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The Bauhaus as School and Laboratory

Weimar, Dessau, Berlin: The Bauhaus as School and Laboratory, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus.

By Chris Spencer
February 14, 2020

Taking a Stand Against Plastic Bags, Surveying Gen Z on “Inclusivity,” and More

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
Illustration by Loris Lora
May 14, 2019

Soon, the town of Middlebury will have seen its last single-use plastic bag; that is, restaurants, grocery stores, and the like will no longer be offering them to customers and shoppers. A proposal to prohibit retail outlets within the town of Middlebury from using single-use plastic material was presented at the 2019 town meeting, with College junior Amelia Miller and resident Amy McAninch leading the effort. The following day, the initiative was passed overwhelmingly by Middlebury residents, 838–211.

In an article recently published by  Inside Higher Ed, Shawna Shapiro, an associate professor of writing and linguistics at Middlebury, offers a “Gen Z Guide to Inclusivity.”

Middlebury President Laurie Patton appeared on stage at the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), engaging in conversation with the think tank’s president, Richard Haas. The event was organized by three Midd alums—Alexandra Peterson Cart ’08, Aleksandra Janke ’98, and Megan Shattuck ’96—who are all members of CFR.

The Spring Student Symposium, now in its 13th year, brought crowds of students, faculty, and staff to Bi Hall in celebration of the academic and creative achievement that took place on and off campus this year.

Meet Nicole Curvin, the next dean of admissions at Middlebury.

Highlighting Winter Term Workshops, Welcoming Frank Bruni, and More

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
Illustration by Loris Lora
February 1, 2019

Winter term workshops are among the highlights of the monthlong term, and this year’s offerings didn’t disappoint. There were sessions for the adventurous (Fundamentals of Backcountry Skiing, Introduction to Ice Climbing), the artistic (The Art of Henna Tattooing), and the self-reflective (How to Talk about Yourself without Being the Worst, Acknowledging Bias: A Feminist Perspective on Science Rhetoric). Further, folks could learn how to play poker, log roll, swing dance, edit audio, and make sushi. And much more.

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni drew a healthy crowd to Wilson Hall, where he discussed identity politics and the importance of free speech on college campuses. Prior to his talk, Bruni joined a group of Middlebury students, faculty, and staff for dinner in Ross, during which the journalist engaged the group on specific issues of concern to the Middlebury community.

A Middlebury senior and a recent graduate have been named Schwarzman Scholars, landing two of 147 prized spots from a pool of more than 2,800 applicants. Elsa Alvarado ’18and Abdijabar Mohamed ’18.5will attend Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing for a fully funded one-year master’s program in global affairs, starting in August 2019.

Sujata Moorti, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, has been named vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. Moorti, who was the subject of the magazine’s Q&A department in the summer issue, teaches courses on feminist cultural studies and diasporic media studies. She will replace Andi Lloyd, who announced last spring that she plans to step down at the end of the academic year.

Eight new members were inducted into Middlebury’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The inductees include longtime skiing and cross-country coach Terry Aldrich; four-sport (soccer, hockey, lacrosse, football) athlete John Atherton ’93; swimmer J.P. Gowdy ’99, holder of multiple school records; Victoria Hoyt ’89, the most decorated squash athlete in Middlebury history; Meg Bonney Martinson ’03, an All-American skier, national champion lacrosse player, and the all-time leading scorer in the history of soccer (men’s or women’s) at Midd; world-class biathlete John Morton ’68; Kate Irvin Pfeffer ’01, 10-time (!) All-American in track-and-field; and Olympic skier Sue Long Wemyss ’82.

Katz Translates Dostoevsky, Simmons Rocks TED Radio Hour, and More

Recapping the news, notes, stories, and interesting tidbits that have grabbed our attention this week.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
Illustration by Loris Lora
March 21, 2018

Michael Katz, the C.V. Starr professor emeritus of Russian and east European studies, has produced a new translation of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. “The Bloggers Karamazov”—the official blog of the North American Dostoevsky society (!)—recently spoke with Katz about his work.

If you didn’t catch the recent TED Radio Hour episode on National Public Radio featuring rock-star alumna Dena Simmons ’05, then this is a must listen—as in, right now!—piece. We’re not kidding: Go listen to “How Does Imposter Syndrome Affect Students of Color.” We’ll be here when you get back.

The New England Review is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and now is as good a time as any to subscribe to this great literary magazine.

Matt Dickinson recently wrote an insightful piece for the Washington Post blog “Monkey Cage,” in which the political science prof offered five reasons why John Kelly “struggles so much as [President] Trump’s chief of staff.” 

 

Fall Splendor on Campus, Strategic Plan Ratified, and More

Recapping the news, notes, stories, and interesting tidbits that have grabbed our attention this week.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
November 2, 2017

Hey, guess what? Vermont is kinda pretty in the fall.

Middlebury’s Board of Trustees met a couple of weeks ago. The big news coming out of the fall meeting was the board’s ratification of  a new strategic framework for the institution. The framework consists of new institutional mission and statements, individual mission statements for each of Middlebury’s schools, and sets of distinctions, strategic directions, and principles that, together, will serve to shape Middlebury’s strategic decision making.

A strong equities market helped generate an investment return of 13.8 percent for Middlebury’s endowment in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017. Thanks to the solid return and to gifts received during the year, the value of Middlebury’s endowment ended the year at $1.074 billion—up $74 million from 2016.

Fifty years ago, tens of thousands of people marched in Washington to protest the Vietnam War. One of the marchers was Sharon Smith ’68, and her voice was one of many that informed a fascinating oral history of the moment that was published by the New York Times.

It got spooky on campus at Halloween.

New Students Arrive, President Patton on DACA, and More

Recapping the news, notes, stories, and interesting tidbits that have grabbed our attention this week.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
September 7, 2017

On a gorgeous Labor Day, more than 500 first-year students arrived on campus to being their college experience. A week of orientation concludes on Sunday evening with Convocation in Mead Chapel.

A few days before the Trump Administration announced that it would be rescinding federal support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Middlebury President Laurie L. Patton and Chief Diversity Office Miguel Fernández notified the community that Middlebury would “stand by our students, protect their rights, and continue to provide them an outstanding education. We are proud of the accomplishments of our DACA students and will continue to support them in every way we can.”

Middlebury alumna Heather Vuillet Lende ’81 has written several books chronicling life in small-town Haines, Alaska. Recently, news broke in Hollywood that  a pair of her memoirs will serve as source material for a possible television series.

Opening the season with a win is always nice, but landing a highlight on ESPN’s Sportscenter’s “Top Ten Plays of the Day?” Well done Shams Mohajerani ’20 and Middlebury Men’s Soccer.

Capturing the Eclipse, Digitizing the Past, and More

Recapping the news, notes, stories, and interesting tidbits that have grabbed our attention this week.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
Photographs by Jonathan Kemp
August 24, 2017

We recognize that unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware of the solar eclipse that occurred this week. But we doubt that you’ve seen an image sequence as stunning as the one above, which was captured by Middlebury’s Jonathan Kemp at the Mittelman Observatory on the roof of Bicentennial Hall.

You know what’s also really cool? Our colleagues over in Special Collections have digitized more than 120 volumes of the student yearbook Kaleidoscope, a collection that goes all the way back to the issue from the 1873-1874 academic year. Be forewarned: before diving in, make sure you have ample time to browse. This is a very deep and extensive rabbit hole to descend.

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival opens today, Thursday, and will run through the weekend. Several Middlebury alums will be debuting their films. In addition, the festivities include a tribute to legendary direction Robert Altman; a conversation with journalist and screenwriter Dick Lehr; as well as what should be an unforgettable experience: the festivals first virtual-reality exhibition. If you’re in the area, tickets are still available.

The Vermont alt-weekly Seven Days recently published a terrific piece about artist Sabra Field ’57 and the Middlebury College Art Museum’s summer exhibit of some of her best work: “Sabra Field, Now and Then: A Retrospective.” The exhibit closed on August 13, but if you didn’t get a chance to check it out, you shouldn’t totally despair. The linked story does a very nice job of, well, painting the scene for you.

A Hit Netflix Series, Commencement at Bread Loaf, and a Statement on Charlottesville

Recapping the news, notes, stories, and interesting tidbits that have grabbed our attention this week.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
August 17, 2017

Film and media culture prof David Miranda-Hardy has a hit television series on his hands. The Latin American political thriller “Bala Loca”—now streaming on Netflix—was tabbed by the New York Times as a must-watch show earlier this month. Miranda-Hardy recently sat down with Hollywood trade magazine Variety for an interview about the hit series.

The Bread Loaf School of English recently held its 2017 Commencement exercises. Fifty-one students received their advanced degrees at a celebratory ceremony held up on the Mountain.

Following the horrific events that unfolded in Charlottesville, Virginia, last week, Middlebury President Laurie Patton issued a statement in which she condemned the racism, hatred, and violence on display near the University of Virginia campus.

You might have heard: a rare solar eclipse will occur next week. If you’re looking for information about the natural phenomena and are in need of tips on how to safely view the event, look no further than Middlebury’s telescope specialist Jonathan Kemp.

An NBA GM, Thousands of Hours of Research, and More

Recapping the news, notes, stories, and interesting tidbits that have grabbed our attention this week.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
Photograph courtesy Cavs.com
August 4, 2017

Former Middlebury basketball standout and current NBA executive Koby Altman ’04 has received a plum promotion—he is now the general manager for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. After graduating from Middlebury a little more than a decade ago, Altman has coached collegiately (Amherst, Southern Illinois, Columbia) and worked as a manager of pro player personnel and assistant GM for the Cavaliers before he was tapped by Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert to lead the front office of one of the league’s premier teams.

More than 100 Middlebury undergraduate researchers offered the community a snapshot of what they’ve been working on recently at the 2017 summer research symposium. The showcase represented more than 42,000 hours of work spanning 22 academic disciplines, as well as STEM and Digital Liberal Arts projects.

Speaking of a lot of work—the College’s facilities crews and a bevy of local contractors have been busy with annual summer maintenance on campus. Just reading about what they have accomplished is enough to make one exhausted.

North Korean nuclear weapons can hit the United States. That’s what Middlebury Institute scholar Jeffrey Lewis tells us in a recent New York Times op-ed. Spoiler alert: This essay is not a feel-good story.

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Recent Stories

Features

View Finder

For years, photographer John Huddleston has been walking the woods near his home in Weybridge, Vermont, capturing the transitory nature of the forest with his camera. An excerpt from his latest book of photography At Home in the Northern Forest.

By John Huddleston
Photography by John Huddleston
March 12, 2021

The Man Who Saw in Technicolor

Two years after his death, remembering Jason Spindler up close.

By Ellen Halle '13
Illustration by Vanessa Lovegrove
January 29, 2021

What’s The Deal?

The story behind the critically acclaimed podcast, hosted by Middlebury Institute professor Jeffrey Lewis, that tells you everything you need to know about the Iranian nuclear deal.

By Rhianna Tyson Kreger
Photo illustration by Paul Dahm
December 16, 2020

Hunger Fight

How two Middlebury alumni are building on the local food economy to help hungry Vermonters.

By Jessie Raymond '90
Photographs courtesy ShiftMeals
December 3, 2020

Dispatches

More Than Unwelcome in America

Reflections on what it feels like to be Asian in the United States.

By Bochu Ding '21
Photograph by Getty Images
March 26, 2021

One for the History Books

Working at Middlebury for nearly 50 years, Bob Preseau had experienced just about everything that can happen on a residential campus. A retirement party on Zoom, however, was a first.

By Jessie Raymond '90
Illustration by John Dykes
March 25, 2021

Whiskey*, with a Twist

What does it mean to create a line of craft spirits that hews tightly to sustainability practices? Will Drucker '08.5 thought he'd try and find out.

By Jessie Raymond '90
Photograph courtesy Split Spirits
February 26, 2021

May I Have a Word?

During the pandemic, as the arts have struggled to stay relevant in a virtual world, one artistic director came up with a brilliant idea to showcase local talent.

By Sara Thurber Marshall
February 12, 2021

Otter Nonsense

Who had giant mutant otters on their 2020 Bingo card?

By Matt Jennings
Photograph by Daniel Houghton '04
December 17, 2020

Marble Works

How recycled stone from a College building has a second life in the local arts world.

By Jessie Raymond '90
Photograph by Todd Balfour
December 16, 2020

Home Schooled

With COVID restrictions temporarily halting normal campus activities such as in-person lectures, a pair of faculty members devised a digital alternative that should have a shelf life for years to come.

By Sara Thurber Marshall
Illustration by Harry Campbell
November 5, 2020

Home, Heart

A student-designed affordable home wins major architectural award

By Stephen Diehl
Photographs by Lindsay Selin Photography
October 8, 2020

Catching Up with Elise Morris

Our colleagues in Athletic Communications talk to the women's soccer player about one of higher education's most pressing issues: sexual assault prevention and awareness on college campuses.

By Ali Paquette
Photography by Ali Paquette
October 7, 2020
View All

Pursuits

In the Line of Fire

What it's like to be a firefighter in California, when each emergency is more extreme than the last.

By John Devine
Illustration by Stuart Biers
February 12, 2021

Q&A

On the World Stage

Only a sophomore, Nordic skier Sophia Laukli makes her World Cup debut for the U.S. National team. We catch up with her to talk about the experience.

By Matt Jennings
Photograph by NordicFocus, GMBH
February 12, 2021

Editor’s Note

A Brilliant Fogg

Saying goodbye to a dear colleague and friend.

By Matt Jennings
Illustration by Jody Hewgill
February 25, 2020

Old Chapel

The Magnitude of Systemic Racism

Acknowledging a national scourge and examining the work that must be done at Middlebury— individually and collectively—to combat it.

By Laurie L. Patton
Illustration by Montse Bernal
June 9, 2020

Road Taken

What to Wear Now

Through accrued life experiences, a writer discovers that a common question has become a statement of identity.

By Samantha Hubbard Shanley ’99
Illustration by Naomi Clarke
March 11, 2021

Quotation

A summer immersed in a language can do wonders, as veterans of Middlebury College’s famous language-learning program can attest. The lockdown is clearly going to amount to the equivalent of about two summers, and there are mini-Middleburys happening in millions of houses worldwide.”

—John McWhorter, writing “The Coronavirus Generation Will Use Language Differently” in the Atlantic.

Podcasts

Alone Together, Ep. 9 with Jessica St. Clair ’98 and Dan O’Brien ’96

Dan O'Brien ’96, a playwright and poet, and Jessica St. Clair ’98, a comedian and writer, join President Patton for our final check in with the community during COVID-19 self-isolation. Dan and Jessica are a true power couple in the arts that met in a Middlebury improv group. They discuss Dan's magazine essay "Life Shrinks: Lessons from Chemo Quarantine," how reopening the country feels a lot like remission, and how their art is evolving to reflect the pandemic.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
June 15, 2020

Alone Together, Ep. 8 with Dick Clay, Covid-19 Survivor

In this episode, Dick Clay, a student at the Bread Loaf School of English, shares his story of recovering from COVID-19. Dick discusses when the seriousness of the virus hit him, the "wilderness path to recovery," and how he will process this experience through writing.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
June 8, 2020

Alone Together, Ep. 7 with Jodie Keith and Jacque Bergevin, Essential Workers

In this episode, we hear from Jodie Keith and Jacque Bergevin, who have been working with custodial services to keep our Vermont campus safe and clean. Jodie and Jacque share what campus has been like since the students left: what it's like to schedule hourly sanitation of buildings, how every day feels like an empty Saturday morning, and that the infamous Middlebury squirrels have lost a bit of weight.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
Photography by Bob Handelman
June 1, 2020

Review

Editors’ Picks for March and April

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
March 23, 2021

How Did You Get Here?

Megan Job

By Alexandra Burns '21
February 15, 2021

Leif Taranta

By Alexandra Burns '21
February 15, 2021

Mikayla Haefele

By Alexandra Burns '21
February 15, 2021

Videos

In the Blink of an Eye

Gone in less than a minute—the middle of June 2019 to the middle of June 2020, as viewed from the rooftop of the Mittelman Observatory.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
Video by Jonathan Kemp/Mittelman Observatory
June 10, 2020

All the Feels

Current students, alumni of all ages, parents, faculty, and staff come together to sing Middlebury's alma mater "Walls of Ivy."

By Chris Spencer
May 26, 2020

A (Virtual) Visit with Kenshin Cho ’20

Laurie Patton chats with the political science major and SGA treasurer, who has been unable to return to his native Tokyo.

By Middlebury Magazine Staff
April 18, 2020
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