Monthly Archives: October 2010

Back to Middlebury

After having just spent a year abroad, it’s wonderful to be back at Middlebury.  I had an amazing year in South America—one semester in Montevideo, Uruguay, and another in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I had the opportunity to travel, my Spanish improved significantly, and I really took to the lifestyle there.  While abroad, many of the other international students enjoyed a new routine: we ate dinner at 11pm, we were chronically late to everything, and we moved around the city like locals after a few months’ time.  But after a year of “different,” I was looking forward to coming back to the familiarity of my best friends, the push of Middlebury academics, and the beauty of New England.

While some parts of Middlebury I knew I had missed—my friends, a reliable internet connection, and vegetarian options—I’ve realized that there were so many other aspects of living here that also make it a place where I love to be.  I love walking to the Saturday Farmers’ Market and sampling cheeses, chatting with the orchard owners, and watching the little kids pet the farm animals.  I look forward to the Thursday environmental studies colloquium lunches and all the fascinating speakers and topics.  Class has never been more enjoyable than when my Natures’ Meanings course goes out to the organic garden to discuss that week’s readings under sunny skies.  These are the things that “make Middlebury” and the reasons I’m already starting to fight the creeping feels of nostalgia that this is our senior year!  I’m hoping the leaves take their time in falling off the trees and that the fall lasts as long as possible.

Homecoming

It was really great to see so many alumni back on campus during a beautiful fall weekend. There were lots of homecoming events: sports games, tailgating, a catered dance, parties, and concerts. Seeing the number of alumni who came back this weekend reminded me of how important Middlebury is for so many people after they graduate and move on! It’s clear to me that many of my senior friends and I will feel the same way.

This year’s Fellows are: IN!

If you have visited the Admissions Office since September, you may have seen some of the thirteen new faces that have appeared on the scene – the 2010-2011 Senior Admissions Fellows are in! Check out the just-added profiles for Alhaji Jalloh, Becky Harper, Ben WeitzBen Wessel, myself (Casey Mahoney), Cloe Shasha, Coco Liu, Graham Egan, JJ Janikis, Megan Nesbeth, Melissa Segil, and Vince Blais.

What are we doing here?

So far this semester, we have been settling into the routines of helping with information sessions, working on office projects, putting together the fellows website, preparing for the Discover Middlebury program, and even squeezing in time for a BBQ on a Sunday afternoon not too long ago (snapshot above!).

In the grand scheme of things, though, what are we doing here? Like we’ve written on our senior fellows page on the admissions website: Continue reading