On the brisk evening of Sept. 27, Mahaney Arts Center (MAC) was full of students, parents, professors and community members. The crowd was humming as mellow ethereal music played in the background, patiently awaiting a night of wonder.
Since 2012, the Middlebury Moth-Up and the MAC have hosted an annual live storytelling event titled Cocoon, where they invite five members of the Middlebury community to share stories from their lives relating to the evening’s theme. The event was inspired by National Public Radio’s renowned show The Moth Radio Hour. This evening’s theme was Awe, dovetailing with the Middlebury College Museum of Art’s current exhibit “An Invitation to Awe.” The exhibit was inspired by Edmund Burke’s work “A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful,” and explores both historical artwork and student artwork relating to the theme of sublime beauty. Professor of Art History Katy Smith Abbott, one of this year’s Cocoon storytellers, curated the this exhibit with three years of students in her classes.
Sammy Jo Serell ’27.5 opened up the evening with an incredible coming-of-age tale, sharing her full circle journey from being accepted into Middlebury to escaping a challenging relationship, to arriving at college and experiencing the eclipse.
“I realized the person I was and the person that hurt me didn’t exist to me anymore. I was experiencing wonder in so many magnificent ways in the way that I loved my friends, in the way that I loved myself, and in the way the moon kissed the sun for just four minutes before continuing its journey across the sky… I mourned the young girl that I had lost, but I celebrated the young woman I had become,” Serell said, reminding us about the temporality of our existence and the transformative nature of finding community.
Next, Alex Messinger, a resident of Burlington, Vt. for 34 years and a climate change lobbyist, explored the awe and beauty of disrupted plans. He spoke about his time biking from Glacier National Park down the continental divide to Breckenridge, CO. Messinger had intended to use his time off from friends and family in Vermont and his job at the University of Vermont (UVM) to go on an introspective journey, spending time alone along the Great Divide Bike path while raising money for 350Vermont, a climate justice nonprofit based in Burlington. However, a few days into his ride he was forced to seek out others in order to find a bike repair kit. Instead of riding alone, he found a couple to accompany him on the rest of the journey. Messinger spoke about the power of asking for help and that the “joy, wonder and awe experienced on the trip is better when shared with others.”
Ben Wagner ’25 inspired us to seek out joy, with a story on his time spent working as a camp counselor in Colorado over the summer, teaching children to feel confident and comfortable in the wilderness. While there, he and his colleague Jack Martell ’25 were inspired to climb Pikes Peak. Soon after setting up camp on a neighboring ridge, they were surrounded by ominous clouds. Wagner’s phenomenal stage presence kept the audience alive, exploring the beauty of the unexpected — not summiting the peak meant spending time with friend and more thoroughly enjoying the stunning views that the valley had to offer.
Then alumna Shamail Naseer ’24 shared a heartwarming story about working with children while studying abroad in Japan, illustrating how important it is to take a leap of faith and start a conversation with a stranger. One day, Naseer dreaded going to school because they were working with socially awkward middle schoolers and she was placed in a very quiet group. However, by stepping out of her comfort zone and using her Japanese to challenge the middle schoolers to engage with others, Naseer was able to form a deep bond and even win a game of Molluk — a Finnish throwing game — with her newfound friends. Her story reminded us of the joy of human connection.
“My favorite aspect of the event was being in community with people. I feel like everyone really showed up for the speakers. It was great to see how interconnected things are” said audience member Liza Grebenkina ’25.
Smith Abbott closed the night out with a beautiful yet melancholy tale about dancing with her best friend for the last time. Since their first college dance audition, Abbott and Jennifer had planned to dance their whole life together. However, in her 40s, Jennifer was diagnosed with blastoma, a type of brain cancer. In those last moments, with the music playing and their arms swinging together, Jennifer was her radiant self once again, despite her illness.
“I really enjoyed hearing the variety of stories tonight. Each was special in its own way. I really enjoyed Shamail’s frivolity with the students and Katy Smith Abbott was really touching at the end,” said Annette Franklin, director of The House Non-Profit, which serves international students.
Indeed, I was moved to tears by the beauty and sorrow of Abbott’s words. That moment reminded me of the ephemeral nature of existence and the importance of storytelling to engage in our common humanity.
