Cliff-Hanger: Mountainfilm showcases all types of terrain
In Maggie Bryan’s column “Cliff-Hanger,” she reviews outdoor films and explores the power of adventure as a catalyst to conversations over modern issues.
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In Maggie Bryan’s column “Cliff-Hanger,” she reviews outdoor films and explores the power of adventure as a catalyst to conversations over modern issues.
Following a successful semester debut in October, Middlebury’s student-run fine dining club, Dolci, made a captivating return to Atwater Dining Hall on Friday, Nov. 10 for its second dinner of the semester.
This past Friday’s Dolci dinner, cleverly coined “Knolci,” merged two Middlebury favorites: Dolci, Middlebury’s student-run restaurant, and the Knoll, the college’s farm. The Knoll’s bountiful harvest served as the inspiration for the event and provided most of the meal’s produce, which Dolci chefs used to craft a vibrant and creative five-course meal. The occasion brought together students, collaborators and supporters of the Knoll to celebrate the site’s twentieth anniversary and a successful fall harvest.
Thick southern accents and what seems like an inescapable culture of patriotism, beer and fried chicken deter many from country music’s twangy offerings, often limiting the genre to a specific audience. But this summer witnessed a steady presence of country ballads at the top of the charts. In August, four consecutive country songs, Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves),” led Billboard’s ranks at number one. The only other time this happened was 1975, and even then the songs were not consecutive. The new reach of country culture extends all the way to Middlebury, where cowboy boots and hats have become a party staple and students drive multiple hours to out-of-state country concerts.
For its 104th season, the Middlebury Performing Arts Series is offering a diverse lineup, from a string quartet hailing from Scandinavia to a storytelling series organized by a group of Middlebury students.
For many, May 1, simply marks the first day of the month, but for us, May 1 represents a little annual dinner party that our friends like to throw. Some may call it the pinnacle of fashion, to others it’s another day in the Big Apple, and to a few, it’s the Met Gala.
"Look to your left, look to your right: Two out of three of you will marry a Middlebury graduate," is what many Middlebury alumni were told at their respective Convocations, per the New York Times article from which our title derives. Past presidents were justified in their warnings, as the percentage of Middlebury graduates who marry each other is reported to be over 60% (though the exact percentage is debatable).
This Sunday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented its 95th Academy Awards. At first glance, the Oscars are a platform to award the bests of the film industry. But the Oscars’ guise is weak. Despite many changes made by The Academy this year, including the addition of a “crisis team,” changes to the dress code and the first non-red carpet since 1961, one thing has stayed the same: the Academy Awards are a showcase for high fashion, with any acknowledgment of cinema as an afterthought. And as stars walked the red, (for this year’s purposes, champagne) carpet this past Sunday, the focus was not on who won what, but rather who wore what. The answer to both questions is everything, everywhere, all at once.
In Maggie Bryan’s column “Cliff-Hanger,” she reviews outdoor films and explores the power of adventure as a catalyst to conversations over modern issues.
Every two years, millions of politically concerned Americans huddle around televisions, cell phones and radios, patiently awaiting the results of midterm or presidential elections. It’s a process that ends in celebration for some, tears for others and confusion for many. For members of the Middlebury community, this year’s elections mean many things. Some people are creating new traditions: voting for the first time, spending their first election overseas or finding new ways to celebrate because of sore memories associated with old rituals. Others are taking part in older traditions that have stood the tests of the Covid-19 pandemic and political turmoil.
Middlebury College values students’ civic engagement. The community prides itself in having the second-highest voter registration rate of all U.S. colleges during the 2018 and 2020 elections. Many students have well-formed opinions about modern issues crafted in classrooms, club meetings and conversations with friends. Yet we recognize that some Middlebury students condemn bi-partisan politics and despite their strong values, are uninterested in participating in the two-party system. Understanding politics and crafting opinions is hardly productive if students don’t take concrete action towards them.
In Maggie Bryan’s column “Cliff-Hanger,” she reviews outdoor films and explores the power of adventure as a catalyst to conversations over modern issues.
On Middlebury’s small campus, many students struggle to seek respite from the chaos of back-to-school season. Caught up in the cycle of academics, sports and busy social lives, they rarely get the chance to embrace their artistic sides. What students may not realize is that the Middlebury Museum of Art in Mahaney Center for the Arts (MAC) provides the perfect opportunity for students to both relax and explore several different styles, themes and regions of art.
The most successful outdoor films tend to focus on the “firsts” of the outdoor world: first ascents, remarkable survivals, free solos. This genre is dominated by white men, reflecting how the individual experiences of traditionally marginalized groups in outdoor spaces are often overlooked. The accomplishments of these marginalized groups are often overshadowed by films with million-dollar budgets that focus on the names and places that audiences already know. In reality, the ability of ordinary people to thrive in outdoor spaces is just as remarkable. Public lands are one of the few places in our world that are, in theory, “free.” Yet for millions of Americans, the barriers to entry into the outdoors are still extremely high.
During the ’90s, Alex Lowe was considered the ultimate American hero. Idolized for his first ascents and enthusiasm for mountaineering, he pioneered a generation of celebrity climbers, like Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell and Lynn Hill. In 1999, Alex was killed in an avalanche on Mt. Shishapangma in Tibet, an accident survived only by his climbing partner and lifelong friend, Conrad Anker. His story is one of tragedy, adventure and even a Shakespearean love triangle — all the makings of a great Hollywood film. The 2021 documentary, “Torn,” rejects the potential for theatrics, instead embracing a personal approach to outdoor adventure cinema. Directed by Alex’s son, Max Lowe, the film is more than a summary of Alex’s life; it’s an ode to the impacts he had, not just on the climbing world, but on his family. It’s a family narrative of the five stages of grief, in the wake of an incomprehensible death. Most of all, “Torn” is the living diary of Max, one that reflects on decades of his story, and yet is still being written.
Laura Wendel’s debut feature film, “Playground,” walks the line between childhood nostalgia and painful, formative experiences. The film opens with the words, “un monde” — the film’s original title and the French word for “a world.” The film reminds audiences of the complex social relationships that exist even in elementary schools and asks them to relive the painful friendship dynamics of youth. The story follows timid seven-year-old Nora’s (Maya Vanderbeque) first experiences at school, and the audience watches her navigate what justice means to her as she confronts bullying for the first time.