commonvoice: summer/spring 2011

S T E R L I N G C O L L E G E

CommonVoice


CommonVoiceThe Sterling College Community Newsletter Spring/Summer 2011

A look at what’s inside...

Sense of Place—3 Agriculture—7 Alumni Spotlight—9Humanities—6North House View—4 Around Campus—10

Read the new online version of CommonVoice! voice.sterlingcollege.edu

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The CommonVoice is published by

Sterling College in Craftsbury Common,

Vermont.

Editors:

Will Wootton

Tim Patterson

Design & Layout:

Ethan Darling

Proofreaders:

Micki Martin

Contributing Writers:

David Gilligan, Sydney Flowers,

Ned Houston, Brandon Angrisani,

Petra Vogel

Contributing Photographers:

David Gilligan

Contributing Artists:

Elise Andrea

Front Cover

Global Field Study: Sierra Nevada, 2009.

Photo by David Gilligan

Back Cover

First year student, Ethan Higgins,

rediscovers the Sterling mountain top

flamingoes during Winter Expedition.

Photo by Peter Detwiler ‘14.

Letters, comments, and submission of

articles, poetry, fiction, and photographs

are welcome and should be e-mailed to

[email protected]

Mission StatementThe Sterling College community combines structured academic study with experien-tial challenges and plain hard work to build responsible problem solvers who become stewards of the environment as they pur-sue productive lives.

Senator Bernard Sanders will address the graduating class at the College’s 12th Baccalaureate commencement ceremony, to be held on Saturday, May 7th at 3 pm in the Houston House

gardens.

Senator Sanders is the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history. In 20 years of national service, first as Vermont’s lone member of the House of Representatives and now as one of its two senators, Sanders has earned a reputation as a determined defender of the middle-class. Sanders is also known as an advocate for universal health care, a progressive voice on climate change, and a friend of Vermont family farms.

Sterling College and Senator Sanders share a belief in the value of hard work, a devotion to environmental stewardship, and a commitment to the State of Vermont. As an independent college with a proud history of innovation, Sterling is pleased to welcome an independent congressman who is never afraid to speak his mind.

Senator Sanders to Speak at Commencement

wwww.sterlingcollege.edu • 800.648.3591 3


Looking at a map of New England, Sterling might seem as if it’s in the middle of nowhere. Recently, however, this rural corner of

Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom has become the center of an energetic movement focused on the nexus of sustainable agriculture and strong local community.

Local businesses are thriving, new non-profit organizations are open-ing their doors and the national media is paying attention to Craftsbury and surrounding towns. In the midst of national economic malaise, the new shoots of green growth in northern Vermont are big news – and Sterling is right in the middle of the story.

You might have seen the New York Times article by Marian Burros – one of Sterling’s newest trustees – published at the height of the financial crisis in 2008. The article highlighted agricultural entrepreneurs in this part of northern Vermont, including Pete Johnson of Pete’s Greens, whose farm is just down the hill from the College.

Another local farmer and business owner profiled in the article, Andrew Meyer of Vermont Soy, voiced a sentiment familiar to all members of the Sterling community:

“We have something unique here: a strong sense of community, connec-tions to the working landscape and a great work ethic.”

There’s even a book – published last year – that describes “how one community found vitality in local food.” Although the book is titled

The Town That Food Saved, the author’s parting thought is that the agri-cultural renaissance and economic renewal happening here in Vermont could be a model not just for saving one town, but for saving the whole country.

What does this sudden hum of activity and attention mean for Sterling?

Well, for starters, the College has always emphasized involvement in our local community as a pillar of the Sterling Experience. Our campus buildings may be painted white, but Sterling is not an isolated ivory tower. Sterling students, faculty and staff are intimately involved in off-campus happenings, and the wave of innovation and excitement sweeping through Vermont is one that our students are encouraged to ride.

Additionally, the attention directed at sustainable agriculture regional-ly and nationally as a path of economic and community renewal under-scores the practical value of the Sterling curriculum. There’s a growing sense in the American consciousness that our current path is unsustain-able, and we need to return to our roots, cultivating a sense of place, a commitment to community, and plain hard work.

Sterling students have the practical skills and personal experience nec-essary to lead the way on the path to renewal. They carry a profound responsibility to apply their knowledge to the great challenges of our time.

A SenSe of PlAce:

The Middle of Somewhere by Tim Patterson

Isolated? Maybe, but hardly out of contact.The CommonVoice is printed twice a year, but you can stay connected and engaged with the College year-round through our online media.

▶ Blog http://voice.sterlingcollege.edu

▶ Facebook http://facebook.com/sterlingcollegevt

▶ Twitter http://twitter.com/sterlingcollege

▶ YouTube http://youtube.com/sustainablesterling

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The view from North House is white, on white. With wind. Enough wind to pack the blizzard, so the plow just rides up on the snow or

the blade catches and the pick-up is shunted to the side... stuck, again. Normally used only for paths, the snow blower is attempting the Post Office parking lot at first light. Steve Smith is hunched over the little steering wheel, almost unidentifiable in the driver’s seat. You can’t tell the blown snow from the blowing snow.

Zach Hartlyn, a senior, is trudging up Craftsbury Road from Houston House, bent into a wind now composed of miniature shards of ice. He can’t really see where he’s going, but can stay on the half-plowed road. He’s heading for the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. Under the circumstances, he’ll work lunch, too. The power’s still on, so if Zach can get there, we’ll eat.

The power blinks off, then back on again. Slowly, students begin to ap-pear. Digging out, throwing snow with the wind, the paths are filling in behind them. There are huge drifts on the porch roofs and slammed up against the doors. At least it’s not cold, probably 20 degrees. It’s March 7, 7:30 in the morning. Finally a big, heavy storm is shutting everything down. Even Sterling has cancelled morning classes, optimistic the storm will ease up in the afternoon.

North House shudders when the wind hits. It rumbles when the big

town plow truck roars by. The furnace kicks on and off, the single ther-mostat unable to cope with the porous old house and the terrific storm.

But it’s warm enough inside. There’s no point going out right now. Coffee’s hot. The future of the College is propped in front of me, and I should do something about it on what will otherwise be a slow day.

Of the 49 pages of our recently completed fifth-year report to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, only the final three were anything but drudgery for the team of people who put the whole thing together. Pages 47, 48, and 49 address the Association’s interest in Sterling’s future, defined as between the present and the already loom-ing ten-year report. Simply enough, this section is called “Plans”.

To write that section we first had to recognize that were Sterling to maintain the pace of change it has undertaken over the past five years we’d likely fly apart at the seams and succumb to institutional overload. And we’d be missing the whole point of constructive change, which is to keep a hold of it, to make sure it works for the longer term. For instance, despite being fully committed, we are hardly experts at running a year-round college. Academic advising protocols, marketing procedures, and even the self-design major all need years of experience before they are operationally steady and the College has grown to 125-150 students.

View from north houSe: Constructive Change by Will Wootton



Second, we had to understand that our advances have not been com-prehensive and there are other important long-term goals that Sterling needs to begin upon or complete, even as it concentrates on securing the initiatives already in place.

Here’s what we came up with, briefly, for the next five years.

• Improve faculty compensation: Full-time Sterling faculty are paid a full thirty percent less than their peers at comparable institutions, and that’s not helping them or the College. Minimally, the College needs to develop the resources to maintain steady annual increases, however modest, so that at least the faculty fall no further behind. Then, the compensation scale must improve as the College grows stronger.

• Create a long-range campus plan: We’ve put tremendous resources, well over a million dollars over five years, into the physical plant. The choices were easy because the needs were obvious. But once Hamilton and Jefferson are renovated this summer, the choices become more difficult and a campus plan more important. Good plans involve every constituency on campus, and can take a year or more to conduct.

• Position the College to conduct a multi-year endowment campaign: To be genuinely fiscally secure, Sterling would need an endowment of $10 to $15 million, a sum almost impossible to imagine today. To acknowledge the need and build strength to achieve it is the vital first step, and should begin, quietly and internally, within days of completing the current Sustainable Sterling Campaign in June.

• Design and begin a Master’s level program in sustainable agricul-ture and conservation ecology: Every week, the College receives inquiries about whether we conduct graduate programs in sus-tainable agriculture, conservation ecology, and other areas of our academic expertise. To do so, Sterling would first need to develop resources, and then work through a long and demanding process with NEASC. Still, it’s easy to imagine the quality of such a pro-gram, and the benefits a small number of graduate students would bring to the community.

• Increase Sterling’s association and collaboration with other col-leges, particularly other Vermont colleges: Sterling already engages closely with two associations – those of the Work Colleges (seven institutions) and the independent colleges of Vermont (18 institu-tions), and maintains a number of articulation agreements with regional colleges and organizations. But there is more to accomplish when the aim is to benefit students and faculty, further Sterling’s mission, and broaden its appeal to prospective students.

The storm is losing its grip, the wind abating. Mashed potatoes and meatloaf for lunch. The pick-up truck is broken down in the visitor’s parking lot, and students are in their afternoon classes. North House is encased in snow but for a single egress out the side door to the main-tenance shop. Time to go in, time to get back to the tasks of the day.

reSidence hAll renoVAtionS

Hamilton and Jefferson, the largest student residences at Sterling College, feature an expanse of north-facing, single-pane glass win-dows. For an environmentally focused college, the energy ineffi-ciency of the 45-year old residences is a glaring problem.

This summer, the twin buildings will undergo an extensive en-vironmental retrofit, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Gladys Brooks Foundation matched dollar-for-dollar by funds from the Federal Department of Energy.

“This will be the third and in its own way the most difficult major building or renovation project the College has undertaken in the past two years,” commented President Wootton.

“To expand residential and classroom space we purchased and renovated the former Inn on the Common – that’s where our new culinary program will take place. At the same time we used $100,000 in grant funds to build and equip a new writing and com-munications classroom. Now we are able to conduct a complete environmental renovation of our two oldest, and largest, residenc-es. And they sorely need it.”

As a major capital project, the renovation of student residences is a high priority in the College’s plans to grow, as well as to demon-strate the appropriate practice of green technologies; in this case, renovating existing structures instead of building new ones.

Environmentally retro-fitting the two 23-bed residences with in-sulated foundations, new windows, doors and entry ways will be the largest component of an on-going effort to reduce Sterling’s energy use. The College has already invested in foundation insu-lation in one other building, attic insulation in another residence, and is planning a bank of solar hot water panels for a residence and the Sterling kitchen.

Over the past four years Sterling has managed to invest almost $1 million in infrastructure and environmental improvements, largely due to support from private foundations, state and federal government, and you—our friends and alumni.

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My new book Rise of the Ranges of Light: Landscapes and Change in the Mountains of California (Heyday: Berkeley) is released as of

April 1st. The book is in the spirit of John Muir and John McPhee, and integrates personal adventure narratives with an in-depth look at the macro-evolution of California’s extraordinary mountain landscape. I will be doing a reading for the Craftsbury community on May 2nd, 6:30 PM at Stardust. I will be traveling throughout California through the month of July on a book tour, which will include a speaking event at the prestigious Parsons Lodge at Tuolumne Meadows.

During my semester leave I spent six weeks exploring the winter bird life and landscapes of the Everglades and Gulf Coast beaches of Southwest Florida. This trip involved excursions to Corkscrew Swamp Audubon Sanctuary, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve, and three weeks of wilderness paddling and exploration in the saltwater regions of the Everglades National Park. I kept detailed field notes and a photographic journal, which I hope to share with the Sterling community through a presentation in the fall. This was my fifth such trip to the Everglades, and a winter field ornithology class for Sterling is a real possibility at this point. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting up with

Nicholas Beauregard ‘11, a student who was working on a field based senior project on wintering birds of Florida.

I spent the last two months completing the initial draft of a new manuscript: Deep into the Heart of Nature: Wildness, Culture and Consciousness from the Paleolithic to the Present. The book explores our roots as Pleistocene hunter-gatherers, what the world’s agriculturally-based wisdom traditions have to say about the human condition in relation to nature, and the American philosophies of wildness and wilderness that have developed alongside industrialism. This has been a very absorbing and rewarding project!

On April 1st I am setting out for a month long solo sojourn on the Appalachian Trail, traversing the Smokies and following the migration of birds and wildflowers north to the Virginia border. There is nothing like a simple, primal walk through the mountains in springtime to invigorate the spirit and remind one of what it means to be a human being alive and awake on this beautiful spinning planet!

David will return to teaching this summer, leading a wilderness field study program in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

enVironmentAl humAnitieS:Learning & Teaching from Nature by David Gilligan

David Gilligan, Natural History professor



Visiting the Sterling Farm in April feels like walking into an animal nursery. Curious baby goats hop to the edge of their pen, new

lambs toddle through the straw and pregnant sows luxuriate in the relative warmth of early spring. All of these animals are integral pieces of Sterling’s Sustainable Agriculture curriculum, where courses and independent studies complement each other to maximize the diversity of opportunities within each livestock group.

This spring Sterling is home to three groups of goats. There is one group of 25 bucklings, male goats purchased from a goat dairy in Westfield. Goat dairies normally cull bucklings immediately, but these will be raised for meat. In the spring semester, the bucklings are exclusively part of Animal Science II, and most of them will eventually be sold in New York City. Students will travel to New York in late April to sell the goats to restaurants and at a live market, getting valuable hands-on experience in marketing.

The lucky bucklings that remain on the farm for the summer semester will fold into Livestock Systems and the complementary Grazing Lab. The goats will be utilized for invasive species control, and bucklings will be mixed in pasture with lambs as they work well together—the bucklings inclined to browse (select ranker forage, shrubs, and other-

wise less palatable species) and the lambs inclined to graze (eat grass). A few bucklings will be slaughtered for Vermont’s Table—Sterling’s new farm-to-table food studies program. The rest will go to slaughter at the end of the summer semester and become meat for the Sterling kitchen.

The second group of goats is also part of Animal Science. They are two milking does and their five kids from Marcel Masse’s dairy. The Animal Science students will learn how to hand milk the goats, and the milk will be given to Ag Tech II for use in cheesemaking and soap-making classes. Surplus goat milk is a treat for the pigs and chickens.

The third group of goats belongs to Sara Turnbull, ‘11. Her independent studies have focused on goat care, fiber use, breeding, and milking.

In addition to goats, we have ewes, lambs, laying hens, breeding sows, breeding rabbits, and broiler chicks. This diversity of livestock—a little of a lot of species—and the diversity of seasons in Vermont gives students the skills, experience, concepts, and knowledge to care for most any livestock in most any climate. Students who have specific interests—like Sara with her goats—can create curricula to deepen their understanding and experience with those species and associated sys-tems.

SuStAinAble Agriculture:Goats in the Classroom by Brandon Angrisani

Sara Turnbull, ’11, and her fiancé Stephen Lester, ’11

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International visitors from over 30 countries in Asia, Africa, and Eu-rope have toured Sterling in recent months to learn about sustain-

able food systems and share their diverse perspectives with the Sterling community. The visitors, who include farmers, development profes-sionals and Fulbright scholars, have expressed joy and surprise about finding a small college devoted to authentic models of sustainability.

“Before this trip, I thought I already knew about America,” said one visitor from Eastern Europe. “I thought the American people were only concerned with business and consumer culture. After visiting Sterling, I see that my preconceived notions of America were incomplete, and that here in Vermont there is a very different kind of American community.”

Sterling students have taken the lead in welcoming our international guests and guiding them around campus. On one sunny spring day, Allyson Makuch, ‘14, held forth in the hoop-house, explaining how to over-winter greens to Fulbright scholars from China, Sri Lanka, and Cameroon.

“Are you a teacher here?” asked Dr. Sun Guohui, the dean of a business school in Beijing.

“No, I’m a student,” said Allyson. “My campus job is hoop-house man-ager. All students work at Sterling. This job is a chance for me to take ownership of my education, and contribute my skills to the commu-nity.”

Learning often flows in multiple directions as students interact with international visitors. In November, an Iraqi farmer engaged with sus-

tainable agriculture students in a discussion about compost. “My rec-ommendation is to bury the compost 25 centimeters below the ground,” said the farmer through an Arabic interpreter. “That way the roots of the plants will stay warm in the wintertime.”

Another Middle Eastern guest, from Kuwait, nodded sympathetically during a discussion about using greenhouses to extend the growing season in a harsh climate. “We do the same thing in Kuwait,” he said. “Except that our problem is the summer heat. We must air-condition our greenhouses in order to grow vegetables.”

Sterling is able to host international visitors through a growing relation-ship with the Vermont Council on World Affairs, in Burlington, and through a partnership with the Center for an Agricultural Economy, a non-profit organization that arranges food system tours in the Hard-wick area.

The potential benefit of hosting international visitors extends beyond the immediate impact of on-campus international exchange. As Ster-ling develops a global reputation, the admissions office anticipates an increase in applications from international students. Perhaps in future years, students from all corners of the globe will converge on Crafts-bury Common for a profound education in environmental studies. Whether plowing with draft horses, reading Aldo Leopold, or cooking dinner during Winter Expedition, these students will gain skills and build relationships that will enable them to work towards achieving authentic sustainability in their local communities and throughout the increasingly interconnected world.

community SPotlight:International Perspectives by Tim Patterson



Adam Lewandowski graduated from Sterling College in 2004 with a degree in Wildlands Ecology and Management, and is currently

working as the Senior Environmental Planner for the California Tahoe Conservancy. The Conservancy is a dependent State agency within the Resources Agency of the State of California. Adam’s job is to “preserve, protect, restore, enhance and sustain the unique and significant natural resources and recreational opportunities of the Lake Tahoe Basin.”

Adam’s Senior Applied Research Project (SARP) prepared him for his current work as an Environmental Planner.

“My Senior Applied Research Project with the Vermont Monitoring Co-operative helped me identify the type of career I wanted. The technical GPS mapping skills that I acquired during the SARP helped me get hired in my first job after Sterling, and I use the understanding of geo-morphic principles that I gained during that project everyday.”

Likewise, Adam’s Sterling internship as a Research Assistant with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was a crucial stepping stone to his career. “The internship launched me on my current career path,” said Adam. “It taught me some of the technical skills that helped me get my first job after graduating.”

Shortly after Adam graduated from Sterling, he moved to Las Vegas to work for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This job allowed him to spend most of his days mapping trails and exploring remote areas of the Mojave Desert on an ATV. He then took a position as the Southern Program Manager for the Great Basin Institute.

“I was able to establish a new regional office for this non-profit and create new partnerships with federal and state land management agen-cies. As a result of these partnerships, we were able to implement many restoration projects.”

While working for the Great Basin Institute, Adam also found time to earn his M.A. degree in Ecology and Environmental Planning from Prescott College.

Adam is currently responsible for developing several large watershed restoration projects as part of a comprehensive ecosystem restoration of the Lake Tahoe Basin in California and Nevada.

“One of my favorite aspects of this job is the variety of tasks I work on from day-to-day. One day I might be testifying about the importance of restoration projects at the state capital, the next day I might be hiking along a creek with geomorphologists and engineers discussing restora-tion options. I spend quite a bit of time in the office writing and review-ing Environmental Impact Statements, reviewing scientific literature or technical reports, and managing budgets, but I try to balance that with some time in the field.”

“I value the breadth of knowledge and problem solving skills that I gained at Sterling,” said Adam. “Through the course of my career, I have realized that problem solving and a basic understanding of a broad range of issues are the most important factors that will allow you to adapt to ever-changing circumstances.”

Adam’s advice to Sterling students who want to pursue a career in Environmental Planning is to learn a few specialized technical skills at Sterling like GIS, electro-fishing, water quality analysis, or macro-invertebrate sampling.

“These skills will help you get your foot in the door to get that first job after Sterling. More importantly, be flexible. There are so many oppor-tunities out there that Sterling has prepared you for. Keep looking for these opportunities and you might end up doing something that you love and never even knew existed.”

Alumni SPotlight:Adam Lewandowski, ‘04 by Sydney Flowers

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Around cAmPuS

Photovoltaic Arrays at Sterling by Ned Houston

Two 4200 watt capacity tracking photovoltaic grid-tied arrays went live at Sterling on March 11. Located just south of Hamilton and Jefferson Residences, they are sized to meet a high proportion or even all of the electrical demand of these two student residences. As of March 29, they have generated 701 kilowatt hours for a daily average of 18.5 kwh per tracker per day which is about 95% of the daily average usage. While we don’t know if the past 19 days are typical of the sunlight available and while we know December will most definitely be darker, so far we’re very encouraged.

These arrays are the first completed step in the significant energy upgrade of Hamilton and Jefferson which will continue this summer with window replacement, new insulation, and solar hot water. Those days of ice on your windows when you woke up on a winter morning or the curtains bulging from a cold breeze will soon be history! The architectural engineers estimate a 35 to 50 percent reduction in heating bills, an impressive total reduction when coupled with our solar electric generation. We will tread significantly more lightly by fall.

photo by Schirin Oeding ‘12



Northeast Kingdom Food Systems SummitSterling hosted a Northeast Kingdom food systems summit on March 8th. Sterling students were joined by regional farmers, chefs, cheesemakers, and strategic planners to refine a vision for food systems and agriculture in the Northeast Kingdom. The summit helped develop goals, strategies, and key actions to expand the production and consumption of local foods in our region.

The food systems summit was just one of many Sterling events coordinated in partnership with the Center for an Agricultural Economy, in Hardwick. The Center is an important ally in Sterling’s effort to build a curricular focus around sustainable food systems.

Elise Andréa Art ExhibitOn February 10th, Sterling hosted a reception for Elise Andréa, a local artist whose watercolor exhibit titled “Twenty Years of My Life” is on display in the Brown Library.

Growing up on a farm on a mountain-side in central Vermont, Elise Andréa began painting with watercolors at age 11. Her grandfather instilled in her a deep love for wildlife and nature and she grew up tracking wild animals in the woods and hiking with her family. She helped raise turkeys, chickens and geese on the family farm, and hayed and logged with horses.

Jennifer Jordan ’77, Best-Selling AuthorSterling alumna and best-selling author Jennifer Jordan, ‘77 returned to campus in October to read from her latest book: Last Man on the Mountain: The Death of an American Adventurer on K2. In addition to fascinating slides and video footage from the tragic 1939 mountaineering expedition to K2, Jordan spoke about the values she learned at Sterling College.

“My time at Sterling prepared me for the challenges of mountain expeditions,” she said. “I learned strength without rigidity, pride without arrogance, and self-reliance in community.”

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Peter Shumlin Visits Sterling Peter Shumlin visited Sterling the day before he was elected governor of Vermont. Shumlin was warmly welcomed, but also faced questioning about his stance on ridgeline wind tower development from students like Ira Powsner, ‘12. Shumlin spoke about the need for a comprehensive energy plan, and a statewide process to determine where wind towers might be sited, and where they should be banned.

“I don’t think we should have towers on Camel’s Hump,” said Shumlin. “Folks up here think the Lowell Mountains are pretty special, too,” said Powsner. “Well,” the future governor replied, “In that case be sure to come to Montpelier and participate in the process.”

Rick Bass ReadingThe environmental activist and acclaimed author Rick Bass ventured out of his redoubt in the Yaak Valley of northwestern Montana to give a Valentine’s Day reading at Sterling College.

Rick read a chapter entitled “The Community of Glaciers” from his book Why I Came West, along with a humorous short story called “Eating.” He encouraged the Sterling community to stay committed to environmental activism, even when change seems slow to materialize.

“Our lives, our values, are a constant struggle that will never end,” said Rick. “There can never be a clear victory, only daily challenge.”

A video of Rick’s reading is on Sterling’s YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/watch?v=BarAMeVB7Z0

Marion Nestle Visits SterlingSterling was honored to welcome Dr. Marion Nestle to campus in November. Dr. Nestle is Professor of Food Studies at New York University and the author of several notable books, including Food Politics and What to Eat. Dr. Nestle toured the Sterling Farm with her partner, Mal Nesheim, former provost of Cornell University, and reporters from Seven Days and the Burlington Free Press.

After the farm tour, Dr. Nestle spoke to the Human Nutrition class and encouraged Sterling students to go out and make a difference in the way people eat. “You try to do what you can,” she said. “You do what you want to do, and try to connect with people who are doing the other parts. One person can really do a lot.”



Pig Slaughter and ButcheringTwo pigs were slaughtered on the Sterling Farm in February and butchered two days later in Dunbar Hall. Students enrolled in Agricultural Techniques participated in the slaughter, under the direction of Louise Calderwood. Cole Ward, a skilled butcher, came to campus to butcher the pigs, and explained each step of the process to a large group of students, including Schirin Oeding, ’12, who is pursuing an independent study in charcuterie.

On the Friday after the slaughter, those who chose to eat the campus-raised pork enjoyed country-style ribs cooked with sauerkraut. Because the pig was slaughtered on the Sterling Farm, and not USDA inspected, the pork was served separately from the normal dinner, and was not part of the meal plan.

New Kubota TractorFor decades, the faithful 22-horsepower Kubota tractor has been a fixture of the Sterling Farm. After 27 years of service, however, the tractor was starting to show its age. In March, students, faculty and staff welcomed a brand new 50-horsepower Kubota, painted the same shade of bright orange as its predecessor. The new Kubota is a gift from Amy Golodetz, ’84, and Greg Leech, ’86, who are nearing the end of their terms on the board of trustees.

Adrian Owens’ 20th Winter ExpeditionIn December, faculty member Adrian Owens completed his 20th Winter Expedition. Adrian spoke at Expedition Dinner about how the experience of winter camping in the Lowells helps students distinguish between luxuries and necessities. Later, Adrian reflected on how the mountains might be on the brink of dramatic change.

“The Lowell Mountains haven’t changed a whole lot over the years,” reflected Adrian. “There are a couple more houses, a couple more driveways poking up into the forest. When I first started there were some fresh clearcuts, but those areas are now densely forested. Change based on what people are doing has been very subtle up until now.“

“I’m concerned about the proposed wind tower development on the ridgeline. If that happens, Expedition will continue somehow, but maybe not in the same place.”

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2000S Halley Bagley ‘10 – “After graduating in May, I hung out in the NEK for awhile… road tripped to Nova Scotia… and finally landed myself a job working for The Nature Conservancy/Americorp as a Stewardship Assistant for 11 months in AZ…that’s where I’m at. Hope all is well up north.”

Brandon Hill ‘09 - “I’m wrapping up my second year as a teacher with the Howard Gardner School and will be taking the coming year off to design my own experiential edu-cation, starting with a bicycle trip down the pacific coast this summer. Looking to apply to UVM Field Naturalist Program for Fall 2011. Wish me luck. “

Anika Klem ‘09 - “This year I have designed and implemented my own nature educa-tion program for girls, age 8-12. The pro-gram is called ‘Earth Sisters’ and is one of many great opportunities offered through the Kauai Nature School. I’m having a wonderful time whale watching, bird watching, playing games, making fires, and exploring this beau-tiful island with the girls! “

Josh Parker ‘09 – “I recently relocated to

Southern Oregon hoping that this relocation would prove for greater job opportunities closely related to my major and personal ca-reer goals than what were available back in Massachusetts. In December before departing on my long 5 day road trip across the country, I proposed to my girlfriend of 6 years, we are planning to marry in June of 2012.”

Robert Pougnier ‘09 - “I have been living in the twin cities since November studying Kwang Sai Jook Lum Gee Southern Praying Mantis kung fu with master Gin Foon Mark. I am attending lessons with him almost full time, practicing Chinese calligraphy and kung fu daily. I am also studying six healing sounds Qi gong with master Mark. I plan on return-ing to Vermont in May where I will work for Earthwalk Vermont as a mentor. I intend to homestead and grow my own food on 20 acres in Hardwick, VT and open a space to teach kung fu. I want to keep being involved in the mentoring community and help bring natural-ist skills, sustainable living skills, and martial arts to the public.”

Matt Cahill ‘08 – “I’m living in La Honda dur-ing the school months and working at Camp Denali in Denali National Park, AK in the summer as a naturalist guide.”

Julie (Almeter) Clark ‘08 & Silas Clark ‘07 had a baby boy, Levi Bud Clark, born at home on February 11, 2011 at 9:05 pm, 8 lbs., 15 oz., 21 ½ inches long. He joins his brother Rowan.

Ariana (Johnson) Bourassa ‘07 – Married Noah Bourassa in July 2010, living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and in Nursing School.

Tayler ‘07 & Ian McEwen ‘06 write from Denali, AK. “We are both well and looking forward to our move back east this spring.”

Nate Wallace-Gusakov ‘06 & Amelia Gardner ‘06 – “Daughter Abigail is almost 3 now, rides Zuma bareback. I’m farming, sugaring, making music – very pleased to see that my Sterling degree is paying the bills.” Farm web-site is www.fullbellyvt.com.

Caleb Butler ‘05 & Erica Young ‘04 from Bethel, VT, write “Erica is enjoying the chal-lenges and joys of being a stay-at-home mom to Aila. In the summer, Erica works at Silver Lake State Park as the park interpreter, provid-ing the environmental programs for the park. Caleb works for Mager Office Products as a copier service technician.”

Christina Joanis ‘05 – “Finished my masters in education! I’ve been supervising a school

Alumni NewsWinter Alumni Reunion: Sterling alumni and families gathered on a Saturday afternoon for skiing at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. It was a joy to welcome alumni back to campus. In many ways, Sterling College is sustained by our alumni, and the work they do is a testimony to the values of our community. Thank you, alumni, for inspiring us all!



garden project for physical and mental health for elementary students.”

Chris Kuhnel ‘05 – “My wife Becky and I are expecting our first child, a boy, with a due date of Dec. 25, 2010. We are both doing well and working for our family business in the flat-lands just north of Philadelphia.”

Anna ‘05 & Matthew Roberts ‘04 – “We just bought our first home together. Loving our new place…we knew we could never leave Vermont.”

Mike Seamans ‘05 – “Staff photojournalist at the Morning Sentinel/Kennebec Journal in Maine.”

Dana Szegedy ‘05 – “Moving to Arizona for the winter. Would love to see friends.”

Page Kitson ‘04- “After spending the summer at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in New York, I’m back in Santa Fe, New Mexico working at the best homeless shelter EVER. My job at St. Elizabeth Shelter consists of hug-ging people, laughing as much as humanly possible, and of course enforcing shelter rules and policies. I’m also taking some criminal justice classes at the local community college, eating lots of green chile and sopapillas, and thinking about going to grad school to study social work.”

Adam Lewandowski ‘04 writes “Gretchen and I are expecting a daughter in April! Everybody is happy and healthy and I’ve been enjoying an excellent ski season here in Tahoe. I am also starting a new job with the Tahoe Regional

Planning Agency. I’ll be working on a variety of projects including updating regulations for the Tahoe area to balance environmental, so-cial, and economic values.”

Asa Twombly ‘04 - “Hi all, it has been an amazing winter here! Snow and lots of it! Ah, the sweet ecstatic bliss of powder skiing is all I can think about right now…I know there must be other things going on, probably a bunch of stuff, but we are still integrating the experi-ence of sliding down hills on waxed boards of paradise. Nothing else has changed since my last update, except for everything. I am all, and yet am the great infinitesimal godsource manifest embodiment of supreme nothing-ness. This summer solstice marks the return into the light from a long period of darkness on earth. Embrace this change in your own heart. ~ Asa”

1990S Jessica ‘00 & Nate Wilson ‘97 from Monteagle, TN, write “they are doing well. Nate got a job as the Domain Manager for the University of the South. He manages the school’s 13,000 acres which includes forest and the actual town of Sewanee. That means he spends time doing large scale forestry and also spends time advising lease holders about what to do with the trees in their yards. He’s enjoying it. Jess is still raising kids, animals and vegetables and managing their little farmers market. They think fondly of their time at Sterling often and hope to visit one of these days.”

Alumni Ski AttendeeS

▶ Amy Golodetz ’84 & Greg Leech ’86 and children, Ruth and Maria

▶ Apple Faulkner ‘84 & Hobie Guion

▶ Rebecca Tatel ‘88 and daughter, Olivia

▶ John ’92 & Susan Monaghan and children Eve and Matthew and friend Emily

▶ Alicia Flammia ‘97& Seth Andrews

▶ Emily Seifert ‘99& Paul Smith

▶ Melissa (Sikora) Snow ‘99 and chil-dren, Maple and Willow

▶ Erin Small ‘00

▶ Steve Jacoby ‘00

▶ Jason Abul-Jubein ‘01

▶ Jim Carrien ‘01

▶ Sydney Flowers ‘01 and daughter Mackenzie

▶ Jay Merrill ‘02

▶ Christina Goodwin ‘02

▶ Nick Augsberger ’04 & Erin Magoon ’04 and daughters Sophia and Adelina

▶ Kim McIntyre ‘04

▶ Bill Dallmeyer ‘05

▶ Keren Ferrari ‘06

▶ Dan Chehayl ‘07

▶ Luke ’06 & Katrina ‘07 Hardt and son Alder

▶ Tim Fishburne ‘08

▶ Jeremy Brosnahan ‘09

▶ Cody Sayer ‘10

▶ Laura Keir ‘10

▶ Monica Kopp ‘10

▶ Jody Stoddard ‘10

▶ Laura Lea Berry ‘10

▶ Keith Doerfler ‘10

▶ Dan Dubie ‘10

In November, John Zaber ‘85, Sam Zaber, Greg Leech ‘86, Amy Golodetz ‘84 and Ruth Leech cleared water-bars on Sterling’s adopted section of the Long Trail north of Route 15.

16 CommonVoice


Rae (Gaa) Powers ‘96 writes “I am living on the South coast of England with my husband Ian and 2 year old son Alex. We are expecting baby #2 this summer and I will stay home for at least a year. I hope to eventually return to work in emergency services or go back to get a Nursing degree. Life is good here, although wet of course, and we have enjoyed travel-ing in Europe and to South Africa. Take care! “

William Garcia ‘94 is currently working as an RN at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sean McCann ‘93 writes “happily married for 11 years, 2 happy, healthy children. I still live in Jericho. When I turned 40 years old last May, I decided to jump out of an airplane and join the local Underhill/Jericho Fire Deptment. Best decision I have ever made. Kids are in scouts and 4H. Couldn’t be happier. Still think about Sterling often. Thank you.”

1980S Jon Albright ‘89 – “News from us here in The Methow Valley. We are currently having one of the best winters this valley has seen in some time, we’ve been nordic skiing our butts off but are about ready to have the snow melt and get on with spring. I just ordered our first apple trees and our biggest seed order yet and we are hoping to get a greenhouse up before the high season, so we have some things riding on the upcoming season. Our girls are great, but every parent says that, right. Wyatt is in 1st grade and Leki will go to Kindergarten next fall, quite an adventure and I love it. If anyone is out this way stop in we have a sweet valley

and would love to share it.”

David Vickery ’85 is having a one-person show of his paintings at the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine this July. The work can be seen at: dowlingwalsh.com or dvickery.com

JoAnne Oliver ‘83 writes “After leaving Sterling in 1983, I did a lot of backpacking on long-distance hiking trails, thanks to the influ-ences of Alison Grass (‘83) who got me moti-vated by sharing many of her Appalachian Trail stories and photos with me when at Sterling. In between backpacking, I finished bachelor of science, master of science and doc-tor of philosophy degrees - in biology and in forest ecology. My career has been spent with the New York State Department of Health, mostly in Ithaca and Syracuse, NY. My work focuses on scientific research and public health particularly involving mosquitoes and ticks and associated diseases. I don’t backpack much anymore but am very involved with my community volunteer fire company. I’d love to hear from Sterling classmate Bill Whipple

(‘83), and others. I can be reached by email at [email protected] “

Rick Webster ‘83 – “Since losing my wife and two children in auto accident in January 2003 the Lord has been very gracious to me. He moved me to Colorado in November 2004 and allowed me to work at Breckenridge Ski Area

for 4 years as my heart mended and I grew in my relationship with Him. He then led me back into the Army Reserve in 2008 after 10 years out of the ser-vice. After being mo-bilized in Colorado Springs I met a won-derful woman and we married in June 2009. The Lord also called me into the ministry, carrying me through seminary (completed last December) in hopes of becoming an Army Reserve Chaplain. I will ap-ply for the Chaplaincy later this year and, if chosen, will vol-unteer to deploy to

Afghanistan where I can minister to Soldiers in harm’s way. This is where I feel called and I pray all the moving pieces come together so I can serve there. If not, I’ll serve wherever He wants me to.”

Elizabeth Johnson Woodall ‘80 – November 2010 – I’m expecting my first grandchild any day now.

Rodney Walter ‘80 writes “Working for the Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy as “Director of Habitat Protection”. With only a staff of 1.5 FTE I mostly direct myself to purchase land for private nature preserves in Wisconsin. Married for 20 years now (on March 22) to Melody Walker, who works for the State Department of Agriculture super-vising a staff of up to 75 (60 are seasonal) doing survey and control of insect pests in

Deborah Perkins, ’93, sent us this photo of her daughter, Ada Stenhouse, who turns three years old in May. Hey Ada, we love your Sterling College apron. :-)



Wisconsin. Once a year Melody goes to the Midwest Organic Farming Conference where she sees Janet Gamble (Armstrong) also 1980 Grassroots. Melody reports that Janet is as great as ever, now busy working on establish-ing a new Community Supported Agriculture farm for a landowner in SE Wisconsin. My someday hobbies—Motorcycle trips, tropical fish (fresh and saltwater), dart frogs, slumping and fusing glass to create glass artifacts.”

1970S Ann Makley and Mark Baudendistel ‘78 write “Greetings from Jackson Hole! Jefferson Beach West lives on!”

1960S Robert Balivet ‘64 writes that he is retired from the position of Design Manager for Anchorage School District’s facilities department as of 12/31/10 and is relocating to Danville, VT.”

letter from ed AmeS Dear Commoners,

I just finished reading every word of the fall-winter Common Voice. Slow reader, I know. But I want you to know that every article, including Alumni News, spoke to my love of the place and deepening respect for what you continue to do. The Lowell Mountain turbine road is appallingly sad to think about. News of ventures alumni are engaged in is heart-warming. Ned Houston is and has been a rock-ribbed gift. But most reassuring to me is that the central spirit of Sterling – using body and mind, ingenuity and knowledge, and deep love of place to protect its values – continues in capable hands.

God Bless all your labors.

Sincerely,

Ed Ames, Faculty ’60 – ‘69

did you know?Since the first B.A. class graduated in 2000, 16% of Sterling College B.A. alumni have attended graduate school.

▶ LAURA BERRY ‘10 — Goddard College, M.A. in Individualized Studies

▶ ROBIN BROOKS ‘04 — Antioch University New England, M.S. in Environmental Education

▶ REID BRYANT ‘00 — Harvard School of Graduate Studies, Master of Education (Ed.M.)

▶ MATT CHAPUT ‘09 — Antioch University New England, M.S. in Conservation Ecology with a concentration in Primatology

▶ TONY DALISIO ‘08 — Emporia State University, M.S. in Avian Ecology

▶ ERIC ELLISON ‘10 — University of Colorado at Boulder, M.S. in Geology

▶ MELISSA FISHER ‘00 — School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Gardens, Graduate Certificate in Horticulture

▶ JEFF FOURNIER ‘00 — Antioch University New England, MBA in Sustainabity

▶ KATHY FOURNIER ‘08 — Green Mountain College, M.S. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Writing and Communications

▶ BEN GAGLIOTI ‘07 — University of Alaska -Fairbanks, M.S. in Wildlife Biology

▶ KATRINA HARDT ‘07 — Johnson State College, M.A. in Education

▶ CHRISTINA JOANIS ‘05 — New England College, M.Ed. with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction

▶ JONATHAN KLINE ‘09 — Cornell University, MPS in International Agriculture and Rural Development

▶ ADAM LEWANDOWSKI ‘04 — Prescott College, M.A. in Conservation Ecology and Environmental Planning

▶ MATTHEW LISK ‘09 — Prescott College, MAP Program in Spatial Ecology

▶ ANDY MOLLOHAN ‘08 — Shenandoah University, MBA

▶ VANESSA PETRO ‘06 — Oregon State University, M.S. in Forest Ecology

▶ SCOTT SHOPE ‘00 — School for International Training Graduate Institute, M.A. in Social Justice and Intercultural Relations

▶ ERIN SMALL ‘00 — University of Maine, Orono, M.S. in Forestry with a concentration in Fire Ecology

▶ JODY STODDARD ‘10 — Goddard College, M.A. in Individualized Studies

▶ HEATHER STRATTON ‘09 — University of Illinois at Chicago, M.A. in Urban Planning and Policy

▶ SUSAN SWIFT ‘08 — Union Institute & University, M.Ed. in Elementary Education

▶ MIKE TESSLER ‘09 — Fordham University, Ph.D. in Biology, Ecology and Systematic Botany

▶ LEIGH VINCOLA ‘00 — Simmons College, M.A. in Non-Fiction Writing

▶ ANDREW WEBSTER ‘06 — Union Institute & University, M.Ed. w/ secondary Earth Science Licensure

▶ JAMIE WINANS ‘00 — Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, M.S. in Education & Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies

18 CommonVoice


Sterling’s four newest trustees include a pair of journalists and a pair of academics. Their combined professional experience will help guide Sterling on two important missions: increasing academic rigor and raising the institutional profile of the College.

Jonathan Larsen holds a B.A. and an M.A.T from Harvard, and worked for several years as a corre-spondent and editor at Time Maga-zine. In the early 1970s, he served as Saigon bureau chief, covering among other things the disintegration of the U.S. Army and the corruption of the South Vietnamese government. From 1974 through 1978, Jon edited the na-

tional biweekly, New Times. When it folded in 1979, he was named a Nieman Fellow at Harvard and followed that up with the editor’s position at Village Voice in the early ‘90s. Since then, Jon has kept busy freelancing for such publications as the Columbia Journalism Review and Amicus Journal.

Jon has extensive board experience. He served on the Natural Resourc-es Defense Council for over 20 years, and was conferred with honorary trustee status. On the Cambridge College Board, in Massachusetts, he has served six years as chairman. For many years, Jon judged for the John Oakes Award, a recognition given for environmental journalism. He lives in New York City and Moretown, Vermont.

Marian Burros has been writing about the politics of food, food safety, health and agriculture for newspa-pers in Washington and New York for more than 40 years. She spent 27 years at the New York Times, retiring two years ago, and continues to write for the Times and other publications, par-ticularly about sustainable agriculture and, most recently, about Michelle

Obama’s childhood obesity initiative, Let’s Move. In 2008, Marian’s feature article about agricultural innovation in the Hardwick area set off a wave of publicity about food systems in the Northeast Kingdom.

Marian has maintained a long association with Vermont, and lives part-time in Craftsbury Common. In her short time on the Board, Marian has provided invaluable assistance in planning and promoting Vermont’s Table, Sterling’s new summer farm-to-table program.

Thaddeus Guldbrandsen is the founding director of the Center for Rural Partnerships and a member of the faculty of Social Science and Envi-ronmental Science & Policy at Plym-outh State University. He is co-author of the award winning book Local De-mocracy Under Siege: Activism, Public Interests, and Private Politics (NYU Press 2007) and several other articles

and book chapters on topics related to globalization, local democracy, regionalism, sustainable development, and social inequality.

Thad has been instrumental in helping to develop the Northern For-est Higher Education Resource Network (NFHERN). Formed in 2009, NFHERN is “a diverse group of college faculty, administrators and community advocates committed to strengthening the ties between ru-ral universities and the communities we serve.” Sterling is a member of NFHERN’s steering committee, and Academic Dean Pavel Cenkl has worked closely with Thad to build up the organization. President Will Wootton recently attended NFHERN’s second annual meeting, and participated in a roundtable of college and university presidents from across the region.

Catherine Donnelly is a Pro-fessor of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Vermont. She cur-rently serves as the Associate Director for the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese and previously served as the Associate Director for the Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship, a research consortium between Cornell University and University of Vermont.

Cathy and her husband, Scott, own The Lakeview Inn, in Greensboro. The Lakeview Inn supports Vermont’s working landscape by providing a study center to promote local and regional food products produced by small-scale food entrepreneurs. Sterling held a Senior Dinner on the beautiful grounds of the Inn last year, an event which will hopefully become an annual tradition.

newS from the boArd of truSteeS:Journalists & Academics Join the Board

photo by Kaleb Hart



in memoriAm Stuart JacksonStuart A. Jackson, library clerk at the Brown Library since 1997,

passed away on January 15, 2011 as the result of a massive stroke. A

gentle, patient soul who lived life on his own terms, Stuart enjoyed

working here and “being useful” as he would say.

Lunchtime was a highlight for Stuart, both for the excellent food

(tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches being his favorite) and

for the good company round the table. Stuart had an amazing ency-

clopedic memory and would often share facts and details gleaned

from a lifetime of reading and watching educational shows.

Sterling was truly a second home to Stuart. I cannot recall the last

words I heard him speak, but his parting comment was often this:

Well, I’ve had enough fun for today.

For those who wish, Stuart’s family has suggested a donation in his

memory be made to the Sterling College Library or to the Hardwick

Rescue Squad. ~ Petra Vogel

Jim Walton

Jim Walton, elected to the board October

2009, died January 15, 2011 after a long battle

with cancer. He was 70 years old.

Jim graduated from St. Michael’s College in

Colchester in 1963, with a degree in Ameri-

can Studies. After a brief stint in marketing,

sales, applications engineering and technical

services at Dow Corning Corporation, he left

in 1965 to start his own firm, Chase-Walton

Elastomers, Inc., in Hudson, MA. The com-

pany served the automobile and aircraft

industry, including the Space Shuttle and

Hubble telescope projects, with 40 percent of

sales exported, primarily to European coun-

tries.

In 1987, while still managing Chase-Walton,

Jim created and served as president of the

SF Medical Corporation, an FDA registered

company providing research, development,

and finished products for the hospital, medi-

cal device, biotech and pharmaceutical in-

dustries. Products from this company were

sold globally.

After other business ventures, in 2005 Jim

and his wife Jackie sold everything and

moved full time to Craftsbury, where Jack-

ie’s roots run deep. Born Jackie Farrar Me-

nard, her grandmother owned and oper-

ated the current Paradise Hall when it was

a store. As a child, Jackie played in the now

newly renovated Kane third floor where her

grandmother was born and where the Pike

family operated a hotel, the Orleans House.

Jim’s service to Sterling included being a

member of the finance and executive com-

mittees, where his analytical skills and in-

formed but easy manner quickly established

him in a leadership role.

~ Will Wootton

20 CommonVoice

S T E R L I N G C O L L E G ES T E R L I N G C O L L E G E

CommonVoice Spring/Summer 2011

P.O. Box 72Craftsbury Common, VT 05827

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