Liddell Wins in a Landslide Election
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MAY 9, 2013 | Vol. 111 no. 25 | middleburycampus.com MOQA disbands, STUDENTS PROTEST VERMONT GAS PIPELINE citing disinterest By Bronwyn Oatley Ashby, explaining that the leadership decided to finally Facing a diminished disband in the face of “very membership, low community sparing” participation and participation and the absence attendance at the organization’s of members willing to serve Gaypril events. as cochairs for next year’s “We brought an amazing organization, the leadership speaker, Lesléa Newman, who of the Middlebury Open Queer has been a part of LGBTQ Alliance (MOQA) has announced history — and which cost the its intention to pursue the formal school $1,500 — and only six disbandment of the College’s people attended.” Ashby also only studentrun lesbian, gay, pointed to low participation bisexual, transgender and queer at the organization’s “Queer (LGBTQ) group. European” panel, a presentation On Monday May 6, Emma on “downlow culture,” a Ashby ’13, Petr Knor ’15 and Ada workshop on HIV/AIDS as well Santiago ’14, the three MOQA as one of the group’s social cochairs, sent an email to events, an afternoon “BBQueer”. members of the LGBTQ student “In addition,” she continued, organization informing all that “no one has stepped up to the group would be disbanded. serve as the copresident of The decision came following a Kelsey Collins the organization for next fall. vote during the organization’s Students marched from Proctor terrace to Old Chapel with painted banners on Tuesday, May 7 to We just haven’t gotten enough weekly Sunday meeting, which protest the College’s written support of the prposed Vermont Gas pipeline, which would extend from support … Things have gotten drew a crowd of only five Colchester, Vt. to Addison County. In an email sent to the entire college community the day before, really ridiculous.” students — the organization’s President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz elaborated on the College’s support of the project. “Ulti While sympathetic to student three cochairs and two group mately, we believe the pipeline will contribute to the economic welfare of the region and that it would frustration, Dean of the College members. Shirley Collado expressed be unacceptable for us to stand in the way of real and measurable progress toward goals broadly shared “We have been talking about in our community,” he wrote. He also addressed one major concern of those who oppose the pipeline, this on and off all year,” said SEE MOQA, PAGE 2 which is that some of the gas it will transport will be fracked gas. Liebowitz admitted this was true, but countered that “the steep increase in the amount of fracked natural gas in the North American distri Commencement 2013 bution system means that it is virtually impossible to ensure delivery of only unfracked natural gas.” On May 26, Bronwyn Oatley College awards student leaders ’13 will deliver the commence By Anna Chamby leadership awards program. The nominated — it’s incredible. It has ment speech for the class of 2013. Public Service Leadership awards grown immensely and we are so /0$12%34#5$%6%0(0)7$!"%$/8-9%$ “I’m truly honored to have the had been honored individually proud.” of the Dean of the College held its opportunity to represent our class since 1994, while the Dean of the Students and student third annual Student Leadership at commencement,” said Oatley. College, Student Government organizations were nominated Awards Ceremony in Atwater “In my four years at Middle Association (SGA) and athletic through online submissions open Dining Hall to recognize students, bury, I’ve had the opportunity to awards were all also separately to the entire college community. groups and organizations for their work with so many amazing stu presented in much smaller Separate selection committees, public service, leadership and dents, faculty and staff — at the venues. respective to the type of award, talent. Campus, on the alpine ski team “We decided to merge all of then chose from those nominees 1"&%%$ 5%#&3$ #),7$ !"%$ /8-9%$ ,8$ them and this is what we have,” to be presented and individually and with the Middlebury Open the Dean of the College and the said Special Assistant to the Dean honored at the ceremony. Queer Alliance — and I hope to /8-9%$8,&$:(6(9$;0)#)%<%0!$#!$!"%$ of the College Jennifer Herrera, President of the College Ronald Courtesy give a voice to a variety of student Education in Action Center (EIA) who was a key member in directing D. Liebowitz opened the evening perspectives at graduation.” joined together to reimagine and organizing the program. a larger, culminating student “The amount of people that are SEE AWARDS, PAGE 4 Liddell wins in a PRETTY IN PINK landslide election By Ilana Gratch proud.” On Thursday, May 2, an Current SGA Chief of Staff allcampus email announced Anna Esten ’13 noted the that Rachel Liddell ’15 was impressive voter turnout as well. elected President of the Student “The turnout was the highest we Government Association (SGA) have on record, and we think it for the 20132014 academic year. was a combination of the fact The election yielded a record !"#!$!"%&%$'%&%$!"&%%$"()"*+&,-.%$ turnout with a total of 1,484 votes. presidential candidates running, Liddell received 772 votes, which as well as increased interest in the amounted to 52.02 percent of SGA in general this year.” votes and a clear majority. Liddell A new provision of SGA defeated Killian Naylor ’14.5, who election guidelines, enacted this received 367 votes and Nathan fall, is thought to have contributed LaBarba ’14, who received 345 to the record voter turnout. The votes. Ranked ballot calculations new rule allowed candidates were not deemed necessary in the to campaign during the voting tally process. period, whereas campaigning in “The campaign was a huge previous years ended when ballots amount of effort and time, but went live online. the real work starts now,” said Liddell’s SGA experience stems Liddell. “I’m just shocked by the from her role as Cook Commons Senator during the 20122013 Viviana Altamirano voter turnout, blown away by the Attendees applaud as Priscilla Odinmah ’15 struts her stuff during the annual African American Al distribution of the vote and very SEE STUDENTS, PAGE 3 liance fashion show on Saturday, May 4 in Coltrane Lounge, which was transformed into a runway. AIR FORCE FACULTY AND THE CAMPUS DELAYS DECISION STAFF SHOWCASE REVIEWS ‘CASTLE’ ON VT BASE KNOWLEDGE IN 2012 PAGE 16 PAGE 5 PUBLICATIONS PAGE 14 inside 2NEWS | MAY 9, 2013 community BEYOND council update Liebowitz hesitates on Delta decision THE By Claire Abbadi I.".7.+=#/J%(.'"/7#B:'&/?."#K&.>39-G'+# Williams College, no other New England Community Council had its last 8."7# 9:/"# 0:/<# 4'&-0# %&/-/"0/7# 3"# 0:/# Small College Athletic Conference BUBBLE meeting of the year on Monday, May project, it was established that most of (NESCAC) school has parking fines this 6 and has spent the last two weeks the wells in Alberta were using vertical high. BY DANNY ZHANG wrapping up agenda items from the year drilling techniques, but it has become Eight members voted in favor of this as well as making a preliminary agenda clear that more and more of the wells proposal, seven in opposition and one for next year, when Luke Carroll Brown they are drawing from in Canada are abstention. 6-'"1#4&.2G'"1A= Lastly, the Council met with Liebowitz The bloody civil war in Syria, which ’14 will serve as student cochair of Some members of the Council felt that on April 2 to go over the decision to began more than two years ago at the Community Council. they did not have enough information to disband Delta house. height of the Arab Spring, continues to On Monday April 29, the Council met recommend the administration change 8,#0:'"G#:/#9.-#'"0/&/-0/7#'"#1/00'"1# escalate as more disturbing mass killings with Anna ShiremanGrabowski ’15.5 its position. more background on how we came and evidence of chemical weaponsuse and Sam KoplinkaLoher ’13 to discuss have surfaced in the last few weeks. the Vermont Gas Pipeline Project, a 8,#0:'"G#'0#936(7#>/#%&/?.06&/#43-# 03# 36&# 7/2'-'3"+=# /J%(.'"/7# S/."# 34# !"#$%&'(#)*+#,-&./('#'"0/(('1/"2/#3452'.(-# project the College endorsed in 2009. 03#.20#3"#0:'-#>/43&/#9/#:/.&3?#EL'2/# B067/"0#S361#$7.?-A#8EV/#'-F#-/&'36-(<# claimed that they had found evidence The pipeline, which would feed gas President for Finance and Treasurer’s considering what ramifications the that Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s from Alberta, Ontario to Chittenden !44'2/F#M.0&'2G#N3&03"#3&#O";'&3"?/"0.(# 7/2'-'3"#936(7#:.;/#43�:/#I3((/1/A= forces used chemical weapons in an attack and Addison Counties in Vt., would use Council on why the College endorsed Since the Council has recommended in March. The claims came a week after natural gas which is both cheaper and 0:'-# %&3P/20# '"# 0:/# 4'&-0# %(.2/+=# -.'7# the disbandment of Delta, Liebowitz Britain and France raised suspicions about more carbon efficient. However, some Professor of Film and Media Culture has met with members of the house, the use of chemical weapons and in a letter of the gas being fed into the pipeline Leger Grindon. administrators and most recently urged the United Nations to conduct a would be fracked gas, which is banned Eventually the Council proposed a with Community Council to discuss thorough investigation. in the state of Vermont, because of &/-3(60'3"# &/.7'"1+# 8Q/+# I3??6"'0<# this issue.