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(04/08/21 9:56am)
The women’s golf team is gearing up to begin NESCAC play in a short few days, when they’ll compete at the Hamilton Invitational on April 10.
The team hopes to build on a strong fall 2019 season in which they finished in the top three at all five of their tournaments, including a first place finish at their home meet at Ralph Myhre.
Although the team lost three seniors from last year, it has a strong core led by senior captain Erika Nakagawa ’21. Nakagawa has not played in a NESCAC match since the spring of her sophomore year, as the last two seasons were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and she studied abroad the fall of her junior year. Despite the lengthy gap and uncertainty surrounding this season, Nakagawa is excited to finally compete again.
“I have some nerves going in because I thought I was retired,” Nakagawa said. “I was not expecting [the announcement about spring sports], but it’s obviously great news.”
Some other members of the team to keep an eye out for include sophomores Kayli Li ’23 and Katie Murphy ’23, who both look to improve on several impressive showings from last fall. Also, freshman Kaylynn Xia ’24 looks to make an immediate impact in her first season of play.
Entering his 13th season with the team, coach Bill Mandigo expressed his gratefulness that the team has a chance to compete this spring. He looks forward to watching his team out on the course once again and hopes that all the campuses can stay healthy, allowing the season to run smoothly.
Despite the challenges with the weather and Covid-19 safety restrictions, the team has prepared for the season in a variety of ways including chipping practice both indoors and outside, as well as weight lifting together. The adversity has also helped the team grow closer.
“I’m feeling super good about this year’s team,” Nakagawa said. “Even though we haven’t been able to play, we’ve still been making an effort to hang out and get dinner together. I’m feeling a lot closer and more connected with my teammates.”
(04/08/21 9:56am)
Women’s softball opened their 14-game spring season at home on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader against Tufts.
The Panthers emerged victorious in the first game, winning 3–2. Jewel Ashbrook ’23 was a standout pitcher for the Panthers, earning her first win for Middlebury. The winning run was scored by Tori Papaleo ’23, who ran home after Noelle Ruschil ’22 hit a walk-off single.
In the second game of the afternoon, the Panthers fell, 10–4. Despite the loss, Megan Fox ’24 and Melanie Mandell ’21 both registered impressive performances, recording two hits each. Mandell is one of three captains on the Panthers, joined by Emily Moore ’21 and Kaylee Gumm ’21.
The first team from Middlebury to officially compete this semester, the softball team enters the season confident, refusing to be discouraged by the unusual season ahead of them.
“Due to Covid, we didn’t start practicing as a team until late February,” Papaleo said. “But in the time we were given, we’ve all been working hard and practicing almost every day. Overall, I feel really confident in my team’s ability going into the season.”
“I think the NESCAC has done a great job making sure we are competing as safely as possible,” Lizzie Hannafey ’23 added. “I am confident that our team will do a good job staying safe and following the regulations.”
The women’s softball team is guided by Kelly Bevere ’99, who enters her 15th season as head coach. Bevere, who has a career record of 257–176–1, has taken the team to the NESCAC Tournament in seven of the past nine times it’s been run.
The softball team will be back in action on Saturday, April 10, when they face Williams in a doubleheader at home.
(04/08/21 9:56am)
Competition is fast-approaching for the men’s track and field team, with their first meet scheduled for May 1 against SUNY Potsdam and Union College. It will mark the first of three meets this spring, including a home meet against Hamilton on May 8 and an away meet at Williams on May 15.
Covid-19 may have pushed back the track and field season, but it hasn’t put a damper on team morale. With a 53-person roster, the upperclassmen have tried to integrate all participants to the best of their ability. This extra time has also allowed for everyone to focus on the basics, making sure they will have a strong foundation to build from once the season begins.
“We’re working on the fundamentals and trying to prepare underclassmen for a fruitful athletic career,” team co-captain Nathaniel Klein ’21 said.
Zander Kessler ’22.5, a distance runner on the team, is thrilled to have a cemented schedule, but hopes there’s a way to avoid mask-wearing while racing.
“It was very difficult to hear the decision that we will have to compete in a mask,” Kessler said. “We are hoping that some sort of rigorous testing protocol will allow for a system similar to professional sports leagues right now where you warm up in a mask and keep it on during other events but then get to take it off for just a few minutes for your event.”
The men’s track and field team is coached by Martin Beatty ’84 who enters his 33rd year at Middlebury. Beatty, a seasoned coach, boasts four NCAA New England Regional Coach of the Year awards.
(04/08/21 9:56am)
Although the women’s tennis team was supposed to open their season on April 3, a positive Covid-19 test on Trinity’s roster delayed the season opener to April 11. It was a tease, but after almost 18 months without a match, the season opener doesn’t feel far off.
Only seven of 11 players are on campus this semester, but the team is still confident and eager ahead of their season opener. As of now, the truncated spring season contains four matchups — two home and two away — though that number could increase in the coming weeks since the team is considering adding matches. The season opens with back-to-back away trips against Hamilton and Wesleyan, respectively, and then closes with two home matches against Amherst and Williams.
While nothing is etched in stone, current plans have the NESCAC splitting into two conferences: the East and West, with Middlebury positioned in the latter. There are rumors that each subconference will host its own end-of-season playoff tournament, with the two winners meeting in a final, but plans remain tentative and contingent on the health of the players.
This season, Ann Martin Skelly ’21 and Emily Bian ’21 are senior co-captains, stepping into leadership roles under head coach Rachel Kahan, who enters her fifth year at Middlebury. In 2018-19, Kahan led the Panthers to a 19–3 record as the team finished as NESCAC Finalists and NCAA Semifinalists.
There are four first-years on the roster, and while Covid-19 restrictions have made it tough to organize traditional team bonding events, they have integrated nicely into the team, according to Skelly and Bian.
“I think the freshmen are assimilating very well,” Bian said. “It’s a good sign that all four of them came back in the spring.”
The Panthers will begin NESCAC play on the back of a successful fall, according to Bian, where practices were competitive and engaging. “When we were at practice [in the fall], we were a lot more engaged with each other since we maybe didn’t get to see each other the past weekend,” Bian said.
Though the team graduated five seniors who were all high-caliber players, Bian noted that the team is in good hands.
“The freshmen have really stepped up,” Bian said. “And the returning players have gotten a lot better and definitely can fill those holes in the lineup. So far everyone has been extremely competitive.”
The women’s tennis matches will be livestreamed this spring season, according to Athletic Director Erin Quinn. The first match is slated for Sunday, April 11 at Hamilton. Start time is to be determined.
(04/01/21 2:11pm)
Today, The Campus presents its fifth issue of the spring semester.
The stories
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This week's Front Page
(04/01/21 9:58am)
(03/28/21 10:11pm)
(03/28/21 10:10pm)
The Campus is excited to launch a new translation initiative with the aim of making its articles and content accessible to a broader community of readers whose preferred language is not English. Tapping into Middlebury’s robust language programs, the initiative involves translating important articles and op-eds into other languages on a weekly basis.
The Campus is looking to hire a Senior Translation Editor who will work closely with the leadership team to develop a translation framework, weekly workflows and translation team.
Initially, the Senior Translation Editor will be responsible for the following tasks:
Recruiting a team of translators in a variety of different languages, who will be responsible for translating at least one Middlebury Campus article per week
Liaising with Middlebury language departments, study abroad coordinators and first-year students to market the position and gauge interest
Researching what processes and frameworks to implement to ensure that articles are translated in an accurate, grammatically correct and ethical way
Coordinating with the Middlebury Campus leadership to create a plan for the translations team in future semesters
The newly hired Translation Editor(s) should have fluency in at least one foreign language. Experience overseeing teams or projects is preferred but not required. Interested candidates should submit a brief statement (200-300 words) to Editor in Chief Bochu Ding (bding@middlebury.edu) detailing the candidate’s interest in this position, relevant experience and how they would approach this project.
(03/26/21 10:00pm)
(03/25/21 2:57pm)
Today, The Campus presents its fourth issue of the spring semester.
The stories
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Today's Front Page
(03/18/21 12:49pm)
Today, The Campus presents its third issue of the spring semester.
The stories
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Today's Front Page
(03/18/21 10:00am)
(03/11/21 11:00am)
(03/10/21 8:21am)
“what if we kissed on battel beach?” reads the bio of Middlebury Missed Connections (@middmissedconnections), the fun and light-hearted platform for students to publicly — and anonymously — reveal their secret crushes. Making its debut shortly after the traumatic evacuation from campus and forced transition to remote learning, the page has posted 267 submissions and garnered over 1,200 followers since its debut last July.
At a time when many aspects of campus culture have been impacted by Covid-19, Middlebury Missed Connections serves as a digital version of one of the college’s most timeless traditions: the Proc Crush list.
While not as eye-catching as an assortment of large posters pinned to the wall in Proctor, the account allows users to anonymously confess their secret crush, try a cheesy pick-up line or simply express their affection for a special someone. Set against bright pastel shades of pink and red, artfully crafted submissions are paired with equally witty captions written by the page managers.
Submitters remain anonymous and the name of the admired person is concealed to varying degrees, creating an aura of mystery. Some submissions include references to specific moments or locations, while others mention specific classes, sports teams or student organizations.
Other submissions express a longing for in-person connection as virtual lectures and meetings have become commonplace. One person found themselves love-struck by a pair of “stormy” eyes visible through a small box in a Zoom window.
“Distracted during my economics zoom, I still long to see your face in a real room. Lost in your stormy eyes, Will this be my demise? Join me in micro where a romance can bloom.”
Some posts reminisce about missed connections at parties in Tavern and Atwater. But with large gatherings mostly non-existent this year, several posts instead tell stories of fleeting attraction in Proctor dining hall, known for its perennial warmth, intimate atmosphere and early opening times for dinner.
Proctor is mentioned in more posts than any other dining hall. The submission form also keeps up the friendly rivalry between dining halls: it allows users to rank on-campus dining halls based on how acceptable they are as a first date location.
Per their Q&A, the moderators’ favorite dining hall is Mead Chapel. But if you’re hoping to become the subject of a missed connection, then going to Proctor is a safe bet.
Editor’s Note: Emmanuel Tamrat is a member of the class of 2022 and the Senior Online Editor of The Campus.
(03/10/21 8:02am)
It’s been a tough year. After being evacuated from campus last spring, we had to finish the semester from bedrooms and dining room tables instead of Davis Library carrels. Stability was no longer a given as our lives seemingly changed on a daily basis. But something remained constant: our love for one another.
For many of us, this newfound alone time has prompted us to reflect on moments at Middlebury when we felt loved and cared for. The moments that we took for granted power breakfasts in Atwater, small gestures of kindness and impromptu deep conversations — are now some of our most cherished ones.
We’ve also adapted creatively in finding new ways to safely maintain close relationships with those important to us and create more moments to cherish, from finding a new favorite hang-out spot to taking a late-night walk at the Knoll.
Here’s a short collection of stories about love at Middlebury throughout the past year, from random acts of kindness to a new take on Proc crush lists and proof that romance isn’t dead. As you read them and reminisce on past expressions of love, we hope these stories bring you joy and inspiration for the semester to come.
(03/04/21 11:00am)
(03/04/21 10:59am)
(02/04/21 11:00am)
Today, The Campus presents its second issue of winter term.
The stories
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Today's Front Page
(10/29/20 9:57am)
Students have anxiously checked their mailboxes over the past several weeks as the mail center, committed to helping students vote, processed an unprecedented volume of election mail.
“With all of the media reporting on the issues with the Post Office and mail-in voting, I think people are really taking the extra time to make sure that they're doing it right,” Mail Center Supervisor Jacki Galenkamp said.
The mail center is working with MiddVotes to provide free stamps for students who need them, according to Galenkamp. However, she noticed that a growing number of states are providing prepaid return envelopes this year. Acknowledging the conflicting and unclear information that students may be encountering regarding the absentee voting process in their home state, she said that she believes students will be extra diligent when voting this year.
Claudia Vira ’23 and Kiara Vazquez ’22, both returning student workers at the Mail Center, agree that they are processing more ballots this year than in the past. “It’s a lot of putting away ballots [into mailboxes],” Vira said.
When the mail center received its first wave of ballots earlier in the election season, the volume of ballots filled up two letter trays. Many of them were Vermont ballots addressed to students who are away this semester. Because the envelopes were marked “Return Service Requested,” the mail center was unable to forward those ballots to students’ home addresses and instead had to return them to the election offices that sent them.
Despite pandemic-related changes this semester, the mail center is working as quickly as possible to deliver ballots to students.
“A lot of [ballots] are coming in without box numbers, because we had a delay in assigning [them],” Galenkamp said. “But we make sure that they're looked up and put in boxes the day they arrive so that there's no delay.”
In light of recent news coverage about operational changes at USPS, Galenkamp feels confident about voting by mail and is eager to see the results.
“No matter which side of the fence you're on, it's a very important election,” she said. “People need their voices to be heard.”
(10/22/20 9:56am)
College moves to Credit/No Credit system for fall and spring semesters
By Sarah Miller
The college is removing the Pass/D/Fail (P/D/F) option for the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. Instead, students can choose to take one class Credit/No Credit (C/NC) this semester.
A course taken C/NC can be used to satisfy major and minor requirements or distribution requirements, which was not allowed under the previous P/D/F system.
The Education Affairs Committee made the decision to replace the P/D/F option with C/NC after faculty members pointed out the latter option would be preferred because invoking it has no effect on a student’s GPA or academic standing.
Under the original system, students could exercise the P/D/F option twice during their time at Middlebury. Seniors who had been “saving” their P/D/F option will no longer have the opportunity to use them. In addition, some were surprised that they could not take a P/D/F course in addition to their C/NC class.
Professors encouraged to decrease workload, expand flexibility by Faculty Council
By Riley Board
Halfway through a condensed semester with no breaks and increased Covid-19-related stressors, Faculty Council and the Educational Affairs Committee reached out to faculty in a Monday, Oct. 18 email suggesting that they adjust the workloads of their courses to be more forgiving to students.
“As the second half of the term unfolds, a stressful time under the best of circumstances, Faculty Council and the Educational Affairs Committee write to ask faculty members to give themselves permission to cut back on expectations, assignments, and workload in ways that make sense for their own courses,” reads the email, which was signed by the seven members of Faculty Council and five members of the Educational Affairs committee.
The email lists more than 20 suggested strategies for introducing workload flexibility mid-semester, including dropping students’ lowest grades, allowing collaboration on assignments, making due dates less rigid, making exams open-note and permitting a certain number of absences.
“We all — faculty, staff, and students — are working without many of our normal coping mechanisms and social interactions that bring us joy and reduce our stress and anxiety. Almost nothing about this semester is easy, comfortable, or familiar,” the email reads. “We face two options: maintain a workload that stretches us impossibly thin and may drive our students to shut down and learn nothing, or adjust our requirements slightly to give students the needed breathing room to learn and us the time to teach.”
College permits greater dining hall, residence hall and study space access as colder months approach; abandons Phase Three plans
By Riley Board
This week, students were granted expanded access to residential halls and academic spaces, and the freedom to eat in their dining hall of choice, as the college moves into what is being called “Expanded Phase Two.” The college, however, will not be transitioning into the Phase Three that it proposed in initial reopening plans.
Students were informed of the expanded opportunities, alongside a reassessment of the original three-phased reopening approach, in a Wednesday, Oct. 20 email announcement signed by President Laurie Patton, Provost Jeff Cason and Acting Dean of Students AJ Place.
“Given current conditions and state of Vermont limits on gathering sizes and physical distancing requirements, we cannot move to Phase Three as we conceptualized it,” the email reads.
However, they say, this week marks the beginning of an Expanded Phase Two, which will allow students to enter residential halls other than their own from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the first time this semester. Study spaces like Bicentennial Hall and dining hall lounges are open to all students, who may also now choose which dining hall they eat in, the first break from the assigned dining hall system that has been in place all semester.
“When we formulated our plans for the phased opening of the Vermont campus, in July and August, we imagined that we might come to a point where the nation and the world would see a dip in cases of Covid-19, and where we would be able to advance to Phase Three, with an expansion of travel and both on-campus and off-campus activities,” the email said of the changes to Phase Three plans outlined in the summer. “That has not happened. Instead, we are seeing continued spikes both nationally and in the regions around us.”