Free time? Where'd the work go? The Campus dishes out creative January activities

Author: Features Editors

For most of us (sorry, Orgo students) Winter Term provides a much needed respite from the rigors of a full-time courseload. Now that you have three-day weekends and afternoons off, all that is left to do is figure out how to spend your newfound free time. Of course, there are the obvious solutions - College-sponsored workshops in everything from bellydancing to bagpiping, skiing or snowboarding at the Snow Bowl, yet another Super Smash Brothers marathon - favored by first-years and seniors alike. But if you are looking to branch out, we have compiled a list of alternative activities all within walking (or reasonably short driving) distance of your dorm.


Call of the Wild

Hone your ornithological skills by learning how to recognize the hermit thrush, Vermont's state bird, and some of the other hundreds of species that have been spotted within the state's borders. Get started by doing some basic research on your own or by enrolling in one of the bird tracking workshops offered at Wright Park and various other Addison Country locations through the Otter Creek Audubon Society. (For more information, e-mail website@ottercreekaudubon.org and ask to be added to the Events list.)


Brewery Tours

Students of legal drinking age should take advantage of Vermont's myriad local offerings. The state is home to nearly 20 breweries (get the full list at www.vermontbrewers.com). Start your mini-tour at Middlebury's own Otter Creek Brewing Company and then hit up the Bobcat Café and Brewery in nearby Bristol, where you can purchase 3-oz. samples of any of their seasonal beers, which currently include the Pocock Pilsner and the Bobcat Maple Porter. Alternatively, if you want to get a taste of Vermont spirits without the time commitment (or if you just prefer the harder stuff), check out Vermont Gold Vodka, a pricy but tasty liquor distilled from 100 percent maple sap and available at Hannafords.


Platform Tennis

If you would like to enjoy the beautiful Vermont outdoors but don't want to ski, check out a game of platform tennis. It is a little-known fact that Middlebury College has platform tennis courts which racquet sport athletes enjoy all-year-round. These courts are only one fourth the size of a tennis court but are enclosed by wire so as in squash the wall is fair game! The platform is raised off the ground to allow for a heating system to keep off snow and ice. So, if you love squash, tennis or racquetball and want to play outside this winter, get out to the courts behind Nelson Recreation Center!


Let It Snow!!

While lots of us either bitterly complain about the snow we have to walk through for seemingly the entire year, many do get out and enjoy it on skis, sleds or snowboards. Believe it or not, though, snow can be incorporated into many other fun Winter Term activities. Snow forms the basis for sugar-on-snow, the traditional sugary treat consisting of warm maple sugar poured over a fresh bowl of snow. The maple sugar hardens leaving behind a succulent candy similar to taffy. Given the right conditions snow provides many opportunities for sculpting fun. With the help of a few friends and some warm gloves, sticky snow can be transformed into forts, dragons or snowmen in no time.