News of the new Vermont Gas pipeline and the College’s announced endorsement of the project has created quite the stir among the community – and rightfully so. For a quick summary of the debate, see the dialogue that has taken shape between Zach Drennen‘13.5 and Cailey Cron‘13.5 and Anna Shireman-Grabowski‘15.5 ...
This week, President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz released a statement reiterating the College’s support for the Vermont Gas pipeline. This comes in the face of motivated and organized student and community opposition that has made its presence well known over the last few weeks. This decision ...
Professors have a unique and important place in a student’s life. We should never underestimate the deep and at times life-long impact of the student-teacher relationship. Yet although the role of professors exists both in the classroom and in an advisory capacity, it seems that many are unaware of ...
Each academic year at Middlebury is slightly different from the previous one. While the College could not run without the hard work of faculty, staff and administrators, it is the student body that ultimately sets the agenda and tone for each year. In other words, students define Middlebury. At liberal ...
On April 17, after America’s 113th Congress rejected a series of proposed gun-control measures, Barack Obama asked a teary-eyed, red faced crowd in the White House’s Rose Garden, “how can something have 90 percent support and yet not happen?” Americans have debated the answer endlessly. The ...
Recently, an independent fact-finding mission of the United Nations (UN) presented a report about the Israeli settlement policy. The report confirms what was assumed for a while: the settlement project cannot be differentiated from the Apartheid system that was once applied in South Africa. The assignment ...
In his recent op-ed about abortion, Kenneth Burchfiel ’13 claims to “support life.” He equates abortion with the Nazi genocide of Jews and other non-Aryan groups and he implies, with an infantile reference to Disney movies, that those who are involved in providing abortions and those who choose ...
Last week’s op-ed by Kenneth Burchfiel ’13 regarding abortion has (unsurprisingly) already been met with vitriolic attacks on the Campus website, and will no doubt be the subject of even more criticism in this week’s issue. As someone who cares deeply about the issue, I’m glad Kenneth was willing ...
This op-ed goes out to everyone who is thinking about writing an opinion piece in a published medium that circles in a community (ie. newspapers, magazine, other public media). Think before you write. Sharing your opinions and thoughts on a certain topic is necessary to varying degrees. It helps the ...
Like most people watching stories unfold at the “It Happens Here” event I was disturbed. I was angry. I was sad. I felt things I could not describe but warranted taking a walk halfway through. At the end of it all though, I was faced with the question, how do I react? Part of me wants to continue ...
Jeannie Bartlett ’15 There were a number of things I wanted to add to my comments at the Student Divestment Panel that I didn’t get to, so I’ll add them here. I’m surprised to feel the need for this first clarification: the shift off of reliance on fossil fuels is not just a nice goal to ...
We wish to address serious factual inaccuracies in Zach Drennen ’13.5’s April 25 column “Middlebury Finds a New Pipeline to Protest.” First, a clarification of terms: Zach, you mislead readers by describing the product transported by this pipeline as “natural gas.” Conventionally drilled ...
Just after midnight, exactly two years ago today, U.S. Navy SEALs stormed a small private compound outside of Abbottabad, Pakistan and ended the world’s most expensive manhunt with a couple of well-aimed bullets. After nearly 10 years of relentless intelligence work, many Americans felt that they ...
People on Syrian streets are dying horrible deaths, asphyxiated as the air around them gives way to clouds of toxic gas released upon them by their government. Last week, blood samples of the victims confirmed that the regime of Bashar al-Assad has used weapons of mass destruction in the form of Sarin ...
1. It takes patience to live in Middlebury for four years. It’s also worth it. 2. The harder you try to get laid, the less you’ll get laid. 3. People who act like they’re better are afraid that they’re not. 4. Needing a big party to have a fun weekend will frequently disappoint. 5. ...
Three and a half weeks. With less than a month left of my college career, I have yet to solidify a real plan for after May 26. Right now, I’m set to live the post-grad dream on my couch with my newly printed diploma in Columbus, Ohio. Having always had a plan of action, I am growing increasingly concerned ...
The current debate about the potential expansion of a natural gas pipeline through Vermont to Ticonderoga, N.Y. highlights a seemingly rare instance of conflict between the surrounding community and the College. While the state of Vermont has banned fracking and public opposition to the construction ...
We are a coalition of Middlebury College staff, faculty and students who stand in opposition to the Addison County Natural Gas project. The project will transport fracked gas from Alberta and continue Vermont and Middlebury College’s dependency on fossil fuels for the next half-century. We demand ...
Growing up in the 1990s, my understanding of evil was based mainly on Disney movies. The nemeses in those films all recognized that they were up to no good, yet pressed on anyway. It was as if they relished the opportunity to be wicked and would never consider turning back, and they kept this love for ...
The SGA campaign season is an exciting time for us as members of the current SGA Senate to reflect back on our year, engage with students on the issues that matter and offer competing solutions on how to make Middlebury a better place. We know first hand the power and importance of the SGA as a formal ...