A Taste of Middlebury Life at Fall Family Weekend

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – A cool sunny weekend greeted the hundreds of families who descended onto Middlebury for the annual Fall Family Weekend, October 2-4. With crisp air and foliage starting to hit its stride, the traditional autumn weekend gave parents and family members a taste of life at Middlebury from both academic and student life perspectives.

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On Friday, families were invited to attend a wide range of classes–with or without their student. More than 200 sections of Middlebury courses were open to families across many different academic disciplines. The afternoon was filled with a variety of speakers, panels, and special events, ranging from “Comics and the Art of Visual Communication,” by artist Scott McCloud to “Climate Justice: The Lives Behind the Numbers.”

The always-popular Cook Commons Fall Family Festival brought out the tastes of fall with Vermont apple cider and donuts, accompanied by music and pumpkin carving. Meanwhile, the annual marathon reading of The Odyssey by students and faculty (in English) gave visitors a poetic rest stop on their walks through campus.

Saturday morning offered parents several panels and presentations about various aspects of academic and student life, including study abroad, internships, and a conversation with President Laurie Patton. Later in the day, Middlebury teams took to the fields, sweeping the visiting Colby Mules in football (28-9), men’s soccer (3-0), women’s soccer (4-0), and field hockey (6-2). The Panther field hockey team won again on Sunday vs. RPI (6-1).

Saturday also provided beautiful weather for families who took the short drive up to the Middlebury Snow Bowl for foliage lift rides. The afternoon events, which featured a barbecue, student bands, and breathtaking views from the top of Worth Mountain, were a fundraiser for the Middlebury College Ski Patrol and Middlebury Community Care Coalition.

– Photos by Todd Balfour and Teddy Anderson ‘13.5