Also of Note
“Community service forms a very important part of life at Marlboro, and I’m very glad to be a part of it this year,” said Lamia Barakat, Marlboro’s Fulbright Arabic language fellow (pictured with sophomore Alyssa Strobele). She was invited to share her perspective on community service at Marlboro at a Fulbright conference in Washington, DC, in December. In a video presented at the conference, Lamia describes painting a local ski hut, gardening on campus, doing trail work, and maintaining the climbing wall alongside students and other community members. She also interviews President Kevin, who shares his perspective on the history of community service at Marlboro. Learn more.
Surprisingly, in October Marlboro College was mentioned in the U.S. News & World Report’s list of the 10 colleges with the most undergraduates. “The University of Central Florida tops the list with nearly 57,000…more than 300 times the enrollment at the ranked school with the fewest undergraduates: Marlboro College in Vermont, which only had 183 students.” What they fail to mention is that Marlboro’s faculty-student ratio is 5:1, as opposed to UCF’s 30:1, or that there are more than two acres per student at Marlboro while UCF students get a mere 1,300 square feet. Do they have a cookie drawer, or a wood-fired sauna?
During the fall, juniors Menefese Kudumu-Clavell, Ricarrdo Valentine, and Nicktae Marroquin-Haslett were all on a semester exchange at Marlboro’s newest international partner school, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, in México. “I feel like I’ve expanded as an artist, as a result of my time there,” said Ricarrdo, who is working on a Plan in dance and photography focusing on Afro-Mexican identity and dance. “I was able to explore other cross-collaborative media, and try new ideas.” Ricarrdo also had the opportunity to set up an internship for next fall in Veracruz, creating dance with youth and collaborating with an anthropologist there, a connection made through anthropology professor Nelli Sargsyan.
“Studying abroad isn’t always about making your imagination into reality; sometimes it’s about going deeper into the experience that’s already in front of you,” says junior Alta Millar. Alta spent the fall semester at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, located in southeast London, studying contemporary dance and choreography. “What was so exciting for me was that my dancers knew exactly what I wanted. I was using Laban notation terminology to describe the movement. With this shared language, they were able to pick it up instantly and visualize my ideas in real time.” See Alta’s blog posts.
Longtime financial aid director Cathy Fuller was appointed to the position of registrar in July, capping more than 19 years of working at Marlboro, having started out in student accounts for almost five years, then in financial aid for 14. “My favorite part of being registrar is celebrating successes with students, whether it’s graduating, meeting a deadline they didn’t think they could meet, or hearing about courses they are so excited about.” She also likes working more closely with faculty, but misses her colleague Jayne Rivers, who she worked with for many years. “The other thing I miss is the federal guidelines—call me crazy but I liked the legal aspect of them.”
“Marlboro has worked hard over the years to ensure that we have dealt with Title IX cases fairly, thoroughly, and with respect to our shared community values of safety, learning, and inclusiveness,” said President Kevin in a December letter to the community. The letter was in response to new Title IX regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Education that would require significant changes in how Marlboro addresses claims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other rights violations. While the new regulations have yet to be made law, the letter shares the college’s initial reactions and plans for addressing the proposed regulations. Read the letter.
River Run
On the morning of August 26, the inaugural New England Green River Marathon started at Marlboro College—an auspicious start for the academic year. “Getting the most out of your college years is a marathon in a very real sense, and it seemed fitting for Marlboro to sponsor and host the beginning of this pioneering race,” said President Kevin. Learn more.
Source to Sea
In September, several students joined chemistry professor Todd Smith for the Connecticut River Conservancy’s Source to Sea Cleanup, part of the 2,853 volunteers who removed 46 tons of trash from 174 miles of the river.
Quill to Live
Found lying by a road on campus last September, this porcupine was treated for two weeks by nearby wildlife rehabilitator Patti Smith. “She was returned to the college and is doing just fine, eating raspberry leaves, that is, not taking exams,” says Patti, a naturalist at Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center. Photo by Patti Smith
Think Ice
The Outdoor Program moved the location for the skating rink from the soccer field to a more central location in the meadow below the Campus Center, with the help of Hannah Anderson, coordinator for student activities and recreation, and senior Daniel Madeiros.
Clear Writing Fuel
First year student Emmanuel Miller considers her options during Midnight Breakfast, the traditional festive meal on the night before writing portfolios are due.