Middlebury College, together with the State of Vermont, recently sponsored a financial services summit, held in the College's Kirk Center on Oct. 24. About 35 leaders of the financial services industry with connections to Middlebury College, representing businesses with more than $65 billion of assets under management and mutual fund assets, joined college and state representatives, and Governor James H. Douglas '72 at the event.
"We expect that, over time, the business leaders who attended will help us get the word out about Vermont as an attractive location for financial services businesses," said Fredrick M. Fritz '68. Fritz is a College trustee who worked with the College's DigitalBridges2.0 program (www.digitalbridges20.net) and others to plan the summit.
Governor Jim Douglas told summit participants that Vermont is one of five states in the nation that ended its last fiscal year in the black, and that there has been a net increase in jobs over the past six months. "[There is] a new culture, a new attitude, and a new energy to reach out and grow the economy of our state," said Douglas.
Middlebury first-year student Keith Williams '07 from Manchester, Vt., represented the College in the 2003 "Jeopardy" College Championship (www.jeopardy.com). Williams has been a "Jeopardy" fan since he was a child. As MiddNews goes to press, Williams has just completed his first-round appearance in the tournament (Wednesday, Nov. 12). He beat the other two contestants, and advanced to the semi-finals, racking up one-day earnings of $22,222. Williams will return to appear in the semi-finals of the championship on Tuesday, Nov. 18, to compete for a spot in the championship round which takes place over two days on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 20 and 21. The winner of the tournament receives a minimum $50,000 prize, and a new car. A $50,000 scholarship is awarded to the winner's college. Stay tuned.
The College Championship was taped in October at Yale, where a lively cohort of Williams' fellow Middlebury students cheered him on. Contestants must agree to observe strict confidentiality about how they did until after the tournament has aired.
This would appear to be the month for Middlebury-connected people to be a part of televised game shows. Middlebury alumna Carol Swanson Wright '66 was a contestant on ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," which aired November 12-13—the same week as the "Jeopardy" College Championship. Wright correctly answered a question about Odysseus, noting that she was a classics major at Middlebury College. She opted to pass on answering a question worth $125,000, and instead walked away with a check for $64,000.
One of the roles of the Middlebury College chaplain's office is to support the spiritual needs of students and facilitate activities and programs that permit them to observe their religious beliefs in an environment that encourages all members of the community to explore and appreciate diverse religious traditions.
In a recent presentation to the college advancement staff, Chaplain Laurel Jordan '79 described the religious landscape of the campus, noting the variety of religions with which students align themselves. Jordan listed the College's numerous student religious organizations, and described how they interact with each other as well as with the local community.
She discussed the chaplain's forums, a discussion series on topics related to spiritual values, which are associated with the commons. A recent forum was titled "Beyond 'This Man and This Woman:' The Marriage Debate." Among the religious affiliations of current students are Christians (Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and Christian Science), Unitarian Universalists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Pagans (self-described), and various other faiths. More than 10 different student organizations with spiritual themes have been established on campus.
Jordan noted that the College's international student diversity contributes significantly to Middlebury's rich mix of religious expression.
See the chaplain's Web pages www.middlebury.edu/offices/chaplain.
Here are some additional items about Middlebury alumni who have recently been in the public eye:
Lewis Robinson '93 has won one of this year's prestigious Whiting Writers' Awards, a $35,000 prize. The news was reported in The New York Times on Nov. 10. Robinson's debut book "Officer Friendly and Other Stories" was published to great critical acclaim earlier this year by Harper Collins.
Vendela Vida '93 wrote her second book, a novel titled "And Now You Can Go," (Knopf), published this past summer, as did Sarah Stewart Taylor '93 whose novel "O Artful Death: A Mystery" was published by St. Martin's Press.
And word has been received that Jane Marum Roush '78, judge for the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia, is presiding at the trial of Lee Malvo, the young suspect in last year's sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C., area.
Middlebury College President John M. McCardell Jr. presented Bicentennial Citizens' Medals honoring seven residents of Addison County at a ceremony and dinner at the Middlebury Inn on the evening of Sunday, Nov. 2. The medal recipients, who were recognized for their contributions to the community, were Dr. Diana Barnard, Patricia Boera, Betty Jo Calhoun, Helen Grove Haerle '73, Henry Prickitt, Lawrence Volkert, and Gregory Wry.
Eric Davis, secretary of the College, said, "The medals were presented to residents of Addison County who have helped strengthen the community, and whose service has been sustained and distinguished. Oftentimes, their efforts have gone unrecognized for many years."
In November 2000, during the College's Bicentennial celebration, Middlebury College honored 10 residents of Addison County with the presentation of the first Bicentennial Citizens' Medals. "We decided to continue the practice since the Bicentennial celebration truly demonstrated that the town and the College share both a history and a future," said Davis.
Middlebury College recently sent a team to the Association of Computing Machinery competition held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Student contestants were charged with completing six to eight problems within a five-hour period. The school that completes the most problems wins the tournament.
The Middlebury team qualified for the M.I.T. tournament by performing well at the preliminary tournament two weeks earlier. Middlebury finished first among small colleges. Though the team did not qualify for the world competition in Prague, it finished in the middle of the pack, with five schools finishing ahead and four teams finishing behind.