The subject of this month’s column is misinterpretation facilitated by technology. Now, I’m sure you all have saved every one of my past columns and reread them every night before bed, so I’m sure you’re thinking: “Ben you repetitive hack! You talked about Facebook and other forms of electronic ...
In 2004, UPS decided to stop making left turns. With a tweaked GPS system, they eliminated all left turns from the routes that their 95,000 delivery trucks would take — except for those absolutely necessary to avoiding ridiculously circuitous journeys. By eliminating the need to idle at red lights ...
Multitasking plays the dual role of virtue and vice. While some list it under the skills section on their resumés, others condemn its effect on our attention spans and our ability to retain information. In order to prevent us from multitasking, my Winter Term professor has banned laptops in our classroom, ...
It is a rare thing in life to be aware of the fact that you have just experienced something special. Many times we look over photos with fondness or back on memories with awe, but seldom do we stand in a room, buzzing with the energy of this collective recognition. That is something incredibly unique, ...
Daniel Pulido ’11 is from Bogota, Columbia. It feels strange to say that in Middlebury College the war on drugs has been lost. It makes a lot more sense when you go to the Bronx in NYC, or Baltimore in Maryland. But it is strikingly clear when you think about northern Mexico or my home country: Colombia. Some ...
Cori Hundt ’11 is from Warren, NJ. I think I offended the bicycle gods. Perhaps I was a bicycle thief in a previous life? Or maybe I burned bicycles in political protest? After all, these explanations are the only ones I can find as to why my bike has been vandalized not once, not even twice, but ...
Ramune Pansa is from Kassel, Germany Answer me one question: What are the first six things that come to your mind when you think about Middlebury? The first things that I see of Vermont are a lake, lights of a town and clouds. That is all I can see at 6 p.m. out of a small plane, while Canadians, ...
Andrew Torre ’13 is from Landgrove, Vt. In extreme economic circumstances such as those that prevail today, before any remedies can be applied, it must be acknowledged that the economic system has failed. Obviously, if economic misery exists, there must be a system-based cause. This is true whether ...
Danil Rudoy ’11 is from Moscow, Russia The problem of douchebaggery at Middlebury College, a proud educational institution with a long history full of copious resonant episodes, is something that, despite its obvious relevance, has not yet been addressed on the pages of this periodical. Your humble ...
This past week, Middlebury joined Williams and Bowdoin as the third NESCAC institution to enact gender-neutral housing legislation. Starting in Fall 2011, any sophomore, junior or senior will be allowed to live with whomever they choose, regardless of either party’s gender. While College policy already ...
Discussing politics is one of the easiest ways to ruin any family gathering. In my past I have managed to spoil visits from several of my relatives. One time involved my lobbyist uncle and his “artist” wife — who, depending on the incident, either would not stop complaining about how they could ...
This past week, Middlebury joined Williams and Bowdoin as the third NESCAC institution to enact gender-neutral housing legislation. Starting in Fall 2011, any sophomore, junior or senior will be allowed to live with whomever they choose, regardless of either party’s gender. While College policy already ...
Most students at Middlebury are athletes. Just over one in four students participate in varsity sports, and the percentage increases dramatically if we include JV, club and intramurals. In fact, if you don’t participate in an organized sport of some kind, you are in the minority on campus. Even then, ...
Last December hopes were high, and expectations soared as 197 countries sent representatives to the city of Copenhagen to take part in the United Nations sponsored talks on greenhouse emissions and global climate change. Despite President Obama’s comment that these talks were “meaningful,” these ...
This past week, we once again awoke in the early hours of the morning to stare at the lifeless blue screen of BannerWeb. Typing in those CRNs we made choices — we chose the shape of our spring semester, our possible majors and perhaps our future careers. Some of us registered for classes like The ...
I was excited to get an email in my inbox with the words: “You are the 2010-2011 recipient of the Anonymous Scholarship, a donor-funded scholarship that supports your financial aid. Congratulations on this special honor!” But when I looked at my new financial aid balance, my joyful bubble popped: ...
The Vermont winter makes a solid argument against the existence of global warming, especially when gusts of icy snow get involved. Admittedly, this time of year provides some evidence for climate change — from chilly to colder to Winter Term — but except for a few strangely sunny days, Middlebury ...
When the woman in the most significant position of international climate policy power says that she does “not believe we will have a final agreement on climate change … in [her] lifetime,” one would approach work in this sphere with precious little hope. The woman is Christina Figueres — a 53-year-old ...
To the Middlebury Campus, My family drove from New Hampshire to New York City this weekend to attend the Fourth Annual Quidditch World Cup. This was our third cup. Our son is a senior at Middlebury and has played quidditch all four years. In fact, he saw someone in a Middlebury Quidditch t-shirt on ...