAN College hosts multiple environmental speakersAn institution known for its environmentalism, Middlebury College will host two environmentally-minded speakers next week. Essayist and acclaimed environmentalist Scott Russell Sanders will speak in Dana Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on May 4. A professor of English at Indiana University, Bloomington, Sanders will read from his recently released memoir. On Friday he will host a discussion on community, sustainability and the writing life in the Middlebury College "Slow the Plow" student organic garden. Sanders is widely known as a renowned American essayist, and his work has appeared in the Georgia Review, Orion Magazine, Shenandoah (The Washington and Lee University Review), Arts Indiana, the Minnesota Review and the Kenyon Review.Also on May 4, New York Times science and environmental report Andrew Revkin will speak on media coverage of climate change. His lecture, part of the "Meet the Press" series hosted by the College, will be held at 4:30 in Room 220 of McCardell Bicentennial Hall. Revkin will present a lecture titled "The Daily Planet: Why the Media Stumble When Covering Climate Change and Other 21st-century Environmental Issues." Revkin has been a reporter at The New York Times since 1995. Previously he was senior editor at Discover magazine, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, and senior writer at Science Digest. Midd 8 hosts final panel featuring Bernie SandersMarking the end of a month-long series of discussions on global awareness and the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, Midd 8 will host an event tomorrow including a panel discussion on "Global Partnerships for Development" featuring Bernard Sanders. Sanders, Vermont's lone representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, will be joined by Middlebury graduate Parker Diggory of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, Amil Husain, the global youth coordinator for the U.N.'s Millenium Campaign and Alex Neroth van Vogelpeol, Northeast regional organizing fellow of Bread for the World. The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Robert A. Jones '59 House conference room.The panel discussion, which is free and open to the public, is the last of April's Midd 8 symposium events. The symposium was named with the U.N.'s eight Millennium Development Goals in mind, which include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the achievement of universal primary education, the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and global partnering for development. The event was inspired by the "Live 8" concerts held world-wide last summer, merging activism and popular culture. The symposium included a number of panel discussions, lectures, a four-nation videoconference on preserving the global environment, a "Millennium Party" with live music and united activities from groups throughout the community that related to the Millennium Goals.MCAB aims for record ticket sales and turn outThe Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) is expecting a huge turn out at this year's annual spring concert featuring Jurassic 5, Naughty By Nature and Rahzel. According to MCAB Concert Committee Chair Caroline Brewer '06, as of Tuesday night the box office had sold about 650 tickets. Brewer explained that "I've gotten a lot of emails from people at other colleges asking about tickets, and apparently the box office has gotten tons of phone calls as well. They are even printing more tickets because we are expecting such a big turnout." MCAB has committed itself to branching out to the wider community and has been advertising in Burlington and at other colleges around Vermont. They "are expecting a large off-campus turn out as well," Brewer explained. MCAB has received great feedback from people on campus and at other colleges and is looking forward to sponsoring a highly attended and spirited event.
(04/20/06 12:00am)
Author: KATHRYN FLAGG ICICLE racks up energysavings for institution during April contestHalfway through the month of April, the Inter-Commons Initiative to Consume Less Energy (ICICLE) has saved the College over $1,000. The month-long event, organized by Bobby Levine '08 in conjunction with several on-campus organizations, encourages students to reduce energy consumption by facilitating inter-commons competition. Leading the way in conservation efforts, Atwater Commons has saved the College nearly $500. Close behind, Ross Commons has saved over $300, while Wonnacott and Brainerd Commons currently hover near the $100-savings mark. Trailing the pack, Cook Commons has actually increased energy spending for its dormitories, as compared to past April spending accounts, by $13. In order to facilitate energy conservation, ICICLE organizers recommend utilizing free compact fluorescent light bulbs, which are available in commons offices, as well as hibernating or turning off personal computers and laptops. ICICLE's Web site also stresses the importance of turning off lights when leaving the room, coining the popular and pithy phrase, "do it in the dark."The members of the winning commons will, at the end of the month, participate in a commons ice cream and pizza party, as well as a raffle event. Prizes include a Fusion messenger bag with an integrated solar panel, carbon offsets from TerraPass for to account for emissions from students' automobiles and a signature ICICLE jumpsuit.PSLA dinner recognizes student volunteer efforts at 13th annual dinnerMiddlebury College celebrated the public service efforts of its students on Tuesday, April 11, honoring 39 nominees for excellence in volunteerism and ultimately recognizing nine students with special commendation. The event, which marked the 13th annual Public Service Leadership Award dinner, included a keynote address from Carrie Williams '00, as well as remarks from Dean of the College Tim Spears.Following remarks from the speakers, as well as the announcement of all nominees, four awards were bestowed for exceptional service: the Public Service Leadership Award, the John M. McCardell, Jr. Award for Public Service, the Bonnie McCardell Award for Public Service and the newly-created Dana Morosini Reeve '84 Memorial Public Service Award. Each award was accompanied by a $300 donation made by the College on behalf of each award recipient to the organization of the recipient's choice. In the event's 13-year history, over $21,000 have been donated.The six recipients of the Public Service Leadership Award were seniors Ashley Calkins, Thomas Hand and Mary Mendoza, Katherine Hawkins '06.5 and sophomores Emily Peterson and Ashley Valle. Erica Goodman '06 received the third annual John M. McCardell, Jr. Award for Public Service, Jessica Cox '06 received the Bonnie McCardell Award for Public Service and Gillian May Boeve '06 received the first ever Dana Morosini Reeve '84 Memorial Public Service Award. All nine students were recognized for their outstanding volunteer work, which ranged from local endeavors with Addison County residents to national leadership in climate change awareness and environmentalism.In addition to these particular award recipients, all 39 student nominees were called forward, recognized for their particular service endeavors and presented with a commemorative achievement certificate.These annual awards were prompted in 1993 by Patrick Durkin '79, who continues to underwrite the program. Durkin was on hand in Vermont on April 11 to attend the awards dinner and congratulate and honor the students.
(04/20/06 12:00am)
Author: Kathryn Flagg Unveiling long-awaited and long-overdue recommendations on diversity at Middlebury College, Director of the Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life Augustus Jordan announced last Thursday in an e-mail to the College community that the Human Relations Ad-Hoc Committee had completed its preliminary draft. The Report of the 2006 Human Relations Committee (HRC), which outlines 35 recommendations for the institution, marks a significant step towards notably enhancing and tackling the climate of diversity at the College.Of the report's recommendations - all 35 of which Jordan notes are important - the most sweeping and arguably crucial proposals call for changes in staffing, structural and critical incident protocols.First and foremost, the report recommends the creation of a Dean of Institutional Diversity - an "expert in diversity," said Jordan, who chaired the HRC, "who would help us recruit and retain faculty, staff and students from underrepresented groups." Jordan stressed that this person would be responsible for evaluating, on a continuous basis, the atmosphere of diversity at the College - the very task undertaken this year by the HRC.The report also makes significant recommendations for enhancing the academic integration of questions of diversity, envisioning the current PALANA intercultural center as a center rooted in academic endeavors. The draft calls for the establishment of a faculty director for the center responsible for exploring questions of the curriculum related to diversity issues. This person would also facilitate directly with student groups and centers on campus that deal with diversity."This might help facilitate work with the Scott Center, with Rohatyn Center, with Chellis House so that we might be coordinating together around issues that have to do with race, ethnicity, religion, gender and international issues," said Jordan.The report also recommends that PALANA remain a residential center in some capacity, though it advocates retaining students who are doing independent research in issues pertaining to diversity or student leaders of campus diversity groups. Though specific in their intent, Jordan noted that the exact ways in which these curricular and structural changes should take place are left open-ended in some parts of the report."As a committee we didn't want to over-prescribe how it all should work," he said, "but rather sort of set a vision of what we thought was needed with respect to the curriculum side of the campus."Aside from these staffing and structural issues, the HRC directly confronted problems relating to communication with the campus regarding "critical issues" of race and diversity."What we've seen is that sometimes an event will happen on campus that has racial or ethnic or religious overtones to it, or people are concerned that it might," said Jordan. He noted that often the Department of Public Safety, the Dean of Student Affairs office and occasionally the judicial boards become involved in these incidents and that communication with the larger community is hindered by the lack of any existing protocol. Communication is further complicated by the need to protect the privacy of individuals involved in delicate incidents. "We're a small community," he continued. "We expect to be informed, and yet sometimes that bumps up against confidentiality issues. We want to respect both sides of that divide."The report suggests establishing a concrete protocol - a "critical incident protocol" - for gathering key administrators and College officials to talk about the ramifications of the event and determine the best way to inform the campus of these events."You can't write a formula or write a rule that solves [the tension between protecting confidentiality and informing the College]," said Jordan, "because every case has unique components to it. The problem that we're experiencing now is that there isn't such a protocol. We're looking for a process that would help us as a campus move through that kind of incident."In an effort to increase transparency, the report also calls for published reports at the end of fall and spring terms outlining, in a narrative summary, the number, nature and outcome of incidents classified as harassment.Other recommendations in the report invite the faculty to explore programs of study in race and ethnicity, increased training for human relations advisers to provide support to those who experience harassment and increasing involvement for "underrepresented" persons in the recruiting, judicial, staff and faculty positions. All 35 recommendations, as well as the full text of the draft report, are available on the College's Web site.These recommendations are the result of work done by HRC members spanning nearly eight months. Focus groups and interviews were held with staff members, students and faculty from various offices and student groups within the College, and two open meetings were held earlier in the year to solicit community input.While the report does not strive to redefine the College's definition of diversity, and while the report also states that it makes the "glaring omission" of examining the status of women on campus, the response to the report has been largely positive."I think it's a very thorough, tremendous report," said Patti McCaffrey, president of the staff council, at one of the open meetings held Monday to solicit responses to the report.The current HRC committee was assembled last fall at the request of President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz. According to Jordan, during the spring term "several incidents that happened on campus … alerted people that perhaps we should look at diversity issues again in a more formal way."Prior to the mid 1990s, the HRC served as a standing committee. More recently, it was established as an ad hoc committee in 1999. "That followed some critical incidents that happened in '98, '97," said Jordan. According to Jordan and the current HRC report, several of the recommendations from the 1999 report were implemented successfully. Using the 1999 report as a point of reference for developing recommendations, the Committee was charged with revisiting these recommendations and evaluating the current campus climate on diversity.While the HRC will convene again after the following two weeks of comment from the community, Jordan predicts that the report as it stands currently will not see any major changes. Furthermore, he hopes that the implementation of these recommendations will move smoothly - though the HRC itself will not oversee this part of the process. "Our role in the process is to provide the recommendations to the president," said Jordan. He noted that once the final report has been delivered to the president's office, the task falls to the president's staff to carry out recommendations and delegate responsibility. "We've tried to provide enough detail so that people can get started," said Jordan.
(04/13/06 12:00am)
Author: AUSTEN LEVIHN-COON '07 What is the problem with being politically vocal? In the last couple years I have heard of individuals, academic institutions and non-profits being condemned for their adoption of "political issues." There are a huge number of groups attempting to censor groups on these "political issues" ranging from religion, to the "liberal media," "liberal professors," and political correctness. I have heard these same groups then claim when questioned that they can't be involved in activities with "political agendas," because of these exact efforts to censure their opinions. Recently, I was told that by promoting awareness about the effects of climate change, I was apparently looking to spread political ideology and possibly take someone's first born child. But is that wrong? Maybe the first-born child part, but really. What does it mean to be political? What does it mean when it becomes wrong to voice your opinion? Does being political involve raising controversial issues? Is there maybe something in the democratic process about discussing differences? And what about that whole citizen participation thing? Protests? Boycotts? You shouldn't protest, boycott or go against the authorities? That is unpatriotic, undemocratic. That is anti-political… isn't it? NO. That is political! Dispute and dialogue is what our country was founded upon. And it is time that people stood up and represented their values in words and actions. Several weeks ago I laughed at an article in The Middlebury Campus detailing how uninspiring the "activist community" at Middlebury College is [Apathy or Activism?: Inside Midd Politics, March 30]. It detailed how Middlebury students are apathetic and generally uninvolved. But I'll share a little secret with you now, don't tell anyone, the activist community on campus doesn't hide out under the banners of College Democrats and College Republicans. Do you know why? Because the activists on campus realize that political engagement is a little more than just the name of a political party and voting in national elections every two to four years. The activists are planning symposiums on women's rights and Afghanistan. The activists are meeting with the trustees to discuss the College's investments. The activists on this campus are biking 40 miles in the rain in support of reducing our oil dependency. The activists on campus are engaging our community because they believe, although some people would claim it is a well kept secret, and others may even want to keep it that way, that a healthy community is a politically engaged community. They believe that politics is not about George Bush or John Kerry, but about dialogue, confrontation and making good, well-founded and debated decisions.Do you want to know something else about activists and organizers? Activists abhor the word "apathy." Do you know why? Because it means they are bad activists, that they have failed to educate others and inspire the masses to take action. However, while activists are an important part of our society, shouldn't be solely their responsibility to inspire people in a republic.In a democracy, citizens participate on their own. In a democracy, individuals voice their thoughts. In a democracy citizens stand up for their values. And in a democracy dialogue is politics. Are you political? Do you take action when you are outraged? Do you help to shape your own community when you see something you want changed, when you complain about it? Because if you do not, your rights, your precious democratic rights, will be taken away from you. It is happening on a national level. It is even happening right here at Middlebury. From wire-tapping to lockdown, our uninvolved community is failing to act. When we cease to be an informed citizenry, when we no longer participate in our community, then democracy has failed, community has died and our freedoms will continue to disappear. So the next time you hear the word apathy directed your way, think about what it really means. Think about what you don't know. Think about why you are not acting and who is benefiting from your inaction. And then stand up and do something about it. Talk to your friends. Ask questions. Organize a campaign.Don't be afraid to be outraged; you ought to be. We're on lock-down now, in case you have forgotten, and it's not because we have a strong, friendly community. Friendship and familiarity fight both fear and crime better than any lockdown or terrorist color-code ever will. Every person has the power to speak out, to influence our community. Political engagement and participation are the keys to dialogue and a healthy community. And I'll tell you one last secret, a little something that those in with the power realize and you may not: Anything is legal if you make it legal, and the power truly rests in the people. But only if they know it does.
(04/06/06 12:00am)
Author: Gretchen Schrafft Elizabeth Kolbert, a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine and author of a recently published book on global warming, lectured before an audience of students, faculty and community members in McCardell Bicentennial Hall last Monday. Kolbert is touring to publicize her book, "Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature and Climate Change," and spoke at Middlebury as a part of the College's "Meet the Press" series of guest lecturers.Kolbert explained that the topic of her book arose from an article she undertook to write for The New Yorker about research being conducted in the field of paleoclimatology, or climate history. Kolbert shadowed a research team which based its findings about climate change upon readings conducted from samples of ice drilled in Greenland. Kolbert's wry humor reveiled itself as she discussed public reception of the article, which appeared in print on Sept. 10, 2001. "You can imagine how many people were interested," she said.The article did, however, generate enough interest to prompt The New Yorker to offer Kolbert a three-part series assignment on the topic of global warming and climate control. Kolbert's somewhat-surprising reaction to this proposal introduced a crucial point which seemed to lie at the heart of her lecture. Kolbert struggled with the decision to accept the assignment, well aware of the inherent difficulties in creating a compelling article on the gradual effects of global warming.A perfect example of the subject's "unreportability" lies in the fact that much of scientific information is communicated in numbers and technical phrases, often incomprehensible to the average person. In Kolbert's attempt to attach narrative to her topic, she utilized a variety of tactics in each article. The first focused on the current plight of an island town in the Arctic that is grappling with the effects of global warming. The second employed the anecdote of a drought that devastated the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia as a cautionary message applicable to the planet's own future. Lastly, Kolbert provided an alternative approach to the current United States policy of describing events taking place in the Netherlands where government-sponsored ads about the dangers of global warming are routinely aired on television.Kolbert's book is a more in depth examination of the climate control issue, which she elected to draw to a close in Burlington, in order to demonstrate positive combative efforts. Kolbert looks at Burlington as something of an oasis in the desert, because it is "frighteningly hard to find a place where people are actually doing things." Burlington's "Ten Percent Challenge" is an endeavor to cut back on energy consumption by 10 percent. Unfortunately, this goal has yet to be achieved.The question and answer period demonstrated the overwhelming concern of audience members, many of whom expressed eagerness to effect change on the country's production of greenhouse gases. Kolbert lamented the fact that global warming has been politicized, detracting from any unified attempts to address the situation. She noted the irony of taxpayers' dollars funding scientific studies on the matter, only to have the results ignored or distorted. The simple truth of the matter, as Kolbert explained, was that "until you lead a lifestyle that is all but inconceivable to Americans, you are still producing more greenhouse gases than anyone else in the world."When asked during the question and answer segment how best to draw attention to the issue on campus, Kolbert responded: "Media thrives on news." She charged students to give the media something newsworthy, something that would allow it to turn the eternal lament over global warming into a captivating story. However, Kolbert also cautioned that the one thing such movements should avoid is becoming hypocritical, using the example of a student driving a car to a hunger strike to illustrate her point.In her remarks, Kolbert mentioned that since conducting her research, the climate has undergone "scary changes." The town in Alaska, which she focused on in one of her articles, now has open water on its beaches in the dead of winter. She characterized climate change as "the running story of our lives." Kolbert ended the lecture by restating that global warming is an increasingly serious problem with no immediate resolution in sight. If global warming is to hold a central place in world events for generations to come, it needs to be more than simply newsworthy; it needs to demand our undivided concern and attention.
(04/06/06 12:00am)
Author: Polly Johnson In an effort to reduce campus energy usage, Bobby Levine '08, with the support of the Sunday Night Group and a large number of volunteers, has created ICICLE, the Inter-Commons Initiative to Consume Less Energy. As stated in the all-student e-mail that was sent out, ICICLE is a "campus-wide energy contest that started April 1. Commons are competing against each other to see which commons can reduce electricity use the most over the month of April." The winning Commons will be invited to a late night pizza and ice cream social, complete with Flatbread-style pizza and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Levine, in discussing the planning of the event, said, "There have been energy contests in years past, and I was told as a freshmen that they were rather lackluster and no one got excited about them. I thought we could do better than that, and in the process save lots of electricity, reduce carbon emissions and generally educate the student body about how much energy they really use. After some brainstorming, I came up with the acronym for ICICLE, and I love the fact that there's a connection to climate change (the icicle melting)."As to those who have helped with the initiative, Levine credits the Sunday Night Group, which he says "has been instrumental in helping [him] get the ball rolling, and lots of outside help and volunteers." He also credits Campus Sustainability Coordinator Jack Byrne, who has "been very helpful in helping me organize the contest," as well as Director of Dining Services Matthew Biette, who is working on the organization of the pizza and ice cream party in the dining hall. Finally, he noted Assistant Director of Facilities Services Michael Moser and Supervisor of Maintenance Electricians Dean Ouellette as "immensely helpful" to the project.In a second all school e-mail, Levine outlined possible ways for students to cut back on energy usage - small steps that seem useless but actually have the potential to make a huge difference. Such an act as trading in regular light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs can reduce energy use by as much as 66 percent. Other small steps include hibernating or turning off computers as much as possible and always turning off the lights when leaving a room. Levine noted that the school has already experimented with having students trade in regular light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones, and that it was a successful venture. "The light bulb exchange program, in conjunction with the energy contest we ran between Battell and Stewart in the month of October to November, was a preliminary test of the energy contest idea. We discovered that students really responded to the right incentive - in that case, Flatbread pizza - so for this contest I worked to create an equally appealing prize."Levine hopes that, ultimately, "students will understand the consequences of their behavior," noting that students "plug electronics into the wall and heat our dorm rooms with little consideration for where that energy comes from. I want students to understand the connection between their behavior and climate change, because addressing the world crisis requires us all to change the way we act and what resources we consume. The issue will not disappear in our lifetime, and the sooner we start addressing it, the better off we'll be."
(04/06/06 12:00am)
Author: Philip Aroneanu Over 150 students and other individuals walked into Montpelier High School muddy and dripping last Saturday afternoon. Their hands were cold, their bike shorts soaked, and they were hungry. Despite the lack of warm showers and a cozy woodstove to sit by, they joined an auditorium full of Vermont activists and citizens who had come together to support clean energy in the state. Though the rain may have moistened shirts and socks, it did not dampen the spirit and dedication of those who attended the rally.The second-annual "Fossil Fools' Day" bike ride and rally attracted students from Middlebury College, St. Mikes, the University of Vermont and other institutions, along with a number of passionate Vermonters, all of whom pedaled on their own the 40 miles from Burlington to Montpelier. On Route 2, vans stopped along the way with snacks and water for the participants, and a sweaty, cheering crowd was on hand to welcome riders as they pulled into the high school parking lot in packs.As a symbol of the coming energy revolution, many riders taped pinwheels onto their bikes, wore capes and held signs. Along the way, onlookers ogled from their cars and families sitting on their front porches cheered the riders on. Democrat Scudder Parker, now running for governor, was the first to speak at the rally. Scudder said that Vermont is known as a leader in the area of renewable energy sources but maintained that there is much that still needs to be accomplished on the state level if we are to avoid the worst effects of global warming. Partisanship, polarization and political log jamming have made getting clean energy legislation passed in Vermont difficult.One state legislator who spoke at the rally expressed frustration with colleagues, encouraging concerned citizens to take action and to convince local politicians to take on what often seems like too large an issue. Congressman Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent running to replace retiring Senator Jim Jeffords, commended the event's organizers and impassioned students in his trademark punchy style. "Students know that to make the climate movement successful, we need to be creative," said event organizer Chester Harvey '09. "The bike ride was successful because it garnered a lot of attention and sent a strong message to politicians and the public. Climate change is a real and urgent issue that needs to be dealt with. And it was fun." Indeed, the persistence of students and others in the face of a rainstorm, wind and forty miles of rolling hills parallels the energy and dedication they have for the issue of climate change. They know the time to act is now.
(04/06/06 12:00am)
Author: Ashley Bell The weeks after Hurricane Katrina saw food, clothing and medicine rushed to the Gulf States. Yet another aspect of New Orleans life left in ruins were the dozens of public libraries destroyed this past hurricane season and which local volunteers are struggling to rebuild. After facing the complete destruction of several library branches, the New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) is soliciting help from the nation. In a recent press release, NOPL Director Bill Johnson stated, "We struggle to rebuild, to connect with services, to see our children access educational opportunities - and to simply enjoy a respite through good books, music and movies - libraries will continue to be there for us."Several Middlebury students and staff of the Library & Information Services responded to NOPL's plight by organizing a book sale. The sale is open to the public, and the local community is encouraged to participate. The sale will be located in the Atrium of the Main Library and will begin at noon on April 11 continuing through normal library hours until April 16. In order to prepare for this sale, organizers are collecting donated books from the college community. Collection boxes are located in all of the Middlebury campus libraries, in the dining halls and in McCullough from April 3 to 7.The book sale is reminiscent of a volunteer program held this past fall and conducted by the Hurricane Relief Coalition, which raised approximately $3,000. Unfortunately, the NOPL system was still too devastated to communicate with at the time, so the money was instead donated to a high school writing program. This upcoming book sale is expected to make even more money than the last, and the entirety of the proceeds will go directly to NOPL. The library system prefers monetary donations in order to allow the library the most freedom and choice with rebuilding their collection. The book sale is only one aspect of a larger project to re-focus attention on the Gulf Coast. The week of April 10 to 14 has been deemed "Hang onto the Gulf Coast ... Before We Lose It Forever," and is dedicated to remembering those affected by the hurricanes. New Orleans resident and project leader Emily Peterson '08 said, "I noticed a dangerous trend that I fear is happening throughout the whole nation: The Gulf Coast is already slipping off of people's minds. I had the idea of organizing this follow-up week to raise awareness about the current situation in the Gulf Coast and to bring the issue back into our daily consciousness." The week of discussions and lectures will focus on current relief efforts in New Orleans as well as the growing concern of climate change and the possibility of severe storms that will arise. The week will also include a letter writing campaign where students and faculty are encouraged to prepare a letter to Congress about the loss of critical wetlands in the Gulf.
(03/30/06 12:00am)
Author: KATHRYN FLAGG AND DANIEL L. J. PHILLIPS VCC honors College community membersThree members of the Middlebury College community received 2006 Vermont Campus Compact (VCC) awards today at the VCC's third annual award ceremony. The ceremony, conducted at the Vermont State House in Montpelier, recognized Assistant Professor of Economics Jon Isham, College senior Erica Goodman and Assistant Professor of Geography Peter Nelson.Isham was recognized by the VCC with the Vermont Campus Compact Engaged Scholar Award, which honors one faculty member in Vermont for engagement inside and outside of the classroom. Said Susan Campbell, dean of the faculty, "Jon is getting things done, and perhaps even more importantly, he is empowering students to find their voice and take action to effect positive change on their own."Goodman was the recipient of the TD Banknorth Commitment to Service and Engagement Award, which was given in recognition of her dedication to community involvement. During her time at the College, Goodman has served as co-chair of the Volunteer Service Organization and has also recruited volunteers for the Middlebury Area Land Trust. She has also worked with her basketball team to create a Vermont registry for the National Marrow Donor Program.Nelson received the Excellence in Teaching award, given each year to a faculty member in Vermont. The award recognizes innovative teaching methods and service-learning initiatives, and Nelson regularly offers two courses in the geography department that include service-learning components. Nelson's students, under his guidance, have worked with local organizations to address real-work situations. Said Nelson's student Philip Picotte '08, "He incorporates social awareness and activism into each course, giving each student the opportunity for experimental learning. He is among the most effective and committed professors I've met."VCC is a statewide consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to advancing the public good. The VCC annually honors students, faculty, college staff and community members with whom they work. Today's ceremonies also included presents from students from five Vermont colleges regarding their volunteer efforts, including a talk by Middlebury sophomore Theo May and Ashley Vale on their volunteer experiences in Argentina.Book donation benefits New Orleans libraryIn a collaborative effort with Middlebury College students, staff and volunteers from town, April 10-14 will bring Hurricane Follow-Up Week to campus. According to Emily Peterson '08, the primary organizer, the week was conceived to "keep the Katrina dialogue going and to remind people about why the Gulf Coast should remain on the national agenda and consciousness." The schedule of events will include a lecture on tsunamis, a panel on climate change/increasing hurricane intensity and a campaign to write letters to members of Congress about the wetlands awareness. The most time-sensitive event on the agenda will be a book sale to generate proceeds for the New Orleans Public Library. The collection for used books will start on Monday, April 3, in order to accumulate enough donations to sell before the deadline on April 9. The College's participation in the book drive is being organized by Joseph Watson, LIS facilities coordinator. Collection points will be placed at locations in each of the libraries, dining halls and in McCullough Student Center. All used books will then be sold on April 10 to the local Middlebury town library, and proceeds will be sent to the New Orleans library. The town's library has already begun accepting used book donations, and a few of the local churches have collection points in place. According to Katie Hawkins '06.5, one of Follow-Up Week's organizers, Middlebury is one of many schools participating in the book drive for New Orleans.Watson plans to send an e-mail to the College community to advertise the book drive, and the list of other events of Hurricane Follow-Up Week will be sent in a later message by Peterson.
