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(11/02/06 12:00am)
Author: Joseph Bergan While Middlebury boasts a degree of international flair, with world-class academics and programs that reach far beyond our little town, the fact remains that the College is itself small. Although students revel in its intimate size, which seems to serve as a point of pride, another well known fact about life at a small school is that people tend to talk. Rumors and hearsay, repeated often enough, become common facts, unsupported by actual evidence. How does one separate fact from fiction? Fear not, The Campus has posed popular myths to some of the most powerful administrators on campus, to debunk, clarify and support the rumors that cloud the minds of Middlebury students.Myth #1: Middlebury Can't Touch DKE HouseHomecoming weekend perpetuates this myth about the strange fraternity house at the heart of campus. As students gathered round for the annual DKE party, one could not help but ask - why does this occur? Is DKE some kind of secret society? "The College has an agreement (over 20 years old) with the DKE Alumni Association to provide a ground lease upon which the DKE House is located for as long as the DKE Alumni Association remains active," said the College's Treasurer and Excecutive Vice President Bob Huth. Yet, rumors continue to fly about whether the College plays any role in the house, considering its central location. "The relationship between the College and the DKE Alumni Association is cordial and symbiotic as the College rents space in the house for several offices," said Huth. Although the details of this agreement are a bit nebulous, it can be said for the most part, this myth is fact. While the College rents rooms in the house, it is still very much the DKE house.Myth Status: TrueMyth #2: Public Safety can read "party" EmailsA common myth circulates on this campus that if a student creates and sends an e-mail to over a certain number of people with the word "party" or "keg" in the subject field, Public Safety will read it and somehow manage to break the party up. "I have heard this a lot," said Dean of Library and Information Services Barbara Doyle-Wilch. However, most administrators respond to this question with an incredibly puzzled look. Public Safety was shocked to ever field this question because the Office of Public Safety has no power to access any student's e-mail account. Doyle-Wilch corroborated this fact, "We keep e-mail 60 days and the only time we would ever check an e-mail is with a subpoena." So take comfort in knowing that if there is a keg at your house and your roommate invites 300 people via Outlook, the College does not have the legal right to filter your e-mail.Myth Status: FalseMyth #3: College Deans are active on Facebook.comEver since Dean of Students Ann Hanson and Dean of the College Tim Spears promulgated a guide to Facebook.com this summer, rumors have been swirling about what professionals actively scan profiles, searching for those incriminating photos from the debaucherous weekend at the Atlantis. While some students remain unphased, others edit and revise out of fear. But, perhaps Middlebury students are acting on poor information. " I do not use Facebook.com at all," said Dean of Wonnacott Commons Matthew Longman."I would not rule out the possibility of consulting Facebook if I felt it could shed light on a significant, pending issue that could have disciplinary consequences. I am registered on Facebook and have consulted it on occasion," said Dean of the College Tim Spears. With over 100 adminstrators and faculty at the College, it is hard to determine for sure if this myth is true or false. It is advisable to leave out photographic evidence of your past felonies.Myth status: UncertainMyth #4: Commons are organized by personalityThe division of the College into Commons continues to be one of the more polarizing issues on campus, and the manner in which students are assigned to specific Commons has created much speculation. Is there some kind of "Sorting Hat?" Do admissions officers and Commons Deans spend their summer months analyzing applications, hoping to match personalities within commons? "There is no link between student personality/interests and Commons placement," said Dean Longman. However, Dean Spears offered his own take. "Each Commons is meant to be a microcosm of the larger College, and we try to maintain a balance of interests and backgrounds when housing first year students in the five Commons." To achieve this, students are housed in a Commons according to their first-year seminar choice. In this way, "those class groupings no doubt have effect on the residential community," said Spears. This does not mean, however that all literature seminars get housed in Ross, or all arts seminars go to Brainerd. "We also try to distribute the Commons-based seminars so that all the seminars about science (for instance) don't end up in the same Commons," said Spears. When discussing the personalities of the Commons, the key word is a balance of interests, perhaps the opposite of this myth.Myth Status: FalseMyth #5: Custodial Staff Reports your drinking habitsThe scene is common - Monday morning rolls around and you are awoken by the custodial staff clearing out those now empty beer cans from your trash bin in the bathroom. By next Friday, Public Safety is knocking on your door, something they have never done before, just to see what you are up to. Is this a coincidence or are those friendly faces who clean our messes acting as double agents? "The custodial teams may choose to bring to our attention any concerns that they feel we should be made aware of, but they are by no means expected to report to us," said Dean Longman. Therefore, the person cleaning your mess is not paid extra if he or she leads to some alcohol citations. So, they are not double agents, but instead guardian angels, more concerned with your safety than with getting you in trouble. Myth Status: True
(10/12/06 12:00am)
Author: Tamara Hilmes For years, the Town Hall Theatre that was once the heart of the Middlebury community has been deteriorating. The building, first erected in 1884, is located on the corner of Merchant's Row and, overlooking the Town Green. It is a cornerstone of Middlebury history and a potential location for mmunity events. Today, members of the community are making strides to save the building and restore it to its original state. "It is a historic building," saidDoug Anderson, the executive director of the Town Hall Theater. "We had to save it." Anderson, along with others, has been working to renovate the building since 2000, when they bought the building from the Knights of Columbus. "It was really falling apart when we bought it," Anderson recollected. "It was full of bats and pigeons, there was no heat, and the inside was like a crumbling barn." After purchasing the building and starting renovations in 2001, the leaders of the renovation efforts realized that it was going to be much more expensive than they had ever imagined. They immediately began fundraising, approaching the federal and state governments for grants as well as asking the community for support. "We raised most of our money through begging," Anderson confessed. "I'm a professional beggar. We just approached anybody and everybody who might support us." Aside from asking for donations, the team went creative to raise the necessary funds. During the renovation, over 3,000 bricks on the building needed to be replaced. The bricks that could not be reused were sold to the public for $100 dollars a piece. Community members were able to take a piece of Middlebury history home with them, and a surprising $100,000 dollars was earned for the renovations. Since 2000, a total of three million dollars has been raised to pay for the stabilization and exterior renovation of the building. The interior, however, still remains unfinished and the funds have long been spent. An additional $2.5 million is needed to complete the interior of the Town Hall Theater. While $1 million of that amount has already been raised, $1.5 million is still needed. Despite the deficit, Anderson said he is not too worried."We are determined to have the money by the end of the year," said Anderson "It's all about getting the whole town invested in it and having them feel like they own it." Although the Town Hall Theater has yet to be completed, it has already become a staple within the community. Over the years, several shows and performances have taken place within the unfinished building. This past summer, an opera was put on in collaboration with the Middlebury College music department, and the reaction of the Middlebury community was extremely positive - despite the 110 degree heat, the show was completely sold out. "By putting on shows during the summer we were able to get people into the habit of coming downtown for the arts," Anderson said. Once the building is completed, it will host a variety of performances and events ranging from symphony orchestras to musical theater and even the high school prom. "This will be the place that the town comes to to have fun," Anderson predicted. "It will be a completely multi-use, flexible space." The plans for the theater include 250 seats which can be retracted into the wall for dances and other social events. The theater will also host a wall to wall stage. "It will be a state of the art facility," Anderson said.In addition to remaining an important venue for the town of Middlebury, the new Town Hall Theater will also benefit students at Middlebury College. The theater will provide an additional stage on which students can perform and will employ student interns during the summer. The Language Schools, Anderson pointed out, will also get a lot of use out of the facilities during the summer. The college will be tied in more ways than one to the revamped Town Hall Theater. The spiral staircase that is to be erected within the bell tower will be constructed out of marble recycled from the old library. "The theater will continue to be a place where we from the College on the Hill can come together with the town that gave birth and sustenance to the town's college," reflected Professor Tom Beyer. Along with teaching in the Russian Department at Middlebury College, Beyer has participated in several shows at the Town Hall Theater, including "Chicago" and "Little Shop of Horrors." "There are so many talented students, staff and faculty here, that one more place where they can be stars for a night will brighten all of our lives," Beyer said.
(05/11/06 12:00am)
Author: TREVOR SHOLLY '05 '06 A wise friend once told me that leaving college in four years was like leaving the party at 10 - it's just getting started. I spent this past year testing his hypothesis as a 5-year senior here at Middlebury College. I am what the Administration labels a "special student" meaning that I have two or less credits left for my Bachelor of Arts degree (ES with an Economics Focus) and that I am required to live off campus. I suspect the latter stipulation is intended to keep me from corrupting you younger Midd-Kids with crazy ideas from the 'bad old days.' While this effectively removes me from the general studentpopulation, I can still talk about the good old days like the sketchy old man that wanders the park in his boxers talking to anyone who will listen. The following is an attempt to counter this speculative stipulation and to instill such 'corruptness' into those of you whom I have not yet done so. When a dynamically populated institution, such as Middlebury, goes through widespread change, it only takes four years for the current student population to accept these changes as common law. In September of 2001, I was an unjaded, freewheelin' first-year and have seen many changes evolve. Since I know everything that has gone on inside these walls over the past five years, I will do my best to give you - the younger generation of Midd Kids - my opinion of these changes. #1 - Regardless of its future intentions to bring smaller groups of students closer together and to encourage common's specified donations from alumni, the commons system is a forced school policy that really grinds my gears. Middlebury is already small enough with its 2,300 students and does not need to be further divided into smaller subgroups. I don't like being forced to live with my freshman hall mates just because I will get a better room draw. Personally, I like to reserve the option of living with people who I like for who they are and not have to factor in price of living with friends solely based on how many commons points they have acquired. Ironically, Middlebury's own Tragedy of the Commons is the commons system itself and this is sad.#2 - I am one of few students left on this campus who can still recall not needing key cards to enter buildings and, in general, we felt safe on campus. Then one night in the fall of '01 something changed that would affect this campus's feel forever. Two thug friends tipped off by a former Middlebury student went into a drug dealers room in the Ross Complex - referred to as the 'new dorms' back then - held him at gun point, hit him over the head with a tire iron, and robbed him. According to student sources and headline news articles, the two culprits came away with $2,000 and 1/2 lb. of marijuana and drove back to R.I. that night. Two days later amidst concern from the College's administration, Middlebury went into a 'temporary' 24/7 lock down mode where kids were required to use their resident hall keys, giving them access to only their building. Over the next few months, disregarding countless pleas from the current students who recognized that this incident was rare and isolated, Middlebury's campus gradually advanced to the key-carded big brother monitoring system as we know it today. When I read about the continual rising crime patterns in this paper every week with no suspects and no due justice coupled with the need to increase more blue lights on campus, I question the administration's true intentions on such a constricting policy every time I rub my ass on that black reader and watch the red light turn to green. At least I can feel like I work for the CIA or Pentagon; so I got that going for me, which is nice.#3 - Where did all the fun places go? This includes but is not limited to: the Shag Room, A-Frames, Mr. Up's and Zoo. I don't have the room in this letter to get into the particulars of each but what I will say is that we are taking ourselves a little too seriously and becoming another Amherst/Ivy wannabe. I think a good compromise to aim for would be a mixture between Amherst and Hamilton with a little Midd Granola sprinkling on the top - 100 percent organic and fair trade of course.I would like to think that the SGA could poll the current student body and make the according changes to the afforementioned policies, but sadly this is not the case. The students, the current customers and the common men and women of this school, do not have any say or sway. We need a representative on the Board of Trustees - someone who has graduated from Middlebury College recently and can only be appointed for four years. Only then can we make legit changes.I do not want to come across as a burnt-out, cynical, super senior so here's a list of good things that are still around (trust me, I know what it takes to be cool): those old school white telephones, 98.6 percent of the faculty, 100 percent of the staff, Career Services, respecting strangers, disrespecting your friends sometimes and authentic Nick Janerisms.The administration (aka the Man) or any follower of this Beast may disregard the following and label it as 'conspiracy theories' or 'ungrounded poppy-cock.' You call it whatever gives you piece-of-mind.Good Luck with exams and keep in mind that you can always fail a class and become 'special' like me. The victory lap is sweet.
(04/27/06 12:00am)
Author: Jason F. Siegel and James Dolan In 2003, Addison County, home to one of the richest liberal arts institutions in the nation, was also home to nearly 3200 poor people. Despite this great inequity, the College has taken steps to alleviate the problem.Living below the poverty line means that one does not have enough income to pay for every day needs. In other words, they do not have any disposable income. Different social factors can contribute to increased poverty among a group of people. Areas with higher percentages of high school dropouts, teenage mothers or unemployment are likely to see more people living below the poverty line. The poverty line is subject to change from year to year and is set by the United States Office of Management and Budget. The poverty threshold can also vary from person to person depending on someone's age or the number of people living in their household. The percentage of 8.7 in Addison County is very similar to the average percentage of people living below the poverty line in Vermont, which is about nine percent. It is also lower than the 2003 national average of 13 percent.Local Anti-Poverty MeasuresPoverty in Addison County is an issue that several organizations have been attempting to solve in recent months. Three main groups which have headed this effort are the People of Addison County Together (PACT), United Way of Addison County (UWAC) and the Middlebury College Alliance for Civic Engagement (ACE). Last fall, the groups sponsored study circles that were designed to get the community involved with the problem and foster dialogue on how they can improve economic security for all residents. According to the "Summary on Poverty Study Circles," provided by AmeriCorp volunteer and ACE affiliate Meredith Billings, 26 members representing all different areas of the community met to discuss issues such as livable compensation, affordable and quality healthcare, access to healthcare and affordable housing. A variety of suggestions were made to tackle these problems. Most of the suggestions focused on educational programs. For example, in issues of healthcare, many believed in universal healthcare for everyone, but they also wanted to provide nutritional and fitness education in order to alleviate preventable health issues. Also, community members discussed the possibility of educating tenants and landlords concerning their responsibilities and rights. This, they hope, will improve the quality of living in affordable housing. These circles were designed to aid the recently formed Addison County Poverty Task Force in tackling short- and long-term goals. The task force came at the request of members of the community who attended a Community Summit on Poverty in Addison County in March of 2005. According to the summary, PACT, UWAC and ACE were given a grant from the Middlebury-based Vermont Campus Compact to form this task force, as well as the study circles, in hopes they could suggest tangible solutions to the problem.The College's RoleAccording to College Treasurer Robert Huth, although the College does not officially commit parts of its endowment to local businesses, it provides many resources to alleviate poverty in Addison County.In consideration of the economic hardship that paying for high-quality child-care can cause a low-income family, the College pays around $300,000 to a local child-care consortium through the United Way, much of which goes to support local families who are not affiliated with the school.In addition, the College provides some money to Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR)-of which Huth is a board member-which contributes to funding for services such as free transportation to many of the county's busiest spots and special rides to work or medical care if a low-income person has exceptional difficulties in getting to a bus route.Middlebury is also conscious of its effects on poverty when making business deals. On the statewide level, the College is the largest investor in FreshTracks Capital, a Middlebury-based venture fund that invests in Vermont businesses. The College's holdings in the firm are around $2.5 million. When Middlebury sold its Maplefield lands in the fall, part of the land was set aside to go to affordable housing.As the largest employer in Addison County, Middlebury's internal policies control to a slight degree the level of poverty in the county. The College increases its staff's earning potential by participating in Vermont adult education programs, augmenting such skills as literacy levels among employees.The College has also had the challenge of determining a livable wage for all its employees when marital/civil union status varies widely from person to person. Nonetheless, the College has several progressive policies in place to keep its employees out of poverty. Employees who do not make much money have a smaller contribution to their medical bills than those who earn more, and the administration has implemented a "safety net" to prevent employees from spending much more than five percent of their income on medical bills.Huth summed up Middlebury's position, saying that with its role as the area's largest employer and its progressive policies, the College raises the bottom line for local employers.On-Campus ResourcesACE is one way that students can get involved and help alleviate poverty in both the community and country. ACE provides summer opportunities to work with both the Homelessness Prevention Shelter and the John Graham Shelter. The office also offers paid summer internships that are available to students. ACE is interested in raising campus awareness of poverty as well. One event that ACE hopes to see integrated into the Middlebury calendar is a Hunger Awareness Week in November, which multiple New England schools already recognize. Another event that began at the University of Massachusetts is the Hunger and Homelessness Conference, which provides workshops for students regarding these issues.The College curriculum also provides students with possibilities to understand poverty problems and develop strategies to solve them. Hepburn Professor of Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies, Peggy Nelson, is teaching "Poverty and Public Policy," which focuses on understanding poverty. More specifically, the class analyzes problems involving childcare, healthcare, food, housing and education. The purpose of the class is for students to "understand the sociological causes and consequences of poverty and the policy that is inspired by those consequences" said Nelson. The class brings up questions as to what kind of policy is needed to help the problem. For example, many teen parents are subject to impoverished conditions It is hard to know when policy should focus on decreasing the number of teen parents, and when programs should be implemented to aid teen parents and make it easier for them to rise above the poverty threshold? Even though the class focuses on poverty in general, students are encouraged to use local sources for their "analytical papers in which they try to understand the problem," said Nelson. Students' papers often include pamphlets in order to guide or inform people of services they can use to help them.Similarly, students in Associate Professor of Economics Peter Matthews' class "Inequality, Poverty and Distributive Justice" are taking what they have learned about measures of poverty and inequality as well as the role of outside factors such as education, health and discrimination in affecting poverty. The class' final project involves applying the students' knowledge to the economic situation in Vermont.Rachel Sommer '06.5 spoke highly of the course. "This class has been both extremely informative and inspiring. While poverty and inequality ar
e issues I have been previously committed to on a personal level, this is the first time I've had the opportunity to thoroughly explore these issues from an academic perspective," she said.In addition to teaching her class, Nelson is also hoping for the creation of a series of courses that focus on poverty. Students would take introductory level courses in which they would learn about these issues. Then, after their sophomore or junior year they would have a paid internship where they could apply their knowledge to areas such as legal studies, health clinics, poverty agencies, and NGOs. Finally, the curriculum would offer a senior seminar where "students would be able to make sense of these issues," said Nelson. The program is currently in its preliminary stages, as it looks for the necessary funding. It will most likely not begin for another two years.Student and faculty involvementMany students and faculty take their interests beyond the classroom. Two students who have recently begun to work with homeless shelters are Andrew Haile '07 and Jono Newton '06.5. The two studied abroad in Paris last fall and were immediately struck by the number of homeless people they saw on the streets. "You just don't see homeless people around here."Upon their return, the two went to Burlington with several other students to look for volunteer opportunities with the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), a well-funded shelter where they served lunch but had little contact with the residents themselves. They soon found the John W. Graham Shelter in Vergennes, a smaller operation with a budget only five percent that of COTS and in need of volunteers. Haile said that although it is too late in the year to build any momentum for a formal relationship between the College and the students, he hopes that in the fall there might be funding available to get the efforts going.Haile also noted the efforts of Steve and Katie Smith Abbott, faculty heads of Ross Commons, for spearheading an effort to pack leftovers from commons dinners to go to homeless shelters. Logistical and legal obstacles impede Dining Services from sending all leftovers to the shelters.As explained in the April 13 edition of The Middlebury Campus, there is a significant population of undocumented migrant workers in the area. These men and women's cheap labor on dairy farms often allows the farm to stay open in the face of increasing competition from agribusiness. Assistant Professor of Spanish Gloria González Zenteno has recently received grants to study such undocumented Mexican workers in the area.Other students choose to go a bit farther away to gain knowledge of the ramifications of poverty and to perhaps use it in the future. First-years Caitlyn Olson was among several students who traveled to UMass-Amherst for a conference sponsored by National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness over Winter Carnival weekend. Said Olson, "I had worked with the low-income/homeless population back at home in Seattle and had received an introduction to the same out here on the East Coast during the MAlt trip to Boston in February but still wanted to learn more."The problem of poverty in Middlebury's backyard provides ample opportunity to learn more.-Jason F. Siegel and James DolanFocus Editors
(04/20/06 12:00am)
Author: ELI BERMAN '07.5 While searching in vain for a vacant practice room the other night, it finally clicked. Overwhelmed by the sounds of Bach preludes, Mendelssohn trios, Beethoven and Brahms, I truly understood, perhaps for the first time, the true power of each individual student and of the Middlebury College student body as a whole. Where else - in the world - could so high a proportion of a single community be challenging themselves to master music so difficult and complex? And if this is what was happening in the CFA, I wondered, what were our fellow students doing at BiHall, in the library and on the playing field? Undoubtedly, developing skills and honing talents equally as impressive. "But, Eli," you ask, "how do these things transform into power?" Let me explain. A year ago today, as an idealistic, young(er), aspiring leader, I ran for SGA president on a campaign platform of "power." My thought was that 2,350 bright, involved, energetic (and, yes, attractive) people with diverse backgrounds and ambitions could combine their formidable energy to achieve definitive and durable change. A year later, that thought has transformed into an unshakeable conviction. After meeting with countless students, administrators and community members, I now know how respected Middlebury students are and how seriously we are taken by decision-makers, both on and off campus. A few examples:- By encouraging professors to submit requisition forms earlier, the SGA helped students earn three times as much money selling their books back to the bookstore.- With few transportation options provided by the College, the SGA subsidized a bus to Burlington that now shuttles members of the College and town communities to the "big city" at a more than reasonable price.- And my favorite-two years ago, the SGA successfully convinced the Administration to open Proctor for Sunday brunch after it had decided, with minimal student input, to close the dining hall on the weekends.These examples are not intended to be a laundry list of SGA's accomplishments. Rather, I want to remind all of us that positive change, when supported by an informed and involved student body, is not only possible but inevitable. The Middlebury student body simply has too many good ideas to be denied.The Student Activity Fee - the second of the two lines that appear on your tuition bill - helps make all of this possible. The fee, which next year will be about $235, is directly controlled and allocated by the SGA through the SGA Finance Committee. Though $235 may not seem like all that much, it totals over $500,000 when multiplied by Middlebury's 2,350 students. The money goes to MCAB, the commons and clubs in order to enhance student life on - and soon off - campus. It is especially useful when, as with the recently passed "SafeRides" bill, the Administration chooses not to financially support a student initiative, because the SGA has the ability to allocate funds (at least to a certain degree) as it deems appropriate."OK," you are now saying, "the SGA did a couple good things and we have a lot of money. What does that have to do with me?" Well, my fellow students, it has everything to do with all of us. The SGA, your student government, is only as powerful as you believe it can be (sort of sounds like Tinkerbelle). The government can only make change if you voice a need and you allow your elected representatives to fill that need.Today's elections for the SGA's two most powerful positions provide the first and easiest way to involve yourself. Read the candidates' statements of intent, which are available online, and vote. Bombard your new leaders with needs, wants, ideas and concerns, whether realistic or not. Criticize, criticize and then criticize some more. As someone who has been on the receiving end for the past year, I know it hurts a little but helps a lot. Above all, stay involved. Whether we are trying to open Proctor or, as Midd8 is now doing, focusing on Millenium Goals, the Student Government is the most accessible and effective way to amplify the voice of every student and group. With so much going on at Middlebury, and students challenging themselves in so many unique ways, Middlebury is a lot like those CFA practice rooms. Though we are all trying to make our own music, we can't help but be influenced by what we hear from other aspiring virtuosi, as long as we respect what they are doing, give a helping hand and remember to listen. And if we band together and support the objective of an active and powerful SGA, I am certain that next year will be filled with beautiful music all across our campus.
(04/20/06 12:00am)
Author: Caitlyn Olson Fly fishing seems simple enough. Take a stick with some string attached to it and throw the fuzzy doo-dad at the end of the string in the water. Following this line of thinking, though, a person might as well reduce football to a bunch of spandexed men crashing into each other. There are numerous factors to consider when fly fishing - rod, fly, location, technique - and each consists of myriad nuances that make for a sport so complex that, as President of the New Haven River Anglers John Synnott said, "You never really master it."It should come as no surprise that the sport is so sophisticated, since it has had plenty of time to grow and evolve. The first record of fly fishermen dates all the way back to the second century, when the Roman Claudius Aelianus observed Macedonians casting red wool into the Astraeus River. Reappearing in its modern form in Scotland and northern England, the activity quickly spread to North America, where the Catskill Mountains of New York proved to be particularly suitable. Vermont and Maine were the sites of a peak in popularity in the 1920s, which was at least partly due to Ernest Hemingway's glorification of fly fishing in books like "The Sun Also Rises." Although the basics have remained constant throughout the years, a certain degree of modernization has taken place. Rods, for instance, were traditionally made from bamboo in a delicate process that could take up to 100 hours. (Anglers consider them such works of art that a rod crafted by a master can sell for well over $2,000.) On the other hand, modern rod-making materials are often graphite or fiber glass. Strength is important since rods are at a minimum six feet long and can reach lengths of 14 feet. Another necessary characteristic is flexibility, since fly fishing involves a good deal of waving the rod back and forth.There are a variety of techniques, but the procedure basically consists of whisking the rod above one's head between the 10 o'clock and two o'clock positions. This motion is called "false casting" and serves to "load" the tip with an energy that travels the length of the rod to establish distance and control. Finally, the angler uses the weight of the line to fling the fly into the water.Flies represent another category containing a great level of variance. All are virtually weightless, but they can come in almost any color and consist of substances ranging from thread to fur to feathers. Their purpose is to act as either an "imitator," mimicking the naturally occurring food, or an "attractor," rousing excitement or anger in the fish. Other distinctions delineate dry flies (floating on the water's surface) from wet ones (sinking beneath the surface). While it is easy to purchase flies, many anglers enjoy crafting their own, including Synnott, who describes fly selection as "part of the fun.""Very soon the Lewis Creek is going to fill up with big-small mouth bass so my favorite fly will be a bright white Wolly Bugger. After that there will be a Hendrickson hatch (big brown mayfly) so the Hendrickson will be my favorite fly. Later in the summer I will have fun fishing grasshopper patterns," he said.As for the fish themselves, the most common species in this region is trout, mainly brook, rainbow and brown. Endangerment of certain species does not appear to present as much of a problem on this coast as it does out West. Type of fish is the primary determinant in what a fisherman looks for in an ideal site, although there are some characteristics that remain fairly constant no matter the species."Prime conditions would be a nice clean river, good current (not too strong) with lots of rocks and a gravely bottom. There would be a couple of deep pools and some cover along the banks," Synnott said.While anglers are happy to talk about location in a general sense, they are much less willing to divulge the names of specific places. Synnott admitted that he is fond of the Neshobe River in Brandon/Forestdale and the Dog River in Northfield. Professor of Computer Science and avid angler Matt Dickerson, on the other hand, was vehemently secretive: "I'd tell you, but then I would have to get one of those 'MEN IN BLACK' devices to erase your memory before you could print that information in the newspaper."Chances are his favorite spot is not in New England, as he finds that there is "nothing in particular" that is great about this region's fishing. Synnott, however, points out several attractive qualities."Out West the fish get bigger and there are more of them but you also have to travel a lot to get to each river. Here I can start my day at the Bagel Shop in Middlebury and hit any one of five different rivers within half an hour out of town. We also have smarter fish. These fish will test your skills. They say if you can catch trout in New England, you can catch them just about anywhere," he said.Alex Gart '09 prefers the rivers of his home state of Colorado but acknowledges that Vermont's natural beauty makes it a pleasurable place to cast a line. An angler of nine years, Gart loves "the connection that you have with people, as a result of fly fishing, no matter who they are or where they are from." It therefore makes sense that he has continued with the sport upon his arrival at Middlebury, taking on the role of Spiritual Leader (Vice President) with MiddFly, the College's fly fishing club.Founded in 2000, the club is hoping to become more active this year under the guidance of Chief Angler (President) Jake Kuipers '06.5 and its advisor, Dickerson. One goal is to become a national affiliate of the Federation of Fly Fishers.Another aspiration is to revive a competition that used to happen in the 1950s among Middlebury, Harvard, Princeton and Yale in which the schools headed up to Nova Scotia to fish for giant tuna. Right now, though, it looks as if the furthest away the club is going to get is the West Branch of the Delaware River on an upcoming trip.On-campus MiddFly activities range from weekly gear hours, free fly-casting clinics on Voter Lawn from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. on Fridays, fly tying workshops, a planned speech by Dave O'Hara '91 on May 4 and guided trips to local rivers. The most popular ones around here are Middlebury River, New Haven River and Otter Creek. Middlebury Mountaineer in town and Field Sports on Rt. 7 South are good sources of information and gear.And there certainly is an overwhelming amount of information and gear in which to get bogged down. The beauty of fly fishing, though, lies in the experience itself, and once a person discovers this aspect, the sport can become a way of life."I fish because it's in my blood . . . I kept track last year and I was in a river over 150 days. I think it's my natural environment. Maybe it's a womb thing - I need to hear water moving all around me. I have seen more things while out fishing than most people will see in their lifetime: fisher cat shadowing me across a stream, bobcat, almost stepping on a newborn fawn hidden in some rocks on a river bank, a peregrine pinning a swallow to the ground at my feet, moose, bear, beavers, otters, etc., all in their world," Synnott said.Gart echoed his sentiments: "Fly fishing is a very meditative and relaxing activity. The rhythm of the casting motion combined with the peace and serenity of nature provide a very spiritual experience."
(04/06/06 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] To the Editor:Those signs are offensive and should not be tolerated. It is my opinion that most students would prefer not to be lambasted by racial and sexual epithets three times a day as they walk into the dining hall. The message on the signs is correct. Those words are offensive and they should not be tolerated, but what is the goal of plastering them all over a board where people are forced to read them over and over again?Is it possible that there is even one student, faculty member or staff member on this campus, that does not already know those words are not tolerated? I'd say it's not possible. Even the persons involved in the event in question understood this. As for preventing those persons from verbalizing any of those words, I believe this issue should be taken up with the individuals.Why not write a letter? As spring approaches, family members, alumni and prospective students will be visiting our campus in greater numbers. Do we really want these signs to be the focus of their visits?Sincerely,Matthew Amoss '07New Orleans, La.To the Editor:This month, the Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (moqa) is sponsoring a series of events known as GAYpril. One such event is a student panel tonight in McCardell Bicentennial Hall 216 at 7:30 p.m. The panel is designed to address fears and curiosities about gay sex. To advertise for this event, students from moqa put up posters in the library, McCullough Student Center, Stewart, Battell, Starr, Ross, Proctor, Gifford, Hepburn and Atwater.The posters were provocative, but not offensive, and contained statements such as, "Gay Sex: Everything they did not teach you in health class." What saddens and angers us is that people in our College community could not voice their concerns or disapproval directly to us, but instead chose to tear down our posters. After returning to the areas where posters were hung, students found that posters were ripped down, vandalized or simply gone.We find it insulting to the College community when individuals decide to censor and degrade what appears to be free speech. If homosexuality makes you uncomfortable, then put up your own posters or come and speak directly with moqa. It is unfortunate to find homophobia present on an allegedly liberal campus. While students claim to be "open-minded," they instead deal with true bigotry in secret, without maturity. Middlebury has the potential to be a supportive community, but an underlying homophobic sentiment continues to encourage closet mentality, and this ignorance will continue to discourage the fight for diversity and acceptance. Sincerely,Baylie Roth '09.5Tamara Vatnick '07Chrissy Etienne '07To the Editor: Isn't it interesting that Dave Barker pines "why can't Middlebury's ambitious and ingenious scholars scheme up pranks worthy of those at a college like MIT?" If his intent was to lead by example he failed miserably. There is nothing funny about mocking the sanitary practices of Middlebury Dining Services - especially when there is no basis for the joke. In addition, there was no moment of revelation where everyone realizes that a joke is being played - a critical element in a good April Fool's joke. You have a good point, Dave - your "prank" is not worthy of a college like Middlebury or MIT. Perhaps you could submit it to the University of Phoenix's Online degree program.Sincerely, John NordmeyerDining ServicesTo the Editor:Recently ["Speaker Does not Reflect Midd Values'" Campus, March 30], some of my close friends criticized the invitation to Ann Veneman. They do not "mean to suggest that there is nothing to admire in her record, or that other colleges and universities would not find her an inspirational commencement speaker." However, commencement "should celebrate better [Middlebury's] particular values."I question two points: 1. They attack her "long association" with "genetically modified foods." Are GMOs the devil's work? Consider: a. GMO-engineered vitamins in rice can reduce blindness in developing countries. b. Herbicide-resistant corn allows the use of Roundup to control weeds. The alternative, tilling, contributes to erosion. c. Monsanto is working on soybeans with enhanced omega-3.Move over Ben and Jerry's. You may be replaced as Vermont's hero (fat chance!). You create heart attacks; Monsanto may reduce them. 2. They attack Veneman's advocacy "of unfettered trade" and participation in GATT negotiations. This may suggest that GATT is so evil that our graduates should not be exposed to a contrary view. This is astonishing. Since 1950, freer trade has contributed to the greatest movement out of poverty in history. Doubters might compare the present Chinese economy with that in the closed Maoist period. Or South Korea with the North. Of course, GATT is not beyond reproach; international agreements involve compromises. Should we invite only speakers who reinforce our existing views? Should our graduates venture forth, holding firm to the One Right Way of Thinking? Nothing during my delightful years here suggested that this represents Middlebury Values.Sincerely,Paul WonnacottAlan HolmesVisiting Professor of Economics, 1994-2000.
(02/16/06 12:00am)
Author: Mike Ives '06.5 A week before Feb break, I attended a lecture at the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury on "off the grid" energy systems given by Paul Kenyon, a mechanical engineer and freethinker from nearby Bridport. One of his big messages: it's possible to live in our modern world without paying the state for electricity. But while Paul's talk was clearly an exposition of some hip alternative energy systems so in vogue these days in crunchy, and even not-so-crunchy, circles - solar panels, wind turbines and composting toilets, to name a few - it was also a reminder that some of the most effective sustainable solutions available to us are in fact more accessible than we think, if a little less glamorous.Take refrigerators, for instance: Paul calculates that installing an efficient fridge is the most practical step an Addison County home-owner can take towards lowering energy use - even more practical than installing a wind turbine or a solar panel. Likewise with storm windows and insulation - the energy savings are remarkable. If homeowners want to save money and reduce their ecological "footprint," he says, it makes more sense to spend a few weekends retrofitting existing appliances and fixtures than it does to pay someone to install a sexier, more aesthetically "environmental" gadget like a turbine.This is not to say, of course, that wind turbines or solar panels are in any way a bad thing. But Paul's point is simply that they're often not the best thing, at least in the short term, for reducing energy use.Silly as it may sound, this was a revelation for me. Like so many people in our college, town and country, I have been trained to equate "greenness" with technology I don't understand (hybrids, "clean" buses, biodiesel). Plus, I'm no homeowner, so I haven't yet learned how to glorify humdrum home improvement. Thus, sitting down after the lecture, I ran up against a tricky dilemma: how to apply these homesteader's principles to my own uber-bureacratic existence?Well, Middlebury College is a much bigger home, which usually means it's more energy efficient than a smaller one. But the problem is that most of its residents don't pay the energy bill, at least directly, making it dangerously easy to live on campus without paying attention to energy consumption, both personal and institutional.With our heads lost in the Middlebury bubble clouds, after all, it's easy to interpret a few well-publicized examples of on-campus do-goodiness as sign that we're "environmental" enough. A library built from local, sustainably harvested wood, a wind turbine and a green roof atop the new Atwater Dining Hall all indicate that the College is living up to its international reputation for ecological awareness - superficially, at least. It's hard to force ourselves to go beyond Middlebury's public facade to determine whether our institution is actually walking its own institutional walk or not.And indeed, upon closer look, there's a lot out there to warm our little green hearts. Thanks to a few committed Sunday Night Groupies, the college recently agreed to lower thermostats by 2 degrees, from 70 to 68, for a projected savings of approximately $60,000. Another bunch of Sunday Nighters is working with President Leibowitz and the trustees to address the disturbing fact that neither the faculty nor the student body has any idea where our endowment is invested - Shell? Philip Morris? Lockheed Martin? Take your pick! Dining Services continues to set the national bar for environmentally conscious food service. And in a less publicized but equally important gesture of responsibility, the college has begun to replace a portion of our heating oil with locally harvested woodchips.Great! It's nice to be reminded from time to time that people in positions of authority often mean what they say. But of course, we can go further. For starters, the college can retrofit off-campus homes with more efficient insulation, continue working towards socially responsible investment practices, and purchase even more local food.As students, we too can take more responsibility for the way we live. Of course, no one is forcing us to keep our windows closed in winter, eat all the food on our plates, or take the Snow Bowl shuttle - but those things are easy and sensible, so why not make a conscious effort to do 'em?I don't intend this article as a condescending dose of eco-fascism. Instead, let it be a friendly call for institutional responsibility on the part of students, faculty and administrators alike. Efficiency's the thing, says Paul: Let's take his advice and make sure the college community does all it can-not merely all it's obligated to-in its ongoing quest to exist in a way that makes the most sense.
(02/16/06 12:00am)
Author: ERICA GOODMAN As has historically been the case, American immigrant populations are often left with the work that we natural-born citizens would prefer not to do. I visited a 2,000-cow dairy in Turlock, California this past August. The day was brutally hot and in the ranching world of NorCal, where fields run acre after endless acre, there was not a tree for shading anywhere in sight. In the 90-plus degrees of heat, a middle-aged Mexican immigrant diligently worked beneath the noon sun, T-shirt discarded in the camel colored dirt as sweat covered his bare, brown chest. We visitors stopped in our air-conditioned Ford pick-up truck and witnessed the man swiftly moving around, cutting twine from hundreds of square hay bales and stacking the loose hay in a massive pile. The Mexican immigrant worked through hundreds of small bales before breaking for lunch. Cut. Cut. Lift. Toss. Over and over, beneath the August sun. When that work was done, the man was scheduled to scrub the water troughs throughout the entire complex - a much cooler, but no more glamorous of a job. Our tour guide, a student intern named Nate, explained how the worker spoke just enough English to work in the United States for a few months. When he had earned enough money, the man would quit and bring his earnings to his family in Mexico - 12 children, according to Nate - only to return to the dairy farm and the hot California sun when the money runs out.The migration of Hispanic farm workers has stretched beyond the Southwest borderlands. According to the U.S. Labor Department, almost 80 percent of farm workers in the United States are Mexican-born. Workers from all parts of Central America have settled and continue to settle in rural communities in the Northeast, diversifying predominantly white communities. Lacking a decent education (including only 40 percent reporting that they could speak English), migratory workers are often left dependent upon their hosts. Bi-weekly ventures into town for groceries or entertainment are usually chauffeured in a large van by the farmer's wife.Overall, rural communities do offer some resources and are generally open to immigrant laborers willing to take the jobs that no one else wants. Yet despite the increasing diversification, there remains a lack of ethnic interaction. Many community members think of Hispanic immigrants as migrants who come and go with the seasons, even if they have settled and begun to raise a family. In fact, the settlement of immigrants could renew community development in rural areas suffering from population loss and economic stagnation. Before any social advancements can occur, we must understand not only the impediments to economic opportunity that immigrants face, but also that the language barrier goes both ways.
(01/12/06 12:00am)
Middlebury College President Ronald D. Liebowitz joined over 100 other college presidents last week in Washington, D.C., for the Defense Department's Summit on International Education. During the two-day summit, President George W. Bush unveiled a plan to strengthen the foreign language skills of American students. For Middlebury College and the recently affiliated Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), this proposal brings to the forefront of national attention a focus on the study of foreign languages already inherent in the College's curriculum.
"We both offer languages at the center of what we do in international education," said Liebowitz in reference to the College and MIIS. "Now this has become a major, central focus of the Bush administration."
Under this new plan, Bush will request $114 million in the 2007 fiscal year to fund the National Security Language Initiative. Approximately three quarters of this initial investment will come from the State and Education Departments. Additionally, the Department of Defense would earmark more than $750 million from 2007 to 2011 to train personnel in "critical languages." Bush did not, at last week's two-day summit in D.C., speak to the gathered college presidents regarding the much larger language initiative that will come through the Defense Department.
The President's request will be made formally in his budget proposal for the 2007 fiscal year. The initiative will also create a new National Language Services Corps of teachers and translators for the armed services and will strive to produce 1,000 new teachers of Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Russian and other "critical languages." The budget proposal also includes plans for producing 2,000 advanced speakers of these critical langues by 2009, increasing funding for scholarships and creating new summer immersion programs.
Bush also spoke about the importance of facilitating the study of international students in America, and announced plans to expand the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program to bring additional native speakers of critical languages to the United States. The president vowed to "find that proper balance between security and letting people come to our universities," a promise that garnered the loudest applause from the college presidents according to the Chronicle for Higher Education.
While Liebowitz predicted that the College and MIIS, as leaders in the study of foreign languages, would play a key role in achieving the administration's new goals, he noted that it may be some time before the immediate effect of the proposal is seen on campus. "Right now it's unclear how this $114 million initial seeding will be allocated," he said. "It's unclear how we and other institutions can tap into the funding."
Liebowitz did, however, point to MIIS's Graduate School of Language and Educational Linguistics as a program that may play a critical role in the new proposals in the near future. The program trains language speakers in educating new students and could prove a valuable resource in producing the teacher and student numbers targeted in Bush's initiative.
"The dearth of teachers of these critical languages is to me the missing piece," said Liebowitz.
He also noted that three of the College's nine summer language immersion programs are in critical languages. While the College does not currently teach Farsi or Urdu, he said it is possible that new languages would be added to the suite of Summer Language Schools in the future.
Liebowitz observed that the majority of presidents present at the summit welcomed the proposal but noted that some individuals have raised concerns. "There was a lot of enthusiasm among the college presidents," he said, "but also some degree of cynicism." According to Inside Higher Ed, many presidents have said that they will need more details to fully evaluate the proposal, and others have expressed concern about the Pentagon's large role in the language initiative.
Liebowitz, however, left the summit pleased with the event's message and outcome. "I'm delighted that finally this government and administration have recognized the importance of supporting foreign language study," he said.
Written by KATHRYN FLAGG
(12/08/05 12:00am)
Author: Jason F. Siegel Following months of negotiations, members of the Boards of Trustees of Middlebury College and the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) met in Monterey, Calif., on Dec. 2 to sign an agreement to make MIIS an affiliate of Middlebury. The agreement also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Institute.Under the agreement, Middlebury and MIIS will remain two separate institutions, though Middlebury will have much influence over what will happen in Monterey. The College selects the Board of Trustees and the president, and also has a say in the financial aspects, such as approving the final budget of MIISFollowing authorization from a prudential committee of the Board of Trustees, President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Rick Fritz '68 led the negotiations between the two schools for several months, facing various obstacles. One of the problems, according to Executive Vice-President and Treasurer Bob Huth, concerned the finances of MIIS. Especially problematic was convincing lenders to lower the interest rates on loans to the schools from 7.5 to 5.5 percent, savings of around $400,000 per year, even though Middlebury assumed neither the debts nor the assets of MIIS.President-Designate of MIIS Clara Yu, set to start her tenure as president on Dec. 31, has set several goals. The highest priority is the maintenance of intellectual capital through "modest salary increases" and possible collaborations with Oxford University. Also important are the maintenance of the community feeling and improvements to physical and technological infrastructure. Both Liebowitz and Yu championed the "innovative and entrepreneurial spirit" of Monterey, something Yu plans to cultivate over the coming months.Fritz predicted an increase in enrollment and a consequential increase in the budget of Monterey. He also stated, "The options for complementary collaboration and growth are huge, and, frankly one of the challenges for both institutions will be to prioritize the opportunities."Announced at the same time as the affiliation were the identities of the new trustees of Monterey, approved by the prudential committee on Nov. 18. Those with connections to Middlebury College are: Fritz; James S. Davis '66, chairman and CEO of New Balance Athletic Shoe and Middlebury Trustee; Philip O. Geier, executive director of the Davis United World College Scholars Program; David A. Jones, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Humana, Inc., and husband of longtime Middlebury trustee Betty Jones '86 M.A.; William H. Kieffer III '64, former senior vice president of State Street Corporation and Middlebury Trustee; Catherine Grace Lee '91, consultant to Eukor Car Carriers; Russell J. Leng, Middlebury College James Jermain professor of Political Economy and International Law; Victor P. Micati '61, retired executive of Pfizer; and Marna C. Whittington, chief operating officer of Allianz Dresdner Asset Management and Middlebury Trustee. All but Davis, Micati and Whittington were present for the signing.In a recent interview with the MIIS' student-run newspaper Foghorn, President Steven J. Baker announced that Monterey had received a $2 million commitment from Middlebury, but Liebowitz stressed that this money came out of $12.1 million in unsolicited pledges for Middlebury's Monterey initiative. "Not a dollar is going to Monterey from Middlebury's operating budget or endowment," said Liebowitz. Huth echoed these sentiments, saying, "We are being careful to keep the two separate."In the near future, Monterey students can expect to see some immediate changes, but no major new initiatives. One large change will be the presence of the words "an affiliate of Middlebury College" following "MIIS" on its official publications. Most immediate changes, however, will be physical maintenance, whereas academic modifications will come after a 12 to 18-month program assessment. Middlebury's commitment to the environment will be echoed by MIIS, which already confers master's degrees in international environmental management, utilizing foreign language proficiency to tackle transnational problems. "I expect Middlebury's expertise and commitment to environmental education to lead to some innovative developments in Monterey's graduate offerings in international policy studies," said Liebowitz.Middlebury students will not see major changes at all unless they or the faculty propose new ways to cooperate with Monterey. Though Liebowitz reports that students have suggested a variety of possible programs, he is focusing his energies on graduate programs while encouraging a bottom-up approach for the undergraduate program where students and faculty take the proposals through the proper channels for off-campus study. The infrastructure and nature of the Middlebury Language Schools and Schools Abroad make cooperation with another graduate institute like MIIS easier from a logistical standpoint, and the directors of the Schools Abroad will therefore visit MIIS next week to discuss possible strategic cooperation.The two schools plan much collaboration over the upcoming months. Yu reported, "The Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Middlebury College will jointly sponsor a summer workshop on the scientific aspects of nonproliferation issues." In addition, Middlebury will hold an Alumni College in Monterey on marine biology with professors from both schools, and Wil Burns, a Monterey professor of international policy studies, will be a presenter at the Environmental Studies Colloquium in March.
(10/27/05 12:00am)
Author: Melissa Marshall Jason Vrooman is a 2003 Middlebury graduate from Alexandria Bay, NY, currently pursuing a graduate degree in Art History at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. He spends much of his time at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, the museum affiliated with Williams College. The Middlebury Campus: Was your major originally art-related?Jason Vrooman: No, like every incoming Middlebury freshman I figured that I would be Pre-Med. After a semester of Chemistry, I realized that wasn't for me, so then I got into French, psychology and studio art. Actually, my favorite class at Middlebury was probably Medieval Christianity and Reformation. Kate Sonderegger made archaic subject matter exciting! I ended up being a Studio Art major with a minor in Psychology. Then, in the summer of 2001, after sophomore year, I worked with Sandi Olivo, the Curator of Education at Middlebury. I knew I loved art, and I knew I loved teaching so that was ideal for me. Then I interned at the New York Museum of Art and in Washington, D.C. I'm really thankful for what Middlebury offered in ways of art and exposure. I would not be pursuing this track had it not been for my time at Middlebury.The Campus: How did you get involved with the Clark Museum?JV: Well, part of the graduate program at Williams is administered directly between the institute and the College. [Laughs] I spend most of my time in the museum. A lot of graduate students have a work-study position either there or at MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art). I can't think of a more ideal experience for someone who really wants to invest himself in studying art. I actually get to hold objects and I get a lot of chances to go to lectures because the professors talk often about their own work. There are so many diverse scholars here and you have so many opportunities to supplement your own research. The library is just amazing - 200,000 plus volumes just on art - and the interlibrary loan lets you get some rare books.The Campus: What does your job entail?JV: Last year, I worked in the education department at the Clark, and now, I'm working in the conservation laboratory on the Lennett fellowship. The lab focuses on American art conservation. I work four hours a week with the head of the conservation department on restoring a 17 foot long canvas of Jackson Pollock's No.2, 1949. The canvas is really weak and we think Pollock used house paints. It's hard to tell how house paints will react to certain treatments. The piece has already reacted poorly to treatments done by former conservationists, so we have to fix that and be careful. In my culminating work, I have to deliver an hour lecture of the process and on Jackson Pollock. Also, to complete the graduate program you have to write a 30 page qualifying paper, which is kinda like a thesis, but you don't end at that point. Then you have to hone it down to a 20-minute presentation, and there's a symposium where we all present. It's really good because not only do you learn about art, but you also develop presentation skills. The Campus: Do you have any ideas about the topic of your paper?JV: [Laughs.] Good question. I'm leaning more to late 19th-century French artists. Maybe Vuillard Edouard. The Campus: What are some things that a visitor should definitely check out at the Clark?JV: Our most famous pieces are probably John Singer Sargent's "Fumée d'Ambre Gris" and the 14th-century altar piece in the Renaissance Gallery. We also have French Impressionist art. I love this French Collection, but I like the American one too, especially the pieces by Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington. Our current exhibition is entitled "The Clark: Celebrating 50 Years in Nature." It's a celebration of the museum. The neat thing about it is that visitors voted on their 50 favorite works, and it showcases the single largest holding of Winslow Homer's works. There are also different performances throughout the year - chamber groups do classical music, there's also jazz, world music and a pretty regular film series. A lot of this is supplemented by MASS MoCA. Plus, it's always free to students. The Campus: Do you have any plans for when you finish your grad work at Williams?JV: I'll most likely go into museum education, but I may also do classroom. I'm also still keeping open the option of curator. I just want to someway be promoting the connection between public and art.
(04/07/05 12:00am)
Author: JEFF PATTERSON Two hundred-fifty pound David Wells took the mound and maybe some off of it in the time it took for him to throw his 80 pitches, when he opposed the Yankees' 6-10 Randy Johnson. It is arguable that Johnson looked better with a mullet.Both of these over-40 lefties have anything but perfect physiques, yet both have thrown perfect games in their careers. Boomer Wells, with his well-balanced diet of Snackwells and Indian Wells Majovie Gold Premium Lager, and the Big Unit, who is ganglier than a ganglion, are super pitchers, but not supermodels.Many Yankee fans chose to boo from la mer of blue seats when Boomer walked to the visitor's bullpen in order to warm-up. Wells blew on his hand like it was part of his pitching motion, yet opted for short sleeves in the 42-degree weather. He appeared unable to achieve what he had set-out to do: warm-up. He showed signs of a brain freeze when he walked-in the fourth run of the game.The real reason Boston needs to look in the mirror is so its top-notch fans can read the hidden message that is written across the club's road uniforms: (Do) NOT SOB. The Curse has been reversed. Last year, the Beantown Boys looked even worse in their 7-2 loss, on a Sunday night to the Baltimore Orioles. From there they went on to win the World Series. The Red Sox haven't won an Opening Day game since 2000. The first two games of this bitter rivalry were started by National League off-season acquisitions. Carl Pavano (Marlins), the former Red Sox prospect that allowed Boston to acquire Pedro Martinez from the Expos and Matt Clement (Cubs) followed Johnson (Diamondbacks) and Wells (Padres) for the second game of the season. Jay Payton (Padres), Matt Mantei (Diamondbacks) and Edgar Renteria (Cardinals) are now Red Sox, having come over from the NL, while the Yankees brought over Jaret Wright (Braves), Tony Womack (Cardinals) and Mike Stanton (Mets). The number of National League acquisitions for these AL powerhouses raises a question: why would top contenders like the Braves, Cardinals, Cubs and Mets give up star players to their potential opponent in the World Series? Times have changed since the days when baseball players used to stay in the same league for their careers. It wasn't just that the players remained on the same team. They also stayed in the same league. The All-Star game really counted, because fans would root for the league in which their players played. However, now with 19 games against division rivals, general managers have recognized that it would not benefit them to face their former stars over and over again in the regular season. Hopefully, Sunday night's outcome will be reversed during the remainder of the season, and David Wells with start to break pitching records, while Randy Johnson will only break mirrors.
(03/31/05 12:00am)
Author: JEFF PATTERSON First, beFORE the men's golf team could get to the First in Flight state, they had to catch their flight. Two foursomes, eight sets of clubs and several cameras left Adirondack Circle, on time, with Carolina on their minds, but seconds later they would be faced with a large mountain range to climb. With BiHall still in sight, getting to the simple city of Albany for their departure was no longer a task filled with simplicity. The first of two SUVs in the caravan Stopped, U-turned Very swiftly and made a quick trip back to campus. In the meantime, car number two pulled over to the side of the road to wait. It soon found out the ditch it had entered was paralyzing. Even with mud spotted clothes from trying to push the car out and the possibility of missing the flight many teammates were worry free. Since the antenna was at a thirty degree angle, the Minnesota-Iowa St. first-round game finally came in without static. But as time was running out on the travelers and Golden Gophers (the unanimous pick in our brackets), the good mood began to be reversed to a feeling of doom. Fortunately, a jack-of-all-trades, who may have been alive for all trades involving a guy named Jack, pulled-out the pulled-over car with his half tow-rope. To make a short story shorter, we made it to our departure gate with time to spare, even though at the beginning everything looked like a sure gutter ball. The destination was Pinehurst, N.C., a community of 10,000 people that has close to 40 golf courses. It would be an understatement to say that it is a golf town. The U.S. Open will return to Pinehurst best course, No. 2., this June, only six years after it was last held there. The team spent several days practicing on Pinehurst's large putting green, getting it ready for Tiger, Vijay and Ernie Els, who will use putt on the same blades of grass as they wait for their tee-times. Golf coach Beaney, who splits his time coaching men's hockey, arrived a couple days late because he was busy winning his seventh national championship. Dinner tasted much better after the golfers received the news over the phone that both squads had raised their championship trophies above the ice. Fittingly, Beaney met Dean Smith, the University of North Carolina's legendary men's basketball coach, who is also a member of Governor's Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course. Smith, who won two national championships in his career, is still recognized as one of the best coaches in all of sports. One realizes that the five fingers that Beaney used to shake Smith's hand with, theoretically could wear the five more championship rings Middlebury's own owns. I was still shaking so heavily after shaking hands with Michael Jordan's college coach that I made a ten on the first hole. At least three of my shots could have been considered shanks.
(03/03/05 12:00am)
Author: Katie Flagg Following President Ronald D. Liebowitz's Feb. 13 announcement of new security protocol, the task force for the implementation of the enhanced access system has been hard at work facilitating the adoption of new security measures. According to Assistant Treasurer Tom Corbin, head of the task force charged with implementing Liebowitz's 24-hour locking policy, the enhanced access system is scheduled for a "go live date" of March 28.The task force has focused its energies in the past weeks on making sure that both faculty and staff that need access to residence halls during the day have both cards and access to these facilities. The group is coordinating publicity to educate students and community members regarding upcoming security changes, and signs are being printed and e-mails scripted to facilitate campus awareness. The task force is also making long-term recommendations that some additional doors be placed under access control, securing residence halls in mixed-use facilities like the Hepburn and Forest halls.The task force is also working hand-in-hand with the College's Commons system to prepare students for the upcoming change. Commons Deans sent out e-mails to all students on Tuesday announcing the trial run of the new system. On March 16, 17 and 18 - the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday prior to Spring Recess - all dormitories will be locked in order to test the new policy.In an effort to ensure that all students possess access cards by the time of the trial run - and certainly by the time of the full implementation of the new policy - the task force directing implementation has granted a period of amnesty for all students who have lost their school-issue access cards. Until March 7, students will be able to request a replacement access card free of charge. Prior to this decision, Public Safety charged students a $10 replacement fee for lost access cards.In order to obtain new access cards, students are encouraged to send a request, via e-mail, to Commons coordinators including their name and student ID number. Commons offices will be organizing the distribution of new access cards in an attempt to, as Dean of Cook Commons David Edlestein said, ensure students are not "literally left out in the cold."As Liebowitz's task force is hard at work preparing to enact the new locking schedule, and as Commons work to replace lost access cards, the Student Government Association (SGA) is at work on its own - gauging student reactions to the administration's new security policies. SGA President Andrew Jacobi '05 and Wonnacott Senator Eli Berman '07 presented a proposal Sunday to conduct a survey on Bannerweb to gauge student reactions to the new locking schedule.While some members of the SGA felt that the decision had already been made by the administration, and that a survey would have little effect on the actual decision to alter security procedures, others stressed the importance of exploring student opinion on the issue. "Right now, the only plans the SGA has regarding the security system is this survey," said Berman. "All anecdotal evidence points to students being very upset over the implementation of the 24-hour locking schedule, [and the] SGA wants to know the overall feeling on campus."Following discussion, nine members of the SGA voted in favor of the survey, 3 in opposition and 2 abstained from voting. The SGA survey will be conducted online and will assess and gauge how many students lock their doors, when these students lock their doors and will attempt to discover if students will lock their doors less frequently with outside doors locked at all hours of the day. The survey will also ask students if they feel safer with the implementation of the new security policy."We aim to ask unbiased questions, both about how students feel about the decision [to lock doors 24 hours a day] and how safe students feel on campus," said Jacobi. "While we understand that this decision was made for reasons that did not include student opinion, we felt that it was important for the administration to know how students feel about this decision."The survey will also "help answer the question of whether the students who were so upset by this decision make up a vocal minority or whether the majority of students really do feel that this decision was not the right one to make," said Jacobi.Sunday's discussion - and the subsequent decision to issue a survey - signals the SGA's first entrance into the debate of the new policy. "SGA was not included in this decision to any degree," said Berman. "Even if the decision had already been made, it should have been at least discussed with the student body before it was implemented. This is our school, and we have the right to be heard."Jacobi's personal opinions regarding the new policy had little to do with his support of the SGA-sponsored survey. "Personally, I do not have a problem with the decision," he said. "I welcome any reasonable decision that will enhance student safety on campus, and I think that there have been too many incidents of crime and theft within residential spaces this year."That said, Jacobi strongly supports a survey of student opinion. "While the survey may not have any effect on the decision to carry out the new policy, it is always important for administrators to realize the effects their decisions have on the student body, and that is what we are trying to facilitate," he said.
(11/06/03 12:00am)
Author: Ilyse Mehlman In a unanimous vote of 14-0, the Student Government Association (SGA) passed the "Physical Education Requirement Resolution" on Nov. 2, sending to the administration for consideration a bill that will afford student-athletes more flexibility to fulfill Middlebury's two required physical education courses through participation on athletic teams. The bill addresses the current stipulations of the Middlebury College Handbook, which states: "As a part of Middlebury's degree requirement, each student must complete two different physical education courses by the end of the sophomore year. Each course carries one unit of physical education credit by participating in a season of varsity or junior varsity intercollegiate athletics. Two credits can be earned by participation in two different sports." Written by Kevin Sullivan '04.5 when he served as an SGA senator between 2001 and 2002, the Resolution explains, "One season of any intercollegiate athletic team at the varsity, junior varsity or club level is a significant time commitment that exposes students to a variety of physical training exercises and techniques." The resolution maintains that because all athletic teams with coaches on staff require strict attendance, all athletes on teams with hired coaches should receive physical education credit for their participation.Additionally, the bill addresses the fact that, currently, students receive only one physical education credit for participation on an athletic team even if they play the sport for multiple seasons. This bill would amend that rule so that students could receive one credit per season of participation. However, the bill also anticipates the fear of coaches that many students might join a sport played in both fall and spring seasons, such as rugby, for only the fall season. Coaches worry that students might not have any intention of continuing play in the spring and only participate in order to receive physical education credit. The proposal outlines that individual coaches "reserve the right to change the distribution of a physical education credit over one season to multiple seasons."Sullivan first presented this bill to the SGA two years ago. While the SGA passed it, no further steps were taken toward ensuring the bill's implementation. Sullivan's sister, Erin '04.5, student co-chair of Community Council and vice president of the SGA, reintroduced the resolution to the SGA. She explained that since the resolution is now re-endorsed by the SGA, "the SEAC (Student Educational Affairs Committee), the EAC (Educational Affairs Committee) and the faculty will consider the proposal." Explaining her support of the bill, Erin Sullivan said, "It seems unnecessary that on top of that level of commitment [athletes] still have to fulfill the second P.E. credit by taking courses that are very often less demanding and rigorous than the training and challenges that accompany being a part of a team. I hesitate to place on the same level what an athlete learns on the field to what one learns in, say, massage class." Erin Sullivan is "confident that students, especially student-athletes, will be excited if a proposal like this is approved by the faculty." First-year and member of the varsity football team, Jason Korbelik, tended to agree with Sullivan. "It would be really awesome if I didn't have to take the time to take a P.E. class. Even in the off-season, football will require a lot from me. Plus, I will be putting in so much effort each season, it seems crazy to me that my efforts would not be viewed as equal to the efforts of students in P.E. classes." Sophomore and member of the junior varsity field hockey team, Eriko Hashimoto asserts a somewhat different point of view. "The bill makes a lot of sense in allowing club sports to count toward P.E. credit because students are putting in a huge time commitment as well as showing a commitment to athleticism. As for varsity sports, I don't really care if one sport for all four seasons counts as one credit. The whole point of the P.E. requirement is so that students try out different activities. Even if you are an all-star athlete, the college might want you to try something else you aren't as good at. I wouldn't necessarily push for one sport as two credits, but I am not against it, either."Now that the SGA has approved the bill, its implementation is out of student control. Erin Sullivan explained, "It is hard to gauge how the faculty will feel about a proposal like this. On the other hand, I really don't think the proposal is making any excessive demands. Why bog students down with extraneous requirements that perpetuate the campus culture of stress and never having enough time in the day?"
(10/30/03 12:00am)
Author: Abbie Beane Anyone still searching for last minute Halloween costume ideas? Well, who knew that dressing up as Catwoman, a red rubber ball or a condom could be so frightening? A new form of body painting involving liquid latex takes "horror" to a new level.This simple rubber compound is a fluid medium you simply paint on the skin and allow to dry. By building up layers, whole outfits can be made and worn out in public, or in private if you so desire. Although this unique material is normally only popular for painted-on costuming effects in movies, music videos and on the fetish dance club scene (with which some are more familiar than others), it's so easily transportable, what's stopping it from bouncing onto the Middlebury College scene as well? I mean, besides the fact that it's 30 degrees outside and no one wants to see you walking around in the dining hall in skintight latex? There are some technical concerns, however, that branch out beyond the "bashful box." The first concern of working with liquid latex is latex sensitivity. Firstly, you must patch test your model, painting a small area onto an arm or leg, leaving it on long enough to see if it causes any reddening or irritation, to check for product reaction. The product label warns that anyone with a known latex allergy should avoid any and all contact with liquid latex. A secondary concern is that liquid latex can be absorbed into anything made of cloth or with a fabric surface. As a precaution, put down some sort of plastic tarp or drop cloth in the painting area. And unless asphyxiation is your goal, do your painting in a properly ventilated area as liquid latex lets off a small amount of ammonia vapors. Be sure to let each coat dry completely before applying the next one, and use three or more coats for the best solid coverage. The last concern is, you guessed it, body hair. No worries, it can be dealt with in several ways, either by shaving, trimming short or painting onto a bare area only. Applying a liberal amount of body lotion is also necessary. Bristle brushes, sponges and fingers all work for applying liquid latex, and each ushers in a different effect and texture. Liquid latex looks almost pastel when it's wet and dries to a much darker shade, so you'll have to think out your designs to decide if it's better to layer dark colors over light or vice versa. Some liquid latex colors are even black-light sensitive, and stripes and spots can get quite exciting in the dark, particularly at McCullough dance parties.Once you paint on your latex, the surface needs to be sealed or finished to prevent the sticking and tearing. Liquid latex advises using a water/silicone-based polish, like on your car, or a product from Deviant Liquid Latex called "Stardust," a metallic powder. Make sure that no one area of latex touches another while it's still wet or it will stick!The unfortunate news is that the personalized outfit is destroyed as soon as you cut it off or tear it by pulling. The longer the latex has been worn, the more perspiration will have built up, and the easier it will be to pull off the body. Yet if you're a boring, rigid person who simply cannot bear parting with your colorful, flexible other self, find a spandex/nylon stretch cat-suit that fits you snugly and has a zipper down the torso that lets you in and out of the garment. All you have to do is put on the cat-suit and paint the entire thing with liquid latex, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next one. Polish the entire surface when you are done painting, unzip, climb out and store the suit away from sunlight and contact with anything metallic or oily to allow it the longest life. Some would even argue that this will transform you into a living, breathing, walking piece of artwork - or one sick puppy.
(10/23/03 12:00am)
Author: Megan Michelson When Dean Ouellette was 20 years old, he decided that he wanted to hike all 272 miles of the Long Trail, which winds along the Green Mountains through the entire length of Vermont. He set out by himself, with a backpack filled with a sleeping bag, tent, unreliable cooking stove and enough packaged noodles to last him to his set food refill point 100 miles along the trail at the Middlebury Gap. He carried little else with him. "I had no money. I was 20 years old, I didn't care. I know I wouldn't ever do that today," said Ouellette, who now at the age of 31 works as the maintenance supervisor of electricians for Middlebury College's Facilities Management Department. Ouellette completed the trail in a swift 20 days, averaging just over 13 miles a day. When his stove stopped working, the young hiker sat atop the 4,083 foot peak at Camel's Hump and wondered how he would prepare his next meal. Over 10 years later, he still remembers the name of the woman who hiked up alongside him and offered to lend him money to buy a few items at the next store he passed along the way. "Her name was Laurie Spaulding. She said she'd lend me $40, but when I got to the store, she had left $60 waiting for me," Ouellete recalled. "I sent her a check to reimburse her as soon as I completed the trail." Stories like these are not uncommon on the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States - the Long Trail, found right here in Vermont. "It may not be the longest trail, or even the best trail, but it is the oldest," said Ouellette, a lifelong Vermonter. The trail crosses three arctic-alpine zones, four federal wilderness areas, six ski resorts, a national forest and overlaps with over 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail. It climbs five peaks, the highest being the 3,494 foot summit of Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, and it sinks to low elevations of around 300 feet in areas of southern Vermont.What makes the Long Trail stand out, however, besides its venerability, is perhaps the trail's degree of difficulty. "It is a surprisingly big challenge for people to hike the whole distance. A lot of people who hike the Appalachian Trail comment on how difficult it is when they hit Vermont," said Keri Foster, the membership and volunteer coordinator for the Green Mountain Club. The Club is Vermont's premier hiking organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the Long Trail system. Since the trail was completed in 1930, a recorded 2,400 people have hiked it in its entirety. According to Foster, there were 188 thru-hikers recorded last year. So far this hiking season, which will continue until January, the total count is up to 90. "It seems as though there's more hikers than usual this year. The good weather might have had an impact. Also, it seems like since Sept. 11, more people have decided to stay close to home to hike the trail in their own backyards," said Foster. Only about half of the recorded Long Trail hikers, however, are actually from Vermont. "We've had people from Alaska, Quebec, Pennsylvania and Georgia just recently. They come from all over the place," she said. "Last year New Zealand and India were represented on the Long Trail." The Green Mountain Club records thru-hikers by asking individuals to submit end-to-end applications and a 10-page summary of their hikes, making it difficult to keep accurate calculations. "We can only track the people who send in the application. There are probably a lot of people who we can't record. And many people wait up to several years before filling out their application," explained Foster. Those who do send in their impressions and stories often include humorous and inspirational tales, the likes of which can only be had in the remote woods of the Green Mountains. Hikers have carried everything from tubas to rubber chickens, documenting their journeys with photographs along the way. One city dweller lugged along a bulky air mattress and foot pump to provide more nighttime comfort. Another young hiker, a 14-year-old boy from Vermont, proudly claimed he finished the entire trail in order to prove to his parents that he was worthy of earning his driver's permit. Eighty-year-old Bob Northrop has completed the Long Trail six times. And last summer, a family of seven walked all 272 miles together. The Long Trail's distance and elevation climbs make it a realistic long-distance hike for hikers of nearly all experience levels. "The time frame is very manageable. Unlike the Appalachian Trail which takes six months to complete, most people do the Long Trail in about three weeks. It's easy for some people to just drop out of their lives for 27 days and go hike the Long Trail," said Foster. Ouellette says he may try to do the Long Trail again some day, but for now, he's focused on his family and on climbing all 46 of the 4,000 foot peaks in New York's Adirondack Mountains. His longing to be back on the trail runs deep. "There's something great about being able to survive solely on what you can carry on your back," said Ouellette. What draws so many other people to endure the lifestyle of a Long Trail hiker is not always known, but according to Foster, there is one thing that brings people back. "The best feature of the Trail? It's in Vermont!" For more information on hiking the Long Trail, visit the Green Mountain Club's Web site at greenmoutainclub.org, contact them by phone at 802-244-4237, or stop by at the hiker center in Waterbury, Vt.
(04/16/03 12:00am)
Author: Campus Editor in Chief Pascale LaFountain '04 was recently awarded the Beinecke Brothers Memorial Scholarship, a highly esteemed and competitive national award. The scholarship provides substantial financial awards to be used toward the graduate education of students who display "exceptional promise" in subjects related to the arts, humanities or social sciences. LaFountain will initially receive $2,000 at the end of her senior year, with an additional $30,000 will follow once she begins graduate school. The Beinecke Scholarship Program was established in 1971 by the Board of Directors of the Sperry and Hutchinson Company, in memory of the father and two uncles of company president William Sperry Beinecke. It is an extremely competitive program: each year, only about 100 prestigious colleges and universities from around the country are invited to nominate one candidate. The student must be in his or her junior year and should display "superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement and personal promise." Demonstrated need for financial aid is an additional qualification. From the already academically impressive group of candidates created from this initial selection, only about 20 are chosen to receive a scholarship. This year, LaFountain was one of 23 applicants, along with students from such schools as Williams, Yale and Vassar, selected from a group of 87 nominees. She is only the fourth Middlebury student to win a Beinecke award in the last 15 years. The most recent selection of a Middlebury candidate, Kate E. Skonieczki '99, was in 1998.Middlebury's selection committee, composed of Associate Professor of Classics Marc Witkin, Assistant Professor of Chinese Carrie Reed, Associate Professor of Political Science Mark Williams, and Director of Student Fellowships and Scholarships Arlinda Wickland, considered several candidates from the junior class. LaFountain was chosen as Middlebury's Beinecke applicant for this year after a process that involved an interview with the committee and the submission of an essay describing academic background and accomplishments, plans for graduate study and career aspirations. A German and French double major with a teacher education minor, LaFountain hopes to earn a Ph.D. in German and comparative literature at an institution such as the University of Michigan, with the eventual goal of beginning a teaching career. LaFountain was excited and "honestly surprised" at having won the Beinecke, she said. "I was surprised that I was even the first selection on campus" to apply for the award. However, Reed, who also advised LaFountain on the revision of her essay for the application, expressed her confidence in her chances: "I was not at all surprised. I had a strong feeling at the interview that she had a good chance of being awarded the scholarship." Wickland similarly voiced her opinion that LaFountain seemed to be "a perfect candidate" to win. "Pascale demonstrates independence of thought, is academically accomplished, passionate about her area of study and articulate about her research interests. She is poised to pursue rigorous graduate [studies]." Praise was echoed by Dr. Thomas Parkinson, director of the Beinecke Scholarship Program. A member of the scholarship's selection committee, he was impressed with LaFountain's "high degree of academic focus relative to most college juniors" displayed in her application. He added that LaFountain's credentials were impressive enough to stand out even in the initial evaluation of nominees, and she was one of the first to be selected to receive the award. According to Parkinson, in recent years "the quality of the nominees has increased and the competition has become very selective, so Pascale's selection is even more noteworthy."
(10/30/02 12:00am)
Author: [no author name found] At the risk of opening healing wounds, I write the following article, for there is a bigger issue at hand: What is the value of a liberal arts education?The first week of med school was over. I walked down to the crowded TV lounge in my dorm and awaited the season opener of "Saturday Night Live." As the show ended, a business student shouted, "Now that the economy is bad, it'll be harder for me to find a job. My degree will be worthless. I want a rebate." Then, another business student replied, "You're here. You're learning. That's all that matters." The first person graduated from a famous Canadian university. The second was a Midd alumna. Let's do some math. The comprehensive fee is $35,900. (However, a Midd-ucation costs more than that — about double. But we'll ignore that little fact.) I'm going to assume that of this amount, $29,600 covers tuition, $2,100 covers room and $2,100 covers board. (These are amounts refunded if you live off-campus and if you choose not to use the meal plan.) Now, let's assume that you eat 660 meals a year at Midd. (This is actually a conservative estimate.) This means that you're paying about $3 per meal. Very few things cost as little as $3. You can't get a complete meal at McDonald's for $3; you can't get a pair of socks for $3; and you can't get a Fabergé Egg for $3. But nevertheless, Sarah McCabe '05 feels cheated (as manifest in a article in which she complained about the quality of Middining), as though someone or something is ripping her off. For $3, McCabe wants good bagels, unending supplies of her favorite cereal (though she gets upset when she has to eat cereal) and Fabergé Eggs. In other words, McCabe is a smart shopper; she wants to maximize the buying power of each and every dollar she hands over to the College treasurer or to anyone else. She is a consumer, one with a sense of entitlement — "Where's my Fabergé Egg?"So, what's a fair market-value for a Midd-ucation — for a really nice piece of paper with Latin all over it, for a decorative cane, for a few acquaintances, for a few decent rooms, for a lot of disappointing meals (at least to McCabe) and a little bit of learning? $35,900 x 4=$158,000? Is it worth it? "Where can I get coupons?"As one who loves his alma mater dearly, I hope that there aren't others who harbor such notions of entitlement and consumerism. Indeed, such attitudes can and will lead to the collapse of the ivory tower, and the end of liberal arts educations. Indeed, from an investment point of view, liberal arts educations are the equivalent of junk bonds — not much equity, not many returns per unit of price. A smart consumer might prefer the University of Phoenix or Tech-Certification Programs at Cisco Systems or Microsoft. Indeed, since the University of Phoenix is entirely online, one can work and attend school (i.e. make money and earn a degree) at the same time. And since computer networks and Windows constantly seem to be "down," technicians will always be in demand. Heck, there's also the DeVry Institute, the Lincoln School for Automotive and AC Repair and "The School of Hard Knocks," which, I hear, is known for its ancient literature and cosmological physics departments.But if one is more traditional, public universities are always an option. In fact, McCabe points out: "We can get a very good education at a state school. We can get a superb education for half of what we pay at Middlebury." Indeed, public universities are the educational equivalents of wholesale warehouses. Sure, they're crowded, but they have some really good bargains. Buy in bulk! Bigger means better, right?In the Sept. 18 issue of The Campus, Pete Steinberg '99, my former junior counselor wrote that he was jealous of current Middlebury students. I'm jealous too. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, you are surrounded by beauty — beautiful places, beautiful things, beautiful people. And if you're lucky enough, this beauty will change you. I think that this is what it all boils down to. What does $158,000 really get you? Quite simply: the chance to change, to become a new person, hopefully, to become a better person. But is it really worth it? Is this a fair market value? I hope that you at some point during your four years at Middlebury, you will be able to pronounce with confidence, "Yes." Daniel Choi graduated from Middlebury College in 2001.He is currently enrolled at the University of Chicago Medical School.
