MiddNews
Sean Hoskins '02, of Middlebury, Vt., was selected by national adjudicators to present his dance piece "So We Pivot" at the 10th National College Dance Festival held at the Terrace Theater of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in May. This biennial event, sponsored by the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA), showcases the work of college students from around the country.
In February, Hoskins and his dancers, Kate Prouty '03 and Middlebury first-year student Jacci Snyder, performed at the American College Dance Festival for the northeastern region at Boston University. "So We Pivot" was chosen from among 45 other performances presented at the event.
"It's a national honor to the College," Andrea Olsen, Middlebury College professor of dance, said of Hoskins' achievement.
Two Middlebury students are currently involved in projects related to the environment.
Eric Skovsted '03, of Boulder, Colo., is using photography to document environmentally sustainable building practices used by the College in one of its construction projects. A double major in environmental studies and geography and a published photographer, Skovsted is currently recording the College's use of environmentally certified wood from local Vermont forests in the construction of LaForce Hall, a new residential facility on campus to be completed in September. Beginning with photography of the harvest of certified wood at locations near the College, Skovsted followed the milling of the lumber and the installation of the finished wood products in the new dormitory.
Ronald Schildge '03, of Rumson, N.J., is researching the use of waste vegetable oils as diesel fuel under the terms of a grant he received from the College's Environmental Council. A double major in literary studies and political science at Middlebury, Schildge was introduced to making biodiesel while working at a New Jersey farm as a high school student. His research was highlighted in the April 1 edition of the environmental magazine Natural New England.
Two other Middlebury student researchers were recently recognized by the Center for Research on Vermont.
Michael Snow '02 of Shaker Heights, Ohio, received the George B. Bryan Award for Excellence in Vermont Research. Snow's project, titled "This Compost: A Cooperative, Whole Systems Approach to Dairy," explored the benefits of a centrally located manure composting facility. His advisor, geography professor Peter Nelson, commented that Snow's research supplied Vermont dairy farmers "with a piece of very practical research" that will help foster future interaction between the College and the local community.
Jessica Wasilewski '02, an economics major, received the Center's Nuquist Award for her senior thesis, "Low Income Credit Rationing and Social Return on Investment: Welfare-to-Work Car Loans in the State of Vermont." Jessica Holmes and Jonathan Isham of the College's economics department were the project advisors.
According to a report on CNN.com, Middlebury alumnus Andrew Meldrum '74, a correspondent for the British newspaper, The Guardian, who was arrested in March in Zimbabwe and charged with violating a new restrictive anti-journalist law, was acquitted of the charge by a court in Harare, Zimbabwe. Following the verdict, however, Meldrum was notified that his permanent residence visa had been revoked and that he had 24 hours to leave Zimbabwe.
His arrest, which garnered international press attention (see for example: http://freshair.npr.org/guestInfoFA.cfm?name=andrewmeldrum), stemmed from a story Meldrum wrote for The Guardian, in which he reported that supporters of Robert Mugabe had beheaded a woman in the wake of his disputed presidential re-election in March. Meldrum cited Zimbabwe's The Daily News as the source for the beheading story, which turned out to be untrue.
Meldrum is seeking access to a high court judge to try to reinstate his residency permit.
Writer/Producer Shawn Ryan '88 has been nominated to receive an Emmy for his work on a television pilot for "The Shield" for Fox Television Studios and Columbia Tristar Television. Ryan is one of five nominees for "Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series."
Nominations for the 54th Annual Prime-Time Emmy Awards for the period of June 1, 2001, through May 31, 2002, were announced on July 18 at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theater in North Hollywood, Calif., by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The Emmy awards presentation program will be televised live by the NBC Television Network on Sunday, Sept. 22 at the Shrine Auditorium. For additional information about the Emmys, check the Web at http://www.emmys.com/primetime/2002/2002info.html.
Middlebury men's ice hockey coach Bill Beaney will take a break from his coaching duties during the 2002-03 academic year to work for a five-month period assisting with fundraising in the office of college advancement. Beaney, who holds the NCAA record for consecutive national championships (five between 1995 and 1999), will participate in the College's Associates Program, which permits faculty and staff to work temporarily in jobs different from their own. (See http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics)
In announcing the move, College President John McCardell said, "Bill has been granted time off from his duties as varsity men's ice hockey coach in order to join our fundraising team as we mount a major effort in the coming year to raise significant gifts for the College's major strategic initiatives."
Beaney will return to his coaching duties for the 2003-04 season.
Middlebury College German School Director Jochen Richter was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on July 11. The medal, presented to Richter by Christian Hauswedell, Boston's general consul for the Federal Republic of Germany, on behalf of German President Johannes Rau, is bestowed on those who further German culture and language abroad.
John Wallach '66, founder of the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine, which hosts teenagers from warring lands, died at his home in New York City on July 10 of lung cancer. He was 59 years old.
Following the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Wallach decided to give up his career in journalism and propose that Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian youths meet at a camp in the U.S. The Israeli and Egyptian governments and officials of the Palestine Liberation Organization agreed to Wallach's plan and each summer since 1993, Arab and Israeli teenagers gather in the Maine woods where they get to know each other as people rather than as enemies.
Wallach was awarded the United Nations' UNESCO Peace Prize in 1996 and was honored by Jordan's King Hussein with the Legion of Honor of the Hashemite Kingdom.
Wallach was Middlebury's commencement speaker in May of 1999.