2021 Language Schools Commencement program

MIDDLEBURY

language schools commencement middlebury, vermont friday, august 6, 2021

MIDDLEBURY LANGUAGE SCHOOLS Commencement Exercises and Conferring of Degrees Established 1915

5 PROCESSIONAL L A N D AC K N O W L E D G M E N T A N D I N VO C AT I O N

Mark Orten Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life Chaplain of the College OPENING

Laurie L. Patton President WELCOME

Stephen B. Snyder Dean of Language Schools COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Benjamin Gennes Rifkin MUSICAL SELECTION

Arabic School Music Club Fouq El Nakhel by Muhammad Ali El-Agha El Bint El Shalabiya by Rahbani Brothers CONFERRING OF MASTER OF ARTS DEGREES C O N F E R R I N G O F D O C T O R O F M O D E R N L A N G UAG E S D E G R E E S CONFERRING OF HONOR ARY DEGREE

Benjamin Gennes Rifkin

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MUSICAL SELECTION

Gamaliel Painter’s Cane Jenna Lorusso, German for Singers Program CLOSING

Stephen B. Snyder RECESSIONAL PERFORMER

Kevin Parizo, piano

T H E F R I E DA D E R D E Y N B A M B A S P R I Z E I N F R E N C H L I T E R A RY S T U D I E S

Doriane Caroline Rencker Dante Maurice Sterling

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2 0 21 C A N D I DAT E S F O R T H E D E G R E E O F MASTER OF ARTS ARABIC

Yasmine Hamdy Abusamra of Egypt Habeeb George Awad of Michigan

July S. Blalack of California Samira Yousef Jubran of Tennessee Aidan Isaac O’Halloran Kaplan of New Jersey Ahmed Aly Mohamed Mansour of Egypt Hannah Lorna Scott Deuchar of United Kingdom Mohammed Hamza Vohra of Connecticut Samuel Tucker Ward-Packard of Wisconsin CHINESE

Tsailin Lai of California FRENCH

Monica Shannon Airut Murphy of Washington Emily Frances Burnett of Illinois Katherine Alexandra Fry of Indiana Emily Priscilla Griffin of Italy Benjamin Grissmer of Connecticut Rachel Elizabeth Haddon of Connecticut Elizabeth Anne Hill of Michigan Nadezhda Nikolaevna Polezhaeva of Virginia Doriane Caroline Rencker of Florida Dante Maurice Sterling of New Jersey Tan Yuan Zeng Ashley of Singapore Benjamin Edward Tilson of California Sarah Wainshal of Connecticut Karlee Jacquelyn Wasilewski of Pennsylvania Lydia Rose Weber of California

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GERMAN

Luke Andrew Fennema of Indiana Joshua P. Zahren of Rhode Island HEBREW

Efrat Amiri of Massachusetts

Milka Beck of New York Galit C. Benzaquen Moyal of Canada Noam Yan Biberman of Israel Talya Edery of Maryland Naomi Elimelech of Maryland Ravit Feldman of California Meira Gotesdyner of California Aya Haj Yahea of Israel Orit Hatzav of Washington, D.C. Sonya Hinich of New York Tina Valentina Kaminski of California Hadar Kochavi Halevi of Maryland Eric Harlan Lawrence of New York Michal Lev of Arizona Eyal Madjar of New Jersey Hiba Natour of Israel Dickla Pinchasi of Maryland Yarden Shalom-Shaul of California Shi Shalom Soffer of Israel Gal David Tamir of Chile Noya Margalit Zaltzman of Canada I TA L I A N

Tatiana Feshchenko of Wisconsin Marlena Ann Figge of New Mexico Cecilia Mecozzi of California Karen Elizabeth Murano of Connecticut Caterina Torresi of Italy Roberto Zagarese of Italy

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RUSSIAN

Heather Lynn Ficke of Washington Gabriel Valentín Guadalupe of New York Elise Marie Claire Stephens of Washington, D.C. Andrew Josiah Thompson of North Carolina Ecaterina Verbitchi of New York S PA N I S H

Zachary Robert Abeles of Maryland Aaron Caleb Bardo of Massachusetts Kyle Paul Botsford of New York Sara Elizabeth Broussard of Texas Caroline Agnes Byrne of Maryland Donna Thornton Conwell of South Carolina Karina C. de Sande of Argentina Ana María Díaz Rodríguez of Colombia Georgia Egas Lizano of Ecuador Nicholas Fernald of Massachusetts Sara Adina Ginsburg of Vermont Jenna Clare Gómez-Nourie of New Jersey Lindsay Kristen Hage of New York Marcella Sofía Jiménez of Texas Catherine Carolan Kretsch of Massachusetts Natalie Nicole Larenas Vera of Maryland Zelma Addín López of Puerto Rico Angela Jennine Malec of Connecticut Betsie Melissa O’Neill of Vermont María Isabel Recio Calcaño of Florida Gabriela Resendiz Ugalde of California Meeka-Kai Sands of Vermont Amanda Frances Washington of Massachusetts

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2 0 21 C A N D I DAT E S F O R T H E D E G R E E O F D O C T O R O F M O D E R N L A N G UAG E S B E T T Y A S H B U RY J O N E S M A ’ 8 6 S C H O O L O F F R E N C H

Bana Marine Dahi of California First Language: French Second Language: Arabic Thierry A. Torea of New York First Language: French Second Language: Italian Natalia Metwally Trotman of Canada First Language: French Second Language: Spanish THE GERMAN SCHOOL

Rebecca Linam Massey of Alabama First Language: German Second Language: Russian T H E I TA L I A N S C H O O L

Samantha Teddy Smith of New York First Language: Italian Second Language: Spanish

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COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER HONOR ARY DEGREE RECIPIENT B E N JA M I N G E N N E S R I F K I N

Benjamin Gennes Rifkin (PhD, University of Michigan) is a professor of Russian at Hofstra University. His teaching and research interests lie in foreign language education, applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and contemporary Russian film. Professor Rifkin has published countless articles in peer-reviewed journals both in the U.S. and Russia, as well as chapters in edited volumes on these topics. He is the author and coauthor of textbooks for Russian, including Advanced Russian through History (Yale University Press), and Panorama: Intermediate Russian Language and Culture (Georgetown University Press). A champion for language and intercultural education as well as the liberal arts at large, Professor Rifkin has served in academic leadership positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Temple University, the College of New Jersey, Ithaca College, and—most recently—as the dean of the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Hofstra University. From 1999 to 2009, Professor Rifkin served as the director of Middlebury’s Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian.

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THE MIDDLEBURY LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

Stephen B. Snyder Dean of Language Schools Bettina Matthias, Director

GERMAN SCHOOL

BETTY ASHBURY JONES MA ’86 Armelle Crouzières-Ingenthron

SCHOOL OF FRENCH

(founded 1916)

SCHOOL OF SPANISH

ITALIAN SCHOOL

KATHRYN WASSERMAN DAVIS SCHOOL OF RUSSIAN

CHINESE SCHOOL

SCHOOL OF JAPANESE

ARABIC SCHOOL

PORTUGUESE SCHOOL

SCHOOL OF HEBREW

(founded 2008)

SCHOOL OF KOREAN

(founded 2015)

(founded 1915)

Director Jacobo Sefamí, Director

(founded 1917)

Antonio Vitti, Director

(founded 1932)

Jason Merrill, Director

(founded 1945) Cecilia Chang, Director

(founded 1966)

Motoko Tabuse, Director

(founded 1970)

Mahmoud Abdalla, Director

(founded 1982)

M. Luci De Biaji Moreira, Director

(founded 2003)

Vardit Ringvald, Director Sahie Kang, Director Jesse Bruchac, Director

SCHOOL OF ABENAKI

(founded 2020)

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ASSOCIATE DEANS OF THE LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

Timothy Page Per Urlaub

STAFF OF THE LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

Laura Bachand, Assistant to the Dean Molly Baker, Director of Marketing Kara Gennarelli Doner, Admissions Systems Specialist Haviland Johannesson-Forgit, Coordinator of Enrollment Emily Kimberly, Business and Financial Operations Analyst John Stokes, Operations Director Lesley Huston, Abenaki and Korean Eman Hayyat, Arabic Mimi Clark, Chinese Sheila Schwaneflugel, French Tina Ilgner, German Bella Bensimon, Hebrew Elizabeth Gerner, Hebrew Joseph Tamagni, Italian Wendy Butler, Japanese Laura Bachand, Portuguese Oliver Carling, Russian Audrey LaRock, Spanish Holly Stark, Spanish

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MIDDLEBURY C.V. STARR SCHOOLS ABROAD

Carlos Vélez Dean of International Programs SCHOOL IN ARGENTINA

Claudio González Chiaramonte Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN BRAZIL

Sílvia Lorenso Castro

Associate Professor and Director SCHOOL IN CAMEROON

J. Ariane Ngabeu Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN CHILE

Juan Pastene Director

SCHOOL IN CHINA

Zhang Kai Director, Beijing

Tao Hong

Director, Hangzhou

Li Rong

Associate Professor and Director, Kunming

SCHOOL IN FRANCE

David Paoli

Associate Professor and Director

Amy Tondu

Associate Director SCHOOL IN GERMANY

Heike Fahrenberg Associate Professor and Director

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SCHOOL IN INDIA

Vinita Tripathi Director

SCHOOL IN ITALY

Rosa Cuda Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Sanae Eda Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN JORDAN

Kerstin Wilsch Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN MOROCCO

Samir Jaafar Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN RUSSIA

Nana Tsikhelashvili Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN SPAIN

Patricia Rodríguez Associate Professor and Director

SCHOOL IN THE

Guy Perry Associate Professor and Director

UNITED KINGDOM SCHOOL IN URUGUAY

Claudio González Chiaramonte Associate Professor and Director

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PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 2021–2022 PRESIDENT

Laurie L. Patton CHARTER TRUSTEES

Kirtley Horton Cameron ’95 Allan R. Dragone Jr. ’78 Catherine G. Lee ’92 George C. Lee II ’88 Caroline Sneath McBride ’75

Dennis D. Parker ’77 Helen Riess Richard T. Scanlon ’93 Karen A. Stolley ’77 William F. Truscott ’83 TERM TRUSTEES

Belinda L. Badcock Joseph W. Brown ’90 Leilani McClellan Brown ’93 Eve B. Burton Barbara G. Cole Janine Feng ’92 Graham C. Goldsmith ’89 Parker Harris III ’89 Lucienne M. Ide ’97

Carol L. Jones, German School ’00 Alice J. (A.J.) Murphy ’98 Suzanne Reider ’87 Mary G. Powell Henry J. Simonds ’97 Mark D. Spence ’98 John S. Weinberg Larry Yarbrough Kashif Zafar ’92 ALUMNI TRUSTEES

Koby Altman ’04 Zach Bourque ’01 Denver Edwards ’88

Anne Davis Peterson ’85 Elizabeth Cromwell Speers ’86 Danielle Shaw Virtue ’82 TRUSTEES EMERITI

Dort A. Cameron III ’67 James S. Davis ’66 Churchill G. Franklin ’71 Frederick M. Fritz ’68 Nancy Coffrin Furlong ’75 Claire Waterhouse Gargalli ’64 Robert C. Graham Jr. ’63 Willard T. Jackson ’51 William H. Kieffer III ’64 Roxanne McCormick Leighton ’67 John M. McCardell Jr. C. Irving Meeker ’50

Garrett M. Moran ’76 Patricia Judah Palmer ’57 Kimberly Collins Parizeau ’79 Elisabeth Robert ’78 Frank W. Sesno ’77 Deborah G. Thomas ’75 John R. Tormondsen ’82 J. Edward Virtue ’82 Marna C. Whittington Linda Foster Whitton ’80 Kendrick R. Wilson III

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A B O U T T H E M I D D L E B U RY L A N G UAG E S C H O O L S

Middlebury’s Language Schools and graduate programs are recognized around the world for their excellence and their unique, immersive approach to language learning. Since the establishment of the first school—the German School—in 1915, nearly 50,000 students have attended one of the schools, and more than 12,000 have received advanced degrees. Today, students study 12 languages in Vermont, in addition to our graduate programs abroad in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Spain.

The Middlebury Language Schools provide students of all levels with innovative instruction in language through a curriculum that incorporates linguistics, literature, culture, and area studies. The Middlebury Language Pledge® is a hallmark of the commitment students bring to their experience and commits them to communicating only in their language of study during their time spent on campus. The pledge creates the opportunity for unmatched growth in language ability.

G A M A L I E L PA I N T E R ’ S C A N E

Gamaliel Painter’s cane is one of the most treasured artifacts of the College.

Once the walking stick of the founder of both the town and the College, today it is carried by the president in the academic procession. It serves as the College’s mace and as a symbol of institutional strength and character. The president will present to members of the Class of 2021 a replica of the original cane, reminding the graduates that they go forward from Middlebury with the strength and character of the College always at their side.

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

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G A M A L I E L PA I N T E R ’ S C A N E

Words by Charles B. Wright, Professor Emeritus of English, Hon DLitt, Class of 1915 Music by E. Pruda Harwood Wiley, Class of 1912 First sung at the Commencement Luncheon, June 20, 1917 When Gamaliel Painter died, He was Middlebury’s pride, A sturdy pioneer without a stain; And he left his all by will To the College on the Hill And included in a codicil a cane.

Chorus Oh, it’s rap, rap, rap, And it’s tap, tap, tap, If you listen you can hear it sounding plain; For a helper true and tried, As the generations glide, There is nothing like Gamaliel Painter’s cane.