104 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/09/20 9:59am)
Six days after most Middlebury students vacated campus to continue classes from home, the college admitted its biggest class of prospective students ever.
The acceptance letters received by 1,836 high school seniors this March, plus the 392 early decision acceptances doled out in December and February, were the first in a string of correspondences the college will send accepted students as it tries to virtually woo young adults who are making college decisions in one of the most unusual times in recent history. With campus completely closed to visitors, the Office of Admissions will now depend on webinars, social media posts, and its own students and alumni to replicate that feel-it-in-your-bones sense many students look for when they attend Preview Days in the spring.
Even with heightened virtual efforts, however, colleges around the world are facing Covid-19-related challenges that could lead students to either enroll in the fall as planned, or defer their admissions — a process experts refer to as “melt.” As a buffer, Middlebury admitted more students than usual to ensure it would reach its desired yield of 725–740 enrollees. The result is a pool of admittees that is nearly 700 students larger than last year’s and an acceptance rate that surpasses 20% for the first time in more than a decade.
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
Differing solutions to a potential yield problem across higher education suggest that navigating challenges posed by Covid-19 isn’t as black-and-white as just admitting more or fewer students on the front end. As Middlebury ramped up its acceptance rates, peer schools such as Colby and Bowdoin hit record-low rates. College admissions consultant Matthew Greene said that he anticipates many schools will take this latter approach, and will rely on their waitlists to address potential melt. Middlebury has not released its waitlist information for the class of 2024.
Greene said he thinks Middlebury’s method of accepting more students is “not a bad idea in the sense that students will be much more excited about a college if they’re admitted.” On the flipside, Greene said, the risk could be over enrolling the freshman class.
College Treasurer David Provost said the college is not necessarily trying to enroll more students, but is rather bracing itself for more pressure on financial aid and an uptick in deferrals, among other projections. Data is already beginning to support that more students are planning on taking time off before starting school next fall. Edmit, a Boston-based company that advises students on paying for college, conducted a survey of 100 college-bound students and found that one-third of respondents were considering taking a gap year. Another quarter of students said they were considering going to school closer to home, or in an area that is less affected by the virus.
“This wasn't a large sample size, but is consistent with dozens of conversations I've had with high school counselors, college-bound families and college admissions offices,” said Edmit co-founder and CEO Nick Ducoff.
Additionally, 10.5% of Middlebury’s admitted class is made up of international students, raising questions about access come fall. “Will travel rebound?” said Dean of Admissions Nicole Curvin. “Will they be able to get visas? Will countries open up so we’re able to get students to campus and to get them to orientation? We’re in really uncharted territory.”
There’s no historical precedent for the current crisis, but Greene pointed to the September 11 attacks and the 2008 financial crisis as other phenomena that affected students’ decisions about college on a macro level. In 2002, the college raised its acceptance rate from 26% to 31%, before dropping again the following year to 28%. In 2009, the college also saw a higher acceptance rate, but that was partly due to a decrease in applications by nearly 1,000 that year.
The applicant pool also decreased this year, which contributed to the higher acceptance rate for the class of 2024. The decline of about 585 applications from last year’s record-breaking numbers is unrelated to the coronavirus — regular decision applications were due on January 1, before China had even reported its first coronavirus-related deaths — but rather an ongoing demographic shift, according to Curvin, as fewer high school graduates come out of New England and more come out of the South and West.
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
“That was something we anticipated,” Curvin said. “We had a record high last year, and expected there would be a softening this year.”
Greene said he does not think Middlebury’s uncharacteristically high acceptance rate this year will hurt the college going forward.
“I think it’s going to be a blip, a small blip,” he said. “And I think that admissions rate is a small factor in the rankings game.”
Putting its best foot forward
Meanwhile, the college is inviting all hands on deck to show prospective students — including the 70% of admits who have never visited campus — why they should pick Middlebury. Instead of holding a virtual version of Preview Days, which was originally scheduled for early next week, Curvin said the office will try to maintain as much regular contact with students as possible, with daily emails and the help of Midd Kids from all over the world. Already, 450 current students have signed up to text admitted students about the college. Alumni who conduct admissions interviews will also reach out, and there will be scores of virtual panels and webinars on Zoom for those who want to know what it’s like to be a Feb or how the Center for Careers and Internships works.
In the absence of overnight stays and in-person tours, this sort of peer-to-peer outreach is key. Mariclare O’Neal, a high school guidance counselor in Chelmsford, Mass., said she thinks the biggest loss for students will be not getting a sense of the social environment on campus.
“I love accepted students days,” she said. “I think they tell you about the school. You get a vibe.”
The Office of Admissions was already beginning to build the groundwork for some of these online events and outreach initiatives. The Student Ambassador program for example, led by some members of the class of 2022 last fall, connected high schoolers from areas that fall outside the college’s usual purview with current Middlebury students who also live in those areas. And generally, as the number of applicants from New England has declined, the college has been boosting efforts to market itself online to those who might be more than a drive up Interstate-89 away.
Still, there was a mad dash in the days before decisions came out to create a revamped website for admitted students that includes a live chat feature, several FAQs videos on life at Middlebury that current students recorded from home and a schedule of webinars.
Andrew Cassel, the college’s new director of social media and content producing, said the Office of Admissions and Office of Communications created the website “over an intense four-and-a-half days.” He has been sharing informational posts about the college on its Instagram each day at noon and has turned to platforms like Facebook and TikTok to reach prospective students.
“Being able to engage with [newly admitted students] on TikTok helps differentiate Middlebury from other schools that may not have a TikTok presence,” Cassel said. He said there have been increases in the college’s Instagram and TikTok followings since the decisions were released.
https://www.tiktok.com/@middleburycollege/video/6805623602482892038
Senior Admissions Fellow Julia Sinton ’20.5 said she thinks one of Middlebury’s big selling points is its attractive campus. She noted that about half of the college’s visitors come in the summer. “So I think we're hoping to be open again in the summer and have a lot of visitors then,” she said.
Sinton and the other senior admissions fellows are still giving six information sessions a week via Zoom. Her info session yesterday saw an audience of 82 families, who asked about 50 questions using Zoom’s chat function, she said.
Fellow Sandhya Sewnauth ’20 agreed that Middlebury’s rural charm is an important facet of its appeal.
“I do think that for students who are unfamiliar with rural environments and small towns, there is certainly an aura that you get once you are on campus that can only be felt in-person — I can recall this feeling when I visited Midd as a high school senior from New York City,” she said. “It was different from looking at pretty pictures in brochures, or YouTube videos of campus tours.”
Greene thinks Middlebury’s cloistered location will be a selling point this year, as coronavirus overwhelms crowded cities. But he also noted that it can be difficult to get there, sometimes requiring connecting flights through multiple airports.
“Clearly, safety and security are going to be top of mind for families,” he said.
Colleges all over the country are extending their deposit deadlines to June 1, but Middlebury is sticking to its May 1 date. Students who plan on deferring, meanwhile, must let the college know no later than June 1, according to the college’s website.
As one commenter wondered aloud on a College Confidential thread about the college’s uptick in admissions, it will be difficult to know until then how many students will actually matriculate in September. “It actually makes little sense, considering that they have had over-enrollment in the past and it didn't go well,” they said about the higher acceptance rate. “Alternatively, perhaps they know something that the other NESCACs don't.”
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
Editor's note: This story previously featured a photo from a webinar for incoming Febs. That picture has since been removed because one of the webinar's participants did not want her photo available on the internet.
(04/02/20 10:00am)
The Campus has been keeping track of restaurants and retail outlets in the town of Middlebury during Covid-19. Check below to see the status of town businesses.
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
(03/28/20 5:12pm)
Last updated April 20, 1:00 p.m.
Colleges across Vermont and Middlebury's peer schools in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) have been faced with the possibility of not conducting commencement exercises as originally planned, due to concerns about in-person gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. The Campus has been tracking as colleges announce postponements or cancellations for ceremonies in the spring.
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
Amherst College and Bowdoin College have decided to postpone commencement exercises, without yet revealing the specifics of what those postponed commencements will look like.
Tufts University was the latest university in the NESCAC to postpone its commencement. "Though we unfortunately cannot be together in person, we will celebrate the class of 2020 on May 17 with the university’s first virtual Commencement ceremony," president Anthony Monaco said in a March 26 statement. The decision was met with considerable opposition, as reported in The Tufts Daily, and a a petition to reschedule an in-person commencement is now circulating online. The petition had received over 4,300 signatures as of Saturday, March 28.
The university since walked back the idea of a virtual commencement and announced it would hold an in-person ceremony "when it is safe to do so."
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
Six Vermont colleges and universities have announced that they will postpone their commencements, some as late in 2021.
(03/13/20 9:00am)
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
Last updated March 20, 2:40 p.m.
For updates on the suspension of classes at the Vermont campus, check here.
All remaining students abroad
Middlebury has advised all remaining students studying abroad on externally sponsored programs to return to the U.S. immediately, according to an update from Dean of International Programs Carlos Vélez. This advisory follows the U.S. Department of State’s Global Level 4 Health Advisory announced on March 19 and will impact 108 students. “These decisions never come easily, and we never could have imagined that we would be suspending all of our programs and calling all of our students home from abroad,” the message read.
The State Department has advised all U.S. citizens to avoid international travel and for those currently abroad to arrange for immediate return to the U.S. Many of the universities where Middlebury students were studying this semester have implemented online learning options so students can complete course work remotely.
Read the college's March 20 announcement here.
Schools abroad in Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Uruguay
Programs suspended on March 13 for spring semester
The remaining five Middlebury schools abroad were suspended on Friday, according to an update from Dean of International Programs Carlos Vélez. "Despite the fact that confirmed cases of COVID-19 remain relatively low in your host countries, we are very concerned about the imposition of future travel bans and other restrictions around the globe," the statement said.
Students enrolled in the programs in Latin America will be given the option to withdraw from the program with no academic credit and a full tuition refund, or to remain in the program with remote coursework for a full semester of Middlebury credit, according to a Friday email to enrollees' parents from Assistant Director of International Programs Alessandra Capossela. The Campus is currently looking into what the academic options will be for students enrolled in programs in other areas.
Read the college's March 13 announcement here.
Schools abroad in France, Germany, India, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Russia, Spain
Programs suspended on March 12 for spring semester
The college suspended eight of its abroad programs on Thursday, two days after the college suspended on-campus classes at his core campus. An email to all schools abroad students said the decision was based in part on the CDC's newly elevated advisory of all European countries to Level 3 status, as well as the U.S. Department of State's new global health advisory and President Donald Trump's proclamation of a travel ban on foreign nationals from Europe to the U.S. The email asked students to make arrangements to go home "as soon as possible."
Read the college's March 12 announcement here.
Middlebury Institute for International Studies in Monterey
Classes to continue remotely after spring break ends on March 23
The institute had a planned spring break beginning this Friday, March 13. After break, classes will resume remotely on March 23, and will remain so for the rest of the semester.
Read the college’s March 10 announcement here.
Middlebury-CMRS program in Oxford
Program suspended on March 10 for spring semester
The college suspended the Middlebury College CMRS-Oxford Humanities Program in England on March 10. The 35 participating students will complete their studies remotely, including the research project that constitutes a main part of the program. They have been asked to leave the country by March 15.
School abroad in Italy
Program suspended on Feb. 20 for spring semester
The college suspended its programs in Florence, Rome and Ferrara on Feb. 29, 11 days after the programs there began. Students were given the option to take the semester off and get refunded for the semester’s tuition, or to take online classes taught by professors at Sede Capponi, the Middlebury Center in Florence.
Read The Campus’s coverage of those cancellations here.
School abroad in China
Program suspended on Jan. 28 for spring semester
The schools Hangzhou, Kunming and Beijing were closed in late January, before the spring semester began and while the coronavirus was still peaking in the country. The 11 students who had already arrived in China had to evacuate, some of whom were able to reenroll at the college in the spring.
Read The Campus’s coverage of those cancellations here.
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}})}();
(03/03/20 2:51pm)
Monday, March 2, 7:00 p.m. At last night's Town Meeting, residents discussed and debated on a variety of issues, including water system transmission and distribution improvements, flood resiliency measures and funding for police and EMS. Voters will vote on these issues in today's Australian Ballot.
(03/03/20 2:48pm)
Today’s the day. Polls are open in Vermont until 7 p.m. tonight. Throughout the day, The Campus staff will be reporting from across Vermont on voting news, election events and results as the evening progresses. Check out last week’s Voting Guide for more information on the voting process in Middlebury.
(02/27/20 11:59am)
Middlebury C.V. Starr Schools Abroad continue to react to the global spread of Coronavirus. With over 300 cases confirmed in Italy, Middlebury’s host university in Ferrara, Italy has decided to postpone the start of the semester. As a result, the one Middlebury student currently studying in Ferrara has been asked to relocate to Florence or Rome, according to an announcement from Rosa Cuda, director of the School in Italy.
Students studying abroad in France received an email notifying them that if they have recently traveled to the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto, they must “remain at home for 14 days,” according to School in France Director David Paoli.
This is a developing story.
(02/13/20 10:59am)
I expected to write this column under vastly different circumstances. Today, Thursday, February 13, should have marked the start of Middlebury’s semester-long study abroad programs in the bustling Chinese metropolises of Beijing, Hangzhou and Kunming. Over two weeks ago, I finished a month-long intensive language program and was looking forward to traveling with my classmates on our new year holiday break and visiting the Snow and Ice Festival of Harbin and the ancient Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang.
Instead, I sit writing this piece at home, having repatriated back to the U.S. and a week into self-quarantine. The new year travel period, known as chunyun, is usually the largest annual human migration in the world. Normally, close to 3 billion trips are made over the 40-day period as workers across the country return to their families to celebrate the new year. And yet my new year holiday, like many others’, ended only two days after it started, train tickets refunded and plans upended.
Beyond holiday cancellations, the spread of the coronavirus has invoked a sense of fear and xenophobia towards Chinese around the world, causing division and provoking often discriminatory attitudes in shops, restaurants and college campuses. As countries have closed their borders to those from China in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus, disinformation spread through the media has resulted in a perceived global crisis.
So how did we get here?
On Jan. 16, Middlebury students studying abroad in China received an email from Global Rescue, indicating that the “U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ha[d] issued a Watch Level 1 Alert.” We were advised to “be aware and practice usual precautions” for an “outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, preliminarily identified to be caused by a novel (new) coronavirus.” It was not until the following week, however, on Jan. 21, when I began to focus on the coronavirus outbreak shaking China to its core. The virus was and is believed to have originated in Wuhan, the sprawling capital of central China’s Hubei Province and home to 11 million residents.
I visited Wuhan in the summer of 2017 and had fond memories of my time there. Under the blazing heat, I enjoyed dishes of reganmian — hot dry noodles — as I climbed the Yellow Crane Tower for a view of a city larger than New York or London. More than 500 Americans have been evacuated from that same city since the beginning of the outbreak.
From our position in Beijing — over 600 miles away — our group initially felt a sort of immunity to this new disease that few could confirm exact details as to its source and spread. And yet as cases began to pop up in Beijing and throughout the country (as of now, the virus has spread to every region in China), we began to echo the sense of fear and paranoia felt by our Chinese counterparts.
During the final week of our J-term program, residents of Beijing donned masks and started to cancel new year plans. We watched as a typically joyous time transformed into a grim one. Wuhan and the surrounding area went into lockdown and quarantine. Residents in Beijing rushed to the supermarkets and pharmacies, buying every face mask and hand sanitizer in sight. The Chinese government China made an impressive response to the coronavirus’ spread, shutting down tourist attractions nationwide and attempting to limit travel on the country’s extremely popular rail network. The effects of the virus were felt on a person-to-person level as well. On the eve of Chinese New Year, I had the privilege to be invited to a local friend’s celebration banquet. A depressing undertone filled the air of a usually lively restaurant, as the family next to us removed their masks only to eat.
The following day, I made the decision to continue with our small group’s trip up north to Harbin. After analyzing the situation as it stood at the time, I believed that the risk of anyone in our student group contracting the virus was still quite low. However, the country remained on high alert. China’s supply of thermometers seemed to quadruple as in every public place, temperature checks became ubiquitous. Even outside walking around Harbin’s Snow and Ice Festival, tourists wore masks as security guards pointed thermometers at every entrance.
Still, a day into our trip we received an email from Middlebury’s study abroad office, instructing us to return to Beijing and gather in our dorm hotel to await further instructions. The rapidly changing situation meant that each day brought new restrictions nationwide — intercity bus services suspended, the official new year holiday extended, schools and universities cancelled until further notice. Many of our Chinese counterparts spent upwards of a week at home, with friends in Harbin cancelling dinner plans in fear of spreading the virus. Upon arriving back in Beijing, myself and my classmates were all placed in separate single rooms to undergo 14 days of health screening, since we came from outside Beijing. This consisted of three temperature checks throughout the day: one in the morning, one at noon and one at night.
On the few occasions I ventured out during those days, I saw a city unlike the Beijing I had seen before. China’s capital had begun to show early signs of a “ghost town.” Many gated neighborhood communities in Beijing sealed themselves off from the outside. Taxis and cars sped along Beijing’s usually congested streets, with most people inside in fear of spreading the virus. Restaurants closed and dozens queued outside one of the only open eating establishments, hoping for a supply of fresh vegetables to bring home.
On Jan. 29, we woke up to notice from Middlebury that the college had made the decision to suspend all programs in China for the spring semester. The days that ensued consisted of trips to the bank and cell phone store, closing accounts and refunding phone plans. Our group of 24 dwindled as students left on flights operated by airlines that were constantly announcing cancellations. On campus, movement became more restricted as security guards required us to register and inform them of our whereabouts whenever entering or leaving campus. Fast food and takeout became the norm for meals, as they were the only establishments open and involved minimal amounts of close contact. Takeout drivers crisscrossed the city as bags of food piled up in restaurants, waiting to be delivered.
After 37 days in China, I was among the last Middlebury students to leave. On the final night before my repatriation, I walked around an eerily quiet dorm building. I mentally prepared to cut my semester abroad short by more than three months and wondered when I would return.
Leaving China is a privilege. I know that for many in the country, leaving is not an option. Many of my local counterparts have friends and family affected by the coronavirus epidemic. People who have visited mainland China in the past 14 days are currently unable to travel to the U.S. Fear around the global spread of the coronavirus has fueled racism and xenophobia around the world. These thoughts are misinformed and those who believe them fail to understand the vibrancy and diversity of China, its culture and its people. After completing my 19th trip to the Middle Kingdom since 2006, I have every motivation to return. Why? Because this country has given me hope, opportunity and energy, and we should give it the same.
Benjy Renton ’21 was The Campus’ senior local editor this fall.
(11/24/19 9:20pm)
Snow fell on the turf throughout the morning, but the Middlebury field hockey team was not kept away as it captured its third consecutive national championship — its fourth in five years. This was the second-ranked Panthers' fifth NCAA Division III championship win, having previously captured the title in 1998, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
The Panthers traveled to the final four for the 11th time in program history after receiving an automatic bid with a NESCAC championship win, securing victories against Babson (2–1) and Kean (4–1) in the regional round. Yesterday's national semifinal was played in Manheim, Pa., where Middlebury defeated the Salisbury Sea Gulls 1–0. Off an assist from Erin Nicholas '21, Katie George '23 fired the ball inside the right post with 6:27 left in the third quarter. The defensive squad was able to hold off Salisbury without a shot until 7:51 remaining in regulation. Middlebury took advantage on both shots (13) and penalty corners (six).
The Panthers faced off against the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats, who advanced to the championship match for the first time since 1981 after scoring a 3–1 victory against Johns Hopkins.
After a delayed start time due to snow earlier in the morning, the game remained scoreless for the first three quarters. With 6:17 left in regulation, Marissa Baker '20 put a low shot in against Franklin & Marshall goalie Christina Seery, off an assist from Isabel Chandler '21. The Diplomats tried to rebound in the last few minutes of the game, earning penalty corner ending in a blocked shot.
(11/21/19 11:00am)
This past year has brought significant changes to the higher education landscape in Vermont, as Green Mountain College, College of St. Joseph and Southern Vermont College closed due to declining enrollment and financial issues. One more college has just announced changes to its operations — Marlboro College plans on giving its endowment and real estate assets to Emerson College in Boston.
This merger has been in the works since early 2019, according to a statement from Marlboro College. “The Board’s willingness to address all of these challenges now has meant that Marlboro, unlike our neighbors, has the resources to forge a partnership that ensures the continuation of our mission,” wrote Marlboro College President Kevin Quigley. Earlier in the fall, Marlboro investigated the possibility of merging with the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, but the deal fell through. In a campus memo, Laura Skandera Trombley, Bridgeport’s president, said that Marlboro’s “challenges are too great for us to proceed,” according to Inside Higher Ed.
The acquisition would mean that Marlboro’s 146 students would be admitted to Emerson, and its 24 tenured or tenure-track faculty members would be invited to teach at the school in Boston, which has 3,800 undergraduates and 633 graduate students.
“The Institute [for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies] will be renamed for Marlboro and will welcome existing Marlboro students and tenure-line and tenured Marlboro faculty who wish to continue their work at Emerson,” Quigley wrote to the Berkley Beacon, the student newspaper at Emerson.
In addition, Marlboro’s endowment and real estate holdings will be given to Emerson, valued at $30 million and $10 million respectively. For a school of its size, the endowment is considered to be healthy and the college will close virtually debt-free at the end of the 2019–2020 academic year.
“It is not a closure,” Quigley said in an interview with VTDigger earlier in the month, immediately following the announcement. “It is a transition of the Marlboro program to Emerson College.”
The transition of Marlboro College will leave an impact on the surrounding area, particularly on staff, due to its location in a town of around 1,000 in southern Vermont.
“Marlboro is a rural community,” Tim Patterson told The Campus. Patterson formerly served as the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Sterling College, an institution with 125 students in Craftsbury Common, Vermont.
“There are not a lot of jobs. It will be very challenging to find comparable employment unless some other organization comes in to fill this void.”
The fate of the Marlboro Music Festival, a retreat and concert series held every year on campus, remains unknown. Last year, administrators at the college signed a 99-year lease with the festival.
“It does leave staff and others — students and faculty who aren’t in a position to move to Boston — out in the cold,” Patterson said. “I hope that something will grow in the town of Marlboro.” Patterson speculated that students close to graduating would be willing to transfer to Boston, but those starting their college careers at Marlboro would be more reluctant to do so. “To go from a very rural hilltop campus in Vermont to Boston Common is a big cultural shift,” he said.
Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, graduated from Emerson in 1987 and pointed to the college’s location in the heart of Boston Common, close to the financial and theater districts. “My experience with Emerson is it’s one of the friendliest places on earth,” he said. “They’re always creative and always adapting to what they need to adapt.” Emerson’s academic offerings include strong journalism and creative writing programs, which led Tebbetts to a career in media and his role as the news director for WCAX in Burlington.
While this acquisition seems well on its way, some point to a potential turnaround of its closure by the Marlboro community, such as in the case of Hampshire College in Massachusetts with a fundraising campaign spearheaded by school leaders and alumni. Will Wootton, former president of Sterling and a 1972 graduate of Marlboro, encouraged the Marlboro community to consider revitalizing the school in a Brattleboro Reformer op-ed. “Of even greater importance, big current donors, and the families of those who have made restricted gifts to Marlboro’s endowment, to its scholarships, its buildings, libraries, and labs must willing to step up and say, ‘No, that’s not what this gift was intended for. It was for Marlboro College,’” he wrote.
“There is the possibility that Marlboro alumni and groups who care about the school might rally and go through a process of establishing control of governance and changing course, but the more time passes, the less likely that becomes,” Patterson said.
The merger of Marlboro and Emerson is only one of a few higher education changes in Vermont in the past few weeks, with Southern Vermont College in Bennington signing a $4.9 million purchase agreement with New Hampshire-based Oliverian School. According to its website, Oliverian is a “hybrid school that combines the best of traditional, alternative, and therapeutic education.” Enrolling 50 students in grades 9–12, the school hopes to use the 371 acres that formerly comprised Southern Vermont College to expand its middle school offerings and add a college transition program. “We are thrilled by this opportunity to continue the legacy of education and community that SVC brought to this remarkable campus,” Oliverian’s CEO Will Laughlin said to the Bennington Banner. “We feel that our students and faculty would thrive here.” Before the sale is complete, there is a three-month due diligence period to investigate the feasibility of the school moving to Bennington.
For Vermont’s 18 colleges and universities, a decline in high school graduates and a rise in tuition rates have led to hardships, as some small schools have struggled to survive. “There is a real need for colleges to move swiftly to ensure their programs are relevant and attractive in today’s higher education marketplace,” Patterson said. “Just sheltering in place isn’t a viable strategy.”
Colleges continue to attract students with affordability. Last week, University of Vermont (UVM) President Suresh Garimella announced a tuition freeze for the 2020–21 school year, the first move of its kind in 40 years. Tuition costs are currently $41,280 for out-of-state students and $16,392 for in-state students and will remain the same next year. “Our most sacred obligation is to ensure the success of our students and that starts with access and affordability,” Garimella said, as reported in the Vermont Cynic, UVM’s student newspaper.
“The struggle is the population decline, and we’re trying to attract young people to come to school here and stay here,” Tebbetts said. “Vermonters can get a wonderful education in-state.”
In the near future, Patterson sees more innovative programming in Vermont’s higher education landscape. “I think we’ll see colleges partnering more with dual-enrollment programming in high schools, as well as other ways of building pathways between secondary and post-secondary education and between two- and four-year colleges,” he said.
The Campus will be publishing more on the aftermath of these recent college closures and changes to higher education landscape in future editions.
(11/07/19 10:04am)
What do we want in downtown Middlebury? How can we make it a place where everyone feels comfortable? These are questions that the Town of Middlebury’s Planapalooza aims to answer. Planapalooza is a part of the Middlebury Downtown Master Planning project, an initiative led by the Middlebury Planning Commission and Town Planner. The lead consultant and facilitator for the project is Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC), a firm that works nationwide and is based in Franklin, Tenn.
From Nov. 7–11, community members will have the opportunity to participate in multiple events, designed to solicit input for the master plan for the downtown area. These four days can be considered what has been called a charrette process — an intense period of design or planning activity. “We’re trying to focus people’s attention on visual renderings and maps to get them thinking about how their vision translates to paper,” said Middlebury’s Director of Planning and Zoning Jennifer Murray. “What they start with the first night should look substantially different to the last night if everyone is participating.”
When the urban design consultants are in Middlebury, they will be holding a variety of hands-on events to involve community members in the process. These include three presentations: an opening talk on Thursday, Nov. 7 from 6–8 p.m. in the town offices; a public pin-up and review presentation on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 5:30–7 p.m. at the Congregational Church in town; and a closing presentation on Monday, Nov. 11 from 6–7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Theater. In addition to these main events, there will be three focus group meetings on stormwater, multimodal transportation and sustainability scattered throughout the weekend. Community members can also attend open studio hours throughout the four-day period in the Bundle space on 51 Main St. All events are open to the public.
Compared to some other towns in Vermont, Murray said Middlebury has a healthy urban growth. “Our efforts are mostly focused on infill development — creating bridgework in the town and filling in individual spaces with additional potential,” she said.
At the end of the four days, all stakeholder groups will help produce recommendations for the town’s master plan. Visual renderings and an illustrative master plan map will form the basis for attracting developers to downtown Middlebury.
Murray emphasized the fluid nature of the planning process and the need for community input.
“We don’t want to look like Winooski. We want to look like Middlebury,” she said. “But what does that mean to people?”
Murray also drew attention to the role college students play in the community, as the tagline of the project is “making a place for everyone.” “This is your chance to make a difference,” she said.
(10/24/19 6:07pm)
Huge thank you to everyone who came out last night! Even if things didn’t quite go as planned... we heard your #EQUALPAY chants from all over the field ??? Also- it’s not too late to get a jersey!! Link in bio #worthit #seniors
(09/26/19 10:01am)
Speaking to a crowd of around 40 people at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society in Middlebury, Representative Peter Welch (D) stressed that politics in Washington have reached a boiling point.
“What’s going on in Washington now is very serious and very dire,” he said. “What’s in contention are the guardrails of democracy.”
Welch was invited to Middlebury last Monday, Sept. 16 for a community forum hosted by the Addison Independent and moderated by the Addison Independent’s Angelo Lynn and The Middlebury Campus’ managing editor, James Finn ’20.5. In an editorial published in the Addison Independent before the forum, Lynn urged readers to bring questions, asking in particular for high school and college students to attend “not only to be part of the discussion, but to understand how fortunate we are in Vermont to be so closely connected to our congressional delegation.”
A major figure in Vermont politics for over three decades, Welch was first elected to the Vermont Senate from Windsor County in 1981. He then served as president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate from 1958–1989 and 2003–2007 before being elected to the United States Congress as Vermont’s only representative. Together, Welch, Senator Bernie Sanders (I) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D) form Vermont’s congressional delegation.
Welch began the forum with a short speech describing his observations in Washington, and said that respect for the courts and judicial independence are under threat.
“What’s in doubt is the bedrock that people are equal and are entitled to respect because of their religion, country of origin or ethnicity,” he said. “Those are being challenged constantly.”
Welch also acknowledged the abnormality of the Trump administration.
“In politics you have the rough and tumble of the election, but when the election is over you go from competition to cooperation,” he said. Despite politics in Washington, Welch said that throughout his trips around Vermont he has seen an impressive amount of local political activity. “The good news is that people are embracing the importance of doing what they can locally. They know that they’ve got to build community from the ground up, from where they are,” Welch said.
The first question came from Lynn, who asked about Welch’s views on the impeachment of President Trump. In July, Welch was the first member from Vermont’s congressional delegation to call for impeachment.
“I’ve become increasingly disturbed that the President does not have any respect for the Constitutional doctrine of separation of powers,” he said. “There has to be some cooperation on behalf of the administration to provide documents, witnesses, answers to questions.” However, Welch noted that impeachment is “by no means a substitute for doing legislative work.”
This week, as House Democrats have begun a formal impeachment inquiry of President Trump, Welch publically applauded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision. “President Trump willfully put his own political interests above the national security interests of the American people,” Welch tweeted on Tuesday.
Finn asked the congressman about the likelihood of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh being impeached.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Welch said. “Kavanaugh went through this and in a very partisan vote he was confirmed, much to my disappointment … I’d be very surprised to see there be in the McConnell Senate a resurrecting of that reviewing.”
Welch touched on partisanship and said that lawmakers must have a much more engaged policy to help rural America.
“We have to pay attention to rural America much more,” he said. “It’s in our DNA.”
Lynn queried Welch about today’s media landscape, asking why some news gets buried in the digital age and why some does not, in addition to the closure of several local newspapers across Vermont.
“Social media is such a powerful tool that it was used by the Russians against us in our election,” Welch said. “That’s a huge challenge for democracy.”
Jean Terwilliger, a Cornwall resident, wrapped up the event’s question-and-answer session. “What is the most effective thing that we as citizens can do to impact what’s happening in Washington?” she asked.
In addition to contacting representatives and senators, Welch said that persevering on a local level is paramount to making progress despite Congressional gridlock.
“There are things out there to do to make a difference and remind you of what’s important,” he said. “I believe that doing things locally is now more important than ever.”
(09/19/19 10:01am)
Driven, unique and fun. Capping a spectacular season this spring with players across class years and ability levels, the Middlebury Pranksters ultimate frisbee team achieved impressive results at this year’s D-III College Championships, with the men’s team snatching the national championship title and the women’s team placing fifth.
The teams faced tough competition on the way to the championship weekend, capping historic seasons. Both teams started their seasons at College Southerns down in Georgia over spring break. The men’s team went 6-1 in their games while the women won all six. “It was the first time testing our strength as a team and we took on top-ranked D-I teams like UNC-Wilmington’s SeaWeed and Carleton Eclipse,” co-captain Allegra Molkenthin ’19.5 said. In the post-season, the men won all of their regional matches, qualifying for the national tournament for the third time (they previously advanced in 2015 and 2018). The women’s team was on a winning streak throughout the first day of the regional championship, beating Brandeis and Wellesley 11-4 and 10-4 respectively, continuing to defeat Williams 10-8. Despite two losses to Williams and Bates on the final day of the regional tournament, the team finished third in the region and punched their ticket to the national tournament in hot and sunny Texas.
The journey to Nationals had its share flight delays and cancellations, as the women’s team entered the tournament with nine of their players on the way from Orlando. Despite the lack of sleep, the team was ready to go. “The sleep deprivation and desire to play well for our teammates who had not arrived yet really helped us push through to take every point,” Molkenthin said. The women advanced to the second round with a 15-0 win against Mary Washington, with 9 of their 24-person roster having not yet arrived in Texas. Competing against 2018 D-III National Champions St. Olaf’s Vortex and still missing players, the team lost on universe point, or sudden death, 10-11. With the team now reunited, the Pranksters faced fourth-seed Puget Sound as the score creeped up one point at a time. In the end, the team came out on top in another university point with a final score of 9-8. After three games in one day, the team then won their pool and received a bye to the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinal round, the heat turned up and the competition did as well. The morning game consisted of a 13-14 universe point loss against North Park in 90-degree weather. Although the Pranksters were unable to obtain a place in the championship bracket, they scored a 13-8 win against Portland. With a fifth-place win in the national championship, the Pranksters achieved impressive results in their first national tournament since 2015.
The men’s team’s road to the national title started with a 11-10 win against Franciscan, a 12-10 win against Hamilton and a 14-9 win against Michigan Tech. Seeded first going into the tournament, the Pranksters played defending champions Bryant in the quarterfinals. Despite a hard-fought second half in which Bryant tied Middlebury 6-6 in points scored, Middlebury’s 8-3 lead in the first half brought the team to a 15-9 victory. The semifinal round saw one of the mist exciting games of the tournament. After Kai DeLorenzo ’20.5 sat out through most of the first half due to a heel injury, his return in the second half brought the team to a close 12-11 win against Richmond. Assists by Kevin Strenski ’21 and Zach Levitt ’20 were key to the team punching a ticket to the championship.
Air Force faced Middlebury in the championship game, having scored a 15-13 victory against Carleton College in the second semifinal. Trading holds all the way to halftime, Middlebury led the first half 7-6. Strenski became a star of the game with three goals in the second half. Tied at 12-12, the game would then be played to 14. Strenski received an inside flick and brought the Pranksters to a 13-12 lead. While Air Force received one more break, the team scored two more goals for a final score of 15-12. The team finished their season with a 31-3 record.
Junior Van Lundsgaard caught the winning disc. “I didn’t really realize that I was going to score the game winning point,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure we didn’t turn it or lose our momentum.” Lundsgaard attributes his success to a loving community he finds in the team. “It was as much the team’s goal as it was mine,” he said.
For captain Dylan Salzman ’19, the team’s championship win represents a special moment in the history of the program for both teams. “It speaks to the way in which Middlebury frisbee has shifted away from being just a social group to being real, well developed frisbee teams,” he said. “We won by sheer willpower, and winning the finals felt cathartic. It’s such a validation of everything that we had been working on, and such a testament to the team that we put together.”
Molkenthin enjoyed having both the men and women compete at the same tournament. “It’s very cool to feel like we are both incredibly talented teams and yet we do not take ourselves too seriously, and we value our friendship and sportsmanship immensely,” she said. “We support one another on and off the field whether it’s on the Middlebury men’s soccer turf where we occasionally practiced, at the Spring Symposium for academic presentations, or at the National Championship.” Despite the heat, for many members of the team, being at Nationals was an incredible experience. “The environment was electric – with incredible athletes from all around the country gathered together to celebrate excellence in a unique sport,” Molkenthin said.
For both teams, a lack of institutional support from the college (as compared to other club teams) presents challenges. Since both the men’s and the women’s teams do not have coaches, captains serve in this role, running practices and organizing logistics for the team to travel to tournaments. For Molkenthin, she enjoys being in a position to lead this community on campus. “To be a captain of this team is to feel loved, to be honored with tough decision-making and last-minute logistical juggling, and to be supported by an incredible community that you know has your back the whole way,” she said. Salzman pointed to the dynamic of a “player-coach” where he has to assert authority over his peers. In addition, the inability for the team to reserve field space on campus or have access to athlete trainers present barriers to the team’s sustained success. “It means that we, as captains and players, have to battle for every inch of turf time we get in the winter, and struggle to deal with all of the administrational details that come with running a nationally competitive team,” he said.
Capping off incredibly successful campaigns for both the men and women, the Pranksters feel optimistic for the future. For many players, ultimate frisbee has provided them with a supportive community and unique Middlebury experience. This year has provided them with new depth in the program, building up a new roster of players full of talent, commitment and potential. With various levels of experience and spread out across all class years, the captains strove this year to make the sport and community accessible to all. This year, the team has built on the traditions of previous years and has created a passionate and driven group. “This finish to our season is perhaps most exciting because it makes me think about the future and how much this team can do going forward,” Molkenthin said. “I will have graduated by the time next spring rolls around, but I will be waiting with anticipation to see what my Pranksters can do.”
(09/18/19 4:59am)
(09/12/19 10:03am)
(09/11/19 10:35pm)
Panthers women’s volleyball is coming out swinging. Despite graduating three crucial starters, the women showed only strength and experience on the court this past weekend when they cruised past both Manhattanville College and Union College.
It is clear that the Panthers have their eyes set on a Nescac title. Although the women had a strong start to the 2018 season, they fell short in a heartbreaking loss to Tufts in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Three senior captains will lead the team to achieve this goal including Gigi Alper ’20, Chellsa Ferdinand ’20 and Beth Neal ’20.
“We’re looking to bookend the senior’s volleyball careers and capture the Nescac title once more, securing a spot in the NCAA tournament,” Alper said. “While we lost three impactful starters, our freshman class is deep and ready to step on the court to aid our run at the title.”
This year, the team will make defense their primary focus.
“This year our team is defensively oriented,” Alper said. “We want to play as a unit, gaining contributions from every position. Our goal is to be scrappy and to not let any ball hit the floor without effort.”
The women will journey to St. Michael’s on Tuesday, Sept. 10 and host their first home game against Colby-Sawyer on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
(09/11/19 10:33pm)
The Middlebury men’s soccer team returns to action this fall after winning their final 10 regular season games and earning an NCAA tournament berth. The Panthers will look to build on this momentum as they chase the elusive Nescac title. Leadership appears to be strong; Ben Potter ’20 and Aidan Robinson ’20 will take over as captains, while Head Coach Alex Elias ’08 will embark on his second season at the program.
The Panthers began their season this past week with games against Norwich and NESCAC rival Wesleyan. The Panthers took care of Norwich 2-0, with Potter ’20 scoring off a volley in the 12th minute and Drew Goulart ’20 sealing the deal in the 70th minute. Wesleyan presented a tougher test for the Panthers. After 90 minutes and two overtime periods, the Panthers had to settle for a draw. While not a terrible result, hitting the post twice made the Panthers feel like this was their game to win.
“It was a difficult game against Wesleyan on Saturday. They were a well-organized team and difficult for us to break down,” said Captain Ben Potter ’20. “That being said, we still felt like we had the better of the game and created some great chances to build off going forward.”
Looking ahead, the Panthers will travel to Maine this weekend to face Bowdoin in their second Nescac game of the season. Just a few days later on Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Panthers will play their home opener against Mt. St. Mary of New York at 4 p.m. The Panthers return many of their key contributors from last season, including eight of their top ten goal scorers.
Evident from their offseason preparation, the Panthers are ready to attack the season.
“Everyone came in fit and ready to compete throughout our grueling schedule,” said Tanner Hellickson ’21. “We’re all looking forward to our next big Nescac game against Bowdoin this weekend.”
(09/11/19 10:30pm)
Women’s soccer is hoping to feed off the momentum of a whirlwind 2018 season and come into this season at the top of their game. The Panthers rounded out last season with a NESCAC title and NCAA Final appearance -- becoming the first team ever to do so in Middlebury women’s soccer history.
Despite coming off of a historic run, Head Coach Peter Kim is hoping to channel all of the team’s energy into moving forward, and acknowledges that the new year brings a blank slate.
“The team understands that this is a brand new season, and is extremely motivated to make it a successful season,” said Kim. “We’re all looking forward to the season ahead, and not thinking about last year’s success.”
With the majority of the squad returning and fresh faces bringing a crucial depth to the team, focusing on the present shouldn’t be too difficult for these Panthers.
“Last year we had over 10 different goal scorers and a big squad so our depth is definitely our biggest strength. We have great team chemistry too,” said Captain Fran Magruder ’20. “Preseason has been very successful, and we’ve developed a very positive team culture with the help of our awesome first year class.”
There is no question that the Panthers are hungry. They plan to take each game just as seriously as the next.
“We want to improve every game and never let up. Ideally that includes winning out of conference games and Nescac games too. But we keep our eyes fixed firmly on one game at a time,” said Magruder.
So far, it seems Middlebury intends to keep that promise. The team kicked off the season this past week with three consecutive wins, including one against Wesleyan, a conference opponent. The Panthers will get back to business when they play Plattsburgh on the road on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
(05/26/19 9:58pm)
Ashland, Virginia — While the 90-degree weather proved to be hot, the Panthers were even hotter, as the third-ranked Middlebury women’s lacrosse team defeated the seventh-ranked Salisbury Sea Gulls 14-9 in the NCAA Division III championship. This is the team’s seventh national championship title in program history and first since 2016, having previously capture the title in 2004, 2002, 2001, 1999 and 1997. After defeating Wesleyan 16-8 the previous day in the semifinals, the Panthers’ winning streak of 22 games is the longest in the nation and is tied with their 2016 record for the most wins in a single season.
Middlebury reached the semifinal against Wesleyan with their opponents having knocked off 2018 national champions Gettysburg in a surprise 10-7 upset. Emma McDonagh ’19 led the game’s scorers, with five goals. Jane Earley ’22, Henley Hall ’19 and Jenna McNicholas ’19 scored two goals each. Julia Keith ’20 spent all 60 minutes in goal with 5 saves to add to her already impressive record of 98 saves so far and a 6.39 goals-against average.
The team’s appearance in the Final Four was the third time in the last four years and the 25th time since 1994. Last year, the Panthers’ run for a national title was cut short with a narrow 11-9 defeat against Gettysburg. This was Wesleyan’s first appearance in the Final Four, having knocked out previous national champion Gettysburg 10-7. Middlebury entered the Final Four with 300 goals and having previously defeated Wesleyan 11-6 in the regular season over spring break.
Seventh-ranked Salisbury reached the NCAA tournament through an at-large bid and a record of 15-2 in the regular season, losing only to Middlebury and Washington and Lee. The team defeated Tufts 14-11 in the second semifinal of the day.
Middlebury showed their dominance right from the beginning, with Casey O’Neill ’19 winning the first draw control and passing the ball to Erin Nicholas ’21 (a previous national championship winner this past fall in field hockey). The first two goals were scored by two-time NESCAC Player of the Week Earley and Gracie Getman ’21, both off free position shots. McDonagh, Hall and Nicholas contributed to the team’s success in the first half, with Salisbury tallying another two goals. The Panthers were at an 8-4 lead in the first half with Keith having deflected five shots.
Salisbury picked up their scoring in the beginning of the second half, having put in three goals in an eight-minute span after Earley scored first less than a minute in the period. Halting their streak, McDonagh scored her second goal of the game, bringing the score to 10-7. Kirsten Murphy ’21, McDonagh and Hall scored another four goals combined, while the Sea Gulls’ Courtney Fegan score her second goal of the game. With just over three minutes left in the second half, both teams retired indoors for a 90-minute lightning delay with Middlebury on a six-goal lead. In the final three minutes, Salisbury’s Emma Skoglund scored her second goal of the game, but Middlebury held possession in the final minute as the Panthers won the title game 14-9 to a cheering set of fans and parents on the sidelines.
Head Coach Kate Livesay '03, named NESCAC Co-Coach of the Year with Tufts’ Courtney Shute, achieved her second win as head coach, with her team having previously won the national title during Livesay’s first season coaching. Additionally, Livesay coached the 2012 Trinity team to a NCAA Division III championship during her time there and won championship titles in 2001 and 2002 as a student-athlete under legendary coach Missy Foote. She earned her 200th career win earlier this spring with a victory over Bates in the NESCAC Quarterfinals and was named NESCAC Coach of the Year four times at fellow NESCAC school Trinity.
In a press conference following the game, Livesay praised the team's first goal scored by Earley. "Today's game was a battle," she said. "I do think we came in really composed, started out the game strong, took an early lead which really set us at ease."
Keith spent all 60 minutes in goal with nine saves to add to her current total of 107. "I think that all those saves are credited to the entire defense," she said. "It’s just awesome to be part of a defense that you can completely trust."
Rising star Earley, the team's second-highest goal scorer with 51 goals on the season, said that winning a national championship was a dream come true. "Our seniors this year were so welcoming and led us by example," she commented. "I want to do it again."
McDonagh and her fellow senior teammates were among the 2016 national championship squad. "I’m just so happy that this team gets to experience it," she said. "Everyone on this team is so impactful."
Former captain Georgia Carroll ’18 commented on the team’s incredible season. “After our loss to Gettysburg last year, watching Middlebury win the national championship feels like the closure of a year-long wound,” she said. “I feel so proud to be part of the Middlebury lacrosse family — today and every day.”
At the end of the championship game, McDonagh was recognized as the tournament's most outstanding player, while captain Sara DiCenso '19, Keith and Earley earned spots on the all-tournament team.
The Panthers finished their season with a 22-1 overall record and a total of 330 goals, a new program record. 85 days prior to the national championship victory, the team experienced their only loss of the season, falling to Bates 11-10 in double overtime. Since then, the team has won all their games across tough NESCAC conference competition and some nationally-ranked teams over spring break. This record-breaking season included the most goals in a single season in program history.
This year, Livesay was assisted by Katie Ritter for her second season and Amy Patton for her first season. "All of the classes bring something special," Livesay said. "It just felt like a lot of things came full circle today." In her eyes, Coach Patton "invigorated us and gave us a new confidence in ourselves and in hard moments." With her coaching staff, Livesay felt that her players were poised to walk away with the national championship trophy. “There are ups and downs but this is a really resilient crew that I just knew I could count on showing up and giving their best.”
This story will continue to be updated.