Students vie for top honors in tropical-themed Midd Idol competition Simon Cowell, eat your heart out...

Author: H. Kay Merriman

"If you don't know this song, I don't know why you're at this school," announced host Jimmy Wong '09.5 as an introduction to Chelsea Minton's '08 final song in Friday night's Middlebury Idol competition. In true Middlebury fashion, her rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" helped her clinch the fame, glory and iPod Touch that came with winning the contest.

Sponsored by the Office of Health and Wellness Education and part of the Safe Spring Break Week programming, Middlebury Idol served a greater purpose than simply allowing the likes of Brian Cady '11 to take the stage in a gray undershirt and belt "Wind Beneath My Wings," complete with accompanying flying hand motions.

Director of Health and Wellness Education Jyoti Daniere explained that the competition was "a way for the participants to take a risk and perhaps try their hands at something new without using alcohol to quell their anxiety."

Daniere used what she called "passive programming" at the event to help students learn how to be responsible over spring break. She covered the tables of the Juice Bar with sunscreen, tropical flavored condoms, bookmarks with tips for avoiding sexual assault, instructions on how to "Drink Defensively," and stickers and buttons light-heartedly reminding students to wear condoms and practice defensive drinking.

"My idea is to talk to students about developing a drinking plan and strategy, use the buddy system, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and eat before you go out drinking," Daniere elaborated. "I want students to be aware of the risks associated with 'extreme drinking' and to be 'defensive,' aware and mindful when they go out drinking, looking out for themselves and their classmates."

Whether or not students took the condoms or the advice from their tables, they enjoyed the musical stylings of the 10 contestants and the comments from the judges. Although they did not quite embody Paula, Randy and Simon, Associate Dean of the College Katy Abbott, Wonnacott Commons Residential Advisor Chas Wirene and Director of the Health Center and Physician Mark Peluso critiqued the participants and entertained the audience with their comments.

"I didn't realize the judges were going to comment on your song, so that was a little scary," said a surprised Minton. "No one likes to get a bad review in front of a big crowd."

Fortunately, the bad reviews were few and far between. Abbott favored food analogies in the form of praise.

"Ben, Ben, Ben - your voice - it's like butter," she said in response to Ben Goldstein's '11.5 opening performance of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are." The judges ate up Goldstein's act and advanced him to the final three. His final song, "Very Superstitious" by Stevie Wonder, placed him second overall, as decided by the cheers of the audience.

Abbott's favorable food analogies continued when she described Catherine Lidstone's '10 voice as "fondue" after her rendition of Train's "Drops of Jupiter."

Wirene's comments tended to be more obscure. "It reminded me of birthing lambs - bah, ah, ah," he responded to Lidstones song, an ironic choice considering Lidstone's cheering section yelled "Have my children!" every time he clutched his fist and thrust his hips in a particularly expressive manner.

Perhaps Peluso best fulfilled the role of Simon Cowell when he told Mike Tierney '09 that "It's going to be tough to get into the final three unless the rest of the acts suck - just being honest."

Regardless of the judge's comments, the contestants walked away with smiles on their faces (and a few with iTunes giftcards in their pockets).

"I'm a goofy girl and the more events on campus that allow me to express my goofiness, the better,"said third-place finisher Elizabeth Goffe '10, whose renditions of "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" had the audience swaying and clapping along.

Wong, the emcee, summarized the success of the event:

"Sometimes you find yourself stuck inside a social 'bubble' inside the pre-existing Middlebury 'bubble.' It's great that we have outlets provided to us so we can find a good reason to get out and remember that a fun social situation can exist outside of parties in suites or social houses," he said. "An event like Midd Idol is going to be enjoyable regardless of what state of mind you're in, and that's a fact that students on campus all too often forget."

So, whether you're an aspiring singer, spring break goer or optimist that the Middlebury social scene will improve, in the words of Minton and Journey, "Don't Stop Believin'!"