Students Walk, Bike for Planet by Jeremy Kallan Every Continent!” Staff Writer the Event Served to Both Raise on Saturday, Sept
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The Middlebury Campus Vol. 110, No. 3 Thursday, September 29, 2011 Since 1905 Students walk, bike for planet By Jeremy Kallan every continent!” Staff Writer The event served to both raise On Saturday, Sept. 24, more awareness about the environmen- than 50 Middlebury students tal movement internationally and traveled to Montpelier to partici- to make specific demands of local pate in Moving Planet, a day of politicians. Phil Aroneanu ’06 is international action for the envi- currently the U.S. campaign di- ronmental movement. The event rector for 350.org and an orga- was organized by members of nizer for Moving Planet events in 350.org, an organization found- New York City. ed by Schumann Distinguished “The basic idea is that we Scholar Bill McKibben. want to show the population here Courtesy of Solar Decathlon The event had activists all in the United States and abroad around the world walk, cycle and that there is a massive climate OLAR ECATHLON BEGINS IN ASHINGTON S D W , D.C. use other climate-friendly meth- movement that is ready to take With 185 points, the Middlebury College team moved up to seventh place on Tuesday in the Solar ods of transportation to travel action, that is not waiting for pol- Decathlon competition, 15 points behind first. The decathlon continues through Sunday, Oct. 2. and converge in about 2,000 inde- iticians to take action but is push- pendent, community-organized ing the envelope,” said Aroneanu. events. Aroneanu helped to plan the Employment rebounds for grads “This day accomplishes two events in New York City, where things: it reminds all of us that groups from all five boroughs By Hannah Bristol by email to participate, 474 — 69 meeting, and I heard one student transportation is one of the key marched and converged at a plaza Online Editor percent — completed the survey. sitting to the left of me say, ‘This is opportunities to fight climate across the street from the U.N. He According to an annual senior “We can’t control the econo- terrifying,’ and then I heard another change, and it keeps building the explained that the international survey conducted by the Center for my, yet we are quite optimistic that one in front of me saying, ‘I so don’t big global movement that we need demand of the movement is to Education in Action (EIA), the Class those who work at it will be success- want to be thinking about this,’” to take on the fossil fuel industry,” move beyond fossil fuels, but that of 2011 had the highest rate of post- ful,” said Director of Career Services said Peggy Burns, associate direc- wrote McKibben in an email a few more specific demands are being graduation employment of any class Donald Kjelleren. “I don’t think tor of civic engagement and intern- days prior to the event. “A bicycle made within smaller communi- in the last four years. With record easy opportunities are going to fall ships. “What we want to convey is may seem small compared to an ties across the country and the numbers of recruiters visiting this out of trees anytime soon given the that this isn’t something to dread. oil tanker, but we will have an aw- fall, it appears the job market could current employment numbers, but I ful lot of bikes out in the streets of be looking up for recent Middlebury think for those Middlebury students See Outlook, page 2 See Activists, page 3 graduates. who engage early and really get go- Since the Class of 2009, which ing with this process, we are seeing graduated during the lowest point quite a bit of opportunity out there.” The EIA will send out anoth- Bookstore remains profitable of the recession, the percentage of er survey to the same students in Middlebury students employed at By Kyle Finck in prices on book publishers, who for Finance and Treasurer Patrick November to see how plans have graduation has jumped from 25 News Editor have unrelentingly raised prices. Norton. changed in the six months following percent to 36 percent. Only 25 per- With the start of the fall se- “Every year we see a major After the store balances its graduation. cent of students are continuing the mester, students face rising — in increase on our end from publish- budget, all profits go into the Col- For members of the Class of job search, while in 2009, 43 percent many cases, crippling — prices for ers,” she said. “A book we bought lege’s General Fund, which pays 2012, the process of planning for of students were job hunting. There books. However, amid an evolving in the fall we’ll find is $10 more in for all college expenditures. after graduation has already begun. is also an increased percentage of publishing industry, the College the spring.” Best said that the bookstore 612 seniors attended the senior Middlebury students with intern- Bookstore remains in the black. Best said that the bookstore had never considered using prof- meeting last week, followed by Re- ships and fellowships, from eight Book prices are set according markup is in line with the “na- its to sell books at cost — with no sumania on Wednesday, Thursday percent in 2009 to 11 percent in to an established formula. Books tional average,” adding that the mark-up — but that it was plau- and Friday, where seniors could 2011. under $100 are marked up 25 per- store did not make a significant sible. bring in resumes for EIA staff to The report, conducted late last cent while books over $100 are profit selling books. “Sure, it’s possible, but even if look over. On Friday alone, over 70 spring, assessed the post-graduate marked up 20 percent, said Book- Nevertheless, Best said, the a student were to pay at cost for a seniors attended. plans of students in the class of store Manager Georgia Best. bookstore has always been prof- textbook, many would still be over “I was sitting in the senior 2011. Of the 688 students contacted Best has worked at the book- itable. The bookstore showed a $100 and we would also most like- store for 28 years — the last two $100,000 surplus in the 2011 fiscal Symposium discusses as manager — and places the rise year, according to Vice President See Rising, page 4 Middle East identities By Kelsey Collins U.N., at exactly the time of the sym- Staff Writer posium, we probably could not have The dramatic changes in the po- asked for a more perfect timing for litical landscape of the Middle East, a conference on (re)presentations of collectively know as the Arab Awaken- national and cultural identities in the ing or Arab Spring, are arguably the Middle East.” biggest news story of 2011. Keynote speaker Shibley Telhami, This year’s timely Clifford Sym- the Anwar Sadat Professor of Peace posium, entitled “(Re)Presenting Na- and Development at the University tional and Cultural Identities in the of Maryland, kicked off the three-day Middle East,” explored the cultural symposium with his address, “Identity and political roots of the on-going up- and the Arab Awakening”. He present- risings and revolutions as well as the ed an overview of the political and cul- complexities of Middle Eastern iden- tural circumstances that he believes are tities. It took place this past weekend, defining this Arab Awakening. While Sept. 22-24. each country has had its unique revo- Geography Professor Tamar lutionary trajectory, Telhami pointed Mayer, one of the co-organizers of to some commonalities among up- Andrew Podrygula, Senior Photos Editor the symposium, stated that “the tim- risings, noting that throughout the PULITZER PRIZE WINNER READS IN MEAD CHAPEL ing could not be any better. With the region the “information revolution” MIT professor Junot Díaz read from his lauded novel !e Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and took ques- Palestinian bid for membership in the See A Look, page 14 tions on Sept. 27 at an event attended by College and community members alike. See the review on page 19. Fall festival Middlebury by roof Comedians take the stage Vergennes Assembly of God Explore the College from the top Read about the dueling events of celebrates fall, down, Otters and Middlebrow, page 5. pages 12-13. page 16. this week this 2 29 September 2011 campusnews Outlook remains positive for seniors Continued from page 1 full swing, seniors have begun the application skill set,” said Shannon. “Middlebury defi- process. nitely prepared me by bringing Green Corps It’s certainly part of that journey and part of Virginia Shannon ’11, who is now work- to recruit on campus and hosting an info ses- life after Middlebury, but it can be a really ex- ing at Green Corps, a one-year paid program sion, because otherwise I never would’ve ex- citing process, and we’re just for environmental organizers, had a positive plored the option.” encouraging students to do The EIA is also focusing on working beyond what they love.” We’re just encouraging with underclassmen so they have more “You don’t have to do students to do what they love. experience by the time they become se- the bubble [this process] off by yourself,” niors. said Kjelleren. “There are a lot — Peggy Burns, EIA “Really think about what are you by Melanie Haas, of people willing to support learning from these experiences about Staff Writer your interests if you are will- yourself,” said EIA Director Lisa Gates. ing to reach out and ask. There is an eager and experience with the EIA’s job recruitment “About your likes, your dislikes, things that Jennifer Anguko’s husband watched experienced staff here available to help stu- process.