A love letter to The Campus, from the executive team
(05/11/23 10:03am)
To our memory
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Response to the Letter to the Editor
(04/27/23 10:03am)
Last Thursday, we published what we expected to be one of our least controversial editorials of the semester: another opinion piece centered around work-life balance and managing the pressures of Middlebury’s busyness culture. We’ve opined on this topic before without inciting outrage — so we were surprised to receive a Letter to the Editor entitled “You can’t have your cake and eat it too” that criticized both this editorial and the Editorial Board that penned it.
Notes from the Desk: Red or green? I’m not sure
(04/27/23 10:03am)
I have deuteranopia color blindness, a type of color deficiency. Essentially, this means that I have trouble distinguishing certain colors or fully understanding how saturated certain colors are, especially if they are green and red. Thankfully, with technology such as special glasses and visual-aid apps, navigating the world as a person with moderate color deficiency has not been too terrible. In fact, I equally enjoy the beautiful Vermont fall foliage, and I can play Wordle just fine.
Notes from the Desk: How The Campus is approaching ChatGPT
(03/09/23 11:04am)
This week we examined how faculty, staff and students are navigating the introduction of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot created by OpenAI and released to the public in November. The Campus also editorialized on campus policies surrounding the chatbot, but we’ve also been having conversations about our own internal expectations. Given the nature of our organization and ChatGPT’s writing capabilities, we want to clarify our guidelines for AI chatbot use in reporting and shed some light on our decision-making process.
“Freedom Dreaming” imagines an anti-racist Middlebury community
(11/03/22 10:04am)
What would an anti-racist Middlebury look like? “Freedom Dreaming,” a staged reading directed by Tara Affolter, associate professor of Education Studies, interrogated ways in which Middlebury could follow a path of anti-racism in classrooms on Oct. 28 and 29 at the Mahaney Arts Center Dance Theatre.
Middlebury needs better mental health infrastructure
(10/13/22 10:00am)
Content Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide.
Scam alerts warn the college about phishing emails
(10/06/22 10:01am)
The college has seen an increase in gift card scam emails that mostly target employees, according to Chris Norris, Middlebury’s director of information security, risk and compliance, in his scam alert on Sept. 21. The alert was in response to 28 messages sent the same day from an icloud.com address with no subject line, with five delivered and 23 filtered by standard email security controls or sent to the “quarantine” or “junk mail” folders, according to Norris.
Notes from the Desk: Pitching The Campus
(09/15/22 10:00am)
Dear Middlebury community,
YouPower faces Vermont winter without prospect of indoor relocation
(11/11/21 11:00am)
If you ever pass by the loading dock of the Freeman International Center (FIC) to catch an 8 a.m. class, you might notice a group of students riding stationary bikes. This group is YouPower, Middlebury’s free spin club. As the Vermont winter quickly approaches, the group is desperately looking for an indoor space.
New faculty comment on move to Middlebury, return to in-person teaching
(10/07/21 9:56am)
Assistant Professor of Black Studies Viola Huang, teaching African American Activism in Education and Beginning German this semester, missed the new faculty group photo because she arrived at the Middlebury campus only a week before classes started. She moved from Passau, Germany to Vermont after finishing her degree at Columbia University and completing post-doc work at University of Passau. Her travels were largely disrupted by the new restrictions in place because of Covid-19. Indeed, beginning a teaching career at the college in the middle of a global pandemic has been a challenge for many. This fall, Middlebury welcomes nine new tenure-track professors and 44 new faculty in total. Huang was attracted to the college because she wanted to apply for teaching-focused institutions so she could work closely with a diverse group of students. Despite roadblocks on her way to the campus, she felt supported by her colleagues in the Black Studies Department, the German Department and by other administrative staff. Huang has not taught any in-person class for the past one and a half years. “I have lost out on many of the most rewarding aspects of my job over the past semesters: I have never met my recent students except on Zoom and missed sending those off that graduated,” she said. The Arabic Teaching Assistant Maryait Khader said that teaching a language in a pandemic is a strange experience. Specifically, she finds it difficult because of masks. “Sometimes you need [the students] to focus on the letters, so ideally you could show your mouth to your students,” she said. On the other hand, she also thinks that people have learned how to be more forgiving and have more patience for each other since Covid-19. Khader was happy to see students working diligently amid fast-paced changes. “People are always smiling and give me a lot of good energy,” she said. Khader holds a master’s degree from the University of Jordan. She came to the college leaving two young children in Amman. On campus, she works with Arabic language students and professors to foster an Arabic learning community. Living at the Arabic House, she offers a variety of culture lessons for interested students. Khader found out about Middlebury College by chance from a friend, and she is most excited about the nature in Vermont. “Nature is fabulous here, although at the same time, I’m a bit worried about the snow,” Khader said. Similar to Khader’s experience, Assistant Professor of Studio Art Matthew Schrader, formerly a faculty member at the Milton Avery Graduate School of Arts at Bard College, felt incredibly welcomed by the area as he went for hikes, shopped at farmer’s markets and explored local food. He arrived in August from New York City and found the specificity of his new position unique as it reflects his life experience as an artist over the last decade. This fall, he is teaching a cross-listed course between the Studio Art Department and Black Studies Department titled Spacing. Students meet twice a week to explore the built environment through the lenses of race, class and gender. In contrast to Professor Schrader’s drastic change of scenery, Assistant Professor of Biology and Global Health Sam Byrne comes to the college from St. Lawrence University, located in one of the most rural areas of New York State. Because of that, he felt that there wasn't much of a transition. “I love rock climbing, foraging for mushrooms, fishing, gardening and many other outdoor activities, so I am happy to be in an area that provides great opportunities to be outside,” said Byrne. This term is Byrne’s second time teaching an epidemiology course during a pandemic, and it is equally interesting and challenging for him. “Public health is a field defined by difficult problems that require deeply interdisciplinary answers, so public health education is a perfect fit for a liberal arts institution like Middlebury,” Byrne said. Most of his research is focused on the health effects of persistent organic pollutants among Alaska Natives. He thinks that community-minded epidemiology can be used to benefit people experiencing environmental injustice, and to meaningfully impact policy to prevent future injustice. According to him, in the Covid-19 context, there has been a radical shift in the culture of health behavior that really emphasizes personal reasonability. Byrne said that he tends to not explicitly discuss Covid-19 as an example in class because it remains raw for many people. “It isn't easy to focus on learning if your thoughts are pulled away by real personal concerns and losses,” he said. Like many of the other new faculty this year, Byrne is excited to return to in-person teaching. “Part of what I love about residential liberal arts institutions is the concerted effort at community building,” Byrne said.
Be boulder: Updated climbing wall to open this month
(09/23/21 2:11pm)
Months after sport climbing debuted at the Tokyo Olympics, the current climbing wall section at the south end of the Nelson Recreation Center is expected to be revamped. Parts of the floor will be changed from padded surface to rigid surface in order to install an additional freestanding wall unit next to the existing climbing wall. The renovation is made possible through the college’s operating budget and alumni donations. The project is spearheaded by Middlebury Outdoor Programs, a branch of Student Activities that helps students connect with the outdoors. A shortage of contractors caused some delays, but Facilities Services has now contracted Naylor and Breen Builders Inc., according to Associate Director of Maintenance and Operations Luther Tenny. The tentative completion date for the project is the end of September. Since the wall was installed in 2002, Outdoor Programs has purchased new holds, replaced ropes, improved padding and reset routes. During the summer, the entire wall was stripped of holds and student climbers added new routes to the wall. When asked what prompted this initiative, Director of Outdoor Programs and Club Sports Doug Connelly pointed to the popularity of the climbing wall on campus. “The climbing wall is an incredibly popular resource, so Outdoor Programs is committed to keeping it great,” Connelly said. “I am constantly assessing our equipment needs and infrastructure to make improvements.” As part of the larger effort to reopen more facilities this year, there will no longer be limited slots to use the climbing wall, though students are still asked to sign up in advance and follow other protocols. According to the Middlebury Outdoor Programs website, there will only be bouldering at the wall in order to comply with Covid-19 measures. To add variety, there will also be outdoor rock climbing opportunities on Friday afternoons in September and October. Currently, the climbing wall is open on weekdays from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Sundays. Seven students work at the climbing wall to oversee safe climbing protocols. Windsor Smith ’24.5 developed an interest in rock climbing when she was 11, and she climbed on an indoor wall for the first time at Middlebury. As a second-semester climbing wall monitor, she is excited to see new changes added to the space. Climbing wall monitor Jackson Evans ’22 sees the climbing wall as a unique community-building space because it combines social interaction with creative physical activity. Last year, he worked to expand the affinity group climbing sessions to provide affinity organizations at the college a space to reinforce their intra-team connections. By extending an invitation to a larger college community, he hopes to see more diverse representation at the wall. “While a community certainly surrounds the wall, it has always been a homogenous community of white people,” Evans said. This year, the team is also growing more mindful about the accessibility of the wall. Evans wants to make sure that the wall becomes a comfortable place for people who have been systematically marginalized in wall climbing. “In planning the routes we set for people to climb, it is vital to ensure a range of possible methods and design sufficient beginner climbs for anyone to access.”
RIDDIM World Dance Troupe Zooms in on Hip-hop, Kathak, and more
(11/19/20 11:00am)
Audiences joined the RIDDIM dance crew for their fall end-of-semester show “RIDDIM World Dance Troupe Zooms In” on Saturday, Nov. 14. Some spectated from a tented stage set up behind Mahaney Arts Center while others admired at a distance, watching the performance projected live on McCullough lawn. The show was performed twice — once at 6 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. — as part of the “Light Up the Night” Fall Arts Fest series. The show opened with a video of crew members trickling into a Zoom meeting, an ode to the way interactions on campus have changed this semester. In a brief introduction, members engaged in hilarious activities without realizing their microphones or videos were on, a frequent and relatable occurrence for many taking remote classes. After the audience had a good laugh at Max Lucas ’21 turning somersaults in bed, Malia Armstrong ’22.5 putting on mascara and Jarlenys Mendez ’23 being nowhere to be seen, attention turned to the stage lit with purple lights and filled with dancers dressed in all black. The first performance was “Studio 2020,” choreographed by Lucas, Paula Somoza ’21 and Miraal Naseer ’21. Dancers followed the beats of the rhythmic “Safety” by Gashi, bringing blistering energy to the stage even as the weather began to drop below 50 degrees. As the first dance progressed, dancers were able to demonstrate more individual moves as others provided space for them by staying low; they chose and adapted moves from across the dance spectrum, forming their own visually compelling stories. As the dancers from the first performance ran off, six new ones appeared onstage, dancing to Ozuna, Doja Cat and Sia’s “Del Mar,” executing complicated choreography over lyrical and sexy music. After a brief intermission, waves of dancers joined the next act, choreographed by Madeline Elkes ’22. Her piece “Stay” engaged the audience with a performance of striking synchronicity. Despite an appearance of gentleness as the crew danced to the soft whispers of singer Gracie Abrams, the moves grew forceful at times, following the rise and fall of the music. In the middle of the song, to echo its growing softness, all but two dancers left, displaying marvelous control in slowness and in speed. “Living during a pandemic is stressful, and I wanted my dance to be a stress relief for everyone,” Elkes said. In direct contrast, the next piece, “Achey Bones,” choreographed by Anna Loewald ’21, electrified the crowd. This dance was characterized by Loewald as “a fusion footwork piece.” True to her words, dancers Lucas, Somoza and Loewald held their hands behind their backs at moments to maximize audiences’ attention on the footwork. “I enjoyed this song particularly for this present moment as we are struggling through a global pandemic, social movements, an important election, etcetera, all subjects that cause great fear, anxiety, and sadness,” Loewald said. After the dancers exited the stage, it remained empty for an extended period of time. Just as some began to wonder where the dancers had gone, murmuring words among themselves, the performers appeared unexpectedly on stage with colorful dresses. Until this point of the night, the dominant tone on stage had been black and white, and this sudden infusion of colors was surprising to many. This was the beginning of “Aadam Tarana,” choreographed by Amun Chaudhary ’23.5 and Miraal Naseer ’23, a piece that was inspired by South Asian dance style Kathak, which stresses storytelling, expression and fluidity. The name “Tarana” is a reference to a focus on movement and a style heavily influenced by dances of the court and the palaces in South Asia. Next was “Psychoanalysis,” which featured a green-lit stage and chill beats. Isabelle Davis ’21, the choreographer of the piece, described it as “blending different modern techniques that I have studied and channeling this into a fresh take on modern style dance.” Following the piece, chairs, blankets and pillows were brought on stage for a short but engaging transition performed to the Kanye West song “Famous.” Dancers hastily got dressed, put on coats and rushed to their seats to read. The transitional piece served as a mediator between “Psychoanalisis” and the next dance “My Emotions,” choreographed by Lucas, who described it as a “a chilled-out, nostalgic [one] with elements of urban and hip-hop dance movements.” Positioned in a triangle, dancers on the three vertices crouched down as others stood, relaying riveting vitality from different levels. In a whiplash-inducing style shift, the next dance, Leeeć, was a Polish-folk-dance-inspired piece. The performance touched on themes of nature, mythology and death, according to choreographer Lucas. The next piece came at another 180-degree twist — “Electricity,” designed by Ali DePaolo ’23. DePaolo worked through the initial stages of choreographing this piece with teammates through Zoom, teaching from a room in BiHall to dancers in their respective dorm rooms. In an email to The Campus, she wrote, “I wanted to create an opportunity for people to try a new style, learn some classic jazz technique and showcase personality on stage.” Next up, “Perfect Pose,” choreographed by Kevin Mata ’22 made an “explicit attempt to understand what it means for different bodies to perform femininity in a celebratory way.” Dancing to Cousin Stizz’s “Perfect,” performers used their bodies to convey a strong, defiant attitude. The night concluded with “Telephone” — in bright red lights, waves of dancers sprinted across the stage, presenting one final move for the audience before finishing with a bow. Among loud cheers, the performers blew kisses to the audience through masks. The show was captivating from the first ding of someone entering a Zoom meeting to the final strike of poses.
"The Agitators": A play reading of rebellion and revolution
(10/15/20 9:58am)
Susan B. Anthony, a white suffragist, and Fredrick Douglass, an abolitionist and statesman, were both friends and enemies. “The Agitators” is a play that explores the relationship between two rabble-rousers whose tales of rebellion and revolution remain culturally significant today. The production is co-presented by Middlebury College’s Theatre Program, Town Hall Theater and the Clemmons Family Farm. Michole Biancosino, professor of theatre, is the director of the play reading. After realizing that current college regulations make performances inaccessible to outside guests, Biancosino reached out to Lisa Mitchell, executive director of the Town Hall Theater, to seek a collaboration and make the play reading a coordinated event. They then partnered with The Clemmons Family Farm, located in Charlotte, Vt., to present this work for free, socially distanced and in the outdoors this coming Saturday, Oct. 17. The 148-acre Clemmons Family Farm, an African-American owned land asset and non-profit organization, works to curate opportunities to support Black artists and celebrate African-American and African diaspora arts. “The Clemmons Family Farm brings a deeply meaningful sense of place to ‘The Agitators,”’ Mitchell said. Lydia Clemmons, president of the farm, was pleased to co-host the play reading. “Because of the pandemic, this will be our first outdoor program in 2020. We are looking forward to sharing this beautiful place with the community we love and have missed so much,” Clemmons said. “We know that people have been yearning to find ways to come together in a loving and intentional way, especially during these tense times.” This play reading will be the concluding event of the 21st Century Theatre Festival, an initiative and performance series at the college dedicated to bring works by diverse theatre talents to the campus. Biancosino pointed to the relevance of the play in today’s political and artistic climate as the chief reason for including it as part of the festival. “The question of who gets to vote is again up for debate,” she wrote in an email to The Campus. Although a play reading will not immediately solve issues in the society or even on the college campus, she hopes the play can provide a catalyst for further discussions. “[Douglass’] stirring words, from speeches and writings from the mid 1800s, also shine a light on the ways our current America of 2020 feels stuck in its history of violence, primarily against Black people,” Biancosino said. The ability to listen wholeheartedly and to observe the world through each other’s eyes was what made the symbiotic relationship between Anthony and Douglass iconic, Biancosino said, and she hopes to highlight the possibility of pushing forward the rights of all people, regardless of differences. “Art provides a way to look at your world through someone else’s eyes,” Biancosino said. The play reading will be livestreamed from the outdoors on October 17 and 18 at 2p.m. The registration form is free and open to all Middlebury ID holders.
Reluctant journeys: International students traverse a world of obstacles as U.S. limits entries
(09/10/20 9:56am)
Normally, it takes at most a day for You Tao ’22.5 to travel from Beijing to Middlebury College. This year — between the passing of travel bans and the global Covid-19 pandemic — it took him almost a month. On Jan. 31, President Trump announced that all aliens who had spent time in mainland China within the past 14 days would be denied entry to the U.S., including F-1 visa holders such as You. You became one of many Chinese international students forced to make a decision about whether or not to return to campus. To bypass the proclamation, he knew he had to spend 14 days in a third country open to Chinese tourists. But the resources associated with spending 14 days in a different country posed a challenge, not to mention health risks during international travels. At the end of July, You finally decided to return to Middlebury. “Being able to see my girlfriend was the decisive factor,” he said. “But it wasn’t the only reason.” He explained that poor internet connection and the substantial 12-hour time difference make taking remote classes from China difficult. You did not expect that he would be facing such a difficult choice. He had hope that the Trump administration would lift the travel ban before the end of summer. Before flying to the U.S., You first spent 14 days in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His family did not support the trip at first because they thought the journey was too long and risky, but his mother eventually deemed the travel route safe enough. In Phnom Penh, he completed mandatory room quarantine while waiting for his initial Covid-19 test result. He was then released on the second day, upon which he observed that life in Phnom Penh had seemingly returned to some semblance of normalcy. “People are just casually going about their days,” You said. When asked if he was frustrated during the arduous trip back, You said that there was general organizational chaos throughout his stay in Phnom Penh. “We were packed into a poorly air conditioned auditorium [to get tested],” he said. “It was a little bit irresponsible, because you don’t want the testing center to become a petri dish for the virus.” You admitted that this entire journey back to campus made him feel like he was in a “magical realism novel.” He said that he was not overly shocked that the travel ban was not lifted in time, given the U.S.'s tumultuous relationship with China. Having been an international student in the U.S. since high school, You never felt too stressed at the border. However, after the president’s proclamation restricted certain Chinese students from entering America, he felt more pressure than he usually would, even though the proclamation applied to graduate students. You arrived on campus on Aug. 26 after more than 20 days of traveling. Upon arrival, he had to begin room quarantine because he was unable to quarantine at home for 14 days. “I now quarantine without any defiance,” he said jokingly. “Quarantine doesn’t feel like oppression anymore.” Coincidentally, while You traveled from Beijing to Middlebury, Liu Bo ’23 left the college for Chongqing, China, which he calls home. After the college evacuated students in March, Liu decided to stay on campus and wait for the situation to develop. But in May, the college’s plan to ask all students to leave campus prompted him to begin looking for a ticket home. In early August, he was finally able to secure one. His host family took him to Burlington, and he flew to New York City with “pure luck.” Liu described his journey as “ordinary.” He traveled through Burlington, New York City, Seoul and Shenyang to finally reach his destination of Chongqing. Without the pandemic, Hainan Airline runs a direct flight from Chongqing to New York City twice a week. “The most memorable part about the trip was finally being able to eat hotpot,” he said of a food that Chongqing is famous for. You and Liu decided to travel in opposite directions after carefully considering their individual circumstances. The Covid-19 pandemic, exacerbated by complicated international relations, created an entirely new universe for international students. One thing remains certain: academic work goes on. On Tuesday, You and Liu began taking remote classes from their rooms located on opposite ends of the globe, one in Forest West and the other in Yubei, Chongqing.
Faculty approve changes to PE credits and add card policies
(05/14/20 9:56am)
PE credit adjustments Faculty ratified a motion allowing students to earn both of their PE credits in the same sport or activity this Tuesday. According to the proposal, “students are currently required to earn their two PE credits in two different courses, but this discourages students from persisting in a sport or activity that they find interesting or valuable.” The motion passed with 169, or 93%, in favor, and 13, or 7%, against. This is the second policy regarding PE credits that was passed this spring. Last Friday, faculty motioned to waive the PE requirement for seniors in response challenges presented by Covid-19. “We felt that the PE requirement was a lower priority, and in consultation with the Academic Administration, we waived the requirement for anyone who had not completed it yet,” Erin Quinn, director of athletics, wrote in an email to The Campus. The proposal to the faculty was simply to ratify the action that the physical education program has taken. It was passed with 159, or 99%, in favor. Add cards no longer require faculty adviser approval The faculty then ratified a motion to allow all non-first year students to add courses with the permission of the faculty instructor only; previously, an adviser’s signature was also required. This motion, proposed by the Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) and amended by Professor of Mathematics Michael Olinick, addresses the period of registration taken place after BannerWeb registration has ended, when students use green add cards to join a new class until the end of the second week of classes in the fall and spring, or the end of the third day of classes in the winter. This motion passed with the amendment with 144, or 85%, in favor. Proponents of the new motion saw it as an opportunity for students to have more agency in their academic studies and reduce bureaucracy in the process. “High-quality advising generally happens in advance of registration, and by the time the beginning of the semester actually rolls around, students are mostly making adjustments to their schedules that they’ve already decided upon with their advisors,” Dean of Curriculum Suzanne Gurland explained. She added that the process of acquiring a signature from an advisor tends to slow down the process and delay prompt updates regarding available seats on BannerWeb. Olinick’s amendment to the motion states, “All first year students must also have the approval of their advisors.” The rationale behind the amendment is that instructors who approve students’ requests to take their course typically would not ask about the student’s schedule, workload and need to satisfy distribution requirements. Hence, a number of faculty believed that it is beneficial for first-year students to discuss the change before they proceed with it. During the discussion of the amendment, Professor of Religion Robert Schine motioned to change the language again to be “all students in their first semester at Middlebury,” which would include transfer students. However, this motion was voted down narrowly, with 48% for and 52% against.
Rain Ji '23 in Beijing, China
(05/08/20 9:03pm)
Rain Ji '23 Beijing, China How have you been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak? When Middlebury closed its campus, I decided to go home to join my parents and the rest of my family in Beijing. I took a direct flight from Montreal home, was quarantined for 14 days at a facility, went through several tests, and finally reunited with my family. Although the journey home was a bit turbulent, I'm lucky to be able to spend these uncertain times with my loved ones. I'm super grateful for all the incredible people at the frontlines, and I've been doing some trivial things to help such as running errands for my neighbors who are in the high-risk category. I'm lucky that people that I know are safe and healthy. What has been your greatest worry or day-to-day concern as coronavirus has spread? To be honest, my biggest day-to-day concern is how much longer can my body handle staying up all night all week. I've felt more tired than ever but can't miss my synchronous classes for a variety of reasons. Beyond that, I'm scared for some of my friends in the states because some of them are immunocompromised, and others want to return home but are stranded at colleges/relatives' houses. What has made you happy over the past few weeks? I've been watching sunrises. I've never really watched them in the past because I've never been an early riser. But now, I always get to experience the magic of sudden lightness emerging from complete darkness. (a small upside of having to stay up all night). Where do you feel local? Beijing, China; Washington, CT; Middlebury, VT
Sexual health on campus: contraception, STIs and Title IX
(05/07/20 9:53am)
!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Eight percent of Zeitgeist respondents reported experiencing sexual assault on Middlebury’s campus or during a Middlebury program, in contrast with last year’s 12%. Of those who have been victims of sexual assault, 75% identified as cisgender females. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Among respondents, survivors overwhelmingly decided not to report incidents of sexual assault — all in all, 90% did not report. Of those who did not report, respondents cited fear, a complicated reporting process, lack of support and power imbalances as reasons. Out of the 10% of victims that did report, two-thirds found themselves dissatisfied with how the process was handled. Since last year’s Zeitgeist, there have been more efforts to promote sex and consent-focused education on Middlebury’s campus. This past fall, the SGA Sexual and Relationship Respect Committee worked to bring an in-person consent training workshop to campus for new students. Currently, Middlebury students are only required to watch online videos provided by Show Some Respect, in addition to bystander training presented by the Green Dot initiative. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Condoms, pills and IUDs are the three most common methods that sexually-active Middlebury students use when engaging in sexual activity, according to Zeitgeist data. 8% of students turn to the withdrawal method, which is known to be significantly less effective than condoms, pills or IUDs. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); Of the 1,218 respondents, slightly more than half have been tested for STIs. Of those who have been tested, one in five said they only get tested when they are worried they might have something, as opposed to getting routinely checked. Students have had more exposure to on-campus organizations this year that aim to promote safer sex practices. This year, during orientation week, Sex Positive Education, College Style (SPECS) held a workshop table in Axinn for new students. SPECS was founded as a class project but later became a student organization dedicated to teaching students about safe and positive sex.
Faculty narrowly reject the Sense of the Faculty Motion to release MIIS
(04/30/20 9:59am)
The faculty rejected a Sense of the Faculty Motion regarding the dissolution of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) campus in Monterey, California. The motion, submitted by Professor of Mathematics Frank Swenton, failed with 121, or 48%, faculty in favor, and 133, or 52%, voting against during Friday morning’s faculty meeting. If passed, the motion would not have had binding implications for the administration. Further, according to Swenton, it “does not demand a particular timeframe within which this dissolution must happen, but it should be effected in a timely manner.” Heated debate followed the introduction of the motion. Some faculty cited the extraordinary circumstances and financial hardships Middlebury employees faced as reasons not to let go of the institute, while others focused on the value and meaning of community. In the beginning of the discussion, Swenton made the distinction between dissolving the institute’s “campus” and eliminating its “faculty” and “programs.” According to him, the motion does not intend to let go of programs or faculty at MIIS, but instead advocates moving them to Middlebury’s Vermont campus. Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration David Provost briefed the faculty on the financial records prior to the vote. He talked about where the data on MIIS came from, and pointed out that MIIS is projected to produce a surplus in 2020. Provost and College Provost Jeffrey Cason also noted that MIIS is exploring possibilities of introducing residential programs on a small scale.
Full house for faculty
(04/22/20 10:01am)
If not for the pandemic, Claire, the seven-year old daughter of Associate Professor of Mathematics Emily Proctor, would have spent most of her time at the local Mary Hogan elementary school or in afterschool programs. However, as schools all over the country transition to online learning to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Claire now spends almost all of her time at home with her parents. Claire and her family are not alone. As schools and universities close and send their students back home, many professors are now home with their children while navigating a brand new mode of teaching. This transition has its upsides: For Proctor and her husband, it means more time spent with Claire. She now goes on several walks with Claire daily, and Claire practices scootering and biking, something that she didn’t have much time for until recently. Proctor’s students can often see Claire in the background as she teaches synchronous classes. “She’s a big part of my life, and I like letting people see that side of me,” she said. But the new system is not without difficulties. Proctor spends a lot of time preparing for her classes, and in order to be efficient, she sometimes feels pressured to push Claire away from her. “Sometimes this hurts her feelings,” she said. The family has taken advantage of more time spent collectively. They cook together, and since Claire recently received a set of training knives for kids, she has been practicing making salads. Visiting Professor Amit Prakash, now home with his partner Assistant Professor of Theatre Micole Biancosino and their children Kirin (11), Mira (9), Paras (9), feels that there is a “computer crunch” at the house now. “[My kids] just learned how to use emails for the first time this past week, so they don’t even know how to check their emails,” he said. “We have to help them learn how to read things and click on links, just really basic stuff.” Prakash is currently teaching a 12-person First Year Seminar, while Biancosino has been trying to figure out how to teach theater remotely. “I would definitely say there’s an added stress because the kids have 8 more weeks of school,” he said. Mary Hogan, where Prakash’s children attend elementary school, is anticipated to end on June 16th for the 2019-2020 school year. “There’s also the fact that they’re cooped up in the house, and they’re little kids so they need to get their energy out,” Prakash said. But now that there’s no need to rush everyone out of the house in the morning, “we actually get to have conversations,” Prakash said. His daughter Mira told him that although it stinks that she can’t go to school, she is happy to have so much family time with both mom and dad. “It’s rarely where the whole family is together. Of course, it drives you crazy at times, but it’s also really nice.” Prakash said. In addition to talking over lunch or dinner tables, they’ve also been cooking, working on their indoor garden, walking their dog and working out together. The household of Professor of History of Art & Architecture Carrie Anderson has changed much since the beginning of the pandemic. Anderson and her partner worked out a strategy: While she prepares or teaches classes, her husband oversees the kids’ remote schooling. Anderson thinks that her daughter Natalie (6) might be too young to understand the context of the pandemic, and it’s been hard for her to understand why they can’t play all day if they’re all home. She said, “my daughter has definitely popped into my ‘office’ (the guest room) while I am zooming with my seminar.” Anderson echoed Proctor’s sentiments about the difficulty of setting boundaries, noting that she feels guilty whenever they need to tell their kids to spend time alone because they’re both in meetings. However, the extra time has been conducive to sibling bonding. Anderson said, “I have absolutely loved seeing how much closer my kids have become because they have no one else to hang out with. They laugh a lot and have a bunch of inside jokes, which really warms my heart. I am not saying they don’t bicker — because they absolutely do, like 50% of the day. But there is a lot of love, too.” In addition to walking and doodling, the family found time to repaint their attic while taking care of their newly adopted puppies, Larry and Moonpie. Professor of Writing & Linguistics Shawna Shapiro felt that the line between work and not-work blurred as she and her husband are “working part time and ‘on childcare duty’ part time.” They are now taking care of five-year-old Mikey, who is normally at preschool, and 15-year-old Daniel, who is in high school. Because of that, she has had to work at a slower pace and found it difficult to work on projects that require focus. “On the other hand, we’ve been eating dinner together (and often lunch as well), which has been really nice,” she said in an email. “And we’ve been doing activities that we hadn’t done much recently (e.g., board games).” During class, Shapiro introduced her students to her younger son. But like others, she also said she feels bad when she has to keep the kids away in order to focus. With more time on her hands, Shapiro said that “it’s been fun learning what [the kids] enjoy.” The family now spends a great deal of time cooking, playing board games together, getting outdoors and singing . She said Mikey loves the outdoors, and the family would occasionally hide “treasures” in the backyard for him to find. [pullquote speaker="Natasha Ngaiza" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]Having to teach your kids at home is a challenge, because we’re educators, but not for third graders and kindergarten.[/pullquote] Assistant Professor of Film and Media Culture Natasha Ngaiza picked her children up from Mary Hogan for the last time in a while the same Friday that Middlebury sent its students home. She’s now home with Dalia, Sara, Mia and her husband. Taking care of the children while grappling with questions on how to transition film classes to an online format has proven to be difficult. “Having to teach your kids at home is a challenge, because we’re educators, but not for third graders and kindergarten,” she said. “I definitely have even more of an appreciation for elementary school teachers now.” Considering kids thrive on structure, the family started a routine right away. In the morning, they often start with yoga accompanied with daily affirmations to start the day off in a positive way. “Then we move on to language, arts, math and the snack,” she said. After playing outside and lunch, “we have culture or geography or science or anthropology.” Additionally, to keep up with their Spanish, they practice their language skills with their grandmother. Other faculty are now home with their college-aged adult-children. Christopher McGrory Klyza, a professor in the Political Science Department, has a 21-year-old daughter. Faye is a senior at University of Colorado Boulder. Klyza said that the classes — both the ones he’s teaching and the ones his daughter is taking — add “more structure to our day.” “It’s been great to have Faye home with me in these deeply unsettling times,” he added. “As a parent, the welfare of your children is so important, so having her here with me allows me to worry a little less about her.” In addition to teaching and taking online classes, they take a long walk each day when the weather permits it, and have spent their evenings watching the TV series “Friday Night Lights.”
Room to breathe
(04/22/20 9:54am)
I went through a breakup, right after Feb break. I promise I don’t intend to use The Campus opinion section as Tinder. I just want to share some reflections from my experience dealing with sadness at this insanely busy place (now, figuratively). The break up happened on a Tuesday night. My agenda for the night included finishing newspaper layout, conjugating Arabic verbs and converting Cartesian coordinates. Dealing with grief was not included. Rather than feel sad, I intended to drown myself with work as a distraction. It worked. Well, kind of. Wednesday through Friday, my friends and I chatted about stupid TV shows, upcoming primary elections and the weather — typical topics. (Looking back now, I miss in-person communications so much.) Whenever my friends checked in with me about the breakup, I said, “I’m over it.” Still, they seemed concerned, wanting to know if I were truly alright and offering to talk if I needed to. In response, I simply waved my hands and joked about being a strong and independent woman. I thought I would be able to pretend nothing was wrong forever. Fake it ’till you make it, as people say. And yet, unfortunately and fortunately, my body finally gave out that weekend, exhausted. It was not the kind of exhaustion which follows a 10k run, but rather emotional vanity. I could barely feel anything. When I tried to talk, a mixture of Chinese and English nonsense would come out, something that tends to happen when I am extremely upset. The more I tried to pretend I wasn’t sad, the more my sorrow festered inside until eventually, while I was trying to print readings for class, the pages fell from my hands scattered everywhere on the Davis floor. I started crying right there, in front of the printer. The person behind me was shocked. Still, they quietly helped me gather the reading and whispered, “It gets better.” (Even though I never learned your name, kind printer person, I’d like to thank you.) That’s when I was forced to come face-to-face with my feelings. I recognized how unhealthy my coping mechanisms up until that point had been. I mean, I wasn’t even coping, I was only feigning being okay. And so I decided to spend some time alone. Even knowing it would be helpful in the long run, I felt guilty canceling plans with friends. Would they be disappointed if I told them I needed more time to figure out my emotions about my past relationship? What if they thought I was dramatic and weak? No one did. Instead, I got hugs and sweet texts containing words of comfort. That was the hardest, most rewarding weekend I have ever had. I tried new things: I spent hours listening to podcasts, attended my first ever spin class and went on an aimless, spontaneous walk. Scariest of all, I did all of these activities solo. As I watched “Criminal Minds” alone on Saturday night, I wondered if I was missing out on what could’ve been the best night of the week. And then I realized, I was having the best time. Solitude is not shameful. In fact, often it is enjoyable. (Thanks to that experience, self-quarantine for 14 days at a medical facility upon my return home a month ago became a lot easier). The following night, I attended an editorial meeting in which we discussed how some people don’t enjoy J-Term as much for a variety of reasons. I realized that I wasn’t the only one who was obsessed over the thought of being engaged in a variety of activities and to be constantly busy. That night, I learned that other Middlebury students also had those wishes which led to more pressure and stress. It seems that I finally found the reason behind my stubborn determination to hide my pain. I mistakenly felt that I should have been ashamed of my misery since I was supposed to be enjoying myself like everyone else around me. But then, I thought, what if that’s why people around me are only showing happy and smiley faces instead of those of stress and worry? As cliche as it sounds, I think sometimes we all need a reminder that we are entitled to our feelings. In the wake of my breakup, I felt anger, shame and guilt. I was too afraid to confront these emotions because I didn’t want to admit to others that I was an emotional wreck. It took an awkward encounter with a stranger to shatter my facade; still, the facade didn’t have to be put on in the first place. I’m not suggesting that there is a linear healing process to sadness, because there isn’t. As my math professor has told me on several occasions, linear things are nice, but they rarely exist. I still feel doleful every so often. But, when I do, I stand up to those feelings with strength gained from a mixture of company and solitude. By allocating time for myself, I allow others to help me. By allowing myself to feel bad, I allow myself to feel better. Rain Ji ’23 is one of The Campus’s Arts & Academics editors.