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(09/26/12 11:15pm)
In this course we will examine the history, meanings, and realities of disability in the United States. We will analyze the social, political, economic, environmental and material factors that shape the meanings of "disability," examining changes and continuities over time. Students will draw critical attention to the connections between disability, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status and age in American and transnational contexts. Diverse sources, including films and television shows, music, advertising, fiction, memoirs and material objects, encourage inter and multi-disciplinary approaches to disability. Central themes we consider include language, privilege, community, citizenship, education, medicine and technology and representation.
Professor Perspective
American Studies Professor Susan Burch feels privileged to be teaching American Disabilities, a class that has been previously offered at Middlebury but debuts in its revamped format this semester. “On a big level, my intent is to have students asking tough questions about the world around them,” said Burch. By using disability as a lens through which to examine history and culture, Burch hopes that students will walk away from her class with a new “touchstone for critical thinking.” The course is centered around a museum exhibit project, which Burch said “intentionally engages with a material culture, a culture that shapes our understanding of the body and mind.” Students work in groups throughout the semester to create a final product intended to be shared with the public, adding to the material culture they have studied. The museum exhibit project serves as a teaser for any students interested in the associated winter term internship opportunity with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Student Perspective
For any prospective American Studies major, American Disabilities is a natural first step. The collaborative nature of the course lends itself to a big class size that offers a hearty welcome to students with any level of interest in the American Studies department. “I feel like this class is unique in that you don’t hear about it being offered at other schools,” said Tyler Wood ’15. Other students recognize the class’s uniqueness not just amongst other schools, but within the College. “[Even though the College is] such an advanced and modern school disabilities studies still only makes up a very small part of a department. There is only one professor that teaches it,” said Priscilla Odinmah ’15. “My love, sex, race and disabilities class made me aware of how disabilities are so overlooked,” said Suraj Patel ’15. Odinmah agrees with Patel and finds that the class offers a new perspective on social issues in America. “We’ve embraced women, we’ve embraced gay. Disabilities is the last frontier,” she said.
(09/26/12 3:21pm)
On the second floor of Johnson Memorial Building, there is a place for memories, art and imagination. Just after the entrance, one can appreciate a first glance of a new exhibition named “Living Portraits,” in which a group of students present a significant person using oil painting and ceramic sculpture techniques.
The students were classmates during a studio art course last spring, taught by Professor of Studio Art James Butler. It’s not the first time Butler has made an exhibition of the work of his students, but this time he was “particularly excited.” Butler’s course tried to make the students interact with ceramics and oil painting to create portraits.
“I believe visitors to the show will discover surprising uses of these materials”, said Butler. “the students in the class really gelled as a group, helping each other with suggestions and encouragement. We had a class blog that kept us in touch while outside the studio. The process of making the work you see in the show took all semester to learn and bring to fruition.”
The students were told to create a portrait of a person important to them, someone who engaged emotional and physical complexities. Most of the students came up with a family member (a sister, an older brother, a father, a mother) to inspire themselves during the working process. They participated in open studio art as part of the Spring Student Symposium last year, which was an interesting experienced for Butler.
“They could hear visitor's impressions,” he said. “The class and I felt the images were reaching an audience and this gave us impetus to think in terms of a final exhibition.”
The students of “Living Portraits” are Yasmina Muslemany ’14, Maise Ogata ’14, Virginia Yarboro ’14, Natalie Guo ’13, Nora Jones ’12 and Lilah Leopold ’13. Butler described their work as a “thrilling payoff to nuanced conversations and trial and error of applied methods,” while Ogata described her own work as an intention to shape her sister’s personality and its influence on her life.
“The other day I passed by my sculpture and I had a strange feeling, as if that artwork could express everything I was going through during last semester and how did I feel,” she said. “It was all reflected in my art work”.
Ogata’s process was very personal.
“I spent a lot of time with my sister just before that semester and it was very inspiring for me to create a portrait of her,” she said.
Even though her sister strongly inspired her, Ogata isn’t sure if she wants to show it to her. “It was a funny situation, because my sister came to see the sculpture and she asked me what was it about,” Ogata said. “I didn’t tell her it was her portrait, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever do."
Ogata noted that when she wrote the assigngment for the exhibition, she didn’t reread it, but it contained a strong story that explained what was behind her sculpture and why it looks like a storage unit with an open door that shows two abstract paintings and small windows.
There are many reasons to come and take some time to admire these students’ work.
The show is “beautiful to look at," said Butler. "It has rich painting surfaces, seductive glazed ceramic and big scale."
(09/19/12 11:44pm)
When endorsing a candidate for Student Co-Chair of Community Council (SCOCC), it is essential to define the position within the context of the college community. What does this student, a representative elected by peers, actually have the power to do? At first glance, the answer appears somewhat discouraging. The student serving as the SCOCC cannot legislate college policy. Rather, he or she works with the Council's numerous subcommittees to bring issues important to students, faculty and staff to the consideration of Old Chapel.
Yet we believe that the position is not entirely insubstantial, largely because the SCOCC has the ear of key members of the administration, including Dean of the College Shirley Collado, who serves as the other co-chair of the Council. Far from being powerless, the SCOCC position has the potential to give students a real voice in college policies – if the student serving can work effectively with members of the administration to get things done. In the hands of a competent, confident student with extensive experience, the SCOCC can indeed have great influence.
Given this criterion, the Campus editorial board endorses Kathryn Benson '13. Benson not only has well-established relationships with key administrators, including Associate Dean of Students for Student Activities and Orientation J.J. Boggs, she also has a platform ripe with tangible objectives that would benefit the experience of students, faculty and staff at the College. For example, if elected, Benson would create a means for student groups and professors to coordinate joint event-planning, lowering the barrier between our academic and extracurricular spheres. Other notable initiatives on Benson's agenda include exploring a collaborative model with local businesses as well as making dorms feel more like home by painting colorful murals on currently white walls.
Benson has already shown effective leadership skills in a variety of forums, including serving as Ross Commons Co-Chair, Student Government Association (SGA) Senator and intern in the Student Activities Office. As SGA Senator, Benson took the initiative to address a pressing socioeconomic issue on campus, authoring a successful resolution requiring professors to put all textbooks on reserve in the library, as opposed to being sold exclusively in the bookstore. We are confident that, if elected, Benson would advance a productive agenda, already laid forth, and welcome new ideas from students. She plans to create a blog to which students can submit feedback and view meeting notes, and also to move Community Council meetings from Old Chapel to the Crest Room, promoting a more inviting atmosphere for student participation.
The competing candidate for the SCOCC position, Barrett Smith '13, envisions a different role. Smith, whose campus experience includes working with the Social Justice Coalition, offers a distinct vision for the community: one that urges students to participate more actively in their government and demands that structures at the College operate in a more democratic way. Simply put, Smith has big ideas. His leading initiative, a social honor code, would require students to take responsibility for their own behavior and consider its effects on others and the surrounding environment. Unlike the College's current academic honor code, Smith's proposed code may be reaffirmed or adjusted each year, as students see fit.
Such initiatives are certainly admirable, but we do not feel the position as it currently operates is the most effective means through which to achieve this type of long-term change. The student elected as SCOCC should maximize benefits for those whom they represent – the students themselves. While both candidates seek to create a better community for their fellow students, Benson's platform is more realistic precisely because she has extensive experience working with the administration.
However, the election of the SCOCC raises important issues about student representation on campus. Currently, no college body that includes students has the authority to enact policy. While the SGA has access to funds, it can only make non-binding resolutions, essentially signaling to the administration what is important to students. No students currently sit on the Board of Trustees, nor do they have the authority to dictate official policy in the College's handbook. We firmly believe students should be given increased opportunity to directly legislate college policy, yet we do not take this role lightly. Structures that make enacting change a difficult, slow process are in place for a reason; any effort to alter them to allow for greater student representation and influence must be both thoughtful and realistic. How we envision such a position is crucial. Do we want the student body to vote on policy developed by elected student representatives? Should we open up the policy-making process to any and all students? Power can operate in numerous ways; as such, it should be considered seriously.
(09/18/12 2:54am)
Thirty-eight days and 15,011 miles before the first day of the fall semester, I embarked with three friends (Owen Witek '13, Craig Thompson '13.5 and Jeff Hetzel '14) on a journey spanning from one coast of the country to the other and more than 30 states – and Canada! – in between. Our goal? To watch one baseball game in each of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums.
From the conception of the trip – "˜twas a freezing January night when we first hatched the idea – our desire to visit every stadium has been about more than a deep love of baseball. Its roots, of course, were firmly grounded in America's pastime, but the ends we envisioned were focused less on baseball and in greater part on the moments that were not intrinsically related to the sport, but could only occur as a by-product of our trip.
We vowed to be as conscious as possible of the many facets of our journey: to write a blog post after every game; to share our experiences with the people we met; to better understand the geography and people of America; and, above all, to enjoy the company of friends, bound together by a common passion.
The four of us spent 38 straight days together and more than 230 hours on the road. The comfortable confines of our car became cramped and combative at times, for if any four people spend enough time together there will be conflict. However, what emerged from that – our ability to reason with one another and respect, if not always agree with, the feelings of everyone in the car – was far more valuable than consensus or concession.
We discussed important things and inane things alike. We debated for hours if it would be possible to coast on a bike all the way from Denver to Kansas City with the same veracity and conviction as we discussed the objectivity of values and whether government should make important policy decisions with that in mind. And though in both cases we remained split in our opinions, the hours of discussion garnered a better understanding of both the questions being discussed, as well as the different ways in which we conceptualize and think about different issues.
Though on the surface many of our discussions had nothing to do with baseball, the nature of our trip and the tenor of our speech capture the very essence of baseball. Baseball, unlike football and basketball, is not about instant gratification; it is a patient game, concerned more with the passage of play than the final outcome. Baseball is a game with unspecified length, a get-there-when-you-get-there kind of game, while basketball and football scream "Are we there yet?" from the back seat.
In Linda Pastan's poem "Baseball," the narrator is skeptical that baseball has deeper significance than a simple game. "When you tried to tell me baseball was a metaphor for life," she wrote, "I didn't believe you. It's just a way of passing the time, I said. And you said: that's it. Yes."
Ultimately, our trip was nothing more than a way of passing the time. Undoubtedly it was our preferred way of passing the time, but in the end we decided to spend 38 days traveling to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums instead of going on vacation or making money or simply hanging out.
Life boils down to how you choose to pass the time. And how better a way than in the company of friends, doing the thing you love?
(09/18/12 2:52am)
Many rising seniors spent the summer months completing an internship that they hoped might lead to a future job. They worked hard, tried to impress their supervisors and took every opportunity to show how beneficial they could be as full-time employees.
Michael Joseph '13 was no different. Well, maybe a little bit different. Instead of donning a suit and tie, Joseph opted for his baseball glove and the uniform of the Torrington Titans of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) as he sought to catch the eye of a scout for a shot at a major league contract.
Following 21 relief pitching appearances for the Titans that featured 24.4 innings, 22 strikeouts and an earned runs average of 3.28, Joseph found himself signing a contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 11.
One of the major reasons for his contract offer was his performance during the FCBL Scout Day on July 26, during which he threw a 10-pitch bullpen that attracted scouts from approximately six teams. Suddenly, Joseph was a major league prospect.
"Before the pro day I had no contact with any teams," said Joseph. "After that I had teams calling me and scouts at almost every single one of my games."
He also had the chance to try out at the stadium of his favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
"Being able to take the field at Citizens Bank Park and throw a bullpen session was an amazing experience for a hometown Phillies fan," said Joseph.
The 6'7'', 215 pound Joseph ended up hitting 93 miles per hour on the radar gun, a number that he hopes to get up closer to 95 mph this fall when he heads to Florida for a five-week instructional league with all of the top Orioles prospects.
Another impressive aspect to Joseph's signing was that the FCBL, having just completed its second year of operation, is comprised of mostly [Division I] athletes and other top prospects. Joseph, however, said he was impressed at how NESCAC baseball compares to the league.
"It was a huge surprise that NESCAC baseball actually stood up really well to Division I competition this summer," said Joseph. "It's a huge testament to the hitting and pitching in the NESCAC."
Joseph plans to take this spring off from classes, as he will join the minor league system of the Orioles, before returning in the fall and graduating in February. This means Joseph will forgo his senior season with the Panthers, a decision that he did not take lightly.
"I'm going to miss Middlebury baseball," said Joseph. "It was one of my best life experiences. This was a very tough decision and it will definitely be hard to be away from the team in the spring."
Joseph aims to keep his eyes on the prize, however, as he makes it very clear what his plans are from here.
"I need to keep improving and getting stronger year by year," said Joseph. "The only reason I'm doing this is to make the big club."
The Orioles could use the help too, as they are down to the wire with the New York Yankees in search of their first AL East title since 1997.
"I've actually started watching Orioles games now," said Joseph. "It's exciting to watch them make a playoff run."
(09/18/12 2:50am)
After a strong spring season, Middlebury overtook Washington University (Mo.) this past June to win its first ever Directors' Cup, awarded annually to the top athletic program in each of the three NCAA divisions as well as the NAIA.
The win follows a streak of eight consecutive top-five finishes for the Panthers, who finished second to conference rival Williams a year ago, and breaks a streak of 13 consecutive wins for the Ephs.
The competition, sponsored by both the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Learfield Sports, awards points for overall team finishes in NCAA play in up to 18 sports, with a school earning up to 100 points for a first-place finish. Middlebury racked up 389.75 points in the spring for a total of 1040.75, outpacing runner-up Washington University, who finished with 980.25. Williams rounded out the top three with 964.50 points.
The final tally favored Middlebury despite the fact that no Panthers teams won titles in the 2011-2012 year, the first time in 10 years that the school has failed to win any national championships. This year's winning point total is actually less than the 1063.17 points earned by the Panthers last year, which earned second place.
"It was just chance last year that we had the right combination of success to win the Cup," said Director of Athletics Erin Quinn. "It is rewarding that it is the by-product of hard work and commitment across the department, and not the focused attempt to specifically win the Cup."
Top-ten finishes in four women's fall sports placed Middlebury in the running at second place heading into the winter season.
The Panthers retained the second spot through the winter with four more high finishes, while also benefitting from the women's distance medley relay's national championship run on the indoor track.
With the spring season approaching, Middlebury sat 16.50 points behind leader Washington University and 21.25 ahead of third-place Amherst. Middlebury used four more top-ten finishes to leapfrog Washington for the top spot in the final standings and win its first cup in school history.
In addition to Middlebury's overall win, members of the NESCAC placed strongly across the board. Schools from the conference took three of the top four places overall and four of the top seven. No other conference had even two members finish among the top ten.
654.25 of Middlebury's points during the year came in women's sports, accounting for nearly 63 percent of the final total, as all four of the Panthers' top-five finishes were on the women's side.
"What made the difference this year was the success of our women's teams; cross-country, field hockey, swimming, volleyball, hockey, indoor track, outdoor track, tennis and  lacrosse all had strong showings in NCAA play," said Associate Athletic Director and head oach of Women's Lacrosse Missy Foote, who has been with the Middlebury athletic program since 1977. "It was the accomplishments of many that contributed to this honor. That to me is the mark of a successful athletic program."
(09/18/12 2:45am)
The final play of Ryan Sharry's '12 basketball career will not be Travis Farrell's buzzer beater in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. The former Middlebury standout and two-time All-American has signed a contract to play overseas with T71 Dudelange Basketball, a team from the Diekirch League, the top flight basketball division in Luxembourg. Much like the Panthers, Sharry's new team has enjoyed sustained success over the last three years, winning the league title in 2010 and 2011 before falling last season in the championship game.
Sharry joins a growing number of former Panthers who have continued their careers overseas after graduating. Evan Thompson '07 (Denmark), Ben Rudin '09 (Israel) and Tim Edwards '10 (Germany) have all gone on to play abroad professionally, enjoying substantial success in the international game.
After signing with an agent this summer, Sharry generated interest from teams in Germany, England, Portugal and Slovakia before signing with the Luxembourg club earlier this month. Despite Sharry's accolades and stellar play at the collegiate level, a stigma against Division III players among teams and agents internationally made finding a team anything but a guarantee.
"A lot of European agents are very superficial," Sharry wrote in an email. "If you went [to a Division III school] they think there is something wrong with you, so the first contract is the hardest to get."
Sharry's versatility, however, is well suited to the international game where big men are expected to finish with both hands around the rim, knock down outside jump shots and be willing passers. The 6'9'' forward from Braintree, Mass. demonstrated his ability to do that and more during his career at Middlebury. Sharry finished the 2011-2012 season with a field goal percentage of .614, trailing only teammate Peter Lynch '13 in the NESCAC, while also shooting almost 43 percent from beyond the arc and dishing out two assists per game, the third highest on the team behind guards Jake Wolfin '13 and Joey Kizel '14.
"Ryan will be a successful player in Europe because of his uncanny ability to score the basketball," said Middlebury Assistant Coach Alex Popp. "He is a reliable post player, but his best asset at the next level will be stretching the defense by shooting from the perimeter. He is an ideal pick-and-pop big man."
While Sharry's soft shooting touch and tremendous range make him a nightmare to defend on the perimeter for players his size, he struggled at times offensively asserting his presence in the low post against strong, physical defenders. To be
an equally dominant offensive player at the next level, Sharry will need to improve on disengaging from defenders down low and demanding the ball in the paint.
"The biggest area of improvement should be physical," said Middlebury Head Coach Jeff Brown. "As Ryan continues to get stronger, his game should really take off. The European style of basketball is very tough and he will have the time to weight train and to add more strength to his frame."
What cannot be questioned, however, is Sharry's love for the game and his desire to win. In his four-year career at Middlebury, Sharry won 103 games and led the team to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, two NESCAC Championships and a Final Four appearance.
"[Sharry] personified Middlebury Basketball in every way possible," Popp said. "He is tough, hardworking,
unselfish and competitive. Â It was a joy to see him conduct himself in a professional manner everyday, and the attitude he brought to the table was contagious. The kid is a winner, and that's the best way I can describe him. Â He certainly earned his status as a professional basketball player."
T71 opens the 2012-2013 season Sept. 30.
(09/18/12 2:40am)
The Queen of Versailles
In light of the recent Republican and Democratic National Conventions in which the American economy was especially emphasized by both presidential candidates, and several years into the recovery from the worst economic troubles the United States have encountered since the Great Depression, The Queen of Versailles is a relevant, and not to mention impeccably done, film. Fitting and well crafted, it is an in-depth look at the messy state of American financial affairs centered around one family's singular story. Produced by the documentarian Lauren Greenfield (who won Best Director at Sundance for the film), The Queen of Versailles was originally intended to be a piece about a family building the largest house in the United States, a Florida mansion inspired by the French royal residence, Versailles. The beginning of the film introduces us to the couple behind the construction, David and Jackie Siegel – the founder and CEO of Westgate Resorts, a timeshare-based real estate empire, and his wife, a much younger former model and mother of eight.
Greenfield captures how, as the lavish plans for building go underway, the same pursuit of cheap money and fast real estate that Westgate made its policy in order to climb to the top of the industry are the company's undoing.
As a result, The Queen of Versailles becomes a very different film. What was to be an exploration of the opulence of the upper crust instead transforms into a study of the effects of the crash.
The film's conflict is multi-faceted and demonstrates the deep impact of the economic crisis of 2008 not just on the upper echelons of American society, but also on other acquaintances of the Siegels' who are not of the same social standing. Two particularly interesting storylines that deal with the Siegels' limousine driver catch the viewers attention. He, too, lives in a comfortable home, but finds himself having to borrow a Bentley from the Siegels in order to drive other clients and keep his business alive – if even just briefly.
Yet perhaps the most fascinating storyline is that of Jackie's childhood friend from small-town upstate New York. Inseparable in high school, the two women ended up pursuing different careers and their lives veered off in very different directions – Jackie graduated from college, her friend did not; Jackie left New York, her friend did not. And, of course, we can't forget the more blaring difference: Jackie married a billionaire, and her friend did not. By the time Jackie goes back home to visit with friends and family, shortly after the crash, she finds her friend in dire financial straits, unable to make payments on a more modest home and facing the threat of foreclosure. Ironically, Jackie faces the loss of her home – or, better said, her palatial estate – as well.
In spite of myself, while watching The Queen of Versailles I found myself sympathizing with Jackie. She has an easygoing, pleasant presence on screen, and serves as a matter-of-fact narrator for her family's experience. David Siegel is a bit pricklier, proving that his wife may really be his better half. Rounding out the interviews are their children, who display varying degrees of responsibility, accountability and indulgence, and their longtime housekeeper, whose stories of her struggle to maintain contact with her family abroad and weathering out the financial storm with the Siegels' are affecting.
As Americans continue to climb steadily out of a recession so deeply affected by the housing bubble, The Queen of Versailles is not only pertinent, but also expertly done.
To Rome with Love
Woody Allen set the bar quite high with his last film Midnight In Paris, winner of the 2011 Academy Award for Best Screenplay. That being said, To Rome with Love pales in comparison, and what should have been a fully-fledged love letter to the Eternal City seemed more like a trite Hallmark card.
To Allen's credit, To Rome with Love features some of the best talent in Italy – most notably, distinguished actor Roberto Begnini, whom Americans perhaps best know for his starring role in Life is Beautiful (La vita è bella). Begnini plays an ordinary Roman citizen, Leopoldo, who goes to sleep one night in complete anonymity, and wakes up the next day to become a superstar celebrity, followed by paparazzi and under the glare of the media spotlight – even when all he has to show off is a morning shave and the most pertinent questions that he answers from journalists involve his daily routine.
Not only does the film feature the best of Italy's actors, but also its singers, including the renowned tenor Fabio Armiliato, who plays Giancarlo, a funeral parlor owner who can sing incredible opera – but only in the comfort of his own shower. Woody Allen, playing Jerry, a self-proclaimed visionary and retired music representative with a penchant for odd operatic staging – quite honestly, a thinly veiled version of Allen himself (as tends to happen when he writes parts for himself into his own movies) – tries to make something of Giancarlo's talent.
But, in the end, Jerry's whining monologues and incessant ramblings do little to add to the film. Sure, he sets up a truly hilarious situation by bringing Giancarlo onto the Roman stage in a mobile shower to dazzle the audience with his voice – accompanied, of course, by the sound of running water in addition to the orchestra. Yet, on his own, Jerry's contributions don't go much further than setting up a subplot. In fact, his whining got to be a detractor before long.
And here seems to be one of the film's weaknesses: the American actors and their plotlines seem lacking in comparison to these well-constructed, farcical and side-splitting Italian roles and plots. Indie sweetheart Allison Pill plays a bland tourist named Hayley, Jerry's daughter who falls in love with Giancarlo's son Michelangelo. Their dialogue was so stilted that it is scoff-worthy. Jesse Eisenberg plays a pathetic dupe of an American college student, Jack, caught in a love triangle between his girlfriend Sally (Greta Gerwig) and the alluring, but pretentious, wholly self-absorbed and sex-obsessed Monica (Page). The quasi-spirit of an American architect, John, played well by Alec Baldwin, seems to play Jiminy Cricket to Jack's Pinocchio. Ultimately, Jack gets his comeuppance and realizes just how good spirit-John's advice was, but all too late. The only redeeming part of this storyline is Baldwin's steady stream of one-liners. The rest is referential, affected speeches delivered unconvincingly by Page and company.
What's too bad about these young, gifted American actors is that their characters is so paper thin, that I wished to return to the subplots involving the Romans. A heretofore unmentioned Penélope Cruz plays a popular prostitute Anna and showed off her Italian language skills in a delightful romantic subplot, a love square around a naïve newlywed couple Antonio (Alessandro Tiberi) and Milly (Alessandra Mastronardi) and a famous actor Luca Salta (Antonio Albanese) in what could have been its own feature film.
In fact, I feel as though Allen would have done well to stick with the zany, Italian faux-celebrity, shower-singing and partner-swapping plots, and done away with the inconsequential and uninteresting American navel-gazing.
While there are plenty of drawbacks, there are some scenes of pure comic gold. And, besides, an Allen is always an Allen: worthy of a watch for its own sake.
Moonrise Kingdom
A poignant love story, a coming-of-age saga, a tale of adults grappling with maturity, and an ode to scouting: acclaimed filmmaker Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom is all of these things and more.
While set in 1965, predating the so-called "Summer of Love" by a few years, Moonrise Kingdom is indeed a summer love story. Co-written by Roman Coppola (older brother to director Sofia) and Anderson, the script details the adventures of two twelve-year-olds, Sam and Suzy (played with candor by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, respectively), who escape their sleepy New England town on the island of New Penzance, and run away with each other into the wilderness. Suzy, a troubled young girl, and Sam, a boy in and out of foster care who is spending his summer at camp with the Khaki Scouts, find the sort of love and hope in each other that the outside world denies them – and their relationship is subtle and sweet, but never saccharine. It's a candid and earnest portrayal that serves as a reminder to audience members of first experiences with love.
As a hurricane brews off the coast of New Penzance, Suzy's parents – the island's police chief and Sam's scoutmaster – grapple with their own personal problems and attempt to locate Suzy and Sam before the weather takes a turn for the worse. Their urgent search is interspersed with shots of Suzy and Sam on their grand adventure, who muse on life, love and the future.
The cast features some Anderson favorites – including Bill Murray as Walt, Suzy's hapless father – and other celebrated Hollywood actors. Among them are Frances McDormand as Suzy's well-intentioned mother, and Bruce Willis, who plays Captain Sharp, the local policeman spearheading the effort to find the missing children. Edward Norton is notable as well in his role as Scout Master Ward, who teams up with Captain Sharp to relocate his missing camper Sam, and, by extension, Suzy. His sincere and hopelessly goofy performance delivers big laughs. Other players include Jason Schwartzman as another sly scout leader and the commanding Tilda Swinton as a no-nonsense representative from Child Services. This is a knockout cast, and together, they build a beautiful story as tender as it is harsh, fantastical as it is surreal.
Moonrise Kingdom features Anderson's signature cinematographic style, as he makes use of imaginative ways of shooting, mixing pans and zooms that defy film school textbook rules, and in so doing boldly create the world of New Penzance. Anderson and Coppola's writing is endearing, fresh and sharply funny. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone raved about the film's humor and heart.
"[T]the hilarious and heartfelt Moonrise Kingdom is a consistent pleasure. By evoking the joys and terrors of childhood, it reminds us how to be alive," he wrote.
Indeed, the film is a poetic and personal delight that is an absolute must-see.
(09/18/12 2:38am)
At 1:31 a.m. on Aug. 5, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Mars Curiosity rover successfully landed on the surface of Mars after an eight-and-a-half month journey.
Later that same day, the College released a statement in the weekly news hub, MiddPoints, announcing that Gamaliel Painter Bicentennial Professor of Physics Frank Winkler and his colleagues from various universities have been granted the opportunity to use Hubble Space Telescope, another famous, though older, NASA instrument.
Winkler, a member of the faculty since 1969, has an interest in the life cycle of stars and especially in stellar explosions.
It is therefore no surprise that the two projects for which Winkler and his associates are receiving Hubble observation time and associated funding – supplied through the NASA-supported Space Telescope Science Institute – are related to the life cycle of stars.
The first project, Stellar Life and Death in M83: A Hubble-Chandra Perspective, focuses on photographing the galaxy M83 at various light wavelengths.
For Winkler and his colleagues from Johns Hopkins aswell as other parts of the US and Australia, M83 is an unprecedented opportunity to learn about stars and their life cycle.
"M83 is one of the most active galaxies in terms of star birth and destruction that is relatively easy for scientists to study using Hubble and other technologies," said Winkler.
"In order to learn about stellar life and activity, one needs to go to the source and examine stellar explosions as they occur. Just like newer doctors might spend time in the emergency room to learn a broad range of skills and knowledge relating to human life, we are looking at the abundant activity in M83 to learn more about a star's life. M83 is, in essence, the emergency room of the sky."
For the second project, The Remarkable Young Supernova Remnant in NGC 4449, Winkler is working with an entirely different team – comprised of colleagues from the Space Telescope Science Institute, Dartmouth University and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics – to study the elements emitted by the remnant of a very bright supernova, or an exploding star.
The supernova remnant is of great importance because exploding stars emit elements, such as carbon and oxygen, from which all future stars and life are born.
The Hubble Space Telescope will be able to identify which elements the supernova gives off by studying the ultraviolet (UV) light emitted by the remnant of the supernova.
In fact, continued observations by Hubble for this project are scheduled for later in September.
"Supernovae play a key role in the production of the heavy elements of the universe. They provide the building blocks of life, and even we [humans] are made up of recycled star materials," said Winkler.
The observation time granted to Winkler and his colleagues is especially noteworthy due to the fact that Hubble has an eight-to-one over-subscription rate each year; in other words, for every eight projects proposed, there is only time for Hubble to carry out one of those explorations.
This situation necessitates that each applicant provide a detailed plan and schedule of the proposed project, which Winkler and his colleagues from both projects submitted early in 2012.
Also, in order to be seriously considered for observation time using Hubble, candidates must have a real need of a satellite telescope.
Winkler and his colleagues thus worked as long as they could using ground-based telescopes and instruments.
No students will be assisting Winkler with these two projects due to the international nature of the teams involved and the large amount of clearance and approval needed to gain funding and access to the Hubble Space Telescope.
However, Winkler is still able to foster enthusiasm for the subject in his classes, namely the course "Introduction to the Universe."
"Professor Winkler is an amazing teacher for science and non-science majors alike," said Madi Clark '14. "He opened my eyes to the true beauty and knowledge lying outside of the Earth. He helped to spark a curiosity and an appreciation for the universe that I never had before."
(09/18/12 2:36am)
This summer, the 20-year-old Kevin P. Mahaney '84 Center for the Arts (CFA) found itself rejuvanated and reborn. Throughout June, July and August, crews toiled day after day on the project, gouging the earth in the front lawn, revealing the building's copper veins.
Despite this lengthy proces, the construction was not as drastic as it appeared. According to Richard Saunders, director of the Museum of Art, the renovations consisted "primarily of replacing faulty sprinkler pipes in the walls."Â The CFA was due for repairs to its mechanical systems. However, these repairs were not the full extent of the summer improvement.
In addition to piping upgrades, the museum also rearranged certain offices. This was done mostly to accommodate the new History of Art and Architecture suite in the CFA. Minor improvements to security and surveillance systems were also added.
"Unfortunately," said Saunders, "the pipes [were] inside the walls and ceilings of the galleries, which necessitated we remove most art objects for safety and security reasons."
However, once the repairs were completed, the museum set to reinstalling old galleries and preparing new exhibits for their September openings.
One of these new exhibits, which opened Sept. 4, is titled "Camera Work: Stieglitz, Steichen, Strand and Company." Based on Charles A. Dana Professor of History of Art & Architecture Kirsten Hoving's course from last year, "Camera Work: Alfred Stieglitz and Photography," the exhibit will highlight three luminaries of American photography: Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen and Paul Strand. The exhibit will also display issues of the journal "Camera Work," which was published by Stieglitz between 1903 and 1917. In addition to the three photography powerhouses, the exhibit will also feature other contemporary photographers of the time.
Another new exhibit opening Sept. 13 is called "China Modern: Designing Popular Culture 1910-1970." With over 175 articles of Chinese culture – such as designs, cinema, pop culture icons, pulp fiction, fashion, games and toys – the exhibition features iconic imagery that chronicles China's changing attitudes and identity throughout its history. On loan from the Pacific Asian Museum in Pasadena, California, the exhibition gives a cultural timeline of how China grew into a world superpower. From posters describing the "worker's paradise" and the bright future of China, to the images of modern boy and girl in advertising, "China Modern" will offer a glimpse at the still-evolving fabric of China's myriad culture.
There is good reason for the recent renovations and new exhibits: the CFA is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. To honor its legacy at the College, the museum will be hosting the Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium later this month, featuring the theme of "Creativity and Collaboration."
With all this and more on the horizon, it will certainly be an exciting year for the CFA. Students interested in participating in museum events are encouraged to register to become a Friend of the Art Museum to be informed of upcoming events and exhibits.
(09/18/12 2:31am)
The Potomac Theater Project (also known as PTP/NYC) successfully concluded its 2012 summer season with its well-received productions of Caryl Churchill's Serious Money and Jim Petosa's Monster, which were both performed at Atlantic Stage 2 in Manhattan.
PTP/NYC is a professional theater company that has long enjoyed a history with the College's theater program. The leaders of the company are Professor of Theatre and Women's and Gender Studies Cheryl Faraone, Isabel Riexinger Mettler Professor of Theatre Richard Romagnoli and Jim Petosa, the director of the School of Theater in Boston University.
PTP/NYC is the only professional theater company in the country that has a continuous relationship as well as continuous affiliation with an undergraduate theater liberal arts program. Because of this relationship, about 10 to 14 College students are involved with the program every year.
"This company is an integral part of the Middlebury program," said Faraone. "This was its 26th season. At least 250 Middlebury students have been in [PTP/NYC] since it started. Of the 16 [current members], at least 14 were either current Middlebury students or Middlebury graduates."
This past summer marks the company's sixth season in New York. Before it found its home in the Big Apple, PTP/NYC called Washington, D.C. its home for twenty years. This summer proved to be a fruitful one, as critics raved about the shows.
"If there's a sharper-edged evening of entertainment in Manhattan at the moment, it involves juggling knives... In the Potomac Theater Project production, the over-the-top comedy remains raw and urgent, a scathing critique of capitalism that has no use for balance," wrote New York Times critic Daniel M. Gold about Serious Money.
One such performer in Serious Money was Adam Milano '15, who played the   charater Martin. Milano had a history with PTP/NYC that began even before he made his way into the freshman dorms two years ago.
"Seeing a show at PTP the summer before my senior year of high school is what ensured my application to Middlebury," Milano said. "One of my high school professors recommended Middlebury to me and suggested I go see something at PTP. A few months prior I had had a conversation during a visit to Middlebury with one of the theater professors.
The conversation was about both the program here at Middlebury as well as theater in general, and this was the most exhilarating of any college visit I had done. I was excited to see the work in New York."
Milano had much to say about his experience with PTP/NYC this summer.
"Performing in Manhattan is an incredible experience," said Milano. "I cannot communicate enough how amazing it is that PTP/NYC gives students the opportunity to perform in an off-Broadway show. Running a show for a month that is being reviewed and seen by a New York theater crowd is a incredibly valuable opportunity to not only gain performance experience, but also to learn a lot."
Besides the time in the limelight, Middlebury students often got their hands dirty setting up the shows, as Noah Berman '13 observed. Berman performed in Petosa's play Monster, an adaptation of "Frankenstein," where he played the dual role of Cat and William. However, his duties also included running the sound board and coordinating ticketing for Serious Money.
"The hardest part of the summer was the middle of the first week when we first arrived in New York," said Berman. "We loaded in the sets and lights, and then we had about three days to put it all together. We spent pretty much all daylight hours in the theater doing manual labor. And by the third day, we were all exhausted."
Milano also had experience helping out behind the scenes. As assistant to the director for Serious Money, he attended all of the rehearsals and helped backstage during the performances.
Berman looking to his upcoming graduation expressed interest in staying on with PTP/NYC after completing his studies at the College, and hoped to follow in the footsteps of past PTP/NYC performers.
"Many of the class of '12 who were in the shows just stayed in New York, found apartments and started auditioning," he said. "If I get in [to PTP/NYC] next summer, that's probably what I will do too."
Faraone, who directed PTP/NYC's performances, echoed the actors' sentiments about the success of their summer in New York.
"It was a terrific summer," she said. "In particular, the show Serious Money ... really caught fire."
Faraone looks forward to next season with great anticipation.
"Next summer we're bringing Serious Money back," she said, since "it was one of the most successful shows we've ever run."
According to Faraone, Serious Money will be paired with a play called The Castle written by Howard Barker. Barker, a British writer, is a favorite of the College theater program.
"We have done eight of [Barker's] plays here at Middlebury," said Faraone. "We are actually producing The Castle here in Middlebury next Spring."
PTP/NYC is a long-held tradition celebrating the theater and everything it encapsulates.
As Berman noted, "no other college has anything like it."
After a successful and productive summer, the company is now planning and working towars the production of its next season.
For now, audiences must wait until next summer's two productions make their debut on stage to catch another glimpse of the talent, effort, time and hard work that goes into the making of a PTP/NYC production.
(09/18/12 2:26am)
This summer marked the kick-off of a brand-new Middlebury-funded internship program called Food Works Louisville. The program strives to solve farming and food access issues in and around Louisville, Ky. Alexa Beyer '15.5 interned at Food Works Louisville this summer, along with several other Middlebury students and recent graduates.
Every student was assigned a job relating to the local food system, from the business sector to organic farming. Beyer worked for a tiny nonprofit, Seed Capital Kentucky, developing a platform through which farmers could apply for loans that would allow them to tap into otherwise inaccessible markets.
Her job included making calls to local restaurants and food purchasers, developing price sheets and speaking directly to the farmers themselves.
"Speaking to them, hearing their stories and their outlooks and their concerns put such a face to the work we were doing," said Beyer. "It is so hard to be a farmer. They truly break their backs to grow our food." Food Works is structured to include a four-day workweek with the fifth day used as an opportunity to explore the local food system from a hands-on approach.
Students learned about sustainable farming practices and the nuances of the business behind the food sector, but mostly they learned to be more conscientious consumers of food.
Beyer said that, after interning at Food Works, she is going to try to eat locally with more awareness and "to advocate for a more just food system that allows local farmers a shot at success."
Another intern, Charlie Steinberg '15, worked with an online grocery subscription service.
He, like Beyer, expressed that being in a city trying to make a tangible change in their food system had a profound effect on him.
"I think in terms of the Middlebury experience, having us down there and coming back, we got a much more complete idea of what it means to bring change back home," said Steinberg.
(09/18/12 2:22am)
Last Winter Term, Rafael Manyari '15 took a class called "Next Steps for the Youth Climate Movement" taught by Pic Walker '93. Because of his Winter Term experience, Manyari found himself playing an important role in the youth climate movement in his home country of Peru this summer.
From late July to the end of August, Manyari interned in the Peruvian Amazon at ProPurús, a non-profit that works to promote and implement conservation initiatives to support biodiversity and the sustainable growth of local communities. ProPurús is the sister organization of Upper Amazon Conservancy (UAC), lead by Chris Fagan '93. These groups work to protect Alto Purús National Park, train vigilance committees, support the land titling of indigenous local communities and more.
Manyari's role as a web-developer, translator, editor and logistics assistant gave him the opportunity to create reports for ProPurús and to plan and participate in a workshop called "The Role of Indigenous Land Titling in the Conservation of the Ucayali-Acre Border: The Alto Tamaya Case." ProPurús and the UAC flew in indigenous leaders and representatives from regional governments to discuss the importance of indigenous land titling as the first step towards preventing exploitation.
"Learning about my country's reality of cultural and biodiversity conservation showed me the high degree of exclusion that most Amazonian indigenous people live," said Manyari. "Indigenous communities are invisible to most Peruvians and the world."
The cause is one very close to Manyari's heart, but his experience at ProPurús and the UAC opened his eyes even wider to the reality of the environmental disasters happening in his country.
"Knowing that this cultural and biological diversity is disappearing every day poses a major threat to the conservation of natural resources," said Manyari. "It compromises my future and the future of the next generation of Peruvians."
After this summer, Manyari, an Environmental Economics major, now recognizes his need to take immediate action in Peru because of his education provides him with resources that most students do not have in Peru.
(09/18/12 2:18am)
It's no surprise that Midd kids like to take full advantage of their summer vacation to give back to their communities, and Julia Paolillo '15.5 is no exception.
Originally from New Haven, Conn., Paolillo participated in a program after high school called the African Leadership Academy, located near Johannesburg, South Africa.
This summer she reunited with some fellow graduates and other friends to travel around Johannesburg and Morocco, but it was not until the end of June that her greatest adventure began.
Over the course of a year, a fellow graduate of Paolillo's from the African Leadership Academy established Gindi, a three-week summer learning program for middle-school- age children in the rural village of Joal, Senegal. After many calls, emails and letters, recently elected President of Senegal, Macky Sall, agreed to fund the program out-of- pocket so it could be free for the participants.
During their first days in the village, Paolillo and the other student volunteers, including
Middlebury student Aissatou Gaye '16, advertised the program around town so that by the first day of classes they were excited to have over 70 kids show up.
Paolillo and UC Berkeley's Liam Cook were English teachers for the Gindi program.
They each had their own open-air classroom and, because of the funding, they were able to hand out school supplies to their students. Yet, their teaching experience definitely came with its challenges.
Paolillo speaks French, but Cook does not. Sometimes, goats would have to be chased out of the classrooms, and because there was no air conditioning, temperatures in the building could reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
"It was one of those adapt-and-go-with-it type deals," said Paolillo.
By the end of the program, however, Paolillo had no regrets.
"I learned that people live in different ways than I do, and that's okay," she said. "Just because I'm not familiar with it doesn't mean it's any less valid."
Paolillo said the experience also helped her solidify her decision to pursue some kind of African-focused or education-based degree.
"I learned this summer that not everybody is a teacher," said Paolillo. Still, she is passionate about improving education globally, starting with her own education at Middlebury.
(09/18/12 2:16am)
As a result of student feedback, Orientation for the class of 2016 featured several changes to the schedule of events designed to introduce first-years to life at the college.
"Every year after Orientation we ask first-years to fill out a survey and give us feedback on particular events," said Associate Dean of Students for Student Activities and Orientation J.J. Boggs. "After we get the results I compile those and send them across campus to the folks who have been involved and ask them to seriously consider the feedback in their planning process. Then we review it over and over again as we're planning and then again as we're implementing Orientation."
One change to Orientation was to the bystander intervention training.
"We love and believe very strongly in the idea of bystander intervention on campus, but I don't think we as a group hit the mark with how it was presented [last year]," said Boggs. "So this year [the Dean of Students and Assistant Professor of History of Art] Katy Smith Abbott and [Executive Director of Health and Counseling Services] Gus Jordan put their heads together along with feedback from a small core group and designed a training [program]."
The program's title, designed to bring to mind the College's mascot, was called P.A.W.S., an acronym that stands for "Pause. Assess. Worried? Speak Up!" Unlike last year, where faculty and staff led training for the class of 2015, the bystander intervention training this year was peer-facilitated.
This year's First-Year Counselors and Resident Assistants took small groups of first-years across campus to practice skits and learn about scenarios that might require bystander intervention.
"Giving students some control over the direction of the conversation made a pretty dry program more palatable and engaging, which is always desirable when you're talking about important stuff," Timothy Crocker '16 wrote in an e-mail.
Melissa Surrette '16 also appreciated that the training was student-led.
"We were in a group of 8 people, and we had to come up with skits to show how we would handle each scenario," she said. "I thought it was helpful to have it be student-run because you could have a student's perspective on what to do and what your peers would do."
Another change to Orientation occurred with the sessions titled, "Living Deliberately at Middlebury," where first-years heard from students and staff about living a balanced and healthy life on campus.
"We've done this really differently in the past," said Boggs. "Two years ago wefocused on PowerPoint presentations on things like hazing and harassment and sexual assault."
The "Living Deliberately" sessions were two student-led panels, one on diversity and community on campus and one on living a balanced life on campus, with a third session led by a staff member from the Center for Teaching, Learning and Research (CTLR) on time management.
Much like with P.A.W.S., Boggs said the idea of students interacting with other students was appealing.
"What I love is that two of the three [sessions] were facilitated by upper-class students who were talking about their own personal experiences here and offering suggestions to first-years about how to approach things a little differently, maybe in a more healthy, balanced way."
Upper-class initiative did not stop at the panel discussions. Orientation for the class of 2016 also included a concert Saturday Sept. 8 featuring the group Bad Rabbits.
"The neat thing about [the concert] is there was a lot of input from the students who organize music events on campus," said Boggs.
Boggs explained that they wanted to hold a concert for the first-years but also make it open to the upperclassmen arriving on campus that Saturday to join the classes for the first campus-wide social event of the fall.
Attention turned back to the class of 2016 on Sunday night with the Arts for a Carbon Neutrality Dessert Social. This year's first-years will graduate the year the College is scheduled to attain carbon neutrality.
Along with highlighting the 2016 goal, first-year students were given a flash drive rather than the typical welcome packet in order to save paper.
"We're going to introduce them to the concept of carbon neutrality and what the College has done and what role they can play in making that happen over the next four years," said Boggs. "So we're going to end the week on this note of carbon neutrality."
Surrette, who was involved in a regional environmental council in high school, feels a big part the class of 2016 will play in the efforts for full carbon neutrality.
"I think it's really interesting that Middlebury is a full-fledged institution that is going to be carbon-neutral," she said. "I'm happy I am going to be one of the classes to celebrate in it."
More changes to Orientation are on the way for the Class of 2017. Those first-years will spend Monday through Thursday on campus for Orientation and then Friday through Sunday on a trip.
"We're calling the whole experience MiddView," said Boggs. "The off-campus pieces will look different for each student. It will just depend on what you choose, whether you choose an outdoor adventure, a community service trip or a cultural immersion trip. It could be anything from farming to perhaps exploring politics in Vermont to taking a hiking trip. It's going to be phenomenal."
Dylan Peters '16 was impressed with the current Orientation.
"This past week has served as a great introduction to the Middlebury community and to all of the great people, places and programs this school has to offer," he wrote in an email. "While I know that there is still much to learn here in my first year, and that I will most definitely make some mistakes, I can't help but feel overwhelmingly ready to get started."
(09/18/12 2:06am)
In the beginning of August, I found myself with no job, no place to live and, somewhat unexpectedly, no boyfriend. Was this my welcome into this mystifying time period known as the "Super Senior Feb semester?" Having one class a week while my graduated friends observed Ramadan in Tunisia and started start-ups that help people start start-ups? If being a super senior meant watching my prom date get married on Facebook and dwelling on my anxieties while working at the mail center, I was having none of it.
I explained this over Skype to my friend Max, who had just returned from a four-week program called The Bold Academy. According to their website, The Bold Academy is "a life-changing experience designed to help you find your deepest clarity, build confidence and unlock your ability to lead the life you've always wanted to live."
"So it's like a self-help cult?" I asked him.
"Yeah!" he said. "But let's face it. Sometimes, you just need it! And anyone who tells you they're always confident, driven and don't need self-help is full of bullsh*t."
I nodded tentatively as he worked up to his conclusion, happily exclaiming, "We're all f*cked up!"
Before this moment, I had laughed in self-help's face. Those Anna Quindlen books my Dad checked out from the library about how great it was to be over 50? Must be a scam. Meditation? Booo-ring. But suddenly this notion that "we're all f*cked up" was speaking to me. I was 3,000 miles from home, and I had five weeks to kill. With a healthy coat of irony to protect me, I decided to give this "self-help" thing a try. In the words of the Bold Academy website, I was going to unleash my full potential, find meaning and make the world a better place!
Part 1: Reiki Treatment
My first self-help opportunity arose when I learned that a woman I worked with had some training from a Japanese Reiki Master. I didn't know what Reiki was or how to spell it, but I did possess stereotypes of the Japanese as healthy and calm people. My three and a half hour journey began by unclogging my heart Chakra with a pendulum and ended with identifying my flower essences.
Part 2: Soul Cycle
Soul Cycle, America's most expensive exercise class, is where hot yoga meets TV evangelist meets rave. It's a spin class in candlelight attended by fifty of New York's highest-powered turbo babes. The temperature creeps up while techno music blasts into your eardrums and an instructor jumps around screaming motivational statements. "IF YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!" Emma screamed over the PA while the Indian food I just ate sloshed around in my stomach. I watched the butt a foot in front of my face bounce to the beat and sweat into its lulu lemon exterior. Why hadn't I invented this?
Part 3: Moving in with Grandparents
One day, I woke up and remembered that there were two adorable humans in Schenectady, New York who love me unconditionally. And they have a pool! They can't hear very well, so I yelled my future plans to them over our potato stew dinner and found it surprisingly remedial.
Part 4: Jogging
Before life in Schenectady, I considered jogging to be a masochistic ritual practiced by people who hated themselves. Then I discovered that through jogging I could literally run from my problems. I downloaded an app called "RunKeeper," where every five minutes a woman's condescending voice was broadcast over my music to tell me how slow I was going. But hey, I needed all the endorphins I could get.
 Part 5: Free Middlebury Therapists
Did you know the price of your tuition includes these counselors? I mean, it would be a waste of money NOT to go talk to them! Did you know their phone number is (802) 443-5141 and you can call them right now?
Part 6: Burning Man
Originally created by a guy going through a breakup, Burning Man was clearly the culmination of my month long quest for self-betterment. If roller-skating naked in the desert doesn't make you feel like $$$$, then I guess self-help can't help you.
During my month of soul searching and heartbreak induced "crisis" come 30 years early, I soaked in the woo-woo and the vague clichés. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, I told myself. Grab life by the antlers. Kick your anxiety in the groin. I don't think I'll be going back for a Reiki treatment any time soon, but I believe Max was right. When it comes to the enormous commercial ploy categorized as "self-help," sometimes you just need it.
(09/18/12 2:03am)
Just a few months ago, when I was still a senior at Middlebury, I felt pretty cool. I had a really loud best friend. Sophomores re-tweeted me a lot. I ate with intimidating people in Atwater, and we pretty much monopolized off-campus parties (at least for anyone who'd heard the word "Alpenglow"). I even knew every bro/fro at the bar and all the people living on Shannon St.
But now, as a "febbed reg," I'm currently in my last semester at Middlebury while all my friends appear to be (at least on Instragram) at an outdoor music festival in a wine bar during a SoulCycle class, which has a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm still here in Middlebury – feeling kind of intimidated.
Here's a real scenario:
A girl from my freshman hall, who has just started working full-time in some nebulous administrative office on campus, stops me on College St.
"Hey!" she says – because no matter how little we've talked in the last few years, there's something respectably old school about greeting each other now – "What are you doing at Middlebury?"
Loudly, I tell her: "Oh, I febbed myself," and hope that everyone in a half-mile radius hears. It is my attempt to regain confidence amongst the sea of 2013 darties I've been stumbling into.
Get this: in the fall of 2008, you had never been a student at Middlebury; I, on the other hand, was (still a virgin and really afraid to poop in my dorm) already a college freshman, suckas!
There are only about 10 of us "reg-to-feb" seniors still roaming campus, and I saw half of them last night at the bar, which I think might be telling. When the 10 of us (a.k.a. those students you see around campus and whisper to your friend, "why is that kid still here?") first showed up for freshman orientation, things were a little different – like, oh, let's see, THERE WAS NO FINANCIAL CRISIS. For two long, glorious months. Well, maybe one and a half.
Here are 10 things you might not know happened during the B.F.C. (Before Financial Crisis) era:
1. FIC was a dining hall. It was a like an under-ground cavern/ski lodge turned poorly-lit "canteen."
2. The Bunker was totally a thing, and not just for two minutes a semester before someone smashed a window.
3. My best friend was "straight."
4. Pesto didn't have any parsley in it. IT WAS REALÂ PESTO.
5. We had a hoedown AND a faculty band, which made for even more super awkward freshmen orientation dance moves.
6. Vincent Jones IV '12 was an undiscovered hero.
7. My first boyfriend broke up with me on the fourth floor of Stewart Hall.
8. I had a clinical addiction to soft serve.
9. Middlebury paid for our orientation trips! Otherwise known as "MiddView," the program lasted about as long as anyone's first semester "relationship."
10. And here's the kicker: every single day, Atwater served ... DINNER.
Those were the days. There was nothing better than walking toward the twinkling lights of Atwater, terrified to pass all my upperclassmen "unicorns" (a phrase popularized by Israel Carr circa 2008.) Another thing that happened back then: I imagined that come May 2012, I'd be hugging my grandma, eating a final black bean burger under Mead Chapel and getting out of this town. Instead, I wandered up the hill to my own graduation 20 minutes late. I watched the rest of my class file past in black robes while I stood among the mass of (very sober) parents and tried not to freak out.
It can be hard being a "febbed reg." Even the name sounds really dirty, like we used a gross swab to fix an STD. We're a mismatched group of free spirits, reformed (?) screw-ups, procrastinators and slow-movers still clinging on to this panther ride for dear life. But I think I'm proud to be a part of this group, even if you don't know who we (or our former Twitter accounts) are. So, to the roughly 10-person class of 2012 turned 2012.5 (who will never read this column, but could the one over-eager-politically-conscious sophomore Feb please alert them to it?): let's enjoy our semester, before the world reminds us that being almost 23 makes you kind of an idiot. For now, we're over it.
(09/18/12 2:00am)
Like those Hollywood sequels that never live up to the originals, President Obama's re-election vision outlined at the Democratic National Convention appeared flat compared to the optimistic, inspiring and defined rallying cries of 2008. The goals of last week's speeches were, firstly, to unite Democrats in support of Obama's re-election, and, secondly, to persuade independent voters that four more years of Democratic leadership would provide more benefits than the Romney/Ryan future glimpsed in Tampa. But while the DNC's speakers certainly provided a laundry list of Obama's accomplishments and ample testimony to his character, they failed to address unmet promises, define new goals and outline an economic plan for a second Obama term.
Speaking about the economic revival in 2009, Obama told Matt Lauer, "If I don't have this done in three years, then [this is] going to be a one-term proposition." For this reason, President Clinton's statement that "nobody" could have righted the economy in four years feels more like damage control than inspiration to vote. In fact, rather than rousing audiences at the convention, Clinton and other speakers seemed to reel in the optimism of 2008, emphasizing how much work the Obama regime has left to complete and replacing the "yes we can!" slogan with this new "˜no one could have saved us' mentality. Is this supposed to encourage voters?
Obama's failed promises were neither ignored nor explained during last week's convention, and the goals outlined in Obama's final speech were all recycled and adapted from 2008 and provided voters with nothing but already broken promises. Obama's "˜new' goals include halving oil imports, working to develop one million green energy jobs, empowering our education system and cutting four trillion from the national budget deficit. Sound familiar? At the DNC in 2008, Obama pledged to end Middle East oil imports by 2018, create five million green energy jobs, revamp our education system and dramatically reduce the deficit. None of these promises have been kept. For instance, Al Gore has criticized Obama's lack of action on green energy, a field in which the Obama administration created a couple hundred thousand jobs of the five million promised – so why would Democrats believe him today? If Obama now wants us to understand that nobody could have met these goals in our economic and political climate, then why did he promise to achieve them? If he lacks the foresight to understand the difficulty of fulfilling his goals, then he lacks the foresight necessary to properly lead this nation.
The lack of new ideas in Obama's re-election campaign and his dependence on unfulfilled promises could be excused if he provided evidence that the next four years would be different – that he has a new plan on how to create jobs, lower the budget deficit and help the environment. But while last week's speeches contained everything from powerful liberal rhetoric to tearful accounts of Obama's wonderfulness, they lacked clear blueprints for the future. We heard no plan on how Obama will fulfill the promises he could not meet during this term. We heard no plan on how Obama will restore American economic strength. We heard no plan on how the next four years will be anything other than a continuation of the last four. Struggling Americans want to understand how Obama intends to help them, and last week provided them with no answers.
Bill Clinton's declaration that "we are better off today" than four years ago simply does not have numbers to back it. Unemployment levels have hovered above eight percent for 43 months, more and more Americans are quitting the job hunt and extremely slow private-sector job growth – slowing to less than 100,000 new jobs last month – has not helped to dramatically change America's employment woes. Obama's promises, both economic and social, have not all been met. His economic record has only shown that he can sustain high levels of unemployment. And the majority of Americans feel that their lives are "no better" than in 2008.
Obama wants struggling Americans to know that his administration is on the right track, that everyone is better off now than in 2008 and that his benefits will reach them eventually. "Eventually" might be a very long time if last month's 8.1 percent unemployment and 96,000 new jobs are to be viewed as successes. But hang in there, Obama tells us. Be patient.
Voters need something to be patient for, and Obama's failed promises, lack of new ideas and seemingly absent economic plan no longer inspire hope.
(09/18/12 1:55am)
Upon returning to campus every September, students are confronted time and again with some form of the question, "what did you do this summer?" And, after hearing countless responses, a general theme begins to emerge: students don't lose their intensity over the summer. Why else would the most commonly heard answer involve some form of internship?
Interning has many obvious benefits – an internship provides an opportunity to gauge your interest in a certain field, introduces you to office life, builds useful connections and gives you some insight into the inner workings of certain jobs or businesses.
Though internships can certainly be valuable, they shouldn't be seen as an absolute necessity in order to have a worthwhile summer experience. We're not suggesting you do nothing with your summers – sitting by the pool every day would definitely get old – but we are saying that there is a world of opportunities outside of the realm of internships, whether it be through holding a paid summer job or going on a real-world adventure.
All too often, students can be heard explaining that they "just waitressed" or "just worked in a store" or "just lifeguarded" during the summer. These students should not sell themselves short. These jobs provide certain life experiences that cannot always be gained by having a "name-brand" internship. A waiter or cashier must learn how to deal with disgruntled customers, while lifeguarding, for example, necessitates the ability to deal with the unexpected. In addition, a paying job promotes increased financial responsibility and independence. The list of benefits goes on.
It's important to know what it's like to be at the bottom of the heap. At some point in our lives, we will be confronted with grunt work or find ourselves in a position in which we aren't continuously praised for our intelligence or our ability to write a persuasive analytical essay. For those of us who have never born the brunt of an irate customer's anger or had the typical intern task of making daily Starbucks and mailroom runs, the almost inevitable experience of completing menial tasks is humbling and educational in reminding us to work toward our greater goals.
Educational real-world experiences, however, are not solely bound up in work. Summer break is a luxury most of us won't be able to enjoy after college and we should seize the chance now to do whatever we find meaningful – which may be interning, working or studying, but might also consist of rafting, cooking or spending time with family. We are given a golden opportunity to break from traditional academic life and these experiences can only serve to revitalize and rejuvenate our enthusiasm for the future.
Yet while our optimisim is all well and good, unpaid work and unfinanced exploration are costly endeavors. It is encouraging, therefore, to learn that the College has made strides in the past year to expand these opportunities for students. Since last summer, the Center for Education in Action, thanks to the "MiddAction Fund" campaign, increased internship funding by 180 percent, giving out a total of $350,000. This funding ensures that unpaid internships are no longer only available to the privileged few who are not limited by financial needs.
Students should reflect on summer experiences with an open mind. Without the pressures and the price tag, it's up to you to decide what's left.
(09/18/12 1:49am)
Many students use Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR) as an inexpensive means of public transportation, and a recent grant from the College will expand the benefits that accompany this resource. The $100,000 grant, awarded last June, is being applied to a new Community Transportation Center on Creek Road.
The College and ACTR have been partners for over a decade; together, they provide students with access to locations outside of the Middlebury campus.
"A large portion of the student population does not have access to cars that they need to get around. We want to serve the couple thousand students that need access," said Jim Moulton, executive director of ACTR.
Students can take advantage of regularly scheduled ACTR bus services that run throughout the Middlebury area, as well as semi-regular service to Burlington, Rutland, and the Snow Bowl. A Saturday route is also available. Moulton is excited about the changes the new center will bring. "Over time, we are looking to expand [regular] service to Burlington and Rutland, and eventually to the 125 corridor and upstate."
In addition to providing expanded bus routes for the community, the new center is more cost effective. According to Moulton, "We will be doing all of the bus maintenance ourselves thanks to a new maintenance center. Instead of sending the buses out to be serviced in other locations like Rutland, we can do all of the work in house." The center will also focus on green energy and sustainability to maximize cost effectiveness.
The center also features a park and ride, the first in Middlebury, as well as a bus wash service. "Right now we have no way to keep the vehicles clean, so having a facility keeps the vehicles on the road longer," Moulton states. All of these changes lead to a more efficient bus service for the community.
Members of the community are thrilled by this new opportunity to venture off campus. "I don't have a car," says John Louie '15, "and there are a lot of things you can't get in Middlebury. [Extended ACTR service lets you get food in Burlington, go to Lake Champlain, and shop downtown."
Construction on the center has begun, and an official groundbreaking ceremony is expected in mid to late September. The Community Transportation Center is expected to open to the public in April 2013. More information about the center, including a virtual tour, can be found at http://actr-vt.org/.