McKibben: “Take an example. Middlebury College, where I work, is probably the greenest college campus in the world. I’m always telling the kids there, changing the last lightbulb here is less important than going out and building the political movement.”

Letterman: “Well, Bill, thanks for scaring the crap out of me.”

On Tuesday night, September 7, at 7:30, Ian McEwan will read from his fiction in Mead Chapel.  This is a major event for us, as McEwan is widely admired in the world as a novelist and writer of short fiction.  He won the Booker Prize for Amsterdam, and his novel Atonement was a major film a few years ago.  Here is what the Washington Post recently said about him:  ”No one writing in the English language surpasses Ian McEwan.”  This is typical of the praise heaped on this highly original writer, whose work shows an extraordinary degree of psychological depth.

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Fuld testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill on Oct. 6, 2008. Appropriated from Getty Images.

The Middlebury-Lehman liaison is old news at this point, but, buried in this recent piece (of what I think isn’t the most compelling journalism), is an indication of the impact of Lehman and Fuld’s collective collapse on the College:

Fuld is also said to have reneged on a $50 million pledge to Middlebury College. Shortly after Lehman fell, according to a source close to the school’s president, Ronald Liebowitz, Fuld told Liebowitz that he was worth only $100 million and would not be able to honor the commitment. Liebowitz did not reply to a request for comment, but a Middlebury official told Fortune that Fuld “did not renege on a formal pledge as far as I know,” but said it was possible that Fuld might have changed his mind about an “informal” pledge, and that in any event he was “a great trustee and very generous.”

Another aspect of this affair is that, following Lehman’s collapse, Fuld took a beating for his huge salary and management of Lehman.  For example, our 2010 commencement speaker Nicolas Kristof announced sarcastically that Fuld was ”the winner of [his] annual Michael Eisner Award for corporate rapacity and poor corporate governance” while making a larger point about CEO compensation.

The Middlebury administration has not publicly criticized Fuld in any way. Fuld is no longer a trustee although his term was originally supposed to expire in 2013.

1.Zombie Army Recruiting Booth at Student Fair
Sponsored by Middlebury ROTC (do we even have one?)
2.Spend 24 hours at the Farmers Diner
and possibly write a provoking think piece
3.Dress up in a tuxedo and play the grand piano during Proctor Dinner Hours
also hire a sultry lounge singer in a red dress to croon along
4.Stage a gigantic battle on batell beach: Confederates vs. Naavi (costumes required and followed by a revolutionary thanksgiving party in Atwater suites)
Hopefully this will upstage the Atwater-dining-hall-riot scandal of 2010
5.Attend Dungeons and Dragons hour at Isley Public Library (Tuesday 9/7 at 3pm).
Also go play with the sand art in the children’s section.
6.Throw an “Ikea” party at the Mill.
Costumes include: elaborate blueprints, modular storage units, Vikings aka “Swedish headquarters personal”
7.Put these decals on all Middlebury College admissions signs:

8.Realize that my Middlebury Bucket List resembles that of an antisocial 8 year old with a rolly backpack.

Here’s to a new year and many more unfeasible resolutions!

This memorial blog post by a classmate of Burgin’s is a touching memory that describes Ian in College:

Despite our differences, I loved the person Ian was and I always enjoyed his company. He was a wonderful person, so genuinely good, and good to talk to. One of my favorite memories of him is a recurring one: breakfast in Atwater dining hall. Always mindful of health and fitness, he started every day with a balanced meal, which included hard-boiled eggs. He would carefully peel the shell, separate the white from the yolk, and, leaving the latter on his plate, eat the protein-rich and cholesterol-free egg white, without seasoning. I was appalled. How can you eat that without the yummy goodness of the fatty yolk…and no salt?, I asked him throughout our first year. It just didn’t seem worth it to me. Ian, however, was more concerned with the healthful benefits of the egg over its flavor.

In 2004, Middlebury College noted Burgin as one of several talented first-years:

Ian Burgin of Ashfield, Mass., has many talents but his passion is tinsmithing.  Burgin, who received training from one of the last tinsmiths of New England, owns his own business and sells his goods at craft fairs.  His specialty items are candlesticks that he constructs with handmade 19th-century tools.

Yes, a pillow fight between Google and Microsoft.

Middlebury is looking to switch to Google products for email, calendar, etc. But Microsoft and its band of Outlook-lovers won’t go down without a fight. How do you duke it out at this school?

A debate. Well, ten debates. LIS is sponsoring a week‘s worth of debates on current products vs. Google. And it’s up to you to weigh in — should Middlebury welcome the giant G into our lives? Below are the dates and times to ask the right questions (especially students who won’t all be back on campus yet) on everything from privacy to to-do lists. This is a big deal so go speak your mind or leave comments on this post.

UPDATE: these sessions have been postponed at the last minute. Read about why here.

I decided to do a gap year shortly after I committed to Middlebury College. Since last summer, which I spent in Nicaragua, I had been contemplating taking time off. On top of that, Middlebury is significantly more expensive than a state school ($52,120 vs. $24,167), I promised my parents I would graduate in 3.5 years in order to lighten the financial load.

With my parent’s support I asked my admissions counselor if I could join the class of 2015 (instead of 2014). Surprisingly, I only signed a paper, agreeing to call if I chose to attend another college in the interim and wah-la! All of the colleges I applied to, including large universities and state schools, had a similar process and they encouraged my idea, guaranteeing that all financial and merit aid would be held for me.

Check out her new blog that’s serves as her storytelling place: Champlain Sounding. She describes her website as: “a conversation about this thing – this movement, this trend, this religion, this burden – called environmentalism. Everyone has something to say, but certain voices often get drowned out.” A recent sample below:

I believe that there is something very special that happens, or is already present, when the most diverse group of people are brought together with one single interest. I can’t remember a time when I’ve been around a more contrasting collection of individuals, from every state, country, and background imaginable. For nine weeks, i studied alongside former army officers, university level faculty, and college students under the direction of some of the most amazing professors i will ever meet. For nine weeks, we literally ate, slept, and lived out a language and culture that many of us didn’t fully comprehend. For nine weeks, we tried our best to make out words, ideas, phrases, and emotion from a script that had been so discouraging of appreciation just weeks before. Over the course of nine weeks, i met a man who spoke 12 languages, a girl who broke down from the pledge to not speak english, a marine soldier, FBI agent, aspiring army  intelligence  officers, hopeful NGO founders, and normal students. Heck, i even met a guy studying arabic in hopes of striking it rich in the oil industry sometime in the near future.

- Arabic School: “Nine Weeks“

It was challenging enough studying a language devoid of cultural context – a seemingly purposeful exclusion made by the program administrators. And it was painful to see Arabic treated simply as a tool for American student career advancement, or to hear the same old talking points on the desire to spread “democracy” and “development” to the Arab World.

- Arabic School: “Mapping the Margins“

Last Sunday at dinner I got up to get the usual, generous spoonful of peanut butter and handful of chocolate chips for dessert. Minding my own business, I sat back down to find Lin Laoshi (one of my professors) to be looking at me like I was insane. In Chinese she said “What are you eating? (laughter) You are a very strange person!” Uhhh… Thanks? It comes out a little different sounding in Chinese which would be borderline offensive in English if you heard it and translated it the English way (if that even makes sense).

- Chinese School: “Bates Goes Global“

This week we had 51 new grammar points and somewhere around 300 new vocabulary words, all of which we were tested on on Friday. It makes for a very long Thursday night if you know what I mean. I think I went to sleep sometime around 3:30am and got up at 6am to review before breakfast. I can remember doing this in high school a little bit because I had so many extra circulars eating away at my early evening study time so I was forced to work late into the night however, at Bates I’m pretty go about getting to bed. Come 11 there I’m pretty much done for. Here, I seem to be channeling high school again; it’s hard to say if that is a good thing.

- Chinese School: “Up Up and Away“

…most of my problems I can contribute to one thing: I was in the wrong class. The placement exam was nightmarish, and I am positive that my performance on that exam and in the subsequent interview were the result of nerves and not indicative of how much German I knew coming in. Honestly, for as well structured the classes were, the placement exam was HORRIBLE – with no prior knowledge of how the exam was structured or given, I came in ready to throw up and my brain had shut down from fear before I could write a word. The interview was intimidating with a Blonde German Giantess administering rapid-fire questions, and I subsequently failed miserably.

- German School: “Let’s Mosey“

Classes have started, and I am officially drowning in homework. I can’t say I didn’t expect it–but at least we have SOME free time. Yesterday, I went to Lake Dunmore with a bunch of people from the Italian School. I haven’t swum in a lake in years, and it was really nice, even though I got a sunburn under my eyes and across the ridge of my nose.

- Italian School: “Mel Goes to Middlebury“

Unfortunately I didn’t really take the time to stop to smell the flowers – and appreciate the beauty of the mountains and the architecture – last summer when I was in Vermont for six weeks studying harder than ever before. This time, however, I reveled in it all.

- Italian School: “A Blog with a view“

It’s textbook time. Every semester, you got get them hardbacks. Here’s a quick guide to getting your books for classes at Middlebury. Yes, we believe in reducing costs.

STEP ONE: Choose your classes

Chances are you’re going to switch classes within the first week. It happens and it’s a good thing. But that means you shouldn’t get too ambitious about getting books right now. Hedge your bets and maybe get books for the classes you know you’re going to take or have to take. Otherwise, you may benefit from waiting.

STEP TWO: What books?

The best method is to email your professors to ask for a booklist now. I’d say most professors already know 90% of the books they will assign and already have syllabi written up. Many have submitted their lists to the Bookstore. You can see those lists and search for your courses. Take note of the ISBN numbers and used/new price that the Bookstore will be offering. Note that the Professor will be more accurate than the Bookstore. Sometimes the professor adds the book to the Bookstore too late and so the bookstore lists may be a little dated. Still, it’s a good place to start.

STEP THREE: Renting vs. Buying vs. Borrowing vs. Digital

Here’s where things get tricky and people have a lot of opinions. Renting textbooks from places like Chegg.com is increasingly common and a fairly cheap option that remains flexible. Still, a lot of students like to keep textbooks and some books can be used in multiple classes over one’s college career. Even the College Bookstore is trying out rentals. Buying books at the Bookstore, though, is still the most common. The Bookstore has what you need and it’s available immediately most of the time. The prices are sometimes crazily above what you’d get online but not always. Most often, books are $5-10 over the price you’d find online. For most students, that premium is worth it for convenience. Buying online will be cheaper, but you don’t always know what you’re getting. Be sure to search sites like Amazon.com or Half.com with your ISBN number, not just title. This ensures you get the right edition. Shipping to you is the main challenge of buying online. This year, Amazon.com is offering free two-day shipping for students with .edu email address. Works wonders when you have to get that book immediately. It’ll be even cheaper still if you buy used online but shipping timeframes can be quite varied. I know some folks will have Kindles/Nooks/etc. — good for you, check if your books are available digitally first. Finally, the smart kids also check if books are in the College libraries — borrowing on reserve or for the semester can save you lots of money if you can navigate the library system.

STEP FOUR: Anticipate Post-Semester

At the beginning of the semester, no one thinks about what they want to do with their books after they’re done with the class. But think about — sell books online? sell books back to the Bookstore? Keep the books? If you have an idea of what you want to do after, it might help you decide whether you buy, rent, or borrow now.

Former MiddBlog lead editor Emily put it in fewer words last year talking further about luxury of Panther Points and the artist-formerly-known-as-bookstore-bob. Another great resource for all of this with many more links is over at lifehacker.com.