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(10/13/05 12:00am)
Author: May Chan Amy Chavasse is a dance artist-in-residence who teaches dance regularly at Middlebury. She founded Chavasse Dance and Performance Company in 1995 and her work has been produced throughout the United States and Europe.The Middlebury Campus: You have studied dance extensively, taught and toured with choreographers and numerous groups. On what kind of dance do you focus primarily?Amy Chavasse: The term used most often for the type of dance we do is contemporary dance. There's a lot of debate about what we do now, but it's a form of modern dance that grew out of the rejection of classical ballet, so it's more of a post-modern dance. The initial forms of training started in ballet and, later on, they developed the Graham technique, which was started by Martha Graham. I studied the Graham technique in college and what I do now reflects my interest as a choreographer. It's pretty eclectic, and full of inversions and blends of Afro-Caribbean styles and Capoeira. A lot of dance today is characterized by hybridization.The Campus: How did you start getting interested in dance? Have you always known you wanted to dance?AC: Well, I danced when I was really young and it was really due to my parents taking me to lessons. They also took me to piano lessons, violin lessons, horse-back-riding lessons, all sorts of lessons. As a kid, I always put on shows in the house with my sister. I probably started when I was three or four and danced until I was 14. After that, I quit and didn't start again until college.The Campus: What experiences or figures have influenced you in your career?AC: In the past 10 years or so, work that has been influential to me and that has had a powerful impact is the kind that blends theater and dance. I'm interested in work that is politically challenging in context - there's a German choreographer, Pina Bausch, who does that kind of work. I've had a lot of opportunities to work with all these great dancers and all these experiences have affected the way I see work and make work now. All along the way, there have been iconic figures that have taken me under their wing. It was like an apprenticeship. Before Middlebury, I was teaching a lot and everyone I met has shifted my course. One figure who has also had an incredible influence on me is Peter Schmitz, who used to teach here.The Campus: You studied dance recently in Buenos Aires. How did this opportunity come about?AC: This goes back to my fascination with political art, which is a really difficult art form because you have to keep the artistic integrity in it without pounding the person on the head with the message. Last summer, I went to see this dance troupe called Grupo Krapp at the American Dance University in North Carolina and they did this piece called "Mendiolaza." I was totally blown away. I wanted to know more about the work, so I started researching the community and looking at their work. I began communicating with other choreographers down there and that's how I got involved. I worked with Brenda Angil and her aerial dance company and I would go to her studio, which was this giant warehouse with harnesses hanging off the walls. The harnesses took a while to get used to but the people were just great and so friendly.The Campus: Do you feel as if your experience in Buenos Aires has changed your perspectives on dance? Will it contribute to the classes that you teach here at Middlebury?AC: Well it was a short stay, only two weeks, and I felt like it was really laying the groundwork. I was really impressed by the passion of the performers because their economy down there has really been put through the wringer. The middle class has run out of food, there have been economic hardships and political turmoil, and when there is this disruption in a community, art is really the only place where the people can thrive. Often I noticed the students and dancers and I could not imagine Middlebury students doing this kind of work. They were totally uninhibited and doing stuff with their bodies that was very outrageous. It was just a different climate. I noticed this complete conviction and indebtedness with form and I thought, maybe I have to work harder, or push harder, maybe push my students harder. The group I was working with went to their day jobs all morning and afternoon and then they would come to dance all night. They were just so open and so willing and so hungry.The Campus: Are you currently working on any projects? Do you have any plans to go back to Buenos Aires anytime soon or tour anywhere else?AC: I'm directing the Dance Company at Middlebury this fall and it's a piece tentatively titled "Enemies." It's pretty abstract, but also still pretty loaded. This year, I'll also be doing a mini-residency at Press College, Ariz., with Andrea Olsen, a dance professor at Middlebury. We'll be attending classes, showing some work and doing some outreach at some high schools. I'm working on Buenos Aires; I've applied for some grants, but I think it'll have to wait until next summer. -May Chan
(09/29/05 12:00am)
Author: Katherine Washburn An excited crowd filed into Mead Chapel last Thursday for the launch of this year's academic symposium, "Renewal: Perspectives and Possibilities in an Age of Climate Crisis." The 2005 Clifford Symposium, focusing on current environmental issues, spanned the borders of many academic fields including politics, the arts and religion. The symposium's goals were to outline the current climate status, the impact of recent climate change on local lands, moral views on this crisis and ways to solve the problem. The symposium was also in accordance with the Environmental Studies (ES) Program's 40th anniversary. Middlebury's ES Program is the oldest for undergraduates in the United States. The wide variety of events for the symposium included lectures and panels, performances and the dedication of the wind turbine. The speakers came from all over - from the Middlebury campus to as far as Tuvalu. This three-day discussion of the climate crisis began with the keynote address "How Big is Too Big? Global Warming and Moral Choices," by Scholar-in-Residence in Environmental Studies Bill McKibben. President Ronald D. Liebowitz introduced Mckibben, author of nine published books - including his most recent novel, "Wandering Home" - to an excited crowd at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22. McKibben began by defining global warming as "the greatest force humans have yet unleashed." Giving a brief background on the issue, he described the method through which carbon dioxide traps heat in the planet, separating the Earth as a live, lush planet from the frigid temperatures on Mars. Since humans began burning fossil fuels as an energy source, the levels of CO2 in our atmosphere have been constantly increasing. By the 1980s, computers were complex enough to show that these rising CO2 levels could be the cause of a climatic temperature increase. Nearly a decade after this discovery, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) met in 1995 and determined that something had to change. Many of the things that experts considered to be natural occurrences in the climate and atmosphere were being drastically altered by human actions. The conference met again in 2001 and determined that the planet's temperature had risen by one degree Fahrenheit. The predicted rise by 2100 was another five degrees Fahrenheit. Turning to concrete examples of the effects of global warming, McKibben went on to cite various recently published articles that describe the drastic increase in Category Four and Five hurricanes in the past ten years. He then tied these articles to the recent disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. McKibben also described the problems associated with the melting of the polar ice caps and the falling salinity of the waters. At the emotional height of his speech, McKibben declared that this "points out the fact that we live on a new world. These violent changes are a result of humans." In order to demonstrate the severity of the crisis at hand, McKibben urged the audience to remember that these changes were caused by a temperature change of merely one degree Fahrenheit. He went on to pose a question: if just one degree could cause such a change in the world, what could the predicted five degree change do? The reality of the matter is that no one person can say exactly what would happen if the Earth's temperature rose that much. McKibben suggested the startling prospect of the lack of a white winter in Vermont. Also mentioned were the possibilities of rises in malaria and other diseases. McKibben was quick to point out that it is "far too late to prevent global warming." He did not make this point to create a feeling of despair but instead to emphasize the importance of doing as much as we possibly can to stop this crisis from going further than it already has. He emphasized the need for humans to immediately reduce their use of fossil fuels by 70 percent.After saying that many countries across the globe were pledging to reduce their emissions drastically, McKibben stated that the United States has such a difficult time changing its way of life due to hyper-individualism. Americans have a hard time sharing, riding buses or generally doing things together. McKibben pointed out that we would need another five earths if the entire world population consumed the same amount as us. Yet McKibben did not say or imply that we are all doomed. There are several areas where we can change our actions, he said, such as our consumption of local foods. McKibben "salute[d] the progress of the college dining staff" for making such an effort with local produce. He also told the audience, in reference to energy usage, "Do not think it needs to be grim." In fact, within the past 50 years, as the U.S. standard of living rose, the level of satisfaction with our lives has steadily fallen. His point: humans do not need to consume heavily to be satisfied.McKibben concluded by noting that we are "in for a tremendously difficult time ahead." However, he also said that Middlebury should serve as a model, and applauded the current efforts being made on campus. As the keynote speech ended with a standing ovation, McKibben was met with much approval. Ben Grimmnitz '08.5 felt confident about all that was said, saying that he "felt like everything he said was well grounded in facts." Emily Gaewsky '09 expressed her interest in "how McKibben talked about the environmental effects on Vermont. The idea that there might not be winter, maple trees or changing foliage really put things into perspective."However, Will Martin '07.5, while truly impressed with the power of the speaker, was disappointed with the turnout in the audience. He said that "for a school so supposedly focused on environmental issues, we should have packed Mead Chapel." Regardless, Mckibben truly captivated the audience with his enlightening and thought provoking address on the impending crisis of global warming.
(09/22/05 12:00am)
Author: May Chan This Friday and Saturday, the Middlebury Dance program will bring a treat to kick off your weekend. "The Birdhouse Project", a performance directed by Andrea Olsen, Middlebury College professor of Dance, celebrates the 40th anniversary of Middlebury College's Environmental Studies Program and raises the climate issues of our time in a colorful, light-hearted approach. "The Birdhouse Project" is just one of many events that are part of the Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium on "Renewel: Perspectives and possibilities in an age of climate crisis."This will be the third performance of the project. Last spring, the group performed at the Middlebury Center for the Arts (CFA) and in New York City's Stuyvesant Cove Park in June, attracting large and enthusiastic crowds. This time, the performances will come to life in front of John McCardell Jr. Bicentennial Hall. The project will include music from David Rothenberg and feature bird calls and birdhouses designed by visual artist Carl Phelps. Over 20 faculty members, plus 20 students and dance alumni will take part in this 50-minute flight of fancy.Olsen, the director of "The Birdhouse Project," revealed that the idea came out of the desire to teach courses linking environmental studies to dance. "I like to encourage students to travel, to go out and dance on the land," she said in an interview with The Middlebury Campus. Olsen has taught at Middlebury College for 23 years, directed over 50 dances, written two books and numerous articles and adores the art of travel. And indeed, there will be a lot of traveling in the "The Birdhouse Project."The pieces will begin at the side entrance of John McCardell Jr. Bicentennial Hall, migrate to the "Smog" and finish to face the quad. The audience must move as well to follow the bright, whimsical costumes of Middlebury's talented dancers. "My real pleasure is that movement appears as part of the landscape. I encourage people to move on the landscape," said Olsen. There will be a blend of styles and the majority of the work will be created by the dancers themselves. Two of the lead dancers include Ben Brouwer '04, founder of Middlebury's Yellow Bike Project in 2002 and Lisa Gonzales '94, who previously taught at Middlebury. The performances will be an aesthetic mélange of ballet styles, contemporary dance and even a bit of break-dancing, performed by Ryan Johnson '06, who brings an urban perspective to the project.The Clifford Symposium explores the effects of climate change, and "The Birdhouse Project" illustrates this goal in a poetic way, engaging the public community in movement and appreciation for the landscape and birds. "Dancing outdoors is challenging - there's so much to be aware of, including the ground beneath your feet, and the sounds all around you..." Olsen said. While "The Birdhouse Project" will undoubtedly bring attention to local as well as to global issues, it also promises to be an intelligent and entertaining show with a touch of playfulness."The Birdhouse Project" will be shown on Sept. 23 at 4:30 p.m. and Sept 24 at 12 p.m. at John McCardell Jr. Bicentennial Hall.
(09/22/05 12:00am)
Author: Sean Breen This past week, I had the pleasure of spending a long evening in Ferrisburg, Vt., just off Route 7 at a small cottage of a restaurant - the Starry Night Café. At Starry Night, everything smells good. The eclectic, dimly-lit décor is a refreshing change for any Middlebury student, offering a quick trip to a distant region, if only for an evening. The food is basic, wholesome and classically "Vermont." But despite its simplicity, the menu covers all the basics, consistently offering fantastic vegetarian dishes as well as fresh game. All ingredients are "home grown" on neighboring farms and are gathered daily for each evening, while the seafood is shipped fresh directly from Boston. The menu is subtly northern Italian, generally offering such classics as fried calamari, caprice salad and a risotto dish. As of last week, the chef was still displaying his late summer menu, but with fall approaching, the dishes to look out for are the squash soup and Misty Knoll chicken lasagna. The most recent specials included a light quail appetizer and an outstanding cut of venison, prepared over scalloped potatoes with a port wine sauce. Of the usual meat entrees, the New York strip steak or the lamb chops are always a satisfying choice. For dessert, their crème brulée is one of the best I have ever tasted, in this country or elsewhere, and the chocolate martini is always a good bet.As far as beverages go, the bar offers a number of interesting, if not always delicious, cocktails, including a tasty variety of martinis - the lemonade martini is a perennial favorite for starters. Their wine list is in good shape, although heavily weighted toward California. Of the wines I have tasted, I would recommend the bigger-bodied Syrah- or Cabernet-based wines as these grapes play into California's climatic strengths and drink exceptionally well when paired with the wild game dishes. Upon my last visit, I experimented with a Valpolicella from Italy and was disappointed. Bottom line: stick with the medium-priced ($20) blockbuster wines. If you need a name, the Joseph Phelps Syrah is quite good.Most importantly, an evening at Starry Night will be a trip away from the flurry of campus life. Every once in a while, dining needs to be more than a rushed refueling at a crowded cafeteria. Dinner should be a relief from the day's troubles - a breeding ground for discussion and laughter. Starry Night may be on the pricier side, but it's worth every penny.
(09/15/05 12:00am)
Faculty Garner Summer Accolades
Several members of the Middlebury College faculty received grants and awards this summer. Professor of Geology Pat Manley was awarded a grant by the U.S. Geological Survey to further her research on Lake Champlain for a project about "Abrupt Climate Change in the Eastern United States." Assistant Professor of Economics William Pyle will be a Teaching Fellow with the Eurasia Program of the Social Science Research Council in order to develop a course on "Legal Institutions and Post-Soviet Economic Development."
In the physics department, Associate Professor Susan Watson was awarded supplemental funding from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in order to support expenses for her undergraduate students participating in an NSF program at Harvard with researchers from Middlebury, Harvard and the University of Minnesota.
Professor of Spanish Chela Andreu-Sprigg will travel to Spain to research Corin Tellado, the most well-known female Spanish writer of the twentieth century, with a grant from the Program for Cultural Cooperation between Spain's Ministry of Culture and American universities. Finally, Associate Professor of English Timothy Billings received a grant from the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation to publish a translation and critical analysis of "Steles," which is a collection of French and Chinese poetry by Victor Segalen.
College Named Climate Champion
Middlebury College was recently award a 2005 Climate Champion Award for the College's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming. The award was issued by Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP), a Portsmouth, N.H., non-profit organization dedicated to fighting global warming and greenhouse gas emissions.
Middlebury's Carbon Reduction Working Group, "Path to Carbon Neutrality" and "Building the New Climate Movement," J-Term courses and a spring course in "Environmental Economics" were all cited as evidence of the institutional commitment to reducing heat-trapping gases and solving the climate change problem that we would like all colleges and universities to emulate," according to CA-CP Executive Director Adam Markham. "They have worked to reduce greenhouse gases and educate people in every aspect of their mission, from the trustees to faculty and staff, to students and alumni."
Accepting the award on behalf of the College were Middlebury College Trustee Linda Whitton, Assistant Professor of Economics Jon Isham, Jacob Whitcomb '06, Andrew Rossmeissl '05, John Hanley '05, Lindsey Corbin '05 and Michael DiRaimondo '05.
Additional awards were given to Governors John Maldacci of Maine and George Pataki of New York, the Bank of America, the Timberland Company and the City of Stamford, Conn.
College Wins Mass Spectrometer with a Liquid Chromatograph
Students majoring in the physical sciences will have access to new equipment and research funding this year, thanks to grants several Middlebury professors received from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NSF awarded a Major Research Instrumentation grant for the purchase of an LC/MS System and will support research of four faculty members and 10 students in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry each year.
In addition, the NIH announced that Middlebury will be one of the baccalaureate partners of the University of Vermont on a five-year research project entitled Vermont IDeA Networks of Biomedical Excellence. Among the faculty receiving one-year research grants from the program is Assistant Professor of Biology Jeremy Ward, who will study the identification and characterization of the Mammalian Meiotic Mutation mei4.
In the Chemistry and Biochemistry department, Associate Professor Roger Sandwick received a grand to study the Maillard Reaction between Ribose 5-Phosphate and Cellular Amines, in order to determine whether the natural system is capable of producing chemical poisons or cancer initiators. Professor Robert Cluss will study Lyme disease, specifically whether the two proteins produced by the Lyme disease spirochete are able to damage target cells.
Finally in that department, Professor Sunhee Choi will advance anticancer drug research through her work on Mechanism and Kinetics of Oxidation of Guanosine Derivatives by Pt(IV) Complexes, in order to understand how platinum anticancer drugs interact with DNA.
Written by KATE DOORLEY
(09/15/05 12:00am)
Author: Polly Johnson Americans have watched over the years as gas prices have exponentially increased and recently watched in shock as the price of a gallon of fuel rose to over $3.00 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. As economic, environmental and political issues will inevitably continue to cause prices to rise, people must begin to look at fuel alternatives as ways to not only cut costs but also to protect our environment. This summer a group of proactive Middlebury students proved that global fuel efficiency can be achieved. Kicking off their tour in Tennessee, the involved students, including Jeremy Osborn '06, May Boeve '06.5, Jamie Henn '07, Thomas Hand '06 and Austen Levihn-Coon '07.5, punctuated their journey by stopping in various towns along the way to stir up excitement for the prospect of cleaner cars and a safer, more livable environment. In their daily blog, found on their Web site www.roadtodetroit.org, Osborn described the purpose of their mission: "American auto manufacturers have both an economic and moral opportunity to create clean cars. We know Toyota and Honda are kicking the Big Three's butts all over the American auto manufacturing landscape. But we also know that if Ford, GM and Chrysler shift their focus onto cleaner cars, they will regain the competitive edge, they will revitalize the Motor City with more jobs and cleaner air, they will take up the historic legacy of automotive innovation that made Detroit the Motor City in the first place." The blog recounts the daily trials and tribulations the group faced as they rallied support along the way. Their mission, as stated on the first page of the blog, is described as "seven young organizers [who] have taken to the road for a cross country tour to highlight the need to revitalize the U.S. auto industry with a more socially and environmentally responsible vision." Along the journey, the team of students met with socially and environmentally responsible awareness groups and individuals who were eager to support their cause and offer guidance and help. According to Henn and Boeve, "At each stop, the students explained to people that they are taking action against global warming not just because of some scientific statistics, but because of moral and spiritual reasons - they are acting with their hearts as well as their heads." They collected 15,000 signatures from people from all over the country. Once in Detroit, hundreds of people converged for two days of meetings to demand cleaner and more efficient vehicles from the auto manufacturers. In a rewarding culmination, the students, along with the United Auto Workers, presented the signatures at the oldest Ford factory.Although the tour has come to an end, the fight for fuel efficiency has not. Now that the students are back on campus, they know that there is much more to be done. The students, part of the Sunday Night Group, are continuing work on climate change and environmental justice on campus. Energy Action, a coalition of more than 20 organizations working together to build an energy movement in North America, has agreed to fund the group during their work here at Middlebury.The group will continue to draw inspiration from the successful summer experience of Road to Detroit. According to Boeve, "There were many times when we didn't have a concrete plan, and at those times, we always returned to the same refrain - 'the vision is what's important.' People are excited about a youth clean energy vision - it's empowering in itself. Having a roving bus tour based on a vision was something unique and powerful."The group also has the support of the College faculty. Scholar in Residence in Environmental Studies Bill McKibben has lent his full support to the group. "It's about time the next generation of motorists begin to press Detroit to change the cars they'll be driving for decades to come," he said. "Our automakers have been shameful sluggards - for 15 years we've known about global warming, and all they've done is pump out more SUVs. Thank heaven someone is finally taking them on."
(07/01/05 12:00am)
Author: Editorial Board Save our Social LivesYou hear a lot about drinking at Middlebury College. In fact, amid all the talk about getting wasted, hammered and trashed you may not have notice that Middlebury students are now drinking on campus far more often than they have in the recent past. No, they aren't drinking more - they are just staying closer to College Street to do it. By allowing of-age students to consume alcohol in designated lounges, effectively permitting small unregistered gatherings in senior suites and keeping upperclassmen on campus in luxe housing, College administrators have recently demonstrated a keen understanding of what it takes to allow Middlebury students to drink as safely as possible. In the college environment, this "they'll do it anyway, so we might as well make it safer" philosophy is smart and is working remarkably well. Distressingly, State Liquor Investigator Michael G. Davidson's declared intention of forcing the College to modify current procedures for campus party hosting and party registration in accordance with a strict interpretation of Vermont's state alcohol laws guarantees nothing but setbacks for the currently improved alcohol climate on Middlebury's campus. With the number of seniors living off-campus set to rise next year, Davidson's tenure could not begin at a worst time for the College. When regulations crack down on on-campus social life, it won't be long before hundreds of students defect to off-campus parties in search of a freer social climate. Instances of drunk driving are virtually assured to increase. And while upperclassmen - mostly seniors - may find themselves living in spaces large enough to permit them to host illicit unregistered parties and maintain some social balance, it is first-years who are being set up to suffer the most. If registered parties at the social houses and lounges are scaled back, there will not be a whole lot for first-years to do around campus. Nothing like drinking cheap vodka in a cramped Allen Hall double to make for a disastrous, life-threatening situation.The current "social life" climate of the College is being put in serious jeopardy by Davidson's proposed restrictions. It is essential that the College's social outlets be protected. While there is no clear or easy solution, it may be time to recognize that state law isn't set in stone and do something to change it. Midd-kids will always work and play hard - we might as well play safely.
(05/05/05 12:00am)
Author: CAROLINE S. STAUFFER Monterey decision deadline extended On the evening of Wednesday, April 27, President Ronald D. Liebowitz announced his plan to slightly defer a final decision on the potential acquisition of the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in an all-campus e-mail.After the February meeting of the Board of Trustees, Liebowitz said he would make a recommendation on MIIS in time for the Trustees to vote at the May Board meeting.In his e-mail, Liebowitz explained, "In the period since the February Board meeting and our on-campus meetings, the College's comprehensive due diligence process has generated an enormous amount of valuable information about the benefits and risks of acquiring MIIS." Furthermore, according to Liebowitz, much of that information has arrived in the past two weeks, with more critical information yet to come.Therefore, should Liebowitz forward a positive recommendation, the Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting no later than June 30 to make the final decision. "The additional time will allow us to integrate all the new information we have received, to consider the yet-to-be-received information we expect in the next few weeks, and to enable the Board to engage the issue fully," Liebowitz said in the e-mail.Conversations about the acquisition of the Monterey Institute began last fall and shortly thereafter the Monterey Steering Committee was formed to visit the site and further investigate the Institute.On March 15, the Program Coordination Group investigating MIIS gave a presentation and answered the questions of students, faculty and staff in Warner Hemicycle.At the April 1 faculty meeting, the faculty council voted 80-21 in opposition of the potential acquisition.On April 16, the Student Government Association passed a recommendation expressing concern over the potential acquisition. "The SGA recommends to President Liebowitz and the Trustees that they reject any proposal that requires Middlebury to spend money that otherwise would be spent on College resources," the bill read. Mead Chapel hosts Yom HaShoah service On Wednesday evening, "Remembering the Holocaust: A Yom HaShoah Commemoration" was held in Mead Chapel. The program included a talk by Thomas Weisshaus entitled, "Surviving the Holocaust in Budapest: The Importance of Family, Wallenberg and the Lone Ranger." Associate Chaplain Rabbi Ira Schiffer, Rachel Schiffer '06 and Nina Robinson '05 were involved in the event's organization. Yam HaShoah was established to remember the Holocaust and the six million Jews who perished. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising in 1941. The Charles P. Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life, Middlebury College Hillel, The Addison County Jewish Congregation: Havurah and Middlebury Area Clergy co-sponsored the event. Faculty recognized for academic excellence Frederick C. Dirks Professor of Political Science Michael Kraus and Director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs and Professor of Political Science Allison Stanger have accepted an invitation to offer a course entitled "A Central European Odyssey: History, Culture and Politics in Prague," in the Prague Summer Program, July 2-29, 2005.The Prague Summer Program is co-sponsored by Western Michigan University and the Charles University of Prague. It offers a wide variety of courses and programs, but specializes in courses for aspiring writers.Associate Professor of Biology Andi Lloyd has received a grant from the National Science Foundation that will enable herself and one undergraduate student to research how climate change may affect the distribution of tree species in the boreal forest in the Brooks Range, Alaska each summer. She will continue collaborating with colleagues at the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research site on a project titled Alaska's Changing Boreal Forest: Resilience and Vulnerability. The Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation has awarded Professor of French Bethany Ladimer a fellowship to support her 2005-2006 leave. Ladimer will spend a semester at the University of Poitiers in France working on a textbook and course development project that is titled, Teaching American Students How to Reason and Write in French.
(03/17/05 12:00am)
Author: Caitlin Prentice On April 1, college students from across Vermont will converge on the state house lawn in Montpelier to support House Bill 49, a climate change action plan for the state. Here's the catch - in order to show their support for cleaner transportation options, students will ride bicycles the 38 miles between Burlington and the capitol. The event, dubbed "Fossil Fools Day," will include a letter writing campaign on the state house lawn, and is being organized primarily by a group of Middlebury students. The group, known as the Middlebury Climate Campaign, is not an official student organization but started when students teamed up in Assistant Professor of Economics Jon Isham's Winter Term class, "Building the New Climate Movement." Today, the campaign includes over 70 students on its list-share and prides itself in its large and active membership. Kelly Blynn '07 said that the group tries to focus on positive solutions to climate change and not to dwell on negative messages. "We want to empower people to find solutions," she said. Emily Wheeler '07 is one of the students involved in planning the Fossil Fools bike event. She is particularly excited about the fact that students from many colleges will be involved, including the University of Vermont (UVM) and Green Mountain College.Students will depart from their respective colleges early on Friday, April 1 and meet in Burlington that morning where they will hop on bikes and make the journey to Montpelier. Upon arrival, students can write letters to Congressmen, listen to legislators' speeches and learn about Bill H 49. The bike ride and the lawn event will raise awareness about the legislation as well as transportation and climate change issues in general. "It's very exciting to see Middlebury kids taking action on issues they believe in," said Wheeler. In addition to the Fossil Fools Day event, the Middlebury Climate Campaign has a busy month ahead, including non-violent civil disobedience training April 3, traveling to meet with the Climate Crisis Coalition in New York City on April 8, participating in Earth Day activities in town April 24 and hosting an Interfaith Climate Change Celebration April 28. Blynn said that the Coalition tries to provide a variety of opportunities for different people to get involved in the movement. "We try not to make the environment a special interest because it's something that affects everyone," she said.Will Bates '06 is organizing the Interfaith Climate Change Celebration, which grew out of a contact the group made at the Climate Change Conference at UVM last month. Fred Small, a Unitarian Universalist minister from Massachusetts, will speak at the event in Middlebury about his experiences working with other religious leaders to promote change in regards to the global climate. "If you look back at other large movements, like the Civil Rights Movement, religion and belief were what motivated a lot of people," said Bates. "Climate change is going to effect people all over the world and faith is a motivating factor." The event will also include student speakers from different religious traditions and their perspectives on climate change. One long-term project that many students in the group are involved in is "The Road to Detroit." Next August, citizens from across the country will converge in Detroit, the symbolic car capitol of the world, to tell automakers that American consumers want fuel-efficient, American-made cars. As with the Fossil Fools event, as many participants as possible will travel to Detroit by bike, hybrid car, or other clean transportation options.
(03/10/05 12:00am)
Author: Josh Axelrod There can be no question, this past weekend's staging of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" was an impressive and delightful effort on the part of first-time director Brian Siegele '07 and his young cast.Throughout its three hour running time, the play follows the disintegration of two couples' lives as they deal with the onset of AIDS, their religious beliefs, love, homosexuality and the social climate near the millennium's end. The first couple, Joe Pitt (MacLeod Andrews '07.5) and Harper Pitt (Stephanie Strohm '08), do not relate to each other except through their Mormon beliefs. Contrasted with them is the life of the homosexual relationship between Prior Walter (Bill Army '08) and Louis Ironson (Rishabh Kashyap '08), men separated by religion and their abilities to love, but somehow more coherent as a single unit than the Pitts.Harper suffers from depression and delusions, from guilt and from the oppression of knowing that her husband isn't attracted to her. Joe, an overworked clerk, wants to leave New York for a better job and hopes to take his unraveling wife with him. But there is no intimacy between the two - Harper's offer to try giving her husband a blowjob appals him - and we eventually find out that Joe is gay. This tense situation, full of the nuances and technicalities of adult relationships, was performed with a great deal of subtlety by Andrews and Strohm. While Strohm's character walked in and out of delusions, meeting the mysterious travel agent Mr. Lies (Vinson Cunningham '06) or coming into contact with the flamboyant Prior Walter, she remained, nevertheless, understated and believable. Even as Andrews walked out on her and we were left to expect an outburst of heightened anger, the play turned deftly to her numbing dream of fleeing to Antarctica.Likewise, Army's performance as Prior Walter was one to remember. Flamboyant, loving and intense, he waltzed through the scenes with a kind of ease that no other actor was quite capable of conveying. Even on his deathbed, confronted with the coming of the Angel (Laura Harris '07), Prior Walter's swings from intense mania to calm suffering never felt overdone or overacted.And because subtlety seemed the key for the night, we should certainly applaud Kashyap's efforts as Louis Ironson, the play's central character, whose part is so subtle and large and complicated that it is impossible to imagine a perfect performance. And yet, as Army's guilt-ridden lover, he was, in the very least, convincing. Dealing with his own problems when facing death, his conflicted feelings on love and the complexities faced by Andrews in his relationship with Strohm, Kashyap was called upon to bear witness to nearly all of the play's unravelings until, in the end, he finds his new beginning with Andrews.On the fringes of all of these relationships is what might be called the play's older foundation. Roy Cohn (Alec Strum '08), is a lawyer dying of AIDS who has been a mentor for Andrews and has finally come to his end, begging Andrews to take a job in Washington to save him from being disbarred. Like the other relationships in the play, the complexity of the situation cannot be lost. Strum has become the father Andrews never had, but he's Jewish, a closet homosexual and dishonest. The intense respect and love between the two men is tragic and poignant, and Strum's performance is another that should be noted for its heart-wrenching exploration of a man paying for a life full of bold and bad decisions.Taking on more roles than anyone else in the play, we cannot forget Meg Young '07 who was brilliant as the Rabbi, Hannah Pitt, Henry and Ethel Rosenburg. Not only was she responsible for playing two male parts, but she existed on two opposite sides of the religious spectrum with her portrayals of the good Mormon Hannah Pitt and the cynical Rabbi who opens the play with the depressing outlook that as the older generation dies, all the connections between America and the old world are being lost and forgotten.Though the ZOO space limited the play's grandiose aims at times - the 40 scene changes were sometimes mind-boggling and distracting - Siegle's ambitious production made for one of the better Zoo shows performed this year, combining elements of tragedy and comedy so flawlessly that it often evoked the true problems of our American lives.
(03/03/05 12:00am)
Author: Caroline Vial After the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to France in February, which was followed by President George W. Bush's self-described working dinner with French President Jacques Chirac on Feb. 21 and the liberation of the last French prisoners detained in Guantanamo Bay, Paris and Washington appear to have reached a more positive climate in a relationship with a seemingly ceaseless "piquant." Yet, The Courrier International, a reputable European newspaper, claims that from the perspective of Poland - a European and Atlanticist country - the recently appeased diplomatic status between France and the United States remains but a show."Condi" - as the chief of French diplomacy Michel Barnier amicably refers to the U.S. Secretary of State - chose Paris to hold the conference on America's new world politics. In her exposition, Rice, unlike Bush, spoke of the European Union (E.U.) as an indispensable partner to the United States in its establishment of a new world order. She also spoke of her historic affiliation with France, yet "did not discuss any concrete points," revealed the Courrier International. On Feb. 21, Bush and Chirac discussed the shared priorities between the two nations - from securing Afghanistan and Haiti to responding to December's devastating tsunami in Asia and fighting terrorism. "Despite the public display of bonhomie, tensions remain," wrote British journalist Adam Entous. According to Entous, the two nations find many issues over which to disagree "from how to deal with Iran's nuclear programme to whether the E.U. should serve as a counter-balance to U.S. dominance." The diplomatic effort to ease the ongoing discordance between French and American views on the war in Iraq seemed apparent - in response to whether relations were now good enough for Bush to invite Chirac to his ranch in Crawford, Texas - an honor which Bush bestows on his closest allies- - Bush said, "I'm looking for a good cowboy." From the Polish perspective, Franco-American relations have improved in that France no longer criticizes the American and Polish presence in Iraq. France is not ready, however, to send their own soldiers. "France is still not in agreement with a uni-polar vision of the world," claimed Polish journalist Grzegorz Dobiecki."There are several signs of calming down," observed the International Herald Tribune, which stated that last year, certain members of the House of Representatives accepted an offer to join senators as part of a group dedicated to bettering the communication between Paris and Washington.One undeniable subject of agreement between France and America seems directly related to food. One enthusiastic Francophile revealed to the International Herald Tribune, "As soon as it has to do with food, Americans always adore France. We feasted on truffles, pâtés and champagne during the holidays. And the foie gras [a delicacy of fattened duck liver] defied the elevated state of the Euro and the obstacles to importation." Washington, D.C. opened the festival "Paris on the Potomac" in February, celebrating France's influence on the creation of the nation's capital. The festival included "gastronomy, art and music and a presentation of Pierre L'Enfant, the architect who designed D.C.'s city plans," reported The Independent. The British publication denounces the rapid change in sentiments as a surprising yet positive turn of events. "In the summer of 2003, the French embassy felt so attacked that the embassador Jean-David Levitte wrote a letter to complain about the campaign of misinformation which came from certain elements of the White House. Today, the embassy sponsors French jazz and cabaret shows all over the city and at the French Film Festival," The Independent noted.As the Orlando Sentinel affirmed, "French fries are back - at least as long as the 'diplomatic honeymoon' continues."
(02/10/05 12:00am)
Author: Katie Flagg Students, professors and leaders in the environmental movement gathered at Middlebury College at the end of January to discuss strategies for renewing public interest in the global warming crisis. With recent February temperatures hitting an unusual near-record high of 50 degrees, climate change seems an appropriate topic of conversation on campus. But during the Jan. 25-27 conference, at least, students bundled up in heavy coats to brave sub-zero temperatures as they hurried to lectures and presentations. The conference, titled "What Works? New Strategies for a Melting Planet," strove to identify methods for renewing public concern regarding climate change. The conference, which gained national attention, was designed and organized by Jonathan Isham, assistant professor of Economics at the College, along with help from the 25 students in Isham's Winter Term "Building the Climate Movement" class.The class and conference have been in the works for about a year, according to Isham, though the inspiration for the class came from a previous Winter Term course Isham conducted. Two years ago he worked with a group of students to look at the College campus's carbon footprint. This year, Isham decided to turn his focus away from the College community and instead work with larger social movements.Students in Isham's seminar spent the first few weeks of January reading books and articles on climate change and social movements. Students then engaged in six service-learning projects, projects that ranged from building statewide climate campaigns and drumming up political support for federal action to critiquing climate tactics and publicizing the urgency of the climate crisis. Students were also responsible for helping with various logistics of the conference."I just want to emphasis that this was an incredible collective achievement," said Isham. "The students worked amazingly hard. They were up night and day - they deserve a lot of kudos."The conference swung into gear on the evening of Jan. 25 when environmental economist Eban Goodstein of Lewis and Clark College presented a keynote speech on the disastrous effects of global warming.Several notable leaders in the environmental field were in attendance for the conference. Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger, authors of last fall's highly controversial paper "The Death of Environmentalism," spoke about rethinking the politics of climate."The highlight of the conference was Nordhaus and Shellenberger's talk," said John Hanley '05, one of Isham's students. "They showed statistics on the changing values of Americans over the last 12 years. Essentially their talk was about how the environmental movement is not working and it needs to change its tactics."Also in attendance was John Passacantando, the executive director of Greenpeace USA. "Public attention has moved away from the environment," said Passacantando to assembled students and activists. "It's time to develop new strategies and new skills. We need to reawaken our sense of wonder about the planet ... to become the warriors we need to become."While speeches and presentations constituted some part of the January conference, the strongest component of the event, according to student participants and others in attendance, were the small-group sessions designed for discussion and On Wednesday, students working on a service project to publicize the urgency of climate change announced a new award designed to expose prominent figures for denouncing global warming. The Flat Earth Award, designed by Hanley and sophomores Makely Lyon and Minna Brown, will be awarded in April on Earth Day following an online vote that will determine the winner. This year's nominees are novelist Michael Crichton, talk show host Rush Limbaugh and Fred Singer, president and founder of the Science and Environmental Policy Project.The conference ended on Jan. 27 with an address from Bill McKibben, scholar-in-residence in environmental studies, who acknowledged to participants "we may well lose this fight." McKibben went on to say, "It's not your fault if we don't solve this problem, and that realization can be very useful because it frees you to try anything and everything."As Isham was quick to point out, the conference occurred only through support from the College and the College community. "Everyone in this community helped to pull this thing off. I got to know everybody on this campus. I had so many people comment to me about the level of excellence at this place.""It was a bit of a risk for Middlebury to do this," he continued. "It was at some level a conference at activism, and a lot of people told me they wouldn't have been able to do this at their schools." The conference flourished because of the "confidence with which the entire institution approached it," according to Isham. For Isham, the highlight of the conference came after parting words had been issued. "Right as the conference ended I met with the students for a half hour," he said, "and we talked together about the process we'd all been through and that was extremely meaningful for me. I'll probably remember that the most."Another high point for Isham occurred during student presentations. "I had many many people tell me how impressed they were with our Middlebury students and the quality of their analysis," he said. "When they presented their work - that was certainly a highlight."The unique structure and purpose of the class further added to the positive experience that both Isham and his students came away with. "There was a sort of liberated feeling in this class since we had a common goal," Isham said. "We really wanted to contribute to a social movement." Isham was especially proud that his students came away from the class with a "vision of a positive future," despite the fact that discussions on climate change often spark gloomy moods.Participants largely agree that the conference was a success. "The event hoped to establish a network of people working on climate change and also hoped to think of new ways to advance the climate change movement so we can achieve the reduction in emissions necessary to prevent dramatic climate change," said Hanley. "I think the conference was successful in broadening people's ideas on how to advance the movement." "It was amazing to have environmental leaders like Bill McKibben and John Passacantando there at the conference, looking to work with us college students," said Lyon. "Their being there gave us tools, knowledge and resources to work with. Global warming is a huge problem and there is not one clear solution, thus the conference and the class could have been a real downer, but I think people came out of them with a sense of hope, a few strategies to test out and feeling excited and empowered to make a difference."The conference made national headlines and was featured in a front-page story in the Feb. 6 New York Times. The events were also covered in several online magazines and Web logs. Isham, along with students and conference participants, recorded reflections on the conference at the "Blogging the Climate Movement" Web log while McKibben sent dispatches from the conference to the Grist Magazine, an online publication focused on environmental news and commentary. "For me the most impressive thing was the way that Middlebury students took over the whole process - they brainstormed, moved things along, kept the whole process going forward," said McKibben. "I was impressed by the to my mind unique way that a class turned into a conference and students turned into colleagues. I've never seen anything like that."
(01/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Colin Kikuchi Thoughtful dialogue is necessary for students to become critical thinkers - only through defending our ideas can we determine our real views. The majority of Middlebury students identify themselves as Democrats, and this fact raises an important question - does political affiliation in the student body hinder dialogue on important national and foreign issues? A Dec. 4 article in the Economist criticized American universities for harboring faculty whose biases prevent meaningful discussion on many issues. "Students hear only one side of the story on everything from abortion (good) to the rise of the West (bad)." The author goes on to argue that despite all the emphasis that institutions such as Middlebury place on diversity in race and sexual orientation, we have neglected diversity of political opinion. In doing so, academia is dominated by one worldview which too often coincides with the party line of the Democrats.I recently talked with Roman Graf, the Dean for Institutional Diversity, about this problem. He raised several important points. First, professors evaluate students not on the findings of their work, but rather on how we argue our points. Second, the hiring trend of our academic departments is towards diversity because it is a waste of money to hire two professors with identical views. Lastly, he mentioned the results of the Senior Exit Survey from 2001 and 2002. When students were asked to rank ability to express their political views, find mentors and become involved in the college communities, there was no significant difference between the responses of liberal and conservative students.All of these points indicate that at Middlebury, we are doing something right. If academia in the United States is generally of one political view, Middlebury may be an exception to the rule. However, Roman and I both agreed that in the current political climate, conservatives may be more excluded at Middlebury than in the past. The problem is that the policies of the Bush administration are not really conservative. For example, federal spending has significantly risen since 2001 administration and the scope of government has increased. We would be mistaken to associate conservative thought with the Republican Party and liberal thought with the Democratic Party. Any factual information about issues like globalization and social security are obscured when these issues become politicized.The only way to really engage our minds is through dialogue. Because diversity of political views encourages dialogue, we need to encourage this diversity. Conservative thinker David Horowitz has proposed an "academic bill of rights" to guarantee that professors will present politically balanced views. Such a policy, however, would hinder discussion even further because college curriculums would be decided by political agendas. In Middlebury's academic environment, we have the opportunity to study with many different professors, and the so-called "balanced curriculum" would diminish the richness of opinion that we experience.Instead, I think that the best way to advance discussion at Middlebury is from the bottom up beginning with us, the students. We need to recognize and then question the limitations of our two-party system. As Roman told me, the viewpoints of any individual seldom fit within the Republican and Democrat configuration. Political opinion is unique from race, ethnicity or sexual identity because it can be changed. If we are more critical of political affiliation, we can improve dialogue on campus.
(01/27/05 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] To the Editor:Hiding under the meaningless "not-for-profit" label, 12 home health agencies have carved the state into separate service territories and agree not to compete with one another. Together, they endlessly lobby the Vermont Legislature and state regulators to make sure persons with Medicare and Medicaid - taxpayer funded insurances - have no other home health agency to call upon when they are ill. State regulators ask no meaningful questions and the agencies actively campaign against legislators who promote consumer choice and competition - which all other states embrace as a means of ensuring quality and lowering charges.Here's the hard truth on Vermont's home health agencies' claim of having the "lowest cost" in the nation. It means the monopoly's INTERNAL costs of providing home care are the lowest in the nation. It has nothing to do with the agencies bill or the reimbursement they receive. In fact, Vermont's home health monopoly has the highest profit margin on Medicare today, and is also paid the highest Medicaid home care reimbursement in the nation. As for private insurance, because Vermont allows a monopoly to control this $100 million annual market, private insurance is forced to pay about 25 percent more than it does in states where there is home health competition.The bigger question is this: Who are the people in the Vermont state government who put a monopoly's interests above those of homebound seniors and taxpayers all these years? Perhaps the Department of Justice will get us some well-deserved answers and give us all a choice at last.Sincerely,Megan PriceShelburne, VTTo the Editor:Having taken Jon Isham's inspiring J-term class, Social Movements and Climate Change, I wanted to add to the article in the last issue of The Middlebury Campus about the "tropical weather" this winter. Perhaps you've heard or felt the buzz going around about Jon's class and the 25 new and energized activists it has created. Why are we so charged about this issue? Because while the government and media still question whether climate change is in fact occurring, the scientific community and a vast network of dedicated activists, socially responsible businesses students, and religious leaders are waving their arms frantically, hoping to attract the attention of the United States before it's too late. Despite the apparent controversy in politics and the media over climate change, the science isn't in question. And the most significant findings are telling us we don't have much time. According to the science, stabilizing our climate will require a 70 percent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2020. In Vermont, climate change means shortened winters, a significant decrease in snowfall and the eventual disappearance of maple syrup production. Globally it means rising sea levels, disturbed and increasingly violent weather patterns and massive famines. Not just flip-flops in winter.In beginning to understand the urgency and scale of the climate crisis, students on campus have mobilized to bring several organizations together around this issue. As the group is not a formal organization, but a group of concerned students, it encourages any student, faculty, or administrator to attend. The group meets Sundays from 9 to 11 p.m. in Chateau Grand Salon. Kelly Blynn '07
(01/13/05 12:00am)
Author: Tristan Hayes January at Middlebury is an image of skis and hot chocolate combined with frantic students running from building to building in an attempt to avoid the cold. However, this January there is a significant difference that cannot only be seen but can also be felt. Let us paint you a picture - breakfast at Ross is still filled with students eager to hit the slopes, yet half the Snow Bowl remains closed. The ground outside is white minus the random patches of mud and grass angering some and pleasing others. Is it really time to pull out the flip-flops or should we keep those boots and down jackets handy? Take for example, January 10, 2004. The mean temperature was a more than chilly -10° F with highs at -2°F and lows at -18°F, this all without wind chill. Yet, January 10, 2005 paints quite a different picture. The mean temperature was a balmy 32° F with highs at 37°F and lows at 26°F. You would think the warm weather would make the usual weather complaints disappear. Students have found something new to complain about: the lack of snow. Sam Timberg '07 thinks that this January's warm weather is "a devastating and drastic change" from last year's negative temperatures. "The warm weather scares me a little bit," he says, "now I fall more on ice as opposed to snow." Not only does this "drastic" change in weather affect the normal Midd student walking to class, but for the Middlebury Ski Team, snow is a necessity which has been greatly missed so far this season. Nordic ski team member Matthew Perry Johnson '08 expressed concern about his ability to train for upcoming events. "It's really hard to train and I feel like it puts me at a disadvantage during competition." First-years and Febs, both groups experiencing J-term for the first time are shocked by the extraordinary conditions. Matthew Amoss '07.5 is shocked that the horror stories being told have not come true, "I thought it was going to be -40°F with wind-chill and I am exalted by this weather." Drew Walker '08, also experiencing his first J-term, expressed disappointment, "I was expecting to be able to jump out of my room into a 10 foot pile of snow." Sorry Drew, better luck next year. We suggest putting away those down jackets and pulling out those flip flops...just kidding we do realize that it is still below freezing and we do not want to be responsible for your frostbite and pneumonia. Aside from the lack of snow, students are concerned that their prepaid season passes may go to waste. While only five of the fourteen trails at the Middlebury Snow Bowl are open right now the price of a season pass remains the same as if all fourteen were open: $125. Yet, the snow bowl remains open and busy. Students continue to capitalize on what's available. Though the cries of unmet expectations can still be heard throughout campus, the skis are still out and the busses remain crowded. So, $125 gone to waste? We think not. Runs at the Snow Bowl are and will remain open; there is still snow on the ground. There is really nothing to lose except your hat. Embrace the warmth; because like all things, once it's gone you will miss it. So what's the big picture? Is global warming engulfing us, or is this just a single fluke occurrence in the weather pattern? Middlebury Professor John Isham has organized a conference on this exact topic. From January 25th-27th, leaders of environmental grassroots organizations as well as scientific experts will convene in Middlebury to discuss the current trends in global climate change. Isham has started the "What Works?" project in an attempt to help build a new movement based on the need to protect our current climate. The project refers to the need to inhibit the climate crisis, which can also be referred to as Global Warming, a phenomenon which links the increase in temperatures to an increase in greenhouse gases. Peter deMenocal, an associate professor of earth and environmental sciences at Columbia University, stated in his article about the climate crisis, "The Scientific community is now very confident that much of the warming over the past century is attributable to human activities. Global temperatures have changed for many natural reasons, of course, but when scientists try to account for the full record of global temperature changes over the past several hundred years, it is impossible to obtain a close match to the observed temperature curve without including the effects of very recent increases in greenhouse gas concentrations." For all you Goldilocks fans we would like to leave you with a quote from Chris Straub '07 "Last year was too cold, this year is too hot, I want something that is just right!"
(11/20/03 12:00am)
Author: Claire M. L. Bourne Middlebury College's Ally Group has existed for 11 years. But when Commons Residential Advisor (CRA) Freeman White '03 tells people he does leadership work for the organization, most respond with blank stares. Tonight, more than a decade after its informal inception, the Ally Group will take a notable step toward heightened visibility - and official student organization status - by ratifying a constitution."The time is right for the Ally Group to evolve," says Matt Longman '91, dean of Wonnacott Commons. The group was established in 1992 by a handful of faculty and staff members to provide support and advocacy for the College's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning (GLBTQ) community. Since then, it has expanded to include student allies.Longman was instrumental in getting the ally program off the ground and is now working to ensure its survival. "The ebb and flow [of interest in the group] is not satisfactory," he says. "The group should be alive and well year after year." With 45 first-years expressing interest in the allies at the activities fair in September and 40 people attending the group's first "official" meeting during Coming Out Week, momentum is building.The allies' mission, says Longman, is "to ensure that Middlebury is not a cold, silent climate" for members of the GLBTQ community. Despite recent strides toward greater visibility for gay and bisexual Middlebury students, the College on the Hill is still not immune to homophobia. "It is still a climate where it's typical when moqa hangs posters for the majority of them to be torn down," Longman says. "It's really not a good sign."The Ally Group is out to change that by broadening the base of students aware of GLBTQ issues. With student organization status will come a budget from the College's Finance Committee - something the group has done without until now - to sponsor lectures, parties, films and other events on campus. Such events, says White, "will get discussion rolling."The move to transform the Ally Group from a grassroots initiative into a formally recognized organization comes on the heels of several landmark achievements for the GLBTQ community at Middlebury this year. The Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (moqa) has seen a spike in attendance - a solid 20 people at each weekly meeting compared to less than 10 last year - and the symbolic closet constructed by moqa on McCullough Lawn in observance of Coming Out Week this October was not vandalized for the first time since 1997. In addition, the College currently boasts about a dozen "out" faculty members, a far cry from 1992, the year Middlebury hired its first openly gay applicant to a teaching position. During that same year, then-CRA Longman accompanied faculty and staff members to a conference at the University of Vermont that focused "on assessing your campus' climate towards the gay, lesbian and bisexual community," he explains. With no funding and "a nice spectrum" of interested faculty and staff, the Ally Group quietly debuted.Over the past decade, allies have provided "safe spaces" - traditionally demarcated by a pink triangle postcard - for community members to talk about sexuality. The group also contributed to the push for domestic partner benefits, advocated for a broader range of "voices" in the annual "Voices of the Class" presentation during first-year orientation and sponsored a number of well-attended panel discussions about homosexuality and sexuality in general.White says the group has already brainstormed innovative ways to raise awareness of GLBTQ issues on campus. Among the suggestions is an adopt-a-poster program to help prevent GLBTQ-focused fliers from being torn down. "We want to identify genuine, meaningful steps," says Longman, to promote the group's guiding principles of "Support, Education, Advocacy.""As soon as you add an active group of the majority to advocate for the minority, people listen, and the movement gains momentum," White explains. Straight allies, he says, help the cause by "widening the net of people who start thinking about the subject" to those who would not encounter GLBTQ issues on a regular basis. Nevertheless, White is adamant that the Ally Group does not want a "straight identity." Jillian Weiser '06, co-president of moqa, argues, "You don't have to be straight to be an ally." Being an ally, she continues, can serve as "a step towards coming out," at least in her experience. (She served as an ally in high school.) "You get involved, take a stand, meet people and become aware that there is space and support," she explains.There is even debate among current members of the Ally Group about whether allies should declare their sexuality at all. "I sometimes argue against disclosing," affirms Kevin Moss, professor of Russian. "Basically I always find it suspect when people have to come out as straight in the first sentence of a conversation. What, aside from homophobia, would make someone want to do that?"Xan Williams '03.5, who along with Trilby Reeve '05 is helping White and Longman coordinate the allies' drive toward student organization status, defines an ally as "anyone who supports GLBTQ rights." The Ally Group's objective, Williams says, is inclusion. "Our goal is to get as many people involved as possible, which means that everyone is welcome," she explains. "If a person needs to identify himself or herself as straight (or otherwise) to feel comfortable putting themselves out as an ally, then that is fine."The group will complement moqa, Reeve explains. "The groundwork has been laid by moqa, GLEAM [Gay and Lesbian Employees at Middlebury] and the allies," White says. "When we all work together, I know the environment will start changing."When the allies gather this evening to discuss and endorse their proposed constitution, they will also begin planning for "J-term and beyond," Longman says. In five years, White predicts the Ally Group will be "a name on campus.""People can say WRMC now, and everyone knows what they're talking about. I say I'm doing work for the Ally Group, and people ask, 'What's that?'" White says. "In five years, you'll say that, and people will know."The Ally Group will meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Ross 3 to discuss its constitution.
(11/13/03 12:00am)
Author: Claire M. L. Bourne "I have never felt more open than when I'm here," says Paul Doyle '07 of Middlebury College as he hugs one knee in a booth at The Grille. Doyle, one of a handful of openly gay first-years, speaks about his sexuality with gentle confidence, not worrying to lower his voice when people pass by or install themselves at the table behind him.When _____ ______ '07 sits down with his tray in the middle of Ross Dining Hall, I ask if he would feel more comfortable conducting our interview in the seminar room down the hall. "Oh no, I'm open," he responds before diving into his plate of spaghetti.It hasn't always been this way for members of the College's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning (GLBTQ) student community. After a decade characterized by a complex series of triumphs and setbacks, the College on the Hill appears to be experiencing a queer renaissance of sorts.The Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (moqa) currently boasts more than 20 active members, up from about eight last year. Last month, Coming Out Week events attracted impressive crowds. The College's Ally Group - a network of students, faculty and staff committed to supporting GLBTQ members of the community - is in the process of drafting a constitution to gain official student organization status. And last, but perhaps most notably, a symbolic closet constructed by moqa in October on McCullough Lawn was left standing, without suffering vandalism, for the duration of Coming Out Week - something that hasn't happened in more than six years. These developments add up to significant progress for a community still tending to wounds sustained when a closet similar to the one built this year was destroyed last fall. Until that incident, Middlebury had been making noteworthy strides in fostering a social climate hospitable to diversity.Rewind to 1998, when Middlebury was in the midst of one of its most acute internal social crises in its 200-year history.The Breaking PointIn the fall of that year, a conservative guide to the nation's top 100 colleges praised Middlebury as "a rarity in higher education today in that multiculturalist talk seems to be waning rather than gathering strength." Either the editors of "Choosing the Right College" were unaware of events that rocked the campus community five months earlier, or they chose to ignore them. By the time the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's 672-page volume hit bookstores, Middlebury had weathered a firestorm of internal criticism over its perceived failure to address the concerns of non-majority groups and, as a result, had launched a full-scale audit of campus diversity.Two separate incidents provoked student outcry - the destruction of a closet built in October 1997 by moqa members and the publication of a racist and, some say, homophobic ad in the April Fools edition of The Campus the following spring. The ad depicted three black men with a caption that said the College was admitting "drug users, gang members, rapists, arsonists" to "increase the excitement in this sleepy Vermont town" and to counter the image of the typical Middlebury student, labeled as a "pansy." Many students, moqa members in particular, argued the administration's response to the spoof advertisement was inadequate. While President John McCardell said The Campus had made a mistake in judgment, the then-newly formed Student Coalition for a Safer Community demanded a statement recognizing that racism, sexism and homophobia were problems on campus. Local newspapers reported that McCardell only conceded after "much prodding" by the 150 students gathered on McCullough Lawn.In addition to wanting formal acknowledgement that Middlebury was not, in fact, immune to racism, sexism and homophobia, moqa and other student groups called for an office of minority affairs, more faculty from underrepresented groups, "a gender studies/queer house" and an assessment of the College's race studies and gender studies programs. Around the time of the protest, then-Professor of Economics Richard Cornwall, an openly gay member of faculty who had taught at Middlebury for 21 years, tendered his letter of resignation, area newspapers reported. The climate surrounding gay issues at Middlebury was hostile, he said."It was a breaking point, a crisis," says Kevin Moss, professor of Russian. McCardell soon commissioned the College's Human Relations Committee to "assess, systematically and comprehensively, the current campus climate on diversity."The Committee submitted its findings to Old Chapel in March 1999. McCardell endorsed the report, and just over a year later, Associate Professor of German Roman Graf became Middlebury's first associate provost for institutional diversity. The new administrative department was given a broad mandate to oversee the College's diversity affairs - from the classroom to the admissions office to the social arena and beyond. From Point A to Point B?To say that the events of 1998 paved the way for continuous progress towards accepting and understanding the GLBTQ community at Middlebury would be untrue. The last six years have been peppered with obstacles and small victories alike. In September 1999, the moqa bulletin board in McCullough was vandalized. At the time, Moss called the incident "a minor act of terrorism." Moss, himself, is no stranger to such discrimination, having had a number of posters defaced or torn from his office door during his 20 years at the College. He returned to his office one day about four years ago to find the phrase "All fags should die" written on a flyer he had posted on his door in memory of Matthew Shepard. The closet once again became a symbolic battleground last fall when it was vandalized and demolished after surviving a week in the College's main quad. "At least, this time around, the closet was allowed to stand for most of the week," then-moqa Co-convenor Chris Atwood '03 told The Middlebury Campus. "Maybe Middlebury has experienced tepid progress."After establishing the Office of Institutional Diversity in 2000, the College followed up by hiring its first full-time women's and gender studies (WAGS) professor the next year. And in another step toward greater recognition of the GLBTQ community, Middlebury added gender identity and expression to its non-discrimination clause this July - 13 years after it became one of the first colleges in the nation to officially prohibit discrimination based on "sexual orientation."Demands for a "queer" house on campus have gone unanswered, although Chellis House, first established in 1993 as a "safe space" for women, currently serves a similar purpose for moqa.This year's increasingly visible GLBTQ community harkens back to the early 90s when the College's tendency towards increased dialogue about sexuality was palpable, if not always inclusive. The Opinions pages of The Campus were bursting with debate over homosexuality. A submission published in April 1991 that called homosexuality "unnatural" and "evil" was one of several to condemn members of the GLBTQ community. Moss, in his own article to the college paper, wrote, "I am both concerned and encouraged by recent discussions in The Campus." Such a response is not uncommon - as long as the issues are on the table, progress is a possibility, many say.The SilenceThere is no denying the existence of homophobic discourse at Middlebury. A number of openly gay students interviewed for this series - who never knew the Middlebury of 1998 - testified that they or someone they knew had been called a "faggot" or had received threatening voicemail and whiteboard messages from other students. ______, who chose Middlebury for its sprawling bucolic campus - "This is heaven," he remembers thinking - and its reputation for lan
guages, says, "There is only so much you can expect. Middlebury is not a horribly repressive place," he says. "It may not be as liberal as Greenwich Village, but it is certainly better than most places."More than vandalism, threatening comments or engrained homophobia, the silence surrounding sex and sexuality on campus is considered by many to be the GLBTQ community's greatest challenge. When Karl Whittington '04 came out to some friends at Middlebury three years ago, few people were talking about sexuality. Now, although there is "still way to much silence," the increasingly visible GLBTQ community is fast becoming a social and a support network for both those who are "out" and those still questioning their sexuality, he says. The climate at Middlebury is "accepting," says Elise Harris '06, who self-identifies as a lesbian. "Even though Middlebury describes itself as a liberal, open-minded place, people here are accepting when they first hear [about my sexuality] and then they never talk about it again.""To accept difference, you have to discuss difference," says Colin Penley '05.5, one of moqa's four co-presidents and also a junior counselor in Stewart Hall. Penley, who does not know "many people on campus who are as out" as he is, has noticed a changing climate on campus - Middlebury is more open, he says. "This year, there are a lot more people who are out in general."While many openly gay and bisexual students will take a stand when a friend or acquaintance uses homophobic language, some are still uncomfortable about "outing" themselves in a classroom setting.Which is not to say that Middlebury has failed to diversify its curriculum to include classes - not just limited to the WAGS department - that address queer theory and other topics relevant to the GLBTQ community. All four of Whittington's classes this semester - two in art history, one in religion and one in French - have touched on sexuality and queer identity. "These issues are on people's radar screens," he says.Moqa has done its part this semester to bring GLBTQ issues to the table, and it will continue to organize events throughout the year to promote visibility, education and acceptance. "It is my job to break the silence. But it's not just my job. And it's not just because I'm gay," says Jason Siegel '06, an active moqa member.Is this year a turning point in Middlebury's relationship with its GLBTQ community? By most accounts, it promises to be. With the College's Ally Group mobilizing to become an official student organization with a budget to hold lectures, symposia and social events, the increase in "out" students on campus and notable attendance at moqa- and Ally-sponsored events, the 2003-04 academic year could mark a permanent changing of the tides. "We're on the right track," Moss says.
(11/06/03 12:00am)
Author: Daniel Phillips Statistics can be misleading. Such is the case with recent sex offense statistics released by the Middlebury College Department of Public Safety on Oct. 20. Crime as a whole - robbery, burglary, aggravated assault and arson - has gone down on campus, but before the College breathes a collective sigh of relief, it should be aware that reported forcible sex offenses have more than tripled, rising from two reports in 2001 to seven in 2002, with one case already reported in the first half of 2003. A rise in reported sex offense statistics can be considered a good thing on any college campus, however paradoxical that may seem. It is widely understood that sex offenses, both forcible and non-forcible, occur regardless of whether or not they are in fact reported. According Middlebury Police Department Chief Tom Hanley, sexual assault, which includes, but is not limited to, rape, is the most underreported crime due to the stigma that is involved. Public Safety announced the first of the College's biannual publications of this year's reported security data, assembled by the Dean of Student Affairs Office and the Middlebury Police Department. The security report was released in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.The Police Department provides Public Safety with statistical information regarding crimes on public and private property adjacent or contiguous to campus, as defined by federal law. Hanley noted that hospitals are required by law to store the data of all tests taken from victims in an index within the Police Department's inventory. Victims of sexual assault are often particularly sensitive to the hospital investigation and court proceedings that could ensue after reporting such a crime, so most choose to remain unheard and unnoticed. "A big part of the reason sexual assaults have been underreported on this campus, and college campuses across the country," said Elizabeth Brookbank '04, president of Feminist Action at Middlebury (FAM), "is because there is a lack of awareness which makes survivors feel isolated." Brookbank continued, "People have the idea that this type of assault does not happen here. When it does, it is more likely that the survivor of the assault will blame themselves and less likely that they will report the incident."Brookbank explained how a woman's abililty to report a sexual assault comes from the knowledge that she is not alone, and that there is an aware, supportive community around her that will take the incident seriously. "The feeling and knowledge that Middlebury is a supportive community for survivors has been growing over the last couple years due to efforts by groups and individuals to increase awareness," said Brookbank in reference to a resurgence of community discussion about sexual assault that started two years ago. At the end of spring term 2002, a "study group" pioneered by Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson met to review the College's standing sexual assault policy. The group brought together representatives from the student body, the Department of Public Safety, the Office of Health and Wellness Education, Parton Health Center and the commons offices to address numerous concerns posted and published community-wide. One poster even accused the College of "silencing" survivors' voices. Assistant Director of Counseling and Human Relations Virginia Logan recalled that the Sexual Assault Policy Working Group (SAPWG) emerged because a comfortable climate for reporting offenses had not existed despite increasing community discussions about related issues. SAPWG met regularly last fall to address different aspects of the problem at hand. One group changed Handbook language, one dealt with the judicial situation and another addressed anonymous reporting. This fall, Hanson brought the discussion to the table at Community Council, which passed several recommendations last week. The issue of anonymous reporting still remains unresolved."I believe that the continued discussions in the community about the underreporting and the work of the Sexual Assault Policy Work Group helped to encourage people to make reports," commented Lisa Boudah, director of Public Safety and associate dean of Student Affairs. For as long as Brookbank has been a member of FAM, sexual assault has constantly been on the group's agenda, whether it was through posters, speakers, Take Back the Night events or other initiatives. "Raising awareness about sexual assault has always been a top priority for FAM, and it will remain one," Brookbank stated. According to Dr. Mark Peluso, medical director and team physician at Parton Health Center, two nurse practitioners and one nurse are currently participating in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training which will enable the Health Center to assess and treat sexual assault victims. In the past, students had to be referred to the Porter Hospital Emergency Room for assessment. "With this training and some equipment, we will be able to offer qualified assessments in both locations, giving victims more choice," said Peluso. "Our job at the Health Center is to provide compassionate care while respecting our patients' confidentiality. While we offer assistance and support with reporting, in the end it is the patient's choice that matters," said Peluso.The numbers do not lie. Members of the Middlebury community are reporting sex offenses. It is still unclear whether there has been an actual rise in sexual assaults on campus. Hanley claimed it would impossible to know for sure unless a scientific confidential survey was administered. "We have a refrigerator full of Jane Doe cases," he commented, citing anonymous victims who fail to follow through with investigations despite a recent push for education on assault. Logan had similar sentiments, conjecturing that the whole process, stimulated by an increased concern and a change in policy, has made many more people aware of these issues by working together for proactive change. "If people report more, there may be more the College can change to make a difference," she said.
(10/30/03 12:00am)
Author: Kelsey Rinehart We all want to change the world, but how many of us succeed? Last Friday, Co-founder and President of the Middlebury-based organization ECOlogists Linked for Organizing Grassroots Initiatives and Action (ECOLOGIA) Randy Kritausky showed that his organization is doing just that - making the world better and even cleaner. In his presentation, "Balancing The Scales Of Development: Combining Practical and Ethical," Kritausky discussed the organization's push for global climate control. He stressed that through international grassroots organization - town-by-town and person-by-person - ECOLOGIA hopes to raise awareness about the importance of global climate control. When grassroots environmental activists in Pennsylvania founded ECOLOGIA in 1989 (in the midst of the Cold War), their original intent was to establish a system of support for local environmental initiatives across the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Their goals since then have changed a little and so has their location. In 2000, ECOLOGIA moved to Middlebury. On its Web site, ECOLOGIA cites the Green Mountain State as the perfect home base for its organization, due to "Vermont's long tradition of community participation, environmental awareness and respect for individual differences."Kritausky explained that the title of his lecture refers to finding equilibrium between pragmatism and ethics. Throughout the discussion, he addressed this balance as a central concern of ECOLOGIA and its fellow Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). He emphasized the importance of remaining "true to the environmental movement" and its strong ethical spirit, while at the same time recognizing economic concerns and working with, not against, industry. Kritausky said that when he and his organization come to the table with policy-makers, heads of industry or economic groups, both sides may have to compromise, but "we have to know when we've hit the bottom line."Throughout his talk, Kritausky continually emphasized ECOLOGIA's goal of striking this balance. Noting the overspecialization of many NGOs, Kritausky described these as "too pure to enter into the real world." He mentioned, on the other hand, that some other organizations grow so large and become so willing to compromise that they start to resemble the industries they criticize. ECOLOGIA endeavors to avoid both extremes. The organization states that its program aims to "bring international perspectives and resources to local sustainable development projects, and bring locally based 'on the ground' experience back to the world of international decision making" to create a true local-global connection.In the spirit of its slogan, "Building Global Connections to create Civil Society and support Local Environmental Initiatives," ECOLOGIA established in 1996 the Virtual Foundation, which "screens and posts [local community improvement] projects on its Web site, enabling donors to choose directly among them." Today, the Foundation's Web site contains information on roughly 150 projects and has local partners in 25 countries.In particular, ECOLOGIA has spent years working in communities in China and bringing its experiences and findings to the Chinese government. Kritausky mentioned that China, which is on "an unprecedented development path," is vying for development space - natural resources - with the United States, "the largest resource consumer and producers of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on earth." When Kritausky attended a "Green Earth Volunteers" meeting in Beijing, an elderly woman in the front row asked him, "Are Americans going to change their patterns of consumption so that we in China can increase our standard of living and level of consumption?" This question is precisely what Kritausky and ECOLOGIA have attempted to address. Kritausky asserted that the United States has been "overly optimistic" in our development, believing "we can carry on our ways without endangering economic growth and the health of the planet's ecosystem."ECOLOGIA's recent work aims to find a "verifiable measuring mechanism" for GHG emissions. Kritausky mentioned the organization's desire to find an international standard for GHG emissions and the need for "a third-party verifier" - an "independent inspection regime that will go out into the field and find the truth."Randy's daughter, Laurel Kritausky, attended Middlebury College and majored in international studies. Now a project director for ECOLOGIA, she remarked that the organization is "working to empower people to make decisions about their future."The organization has recruited several other students over the years, and established its most recent connection with the College through a class taught by Assistant Professor of Economics Jon Isham. Students in Isham's class conducted investigative research, as Kritausky said, "about the people that ECOLOGIA has to sit down with to negotiate." The research informed ECOLOGIA of the industries' backgrounds and goals before negotiation and compromise began.ECOLOGIA's next vision is a Vermont-China community partnership, in which students would be paired up to monitor the collective carbon footprint of their towns. Returning to his original metaphor, Kritausky said that the American community and its sister community in China would seek to establish a balance, posing the question, "How can we grow together so that we don't crowd each other out?"Returning to the need for grassroots action, Kritausky concluded, "The only place that [change] really happens is from the bottom up - hundreds and thousands of little changes" that together make a difference. Wise words from someone who founded an organization that is working on making big changes the world over.
(10/10/03 12:00am)
Author: Ben Salkowe As stated on the Web site of the Middlebury Student Employment Office (SEO), "All students are eligible for all on-campus jobs, regardless of their financial status." But in recent years, some say it has become increasingly difficult to secure an on-campus job. The vision of sitting at a desk in a quiet room,and being paid to get your work done is not quite reality anymore. Are campus jobs disappearing in the face of a weak economy?Commenting on this year's competition for the prized jobs in Library Information Services (LIS), Associate Dean of LIS Dave Donahue said, "We have noticed increasing numbers of applicants for positions in each of the past few years." "I think every department on campus is trying to use its budget dollars as effectively as possible given the current economic conditions," he continued. He noted, however, that LIS was committed to "eliminating inefficiencies" before cutting back on student employees.The competition for fall jobs was set to begin when the SEO posted campus job opportunities on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. "We wait to post them until Sunday evening so that all students coming back to campus have an equal opportunity to apply for jobs," said Student Employment Coordinator Charlene Bergland. The list, however, was not available until later Monday because of technical difficulties.Although job seekers were disadvantaged at the start, Bergland is convinced that "there were the usual number of jobs available this fall." She added, "I think that the financial climate across the country has changed and more students are interested in working on campus - or being pressured by their parents to get a job."It is perhaps this pressure that drove Ben Rowe '06 to pursue a job lifeguarding at the Natatorium. "It was a little overwhelming last year figuring out how to get a job and such," he said.Aquatics Director and Head Swimming Coach Peter Solomon admitted that there are "more guards that want to work than what we are able to assign." The McCullough Mail Center, another student employer, has also seen increased competition for job opportunities. The College recently decided to cut out their afternoon delivery schedule, meaning all deliveries across campus must be made in the morning rather than split between the morning and afternoon. Since the mailroom has relatively few operational costs, Mail Center Supervisor David LaRose said, "The only thing to cut back on is labor." After reviewing the Mail Center's operations, the decision to cut out afternoon deliveries became the only option. "Yes, the kids are carrying heavier loads than before," he said, admitting that the same employees are now working more in fewer hours. "Sometimes our full-time staff has to finish deliveries in the afternoon," he added.So now that the competition has snatched up prime jobs, what is left for those who were just too slow? A quick look at the SEO Web site reveals leftovers are anything but dull. College departments are currently looking for everything from hairstylists to pot washers and "ball-retrievers" for the soccer team. Feeling really adventurous? There's always a future in nude modeling for art classes.
