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(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.
(03/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Rachel Greenhaus Students, faculty and townspeople gathered in Dana Auditorium this past Thursday to view a program devoted to exploring and celebrating the work of Larry Kramer. Kramer, a renowned gay rights and AIDS activist as well as a playwright, novelist, screenwriter and non-fiction writer, came to Middlebury this past week to speak specifically on the subject of his newest book, "The Tragedy of Today's Gays." The evening's program began with a reading from his 1985 play "The Normal Heart," followed by Kramer and a question - and - answer panel with members of the student body and the faculty. The reading from "A Normal Heart" was performed by Middlebury students Lucas Kavner '06, Rishabh Kashyap '08, Kevin Tierney '08, Paul Doyle '07 and Lauren Kiel '07 and Professor of Theatre and Women's and Gender Studies Cheryl Faraone. Assistant Professor of Theatre Claudio Medeiros introduced the scenes, saying that "The Normal Heart" "is not fiction - it is a document of a crucial moment in cultural history and a poignant reminder that even today, silence still equals death." The students performed three scenes centering around the semiautobiographical gay male activist character of Ned Weeks (Kavner) and his doctor Emma Brookner (Kiel) and the way these two cope with the overwhelming enormity of the AIDS virus in its early years.Doyle explained the value of the play for audiences today: "It's important for us to read it now and understand the voice of anger, to see where we come from. It helps us appreciate what we have and to see where we can do more. It's given me a lot of food for thought." Later in the evening, Kramer voiced what was on everyone's mind when he remarked that "The Normal Heart" "could be performed today as though it were happening today. Every word is still applicable." Kramer's speech was brief but vitriolic. Introduced by Dean of Cook Commons David Edleson as a "hero," and "the loudest and most fabulous mouth of all," Kramer took the floor to a standing ovation from the crowd. He spoke about topics ranging from corporate conspiracy to the current AIDS "plague," to the apathy of today's youth and the history of gay activism. Unafraid of offending anyone or everyone, Kramer accused the audience of being passive and powerless. "I don't feel very hopeful," he said, "and that's a terrible message to come and bring to kids today. But you have to fight every single day of your life. Activism is salvation. I haven't in any way changed, I've only gotten angrier." The student and faculty panel was comprised of students from the Middlebury Openly Queer Alliance (MOQA) and the Diversity Committee: Sam Shoushi '09, Colin Penley '06, Tamara Vatnick '07 and Lauren Scott '09, plus Professor of Theatre Richard Romagnoli and Professor of Russian and Women's and Gender Studies Kevin Moss. Each member of the panel was allowed to present two questions to Kramer. Often the exchanges between Kramer and the panelists walked a fine line between discussion and debate, but the tension only illustrated the highly personal and controversial nature of many of the topics that were brought up. These included the question of what young people should do to become involved, a question which Kramer claimed not to have the answer to, insisting you must "make it up as you go along," and urging those present to find an issue that they cared about to pursue. In response to a question by Professor Romagnoli, Kramer dismissed the theater as a method for social change in 2006. He urged the "correct" teaching of American history, claiming a systematic elimination of gay figures - including, he says, Meriwether Lewis and Abraham Lincoln - from canonized history books. Calling civil union bills such as that in Vermont "little more than a feel-good exercise," Kramer called for gays to be allowed all the federal benefits of full marriage. He insisted that, in today's political climate "…if you are a sentient human being you wake up every day frightened." Yet when a member of the audience stood up at the end of the night and challenged Kramer and the grim picture he had painted, asking to know what it was that made him get up in the morning, Kramer ended on a positive note: "I'm not being facetious when I say it's a challenge. But I like to fight. It's possible to be very angry and to despair over the state of the world and to be very happy." Students in attendance voiced varied reactions to this final statement and to the program in general."I think that Larry Kramer brings a type of reality that you don't see at Middlebury. There's something to be said for seeing so much activism in one person," said Michael Jou '07. "I felt extremely empowered by it," said Pauley Tedoff '06. "He talked a lot about activism in general. It wasn't just about gay activism or even about AIDS - it's about any social movement worth effort. It was uninhibited and refreshing and open and being open is what makes a movement, what creates action."Allison Corke '08 voiced a different sentiment, stating, "While I respect Mr. Kramer's history and the amount he has done for gay rights and the AIDS movement, I felt that his overwhelming anger lacked hope or any suggestion for improvement of the situation of homosexuals in the United States and the world. He bemoaned the passive nature of the present gay rights movement, while belittling the new marriage rights in Massachusetts."
(03/16/06 12:00am)
Author: RYAN GAMBLE '06 At Middlebury, we students have the opportunity to not only gain an understanding of the current state of the world, but also to practice the valuable critical thinking skills that will allow us to succeed in diverse occupations and to live purposeful lives. How we discuss important issues such as global warming reflects a more personal matter of what we, as students, take these critical thinking skills to be. Michael Jou's article in The Middlebury Campus two weeks ago ["Think about it, global warming does not exist," March 2] was "written to incite the reader to question global warming." I believe in testing the quality of our knowledge, but I'd like to contribute a better representation of what I believe critical thinking skills should entail. Thinking critically about a topic requires accurate and precise knowledge of facts. For example, while it is true that glaciers in Greenland are not receding, that does not mean that climate change is not affecting Greenland. In fact, the glaciers are sliding into the sea. A recent Science article (v. 311, pp. 986-990) finds that the speed at which Greenland glaciers are moving into the sea is twice what was previously thought and is accelerating, due to warming. Beyond understanding the facts, there is a more important issue of the construction of arguments and what constitutes "thinking critically" about a topic. Probably not unlike many other Middlebury students, I learned to write five-paragraph essays in middle school. This was how I was formally introduced to the idea of a persuasive essay where a main argument is proposed, and supporting evidence is presented. But should we give equal weight to any opinion that can be supported with evidence? For example, if we can give some evidence of cooling in some parts of the world, is this evidence against global warming? In examining complex issues, the paradigm that any opinion that can be supported with some evidence must be valid breaks down rather quickly. In terms of the case in question, the scientific community has increasingly emphasized that global warming is a component of global climate change, a model in which increased climate variability and the complex effects of changing climate patterns imply that some regions may undergo periods of cooling. Evidence pointing to slight cooling in specific regions is thus not evidence against global warming, but fits in with the global climate change model. These facts bring to light a fundamental problem of applying the simple argument/supporting evidence model to writing about real world issues - sometimes the world turns out to be rather complex. When I think about the issue of global warming and Michael Crichton's "State of Fear," a number of questions come to mind. Firstly, what does Crichton actually believe related to climate change? In a radio interview with NPR's Ira Flatow addressing "State of Fear," Crighton said, "No one is denying that temperature is increasing, it is." Secondly, what is the issue in question? Crichton is questioning whether the rise in temperature is due to anthropogenic emission of CO2. So the issue is really whether global warming is anthropogenically caused. Crichton is accusing environmental scientists of academic dishonesty - is this plausible? Throughout history have there been any examples of an entire field of scientists falsifying knowledge? Is the system of writing grants set up in such a way that there is pressure on scientists to present false data that global warming is anthropogenically caused? Personally I would be more inclined to think that corporations, entities that are legally bound to exploit their workforce and the environment when it is in the interests of their shareholders, would have a stake in suppressing information about the cause of global warming. And since the media are owned by corporations, well, I'm just glad information about global warming is available. In any case, these are the kinds of questions we need to address to have an informed discussion of Crichton's version of global warming. And, in a broader sense, these questions help us examine global climate change from multiple perspectives. For me, critical thinking must always involve this strategy of studying a single issue from varying viewpoints.One example of an environmental problem that has been solved is that of ozone depletion. Science informed policy, and governments signed the Montreal Protocol banning CFCs, the cause of the depletion. That was a problem that was relatively easy to solve. In the case of CO2, reducing emissions will entail large-scale economic, if not lifestyle change. This is a challenge that we, as a generation must face. But to do so we need to think critically about the problem and about potential solutions.
(03/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Trista McGetrick Global warming is more than just the concern of a few antisocial environmentalists. It is essentially a humanitarian concern. Environmental justice initiatives seek to address the social, political and economic aspects of climate change. In addition, they hope to remedy the fact that those with the least political and economic power are suffering the havoc that the consumptive habits of industrialized nations have wreaked on the environment.Citizens of small Pacific islands are already becoming refugees from increasingly violent weather patterns and rising sea levels. At last fall's Clifford Symposium, citizens of Tuvalu, a nation 10 feet above sea level, bore witness to this fact. In addition to an increase in severe storms, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that within 50 to 100 years, melting ice caps could cause the complete disappearance of Tuvalu.The people of colder climates also stand to lose. National Geographic reports that hunters in Greenland are already finding their traditional routes impassible due to thinning and breaking ice in areas once firmly frozen. Increasingly, they are faced with having to choose between giving up their livelihoods or risking injury and death on the now precarious hunting routes.The social and economic effects of climate change are felt closer to home as well. Minorities living in the United States are much more likely to be uninsured and living in poverty. Because of the precarious living situations of the poor in many cities, minority citizens may be the most harshly affected by the hurricanes, droughts and other disasters scientists believe are the results of global warming. This was widely viewed as being the case with low-income New Orleans families following Hurricane Katrina.Considering the direct impact that it is having on communities everywhere, global warming can no longer be dismissed or taken on only after other problems are solved. The lifestyles common in many western nations have very real consequences for people in other, poorer parts of the world. In the United States, the spread of suburbia, an increase in the number of personal vehicles, the lack of effective public transportation and the indifference of voters and policy-makers all contribute to the consequences felt by those elsewhere who make less of an impact on the global environment.There is no denying that the individual lifestyle decisions we make have a real impact on the world as a whole. Climate change is one of the ways in which this impact becomes apparent. By altering our personal habits- driving less, turning down the heat and hanging up laundry to name a few - and by discussing these issues rather than ignoring them, each of us can address environmental injustice at its roots.
(03/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Julia McKinnon When climatologist Michael Mann appeared at Middlebury to give this year's Margolin Environmental Affairs lecture, Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics Richard Wolfson mysteriously presented him with a Middlebury College hockey stick.Why? Because Mann is nationally renowned for his work in calculating the globe's change in atmospheric temperature over time. And the graph he has come up with to measure global temperature takes the alarming shape of a hockey stick turned on its side.In his work, Mann strives to use statistical methodology to show that global temperatures are rising at an unnatural rate. His "hockey stick" graph shows global temperatures over the last millennium, relying on indicators like the width of tree rings and health of coral reefs to show temperatures in the years before thermometers existed. His graph illustrates gradual but steady global cooling over the thousand-year period until the 20th century, at which point temperatures began to increase. The end of the graph shows a dramatic upward thrust - the "hockey stick blade" - indicating that the last two decades have consistently seen record-high temperatures. Mann believes this increase to be caused by human activity.Mann came to Middlebury as this year's Scott Margolin Environmental Affairs lecturer. He works at Penn State University in the Departments of Meteorology and Geosciences, as well as in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. His famous graph was accepted for publication in 1999 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).As this year's Margolin lecturer, Mann joined the good company of many other famous individuals in the environmental world. In previous years, the Margolin Environmental Affairs lecture has brought to campus environmental historian William Cronon, climatologist Steven Schneider, Paul Ehrlich, author of the "Time Bomb," and Eileen Clausen, president of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.According to Wolfson, Mann was an interesting Margolin lecturer because, unlike many of the speakers from past years, "he's not at the end of his career." Instead, "Mann is up and coming," said Wolfson.Mann is indeed up and coming in that he still plans on conducting extensive research. So far, he has achieved much acclaim. Mann's hockey stick graph is what he calls "iconic." Since publication by the IPCC, it has served as evidence of anthropogenic-related climate change. An article by John Daly states that Mann's graph "in one scientific coup overturned the whole of climate history.""For policymakers, his graph became a symbol of how unusual climate has been over the last one hundred years," said Wolfson.A large group of environmentally-minded students had lunch with Mann and got to know him on a personal level before his talk. "Having lunch with Mann was a unique experience," said Lynne Zummo '06. "We all had the chance to sit down and talk with a brilliant climatologist about ideas that weren't necessarily science-oriented," she said.Mann seemed to be intrigued by the number of involved Middlebury students. "We talked a lot about big versus small colleges - he is at Penn state - and he was praising Middlebury for having an active student body," said Dan Berkman '06, "especially when it comes to environmental issues."Mann's lecture, entitled "Global Climate Change: Past and Future," was packed full, even though he had already given a lecture to about 100 science-oriented students earlier that day. Many students had to sit on the floor in the front and back of the room in order to hear Mann speak.Mann somehow managed to engage the diverse crowd. He stood before an audience in John M. McCardell, Jr. Bicentennial hall and explained climate change to English majors, members of the environmentally-oriented Sunday Night Group, hockey players and senior citizens from the town of Middlebury, all interested in what he had to say. "I was very impressed that he was such a good public speaker and people person," said Emily Egginton '06. "I thought his scientific presentation was [strong] because it was meant for a more educated audience but was still easy to grasp since he presented it so well."The overwhelming size of the audience suggests a great depth of interest in climate change issues at Middlebury. "This is the big issue of the century," said Wolfson. Mann's ability to achieve a well-designed scientific graph to depict human influence on climate change has brought him much recognition. Wolfson believes that the message Mann conveyed to Middlebury and to the IPCC is a crucial one. Climate change, said Wolfson, "is going to affect all of us. I don't think it's going to make the world uninhabitable, but it's going to cause other problems that exacerbate the injustices in the world. It will cause a strain for everybody."
(03/16/06 12:00am)
Author: SALIM SAGLAM POITIERS, FRANCE - Concerned with their post-university career, the French students are on strike against Contrat Première Embauche (CPE), the new employment law proposed by the French PM Dominique de Villepin. This law enables the employers to fire newly hired employees between 18 and 26 years of age without showing due cause during the first two years of their employment. In protest of the new law, Université de Poitiers, excluding the schools of medicine and higher sciences, has been blocked by politically minded students since Feb. 13. Desks and chairs are piled in front of the entrance doors behind which the protesters camp. It is a common scene to see them with dirty pots, pans and other supplies camping behind the blocked doors.A movement, which started in 13 universities in early February, is becoming national fast. About 40 of France's 84 universities saw student occupations to varying degrees on Friday in protest of the new law. Police intervened for the first time early Saturday to empty the main building of the Sorbonne, which had been occupied by student protesters for the past three days. According to BBC News Europe, tear gas and batons were used, at least two students were injured and some arrests were made. A demonstration will take place today in Paris with the participation of thousands of students from all over France. Recent police intervention and the memories of May 1968 in mind, security is already a concern.France has the highest unemployment rate among youth in Europe swaying at 23 percent, and it goes up to 40 percent among the unskilled youth. According to Villepin, this new law aims at loosening the protectionist state policies concerning the labor market, rendering it more flexible and encouraging the employers to hire more employees. On the other hand the loosening of such socialist state policies, which the French take pride in, arises an anxiety among the youth who think that they will be more likely to be exploited by the employers under the new employment law.Though students are against CPE, opinions on the strike, particularly on the blockage vary. A widespread sentiment among the student body is that the blockage impedes students' right to education. They also find it immature, disorganized and undemocratic, especially that around 300 student protesters shut down a university of more than 15,000 students. The protesters on the other hand assert that the blockage is their means to mobilize people against CPE. They say that there is a general assembly (assemblée générale) about the future of the blockage once in every three days open to the entire student body and those students against the blockage never show up to vote against it. Attendance at general assemblies so far has never exceeded 2,500.With an annual economic growth rate below two percent over the last decade, France is finding it difficult to create new jobs for the 2.6 million unemployed. Though weakening of the socialist system is a likely consequence of CPE, it certainly is an attempt by the French government to tackle unemployment. Therefore, the latest developments constitute, on a governmental level, a good example for how a socialist system with a stagnant economy is readjusting to the new world rule. On the other hand, the French students' revolutionary enthusiast nature, their willingness to take the matter into their own hands and change it in their favor is certainly something to be respected. With the national protest in Paris on March 16 approaching, the political climate is heating up in France. We will see if it ever gets as hot as it was in May 1968.
(03/09/06 12:00am)
Author: Lynne Zummo '06 Two years ago, I cursed my wet jeans. The rolled up cuffs were soaked, dripping with water, cutting into my calves and filling me with a hate for life so strong that focusing on physics Professor Rich Wolfson's mad chalkboard scribblings was hardly an option. It was December of my sophomore year, and thick sheets of rain were pummeling every building, sidewalk and wormhole in the state of Vermont. It was December, 45 degrees and torrential downpour, and Professor Wolfson was spewing out parts per million, constants, equations, climate models, ice cores and everything else that we have to tell us that what we have been doing to our planet has forever changed its atmospheric system. There I was, abhorring every sopping cotton fiber on my body and aching to ring the necks of all disciples of the SUV faith, every oil kingpin and every nay-sayer who deemed global warming a myth of the liberal conspiracy, all while scratching away at a soggy notebook. They should climb down from their earth-eating vehicles, I thought, and try trudging across campus in this alleged winter. They should sit through an hour of physics chaffed by rain-soaked denim.I first learned about global climate change in eighth grade science class. Mr. Sonne, a middle-aged man consumed in a battle against male pattern baldness, mentioned something of greenhouses and oil and cows, but I was 13 and preoccupied with surviving junior high. It was not until four years ago, when I first saw the Tetons in late November, bald and dry, that I first understood global climate change. The year before I came to Middlebury I had flown west with new tele-skis and a fantasized notion of jagged Rocky Mountains peaks frosted with snow, but found the mountains wearing nothing more than a sere crust of mud for the first sickly weeks of winter. When I returned home in January, Connecticut's snow had already melted into spring. Every trek through the backyard was a muddy battle that reinforced the idiocy of my ski purchase. But that was just the start, for now I know climate change-the warm days, the heavy rains, the sudden melts-like I know the fat campus squirrels, neither one because I particularly want to, but both because they are here. Both, because they are here, and are as much a part of Vermont as the maples that crawl up the crumbling Green Mountains, and as much a part of my life as geology textbooks and senior seminars. I grew to know climate change well last year, when my final December days at Middlebury were soaked and humid, and when drumming rain tapped as the background of Christmas Eve Mass. And then a little bit better when I coughed my way through the streets of China, vendors with smoking coals on either side of the narrow asphalt strip clogged with rumbling cars, speeding to a future of industry and progress. But this year, this is the year in which I have come to know climate change the best. Not only did the rain fall on Christmas, but on New Year's, too, and then on and off again throughout this strange season. I went rock climbing in the dead of January, on a 50-degree day when it should have been bitter cold instead of melty spring. The warm, dry rock was inviting and fun, but deep down I wished it coated thick with ice. I wanted to hate the day, to curse the nice weather, to damn the carbon dioxide. I wanted winter back.Two weeks later, from the hooded cave of my rain jacket, I watched a drenching rainstorm batter a defeated looking tent city. January's Get Outside Week, my frozen brainchild, was drowning in mud. Winter felt lost.Another week after that, winter returned. It snowed, and a friend and I taught our annual snow shelter class. A week later, our quinzee had shrunk to a dirty lump of slush on Battell Beach, a muddy tumor on a stagnant plain of water.There is more. I wore shorts for one February morning run.My Sorrels have seen more mud than snow.My nordic skis have made better house decorations than functional sports equipment.Although there is snow on the ground today, winter still feels lost. To those who deem climate change a lie, a mad environmentalist extension of the truth, I encourage you to open your eyes. Forget the papers for now-the media, the politics, the campaigns. Instead, look outside. Feel the thaw. Touch the mud. Talk to skiers and maple farmers. Ask Bread Loaf how many days they have opened their trails this year. Walk across campus in a winter rainstorm, and then sit through class with wet pants. Wake up and open your window. Our world is changing.
