Reactionary. Obscene. Stupid. These terms apply to both the YouTube video that has sparked protests across the Arab world and the mindless retaliations themselves. On Sept. 11, 2012, exactly 11 years after the infamous attacks that defined our century, in Benghazi — a town that in recent months has ...
Representatives Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) don’t have a lot in common. Kucinich is for tighter gun control; Paul is not. Kucinich is pro-choice; Paul is pro-life. Kucinich voted for the Affordable Care Act; Paul did not. The differences abound. Surprisingly, then, both men claim ...
In a world of smartphones, computers, medicine and astronomical advancements, we are constantly surrounded by products of science. Yet despite the hype over iPhone 5, some people do not even wonder how it came to existence. The difference between the excitement over a new electronic toy and the apathy ...
A liberal arts education. Trumpeted in the College’s brochures and website, and reinforced by professors and students alike, these few words form the basis of Middlebury’s identity as an institution of higher learning. Increasingly, opportunities like those offered by the Project on Creativity and ...
This past Saturday night, approximately 100 students flocked to the McCullough Student Center for Jamnesty, an event co-hosted by Verbal Onslaught and Amnesty International. The event entailed an exploration of pressing social issues through various forms of art. Students used spoken word, music, dance ...
Those three words, those three damnable words: “I’m so busy” or its common mutations “I’m too busy” and “I have so much to do!” Assuming you’ve spent more than a week on campus, you’ve heard this phrase at least once. As a senior, I’ve heard it countless times; I’ve used it myself ...
In November 2004, a 26 year-old Dutch-Moroccan man named Mohammed Bouyeri ambushed filmmaker Theo Van Gogh as he rode his bike to work. Bouyeri shot the filmmaker eight times with a handgun and attempted to decapitate him with a large knife. Death was the sentence Van Gogh earned for directing a movie ...
Each election year, an overenthusiastic media tries to convince us that a single verbal slip-up can destroy a Presidential campaign. Gaffes are reported endlessly, featured in attack ads, defended and debated, only to retreat from the limelight and be forgotten come Election Day. This year has featured ...
Although cheating at Middlebury sometimes feels like a non-issue — or at least, a non-discussed issue — last month’s events at Harvard have sparked an important conversation. In its biggest case of cheating in recent memory, Harvard announced in late August that it was investigating over 100 ...
I am proud to say that I have discovered the best kept secret on campus. A new panini to be made at Proctor? No. An uncovered secret society? No. Give up? Some people in this situation would say “I would tell you, but I would have to kill you.” But, don’t worry, I will be generous. Drum roll ...
Time in general and, more specifically, here at Middlebury, is valuable. Never was this more apparent than as I sat in the news office in the early hours of Tuesday morning, contemplating the multitude of tasks in the coming day, Campus-related and otherwise. Everywhere you look people are running toward ...
The day that Barack Obama became the nation’s first African American President is one that will forever live in our history books. Many Americans felt a sense of pride due to our ugly history filled with slavery, discrimination and hatred towards African Americans and many other minority groups. Even ...
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. ...
Before I begin, remember that I write this with the utmost love for the College and its athletics programs. We need a new mascot. There is nothing about the panther that's specific to Middlebury or to Vermont. There is nothing about the panther that's specific to anything, really. According to Wikipedia, ...
In a routine conversation with my grandmother last year, I mentioned that I was considering adding a women's and gender studies (WAGS) major to my already-declared history major. I thought – given my grandmother's thoroughly feminist background as an astronomy professor who sued her university ...
It was 1987. After a 14-2 regular season, the New York Giants advanced to the Super Bowl. After a hard-fought game, they finally won their first-ever Super Bowl, defeating the Broncos in a 39-20 victory. After the game, Phil Simms of the Giants coined a phrase that is now common currency in the land ...
In just 50 days, millions of Americans will head to the polls to choose the nation's next president. They will line up to exercise the right that is theirs by virtue of citizenship. In doing so, they will fulfill that fundamental civic duty so vital to the health of our democracy. For many of us, this ...
As I made my way down Route 7 last week, I couldn't help letting my eyes wander occasionally. At first, the seemingly endless fields of corn caught my attention. However, my gaze quickly advanced towards the thin line separating the crest of the Green Mountains from the sky. On my way to campus, each ...
Last fall, a few classmates and I spent a lot of time on a project that tried to identify why Vermonters seem particularly predisposed towards involvement in environmentalism. It was a continuation of a series of studies by [Professor of Economics] Jon Isham and [Stafford Professor of Public Policy] ...
In last week's "The Elephant in the Room" column, Ben Kinney '15 offered a litany of what he perceived to be the failures of the Obama presidency. He claimed that the President's re-election campaign "no longer [inspires] hope" and that the man "lacks the foresight necessary to properly lead this ...