april 19, 2012 | Vol. 110 no. 22 | middleburycampus.com SGA removes SEPOMANA LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT junior senator By Emily Singer SGA President Vincent Recca On Sunday, April 15, the Stu- ’12 gave Aganga warnings that dent Government Association his repeated absences could re- (SGA) resolved to remove Fif sult in his removal, but Aganga Aganga ’13 from his seat as Ju- said that he did not take Recca’s nior Senator for unexcused ab- threats seriously. sences at SGA meetings. “All the warnings were ver- The SGA Constitution and bal in nature and were misin- By-Laws state, “A member of terpreted as facetious remarks the Student Senate missing made by a president whose more than two Senate meetings deadpan jokes are often indis- without proper excuse shall be tinguishable from his formal removed from office.” Accord- remarks,” wrote Greg Dorris ing to official SGA senate min- ’13, Aganga’s representative, in utes, Aganga was absent from an email. “[Recca] did not ad- more than two senate meetings. equately explain the gravity of Aganga issued an official Fif’s occasional absences.” statement on his removal ex- Recca said that senators are pressing his dis- responsible “for appointment in “I plan to serving their con- isabel shaw the SGA’s decision kick-start this stituents [and] Students filled McCullough Social Space Saturday, April 14, for the annual Sepomana concert, and announcing sponsored by College student-run radio station WRMC. The Felice Brothers, above, were joined government, representing their his “quest for the needs and inter- by Big Troubles and Sandro Perri, entertaining students late into the night. office of Student taking the reins ests at SGA meet- Body President of what I know ings,” and that next year.” Aganga’s absences Grants support student entrepreneurs “I chose to fo- can be a powerful prevented him By Bronwyn Oatley Grant applicants were asked youth in order to try and en- cus on making a from doing so. force for good.” Five student teams were se- to provide proposals outlining courage social entrepreneurship difference outside Aganga, on the lected as the winners of the the social problem they sought and positive change models. the walls of our Fif Aganga ’13 other hand, dis- Middlebury Grant Challenge to address, as well as the ex- Sandoval explained that the governmental of- Former Junior senator agrees, saying that (MGC) on Wednesday, April pected outcomes of their proj- grant will be combined with fice and have been he has worked to 11, edging out 20 other appli- ect and prospects for the future funding from external sources duly punished for it,” the state- improve student relations and cant groups in a competition impact of their work. Winners to raise the estimated $13,000 ment reads. “It pains me to pub- life at the College outside of the for a $3,000 grant to be used of the grants include students needed to implement their proj- licly admit that our student gov- SGA’s official meetings. in the implementation of a so- of all grades whose proposals ect. ernment is not without its share “Fif has worked tirelessly to cially conscious project. A pitch reflect their broad array of in- “After winning the Midd of weaknesses and flaws. While bridge the chasm that exists be- contest between the five grant terests. The student initiatives Grant we have a lot more moti- I have nothing but the utmost tween international and domes- winners on April 13 determined will span three continents and vation to keep raising money,” respect for the determination tic students on this campus and the recipient of an additional will be implemented over the he said. “We’re really happy. It’s and indomitable spirit of my is a champion of the vegetarian $2,000 in funding. summer. been great to have one success fellow senators and President cause,” Dorris wrote. “On top The MGC was established Team ¡Integrando a México! after another.” Vin Recca, I believe I am the of those efforts, Fif is heavily in March of this year by the was selected as the recipient of Grant winners Biructait Sey- perfect candidate to finally free involved in philanthropic work Middlebury Center for Social an additional $2,000 in funding oum ’13 and Evelyn Rotich ’13 the student government from with underfunded schools in Entrepreneurship (MCSE) after after winning the pitch contest will travel to Ethiopia to work the iron grip of easy and com- Kenya.” MCSE staff noticed an increas- between all five grant winners. at he Aman Children’s Home, placent decisions. In spite of his removal, Agan- ingly high volume of students Group members Andrea Cruz helping to provide homeless “I plan to kick-start this gov- ga is looking toward the future with ideas and proposals at- ’14, Becca Hicks ’15, Krisztina children with clothing, food and ernment, taking the reins of and his presidential candidacy. tending their office drop-in Pjeczka ’15, Fernando Sando- shelter. what I know can be a powerful “He [Fif] feels not running hours. val ’15 will work with Mexican SEE GRANTS, PAGE 3 force for good.” SEE SGA, PAGE 2 GROUP USES STORIES TO CHALLENGE SEXUAL ASSAULT TABOO Sunderland notes prompts concern By Kyle Finck note, because we don’t know On Friday, April 6, and again whose message it is and I cannot on Friday, April, 13, suspicious explain the reason behind it. notes were left in Sunderland “When you take certain Hall, prompting Director of words out of the message, it Public Safety Elizabeth Bur- concerned people,” she added. chard to send an all-campus “But in the overall context of email soliciting information. what was written, it was less “The intent of the message is concerning.” not clear, but the words used in In response to her all-campus the messages are concerning,” email, Burchard said that Public the email read. Safety received one tip. Burchard declined to divulge “Someone saw a couple of the contents of the note. people going into the building “Whoever posted the note last Friday morning that looked wanted it to be read, and it suspicious,” she said. “We don’t would not be appropriate for us know if the tip is at all connect- to spread their note to a larger ed to the notes.” audience because it could po- Burchard said that multi- andrew podrygula tentially create more concern,” Harnessing the power of stories, a group of students have joined together to stimulate a conver- ple people had inquired about she said. “We will not show the sation around sexual assault on campus. Get the full story on “It Happens Here,” page 2. SEE NOTES, PAGE 3 FORMER MAGIC GAYPRIL PROMOTES SENIORS EXPLORE HAT BREWER GOES LGBTQ PRIDE AT MOLIERE’S END SMALL SCALE MIDDLEBURY WITH “IMAGINARY PAGE 5 PAGES 12-13 INVALID” PAGE 18 inside 2NEWS | april 19, 2012 Proctor wins teaching award BEYOND By Kate Miley fellowship from tional mathematics courses, Proctor has Earlier this month, Assistant Profes- the National on two occasions taught the Winter Term THE sor of Mathematics Emily Proctor was Science Foun- course, “The Shape of Space,” which ex- awarded the 2012 Perkins Award for Ex- dation, also BUBBLE cellence in Teaching. The award honors serving as a nature of the universe. outstanding professors in Middlebury’s teaching assis- For Proctor, teaching comes naturally BY DANA WALTERS math, computer science and natural sci- tant and lectur- due to her love of both the subject matter ence departments. er. She taught and the students she teaches. The recipient of the Perkins Award as a visiting as- “I love math, and I love taking about Courtesy receives support for continued faculty sistant profes- In Oslo, on Monday, April 16, Nor- Emily Proctor, 2012 development, made possible by the fam- weigan anti-Islamic militant Anders Beh- Perkins Award Winner sor at Swarth- student gets it. It’s very satisfying,” she ily of Professor Llewellyn R. Perkins, who ring Breivik began to face trial for the two more College said. violent acts of terrorism he committed last taught at Middlebury from 1914 to 1941 until 2005, when she began teaching at When teaching, one of Proctor’s goals summer. Breivik has gone on record admit- and founded the College’s mathematics the College. is to prepare her students for life after ting to the attacks, and in some cases, tak- department. Proctor teaches classes in geometry, Middlebury. ing pride in the resulting massacre. On July She earned her undergraduate degree algebra and calculus. Leanne Conway ’15. “The subject matter is important, but 22, 2011, the mass murderer bombed Oslo at Bowdoin College in 1996, deciding to who is currently taking multivariable cal- really, for me [math] is much more about pursue teaching math as a career dur- culus with Proctor, attests to her passion learning how to learn. When you leave ing her senior year. In 1997, Proctor was for teaching. [Middlebury], life is going to keep throw- Utoeya Island connected to the political one of six students accepted to a highly- “Professor Proctor’s classes are excit- ing challenges at you,” she said. “I think party. Seventy-seven people died from the selective doctoral program at Dartmouth ing. She makes it [multivariable calculus] the value of math is learning to take a attack. At the time, Breivik connected his College, where she began to seriously fun even if we don’t quite understand it at problem and get past the initial fear or study geometry, her proclaimed passion. discomfort and learn to work your way Party, who he cited for “failing the country While at Dartmouth, Proctor received a In addition to teaching a host of tradi- through it.” on immigration,” reported the BBC.