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(05/07/11 6:01pm)
The Middlebury College Rugby Club traveled to Pittsburgh last weekend to compete in the Division II National Championship round of the DII men’s rugby playoffs. After hanging on for the win against a surging Salisbury side in the semifinals, the second-ranked MCRC faced off against top-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater with the national title on the line. On a cold, rainy day in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the larger UW-Whitewater ruggers stood admirably against the more skilled Middlebury players and held on for a 7-3 victory.
After bussing down from Vermont on Thursday night, the MCRC had a day of practice on Friday before taking the pitch against Salisbury to make the final four. Salisbury jumped out to an early lead, but the MCRC struck back behind inspired running from their backline and the usual solid kicking of backs captain Brian Sirkia ’12.5. After staking themselves a 26-14 halftime lead, and seemingly in control of the game, Middlebury managed only one three-point penalty kick in the second half as Salisbury turned up the pressure on “the Blue.” Salisbury scored two tries in fairly rapid succession, and the MCRC suddenly found themselves with their backs against the wall on their own goal line as the Salisbury ruggers desperately tried to punch in the winning score inside of two minutes left in the game. However, Middlebury’s defense tightened up at just the right moment, and the MCRC found themselves walking off the pitch with a 29-26 victory and a date the following afternoon with Whitewater.
The conditions that were found in the Pittsburgh area on Sunday were unfavorable to Middlebury’s brand of rugby. For a team that relies on agility, quickness and getting the ball smoothly out to their backline, a slow field and a wet ball were less than ideal. However, the MCRC came out for the opening kick unfazed, Whitewater came out of the gate strong, applying constant pressure on the Middlebury defense and keeping them in their half of the field, but Middlebury refused to break until two yellow cards saw them playing with 13 men to Whitewater’s 15 for a brief period of the game action. That would be all the advantage Whitewater needed, as they were able to punch in a try and convert it for a 7-0 lead. Middlebury’s first chance to get on the board came shortly afterwards, but a Sirkia penalty kick hit the upright and glanced off, keeping the MCRC scoreless. Sirkia would convert another kick just before the half of the match, making the halftime score 7-3 in favor of Whitewater.
Middlebury had been dominated in the first half in terms of possession, and seemed to have more confidence maintain and moving the ball after the second-half kickoff. However, they were unable to string together any significant phases, and Whitewater’s defense refused to allow many significant breakaways and missed very few tackles on the afternoon. As the minutes of the second half ticked down without any significant action, Middlebury’s attacks became more intense and desperate, as the men were looking for any kind of offensive advantage against the powerful Whitewater side. As the game devolved into a back-and-forth contest of turnovers and penalties, with the opposing sides trading possessions rapidly, Middlebury continued to perform with incredible heart and determination, despite the fact that they were facing real adversity on the pitch for the first time this season.Characteristic of this determination was the performance of forwards captain Chris Marshall ’11, who had earlier refused to leave the pitch after suffering an injury and was finally forced out of the game with about 15 minutes left, literally leaving it all out on the field and ending his illustrious career with a performance to be envied by those that call themselves warriors everywhere. Despite numerous substitutions by the coaching staff, hoping to infuse new life into the offense with fresh legs, Middlebury remained unable to get anything going offensively, and after a few frantic attempts at moving the ball in added time, the final whistle blew with the score still 7-3, and UW-Whitewater as the DII national champions.
Though the MCRC’s season ended on its lowest point in terms of result, the on-field performance in the face of adversity by the team left them with no need to hang their heads or regret their own exertions. The MCRC is bound to face more adversity next season, with a move to Division I competition looming, and with the impending graduation of key seniors— notably Marshall, Chris Vandergrift ’11, Michael Pappa ’11, Drew Harasimowicz ’11 and Zach Bills ’11 in the forwards, and Sam Harrison ’11, Ben Cmejla ’11 and Dane Steel ’11 in the backs— the club will be looking to replace a large portion of their formidable starting line-up. However, if they can face this adversity with half the heart and courage that they exhibited in their match against Whitewater, they remain in very good shape to be a serious player on the national level.
(05/07/11 6:00pm)
The top-seeded Middlebury Panthers tennis team lost for just the second time all season Saturday, falling 6-3 to fourth-ranked Amherst. The Panthers fell to 16-2 (6-1) on the season while the Lord Jeffs set a new team record with their 29th win of the year, which includes their fall season. The loss ended the Panthers 25-match winning streak in the NESCAC and marked the first Lord Jeffs win over the Panthers since 2001.
The Panthers started the match with a win from the third doubles team. Middlebury’s David Farah ’12 and Spencer Lunghino ’13 defeated Andrew Jung and Mark Kahan of Amherst 8-3. Despite the early doubles lead, the Panthers ceded control of the three doubles matches for just the third time this year.
After Farah and Lunghino gave the Panthers an early lead in the match the Lord Jeffs took a 2-1 lead in the match by controlling the first and second doubles matches. Senior tri-captain Andrew Peters ’11 and Brantner Jones ’14 lost 8-2 to Luis Rattenhuber and Austin Chafetz of Amherst. In the number two doubles match, the Lord Jeffs Wes Waterman and Moritz Koenig beat the tri-captain team of Mike Malhame ’11 and Derrick Angle ’12 8-5. Malhame and Angle put up a good fight against the sixth-ranked doubles team in the country but could not come out on top.
The Panthers could not match the excellent singles play of the Lord Jeffs as they lost four of six singles matches. Tenth-ranked Andy Peters dropped two sets by a single break to 25th-ranked Luis Rattenhuber in the first singles match losing by a score of 7-5, 6-4.
In the second singles match Mark Kahan, the 36th-ranked singles player defeated Zach Bruchmiller ’14 in straight sets 6-2, 7-5. Bruchmiller appeared to be on the verge of forcing a third set up 5-2 in the second set, but Kahan rallied to win the next five games to take the second set 7-5 and win the match. Kahan has now won his last 12 straight matches with the second singles win against the Panthers.
The Panthers also dropped the third and fifth singles matches as Austin Chafetz downed Angle 6-2, 6-4 and Joey Fritz outplayed Lunghino 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to clinch the victory for Amherst.
The Panthers remaining two wins came from the fourth and sixth singles positions where Alec Parower ’13 and Jones both recorded wins. Jones improved to 11-1 on the season in the sixth singles position downing Andrew Jung 6-2, 7-6 (7-0). Parower meanwhile ran his record to 7-0 at fourth singles (12-3 overall) after sailing by Wes Waterman 6-3, 6-3.
Despite the loss, the Panthers remain if not the heavy favorite, certainly a contender to win the NESCAC tournament which will occur this weekend. To defend their NESCAC championship the Panthers would almost certainly have to play their way by the Lord Jeffs who remain undefeated in the NESCAC.
The Panthers may have multiple shots at retribution against Amherst who they could then face once again in the NCAA tournament where the Panthers will once again be looking to defend their crown as the Kings of Division III tennis. Amherst also advanced deep into last year’s national tournament, but were eventually knocked off in the semi-final round and did not get a chance to face off against Middlebury. However, both teams figure to make a major push again this year.
The Panthers semifinal opponent in the NESCAC tournament has yet to be determined. Amherst is the only NESCAC school that the Panthers did not defeat this last spring season.
(05/07/11 5:59pm)
The Middlebury women’s lacrosse team had an intense past week, walking away with a well-earned victory and falling in a tough loss, both in games decided by one goal. On Friday, April 29, Middlebury traveled to Williams for its regular season finale, beating the Ephs 11-10. The Panthers took an early lead in the game, netting three goals during the first 10 minutes in the half. Stephanie Gill ’12 tallied one and Sally Ryan ’11 earned two goals of her own.
The Ephs retaliated and put in two of the next three goals; Ryan scored her third of the game between Williams’ two marks. However, Liz Garry ’12 would not concede to the Ephs’ charge and fired back with two unassisted goals within a minute of each other. With 55 seconds left in the half, Williams’ Margie Fulton added a mark to the scoreboard putting the score at 6-3 at the intermission in the Panthers’ favor.
Middlebury came out strong in the second half, scoring five of the first seven goals thanks to Garry, Ryan, Gill, Chase Delano ’11, and Heather Marrison ’13. The Panthers earned a commanding 11-5 lead with 19:21 left in the half.
The remainder of the game was a solid effort by the Ephs, who brought the score within one by netting the next five tallies. The Panthers were able to hold off Williams to walk away with the win and the fourth seed in the NESCAC tournament.
Middlebury hosted fifth-seed Tufts in the NESCAC tournament quarterfinal game on Sunday, May 1 on Kohn Field. The Jumbos had a strong start to the game, taking a 3-1 lead within the first five minutes of the game. Margaret Souther ’13 and Lucy Jackson ’12 both capitalized on assists from Ryan to tie the game at 3-3 at the 23:30 mark.
The Panthers saw their first lead at the 1:18 mark as Ryan fed Souther the ball for a goal, putting the score at 7-6 to close the half. Jumbo Casey Egan tied up the game, putting in the first goal of the second half. However, Garry responded by netting a free position shot at the 24:34 mark to give the Panthers an 8-7 lead.
Tufts answered with three straight goals giving the Jumbos a 10-8 advantage with 17:45 remaining, prompting a Middlebury timeout. The Panthers came out of the timeout fired up as Delano scored her first goal of the game and Gill put away her second to tie the game for the seventh time. The Jumbos retaliated with another three-goal run, extending their lead to 13-10 with 3:29 remaining in the game.
The Panthers batted back, with Ryan cutting the lead to 13-11 with a goal at the 2:37 mark. With only 29 seconds left in regulation, Gill had an amazing drive to goal, leaving the Panthers with only a one-goal deficit. Unfortunately, Tufts secured the ensuing draw control and were able to protect their 13-12 advantage for the rest of the game.
“Tufts played a very smart game,” said Emma Kramer ’13. “It was clear they had prepared for everything we threw at them. Sunday was just their day but if we had two more minutes I think the game would have ended very differently.”
Ryan led the Panthers during the contest with four goals and three assists, followed by Gill with three goals and Souther with a pair of her own. Nguyen finished the game with six saves.
Co-Captain Ryan now has 142 goals and 58 assists for 200 career points in 63 games. Her 58 assists tie her for sixth all-time at Middlebury, while her 200 points tie her for 10th on the school’s all-time list.
“Sally, Chase and Hilary are amazing players and leaders,” said Halle. “We all worked to emulate them on and off of the field.”
The Panthers are proud of their 10-5 season.
“The Tufts game does not define our season,” said Kramer. “We accomplished so many incredible things and overcame so many difficult obstacles. Every player improved so much as the season progressed and we finished the season as better players and stronger people.”
The Panthers wait to hear if they will receive a bid for the 2011 NCAA tournament.
(05/07/11 5:58pm)
The Middlebury Track and Field team came through with an outstanding performance this weekend at NESCAC Championships at Wesleyan University. The women’s team came in second, beat only by Williams, while the men came in third behind Williams and Bates. There were many standout performances in the meet, with several athletes breaking school records and qualifying for NCAA Championships.
Senior Kaitlynn Saldanha ’11 followed up on a season-long streak of great races with a first place finish in the 800m, setting a new NESCAC meet record and school record. Her time of 2:11.15 was also good enough to secure her a spot at NCAA’s. Other first place finishers were Mia Martinez ’12 in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.89 and Annie Rowell ’11 in the 100m with a time of 12.82. Martinez’s time was good enough to provisionally qualify for NCAA’s. Junior Margo Cramer ’12 continued her impressive season with a first place finish for the women in the 3000m steeplechase; Cramer also finished second behind Saldanha in the 800m. The women also had impressive showings in team events, with both the women’s 4 x 400m relay and 4 x 800m bringing home first-place finishes. The 4 x 400m team was made up of Saldanha, Sarah O’Brien ’13, Tory Sheffield ’14, and Juliet Ryan Davis ’13; Ryan-Davis also placed second in the 400m race. The 4 x 800m relay team was comprised of Cramer, Rebecca Fanning ’12, and seniors Cailey Condit ’11 and Erin Toner ’11. Finally, Grace Doering ’13 had another great contest, placing second in the high jump with a jump of 5’5”. Senior tri-captain Katy Magill ’11 was thrilled with the team’s performance. “This week was an all-around stellar performance for the team. So many people really stepped up and did better than expected. The entire team also did a fabulous job of supporting each other, and the energy and enthusiasm at the meet was really exciting.”
For the men, Peter Hetzler ’14 continued his impressive season with a first place finish in the 200m, while sophomore Jack Davies ’13 took first in the 3000m steeplechase. The men’s DMR team, made up of tri-captain Addison Godine ’11.5, Louis Cornacchione ’13, Davies and Michael Schmidt ’12, carried winter season success into the NESCAC meet, bringing home a first place finish with a time of 10:31.31. Schmidt also took first place in the 10,000m. Finally, Jack Terrett ’11 had a great race in the 5000m, finishing second. Tri-captain Alice Wisener remarked on the entire team’s performance, noting that it “came really close to winning.” She also noted, “The men’s and women’s teams, in combination, did the best ever in the program’s history.” The track and field team clearly has much to be proud of from the NESCAC meet, and will look to improve upon that success at the upcoming NCAAs.
(05/07/11 5:56pm)
Despite dropping two games to Trinity over the weekend, the Middlebury College baseball team will be heading to the postseason for the first time since 2006, the same year that they won their first and only NESCAC championship. The Panthers’ playoff fate was out of their hands entering the weekend, as their games against the Bantams would not count towards their NESCAC west record, which determines a team’s playoff standing.
Instead, the Panthers had to wait on the results of the Amherst-Wesleyan series to see if they would be playing postseason baseball this spring. The Cardinals would have needed to sweep Amherst in order to keep Middlebury out of the playoffs, but they did not even come close, losing two out of three to the Lord Jeffs and in the process giving the Panthers their first playoff berth in five years.
“Everyone is pumped about the playoffs,” said Joe Conway ’13 of the Panthers’ bid. “Obviously that is every team’s goal, and we are very fortunate to have a shot to compete for the NCAA tournament.”
In the first game of their Saturday doubleheader at Trinity, the Panthers seemed primed to take a game from the home nine as they were able to jump out to a 6-0 lead after the first three innings. Zach Roeder ’12 homered in the first, Alex Kelly ’14 singled home a run in the second, and Thomas Rafferty ’13 and Tyler Wark ’12 both contributed RBIs in the third to stake Middlebury to the early lead.
However, the Bantams would cut the lead in half with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, and then exploded in the sixth for five runs off of Middlebury starter Michael Joseph ’13, who had given the Panthers a solid outing up to that point. Joseph was replaced by John Popkowski ’13 with two out in the sixth, and Popkowski allowed another Trinity run before he was able to retire the side. With the scoreboard suddenly against them, the Panthers were able to muster only one hit in the top of the seventh before falling by the eventual score of 9-6.
The second game of the doubleheader was never in doubt, as Trinity scored methodically throughout the middle innings of the contest en route to an 11-2 victory.
The Bantams chased Middlebury starter Nick Angstman ’11 after just three innings and handed him his first loss of the season, as the Panther ace had been undefeated up to that point. Middlebury’s only runs in the game came in their halves of the fifth and the sixth, thanks to a Wark sacrifice fly and a Roeder ground-out, respectively. The Panthers were able to manage only six hits in game two.
“There’s not a whole lot to say about Trinity,” said Conway. “They were good that day and we weren’t, and I think everybody is ready to move on from it and focus on what’s ahead.”
Middlebury will close out their regular season with NESCAC series against Bowdoin and first-place Tufts before heading to the conference playoffs at Amherst on May 14-15. If the Panthers are able to exhibit the level of focus they showed in their two dominating regular-season sweeps of Williams and Hamilton, they should be bound to be a tough out for any competition they might face in the NESCAC tournament. The Tufts series will be a barometer for how the Panthers will fare against top-level competition.
(05/07/11 5:55pm)
After quelling the early momentum of a spirited Williams squad and prevailing, 12-9, on Friday, Middlebury faced off against Colby in a NESCAC quarterfinal game at Alumni Stadium on Sunday. The efforts of a strong underclassmen core combined with outstanding goalkeeping lifted the Panthers past the Mules in a second overtime period. Middlebury, ranked 11th in the nation, advances to the NESCAC semifinals and will face Trinity on Saturday, May 7th at Tufts. Bowdoin will square off against the host school in the semifinal at midday.
To the delight of the crowd, John McGoldrick ’14 struck early, scoring twice to spur the Panthers on a four-goal run. Andrew Conner ’11 found separation and capped of the first quarter with a powerful take from 15 yards out. The midfield out-hustled their opponents and managed to hold Craig Bunker ’11 (.723 wins), the nation’s third-best face-off specialist, in check in the early going. A comfortable 5-1 lead vanished as Colby responded with a three-goal salvo. The two teams traded goals twice more before McGoldrick found the net a third time with one second left in the first half, setting the score at 7–5 in Middlebury’s favor.
Conner, dodging downhill to score, opened up the third quarter with his second goal on the afternoon. The Mules responded with another three-goal run, tying the game at 8-8. Long-stick midfielder Billy Chapman ’13 did not hesitate to bring the score to 9-8 on a fast break opportunity with 9:25 left in the fourth quarter. Colby’s John Jennings ’13 managed to score a man-up tally before the game was pushed into overtime.
A brilliant defensive effort preserved Middlebury in the first four-minute overtime period. Inspired by the play of Matt Rayner ’12, the exhausted squad kept the Mules off balance, punishing them for any slight hesitation. Still, goalkeeper Ryan Dean ’11 was called upon to make a game-saving stop on an untouched shooter from the right flank.
A frantic scrum left the ball in Colby’s possession near their own cage at the start of the second overtime period. Hurried by closing Middlebury players, a pass to the Mules’ goalie was intercepted by David Hild ’11 right on the doorstep. Initially taken aback by his good fortune, Hild quickly recovered his poise and scored on a point-blank shot to end the game.
McGoldrick paced Middlebury with a hat-trick and one assist, while Mike Giordano ’13 and Conner each added a pair of goals. Rayner led the Panthers with seven ground balls, as Middlebury owned a 46-36 advantage on Colby overall. Deane made 18 saves over 64:18 in goal for the win. When questioned about the close win and its effect going forward, Jack Balaban ’12 said he remained focused on the win.
“At this point in the season, the only thing that matters is getting a win,” he said. “We managed to do that on Saturday, but we will have to really step up our game this weekend. We have a lot of work to do, but we can’t wait to get on the field against Trinity and try and play our best game of the season.”
As mentioned above, the Panthers return to action this Saturday against Trinity. Middlebury defeated the Bantams by a score of 12-8 on the road in the teams’ regular season meeting earlier this spring. If all goes to plan, Middlebury will face last year’s National Champions, Tufts, in the NESCAC finals on Sunday, May 8th. The Panthers put up a good fight against the Jumbos at home in their regular-season meeting this year, but ended up losing by a tally of 11-8. If they are able to best Trinity, Middlebury will certainly be looking for retribution against a Jumbos squad that took them down on their home turf.
(05/07/11 5:54pm)
The women’s softball team secured a spot in the NESCAC playoffs last weekend with a triple win over the Lord Jeffs: 3-2, 5-0, 8-0. The Lady Panthers also secured the fourth 20-win season in Middlebury softball history. The first game went into extra innings to break a 2-2 tie, with the Panthers coming out victorious. They rode their victory to a total domination of Amherst, winning by more points in the second game, and even more in the third. By the end of the victorious weekend, pitcher Geena Constantin ’11 became the school’s leader in strikeouts, having struck out 266 batters in her career.
This past Monday, it was Panther versus Panther as Middlebury took on Plymouth State in a double header. The conditions were muddy, but the undeterred Middlebury women once again conquered their opponents, winning 3-2 and 3-0 respectively. They tied the all-time school record for wins with their 23rd and 24th wins for the season. With two more schools to go, the school record was hanging on by a thread.
The Panthers smashed through that record on Wednesday in a double header against Skidmore College. They won the first game of the day 2-0 before falling 3-1 in extra innings during the second. They set the school record for wins in a season as well as capturing the longest winning streak on record with 17 wins in a row. High winds presented a challenge for the players during the games on Wednesday, but play carried on.
In the first game, Middlebury scored it’s first run in the second inning with Emma Katz ’13 driving a single up the left side. Emily Burbridge ’11, took second base during the play. Sara Boylan ’13 singled up the middle, allowing Burbridge ’11 to come home, scoring a run for Middlebury. Despite hits from Jessa Hoffman ’13, Alex Scibetta ’14 and Megan Margel ’11 in the third and fourth innings, the Panthers did not cross home plate again until the fifth inning, where they won the game with a home run from Alyson Downing ’12. Downing singled up the middle at the top of the inning, followed by a left-side single from Margel and a fielding error which allowed Downing to cross home plate. Elizabeth Morris ’14 pitched the first game, striking out eight Skidmore batters and allowing only two hits.
In the second game of the day, the Panthers attacked right from the start, with Jessica Proacky ’13 singling to the right side, advancing Margel to second base, followed by a single from Scibetta that brought Margel home, allowing the lady Panthers to match the run scored by Skidmore in their first inning. While neither team scored a run until the eighth inning, pitcher Constantin held off the Thoroughbreds, who went six innings without a hit. Skidmore’s pitcher was just as tough to get past, but Poracky managed to hit a single in the fifth inning for Middlebury. Tied 1-1, the game came down to the eighth inning. The Panthers put up a valiant fight, but Skidmore scored two runs in the eighth, ending the game.
The Panthers ended their regular season games at Union on May 3rd and will now continue on to the NESCAC tournament.
(05/07/11 5:52pm)
Middlebury will host the NESCAC women’s tennis championship tournament this coming weekend. This tournament will take place after the Middlebury women were beaten by the Amherst Lord Jeffs 8-1 at home this past Saturday. On Friday, however, the team shut out Skidmore 9-0 at home advancing their overall record to 9-4.
Victoria Aiello ’12 came out victorious after a long and hard- fought match in the number one spot. In game one, Rachel Loeb of Skidmore beat out Aiello 4-6. In games two and three Aiello was able to overcome Loeb in two extremely close matches. Aiello won these games 7-6 and 10-8, settling the first in 4 tiebreakers.
In the number five singles spot, Anna Burke ’12 started out strong winning the first match 6-1. Skidmore’s Molly Nolan put up a good fight in the second match, but Burke was able to win the match in just two sets, winning the second 7-5. The rest of the singles players were able to win their matches with just two sets in 6 games. All three doubles players won their matches by at least three games.
The team’s next opponents were the Lady Jeffs who were undefeated going into competition on Sunday. Not holding back, the team put out a great effort but was ultimately defeated by the Jeffs who will go into the playoffs undefeated.
Leah Kepping ’13 came out of the match with the only Middlebury win, defeating Amherst’s Clarissa King 6-3, 6-3 in the number two singles spots. Although the end score of 8-1 does not look close between the Panthers and Lord Jeffs, many of the matches were extremely hard- fought and challenged Amherst’s strength. In the number five singles spot, Burke was barely beat by Laken King, in three sets. Burke beat out King in the first set 7-6, but King was able to come back and beat Burke in the second set 7-6, and then again in the third set 10-4.
Dorrie Paradies ’14 was in a similar position in the number six singles spot, battling her way through three sets to ultimately be defeated. Paradies was beaten in the first set 6-4, but was then able to come back strong in the second set to win 6-3. In the third set, Mimi Bell of Amherst was able to overcome Paradies 6-1 and secure another win for Amherst.
Middlebury will play Bowdoin first at the NESCAC Championship Tournament at home on Friday. Earlier in the season, the Panther women beat the Polar Bears 6-3 on the Bears home court. Middlebury will have home court advantage when they play them again. The tournament will continue through Sunday when the NESCAC Champions will be named.
Last year the team fell in the NESCAC Semifinals to Williams in the tournament which was held at Amherst. Despite this loss, the Panthers who had a 13-5 season, recieved a bid for the NCAA tournament where they advanced to the Regionals. The women met the Lord Jeffs at this Regional match and were defeated by the top-ranked team.
(05/07/11 5:46pm)
Consider this hypothetical situation.
In an attempt to boost Middlebury’s rankings in the Princeton Review, President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz decides, under pressure from professors and administration, that the following changes will be implemented for the upcoming school year: The grading scale will change such that the A range starts at 93 instead of 90, that tuition will increase by 50 percent and exams will finish in June instead of May.
Students protest the future changes by refusing to take exams this spring and have stopped attending classes. The SGA announces that unless Liebowitz nixes his demands, no students will attend Middlebury for the 2011-2012 school year.
Some prospective first-years decide to go to other colleges, but others stick with Midd anyway, believing that the situation will be resolved in time for the school year to begin. Students accepted Early Decision don’t have a choice in the matter while Febs celebrate as they embark on their Febmesters, avoiding the strife completely.
As summer comes to a close and students and administration remain at odds, the College starts to wonder if incoming freshman will show up for orientation. Will they come to Middlebury with the school year hanging in the balance? Will they be present for convocation and shake Liebowitz’s hand as he welcomes them to college? This is, after all, a once in a lifetime opportunity that they have to meet the incoming first-years and hear Liebowitz’s opening speech.
Of course they won’t. Why would they?
Shaking President Liebowitz’s hand during convocation in Mead Chapel would be as foolish as NFL rookies greeting the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tonight at the NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall.
Oh wait.
A record 25 NFL rookies will attend the NFL Draft. In the middle of a lockout, in which the Commissioner represents all that the players stand against, more players will attend the Draft than ever before.
Tonight Goodell will stroll to the podium, adjust the microphone and say, “With the first pick of the 2011 NFL draft, the Carolina Panthers select…” And it won’t matter if Cam Newton, Marcel Dareus or Patrick Peterson walks out of the green room adjusting his new Panthers hat, what matters is that the first overall draft pick, and 24 others, will have made the trip to New York to attend the NFL Draft.
Though the owners and players are farther than ever from coming to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NFL Draft will take place as if there is nothing amiss. Players will shake Goodell’s hand and flash million dollar smiles, all while competing to see who can wear the most horrendous suit.
Suggestions from the NFL Player’s Association for players to boycott the draft have fallen on deaf ears. The top prospects that will likely be selected in the first round are unwilling to forfeit the incredible opportunity to attend the NFL Draft. Instead, they will dutifully stand up when their names are called and awkwardly embrace the man who is at the heart of their problems.
The Draft is a special moment for rookies, and even more so for those fortunate enough to be invited to attend the draft. But by attending the draft these young players are fueling Goodell’s agenda for the lockout. If these rookies are setting records for attendance at the draft in April how can they possibly expect to sit out their entire rookie seasons afterwards?
Stay home first-years. And if you have to go, don’t stand up when your name is called.
(05/07/11 5:45pm)
The Middlebury track and field Team managed to shake off the disappointment of its only home meet being postponed due to bad weather and come up with impressive performances at the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton University on Friday night. By the end of the meet, four school records had been broken and seven athletes had qualified for NCAA Championships.
Junior Margo Cramer ’12 broke the school record and set a new NESCAC record in the 1500m, with a time of 4:27.85; Middlebury’s previous record time in that event stood for 32 years before Cramer broke it Friday. Amanda Lee ’11 also broke the school record in the 3000m steeplechase, qualifying for NCAA Championships in the process.
Following the lead of their female teammates, Jack Davies ’13 and Michael Schmidt ‘12 also broke school records and qualified for NCAAs, with Davies giving an impressive performance in the 3000m steeplechase and Schmidt coming up with a time of 14:17.15 in the 5000m race. Schmidt attributed his success to the team’s momentum on Friday night, saying, “I raced in the last event, so I got to see everyone else run really well; it’s motivating to see all your teammates crush it race after race and also puts a little pressure on you to keep the fast times coming.”
He continued, “Princeton is an exciting meet because it’s at night, under the lights, and has great competition, so the energy is high and we go in ready to run fast and hope for PRs.”
The team certainly showed up ready to go at Princeton; in addition to breaking the four school records, three other runners qualified for NCAA Championships. Erin Toner ’11 qualified for NCAAs in the 1500m, Addie Tousley ’13 qualified in the 5000m, and Juliet Ryan-Davis ‘13 qualified in the 800.
In addition to qualifying for NCAA Championships, Ryan-Davis was also named NESCAC Performer of the Week. Following up on a strong winter season, Ryan-Davis has had an excellent season thus far this spring.
“My success is because of such a great training group--I’ve trained with both the sprints group, coached by Martin Beatty, and the distance group, coached by Nicole Wilkerson,” said Ryan-Davis.
The Middlebury track and field team’s biggest test will come this weekend at the NESCAC championships at Wesleyan. Middlebury track and field remains in its strongest position in years to take home the NESCAC title.
(05/07/11 5:44pm)
The women’s tennis team suffered two hard felt losses this week to two NESCAC rivals. On Wednesday, the women were defeated by Williams at home, and then traveled to Tufts where they lost 7-2. These losses brought an end to a five game winning streak and brought them to 8-3 overall, 4-2 in league.
Against Williams, the Panther women came out with two wins and seven losses. The two wins came from the number one and two doubles players. Brittany Faber ’13 and Leah Kepping ’13 in the number one doubles spot were able to beat Lucy Marchese and Nikki Reich of Williams in a close 9-8 win. Victoria Aiello ’12 and Anna Burke ’12 also were able to beat out their Eph competitors in the number two spot with another close win. Early on the pair were down 7-4, but were able to come out victorious with a final score of 9-7.
All the singles matches were lost, although most were close matches. Kepping was able to draw her match against Eph player Nancy Worley into three sets. Kepping won the first set 6-2, but was beaten out in the next two sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Three days later, the team traveled to Tufts where they were defeated, winning two doubles matches and very closely defeated in two singles matches. Faber and Kepping again won in the number one singles place 8-6, while Sally Wilkey ’12 and Dorrie Paradies ’14 trumped their Jumbo rivals 8-3.
In singles play, both Faber and Wilkey drew their matches out into three sets. Faber fought hard in each set, losing the first 7-5, winning the second after several tie breakers, 6-7 and losing the third 10-7. Wilkey played against Lauren Hollender of Tufts in the number four spot, losing the first set 7-5, winning the second 3-6, but ultimately falling in the third 6-0.
The team will play Skidmore at home on Saturday, and Amherst at home on Sunday, finishing up this season’s regular play. The NESCAC Championship tournament will begin the following week, which may result in a bid to play in the NCAA tournament.
(05/07/11 5:43pm)
While the women’s golf team had an off weekend, the men’s team competed in the Williams invitational, coming away in first place. The invitational, named Williams NESCAC Spring Opener hosted six NESCAC schools in the last competition before the NESCAC Championships next weekend at Middlebury.
Five Middlebury golfers competed in the tournament. Jim Levins ’11 earned medalist honors for his first place finish this weekend with a score of 71. After a harder first day, Levins was tied for fourth with a score of 39 points. However on Sunday, Levins came away with shooting a 32, a score five strokes ahead of any other player’s Sunday score.
Next for the Panthers was Robert C. Israel ’13, who tied for fourth place with a two-day score of 75. Fellow sophomore, William Prince ’13 followed Israel shooting a 78 to tie for ninth. To finish up for the Panthers was Brian Cady ’11, just one stroke behind Prince with a score of 78 in 13th place, and Max Alley ’14 in 22nd place with a score of 81.
“I think that we showed ourselves that we are making good progress and that we’ve been putting in solid practices over the last few weeks, even though conditions haven’t been ideal,” said Levins. “We have to keep doing what we’ve been doing and continue to have confidence in our individual games and our ability as a team.”
Middlebury earned a two-day score of 301, two strokes ahead of NESCAC rival Williams who had a two-day score of 303.
After winning the NESCAC qualifiers during the fall season, the team was able to win the bid in order to host the NESCAC championships this coming weekend. The Vermont weather is always in question when competing in outdoor sports in the harsh conditions which living in Middlebury brings.
“I believe rain is predicted for the next few days, so the course will be wet and playing longer than usual for the tournament,” Levins said. “We’ve been playing in these types of conditions for the past month, so I would say our preparation is on par with what we’ll see this weekend.”
Last year, the team placed fourth at the Williams Invitational and came second at the NESCAC Championships which were hosted by Williams. Trinity edged out the Panthers from winning the title.
(05/07/11 5:41pm)
The Middlebury College baseball team swept Hamilton last weekend and, in the process, may have just swept their way into their first postseason appearance since 2007, and only their second appearance of all time. The victories over the Continentals helped the Panthers improve their record to 12-9 on the season, and, more importantly, 8-4 in NESCAC west play, which determines their playoff seeding. First-place Amherst also sits at 8-4 in the conference, but holds the tiebreaker over Middlebury due to their better overall record and series victory over the Panthers. Third place Wesleyan will need to sweep the Lord Jeffs this weekend in order to eliminate the Panthers from playoff contention. Anything other than a Wesleyan sweep will see Middlebury playing postseason baseball this spring.
“It was really special going into the Hamilton series with something to play for down the road,” said outfielder Murph McCurdy ’12. “I think top to bottom we were really focused and dialed in, and we were able to record our second sweep of the season.”
The Panthers’ series against Hamilton marked their most dominant all-around team performance to date this year. Middlebury outscored the Continentals 19-1 over the three games of the series, and saw stand-out performances from their pitching staff. Additionally, catcher Zach Roeder ’12 was named the NESCAC player of the week for his offensive output in the series.
Middlebury opened the home series with Hamilton with a Friday doubleheader in which the Continentals, to put it politely, never had a chance. In game one, the Panthers jumped out to a lead right away thanks to an RBI single from Roeder and an RBI double from Michael Morris ’13. Middlebury would score methodically in the early and middle innings thanks to RBIs from Will Baine ’12, Joe Conway ’13, and Tyler Wark ’12, eventually taking an 8-0 lead after the bottom of the fifth. That would be more than enough support for Middlebury starter Michael Joseph ’13, who allowed only four hits and struck out six in what would be a 9-0 Panther victory.
Game two on Friday started out as though it might be a close contest, scoreless through four. However, Middlebury was able to break the game open in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a three-RBI double from Roeder, and from there the flood gates were open. Middlebury added three more runs in the sixth, one in the seventh, and two in the eighth on their way to the easy victory. Hamilton was able to plate only one run in their half of the sixth inning, as Middlebury starter Nick Angstman ’11 went seven strong to improve to 3-0 on the season.
The third game of the series on Saturday was for baseball purists; a pitching duel that saw only one run scored between the two squads. Luckily for the home nine, that run was for Middlebury, and would be all they needed to complete the three-game sweep of the Continentals. John Wiet ’13 put in an inspired performance on the mound for Middlebury, allowing just three hits and striking out six in the complete-game shutout. Middlebury manufactured the only run of the game in the third, when Roeder singled and was advanced around the bases by the middle of the Panther batting order before being plated by an Alex Kelly ’14 RBI single.
Middlebury now waits anxiously for the results of this weekend’s Amherst-Wesleyan series. Should Amherst be able to take at least one game out of three from the Cardinals, Middlebury will advance to the NESCAC playoffs as the second-seed out of the west.
“The thing about NESCAC playoffs is once you’re in, anything can happen,” said McCurdy. “I think given the opportunity, our team will go out and give a real run of something we’ve always dreamed of: a NESCAC championship.”
The Panthers will travel to struggling Trinity this weekend for a pair of games that are important to the team’s overall record but otherwise inconsequential in terms of their playoff aspirations.
(05/07/11 5:40pm)
The Middlebury Panthers advanced to 9-4 last week with two strong wins over Skidmore and Tufts. On April 21, the Panthers trumped Skidmore 19-2 on Kohn Field, furthering their streak of now 24 wins against the Thoroughbreds. The Panthers scored 14 goals in a row, including netting two in an impressive 18-second period.
Middlebury had nine different scores: Sally Ryan ’11 led with six goals of her own, followed by Lucy Jackson ’12 with three tallies and Ellen Halle ’13 with two goals and two assists. Casey Flight ’14 earned her first collegiate goal and Michaela Colbert ’13 won six draw controls in the contest. Riding off this decisive victory, the Panthers traveled to Tufts on April 23.
“After a couple of close NESCAC games against Trinity, Amherst and Colby,” said Jackson, “I think it was huge to come out on top against Skidmore, giving us the confidence we needed for the Tufts game.”
The 11th-ranked Panthers took an early 3-0 lead against the #13 ranked Jumbos thanks to a goal and an assist from Halle. Tufts fired back to set the score at 4-4, but the Panthers did not let down and Margaret Souther ’13 capitalized off a pass from Ryan with 4:30 remaining in the half to give the Panthers a 5-4 advantage at intermission.
The second half was an exciting one; the Jumbos came out strong and took a 6-5 lead. The Panthers responded with goals from Souther and Ryan before the teams traded the next six goals back-and-forth. Tufts scored at 14:22 of the second half to produce the games sixth tie at 9-9.
Off the next draw, Ryan took possession of the ball, bringing it down the field to fire home the game-winning goal with 14:10 remaining in the game. Ryan now leads the NESCAC conference with goals and goals per game.
“Saturday’s game was a true team win,” said Liz Garry ’12, “From the little things like making good passes and catches, to scoring big goals and getting draw controls, to all the cheering on the side lines; everyone played such a big part in the win.”
Because of junior goalie Lily Nguyen’s ’12 crucial save off a Jumbo free-position shot, a strong effort by Ryan, Souther and Garry, and great, composed team play all around, the Panthers were able to stall the rest of the game until about the two minute mark.
Here, Tufts junior Kelly Cakert caused a turnover and captured the ground ball.
“When we did lose the ball, the defense did a great job of holding their own and getting it right back,” said Souther. “Heather Marrison [’13] had some key blocks towards the end of the game.”
After a time out, the Jumbos turned the ball over before they could take any more shots against the Panthers and thus Middlebury was able to walk away with the victory. Nguyen, who has the highest save percentage in the NESCAC conference, had four saves in the contest. Halle applauded her team’s ability to remain calm despite Tufts’ high-pressure defense.
“It was a great team win as everyone definitely had a part,” she said. “We played a very smart, controlled game that I think culminated in our successful stall at the end of the game.” Ryan agreed with Halle’s appreciation of the effort of everyone on field.
“Everyone contributed in one way or another which was why we were so successful,” she said.
Looking ahead, the Panthers are ready to peak in the postseason and redeem their first round loss last year against the Colby Mules.
Middlebury travels to Williams this Friday eager to end the regular season on a high note.
(05/07/11 5:39pm)
The men’s tennis team demonstrated yet again why it’s deserving of the number one spot in the country over the weekend with two dominant performances over Skidmore (8-7) and tenth-ranked Williams (8-3, 3-2 in NESCAC). With the pair of wins the Panthers improved to 16-1 (6-0) on the season and have now won 67 straight matches at home. Andy Peters ’11 headlined the weekend with four wins over the weekend, two of which were against ranked opponents.
Saturday Peters and first year Brantner Jones ’14 defeated the fifth-ranked doubles team in the nation from Skidmore College 9-8 in a tightly contested match. The 21st-ranked team of Peters and Jones defeated Spencer Cheng and Jimmy Sherpa, improving their doubles record to 9-1 on the season.
Peters and Jones also recorded singles victories over Skidmore. The Senior tri-captain downed the Thoroughbreds’ Luke Granger 6-3, 6-0 in the top singles position and Jones defeated Alex Fromson 6-4, 6-2 in the fifth singles match.
The Panthers won all three doubles matches against the Thoroughbreds, dropping only the second singles match as Oliver Loutsenko of Skidmore edged the Panthers Zach Bruchmiller ’14 6-4, 6-4. The loss marked the only two sets that the Panthers lost in an 8-1 victory.
Despite the loss on Saturday, Bruchmiller played a key role in the Panthers win on Saturday against Williams. The Panthers comfortably defeated the tenth-ranked team in the country 7-2 as Peters and Bruchmiller starred. Bruchmiller, a first year from San Antonio, defeated Matt Micheli of Williams, the 31st-ranked singles player 7-5, 7-5.
“Williams is obviously one of our conference rivals and it is nice to get a win over them because it shows the depth of our line-up,” said tri-captain Andy Peters. “This is one of the most complete teams that I have ever played on. We really have no holes; everybody competes hard and knows how to win.”
The number one singles match featured one of the season’s best matchups as tenth-ranked Andy Peters faced the number two singles player in the country, Felix Sun. Saturday marked the third time Peters and Sun have faced one another with Peters leading the series 1-0 as their second match wasn’t finished. Peters held the upper hand again, defeating Sun 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
“I served really well,” Peters said. “He does a good job at making you feel uncomfortable out on the court. He doesn’t give you a good rhythm and he makes a lot of balls. Coming into the match, I knew it was going to be tough, and I tried to weather the storm and capitalize on big points.”
The rest of the Panthers followed suit. Middlebury once again swept all three doubles matches and won four of their six singles matches. Nearly all of the singles matches were close as four were decided either in the third set or by ten point tiebreakers. The Panthers came up with clutch performances, winning three of the four.
Both Alec Parower ’13 and Brantner Jones came from down a set to defeat their opponents. Parower beat the Ephs fourth singles player Zach Weiss 4-6, 7-6, 10-4 (tiebreak) and Jones roared back after dropping the first set to stun Dylan Page 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in the sixth singles match.
The Panthers also faced stronger competition from the Williams doubles teams. Peters and Jones edged the Ephs number one team of Bryan Chow and Matt Micheli 8-6 and Spencer Lunghino ’13 and David Farah ’12 squeaked out a 9-7 win in the third doubles match. Only the second doubles team of Mike Malhame and Derrick Angle won comfortably as they rolled by the Ephs Trey Meyer and Felix Sun 8-2.
Andy Peters highlighted their match as a turning point for the other doubles teams. “Michael Malhame and Derrick Angle had a very decisive win in the number two doubles match which gave tremendous momentum to the other doubles teams,” he said.
The Panthers hope to carry over their momentum to their showdown at fourth-ranked Amherst this weekend. The Lord Jeffs are an impressive 28-1 (7-0 in NESCAC) this season.
Despite the magnitude of the match, Peters downplayed the importance of beating Amherst. “The goal is to improve, he said. “We don’t really have any result-oriented expectations, such as winning or losing. We have put in the hard work and take care of the little things. I expect us to compete hard for every point and to leave everything on the court. Those have always been the expectations of this program, and that is the way we approach every match.”
Result driven or not, the Panthers want to win this one.
(05/07/11 5:37pm)
After 14 years of service to Panther swimming and diving, men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Peter Solomon announced his resignation on Monday night, April 25. The members of the swim teams were informed Monday night and have since been instructed by members of the athletic department administration not to discuss Solomon’s resignation with members of the press.
In a statement released by the athletic department, Solomon said, “I feel fortunate to have worked for Middlebury College and to have represented the athletic department for the past 14 years. I am grateful that as I grew up, I had some excellent coaches and role models. I wanted to give back to the sport that was such an important part of my development. Middlebury has provided me with a wonderful opportunity.”
In the same statement, Director of Athletics Erin Quinn shared his thoughts on Solomon’s resignation.
“Peter Solomon has inspired numerous swimmers at Middlebury to give their best, and his work as a coach is reflected in the many friendships he has with alumni,” Quinn said. “The College is very thankful for his years of service and wishes him well as he moves on to his next challenge.”
President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz received several members of the men’s and women’s swim teams during his open office hours on Tuesday in response to Solomon’s resignation. In February, all members of the women’s swimming and diving teams except for first-years were forbidden from competing in team meets after allegations of hazing were brought forth by the administration. A portion of the men’s swim team’s schedule was also canceled due to the same allegations.
During Solomon’s tenure as head coach, Middlebury swimming and diving won numerous individual national championships, most recently by John Dillon ’11 in 2010 and 2011 in the . The men’s team was the NESCAC champion in 2002, and the women finished as the NESCAC runners-up five times. Solomon was named New England’s Division III coach of the year four times during his tenure, and NESCAC coach of the year three times. Additionally, he served as Director of the Natatorium, the College’s swimming and diving facility. The College has no immediate plans for replacing Solomon at this time.
(05/07/11 5:36pm)
Heading into last week’s play, the Middlebury men’s lacrosse team was 10 games into the season, and with their two losses only by a combined three goals, the team looked to be playing some of its best lacrosse with the NESCAC tournament looming in the near future.
This past week saw the Panthers play a pair of home games against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Tuesday and conference arch rival Tufts on Saturday— a good measuring stick for the team’s prowess as the Panthers lost three close games against the Jumbos last season.
The 10th-ranked Panthers faced off against RPI last Tuesday at Youngman field, and it did not take long for these two offenses to assert themselves. The Panthers went up 2-0 by the 12:46 mark on a pair of goals from Peter Jennings ’12 and David Hild ’11. However, RPI responded with its own 3-0 run in the next 2:36 to grab the lead at 3-2. Erich Pfeffer ’13 then scored to knot the game at 3, before RPI cranked out another three goals to open its largest lead of the day at 6-3. Alex Giammarco ’11 and Andrew Conner ’11 then added a goal each to have the Panthers trailing 6-5 at the end of the first quarter.
After a largely scoreless second quarter, RPI pushed its lead to 7-5 at the 6:15 mark. However, from that point on in the game it was all Panthers as the squad went on a 6-0 run spanning late into the third quarter. RPI scored twice more throughout the course of the game, as the final ended up 13-9.
The aforementioned run, lead almost completely by the Panthers’ leading scorers, is a good example of how dangerous this team can be when it gets on a roll. With points from Tim Cahill ’12, Conner, Mike Giordano ’13 and Hild, the Panthers buried RPI with almost an entire quarter left in the game.
“We have some kids on the team that can really put the ball away,” said Henry Clark ’12. “Hild, Cahill, Conner and Giordano have been threats all season, and it gives our team a lot of confidence when the offense is clicking like that.”
Goalie Ryan Deane ’11.5 is another reason why this team is so formidable, as he made 13 saves against RPI.
“Deane makes saves that other goalies simply aren’t making,” said attackman Jack Balaban ’11. “He has a unique ability to keep us in games even when the rest of the team isn’t playing well, and that’s an extremely valuable asset.”
However, even another strong effort from Deane couldn’t lift the Panthers past Tufts. Deane made 14 saves and allowed 11 goals as the Panthers fell for the fourth straight time against the Jumbos in the past two years. The Panthers opened the first quarter on a 3-0 run with goals from Pfeffer, Conner and George Curtis ’14. The Jumbos responded with a 3-0 run of their own, but after another Middlebury tally from Giordano, the Panthers led 4-3 after one quarter.
From this point on, the game proved to be back and forth, putting the score at 8-8 with 13:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Jumbos would shut down the Middlebury offense and score three goals of their own over the last 11:37, making the final 11-8. Despite the loss, Clark sees the game as a bright spot.
“I thought we played very well against tufts, possibly our best game of the year even though we didn’t win,” said Clark. “We’ll look at the film, learn from it, and move on.” Balaban added that the four straight losses to Tufts give the team extra motivation.
“The only effect the Tufts’ loss has is that everybody wants to beat them even more,” said Balaban. “Hopefully we’ll get another shot.”
The Panthers now need a win this Friday against Williams or a Wesleyan loss to clinch home field advantage for the first NESCAC tournament game slated for May 1.
(05/05/11 3:46pm)
I arrived at Middlebury College almost four years ago. I had just spent my senior year of high school in Israel, hiking, washing dishes, attending rallies, exploring cities, learning another language and another way of being.
Arriving in Vermont, I was skeptical as to how much I could learn about the issues I cared about from an American liberal arts college. In Vermont.
That skepticism was quickly turned on its head when I met, in my first day at Middlebury, Shabana Basij-Rasikh and Zaheena Rasheed, two women whose stories put my tales of attending pleasant Jewish-Arab peace gatherings in the desert to shame. (If you haven’t heard their stories, find some way to do so.
In brief, oversimplified terms, Shabana was fighting for women’s rights in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and Zaheena brought a lawsuit against her government in the Maldives which in many ways spurred the country’s transition to democracy). So, maybe there was something to be gained from this little college in Vermont after all.
Almost four years after arriving at Middlebury from Israel, I stand poised to return to the Middle East, to Israel and Palestine, to work for Israeli-Palestinian peace and Jewish-Arab understanding. I also honestly feel a bit blown away at the amount of knowledge I have gained about the Middle East during my four years at Middlebury.
However, instead of waxing autobiographical for my seven loyal readers, I decided instead, in prime sentimental-senior form, to impart a few words of advice based on the specific things that have enabled me to learn so much here.
So, if you want to learn about the Middle East at Middlebury, here are 10 things you should do:
1. Learn the language. Take Arabic or Hebrew, or both (both programs are phenomenal). There is no way to deeply understand a people or a culture without understanding their language.
2. In addition to learning your language(s) of choice, take a class with Professors Quinn Mecham (Political Science), Febe Armanios (History) or Tamar Meyer (Geography). Do it. All three are incredible. Even if the Middle East is not your primary focus, a class with any of these three will substantially deepen your understanding of world affairs and politics.
3. Bring a speaker. Whether it’s an author you’ve read in one of your classes, or a journalist whose work you admire, the resources and support Middlebury offers are incredible. You can probably get anyone you want if you push hard enough, and then you get to form a personal relationship with this thinker you admire.
4. Attend cultural events on campus. The Arabic house usually has great things going on, and there are lots of movies and screenings happening. It’s worth your time, and you will learn more from a two-hour movie than you will from staring off into space/facebook in your library carrel stressing about whatever project you are working on for your classes.
5. Join a Middlebury-Middle East group. J Street U Middlebury, which deals with education about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and advocacy for an active US role in achieving a two-state solution is an excellent group, if I do say so myself (full disclosure: I co-founded it). MiddEast action, Arabesque, Hillel and the Islamic Society have all also done excellent programming in the past, and I am sure they will continue to do so in the future.
6. Go to a conference. MESA (Middle East Studies Association)? J Street National Conference? The Association for Folks Who Usually Like to Learn About Things Relating to the Middle East (AFWUL LATR ME)? Middlebury has ways to fund you. Go. You can miss a day of classes. Go.
7. Go the Middle East! Apply for one of the kabillion funding opportunities Middlebury offers (ACE grants, Davis Peace Project, Stonehenge and I’m sure more. If you have a project and don’t have funding, you can find funding. Seriously).
8. Put on Your Own Lecture Series. Take note from Toby Israel ’14, who wanted to learn more about various contemporary issues, some of them relating to the Middle East, and thus started her own student-led lecture series, H.I.P.
9. Have dinner with one of the 62 Middle Eastern students on campus. They are all very nice.
10. Make up something that is not on this list. In short, the opportunities are there for you, here in this tiny-mini-bisty-flumpy spot in Vermont, to learn about the Middle East. And about other parts of the world, I guess.
So. That’s all. Come visit me in the region. Until then, Middlebury, I’m out. Thank you so much. It’s truly been incredible.
Ka-Bam!
(05/05/11 1:38pm)
(05/05/11 1:36pm)
“When men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths,” Justice Holmes states in his dissent to the court opinion in United States v. Abrams, “they may come to believe even more than they believe the very foundations of their own conduct that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas ... that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes safely can be carried out. That at any rate is the theory of our Constitution.” It is also, I believe, the basis of all education. For education is another word for the quest for truth in which the examination of all ideas is integral and necessary. Lies may be learned everywhere, but the truth is reserved for those who seek it.
All of us at Middlebury are extremely lucky. The time devoted to what we call work is filled with what Aristotle calls leisure — when the concerns of daily life have been suspended so that we may dedicate ourselves to finding facts, arguing over ideas, listening to others and, most of all, consulting the best authorities in an attempt to know the truth. In this pursuit we are guided by those far wiser than ourselves and we have the luxury not to live by uninformed opinion. In the realm of political thought, I believe that I, and those like me, have benefitted from Middlebury in a way different from many other students. Conservatives and Republicans are a very small minority at the college. Our ideas are almost never popularly accepted, our values are not widely shared and the policies we support are often criticized. The liberal and Democrat tenor of the school forces us few to be well-informed and to consider our own arguments. It gives us the opportunity to become fully versed in the opinions of others, to be tested in what we think and to come to a better understanding of when our own thoughts do or do not stand up in the market place of ideas. However, I do not think these benefits are given equally to all students at Middlebury.
In his book On Liberty, John Stewart Mill states, “Popular opinions, on subjects not palpable to sense, are often true, but seldom or never the whole truth … Such being the partial character of prevailing opinions, even when resting on a true foundation, every opinion which embodies somewhat of the portion of truth which the common opinion omits, ought to be considered precious.” This is true throughout the country and the world. Popular opinion, whether it is liberal or conservative, republican or democratic, is never the complete truth. Education in the truth demands the unrelenting examination of our opinions; those opinions especially that we think could never be challenged. True education depends upon the free expression of ideas and the critical consideration of all thoughts and opinions.
Popular opinions require unpopular opinions to test whether the truth is indeed popular. The truth does not prevail easily and obviously. Half truths might; easy truths will, but the hard truths, the enduring truths, need to be tempered by conversation and argument. I have been lucky to learn, lucky to refine my opinions with the hearty response of my fellow students. However I believe that this should be the experience not just of the minority of conservative students but the experience of all. Political ideas on both sides of the aisle should be subject to argument, to criticism and to debate. If the truth could be taken for granted, then liberal education would be unnecessary. For true liberal education with regard to political opinion to be undertaken at Middlebury, the opinions of the minority must be protected as well as those of the majority; those of the majority must be tested as well as those of the minority. Such an equality of opportunity in the market place of ideas would be to the benefit of all. It would allow conservatives and liberals alike to speak their minds, to consider their own and each other’s arguments and to move from the realm of opinion to that of truth.
The Constitution of the United States does not only adhere in theory but in fact to the idea that truth will win out in the marketplace of ideas. It protects the ideas, their expression and the people that express them through the right to free speech, freedom of the press and free assembly. It allows majority and minority opinions to be represented in government and prevents the tyranny of the majority or the domination of the minority. Thus, it protects those ideas that seem to us good and noble and those that seem vile and base. Such protection is essential to any real quest for truth, any real education. For the expression of ideas should never come with so much criticism as to silence its source or so much discomfort as to make the expression only a whisper. We, at Middlebury should make it our mission to protect the free expression of ideas and those who express them by speaking out mind and listening when others do the same.