Unopposed and Exposed Falling in step with Max Nardini

Author: H. Kay Merriman

On Friday afternoon, I returned to my room after class to find the e-mail announcing junior Max Nardini's victory in the uncontested race for Student Government President. Never having met him, I asked my friends what they knew of him.

"I met him at his birthday party. He actually sat down and talked to me about his platform," said Bevan Barton '10.

"He walked around Battell handing out candy. He's very smiley," added Kaitlin Fitzpatrick '10.

Their answers did not satisfy me. What is Max Nardini like when he's not on the campaign trail? What does he do when he's not trying to win votes for his uncontested presidential race?

Like every politically active or simply curious student at Middlebury, upon receiving the e-mail, I "Facebooked" Nardini. Interestingly, I discovered that his favorite quotes include the memorable "If you're a bird, I'm a bird" from the cinematic masterpiece "The Notebook," and the applicable "Who's your senator?"

Still unsatisfied, I closed my laptop. For once, the internet could not provide enough information for one Midd Kid to truly judge another. Sensing that other students were feeling similarly unsure, I decided to spend an evening with Max Nardini. My objectives were to see how he celebrates victory, how he acts outside the public spotlight and most importantly, how he will govern as SGA President.

I joined Max for Friday dinner at Ross dining hall with a few of his friends. In true politician form, he exchanged smiles and handshakes with many students and graciously accepted their congratulatory words as we chose our food. A few inquired as to how many times he voted for himself and he promised only once.

"This hydrogenated oil-filled pizza is my guilty pleasure," Nardini said, loading a few slices onto his plate, "although I feel guilty eating it."

One of Nardini's platform issues is to eliminate the use of hydrogenated oils and the unhealthy transfat they contain from the dining halls. He swears the pizza will be even more enjoyable once it is no longer made with the oil. Nardini has been adamantly researching the possibility of this endeavor and has encountered some minor difficulties along the way. Thankfully, though, the greatest set-back has only been being trapped in a freezer for a few minutes.

Apparently, he and his suitemate Bobby Levine '08 were researching which foods contain hydrogenated oils in the Proctor freezer when they realized they were trapped inside. "We were really cold. We were pulling on the door and banging on it and yelling," Nardini said of the panic they experienced. "Then, I said 'wait' and I pushed the door and it opened." It's okay, Mr. President, at least you did not choke on a pretzel.

With our pizza in hand, I was ready to sit down, but Nardini said he liked his dessert with his dinner. An avid tray user, he always gets his ice cream with his pizza. "I have a sweet tooth next to all other sweet teeth," he said.

Plates finally full, we joined the Nardini crew at a round table. Over dinner, the six friends reminisced about how they had met.

Abel Fillion '09 related how during orientation he wandered into Ross for lunch one day. He saw two students eating outside and decided to join them. "I assumed they were two clueless freshmen like myself," he said. He was surprised to find that the two were upperclassmen, Levine and Nardini. They were friendly to the flustered Fillion and the rest is history.

"It was very fortuitous because we've been friends ever since," Fillion said of Nardini. Fillion, a Political Science major like Nardini, claims to always seeks his friend's guidance when choosing classes.

After dinner, we returned to his suite in Gifford. Although he told me earlier that he liked to sleep in and avoided taking morning classes, he prefaced our entrance to the suite with "I wake up every morning to clean the suite."

"You do not," Erin Costelloe '08, his suitemate, quickly corrected him.

Obviously someone must clean the shared living space of the suite because upon entering I noticed that it was tidy, almost barren. It's not the suite's furniture or decorations, though, that make it exciting. It's the people. Nardini described his dorm as "the fun of Battell with more living space." He said he often finds himself going to bed later than he intended because he stays up talking to his suitemates.

The posters that cover the suite's walls seem to characterize the people that live there. Many are political, with the exception of a pastel poster of a kitten and a teddy bear, which seemed a little out of place. Nardini's room walls are equally eclectic. Pinned to one is what he calls a "plumage laden mask," a souvenir from Hillel's Purim party. Nardini's room seems typical for a college male. It is littered with laundry, dishes (his own, not the dining hall's) and DVDs. I also noticed a plethora of purchases from the bookstore.

"I am officially Facebook friends with the College book store," Nardini declared. "I took advantage of their sale and finished my Christmas shopping," he said.

I guess we can rest assured that our new President plans ahead.

So, what is Max Nardini really like? Hopefully this has given you some insight, but if you are still wondering, he seems like he would be happy to chat. Look for his friendly face in a red chair - "It has to be red," he said - in The Great Hall or running around on Battell Beach, two of his favorite on-campus spots. If you are not interested in talking politics, introduce yourself if for no other reason than to hear his laugh. He described it as a "high pitch followed by a chortle."

Even Facebook cannot capture that.