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(05/01/02 12:00am)
Author: Meghan Michelson The logging industry has long been the target of environmentalists who advocate protecting natural forests from abuse. Environmental concerns have prompted accusations toward loggers as contributing to the destruction of ecosystems simply in exchange for financial gain.In recent years, however, the logging industry across the United States, including in Vermont, has taken steps to guarantee a more environmentally conscious approach to cutting down trees. With increased awareness, educational programs and governmental policies, the majority of loggers have now become more in tune with the concerns of environmentalists. One such logger who calls himself an environmentalist is Charles Lee of New Haven, Vt., owner of Charles Lee Forest Services. Lee represents Vermont's new logging mentality, which includes education, awareness and overall precaution in dealing with tree removal. He took the time to explain the new motives and practices of the Vermont logging industry, which makes up a significant portion of the state's economy and exported products. Campus: How did you first become involved in the logging industry? Where did you learn your skills?Lee: I grew up on a farm in Fairfield, Vt., and always worked with trees. I sold my dairy farm in 1986 and just started working in the logging business. I never had any forestry training. Everything I've learned, I've learned on my own. Everything is common sense, like knowing what trees to cut and how not to overcut. It's like weeding a garden. It's that simple. Campus: How do you respond to environmentalists who accuse you of doing harm to local forests?Lee: First of all, we're not destroying anything. I think the environmental community is very committed to saving the environment and I respect them for that. I myself am an environmentalist. Through my business, however, I have seen that environmentalists are often given poor information about what goes on in the logging industry. A lot of environmentalists think that cutting trees is ruining the environment. But what they don't realize is that all the forests in Vermont are second and third growth forests. Trees grow back in Vermont because of the climate and the good soil. A lot of people have been taught from the beginning that logging is bad. But, loggers spend all day, everyday in the woods and we respect the environment more than almost anyone. Campus: But aren't there some loggers who aren't as respectful and aware of the environment as you are? Lee: We live in a corporate world and it's all about whoever can get the most money the fastest. That is when you get overcutting. There are people out there who just want to make a quick buck, and there always will be. There are still some bad eggs, but overall the logging industry has improved dramatically over the last 10 years. We have a new system of cutting, loggers go to programs and workshops to learn how to do it right. There are still bad guys though, but there aren't that many.Campus: Have there been other significant changes in the logging industry? Lee: Ten years ago, there was a lot of heavy cutting. People didn't have any education and they used to cut anything they could sell. Now there is a lot of logger education. The federal government has responded with what are called Acceptable Management Practices, which require loggers, for example, to maintain water quality and control erosion. The logging community of 10 years ago used to drive right through brooks, but now we have to have suitable water crossings, like building a bridge, so we don't get sediment in the brook. The Northeast Kingdom used to be completely leveled out for thousands of acres. They used to just mow hillsides down. There was always concern for clear cutting and disruption of wildlife habitat, but there was, until recently, no way to control it. Campus: How would you describe the role and reputation of the logging industry in Vermont today? Lee: Overall, the logging industry has done very well. People who do a bad job carry that reputation, and landowners only hire those who respect the woods. There are severe consequences now if you violate the Acceptable Management Practices. You can get fined and it gives you a bad name. Loggers have a negative reputation in the environmentalist community, but it's a respected job in the community at large. We encompass a large portion of the workforce. Forests are a big part of the state's economy and people recognize that.
(04/24/02 12:00am)
Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee Beginning with the Class of 2002, Middlebury College seniors will be given the option to sign the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility. The pledge reads: "I, [name], pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work."Signers of the pledge, along with supportive faculty and staff members, will wear green ribbons at Commencement according to Michael Silberman '02.5, who plans to enlist the College in the Graduation Pledge Alliance (GPA), a nationwide effort of 65 educational institutions coordinated by the Peace Studies Institute of Manchester College in Indiana. As of last spring, the University of Vermont was the only GPA participant in the state. The membership, however, ranges from Harvard University and Dartmouth College to the Lancaster Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Humboldt State University of Louisiana, where the pledge was crafted in 1987.The pledge will accompany graduates in the form of wallet-sized cards, Silberman explained, though it is intended to serve as more than a souvenir. Silberman said he wants to "link" classroom discussions of "changing the world" to graduates' careers."We all can find ways to 'do well' and 'do good,'" Director of Service Learning and Student Employment Tiffany Sargent commented. Her two year old office has been helping to launch next fall's program called "Careers for the Common Good," a result of collaboration with Executive Director of Career Services Jaye Roseborough and Associate Director of Career Development and Counselling Krista Siringo. Sargent stressed that career searches need not be a choice between "serving and making no money" and "'selling out' in order to make money." "You don't have to work in a non-profit sector hugging trees or lobbying to be socially and environmentally responsible," Silberman continued. He cited countless possibilities in the private sector for students to make money, even in profitable business, while also reducing negative human impact on the environment or reducing social inequality. Silberman referred to "borderline people" as one target group of the pledge. The border, he suggested, "is not as much between social and environmental responsibility and irresponsibility, but social and environmental responsibility and complacency." While many students will "naturally embody the ideals of the pledge without needing to sign one," Silberman noted the "failure to recognize ways that one Middlebury graduate, equipped with the tools to act responsibly, can make change."Complacency in this generation of college students may stem from crises that are "not always imminent or visible," Silberman remarked. "We do not directly witness immediate changes in the earth's climate as we drive our cars or use power unnecessarily. Environmental crises like global warming, for instance, do not appear to directly impede our immediate personal goals." "We are not being asked by leaders to personally change our ways," Silberman added. "Even the president has defended the consumptive 'American' way."Several College staff members are familiar with the pledge, said Silberman, but they have been waiting for a student to enact the initiative on campus. In the past few weeks of his solicitation for "ideological sponsors," Silberman has received endorsements from various branches in the College administration such as Service Learning and Student Employment, CSO, Wonnacott Commons, Dining Services, Athletics Department, the Chaplain's Office and Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson. "The pledge is made by students, so it only seems logical that students should bring it forth," said Roseborough. "This kind of commitment should not be a top-down thing."Wonnacott Commons Dean Matt Longman graduated from Middlebury in 1989 as an environmental studies major. The pledge "is about reminding people about how to step beyond the world of Middlebury into the next chapter of their lives," he said. He called the pledge "a healthy reminder" that is especially valuable in today's world. "Given that Middlebury College has established environmentalism as one of our peaks of institutional excellence, it is that much more appropriate," he added.A large variety of student groups have offered support for the pledge, such as the Middlebury Initiative for Sustainable Development (MISD), February Outdoor Orientation (FOO!), the African singing-running group Mchakamchaka, the German Club, Omega Alpha (Tavern), Middlebury Pranksters, the Book Club and Weybridge House.Silberman said that the widespread support stemmed from the pledge being "a hard thing to oppose." He warned, however, "People should not sign it because it is easy to do. It is easy to sign, and it is easy to disregard. We want the right people who gave some thought to it, who will internalize it."Noting that Middlebury students are a part of "an educated elite," composing "a very small but important minority of both the world's wealthiest and largest country," Silberman commented that that the pledge was "a reminder that you are part of a larger movement."
(04/17/02 12:00am)
Author: Meghan Michelson "Did you know that the average Vermont driver puts 7.5 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the air each year?" read an alarming sign posted prominently at a booth at the Alliance for Climate Action's 10% Challenge in Burlington on Monday. The event was a public announcement and celebration of a new action program designed to encourage households and businesses in Burlington to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 percent. In addition to providing information on more energy efficient modes of transportation, the Alliance offered visitors specific and practical ways to reduce climate change on a local level. Held at the Waterfront train station, the event included speeches by Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine, Deputy Regional Administrator for the New England Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ira Leighton, Department of Energy spokesperson S.J. Seymour and staff speakers for senators James Jeffords and Patrick Leahy.Following the speeches was a brief, humorous satire by the Underground Railway Theater. The skit featured a dinosaur character who suggested ways to slow down global warming by warning against the use of sport utility vehicles, which he claimed contribute one third of all vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Visitors were then allowed to take a short train ride on the Chittenden County Transportation Authority's latest service, the Champlain Flyer, which provides clean and sustainable commuter service for residents of Chittenden County. Those in attendance were also treated to a scoop of Ben & Jerry's new ice cream flavor, "One Sweet Whirled," which is part of a joint campaign with the Dave Matthews Band and SaveOurEnvironment.org to curtail global warming. With climate change posing an ever-increasing threat to the global environment, the city of Burlington's 10% Challenge represented a crucial step toward reversing the effects of global warming. Scientific estimates claim that the earth's temperature has increased by one degree Fahrenheit over the last 100 years. According to the EPA atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has risen by 30 percent since the industrial revolution. These numbers have the potential to cause detrimental changes on a worldwide and local level. The EPA cites that even a one degree temperature increase could affect agriculture, weather and water resources and increase disease throughout the world. In Vermont, climate change could endanger the state's economy by diminishing the production of maple syrup and shortening the leaf peeping and ski seasons, as well as altering natural processes and environmental habitats. To combat these negative consequences, the City Council of Burlington devised a Climate Action Plan in May 2000 and formed the Alliance for Climate Action, made up of state officials and various other groups, including the University of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Health Care. Its mission was to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions over the next decade. "The Alliance is made up of a variety of groups and businesses that want to make a difference," explained Paul Bortz, president of the Board of Trustees for Sprit in Nature. In his speech, Leighton commended the city of Burlington for its environmental initiative. "Burlington was one of the first cities in the United States to support the EPA and I offer congratulations to the city for its involvement in these efforts," he stated.The Alliance for Climate Action presented the 10% Challenge on Monday as a voluntary program for local homeowners and businesses to sign up to follow specific guidelines for reducing personal greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 10 percent. Suggestions to accomplish this include reducing waste, turning off electrical appliances when not in use, using fluorescent light bulbs, turning down thermostats, driving fuel efficient vehicles and driving less. Middlebury College student Asher Burns-Burg '05.5 played an active role in the production and presentation of the 10% Challenge. As an employee of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, which is a member of the Alliance, Burns-Burg helped to construct the Alliance's program, goals and Web site since he became involved last September. "We went from just having a plan to create some sort of public outreach program to what happened here today and launching what I see as a pretty fantastic program," said Burns-Burg. Although the 10% Challenge specifically addressed Burlington residents, there is a plan to extend the action program elsewhere. "We're focused on Burlington, but we would love to expand this statewide. We have a lot of communities contacting us for assistance," said Mary Sullivan, a spokesperson for Burlington Electric Department, a group member of the Alliance.The College is one such place that hopes to create its own plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A Carbon Neutral Committee recently was formed with the goal of reaching zero net emissions in Middlebury by eliminating all extraneous carbon dioxide emissions and creating offset of any required emissions. College Sustainable Campus Coordinator Connie Bisson leads the committee. She cited Burlington's 10% Challenge as an example of what can be accomplished in Middlebury. "We can use the Burlington model in Middlebury, just on a smaller scale, because we certainly don't have the same number of residential homes," said Bisson.
(04/10/02 12:00am)
Author: Liz Lathey Not everyone in the United States wears Carhartts. Who knew? I sure didn't. I was on my MOO trip at the beginning of this year when one of my friends mentioned buying Carhartts since he now lived in Vermont. I didn't really see the connection — they are just pants, and ones that I had never associated primarily with Vermont. With careful observation, it seems that apparently Carhartts are a big Vermont trend, and I don't know how many times I have had to explain to people exactly what they are. Throughout this year, I have noticed the fashion on campus more and more, and I have come to the conclusion that the Carhartt label is definitely a style of clothing unique to Vermont.I think one of the first times I really thought about the disparities of clothing on campus was earlier this year when another fellow Vermonter came to visit. He noted that many of the out of state students look like they bought their complete outfits from the same mannequin at Abercrombie and Fitch. In contrast, most native Vermonters could be seen sporting such fashionable attire as cargo pants and sweatshirts. Not to say that all Vermonters do not care about fashion. It's just that it seems the great majority of them could not care less about the brands or styles of their clothes. I, for one, can be seen on just about any day of the week, day or night, wearing the same gray hooded sweatshirt. My reasoning is, if you have something that is comfortable, why would you wear anything else? If it's not broken, don't fix it. I think another reason Vermont has a laid back style is the climate. When the weather dips to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and below, Vermonters need to be prepared. Layering is another big Vermont trend because of the seasonal drop in temperature. Although it has been many years since we left elementary school, many of us still dress like fourth graders when leaving our dorms to venture to the dining hall or class. Bundled up in enough clothes to make us look like Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story," we waddle off to class with not a care about the fashionable nature, or lack thereof, of our outfits. Many layers of fleece, after all, are better than just one. Although those of us bundled in fleece may not look as good as the girls and guys donning peacoats, as least we are warm. And do not tell me you have not noticed the population of females I refer to as "the peacoat girls." It seems that during the winter many girls wear the exact same dark wool peacoat, either from J.Crew or Banana Republic. I, for one, have never owned a peacoat, and I did not even know what a peacoat was until I stepped foot on this campus. I do have to give credit to all the kids at Middlebury who try, and more often than not succeed, to dress well. They look nice in their new brand name clothing, but I don't know exactly why they bother wearing it. In close proximity to campus are a bunch of farms. I am pretty sure that those farmers do not care whether our clothes come from J.Crew or Kmart. They have probably been wearing the same denim overalls since 1978, and they aren't changing anytime soon. I remember being really surprised at the footwear sported by many kids here at Middlebury when I first arrived. Having worn the same two pairs of Birkenstocks since eighth grade — clogs for winter, sandals for summer — I expected most kids here to wear the same. However, I soon found out that Tevas and Reefs are much more popular among students at the College. I do not understand why everyone doesn't wear Birkenstocks, seeing as how they are the most comfortable shoes ever invented. One of my Vermont friend's Birkenstocks are actually dissolving. There are absolutely no backs on them, so his heels just hit the ground. He didn't want to get rid of them though, since they mean so much to him, so he put duct tape on the backs. This is no joke, and it just proves how close Vermonters are to their beloved Birkenstocks. A lot of kids I know actually wear their sandals all winter long with wool socks, yet another trendsetting move by Vermonters. Even if your choice of style may differ from mine, remember that it is okay to dress like a Vermonter sometimes. Go ahead and get out your flannel shirts, Carhartts and Birkenstocks and take part in Vermont fashion trends. You are going to school here, after all.
(04/03/02 12:00am)
Author: Ashley Elpern As applicants for Middlebury College's Class of 2006 hear this week whether they will have the choice of matriculating at Middlebury this fall, the admissions office is in the midst of studying the demographic shifts that occurred in this applicant pool. Overall, 120 less students applied to Middlebury in 2002, with 5,294 applications received compared to 5,414 in 2001 — a banner year which had marked the College's largest applicant pool in history. Dean of Enrollment Planning Michael Schoenfeld said that when the admissions office studied the breakdown of this year's applications, the loss of applicants appears largely due to a 13 percent decrease in international student applications from 929 in 2001 to 812 in 2002. Schoenfeld cited the events of Sept. 11 as the most logical reason for the decline. "We did have to cancel a trip [to attract international students to Middlebury] to Europe a week after Sept. 11," he said, "and overall there was slightly less travel [to recruit applicants] for the rest of the year." He said fewer recruiting trips combined with a tense international climate could have contributed to the loss of international applicants. "If you put yourself in the position of a parent abroad, you could see why they might be apprehensive about having their children travel," he explained.Director of Admissions John Hanson said that while the drop in international students is evident, "they are still a large group, and Middlebury has always had a large representation of them on campus." He noted that due to the great amount of international interest and the College's aim to have international students comprise 10 percent of every class, a great deal of qualified students will not gain admission despite the decrease in applications this year.Because the admissions office anticipates the final size of the Class of 2006 to rest at 570, Schoenfeld said, "It is easy to get 57 qualified international students [from the large pool of applications], as there are more qualified international and national students than can be accepted."Demographic shifts within the United States indicated an 8 percent increase in applications from the Midwest, marking the largest numerical gain from last year's 446 to this year's 482 applications. New England sent 29 more applicants, a 2 percent increase from 1,445 to 1,474. The Mid-Atlantic region of the United States has the largest decrease of 6 percent, 1,315 to 1,240, with other areas showing slight decreases — the West with 21 fewer applicants, the Southwest with 7 fewer applicants and the South with 18 fewer applicants.Hanson noted that these changes come from "nothing we can trust" since admissions officers employ many techniques to recruit students. "The easy part is coming up with the figures," he continued. "When we travel to secondary schools, we try to do many things. We aim to maintain the visibility we have in schools that already send us applicants, and we also try to expand the frontiers of the existing pools."Hanson added that the fluctuations often have less to do with recruitment by the admissions office and more to do with what is going on in each state and region. He cited the end of affirmative action in the admissions process of the University of California as one instance in which more qualified students of color applied to colleges outside the California school system after 1978.Schoenfeld said that overall he does not expect the student body to change, despite the slight decrease in applications. "We still can only accept one out of every four students that apply," he said. "It is nice that this year's class can be slightly larger, as the outgoing class is large. It allows us to have a greater diversity of students overall, as we can accept a few more students than in most years."
(03/20/02 12:00am)
Author: Liz Lathey Vermont used to have snow. I remember, as a child growing up in Vermont, it used to fall by the foot and cover the whole state. Those new to Vermont may not be aware of this, but it is true. For some reason this year, the snow has stopped coming, perhaps due to lack of interest. In any case, for school children in Vermont, snow is not as exciting as it is for kids in other states. This is because we never got snow days. Never. We had ice days, and the-diesel-in-the-school-bus-froze days, but never snow days. Snow in Vermont, apparently, was not serious enough to cancel school. If school administrators did cancel school, it was for something really bad, like 17 inches of ice covering every paved surface in the Northeast. On those days, we piled into whatever economy vehicles our parents had bestowed on us — which were probably not fit to drive in any condition — shoved our skis and snowboards inside and drove at unheard of speeds to Pico (where the locals go). Of course, we would have to drive up Route 4, right past our high school, which the superintendent had deemed dangerous driving distance, and up the mountain. At the time, I guess we didn't notice the irony in the journey. Once at Pico, anyone who did not have enough money for a lift ticket could still ski or ride to their heart's content, since the majority of the employees were our fellow students, and they were always willing to cut us a deal.But, those days are gone now. Gone are the days of snow in Vermont. We don't even have those grayish-brown patches of what used to be snow lining the sides of the road. Not even a few bits of ice to slip and fall on on the way to class. We Vermonters must be content to sit back in our beach chairs in the March heat and talk of the days of snow. Or we can just pretend nothing has changed.I'm certain that last Thanksgiving vacation, many people did just that. I was at the Killington Grand Hotel visiting a friend and glanced out the window to see how the conditions were looking. The trail I could see from the window was half snow. This is no joke: the right half of the trail had snow and the left side was all grass. There were approximately five billion people crowded onto this two-foot wide path, trying desperately to have a ski vacation before returning to their respective homes. I found it quite amusing that they paid $65 per day to ski for an hour or two until they hit grass. My friend who was visiting the mountain said that when he was skiing, someone was walking a dog along the grassy part of the trail and it started chasing after skiers. I guess the lack of snow made the skiing more challenging, anyway.But, those of us who know the state know that somewhere in Vermont there must be snow. Last year, on June 1, some friends and I decided to go hiking at Mount Abraham, a quick drive from Middlebury in Lincoln, Vt. When we got up to the top, and I am not exaggerating, there was at least one foot of snow. We started out in shorts and tank tops, but at the top we were sliding around on snow, and adding layers to stay warm. We stopped on the way back to Rutland to get hot chocolate, and the people there looked at us like we were nuts. We probably were.That is what we call Vermont weather. There doesn't really seem to be a climate here, just random conditions that pass through periodically.So, even though students may be tempted to break out short shorts and flip flops, it is best to keep extra layers on hand just in case a blizzard erupts while class is in session. It definitely could happen, and if it does, maybe if we all wish hard enough, we can get a snow day.Editor's Note: This column was writen before the onset of the most recent snowstorm, yet another example of Vermont's unpredictable weather. Please take the warnings seriously and always carry clothes for all possible temperatures, because the forecast predicts annual fluctuations in weather conditions. So, even though students may be tempted to break out short shorts and flip flops, it is best to keep extra layers on hand just in case a blizzard erupts while class is in session. It definitely could happen, and if it does, maybe if we all wish hard enough, we can get a snow day.Editor's Note: This column was written before the onset of the most recent snowstorm, yet another example of Vermont's unpredictable weather. Please take the warnings seriously and always carry clothes for all possible temperatures, because the forecast predicts additional fluctuations in weather conditions.
(03/06/02 12:00am)
Author: Ron Schildge Over the past decade Middlebury College has significantly increased its greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the looming threat of global climate change, according to an ongoing Emissions Inventory. The Emissions Inventory is a cooperative effort among Sustainable Campus Coordinator Connie Bisson, members of the Environmental Council's Carbon Neutral Subcommittee and Emissions Inventory Research Assistant Doug Dagan '02. "We have seen a significant rise in greenhouse gas emissions, specifically related to carbon dioxide," said Dagan. Changes in consumption patterns have to be made now, he asserted, if Middlebury is to maintain a 'green' campus.The Carbon Neutral Subcommittee of the Environmental Council is setting its sights on reducing emissions. It aims to increase investments in efficiency and conservation, reduce waste by shifting to renewable resources and promote carbon offsets such as tree planting and supporting local environmental efforts.Middlebury currently consumes over 37,000 gallons of gasoline and 7,000 gallons of diesel a year. Since fossil fuel consumption contributes even more to greenhouse gas emissions, switching to alternative fuels such as biodiesel and hybrid vehicles could prompt a decline in emissions. The Emissions Inventory has been assessing data on all College assets and emissions impacts since 1990. The assessment covers various energy sources such as electricity, oil, diesel, propane and gasoline. Other considerations include methane gas related to waste generation and transportation related to all College affairs. Transportation issues have made the greenhouse gas emissions assessment at Middlebury more complicated. The difficulty lies in calculating the College's level of responsibility for environmental impacts of travel for employees, students, speakers, temporary workers, deliveries, marketing and fundraising. The emissions calculations even extend to spring break trips and flights to and from study abroad programs.Middlebury draws electricity primarily from hydroelectric and nuclear power plants, neither of which produces significant emissions. However, Vermont Yankee, the College's major nuclear power provider, will close down in 2012. Possible future energy sources include coal-burning plants in the Midwest, which produce considerable emissions.In 1993 Middlebury ceased to use energy from coal-burning plants. The College currently uses a cogeneration heating system, which employs the step-down in boiler pressure to run through turbines to generate electricity.The Environmental Council plans to promote environmental awareness on National Hang Out Day, to be held on April 19. This event aims to encourage students to hang-dry, instead of using high-energy tumble dryers.Past environmental impact assessments include Pathways to a Green Campus (1995) and The State of the Environment Report (1998). Neither document looked at the relationship between fuel consumption to gas emissions. They focused primarily paper consumption, waste generation and ways to promote awareness and activism. Public meetings of Carbon Neutral are held on Wednesdays, 12:15 p.m. in FIC Cook 1. The Environmental Council meets bi-weekly starting March 12 at 4:30 p.m. in Le Chateau. Contact Connie Bisson at 443-5043 for more information.
(02/20/02 12:00am)
Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee On Feb. 16, the Middlebury College Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Library and Technology Center (LATC) and Atwater Commons projects. This authorization is the final step before beginning construction of the LATC in mid-April. Meanwhile, the Atwater Commons construction awaits final state permitting. Both projects are expected to finish in the fall of 2004.The uninterrupted planning for the LATC and Atwater Commons projects should not face any difficulties, according to Vice President of College Advancement Sally Holland. "Annual giving has held steady despite economic uncertainties and Sept. 11," explained Holland. "In fact, there is an increase, though a small one, from last year. We are $300,000 ahead this year to date."The Trustees were reassured of no "undue risk" with "careful financial management," said Director of Public Affairs Phil Benoit. He attributed the confidence to a financial analysis conducted by College Treasurer Robert Huth, Acting Provost Alison Byerly, President John McCardell and Holland.Of the total cost of $43 million for the LATC, Middlebury College has secured $18 million from gifts. The Atwater project costs $32 million total, and Trustee approval allows for more aggressive fundraising, adding to the $1 million committed to the campaign so far. Holland noted that, while there have been several unofficial financial commitments, the reported figures include only gifts received and pledges made in writing."We feel that there's a lot of momentum for Middlebury to be a top school," said Trustee Nancy Furlong '75. "A lot of schools are chasing us, but we're going strong with alumni behind us."Acting President Ronald Liebowitz called the LATC "a number one need." This new library is designed to solve many of the problems that Starr Library currently faces, namely the lack of climate control and limited space for Middlebury's growing print collections as well as increasing student enrollment. The LATC will offer climate-controlled storage spaces as well as expanded seating of 730 seats. Additionally, the LATC promises to live up to its name with multimedia stations and electronic classrooms.The Atwater project reflects another ambitious goal — the long-term strengthening of the commons system. The dining hall and two dormitories, along the northside of Le Chateau, will form three faces of a quadrangle around a central green. This geography will test Middlebury's efforts to establish close-knit commons within the College community. Answering the familiar questions of commons division and commons unity, Benoit said he believed that the completed Atwater project, along with the almost finished Ross Commons buildings, would prove that the commons philosophy improves residential life."Change is always difficult," said Benoit. "That is why we need to have these buildings to be physically set up. People will realize that this is even better. But until we do that, it's natural for students to want to resist."The four- and five-story-high residence halls will house 155 beds combined, and the dining hall will seat 225 people. Benoit noted the proximity of these new structures to the Atwater Faculty Head's residence, which will allow for enhanced academic communication in a residential setting.When Furlong and Liebowitz presented the trustee resolution to the Student Government Association on Feb. 17, Sophomore Class Senator Erin Sullivan '04 questioned the decentralization of Middlebury's dining facilities. Liebowitz replied that there would be enough "cross pollination" among the students that they will not feel divided. Benoit confirmed that the dining halls would be open to all students, regardless of commons affiliation.Aside from the philosophical debate of the commons system, there still exists the dramatic physical impact of the two projects. The LATC, designed by Gwathmey Siegel and Associates of New York City and the Atwater buildings, designed by Kieran Timberlake Associates of Philadelphia, both reflect a modern architectural style. The visual contrast will be particularly apparent, as the LATC will sit by 19th century structures like Old Chapel and Painter Hall."I think it's fine and appropriate for the architecture to reflect its time," said Executive Vice President of Facilities Planning David Ginevan. "The palate of materials that the library will be made from, like marble, granite and limestone, are familiar. As the College moves into its third century, these should be buildings that look to the future, while respecting the past. Besides, in another 100 years, when people look at the new library, it will be considered old and there will be suggestions for something modern."The construction materials of these projects will not only emulate that of surrounding buildings, but the materials will be selected with strong environmental building principles. Ginevan explained that the LATC and Atwater projects would carry on Middlebury's environmental peak of excellence, as did the deconstruction of the Old Science Center. The wood will come from sustainably harvested Vermont forests, trucking will be minimized and the College will buy as much building material from local sources as possible. Ginevan said that these purchases, within 200- to 300-mile radius of Middlebury, would help the local economy. At the same time, Benoit expressed hope that the College would succeed in being financially "prudent," as "a vast construction consumer" such as Middlebury meets the declining construction economy.Above all, Benoit reflected similar optimism as was apparent in McCardell's campus-wide e-mail on Feb. 16 announcing the Board's approval of both construction projects."The careful choices we have made will enable us to attract the very strongest students, the ablest faculty and staff, the support of our alumni and friends," wrote McCardell. "And thus will secure for us a reputation for setting the standard in residential liberal arts collegiate education."
(02/13/02 12:00am)
Author: Cara Lovell The local environmental group Spirit in Nature presented Stewart Professor of English and Environmental Studies John Elder with their annual Eco-Spirit Award on Sunday, recognizing his strong sense of faith and longstanding commitment to environmental issues.Visiting Scholar Bill McKibben, an expert on climate change and author of "The End of Nature," received the award last year and presented it to Elder at the ceremony last Sunday in the Kirk Alumni Center. Elder has written almost a dozen books on the environment, including "Reading the Mountains of Home," "American Nature Writing," "Directive: The Poem of Eastern Wilderness" and his latest book, "Frog Run." He also serves on the board of Orion, a literary journal, and has played a crucial role in building the Bristol, Vt., Watershed Center and expanding Vermont's wilderness areas, especially with the assistance of organizations like Vermont Family Forests.McKibben delved into what makes Elder so "universally revered." He explained what he called the "quiet and abiding grace [Elder] carries," and praised Elder's approach to the questions of how people can live in harmony with the land.Elder's answer is to be humble towards both the earth and one's neighbors, but to find this humility he has had to learn to listen. As Elder himself described in a section of "Frog Run" called "Reading From the Psalms," it was his faith that gave him this ability. He grew up in the Baptist tradition and found that there was not as great a disparity between Christianity and environmentalism as is commonly thought. Rather, his faith nurtured his environmentalism.Later in his life Elder focused more on listening — to God, to himself and to the community — through the Quaker and then the Zen Buddhist faiths. Elder lightheartedly told the group at the awards ceremony, "My spiritual path is such that I need a flashlight … I can see the path looking over my shoulder but only a thicket ahead." McKibben concluded, "John Elder has ears and John Elder has heard. This is why all of us are so delighted to be in his company, today and every day." Rev. Paul Bortz, president and co-founder of Spirit in Nature and a local Unitarian Universalist minister, then opened the meeting to discussion.Attendees asked Elder about his views on sustainability in Vermont, as well as state politics. They said they recognized the role of young students and were reassured by the group's realization that this new generation seems interested in applying their environmental values to their everyday lives.Spirit in Nature is a nonprofit organization that defines itself as "a place of interconnecting paths where people of diverse spiritual traditions may walk, worship, meet, meditate and promote education toward better stewardship of this sacred earth." The trails are located on 70 acres of woodlands, including 9,000 feet of riverfront, are rented from the College and located near the Breadloaf campus. Inspired by the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, Spirit in Nature has built 10 interconnecting paths, each of which is less than two miles long and features quotations from a particular faith such as Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu, Quaker (Friends), Pagan, Unitarian Universalist, Muslim and Ba'hai. The paths, which Bortz emphasized are for slowing down and thus are not trails in the conventional sense, converge in a "sacred circle" — a 60-foot-wide ring of white pines. Elder, who helped to form the group, described Spirit in Nature's success by saying, "Townspeople and students have discussions and meals and facilitated conversations on that idealistic level: ethical and spiritual discussions in the context of nature." Spirit in Nature provides lectures, workshops and courses about the environment which welcome College students. Four of its nine trustees are actually Middlebury students: Connie Hansen '03.5, Dane Springmeyer '02, Kaitlin Gregg '03 and Lila Buckley '04. Currently, the group's "Soup and Bread" lecture series brings the community together to hear a guest speakers, who explain how their faith affects their environmental commitment.On Feb. 17, a Pagan minister will speak at the Kirk Alumni Center at 5 p.m. and all attendees are encouraged to bring a bowl, spoon and mug. Most recently, the organization supported the Yellow Bike program on campus, and now they are planning an Earth Day environmental fair on the green for April 21, which will hopefully include Senator Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) as the keynote speaker.
(12/05/01 12:00am)
Author: Rachel Cotton '03 We're the people who ticketed everyone's Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) last year. We also fixed up a bunch of bikes, hoping that they would be taken for rides, loved and left in appropriate locations after use. With the introduction of "the yellow fleet," our plan was to memorialize the status of bicycles on campus. As an organization, our main focus lies in reprioritizing transportation standards within the local community. What you may not know about Environmental Quality (EQ) is that serious issues do indeed lurk behind our seemingly "sensationalistic" agenda. In a Nov. 24 opinions piece for The New York Times, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pleas the case for an increase in American fuel economy standards. In doing so, he raises several key points relating fuel efficiency, oil conservation and national security. One of Kennedy's most compelling arguments is based on a one mile per gallon increase in auto fuel efficiency yielding more oil than is contained in two Arctic National Wildlife Refuges. In extending this logic, he notes that a 2.7 mile per gallon increase would eliminate the United States' need to import any oil from the Middle East .Kennedy's article offers an easy and practical solution to some of the most pressing issues on the national agenda. Why isn't Detroit moving rapidly to incorporate increases in fuel economy, then? It is because auto manufacturers neither see a demand from the American public nor a requirement from the American government to modify the overall efficiency of their products.Since the most frequently purchased American automobile — SUVs — are also the most notoriously fuel inefficient, data appears to indicate that most Americans do not value fuel economy over image. The lure of driving a rugged yet stylish recreational vehicle entices many. By repeatedly filling up America's most popular vehicles with gas without a complaint, the public is essentially granting permission to Detroit, Congress and the president to remain stagnant on the issue of fuel economy. The situation is exacerbated by the power and money of auto and oil lobbies who operate in their own self interest.In attending a meeting of The Middlebury Multifaith Climate Change Coalition last week, I was reminded of the importance of community organizing. The group discussed ideas for exclusive "fuel efficient vehicle only" parking spots in town and a "campaign to save winter in Vermont." The overall consensus of the meeting was that in order to protect the future of the planet what needs to change is the American notion of what makes "a good car."In developing campaigns such as the yellow bikes and the anti-SUV, EQ is trying to raise the consciousness of the Middlebury community. In fostering an environment of education, through modes of action and discourse, our goal is to suggest wise, informed decisions.Most of us will purchase an automobile at some point in our lives. In doing so, it is our responsibility to future generations, the earth and ourselves to choose the most efficient options. We should decrease demand for "gas guzzlers" by increasing our demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. In making wise decisions, we need to establish fuel-efficient, hybrid and hydrogen powered vehicles, along with bicycles, carpools and footsteps as the preferred methods of American transportation.
(12/05/01 12:00am)
Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee Reverend Paul Bortz did not believe that last Saturday's 50-degree weather was a fluke. Neither did the 20-some others at the third planning meeting of the Multifaith Global Warming Action Coalition. On Nov. 29, the group met at St. Stephen's Church and brainstormed a wide array of environmental campaigns. "We are the environmental action committee of the spiritual community of the Middlebury area," explained Professor of Political Science David Rosenberg, who attended the meeting. He shares the group philosophy that there is a "spiritual obligation to be stewards of the Earth.""We belong to the land; the land doesn't belong to us," Rosenberg cited an old Native American saying.Bortz, who also leads the Ripton-based Spirit in Nature program, spearheads the Multifaith Global Warming Action Coalition. Membership includes a long list of religious groups, such as Unitarian Universalists, Congregationalists, Jews, Quakers and Episcopalians. In addition, several environmentally concerned members of Middlebury College have involved themselves over the years. Along with Rosenberg are Sustainable Campus Coordinator Connie Bisson, global warming expert and Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics Richard Wolfson, as well as renowned environmentalist and author, Visiting Scholar Bill McKibben.In the past, the Coalition has collaborated with many campaigns led by Environmental Quality (EQ). Likewise, some EQ members are regular participants, even board members of the Coalition. Because of academic conflicts, however, only two Middlebury students attended the Nov. 29 meeting. Rachel Cotton '03 is on the EQ Executive Board. Emily Berg '05 is a member of the new student group called Middlebury Initiative for Sustainable Development (MISD).Local Plans to Save the World The Coalition resolved to initiate several campaigns to reduce local emission of greenhouse gases. Emphasis was on a positive campaign, promoting fuel-efficient cars and other environmentally conscious decisions. The majority at the meeting wanted to avoid the "offensive" nature of an anti-Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) campaign, for example."Personally, I was a little disappointed that the whole group did not want to be anti-SUV," said Bortz. The idea of placing mock tickets on SUVs surfaced during discussion. "One minister said it was offensive. I think it's offensive to destroy God's creation all around us. For me, the Earth and God's creation are two terms for the same thing."As voiced at the meeting, another reason for a positive campaign was that virtually everyone knew the car dealers in town.The Coalition, however, did agree overwhelmingly on the many dangers posed by global warming. McKibben cited evidence that by 2050, there could be no winter in Vermont. The New England Regional Assessment (NERA) projected a six to 10 degree increase in average annual temperature of the six New England states and upstate New York. Published in 2001, NERA is one of 16 regional climate analyses nationwide, conducted at the request of the Presidential Science Advisor in response to the Congressional Act of 1990. According to NERA, if the six-degree rise is added to the 30-year annual average temperature in Boston, Mass. (51.3 degrees from 1961-1990), the result is about the equivalent of the 30-year annual average temperature in Richmond, Va. (57.7 degrees). Similarly, if a 10-degree increase is added, Boston's temperature would become the average temperature of Atlanta, Ga. (61.3 degrees). The projected climate change could affect the weather patterns, animal habitats and species composition of New England, according to an August 2000 study by the Tellus Institute for the World Wildlife Fund, entitled "New England's Global Warming Solutions." The study cited serious threats to the regional economic and recreational sectors. "There'll be no skiing, no fall foliage, no maple trees, no maple syrup," Bortz explained.Bortz also noted two issues that he believes to be results of global warming. "Buffaloes went all through November without snow for the first time in 130 years. And in the last 25 years, Lake Champlain has not frozen over half the time. This is in comparison to records kept from about 1830-1855, that only once did it not freeze over. This is a pretty dramatic indication in just 200 years."One campaign, proposed by McKibben, is to alert Vermont winter enthusiasts to these projections. Ideas that came up during the brainstorming session include passing out literature and talking to people on ski slopes."It involves tapping into something that's symbolic of Vermont," said Bisson. "Save Winter. Save Maple Syrup. Save the Foliage. We want to link up with people from that standpoint. Tying into that, we also want to offer them everyday choices that will make a difference in reducing the negative impact on the climate."Another campaign, strongly advocated by Wolfson, is to reserve a few prominent parking spaces downtown for promoting Low Emission Vehicles (LEVs). LEVs are newly manufactured cars that release less greenhouse gases than allowed by the federal emissions standards. Vermont, New York, Massachusetts and Maine have adopted LEV programs to reduce regional air pollution. As the program becomes fully implemented, the Air Pollution Control Division of Vermont will not register non-LEV vehicles.The Coalition wants to advertise LEVs as an environmentally friendly alternative to larger, less fuel-efficient cars, like SUVs. The plan is to ask the town for some visible parking spots, as well as religious organizations for reserved spaces in church or temple parking lots. The Coalition will contact local car dealers for available LEVs, and will place literature on the advertised car for passersby. Another plan, appropriately suggested by Rosenberg, is to lobby Middlebury Selectmen and local organizations on vehicle buying decisions. Moreover, Rosenberg proposed lobbying state legislatures to avoid any "regressive subsidies," which award quantity discounts for gasoline or electricity. Some other ideas include placing bike racks at churches and temples and setting up a booth to educate the public about LEVs and global warming during the Middlebury Union High School spring event. The Challenges of Successful Campaigning"The goal is to educate people and inspire them to want to change their lifestyle," said Cotton. She sees the positive campaign plans of the Coalition as analogous to EQ's shift this year to more positive campaigning. "We seem to be rethinking [our campaigning method]," added Cotton. "Something like the anti-SUV program might not be as successful as offering positive solutions, with the Yellow Bike Program, for example."While optimistic of the public response to a positive campaign, several members of the Coalition recognize the challenges that lie ahead. Bortz noted the importance of receptiveness on Middlebury campus, in addition to the town. "[The College] is a concentration of the single highest voting population in the country," he remarked. In addition, Bortz cited a survey that found half of the 1,000 cars owned by Middlebury students, faculty and staff to be SUVs. "I think more awareness needs to be raised," said Ben Brouwer '04, who is on the EQ Executive Board. "It could very well be the role of EQ or MISD or some other groups. But students should be responsible for doing it.""I don't think anyone is particularly well-educated on the global warming issue, except for a very small number of people," said Wolfson. "It's a complicated subject, and there are a lot of grounds for misconception.""We're not going to require that everybody take a course on global warming," he continued. "This is not a College problem; i
t's country-wide. There isn't a lot of controversy about global warming. But the problem is that people who don't believe in global warming are very vocal and very well funded. They don't understand that there is a very firm consensus on the part of the scientific community that global warming is happening." The Coalition also hopes for energetic student participation in this year's campaigns. Bortz is optimistic from experience. He noted about two-thirds of last year's participants in the Bike to Work Day Parade were Middlebury students.As for the fact that only two students were able to make the Coalition meeting, Bortz said, "Students don't seem too big on planning. They like to do stuff.""I think [students] are relatively active," said Rosenberg. "But it's very seasonal. They have a different rhythm of involvement from the town. On the whole, townspeople are more involved on a year-round basis. Students are move involved when they don't have exams." However, the question of involvement may rise above time commitment, in Wolfson's opinion."Ten to 20 percent of the land area of Bangladesh will be underwater if the projections are true," he said. "Do we have a responsibility of relocating these people when we emit 25 percent of the world's greenhouse gases and when the United States. is one of the countries refusing to go along with the Kyoto Protocol? That's an ethical question people should be asking themselves."
(11/14/01 12:00am)
Author: Devin Zarkowsky Staff Writer Middlebury community members gathered at 7 p.m. last Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Ilsley Public Library to partake in a community forum framing the Sept. 11 tragedies in a local historical perspective. Prefacing comments applauded Middlebury College workers, who worked in their spare time to clean and furnish temporary housing for a College professor's family, whose home suffered an electrical fire the previous night. The Henry Sheldon Museum sponsored four Middlebury College alum's' short insights on events contained within this last century. James Ralph, associate professor of history, moderated. "History is necessary for a healthy society," Ralph stated. He continued, "It allows us to expand horizons and imaginations by observing our predecessors' dealings." Ralph thanked Deborah Clifford, who planned the event, before turning the forum over to the speakers.Nathaniel Johnson '98, who completed Katman Prize-winning thesis reasearch on the catastrophic 1891 Middlebury fire, described Sept. 22, 1891 using the words of Town Clerk Barry Sheldon: "Warm. Sunny. Fire." A vibrant New England economic environment experienced reverberations akin to those affected worldwide after the recent World Trade Center attacks. During the 19th century's latter half, Middlebury served as a focal point of commerce for slowly-industrializing northern New England. Factories and mills, relied upon throughout the Champlain Valley, hewed timber, quarried marble and worked metals. On Sept. 11, 1875 the majority of buildings west of Otter Creek suffered fire damage. The structures on Otter Creek's eastern bank were similar in design to those on the western bank that burned in 1875; unfortunately, the flaws that had caused the blaze remained uncorrected and resulted in another disaster. Twenty businesses burned and four families lost homes in 1891. Fire fighting hindered by ineffective equipment in 1875 failed once more in 1891. "It was some minutes before water hit the fire; a pump delay was fatal," said Johnson. Flames were visible as far away as Rutland. The wooden trestle Otter Creek bridge collapsed, severing the only connection between East and West Middlebury and forcing several stranded residents to spend the night with friends.Johnson highlighted the healing effect, albeit yellow journalism, associated with ensuing Middlebury Daily Register editions. One such article lauded "… the tireless Middlebury College boys, who came down to lend a hand; they're made of the toughest stuff." Another fanned arson suspicions, describing an "untrustworthy man, not from the area" boasting how he would show Middlebury "what fire is" with a "significant wink." Necessity forged town unity, expediting recovery efforts. Joseph Battell is cited as an instrumental economic force, reinvigorating Middlebury both commercially and architecturally. Understandably, new, more stringent fire codes governed developments after 1891.Waldo Heinrichs, author of "Threshold of War: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the American Entry into World War II" and Middlebury College alumnus, equated Sept. 11 with another significant date, Dec. 7, 1941. Both days charged this nation with adversity, heartache, anger and fear. Heinrichs said, "I couldn't believe my eyes; it was so awful and horrible." Pearl Harbor rallied the nation to an armed response immediately, effectively demolishing entrenched Wilsonian isolationism, nascent since World War I's conclusion 23 years earlier. The Japanese onslaught decimated an already underfunded and understaffed Pacific fleet, still reeling from a protracted economic contraction. Heinrichs said, "West-coasters panicked, fearing attacks on the mainland. People on the East Coast suffered as well: Nazi submarines repeatedly torpedoed ships no more than a few miles offshore." Citing security, morale and administrative protection, Heinrichs noted that research located no pictures in The New York Times until Dec. 16, 1941. "FDR called this a 'new kind of war; a global war.' Heard that recently?" dead-panned Heinrichs.Appraising Middlebury College's student response to World War II, Middlebury native Frances Hutner '40 offered commentary from then-Baccalaureate President Rudy. Hutner, a former economics professor at Smith College and author of "Women Shaping the Twentieth Century," said that the College newspaper editor Bob Packard maintained an adamant anti-war stance, infuriating Rudy. Wisconsin Senator Wylie expressed what Hutner termed "dislike" for herself and other anti-war minded individuals working on a Wisconsin commune during 1940s summer months. "Pearl Harbor produced a 180-degree turn in young people's thinking," Hutner said. Referring to a particularly poignant article written by National Public Radio's Scott Simon and published in The Wall Street Journal, Hutner highlighted parallels between contemporary and historical perspective changes. Simon espoused pacificism until covering the Balkan Wars extending from the late 1980s into the 1990s. "I then realized that all the best people can be killed by the worst ones," he said. A similar feeling pervaded post-Pearl Harbor America according to Hutner. Describing Vermont's social climate, Hutner said the dominant Communist/Marxist fear governed pre-war sentiment; America-firsters and isolationists never really establish a foothold. Hunter also described disappointing racism, "Anti-semitism and anti-black" philosophies quickly supplanted by anti-Japanese and anti-German ones.Reiterating the "terribly prepared" state of the armed forces, Hutner describes a picture of her husband outfitted in a World War I uniform with 25 year-old equipment. "All new tanks and munitions were constructed after 1941," she said.As an international politics graduate student at Washington D.C.'s American University, Russell Leng, James Jermain professor of political economy, "didn't lose any sleep" during one October week in 1962 when Nikita Kruschev and John F. Kennedy played nuclear chicken around Cuba. Unlike the media frenzy surrounding last month's events, this particular crisis remained undisclosed until some six days after a U.S. U2 spy plane discovered ballistic missile emplacements hidden away in Cuban rain forests. "The public never really knew about the worst part of the crisis until it was over," said Leng.Information relating to events between Oct. 14 and Oct. 28, 1962 eventually surfaced on Executive Committee, or EXCOM, tape recordings created by President Kennedy. Leng implied that modern parallels might provide future historians with invaluable vantages into ongoing operations against terrorism.Leng entreated audience input. Most discussion revolved around experiential impressions, as several audience members spoke about living through more recent history. One question prompted the panelists to agree on a sensitization effect inherent in modern mass media; unlike the journalistic dearth associated with Pearl Harbor's aftermath, multiple outlets provide varied international coverage to nearly every American instantaneously.
(11/14/01 12:00am)
Author: Estye Ross I have nothing to write about. When I agreed to do bi-monthly political point-counterpoint column, it was on the assumption that Congress would provide my material. But of late, only one thing has been streaming through senators' mouths, through press conferences, through CNN in Woodstove Lounge. Our country — not only our government but also our entire country — has, for all intents and purposes, abandoned its national agenda. (Excuse me; Bush continues to push for the instatement of faith-based initiatives. We, the socialist-atheist-Jewish community of second floor Milliken are not thrilled.) But I can be something other than self-centered for a minute. There are larger repercussions of our Congress' and our country's obsession with anthrax, plane crashes and unjust wars than my inability to write a coherent article (which I'm fairly adept at nonetheless). We are, as a result of this new singular focus in government and media, sinking further and further into a cultural and intellectual wasteland of ignorance and apathy and the all-American short attention span.I could research this article and tell you all the things that were supposed to be brought to the floor between Sept. 11 and today. I could tell you who was lobbying for what, what might have passed and what would have passed if we'd actually held a fair and legal election the last time around, but that rant is more exhausted than anything we might see on the evening news this week. But I have not researched this article. Instead, I introduced chemical substances to my body and tried to escape our current plane of reality. I slept through my eight o'clock class and got angry with myself because not only was I ruining my grade, I was cheating myself out of an education. I cannot bring myself to do my work for class or even research an article that I feel passionately about. I cannot come to hold myself accountable for my personal actions when I feel that the society I live in isn't being held accountable for anything.So, I called my mother. My socialist-atheist-Jewish mother. I said, "Mom, how's the climate in Washington?" She laughed. She said, "Honey, frankly, you're the only one I know who doesn't think this war is justified." I said, "But Mom, what are they saying about the national agenda being completely ignored?" She started talking about kids dying on the streets of our cities and workers dying on the job, and I interjected that the Bush administration wouldn't have addressed those issues anyway. She gently pulled me down off my rant and told me that at least there would be committee hearings. At least Congress would be working on health insurance for kids. I screamed that didn't she think that Senator Joseph Lieberman's hearings on whether or not the Postal Service appropriately handled the anthrax scare benefited us all? I ranted about conservative Democrats. She gave me an over-the-phone Jewish mother slap across the face and said, "Estye, of course those hearings are important, but they're not the only ones we need."Examine the paradox. We're "protecting" America's children by completely failing to discuss education, health care, hate crimes, health and safety in their parents' workplaces and poverty. And as a people, I fear, we're closing our eyes to all but the flashy images on our television screens. We've placed such blind faith in our leaders that I fear we've lost sight of what needs to go on within our borders. We've somehow absolved ourselves of responsibility for our own lives. We've un-empowered ourselves at the most dangerous moment in this changing world. Yes, of course we need to discuss health care and environmental regulations, but the fact that we're not discussing these issues is, I feel, indicative of a far scarier cultural phenomena. I am angry. Yet ultimately, I don't want this article to serve as a venue for me to vent my anger. I am scared to death, but I don't want this article to vent my fear. I'm just out here, groping in the dark for a solution, and all I come across are "legs and arms chopped off in battle" and seductive opportunities to flee this, our plane of reality. So, let this article be our society and culture uttering a desperate plea for help.
