the ChaMPlaiN CURRENT Champlain College • Burlington, Vermont Vol. 8, No. 59 • March 2011 INSIDE Champlain to Host Week Professor to Lead Students to China of Awareness Featuring 2 the Invisible Children by Camille dodson Children. story spurred interest Staff Writer Since 1986, terrorist leader about invisible children Joesph Kony and the Lord’s and inspired action in Champlain College will host Resistance Army have abducted young people around the a weeklong event this March 30,000 children to serve as sol- country. to raise awareness of issues diers to fight. Help finally came The key to the move- plaguing sub-Saharan Africa. A in 2003 when a group of three ment has been spreading new student group called ACT, film students from California the word and increasing or “Activate Campus Thinking” took off for an African adventure. awareness, and that’s and the Office of Community Their adventure turned into a what student Sadie sadie and the invisible Children roadies and famous iC Van in 2007. Photo By CaMille dodsoN Service and Civic Engagement movement to end a war and bring Stone hopes to do at will host the events, most of hope to northern Uganda. They Champlain. Stone has in the cause ever since. She has projects, and the willingness of which will focus on child soldiers made a documentary to bring been involved with Invisible been the driving force in bring- young people around the country in Uganda and the organization awareness to Africa’s longest Children since her senior year in ing the movement to Champlain to spread the word, Invisible Photo ProVided Invisible Children, named for running war and the children high school when she found the College. Children has made a notable the victims of an ongoing war in who are the victims. They began movement by means of a senior The organization has made difference in Africa. Their efforts Sub-Saharan Africa. Among the showing their movie at schools, project. She attended a screening significant progress since 2003. events will be a screening of two churches, synagogues, and other of the documentary at UVM and Through film screenings, peace- see Children The Latest documentaries made by Invisible public venues. The emotional has been emotionally invested ful demonstrations, multimedia Page 9 Snowstorm Review 5 International Business Major Champlain Innovator Interns at U.S. Embassy in Paris Set to Retire by alex Nishida Cooperation (ODC) is subor- programs between the two coun- gathering and there were Special to the Current dinate to the Headquarters tries. With France’s involvement police and someone threw European Command and is an in Afghanistan, ODC France’s a bottle and the police During the past four years as integral piece in the military mission is more important than rushed. It was scary,” she Champlain student and an cooperation between the United ever, and includes increasing said. “People got hurt. ROTC Cadet at the University States and its NATO ally France. standardization and interopera- School was closed for the of Vermont, I had the pleasure ODC France is responsible for bility of weapons and munitions. last three weeks, but we of taking advantage of numer- representing U.S. defense inter- While interning, I was able to be still graduated. I don’t ous opportunities. From a ests in France. ODC France a part of this office while it was remember the speaker but Combat Life Saver Course, to achieves this by facilitating assis- working on one of their other a lot of people got up and intense field training at the tance and cooperative armament main functions, facilitating U.S. left in protest.” Photo By ChristiaN NaPolitaNo Leadership Development government and industry par- Shelli graduated from Assessment Course ticipation in international trade City College of New York (LDAC), all have contrib- shows. I had the great oppor- with a bachelor’s degree in uted to my development tunity to work the Euro Naval psychology and communi- Snowman Making as an officer. However, Military tradeshow last October. cations, married in 1972, Contest Photos one of the most interest- This real world experience in the and came to Vermont. ing experiences that I defense industry was truly an Photo By stePheN Mease Crime rates were rising 10 have had as an ROTC incredible experience and I know and the Goldsweigs wanted to Cadet occurred in one of that it will speak volumes on my by abbie Clark leave to have a life where they the most unlikely places, resume. Special to the Current could travel the world, hike, and Paris. While I was study- It was not all work at the garden. Looking at Shelli now, ing abroad on exchange Embassy. I was able to partici- Shelli Goldsweig is a woman of you see the wild red hair and the this past semester at pate in a time-honored military contradictions. She grew up in a upbeat, determined attitude as École Supérieure de tradition while I was there: the strict environment, but attended shadows of living in the sixties. Commerce de Rennes Marine Corps Birthday Ball, Vietnam protests in college. In 1972, she taught after (ESC Rennes), I had the which is held every year on the She lived in New York’s fast- school and substituted at a pleasure of interning November 10 to celebrate the paced society, but settled down Hebrew school while working on at the Office of Defense birthday of the United States in Vermont. She led a wild life her masters in Counseling. Two Cooperation at the Marine Corps over 200 years ago through her secondary education, years later, she started teach- U.S. Embassy in Paris, in 1775. The Birthday Ball has but her career at Champlain has ing part-time in psychology and France. It was truly an become a tradition unto itself halted her seeing the world, and communications at Champlain experience that will stay at American Embassies around she has decided to step down to College. She has had six job titles with me for the rest of enjoy life while she still can, and at Champlain over the last 37 my life. see Embassy will retire this spring. years, including being a teacher, Photo By ChristiaN NaPolitaNo The Office of Defense Cadet Nishida and Ms. richards. Photo ProVided Page 9 Shelli grew up in New York counselor, and the Director of the City raised as an Orthodox Jew Tutoring Program. Shelli also and attended Hebrew school oversaw the First-Year Seminar until eighth grade. “New York class for fifteen years. Video Game Addictions Complicate College Life was a much safer place. It was The First-Year Seminar was great being young in New York similar to CORE. “You learned by Chris Parente stay in their dorms for days,” says applied to any activity where “an for a couple of hours every week City. What could be better?” things like time management, Special to the Current Denise Myers of Champlain’s individual feels compelled to do and the more hard “core” gamers Shelli said. She took advantage taking notes, how to study for Counseling Center. Most of the something, and their effort in who normally play around 10-15 of the city, seeing plays, the tests, and stuff for your career, You might think it’s common students affected by gaming who that activity starts affecting their each week. He notes however, Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and it was paired with your sense for people to notice when she has worked with do not come life in a bad way.” She goes on to that “some of these players and Jimi Hendrix. “1969 was introductory major class. Your they’re committing too much time to the center on their own voli- explain how there are students spend anywhere from 30-40 a wild time to graduate. It was seminar teacher would sit in on to a video game and simply log tion and acknowledge they have she’s worked with who lose track hours in a week playing MMOs the Vietnam era. Colleges were off. In a world where over three a gaming addiction. Rather, they of sleeping, eating, hygiene, and (Massively Multiplayer Online).” going berserk. see Innovator billion hours are spent playing are often referred by parents or schoolwork over video games. Ferguson explained why humans “I remember going to this one Page 9 online games every week, it’s professors who are worried about Jonathan Ferguson, who find games so appealing. Some hard for some to see where the the student’s declining grades. teaches courses in the Game of the more popular computer line is drawn. Design major, recognizes that this games are MMOs, which often What’s worse is that this is a problem. “Gaming addictions encompass elements of role compelling feeling to focus on Gaming addictions are real,” he says, adding, “You playing games. Among them are games instead of other activi- usually identify when people games like World of Warcraft ties is damaging the grades are real. have an issue because they miss and EverQuest, which the of students who choose to homework assignments.” He disregard their work. As a counselor, Myers believes makes a distinction between the see Addiction “There are students who will the term “addiction” could be casual players who might play Page 9 hike to the Academic Center finding a store that sells brown Fáilte Ireland every morning). Friday through sugar. By Sunday evening I Sunday I completely wear barely have enough energy to by rachel salois slightly different. Monday myself out with trips around put my tired feet up and dig in and elizabeth Crawford through Thursday I get a Ireland and the regular stresses to my homework, so by Monday, Dublin Correspondents healthy dose of class work, field of figuring out a new city, like it’s a relief to be back on a regu- trips, and exercise (with the reading train schedules and lar school schedule.