Comments for Middlebury Magazine

Comment on Looking at Thoreau’s Personal Copy of Walden by White Gloves

White Gloves — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:19:13 +0000

http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/lib/libcollections/collections/special/resources/policy
“White gloves (provided by the Monitor) are required for handling archival materials.”

Comment on Looking at Thoreau’s Personal Copy of Walden by Alan Rohwer

Alan Rohwer — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:24:30 +0000

Thanks for the clarification on glove use, Kevin.

Comment on A Return Engagement by Dana Yeaton

Dana Yeaton — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:44:11 +0000

Massive Thanks to the folks in Education In Action who underwrote the entire internship program. The impact on those students was DRAMATIC. Also thanks to the Middlebury Alumni Office and the Director of the Arts for supporting our alumni artists!

Comment on Looking at Thoreau’s Personal Copy of Walden by Kevin kelly

Kevin kelly — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:12:54 +0000

Clean dry hands are generally considered better than gloves these days. Gloves can cause clumsiness and potentially tear edges of leaves

Comment on Looking at Thoreau’s Personal Copy of Walden by Alan Rohwer

Alan Rohwer — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:41:54 +0000

Shouldn’t you be wearing gloves?

Comment on The Faces of a Farming Tradition by Janet S. Reed '61

Janet S. Reed '61 — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:38:02 +0000

Your portraits are excellent. Having studied portrait drawing for 9+ years I know how difficult it is to draw a good portrait AND capture the likeness of the subject. I also like that you used a traditional method to make the portraits: drawing. Most people would have taken the easy way out and snapped a quick photograph with their iPhones. Never stop making your art!

Comment on Looking at Thoreau’s Personal Copy of Walden by Jeanette

Jeanette — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:21:21 +0000

Many thanks to Professor Gould, Todd Balfour, and all those who contributed to create and showcase this audio slideshow. I came across this link through the MiddNews email, and I was interested because I am currently reading about Masters programs in library science and archives.

Many voices in this field have expressed a desire to preserve historical documents and simultaneously increase their availability through digital media. As I sit in front of a computer in another part of the country, enjoying the chance to learn more about Thoreau’s Walden, I can’t help but reflect on how well your presentation fulfills such desires. Thank you!

Comment on The New Storytellers: Meet the (New) Press by Lindsay Reishman

Lindsay Reishman — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:32:19 +0000

I’m a Midd Alum 98.5′ running a boutique residential real estate brokerage in DC. I’m looking for help making a great blog similar to Urban Turf (http://dc.urbanturf.com/). Do any of these great Midd Alums want to work on this with me? This could be free lance or a more full time job. Or do you know anyone who would be good and interested?
Lindsay (Lreishman@gmail.com).

Comment on The Faces of a Farming Tradition by Maria Sarry

Maria Sarry — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 03:48:51 +0000

I love your portaits of the French farmers in Dordogne. You have truly captured their images as men/woman of the soil. The stories you tell about each person also helps make that connection to the person even stonger and your art more unique. Being of Basque heritage , I have also seen the dying practice of traditional farming in the Basque country which saddens me very much. So many traditions and customs are being lost due to technology. It is commendable that such a young person, as you, be so sensitive to this issue. Thank you. I look forward to seeing future sketches.

Comment on The Faces of a Farming Tradition by Tiffany Nourse Sargent '79

Tiffany Nourse Sargent '79 — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:27:59 +0000

Fabulous! Wonderful feature. Thank you for sharing your incredible work, Levi. I look forward to “chapter 2,” after your experience in China! TNS

Comment on Old Chapel: Game Time by Tim Hayden

Tim Hayden — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 04:51:18 +0000

I enjoyed reading the interview with President Leibowitz regarding the Director’s Cup and Division III athletics. In it, President Leibowitz mentioned recognized concerns regarding the displacement of potential matriculates by student athletes. My concern focuses on a somewhat different displacement; I am worried by the lack of roster spots available for admitted students.
As a multi-sport all-conference varsity high school athlete, sports were the rudder of the ship of my personal development and identity. When I came to Middlebury and failed to make a junior varsity squad, l lost that stabilizing force. I take full responsibility for personal decisions made from that point forward – some laudable and others regrettable. However, to this day I

cannot help but question the negative impact Middlebury’s increased intercollegiate competitiveness has had on its erstwhile athletes. I know I felt disenfranchised and demeaned by the cursory dismissal of me and thirty-odd other aspiring collegiate athletes following a one hour “try-out”.
I often hear stories from athletes of yore, including my father and President Leibowitz – representatives of earlier generations of Division III student athletes – espousing the joys an benefits of their collegiate sporting experience. And while I do not wish to diminish their acumen or athletic ability, I do wonder if a competitive nascence made the full liberal arts experience more available to them than it was during my time at Middlebury or at any time hence.
I congratulate Middlebury on it’s first Director’s Cup, but on behalf of the potentially rudderless athletes in its future first-year classes, I ask that it seriously consider the impact its increased competitiveness has on its well rounded matriculants.

Sincerely,
Timothy A. Hayden, ’99

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Comment on Serene Velocity by Ron Liebowitz

Ron Liebowitz — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:42:10 +0000

A great glimpse into a great faculty colleague, whose presence in the classroom we and future Middlebury students will miss.

Two additional snippets: First: I had the pleasure of traveling with Ted on a number of fundraising trips to Southern California, the heart of the film and media industry. It was a lot of fun, but it also gave me, then provost, an opportunity to see just how much Ted was loved and admired by his former students. Literally hundreds of them. The receptions we had, centering around Ted’s attendance, were packed, lively, and full of testimonials to Ted’s exceptional teaching and mentoring by the many now successful alumni working in the industry.

And second: I was lured by

that line, “Now, when are we going canoeing in the Adirondacks?” About 15 years ago, Ted posed the same question to me and a faculty colleague, Jeff Cason (now Dean of International Programs and Professor of Political Science). We took him up on his offer and he led us on a canoe trip that involved many portages, loons, and eventually some whitewater. In fact a lot of whitewater. Too much whitewater. It was my first time in a canoe in more than 30 years, and Ted sported that impish grin that you describe above for the entire white water portion of the canoe trip. He loved seeing a city boy (and the provost) fear for his life in the Adirondack wilderness, almost as much, it seemed, as sharing his love of film with his students.

Thanks for doing this vignette about Ted. And Ted, when are we going to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium?

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Comment on Street Smarts by Molly Costanza-Robinson

Molly Costanza-Robinson — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:19:41 +0000

for those in the Middlebury area, consider joining further bike/ped discussion at
https://sites.google.com/site/middbikeped/home

Comment on Street Smarts by Molly Costanza-Robinson

Molly Costanza-Robinson — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:16:17 +0000

a link to the pdf http://www.middlebury.edu/media/view/444226/original/cultivating_community_bike_ped_report_final.pdf

Comment on How Did You Get Here, Benjamin Miller ’14.5? by Uncle David

Uncle David — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:06:19 +0000

To the unacquainted, beat boxing may seem like a childish attention seeking behavior. Nothing could be further from the truth; it is a finely honed skill that takes years of dedication to master. Listening to Benjamin practice this in his formative years, brought all the joy of hearing a young child learn to play the violin. His parents would beam as they forced us to listen to “what Benj can do”, and our forced smiles would mask our inner cringing. I would have rather gone to the dentist. But Benjamin pushed on, undeterred, to master the difficult skill of beat boxing, learn all of its nuances, and become the virtuoso that we see before us in this pictorial

narrative (ala Ken Burns). Benjamin, with Grandma Anita’s purple fur coat as your companion, I know that your beat boxing will serve you well no matter what career path you choose. Be it medicine, law, business, cyber-crime, even environmental science, be sure to utilize your beat boxing prowess and you will rise to the top of your field. I am no longer embarrassed. Rather, I am proud to be your uncle

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Comment on How Did You Get Here, Benjamin Miller ’14.5? by Aunt Betsy

Aunt Betsy — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:04:14 +0000

I bought Benjamin his first microphone because I knew he had the gift of sound! I too am a rabbi’s child and sibling and also aunt, I am his father’s only sibling his sister. I revel in Benjamin’s noise! He is a blessing!

Comment on The Enigma of Alan Turing by Edward B Perrin

Edward B Perrin — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:00:58 +0000

Well done, Prof. Olinick – and good write-up, Regan Eberhart. Alan Turing’s story deserves to be known and Turing deserves to be treated with the greatest respect for his intellectual achievements, which were indeed exceptional – yet another example of the power of mathematical thinking.

Ed Perrin, Midd ’53, math major,
Visiting Fellow, Churchill College, Cambridge Univ., 1991, and
Prof. Emeritus, Univ. of Washington,

Comment on Welcome to the Age of Humans by Bradford

Bradford — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:13:41 +0000

With all due respect to the temporal-biased beliefs of Mr. Rod Lowman, the more enlightened beliefs of Ms. Stadtmueller and Dr. Stager, and in greater hope for the future, let’s step back, take a deep, thought-calming breath, and realize the Truths we’re tossing about so glibly. Yes, in Centuries past, with a “Kings-in-Command” authoritarian power structure, we people lived mostly dis-empowered lives. Even “Kings and Queens” were thus limited. But today, 2013CE, the rapidly developing planetary brain structure we humans are creating – the “interwebs/internet”- truly will be a GAME CHANGER. So-called “Global Climate Change”/”warming” didn’t just start as a new environmental idea in the rebellious 1960′s. We humans have been altering Planetary Climate since we first made fire. And

smoke. And cutting firewood.
But, that’s not where we are today. America’s *Addiction-to-Oil*(“fossil fuels”) – the acknowledgement of which is perhaps the only Public Good to come out of the Bush, jr. regime – is our basis, our pivot point, our fulcrum, and our lever, all at once.
We can insist on clinging to outmoded, self-defeating beliefs of the past, as Mr. Lowman seems to suggest, or we can more fully embrace the future as his geologist daughter and Dr. Stager hope to do. We humans indeed do have the power within ourselves to effect global-scale changes.
Earth is still our only home, but as we continue to travel, and live, farther out into our own Solar System, so too will our perspectives and perceptions expand. And our technological capabilities. So too, must our Ethics, and Wisdom expand. I believe they will.
As we learn and understand, more, just how much damage we have done to Earth’s Biosphere, so too will we learn from our mistakes. We will learn to engage in Planetary-Scale, freely-undertaken efforts at managing and directing the future evolution of ALL LIFE on EARTH. THAT is truly our mutual, and now, manifest destiny. Yes, there is indeed some irony in my words here…
I continue to choose to be immune to the infectious contagion of pessimistic negativity, and to moreso engage in infecting people’s minds with positive optimism. Will you join me? We may as well BORG ourselves, and become the true Stewards of Life on Earth…
What better option may we see, than to love our Mother Earth’s smiling face…???…
GO SOLAR!…(…thanks, Dad!…)

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Comment on How did you get here, Felix Klos ’14 by Haven

Haven — Sun, 05 May 2013 01:16:29 +0000

P.S. Tell Casper I play guitar.Bela plays piano.And here’s for you; I LOVE SOCCER!!!!!-Haven

Comment on How did you get here, Felix Klos ’14 by Haven

Haven — Sun, 05 May 2013 00:57:28 +0000

Hey cous.long time no see. Nice video. Pls come to STL soon-Haven

Comment on Fracking: A Tale of Two Countries by Carol Zuber Pittore

Carol Zuber Pittore — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:17:33 +0000

I am a graduate of Middlebury College and I find their support of the fracking pipeline to be the ultimate hypocrisy. I live in PA. Come see the fracking mess. My family has lived in Vermont since 1972 and we have all seen the real Vermont. Middlebury College is not real Vermont. Vermonters depend on tourism and the beauty of our state should be nourished and cherished.

Comment on Street Smarts by Yuan Lim

Yuan Lim — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:53:28 +0000

This brings back fond memories of ES 401, and the endless possibilities ES students can tackle. =D

Comment on Solar Decathlon ’13 Team Kicks Off Spring Construction by Paul Kenyon

Paul Kenyon — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:31:51 +0000

I am thrilled that this design competition is being engaged by Middlebury students. I watched the video and wish to remark on the design. I’ll make some assumptions: the PV array is aimed south and that it is designed for the northern part of North America…such as Vermont. If those are correct, I wonder about the apparent absence of planning for summer passive cooling which solar designs such as our home just 12 miles west of Middlebury in Bridport have been using: shading the south facing windows. I also note that the PV array is not on the roof of the house (the house’s footprint environmental impact is unavoidable if we’re to have places to live out in the country…and

I hope we always can have that opportunity) but on the land in front of the house…as is ours in Bridport. There may be some problems with this worth studying. The health of the plants in the planters in the shadow of the array may offer some good food for thought on the environmental impact of such shadows. The array will keep rain from the planters and the lack of sun will starve them of energy…and they won’t be absorbing as much CO2 as they could. But the PVs are there to avoid CO2 emissions…right? That’s assuming that the array is on-grid and that there is no electrical energy storage in the house. It’s hard to avoid that environmental impact, especially if the roof is covered in plants…so there’s no better place to put the PVs. That’s another assumption and assumptions are dangerous…”makes and ass of u and me.” Teaser: imagine what R-35 glazing would do for our home designs. I am planning to make a bedroom/office at my home that has a glass roof so I can watch a snowstorm or thunderstorm from there. I love storms. But thermal performance is important in such imaginative/outlandish ideas as mine. Our home in Bridport has a lot of glass, especially in the south walls (shaded, of course, from summer intrusion into the house) and we recognize that those windows (at R-3.8) are essentially thermal holes in the walls of the house. And speaking of thermal aspects. The array is going to get hot (just go and touch the top surface of one…and the bottom…to learn a little more about these devices) and that heat will warm the air over the array which will be blown into the house if there is a southern breeze–the most common wind direction is southerly in the summer– and tend to warm the house.
Our house is available for touring/inspection to Middlebury students such as those designing the solar competition house. Please feel free to come and see what works in the design we are (still) working on and what does not work. The house and our work on it can be a resource for you. And, I’ve problems there I need to solve, so, you folks can be a resource for me.
Best,

Paul Kenyon

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Comment on Street Smarts by Dick Sacco '60

Dick Sacco '60 — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:13:58 +0000

Well done. I second Ed’s idea of making the report available. How about a .pdf document to download?

Comment on Solar Decathlon ’13 Team Kicks Off Spring Construction by Mike Schlegel

Mike Schlegel — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:24:40 +0000

The David Stone Tree House Fund is available to fund student led projects like this.