The Middlebury Off-Campus Project
Uncertainty rises in higher education following the U.S. election
By Rosella Graham and Hugo Zhang | December 5, 2024 A month has passed since former President Donald Trump won the presidential election and the Middlebury community began discussions surrounding the implications of his return to office. Trump’s victory has sparked concerns among college faculty about the future of higher education, with specific ...
Rebates to Vermonters impacted by flooding extended into 2025
By Mandy Berghela | December 5, 2024Efficiency Vermont has expanded its flood recovery rebates, offering significant financial assistance to eligible households and businesses affected by the flooding during the summers of 2023 and 2024 for heating systems, weatherization and appliances. Homeowners can receive up to $29,500 in rebates, ...
Going on site: Our tour of the new first year dorm
By Cole Chaudhari, Ryan Mcelroy and Madeleine Kaptein | November 14, 2024Exterior furnishing and interior development remain well underway on the new first year dorm located between Coffrin Hall and BiHall, situated on the northern end of Battell Beach. The new dorm is set to replace Battell Hall, which will be torn down and replaced by an updated college art museum and ...
Faculty vote to reduce credits needed to graduate, will debate restricting Latin honors
By Ryan Mcelroy and Madeleine Kaptein | November 14, 2024During a three-hour faculty meeting on Friday, Nov. 8, Middlebury professors voted in favor of the Faculty Council’s proposal to reduce the credits needed for graduation from 36 to 34. The decision will take effect on July 1, 2025, meaning that students enrolled in the fall 2025 semester will now ...
Middlebury celebrates International Week
By Xiaoyuan Jiao | November 14, 2024For international students at Middlebury, making sense of the turbulence in today’s world — from ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to the U.S. presidential election — can be particularly challenging in rural Vermont. Amidst the weight of global challenges, Middlebury’s International ...
College donates section of Snow Bowl Long Trail, preserving public access
By Sophia Galuppo | November 14, 2024Middlebury is now the latest contributor to Green Mountain Club’s (GMC) efforts to protect the Long Trail. Last month, the college donated a 1.5-mile segment of land — stretching from the summit of Worth Mountain to Vermont Route 125 — to GMC, leaving just two percent of the land on the Long Trail ...
Middlebury reacts to Trump's victory
By Maggie Bryan and Declan Richards | November 14, 2024In the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 6, national news outlets called the 2024 presidential election for former President Donald Trump. As the election finally came to a close last week, Middlebury community members’ responses ranged from disappointed and anxious to celebratory.
Board of Trustees discusses finances, names Patton President Emerita
By Rosella Graham | November 14, 2024On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Board of Trustees met on campus from Oct. 24–26 to discuss a variety of issues affecting the college and to name Laurie Patton President Emerita prior to her departure in January. The trustees also reviewed new fundraising by the “For Every Future” campaign, learned about ...
Spilling the Aqua ViTea: Where Middlebury gets its kombucha fix
By Mandy Berghela | November 14, 2024For years, Aqua ViTea Kombucha has been a beloved, refreshing drink for Middlebury students. Recognizable by its vibrant, colorful packaging, it is a familiar sight at local businesses around town, as well as on campus at spots like Midd Xpress and Crossroads Cafe.
20 Years of “From a Basement on the Hill”
By Oscar De Swaan Arons | November 14, 2024In some ways, it’s hard not to treat “From a Basement on the Hill” as Elliott Smith’s suicide note. When Smith stabbed himself in the heart in his Los Angeles apartment on Oct. 21, 2003, his sixth studio album was largely completed, save some mixing and tracklist decisions. Smith’s death, ...
Vote yes in the Honor Code Referendum this month
By The Editorial Board | November 14, 2024Last month, the Honor Code Review Committee (HCRC) sent out an email alerting students of proposed changes to the Honor Code. These proposals are the culmination of three semesters of meetings, surveys, and feedback from students, faculty and administrators. Based on the findings of their report from ...
Horror and Humor in Harmony: Middlebury College Musical Theatre’s “Little Shop of Horrors”
By Wendy Wang | November 14, 2024A perfectly spooky end to the Halloween season, Middlebury College Musical Theatre’s fall production of “Little Shop of Horrors” ran at the Town Hall Theater (THT) for three consecutive nights, thrilling audiences with its blend of humor, emotion and terror.
Addison County elects Steven Heffernan to State Senate, ousting five-term incumbent
By Macy Daggitt | November 14, 2024In an unexpected twist in the race for the Vermont State Senate, Republican challenger Steve Heffernan defeated democratic incumbent Christopher Bray for one of Addison County’s two senate seats. Heffernan’s election was part of a larger victory for Republicans in the state legislature, picking ...
SPECS Panther Column — Looking at American sexual health disparities through a racial lens
By Charlotte Cebula | November 14, 2024In 2017, American tennis star Serena Williams experienced life-threatening complications from childbirth. Her cover story profile for Vogue discussed her experience of having to convince medical professionals of the severity of her complications — what she described as undoubtedly a pulmonary embolism ...
Reel Critic: “Emilia Pérez”
By Gavin Richards | November 14, 2024What strikes one most upon viewing “Emilia Pérez”, which first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May, is its resistance to description. The film, starring Karla Sofía Gascón in the titular role as a transgender woman looking to leave her life as a notorious cartel boss, uses conventions ...
Photo of the Week 11/14/2024
November 14, 2024The Middlebury International Programs hosted the Study Away Photo Contest in the Davis Family Library Atrium last week, inviting students to vote on their favorite submission. The three winners were Saki Tsubouchi ’25, Lucas Nerbonne ’25.5 and Max Zeltsar ’24.5; their photos will be displayed ...
Let social houses be social
By Marco Volpitta | November 14, 2024I joined Omega Alpha — more commonly known as Tav — three years ago. Last year I became the president. I’ve watched as increasing regulation has prevented social houses from creating community spaces and recruiting new members.While a return to the system of fraternities is neither being discussed ...
Middlebury sports take three tough losses over weekend
By Jack Mcguire | November 14, 2024Middlebury athletics had an unfortunate weekend as a trio of teams all took losses in crucial end of season matchups. The football team (6–3) lost to Tufts 17–7, the field hockey team (15–2) lost in the NESCAC semifinals to Bates 2–1 and the men’s soccer team (14–1–3) suffered their first ...
Seven Questions with Tiger Xie ’26.5, men’s soccer
By Ting Cui | November 14, 2024Tiger Xie ’26.5 is making his mark in his first season as goalkeeper on the men's soccer team. Having grown up between Shanghai and Toronto, Xie took an unconventional path to Middlebury athletics, joining as a walk-on after playing for the club soccer team. In this edition of Seven Questions, ...