Middlebury College magazine. Vol. 81, No. 2 : 2007

2007·76.2 MB·English

by  Middlebury College

M A G A Z I N E
Reversing
Tides
Can this woman
halt a changing clir:'
g
Perhaps—with som e help.
WALL FLOWERS
A row of tulips peeks over
in
the top of a stone wall.
h
Z
U P H I L L / D O W N H I L L
U 1 8
COLLEGE STREET
S
The history department sparks a
h
global debate on Wikipedia,
PC a campus landmark aUs, and
researchers put a Vermont staple
under the microscope.
a
U 22
Q STUDENT SCENE
Before leaving Middlebury,
a Feb had one last challenge
to tackle.
C L A S S A C T I O N
44
PURSUITS
With his hometown still reehng
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina,
an architect sets out to rebuild a
neighborhood.
46
BOOK MARKS
In her moving second novel,
VendelaVida ’93 takes the reader
to the edge of the Earth.
Cover (Uid inset phoWi^raphs by CiUherine Kanioiv
Contents photoi^raph by Bob Hiindehnan
26
SAY WHAT!?!
To become true citizens of the world,
students must learn to argue effectively.
30
GREEN IS GOOD
Eco-consciousness is rising at a rapid
rate. Meet a handful of alums making
a difference and gauge your own level
of green sawiness.
40
ENDINGS
Long synonymous with beginnings,
spring portends something else for
Jay Parini.
2 VIEWFINDER
LETTERS
■r r - 3
4
CONTRIBUTORS
1 6
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
2 4
f'. CLASS NOTES
4 8
f. ,:.r ■
CLASSIFIEDS
7 7
ROAD TAKEN
8 0
■* ■ *
' 4 ■J / ;
t
' V I E WF I N D E R
M i d d l e b u r y
Earth's B est
MAGAZI NE
Doing one's part to save a warming planet. Spring 2007
Volume 81, N umber 2
Editor
Matt Jennings
t ’s hard to pass a newsstand these days without spying a handful of
magazine covers trumpeting a special “green” issue. Whether it’s Arnold Art Director
Pamela Fogg
Schwarzenegger on Outside, Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard {Fortune), a lonely
penguin on a melting ice cap (Time), or the oh-so-Vanity Fair quartet of Julia Assistant Editor
Roberts, A1 Gore, George Clooney, and RFK Jr., each cover has the perfect R e GAN E berhart
pitch person for its audience (I’m omitting the current issue of Washington Flyer,
Grophic Designer
because I think it’s been a while since Leo DiCaprio flew commercial). In Amy Lynd Carey Bass ’99
Liters ’88, we have that perfect cover person, too.
Alumni Editor
Amy is the California climate manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists,
Sara Thurber Marshall
a nonprofit organization comprised of scientists and policy experts who are tackling
some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. She recently coauthored a
report—Our Changing Climate: Assessing the Risks to California—that has led to some of Editorial Office
the toughest global wanning legislation enacted in the United States. This much 5 Court Street
I knew when I asked Brian Eule, a San Francisco-based writer and frequent Magazine Middlebuty' College
contributor, to sit down and chat with Amy. What I didn’t know (and what Brian Middlebuiy, VT 05753
illuminated) was that Amy came to Midd planning on majoring in physics, ended up Phone: [phone]
concentrating on philosophy, and spent a number of years working in Nicaragua E-mail: nTiddmag@middlebur\cedu
before earning advanced degrees in international policy studies and environmental Online:
www.middleburymagazine.org
science.
We had found our cover subject.
Advertising Sales Office
Of course, other Midd folks are having similar impacts on our planet, and we
Smart Communication, Inc.
tell a number of their stories in our ten-page “green” feature package. We’ve also
P.O. Box 283, Vergennes, VT 05491
included a couple of pieces that have more of a reader service component. Ben
Phone: [phone]
Jeiwey ’oi, the author of The Big Green Apple: Your Guide to Eco-Friendly Lining in New
E-mail: [email protected]
York City, offers 12 steps to living a greener life; and Jack Byrne, the College’s campus
sustainability coordinator, crafted a quiz that will help give you a sense of how eco-
Other College Offices
sawy you are.
(all area code 802)
Before testing your green IQ, I’d encourage you to visit the website wumc.
College Infonnation: 443-5000
myfootprint.org to detennine what your ecological footprint is. I took the quiz and
Alumni Office: 443-5183
learned that my ecological footprint is 24 acres, which happened to be the average
Admissions: 443-3000
ecological footprint for a U.S. resident. Not bad, I thought. Then I saw that the
planet contains 4. 5 biologically productive acres per person and that if everyone lived The views presented are not necessarily those ot
like me, we’d need 5.3 planets to support this lifestyle. the editor or the official policies of the College.
Oops. Chagrined, I asked our art director, who I
Middlebun' College of Middlebury, VT 05753,
consider to be significantly more eco-conscious than publishes Middlcbur)' Magazine (ISSN 0745-2454)
four times a year: winter, spring, summer, and
me, to take the quiz. Her eco-footprint is 21 acres.
fall. ©2007 Middlebury College Publications.
Better than me (as I expected), but not by much. Middlebiny Xlaf^azitie is printed at The Lane Press
We—and I mean this in the most collective way in South Burlington, VT. Nonprofit standard
mail postage paid at Middlebuiy, VT. and at
possible—have a lot of work to do. —MJ
additional mailing offices (USPS 964-820).
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Middtebur)’ Magazine, Middlebur\’ College,
Middlebuiy, VT 05753. Printed in U.S.A.
Plioiograpli of Man Jennings by Boh Handchnan
MiDDLEBURY M.YG.'tZINE
' ■ L E T T E R S !
D is tu r b in g T r e n d s
Thank you for your candid and
brave piece about the uneasy place of
personal faith in a secular setting such
as Middlebury (“Of Faith and Reason,”
winter 2007). Too often this is the white
elephant in the room that everyone sees
and no one wants to talk about—this
in a setting that professes openness
to all perspectives and passions. Most
clarifying were the terms that Stanley
Fish proposed: are we talking around the
edges of religion at an arm’s length, as a
subject of curiosity, or taking it seriously,
as a candidate for truth that can’t be
construed from other disciplines? That is
the essential question.
Finally, on the very day when I
read “Of Faith and Reason” in your
fine magazine, I noticed an Associated
Press story underscoring the urgency of
the subject. “Today’s college students
are more narcissistic and self-centered
than their predecessors, according to
a comprehensive new study,” it stated. undermines all that separates the mind CUP RUNNETH OVER
“Five psychologists worry that the of a critical thinker from the phantas­ A number of readers weighed in
trend could be harmful to personal magoria of the Natioiial Enquirer? Does on last issue's cover story "Of Faith
relationships and American society.” anyone question the notion—appar­ and Reason." As one would expect,
Absent seriously engaging religion ently taken for granted in much of the readers' opinions covered a wide
range.
on campus and without its high ceilings activity reported in the article—that we
beyond the isolated self’s narrow version can assume a foundational link between
of truth, count on the disturbing trend to religion and ethics/morality?
continue. Frankly, that is reason enough Most decent people have the ability a free ride with respect to its preten­
to advance the conversations on religion to distinguish between right and wrong sions to intellectual and moral respect­
you so helpfully broached. without reliance on religious dogma, ability. Undoubtedly there are people
Date Rosenberger P’og which is why they can read the Old Tes­ at Middlebury who are critical of the
Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts tament and be outraged by its views on whole enterprise of religion. 1 would
women, slavery, and punishment, or the urge the editors to make their views
New Testament’s nonchalant condemna­ known. Are there courses where students
T a k e th e G lo v e s O ff
While reading “Of Faith and Reason” tion oflarge numbers of people to eter­ read works by lucid critics of “faith” like
(winter 2007), I kept waiting for some nal torture. As Plato’s Socrates pointed Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris? Are
mention of voices at Middlebury who out long ago (Euthyphro lo-ii), the there forums that welcome real “gloves
would reject many of the fundamental gods favor the good because it is good; off” examinations—rather than the usual
assumptions reflected in the article. Are it is not the case that the good is good deferential pabulum—of religion? Is any­
there professors or students or people because the gods favor it. Ethics/morality one at Middlebury openly and explicitly
occupied with “student life” at Middle­ is not intrinsically tied to religion. critical of the pretensions of religion? If
bury who hold that “faith,” i.e., believ­ No one can be opposed to study­ so, let’s hear about them!
ing things without evidence or contrary ing about religion: its history, sociol­ Richard Hogan ’67
to available evidence, is not a virtue ogy, anthropology, psychology. But the Fairhaven, Massachusetts
but is in fact incompatible with genu­ claims of religion to truth and author­
ine intellectual integrity? Does anyone ity cannot be accepted without rigorous
O u r C u ltu r o l V a c u u m
defend the notion that “different faith critical scrutiny, in the fuzzy atmosphere I immediately thought of Middle­
traditions” getting people—especially of “interfaith dialogue” and “spiritual­ bury—and specifically the winter 2007
young children—to believe in such ity”—apparently enthusiastically encour­ magazine story “Of Faith and Reason”—
absurdities as virgin births, ascents into aged and handsomely underwritten when I recently read the following pas­
lieaven, and adventures with angels at the College—religion seems to get sage from The Iraq Study Group Report:
P n O T 0 c; U A P II BY B U 1 D C Ü T B B S A w S p K 1 N (; 2007
M id d l e b u r y C o l l e g e
B o a r d o f T r u s t e e s
Alum ni College 2007
P r e s id e n t
Ronald D. Liebowitz
for alumni, parents, & friends F e l l o w s
Louis Bacon ’79
Pamela Tanner Boll ’jS
William Delahunt ’63, P’97
Donald M. Elliman.Jr. ’67
Frederick M. Fritz ’68, P’93, P’97, P’oo
Richard S. Fuld, Jr. P’03, P’07
Nancy CofFrin Furlong ’75, P’02, P’04
Charles Gately ’62, P’05
Robert C. Graham, Jr. ’63
Olivier P. L. Halley ’91
Beverly L. Hamilton
Betty Ashbury Jones, M.A. ’86
James R. Keyes ’71
William H. KiefFer ’64
111
Roxanne McComiick Leighton ’67
Patrick L. McConathy P’04, P’05, P’o6
Stephen McDonald
Michael C. Obel-Omia ’88
Kimberly Collins Parizeau ’79
Steven B. Peterson ’88
Elisabeth B. Robert ’78
Felix G. Rohatyn ’49
David A. Salem ’78
Endless Learning Susan J. Scher ’86
Jed A. Smith ’88
John Spencer P’88, P’94
Karen A. Stolley ’77
A u g u s t 2 9 —S e p te m b e r 2 , 2 0 0 7
Deborah G. Thomas ’75
John R. Tormondsen ’82
James Edward Virtue ’82, P’lO
T h e f o llo w in g c o u r s e s w ill b e o f fe re d :
Marna C. Whittington P’99
Linda Foster Whitton ’80, P’05, P’o8
Global Climate Change
Kendrick R. Wilson III P’oi, P’03
R ic h a r d W o lf s o n a n d J o n a th a n I s h a m
E m e r it i
James I. Armstrong
Mystery and Detective Novels
Mary Williams Brackett ’36
Dort A. Cameron ’67, P’92, P’95, P’oo, P’05
A n to n ia L o s a n o 111
Churchill G. Franklin ’71, P’02, P’05. P’07
Claire Waterhouse Gargalli ’64
Modern Chinese Painting:
Willard T. Jackson ’51
Innovations during the Past Century John M. McCardell, Jr.
C. Irving Meeker ’50, P’78
J o h n a n d A lic e B e r n in g h a u s e n Jonathan O’Herron P’8i, P’88
Patricia Judah Palmer ’57, P’89. P’92
Strategy and Ethics in the War on Terrorism Milton V. Peterson ’58. P’84. P’86, P’88
W. Kyle Prescott ’49, P’73, P’76. P’77
K a te r i C a r m o la Raymond J. Saulnier ’29
David E. Thompson ’49, P’72, P’75, P’77
L’avenir de l’Europe: économique ou politique? Robert P. Yoiingman ’64, P’87. P’90
(taught in Erench)
O f f ic e r s o f t h e C o r p o r a t io n
T h ie r r y W a r in Frederick M. Fritz ’68. P'95, P’97. P’oo, Chair
Ronald D. Liebowitz, President
Roxanne McComiick Leighton '67, Vice Chair
F or a b roch u re and further in form ation p lease visit
Kendrick R. Wilson III P’oi, P’03, Vice Chair
w 'w w .m id d leb u ry.ed u /alu m n i or call (8 0 2 )4 4 3 -5 3 3 5 . Betsy Mitchell Etchells ’75, Secretary
F. Robert Huth,Jr., Treasurer
M idd leb u r y M agazine
L E T T E R S
“All of our efforts in Iraq, military and Matt Jennings’s excellent article, clearly chology and anthropology). However, I
civilian, are handicapped by Americans’ demonstrates that Middlebury is no! a think Middlebury would serve a greater
lack ot language and cultural under­ microcosm of society, contrary to state­ good if the focus of its curriculum were
standing. Our embassy of i,ooo has 33 ments elsewhere in the magazine. The to provide a framework for students
Arabic speakers, just six of whom are at Harris Poll states, “79 percent of Ameri­ to develop a “moral compass” without
the level of fluency.” cans believe there is a God, and that 66 relying on 2,ooo-year-old creation and
The vacuum of cultural understand­ percent are absolutely certain this is true. salvation myths.
ing and linguistic skill at the heart of the Only 9 percent do not believe in God, The writer appears to bemoan it, but
American enterprise in Iraq, and more while a further 12 percent are not sure.” find it praiseworthy that Middlebury
1
broadly in the Middle East, urgently Middlebury students need education has more than twice the national per­
needs to be filled. Middlebury has the in religious thought and conflict if they centage of freshmen who indicate they
resources to meet the linguistic needs of are to serve society as leaders. I congrat­ have no religious preference, and I hope
our government. Now I read that reli­ ulate the College for taking this chal­ that after four years at the College the
gious study is taking off with new vigor. lenge seriously. percentage will be even higher.
Serious study of Islam will take students DanielJ. Urbach ’S2 Peter Holm ’S6
a long way toward cultural understand­ Portland, Oreg^on Waterbury Center, Vermont
ing of Iraq and the Middle East.
Religion is the central focus of the
F a ith Is B e y o n d D is c u s s io n B lo g A p p r e c ia tio n
Islamic world’s conflict with the West. There was much m Matt Jennings’s I read with great interest “Of Faith and
The life and thought of the Middle East, article “Of Faith and Reason” that had Reason” by Matt Jennings in the winter
and the West’s trouble with and inter­ me grumbling in agnostic indignation, 2007 issue. It my memory is accurate,
est in the Middle East, is inexplicable but I'll limit my commentary to a few religion was a “conversation stopper”
without an adequate understanding of points and begin by simply pointing out during my years at Middlebury (1959—
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. That the irony of any faith-oriented organi­ 63). I am very happy that it is a conversa­
adequate understanding apparently is zation (or writer) calling for an intel­ tion starter now. I remember the days of
lacking in all of our current political lectual environment where “boundaries compulsory chapel, when the chapel ser­
leaders, and seemingly in our entire soci­ are stretched, beliefs challenged, and an mons were very secular. And I remember
ety, with the exception of a tiny number ethos of inquiry embraced.” By its very the days when there was really no one I
of scholars. definition, faith demands the unques­ could find on campus who would share
Religion is one of the key elements tioning opposite. Perhaps the language their faith concerns with me.
of the American way of life, for better of religion is a “conversation stopper” Paradoxically the nonreligious intel­
and for worse. Reactionary religion is the for nonbelievers on campus because ulti­ lectual atmosphere at Midd made me
driving force of those who would censor mately faith is beyond discussion. anxious to learn more about my own
our schools and libraries and create intel­ Religion is a fine thing for many faith tradition, Roman Catholicism, so
lectual malformations in our children. people. Its various forms of practice much so that I became a Roman Catho­
Distortion of the Bible is the excuse should be welcomed, even encouraged, lic priest in 1970. But I believe that my
for the willful ignorance of a powerful as part of campus life. Academically, Middlebury education also kept the spirit
minority in our society. its history, art, and thought should be ot inquiry alive in me to the extent that I
That 39 percent of Middlebury’s taught—as it was in my time at Middle­ left the Roman Catholic fold to become
incoming student body declares no bury—in the context of world history, a conservative Missouri Synod Lutheran
religious preference, as reported in art, and philosophy [and science and psy­ pastor some years later.
_ .'U~------------------------------------------
lebuiy Alimni and Students!
^ h e 3 ^ id d le b u ry Q n n
A n e w b o o k a b o u t th e fa m o u s B ro o k sv iJle (N e w H av en ), V e rm o n t F O O D • DSRinIcNe K1 82• 7L O D G IN G
Middlebury,
resta u ra n t. T h e D o g T e a m T a v e rn . $25.(X ), 1 4 0 p g s w ith h isto ric p h o to s. V erm ont 0 5 7 5 3
-
W 'ritc: R a lp h E . B ro o k s, 2 1 4B , M ain S treet, I'o x b o ro M A 0 2 0 3 5 -1 3 2 1 ; 8 0 0 8 4 2 - 4 6 6 6
w w w .m iddleburyinn.com
eM ail; rb ro o k s(^ b u .e d u o r p u rc h a se it at th e H e n ry S h e ld o n M u seu m .
2007
S p r in g
L E T T E R S
Smart is Sexy! My real reason for writing, how­
Europe
ever, is to commend Karina Arrue ’07,
\
U nited States whose blog. Upsurge, I read about in the
JOIN THE Introduction
Jennings article. have read Ms. Arrue’s
NETWORK EXCLUSIVELY FOR C anada 1
^ GRADUATES, FACULTY AND interviews with Middlebury people of
/!\ ■ STUDENTS OF MIDDLEBURY, diverse religious backgrounds, as well
\ T THE IVY LEAGUE. STANFORD.
as her reflections on how she integrates
AND A FEW OTHERS
her faith with the other ethnic, intel­
lectual, social, spiritual, and purely
personal dimensions of her student life.
Her writings are so insightful that I have
- recommended them to friends who are
8 0 0 9 8 8 - 5 2 8 8
WWW.RGHTSTUFFDATNG.COM involved in campus ministry.
1 1
Roger Newton '6j
PIiiladelphia, Pennsylvania
T h e D a r k A g e o f F e a r
It is important that the College com­
^y)(QDDLEBUiafJjkANSIT
munity engage the question, “Does God
Personalized R egional Transportation
Exist?” (winter 2007). The phenomenon
Travel In Style In O ur of recent bestsellers such as The End of
L uxurious C ustom C onversion Vans
Faith by Sam Harris and Why Christian­
• .Virport & A m trak Station Transportation
ity Must Change or Die by Bishop John
• Business M eetings 802-388-3838
Shelby Spong is surely not a coincidence
• Family Excursions
800-388-1002
in light of “culture wars” that have con­
• Special Events
Owned & operated by Bill & Sara Fuller of Cornwall tributed to a polarized American politics
www.MiddleburyTransit.com and the Middle Eastern conflict, which
can be seen as a clash of religious funda­
mentalisms—Jewish, Islamic, and, not
least, Christian.
Basin HarLor Clun
I think it’s time to examine our
notions of faith when a prominent
O n Lahe d ia m p la in Christian fundamentalist can be seen
on television proclaiming in violent
imagery and with gusto to a large and
Join us this spring and see w hv generations of rapt audience that he is ready to “blow
fam ilies have celebrated xvith us. away” his Islamic enemies. It is time to
examine our notions of “Judeo-
Christian” values when a former candi­
Stay In unparalleled
date for president of the United States
accommodations, host a
and president of the “Christian” Family
graduation brunch,
Research Council, declares on Sunday
BBO picnic or formal
morning news that the tragic figure
dinner.
of a heroin-addicted youth is, in fact,
the devil and should be locked away in
prison for life.
And, think it’s time to examine
1
the theistic image of God, the paternal
And dance like there’s no
father figure up in the sky, when Presi­
school tomorrow!
dent George W. Bush explains to Pales­
tinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, that, as
president, he took the U.S. to war with
BASIN HARBOR ClOB
Iraq at the beckoning of God. My God
wasn't supportive of an invasion ot Iraq.
4 8 0 0 B asin I larb or R oad V ei'gen n es, V erm o n t 05491 8 0 0 .6 2 2 .4 0 0 0
Isn’t this theistic God the product of
magical thinking in a dark age ot fear
6 M iddleb ury M agazine
I ^ R Ê L B W O R K S
" R E S lb È N C È S 1
4th floor east i’
Stunning Downtown Middlebury
At Your Own Front Door.
M id d le b u ry s p re m ie r d o w n to w n re sid e n c e s— ju st a few m in u te s’ w a lk to th e C o lleg e,
sh o p p in g , d in in g , c u ltu ra l e v e n ts a n d m o re . S p acio u s, e le g a n tly -a p p o in te d 1, 2, a n d 3
b e d ro o m h o m e s. H e a te d u n d e rg ro u n d p a rk in g , A d iro n d a c k s a n d O tte r C re e k v iew s.
Living at Marble Works Residences means the simplicity, security, and convenience
of downtown Middlebury, all at your own front door.
F or fu rth er d eta ils, v isit w w w .m a rb lew o rk sresid en ces.co m
o r call In g rid P u n d erso n Jack son R eal E state 8 0 2 .3 8 8 .4 2 4 2
L E T T E R S
and ignorance, adopted to explain the
unknown at a time before science and
reason? It we embrace the notion ot a
theistic God, always there to intervene,
to make things right if we’re righteous,
and as a convenient rationalization for
our actions, then it would seem we are
freed of any obligation to take responsi­
bility for those actions.
By all means, carry on this discussion
of “Faith and Reason” at Middlebury.
The clash of those ideals is a major his­
torical force with which today’s students
will have to come to terms. As for me, I
will continue to embrace the wisdom of
Jesus, the man, as well as the mysteries of
the spirit.
We can’t be sure what’s down the road.
Dave Brautigam ’6g
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Your cover story, “CTf Faith and Rea­
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the cover heading, “Does God Exist?”
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non-existence of a Creator Being.
As an atheist, I am quite shocked to
read that Harvard is contemplating the
incorporation of religion as required
study. On the other hand, it is also
enlightening to find that Middlebury is
“areligious” and even antireligious.
For readers to get a different view­
point from Matt Jennings’s one-sided
assessment of the benefits of religion,
I recommend Richard Dawkins’s new'
book. The God Delusion.
Gerald Lnnderville, M.A. Spanish, ’6g
Long Beach, California
E x p la in Y o u r s e lf
Admittedly a casual reader of your
magazine, I nonetheless found myself
w'ondering about editorial choices—how'
you decide what to include and w'hat to
omit, or w'hat perspective to take.
For example. I asked myself whether
or not the discussion of religion (“Ot
Faith and Reason,” winter 2007) w'as
illuminated by the unrelated question—
“Does God Exist?”—promiscuously
scrawled across the cover.
Similarly, in the piece on John G.
Roberts Jr. (“Hail to the Chief”), I
M iddleb ury M.yg .yzine