MiddNews
The College administration has initiated a review of security procedures in the wake of an incident reported by a student living in an on-campus dormitory. The student stated that he was assaulted, and that several items were stolen from him by two males wielding a weapon. The College's community council has been directed to evaluate current security procedures and to recommend changes needed to address concerns raised by the incident. Pending completion of the review, all exterior doors to campus residential facilities will be locked.
Richard Wolfson recently delivered his inaugural lecture as the first Benjamin F. Wissler Professor of Physics. Wolfson's lecture was titled "Like a Work of Shakespeare: Reality and Metaphor in Modern Physics."
Wolfson noted that metaphors are useful in both literature and in science to help convey complex ideas succinctly. In attempting to explain aspects of quantum physics and particle theory, metaphor is helpful, but can also fail to elicit qualities not associated with the metaphor. Wolfson conducted several demonstrations to illustrate principles of physics referred to in the lecture.
Wissler, for whom the chair is named, was a member of the Middlebury faculty for 40 years, from 1930 to 1970. The chair was established in Wissler's honor by Felix Rohatyn of the class of 1949. Wissler's widow, Prindle, well known locally as an artist, attended the lecture.
Wolfson joined the College faculty in 1976 after completing his doctorate at Dartmouth. He is a recognized authority on solar corona and solar storms. Middlebury College President John McCardell called Wolfson "a passionate, committed teacher, who brings science alive."
Two other notable personages also spoke recently on campus: former National Security Agency Director Lt. Gen. William E. Odom (ret.); and David R. Moats, editorial page editor of the Rutland Herald newspaper, and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. Moats is a resident of Middlebury.
Odom, who is currently director of national security studies at the Hudson Institute, and whose spouse and son both attended Middlebury, spoke about U.S. actions in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Noting the fact that the United States has enlisted the support of many nations in fighting the war on terrorism, Odom said that early successes may be followed by a more protracted and difficult effort, with delicate sensitivities to address and difficult choices to evaluate. He said that the United States presides over an imperial system that, unlike some historic imperialist systems, is one to which many other nations are willing to subscribe. He said that a strong military is essential in a world that changed in fundamental ways on Sept. 11.
David R. Moats, former editor of the local Addison County weekly, The Valley Voice, won the Pulitzer for a his series of editorials about civil unions in Vermont. He recently spoke at the College as the van de Velde lecturer on journalism and society. Moats told an audience of College students, faculty, and area residents that the debate over civil unions in Vermont was a struggle over the efforts of the gay community to enjoy basic human dignity. Noting earlier insensitivity of the press and an unwillingness to report on the struggles of the gay and lesbian community, Moats said that the management of the Rutland Herald, one of the few family-owned newspapers in the country, had been supportive of his controversial editorial stand in support of civil unions. Moats said the fact that civil unions legislation passed into law in Vermont illustrated the strong sense of community that is prevalent in the state.
On November 17, the Middlebury College women's cross country team won its second consecutive NCAA Championship at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. Middlebury won the race with 98 points, followed by NESCAC rival Williams with 166, Moravian placed third with 183. Leading the team was junior Michela Adrian, of Portland, Maine, who placed eighth with a time of 17:28, 42 seconds off the championship pace. Just behind her was first-year racer Jessica Manzer, of Palatine Bridge, N.Y., in ninth place with a time of 17:35, followed by sophomore Molly Yazwinski, Deerfield, Mass., in 16th place in 17:45. Adrian, Manzer and Yazwinski earned All-American status. Over an eight-year span Middlebury College athletic teams have won a total of 15 national championships.
Giving new meaning to the phrase "college on the move," Middlebury's office of facilities planning is in the process of physically relocating three College-owned houses. All will be moved within the next month. The houses are being moved from their current locations on Old Storrs Avenue in order to clear part of the construction site selected for the new library. A fourth house will be moved in the spring. The need to temporarily disconnect power and phone lines, and the necessary blocking of traffic lanes dictate a Sunday morning schedule for the moves. Demolition and recycling of the old science center on the site of the new library nears completion. A College Web cam provides a view of the site at http://www.middlebury.edu/new_library/live.html.
Middlebury College has established the first endowed professorship in its Chinese department. The endowed chair was made possible by a gift of $1.5 million from William F. "Ted" and Kathy O'Connor Truscott, both members of the College's class of 1983, in honor of Middlebury College Professor of Chinese John Berninghausen. Upon Berninghausen's retirement, the endowed professorship will be known as the John D. Berninghausen Chair in Chinese.
Berninghausen, who recently stepped down after more than two decades of service as chair of the Middlebury College Chinese department, joined the Middlebury faculty in 1976. He established a Chinese language program and co-founded the inter-disciplinary major in East Asian studies. Berninghausen is the author of a book of essays in Chinese, co-author of an anthology of Chinese short stories, and translator of a number of short stories, speeches, essays and other works for publication in newsletters, books and journals. He has also collaborated on two advanced Chinese language textbooks.
Middlebury College President John McCardell presented Bicentennial Citizens' Medals to five residents of Addison County at a ceremony and dinner held in their honor at the Middlebury Inn on the evening of Friday, Nov. 2. The medal recipients were Richard A. Goodro, Dorothy B. Neuberger, Sonja J. Olson, Marguerite Ann Quinn, and James D. Ross. The recipients are residents of Addison County who have helped strengthen the community, and whose service has been sustained and distinguished.
Bicentennial Citizens' Medals were first presented in 2000 to10 residents of Addison County during the College's Bicentennial celebration. "We decided to continue the practice on an annual basis since the Bicentennial celebration truly demonstrated that the town and the College share both a history and a future," said Eric Davis, secretary of the College. Recipients were nominated by members of the College community, and selected by the president and others.
Middlebury's 2002 winter term runs from Jan.7 - Feb. 1. Courses are offered both on and off campus. Academic offerings include Beginning Latin, Spies for the New Disorder, Shakespeare in Stratford (part of the course is a 10-day excursion to London and Stratford), and Sustainable Forestry in the Northeast. The campus activities office sponsors a series of non-credit workshops, where students, and other members of the community can sign up to gain proficiency in fly fishing, calligraphy, several varieties of dancing, German cooking, and many other topics.